Eddie Izzard's BBC Question Time Tussle With Folkestone Woman Sums Up EU Debate

Panto season starts early this year.
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The debate raging over Britain's membership of the EU was boiled down to a "pantomime" seven-second exchange on BBC Question Time last night. 

Comedian Eddie Izzard was tackled by an audience member on the show who told him the UK's economy was not safer while it remained in the EU.

The spectator, who described herself as a 'Brexiter', defied Izzard by saying: "I'm not a 'Little Englander'".

He responded that: "The point is we're trying to make the whole economy better - our whole economy is better if we're inside."

Then followed an exchange, described after as a "pantomime" by despairing host David Dimbleby, that went like this: 

Audience member: No it isn't.

Eddie Izzard: Yes it is.

Audience: No it isn't.

Eddie Izzard: Yes it is.

You can watch the exchange play out in full, below:

Dimbleby's analysis of the affair seemed to chime with those on social media.

The debate on Thursday took place in the port town of Folkestone, Kent.

Panellists other than Izzard included Conservative leader of the House of Commons Chris Grayling MP and Labour's shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn MP.

UKip's Nigel Farage and the Daily Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson also appeared on the programme.

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