Edinburgh Festival Diary: Wednesday - Can I Bring Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho to the Tory Party Conference?
- 19 Aug 2015
A bit of a later start today. Had a coffee with Duncan Brack to talk about doing another book of counterfactuals next year. All ideas welcome. Perhaps we should call it PRIME MINISTER CORBYN AND OTHER THINGS THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN. Boom boom. The first show of the day was at ...
Edinburgh Festival Diary: Tuesday - Leading with my Nipples & Other Stories
- 19 Aug 2015
Last week I was put on a new diabetes pill and it’s playing havoc with my ability to sleep. It’s not falling asleep that’s the problem, it’s staying asleep. I keep waking up around 4.30am, and then seemingly every ten minutes or so afterwards. It’s also making me very thirsty....
Edinburgh Festival Diary: Monday - Boris, Benn, German Humour & Ruth Davidson
- 17 Aug 2015
To say today was back to back would be an understatement. The day started with a meeting with a Biteback author, and yes I know I am supposed to be on holiday. Strangely it also ended with a Biteback author too. But I’ll come to that later. My first show of the day, at the Pl...
Edinburgh Festival Diary : Sunday - If You Hate Me After All I Say
- 16 Aug 2015
About five or six years ago I was asked to speak on a panel at the Edinburgh book festival, so I thought while I was there I’d take in a couple of shows on the festival fringe. I remember going to see Gyles Brandreth’s one man show and a German comedian called Christian Schult...
ConHome Diary: Mourinho's Small Dick & the UKIP London Mayoral Stitch-Up
- 14 Aug 2015
Last week I was asked to fill in for Adam Boulton while he’s on holiday and write a column for the Sunday Times. My mum would have been very proud. It is by far the best Sunday newspaper for comment and opinion pieces and it was the first time I had written a column for the ma...
It Shouldn't Happen to a Radio Presenter 33: Being Muted And Then Shouted at By George Galloway
- 14 Aug 2015
I suppose this is rather more accurately titled ‘It Shouldn’t Happen to a Guest on George Galloway’s Radio Show’. Back in 2010 I was invited to appear on George Galloway’s talkSport show, which I had always enjoyed listening to. You never quite knew what was going to happe...
WATCH: London Labour Mayoral Hustings on LBC
- 14 Aug 2015
Here is the full video of the LBC London Labour Mayoral Hustings with Sadiq Khan, Tessa Jowell, David Lammy and Diane Abbott. They all agreed afterwards it was the best debate they had done. I hadn’t realised it was the final time they were debating each other. If you like...
SUNDAY TIMES COLUMN: Cameron is lucky with Labour and even luckier with his Tory rebels
- 9 Aug 2015
Today I made my debut as a columnist in the Sunday Times, deputising for Adam Boulton. I’ve written for most other papers at some time or other but never the Sunday Times, which I have always regarded as the best newspaper in the country. My mum would have been proud. Anyway, ...
It Shouldn't Happen to a Radio Presenter 32: Getting Something New Out of an Interviewee Who's Been on Every BBC Outlet Going
- 7 Aug 2015
Earlier today I did a 25 minute interview with Camila Batmangehlidh from Kid’s Company. We covered a lot of ground. It was one of those interviews where as an interviewer you know you’re going to struggle to cover anything new, as she had been all over the BBC for most of ...
ConHome Diary: Tracey Crouch Gives John Humphrys a Taste of His Own Medicine
- 7 Aug 2015
Tracey Crouch is rapidly becoming a bit of a star in her role as Sports Minister. She didn’t exactly have a hard act to follow. The thing is, as I’ve written before, she knows her subject inside out, as evidenced by her interview on Tuesday’s TODAY PROGRAMME about her new ten ...
It Shouldn't Happen to a Radio Presenter 31: When People Say Presenting a Radio Show is a Piece of P***...
- 1 Aug 2015
I’ve lost count of the times people say to me: “God, I wish I had a job as easy as yours. I mean, you just sit there and talk, which is what you love doing anyway.” Oh if only they knew. Yes of course, if you’re a talk radio host you like talking and hearing the sound of your ...
ConHome Diary: Jeremy Corbyn is a Modern Day Harry Perkins
- 31 Jul 2015
OK, I’ve got to say this. I can’t stand Sir Alastair Graham. Whenever there’s any political scandal, up he pops to dispense his holier than thou brand of puritanism. Yes, Lord Sewel was stupid, yes he broke the law, but for God’s sake, apart from the feelings of his wife and f...
LISTEN: Am I Really Responsible for Putting the Idea of Running for Leader into Jeremy Corbyn's Head?
- 28 Jul 2015
This audio suggests so. It’s an interview I recorded with Jeremy Corbyn on May 9th, the Saturday after polling day. Scroll in 14.10… Surely, Prime Minister, that’s got to be worth at least a Knighthood?!
LISTEN: Political Books Podcast with Andrew Roberts
- 27 Jul 2015
I talk to historian Andrew Roberts about his critically acclaimed book Napoleon the Great. We discuss Andrew’s favourite periods of history, our very individual writing processes and why Andrew – contrary to popular portrayal – believes Napoleon to be a benevolent dictator. ...
It Shouldn't Happen to a Radio Presenter: The Complete Series 1-30
- 26 Jul 2015
A few years ago I started writing about lessons I have learned while presenting on the radio. A friend suggested I should bring them altogether in one blogpost, so here you are. Looking back there’s some hilarious moments here, as well as some instructive ones. This isn’t a ‘...
It Shouldn't Happen to a Radio Presenter 30: Hosting a Labour Party Leadership Hustings
- 25 Jul 2015
A few people have asked what it was like hosting the Labour Leadership hustings debate and how I prepared for it, so I thought I’d jot down a few notes about what happened both in the runup to and at our live 90 minute debate on Wednesday. I have seen several of the other h...
WATCH: The Youtuber Who Jumped Off Tower Bridge
- 24 Jul 2015
Faisal Shinwari jumped off Tower Bridge yesterday. In this interview he tells me why he did it and that he regrets being so stupid. And then came Lucy from Reigate who didn’t hold back…
ConHome Diary: A "Butt Cock" Clenchingly Awful Video
- 24 Jul 2015
I feel a bit like a dog returning to its vomit, as each week I write about the Conservative London mayoral selection, but how can I possibly let Ivan Massow’s new campaign video pass without comment [Insert embedded video here]. Delusional is one word to describe it. Creepy is...
WATCH: The LBC Labour Leadership Hustings Debate
- 22 Jul 2015
This is the complete video of the 90 minute long LBC Labour Leadership Debate with Andy Burnham, Yvetter Cooper, Jeremy Corbyn and Liz Kendall, hosted by me. It’s in three parts. What did you think? Have to say I really enjoyed it. I’m told in the Green Room afterwards ...
LISTEN/WATCH: Live from 7pm Tonight on LBC, the Labour Leadership Hustings
- 22 Jul 2015
Just to let you know that this evening (Wednesday) I will be hosting a 90 minute Labour leadership hustings on LBC Radio. It will be broadcast in HD on LBC.co.uk. You can listen in London on 97.3FM, nationally on DAB radio or on TV on Freeview channel 732 or Sky TV channel 01...