17/12/2015 This Week


17/12/2015

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Tonight on This Week, hankies at the ready

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as inspiration fails us and we return to Downturn Abbey

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We'll review a dramatic political year and look ahead to what could be

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I've just been to see Her Majesty the Queen and I will now form a

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majority Conservative Government. Our party has changed. We've grown

:00:36.:00:40.

enormously, because of the hopes of so many ordinary people.

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Lord of the Manor Quentin Letts and head butler Kevin Maguire

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have downsized, but they still can't act.

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I finally got to run the estate on my own and now my heir, George, he

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thinks he's running the place. You think you've got it bad. I've been

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purged by my own staff and who do you think they have put in charge?

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The bearded bloke who inspects the Han hole covers. Manhole covers.

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It's not only the cast of Downturn looking for new jobs.

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Some big political figures have have also had to

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I'm truly sorry I didn't succeed. Truly

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Obviously the results have been more crushing than I imagined.

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Settle down and treat yourself to a glass of mulled

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Blue Nun as we prepare to serve our traditional

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Welcome to our festive This Week 'Special' -

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and I use the term advisedly - broadcasting to you from a veritable

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no-expense spared Winter Wonderland, in O Little Town of Westminster.

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It's our final show of the year - (HURRAH!) - and you join us

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in a chillaxed mood, on what we like to call

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We've ditched our traditional Christmas jumpers -

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every Tom, Dick and One Show now copies us -

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and decided to dress upmarket, as befits posh folk

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And, as my contract demands, let's get this Party Seven started

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with my very own band of merry carol singers.

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Yes, they really do stagger through the snow

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Hit me with your Yuletide rhythm stick, Ida!

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Sleigh bells ring, are you listening, in the lane the snow is

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glistening. A beautiful sight, we are happy tonight, walking in a

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winter wonderland. Gone away, hear the bluebird. Here to stay is a new

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bird. He sings a love song and we go along, walking in a winter

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wonderland. Walking in a This Week wonderland.

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APPLAUSE. I told you they were good. Ida will be singing us out tonight

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to accompany your festive Twelfies. Yes, 'The Twelfie Night

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of Christmas' is back! And once again it's time to tweet us

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a festive picture of yourself - with proof you're

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watching tonight's show. Extra points for any tinsel,

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baubles, or Blue Nun in shot. If we get enough, our

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work-experience elves will edit them Remember to tweet #TWelfie

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if you want them to reach us. Speaking of programme content

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we got on the cheap, I'm joined in the stable tonight

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by four holy figures who travelled from afar, following a star, to bear

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witness to my messiah complex. Think of them as the

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Three Wise Pundits, and the Shadow Cabinet virgin

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of late night political chat. I speak, of course,

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of #sadmanonatrain Michael #madamemao Diane 'what happens

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behind the Berlin Wall, stays behind the

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Berlin Wall' Abbott. And #onepartystatesman -

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SNP MP, John "I've forgot my wallet" And not forgetting the only

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one you really care Aah. Michael, your moment of the

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year? Well, it may seem a little bit dull but it was the unexpected, to

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me, Conservative victory in the general election. Partly because it

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brought in economic stability which I had not expected. I had expected

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instability. It also ushered in political instability, because we

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are now going to have a euro referendum. And goodness knows where

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that will end up. We'll talk more about that. Diane? My exact moment

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on the year was 10 o'clock on election night, I was on my way back

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from my campaign headquarters and I heard that exit poll. I knew

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straight away the exit poll was right. I never doubted the exit

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poll. It was bongs on the Ten o'clock News on Radio 4 and I cried.

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I knew we had lost. We kind of knew we were going to lose, but during

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the campaign, the polls were so tight we began to believe we could

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win. Not just tight, wrong. Basically wrong. Miranda? The Syria

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vote actually, because it seemed to me such an appallingly tense moment

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and these divisions between the two sides of the Labour Party were so

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horribly on show. It is also very difficult to assess how Britain now

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sees its place in the world. And David Cameron's attempts to play

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Blair on the world stage. How will that end? And I think also very

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divisive moment in terms of polarising people over whether they

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think Britain should be militarily involved. Your guy spoke for this

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military intervention. We are just doing moment of the year at the

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moment. That comes later. I know you haven't been with us for a while. We

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are not attacking every pundit. John, your moment of the year? I

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suppose my moment of the year politically was being elected. Along

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with quite a few others. It was the most extraordinary moment. The most

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extraordinary night in Scotland. Unbelievable. These guys are much

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more experienced politically than I am but nothing prepares you for

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standing on stage, hearing your name, and having to go forward and

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deliver a speech. And you are not a candidate any more but you are an

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MP. You have to speak for the people who voted for you and against. And

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prepare for losing too. He knows! Full of Christmas cheer. I've only

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just been elected! About losing, we know who can give you lessons.

