EMQs: The best place to be an MP if you're a lover of rhubarb
6/8/202650 min
In this week’s EMQs George Osborne and Ed Balls take on a question from Jeremy Hunt who asks if chancellors are under pressure to push through new reform as soon as they are in office. Ed and George bring their experience to the query.
Following the Pope’s letter on the topic of AI, one listener asks for Ed and George’s reaction to the papal intervention. In the Pope’s encyclical, he asks if AI is a force for good or bad. George and Ed applaud Pope Leo’s early engagement into the topic and, like the Pope, think human dignity needs to be at the heart of all new technological advancements.
MP, Minister and mountain rescue volunteer Josh MacAlister asks a question that takes George back to his constituency in Tatton and prompts Ed to share his knowledge and his appreciation for rhubarb. Also a query from Australia triggers a debate on politicians shaping policy to benefit their loved one. Plus there’s confirmation of what’s NOT going to be on the setlist at the upcoming Centrist Dad’s gig at the Water Rats in London.
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Credits:
Research: Sam Burton
Production: Sarah Beaumont & Nasreen Arain
Video Editor: Sam Gruet
Executive Producer: Ellie Clifford & Henrietta Harrison
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 1· Soundbite0:00
The Chancellor of the Exchequer. Getting a lesson from the Shadow Chancellor on how to balance the books is like getting a lesson from Dracula on how to look after a blood bank. [laughing] Ed Balls. A steady as she goes budget. What kind of ship does he think he's on? The Titanic? The Mary Celeste?
Ed Balls· Host0:16
Welcome to EMQ's from Political Currency. With Ed Balls and George Osborne. [upbeat music] So hello, and welcome to EMQ's Ex-Ministers Questions, and this is the program where we, you know, we go broad. We like to be talking about religion, art, politics, science, AI. George has just got off a plane. Um, anything this week you've been watching- Mm. ... while flying? Any books, any movies, any cultural recommendations?
George Osborne· Host0:48
So, you know, I watched a, a really good movie on the way to Washington, an old movie or oldish movie called Paris, Texas by Wim Wenders. It's an absolutely brilliant movie. It's a sort of American road movie, a sort of odyssey movie. Talking of which, I'm really looking forward to The Odyssey coming out [laughs] in a month's time. But, um, and it stars Nastassja Kinski, who was the kind of great sort of film star of the '70s and '80s. Anyway, so it's really- As opposed to, um, as opposed to Natasha Kaplinsky, who was, um- [laughs] Strictly ...
Ed Balls· Host1:21
the breakfast television presenter and won Strictly in the first series.
George Osborne· Host1:24
It's interesting, when I actually looked her up, I thought, "I, um, well, I don't know enough about Nastassja Kinski," and then I realized