Bullys and bias

I've now watched QT on iplayer and it was, as others have pointed out, a travesty - but my own view was that was always likely to be the case. Let's be honest here - neither the BBC or those non-affiliated people taking part are in the least bit impartial and no one who goes on QT espousing views which the liberal elite do not deem acceptable is going to get a fair hearing.. It's been that way for some years now - at least since the departure of the late, great Robin Day.

Nick Griffin was rightly lambasted by Dimbleby over his past - but it is then wrong for Dimbleby not to apply the same standards to the other guests. Why, for instance, is he not criticising Jack Straw for his communist past? Why isn't he pointing out to Bonnie Greer that the Black Panther Party are now a respected political movement in the USA, but began as an overtly racist organisation (and quite probably remain so)? Not that I'm suggesting Ms Greer was involved in the Black Panther movement, but it demonstrates the absurd non-critical approach taken to overtly racist non-white organisations compared to the highly critical approach taken towards the BNP.

And why wasn't Dimbleby pointing out to Warsi that the majority of Moslem countries still treat women and non-Moslems as second class citizens (at best) and that perhaps she ought to consider why it is that non-Moslems are banned from entering certain cities? Not racist, strictly speaking, but most certainly fascist! How would she feel if Britain decided that non-Christians were not permitted within 10 miles of Westminster Cathedral?

Ultimately, though, I think Griffin has suffered some personal damage from this - but nothing that he won't recover from. He actually came off less badly than the others who were shown to be rude, ill mannered and incapable of proper debate. Shouting at your opponent and interrupting them at every opportunity does nothing to improve your own standing, but will encourage others to take a more sympathetic view of the person being bullied.

So this may not have worked out great personally for Griffin, but I don't think it will have done the BNP any harm. What it most certainly has done, though, is damage the credibility of the BBC and the other guests who appeared on the show.