Your views on Question Time 3rd June 2010

I am still so appalled at Dimblebys rambling, shambolic presentation of the election night programme when he sneared down his nose at any party he didnt agree with that I wont be watching again until this relic is replaced.

Question time has become a farce, it should allow political views from across the spectrum yet because the BBC doesn't want them broadcast, very rarely is there anyone on the panel to represent left-wing views.

Week after week the panel is overloaded with right-wing spokespeople such as the objectionable Kelvin MacKenzie, Mellanie Phillips, Douglas Murray etc.

Even Dianne Abbot can no longer be considered to be on the left, therefore tonight's panel consists of:-

David Willetts - right wing
Kelvin MacKenzie - right wing
Matthew Paris - right wing
Leanne Wood ?
Dianne Abbott?

and it's the same or even worse every single week and on every BBC discussion programme - disgraceful.

Because of the recent atrocity committed by Israel there should be a strong spokesperson on the panel to highlight the appalling crime they've committed but the BBC, because of their bias towards Israel, are careful in making sure that the criticism will be limited as their news broadcasts confirm.

The right-wing always complain of course that the BBC has a left-wing bias but scrutiny does not support this, however, the BBC welcomes this accusation so they can then say they are balanced.

By the way, is Kelvin MacKenzie on contract to the BBC to appear on these shows, he seems to be on with sickening regularity?

Looks like you've lost a viewer before the programme even starts - the very confused Jackturk - oh well never mind eh.

Well, let's hope this episode is better than the last - who needs, in fact who wants Alastair Campbell's opinion on anything? I am a great fan of the show but this was the worst ever, just a sop to the left wing bias of certain elements in the BBC - David why did you allow yourself to be associated with it, your better than that. Come on the Welsh lets get back to quality tonight.

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Kelvin Mackenzie cannot comment on anything in my opinion as he has lied constantly over time through his disgusting newspaper rag, The Sun.

I really do not know why the BBC have him on so regularly.

What he wrote about in respect of the Hillsborough disaster and the people of Liverpool should have had earned himself a lifetime ban from UK journalism.

I'm switching off.

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Laws' position is indefensible, he had to resign. The audience member who said the homosexuality was a smokescreen created by spin doctors is spot on.

However, this is another case of selective justice. How can it be the case that Laws has to resign, when his boss at the Treasury, George Osborne, goes unpunished for far worse expenses abuses?

There has been no justice over expenses. Awkward MPs (and now a Lib Dem) have paid the price, yet senior Labour and Tories' misdemeanours go unpunished. In the current cabinet, Osborne, Gove, Lansley, Letwin, Alexander, Fox and Hunt are all guilty of far worse. Why doesn't the Tory media put them on the front page? As if I need to ask...

Matthew Parris obviously thinks that we, the public, are so stupid that we believe everything that we read in the papers and can't think for ourselves.

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Brave and wise words from Matthew Parris on David Laws. And completely OTT ones from Kelvin McKenzie. And re Dianne Abbott's remark that a benefit claimer in Hackney would be jailed for similar, that is because the benefit claimer is clearly trying to defraud a larger amount than entitled. Laws claimed a smaller amount than entitled - for naive but honest reasons. It's a grey, personal area - not a crime.

Of course the gun laws need to be tightened further, hang the hobby argument, 12 people are dead as a result of us allowing guns to be available in the way they currently are! Everyone has forgoton the previous case which was in Dunstable and Hertfordshire, a man killed his wife and his mother in law and then himself about 2 or 3 years ago, again he was a member of a gun club!

The gun law in this country is already over the top. We have so few attacks involving firearms in this country we need to realise that we are not facing a gun crime epidemic. The media love to jump on the gun crime band wagon to sensationalise gun related deaths. If someone decideds to flip and go on a killing spree that person will use anything at their disposal to meet their objective.

How much longer will it be before MP's of all parties understand that expenses should only be claimed "wholly, necessarily and exclusively in connection with your business" - not my rules but those of HMRC. In my view MP's should be subject to the same rules as all businesses when claiming expenses and more importantly be subject to HMRC rather than a Parliamentary committee.

