Question Time is running its leaders special. The leaders will have 30 minutes each to answer questions from a live audience in York. They are, in order of appearance:
- LibDem: Ed Davey
- SNP: John Swinney
- Labour: Keir Starmer
- Tory: Rishi Sunak
The debate can be seen on:
- BBC One
- BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/live/bbcone
Fiona Bruce is running affairs. Reform (who have just polled above the Tories again) and the Greens have been given a programme next week. Guido will provide live text-based updates below…
UPDATE: That’s proceedings over. A bit of a snoozefest…
Last week Farage railed against the BBC’s decision to exclude Reform from their Question Time special debate on Thursday, which is set to feature only Labour, Tories, LibDems, and SNP. A lineup that doesn’t make much sense considering the polls…
Instead of adding Reform to that debate the BBC has announced it will host an extra Question Time special on next Friday at 8 p.m. including Reform and the Greens. It says:
“This reflects the fact that it is clear from across a broad range of opinion polls that the support for Reform UK has been growing. As a public service broadcaster the BBC recognises that the policies and proposals of the party deserve scrutiny at a time convenient for mass audiences. In the interests of fairness we have offered the same scheduling opportunity to the Green Party.“
It would make more sense to add Reform, which has polled alongside the Tories in the latest Redfield and Wilton MRP, to the regular Question Time debate. Who is going to watch an additional one on Friday evening? No wonder Farage pledged to scrap the licence fee…
UPDATE: Farage responds: “I am pleased that the BBC acknowledge that support for Reform UK has been growing in this election. We must now be included in the head-to-head debate with Sunak and Starmer on June 26th.”
The usually tame Question Time saw a well-anticipated bit of mud-slinging between Nigel Farage and Piers Morgan as Morgan accused Nigel of “bottling it” for not standing in the election. Farage pointed out he had a television show to take care of during the year so far. Unlike Piers…
Morgan parroted the face-saving line: “I came off I came off old linear television“. Farage notes, as Guido reported, that Morgan was actually sacked…
Eventually Fiona Bruce shut down the shouting match amid cries of “YouTuber!“. Morgan’s sour face at the end reveals all…
