Tag Archives: question time

NewsHound

Three big moments for senior Lib Dems in the media

By NewsHound | Mon 17th February 2025 - 11:30 am

The past week has seen three big appearances from Lib Dems. You used to go weeks without anyone so it’s great to see that we have a bigger profile and that there are multiple opportunities for us to differentiate ourselves from everyone else.

Last Thursday, Lisa Smart, our Home Affairs spokesperson, made her Question Time debut and did very well taking questions on Rachel Reeves cv “of course it’s daft to embellish a cv but performance matters” also pointing out that Labour inherited a “steaming pile” from the Conservatives, immigration and Ukraine. Here she is on Trump:

On Friday, Christine Jardine was on Any Questions. Talking about Rachel Reeves, she said that the one thing she wished she could embellish was her record as Chancellor which got a round of applause from the audience.  On Trump, she pointed out the irony that he was saying that European defence was down to Europe, but then rode roughshod over Europe as regards Ukraine.

Listen here.

Finally, Ed was on Peston last week. Here he is talking about Trump:

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Caron Lindsay

Daisy Cooper smashes it on Question Time

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 1st May 2021 - 10:43 am

Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper was on Question Time this week and won the support of so many audience members, particularly for her evisceration of the Government over its failure to help leaseholders affected by the cladding scandal. She was really excellent on everything from care homes to the Covid crisis in India to the Boris Johnson flat refurb.  Here are some of her best bits.

https://twitter.com/bbcquestiontime/status/1387892457631883264?s=20

 

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Caron Lindsay

Watch Ed Davey on Question Time tonight!

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 24th September 2020 - 9:00 pm

Ed Davey makes his first appearance as leader on BBC Question Time tonight. The virtual audience comes from Chingford, which is one of the places where co-operation between us and Labour could get rid of a notorious Tory. In December, Iain Duncan-Smith scraped home ahead of Labour by 1200 votes. We polled 2700 in third.

Here’s the full panel:

Peter Borg Neal is the CEO of Oakman Inns so will no doubt have strong views on both being told to shut at 10pm and the economic announcements today. Devi Sridhar has become a very familiar face during the pandemic with her analysis of what is needed.

We have already called out the inadequacy of the Chancellor’s measures today. Christine Jardine slammed the lack of a proper plan for economic recovery and the lack of respect for the budget setting process in the devolved parliaments:

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Mark Valladares

22 November 2019 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 22nd November 2019 - 10:45 pm
  • Jane Dodds is the first candidate in Wales to sign the Rural Powerhouse Pledge
  • Lib Dems condemn Farage refugee comment
  • Jo Swinson stands out as strongest voice of Remain

Jane Dodds is the first candidate in Wales to sign the Rural Powerhouse Pledge

Jane Dodds has become the first Parliamentary candidate in Wales to sign the Country Land and Business Association’s new Rural Powerhouse Pledge.

The CLA’s new campaign will see it write to every Parliamentary candidate in every constituency in England and Wales asking them to pledge support for the Rural Powerhouse.

The Rural Powerhouse pledge consists of five key themes: a fully connected countryside, …

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Caron Lindsay

Chuka on Question Time – open thread

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 21st November 2019 - 10:25 pm

Chuka Umunna is about to be on Question Time.

I should be going to bed, but I can’t resist staying up and watching.

Who’s with me?

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The Voice

Caroline Voaden MEP on Question Time tonight

By The Voice | Thu 24th October 2019 - 8:41 pm

There are no MPs on the Question Time panel tonight – a function of it taking place in South Shields when there were votes taking place eon the Queen’s Speech at 5pm.

Good news for us, though. Not only are we on, but one of our new brilliant MEPs is representing us.

Caroline Voaden will be flying the Lib Dem flag tonight at 10:35 on BBC1.

Here’s the rest of the panel:

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard is in an impossible position. Scottish Labour doesn’t want independence, yet John McDonnell said on a visit to Edinburgh this Summer that Labour would allow a second referendum. On the two massive constitutional issues of our time, Labour seems to be flailing about searching for a clue.

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The Voice

Layla Moran on Question Time tonight

By The Voice | Thu 5th September 2019 - 10:18 pm

For once, in a week when the Liberal Democrats have attracted two new MPs and played a huge role in the cross party efforts to pass the legislation to protect us from a No Deal Brexit, the party will be represented on Question Time.

Layla Moran will be representing the party. The other panellists include Iain Dale, whose fringe show she appeared on in Edinburgh, SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford, Labour’s Emily Thornberry, Conservative Minister Kwasi Kwarteng and the Brexit Party MEP Richard Tice.

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Caron Lindsay

Christine Jardine on Question Time tonight…how you can join in the fun and spread the Lib Dem message

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 16th May 2019 - 7:50 pm

We have a Lib Dem MP on Question Time tonight!

Christine Jardine is heading to Elgin, a city about 40 miles south east of Inverness. It’s in the heart of the Moray constituency. Typically, the BBC, finds the most Brexity place in Scotland to go to. Remain squeaked home with 50.1% of the vote. Every constituency in Scotland voted to Remain, most of them by a much larger margin.