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I agree with David Willets that a knee jerk reaction is not the best idea, but if that man had not had a gun, he couldn't have shot anybody.
If he had a criminal conviction, no matter whether he was jailed or not, why was he allowed to have a gun?
Another worry about this is the constant mention of Hugerford and Dunblane - providing ideas for unbalanced people who have guns, legal or not. For me, it means another period of being afraid to be at work (school). Can't we focus on this tradgedy without dragging previous tragedies in.

i don't think we should work on any new gun legislation, but a proceedural process of involving regular annual GP visits, specific to gun licenses, on top of other visitation, which could allow for responsible monitoring.

if you wish to use the right of gaining a license for firearms, then you should be willing to let got of a liberty in the monitoring process.

This really should not need new legislation, but this could only work on the basis of the express agreement of forgoing a form of liberty that we either are guarenteed, or take for granted.

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Another biased panel with three Tories, one Labour and one Plaid representative. I trust that Downing Street gave the panel its seal of approval and that the Question Time staff will be duly cowed from now on.
After last week's debacle, and the rank hypocrisy from Tory posters complaining about Alastair Campbell's "unelected" status, can we expect howls of anguish about the re-appearance of the "unelected" Kelvin MacKenzie? Furthermore, Matthew Parris hasn't been elected since 1983.
The BBC should demonstrate its independence and invite Alastair Campbell (that wicked man who raised over £300,000 for Luekaemia Research from his participation in marathons and triathlons) on to the programme once a month until Cameron and Coulson learn to mind their own business. That would be infinitely preferable to endless appearances from the unelected Shami Chakrabati, David Starkey, Melanie Phillips and other unelected right-wing hacks.

Disgusted with Matthew Paris's comments tonight. How dare he say we shouldn't bother reporting on Israel and Palestine! There isn't nearly enough reportage on the dire situation within Gaza and the West Bank. The palestinians are being punished for democratically voting in a party that Israel doesn't like. Hamas are arguably corrupt and extreme, but so are the Israeli government. Their refusal for the Palestinian right to return whilst simultaneously grabbing their land is nothing short of racism and just because they have been extremists for over 40 years people seem to ignore the fact that they are!

So yet again we have :

David Willets - Right wing

Mattthew Paris - Right wing (former Tory MP)

Kelvin McKenzie - Very Right Wing

The BBC really do need more balanced panels and not reserve a seat EVERY week for Bonkers right wingers from the Daily Mail and The Sun.

"# 6. At 10:44pm on 03 Jun 2010, I wrote:

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Really? Gosh we're touchy tonight!

Thurs.3/6/10 Question Time.

Matthew Paris hasnt got any relation in Middle East, putting their life on the line for HIS and MY country....shame on the man!!

gaza. its david and goliath in reverse.

Has the moderator gone on his ta break????

A country which would build up a culture where even one train and paid soldier even considers the use of a child as a sheild, or pack horse, for carrying a potential IED should give enough concern to anyone to know not to attack an armed assult team, with weapons in numbers.

It is true a stick does not compare to a semi automatic machine pistol, but that has more to do with appropriate tailored armaments for troops, when enetering such a sensitive situation.

they should have sent in unarmed and humane equiptment, with traditional assets, as their backup armaments, slung on their backs.

they are paid to risk their lives, they should have walked into that potential risk with responsible force.

Israel is a world issue created after WWII. Britain along with the other members of the United Nations have a responsibility to encourage stability in the in the middle east. However Israel and Palestine have elected governments who have the responsibility to keep the peace. If the residents of these two countries are serious about peaceful existence they need to elect parties who represent a peaceful view? It's obvious to most people that the situation in Ireland was resolved by acknowledging losses on both sides and moving on from a hateful position.

RE Kelvin Mckenzie's comments on the Aid Workers.

What is he on about? 30 thousand rockets fired into Israel? The Israeli's themselves said last year it was 10 thousand over an 8 year period. 6 victims? The Israeli's said 9, original figures reported said 19. Then Kelvin said "because their muslims, they wanted to die"? What?!!!!!!!

I've read that this charity who's aid workers where killed also sent aid after Hurrican Katrina and Haiti, but oh no their being described as suicidal jihadists or something!!!!

