It’s a big week to tune in for Question Time.
Following the news that Boris Johnson is to step down as Leader of the Conservative Party and his role as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom following a wave of UK government resignations, a race to be a Tory leader has begun.
This will likely be the focus of this Thursday’s instalment of the BBC political panel show Question Time, as we will see presenter Fiona Bruce do her best to keep the peace and let everyone have their say – including those in the audience.
So, just who is joining Question Time this week? Here is everything you need to know.
Who is on the Question Time panel tonight? (14th July 2022)
Bim Afolami MP
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Bim Afolami is a Conservative MP and is the former Conservative Party Vice Chair for Youth.
He has been the MP for Hitchin and Harpenden since 2017 and was previously a solicitor and banker.
Following scandals surrounding Boris Johnson’s government, Afolami resigned from his role as the Conservative Party Vice Chair for Youth in July 2022.
During the current Conservative leadership race, Afolami has expressed support for Rishi Sunak MP, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, to be the new party leader and, ultimately, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Chris Bryant MP
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He has been the MP for Rhondda since 2001 and served in multiple roles in the government of former prime minister Gordon Brown between 2008 and 2010, including as Deputy Leader of the House of Commons and Under-Secretary of State for Europe and Asia.
Bryant served in the shadow cabinet of former Leader of the Opposition Jeremy Corbyn from 2015 until the results of the Brexit referendum in 2016.
He served as Chair of the Commons Finance Committee from 2017 to 2019 before taking on his incumbent role as Chair of the Committees on Standards and Privileges in 2020.
Minette Batters
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Minette Batters is the President of the National Farmers’ Union of England and Wales.
She runs a tenanted family farm in Wiltshire and, according to the NFU website, “has been an NFU member from grassroots through to County Chair; she served as Wiltshire’s Council delegate and also as Regional Board Chair for the South West. Minette has also been a member of NFU Governance Board and served as NFU Deputy President for four years from 2014 to 2018.”
Batters’ role includes focusing on the financial interest of farmers and also improving the environment and dealing with climate change.
Mary Bousted
The NEU’s @MaryBoustedNEU will be on the panel. #bbcqt pic.twitter.com/1xiBS910Bm
— BBC Question Time (@bbcquestiontime) July 13, 2022
Mary Bousted is the General Secretary of the National Education Union.
Formerly a teacher and university lecturer, Bousted was previously the General Secretary of the teachers’ union, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers prior to its merging with the National Union of Teachers, which formed the NEU.
Bousted shares her role as General Secretary of the NEU with Kevin Courtney and has done so since 2017.
In recent weeks, Bousted has warned of a potential strike by teachers in the coming weeks if a more adequate pay rise is not awarded by the government.
Olivia Utley
The Telegraph's @OliviaUtley will be on the panel. #bbcqt pic.twitter.com/8NjBrpS5DV
— BBC Question Time (@bbcquestiontime) July 13, 2022
Olivia Utley is the Assistant Comment Editor at the Daily Telegraph.
The journalist was a Parliamentary Researcher for Conservative MP Karen Bradley from 2016 to 2017 before working as News and Features Editor at Reaction from 2017 to 2018, Deputy Editor at TheArticle from 2018 to 2019, and Head of PR and Deputy Leader Writer at The Sun from 2019 to 2021.
Following these roles, Utley took up her role at the politically conservative newspaper The Telegraph in 2021.
Utley regularly appears as a pundit and paper reviewer on Sky and BBC.
What time is Question Time on BBC One tonight?
Question Time airs on BBC One at 10.40pm GMT.
The show is also available to watch on BBC iPlayer live and then on catch-up once the show is over.
If you’re looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide.
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