Summary

  • Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer has admitted that Thursday's local elections in England were difficult for the Conservative Party

  • She tells Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that the Tories will "need to deliver" after losing 48 councils and over 1,000 councillors

  • Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting says he's "confident but not complacent" that Labour is headed for general election success

  • The party won more than 500 councillors in the local elections, while the Lib Dems won more than 400

  • Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey told the programme his party would not work with the Conservatives in any future coalition

  • Meanwhile, New Zealand PM Chris Hipkins says he expects the country to eventually become a republic despite no major calls for a new head of state

  1. Panel responds to comments of New Zealand PMpublished at 09:38 British Summer Time 7 May 2023

    The panel are responding to some of those views from the New Zealand prime minister on Britain's past - we'll bring you their thoughts in a moment.

    Don't forget you can watch live by pressing Play at the top of this page.

  2. Hipkins asked about colonialism apologypublished at 09:28 British Summer Time 7 May 2023

    Chris Hipkins

    Kunessberg is now asking Hipkins about whether the monarchy should apologise for past mistakes when it comes to colonialism and slavery.

    It comes after indigenous leaders from 12 Commonwealth countries - including New Zealand - signed a letter asking King Charles III for a formal apology for the effects of British colonisation.

    "In instances where a wrong has been established and a redress has been agreed an apology from the Crown, in some cases delivered by the Crown, has been included within that," Hipkins responds.

    He cites the process in New Zealand for reconciling breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi, the country's founding document.

    This process creates a record of breaches of this document, and "in many cases the redress includes a full apology, and that can come from the Crown", he adds.

  3. Hipkins expects New Zealand to become a republicpublished at 09:26 British Summer Time 7 May 2023

    Hipkins is asked next about his views on the monarchy, describing himself as "a technical republican".

    King Charles remains head of state in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada - although for many years there has been an active movement in Australia in favour of becoming a republic.

    The New Zealand PM says that while he doesn't believe the monarchy should not exist, he says it "would be nice to have someone who was in New Zealand to be our head of state".

    But he adds that making the decision to have a different head of state would raise many constitutional questions and the current system "works quite well".

    Hipkins says New Zealand will "eventually" become a republic but there isn't "a ground swell of support" amongst New Zealanders to ask for change.

  4. New Zealand PM up nowpublished at 09:24 British Summer Time 7 May 2023

    New Zealand Prime Minister Chris HipkinsImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins in Westminster Abbey yesterday

    We're now hearing from New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, who attended yesterday's Coronation in Westminster Abbey.

    He says it's "a huge honour to be part of something that’s so historically significant", adding that the mood in the abbey was "dignified and restrained" but also full of excitement.

    Hipkins met King Charles on Friday during a special lunch for leaders of the Commonwealth realms in Buckingham Palace.

    He says they had "a very warm conversation" that included discussion on severe weather in New Zealand earlier this year and climate change.

  5. Frazer on licence feepublished at 09:23 British Summer Time 7 May 2023

    Onto the BBC licence fee now. When asked how she feels about the cost, Frazer describes the organisation as a "phenomenal British institution".

    Pushed on whether she agrees with the license fee, the Tory MP says it's something her department wants to look at "very closely".

    She repeats that it's important for the BBC to be "properly funded", but when asked she refuses to say whether she intends to scrap the license fee - a move one of her predecessors, Nadine Dorries, was keen on.

    Frazer says her department is beginning a review into the BBC's current funding method soon, but until then she doesn't want to say anymore.

    The discussion moves on.

    Laura asks Frazer if British museums should give artefacts back if they are asked to.

    Frazer says the UK holds a number of the world's artefacts. She claims that the items are owned by the trustees of the British Museum and that the law says they should not be returned.

    There are no current plans to change the laws, she adds.

  6. Frazer on sports club ownershippublished at 09:23 British Summer Time 7 May 2023

    Moving on. Lucy Frazer says there are "no plans" to bring in rules to regulate foreign ownership of football clubs.

    Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim are currently bidding to buy Manchester United FC.

    The government are bringing in rules to "ensure football clubs are financially sustainable" to ensure "fans are protected".

