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Outspoken MP George Galloway was forced into a rare apology today after accusing UKIP of being too scared to debate him on BBC’s Question Time

The Respect leader was due to face UKIP’s deputy chairman Suzanne Evans on the BBC’s flagship political debate show this evening.

Ms Evans withdrew from appearing on tonight’s show due to illness, and UKIP claim the BBC declined the replacement of the party’s Migration and Financial Affairs spokesman Steven Woolfe.

Mr Galloway initially tweeted “UKIP have pulled out of tonight's @bbcquestiontime Cowards.”

But after UKIP’s communications chief Gawain Towler flagged up Ms Evans illness, the famously-prickly Mr Galloway, who has faced down the American senate, newspaper groups and even the audience of Celebrity Big Brother, issued a swift apology.

“Fair point, I didn't know that and apologise to her and UKIP”, he tweeted.

A UKIP spokesman claims Question Time producers booked journalist Cristina Odone as a replacement for Ms Evans, before telling them Mr Woolfe was not suitable as they wanted a woman panelist.

The spokesman said: “They are more interested in gender balance than political balance.”

Tonight’s Question Time comes from Finchley in North London, which was represented for 33 years by former Tory Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Also set to be on the panel are the Tory Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary Tristram Hunt and journalist Jonathan Freedland.

A BBC spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that Suzanne Evans has pulled out of tonight’s programme due to illness, and we have again invited her to appear on the programme in the near future.

"We have nothing further to add."