16/07/2014 Daily Politics

Morning folks and welcome to the Daily Politics.

Men were sacked, women promoted - but how different does government

A new Foreign Secretary and European Commissioner.

The last Conservative Europhile around the cabinet table, out.

Is Britain moving closer to a European exit?

The last Prime Minster's Questions before MPs swap

the green benches for the beach - we'll bring you that live at noon.

You bad mouth them - then you have to meet them.

We bring you the most cringe-worthy political encounters.

All that coming up in the next 90 minutes of the very

And after yesterday's brutal ministerial

reshuffle, a little compassion here at the Daily Politics.

Despite losing his job yesterday, we've kept him on.

He was a cabinet office minister, now just a plain MP - Ken Clarke.

And she's not male or stale, and she's still got her job - for now.

Ken, were you jumped -- did you jump or you pushed? I was obviously going

to retire. I thought I was going to retire the last time. I agreed with

David I would do a couple of years. As by far the oldest member of the

Government, decided to leave. The press were very slow to realise I

was demob happy. I saw a smile on your face. Wednesday, Thursday and

Friday of last week I was at Trent Bridge for a Test match. On Monday I

came down and handed in my retirement. David knew it was

coming. We had a very good chat. I have only just started being a

minister. I was beginning to pick it up I! You are a slow learner. If he

had asked you to stay, would you have stayed? He would have had to

persuade me. He persuaded me to come back to the front bench about six

years ago when I was the most rebellious backbencher in the House

of Commons. I was rather surprised to get the invitation. Better to be

an insider than outside. You are going to stand as an MP again? Yes.

I am a political anorak. I find the process of governance is

fascinating. I find politics fascinating. What do you make of

these changes? It has been billed as ladies table the consequence of

ladies day is we have the same number of women MPs in the Cabinet

as 2011. Even then it was only five. David has always brought women in.

He has lost three from the Cabinet already. I hope this lot will have a

good long stint. They will only have nine months. You must point on

merit. But where people are of equal talent, I would give women the

preference because we need more women in politics.

preference because we need more women in It is a shame we don't have

so many women in politics. These are good women. Maybe people will stop

commenting on their gender, criticising what they wear etc, and

just accept it is a government... We are a long way from that. Maybe so.

Why did he take so long? Tony Blair used to reshuffle once every nine

months. John Reid had five Cabinet jobs in four years. I think he has

gone back to a better tradition of having a big reshuffle once, twice

at the most common in the course of a parliament. There is no point in

appointing a minister who will not master is or her brief to get on

with doing something. These ministers have only got ten months

where they will not do very much. They only have two demonstrate their

ministerial calibre. They have to campaign more. He should leave them

in post after the election when they win it. Can the Tories win an

overall majority? I think it is a tall order. If you were to look me

in the eye and tell me you knew who was going to win the next election

precisely, I wouldn't believe you. I am looking you in the eye but I am

not telling you that. The cynicism about politics, the anti-political

nihilism, more difficult than ever before. But we are more likely to be

the biggest single party. before. But we are more likely to be

challenge for the Conservative Party is to get the overall majority. If

it is a minority government, should Mr Cameron do another deal with the

Lib Dems or run a minority government? I don't understand this

minority government 's tough because you cannot do anything. We are in

the middle of a financial crisis. The next comment has to take

stronger steps. A coalition. I feared a hung parliament. I didn't

think British politicians could do it. I thought we were all too

tribal. The big success was to form a coalition and put the national

interest first. It is the only way to handle it. You have done public

sector reform. You have logged the forces of conservatism in the eye

and done it. -- looked. Why move Michael Gove, the most successful

public service reform, according to his supporters, and give the people

who opposed them a scalp? I don't know. I was as surprised as

everybody else. My guess is, to just quieten the subject down in the

run-up to the election, when Margaret, despite my protests,

insisted on moving me from the Department of Health and putting me

on to education, I argued the toss. She insisted on moving me. I cannot

remember what reason she gave me. It was pretty silly! I realised that he

rapidly her intention was to quieten me down before the election. Michael

will be back. The run-up to the election is more important than the

school reform to the prime Minister? If you live in a Parliamentary

democracy, you have to accept that tough things need to be done in the

first two or three years. By the last ten months you have to start

campaigning because you want to finish the job, which I hope we

will. I am glad you are here today. Liz, it is your turn! After

everything that happened yesterday, it was very dramatic, much more

extensive than anybody thought, can expect a Labour reshuffle? I have no

idea. I have heard nothing. Don't know anything. No idea. Do you think

there should be a Labour re-shore full? You know that is a matter for

Ed Miliband and it is way above my pay grade. I don't know if I am

allowed to, but one of the things I wanted to ask Ken was, obviously it

is more of a Eurosceptic Cabinet now, and you have fought all your

political life for a moderate one nation Conservative Party. Do you

think you're leaving means that is gone? We are going to talk about

Europe. You have two weight! One of my views about the reshuffle is,

that is the thing I am most worried about. You can come back to that.

But other look at the team for a labourer. The Guardian ICM poll this

week had you in second place behind the Conservatives. -- for a

labourer. Doesn't that indicated time to freshen up your team? I have

no idea if there is going to be a reshuffle. I think it is going to be

really tough before the general election. For all the parties, for

the reasons Ken said. The biggest problem is that people are so fed up

with politicians. They don't hear anything we say because we often

don't sound like them or look like them. You don't think your team

sounds or looks like them? When you are knocking on doors, people's view

about politics and politicians, not trusting us, not believing us, not

believing we care about what they do, I believe my party does. I am

under no illusions about the scale of the challenge. Do you agree with

Ken Clarke that it will be very difficult for the Conservatives to

have an overall majority? Would be very difficult to have an overall

majority for Labour? I think it is too close to call. We are playing to

win. There is a big fight over the next ten months. Why have the

opinion polls narrowed over the last few months, so much so that the

Conservatives have even gone ahead in several? I think people are

thinking about what is happening in their lives. Certainly over the

course of the European elections, we saw UKIP do very well, taking votes

of the Tories. Why have the Conservatives gone ahead? People are

generally looking for parties and provide an answer to the problems

they face. UKIP have come in with easy answers that I do not believe

the answers. That has had an impact. Charles Clarke thinks the most

output -- outcome is a Tory overall majority because Ed Miliband lacks

credibility. I do not agree with Charles Clarke. Ed is a passionate

and tough leader. It is going to be incredibly tough. It is all to play

for and we are playing to win. He is a big beast, Charles Clarke. I hate

that term! He is a worse leader than Neal Kinnock, he says of Ed

Miliband. I don't agree with that. The most important thing Ed has

identified is that the economy was not working for people on Middle or

low incomes even before the financial crash. That is because of

the structure of the economy, connotation from across the world.

