Families 'let down' over decades on infected blood -Shapps

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It's been a week of political pledges from parties gearing up for the general election. Earlier in today's programme Laura Kuenssberg also said her production team has been thinking about pledges.

The programme's pledges to viewers in this election year will be to "ask firm questions", "pursue the facts", to "hear from you" and "have a bit of fun from time to time", she says.

However, Laura says "we'd like you to suggest your ideas".

If you want to share your views on the programme, or the latest goings on in the political world, then you can contact the show here: kuenssberg@bbc.co.uk or via the #BBCLauraK hashtag.

You can also sign up for Laura's weekly newsletter here: bbc.co.uk/lauraknewsletter

Here's another moment you might have missed earlier.

Former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan hit back at claims that he knew about phone hacking while he was in charge at the paper.

His comments came as he was quizzed on the matter by Laura, who referenced a recent High Court ruling that found evidence of "widespread and habitual" use of phone hacking at the Mirror newspapers.

The judge also said senior editors, including Morgan, knew what was going on.

Morgan said that he had stated "consistently for 20 years" that he did not know the practice was being used, and categorically denied that he had ever listened to a voicemail message that had been obtained without consent.

Watch the clip here:

Here's a moment you might have missed from the start of today's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg:

There was a quick quiz for guests Grant Shapps and Wes Streeting when they were asked if they could name their respective parties' election pledges.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps was quick to reel off all of the the Tory party's priorities, while Labour's Wes Streeting named five from six of Keir Starmer's.

Streeting then joked that "might as well go home" as he had been preparing for that very question and "fluffed it".

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The show might have finished for this Sunday but stay with us as we bring you the latest analysis and reactions.

Let's recap the key moments from this week's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg:

• Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has stressed the need for Ukraine's allies to not take their "eye off the ball" again when it comes to aid and says the UK does not want direct conflict with Russia
• Shapps has said families have been "let down" over decades by the infected blood scandal

• The defence secretary was also asked about reports in the Sunday Times saying the chancellor is getting ready to announce more than £10bn in compensation for those affected by the infected blood scandal, but Shapps says he's not in a position to discuss further
• Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting has also been on the programme and expressed confidence in Labour's plan to cut down NHS waiting lists by pooling hospital staff and resources

• Also questioned over the infected blood scandal, Streeting says a Labour government would match the compensation levels recommended in a soon-to-be-released report and says "all parties" will have to take some "very heavy criticism"
• We also heard from Leonid Volkov, a former aide to the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who says he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is "bluffing" over the country's recent advances in Ukraine
• Journalist Piers Morgan, who was one of today's panellists, was pressed by Laura over phone hacking allegations. He denied knowing that voice mails were being hacked when he was the editor the Daily Mirror newspaper

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The programme might be finished for the week, but you can sign up for the Off Air with Laura K newsletter to get Laura Kuenssberg's expert insights and insider stories every week, emailed directly to you.

Just click here to subscribe.

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The programme has now finished for the week but before it ended Laura asked the panel about the hit Netflix show Baby Reindeer, which tells the story of a woman called Martha stalking the comedian Richard Gadd.

Journalist Piers Morgan references his recent interview with Fiona Harvey on Piers Morgan Uncensored. Harvey has identified herself as the woman portrayed as Martha the stalker in the series - which neither Netflix nor Richard Gadd have confirmed.

Piers criticises the series for saying it's a true story after Harvey told him she has not been convicted of stalking and denied stalking Gadd.

He questions if there has been failure of duty of care over how the story was told on screen, which includes using real posts from Fiona's social media accounts.

• You can read more about this story on Baby Reindeer here.

Volkov urges Western political leaders to send more arms to Ukraine - and not to consider negotiation with Russia.

He says: “Putin will not stop the war ever and every ceasefire, negotiation will only be used by him to produce more weapons, to recruit more soldiers… it doesn’t make any sense to negotiate.”

Volkov adds that there has to be "military pressure, economic pressure, political pressure, from inside, from outside" on Russia president.

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Laura turns to Ukraine and asks Volkov if he’s worried about reports of recent Russian advances in the conflict.

