If you were as hacked off as I was that last night’s Question Time had three Conservatives on it, do take the time to send in a complaint to the BBC.
Menzies Campbell did a good job on the panel, but both he and Charles Clarke were largely drowned out by Heseltine, Platell and the increasingly barmy Hitchens – a very unbalanced programme, even under David Dimbleby’s stewardship.
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15 Comments
It makes a nice change from having the programme packed with left-wingers…
Not that complaining will do much good. I complained about the programme which was broadcast from Glasgow a couple of weeks ago. The basis of my complaint was that they had someone from Labour, Tories, Gnats and Tommy the Trot. No Lib Dem! Yet we are in partnership government in the Scottish Parliament and were the 2nd party of Scotland in terms of both seats and votes in the 2005 Westminster election.
All the BBC said was: “Question Time aims to generate a lively weekly debate on topical issues and to represent a broad range of views within each programme. However, it cannot do this and ensure strict political balance within the five-person panel each week.” Hogwash!
Barmy is the word. Hitchens even said Bjorn Lomborg was a global warming denier and persecuted for it. Lomborg isn’t a denier, he just doesn’t think it is worth doing anything about it.
Does anybody (except political hacks) watch it these days?
I know in my short period working on it (when it was done by a different production company) I was stood next to the series producer when she said “I suppose we had better have a bloody Lib Dem on” when discussing a future edition.
This is wonderful . You little party does not think it gets enough of a leg up from the Guardian Staff at prayer(BBC). The country is overwhelmingly Consevative with a small c and include in this the bulk of Labour voters.The BBC on ,the other hand ,is always biased towards minority interests like Lib Dum membership. Now you know what it feels like to be normal all the time . Try about ten years of it and you `ll get the idea
No bitterness there then, newmania?
Newmania
this ‘little party’ polled between a 5th and quater of the votes at the last election.
I didn’t think Hitchens was a Tory member?
Anyhow if we complain at an edition like this does it mean we should also complain when Charles and the LibDem supporting Germaine Greer appears on the same show (22 June)? or when Tariq Ali who voted LibDem at the GE appeared with Charles (21 September)?
This would be the same Question Time that ealier this year had Zac Goldsmith and Adam Rickitt on consecutive weeks as uncredited Tories. Goldsmith was described as “editor of the Ecologist” and Rickitt as “Actor”. They were both on the panel in addition to the Tory MP each week
No mention was made that they were very likely to running for Parliament as Tory candidates next time around
To Martin – when QT has a full panel of five, it’s very likely that two panelists will share broadly similar views. Fine. But why I think last night is worthy of complaint is that in a panel of five there were THREE tories.
Rob Hitchens isn’t a Tory member according to anything I can find – and indeed is pretty critical of the Tory party – which leaves two presumed members.
I’m still not convinced I see the difference with Charles appearing alongside people who have encouraged others to vote LibDem which is certainly more than I can recall Hitchens doing. Although he may well have and I missed it.
Peter Hitchens (a valued constitutent of in my ward, btw) used to be a Tory. Indeed, displayed one of the few Tory posters in my first election, back in 2000. As was clear from last night’s show, he is now very disaffected. But still right-wing.
I could happily make the counter argument that none of them are real Conservatives. It comes to something when out of the three Heleltine is considered to be the loyalist. Hitchens is definitely not a Tory – you only have to read his inctreasingly bizarre column to know that. And Platell rails against Dave C in every column she writes.
I thought he must live near here somewhere, Stephen. I’ve seen him on his bike round Abingdon a few times in recent months.
I’m always surprised when the only Labour person they have on is a critic of the Government.