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The BBC gave Nick Griffin, the leader of the BNP, the oxygen of publicity last night - and he choked.  I don't like the man, I don't agree with what he says, and I think he did himself no favours going on the flagship BBC political programme and was exposed for what he is.  But the BBC had a right to invite him as I don't believe that banning views you don't like is a good way to run a democracy.  And we are a democracy.  To watch the show click here.

The vast majority of the moderate and fair minded population of Britain who watched Question Time last night will not have liked or been impressed by what they heard from Mr Griffin. As the Conservative panellist, Baroness Warsi, shadow communities minister, said "he does not have any political views other than a hatred for certain groups of people".

But I don't think Mr Griffin would have changed many people's minds, either.  There was nothing new in what he said last night, and the harsh reality is that there is a small but significant segment of the British population who would have been sitting at home nodding their heads and agreeing with Mr Griffin.

I thought the panel overall did a good job at holding Mr Griffin to account, and Baroness Warsi (who confirmed yesterday that she will be visiting Luton in a few weeks time) made many particularly sensible and rational points.  She presented arguments, and our policies on immigration* and race relations in a calm and professional manner. 

We have recently conducted a survey of Luton residents on a whole range of issues and one of the top concerns expressed by Luton residents was indeed immigration.  It is a subject that does need to be addressed properly by the main parties because if we don't many voters who are not racist, but feel ignored, will feel that they have no choice but to vote for the extremist BNP in order to make a point.

Baroness Warsi said politicians had a responsibility to take on the BNP on the issue of immigration: "Many people who vote for the BNP are not racist and therefore what we have to do is go out and say to these people as mainstream political parties we are prepared to listen."

The BNPs support has been inflated by the inability of this Labour government to adequately listen the views of British people and address the issue of immigration head on.  As Baroness Warsi repeatedly stressed, immigration is not an issue about colour but about resources, about social service provision, about housing and about respect for different cultures and opinions.  I would rather have this debate in the open than in the shadows.

I have a responsibility to help shape the policy within my party, and present the opinions of the constituents I aspire to represent in doing so. I must contribute to the debate because the policy the Conservative party presents at the next election on immigration and related issues has a significant chance of actually being implemented after the next election. I have to present people not just with an opinion - like many of my profile opponents - but with a tangible, implementable, actionable, practical set of policies to deal with the matter.  I take that task seriously and welcome local residents opinions on this issue.  Contact me at nigel.huddleston@gmail.com.

*For the record, the current Conservative Party policy on immigration includes the implementation of an annual cap on immigration, and the proviso that citizens of any new EU states will not have the automatic right to live and work in the UK as has recently been the case.  We will be tough on illegal immigration and scrutinize asylum applications.  But we will not 'pull up the drawbridge' as Baroness Warsi emphasised last night and we will continue to welcome talented people from around the world who offer skills that the UK needs to continue to develop and advance in the competitive global economy.

See below for a video of Baroness Warsi preparing for the show..">.