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Can you think of your best Keir Starmer moment in 2 years? Sausages? Was that even in the 2 years? Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop. You mean this one, the sausages? Ever listen. I call again for immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the return of the sausages. The hostages. I've got a better one. Do you remember when he did the countdown to the Christmas tree lights in Downing Street? We put it to Thunderbirds music.
Ever watch This is genius. Everybody wants to hear this. Genius. Ever watch. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Yay! It worked. Thunderbirds are go. God, honestly. I mean, you can think about being thrown out of a pub saying the sausages. I It's just extraordinary. What about a goodbye gift? Apparently, he was given a carriage clock by the cabinet. I don't know whether it's said, you know, your time's up, which I think is genius. What would you buy Keir Starmer?
I might buy him a dictionary. I don't think he understands what growth means or, you know, a lot of the words he says. I left the country in a better place. Does he know what better means? He might need a dictionary. And what about a next job? Somebody suggested a part in The Full Monty. Maybe may Maybe he can um I think it's time for Keir Starmer to chillax. Good idea. [snorts] Not net No. If you like to put a question to Layla or speak to her, 0344 499 1000, you can text your questions 87 treble two. Start your message with the word talk. Layla, let's get to it. Um the fallout after the appalling murder
of Ann Widdecombe, and we have to be careful because it's now counterterrorism police has shone light on certainly high-profile members of Parliament or people associated with certain parties. Reform obviously in the headlines because Anne was the justice spokesperson. Um Nigel yesterday very candid about what it's done. Um what's it like for you in London? Have you been targeted as a and you're a mother, you're you're a wife, have you been targeted? I don't know if it's a target. So my car uh the wing mirrors were ripped off. It was parked right in front of my house. Uh and there was a few scratches.
I don't know if I should say this online but someone have to. Yeah. Someone did something to my front door overnight after what happened uh to Ann Widdecombe. Uh I don't know if again if that's related. They kind of tagged my front door. And honestly, I don't know. I get messages just go kill you it's about time you go kill yourself. Um now that Anne's gone, I guess you're going to replace her kind of thing. But I [snorts] feel I don't know if that's normal, Jeremy. I don't know if So take the politics out of it a minute. With May's, as a mum, as a woman, does that not make you go
sod this for a bunch, I'm not doing this? No. It makes me be like, you know what? F you. I'm going to fight harder. You're not going to scare me. Do you know what I mean? Because I'm like this is an attack on our country. It's an attack on our democracy. And we cannot have people, even just normal people, scared to speak. I mean, I remember when there was cancel culture. You know, you couldn't say that a woman's a woman and you're immediately canceled. Things like that. And that again was an attack on our democracy, on our free speech. And we've got to fight that. Because if anything, my parents came here from Egypt when it was a communist country and you couldn't say what you want. If anything, Britain is a beacon should be a beacon
of freedom and a beacon of freedom of thought. And like Anne said, no one should be protected from being offended. No one. No. And but I just think it's it's really interesting because I think we And I'll say this my I worry more for my children. Do they tell you not to do it anymore? Uh yeah, my kids are very worried. Luckily, they're not here right now. But, of course they are. My kids are always worried. My especially my older ones, they're always sending me messages, Mom,
do you have security? Do you have this? Am I allowed to ask you as a result of this, you're one of Are you one of the high-profile members of Reform that now has security? have security, yeah. What's that like? How does that impact on your life? It is it's a bit weird. It's It's strange, but at least I feel, you know, I feel safe. And I'll say this, the way Reform stepped in immediately and protected the people that work for it and now they're like sending the message, it almost brings tears to my eyes because there was it was unwavering. And actually, let's make the point it's being paid for out of party funds. I think the reason that I'm talking about
this as a subject is I think there is unequivocal proof that the certain politicians need to be protected and I guess by the government. We spend enough money, by the way, I'll have the argument with anybody on foreign overseas aid and supporting this, that, and the other. I think if we want people to enter politics and public life and give their opinions, we're going to have to make sure cuz it shouldn't be the norm. And the other thing that No, but also, Jeremy, I accept that it should not be the norm that people don't feel safe on the streets of London, either. No. And that's what it is. It [clears throat] shouldn't It shouldn't be the norm that there's a rape reported every hour and women don't feel that the police investigate it cuz that