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Now, for excited fans around the world, the wait is finally over.

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Many of you no doubt grew up with a series set in a galaxy far,

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far away, introducing us to some of the best-loved characters

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And many of you will have no doubt queued since early this morn

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to secure a front row seat for what critics are calling

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Yes, 'may the force keep you well-and-truly awake'

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as we return, once again, to the epic stately-home-space-opera

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Later in the show we will premiere the sixth and latest instalment,

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but for now, an exclusive look behind the scenes at how a modern

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Think of what follows as the cheap DVD extras

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It's a great British TV institution that's made us laugh and cry.

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But after six years, two days and a whopping 14 episodes,

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This Week's Downturn Abbey is finally drawing to a close.

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So tonight our cameras have been given a rare glimpse into how

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This place needs a bit of attention certainly.

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The show began way back in 2010, when I was just a nipper,

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following the ups and downs of life in a Westminster stately home.

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You should see me bake a Victoria sponge!

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Actually I had no choice, I was contractually obliged

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But it did while away two or three minutes sitting on a platform

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And I think it was a parable of modern life.

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"O tempora o mores," as Cicero would say.

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The stars of the show are the Eric and Ernie of late

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The Daily Mail's fabulous Quentin Letts and the Mirror's

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No, I don't know who they are either!

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I only gave the programme six months at the start.

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It was only meant to last as long as the coalition.

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But it went on and on and on, and we've ended up like this.

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Well, we do get on, despite coming from poles apart politically.

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But Quentin, I've got to tell you, I voted for Jeremy Corbyn.

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Hm, so did I... twice.

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This year the part-time team of four have crammed 12 months of incredible

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Relations on set are a little more tense than usual

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It's a dire, awful, unbelievably bad programme,

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and every year when I see Downturn Abbey it puts

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The equivalent of which I have only reached those depths on May 7th

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He'd obviously had some advance information.

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I was expecting a great Labour victory.

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He was on his iPhone booking up a holiday in Ibiza.

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The year's other big stories were the rise of the SNP.

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Jeremy Corbyn becoming leader of the Labour Party.

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And our former Prime Minister spoke in the Commons for one last time.

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the final ever episode of Downturn Abbey.

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Magic, historical television. Thanks to Brian Blessed for doing the

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commentary on that. It will be in the archives forever. All of you,

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give me the major reason why you think Mr Cameron and the Tories

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against most predictions won an overall majority. I think they had a

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very targeted strategy. They took out the Lib Dems ruthlessly. From in

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the West Country and other places. For people that were meant to be

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their coalition targets. And although I thought Ed Miliband is

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fantastic and has been proved right on many issues, he didn't cut it

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with the electorate. John? People weren't convinced by Ed Miliband. I

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would go around the doors in my constituency and Labour voters would

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say, I cannot see that man as Prime Minister. I thought it was terribly

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unfair, because I think he would have been a perfectly competent

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Prime Minister. He is obviously a bright cookie. So Ed Miliband? I

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think Ed Miliband really did the Labour Party a lot of damage.

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Michael? Yes, Ed Miliband but the Conservatives convinced people that

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they were serious about the economy and convinced people you needed to

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be serious about the economy. Miranda? A combination of all these

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things plus the genius message from the Conservatives they wouldn't just

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be voting for Ed Miliband in Downing Street but Ed Miliband backed by the

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SNP. And that I'm afraid is what, I know apologists argue about this,

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but in the Lib Dem seats you don't get people voting Lib Dem if they

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are scared of the Labour leader in Downing Street. All parties have

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given that as the reason. Michael, why were you so convinced at the

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time that it wasn't within Mr Cameron's ability to deliver an

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overall majority? Because I couldn't see him improving on 37%, which was

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what he had got the time before. Governments don't improve on their

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previous record. And I couldn't conceive of the combination of votes

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that would give the Tories an overall majority with 37%. They did

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in fact get 37%, but because of the collapse of Labour Party, not least

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in Scotland, this 37% was sufficient to give them an overall majority.

