This week on Sunday Live Adam speaks live and exlusively to the former Attorney General Lord Goldsmith about the BAE inquiry.

The High Court recently ruled he was wrong to suspend the Serious Fraud Office's investigation into bribery allegations between BAE and Saudi officials.

Lord Goldsmith will answer his critics over that decision.

The Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg will also be on discussing BAE and Shadow Chancellor George Osborne will cast an eye over the state of the economy.

In sport, Andy Gray looks at the Man Utd Arsenal showdown and Olympic gold medallist Tessa Sanderson gives her views on whether there should be a boycott of the Beijing games.

Kirsty MacColl's mother, Jean, explains why she still want justice over the accident which killed the singer whilst swimming in Mexico.

'Kite Runner' author Khaled Hosseini speaks about his new book 'A Thousand Splendid Suns', whilst Whitesnake singer David Coverdale celebrates the band's 30th anniversary with new material and a tour.

That's Sunday Live at 1000 this Sunday.

Comments

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 16 Apr 2008 06:32:21]

Craig
Do yourself a favour and look on the Labour Home website.
"Getting rid of the Brown Stuff", they talk about the man you have trusted to lead your country.

[Victor, NW Kent 15 Apr 2008 16:54:34]

Craig

I took no offence so your graceful apology, whilst accepted, was not really necessary.

I am always grateful to those who are kind enough to compliment me but they can be assured that I have been very much through the rough-and-tumble of life and am not easily offended or hurt. I have been poor and I have been rich and poor again.

Rich was much better but now I am just somewhere between - that is why I have no debts. and feel free to give to certain charities.

I have a horror and fear of debt that comes from having been poor. That is why I cannot easily stomach a Budget in which £40-billion is borrowed. I also see no sense in borrowing in order to give alms elsewhere.

My respects.

[Craig 15 Apr 2008 14:12:32]

Victor

Apologies to you if you were in any way offended by my last post. It was a cheap shot at humour which is why I posted 'All the best'. I had a bit of a giggle and thought that you would see the funny side. I am big enough not to doubt your sincerity and I hope that you will see that my points are heartfelt also. Please call off Elizabeth and Bruce, your lap dogs as they are biting my ankles.

I would only addd that Brown is no fool. He consults widely and will be well briefed on the needs of Africa. That is why he has a Development Secretary.

I will be serious from now on!!

Craig

[Madnurse 15 Apr 2008 11:06:00]

With the compulsory inclusion of "bio fuels" in all fuels sold on British forecourts, will the government cut the fuel duty by 5% when the bio fuel level in our fuel reaches this point?

[Victor, NW Kent 14 Apr 2008 20:05:31]

Craig

I was working, not visiting. That is why my knowledge of how Africa works, or doesn't, was acquired.

My family still has two businesses in Africa and my wife's family were amongst the most important merchants, eventually also hoteliers in Botswana.

I take no pleasure in the steady deterioration of Africa nor in the death of promising democracies. What I do not have to do is to fly in, visit 5 countries in 6 days and then make great pronouncements on aid for Africa. Unfortunately that is the amount of attention given to it by the statesmen of the West.

China has other ideas there as Russia once did. Each has trained and financed revolutionaries to destabilise African countries. It is called realpolitik.

[Bruce Hulmes 14 Apr 2008 19:31:33]

Craig.
I too like Victor have travelled and that is what I base my views on certain subjects on experience not what so and so told me.
And I am still travelling having returned from San Francisco about three weeks ago and were off again in a couple of months the only continent I have not set foot on is Antartica. Now some of us do have cash to pay our way, those who can do!! those who can,t I generally find vote Labour.

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 14 Apr 2008 17:58:57]

Craig
Victor is a person of honour, yes I am "sticking up" for him. He has no debt, as stated in his previous posting, which I beleive.
What is it with you, don't you beleive the truth? Probaly not you are a Labour supporter.

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 14 Apr 2008 17:46:55]

Victor
There are some very full bank accounts methinks in Switzerland and the likes. I think you have the measure of things!

[Craig 14 Apr 2008 17:41:33]

By the way, I am not talking about this from the base of no experience. I have spent considerable time, not just holidays, in all of the Southern African countries from the Congo and Angola down to Cape Town.

Victor- I am glad to see that you have travelled extensively. I am not trying to be flippant but per earlier posts, I do hope that you didn't run up too high a credit card bill when doing so. That wouldn't be prudent!!

All the best

Craig

[Victor, NW Kent 14 Apr 2008 17:09:43]

Craig

Don't ask the poor in Africa how they appreciate the aid they get. Ask their rich leaders who take the foodstuffs and blankets and medicines and distribute them to their henchmen or sell them on for their own pockets.

