BBC Edits Question Time After Fiona Bruce’s Blunder Over Labour’s Manifesto
The BBC made edits to last night’s Question Time after host Fiona Bruce mistakenly claimed that Labour’s election manifesto did not include the phrase “working people” in reference to national insurance, via the Mirror. The error occurred during the live broadcast on iPlayer at 8 p.m.
During the show, Bruce incorrectly stated that Labour’s manifesto did not mention “working people” when discussing national insurance. However, in the later version aired on BBC One, the segment was edited to remove the mistake.
Addressing the error, the official Question Time account posted on X: “On the live iPlayer version of Question Time tonight, we said that in their 2024 general election manifesto, Labour didn’t mention the phrase ‘working people’ in relation to raising national insurance. We are happy to clarify that they did and accordingly we have taken it out of the BBC1 edition of the programme.”
The mistake occurred as the panel in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, debated whether the government should raise taxes, borrow money, or cut spending to address economic challenges. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is reportedly considering up to £40 billion in tax hikes and spending cuts as part of the upcoming Budget on October 30, with speculation that national insurance contributions for employers could rise—prompting concerns about a “jobs tax.”
Earlier in the week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had declined to rule out potential changes to national insurance. Speaking to the BBC, Starmer said the party’s manifesto was “very clear… we wouldn’t be increasing tax on working people.”
Labour’s general election manifesto specifically pledged to keep taxes on working people “as low as possible,” promising not to raise national insurance, income tax rates, or VAT.
The clarification by the BBC underscores the sensitivity surrounding discussions of tax policy ahead of the Budget, as political leaders face scrutiny over their fiscal plans and promises.