I want questions! (I'm appearing on Questiontime)

[Evil Knevil]

 Thanks to a bored 4am email I'm appearing in the audience for the special Labour deputy leadership debate edition of Questiontime. It's being broadcast this Thursday evening. We all get to submit two questions. My first question, I'd had to submit today, but the second doesn't have to be until the night itself.

My first is asking about Harman's handbag quote, approx that,
"Do each of candidates agree with the statement that, Britain is becoming a more 'divided society', in which some people 'spend £10,000 on a handbag', but others 'struggle to get by'. If so, what alternative do they envisage?".

I don't like it really, but they might say something interesting concerning inequality, and I'm more likely to get TV time with this one. I'm getting a friend of mine to ask another question about inequality (concerning the rise in housing prices and the estimate that they'll be worth 10x average income in 15 years).

So... in the interests of creating a democratic forum, I throw the content of the second question over to *you*.
Please, anything except Iraq! Ideally it should be under 30 words, which is a daft limit, but that's what I was told.

Of course, I think its all a charade and that I shouldn't expect anything resembling an answer from the shapeshifting lizards that represent our political elites. But it's free and gets me out of the house.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Ask them what's their top 3 comedy films

[purlieu]

That Bono.  Bit of a cunt, isn't he?

[phes]

what's the best thing in the world?

[buttgammon]

What's the most extreme hardcore porn film you've ever seen and did it feature any of your colleagues in parliament?

[Artemis]

When it's your turn to speak (presuming you get a turn), announce that you'd like to contribute towards slowing global warming by sticking a pocket fan up Hazel Blears.

[Santa's Boyfriend]

I think your question was pretty good, to be honest.

You could ask if they would ever be willing to do anything that Rupert Murdoch disapproved of, or something.

[chand]

'Where do you get all your crazy ideas?'

[Artemis]

More seriously, I'd ask them if they can think of any positive ways to engage with and empower young people away from a binge drinking and yob culture, given the government's attempts to tackle the problem so far have been a palpable failure.

[hencole]

Stick with your first question, it's a question that needs to be asked.

[zozman]

"Do you agree that your distasteful grasp for some minor degree of power provides clear evidence of significant psychological flaws, and should automatically disbar you from any form of public service?"

Gah - 31 words.

[Fry]

"What's the bleakest snippet of conversation you have ever heard?" - You might be there for a while though...

Seriously, I like your one, it sonds like a interesting anwer could be produced, I also like Arty's one.

[Neville Chamberlain]

YOU FUCVKING SDTUPID SORDIDS TWAT AND FUCK NKOWS WHY FUCK I´M GON E AND QUITE POSSIBLYX SDISTURBEDDDDDDD WHY DION`T YOU JUST JUST& GIO GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HUH?

ARSEHOLES

[buttgammon]

How about that war, Neville?

[Dusty Gozongas]

"Do you foresee a time when 'Game Theory' is added to the educational curriculum before people are allowed to vote?"

[SetToStun]

"Do you foresee a time when 'Game Theory' is added to the educational curriculum before people are allowed to vote?"

Do you foresee a time when "On The Game" theory has to be put into practice for a young person to be able to afford university education?

[hundred]

"Hi, I'd like to ask Hazel Blears why SHE'S SO FUCKING SHIT...*fades out*"

[Borboski]

You could refine your first question by pointing out that in 1979 public expenditure as a proportion of GDP was about 42%, and now, it's about 42%.  Other than increases fuelled by pensions and care of the elderly - do they see any potential to redistribute wealth/increase public spending, or do they think public service reform will be entirely on matters of quality and efficiency?

Ok - not a snappy question - but those are the more interesting questions.  Instead you can bet that narky BLIAR types will blather on about Iraq, yawny yawn.

For info, during 79-early 90s public expenditure (as a proportion of GDP) increased during the Thatcher years - the cost of those 3 million on unemployment benefits.  When Labour got in they stuck to tight spending plans, the proportion dropped to it's lowest ever post-war proportion, but because everyone got jobs the proportion that could be spent on public services increased.

[Borboski]

You could ask whether it would really harm anyone if we deferred Trident for, like, two years, and spent all the money on children's centres in deprived communities?

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Whinge about the fact Tony Blair hasn't gone yet, or that we aren't allowed a general election because a private political party decides to change its leader.

[SetToStun]

Whinge about the fact Tony Blair hasn't gone yet, or that we aren't allowed a general election because a private political party decides to change its leader.

Like it! Suffix that whinge with a question about whether democracy means the will of the people or the machinations of backroom committees and handshake deals in the Commons and sit back to watch the fun :-)

[Al Tha Funkee Homosapien]

Make sure you ask something about Iraq. I find that that issue sometimes gets a bit lost in the mix and rarely gets the attention it deserves on late night banal discussion shows.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Either you need a B or an E there.

[Consignia]

"Do you foresee a time when 'Game Theory' is added to the educational curriculum before people are allowed to vote?"

I did Game Theory before I was able to vote. It's in A-level maths under the discrete maths modules.

[wherearethespoons]

I liked the idea of this programme before I saw them appear on the special Newsnight and were all a bunch of twats that weren't prepared to out and out dismiss anybody. None of them could even answer simple yes or no questions.

[Evil Knevil]

I liked the idea of this programme before I saw them appear on the special Newsnight and were all a bunch of twats that weren't prepared to out and out dismiss anybody. None of them could even answer simple yes or no questions.

I saw that too, and they're all incredibly unpleasant individuals, at least in the ideological sense. The only one I respect really is Jon Cruddas, but only because he's been quite eloquent on trying win back working class support for socialism.

Oh, and I'm probably going to try and insert a reference to our lovely website into the program. I might mention how the Government cooked the evidence and then bombed Iraq, 'they cooked and bombed the whole affair', or some such. I'm willing to accept input on this as well.

[Santa's Boyfriend]

You could ask whether they think it's hypocritical to be renewing trident on the one hand and telling Iran they can't have nuclear weapons on the other?

[lazyhour]

You'll never top my appearance.

[Toad in the Hole]

With reference to the Iraq conflict, "Where are the Snowdens of yesteryear?"

[rudi]

Ask them if they suffer minor things that make them like people less; it should provide some fascinating answers about cinemas.

Or mention Muslims.