Stripping Off with Matt Haycox
Welcome to 'Stripping Off with Matt Haycox,' where we bare it all on business, money, and life. Get ready to peel back the layers of success with entrepreneur, investor, funding expert, and mentor with over 20 years of experience building and growing businesses, Matt Haycox.
Tune into steamy conversations with industry titans, celebrities, and successful entrepreneurs as they strip down their stories of triumphs, setbacks, and the raw realities of their journey to the top. Matt is going down on business, money, and life, and will take DMCs to new heights!
Stripping Off with Matt Haycox
17.4 Million Votes IGNORED: Inside the BREXIT BETRAYAL with MP !!
Tell us what you like or dislike about this episode!! Be honest, we don't bite!
Dame Andrea Jenkyns dives deep into the gritty world of British politics, tackling her own party, the civil service, and the influence of “woke culture” on British democracy. Known for her bold stance on Brexit, Andrea doesn’t mince words as she shares her journey from Greggs to Parliament and speaks on why she believes the political system needs a shake-up. Andrea discusses her fierce fight for Brexit, calling Parliament’s handling of the 17.4 million Brexit votes a “betrayal of democracy.” Her view? If leaders can’t deliver, they shouldn’t be in office.
Key Highlights:
- From Greggs to Parliament: Andrea shares how a personal tragedy drove her to fight for healthcare reform and democratic accountability.
- Calling Out Weak Leadership: She demanded Theresa May’s resignation, standing firm on Brexit’s importance and calling out government inaction as a failure to the public.
- Abuse and Threats: Andrea reveals disturbing threats she’s received targeting her family, underscoring the often limited support MPs have against harassment.
- Civil Service Crisis: Andrea argues that Britain’s civil service needs an overhaul, describing it as “woke” and “left-wing”—and a barrier to real progress.
- Fighting Woke Culture: From universities to the NHS, Andrea claims that “woke” policies are limiting free speech and eroding British common sense, urging politicians to defend national values rather than following popular opinion.
This episode is Andrea’s unfiltered take which raises questions about the direction of British politics and the role of accountability in government.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
0:36 - Who is Andrea Jenkyns?
4:53 - Getting into Politics
10:13 - Calling for Theresa May’s Resignation
13:15 - Dictatorship vs Democracy: Dubai vs England
18:47 - Limits of Government & Prime Ministerial Power
20:56 - Andrea on Today’s Woke Society
24:32 - Dealing with Death Threats
26:07 - Have UK Police Gone Soft?
32:55 - UK Financial Restructure: A Business Comparison
36:51 - Why Are We Financially Mismanaged?
39:44 - Productivity Concerns Under Labour
41:19 - Decision-Making During Covid
46:21 - Politics on Twitter: Free Reign or Monitored?
48:23 - Political Conspiracies & Hidden Influences
50:07 - What’s Next for Andrea J
Who Is Matt Haycox? - Click for BADASS Trailer
Are you ready to unlock your full potential and take your business to the next level? I’m Matt Haycox—entrepreneur, investor, mentor, and your go-to guy for no-bollocks advice on business and personal growth.
With over 25 years of experience building and funding businesses across industries, I’ve faced it all—wins, losses, and the ultimate comeback story. Through my podcasts, No Bollocks with Matt Haycox and Stripping Off with Matt Haycox, I cut through the bullshit to bring you real, actionable strategies and raw conversations with entrepreneurs, celebrities, and industry leaders.
Whether you’re looking to scale your business, secure funding, or avoid the mistakes I’ve learned the hard way, my goal is simple: to help YOU create YOUR success story.
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Welcome to another episode of Stripping Off with Matt Haycox, where today I'm going down on the real, unfiltered truce of politics and power. I'm sitting down with Dame Andrea Jenkins, a fierce, no-nonsense politician who's never been afraid to speak her mind, From calling out prime ministers in her own party to pushing for Brexit and challenging the woke agenda. Andrea's journey from the high streets of Leeds to the halls of Westminster is nothing short of remarkable. In this episode, we'll be talking about the real dangers of ignoring democracy, the chaos within the current government and the threats that she's faced just for standing up for what she believes in. This is a must-listen for anyone who wants the truth behind British politics, without any of the filter. I've come all the way from Dubai to London to meet a fellow Leeds person. I feel like we've all travelled too far. We could have done this at home.
Speaker 2:But I understand, Matt, that you're an outspoken Northerner as well. When I was doing my prep for this, I was getting worried Outspoken Northerner MP.
Speaker 1:you're going to be shouting at me and not answering my questions properly. But, Andrea Jenkins, welcome to the show.
Speaker 2:Thank you for having me, Matt.
Speaker 1:I guess a very brief intro from me there that you're leads and you're political. But let's go back to the beginning that you can talk about how your journey into politics began, because I also know I think you started off working in Greggs from Greggs to the House of Commons to stripping off with Matt Haycox what a journey.
Speaker 2:Well, my mum and dad were from Hull and all, as they used to say.
Speaker 2:You know the old accent and amazing, inspiring parents. Dad used to say it doesn't matter where you come from in life, it's what you do in life that matters. And I started off in retail. My first Saturday job was at Gregg's. As you said, very nervous 16 year old Saturday kid dropped the tray of pasties on the floor. There was hair and everything on the floor and the manager said serve it anyway. So I remember that moment very well. Um, but now I was in retail management for about 18 years.
