Question Time 29th October 2026
The Panel:
Emma Reynolds (Labour)
James Cartlidge (Conservative)
Daisy Cooper (LibDem)
Zia Yusuf (Reform UK)
Alastair Campbell (Podcaster)
Venue: Warwick
Alistair Campbell is plugging his latest book, released on the 22nd October. He works as a double act with podcast co-presenter Rory Stewart. They are booked together. No doubt Rory, as per last time Campbell appeared on the programme, will be on next week. The pair of them are employed by ex-BBC royalty Gary Lineker through his Goalhanger vehicle.
How do podcasts make money? Through subscription, advertising and sponsorship (and book tie-ins). You have to pay to consume Campbell’s podcasts – except the one where he plugs his book, which is free. It begins with Campbell reading out a long message written for him on a card by the sponsors, a ‘green’ energy company. He also plugs his daughter’s stand-up comedy, writing, filmmaking and, yes, her podcasting.
You sad, sad, sad man, Campbell, you sad, sad, sad, sad man.
Question One: Are the big tax and spend issues avoided by the budget to be addressed after a general election? La Bruce changed the question to one about welfare. Emma Reynolds (Labour) said it depends upon various reviews which can’t be acted upon until they report and a bill can be prepared. There will be a plan, but Emma wouldn’t put any figures on it.
Emma Reynolds, not her real name, Emma Elizabeth Stevens, is the MP for Wycombe and Chief Secretary to the Treasury. As such, she succeeds her Labour colleague, honest Tulip Siddiq, currently avoiding a jail sentence for corruption imposed by a court in Bangladesh.
Posh Emma, a private school master’s daughter, is a graduate in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Wadham College, Oxford. The 48-year-old has never had a job beyond lobbying, advisory and ‘commercial public affairs.’
British people are struggling, struggling, began Zia Yusuf (Reform UK). Real wages have barely grown in 20 years and won’t be following the latest budget. We need a wholesale change. He then listed Reform’s reforms, achievable by cutting welfare and foreign aid.
Alistair Campbell (podcaster) blamed Brexit… zzzzzzz… before chanting another of his dodgy dossiers, this time on the imaginary cost of leaving the EU. An audience member wondered of the squeezed middle of middle to higher earners, to a telling silence from the panel.
Another, a business owner, mentioned the ‘national living wage’. No such thing. It’s the minimum wage – the least employers can legally pay. She was struggling as wage costs constantly grew. Which begs the question: if the owner can’t manage, how are those on the absolute minimum supposed to?
James Cartlidge (Conservative) returned to the original question. Of course, the big decisions have been kicked into the long grass. You’ve just heard it from the Chief Secretary. Chancellor of the Exchequer Healy resigned as Kier Starmer’s Minister of Defence citing a lack of funding, whereas now he’s omitted to secure funding for the promised 3% of GDP needed by defence.
London-born James is the MP for South Suffolk and Shadow Secretary of State for Defence. The 52-year-old is a graduate of the University of Manchester (Economics), a one-time leader writer at the Daily Telegraph, and a founder of the social housing shared-ownership portal Share to Buy. Keeping it in the bubble, wife Emily is the daughter of former Conservative MP Sir Gerald Howarth.
Reynolds and Cartlidge distracted to a debate about the end of the Cold War – 36 years ago.
Daisy Cooper (LibDem) was frustrated. Labour, Reform and the Tories never talk about a serious growth plan. What’s yours, wondered La Bruce? Daisy has a 30-page plan regarding investing in infrastructure, and a growth and defence partnership with Europe, which, as she added flesh, morphed into re-joining the EU. Hold on a minute, that’s even more public spending (not least untold billions in EU contributions) funded by tax increases, and even more borrowing.
Yusuf declared war on Alistair’s pro-EU claims. Our economy is anaemic, but guess which economies are glowing slower? France. Italy. Germany. He wondered if the other panellists would like to have a bit of what’s happening in France at the moment.
Emma referenced the BBC and QT’s endless obsession with the G7. We’re the second fastest growing economy therein. Hold on a minute again. There are seven countries in the G7. We’re one of them. That leaves six. Therefore, we are growing faster than five other countries.
China, the second-largest economy and second-most populous country in the world, isn’t in it. India, the world’s most populous, isn’t in it. Places where all the money is, the Gulf states, Norway and Switzerland, aren’t in it. Neither are the emerging and developing nations. Which begs the question: What is the point of the G7 and why do the BBC obsess about it?
Alistair persisted with his Brexit phobia.
Question 2. Europe. Is Burnham playing with fire through the possible reintroduction of freedom of movement? Yusuf returned to the previous question and took issue with Alistair calling the Brexiteers liars – while he’d deceived the British people over the afore hinted at illegal invasion of Iraq. The sad old war criminal was bigly triggered.
Yusuf recalled a line from the book Alistair’s plugging. The guff calls Campbell a ‘national treasure’. One’s reminded of David Jason, Ian McKellen, Alan Bennett, Tom Jones and David Walliams…
Daisy ranted about the latest dodgy dossier regarding us being 1,000 days away from a war with Russia. A conflict so imminent that the government aren’t bothering to fund the Defence Investment Plan until next year.
If you’re wondering what qualifies Ms Cooper to speak on the economy and defence, keep in mind she attended the private Framlington College (£36,000 pa) in war-torn Suffolk, before taking law degrees at Leeds and Nottingham. Oh. Perhaps her employment history qualifies? Ah. See addendum.
Returning to the question, the Brexit derangement syndrome was so high with Daisy that she spoke so quickly that I couldn’t make out what she was saying. As for the questioner, he spoke slowly and clearly, and made the supplementary point that immigration has to be selective. Thus, he was against freedom of movement.
Wouldn’t it be better if the London political bubble filled the audience, and the panel consisted of five members of the public chosen at random?
Addendum
Daisy Cooper’s non-jobs:
Project Officer: UN Reform, Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit
Strategic Planning Office, Commonwealth Secretariat
Consultant to the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group, The Commonwealth Secretariat
Director, Commonwealth Advisory Bureau
Stakeholder Manager (DfID), Voluntary Service Overseas
Joint Executive Director, Hacked Off
Executive Director of Campaigns, More United
© Always Worth Saying 2026
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