Laura Kuenssberg Corners Minister Over Real-Life Impact Of Bus Fare Cap Hike

Posted on 17/11/2024 by Boris Clair

Laura Kuenssberg put the transport secretary on the spot this morning over Labour’s decision to increase the bus fare cap to £3 by reading out the real-life impact of the move.

The government decided in last month’s Budget that, to help fill the “black hole” the Tories supposedly left in the public finances, they would increase the cap from £2.

The department for transport has now announced £1bn of funding will go on delivering London-style buses nationwide, with an extra £151m going on funding the £3 cap outside of the capital until 2025.

But, as the presenter told Louise Haigh, this still means some people will be worse off.

On Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the BBC host began by asking: “Do you admit just it’s logical that will make it more expensive for people to get around?”

“The £2 fare cap was due to finish on 31 December, that was the funding settlement I inherited,” Haigh replied.

She said that Labour then “stepped in” to protect the cap at £3, adding: “That means for rural routes in particular where bus fares could have leapt back up to £13 or £14 in some instances, we are keeping it much lower at £3.”

Haigh also said the government has made sure some operators cannot raise fares more than in line with inflation, so that they would not expect all fares to raise to £3, that is just a maximum amount.

But Kuenssberg pushed: “Protecting the cap, as you put it, means increasing fares for lots of people.”

She then read out of an example from a viewer’s relative, who may now have to pay an extra £15 per week just to get to work as she has to get three buses in her commute.

“Where’s she meant to get the money from?” Kuenssberg asked.

Haigh said it would be more economical to buy a weekly card, but the presenter cut in: “OK, this is a real-life example.

“One of our viewers says in their family they’re going to have to find an extra £15 a week, and that’s money they don’t have. What are they meant to do?”

Haigh just said the government stepped in with £150m to protect the fare at £3, and said the fare should not go up to that full amount in urban areas.

The exchange comes a few weeks after health secretary Wes Streeting claimed the bus cap would have risen to £10 if Labour had not acted.

Haigh also refused to commit to extending the £3 cap beyond 2025, telling Times Radio this morning: “So the fare cap is funded until the 31st of December 2025 and over the next year.

“We’ll work to evaluate how that is having an impact and where the cap should land and what the best intervention is.

“We made the choice to step in and fund the cap at £3 after the 31st of December this year.

“But we’re also making the choice to fund £1 billion worth of local bus services today in this announcement because the major thing that keeps people off the buses is the total lack of reliability.”

Kemi Badenoch Says The Partygate Scandal Was ‘Overblown’

Posted on 03/11/2024 by Boris Clair

The partygate scandal was “overblown” and people should not have been given fixed penalty notices for breaking Covid rules, Kemi Badenoch has said.

The new Tory leader made the surprising comments in her first interview since beating Robert Jenrick in the race to succeed Rishi Sunak.

She also described Boris Johnson as “a great prime minister”, even though she was one of dozens of senior Conservatives who resigned from his government.

Johnson and Sunak were also among those who were fined for breaking the Covid rules their own government had drawn up.

Appearing on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on BBC1, Badenoch said: “I resigned during the Boris Johnson government. I thought he was a great prime minister, but there were some serious issues that were not being resolved.

“I think that during that tenure the public thought we were no longer speaking for them or looking out for them, we were in it for ourselves.

“Some of them I think were perception issues. A lot of the stuff that happened around partygate was not why I resigned, I thought it was overblown. We should not have created fixed penalty notices, for example. That was us not going with our principles.

“And then we had the issue with the Chris Pincher scandal, when ministers were sent out to say things that were not true. That was when I decided things had gone too far.”

Asked by Kuenssberg if the public were “wrong to be upset about partygate”, Badenoch said: “No, they were not wrong to be upset about partygate.

“The problem was that we should not have criminalised everyday activities the way that we did. People going out for walks, all of them having fixed penalty notices. That ended up creating a trap for Boris Johnson.”

Kuenssberg then asked: “Wasn’t the problem that people in government didn’t obey the rules?”

