Reform’s Zia Yusuf was called out by Host Fiona Bruce on tonight’s BBC Question Time for dodging a question from a member of the audience not once, but five times.
Tonight’s BBC Question Time descended into chaos as Reform’s Zia Yusuf refused to answer a question multiple times.
This week’s debate was hosted in Maidenhead in Berkshire, with host Fiona Bruce and Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds, Conservative MP Victoria Atkins, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats Daisy Cooper, Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf and Co-deputy leader of the Green Party Rachel Millward.
The first topic discussed was what can be done to protect the Jewish community following the horrific attack in Golders Green earlier this week. The horror unfolded on Wednesday morning in the Jewish community of Golders Green, North London, just yards from where four ambulances were torched by arsonists last month.
Then questions were opened up to the BBC audience, one member of the public asked about the trust in the local councils, with a focus on potholes as an ongoing issue. Yusuf began to defend the councils and stated that a lot of the budget is already pin-pointed, adding that some money is allocated for potholes but that the reality is that it doesn’t always end up being used for that.
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On the back of that response, Bruce asked a direct question to Yusuf as she said: “That seems to be the case with one of your councils, according to an FOI, potholes spending in North Warwickshire under Reform has dropped by nearly 50%, is that right?” But Yusuf responded that people should not judge a council by the spending.
Bruce interjected and added: “Well hang on, people want to know, hang on! Potholes come up every week on Question Time. Is it true? Is the council spending 50% less on potholes?” Yusuf started trying to dismiss her as he responded: “Fiona, with respect–,” but she cut him off once more.
She fumed: “With respect, I’m asking you that question.” He then continued by defending Reform and said that businesses shouldn’t be focused on spending “as much money as possible” and warned that businesses wouldn’t last very long if they did.
Bruce asked once again, “but is it right?” However, Yusuf once again continued to focus on things elsewhere as he raged that money in this country is “wasted”.
In her fifth and final attempt, Bruce said once more: “Do you want to answer the question? Zia I want to give it one more go. Has pothole spending in North Warwickshire under Reform dropped by more than half?”
Yusuf refused to answer as he told her that he’s “not across that precise bit of detail”, but stated that no party that controls councils in this country has been more successful at fixing potholes than Reform.
BBC Question Time returns on Friday May 8 in London.