Daily Politics

Daily Politics
Genre Current affairs and politics
Directed by Claire Bellis
Presented by Andrew Neil
Jo Coburn
Theme music composer Jim Meacock (2003–2011)[1]
George Fenton (2012–2018)[2]
Country of origin United Kingdom
Original language(s) English
No. of episodes 2700 (Daily Politics)
210 (Sunday Politics)
Production
Production location(s) BBC Millbank (Monday-Friday)
Broadcasting House (Sunday)
Palace of Westminster (Weds PMQs)
Editor(s) Robbie Gibb
Running time

60 minutes (Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri) 90 minutes (Wed)

75 Minutes (Sunday), 25 Minutes BBC World News
Release
Original network BBC Two (Monday-Friday)
BBC One (Sunday)
BBC World News (Europe only)
Original release 8 January 2003 (2003-01-08) – 24 July 2018 (2018-07-24)
Chronology
Preceded by Westminster Live
Followed by Politics Live
Related shows This Week
External links
Website

Daily Politics was a BBC Television programme launched in 2003 and presented by Andrew Neil and Jo Coburn. It was announced in July 2018 that it will be replaced by Politics Live. Daily Politics took an in-depth review of the daily events in both Westminster and other areas across Britain and abroad, and included interviews with leading politicians and political commentators. The final Daily Politics broadcast was on 24 July 2018.[3][4]

History

In 2000, Greg Dyke, then BBC Director General, ordered a review of political output from the BBC, which was carried out by Fran Unsworth.[5] This led to a major overhaul of political programming in 2003. Several flagship programmes were cancelled, including On the Record, Despatch Box and Westminster Live, and new programmes were launched, including Daily Politics and the Politics Show.[6]

Daily Politics first aired on 8 January 2003, presented by Andrew Neil and Daisy Sampson.[7] The first show included coverage of Prime Minister's Questions which later became standard in future episodes.

In 2008, the opening titles were re-vamped by Jonathan Spencer, the show's designer, using Adobe Illustrator and Cinema 4D.[8]

In October 2011, it was announced that from 9 January 2012 Daily Politics would be relaunched, broadcasting six days a week (Daily Politics – Monday to Friday and Sunday Politics on Sundays). The duration of Daily Politics was extended from 30 to 60 minutes on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, remaining at 90 minutes on Wednesdays. Sunday Politics would become a weekend edition of Daily Politics presented by Andrew Neil and replacing The Politics Show, which ended in December 2011.[9]

On 9 January 2013, the show celebrated its 10th anniversary showing archive clips from the Blair, Brown and Cameron years.[10][11] It celebrated its 15th anniversary in January 2018.[12]

Daily Politics was broadcast live at noon on weekdays on BBC Two when the House of Commons is sitting, lasting 60 minutes on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. On Wednesdays the programme was extended to 90 minutes from 11:30am and included live coverage and analysis of Prime Minister's Questions. Each show was repeated on BBC Parliament at midnight on the same day, and was available on BBC iPlayer for seven days. During party conference season, an additional programme covering the Party Leaders' speeches aired in the afternoons, and a highlights programme titled Today at Conference aired after Newsnight on BBC Two. During the 2010 general election, BBC Two ran nine, 45-minute Daily Politics election debates. These programmes were presented by Andrew Neil and a specialist BBC correspondent.

There is also a Northern Ireland version of Daily Politics, broadcast as Daily Politics from Northern Ireland, to cover Northern Ireland Minister's Questions from Westminster; it opts out of the national programme for the first half-hour before Prime Minister's Questions on a Wednesday, and this is usually presented by Connor Bradford.

Presenters

Nick Clegg being interviewed by Andrew Neil for the programme

Daisy McAndrew (née Sampson) was Neil's co-presenter until the summer of 2005 when she left to join ITV. Jenny Scott joined as her replacement; she left in June 2008 to join the Bank of England. Sally Magnusson joined briefly in 2005 as the sole presenter on Friday's episode. Anita Anand joined the programme as Jenny Scott's replacement in September 2008 with Jo Coburn presenting on Thursdays.

