Question Time audience member tells David Davis young people are ‘being held to ransom by a Brexit they don’t want’ She asked the former Brexit secretary David Davis whether democracy was just a ‘one-time thing’

A Question Time audience member said that British youth were being “held to ransom” over Brexit in a passionate exchange with David Davis about a second referendum.

The woman questioned why members of the panel, which included the former Brexit secretary, had suggested that a People’s Vote on the Brexit deal was not an option.

“Why is democracy a one-time thing, isn’t it a continual process?” she said.

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“Already isn’t it true that months ago the vote would have switched to 48 – 52 the other way from people who have died and people who turned 18.

Ransom

“Why are young people being held to ransom by this vote that clearly hasn’t panned out the way, even people who are for it, wanted it to be?”

Her comments were met by applause from the audience before Question Time host, David Dimbleby, turned to the former Brexit secretary.

‘Why are young people being held to ransom?’

This audience member believes another referendum should not be ruled out because young people who didn’t have a vote last time could be enough to swing the result in favour of Remain. #bbcqt pic.twitter.com/5RHt6C3NnN — BBC Question Time (@bbcquestiontime) December 13, 2018

“David Davis it was you who once said if a democracy can’t change its mind it ceases to be a democracy,” he said.

“Are you against a second referendum?”

Mr Davis said he was against another vote because: “Democracy is the right to change your mind but it is not the right to keep asking the same question until someone else changes their mind.”

Different question

He clashed with Green MP Caroline Lucas several times during the show on the issue of another vote.

Ms Lucas is a People’s Vote supporter and argued that another vote would not be asking the same question but would, instead, be asking the public its view on the draft deal negotiated by Theresa May.

The show was the last one that would be hosted by Mr Dimbleby, who is stepping down after chairing the programme for 25 years.

He was given a standing ovation by guests and audience members at the end of the episode, when he said: “After a quarter of a century I’m off to new pastures, or to look in search of new pastures.

Final show

“But I didn’t want to end without saying something about this programme which is, of all the programmes I have ever worked in for the BBC, a truly team effort and I did want to end by thanking the people who have made it possible over the last 25 years.”

Fiona Bruce will now take over hosting the current affairs debate programme.

Dimbleby ended the programme by adding: “Above all, I wanted to thank you here tonight, this audience and you’re joining over 100,000 people over the last 25 years who have been in the Question Time audience and you have exercised this, what I think is a really important democratic right, which is to put questions and to argue with each other as you have tonight.”