Interview with Vicky Pryce, economist at CBR, on Philip Hammond's statement to the Commons and Brexit
Reference Code:
SOBA 1/14
Date:
2018-03-15 (creation)
Description:
Pryce discusses Brexit and the economy, modest growth at the bottom of the G7 and G20. Hammond was optimistic in his speech about employment and the economy, Pryce questions how low paid these jobs are and supporting these with benefit payments. The fall in the pound and the Bank of England's expenditure to ensure that banks are lending has kept the economy going, but productivity has suffered. Sones asks about whether the country could have got to this point without austerity, Pryce argues that we need higher productivity and growth in many industries, the UK has undertaken the wrong 'type' of austerity. Sones asks about a World Trade Organisation/Hard Brexit, Pryce cites evidence that the UK would not be able to adequately trade especially as WTO Rules do not cover the service industry. Pryce is optimistic that Brexit will be a success and a 'soft' Brexit, despite losing 2% of GDP.
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother


Interview with Jo Platt MP
Reference Code:
SOBA 1/30
Date:
2018-06-06 (creation)
Description:
Platt asked the Prime Minister if she would help set up a national database of ADHD sufferers. Platt, the Labour and Co-operative MP for Leigh and the co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on ADHD asked Theresa May the Prime Minister if she would do more to help people with ADHD and set up a national database. Platt and Helen Whately MP launched the APPG for ADHD at the beginning of 2018 has been working with support groups to enable more research to be conducted about it and to ensure better integration of services. Platt talks to Sones about the Prime Ministers supportive response to it.
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother


Interview with Siobhain McDonagh MP: housing and the National Trust rent rises, proxy votes, Brexit and Antisemitism in the Labour Party
Reference Code:
SOBA 1/40
Date:
2018-07-24 (creation)
Description:
McDonagh, Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden speaks about being concerned with the National Trust's plans to increase their tenants' rent to market levels, believing that this will impact those with disabilities. Sones asks about the proxy voting row over the breaking of Liberal Democrat MP Jo Swinson's pairing arrangement while she was on maternity leave, McDonagh calls it a 'breach of trust'. On Brexit, McDonagh believes in a Peoples' Vote when the deal is known.
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother


Interview with Seema Malhotra MP: The Brexit Select Committee
Reference Code:
SOBA 1/43
Date:
2018-09-13 (creation)
Description:
Malhotra, Labour MP for Feltham and Heston is a member of the Brexit Select Committee. She speaks to Sones after PMQs where the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had questioned Theresa May MP the Prime Minister on the issue of Universal Credit. Sones asks Malhotra whether she thought PMQs was too noisy, the response May gave and if the Brexit Select Committee was being effective. Malhotra stated that PMQs was so noisy, she could not hear Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and calls for the Government to take this more seriously. They discuss the Chequers Brexit Deal and Malhotra believes it leaves too many unanswered questions.
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother


Interview with Heidi Allen MP on 'fortune Phil's' Budget and Brexit
Reference Code:
SOBA 1/51
Date:
2018-10-30 (creation)
Description:
Allen, the MP for South Cambridgeshire speaks to Parliamentary Radio after Chancellor Philip Hammond produced a budget giving extra money to public services, such as health, defence and pot holes. Allen sits on the Work and Pensions Select Committee and says that Hammond has not done enough to redress the balance of austerity. Allen represents a strong remain constituency where people are employed in agriculture, a high tech industry and academia. She supports a Norway type deal embracing both the single market and the customs union which would solve the problem of the Northern Irish border. Allen explained that she would continue to campaign to reform the introduction of Universal Credit.
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother


209 Women Photo Exhibition in #Vote100 year of 207 women MPs
Reference Code:
SOBA 1/60
Date:
2018-12-14 (creation)
Description:
Sones spoke to Yvette Cooper, Andrea Leadsom, Helen Whately, Kate Osamor, Lyn Brown and Marsha de Cordova about the Photo Exhibition
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother


Interview with Professor Catherine Barnard, what now for Brexit?
Reference Code:
SOBA 1/68/8
Date:
2019-03-25 (creation)
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.
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother


Interview with Maria Miller, Conservative MP for Basingstoke and Chair of the Equalities Select Committee as MPs are asked to plant a tree and cut carbon emissions
Reference Code:
SOBA 2/21
Date:
2019-10-24 (creation)
Description:
Sones and Miller are looking onto an Extinction Rebellion protest to get Ministers to 'pick up a tree', Sones follows Miller as she tries to find her tree (based on her constituency location). Sones speaks to an Extinction Rebellion member. Miller plans on taking the tree back to Basingstoke to show how important trees are for a healthy environment. Miller discusses the protests and says that everything she sees is positive. The ER Member wants to raise awareness about the fact that the Government has not planted enough trees to redress the issues and they want to change the zero-emissions date to 2025. Miller thinks that whilst government legislation is important, it needs people to change how they act and live their lives.
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother


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
Reference Code:
SOBA 2/8
Date:
2019-05-22 (creation)
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.
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother


Interview with Rupa Huq, Labour MP for Ealing Central and Acton on Theresa May's legacy
Reference Code:
SOBA 2/9
Date:
2019-06-07 (creation)
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.
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother


Wednesday: anger outside Westminster
Reference Code:
SOBA 2/5
Date:
2019-05-15 (creation)
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'.
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother








Chamali Fernando – Conservative Party general election candidate
Reference Code:
SOBA 5/1/10
Date:
2015-4-13-2015-4-23 (creation)
Description:
Interviewed April 13th at the 'Keep our NHS Public' hustings, and April 23rd at the Housing hustings. As described by the depositor: Chamali told us: “I am 36 years old, I used to be a Liberal Democrat, it is no secret. I was also the youngest ever candidate shortlisted for the role of Mayor of London. Cambridge offers me the opportunity to put a City on the map. My interest in politics stems from when I was a child, my father contested two parliamentary seats when I was 7 and 8 years old and I helped him campaigning. In an Asian family politics is not something considered as a career for a woman. I am in this because I genuinely feel I can make a difference, that is what motivates me that is what drives me. ” At the Housing Hustings, Chamali stopped to chat to us as she left, what was a very angry meeting about the cost of housing in the City both to buy and to rent: She said: “I was very impressed by the amount of expertise in the room. I think Cambridge is punching well under its weight, we are a pioneering City, and we should be achieving more. It would be inappropriate for me to comment on the NHS Hustings – I didn’t say what I was accused to say by the blogger about the mentallyill wearing wrist bands. I had death threats, and the misreporting of the event has upset those who are mentally ill too. I was personally thanked at the end of the Hustings.”
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother


Cambridge Liberal Democrat Treasurer, Rod Cantrill, and local Party Chair, Spencer Haggard
Reference Code:
SOBA 5/1/20
Date:
2015-5-4-2015-5-6 (creation)
Description:
Rod Cantrill interviewed May 6th, and Spencer Haggard interviewed May 4th. As described by the depositor: Rod told us: The rules are very precise, all parties have to submit a quarterly return to the Electoral Commission, by the Federal Party to indicate donations of £500 or over. And the Federal Party has to declare to the EC any donation over £1,500. We don’t have trade unions, we don’t have businesses, so our money comes from individuals small amounts from a lot of people. We have raised over £22,000 on a new crowd funding site and the typically amount given is £50 or £100. The Liberal Democrats’ core donors give £25 or £30 a month by Direct Debit. It is the small amounts that add up and which enable us to fight the campaign. “Our success is based on two things, people and money, and both of those things are interlinked and you need those two things to succeed. I am a big supporter of a proper capped public funding method of supporting political parties nationally. We have got our funds from three different things, crowd funding which is new to us, secondly a big political beast visiting the patch, Vince is a good pull at an event so people will give a lot of money. And thirdly the local event the fish and chip quiz night, where people get together.” Spencer told us: “We have 500 posters up, what we call stake boards – three times the number at the last General election. You knock them into ground, stick them into fences, and then repair and replace them when they get damaged. Getting 300 posters up very quickly boosts morale, and puts Labour on the back foot. It was really important to say re-elect Julian Huppert and the showing of the other party’s posters were much smaller. “You can be beaten on the day by a better organisation that has got its vote out. The weather will make a difference but nobody agrees what difference!”
Collection:
Women’s Parliamentary Radio publications and podcasts, conducted by Boni Sones with contributions by Jackie Ashley, Deborah McGurran and Linda Fairbrother