Conservative party

Tim Shipman, chief political commentator at The Sunday Times, joins Katy Balls to discuss his new book, Out: How Brexit Got Done and the Tories Were Undone. The final instalment in Shipman’s Brexit quartet, the book goes behind the scenes in Westminster to reveal the warring factions at the heart of Boris Johnson’s government. Considering all of this, has the Tory party left this era of controversy and backstabbing behind? Or, with a new leader, is there a whole new chapter to come? 

It’s happened. The scenario Labour politicians hoped would not come to pass is now a reality: Donald Trump is heading back to the White House. The official line from Labour is that everything is fine – they will work with whoever hold the office of president. That was the message from Keir Starmer at Prime Minister’s Questions as he congratulated president-elect Trump, and made a point of mentioning they had recently had dinner together. However – Kemi Badenoch focused on David Lammy’s past criticisms of Trump at PMQs. Is this a unique tension for the Labour government? James Heale discusses with Michael Gove and Katy Balls.

Kemi Badenoch’s shadow cabinet continues to take shape: Chris Philp has been appointed shadow Home Secretary, with the biggest news being Robert Jenrick’s decision to accept the position of shadow Justice Secretary. Jenrick’s proposal to leave the ECHR was one policy disagreement with Badenoch, could this cause the Conservatives problems in the future? And what do her appointments say more broadly about her programme: has she put party unity above policy? Oscar Edmondson speaks to Katy Balls and the FT’s Stephen Bush. Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Oscar Edmondson.

Kemi Badenoch has won the Tory leadership election. She beat Robert Jenrick in a tight race, winning 53,806 votes against his 41,318. What will a Badenoch opposition look like? What are her strengths? Her weaknesses? Cindy Yu speaks to Michael Gove and Katy Balls.

Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch, the final two candidates for the Tory leadership, went up against each other on a special GB News show last night. Kemi came out swinging in defence of her ‘culture warrior’ tag, but many wanted some more meat on the bones when it comes to her stance on policy. Meanwhile, Jenrick clearly had a message to land – but will the membership see through his plea to ‘end the drama’? And did either of them manage to change any minds? Katy Balls speaks to Lucy Dunn and Giles Dilnot, editor of Conservative Home. Produced by Cindy Yu and Oscar Edmondson.

It’s another busy few days for the Prime Minister as he chairs the inaugural meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions today, marks 100 days in office, and hosts an investment summit on Monday. With the absence of Sue Gray looming large, James Heale unpicks the politics behind these milestones with Katy Balls and the Financial Times‘s Stephen Bush. They share some lessons from history and the welcome, or perhaps unwelcome, comparison with former Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Also on the podcast, they discuss the merits and pitfalls of potential Conservative Party rule changes. Could their era of rapid defenestration soon come to an end? Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

Westminster is reeling from the shock result that James Cleverly has been knocked out of the Conservative Party leadership race, only a day after coming first in the previous round. Kemi Badenoch topped the poll, with Robert Jenrick second and only one vote behind her; Cleverly lost two votes. What on earth happened? To try and make sense of it all, Cindy Yu is joined by Katy Balls and new Spectator editor Michael Gove. Having worked with them all, what’s his assessment of the candidates? Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Megan McElroy. 

The mood at Conservative conference has been surprisingly jubilant considering the turmoil that the party finds itself in. Labour’s misfortunes may have contributed to this, but there seems to be a genuine optimism around the four candidates vying for the leadership of the party. What’s the latest? Have Kemi Badenoch’s comments on maternity pay impacted her position with the members?  Also on the podcast, this evening will see the Vance vs Walz vice presidential debate. They go head to head in an increasingly tight election. What does Trump vs Harris say about the state of American politics? And can any of these candidates – on either side of the pond

The first round of the Conservative leadership race has seen Dame Priti Patel eliminated with the fewest votes. Robert Jenrick came out on top but, with a second vote taking place on Tuesday, where could Patel’s supporters go? Who could get eliminated next? Will ‘Melmentum’ build? Oscar Edmondson speaks to Katy Balls and James Heale. Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Oscar Edmondson.

The Tory leadership contest is still rumbling on, and we’re lucky enough to still have weeks to go! In this Saturday episode, we assess which of the candidates would create the biggest problem for Keir Starmer. Who would be most frustrating at the dispatch box, and whose politics would be the most difficult for him? Who might be a slightly easier opponent? Megan McElroy speaks to Katy Balls and John McTernan, political strategist and former political secretary to Tony Blair.