is the norm. It shouldn't be the norm that we have someone stabbed to death every weekend on our city and there's not one tweet from Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, not one comment from Sadiq Khan, not a comment. There is literally multiple murders happening almost weekly in London and not a peep, no outrage. You know, and some of them are these, you know, young lads in balaclavas that people just treat like just a menace, right? And I've prosecuted these boys for knife crime, whatever. And when you prosecute, you watch body worn video of the police arresting them. And initially, you're like, yeah, get them, you know, they've got carried a knife. Then you hear their voice and it cracks, and they're teenagers. They're so
vulnerable. They're like my children. And they are the lost souls of London. They're forgotten. You know, and I didn't grow up with boys in balaclavas carrying knife crime and committing. I didn't There is There has been a breakdown. Something has shifted in our to I have to say this to you because we do try and do it the right way despite some criticism. Sadiq Khan would say that crime's coming down in London. Absolutely not. It is not Knife crime has gone up by 68 or over 60% since in the past decade. You know, and knife crime for me carrying a knife and when you prosecute these young boys, they say that they carry a knife for two reasons.
And the most devastating one is for protection. What does that mean? That means number one, they're going to use it. And number two, they don't trust the state to protect them. I did a show for years. I did a lot on gangs in London, and you would have, you know, different sides of one road would be in a different postcode. There'd be postcode gangs. They'd literally carry a knife because they wanted to be safe. I think what does that say? Listen, that's a whole different debate. But I do think it's really important I really important to somehow get the message to people. And I'll tell you why I say this.
Like one of my messages politicians are not special, right? If we suffer a risk, yes, we want to be protected, but there has been a massive government failure not only to protect the police, but also to protect the public. And I just What I want to try and get across the board, actually, although at the moment because of Anne's murder, it's going to be reform MPs and high-profile figures that are being targeted. I hate the assumption that because you dare to question the Uni party that the establishment, to somebody I don't know because you dare to not be from Labour or Tory. If you dare to be on the left further or the right further, whatever it is, that you are the divisional parties. You're the ones that deserve to be abused and
your representative deserve death threats and it's okay. No, it's not okay. And one thing and I don't care what this gets me. One thing I have seen in the response of all of this since last week is the left make me laugh. #beaked kind I don't even know what a hashtag is. #we should all this #that some of the vitriol. I mean there was a I mean some of the stuff after Anne's death was utterly repugnant. You could The thing about Ann Widdecombe that people should get into their heads is that you could disagree with her from now to the end of time and you're going to have a glass of wine with her. She was a conviction politician the like of which we don't see much anymore or do we?
No, I mean I fundamentally disagree with a lot of politicians. I would never I would be crushed if something happened to them. I would be devastated if Sadiq Khan I'm running against him if something happened to him, I'd be crushed. You know, this is a man who whatever I believe of him or not, he has put his you know life man and he's sat there doing his job. We can disagree with how he does it. he's a human being and we've lost that sense of humanity. You know what I mean? It's a human being and you know what I found shocking yesterday was at PMQs while we're mourning the death of Ann Widdecombe Kemi Badenoch decided to run a joke about we're going to have Andy Burnham who hasn't faced any media scrutiny, any parliamentary scrutiny.
And I think for the first time in history perhaps not a leadership contest. Absolutely. And she makes a joke that we need one televised debate this summer between Nigel and Count Binface and they all laughed. And I actually couldn't believe it. I'm like number one it's so distasteful. Right? Really? That's how you want to end your PMQs to make a joke number one of the electorate of democracy. Whether you believe the by-election should have been called or not, it's irrelevant. It's been called. Right? And this Been called. But it's a chance for you to show the people of Clacton that you're going to fight for them if you really believe Nigel is such a MP. If you really believe Reform is such a
bad party. If you believe our politics are so bad and we're going to be a disaster for this country. It is the one chance for the Conservative Party who by the way in 2019 got over 30,000 votes to prove their case and show the country I and they don't and then they make fun of it. called this out. I tried to correctly I called Badenoch out in her interview two weeks ago when all of this kicked off. She said I will feel the candidate in the next election next by-election. How does she know there's going to be one?