Speaker 2:I was a troubleshooter, sorting all out the problem stores and, you know, worked for the Comets of this world, the All Sports, probably most of the national retailers, fashion as well, and I then. A changing moment for me was actually my dad was also a madcap inventor and he went over to pakistan, um, with this anti-theft device, vehicle anti-theft device. I mean, my dad was crazily eccentric. He even invented this walking stick for the blind which helped people when there's walking across the road this big light flashing. He was amazing and I got a phone call when I was a store manager at Comet. This is 2004. Andrew, you're flying over to Pakistan next week. You're going to sing for President Musharraf and the Prime Minister, and I've always been a singer, songwriter, soprano, et cetera and so I flew out of there and it was amazing, there's this guy in the audience who was a Brit, who was there and I wrote this song called the Spell, which is an actual love spell.
Speaker 1:Who was asking you to sing? Who hired you?
Speaker 2:It was. My dad had met President Musharraf and they invited us over to sing yeah, so that was quite a surreal moment. So went across there, performed, ended up shooting a music video out there, and then I literally ran my own record label recording studio for a number of years, became a music teacher in schools, but things changed when I um, I don't have any political heroes. My dad was my hero and he went into hospital.
Speaker 2:So this is quite a long story, I'm afraid don't worry, long ones and good ones, we like he went into hospital in Wakefield, pinderfields to drain some fluid off his lungs, which should have been like a 10-minute procedure, but some trainee doctors practiced on him for two and a half hours, putting the drain in and out, and he caught MRSA and died. So that was a pivotal moment for me and I then thought what can you do to make sure this doesn't happen again? So I joined MRSA Action, the charity, as a trustee and their regional voluntary representative. I worked at the Department of Health then on things and I thought, oh, I'll stand to be an MP. So I saw my house in Lincolnshire where I was teaching at the time. I had rock bands, I was a musical theatre director as well at the time To move in with my mum age 38, late mum because she lived near the constituency to then try and take Ed Balls' seat because I went into politics to literally improve healthcare.
Speaker 1:And so, in terms of politics I mean, you weren't political in any way before that I mean, you voted presumably.
Speaker 2:Yes, I mean I was a local councillor but I literally fell into that because my mum and dad was moving to Lincolnshire or was meant to, and so I was moving up from London and we got there first type of thing and we rented this really dingy flat. An ex-boyfriend and I and the landlord it turns out was a member of the local Conservative Party. It was a local councillor, and he asked me to sing at his garden party and that's how I sort of got into politics. But I was quite happy in the background, but no, I decided just literally to stand as an MP because of losing Dad.
Speaker 1:Hey, matt here. Thanks for listening to Stripping Off with Matt Haycox, but did you also know I've got another podcast, no Bollocks, with Matt Haycox. Both of these are very different. If you're enjoying the deep dives with the guests that I have every week on Stripping Off, then you're going to love the quick, short business tips, strategies and tactics I give you on no Bollocks. This comes out nearly every day. Make sure you go and check it out on iTunes, spotify, youtube, wherever you listen to your content, and I'll see you in a future episode. And how does it work in terms of, let's say, if someone wants to become an MP, they want to get into it. I mean, you went to your local party and you're Conservative now. I mean, were you always a Conservative person?
Speaker 2:I mean, my mum and dad have always voted Conservative. The first time I voted I voted for Blair in 97. That was I don't even think that's out there yet, matt.
Speaker 1:Because you voted for Blair or because you were a Labour.
Speaker 2:I voted for Blair because it was no, because it was something different at the time, wasn't?
Speaker 1:it. It was him that you liked, yes.
Speaker 2:I mean not necessarily now, but when it's the first. You're a first time voter.
Speaker 1:It was all the brit pop stuff. Do you remember? Um, certainly that period.
Speaker 2:It's all coming back now and, if you remember, princess diana died around that time. So it was, yeah, it was an important part in our country's history and so, but no, that was the only time I voted labor. Then I've sort of begun to realize, because I wasn't political, that I was a Conservative. So the root in, I mean I say to anybody who wants to go into politics, decide what your values are first. I mean I'm not Labour, I mean Labour are more state control, aren't they? They like to control people's lives. Big state, I mean, look what Starmer's doing at the moment it doesn't want people to have a cigarette in a beer garden. I think that's just ludicrous. I believe in freedom. So to me I'm a conservative because I believe in freedom of the individual to make their own choices in life. I'm very pro-business because my dad always had his own businesses.
Speaker 1:Would you consider yourself a business person? Oh, completely.
Speaker 2:Oh, definitely. I mean, as an MP I ran my own business club, morley and Atwood Business Association, for 10 years to make sure there was a voice and that could feed back to ministers so we'd get ministers down, etc. So if people want to go into politics, decide which party and contact your local branch Conservative branch if it's Conservative or Labour and get involved. And no, it was an amazing journey. I mean literally.
Speaker 1:And what does get involved mean? What are the kind of rungs of the ladder or the jobs that people can do?
Speaker 2:Well, it's sort of a political party. For example, the Conservatives is split into three areas. So one is the voluntary party and you sort of have branches per constituency, uh, with a chairman of that branch as a deputy chairman etc. Treasurer, who'll run that um political outlet really for for that area. Then you've got the professional side, where they get paid um by the party to like run election campaigns, things like this um. Then you get the political side where it's councillors, mps or elected mayors. You ought to do this yourself. You look like someone who likes to shake things up and um so getting involved, like you might sort of get involved in the local voluntary side first get a position within the local branch, do the fundraising, organise fundraising events, deliver leaflets, and it's all about trying to get Conservatives elected. You know those who don't want a Labour government, like we've got at the moment a draconian Labour government and yeah. So that's how it all starts really.
Speaker 1:And do you have to do the volunteer jobs and things as well? Or if the party have to do the, let's say, the volunteer jobs and things as well, or if the party sees you know, let's say, sees a good potential candidate can they fast-track you through everything.
