WE asked National readers on Facebook why they stopped watching the BBC's Question Time and they did not hold back.

In the comments thread, many said they had not watched the BBC's political panel show for years and especially since the 2014 independence referendum and Brexit put the corporation's bias on full display.

That idea of Tory and pro-Union bias at the BBC is something we are all too familiar with at The National and it seems to be resonating with Question Time viewers.

Here are the main points National readers raised for why they stopped watching Question Time.

Minimising Scotland's voice

Many readers spoke about the bias shown in the programme and its promotion of political extremists like Nigel Farage, but one spoke specifically about the focus the programme puts on English issues.

Facebook user Bobby Livingston said: "I stopped watching it years ago. It is an overtly British/English designed political programme which minimises Scotland's voice, gives airtime to extremists like Nigel Farage and the right wing press, is agenda driven in its topic choices and explicitly biased in its rigged 'representative' audiences."

READ MORE: Question Time audience member rejects indyref2 for this bizarre reason

Hand-picked audiences

During the most recent Holyrood election campaign, questions were raised about the BBC hand-picking audience members to ask questions during the first leaders' debate.

This is something that Question Time viewers have been noticing for years, especially in regards to the topic of Scottish independence.

Alasdair Wright told us: "I think the Motherwell show finally did it for me. Even folk from Motherwell said the audience was completely unrepresentative.

"In general, though, I watched QT all through Brexit and just ended up walking away thinking, 'ok, there may be people who think like that in towns up and down the UK, but I don't want them in my living room.'"

Jack McInally said: "It’s become an atrocious pantomime - and now with the same audience faces trying to get noticed/make careers it’s also an unbalanced farce of a political ‘discussion’ show."

Pro-Union and Tory bias

This was the main reason that readers told us they stopped watching the programme. 

As you have read in previous comments, the bias of the BBC is unabashed but it can be seen when in the corporation's guest selection and when it doesn't quite have a handle on the flow of discussion.

Kath Anderson said: "I stopped watching shortly after indyref, when they broadcast from Dundee, one of only 4 Yes voting regions and the audience was chock full of Tories spouting bile. Blatant lack of representative demographic."

Gordon Mulholland said: "Absence of high quality debate or discussion. Massive right wing bias. Chairing that is and has always been woeful at best utterly useless most of the time and all too often dire. Audiences that seldom rise above the mundane with questions and an astonishing number of ill informed contributions from low level party hacks doing no more than peddling their prejudices."

Fraser White added: "They should just start the programme with 'This is a party political broadcast on behalf of the Conservative Party.'"

Ukip and Nigel Farage

Nigel Farage and his Ukip colleagues managed to get very regular air time on Question Time despite a lack of representation in Westminster and other UK political arenas.

It seemed that the political group that later morphed into the Brexit Party, were the voice for Brexit voters and the BBC could not get enough of them.

Mark St Gibb said: "I started to go off it when UKIP were allowed on every other week having never won anything."

John Hughes added: "Only so many times you can replace the telly after throwing something at Farage."

Another user added that he stopped watching when Farage became the programme's "poster boy", adding that having BNP leader Nick Griffin on the show was "appalling".

READ MORE: Question Time under fire for having GB News presenter on panel

Uninformed 'wisdom'

Giving politicians carte blanche to discuss topics they're not expert - or sometimes even well-informed on - is an odd choice if you're trying to foster informed debate.

Lizzie Clarke said: "I got fed up with all those RP voices endlessly talking tripe about events/people/countries etc about which they knew NOTHING, but thought they did. The sheer boring arrogance of them, dispensing 'wisdom' to the great unwashed, as they saw it. Utter balderdash."

Continue to watch, through gritted teeth

However, some readers continue to watch in an effort to learn the arguments being presented and as part of a, err, healthy lifestyle?

Anne Reid said: "I will never stop watching the show, far better to know the arguments they are putting forward and how they think. Ignorance is not bliss."

Stuart Henderson said: "I still watch it as it winds me up and gets the ol blood boiling, therefore count it as a form of lockdown exercise. Just a shame my phone or TV doesn't record how many calories that burns."