Podcast

Coffee House Shots

Instant political analysis from the Spectator‘s top team of writers, including Michael Gove, Katy Balls, James Heale, Isabel Hardman, Cindy Yu, Kate Andrews and many others.

Instant political analysis from the Spectator‘s top team of writers, including Michael Gove, Katy Balls, James Heale, Isabel Hardman, Cindy Yu, Kate Andrews and many others.

Coffee House Shots

How much trouble is Suella Braverman in?

James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Isabel Hardman about how Suella Braverman’s speeding scandal might unravel; and what to expect from Keir Starmer’s vision to build and NHS fit for the future.

Play 14 mins

Coffee House Shots

Is Rishi retreating from net zero?

Immigration and the economy are priorities for Rishi Sunak’s government. But under Boris Johnson and Theresa May, net zero was also a major policy focus for Conservative governments. Is Sunak as keen on it as his predecessors were?  James Heale speaks to Fraser and Isabel Hardman.

Play 11 mins

Coffee House Shots

What does Rishi want from the G7 in Hiroshima?

Rishi Sunak is in Hiroshima for the G7 summit. President Zelensky has said he’ll be making a surprise appearance, and Sunak will be meeting with President Modi on the sidelines. What does Sunak want from the trip?  Max Jeffery speaks to James Heale and Isabel Hardman.

Play 10 mins

Coffee House Shots

Is Brexit safe under Keir Starmer?

James Heale speaks to Isabel Hardman and Fraser Nelson about Rishi Sunak’s response to the impending migration figures and what could be in Keir Starmer’s plans to ‘make Brexit work’.

Play 9 mins

Coffee House Shots

Would Starmer really build more houses?

Keir Starmer promised in an interview with the Times today that as prime minister he would back the ‘builders not the blockers’. But is it all bluster?  Max Jeffery speaks to Katy Balls and Isabel Hardman.

Play 13 mins

Coffee House Shots

Rishi’s ECHR battle at the Council of Europe

The Prime Minister has gone to Iceland today to see the Council of Europe, where he has been talking about immigration and the ECHR with other European leaders. On the episode, Katy Balls explains his mission to get other leaders on board with the UK’s hardline approach to immigration. Cindy Yu also talks to James

Play 11 mins

Coffee House Shots

Why did Braverman’s immigration speech ruffle feathers?

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said that there is no good reason the UK can’t train its own lorry drivers and fruit pickers in order to bring immigration rates down. Katy Balls speaks to James Heale and Isabel Hardman about why this has rubbed some up the wrong way and Keir Starmer’s speech over the weekend,

Play 14 mins

Coffee House Shots

Coffee House Shots Live: Coronation special

The coronation will commemorate the start of a new era, but what will this mean for the United Kingdom? How will Charles III secure his place in history – and what kind of monarch will he be? From pageantry to the polls: will the coronation distract voters from the Tories’ predicted heavy losses in the

Play 71 mins

Coffee House Shots

What will boost growth?

The UK economy grew by 0.1 per cent in the first quarter of this year. Jeremy Hunt said that the government needed to ‘stay focused on competitive taxes, labour supply and productivity.’ Is that enough to improve growth? Natasha Feroze speaks to Katy Balls and Kate Andrews.

Play 11 mins

Coffee House Shots

Can Kemi brush off the Brexiteers on EU law?

Will Kemi Badenoch, the business and trade secretary, lose her supporters in the ERG, after the government confirmed that it would be going back on its pledge to remove all EU legislation from UK law by the end of 2023? James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Kate Andrews.

Play 11 mins

Coffee House Shots

Can Welby stop the Illegal Migration Bill?

James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Stephen Bush about the Lord’s debate on the Illegal Migration Bill. Now in its third reading, will the government face substantive amendments to the legislation?

Play 13 mins

Coffee House Shots

What’s the fallout from the local election?

James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Isabel Hardman about the fallout from the local elections, some of the arrests made during the Coronation and Rishi Sunak’s plans to give powers to the pharmacies. 

Play 16 mins

Coffee House Shots

Why is Britain so reliant on immigration?

Is the government using mass immigration to mask failures in the welfare system? James Heale speaks to Fraser Nelson and Matthew Goodwin, author of Values, Voice and Virtue.

Play 18 mins

Coffee House Shots

Local elections: are we heading for a 1997 moment?

The local election results so far paint a fairly grim picture for the Conservatives, whilst Labour and the Liberal Democrats have made big gains in key areas. With Starmer in the advantage position ahead of the next general election, how will No. 10 respond? Is there a path for the Tories in 2024?  Katy Balls

Play 15 mins

Coffee House Shots

The local elections: what’s happening?

Early results from the local elections are coming in. The Conservatives were expected to perform badly, and Labour to make gains, and that’s certainly happened. But, if Labour were to replicate these results in a general election, would they win? And are the Liberal Democrats the ones really doing well?  Max Jeffery speaks to Katy

Play 15 mins

Coffee House Shots

Did the Tories ‘kill the dream of homeownership’?

In today’s Prime Minister’s Questions, Keir Starmer accused the Prime Minister and his party of having ‘killed the dream of homeownership’. With news this week that Rishi Sunak is considering reintroducing ‘Help to Buy’ while Michael Gove is sued for blocking a new housing development in Kent, does Starmer actually have a point? Katy Balls

Play 11 mins

Coffee House Shots

Could Sue Gray-gate backfire on Keir Starmer?

