Question Time broadcasts from Fort William

After an absence of 14 years, flagship BBC political debate show Question Time was broadcast from Fort William on Thursday May 18.

The Nevis Centre hosted panellists Màiri McAllan (SNP), Jackie Baillie (Scottish Labour), Malcolm Offord (Conservative), Alex Salmond (Alba), and journalist Nina Myskow, alongside host Fiona Bruce. Local MP Ian Blackford was in London at Scottish Questions.

Three formal questions were put to the panel across the hour-long show, with the first posing: “Are the opposition parties being overly confident about the demise of the SNP, without offering a credible alternative?” Answers primarily followed party lines, with former first minister Alex Salmond stating that unionist parties could not be presumptive as falling SNP support had not correlated with a fall in independence supporters.

The second topic related to whether the British hospitality and fruit picking sectors could survive the current lack of EU nationals. The programme rounded off with a question as to whether the cost of living crisis was actually a cost of greed crisis, as suggested by SNP MP Mhairi Black. This raised a debate on whether supermarkets and businesses were using energy prices as an excuse for profiteering.

With none of the panel being directly connected to Lochaber, specific local issues did not make the agenda. However one audience member described taking a 92-mile detour from Ardnamurchan to attend due to the cancelled Corran ferry, with the dedication receiving thanks from Mrs Bruce.

Question Time will be in Gravesend for its next edition, airing Thursday May 25, followed by Leicester on Thursday June 1.