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Home Secretary Alan Johnson has warned the BBC to cancel its Question Time invitation to the “foul and despicable” British National Party.
In a call that puts him directly at odds with Cabinet minister Jack Straw, Mr Johnson said that the corporation should reconsider giving BNP leader Nick Griffin a platform next week.
Mr Johnson challenged Question Time host David Dimbleby to drop the invite, saying the BNP was an “illegally constituted” party because it barred black and Asian members.
The Home Secretary's warning, made as he appeared on the programme himself last night, came as far-right MEP Geert Wilders arrived in the UK to promote a film claiming the koran was a “fascist book”.
The BBC has come under fire from anti-racist groups for its invitation to the BNP. It was also heavily criticised after a Radio 1 programme allowed two BNP officials to declare that black England footballer Ashley Cole was not really English.
Labour has long had a policy of refusing to appear alongside the BNP in debates, but Mr Straw decided he would go on Question Time to tackle Mr Griffin. Tory peer Baroness Warsi, Liberal Democrat Chris Huhne and American critic Bonnie Greer are also set to appear on the show next Thursday.
But Mr Johnson told Mr Dimbleby: “You may like to [re]consider your invitation. There isn't a constitutional obligation to appear on Question Time. That gives [the BNP] a legitimacy they do not deserve.
“These people believe in the things that the fascists believed in in the Second World War, they believe in what the National Front believe in. They believe in the purity of the Aryan race. It is a foul and despicable party.”
But UKIP leader Nigel Farage told the programme: “The BBC have not put him on Question Time, the voters have.”
Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker added: “The BBC has a duty to reflect society as it is. The BNP has two MEPs and councillors.”
Reader views (62)
All these commenteers are missing the point. They all bang on about 'democracy' and freedom of speech, but the truth it we haven't got either of those and haven't had them for a long time.
How can you talk about democracy or freedom when the two biggest changes in Britain i.e.The great swindle of getting us into the EU and keeping us there, and unwanted mass-immigration, have both taken place without a vote.On both issues, we have never been given a clear choice.Weasel words is all we have had from all political parties,(except BNP).
Einstein said that a sign of madness is when people keep doing the same thing, but always hoping that the result will be different. So voting Tory isn't going to help is it? They never did anything before, so they won't do anything next time.
A bit like people sinking into a quicksand, but who won't grab hold of the rope from the only person who throws them one, because they don't like his face.How pathetic!Let Mr Griffin have his say, it's the life-line that counts!
- Madge Blair, Cahors France
If the population of the UK want the BNP they will get it and it won't be AJ that will kill it he's too light weight and almost redundant.It's the democratic vote that will rule. Leave the BBC alone it's the best service in the world "by far".
- Nigel Rush, Paris France
perhaps they should also be asked to bad thieves from QT - not many MPs will be on the panel
- John Lowe, London
I love the way politicians of all parties believe in free speach, democracy, civil liberties, etc. ....... until they get elected when these things become a bit of a nuisance.
Why are Labour so scared of Nick Griffin being heard. The British don't like being talked down to by politicians and they're pretty intelligent as is proved by the fact that a typical postal worker is intelligent enough to be a Home Secretary. Well perhaps one of them isn't.
- Stephen C, London
How about also banning the equally foul antisemitic and anti Christian Marxist-Leninist parties and groups, many of whom hold demonstrations in support of jihadists, support mass insurrection and the violent overthrow of our democratic state? But then, of course....a number of Labour Cabinet Ministers once belonged to these vile organisations as do a significant number of Trade Unionists and a certain section of the BBC......
- Ricky, Hackney, London
Stalin and Hitler would have been proud of alan Johnson,this country gets more communist by the hour.Freedom of speech is under serious threat at present from this corrupt regime.
- Auf Deutsch, Stalinist Britain.
Kevin T - very well said!
If David Cameron doesn`t understand the concerns the public face on these issues, then Extremist parties will eventually get a foothold - as in the 30`s.
