13/10/2016 This Week

Tonight, let's hear it for the This Week Cheerleading champions

# Mickey you're so fine. # You're so fine you blow my mind...

# Who loves Trump, you or me? Eugh,

not us. They may not. The controversial commentator, Katie

Hopkins does. Although Trump is not perfect, but I'd rather be ruled by

him than Clinton. 1, 2, 3, 4, Brexit's knocking at your door. A

smile on your lips, spirit in your heart, Miranda is ready to start.

Some Tories have been cheer leading for a hard Brexit this week. It's

dominated events. Not everyone is happen. 2, 4, 6, 8, who still

appreciates? The USSR. We take Katie Mel with a back to her roots.

Relations are get cold in the This Week studio. Who has the Blue Nun.

We are proud, we like to cheer the crowd. Bring it on This week!

Welcome to This Week, and I start with some grave news.

At 0800 hours this morning, the editor of this programme

was summoned by the Director-General of the BBC to his luxury yacht,

moored on the Thames, where he was informed that,

because of the plummeting value of the pound, the BBC could no

longer afford This Week's ballooning bill for Blue Nun.

Henceforth, once existing stocks of the German Riesling

were depleted, we'd have to make do with a weekly crate of Buckfast

or something called Old Portillo's Home Brew,

Well, shock does not begin to describe our reaction

The editor has already checked herself into a clinic.

I'm sure you'll agree it rather puts the row over the price

of Marmite, who cares about that, into perspective,

Reports are reaching us that rioting has broken out in certain German

vineyards in protest at the potential loss of jobs

and I understand that the German Chancellor is, as I speak,

on the phone to the Prime Minister urging her to force the BBC

to reconsider on the basis that our consumption of Blue Nun

is the main reason Germany runs such a huge trading surplus with the UK.

Who could have imagined Brexit would lead to this?

But then who would have thought that a bunch of Remainers,

while claiming unctiously to respect the decision on June 23rd,

would do all they can to undermine the Brexit process.

Or that a bunch of Leavers, who won with a vainglorious promise

to restore Parliamentary sovereignty, now don't want

Parliament to have anything to do with the Brexit process.

And, speaking of strange, I'm joined on the sofa tonight

by two guests who have long been a stranger to sobriety.

Think of them as the Boris Yeltsin and Winston Churchill of late night

Michael #sadmanonatrain Portillo and Michael

Moment of the week? Bob Dylan was named Nobel Laureate. Indeed. How

many roads can a man walk down before... Oh, my gosh... That's

stuck in this in your mind. Before he knows... He got through to you as

a kid, didn't he? It's difficult to man now that in the early 1960s in

the United States there was segregation in schools, in colleges

on buses, on trains, entrances to public buildings and that song,

Blowing in the Wind, was one of the two things, along with the speeches

of Dr Martin Luther King that brought this terrible state of

affairs to world prominence, to understanding around the world and

made an enormous difference. I think because his words were so effective

in changing what happened in the United States, that is why he

deserves to be a Nobel Laureate today. You are in favour? I'm in

favour. I knew you would get there in the end! You can take your time.

Obviously, I'm going to live forever 678 Your moment of the week My

moment of the week happened today in the chamber of the House of Commons.

There was a debate, backbench business debate, on... Around the

awareness week this week for bereaved parents who have lost

babies. There was an amazing speech that took everyone by surprise in

the chamber. I wasn't in the chamber, I watched it afterwards on

television by a Lewisham MP who stood up in the House of Commons.

She has been a friend of mine for 20 years. I'd no idea about this,

neither did most of her friends. She gave an incredibly powerful, moving,

heartbreaking speech where she talked about how a number of years

ago she had had a baby who had only lived for five days. She told this

story and people were in floods of tears in the House. Now, incredibly

brave of her to do that and, you know, this is about raising

awareness. It was about helping other bereaved parents to come to

terms with this if they can possibly can can and talk about improving

services those people get. The House of Commons gets bad press, often,

sometimes deservedly so, occasionally you see moments like

that. I think she made a real difference today. It was incredibly

brave speech. You brought it more attention by making it your moment

tonight. Now to Donald Trump,

the gift that keeps on giving, unless of course you're female

and he fancies you, and you're within easy reach,

or stuck in a locker room with him. The wannabe American president has

had a bad week after leaked tapes of lewd comments about women

and a string of accusations that Heading south in the polls,

Mr Trump is down, but not yet out. We turned to a champion

of the underdog, even Never one to shy away

from controversy, Katie Hopkins I'm not ashamed to say that

I love Donald Trump. I love his bombastic

rhetoric, his charisma The presidential hopeful

understands the fears He's sick of politicians saying one

thing and doing another. People have had enough

of the establishment. And one thing they do not want

is another four years of liberal politics,

losing control of immigration, the Supreme Court and indeed

the second amendment. Donald Trump shares people's

fears of terrorism. Of course his ban on Muslims

was never going to work. But he does understand that

a love-in and promoting multi-culturalism right now is not

what people want to hear. Donald Trump's had

a tough few weeks. His comments were lewd and crude

but, you know, I think we need But frankly, what people do

in private is none of my business It would be a cruel irony

if the very thing that sees Trump lose the White House is the fact

that he has human flaws, And frankly, I'd rather deal

with pussy-gate than Hillary Thanks there to the cheerleaders

from Zoo Riot London who, just like the BBC, are impartial

on the outcome of the American You say Donald Trump is lewd and

crude, you say what people do in private is their own business. He

bragged about sexually afaulting women. It's not a private matter,

it's not lewd and crude, it's criminal? It's a conversation he had

in private. I think many of us have similar conversations in private and

I'm surprised that we are going on and on about this... Bragging about

sexual assault? I'm surprised we're not talking about things that

actually matter to people when they are voting like jobs... Doesn't that

matter that we need to know whether the Presidential candidate is the

kind of person that brags about sexual assault, doesn't that matter

to you? I think what matters more is that he still has a tremendous

amount of support and what I see here in the UK... Less than he had?

There is barely any recognition of the level of support that he has. I

think we are going to see a lot of voters coming out to vote for Trump

just because the election is so polarised this time. What makes

Trump fit to be president? He says he would carpet bomb areas

controlled by Isis. That hes a a war crime. He says he would torture

terrorists. That's illegal. He says that Isis will take over America if

Hillary Clinton wins the White House. That's bonkers. So what makes

him fit to be president? In my personal opinion, I think he is

saying the sort of things people now want to hear. He's talking about

tough controls on immigration. Which people want to hear. I didn't

mention that. He is talking about sorting out terrorism which people

want to hear. He doesn't shy away from hard truths. People want to

hear that stuff. How come he is so popular? If he's so bad how come he

has such a following? It's in decline the more people get to know

about him. You think a man who brags about sexual assault and in favour

of carpet bombing innocent civilians, that is what happens when

you car bet bomb, is fit to be president? If you listen to the

other side of this, Paul Ryan, the Speak of the House he said women

want to be championed and reveered. I do not want to be championed. I'm

not sort of cause either. Revered is one step away from being embalmed in

oil. I don't want to be any of those things. Women are stronger than

people give them credit for we are not eternal victims. I wish you

would stop portraying... I'm talking about carpet bombing. You are

banging on about carpet bombing. He promised to throw Hillary Clinton in

jail if he becomes president... A classic moment of the second debate.

He wanted to ban Muslims from entering America. We recognise...

Let me go through the list. Bop Basque rhetoric that people like to

hear. It was his policy. He said a judge was unfit to rule on him

because the judge had Mexican parents. He thought a reporter with

disabilities was ripe for mockery. That was his standard impression of

most people, to be fair. You created a list of all the things you

dislike. No because they are all the things that question whether he is

fit to be president of the United States? Is someone fit to be

president of the United States if they don't control immigration? Is

someone fit if they can't be honest about terror? Is someone fit if they

can't stand up for the American people who want their jobs back? Is

someone fit if they think it's OK to stand by their husband when he did

all manner of lewd acts inside the White House? Is that OK? When you

look at the list, the charge sheet against Mr Trump, the most

remarkable thing is that Hillary Clinton's not walking this election?

Yes. I I think Katie did a great service this evening. There is a

lack of ability to understand in this country the degree of support

that Trump has. You know, when you go to the United States, it isn't

just sort of red necks and people. You find lots of ordinary people who

are wanting to support Trump I think rather ludicrously convincing

themselves that Trump is suitable for the job. I don't think he's

suitable for the job. I think the British have to make some attempt of

what is going on in the United States. Kennedy and Clinton, you

know, both had very checkered sexual histories. I happen to think both of

them were quite good presidents. The the American people will have to

judge whether the tape is significant in terms of Trump's

ability to be president. I do actually agree with your list of

things. I think he's entirely unsuitable to be president but but I

wouldn't put this tape at the top of my list of reasons why. Why is

Hillary Clinton not doing better? Well, it's a two-horse race. I mean,

there's not much else to go on. I think a lot of us watching the

debate from this side, we can't believe that a country of 320

million people have ended up with someone who in Trump who Robert de

Niro this week call a bozo... He implied violence. He didn't do any

favours. He wanted to hit Trump. That is not

helpful. The way he talked about this guy as a national

embarrassment. He is. When you watch that, you can dismiss the points he

made about women and girls, but the truth is, it was said today that the

mark of any decent society is how we look after girls and women in our

society. To dismiss that is absolutely outrageous. I mean, the

number of Republicans who have come out in recent days who are

absolutely outraged at this guy is still their candidate. But many,

many people are outraged that Hillary Clinton is the candidate of

the Democratic Party. That includes many Democrats. That is because they

look upon the Clintons, the pair of them, as people who have been

involved in all sorts of what they think have been dodgy things that

need a lot of explanation... Hillary Clinton, you know, her

qualifications for the job. You know and Donald Trump... I think it will

be a great thing. We sat around in parliament, your people and

discussed banning Trump from the UK. I think your people will be very

surprised by the fact that a lot of people are going to come out to

vote. Those are shy Trumps, but they will come out to vote. I think the

election will be a lot closer than people are making out. I think the

British public under estimate the level of support he has with

intelligent people in New York as well as working-class kind of

America across the piece. I think they underestimate that. I think

more particularly they under estimate the degree of reluctance to

vote for Hillary. It's a very strong factor. Andrew quite rightly raises

that question - how is it if this candidate, Trump is so monstrous

that Hillary Clinton struggled so hard to get ahead of him Only the

tape in the last week that has given her a clear lead. He has little time

for Nato and the western alliance, he cosies up to Vladimir Putin and

the Kremlin an enemy of free trade. In what way would that be good for

Britain or Europe? Having someone who achieved things in the world

outside of politics. Do we want a 30 year career politician, do we want

someone else from the establishment. He has a track record of getting

stuff Every business he done. Run has gone bust. The casinos went

bust. The Trump University went bust - You are too dismissive. You have

made your behind my up. I'm probing you to find out... How about the

Clinton Foundation. If someone was here defending Mrs Clinton we will

ask about that. We have someone defending Mr Trump. I put the

contrary case. Nobody thought... The only thing we know about him is that

he did a tax return in which he lost ?900 million. He used the tax system

efficiently to offset future tax he would do what any normal person

would do is not pay more tax than he was required to. I would do that

here in the UK. I doo-doo that here in the UK. What is the evidence he

gets things done? The evidence is he built a business empire that has

been successful. Politicians don't achieve that. Hillary Clinton does

not have a track record of achieving things that you would recognise. I

think... Was she not a successful Secretary of State? I don't believe.

What did she do wrong? Look at her email case, for example. He has

continuously lied about that. Benghazi. She left Americans to die.

I was in Chicago. You walk down the street the biggest building in town

has Trump written in 50 foot high letters. He has franchised the name,

Michael. That is not his building. All over America there are buildings

covered in the name Trump. We immensely value the relationship

we have with the United States. We have so many common ties. The idea

this guy is down to the last two, it's terrifying. I don't dispute he

has a Lot of... You and you sort What do you mean my sort? You sat

around and discussed banning him, the new and potential future

President of the United States. Do you not think we need an apology

from your sort? I value the relationship we have with the

Americans. It's terrifying this guy is even down to the last two. We'd

have looked quite stupid if they'd have abandoned only one. You may...

