THE BBC's decision to give airtime to the BNP has upset community leaders.
BNP leader Nick Griffin has expressed his delight after being told he will be able to appear on the BBC's Question Time - although a formal invitation has yet to be extended.
Other parties, especially Labour, are opposed to sitting on any programme with a BNP representative.
But after the BNP gained two seats in the European elections, the BBC has found it a problem in stopping BNP representatives sharing a platform with other party spokesmen.
A BBC spokesperson said that any legal political party registered with the Electoral Commission had to be treated with impartiality.
He added: "Our audiences and the electorate will make up their own minds about the different policies offered by elected politicians."
Mark Gardner, of the Community Security Trust, told the Jewish Telegraph that BNP arguments should certainly be countered and defeated.
He added: "The CST is opposed in principle to the Question Time proposal."
He explained that it was their long-standing belief that "public money should not be used to provide a public platform for racists and furthermore we do not believe in sharing a public platform with the racists".
A Board of Deputies spokeswoman said: "The Question Time format, concentrating as it does on current affairs, is unlikely to provide an opportunity to show that Nick Griffin is an unreconstructed Holocaust denier and conspiracy theorist against Jews."
A Labour party spokesman said they have now been forced to review their policy of never sharing a platform with the BNP and the Conservatives took the view that they would treat a Griffin appearance on Question Time as "any other programme" promising that a senior party member would be present to ensure their views were fully represented.
As for the Liberal Democrats, a spokesman said that if the BNP were given an opportunity to debate they would appear, doing their best "to argue against them vigorously and shut out their support".
Gerry Gable, former editor of the anti-fascist Searchlight magazine, described the decision as "disgusting".
He said: "He shouldn't be given a platform to spout his poisonous views by the national broadcaster. continues here
BNP leader Nick Griffin has expressed his delight after being told he will be able to appear on the BBC's Question Time - although a formal invitation has yet to be extended.
Other parties, especially Labour, are opposed to sitting on any programme with a BNP representative.
But after the BNP gained two seats in the European elections, the BBC has found it a problem in stopping BNP representatives sharing a platform with other party spokesmen.
A BBC spokesperson said that any legal political party registered with the Electoral Commission had to be treated with impartiality.
He added: "Our audiences and the electorate will make up their own minds about the different policies offered by elected politicians."
Mark Gardner, of the Community Security Trust, told the Jewish Telegraph that BNP arguments should certainly be countered and defeated.
He added: "The CST is opposed in principle to the Question Time proposal."
He explained that it was their long-standing belief that "public money should not be used to provide a public platform for racists and furthermore we do not believe in sharing a public platform with the racists".
A Board of Deputies spokeswoman said: "The Question Time format, concentrating as it does on current affairs, is unlikely to provide an opportunity to show that Nick Griffin is an unreconstructed Holocaust denier and conspiracy theorist against Jews."
A Labour party spokesman said they have now been forced to review their policy of never sharing a platform with the BNP and the Conservatives took the view that they would treat a Griffin appearance on Question Time as "any other programme" promising that a senior party member would be present to ensure their views were fully represented.
As for the Liberal Democrats, a spokesman said that if the BNP were given an opportunity to debate they would appear, doing their best "to argue against them vigorously and shut out their support".
Gerry Gable, former editor of the anti-fascist Searchlight magazine, described the decision as "disgusting".
He said: "He shouldn't be given a platform to spout his poisonous views by the national broadcaster. continues here
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