After Dimbleby what’s next for Question Time?
FEW comedians have skewered the pretensions and fads of our age better than Harry Enfield. But of all his keenly observed satires none outdoes his spoof of BBC’s Question Time – you can find it on YouTube.
No one is spared. There’s the gormless interventions from the audience after the host asks: “Do you have a clichéd thought for us?” And the instantly recognisable panellists: smarm-dripping David Tory, ethnic minority spokesperson Baroness Token, “the funny person and comedian who wants to be taken seriously” Jimmy Gag, and Labour’s Ed Silliband.
One of the best moments is when Silliband intones: “I do think there’s an important point to be made here: the Tories, the Tories, the Tories…” At this moment, the host interrupts: “I’m sorry, I’m going to have to stop you there, we’re running out of time” causing Silliband to insist: “David, if you’d allow me to finish my sentence… the Tories.” Genius.
The very thinly disguised host portrayed by Enfield, is David Dimbleby, who this week announced that he is stepping down from that role after nearly 25 years.
The cry has immediately gone up for him to be replaced by a woman – any woman – for no better reason than it just has to be a woman, OK?
Predictably early favourites are all the Corporation’s usual suspects who happen to be female: Kirsty Wark, Victoria Derbyshire, Kirsty Young, blah, blah, blah.
DIMBLEBY has been a serene and unflappable host. His occasionally self-satisfied air can be punctured, most memorably when he attempted to poke fun at Jacob Rees-Mogg’s Eton background only for Jacob to point out: “I was at school with your son.”
But he will be a tough act to follow and viewers have had reason to be grateful for his dogged persistence in pursuing panellists to answer the actual questions, and maintaining order with urbanity (Commons Speaker John Bercow should watch him for tips).
I’m old enough to remember the start of Question Time in 1979, initially under the chairmanship of the enjoyably irascible harrumph that was the late Sir Robin Day, and then for a few years the under-rated and incisive Peter Sissons. As the Dimblebys have long been recognised as a sort of broadcasting priesthood, it was perhaps inevitable that David would ascend to the throne.
Question Time’s panels rarely included anyone from outside Westminster and the political commentariat in its first years. But over time its producers predictably yielded to demands that guests be more “relevant”, a trend again mocked with savage accuracy by Enfield’s sketch when his Dimbleby announces at the end: “Next week our panel includes the chancellor of the exchequer, the chairman of BP, and Dappy from N’Dubz.”
That is not to dismiss the value of allowing outsiders to infiltrate the political establishment charmed circle that still predominates on the panel. The Nigel Farage-Russell Brand showdown made for memorable viewing. But too often the non-political guests are from a similar charmed circle of the aforementioned Jimmy Gag variety who when the cameras stop rolling promptly move to the next studio to record their latest appearance on Have I Got News For You? or QI etc.
The Question Time of the Dimbleby years also deserves credit for its decision once to include BNP leader Nick Griffin on the panel.
One of the most disturbing aspects of political debate over the past 20 years is the banning and “no-platforming” of views which are deemed too frightening to be aired, presumably lest they inflame us less enlightened ordinary folk into taking to the streets bearing cudgels and flaming torches. Far better to let us peer under the rock and see hate-peddlers like Griffin exposed to the cold light of debate.
My hunch is that a significant proportion of Question Time viewers over the years have more than once rolled their eyes and wondered aloud: “Where do they find these audiences?” Certainly not from among the 17.4 million Leave voters in the broadcast that went out following the referendum vote in 2016, when the winning side in the biggest vote in British history was miraculously transformed into a beleaguered rump in the Question Time studio.
NOR was it an anomaly to be perhaps excused by the shock caused by that seismic week. However Question Time audiences are selected, they always feature disproportionate numbers of liberals. Those, and the type of public sector staff whose answer to everything, regardless of the question, is “the Government must do more”.
If the BBC truly wants Question Time to be regarded as a fiercely impartial crucible of debate it would appoint Andrew Neil as Dimbleby’s successor tomorrow.
If the next host must be female then they should go for someone such as Julia HartleyBrewer or Jane Moore. Both are tough journalists who would pose questions of our leaders that more reflect the concerns of a wider audience than political wonks, the civil service, the arts and academia.
That won’t happen, of course. There is more chance of the Beeb rotating Dermot O’Leary and Jo Brand in the presenter’s chair each week. In fact, there’s much more chance of that happening. Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider, Dimbers?
‘Where do they find these audiences?’