Topics such as Net Zero and last week’s local elections were debated as BBC’s flagship political debate programme, Question Time, was in held Hull this evening.
As always, the Question Time panel was made up of a selection of people from across the political spectrum. On tonight’s programme, host Fiona Bruce was joined by:
Graham Stuart MP: The Conservative Party’s Mr Stuart is the MP for the Beverley and Holderness constituency in Parliament. Mr Stuart has held the seat since the 2005 general election. As well as representing his local constituents, Mr Stuart had the role as the Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero under the previous Conservative Government.
Richard Tice MP: Mr Tice is the deputy leader of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party and is the Member of Parliament for Boston and Skegness. This was Mr Tice’s second visit to Hull within a week after he made an appearance at the Haltemprice Leisure Centre last Friday (May 2) as Reform UK’s Luke Campbell was named Mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire.
James Murray MP: Mr Murray is a Labour Party MP representing the London seat, Ealing North and is currently the Government’s Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury since July 2024. He served as the Deputy Mayor of London for Housing and Residential Development from 2016 to 2019.
Calum Miller MP: The Liberal Democrats‘ Mr Miller is the MP for Bicester and Woodstock in Oxfordshire. He is also a member of Oxfordshire Country Council.
Jo Grady: Ms Grady is the General Secretary of the University and College Union (UCU), the trade union that represents researchers and academic staff in higher education institutions.
The panel were asked a number of questions by audience members. The first question was: “Given the huge success of the Reform Party in last week’s election who should be more worried, Labour, the Conservatives or the electorate?”
The Labour Party’s Mr Murray argued that the election results showed that people remain angry with the state of the country that followed the Conservative government and that the new Labour government are starting to make positive changes. He cited NHS waiting lists coming down and the National Minimum Wage being increased as examples of such positive changes.
Mr Tice accused the Labour Party of not listening to the electorate, saying that the Government are not ‘smashing the gangs’ as the Prime Minister vowed to do. The Reform MP added that following the local elections his party will look to “sort out” their newly won councils and “stop wasting money.”
Ms Grady said the results in the local elections are a sign of the working class moving away from a Labour Party that she argues has abandoned its roots. However she added that Reform UK is not the answer as “it wasn’t immigrants that were cutting council funding in Hull, it was politicians.”
The Conservatives’ Mr Stuart criticised the Government’s changes to the winter fuel payment and family farms inheritance tax. He argued such policies “undermined trust in the whole political system.” Mr Stuart also argued that Reform “don’t really know how they can make lives better.”
The Liberal Democrats’ Mr Miller said “it’s no surprise” that many voted for the Lib Dems and Reform in the recent local elections due to the actions of the Conservatives and Labour whilst in power.
The panel were next asked about the ‘trade deal’ announced today between the United States and United Kingdom and if the deal was a victory for Keir Starmer’s Government.
The Labour Party’s Mr Murray said the Prime Minister has brought a “landmark deal” and that it is “good news for Britain.” He added: “We have to respond to the World as it is. We cannot respond to the World how we wish it was,” in reference to the US’s newly enforced tariffs.
The Lib Dems’ Mr Miller accused the Government of not dealing with Donald Trump with “a position of strength” and referred to the US President as “a bully.”
The Issue of Net Zero was next raised by an audience member. The panel were asked if Net Zero by 2050 is unachievable. Mr Murray argued that Net Zero “is possible if you set your mind to it” and that such policies would increase energy security and bring down bills. On the other hand Mr Tice said: “Net stupid Zero is the greatest act of financial self harm ever imposed on this country.” He argued that people do not want solar panels “blighting countryside.” Mr Tice added: “We should scrap Net Zero.”
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