03/02/2024
Ben Riley-Smith of The Daily Telegraph discusses the latest developments at Westminster in the week that the Democratic Unionist Party ended its boycott of the Northern Ireland Assembly after reaching a deal with the UK government over post-Brexit trading arrangements. Ben speaks to the Conservative chairman of Parliament's Northern Ireland Committee, Sir Robert Buckland MP, and Claire Hanna, MP for the nationalist SDLP.To discuss Nicola Sturgeon's evidence to the Covid inquiry, and her legacy as Scotland's First Minister, Ben speaks to Ian Blackford MP, former SNP Westminster leader, and Kezia Dugdale, ex leader of Scottish Labour and now director of the John Smith Centre at the University of Glasgow.The Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron, declared this week that the UK is ready to bring forward formal recognition of a Palestinian state. To analyse that Ben is joined by Tom Fletcher, formerly David Cameron's foreign affairs adviser and then UK Ambassador to Lebanon, and Alicia Kearns MP, the Conservative chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.And, as Labour begins formal 'access talks' with the civil service, Ben gets some reflections on how the civil service approaches such talks with the former Cabinet Secretary Robin, now Lord, Butler.