There was chaos on this week’s edition of Question Time as Fiona Bruce became exasperated at Zia Yusuf’s question-dodging.
Thursday’s programme was hosted in Maidenhead in Berkshire, and featured a panel of 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.
Following questions about what can be done to protect the Jewish community amid a rise in antisemitic attacks, the debate moved on to a question about the trust in local councils.
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After one man in the audience specifically raised concerns about the eternal issue of potholes, Yusuf tried to defend the often chaotic performance of Reform councils.
Yusuf explained that some money is allocated for potholes but that the reality is that it doesn’t always end up being used for that.
Bruce then pointed out to Yusuf that a Freedom of Information request had shown that pothole spending in Reform-controlled North Warwickshire has “dropped by nearly 50 per cent.”
“Is that right,” she asked Reform’s spokesperson for home affairs.
When Yusuf argued that people should not judge a council by the spending, Bruce interjected: “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?”
A dismissive Yusuf replied “Fiona, with respect…”, prompting an increasingly exasperated Bruce to hit back: “With respect, I’m asking you that question.”
After more waffle from Yusuf, during which he bizarrely seemed to point to the UAE as an example of a country that’s good at fixing potholes, Bruce once again tried to get a straight answer out of him.
Yusuf still refused.
With a fifth and final attempt, Bruce asked Yusuf: “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 simply said he was “not across that precise bit of detail” but claimed no other party in control of a council had been as successful as Reform at fixing potholes.