Nigel Farage was scheduled to appear on BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg but his team informed the show he changed his mind, according to Kuenssberg. The panel, according to the show's lineup, included Labour transport secretary Heidi Alexander, Green leader Zack Polanski, and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch. Victoria Derbyshire stood in for Kuenssberg on one episode of the show, and Derbyshire confirmed Kuenssberg would return the following week, according to the broadcast.
Polanski shared a social media post accusing police officers of violently kicking a mentally ill man in the head during the arrest of terror suspect Essa Suleiman. Met Commissioner Mark Rowley and Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned Polanski's criticism of the police. ' Polanski also discouraged use of the phrase 'globalise the intifada' but said he is not interested in policing language, according to his comments on the show.
Nigel Farage – who, as we told you last week, was fixed to be here – but his team told us he changed his mind.
Defence Secretary John Healey repeatedly refused to answer whether the US-Israeli strikes on Iran were within international law, despite being asked six times, according to multiple reports. Some BBC viewers on social media accused Laura Kuenssberg of trying to put words in his mouth. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband also refused to discuss US war aims in Iran, saying he would not talk about it in a public setting, according to reports.
Kuenssberg pressed him, noting he had discussed the issue two weeks prior, according to the interview. Reform UK has lost at least 67 candidates since May 2025, according to Lib Dem peer Mark Pack. Controversies include candidate Linda Holt referring to former Scottish first minister Hamza Yousaf as an 'Islamist moron' in past social media posts, according to reports; Corey Edwards photographed appearing to perform a Nazi salute, according to reports; and Chris Parry comparing a Jewish community group to 'Islamists on horseback', according to reports.
It's not a phrase I would use personally, and that's because I think if there are other phrases you can use or other ways to do things, then why not just do them? I want people to be more effective, so I wouldn't encourage people to use it because actually I think you can make your point a lot more effectively and not get into this conversation about language.
Zia Yusuf claimed the BBC gives disproportionate coverage to Reform UK mishaps, but Kuenssberg cut in to say proportionally Reform has lost more candidates over such issues than other parties. Polanski accused Donald Trump of murdering Ayatollah Ali Khamenei while at the negotiating table, according to his remarks. Polanski called for talks with the Iranian regime despite its human rights record, according to his comments.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson repeatedly spoke over Kuenssberg during an interview, telling her to 'hang on', according to the broadcast. She agreed Labour got a 'real kicking' in the local elections but said the party should not argue amongst themselves, according to her interview. Actor Brian Cox appeared on the show and said he 'felt sorry' for Keir Starmer, according to the broadcast.
Yes, I do discourage, to give you a more direct answer, the use of the phrase, but I'm not interested in trying to police people's language.
Everyone in leadership has a responsibility for lowering the temperature at a time of such tension, and I apologise for sharing a tweet in haste.
No, proportionally, Reform has lost more candidates over this kind of thing happening than other political parties.
I don't think it took strikes, because actually, Iran were already at the negotiating table, under President Obama, we saw progress with Iran. Donald Trump took them to a negotiation table, but it was clear it was totally bad faith, because they literally murdered the leader at the same time at the negotiation table.
Well, I'm hearing no way to defend the Iranian regime. I'm here to defend and speak up of the Iranian people.
Because for the moment you've ruled out negotiation, you've accepted that you're going to war, and I don't think the British people want to see another war in that region.
What I found extraordinary was asked on several occasions, and he [prime minister] did not have an answer, why did he choose Mandelson in the first place? That's what I would have liked to know. There's no clarity about that and that's the bigger avoidance. He never caught onto why he chose Mandelson.
Particularly what he did in the relationship to what's going on in Iran was absolutely correct. This is not our war and NATO should not be involved...The mess conglomerates throughout.