Question Time

[hornetrider]

Anyone watching? Talk about angry mob!

Margaret Beckett needs a proper shoeing as well, arrogant bh

[Revs_Addiction]

The way Beckett is sitting there with her false smile and looking smug is making me want to put my foot through the tv. At least Theresa May is looking suitably embarrassed...

I truly think this is going have grave, long-term effects on politics in this country...

[RobDickinson]

Revs_Addiction said:

I truly think this is going have grave, long-term effects on politics in this country...

How? Without some major ground level protests in apathetic UK its not going to change.

MP's will just vote though something that obscures the issue more. They are their own oversight and review body.

What it would take would be a jury like random selection of people to oversee MP conduct and remunerations/expenses.

[nelly1]

RobDickinson said:

What it would take would be a jury like random selection of people to oversee MP conduct and remunerations/expenses.

Or this...

[qube_TA]

They'll be blown up by 4Chan/Anonymous?

[Revs_Addiction]

RobDickinson said:

Revs_Addiction said:

I truly think this is going have grave, long-term effects on politics in this country...

How? Without some major ground level protests in apathetic UK its not going to change.

MP's will just vote though something that obscures the issue more. They are their own oversight and review body.

What it would take would be a jury like random selection of people to oversee MP conduct and remunerations/expenses.

People will either stay away from the ballot boxes, allowing the fringe parties to gain ground, or actually turn up and make a protest vote for one of the fringe parties. Combine this with the recession, I can see the BNP gaining a lot of support, (especially if they turn down their right wing posturing)...

Blaming 'the system' as the cause for all these corrupt expense claims just isn't good enough. If we can't trust those in power to be honourable, then where does it leave us?

I agree with you that the expense review has to be COMPLETELY independent from politics.

Edited by Revs_Addiction on Friday 15th May 00:01

[Martial Arts Man]

I have never seen a QT like it. It was like the Jeremy Kyle show and QT had made a baby.

I guess they feel more betrayed in the Labour heartlands.


As stated above, Telegraph-guy was impressive, despite his odd face.


May came out better than the other two MPs, mainly due to staying as quiet as a mouse.


Ronald McDonald wasn't really the right man for tonight; I would have prefered a dry witted commentator, someone with gravitas. To complete the spectacle.


I felt slightly sorry for Ming; I think he's lost touch. May need putting out to pasture soon.


As for the Labour party Apparatchik, well.......she deserved everything she got to be honest. Her arrogance contemptible, her answers demeaning; she truly embodies the govenment she serves. I wouldn't spit on her if she was on fire.

[The Hypno-Toad]

Martial Arts Man said:

I have never seen a QT like it. It was like the Jeremy Kyle show and QT had made a baby.

I guess they feel more betrayed in the Labour heartlands.


As stated above, Telegraph-guy was impressive, despite his odd face.


May came out better than the other two MPs, mainly due to staying as quiet as a mouse.


Ronald McDonald wasn't really the right man for tonight; I would have prefered a dry witted commentator, someone with gravitas. To complete the spectacle.


I felt slightly sorry for Ming; I think he's lost touch. May need putting out to pasture soon.


As for the Labour party Apparatchik, well.......she deserved everything she got to be honest. Her arrogance contemptible, her answers demeaning; she truly embodies the govenment she serves. I wouldn't spit on her if she was on fire.

Sums the programme up perfectly.

Was it just me or did anyone else here someone say "Don't you talk to me like that," when Beckett made one of her smug arrogant replies?
I also heard the phrase "Because you think you are all better than us,"

I think any politican of any party caught up in this shameful saga shouldn't be making any Westminster based plans past the end of his year. A lot of MPs from both parties are going to find themselves looking for a job ome election time.

Labour especially are going to be destroyed at the polls on 04/06/09 as they will be seen to be the ones that let this happen. (despite the fact that to a certain extent it was the Tories that put the scheme in place.) But the real winners will be UKIP & the BNP. There must be several candidates in those colours who must be thinking, "Bloody hell, I might actually get to Brussels," because you know what? I think a lot of them will.

I've said it before but my gut feeling at the moment is that if UKIP or the BNP had a charasmatic leader there would be a major sea change in British politics right now.

[anonymous-user]

I've never seen anything like it on the BBC. Beckett got it, both barrels didn't she? Listening to her telling the crowd they didn't properly understand and nonsense about her gardening expenses before they laid into her was brilliant.

The bloke in the angry mob audience hit the mark perfectly when he pointed out that the rules were quite clear about what extra costs incurred can be claimed. The politicians just sat there with no defence at all. TBH, I thought any politicians that had made any dodgy claims were quite brave even turning up at all. I expect they weren't crushed in the rush to appear on the show.

[Eric Mc]

I absolutely agree.

For a long while, the aloofness and arrogance of politicians has been causing a festering resentment amongst the electorate. The current farago has brought this resentment and anger to a head.

British politics is in a similar position to that of thw Weimar Republic in 1932/33 - i.e. total disillousenment with the status quo. The public is aching for some strong leadership and a moral beacon. An intelligent, sensible sounding and charismatic leader of any fringe party could swing the whole political landscape.

