Katy Balls

Katy Balls

Katy Balls is The Spectator’s former political editor.

Monday

Katy Balls

Can Boris Johnson face down his China hawks?

From our UK edition

Relations between the UK and China came under even greater strain over the weekend. In a fraught interview on the Andrew Marr Show, the Chinese ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming said his government was still 'evaluating the consequences' of the 'very bad decision' by the UK government to ban Huawei from 5G networks by the end of 2027. It came as news broke that Chinese social media app TikTok has suspended talks with the UK on setting up its headquarters in London – citing the 'wider geopolitical context'. Tensions could come to a head this week with the arrival of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo That news has been met with little sadness by Tory MPs.

Friday

Katy Balls

Women in finance: can technology help bridge the gap?

From our UK edition

37 min listen

As technology becomes ever more part of our daily lives, banking is no different. You might have already used some ‘fintech’ innovations like Monzo and Klarna. The flexibility of fintech can particularly help women in their day-to-day lives, but if that’s the case, why is some fintech mostly used and created by men? In this special episode of Women With Balls, Katy Balls is joined by her panel to discuss these issues and more. Sponsored by Lloyds Banking Group.

Thursday

Katy Balls

Can Boris Johnson get people back into the office?

From our UK edition

Tomorrow Boris Johnson is expected to unveil his plan to get the country back to the office. However, the past 24 hours have offered a reminder of the pressure the Prime Minister faces on both sides when it comes to forging a path forward. On Wednesday night, Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey addressed Tory MPs in an appearance before the 1922 committee. He stressed the importance of improving confidence in public transport so that more of the workforce could return. Bailey suggested this was crucial to any economic bounce-back. However, any effort to do this will face opposition. This afternoon Chief Scientific Officer Patrick Vallance has been giving evidence to MPs. In the session, Vallance spoke of the importance of continuing social distancing in the future.

Katy Balls

Why the government moved against Julian Lewis

From our UK edition

15 min listen

Chris Grayling failed to win the chairmanship of the Intelligence and Security Committee on Wednesday evening. In his stead, Julian Lewis clinched the position, and No 10 withdrew the whip from Lewis. On the podcast, Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth about why this happened and whether it's better to rule by fear or love. Also on the episode: Shamima Begum and Patrick Vallance's comments on working from home.

Wednesday

Katy Balls

What Chris Grayling rejection as intelligence and committee chair reveals

From our UK edition

Chris Grayling has this evening been thwarted in his attempt to become chair of parliament's Intelligence and Security committee. Instead, the committee voted for Julian Lewis, a former chairman of the Commons Defence Committee, to take on the coveted role – with the Tory backbencher joining forces with Labour. The former transport secretary was the favourite for the role, and up until recently was viewed as the only likely candidate. Downing Street had given Grayling its backing – with his promotion for the role read in some quarters as a consolation prize for him supporting Boris Johnson in the leadership but being axed from the cabinet.

Katy Balls

Why a Covid inquiry could help Boris Johnson

From our UK edition

Each week it seems as though a new public figure enters the foray to offer their verdict on who is to blame for mistakes made in the UK response to coronavirus. Today Boris Johnson committed to holding an official inquiry to find out just this. Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, Johnson said – in response to a question from Lib Dem leadership hopeful Ed Davey – that although he does not think now is the time for it, there would have to be an independent inquiry in the future: 'Of course Mr Speaker we will seek to learn the lessons of this pandemic in the future and certainly we will have an independent inquiry into what happened.

Monday

Katy Balls

What Conservative MPs make of Keir Starmer’s first 100 days

From our UK edition

As Sir Keir Starmer marks 100 days this week as Labour leader, the polls have shown encouraging signs for his leadership. After leading Boris Johnson a few weeks ago on the question of who would make the best prime minister in an Opinium poll, an Observer poll over the weekend found that he also leads on competence, while 52 per cent of voters now say they could imagine Starmer inside No 10. Notably, the Conservatives still lead on economic competence. So, what does the Conservative party make of Starmer's leadership so far? During the leadership election, he was regarded as a safe if dull choice. Johnson's senior aide Dominic Cummings has since described him as a 'Remainer Lawyer'.

Katy Balls

Does anyone know the truth about face masks?

From our UK edition

15 min listen

In recent days, more supportive noises have been made by those on the top of government about the wearing of face masks indoors, especially in shops. Scotland has already made it compulsory. But it wasn't long ago when the government was saying that face masks may even harm efforts to control the virus. So does anyone know the truth about face masks? Katy Balls talks to James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson.

Saturday

Katy Balls

Dominic Cummings’s plans for defence reform

From our UK edition

13 min listen

Dominic Cummings will be touring key Ministry of Defence sites ahead of this year's defence review. So how would he like to reform the UK's military and defence capabilities? Katy Balls finds out from James Forsyth and the Times's Defence Editor Lucy Fisher.