Not just low skilled jobs but middle skilled jobs are being lost. He

identified that first and foremost. We have had many opinion polls where

we have had a lead. Some have gone down, some will go up macro. The

central issue is how we get our economy to work for ordinary

people, not just those of the top. He was the first to identify that I

believe we have the policies to sort those problems. I will not call you

big beast. That is the least of my worries!

Ken wasn't the only big beast to leave cabinet - but he was

And yesterday also saw the departure of Foreign Secretary William Hague.

So what does this all mean for the Conservative Party and

Well Andrew, while David Cameron was reshuffling his ministerial pack

yesterday, Jean Claude Juncker was confirmed as the new President - or

Cameron thinks his ace in Europe is this man - the relative

He is currently the Conservative leader in the House of Lords

and now the PM's nominee for European Commissioner.

But will Mr Juncker see him as an ace or a joker?

He'll be doing the job as Mr Cameron tries to renegotiate Britain's

membership of the EU ahead of the proposed in/out referendum in 2017.

A referendum in which the new Foreign Secretary - jack of all

trades - Philip Hammond, has said he could contemplate voting to leave.

And the European Court of Human Rights could also be in the

firing line, as the departure of Dominic Grieve as Attorney General

is seen as clearing the way for a tougher stance on the human rights

And joining us now is UKIP's deputy leader, Paul Nuttall.

He is in the entertainment capital of Europe, known as Strasberg. You

can see he is enjoying himself. -- Strasbourg. It is the Las Vegas of

the German, Franco border. Is this the most Eurosceptic Cabinet we have

ever had, Ken Clarke? No, it is not. I am the most outspoken pro-European

who has left the Cabinet but I am not the only pro-European by a long

way. Who is left? There is nobody in the Cabinet who wants to leave the

European Union. The others can speak for themselves. I was in a position

as the elder statesman of being slightly more outspoken than some of

my colleagues. Pre-Harold Macmillan... I heard Harold

Macmillan make an announcement. Let's not go there. What went wrong?

I don't know, really. It was a reaction to the fall of Margaret

Thatcher, and Conrad Black buying the Daily Telegraph, but this is

probably not the time. Paul Nuttall, although Mr Clarke finds it quite

hard to admit, this is the most Eurosceptic cabinet that has ever

have in this country, certainly on the Tory part of it. It has been put

together against you. This is an anti-UKIP cabinet, isn't it? Once

again, the Conservatives are trying to play catch up. Cameron has had

for years to try to do something about the European Union. The only

offered a referendum from a position of weakness because of the strength

of UKIP. Cameron remains Prime Minister, and he is a committed

Europhile, though he said he would go into the renegotiation, he has

already said then he will campaign to stay within the European Union.

So negotiations are pie in the sky, and I listened yesterday to

Jean-Claude Juncker in the chamber yesterday when he said quite clearly

the biggest issue the Briton is freedom of movement of peoples, and

that is not on the table. So the whole thing is pie in the sky. As

the great Sean Connery once said in the Untouchable in a row macro you

don't go to a gunfight carrying a knife. Is Mr Cameron a Europhile? I

think he and the Cabinet will recommend a yes vote, and try to

negotiate. Is he a Europhile? He is not as pro-Europe is me. Jean-Claude

Juncker is not as pro-Europe as you. The idea that David Cameron is an

isolationist nationalist, which is what Euroscepticism is sometimes a

youth is for -- a euphemism for, is nonsense. Rea that is how he has

ended up, not just here, but in other countries. He has not altered

the policy, the new Cabinet will not alter the policy that had me in it.

The idea is to achieve a process of reform and to exclude people how a

modernised, reformed Europe is in British interests. Ken, Ken! Hold

on, I want to bring in Liz Kendall. Doesn't labour have to re-burnish

its offerings? I am a strongly pro-European politician, because I

think it is in our national interests, our jobs and investment

depend on it, and it is vital for a whole range of other issues

important for the country. What I think the problem... I didn't ask

about David Cameron, with respect, I asked about Labour, and I said that

Labour's policy does not seem to be in June with the British people.

Every time you criticise David Cameron, whether it was the veto a

couple of years ago, or being out on a limb over Juncker, his poll

ratings rise. OK, but sometimes you have to argue what you believe in,

and I believe that a reformed Europe that is turbo-charging jobs and

growth with proper reform... What makes you think you will ever get

that? I believe there are countries you can build alliances with, who

want to see... Did you listen to Mr Juncker yesterday? Actually, when we

were in government, the way that we got change was by building

alliances, often across political parties with leaders of different

persuasions, about how Europe has to change. If your approach is about

repatriating powers alone, rather than the bigger prize, which is a

reformed Europe, that is a mistake. You could be electing your pension

by the time that happens. Why are you soap as a mystic about change?

