Ken Loach came under attack from an angry audience member on Thursday night’s Question Time who accused him of hypocrisy over his wealth and views on climate change.
The veteran filmmaker spoke out aggressively against the recent government recommendation for the building of a third runway at Heathrow.
Loach gave a lengthy argument for the effect it could have on climate change and the repercussions for future generations.
He said: “It’s inconceivable that we’ll meet our climate change target if we built another runway.
“Do people not realise that there will be no planet to leave to their grandchildren.”
Later he added: “It [a third runway] is an absolutely stupid decision, it’s unrealistic and it is disastrous.”
In response a gentleman in the audience questioned Loach over his own use of air travel.
He said: ”Ken Loach is against air travel? So are you going to cycle to New York next time you pick up your awards?
“And all the people who have got no money, are you going to give the large amount of money you’ve made from films about these people?
“You’re talking from a position of strength to a position of weakness.”
Loach responded to the air travel portion of the accusations but not the question about his wealth.
He said: “I’m not saying stop all air travel I’m saying we can’t build another runway. This is about increasing it.”
Loach is worth around £4.1m but has spent his career highlighting the plight of the disadvantaged in society.
He appeared on the show shortly after his new film, I, Daniel Blake debuted in cinemas.
Set in Newcastle (and shown at Cannes with subtitles in case people couldn’t understand the Geordie accent), ‘I, Daniel Blake’ tells the fictional story of carpenter Daniel Blake who suffers a heart attack and is told by doctors he can no longer work.
An assessment commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) goes against medical advice and rules him too healthy to receive benefits.
Blake - who befriends the single mum shown in the clip below - is forced to hunt for jobs which he has to turn down as he is too sick.