122-732: In an episode of The Russell Brand Show broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on 18 October 2008, the comedian Russell Brand and the presenter Jonathan Ross made prank calls to the actor Andrew Sachs that created controversy in the United Kingdom. Brand and Ross called Sachs to interview him on air; when he did not answer, they left lewd messages on his answering machine, including comments about Brand's relationship with Sachs' granddaughter Georgina Baillie . The incident received little attention initially, but an article in The Mail on Sunday of 26 October 2008 led to widespread criticism of Brand, Ross and
244-697: A Saturday night show that lasted 20 weeks. The show featured clips and back-stage recordings from his Booky Wook 2 promotional tour. Brand was joined by a host of guests, including Noel Gallagher and Jonathan Ross . On 18 March 2013, Brand returned to radio on Xfm with his old co-host, Matt Morgan, for a one-off special in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust . They were joined by Noel Gallagher , Noel Fielding and Mr Gee with Trevor Lock and David Icke phoning in as guests. Brand announced on 30 March 2017 edition of The Chris Moyles Show he would return to radio, beginning on 2 April 2017 he began hosting
366-468: A bunch of sanctimonious cry-babies indulging in a wretched form of masturbation." Reacting to the suspensions of Brand and Ross on 29 October, Baillie remarked: "I'm thrilled because justice has been done ... It's despicable. Calling me that in public, not only does it damage my relationship with my granddad, but it could permanently damage my life as well". A week later, on 5 November 2008, UK television channel Five broadcast an hour-length documentary on
488-492: A constitutional anomaly in the 21st century. Both contend that such powers lack direct democratic legitimacy due to not being regulated by parliamentary statutes and raise concerns over accountability. Elliot and Thomas have pointed out that judicial intervention in cases such as Miller I and Miller II , where the Supreme Court exercised scrutiny over the use of prerogative powers by the government to prorogue parliament during
610-685: A member, alongside Baillie, of burlesque troupe The Satanic Sluts) to compose the song "Gun in Your Pocket", about the incident, which he intended to release as the lead single for his ninth album Adam Ant Is the Blueblack Hussar in Marrying the Gunner's Daughter (with a rerecording of early 1980s outtake "Who's A Goofy Bunny Then?" as the B-side in tribute to the recently deceased Malcolm McLaren ). The project
732-626: A motion in the House of Commons , tabled by Labour MP Andrew MacKinlay and Conservative MP Nigel Evans , calling for Brand and Ross to no longer be funded by the licence fee (which funds the BBC). The chairman of the House of Commons select committee on culture, media and sport , John Whittingdale , stated that an investigation by the BBC was needed, but stopped short of calling for Ross and Brand to be sacked. The chairman of
854-589: A presenter on ITV 's daytime programme Loose Women similarly supported the pair, criticising those who complained and stating that she "could not wait" to download the official podcast which included the incident. Noel Gallagher of the group Oasis , a friend of Brand's, complained that the press had "dictated the tone" of the controversy, and thought it "typical of the English in general" when "10,000 people get outraged, but only days after it has happened". Gallagher said he had spoken to Brand, who told Gallagher he
976-429: A rodent by a vicar, while on the "Lies" themed show Brand would talk about pouring Jif round his bathroom and telling his mother it had come out when trying to urinate. The trio would regularly tease one another about these absurd and hilarious anecdotes. There would be an almost weekly item where Brand would read out a made-up story from the tabloids about his private life. A constant source of fascination and frustration
1098-402: A single word email of "Yes" sent from her BlackBerry phone. Amongst her supporters were Chris Evans and Terry Wogan , both of whom worked for Radio 2 at the time, and Dame Liz Forgan , who called her one of the "outstanding broadcasters of her generation", and said that the BBC had "lost its wits". Mark Thompson said that because of her knowledge of the broadcast, she "had to shoulder some of
1220-441: A vote of no confidence, they are often expected to resign from office or request the monarch dissolve parliament to call a general election. The prime minister acts as the principal advisor to the monarch, who is the head of state, a capacity that has evolved gradually during the history of the office. Bagehot says that despite the monarch holding certain theoretical executive powers, in practice, these powers are often executed upon
1342-465: Is able to wield considerable power in the passing of legislation through their ability to manage party discipline and cohesion in voting patterns. Bogdanor states that this largely depends upon the prime minister being the leader of the largest party in the Commons, which can pass legislation without any or little resistance if they can command the confidence of the House. This aspect of prime ministerial power
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#17329341394081464-413: Is authorised with broader support from and within the government. The prime minister must constantly maintain the confidence of the House of Commons because, as Bagehot notes, the power of the prime minister derives from their ability to command a majority in the House in order to pass legislation and continue the functions of government. If a prime minister loses the confidence of the House, which occurs in
1586-547: Is based on an uncodified constitution , meaning that it is not set out in any single document. The British constitution consists of many documents, and most importantly for the evolution of the office of the prime minister, it is based on customs known as constitutional conventions that became accepted practice. In 1928, Prime Minister H. H. Asquith described this characteristic of the British constitution in his memoirs: In this country we live ... under an unwritten Constitution. It
1708-485: Is how it happens. That is showbusiness." On 21 November 2008, the BBC's watchdog BBC Trust said that the phone calls were a "deplorable intrusion with no editorial justification". The Trust found that the existing BBC guidelines should have been sufficient to have prevented the incident, and that the "very offensive" programme should "never have been recorded". It found the failures lay in mistakes made by BBC editorial and compliance management. The Trust gave its backing to