Speaker 2:Yes, you can, but all I say is, when you become a parliamentary candidate, you are literally thrown in the deep end. So you need to know what you're doing. You need to know how to run election campaigns. I mean, for example, when I got selected for molly and outward um. You don't get paid for um, you know. So I gave up my job, sold my home to be a full-time candidate you know, self-funded for two years and I had to get groups of volunteers together because literally two years because you got selected two years before an election okay
Speaker 2:yeah, um, because the sooner you get selected before an election, you've got more time to sort of make a name for yourself, and so we've got three quarters of a million leaflets out in that time. So you need volunteers, you need to be able to fundraise, to bring the the money in to pay for all this literature, and and you need to build up a campaign team for when the election comes, because literally you have thousands and thousands of leaflets out there within a six-week period, lots of knocking on doors asking how are you going to vote.
Speaker 1:And are you as an individual kind of representing some of your own mini-manifesto at that point as well?
Speaker 2:I've always done that, to be honest, because I'm a bit of a rebel. I think it comes with being a Yorkshire lass. I'm not one. I'm not very good at towing the party line. I think that's why I got shoved in the whips office to try and shut me up for a while. I mean, I've called for prime ministers to resign in my own party, et cetera. So yeah, I had my own mini manifesto. So yeah, I had my own mini manifesto, especially in this election what's just gone, because it was too wet for me, the Conservative one. We want some common sense politics again. And so I had my own mini manifesto. And I mean, I didn't win, but we saw there's a national swing to Labour, or actually a national swing in. Most people stayed at home. We had such a low voter turnout in this election.
Speaker 1:When you call for a PM to be what, to be de-seated effectively or to be removed. I mean, what does that do to you in the party? I mean, I'm trying to put this in corporate terms and I guess if you were on my board calling for me, as a CEO, to be removed, you know I'll be helping you clear your desk pretty quickly.
Speaker 2:I mean, the thing is, I had good reasons for doing this.
Speaker 1:Presumably you weren't alone either.
Speaker 2:I sort of started the ball rolling Theresa May's time. I don't know if you remember that period, but we had deadlock in Parliament. We was an international laughingstock because she kept bringing her withdrawal agreement through for the EU relationship with the EU. Five times it kept getting defeated and she'd run out of ideas. The markets was all over the place and she just didn't want to deliver Brexit. In my opinion, couldn't deliver Brexit what people voted for, and I'm a Democrat. That's why I've accepted the result of losing my seat, because it's people power, isn't it really? And I saw really what state the country was in and we just couldn't get legislation through. We didn't have a majority, was on a confidence supply agreement with the DUP to make up the numbers and so something had to give. So during Prime Minister's questions I politely said I think it was time for her to go.
Speaker 1:And did she get to respond there and then as well? Yes, yes, it is on YouTube.
Speaker 2:Actually she just smiled sweetly, had steel behind her eyes because she's a very strong lady and, yeah, obviously disagreed with me, but there was a momentum going then. I was sort of organising a whip in operation to get other MPs to put the letter in and it had to be done because you cannot have a government that's not functioning. And presumably Well it affects everybody's life, doesn't it really?
Speaker 1:And presumably at the point that you said that to her in question time, you know, as angry as she may have been that you said it. Presumably it wasn't the world's biggest shock to her. No, no, I mean you and her had not been getting on before, you'd been ribbing her in private.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's not about not getting on. It's a case of Commercially not getting on.
Speaker 2:Yes, I mean I resigned from my parliamentary private secretary role, which is like ministerial aid to fight for Brexit, because I mean, I was on the Brexit committee at the time and to me, if 17.5 million people have voted for something, the government's not delivering, you know that's really going to harm democracy, isn't it? And so that was sort of my thinking, and I believe that I was right, because then Boris came in, we won the super majority, but unfortunately then COVID hit, et cetera, and I mean I'm naturally loyal. I mean this is why I haven't jumped parties. It'd be very easy for me to jump parties to another party I'd be an assed but to me I'm a conservative. Party leaders come and go, but I want to see conservatives into government.
Speaker 1:So and I mean how much can be done, let's say, by any one person in in the party, and I guess maybe I said like a, a business owner's bent on as you. You know, I live in Dubai now and one of the things that sometimes people who want to hate on Dubai will say is you know, it's what's the word? It's a dictatorship. It's a dictatorship over there. Now, as a business owner, I would argue that a dictatorship is always better than a democracy. It all deaths down to who's the dictator in power. Obviously, you know, if you've got a horrible dictator, then it's going to be a bad situation. But if you've got a dictator with, let's say, the best interest of the end goal at heart, then as long as he's capable of delivering, you're going to get something better. And to me, that's how Dubai runs. You know when, when they say something's getting done, it's getting done, and you know, and they knock up 100 story buildings in dubai quicker than I can get my local roundabout, fixed back in, and that is one problem with the uk.
Speaker 2:Our productivity is ridiculous, isn't it?
Speaker 1:and, and why is I mean, like you know, sitting in the, in the offices of power? What, what, what is it like I? Why do decisions not get made? Why do things not get done? Does no one want to make a decision?
Speaker 2:No, I think, actually it's, we need to shake up the civil service. I mean, I was a minister, you know, for a short while under Boris and Liz, I was an education minister responsible for skills, which is higher education, further education, apprenticeships and what skills an economy needs, and I love that role, but I found the blocks you get from civil servants because if you think they are there, whichever government and, for example, when both Suella and Priti was Home Secretary, they got so many blocks from civil servants and the unions threatening to strike, so many blocks from civil servants and the unions threatening to strike, even though we had a manifesto to bring down illegal migration and bring down migration, the blocks you got from them. So I think that system needs to change. It's very wokey, it's very left-wing and it is like, yes, minister, you know what we used to watch in the 80s.
Speaker 2:The bloc says I think we need a system like in America, where they bring through the top levels of civil servants. Every time you've got a new government, you bring those in with you and then you know that things will get done.
