The fourth week of the general election campaign began with Grant Shapps’ interviews on Sky News and other broadcasters.
No surprise there.
Like Jude Bellingham in Gareth Southgate’s England squad at the Euros, Mr Shapps is one of the first names on Rishi Sunak’s selection team sheet for broadcast interviews.
A league table of Sky News interviews this campaign reveals the defense minister is one of three cabinet ministers leading the Conservatives’ televised attack on Labour.
Unsurprisingly, Sunac ultra-loyalist Mel Stride, the Work and Pensions Secretary, tops our league table with five interviews, and Home Secretary James Clareley also on four.
Another Sunak ultra-loyalist, Transport Secretary Mark Harper, is just behind the top three, with a trio of Sky News interviews including Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips on weekends.
Sky News’ league table is likely to be similar to that of other broadcasters and is therefore a good indicator of the total number of interviews by major politicians during the election campaign.
What about labor?
Labour’s Sky News interview league table is topped by tough Jonathan Ashworth with eight, followed by shadow health secretary Wes Streeting – who also appeared Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips on weekends – at seven.
The pair, clearly regarded by Labor’s senior leadership as the party’s top media figures, were also the most prominent members of the shadow cabinet in the spin rooms after televised debates, often engaging in lively arguments with their Tory opponents.
Two halves of a game
Politics, like football, is of course often a game of two halves. With just 17 days left in the six-week campaign, it’s now safe to say that this election is moving from the group stage to the knockout stage.
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville said in an open commentary on political leaders that Southgate is “everything a leader should be: respectful, humble, telling the truth, genuine”.
So, as the second half of June coincides with the Euro election campaign, who will be victorious in July? Gareth Southgate, Rishi Sunak or Sir Keir Starmer?