Badenoch replied: “Yes that’s right, people in government didn’t obey the rules. But they were not MPs, they were often staffers, and I think that the way that we had created those regulations ended up entrapping …”

The presenter then interrupted her to say: “The prime minister and the chancellor both got fines, it wasn’t just people who worked for them.”

The Tory leader replied: “Indeed, but as we saw with those events, when people see the full story of what happened they understand that problems were created because of the way that we created the regulations.”

Labour chair Ellie Reeves said: “Listening to Kemi Badenoch dismiss partygate as ‘overblown’ will add insult to injury for families across Britain who followed the rules, missing loved one’s deaths and family funerals, whilst her colleagues partied in Downing Street.”

Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokesperson Sarah Olney said: “It’s clear the Conservative Party haven’t learnt anything from the years of sleaze and scandal under their watch.

“Kemi Badenoch’s comments are an insult to those who lost family members during the pandemic while Boris Johnson partied and lied.

“On day one of the job she’s already shown she’s completely out of touch with the public.”

BBC Scraps Boris Johnson Interview After Laura Kuenssberg Sends Him Her Notes In Advance

Posted on 03/10/2024 by Boris Clair

The highly-experienced presenter admitted the “embarrassing and disappointing” gaffe in a post on X on Wednesday night.

She said she had been intending to send her briefing notes for the interview to her team, but sent them to Johnson instead.

Johnson had been due to interviewed by Kuenssberg to coincide with the publication of the former prime minister’s memoir, ‘Unleashed’.

But in her statement, Kuenssberg said: “While prepping to interview Boris Johnson tomorrow, by mistake I sent our briefing notes to him in a message meant for my team.

“That obviously means it’s not right for the interview to go ahead. It’s very frustrating, and there’s no point pretending it’s anything other than embarrassing and disappointing, as there are plenty of important questions to be asked.

“But red faces aside, honesty is the best policy. See you on Sunday.”

‘Frankly It Stinks’: Angela Rayner Shown Voters’ Anger At Labour Freebies Row

Posted on 22/09/2024 by Boris Clair

Angela Rayner has been confronted with the extent of voters’ anger as the row over senior Labour figures accepting freebies including clothes, accommodation, and football and concert tickets continues.

The deputy prime minister has become personally embroiled in the row, with Labour being forced to announce on Friday that, along with Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves, she would no longer accept donations for clothes.

The Sunday Times has also reported this morning that Rayner may have breached parliamentary rules over holiday accommodation in New York provided by millionaire Labour peer Lord Alli.

On Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on BBC1, Labour’s deputy leader was shown comments by viewers left furious by the ongoing controversy.

Kuenssberg said: “I want to let you know how angry some of our viewers have been over this last week.

“Wendy emailed to say ‘it’s been extraordinary behaviour to accept clothing donations when the government feels justified to remove winter fuel payments to pensioners’.

“Eilles said it’s ‘morally indefensible’ for politicians to be doing this. Peter called you ‘the goody party’ and Clive, who was a Labour Party member, said ‘I find it deeply disappointing that Labour seems no different from the Tories when it comes to freebies’.

“Are we expected to believe that the donors get nothing in return? Lord Alli gave you individually more than £20,000. What did you promise or give him in return?”

Rayner replied: “I promised nothing and gave him nothing in return. What the donors that have helped me in the past have done is seen someone who has come from a very working class background, and I say it how it is. I always try to fight for people.

“Since having the honour and privilege of being the deputy prime minister and the secretary of state for housing, I’ve got a significant number of bills in the King’s Speech because I want to improve people’s housing. I want to get on with the job of supporting people.

“However, a feature of our politics at the moment is for me to stand as the deputy leader … that’s why transparency is extremely important.”

Earlier this morning, education secretary Bridget Phillipson was forced to defend Lord Alli paying for her 40th birthday party last year, which was attended by journalists, trade unionists and education experts.

The prime minister has also been criticised for accepting more than £100,000 in hospitality over the last five years – far more than any other MP.