He says he doesn’t think that Putin’s victory is feasible and says he believes the Russian president is aware that the vast majority of Russians don’t support the war and want it to stop.

Volkov says Putin is "bluffing in a way” and trying to “present himself as much stronger than he is”.

He believes Putin’s hopeful it will be enough to force Ukraine and its Western allies to enter some negotiations.

"Don’t get bluffed,” Volkov adds.

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Asked whether he now sees Alexei Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, as the leader of the opposition movement, Volkov says “everybody does”.

He tells the programme Yulia always acted as “a very close political adviser to Alexei” and is a “very strong personality and a charismatic leader”.

But he says she “never wanted to be in this public role”.

Volkov says “it’s very clear and natural” for Navalny’s organisation that "our task in this situation is just to support Yulia and everything that she does, and that is what we are doing now”.

Volkov says the late opposition leader dreamed of defeating Putin in order to build a “beautiful Russia of the future”.

He tells the programme that Navalny asked his supporters “never to give up and to continue our war”.

Volkov also says that building Navalny’s vision of Russia is “the only practical way to preserve his legacy” and to make “his ultimate sacrifice not to be in vain”.

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Volkov pays tribute to his “close friend” Navalny by describing him as a “great guy”, “inspiring personality” and “true hero”.

He also says the late Russian opposition leader was a “great and very capable political leader”.

"There is no substitution for him,” Volkov says, and adds that the loss “will always be just like an open wound in our hearts”.

Volkov continues by saying the attack on him was done to send a “message”.

He says his attackers were saying “we know where you live, we can kill you, we are after you".

But Volkov says it was also confirmation that the efforts of the Navalny foundation have been noticed and were proving a “major threat”.

Volkov adds that he does not fear for his life or his family’s life, as the risks of opposing Putin were always clear.

“We always knew we are fighting against a crazy fascist dictator who doesn’t recognise any red lines” or borders, he says.

But he says he is a bit surprised the attack on him in Lithuania has become such a focus as Putin “left all red lines behind many years ago… he doesn’t recognise any rules or borders”.

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We are now hearing from Leonid Volkov, who is the former chief of staff for the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navlany.

Laura starts by asking Volkov about his recollections of being assaulted outside his Lithuanian home in March - an incident which he said broke his arm and was a “gangster greeting from Putin”.

Volkov says he is “basically fine”, before adding he has fully recovered physically and “never had any problem mentally”.

He adds that he has not had any flashbacks, probably because “he was too traumatised” by Navalny’s death, which has “overshadowed everything else”.

Journalist Piers Morgan, who is on the panel today, is asked whether he knew that voice mails were being hacked when he was the editor the Daily Mirror newspaper.

Morgan replies: "no, and I've said this consistently for 20 years".

He adds he's not going to say anything more about it except to point out that only one story was found that may or may not have been linked to phone hacking.

"I'm sorry, that's not enough," Morgan says.

"There is no evidence that I ever knew about phone hacking," he adds.

Laura asks a final question to Streeting about former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who received £5,000 donation from a group called We Deserve Better.

The group supports individual socialist candidates standing as MPs against Labour in some seats. The donation was revealed in the MPs' register of interests.

Corbyn is not a Labour MP at the moment but he is still a member of the Labour party. Is receiving that donation acceptable, Laura asks?

Streeting replies "no I don't think it is, although frankly what Jeremy Corbyn does is no concern to me any longer."

The shadow health secretary goes on to say Corbyn "won't be in parliament after the next general election and we have turned the page on that total failure in our history".

The shadow health secretary is then asked about the infected blood scandal report that's due out tomorrow and whether Labour is "committed to the most generous compensation package".

He suggests that Labour, if the party wins the next general election, would match the compensation that is recommended in the report.

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Wes Streeting is now asked why Labour thinks it can do a better job than the current government in Wales, where health services are also seriously stretched.

"Right across the UK, every part of the NHS is in crisis," says Streeting.

He asks voters to look back on Labour's track record when it comes to waiting lists.

"I'm convinced a Labour government in Westminster won't just deliver for the NHS in England; we'll create a rising tide that lifts all ships across the UK", the shadow health secretary adds.