Katy Balls

Katy Balls

Katy Balls is The Spectator’s former political editor.

Friday

Katy Balls

Labour triumphs in Blackpool as Tories suffer heavy losses

From our UK edition

Keir Starmer is celebrating significant gains in the local elections as the Tories attempt to put a gloss on a night of tricky losses. The prediction - that the Tories will lose about half of the council seats they're defending - looks on track so far. Labour comfortably won the Blackpool South by-election with a 26 per cent swing and it has also taken several key councils, including Rushmoor which has been Tory-run for the last 24 years. A Gaza backlash has seen Labour lose Oldham while the Conservatives have suffered a string of council losses, coming within 120 votes being beaten by Reform in Blackpool.

Thursday

Katy Balls

Survival plan: is Rishi ready for the rebels?

From our UK edition

34 min listen

This week: Survival plan: is Rishi ready for the rebels? Ever since his election, Rishi Sunak has been preparing for this weekend – where the most likely scenario is that dire local election results are slow-released, leaving him at a moment of maximum vulnerability. He has his defences ready against his regicidal party, says Katy Balls: the Rwanda plan, a welfare reform agenda and a 4p NI cut (with hints of 2p more to come). And while the rebels have a (published) agenda they do not – yet – have a candidate. Katy joins the podcast alongside Stephen Bush, associate editor of the Financial Times. (02:12) Next: Lara and Gus take us through some of their favourite pieces from the magazine, including Damian Thompson's Life column, and Joel Golby’s notes on ⅓ pints.

Katy Balls

Survival plan: is Rishi ready for the rebels?

From our UK edition

Ever since Rishi Sunak became leader of the Conservative party, he has been preparing for this week. Entering 10 Downing Street without winning a general election or even the Tory membership vote, he owes his position entirely to Conservative MPs. At any moment, they could decide to replace him as they did Boris Johnson. This bank holiday weekend, as the results of the May elections roll in, has always had the potential to be his moment of greatest vulnerability. The results will show how the Tories are performing now compared with the local elections of 2021 when a triumphal 30ft giant-sized Boris balloon in Hartlepool came to symbolise his political dominance.

Monday

Katy Balls

Humza Yousaf quits – what next?

From our UK edition

14 min listen

Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf has just announced his intention to resign. Lucy Dunn speaks to Katy Balls and Spectator contributor Iain Macwhirter about how the past few weeks have led to this point and what to expect from an SNP leadership contest.

Katy Balls

Humza Yousaf quits – sparking SNP leadership contest

From our UK edition

Humza Yousaf is stepping down as first minister of Scotland. After feverish speculation over the weekend, Yousaf has announced this lunchtime in a press conference at Bute House that he intends to stand down from the role once an SNP leadership contest has taken place to find his successor. Acknowledging the events that had led up to this moment, Yousaf said he had ‘clearly underestimated the level of hurt’ that ending his party’s power-sharing agreement with the Greens caused the SNP’s minority partner. He said trust was ‘fundamental’. Yousaf went on to say that from his discussions over the weekend with figures in the Scottish Greens and Alba, he had found there was a path through that would allow him to win the two confidence votes this week in his leadership.

Katy Balls

Plotters set out ‘100 days’ policy plan to rival Sunak

From our UK edition

It's the week of the local elections and the most pivotal of Rishi Sunak's premiership to date. It's been clear for some time now that the Prime Minister's critics will attempt to rally MPs to turn on Sunak if the party faces a drubbing in Thursday's vote. This is more than the odd unhappy MP: a group of ragtag plotters – including one-time donors and former government advisers – is agitating from outside parliament to destabilise Sunak. Most MPs believe that Sunak ought to be able to hold on Downing Street has used the past few days to try to shore up Sunak with a series of party-friendly announcements, including a boost to defence spending, a benefits cracking down and the passing of the Safety of Rwanda bill into law.

Saturday

Katy Balls

Can Starmer do patriotism?

From our UK edition

13 min listen

It was St George's Day this week, and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he has 'no time' for those who 'flinch' at the St George's flag. But how authentic is his patriotism? Katy Balls speaks to Tom Baldwin, former Labour Party adviser and author of new book England: Seven Myths That Changed a Country – and How to Set Them Straight.Produced by Megan McElroy.

Friday

Katy Balls

Can Humza Yousaf hang on?

From our UK edition

11 min listen

Humza Yousaf faces the biggest crisis of his leadership to date – with his fate in the hands of former SNP leadership rival Ash Regan. Will Humza step down before he is pushed? Or is there a narrow gap through which the First Minister can fight on? Lucy Dunn speaks to Fraser Nelson and Katy Balls.

Katy Balls

Can Humza Yousaf hang on?

From our UK edition

Humza Yousaf is facing the biggest crisis of his leadership after the First Minister axed his party's power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens. Since that decision on Thursday morning, events have spiralled in a way that few in the SNP believe Yousaf was prepared for. The SNP leader has this morning cancelled a speech he was due to give at Strathclyde University on independence. It comes as reports swirl that he is considering his position. An imminent election is still only a remote prospect As things stand, Yousaf is due to face a vote of no confidence in his leadership next week. In a blow to his standing last night, the Scottish Greens suggested they would team up with Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats to vote against him in the Scottish Parliament.

Katy Balls

How can Britain back women-led businesses?

From our UK edition

28 min listen

Young, female entrepreneurship is on the rise. Two years ago, 17,500 businesses were founded by women aged 16-25, which is 22 times greater than in 2018. Now, 20 per cent of all businesses across the UK are all-female-led. Yet, when it comes to investment, women consistently underperform their male counterparts. Why? And should more be done to support female entrepreneurs?

Thursday

Katy Balls

Is this the beginning of the end for Humza Yousaf?

