Last night, I hosted the Evening Exchange on Talk.TV for the first time. It was an unexpected joy, thanks to listeners. Bear with me – I’m serious!
An MP’s usual experience of the public falls into a few categories.
Knocking on doors, most are not in. If they are in, it is usually not a good time to speak. Of the few who will speak, only about 1/3 are remotely supportive. This is completely normal and to be expected when you are winning.
That bears explaining. The last election was not normal in Wycombe thanks to the pre-eminence of voters being fed up plus the Gaza issue. But in a normal election here, about a third of people don’t vote, about a third vote for another candidate and about a third vote Conservative. The implication is obvious: the Conservative candidate should only expect any kind of support from a third of the people who will speak. And then it is often guarded.
On the street, most people similarly don’t want to speak, unless they are against.
By email, people are usually in desperate need or angry. Often both and often for good reason. And most people who write are politically opposed.
Social media is a hellscape of condemnation, often in the most strident terms. From across the country and sometimes the world.
Supporters can be lovely at party events and sometimes on the doorstep, but those moments are few and far between.
Overall, political life is dispiriting. But engaging with the public through Talk was different.
While in Parliament and in the news, I was usually orchestrating events so I didn’t have much time for media. I’d go out when it counted - for example to save Vote Leave and when the Supreme Court judges ruled against prorogation - because that meant the message would be exactly what I wanted. Usually, I’d leave it to others. But I did ok.
When I lost my seat in the Commons, I decided I would stay in the public eye and try to shape our future towards freedom with what voice I had left or could manufacture. That’s why this project exists and that’s why you may have seen me more often on TV and radio. It can be quite satisfying, much more so than a speech in the Commons no one pays a blind bit of attention to. People are at least listening.
Jeremy Kyle frightened me for many years. He is an expert in provoking strong opinion and that’s what makes his shows so engaging. He is a broadcast genius and never to be underestimated. So I became a regular on his Talk show with some trepidation.
To my surprise, he became something of a mentor, along with his senior producer, a man with decades of experience. I forget who suggested it first but I was offered the opportunity to stand in as a host.
And what an experience it was.
Hosting live broadcast is not like appearing. As a guest, you need only think about your answers.
As the host, there’s much more going on:
The show starts with quite a long monologue as you introduce and reflect on the news. People want you to shape the agenda and they are listening to participate.
Then you realise on the screens before you, the calls are queuing up and the text messages are coming in. So you are trying to speak and process who to bring in from the public, when.
Then comes the schedule. You’re trying to work out what we are doing next while still talking to fill the airwaves. Yes, I did make a mistake.
The guests: don’t keep them waiting too long and ask interesting questions for them and for the listeners but not so harsh they regret coming on. You are listening, processing what they are saying and working out not only what to ask, but which of the listener texts to read out and which video clips might play into the conversation. Then the producer speaks into your ear about something to ask for balance, the need to go to a break or take a call…
Trying to read and choose listener texts while talking and listening is an experience. Some were extremely kind about my performance. Most were on the topics of the day. And very thoughtful they overwhelmingly were. Some were satirical. Most were opposed to the Government.
Live calls were excellent: thoughtful, insightful and likely from people with more experience of broadcast phone-ins than me.
So keeping the show going was an intense exercise. I sensed it might be, sitting across from Jeremy Kyle as he weaved together questions to me, clips, voice notes, texts and callers. My admiration for those who are truly great at it has only soared.
And crucially, my enjoyment of engaging with the public soared too. I did not ask to what extent the producers were filtering trolling but what I experienced was something different. The public were engaged, thoughtful, listening and constructive about the policy they want and why. To host Talk gave me a completely different experience of public engagement, one vastly more positive and helpful than knocking on doors and wading through comments on Facebook. Real people talking about real issues and concerns without hate or fury: it was something different. Perhaps it is because they know they are being heard…
Broadcast media is a vital part of our public conversation. To have the opportunity to take part as a host is a real privilege and a joy. I will host again this evening 7-10pm, Talk.TV. You can call in live on 0344 499 1000 (calls charged at national rate) or text TALK and your message to 87222 (costs 1 x standard network rate message).
A new front has opened in the fight for a free future. Please join me on it.