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Caron Lindsay

Jo Swinson on Question Time: Brexit is a national embarrassment and we can stop it

By Caron Lindsay | Fri 11th January 2019 - 1:30 pm

It’s Jo Swinson’s first week back from parental leave and already she’s done more than most of us letter mortals do in a month.

We’ll have more of that first week over the weekend but for now I want to concentrate on her appearance on Question Time last night.

She was brilliant – clear and passionate, describing Brexit as a national embarrassment and showing how a People’s Vote could get us out of the mess we’re in. The programme came from Islington, her fellow panellist Emily Thornberry’s patch but Jo got way more applause than the Labour shadow foreign secretary did.

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The Voice

Let’s cheer on Layla on Question Time tonight

By The Voice | Thu 29th November 2018 - 7:25 pm

Question Time will actually be worth watching tonight as our Layla Moran makes her debut on the show.

She will be on the panel in Penzance with Conservative MP Nadim Zahawi, Labour’s Rebecca Long Bailey, Professor Benjamin Zephaniah and Tim Martin, the founder of Wetherspoons, a chain few self-respecting remainers will be seen in these days.

We know Layla is brilliant at these things because she has always rocked on Any Questions with openness, honesty and strong arguments.

Lib Dems have been rarer than hen’s teeth on these big programmes – absent from …

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Caron Lindsay

Jo Swinson is on Question Time tonight – and LISTEN to her Women’s Hour interview

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 1st February 2018 - 7:15 pm

Jo Swinson is on Question Time tonight on the day that her book Equal Power is published. I spent a very pleasant hour in a cafe this morning reading it. I love the bright orange, yellow and aqua colour scheme – it’s like it’s all the Lib Dem colours of the past 20 years.

There is a slight chance that the BBC debate might actually be worth watching as Justine Greening will be on too. She may not be disposed to be too loyal to the PM who effectively sacked her last month.

You can find out how it all unfolds at 10:45 pm on BBC1.

Jo was on Woman’s Hour this morning to talk about her book. She also touched on her time in Government and had some words of criticism for Nick Clegg. He was, she said, an outstanding Deputy PM and he had her back on issues like gender pay gap and shared parental leave. You felt that there was a BUT coming, though. Sure enough, she said she felt he could have done more to put women in the Cabinet and the Lords. 

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Caron Lindsay

Question Time is going to be worth watching tonight

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 19th October 2017 - 7:20 pm

Most often these days, I can’t even force myself to watch Question Time and I’m interested in politics. It’s become such an unbalanced, thoughtless shouting match which rarely yields intelligent observation. The liberal viewpoint is rarely represented and the frequent presence of the most unpalatable voices from the right wing tabloids or extreme right wing politics just makes me want to weep.

Tonight, though, we are in for a treat.

Not only are we going to get our amazing Sal Brinton, but also on the panel, fresh from Strictly, is the one and only Reverend Richard Coles. He will no doubt bring a bit of good humour and thoughtfulness to the proceedings.

Lisa Nandy was one of the editors of The Alternative, the book advocating a progressive alliance.

We might see a spat between brexiteers Chris Grayling and Tory Peer and Next CEO Simon Wolfson, too. Wolfson isn’t showing any sign of “bregret” but he has been critical of the Government’s approach to Brexit. 

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Caron Lindsay

WATCH: Jo Swinson on Question Time

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 29th April 2017 - 8:26 am

Jo Swinson was on Question Time on Thursday and she was fabulous. She really took on Tory minister Damian Green with pithy and sharp interventions.

Here she is taking about the awful Rape Clause:

And on hard Brexit:

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Caron Lindsay

Wow – a Liberal Democrat on Question Time tonight

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 2nd March 2017 - 5:50 pm

Good news. We have a Lib Dem on Question Time tonight.

It may actually be worth watching.

Although there is a downside.

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NewsHound

Tim Farron tops Guardian front page as Carmichael’s “You’re not an opposition” riposte to Thornberry gets biggest Question Time cheer

By NewsHound | Fri 20th January 2017 - 3:58 pm

Last night, Alistair Carmichael took full advantage of the opportunity his last minute addition to the Question Time panel gave him to give both Conservatives and Labour a blast.

Watch him tell off Labour’s Emily Thornberry:

Earlier today, Tim Farron was the top story on the Guardian website as he lambasted Labour’s failure to put up any sort of opposition to the Tories.

In an overt attempt to steal votes from Labour in pro-remain constituencies, Farron said he believed Corbyn had put his party on the wrong side of the biggest political issue in a generation and was struggling because his MPs were increasingly split on how to respond.

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Caron Lindsay

WATCH: Tim Farron cheered on Question Time

By Caron Lindsay | Fri 25th November 2016 - 10:30 am

A few noisy, boorish right wingers could not mask the audience appreciation for Tim Farron’s reasonable, moderate and generous-spirited message on Question Time last night.

As has unfortunately become the norm,  some over exuberant brexiteers booed everything he said. They showed themselves up.

Tim was cheered for saying that we need a referendum on the deal. “You can’t start a process with democracy and end it with a stitch-up,” he said.