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The Tories shouldn't convince themselves. When John Major won in

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1992, they had 42% and millions of Tory votes have gone away and

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haven't come back. And they won seats in Scotland too under John

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Major. Isn't it worth pointing out, that even had Labour won every seat

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in Scotland they still wouldn't have been able to form a government? I

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wanted to make that point to Diane. You were wiped out in Scotland but

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you did badly in England, why? Outside of London there is a lot to

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be done to rebuild Labour's position with what we used to regard as core

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Labour voters. And I think in Scotland as well there is an

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organisational issue. Scotland had been a Bastian for so long that the

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structure of the party had atrophied. That was one of the

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issues, putting independence to one side. You agree now with Miranda

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that it was that the Tories frightened particularly the English,

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with not just Mr Miliband, but Miliband propped up by Nicola

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Sturgeon? I was very doubtful that the time. I remember. Thank you, you

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have a memory like an elephant. Especially when you are wrong. It

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has been a hopeless year for me because I did misunderstand that, I

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did not predict a Conservative victory and I did not dig the

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triumph of Diane's friend, Jeremy Corbyn. As the SNP was taking all

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before it and Nicola Sturgeon had become a UK- wide figure because of

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the debates and the rise of the SNP, did you ever take into account that

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you would as a result of this stop Labour from winning? No, because I

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don't think it have that effect, myself. I think Labour lost on its

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own, and because of its own policies and its own campaigning, and because

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of its own leader. So I don't accept that analysis. And I have to say, I

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have not met these mythical people who apparently were so scared of the

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SNP they decided to vote Tory. You might need to get around England a

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bit more. Miranda, tell him he is wrong. Diane's point about the well

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targeted Tory campaign, it is on the level of, if you vote Labour, Nicola

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Sturgeon will block your ARoad. You will not have met those people,

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because it was a talented campaign. -- targeted campaign.

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How did a lacklustre Miliband lead to an unknown Corbyn? It wasn't, as

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it were, from individual to individual. I think it was that the

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party as a whole decided, decisively, that it wanted to put

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the Blair-Brown years behind it. Is that what happened in the summer? I

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think so. All of the candidates were good, particularly Liz Kendall, who

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I don't agree with, but was tied in with the Blair-Brown legacy. The

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party said, maybe great things were done, but we want to move ahead. It

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depends what you mean by the party. The parliamentary party did not once

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Jeremy Corbyn. He was only nominated because some people lent their votes

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to him for the nomination. They won't do that again in a hurry! As

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for the party at large, as you know, the ranks were swollen by vast

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numbers appear from nowhere. We have just seen the joke where Quentin

:18:11.:18:14.

Letts says that he voted for Jeremy Corbyn. Michael, I love you. But you

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need to stop reading Tory propaganda. Jeremy one in every

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section of the electorate, existing members, ?3 per head members and the

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trade union affiliates. Not the members of Parliament. It was a

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decisive win. Did it ever cross any leading Lib Dem mind that the party

:18:39.:18:43.

would be all but wiped out? I don't think it did. It was a huge

:18:44.:18:47.

surprise. Something really bad happened which had never happened in

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any party. There was a tinge of believing your own propaganda. This

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idea that Lib Dem MPs as individuals are so well dug in and in their

:18:59.:19:01.

local area that they are untouchable. OK, fine, but if the

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tide is going out massively, even that is not going to save you. So

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there was quite a lot of delusion, actually. It was inevitable that

:19:13.:19:17.

going into coalition was going to be electorally toxic, but the scale of

:19:18.:19:22.

the damage, no way to predict. Was it hard to see Nick Clegg preside

:19:23.:19:27.

over the crushing of his party yet keep his seat? If he had lost his

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seat, he could have started life all over again. I think he has, he does

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not turn up and vote very often. He did make a very good resignation

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speech. That is a new meaning to damning with faint praise. That was

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the best moment of my career. And you have gone on to great things, so

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there we are. Is Scotland now a 1-party state? No, because a 1-party

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state is eight country where only one party is allowed to stand.

