A BBC Question Time audience member left a Labour MP fuming tonight after she branded his comments during a Brexit debate "a disgraceful personal slur". Tonight's episode was live from Brecon.
Fiona Bruce hosted alongside politicians, commentators and members of the public. On the panel: for Labour, the Welsh secretary Stephen Kinnock; the Conservatives' shadow Welsh secretary Mims Davies; Plaid Cymru's deputy minister for social care Delyth Jewell; Reform UK's shadow health minister James Evans; and the journalist and author George Monbiot.
Audience member's EU criticism
While discussing if the UK should rejoin the EU, an audience member said: "I feel tonight we've heard Stephen Kinnock talk about wanting to go back into the European Union, and I think that represents everything I hated about the European Union, it is a corrupt old boys' network and Stephen Kinnock's family have done well out of the European Union... and that's why a lot of people don't like it, because it's a corrupt old boys' club."
The clearly fuming Labour MP responded: "There was a lady in the audience who made what I found a disgraceful personal slur, my father is a patriot who has dedicated his life to public service and has always stood up for what he believes in, and what he believes to be best for this country. You may disagree with his view, but I think it's frankly disgraceful that you made that personal attack..."
Kinnock's small boats question
Ms Bruce tried to intervene as Stephen carried on his tirade by asking if there were any small boats in the English Channel in 2016, seemingly trying to attach the current illegal migration crisis a decade later with Brexit.
Pointing his finger angrily he raged: "You madam, you probably care about the small boats crossing the Channel, did we have any in 2016, the answer is 'no'...". Mr Kinnock went on to say the reason was "collaboration" with the EU.
Audience replies and Bruce's intervention
Mr Kinnock demanded she name "a single Brexit benefit". Answers began to come thick and fast from the audience and Mr Kinnock declared "we're not controlling our own laws".
The woman replied that the UK could produce its own farming system, she added that under the EU there was "one farming mechanism for 28 different countries, at the moment we can design our own agricultural policy".
Fiona Bruce was forced to step in, saying: "Everybody hang on a second, because I am going to move on to another question."
BBC Question Time returns next week in Scunthorpe and the following week in Warwick.
