For whatever reason, the Labour Party has a policy of not sharing a platform with the British National Party.

The wisdom of that decision must be open to debate, especially as specific reasons seem to be lacking. They simply say it is policy in response to inquiries.

It is obvious that one over-arching concern must be any potential for trouble -- and there's plenty of evidence to believe that is a possibility. Any such incident, no matter who starts it, would do Keighley a lot of damage. But to give in to such fears is surely playing into the hands of the extremists.

Is it a case that by being seen sharing a platform it could be interpreted as Labour giving a level of recognition to the BNP?

That argument doesn't really hold water at this time.

No matter how despicable their policies may be, the fact is that voters in our midst put sufficient crosses against names to get two candidates elected to Bradford Council. They may be outside the normal party system, but their presence is real and they are attempting to create fear and division in our town in order to win more votes.

The Conservative Party, on the other hand, says it would relish the opportunity for open debate with all of the candidates. It is to be hoped that is a genuine offer for the benefit of Keighley and not political point-scoring.

Should all of the would-be candidates, including the BNP chairman Nick Griffin, come together in a public forum it would give the opportunity to expose their half-truths and extremist views. This should take the wind out of their sails, leaving them marooned with their die-hard supporters.

The real debate on the best candidate to represent the interests of the people of Keighley could then begin.

As the politicians and their advisors continue their ping-pong over this issue we should continue to be grateful to the Keighley Together Campaign for its continuing efforts to counteract the negativity of the BNP and other extremists by putting out more and more positive messages about the area.

Truth, not fear, must be the victor.