NICK GRIFFIN ON 'QUESTION TIME'

I was worried that my fellow North West MEP would manage to appear just a little bit warm and 'cuddly', or even worse that he might emerge as the brave defender of honourable views being bullied by the establishment.

But no, to my mind he just looked ridiculous. Is there anyone that the BNP doesn't hate, or fear is out to do down the "English"? (Incidentally, if Griffin so loves England why does he live in Wales?).

I don't rule out the idea of a future debate with him in the region we both represent but I doubt that such an exchange would be of any value. You can't have a serious discussion about policies to shape the future with someone who sees demons in the dark, and who is so beset by conspiracy theories that there is no room for the complexities and contradictions of the real world.

So has all the coverage done the BNP a power of good; after all, it's said that all publicity is good publicity?

But when Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe was charged with conspiracy to murder in the mid-1970s I remember using those as words of comfort and condolence.

I was wrong!

POLITICS IS NUTS

The polls say that voters want to punish Westminster politicians for their abuse - or in some cases only apparent abuse - of expenses.

So they may vote for UKIP, which want to give those same Westminster politicians more power than they have at present.

Or they may vote for the BNP, which blames immigrants for all the country's problems.

Or they may vote for any other anti-European party, even though I haven't heard anyone blaming the EU for the economic depression or the abuse of expenses at Westminster.

But once elected representatives of all these parties will immediately claim a specific electoral mandate for their particular views.

It's all nuts.

BEATING THE BNP

The BNP has been talking up its hopes of winning a North West seat in the European elections. Victory in council by-elections could provide momentum and credibility, and the resignation of a Liberal Democrat councillor in Carlisle gave them an opportunity. According to The Independent (Feb 28), the BNP candidate in Castle ward was given a friendly reception on many doorsteps, and they would deliver 10 leaflets to every home by the March 5 poll.

Everything the BNP stands for is anathma to Liberal Democrats. We champion the right of every individual to reach their full potential. We oppose all forms of discrimination. We believe in the concept of community, and we have little time for national borders getting in the way of the need to develop shared solutions to common problems. To borrow the old anti-apartheid slogan, Liberal Democrats believe that there is only one race - the human race.

But a time when people are worried about their future is the perfect opportunity for racists to exploit fears, and with low turnouts in council by-elections there was the danger of complacency and the risk that we might have been caught napping in Carlisle. So in the last few days of the campaign we got on the telephone, summoned some help, and raised our game.

The BNP were out in force on Thursday, with party leader Nick Griffin amongst them. Their hopes were high - only for the people of Carlisle to dash them by a significant margin.

The Castle ward result:

Lib Dem 465
Labour 304
BNP 255
Con 143
Green 125

Turnout: 30%


This contest may have been the last chance before the European elections for the BNP to snatch a seat off the Liberal Democrats. They failed to do so, and I for one will use this result to point out that even in times of trouble a very large majority of people prefer Liberal values to fascist ones!