Audio recordings
Including interviews, oral histories and radio programmes. Highlights here include an interview between Mark Abrams (social scientist and businessman) and his grandson, and interviews conducted throughout 2019 with Female MPs, Rebel MPs and Academics.
Showing 176 - 200 of 432 Records
Theresa May's Withdrawal Agreement falls to a historic defeat in the House of Commons, interview with Justine Greening MP, Nicky Morgan MP and Stella Creasy and their solutions to the Brexit crisis
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Reference Code : - SOBA 1/64
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Date : - 2019-01-15 (creation)
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Description : - On January 15th 2019, Theresa May's Withdrawal Bill was defeated by 230 votes. It was the biggest defeat for any government bill in modern political history. Sones spoke to Conservative MP Nicky Morgan who voted with her government and Justine Greening MP. Sones also hears from Labour MP Stella Creasy who voted against as did most of her Labour colleagues. Morgan wants a Common Market 2.0 while Greening supports a second referendum. Theresa May is expected to survive a no confidence vote.
Sones hears from Dame Vera Baird QC Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria and former Labour MP and Solicitor General
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Reference Code : - SOBA 1/65
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Date : - 2019-01-22 (creation)
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Description : - Baird welcomes the publication of the government's new Domestic Violence Bill said she would like to see it go further and for the government to ensure that funding streams to DV support services are restored. The Bill, launched by Prime Minister Theresa May who said that throughout her political career she had 'worked to bring an end to domestic abuse and support survivors'. This looks to introduce a ban on the cross-examination of victims by their abusers in the family courts, the introduction of domestic abuse protection orders, which will place restrictions on offenders, and the introduction for the first time of a definition of domestic abuse to include economic abuse and controlling and manipulative non-physical violence. Baird ended by saying that if the government are serious about this Bill and they understand what it is costing day-to-day and properly fund and support services.
Speaking up for Fathers and why Westminster Hall is such a good debating Chamber
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Reference Code : - SOBA 1/66
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Date : - 2019-01-30 (creation)
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Description : - Tracey Crouch, Conservative MP for Chatham and Aylesford and former Sports, Civil Society and Loneliness minister led the Fathers debate. Several of her male colleagues chipped in to say how left out they felt and often lonely as various health procedures made them feel 'outsiders' in the birth of their own children. The health minister responded to these after PMQs. Crouch was the first Conservative Minister to take maternity leave and welcomed the introduction of Proxy Voting, allowing Labour MP Tulip Siddiq, who delayed giving birth to attend the Brexit-deal vote two weeks before. Crouch talks to Sones about her Fathers debate and other campaigns. Crouch and her other half took shared parenting and she says her partner found it intimidating to go into any toddler and baby group not least because it was mostly badged mother and baby groups, or that they were mostly women.
Interview with Maria Miller MP: reviewing how the UK's World First Modern Day Slavery Act can be improved
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Reference Code : - SOBA 1/67
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Date : - 2019-02-04 (creation)
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Description : - Maria Miller, Conservative MP for Basingstoke and Chair of the Equalities Select Committee is to undertake a review of a flagship piece of legislation that her government introduced - The Modern Day Slavery Act, which came into force in 2015. Women MPs across party working together, were instrumental in pointing to the growing numbers of trafficked women working in nail bars, domestic service, massage parlours and in prostitution itself. The economic and social costs of modern slavery are estimated to be in the region of 4.3 billion pounds a year. Miller told Sones that we should not have people who are subject to slavery and should not have people who their rights withheld.
Interview with Emma Lewell-Buck MP on her Food Insecurity Bill - What gets measured gets mended
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Reference Code : - SOBA 1/68/1
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Date : - 2019-02-27 (creation)
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Description : - Lewell-Buck's bill looks to ensure that the Government knows how many people are going without food. There are record levels of in work poverty and childhood poverty. The Food Foundation and the UN have suggested that eight million households and four million children live in food poverty. Although Lewell-Buck's Bill will not become law, the government has said that it will be adopting its recommendations and collecting and publishing information. Lewell-Buck gave her response to the Department of Education's announcement that the government will introduce relationship education in primary schools and sex and relationship education in secondary schools from September 2020. Lewell-Buck proceeds to tell Sones why she believes the Labour MP Chris Williamson should be suspended from the Party over his comments on Antisemitism and why the party needs to take a tougher line. On the breakaway Independent Group, she admits feeling 'flat'. As a Remain MP in a Leave voting constituency and she does not support her leader, Jeremy Corbyn.
