Catch up with today’s political telly…

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982

Today’s “Sopel on Sunday” features interviews with Ed Balls and Andrew Adonis.

Although Lord Adonis speaks mainly about high-speed rail and his trasport brief, the clip on the BBC site focuses on Gordon Brown’s personality, and whether he is “hated or “pitied”. Ratings are everything.

Adonis says:

“I think Gordon Brown is widely seen as doing a good and serious job. He’s not a flashy politician, he’s a very serious politician. I think what people have seen in the last week on the issue, for example, of writing to the parents of soliders killed in Afghanistan shows a very serious side to him; that he takes his responsbilities so seriously that he does write to them all individually, in the same way as he demonstrated a real strength and seriousness of purpose in dealing with the financial crisis. What people want in their Prime Minsiter is a serious guy who is going to really address as honestly as he can the problems facing the country and that’s what Gordon Brown is doing.”

On Sky News, Ed Balls said about the PM’s childcare vouchers climbdown:

“We’ve always had support for everybody with childcare and more suport for those who need it most. The Treasury has been concerned with the tax relief on childcare vouchers…there’s a lot of dead weight cost there…But the PM and the Chancellor have both said they will listen to concerns…But that combination of support for all, and more support for those that need it most; that’s what underpinned free nursery care; it’s what’s underpinned three and four year olds getting support; it’s what’s underpinned the vouchers but also tax credits – and I’m sure that combination of universal and targeted support will continue into the future.”

Jeremy Hunt is also interviewed, and there’s an intersting contribution from a member of Norfolk Tories on the row over Liz Truss.

You can watch “Sopel on Sunday” here.