It’s Friday and it’s popcorn time again as a seven-way debate between the biggest political parties takes place on the BBC tonight. There’s plenty to chew over. It could get fiery. Nigel Farage is back, tax tussles continue, the Welsh First Minister has lost a vote of no-confidence and the Lib Dem Leader Ed Davey received a speeding fine this week but also praise for an emotional campaign video. Looking ahead to next week, parties are finalising their manifestos and postal ballots are expected to start arriving through voters’ letter boxes.
Sky’s Electoral Dysfunction looks at what pledges might be in the parties’ manifestos and how they’re written. Harriet Harman joins Beth Rigby and Ruth Davidson as the first Friday stand-in for Jess Philips during the election period.
Manifestos can land you in trouble. On Politico’s Westminster Insider former Tory advisor Cleo Watson looks back at how it all went wrong for Theresa May at the 2017 election when she backtracked on a key pledge on funding care for the elderly.
And how do you pin ministers down to agree on policy? Patrick Diamond who wrote manifestos for Blair and Brown joins.
Juicy listen alert…former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries is on The News Agents. She talks about why Rishi Sunak called the election when he did and how she says that’s connected to the Tory Party Chair Richard Holden inserting himself into a safe seat 280 miles away from his old one. Fiery back and forths on Boris Johnson, scandals, standards too..plus peeragegate…
Political Currency is looking at the nuts and bolts of election campaigns, how they work and who’s really running the show. What are the main jobs of campaign coordinators? There’s an air war and a ground war, says Osborne. Interesting stuff.
As mentioned, the Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey is receiving praise for a pretty moving campaign video showing him with his disabled son. ITV’s Rachel Younger spoke to Davey who opens up about the fears he has on who will look after him when he’s gone. Rachel joins the Talking Politics team for some behind the scenes details.
The Rest is Politics looks at how Starmer should have dealt with Sunak’s tax claim but also at what’s going on in Wales after the First Minister lost a vote of no-confidence. Vaughan Gething is only some 78 days into the job. As Rory reminds us, not long ago it was remarked upon that the UK had a Hindu Prime Minister, a Muslim Scottish First Minister and Gething became Europe’s first Black government leader. Where will the story end up?
In, out, shake it all about. Another u-turn. The Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross is currently an MP and MSP. He had pledged he wouldn’t run again for Westminster but now says he will. What’s behind this? Holyrood Sources examines this decision from the man dubbed “multiple jobs Ross”.
Sunak and Starmer are back campaigning again after marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day. What lessons should today’s leaders learn from the Second World War? The World in 10 podcast from The Times puts that to Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, former commander US Army Europe.
The historian and security analyst Michael Clarke’s father fought at Sword Beach. He speaks to Sky News’ Daily about what happened at D Day, how difficult it was for his Dad to share his experiences and the importance of camaraderie.
And now for something completely different
Full title of this one is Finally! A Show About Women That Isn’t Just a Thinly Veiled Aspirational Nightmare….trips off the tongue easy doesn’t it? The latest episode is about former missionary Stephanie Anderson who now teaches English as a New Language in Indiana. A funny podcast about the lives of ordinary American women where you don’t get told anything about how much better you could be doing - phew.
