The black playwright versus the BNP
Black playwright Bonnie Greer to join panel for BBC1's Question Time featuring BNP leader Nick Griffin
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By Richard James. |  |
Tuesday, 13, Oct 2009 05:15
By Matthew Champion.
Bonnie Greer is to go head-to-head with the British National party leader Nick Griffin in an explosive edition of BBC1's Question Time next week.
inthenews.co.uk was confirming with the BBC on Tuesday the American-born playwright's participation in the programme, due to be filmed live next Thursday in west London.
Justice secretary Jack Straw and Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne are already signed up to appear, while the Conservative party is yet to announce who its representative will be.
The programme is due to be filmed at the corporation's headquarters in White City, with a row about who funds the policing operation yet to be resolved.
Anti-fascist campaigners have vowed to hold protests outside the BBC HQ on the night of the programme, including leafleting Beeb staff to down tools for the day and a pledge to prevent Mr Griffin from entering the studio.
The BBC has come under fire in recent weeks for its increased coverage of the far-right BNP since it won seats in the European parliament.
It has been roundly savaged for spending licence fee payers' money on an interview with two young BNP members 'Mark and Joey', who were not challenged by the interviewer when they said east London-born footballer Ashley Cole was "not ethnically British".
"If he wants to come to this country and he wants to live by our laws, pay into society, that's fine," they said.
It has since emerged that 'Mark and Joey' are actually publicity director Mark Collett and record label chief Joseph Barber.