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Scotland is a country which has... You are not going to allow other

:20:09.:20:13.

parties to stand, are you? It is worth saying we all know what they

:20:14.:20:16.

1-party state is, and it certainly is not Scotland. You know what I

:20:17.:20:24.

mean, you are so dominant now, in a sense you have all of these MPs in

:20:25.:20:27.

Westminster, but do you really have much power? It is interesting how

:20:28.:20:34.

the narrative has changed about SNP MPs at Westminster. In May we were

:20:35.:20:39.

all uncontrollable hooligans. You were going to be drunk every night.

:20:40.:20:44.

Drunk on champagne, the Daily Mail said. We would be staggering around

:20:45.:20:48.

and Nicola Sturgeon would be unable to control us. Fast forward, and the

:20:49.:20:55.

narrative has changed and we are now 56 robots, marching in perfect

:20:56.:21:00.

Unison. Not really, because only 54 of you have the whip. Two have

:21:01.:21:06.

already lost the whip. But in the Daily Mail, the other two are still

:21:07.:21:09.

marching with us. Because they want the job back! It... The SNP is doing

:21:10.:21:21.

well because people seem to like the SNP. It has been in government for

:21:22.:21:25.

eight years. If we look at the polls in Scotland it is extraordinary. At

:21:26.:21:29.

the next election, the Holyrood election, they seem on course to win

:21:30.:21:35.

even more seats. We will go there shortly for all of you in 2016.

:21:36.:21:38.

Now, enough of this conversational good cheer.

:21:39.:21:40.

Let's raise a glass once more to our very merry carol singers.

:21:41.:21:43.

# Ding dong merrily on high # In heaven the bells are ringing

:21:44.:21:57.

# Ding-dong verily the sky # Is riven with angels singing

:21:58.:22:06.

# Gloria # Portillo in ex-Chelsea this

:22:07.:22:14.

# # Portillo in

:22:15.:22:26.

That is the best one yet! He loves being sung about.

:22:27.:22:31.

Ladies and gentlemen, our merry carollers,

:22:32.:22:33.

Appearing on a front doorstep near you very soon.

:22:34.:22:36.

Please give them all your spare change.

:22:37.:22:38.

And don't forget, you too can let the Christmas spirit pour forth

:22:39.:22:40.

on The Twitter, The Fleecebook and the former Great Leader's World

:22:41.:22:43.

We guarantee that all comments and complaints will receive

:22:44.:22:46.

and ready yourself for the cinematic ride of your life,

:22:47.:22:54.

as we suspend all critical faculties and rejoin the cast

:22:55.:22:56.

of Downturn Abbey for their latest and final epic adventure.

:22:57.:23:01.

We'd like to say this year's film picks up

:23:02.:23:04.

head nor tail of last year's instalment, so we're not wildly

:23:05.:23:11.

See if you can figure out what the hell we're on about,

:23:12.:23:15.

as we return, one more time, to Downturn Abbey.

:23:16.:23:44.

I can't believe it's come to this Maguire.

:23:45.:23:48.

Packed off to the dower house, at my age.

:23:49.:23:50.

There's so much I still want to do.

:23:51.:23:58.

After five years of being held back I'm in charge alone.

:23:59.:24:01.

And now my heir, George, he thinks he's running the place.

:24:02.:24:06.

Bargain Hunt's on the wireless, my lord.

:24:07.:24:13.

You think you've got it bad, my lord.

:24:14.:24:19.

And who do you think they've put in charge?

:24:20.:24:22.

That bearded bloke who inspects the manhole covers.

:24:23.:24:25.

He could be here for the next five years.

:24:26.:24:28.

I thought you'd taken up with that Farage fellow.

:24:29.:25:17.

No, it turns out I don't need a partner after all.

:25:18.:25:21.

I always knew you hated me but even I never dreamed you could be

:25:22.:25:32.

How is the resistance at Downturn, comrades?

:25:33.:25:50.

Mr Maguire, it's so depressing, it's a shambles downstairs.

