This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2012/apr/23/david-cameron-lords-reform-live-blog
The article has changed 13 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| David Cameron's interviews and Lords reform: Politics live blog | David Cameron's interviews and Lords reform: Politics live blog |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| 8.35am: I'll summarise the key points from the interview in a moment. But the Guardian's Patrick Wintour and the Daily Mail's James Chapman have both picked up the key point. | |
| Here's Patrick Wintour. | |
| David cameron "We will only get lords reform if we all behave like reasonable rational and sensible people"so zero chance | |
| — Patrick Wintour (@patrickwintour) April 23, 2012 | |
| And here's James Chapman. | |
| David Cameron: Lords reform will only happen if MPs on all sides behave in 'grown up' fashion. That's the end of that, then | |
| — James Chapman (Mail) (@jameschappers) April 23, 2012 | |
| 8.30am: Nick Robinson is giving his gloss on the interview. But Cameron is still in the studio. He repeats his point about not seeing the case for a referendum on Lords reform. Lords reform will only happen if all the parties cooperate, he says. | |
| Robinson says Cameron seems to be saying that he doesn't want a referendum, but that he will have one if necessary. | |
| Previously when Cameron has been on the programme he has picked some racing tips. But this time he doesn't. James Naughtie says Cameron isn't being asked because his tips were so poor last time. But perhaps all the jibes about being a dilettante prime minister (which were covered in the interview) have got to him. | |
| 8.25am: Humphrys changes subject. | |
| Q: Are you too relaxed as prime minister? | |
| It's a very hard job, says Cameron. He is normally at work at his kitchen table at 5.45am. | |
| He says he is fighting for people who deserve a better deal. | |
| Q: Can you have a normal life? | |
| Cameron says he tries to spend time with his wife. Having dinner with his wife is what he means by a "date night", he says. Q: One of your colleagues said you put the school run above the national interest? | |
| Cameron says he does sometimes take his children to school. It is possible to be prime minister and a father, he says. | |
| Being prime minister is about taking decisions. You can't get them all right. But voters want to know that your average does not fall too low. | |
| If prime ministers are too tired, they won't take the right decisions. Q: Do you really want children to stand up when adults enter the room? | |
| Cameron says he was talking about school when he made that point. | |
| Q: Do you get members of your cabinet to stand up when you enter room? | |
| No, says Cameron. He jokes about what would happen if he tried it. | |
| 8.22am: They are now on Lords reform. | 8.22am: They are now on Lords reform. |
| Cameron says he has always been in favour of Lords reform. All three main parties proposed it in their manifestos. | Cameron says he has always been in favour of Lords reform. All three main parties proposed it in their manifestos. |
| Q: And there should be a referendum, shouldn't there? | Q: And there should be a referendum, shouldn't there? |
| Cameron says he would not rule it out of hand. The committee today will call for one. But there is a strong case against, because the main parties included it in their manifestos. | Cameron says he would not rule it out of hand. The committee today will call for one. But there is a strong case against, because the main parties included it in their manifestos. |
| Q: What's your personal view? | Q: What's your personal view? |
| Cameron says he personally does not see the case for a referendum as a strong one. Q: But you are having referendums for city mayors? | Cameron says he personally does not see the case for a referendum as a strong one. Q: But you are having referendums for city mayors? |
| That's because in these cities the establishment is often against mayors. The only way to get mayors to to appeal to the public over the heads of local politicians. | That's because in these cities the establishment is often against mayors. The only way to get mayors to to appeal to the public over the heads of local politicians. |
| Having an elected Lords is a sensible change. But it will only go ahead if the parties work together, he says. | Having an elected Lords is a sensible change. But it will only go ahead if the parties work together, he says. |
| 8.16am: They are still talking about Abu Qatada. Cameron says that, in his view, the Home Office, acted entirely correctly. | 8.16am: They are still talking about Abu Qatada. Cameron says that, in his view, the Home Office, acted entirely correctly. |
| Q: In the past you said "we're all in it together". | Q: In the past you said "we're all in it together". |
| Yes, says Cameron. He does believe we're all in it together. And he thinks the government is acting fairly. The richest 10% are paying 10 times as much as the poorest 10%. | Yes, says Cameron. He does believe we're all in it together. And he thinks the government is acting fairly. The richest 10% are paying 10 times as much as the poorest 10%. |