Precisely. So she's already assumed that Nigel Farage is going to be found guilty. Listen, it's I've got lots of questions. There's lots of people. Right. Um do you says Dave think the public would be happy for their taxpayer money to be spent on all MP security as Zia Yusuf suggested yesterday? I think in order to protect democracy, you don't just protect elections. You have to protect those that are willing to stand in them. And if people are too scared to speak or voice, you know, if people are too scared to everyone in this country has a view. And
I think everyone's views would it would be great if they could be represented in the political sphere. And if certain views are deemed to be beyond the pale or you know, like when the trans, you know, like when you got canceled. I think every you need to protect democracy. And I understand people's the public's like well, hang on. Why should they get all this protection and we don't get it on the streets. I understand that. Um and that's why you need both. I there has been a lack of focus on public safety and that means MPs and that means the streets and we've got to re-look at public safety and make it the number one priority of government.
Uh, Sue lives in London. She says Britain is broken and she fears London is the same. How would you change and try and bring the so many different parts of London back together again? And that's a great question and I've said before what I've seen I see London as a fractured city right now. Yeah. Uh, you know, I certain political parties go to different communities and tell them this country has oppressed you. This country is not supporting you. They go to the Muslim community and say this country is Islamophobic. Uh, uh this country that's given you everything is oppressing you and only we've got your back. Right? And they go to
different communities and they tell them that. But interestingly, that's what Reform gets accused of, divisive populist policies. we have the most uniting message in that Great Britain is the best country in the world. We are so lucky to be here and that is my message for London that we are united as Londoners. We are united as representing the capital of the United Kingdom and we should all be proud and united in doing that. And we're so lucky to live here. I'm not you know, when I was young I obviously come from an ethnic minority whatever you call it. Nobody cared where I was from. Nobody cared what religion.
Right now I think people wear their religion or their ethnicity as a form of identity. You know, some use it as a form you know, I'm a victim or I deserve more than the other person just because by virtue of the color of my skin, by virtue of my religion, by virtue of where I grew up. That's wrong. And the thing that interests me about that debate is and I've said this a lot is that I've got so many friends, right, who have come to this country and made a success of this country, have embraced this country, learned the language, built a business, made money, 100% invested. They are more appalled that young men can break into this country illegally with absolutely no security vetting and carry out whatever they
carry whether it's raiding the system, the financial benefits system, whether it's attacking young girls. It's just there's got to be rules to be part of a country and what I what enhances me is that we have allowed this stuff to happen and the minute one has a voice, which I know is a common sense voice, which I know that millions of people agree with, you're vilified. I know. Believing in Britain and believing in the sovereignty of Britain is it makes you divisive somehow. How can that be divisive? It's the most uniting message and you talk about that. That's my parents came here.
Yeah. You know, and forever grateful. And I think anyone who comes to this country and wants to be a victim, they'll never be successful. Anyone who sees themselves as a victim of this country won't be successful. they come to see themselves as victims? I think they come because we're soft. They're victims. I think we're soft as whatever and that we wipe the backsides of the wrong people. I think for years and years we have given a way I don't care if it's an unpopular theory. If you are saying to people, "Thank you so much Alarm Clock Britain for working this morning, for doing your 12-hour shift and paying your tax. I know you [snorts] can't afford a holiday or a meal out this weekend, but you keep paying your bills and you keep paying
Don't break the law, will you? Yeah. And then somebody comes in and they go, "Oh, listen, we know you haven't come from a war-torn country, but you're here. You've come through seven quiet countries. You left your wife and kids behind. Here's a credit card. Here's a flat. You just go and walk up and down the street and abuse people." It that doesn't work in a civilized society and every time I have this discussion with anybody in the left, they look at me as if I have landed from Mars to even suggest that we should look after our own first and foremost, but that's where we're at, Laila. That is exactly where we're at.