I said we'd have looked stupid if he had won? That is not an answer. One

of the functions of the BBC ought to be to help the British people to

understand how the American people have had Trump level pegging I think

until a few weeks ago looking like he'd be the winner, maybe not just

at the moment looking at that, but I take Katie's point that we don't

know what the results will be. We helped the people understand before

the summer recess. The BBC thought Remain would win. They were proved

very wrong on that. I didn't realise the BBC had a collective view on

these things. I think it was very clear that you did. You obviously

didn't see my show. Thank you for joining us. My pleasure.

Now it's late, Marmite and Blue Nun late.

So put down your toast and crumpets and pour yourself another glass

of Blue Nun, while stocks last, because waiting in the wings

is singer songwriter, Katie Melua, here to talk about technical

algorithms and fat finger errors in the UK currency market.

And if you believe that, you'll believe just about anything

on the fleecebook, the twitter bollocks, snapnumpty

Now he's a mystery man, an all-action hero who can dive

from a hard-Brexit cliff, swim through Boris Johnson

infested waters, scale the Royal Yacht Britannia or jump

on to an InterCity 225, mark 4 all while wearing his trademark

polo neck and swigging a bottle of you-know-what.

Unfortunately, Michael was too busy to film this week,

so here's Miranda Green with her round-up of

It's been a week of daring doom with the swashbuckling Brexiteer

himself David Davis revealing or trying not to reveal

what his plans are for extricating Britain from the EU.

No running commentary, ministers say, but we did glean that

DD thinks we have a bright future outside the European Union.

I believe that when we've left the European Union,

when we are once again in true control of our own affairs,

we'll be in an even stronger position to confront the challenges

The Government will build a global Britain that will trade around

the world, build new alliances with other countries and deliver

Parliament won't have much of a role in the negotiations.

Theresa May's concession of the debate temporarily halted

the rapid slide in the pound but there'll not be a vote.

The unrepentent remainers need a hero to fight their corner and two

former leading men got a chance to reprise their days of stardom.

Miliband and Clegg both told DD there has to be a role

Can he give us now, with a straight face,

an answer to the question - where is the Government's mandate

for its negotiations either from this House or the country?

On the basis of what constitutional principle does he believe

the Prime Minister can now arrogate to herself the exclusive right

Commanding words from the matinee idols.

Not enough though for David to promise any more

Is that what he meant by take back control?

I'll be riding as high as Theresa May's Tory

17 points ahead of Labour wich would give them

a 114-seat majority in the

That's got to be worth a swig of Blue Nun.

It appears there's no sign of swinging towards an early election.

Jeremy Corbyn with an increased mandate for his second performance

as Labour Leader swung into action at PMQs with a series of questions

about Brexit, ignoring persistent mutterings about whether he's fit

The pound is plummeting, business is worrying and

The Prime Minister says she won't give a

running commentary, but isn't it time the Government stopped running

away from the looming threat to jobs and businesses in this country

and the living standards of millions of people?

With talk of a second referendum, the Prime Minister got

The Shadow Foreign Secretary wants a second

I have to say to her, I would have thought that Labour MPs

You can ask the same question again, you still

The SNP's heroine, Nicola Sturgeon, took

advantage of the Brexit kerfuffle, she continues to stoke Scotland's

I am determined that Scotland will have

the ability to reconsider the question of independence and to do

so before the UK leaves the EU if that is necessary to protect our

I can confirm today that the independence referendum

Bill will be published for consultation next

Former International Development Secretary, Andrew

Mitchell, also made a return this week,

with an impassioned plea for a

no-fly zone over Syria, spiralling civilian casualties prompted a call

He reserved his strongest words for criticism

We should single Russia out as a pariah.

The Kremlin, like any bully, craves relevance and is winning, as

Also pulling no punches was the Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson.

If Russia continues in its current path,

then I believe that great

country is in danger of becoming a pariah nation.

And if President Putin's strategy is to restore the

greatness and the glory of Russia, then I believe he risks seeing his

ambition turn to ashes in the face of international contempt for what

While Boris is pitting the great powers against

one another, in another part of Westminster,

The MPs are arguing for a new Royal Yacht, a symbol of

Britain's imperial power as the best way to woo

other nations during the

Who needs diplomacy if you can parachute in on a yacht to

reflect the glory of a newly Brexited nation?

