Warsi shone, but the BNP benefited |

Monday 26th October 2009 | 16:22

Warsi shone, but the BNP benefited

Baroness Warsi is thought to have been the best advocate on last Thursday's Question Time, and the BNP is thought to have been helped not harmed by the coverage

Now that the dust has settled down, and competing narratives about last Thursday's Question Time with Nick Griffin have played out, a consensus view appears to have formed: Sayeeda Warsi performed the best out of the panellists, and the BNP will have benefited overall.

PoliticsHome's Phi100 panel includes senior journalists, party strategists and insiders from across the political spectrum.

60% of the panel believe she fared well, and she received a backing from a majority across party lines.

Just 11% were impressed with Justice Secretary Jack Straw, and 17% with Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesman Chris Huhne.

Just 4% of the panel said they believed Nick Griffin coped with the 'lynch mob' well.

Straw poor

“Warsi was easily the best, Straw came across most poorly”, said a political journalist.

“I'm afraid to say it was a lynch mob. After Griffin, who was terrible, Straw was the worst”.

“Jack Straw was awful”, a journalist said, backed up by a left-aligned think tank leader who added, “Straw was good in parts, but lost it with his ramblings towards the end.”

BNP benefit from coverage

The publicity the British National Party recieved from their appearance on Question Time means the party benefited overall, the panel believes.

61% said it was be a ‘slight positive’ for the party; 8% believe it is a ‘strong positive’.

A Liberal Democrat MP said “Exposure, exposure, exposure!”

A Conservative MP said “The wall-to-wall coverage they’ve had for three weeks now easily outweighs the embarrassment of Griffin's fumbling performance.”

A journalist commented, “If the programme had stuck to its normal format, and then had a couple of questions about Griffin's racism, he would have come across as the idiot he is. Instead he is now a victim.”

A left-aligned think tank leader agreed, “He performed so badly that it’s hard to see him as an asset - but the other panellists performed far worse – they victimised him.”

A Tory MP played down the impact. “Most voters wont have watched it and almost no-one who watched it will have been an uncommitted voter.”

Leave a comment...

Jibit

17:57 |
26 Oct 2009
Recommended
10

I must say I felt a bit sorry for Griffin, seems to me he was set up & under the way it was done I think any one would have been nervous. jack Straw I thought was an idiot, but then I have always thought he was useless.

Jacqui Sexon

18:22 |
26 Oct 2009
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10

Baroness Warsi did not contest any of the points raised about the Islam/Moslem religion which was extremely worrying! It is easy to tripe everything if the issues raised you can cowardly duck. Perhaps your participants could list for me any politician that would have done any better when not allowed to open their mouths by interminable barracking! No politician from any party would have had the courage to pass through the baying mob let alone field questions from a bloodthirty audience and hysterical panel/questionmaster. Not a good day to be a reasonably new member of Tory party. Not a good day indeed!!

Bardirect

18:30 |
26 Oct 2009
Recommended
7

Warsi is feisty but selective. She ignored the allegations about Islamic subjugation of women. Wonder why?

Andrew Thomson

18:34 |
26 Oct 2009
Recommended
1

One would think nothing else matters but Question Time last week and the recent death of Michael Jackson. Enough already, as they say in the States!

Johnny Norfolk

18:37 |
26 Oct 2009
Recommended
6

If it was not for winning their Euro seats the BNP would never have been on QT

It was Labour that insisted that the Euro elections were contested with Proportional Represntation. So it is their fault he was on. People need to remember that you do not just get The Greens with PR but parties like the BNP as well. Give me first past the post anytime, it stops exstream parties like the Greens and BNP from winning seats.

Silent Hunter

19:01 |
26 Oct 2009
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2

Johnny, you know I generally always agree with you . . . but . . . FPTP gave us THATCHERISM . . . AND . . . NEW LABOUR; possibly the most corrupt and repressive government this poor country has ever seen.

At least STV-PR ensures that megalomaniac governments are quite unable to take power on only 20% of the popular vote.

(Note: Cap's are for emphasis only . . . I'm not shouting at you mate! :o)

Keep well!

http://faustiesblog.blogspot.com

19:19 |
26 Oct 2009
Recommended
3

Warsi was better than Huhne and Straw, but she was less than honest. Watch her answers again, and dissect them. They're full of holes, spin and hot air.

http://bit.ly/27Icyf

If anything, the lynch mob that comprised the 3 main parties and the BBC were the turning point for me. I don't trust them and will vote UKIP.

Those who can't stomach UKIP can always vote LPUK, EngDem, Jury Team or independent. We can get the current ruling classes if we all do the same.

Battle 2807

19:20 |
26 Oct 2009
Recommended
2

"Warsi shone" did she? Well thats a first.

Andrew

21:00 |
26 Oct 2009
Recommended
4

Elegant decision to make Griffin's bar in the chart all-white...

Tim Essex

09:46 |
27 Oct 2009
0

Would any politician run through a lynch mob then put in front of a largely hostile panel & audience have done any better?

I seriously doubt it.

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