Interview with Baroness Susan Kramer: Brexit and Food Standards
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Reference Code : - SOBA 1/68/2
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Date : - 2019-03-06 (creation)
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Description : - Baroness Kramer is the Liberal Democrat spokesperson on Treasury and the Economy and has expressed concerns about the standards of food production in the UK falling when the UK leaves the EU. The Soil Association published a report expressing its fears over chlorine washed chicken, hormones, antibiotics, food colourings, pesticides and animal welfare. A former DEFRA Minister, George Eustace has also written of his concerns over food standards. Kramer sets out what she thinks the important issues are on food standards and why her party are against a no-deal Brexit.
International Women's Day 2019
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Reference Code : - SOBA 1/68/3
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Date : - 2019-03-07 (creation)
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Description : - Guest interviewer, Jackie Ashely, picks up some 'scoops' on #IWD2019 in the latest of podcasts from Parliament. Heidi Allen MP and Ann Coffey MP on why women voters should be attracted to their new Independent Group. Crossing the floor of the House has always been a difficult thing for an MP to do, and they have received much criticism for doing so. A new political group was created when eight Labour MPs and three Conservative MPs crossed the floor of the House to sit together. They all support Remain in the Brexit debates and are in favour of a Second Referendum or People's Vote. Seven out of eleven are women, Jackie Ashley was keen to talk to them about finding a 'nicer way' of doing politics. Neither Allen nor Coffey said they would be standing down to re-fight their respective seats but that they did want to stand again for the same constituencies. Allen states that she had two-thousand-five-hundred positive emails and only forty-one negative ones. Allen says that government changes to welfare and Universal Credit was a factor for her leaving the Conservatives. Both ended by saying that they had no idea what rosette they would be wearing at the next election.
#IWD2019 Rachel Reeves MP "Women of Westminster - The MPs who Changed Politics"
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Reference Code : - SOBA 1/68/4
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Date : - 2019-03-07 (creation)
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Description : - In an interview with Jackie Ashley, Reeves spoke about writing her first book 'Alice in Westminster - the life of Alice Bacon', who won her Leeds North East seat, the first woman to do so, in the 1945 General Election. Reeves is an economist and has served Leeds West since 2010, she was made Shadow Secretary for Work and Pensions in 2013 but did not return to the role post-maternity leave. She tells Ashley that 'it is a bit of a club being in Westminster and women haven't always fitted in'. Reeves thinks that progress has been made - including having two-hundred-and-nine women in Westminster. Reeves still thinks progress needs to be made as Parliament is a long way from being 50:50. Reeves discusses the murder of Jo Cox, the targeting of black women and Jewish women like Diane Abbot and Luciana Berger. Reeves spoke about her favourite story of a female MP - Eleanor Rathbone an Independent MP who worked across the political spectrum who got the first family allowances paid directly to women.
Interview with Shadow Whip Thangam Debbonaire MP on Parliament's Brexit chaos
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Reference Code : - SOBA 1/68/5
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Date : - 2019-03-14 (creation)
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Description : - Debbonaire is the Labour MP for Bristol West, a shadow whip for her party with a special interest in DEFRA, the Environmental Food and Rural Affairs. During this week, Theresa May's Withdrawal Agreement had suffered another defeat - by one-hundred-and-forty-nine votes, and a day later, MPs ruled out a no-deal by a majority of forty-three. In all, thirteen government and cabinet ministers abstained on that vote to defy their own Prime Minister and whip while one minister resigned and voted for it. The pair also discuss the new Independent Group of break-away MPs, Philip Hammond's new money for Leave Towns and how she's campaigning for more education funding for schools. Debbonaire believes that Article 50 would have to be extended and that there should be another referendum.
Interview with Siobhan McDonagh, Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden
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Reference Code : - SOBA 1/68/6
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Date : - 2019-03-15 (creation)
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Description : - McDonagh speaks about Brexit, the Labour Party, antisemitism and knife crime
Interview with constituents after Heidi Allen, MP for South Cambridgeshire holds a public meeting - Do Voters like TIGs?
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Reference Code : - SOBA 1/68/7
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Date : - 2019-03-16 (creation)
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Description : - Sones interviews David, Rebecca, Bruce, Vivienne and Emma as they attended a public meeting in Cambridge to hear from Allen discuss why she decided to leave the Conservatives to join the new Independent Group of MPs. Four support her and one is not sure about any of the political parties. Nearly 150 people attended the meeting, with the majority in favour of Allen's decision.
Interview with Professor Catherine Barnard, what now for Brexit?
