Politicians of the calibre of Dominic Grieve being forced out of politics in favour of people like Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch and Liz Truss should worry every sane person in the nation. Great interview.
The Conservative party should contain conservatives. How anyone who desires the uk to be governed by the eu and, therefore, destroy our national democracy and institutions of government can be in a party called Conservative is beyond me. Its like not getting what it says on the tin.
I was born in 1949 and thus grew up in the 50s. I only know one of my many contemporary friends who voted for Brexit. We are all appalled at the damage Brexit has achieved and the havoc it continues to create. I admire Mr Grieve for the truth he has and still speaks. I have never and never will vote Tory but I do applaud the Tories who have stood up for the truth and fought the Brexit lies despite the cost to their careers on the centre right. The only Brexit Bonus I can see coming is that it may or has destroyed the Tories as an electable party.
How have we allowed our government to go from people like Dominic Grieve to people like Gullis, Jenrick, Braverman et al. Insane fall of standards and competence
Because it was the likes of Grieve and other ‘one nation conservatives’ who enabled Cameron and Osborne to inflict unnecessary austerity, which ultimately led to the trash we now have in power.
All we do is follow the American model. They voted in Trump, the liar. We voted in boJo, the liar. They both operated in exactly the same way; cull out anyone who isnt a worshipper, deny everything (Baldrick), cheat, steal, manipulate and, most importantly, refuse to acknowledge the truth on any subject.
O'brien missed an opportunity to ask him some questions about his role as Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee from 2015 to 2019 in relation to EU Defence Union. Grieve must've had some insight that it was imminent the EU would adopt it in 2016.
What a fabulous and powerful interview. He speaks a language most of us can understand. Not trying to be clever or win people over. Shame we lost him and other decent MP's like Justine Greening and Rory Stewart.
I agree with your comment. In the unlikely event I get asked by our incumbent Tory MP here in Sandwich if I’ll vote for him in the forthcoming election campaign, my negative response will include reference to the way moderate, one nation Tories like Grieve have been discarded. Shameful!
Isn't it astonishing that the Daily Mail made a story out of Dominic Grieve's holiday home in France when his mother was French and he grew up in a bilingual home. Incredible.
Is it? I've never read the Daily Mail and have no plans to. But this is a man of enormous privilege with a cosmopolitan background for whom "the system" works very well, and he is quite representative of it. Is it really surprising that the people that that same system screws find his privilege so distasteful?
Dominic Grieve represents me .I used to vote Tory when it was a one-nation party. Sadly, the party was invaded by UKIP 3rd-rate-intellects whose glee at trashing established rules and codes of conduct became all too evident. At the top of the dung heap was Johnson. His chaotic and morally bankrupt lifestyle translated into a chaotic and morally bankrupt government. It was stuffed with the cynical and loutish elements that have become almost household names. The likes of Gullis, François, Hancock , Dorries, Anderson etc. I just do not recognise these people as Conservatives. They're the antithesis of polite society, brash, and certainly not middle-class. They remind me of vultures feeding off the carcass of what was once Great Britain. How one man, Johnson, a narcissistic psychopath, could tarnish such a respected brand is something which will be under discussion for decades to come.
Indeed, the Tories have become a populist "tabloid" political party. It's a toss-up whether their incompetence or malice is greater. I went from a Lib-Dem voter to a "tactical" voter with the purpose of getting the Tories out. Labour would not be "worse". 1997 to 2010 weren't as bad as 2010 to 2023 for most people.
Coming from a part of the country where most people don't vote Tory. I'm of the belief you can't help where your born. So it stops me being hateful. I think if you have priviledges from birth as this man has had , use it well. I think populism is the biggest form of gaslighting.
Agreed: the current lot are just a rabble. Until they can find someone who is a person of principle and morality to lead them they will be little more than a cult.
@@SteveWhippI’d say we can narrow it down even more than that. Between Labour’s election in ‘97 and September 11 2001 this country seemed to be going in the right direction (built on the back of Major’s economic turnaround). Not perfect by a long shot, but optimistic and for the most part functional. It has persistently gone wrong from then onwards.
Dominic Grieve is the quality of person that we expect our leaders to be and should still be at the forefront of Government. He stands head and shoulders above all others and is someone that all of us, irrespective of party, who like to see as PM.
I couldn't agree more Andy. I'm a Glaswegian, completely the polar opposite of 'Tory', but I really admire him and am re-assured there are still people of this calibre about (albeit not in frontline politics).
Vast swathes of the electorate have been indoctrinated by the right wing media for quite sometime now to be against it. A sprinkling of articles about “lefty lawyers”, purposefully Ill informed articles and cartoonesque examples blown out of all proportion, then some richard little John and Melanie Phillips pieces to reinforce it all and bobs your uncle, millions of people will be happy to see human rights go. Next is democracy. Especially if trump gets in. Trump has been subtly rehabilitated in the minds of many many brits via the right wing media and their off shore billionaire owners. It’s more than concerning. They will then have the cheek to say it’s you getting lost in a media echo chamber and have been brainwashed, all with a smug wry smile and an “oh well”.
He's a decent guy, it's a shame his party has gone completely bananas. It's a shame for the party, but more of a shame for the country because of the damage they've caused.
More than time some other party like Reform took their place. The Conservative (in name only) ceased being conservative becoming more like the Blair Party each passing day.
