This week’s Question Time hasn’t even aired and people are pointing out a massive problem

Fiona Bruce on Question Time


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On 9 May, the BBC will broadcast its latest edition of Question Time. But people are pointing out a massive problem with the episode before it’s even aired.

The panel will include Nigel Farage and Anna Soubry. They are representatives of two parties – the Brexit Party and Change UK – that have no elected MPs, councillors, or MEPs. While both parties can claim representatives in the European and UK parliaments, neither has faced a public vote.

Meanwhile, the Green Party and the Liberal Democrats, both of whom have elected MEPs and gained seats during the local elections, are not represented.

#DemocraticFail

Green Party peer Jenny Jones labelled the line-up a #DemocraticFail:

And the Lib Dems commented that the BBC “seems to have forgotten that [they] exist”:

The SNP was also unhappy given the representation of two parties with no elected MPs. SNP MP Gavin Newlands tweeted:

Farage…again

As of February 2018, Farage held a joint-record for the most Question Time appearances this century. And many people criticised the decision to give him yet another platform on the show:

Other people also pointed out that a ‘dolphin-supported’ candidate won more votes than Farage did during the 2010 election:

Not good enough

People also argued that Question Time is now the equivalent of Jeremy Kyle:

As The Canary has frequently reported, there are longstanding concerns about bias in the BBC‘s political coverage. But this isn’t good enough. The BBC is supposed to be an impartial, public service broadcaster. And this line-up of guests screams anything but impartiality.

No wonder so many people are calling the BBC out before the programme has even aired.

Featured image via screengrab/BBC

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  • Show Comments

    1. The third largest party (SNP) in Westminster gets less than the Lib Dems who are complaining, something is wrong with this programme and whomever makes up the panel invitations. From experience from emails I know the BBC or EBC as we have started calling it in Scotland as its bias seems to favour the South-east of England and only their viewpoints. Nothing gets through their minds that plenty people live outside of the S-E bubble and have opinions also.

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