Podcast
Instant political analysis from the Spectator‘s top team of writers, including 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 Katy Balls, James Heale, Isabel Hardman, Cindy Yu, Kate Andrews and many others.
Coffee House Shots
Boris Johnson was surrounded by opposition at the despatch box when he faced the Labour leader at PMQs today. Did Keir Starmer make the most of his opportunity to score points against the Prime Minister’s disappointing result in the confidence vote the night before? Katy Balls speaks to Isabel Hardman and James Forsyth.
Play 10 mins
Coffee House Shots
It is the day after the night before when Boris Johnson narrowly survived a confidence vote. Today he held a meeting with the Cabinet to tell his colleagues it is time to ‘move on’. ‘This looks like a slow Tory suicide to me’ – Fraser Nelson Some critics have pointed to the fact that shortly
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
The results are in. 211 Tory MPs expressed confidence in the Prime Minister, while 148 said they had no confidence in Boris Johnson continuing to lead the Conservative party. While this is technically a win, it is a narrower victory than Theresa May (who looked splendid in her ball gown tonight) got in her no-confidence
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
Boris Johnson will face a confidence vote tonight. Announcing the news this morning, the chair of the 1922 committee Sir Graham Brady said in a statement: ‘The threshold of the 15% of the parliamentary party seeking a vote of confidence in the leader of the Conservative Party has been exceeded.’ Will he win? Katy Balls
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
As this week marks the Queen’s platinum jubilee, we take a look back at her greatest political achievements in her role as head of state. How important was the relationship between the monarch and the Prime Minister? ‘I think there’s been this restraining act on the behaviour of Prime Ministers, that they will have to
Play 17 mins
Coffee House Shots
There is a lot of news to cover on Coffee House Shots before the celebrations for the Jubilee begin. First in Westminster with Lord Geidt threatening to resign over Boris Johnson’s handling of partygate. Then more internationally to the fraying of the alliance to defend Ukraine. And finally, has Scotland found its Margret Thatcher in
Play 16 mins
Coffee House Shots
The government wants to cut the civil service by over 90,000 people to 2016 levels. Part of the plan is to suspend the Fast Stream recruitment scheme, which hires high-achieving graduates out of university. Why is the government so set on the cut, and is this really the best way to do it? Cindy Yu speaks
Play 16 mins
Coffee House Shots
The Sue Gray report came in last week, but we haven’t seen a coordinated effort to either stand behind the Prime Minister, or kick him out. Instead, there has reportedly been a drip of letters of no confidence letters coming in from individual Tories, rather than an organised group. Could we finally see the 54
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson, James Forsyth, and Kate Andrews about Rishi Sunak’s latest support package to aid with the cost of living, including the windfall tax on energy companies.
Play 19 mins
Coffee House Shots
There have been mixed opinions following Rishi Sunak’s announcements in the House of Commons yesterday. The £15 billion budget is targeted to help the whole country with a particular emphasis on those most in need – but has it gone far enough? Or will we pay the price for the Chancellor’s handouts in the future?
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
Rishi Sunak has announced a new tranche of economic measures designed to help ease the cost of living crisis in the UK. The new payments will be funded by a windfall tax on energy companies, which comes as the government U-turns on its previous opposition to the policy. On the episode, Katy Balls talks to
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
The long-awaited Sue Gray report is finally published today. It included new photographs (including of the birthday bash, though James Forsyth describes the photo as looking more like ‘an enforced office socialising occasion’ than a party), colourful details (one staffer was threw up at one drinks) and some unsavoury revelations (Sue Gray was damning about
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
Sue Gray’s report into Downing Street parties during lockdown is set to be released on Wednesday morning. The tone Boris Johnson takes will be vital to his political future. What will he say? Katy Balls speaks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman.