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Reference Code : - SOBA 1/68/8
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Date : - 2019-03-25 (creation)
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Description : - Barnard, Professor of EU Law at the University of Cambridge and Senior Fellow of 'UK in a Changing Europe' looks at the options for Brexit with four days to go until the original Brexit deadline. Barnard examines why May's deal hit the rocks, why her triggering of Article 50 so soon after the Leave vote in June 2016 and her drawing up of her list of red lines, which meant the UK would not agree to the freedom of movement of people and remaining in a customs union, rooted May firmly in the Brexiteer European Research Group's camp. Barnard says that this has stopped her reaching out across party. Barnard also responds to criticism of the EU and how it conducted the Brexit negotiations. The two stage process the EU insisted on of first negotiating the divorce in the form of the Withdrawal Agreement and then the Political Agreement, has led to considerable confusion for those seeking to understand the process. Overall, Barnard believes the EU 27 have acted well toward the UK, but that May's cabinet, the Conservative Party and Parliament has been split on the issue and a series of Indicative Votes may not resolve this. Barnard is speaking after one million marched in London to demand a People's Vote and as five million had signed an online petition to revoke Article 50. A Sky News Poll had revealed that 90% of respondents thought Brexit was a 'national humiliation' and Barnard does not see this as a surprise. Barnard says 'it's a fool's game to predict any of these scenarios. The only thing that we can do unilaterally without having to depend on the EU's agreement is to revoke Article 50'. Barnard also believes the UK Civil Service has done an extraordinary job in immensely difficult circumstances of preparing for the UK to leave the EU with or without a deal. This was recorded as part of Barnard’s 2903cb podcast and is one of thirteen she has conducted with Sones.
Interview with Danielle Rowley, Labour MP for Midlothian and Paul Sweeney, Labour MP for Glasgow North East and shadow Scotland Minister: Giving 16 Year Olds the Vote
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Reference Code : - SOBA 2/1
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Date : - 2019-05-13 (creation)
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Description : - Sones speaks to Rowley and Sweeney after a Parliamentary debate on giving 16 year olds the vote, Rowley says that she was disappointed by the Conservative response when the debate had been positive. She goes onto the say that arguments against extending the voting franchise are very similar to the arguments made against giving women the vote. The Conservative minister used the phrase 'no taxation without representation' and argued that giving 16 year olds the vote, would mean you would have to tax them. Rowley disagrees with this line of argument because unemployed people are allowed to vote. Sweeney does not believe that the Conservative argument is illogical, by engaging young people, letting them vote and making it part of the school curriculum, they are much more likely to vote later in life. Sones mentions that in Scotland, 16 year olds are allowed to vote - Rowley thinks the success in Scotland is proof that it would be a positive step. Sweeney challenges the idea that the Conservative Party do not want votes for 16 year olds because of the fear that they will vote a certain way, by speaking about Ruth Davidson's (leader of the Scottish Conservative Party 2011 - 2019) support for the change. Both agree that this is about the rights young people have. Sones moves the conversation onto Theresa May offering to work with Jeremy Corbyn on the Brexit Agreement, both agree that May has done this too late on. Rowley discusses her experience at 17 coming to visit Parliament and her group being better behaved than the sitting MPs at the time.
Interview with Anne-Marie Morris, Conservative MP for Newton Abbot and European Research Group member on Brexit and whether the 'ERG' have 'blown it on Brexit?'
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Reference Code : - SOBA 2/2
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Date : - 2019-05-15 (creation)
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Description : - Morris talks to Parliamentary Radio before Prime Minister's Questions on Theresa May's 'olive branch' to Jeremy Corbyn, Labour Leader, that she wants to work with him on Brexit. Morris notes that she spoke to all of the Party leaders a number of weeks ago and that this is groundhog day. Morris notes that May's existing deal was already a 'soft Brexit' and that the country is at the mercy of the European Union. Sones asks about resignations within the European Research Group, Morris believes that May is not putting the party or the country first, but her own vision. Sones asks about a Customs Union, Morris says she could not tolerate a Customs Union because Brexit was about having the freedom to trade with parts of the world with growing economies. Morris also states that being within a Customs Union would mean agreeing to European Law, which is too restrictive. Sones poses the question on whether the 'ERG has blown it?', Morris does not think so and that an extension has always been on the cards because of the Irish Backstop. Sones and Morris discuss a 'no-deal' Brexit, Morris sees it as the political and legal default position.
