Tom Hollander: ‘I’m cautious about opening post from Russia'
Video content
Video caption: Tom Hollander said he was more "cautious" about opening post sent to the theatreTom Hollander said he was more "cautious" about opening post sent to the theatre
Now, we are watching Laura’s interview with actors Tom Hollander (left) and Will Keen about their new West End play, Patriots, set in Russia in 1991 at the fall of the Soviet Union.
The play was written long before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Laura asks Hollander if the war has changed how he’s played the role.
“I’m more cautious about opening any post that arrives in the theatre from Russia,” he says.
“We are at war and we are now quite visibly doing a play which is broadly speaking anti-Putin.”
He adds:“We are doing something that’s about living figures who are embattled with the West so it’s just a reason for not opening everything that arrives in the post."
When Keen, who plays Putin, is asked how it feels to be booed by the audience night after night, he says: “It’s exciting to feel that you’re engaging with their minds in a way that is very present and if that means a few boos that’s a good thing.”
No need to share WhatsApps to inquiry that aren't to do with Covid - Jenrick
Laura moves the interview with immigration minister Robert Jenrick on to the row over whether Boris Johnson's full unredacted Whatsapp messages should be handed to the government's Covid inquiry.
She says the families of those who lost loved ones in the pandemic have told her it is "obscene" that the government is taking its own inquiry to court to challenge the need to send all messages - rather than ones relevant to Covid.
Jenrick says: "We will hand over to the inquiry absolutely anything that is related to Covid for the purpose of the inquiry and that's the right thing to do."
But he says we don't see why we have to hand over messages "that have absolutely nothing to do with Covid", such as things to do with civil servants' private lives.
Jenrick says he wants businesses to invest in British workers, not reaching for the "easy lever of foreign labour".
He says a previous target to get numbers down to 100,000 is "not helpful" but insists leaving the EU and "taking back control" enables the government to make changes to the system.
A reader says focusing on small boats is "confused" - many of those coming are students, for example.
Jenrick says we're tackling illegal migration - and on legal migration, we have flexibility when there are shortages of workers.
He says: "We've taken serious action to tackle dependents of students, they can't bring dependents over. This will make material difference - a tangible difference on numbers."
Asylum system is 'riddled with abuse' - Jenrick
Immigration minister Robert Jenrick tells Laura the UK's asylum system is "riddled with abuse" and that the government needs to "fundamentally change how we handle asylum".
He says: "We are doubling the number of caseworkers, stripping out some of the unecessary bureacracy and streamlining the system."
He says the government's Illegal Migration Bill will make sure that if you come here illegally on a small boat you will be here for days or weeks in detained accommodation - and that you will be returned home if it's safe to do so, or to another country, such as Rwanda.
That will deter people from coming here, he says.
Jenrick: Conditions are not poor for asylum seekers
Immigration minister Robert Jenrick says he disagrees that conditions for migrants claiming destitution are poor.
He adds: "I will never put the interest of migrants above the British public."
A viewer asks about housing people on a barge, another asks about the danger of bringing lots of single men into a community - Laura says the issues point to a system that isn't working.
Jenrick insists that hotels can't be the only solution - and that barges and army bases are needed.
The UK "can't be a soft touch", he says.
We've got to look after the tax payer - Jenrick
Laura begins her interview with immigration minister Robert Jenrick by showing him a photo of asylum seekers on a London street.
She says they claimed they were asked to share four to a room and barricaded themselves outside a hotel in a "posh part" of London. She says 40 men slept outside for two nights.
Jenrick says "they had themselves said they were destitute, we had offered them a safe bed with board and lodgings in a good quality hotel".
He said some single adult men were asked to share but they wanted their own en suite bedrooms. He said asking them to share was "reasonable" as "we've got to look after the tax payer here".
He says the government does not want to use hotels long term, but we need value for money.
First up: Immigration minister Robert Jenrick
Being questioned first is immigration minister Robert Jenrick.
Jenrick's appearance follows the government releasing record-high net migration figures last week.
Let’s hear what he has to say...
What have the Conservatives pledged on migration since 2010?
We're about to hear from immigration minister Robert Jenrick.
In 2010 - the year the Conservatives came to power - David Cameron made a pledge to get net migration below 100,000 a year.
The Conservative manifestos in 2015 and 2017 said they would bring annual net migration into the tens of thousands, not hundreds of thousands (net migration is 606,000 in the latest figures).
That target was abandoned in the 2019 manifesto. It said: “There will be fewer lower-skilled migrants and overall numbers will come down.”
In October 2022, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said it would be the“ultimate aspiration” to get the net migration figure down below 100,000.
But in an interview with GB News, Rishi Sunak said he was“not going to put an arbitrary number on it” when asked about Braverman’s pledge.