Shelagh Fogarty joined the team in January 2010 to co-host with Andrew Neil on Thursdays for three months after Anita Anand began maternity leave, while Jo Coburn took on Anita Anand's role presenting four days a week.[13] At the beginning of April 2010, Jo Coburn went full-time presenting the programme every day. Anita Anand returned on 6 September 2010 and left the programme in July 2011.[14]

When the programme returned on 5 September 2011, it was presented by Andrew Neil on Mondays, Jo Coburn on Fridays, and both together on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. As of January 2012, following the creation of Sunday Politics, Coburn presented Monday to Thursday and Neil presented Wednesday to Friday. Following the break for Easter 2017, Coburn took over as the sole presenter on Thursdays and Fridays and Neil presented the Wednesday programme.

The regular reporters are Ellie Price, Elizabeth Glinka and Greg Dawson. Adam Fleming contributes regularly as a correspondent for the EU political situation in Brussels, having previously been a regular reporter for the programme at home. Other regular contributors to the show include either the BBC's Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg, her deputy John Pienaar or the BBC's Assistant Political Editor Norman Smith – who either help to review Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday's extended shows or contribute as correspondents for the programme.

Production

Daily Politics is produced at the BBC's Millbank studios near the Palace of Westminster but despite this convenient location it is not unknown for MPs and guests to arrive late for their interviews; a social gaffe which Andrew Neil frequently reminds them of on subsequent appearances. However, on 17 May 2011 when the programme was re-scheduled to an earlier slot of 11:30 Neil himself was caught in traffic and missed the entire programme, which had to be introduced solo by Anita Anand with an empty chair alongside her.[15] For a while from September 2014 the program was moved to Broadcasting House while the Westminster studio was renovated.

In January 2016, Laura Kuenssberg arranged for Labour MP Stephen Doughty to announce his resignation on the show. This led to formal complaints.[16]

Every Wednesday the programme featured an email competition where viewers answer a question for the chance to win a coveted Daily Politics mug. This competition was suspended as per BBC policy in the wake of the Blue Peter phone-in scandal. The competition returned in 2008 with entries picked out of a giant-sized Daily Politics mug instead of a normal mug (after initially using a Daily Politics bucket). Neither the enlarged mug nor the Daily Politics bucket have yet been made available as a prize. The design of the mug changed in September 2008, after a relaunch of the programme. A new electronic method for choosing the winner was introduced in April 2012.

Sunday Politics

The programme was launched on 15 January 2012 to replace the Politics Show and was presented by Andrew Neil until 2017. The network part of Sunday Politics was presented by Sarah Smith from September 2017 to the final programme on 22 July 2018.

Sunday Politics is divided into a number of clearly defined sections. The programme usually starts with a short interview on a topical subject making the news that day. This section is branded the Top Story. The main programme interview (the Sunday Interview) is introduced by a short graphic and normally lasts between 10 and 15 minutes. The next section is Head to Head which is introduced by a short film and consists of a debate between two people on a political issue in the news that week. At this point the programme opts to 11 English regional segments, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each opt-out lasts 23 minutes apart from Scotland (see below). Following the opt-outs the programme returns with a final section called The Week Ahead featuring three political journalists – regularly Janan Ganesh (Financial Times), Isabel Oakeshott (Sunday Times) and Helen Lewis (New Statesman)

On 6 November 2016, Neil presented from Washington with Coburn in London ahead of 2016 US Presidential Election. On 23 August 2017, Neil announced he was standing down and that BBC Scotland Editor Sarah Smith would take over as the main presenter.[17]

Sunday Politics (English regions)

There are 11 English regional segments on Sunday Politics. Each region follows a similar format consisting of two political figures, normally MPs or MEPs, appearing for the whole 23 minutes. In addition each regional segment has topical interviews and discussions, short films and a review of the political week in 60 seconds. Tim Burke is the Nations and Regions Editor for the Sunday Politics.

  • Jo Coburn (London)
  • Peter Henley (South)
  • Julia George / Natalie Graham (South East)
  • Martyn Oates (South West)
  • Nina Warhurst (North West)
  • Richard Moss (North East and Cumbria)
  • Stewart White (East)
  • Marie Ashby (East Midlands)
  • Patrick Burns / Elizabeth Glinka (West Midlands)
  • David Garmston (West)
  • Tim Iredale (Yorkshire and Lincolnshire)

Sunday Politics Scotland

Sunday Politics Scotland is presented by Gordon Brewer or Andrew Kerr, and forms part of the Sunday Politics programme. Viewers in Scotland see the first 37 minutes of the network programme (Top Story, Sunday Interview, and Head to Head) before opting to 38 minutes of analysis of the big political stories in Scotland.

