From Brexit to The Archers: '˜Any Questions' comes to Louth

Blair, Brexit, agriculture and The Archers were just a few of the hot topics discussed on BBC Radio Four's '˜Any Questions?' on Friday night '¨- broadcast live from Louth.
Any Questions? live from Louth Town Hall on February 17.Any Questions? live from Louth Town Hall on February 17.
Any Questions? live from Louth Town Hall on February 17.

The long-running topical debate programme, hosted by Jonathan Dimbleby, was attended by around 250 people in a packed Louth Town Hall on Friday 
evening - and broadcast live to more than 1.5 million 
listeners across UK and 
the world.

The four panellists were Douglas Carswell (UKIP’s only Member of Parliament); Thérèse Coffey (Conservative, Environment Minister); Lord Alf Dubs (Labour Peer); and Christine Tacon (the Government’s first ‘Supermarket Ombudsman’).

The first question of the night came from John Troughton, who asked whether the public should listen to Tony Blair or ‘rise up and switch him off’ following the former PM’s recent comments about halting Britain’s impending exit from the EU.

The 'Any Questions' panel in Louth on Friday February 17. (Photo: BBC)The 'Any Questions' panel in Louth on Friday February 17. (Photo: BBC)
The 'Any Questions' panel in Louth on Friday February 17. (Photo: BBC)

Unsurprisingly, the panel’s response was not particularly warm towards the former prime minister, with Douglas Carswell even referring to Blair as ‘yesterday’s man’ 
in the process.

The second question came from Ingrid Ashton, who asked: “With Lincolnshire being a predominantly agricultural county which employs a vast number of EU workers, how does the panel see these jobs being filled in the future when being on benefits is more attractive?”

The next question, from Jane Filer, asked whether radio soap The Archers was relevant to people living in rural Lincolnshire in the 
21st century. This was followed by questions from Heather Grierson, who asked whether US President Donald Trump’s administration is running like a ‘fine tuned machine’, and Derek Gibson asked whether the government should reconsider its position on child refugees entering the United Kingdom.

• To listen to the episode and hear what the panellists had to say, visit the BBC iPlayer Radio website at 
www.bbc.co.uk/radio any search for ‘Any Questions?’.