Fiona Bruce forced to intervene as BBC guest yells 'do something'

Edinburgh Live

a day ago

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Question Time's Fiona Bruce was compelled to interrupt the BBC programme when an audience member persistently implored: "Do something!"
The show witnessed a fiery exchange on Thursday evening as Labour's transport secretary Heidi Alexander encountered a tough question on the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict from a woman in the audience.
The tension mounted when the woman, starting off composed, accused the Labour Party of betrayal: "I feel such a sense of betrayal from the Labour Party. I would never vote Tory, I would never vote UKIP [Reform UK] and I used to vote Labour.
"Why are you still friends with Israel, an apartheid state, and why are you still- why is the Labour Party still sending components of F-35 weapons to Israel that are killing and targeting babies, children, hospitals, schools? Enough of this rhetoric about being anti-Semitic if you support Palestinian babies and children."
The scenario intensified, prompting Fiona to intervene, saying: "Okay, okay, let's let Heidi answer."
However, the audience member pressed on: "Wait! I just want to ask Tim [Montgomerie] something as well."
Fiona had to cut in: "Well hang on, because I've only got about 30 seconds left, so I'm going to let Heidi answer, forgive me."
Despite the interruption, the woman continued: "And then please-" but Fiona relented, "If I have time, but I must let Heidi answer that."
Attempting to refute the claim, Heidi started: "We're not sending F-35 components-"
(Image: BBC)
Yet she was sharply interrupted by the insistent audience member, reports the Express.
They asserted: "You are still sending components of F-35 weapons, yes you are."
Fiona interjected with: "Let her answer," amid uproar, but the disgruntled audience member continued, vociferously proclaiming: "You have reduced weapons by only 8% to Israel! By 8%!" which led Fiona to concede: "I hear your passion, I must let her answer."
Heidi managed to voice her view amidst the clamour: "I find it as sickening and as harrowing as every single person in this audience seeing those images on television of children wandering around rubble who are never going to find their parents and who are being starved to death. That is why we have got to find a way-" but was swiftly interrupted again as the passionate spectator interjected: "Do something!"
(Image: BBC)
Nevertheless, Heidi continued: "-of finding a sustainable solution to the region and lasting peace, and getting significant humanitarian aid in. Because none of us want to wake up tomorrow and see those scenes on our television screens, and I think every single one of us on that panel would agree with that sentiment."
Concluding the discussion, Fiona remarked: "Listen, we will come back to the subject of Gaza, there is no question about that.
"We've covered it many times and we will cover it again, and I hear your passion about this subject and everyone on the panel understands that you feel very strongly about it."
Question Time is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.