Podcast
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
Over the weekend, the Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced that the government would be scrapping their plans for a vaccine passport system…at least for now. But what led to this change of mind? Did they not have the numbers? Are they more focused on the upcoming social care vote? Do they think the country is
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
It’s been 20 years since the 11 September attacks and their effect has had a lasting impact on the world. Katy Balls talks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth about their memories of that day, the mistakes made in its aftermath and if the new Taliban takeover of Afghanistan leaves us more vulnerable to similar attacks.
Play 18 mins
Coffee House Shots
Labour are ahead of the Conservatives in a poll for the first time since January. It comes just days after Boris Johnson announced his government’s plan to fix social care: a rise in National Insurance. Should the Tories worry? Katy Balls is joined by James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson.
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
Boris Johnson has got his social care payment plan past the Commons, but there were a fair number of Tory abstentions, who still have a philosophical issue with this policy. Also with vaccine passports seemingly just around the corner, could this be another battleground for a Conservative rebellion? Katy Balls is joined by Fraser Nelson
Play 15 mins
Coffee House Shots
In the first session of PMQ’s completely Covid restriction free, Keir Starmer proved that the Prime Minster wouldn’t commit to definitely getting rid of the NHS waiting list within three years or the risk of people having to sell their homes to pay for care. But Boris Johnson seemed pretty bullet proof with not a
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
Boris Johnson admitted in the House of Commons today that he is breaking the manifesto promise of not raising taxes in order to get rid of the NHS waiting list and fund social care, but will this move work for the Prime Minister politically. Katy Balls and James Forsyth discuss.
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
With the vaccine secretary Nadhim Zahawi declaring on the radio that the Conservatives were a ‘party of fair taxation’, could the government be looking at rebellion from its right with its new plans for tackling the social care crisis? Katy Balls in conversation with James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman.
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
In a speech this week, Joe Biden said America will focus more on threats from Russia and China and less on foreign interventions. The US President signalled that his country would return to using ‘over the horizon’ drone strikes against terrorist targets, and would need to prove it was ‘competitive’ in combatting emerging threats. Ben
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
Despite pledging not to raise taxes in the 2019 manifesto, rumours abound in Westminster that Boris Johnson is about to increase National Insurance in order to raise funding for healthcare and social care. Katy Balls talks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth about whether the government has other options.
Play 15 mins
Coffee House Shots
In an interview for the latest issue of The Spectator, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace hits back at Dominic Raab’s suggestion that it was military intelligence which failed the British side when it comes to evacuation planning. On the podcast, Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth about the increasing public acrimony between the
Play 15 mins
Coffee House Shots
Dominic Raab was hauled before the Foreign Affairs Committee today to answer questions about how the government handled the withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Foreign Secretary faced tough questions about being on holiday during the crisis, risk reports produced from his own department, and whether a portrait of the Queen in Britain’s Kabul embassy was taken
Play 17 mins
Coffee House Shots
The Pentagon says the UK pushed to keep Abbey gate at Kabul airport open, which was later the site of a terrorist attack that killed 13 US soldiers and 170 Afghans. Dominic Raab took on today’s broadcast round and defended the work of the Foreign Office during the evacuation process, but said the intelligence community’s
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
New data from Israel shows that the Delta variant is getting through the protection offered by double jabs, even though the vaccines do lessen symptoms. But the study, of more than 800,000 cases, suggests those who have recovered from Covid have stronger protection than those who have not: jabbed or unjabbed. Will this make it
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
After the attack on Kabul’s airport by Isis-K, President Biden addressed the world last night and mourned for the 13 US marines who were killed. But with this grim event already being politicised by the Republicans, what will the lasting damage to the president legacy be? Isobel Hardman in conversation with Kate Andrews and Fraser
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
Chaos surrounds the Hamid Karzai airport today as two explosions and a potential knife attack has left at least 13 dead. The attacks are suspected to be suicide bombers from ISIS-K, as the American and British military had feared. What does this mean for the evacuation in its last days? Cindy Yu talks to Isabel
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
In his first broadcast round since coming back from Crete, Raab’s handling of the questions surrounding his holiday have only managed to fuel the conversation further, with choice quotes such as ‘the sea was closed that day’. Cindy Yu talks to Isabel Hardman and Katy Balls about what went wrong with the Foreign Secretary’s handling
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
As many had expected, President Biden has not agreed to extend the August 31 deadline despite pleas from Nato allies in today’s G7 call. Meanwhile, there are signs that the veneer of the new and reformed Taliban is already beginning to crack in Afghanistan. Katy Balls talks to Isabel Hardman and Fraser Nelson.
