Nick Robinson
@bbcnickrobinson
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Presenter of the BBC’s Today programme, Political Thinking & Today Podcast. Former BBC/ITV Political Editor, author & Speaker
Joined March 2009
This is not a real news conference. The Chief Medical Officer & Chief Scientific Officer have either been gagged &/or have told No 10 that they will not publicly back the PM’s defence of Dominic Cummings. Follow up questions have been stopped.
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Trump’s attack on @CNN’s Jim Acosta is an attack on the right of all journalists everywhere to ask tough questions of people in power. That’s our job
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You know what ? Football did come home - brought us together, made us proud, gave us something to cheer 🏴.
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Thought for the day : Those you disagree with aren’t enemies or traitors. They don’t deserve to be “knifed or lynched or hanged”. They are just people you disagree with. Those who report news you don’t like aren’t fake or frauds or enemies of the people. They are just reporters.
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I confess that I was moved by the Queen’s closing declaration “We will meet again”. A message only she could have delivered.
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Agree to election on 12th Dec & you can have a few more days to scrutinise my Brexit deal @BorisJohnson says. Translation = I said I’d leave the EU do or die & no ifs or buts on October 31st but I can’t. So, let’s have a row about an election rather than a pledge I can’t deliver.
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So @jeremycorbyn won’t talk unless No Deal is ‘off the table’ & won’t decide about a referendum but wants to keep it ‘on the table’. Perhaps it would help if he just got rid of the table?.
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What about the chance to become Prime Minister within weeks first attracted @BorisJohnson to the idea of backing a Brexit deal he’s spent months condemning ?.
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Say what you like about Britain we throw a pretty damn spectacular party (Oh and we have the BBC to stage it and bring the nation together) #PlatinumPartyatthePalace.
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I’ve heard it all now. The Brexit Secretary has just voted against the motion that he’d just been arguing for. Anyone got a better word than Omnishambles?.
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“It’s the morally right thing to do”. Admissions tutor at Worcester College, Oxford explains why they’ll respect all offers made & ignore grade downgrades affecting 1/4 of state school applicants but only 1/10 private school applicants. Will others use this approach? @BBCr4today.
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My grandparents were amongst the lucky few to flee Nazi Germany. Sadly they're no longer around to ask whether vaccine passports was the final straw for them . .
Conservative MP Marcus Fysh tells @BBC5Live he will be "voting against vaccine passports" as the UK is not "Nazi Germany". "It's the thin end of an authoritarian wedge".
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Deciding when, how & what to tell those you love and who love you about a cancer diagnosis can be as traumatic as hearing about it for the first time yourself. I hope those who casually spread gossip, rumour & conspiracy theories about the Princess of Wales now stop & think about.
"I am well and getting stronger every day" says Kate in video message after cancer announcement
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Serve your country. Do your duty. Give your political masters what they demand. Get thrown to the wolves. The shoddy treatment of @KimDarroch will have a chilling effect on the quality of advice the next Prime Minister receives.
I understand that Sir Kim Darroch made his decision to resign after watching @BorisJohnson refuse to support him during last night’s Tory leadership debate.
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Just waking up the news of a political earthquake. The safest of safe Tory seats is about to deliver the clearest of messages to the Prime Minister.
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Not long ago @jeremycorbyn faced a crisis trapped between Remainers & Leavers and was shunned by other opposition parties. Now he’s able to stand up for democracy, work with a cross-party alliance & appear statesmanlike. Is that what people mean by No 10’s new strategic genius?.
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Was pleased to secure an in-depth interview with @trussliz on BBC1. I am disappointed & frustrated it’s been cancelled.
Liz Truss has cancelled her BBC One interview with Nick Robinson which was due to air this Tuesday evening (30th August) at 7pm. Ms Truss’ team say she can no longer spare the time to appear on “Our Next Prime Minister”. (1/2).
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My German Jewish grandparents were amongst the lucky survivors of the Holocaust. They fled Berlin in 1933. I’ll never forget. I hope you won’t. It is our greatest defence against it happening again - not just to Jews but to any race or minority
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There is, as yet, no confirmation that Sue Gray or the Met have interviewed the cake which ambushed the Prime Minister. Here’s hoping we get answers in the morning.
