THE inevitable question has been raised after speculation that the next Darlington Debate is likely to be an election special: Should the BNP be allowed to take part?

I chaired the first Darlington Debate last week, with the future of the local economy being the focus of the discussion.

Suggestions were invited for the next debate and the general election emerged as a likely subject, with the panel made up of candidates bidding to take over from Alan Milburn as Darlington MP.

Writing on his blog, the Lib Dem candidate Mike Barker poses the question about the BNP's involvement (www.cllrmikebarker.blogspot.com).

One or two comments on his blog point to a misunderstanding: that the Darlington Debate is a Northern Echo event. That's not the case.

It's true that I've been pushing the council for some time about the need for a Question Time-style forum on local issues. I was involved in organising the first one and was happy to be in the chair.

But it's a Darlington Partnership event - and the question of whether the BNP should be invited is a matter for the partnership.

My personal view is consistent with the opinion I expressed publicly when BNP Nick Griffin appeared on Question Time last year: that it is right to expose a party what for it is no matter how abhorrent its policies.

Nick Griffin was seen by millions to be a bigot. We all knew that already, of course, but he also managed to shatter the myth that he's clever. He was seen to be out of his depth - and that's no bad thing.

I would have to take the same view with regard to the BNP taking part in the Darlington Debate - show them up for what they are.

But, as I say, it's not my call.