Should the BBC licence payer or the London council tax payer foot the bill?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/oct/14/bbc-question-time-protest-costs

Whoever pays for policing the mobs mainly from the Anti Fascist groups, isn't it about time these trouble makers were punished with the same vigour that is rained down on the far right?

The black Anglo-American playwright and critic Bonnie Greer has been confirmed as a guest panellist for next week's Question Time, along with the justice secretary, Jack Straw.

Programme by the BBC, chaired by Jonathan Dimbleby, before an invited audience, plus the above three individuals, it's hardly going to be a balanced debate.

Who would you like to see on the panel?

[123everton]

Which other high profile racists would you like to see on the show?

[sp1814]

Well Carole Thatcher's not busy at the moment...I mean, she's got no other telly work lined up!

Great to see Bonnie on the panel. I've seen her on TV a few times andshe cones across as razor-sharp and very cool, calm and collected.

An excellent foil for Griffin.

[Gromit]

It is not an either or question. London Council Tax payer will pay for Policing this, just as they pay for any BNP stunt.

Peaceful protesting is a democratic right and is part of an healthy democracy. Any one breaking the law should be arrested and bailed whether from the left or the right. Presumably, the BNP will have a presence outside the BBC as well so it isn't really fair to blame the cost of policing due to the presence of anti-fascists.

Hopefully the whole of Question Time will not de devoted to the BNP. It is a forum for topical news questions, so the debate will undoubtedly be fair. All tthe other partys want to take the middle ground, so the fact that Griffin's views are to extreme right will mean he will be marginalised, but that is what happens if you go to the extremes of right or left.

[BertiWooster]

Ahmskunnirt - That would be a good selection , if the topics to be discussed were soley immigration / racial matters .
Well, I hope that it's not going to be , even if the news stories are dominated by the aforementioned subject matter

I hope Mr Griffin and his party are shown up to be the one issue outfit they are , nowhere remotely near capable of running GB Plc .

I must say that I always like listening to Melanie Phillips , on the Moral Maze , although I might not always agree with her views

[jno]

why on earth should the BBC pay extra for their street to be policed during a debate? If your house was burgled and you called in the police, would you expect to pay them extra for turning up to do their job? Or would you think you were already paying them?

[Sweep2k]

In what way is it not a balanced debate? Because there are too many lefties and not enough righties?

You'll be pleased to know that Tory shadow cabinet minister Baroness Warsi is also on the panel. I make that two all.

[anotheoldgit]

ahmskunnirt You are quite right it is David, I watch it every week how I came to get him mixed up with his brother Jonathan, I just do not know.

I think your choice of some of your panellists would make it even more one sided, what about a representative from the English Defence League or the English Democrats Party?

It would then be interesting to see that these two parties are not the same as the BNP, as the Left would have us believe.

[anotheoldgit]

Sweep2k

You'll be pleased to know that Tory shadow cabinet minister Baroness Warsi is also on the panel. I make that two all.

And you think she would be singing from the same hymn sheet as the BNP do you?

Get real.

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

Obviously you have nailed your colours to the mast by calling this a BNP stunt.

You say:

"Presumably, the BNP will have a presence outside the BBC as well so it isn't really fair to blame the cost of policing due to the presence of anti-fascists."

The Anti-Facists will be out in force protesting because the leader of a Democratically elected party has been invited to sit on the panel of a discussion programme being screened by the BBC. I can see no reason for the BNP to be out protesting. And if they are it will only be because of the presence of the real trouble makers the Anti-Facists

What are the Left frightened of, something that Griffins may say or because they are against free speech?

[Sweep2k]

You have a very skewed view of what makes for a reasonable debate, AOG.

There are two righties on the panel and two lefties. There are two whites, two non-whites.

I\'d be very very surprised to see another panellist towing the government\'s line throughout the programme. Is that unfair on Straw?

If Griffin views don\'t stand up to rigourous debate without an extra cheerleader towing the BNP line, maybe there\'s a reason for that? Why are you so opposed to those views being questioned?

Please explain.

[jake-the-peg]

The BBC need to pay for security if needed - it's their decision to stage this stunt.

Would you expect the police to have to provide security at a Jerry Springer (or clone) show?

[Gromit]

jake-the-peg

As an aside, It costs £7.5m a year to police 13 Premier League clubs, with the teams paying £4.3m and £3.2m coming from police budgets.

[anotheoldgit]

Sweep2k

If Griffin views don\'t stand up to rigourous debate without an extra cheerleader towing the BNP line, maybe there\'s a reason for that? Why are you so opposed to those views being questioned?

Please explain.

I will:

I am not opposed to the BNP's views being questioned in the least.

What I am opposed to is that of the debate becoming an out and out witch hunt by every member of the panel, the Chairman and the invited audience, against the BNP.

If Griffith is given a chance to explain some of the accusations against him and his party and that the rest take on board some of what he says and then respond in a polite and non aggressive way, then one can say he has had a fair hearing just as the others would expect to have.

[Sweep2k]

Expect it to be a highly charged debate.

The show's format isn't, and has never been, a chance for politicians to soapbox while the audience and panellists politely listen. Even more so when their views are extreme, emotive, divisive and by their nature discriminatory.

It's rough-and-tumble stuff and I'm surprised BNP supporters find a hearty debate so daunting.

[Gromit]

It will be interesting to see if Griffin is up to the task of polite debate. As the BNP has been marginalised for so long, they have not been used to sitting and listening to others who have a different point of view. Griffin got where he is because of his ability to rouse the meatheads, preaching to the converted. Of course all politicians do that at their conferences, but they have to interact with their opponents in interviews and TV debates. The BNP have not done this so far, so next week will be new territory for them.

[jake-the-peg]

Gromit

I think there's a question over policing inside and outside grounds. If the police feel it necessary to police outside of the BBC's studios that's another issue.

I didn't think that they should warrent air-time just because of their repugnant views. It makes things descend into a freak show and gives them a platform.

However in the light of the news of the court agreement about opening up their membership there's now a more genuine reason to hear what Griffin has to say on that and how he will blend that with his existing platform.

[anotheoldgit]

---------"there's now a more genuine reason to hear what Griffin has to say on that and how he will blend that with his existing platform." ---------

Unlike you Jake I would say there is a much, much more reason to hear what Griffin has to say, it is called "FREEDOM OF SPEECH" something no doubt you are unaccustomed to, unless you agree with what is being said, hence your statement:

--------" I didn't think that they should warrent (warrant) air-time just because of their repugnant views." --------