  • Political editor: Brian Taylor
  • Past presenters: Isabel Fraser, Gary Robertson

Sunday Politics Wales

The Welsh segment of Sunday Politics lasts 23 minutes and forms part of the overall Sunday Politics programme. It follows a similar format to the English regional opts with two political figures appearing for the whole 23 minutes and a weekly round up of the political week in 60 seconds.

  • Presenter: Carl Roberts

Sunday Politics Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland segment of Sunday Politics normally lasts 23 minutes and forms part of the overall Sunday Politics programme but sometimes covers election debates and occasionally expands to fill the whole Sunday Politics slot in Northern Ireland. In 2012 BBC NI put all its politics shows under the one production team so Stormont Today, The View and Sunday Politics Northern Ireland are all presented by Mark Carruthers, who moved from Good Morning Ulster to be the face of politics on BBC NI, replacing Noel Thompson, who occupies Carruthers' former slot on Radio Ulster. Tara Mills hosts when Carruthers is unavailable. The Northern Ireland segment used to be repeated after the late night news on Sunday evenings usually at 10.30pm on BBC One NI but from 2012 this has moved to BBC Two NI at the same time as Match of the Day 2 is on BBC One.

  • Presenter: Mark Carruthers (2012–) Tara Mills (2011–2012, 2013)
  • Political editor: Mark Davenport
  • Political correspondents: Gareth Gordon, Enda McLafferty

Daily Politics election debates

During the run up to the 2010 general election Daily Politics held a series of debates involving members of the incumbent Labour Cabinet and their Conservative and Liberal Democrat equivalents. These debates ran alongside the main leaders' debates held for the first time in 2010. Starting on Monday 19 April, there were nine debates held on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the three weeks before 6 May. Andrew Neil acted as moderator, along with a specialist BBC correspondent.[18]

Again in the run up to the 2015 general election, the programme again held a series of debates[19]

Politics Europe

This was launched on 14 September 2012 to replace The Record Europe and aired on BBC Parliament and BBC World News in Europe presented by Andrew Neil, although Jo Coburn has acted as a relief presenter.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Jim Meacock – Composer" (PDF). BDi Music. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 May 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  2. ↑ Gibb, Robbie (26 October 2011). "@RobbieGibb". Twitter. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  3. ↑ "Goodbye to the Daily Politics after 15 years". BBC News.
  4. ↑ "BBC - BBC announces changes to political programming - Media Centre". www.bbc.co.uk.
  5. ↑ Deans, Jason (23 December 2004). "BBC appoints new head of newsgathering". The Guardian. London.
  6. ↑ Cozens, Claire; Deans, Jason (20 September 2002). "The BBC: A new manifesto for viewers". The Guardian. London.
  7. ↑ "The Daily Politics 8 January 2003". BBC Genome. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  8. ↑ "Giving Daily Politics a facelift". BBC News. 12 September 2008. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  9. ↑ Pugh, Andrew (7 October 2011). "BBC CUTS: UP TO 650 JOBS IN JOURNALISM COULD GO". Press Gazette. Archived from the original on 14 October 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  10. ↑ "Daily Politics highlights with Andrew Neil and guests". BBC News. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  11. ↑ "Daily Politics 09/01/2013". BBC Online. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  12. ↑ Presenter: Jo Coburn; Director: Claire Bellis; Producer: Hugh Milbourn (13 September 2017). "Episode dated 13/09/2017". Daily Politics. Event occurs at 26:00. BBC. BBC Two.
  13. ↑ "Changing faces at the Daily Politics". BBC Online. 17 December 2009. Retrieved 8 January 2010.
  14. ↑ "Anita Anand leaves BBC2's Daily Politics for 5 Live role". BBC News. 12 July 2011.
  15. ↑ "BBC 2 The Daily Politics, 17 05 2011". BBC Online. 13 February 2017.
  16. ↑ Hardman, Isabel. "Labour complains about shadow minister’s resignation on BBC", The Spectator, London, 8 January 2016. Retrieved on 14 January 2016.
  17. ↑ "Sarah Smith the new presenter of BBC One Sunday Politics – Media Centre". www.bbc.co.uk.
  18. ↑ "Daily Politics Cabinet Contender Election Debates". BBC News. 22 March 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2010.
  19. ↑ "Daily Politics announces series of big name Election Debates". BBC Online. 2 April 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
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