A BOLTON councillor got to debate on the national stage as a guest on the BBC’s Question Time follow-up show.

Cllr Zoe Kirk-Robinson was a panellist on Question Time Extra Time on Thursday night, where she was part of discussions on issues such as Brexit and the NHS.

Broadcaster Piers Morgan, who was on the main Question Time panel, also rang into the show. It was the first episode under a revamped format with Adrian Chiles in the host’s chair and televised on the BBC red button as well as aired on Radio 5 Live.

The Westhoughton North and Chew Moor councillor was impressed with the standard of debate.

She said: “I thought it was a bit less confrontational than normal and that went over well with people.

“It was a really fun experience to watch the show with the panel and get to debate it ourselves, and to have Piers Morgan call in too. I didn’t speak to him myself — I was wary of butting in too much and looking like I was trying to take over the show.

“I have always said that we are all in this for the same reason, no matter what party you are in.

"We might have different views, but we all want to do the best for the country at the end of the day.

“When you can put your points across properly instead of just looking for a fight, then you can find yourselves agreeing more with people and I think that is what happened on the show.”

Cllr Kirk-Robinson joined the panel after the BBC got in touch via the Bolton Conservatives' Facebook page.

In a week when overcrowding in hospitals amid high flu rates has dominated the headlines, the NHS was a key topic of debate.

Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage’s comments suggesting he could back a second referendum on Britain leaving the EU in order to ‘kill off’ the Remain campaign also proved a divisive issue.

Cllr Kirk-Robinson added: “I weighed in on NHS funding and how we need a complete overhaul of that. Clearly it is not working. We also spoke about Nigel Farage’s idea for a second EU referendum. I don’t know why on earth he is asking for that. What would happen if Remain won next time? Would we need to go best out of three?"

“It would be never-ending.”