I think the journalist Kelvin McKenzie is abhorently ignorant "they are muslims they have a cause", i'm sorry what cause is it that "all" muslims apparently have, how prejudice can you get,it's sickening how someone can defend Israel, they killed people in cold blood,again and again they got away with it, no-one talks either about the dropped cluster bombs that mutilated palestinian children?

On either side of the Palestine/Isreal debate:
Isreal; they told the ship to stay out of its international water, when they did not, the govt. reacted. If it was the same situation in the UK there would be outrage if the government did not react!
Palestine; claim to be an occupied country, don't complain to Scottish people, we have lived in an occupied country for 300 years. However, they do need to have some kind of protection, in forms of aid, political protection etc. This cannot happen when the power house that is America is in full support of Isreal.

we will never get hold of budgetry minutes made available to see that they may or may not have been discussing this for an age

What a pathetic panel. BBC you are a disgrace to public broadcasting.

In relation to the GAZA incident, many have jumped to the conclusion that Israel were in the wrong. I will wait for the full facts. however, this kind of assumption is made by many due to the manner in which is reported on paper and on film. I believe that the press try too hard to sell a story rather than report the facts. The press needs to stop reporting in a sensationalist manner which leads to this kind of biased reporting.

My initial comment may very bizzarely have broken house rules, so I will attempt once more to express a very democratic point about Laws gay excuses over expenses. To put it simply, the excuse of being gay to hide expenses claims is an utter disgrace. Perhaps, as a gay, I should perhaps try to fleece my employers for a few £10,000 pounds or so and expect plaudits for my efforts? He knew he was involved with the man he sub-letted for. He knew the rules. He didn't have to claim. Nothing at all to do with his sexuality. He did wrong. This new government are proving themselves to be as corrupt as anything they grumbled about in opposition.

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Does anyone think the whole David Laws fiasco has become a bit like a reality show/contest? First the public's money is swindled away (although without us knowing it this time) and now we get the sob story. He didn't really have any choice but to resign whether he was good or not - there would have been outrage had he stayed. If he was claiming £40,000 a year over an eight span or whatever, he's accumulated at least £320,000 which is just unacceptable when he's in a postion of responsibility and should be cleaner than clean.

Why does this programme have such a narrow view on government expenditure? The UK pays £13bn a year to the EU to pay huge salaries to unelected officials and its beaurocracy? The UK civil servant pay issue is so tiny compared to how we get ripped off by the EU every day.

what happened to media impartiality seems like they are in fact partial to Israel when is the time going to come when someone prominent speaks out against Israel...question time where is the other voices?...other opinions...getting boring no real debates...

"# 10. At 10:56pm on 03 Jun 2010, I wrote:

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OK, fair enough. Nighty night - don't let the bed bugs bite.

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I think the David Law revelation was engineered by nu Labour in retribution for his disclosure of the Liam Byrne letter stating "there was no money left". It was obvious that this statement was going to be used at every opportunity by the coalition but the spin about Law's expenses, which were no worse or better than many MP's from all parties, has consigned that approach dead in the water.

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Leanne Wood for PM (I love you!)

I actually stood up in my living room and cheered Mr McKenzie. Bravo. How seldom us Jews see the real situation being explained. How seldom we have someone so eloquently and bluntly lay out all the arguments for Israel. You don't have to be pro-Israel to say what he said. You can sympathise with the Palestinians like we do and just stop the Arab propaganda and their own government destroy their lives. The truth is that Israel is a tiny democracy fighting for survivial against daily terrorism, daily bombs and daily media attacks. If this was you, wouldn't you immediately stop the siege? Wouldn't you give back land? Yes, Israel tried that. Look at history. And each time they give, they get no peace. Each time they show amazing restraint in conflict situations they are brought up on things they did wrong. They are constantly in the limelight. Being looked at all the time for perfection when they are only human. You can't have an opinion if you have never been there. Go and see.

What a pleasant surprise to hear a friend of Israel speaking so eloquently and forcfully on its behalf on the BBC. Bravo Kelvin. I was surprised that a woman in the audience criticised him for making such remarks without knowing the full details but isn't that exactly what Diane Abbott did? Another example of double standards used against Israel.