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
It’s finally happening! This is the week the infamous Sue Gray report into partygate will be released. Details are few and far between, although we do know that the Prime Minister will be mentioned by name in the document. Mutterings from Tory HQ are that this is not going to be a good week for
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
Some Tories want to lose the next election. Conservative policies and ideologies are stale, they say, and the party could do with a period in opposition. Is this really a good idea? And could a Labour, SNP and Liberal Democrat coalition find a way to keep the Tories out of government for decades? ‘If anyone
Play 9 mins
Coffee House Shots
Given that Boris Johnson escaped the latest and final set of party fines from the police yesterday, does this mean partygate is over? Sue Gray’s report is still yet to be published, where she intends to name and shame those in her report. Could this take some of the pressure off the Prime Minister? Also
Play 10 mins
Coffee House Shots
The Met police have today announced that their investigation into No. 10 parties is now over, and No. 10 have confirmed that neither the Prime Minister nor his wife have received more fines. Is Boris Johnson out of the woods? Katy Balls speaks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman. James points out the fortunate timing
Play 10 mins
Coffee House Shots
With the cost of living crisis looming large, pressure is on the government to come up with effective solutions. With Labour snapping at their heels for an emergency budget and a windfall tax on oil and gas companies, will the Conservatives eventually bend to this pressure? And if they do, will these solutions even work?
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
Liz Truss made a speech in the House of Commons today laying out the government’s plans to scrap parts of the Northern Ireland protocol. James Forsyth first broke this story in last week’s Spectator magazine. How will the EU react to the news? And could this spark a trade war with the EU? Moving onto the cost
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Coffee House Shots
Boris Johnson is in Belfast today in an attempt to repair relations between the DUP and Sinn Fein. In a 2000 word article for Belfast Telegraph, the Prime Minister laid out his intentions not to scrap the Northern Ireland Protocol, but instead to fix it. Can these two polarised parties find a middle ground? Also on
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
Finland this week has expressed its wish to join Nato and Sweden is expected to follow suit. But with an America more focused on China, an ever aggressive Russia and Turkey with a membership veto card what does the future of this organisation look like? Cindy Yu talks with Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth
Play 15 mins
Coffee House Shots
Jacob Rees-Mogg has said that the government plans to axe 91,000 posts within three years from the civil service. The argument for it is that the reduced tax burden will help the public deal with the ever-growing cost of living crisis. But will this have the desired effect and will it be anywhere near enough?
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
Boris Johnson met Conservative MPs in Stoke-on-Trent for a Cabinet away day. Their focus is on how new legislation could level up the UK and protect people from the cost of living crisis as it intensifies. Meanwhile, the GDP figures show the UK economy contracted in March as consumers cut back on spending. Is the
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
Today Boris Johnson pledged his support to protect Sweden and Finland in a mutual defence pact. As non Nato members, the deal is intended to protect these two countries from unexpected attacks. Will Putin see this as provocative? And how might this deal clash with Macron’s view of a European defence bloc? ‘I think we
Play 15 mins
Coffee House Shots
Inside the Lord’s Chamber, Prince Charles delivered the Queen’s Speech in his mother’s absence. The key themes of the Prime Minister’s legislative agenda included easing the cost of living crisis, post-Brexit economic arrangements and a particular emphasis on crime. ‘You can tell the Tory party is trying to shore itself up from being outflanked on
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
As pressures mount over claims that Keir Starmer broke lockdown rules, the Labour leader has just pulled out of a keynote speech he is due to give today. How much trouble is he really in? Katy Balls looks at Starmer’s future in a blog on Coffee House today. Also on the podcast, what will be
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
Katy Balls, James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman delve into the 2022 local election results and discuss how the Conservatives will adapt their strategy to remain in power.
Play 10 mins
Coffee House Shots
We’ve had more election results in and it looks like the Lib Dems will be celebrating tonight, encroaching on many Tory seats around the country. But is this Liberal passion from voters or disaffection with the two major parties? Katy Balls talks with James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman about all the latest results.
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
The results are coming in! While the Tories seem to have done quite badly in the capital, Labour has not made the gains in the rest of the country that many predicted they would. The Lib Dems and the Greens have had a good showing so far but we won’t know just how good until
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
The Monetary Policy Committee has just raised interest rates again. This is the fourth consecutive rise, the first time this has happened within a quarter of a century. Economically the future is looking pretty bleak and not just in the UK, this looks like it may be a global problem caused by several factors. China’s
Play 10 mins