Thursday rolls around, so once again it’s time to join David Dimbleby and a glittering panel of political stars for Question Time. Batting for the Liberal Democrats this week is Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Chair of Campaigns and Communications Edward Davey. The panel will include Labour peer Lord Falconer (since every last member of the cabinet is apparently too frit), Conservative shadow secretary for business and regulatory reform Kenneth Clarke, political commentator Polly Toynbee, and journalist and campaigner Esther Rantzen will be there to explain why a lifetime of interesting shaped fruit qualifies her for entry to Parliament.
If you’re tuning in, you can join the simultanous online Twitter debate here at #bbcqt, or the LDV debate in the thread below. Meanwhile Lib Dem blogger Mark Thompson will be liveblogging events via CoverItLive at his own blog.
7 Comments
Ian Dale’s use of the term “frit” (to which Alex refers) makes shivers run up my spine.
The Tories attempt not to be (on average) 80 years old is so embarrassing to behold.
Did you see in Dale’s comments that a number of his readers didn’t know what “frit” means?
I repeated it because it’s an interesting use of language. Is it also what de yoot say, or something? I thought it was some sort of regional dialect.
Its Lincolnshire dialect used by Da Thatch some time in the 7s or 80s. Showed up her rather below-stairs background in front of the grandees ISTR.
“Frit” is Lincolnshire dialect, famously used once by Margaret Thatcher in an exchange with Dennis Healey in the House in April 1983
“The right hon. Gentleman is afraid of an election is he? Oh, if I were going to cut and run I’d have gone after the Falklands. Afraid? Frightened? Frit? Couldn’t take it? Couldn’t stand it? Right now inflation is lower than it has been for thirteen years, a record the right hon. Gentleman couldn’t begin to touch!”
Looks like the BBC is ignoring the environment again.
I’m not sure why the BBC keep promoting their candidate, namely good old Esther Rantzen. With Moran gone, Esther can not be the anti sleaze candidate at least in Luton. If she wants to be an anti sleaze candidate – why is she not going after Darling? Even his own PM did not want him.
Wow, Esther Rantzen was awful. It’s cringing that people actually clap at what she says… She didn’t make any bloody sense!
Clarke was funny (as always). He hadn’t seem to have done his homework, and was happy to break party line (as always).
Ed Davey was decent, although he always seems so twitchy and nervous. And there seemed to be a fair amount of groans everytime he tried to make everything party political. Shame, but understandable.