:25:51.:25:53.

Every idea has to be submitted to a subcommittee of the staff.

:25:54.:25:57.

That is reviewed in parallel by an executive of former valets.

:25:58.:26:01.

Then it has to be approved by two thirds of the executive,

:26:02.:26:05.

unless it is overruled by a commissariat of the butler.

:26:06.:26:10.

I only asked for a cup of tea and a custard cream.

:26:11.:26:13.

Oh, look, it's the Downturn carol singers.

:26:14.:26:22.

# We'll keep the red flag flying here...

:26:23.:26:26.

Well, they've certainly got "momentum".

:26:27.:26:29.

Shall I turf them out into the gutter, my lord,

:26:30.:26:37.

Keep it up for another five years, I say.

:26:38.:26:43.

Every time I go away to make one of my little railway films,

:26:44.:26:53.

It's bad enough that you've made a mess of the big house and now

:26:54.:26:59.

Go on, clear off, or I'll get Mr Carson onto you.

:27:00.:27:05.

Kevin and Quentin never returned to Downturn Abbey.

:27:06.:27:17.

The house was demolished to make way for a third runway

:27:18.:27:20.

The end of a TV epic. Television will never be like that again.

:27:21.:27:52.

Diane, Jeremy Corbyn has a mandate from the members but not the MPs or

:27:53.:27:57.

the Shadow Cabinet. Does he unite the party by reaching out to the

:27:58.:28:02.

mainstream in 2016, all recast the party in his image? Party membership

:28:03.:28:09.

has doubled and the people that have joined are more likely to support

:28:10.:28:12.

Jeremy Corbyn. You do not support after a new leader if you do not

:28:13.:28:17.

support the leader. But Syria was immensely divisive. But there is

:28:18.:28:21.

more unity around domestic politics, so we have to hope, if you want the

:28:22.:28:26.

Labour Party to succeed, that we managed to gain unity around

:28:27.:28:29.

domestic politics while the Tories are split on Europe. If the party

:28:30.:28:36.

has changed, do institutions within the party, like the National

:28:37.:28:39.

executive committee and the Shadow Cabinet, do they have to change to

:28:40.:28:43.

reflect the changing nature of the party? Overtime. As far as I know

:28:44.:28:49.

there are no plans for a reshuffle, no plans for drastic constitutional

:28:50.:28:53.

change. Will there be a reshuffle next year to make it more like you

:28:54.:29:00.

and Mr Corbyn? Not as far as I know. So there will be, I can see by your

:29:01.:29:07.

face. Will you give us a date? From all of you, briefly, will Mr Corbyn

:29:08.:29:13.

lead Labour into the next election? Yes, the Labour Party is sentimental

:29:14.:29:17.

about its leaders. I think there is something important about the way

:29:18.:29:20.

the Labour Party voted, and it is that they were told for years and

:29:21.:29:26.

years that if they trimmed and they bit their tongue and adopted

:29:27.:29:28.

policies they did not relieve believing, they would be electorally

:29:29.:29:32.

successful. It failed, so this time they thought, you know what, we

:29:33.:29:36.

don't think he will win the election but we will vote for someone who we

:29:37.:29:41.

actually believe in. I just want to know if he will take Labour into the

:29:42.:29:43.

next election. I am certainly will. Will he be able to do it for five

:29:44.:29:56.

years? I don't see how they'll be able to dislodge him, and with

:29:57.:30:02.

boundary changes... Michael? The MPs will attempt to drive him to a

:30:03.:30:07.

nervous breakdown so he resigns but they'll be unsuccessful. I know what

:30:08.:30:12.

your answer will be. There are a lot of elections in May, local elections

:30:13.:30:17.

in England, Scottish Parliament elections, Welsh Assembly elections,

:30:18.:30:21.

Northern Ireland too? I'm not sure. How big a test for Mr Corbyn? They

:30:22.:30:28.

are a test but it's not a defining test. The regional elections, maybe

:30:29.:30:34.

we'll do well. We hope to win London, but it is tricky. We've only

:30:35.:30:40.

won London as the Labour Party once in four elections. I believe Jeremy

:30:41.:30:45.

will survive and lead introduce 2020. The Tories, Michael, Mr

:30:46.:30:51.