1830-467: Is informal and often carried out by the office of Whips, who makes sure that MPs remain loyal and vote on the government line. The political scientist Anthony King said that the prime minister's influence over legislation is further solidified through their ability to shape policy before it reaches parliament. King further argued that the shaping of legislation, on many occasions, involves the collaborative efforts of cabinet ministers and civil servants, but
1952-587: Is often through party discipline and having a reliable majority of MPs who vote in support of the government's priorities. Another essential part of the parliamentary powers possessed by the prime minister is determining the composition of the Cabinet. According to Professor Robert Hazell, the prime minister not only chooses cabinet members but also dictates the collective decision-making process of members as well. The prime minister most often would chair cabinet meetings and may determine their frequency, thereby controlling
2074-711: Is true that we have on the Statute-book great instruments like Magna Carta, the Petition of Right, and the Bill of Rights which define and secure many of our rights and privileges; but the great bulk of our constitutional liberties and ... our constitutional practices do not derive their validity and sanction from any Bill which has received the formal assent of the King, Lords and Commons. They rest on usage, custom, convention, often of slow growth in their early stages, not always uniform, but which in
2196-414: Is wrong and bad timing to give or even put up this guy for recognition when he has done such a terrible thing. It was unforgivable, really. I'm not angry, I just don't believe it." Sachs himself said that the nomination was "a bit of a surprise", and that "One would question the reasons when it comes so quickly after what happened. I wonder how much it has to do with trying to comfort him. I don't know. That
2318-475: The Lancashire Telegraph on 30 October, became the first Cabinet Minister to call for the pair to be sacked, arguing that if both presenters had worked in commercial radio "they'd have been given their P45 before you could say 'Jack Robinson'." On the same day, Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, Theresa May , called for a Commons debate on the BBC's handling of the affair. In the days following
2440-494: The 2024 general election . The position of prime minister was not created; it evolved slowly and organically over three hundred years due to numerous Acts of Parliament , political developments, and accidents of history. The office is therefore best understood from a historical perspective. The origins of the position are found in constitutional changes that occurred during the Revolutionary Settlement (1688–1720) and
2562-448: The G7 and G20 . 58 people (55 men and 3 women) have served as prime minister, the first of whom was Robert Walpole taking office on 3 April 1721. The longest-serving prime minister was also Walpole, who served over 20 years, and the shortest-serving was Liz Truss , who served seven weeks. The current prime minister is Keir Starmer , who succeeded Rishi Sunak on 5 July 2024, following
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#17329341394082684-480: The House of Lords Select Committee on Communication, Lord Fowler , in a letter to The Times stated that there were "fundamental flaws" in the way that the BBC was regulated and governed, and that there was "confusion all round" because two parallel bodies, the BBC Trust and Ofcom, were investigating the incident, and it was "both unclear which of them the public should complain to and which of them had precedence over
2806-472: The Poussez Posse , performed this second song regularly in live support slots for Ant's UK, mainland European and Australian tours during 2011–2012. Commenting on the two songs in an interview by John Robb , Baillie noted "The first one that Adam and I wrote was about an ex of mine- guess who! Which is not on the album, which is called Gun in Your Pocket ...(Subsequently) the first one Adam and I wrote together
2928-605: The United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union , was successful in keeping check over the authority of both the prime minister and the government. The evolving usage of prerogative powers also has signalled tension between tradition and accountability. Authors Paul Craig and Adam Tomkins state that the absence of a written constitution gives a prime minister greater leeway in employing their given prerogative powers without limits that in turn would create uncertainty although
3050-516: The World Service , had been saying one thing, the younger audiences of Radio 1 had been reacting quite differently, and were broadly supportive of Ross and Brand. Some were amazed at the comments of the Prime Minister, with one person observing that "[t]he financial markets are wrecked and all he can do is talk about a petty joke." Others stated that people should "calm down", "get a grip", and that
3172-400: The advice of the prime minister, the sovereign exercises many statutory and prerogative powers, including high judicial, political, official and Church of England ecclesiastical appointments; the conferral of peerages and some knighthoods, decorations and other important honours. Bagehot identifies the prime minister as the leader of the "efficient" part of government that functions within
3294-437: The "machinery of government" that allows them to guide legislation that align with their party's political and ideological priorities. Brazier argues that the legislative power of the prime minister has greatly expanded following the post-war period and that as a result, the prime minister now directly authorises supervision over government bills and has a consequential role in the introduction of legislation. The prime minister
3416-421: The 11 am – 1 pm slot on Sunday with Matt Morgan and Mr Gee. However, from January 2018 the show was put on semi-permanent hiatus as Brand concentrated on other work. Its slot was initially replaced by Danny Wallace 's Important Broadcast . On "The Matt Morgan Podcast" in 2020, Matt Morgan and Mr Gee discussed the shows hiatus from Radio X being down to Russell "not wanting to continue"
3538-476: The 1970s television sitcom Fawlty Towers , was scheduled to be a phone-in guest on the show. Brand had briefly been in a relationship with Sachs' granddaughter Georgina Baillie . The episode was prerecorded due to Brand's work commitments. After being unable to reach Sachs on his home telephone, Brand and his co-host that week, the Radio 2 DJ Jonathan Ross , left Sachs four voice messages on his answering machine. In
3660-527: The BBC and stated that she and her family would be considering whether to make a formal complaint to the police. Sachs stated that he had no intention of making a complaint to the police or taking the matter further. On 29 October, Director-General of the BBC Mark Thompson announced that Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross were suspended pending the outcome of an investigation by Tim Davie , director of BBC Audio and Music. The suspension meant that, for
