The last seven day have seen personalities rather than policies take centre stage.

William Hague reshuffled his cabinet to bring in Michael Portillo as shadow chancellor and replace John Redwood with Archie Norman.

Lord Lamont tells the programme about his former chief secretary to the treasury and his ambitions.

Mo Mowlam was in the news and admitted on BBC radio that the "whispering campaign" against her was hurtful. Julia Langdon, who is writing a book about Dr Mowlam and Andrew Grice of The Independent discuss what Tony Blair should do with his former Northern Ireland secretary.

Since the junior defence minister Peter Kilfoyle's resignation, the issue of how Labour treats its core vote has raised its head.

Two Labour MPs, Derek Foster from Bishop Auckland and Denis Mcshane who represents Rotherham, debate what happens when parties try to woo voters away from their traditional heartlands.

And finally the countryside - as the prime minster visits the South West, a Tory MP from rural Hexham in Northumberland and Diane Abbott from Hackney in north east London agree to differ on who best represents country folk.

All in The Week in Westminster with Steve Richards of the New Statesman on Radio 4 at 1100 GMT on Saturday.

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All about the programme

The Week in Westminster was first broadcast 70 years ago.

The Week in Westminster is presented by a range of leading political commentators including Steve Richards, Michael Gove and Peter Riddell every Saturday morning while Parliament is sitting.