What Happens on Tour - with Chris Hope.

In today's episode of Hacks and Flaks, what happens on tour doesn't stay on tour, as host Petrie welcomes journalist and presenter of 'Choppers Politics Podcast', Chris Hope to the show to talk about what really happens on political press trips.
Chris and regular panellists, Giles and Andrew, all share stories of times they have accompanied Prime Ministers to foreign shores - and not all of those shores are friendly ones - as Andrew can attest, after having his BlackBerry hacked in China and needing to think of an escape plan, should he find himself stuck in Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Giles recounts some awkward times when calming down an angry Prime Minister on a plane full of story-hungry journalists and the importance of being vigilant to the ever-present honey trap, and Chris talks about when he almost caused an international incident after some candid questioning of a foreign leader.
But it's not all having to take afternoon tea with despots and looking for hidden cameras in your hotel room, sometimes you get to sneak off to a panda sanctuary or drink the plane dry on the way home ....