Question Time presenter Fiona Bruce made a significant error during a recent episode, prompting BBC bosses to edit the show. The mistake occurred while Bruce was challenging Labour’s trade minister, Douglas Alexander, about the party’s tax policies.
The debate centered around speculation that Labour may raise the employers’ rate of National Insurance in the upcoming Budget. Bruce claimed Labour’s manifesto made no mention of “working people” when discussing National Insurance hikes.
The Blunder
During the heated exchange, Bruce stated that Labour had been “completely clear” in their manifesto that they would not raise National Insurance. She argued that there wasn’t a specific paragraph mentioning employees, implying that any increase in National Insurance for employers would breach Labour’s promises.
In response, Alexander clarified that Labour had consistently stated they would not raise taxes on “working people.” He emphasized the difference between taxes on employees and businesses.
Bruce pressed the issue, saying, “But you didn’t make that distinction in the manifesto.” She quoted from Labour’s manifesto: “We will not increase National Insurance, the basic, higher, or additional rates of income tax, or VAT.”
However, Bruce missed the full context of the sentence, which reads: “Labour will not increase taxes on working people,” explicitly mentioning that the pledge covers National Insurance, income tax, and VAT.
BBC’s Correction
The exchange was aired live on BBC iPlayer as the show was recorded. Shortly after the broadcast, Question Time issued a statement on their X (formerly Twitter) page, clarifying the mistake. The statement acknowledged that Labour’s manifesto did, in fact, include the phrase “working people” in relation to National Insurance. As a result, the error was removed from the BBC1 broadcast.
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