Fiona Bruce, who presents Question Time, was quick to stand up for the BBC when Conservative MP Graham Stuart took aim at the organisation on the debate programme

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Fiona Bruce took exception to a comment on Question Time on Thursday

Fiona Bruce challenged a Conservative MP during Question Time last night when he sensationally accused the BBC of being dishonest.

Social media users slammed Graham Stuart, MP for Beverley and Holderness, after he suggested the BBC defended Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer, amid her rental licence situation. After Mr Stuart’s remarks on Question Time last night, Ms Bruce quickly interjected, ordering the politician not to “put words into my mouth”.

Ms Bruce received a warm applause from the audience in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, and went on to give her guest a stern lecture, which briefly left the room silent. People watching at home also expressed their anger at Mr Stuart, 63, with one calling him “a horrible rude and arrogant man” on X. Another social media user wrote: “That was a tasteless slur by Stuart.” A third posted: “What an absolute embarrassment you proved to be this evening.”

The politician, energy secretary under Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, had first derailed a debate around prisons to take aim at Ms Reeves, to which Ms Bruce said he was going off point. Yet, the father of two then made the slur at the BBC, at which point the host said: “Graham Stuart?! ‘Even we at the BBC are saying that?’ I am simply quoting the estate agent. These are not my words, they are those of the estate agent in question. Please do not put words in my mouth.”

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Graham Stuart faced criticism in the studio – and on social media

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Ms Bruce, who has hosted Question Time since 2019, had explained the estate agent in Ms Reeves’ case accepted it was responsible for any mistakes. The Prime Minister last week said the Chancellor of the Exchequer faced no further action following allegations.

But Mr Stuart continued his rant, asking the crowd: “How is it that anyone here in this audience would be prosecuted for a crime, but if you’re the Chancellor of the Exchequer apparently, or even you [Ms Bruce] at the BBC, can say ‘oh no, it was somebody else’s fault, they’ve just broke a rule.'”

It was at this point Ms Bruce firmly interrupted the Tory politician, making it clear she had merely quoted the estate agent and stressed Sir Keir Starmer has said Ms Reeves faces no further action over the rental licence situation. It was deemed there was “no evidence of bad faith” on the 46-year-old woman’s part.

Following her lecture, Ms Bruce repeated: “I am quoting the estate agent.” Following a pause, she asked for more questions from the audience around the original matter – our prisons – after two inmates were released from HMP Wandsworth by mistake.