I thought that with the start of the new political season, and what is effectively a 6 month long run-in to the General Election, it might be worth giving the BBC's "Question Time" (although we could also include Auntie's other Dimbleby, with the radio's version, "Any Questions?" a new thread as a repository for week-by-week comments.

Anyway, here are my observations about tonight's QT, while they're still fresh in my mind.

1. What an objectionable, loathsome little shite David Starkey is. And how much he deliberately sets out to be so. Also, how he is SO carrying a torch for Peter Mandelson. The man is clearly consumed by unequited love.

2. How compellingly sexy Teresa May is. Okay, she's a mature senior Tory politician, and therefore by definition repugnant, but by gum, there's something about her. She could lick the perfectly curved dome of my ice-cream cornet any time she liked.

3. What a gorgeously sexy woman Damisa Koyo is. And stunningly intelligent to boot. I perhaps should make it clear at this point that I make all of these observations in a totally caring, non-sexist way.

4. What a bloody awful lightweight Ben Bradshaw is, and yet again, a wondering why Labour keeps on putting him up on QT. David Starkey also clearly loathes our Ben. I'm not sure if this is a gay thing rather than a political thing, but I suspect it might be.

5. What a bloody nice and thoroughly likeable chap Charlie Kennedy is. And again, a wondering why he's wasted a promising political career in the Lib Dems. And Glenfarclas.

6. How full of obviously gay men (piercings, sculpted facial hair, etc, etc) the audience was, and how more generally intelligent the audience participants seemed to be than normal - to be expected in Brighton, I dare say.

The other thing is that I tried watching with the red button on, showing texted-in comments from viewers in real time - isn't the digital age wonderful? At times, it seemed to be a continuation of the long-running belmathon that is the Daily Mail's on-line comments section : "I'm monitoring all of the text messages that appear - to check the BBC's Labour bias. Kish, West Midlands" (I'm really not making this up), "Brown's medical problem is clearly that he has no backbone. Zachary, Cleethorpes", "Why should our soldiers die for THESE people? Humphrey, East Grinstead" (particularly unhelpful and revealing of the rather unsatisfactory and limited communicatory power of the text message, this one). But there were a fair few simply making the same observation as mine of what a hideous little skidmark David Starkey is - some suggesting he'd be more appropriately deployed in panto.

I'd recommend the red button text messages. It's at times entertaining, if ultimately thoroughly depressing when you remember that dismal, egregiously brain-dead fuckwits also get the vote.

Anyway, roll on, more Question Times. What a fucking shambles.

Patently.

Do you reckon when Griffin's on QT that the audience are going to be told beforehand not to heckle or boo him? I do.

Do we know where he's going to be yet? Only I'm tempted to go and just do it anyway...

It depends. I was in the audience on Question Time once - it was when William Hague was the Tory leader and they were doing a series where it was just the party leader talking to Dimbleby (think it was during the election campaign) and the only instruction the audience gets is to applaud at the start and at the end and to stick your hand in the air like a demented schoolboy if you want to catch Dimbers's attention.

It's in London.

Agreed

Why is it clearly intelligent individuals come across as such cock-ends when they start talking about politics?

(I'm thinking Hitch (both of them), Hastings, Starky, Sewell etc..)

Also agree about Kennedy being a thorougly decent chap, crying shame the booze got to him and forced him out of politics

Sorry, 2nd edit
I've seen QT a few times with 'red button addition', very scary in a way

True - but Sewell comes across as a patronising, sanctimonious twonk when he's talking about 9/10 of the content of Newsnight Rewiew, as well.

I won't hear a word said against Brian Sewell. The man is a national treasure. He might be a snob, but he's a brilliant snob.

Fair enough, he just comes across as one of the leading lights of the 'everything's dumbed down' brigade. Maybe its just the accent

Would add Patrick Moore to my list as well. The man's a legend in amateur astronomy community but his political views make me uncomfortable to say the least.

I watched an olf HIGNFY with Kennedy as guest host, and he was actually really good at it, undoubtedly the best politico they've had as either host or guest for a long time.

Thank god, I thought I was the only person who thinks that Starkey is a pompous little twat.

Agree about Hastings to. He's a first class military historian and to see him wasting his talent by writing such manipulative shite in the Mail makes me weep.

I was coming here to post about Starkey myself but enough people got in before me.

The fact he got applause for some of the things he was saying was a worry too.

And once he's made his point he has to scoff and laugh over someone else's in case the audience prefer something they've said over him.

Honestly when he asked the man on our right something and then laughed over him when he tried to answer I've never wanted to punch my TV out as much since the last time I saw Toby Young on the Late Review.

And next week it's Ian Hislop, boy it just gets better and better doesn't it?

At least Starkey - pompous twit and in love with the sound of his own voice though he is - came across as erudite and informed.

Ben Bradshaw's ignorance and incapability were just plain scary. Something tells me that he won't be allowed that sort of platform again this side of the start of the general election campaign.

Bradshaw is pretty woeful and the sort of person you half expect John Cruddas meant when he said certain Mp's in the party shouldn't be allowed to discuss serious issues in which they are seriously out of touch on.