By the way, I am not talking about this from the base of no experience. I have spent considerable time, not just holidays, in all of the Southern African countries from the Congo and Angola down to Cape Town. Take a look at Mauritius, not far from the African mainland - no mineral resources and virtually no unemployment and a ridiculously low crime rate. Mauritius has a truly democratic government and a very, very high literacy ratio.

The total amount of aid to Africa since 1946 is equivalent to $25000 for every man, woman and child who lives there. What is to show for that? Kenya had some horticultural success, Botswana some with minerals. The rest - disappeared into thin air.

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 14 Apr 2008 17:04:16]

Craig
Maybe you should visit Guguletu Cape Town on your next overseas vacation.
If Brown is at the forefront he must go to the UN.

[Craig 14 Apr 2008 15:59:18]

Better if he went to the UN and helped remove Mugabe from power, his time would be better spent.

Elizabeth - Brown has been to the forefront of trying to effect change in Zimbabwe. Your argument is non-existant. He has also been at the forefront of helping Africa through aid and thank god for that. He can't do everything but gets the balance right. Ask the poor in Africa if they would like to see Cammers as PM or Brown. I suspect after a 5 minute history lesson what they would choose. Are there people seriously suggesting that we should just leave them to their own devices. Maybe I am wrong to have a soft heart. Maybe those who would keep everything to ourselves are right. Mabe we should just let the poor nations get on with it. So what if they can't cope! I may be out on a limb but I am proud to be!!

Browns approach to Africa perhaps illustrates more clearly than anything his moral compass and the real difference between Labour and Conservative. When he supports Africa, he does so because he thinks it is the right thing to do not because there is a few votes in it! That is the kind of man I trust to lead this country!!

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 14 Apr 2008 15:44:45]

Rae
I live here in South Africa.
More people die of AIDS and TB and drug abuse here than from malaria, can Mr Brown please send money for everything....no I didn't think so.
Better if he went to the UN and helped remove Mugabe from power, his time would be better spent.

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 14 Apr 2008 15:41:41]

Rae
You and I are miles apart on the subject of "tick".
I would rather go without something than buy it on HP.
No government can keep spending imaginary money, the government will collapse. This is what has happened Dear Mr Brown has emptied the coffers of UK PLC, that's it all gone...nothing left, the country is overdrawn. Where is Prudence when we need her?

[Rae 14 Apr 2008 15:34:33]

The new car and overseas holidays which you boast of, as does Mike Simpson/Morning Mail quite often, are impossible dreams for the 6-million.

Victor - Please don't tell me that there aren't many more people now going abroad than there was 10 years ago. That is happening under a Labour Govt. People aspire to things that their parents could only dream off. Is that so wrong!!

You have made a choice to live strictly within your means and that is a laudible choice in some ways. In other ways, if you took on modest debt then it might lead to more employment leading to more taxation, the ability for more public investment' more jobs and so on (a nice circle if controlled not a vicious one) The point that too many now make since the current economic crisis is that credit is a dirty word. If only we had all borrowed less, lived within our means and so on without realising that such a strategy would have led to less jobs, less investment and so on. A shrinking economy is not pleasant either!!

I drive a 7-year old car because I am happy with it. I will update it when I feel the time is right, borrowing if necessary, and keeeping a car worker in a job. I am struggling a bit just now like everyone but I don't blame Labour. That is a nonsense argument when we are facing a global problem. Do I say to myself, lets get rid of Brown and Darling and bring in Cameron and Osborne. Would they have done anything right!. I am no fool and I suspect that you are not either. Wake up to the reality of getting rid of Labour. You get Cameron/Osborne. Truly frightening!! Their IHT won't help you Victor!!!!

[Rae 14 Apr 2008 15:13:07]

Elizabeth

We are a prosperous nation. How many people will really do without their annual holiday this year. Not many!! People are dying in Africa. We need to do more so please accept that mosquito nets are important as is ensuring that they have adequate supplies of food and water. Yes, we are going through a difficult global financial time but nothing like Africa. Please don't compare us to thei situation. Brown rightly recognises the plight of those in the UK who may face repossessions and urged the banks yesterday to do more to avoid this by extending payment periods and so on. We can do both!!

[Victor, NW Kent 14 Apr 2008 14:50:21]

Rae and Craig - go together like bacon & eggs.

Please read my earlier post about the reality of interest rates - for 10 years higher than in the EU or the USA.