From our UK edition

15 min listen

After two and a half years in government together, Humza Yousaf has terminated the SNP’s governing pact with the Scottish Greens. The decision was rubber stamped at a hastily arranged meeting of the Scottish cabinet on Thursday morning. It preempts a vote by rank-and-file Green members on whether to walk away from Yousaf’s government after he ditched a key climate target. In response, The Scottish Conservatives have tabled a vote of no confidence vote. And the Yousaf might very well lose it, now the Greens are out of the government. What will this mean for the first minister? Katy Balls speaks to Lucy Dunn, Iain Macwhirter and Fraser Nelson.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

Katy Balls

Kemi and Gove’s Cabinet clash on Rwanda

From our UK edition

When the Rwanda Bill had its second reading in the House of Commons just before Christmas, there was a revolt on the right of the Tory party. A group of legal experts, with the self-appointed ‘Star Chamber’ title, were convened by Eurosceptic MPs. They declared that Rishi Sunak’s plan was not ‘sufficiently watertight’ to allow deportations to take place, with too many legal loopholes vulnerable to exploitation. They said they would vote against the bill unless changes were made. In the end, Sunak faced down the rebels; only a small number came out against him. Soon after the vote, the cabinet met.

Wednesday

Katy Balls

Has Angela Rayner redeemed herself?

From our UK edition

10 min listen

With Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer away, Oliver Dowden and Angela Rayner stepped in for PMQs today. Questions quickly turned to the long running row about Rayner's tax affairs. Did she redeem herself?    Also, the prime minister has announced further UK military spending, confirming it will rise to 2.5% of national income by 2030. Does the move cause problems for Keir Starmer?  Katy Balls speaks to James Heale and Isabel Hardman.  Produced by Megan McElroy.

Tuesday

Katy Balls

Rishi Sunak vows to boost defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP

From our UK edition

After finally getting his Rwanda legislation through the Lords, Rishi Sunak is in Warsaw today to meet with Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. There, the Prime Minister is expected to announce that Britain will spend 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2030. Previously the government line has been that the Tories will increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent ‘as soon as economic conditions allow’. The pledge would mean the UK would be committed to spend £70 billion more on core defence spending over seven years than it does currently.  The expected announcement comes after Sunak has faced criticism from his own side on the issue. Tory MPs have voiced disappointment over the absence of a big defence announcement in the spring budget.

Katy Balls

Sunak’s Rwanda Bill finally passes parliament

From our UK edition

13 min listen

After eight hours of debate on the Rwanda Bill, peers finally threw in the towel shortly after midnight. And with that, the Rwanda Bill became law, pending Royal Assent from the King. The two chambers have been engaged in a mammoth game of ping-pong for the past week, culminating in yesterday’s showdown on two final amendments. What comes next?  Kate Andrews speaks to James Heale and Katy Balls.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

Monday

Katy Balls

Will there be a summer election?

From our UK edition

12 min listen

This morning Rishi Sunak delivered a press conference making the case that the Rwanda Bill should become law today – and the government is ready for when it does. James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Fraser Nelson about what could be an all-night parliamentary showdown on the Rwanda vote, and whether an early summer election is on the cards. Produced by Natasha Feroze.

Katy Balls

Will there be a summer election?

From our UK edition

It’s less than a fortnight till the local elections where Rishi Sunak will face his last major electoral test before going to the polls for a general election later this year. Tory MPs are braced for it to be a difficult night. The loss of Tory councillors en masse seems inevitable. If Sunak is really unlucky, he could lose one or both of the two Tory metro mayors. The West Midlands mayor Andy Street is viewed to be the most vulnerable – one poll last week suggested he is on course to lose, another said he could hold on by two votes. If the Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen goes then both Sunak’s critics and his supporters expect things to become rather unpredictable. Houchen was elected the last time around with a majority over 70 per cent.

Thursday

Katy Balls

Is it smart to ban phones for teens?

From our UK edition

11 min listen

Sunak's top team is considering another ban: smartphones for teens. A consultation is due to begin this month that will question whether children need a smartphone, and if social media should require age verification. Could the debate bring the party together?  Also, there's another suspension in Westminster. Mark Menzies has been suspended after claims he made a late night call to ask for money to pay off 'bad people'. He strongly disputes the claims.  Oscar Edmondson speaks to Katy Balls and James Heale.  Produced by Megan McElroy.

Katy Balls

The dangers of political prosecution

From our UK edition

31 min listen

This week: the usual targets First: Trump is on trial again – and America is bored rather than scandalised. This is his 91st criminal charge and his supporters see this as politicised prosecution. As an American, Kate Andrews has seen how the law can be used as a political weapon – so why, she asks, is Britain importing the same system? In less than 18 months, the police have been sent to investigate Rishi Sunak for his seat-belt, Nicola Sturgeon for campaign funds, and Angela Rayner over her electoral registry: each time, the complainant is political and the process is the punishment. Kate joins the podcast alongside The Spectator’s editor Fraser Nelson to discuss. (01:34) Then: Confessions of a defecting Starmtrooper.

Katy Balls

Confessions of a defecting Starmtrooper

From our UK edition

Next month, Keir Starmer is expected to lead his party to victory in the local elections. The Tories are forecast to lose about half of their councillors who are up for re-election. If it’s a very bad night they could also say goodbye to Ben Houchen and Andy Street, the metro mayors of Tees Valley and the West Midlands. All this would confirm that Labour is on track for a super-majority at the general election. Yet there is one election Starmer’s Labour must fight the left to win: that for the North-East mayor, which takes place on 2 May. The new mayoralty – which covers two million people from Northumberland to Co. Durham – is already the subject of internal party turmoil.