Because I have told people tell you, like -- tell me, like you, like Ken,

that we will change, and it never happens. Can I explain why we are in

a different situation now? Number one, because we have had the

financial crash, and that is more a kick up the proverbial than anything

that has happened before. Quite frankly, we should have spent the

last couple of weeks not talking about jobs for the boys, but jobs

for people in this country across Europe. Paul Nuttall is still with

us, what do you make of all that? Repatriations of powers is not on

the table. Mr Juncker made that perfectly clear for is that what he

said was he was not opposed to it but it would require the support of

27 other member states so it just isn't going to happen. The way that

this guy was appointed guest today, backroom deals, behind closed doors

-- appointed yesterday, and Mr Juncker is the epitome of it. This

place is not going to change. It is going to roll on. They have pushed

us closer to the exit door, which is a good thing. Why are you taking a

dive in the polls? We are not. ICN gets us consistently wrong. You are

now down to 9%. In one ICN poll, if it was other ones, I would worry, I

am not bothered about this one. I know he used to be your special

adviser, but this chap, Jonathan Hill, that no one seems to have

heard of, why put a total unknown as the British commissioner candidate,

and at the same time expect to be given a major job, a major economic

portfolio? Surely this makes it a lots less likely? The European

Commissioners are not all high profile national politicians. Cathy

Ashton, never mind Mandelson, she has done a very good job actually,

the higher representative, the foreign affairs leader in the

council. If you had heard of Cathy Ashton before she was sent there, I

would be very surprised indeed. Jonathan Hill firstly had the great

privilege of working with me as my legal aid when we were in employment

in DTI. He was John Major's right-hand man. When John Major was

Prime Minister. He has been back in government for some time. He has

been in the Cabinet to some time. He understands the economy and

business, you made money in business. To say he is a wheeler

dealer operator is wrong, I am sure he can do that, it is part of

politics, but he is actually extremely intelligent. Let's go back

to Liz Kendall, this thing we could be on the brink of some massive

European reform. I didn't say that, Andrew. I said that is what our goal

has got to be. I believe we have chances to do it, we would have to

work very hard on it and it won't happen with this government. We now

have is a president of the European Commission somebody who yesterday

said that he regarded the euro is the thing, the mechanism that had

saved the European Union, had been great for the European Union, and

that that was the kind of Europe you wanted. If that is the case, shall I

tell you what youth unemployment is in Spain, Italy? No, you don't need

to tell me things like that. It was not caused by the euro. I know there

are horrific levels of unemployment. How will you get a coalition to

change with attitudes like that? I think it is probably more about

getting the leaders of the different countries who believe that Europe

needs to reform to get agreement. I am not saying the president of the

commission or the commissioners don't have an important role, but I

think ultimately it is about the leaders of the different European

countries coming together and realising, Europe has got to change

if we are going to focus on the things that matter to people. To the

people we are supposed to represent. It is very general. In the end, I

think it is about the leaders of the country. The European Commission

president has a role. Juncker was right about one thing yesterday, you

cannot change the free movement of people. No one is proposing that we

do. Excuse me, your party is. You have a UKIP guy who brings it back

to immigration. If you are to say the whole argument is about bigotry

and prejudice, fair enough. The changes we wish to make is to make

it clearer that people cannot come here just to claim benefit. Not many

do, not many have, we are not very good at reporting it, we and the

Germans and everyone else. There are 2 million Brits working in Europe.

Paul Nuttall, I will give you the final word because you have the most

difficult gig this morning, being down the line. Bring us back to

immigration, come on! It is bigoted to be concerned about immigration,

but you go into any council estate in the North of England, or places

like Essex, and say that, when we have a million of our own kids

unemployed. What we need to do is to control our own borders, have a

points -based system to everyone where we can choose who comes and

who doesn't into our country. While we have freedom of movement of

peoples, that is not possible. We will have to leave it there.

Now, a reminder yesterday, as if we needed one,

of why it's safer to broadcast from a hermetically sealed studio.

Never mind the wind, rain and occasionally disruptive

As he tried to update viewers on the latest on the reshuffle, Sky's

Political Editor, Adam Boulton, was stopped in mid-flow - by a fly.

if we look at the changing complexion of this Cabinet, compared

to the last one, the one yesterday, and what we can see is... . Graeme

ad, do you want to take a pause? You have been talking nonstop. Are you

OK? I swallowed a fly. I have recovered now. He did well there to

recover. I have been asked to point out that an animal was hurt. Who

knows what happened to the fly. We do sympathise with your plight. We

have the perfect remedy. Filled with hot or cold liquid,

flies or other airborne insects can And, if you pay attention,

it could be yours. I speak, of course,

of a Daily Politics mug. What better receptacle to grace

a Sky News screen? We'll remind you how to enter

in a minute, but let's see if you MUSIC. I went into this agreement

because I was not prepared to tolerate a situation of continuing

violence. We have decided that the National

union of Mineworkers shall organise a return to work on choose day.

And you can see the full terms and conditions for Guess The Year

on our website, that's bbc.co.uk/dailypolitics.

It's coming up to midday here, just take a look at Big Ben,

Yes, Prime Minister's Questions is on its way.

It is the final PMQs of the summer, so if you would like to comment on

proceedings, you can e-mail us, And that's not all;

Nick Robinson is here. Mr Miliband has not been in the news

recently. It has been the Tory, reshuffle, other matters. He will be

in the news very soon because he is going to the White House. There was

a report on the Today programme, he will be there and very soon, next

week. Ed Miliband will make his visit to the White House. I don't

think he will mention that. He will try to put his own characterisation

on the reshuffle, because he knows that the right throughs in the

Sunday paper will have to characterise it in a particular way

and he needs to put his imprint on the reshuffle. With these very good

employment statistics, he has to be very wary that David Cameron doesn't

say again you don't want to talk about the economy, you asked me

about health, about this, about that, it is time you spoke about the

economy. The unemployment figures are incredible, amazing how quick it

has gone down, but average earnings fell yet again. And yesterday or the

day before, I can't run a ball which, inflation went up as well, so

the gap between earnings and prices, which everyone expected to start a

narrow now, is actually widening again. Which allows Ed Miliband to

say that the cost of living crisis, as he calls it, is not a short-term

thing, it is for the long-term. It would be surprising if he was not to

use this last opportunity before the summer to try and reinforce that. He

has to do a good performance because he has had, frankly, a difficult

couple of months, but he has his visit to the White House today, he

also has the national policy reform, Labour's big policy-making

conference this weekend. There will be a big speech on Saturday when we

Are planning to campaign on the summer months? -- are they planning.

Labour got it kicking last time from political journalists. I was

speaking to a Labour insider at the other day and there is an obsession

with having several stories a day during the summer to make up for

that. Let's go over to the final Prime Minister's Questions of the

summer. In addition to my duties in this

House, I shall have further meetings today. Given his commitment to

equality, with the Prime Minister explain why 75% of his cabinet are

still men? I think the honourable lady is being a little bit churlish.

The government before my one had four women Cabinet ministers and

three additional women attending cabinet. We have five members of the

covenant and an additional three attending. In terms of the

Conservative Party, I am leading a coalition government. When it comes

to Conservatives sitting around the Cabinet table, I am proud to say one

third of them are now women. Having -- having rightly reaffirmed

his confidence in the Transport Secretary, can I urge my right

honourable friend to urge him to give early priority to the

improvement of the railway line serving East Anglia? I am well aware

of this problem and some of the campaigns and I know my right

honourable friend, the transport minister, now backed by a larger

team of ministers in the transport department, will give that their

urgent attention. Mr Ed Miliband. Mr Speaker, we have always said that

we will support the Government when they do the right thing. So can I

join thousands of parents across the country in congratulating him on

getting rid of the Education Secretary. Why did he demote him? To

answer the question... I hope the whole House can come together in

this way, which is the right honourable member for North West

Hampshire has served in this House of Commons for over 40 years and he

will be retiring at the next election. And so when it came to

replacing an extra ordinary politician, and someone who has

given so much to this country, as the Chief Whip, I wanted to find the

very best candidate and I am proud to have done so in the former

Education Secretary. He has obviously got a very short memory,

Mr Speaker. This is what he used to say about the Education Secretary. I

want to trust the Education Secretary to get on with that job

for many years. Rather than saying, I am now going to show view over

somewhere else. Why did he do it? Is it the shortage of primary school

places? The unqualified teachers or the failure of his free school 's?

