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
The Tory leadership contest is entering its third week, and becoming more bitter. Nadine Dorries, the culture secretary, today mocked Rishi Sunak for wearing a bespoke suit and Prada shoes while his rival Liz Truss would be travelling to the north of England wearing £4.50 earrings from Claire’s Accessories. ‘FFS Nadine! Muted.’ replied Tory MP
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
Isabel Hardman speaks to Fraser Nelson, James Forsyth and Matthew Parris about the influence Margaret Thatcher exerts over the Conservative leadership race.
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
Over the next few weeks, Conservative party members will cast their votes on who they want to be the next Prime Minister. YouGov has released another poll suggesting that members have placed Liz Truss 24 points ahead of Rishi Sunak. ‘This shows the difference between the parliamentary party from the membership at large‘ – Isabel
Play 16 mins
Coffee House Shots
So far, most polls of Tory members show that they’d prefer Liz Truss to Rishi Sunak when it comes to the next Conservative party leader. With ballots for the membership phase going out at the beginning of August, it’s vitally important for Sunak to break through to members as soon as possible. Can he catch
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
Conservative MPs have chosen the final two candidates to be presented to the Tory membership in the final round of this leadership contest. Over the rest of the summer, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak will be travelling around the country to attend dozens of hustings with Tory members. Will this phase be less rancorous? Or
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
One of Penny Mordaunt, Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss will be Britain’s next prime minister. What are the contenders’ answers to the big questions facing Britain? Isabel Hardman spoke to Mordaunt (00:36), Sunak (21:17) and Truss (42:15).
Play 63 mins
Coffee House Shots
There has been another elimination in the Tory leadership race. Break-out star Kemi Badenoch is out, with three remaining candidates left until tomorrow’s vote. Who will be the final two in the race? And are there signs of Tory MPs lending votes to manipulate the results?James Forsyth is joined by Katy Balls and Isabel Hardman.
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
Tom Tugendhat has been knocked out of the Tory leadership race. With Rishi Sunak leading the pack, and Liz Truss, Penny Mordaunt and Kemi Badenoch in a cluster behind, who will come out on top? Max Jeffery speaks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth.
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
This morning, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss pulled out of the Sky News leadership debate, scheduled for tomorrow evening. What does this say for public scrutiny in Britain? ‘I’m afraid to say if you want to be Prime Minister you need to be able to fight anywhere, any place, anytime’ – Fraser Nelson. This evening,
Play 15 mins
Coffee House Shots
Isabel Hardman, James Forsyth and Katy Balls pick through tonight’s ITV debate with the five candidates for Prime Minister.
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
In the first televised Tory leadership debate, the five remaining candidates set out their stalls on trust in politics, tax cuts and the NHS ahead of the next round of voting on Monday. How did each candidate fare tonight? Katy Balls speaks to Isabel Hardman and James Forsyth.
Play 16 mins
Coffee House Shots
The ERG’s favoured candidate, Suella Braverman, dropped out of the Tory leadership race last night. This morning, ERG chair Mark Francois said that he wanted the 60-strong group to now back Liz Truss. Will they? And looking ahead to tonight’s Channel 4 debate, why does the format most benefit Kemi Badenoch? Cindy Yu speaks to
Play 10 mins
Coffee House Shots
The Tory briefing war continues to get underway, with David Frost launching a vicious broadside at Penny Mordaunt on talkRadio this morning. ‘She wasn’t fully accountable or visible. Sometimes I didn’t even know where she was’, Lord Frost said. On the episode, Cindy Yu talks to Isabel Hardman and James Forsyth about the latest round
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
The first ballot of the Tory leadership contest is now over, with Jeremy Hunt and Nadhim Zahawi knocked out as they weren’t able to meet the 30 votes required in this round (on 18 votes, Hunt actually lost two supporters from yesterday’s nomination round). The question of who their supporters fold in behind next is
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
Today all candidates need 30 nominations to make it through to the next round. One dark horse in the race is Penny Mordaunt who is seen as Labour’s greatest threat. This morning she held her official campaign launch in at Westminster’s Cinnamon Club – promising to ‘fix a broken Whitehall’. But will she be able
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
Appropriately matched to the summer heatwave, the Tory leadership contest is hotting up. Whilst Grant Shapps has pulled out and decided to back Rishi Sunak, candidates must secure nominations from at least 20 MPs by this evening to enter the contest. Who will go through to the next round? And are they ready to be
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
Liz Truss has today announced her candidacy for the Tory leadership. With Kemi Badenoch and Suella Braverman already looking to win votes from MPs on the right of the Conservative party, and with Jacob Rees-Mogg and Priti Patel also considering a run for the top job, who will become the candidate of the Tory right?
