Jack Straw: BNP leader 'destroyed himself' on Question Time

Staff at the Justice Secretary’s Blackburn office have received hundreds of emails from around the country since the show, with many apparently coming from British National Party supporters angry at the treatment of party leader Nick Griffin during the programme.

Mr Straw, Lib Dem Chris Huhne and Conservative peer Sayeeda Warsi, joined forces a number of times to attack the far-right politician, who branded the show a “stitch-up”.

But Mr Straw told the Lancashire Telegraph: “There was absolutely no collaboration in advance.

“I bumped into Chris Huhne the week before and had a 10-second conversation with him, and I scarcely know Sayeeda Warsi.”

He added: “I have never done a gig like that. There has never been a TV debate with more hype and excitement.

“All the panelists were aware there was a huge amount riding on it.

“My key verdict was that Griffin destroyed himself, with a little help from the panel and above all from the audience.”

Asked about him own performance, Mr Straw admitted he “could have done better” in answering a question about immigration levels under the Labour Government.

North West MEP Mr Griffin told the Lancashire Telegraph that Mr Straw had been a “formidable opponent”.

He added: “That was not a Question Time. The BBC changed the format to deal with me, and it’s not on.”

Mr Griffin also said that he wanted to challenge Mr Straw to a one-on-one debate on the issues of the day.

>>> Jack Straw and Nick Griffin's Question Time clash

Jack Straw and Nick Griffin were involved in fiery exchanges on the BNP leader's controversial appearance on Question Time.

Mr Straw, the Justice Secretary, said it had been a “catastrophic week” for the BNP as the party had, “for the first time, been properly scrutinised”.

All of the other parties had a “recognisable moral compass”, he said.

”Nazism didn’t and neither does the constitution of the BNP.

”This guy is the Dr Strangelove of British politics,” Mr Straw said.

He was also cheered as he said “race politics has no place in our society”.

”The fact that the BNP defines itself on race which distinguishes it from every other political party I can think of,” Mr Straw said.

The BNP leader was booed as he taunted Mr Straw about his father “refusing to fight Hitler”.

Mr Straw also agreed that it was “certainly not fair” that the BNP had hijacked Winston Churchill as its own.

But Mr Griffin was jeered as he said “no other party would have him” and added that Churchill was “extremely critical of (the) dangers of fundamentalist Islam”.

Later, Mr Griffin was criticised when he referred to “indigenous people” and said: “We are the Aborigines here.”

Asked if he meant white people by Mr Straw, Mr Griffin was ridiculed by the audience as he said: “Skin colour’s irrelevant, Jack.”

Fellow panellist, playwright Bonnie Greer, was left open-mouthed as Mr Griffin said he had no answers for a young member of the audience who asked about his views on the holocaust.

”I cannot explain why I used to say those things,” he said.

”I cannot tell you any more than I can tell you why I changed my mind. I can’t tell you the extent I changed my mind.”

But Mr Straw said as Justice Minister he could “promise” Mr Griffin that he would not be prosecuted if he wanted to explain his views.

The invitation was not accepted.

A spokesman for Mr Straw told the Lancashire Telegraph after the recording: “Griffin was humiliated.

"His obnoxious views were exposed for what they are.

"Jack and all the panel nailed him good and proper.”

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