He achieved a record number of academies, new free schools,

standards are rising the country and reforms that will endure. But isn't

it extraordinary, not a day of a record -- on the day of a record

increase in employment in our country, he will do anything not to

talk about economic recovery, deficit falling, economy growing,

numbers of work increasing. I am not surprised he does not want to talk

about people in work, his own job looks a bit shaky. I am bound to say

if it has all been such a great success, I still don't know why he

said -- sacked the Education Secretary. Let's talk about the

figures. The economic recovery is not benefiting most working people,

who are working harder for a longer for less. There are 7 million people

who are in working families who are paid so little they are in poverty.

Does he think the economy is working for them. Let me bring the House

up-to-date on the unemployment figures. We see employment by

254,000 this quarter. We see women's employment up. We see youth

unemployment up. And we see the unemployment count falling by

121,000. And we have reached an important milestone in our country,

which is more people in work in our country than ever before in our

history. We can now say that since this government came to office,

there are 1.8 million more people in work. That is a record that we can

be proud of. And something that the Labour leader has raised a week

after week, long-term youth unemployment, that is now lower than

when this comment came to office. Now of course it is disappointing

that pays not rising faster. But let me remind him what the director of

the Institute for fiscal studies said. He said that we have had a

great big recession. The biggest recession in 100 years. It would be

astonishing of household incomes have not fallen and earnings have

not fallen. That is what has happened. We know who is responsible

for the great economic recession. Extraordinarily, they are still in

their jobs. He is in his fifth year as Prime Minister and all he can do

is try and blame someone else. And he just does not get it. He just

doesn't get it. This week we saw shocking figures about another group

suffering from the cost of living crisis. Millions of young people

whose earnings are falling faster than everyone else. One in four of

them living with their parents because they cannot afford to buy a

house or even rent one. Does he honestly think they are feeling the

benefit of the recovery? Of course we want living standards to recover

faster. There are two things you need to do to make that happen.

Firstly, get more people into work. We want living standards to recover

faster. There are two things you need to do to make that happen.

Firstly, get more people into work. -- yesterday Labour announced it is

their policy to put up taxes on middle income people. Perhaps he can

get to his feet and tell us which taxes on which people. I ask the

questions and he fails to answer them. And the reality is he has the

worst record on living standards of any prime minister in history. But

there is one group... I will tell them what is weak. It is saying a

month ago he is happy with his team and then sacking part of his team.

There is one group feeling the benefit of the recovery. Can he

confirmed that while average pay is down ?1600 a year since the last

election, last year the top 1% took home an extra ?15 billion after the

millionaires tax cut? I am happy with my team. Looking at the Shadow

Chancellor, I am pretty happy with his team, too. Let me explain that

one of the things which happened yesterday was the deputy leader of

the Labour Party on the radio said this. I think people on middle

incomes should contribute more through their taxes. That is what

she said. There we are. That is their policy. The squeezed middle

will be squeezed more. Now he needs to tell us which people are going to

pay which taxes, because on this side of the House we have cut

council tax, petrol duty, the jobs tax, we have increased the marriage

couple's allowance. Labour will put a tax on your job, your mortgage,

your home and your pension. Where are the middle income tax? --

coming? This is totally desperate stuff. He has nothing to say about

the cost of living crisis. That is the reality. His reshuffle had

nothing to do with the country and everything to do with his party.

After four years of this government we have a recovery people cannot

feel, a cost of living crisis people cannot deny and a prime Minister

people cannot believe. He talks about five years under this

government. We have got record numbers in work. The economy

growing. Record numbers of businesses. Record numbers of women

in work. In this party, the leader reshuffles the party -- the Cabinet.

