The left wing campaigners who shame us all

One of the biggest ironies in free speech principles allowing the BNP to have a seat on the BBC Question Time panel tonight is the simple fact that extreme right wing parties of the ilk of the BNP are the very parties who would, if they could, deny people those rights. So for those of us who believe in free speech, it is very much through gritted teeth that we support the BBC's principled stance in allowing the BNP to appear on the show.

Sadly though, there are those who have used the BNPs appearance on Question Time as a means of pursuing their own vested interests.

Looking at the the usual suspect waving socialist worker placards whilst attempting to attack and break in to the BBC, you realise that there is only a very subtle difference between the methods of the far left and the far right. The differences are that whilst the far right claim to speak for the "ordinary working person", the far left seek to claim the title of speaking for the rest of us, which of course they don't.

The truth is that the actions of the far left outside the BBC today will only give solice to the BNP and will add to the view of many of those people, ignorant enough to vote BNP, that the whole world is against them and that people don't want to hear the BNPs version of the truth.

The majority of people, those who are liberal both with a small and large "l" who vote for mainstream parties, abhor the views of the BNP and hope that people see them for what they are. But the is a clear division between those who choose to oppose violent thugs in suits by legitimate democratic means and those who seek to wave placards and deny those they do not like from exercising rights that the vast majority of this country hold dear.

The truth is, of course, that the far left oppose the BNP from exercising freedom of speech because just like the far right, the far left are not to be trusted with guarding our freedoms.

Whilst they may not be racists, they want a class war, they also show prejudice and would be as quick to remove the rights we all hold dear as quickly as the BNP, if they had the chance. Meanwhile they shame the rest of us who oppose the BNP and who are now cast by them as being part of the BNP opposition alongside them.

Michael Winner on Question Time ? A new low

I am not going to watch the rest of Question Time if the first question is any pointer to the rest of the show.

What is the point of having a guest like Michael Winner ? He offered nothing on a really important question about Iraq and couldn't really answer the subsequent question put to him by Dimblebore.

And as for Caroline Lucas .... ZZZZZZZZzzzzzz. Time to sleep

Say "no" to Andrew Neil on Question Time

Iain Dale's blog points to a poll which shows Andrew Neil is the favoured choice to take over Question Time from David Dimblebore. Are these people off their heads ?

Andrew Neil spoils any show he touches. Neil thinks he is funny and plays to this, completely unaware of the fact that he is somewhat fawning, sycophantic to some whilst being outright rude to others whist seeming unable to hide his own Tory bias.

If the BBC want to re-energise Question Time, and boy does it need a new lease of life, then Andrew Neil is not the answer.

Borrowing and altering a famous quote, if Andrew Neil is the answer, what the hell is the question ?

Two Tories and no Lib Dems on Question Time again

Tonight's Question Time features A Labour Minister (Caroline Flint), Australian writer Clive James, a Bishop, Sayeeda Warsi (A Tory Peer) and Melanie Phillips (A right wing pro Tory journalist who works for the Tory mouthpiece the Daily Mail).

Yet again, a complete lack of balance from the people who do the bookings for Question Time.

Same old anti Lib Dem bias from the BBC on Question Time

Tonight;s Question Time panel features a Tory MP (Ken Clarke), A former Tory employee and Tory Spin Doctor for William Hague (Amanda Platell), an MP first elected as a Tory before defecting to Labour (Shaun Woodward), an actor and a playwright.

Notice who might be missing ?

A programme about politics therefore includes just two politicians out of five panellists (40%), three people from the political world out of five (60%), and 0% Lib Dems.

Whatever next, should we have newsnight review, a programme on the arts with the panel made up of 60% politicians or perhaps Melvyn Bragg could be asked to step aside from the South bank Show in order for someone who has nothing to do with the arts to present it. Do we tune in to Match of the Day or Sky to see a majority of the panel of experts analysing the game be made up of people with no first hand knowledge of football.

It's a perverse and odd mindset the BBC has that they think the way to make politics interesting is to make sure that they don't have any politics on a programme. And if they do, try not to make it a balanced and fair group of politicians representing a wide cross section of public opinion.

Non event Question Time

you do have to wonder at some of the guests the BBC chooses for Question Time.

Tonight's was rendered almost a complete waste of time by having only one elected MP on the panel (Ken Clarke) after Douglas Alexander, brother of embattled Scottish Labour Leader Wendy Alexander pulled out. There was a Daily Mail journalist (almost certainly a Tory) and author I have never heard of (I know, it probably shows my ignorance) an American and someone else I have never heard of who is apparently the Labour leader in the Lords.

No Lib Dem, no Labour MP and a severe lack of credibility all round left me feeling that I hadn't actually got answers from anybody because the people we needed answers from were not there. Question Time used to be about asking politicians serious questions, but sometimes it is just like a poor man's university debating society.

Jonny Wright for Question Time

I've just joined Jonny Wright's facebook Group (click here to join).

Jonny is the blogger behind "hug a hoodie", always worth a read, and it appears he is in the final ten to get on Question Time as one of the "young voters" they have on annually.

I wish him good luck and would urge people to join his Facebook group and vote for him HERE on the BBC website.