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Very striking that @BorisJohnson speaks again and again of “mistakes made” & “mistakes we made” but he can’t bring himself to add the word “I”. Begs the question - is he apologising for his behaviour, that of his staff or just how things look?.
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Remember that PPE airlift from Turkey ? The one that was announced again & again & took days to get here. Guess what? The government has now confirmed @Telegraph story that all 400,000 surgical gowns delivered were unusable because they didn’t meet the required criteria.
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“Never apologise. Never explain” has long been @BorisJohnson’s watchword. He has now apologised & he has explained …that it was all someone else fault. He’s threatened those who work for him with disciplinary action. Those who trash their staff often live to regret it. #PMQs.
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A few thoughts on this Holocaust Memorial Day . My Granny told me that she first realised that something was wrong when someone in her local grocers ordered “A kilo of potatoes, Heil Hitler” and no one laughed. My Grandpa - a doctor in Berlin - recalled the letter from a.
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A Russian MP who backed a "fake news" law which threatens people with 15 years in prison for publishing anything that contradicts "official information" told me today that Russia "just doesn't" attack civilians & the Ukrainians may be bombing themselves.
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Worth a thousand words - picture of @YvetteCooperMP listening to minister trying to explain to MPs how immigration system will work post Brexit
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Just landed at Gatwick after a few days away to discover that not only are there no trains to London there’s no replacement bus service either. People are being advised to get a bus to Heathrow then the tube - a 2 hour plus journey. Welcome to Britain 😢.
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Lord Moore has called for the BBC to show “super impartiality” in its coverage of what he calls the “scandal” of Boris & parties. In a letter to @telegraph I ask why he didn’t call for this when Blair, May & Corbyn were facing leadership crises
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What we learned from tonight’s debate : 1. There’s a reason Johnson has avoiding questioning. He looks vulnerable when challenged 2. Hunt, Gove & Javid are scared of Stewart so they all aimed their fire at him 3. If you thought a new Tory leader would end the squabbling . .
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That new Boris Brexit plan in full : .* Leave "come what may" on 31/10 .* Rip up deal EU spent 3 years negotiating.* Agree new deal giving us no tariffs & no backstop & them less money.* Hope Brussels, EU 27 & MPs find some "positive energy" & don't say "you've got to be kidding".
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How has it come to this ? A man who calls the Holocaust a ‘hoax’ is defended on the grounds he’s about to win a council seat? Never forgetting the greatest ever crime against humanity is the way we protect all (not just Jews) from the horror we face when ideology trumps humanity.
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That is “literally” not true. The BBC is funded by millions of people paying a licence fee. “BBC Media Action” is a charity which supports local media around the world to fight disinformation which is quite a big problem these days. Don’t you agree ? @elonmusk.
BBC is literally state-funded media.
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Can anyone explain why it makes sense for No 10 to allow a story to run that the “triple lock” is under threat then allow @JamesCleverly to use the same script this morning & then, finally, for @trussliz to say it will be protected after all ?.
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@CamillaTominey Today we learned that you don’t think facts should get in the way of attacking the BBC. You start by saying so: “This might not be true but it certainly is believable”. You say Today cancelled an interview with John Redwood. Listeners heard him in our most prominent slot at 810.
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Isn’t the real story about @BorisJohnson today that he still doesn’t have 100 MPs prepared to say publicly that they support him; he didn’t get .get the endorsement of the Conservative papers & he hasn’t got the support of old allies like Charles Moore & @DavidGHFrost?.
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Everyone has their breaking point. I've finally reached mine. I could just about stomach three wasted years learning about the bloody backstop, Malthouse & MV 42 & 3/4s but now they've gone & arranged the Emergency Brexit summit during United v Barcelona at Old Trafford. Enough!.
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Last night @theresa_may suggested choice was between her deal & No Deal. Tonight she says it’s between her deal & a long delay. Last night she attacked MPs for failing to make their minds up. Tonight she says she understands that MPs are frustrated. I hope that’s clear.