Dominic Grieve, the antithesis of the majority of current Conservative MPs, and many MPs in general. Dignified, principled and simply honest and decent…Excellent interview, thank you James O’Brien…
An intelligent and considered man, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dominic on the campaign trail back in 2010 and followed his career thereafter. I knew the Tories were doomed the moment they removed him, if someone of his calibre is deemed problematic then you knew the asylum had fallen to the lunatics!
As a result of this conversation, I have learned more about a politician of a different position to myself, and come to realise that despite this difference there are still some or maybe at least there once was an honourable Conservative MP.
30 years and more ago there were a lot of people in the Conservative party with whom you mightn't have agreed, but who nevertheless were decent people with morality, a sense of service, and who also knew the meaning of altruism. All gone, replaced with hyenas.
The issue is, there was always, Rory Stewart, Dominic Grieve, John Major, Ken Clarke, Ruth Davidson, Ben Wallace, as much as she had her flaws, Theresa May is someone I would even say at least had a love of the country and went into Parliament to improve it. They've all been removed or left so now you're left with the head bangers and people like Dominic Grieve don't feel welcome in their party anymore.
@@ryanseager123456789it’s like some gruesome reverse-culling of one of our major parties. Similar to the original commenter I’m not particularly a conservative myself but I have considerable respect for the tories of an essentially bygone time. What a time that was.
One of the few Conservative MP's of that time who can legitimately hold his head up high having had the guts to stand up and try to voice his concerns on the post-Brexit debacle whilst being pilloried by the ideological idiots around him and the right wing press.
No Tory MP should ever hold up their head. What have Tories done except destroy the UK for the working class in order to generate bigger profits for billionaires & corporations?
Dominic Grieve is from an earlier iteration of the Tory Party. Whilst we do not share a consensus over the priorities of government, he is an intelligent, principled and thoroughly decent man. What a disastrous turn both the Tories and our country took following the Brexit vote with a person of his calibre being out of politics.
Thank for this James. I have a great deal of respect for Dominic Grieve (even though I'm the polar opposite of being a Tory!) He has a kind and decent person vibe going on and is always engaging when he talks. I wrote to DG when it was clear his time was coming to a brutal end in parliament. He went out of his way to respond in his recognisable considered style, which really impressed me.
I still can't wrap my head around the concept that "philosophically" anyone feels like they belong in the Conservative party. How anyone in the UK can look at what Thatcher has done - whose legacy still leaves swathes of the nation in abject ruin, and think "yes this is the party for me" truly beggars belief. Perhaps in order to be a Tory minister, you need to pass some sort of Amnesia test and not be cognisant of the horror a large percentage of the nation has endured and continues to endure under Tory rule. Who knows.
I share your view here. Tribalism and loyalty to the attitudes and ‘philosophies’ one was raised with are almost impossible to abandon. I agree with 99% of the comments on this post in support of Grieve, but, having been expelled as a member of the party he gave most of his adult life to must be very hard for him personally. Sadly, unless the Tories split, he’s politically homeless.
Dominic Grieve is a man of honour and is in stark contrast to the crooks and charlatans who are in control today. When he talks about his father his story resonates so much with that of my own father who saw the horrors of WW2 from within a Sherman tank . He is spot on .
@@marythorpe928 Youknow. I've never voted Tory in my life: But I'd vote for the likes of Dominic Grieve and Rory Stewart, irrespective of the colour of their political flag. Now, more than ever before, the world needs people of integrity and honour of the likes of these two wise and humble human beings. All the best.
@@marythorpe928Those who dictator Johnson threw out are decent people. As a piece of “whataboutery” consider some labour MP’ at that time: Flint, Mann, Austin & Hoey.
@@Mounhas I don't disagree. It's like I indicated, the colour of a person's political persuasion is irrelevant. For me, their integrity, decency and humility matter. Anyone, no matter whom they may be should be accountable for any calculated wrongdoing and suffering caused.
James ... great sesh, fascinating to hear DG. I do wish you had asked about the Tories' austerity policy starting in 2010. It would have been interesting to hear if DG sees a connection between increasing dissatisfaction and stagnation (because of austerity) and swathes of voters being more susceptible to being sold Brexit as a solution to the malaise brought on ... by the Tories themselves.
Changing the human rights act to pass legislation is disastrous and will be the end of UK politics and democracy as we know it. Frankly, it's terrifying.
The UK has been at the forefront of human rights long before the ECHR was ever invented. Indeed it was British civil servants who helped drafted it, ostensibly for European countries after WWII atrocities . Magna Carta, Habeus Corpus, Bill of Rights, Prima Facie, to name a few. Having said that the Tories wish to tread over many of those rights and well deserve to be shown the door at next election. Will Labour repeal all those the freedom hating Acts that the Tories brought in? Don't hold your breath on that score.
Here is a man from a different social class, upbringing and education, to my own. A man with political views and ideals contrary to my own. However I have huge respect for him as a conservative politician. I have little respect for Tories in general and if the Conservative Party is consigned to the annals of history, in my lifetime, I will shed no tears. Dominic Grieve comes across as an honest and trustworthy citizen, and I am grateful to him for his service to our country. Where are his equals to be found for all our futures?
Being from across the water, i never like to offer half informed opinions on the British political system, but i have always regarded Dominic Grieve as a decent and truthful man. Regretfully, i now believe there are more scoundrels and unprincipled people in mainstream journalism than in politics.
@catgladwell5684 it's the weird unspoken sense of entitlement that bemuses me. "I went to public school, like my father; so I went to the bar like my father; and then I went into parliament like my father. But of course I was lucky to get selected..."
@martynblackburn9632 what got me was the line about his "modest" second home in Brittany, where he does "normal" things like sailing and scuba diving...
Dominic Grieve and his ilk was the reason I voted Tory for many years. I shouldn't feel guilty but I do, the current Tory party makes me ashamed to admit having ever voted for them. Thankfully never again.
@@johnrussell3961 Transparent lie. Depending on the election Tories pick up between 15 to 30 percent of the votes in Scotland. Even under fptp it would be fair to claim the parliament was extremely gerrymandered if that wasn’t enough to get at least some representation.
@@magnificentbastard5085 50% of Scottish MSP’s are elected by FPTP. The SNP took 98% of those, and the Greens the other 2%. The other 50% are a list based top up to achieve proportionality .
@@johnrussell3961 I would suggest the existence of the PR part is preventing tactical voting. Because a system that delivers 97% of the seats to a party that got 44% of the votes is dictator level numbers.
We were always sovereign whilst in the EU, we had sterling, unlike all the other countries, we didn't have I'd cards, like every other country, we have always had control of our borders passports and I'd cards checked in and out of the country and we enjoyed free passage to work and live in Europe, I hope we get back in very quickly because we are going down the pan.
Hmmm - What of economic policy? That which had worked so well (the Mixed Economy model) was disgarded by Thatcher, who had been heavily influenced by Milton Friedman, and who then imposed the Neoliberal (Free Market Capitalist) model where *everything HAS to be privatised, and where the state contributes NOTHING.* And it is the Neoliberal economic model which all governments since Thatcher have followed slavishly. Had I been interviewing Dominic Grieve, I'd have asked him why he thought Neoliberalism was so wonderful, and why Finland, Norway and Portugal have instead stuck to the tried-and-tested Mixed Economy model, which makes them far better places in which to live than the UK or the USA which are controlled by Neoliberalism.
I am 5 years younger than Grieve. He is the kind of man who represented the Best of Britain, the kind of man who made Britain respected and often admired throughout Europe. There are no more like him and Britain (and Europe) are poorer for it.
I was brought up in the 50’s making model Spitfires and reading the “Lion book of war adventures”, and I disagree with Mr Grieve on his point about Brexit. I believe the distinction between leave/remain was more based on socio-economic background. Meanwhile, it’s a tragedy that we no longer have politicians of Mr Grieve’s calibre in Parliament any more.
Leave campaigners didn't say it would be easy for Britain outside the EU. The honest and wise ones believed that it would be tough in the short run but essential strategically. Speaking now as an outsider, who emigrated to continental Europe 30 years ago and works very closely with Europeans, I can say loud and clear that 'Continentals', from Portugal to Finland, have more in common with one another than any one of those countries have with the UK. The UK is, increasingly in fact, hub no.1 for the whole world, and not a corner of Europe. No.1 for language, location, commercial law, forex, air travel, other. British culture is increasingly becoming global culture. The downside is overcrowding. When I lived there the population was 58 mln, now it's 67 mln and I'll bet that by 2050 it'll be around 80 mln. But those immigrants should be from all over the world, with no privileged status for Europeans.
Im a socialist but if Dominic told me to do something i would listen coz he knows what hes talking about. I knew a man who was my mathematics teacher in boardinf school who wasna Colonel in world war 2. He was a thoroughly decent man. Wasnt like the other teachers we had. Very patient. Thought about what he said although a bit slow because he was old. But he cared. That was the most important thing i garnered from him. He was also a military chaplain. And a warrior. Butnhe was old school. They dont make them like that anymore.
Great comment, thank you. Political discourse on SM would be a better place with more people like you. And it was interesting to hear Dominic talk about having friends in parliament “cross party” - so like you he was able to appreciate people had decent qualities despite having different political views. I have to say though very few socialists would say a Conservative MP could be a decent man…..at least from the leftists I see on Twitter who are so tribal a grown up conversation is impossible
I will never vote Tory, but Dominic is the type of Tory the shattered Conservative party should gravitate back to. Because what the Conservatives need most is stability moreover, they need a leader who knows who they are and the direction they want the party to take.
If you understand some French and want to listen to the voice of Percy Grieve, go to “I want my money back" : 40 ans de défiance britannique en Europe”. An interesting interview dating from 1979! Greetings from Belgium, EU.
I was born in 1952 and am a remainder. My Mam was born 1928 (now 95) and voted leave as did my brother, born 1950. I don't really think you can quantify things based on age. As an aside, as a family, we don't talk about Brexit.
He said 'it's more likely...' which it was. All the analyses of the vote coincide in that point. Also, men voted more for Leave and women voted more for Remain. Does it mean 'all'?
This is a proper decent, well spoken and principled English man that this country so desperately need to hopefully bring it back from the path of the abyss wh are distant to 🚶♂️🚶♀️
I'm a 67yrs old socialist, but Rory Stewart and Dominic Greive are decent men of a quality that is sadly lacking in British politics ... and no Starmer the kid Starver is not a decent man he's the Labour Boris Johnson
@diggerman. Your comment shows how desperate you really are now that Labour is doing well. Frankly, it was silly - and tinged with hysteria. Look at your own commitment to Socialism. To me, it looks questionable. We on the Left can never relax and stop questioning the status quo. Unlike the Communists and the Tories , who just fight to hold on to power. Power is their objective : they forget their duty which is to serve and protect the people.