But it was when he spoke out against Nigel Farage, that the audience really rallied to him.

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Caron Lindsay

Tonight’s Question Time is going to be worth watching!

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 7th July 2016 - 11:55 am

Sal has been brilliant on Question Time every time she’s been on. Just after she became President, she was on with the annoying David Starkey. Then earlier this year, she took UKIP to task for their horribly racist broadcast about Turkey.

Tonight’s programme should be brilliant with Sal and Hislop having a good go at Falconer and Galloway.

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The Voice

ICYMI: Tim on Question Time

By The Voice | Sun 22nd May 2016 - 9:45 am

Tim Farron was on Question Time the other night and was everything you would want a Liberal Democrat to be – positive, optimistic, passionately internationalist and pro-NHS, progressive and practical.

Here is why he is voting to Remain:

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Caron Lindsay

Tim Farron on BBC Question Time tonight

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 19th May 2016 - 7:50 pm

It’s not often that I can bear to watch Question Time these days. I tend to take the view that my life is too short to cope with the likes of Quentin Letts or Melanie Phillips for an hour late on a Thursday night.

However, there is good reason to watch tonight. Here is the panel:

And here is Tim’s own billing:

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Caron Lindsay

Paddy has Brexit campaigners floundering on Question Time

By Caron Lindsay | Fri 22nd April 2016 - 11:08 am

Paddy Ashdown has been in very combative form on the EU Referendum. Actually, the one debate I would love to see would be Paddy vs Boris. Our former leader would show up the Mayor’s vacuous, disingenuous rhetoric for what it is.

Paddy is truly getting out there and taking the fight right to Brexiteers in a way that nobody else has managed. He’s been pretty punchy on Twitter for the last few weeks:

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Caron Lindsay

Tim Farron is on Question Time tonight – join our open thread

By Caron Lindsay | Thu 8th October 2015 - 7:29 pm

If you have been impressed by the way that Tim Farron has responded to the slough of nastiness, prejudice and general not getting it that was the Tory Party conference, you can watch him tackle the Tories (and the SNP) in person tonight.



I have long since given up watching when Melanie Phillips is on for the sake of my health and sanity. However, tonight, I will hide all hard objects (to protect my tv screen) and watch Tim talk sense. He has always been very good in that sort of environment.

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Caron Lindsay

Warning: This post may damage your health – but, it’s ok, Sal Brinton will make it better

By Caron Lindsay | Fri 16th January 2015 - 5:36 pm

Sal BrintonIt’s not often we put health warnings on posts, but we do need to today. It’s not the post that’s the problem, it’s more the programme we’re suggesting you watch. Last night’s Question Time had one of its most habitually annoying contributors, David Starkey and if you watch it here on BBC iPlayer, he will make you very cross indeed.

I was quite amazed that I managed to get through the whole hour without either wine or even swearing out loud, even though the historian did everything he possibly could to live down to his reputation and beyond. His personal nadir was when he was trying to make out that children could have some responsibility for their own sexual assaults. And calling Mehdi Hasan Ahmed wasn’t much better.

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Paul Twigger

Opinion: No Lib Dem on Question Time? Keep calm and carry on

By Paul Twigger | Sun 20th October 2013 - 3:00 pm

Like the predictable rising and setting of the sun, on most Thursdays, Twitter is emblazoned by Liberal Democrats decrying the political makeup of the BBC Question Time panel. The tweets follow a similar argument;

2 Tories and no Lib Dem this week, #BBCQT bias again.

UKIP/Nigel Farage on #BBCQT AGAIN! Does the BBC know the Lib Dems have 56 MPs compared to UKIP’s ZERO!

After three and a half years in government, the Liberal Democrat tweeters should accept the often unbalanced representation on Question Time which, in the grand scheme of things, is not that big a deal.

Demanding a party voice every single

…

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David Evans

Opinion: “Sit down, shut up” now acceptable in Scotland’s political arena

By David Evans | Tue 9th July 2013 - 2:13 pm

scotland_fansI’m no football expert, but the chant “Sit down, Shut up” seems to be popular as a chant to silence a loosing team. In a similar fashion the cry ‘no mandate’ has taken a similar position in Scotland’s political arena. This was most recently seen in the Edinburgh instalment of Question Time, when both Angus McNeil MP and Lesley Riddoch argued that if a party has no elected officials in the country then its members have no right to express their opinions.

Regardless of your stance in the independence debate (though I …

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The Voice

No Liberal Democrat on Question Time again – who will speak up against the Snoopers’ Charter?

By The Voice | Thu 30th May 2013 - 10:48 am

Question TimeAnother week, another Question Time with no Liberal Democrat on the panel. Tonight’s episode, from London, will feature Conservative health minister Anna Soubry, former Labour  Home Secretary Alan Johnson, the New Statesman’s Mehdi Hassan, Downton Abbey author Julian Fellowes and UKIP’s Diane James.

This is the second week running that there hasn’t been a Liberal Democrat on the panel. The reason it’s serious is because ever since last week’s horrific murder in Woolwich, there has been a clamour of voices in the media, one of the loudest being Alan Johnson’s, saying …

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