THE audience on Question Time fell silent on Thursday night as host Fiona Bruce asked if anybody wanted to “speak up for Rishi Sunak or speak up for the Government”.

It came during a discussion on whether or not the Conservative Party should change leaders following comments made by Tory MP Simon Clarke earlier this week.

He claimed that the Tory MPs should oust the PM or risk facing a “massacre” at the next election.

Addressing the audience, Bruce said: “I said just now that there are many of you who voted Conservative in 2019 and I know a number of you who also intend to vote Conservative in the next election.

“So in the interest of balance, because I know there’s a lot of hands up of people who clearly want to have a go at the Government and we’ll hear from you again as well.

“Is there anyone here who wants to speak up for Rishi Sunak or speak up for the Government?”

The audience stayed entirely silent and only one man had his hand raised, but he went on to say that he was “not about to stand up for the Conservative Party or the Government”.

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During the same programme, Tory MP Alex Burghart claimed that Sunak has been “doing an incredibly good job in very, very difficult circumstances” which was met with laughter from the audience.

We also told how Bruce clashed with a pro-Palestine member of the audience who shouted “shame on you” at panellist Konstantin Kisin who said it was important to “stop talking down” the UK.

She could be heard saying that “thousands of innocent civilians are being killed” before Bruce eventually asked her to “please let the panel answer”.

The debate show is due to head to Glasgow for next week’s show on February 1.