So Kelvin Mckenzie favours Diane Abbot in leadership of Labour party....there goes any chance she had!!

Please, Mr Dimbleby, keep Mr McKensie out of your pannels. His utterances causes me, and most people I know, severe nausea. Why should you give airtime to Mr Murdoch's sidekicks so often? Hasn't he (also known as the "Australian gravedigger") got enough, I would say too much, influence already through his global media network, without the BBC providing additional free airtime to his "reptiles" from The Sun such as Mr McKensie. It is in my view even worse than bringing people from the BNP on the programme.
Wish you well.

Kelvin MacKenzie - liar.
I would state one by one the things he said that are dishonest but I lost track there were so many.

To pick a couple - It is a known fact that Israel won't allow the import of such basic things as chocolate and children's text books into Gaza... and he tries to claim things are okay there.
He claimed the illegal, armed boarding of a ship carrying humanitarian aid on the high seas was the same as walking down the high street. No! What happened is like an armed burglar breaking into a private home and being attacked by the home owner then the burglar shooting the home owner.

Israel:

The only person on the Panel who seems to have an understanding of Israels position is Kelvin MacKenzie. He could have pointed out also that Adolf Hitler was also an elected leader.

The remainder and much of the Audience seems to side with Hamas, if they as they should have done read the Hamas Charter then it is more worrying.
If they have not then their views are irrelevant and naive.

The Moderators, run the following before posting:

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If you chose not to include them I'd be interested to know why.

Kelvin MacKenzie has spoken the most sense this evening. Hamas actions towards the State of Israel are the equivalent of the IRA towards the Province of Northern Ireland and it's standing within the United Kingdom. Israel has the right to defend itself against such evil!

Why do the panel just talk about the three main parties and who should be leader, who should do this or that. Vote on your principles by voting for a different party even if they are small. With regards to more women in government we could always adopt the Berlusconi model.

The fella who said people should get to a job on merit is spot on! Often people say we need more ethnic minorities or women in high places, yes I agree but only if they are capable of taking that postion! To say 50/50 as a rule is rdiculous, people are being fast tracked into positions that they are not ready to take simply because they are (for example) of asian origin and that group is under represented! I agree in equality and I for one would not like to get a job simply because I fit a certain profile, I want a job because i am the right person for that job!

If there are 31 comments in front of mine awaiting moderation what chance have I of contributing during the programme. How many moderators do you have dealing with incoming comments. Is there a more speedier way of participating in the programme when it is on air.

This is the worst panel ever on question time. Not knowing the number of people murdered in internationl waters, saying video footage (taken and edited by Israel is accurate)! All the peace activists had all their videos, phones, computers and cameras stolen by the Israelis to hide their actions - an absolute disgrace - like the panel tonight! My god you were weak tonight Jonathon!

Matthew Parris would do well to remember what Chamberlain said about Czechoslovakia. "It is a far off country of which we know very little."

Dianne Abbot is the obvious choice for Leader of The Labour Party, she's the brightest they have.

Not forgetting that in the event she doesn't get the job, the accusing finger can be pointed at the Party as being not only sexist but racist.

Now they wouldn't want that - would they?

I watched the video on youtube showing these so called humanitarian activists prior to the Israeli boarding the ship. They put on life jackets, as air filled jackets offered deflective properties, they put on gas masks to allow them to keep fighting if tear gas was used and they armed themselves with what looked like metal piping.

Can you see the Red Cross or Oxfam preparing for aid assistance in this manner. These people, some of whom I think were good intentioned people, were led by radicals who were intent on causing trouble, why else would they refuse Israel's offer to dispense the ship's aid for them if their goal was to relieve Gazza's suffering.

Kelvin MacKenzie's comments on snicker bars in relation to the siege of Gaza was a disgrace and the BBC should be ashamed of themselves for allowing him to ramble uninterrupted on such an important issue. That David Dimbleby chose not to challenge that comment, or indeed any of his Zionist rhethoric, was absolutely shameful.

God help us when the Bloody Sunday report comes out - you'll probably give the BNP an airing that night !

Kelvin McKenzie...what a joke.

