QT tonight: Will you be tuning in?

[centurian]

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the Tories have huge "Stop Immigration" posters during the last election? They didn't win then so presumably this is not a big issue in the electorate's mind.

The economy was doing okay then, so people cared less.

Now we're in the pits, people look for someone to blame - cue the BNP to promptly blame it all on immigrants.

[meridian]

The economy was doing okay then, so people cared less.

Now we're in the pits, people look for someone to blame - cue the BNP to promptly blame it all on immigrants.

Ah, okay.

So it was fine for one political party to bash immigrants, as long as the economy was doing okay?

[TimberWolf]

So what are the odds that the programme is going to end in farce, eggs being thrown or a punch-up?

[sasguru]

So what are the odds that the programme is going to end in farce, eggs being thrown or a punch-up?

We can only hope.

[minestrone]

So what are the odds that the programme is going to end in farce, eggs being thrown or a punch-up?

I think that is a very strong possibility.

Bags of Garam Masala being chucked at him.

[LadyChatterley]

http://bnp.org.uk/tag/bnp-gurkhas/

“As to the BNP’s position on the Gurkhas, you will be interested to know that the party has never before even debated this issue, and thus there is no official position on the topic. I have no doubt that the topic will most certainly be debated at our next conference and I will personally be arguing the case for the Gurkhas,” Mr Griffin wrote.

“I am already on record in various interviews stating that a BNP government would look far more sympathetically on the plight of the Gurkhas than the current Labour government.

“We would therefore hope that you understand that the BNP has no ill-will towards the Gurkhas or your campaign.

[sasguru]

http://bnp.org.uk/tag/bnp-gurkhas/

“As to the BNP’s position on the Gurkhas, you will be interested to know that the party has never before even debated this issue, and thus there is no official position on the topic. I have no doubt that the topic will most certainly be debated at our next conference and I will personally be arguing the case for the Gurkhas,” Mr Griffin wrote.

“I am already on record in various interviews stating that a BNP government would look far more sympathetically on the plight of the Gurkhas than the current Labour government.

“We would therefore hope that you understand that the BNP has no ill-will towards the Gurkhas or your campaign.

Well that was an abrupt U-turn when they realised it was a complete vote loser

here's the original comment from Griffin:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-sto...5875-21354161/

[LadyChatterley]

Hmm, I stand corrected so-to-speak. I was reading the thread then decided to pop over and have a look at the BNP website. I think it makes for a very interesting debate though which will probably end up as a mud slinging farce.

[centurian]

Ah, okay.

So it was fine for one political party to bash immigrants, as long as the economy was doing okay?

Didn't say it was fine, although I don't think you can compare the Tory policy of wanting to limit immigration to the neo Nazi policies of the BNP.

The point is that people are more receptive to immigrant bashing when they are unemployed, so immigration becomes a bigger electoral topic in times of recession, hence it was not a factor in 2005, but is in 2009 as the BNP capitalised on it.

[centurian]

“As to the BNP’s position on the Gurkhas, you will be interested to know that the party has never before even debated this issue, and thus there is no official position on the topic.

That's because there was nothing to debate - they are not "indigineous" so automatically fell into their exclusion list.

That is - until they realised that the Gurkhas are extremely popular, even amongst a good deal of their own supporters, hence the sudden about turn.