Speaker 1:And is there no way? How does it happen in practical terms? So let's just say I become a secretary of something and therefore it's my job to deliver, but I've got to deal with these local ministers, et cetera, below me. If I find out that they're either not on board with me or they're being slow, or they're being crap and anything, I ask you, I'll probably ask it in corporate terms, because I think of it as a business. Let's say I was parachuted into a business to do a job. Yes, and I talked to the, the departments below me and the people below me. You know that if you're not on board and you're not the right person to deliver, I need to get rid of you oh, completely because otherwise ultimately someone's going to get rid of me.
Speaker 2:That's the mentality I've got as well, matt and you're not able to get rid of these people.
Speaker 1:They're just fastened for life literally the civil service.
Speaker 2:You know they have their own levels within it, from the top civil servants. You know the director levels, top civil servants running a department. It's heavily unionized and it's it's very hard to get rid of them. I mean, look, pretty tried and she got told that she was a bully. They pulled that card and then they made it difficult for her. Thankfully boris supported her because she's certainly not a bully and I mean it's you got the different levels because if you think that um, say, if you're the secretary of state, you've got your junior ministers below you and you've, you can really, if you want one of them sacked if they're incompetent, it's well within your right. But it's so much more difficult with the civil service. It's hard to do.
Speaker 2:And this is what is wrong? Because to me, I've come from business, really, and I've run my own business. My dad ran his own businesses all his life. You were sought from the wheat, from the chaff. Those who are incompetent, you move them out of the business. It's not as simple as that. I find that the civil service actually yeah, there's some good ones there and they've got the knowledge base but they only tend to do what they want to do.
Speaker 1:And who's the boss to do something Like if someone using Priti as your example does, she have people under her that she can fire, or is it not like that?
Speaker 2:Well, she has people. She can fire in the ministers, the civil servants, she can ask for them to be moved. But because it's so heavily unionised and gosh I mean I was a government whip responsible for the Northern Ireland Department, the Northern Ireland Whip and the International Trade Whip and I'd go to meetings with the Secretary of State and all the senior civil servants and the amount that was working from home was ridiculous and there just wasn't around. And I remember the Secretary of State at the time saying, arguing with the senior civil servant who ran the civil service in the Northern Ireland office, saying, no, this is ridiculous, we need people in the office. How can you get the best out of people and build those relationships? And God, the fight that they had to have. And this is what I mean. I feel that they delay progress. If I'm honest with you, I think government should be more like business and I think we'd get more done.
Speaker 1:And then moving that up, then a level to government, to political parties. What is the reality like there in terms of getting things done? Because I guess you know in the same way that say, a secretary of something has their civil servants they need to deal with. I guess the prime minister is effectively the CEO of the party.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:But how much can? Can they really get done on their own? You know when people go Boris hasn't done this or Trump's not done the other. Well, it's two aspects. It's not like me owning my own business. You know what? Tomorrow I'm going to wake up and decide that we're taking a complete different direction and you're all going to do it, or you're going to get replaced.
Speaker 2:I mean the Prime Minister could do that. I mean, if you look at Starmer at the moment, he's bringing all this stuff in that wasn't in his manifesto. I mean he's cutting the winter fuel allowance for pensioners, yet he's giving all these what is it? £12 billion to grandstand on the global stage on the net. Zero stuff, so they can do that.
Speaker 1:But is that him as an?
Speaker 2:individual, you know, like on a complete, single mind, it'll come from him and his advisors right?
Speaker 2:yeah, definitely, but the thing is the civil servant are more left-wing inclined, so you'll find that he gets more done. Um, this is why I would like, every time there's a new government, you bring in the top civil servants with you, because there's too many blocks, otherwise. I mean, I was tasked with bringing the freedom of speech built through. You know, being a northerner believing in freedom, saying what you think, and because in universities lecturers are getting no platform, you know, over the trans stuff, saying that. You know that's too biological, sexist, et cetera. They're getting no platform. Someone's losing their jobs and I wanted to meet some of these people and the civil servants, the blocks that they was putting in there. I mean, I even went to the Secretary of State Look, you've got to back me up with this but I got overruled and that was. That's a frustration.
Speaker 1:You need a good person above you to back you up, because or you have somebody who actually goes on the side of the civil servants who actually goes on the side of the civil servants and what's your view on the woke situation of today and where has that come from from a political perspective? Why is everything getting softer and softer and why are these bonkers concepts being allowed to perpetuate? I found out a few weeks ago actually. My daughter goes to school up in Leeds and their deputy headmaster is now a deputy headmistress. Oh really, but it's worse than that. It's not that he's transgender. He likes dressing up as a woman and sometimes he comes in dressed as a woman and sometimes he doesn't. So he can't even make his fucking mind up. I mean absolutely bonkers, but I mean absolutely bonkers. But I mean that isn't even scratching the surface of the stuff that goes on there.
Speaker 2:I mean, where's it come from? I think it's this whole left-wing student-type movement and it's just got. Common sense has gone out the window, hasn't it? And we're on this lack of common sense wokey bandwagon now, and this is why there's the fight back.
Speaker 1:But the politicians who do support it, which I guess is more than not is that because they believe in it too, or they just think, oh, this is another route to votes. If I agree that it's okay to identify as a tree, then I'm going to. It's more left wing, yeah.
Speaker 2:So in the political spectrum, it's okay to identify as a tree, it's more left wing, yeah, so in the political spectrum, it's going to be the lib dems, the greens and the labour. It's it's more them than conservatives. Reform who believes in all this craziness? And it's been going on.