He is a compulsive liar... am I the only person who is sick of the qt panels never questioning his sources when he speaks he offers non-factuals to back up his tripe.. ?

Why, at the end of the show, did David Dimbleby say he was sorry to be in Plymouth next week. Plymouth is a very nice place.

The Welsh MP called Gaza "the longest running open prison". Is there anyone out there that can explain why Gaza has been a "refugee camp" for over 60 years? Is there any other example of refugee camps lasting so long? Since Israel was established (let's not forget by a democratic and free vote of the United Nations - the only country in th world to have been created this way), the Arab states have expelled almost 1 million Jews from Arab lands. Do they live in refugee camps on the borders of Arab lands? No, of course not. They were taken in by Israel and given homes and jobs and became part Israeli Society. Why has this not been done by other Arab lands for the displaced Palestinians? (I would contest that there was or is actually any such place as Palestine) The reason is because no-one actually wants the Palestinians. They are a very convenient thorn in Israel's side, kept there by Iran & Syria who do not want Israel to exist. If Iran & Syria were not involved, there would be peace in the Middle East within 1 week and a peace acceptable to both sides. After all, Israel is pressing for a two state solution i.e. Israel and Palestine but Hamas, backed by Iran & Syria want only a one-state solution - no Israel. The Palestinians are pawns in a power struggle in the Middle East with totalitarian hate filled states such as Iran & Syria on one side and a free democratic Israel on the other. The so called peace protestors on the flotilla were duped into becoming similar pawns but they were too blind to see it.

Re the discusion about the male/female content of parliament, surely the choke point is the constituency. They decide whether to support a male or female candidate. When constituency parties are more aligned to the population demographic then, hopefully, this will even out.

re freedom flotilla to gaza
mackensie showing his true colors, a supporter
of a aparthide state, israel.

can he see the this state going down like south africa
and almost in tears trying to justify there crimes against humanity

Its a very difficult situation when we have to take comments at face value from panellists when they state figures without justifying where they came from. In particular MacKenzie gives figures of how many missiles were aimed at and landed on Israeli soil. Are these figures from the Israeli government ?. I think all the panellists skirted around the subject of legitimacy of the Israeli action against the aid flotilla. They also avoided full frontal comments about the underlying Jewish influence on the US senate who further influence many UN commentators. Piracy in the Indian Ocean is one subject whilst attacks on a flotilla in the Mediterranean international waters is described in very different words. Double standards at UN level makes world politics worthless. A sham

i`m not a new member. why are my comments not being accepted?

Mr Dimbleby's constant sniping at Diane Abbott tonight was petty, rude and unprofessional. I find that increasingly Question Time is detrimentally going from being a moderated show where the guests and audience direct the content to a Talk Show type format with a very opinionated host. Jonathan, take note!

No.13 removed - why?

Sent a text but suspect it has entered an abyss. Anyhow, back to my question... if David Laws had not claimed £40k who would have wondered why he was not claiming for rent payments? And, if anyone had happened to wonder, why would it follow that there would be an assumption he is gay?

I don't understand the focus on measuring anyone against the official salary the PM draws. No Civil Servants, no matter how long serving, qualified or experienced, will leave office and be able to earn £12m a year in the private sector like Tony Blair.

Honestly really disaapointed with Matthew Parris - what was he doing on the panel? If we don't try to get involved then things like the Nazis, Bosnia, Rwanda, Apartheid etc etc would not have stopped- shall I go on? 60 yrs we've been doing something wrong that's why it has lasted - Britain must be involved - historically we created the problem. Israel is the Frankenstein creation of UK/US and other nations. Illegal occupation is the root - As for Kelvin"Griffin" Mac - what else do you expect from a Sun rep: bigoted ramblings about "martyrs"? Dumbo that's their consolation chant - they didn't go to die OK??? get it right. If you justify the Isarealis trend towards extreme right politics then you have also by argument justified Palestinians' right to their equally right wing Hamas. Dianne Abbot the most balanced rational voice tonight - well done

