Catherine Field

So in lots of ways, as Putin usually does it, Mike, it's put the cat among the pigeons.

Meeting of foreign ministers of the EU in Brussels today, they couldn't even decide whether they would actually discuss any terms with them.

They couldn't decide what their demands would be, what sort of dialogue it would be.

So everyone's sort of up in the air about it.

The only thing that they have been able to agree on, Mike,

has been the suggestion from Putin that former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder could be the point person for these talks.

They've said absolutely.

The EU says, yes, there's potential for a negotiation.

We do need a point person, but they rejected that out of hand.

They all said quite clearly that Schroeder has been far too close to Putin, has never condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

He's got business interests in Russia.

And, of course, when he was Chancellor of Germany, what, 1998 to 2005, the Germans expanded their economic ties with Russia quite considerably during that time.

Really.

Everything else can go on in the world.

You've got this virus, you've got war, you've got the Middle East, you've got Iran, and everyone can be just a bit wacky for a few days.

We need that in-depth conversation to draw our party together to determine what is the right qualities we're looking for, but also the right person who can not only unite our communities, but unite our country.

That is the task at hand for the forthcoming leadership election to demonstrate that you actually understand the breadth that is needed.

Keir Starmer has been a very narrowing prime minister who listens to very few.

The authorities are doing something, but it seems they still have work to do if this is happening.

I need you ready for the hard parts because they're coming.