The key takeaways from this morning’s interviews on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips
It was a packed first edition of Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips.
With a crisis in schools, continued economic strife and a general election on the horizon, there was plenty for our guests and our expert panel to discuss.
Here are all the key takeaways from this morning’s interviews.
Jeremy Hunt
On schools: Mr Hunt insisted that ministers acted as soon as unsafe concrete was found in Britain’s schools (see post at 8.39).
He also admitted that there could be more schools with problems than are known about, but pledged to continue investment to ensure the problems are fixed (see post at 8.45).
On steelmaking: The chancellor insisted Britain can compete with China on steelmaking amid the news that the government is in advanced talks with Britain’s biggest steel producer to hand over a £500m aid package aimed at securing the industry’s long-term future (see post at 8.45).
On the economy: He also defended the way the government has handled the cost of living crisis, saying it is “morally wrong” to leave the vast government debt to future generations (see post at 8.49).
Bridget Phillipson
On schools: The shadow education secretary said the risk of buildings collapsing was “defining metaphor for the last 13 years of Conservative government” (see post at 9.03).
On the economy: Ms Phillipson strongly disagreed with a US Republican senator’s statement that her party’s economic plans are “Reaganesque”.
Highlights from our expert panel
Rachel Johnson triggered laughter in the studio after suggesting that all MPs [should spend] some time in prison” – her brothers, of course, are Boris and Jo Johnson (see post at 9.54).
Tony Blair’s former spin doctor Alastair Campbell said the government is “lurching from crisis to crisis”, and Sir Craig Oliver, David Cameron’s former comms chief, said “schoolgate” is a “toxic issue” for the government (see post at 8.55).
Sir Craig also said there is a “real problem” of politicians refusing to admit there are “real, systemic difficult problems that do not have easy solutions and actually we’re going to have to take some pain in order to deal with them” (see post at 10.08).
Scroll down for all the highlights and key moments from the launch edition of Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips.