Wednesday, 21 November, 2007
- 21 Nov 07, 06:00 PM
Loss of faith
Tonight we're devoting a substantial part of the programme to the impact the loss of 25 million child benefit records is having on Gordon Brown's government. The prime minister said he wanted to be remembered not just for competence but also for his vision. He must be wondering now whether he spoke too soon. After an autumn of damaging stories starting with the election that never was, then Northern Rock and now this latest crisis is the government's reputation for competence ebbing away? Would the Blair government have handled this crisis more smoothly? We'll be debating the government's performance in the studio with politicians and commentators.
Policy problems
Do ID cards have a future now? Is Alistair Darling right when he says biometrically protected data would make things safer? Or have the events of the last couple of days tipped ID cards into a vote loser? Just what are the measures which should have been in place at the HMRC to safeguard the public from these sort of cock ups? Susan Watts will be looking at this and exploring the case for and against ID cards.
Sleuth
And if you wondered what on earth persuaded Michael Caine to remake Sleuth with Jude Law then the simple answer is Harold Pinter. In an interview with Stephen Smith, Michael Caine reveals the true pulling power behind his decision to sign up to the remake. Sleuth 2007 has got a stellar cast and crew with Kenneth Branagh directing and Mr Pinter's updated script. But can it improve on the 1972 original?
Football
Oh and not forgetting football. Fans will be willing England to win or at the very least draw in tonight's Euro 2008 qualifier. They face Croatia at Wembley stadium at 8pm but you can imagine what life will be like for Steve McClaren if they don't succeed.
Gordon Brown said he wanted to be remembered not just for his vision but for competence. After an autumn of damaging stories starting with the election that never was, then Northern Rock and now the loss of 25 million benefit records is the government's reputation for competence ebbing away? How do we do the political story? 