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Thought there was something fishy about @BorisJohnson’s kipper stunt? Turns out the regulations he was complaining about were - wait for it - British not EU 👇.
NEW: EU sources insist that rules that mean smoked kipper producers in the Isle of Man must use "plastic ice pillow" when sending to UK, as made famous by Boris Johnson, are BRITISH rules and not Brussels' rules. 1/.
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Tonight’s debate was a reminder of Britain’s problem negotiating Brexit. 5 Cabinet ministers cannot agree a common position. Yet 27 EU countries, both main parties in Ireland & the EU Commission have stayed united.
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So, @DailyMailUK piece asks whether I give the PM “such a hard time” because we were “old Oxford rivals”. Just one problem. Story says I was Treasurer of the Oxford Union. I wasn’t. So, I wasn’t a rival. I’ll let you into the secret - I ask tough questions because that’s my job
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The awkward & revealing pause is back on @BBCr4today thanks to top questioning by @rosschawkins. “Which bit of EU law is stopping us improving education or tackling child poverty?” he asks Brexit Party candidate in Peterborough by-election. Cue pause. A long one.
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When I asked @andrealeadsom how the Conservatives would pay to cut business rates she replied "You're assuming that money comes from somewhere." Well, yes . .
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After a confusing 48 hours Health Secretary @MattHancock attempts to reassure the country that the government “has a plan to protect life & to protect the NHS.” He’s not helped by the fact key announcements are being made in unaccountable anonymous briefings to journalists #marr.
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I can’t remember seeing a poll as clear as this. The public heard the PM’s explanation. They heard Dominic Cummings. A very clear majority simply aren’t buying it @DailyMailUK
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Shall I put him down as yet to be fully convinced ?
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No-one watching the quizzing of @BorisJohnson can be in any doubt that the committee will now conclude that he recklessly misled MPs by repeating & relying on assurances that rules and guidance had not been broken inside Downing Street 1/3.
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I am as gripped by the Westminster soap opera as anyone but could I make a plea to those providing & reporting on the endless supply of anonymous quotes about changing PM for the 4th time in 6 years to recognise that there's something rather important at stake here #notagame.
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Prime Minister's cannot hide in a national emergency. Very soon @trussliz will need to explain how and why she can lead the country through an emergency she helped to create or . .
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Trump inspires very British revolt on streets of London .
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Rules state that @BorisJohnson remains leader & is safe for a year if there are fewer than 180 votes against him tonight. History shows that PMs who "win" still end up losing - Thatcher resigned 8 days after winning, May within 6 months & Major lost to Blair in a landslide . .
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Watching @FoxNews to see how they cover the election. Someone they call a correspondent has just said on air that pollsters are “partisan pornographers who worked with Joe Biden to suppress the vote”. Extraordinarily there are people here who want our TV news to be more like Fox.
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The Irish border problem is summed up by @BorisJohnson as “essentially a technical discussion of the exact nature of customs checks.” The EU see it as about peace in Ireland, defending the European ideal & the single market. This gulf in understanding may not be bridgeable.
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So, @Nigel_Farage - one of the founders & owners of @reformparty_uk - can present an “impartial” programme on a TV “news” channel during the general election according to the broadcasting regulator @ofcom. The leader of the party @TiceRichard & its only MP @LeeAndersonMP_ can.
🚨 Ahead of the next General Election, we're sending a clear warning to broadcasters to maintain the highest standard of impartiality. We've also issued strengthened industry guidance on rules around politicians as presenters. 🔗 Read more:
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Was @BorisJohnson blaming care homes when he said care homes "didn't really follow the procedures in the way they could have"? This morning @AlokSharma_RDG told me that what he meant is that "there were no procedures at the time" which is a little different isn't it ? #r4today.
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The biggest protest since the protest against the war in Iraq. It was ignored by the leaders of Labour & the Tories. Will history repeat itself ?.
Aerial footage shows 'hundreds of thousands' of people attending protest in London calling for a referendum on the final #Brexit deal .
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"In the name of God, go!" former Brexit Secretary @DavidDavisMP is the first Tory MP to tell @BorisJohnson to quit - to his face & in public.