Cameron and Europe, which as we see is gaining momentum as an issue and

:30:52.:30:57.

trouble for the Tories is an issue too. In terms of trouble, will

:30:58.:31:01.

Europe be for the Tories what Mr Corbyn is for Labour? I don't think

:31:02.:31:05.

it is a problem for the Tories in the sense that once you have the

:31:06.:31:09.

vote the thing is resolved. So whatever split there's been in the

:31:10.:31:14.

Conservative Party has finished once it has happened. I see it as a

:31:15.:31:17.

disaster for the Prime Minister, because if the country doesn't vote

:31:18.:31:24.

the way he wants it too, and it is looking less certain it will, it is

:31:25.:31:29.

less certain how he can remain in his position. He must in the quiet

:31:30.:31:32.

moments of the night be thinking, why did I hold this referendum? What

:31:33.:31:38.

have I done? It was unnecessary. Something that seemed like a bright

:31:39.:31:43.

idea three or four years ago in the circumstances of the moment, which

:31:44.:31:49.

we have all forgotten, Ukip in the ascendancy, now seems like a

:31:50.:31:53.

wretched idea. Do you get the sense the Government would like to get

:31:54.:31:57.

this referendum over quickly? It has until the late autumn of 2017. Don't

:31:58.:32:02.

you feel if it could do it in 2016 it will do it? The longer this goes

:32:03.:32:07.

on the more Cameron's last years as Prime Minister, since he know he is

:32:08.:32:11.

going, are dominated by this problem. You don't necessarily want

:32:12.:32:16.

a referendum midterm. There are lots of factors pushing towards them

:32:17.:32:21.

trying to get it done in 2016. All of the incrowd, as it were, would

:32:22.:32:27.

like to do that. It is early days yet because the public aren't

:32:28.:32:31.

concentrating on this issue, it is a Westminster issue at the moment. But

:32:32.:32:35.

it will come when he comes back with some deal, or whatever it is. A

:32:36.:32:41.

triumph. It is always going to be a try. Harold Wilson said it was

:32:42.:32:46.

triumph when he got almost nothing, in 1975. Do you get the sense the

:32:47.:32:50.

main campaign is losing ground a bit? I think on balance people will

:32:51.:32:56.

vote to stay in. I think we'll see Project Fear 2. Referring of course

:32:57.:32:59.

to the Scottish referendum. The Scottish referendum. They'll be told

:33:00.:33:06.

the UK will be a bask case if at this time leaves the European Union,

:33:07.:33:09.

so I think on balance people will vote. But it could be tighter.

:33:10.:33:15.

People in referenda people tend to vote for the statous quo, so I think

:33:16.:33:22.

the balance of probability is the referendum will be next year. Amber

:33:23.:33:27.

Rudd let that cat out of the bag, and tinge Prime Minister will win.

:33:28.:33:31.

But how he'll be able to repackage the absolute defeat he will suffer

:33:32.:33:35.

with his negotiations with other European leaders as a triumph will

:33:36.:33:41.

be host amusing to watch. But this is really difficult, because all of

:33:42.:33:46.

David Cameron's domestic political opponents want to take potshots at

:33:47.:33:51.

the disastrous strategy, the smoke and mirrors over the renegotiation,

:33:52.:33:57.

but everyone else who wants to remain in will have to rally around

:33:58.:34:05.

David Cameron. What happens with the independents when Labour was on the

:34:06.:34:09.

platforms with the Tories, the voters didn't like it. Can you

:34:10.:34:18.

foresee any scenario in which we would come out? No. That's very

:34:19.:34:28.

disobliging. I don't think they are quite as stupid as sometimes he

:34:29.:34:32.

thinks that we are on. On the timing of the referendum, he is likely to

:34:33.:34:35.

treat this as a general election campaign, so of course he would like

:34:36.:34:39.

to get it out of the way in June 2016. But if you get into 2016 and

:34:40.:34:44.

it doesn't look like you can win, you must postpone it and hope that

:34:45.:34:49.

something will turn up. Whereas it could get worse. By 2017, midterm,

:34:50.:34:55.

even successful governments are often unpopular. John, you swept all

:34:56.:35:02.

before you in the general election. All the polls suggest that you're

:35:03.:35:07.

going to do very well. Maybe even better than your current situation

:35:08.:35:12.

in the Holyrood elections. At this point we are taking nothing for

:35:13.:35:19.

granted. That's the political cliche I'm meant to trot out at this stage.

