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And they're off at last. The Grand National British politics has finally begun. It was

inevitable. When two years ago, yes, it really was two years to resume lost her majority

and was in George Osborne's brutal phrase, a dead woman walking. And to mark this auspicious

moment, we've a political thinking with a difference. Not one interview, but nine, or at

least highlights, of the nine candidates I've interviewed over the past few months. It

looks sad to be quite a race.

Frankie Datori taught me how to ride a race horse. He also taught me how to lose weight.

He said no bread, no potatoes, no pasta. But when I first asked him for his advice on

running this race, he said, don't do it, Matt, don't do it. What was his tip there about

winning the race? He said it's all about timing. You've got to tuck in behind the person

who you think is going to win the race. And then with two fur lungs to go, you pull out,

you kick on, and then you can take the prize. And I did exactly what he told me to do.

And we got over the line.

And you thought he was talking about horse racing and he was just giving you advice in politics.

Matt Hancock, the Hell Secretary, not even pretending that he was really talking about

horse racing.

I think I'm more of a long distance runner than a sprinter, actually.

And the Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has been limbering up for this race.

I do 10k on a Monday morning and then a couple of other 5k's later in the week.

Do you do the speed for 10k?

Well, what do I do 10k? It's about an hour and a quarter. I don't think I belt it around.

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