In his party, the Shadow Cabinet desperately want to reshuffle the

leader. I am sure the right honourable

gentleman is delighted to be lauded in such fashion. It is just like the

old days, Mr Speaker! Mr Speaker, as the prime minister is enjoying a

week in which he is making a lot of new best friends, when he gets to

the Brussels summit, would he give a particularly warm greeting to the

man who may yet be his best, certainly his newest, Mr Juncker,

who yesterday called for more European reform and one applicant

states who want to join the European Union face a complex, difficult and

drawn-out period of up to perhaps five years? As we don't meet before

the Scottish referendum, barring a recall, shouldn't the Scottish

voters bear those words in mind? This is a remarkable moment where

the right honourable gentleman, Jean-Claude Juncker, has said

something with which I wholeheartedly agreed. It is

noticeable what he said. That there would not be new members joining the

European Union and the next five years. That is very important in the

context of the Scottish referendum debate. He says we're not going to

meet again before the Scottish referendum. In terms of my diary, I

think the House of Commons will be in September. Can the prime Minister

explain why he has now given more knighthoods to men that he sacked

and he has given Cabinet jobs to women? Always interesting to take a

lecture from a party that gave a knighthood to Fred Goodwin! I have

appointed more women to the front bench, more women to the Cabinet, on

the basis they deserve those jobs. I want a team that reflects modern

Britain and can be everything that modern Britain needed to be. I make

no apology for saying that I think in public life we should recognise

public service, people who have worked hard, who have contributed to

our nation, our government, I think it is a good thing to do. Mr

Speaker, people with autism have specific social and communications

needs which can cause distress and misunderstanding, particularly when

they are admitted to hospital for a routine or emergency treatment. With

the Prime Minister join me in congratulating Baroness Angela Brown

and the National Autistic Society, who tomorrow are going to launch the

new hospital passport for people with autism? I think that will make

a great difference to a lot of people's lights in this country. I

thank the honourable lady, my right honourable friend, from raising this

issue. Baroness Browning has worked very hard on this issue over the

years, as has my right honourable friend, with the autism Bill, which

is making a huge difference to the way we help young people with these

conditions. I absolutely join her in making sure these services are

properly put together. Given the recent data shows the gender pay gap

is increasing again, can the prime Minister confirm the excellent news

that any woman not receiving equal pay for equal work will have their

salary topped up from Tory party funds? What I would say to the

honourable gentleman is the first of all it is welcome news that under

this government the pay gap and those below the age of 40 has all

but disappeared. We are making progress. In terms of the leader of

the house of lords, I am happy to confirm she would do the same job as

her confirm she would do the

predecessor, and receive the same amount of money. Charlotte Helix is

part of an international research project seeking to establish a link

between the DNA of anorexia nervosa sufferers. This afternoon the

project is coming to Parliament seeking to obtain DNA samples from

former sufferers, including my honourable friend, the member for

Braintree. Will my right honourable friend commend the work done by

Charlotte I very much thank my honourable friend for raising this

issue. I would commend the bravery of all those who have spoken out

about their experience with eating disorders. It is not an easy thing

to do. We need to learn more about his condition so we can provide the

right kind of support, and in that context I think what the government

is doing is important as well. Mr Speaker, we now know for certain

that taxpayers last year were robbed of around ?1 billion because of the

botched Argand basement fire sale of Royal mail. Will he now do as the

select committee have asked, and publish the list of those

preferential investors, and when will somebody be held to account for

this right Royal mail fiasco? I have to say, I just completely disagree

with the honourable gentleman. For year after year, Royal mail lost

money, the taxpayer had to back it up, and we have achieved what no

previous government have achieved, the successful privatisation of the

Royal mail. The taxpayer has received money from that sale and we

now receive the tax on the profits of Royal mail, rather than the

mismanagement of the Labour years. Mr Speaker, later this year in North

Yorkshire will become the best connected county, in terms of

superfast broadband. It is usually helpful for the growing hospitality

and tourism industry, and received a recent boost from the visit of the

Tour de France. Does my right honourable friend agree that rolling

out superfast broadband is a great boost for all sectors, not just

hospitality, to help build on the wonderful economic legacy of the

Tour de France? Can I first of all thank my honourable friend that he

gave me and the people of Harrogate gave me for the Tour de France, the

completion of that final stage, marred only by Mark Cavendish's very

tragic accident in the Tour de France, but it was an extraordinary

event and showed his constituency and the whole of Yorkshire it

absolutely in it best light. We are putting ?790 million into superfast

broadband access, we have around 400,000 new premises being upgraded

every week. I think frankly everyone in this house has a duty to get out

there and help to advertise what is happening with broadband, and to

encourage take-up rates. Thank you, Mr Speaker, it is fundamental, is it

not, that the holder of the office of Attorney General should be fairly

independent, defend the rule of law, and be ready to speak legal truth to

power. Given the distinction and respect with which the holder of

that office pursued that role, what possessed the Prime Minister to

dismiss him yesterday? First of all, can I absolutely say I absolutely

agree with the right honourable gentleman that the Attorney General

gives on varnished, independent advice, but I also believe in

government that when someone has served extremely well for four

years, there are often times when it is right to bring on new talent, and

to make the most of all the talent you have in your party. That is the

approach I take as Simon is to, and I explained that very clearly to my

team. Mr Speaker, the number of young people coming off the

unemployment register across North Yorkshire is at a record high. Would

the Prime Minister agree that today's small business bill,

Conservative inspired, is yet another boost to the women and men

who are creating the jobs to make this happen? I thank my honourable

friend for his question, today's bill will help make the United

Kingdom the most attractive and easy place to start, finance and grow a

small business. That is our ambition. He is absolutely right

about these unemployment figures, in his own constituency, the claimant

count has fallen by 37% in the last year, I50 since the election.

Long-term youth claimant count, because this is the most important

thing, to make that young people are getting those opportunities -- to

make sure, it is down 60% in the last year. The last two European

commissioners from the UK have held major portfolios, central to our

interest. The outgoing commissioner has been the spokesperson for

foreign affairs, and her predecessor helped the trade portfolio. So can I

ask the Prime Minister what post does he hope to secure for his

nominee, Lord Hill, is the consolation prize for his failure to

stop the appointment of Mr Juncker? And how, this time, does he intend

to build support for his objective? First of all, I think it is a good

moment for everyone across the house to pay tribute to Cathy Ashton,

effectively the Foreign Minister for Europe, over the last four years, in

what is a gruelling and exhausting job. I think there is an

opportunity, whether there will be a resolution or not, I don't know, but

I think there is an opportunity to make sure that Britain has an

important portfolio, one where we can maximise our influence in the

areas we care about most, which are areas to do with our economy, and we

will work very hard to do that. I think Lord Hill, with his experience

in the previous Conservative government, and this government,

holding as it is this equivalent post Baroness Ashton held before she

became a Commissioner, will do a very good job for our country. As

you know, my constituency is very dependent on investment in the oil

and gas industry, where the unemployment rate is currently 0.5%.

Therefore the Prime Minister will understand there is some concern

with the reshuffle where both the Treasury Minister and the energy

manager Hull Minister responsible for that industry has changed again

-- the energy minister responsible. I think my honourable friend makes

an important point, North Sea oil is absolutely vital, making sure we

have the tax regime appropriately in place and implementing the Would

review is something we are committed to. -- the Wood review. On the 4th

of August, people from across the country will come together to mark

100 years since the outbreak of the First World War. It is an important

opportunity to commemorate a conflict that changed Britain for

ever. Can I asked the primaries to if he will join for us supporting

the 1418 now lights out campaign, and if he will encourage people

across the UK to turn out their lights between ten and 11pm on the

4th of August, so, as a country, we can pay fitting tribute to those who

sacrificed and serve our country a hundred years ago? I think the

honourable gentleman is right to recommend this campaign, I think it

is a way to get particularly young people engaged in what happened a

century ago, and to understand the consequences for Europe, the world

and our society. There are a lot of events that will take place to

commemorate appropriately the First World War. One of the most

significant will be tomorrow, when the Imperial War Museum, has a major

investment and is reopening for the public. I know my own George and

enjoy going there, many people I hope will make the best of it. With

the Northwest and Cheshire's proud history of contribute in

significantly to our national economy, with my right honourable

friend agree how rapidly the safety of element of fracking is to boost

the competitors of the country, but also in the north-west to continue

to be a significant contributor to our wealth and welfare? My right

honourable friend makes a significant point, and it is true

that in the Northwest we have seen the claimant count in his

constituency come down 40% in the last year, but if we want to sustain

the increase in employment and sustained economic growth, we should

not hold ourselves back from new of energy, including unconventional

gas. And it is striking that in the United States they have something

like 100,000 unconventional gas wells dug, whereas in the whole of

Europe it is something like 100. We have is about three quarters of as

much of unconventional gas in the US there is in America, I don't want us

to miss out. -- in the new as there is in America. -- in the European

Union. Parliament might be about to break down for the summer, but can I

tell the Prime Minister that even that won't stop people having

babies, getting injured and needing routine emergency care on the NHS.

