A Tory frontbencher has been rapped by BBC Question Time host Fiona Bruce for making a personal attack on a Labour MP.
David TC Davies was heavily criticised following his appearance on the flagship politics show, with viewers branding him "pompous" and "aggressive". He got into trouble after telling Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson that she was a "disgrace" in a clash over the Rwanda scheme.
It came after Ms Phillipson accused the Secretary of State for Wales of talking "complete garbage" by claiming Labour has an "open doors policy" around immigration. In an attack on the Welsh Government, Mr Davies claimed that Labour "can't be trusted".
After Ms Phillipson hit back, Mr Davies said: “You’re a disgrace, Bridget, and your policy is an absolute disgrace.” The Labour frontbencher was heard stating: "So much for standards in public life."
It earned a telling off from the host, who told him: “Can I just say on this programme, and I feel strongly about this, and I’m not joking. I don’t think we should be calling people individually ‘a disgrace’.” Ms Bruce's comments were met with loud applause and cheers from the audience.
It came as viewers in the studio made it clear they were not convinced the controversial Rwanda asylum plan would work. Reform UK chief Richard Tice, who was also on the programme, asked for a show of hands for those who thought it would be an effective deterrence against small boat crossings, as ministers claim.
Just three hands went up - with everyone else saying it wouldn't. It comes ahead of another crunch vote on Monday which will see MPs try to push through Rishi Sunak's Safety of Rwanda Bill, which has been the subject of a bitter back-and-forth with the House of Lords.
The Bill would get around a Supreme Court ruling which found Rwanda isn't a safe country to send asylum seekers to.
Following Mr Davies' performance on the show, viewers took to social media to voice their displeasure. One wrote: "Pompous Tory David TC Davies doesn’t like Labour’s Bridget Phillipson challenging him on his govt’s ‘failed Rwanda policy’ so he resorts to ‘personal insults’."
Another praised the Labour shadow cabinet member, stating: A masterclass from (Bridget Phillipson) on how to deal with an aggressive, abusive Tory who knows the game is up. (David TC Davies) making a complete fool of himself on #bbcqt".
Mr Davies later doubled down on Twitter/X, writing: "Extraordinary Labour politicians don’t know what their colleagues in the Welsh Gov’t are doing. Labour’s paying some asylum seekers close to £20k a year." He was referring to asylum seekers being allowed to take part in a basic income scheme allowing 18-year-olds leaving care to claim £1,800 a month.
It is unclear how many asylum seekers have been accepted into the scheme.