Why The BBC did not have any choice but to allow the BNP onto Question Time

As the BNP have 2 MEPs in the European Parliament, like them or loathe them they do have power and therefore they need to be included in public debates. It will then be left to the democratic process to determine what is right and what is not.  It is an important part of the democratic process to allow people freedom of speech whether you agree with their arguments or not.  They clearly do represent opinion from the voting electorate and therefore the arguments of the BNP must be listened to and debated.  It actually demonstrates the unfairness of the current British electoral system which needs to change.  The Liberal Democrats are leading the way in this respect.

Extreme opinions do matter in a free democratic society, because otherwise how do you determine what is an extreme opinion and what is not.  The internet has also changed the politic landscape and as people are better connected, debate will go on over the internet anyway.  The BBC had no choice but to allow the BNP onto Question Time and simply reflects a paradigm shift in technology which in turn has affected every other part of our lives.