US 2016: Republicans facing ‘bad scenarios’ says Barbour

Haley Barbour, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee has told HARDtalk's Stephen Sackur that if no presidential candidate wins enough delegate votes to win the Republican party nomination in the first round of the Cleveland Convention, then every option is "a bad scenario for the Republicans".

Three candidates are still left in the race - Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and John Kasich.

A candidate needs the support of 1,237 delegates to secure the nomination, but if they fail to do so they will face a contested convention where a candidate that came second or third could be chosen or even one who did not run in the initial race.

Mr Barbour said he believed the Republicans would face a dip rather than a bump after a contested convention but that supporters would rally to back whoever was chosen.

He recalled that candidate Gerald Ford who beat Ronald Reagan in the 1976 contested convention had been behind in the polls but his rating improved as it got closer to the election and he also got the backing of those who had supported Ronald Reagan.

You can see the interview in full at these times on BBC World News and the BBC News Channel and on BBC iPlayer (UK only)