So, in the light of the forthcoming report into safety at Stafford

hospital by the sea QC, can he have a word with his friend, the

Chancellor of the Exchequer, and make sure that the Treasury is going

to fund, in full, the changes to health services across North

Staffordshire that the University hospital in Stoke-on-Trent has to

provide, and which has to provide at no extra cost to the health of

people in Stoke-on-Trent? I take into account what the honourable

lady says, I am regularly advised about the situation in

Staffordshire. Changes need to take place. This inspection is absolutely

vital. I think the important thing in the health service is to not try

to hide problems but properly address them. Today, Bruce Keogh is

reporting a year on from his report when he took something like 11

hospitals into special measures, and what he'll show is that all of them

are making improvements, five of them are able to come out of special

measures, and making sure we make improvements in all of our

hospitals. I thank the Prime Minister for supporting the West

Country, particularly the Railway Inn Dawlish and -- the railway in

Dawlish and broadband. I think the honourable lady makes an

important point. We must continue supporting transport infrastructure

in the south-west. We have the important report on Dawlish coming

out. The work is being done right now, in terms of making sure it is

more resilient. We have had the important announcement about the

sleeper service down to the south-west, and announcement about a

number of other road and rail schemes. I will look very carefully

watches says about fair funding, but it is very important that everyone

can see that these situations are fair. The office will budget

responsible to show that the government's new system of school

fees will add ?15 billion more expected to the government debt than

expected by the end of the parliament. Hasn't the government

got it all wrong when it comes to cherish and fees? What we were told,

Mr Speaker, by the party opposite was that no one would take up these

loans, no one from poorer backgrounds would go to university,

and the numbers going to university would collapse. What has actually

happened is record numbers are going to universities, record numbers from

lower income homes are going. Obviously, we need to make sure that

the system is cost efficient, but I am satisfied it is working, and the

Chancellor announced in his recent budget that far from having problems

with the funding, we are uncapped in the numbers that can go to

university. That is the aspiration society we are building in this

country. Unemployment has more than halved in my constituency since

2010. York is poised to benefit from a multiple Ian Pannell benefit

through three -- multi-million pound benefit. Would my right honourable

friend not agree that this clearly demonstrates our commitment to

tackling the north-South divide, and delivering a northern lead economic

plan? I am delighted to share with my honourable friend that the

claimant count in his constituency is down by 42% over the last year,

and down by 61% since the election. I know Labour don't want to hear

about falling unemployment numbers, the numbers of people in work, but

the fact is every single one of these people getting a job is about

someone having a livelihood and the chance to provide for their family,

that is what this is about. He is absolutely right to raise the

importance of the agricultural industries and linked industries in

Yorkshire. I am sure that the new agriculture and environmental

secretary will want to make an early visit to her birthplace of

Yorkshire. Specialist spinal cord injury beds are a precious resource

for people and patients in desperate need. Why is it, therefore, that on

the Prime Minister's watch, specialist beds at the Stoke

Mandeville spinal injuries centre of being used for people who do not

have spinal cord injuries? Obviously, decisions are for

individual trusts and individual clinical commissioning groups

themselves, but we made two important decisions as a government,

first to fund the NHS with extra money, ?12.7 billion in this

Parliament, and second to abolish the bureaucracy that had built up

under Labour with 17,000 fewer bureaucrats. Both those decisions

were opposed by the Labour Party, but we can see 7000 more doctors,

4000 more nurses, more patients treated and an NHS that is doing

well. Mr Speaker, in the recent case of Nicholson on the question of

assisted dying, Lord Neuberger said that Parliament had the opportunity

to reform the law, in the knowledge that if Parliament does not act, the

courts may. This could raise serious constitutional issues. Does he agree

that whatever your views on the subject, what the public really want

is a debate in this house? First of all, I would say it is good that a

debate is being held and it would be worthwhile reading the debate that

takes place on Friday in the other place. I am very happy for a debate

to be held here, and there are now opportunities for backbenchers to

hold debates in the chamber, and I am sure the new Leader of the House

of Commons, who I am sure we all want to welcome to his place, will

be listening carefully to that request. For myself, I am not

convinced that further steps need to be taken. I worry about legalising

euthanasia, and people might be pushed into things that they don't

actually want for themselves, but by all means let's have the debate. to

returning to the issue of taxes and the wealthy, when will the Prime

Minister publishes tax return? On the subject of taxes and

middle-income people, when will we get an answer from Labour about what

was it the deputy leader of the party meant when she said, and let

me repeat it, that she thinks people on middle incomes should contribute

more through their taxes? There is one party in this house with a big

tax problem and I am looking at it. Given that poor mental health is the

single biggest driver of well-being in this country, Willy act on a

recommendation from the think tank forum and tackle poorly supporting

mental health by this government signing up to the employers mental

health framework? I will look very carefully at the report he mentions.

I think it is important, and he helped to do this in government,

that we now have a situation where mental health is given proper parity

of esteem through the NHS Constitution. We have made good

progress in terms of making available talking therapies for

mental health patients in the NHS. I will look carefully at the report.

a short break in the transmission there. We are not quite sure why. Ed

Miliband when first of all on Michael Gove. He did not get much an

answer from prime Minister. He then went on more to the wider issues of

the economy. Mr Miliband concentrated on how wages, average

earnings, are still trailing prices. The gap has actually got wider

because the CPI measure of inflation rose last month, whereas average

earnings fell last month compared to the previous month. Mr Cameron, of

course, suggesting the positive. He concentrated on the very strong

employment figures that came out today. Let's see what you thought

and then we hear from our guests. Helen Manning says nobody could

describe Ed Miliband as a big beast today. Pour predictable performance

again. He needs a new PR guru. David Axelrod is just not cutting it.

Daniel from Southampton says Ed Miliband was weak again. The

questioning on Michael Gove was boring and did not address any real

issues. He has nothing to say on jobs and the economy. Diane

Richardson from Welwyn Garden City says, shock horror, the Government

front bench slightly more packed with women. Until mid-2015 Cameron

turns me off. Edberg Stone says Rather than saying more people than

ever are in work, wouldn't it be better to say that more people since

1066 are back in work. Statistics do not have time with ordinary voters.

