British National Party's leader Nick Griffin: Hammered or Not?

BNP 'will shut Britain's doors'

All the political parties say they are happy talking about immigration, but this is the main policy priority for the British National Party. The party's leader Nick Griffin outlines his immigration policies.-BBC

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I thought the host flubbed it if nailing Griffin was her motive (as clearly it was) because she was essentially dishonest.

The host stated that the ONS figures Griffin cited of non "white British" includes people of Irish descent born in the UK which is false and hardly the point. She was futilely trying to assign Griffin the idea of ending Irish immigration or repatriating. It illustrated the host's dishonesty.

She implied that resettlement grants where some far fetched innovation of his, instead of current policy. When Griffin explained this she asked if increases to the resettlement program would come from foreign aid, asserting an increase to the program would be the end to aid. That is absurd in itself. Equally absurd is the implication was that such aid was unassailable.

The idea of the West creating a brain drain through destructive foreign policies (including foreign "aid" lending through the IMF, WB, Paris Club, etc.) and the siphoning students who represent significant investments by their countries is not some "fascist" concoction but a real problem for Third World countries.

Is the host really not aware that US/UK immigration is far more regulated and limited than Eastern European/ UK immigration, and for practical purposes (as an example) Afghan/UK immigration? One would almost think so by the host's histrionic incredulity towards strictly limiting immigration between the UK and US or and France. At any rate, the policies of France and the US are better left out by anyone defending the status quo.

Where Griffin failed was not to be prepared with hard numbers. What constituted "significant" immigration levels should have been presented clearly by Griffin or at least he should have it expressed in some publicly accessible format. I don't think these were requested in the same manner from other candidates but the profile of his party and the stress placed on that issue by the BNP indicates that he should be better prepared.  On the other hand, Griffin clearly stated at the outset of the host framing the interview in narrow terms that he "would rather be speaking about the economy like other parties' (guests)". 

I find certain attitudes and perspectives of Griffin objectionable. Nevertheless it seems hypocritical that so many easily dismiss him as a "fascist" despite his rare anti-war, anti imperialist stances, and his support for workers rights, while mainstream parties continue to demonstrate rabid fascism in "respectability". That probably speaks more to the failure of real alternatives than the strength of the Nick Griffin and his BNP.