Matthew Taylor

Amber Rudd - Boris should not 'back-seat drive' over Brexit The Home Secretary took to Andrew Marr's sofa in the wake of the Friday's failed terrorist attack on a London Underground train at Parson's Green station. However, the topic swiftly turned from security to Boris Johnson's latest 4,000 word essay published in the Telegraph on Saturday. The Foreign Secretary laid out his vision for Brexit - days before the Prime Minister is due to make a crucial speech in Florence. Rudd defended Boris' intervention, but made clear that she did not want the Foreign Secretary to be in charge of the UK's negotiations: https://youtu.be/mWielrQPErY AM: Do you think that this article generally was a helpful intervention or an error of judgement? AR: I have the great good fortune to work with Boris.

Tony Blair - Britain can limit immigration without leaving the EU Former Prime Minister Tony Blair has been trying to find a way to reduce immigration to the UK without leaving the European Union. The Institute for Global Change, the organisation that Blair set up earlier this year, has published a report on this very topic. Outlining his proposals to Andrew Marr, Blair also called on sympathetic MPs to unite against Brexit in order to prevent 'economic and political damage': https://youtu.be/rcimyFouCus AM: A lot of people already this morning have said 'It's a little bit rich coming from you given how you opened the doors back in the 2000s to mass immigration and changed lots of communities. TB: We shouldn't exaggerate this...

Jeremy Corbyn - I did not make a commitment to write off student debt This morning Jeremy Corbyn became the last interviewee on the Andrew Marr Show  before the party conference season begins in September. With a potential general election on the cards at any time, there was much to discuss. In particular, Marr chose to delve a little deeper into Corbyn's plans for alleviating student debt after the Labour leader declared he planned to 'deal with it' shortly before Britain went to the polls in June: Marr: A lot of people in this country are burdened by high levels of debt because of the student loans they've had to take out, and you said shortly before the election 'I will deal with it'. What did you mean by 'I will deal with it'?

Sir Vince Cable - 'Brexit may never happen' Sir Vince Cable, who remains the only candidate in the running for the leadership of the Liberal Democrats, has once again hit the headlines due to his firm standpoint against the UK leaving the European Union. On this occasion, Sir Vince has opined to Andrew Marr that Brexit may not actually happen and that the Liberal Democrat policy of a second referendum could still be on the cards: Marr: On Brexit, do you want Britain to fail economically? Cable: I do not want it to fail economically. I don't think the public voted to have cuts in their standard of living... Marr: The reason I ask that if I may interject is that you have said you have to hang on while the economy deteriorates before the public mood changes, and that's your moment.

Michael Gove: The DUP deal is good for the union The newly installed Environment Secretary Michael Gove took to Andrew Marr's sofa today to defend the government's deal with the Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland. Controversial for awarding the province an additional £1 billion, Gove rejected the idea that deal this amounted to a ‘bung’, and argued that far from dividing the country, the ‘confidence and supply’ deal would serve to strengthen the United Kingdom: Marr: Can we at least determine that there is not going to be another... large about of money paid to the DUP? Because [Sir Nicholas] MacPherson, the former Permanent Secretary to the Treasury said ‘they'll be back for more’.

David Davis - Leadership contest would be 'catastrophic' for Brexit negotiations After a tough few weeks for Theresa May, and amid speculation that Conservatives are rallying to replace her, Brexit Secretary David Davis spoke to Andrew Marr about what a leadership challenge would mean for the UK's negotiations with the EU. Davis made it clear that he did not want to see a leadership challenge occur in the near future, though he didn't entirely rule out a leadership bid of his own should the circumstances arise: Marr: Would it be catastrophic for our Brexit negotiations for the Tory party now to have a leadership contest? Davis: Yes... Let me be absolutely plain about this. Number one - I happen to think we've got a very good Prime Minister.

Philip Hammond - No deal would be 'a very, very bad outcome' One day before Brexit negotiations get underway, Philip Hammond took to the Andrew Marr Show and announced that if the UK achieved no deal with the EU it would be a 'very very bad outcome'. This appears to be somewhat at odds with Theresa May's repeated assertion that 'no deal is better than a bad deal'... Marr: Do you think no deal is better than a bad deal? Hammond: Let me be clear that no deal would be a very, very bad outcome for Britain. But there is a possible worse outcome, and that is a deal that is deliberately structured to punish us.

Just as in 2015, this election promises to be a tough fight for some of the biggest names. Depending on which pollsters you believe, Labour are either in for a drubbing or their best performance since 2001. The Lib Dems could be about to face annihilation. Even Conservative cabinet ministers are vulnerable in several key marginals. But as before, the most exciting battleground is likely to be in Scotland, where the SNP are retreating from the phenomenal high they achieved two years ago. Listed below are ten of the most significant potential upsets to watch out for after the polls close. Angus Robertson in Moray Expected declaration time: 3:00am Region: Scotland Majority: 9,065 2015 result: SNP 50% Con 31%, Lab 10%, Ukip 4%, Lib Dem 3%, Green 3%, Leave vote: 49.

Amber Rudd – Abedi operation is still at ‘full tilt’ In the wake of Monday's horrific attack in Manchester, Andrew Marr interviewed the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, about what action the government was taking in the aftermath of the attack, and whether the government and security services had done enough to prevent the attack happening in the first place: AM: You've downgraded the threat level one point, and we hear that a large part of the group around this terrorist have been apprehended and taken. Does that mean that some of the group are still out there? AR: Potentially. I mean, it's an ongoing operation, there are 11 people in custody.

