Blog
Let's Not Do God in Our Politics
- 19 May 2019
When I first went to the United States in 1987, I was proud to support the Republican Party of Ronald Reagan. There were a few differences between the Republicans and the UK Conservative Party, but there was little doubt that they were sister parties. Since the mid-1990s, t...
Here are the Three Timetables for a Tory Party Leadership Contest
- 18 May 2019
This week Theresa May agreed with the 1922 Committee Executive that she would address the leadership question with Sir Graham Brady immediately after the Withdrawal Agreement vote. Everyone has interpreted this as her signalling she would then step down, given the likely resul...
If You Haven't Decided Who to Vote For Yet...
- 16 May 2019
We are only a few days away from polling day in the European Elections. I thought it might be helpful to pull together all the interviews and debates I've hosted during the campaign in one place. If you haven't made up your mind, watching some of these might help... ...
Why Can't the Other Parties Match the Brexit Party's Online Campaigning?
- 14 May 2019
This European Election campaign should never have happened. We voted to leave the EU three years ago and yet we're still in it. Blame who you like - the ERG, Theresa May, Parliament, Remain MPs - it doesn't really matter. Fact is, we'll all (well, all might be an exaggeration)...
For the BBC, Danny Baker was Easily Expendable
- 12 May 2019
It's been a busy week on LBC, given I also covered a show on Saturday afternoon as well as my regular weekday and Sunday shows. One of the subjects we covered was Danny Baker's sacking by the BBC. I hadn't intended to talk about this as in the scheme of things I thought it ...
It Shouldn't Happen to a Radio Presenter 67: So I'm a Soft Interviewer, Am I?
- 5 May 2019
I've never quite understood why some people continue to think that I am a soft interviewer. It's true that I tend not to shout or get aggressive. It's true that if I get a bit shouty, I do it with a smile, but that does not equate to 'softness'. I prefer to do conversational s...
It Shouldn't Happen to a Radio Presenter 66 - Behind the Scenes of an Election Night Show
- 3 May 2019
Click on the above and you can rewatch the entire 6 hour show! Preparing for an presenting a live six hour election night show is probably one of the most complex things that we ever do. There is a tremendous opportunity for things to go wrong. And given we stream the w...
Ann Widdecombe Gives Farage Party a Turbo Boost
- 24 Apr 2019
Nigel Farage is putting together quite an impressive line-up of candidates. This morning Ann Widdecombe announced she was one of them. Quite a coup by anybody's standards, and she will bring a lot of Tory supporters with her. Widdecombe hasn't always been a Eurosceptic and...
Announcing my Edinburgh Fringe Show - 'Iain Dale - All Talk'
- 17 Apr 2019
I'm delighted to announce that I'll be doing a 12 day long run at this year's Edinburgh Fringe, with a show called IAIN DALE - ALL TALK. I've invited a range of well known people from the world of politics and the media to join me on stage at one of the best known venues on...
The Tory MP Who Doesn't Believe a Word Theresa May Says
- 13 Apr 2019
This is a text sent to Buzzfeed's Alex Wickham this week by someone who he describes as a "Veteran Tory MP"... She told us she would not call an election. She called an election. She said no British prime minister could ever agree to a Northern Ireland-only backstop. She ...