1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:01,520 Speaker 1: Got to get to the UK, of course, in Rod's 2 00:00:01,520 --> 00:00:02,280 Speaker 1: with this morning. 3 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:03,480 Speaker 2: Makee good morning, Mike. 4 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:06,120 Speaker 1: So I've been watching Liverpool over the last couple of hours. 5 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: When they're excited, they have a parade, they're firing off 6 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:12,039 Speaker 1: flaars at each other. Seventeen people are injured. So that's 7 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: one part of the story until we get this car 8 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:16,120 Speaker 1: and this bloke who's been arrested. Do we know any 9 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: more what happened? 10 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:21,479 Speaker 2: Nothing at all, And my guess is we won't know 11 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:24,799 Speaker 2: much for a long time. What we know is that 12 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 2: the Daily Mail, which is not usually first to say this, 13 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 2: has described him as a white British bloke in his fifties. 14 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 2: So so let's kind of rule out terrorism. And I 15 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:43,840 Speaker 2: don't know why terrorists would attack Liverpool fans who are 16 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 2: pro a massed, you know, don't know the British states. 17 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:50,239 Speaker 2: So it's it's it's a it's a complete mystery. At 18 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:52,479 Speaker 2: the moment. It seems like a grudge. It could be 19 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 2: in evidence of what I don't know. 20 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:58,280 Speaker 1: Having said that, so Starmer gets briefed. Does he get 21 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 1: briefed on anything that even looks close to this? Or 22 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:04,400 Speaker 1: is this he getting brief because they know something that's 23 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 1: not public. 24 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 2: In I'm sure they those things which aren't public yet. 25 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 2: I'm sure they know things, and I'm sure that Kirstarmer 26 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:14,399 Speaker 2: is told about them. But for the rest of us, 27 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:18,560 Speaker 2: we're in the same level of mystery as you are. 28 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 2: It seems to me, you know, it's a wonderful day 29 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 2: for Liverpool, for the city of Liverpool. Not only of 30 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:27,960 Speaker 2: Liverpool done very well. Everton have done very well this year. 31 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:33,840 Speaker 2: It is a bizarre occurrence and it seems to me 32 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 2: not to be collected to terrorism. I mean, I may 33 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 2: be proved wrong, but it is hard to imagine why 34 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 2: that would be a terrorist attacker from the profile of 35 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 2: the attacker and the profile of the people who were attacked. 36 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 1: All Right, we'll see what happens. There's winter fuel, a 37 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: couple of things out of the government, so this winter 38 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: fuel u turn. So Starmer goes to the treasuring guys. 39 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 1: That'll be three and a half billion you'll need to 40 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: find thanks very much. How's this going to play? Has 41 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 1: he solved the problem or has he just dug himself 42 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 1: a financial hole or does he look like a guy 43 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 1: can't make up his mind? 44 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 2: I think the last of those. I mean, it's very 45 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 2: interesting is that I think that refusing to give the 46 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 2: pensioners winter fuel payments back in October September October and 47 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:22,960 Speaker 2: then awarding doctors and train drivers a huge pay rise 48 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:27,760 Speaker 2: was terribly bad optics for the Labor Party and for 49 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:30,839 Speaker 2: the government of the sekire Stama and has cost them 50 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:36,359 Speaker 2: and cost them big. Paradoxically, I don't think that reversing 51 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 2: his policy gains him many votes. Do you know what 52 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:43,080 Speaker 2: I mean that? I think once you've made that decision, 53 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:45,800 Speaker 2: what you made that decision to go back on it, 54 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:48,360 Speaker 2: he looks a bit like weakness. B you've got it 55 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:51,240 Speaker 2: wrong first time around. He's not going to pick up 56 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 2: many votes for it, and it will cost a lot 57 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:58,600 Speaker 2: of money. So I think he is in huge trouble here, 58 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 2: partly over that, partly over there's going to be some 59 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 2: sort of climbed down over disability benefits as well, which 60 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 2: recks completely Rachel Reeves's plans to have us back on 61 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 2: a track for growth. However, one is doing abroad, but 62 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 2: I'm not so sure he is at the moment. He 63 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 2: is doing very very badly at home. Yeah. 64 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 1: And the funny you should say that because I read 65 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 1: a piece over the weekend in American paper, headline was 66 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:32,920 Speaker 1: Starmer has delivered key wins for the UK, So why 67 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 1: is he so unpopular and so essentially it's just what 68 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: you've seen. 69 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 2: Well, yes, I wonder if he has. He delivered an 70 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 2: a trade deal with India which was quite good but 71 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 2: had ramifications. He's now kind of negotiated a deal with 72 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 2: the USA which at the moment looks very good indeed, 73 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 2: but we will see how it transpires when Trump has 74 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 2: finished with the negotiating with the EU. The problem is, 75 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 2: you know, mic, as we've talked before, Foreign Office of 76 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 2: Foreign Policy successes do not commend a prime minister to 77 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:14,920 Speaker 2: the nation. It's got to be at home. And that 78 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:19,160 Speaker 2: was true even of Winston Church in forty five. They 79 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:23,920 Speaker 2: couldn't have had a greater triumph. So it doesn't translate 80 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:27,080 Speaker 2: into votes. What translates into votes is how much money 81 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 2: you've got in your pocket. But what you're doing about 82 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:35,120 Speaker 2: immigration now, on immigration, that's been cut in two over 83 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:40,039 Speaker 2: the last year, but that's largely by conservative measures which 84 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:42,720 Speaker 2: were brought in a year and a half ago. So 85 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:45,480 Speaker 2: he's in a very difficult spot. 86 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:48,160 Speaker 1: And the other thing I watched Angela Rhino, who was 87 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 1: on the BBC over the weekend. This two child benefit cap, 88 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:53,160 Speaker 1: which during the campaign or just after the campaign, I 89 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:56,560 Speaker 1: can't remember. They said, we're not changing it's a two 90 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: child that's now they're backing down on that. What's the 91 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:00,280 Speaker 1: rationale behind that and how does that apply? 92 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:03,960 Speaker 2: I don't get that at all. I think most of 93 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:06,160 Speaker 2: the country is behind the idea of a cap on 94 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:13,360 Speaker 2: the two benefit on two children. It is start giving 95 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:17,040 Speaker 2: into his left wing at the same time as enraging 96 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 2: his left wing. Always statements about migration, statements about Enoch power, 97 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 2: or which are alluding to knock Owl. I think he 98 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 2: is kind of I think the compass is going to 99 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:31,480 Speaker 2: ry and he doesn't know what he's aiming at at 100 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 2: the moment, and I think that is a real problem 101 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 2: for the future. It's why they're nine points behind reforming 102 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:41,560 Speaker 2: the polls, and that gap to me seems to look 103 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:44,240 Speaker 2: to grow, seems likely to grow larger. 104 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:47,479 Speaker 1: Just real quick, who do you reckons burning down his houses? 105 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 2: I am too worried to tell you, to be honest, 106 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 2: there's loads of conspiracy theories on the right which are 107 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 2: all about Sekeir Starmer. Given that all three of these 108 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 2: guys who were accused or have worked as rent boys, 109 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 2: but they are I am genuinely really worried about this, Mike. 110 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:13,800 Speaker 2: I think this is a problem which the UK is 111 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:16,479 Speaker 2: going to have to grapple with because the sniff of 112 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:19,680 Speaker 2: Russian involvement is too strong to be dispelled. 113 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:21,560 Speaker 1: Well, we will see where it goes and catch up 114 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:23,800 Speaker 1: with you on Thursday. Appreciate it has always rod a 115 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:27,159 Speaker 1: little out of the UK. The rail which I briefly 116 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 1: mentioned yesterday, a chunk of the rail service in that 117 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 1: part of the world, The Southwestern Railway has been renationalized 118 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:35,159 Speaker 1: and it reopened on Sunday Monday yesterday. At their time 119 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:38,960 Speaker 1: out it's a new dawn for rail I did allude 120 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:41,040 Speaker 1: yesterday to the fact the five point thirty six, which 121 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:45,200 Speaker 1: was the first service from Woking to Surbiton through the 122 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:48,400 Speaker 1: ongoing journey to Waterloo, was a bus not a train, 123 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:54,159 Speaker 1: so they didn't start particularly well. Unfortunately. The SWR trains 124 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:56,720 Speaker 1: and now the responsibility of the DFT, which is the 125 00:06:56,760 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 1: Department for Transport, their particular operator and it will be 126 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 1: integrated into Great British Railways GBR. The problem with Great 127 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:09,760 Speaker 1: British Railways is they don't even exist because MPs haven't 128 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 1: voted for it to exist, so they've renationalized a line 129 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:16,240 Speaker 1: that they put a bus for on day one to 130 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 1: be overseen by a company that doesn't exist because they 131 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:20,080 Speaker 1: haven't voted. 132 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:21,320 Speaker 2: So here's your new chrain service. 133 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:23,200 Speaker 1: We've wrapped it up in this nice big ball of 134 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 1: red tape for you. It's level. It's so British, isn't it. 135 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 1: For more from the Mike Asking Breakfast, listen live to 136 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 1: news talks that'd be from six am weekdays, or follow 137 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio.