Burnley hosts BBC1 Question Time debate

12:50am Friday 21st January 2011 in TV Photograph of the Author By Tom Moseley, Reporter

VIEWPOINTS The panel, from left, Claret Clarke Carlisle, Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman, former Respect MP George Galloway, host David Dimbleby, former Prime Minster’s communications director Alastair Campbell, and Lib Dem MP Simon Hughes VIEWPOINTS The panel, from left, Claret Clarke Carlisle, Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman, former Respect MP George Galloway, host David Dimbleby, former Prime Minster’s communications director Alastair Campbell, and Lib Dem MP Simon Hughes

THE Iraq war, NHS reforms and education cuts were on the agenda as the BBC's flagship Question Time debate came to Burnley tonight.

Clarets defender Clarke Carlisle became the first footballer to appear on the show, hosted by David Dimbleby.

Mr Carlisle shared the floor at Unity College with former Labour spin doctor Alistair Campbell, firebrand ex MP George Galloway, Lib Dem deputy leader Simon Hughes and Tory Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman.

Mrs Spelman suggested Burnley's A&E facilitiy could be reinstated if local GPs were in favour after a question on health reforms from a local nurse, and Mr Campbell, a Burnley supporter, pressed her to clarify.

There were dramatic exchange between old foes Mr Galloway and Mr Campbell on Iraq and the death of Dr David Kelly.

The lively audience also weighed in on the decision to cut the Education Maintenance Allowance, which was met by widespread criticism including from one current student who said the cut would mean young people pulling out of education.

Mr Carlisle, who revealed he had voted Lib Dem at the general election, said he supported the EMA but believed it was being paid to some students who did not need it.

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He also called for transparency in the Chilcott Inquiry into the Iraq war, telling the audience he had a cousin currently serving in Afghanistan.

Live webchat

* The Lancashire Telegraph held a live web chat throughout the show. Click play to replay the event.

Comments(22)

bankhall says...
11:30am Wed 19 Jan 11

what a joke programme .Your questions are vetted and if the panel dont like them they don't get asked .You are also vetted if you apply for tickets .It's a suit programme full of brown noses ;no wonder campbell and carlisle are on it.

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William Wade says...
11:47am Wed 19 Jan 11

His time would be better spent working on basic defensive skills than preparing for this programme. He is after all an integral member of a defensive unit which has conceded almost 200 ( thats right : TWO HUNDRED !) goals in just 2.5 seasons.

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midas says...
12:06pm Wed 19 Jan 11

William Wade wrote:
His time would be better spent working on basic defensive skills than preparing for this programme. He is after all an integral member of a defensive unit which has conceded almost 200 ( thats right : TWO HUNDRED !) goals in just 2.5 seasons.
diddums! Was your invitation lost in the post?

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hasslem hasslem says...
12:20pm Wed 19 Jan 11

midas wrote:
William Wade wrote:
His time would be better spent working on basic defensive skills than preparing for this programme. He is after all an integral member of a defensive unit which has conceded almost 200 ( thats right : TWO HUNDRED !) goals in just 2.5 seasons.
diddums! Was your invitation lost in the post?
i'll keep an eye out for the bloke in the audience with donkey ears. only joking my friend
.
why on earth is campbell on this programme? he is supposedly not a politician and is not from burnley.
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interesting that they are keeping the location a secret, although there can only be 2 or 3 locations it could be. I wonder why that is? Anything to do with BNP? EDL? UAF?
.
If it is an audience representative of the town it could be a bit juicy, particularly with nutter galloway at the table. why not go the whole hog and get griffin back on....he's a celeb in burnley.

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Geofffrey_Sturdy says...
7:55pm Wed 19 Jan 11

Lets look at the line up
George Galloway - far left ex- MP representing no one but himself
Simon Hughes - representing the left wing of the lib-dems
Alastair Campbell - ex labour spin doctor
Caroline Spelman - tory in name only
Clarke Carlisle - token celebrity
Typical BBC line up and no doubt Midas has his ticket in the bag

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bikerjohn_uk says...
8:33am Thu 20 Jan 11

Ah, but you're missing the trick here - Campbells' a Clarets fan, so at least him and Carlisle can gang up on the others....

