Every week the BBC's Question Time promises viewers lively debate about the burning issues of the day. It is an opportunity for politicians and media analysts to share and debate their opinions. Therefore it was quite a surprise when the latest panel on Thursday February 26 included celebrity chef Tom Kerridge. He sat alongside the culture secretary Lisa Nandy; the Conservatives’ shadow home office minister, Alicia Kearns; Jess Brown-Fuller, MP from the Liberal Democrats and the journalist Esther Krakue - all fairly standard guests on the show.
His inclusion does absolutely nothing for the show's credibility. One of the topics up for discussion was the reform of business rates for hospitality, which indeed is Kerridge's business. However that fact also makes it impossible for him to be unbiased about the subject. He is also not exactly your average pub or restaurant owner. Two of his five premises, four of which are gastro pubs, hold Michelin stars. As of this year his flagship pub, The Hand and Flowers in Marlow, holds two Michelin stars, making it the first pub in the world to achieve this milestone. His other pub, The Coach, also in Marlow, holds one Michelin star.
These accolades mean people will actively seek out his premises on the basis of their reputation - a luxury the average publican doesn't have. He is pretty much guaranteed solid footfall - which must surely make running a premises less stressful.
On the show he claimed his taxes have gone up 115% on average across his four pubs. "At the minute we are squeezing the life out of hospitality and once it's gone it is gone. And if you keep squeezing you'll end up crushing it and it will disappear," he said calling for a reduction in VAT, which he said is the biggest thing needed to save hospitality.
That's it. That's his whole stance. No wiggle room. No discussion. Just a straightforward point about what needs to happen, which is hardly the point of the programme. He did jump in on a discussion about inclusion and also taxes in Birmigham, but he wasn't exactly opening up the debate.
Host Fiona Bruce did indeed put his point about VAT to culture secretary Lisa Nandy, who said: "We are not afraid to go away and rethink and try and do things differently, we've already done that with this policy but we're hearing it again."
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However, his entire contribution to the show was something that could have been asked or pointed out by an audience member. His remarks about the minimum wage increase were what you would expect form any employer. He brought nothing to the table and completely affected the credibility of the panel.
Kerridge may have been relevant to the hospitality debate but he certainly didn't appear to have a range of views. While it is often turgid to watch politicians going back and forth on the show as their debates descend into chaos at least it keeps it interesting. Planting people with one specialist subject on the panel - instead of people who can offer views on all issues of the day - is a waste of time for viewers and an insult to their intelligence.
