but paddy ashdown said, "no, i'lljoin it.t a whopping majority and didn't need him. exactly. i mean, that kind of comes back to the core of the question. but, look, who knows? who knows what is going to happen? 0k, chris... in strathaven. well done, adam. that is a place in scotland that many english people mispronounce. not that you would ever find too many scottish people on this podcast! exactly, not a problem here! chris wants to know, "i understand that some countries ban opinion polls during the election period. what's the rationale behind it? and do polls have an impact on voting trends?" so i also checked this out at lunchtime, and the figures around the world are really complicated. but basically, within the eu, say, where there's 27 members, more than half of them have some kind of restriction on opinion polls, which sounds like quite a big number, and you think, "oh, what? they ban opinion polls?" then you dig into the numbers. some of them have the same system that we do, which is that broadcasters and other media

the project and loving as i did paddy ashdown used to make everything sound rather sinister.t of military codes for every single thing that he did. and look back then clearly those two individuals were very close together . they actually assumed together. they actually assumed it would be a hung parliament in 97, and they were actually preparing a programme for government together. there isn't that close relationship this time around between ed davey and keir starmer. it's very unlike the ashdown blair period . so, i the ashdown blair period. so, i would be hugely surprised if there was any formal pact. i think this is, as i said, more activists on the ground deciding where they can mess , mess up the where they can mess, mess up the tories and make a big difference i >> -- >> yes, i m >> yes, i think there were some discussions between ashdown and blair that ashdown would actually be in blair's cabinet. but then blair won by such a stonking majority that it didn't really seem feasible. but but mark, it does seem interesting where the liberal democrats are pitching themselves

a random village hall in dorset in the last— sunday of the campaign, which is actually where l paddy ashdowned, and we were in this i tiny village hall. there was about 12 activists, maybe slightly more. - and in the room, david cameron - was shouting like a madman about how he was so pumped up and excited... about small business. "and that's what gets me fired up". yes. and in the room you just felt, i mean, itjust feels - like he has lost the plot. and then you went on twitter and everyone watching on tv| was like, "this is the moment. "this is amazing. and then it was the next day, - he did the proper pumped up, bloody, lively speech that was clearly. the rehearsal that we got in... because the background to that was that people had said, "oh, this campaign's really dull. "david cameron looks too technocratic and boring". and then he like, in a very obvious way, then just rolled his sleeves up and tried to get not boring and not technocratic. i actually once interviewed cameron and asked him about that, and he said it was a kind ofjujitsu move on the media because he felt he was being ene

i mean, don't forget paddy ashdown, who was one of their most popular leaders ever.an, right? he was, ithink, a marine or something, you know. and so i think they've often tried to face face both ways. and so i think they've often tried to face both ways. you're absolutely right, at this time they are given where the opinion polls are, it's not surprising. they think that their opportunities are to take seats from the tories and they're not really trying to fight in all sorts of different areas in the way that they have done in the past. but i think actually what we heard there yesterday reminds us why this story is such a problem for the tories, because there will be thousands of families around the country who feel what happened very personally, who feel that this was completely unacceptable, who saw the pictures of those incredible old men and women yesterday and have the memories of their own family and people who gave their own lives of their own sacrifices. and think, "what, you walked away from that? now, maybe there were logistical, important reasons for rish

the liberal democrats are the party of paddy ashdown so we - the party of paddy ashdown so we take defenceery seriously so first of all we _ take defence very seriously so first of all we would maintain the nuclear delerrehl_ of all we would maintain the nuclear deterrent we have, an absolute priority— deterrent we have, an absolute priority for— deterrent we have, an absolute priority for us is reversing the cuts _ priority for us is reversing the cuts to— priority for us is reversing the cuts to our— priority for us is reversing the cuts to our troops of 10,000, which has happened under the conservatives stop we _ has happened under the conservatives stop we would increase spending on defence. _ stop we would increase spending on defence, year on year, in the next parliament, — defence, year on year, in the next parliament, with the ambition of reaching — parliament, with the ambition of reaching 2.5% by the end of the next parliament — reaching 2.5% by the end of the next parliament. having decent homes for our veterans and for our armed forces— our veterans and for our armed forces is—

, and interviewing paddy ashdown, and iused interviewing paddy ashdown, and i used to interview charliejust never pops up on our screens. now, i've, i think i've interviewed him once, since he's been leader , and then all this been leader, and then all this campaigning just seems to me a little bit strange. nothing to say. nothing about their policies. but, the campaigning seems strange . anyway, lesil seems strange. anyway, lesil dawkins has been in touch. morning, liesl . and says for the morning, liesl. and says for the first time, the lib dems won't get my vote when the country's in a shambles. get my vote when the country's in a shambles . the party leader in a shambles. the party leader is bouncing on castles and falling off flotation devices. it's a sad day when the country's general election is based on oh wow, he's a fun guy. let me for vote them. and that's from someone who's a traditional lib dem voter. >> yeah, i think, but if you noficed >> yeah, i think, but if you noticed what he does is he does something a bit crazy and wacky , something a bit crazy and wacky, i think to,

on the very eve of tony blair's landslide victory, he was still making still in dialogue with paddy ashdownith a thought of maybe forming a coalition between the two parties. of course, in the event he said, had to say listen, i'm sorry, paddy, old chap, but we seem to have a bit of a majority here. but nonetheless they do . the keir nonetheless they do. the keir starmer is playing very safe, if for no other reason, because although it would appear that the electorate has comprehensively said up yours to the conservative party, they have yet to fall in love with him. keir starmer, is there anything that you can think of that the tories could do now to win over the don't knows, the people who really haven't yet made up their minds? >> is there anything you can think of? they could do? >> well, it's quite interesting. we note that there's going to be a tv debate in the early part of next week and which, although ostensibly the two party leaders will be talking to one another. in fact, what they will be doing is showcasing their personality and their sincerity to the electorate. and i imagine

