Rosie Jones blasts Boris Johnson's speech on Question Time

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Award-winning Dundee-born actor of hit show Succession is among the panellists. He has spoken out previously on his support for independence and of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s “astonishing” work. It is the first time this season that Question Time has broadcast from Scotland.

Other panellists for this week’s showdown include the leader of Scottish Labour Anas Sarwar, executive dean of Edinburgh Business School Heather McGregor, MSP for Skye, Lochaber & Badenoch Kate Forbes and Vice-Chair of the Conservative Party Andrew Bowie.

The Scottish Government’s handling of the COVID-19 is likely to dominate the discussion, as well as the mounting economic and social pressures with winter looming.

Follow below for live updates.

That’s a wrap

Question Time will return to BBC One next Thursday.

Fiona Bruce will be joined in Stockport by the ex-Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Jenny Campbell and NatWest chairman Sir Howard Davies.

‘Could be embarrassing!’ QT audience member suggests Glasgow shouldn’t host COP26

The Question Time audience member asked: “Glasgow’s refuse services have been impacted by the pandemic, our city is littered with rubbish and rats.

“Is this really how we should be portrayed on the world stage?”

The questioner added it could be an “embarrassing” spectacle.

‘Extraordinary man’ Actor Brian Cox pays tribute to Sir David Amess

The pro-independence and ex-Labour activist actor paid tribute to the late Sir David Amess during his appearance on the BBC’s Question Time programme.

The Brexit-backing Conservative MP for Southend West was described by the actor as an “extraordinary man”.

“They’re killing one of the good guys, and that’s what scared me,” he added.

‘Credit where it’s due’ Kate Forbes reveals how Tory councillor clamped down on online hate

Kate Forbes, 31, revealed how a Tory councillor clamped down on anger directed towards her in a social media post.

The Holyrood Finance Minister said the Conservative leader of Border Council called out, blocked and said she wouldn’t tolerate online trolling after seeing a response to her post on social media of herself with Ms Forbes.

The SNP MSP also said people should “scrutinise” their elected officials but avoid “dehumanising” politicians.

Anas Sarwar says we must challenge ‘politics of hate’ with ‘politics of empathy’

The Scottish Labour leader revealed he was punched as a teenager in a “racist incident” and had faced threats through the post and online.

The Glasgow MSP said: “The challenge for all of us though is to make sure that anger does not turn into dislike and hatred.”

“We can be very civil and still be passionate about our politics,” he added.

Mr Sarwar said our politics is too dependent on “othering” and “dehumanising other people”.

He concluded we must “challenge” the “politics of anger” with the “politics of empathy”. 

‘He sold Scotland down the river!’ QT audience member launches tirade at Tory MP

A Question Time audience member launched a tirade against the Tory MP sitting on the Glasgow panel Andrew Bowie.

“He allowed the UK Government to take that money out of Scotland and invest in the North of England.”

The audience member added: “He sold Scotland down the river by not allowing the North East project to go-ahead.”

Mr Bowie said he was “disappointed” not to give the North East project tier 1 status but confirmed it was still in the “pipeline” for a future plan.

QT audience member says Scotland was snubbed over carbon capture

“The infrastructure was already in place in Scotland and it just had to be reversed,” she said.

“Once again, I believe Scotland has been overlooked by Westminster in the decision-making.

“It’s one more reason I would vote independence.”

Actor Brian Cox says the climate crisis is not a ‘party political issue’

Brian Cox, 75, told the Glasgow audience climate change is not a “party political issue” after the SNP and Conservative panellist locked horns on the issue for the previous five minutes.

“We are in deep sh*t,” he said.

“To use a Scottish word, I’m well and truly scunnered.”

The pro-independence campaigner added: “The planet is being destroyed and we have to rethink it.”

“We have to think first and foremost about the planet,” he concluded.

Andrew Bowie slams SNP over carbon capture

Andrew Bowie, 34, responded to comments made by the SNP’s Kate Forbes by pointing out the party’s coalition partners are against investment in any carbon capture methods.

Nicola Sturgeon, the West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine MP also claimed, has failed to categorically confirm whether she is in favour of further drilling into the North Sea.

SNP MSP says an Indy Scotland doesn’t have to chose between the environment and economy over oil

Kate Forbes, 31, said the choice between the environment and the economy doesn’t need to be “exclusive”. 

The MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch claimed Scotland currently doesn’t have all the levers to pull over its own domestic oil.

Holyrood’s Finance and Economy Minister added then took a dig at the UK Government when she said: “The UK Government chose to bypass the most advanced and cost-effective carbon capture storage opportunity in the UK.”

‘I feel ashamed’ – Scottish Tory MP calls for ‘culture shift’ in society amid drink spiking

Andrew Bowie, 34, said he feels ashamed to hear stories of drink spikings, just as he did following the death of Sarah Everard.

The MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine revealed “he had no idea” about the pressures faced by women in their day to day lives and has since said he wants a “culture change”.

Speaking about the dangers women face, Mr Bowie called for a “culture shift” but also condemned the spikers as “vile pernicious individuals”.

Ex-police inspector in QT audience says people need to be supported reporting incidents

She explained just how difficult it is to obtain evidence.

“When it comes to evidence and trying to find out who the offenders are that is a tremendously difficult difficult aspect,” she said.

But the QT audience member went on to add: “At least them thinking about how they can use things they’ve used before to support people who want to come and report things, relatives of people who want to come and say ‘Something’s not right about this’.”

‘Gender-based violence doesn’t just happen to women,’ QT audience member responds to Mr Sarwar

A Question Time audience member said we should focus on violence directed against men as well as women during a conversation about drink-spikings.

“If we talk about gender-violence and we only ever talk about women we forget that it happens to men,” she said.

Scottish Labour leader warns violence against women is about ‘culture’

Anas Sarwar, 38, told BBC’s Question Time audience: “We passed a Hate Crime Bill in the last Parliament but we didn’t include the largest hate crime which is sexism and misogyny in that Hate Crime Bill which I think was an absolute failure.”

Mr Sarwar called on men to change their actions going forward.

The regional MSP for Glasgow added: “We should not be living in a society that any human being – regardless of their gender, their faith, their sexuality – has to think twice about where they go and that is the sad reality of the Scotland and UK we live in right now.”

Brian Cox questions accessibility of spiking drugs

“I find it extraordinary how people are accessing it. It is terrible and dreadful”. Cox believes we need to “tackle and understand” the supply and toxicology of the drugs to understand what is going on.

‘I’m a Glasgow taxi driver and this has been going on years’, audience member responds to spiking

He continues: “The only way to stop this is prison sentences, we are too soft.”

What are you doing to protect women amid claims of spiking?

Member of the audience asks: What are you doing to protect women amid claims of spiking?

Heather McGregor says “these venues need to take responsibility for their revellers and they need to exercsie a duty of care.”

Kate “understands that fear.” She believes legislation is not enough, it must be enforced. But more importantly, we need a “cultural change” among men.

Member of the audience says the NHS is ‘bleeding’

In response, Kate Forbes lambasts the British government. She says the UK government is talking about ‘Plan B’, which is what Scotland is already doing.

She wouldn’t want to tell Javid and Johnson what to do but masks are a simple easy measure for infection control. She says: “[masks] are not onerous or pleasent but an implementation of basic things is better than restrictions.”

Brian Cox proclaims ‘its a mess’

Fiona Bruce directs the previous question at Brian Cox who says of the government: “the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing.” 

“Scotland is an excellent example of what is going on and in the South there is lots of headless chicken activity.”

First question in: In light of UK covid cases remaining high should the government be tougher?

Andrew Bowie says they believe the best way to fight the virus is through the vaccine campaign. They are taking steps to making the boosters easiser to get and are insistent that “vaccines are the way to normality.”

Who is Brian Cox?

The 75 year old Scottish actor is a strong supporter of the SNP and Scottish independence.

In 2014, he he helped launch the ‘Yes Scotland’ campaign after giving up on supporting Labour.

He recently hailed First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for doing an ‘astonishing job’, but admitted he’s been “disappointed” by the arguing between Sturgeon and Alex Salmond.

Who is Anas Sarwar?

Anas, born in Glasgow and formerly a dentist, has been in Scottish politics for a decade. He is the first Muslim and person of colour to head a major political party in the UK.

At the Labour party conference , in his speech, he warned delegates that the SNP are “not progressive allies”.

Who is Heather McGregor?

Heather McGregor, executive dean of the Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt was the writer behind the FT’s Mrs Moneypenny column for over a decade. She will be an authoritative voice on Scottish business.

She is committed to equality in the workplace and set up the Taylor Bennett Foundation to promote employment of ethnic minorities and people from disadvantaged backgrounds in the financial sector.

Who is Andrew Bowie?

MP for Aberdeen and West Kincardine, Andrew Bowie, is representing Scottish conservatives. 

After leaving school in Aberdeenshire he joined the Royal Navy and subsequently studied history and politics at the University of Aberdeen.

Following the 7th anniversary of the referendum on Scottish Independence, Andrew Bowie co-edited a book on the benefits of the Union. 

He has also criticised the Scottish Government for “demonstrating its independence” during the pandemic instead of taking a UK-wide approach.

Who is Kate Forbes?

Scotland’s Finance Secretary, Kate Forbes, is pro-independence and MSP for the Skye, Lochaber & Badenoch constituency. 

Before a career in politics she studied History at the Universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh before becoming an accountant in the banking industry.

Just last week she called for “necessary powers and flexibilities” to be handed over from Westminster.

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