Interview with Dr Lisa Cameron, SNP MP for East Kilbride and psychologist on Brexit, Lucy's Law and 'Dump the Scales'
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Reference Code : - SOBA 2/3
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Date : - 2019-05-16 (creation)
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Description : - Cameron sits on the Parliamentary Radio's Advisory Board. Sones asks about Theresa May not reaching out to the devolved assemblies about Brexit, but did invite Jeremy Corbyn to talk. Cameron does not believe that May considered the Scottish First Minister enough, nor that the Scottish people have had their voice heard since the Brexit Referendum. Cameron discusses the Scottish National Party's position on the Customs Union and Single Market. Cameron hopes that May's 'red lines' are moveable and that talks are meaningful. Cameron has been campaigning on animal welfare, cancer campaigns and the movement to get women to stop using scales to promote good body identity, Sones asks about these issues because Brexit has clouded debate in the past few years. Cameron acknowledges that there is life beyond Brexit and issues that are important to her constituencies. Cameron talks about 'puppy smuggling' being banned, and talks about the patient experience of young people with cancer, ensuring that mental wellbeing is prioritised. Sones asks about Scottish Nationalism and Independence, Cameron thinks that Brexit emphasises the need for another Independence Referendum because of the chaos in Westminster. Cameron sees a 'no-deal' Brexit as one that could result in an independent Scotland.
Monday: The Green Surge in the East
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Reference Code : - SOBA 2/4
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Date : - 2019-05-13 (creation)
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Description : - Green Party event in Cambridge, Caroline Lucas MP speaking about the membership of the Green Party and the upcoming European Election. Lucas discusses the People's Vote campaign and Remain. Sones then talks to Lucas and Catherine Rowett - lead Green Party Candidate, outside the Guildhall in Cambridge. Lucas talks about their chances in the European Elections in the East about the green and European Union issues. Sones and Lucas talk about political commentators and their predictions of a victory for the Brexit Party. Rowett and Sones discuss her chances of being elected as an MEP. Rowett says that people she meets are talking about Extinction Rebellion and the Children's Strikes on Climate Change. Sones asks about a possible splintering of the Remain vote in the Election, Rowett rejects that the Green Party are similar to the Liberal Democrats. Sones then talks to Naomi Bennett, Green Candidate in Cambridge, Sones asks her about the key issues. Bennett thinks that people are disillusioned by the 'bully boy' tactics in Parliament and that there is a struggle in getting people to vote at all. Bennett talks extensively about 'door-knocking' and the importance of it in comparison to social media. The Greens in Cambridge have not been putting out social media adverts. Bennett talks about Cambridge being one of the richest cities in the country, but has nine food banks and hidden homelessness.
Wednesday: anger outside Westminster
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Reference Code : - SOBA 2/5
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Date : - 2019-05-15 (creation)
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Description : - Sones interviews three individuals - Nicola Kingaby, Gareth Clayfield and Ruth Friar about protesting for Remain whilst Theresa May conducted PMQs. All three discuss their reasons for attending the protests. Sones interviews some 'Leave' protestors outside Parliament, one outlines her reasons for protesting - despite having voting Labour and Green previously. Another contributor is angry about the possibility of a Customs Union, she describes it as 'war'.
Thursday: The Cambridge European Elections and Vox Pops
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Reference Code : - SOBA 2/6
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Date : - 2019-05-27 (creation)
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Description : - The event is being recorded live from St Mary's Church for the Election Hustings - candidates include the Brexit Party (Edmund Fordham), Change UK (Neil Carmichael), Greens (Catherine Rowett), Labour (Alvin Shum), Conservatives (Tom McLeren), Liberal Democrats (Lucy Nethsingha) and UKIP (Stuart Agnew). Each candidate talks through why they should be the choice for Cambridge. Sones then speaks to some attendees after the event.
Interview with Baroness Julie Smith and the Liberal Democrat Surge
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Reference Code : - SOBA 2/7/1
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Date : - 2019-05-27 (creation)
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Description : - Smith talks to Women's Parliamentary Radio about the European Election Results which came the previous night. Smith is pleased with the results and thinks it was clear that those who would not usually vote Liberal Democrat did in this election on the basis of Brexit. Sones asks about the extent of the Liberal Democrat surge, Smith thinks that slogans such as 'bollocks to Brexit' and 'Stop Brexit' were ways of 'fighting fire with fire' against the Brexit Party. Whilst there was some Labour Candidates who were for Brexit, the party message was mixed according to Smith. Sones asks about Theresa May and the Conservative Leadership and the fact that 'Remain' parties got the most votes in the European election. Smith think there is a majority in 'remain' versus 'hard Brexit'.