And yes - questions like the example you gave MUST be debated in public - answering difficult questions like these is what freedom of speech is most valuable for.
- Darius, London UK
I am anti the BNP - because I've had the chance to find out what they stand for. If Nanny Johnson gets away with this, it'll be the thin end of a very scary wedge. Who'll be next?
- Claire, Shrops, Telford, UK
All of this debate, and the actions by many to prevent the BNP from speaking, are just generating more and more media coverage for Griffin and his fascist party.
I am not going to spend my time and energy seeking to suppress expression by Griffin and the BNP (not least because it is a wrong-headed approach and breaches a fundamental democratic principle.)
I am instead going to dedicate my energy to promoting fellowship, friendship and love with my friends and colleagues, who are black, white, Christian, Muslim, Sikh and atheist.
I reserve the right to criticise any religious or political group whose ideas I oppose. I reserve the right to question any government policy, including immigration, without being silenced by McCarthyite hysterics.
I am going to live in hope of a future where people of any colour and belief live and work together, and turn away from the fear that underlies this poisonnous debate.
- Danny, London
Alan Johnson is an idiot, he will see that next week when Jack Straw exposes just how pointless and ignorant the BNP are, to a massive audience.
- Steve, Hackney, London
Does Mr Johnson think the British public are so stupid they will accept whatever the BNP have to 'contribute' in public debate? Labour are running scared - aside from wanting to limit free speech so we can make up our own minds, Labour also announced this week their plans to increase funding for white working class areas, which is tantamount to bribing the electorate in areas currently voting for the BNP. How much more pathetic can the whole of party politics become?
- Diana Granger-Taylor, London, UK
Hong Kong Alexander: impossible to define a "true Brit" -for example, most "English people" from Northumberland, down the East Coast and then inwards to the Pennines are linked by common DANISH DNA - remember the Vikings? Danegeld? Should these indigenous people go back to Scandi? Most would probably say "yes", given the economic state of NE England...
BTW, I have always believed that the definition of a Welshman/woman is "an Irishman/woman who could not swim", but you may think this is very flippant and a distraction from the serious debate being played out on this blog. Toodle Pip!
- David Low, Cirencester, UK
You still don't get it do you? If the Tories win the next election they will not ban the labour party or vice versa, no matter how much I loathe Tories (actually all politicians),they at least adhere to democratic principles. If the BNP come to power, they will eventually suspend democracy sine die. And when the leadership run out off blacks/asians/eastern europeans/gays to blame and scapegoat, they will pick on the next minority.
You are sleepwalking into a nightmare. There is not one person who is a BNP supporter who is not either deluded or vile, it must be so by definition of their manifestos.
- Kerry, Purley
Arguably 'foul' the BNP may be but it ill becomes a member of the present nu-Labour 'Government' to dictate who appears on BBC programmes-a lot of people regard Labour members, especially Tony Blair and Gordon Brown as 'foul' for their backing of the illegal invasion of Iraq, and they are therefore in no position to call others, however undesirable, foul; If Labour policy-making had been more competent and reflective of the British people's wishes the BNP wouldn't be so popular.
- Jon Kent, Hertford. UK
Everytime the BNP win a seat in an area race hate attacks go up. Fact. Alan Johnson is correct in his thinking. They are a racist / nazi party and should have no place on the debating table. Would you agree to an openly Nazi party being brought to the QT panel? The Tories in 1979 dealt with the National Front (remember Thatcher's famous comment that we all feel we are being "swamped" in the UK?) and introduced many laws to curtail immigration. The BNP are born from the National Front. Don't you "defenders of free speech" see that? The BNP is the NF but with a suit on. If we want to debate with nazi thugs who beat up jewish, black and asian people and cause racial tension where ever they go then this is a sorry, sorry country. But, on a positive note, they may well have achieved two MEP's this year but there share of the vote went down as from 5 years ago.
No platform to Nazi BNP.
