Podcast
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
Boris Johnson is on his farewell tour but is remaining coy about the possibility of a political comeback. What problems will this throw up for the next prime minister? Will Boris be friend or foe? Also on the podcast, after Liz Truss pulled out of her BBC interview with Nick Robinson, is she trying to
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
Today Ofgem announced that household energy bills will climb to an average of £3,549 a year, starting in October. Have the government prepared Brits for how bad the crisis could get? How do Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak plan to reach those that need help the most urgently? Also on the podcast, there are reports
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
Rishi Sunak has today confirmed that he will stay on as an MP if he loses the leadership contest, and that he will also vote for a Liz Truss budget. Will this help the Tory party heal? Also, Rishi Sunak told The Spectator that scientists had too much power during lockdown. What has their response
Play 9 mins
Coffee House Shots
In the latest leadership hustings, Liz Truss promised to take money away from the NHS to put into social care. But as Kate Andrews points out in this episode, given that Truss is also planning on scrapping the National Insurance rise, Truss’ll need to find more money in order to fund this latest pledge. On
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
There are only three hustings left in the Tory leadership race, after six weeks which have seen the party tear itself apart. What will fix the party? Is Jeremy Corbyn the solution? Max Jeffery speaks to Fraser Nelson and Katy Balls. Produced by Max Jeffery. ‘Liz Truss is going to have a short window to
Play 9 mins
Coffee House Shots
The focus is on Liz Truss’s planned emergency budget. Over the weekend it was revealed that she wouldn’t consult the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) before announcing her plans. Could this backfire? Also on the podcast, investment bank Citi have warned that inflation could hit 18 per cent come January. Were the Bank of England’s
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
Isabel Hardman discusses the latest A level results and the impact on university places, with Fraser Nelson and student Lella Halloum. What more can the government do? Produced by Matt Taylor.
Play 17 mins
Coffee House Shots
The UK has been hit by another round of rail strikes today with rising inflation and falling wages a recipe for continued disruption in the public sector. Labour rebels such as Sam Tarry are fast becoming celebrities among the unions. Could this leave Starmer in another predicament? Also on the podcast, as Liz Truss remains
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
It seems like Labour has a problem when it comes to the size of its membership. It lost 91,000 members last year and recorded a £4.8 million deficit. Is this the Keir Starmer effect on the Corbyn membership? Also on the podcast, Rishi Sunak has gone viral after sharing his McDonald’s breakfast order on This
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
The UK inflation rate is now at 10.1 per cent according to the Office for National Statistics. Is there much that the government can do to relieve its effects? Also on the podcast, the leadership contenders are in Belfast for the next hustings: how will the audience respond to the candidate’s position on The Northern Ireland Protocol?
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
New figures released this week show that wages have fallen significantly behind the rising cost of living. Is there more trouble ahead? Also on the podcast, as Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss attend hustings in Scotland: which candidate is favoured the most north of the border? Katy Balls is joined by Kate Andrews and Isabel
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
Keir Starmer has unveiled a £29 billion plan to freeze energy bills for six months. Under his proposals, the Labour leader said Brits would not face the enormous price hikes anticipated in October and January. But is his idea a serious one? Where would the money come from? And how have the Tories responded? Isabel
Play 15 mins
Coffee House Shots
Katy Balls speaks to Isabel Hardman and James Forsyth about why Sir Keir Starmer and his frontbench have been seemingly missing in action during the Tory leadership race and the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Play 10 mins
Coffee House Shots
‘Profit is not a dirty word’, Liz Truss said at last night’s leadership hustings. The Foreign Secretary has made clear that she would prefer to cut taxes than take money from energy firms and give it directly to struggling Brits. But, if Truss makes it into No. 10, could she really reverse the windfall tax?
