Katy Balls is The Spectator’s political editor.
Is Greater Manchester about to go into tier three restrictions? That’s the hope in government following a week of negotiations, a war of words playing out in the media and internal Tory division. Metro mayor Andy Burnham — known in some parts of the internet as the ‘king of the north’ — has been resisting
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Boris Johnson today told Brits to prepare for a no-deal Brexit, saying the European Union were ‘not willing’ to offer a Canada-style trade agreement. Is this really the end of the talks, or is progress being made behind the scenes? Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth.
In recent months, Boris Johnson and his team have been keen to suggest there is a hard deadline when it comes to agreeing a Brexit deal. The Prime Minister argued last month that both sides ought to walk away from the talks and prepare for no deal if there was no agreement by the EU summit on October
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Rachel Johnson is a journalist, author and broadcaster. On the podcast, she talks to Katy about what it was like to go to a boys’ boarding school, why university had been so eye-opening after her childhood, her brief foray into politics for Change UK, and the worst pieces of advice she’s ever got (both from
11 min listen
Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, today slammed the government for attempting to put the region in the highest tier of Covid-19 restrictions, saying the North would not be a ‘sacrificial lamb’. Why has the three-tier system backfired on the government? John Connolly speaks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth.
This week’s Prime Minister’s Questions stood out from previous sessions. Boris Johnson appeared the most comfortable he has in recent weeks – boosted by the loud support of the Tory MPs allowed in the socially distanced Commons chamber. In a way this was strange – Conservative MPs have become grumpier with each week when it
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A paper to be published by Sage scientists today claims that more than 7,000 lives could be saved if the government imposes a two-week ‘circuit breaker’. With Keir Starmer today saying the policy would be in the ‘national interest’, Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth about whether Boris could put Britain into
As Tory MPs vent over the government’s new three-tier coronavirus system, Boris Johnson appeared this evening before his party for an impromptu meeting of the 1922 committee. Ahead of votes on the measures, the Prime Minister used Zoom to address MPs dialling in from their offices. With many Conservative MPs grumpy over the latest restriction guidelines,
Keir Starmer has called for more drastic measures in a bid to control coronavirus infections. After Sage minutes were published on Monday that revealed the scientists advising the government recommended a two-week lockdown — the so-called ‘circuit breaker’ approach — Starmer used a press conference this evening to urge the Prime Minister to act. The Labour leader called for ‘a
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New documents from Sage show minutes from late September in which scientists advised a circuit breaker lockdown. It’s clear that the government didn’t take that advice. So is No 10 no longer ‘following the science’? Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth.
After weeks of speculation over the government’s new Covid restrictions grading system, the Prime Minister today announced the details. Addressing MPs in the Commons chamber, Boris Johnson confirmed that his strategy was entering a new phase with a three-tier system. Rather than a traffic light system with a green for go, the regional categories are
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A three-tier system of coronavirus restrictions is set to be announced today, but the government is still locked in negotiations with local authorities over the financial support they will receive if they are placed at the highest level. With a growing number of Tory backbenchers coming out against harsher measures, could the new system backfire
As Boris Johnson prepares to unveil a new three tier restrictions system, the PM and his ministers are already coming under fire from Tory MPs and local leaders for confusion and a lack of evidence-based decision making. But what of Keir Starmer? The Labour leader has amassed plenty of praise of late. With Labour and the
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On this week’s episode, Katy Balls interviews Thérèse Coffey about her plans to get millions back into work; Rachel Johnson reveals the hidden cost of buying a puppy in lockdown; and Jeremy Clarke wins big at the horse racing.
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John Connolly, Katy Balls and Patrick Maguire discuss Sir Keir Starmer’s shift in approach to the government’s Covid measures.
There was a time when the announcement of new Treasury spending tended to spell good news. However, these days it usually means that something has gone wrong on coronavirus. This afternoon, the Chancellor confirmed a shift in policy — new support packages for workers. Employees at UK firms that are forced to shut by law will now be
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Today the Chancellor will announce new economic packages targeted at the areas under lockdown. But will the measures go far enough to save businesses, already under strain? Katy Balls talks to Kate Andrews and James Forsyth.
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Overnight, news broke of the three-tier system that the government has in store for the country. First to be put into the strictest tier is likely to be large parts of the North of England, from next week onwards. Cindy Yu discusses with Katy Balls and James Forsyth the political fallout over the next few
If you haven’t heard of Thérèse Coffey, then this will be — to her — a sign that she has been doing something right. As Work and Pensions Secretary she has had to sign people on to benefits faster than anyone who has held the position before. If this had gone wrong during lockdown, she
12 min listen
Nicola Sturgeon today announced that 3.4 million Scots will be placed under increased Covid restrictions, with bars and restaurants shutting across a central belt which includes Glasgow and Edinburgh. What’s behind the crackdown, and could similar measures be announced in England? Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth.
