Brian, I wonder if you’d think the Nazis were so funny if it was your family who’d been turned into soap.

I was going to quote “my enemy’s enemy is my friend” but as I have read more and had a change to think about it I am not sure that I want to be friends with either the BNP who will revoke our gay friendly laws or extremists from any religion who would execute me or torture me.

I don’t have a problem with people moving to this country, however I am firmly of the opinion that if you choose to move to another country you should embrace that countries culture, way of life, laws and to an extent the religion of that country. That goes for the masses who have destroyed the costa del sole’s of the world as well as the masses who have come to the UK. Why would you want to move from an country but take it with you?

I am confused (

Perhaps Mr Griffin could look at this difficulty, rather than build policies which allow him to avoid taking repsonsibility for his emotional problems.

Immigration is a big issue, and it is also true that it has been swept under the carpet by the mainstream parties, but it is not the only issue. If Griffin had been asked what his party’s policy would be on education, health and transport, and if he had been asked what bright talents his party contained who would be able to tackle those portfolios, that would (I believe) have confirmed that his cupboard was bare.

As it is, QT did establish that Griffin has no integrity and that his party has no respectability. In that respect I think the QT audience, and the comments from the panel and Dimbleby gave him what he deserved. But giving him what he deserved made him an easy target, and there’s no easy answer to the idea that attacking him made him seem an underdog.

In France, when the the chips were down (in 2002) and the electorate had to decide between a fascist presidential candidate and a crook, they voted overwhelmingly for the crook. In the first round Chirac’s majority was relatively slender: only 19.88% of the total vote against Le Pen’s 16.86%. In the second round Le Pen’s vote increased to only 17.79%, whereas Chirac’s soared to 82.21%.

Frankly Pat, I couldn’t care less if you consider yourself more liberal than Nick Griffin. If you vote for him, or the BNP, then you’re a turkey voting for the christmas day meal.

“I note that the word gay and homophobia did not exist 50 years ago, does that discredit those words. Just because a word is new does not make it irrelevant.”

Hinduphobia, Buddismophobia, and Sikhismophobia
still don’t. What sets these religions apart from Islam, that requires such a word as Islamophobia to be thought up?

I certainly don’t believe that those with extremist or findamentalist Islamic views represent the whole Muslim community. Someone previously mentioned saunas. Pay a visit to any sauna in London and you’re probably find the Muslim community to be over represented amongst the clientelle, in central London at least. Most Muslims do integrate as do most other religions to the best of their ability. It is the ones that don’t that cause tnesions. We seem to be developing a trend in this country for Muslims not to do so and this will cause friction and tension.

We all have to share this planet and a little give and take is what is needed. When in Rome etc. In this country Muslims need to adapt to the expectations of British society and Christians do when in Saudi for example.

Perhaps you could enlighten Griffin on such outlandishly radical arguments as one’s ethnicity does not confer upon one inherent propensities or capabilities, and that meritocratic individualism is a far superior mode of thought than racial, sexual or gender division.

The million who voted BNP did so for the reasons stated in this discussion, notwithstanding the tiny minority who sincerely despise other races. Immigration is the biggest single cause of BNP popularity.

I agree with you that the barbarism of the Eastern bloc will subside thanks to EU membership.

I think the EU is a fantastic idea – but not for Britain.

We have fiercely guarded our independence for the best part of 600 years against Europe, only for us to be hoodwinked and thrust against our will into a federalist superstate.

The only referendum the British have had is on whether or not to join the Common Market. The social, military, domestic and foreign policy union now in effect, especially thanks to Lisbon, has never had any deomcratic mandate.

I don’t accept the point that “Stronger unification of EU will benefit gay comunity even futher” – perhaps in the Eastern states or the recent deomcracies of Italy, Spain, Germany etc. Northern Europe (IE Britain, Holland, Scandinavia) has no need to be in the EU for human rights.

You’re correct that Labour had to have its hand forced to introduce gay rights, but I question whether thiat would have happened any way given time and pressure from within Britain itself.

In any case, nothing greater than free trade is needed with the EU. If we pulled out of the EU, we would then be able to join NAFTA as well as EFTA, instead of artificially increasing our trade with the EU at the cost of tariffs imposed on US imports. Removing such tariffs would probably lead to a higher proportion of trade with NAFTA than the EU.

Only good can come from leaving the EU – and we could limit the free labour movement from Europe.

All pluses and no negatives with leaving the EU, and if the British public were given a vote, I’m almost certain what the result would be. That’s why they won’t give us a vote!