One man’s biting exchange with Sunak over the ECHR had the audience yelling “Shame!” at the PM – 19 enthusiastic endorsements
Four weeks into the election campaign, you could very much be forgiven for having Debate Fatigue™, but you might have been curious enough to watch the leaders of the Conservatives, Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the SNP facing the audience in a Question Time special.
Join us tonight for the #bbcqt Leaders' Special
Sir Ed Davey, John Swinney, Sir Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak will face questions from our audience, one by one
Watch the extended live show in York on @BBCOne and @BBCiPlayer from 8pm – 10pm pic.twitter.com/lEc3B5HqqP
— BBC Question Time (@bbcquestiontime) June 20, 2024
It was a kinder format to some than others, but all four had very tough topics put to them. Here’s a little of the online reaction.
Ed Davey a bit of a letdown on #bbcqt – no jet pac, no water slide, no pogo stick
— dave ❄️ (@mrdavemacleod) June 20, 2024
TFW when you see John Swinney is finished, but Keir Starmer is next up pic.twitter.com/qTFGQszGJf
— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) June 20, 2024
"£20 on me doing really, really badly in the Question Time debate tonight." pic.twitter.com/fO6BU6Vrho
— Can we have a General Election now? (@EdBish18) June 20, 2024
So Starmer's mum worked in the NHS.
What did his dad do?
— Philip Proudfoot (@PhilipProudfoot) June 20, 2024
The way my campaign's gone so far, I'll be happy just to get through tonight without shitting my pants on live TV. #bbcqt
— Parody Rishi Sunak (@Parody_PM) June 20, 2024
After Sunak disingenuously framed leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) as prioritising the country’s security over ‘a foreign court’, one audience member pointed out which company the UK would be keeping.
NEW: A voter says there are only two other countries in the world that don't subscribe to the ECHR – "Russia and Belarus"
Rishi Sunak says he doesn't need a "foreign court" to tell the UK what to do
Audience members shout "shame, shame"#bbcqt pic.twitter.com/e2vfwmKToy
— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) June 20, 2024
Obviously, it applies to Europe rather than the entire world, but the guy’s slightly inaccurate point clearly rattled the PM – and got the full-throated support of the audience.
Cries of “Shame!” could still be heard as the end credits rolled.
As Fiona Bruce says, "Bye-bye" shouts from the audience,
"Shame on your Prime Minister"
"Shame on your Prime Minister"
"Shame on your Prime Minister"
"Shame on your Prime Minister"
"Shame on your Prime Minister"
"Shame on your Prime Minister"I counted six shame on your Prime… pic.twitter.com/VeqJf6dEf1
— Farrukh (@implausibleblog) June 20, 2024
Twitter/X was very much here for Sunak’s public humiliation.
1.
People shouting "shame!" at me is a good sign… right? #bbcqt #QuestionTime
— Parody Rishi Sunak (@Parody_PM) June 20, 2024
2.
we’re at “shame nun” level of Conservative popularity heading into the election now pic.twitter.com/Cd4ArRI8sQ
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) June 20, 2024
3.
Petulant, patronising, passive aggression from Sunak, telling the audience (as he’s told the country) what he thinks they want, to fit his culture war.
An angry crowd shouts “shame” and continues after the credits roll.
Unbelievable.
He’s losing his seat.#bbcqt pic.twitter.com/BaAmWpsSjj
— Supertanskiii (@supertanskiii) June 20, 2024
4.
Floundering. Lost. Gasping for air pic.twitter.com/dCJI0JHTWA
— Nooruddean (@BeardedGenius) June 20, 2024
5.
The audience shouting Shame at Sunak, lovely
— HappyToast★ (@IamHappyToast) June 20, 2024
6.
Quite right https://t.co/rNiWd1K9Ma
— Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) June 20, 2024
7.
Rishi Sunak now getting irritable and picking fights withe the audience.
An interesting choice pic.twitter.com/78MKNz2LPn
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) June 20, 2024
8.
Whoever trained Sunak for this #bbcqt session should be sacked – he’s totally lost it. So aggressive. So rude. This audience shouting “shame” gives me hope
— Caroline Lucas (@CarolineLucas) June 20, 2024
9.
Sunak’s tetchy Q&A on BBC1 ending with several people in the audience shouting ‘Shame on you’ pic.twitter.com/VcPZFUrD70
— Scott Innes (@Flying_Inside) June 20, 2024