I did this interview in July 2010. Alastair never knowingly gives a bad interview and he was certainly very open in this two hour conversation. When did you start writing your diary? I’ve always done a diary, I started when I was a kid when my dad was in hospital and I use...
This is from September 2009. This morning I attended a two and a half hour long speed awareness course, having been caught doing 37 mph in a 30 limit in Brixton at 3am one morning in early June. I will admit to being slightly sceptical of what it would entail, but I have to...
This is an interview I did with Matthew Parris in September 2010. It remains one of my favourites. It’s another interview that has stood the test of time. If you poll any group of politicians, journalists or newspaper readers and ask them who their top rated political colum...
Margaret Thatcher Labour couldn’t win an election Putting the Unions back in their box Enabling millions of people to buy shares for the first time A-ha & Alphaville Audi Quattros Ejecting the Argentinians...
Some time ago, back in 2006, I had intended to write a book about the month leading up to Margaret Thatcher’s fall from power. Part of the incentive to do so was that there seemed to be so many conflicting accounts of what actually happened. I knew I would be able to get acces...
Back in November 2010 I interviewed Peter Mandelson. He was in soul bearing mood. I thought you might enjoy it all over again. It took place not long after hi autogiograhy had been published, and only a couple of months after Ed Miliband’s election as Labour leader. Reading th...
I’m afraid David Gauke’s weasel excuses for not himself launching a judicial review on the John Worboys case just won’t wash. It should never have been left to two of his victims to have to bring the case, and no amount of wriggling on the part of the Justice Secretary will ch...
It may have taken my 15 years, but I always get my man in the end. Back in 2003 I asked Chris Rennard to write a book about the art of political campaigning. If my memory is correct, he liked the idea but didn’t feel he could do it while still working actively for the LibDems....
There are some books you finish reading and think to yourself: “Why in God’s name was this book written?” In the case of Hillary Clinton, I suppose it was cheaper than paying for hours of therapy. Half way through this book I wanted to give up. Indeed, I had that thought afte...
We had intended to spend the whole show talking about Trump’s trade tarriffs but then the news broke that a terror incident was underway in South West France…
I don’t know the new government chief whip Julian Smith, but if reports from a meeting held this week by him for Scottish Conservative MPs and others on fishing rights, he’s going to have his work cut out if he is to maintain party disciple over the 21 month Brexit transition ...
I argue it’s no different to the way political marketeers have tried to influence the electorate in the past…
As the Russian president secures an overwhelming election victory, is Vladimir Putin the world’s most powerful leader? By the way CNN Talk is now available as an iTunes podcast. Do subscribe!
1 Winston Churchill Con 2 David Lloyd George Lib 3 Clement Attlee Lab 4 Margaret Thatcher Con 5 Harold Wilson Lab 6 Stanley Baldwin Con 7 Edward Heath Con 8 Ramsay Macdonald Lab 9 Tony Blair Lab 10 James Callaghan Lab 11 Harold Macmillan Con 12 R A Butler Con 13 William Whitel...
Are we entering a new cold war? That’s the question we seek to answer today on CNN Talk.
On Monday lunchtime, as my parting shot on CNNTalk I said that in her statement responding to the Salisbury nerve agent attack, Theresa May should ask herself one question: “What would Maggie have done?” And then do it. If I’m honest I thought we’d hear a statement full of dip...
This is a 25 minute conversation with Steven Edginton from Politics UK. We cover Brexit, BBC bias, my five years on Drive at LBC and much else besides.
CNNTalk goes five days a week from today, every day at 11am for the next two weeks, then back to 12 noon. Today we discuss Russia and the poisoning in Salisbury. We have a lovely new desk too! Afua Hirsch was sitting in for Ayesha Hazarika.
When I woke up this morning I must have had a premonition. Having been looking forward to the West Ham Burnley game all week, I just couldn’t summon up the enthusiasm to go. Perhaps it’s just that I’m knackered after a very long week, but I didn’t even get out of bed to do the...
Twelve hours after Donald Trump accepts an invitation to meet Kim Jong Un, we discuss the likelihood of success on today’s CNN Talk.