Review: BBC Question Time, 18th June 2009

Readers of this blog are advised that the following is our review - no more than a personal opinion - of the panellists and what they had to say. Our rating is out of twelve and is based both on performance and how much we agreed with what they had to say.

If you missed the show, you can catch up by following the links on the BBC's Question Time website:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/question_time/8101704.stm

Lord (Charlie) Falconer (Labour) Recently suggested that it would be better for the Labour Party if someone other than Gordon Brown were to lead the party. You don't say! Said there was "no point" in the redacted versions of MP's expenses that had been released and it just makes everything look like a "cover up". Staying with the cover up theme, he said felt that the Iraq inquiry should mostly be held in public. Struggled when given opportunity by Dumblebee to criticise Gordon Brown for the decision to make the inquiry private, but when asked explicitly, he repeated his opinion that Brown should go so that the Labour Party can unite. Mostly on the quiet side, but keeping quiet is probably a good tactic for all Labour politicians.
Our Rating: 6/12

Ken Clarke (Conservative) Has just caused a backlash against the Conservative Party by suggesting that if Ireland ratify the Lisbon Treaty, then the Tories will virtually "do nothing" to get us our country back. The party has barely uttered a murmur to amend the way his revelations about their position on the issue have been received by the public since. On MP's expenses, there was much laughter when it was pointed out how many of his bills were subject to overdue reminders. He earned on-side laughter when he said that point was "scraping the barrel". Spoke a lot of sense on expenses and called the redaction "ludicrous" and "ridiculous". Said some MP's "should be prosecuted" as "they would be in any other walk of life" - which won him a round of applause with the studio audience. However, he also called for a sense of proportion. On Iraq, he said the only person who believed the inquiry should be in private was Gordon Brown and that he would "have to climbdown". Accused Gormless of being "a control freak" utterly unsuitable to lead the country. On immigration, he said we have to accept that in the modern world, people move about between different countries and said the British are incredibly tolerant people. Said xenophobia and bigotry have no place in the British way of life. Was asked about the Conservative Party's new grouping in Europe and claimed that he did not know who the party was aligning with. Throughout questions on the EU, he was speaking somewhat tellingly as though he was separate from "they", i.e. the Conservatives. When asked by Ed Davey, he said that he would not have taken the Tory decision to leave the EPP grouping.
Our Rating: 9/12

Ed Davey (Lib Dem) Dumblebee pointed to an entry on Davey's expenses that was redacted. Davey said he was letting his local press see unredacted copies of all his expenses tomorrow and he thought the House of Commons authorities "had gone mad with the black ink" in concealing details from the public. Pointed out that Lib Dems and some Tories had tried to revise the system before but were defeated by Labour. On the Iraq inquiry, he implicitly accused the Labour Government of a cover up, listing political reasons he thought had motivated Gormless to have the inquiry in private. Made the stand out point on a question about BA workers being asked to work for nothing for a month. He said that the Chief Executives might be able to afford to work for nothing, but the lowest paid staff should not be made to. Said that he thought the race attacks in Belfast were a move towards nationalism which we have to fight. Said that British people benefit from the freedom to move throughout the European Union. Accused Prince Charles of abusing his power in intervening on the Chelsea barracks matter.
Our Rating: 6/12

Polly Toynbee Guardian journalist who had previously been a huge supporter of New Labour and Gordon Brown, but recently used her column to call on Gormless to go. Said the redaction of MP's expenses was "extraordinary" and "a terrible blunder" which she could not understand. Was warmly applauded when she called it all "very peculiar". Spoke passionately and said she hoped Parliament had got the message over the expenses scandal and she hoped that we would see real change - including proportional representation. Spoke a lot of sense on background to the Iraq war but did not have too much to say about the inquiry being in private rather than in public. Talked with great sense on the inequalities in pay throughout Britain. Made a good point about immigration having been of benefit to employers, not necessarily to those on the minimum wage. Called for an amnesty on illegal immigrants. Condemned Prince Charles over his role in stopping the Chelsea barracks development and called for the end of the Monarchy after the current Queen's reign.
Our Rating: 6/12

Esther Rantzen The That's Life! host and Childline founder recently announced that she was considering standing for Parliament against controversy stricken Margaret Moran MP. Spoke with great thought and intelligence on what she called "the cover up" of MP's expenses. The audience sat in complete silence and listened to her with great respect. Won big support when she demanded all MP's apologise rather than looking to find something or someone else to blame for the outrage. Not much to say on the status of the Iraq inquiry. Spoke with great passion to condemn racist attacks in Belfast. With humour, she strongly defended Prince Charles for intervening on the architecture designs for Chelsea barracks.
Our Rating: 10/12