Interview as part of Professor Catherine Barnard's @2903cb podcast with Boni Sones
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Reference Code : - SOBA 2/7/2
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Date : - 2019-05-27 (creation)
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Description : - Sones begins by asking about the European Election, the 'Remain' Parties, the Brexit Party and UKIP. Barnard discusses Labour's 'constructive ambiguity' and for the Conservatives, the Prime Minister's turmoil and leadership contest. Barnard speaks about the process of a 'No-Deal Brexit' and the consequences of it. They discuss European and British leadership in the European Parliament and elections for various positions within Europe. Sones and Barnard discuss the World Trade Organisation and how the Brexiteers fail to understand the implications.
Vicky Ford, Conservative MP for Chelmsford and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group MP interviewed by Jackie Ashley on Theresa May's legacy for Women
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Reference Code : - SOBA 2/8
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Date : - 2019-05-22 (creation)
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Description : - Ford thinks her impact has been 'massive' in getting more women to stand for Parliament. Ford talks about Theresa May's support in her constituency. Ashley asks about May's cabinet and the proportion of women and speaks about the chances provided to her.
Interview with Rupa Huq, Labour MP for Ealing Central and Acton on Theresa May's legacy
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Reference Code : - SOBA 2/9
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Date : - 2019-06-07 (creation)
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Description : - Sones asks about May's legacy and the Withdrawal Agreement. Huq asked her about 'No Deal' Planning and how much Brexit has cost the public purse, May did not respond with a 'price-tag'. Huq argues that Brexit is costing the country 'everyday'. Sones and Huq discuss Labour's performance on Brexit and needing clarity on the customs union, single market and a people's vote on Theresa May's deal.
Maria Miller, Conservative MP for Basingstoke and Chair of the influential Equalities Select Committee on Theresa May's legacy
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Reference Code : - SOBA 2/10
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Date : - 2019-06-20 (creation)
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Description : - Miller talks about maternity discrimination which has not been tackled since a review in 2016, Sones asks about the new Domestic Violence Bill. Miller is chairing the scrutinising process of this Bill, which aims to set out in law a definition of Domestic Violence to provide redress for sufferers and stop it in the first place. Miller believes May can be proud of this achievement.
Interview with Sharon Hodgson, Labour MP for Washington and Sunderland West and Shadow Public Health Minister on standing up for just causes
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Reference Code : - SOBA 2/11
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Date : - 2019-06-27 (creation)
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Description : - Sones begins by welcoming Hodgson and introducing her, Hodgson has been campaigning on access to medicines. Hodgson talks about the postcode medicine lottery and speaks about some medicines that are not available at the moment. Sones asks about previous scandals with a range of medicines including Vaginal Mesh and Education, Health and Care Plans. Sones moves the conversation onto the BBC License Fee because of the proposal to cancel the free License Fee for Over-75s, Hodgson wants the Government to act. Sones and Hodgson discuss the jobs lost from Nissan Factories being closed in relation to Brexit, speaking about Gordon Brown's scrappage scheme after the last economic downturn, she thinks that the Conservatives are acting too slowly. Sones asks about Jeremy Corbyn's position on Brexit and whether it is clear enough. Hodgson discusses how she manages a desire to remain with representing a leave constituency. The pair discuss anti-semitism and the actions that need to be taken.
Interview with Suella Braverman, Conservative MP for Fareham
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Reference Code : - SOBA 2/12
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Date : - 2019-07-17 (creation)
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Description : - Sones asks about Proxy Voting and how it will help, Braverman thinks that it is a huge improvement to guarantee that Braverman's constituents are represented accordingly in Parliament. Braverman does not agree that those on maternity leave should get extra funds to operate as an MP and disagrees with Harriet Harman, the Mother of the House. Braverman brought up a local constituency issue during Prime Minister's Questions regarding a pedestrian crossing and parking near a local primary school. Sones moves onto ask about the Conservative Leadership Election, Braverman is backing Alexander 'Boris' Johnson. Braverman talks about Jeremy Hunt but is supporting Johnson because the country requires someone who acts and does not simply talk. She also supports Johnson because he has 'boldly committed to Brexit' in 2016 and his resignation over the Chequers proposals. Braverman thinks Johnson is the one to win an election and beat Jeremy Corbyn. Sones asks Braverman on the odds of a 'no-deal' Brexit under Johnson, she believes Johnson is bound to October 31st as 'Brexit Day'.