First question on the Second World War. Is it fair BNP hijacked Churchill? Straw says in the war Britain defeated a party based on race like the BNP. The BNP defines itself by race – that distinguishes it from every other party. All other parties have a moral compass. Nazism didn’t and neither does the BNP. We only won the First and Second World War because we were joined by millions of black and Asian people. Applause.
Griffin then counters by saying Churchill would have been in BNP. He described Churchill as Islamaphobic by today’s standards. “The government is giving up on British freedom,” said Griffin.
An audience member says the BNP are an absolute disgrace. For just one minute think of the benefits black people people have brought to the UK. “You are trying to poison politics. What you stand for is disgusting.” Huge applause. David Davis asks if he denied the Holocaust. Griffin smiled and said Holocaust was used by allies.
Then Warsi came in, saying any party which has values of BNP does not share values of Churchill. Disgusting to use Churchill. She quoted Mark Collett, a BNP officer, saying Churchill led us into pointless wars.
Bonnie Greer was her cool, calm self. Said Churchill’s ancestral past meant he could not have joined the BNP. Audience member said Enoch Powell’s views were identical to those of Griffin. Then Huhne chipped in: we are delaing with a politics of finding people to blame, to scapegoat. It’s what Enoch Powell did. We had this in the 30s v the Jews, 60s v Blacks and now Griffin with immigrants. Peddling hatred. Griffin is a fascist. Quotes Griffin saying “every last one should go”.
Then Griffin struck back. it’s all lies, he says. Never said Adolf went too far. Dimbleby says he was there with David Duke of KKK (at a meeting in US). Griffin got very nervous, started shaking – under full attack from all. Dimbleby quoted Griffin saying “instead of taljking about racial purity we talk about identity”
Griffin said he shared a platform with a non violent member of the KKK – audience laughed. Straw: “We have seen that the moment anyone puts an uncomfortable quote to him he wriggles. I have seen his quotes on You Tube. He wants to wriggle out of it. The BNP have a manual to tell them how to speak. The language and concepts discipline manual. They are the only party who have to tell their party not to be racist.”
This was when Straw said Griffin is the Dr Strangelove of British politics. (He tries to control his extremist politics but he can’t stop himself like the Peter Sellers character) The audience started laughing at Griffin.
Audience member: why is Islam “wicked”?
NG: It treats women as second class citizens. Has “good points” but does not fit in with fundamental values of British society. My policy on Islam is a truce with Islam. We should leave countries alone and ensure if Muslims stay here they do so understandiung we are a British country. Britain must always remain a fundamentally Christian country.
Warsi: Griffin is a “confused man”. Griffin shared platform with Abu Hamza, Gaddafi. He is a thoroughly deceptive man. He is here to demonise Islam.
Immigration question – is rise of BNP due to misguided Labour policy?
Jack Straw: net reduction in migration. We are controlling numbers better – points based system. Asylum down. Put should we stop people coming here? Certainly not. This country’s great stregth is diversity. 30 percent of population in Blackburn is Muslim.
If you want to know why they won in NW it was to do with discontent with all parties.
Warsi and Huhne attack government over immigration.
Griffin: Lib Dems masquerading as anti-immigration. A multicultural programme has been imposed by the liberal elite. The indigenous Britons.
Jack Straw: You mean white?
NG: “Indigenous.” The English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh. We are the aborigines here. The majority of the British people. He accused Straw of racism. We feel shut out in our country.
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