| Q: What do you mean by aggressive tax avoidance? {He cites a case that sounds similar to Philip Green.] | Q: What do you mean by aggressive tax avoidance? {He cites a case that sounds similar to Philip Green.] |
| Camerons says there is a form of aggressive tax avoidance that is wrong. | Camerons says there is a form of aggressive tax avoidance that is wrong. |
| Q: But what about this case? [Without naming Green, Humphrys says Cameron recruited him to advise the government.] | Q: But what about this case? [Without naming Green, Humphrys says Cameron recruited him to advise the government.] |
| Cameron says he is not getting into this individual case. | Cameron says he is not getting into this individual case. |
| Q: But what about that sort of thing. Yes, that sort of thing, says Cameron. [He seems to be criticising Green.] | Q: But what about that sort of thing. Yes, that sort of thing, says Cameron. [He seems to be criticising Green.] |
| Q: But you gave him a job. | Q: But you gave him a job. |
| Cameron names Green for the first time. He was asked to advise the government, he says. But he won't discuss his tax affairs. He says setting up a company specifically to avoid tax would be unacceptable. | Cameron names Green for the first time. He was asked to advise the government, he says. But he won't discuss his tax affairs. He says setting up a company specifically to avoid tax would be unacceptable. |
| The government has given the Revenue extra money to target tax evasion, he says. | The government has given the Revenue extra money to target tax evasion, he says. |
| Q: And you invite these people for dinner? | Q: And you invite these people for dinner? |
| Everyone should pay their taxes, says Cameron. He again says he does not want to comment on individuals. | Everyone should pay their taxes, says Cameron. He again says he does not want to comment on individuals. |
| Q: What about generally? | Q: What about generally? |
| Generally speaking, that's sensible, Cameron says. | Generally speaking, that's sensible, Cameron says. |
| 8.10am: John Humphrys is doing the interview. He says it's worrying when a government starts to look incompetent. Q: Are you worried? | 8.10am: John Humphrys is doing the interview. He says it's worrying when a government starts to look incompetent. Q: Are you worried? |
| Cameron says he wants the government to do better. But the "big picture" is what really matters. The government came together "on an economic rescue mission". But they are not just hard-edged accountants. They want to make Britain better for "hard-working people who do the right thing". And they want to make it more pro-enterprise. | Cameron says he wants the government to do better. But the "big picture" is what really matters. The government came together "on an economic rescue mission". But they are not just hard-edged accountants. They want to make Britain better for "hard-working people who do the right thing". And they want to make it more pro-enterprise. |
| Cameron says he wants the government to raise its game. | Cameron says he wants the government to raise its game. |
| Q: But the omnishambles phrase, and the other problems, suggest you are not running the country well. You made a mess over Abu Qatada. | Q: But the omnishambles phrase, and the other problems, suggest you are not running the country well. You made a mess over Abu Qatada. |
| Cameron picks up Humphrys' point about the fuel strike. The last government had a plan that would allow the miltary to provide 10% of the nation's fuel supplies. Now it could supply 50 to 50%. But he says he accepts the need to learn lessons around communication. Q: Why did you not wait 24 hours before arresting Abu Qatada. | Cameron picks up Humphrys' point about the fuel strike. The last government had a plan that would allow the miltary to provide 10% of the nation's fuel supplies. Now it could supply 50 to 50%. But he says he accepts the need to learn lessons around communication. Q: Why did you not wait 24 hours before arresting Abu Qatada. |
| Cameron says the Home Office was very clear that it had the right day. It checked. The case law was also clear. | Cameron says the Home Office was very clear that it had the right day. It checked. The case law was also clear. |
| Q: But did the Home Office check? | Q: But did the Home Office check? |
| Cameron said it had checked with the court. | Cameron said it had checked with the court. |
| Q: What were you told? | Q: What were you told? |
| Cameron says the Home Office believed, and checked during the process .... | Cameron says the Home Office believed, and checked during the process .... |
| Q: What were they told? | Q: What were they told? |
| They were told the deadline expired on the Monday night, Cameron says. | They were told the deadline expired on the Monday night, Cameron says. |