Labour has no net migration target.
We’re on the air
Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg is live now on BBC One, the BBC News Channel, BBC iPlayer and here on this page.
Expect questions to the politicians on a range of issues, including the government’s promises to stop migrant boats, on Boris Johnson and his decision to hand over his WhatsApp messages to the Covid inquiry, and on accusations Labour isn’t acting on allegations of sexual misconduct.
You can follow the programme live by pressing the play button at the top of this page - or follow updates here for the best quotes, clips, and analysis.
What might Robert Jenrick be asked?
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media
Robert Jenrick is Laura's first guest. You can expect the immigration minister to be asked about the government’s plan to stop small migrant boats, and whether it’s actually workable - especially in light of recent figures showing that net migration is at record highs.
And there could well be some questions on former PM Boris Johnson, who this week said he will be giving unredacted WhatsApp messages to the Covid inquiry, bypassing the government (read more about that story here).
What are the papers saying today?
BBCCopyright: BBC
Many of the newspaper front pages speculate on what's next for ITV's Holly Willoughby following the departure of her co-presenter Philip Schofield after he admitted lying about an affair with a younger male colleague.
But there are some political stories around including The Sunday Telegraph's report that the prime minister wants to reduce National Insurance by up to 2p "before next year's general election".
The Sunday Express says Treasury officials have been told to draw up a "package of giveaways to be announced within months".
Meanwhile, The Mail on Sunday leads with a story about the Labour party, and what it says is a "class war on middle Britain". The paper reports "far-reaching proposals [are] being circulated to party members and trade unions", which would aim to divert "resources from rich areas to poorer postcodes".
Labour said the proposals are in draft documents and "not a final statement of party policy".
Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg begins at the top of the hour, and you can watch the programme without leaving this page by pressing the play button in the picture above.
Or, you can follow this page as it develops for live updates on the latest news lines, quotes and video clips as we follow the show, which this week features immigration minister Robert Jenrick, Labour's Jonathan Reynolds, Taiwanese foreign minister Joseph Wu, and actor Tom Hollander.
Analysis
'We can't be honest': Former home secretaries on cutting immigration
Laura Kuenssberg
Presenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg
Record immigration and ministers proclaim “stop the boats” anytime they're near a microphone - but why is it so hard to manage?
Five politicians who've done one of the hardest jobs in government as home secretary tell me why, and it starts with telling the truth.
"We can't be honest," says one.
They said governments "want to give the impression that you can do something about it, but it is very, very difficult".
One of the former home secretaries said the numbers are "sky high because of deliberate Tory policy".
Another said: "We have put in place the most liberal regime ever" to enable workers that the economy needs - and students - to come to the country legally.
I'll be putting questions about it to immigration minister Robert Jenrick today.
As ever, there will also be a panel of guests in the studio to help Laura pick apart today's interviews.
A week after hit TV show Succession came to an end, the actor who played Logan Roy, Brian Cox, is here. The trained Shakespearian actor is famous for plays both in London and on Broadway, and also starred in Braveheart, The Bourne Identity, and plenty more.
Salma Shah, a former special advisor to Sajid Javid, is also on the panel, Shah has also previously worked in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
Speaking for the government today is immigration minister Robert Jenrick. He’s been talking to French officials this week about the recent agreements between the two countries on tacking immigration - including the UK's plan to stop small migrant boats.
Next, actors Tom Hollander and Will Keen are here discussing their new play, Patriots, which is about the rise of the Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Then, from Labour, shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds is here to talk about jobs and energy - in a week where the party has been rocked by allegations of sexual misconduct against one of its MPs (and a different Labour MP has accused the party of choosing not to act).
And finally, Taiwan’s foreign minister Joseph Wu is on the programme talking about tensions with China - and why it matters for the West.
Good morning
Samuel Horti
Live reporter
BBCCopyright: BBC
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of today’s big political interviews as we bring you the latest updates, reaction and analysis from Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.
Parliament has been in recess - but that doesn’t mean it’s been a quiet week.
And with net migration reaching record highs, Robert Jenrick is here from the government to answer questions on immigration policy, including Rishi Sunak’s plan to “stop the boats”.
From Labour, shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds joins the show.
Stay with us as Anna Boyd, Jennifer Meierhans and I bring you all the updates from the programme, which you can watch at the top of this page from 09:00 BST
Live Reporting
Edited by Samuel Horti
All times stated are UK
Tom Hollander: ‘I’m cautious about opening post from Russia'
Video content
Now, we are watching Laura’s interview with actors Tom Hollander (left) and Will Keen about their new West End play, Patriots, set in Russia in 1991 at the fall of the Soviet Union.
The play was written long before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Laura asks Hollander if the war has changed how he’s played the role.
