THE BBC has come under fire for platforming climate change scepticism on Question Time.
Thursday night’s programme, which was held in the affluent London neighbourhood of Dulwich, featured TalkTV presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer as a guest on the panel.
Hartley-Brewer has previously criticised the BBC for reporting on climate change, insisting that it isn’t “news”.
When questioned about the actions of Just Stop Oil activists on the programme, she claimed that the United Nation’s reporting of the dangers of climate change was “complete nonsense”.
“Those climate models have been exposed as complete nonsense again and again and again,” she said.
“They are the most extreme end of the scientific models contained in those IPCC reports.
“But the point is [that] even if it were true, would that necessarily be an issue?”
The presenter then said that Just Stop Oil protesters, who have been engaging in disruptive action throughout October to draw attention to the dangers of climate change and the continuation of burning fossil fuels, were “middle-class” and “entitled”.
She said: “They want to stop other people living good lives.
“If you want to have limits on people’s ability to access fuel, you want to make it more expensive to get a plane abroad, to use a car, to heat your home, you are going to be harming poorer people and you’re going to be harming poorer people in the developing world.
“I think they’re tantruming toddlers who have clearly never been told ‘no’ by their parents.”
Labour MP David Lammy can be seen despairingly holding his head in his hands as Hartley-Brewer continues talking.
Questions are being raised about why the BBC continues to platform Hartley-Brewer’s views on climate change, which are not backed up by the vast majority of climate experts.
Wycombe Wanderers footballer and climate change campaigner David Wheeler tweeted: “Watched #BBCQuestionTime and had to listen to Julia Hartley-Brewer denying that climate change is an issue.
Watched #BBCQuestionTime and had to listen to Julia Hartley-Brewer denying that climate change is an issue. The #bbcqt producers should remember the damage they caused consistently platforming Farage. Allowing someone to spread dangerous misinformation again is shameful.
— David Wheeler (@djwheeler07) October 27, 2022
“The #bbcqt producers should remember the damage they caused consistently platforming Farage.
“Allowing someone to spread dangerous misinformation again is shameful.”
A Green Party councillor also pointed out that while Hartley-Brewer had appeared on the programme twice in the past year, a member of the Green Party hadn’t been on Question Time since last November.
Lancaster City Council councillor Jack Lenox said: “Just your regular reminder that the Greens haven’t appeared on BBC Question Time since last November.
“Julia Hartley-Brewer most recently appeared just six months ago.
“Tonight’s episode is being broadcast from Dulwich, where the Greens came second at the last General Election.”
Just your regular reminder that the Greens haven’t appeared on BBC Question Time since last November. Julia Hartley-Brewer most recently appeared just six months ago. Tonight’s episode is being broadcast from Dulwich, where the Greens came second at the last general election.
— Cllr Jack Lenox 🌍 (@GreenPartyJack) October 27, 2022
This isn’t the first time Hartley-Brewer has been permitted to spout climate dismissal on the BBC programme.
In April, she was taken to task by an audience member after claiming that reaching net-zero targets by 2050 would not stop eco-system collapse.
The BBC has been contacted for comment.
