Katy Balls is The Spectator’s political editor.
The end of partygate? This morning the police have announced that their investigation into alleged Covid breaches in Downing Street has now been completed. The Met say the investigation – which began in January after Sue Gray uncovered evidence of breaches – has led to 126 people facing fines across eight different events. Even though
Boris Johnson has never quite been able to decide whether he wants to be a great unifier or a great divider. Does he want to govern like he did at City Hall – the ‘generous-hearted, loving mayor of London’, as he once described himself – or is his best chance for re-election a return to
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With the cost of living crisis looming large, pressure is on the government to come up with effective solutions. With Labour snapping at their heels for an emergency budget and a windfall tax on oil and gas companies, will the Conservatives eventually bend to this pressure? And if they do, will these solutions even work?
Will the Chancellor announce new measures to ease the cost of living crisis? Rishi Sunak is under pressure to do so as new figures out today show that UK inflation jumped to 9 per cent in the 12 months to April, up from 7 per cent in March. It comes as Labour continue to push calls
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Liz Truss made a speech in the House of Commons today laying out the government’s plans to scrap parts of the Northern Ireland protocol. James Forsyth first broke this story in last week’s Spectator magazine. How will the EU react to the news? And could this spark a trade war with the EU? Moving onto the cost
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Boris Johnson is in Belfast today in an attempt to repair relations between the DUP and Sinn Fein. In a 2000 word article for Belfast Telegraph, the Prime Minister laid out his intentions not to scrap the Northern Ireland Protocol, but instead to fix it. Can these two polarised parties find a middle ground? Also on
Boris Johnson will head to Northern Ireland today as the government lays the groundwork to unilaterally overwrite parts of the protocol. Tomorrow, the Foreign Secretary is expected to unveil plans for a new law to change the protocol if the EU refuses to grant concessions. Given Johnson’s frayed relationship with the DUP – the party hasn’t forgiven
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Kemi Badenoch is the MP for Saffron Walden and a minister in Michael Gove’s Levelling Up department. On entering parliament in 2017, Kemi was quickly pegged as one of the Conservative Party’s rising stars and an example of what she calls the “British Dream”, going from immigrant to parliamentarian in the space of one generation.
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Boris Johnson met Conservative MPs in Stoke-on-Trent for a Cabinet away day. Their focus is on how new legislation could level up the UK and protect people from the cost of living crisis as it intensifies. Meanwhile, the GDP figures show the UK economy contracted in March as consumers cut back on spending. Is the
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This week Lara Prendergast and William Moore talk to Katy Balls and the journalist Paul Mason about the future of Labour (00:40). Followed by historian David Abulafia and the Sunday Times education editor Sian Griffiths on the announcement of Cambridge University’s plans to limit the number of their private school students (15:20). Finally, a debate
Here we go. The UK is on the brink of another Brexit battle as ministers consider unveiling legislation that would unilaterally overwrite parts of the Northern Ireland protocol. This morning the Foreign Secretary spoke to the European Commission’s vice president Maroš Šefčovič – warning that the protocol has ‘become the greatest obstacle to forming a Northern Ireland
Sometimes a plan can be too successful. When Durham police announced on the day of the local election results that they would investigate Keir Starmer over ‘beergate’ – an event in April last year where Starmer was filmed drinking a beer with Labour staff, at a time when indoor socialising was banned – Tory MPs
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Inside the Lord’s Chamber, Prince Charles delivered the Queen’s Speech in his mother’s absence. The key themes of the Prime Minister’s legislative agenda included easing the cost of living crisis, post-Brexit economic arrangements and a particular emphasis on crime. ‘You can tell the Tory party is trying to shore itself up from being outflanked on
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As pressures mount over claims that Keir Starmer broke lockdown rules, the Labour leader has just pulled out of a keynote speech he is due to give today. How much trouble is he really in? Katy Balls looks at Starmer’s future in a blog on Coffee House today. Also on the podcast, what will be
Ahead of Thursday’s local elections, there had been talk among MPs that it could serve as a referendum on partygate and lead to questions about Boris Johnson’s future as leader. Instead, it’s Keir Starmer who is facing questions about Covid breaches and how long he will stay in post. After Durham Police announced on Friday
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Katy Balls, James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman delve into the 2022 local election results and discuss how the Conservatives will adapt their strategy to remain in power.
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We’ve had more election results in and it looks like the Lib Dems will be celebrating tonight, encroaching on many Tory seats around the country. But is this Liberal passion from voters or disaffection with the two major parties? Katy Balls talks with James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman about all the latest results.
It’s Boris Johnson’s lucky day. Keir Starmer had hoped to spend Friday talking up Labour’s results in the local election – with a particular focus on the party’s successes over the London Tories in Wandsworth, Barnet and Westminster. Instead, the Labour leader and his team will spend the afternoon talking about ‘beergate’ after the Telegraph broke the news
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The results are coming in! While the Tories seem to have done quite badly in the capital, Labour has not made the gains in the rest of the country that many predicted they would. The Lib Dems and the Greens have had a good showing so far but we won’t know just how good until
As the local election results trickle in, Labour has plenty to shout about when it comes to London. The party has taken Westminster, Wandsworth and Barnet from the Tories, in a blow to the Conservatives. Given these are high-profile victories – Wandsworth was Thatcher’s favourite council and Westminster has never been Labour – it’s understandable
