This morning's Andrew Marr show began with a flourish from the man himself.
After implying that Trump's claims about Obama and the Mail on Sunday's claims about Blair are "fake", he described UKIP's second place in Stoke as a "drubbing" and then engaged in a little joke with Jon Sopel about him presently "having a mini-break from irritating President Trump".
Morning. And what a morning it is for news. Trump savages Obama for tapping his phone - though, so far, not a shred of evidence. And who's Trump's new Middle East envoy? According to one paper, it's Tony Blair. Surely not. Absolutely not, says Blair's office. So what's true? What's fake? Not so easy these days. And then, in Budget week, there's the small matter of the British economy and Brexit. We'll do our very best. And on the eve of his first Budget, the Chancellor Philip Hammond, confronted by huge choices, joins me live. His shadow, John McDonnell, is also here to talk tax, spending and the big choices for the Left. And in his first public appearance since the Stoke by-election drubbing, UKIP's leader, Paul Nuttall, is here to answer his critics. Here to play us out this morning, the star of bluegrass Alison Krauss - winner of 27 Grammy awards no less. Here's a taster. Reviewing the papers this morning, on a mini-break from irritating President Trump, the BBC's North America editor, Jon Sopel, the New Statesman's deputy editor, Helen Lewis, and Stephanie Flanders of JP Morgan. All that after the news...
