DPMQs: The Last Time He'll Get This Gig?
Politics Unpacked
Anna Covell
4.1 • 1.4K Ratings
🗓️ 28 January 2026
⏱️ 48 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
With the PM in China, David Lammy stands in for Keir Starmer at deputy PMQs. But can Andrew Griffith land a blow for the Tories?
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the exchanges in the House of Commons with Patrick Maguire, Stefan Boscia and Chris Ward, parliamentary secretary in the Cabinet Office.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | PMQ's unpacked on Times Radio, unpacking the politics and cutting through the crossfire. |
| 0:07.2 | And I'm joined as always by Times Chief Little commentator Patrick McGuire. Hello, Patrick. |
| 0:10.9 | Hello, Hugo. |
| 0:11.5 | How are you keeping? I'm all right, yeah. |
| 0:13.3 | You sad not to be in China? |
| 0:15.1 | I'd love to have gone to China, but, you know, I'm grateful that my, the contents of my phone, laptop, inside |
| 0:24.7 | leg measurement suitcase are not going to be inputted into the CCP central database, |
| 0:30.1 | as may be the case for valued colleagues and ministers. |
| 0:32.6 | You say that, but I bet they're reading it here. |
| 0:34.1 | They've already got it. |
| 0:35.0 | We've also got a special guest this week. |
| 0:36.6 | He is Chris Ward. |
| 0:37.7 | He was one of Kistan's closest and longest serving aides in opposition. |
| 0:41.1 | He's now a Labour MP and he's Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office. Chris, welcome back. Thank you for having me. Good to have you with us. So look, what would you normally be doing on a Wednesday when the PM is not in China? Well, when he's not in China, we're doing PMQ's prep, so I'm still part of his prep team. |
| 0:54.9 | And this time, around 12 o'clock, is about the most nervous time of the week. |
| 0:58.0 | So... not in China? Well, when he's not in China, we're doing PMQ's prep, so I'm still part of his prep team. And this time, around 12 o'clock, is about the most nervous time of the week. So, for other people coming on live radio might be stressful. For you, you're like, this is just to walk in the park. This is a lovely day off to be doing pundituary rather than being at the front line of it. But yeah, this is the most nervous bit of the week because you've spent the morning with him prepping. You've spent yesterday, a lot of yesterday evening doing it as well. |
| 1:14.5 | And then you're... rather than being at the front line of it. But yeah, this is the most nervous bit of the week because you've spent the morning within prepping. |
| 1:11.7 | You've spent yesterday, a lot of yesterday evening doing it as well. |
| 1:14.5 | And then you're in that bit just before he goes on, I was going to say, goes on stage, but goes into the Commons and you're always a bit nervous about what's going to happen. Chris, sorry, sorry, Hugo. But on a day like this when the deputy prime minister is doing it, |
| 1:26.2 | obviously the PM's political advisors, |
| 1:29.5 | are they still in the room? |
| 1:30.5 | Like you're not in the room? on a day like this when the deputy prime minister is doing it obviously the PM's political |
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