Podcast

Coffee House Shots

Daily political analysis from The Spectator’s top team of writers, including Tim Shipman, James Heale, Michael Gove, Isabel Hardman and many others.

Daily political analysis from The Spectator’s top team of writers, including Tim Shipman, James Heale, Michael Gove, Isabel Hardman and many others.

Coffee House Shots

Why did Boris pull out?

Kate Andrews, James Forsyth and Katy Balls discuss the surprise withdrawal of Boris Johnson from the Conservative leadership race.

Play 18 mins

Coffee House Shots

Will there be a new PM by tomorrow?

Katy Balls, James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson discuss the latest party leader endorsements by MPs and the likelihood that the next Prime Minister will be in 10 Downing Street by tomorrow.

Play 14 mins

Coffee House Shots

Are the Conservatives ungovernable?

James Heale, James Forsyth and Katy Balls discuss whether the Tories are an impossible coalition to preside over.

Play 16 mins

Coffee House Shots

Will Boris get the numbers he needs?

Whilst no candidate has officially declared their candidacy for the Tory leadership race, speculation is rife about a possible Boris Johnson return. Could he get the 100 supporters he needs? Will he extend an olive branch to Rishi Sunak? James Heale speaks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls. Produced by Max Jeffery and Oscar Edmondson.

Play 15 mins

Coffee House Shots

Liz Truss resigns

Forty-four days into her premiership, Liz Truss said she was resigning as Prime Minister. There will now be a week-long race to elect a new leader. Who will be the contenders? Isabel Hardman speaks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth. Produced by Natasha Feroze.

Play 11 mins

Coffee House Shots

Coffee House Shots Live: Another winter of discontent?

Fraser Nelson, James Forsyth, Katy Balls and Kate Andrews discuss plans to stop spiralling inflation – and a spiralling government.

Play 75 mins

Coffee House Shots

Braverman out. Has the great resignation begun?

Suella Braverman has resigned as Home Secretary over a row on immigration measures. Grant Shapps has been selected to replace her. Will more follow? Isabel Hardman speaks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth.

Play 10 mins

Coffee House Shots

Will there be resignations?

Another day, another u-turn. Liz Truss met with her Cabinet today and is reportedly considering u-turning on the pensions triple lock. Are ministers heading for more ‘lengthy discussions’ on public spending? Should we brace ourselves for resignations? Also on the podcast, as Hunt looks at which departments to cut, what could this mean for the

Play 13 mins

Coffee House Shots

Was Truss hiding under a desk?

This afternoon Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt stepped in for Liz Truss to field an urgent questions called by the Leader of the Opposition. What could the Prime Minister have been doing which was so urgent that she couldn’t attend? Also on the podcast, after Jeremy Hunt reverses nearly all of Trussonomics, will there

Play 14 mins

Coffee House Shots

Trussonomics is dead

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt gave a statement this morning in which he outlined plans to scrap ‘almost all’ the tax measures announced by his predecessor, Kwasi Kwarteng just four weeks ago. In one of the largest U-turns in history, the markets have become the most important force in British politics. James Forsyth, Katy Balls, Kate Andrews

Play 18 mins

Coffee House Shots

How long has Liz Truss got left?

Isabel Hardman, James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson discuss the appropriate units of time in which to measure the remainder of the Prime Minister’s tenure…

Play 14 mins

Coffee House Shots

Can Truss calm the markets?

Liz Truss has delivered an 8-minute long press conference confirming the latest corporation tax U-turn and insisting she will stay on as Prime Minister. Did it do enough to reassure voters and calm the markets? Cindy Yu speaks to James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson. Produced by Cindy Yu and Natasha Feroze.

Play 12 mins

Coffee House Shots

Truss sacks Kwarteng. What next?

Prime Minister Liz Truss has sacked her Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and replaced him with Jeremy Hunt. By removing her closest ideological ally. Can she save herself? Kate Andrews speaks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth. Produced by Natasha Feroze.

Play 13 mins

Coffee House Shots

What will Kwasi do?

It’s one of those flight tracker days here in Westminster as Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng is about to land from a trip to the IMF in Washington, cut short last night. Is the government about to U-turn on its three-week-old mini budget? If so, will the Chancellor resign? Cindy Yu talks to James Forsyth and Fraser

Play 9 mins

Coffee House Shots

Will Truss be gone by Christmas?

After a day of speculation, the rumours that Liz Truss was about to U-turn on more areas of the mini-budget proved untrue. Conservative MPs had a tense evening in the 1922 Committee meeting last night – are there any good options left for the Prime Minister? Isabel Hardman speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth.

Play 14 mins

Coffee House Shots

Is Truss ruling out spending cuts?