3782-407: The BBC said that it had received 4,700 complaints, after the calls became international news. Later the same day, this number had passed 10,000. The same afternoon, Prime Minister Gordon Brown called the incident "clearly inappropriate and unacceptable". The following day the number of complaints was said to have surpassed 18,000. This incident resulted in the third-highest number of complaints to
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3904-563: The BBC to terminate the contracts of both Ross and Brand. In the Commons David Hanson criticised the comments for being inappropriate and not "in keeping with broadcasting". The conservative journalist Charles Moore announced he would not pay his television licence after the BBC's failure to sack Ross, a decision which eventually led to Moore's being fined in May 2010. Secretary of State for Justice Jack Straw , writing in his local newspaper
4026-405: The BBC will endure less forensic wrath. Hare Krishna. Lesley Douglas , who had brought Brand to BBC Radio 2, resigned as a result of the controversy saying, "The events of the last two weeks happened on my watch. I believe it is right that I take responsibility for what has happened." After hosting a one-off football show with Noel Gallagher Brand returned to Talksport on 9 October 2010, with
4148-405: The BBC's response to the incident and Ross' suspension. The BBC stated the incident was a "very, very serious failure in a radio programme where editorial judgement was exercised that seriously let the BBC down". The Trust also criticised Brand's "so-called apology" of 25 October, and the staff of Chris Moyles ' Radio 1 show for also breaching BBC guidelines for comments by Brand in an interview on
4270-635: The BBC, behind only the airing of Jerry Springer: The Opera and rolling coverage of Prince Philip memorial programmes in April 2021. The incident escalated into a media and political storm that, in much of the British media, eclipsed news of the 2007–2008 financial crisis , the 2008 United States presidential election , and 2008 Nord-Kivu campaign . In reaction to the telephone calls, Baillie said that her relationship with Brand had been brief and she now felt "betrayed" that he had revealed it to her grandfather. Baillie called for both Brand and Ross to be sacked by
4392-432: The BBC, the renamed The Russell Brand Radio Show returned for a few weeks on Talksport , featuring Brand, Morgan and Mr Gee. In December 2005, Brand filled in for Nemone with co-presenter Karl Pilkington for three radio shows on BBC Radio 6 Music . In April 2006, Brand was given a regular Sunday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. slot on the station. Pilkington was advertised as being his co-host and appeared with him on
4514-440: The BBC. On 30 October, the BBC suspended Ross without pay for twelve weeks. The BBC was fined £150,000 by Ofcom. From April 2006 through to October 2008, Russell Brand and Matt Morgan presented the weekly BBC radio show The Russell Brand Show . Brand was joined by celebrity guests including Noel Gallagher , Noel Fielding , Jonah Hill and Morrissey . On 16 October 2008, the actor Andrew Sachs , who portrayed Manuel in
4636-440: The British system, there is a unity of powers rather than separation . Walter Bagehot described the office of prime minister as the "keystone of the Cabinet arch" that maintained while the prime minister can hold significant power over the executive, it is often exercised collectively through the Cabinet (Government). Ministerial responsibility is also an aspect of a prime minister's executive authority. The prime minister leads
4758-507: The Facebook group to 15,609 members. By 2 November, the Facebook group had over 30,000 members, which had risen to over 43,000 members by 5 November. On 30 October, fans of Ross and Brand protested outside the offices of the BBC. On 31 October, fans prepared to hold a protest outside the offices of the Daily Mail and of the BBC. Comedian Jimmy Carr also expressed his support for Ross, saying
4880-499: The Liberal Democrats, Don Foster , criticised this idea, stating that it "threatened the very foundational principles of freedom and independence" of British media, arguing that such government interference in television programming would be "a very sad day for British broadcasting", and pointing out that regulatory mechanisms already exist to deal with issues such as this. On 29 October, Conservative MP Nadine Dorries called for
5002-638: The October 2008 incident, her grandfather didn't speak to her for eight years (Sachs died in November 2016) and that the incident exacerbated her problems with drink and drugs. Baillie also revealed that Brand had apologised to her over ten years after the event, and paid for her rehab: "I was struggling with addiction for about 10–15 years and I was finding it very hard to get clean and sober. So one of my mutual friends between me and Russell called him up and said, ‘Georgie needs some help’, and so he sent me to rehab. And so I
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5124-438: The abilities to declare war, negotiate treaties and deploy the armed forces have historically been part of the monarch's royal authority but have slowly evolved into a function of the office of prime minister. Despite this, the exercise of the prime minister's prerogative powers in these matters is under the oversight of parliament. It is often by convention that a prime minister must seek the approval of parliament before committing
5246-415: The advice and recommendation of the prime minister and the cabinet. This is considered a major principle of the "unity of powers" that exists within a constitutional monarchy in which the monarch "reigns but does not rule". According to Brazier, the prime minister advises the monarch on matters such as the dissolution of parliament and appointments to the House of Lords, but these decisions are often made with
5368-655: The agenda for policy and steering decisions in their preferred direction. Additionally, the prime minister can exercise considerable control over parliamentary time. Authors Alexander Horne and Gavin Drewry state that the prime minister uses this power through the Leader of the House of Commons , by which they are able to allocate time for government bills and often ensuring access to this time over private members' bills. The prime minister's parliamentary powers also extend to foreign relations. Contemporary historian Anthony Seldon says that
5490-418: The apology she received had helped, she replied yes, stating "definitely" to the follow-up comment from Neil of "better to get it than not get it?" When asked finally on the row by Neil if she thought the apologies from Brand and Ross were genuine, she replied that she thought Ross' was, but the fact that Brand had joked about the row on his later tour "negated" his apology. In 2023, Baillie said that following