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Hi Polly, I know some listeners can find interviews scratchy to listen to but lots also find politicians not answering questions annoying too. @DominicRaab said lessons had been learned after the Kabul evacuation. I interrupted to ask “What lessons?” Not rude. Journalism.
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Whether you love @BorisJohnson or loathe him I recommend you watch his address to the nation at 8.30 pm on @BBCOne. I suspect it’ll mark a moment you’ll talk about for years to come and will tell your children & grandchildren about.
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Passionate, committed, sincere. When my phone rang and I saw the name Paddy I always smiled (even when it was after midnight or before 6am!) This is very sad news.
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I have never seen the House of Commons so angry. Nor have I ever seen a Prime Minister who so clearly believes that the rage of his opponents works for him.
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I’m watching the Trump/Kim show in Moscow. Is that the sound of laughter I can hear from the Kremlin as a US President calls it a “great honour” to meet a murderous, nuclear armed dictator days after accusing America’s allies of stabbing the US in the back ? #Newworldorder.
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Congratulations @bbcstrictly & all at @bbcone for helping to bring millions together just hours after so many were told they had to stay apart at Christmas. An extraordinary achievement against overwhelming odds 🥂🎉🥳 #StrictlyFinal.
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Extraordinary. Humiliating. Unprecedented. A majority of 230 against PM’s Brexit deal. Twice as many MPs vote no as vote yes.
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8 “events”. 83 people. 126 fines but just 1 for @BorisJohnson. The impact of #partygate will depend on whether voters conclude the PM was unlucky to be “ambushed by a cake” or think instead “Hold on a second …”. Suspect most made up their minds a long time ago.
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"I'm up for the fight" @jamieoliver tells @BBCr4today as he argues for free school meals to be given to 800,000 more young people in England who are poor but come from a household which doesn't meet the £7,400 income threshold.
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“Dear Scotland, We’d like you to stay but we think that Brexit/Power (delete where applicable) is more of a priority than keeping the UK together. Yours, the leader of the Conservative/Labour parties”. Quite a moment.
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Is it me or is the news world spinning faster these days? In the space of a week we’ve had the end of Johnson’s political career, the proof that inflation is not under control, the drama of the missing Titan sub & an attempted coup in Moscow. Plague of locusts next? Or can we.
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It’s over. The deal and perhaps May’s premiership. The DUP & the ERG & Cox have seen to that. What’s extraordinary is that no-one knows what happens next.
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I’m all in favour of hope but we never learn do we ?
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Now clear why Boris kept off air this week. Leave's promises - to get back £350m, to slash immigration & to have cake & eat it - all binned.
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What is @BorisJohnson apologising for? He says people had a right to expect better of their Prime Minister before insisting that it didn’t “occur to me then or subsequently that a gathering in the Cabinet room could be a breach of the rules.” So is he sorry that you’re sorry?.
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That Boris defence in brief : . I repeatedly assured you that there there were no parties & the rules were followed at all times . I now accept there were parties & the rules were, in fact, broken. No-one told me. In fact, my press officer told me to say the opposite. 1/4.
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The state of British politics today : @jeremycorbyn refuses to say whether Labour will back Brexit in an election he says is urgent whilst @10DowningStreet refuses to contemplate Plan B ahead of a vote the PM knows she will lose.
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Extraordinary. Truly extraordinary. The Cabinet Secretary on his then boss @BorisJohnson during the pandemic : "He cannot lead & we cannot support him. Government isn't actually that hard but this guy is really making it impossible.".
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That Prime Ministerial statement in full : Nothing. Has. Changed.
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Who needs Broadcasting House?! @BBCr4today came live from my basement this morning. Not quite John Snagg in black tie I’ll grant you but at least I wasn’t in my PJs. Hope you admire the sofa cushion sound absorbers .
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The most revealing sound on @BBCr4today this morning was the sound of the pause - the sound of Tory MPs calculating whether they should defend or distance themselves from @BorisJohnson.
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No 10 threw everything at protecting Dominic Cummings today. Nevertheless this story is very far from over.