Why do we have to put up with Kelvin McKenzie's outlandish, untrue comments on the Israeli raid on the peace aid convoy to Gaza? The matter is too serious for flippant untruths. The evidence on the first day of reporting was that the Israeli raiders actually fired rubber bullets at the boat personnel BEFORE they landed on deck. His claim that they were carrying arms is also untrue...if this was so I am sure that the Israeli propaganda machine would have let us know and showed us the evidence by now. Those ships were manned by eminent members of compassionate aid organisations. The Isaeli blockade of Gaza is actually illegal but with the backing of the Americans and the West, they get away with it. As they have got away with many other atrocities. This conflict must not be ignored as Matthew Parish wrongly stated. We ignore it at our peril. The American unconditional support of Israel must be reversed and all sides required to sit down together and talk...but prior to this, aid must be allowed in to stop the starvation of the Palestinians. Contrary to what Mckenzie makes out,they cannot live on Snickers!!

Mathew Parris is absolutely right. The elected Politicians are very important people, they pass our laws and could bring back hanging, so their pay should reflect their responsibility. Having upped their pay to reflect this the perks should only be for those things that are seen to be necessary.
As for the boats to Gaza business lets wait and see if everything on the boats was food aid or a front for something else.
Both countries need to have agreed, established borders and until that happens there cannot be an end to the middle east problem. They hold the answer in their hands.

Finally, the BBc put someone Pro Israel, who can speak and defend their rights! Well Done BBC

I have been watching open-mouthed tonight as the chairman just let Kelvin MacKenzie charge through the whole programme spewing venom and self-opinionated supposition.
Is he now employed by the BBC to support their pro-Israeli agenda?
I expected to see this kind of bias on the news, but not on QT.
This is anothr example of a public service provider that is completely out of touch with its subscribers.

I think Kelvins view about Israel were poor. Poor Israel is crying wolf again. How is a country like Israel able to disobey every UN Resolution against it? When Saddam didnt confirm to a UN Resolution he was taken out and the country was destroyed.

So it looks like that Israel is making its own laws and going against all international laws.

How can they tell the Gazans what they can have in the aid they receive, stopping concrete, steel which are need to construction and many other items.

Just look at the 2 countries and there infrastructures that will give you a clearer picture. One is on flourishing (israel) and the other is total destroyed.

Matthew Parris is a hypocrite. He defends David Laws' right to privacy about his sexuality, yet he 'outed' Peter Mandelson on a television programme some years ago.

Why is it we so often debate the ins-and-outs of individual events without looking at the bigger picture?
People are suffering terribly in Gaza.
Most of these want no violence, like most other people in the world. They just want a decent life.
However, it is fact of life that if people are continuously oppressed and abused, and their cries are not heard, feelings of frustration will build towards an inevitable resentment and some non-verbal outing.
This sense of resentment will be shared by external sympathisers and supporters, who will inevitably try to help fight against the source of the oppression and abuse. With or without supposedly "legal" consideration, for they may see the "legalising" mechanism as part of the oppressor's array of tactics.
Paranoia will be a side-effect amongst many.
Their own long cycle as the subject of abuse is also apparently the basis for the Israelis' own paranoia. Whether it is also the basis for their apparent sense of being a superior grouping of humans is dubious. It's more likely to have been a contributory factor to the cycle in the first place. So, a cause rather than an effect.
Ingenious to have so successfully turned the logic around in so many heads isn't it?
It's worked thus far.
Have you seen the film "Wag the Dog"? You should.
Then watch that Israeli "footage" of the incident again. Particularly from the "security cameras" on the deck of the Turkish ship which was stormed, showing "preparations" to fight the Israelis. "Wag the Dog".
This particular "dog"'s fed up with growling quietly.

In REPLY to SIMON re:"Kelvin MacKenzie has spoken the most sense this evening. Hamas actions towards the State of Israel are the equivalent of the IRA towards the Province of Northern Ireland and it's standing within the United Kingdom. Israel has the right to defend itself against such evil!"
Simon we DIDNT blockade the border of Rep of Ireland, even though proven they helped smuggle arms, bombs and housed terrorists that came across the border, we DIDNT deprive them of food supplies from UK, water, electricty. people crossing the border, neither did we fire upon their buildings claiming them to be terrorist havens... So PLEASE DONT COMPARE!!
We eventually talked to the terrorists, took years and years to bring them to the table, BUT STILL we DIDNT cause Rep of Ireland one ounce of what Israel is doing to the population of Palestine. HUMANITY is lacking out there...bring THAT to the table and you might see a difference!!!

