Wot no Lib Dem? Again?

Luke Richards (@hypnotic) Posted by Luke Richards (@hypnotic)
Thursday, 4th February 2010

Tonight, Ladies and Gentlemen, #bbcqt is coming to Warwick University Campus. (They'll tell you they're in Coventry which technically they are, but campus is very much on the outskirts and Dimbers & Co. will very much be on campus)

I'm definitely looking forward to the debate, in fact I've got tickets! This week we've had a very spicey Iraq inquiry with a number of key figures giving evidence, Gordon Brown announced large-scale Electoral Reform measures and we had the Legg Report on the Expenses scandal.

The first two of these are arguably two of the Liberal Democrats most vocal policy points of the past decade. On expenses, the Lib Dems have been the only party putting forward the clear and necessary reform that Parliament needs in order to restore public trust in our political system. Needless to say, this would be a good week for the Lib Dems to get stuck into Question Time.

It's a shame then that the BBC, in their wisdom, saw fit to drop the distinguished Ming Campbell from the line up. With his experience, conviction and Foreign Affairs expertise, Ming would have been a more-than-valuable addition to panel and would have firmly shown how the Liberal Democrats have some of the strongest policies in all of these areas.

It's more than a shame, though. It's a travesty and unjustified omission that will result in a panel vastly empty of political balance. Let's take a moment to look at who we have on the panel tonight:

Lord Falconer: former Labour cabinet minister.
Theresa May: Shadow Secretary of State of Work and Pensions (Conservative)
Clare Short: Former Labour cabinet minister, resigned over Iraq after voting for the war.
George Galloway: Former Labour MP, now RESPECT MP, expelled from Labour party for criticising the Iraq war.
Melanie Philips: right wing political commentator, journalist for Daily Mail and The Spectator.

1 Labour, 2 ex-Labour and (to all intents and purposes) 2 Tory. Four of these five supported the war at the time of invasion. Two of them have effectively turned themselves into single issue politicians.

We must also remember that Iraq is not the only issue that has been going on this week. How well will Galloway contribute to the debate on Electoral Reform and the expenses scandal? With great and outrageous rhetoric, I'm sure, but do we really expect him to give us anything of conviction or value? The Liberal Democrats opposed the war from the start, opposed it when it was a difficult decision because they knew it was the right thing to do.

The Liberal Democrats have stood firm on the other issues likely to be debated tonight, particularly Electoral Reform and reforming parliament and could genuinely contribute to the debate.

Of panelists tonight, it's entirely likely that Theresa May will try and come out critical of the war, to score points. Clare Short will definitely come out against the war, despite being in the cabinet that lied to the Commons and voting for the war. George Galloway... Well George will be against the war but is unlikely to pour forth his support for various middle-eastern dictators. In the absence of the Liberal Democrats from the panel tonight it's unlikely there will be a strong voice to flush out that the hypocrisy of the 'anti-war' panellists. This, for the inclusion of two effectively single issue politicians.

This is not just an injustice to the Liberal Democrats, the decision to drop the Lib Dems from the panel will severely undermine the quality and value of tonight's debate.

P.S. I'm not claiming conspiracy, but the BBC have form on silencing the Lib Dems when it comes to possible anti-Iraq commentary from Lib Dem Foreign-Affairs experts on BBC question time.  

More Posts by Luke Richards (@hypnotic)

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On 5th February 10 Duncan Borrowman said: https://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/forms/

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