| The key point is, was the government right to move as quickly as possible. | The key point is, was the government right to move as quickly as possible. |
| Q: But why did they not wait another 24 hours? It was because you wanted to make a splash. | Q: But why did they not wait another 24 hours? It was because you wanted to make a splash. |
| No, says Cameron. It was because they wanted to move as quickly as possible. | No, says Cameron. It was because they wanted to move as quickly as possible. |
| 8.00am: We'll be hearing a lot from David Cameron today. He is on the Today programme at 8.10, he has got other interviews lined up and he is giving a campaign speech in Bristol. Inevitably, it's being billed by Labour as a relaunch. In Bristol, he is going to urge people in the cities with a referendum on whether to have an elected mayor to vote for the proposal. | 8.00am: We'll be hearing a lot from David Cameron today. He is on the Today programme at 8.10, he has got other interviews lined up and he is giving a campaign speech in Bristol. Inevitably, it's being billed by Labour as a relaunch. In Bristol, he is going to urge people in the cities with a referendum on whether to have an elected mayor to vote for the proposal. |
It's a once-in-a-generation chance to change the way our country is run. I passionately want those cities – from Bristol to Birmingham, Nottingham to Newcastle, Sheffield to Wakefield – to give a resounding, emphatic yes next week. | It's a once-in-a-generation chance to change the way our country is run. I passionately want those cities – from Bristol to Birmingham, Nottingham to Newcastle, Sheffield to Wakefield – to give a resounding, emphatic yes next week. |
| But, with the joint committee on the draft House of Lords reform bill publishing its report this morning, and the Tories at war over the plans, he is may spend more time in his interviews talking about that. | But, with the joint committee on the draft House of Lords reform bill publishing its report this morning, and the Tories at war over the plans, he is may spend more time in his interviews talking about that. |
| Here's the agenda for the day. | Here's the agenda for the day. |
| 10am: Danny Alexander, the chief secretary to the Treasury, gives a speech to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. As Nicholas Watt reports, Alexander will say Whitehall departments will face tough new spending rules because the Treasury wants to ensure there can be no repeat of the "mess" that landed Britain with its largest fiscal deficit in peacetime. | 10am: Danny Alexander, the chief secretary to the Treasury, gives a speech to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. As Nicholas Watt reports, Alexander will say Whitehall departments will face tough new spending rules because the Treasury wants to ensure there can be no repeat of the "mess" that landed Britain with its largest fiscal deficit in peacetime. |
| 10am: The joint committee on on the draft Lords reform bill publishes its report. As the Guardian reports, it will call for Lords reporm to be put to the voters in a referendum. Lord Richard, the committee chairman, holds a press conference at 11am. | 10am: The joint committee on on the draft Lords reform bill publishes its report. As the Guardian reports, it will call for Lords reporm to be put to the voters in a referendum. Lord Richard, the committee chairman, holds a press conference at 11am. |
| 10.45am: The McKay Commission on the West Lothian Question is holding a public evidence session. | 10.45am: The McKay Commission on the West Lothian Question is holding a public evidence session. |
| 11.30am: Aidan Barclay, chairman of the Telegraph Media Group, Evgeny Lebedev, chairman of the companies that run the Independent and the Evening Standard, and John Ryley, head of Sky News, give evidence to the Leveson Inquiry. | 11.30am: Aidan Barclay, chairman of the Telegraph Media Group, Evgeny Lebedev, chairman of the companies that run the Independent and the Evening Standard, and John Ryley, head of Sky News, give evidence to the Leveson Inquiry. |
| 11.40am: A cross-party group of MPs calling for an elected Lords hold a press conference. | 11.40am: A cross-party group of MPs calling for an elected Lords hold a press conference. |
| As usual, I'll be covering all the breaking political news, as well as looking at the papers and bringing you the best politics from the web. I'll post a lunchtime summary at around 1pm. | As usual, I'll be covering all the breaking political news, as well as looking at the papers and bringing you the best politics from the web. I'll post a lunchtime summary at around 1pm. |
| If you want to follow me on Twitter, I'm on @AndrewSparrow. | If you want to follow me on Twitter, I'm on @AndrewSparrow. |
| And if you're a hardcore fan, you can follow @gdnpoliticslive. It's an automated feed that tweets the start of every new post that I put on the blog. | And if you're a hardcore fan, you can follow @gdnpoliticslive. It's an automated feed that tweets the start of every new post that I put on the blog. |