Sunday Shows Round Up: Grenfell Tower, Brexit And Labour Deselections Row

We watched them so you didn't have to.

The Andrew Marr Show

Lib Dem leader-in-waiting Sir Vince Cable was first up this morning and Andrew Marr couldn’t resist having a dig that “nobody else wants the job” after Tim Farron stepped down.

Sir Vince said he was “happy to take the job if that’s what comes along”.

"I'm happy to take the job if that's what comes along" - @vincecable on being the next leader of the Liberal Democrats #marr pic.twitter.com/qoiT2ADR30

— The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) July 9, 2017

He also told Marr he was “beginning to think Brexit may never happen” because the “divisions between the two major parties were so enormous”.

"I'm beginning to think Brexit may never happen" - Vince Cable MP, Liberal Democrat tells @MarrShow #marr https://t.co/1N368Y5Xlh pic.twitter.com/R8LpjX201U

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) July 9, 2017

Next up was Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner, who hit out at talk within the party of deselections.

Rayner called on MPs to “think about who are the real enemy”.

They included Party Chairman Ian Lavery, who told HuffPost UK Labour may be “too broad a church”, and Chris Williamson MP.

"Any colleagues talking about de-selection of @lucianaberger should think about who the real enemy is" says @AngelaRayner #marr pic.twitter.com/nN8Q81r0TA

— The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) July 9, 2017

Rayner also admitted tuition fees were not deterring working class young people from going to university, despite leader Jeremy Corbyn claiming they do during the election campaign.

Are fewer working class students going to uni? "I don't believe that's the case actually" says @AngelaRayner, contradicting Corbyn #marr pic.twitter.com/MEOgaImFVk

— The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) July 9, 2017

Newly-appointed Justice Secretary David Lidington batted away talk Tory MPs were plotting against Theresa May, as was reported in the Mail on Sunday.

He dismissed the basis of the story as MPs having “too much sun and too much warm prosecco”.

Leadership gossip result of "too much sun and too much warm prosecco" says @DLidington #marr pic.twitter.com/PdbYcUfv4Y

— The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) July 9, 2017

Lidington told Marr the Grenfell Tower public inquiry would not look at the criminal investigation into the disaster, as that was being dealt with by the police.

He also did not refute HM Chief Inspector of Prisons’ Peter Clark’s recent finding that some UK prisons have become “violent and dangerous places”.

.@DLidington says he "doesn't dissent" from Chief Inspector verdict that prisons have become "violent & dangerous places" #marr pic.twitter.com/FfmBJI0Byf

— The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) July 9, 2017

Ridge on Sunday

Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Debbie Abrahams told Sky’s Sophy Ridge that benefit costings were not deliberately left out of the Labour manifesto.

.@Debbie_Abrahams says Labour's costing of benefits changes were not deliberately left out of the manifesto #Ridge pic.twitter.com/UxAIzS83CY

— SophyRidge On Sunday (@RidgeOnSunday) July 9, 2017

Abrahams also said that teachers living in London would have to save for 71 years to afford the deposit for a home in the capital.

Shadow work and Pensions Sec @Debbie_abrahams says a teacher in London would have to save for 71 years to afford a deposit on a house #Ridge pic.twitter.com/zrZWAyPVpC

— SophyRidge On Sunday (@RidgeOnSunday) July 9, 2017

The Labour MP also addressed the issue of deselection talk in the party and echoed her shadow cabinet colleague in calling for unity.

When asked about potential deselections, @Debbie_Abrahams says "we need to be pulling together"#Ridge pic.twitter.com/ZKc3ScjJSu

— SophyRidge On Sunday (@RidgeOnSunday) July 9, 2017

BBC Daily Politics

Tory MP Owen Paterson hit back at Cable’s claim that Brexit may not happen, telling Andrew Neil he was “behind history”.

The prominent Brexiteer said: “We are going to leave and we are on target.”

"Vince Cable is behind history. We are going to leave and we are on target" says @OwenPaterson #bbcsp pic.twitter.com/b0e6AbKFGw

— DailySunday Politics (@daily_politics) July 9, 2017

Speaking from his leafy North Shropshire constituency, Paterson also said that backing out of Brexit could be damaging for “the integrity of the whole establishment”, as it would show MPs ignoring the will of the people.

"If we do not deliver proper Brexit, there will be appalling damage to the integrity of the whole establishment" warns @OwenPaterson #bbcsp pic.twitter.com/dIhWXOrtxi

— DailySunday Politics (@daily_politics) July 9, 2017

Next, it was the turn of Labour MP Caroline Flint.

Flint, who served as a minister under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, said talk of deselections in the party would make for bad headlines about Labour and Jeremy Corbyn.

She said Labour MPs had won a mandate from voters.

"Talk of de-selection isn't good for Labour or Jeremy" @CarolineFlintMP tells @afneil #bbcsp pic.twitter.com/g8h5hUmASe

— DailySunday Politics (@daily_politics) July 9, 2017

Finally, Kensington MP Emma Dent Coad spoke to Andrew Neil about the aftermath of the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower, which has claimed the lives of at least 80 people.

She said residents feared the disaster would be used to “socially cleanse” the area.

Dent Coad also repeated her call for the inquiry head Sir Martin Moore-Bick to stand down, despite her never having met him, saying he has lost the trust of survivors.

Kensington MP @emmadentcoad explains why she & residents of Grenfell don't trust Sir Martin Moore-Bick to lead the inquiry #bbcsp pic.twitter.com/E0OxrNpw9S

— DailySunday Politics (@daily_politics) July 9, 2017

Pienaar’s Politics

Sir Vince Cable was also the guest on John Pienaar’s Radio Five Live show.

The questioning took a bizarre turn when Sir Vince was asked about a political thriller novel he has penned.

The post-Brexit Westminster thriller centres on a love affair between a British politician and the heir of an Indian arms manufacturer.

When asked “just how racy is this book” by Pienaar, the former Business Secretary insisted it won’t win the Bad Sex Award.

Sir @vincecable on the sex scenes in his new thriller 📚🙈#BBQs pic.twitter.com/bH8TITogLW

— John Pienaar (@JPonpolitics) July 9, 2017
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