Shadowing Practice: Close Starmer ally asked what PM is thinking this morning as leadership crisis grows - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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So joining us now is one of the Prime Minister's key allies, the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Jaron Jones.
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61 sentences
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So joining us now is one of the Prime Minister's key allies, the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Jaron Jones.
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And thank you for talking to us on what is obviously a very significant morning with a Cabinet meeting at 9 o'clock, 24 hours on from the Prime Minister's speech where he said he would fight off any challenge.
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Could I just start by asking, because it's obviously a very significant set of interviews for you to do.
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Did you speak to the Prime Minister this morning before you did these media interviews?
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Not this morning, no.
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And did you speak to him late last night before you did these media interviews?
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I spoke with the Prime Minister before I went home last night, yes.
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So when you say the Prime Minister is listening, you said this on Times Radio earlier, it is for the Prime Minister to decide what he may or may not want to do in the future.
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That is clearly a very different position from yesterday morning when he was fighting on.
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You're now saying he is deciding what to do with his future.
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That is a live conversation that you had with him last night and that he is reflecting on this morning before the Cabinet.
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So there's a couple of assumptions in there.
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I'll just unpack a little, if I may.
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My comments this morning, I think I was asked about the 2029 general election, which is obviously very many years ahead.
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In terms of the immediate question, the Prime Minister was very clear with us yesterday that he is not walking away.
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And I just observed that, you know, we've got over 400 MPs in the House of Commons.
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I RECOGNIZE THAT AROUND 70 OF THEM NOW HAVE COME OUT IN PUBLIC AND SAID THEY WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE FUTURE.
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I DON'T BELITTLE THEIR CONCERNS.
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AND IT'S RIGHT THAT THE PRIME MINISTER IS ENGAGING WITH THEM ON THAT, NOT LEAST GIVEN THE POOR ELECTION RESULTS WE HAD LAST THURSDAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
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BUT THE PRIME MINISTER IS VERY concerns and it's right that the prime minister is engaging with them on that not least given the poor election results we had last thursday across the country but the prime minister is very clear
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he's not he's not walking away my words were in response to a question about elections many many years ahead the thing is that
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you've used the same phrase a number of times this morning on a number of different news outlets so that wasn't this is an accident you're a professional uh darren jones Nobody's suggesting the Prime Minister is going to walk away.
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The question is, is he going to set a timetable for his departure at some point, say, in the next weeks, months or years?
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And when you say it's for him to decide that,
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we all immediately assume that that is a live decision happening now, different from yesterday morning, reflecting the fact so many backbench MPs have said he should go and that the Prime Minister is going to own this decision, he'll make his own decision,
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but there is now a decision to be made about the timetable for his departure.
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That is an accurate reading of your numerous media interviews this morning.
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I would refuse just a little, if I may.
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I mean, look, the Prime Minister said that on the question of the timetable, he doesn't think that's the right thing for the country either.
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And look, at the front of our minds, you know, your viewers who get up for work every day and go out and do the right thing for them and their families and collectively for the country, They don't want politicians spending their time having internal arguments.
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They elected us to get on with the job of changing Britain, and that's what all of us as ministers, including the prime minister, are getting on with today.
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Now, it's right that we have an internal conversation in the Labour Party about our poor performance in the local elections last Thursday and about what we need to do in order to be able to win a second term in 2029.
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And it's right that colleagues have the opportunity to talk to the leader of the Labour Party about that.
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But that is distinguished from the fact that the Prime Minister, the Cabinet, ministers across government are coming into the office this morning to get on with the job that the public expect us to be getting on with.
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So can I just establish, Darren Jones,
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the Prime Minister this morning, with 20 minutes to go till he meets the Cabinet, is absolutely determined to stay on as prime minister until the next general election?
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I can only point to the prime minister's words of yesterday, where he was very clear with the public, as well as with anybody else that is interested in this question, that he is not walking away.
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He doesn't think changing prime ministers frequently is the right thing to do for the country.
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We all know that because we lived through it, from Theresa May to Boris Johnson, to Liz Traste, Rishi Sunak, you know, there are real-world implications for the economy, for the capacity in government to be able to get on and deliver on its promises.
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And it's the right thing for the Labour Party to make sure it's putting the country first, putting all of our efforts into delivering on that change.
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Because, quite frankly, one of the reasons, in my view, that populist politics are doing better than we would like them to right now is because the public don't quite believe that our democratic institutions are able to deliver the change they want in their lives.
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So you are, it sounds like, as Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, you are saying this morning the Prime Minister is determined...
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Mr Lamy!
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Is it over for Keir Starmer?
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Sorry, we're just outside Downing Street, so we're just listening to reporters shouting at the Deputy Prime Minister, David Lamy.
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Are you saying this morning that he should absolutely stay on because the Home Secretary thinks that he should set out a timetable for his departure?
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So there's a split, isn't there?
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So I don't know what the Home Secretary has said one way or another to the Prime Minister, so I can't corroborate those news reports.
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But what I do know,
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and Kirstama has been very clear with the party about this ever since he came in as leader of the opposition is that we must put the country first because
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that's how we win elections it's how we get given the chance the privilege to be able to serve this country and to be able to enact the changes that we want to to help people get on and do well in life.
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And can you tell us what you said to the Prime Minister last night?
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Did you say to the Prime Minister he should stay until the next election?
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Look Ed you know full well I'm not going to get into any private conversations with the Prime Minister whether they're my own, the foreign secretaries, the home secretaries or anyone else is.
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The Prime Minister talks to all of us in Cabinet frequently about the working government and we've all been reflecting on the local election results from last Thursday.
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But I'm absolutely resolute in my mind that we are coming into the office today to get on and delivering for the British people to
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make sure that our country can rise to the challenges that we face in the years ahead and not kind of falling into the political chaos that we saw under the Conservatives, which the public rightly rejected at the ballot box only two years ago.
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Down Jones, this is probably the one Cabinet meeting you really don't want to miss.
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And I think if you don't leave now, you might.
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So I think we have to let you go.
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But thank you for sharing with us your views on the Prime Minister's state of mind this morning.
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Context & Background

