Sunday 22nd September 2002

As more than a quarter of a million protesters began to converge on the capital this morning for the "Liberty and Livelihood" march, Sir David was joined by one of the many people who was going to join the protest - the former Tory leader William Hague. Mr Hague said people were demonstrating about a wide range of rural issues, not just hunting. He added that the protest was a "real cry from the heart from the countryside", and said it was "time it was respected at the top of government".

The Rural Affairs minister, Alun Michael - who was not planning to take part in the demonstration - also came onto the programme. He said he hoped the government would not have to invoke the Parliament Act to push legislation through on hunting with dogs.

With the exams row dominating the front pages, the Education Secretary Estelle Morris came onto the show to try to allay the fears and worries of students. She said in future, schools may introduce French-style Baccalaureate exams instead of A-levels for sixteen to eighteen year olds.

And as the Liberal Democrats gathered for their annual conference, the party leader Charles Kennedy said that he welcomed this week's recall of Parliament, but said Britain should not consider a pre-emptive strike against Iraq unless it came with a UN mandate. He said the "moral as well as the political authority of the United Nations" should "remain paramount in all of this".

And to round up the news and views of the Sunday newspapers, Sir David was joined by the columnist and TV presenter Jane Moore, and the director of BBC News, Richard Sambrook.

William Hague MP, former Conservative party leader

Alun Michael MP, rural affairs secretary

Estelle Morris MP, education secretary

Charles Kennedy MP, Liberal Democrat party leader