ANDREW PIERCE: Starmer’s prepare pal given simple trip on Question Time
Fiona Bruce is the newest BBC presenter to be caught out giving her viewers one thing lower than the unvarnished reality about one in all her company.
On BBC Question Time in Lancaster final week, she launched a panellist with a glowing reference: ‘Juergen Maier is a leading industrialist and business adviser. For five years he was CEO of Siemens UK.
‘Now he argues for the green re-industrialisation of northern Britain and is co-founder of vocL, a social enterprise encouraging business leaders to engage in public debate.’
But, surprisingly, no point out that in December Maier was appointed by Keir Starmer to move a evaluation of rail and transport initiatives.
Whilst introducing panellist Juergen Maier on BBC’s Question Time presenter Fiona Bruce did not point out that Keir Starmer appointed him to move a evaluation of rail and transport initiatives in December
German-born Maier informed Kier Starmer ‘Do not let populism make you waver’ earlier than Sir Kier’s U-turn on Labour’s pledge of £28 billion annual spending on inexperienced initiatives
German-born Mr Maier, who has referred to as for Britain to rejoin the only market, additionally was once obsessed with Labour’s plan for a £28 billion annual spending splurge on inexperienced initiatives, paid for by way of borrowing — a coverage which Starmer lastly put out of its distress this month.
Urging Sir Keir to face agency earlier than he executed one in all his now customary U-turns, Maier stated: ‘Do not let populism make you waver.’ So did he take the chance on Question Time to carry Sir Keir to account over the coverage change? Of course he didn’t.
As we realized Prince Harry had modified his kids’s surname to Sussex, former minister Ed Balls joked his personal identify had prompted him troubles rising up.
But he quipped on the Political Currency podcast: ‘If you think it was bad for me, think how much worse it was for my sister Ophelia. She had a much harder time at school.’
Demis’ massive slice of radio historical past
One of Steve Wright’s first radio gigs was on Reading 210 in 1976 with fellow DJ Mike Read. Mike, who additionally went on to be a Radio 1 star, remembers how they secured a heavyweight interview with Greek singer Demis Roussos, who tipped the scales at 23st. The so-called Kaftan King agreed to be on their present on the situation that he was given cake. After being supplied a slice, he stated: ‘No, I want cake, a whole big cake!’
After an on-air enchantment, a cake was delivered. ‘Demis sat in the garden in his huge kaftan scoffing the lot, not giving even a crumb to anybody else,’ says Read. ‘But at least we got our interview.’
Greek singer Demis Roussos who solely agreed to go on Reading 210 if he was given cake
Succession star Brian Cox was final week pictured with Queen Camilla at a Shakespeare celebration on the Grosvenor House Hotel. Can this be the identical Cox, a devotee of the SNP, who in 2020 stated he would wash his arms of the monarchy after the demise of Queen Elizabeth? ‘When she’s gone the entire bloody taking pictures match ought to go . . . We received’t finish this feudal maintain on our tradition and system till then.’ What a hypocrite.
Succession star Brian Cox pictured final week with Queen Camilla at a Shakespeare celebration on the Grosvenor House Hotel
Labour supporters shouldn’t get too carried away after their victories in final week’s by-elections. In Wellingborough, the celebration’s profitable complete of 13,844 votes was solely 107 greater than within the final common election after they misplaced by greater than 18,000 votes. Meanwhile, in Kingswood the celebration’s 11,176 votes had been 5,316 fewer than in 2019.
Not so nice in any case, Sir Keir.
There was an fascinating supply from Reform UK’s Ben Habib, who secured the celebration’s largest vote in a by-election with 13 per cent in final week’s Wellingborough ballot.
‘If I become an MP, I will not draw a salary for the entire time I serve in Parliament,’ he informed me. Not that he wants the £86,584 wage. One estimate places his fortune at £45 million. He insists: ‘It’s a gross exaggeration.’
Trump the Roman Emperor
Historian Mary Beard reveals why she in contrast Donald Trump to the Roman emperor Elagabalus. ‘He is the classic awful emperor who rules in the early third century for just four years,’ she tells the podcast Library Talks. ‘If you think Nero and Caligula are bad, they’re pussycats in contrast with Elagabalus. He has an Imelda Marcos tendency — he by no means wears the identical pair of footwear twice. He’s additionally a little bit of a jokester, so he invents the whoopee cushion. Go to dinner with [him] and also you’re sitting on inflatable cushions and he has his slaves let the air out of the cushions and you find yourself on the ground.’ At least he served solely 4 years.
