Stupidity, thy name is Nick Griffin

I must admit that I was sceptical about BBC’s invitation to BNP leader Nick Griffin to the Question Time. Like many, I also thought that this will be a step forward to legitimise the fascist BNP who grabbed this opportunity with both hands.

But as the yesterday’s show unfolded, I was pleasantly surprised to find the damage it did to BNP. Mr. Griffin could not give answer to almost any question, laughed awkwardly, blabbered incoherent things which did not make any sense, caught lying red handed. He made a complete fool of himself and made BNP exposed to be a misinformed, misguided, confused, hatred preaching, racist organisation.

I do not know why so many frontline news papers are reporting the news as if BNP got a huge political mileage from the show; it did not. Mr. Griffin looked like a confused, pitiful joker amidst true politicians, scholars and a very well informed, witty audience. This was not an average BNP conglomeration of uneducated, uncultured, frustrated lot who blame the successful and hardworking immigrants for their failures in life. So Mr. Griffin’s distorted facts and figures blended with racial rhetoric did not work here. He could not answer most of the questions, tried to hide behind his favourite “I did not actually say this” phrase, only to be exposed moments later as a pathetic liar. He tried to explain his ever changing views on holocaust by some imaginary European law, only to be dismissed by all three politicians (one of whom is the Justice secretary) that no such law actually exists. At every point during the show he was exposed as deceptive, slimy, confused man. If this gives political mileage, well, then I am baffled.

Yes, the show put BNP in limelight, but the party was exposed very badly under that limelight. Although I think this was never BBC’s motivation to invite Mr. Griffin to the show; but with what actually happened there, I have nothing to complain about.

My personal favourite was the question from the young Asian from the audience about repatriation; "Where do you want me to go? I was born here, I love this country; I'm part of this country." Mr. Griffin clearly did not have any answer and could only managed to laugh awkwardly when he suggested buying him a ticket to South Pole “which would suit you being a totally colourless place”.