The discourse presented in the video revolves around a significant moment in UK politics, where Jaron Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, discusses the current leadership dynamics within the Labour Party. Amidst a backdrop of poor election results, the conversation emphasizes the Prime Minister's commitment to remain in his position, despite internal pressures from MPs calling for discussions about the party's future. This context serves to highlight the complexities politicians face, such as maintaining public trust and navigating internal party challenges. Understanding this dialogue helps learners grasp the nuances of political discussions in English, enhancing both comprehension and expression in similar contexts.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • “The Prime Minister is listening.” - Use this to indicate attentiveness to others' concerns.
  • “It’s for him to decide.” - A phrase that emphasizes personal choice and responsibility.
  • “Put the country first.” - This suggests prioritizing collective needs over individual interests.
  • “Not walking away.” - A strong way to express commitment to a task or role.
  • “Changing leaders frequently is not ideal.” - A point about the importance of stability in leadership.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To effectively utilize the shadowing technique to improve English pronunciation and comprehension from this video, follow these steps:

  1. Listening: Begin by watching the video without subtitles. This will allow you to hear the natural ebb and flow of speech, including intonation and emotion.
  2. Identify Key Sections: Focus on the phrases listed above. These are commonly used expressions that can help boost your conversational skills.
  3. Repetition: Play the video segment by segment. Repeat after the speaker to practice your pronunciation. This mimicking process is known as shadowspeak.
  4. Record Yourself: As you shadow the speech, record your voice. This will help you identify areas for improvement in your accent and clarity.
  5. Reflect: After practicing, consider how these phrases can fit into your everyday conversations. Try to incorporate them into your discussions to reinforce your learning.

By applying this shadowing technique, you can significantly improve your English pronunciation and fluency, making it easier to engage in discussions about similar topics in the future. Consistent practice will also enhance your confidence in using complex vocabulary in real-life contexts.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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