Parliament Uproar at BBC Invitation

London, 22nd October 2034 -- Backbenchers stormed out of the Houses of Parliament this morning in protest at the BBC's refusal to retract its invitation to the Labour Party to tonight's internet debate, People's Questions.

In a show of unity, the leaders of the two main parties reminded backbenchers that as a legally recognised party, Labour should enjoy the same rights of access to the media coverage. Prime Minister Mary Southerland told her BNP backbenchers that until as recently as 24 years ago, Labour were the majority government, while Philip Thompson urged Conservative members to show restraint, pointing out that only last year, Labour had won two seats in the global Union of Nations chamber elections. The Liberal Democrats, ahead of the Conservatives in the opinion polls for the first time in 17 years, were the only major party whose backbenchers were solidly supportive of the BBC decision to invite Labour to the intercast.

Meanwhile, Euro-Rep David Miliband hit out angrily at those who were calling for the Labour Party to be banned, warning that Britain could soon find itself expelled from the Union of Nations altogether. There was already considerable disquiet, he said, at both European and global levels, over the reduced voting power awarded to non-native ethnic groups. Europeans were particularly incensed, he claimed, at the proposal that the voting power for European immigrants, already set such that each of their votes counts as half of a vote, should now be downgraded to the level of the ethnic-Asian vote, currently standing at a quarter of a vote. The Labour party, he said, was pressing for equal votes for all citizens, regardless of race.

Mr David Dimbleby, who until 2014 chaired the TV equivalent of the BBC debating programme, then called "Question Time", has expressed support for the BBC position, pointing out that 25 years ago, the exact same situation had arisen, but with the shoe on the other foot, with controversy over the BNP being invited to a debate.

It makes one think: where would the BNP be now, if, a quarter of a century ago, the BBC hadn't stood firm on its issue of principle?

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