Might I respectfully suggest that you check the voting records of Rory Stewart and Dominic Grieve, particularly when it comes to voting for or against the rights for working people and the less better off. Then do the same thing for Starmer. I wonder if you'll find that Starmer habitually votes to make these people less well off and less secure and that these 'decent Tories' you admire so much vote to make them more well off and more secure. Give it a go and see what you find.
Theresa May shocked me when she said leaving means leaving the single market and the customs union. Now i realise she was actually killing Brexit because those two things were bound to cause problems.
Such a shame that all the 'normal' tories like Grieve have been ejected. I still wouldn't vote for them but at least I'd be able to listen to them without feeling ill.
Listening to Grieve he is clearly a sensible person who also knows what hardships are, not monetary ones but clearly that life can be cruel and when people like him are Tories it always confuses me. Anyway ...
I can see it as an extension of family indentity, if you've had generations of attachment of family to a location, it seems you'd naturally attribute your links to family to location to nation
It has just dawned on me that Dominic's father was Percy Grieve Q.C., M.P.. My own father also served on the Council of Europe and had a very high opinion of his colleague (from the opposite side of the political spectrum I might add).
Politicians of the calibre of Dominic Grieve being forced out of politics in favour of people like Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch and Liz Truss should worry every sane person in the nation.
Great interview.
He wasn't forced out....he was voted out.
He could always have joined the Lib Dems. That's the best home for progressives.
The Conservative party should contain conservatives. How anyone who desires the uk to be governed by the eu and, therefore, destroy our national democracy and institutions of government can be in a party called Conservative is beyond me. Its like not getting what it says on the tin.
@@Allegro-wp8xfJohnson took the whip away, making him no longer a Tory MP, not able to stand at the next election as a Tory.❤
@@davidmullens2464 if he was so popular he could have stood as an independent....
I was born in 1949 and thus grew up in the 50s. I only know one of my many contemporary friends who voted for Brexit.
We are all appalled at the damage Brexit has achieved and the havoc it continues to create.
I admire Mr Grieve for the truth he has and still speaks. I have never and never will vote Tory but I do applaud the Tories who have stood up for the truth and fought the Brexit lies despite the cost to their careers on the centre right.
The only Brexit Bonus I can see coming is that it may or has destroyed the Tories as an electable party.
You're in your 60s and nobody's ever properly explained the apostrophe s rule to you?
@@TomBartram-b1cGrammar police alert!
@@TomBartram-b1c If born in 1949 then he is 74 - you sir, should look to do some basic maths.
@@douglasrogers3918 Nicely done
@@TomBartram-b1c
Have you nothing better to do than talking down to people who's
schooling didn't get to written gramer .
How have we allowed our government to go from people like Dominic Grieve to people like Gullis, Jenrick, Braverman et al. Insane fall of standards and competence
I believe it is rogues like Johnson draw the worst out of people and they act as a beacon for the worst of the worst.
Because it was the likes of Grieve and other ‘one nation conservatives’ who enabled Cameron and Osborne to inflict unnecessary austerity, which ultimately led to the trash we now have in power.
To be fair he served enthusiastically in Camerons austerity gvt so served as a stepping stone to the entry of the current goons
All we do is follow the American model. They voted in Trump, the liar. We voted in boJo, the liar. They both operated in exactly the same way; cull out anyone who isnt a worshipper, deny everything (Baldrick), cheat, steal, manipulate and, most importantly, refuse to acknowledge the truth on any subject.
Well done O’Brien, you didn’t overwhelm the interview with your interjects. Much appreciated. Loved hearing Grieve speak uninterrupted.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
O'brien missed an opportunity to ask him some questions about his role as Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee from 2015 to 2019 in relation to EU Defence Union. Grieve must've had some insight that it was imminent the EU would adopt it in 2016.
What a fabulous and powerful interview. He speaks a language most of us can understand. Not trying to be clever or win people over. Shame we lost him and other decent MP's like Justine Greening and Rory Stewart.
The 2000s happened
I agree with your comment. In the unlikely event I get asked by our incumbent Tory MP here in Sandwich if I’ll vote for him in the forthcoming election campaign, my negative response will include reference to the way moderate, one nation Tories like Grieve have been discarded. Shameful!
Isn't it astonishing that the Daily Mail made a story out of Dominic Grieve's holiday home in France when his mother was French and he grew up in a bilingual home. Incredible.
Absolutely this!
The Daily Heil backed the black shirts. They have an horrendous history.
Let's be honest, it really isn't!
@@daveturner4134Sadly, I think that you are correct.
Is it? I've never read the Daily Mail and have no plans to. But this is a man of enormous privilege with a cosmopolitan background for whom "the system" works very well, and he is quite representative of it. Is it really surprising that the people that that same system screws find his privilege so distasteful?
A decent man. What ever happened to politicians who were just trying to do their best for the country, rather than for themselves?
Johnson sacked them and installed his brexit puppets
Therein lies the ultimate problem of current domestic and international politics. Far more self servers than public servers.
Dominic Grieve represents me .I used to vote Tory when it was a one-nation party. Sadly, the party was invaded by UKIP 3rd-rate-intellects whose glee at trashing established rules and codes of conduct became all too evident. At the top of the dung heap was Johnson. His chaotic and morally bankrupt lifestyle translated into a chaotic and morally bankrupt government. It was stuffed with the cynical and loutish elements that have become almost household names. The likes of Gullis, François, Hancock , Dorries, Anderson etc. I just do not recognise these people as Conservatives. They're the antithesis of polite society, brash, and certainly not middle-class. They remind me of vultures feeding off the carcass of what was once Great Britain. How one man, Johnson, a narcissistic psychopath, could tarnish such a respected brand is something which will be under discussion for decades to come.