100% you have to Also, British people are the ones that vote in elections and they vote for the government to serve them and that's it. And that is the first duty of government to serve those that elected them and to keep them safe. Um, you need to put your earphone your ear thing in. Oh, the call's gone. I was just about to go to the call and the man's disappeared. Has he Oh, he's gone there. Steve, just the thing in your ear. I have one. Oh, you have one. So, you can No, no, you don't need to. You go on. See, she's got one in her ear, Christian, wasn't it? So, they got one like me. Steve's in Basingstoke. Steve, good morning.
Good morning, sir. How's your world? Uh, well, you know I'm an England fan. You're through to Laila Cunningham. Hi, Laila. It's just a quick thanks for all you've done, thanks for all the work you put in, the courage you've shown. Even at the bottom end of the scale as a local councilor, we got correspondence through from the local constabulary raising the issues of personal security, giving words of advice. It's really disappointing that we're in a country where we can't just talk to each other, disagree, try to find solutions, and people have to follow this path. But, I think that irrespective of the rosette you wear as a politician,
you know, fair play to you for standing up for what you believe in and we have to do it. And if we don't do it, we give up or we might as well all pack up and go home. Yeah, we give up on the fundamentals of this country, right? Which is freedom. You know, Exactly. And freedom in all its guises, freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom to offend. Um, that's something worth fighting for. feels to me one way. I mean, maybe I'm wrong. Well, no, no, It feels to me as if activism uh, has sort of trampled all over what I call common sense. I don't There is not I am more than happy.
There's There's certain parts of the political right that I disagree fervently with, right? Who go too far. I'm not going to name them. I'm not interested. I'm not giving you any publicity. But I do think that it is not far right to look at what's going on in this country. Do you agree with that, Steve? Well, I absolutely agree. There's I don't even think logically you can look at reform and put us in the box marked far right. And even if you do have the courage of your convictions to engage in a fact-based, evidence-based conversation, rather than as has happened even by the time where I stand, there's a particular group that I was part of, you get silenced because if you use logic and if you use rationality,
it's a difficult one to argue if you're basing your life experience on feelings and not facts. Facts don't care about feelings. Facts are facts, and we have to deal with them. And if we have a greater understanding between councilors, between politicians, between mayors, between citizens, we can achieve far more. And within the council that we have in Basingstoke, there is some real positivity where people have taken off the rosettes, the election's over, and they're working together. And that is where we can be. And people have to buy into it, and the electors have to buy into it. And
then we're held to account, and then we have next elections, and they choose us if we did any good. I mean, you're right, Steve. You know, when I defected from Conservatives to Reform in Westminster Council, the first full council I attended, you know what the motion was that they were debating? How to stop the rise of the far right in Westminster. And I had to sit there while they just debate how I am far right, right? And I think you're right. But that's what I had to sit through in Westminster Council. You're right because I do think fundamentally whether you're reform, conservative, labor, we all want the same thing at the end of the day. It's basic needs. We want safe streets.
Let me read you both something and go to break. Jeremy says Neil, my school [snorts] taught us how to debate in a civilized way by making us argue for the opposite opinion to our own. Then you understand a little about where people are coming from and you can tolerate differences. These days with social media echo chambers, people become convinced of only their stance and then empowered to force their agenda on with no breaks or checks. Coupled with the abundance and violence online and on the streets, is it any wonder that people without a filter crawl out of the woodwork? We need to reestablish boundaries, consequences if those boundaries are broken, manners, morals, decency, humility before what I believe as my
society completely falls apart. I That is exactly how I see it. Exactly. I don't care if you disagree with everything and I disagree with you, but I've said this about the younger generation. I've said it about the left and I'm not going to apologize. They will say, not only do I disagree with you, you're a homophobic, misogynistic, racist, whatever other language they'll use. You're not only just We're not listening. We're going to cancel you. We're going to tread you into the ground. We're going to abuse you. We're going to threaten you. That's not how a civilized society works. 9:28. You want to speak? Thank you so much, Dave. You want to speak to Layla Cunningham?
0344491000. You want to text her a question? 87222. I'm just dealing with my 17-year-old who started his new job on Monday.