“I’m more cautious about opening any post that arrives in the theatre from Russia,” he says.
“We are at war and we are now quite visibly doing a play which is broadly speaking anti-Putin.”
He adds:“We are doing something that’s about living figures who are embattled with the West so it’s just a reason for not opening everything that arrives in the post."
When Keen, who plays Putin, is asked how it feels to be booed by the audience night after night, he says: “It’s exciting to feel that you’re engaging with their minds in a way that is very present and if that means a few boos that’s a good thing.”
No need to share WhatsApps to inquiry that aren't to do with Covid - Jenrick
Laura moves the interview with immigration minister Robert Jenrick on to the row over whether Boris Johnson's full unredacted Whatsapp messages should be handed to the government's Covid inquiry.
She says the families of those who lost loved ones in the pandemic have told her it is "obscene" that the government is taking its own inquiry to court to challenge the need to send all messages - rather than ones relevant to Covid.
Jenrick says: "We will hand over to the inquiry absolutely anything that is related to Covid for the purpose of the inquiry and that's the right thing to do."
But he says we don't see why we have to hand over messages "that have absolutely nothing to do with Covid", such as things to do with civil servants' private lives.
That's the end of Robert Jenrick's interview.
Net migration 'far too high', Jenrick says
Jenrick is challenged about net migration being at record levels - 606,000 people were added to the UK's population last year.
He admits that the numbers are "far too high".
Jenrick says he wants businesses to invest in British workers, not reaching for the "easy lever of foreign labour".
He says a previous target to get numbers down to 100,000 is "not helpful" but insists leaving the EU and "taking back control" enables the government to make changes to the system.
A reader says focusing on small boats is "confused" - many of those coming are students, for example.
Jenrick says we're tackling illegal migration - and on legal migration, we have flexibility when there are shortages of workers.
He says: "We've taken serious action to tackle dependents of students, they can't bring dependents over. This will make material difference - a tangible difference on numbers."
Asylum system is 'riddled with abuse' - Jenrick
Immigration minister Robert Jenrick tells Laura the UK's asylum system is "riddled with abuse" and that the government needs to "fundamentally change how we handle asylum".
He says: "We are doubling the number of caseworkers, stripping out some of the unecessary bureacracy and streamlining the system."
He says the government's Illegal Migration Bill will make sure that if you come here illegally on a small boat you will be here for days or weeks in detained accommodation - and that you will be returned home if it's safe to do so, or to another country, such as Rwanda.
That will deter people from coming here, he says.
Jenrick: Conditions are not poor for asylum seekers
Immigration minister Robert Jenrick says he disagrees that conditions for migrants claiming destitution are poor.
He adds: "I will never put the interest of migrants above the British public."
A viewer asks about housing people on a barge, another asks about the danger of bringing lots of single men into a community - Laura says the issues point to a system that isn't working.
Jenrick insists that hotels can't be the only solution - and that barges and army bases are needed.
The UK "can't be a soft touch", he says.
We've got to look after the tax payer - Jenrick
Laura begins her interview with immigration minister Robert Jenrick by showing him a photo of asylum seekers on a London street.
She says they claimed they were asked to share four to a room and barricaded themselves outside a hotel in a "posh part" of London. She says 40 men slept outside for two nights.
Jenrick says "they had themselves said they were destitute, we had offered them a safe bed with board and lodgings in a good quality hotel".
He said some single adult men were asked to share but they wanted their own en suite bedrooms. He said asking them to share was "reasonable" as "we've got to look after the tax payer here".
He says the government does not want to use hotels long term, but we need value for money.
First up: Immigration minister Robert Jenrick
Being questioned first is immigration minister Robert Jenrick.
Five former home secretaries have told Laura that getting a grip on immigration is an incredibly tough job, and questioned whether Rishi Sunak's "stop the boats" can actually work.
Jenrick's appearance follows the government releasing record-high net migration figures last week.
Let’s hear what he has to say...
What have the Conservatives pledged on migration since 2010?
We're about to hear from immigration minister Robert Jenrick.
In 2010 - the year the Conservatives came to power - David Cameron made a pledge to get net migration below 100,000 a year.
The Conservative manifestos in 2015 and 2017 said they would bring annual net migration into the tens of thousands, not hundreds of thousands (net migration is 606,000 in the latest figures).
That target was abandoned in the 2019 manifesto. It said: “There will be fewer lower-skilled migrants and overall numbers will come down.”
In October 2022, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said it would be the“ultimate aspiration” to get the net migration figure down below 100,000.
But in an interview with GB News, Rishi Sunak said he was“not going to put an arbitrary number on it” when asked about Braverman’s pledge.
Labour has no net migration target.