Speaker 2:I remember, um, you know, being a candidate back in 2013 and being lobbied by organisations wanting, regarding the trans rally, for them not to put a gender on a passport, and I disagreed with that because I mean the security element. It's crazy to me, and so there was a good 10-year lobby there to get to this stage where we are now. But to me, matt, um, I don't care what adults do, um, you know, behind closed doors, etc. As long as it doesn't involve animals or children. Um, but I don't want this pushed on my child. I've got a seven-year-old child, matt, and I don't want to confuse him. Let children be children, and so it's this whole. It's going to get worse in schools because the conservatives, um, again, um, it's civil servants at every level, it's every public sector organization. It's so wokey and and I'm not a feminist, I'm a meritocrat I don't care whether we had a cabinet full of men, it's about actually having the people with the right skills, isn't it?
Speaker 2:and? And all this positive discrimination which has been. I mean it started during the bla skills, isn't it? And? And all this positive discrimination which has been? I mean it started joe, in the blaze, isn't it? With human rights, etc. And god knows why I voted for him at the time. I was one of the ones problem for voting for him, I think. But so it's been going on decades, this, and I think, unfortunately, um, like during the brexit years. I mean I don't know how you voted, matt, um, but I voted to leave and I was quite a big Brexit campaigner because I believe in freedom. You get labelled a bigot, a racist, and you've got to be very strong to stand up to these. And God, the amount of abuse. I mean I've had seven death threats, matt. I've got CCTV at my own home because of idiots like this, or CCTV at my own home because of idiots like this. I've had people email me saying they want my child to be raped by Hamas and murdered.
Speaker 2:So you've got to be strong to stand up to this crazy culture.
Speaker 1:How are those kind of things dealt with? So when you're in an MP position and you get death threats or you get things said about the children, what's the process you go through?
Speaker 2:I mean, I personally think it's quite politicised and I didn't want to see these elected mayors, which was a political position. Who was in charge of our police, for example? I know um some Labour MPs in Yorkshire who have had far better support than I have been a Conservative MP, when stuff like this and theirs is mild in comparison to what I've sort of gone through and I've given an example. Um I had a constituent who lives a mile and a half from where I live and I'm divorced, so alone with my young seven-year-old child, and that's why I've got CCTV and I got 70 emails in three months, which is only like 12 weeks.
Speaker 2:Um telling me I needed to buy a stab vest, saying I've got a devil child and the same person yes, the emails started getting more and more familiar, as if he knew me and there was sexual content in there. Um, there was quite violent content and the police didn't do anything. So I had to go to the speaker of the house of commons, I had to go to pretty when she was home secretary, to get the police to even act on it and all he got was just a caution. He said oh, I hate the tories, I was bald, middle class guy, not even a student in his bedroom. This is a middle-class guy, better house than I've got all these fast cars, he's got a boat. He just hates the Conservatives and he got let off.
Speaker 1:I mean, aside from your own personal experience with that, would you argue that the police are soft in general across the board? I mean, again, we were talking before we started recording and we were talking about me being from Dubai and I know you were jesting about people getting their hands chopped over there and you know, as barbaric as some of these punishments in some of these countries may be, you know they serve a purpose and people don't mess around. You know Drugs in Dubai. I'm not going to say it's, it's unheard of, because things happen, but even I, even the most avid drug lovers that I know, do not go near drugs in dubai because they know there's consequences, serious consequences.
Speaker 1:There's got to be a place of consequence whereas in england with murder is a different story. But you know, aside from kind of murder and rape you can pretty much get away. Just get on with it and get away with anything.
Speaker 2:Well, look at Starmare. I don't know if you saw. Some domestic abusers have been let out this week. I saw the story at the weekend. One tried to strangle and kill his girlfriend in front of her young child and he said I'm going to come back and kill you. He's been let out today, tuesday, so it is too soft.
Speaker 2:I mean I believe, like Rudy Giuliani did it as a New York mayor, the broken window theory where no crime, too small, should not have a consequence or be punished because it stops them progressing to bigger crimes. But I also believe in a restorative justice where because if you actually look at the facts, it's actually white working class boys who are more likely to go to prison, more likely to commit suicide, have mental health problems and it's people in the care system. So I think if we've got a restorative justice as well as being strong, where you can break that cycle of crime I mean I don't know if you do know Tempest Novo in Leeds You've got to get to know them. They're an amazing charity where it's run by two prison officers. You have to get them on, matt and they've really been getting people into work and breaking that cycle of crime.
Speaker 1:What's the premise of what they do?
Speaker 2:Recruitment, to get you know ex-lags back into the workplace. But our police system at the moment I don't think it's strong enough and I don't want to see our police marching waving rainbow flags. I want to actually see them arresting people If there's a burglary, or even if it's a white van, all his shoes being stolen, which will affect his business. I want to see strong policing.
Speaker 1:But where does it come from? Because presumably people who sign up to be a police officer sign up because they want to fight crime. I mean they're not just thinking, ah, you know what, I need to earn a few quid, I'll just become a cop. I mean they know that they're taking a job that is theoretically dangerous, it's going to put them open to abuse, etc. So you'd?
Speaker 2:think they're doing it because they want to have some kind of effect, uh, I mean, so where does the softness come from? I think, um, I mean, I speak to some, some of my local officers who I've known over the years, who've been policemen for 20 I'm not allowed to say policemen now, are you, um, been in the policemen for like 20 years or so? And they think it's ridiculous and they just want to get on and catch criminals, do their jobs. So where's it come from? I think again, I put it back down to the Blair years, the human rights stuff, the equality and diversity, but, like I said, it should be of opportunity, shouldn't it? We should have policies that's right for everyone, and I think that it's come from them and this whole left-wing agenda. What's infected the civil service, every public sector organization across the country? It's affected the nhs. I mean, did you see on the nhs website that, um, they call it chess feeding instead of breastfeeding now, because I don't want to offend, offend people.
Speaker 2:I mean, this is just craziness I was.
