Elections in London: Nick Griffin declines to appear on BBC Politics Show

Today's Politics Show in London covers the battle for Barking and Dagenham, which in electoral terms mostly means the struggle of the Labour-run Council and Labour MPs Jon Cruddas and Margaret Hodge to keep the BNP at bay. As we know, BNP leader Nick Griffin is contesting the Barking seat. As we also know, he has taken part in BBC television debates before. So why did he turn down an invitation to participate in today's Politics Show discussion with fellow candidates for the Barking seat?

A BNP press release predictably foams on about a "lynch mob set-up" and quotes Griffin being affronted that a local channel covering elections in a particular locality appears to want to ask him questions about local issues. He is also rather rude about the Liberal Democrat candidate, who he describes as:

A failed journalist and plastic candidate...whose sole intention is to lie about me instead of dealing with the national issues.

This candidate, who will be on the show along with Hodge and Tory Simon Marcus, is Dominic Carman. He is not only the son of the late George Carman, a rather famous libel lawyer, but also Griffin's biographer. From The Times's Fiona Hamilton:

Mr Carman said that his only motivation for running was to try to stop Mr Griffin from taking the seat. He intends to use information from his research into the biography to attack his opponent. It was never released because publishers were unwilling to associate their brand with the BNP leader.

"I will put it to good use in exposing Griffin beyond what's already been in the public domain," he said. "It's very important to fight a strong campaign and it will be critical to challenge Nick Griffin every step of the way. I want to make people think long and hard about voting for him in Barking. It's very, very important."

Mr Carman has more than 20 hours of videotaped interviews with Mr Griffin over two years from 2003. He has interviewed Mr Griffin's family and associates, including the National Front leaders who shaped his views, on numerous occasions. "I do not claim to have a silver bullet — one specific piece of info so damaging that Nick Griffin would lose all credibility. But the cumulative information I have can be presented in such a way...it will make him uncomfortable."

Carman's candidacy only become known a week ago. Is it already having the desired effect?

Observer