Friday

Katy Balls

The government’s inconsistent messaging on lockdown easing

From our UK edition

11 min listen

New lockdown easing measures have been announced, so later this month swimming pools, gyms, and outdoor theatres will be reopening in England. At the same time, the government advice on offices is still to work from home and do not travel by public transport. So are offices and trains really much less safe than beauty salons and pools? Katy Balls talks to James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson.

Katy Balls

The missing link in the government’s lockdown easing

From our UK edition

After Rishi Sunak's attempts to kickstart the economy on Wednesday, the government has announced plans to further unwind the lockdown. From this weekend, artists and musicians can perform live outside while outdoor pools will also be opened. As of Monday, beauticians, spas, tattooists, and tanning salons can reopen. Finally those looking to work off any lockdown pounds can celebrate the news that gyms, indoor pools and leisure centres will open on 25 July. As has become the new normal, each relaxation comes with new caveats on social distancing. The announcement suggests that, as things stand, the UK's roadmap out of lockdown is broadly going to plan. However, there are still missing parts.

Thursday

Katy Balls

Is Rishi Sunak really hinting at tax rises?

From our UK edition

15 min listen

The Chancellor's statement has gone down well but the big question is how the government will pay for all this. On the podcast, Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth about the possibility of tax rises, why the Governor of the Bank of England is still planning to address the 1922 committee, John Lewis's troubles, and Mark Sedwill's severance pay.

Katy Balls

New polling: who’s to blame for the UK’s Covid mistakes?

From our UK edition

This week Boris Johnson came under heavy criticism for suggesting 'too many care homes didn’t really follow the procedures in the way that they could have'. While the Prime Minister has since said he stands by the comments, the intervention appears to be part of an inevitable blame game over who is at fault for mistakes made in the coronavirus pandemic. A public inquiry is eventually expected to take place – but in the meantime there is no shortage of public figures keen to tell anyone who will listen what went wrong. While the Opposition have pointed to government mistakes, ministers have suggested civil service inadequacies played a role. So, what do voters think?

Wednesday

Katy Balls

Can Rishi Sunak’s jobs pledge keep unemployment down?

From our UK edition

15 min listen

The Chancellor has given his mini-Budget in a statement to the Commons today, and among a raft of stimulus measures from a VAT cut to stamp duty reduction, he has announced measures designed to keep down unemployment. But the government is clearly braced for a wave of unemployment when furlough ends, so are his pledges enough? Katy Balls talks to Kate Andrews and James Forsyth.

Tuesday

Katy Balls

Is social care reform now inevitable?

From our UK edition

13 min listen

Boris Johnson has rowed back on comments suggesting that care homes suffered from the pandemic because they did not follow procedure, after a widespread backlash. On the podcast, Cindy Yu talks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls about whether or not social care reform is inevitable, as well as why Andrew Bailey planned to address the Tory 1922 committee and the Magnitsky Act.

Monday

Katy Balls

Why the government’s arts bailout was so generous

From our UK edition

13 min listen

Rishi Sunak has announced a £1.6 billion bailout for the arts industry, which was more generous than many were expecting. On the podcast, Katy Balls talks to Kate Andrews and James Forsyth about why this is. They also discuss Pret's troubles and the coming Huawei u-turn.

Katy Balls

Bank of England governor postpones 1922 committee appearance

From our UK edition

On Wednesday, Rishi Sunak will deliver an economic impact assessment to the House of Commons in which the Chancellor is expected to announce a number of measures to stimulate the economy. With a £1.5bn package pledged today for the arts industry, the expectation is that Wednesday's event will cement Johnson's government as a comparatively high spend to the Tory governments that came before.  That evening, MPs will have their weekly meeting of the 1922 committee of Tory backbenchers. Only rather than the Chancellor update the parliamentary party and take part in a question and answer session, Coffee House can reveal MPs have been told Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey will be the guest of honour.

Saturday

Katy Balls

Will No 10’s press briefing shake-up really deliver more transparency?

From our UK edition

13 min listen

Downing St has announced that it will be televising its afternoon lobby press briefing, come October. Inspired by the daily coronavirus briefings, it's a shake-up that supporters say could improve transparency. On the podcast, Katy Balls speaks to former No 10 comms chief Craig Oliver, James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson. They also take a punt at which experienced broadcaster may be brought in to deliver the briefing.

Friday

Katy Balls

Will Super Saturday prove a washout?

From our UK edition

12 min listen

One day to go until 'Super Saturday', when pubs and restaurants in England (except Leicester) will reopen. But polls show that only a small minority of Brits will go back to the pubs. Katy Balls talks to James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson about what this would mean for post-pandemic recovery.