Should you snog a stranger?

Coffee House Shots

The Spectator

News, Politics, Government, Daily News

4.4 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 4 December 2021

⏱️ 15 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

With the Omicron variant putting everyone on edge, there has been quite a bit of mixed messaging from the government about how we should all be conducting ourselves this festive period. With a bizarre emphasis placed on snogging - some preaching caution, others saying snog away.

'I don't think I've ever heard people say the word snogging this much in my entire life.' - Isabel Hardman

Katy Balls talks to Fraser Nelson, Isabel Hardman, and James Forsyth about the cabinet's conflicting advice and the politics of public displays of affection.

Subscribe to The Spectator's Evening Blend email, from Isabel Hardman and Katy Balls, for analysis of the day's political news and a summary of the best pieces from our website. Go to www.spectator.co.uk/blend to sign up.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Coffeehouse Shots is sponsored by NatWest, the bank that's helping small businesses build back better and greener.
0:06.8	The transition to Net Zero could create 130,000 new jobs for small and medium-sized businesses.
0:14.3	That's why NatWest is aiming to lend $100 billion in sustainable financing by 2025.
0:21.7	Find out more about climate support for businesses at natwest.com slash climate.
0:34.4	Hello, and welcome to a special Saturday edition of Coffee House Shots. I'm Katie Balls and I'm joined by Fraser Nelson, James Forsyfe, and welcome to a special Saturday edition of Coffee House shots.
0:38.0	I'm Katie Balls and I'm joined by Fraser Nelson, James Versa Seif, and Isabel Hardman.
0:43.8	Should you snog a stranger at Christmas?
0:45.9	That's a question ministers have been asked this week.
0:49.0	And here's the conflicting advice we've heard.
0:51.5	Well, for what it's worth, I don't think there should be much snogging under the mistletoe.
0:55.5	You don't need to do things like that.
0:57.2	People can snog who they wish.
0:59.1	You know, I'll certainly be kissing my wife under the mistletoe.
1:01.7	It's a jarrid family tradition.
1:03.0	And it's got nothing to do with the government who you kiss or anything like that.
1:07.4	But the only thing is just, you know, there's guidance already out there
1:11.1	and just be cautious and enjoy yourselves. That was Therese Coffey and Sajad Javid in two
1:16.9	quite different camps on the issue of snogging. Fraser, just to begin, when it comes to the
1:22.5	snogging policy, what do you think it should be at Christmas time? Terese coffee was mocked for saying you should go easy on snogging strangers, right?
1:30.9	But anybody who mocked her has obviously not been to Edinburgh at New Year.
1:34.5	I mean, when you go down the Royal Mile, when the bell's going right,
1:37.3	if there's lots of happy New Yearing, lots of embracing, shall we say,
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Spectator, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of The Spectator and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.