5612-443: The attitude displayed by the complainants and the BBC's backing down would have, in earlier times, precluded the production of much of what was at the time edgy comedy and "made culture poorer for it" (citing Monty Python's Flying Circus , The Day Today and The Young Ones amongst others as shows that would have not been commissioned owing to their controversial content). While criticising those who had complained without seeing
5734-410: The cabinet which makes the holder of that office bear responsibility for the collective conduct of the government. Professor Rodney Brazier points out that the since the prime minister wields significant sway over policy, that power must be subjected to the conclusion and input of Cabinet ministers. This prevents the office of prime minister from becoming more dominant and also ensures that executive power
5856-424: The calls were "grossly offensive" and a "serious breach of editorial standards". The corporation apologised specifically to Sachs and Baillie, and also to licence fee payers . The evening before this formal apology, David Barber, head of Specialist Music and Compliance at Radio 2, also resigned. Like Douglas, he had been aware of the contents of the show, and had sanctioned the segment's broadcast. Fifteen MPs signed
5978-460: The calls, and denied having given permission for them to be broadcast. Brand and the BBC later apologised for the incident. Both Brand and Ross were suspended by the BBC pending an investigation The broadcast regulator Ofcom announced they would also be conducting an investigation. The BBC originally only received a few complaints but after the involvement of the tabloids the BBC received 30,500 complaints by Thursday morning, 30 October 2008. When
6100-529: The centuries. The office of prime minister itself is not explicitly mentioned in parliamentary law but is developed by constitutional conventions and therefore it is defined by precedent and tradition. Bogdanor notes that the prime minister's power in parliament is exhibited by their control of the executive (the Cabinet) and their ability to influence the legislative agenda. The ability of the prime minister to influence legislation, according to academic Philip Norton ,
6222-428: The charts prompting Brand to start a campaign to get it back to number 1 by promising that he and Morgan would rent an ice cream van and travel the country giving out free ice cream. This eventually succeeded, and on 1 September 2007, the show was broadcast live from an ice cream van on Blackpool promenade. The podcast regularly topped the charts and whenever it slumped Brand reminded listeners to continue to download
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#17329341394086344-401: The competition compensation for the cost of the text message. In a show recorded on 16 October 2008 and broadcast two days later, Brand made several phone calls, along with guest Jonathan Ross , to actor Andrew Sachs ' home, stating that he had had sexual relations with his granddaughter Georgina Baillie , along with further apparently lewd suggestions. Sachs was apparently "deeply upset" by
6466-412: The confidence of the House of Commons , they sit as members of Parliament . The office of prime minister is not established by any statute or constitutional document, but exists only by long-established convention , whereby the monarch appoints as prime minister the person most likely to command the confidence of the House of Commons. In practice, this is the leader of the political party that holds
6588-414: The consent of parliament. The prime minister leads the executive in directing government policy and maintaining coordination between government departments which is dependent upon the cooperation and consent of ministers. Foreign policy and national security are areas in which the prime minister has traditionally enjoyed more authority under what are known as prerogative powers. Vernon Bogdanor argues that
6710-484: The constitutional hierarchy, the premiership was given little formal recognition until the 20th century; the legal fiction was maintained that the sovereign still governed directly. The position was first mentioned in statute only in 1917, in the schedule of the Chequers Estate Act . Increasingly during the 20th century, the office and role of prime minister featured in statute law and official documents; however,
6832-476: The controller of 6Music, said "Russell established himself as a genuine radio talent on 6 Music and has done a brilliant job there. Radio 2 gives him a fresh challenge, and a new audience. He proved a hit with Radio 2 listeners when he stood in for Mark Radcliffe earlier this year". In October 2006, BBC announced a 40% rise in listeners to BBC digital radio, which they claimed was largely attributed to Brand and his show. According to industry ratings body RAJAR ,
6954-439: The controversy in an interview with The Daily Telegraph , saying: "I am amazed that Ross should get rewarded with a mouth like his. Nobody is saying he hasn't got talent, but what he did was so disgusting. Of course, he is not worth the money, but he is good at his job. However, I don't think he should be rewarded so soon after what happened. It is like people are saying, 'Let's forget all about it and see what we can give him.' It
7076-410: The core of the rude comments and silly songs were the real feelings of a beloved and brilliant comic actor and a very sweet and big hearted young woman. Apologies are also owed to the loyal listeners of the show who enjoyed its shambolic spirit and anarchy and will be upset that it cannot continue. I take complete responsibility and offer nothing but love and contrition and I hope that now Jonathan and
7198-438: The course of time received universal observance and respect. The relationships between the prime minister and the sovereign, Parliament and Cabinet are defined largely by these unwritten conventions of the constitution. Many of the prime minister's executive and legislative powers are actually royal prerogatives which are still formally vested in the sovereign , who remains the head of state . Despite its growing dominance in
7320-534: The cover "because Mr Sachs, who is also a PETA supporter, has accepted Mr Brand's apology, and that's good enough for us." Brand went on to win the British Comedy Award for Best Live Standup Performer. In his acceptance speech, Brand dedicated his award to Ross. After being taken off the air due to Ross' suspension, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross returned to BBC One on 23 January 2009, featuring guests Tom Cruise , Lee Evans and Stephen Fry . The show
7442-421: The day. On the evening of 30 October it was announced that Controller of Radio 2 Lesley Douglas had tendered her resignation, which had been accepted. Her resignation letter did not address the question of whether she had approved the pre-recorded show for transmission. That day, Ross was suspended without pay from all BBC shows for a period of twelve weeks. The BBC issued an apology on 8 November, stating that
