Former mayor brands Palin 'terrifying' on Question Time

Cllr Anne Filer, who finished her one-year stint as mayor of Bournemouth in May, was in the audience for BBC Question Time live from the BIC.

She told the panel that despite "being a conservative woman", the emergence of Governor Palin as the Republican vice-presidential candidate left her apprehensive.

Cllr Filer, noted by other councillors as a strong minded woman herself, was asked her views by host David Dimbleby after she asked the panel a question.

Cllr Filer told the Echo afterwards: "It's her policies. She is anti-abortion, she is pro-war. She believes creationism should be taught in schools.

"She is tough and strong. Her elderly running mate John McCain has had cancer and he will be 76 by the end of the next term if he is elected.

"There's a fair chance something could happen to him, she could be running the country."

She added: "I don't know much else about her other than she is forceful and has proven to be ruthless in getting to where she has got."

Asked if she thought people might assume she would support her as a fellow right of centre politcian, she replied: "People might assume that, but I would much rather have Hillary Clinton, and the conservative member of the panel Alan Duncan said the same."

Cllr Filer's question to the had panel had been: "Does a moose-shooting, gun-toting, ex-beauty queen improve Senator McCain's chances of becoming next president of the United States?"

The panel shared her scepticism over Senator Palin's policies but generally agreed she had boosted John McCain's chances of winning the US election on November 4.

The show was dominated by discussion of the ongoing economic crisis, with contributions from Cllrs Michael Griffiths and Pat Lewis.

The panellists were editor of Private Eye Ian Hislop, deputy leader of the Labour party Harriet Harman, chief executive of Next Simon Wolfson, Liberal Democrat spokesman for young people Lynne Featherstone, and Tory shadow business secretary Alan Duncan.