WE respect Peter Hain as a distinguished anti-racism campaigner, but the BBC is right to reject his warning that it could face legal action over the appearance of British National Party leader Nick Griffin on this week’s Question Time.

The Welsh Secretary has written to BBC director general Mark Thompson, arguing that the BNP is an “unlawful body”, following last week’s Court ruling on its policy of barring non-white members.

The BNP is regarded by the vast majority of people as a vile organisation.

But the fact remains that if there was an election tomorrow, it would be legally entitled to field candidates. Society cannot have it both ways. The BNP is either a legal party or it isn’t.

The significance of the ruling in the Central London County Court is that it forces the BNP into the invidious position of having to put a fundamental and unwanted change in its constitution to party members – that it no longer discriminates on grounds of race or religion.

A failure to make that constitutional change will leave the BNP in open defiance of the law.

In the meantime, the BBC is right to go ahead in exposing Nick Griffin to public examination on Question Time.

It is right that other panellists and members of the audience are able to challenge his abhorrent views in front of an audience of millions.

Let Mr Griffin and his party be shown up for the hateful racists they are – particularly at a time when they are in an embarrassing legal pickle.