There is no way David Dimbleby would’ve allowed this to happen...

ISETTLED down to watch Question Time on BBC1 as usual last Thursday night, full of anticipation as the programme was from Bristol.

I expected a grand location somewhere around the centre of Bristol but it turned out to be from SGC – presumably what used to be Filton College, so in South Gloucestershire.

As far as the show’s panel is concerned, I was wondering which local politicians, mayors, journalists, even comedians would be appearing but was totally underwhelmed when Fiona Bruce introduced them.

None was from the Bristol area – Emily Thornberry, for Labour, had left her liberal elite champagne socialist patch in London for similarly Labour-controlled Bristol and I hadn’t heard of the others apart from Fraser Nelson, the journalist, who at least had relatives in the Bristol area.

There was the usual obscure Tory MP, sent to receive all the flak as none of the big-hitters dare appear.

The flak certainly arrived throughout the three main questions about immigration/asylum, climate change and housing. The Tory MP came under constant fire from the audience despite Fiona making her customary claim that said audience is a balanced group of voters. Oh yes, Fiona – anyone can say they vote Tory on your application form.

As usual, Fiona joined in, being far more challenging in her approach to the Tory MP than anyone else on the panel, also adding “Why are they laughing at you?”.

By now, Emily Thornberry was even more smug than usual, smirking in her chair while not being pressed about what Labour would do about these issues.

Unfortunately, this is pretty typical of each Question Time programme and there is no way David Dimbleby would have allowed this to happen.

This programme followed the BBC News, where King Charles’s historic visit and wonderful speech to the German Parliament got a pathetically brief mention towards the end of the programme. I can only assume that the BBC are antimonarchy as well as anti-Tory.

D Scadding Bristol