:35:20.:35:24.

We are united on that. But despite the success of the SNP, independence

:35:25.:35:30.

is kind of off the agenda. Well, it is and it isn't. It is an

:35:31.:35:33.

extraordinary thing, when I go around and speak to a lot of schools

:35:34.:35:37.

in my constituency and elsewhere, one of the remarkable things when

:35:38.:35:43.

you ask the kids for a show of hands who supports independence and who

:35:44.:35:46.

doesn't. We are talking about voters, 16, 17 and 18-year-olds,

:35:47.:35:50.

very few people say they don't support independence. Wasn't that

:35:51.:35:54.

true at the referendum too? Yes, and it an age demographic things. 65s

:35:55.:36:00.

and others were strongly against independence. If the referendum had

:36:01.:36:07.

been confined to 16 and older, it would have been a yes. My feeling is

:36:08.:36:14.

that... So why don't you talk about it more? Well, I think you've got to

:36:15.:36:20.

respect the electorate. We had a vote and people voted the way they

:36:21.:36:25.

wanted to vote. I never liked it before I became a politician when I

:36:26.:36:32.

used to watch referenda in Europe and politicians would keep asking

:36:33.:36:35.

until they got the answer they wanted. You don't say, your party,

:36:36.:36:40.

that if England votes to come out of the EU but Scotland votes to stay

:36:41.:36:45.

in, that is automatically a case for another referendum. You don't say

:36:46.:36:50.

that any more. I do think if England votes to pull out and we vote to

:36:51.:36:53.

stay in, I think that will certainly trigger a bit of a crisis. A bit a

:36:54.:37:02.

bit of a crisis, not necessarily a referendum. I haven't had a

:37:03.:37:06.

discussion with any senior party figure that. But I do know that

:37:07.:37:14.

often in the constituency I will talk to noe voters who say if we

:37:15.:37:19.

pull out of the European Union I will vote for independence. Am I

:37:20.:37:23.

allowed to meanly mention the oil price? Do you think that might have

:37:24.:37:31.

something to do with it The chat in the pubs is not about oil prices. It

:37:32.:37:41.

might be in ab-David Beckham. It might be in Aberdeen. Anyway, you

:37:42.:37:46.

are enjoying yourself in the flesh pots of Westminster, I use that

:37:47.:37:52.

metaphorically, of course. Would you care if Britain voted to leave the

:37:53.:37:58.

European Union? I would. Whatever one's problems, I think the way

:37:59.:38:02.

Greece was treated was appalling. The European union has always been a

:38:03.:38:10.

union of elite. Sounds like the Stockholm syndrome when you fall in

:38:11.:38:19.

love with your kidnapper. I had forgotten how rude he is. I remember

:38:20.:38:24.

she used to lag off the European Union.

:38:25.:38:26.

Tonight on This Week, hankies at the ready

:38:27.:38:35.

That's enough chatter from Diane Abbott.

:38:36.:38:36.

Tis the season to be jolly, through the ancient Christmas Carol... The

:38:37.:39:04.

one and only Ida. Crazy name, crazy ladies.

:39:05.:39:11.

Awards and predictions. UK politician of the year? I don't mean

:39:12.:39:21.

to be too party loyal, but it has to be Nicola Sturgeon. I'm not

:39:22.:39:25.

surprised and there's a strong case for saying so. Miranda? Michael

:39:26.:39:31.

Gove, who has gone to the Department of Justice and behaved like a

:39:32.:39:37.

liberal and overturned all the terrible things that Chris Grayling

:39:38.:39:44.

did. And wear rose robes and walk back Wards. Mike Snell Nicola

:39:45.:39:59.

Sturgeon. It was a great achievement, but I don't think it

:40:00.:40:03.

compares with Nicola Sturgeon wiping the floor in Scotland. That's a fair

:40:04.:40:08.

argument. World politician of the year? Oh, dear. Mrs Merkel. I don't

:40:09.:40:17.

share her politics but I've been filled with admiration for what she

:40:18.:40:21.

has done with the refugees. To take on public opinion in Germany in the

:40:22.:40:25.

way she has done, to do what she thinks is the right thing is

:40:26.:40:29.

enormously admirable. And maybe paying the high price for it. Next

:40:30.:40:35.

summer, the 206 summer will be an interesting time in Germany.

