Question Time British National Party controversy is the flagship BBC Television political panel show, which began in 1979. The weekly show, hosted by David Dimbleby since 1994, takes place at locations around the country. Questions from a local audience are directed to a panel of invited guests, usually consisting of British politicians, alongside other public figures. The topics for debate during the programme are loosely defined by "set-piece" questions from pre-selected audience members. For each topic, the question is answered by each panel member in turn, followed by supplementary questions on the topic, time permitting. The show is pre-recorded a few hours before being broadcast, and
Question Time British National Party controversy signal the BNP was part of the political mainstream in the same way that her appearance on "Question Time" in 1987 had signalled black people's acceptance as part of the mainstream. She said: "It's not a programme that's going to scrutinise his views, it's not that sort of programme, it's politics as entertainment". Andy Slaughter, a Labour MP whose constituency includes the BBC Television Centre, arrived to support the protests, scathingly attacking the BBC's "smugness", saying that local people on the estates were "utterly affronted". Ten MPs signed an early day motion tabled by the Labour MP Mike Gapes which