Speaker 1:I was watching a coca melon or some some uh cartoon with my daughter the other day and I was staggered when I heard they were still singing bar, bar, black sheep on there. So I said to her make the most of listening to this, because if you go to england you won't be hearing these words I mean you've got to admit matt.
Speaker 2:I mean. So how old are you now? Uh 43 all right, right. Well, I've just turned 50. The 80s were great, the comedies I used to love. Father Ted, you could take the mickey out of each other.
Speaker 1:Jim Davidson and Mike Reid were my favourites.
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely, have you met Jim? Yes, yes, I have. Oh, yeah, I've met him a few times, I was saluting him at the dinner.
Speaker 1:It was one of those real examples, though, where you know you shouldn't meet your heroes. I was very disappointed, oh, but he's great on stage.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. But I just I think we've lost so much as a country and we must be. What would Putin think of some of the stuff we're bringing out at the moment? It. What would Putin think of some of the stuff we're bringing out at the moment? It's crazy, isn't it? You know, we used to be this great nation, strong army, et cetera, and we just got bonkers, I think, as a society and we have got a two-tier policing system. So back to your other question. I mean, I'll give an example. In Leeds, you know, we've got that Queen Victoria statue in the centre of Leeds. Yeah, yeah, well, during the BLM Black Lives Matter marches they defaced that. The police was the protesters, the police were just stood around. Yet we see again. We saw the Romani community in Leeds about six weeks ago. It all kicked off there. There was burning down the buses in Hare Hills, did you see?
Speaker 1:that yeah, I did.
Speaker 2:And again the police just stood around and let it happen. But when you're seeing, Fustama is calling everybody far-right thugs, now if he's got a different view to them. And do you see that woman who retweeted something on social media and her husband's a conservative counsellor and now she's going through the court system?
Speaker 2:And to me it's just crazy, some of this what's the charge Inciting violence for just retweeting something and it's just got crazy because I mean I have constituents now because I'm quite outspoken and I don't like people trying to silence me, especially in government and in Britain, which we should be a beacon of free speech, and yeah, I don't agree with racism or bullying or anything like this, but you should be able to speak of you and to me, it's always the intent behind stuff. We've lost our sense of humour as well as a society, haven't we Absolutely, I mean as I said, I used to love the Father Ted stuff.
Speaker 2:You know you should be able to take the mickey out of each other. I took the mickey out myself, and we just lost our humour as a country as well, I think.
Speaker 1:I mean, does anyone, whether it's a person or a party, really have the ability to make great change? And I guess, to put a bit more context to the question, I mean the probably very poor layman's way I see things is that, let's say, from an economic perspective, if our country was a business, it would be one that would need to go through a financial restructure. If you were looking at it as a business, you'd be saying listen, mr Director, mr Shareholders, this business is knackered. An injection of capital isn't going to fix it because it's fundamentally flawed. You need to go through an insolvency process and come out of the other end. And yes, there'll be some uncomfortable conversations for you to have with your banks and with your staff, etc. But the reincarnation will be a solid, viable business going forward, and everybody understands that concept. But for me, the country is effectively in the same position and needs the same radical.
Speaker 1:Yes, to blow the door off, exactly, but the reality is it would never, ever happen, because anyone in power who did that would never get re-elected, would be, you know, would be, whatever the word, not ridiculed, but, you know, abused and bullied during their life.
Speaker 1:How can real change and real fixes ever happen? Because, like using that financial example, if a business is so far gone, yeah, you can keep printing a bit of money, you can keep plugging a few holes, but five years, 10 years, 50 years, it'll still be the same position all the way down the line.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and look, the Bank of England's independent, isn't it? So they make decisions which is out of our control as well and, in my opinion, sometimes political decisions as well Journalists, trustees, tenure, etc. And Boris's, it's very difficult because when you've got globalists like Kiyostama there I mean I'll just give an example the World Health Organization they was trying to bring in globally this legislation which they could enforce lockdowns on countries, but to me, as a country is sovereign, it's down to your parliament and the people you elect, and so I tried to fight that in parliament and but I think Labour will agree to it. So when you've got these international organisations as well, it's very difficult to break it. Matt.
Speaker 1:And why are they agreeing to these things? Are they bowing down or doing deals?
Speaker 2:It's down to their own perspective. Starmer's a globalist and unfortunately some in my own party are, but to me I'm about global trade, but a sovereignty of a country at the statehood and the nation state is one of the important aspects to me. Um, that's what you can control. And if you start going global, I mean to spend this 12 point, whatever billion pound for this net zero. Um, just to grandstand on the global stage. Actually it's not all been invested in Britain. This is for the whole global cause. When they're taking money off pensioners, I think it's just ludicrous. Actually, you look after your own country first, so can you ever break it?
Speaker 2:Liz Truss has got a book. Actually you ought to read it, matt. I know the left ridicule is, but I know very well. She was foreign secretary, she was a minister in the treasury, she held more positions in government than any one of the modern day politicians and um, she has got an interesting book she wrote which actually discusses this and all the different organizations which can hamper progress of the government country and and it is bigger than I mean hamper progress of the government in our country. And it is bigger than I mean. It's like getting the keys to a new car, thinking that right, I can go full speed ahead and get on with things, but I think there's just so many blocks in government, unfortunately.
Speaker 1:And you mentioned foreign aid, for example. Again, I'm going to put this into business terms. What are the conversations that go on internally in a party or in a government? Because, again, if this was a corporate and you're saying, right, we've got X amount of money to go around, guys, there's 100 million to go around in terms of spending on operational expenses and capex, et cetera. So we're going to put 15 million into cancer research and someone's going hang on a minute, we haven't got any money left to to refurbish those, those six, um, you know those six units down there. In business terms, that conversation would never happen. Well, I'm not being uncharitable, but how can I donate that money to cancer research when I can't afford to refurbish? You know, some of my, some of my, some of my, some of my own retail shops or some of my own bars or whatever they are in the business.
