James Heale is The Spectator’s political correspondent.
Julian Knight was last night suspended as a Tory MP, following a complaint that was made to the Metropolitan Police on Wednesday evening. Details of the complaint are not yet known, with a spokesman for Chief Whip Simon Hart only confirming in a short statement that Knight no longer sits in the Commons as a
In the final hours of the Liz Truss regime, a key question was obsessing advisers: who would get a seat in the House of Lords? Her inner circle was divided as to whether, after just 49 days in office, such privileges were even appropriate. As a few aides tried to convince Truss that honours would
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This week: James Heale reads his interview with former Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs George Eustice (00:50), Lionel Shriver asks what’s the price of fairness (05:38), and Tanjil Rashid reflects on the BBC at 100 (14:01). Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson.
Is Brexit failing? Those who believe it is point to George Eustice, the former Tory environment secretary, who told the Commons last week that the Australia trade deal was a dud. Here was a Brexiteer, a one-time Ukip candidate, saying that the biggest trade deal of the Boris Johnson years was deeply flawed – a
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Suella Braverman is under attack for sharing confidential documents with other members of parliament, and has admitted to sending official documents to her personal email on six occasions. Could she be forced out, again? Also on the podcast, as Rishi Sunak faces pressure on the small boats crisis as well as his decision not to
‘If you’re having a bad day at work,’ read the Twitter meme, ‘at least you’re not Harry Cole or James Heale.’ The inglorious collapse of Liz Truss’s government put paid to many plans, but none more so than the biography of the lady herself, which Harry and I have been writing for the past ten
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James Heale, James Forsyth and Katy Balls discuss whether the Tories are an impossible coalition to preside over.
This afternoon Penny Mordaunt became the first candidate to publicly declare themselves for the leadership of the Conservative party. Much of the talk in this contest has been about the ‘death match’ between Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, both of whom are a known quantity in Westminster circles. Mordaunt’s confirmed entry into the race changes
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Whilst no candidate has officially declared their candidacy for the Tory leadership race, speculation is rife about a possible Boris Johnson return. Could he get the 100 supporters he needs? Will he extend an olive branch to Rishi Sunak? James Heale speaks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls. Produced by Max Jeffery and Oscar Edmondson.
The government won tonight’s vote on fracking but it truly was a Pyrrhic victory. On paper, the numbers involved – 315 ‘noes’ to ban fracking for shale gas versus 228 ‘ayes’ – might suggest a well-oiled whipping machine. But it was the carnage within the House of Commons that everyone was talking about tonight. Opposition
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This afternoon Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt stepped in for Liz Truss to field an urgent questions called by the Leader of the Opposition. What could the Prime Minister have been doing which was so urgent that she couldn’t attend? Also on the podcast, after Jeremy Hunt reverses nearly all of Trussonomics, will there
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Michael Gove this morning said that Liz Truss’s plans to scrap the top 45 per cent tax rate are a ‘display of the wrong values’. It comes as Jake Berry, the Tory party chairman, confirmed that MPs who vote against the budget would lose the Conservative whip. Has Gove just ruined Truss’s conference? James Heale
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Keir Stamer took centre stage for his speech at the Labour party conference today. Unlike last year, there were several standing ovations and loud cheers from the audience. Was his speech one to remember in Labour’s history? And has he secured his position as the man to lead Labour back into government? James Heale speaks
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It’s day two of Labour Conference and the party appear upbeat and confident of their chances at the next election. But are they being too reactionary in their narrative? What do they have to offer other than not being the Conservative party?From Liverpool, James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Isabel Hardman.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
‘Loyalty’ remarked Sir David Maxwell-Fyfe is ‘the Tory party’s secret weapon.’ The near constant blue-on-blue attacks of the last six years have made a mockery of this aphorism. But Liz Truss’s first cabinet has demonstrated the importance which she places on loyalty when it comes to selecting her top team. Some 31 names are now
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Boris Johnson has released legal advice that he received from Lord Pannick about the Commons investigation into partygate, where the lawyer said the investigation in its current form would be ‘unlawful’ if it were taking place in the courts. Can Boris really get off the hook? Max Jeffery speaks to James Forsyth and James Heale.
A glittering TV career, an MBE, various honorary degrees, tens of thousands of TikTok followers and the only person to win the (now cancelled) Rear of the Year award multiple times. There are many accolades that Carol Vorderman has been afforded during her 40-year career, yet few mean more to her than her claim to
It was the endorsement that they were all after. Ben Wallace, the most popular member of Boris Johnson’s cabinet has finally named his preferred candidate to be Britain’s next Prime Minister: Liz Truss. The current Defence Secretary, who has won plaudits for his handling of the Ukraine crisis, has given an interview to the Sun
Ahead of tonight’s Channel 4 debate, the five remaining Tory leadership candidates appeared on Zoom for the first public hustings, hosted by the ConservativeHome website. But none really secured a knockout blow, owing in part to the format of the debate – and the reluctance of each to launch into out and out attacks. Instead,
There were three leadership launches in Westminster this morning. Rishi Sunak, the frontrunner, spoke at the QEII Centre; Kemi Badenoch, the rising star, pitched to Policy Exchange. But what of Tom Tugendhat, the longtime backbencher, kicking off his campaign at the BBC’s Westminster studios? How best to describe his place in the Tory leadership race?
