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
After a year and a half of Zoom speeches held in empty rooms, opposition leader Keir Starmer is heading out on a listening tour to connect with voters. That may be all well and good, but is anyone listening to him? And even if they are, does he have anything worth saying? James Forsyth talks
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
The government has been advised by Henry Dimbleby, founder of LEON food chain, to introduce a new tax on sugary and salty foods. While the Prime Minister has distanced himself away from the proposal, it has caused a lively debate in The Spectator‘s office. Tune in to hear Fraser Nelson, James Forsyth and Kate Andrews
Play 21 mins
Coffee House Shots
The Prime Minister looked visibly uncomfortable at Prime Minister’s Questions today, as Keir Starmer accused him of ‘giving racism the green light’ with the Conservative party’s stance on footballers taking the knee. It comes after a week in which other Tories – notably Priti Patel – have been criticised by footballers and begs the question
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
Boris Johnson and his government won the vote today to cut foreign aid spending, but there were rebels and some very prominent ones, including former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and former Prime Minister Theresa May. What should the government learn from this in order to win potentially even more contentious votes down the line? To
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
The new Health Secretary Sajid Javid addresses the Commons this afternoon ahead of Boris Johnson’s 5pm remarks about the lifting of restrictions on July 19. And in what was an already painful night for England it was made even grimmer by the horrific, racist abuse that Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka received online
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
James Forsyth talks to award winning journalist Isabel Hardman about her brand new Spectator podcast Building Back. In it first episode, out now, she looks at current state of the NHS and its ever expanding waiting list. James and Isabel discuss what the political fallout could be from not tackling this issue competently. Listen to
Play 16 mins
Coffee House Shots
Polling released yesterday revealed that a surprisingly large minority of the British public support not only just a permanent mask mandate but also the closure of nightclubs and a 10pm curfew. To discuss these bizarre findings James Forsyth is joined by Ben Page, CEO of Ipsos MORI, the firm behind the numbers, and Francis Elliott,
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
State pensions may rise by 8pc this year due to the Conservative policy of the pensions triple lock. But can the government keep to it, given the extraordinary economic circumstances we are in? Cindy Yu talks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman.
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
Tory MPs today re-elected Graham Brady as chair of the 1922 Committee – the group that represents backbench Conservatives to the government. Brady, who has voted against the government’s coronavirus laws, was standing against Heather Wheeler, who was seen as a candidate more aligned to No. 10. Despite having an 80-seat majority, Boris has been
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
Sajid Javid today said there could be 100,000 Covid cases a day in summer. He said the government would be focusing on hospitalisation and death figures, but added Britain was in ‘uncharted territory for any country in the world’. Many thought of the new health secretary as a lockdown sceptic, so why is he urging
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
In a bonus Coffee House Shots, James Forsyth and Katy Balls breakdown the announcement from the Prime Minister this evening about the end of Covid restrictions and try to piece together why something that should feel like a celebration seems so stoic.
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
Boris Johnson will announce details of the 19 July reopening later today. According to reports over the weekend, masks will be ditched, social distancing will be scrapped, indoor venues will open to full capacity and mass events will be allowed. Katy Balls speaks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman about the plans. The government has
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
Life might feel normal when nightclubs reopen and masks are tossed aside, but worries about unemployment and inflation will persist. What will happen to the economy after 19 July? James Forsyth speaks to Fraser Nelson and economist David Miles about what to expect.
Play 16 mins
Coffee House Shots
In an extremely close race Labour candidate and sister to the late Jo Cox Kim Leadbeater has won her by-election with a majority of just 323. What will the opposition do with this narrow but note worthy win? And is it time to for the tories to admit they aren’t as invincible as they first
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
Reports emerged overnight that Angela Rayner’s allies are ready to mount a leadership challenge if Keir Starmer loses Batley and Spen tomorrow. What will happen if the Tories win another Labour heartland seat? James Forsyth speaks to Katy Balls. On the podcast, Katy says there are similarities between Starmer and former prime minister Theresa May
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
Katy Balls and James Forsyth dissect the back and forth from today’s session in the House of Commons. Does Boris really think he can sell his ‘I fired Matt Hancock’ story?
