Hay's version of Question Time, with Rosie Boycott as Chair, was dominated by Brexit - or Brex-shit as Jeanette Winterson called it. Simon Jenkins opined that the topic induced depression in normally relaxed people, while LBC broadcaster James O'Brien said that endless discussions on his show had boosted his career but shrivelled his soul. He and Winterson are both rapidly completing their applications for Irish passports. The usual suspects, the Daily Mail and the Sun, were denounced for stoking the fires of hatred of immigrants. Jenkins accused the Remain campaign of behaving outrageously with Project Fear, while O'Brien disagreed, arguing that it was the Leavers who used that tactic.
There were a few hands bravely raised when Winterson asked if there were any Leavers in the audience, but for the most part, Hay Festivalgoers were frustrated, angered and confused as to the right course to take now. For, one stated, "If we do have another vote, who's to say it will be a clean one?"
The second topic on the agenda, Trump and the Mid-Term Elections, was squeezed out through pressure of time, but O'Brien did manage 30 seconds with a statement that attracted resounding applause:
"Trump is an evil, despicable man," he said. "He represents to me everything that is rotten in humanity, and he is the most powerful man in the world."
All Hay Festival Winter Weekend events will be available on audio on Hay Player