Welcome to the fifth episode of the REST as Politics Question Time with me, Rory Stewart.

And me, Anastakambal.

We hope you enjoyed yesterday's special episode with Tony Blair.

If you haven't listened already, it's the episode before this new podcast feed.

In today's show, we'll be making our way through as many of the extraordinary questions

you've all sent during the week on Twitter and email.

So, Anastak, question for me.

Well, my question of the week is from a gentleman called Bobbi McDonough.

You may remember him, he was the Irish ambassador to the UK.

This question is as follows.

Ireland inherited so much from the UK, rule of law, parliamentary democracy, independent

civil service, ethics in public life.

Do either of you see any chance of these being restored in the UK any time soon?

It's so depressing, I can't tell you how depressing it is because he's a diplomat.

He's a diplomat.

He's a diplomat.

I'm having to defend the UK now, round and round them at least.

And it's really sad.

I mean, it's very, very sad for British diplomats, I'm afraid, because it is true that with

all the grumbles about Britain, there was a general sense that, you know, maybe we were

hypocritical, maybe we had a very complicated past, but there was a sense that the rule of

law mattered, that decency mattered, that moderation mattered, and my goodness, we're ripping it

...