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#17329341394087564-478: The editorial decisions of the BBC . The event became known as Sachsgate or Manuelgate (a reference to Sachs' Fawlty Towers character Manuel ). Brand and Ross were criticised by a number of MPs , including Prime Minister Gordon Brown , and the BBC received a record number of complaints. The BBC suspended Ross while it and Ofcom launched investigations. Both Brand and Radio 2 controller Lesley Douglas resigned from
7686-507: The events of the MP's expenses row . Asked by Neil if receiving an apology from Brand and Ross had mattered to her, she said yes, as she had been "publicly offended and humiliated", and her grandfather "had been humiliated too". When asked by Abbott if all the publicity surrounding the Brand row had helped her career, she responded "not necessarily ... one would think so, but not really." Neil further asked if
7808-548: The film industry, in particular with writing. When Brand was on holiday, the BBC sometimes aired a "best bits" programme and sometimes had an alternative show with another presenter, usually Lauren Laverne . In the absence of Matt Morgan during the last few weeks of the show in September–October 2008, the following acted as guest presenters alongside Brand: Simon Amstell , Noel Gallagher , Alan Carr , David Baddiel and Jonathan Ross . On 31 May 2008 show, Brand announced that
7930-459: The first message, Brand joked about Fawlty Towers and the fact that both he and Sachs had appeared in The Bill , but was interrupted by Ross shouting out "he fucked your granddaughter". The rest of the message and the following three messages were all characterised by Brand and Ross attempting to apologise for Ross' outburst, but each quickly descended into farce; for example, Brand sang to Sachs: "It
8052-539: The first show, but thereafter Brand's long-term contributor Matt Morgan and comedian Trevor Lock (who left in March 2007 to start his own radio show) filled the role. Brand's 6Music radio show was ranked as high as number 2 in the iTunes most-subscribed-podcast chart. The BBC Radio 6 Music shows would usually take on a different theme each week. For instance, one week the theme was "What Have I Done To Deserve This?" Lock would tell stories of being caught accidentally drowning
8174-480: The goal of enacting the legislative agenda of their political party. In an executive capacity, the prime minister appoints (and may dismiss) all other Cabinet members and ministers , and co-ordinates the policies and activities of all government departments, and the staff of the Civil Service. The prime minister also acts as the public "face" and "voice" of His Majesty's Government, both at home and abroad. Solely upon
8296-420: The government to steer legislation through both Houses of Parliament. Although the prime minister does not possess the power to introduce legislation directly, their control of the cabinet and their role as leader of the largest political party in the House of Commons enables them substantial influence over any legislative agenda. Bagehot points out that this power is based on the prime minister's ability to operate
8418-477: The granting of honours. Brazier argues that prerogative powers allow the prime minister to act within the "authority of the crown" in situations where neither convention nor statutory law applies. As noted by both Bagehot and Brazier, areas in which the prime minister authorises their given prerogative powers are matters of foreign affairs. In recent occasions, the 2003 invasion of Iraq saw Prime Minister Tony Blair deploying British troops to Saudi Arabia without
8540-465: The immediate consent or approval of parliament. Brazier says the rise of parliamentary and public scrutiny has led to calls for reform and checks on the use of prerogative powers. The only prime minister who did not seek parliamentary or legal consent for military action was Anthony Eden during the Suez Crisis in 1956. Professors Mark Elliot and Robert Thomas argue that prerogative powers present
8662-702: The incident, titled Russell & Ross: What the F*** Was All That About? featuring an exclusive interview with Baillie. Baillie stated in the interview that "I think it's way out of proportion what's happened and I don't hate either of them – I don't at all", going on to say "I think they're really talented comedians and I think a world without Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand would be a very sad, dull place." She concluded by saying that Brand needed to learn about respecting women, while Ross should just think before he speaks, "I don't have any harder feeling than that." Baillie also made clear that she would not object to
8784-403: The incident. Thompson called the events a "gross lapse of taste by the performers and the production team" (who chose to broadcast the pre-recorded show) that angered licence-payers . Thompson offered a personal and unreserved apology to Sachs and his family. In an interview, Sachs revealed that he had received and accepted written apologies from Brand and Ross. Brand resigned from the BBC later in
8906-453: The issue had been "blown out of proportion", and blamed the media themselves for escalating it further, stating that Ross was a "national treasure". Former celebrity publicist Max Clifford played down the apparent outrage aimed at Brand. In an interview he said "I don't think this will cause any problems for Russell Brand. He's known to be controversial and, if anything, it will make him more popular amongst his fans, who will have thought this
9028-650: The largest number of seats in the Commons. The prime minister is ex officio also First Lord of the Treasury (prior to 1905 also the official title of the position), Minister for the Civil Service , the minister responsible for national security , and Minister for the Union . The prime minister's official residence and office, by virtue of being the First Lord of the Treasury, is 10 Downing Street in London. Early conceptions of
9150-456: The messages to be broadcast. The BBC originally stated that they were "not aware of any complaint by Mr Sachs", but later confirmed a complaint had been received, and apologised. Brand issued an apology for making the calls but stated it was "funny" during his last radio show, before the Mail had printed the story. Ofcom , the telecommunications regulator, announced its own investigation. On 28 October,
9272-523: The morning of 21 October, at a time when children were likely to be listening. The Trust recommended tighter controls for programmes such as Brand's, made by companies owned by their performers. Long-term effects of the controversy included the establishment of a register of "high-risk" programmes. The Russell Brand Show (radio show) The Russell Brand Show was a radio show first broadcast in 2006 on BBC Radio 6 Music and later on BBC Radio 2, TalkSport, XFM and finally Radio X in 2017. The show's host
