BNP can come back on Question Time every year, says BBC boss

Controversial: David Dimbleby and Nick Griffin on Question Time last week
12 April 2012

The BNP is entitled to be invited back onto Question Time once a year on the basis of the public support it is getting, the BBC's director-general said today.

Mark Thompson also suggested that Radio 4's Any Questions? would also have to give access to leader Nick Griffin if the party's level of support continued.

Mr Thompson rejected claims that the Corporation had given Mr Griffin airtime on its flagship political programme to boost audience ratings. Eight million viewers tuned in compared to the usual two to three million.

Appearing before the Lords' communications select committee, he ducked claims that Question Time had been turned into a "show trial" and had possibly increased sympathy for the BNP leader.

Mr Thompson refused to give a view on Mr Griffin's treatment, claiming that as director-general he may have to adjudicate on complaints about the programme. Peers pointed out to Mr Thompson that it was "convenient" that this role prevented him from commenting on the "lynch mob" allegations.

"It might be convenient, but it also happens to be true," said Mr Thompson.

He said the number of complaints about Question Time numbered in "the low hundreds" and that Mr Griffin could complain to Ofcom.

Mr Thompson took personal responsibility for the final decision to allow Mr Griffin to appear on the BBC1 programme last week.

He said he had consulted non-executive directors of the BBC's board on the issue, but under the Corporation's royal charter it was up to him alone to make the final call as "editor-in-chief".

Mr Thompson made clear for the first time that the party could be back on an annual basis. "The underlying level of support for the BNP is around two to three per cent. It would appear by the way to be unchanged, if not a little down in the days after the broadcast rather than up.

"In the European election, they achieved about six per cent, just under a million of the votes cast," he said.

"This isn't an absolutely precise algorithmic science.

"You would be talking about, in the case of a party that continued to receive that level of support, appearances which would probably be no more than one a year, it could be less."

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