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 Labourâs 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 wasnât a specific paragraph mentioning employees, implying that any increase in National Insurance for employers would breach Labourâs 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, âBut you didnât make that distinction in the manifesto.â She quoted from Labourâs 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.
BBCâs 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 Labourâs manifesto did, in fact, include the phrase âworking peopleâ in relation to National Insurance. As a result, the error was removed from the BBC1 broadcast.
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