Kate Andrews is economics editor of The Spectator
When Liz Truss spoke from the steps of Downing Street on Monday, she declared proudly that she ‘campaigned as a conservative’ and would ‘govern as a conservative’. It was a dig at her leadership rival Rishi Sunak, who she beat by 15 percentage points, and who she accused throughout the campaign of having lost his
The new Prime Minister’s honeymoon starts and ends today. Once Liz Truss formally enters Downing Street tomorrow she will be under pressure to tackle the enormous economic crises facing the country, with very little time to announce her policy plans. Truss herself has pledged to reveal her plan for rising energy bills within the first
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In this week’s episode: We look ahead to Harry and Meghan’s UK tour next week, how will they be received? Freddy Gray and Tanya Gold join the Edition podcast to discuss (01:01). Also this week: In the Spectator magazine, our Economics Editor Kate Andrews sat down with the three economists, or ‘Trussketeers’, that are informing
When polls started to show Liz Truss miles ahead of Rishi Sunak in the Tory leadership contest, her team adopted a cautious campaign strategy. Why gamble on another interview with Nick Robinson when last time she had struggled to name a single economist who backed her economic plans? Eventually she landed on Professor Patrick Minford,
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Today Ofgem announced that household energy bills will climb to an average of £3,549 a year, starting in October. Have the government prepared Brits for how bad the crisis could get? How do Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak plan to reach those that need help the most urgently? Also on the podcast, there are reports
When dozens of energy companies started going bust in 2021, the government knew it had a crisis on its hands. The rise of the energy price cap from £1,277 to £1,971 in April – an increase of nearly £700 – led to not one but two emergency support packages. By the end, £15 billion worth of
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In this week’s episode: What has Rishi Sunak revealed about the lockdown decisions made behind closed doors? Fraser Nelson, Katy Balls and Kate Andrews join the Edition podcast to discuss (1.14). Also this week: From aid to trade: when will the West start to deal with Africa on its own terms? Spectator columnist, Aidan Hartley
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Rishi Sunak has today confirmed that he will stay on as an MP if he loses the leadership contest, and that he will also vote for a Liz Truss budget. Will this help the Tory party heal? Also, Rishi Sunak told The Spectator that scientists had too much power during lockdown. What has their response
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In the latest leadership hustings, Liz Truss promised to take money away from the NHS to put into social care. But as Kate Andrews points out in this episode, given that Truss is also planning on scrapping the National Insurance rise, Truss’ll need to find more money in order to fund this latest pledge. On
When last month’s headline inflation figure was released, showing a rise to 10.1 per cent on the year, a little bit of optimism broke through the general discourse of outrage and horror: despite hitting double digits, might inflation be close to its peak? The main source of this optimism came from falling oil prices, which
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The focus is on Liz Truss’s planned emergency budget. Over the weekend it was revealed that she wouldn’t consult the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) before announcing her plans. Could this backfire? Also on the podcast, investment bank Citi have warned that inflation could hit 18 per cent come January. Were the Bank of England’s
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The UK has been hit by another round of rail strikes today with rising inflation and falling wages a recipe for continued disruption in the public sector. Labour rebels such as Sam Tarry are fast becoming celebrities among the unions. Could this leave Starmer in another predicament? Also on the podcast, as Liz Truss remains
This week, the Institute for Fiscal Studies offered tough words for those hoping for tax cuts: with inflation taking its toll on both government and household finances, the next prime minister would be forced to prioritise the most vulnerable and debt-servicing payments. This would require more revenue for the Treasury, not less. As the Office
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The UK inflation rate is now at 10.1 per cent according to the Office for National Statistics. Is there much that the government can do to relieve its effects? Also on the podcast, the leadership contenders are in Belfast for the next hustings: how will the audience respond to the candidate’s position on The Northern Ireland Protocol?
Long gone are the days when politicians and experts dared to claim inflation was simply ‘transitory’. Now it’s hang-on-to-your-hats as prices spiral faster than anyone predicted. This morning the Office for National Statistics reveals that headline CPI inflation hit 10.1 per cent on the year in July. This double-digit figure takes inflation to a 40-year
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New figures released this week show that wages have fallen significantly behind the rising cost of living. Is there more trouble ahead? Also on the podcast, as Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss attend hustings in Scotland: which candidate is favoured the most north of the border? Katy Balls is joined by Kate Andrews and Isabel
Over the past six months, Britain’s unemployment figures have arguably been the economy’s saving grace. While the labour market has been extremely tight – with job vacancies reaching their highest level on record – the headline unemployment rate has settled back at record lows, keeping at bay the last factor that often ushers in dreaded
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It’s estimated that the average age of a British farmer is 59. This raises questions about the future of British farming. Are young people just not interested? On this episode, The Spectator’s economics editor, Kate Andrews takes a look at the next few decades for British farming. Young farmers are part of the picture, but
Liz Truss has been rolling out the endorsements this week, and tonight she adds one of the Tory’s most established politicians to her list. Former Health Secretary Sajid Javid has endorsed the Foreign Secretary, praising her ‘willingness to challenge the status quo.’ The endorsement is not wholly surprising; with several polls out in the past
In 2020, 56.2 per cent of Kansas voters cast their ballot for Donald Trump – 15 percentage points in his favour. Yesterday, many of these same voters returned to the polling stations. This time, more than 58 per cent of voters cast their ballot in favour of retaining the right to an abortion in the