Tory Leadership Debate – BBC Five Live interview
Rob McLoughlin discussed the outcome of the BBC’s Prime Ministerial Debate in a live interview on BBC Radio Five Live’s Drive programme on Tuesday 19 June, 2019.
Rob said that it was unique in post-war Britain to have just 160,000 people (the membership of the Conservative Party) choose the Prime Minister for a party with no majority. It was clear from the televised debate that no candidate wanted to risk a General Election with Jeremy Hunt saying it should only follow Brexit.
Normally an opposition would be claiming it was unconstitutional and that the Government had no mandate but Labour have so many other issues internally that the argument is not being advanced.
Rob talked about the complexities of making a tv programme such as this with multiple candidates and joked that the format would never replace Holby City which he said “can be curious but certainly has more drama”. He described how quickly such programmes are often assembled and how difficult they can be.
On one special with John Prescott and Michael Heseltine for Granada TV, Rob recalled how Ming Campbell became stuck in a taxi. Attempts to replace Campbell with another Lib-Dem MP led to the party to threaten an injunction to stop the broadcast as they wanted parity with Labour and Tory heavyweights.
Rob commented: “You have to take it on the chin when vetting of the audience goes wrong despite best efforts – the systems are never perfect.”  (This followed controversy over past tweets from one contributor to the Prime Ministerial Debate.)
Rob defended the decision to have no audience pointing out that balance across one single party was difficult to achieve. Individual audience members can sometimes stir the pot; Mrs Thatcher was famously caught off-guard over questions about the sinking of the Belgrano in an edition of Nationwide in the 1980s. Mrs Thatcher was said to have met her match when repeatedly challenged by a well-informed member of the public.
Drive is broadcast live from MediaCity UK.
Rob also appeared on the programme recently to discuss The Jeremy Kyle Show and ITV.

Brexit minister grilled at Lancashire business conference

Brexit minister Kwasi Kwarteng spoke at the Brexit for Business Conference hosted by the North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce in April. Held in Preston’s Guild Hall, the conference attempted to address business concerns over Brexit uncertainty.

The minister was interviewed by award-winning broadcaster Rob McLoughlin and took questions from the conference delegates. For a full report, see the Blackpool Gazette news page.

The event has also been reported in full in Lancashire Business View.

 

 

Rob McLoughlin interviews Brexit Minister
Britain should have left the European Union  by now. So what does the current uncertainty mean for business and how long will the confusion last?
Kwasi Kwarteng MP will address a business audience in Preston on Friday 26 April 2019 inside the famous Guild Hall.
He will then be questioned by the award-winning broadcaster Rob McLoughlin and field questions from the audience.
The session launches a morning full of special sessions and speeches on employment, immigration and related areas.
The conference is staged by the North West Chamber of Commerce in association with a number of sponsors including UCLAN.

EU leave or remain? What’s best for business? Live debate with Andy Burnham MP vs Graham Brady MP

Andy Burnham MP, Shadow Home Secretary, is to debate for Remain against Graham Brady MP the Chairman of the influential Conservative Party 1922 Committee, who will argue that Britain should vote to Leave the EU in the June 23rd Referendum.

The debate  will be the centre of a special lunch on Friday 27th May 2016 at The Radisson Hotel in Manchester.

The event staged by Duff and Phelps the Manchester based Financial Services Organisation will be hosted by Rob McLoughlin and will include a cost-benefit analysis and overview of the City Region’s relationship with the EU by Christian Spence, Head of Policy and Research at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce.

In front of a business audience Andy Burnham and Graham Brady will explore the arguments for and against a potential Brexit as the latest opinion polls indicate that 11% of the electorate are yet to make their minds up.

This is the 4th Live debate which Rob has hosted since the start of the year on this divisive issue which is set to intensify as the Referendum date nears.