A QUESTION Time Brexit special has prompted fury after Fiona Bruce announced that the programme would feature only Leave voters in the audience.
Ahead of the seventh anniversary of the vote to leave the European Union, the BBC political panel show will be “devoted” to a conversation with an audience of “people who took that decision”.
Criticism online branded the idea as “appalling” and “outrageous”, noting that it was bizarre to exclude those who voted Remain from the show.
The special Brexit Question Time will air on June 22, from Clacton-on-Sea in Essex.
Every district in Essex voted to leave the EU, with four in five voters turning out to take part in the poll.
The BBC insisted that the panel would include "a range of views" including those who voted Remain.
Question Time host Fiona Bruce said: “I just want to tell you about a special Question Time that is coming up on Thursday, June 22, because that is the eve of the seventh anniversary of the people's decision to leave the European Union and we are devoting that program to a conversation with an audience of people who took that decision - and that is leave voters.
“So seven years on how does a cross section of people who voted Leave feel about Brexit?
“Some may have changed their minds, some may still back their original decision, some may be somewhere in between.
So to mark the anniversary of Brexit, BBC Question time is... going to exclude anyone who didn't vote for it pic.twitter.com/WCuOhpHn5U
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) June 8, 2023
“We're going to be in Clacton-on-Sea on the Essex Coast. We'll have the regular regular question time panel as usual.
“So if you voted for Brexit, you live in Clacton or the wider Essex area we would love to hear from you go to the Question Time website in the usual way you can apply to be on the program. “So that's in two weeks time, on Thursday, June 22, our special Brexit Question Time.”
Adam Bienkov, Byline Times political editor, shared the clip from the programme, adding: “So to mark the anniversary of Brexit, BBC Question time is... going to exclude anyone who didn't vote for it.”
The footage had more than 1.4 million views on Friday afternoon.
Others were quick to criticise the decision to exclude Remain voters.
One Twitter user said: “What an absolutely appalling idea - when one of the great problems of democracy right now is echo-chamber reinforcement.”
Another added: “BBC Question Time is officially cancelling anyone who didn't vote for Brexit.”
While one said: “Well why not hey? Those of us who voted remain have been denied political representation ever since. So of course the anniversary Brexit show should reflect that.
“And will the panel be solely Brexiters too? That way everyone can go away absolutely no better informed.”
Another said: “Is that even allowed in the BBC balance thing?!! They usually need a balanced audience by requirement... Hence why I was excluded once as a Don't Know voter in the indyref audience.”
While another said simply: “Pretty much what QT has been doing all along.”
However, Global's Lewis Goodall and others defended the decision.
"Do not understand the Twitter furore about Question Time and the leaver audience," he wrote.
"It’ll have to be researched properly, a lot of work for the producers, but it has the potential to be far more interesting than all of the many other Question Time shows on Brexit over the years."
James Ball added: "I actually think this is a brilliant idea from #bbqt, and I’m not sure I’ve ever said that before.
"It gives a fairly unique forum in which no-one can be accused of hating/wanting to undermine/etc Brexit. A portrait of where Leave voters are seven years later."
A BBC Spokesperson said: “This is about understanding the views of our audience and public attitudes towards Brexit to explore how people who voted to leave now think Brexit is going – seven years on.
"This is an important part of the debate to explore so we’ll hear from a range of views and opinions to understand how leave voters feel now, some of whom wouldn’t necessarily vote in the same way now.
"We will announce the panel closer to the time but it will also represent a range of views on the EU and Brexit including from those who voted remain.”