When is Joanna Lumley going to get into politics?

[loafer123]

I thought Ronald McDonald hit the mark too with his "it would be simple to bring in a proper expense policy - every company has one" remark.

[Somewhatfoolish]

The Hypno-Toad said:

Martial Arts Man said:

I have never seen a QT like it. It was like the Jeremy Kyle show and QT had made a baby.

I guess they feel more betrayed in the Labour heartlands.


As stated above, Telegraph-guy was impressive, despite his odd face.


May came out better than the other two MPs, mainly due to staying as quiet as a mouse.


Ronald McDonald wasn't really the right man for tonight; I would have prefered a dry witted commentator, someone with gravitas. To complete the spectacle.


I felt slightly sorry for Ming; I think he's lost touch. May need putting out to pasture soon.


As for the Labour party Apparatchik, well.......she deserved everything she got to be honest. Her arrogance contemptible, her answers demeaning; she truly embodies the govenment she serves. I wouldn't spit on her if she was on fire.

Sums the programme up perfectly.

Was it just me or did anyone else here someone say "Don't you talk to me like that," when Beckett made one of her smug arrogant replies?
I also heard the phrase "Because you think you are all better than us,"

I think any politican of any party caught up in this shameful saga shouldn't be making any Westminster based plans past the end of his year. A lot of MPs from both parties are going to find themselves looking for a job ome election time.

Labour especially are going to be destroyed at the polls on 04/06/09 as they will be seen to be the ones that let this happen. (despite the fact that to a certain extent it was the Tories that put the scheme in place.) But the real winners will be UKIP & the BNP. There must be several candidates in those colours who must be thinking, "Bloody hell, I might actually get to Brussels," because you know what? I think a lot of them will.

I've said it before but my gut feeling at the moment is that if UKIP or the BNP had a charasmatic leader there would be a major sea change in British politics right now.

Problem for UKIP is out of their 6 MEPs one has been jailed for expenses fraud and another is under police investigation for misusing £40k of expenses

[MikeyT]

Beckett did get a shoeing but in here slimy contemptible way she took it - water off a duck's back - here caravans are paid for now so she doesn't care. A nice memoirs after she gets ditched will make some more cash to see here into retirement.

Agree that Mr MCDonalds wasn't the right guy this week, yes he gave a good old business perspective but it needed a David Starkey (he was good the other week) or an Ian Hislop to show a bit more contempt for these people ...

Even our Ming the Merciless got it from the audience and I've never seen that before - I think whether young Blairbabe (not Beckett) or Political Grandee, the people when wronged, can show no mercy.

Good job they didn't have Peter Hitchens on there ... the place would have ignited!

[Skipppy]

I was going to start a thread about this this morning. I honestly thought it might descend into violence.

If MPs are still blind to the anger of the public after that then they st in their eyes and ears.

Bring it on though, they are finally getting their comeuppance!

[[AJ]]

Martial Arts Man said:

I have never seen a QT like it. It was like the Jeremy Kyle show and QT had made a baby.

I guess they feel more betrayed in the Labour heartlands.


As stated above, Telegraph-guy was impressive, despite his odd face.


May came out better than the other two MPs, mainly due to staying as quiet as a mouse.


Ronald McDonald wasn't really the right man for tonight; I would have prefered a dry witted commentator, someone with gravitas. To complete the spectacle.


I felt slightly sorry for Ming; I think he's lost touch. May need putting out to pasture soon.


As for the Labour party Apparatchik, well.......she deserved everything she got to be honest. Her arrogance contemptible, her answers demeaning; she truly embodies the govenment she serves. I wouldn't spit on her if she was on fire.

I agree wholeheartedly, Beckett was arrogant and showed no sign of remorse. She completely optimised the labour party and this disgraceful excuse of a government.

[Eric Mc]

Missed QT but watched This Week afterwards - which did feature Hitchens.

We are living in very interesting times at the moment.

[pkitchen]

Revolution, that's what we need. Off with their heads!!!

[Scrubs]

Johnny was right....


"Anarchy for the u.k, its coming sometime and maybe
I give a wrong time stop a trafic line
Your future dream is a shopping scheme cos i

I wanna be anarchy !"

[anonymous-user]

Eric Mc said:

Missed QT but watched This Week afterwards - which did feature Hitchens.

We are living in very interesting times at the moment.

Question time is here on BBC iplayer if you want to see it Eric.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00kftf0/Ques...

[MikeyT]

But at the end of the day, with all three of the main parties involved, just who is there to vote for with a protest vote - don't tell me UKIP are any cleaner, BNP most rational people would never vote for and as for the Greens ...

The upcoming elections will surely either result in an improved no-show from the people or the biggest rash of spoilt ballot papers ever.

Could we see, come the Geeneral Election, a massive influx of Independents with no party connections - prominent local businessmen etc standing in towna and cities across the country?

I'm thinking of that Doctor guy in Worcs somewhere who got in on one thing - vowing not to close a local hospital. I don't even know how effective he has been though - did it close or not?