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Original poster

Question Time last night

35 replies

SambuccaKelly · 28/05/2010 07:49

Apologies if there is already a thread about this - I couldn't find it.

Did you watch it last night?

Government refused to have anyone appear on the show because Alistair Campbell was on the panel.

A new, inclusive politics, not based on the old, bitter feuds, eh? Well that lasted a long time, didn't it?

OP posts:
longfingernailspaintedblue · 28/05/2010 11:52

Also according to Lance Price on Radio 5 earlier (Tony Blair's spin doctor) Labour also tried to influence the QT panel when they were in office.

Funny how the BBC didn't report that at the time, but suddenly develop a zeal for discussing behind-the-scenes negotiations as soon as Labour are out of power.

Anyway, I am glad this has happened. Freezing the BBC licence fee for the next few years would be excellent (cutting it would be even better). Those outcomes are far more likely after yesterday's shenanigans.

IndigoSky · 28/05/2010 11:45

The Tories didn't put anyone forward because they said that they wanted a member of the shadow cabinet rather than Campbell, partic in the week of the Queen's speech, according to R4 news earlier today.

longfingernailspaintedblue · 28/05/2010 11:41

Campbell should be in prison for what he did to Dr David Kelly, let alone on Question Time.

The audience of Question Time is full of political obsessives (usually councillors and even PPCs), not ordinary people - of course, all carefully "weighted" by the BBC for "balance".

Question Time is now just a bearpit aiming for cheap sensationalism over any policy discussion - far worse than the Commons at its very worst.

In general, the BBC needs to be cut down to size. They are not the story, however much they want to be.

They can make a good start by firing Dimbleby.

snowlady · 28/05/2010 11:02

What is preposterous is that campbell and morgan were given far more air time than the rest of the panel and week in week out dimbleby interupts/cuts short/allows people to talk over the lib dem representative and allowed campbell/morgan to waffle on completely wasting debating time. Each member of the panel should have a similar amount of time to speak.

Too much time was wasted last night on new labour's decision to go into Iraq several years ago rather than discussing the Queen's speech or more topical foreign issues - which might have been Korea, BP oil spill, Afghanistan. The education debate could have gone on longer.

Also none of the panel corrected the young chap in the audience who praised labour's education policy on the basis more people go to university so education must be better.. I don't think so. More people go on to higher education because there are more places and A levels are easier than they were 25 yrs ago. One lady started trying to make a good point about differences between exam boards but Dimbleby interupted her and moved on to something else.

The tories sent a current MP - I don't see what was wrong with Redwood being on. Maybe they shouldn't have complained about Campbell but maybe they knew that there would be no proper debate with campbell there and that is what turned out to be the case. It is the labour party who should be criticised for not sending some one to add some substance to the debate. Question time is supposed to be a debate not a spin machine.

jackstarbright · 28/05/2010 09:34

So were the Labour party happy to have AC represent them? Didn't they have anyone else available? It was quite an important week (Queen's speech an all).

Having said that AC is always entertaining .

Coolfonz · 28/05/2010 08:25

Bernard Ingham anyone?

Callisto · 28/05/2010 08:16

I'm not at all suprised they won't give Cambell the time of day. He is one of the masterminds of spin and untruth, which is all NuLab will be remembered for in years to come.

Avocadoes · 28/05/2010 08:14

It is terrible that Downing Strret tried to dictate who appeared on a BBC show for the Opposition. The editorial independence of the BBC is of fundamental importance.

Did this government not watch the row over how Labour treated the BBC over Andrew Gilligan/Today prog/David Kelly saga? Actually yes they did and they talked about how outragous it was to try and influence the independence of the BBC. And now they are in power...

Original poster
SambuccaKelly · 28/05/2010 08:07

That's a preposterous argument.

Almost every week there are people who aren't elected MPs. I do agree that people from the professions and from industry would be a good idea. I'm not against journalists, however - Piers Morgan has edited some of the kost widely read newspapers of our time. I am intereste din his take on things.

As for Campbell - love him or hate him, he is one of the masterminds of New Labour. He is a significant political player and as such, it is totally appropiate for him to be on the panel.

I think it is a great sign of weakness that the coalition government were either so hateful towards him, or so frighetened of him, that they wouldn't appear.

They should also respect the fact that the BBC makes decisions on who appears on QT - not the government.

OP posts:
snowlady · 28/05/2010 08:03

I can see why they didn't bother sending anyone from the front bench. Dimbleby is so obviously pro labour and gave endless time to campbell and piers morgan and interupted susan kramer after a much shorter time- he always interupts the lib dems. They need someone less biaised in the chair.

As far as I'm aware Alastair campbell has never been an elected MP so there was no reason for him to be there representing the labour party.

They should cut down the number of journalists and have a few people from the professions instead..eg a Head teacher would have been good last night or a senior person from the armed forces.