Katy Balls is The Spectator’s former political editor.
Those hoping for white smoke in the Brexit negotiations tonight will be left disappointed. After a week of intense negotiations, late-night pizza and a warning from France, the UK and EU have agreed to pause the negotiations. Announcing the decision, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said significant differences remained on the issues of level playing
15 min listen
In the last days of the negotiations, the pressure is ramping up as reports began to surface on Thursday evening that the talks were not going as well as hoped. This morning, allies of Emmanuel Macron have warned that France could unilaterally veto a Brexit deal. What will the next days bring and could Macron
10 min listen
The promising sign of late night negotiation pizza has caused some optimism in Westminster that a Brexit deal may be just around the corner. On the podcast, James Forsyth and Katy Balls discuss what to look out for in the coming days.
14 min listen
The UK is the first western country in the world to approve a coronavirus vaccine, it was announced today. The first doses of Pfizer’s jab will be distributed from next week, and the news has renewed hopes that restrictions could soon be lifted. But after last night’s vote saw 55 Tory MPs reject the new
Boris Johnson may have just suffered his biggest Tory rebellion since the election but he is unlikely to be too down this morning. The Prime Minister is the receiver of some good news that could soon transform the political landscape. After positive soundings from several vaccine trials, the UK has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for widespread
When Boris Johnson addressed MPs this evening on a Zoom call ahead of the Commons vote on his new tier system, his message to would-be rebels was simple: the unity of the Tory party is important so don’t give Labour the satisfaction of seeing a disunited Conservative party. Pointing to the light at the end of
What scale of Tory rebellion is Boris Johnson facing in tonight’s vote? Depending who you ask, the number of likely Tory rebels ranges from anywhere between 40 and 100. The estimates on the higher end of the spectrum are being dismissed by some Tory MPs as an attempt by government figures to lower expectations so the real number
11 min listen
The government looks set to win today’s Commons vote on the return of the tiers system for England, but tens of Tory backbenchers are unhappy. For them, the Prime Minister’s reassurances have lost credibility, so on today’s podcast, Isabel Hardman discusses with Katy Balls and James Forsyth whether or not Boris’s optimism has backfired.
Boris Johnson is the receiver of good news and bad news this evening. He is on course to win Commons approval for his new tier system when it’s put to a vote on Tuesday. However, it will likely be down to support from Labour. While a Tory revolt is brewing, Sir Keir Starmer has announced that his party will abstain
20 min listen
Brexit negotiations are continuing this week, with fisheries and the level playing field remaining key sticking points. But with the deadline for an agreement edging closer, is no-deal more likely than anticipated? Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth.
As the Brexit talks enter what is expected to be the last full week of substantive negotiations, opposition leaders are blasting the government for the lack of progress while No. 10 has issued a warning that no deal is ‘arguably underpriced’. So, is this more fighting talk for the purpose of the negotiations or is no deal now a likely
17 min listen
In this week’s Spectator, Matthew Parris asks why the Lib Dems have lost their ideological backbone. On the podcast, he discusses this ‘soggification’ of the party with Katy Balls and Polly Mackenzie, former special adviser to Nick Clegg and now chief executive of the think tank Demos.
14 min listen
The return to the tier system will be voted on in the Commons next week, but from the grumblings in the Conservative party, it sounds like the government may need Opposition votes in order to get the legislation through. That’s never a comfortable position for a government, so on the podcast, Katy Balls discusses with
41 min listen
Gillian Keegan is the minister for apprenticeships and skills, and Conservative MP for Chichester. She previously worked at Natwest, Mastercard, Travelport and Amadeus. On the podcast, she tells Katy about growing up in a Labour stronghold, working in a car factory, pitching to be apprenticeships minister, and having her social life ruined by a friend’s advice
Boris Johnson began the week with an optimistic message of an end to the English lockdown and hopes of a vaccine breakthrough to rid us of coronavirus restrictions altogether. However, until then his revised three-tier system is becoming a major cause of frustration for Tory MPs. The three tiers have been bulked up from their pre-lockdown incarnation.
15 min listen
England’s tier system returns today. With some areas in a stricter tier than they were before the lockdown, as well as a general mistrust amongst Tory lockdown sceptics for the government, many MPs are not happy. But is there anything they can do about it? Katy Balls and James Forsyth discuss.
Boris Johnson’s search for a chief of staff to bring order to 10 Downing Street has proved so difficult that earlier this month civil war erupted in No. 10 after he offered the role to his longstanding director of communications Lee Cain. In the face of a backlash from figures including the Prime Minister’s partner Carrie Symonds
20 min listen
Pandemic finances are different to normal finances, as seen by today’s new figures from the OBR which show that the UK’s economy will not be back to pre-pandemic levels until 2022. In today’s spending review, the Chancellor broke a manifesto pledge by cutting the overseas aid budget. Is this a taste of things to come?
Rishi Sunak’s spending review is already dividing opinion in the Tory party. The Chancellor has confirmed reports that he intends to go back on a Tory manifesto pledge and cut foreign aid from 0.7 per cent of GDP to 0.5 per cent. He insisted this amounted to a one-off cut — the idea being that it will be a
Ministers have been keen to stress that Christmas this year will not be normal. Boris Johnson went so far to say on Monday that it ’tis the season to be ‘jolly careful’. However, as expected, there will be a softening of the current rules. Following a Cobra meeting this afternoon, the UK government and devolved administrations
