Question Time to broadcast from St Paul’s Cathedral

Many may be looking for some divine intervention to stem the Tories brutal victimisation of the poorest at the moment, so fitting that BBC One’s political debate programme, Question Time, is to be hosted from St Paul’s Cathedral for the first time in the programme’s history.St Paul’s was one of the country’s ‘original’ places for debate, with assemblies from Paul’s Cross – in the present Cathedral gardens – dating back to the 13th century the beeb state.

Question Time Editor, Nicolai Gentchev, says of the new location for the show, “We’re delighted to be producing the programme from St Paul’s, and I am sure the quality and passion of the debate will match the sublime setting. The site of the Cathedral is one of London’s oldest places of debate, and we hope it will inspire our audience and panel.

“We have now taken Question Time to Westminster Hall, Easterhouse in Glasgow, Winchester Cathedral and Wormwood Scrubs, and will announce other new locations over the coming year.”

David Dimbleby will chair the debate which will take place directly under the Cathedral’s iconic dome on Thursday 21 February.

Amongst the panel of guests facing questions from the live audience will be Liberal Democrat MP for Twickenham and Business Secretary, Vince Cable; Dianne Abbott, Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, and Conservative politician and former Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Heseltine.

The Very Reverend David Ison, Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, said: “Question Time is not only an immediately recognisable contemporary institution, it represents what’s at the heart of this country: a commitment to free debate and to the questioning of policies and opinions, whether of those with power and influence or of those who challenge them.

“St Paul’s Cathedral has for centuries been a place of debate, committed to the quest for truth with courtesy. So we’re delighted to be hosting the programme here, and we’re hoping it will look at the burning issues of the day with some of the perspective of the wisdom of the ages.”

To apply for a seat in the audience you can register your question at bbc.co.uk/questiontime.

[Reported by Mike Watkins]