Andrew Pierce skewers ex-Labour MP for defending local election delay: 'Did you say that with a straight face?'

Asked for his verdict on the delay, Andrew said: "Are you entirely comfortable Geoff Hoon, as a former cabinet minister, that the Government is now proposing that up to elections in up to 63 districts could be cancelled in May because of reorganisation of local Government?"

He responded: "Well, I read in the local newspapers here in Derbyshire the tremendous debates that are taking place about the future of local Government. And as I understand it, that is taking place right across the country.

"So I think it does make sense when that is still a matter of debate and discussion, that we don't have elections on the basis of organisations that perhaps in a few years time will not exist, so I think there's a pragmatic argument for that."

He argued: "It will save the country a great deal of money, and it will also save us having to elect councillors who perhaps a year or so later, will be out of their job."

Andrew then quipped: "It will also save Labour some degree of humiliation I suspect at the ballot box, because they were predicted to do very, very badly in those May elections, as you well know?"

Mr Hoon simply responded: "I'm sure that wasn't a consideration."

As Miriam began to laugh at the response, Andrew asked Mr Hoon in disbelief: "Did you say that with a straight face?"

The ex-Labour MP told Andrew and Miriam: "It's Christmas."

Descending into a fit of laughter, the two GB News hosts struggled to keep their composure as Miriam jokingly swiped at Andrew: "Well done!"

Mr Hoon was also asked for his verdict on newly elected chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Mary-Ann Stephenson's remarks about migration, where she claimed "demonising" migrants poses a "risk" to their lives.

Defending Ms Stephenson, he told GB News: "Well, she's a new appointee, and obviously it's her job to stand up for individual rights as guaranteed by British law and international law, so it's not entirely surprising that she should defend the European Convention.

"But I think it's important that people do have their say on those kinds of issues. People have views and they're entitled to express them strongly. And ironically actually, the convention would protect the rights of people to set out their views in a forthright way.

"So I think to that extent, I don't think there's a problem. The convention is there to protect individual rights, individual liberty against the threats from totalitarianism."

Pressed by Andrew on whether Ms Stephenson was right to say Britain should "remain in the ECHR", he responded: "I think she's entitled to set out her opinion in relation to the European Convention. In a sense, it's a job to protect a document that guarantees individual liberty.

"And indeed, I would say, and I support this part of her argument, I would say that this is wholly consistent with British values, the protection of individual liberty, fairness, the way in which society operates, equal treatment for people. I think that's something that is fundamental to the British way of life."

He added: "And it's not terribly surprising that it was Winston Churchill who was one of the prime movers in the drafting of the European Convention, largely produced by British lawyers. I do think it's something that goes to the heart of the way in which this country works."

Declaring it the "Government's responsibility" to "balance individual liberty against the interests of the wider society", Mr Hoon concluded: "There is the need to balance individual liberty as against the interests of the wider society, and ultimately that's a matter for Government.

"Governments decide those things on the basis of the manifesto that they put before the people at an election time, and therefore, those decisions and the present Government have reflected hard on these problems and have called for, for example, a change to the European Convention to deal with the problem of migration and the way that we deal with people in this country.

"So I think that there are many aspects of what you've been saying that I would wholly agree with. I think it is a question of balance. Trying to get that balance right is ultimately a matter for Government."

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