Hello and welcome to this edition of the Westminster Hour with me, Leila Nathu and my guests.

Coming up, the local elections are looming, a big test for the Labour government, only months in power,

for the main opposition and for the smaller parties hoping to upend the established political order.

We will take stock of the political landscape ahead of those polls in England.

We'll hear from Professor Margaret McMillan, Canadian-born historian and expert on international

relations about the election taking place in her homeland and the impact of President Trump's

ambition to make it the 51st US state.

And we'll discuss the latest developments in the often fraught debate over sex and gender identity.

But first, let's meet my panel.

Paul Waugh went from covering Parliament for decades as a journalist to become the Labour MP for Rochdale at the general election last year.

And a nod perhaps to his previous profession.

He also sits on the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee. Welcome, Paul, getting used to seeing you in your new perch

in this studio, different chair and different mic. Now you are an elected representative and not

an observer. We've just been hearing Paul in the news about the London Marathon. Quite a few MPs,

I think, have been taking part, assuming very much that

because you are here, you are not one of them. Otherwise, that would be utterly heroic, I think.

That would be heroic. No, but there are heroic MPs who did run today and fair play to them.

I mean, Harriet Cross was the fastest MPs, the Conservative, and she did it in three hours 21.

Josh Fenton Glynn was the fastest Labour MP. He did it in four hours Conservative, and she did it in three hours 21. Josh Fenton Glynn was the fastest Labour MP, did it in four hours 10,

and he did it a big shout at for overgate hospice in Brighouse,

which he ran for.

And the fastest Lib Dem was Tom Gordon in four hours 30.

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