‘Laughable’: BBC Question Time Audience Gives Tory Minister Victoria Atkins A Brutal Ride

A Conservative minister has faced a series of criticisms from the BBC Question Time – with members of the public variously referring to her party and politicians as “laughable”, and the home secretary’s words “pure evil”.

Victoria Atkins, the financial secretary to the Treasury, specifically took the flack for Tory policies on the economy and housing during the broadcaster’s flagship politics show, which this week came from London.

One audience took umbrage at Atkins’ positive characterisation of her party.

The woman said: “I just can’t get over the Tory thinking they have character and value. It’s just absolutely laughable.”

She added: “I’m a teacher, my husband’s a police officer. We’ve got three beautiful children here in London, and it’s not just because we’ve got three children that we’re tired. We struggle every month to make the ends meet.”

When Atkins attempted a defence of the government’s housing push, she faced laughter from the audience when she said it was “on track to deliver our manifesto commitment to deliver one million homes”.

In another moment, an audience member was applauded when he said: “I truly struggle to understand how the Tories believe that they are helping young people with housing.

“The Conservative MP mentions a 40% reduction in inflation. Did Liz Truss’s government not skyrocket inflation?

“I can’t believe that (panellist Piers Morgan) made a speech which advocated for the Labour Party on the grounds of basic competency. Is that not a shocking indictment of our current government?”

Finally, another audience member took home secretary Suella Braverman’s words to task, saying he found most of what she says is “pure evil”.