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Political Thinking with Nick Robinson

'We cannot have chaos': Emily Thornberry on the law of war and Labour's struggles

3/6/202642 min

The Foreign Affairs Committee Chair on Iran, Trump's 'asteroid of awfulness' and the 'grief' she felt after being dropped by Starmer.

Emily Thornberry tells Nick about how her father's career as a UN peacekeeper helped shape her commitment to the ideals of international law.

She also has frank views about what her party needs to do to stem the rise of the Green Party.

Senior Producer: Daniel Kraemer Producer: Flora Murray Sound: Jack Wilfan Editor: Giles Edwards

Clips

Beyond an asteroid of awfulness
Labour, hearts, and trans rights
International law, plain and simple
Why law beats chaos
Go faster with Europe
Fairness test on migration
On Mandelson and Epstein
I still want to do
Pushed off-message, now reset

Transcript preview

First 90 seconds

  1. Speaker 10:00

    This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. [upbeat music] This is not the future we were promised. Like, how about that for a tagline for the show?

  2. Speaker 20:10

    From the BBC, this is The Interface, the show that explores how tech is rewiring your week and your world.

  3. Helena Merriman0:18

    This isn't about quarterly earnings or about tech reviews.

  4. Speaker 20:23

    It's about what technology's actually doing to your work and your politics, your everyday life.

  5. Speaker 10:29

    And all the bizarre ways people are using the internet.

  6. Speaker 20:32

    Listen on bbc.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

  7. Emily Thornberry· Guest0:37

    [gentle music] You can't just say, "I don't like you as a country. I'm gonna bomb you." You can't do that. It's not the way it is. That's the law of the jungle. We cannot have chaos. The weak are the ones who, who suffer the most when there's chaos.

  8. Nick Robinson· Host0:51

    That was my guest on Political Thinking this week, the influential chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee in the House of Commons, Dame Emily Thornberry, Labour MP, former Shadow Foreign Secretary. One of those who's cheering Keir Starmer on as he appears to be ready to stand up, a little bit at least, to Donald Trump. She said many years ago that President Trump was, and I quote, "An asteroid of awfulness." Dame Emily Thornberry, welcome to Political Thinking.

  9. Emily Thornberry· Guest1:20

    Thank you. Thank you for having me. Can I say I was completely wrong to call him an asteroid of awfulness because asteroids only hit the world once.

  10. Nick Robinson· Host1:29

    And do you think he's

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