About tonight's program, it was quite good, I agreed mostly with Kelvin Mackenzie, he does talk a lot of common sense.
As for the blockade of Gaza, I suppose most people are not aware that Yemen has been blockading South Yemen for 3 weeks now, and are now causing mass starvation to 1000's of innocent civilians, but then I suppose as this does not reflect on Israel then Western and British intellectuals are not interested.
As for Harriet Harman wanting 50/50 male/female make up of the shadow cabinet, would she be expecting her husband Jack Dromey to be an honorary woman? After all, Harriet is all for female only selection, except when her own husband is concerned. As for the shadow cabinet, if the best man for the job is a woman, then they are the best man for the job.
As for Mr Laws, I am sorry to say he was dishonest and had to go. I don't think he can be an honourable man as Mr Cameron says and be given his job back. It's all over.

If British Olympic shooters have to go abroad to train, I am curious how British Gun Laws are going to have to be modified to allow all other nations Olympic Shooters to be permitted to shoot in Britain in 2012?!?

And dear BBC, as to last week, You removed my comments concerning Mr Campbell. Everything I said can be found 10 million times in the public domain, and was also said by many other correspondents last week too.

There are lots of comments I would like to make about tonights show. However, I it took me so long to register on the BBC site for elligibility others have beat me to most of them. There are two point in particular that I just cannot let slip by.

Firstly, I was appaled by Matthew parris's attitude twards the middle east. I think he said something like 'he just didn't care any more, he is sick of hearing about the middle east' and that he felt that... words to the effect that, if we all just turned a blind eye to the goings on in the reigon things might even somehow miraclously get better for the people of Gaza.

Sadly Matthew, I couldn't agree with you less. If we had taken the same attitued twards the rights of same sex couples to civil partnerships for instance and all of the legal rights that these marriages so rightly deserve, we would be still living in the ever so slightly darker ages we were living in only a very few years ago. I could point harsher examples world wide, but I think every one will get the point.

And secondly, in response to the gentleman in the audience concerned about the nathional debt. It astounds me that no economist or media pundit has raised the notion that, while we are all braced for a period of very high inflation, possibly on a scale not seen since the 70's, (and lets face it - with mortgages of six figures, who wants to think about inflatioin, let alone high inflation - maybe the banks), a period of high inflation (particularly if it is on a global scale, as it is likely to be) can only serve to depreciate or erode the national debt in real terms against rising gross national product or gross domestic product - whichever you choose it is a doubious method of measurement of productivity in the first place anyway.

My apologies in advance for such a lenghty posting

Regards,

TK

I am not entirely sure what you are asking me to comment on here. Can you explain? If you simply want to cast an editorial eye over my first comment, then do not bother replying, I can understand that. However, your website could be more user friendly or self explainatory etc.

Michael from Cockfosters - You speak absolute sense mate. Nice to hear it pal. Enough said. Simon, Belfast.

The questions asked this week were:
Was David Laws right to resign?.

Yes.

Following the murders in Cumbria, should the laws on guns be changed?.

A complete ban on Guns,no exceptions.

Is piracy in international waters justifiable to sustain the security of Israel?.

It wasnt piracy and and any country would have done the same.
In fact the UK have done it(falklands) and the US have (Cuba).

Should top civil servants be paid more than the Prime Minister?.

Nope,most of these civil servants are heads of departments that are failing badly.

Is Harriet Harman right to suggest that women should make up half of the shadow cabinet?.

I was told positive discrimination is still discrimination on one those stupid political correctness courses.
Why should a women be given the job over man just because of her gender.
Best man/women for the job imo.

It is truly as shame that Harriet is not running for leadership,she would have guaranteed that Labour would be out of power for next 20 years.

i don't know why the bbc allows tabloid, bigoted liars on Question time. kelvins comments were extremely offensive, what the israelis did breached international laws. does kelvin think he is marie antoinette?
'the women and children don't have bread'
'why don't they just eat snickers then!' - the man is a fool

In reply to Michael of Cockfosters. Frankly it does not surprise me that you prfer to remain anonimous.

