robwatsonBBC

Massive victory for the #Green Party in #GortonDentonByElection and disastrous defeat for #Labour and #PrimeMinister Sir Keir Starmer. It’s being widely described as a seismic result in British politics: facebook.com/share/1Ap2uaDN…

@ClareWoodhead3 Thanks for kind post Clare, I'd be curious as to what domestic view of Starmer is in Australia. Thanks again Rob

@robwatsonbbc Hi Rob, good to see you on ABC News this morning! Great analysis, as always! Really interesting to hear about the domestic view of Starmer versus the one here in Oz. I've really missed seeing you on BBC World Service since horrible Foxtel removed it from my news options here.

The big questions surrounding Sir Keir Starmer, his leadership and his government after last night’s rebellion by so many of his own MPs: facebook.com/share/1CYptfnm…

@WisewordRadio @bbcworldservice @DannyWittenberg Total pleasure working with you and Danny. Thanks for an interesting day out. Here’s to the next one. R

Was this two weeks ago already? Well, they say time flies when you're having [work] fun! A day of live two-ways, mainly into @bbcworldservice news with political correspondent @robwatsonbbc and producer @DannyWittenberg #news #BBC #radio #statevisit2025 #trump #Starmer #chequers

@Stephen18221872 @BBCNews I have certainly described many times on air in the past that he pled guilty to a charge of procuring a child for prostitution and was facing other charges when he committed suicide.

@robwatsonbbc You have just described paedophile Jeffrey Epstein as a ‘disgraced financier’ - I think you will find he is a child sex offender. @BBCNews

@PaulGr1969 Fair point, I thought I was only doing radio today!!!!

@robwatsonbbc mate you are at windsor castle get yourself a tie,viewer

@CochraneGord How fascinating. Thanks. I will do further reading.

@robwatsonbbc Leaders need to study the approach taken by former Canadian PM Brian Mulroney. In nine years in office (with the largest majority ever) he kept his MPs in line despite pushing through free trade with the US and introducing a VAT. He did it by making his MPs feel important.

My instant summary of the UK government’s spending review for @bbcworldservice:

@BBCRosAtkins @BBCPanorama @BBCiPlayer Great programme Ros; it highlights the difficult choices Britain, and so many other countries, face. Namely how to provide the services & benefits voters expect in the face of an ageing population and little or low economic growth.

For the past few months, I've been working with @BBCPanorama on a new documentary about the UK's public finances. It's called 'Is Britain Broke?' and is on @BBCiPlayer from first thing Monday and on BBC1 at 8pm. I'll post the link tomorrow morning.

@ChrisMasonBBC So much more “interesting” than the message from my train company this morning: “Disruption has been reported between Oxford and London Paddington. The 09:00 will not call at your destination and will have 2 instead of 5 coaches due to a fault on this train.” safe travels Rob

Well that was the plan…but having gone to bed on the sleeper in Glasgow, we woke up…in Glasgow! Tree down on the line, we were told. There are currently no trains out of Glasgow on the West Coast Mainline.

The UK and the EU have held their first summit post #Brexit. Both sides stressed the need to look forward (as opposed to back to the bitterness of post Brexit years) with leaders speaking of a new era and pages being turned! My quick summary for @bbcworldservice

In British politics, Reform seems to be on the rise and the two party system in decline. My upsum report for @bbcworldservice:

UK growth forecast for 2025 cut in half in the face of uncertainty over global trade, increased borrowing costs and continuing low productivity in Britain. My report for #BBCWorldService

The British government issues its Spring Statement this lunchtime setting out the latest economic forecasts for the UK and what they mean for government borrowing and spending. It’s not expected to be pretty: facebook.com/share/18sM4BgD…

A big day of diplomacy for Sir Keir Starmer and other European leaders after the bust up between Presidents Trump and Zelensky facebook.com/share/1Unhj9UA…

The big takeaways from President Trump’s first cabinet and looking ahead to his first meeting with Sir Keir Starmer at the White House: facebook.com/share/18sheNuD…

In the week in which #President Macron and Prime Minister Starmer visit President Trump to talk about Ukraine, is this a genuine crisis or just a blip in the #transatlantic alliance that has dominated global security arrangements since 1945. facebook.com/share/15qscsfB…

#Brexit five years on. facebook.com/share/1D7jUopV…

At a time of so much unrest in the world, a panel discussion @joepike @BBCDanielS @robwatsonbbc Who Tells the Story? Journalism in an Age of Disruption @ArtsFestOxford @MCSOxford @RIBA Mar 12, 6pm 🎫 artsfestivaloxford.org/events/who-tel… #politics #debate #truth #Journalism @BBCPolitics