Fiona Bruce skewered a Lib Dem MP for dodging a question on BBC Question Time. The moment came as the show discussed resident doctors, previously known as junior doctors, demanding a 29% pay hike as they are balloted for strike action by the British Medical Association (BMA).
The BBC host ask Lib Dem hospitals and primary care spokesperson Jess Brown-Fuller: “Is the 29% pay justified? Do the Lib Dems support it?” She replied: “It’s a good question and I’d need to see the figures to work out whether that feels affordable.”
Ms Bruce pressed: “But you must be across it, this is your brief. So do you, as spokesperson for the Lib Dems on hospitals, support it?”
Ms Brown-Fuller went on: “Do you know what I support? I support making sure that all of our doctors and support staff working in hospitals can go to work and work in a hospital…”
The BBC presenter then interrupted, saying: “That’s not answering the question. This is your policy area. Do you support it or not?”
Continuing to avoid giving a straight answer, Ms Brown-Fuller said: “What I support is the Government should be focusing on getting the 40 new hospitals that the Conservatives promised and were never going to deliver actually built and I support making sure the hospital estates work and function so people aren’t giving birth in rooms where the ceiling’s falling down.”
Ms Bruce then asked the audience if it was an answer to the question, to which they called back: “No.”
The host added: “Come on Jess, put your money where your mouth is, yes or no?”
The Lib Dem MP replied: “I think I’d have to look at the figure but it feels like a big number.”