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Lifeinthemix says...
12:03pm Thu 20 Jan 11

fibs on the LT...you know well thyey pre record the programme to remove any and all truth, was it not last night they recorded it?

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Billy_Bunter says...
1:05pm Thu 20 Jan 11

I can say for certain it has not been recorded yet as I work in the building where they are filming it. Dimbleby is due on site this afternoon followed by the panel in the late afternoon.

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Lifeinthemix says...
1:36pm Thu 20 Jan 11

I stand corrected

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Lifeinthemix says...
1:52pm Thu 20 Jan 11

I expect they are hoping for a BNP-EDL rant fest...perhaps the reason the LT has gone all out since Christmas to present every event involving race to fire up the rabble...

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Burnley student says...
2:34pm Thu 20 Jan 11

They film it this evening, around 7.30 I think and air it a few hours later.

It's being filmed in one of the highschools which would be an interesting point if BFS comes up..

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William Wade says...
4:07pm Thu 20 Jan 11

Are you really a student? I find that difficult to believe in Burnley;-)

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Burnley student says...
4:44pm Thu 20 Jan 11

William Wade wrote:
Are you really a student? I find that difficult to believe in Burnley;-)
haha, you'd be surprised, Burnley is not a bad town to be a student in.

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pinkfairyone says...
9:54pm Thu 20 Jan 11

Burnley student wrote:
William Wade wrote: Are you really a student? I find that difficult to believe in Burnley;-)
haha, you'd be surprised, Burnley is not a bad town to be a student in.
Well said lovey x x x

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Dickiepayshey says...
10:19pm Thu 20 Jan 11

If some of these posts are anything to go by then I'll give the programme a miss.

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pinkfairyone says...
10:41pm Thu 20 Jan 11

Lifeinthemix wrote:
fibs on the LT...you know well thyey pre record the programme to remove any and all truth, was it not last night they recorded it?
I sent ya a message bro on you tube

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pinkfairyone says...
11:05pm Thu 20 Jan 11

Lifeinthemix wrote:
I stand corrected
Don't stand corrected.... editing is the BBC's speciality.... ;)

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BurnleyBorn&Bred says...
11:40pm Thu 20 Jan 11

Lifeinthemix wrote:
fibs on the LT...you know well thyey pre record the programme to remove any and all truth, was it not last night they recorded it?
No it was today this was filmed at Unity College on Towneley Holmes

and they were filming in the Auditorium for most of the day

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italian clarets says...
12:00am Fri 21 Jan 11

i watched your question time through the internet as i live in italy, i must admit the uk is near financial melt down at least italy (for now) is about afloat they must send slivo bellasconi in for war crimes like tony blair on iraq, but our troops left and now in afghanistan with the uk and usa, depressing times for all of us. on a good note mr campbell and carlisle did burnley proud and im honoured to have been born in the burnley general hospital and was shocked they closed the a and e down thats really bad. poor folk have to go to blackburn instead im not suprised people dying from heart failure, all burnley folk going to blackburn is enough to cause heart attacks with that diseased town let alone going to the hospital very sad. hope burnley gets back its feet again soon UTC NNN

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Finger Bang says...
11:11am Fri 21 Jan 11

I'll be honest I thought Clarke Carlisle talked nothing but sense last night - the guy really impressed me.

Local lad as well - good effort.

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spyderkat says...
1:09pm Fri 21 Jan 11

This was filmed at Unity College an hour before broadcast - 8.30pm-9.30pm ish. What you saw on TV was what happened - no clever editing or cutting out chunks.

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PK Bailey says...
2:16pm Fri 21 Jan 11

Just to confirm shot on the night nothing cut out and as for vetting questions of course. After all each person supplied two questions and seen as though they only needed 6 they had to be vetted.

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