The election of British National Party candidates to the European Parliament has created a “dilemma” for broadcasters, Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw said today.
The newly-appointed Secretary of State was responding to concerns raised by Tory Julian Lewis (New Forest East) that television and radio stations will have to apply impartiality rules to the far-right party now that they have two MEPs.
Mr Bradshaw told the Commons that broadcasters had to take the rules “extremely seriously” but dismissed the notion that it could lead to a surge in support for the BNP, saying: “My own view is that usually when you give these people a platform, they condemn themselves through their own mouths.”
BNP leader Nick Griffin picked up a seat in the North West of England region and Andrew Brons won a seat in the Yorkshire and Humber region when European election results were announced overnight.
During Commons question time, Mr Lewis put the gains down to the voting system used for the European Parliament.
He asked Mr Bradshaw: “Now that the appalling system of proportional representation has predictably led to the election of two neo-Nazis from the British National Party to the European parliament, do you accept that this raises very serious issues for the concept of due impartiality by the BBC and independent television when reporting political matters.
”What conversations do you propose to have with the broadcasting authorities to ensure that appropriate fairness doesn’t mean a platform to spout racist and other unacceptable views.”
Mr Bradshaw said he did not agree with Mr Lewis on the merits of “a fairer voting system” and said proportional representation had not led to the election of far-right parties in the national parliaments of Germany or Italy.
And he added: “I’m sure that the broadcasters will be taking their responsibilities under the impartiality rules extremely seriously, but you are right to say that what happened yesterday does pose a dilemma for them.
”My own view is that usually when you give these people a platform, they condemn themselves through their own mouths.”
By Craig Woodhouse
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