Laura Kuenssberg Tears Into Top Tory Who Says UK Is Still ‘Instinctively Conservative’

Posted on 07/07/2024 by Boris Clair

Tory MP Victoria Atkins has claimed that the UK is still “instinctively Conservative”, just days after the party endured a historic defeat at the polls.

On BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the former health secretary – who is widely expected to put herself forward as a contender to be the next Tory leader – said the Conservatives needs to “act on those values” in the party which voters support.

Alluding to the meagre 121 seats the Tories took in the election, Kuenssberg asked Atkins: “What went wrong with your values then?”

Atkins replied: “We know that the country, actually, is instinctively Conservative, if you look, people want lower taxes.”

“Do you think the country is still instinctively Conservative when they booted you out? You’ve got your worst defeat ever.” The BBC host hit back.

Atkins said: “In terms of their values, their instincts, they are, I believe, still instinctively Conservative.

“They want lower taxes, they want to build a better future for their children, they want to help them thrive in their personal lives, and in their livelihoods.”

“Those values are important to us all,” she added.

It’s worth noting that Conservatives took just 24% of the vote share overall on Thursday.

So Kuenssberg pushed: “What was it that went wrong, though?

“The country has dramatically kicked you out.

“This was not the standard defeat. Labour won a landslide. What was it that was wrong?”

Atkins said it was about “trust” with voters, but refused to outline what the party will actually do next, saying that the parliamentary party has not reconvened since the abysmal general election.

‘Admission Of Defeat’: Laura Kuenssberg Calls Out ‘Desperate’ Tory Campaign Tactics

Posted on 16/06/2024 by Boris Clair

Laura Kuenssberg laid into transport secretary Mark Harper on Sunday and said the Conservatives’ campaign tactics are “desperate”.

The Tories have been trailing in the polls for weeks now – YouGov even put them in third place behind both Labour and Reform on Thursday.

The Conservatives have responded by telling voters supporting any party other than them is the same as giving Labour a “blank cheque” for a huge majority.

So, on her show, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the presenter said: “The message shifting somewhat in the last few days, not so much necessarily to say, ‘let’s win this,’ but to say ‘you should worry about a big Labour majority to stop the other side romping home’.”

She showed viewers one of the Tories’ more recent social media adverts, which predicts a Labour victory with 490 seats.

Kuenssberg showing Harper the Tories' own attack ad, which gives 57 seats. — Kuenssberg showing Harper the Tories’ own attack ad, which gives 57 seats.

“You seem to be resorting to just spooking people into some kind of massive majority.

“Isn’t that an admission of defeat, when as you said, not a single vote has been cast, apart from a few postal votes?” the BBC presenter asked.

The minister replied: “It’s not, it’s simply doing what you did before with me, just to point to the polls.

“All we’re doing is if you look at the polls, and if people voted the way the polls are suggesting, that’s what you’d get.

“And we’re saying to people is that what you want? And actually I don’t think it is what people want.”

He claimed the Tories are still fighting for every vote, and there’s still plenty of undecided voters.

According to research from consultancy firm More in Common, about 15% of voters are still undecided.

Kuenssberg hit back: “Isn’t that exactly the point?

“There are still millions of people in this country, probably many of them watching this morning, who haven’t decided what they’re going to do yet, and they’re hearing from you, is not ‘hey here’s our positive vision’.

“What they’re hearing is, ‘oh well you can’t give the other side everything they want so stick with us.’

“Isn’t that something that sounds a bit desperate?”

“Not really,” Harper said, and claimed broadcasters often talk about polls.

Nigel Farage On The Rack Over Claim Rishi Sunak ‘Doesn’t Understand Our Culture’

Posted on 09/06/2024 by Boris Clair

Nigel Farage was left squirming this morning over his claim that Rishi Sunak “doesn’t understand our history and our culture”.

The Reform UK leader made the comment after the prime minister left the D-Day commemoration early.

But on BBC1 this morning, Laura Kuenssberg said viewers “might imagine that you are trying, not very subtly, to emphasise the prime minister’s immigrant heritage”.

Farage insisted he was referring to the PM’s “class and privilege”.