9394-415: The nation to military action. In addition to this, the prime minister also exerts informal influence over public policy. Brazier notes this is due to the prime minister often being the leader of the largest party in government, therefore having a direct impact in initiating policy both in government and during election campaigns. In the House of Commons, the prime minister guides the law-making process with
9516-437: The newspapers' quotes or others' arguments?" Tim Shaw , a DJ for Absolute Radio , also supported Ross and Brand, appearing on BBC News wearing a T-shirt that read "I back Brand." The television presenter Paul O'Grady stated that the comedians' behaviour was "well out of order". However, he also suggested that the Prime Minister should "get on with more important matters" than complaining about "media gossip". Carol McGiffin ,
9638-412: The office of prime minister evolved as the " Primus inter pares " or "first among equals", however that does not differentiate on status and responsibility upon whoever is holding office. Historically, the prime minister has never been the first among equals at any time prior to 1868. Until now, that characterisation of the prime minister is reflective of the democratic nature of their position. The power of
9760-425: The office of prime minister has grown significantly since the first prime minister, Robert Walpole in 1721. Prime ministerial power itself evolved gradually alongside the office itself which have played an increasingly prominent role in British politics since the early 20th century . During the premierships of Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher , prime ministerial power expanded substantially and their leadership in
9882-418: The office were described as "presidential" due to their personal yielding of power and tight control over the cabinet. The prime minister is regarded as one of the world's most powerful political leaders in modern times. As the leader of the world's sixth largest economy , the prime minister hold significant domestic and international leadership alongside being the leader of a prominent member state of NATO ,
10004-578: The other". Shadow Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt , speaking on the Radio 4 Today Programme on 30 October, also refused to say whether he thought Ross should be sacked, asserting that politicians should remain at "arm's length" from such decisions. In a speech at the London School of Economics the previous day he had criticised the decision by the BBC to broadcast the programme, which had been recorded two days prior to its transmission, saying that "[t]he BBC
10126-476: The phone calls. During the show, Brand apologised to Sachs, but also devoted much of the show to deriding the Daily Mail for its support of Nazism in the lead-up to World War II . In his apology to Sachs, Brand said: "What's worse – leaving a swearword on Andrew Sachs' answerphone or tacitly supporting Adolf Hitler when he took charge of the Third Reich ?" Sachs later stated he had not given permission for
10248-447: The powers of the Crown, entrusting its authority to responsible ministers (the prime minister and Cabinet), accountable for their policies and actions to Parliament, in particular the elected House of Commons . Although many of the sovereign's prerogative powers are still legally intact, constitutional conventions have removed the monarch from day-to-day governance, with ministers exercising
10370-501: The prank calls as a "perfect example" of where such a "responsibility deal" could have operated, he also pointed to Channel 4 as an example, stating that it was "not good enough" for it to produce "worthy" programmes such as Dispatches documenting alcohol abuse in the US, whilst at the same time it was broadcasting programmes such as Hollyoaks where such abuse took up, according to his estimates, 18% of screen time. The culture spokesman for
10492-422: The previous evening, attracting one million viewers, the show's largest ever audience. A further 180,000 watched the show on the timeshift channel Channel 4 +1. The first series of Ponderland , aired in October 2007, had been watched by 840,000 viewers, including those watching Channel 4 +1. The channel reported that it had received 164 complaints from the public, many of these criticising the decision to broadcast
10614-428: The prime minister acts as the main representative of the government in the international sphere, including in parliament, where treaties are ratified and international commitments are debated. The most significant powers given to the prime minister are "prerogative powers". These are a set of constitutional privileges deriving from monarchial authority that have gradually evolved into tools of executive power managed by
10736-401: The prime minister and the government. Bagehot famously called the British system as one where "the executive power is now yielded by the prime minister" rather than the monarch, a shift from personal to political power. Prerogative powers allow the prime minister to act without the immediate or direct consent of parliament especially in circumstances such as declaring war, deployment of troops and
10858-463: The prime minister and the sovereign. The concept of " the Crown " resolves this paradox. The Crown symbolises the state's authority to govern: to make laws and execute them, impose taxes and collect them, declare war and make peace. Before the " Glorious Revolution " of 1688, the sovereign exclusively wielded the powers of the Crown; afterwards, Parliament gradually forced monarchs to assume a neutral political position. Parliament has effectively dispersed
10980-404: The prime minister depends on the support of their respective party and on the popular mandate. The appointment of cabinet ministers and granting of honours are done through the prime minister's power of appointment . The prime minister alongside the cabinet proposes new legislation and decide on key policies that fit their agenda which is then passed by an act of parliament . The power of
11102-527: The prime minister's approval is needed in order to initiate the legislative agenda. King's analysis of contemporary politcs showed that some prime ministers often bypass or overrule the cabinet on traditional discussion and to push through their preferred agendas with notable cases such as Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair. The prime minister's influence in the Houses of Parliament is derived from longstanding conventions and statutes that have gradually evolved through
11224-462: The prime minister's powers and relationships with other institutions still largely continue to derive from ancient royal prerogatives and historic and modern constitutional conventions. Prime ministers continue to hold the position of First Lord of the Treasury and, since November 1968, that of Minister for the Civil Service , the latter giving them authority over the civil service . Under this arrangement, Britain might appear to have two executives:
11346-609: The programme and attacking newspapers that attempted to stir up further controversy (in particular the Daily Mail ), he did not appear to defend Brand and Ross in particular, stating that the possibility of people being offended by some misjudged humour is "the price you pay for freedom of speech." In a further column in The Guardian , he reiterated this point as well as saying that "people who retrospectively complain to Ofcom about material they've only read about second-hand are, in essence,
11468-601: The programme and increase its standing. After the public outcry regarding the Andrew Sachs controversy, the 18 October broadcast was removed from iTunes. At the time of Brand's resignation, the podcast was at number one on the iTunes UK podcast charts. Parts of this radio show are available to buy on a CD called "Russell Brand – The Best Of What's Legal". But all the podcasts in their entirety are available to download on media-sharing sites. "Viddycasts" began on 14 June 2008 show and consist of footage filmed before, during and after
11590-405: The programme was now produced by Vanity Projects, the production company that he owns and has been part of with many of his previous TV shows. Due to The Russell Brand Show prank calls , Brand resigned from the show on 29 October 2008, and released the following statement: I have apologised to Andrew Sachs for the rude messages I left on October 18 and he has graciously accepted. As I only do
11712-533: The programme, rather than a reflection on the content, and the majority before the programme was transmitted; the show also attracted 212 emails and phone-calls of praise from fans and as such was the most praised programme screened on Channel 4 for that month. Brand continued to be on the front cover of PETA 's "Vegetarian Starter Kit" booklet, despite protests to the organisation. PETA's director, Robbie LeBlanc, said that Brand, who had previously won PETA's "Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity" contest twice, would remain on
11834-417: The radio show to make people laugh I've decided that given the subsequent coverage I will stop doing the show. I've loved working for the BBC and am very proud of the shows myself, Matt Morgan , Nic Philps , Mr Gee and Noel Gallagher have made and I apologise to all of them for damaging their careers – except Noel, whose band are doing quite well. I got a bit caught up in the moment and forgot that at
11956-485: The reinstatement of both Brand and Ross. On 14 May 2009, Baillie was a guest on the BBC politics and current affairs programme This Week . She was questioned by host Andrew Neil and regular guests Michael Portillo and Diane Abbott about the Brand row within discussion of the general subject of the present day worth and genuineness of public figures saying sorry, in the wake of public apologies from members of parliament (MPs) and Prime Minister Gordon Brown following
12078-538: The responsibility". Ross had been scheduled to host the 2008 British Comedy Awards for ITV during the period of his suspension from the BBC; however, on 31 October he stepped down. On 31 October, Brand left the country, saying that he had work to do in the United States, including television programmes and film collaborations with Judd Apatow and Helen Mirren . The second series of Brand's Channel 4 television show Russell Brand's Ponderland aired as normal on
12200-498: The resulting shift of political power from the sovereign to Parliament. The prime minister is the head of the United Kingdom government . As such, the modern prime minister leads the Cabinet (the Executive). In addition, the prime minister leads a major political party and generally commands a majority in the House of Commons (the lower chamber of Parliament). The incumbent wields both significant legislative and executive powers. Under
12322-417: The show any longer. The radio show often features a phone call to, or appearance by, Noel Gallagher of Oasis . Other celebrities are also frequently featured, and there is discussions revolving around listeners' emails, text messages or phone calls. The music on the show was decided by the hosts and because of Brand's admiration for him, songs by Morrissey or The Smiths were often played. In March 2008
12444-452: The show moved to BBC Radio 2 in 2007, retitled Russell Brand and broadcast on Saturdays from 9 pm to 11 pm. In October 2008, Brand resigned from the BBC after a prank call on the show with presenter Jonathan Ross to Andrew Sachs resulted in over 30,000 complaints and a £150,000 fine to the BBC, ending the show's run on the BBC and effectively sending the show into a hiatus. In October 2010, nearly two years since Brand's resignation from
12566-453: The show was broadcast on BBC Radio 6 Music, Brand's show was downloaded 140,000 times in September 2006, the only programme from a digital station to appear in the BBC's top 10 podcasts. In January 2007, the show reached the number one spot on the iTunes podcast charts and held that position until April 2007 when it was overtaken by The Apprentice podcast and continued to go up and down
12688-481: The show was exposed for faking a competition in April 2006 when the show was broadcasting on BBC Radio 6 Music . The show was broadcast on 9 April 2006 in which listeners were invited to take part in a competition via text message. The show gave the impression that it was broadcasting live but it was actually a pre-recorded show. There was an apology issued the following show to explain the mistake to fans. BBC 6 Music later gave an apology and offered listeners who entered
12810-681: The show. Since Radio 2 launched their new-styled website, the Viddycasts are no longer available from the BBC. Instead they can be seen on YouTube. Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom . The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative , chairs the Cabinet , and selects its ministers . As modern prime ministers hold office by virtue of their ability to command
12932-494: The station was attracting over 400,000 listeners. Because of Brand's work in movies and stand-up, the show had to be broadcast from locations away from the radio station. It was recorded in Hawaii for 3 months in 2007 while Brand was filming Forgetting Sarah Marshall and from Los Angeles on several occasions in 2008, with Matt and Mr. Gee remaining in London. In May 2008 Matt joined Russell in L.A. in order to pursue opportunities within
13054-422: The subject had been "blown out of all proportion". McKenzie also characterised the reaction from the news media as containing "anger: some genuine, some of it synthetic. Some of it comes from the BBC's usual critics." He stated that for the people who worked in the media "profile and salary-envy and schadenfreude may play a part in all this. But how many heard the original transmission and how many are responding to
