BBC Question Time line up for 10 October 2019
Grant Schapps: Tory MP for Welwyn Hatfield. Extreme Brexiter
Lisa Nandy: Labour MP for Wigan. Brexiter
Julia Hartley-Brewer: Former journalist for the Daily Express, one of the 'big four' Brexit dailies. Extreme Brexiter
Theo Paphitis: Businessman. Panellist on TV Show "Dragon's Den". Brexiter.
Rupert Reed: Former Green councillor. Member of Extinction Rebellion. Remain.
So. 4 Brexiters out of 5 panellists* including the despicable Hartley-Brewer whose associations with "Spiked" and her appalling behaviour in posting the home address of Jolyon Maugham online after he had received a number of death threats to him and his family (from Brexiters, naturally) resulted in he and his family now needing round the clock police protection, have made her the most controversial addition to the panel ever.
Even more than when Nigel Farage clocked up his 50th appearance on the panel. It's worth questioning here if, when The Aussie quotes his figures for remainers who have appeared on QT, he has factored in the number of occasions on which panellists have appeared. He may (and I haven't checked yet).... just may... have a valid point about the
comparable number of individual panellists but the thought struck me when I read that Farage has appeared 50 times. That's only one man, but when he gets multiple opportunities to get his message out there.........
But I digress. Julia Hartley-Brewer.
Some Twitter users called for the programme to be boycotted using the hashtag #boycottBBCQT.
One tweeted: "Julia Hartley-Brewer is a climate-change denier who regularly mocks Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old girl with Asperger's. Why are you giving this awful woman a platform to air her bigotry and crackpot views on #bbcqt, particularly on #WorldMentalHealthDay2019?"
Elinor Elliot wrote: "Why has BBCQT asked Hartley-Brewer to appear but never Jolyon Maugham? He was one of the claimants in the Supreme Court case, and recently in the Scottish Court of Session case. His views are far more relevant than those of this hatemongering hack."
Professor Tanja Bueltmann asked: "How dare you put Hartley-Brewer on your programme after she revealed
@JolyonMaugham& #39;s home address following him getting death threats? Is this the new role of the national broadcaster—give platforms to those willing to risk someone's death to score some likes on Twitter? "
4 Brexiters on last night's panel and an audience loaded with the usual gammons but at least Billy Mitchell wasn't there last night. Since the orange jacketed "Brexit's-Man-On-Question-Time" was exposed by the Daily Mirror having appeared - and been allowed to table questions three times - the tactic has been changed. Instead of one man being planted in the audience to act as
agent provocatuer they now flood the audience instead.
Remain groups have asked the BBC to tell how many of their audience come from outside the region in which the programme is based (it is held in a different town or city every week). They have refused to state any figure. I wonder why..?
Same Man Gets On Question Time on Multiple Occasions
So. Plenty of evidence of pro-remain bias there, then, eh..?
*and you can include the pro-Brexit Chairwoman Fiona Bruce who always gives the Brexiters more opportunities and longer time to get their point across. She seems to be drawn to the Brexiters too, when taking the discussion to them audience.