Speaker 1:Or the hospitals even yeah, or whatever it may be, but then take so take that into into government terms. You know we're shipping. You know shipping billions and billions of pounds to foreign countries, which I'm sure they need it and it's. It's sad that they do need it, but how can they justify giving that money elsewhere when every problem isn't fixed at home? What are the conversations that you guys have behind closed doors when someone says, right, we're going to send whatever 20 billion to the Ukraine.
Speaker 2:This is why I always say trade rather than aid, because, let's face it, aid doesn't necessarily lift people out of poverty. Giving them the tools, the skills to know set up their own little business, locally teaching them to fish yeah, exactly so.
Speaker 2:I've always believed in the trade will help um people as well. So I think that route. So how do we end up doing this? Um, I mean a political party, for example. What would have happened before the election? Each party comes up with a manifesto. They decide how they're going to spend their money, like you said, which slice of the pie goes into which department, and it's at that level, with their advisors. They decide then, and when they get into government, as we've seen, rachel Reeves is apportioning a lot to international aid and net zero. So it's down really to the government how they spend the money.
Speaker 2:Definitely, but to me, people voted for that. I know it was very low turnout when reform actually split the Conservative vote. I mean my vote split in half when reform stood against me and Labour got in, but they had a thousand less votes than last time. But they got in because a lot of people stayed at home. So I think we're stuck with this for the next four or five years, but Conservatives have got to be ready to fight back, because I worry about where we're going to go as a country. I mean, do you see the latest thing, what Angela Rayner said, that you can turn your email off at five o'clock and not answer any work emails. The trade unions are getting stronger again and they're telling the government what they want. And to me, as someone who's owned a business my dad owned a business. You've got a business. You can't dictate like that. How can you run a business? A business is international.
Speaker 1:So what are they saying? That that's a rule, that she wants it to be a rule.
Speaker 2:Yes, they want to bring this in as legislation so your employees could then challenge you oh, I'm, but I mean, you work at two different time scales, don't?
Speaker 1:you.
Speaker 2:Two different time frames, so but I guess well, yes. They say we're the needs of the business, but we shouldn't be bringing stuff in like this.
Speaker 1:Well, it's not their decision to make, is it? I mean yes, okay, ultimately, outside of working hours, employees don't have to answer emails.
Speaker 2:They're talking about bringing a four-day week in as well. The Labour government. I One day a week in a song, the Labour government. I think our productivity is going to nosedive under Labour.
Speaker 1:And how realistic is a prospect like that? I mean, how long would that take to happen?
Speaker 2:What would be the practicalities if it would Well, they could make it happen within the next three to five years?
Speaker 1:And would everyone have to take part in it?
Speaker 2:Well, I haven't seen the fine detail, obviously because I'm not in government and they're a different party, but this is what they've been saying in the media. They're going to do and they can make that happen because they've got. Trade unions are so strong. Now again we need another Thatcher to hold them back again.
Speaker 1:You mentioned a while ago. You mentioned about lockdowns, I think when we were talking about Starmer. You were in office during COVID weren't you. Yes, so I ask a lot of these questions just from my own personal interest really.
Speaker 1:When it was COVID time and people talk, for example, about oh, boris has made this decision, boris has locked us down, or Boris has made us wear masks. Who, who really makes all those decisions then? And presumably you know, boris. It's not Boris's only like final decision. Other people have to, you know, support him second and help him talk. Talk me through from the beginning of Covid.
Speaker 2:Um, I mean it was. It was unprecedented times, wasn't it? I got COVID very early on as well. I got it in the, and so did my seven-year-old. In the February I had a big Brexit bash with 400 people there. I think most of us got it there in Yorkshire as well.
Speaker 2:So I mean Boris's natural reaction, which all the left demonised, was to let people get on with their lives. Build up an immune system Will those who are the weakest and most vulnerable. We'll get them to stay at home, but everybody else get on with their lives. And I think that would have been the right decision, because we saw how the entertainment industry, didn't we? The hospitality industry, retail they just got hammered during that time, didn't they? And a lot of businesses went out of business, and so that was his natural reaction.
Speaker 2:But then you had, like, the health secretary, all the so-called health experts, the chief medical officer, coming up with these statistics, saying you know, like hundreds of thousands of people are going to die. This is what our data is showing you. And so a Prime Minister is then under pressure. Does he want blood in his hands? Does he go with his natural instinct? And then, if you remember all the media was jumping on Boris at the time saying you've got to bring in lockdowns, and Starmer wanted more strident lockdowns. He wanted a lockdown for longer, and so I think it was the media pressure pushing it more as well, the scientists giving these doom-monger figures where I think Boris felt he had to act in that way.
Speaker 1:You know, when you mentioned, for example, starmer wanting even longer lockdowns, how often do people in politics mean what they say? Like my layman's view would be, because you're an opposing party. If I say black, you've got to say white, and so if Boris says short lockdowns, starmer has to go long lockdowns.
Speaker 2:No, I mean, if you think in times like that, there was a war, consensus wasn't there during the Second World War, and so there can be work together and you think they should work together at times like this. But I think Starmer very much politicised it, which was a shame. And you're right, you can't always trust people, but this is why we need less career politicians, more sort of straight people as in straight, as in conviction people in politics, because there's too many people who just do whatever to climb up the greasy pole. And so what was I going to say? I'll give an example. I mean, look, starmer I don't know if you saw yesterday in the papers he had these headlines while he was the opposition leader that all these thousands of people are going to die if the Conservatives cut the fuel allowance. And we wasn't going to cut the fuel allowance, but he said that, yet now he's cutting the fuel allowance. So I tweeted yesterday what's changed, sharma? Yeah, you know, he said that and I think this is a problem and this is why I fought to get rid of Theresa May, because 17.4 million people voted to leave Politicians.
