After a year in the job, a dramatic return to Westminster, with big names coming and going, live drama, jeopardy and heated debate. But that’s enough about my first anniversary at 5 Live. How’s it looking for Keir Starmer? They say a week is a long time in politics. And they say that saying a week in a long time in politics is a terrible cliche. But blimey.
It was only on Monday that I sat in the cabinet room opposite the prime minister, who told me his backroom shake-up (Tim in, James out, Darren up) was just what he needed to get things done: “I want to deliver that change as quickly as possible. Today is about moving on to that second phase.” He said his focus was now on “delivery, delivery, delivery”.
Now on Friday the main thing that’s been delivered is Angela Rayner’s resignation letter, and a huge headache for the PM, who is currently in the middle a major reshuffle, the consequences of which will take some time to emerge.
So here’s some other things we learned this week…
THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENS: No there wasn’t enough time. No I didn’t get to ask about everything I hoped to. No I’m not responsible for the answers. But what a privilege to be in the Cabinet Room to interview the prime minister live on 5 Live.
The history of the Cabinet Room is incredible. It was here in 1914 that Asquith and his cabinet sat and listened to Big Ben strike 11pm when they knew the deadline for their ultimatum to Germany had passed, and Britain was now at war.
It was here that Churchill broadcast news of Victory in Europe in 1945. It was here that weeks later Attlee received news of Japan’s surrender on VJ Day.
It was here that Major was sitting when the IRA bombed Downing Street, and he was sent scrambling under the table. It was here that prime ministers have plotted war and peace, higher taxes and lower taxes, created arms of the state and cut them back, joining international alliances and left them, dealt in high-minded policy and low-level skullduggery.
It was here that some of the biggest decisions affecting our lives have been taken for the past 300 hundred years.
All sitting around the famous coffin shaped table, allowing the prime minister to see look each cabinet minister in the eye. The only chair with arms belongs to the PM, they can rely on at least that support during meetings. In the short 10 minutes I had today I tried to get to the heart of some of the decisions Keir Starmer has taken. Although he has taken rather more since then…
“Angela is an incredible prime minister.”
An unfortunate slip from Keir Starmer to me on Monday
ROAD RUNNER: The problem with doing the first half of the show live from Downing Street is I then had to get back to the 5 Live studios in Millbank for the rest of the programme. Which meant a dash out of the cabinet room, down the famous corridor to the famous black front door, out in to the street, out into Whitehall. An extended news and sport was not enough, so I ended up presenting the show on my phone while trying to cross Parliament Square without getting run over. Several listeners said they enjoyed that drama more than the interview with the PM. Not sure how to take that.
CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY: Wes Streeting, the health secretary, came on the show on Wednesday and said it would be a “travesty” if his old friend Angela Rayner had to resign. But what really got the listeners talking is when he said he thought September was too soon for festive food in the shops, and wanted nothing Christmassy until December the first. Which sparked quite the debate amongst tlisteners (and the team on the show). Who had started writing lists? Who had started buying presents? Who had stockpiled chocolate in “the Christmas cupboard”? And most alarming: who has already got their gravy in the freezer?
I REALLY LIKE YOU: Long-time listeners will know about my obsession with Nick Clegg pretending to be Tom Hanks pretending to be Carle Rae Jepsen. Ahead of the 2015 general election the then-Lib Dem leader and deputy prime minister spent a day filming a shot-by-shot recreation of the music video, starring Hank,s for the song I Really Like You. Supposedly in the hope of going viral and becoming popular. But it’s never been released. I celebrated the 10th anniversary earlier this year. Well on Thursday Nick Clegg came on my show, and after discussing Meta, social media, Davey, Farage and tuition fees, I asked what the nation wanted: will he release the tape? “If I’ve anything to do with it, it will never be seen. I'm actually going crimson as you're talking.” Well at least no other Deputy Prime Minister has done anything daft since.
CHEESED OFF: Party conference season is well under-way. I’m writing this on the way back to London from the Reform UK gathering at the NEC in Birmingham. This is the 20th year I’ve made the pilgrimages to the party faithful. Whatever you think is going to happen, expect the unexpected. (Nigel Farage brought his 4pm speech forward to 1pm to capitalise on the PM’s woes.) I was there for them all: Theresa May’s cough, Cherie Blair’s “that’s a lie”, Ming Campbell pointing down the toilet. And THAT speech by Liz Truss. The OG. The cheese speech. “We import two-thirds of our cheese… THAT. IS. A. DISGRACE.” Well her special adviser Kirsty Buchanan obviously found it as funny as many other people, and repeated it often in the office. Until one day Truss snapped, Kirsty told me on 5 Live this week. Looking out at window cleaners dangling outside the Ministry of Justice, Truss warned: “If you say that to me ever again, I'm going to put you outside of that window, and I'm not going to let you back in.” So bare that in mind if you bump into the former PM.
West End, baby!
Come see me live in London’s glittering West End at the Cambridge Theatre on Monday November 10 for a special performance of my stand-up show Making A Meal Of It. Ticket sales are ticking along nicely and would be lovely to sell out my biggest ever show. More info.
Right that will do for now. Do hit like and comment and all of that. I am dashing back to London to present a specially-extended Newsnight, with the latest on Reform, Rayner and the reshuffle. Oh and Mike Pence too (though I couldn’t do the interview myself, as I’m on this train). See you BBC2, 10.30pm. Don’t be late.
I have to be in London on 11 November, so will be there on 10th, will the show be different to Newcastle? (Or does that count as stalking?)