Yet there are idiots in our land shouting "Bring Boris back !!".
Indeed, the Tories have become a populist "tabloid" political party. It's a toss-up whether their incompetence or malice is greater. I went from a Lib-Dem voter to a "tactical" voter with the purpose of getting the Tories out. Labour would not be "worse". 1997 to 2010 weren't as bad as 2010 to 2023 for most people.
Coming from a part of the country where most people don't vote Tory. I'm of the belief you can't help where your born. So it stops me being hateful. I think if you have priviledges from birth as this man has had , use it well. I think populism is the biggest form of gaslighting.
Agreed: the current lot are just a rabble. Until they can find someone who is a person of principle and morality to lead them they will be little more than a cult.
@@SteveWhippI’d say we can narrow it down even more than that.
Between Labour’s election in ‘97 and September 11 2001 this country seemed to be going in the right direction (built on the back of Major’s economic turnaround). Not perfect by a long shot, but optimistic and for the most part functional.
It has persistently gone wrong from then onwards.
I remember DG at the time of the referendum and the battles after, courageous, principled, honest and most of all, correct
Dominic Grieve is the quality of person that we expect our leaders to be and should still be at the forefront of Government.
He stands head and shoulders above all others and is someone that all of us, irrespective of party, who like to see as PM.
Best o British. A dying breed unfortunately.
someone who cant accept democratic votes? no thanks
I couldn't agree more Andy. I'm a Glaswegian, completely the polar opposite of 'Tory', but I really admire him and am re-assured there are still people of this calibre about (albeit not in frontline politics).
says everything about him and that he had no business touting himself in tory party just to get a seat in a tory constituancy@@starmersbarber
Yeah he's old school classic British leadership. Despite the empire he's a respectable man.
I hope we are all on our guard about protecting the human rights act, it’s terrifying what these now conservatives are prepared to do.
says everything about him and that he had no business touting himself in tory party just to get a seat in a tory constituancy
What are human right?
They can’t blame the EU anymore so it’s the ECHR to take the blame. Of course not themselves.
germany in the early 1930s revisited....wake up uk vote labour next year for gods sake
Vast swathes of the electorate have been indoctrinated by the right wing media for quite sometime now to be against it. A sprinkling of articles about “lefty lawyers”, purposefully Ill informed articles and cartoonesque examples blown out of all proportion, then some richard little John and Melanie Phillips pieces to reinforce it all and bobs your uncle, millions of people will be happy to see human rights go. Next is democracy. Especially if trump gets in. Trump has been subtly rehabilitated in the minds of many many brits via the right wing media and their off shore billionaire owners. It’s more than concerning. They will then have the cheek to say it’s you getting lost in a media echo chamber and have been brainwashed, all with a smug wry smile and an “oh well”.
He's a decent guy, it's a shame his party has gone completely bananas. It's a shame for the party, but more of a shame for the country because of the damage they've caused.
and even more so for our country.
@@avs4365and even more so for our country
Elaborate on completely bananas...you mean the disastrous lockdown which brought this country to its knees?
No he isn't, a check of his voting records shows who he is!
More than time some other party like Reform took their place. The Conservative (in name only) ceased being conservative becoming more like the Blair Party each passing day.
Domonic grieve is owed respect for speaking truth to power .
Dominic Grieve, the antithesis of the majority of current Conservative MPs, and many MPs in general. Dignified, principled and simply honest and decent…Excellent interview, thank you James O’Brien…
An intelligent and considered man, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dominic on the campaign trail back in 2010 and followed his career thereafter. I knew the Tories were doomed the moment they removed him, if someone of his calibre is deemed problematic then you knew the asylum had fallen to the lunatics!
someone who cant accept democratic votes? no thanks
As a result of this conversation, I have learned more about a politician of a different position to myself, and come to realise that despite this difference there are still some or maybe at least there once was an honourable Conservative MP.
30 years and more ago there were a lot of people in the Conservative party with whom you mightn't have agreed, but who nevertheless were decent people with morality, a sense of service, and who also knew the meaning of altruism. All gone, replaced with hyenas.
The issue is, there was always, Rory Stewart, Dominic Grieve, John Major, Ken Clarke, Ruth Davidson, Ben Wallace, as much as she had her flaws, Theresa May is someone I would even say at least had a love of the country and went into Parliament to improve it.
They've all been removed or left so now you're left with the head bangers and people like Dominic Grieve don't feel welcome in their party anymore.
@@ryanseager123456789it’s like some gruesome reverse-culling of one of our major parties. Similar to the original commenter I’m not particularly a conservative myself but I have considerable respect for the tories of an essentially bygone time. What a time that was.
One of the few Conservative MP's of that time who can legitimately hold his head up high having had the guts to stand up and try to voice his concerns on the post-Brexit debacle whilst being pilloried by the ideological idiots around him and the right wing press.
Privileged. Connected. Preferred. "I got myself on the candidate's list without too much difficulty." There we have it....
No Tory MP should ever hold up their head. What have Tories done except destroy the UK for the working class in order to generate bigger profits for billionaires & corporations?
Dominic Grieve is from an earlier iteration of the Tory Party. Whilst we do not share a consensus over the priorities of government, he is an intelligent, principled and thoroughly decent man.
What a disastrous turn both the Tories and our country took following the Brexit vote with a person of his calibre being out of politics.
