A FIERY debate saw leaders of Westminster’s four largest parties put to task in a Question Time election special.
This was a golden opportunity for politicians to convince on personality and policy alike ahead of the December 12 poll – but who got the most out of it? Here’s what we learnt.
Who featured in BBC’s Question Time election special?
Prime Minister Boris Jonson, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Liberal Democrats’ Jo Swinson and the SNP’s Nicola Sturgeon were given 30 minutes to take questions from a live TV audience in Sheffield.
The audience was made up of around 150 people who, according to the BBC, were roughly equally split between Conservative and Labour supporters, with a smaller number for the Liberal Democrats and SNP.
What was said?
Brexit, the NHS and austerity were among the major topics covered in the fraught Friday night debate.
There were boos, cheers and jeers as the four leaders tried to answer tricky questions posted by members of the audience. Here are some takeaways.
Corbyn will be neutral in second Brexit referendum
Jeremy Corbyn said he would take a “neutral stance” if he were PM during a second referendum – saying his role would be to ensure that it is held in a “fair atmosphere” and that the government would “abide by the result of it”.
“I will adopt, as prime minister, if I am at the time, a neutral stance so that I can credibly carry out the results of that to bring communities and country together rather than continuing an endless debate about the EU and Brexit,” the Labour leader said.
Sturgeon would contemplate a coalition with Labour
While the SNP leader said Jeremy Corbyn was not necessarily her choice of Labour leader, she hinted that she would support his party in a minority government.
Nicola Sturgeon said that in return for her party’s support, any Labour government would need to respect the right of the Scottish people to “choose their own future”.
Swinson is sorry she didn’t win more fights in coalition
Jo Swinson was a minister when the Lib Dems were in coalition with the Conservatives from 2010 to 2015.
The party leader was challenged on her record on austerity policies, and said: “We… had plenty of fights with the Conservatives and we won some of those fights and we lost some of those fights and I am sorry that we did not win more of those fights in coalition.”
Johnson believes trust in politics is ‘central’ to the election
The Prime Minister drew laughter from the audience yet again as the issue of trust in politicians was raised.
He said it was “absolutely vital” for someone in his position to always tell the truth, adding: “I think that the issue of trust in politics is central to this election.”
The audience were a tough crowd
Jeremy Corbyn and Jo Swinson were given a particularly tough time by the audience – but none of the politicians were let off lightly as they grilled each in turn.
Even the host Fiona Bruce struggled to control the audience at one point, having to remind them: “I am in charge of this thing.”
Did anyone win the debate?
No leader emerged unscathed from the tense election test, that tested their collective mettle.
Jo Swinson was blasted for the Lib Dems’ blocking Brexit stance, with an audience member saying: You dont get to keep disagreeing because you lost.
Boris Johnson was pressurised about a report on Russia, while Jeremy Corbyn struggled to answer questions on his radical broadband policy.
Nicola Sturgeon impressed social media users with her calm handling of the crowd – but her answer on the Scottish independence referendum left many eyebrows raised.
The PM’s performance improved after he was booed walking on – with Fiona Bruce having to intervene with the hecklers.
Swinson came off worst – with the hashtag “carcrash” trending about her performance as she failed to placate either Leavers or Remainers.
