How Can HMRC Defend Retrospective Taxation Going Back 20 Years?
- 13 Sep 2018
This week on my CROSS QUESTION show we had a fairly robust discussion which ended with a text question on something which on the face of it is very unfair. Thousands of self-employed people are being harassed by HMRC for thousands of pounds – in many cases tens of thousands o...
What to do With The Treasonous Anjem Choudary...
- 12 Sep 2018
Yesterday we learned that the Islamist hate preacher Anjem Choudary is to be released from prison at some point in October after serving only three years of a five a half year sentence for inciting muslims to join Daesh. Prisons minister Rory Stewart (pic below) gave an inter...
What the Liberal Democrats Need Is Another Jeremy Thorpe
- 9 Sep 2018
On Tuesday I’m going to be interviewing Vince Cable for an hour - yes, you read that right - in the LBC studio. 8-9pm, since you ask. It comes off the back of his speech on Friday, in which he essentially announced he’s entered the world of lame duckery. Any political leader w...
Waterstone's Buying Foyles Is All About Bricks & Mortar Market Share - Not Amazon
- 8 Sep 2018
Blink and you’d have missed it. On Friday it was announced that Waterstone’s have bought Foyles. Ten years ago this would have been a major news story, and featured in the first few pages of The Times. Today it didn’t feature at all in the main newspaper and only managed a few...
It Shouldn't Happen to a Radio Presenter 62: Broadcasting With a Persistent Cough
- 7 Sep 2018
One of the worst things that can happen to a broadcaster is to contract a cold or cough, especially if it lasts for some time. At least on radio, there’s a cough button to press while someone else is talking. You don’t get that luxury on TV. I’ve always had a bit of a tickl...
Who Will be the 'Stop Boris' Candidate?
- 7 Sep 2018
Tom Newton Dunn’s exclusive about Boris Johnson and his wife having split up is notable as it suggests that the story was deliberately put out there in order to avoid it emerging during a leadership contest. Cynical maybe, but also understandable. Whether it will give licence ...
It Shouldn't Happen to a Radio Presenter 61: The First Show Nerves Can Now Disappear
- 4 Sep 2018
Launching a new programme is always nerve-wracking. I’m sure Eddie Mair and I shared that slight empty stomach feeling today. His programme and mine were very different to the previous shows in our respective slots. Radio audiences are very conservative beasts. They don’t ...
So What's Coming Up on My New LBC Evening Show This Week?
- 2 Sep 2018
It’s all change on the LBC daytime schedule from Monday. As you know, I’m moving to the 7-10pm slot from Monday to Thursday, so I thought I’d give you some details about what you can look forward to. Each day from 7-8 I’ll be hosting the LBC Newshour. It will feature intervie...
It Shouldn't Happen to a Radio Presenter 60: When an MP Says 'Handjob' On Air
- 2 Sep 2018
It’s actually quite rare that people swear on live radio. It’s even rarer for a politician to do so. If they do, it can have very serious consequences for the radio station concerned. It only takes one complaint for OfCom to launch an investigation. On most commercial stations...
Theatre Review: 'Bat Out of Hell: The Musical - For Crying Out Loud
- 1 Sep 2018
On Thursday Nigel Farage walked into the studio for our 7pm handover and asked: “Do you really like Meat Loaf?” I had just announced I was off to see ‘Bat out of Hell: The Musical’ with my two producers at the Dominion Theatre. “Yes,” I said.”I’ve got everything he’s ever reco...
It Shouldn't Happen to a Radio Presenter 59: Surviving The Final Show (Without Blubbing)
- 31 Aug 2018
This evening at 7pm my last Drivetime show on LBC came to a close. I’m not leaving the station, just moving to another slot on Monday, 7-10pm. So I did wonder whether I should just do a normal show today and not say anything about the show coming to an end after five and a...
Britain Needs to Do More To Increase Trade With Africa
- 31 Aug 2018
Theresa May’s trip to Africa seems to have gone very well. In some ways it must seem like a bit of a holiday to her given her troubles at home, where she continues to come under siege from both sides of the Brexit debate. Her little dance in South Africa, while obviously a li...
Let's all Celebrate & Take Part In 'Positive Twitter Day'
- 31 Aug 2018
I don’t know who thought this up, but today is ‘Positive Twitter Day’ and it means that we’re all supposed to abandon the habits of a lifetime and only tweet positive things today. I’m going to enthusiastically take part and be complete sweetness and light for a whole 24 hours...
Kerala Floods & Bank Bureaucracy - How Can It Be So Difficult to Give Money?
- 29 Aug 2018
I don’t know. You try and do something good and then you wonder why you bothered. Let me explain. As part of my holiday John and I went to Spain to stay with our friends Deborah and Mike. Last week Deborah messaged me about a friend of hers in India… I’ve just been talkin...
The Rise of Grant Tucker
- 29 Aug 2018
“There’s a couple of lads that would like to meet you. They read your blog.” The words of Dawn Parry, the Tory candidate for Newport West in 2010. From memory we were at the Tory conference in Bournemouth. At that point my blog was at its most popular with tens of thousands of...
It Shouldn't Happen to a Radio Presenter 58: All Change at LBC!
- 28 Aug 2018
“We need to have an adult conversation.” Never words you want to hear from your boss. My first thought was: “Oh God, what have I said on Twitter now…” But it wasn’t that at all. I’ve been presenting Drive on LBC for five and a half years now and have enjoyed every minute. I...
My New Website: I'll Be Blogging Every Day - Guaranteed!
- 27 Aug 2018
Welcome to my shiny new website, which has been a long time in the making. As many of you know, I used to blog several times a day, but in 2010 I gave up the blog, and since then it’s been more like once a week. Well, from today onwards I intend to blog at least once a day o...
Diary: Edinburgh Fringe, Corbyn's Trumpery & Carillion Chaos
- 23 Aug 2018
This is the fourth year I’ve been to the Edinburgh Fringe. Back in June I trawled through all 3,500 shows to decide which to go to see. Normally, I spend three days there, but this year I squeezed everything into two. Somehow, this year it didn’t have the buzz I’ve experienced...
From Fat Chozzer to Finally Getting Under 16 Stone
- 18 Aug 2018
Until I was 13 I was as thin as a rake. Then I got a terrible bout of food poisoning on a school trip to Russia, the effects of which lasted for six months. Since then I only have to look at a Smartie and I put on a pound. I also have quite a big frame (all that bale carting i...
ConHome Diary: When the Rain in Spain...
- 17 Aug 2018
I’m in Spain on holiday this week. Like many people who are obsessed by news, it’s difficult to switch off completely. I’d love to leave my phone and laptop at home but there’s always that fear of missing something. So far I’ve spent most of my time so far reading, sunbathing,...