Brexit makes the building of a new Royal Yacht, not a

Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves, many,

Would you not agree with me, it might give true respect to

Royal Britannia if she describes her not as it, but as she.

This Brexit shenanigans will run and oneth run.

We are going to need our treats, that's if the pound in our

And all because the gentleman loves Blue Nun.

Miranda Green there, failing to give the Milk Tray Man

a run for his money at The Cape Adventure

While we were talking about Donald Trump, the news has broken in

America that Hillary Clinton's submitted to a federal judge answers

to 20 questions involving the use of her e-mail server and she's been

forced to answer by this federal judge under threat of perjury if she

makes any mistakes. On a number of occasions, she's said she has no

recollection she'd be warned it would be wrong to use this e-mail

server. Still more things to happen in this election. Michael, would it

be foolish for the Government... Oh, yes. Would it be foolish to ask this

Government to show its hand just to set out its general objectives as it

triggers Article 50? I think it's set out what is probably a statement

of the obvious which is that if the Ieuan insists on freedom of

movement, we can't be a member of the single market -- European Union.

If the Government thinks it implicit in the referendum result that laws

made in Parliament be sovereign, that is to say that they do not

recognise any superior laws, nor be subject to laws by European

judgments, that also implies you can't be in the single market. So

that much has become clear. I think probably there's not much more that

you can say at the moment. Should Parliament have the right to have a

say to help determine the negotiating position? What is

absolutely key is that for Labour and for the Conservatives and

everyone else, Brexit does have to mean Brexit so all of us do have to

respect the will of the people in that referendum, there can be no

wriggling out of it by the political establishment. But people voted to

come out of the European Union but it's absolutely right and critical

the and central to our democracy that Parliament is able to

scrutinise and make a decision on the terms by which we go out. Now, I

find it ironic that if you look at Davis and Fox and Johnson, one of

the biggest arguments they deployed in the referendum campaign was about

getting control back and about the importance of Parliamentary

sovereignty at Westminster. Now they are the three loudest voices to say

that Parliament should have no say. Let me unbundle that a bit to be

clear what you are saying. Should Parliament approve the bargaining

position of the Government? I think we need to be clear about the terms.

There needs to be a parentsry vote about that. So it should approve --

a Parliamentary vote. In my constituency, 670% they voted to

come out -- 70%. One of the principal reasons was that they felt

that for ordinary workers, terms and conditions and pay had been driven

down because of our membership with the European Union so it would be

inconsistent with the views that they expressed in the referendum if

we were to have a Brexit that was a kind of bonfire of workers' rights.

Critical issues. Sure, but that could come from Parliament approving

the deal when it's finally done. Should Parliament have that power as

well? We are going to get the Reform Act first. That is not to do with

the deal? That will hopefully be enshrining in law some of the deals

we have at the moment. At the moment it's obvious from day one that the

Government either didn't expect to lose that referendum but they

certainly have no plan. I know all that, we have been through all that,

Michael... That's still the case now. That is fine but what I'm

trying to establish is two things and I haven't had clear answers,

should Parliament approve the negotiating strategy of the

Government? Yes, I think we should prove the terms of it. And should

Parliament then if and when the deal is done, should it then vote on the

deal? I don't know if we would vote on the

final deal or before. We have to find a process by which Parliament

can agree we will determine, if you like, the terms of that Brexit.

There is no suggestion from the Government at the moment there is

going to be no say from Parliament. That's absolutely intolerable. You

are shaking your head there. Why shouldn't Parliament have a say in

these things I'm certainly not saying that. I don't see how

Parliament could approve the terms. Once you said, these are the things

we aim to achieve you would have told those negotiating with you the

things they would be... That they would be encouraged to deny you. You

would be setting out your red lines, the things that are important to

you, offering a red rag to those you have to negotiate with. When it's

all done... Is that a blank cheque though It must be voted on by

Parliament. Then Parliament will have to take a very, important

decision. Because there is a majority in the Parliament not to

leave the European Union. Parliament will have to decide in

two-and-a-half years' time whether it's going to vote with the way that

the majority in Parliament feels, which is to stop us leaving the

European Union, in contradiction of what the people have said, in

contradiction of what Parliament's previous vote to grant the people a

referendum. That would be a moment mouse thing if Parliament decided to

try to pull back on Brexit in two-and-a-half years' time. If the

Government does a deal and brings it forward to Parliament, and

Parliament rejects it, that would be a constitutional crisis, wouldn't

it? The Government would have to go to the country to resolve it? I

don't accept Michael's premise, which is that simply because... I

campaigned for remain. I thought it was in the best interests of my

constituents and the country. I have to accept we have lost that

argument. It doesn't matter what I think. The truth is I'm duty-bound

now to deliver the verdict of my constituents and the people across

the country. They voted to come out. That's not an issue of negotiation.

