Who is on BBC Question Time this week?

Question Time will once again face questions for a virtual audience, and with no shortage of talking points, we look at who is on the panel this week. 

David Davis

The former Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union will appear on the panel representing the UK Government. The MP, who has been in the House of Commons since 1987 will take part in BBCQT a day after the deadline to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. 

Davis was a key member of Theresa May’s premiership as Brexit secretary but was also a key player in both the Major and Cameron era. 

The MP made headlines recently by criticising Boris Johnson’s decision to cut Foreign Aid warning that the aid cut has “potentially the fatal consequences of a medium-sized war”

Mr Davis told the House of Commons: “It is all well and good us sitting or standing here talking about the percentage cuts here and the percentage cuts there, but we are all clear on this – these cuts will kill.”

"I think it is asserted that Stalin once said that a single death is a tragedy and a million deaths is a statistic, and we’ve been standing here talking about 100,000 deaths here and 100,000 deaths there.

“So I’ll finish by drawing everyone’s attention to the nature of what we’re talking about – we’re talking about miserable deaths for babies and children from starvation or diarrhoea and dysentery.

“We’re talking about women dying in childbirth, or shortly after childbirth.

“We’re talking about the sort of cruelty, albeit it may be cruelty by neglect, but the sort of cruelty that put in front of any ordinary constituent of ours, would draw both compassion and generosity from that constituent.

“And that is what we want to see from the Government, either today or when they come to make their proper decision on this policy.”

Andy Burham 

The Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham will also be on BBC Question Time. 

The former Health Secretary during the swine flu crisis will undoubtedly provide insight into the handling of the UK’s Covid crisis. 

Burnham finished second in the Labour leadership contest of 2015 with many believing that he could once again return to the fold in the near future. Burnham may also offer insight into the Batley and Spen by-election.

Recently, Burnham made headlines after being involved in a war of words with Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish Government’s decision to impose a Covid-19 travel ban on parts of north west England. He wrote to Nicola Sturgeon after the travel ban was imposed with both going back and forth over their points, 

On the travel ban he said: “If the First Minister of a country stands up at a press conference and announces that the UK’s second city is going under a travel ban, it has an impact.

“People elsewhere in Europe, around the world, hear that. So it’s not like it’s just a sort of more localised thing between us and Scotland, it has an impact on our city region.

“I don’t think we’ve been treated with the respect we deserve and I’m talking mainly there of the people of Greater Manchester, not myself.”

He continued: “It’s had an impact with people with holiday cottages booked, people who are having to go for work reasons.

“So to suggest, as the First Minister has done today, ‘Oh, this is all about politics and posturing’, well say that to them, say that to those people.

“Why is Bolton under a travel ban today, when it has a case rate that is quite a lot lower than Dundee? How is that fair?”

Chika Russell 

The founder of West African snack company Chika Russell will also feature on BBC Question Time. She famously opted to go it alone despite having five offers of investment on BBC’s Dragon’s Den. 

She has spoken about her difficulties of being a black female in a male-dominated sector of banking in her decade in finance. She said: “In my career in banking, it was heavily male-dominated. I was the youngest female and the only black female. I was managed by a man, his manager was a man and his manager was a man.”

She told Country Life: “I always wanted to create an impact that was more than just how much money I earned. It was born out of the ethos of doing good, with good ingredients and championing good causes. The girl on our logo (we call her Chiquita) is based on all of the women around the world owning what they do, not just in Africa or the UK. She’s confident, strong and warm, and I wanted that to be the core of our brand.

“My belief is that confidence lies in the people we spend time with, how we’re brought up and what we’re taught to believe about ourselves, our strength and our ability.”

Benjamin Zephaniah

Poet and activist Benjamin Zephaniah will also appear on the BBC Question Time turned down an OBE in 2003 due to the association with the empire and its history of slavery. The writer has had a career spanning more than 30 years writing poems, children’s literature and more. 

Zephaniah said in 2018 he suffered racial abuse during Brexit campaigning but that he understands the Leave cause. He said: “There was a lot of racism, I felt it, I heard it, I had it shouted at me. But that’s not to say that all Leave people are racist, I’ve got lots who are personal friends who are not racist.

“My whole take on Brexit was a very unusual one. From my left-wing leaning, I’d want to leave, but actually, for dealing with politics the way we have been, the reality, I’d want to stay.

“It’s a very confusing, mixed-up, muddled-up, shook-up world.”

He featured in a BT Sport show on Windrush as well as a video for Stephen Lawrence Day. 

Madeline Grant 

The final guest on the BBC panel will be Madeline Grant who is a columnist at The Telegraph and also the Parliamentary sketch writer. She frequently features on Sky News press reviews.