- Matthew, London, UK
Alan Johnson has got no one to blame but the Labour party for the sucess of the BNP. They spent 12 years ignoring the white working classes as a group that needed targeted government support and now they'll have to deal with the fact that many of them have turned to the BNP.
If we continue to take easy pot-shots at the BNP rather than calmly debating with them in the public arena then we will only harden the resolve of the groups that support them. To let Nick Griffin humiliate himself on national television will do a thousand times more good than excluding him. I just hope the BBC keep out the hecklers on both sides of the audience.
- Rich, London
The BBC has made the right decision, but it will be interesting to see what kind of audience it will select for this QT programme. I remember the baying, hate-filled anti-American mob on the post 9/11 QT. The BBC behaved shamefully then by inviting those people. Has anything changed?
- Chris, London UK
Only one party would talk about the interests of the White working class and about the issue of immigration. Both the Tory Party and Lablour refused to go there because they were/are cowards. Result is the BNP appearing on question time because a million people voted for them. Go figure!
- Gary Phillips, London
Typical knee-jerk, lily-livered liberal reaction from Alexander, A British Immigrant in Hong Kong - "If you disagree with me you must be racist". Well, I for one do have enough about me to know the difference between wanting free speech and being racist, thank you very much Alexander, and I can prove it: I am in possession of a mixed race partner and children, so what do you say to that? PS: Why you imagine anyone would care about the opinion of expats in Hong Kong is beyond me - they've chosen to go and live in another country so their views by definition are redundant; you might as well bang on about the views of Amazonian tribesmen.
- Lorraine Beaver, Aylesbury, England.
Alan johnson. There is a freedom of speech in this country.
Let the man have his say.
- Martin, sheffield
Alan Johnson should ask himself why the BNP has gone from having 1 local councillor when Labour came to power in 1997 to having over 100 today, plus 2 MEPs and a London assembly member - and nearly 1 million voters nationally. Could any of Labour's policies have something to do with it, I wonder?
I hope the other parties will be intelligent about debating them. Mostly people who say they want to challenge them act so hysterically self-righteous that the BNP are allowed to come across as the reasonable ones. It's when they're given sensible questions about their policies that they tend to struggle. "What exactly will you do if minorities don't want to be voluntarily repatriated?" for example.
The BNP is a bit like a broken clock that is showing the correct time by accident rather than because it is working. Yes mass immigration and multiculturalism are disastrous policies but that does not mean Nick Griffin is a right-minded person or has the solutions.
- Kevin T, Beckenham, Kent
Yes, Alexander from Hong Kong, anyone whose views you find distasteful should just be ignored and suppressed, and such people should not be entitled to use the same platforms as other legitimate politicial parties (which is what the BNP currently are, whether you like it or not. I don't like it either, as it happens, but I quite accept that my views on that matter should not automatically disqualify them from expressing theirs).
Do you see what is wrong with your argument??
- Anon, England
Any time I have watched Question Time there is a whole range of questions asked, Dimbleby doesn't allow them to stay on any one topic for the whole programme. If a numbe of questions are asked to a panel of 5 or 6 people, it's not possible that the BNP man's views are going to oppose them every single time, if they're not all on inflammatory subjects like race and religion. His thoughts on say, school dinners or dustbin emptying, might be pretty much the same as anyone else's. It might - shock horror! - make him seem HUMAN! I think that's what Alan Johnson is scared of.
- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx
Why not ban the Labour Party for bringing the UK to the verge of ruin. You can't accuse the BNP of doing that!
- Posdis, Oxford
PS it amuses me that the BNP claim the indigenous Caucasian population have a right to the British Isles because they lived there for tens of thousands of years - aren't the Anglo-Saxons from Holland and Germany? They should go back there. The Welsh are the true Brits.