But work and pensions secretary Mel Stride said Farage’s remarks were “deeply regrettable”.

In their interview, Kuenssberg told Farage: “I want to ask you about the prime minister’s early exit from the D-Day commemoration this week.

“After that, you said that he wasn’t patriotic and you said that Rishi Sunak didn’t understand our history and our culture’. What did you mean by that?”

Farage replied: “Absolutely right. He should have known in his heart that it was right to be there. I was there, I’ve been raising money for some weeks to send veterans back to Normandy.

“The vast majority of people in Britain felt this commemoration was important, and the last opportunity to honour those remnants that are still alive.

“By the way, I know what your question is leading at. Forty per cent of our contribution in World War One and World War Two came from the Commonwelath. He is utterly disconnected by class, by privilege, from how the ordinary folk in this country feel.

“He revealed that, I think spectacularly, when he left Normandy early.”

Laura: “But Mr Farage, when you say ‘our culture’, I think many of our viewers might imagine that you are trying, not very subtly, to emphasise the prime minister’s immigrant heritage.”

Farage replied: “I just made the point, 40% of our contribution in two wars came from the Commonwealth. Clearly, Mr Sunak doesn’t understand that.”

Asked what he thought about Farage’s comments, work and pensions secretary Mel Stride said: “I think they were deeply regrettable comments. I’m not entirely sure he addressed the question you put to him as to what he meant by that.”

He added: “It just seems to be to be an ill-advised thing to have said. I feel very uncomfortable with that.”

Shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “This is a classic Nigel Farage trick – lean in just enough to signal a bit of a dog whistle and then lean back and sound perfectly reasonable and say some thing good about the contribution Commonwealth soldiers and ethnic minorities made towards the war effort.

“We can all see exactly what Nigel Farage is doing, he’s got form, it’s completely unacceptable. This is a man who has a track record of seeking to divide communities.”

Kuenssberg Skewers Chancellor Over Economy Claims: ‘Sounds Like You’re In A Parallel Universe’

Posted on 24/03/2024 by Boris Clair

The BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg told Jeremy Hunt “it sounds like you’re in a parallel universe” after his recent claims about the cost of living crisis and the economy.

The chancellor made headlines after he posted on X on Friday that £100,000 is not “a huge salary” after mortgage costs and childcare.

His colleague, minister Andrea Leadsom, also caused a stir this week after she claimed the cost of living crisis had ended now inflation is down.

The presenter of Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg then pointed out that private rents are up 9% since 2023, council tax for band D up 5.1% since 2023 and petrol prices up 2.3p since January 2024.

After reminding Hunt of these incidents, she asked: “Isn’t there a danger that actually you sound like you’re in a parallel universe?”

Hunt said he was talking to one of his own constituents about paying for childcare in an area where the house prices are averaging around £670,000.

But, the BBC journalist noted: “In your own area, in Surrey, the average full time wage is not even half of that. It’s £42,000.

“So, don’t you think, to many people hearing that, it just sounds completely out of touch?”

Hunt said: “Well, I was talking to one of my own constituents who was saying that, but I do accept that even those people on those higher salaries do feel under pressure.”

He said for the national average salary – those on £35,000 – he reduced their National Insurance contributions, while those on National Living Wage have seen an increase.

Actually, due to fiscal drag – where tax thresholds do not change in line with inflation and rising wages – people will be paying more in tax.

“By the end of this parliament, those people will be worse off,” Kuenssberg said, noting PM Rishi Sunak is still saying the economy is bouncing back.

The chancellor pointed out the Office for Budget Responsibility says we are going to recover to pre-pandemic living standards “two years earlier than previously thought”, saying the “plan was starting to bear fruit”.

Elsewhere, Kuenssberg also asked: “Has the cost of living crisis ended?”

Hunt admitted, “we’ve had a very very tough patch,” but blamed the invasion of Ukraine for driving up energy prices and the Covid pandemic.

He continued: “I think people will welcome the fact that inflation has fallen – but we’re not there yet.

