The BBC clarified comments by the presenter and edited a later version of the programme.
The BBC edited last night’s Question Time after Fiona Bruce made a blunder over Labour’s manifesto.
The host incorrectly claimed that the election document did not include the phrase “working people” when it referred to national insurance during the live version of the show which was broadcast on iPlayer at 8pm.
The later version of the programme on BBC One was edited to remove the mistake by Ms Bruce.
In a post on X, the official Question Time account said: “On the live iPlayer version of Question Time tonight, we said that in their 2024 general election manifesto, Labour didn’t mention the phrase ‘working people’ in relation to raising national insurance.
“We are happy to clarify that they did and accordingly we have taken it out of the BBC1 edition of the programme.”
BBC Question Time host Fiona Bruce (Image: BBC)
It came as last night’s programme in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, discussed whether the Government should raise taxes, borrow money or cut spending.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is looking to raise up to £40 billion in tax hikes and spending cuts in the Budget on October 30 as the Government seeks to avoid a return to austerity.
Speculation is high that employer’s national insurance contributions could be increased amid warnings of a “jobs tax”.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer declined to rule out the move earlier this week.
He told the BBC that the party was “very clear in the manifesto that we wouldn’t be increasing tax on working people”.
Labour’s general election manifesto pledged that the taxes on working people will be kept “as low as possible”.
The party promised to not increase “National Insurance, the basic, higher, or additional rates of Income Tax, or VAT”.
