Rishi Sunak Talks to Today
Radical with Amol Rajan
BBC
4.5 • 919 Ratings
🗓️ 23 May 2024
⏱️ 50 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Less than a day after calling the general election, Rishi Sunak kicked off his campaign with a set-piece interview with Nick on Today. Amol and Nick explore what clues it provides for the coming campaign – and Nick talks though his interview strategy. Also, with inflation now down to 2.3% we bring together two of the leading economic thinkers from the left and the right to talk tax-and-spend: Kate Bell, assistant general secretary of the TUC, and Robert Colvile, director of centre-right think tank the Centre for Policy Studies.
Plus. comedian Angela Barnes provides her moment of the week. Episodes of The Today Podcast usually land on Thursdays. Subscribe on BBC Sounds to get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories of the week, with insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme. If you would like a question answering, get in touch by sending us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346 or email us Today@bbc.co.uk The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson, both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the UK’s most influential radio news programme. Amol was the BBC’s media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he’s also the current presenter of University Challenge. Nick has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV’s political editor. The senior producer is Tom Smithard, the producers are Hatty Nash and Joe Wilkinson. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths. Technical production from Daffyd Evans and digital production from Elliot Ryder.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:04.5 | Well, here we are again. |
| 0:06.9 | Right, have you had any sleep? |
| 0:07.8 | Have you? Because, I mean, last time I saw you, it was pretty late yesterday, evening. |
| 0:12.1 | We were in a studio. |
| 0:13.3 | You've definitely presented the Today program between then and now. |
| 0:17.1 | Have you been to bed? |
| 0:18.4 | Of course. |
| 0:19.0 | I've been to sleep, you know. |
| 0:37.8 | Came up with a few ideas for an election interview with the Prime Minister and then slept like a baby. In other words, I woke up all night screaming. I was going to say, I know, Mr Robinson, you're not answering the question. Can I just ask you that again? How many hours sleep have you actually had? I had about five. Five. That's worth loads compared to what I usually get. |
| 0:40.4 | Well, look, we thought it was important to reassemble. |
| 0:45.7 | We are going to be increasing the frequency of this podcast because we are now in an election period. |
| 0:57.0 | And you've just done a big interview with Richard Sinek on the Today program, his first 10 past eight of this campaign, which has come as a big surprise to the whole of Westminster and indeed the country, as you pointed out to him. |
| 1:00.6 | And it seems a good time for another podcast, don't you think? |
| 1:01.9 | Yeah, let's do it. Hi, it's Nick in the Today podcast studio, fresh from the Today program studio where I've just been talking to the Prime Minister. |
| 1:20.4 | And it's a mole at home where I'm fresh from the school run. In fact, the triple school run and nursery run, which was a lively morning. |
| 1:28.4 | But a lively morning improved by your very lively interview at 10 past 8, Nick, which I |
| 1:33.0 | listened to closely, then listen back to again. And I want to talk to you about the tactics in some |
| 1:37.9 | detail. But I have to say, let's just start with a big idea here. I listened to that interview. |
| 1:42.4 | I noted that you asked him at the beginning that first question, which is why now. And I have to say, I didn't think he gave necessarily |
| 1:49.1 | an entirely satisfactory answer. And I still don't get it fully. I thought you're right to |
| 1:54.4 | start with the question of why now. The second question, which was your follow-up, was the key. |
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