    But the government are "not bringing in particular rules for foreign ownership versus British ownership".

  7. Police had to make 'tough calls' during protests, minister sayspublished at 09:21 British Summer Time 7 May 2023

    Coronation protestsImage source, EPA

    Frazer is asked now about the protests during the King's Coronation yesterday - and a police response in London that has been accused of being heavy-handed.

    She starts off by saying the Coronation was an amazing event and she was incredibly proud to be a part of it.

    She says the right to protest is "really important", and that we live in a democracy and people should be heard, but that there's been a change in tactic from protesters in recent years.

    Protesters have been stopping people going about their day to day, she argues.

    She says people have a right to live their day to day life and that's why the government has brought in legislation.

    Frazer says the government needs to make sure we get the balance right and that the police asked the government for more powers.

    She says the police had to make "tough calls" yesterday and would have made operational decisions on a case by case basis, while also taking in the context of the event as a whole.

  8. 'I'm not going to pretend there's not more to do'published at 09:16 British Summer Time 7 May 2023

    Lucy Frazer

    Frazer's now being shown clips of Tory councillors, one of whom accuses the government of failing to support local government.

    "Unfortunately, on a national level we've been let down," another tells the programme.

    The culture secretary tries to move on but Laura brings her back to angry councillors. Frazer says for Labour to have a convincing lead in the local elections, they'd need to be "at least 13" points ahead - they aren't, she says.

    Asked how she'd respond to people who think the Tories' time in government is up, Frazer says those people would be wrong.

    "I'm not going to pretend there's not more to do," she adds.

  9. Frazer acknowledges 'difficult result' in location electionspublished at 09:15 British Summer Time 7 May 2023

    Lucy Frazer argues the local elections weren't a "great success" for Labour and the Liberal Democrats who "didn't so as well as the polls suggested".

    She argues Rishi Sunak has only been prime minster for six months.

    Frazer seems to accept that the local elections were difficult for the Conservative Party, saying: "Having knocked on doors throughout the local election campaign, I have seen a change in mood of the British people."

    She adds it was "very difficult" at the beginning of the campaign but says local councillors are "slowly beginning to give the government and Rishi Sunak credit".

    Pushed on some of the losses her party encountered, Frazer lists some successes - including her own constituency's council. But she admits she can't argue with the fact it was a "difficult result" for her party.

  10. Voters need to see Tories deliver, minister acknowledgespublished at 09:12 British Summer Time 7 May 2023

    Lucy Frazer

    Joining Laura now is Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer.

    Asked about the heavy loses the Tories suffered in the local elections and whether Rishi Sunak gets it, the Conservative MP for Cambridge says she thinks he does, and the party recognises it needs to take action and deliver.

    She says the Conservatives have been in power for 13 years, we've just come out of the pandemic, and are dealing with the cost of living crisis and the war in Ukraine.

    She says people want the party to cut inflation and to focus on what Sunak has pledged.

    Voters need to see the party "deliver", she says.

  11. Lib Dem leader: Sir Keir and I spoke about the coronationpublished at 09:10 British Summer Time 7 May 2023

    Sir Ed Davey

    We're now hearing from Sir Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, who was also at the Coronation.

    Laura Kuenssberg shows him a picture of himself inside the abbey yesterday, chatting away to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

    She asks what they were speaking about, to which Sir Ed says simply: "The Coronation". He adds the pair were taken aback by the grandeur of the event, especially the music.

    Commenting on the Coronation himself, panel member Prof Jason Arday says the service "demonstrated diversity" to some extent. But he criticises a "heavy-handed" police reaction to protests in London.

    Davey says he holds the Conservative government "responsible" for this.

  12. Panel member recalls 'glittery' crowns at coronationpublished at 09:06 British Summer Time 7 May 2023

    Alison Phillips

    Laura Kuenssberg begins by speaking to her panel - asking Daily Mirror editor Alison Phillips (who was at the Coronation) how she enjoyed yesterday's celebrations.

    She says the thing that shocked her the most was how "glittery" the crowns were. She says "the role the children had to play" was also a highlight.