You see people have been prosperous for 10 years. That is not all of the people - just your kind of people. Many, about 6-million, are far from prosperous. Talk about them, not about you.

The new car and overseas holidays which you boast of, as does Mike Simpson/Morning Mail quite often, are impossible dreams for the 6-million.

I drive a 6-year old car and have had one overseas holiday in 10 years. I also have no debt whatsoever - not a penny to anyone. I do little to fuel climate change or credit growth. That does not make me unhappy at all. When I make a donation it is out of my own, not borrowed, funds.

Debt, national or personal is corrosive and Alan Greenspan and Gordon Brown wallowed in the "successful" economies they built. We enter a period of world recession borrowing another £40 billion a year. If you count that as success you will one day wake up with a fright.

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 14 Apr 2008 14:47:37]

Rae
I can't agree with you on the massive budget defeceit this Labour government have created, it's a disgrace. Labour were never good and keeping hold of the public purse strings. What did Brown do just a few days ago. He is overdrawn at the treasury and he put his fingers in the till again, and bought mosquito nets, he is a serial shopper, he needs to cut up his plastic.

[Rae 14 Apr 2008 14:12:54]

Rae
Seems to me you can hardly have prosperity on "tick", tables have turned and people need to scale down... any suggestions? Cut up the plastic.

Elizabeth

You are right - People do have to scale down at present. That doesnn't mean, and I see that you don't say it, that they haven't done very well under Labour to date. I feel that you would agree that they deserve the chance and our support to see us through this difficult period. Govts of all colours have always borrowed money and that is entirely sensible by countries who wish to invest so you can in fact have prosperity on 'tick' as you put it. Prosperity might be measured in reducing NHS waiting lists and so on, rather than being entirely finacial.

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 14 Apr 2008 13:52:56]

Rae
Seems to me you can hardly have prosperity on "tick", tables have turned and people need to scale down... any suggestions? Cut up the plastic.

[Craig 14 Apr 2008 13:42:05]

We are in the grip of serious global financial pressures. However much, bloggers here would like to blame it all on Brown, this is a world wide problem. There is nothing that Osborne or Cameron could have done to prevent this. What is important is to do the right things together with other Leaders to ensure that the difficulties are dealt with appropriately. The fundamentals in the UK economy are undoubtedly strong with more people in work, low inflation and reducing interest rates from already historic lows. The price of fuel and food is concerning and of course all Govts would like to see it lower but poor weather and demand has meant it has increased quicker than anyone could have expected. The longer term decisions such as increasing nuclear power are being taken by Labour whilst the Tory position on such matters is much less clear.

Bloggers here and the press who suggest that all would have been fine if Cameron (economically incompetent I would guess) and Osborne had been in power are being disingenuous with the British people. Ths is a GLOBAL PROBLEM!!

People in the UK have been prosperous for 10 years and to turn their backs on Labour over this world crisis is shameful in my view. Their living standards have never been better and this downturn which I believe is only temporary, only serves to show that Labour is a victim of their own success.

How many bloggers here can honestly say that they are not much better off now that they were 10 years ago. What car do you drive now?, how many holidays hve they had?, what material gains have you enjoyed?. The majority know the truth in their heart of hearts. It wasn't dithering that brought that about but sure-footedness on the part of Brown.

[Rae 14 Apr 2008 13:27:57]

People here need to get real!! It is easy when there is a correction to just turn and hit the Govt. Brown and Darling along with other world leaders (As much as you hate it as you would love to just blame Labour, this is a world problem)will sort the financial turmoil despite the fears of the public at present. If I am wrong then you will have your day and Labour will be ousted. If I am right then I expect you all to recognise the success and give Labour some credit. I won't hold my breath.

The truth is that the public in this country have never been as well off as they have in the last 10 years. It is a nonsense to suggest that interest rates, inflation and unemployment have not been historically low. There has been growth in every quarter, NHS waiting lists are almost non-existent in many areas and many many children have neen lifted from poverty. On the back of Labours success, more people enjoy new cars, foreign holidays and all the other luxuries in life under a Labour Govt than ever before, me included.

Don't tell me how Labour have ruined Britian. The country has never been so prosperous as in the last 10 years and Labour can be proud of their record. Sure, things have not always gone right but despite the best efforts of the gutter press in this country, the facts speak for themselves.

