Miliband says he’ll have ‘Public Question Time’ if PM

Ed Miliband has said that if is Prime Minister this time next year he will introduce what he’s called ‘Public Question Time’.

Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show this morning, Miliband said that alongside Prime Ministers Questions – which is an opportunity for MPs and peers to ask government ministers questions – that takes place every Wednesday lunchtime, he would take questions from the public on any subject.

Following his speech on Friday and as part of a wider effort to make politics more inclusive, Miliband said that questions would be chosen by a method that would ensure they came from across the country and from people with a variety of political backgrounds.  This idea, he said, is about making sure that Prime Ministers are held to account by the public as well as by MPs.

On Marr, he explained why he would do this, saying:

“What we need is a public question time, where regularly the Prime Minister submits himself or herself to questioning from members of the public in the Palace of Westminster, on Wednesdays. I want to let the public into our politics.”