Excellent interview! I really enjoyed it. Thanks, James and Dominic.
Thank for this James. I have a great deal of respect for Dominic Grieve (even though I'm the polar opposite of being a Tory!) He has a kind and decent person vibe going on and is always engaging when he talks. I wrote to DG when it was clear his time was coming to a brutal end in parliament. He went out of his way to respond in his recognisable considered style, which really impressed me.
Johnson kicked out all the principled and competent Tory politicians, to the strong detriment of our country.
someone who cant accept democratic votes? no thanks
He chose rogues like himself.
A reasonable, likeable Tory. Who knew it was possible.
says everything about him and that he had no business touting himself in tory party just to get a seat in a tory constituancy
And James actually stopped talking and allowed the guy to speak...who'd have thought!
Scratch at the surface and is that Tory still likeable?
All Labour MPs are evil.
@@carnivore2938you keep saying that. It’s a rather detached and ignorant comment.
Fascinating and absolutely insightful. My admiration of Mr Grieve has increased exponentially!
I still can't wrap my head around the concept that "philosophically" anyone feels like they belong in the Conservative party. How anyone in the UK can look at what Thatcher has done - whose legacy still leaves swathes of the nation in abject ruin, and think "yes this is the party for me" truly beggars belief. Perhaps in order to be a Tory minister, you need to pass some sort of Amnesia test and not be cognisant of the horror a large percentage of the nation has endured and continues to endure under Tory rule. Who knows.
I share your view here. Tribalism and loyalty to the attitudes and ‘philosophies’ one was raised with are almost impossible to abandon. I agree with 99% of the comments on this post in support of Grieve, but, having been expelled as a member of the party he gave most of his adult life to must be very hard for him personally. Sadly, unless the Tories split, he’s politically homeless.
Dominic Grieve is a man of honour and is in stark contrast to the crooks and charlatans who are in control today. When he talks about his father his story resonates so much with that of my own father who saw the horrors of WW2 from within a Sherman tank . He is spot on .
What a lovely, open and honest human being Dominic Grieve is. Thank you for who you are.
Shame thta he is a Tory..
@@marythorpe928 no shame in being a Tory, at least he is not a Conservative.
@@marythorpe928 Youknow. I've never voted Tory in my life: But I'd vote for the likes of Dominic Grieve and Rory Stewart, irrespective of the colour of their political flag. Now, more than ever before, the world needs people of integrity and honour of the likes of these two wise and humble human beings. All the best.
@@marythorpe928Those who dictator Johnson threw out are decent people. As a piece of “whataboutery” consider some labour MP’ at that time: Flint, Mann, Austin & Hoey.
@@Mounhas I don't disagree. It's like I indicated, the colour of a person's political persuasion is irrelevant. For me, their integrity, decency and humility matter. Anyone, no matter whom they may be should be accountable for any calculated wrongdoing and suffering caused.
Enjoyed this interview. Shame the Conservatives are not this way anymore.
The Conservatives ceased being a conservative party about 30 years ago. More like New New Labour (Blairite).
James ... great sesh, fascinating to hear DG.
I do wish you had asked about the Tories' austerity policy starting in 2010. It would have been interesting to hear if DG sees a connection between increasing dissatisfaction and stagnation (because of austerity) and swathes of voters being more susceptible to being sold Brexit as a solution to the malaise brought on ... by the Tories themselves.
Changing the human rights act to pass legislation is disastrous and will be the end of UK politics and democracy as we know it. Frankly, it's terrifying.
It’s an Act of Parliament from 1998. Parliament can change it. How would that be the end of democracy? You people are like children.
The UK has been at the forefront of human rights long before the ECHR was ever invented. Indeed it was British civil servants who helped drafted it, ostensibly for European countries after WWII atrocities . Magna Carta, Habeus Corpus, Bill of Rights, Prima Facie, to name a few. Having said that the Tories wish to tread over many of those rights and well deserve to be shown the door at next election. Will Labour repeal all those the freedom hating Acts that the Tories brought in? Don't hold your breath on that score.
Why? Even without the HRA we are bound by the ECHR, but just in the ECtHR rather than domestic courts. Why would this be the end of democracy?
When you compare Grieve to Lee Anderson, it really lays bare the realities of Brexit.
Here is a man from a different social class, upbringing and education, to my own. A man with political views and ideals contrary to my own. However I have huge respect for him as a conservative politician. I have little respect for Tories in general and if the Conservative Party is consigned to the annals of history, in my lifetime, I will shed no tears. Dominic Grieve comes across as an honest and trustworthy citizen, and I am grateful to him for his service to our country. Where are his equals to be found for all our futures?
Being from across the water, i never like to offer half informed opinions on the British political system, but i have always regarded Dominic Grieve as a decent and truthful man. Regretfully, i now believe there are more scoundrels and unprincipled people in mainstream journalism than in politics.
What a thoroughly decent human being and even though I'm centre left, Dominic would get my vote based on his personal attributes.
Nice to see an interview where we are allowed to hear what the interviewee has to say. Need more of this James.❤
Cut from a different cloth than the horrific mess that call themselves conservative now.
Met him about 10 years ago at an event, a charming and amicable gentleman.
Decent, smart, and honest, thats why Grieve's is not in the Tory party today.
This just appears to be a story of how politics is really just a club for rich kids...
I get sick of hearing of the childhoods and shoo-in to Oxbridge education of people born to privilege.
Westminster is their playground. We are the victims of their bullying.