There are huge issues of concern in my constituency elsewhere about the

terms. Syria. All this talk doing the rounds of a no-fly zone and the

rest of it. Can we agree it's not going to happen It's talk. It's

pathetic. There would have been a moment before the aerial bombardment

began, particularly before the aerial bombardment began involving

the Russians, when be you could have declared a no-fly zone. Then the

Russians would have been in a position of having to decide whether

they wanted to defy it and risk causing an international

catastrophe. Now the boot is on other foot. If we declare the no-fly

zone we are risking causing the international catastrophe for that

reason it won't happen. Do you agree with that, Michael? I understand the

concerns about some of the possibility consequences of further

military action, the no-fly zone, the no bomb zone. Look, all of us

can agree we want to get the fire going, corridors open, a resolute

approach against the Russians. I think think other options need to at

least be on the table and considered. Clearly, that's what

President Obama is doing. They have indicated that on Friday. Boris

Johnson let the cat out of the bag today by saying that the British

Government was also looking at the options. What are the other options?

In terms of the no-fly zone or a no bomb zone. Michael is right... There

won't be a no-fly zone. The kwons kwenss are not straight-forward or

easy. We have to be honest, the con consequences of inaction are being

played out on our screens every day Wen we see those kids dragged out of

rubble. We know the problem. If you don't have a no-fly zone and you

haven't got any other ideas, what do you do? The situation we are in is -

would have been unimaginable a few years ago. Here are the Russians

killing children, killing people on the edge of Europe and Nato and the

United States and Britain and the European Union have nothing that

they can do about it. Only only now are they actually beginning to say

anything about it. And it's not even stirred the public. I thought that

was perhaps Boris Johnson's point. If this was Americans bombing

Aleppo, Grosvenor Square would be full of protesters. Because it's the

the Russians... There would be riots. Because it's Russians, the

public don't seem to be stirped. There aren't easy options. The

Americans are right to consider what, if any, options are available.

I think the British Government is as well. At the current stage of the

American electoral cycle, the Americans are going to do nothing.

That's how it works. Mr Obama has never been engaged in the Middle

East in the fist place. He won't get engaged in his last two months. To

make one other point about Donald Trump. It's extraordinary, here is a

man running on a ticket of making America great again. At a time when

Russia is bombing on the edge of Europe and mvurdering civilians and

he has nothing to say about it. Indeed. Fascinating. And depressing.

Yep. Now, Russian viewers,

why are you still watching? I know why, so you can stop

bugging our phones, hacking our emails and invading

defenceless nations, just for a few minutes,

as we put the USSR in the spotlight. I don't think that Russia today can

be compared with the Soviet Union. I don't think it's entirely right

to talk about a new... I think it's right to talk

about a new Cold War. Russia positioned nuclear capable

missiles in its westernmost region this week or are they trying to rile

Nato and revive Cold War politics? Civil servants fire red under

the bed at Number Ten. They've reportedly banned

Smartwatches from Cabinet meetings fearing the Kremlin might

use them to eavesdrop, but is the real Red

scare across the pond? The Kremlin, meaning Putin

and the Russian government, are directing the attacks,

the hacking, on American accounts The Clinton camp has accused Russia

of helping Donald Trump's presidential campaign

by hacking her emails. Russian Foreign Minister,

Sergei Lavrov, confirmed the cooling of relations

in bolshy fashion this week. There are so many processes

around your presidential campaign on both sides that I'd prefer not

to comment about this. Will frosty rhetoric on both sides

of the Iron Curtain result Popstar Katie Melua spent her

childhood in Georgia and returned Should we finally shut up

about the Cold War and celebrate That was Katie there. She is with us

now. Welcome back to the programme. Thanks for having me. You have gone

back to Georgia roots with your new single. Do you remember your time in

the USSR? Well, I don't remember the actual USSR. I remember mainly after

the USSR fell down. Right. The sort of post-Georgia, after the break

down of the Soviet Union. And, it was an interesting time. Yeah.

