Niall Gooch

After the first regular BBC TV broadcasts in 1930, it took the House of Commons 60 years to agree to televise its proceedings. Proposals to do so were discussed on a regular basis from the 1960s onwards, but repeatedly rejected; as late as 1985 the idea was voted down by 275 to 263. Not until 1990 did MPs vote in favour of making the broadcasts permanent. One theme constantly reiterated by MPs opposed to televising the Chamber was that TV cameras would fundamentally change the nature of Parliament, encouraging Members to think of themselves as performers and to reach for soundbites rather than arguments. Gerald Howarth put it this way during the 1985 debate: ‘The television cameras would intrude; the intimacy of the Chamber would be lost. It would become a studio or theatre.

The current Tory breakdown is all the more remarkable given how quickly it has happened. As recently as last September they led comfortably in the polls. Keir Starmer was widely derided as an ineffectual centrist bumbler with no charisma. At the start of this parliament, in early 2020, the Tories looked invincible, holding an 80-seat majority having won 43.6 per cent of voters. And now, at the peak moment of crisis, there is serious talk of bringing back Boris. Well-informed commentators seem to think he could still garner the support of more than 100 MPs, and perhaps even be back in Downing Street in time for Guy Fawkes Night. The Emperor slips away from Elba and marches north to Paris, attracting the old veterans of his great campaigns. One more shot at glory.

Cast your mind back to Channel 4’s election night programme. The 2019 exit poll results flash up on screen. Realising the size of the Tory majority, hosts Krishnan Guru-Murthy and comedian Katherine Ryan, along with pundits Amber Rudd and Tom Watson, all look crestfallen: the Conservatives had won and Brexit was secured.  However, nearly two and a half years on from that night, the joy of the Channel 4 clip feels a bit empty. Very little has been done with that huge parliamentary advantage. Instead, the government’s big announcement this week is that they’re privatising the broadcaster. Fine. No problem with that; it’s probably a good thing. Except it doesn’t seem to be part of a wider programme for government. https://www.youtube.com/watch?

Like many others, I was very struck by recent footage of Barack Obama criticizing cancel culture. Less than three years since he left the White House, he already feels like a figure from another age. No doubt this is partly due to the contrast between his demeanor and that of his successor, which could hardly be more marked. As the now-viral video comparing Trump’s speech on Sunday to Obama’s statement on the death of Bin Laden shows, Obama played the statesman role well. Donald Trump just seems to relish being at the heart of a 24-hour traveling circus of provocation and outrage. But there is another reason why Obama has a slightly old-fashioned feel, so soon after leaving office. The right has changed, yes – but so has the left.