@catgladwell5684 it's the weird unspoken sense of entitlement that bemuses me. "I went to public school, like my father; so I went to the bar like my father; and then I went into parliament like my father. But of course I was lucky to get selected..."
@martynblackburn9632 the system is totally rigged in their favour, but they still think they got to the top based on merit.
@martynblackburn9632 what got me was the line about his "modest" second home in Brittany, where he does "normal" things like sailing and scuba diving...
Top man
Not a Tory voter never have been and never will be but I can respect the likes of Dominic grieve and Rory Stewart.
Dominic Grieve and his ilk was the reason I voted Tory for many years. I shouldn't feel guilty but I do, the current Tory party makes me ashamed to admit having ever voted for them. Thankfully never again.
Never been a conservative, never will be in the future either, but still have respect for a very few Tories, Greave being one of them.
Fascinating conversation, informative and pleasant.
Very interesting James. Despite him being a Tory, I've always liked Grieve. Fascinating life
Dominic Grieves one of the best MPs ever like the Tories40 yrs ago..
Very interesting. Really enjoyes this and learned a lot.
One of the very few tories I have any time for.
"I love Scotland and frequently went up to meet with Scottish Conservatives" - there is something very wrong with this sentence.
Without lists , there would be no Tories in the Scottish Parliament. Same is true for Labour.
@@johnrussell3961
Transparent lie. Depending on the election Tories pick up between 15 to 30 percent of the votes in Scotland. Even under fptp it would be fair to claim the parliament was extremely gerrymandered if that wasn’t enough to get at least some representation.
@@magnificentbastard5085 50% of Scottish MSP’s are elected by FPTP. The SNP took 98% of those, and the Greens the other 2%.
The other 50% are a list based top up to achieve proportionality .
@@johnrussell3961
I would suggest the existence of the PR part is preventing tactical voting. Because a system that delivers 97% of the seats to a party that got 44% of the votes is dictator level numbers.
...yes. He should have ended the sentence with "...both of them."
We were always sovereign whilst in the EU, we had sterling, unlike all the other countries, we didn't have I'd cards, like every other country, we have always had control of our borders passports and I'd cards checked in and out of the country and we enjoyed free passage to work and live in Europe, I hope we get back in very quickly because we are going down the pan.
I don't expect that UK will have these privileges again in the unlikely event that the UK will apply and get EU membership.
An adult in the room , they do exist !
A reasonable and intelligent man.
Excellent interview.
Dominic is an interesting man and a likeable one !!
@@tina5203 someone who cant accept democratic votes? no thanks
Yep, a decent Tory- contrast him with Boris Johnson and you are looking at direct polar opposites.
Hmmm - What of economic policy? That which had worked so well (the Mixed Economy model) was disgarded by Thatcher, who had been heavily influenced by Milton Friedman, and who then imposed the Neoliberal (Free Market Capitalist) model where *everything HAS to be privatised, and where the state contributes NOTHING.*
And it is the Neoliberal economic model which all governments since Thatcher have followed slavishly. Had I been interviewing Dominic Grieve, I'd have asked him why he thought Neoliberalism was so wonderful, and why Finland, Norway and Portugal have instead stuck to the tried-and-tested Mixed Economy model, which makes them far better places in which to live than the UK or the USA which are controlled by Neoliberalism.
Excellent comment.
When you compare him to other modern tories, he seems quite reasonable.
@peteharper2687,
Like Peter Bone the member of parliament in pestminster. 😂.
There WERE many like him. Most have gone or a quietly helping their constituents on the backbenches
When you lose clear minded MPs like Dominic Grieve, and i am not a Conservative, it is to the Downgrading further of Westminster.
The only Tory politician that I have felt and thought I could ever respect .
And Anna Soubry, but there are very few of them.
And Ken Clarke
exactly - he isnt tory
Rory Stewart and Ken Clarke too.
And your point is?
What a fascinating conversation.
Loved this . ❤
I am 5 years younger than Grieve. He is the kind of man who represented the Best of Britain, the kind of man who made Britain respected and often admired throughout Europe.
There are no more like him and Britain (and Europe) are poorer for it.
Indeed. A dying breed. Britain’s loss. I’ll go further and say the world’s.
So sorry for the loss of your sister
I was brought up in the 50’s making model Spitfires and reading the “Lion book of war adventures”, and I disagree with Mr Grieve on his point about Brexit. I believe the distinction between leave/remain was more based on socio-economic background. Meanwhile, it’s a tragedy that we no longer have politicians of Mr Grieve’s calibre in Parliament any more.
Leader of the Conservatives .
I'm a long time labour voter, but I must admit he's a proper Tory politician and has my respect even though I don't agree with his politics.
Leave campaigners didn't say it would be easy for Britain outside the EU. The honest and wise ones believed that it would be tough in the short run but essential strategically. Speaking now as an outsider, who emigrated to continental Europe 30 years ago and works very closely with Europeans, I can say loud and clear that 'Continentals', from Portugal to Finland, have more in common with one another than any one of those countries have with the UK. The UK is, increasingly in fact, hub no.1 for the whole world, and not a corner of Europe. No.1 for language, location, commercial law, forex, air travel, other. British culture is increasingly becoming global culture. The downside is overcrowding. When I lived there the population was 58 mln, now it's 67 mln and I'll bet that by 2050 it'll be around 80 mln. But those immigrants should be from all over the world, with no privileged status for Europeans.