13176-629: The suspensions, a number of celebrities, particularly from television and radio, came out in support of Brand and Ross. Many felt that, whilst the incident was unacceptable, it was not deserving of the strong criticism it received, especially when there were other issues troubling the United Kingdom. Rod McKenzie, the editor of BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat , observed on the BBC Editors' weblog (see Further reading ) that audience reactions to Brand's and Ross' remarks had been polarised, noting that whilst his colleagues at Radio 4, Radio 5 Live , BBC television, and
13298-602: The use of such powers by the prime minister is often constrained by political convention than by law. King Charles III [REDACTED] William, Prince of Wales [REDACTED] Charles III ( King-in-Council ) [REDACTED] Starmer ministry ( L ) Keir Starmer ( L ) Angela Rayner ( L ) ( King-in-Parliament ) [REDACTED] Charles III [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Lord Reed The Lord Hodge Andrew Bailey Monetary Policy Committee The British system of government
13420-535: The week, Ross would not be appearing on his regular Friday Night with Jonathan Ross television show, Film 2008 with Jonathan Ross , or his Saturday morning Radio 2 show. Similarly Brand would not be hosting his regular Saturday night Radio 2 show or appearing as a guest captain on an episode of Never Mind the Buzzcocks due to be aired on 30 October; the episode had been taped before his resignation, and aired on BBC Two on 19 January 2011, more than two years after
13542-423: Was "Trevor's Sonic Enigma", which was later renamed "Trevor Done A Noise" by Brand and Morgan. This was meant to be a short clip of sound effects and voices (all done by Lock) meant to suggest the title of a song. These enigmas were notable for being misleading and confusing as well as very long, winners were invited to join the presenters in the studio the next week. The other item was "Challenge Trevor" in which Lock
13664-467: Was "going to fall on his sword". A petition on the GoPetition web site, calling for the BBC "to turn blame on the ' Andrew Sachs ' incident away from Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross , and instead onto whoever green lighted the show" had garnered 336 signatures by 29 October. At the same time, a similar group on Facebook had over 1,000 members. By 30 October, the petition had risen to 4,000 signatures and
13786-448: Was English comedian Russell Brand , who was usually joined by co-host and long-term friend Matt Morgan , as well as the show's poet laureate, Greg "Mr Gee" Sekweyama. The show also featured regular contributions from English musician Noel Gallagher , who was described as an unofficial co-host. The Russell Brand Show was originally broadcast from 2006 to 2007 on BBC Radio 6 Music on Sundays from 10 am to 1 pm. After gaining popularity,
13908-487: Was Rubber Medusa, which was about Russell, Adam came up with the title which is a quote from the Jubilee film, [Brand] does look like a rubber Medusa so I see why he said it." A number of radio personalities employed by the BBC came out in support of Lesley Douglas , following her resignation. Douglas was aware of the contents of the programme but had not heard them before they were broadcast. She sanctioned its broadcast with
14030-403: Was consensual and she wasn't menstrual", and Ross asked to marry him. Brand later said that listening to the calls was like hearing "two idiots dancing towards a canyon". On 25 October, Brand presented his last edition of his radio show with co-host Simon Amstell , which they performed live. Shortly before going on air, Brand was informed that The Mail on Sunday would be running a story about
14152-403: Was hilarious...They won't see anything wrong in what he did. It is a big PR success for him...He will have no problem with his career." TV critic and columnist Charlie Brooker stated on his show, Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe , his worry that the controversy would lead to a " chilling effect " on comedy, and that the BBC and others would "self-censor too much" in future. He went on to say that
14274-489: Was physically separated from my drug of choice and I got some therapy and I think that had a big part to play in my recovery journey. He looked me in the eyes and he made his amends to me … he acknowledged it was a private relationship and it shouldn’t have been made public. At the time he had two daughters and it really made him grow and change and I felt it was genuine and I felt he was sorry." In 2010, Baillie teamed up with singer Adam Ant (whose drummer Hayley Leggs had been
14396-559: Was put on hold when Ant was once again sectioned in May 2010. However, he soon resumed his comeback, and "Gun in Your Pocket" was finally released in October 2012 as the B-side to "Cool Zombie", the eventual first single from the album (which finally emerged in January 2013). Baillie and Ant composed a second track about the Ross-Brand affair, "Rubber Medusa", a song focussed mainly on Brand and written from Baillie's perspective. Baillie's band,
14518-407: Was quite wrong to take the decision to broadcast the offensive phone calls". He also demurred about calling for the resignations of anyone in BBC management, saying that "[i]t is wrong, in principle, for politicians to be calling for heads of individual broadcasting to be removed", and criticised the BBC for not releasing the name of the person who had given approval for the show to be broadcast. Hunt
14640-497: Was set a list of undesirable challenges by the listeners. These went from eating lemons to serenading Noel Gallagher with an Oasis song in Lock's Elvis Presley voice. The show was transferred to BBC Radio 2 , the UK's most popular radio station, from Saturday 18 November 2006 in the 9 – 11 p.m. timeslot. The Radio 2 controller at the time, Lesley Douglas , who was also
14762-499: Was speaking to the LSE about socially responsible broadcasting and stated "I do think the BBC is a socially responsible broadcaster, I just think we need to hear that." He argued that broadcasters were "not being ambitious enough", and outlined his party's plans, should it be elected to government at the next general election, to relax regulation for those broadcasters who agreed to provide only "socially responsible" output. In addition to citing
14884-399: Was watched by 5.1 million viewers, an increase from the 3.74 million of the last show before going off air. Ross' return attracted 25 complaints and three messages of support to the BBC. In 2009, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross was nominated for a BAFTA. According to The Times , Ross was nominated soon after he was banned. Melody Sachs complained about Ross being nominated so soon after
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