It shows you how fickle people are that they can forget things so quickly. Do they excpect that the UK should be riding the crest of a wave at a time when every other country in the world is under severe pressure. Do they all have poor Govts? Of course not!! The world will stabilise quicker than most suspect I would guess and Labour have every chance of coming back in the polls. The scaremongering by most here who only see the world through blue tinted specs is ridiculous. Do they really suggest that Cameron and Osborne would not have given tax cuts or spent the same as Labour throughout the last 10 years. Are they really suggesting that they would have saved money for the lean years that were to come. That is a nonsense and you know it. Tories would have been screaming for tax cuts if there had been a surplus.

Things look bad for Labour at present but if I am right and they sort the financial difficulties with other world leaders then they have every prospect that their fortunes will improve.

I just despair when people allude to how Osborne and Cameron would have prevented all this turbulence. This economic batman and robin would have sunk long before now!!

[Peter, Fife 14 Apr 2008 12:16:53]

Victor,
You choose to interpret and lay claims of pedantic behaviour, are you denying the devil is always in the detail?

Many who claimed that the headline figures for the budget masked the detail, would you consider further such examinations as of the budget pedantry?

Temporary: not permanent
Blip: a brief upturn or downturn, as in revenue or income: anything small, as in amount or number: a blip of light; those opposed were merely a blip in the opinion polls.

But hey ho, of course you know what I meant, because you state “...when the meaning is perfectly clear...” even though you could not actually remember what I actually posted.

[Victor, NW Kent 14 Apr 2008 10:53:19]

Well Peter. that does not make your prophecy any more valid. It is pure pedantry to insist on word for word quotes when the meaning is perfectly clear.

Michael - a good point but it would be unwise to promise top scrap ALL of the quangos. It would be necessary to be in office so as to evauate which of them do anything useful and how many of them could be totally closed down and how many could be pooled together to save on staff and office space. Some estimates say that at least 173 of them serve no useful function except to provide employment. That figure may be far out - it could be 73 or 473.

What we do know is that they consume over £200-billion a year. If 20% of them closed there would be no need for borrowing to make up the Budget shortage.

[Peter, Fife 14 Apr 2008 08:33:13]

Victor,
You memory fails you yet again “...I remember Peter in Fife saying that would be a temporary blip...”

I actually posted, “...Of course the £/€ rate is of concern but it is only temporary...”, (21/03/08).

No mention of “blip”

[G.KING SUSSEX 14 Apr 2008 07:39:54]

RAE Not another brainwashed labourite.Wake up and look at the mess we are in because of Brown's sleight of hands tricks.He has blown Billions and Billions of taxpayers money.Sold off our Gold reserves for a song.Subjected future generations to pay back in taxes Billions and Billions spent in PFI initiatives.

[garth hessey portsmouth 13 Apr 2008 22:07:55]

Building Societies used to have savers money to fund mortgages If you punish by, means testing, people who have saved their already taxed money there is no incentive for the "fiscally prudent" and I don't include Gordon Brown in that group!

[Rex South of England 13 Apr 2008 17:42:28]

Did the Saudi's really threaten to withold intelligence or was it another Blair/Goldsmith fantasy similar to the Iraq war?

[Michael 13 Apr 2008 13:04:17]

I noticed the Question came up again with the interview with George Osborne,How are you going to pay for things ,for the life of me i cant understand why the Conservitives just say the will scrap all the Quangos,and all the stupid things our money is spent on.Like paying £28 million for child benifit for children of east europeans who dont live in this country.They should tell the EU it will stop.

[Victor, NW Kent 13 Apr 2008 13:01:16]

Rae/Craig

Better get used to the idea as the Conservatives are 16 points ahead in the latest YouGov poll and the negative view of Brown personally has reached an amazing size.

You are whistling in the wind with these comments. Interest rates have consistently been above those in the Euro zone and in the USA without exception for the past 10 years.

Inflation is low only because the method of evaluation excludes rent or mortgage interest and council tax. Anyone who has to shop and pay bills must know it is very far from being 2% annually.

Some weeks ago I pointed out how the world regards our economy and the Pound slipped against all major currencies. I remember Peter in Fife saying that would be a temporary blip. It is now at the lowest ever value against the Euro and is even sinking against the sick US dollar. That is something which affects only us and is not caued by external factors. Shares in UK plc are dropping sharply and it is time for the Chairman and directors to go.

I would be perfectly happy if the diet of Conservatives on Adam's show was interrupted by a reappearance of Labour Ministers - let us start with Des Browne, Tom McNulty, David Milliband and Ed Balls. You would soon understand why such Ministers do not want to appear.

[Bruce Hulmes 13 Apr 2008 11:42:21]

Adam.
Could you ask Osborne to explain to people, such as Rae which party encouraged people to buy their own homes.

