Rishi Sunak and the Ten Million Pound Question
Newscast
03/13/24
•33m
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Today, we look at the prime minister’s refusal to return a £10 million donation from a Conservative donor who reportedly said MP Diane Abbott “should be shot”. Plus are women who freeze their eggs being “misled” by some clinics?
PMQs was today dominated by the ongoing row surrounding alleged comments made about the former Labour MP Abbott by tory donor Frank Hester. The PM said Mr Hester's alleged comments were "wrong" and "racist", but he told MPs his "remorse should be accepted". Diane Abbott repeatedly tried to ask a question during PMQs, but did not succeed in getting the speaker to call her. Adam and Chris look at Rishi Sunak’s handling of the row. And why Diane Abbott has also called out the Labour party response?
And a BBC investigation has revealed that up to 4 in 10 fertility clinics may be breaching advertising guidelines, by not making the success rates of women who choose to freeze their eggs clear. Adam is joined by professor Geeta Nargund, a senior NHS consultant, and BBC investigative reporter Anna Collinson. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://tinyurl.com/newscastcommunityhere Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Gemma Roper and Teodora Agarici. The technical producer was Philip Bull. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham
Previous Episode
PM: Tory donor’s alleged Diane Abbott comments are “racist”
March 12, 2024
•35m
Today, we look at the reaction to the alleged comments made by Tory donor Frank Hester as well as warnings from a watchdog that pet owners are overpaying for medicines. Adam and Chris discuss the reported remarks by Frank Hester, who has donated £10 million to the Conservative Party, after Rishi Sunak’s person described the donor’s comments as “racist”.
Mr Hester's company said he "accepts that he was rude about Diane Abbott in a private meeting several years ago but his criticism had nothing to do with her gender nor colour of skin".
It said he had tried to apologise directly to her for the hurt he has caused, and is deeply sorry for his remarks.
Dale Vince, Labour Party donor and CEO of Ecotricity tells Adam what it’s like to be a donor of a political party. And the Competition and Markets Authority has warned that vet practices are not being transparent about the prices of pet medicines. Adam is joined by Claire Batty, a vet from Lancashire, and BBC reporter Jim Connolly. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://tinyurl.com/newscastcommunityhere Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by Chris Flynn with Gemma Roper and Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
Next Episode
When Will The Election Be? (Not May 2nd)
March 14, 2024
•33m
Today, we look at the prime minister ruling out a general election on May 2nd, the same day as the local elections. And we look at what extremism means after a new definition was revealed by the government.
After days of speculation in Westminster, Rishi Sunak has told ITV News there won’t be an election on May 2nd to coincide with the local elections. Adam and Chris discuss whether this means the election will now definitely be in autumn, and why rumours of a May election had grown this week. Plus communities secretary Michael Gove joins Newscast to explain why the government has adopted a new definition of extremism. It will be used by government officials to cut ties or funding to groups deemed to have crossed a line. But why was it needed now?
You can join our Newscast online community here: https://tinyurl.com/newscastcommunityhere
Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Miranda Slade. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
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