Remember Weebles, the egg-shaped toys that famously wobble but do not fall down? They first appeared in the 1970s and are still going strong today, with new characters introduced all the time.
You can now get Peppa Pig Weebles, Bluey Weebles and My Little Pony Weebles. But only on the Sunday politics shows can you see a Rishi Sunak Weeble, or a Wes Streeting Weeble.
The Prime Minister and the shadow health secretary were guests on BBC1’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.
This week the show was in Salford to tie in with the Conservative conference. The Prime Minister arrived in Manchester having spent much of the last week changing party policy on everything from gas boilers to 20mph zones. He seemed to be wobbling, but would he fall down?
No, or not yet anyway, was the answer that emerged from a lively interview that brought to mind Kuenssberg’s encounter with Liz Truss a year ago.
READ MORE Interviews no laughing matter for Labour straight man
Kuenssberg, you will recall, left the then Tory leader speechless by asking how many people had voted for her plan. An excruciating silence followed. “What do you mean by that?” was the best Ms Truss, who owed her position to a party membership vote, could muster. The interview went downhill from there, as did the Truss premiership.
While Ms Truss may have won the leadership contest by 81,326 votes to Mr Sunak’s 60,399, at least there was a vote.
Reminding Mr Sunak that he was amending policy that had been in the 2019 manifesto, Kuenssberg said: “No-one, factually, voted for the changes you are making. Are you comfortable with that?”
It looked as if Kuenssberg was set to join the hat-trick of Scottish interviewers, after STV’s Colin Mackay and the BBC’s Martin Geissler, who had recently given the PM the pip on such matters as independence and private jet travel.
But this time Mr Sunak kept talking, and his interviewer kept talking, and before long it was hard to make out what either was saying. Importantly, from Downing Street’s point of view, Mr Sunak remembered to smile, so he did not look rattled or annoyed.
READ MORE Marr's verdict on Scottish Labour leader
He kept the smile intact even when Kuenssberg presented him with one of those “word clouds” that show the words and phrases most associated with someone. Sunak’s was packed with the same four–letter word: rich.
Mr Sunak said he was fine with this, because his job was to deliver for people. If that meant changing policies then he would do so. “I get that people will be critical, but I’m okay with that.”
He was not okay, however, with being asked what he admired about the Labour leader Keir Starmer (Kuenssberg is asking all the party leaders).
“I’m not interested in talking about personalities, people can make up their own minds. I’m interested in setting out my vision for the country, and people can make their own judgments.
“But what I would say is: you’ve got to take a stand on things. I don’t think saying nothing, hiding, is the right type of leadership. That’s an abdication of leadership, quite frankly.”
Next to undergo the wobble test was Wes Streeting. He was asked to explain yet more changes of mind on Labour’s part, this time on ending charitable status for private schools.What changed, wondered Kuenssberg, or did they not look closely enough at the policy first time around?
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There was nothing to worry about, said Mr Streeting. It was all part of Labour’s “bomb-proofing” policies before they made it into the manifesto. “What matters is what works.”
Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips did not have the Prime Minister but it had Michael Gove, who is always better value than any boss he has had.
Having stuck to the stock answer about tax cuts (he didn’t know what the Chancellor was planning, etc) the Levelling Up Secretary said he would like to see taxes reduced before the next election. Consider that a flag planted.
On Kuenssberg’s panel this week was Fraser Nelson, editor of the Spectator, Baroness Louse Casey, former government advisor, and impressionist Jon Culshaw, who lends his voice to Partygate, a Channel 4 docudrama showing on Tuesday.
Baroness Casey said she had spent the hour thinking, “Thank God we’ve got Laura Kuenssberg doing this programme, because at least you ask people straight questions. What you are looking for are some straight answers.”
Off camera an embarrassed Kuenssberg could only cough at the compliment.
Culshaw sang for his breakfast with eerily accurate impressions of Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak, who he described as “the closest you can get to AI while still remaining human”.
The Dead Ringers star enjoyed his panel experience. “It’s fascinating to watch up close the non-answering of questions." He should try it every week.
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