We’re on the air
Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg is live now on BBC One, the BBC News Channel, BBC iPlayer and here on this page.
Expect questions to the politicians on a range of issues, including the government’s promises to stop migrant boats, on Boris Johnson and his decision to hand over his WhatsApp messages to the Covid inquiry, and on accusations Labour isn’t acting on allegations of sexual misconduct.
You can follow the programme live by pressing the play button at the top of this page - or follow updates here for the best quotes, clips, and analysis.
What might Robert Jenrick be asked?
Robert Jenrick is Laura's first guest. You can expect the immigration minister to be asked about the government’s plan to stop small migrant boats, and whether it’s actually workable - especially in light of recent figures showing that net migration is at record highs.
And there could well be some questions on former PM Boris Johnson, who this week said he will be giving unredacted WhatsApp messages to the Covid inquiry, bypassing the government (read more about that story here).
What are the papers saying today?
Many of the newspaper front pages speculate on what's next for ITV's Holly Willoughby following the departure of her co-presenter Philip Schofield after he admitted lying about an affair with a younger male colleague.
But there are some political stories around including The Sunday Telegraph's report that the prime minister wants to reduce National Insurance by up to 2p "before next year's general election".
The Sunday Express says Treasury officials have been told to draw up a "package of giveaways to be announced within months".
Meanwhile, The Mail on Sunday leads with a story about the Labour party, and what it says is a "class war on middle Britain". The paper reports "far-reaching proposals [are] being circulated to party members and trade unions", which would aim to divert "resources from rich areas to poorer postcodes".
Labour said the proposals are in draft documents and "not a final statement of party policy".
Watch Laura Kuenssberg live from 09:00
Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg begins at the top of the hour, and you can watch the programme without leaving this page by pressing the play button in the picture above.
Or, you can follow this page as it develops for live updates on the latest news lines, quotes and video clips as we follow the show, which this week features immigration minister Robert Jenrick, Labour's Jonathan Reynolds, Taiwanese foreign minister Joseph Wu, and actor Tom Hollander.
'We can't be honest': Former home secretaries on cutting immigration
Laura Kuenssberg
Presenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg
Record immigration and ministers proclaim “stop the boats” anytime they're near a microphone - but why is it so hard to manage?
Five politicians who've done one of the hardest jobs in government as home secretary tell me why, and it starts with telling the truth.
"We can't be honest," says one.
They said governments "want to give the impression that you can do something about it, but it is very, very difficult".
One of the former home secretaries said the numbers are "sky high because of deliberate Tory policy".
Another said: "We have put in place the most liberal regime ever" to enable workers that the economy needs - and students - to come to the country legally.
I'll be putting questions about it to immigration minister Robert Jenrick today.
Who’s on the panel?
As ever, there will also be a panel of guests in the studio to help Laura pick apart today's interviews.
A week after hit TV show Succession came to an end, the actor who played Logan Roy, Brian Cox, is here. The trained Shakespearian actor is famous for plays both in London and on Broadway, and also starred in Braveheart, The Bourne Identity, and plenty more.
Salma Shah, a former special advisor to Sajid Javid, is also on the panel, Shah has also previously worked in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
Joining them is the new boss of the CBI business group, Rain Newton-Smith. She is tasked with turning the group around after allegations of rape and sexual assault against staff.
Who are Laura's guests this week?
Speaking for the government today is immigration minister Robert Jenrick. He’s been talking to French officials this week about the recent agreements between the two countries on tacking immigration - including the UK's plan to stop small migrant boats.
Next, actors Tom Hollander and Will Keen are here discussing their new play, Patriots, which is about the rise of the Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Then, from Labour, shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds is here to talk about jobs and energy - in a week where the party has been rocked by allegations of sexual misconduct against one of its MPs (and a different Labour MP has accused the party of choosing not to act).
And finally, Taiwan’s foreign minister Joseph Wu is on the programme talking about tensions with China - and why it matters for the West.
Good morning
Samuel Horti
Live reporter
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of today’s big political interviews as we bring you the latest updates, reaction and analysis from Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.
Parliament has been in recess - but that doesn’t mean it’s been a quiet week.
Boris Johnson is back in the headlines after he said he would give his unredacted WhatsApp messages to the Covid inquiry, something the government had refused to do.
And with net migration reaching record highs, Robert Jenrick is here from the government to answer questions on immigration policy, including Rishi Sunak’s plan to “stop the boats”.
It’s not been the easiest week for the opposition. Labour has suspended the Swansea West MP Geraint Davies after reports of "completely unacceptable behaviour".
From Labour, shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds joins the show.
Stay with us as Anna Boyd, Jennifer Meierhans and I bring you all the updates from the programme, which you can watch at the top of this page from 09:00 BST