You could tell the presenter of the London edition of BBC One's Sunday Politics was a bit nonplussed to reveal that his guest this week was not Boris ...

People all over the country punched the air in delight when in March, the long overdue ban on wild animals in circuses in England was announced by the Westminster government... Yet as the days and weeks go by and more details become clear, coupled with the Westminster government's refusal to commit to a deadline for a ban, our delight has rapidly turned to confusion as we cling to the tiny shred of hope that the government really do mean what they say. When the facts are presented to you, it's difficult to remain optimistic.