As opposer to the ‘privileged status’ they have now?? Do elaborate
Im a socialist but if Dominic told me to do something i would listen coz he knows what hes talking about. I knew a man who was my mathematics teacher in boardinf school who wasna Colonel in world war 2. He was a thoroughly decent man. Wasnt like the other teachers we had. Very patient. Thought about what he said although a bit slow because he was old. But he cared. That was the most important thing i garnered from him. He was also a military chaplain. And a warrior. Butnhe was old school. They dont make them like that anymore.
Great comment, thank you. Political discourse on SM would be a better place with more people like you.
And it was interesting to hear Dominic talk about having friends in parliament “cross party” - so like you he was able to appreciate people had decent qualities despite having different political views.
I have to say though very few socialists would say a Conservative MP could be a decent man…..at least from the leftists I see on Twitter who are so tribal a grown up conversation is impossible
His father Percy Grieve was awesome and a real European!
Fascinating interview.
The adrenaline rush of 'populism' doesn't put bread on the table, fascinating interview.
Most incisive account of these appalling times I've watched
I will never vote Tory, but Dominic is the type of Tory the shattered Conservative party should gravitate back to. Because what the Conservatives need most is stability moreover, they need a leader who knows who they are and the direction they want the party to take.
Awesome interview James.
If you understand some French and want to listen to the voice of Percy Grieve, go to
“I want my money back" : 40 ans de défiance britannique en Europe”.
An interesting interview dating from 1979! Greetings from Belgium, EU.
Jobby looks like he should be driving a steam train! 😂
I’m not a conservative but he comes across as a thoughtful and decent man.
Would never vote Tory but would love to have a pint and chin wag with Dominic and Rory Stewart.
...and he was totally correct!
I'm dual nationality of a French mother and British of an Australian father therefore fortunately bilingual and valuing both cultures.
I was born in 1952 and am a remainder. My Mam was born 1928 (now 95) and voted leave as did my brother, born 1950. I don't really think you can quantify things based on age.
As an aside, as a family, we don't talk about Brexit.
He said 'it's more likely...' which it was. All the analyses of the vote coincide in that point. Also, men voted more for Leave and women voted more for Remain. Does it mean 'all'?
This is a proper decent, well spoken and principled English man that this country so desperately need to hopefully bring it back from the path of the abyss wh are distant to 🚶♂️🚶♀️
INTERESTING BALLET TIGHTS!!!???
ABSOLUTEMENT.
DIFFERENT SILKS.
I'm a 67yrs old socialist, but Rory Stewart and Dominic Greive are decent men of a quality that is sadly lacking in British politics ... and no Starmer the kid Starver is not a decent man he's the Labour Boris Johnson
@diggerman. Your comment shows how desperate you really are now that Labour is doing well. Frankly, it was silly - and tinged with hysteria. Look at your own commitment to Socialism. To me, it looks questionable. We on the Left can never relax and stop questioning the status quo. Unlike the Communists and the Tories , who just fight to hold on to power. Power is their objective : they forget their duty which is to serve and protect the people.
Might I respectfully suggest that you check the voting records of Rory Stewart and Dominic Grieve, particularly when it comes to voting for or against the rights for working people and the less better off. Then do the same thing for Starmer. I wonder if you'll find that Starmer habitually votes to make these people less well off and less secure and that these 'decent Tories' you admire so much vote to make them more well off and more secure. Give it a go and see what you find.
And you think Starmer will be anything other than Tory light, he has no vision or integrity
Grieve and those like him should have left the Tory Party years ago.
A proper Tory . That's coming from a Labour voter.
We're not using all these amazing minds. Stop podcasting, start leading. We're behind you!!
Theresa May shocked me when she said leaving means leaving the single market and the customs union. Now i realise she was actually killing Brexit because those two things were bound to cause problems.
What a loss to the Uk. Compare that to what we do have - cleverly, sunak, shapps. Yuk!
Such a shame that all the 'normal' tories like Grieve have been ejected. I still wouldn't vote for them but at least I'd be able to listen to them without feeling ill.
High calibre man. Always speaks clear sense.
Listening to Grieve he is clearly a sensible person who also knows what hardships are, not monetary ones but clearly that life can be cruel and when people like him are Tories it always confuses me. Anyway ...
Grieve is intelligent etc certainly, but his patrician attitude & his dreadful party facilitated the events which led to Johnson, brexit & Truss
I don´t understand the idea of being proud of one´s nationality.
I don’t either. These days I understand how to be ashamed of it.
It’s an accident of birth. Just like having DNA that gives you colon cancer. You dint go around saying how proud you are to have colon cancer.
I can see it as an extension of family indentity, if you've had generations of attachment of family to a location, it seems you'd naturally attribute your links to family to location to nation
You should achieve something to be proud of.
@@INCREASE.THE.PEACE. Your mother did all the hard work..
It has just dawned on me that Dominic's father was Percy Grieve Q.C., M.P.. My own father also served on the Council of Europe and had a very high opinion of his colleague (from the opposite side of the political spectrum I might add).
Being a conservative.. keeping the owner class in control. The way he speaks is incredibly telling. Know your place 'PEASANT.'
DG is a Tory I would vote for whatever my political views at the time .
I know what you mean.
he is not - he just exploited the tory strong seat
Looks like he arrived on a horse
Would love him to have a similar interview with Douglas Murray.
decline in the seventies?. The real decline started in the eighties.
Privileged. Connected. Preferred. "I got myself on the candidate's list without too much difficulty." There we have it....