By Martin Banks - 29th October 2009
I have been quite astonished by the level of support from people over the UK
Nick Griffin
BNP leader Nick Griffin has said he received a "tidal wave of support" following his appearance on the BBC's Question Time programme.
His comments come despite calls from within the far-right party calling for him to be replaced.
Griffin's recent appearance on the BBC programme caused a storm of protest and thousands of complaints.
There were stormy scenes outside the BBC studios in London where it was filmed, with UK cabinet member Peter Hain criticising the national broadcaster for allowing him to appear in the first place.
However, his uncomfortable performance on the flagship programme was also strongly condemned by many of the BNP's own supporters.
Griffin admitted to this website that he had made "a couple of awful blunders" on Question Time.
Although he would not be drawn on this particular point, he said the mistakes were made as a result of him "being put on defensive mode".
"When you think that Sinn Féin's Gerry Adams, when he appeared on the programme, did not get anything like the same amount of abuse, it was probably the most biased piece of journalism I have come across," he said.
However, a report in the Times on Tuesday pointed to a poll on a white extremist website with strong links to the BNP in which 30 per cent of respondents called on Griffin to resign as leader.
The British daily said that the party's legal officer Lee Barnes attacked Griffin for his failure to "press the attack" during the Question Time debate, while other far-right bloggers called on Griffin to stand down.
However Griffin, one of two BNP deputies elected in June's European elections, said that since his appearance on the programme the party had received 5000 applications to join the BNP and 12,000 registrations to sign up to its electronic newsletter.
He also claimed that the party has received over €7000 in "unsolicited" public donations in the last few days.
Griffin, who has made a formal complaint against what he sees as his "unfair" treatment by the BBC, said, "I have been quite astonished by the level of support from people over the UK."
However a number of polls produced following Griffin's appearance on Question Time reveal that support for the BNP remains within the two per cent to three per cent range that it has had over the last year.
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