THE BBC is facing questions after a former Ukip candidate appeared in the audience on Thursday evening’s Question Time.
Broadcasting from Deeside, among the topics discussed on the show was the Privileges Committee report into Boris Johnson.
One of those to ask a question was Cain Griffiths, who stood for Ukip in a by-election last year for the City of Chester.
The seat was won by Labour’s Samantha Dixon, with Griffiths gaining a total of 179 votes.
Today, on @bbcquestiontime I highlighted the fact that people in this country voted for Boris because they were crying out for an alternative! Now Boris is gone, they seriously need to up their game, but of course they won't! It is time for REAL change in British politics! pic.twitter.com/lVimmseJD5
— Cain Griffiths (@griffiths_cain) June 15, 2023
According to the BBC’s website: “Question Time selects local audiences which reflect a broad range of political views”.
Producers then get in touch “to ask questions on their previous voting record and future voting intentions, whether they have party political membership and also how they voted in the EU referendum”.
It adds: “A diverse range of British opinion must be represented. In observing due impartiality, political fairness, and our intent to represent that wide range of views, our audience broadly reflects the electoral map of the nation in which we are broadcasting.”
Good to see @reformparty_uk third biggest party on Derby Council pic.twitter.com/9IlXBIHuwG
— Liam 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧 (@liam345) May 7, 2023
The Alyn and Deeside constituency is represented by Labour and has been since the seat was first created in 1983.
However, many Twitter users queried why the fact Griffiths was a Ukip candidate was not made clear.
“Apparently, they check people’s backgrounds before letting them in. But miraculously, Cain Griffiths from Ukip - a party nobody votes for anymore - gets on and is one of the first audience members to get an airing”, commented one Twitter user.
The person clarified their comment to say they were not saying Griffiths “should not be on Question Time” but that it “should be made clear he stands for a particular political party, not as some random member of the audience”.
More recently on his social media, Griffiths has shown support for the Reform Party. A recent retweet showed he was pleased to see them as the “third-biggest party on Derby Council”.
Another viewer said they had “lost trust” in the BBC because of Griffiths’ appearance while someone else added that it “showed a true disregard for true representation”.
What did Griffiths say on the show?
Griffiths spoke during the segment on Johnson and on his Twitter said that he wanted to highlight that people voted for the former PM because they “wanted an alternative”.
On Question Time, he said: “I’m not a fan of Boris. I think he told too many lies, you know a pathological liar.
“But I think Boris could make a comeback and it’s not because he’s particularly special but it’s rather because of the inability of the establishment politicians to tap into what people want.
“Boris had his faults, but at least he spoke in plain English. He had a bold and clear vision, unlike his successor, Rishi Sunak, who is just a conveyor-belt politician.
“No real plan.”
The BBC has been contacted for comment.