“We need to stick to the course because we need inflation to get down to 2%.

“The thing that will make the biggest difference for families up and down the country is when interest rates falls, and the mortgage rate starts to fall.”

Keir Starmer Waters Down Pledge To End Arms Sales To Saudi Arabia

Posted on 14/01/2024 by Boris Clair

Keir Starmer has watered down his previous pledge to end arms sales to Saudi Arabia if he becomes prime minister.

The Labour leader would only commit to a “review” of the policy if he becomes prime minister.

Starmer also appeared to row back on his previous commitment to bring in a new law forcing the government to seek parliamentary approval for any military action.

When he was running to succeed Jeremy Corbyn in 2020, Starmer said the UK “should stop the sales of arms to Saudi Arabia”.

But on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg this morning, he said: “We will do a review to look at the sales, look at the countries and the relationships that we have. Obviously, that follows a review.”

Kuenssberg told him: “But you said in February 2020 ‘we should stop the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia’. Is that still your position?”

Starmer replied: “We will review the situation and the review will give us the answer to those questions.”

Kuenssberg said: “So you may not any more promise to stop the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia, which is what you used to say in 2020.”

Starmer said: “We will review the situation and the review will make clear what the position is.”

During his leadership campaign, Starmer pledged to “end illegal wars” by introducing a Prevention of Military Intervention Act.

That would ensure that any military action had to be legal and backed by a Commons vote.

However, Starmer backed last week’s air strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen despite there being no vote in parliament beforehand.

Asked about the apparent change of heart, the Labour leader insisted there was “no inconsistency” in his position.

He said: “There is a huge distinction between an operation the like of which we’ve seen in the last few days and a sustained campaign – military action usually involving troops on the ground.

“National security must come first. There will always be urgent situations where parliament can’t be consulted beforehand. But the principle that if there’s to be a sustained campaign, if we’re going to deploy our troops on the ground, that parliament should be informed, there should be a debate, the case should be made and there should be a vote, I do stand by that in principle, absolutely.”

However, Starmer refused to commit to introducing a new law, saying it could be “done by some other means”.

‘It’s Going The Wrong Way’: Health Secretary Shown How The Tories Have Failed On NHS Waiting Lists

Posted on 03/12/2023 by Boris Clair

A Tory minister was told NHS waiting lists were “going the wrong way” despite Rishi Sunak’s pledge to bring them down.

Health secretary Victoria Atkins was shown a damning graph setting out how the lists have almost doubled in the last five years to almost 8 million.

That is despite the prime minister vowing at the start of the year that they would be lower within 12 months.

Appearing on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on BBC One this morning, Atkins refused to confirm that the lists would be down in time for the next election.

Pointing to the graph, Kuenssberg said: “This is what has happened to waiting lists. We know of course the pandemic made things much more challenging, but our viewers can see it was going up well before the pandemic.

“Lots more money has gone in, there are many, many more staff. This is the situation that people are having to deal with.

“This is the prime minister’s target and it’s going the wrong way.”

The minister claimed the long-running industrial action by doctors and nurses was to blame for the government’s failure.

“Since December last year we’ve seen some 1.1 million appointments have to be rescheduled,” she said.

Atkins said the government has reached a pay agreement with unions representing NHS consultants, and that talks were ongoing with junior doctors as well.

But Kuenssberg pointed out that Atkins’ predecessor as health secretary, Steve Barclay, had refused to negotiate with the trade unions for months.

“You’ve said that the strikes are a big reason why the waiting lists are sky high and people are suffering,” she said. “Why then did the government sit on its hands for months refusing to talk to the doctors. Isn’t that responsibility on you too?”

The presenter went on: “With the numbers going the wrong way, can you commit that you’re actually going to hit these targets before the general election?”

The minister replied: “We are looking to meet those targets, but I need the consultants to pass this settlement that we have put forward.”

Kuenssberg replied: “You’re saying that if the doctors accept the new deal, the prime minister might hit his targets. But if you don’t, he won’t.”

Atkins said: “We’re doing everything we can.”

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