Would you let a party leader into your living room?

Eddie Mair | 15:07 UK time, Thursday, 18 March 2010

The Guardian reports here that Labour is considering a plan whereby Gordon Brown would have a chat about things over tea in people's living rooms.

In the PM Newsletter I asked if people would be happy to welcome a politician into their home and Alan Bush replied: "only if I had a Security Company and Lie Detector to hand."

We'll talk more about the alleged Labour plan in PM, including this interview we just recorded with Joyce and Ted Hawkes who, as pensioners in London, had that Tony Blair and his missus round after he became Prime Minister in 1997. They are, as you'll hear, passionate Labour supporters.

What follows is the unedited version.

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Comments

1. At 3:43pm on 18 Mar 2010, IMOORE wrote:
You must be joking.

Anyway I think there is a error in Brown's election stratgey, for as there are only 69,000 minutes left before the election, and what, 25 million households to visit? which would suggest he can afford to spend 0.00000276 of a second on each sofa, if he dosen't sleep, and if there is no journey time between the sofas.

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2. At 3:48pm on 18 Mar 2010, IMOORE wrote:
Talking about errors I think I have made one on Brown's sofa time I think it works out to 0.1725 of a second on each sofa.

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3. At 3:53pm on 18 Mar 2010, gossipmistress wrote:
Only I was a double glazing saleperson

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4. At 4:01pm on 18 Mar 2010, jonnie wrote:
Well pretty obvious why Joyce and Ted were chosen eh! Hardly going to be giving Tony Blair a grilling - and of course two labour voters.

That interview sounded like an LBC phone-in ........

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5. At 4:05pm on 18 Mar 2010, jonnie wrote:
... however I wish Joyce a speedy recovery.

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6. At 4:05pm on 18 Mar 2010, RxKaren wrote:
My worst experience ever with a migraine headache occurred during the last election period. I took some Maxalt (which can cause vivid dreams) and tried to sleep it off whilst listening to election campaign coverage on R5.

A few hours later I woke up convinced that Michael Howard was somewhere in my house. It was dark, I was alone and spent the next hour checking all the cupboards for Tory leaders to ensure that I was safe. Awful experience...

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7. At 4:09pm on 18 Mar 2010, jonnie wrote:
... as for Ted's opinion on the youngsters of today!

Mmm! Plenty of divorces in the 50's and 60's - and I'm sure that people born in the 1990's fall in love the same as people in the 1920's.

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8. At 4:18pm on 18 Mar 2010, The Intermittent Horse wrote:
RxKaren - You'd never have found him in the cupboards. Do you have a crypt?

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9. At 4:45pm on 18 Mar 2010, White_Rat wrote:
T*pperware Party?

Engagement Party?

Divorce Party?

Ann S*mmers Party?

Swing*ng Party?

There are some kinds of party leader you might welcome into your humble abode. Others you'd cross the street to avoid. If the question were more specific......

N.B. Other brands of plastic container are available. Other retailers of adult toys are available. Other forms of garden playthings for children are available.

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10. At 5:16pm on 18 Mar 2010, Fen Shepherd wrote:
Would not let 'em in even in exchange for a seat in the Lords!

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11. At 5:16pm on 18 Mar 2010, DiY wrote:
Only if they could answer truthfully Yes or No.

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12. At 5:22pm on 18 Mar 2010, Lepus_Madidus wrote:
For a year's wages?

Their wages?

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13. At 5:23pm on 18 Mar 2010, Lady_Sue wrote:
Ghastly idea. I saw a documentary once where some householders had been chosen for a visit from the newly crowned Queen. Their homes were 'inspected', they had been carefully selected and some poor old dears were put in quite a tizz worrying about getting the good crockery out.

Ridiculous.

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14. At 5:33pm on 18 Mar 2010, mandcj wrote:
Perhaps they would like to visit some living rooms here in John Bercow's constituency and explain why they think it acceptable that we are disenfranchised in the election - and, given Bercow's relatively young age, for several elections to come.

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15. At 5:53pm on 18 Mar 2010, Lepus_Madidus wrote:
If Blair wants to come round my place, I'll keep him there until the police arrive.