- Alexander, A British Immigrant in Hong Kong
It's rather depressing that every time there is a news article about the BNP, there then follows a slew of comments that follow a predictable pattern, undisguised racists masquerading as defenders of free speech and seemingly moral people agonizing over whether the BNP ought to be heard. It's very sad. The view from the British expat community in Hong Kong (which I do not purport to represent) is that you're all stuck in a rut of spiralling hatred, fear and confusion and likely to drag our great country down. Yes, there are problems with the Britain we cherish changing faster than we might like, but change happens to every society, it's inevitable. Let's just remember how privileged we are to be British, what an amazing history we have and generally what decent people we are. Remember also that most immigrants came to Britain because they admired our culture and wanted to join our society. It is we who by rejecting them turned them against us. Militant Islam should be combatted but "Non-Caucasian Immigrant" does not equal "Militant Islamist bent on destroying our country". There are so many people of mixed ancestry in Britain, millions, even if the census doesn't accurately reflect this, do those who have sympathy with the basic tenets of the BNP, label non-whites "visitors", understand that they hold onto 19th century ideas that would define such people as second-rate? How can anyone want to even debate such idiotic nonsense?
- Alexander, A British Immigrant in Hong Kong
The arrogance of this man is simply unbelievable! Do free speech and democracy mean nothing at all to him?
Instead of attacking other politicians he should concentrate on his own job and a good start would be to prevent Gary McKinnon being extradited to the United States!
- Manny Goldstein, London, England
Banning the BNP is giving it the oxygen of publicity.
I hold little sympathy for the BNP leadership, but I understand
the problems of BNP voters. No one asked the working class,
the lower middle class, & increasingly the middle class, how they
felt about mass immigration & its accompanying problems,
as well as its benefits.
Labour has failed its core voters & of the major parties,
only the Conservatives can deal with the mess that has
been created by multiculturalism & mass immigration,
often by persons illiterate in their own languages.
Are they tough enough to tackle the task ?
- British Not Racist, Bracknell England
Hows the Back Mr Johnson after that Lashing?
Foolish man,so foolish to make comments like that.
- Mick, NEW YORK
'I favour the approach of former MP Cyril Smith - let's see who they are, let's see what they do and what they say. Let's meet them head-on in a legitimate way.'
Thank you, Captain Black, for reminding us of the days, long ago, when there were real statesmen! If anyone should be banned it is Johnson for failing to meet the standards expected of a politician. Someone should remind him that Stalin is dead; although he, Johnson, might find Burma to his taste......
- Wayne Barnes, London
They should ban Alan Johnson and his thieving, crooked, corrupt MP's. This country was renowned for its free speech and even though PC has put paid to that, Nick Griffin has every right to have his say, whether people like it or not.
- Paul Hopkins, London, England
Alan Johnson has no right to use his political power in his way. People have died for the freedom we have in this country. A part of this freedom acknowledging you might not like who speaks out or what they represent. Maybe Johnson would like to vet people's corner next.
- Paul B, London
I cannot recall if at the time Adams and McGuiness were elected politicians but in any event they were given a platform by Red Ken in London where they espoused their hatred. I found their views unctious but free speech demanded they be heard [despite Mrs Thatcher's best attempts to thwart them].I cannot see any difference.
I favour the approach of former MP Cyril Smith - let's see who they are, let's see what they do and what they say. Let's meet them head-on in a legitimate way. Johnson's approach gives them more crediblity, shows he's not able or willing to resist them and by trying to suppress them, boosts their standing. What we must not do is drive them underground.
What people like Johnson seem to easily to forget is that like it or not Griffin's party has two elected MEP's; they were voted in by the electorate and for that reason alone they should not be shut up, no matter how much they are loathed. I saw QT last night and it was said from the audience that allowing them on next week would mean more people would likely vote for them. Well, if that is true, those people are likely to do so anyway.
- Captain Black Of The Mysterons, London, England
I'm no fan of the BNP leader, but "Foul and despicable" is a description you could apply to many MP's, especially the greedy expense fiddling ones who should be prosecuted and kicked out.
- Julian, London
HAH!!! Labour can't help but slide ever closer to a dictatorship. Who will they silence next, UKIP, then Greens, then difficult independents.
Maybe this is all a plan for Tony to become the new Mugabe!.
- Steve, London
I would imagine there are many millions of corpses that rue the day "free speech" was extended to Adolf Hitler.
Sadly, as much as it goes against my own liberal outlook, there are times when that privilege should be withheld.
For all it's dressing up, the BNP is a racist party, populated with racist thugs and we should not give them the oxygen of publicity.
- Barry Chapman, Welwyn ngland
We live in a democracy don"t we?, As a elected politician he as the right to have is say.Labour are you afraid to you will lose more of your voters?.
Well done to the BBC.
- Gary, Neath,S Wales
Like it or not, the BNP and its despicable views have been recently endorsed by the best part of a million voters. It's no good Mr Johnson trying to muzzle the BNP; censorship just plays into their hands. The right to free speech, providing that speech is within the law, is not reserved exclusively for those we agree with.
Mr Straw is, for once, to be commendnded; he has recognised the responsibility of leading politicians to confront these people and challenge their odious views. Perhaps Mr Johnson doubts the decency of the vast majority of British people who utterly reject the BNP's views.
Why should we be surprised when the Secretary of State with ultimate responsibility for the world's largest DNA database, the putative National Identity Register and a police service that appears daily to pay more attention to politicians than the communities thay are supposed to serve, reaches into the toolbox for yet another instrument of totalitarianism?
- John C, Leatherhead, UK
Maybe it is time to ban the labour party, given that it is plainly against free speech and the rights of the individual.
- Rob, Rochester
Comments by Baroness Warsi one of the intended panalists on the BNP
“They have some very legitimate views. People who say ‘we are concerned about crime and justice in our communities – we are concerned about immigration in our communities’”
“I think we need to have the debate (re immigration). One of the problems why the BNP has been allowed to grow is sometimes certainly the Labour Party took the view that if we ignore them they will just go away,”
The Tories opened the door Britain and Labour has kicked it and wedged it wide open; they created the BNP.
- Mark, South-East London
If the BBC does as it`s told on this issue, that`s the last part of it`s original remit that it`s abandoned - therefore it should be reconstructed under a new government.
How can we possibly know what a person stands for, and argue against it, if they are not allowed to be heard?
And why is such an important debating programme like Question Time on so late in the evening - it should be on "prime time" like any other treasured sporting event!
The same goes for Sunday`s "Big Questions" (the only decent moral debating programme left on TV) - if the questions are so big, why isn`t it on at prime time?
C`mon BBC - raise up for a change, you`re on public trial, after all.
- Darius, London UK
Freedom of speech does not include an obligation for public money to be spent helping you reach your potential audience.
I don't remember Voltaire saying "I disapprove of what you say, but I will allow my licence fee to be used for your opportunity to say it."
- Nolan, Londonist
"So Mr Johnson, if you ban the BNP why, according to the press, are fundamentalists allowed to preach openly. "
He's not proposing that the BNP be banned, he's merely saying that they shouldn't be invited on Question Time. Perhaps you could remind us when QT invited a fundamentalist preacher on the programme?
- Michael, London
What is Alan Johnson afraid of?
This is the UK not Zimbabwe.
- David H, East London
How to achieve exactly the opposite of what you intend: Alan, you have just created a discussion about the rights and wrongs of allowing the BNP a platform and their legal legitimacy. Now all the BNP has to do is sit back and poke the fire occasionally and see their visibility increase daily. If you really want to marginalise them, just don't ever refer to them, pretend they don't exist, don't give people a reason to debate them... Doh!
- Jon, london,England
I find the crooked Labour party "foul and despicable". Please can the BBC ban them as well?
- Thomas, London
This is clearly a case of a very worried government seeking to silence a political opponent that might just make way into its electorate and leave open an advantage to the Conservatives.
Lets be fair this is an elected party with more UK representatives than the Greens, like them or loathe them they have as much right as any other political party. Personally speaking I would ban some of the trash from the right wing Labour party, especially the whinging about how they justify the theft of taxpayers money to better their lifestyle.