The Cabinet Office has published its written statement into the resignation of Sue Gray, stating that it has given a ‘confidential assessment’ to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) about whether she broke civil service rules in taking up a job from Keir Starmer while still a senior civil servant. On the episode, Cindy

Play 17 mins

Coffee House Shots

How bad will the local elections be for Rishi?

The Tories are preparing for a drubbing in the local elections next week. But just how bad will they be? Natasha Feroze speaks to Katy Balls and John Curtice.  Produced by Natasha Feroze and Max Jeffery.

Play 16 mins

Coffee House Shots

Sharp quits, what next?

Richard Sharp has quit as chairman of the BBC, following an investigation into whether he properly disclosed his role in enabling an £800,000 loan to Boris Johnson before his appointment. What will happen next?  Cindy Yu speaks to Katy Balls and Isabel Hardman.  Produced by Cindy Yu and Max Jeffery.

Play 11 mins

Coffee House Shots

Could nurses still back Barclay’s pay offer?

A judge has ruled that strikes by the Royal College of Nursing be cut short by a day, because the six-month mandate for strike action will have passed. Two more unions are still to vote on Health Secretary Steve Barclay’s pay offer. If they support it, could the RCN change their mind on the deal? 

Play 11 mins

Coffee House Shots

Will Xi really bring peace to Ukraine?

Xi Jinping said he will send diplomats to help broker peace in Ukraine after he had a phone call with Volodymyr Zelensky. But are China’s aims really as noble as they seem? Fraser Nelson speaks to Isabel Hardman, Svitlana Morenets and Cindy Yu. 

Play 11 mins

Coffee House Shots

How did Beattie miss a £100,000 motorhome?

Colin Beattie, the SNP’s former treasurer, said today that he ‘didn’t know’ about the party’s purchase of a motorhome worth £100,000, the vehicle at the centre of an ongoing police probe into SNP finances. What’s going on? And as the military begins to evacuate British citizens from Sudan, did the Foreign Office react fast enough? 

Play 10 mins

Coffee House Shots

Could Diane Abbott return to Labour?

Katy Balls, Fraser Nelson and Isabel Hardman discuss Diane Abbott’s suspension from the Labour party. Given her hasty apology, could Keir Starmer allow such a key figure to Labour’s left back into the party? Also on the podcast, what has been the fallout from Dominic Raab’s resignation? And how is Rishi Sunak trying to woo

Play 17 mins

Coffee House Shots

Isabel Hardman’s Sunday Round-up – 23/04/23

Isabel Hardman hosts highlights from Sunday morning’s political shows. Today’s shows focussed heavily on Dominic Raab’s resignation from Rishi Sunak’s government. Whilst new deputy PM Oliver Dowden described Raab as a ‘man of his word’, Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth was less flattering, calling him: ‘Not just a bullying minister, a failing minister’. Education was also a

Play 11 mins

Coffee House Shots

Why are the Troubles being glorified now?

As world leaders gathered to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, is violence glorified when it comes to remembering the Troubles? John Connolly speaks to Spectator columnist Douglas Murray and former DUP leader Arlene Foster. This episode can be watched in full on Spectator TV’s Week in 60 Minutes. 

Play

Coffee House Shots

Dominic Raab resigns over bullying report

This morning Dominic Raab has resigned from Rishi Sunak’s government following the findings of an investigation into bullying claims against him. Raab has been one of Sunak’s closest allies, serving as deputy PM and justice secretary. Where does this leave the prime minister?  Natasha Feroze speaks to Katy Balls and Isabel Hardman.  Produced by Natasha

Play 10 mins

Coffee House Shots

Does Raab have to go?

Today was meant to be judgement day for Dominic Raab as we learnt the outcome of Adam Tolley’s investigation into historic bullying claims made against the deputy PM. His fate now rests squarely in Rishi Sunak’s hands. Will he resign?  Also on the podcast, there have been a couple of amendments tabled today on the

Play 11 mins

Coffee House Shots

Is Keir Starmer soft on crime?

Prime Minister’s Questions was a punchy affair today. Rishi Sunak fought back against accusations that the Conservatives have failed on tackling crime, calling Keir Starmer ‘Sir Softy’ to turn the attack back around on Starmer, for his track record as the Director of Public Prosecutions. But was it an effective attack? Cindy Yu talks to

Play 14 mins

Coffee House Shots

How much does the investigation into Sunak matter?

The investigation into Rishi Sunak leads several papers today, but how much does it really matter? On the episode, James Heale talks to Katy Balls and Conservative Home editor Paul Goodman about why the episode is unlikely to hurt Sunak in the long run. They also discuss the coming report on Dominic Raab’s alleged workplace

Play 14 mins

Coffee House Shots

Coffee House Scots: can Humza save the SNP after treasurer’s arrest?

The arrest of the SNP’s treasurer Colin Beattie in relation to the probe into the party’s finances has overshadowed Humza Yousaf’s relaunch speech scheduled for today. Beattie has been taken into custody two weeks after Peter Murrell, the SNP’s chief executive, was questioned by police regarding loans made in June 2021. Can Yousaf distance himself

Play 10 mins