Question Author
As an avid viewer of Question Time, I was left with my chin on the floor after watching Thursday's edition. I haven't commented on this so far because it's taken me this long to come to terms with what I witnessed – the complete public demise of reasoned debate.
Simply put, Question Time imploded.
I've been watching Question Time for many, many years. I've been watching it since Robin Day was Chairman which is quite some time ago.
On Thursday, David Dimbleby (a man I previously respected and admired) disgraced himself quite spectacularly. As Chairman, his job is to facilitate debate. He is there as an administrator; a conduit through which reasoned debate should flow. Should a panel member wander off the point into political rhetoric, the Chairman is there to pull them back and direct them to answer the question put to them.
But on Thursday he appeared to forget his reason for being there. He turned into a facsimile of Jeremy Kyle or any other of the myriad of odious, opinionated, self interested presenters.
Dimbleby is entitled to his opinion just as much as anyone else, but when acting in his capacity as Chairman, he must put personal opinion aside and act with complete impartiality. He not only failed to act impartially, he actively engaged in the bullying of a man, who quite frankly, would have hung himself if he had been given the chance to speak.
You don't defeat illogical viewpoints by shouting over someone or gagging them. You defeat them by engaging them in calm, rational debate.