- Jim, London
Typical Labour,surpress anything or anybody they don't agree with.After 12 years of these people it's now obvious to see who the real facists are.
- Stephen, London
I think the BBC should ban the current MPs who have stolen vast amounts of taxpayers money.He should also realize that we the public still believe in freedom of speech and Democracy,even though are MPs seem to be happy will the communist rule and dictatorship goverment that we are under at this time.
- Dave, london
The guy is on the ball trying to get inane nasty political types banned.....when he has done this he must obviously get the majority of labourites banned as well...are they any different?
- Toldasitis, South london
The Politicians by their lies and fiddling created the BNP, now they want to ban them.
If you were in Manchester or Birmingham recently could you tell the difference, people screaming and shouting attacking the Police, but according to the Alan Johnsons of this world, one of the groups was OK.
They shout for democracy and then deny us a vote on Europe.
I want no part of your kind of democracy Alan Johnson , roll on next May
- Steve M, London
FREE SPEECH !!!
P.C. has killed it !!!
- Bernard Parke, GUILDFORD
I have no time for the ultra-left BNP, but there is irony when a Home Secretary achieves his position by re-interpreting the meaning of democracy to suit his own ideology and agenda, then condemns others for doing the same is a bit rich.
Democracy is simply government by the People for the People. Someone appointed by the political class, such as Mr Johnson, to look after the needs of the Political class is not a democrat, and can’t be said to represent the people.
From a democracy point of view people belonging to political parties are appointed by their leaders and not proposed by the people they wish to represent, as such have no legitimacy when it comes to representing the People.
- Ian, Reading, England
Who on earth does this idiot think he is to tell people who they can and can't see, or what to think.
If you look at the definition of Fascism in the dictionary, it could almost be about the mindset of this wretched Government.
Maybe he might like to consider the main reason why people want a debate, but that would be far to hard him.
And before the usual handwringing luvvies start screaming their favourite word of rascism, consider that many African and Indian people that came here years ago for a better life, are also fed up of uncontrolled mass immigration.
I know this as I have had Asian and African people say so over the last few years, that I have worked with.
- P Staker, London.
The Tory/Labour Party is running scared because they know that now issues which they have suppressed but which the British people are all to aware of will be openly discussed.
- Margaret Wilson, London, England
If our 'beloved' leaders can't win a debate against Nick Griffin then what are they good for? They are in Politics because they must have shown an aptitude for debate. It should be like shooting fish in a barrel. The BNP has to be the least popular party for some time, it has only got one agenda and it is in turmoil about its membership policy. A talented operator should be able to rip them apart. What is Johnson afraid of?
- Alex C, London
Alan Johnson and his filthy communist cohorts would be very happy to ban all opposition.
Free speech? No, Labour do not believe in freedoms of any sort. How can you control and manipulate if people go about thinking for themselves?
The election cannot come quickly enough.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
So Mr Johnson, if you ban the BNP why, according to the press, are fundamentalists allowed to preach openly. Your debating technique seems to be allong the lines of 'I've made up my mind, don't confuse me with any facts'. You are in the process of giving them more credability. I prefer the Lib Dem line, have the discussion/debate, get them to try and justify their position, which will hopefully show them up for what they are.
- Alan, carlisle uk
You may disagree with his policies and ideas, but he has every right to be on Question Time. He is a duly elected politician.
I don't agree with one word any labour politician says, does that entitle me to say that they should also be banned from appearing? I think not...
- Joanna Carling, london
Sorry, as much as I despise the BNP this is nothing more than the denial of the freedom of speech. But then perhaps New Liar-bour doesn't want this ....
- Andy, London
Well done Alan, more publicity for the BNP.
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke, Hants
Advice to Mr Johnson from Voltaire: "I do not agree with a word you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it". We still live in a democracy Mr Johnson, despite the best efforts of your foul party to destroy it. I detest everything ZaNuLab stands for, but I respect its right to exist, which, thank God, won't be for much longer. Bring on the Election!
- David Low, Cirencester, UK
