Analysis: Who's Afraid of the BNP? is on BBC Radio 4 on Monday 28 September at 2030 BST, and Sunday 4 October at 2130 BST

With the BNP hitting the headlines over their 2009 success in the European elections, Kenan Malik asks what the liberal response should be. Is it simply enough to demonise this far-right party, or has the time arrived for us all to open up to a more sophisticated debate which allows for a greater understanding of what the BNP stands for?