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
The Prime Minister has requested Washington to extend the August 31 deadline for the withdrawal of US troops from Kabul. But will Joe Biden acquiesce, amidst warnings from the Taliban that there will be ‘consequences’ if the US stays longer? Isabel Hardman talks to Fraser Nelson and Katy Balls.
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
With Dominic Raab in the firing line for his £40,000 Crete holiday, the Coffee House Shots team reflects: can ministers ever go on holiday? And if they do, should they be sticking to the domestic ones, and at what point of a political crisis does one decide to turn back? Isabel Hardman talks to Fraser
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
While Dominic Raab continues to weather charges of incompetence and call for resignation, it is the Health Secretary Sajid Javid who might not have any time for a holiday come autumn. Israel, one of the most vaccinated countries in the world, is seeing a rush of new Covid cases. Could mean a wave of Covid
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
Pressure on the Foreign Secretary is piling up after the Daily Mail revealed today that Raab had rejected the strong advice of Foreign Office civil servants to call his counterpart in the Afghan government before the weekend, to ensure the safe departure of interpreters from the country. Instead, his junior minister Zac Goldsmith took the
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
This morning was the first time that we saw the chamber of the House of Commons full since the pandemic began. MPs were called back from recess to discuss the worsening situation in Afghanistan. Emotions and tensions ran high on both sides, some directed at the government, some at the Prime Minister and some at
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
With Parliament being called back from recess tomorrow, including the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab who maybe stayed on the beach a touch too long given the worsening circumstances on the ground in Afghanistan. Isabel Hardman talks to Fraser Nelson and Katy Balls about just what we may hear tomorrow.
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
Defeat in Kabul now means that the Taliban have effectively taken over Afghanistan. Katy Balls talks to Fraser Nelson and Isabel Hardman to discuss the West’s response to the occupation. ‘we have got a peacekeeping military, not a war fighting military, but still I think we’ve got this muscle memory from the days when Britain
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
The south of Afghanistan is now under Taleban control, after the group took the cities of Kandahar and Lashkar Gah this week. Meanwhile, Britain and America are deploying thousands of troops – as many as were there before the withdrawal began earlier this year – to evacuate expats and the majority of embassy staff. After
Play 15 mins
Coffee House Shots
With things on the ground in Afghanistan accelerating from bad to worse so fast that the Americans are now even worried about the safety of their embassy. Cindy Yu talks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman about what the UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace’s attitude towards this 20 year conflict has been like in statements
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
The Taleban are continuing their advance through Afghanistan, and are on the cusp of taking control in the major cities of Herat and Kandahar. The group’s fighters have predictably ignored the Doha Agreement, but has the speed of their success taken politicians by surprise, and how much of an embarrassment is the deteriorating situation for
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
Equalities minister Kemi Badenoch could replace Gavin Williamson as education secretary in the next reshuffle, according to reports today. Should he be moved, and how is he making his case for staying? Cindy Yu speaks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman.
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
A record number of students got As or A*s in their A levels this year. After last year’s fiasco, teachers were given the responsibility of grading their own pupils. Has leniency put less well-off kids at a disadvantage, and will the achievements of future students now look worse? Katy Balls speaks to James Forsyth and
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
With the Chancellor’s leaked letter to the Prime Minister (which apparently he’d never seen) showing some disagreement about COVID policy, is this an omen signalling a fracas to come over future spending plans? Isabel Hardman talks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth
Play 12 mins