Keith Macdougall

In my post-BBC life, I do talks about Parliament to school sixth-formers in Herts. & Bucks. I end with a ‘show of hands’ on lowering the voting age. In all 35 schools out of 35, keeping the age at 18 has won by very clear majority. Seen no evidence 16 & 17 yr olds want the vote.

@steverichards14 And isn’t the split-screen style worth mentioning also? Being able to watch the candidates’ instant reactions to claims and assertions gave added value. Kamala Harris’ highly expressive facial responses were compelling.

I hope British broadcasters take note of the US presidential debates..90 minutes ..no audience..two restrained interviewers…and both debates have been suprising, compelling and consequential. Politics needs space to be interesting.

@redwards321 You can’t be too careful with butter dishes

bbc.co.uk/sport/live/foo… via @BBCSport

@Kevin_Maguire Surely Bone is not exactly fully ‘out’ … or at least not yet. Bone can stand as a candidate at the coming by-election. So he may be back.

BREAKING: Bone shaker for Sunak “Flasher MP Peter Bone forced out as voters trigger by-election nightmare for Tories” mirror.co.uk/news/politics/…

@davidcornock Great work David.

It’s taken a while but Orpington is my 62nd of the 62 parkruns in London #LonDone ✅ 🥶

@DArcyTiP So the sunset clause has finally happened. Make sure you smuggle out a few statutory instruments on your departure. Best of luck Mark

Recording my final edition of the Friday Today in Parliament - after 20 years. I’m still reporting for another week, but then it’s goodbye to the fantastic TiP team.

@QueensburyAcad Good to come to Queensbury this morning. Great audience. Hope most people found something of interest.

Thank you to @KeithMac71 for joining us this morning and delivering an insightful politics workshop! It was fantastic to hear firsthand experiences shared with our sixth form. We appreciate your valuable time and expertise. #PoliticsWorkshop #InspiringLeadership #weCARE

Remembering Rodders. Many wonderful & whacky Westminster stories exchanged in Essex today, as family and friends gathered at the funeral for former BBC reporter Rodney Foster, one of the finest of the 'old school' of political journos.

@JohnRentoul well, not quite. Andrea Leadsom argued Theresa May lacked full understanding of issues because she'd never brought up children; Ash Regan arguing best if top politician is not mother of young children.

Whoops. Ash Regan goes Andrea Leadsom heraldscotland.com/politics/23379…

@_Matthew_Price Enjoyed reading your train of thought Matthew. Best of luck with this latest chapter of your life. You'll do it well, I know.

There is hope in these solutions. And inspiration. Where Arup and those they work with lead, others will follow. This is a big departure for me in many ways. A whole new world to learn about. But maybe, like journalism, it can help change things for the better...

I went into journalism three decades ago. Partly because I wanted to travel to get to know and understand different people and places. Partly because I loved broadcasting. And partly because good reporting and seeking out the truth, can change things for the better.

@Peston @MelJStride @jessphillips @DavidDavisMP @joshwiddicombe To ask Curtice, isn’t it fair to say Keir Starmer needs virtually the biggest electoral swing in history just to have a small Commons majority in next Parliament ?

What should I ask @MelJStride polling guru Curtice, @jessphillips @DavidDavisMP and @joshwiddicombe? ITV 10.45, here at 9

@MichaelLCrick Had the great privilege of interviewing Sir David in Oxford four years ago for Radio4. At age 94 he was remarkable in way he recalled details from decades past. Mind fizzing with so many thoughts about politics. Wonderful guy.

Sir David Butler, the father of psephology, or election science, died today at the age of 98.

Not quite right to say Sunak-Truss are fighting over who gets ‘keys to 10Downing Street’. Apparently the building has no keys - only bolts on the inside. Just saying.

@anandMenon1 Think I’m right in saying Celtic did the ‘quadruple’ in 1967. So from perspective of Glaswegians there’s precious little new to see here.

Jesus Christ. Can they be any more fawning about Liverpool FC? World Service time…...

Wasn’t it 350 million a week for the NHS by leaving the EU ? Now it’s 350 a month for people taking in refugees. Just wondering. Does BoJo have a thing about 350 ?

@rachelcbyrne @HouseofCommons Willing to be corrected , but wasn’t PMQs twice a week at 3.15pm Tuesdays & Thursdays in the 1980s and 90s? Blair created the single half-hour Weds. PMQs, 3pm start in 1997. That switched to 12noon start in 2001. Happy new year.

I think I’m right in saying that #PMQs always was at 3pm, when I first reported on @HouseofCommons. Not on a Wednesday, though. #Ancient #History.

Thought Michael Gove was a QPR man. Why’s he supporting Chelsea ?

@MichaelLCrick Didn’t John Birt know everything about the Bashir\Diana interview before it went ahead ? He okay-ed the whole thing. Why nothing from him today ?

The strange thing is that Lord Tony Hall was brought back to the BBC as Director-General in 2013 as “a safe pair of hands”.

Debate raging outside Hertfordshire vaccination centre. How would Oliver Cromwell have dealt with #Covid-19 ?