    Remember: Prince George was one of the pages of honour and carried queen Camilla's train in and out of the abbey.

  13. We're under waypublished at 09:00 British Summer Time 7 May 2023

    The programme is on air now - stay tuned!

  14. Watch livepublished at 09:00 British Summer Time 7 May 2023

    Laura Kuenssberg

    Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg is will be on air in a moment - and you can watch the programme without leaving this page by clicking on the Play button in the picture above.

    Stay with us for the latest news lines, quotes and video clips as we follow the show ourselves.

  15. Yesterday’s Coronation in 90 secondspublished at 08:56 British Summer Time 7 May 2023

    Media caption,

    How King Charles' Coronation day unfolded

    Here's what Hipkins and others witnessed at Westminster Abbey yesterday.

    Here's a quick video distilling the key Coronation moments in under two minutes.

  16. New Zealand PM to appear as wellpublished at 08:52 British Summer Time 7 May 2023

    Chris HipkinsImage source, Reuters

    And here's another of Laura's interviewees this morning.

    New Zealand's prime minister attended yesterday's Coronation ceremony.

    Elected as PM after Jacinda Ardern stepped down in January, Chris Hipkins earlier this week said he didn't think it would be too long before New Zealand stopped recognising the British monarch as its head of state - something he supports.

    Hipkins met his Rishi Sunak on Friday - presenting his British counterpart with a bottle of ketchup which came all the way from New Zealand, as well as discussing a free trade deal between the two countries which will begin later this month as well climate change and the Ukraine war.

  17. Recap: The new NHS pay offerpublished at 08:49 British Summer Time 7 May 2023

    Let's continue with the health topic for a moment - since we just mentioned the shadow health secretary's views on industrial action by medics.

    On Wednesday, the government reached a pay settlement with a million health workers after a majority of unions representing NHS staff backed the deal.

    Under the deal - which was first proposed in March - staff will get a 5% pay rise plus a one-off sum of at least £1,655.

    However, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and two other unions have threatened more strikes.

  18. Shadow health secretary also on the lineuppublished at 08:44 British Summer Time 7 May 2023

    Wes Streeting

    Also on this morning’s show is Labour’s Wes Streeting. The MP for Ilford North has been shadow health secretary since November 2021.

    Streeting has previously said the national health service is in an "existential" crisis, and has promised reforms under a Labour government. He also said he would not “shirk” from using private providers to reduce NHS waiting lists.

    He has refused to support strike action by nurses because of the risks to patients' safety - and, if Labour was in power, he said he would not give nurses a 19% pay rise – the increase initially demanded by the RCN union when industrial action began last year.

  19. On the programme: Culture Secretary Lucy Frazerpublished at 08:38 British Summer Time 7 May 2023

    Culture Secretary Lucy FrazerImage source, EPA

    Joining the programme this morning is Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer.

    She’s been Conservative MP for Cambridge since 2015 and started her current role in the Cabinet in February this year.

    Earlier this week she said this weekend's Coronation would “mark the beginning of a new chapter in our national history”.

    But it's not been a good few days for her party, following the local election results mentioned in our previous posts.

  20. How leaders responded to local election resultspublished at 08:32 British Summer Time 7 May 2023

    The Liberal Democrats had their "best result in decades" in the local elections, according to leader Sir Ed Davey - one of Laura's guests this morning.

    They improved on 2019 - the last time these seats were fought - gaining more than 400 councillors, and taking control of 12 authorities including Windsor and Maidenhead, and Stratford-on-Avon.

    Elections expert Prof Sir John Curtice said the Lib Dems had done slightly better than in 2019 and 2022.

    Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer claimed the "fantastic" results showed his party was on course to win the next general election - expected next year.

    His party won control of councils in areas that could prove to be crucial battlegrounds in the general election, including Medway, Swindon, Plymouth, Stoke-on-Trent, and East Staffordshire.

    The Conservatives lost 48 councils and more than 1,000 councillors across England in Thursday's polls - a result Rishi Sunak admitted was "disappointing".

    But Sunak said he did not detect "a massive groundswell of movement towards the Labour Party or excitement for its agenda".