Play 16 mins
Coffee House Shots
James Forsyth speaks to Fraser Nelson and Katy Balls about what Boris Johnson has achieved and if he will leave a significant imprint as a result of his time in office.
Play 17 mins
Coffee House Shots
The Tory leadership race has begun. Some candidates, like Steve Baker and Suella Braverman, have already declared that they will be running. Others, like Nadhim Zahawi, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, are expected to announce their candidacy in the coming days. What are their platforms? How many MPs will hopefuls need to have supporting them
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
After fighting words briefed out to the papers overnight, this morning, the Prime Minister has finally decided to resign. A statement is expected today. On the episode, Katy Balls discusses with Isabel Hardman and Fraser Nelson whether he should have gone sooner (and the implications for the post-politics speaking circuit) and the leadership race that
Play 15 mins
Coffee House Shots
Despite mass resignations and calls from newly appointed ministers to resign, Boris has dug his heels in and refused to leave. What will be his next moves? And are the rumours of a snap general election really on the cards? Isabel Hardman speaks to James Forsyth.
Play 8 mins
Coffee House Shots
As several cabinet ministers have resigned, is it hours, days, weeks or months before Boris Johnson is kicked out? James Forsyth joins Katy Balls from the roof of Parliament.
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid have resigned from government. In letters to the Prime Minister this evening, Sunak said the government ‘cannot continue like this’, while Javid told the PM that ‘the situation will not change under your leadership.’ Will more ministers now resign? And is this the end of Boris Johnson’s premiership? Isabel Hardman
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
Boris Johnson was briefed ‘in person’ on a formal Whitehall complaint into Chris Pincher, a former Foreign Office official said today, despite No. 10 saying yesterday that the Prime Minister was unaware of specific allegations against the MP. With the government having to explain itself once again, how much more will Tory MPs take? Max
Play 10 mins
Coffee House Shots
Boris Johnson knew of media reports about Chris Pincher’s conduct when he invited him to join the government, it emerged today. How serious a crisis is this for the government? And as the Prime Minister today returned from three international summits, was he able to put his domestic problems behind him in the Commons? Katy
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
Isabel Hardman speaks to James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson about Nicola Sturgeon’s latest plans to hold a referendum on Scottish independence on 19th October 2023, and whether they will even get off the ground.
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
Last night Chris Pincher resigned from his role in the government – after ‘drinking far too much’ and ’embarrassing himself’. Witnesses reportedly saw the deputy chief whip ‘groping’ men at the Carlton Club in London. Also on the podcast, today is the 25th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong to China. Can the government
Play 15 mins
Coffee House Shots
After an eight-day world tour, Boris Johnson is back on British soil to face Tory MPs for the first time since the two by-election defeats. Meanwhile, the privileges committee begins with Harriet Harman as its chair. Critics have suggested this inquiry into whether the Prime Minister misled parliament over partygate risks becoming a ‘kangaroo court’.
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
The campaign for a second independence referendum is well and truly on, as Nicola Sturgeon tours the airwaves this week. But can the SNP will Indyref2 into existence, given Boris Johnson is very unlikely to allow it? Natasha Feroze speaks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth on the podcast, in which James suggests that, perhaps,
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill passed its second reading last night with a majority of 74 votes. A number of Tory rebels voiced their opposition to the bill including former Prime Minister, Theresa May, Simon Hoare and Andrew Mitchell. However, despite vocal opposition, not one Tory MP voted against the bill – opting to abstain
Play 10 mins