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
Thirty thousand people waited 12 hours or more in A&E, new figures showed today – the highest number on record. The NHS usually runs into trouble during the cold winter weather, but it looks like the annual crisis has already arrived. Is there any solution? Max Jeffery speaks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman. Produced
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
The Tory contenders are expected to announce their own measures to protect households and businesses from the energy crisis. Why has it taken this long? Labour too, is yet to reveal a strategy. Will they leave the Tories to fight amongst themselves? Also on the podcast, Nicola Sturgeon has made a comeback at Liz Truss
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss head to the Red Wall for hustings in Darlington this evening. Meanwhile, new figures released by Cornwall Insight on the extent of the energy price cap make for grim reading. Will Labour respond with their own package? Also on the podcast, as countries look to ensure domestic energy supply, What could
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
As the leadership contest refocuses on the economy, Katy and James discuss each camp’s plan to deal with the cost of living crisis. Are both candidates being pushed towards the centre ground? Also, looking ahead to winter, does the UK have enough energy in storage to keep the lights on, and what is being done
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
Katy Balls talks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman about the challenges facing the incoming Prime Minister, not least the dire forecast from the Bank of England predicting recession for 2023.
Play 10 mins
Coffee House Shots
The Bank of England’s announcement to raise interest rates comes as the UK is predicted to fall into recession this year – with the lowest downturn expected since 2008. Are Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss ready for what’s ahead? The two candidates went head-to-head once again last night in the Sky News studios. This time,
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
The Bank of England raised its rates by another half per cent today, as it warned that inflation will peak at 13 per cent by the end of this year. The question about the Bank of England’s effectiveness arises again – should it have foreseen the inflationary crisis we are in now, and done more
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
On today’s podcast, Katy Balls and James Forsyth discuss a sticking point for Rishi Sunak as he meets the membership – that he led a ‘coup’ to overthrow Boris Johnson. Whilst travelling the country, can he persuade the membership otherwise? Also today, a new YouGov poll of Conservative members gives Liz Truss a 34-point lead
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
Liz Truss has U-turned on a public worker pay plan announced just last night – the idea being that pay would reflect the cost of living in regional areas. What made her backtrack on the announcement? And how damaging has this been to her campaign? ‘Any discussion of lowering pay right now is politically intolerable.
Play 21 mins
Coffee House Shots
This morning, Lisa Nandy defied party orders by joining a picket line in Wigan to support striking BT and Openreach staff. This comes after last week, Keir Starmer sacked Sam Tarry MP, who went on an unauthorised media round at an RMT picket line. Similarly, Labour’s biggest union, Unite, threatened to pull all funding from
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
Rishi Sunak sat down this evening for a 30-minute interview with Andrew Neil. They covered the economy, the NHS, immigration and the former chancellor’s personal finances. Sunak knew he was taking a risk in sitting down with Neil. Was it worth it? Max Jeffery speaks to Katy Balls and Kate Andrews. Produced by Max Jeffery.
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak were in Leeds yesterday for the first of the leadership hustings in front of Tory members. Truss put in an assured performance, while Sunak had to defend his announcement that he would cut VAT on energy bills, after saying that tax cuts would be ‘immoral’. With little time left for
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
You can always count on Labour to descend into civil war while the media is focused on the Conservative party’s in-fighting. After Keir Starmer fired a junior shadow transport minister, Sam Tarry, earlier this week for his involvement in the strike action, the left of the party has hit back, raising questions over Keir Starmer’s
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
Having spent the last four debates suggesting that tax cuts are irresponsible and immoral, Rishi Sunak says he will cut VAT on energy bills if he becomes the next prime minister. Those defending him have suggested that this particular tax cut is temporary, it is funded and will help ease the cost of living crisis.
Play 10 mins
Coffee House Shots
Yet another post debate poll, out today, shows that Tory members believe Liz Truss performed better in Monday evening’s BBC debate. With the next week pivotal according to received wisdom (members are expected to vote soon after they receive their ballot papers), can Rishi Sunak turn things around in time? Katy Balls discusses with James
Play 10 mins
Coffee House Shots
Fraser Nelson, James Forsyth, Isabel Hardman and Katy Balls give their analysis and snap reaction to Monday evening’s first head-to-head debate between Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss. Was Rishi Sunak too aggressive? Or did Liz Truss’s economic pledges get skewered? And ultimately, will this have changed any Conservative party member’s mind? Produced by Cindy Yu.
Play 18 mins