Play 8 mins
Coffee House Shots
A bizarre flourish of tactics are on display in the run up to the Batley and Spen by-election. And are we already feeling the new Health Secretary’s influence? To discuss, Fraser Nelson is joined by James Forsyth and Katy Balls.
Play 17 mins
Coffee House Shots
It’s Sajid Javid’s first day in the office as health secretary. The former chancellor’s comments last year that he would ‘run the economy hot’ have led some to think he will try to end restrictions as soon and as extensively as possible, but might he have changed his mind? Isabel Hardman speaks to James Forsyth and
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
Matt Hancock has resigned as health secretary this evening following this week’s scandal and his appointment has already been appointed, former chancellor Sajid Javid. Katy Balls is joined by Isabel Harman and Fraser Nelson to discuss this breaking news.
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
Cindy Yu talks to Fraser Nelson and Guido Fawkes blogger Paul Staines about the Matt Hancock revelations and how reporting on sex scandals has changed over the years.
Play 24 mins
Coffee House Shots
The Sun broke the news this morning that Health Secretary Matt Hancock has seemingly been up to some extra-marital exploits with his aide Gina Coladangelo, possibly breaking many of the Covid restrictions that he himself put in place. What will be the consequences of his hypocrisy? ‘This simply demonstrates that we’ve been through a period where
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
Daily new cases are just under 17,000 today, and Angela Merkel has advised other EU leaders to make British tourists quarantine upon entry to the bloc. So even if the British government allows a more liberal green list, would British tourists be welcomed abroad? Cindy Yu talks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls. Katy points
Play 10 mins
Coffee House Shots
It’s the five year anniversary of when the UK decided to leave the European Union and while the opposition are looking to try and put the referendum behind them, the government still seems keen to put any UK success squarely on the shoulders of Brexit. ‘There is an asymmetry in British politics now between about
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
While Labour are shuffling people round yet again.. ‘There needs to be a change in messaging from the leader’s office, because otherwise it just looks like he’s rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic.’ – Isabel Hardman And the DUP are getting ready to welcome in their third leader in less than a month… ‘Donaldson is actually in
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
With the Conservatives still taking stock after their loss in the recent by-election, it seems the governments ambitions for planning reform are now firmly under the microscope. ‘When you speak to these MPs… they are absolutely convinced that planning reform is dead’ – Katy Balls And on what would have been ‘freedom day’, there are
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
The surprise result of Friday’s Chesham and Amersham by-election has led to questions over why the Conservative lost just so badly – and why no one saw it coming. On today’s Coffee House Shots, Conservative Home’s Paul Goodman warns against over-reading the situation: ‘When it comes to by-elections, the golden rule should be, why not presume that
Play 18 mins
Coffee House Shots
In a political upset the Liberal Democrats have won the by-election in Chesham and Amersham in a massive poll swing from the Tories. ‘What they’ve done is overturned a majority of 16,000 and then they’ve had quite a few votes to boot!’ – Katy Balls And in other political the new DUP leader Edwin Poots
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
New DUP leader Edwin Poots faces his first challenge today as he tries to push through a controversial candidate for First Minister. There are now rumours that the party may launch a vote of no-confidence in him, only a month after he became leader. How much trouble is the party in? Katy Balls points out that
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
Another day, another Dom bomb. In Cummings’s latest release, a number of WhatsApp messages reveal communications between himself and the Prime Minister, with the latter describing the health secretary Matt Hancock’s performance as effing ‘hopeless’. Is this damaging to Hancock? Or is this the sentiment that you can expect from senior people who work at close
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
The government has agreed its first post-Brexit bespoke trade deal. But the agreement with Australia has already caused consternation among Conservative MPs about the potential competition from Australian farmers. Are these fears overstated? James Forsyth argues yes: ‘Both its proponents and its critics exaggerate its importance. Meat prices in Asia are roughly twice what they
Play 17 mins