BNP - free speech, democracy, etc

[rja211077]

Following on from Tj's question below, does anyone know on what grounds the BNP is denied the same rights to party political broadcasts, etc, as the other parties? For a democracy it surely sets a dangerous precedent? Yes they're abhorrent but should we be left to decide that ourselves after hearing what they have to say?

[Quizmonster]

Click http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/por/ukbase.htm#partie
s and scroll down the page to the heading 'Political Parties'. There you will see that there are about 40 separate parties in the UK, the vast majority of which get no air-time for political broadcasts. Time for such programmes is allocated by the broadcasting companies on the basis of the amount of support the parties have in the country. One of the major reasons - apart from the sheer lack of support from the electorate - that the BNP is not allowed to air its views is because it is actually against the law of the land to encourage racial hatred and that, sadly, is a central plank of their policy.