Did Liz Truss misspeak or did she mean it when she said that she wouldn’t go ahead with spending cuts, as promised in her leadership campaign? On the episode, Cindy Yu talks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls about what the Prime Minister could have meant, given the need to balance the books to pay

Play 9 mins

Coffee House Shots

What is the way out for Kwasi?

Parliament is back today and Kwasi Kwarteng is facing questions from the opposition as well as from those within his party. How much pressure is he under? Also on the podcast, looking ahead to another fiscal event at the end of the month, are we heading for a series of departmental spending cuts? What would

Play 14 mins

Coffee House Shots

Can Truss heal the divisions within her party?

This morning the Chancellor has announced that the government will bring forward both its medium term fiscal event and the accompanying Office for Budget Responsibility forecast. Will Kwarteng exercise some spending restraint to calm the Bank of England? Also on the podcast, after Truss appointed Sunak ally Greg Hands as Minister of State for Trade

Play 11 mins

Coffee House Shots

How will this end?

Max Jeffery, Katy Balls and James Forsyth discuss Liz Truss’s premiership and walk through the various options being cooked up to replace her.

Play 17 mins

Coffee House Shots

Are Truss and Macron now 'bons amis'?

Liz Truss attended the European Political Community summit in Prague, where her frosty relations with Macron came to a head. Rather than ‘frenemies’, there were signs of thawing relations between the two. After years of diplomatic tensions over Brexit, immigration and energy, can the two leaders kiss and make up? Katy Balls speaks to Isabel

Play 13 mins

Coffee House Shots

Has Team Boris turned on Truss?

Nadine Dorries, a loyalist to Boris Johnson, has a front-page piece in the Times today, accusing the new Liz Truss government of lurching too far towards the right. As someone who previously backed Liz for leader, is there a growing sense that people wish Boris never left? Also on the podcast, the National Grid has suggested

Play 17 mins

Coffee House Shots

Is Truss back on track?

Liz Truss has today delivered her speech to the Conservative Party Conference where she set out the vision for her government. It was arguably the best moment of a difficult week for the party. Has she succeeded in calming Tory nerves? Who are the ‘anti-growth coalition’ that she is taking on?  Isabel Hardman speaks to

Play 13 mins

Coffee House Shots

Is Truss facing another rebellion?

Liz Truss is coming under pressure over another of her policies. Should she increase benefits payments in line with inflation, or in line with earnings, as she would prefer? Will the PM change her mind again? Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth. Produced by Max Jeffery.

Play 11 mins

Coffee House Shots

Are the Tories in the business of managing decline?

Kwasi Kwarteng has just spoken at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham defending his mini-Budget, despite having u-turned on the cut to the 45p tax rate this morning. Will his speech have calmed his fellow Tories and, more importantly, the markets?  Katy Balls speaks with James Forsyth, Kate Andrews and Isabel Hardman.  Produced by Max

Play 11 mins

Coffee House Shots

Why has Truss u-turned?

The Prime Minister has abandoned her plan to scrap the top 45 per cent rate of income tax. Why? Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth. Produced by Max Jeffery.

Play 13 mins

Coffee House Shots

Did Gove just torpedo Truss?

Michael Gove this morning said that Liz Truss’s plans to scrap the top 45 per cent tax rate are a ‘display of the wrong values’. It comes as Jake Berry, the Tory party chairman, confirmed that MPs who vote against the budget would lose the Conservative whip. Has Gove just ruined Truss’s conference? James Heale

Play 14 mins

Coffee House Shots

Liz Truss's mea culpa moment

Despite rejecting the Office for Budget Responsibility’s offer of a forecast to accompany last week’s so-called fiscal event, this morning it appears that the government have u-turned. What can we expect from the OBR’s statement ahead of the November budget? Also on the podcast, after last night’s YouGov poll put Labour ahead by 33 points,

Play 11 mins

Coffee House Shots

Could Truss axe Kwarteng?

Liz Truss broke her silence this morning and embarked on a pre-Tory conference media round of regional stations across the UK. In a brutal set of interviews, the Prime Minister faced questions on tax cutting the rich at the expense of the poor, fracking and bankers’ bonuses. With conference just three days away, what will be

Play 23 mins

Coffee House Shots

Why is the Bank of England buying gilts?

The Bank of England has today announced a major intervention into gilts to prevent a ‘material risk’ to financial stability as a result of government policy. How unprecedented is this move? Will Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng break their silence? Are we heading for another leadership election? Kate Andrews speaks with Fraser Nelson and James

Play 18 mins

Coffee House Shots

Is Starmer ready for No.10?

Keir Stamer took centre stage for his speech at the Labour party conference today. Unlike last year, there were several standing ovations and loud cheers from the audience. Was his speech one to remember in Labour’s history? And has he secured his position as the man to lead Labour back into government? James Heale speaks

Play 10 mins