Jeremy Corbyn - 'All bombing should be condemned' Jeremy Corbyn refused on several occasions to explicitly condemn the bombing campaign of the IRA in the 1980s, repeatedly insisting instead that 'all bombing is wrong'. Asked six times by Sophy Ridge about his stance on the issue, Corbyn appeared reluctant to single out condemnation of the IRA. Instead, he made clear his opposition to all bombing: SR: Time and time again it does appear as though you backed people who opposed the British forces. You were arrested at a demonstration in support of an IRA terrorist in 1986. You were a regular at IRA linked 'Troops Out rallies'. You didn't support the SDLP who were trying to pursue a united Ireland through peaceful means.

Lib Dem Manifesto 2017 In every other manifesto, a Liberal Democrat leader has set out a vision for government. However, I want to make a different case to the British people in this election – an election that has been called by Theresa May, very cynically, with the sole purpose of putting the Tories in a position where they can do what they like unchecked. To be clear, Theresa May’s Conservative Party is on course to win this election. Unless we make a stand, they will walk away with a landslide. We risk the arrogance and heartlessness with which she has governed for the last 10 months being reinforced by a majority that no government has had for 20 years. The reason? There is a complete absence of real opposition from Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party.

Last week, Labour revealed - ahead of schedule - a draft of its manifesto. Today, the party has revealed its official manifesto - and the comparison between the two makes for interesting reading. Here are some of the key policies that have been removed, altered or added to the manifesto. Removed policies The commitment to 'cover apprentices’ travel costs, which currently run to an average of £24 a week' has been removed. The draft contained a pledge that there would be 'no private prisons under Labour’. However, this has been watered down for the published document: ‘Under a Labour government, there will be no new private prisons and no public sector prisons will be privatised.

Michael Fallon - We warned the NHS on cyber security Early this morning, Andrew Marr interviewed the Defence Secretary Michael Fallon. Marr attacked the government for failing to adequately prepare for Friday's mass cyber attack, which caused havoc in the NHS, creating many difficulties and rescheduled appointments up and down the country: Marr: What patently this government has not properly invested in is defences against cyber attack you did not give the NHS the proper support and proper money to stop this cyber attack, with terrible results for patients up and down the country. Fallon: In our security review, just over a year and a few months ago, we identified cyber threats as one of the three principal threats, and we set aside £1.

Listed below are the notable parliamentary contests that we can look forward to in the 2017 general election: England Conservatives: Returning: Richmond Park - Zac Goldsmith, who lost this seat in a by-election he triggered in opposition to the government's stance on building a third runway at Heathrow, has rejoined the fold to try and win it back. Lib Dem Sarah Olney took the seat from Goldsmith with a majority of 1,872 votes last December. Tatton - Esther McVey, formerly MP for Wirral West and Minister for the Disabled, has won selection for the seat that is being vacated by George Osborne. McVey is likely to be returned comfortably, with Osborne achieving an 18,000 majority over his nearest rival in 2015.

John McDonnell - No tax rises for those earning under £80,000 Appearing on the Andrew Marr Show, Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell gave his first major interview since Labour's disappointing performance in Thursday's local elections. With the party now fully focused on the general election, he outlined his pledges on tax, claiming that a Labour government would not raise tax on any worker earning less than £80,000 a year: JM: What we're saying today, anyone earning below £80,000, we'll be guaranteeing you will not have an increase in income tax or VAT or National Insurance contributions, and for those above £80,000, we're asking them to pay a modest bit more. Why? To fund our public services. You had Theresa May on last week...

Theresa May - Conservatives will not raise VAT Touring both the BBC and ITV studios today, Theresa May tried her best to avoid giving specific answers about the Conservatives tax policies after the election. However, during an interview with Robert Peston, the Prime Minister appeared to disown David Cameron's 'triple lock' and make a commitment that a Conservative government would not raise the level of VAT above 20% over the next Parliament: Peston: Given what you say your record as a party is on taxes, do you need to repeat David Cameron's triple lock - no rise in VAT, no rise in National Insurance, no rise in income tax - do you need to repeat that? May: Well, I'm clear that we have no plans to raise the level of tax. Peston: What does the level mean? I'm not sure what that means.

Corbyn – Labour may scrap Trident nuclear deterrent Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn occupied the prime slot on the Andrew Marr Show this morning, and he told Marr that he wants to see ‘a very different country’. But how different? He was asked what he would say to the captains of the Trident submarines about whether to use their missiles in the event of a nuclear attack on the United Kingdom. ‘What I will be saying is that I want us to achieve a nuclear free world. What I want us to do is adhere to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and take part in negotiations surrounding that, and crucially... immediately promote the six party talks on the Korean peninsula as a way of de-escalating nuclear tensions around the world...

Alex Salmond - Theresa May 'will crumble' over Scottish referendum Despite Parliament having retired this week, the political debate rages on. Alex Salmond appeared on the Andrew Marr show to offer his take on the circumstances of a second referendum on Scottish independence. He remained defiant that it would still take place despite Theresa May's statement that 'now is not the time'. 'The Theresa May line... "Now is not the time" is not going to stand. Back in the day I remember David Cameron telling me there wasn't going to be a Scottish referendum, but that didn't last against the democratic wishes of the Scottish people and the Scottish Parliament and neither will the Theresa May line.

Michael Howard – ‘Show resolve’ over Gibraltar Former Conservative leader Michael Howard caused a stir on social media after his appearance on the Sunday Politics regarding his comments about Spain and Gibraltar. Interviewed by Andrew Neil, Howard stated that the British government should respond ‘as it has responded, by making it absolutely clear that we will stand by Gibraltar.’ He then continued: ‘35 years ago this week Andrew, another woman Prime Minister sent a taskforce halfway across the world to protect another small group of British people against another Spanish speaking country, and I'm absolutely clear that our current woman Prime Minister will show the same resolve in relation to Gibraltar as her predecessor did.