TV debate reader verdict: ‘The BBC cannot hide its Left-wing agenda’

Leading figures from the seven biggest political parties across Britain –  including Angela Rayner, Penny Mordaunt and Nigel Farage – went head to head in Friday’s first BBC televised debate.

Following the debate, Telegraph columnist Sherelle Jacobs argued “Nigel Farage may just have made real inroad”, whereas writer Tom Harris suggested it was Stephen Flynn and Rhun ap Iorwerth “representing nationalists in Scotland and Wales who fared best”.

Telegraph readers also weighed in with their verdict. An exclusive Telegraph poll showed 61 per cent of nearly 92,000 readers thought Nigel Farage came out on top, followed by Penny Mordaunt with 16 per cent of readers’ votes. 

Many readers were impressed by the leader of Reform’s performance, arguing he was the only one who spoke sense when discussing important issues such as the state of the NHS, immigration and knife crime.

Reader M.F. argued “this has been an excellent night for Reform” with “Farage managing to get some good points across” whilst “everyone else was squabbling”.

Maggie Donnelly said: “Nigel Farage, by far, won the debate. He is the only one, I feel, who actually spoke honestly. Reform will get my vote.”

On the NHS, Phil McClure wrote: “It blows me away that nobody but Farage has the courage to say that throwing more money at the NHS is not the answer.”

Paul Witton echoed this sentiment, arguing that “Nigel Farage is spot on in saying the NHS doesn’t need more money” and instead “needs a complete restructure with a management structure fit for purpose”.

However, some readers did criticise the Clacton’s MP lack of promotion for his own party. Reader Richard Holmes questioned: “Is it just me or is Nigel Farage not really selling the Reform brand enough? He seems almost reluctant to say its name. 

“He should be namechecking Reform as much as possible in forums like this.”

‘Mordaunt was under orders to attack Rayner’

Readers also discussed Penny Mordaunt’s performance when representing the Conservatives during the debate. 

Reader John Dixon labelled her as “a bit of a revelation tonight”, describing her as “utterly poised, confident, articulate and authoritative.

“She was head and shoulders above the other six party representatives.”

An anonymous reader remarked: “Penny did well despite the Conservatives self-inflicted wound that is Rishi Sunak.”

However, some readers were also critical of how the Leader of the House of Commons came across. Reader Jim Richardson argued she was “doing herself no favours by looking so offended when someone disagreed with her and looking like a cold fish the rest of the time.”

Meanwhile, Steven McDonough thought Mordaunt “was clearly under orders to just attack Rayner. 

“It’s made her look like a child throwing random tantrums when she keeps quiet for everyone else’s answers, including Nigel Farage as he tore chunks out of the Tories.”

‘Cynical bias’

Nevertheless, one of the leading topics of conversation among Telegraph readers was the lack of bias arguably shown by the BBC. 

“I know they always say audiences represent the voting public it seems yet again on this BBC model there’s a bunch of Lefties in the audience,” Paul Mickie said. “I can’t genuinely believe such a significant proportion clap the crazy over-population of the UK.”

This belief resonated with many readers. John Heaps, for example, reacted: “The BBC is showing incredible, constructed, cynical bias. It’s so appallingly obvious.”

An anonymous reader also weighed in: “The BBC has excelled itself, such obvious bias has demonstrated its inability, or unwillingness, to be fair-minded. 

They continued: “The audience was supposedly ‘carefully selected’, and in fact it was. Right-of-centre voters were not represented at all, which served to prove beyond doubt that the BBC cannot countenance anything other than its own Left-wing agenda.”