Matthew Taylor reviews the Sunday politics shows for The Spectator
Amber Rudd – Boris should not ‘back-seat drive’ over Brexit The Home Secretary took to Andrew Marr’s sofa in the wake of the Friday’s failed terrorist attack on a London Underground train at Parson’s Green station. However, the topic swiftly turned from security to Boris Johnson’s latest 4,000 word essay published in the Telegraph on
Tony Blair – Britain can limit immigration without leaving the EU Former Prime Minister Tony Blair has been trying to find a way to reduce immigration to the UK without leaving the European Union. The Institute for Global Change, the organisation that Blair set up earlier this year, has published a report on this very
Jeremy Corbyn – I did not make a commitment to write off student debt This morning Jeremy Corbyn became the last interviewee on the Andrew Marr Show before the party conference season begins in September. With a potential general election on the cards at any time, there was much to discuss. In particular, Marr chose
Philip Hammond – Public sector workers paid ’10 per cent premium’ Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond has landed himself in hot water after he apparently claimed that public sector workers were overpaid during a recent meeting of the political cabinet. Andrew Marr challenged Hammond repeatedly over what he did in fact say, and gave
Sir Vince Cable – ‘Brexit may never happen’ Sir Vince Cable, who remains the only candidate in the running for the leadership of the Liberal Democrats, has once again hit the headlines due to his firm standpoint against the UK leaving the European Union. On this occasion, Sir Vince has opined to Andrew Marr that
Michael Gove: The DUP deal is good for the union The newly installed Environment Secretary Michael Gove took to Andrew Marr’s sofa today to defend the government’s deal with the Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland. Controversial for awarding the province an additional £1 billion, Gove rejected the idea that deal this amounted to a
David Davis – Leadership contest would be ‘catastrophic’ for Brexit negotiations After a tough few weeks for Theresa May, and amid speculation that Conservatives are rallying to replace her, Brexit Secretary David Davis spoke to Andrew Marr about what a leadership challenge would mean for the UK’s negotiations with the EU. Davis made it clear
Philip Hammond – No deal would be ‘a very, very bad outcome’ One day before Brexit negotiations get underway, Philip Hammond took to the Andrew Marr Show and announced that if the UK achieved no deal with the EU it would be a ‘very very bad outcome’. This appears to be somewhat at odds with
Just as in 2015, this election promises to be a tough fight for some of the biggest names. Depending on which pollsters you believe, Labour are either in for a drubbing or their best performance since 2001. The Lib Dems could be about to face annihilation. Even Conservative cabinet ministers are vulnerable in several key
Amber Rudd – Abedi operation is still at ‘full tilt’ In the wake of Monday’s horrific attack in Manchester, Andrew Marr interviewed the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, about what action the government was taking in the aftermath of the attack, and whether the government and security services had done enough to prevent the attack happening
Jeremy Corbyn – ‘All bombing should be condemned’ Jeremy Corbyn refused on several occasions to explicitly condemn the bombing campaign of the IRA in the 1980s, repeatedly insisting instead that ‘all bombing is wrong’. Asked six times by Sophy Ridge about his stance on the issue, Corbyn appeared reluctant to single out condemnation of the
Lib Dem Manifesto 2017 In every other manifesto, a Liberal Democrat leader has set out a vision for government. However, I want to make a different case to the British people in this election – an election that has been called by Theresa May, very cynically, with the sole purpose of putting the Tories in
Last week, Labour revealed – ahead of schedule – a draft of its manifesto. Today, the party has revealed its official manifesto – and the comparison between the two makes for interesting reading. Here are some of the key policies that have been removed, altered or added to the manifesto. Removed policies The commitment to ‘cover apprentices’
Michael Fallon – We warned the NHS on cyber security Early this morning, Andrew Marr interviewed the Defence Secretary Michael Fallon. Marr attacked the government for failing to adequately prepare for Friday’s mass cyber attack, which caused havoc in the NHS, creating many difficulties and rescheduled appointments up and down the country: Marr: What patently
Listed below are the notable parliamentary contests that we can look forward to in the 2017 general election: England Conservatives: Returning: Richmond Park – Zac Goldsmith, who lost this seat in a by-election he triggered in opposition to the government’s stance on building a third runway at Heathrow, has rejoined the fold to try and win it back.
John McDonnell – No tax rises for those earning under £80,000 Appearing on the Andrew Marr Show, Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell gave his first major interview since Labour’s disappointing performance in Thursday’s local elections. With the party now fully focused on the general election, he outlined his pledges on tax, claiming that a Labour government
Theresa May – Conservatives will not raise VAT Touring both the BBC and ITV studios today, Theresa May tried her best to avoid giving specific answers about the Conservatives tax policies after the election. However, during an interview with Robert Peston, the Prime Minister appeared to disown David Cameron’s ‘triple lock’ and make a commitment
Corbyn – Labour may scrap Trident nuclear deterrent Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn occupied the prime slot on the Andrew Marr Show this morning, and he told Marr that he wants to see ‘a very different country’. But how different? He was asked what he would say to the captains of the Trident submarines about whether
Alex Salmond – Theresa May ‘will crumble’ over Scottish referendum Despite Parliament having retired this week, the political debate rages on. Alex Salmond appeared on the Andrew Marr show to offer his take on the circumstances of a second referendum on Scottish independence. He remained defiant that it would still take place despite Theresa May’s
Michael Howard – ‘Show resolve’ over Gibraltar Former Conservative leader Michael Howard caused a stir on social media after his appearance on the Sunday Politics regarding his comments about Spain and Gibraltar. Interviewed by Andrew Neil, Howard stated that the British government should respond ‘as it has responded, by making it absolutely clear that we