Having said that,you are obviously more emotionally connected with this situiation than I am, and in some ways I feel I must respect that if somewhat begrudgingly (you do not desrve that sort of respect, judging from your post. But, who am I to judge.)

If you genuinely think that the Palestinians were somehow manifactured by Iran and Syria pruely to be a 'pain in Israel's side' you are either very nieve or horribly misinformed or misguided.

You can divide up the native peoples and tribes of the Arib Penincila in any way you want to (politically speaking) after the first world war. And, indeed you can attribute to them, pretty much any lables you wish having so devided them - but the fact still remains that they are the indiginous people of those lands, and while they may have been disenfranchised by intermidatory rule by French, British, and American occupiers of those lands, that does not deminish their present day rights to protection under international law against what can only be described as barbaric, cruel, inhumain and frankly illegal treat by a neighbouring state that should (if anybody should) know better.

I would be very interested to hear your comments on this reply.

My honours questions to those knows are:-

a) How many Israelis had being killed by palestinian? and vise versa?
b) Is an international law governing all nation?
c) Is the same obligation apply to Israel? or why not?
d) Is UN resolution passed by SC to be obliged by respective nation? why not Israel?
e) Why Israelis army can do anything to Palestinian and not the other way around?
f) What happend to the bloody murderers of Sabra and Shatila? NOTHING? why?
g) What happend to all the unjustified series of attacks on Palestine? Ignored? why?
h) Is it not true that the Jews illegally occupied land?

i) Is it not true that the Jews believe the Palestinian should not be allowed to live in their very owned land?

So much more to ask and yet the answer is in the mouth of Israel.
No one else and lastly

h) Why the million jews killed by the Nazis during the world war?

Kelvin MacKenzie only causes revulsion if you take him seriously. And, let's be honest, who does?

The BBC should seriously reconsider the format of this "news and current affairs" programme. Watching and listening to the hackneyed ramblings of the ruling and chattering classes is not just boring it is now becoming inane. But I guess all those involved in or with the media attend the same charm, image, and public speaking courses.

Do we really not have any "real" personalities left?

im afraid question time is running out of panelists, we have the same circuit politicians, talking the same political line, and its time we had people with a voice from the people telling the world, what its really like living in the real world, not in the village of westminster

im trying to understand why politicians rush to defend mr laws, hes a mulit-millionaire, so why didnt he buy his own house, and let his lodger pay him rent, this was a about greed not sexuality,and its not his ministers job he should be resigning but his seat in the commons.

Matthew Parris should be more wary of suggesting homophobia is behind the pressure on David Laws to resign. When someone campaigns in his constituency as being whiter than white and it transpires he made a concerted effort to disguise who he really is, it doesn't matter if he's gay or not. What matters is he hasn't been open and honest. I doubt a significant number of his constituents would care if he is gay and he could not reasonably have expected a cabinet position after the election, so, yes, he should have resigned from the cabinet and I believe he should also resign his seat.

Laws stood as a party candidate for a party that had no hope of forming a government on its own, so he genuinely had to appeal to the voters on a personal basis. Could he honestly say he did when he wished to hide who he really is? I'm not suggesting he should have campaigned with a megaphone singing "I am what I am", but he has to recognise simple honesty is fundamental to public representation. In fairness, I don't believe that fundamental requirement troubles enough candidates or voters.

11. At 10:57pm on 03 Jun 2010, Paul M wrote:
Laws' position is indefensible, he had to resign. The audience member who said the homosexuality was a smokescreen created by spin doctors is spot on.

You're suggesting he pretended to be gay rather than come clean about his expenses ? Absolutely laughable.

MPs are allowed to make expense claims that for everyone else would be illegal. MPs and other public servants are allowed handguns for self defense. David Trimble was the last MP to comment openly on the fact he carrys a gun for self defense and did so on the radio 4 program 'on the ropes'.
It is hypcritical for MPs to debate gun control, knife control, when they enjoy the right to personal protection weapons and everyone else does not.
It was a shame that this point of hypocrasy was not raised last night.