Shaun Bailey, an ambassador for the big society project and a former Conservative PPC, has said that councils are closing public libraries because they are "not being used".

In a response to the novelist Zadie Smith's essay in defence of public libraries , Mr Bailey told the programme that that library cuts are "a case of people voting with their feet".

And he added that "this big, massive state that (Zadie Smith) enjoys... hasn't had any luck imparting the notion of education to younger people".

Get in touch with Today via email , Twitter or Facebook or text us on 84844.