BBC Question Time: open thread
Written by Stephen Tall on 7th February 2008 – 9:50 pmJulia Goldsworthy, the Lib Dem shadow secretary of state for communities and local government, is one of the panellists on tonight’s Question Time (broadcast on BBC1 and online from 10.35 pm GMT).
She’ll be alongside the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Andy Burnham, the Conservative shadow secretary of State for work and pensions Chris Grayling, the director of Liberty Shami Chakrabarti and entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne from BBC Two’s Dragons’ Den.
Damn the BBC… just days after I cynically queried whether Auntie would ever put up a liberal commentator alongside a Lib Dem MP they do precisely that. And not just any liberal commentator, but Shami, LDV’s Liberal Voice of the Year. Bah.
However, putting the often aggrieved feelings of Lib Dems at sometimes being excluded from QT to one side, LDV research to be published tomorrow will show there is a definite pro-Tory bias in the BBC’s choice of panellists. Click back tomorrow to see the stats.
Anyway, if you’re watching tonight’s show, and want to sound-off, please feel free to use the comments thread.
Posted in Lib Dem TV
7th February 2008 at 10:09 pm
Oh no. Shami Chakrabarti. Will tonight be the night I lose all of my remaining Liberal Democrat friends? Both of them?
7th February 2008 at 10:38 pm
No, he’s wrong. Next question.
7th February 2008 at 10:39 pm
100% for Grayling.
7th February 2008 at 10:41 pm
A mealy-mouthed answer from Shami, and no clear condemnation of the Archbishop’s remarks. Shami, you are rapidly going down in my estimation, and you were already at rock bottom.
7th February 2008 at 10:42 pm
Shami tells us that she and her colleagues are is very busy representing a girl who wants to wear a bangle. Methinks you’re wasting your time darling.
7th February 2008 at 10:43 pm
90% for Burnham.
7th February 2008 at 10:45 pm
And yes, good point from the audience. Nobody elected the bearded idiot, so maybe he should just take a jump.
7th February 2008 at 10:47 pm
And a good answer by Julia
7th February 2008 at 10:47 pm
OK, am I the only one here thinking that Julia represents the “Predator” from the final scene where he takes off his clothes in front of Arnie?
7th February 2008 at 10:48 pm
Sorry, make that 31% for Burnham.
7th February 2008 at 10:48 pm
Moronic Jesus-freak has his say from the audience.
7th February 2008 at 10:50 pm
Why have the BBC stopped showing this online? If this carries on, I might have to buy a television
7th February 2008 at 10:50 pm
Thought for the day: why on earth does anyone think that an “Islamic mortgage” does not simply amount to paying interest by another route.
7th February 2008 at 10:51 pm
Rob, it may be online later on, probably on the I-player
7th February 2008 at 10:52 pm
What exactly is Julia wearing?
7th February 2008 at 10:52 pm
God, it’s the predator again. I’m hiding under the duvet.
7th February 2008 at 10:53 pm
I’m watching online.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/question_time
7th February 2008 at 10:54 pm
Why all this fuss over bugging MP’s? Are they afraid that they might be caught saying something useful for a change?
7th February 2008 at 10:55 pm
they’re afraid they might be caught stealing more money from the tax payers
7th February 2008 at 10:56 pm
Well said Duncan. There is absolutely nothing wrong with bugging a suspected terrorist fund-raiser.
7th February 2008 at 10:56 pm
It wasn’t a surgery Andy. You don’t hold surgeries in the clink.
7th February 2008 at 10:59 pm
Is the Labour guy wearing eye shadow?
7th February 2008 at 11:03 pm
Gentleman from the audience doesn’t seem to be able to make a distinction between somebody who is standing for trial, and somebody who has been convicted.
7th February 2008 at 11:04 pm
Spot on Andy. I’ve just had the lead nicked off my roof. More CCTV please, not less.
7th February 2008 at 11:05 pm
. . . and if Julia thinks there is too much CCTV, then maybe she’d like to come and fix up my roof.
Though perhaps have a change of clothes first love.
7th February 2008 at 11:06 pm
Audience member is spot on. The “surveillance society” protects our liberties far more that it threatens them.
7th February 2008 at 11:07 pm
I’m afraid from now on, I’m killing the sound when Shami speaks. It’s just too annoying for words . . .
7th February 2008 at 11:08 pm
julia goldsworthy- spot on with the housing situation.
7th February 2008 at 11:08 pm
. . . and I’m killing the video for Julia.
7th February 2008 at 11:13 pm
you feeling alright this evening?
7th February 2008 at 11:15 pm
Nice lady from the audience articulates the problem over housing and benefits very well.
7th February 2008 at 11:16 pm
Me? I’m fine. Laptop in one hand, bottle of Cobra in the other. Only thing missing is a beautiful woman really.
7th February 2008 at 11:22 pm
I wanted to agree with Shami but she let me down. She waffled on and was, at times, out of her depth. Julia - OK (nothing special). Burnham’s a good communicator, however wrong. Star of the show, so far, Grayling. It’s difficult to see how any liberal could dislike or disagree with Chris Grayling.
I suspect Laurence has had too much coffee this evening (-:
7th February 2008 at 11:25 pm
As a matter of interest, do the Liberal Democrats have an emergency wardrobe fund? Perhaps we should.
7th February 2008 at 11:27 pm
That audience member was so lovely, that I almost wanted to agree with her. But I’m afraid I just don’t want a vote over a treaty I’m not going to read.
7th February 2008 at 11:29 pm
“Why can’t we have some grown-up politics in this country?” asks Grayling.
Where do I start . . . ?
7th February 2008 at 11:30 pm
I’m sorry to say that Afghanistan is lost. Time to get out.
7th February 2008 at 11:35 pm
Great venue. Great show. Nice one David.
7th February 2008 at 11:56 pm
I’m sorry that I missed the Laurence Boyce show as I was speaking at an anti Heathrow expansion meeting in Highbury. I did just get home in time for the thankyous. Is Andy Burnham wearing falsies? If he loses his seat he could replace Penelope Cruz on the mascara contract.
8th February 2008 at 12:03 am
Why not have Laurence live-blogging on QT next week
8th February 2008 at 5:19 pm
“why on earth does anyone think that an “Islamic mortgage” does not simply amount to paying interest by another route.”
Because the risk situation is different in an Islamic mortgage than a conventional one.
The bank takes on more of the risk in a hire-purchase agreement (like an Islamic mortgage) than they do in a straight loan, as the outstanding debt is only secured against a percentage of the value of the property, rather than against the whole.
8th February 2008 at 5:29 pm
When I saw 41 posts on this thread I thought the show had been an epic battle between light and dark. yet its seems laurence has just been on the cooking sherry.
Perhaps next time we gifted with two liberal voices on QT the party should send Mr Boyce?
8th February 2008 at 8:40 pm
“I’m Laurence Boyce!”
Sorry, thought it was compulsory
While both of last night’s ‘Liberal Voices’ were disappointing, top marks to Susan Kramer on Any Questions tonight - very sound on Rowan Williams’ mealy-mouthed attack on the Rule of Law, and just now she’s got the best response I’ve ever heard for a Lib Dem on a programme like this, aided by a very anti-Heathrow local audience!
I suspect if she’d cried ‘Burn him!’ when the Minister opened his mouth to follow her, they’d have risen up as one and built a giant wicker jumbo jet.