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Nicky Morgan, Amber Rudd, .Mims Davis, Antonine Sandbach are all quitting parliament. Tories had already lost Sarah Wollaston, Heidi Allen & Anna Soubry. A pattern here ?.
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I wonder whether @GavinWilliamson’s obsessive interest in the personal, sexual & financial peccadillos of his colleagues & willingness to deploy that info has anything to do with the fact that @RishiSunak - like all recent Tory leaders - hired him & is now sad he’s left the govt.
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Toby Young's past has caught up with him. He has resigned from the board of the Office for Students after more than 200,000 people signed a petition calling for him to go.
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After 100 days of reflection @liztruss concludes that her mistake was to underestimate the power of economic orthodoxy. Another way of putting this is she gambled on defying the advice of the Treasury, OBR, IMF & the wisdom of the markets & Britain lost.
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Steve Wright was one of the radio greats. He understood that he was speaking not to millions but to just one person - you. As a listener he felt like a friend. As a colleague he was an example. As a presenter he was an inspiration.
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An apology. I deeply regret the distress & outrage sparked by my use of the US pronunciation "Aloominum" in an interview with, well, an American on @BBCr4today. I will be more steely in future.
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@christopherhope You’re so right Chris. Other than Easter Sunday Service - 10am BBC1 ; Gareth Malone’s Ester Passion - 11.30 am BBC1 & Songs of Praise - 1.30 pm BBC1 there’s no mention of Christianity at all.
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It’s not just that she has resigned from the Cabinet. It’s not just that she has resigned the Conservative whip. It is the language @AmberRuddHR uses to attack @BorisJohnson that makes her resignation so devastating.
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Whether you love Trump or loathe him shouldn’t one finding in the Mueller report worry anyone who believes in democracy ? “The Russian government interfered in the 2016 Presidential election in sweeping and systematic fashion”.
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Has any council or any country tried the idea of rotas - rather than closures - for parks? Being locked down in a small flat with no balcony or garden is a very very big ask.
The answer is rota for parks not closure. Families in flats with young children need our precious green spaces. #covid South London park shuts indefinitely after 3,000 people visit today | Daily Mail Online
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Confused. Health minister Helen Whateley tells @BBCr4today that NHS has the capacity to carry out 10,000 coronavirus test but confirms that fewer than 7,000 were actually carried out yesterday. Why?.
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How to sum up last few days for @BorisJohnson? 5 days in Commons + 5 major defeats - 21 Tory MPs = 0 majority + 0 election + 0 plan for Brexit + 5 weeks of Parliament suspensed.
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Extraordinary. That emergency statement by the Chancellor junked almost everything @trussliz promised. It was as significant as any Budget & yet had to be made immediately. That can only be because @Jeremy_Hunt had been warned of the threat of an imminent market meltdown.
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“Unlawful, void & of no effect” - the extraordinary, unanimous & historic verdict of the Supreme Court on @BorisJohnson’s decision to prorogue Parliament.
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Grim news. Was evident earlier that things were a lot worse than No 10 was letting on. There is no politics tonight. Just best wishes for a fellow human being struck low by this dreadful virus.
@BorisJohnson has been moved into intensive care so that he can go on a ventilator if his condition worsens further after it deteriorated this afternoon.
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The week Brexit hit the brick wall : Commons won’t accept May’s deal. Tories won’t change leader. EU won’t change May’s deal. Nothing has changed. Plan B anyone ?.
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Finding all this complicated Brexit deal talk a bit hard to follow? Let me try to help. May negotiated a deal the EU could live with but MPs couldn’t. Johnson has now proposed a deal which Parliament would probably back & the EU almost certainly won’t. I hope this helps.
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Whoever ultimately wins this the candidates to be the next Tory leader are writing Labour’s election leaflets and slogans #itvdebate.
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Uncorked. @DavidGauke tells @BBCr4today that a Conservative majority government would be "disastrous for the prosperity of the country" as it would lead to a Hard Brexit, leaving the EU without a deal in Dec '20 & making whole sectors of the economy unviable.
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Thought for the day. The conronavirus crisis is just too serious to be used to pick yet another fight with those you fell out with during the EU referendum #giveitarest.
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