Overview
- Reform UK figures, led by Zia Yusuf, accused the BBC of placing small‑boat arrivals in the audience and called the broadcast a scandal.
- The BBC said more than 20 local audience members took part and confirmed that two people with direct asylum experience had been granted refugee status.
- An Afghan audience member, identified as Ashraf, recounted reaching the UK by small boat after asylum refusals in several European countries.
- Yusuf said a Reform government would deport people who entered the UK illegally, drawing gasps, while Daisy Cooper’s Brexit critique of rising boat arrivals drew applause.
- No independent evidence has been presented to verify the ‘planting’ allegation, leaving a dispute focused on impartiality and editorial judgment.