Former Home Secretary David Blunkett pulled out of a topical discussion radio show in Bradford last night.

Mr Blunkett was due to take part of a four-strong panel for BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions show at the Thornbury Centre on Leeds Old Road.

It was not clear why he pulled out, although it was said he is due to be on another Any Questions programme in the future.

He was replaced on the panel by political and social commentator Mo Ansar, who was alongside Liberal Democrat politician Evan Harris, Conservative politician Esther McVey and journalist Toby Young.

Host Jonathan Dimbleby welcomed the audience – which numbered between 150 and 180 – to the Thornbury Centre before opening the show.

He said: “It is a real pleasure to be here and this is a great building.”

Mr Dimbleby also told how Bradford was famous for its football team reaching the Capital One Cup final recently.

Ten people had been selected from the audience to put questions to the panel – although they only got through four in the 50-minute programme.

The topics of the questions put to the panel were Ukip and its possible emergence in politics, the Lord Rennard scandal, bankers’ bonuses, and the role of school governors.

On the Ukip issue, Mr Young said people were concerned about immigration but there was a fear of being branded racist if you talked about it.

Mr Harris said it was a myth that discussing immigration was racist, while Mrs McVey said Ukip’s rise in support was a warning shot to those in power.

Mr Ansar said he wasn’t surprised by the rise of Ukip, given the problems in society today.

Bankers’ bonuses were slammed, although caution was recommended so that workers in that industry were not pushed abroad with their talents.

On Lord Rennard, Mr Young said there was less to the situation than meets the eye, even suggesting that if Lord Rennard looked like George Clooney then there probably wouldn’t be a problem, which was met with derision by Mr Harris.

More support for school governors was advocated, with a provision that they are allowed to focus on serving children’s best interests.