Another reviewer says with all the people in work one would think it

was going great guns. Tax returns will never bring down the deficit,

no matter how many people are in work.

I don't think they do. I may be out on a limb but I don't think they do.

Do you think, Nick, the Prime Minister was fully aware of what we

are all saying... That he was handing a scalp to the educational

establishment by sacking Michael Gove, and a gift to the Labour

Party? I agree with the first part but not the second. Of course he

knew he was handing a gift to the political establishment. He knew

that teachers would be celebrating. I interviewed yesterday -- Michael

Gove yesterday and said to him that many teachers would be having an

extra glass of wine tonight, and he was humorous enough to say that yes,

no doubt they will. He is trying to comfort himself. If you remove a

target, that helps you are electorally. Michael Gove is now not

a target in the general election. What Lynton Crosby and others around

the prime Minister want people who do not distract from the message

about leadership and the economy. Those are the Tories believe are the

two trump cards. Nothing should get in the way. The model is Jeremy

Hunt. Make the health service boring. Keep it out of the news. It

is not quite as high-profile as it was when Lansley was in charge. It

may not be so much in the political news, the political lobby is not so

interested, but there are stories every day about health and rightly

so. It is a big winning issue for them but compared to what it was

like before it is quieter. I can now exclusively reveal what Michael

Gove's status is. Are you a big fan of the Game Of Thrones? Love it. How

can you understand politics if you do not watch it? You are going to

have to collect -- correct do not watch it? You are going to

exclusively reveal that David Cameron, when he asked Michael Gove

to take on the role of Chief Whip, told him that he was a big fan of

Game Of Thrones and he wanted him to be like the hand of the King. This

is the Charles dance character. -- Charles dance. He is the most

powerful person in the seven kingdoms. Can I also point out that

his son takes a crossbow, while he is sitting on the privy, and kills

him. Is that what we mean... The sun kills the Michael Gove character. My

advice to Michael Gove therefore is not to go to the privy! And if he

does go, leave the door open! I have to go online in order to mug up on

this. It is said on the Game Of Thrones website that when there is a

weak leader, the job of the candidate King, Michael Gove, is to

clear up the political mess. And the King makes a bit of a mess and the

hand wipes. Forgive me, but that is the slogan. We have gone to the

lowest common dominator. What they have not taken into account, because

one of the things about the Game Of Thrones is that the women, the

female characters, are really strong. They are not windowdressing,

like some say the Cabinet is. They are a strong women in their own

right. Powerful. Their weapons are their brains and arrows and nights

as well. They are not beyond a bit of killing. Michael Gove's wife,

Sarah Vine, columnist, re-tweeted a -- an article this morning in which

the headline was, a shabby days work which Cameron will live to regret.

If that is not out of Game Of Thrones I don't know what it is. US

certainly tempting me to find out more about Game Of Thrones! You are

still watching the uneven line! I can remember it! Does it still

linger on as a problem for the Government? The history of these

sorts of reshuffles is it depends how the people who suffer react.

Michael is being told he is in the heart of government. He will be at

meetings twice a day. I believe they intend to have him. He is a valuable

political strategist. Will he find it unsatisfying and frustrating? He

has had his profile reduced. He is too controversial before the

election. To be fair to him, I don't recall is Secretary of State for

education who did anything that was not unpopular with the teaching

unions. Back in the dark ages, I have been Secretary of State for

education myself, and I was not the pin-up of the teachers trade unions

introducing grant-maintained schools. Reshuffles otherwise are

over within a couple of days of them taking place. They fascinate the

political bubble, the establishment, on quite a considerable scale

because the celebrity culture nowadays is all. The average members

of the public will not remember who did what job or who is doing it now.

You do not think it will cut through? It contains the message

there are a lot more women about. It is the economy, stupid. That is what

this election is about. You are trying to suggest there are new

crises and which they have never been before. Western democracy,

people believe health care is in crisis. It is constantly changing,

higher pressures, you are going up an escalator going downwards,

infinite demand... You always have turbulent emotional politics in

health. What matters is the recovery from the recession. We have this

simplistic argument, should people be feeling better off now to the

answer is, if only it weren't so easy. You have got to have several

more years of constructing a modern, competitive economy. That is

the only way of raising lifestyles, not Ed Miliband talking about

prices. I welcome the new jobs. It is always better to be in work if

you can then be on benefits. People are not seeing a difference. What

they think is unfair is they see people at the top getting tax cuts

and they feel that they are benefiting a lot more than ordinary

people. But they will. We should have been doing a lot more in

earlier on in terms of getting the skills that people need, building

the right infrastructure, really getting banks lending to businesses

and businesses investing, too. I think we have not seen anywhere near

enough progress on that. It is all very well saying to people that they

need to wait a few more years. Can you shed any light on what Harriet

Harman meant when he -- when she said on the radio that people on

middle incomes should contribute more? I would imagine she was saying

that we have a progressive tax system in this country and if you

did not want that we would have a flat rate of tax. She was not saying

that we wanted to tax people on middle incomes more. Why would you

put it that way though? It -- it has always been the case in this country

that people on middle incomes pay more. That is what happens at the

moment. She is not proposing they are going to be taxing people on

middle incomes more. Harriet has caused a little consternation. She

does need to explain why she said it. You do contribute more in a

progressive tax system. You wonder why she would say it. She was on LBC

on July the 14th. It was in an answer about work working class

people on middle class people get back from the tax system in terms of

public services. She debating with the idea that middle-income people

do not get anything back in return for what they contribute. The quote

says that yes, people on middle incomes should contribute more

through their taxes. I have not seen it in its full context. Can be

interpreted either way. Unless you support a flat rate tax system...

Final thought from Munich before the summer months? What is telling about

it is simply the determination of the Tories that they were not on the

back foot today, and that Ed Miliband went into the summer still

relatively speaking on the back foot. He will not be pleased that

people are having their incomes squeezed but pleased that it

confirms what he has warned about. The Tories will feel they got

through a difficult day. Michael Gove been shelved out. Ed Miliband

did not get one of those victories. Damian McBride said the other day

that every week was a test. This week the Labour Party will not be

able to save a won. I don't think their loss.

