Following on from a massive week in UK politics, BBC Question Time returns once again, with a panel set to discuss the latest hot topics. 

Fiona Bruce once again returns to host the BBC flagship political show. 

Dominic Cummings made waves as he gave evidence in front of a joint parliamentary committee on the UK Government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, the SNP opened talks with the Scottish Greens over a cooperation deal and the UK continued to respond to the ongoing pandemic. 

READ MORE: Dominic Cummings: Key evidence from ex-aide's bombshell testimony

With a host of political hot topics, we take a look at who is on the panel and what viewers can expect as MPs and political commentators face questions from a virtual audience. 

Grant Shapps 

The UK Secretary of State for Transport will be on the Question Time panel this evening as the UK Government’s representative. Viewers can expect some clashes over the government’s Covid response, travel rules and more. 

Shapps was also recently involved in a significant rail reform in England, which included the creation of a new public body called Great British Railways (GBR) taking over responsibility for managing infrastructure, issuing contracts to train operators, setting fares and selling tickets.

The former Conservative chairman recently made headlines after he said a loophole that will not allow disgraced MP Rob Roberts to lose his seat for breaching sexual misconduct rules needed to be closed. He said: “Although it’s a decision for the House of Commons, I rather agree that this loophole does need to be closed.”

The MP for Welywn Hatfield since 2005 earlier this week also insisted that communication around Covid hotspots in England “could have been clearer” On the UK’s communication he said: “It’s important to say there are no new local lockdowns, no change in the law – the law is the same throughout England with regards to coronavirus.

READ MORE: Grant Shapps announces 12 countries you can travel to from May 17

“But I think it would also be churlish not to say that the communications could have been clearer and this was in essence simply guidance or advice just to remind people living in areas where the level happens to be quite a lot higher than the national average of the sensible things to do.”

The MP also was vocal in support for Roman Protasevich was on board a Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius on Sunday when it was forced to change course to head for the Belarus capital after a reported bomb scare, escorted by a MiG fighter jet.

Shapps usually votes with his party on issues such as defence and spending, but has differences on aspects such as a wholly elected House of Lords,  Grant Shapps generally voted for a wholly elected House of Lords. This year, Shapps made waves when he stunned ITV viewers during a free school meals debate when he was responded when asked to explain what could possibly be more important than ensuring a child has a meal with "Well, providing a cancer operation.” 

Emily Thornberry 

The Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade will represent Labour on BBC Question Time. She has held Brexit, Defence, and Foreign Office portfolios in Jeremy Corbyn’s cabinet. 

The MP for Islington South and Finsbury, a position she has held since 2005, recently made headlines after expressing concern over a trade deal with Australia which has sparked a backlash from farmers over concerns over granting tariff-free access which would threaten British farmers. She said: “If Liz Truss cannot negotiate a trade deal with Australia on the terms she herself proposed last year, the fault lies squarely at her door.

“So instead of blaming her Cabinet colleagues or the National Farmers’ Union for these difficulties, she should get on with her job, and deliver the deal that she promised.

“It’s perfectly normal that the Australian government should try to get the best possible deal for its agricultural mega-corporations.”

She also recently expressed concern over freeports. In a letter written to Liz Truss she said:  “Last November, when the Treasury invited applications for its new freeports scheme, the small print warned potential bidders of the prohibition clauses contained in several continuity trade agreements the Department of Trade had signed in the previous two years.

READ MORE: Free port site for Scotland ‘could be decided within months’

“But, despite that warning, Liz Truss went on to sign trade agreements with 10 more countries containing the same clauses, including key markets like Canada, Singapore and Mexico.

“It would have taken an hour of discussion and the stroke of a pen to explain the UK’s freeports policy to negotiators from these countries and remove the prohibition clauses from those agreements, and I cannot understand why Liz Truss failed to do that.

“On the surface of it, this looks like a catastrophic blunder by a minister stuck in her silo, and, as a result, I fear that manufacturers in towns, cities and regions across our country who have succeeded in bidding for freeport status risk missing out on access to key markets.”

The once-Labour Leader hopeful hit the headlines last year when she stated that she would not report neighbours for breaching Covid-19 rules. She famously gave Jeremy Corbyn a 0/10 for his election performance as Labour leader. In an appearance on BBC Question Time in 2019 she said she would negotiate a Brexit deal with the EU, but then campaign for Remain - against her own deal. 

Kate Clanchy 

The Scottish poet, novelist, journalist and playwright will sit on the Question Time panel. The former teacher won the Orwell Prize in 2020 for her book ‘Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me’. The book was described as a “candid” and “deeply moving” insight into life in British state schools.

The Glasgow-born writer, who has been a teacher in state schools for nearly 30 years, was made an MBE for services to literature in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2018.

READ MORE: Book Week Scotland: 50 Scottish books we all must read, by Neil Mackay – Part two

At the time, she said: “I was very surprised to be nominated for an MBE and also very grateful. I have worked in all sorts of literary fields over the years – poetry, memoir, fiction, reviewing – but the most consistent thread has been my work in schools.

“I like to think this award honours that, and the importance of literature and creativity in the classroom.”

Her poetry has been broadcasted on BBC and she has written for the World Service. She has written for The Guardian, Scotsman, New Statesman and more.

Tom Newton Dunn

Tom Newton Dunn will also sit on the BBC Question Time panel this evening. The chief political commentator and host at Times Radio was also the political editor at The Sun for 11 years. He hosted the Tory Leadership Debate in 2019 which saw Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson clash.

He also made waves in the world of journalism in 2012 after he reported on the Plebgate scandal, and was threatened with arrest if he did not reveal his source, but did not do so. The reporting eventually saw Andrew Mitchell resign from his position as the Government Chief Whip as a result.

He has frequently made appearances on the BBC and Sky News and co-presented Times Radio Sunday morning politics programme "G&T" with Glora de Piero until de Piero left in May this year. 

Nadra Ahmed

Rounding of the BBC Question Time panel this evening is Nadra Ahmed, the chairwoman of the National Care Association. With over 35 years in social care, the chairwoman will likely be able to offer insight into the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

She had previously been critical of the government not prioritising vaccines for those who work with the elderly, saying that non-NHS nursing staff were being left behind in February. She said:  “It is worrying to note that staff working with vulnerable people in social care settings are in this invidious position.”

Speaking on Dominic Cummings’ remarks about care homes she said: “It is with great sadness that listening to Mr Cummings it emerges that our initial thoughts and the evidence that was around us was right – that there was no shield around care homes, there was no thought on the impact on the vulnerable people that we care for.

“People were being discharged out of hospital into our services to save the NHS and put not only the people discharged, their lives, were put at risk, but the people who were in our services at risk.

“My reaction is great disappointment that the sector was lied to from the outset – we were lied to about any plan, it is clear there was no plan; we were lied to about the protective shield when we know there was no protective shield and it is disappointing to note that the testing that we were promised never took place.”

BBC Question Time airs on BBC One and BBC One Scotland at 10:45pm