:40:36.:40:43.

Millions settling there. Miranda? I think since John has taken Angela

:40:44.:40:48.

Merkel, Barack Obama, because of the way he has spoken out against gun

:40:49.:40:53.

crime in the US. It has been such an appalling year in America about mass

:40:54.:40:58.

shootings. But not managed to do anything about it. Michael, world

:40:59.:41:04.

politician? I think probably Angela Merkel. She's dominated Europe and

:41:05.:41:11.

put a whole career on the line over the immigrants. And because Barack

:41:12.:41:17.

Obama has disappeared. So she has filled a vacuum. Disagreement there.

:41:18.:41:23.

Very well. Die an? Angela Merkel, because I like the way all the men

:41:24.:41:32.

are so frightened of her. OK. Not chairman Mao? No-one thought about

:41:33.:41:46.

President Putin? He has enough admirers in strange quarters. A

:41:47.:41:51.

great admirer of Donald Trump. That will help Donald Trump. Who will be

:41:52.:41:56.

the two presidential candidates in the election? Hillary Clinton. And I

:41:57.:42:03.

I fear Donald Trump. And who would win? Hillary Clinton, without a

:42:04.:42:10.

doubt. Trump and Clinton, Clinton to win. I take about as much interest

:42:11.:42:15.

in this as I do Star Wars at the moment, but I would be delighted to

:42:16.:42:20.

see Hillary Clinton trump Donald Trump. I worked in American politics

:42:21.:42:26.

in the Senate. I think if the Republicans have an ounce of common

:42:27.:42:33.

sense, they don't, they would go for the Reuben. They need the Hispanic

:42:34.:42:39.

vote but they probably won't. I think Hillary Clinton will get the

:42:40.:42:42.

Democratic nomination and she will win because of the Hispanic vote.

:42:43.:42:46.

The Republican party will go so far to the right in the primaries they

:42:47.:42:50.

will not find it possible to win the general election. We know what one

:42:51.:42:56.

famous woman will end up doing, Mrs Clinton. What job will Diane be

:42:57.:43:02.

doing by the end of the year? Could be the same one or a little

:43:03.:43:07.

promotion. She could turn her hand to anything. Such a crawler. I am

:43:08.:43:15.

waiting to see... Shadow Foreign Secretary. Diane, Shadow Foreign

:43:16.:43:21.

Secretary? I love my current job in international development. Madam

:43:22.:43:24.

Mao. That's your lot for tonight

:43:25.:43:28.

folks, and for 2015. But not for us, because Lou Lou's

:43:29.:43:31.

is double-booked tonight. Half the club's reserved

:43:32.:43:33.

for the This Week Christmas party, the other half for Jose

:43:34.:43:37.

Mourinho's leaving do. So let the battle of

:43:38.:43:40.

the over-inflated egos commence. We'll be back in the new year,

:43:41.:43:44.

but in the meantime we leave you with some seasonal cheer,

:43:45.:43:48.

and our one and only lasting contribution to

:43:49.:43:51.

Western civilisation. The This Week celebration

:43:52.:43:52.

of Yuletide narcissism, otherwise known as the TWelfie

:43:53.:43:56.

Night of Christmas. Accompanied by my very own band

:43:57.:43:58.

of merry carol singers, Nighty night - don't let

:43:59.:44:01.

the mulled Blue Nun bite. Silen Night Holy n All is calm, all

:44:02.:44:41.

is bright, round yon virgin mother and child. Holy infant so tender and

:44:42.:45:03.

mild. Sleep in Heavenly peace. Sleep in Heavenly peace.

:45:04.:45:12.

Heavenly host sing hallelujah. Christ the Saviour is born. Christ

:45:13.:46:03.

the thy saviour is born. Will this Christmas

:46:04.:46:07.

be one to remember... Your birth mum - if someone said,

:46:08.:46:10.

"I can track her down,"

:46:11.:46:14.

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