BBC Question Time forced to edit show after Fiona Bruce live blunder on TV

BBC presenter Fiona Bruce insisted Labour hadn't mentioned the operation 'working people' successful narration to raising National Insurance successful its manifesto - adjacent though the enactment had

BBC Question Time bosses person been forced to edit the amusement aft Fiona Bruce made a blunder connected unrecorded TV.

The presenter insisted Labour hadn't mentioned the operation "working people" successful narration to raising National Insurance successful its manifesto - adjacent though the enactment had. She made the assertion arsenic she grilled a Labour curate connected speculation that employers' nationalist security contributions (NICs) could beryllium accrued astatine the Budget.

During a statement with Trade Minister Douglas Alexander, Ms Bruce said Labour had been “completely clear” they wouldn't enactment up National Insurance but insisted they hadn't said this was lone successful narration to moving people. “There wasn’t a paragraph that said ‘only for employees,’" she said.

Mr Alexander responded: “We consistently said we’re not raising taxes connected moving people.” Ms Bruce did not backmost down: “Should we beryllium successful a presumption wherever National Insurance contributions are raised for employers, successful rule surely that is simply a breach of your manifesto?” Mr Alexander replied that voters would “understand the favoritism betwixt moving radical and businesses”.

After the amusement went retired live, the authoritative BBC Question Time X/ Twitter relationship posted online: "On the unrecorded iPlayer mentation of Question Time tonight, we said that successful their 2024 General Election manifesto, Labour didn’t notation the operation ‘working people’ successful narration to raising National Insurance. We are blessed to clarify that they did and accordingly we person taken it retired of the BBC1 variation of the programme."

It comes aft Mr Starmer gave his strongest hint yet that employers NICs could beryllium hiked astatine the Budget connected October 30. The PM refused to regularisation retired the taxation emergence aft being straight asked astir it amid days of swirling rumours that the Government is readying for taxation hikes.

Pressed connected whether the vow not to emergence National Insurance applied to employers, Mr Starmer told BBC Breakfast connected Tuesday: "We were precise wide successful the manifesto that we wouldn't beryllium expanding taxation connected moving radical and we expressly said that that was income tax, that was NICs etc. So we acceptable that retired successful the manifesto."

The Tories person attempted to assertion that hiking NICs would beryllium a breach of its manifesto pledge. This is contempt themselves having pointed retired during the predetermination that they had lone ruled retired raising worker nationalist security (not employers). Labour promised successful its manifesto not to rise taxes connected "working people".