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16. At 5:57pm on 18 Mar 2010, Lepus_Madidus wrote:
'It's unfair to politicians as they probably don't know what it's all the about.'

Military spending being cut in 2004 and 2006?
Saddam's WMDs being fiction?

Is this a political party broadcast Eddie?

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17. At 5:57pm on 18 Mar 2010, funnyJoedunn wrote:
Good God they'll have us digging for victory next!

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18. At 5:58pm on 18 Mar 2010, jonnie wrote:
...And what would you give Tony to drink Lepus?

;-)

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19. At 5:59pm on 18 Mar 2010, Sindy wrote:

I wouldn't mind having that David Chope round ...

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20. At 6:01pm on 18 Mar 2010, bright-eyedwendym wrote:
16. How right you are ,LM. I'd love Gordon to come round. It would be particularly good if he brought Mandy with him.

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21. At 6:01pm on 18 Mar 2010, funnyJoedunn wrote:
I would have Ed Balls round and ask him if they call him Eddie B@llocks in the cabinet

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22. At 6:01pm on 18 Mar 2010, Ellis P Otter wrote:
David? I think you mean Christopher, Sid?

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23. At 6:06pm on 18 Mar 2010, Sindy wrote:

That's the one, Ellis.

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24. At 6:08pm on 18 Mar 2010, Alison wrote:
Some PM listeners' comments seem unnecessarily acerbic. It wouldn't have happened on the Home Service, I'm sure. I really enjoyed listening to Joyce and Ted, and think it would be great if they could get their own radio chat show. Thanks very much!

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25. At 6:10pm on 18 Mar 2010, Lepus_Madidus wrote:
Given the decided tang of Down the Line to that piece, can we expect PM to be on TV soon, and will you be having Ian 'The Inspire' Knowles on tomorrow?

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26. At 6:10pm on 18 Mar 2010, Ellis P Otter wrote:
You see Sid, that's the effect of all this - all the politicos have merged into one massive amorphous nameless Blob!

[other horror films are available,

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27. At 6:26pm on 18 Mar 2010, Ellis P Otter wrote:
Lock your doors,
horror theme
Bolt your windows,
thunder roll
Hide!
sound of knocking at the door
Beware the Breggclamerown Gordavnickidon.
scream
It's coming,
scream
In May,
scream
To a Downing Street,
scream
near you!
screeeeeeeam

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28. At 6:54pm on 18 Mar 2010, Alan_N wrote:
Very good!

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29. At 9:20pm on 18 Mar 2010, cocoarmani wrote:
I am sure that Ted and Joyce are lovely and genuine people - but I really objected to the politicisation of this item. It went on for almost 10 minutes and was effectively a party political braodcast for the Labour Party. The whole concept of the sofa visits is bizarre since no doubt whichever party leader does them they will be 'carefully selected' to match the specific political views of that leader. I'd much rather hear genuine news - further comment on, for example, why we have over 8 million economically inactive or an update on the BA or network rail situation surely must be of more interest for what is generally a serious political programme - and there are few enough of them at the moment.

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30. At 9:39pm on 18 Mar 2010, Juliejoy07 wrote:
Well I just loved Ted and Joyce! Absolutely priceless, thanks PM it was a joy to hear them!

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31. At 10:20pm on 18 Mar 2010, funnyJoedunn wrote:
An so ladies and gentlemen there we have it, a nation divided. Tune in next week for another hot topical political debate. And remember your involvement might mean you could be the next household to get the knock on the door.

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32. At 11:05pm on 18 Mar 2010, Big Sister wrote:
I'd let them in .... but the question is: Would they come out alive?

;o)

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33. At 00:35am on 19 Mar 2010, annasee wrote:
Well I'd let them all in, and let the cat chose which one he liked. Any politician who could win over our cat would get my vote. As he mostly stalks off out of the room when anyone visits unless they are of exceptional charm, character and probity, I reckon the chances of any of them getting a vote are slim.

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34. At 10:37am on 19 Mar 2010, DiY wrote:
I feel sorry for QE II as she has to have one round quite regularly!

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35. At 12:04pm on 19 Mar 2010, FN wrote:
Bless them - made me smile!

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