1 second with something smarter than NIgel:
It sounds like you’re pointing out a contradiction rather than anything genuinely procedural. There isn’t a formal BBC rule that automatically prevents MPs from appearing on Question Time when it’s in their own constituency—what usually exists is more of an editorial convention about balance, optics, and avoiding giving a local MP an unfair “home advantage.”
In practice, though, that convention gets applied inconsistently. MPs have appeared on the programme in or near their constituencies before, especially if they’re high-profile or central to the topic being discussed. So when someone claims it’s a strict rule, it often doesn’t hold up under scrutiny—it’s more of a flexible guideline than a hard restriction.
What you’re really seeing is likely a post-hoc justification rather than a genuine barrier. The decision is almost always editorial: who they want on the panel, what narrative they’re shaping, and how they think it will land with the audience.