When Will Mr Miliband see Mr Obama in the White House? Next week. I am

not sure which of them has the most political difficulties. He has not

got a narrative is that once you get onto the economy, poor old Ed

Miliband is all at sea. I disagree. Have a nice summer, I hope

Parliament is not recalled and heft as you again -- I have to see you

again. We are sitting on "abundant shales

at depth", according But should we be fracking it,

or leaving well alone? The fashion designer,

Vivienne Westwood, has been touring the country to try

and raise awareness about shale gas We will be speaking to Vivienne

in a moment, but first, Here is her soapbox. This is shale

gas mining in the USA, otherwise known as fracking. It involves

pumping water, sand and chemicals down a well at high pressure to

fracture the rocks and extract gas trapped within them. This mining is

widespread in the USA, and our government wants to do it here. Back

in 2011, shale gas exploration was halted in Blackpool. A report

concluded that fracking had most likely caused two minor earthquakes.

There are also concerns that water supplies close to drilling could

become polluted by the dangerous chemicals used for extraction, and

with methane gas, as is the case here. Fracking is an issue that

concerns all of us, not just politicians in Westminster. It will

lead to the production of more fossil fuels, which will hasten

climate change. We need to wage war on climate change, and the first

battle is to stop politicians from forcing fracking upon us. That is

why I joined anti-fracking road testers at the village of all, in

West Sussex last year, -- Balcombe, where there were plans for

exploratory drilling. 48% of British people don't know what fracking is,

yet the government wants to inflict it upon us without explanation.

There is no democratic mandate for fracking. David Cameron said he was

going to create the greenest government ever, but has instead

supported the shale gas industry. And we're joined now

in the studio by Vivienne Westwood. Welcome to the programme. You talk

there about the dangers of fracking at the Royal Society and Royal

Academy of engineering have reviewed the risks, particularly the ones you

talked about, tremors and water contamination. Do you agree that

those health risks perhaps look less romantic than originally thought

when fracking was first raised as an option? Absolutely not, the opposite

is true -- less traumatic. Heavy volume shale gas extraction has only

been going on for eight years. It is a new industry. When it started,

that is when everyone joined in to it in America, and it was only for

eight years that this was going on. What we have found in America is

that it has now plateaued, it has peaked, and so there were hundreds

of people who tried to set up and get this stuff out of the ground,

which they did. But now they are all getting into debt, because they have

to keep drilling more and more, they can't service their debt. So it is

not a success, let's just say that anyway, but that is not what you

asked B. The evidence for pollution is incredible -- not what you asked

me. The evidence for pollution is incredible in America, people have

denied it, but the statistics are overwhelming. The risks have been

reviewed here, and they say they can be managed effectively. We have

spoken to companies who feel that the risks of tremors are minimal,

and water contamination, but do you think, despite what Vivienne

Westwood says, it could be a game changer here in the way many people

think it has been in the States? I think it good. We still have to

prove it is extractable in the quantity it potentially could be. I

think it is a no-brainer. It is not a new technology. We have been

injecting water and a mix of chemicals into the geology for 40 or

50 years. It can be done properly, it does not have these environmental

hazards. While I think today we are a healthy, democratic society, if we

had today's planning law and debating system in the 19th

century, we would never have had the Industrial Revolution, and here we

have a potentially hugely valuable national resource. It can be

extracted perfectly safely, and it could make a big contribution to our

economy, and we can't have a debate for years and years and years about

fanciful notions of what has gone wrong, which nobody in America would

recognise. Vivienne Westwood also said you are hardly the greenest

government ever, that David Cameron promised. Do you agree that has

gone? We are in favour of cutting carbon emissions, we have set

targets for that. I would point out the Americans have reduce to their

carbon emissions going for the shale gas. No, they haven't. The Germans

who have gone for renewables on a monster scale have seen their

emissions go up. Our government is committed to international targets,

but we need to pursue them in a sensible position. Vivienne, you are

holding your head in your hands in despair, why? Because it is all

completely wrong, everything Kenneth has just said is completely wrong.

First of all, it has only happened for eight years, you check it,

high-volume, it is the difference between... The power involved is the

difference between riding a horse and cart or a Turbo racing car. It

is incredibly different. That has been happening for only eight years.

Apart from which, the point about this fracking is that there are 400

times more for clients in our little country than there are in America.

For clients, that is what happened in Blackpool -- four times more full

clients -- fault lines. Liz Kendall, do you have any worries about it? I

support fracking so much as we regulate it properly. We need to do

that alongside a big issues like carbon capture and storage and

renewables. It was interesting what Ken said about other countries, one

of the reasons Germany has made such progress on renewables, it has

massive private sector investment alongside public investment, because

it has a clear, long-term target, and that is the point where I think

the government has fallen down. Germany is building 12 new

late-night coal plants, which is the dirtiest coal in the world. Fracking

is dirtier than coal. It produces more pollution, because of the

methane leakage. We are going to leave it there, but Vivienne

Westwood, thank you. O God, all right then.

You call him the wrong person for the job.

You condemn his appointment as a "mistake".

This evening David Cameron is off to Brussels, where he's due to

meet the man he tried, but failed, to block as European Commission

But here at the Daily Politics, we don't like to spare politicians'

blushes, so we've put together a compilation of some more of those

It is six months. You can't say anything about the immigrants,

because all these Eastern Europeans are coming in. You should never have

put me with that bigoted woman, whose idea was that? Just

ridiculous. I am mortified by what has happened, I have given her my

sincere apologies. I misunderstood watches said, and she has accepted.

-- what she said. I did not have sexual relations with

that woman. Indeed, I did have a relationship with her, in fact it

was wrong. I liked the music. Was that Perry

Como or Andy Williams? I can't remember. What has been your most

awkward political Inkatha? It was a little bit awkward when the new

Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, twice called me Rachel Reeves on

question Time -- political encounter. More embarrassing for him

than me. Awkward? When my mum came and helped in the general election,

she was doing some telephone canvassing, and some they had said

something not particularly nice about me, and she said that is my

daughter you are talking about, at which point I had to remove her from

the telephone. That is what mums are there for. Ken, you only have 40

order years of an awkward moment -- 40 years. I have had people shout

silly things at me when campaigning. I have met constituents in the most

extraordinary places. You still have time. Forgetting people 's names, I

have that all the time. That happens all the time, George! Absolutely.

It's time to put you out of your misery, and give you

The one o'clock news is starting over on BBC One now.

Now, there's no Daily Politics on Thursday and Friday, as we make

But I am here tomorrow night, with Michael Portillo and

Alan Johnson joining me for This Week at 11.25 pm on BBC One, that's

And I am back next Monday and Tuesday for two final

Imagine the number of women this industry supports.

This World investigates the true cost of fashion.

It took less than 90 seconds for the eight-storey building to collapse.