Because, basically, the country's infrastructure came to a complete

standstill. Food was rationed, hospitals, schools, everything was

just shut down. Like, I remember I went to the first two years of

school and winter time it was closed. We went in in September and

had to leave in November and not go back to March. Were people overall

glad it had broken down or were they worried? Well, no, because they had

an struck. That worked? Yeah, they had jobs. I was chatting to my mum

actually on my last flight to Georgia, I was saying - you know,

she was telling me about this job she had. She had an interesting

relationship to money. They didn't consider it very important. She said

she used to work at this place and she'd get paid once a month. She'd

give the money to whatever boy was going to take her to a coffee shop.

I was like... She was like, there was no sense of money being very

precious. So that was interesting. At least they had the

infrastructure. Georgia has a distinctive language and culture

from the Russian one, do you think... Is there a hankering back

in Russia these days for the USSR? In Russia itself? In Russia itself?

Gosh, I wouldn't be able to tell you, to be honest. I assume there

isn't in Georgia? I don't know. I think every country has this obsess

with nostalgia. A sense of the past is better. We have that here too,

don't we? At times. We have it like - obsession. We ref ran da. We have

it with music. In that sense, yes, but not in any real sense. We are

starting to see in some ways Mr Putin like a Soviet leader. Not in

terms of world domination or world communism, but certainly in terms of

reestablishing a Russian sphere of influence around the Mother Russia.

Yeah. We have seen it in Ukraine, Crimea ya and the warm water port in

Syria. There is a sense of a resurgent Russia again? He comes

across pretty frightening in the press and media. I'd say so. I'm

always a bit dubious about how things come across in the media

because I think what works on news stories and what people want to read

are what make as goods story. That tends to be things that are

dramatic, horrifying, shocking or fascinating or odd. Do you think

ordinary people want Russia to be great again, whatever that might

mean? Of course. Russians, yeah, of course. They are proud. Everyone

wants their country to be great. Absolutely whachl I'm most

interested in is also realising that these countries, we all know them in

the West as having these very difficult and complex political

histories. You know, they are shaded in a negative light. Russia has had

some of the most incredible cultural figures. Incredible composers and

great writers. I would like to celebrate that. You wonder whether

we handled the post-USSR well to encourage a different Russia, but in

a sense it's Back To The Future. It was the burden of their own history

as much as anything. That famous phrase of the swapping. . They went

from the sprawling empire of the Tzars to the communists for so many

years. I mean, I think it was always going to be difficult to debt get...

To move to a liberal democracy. Just like that. Maybe we could have done

more to help them. Too late now. What are you up to, what are you

doing these days? I went back to Georgia to work with a local choir

there. We have made a record. It's a big deal to us because living in the

UK and having a chance to be in the music business here, which really

rules the world, I love the fact that Dylan got the Nobel Prize

today, that's fannic. Music I believe rules the world. I've meed a

new album. Well done. Thanks for sharing some time with us tonight.

Thank you. -- made. That's your lot for tonight folks,

but not for us because it's Pussy Galore night at Lou Lous

and Michael can't wait to exchange What he has to say about Wagner

and the "Ring Cycle" is pretty edgy. But we leave you tonight

with the latest episode Nighty night, don't let

the silver-backed gorrilla bite. I thought he was like a bill

silver-back gorilla prowling the studio. A group of gorillas that

lives here has been studied by scientists for several years and has

become sufficiently accustomed to human beings to allow you to

approach quite close. But you have to behave properly. You musn't

conceal yourself too well. If you suddenly appear close to them and

took them by surprise, then they would almost certainly charge.

Though they may play games, you don't forget that these are the

rules of the forest and the great silver-back is King of the whole

group. Help's so enormously strong that he need fear nothing except a

man armed with a spear or a gun. -- he's.

There's no pulse. Adrenaline, please.