Andrew Marr: Time's short for Brit evacuations from war-ravaged Sudan as the ceasefire just about holds
25 April 2023, 19:18 | Updated: 25 April 2023, 19:20
Andrew Marr has said time is very short for an evacuation of British nationals trapped in war-torn Sudan, as the ceasefire just about holds out.
Speaking on Tonight with Andrew Marr, the presenter said that despite prospects for their rescue appearing bleak on Monday, the picture appears to have changed, after the Sudanese army and rival paramilitary force agreed to a three-day ceasefire.
He said: "What a day. Yesterday, we heard how dangerous a military operation to evacuate thousands of British citizens from Sudan would be and the unlikelihood of a ceasefire to help.
"But today, thanks to the Americans, there is a ceasefire just about holding and Britain's trying to airlift hundreds of people out.
"One flight's taken off and two more are due overnight. It's still very dangerous and time's very short. But, fingers crossed: so far, so good.
"In other news, Joe Biden, already the oldest president in US history, has announced he's going to run again. And when I say run, I mean amble - or at the very best, lope.
"He does seem a tad doddery but we were also reminded today that there are many worse things than doddery: his possible opponent Donald Trump is facing another court case, this time a claim for damages for a rape he allegedly committed in a New York department store.
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"He denies this, of course - will it have any effect at all on the passionate Trumpies? Doubt it.
"Closer to home, as Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt struggle to get to the economy under control, we discovered that the UK has a public debt of more than two and a half trillion pounds, the second highest total on record for March.
"The chancellor said that was the inevitable consequence of borrowing eye-watering sums through the pandemic and then the inflation caused by the Ukraine war.
"He's right of course. But if you're struggling to imagine such a huge number, it is apparently 90,000 pounds for every household in the country.
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"You will be getting a polite official letter shortly. Only joking. It's not real money-money, is it?
"Nobody's going to ask you to pay it back. Except that, come to think of it, maybe, through higher taxes, they eventually will. Yikes.
"And that's pretty much the news: a king will be crowned, watched by millions of loyal subjects and some rather dodgy relatives; there will be local elections.
"Our rivers are still filthy - and thanks to Labour, that is what MPs have been talking about in the Commons today."