>> look, i think the last, serious lib dem leader was paddy ashdown.ean, look, the lib dems are not a serious party, and these antics literally prove that on the ground. i mean, a roller coaster. i mean, is that what a sort of government they would run if they ever won a majority? god forbid. but as ben said, you know , they might have said, you know, they might have a decent number of seats after the election if they did. but the election if they did. but the big question is, would labour be happy to go into government with with the lib dems, who are literally prancing around on roller coasters? >> don't take him seriously. last week, what was his policy last week? it was free school dinners for all kids, including the rich ones. i mean, how stupid is that? >> i mean, it only costs 500 million, which is 1/80 of what liz truss managed to waste in month. >> liz, why do labour people always bring liz truss? >> because i care about everyone in the country whose mortgages have gone through the roof. she was in government for mortgages, went through the roo

big personalities, big characters, tony blair, you know, ken clarke, michael heseltine, paddy ashdownhere were big figures that you knew . i can't yeah, there were big figures that you knew. i can't name half the cabinet now. now, as a kid i could i could name the cabinet, you know, they were all on spitting image weren't they. and you knew these characters. i think what we've got is a unfortunately a dumbing down of our politics. and it means that interesting, exciting people just don't want to do it. >> and indeed, by the way, outcome of the election, i know it changes by the day, but i mean, it's a labour landslide . mean, it's a labour landslide. >> you think labour landslide with a strong lib dem presence. >> there you go. well listen, great to have your presence tonight. thank you so much. mark oaten, former lib dem mp. fascinating stuff. well next up in my take at ten, my tribute to michael mosley and i'll be explaining how his incredibly simple and effective method has helped millions of people to lose weight and even reverse their type 2 diabetes. do not miss it. it is a take

>> when i first moved to this country, it was the time of the late great paddy ashdown and who to meen i look at ed davey now embarrassing himself, the lib dem party, i just want to shudder. they've used the word madcap to describe his activities and madcap is one of those words that when you hear it, you know that whatever it is just terribly wrong. and the thing that upsets me is that i actually know quite a bit about the lib dems . and as a party, the lib dems. and as a party, i think that at this point in time, they probably have the strongest and best collection of people in their running for, running for office, working on the on the ground level. but what they need is a different leader. and i've been rabbiting on about this now for about three years, and this current behaviour is i keep i'm calling them all up going, you see, this is what i've told you get rid of this man lewis. >> he's just having some fun, isn't he? he's showing his character. you've got the likes of starmer and sunak are accused of starmer and sunak are accused of being droids and robots. sir davey surely

well, i mean, you know, i worked for paddy ashdown. oh of course. >> yes. >> yes. >> sorry.dy does. michelle did this last year. >> so lovely. thank you very much. right. okay so any case but you've been involved in politics. so you know what you're talking about. unlike me. so, what do you make of this then? this is an interview that. >> yeah, she gave an interview . >> yeah, she gave an interview. this is fiona urquhart, who's something to do with, friends of labour abroad or something like that. >> senior labour figure. according to the story. well, yeah, and, you know , this is yeah, and, you know, this is going to allow people like. don't tell me, ian duncan smith and people like that and probably bill cash and various other people, all the usual suspects come out and go, oh, labour's got a secret plan to undo brexit. and all of that nonsense actually , we need to nonsense actually, we need to talk about brexit. but and i know i've said this on every topic we've discussed today, but we need to have a grown up conversation. brexit has been an absolute disaster in so many

. >> but you know, well, you wouldn't have seen paddy ashdown doing any of this, would you?earlier, sir ed davey does have a serious background and a lot of personal cachet. i'd say in a way that sort of rishi sunak lacks in terms of his own personal story and tragedy that he's overcome. and yet no one talks about it because it's all falling off a paddleboard five times in 15 minutes. >> and nonsense. we have seen it before. >> i mean, we have seen it before. we saw this boris johnson on the zip wire and a lot of politicians this time around doing tiktok videos . around doing tiktok videos. >> oh, can we talk about suella braverman? do we have to talk about suella braverman ? have you about suella braverman? have you seen this tiktok video where she's doing the strut down the don't i? >> it's so embarrassing. >> it's so embarrassing. >> is it embarrassing, or do you think she's actually got her finger on the pulse? >> well, dawn butler also did a rap video , didn't she, urging rap video, didn't she, urging people to vote for her. and i watch it and you're just transfixed in

process with the policy committee and so on, and i remember thinking after my third visit with paddy ashdownyou think party leader should _ lot of work. do you think party leader should take _ lot of work. do you think party leader should take an - lot of work. do you think party leader should take an interest| lot of work. do you think party i leader should take an interest in these things? do you think they do these things? do you think they do these days, or are they far too busy? these days, or are they far too bus ? ~ , ,., , , these days, or are they far too bus ? ~ , , , ., these days, or are they far too busy? absolutely, they have to do. you have your _ busy? absolutely, they have to do. you have your mps, _ busy? absolutely, they have to do. you have your mps, your— busy? absolutely, they have to do. i you have your mps, your spokesman, i am the constitutional spokesman of the lords, so i have seen quite a lot of the political reform section. and it has to have the confidence of the party, the party leader has to be sure he or she knows it well, and can defend it in the various con