[Elizabeth Davies Cape Town 13 Apr 2008 11:24:07]

Watched the interview with Mr Osborne, seemed to talk a good deal of sense, and has just done some good research on the subject of finance by going to New York and speaking to the people at the coalface.
Pulling the bankers into Downing Street will not solve the problem, Brown is only doing that to show the people that he is doing something.
Shopping for votes for Ken really, desperation setting in now.
Mr Brown was never the right man for PM and Darling is certainly the wrong man at the treasury, what the two Bonnies are going to do now is anyone's guess. Humpty Dumpty has definately fallen off the wall.

[waine uk 13 Apr 2008 10:58:30]

The Saudi affair brings to the fore the Hypocracy of the Tory party who are against opening up the inquirey about the arms deals.( not surprised it started on their watch ) But the same party screams about the perceived giving away of our independent judiciary to the EU, but they are quite willing to subvert our laws to a bunch of despotic prince's. If the enquirey is not carried forward, the entire fraud squad should be prosecuted for perverting the course of justice. Won't hold my breath though.

[seb/uk 13 Apr 2008 08:46:56]

Labour are victims of their own success.
What a ridiculous thing to say.

[Fluffy, London, England 12 Apr 2008 23:50:27]

Adam, please ask Lord Goldsmith whether he is proud of the legal reforms [sic] achieve by New Labour? And if he could justify to Her Majesty's Armed Forces why their legal rights are considered to be of lessor value to the Government when compared to - say - terrorists, criminals, illegal-immigrants, and health-tourists..?

Thanks,

[Dave, Wirral 12 Apr 2008 21:47:26]

Dear Rae,

It is with deep sympathy that I hate to break it to you, but the so called "property ladder" is but a mirage and a myth.

For or instance, one may purchase a house at say £100,000 ten years ago, and it may well be worth £ 250,000 today, but I challenge you to buy the identical house next door for the £100,000 you originally spent on the identical house next door that you own.

No, thought not.

I happen to be an IFA, and i can tell you that the amount of morons ( sorry, customers ) comming through my doors to arrange a re-mortgage to finance either a new BMW or their yearly trip to the Behamas, treating their house as a bank account, has nearly quadrupled in the past few years.

I have tried to warn them that this kind of behaviour will lead them to ruin, but their attitude is always the same, the " make hay while the sun shines " attitude.

I fear they are about to experience what always comes around as I have warned, but nobody listens, even though I don't stand to make more money if they don't heed my advice.

Adam, please ask Gideon how he will prevent the kind of idiotic 125% mortgages offered from occuring in the future, as even those with the IQ of an ant could see that was going to end in disaster?

One last request, can you please ask Whitesnake to play " Burn " as I love that track

Cheers

[Khalid 12 Apr 2008 21:13:54]

As our [Imagination] is further stretched by virtue of many a party policy, what advice would his lordship give to those that can't choose between McCain chips or own brand products and does he feel the environment would be better if there were [Music & Lights]?

[Rae 12 Apr 2008 18:54:10]

osborne should come on the programme and tell us how everyone who has owned a house in the UK over the last 10 years has done wonderfully well as a result of Labours economic policies that have ensures low inflation and interest rates. He should go on to say that the troubles we now face are global and a correction on a worldwide basis is taking place. He should finish by saying that Labour are victims of their own success and urge people to be calm and support the Govt who are doing all the right things to ensure stability. I am sure that he won't let me down!!

[Craig 12 Apr 2008 18:46:43]

Shadow Chancellor George Osborne will cast an eye over the state of the economy.

I simply can't wait. Whats the bet we hear the word 'ditherer' at least four or five times. Let me just say ' To replace Brown and Darling with the experienced Cameron and Osborne' at a time of economic uncertainty on a global scale would be utterly reckless and unthinkable. There are places for those on this blog who urge the UK to do just that. They are more to be pitied than laughed at. That is for sure!!

[alan mcpartland 12 Apr 2008 15:41:13]

I hope Peter that Adam has a swivel chair for Lord Goldsmith. In that way he can be all things to all people as he has been in the past. He was after all the most "accommodating" of Attorneys General. I wich only that Gilbert and Sullivan were still around. I'm sure they would have had a little ditty for this "honourable" Attorney General.

[Bruce Hulmes 12 Apr 2008 15:20:41]

Adam.
Please ask Mr Goldsmith if he has actually sat any law exams,and passed them only if he got paid a no win no fee basis, he would be the poorest lawyer in the country.

[Diversity 12 Apr 2008 13:28:52]

Plenty of good material for thsi programme over on Ian Dale's Diary