Speaker 2:Cross-party was trying to stop Brexit and that's wrong. That's actually going to make people even more disengaged and more angry. I mean, I had people during Brexit in Yorkshire saying they've never voted in their life, they're sort of our age and they're going to go out vote to get control in our country again, and so we should never let people down. So back to your original question. I think the issue is that, yes, there's been a lot of politicians like that. I think there is a lot. I mean, boris's heart is in the right place. I know him very well. Liz Truss as well. I think she had the right policies, especially for business. She didn't have long enough to enact them, unfortunately. So I think politics needs to be cleaned up. We need to ensure that we start rebuilding trust. But when we've got a government at the moment who's completely U-turned, I mean they're calling flip-flop Starmer, don't they?
Speaker 1:You said then about tweeting Starmer, saying you know what's changed? Do MPs get to do their own tweeting and their own social media, or do things need running through a check? You know, like when people talk about Trump's tweeted this Does Trump really sit in office with his iPhone bashing out a tweet, or does he say he wants to say something?
Speaker 2:I understand he does some of his own actually. I mean, yeah, most of his own actually. I mean, yeah, most of us do our own. Some people MPs get their teams to do it because they know that if they rip on there, I've always done my own and, you see, if it's got bad spelling and grammar, it's usually me who's tweeted?
Speaker 2:it because I always forget to put my glasses on, can't quite see what I'm typing, but because I'm quite outspoken on social media and I'll call out bullshit, I'll tell you a funny story. Actually, matt, when Boris made me a dame you don't know beforehand and I remember I was driving from London to Yorkshire, my phone rang about five o'clock on a Thursday afternoon and they said oh, it's number 10 switchboard. I thought, oh shit, they'd be looking at my social media again.
Speaker 2:And it turns out that, oh, Boris has made you a dame. You're going to be on the honours list what's released first thing in the morning? So that was a major, you know, big, wonderful surprise. But yes, the social media, you can put what you want, but you might get told off by the whips. I got told off by the whips a few times.
Speaker 1:Oh really, yeah. And then are you supposed to remove it, undo it, et cetera. It depends what you've put.
Speaker 2:Really behave yourself next time I mean, um, I'd call out people in my own party, if I know they're. They're not speaking the truth over stuff and they're trying to put out a public persona, which I know is different, behind closed doors. I can't help it. I've got adhd there, so that's my excuse.
Speaker 1:I tend to just be reactive and blurt things out just going back to a little covid talk for a minute. I mean, you know, I'm uh surrounded by people who like to like to talk conspiracy theories and you know, whilst it's uh, it's not my uh, not my thing, um, sometimes some of the stuff you see, it's it's hard, it's hard to argue with. You know, some of these alleged historical plans that have played out, I mean, as someone who has been behind the walls of power, do you ever get the impressions of other forces pulling strings?
Speaker 2:I think it's, unfortunately it's just. Socialism is infecting every fibre of society and our institutions and this whole globalist agenda which Blair was very much into. They want this sort of one nation, one world government, don't they? That's why the WHO are trying to put pressure on states etc. And I mean the UN did you see the un um yesterday? United nations, they are now saying you can't say um man's best friend, and all these. They're attacking our phrases now um, because it's gendered, and and so you know. I went on jeremy vine yesterday complaining about this um, and I think it's socialism's. Like I said, it's affected every fiber of society and true conservatism, common sense. We've got major fight back um. I mean, what's your space map? Maybe I can come on and talk about this thing. I'm planning at the moment um with some good friends and colleagues of mine to where we're going to fight back at institutions.
Speaker 1:Well, I was going to come on to ask you know what's next for you? You know you've had nearly 10 years in politics, I guess. I mean, when you lost your seat, were you expecting to lose it?
Speaker 2:Well, I'm an optimist. So you, I mean, you have that little niggle behind your head, don't you thinking, oh, this might happen, but you.
Speaker 1:You've got a vague idea of where the numbers are heading at that point.
Speaker 2:But I mean no data actually showed that there was this big group who was undecided and we didn't know where that was going to go. So we knew it was going to be 50-50, especially the new boundary changes. My constituency we took in Farnley, whartley in the towel blocks and it completely changed the makeup of my seat. So no, I mean I don't believe in looking back, matt, life's too short, isn't it? I mean I've lost both parents and you know you've just got to make most of life as you can. And so, within 24 hours of losing my seat, I'd updated my resume, started applying for roles. I've applied for some direct ship roles and non-execs. I like to also do some stuff in animal welfare. Being in animal welfare, children and animals is a big passion of mine. Protecting those.
Speaker 1:I'm writing a book about, you know, behind the Closed Doors. I won't give the title yet. Behind the Closed, closed doors of power.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's about a decade of political mishaps. It's more of a humorous take on some true stories in there.
Speaker 1:what I saw have you got a publisher for it already?
Speaker 2:Not yet. No, no, it's literally. I've been writing all the chapters and I've sent it out to some friends in the media and they found it quite amusing and interesting some of the anecdotes. So it's the early stages and I, yeah, so I'm doing lots more media, but I love business. You know, I studied economics as well, so business is important to me. I need to use my brain, so let's see what happens.
Speaker 1:But you don't want to go back into politics.
Speaker 2:I'm not sure. Really, I think this thing that I'm planning, which will hold institutions to account, is going to be interesting in the next five years. So I'll tell you about this when we're not on air.
Speaker 1:Well, thanks for being here, Thanks for sharing what we've been sharing anyway, and maybe we can do a round two in a few months or a few years' time and you can tell everyone about it too. Thanks a lot for being here.
Speaker 2:Thanks for inviting us, Matt. Thank you.
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