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
Over the weekend most media tore into the Owen Paterson affair, with a lot of talk about MPs’ second jobs like those of Geoffrey Cox… ‘I think if you go down this route of essentially banning all these outside interests, we’re going to end up with far more people of inherited wealth in the House
Play 15 mins
Coffee House Shots
Fraser Nelson talks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman about how MPs should clean up their act in the wake of Parliament’s latest lobbying scandal.
Play 19 mins
Coffee House Shots
Owen Paterson has resigned as an MP after being embroiled in a lobbying row. Allies of the Prime Minister have blamed the Chief Whip, Mark Spencer, for the fiasco, while other Tory MPs are fuming at the Prime Minister’s miscalculation. How did Boris not realise the potential backlash? Katy Balls speaks to James Forsyth and
Play 15 mins
Coffee House Shots
The Owen Paterson story continues today with the government u-turning quicker than expected. This came after realising that allowing Tory MPs to mark their own homework by scrapping the standards committee might cause more outrage than they first thought. Leaving them now in a situation described by James Forsyth as, ‘an infinitely worse position for
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
The row over Owen Paterson has come to a head today as the amendment to lift his suspension – tabled by fellow Conservative MP Andrea Leadsom and backed by the government – has upset many sides. Labour and the SNP are going in hard on accusations of Tory sleaze, with a real possibility of this
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
With the fishing war between the UK and France not necessarily over but at least at a ceasefire, today’s Shots focuses on the Commons. Conservative MP Owen Paterson was found to have committed an ‘egregious’ breach of lobbying rules, but some in his party, including Jacob Rees-Mogg, have raised concerns about the investigation. On the
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
COP26 is officially underway with world leaders meeting this morning. But what can these presidents and prime ministers promise given their domestic political challenges and the seeming disinterest of other nations like China? Katy Balls is joined by Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth to discuss the opening of COP26 and the continuing rise in Anglo-French
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
Cindy Yu talks to James Forsyth and the Paris-based journalist John Lichfield about the nature of the dispute between France and the UK over fishing rights.
Play 16 mins
Coffee House Shots
The new year is fast approaching and if your resolution is to quit smoking, the taxpayer will now cover the cost for your new vape. Opinions differ on the podcast as to whether this is a good idea. Cindy Yu talks with Isabel Hardman and James Forsyth about this new scheme as well as looking
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
The Budget was revealed yesterday, but what do Rishi Sunak’s conservative colleagues make of it? To discuss this, another row with the French about fish, and the end of the Covid travel red list, Isabel Hardman is joined by James Forsyth and Katy Balls.
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
Rishi Sunak’s Budget, as much as it was trailed ahead of time, still had a couple of surprises – including a return of the 0.7 per cent aid budget and a cut to the universal credit taper rate. Katy Balls talks to James Forsyth and Kate Andrews about the high and lowlights from today’s Budget.
Play 21 mins
Coffee House Shots
Budget week rolls on. But today in the house the Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle voiced his displeasure at how much had been told to the press before tomorrow’s unveiling in the Commons. Katy Balls talks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman about this tension, the budget, and the sewage situation.
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
It’s Budget Week and Rishi Sunak has already telegraphed a lot of what we can expect from it, branding it as a good news affair including NHS spending and minimum wage reform…but who stands to feel the pinch? Katy Balls sits down with James Forsyth and Kate Andrews to discuss the Budget as well as
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
Katy Balls talks to Kate Andrews and James Forsyth about the prediction from the Bank of England’s chief economist that the UK’s inflation rate could hit 5%.
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
The Chancellor is making final preparations to his Budget, announced next Wednesday. On the podcast, Cindy Yu talks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls about the major themes coming up, and whether this is the moment when Rishi Sunak sees a turn in his popularity.
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
Compared to our extremely strong vaccine rollout, the booster numbers are not doing so well. But what is causing the slow take-up? Cindy Yu is joined by James Forsyth and Katy Balls to discuss this as well as the ever-rising covid figures, partisan mask wars, and a potential new trade deal with New Zealand.
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
There was a sombre tone as Boris Johnson faced Keir Starmer at the despatch box for PMQs. This was seen as one of the Labour leader’s most successful outings as he emphasised finding common ground on tackling certain issues like online abuse, extremism and terrorism Cindy Yu is joined by Katy Balls and James Forsyth
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
With COP26 fast approaching, the Heat and Buildings Strategy has been published today along with the Net Zero Strategy. But what do these papers mean for the environment, you, and your boiler? Isabel Hardman is joined by James Forsyth and Katy Balls to dissect these plans as well as looking at why the NHS is
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
Parliament meets today to pay tribute to David Amess MP who was stabbed to death at his constituency surgery last week. But what have we learnt about the suspect currently still in police custody? And going forward what can be done to keep our representatives safe? Katy Balls is joined by Isabel Hardman and James
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
As the temperature starts to fall, the question for the global economy is: how long will energy prices remain high? Industrial production has already started to feel the energy-related price pressures. Many more suppliers are unlikely to make it through the winter. But with the governement divided over bailing out businesses, who should be absorbing
Play 17 mins
Coffee House Shots
David Amess, the MP for Southend West, has died after being stabbed at his constituency surgery. Essex Police say that a 25-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Amess had been an MP since 1983, and represented Southend West since 1997. Fraser Nelson speaks James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman.
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
With the R-number being higher than 1.0 for some days now, could we be seeing some of the least invasive covid restrictions being put back into place as winter approaches? Isabel Hardman is joined by Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth to discuss the figures, as well as the continuing labour shortages.
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
GPs have been promised £250 million to improve their services, but only if they increase face-to-face appointments. The Health Secretary must meet the demands of patients that want more face-to-face meetings. But he got a hostile reaction from doctors after a difficult two years for the healthcare service. Meanwhile, the Brexit row is still bubbling
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
In an attempt to save the Northern Ireland Protocol, the EU has promised ‘very far reaching’ changes which are due to be revealed tomorrow. Dominic Cummings has also piled into the debate, suggesting that Boris ‘never had a scoobydoo what the deal he signed meant’. He also claimed that it was ‘always the plan’ to
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
Katy Balls and James Forsyth dissect the Covid report to see if anyone came out smelling like roses. They also look at the ongoing gas crisis and how the government is planning to proceed.
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
With the energy crisis showing no signs of improving, many industries warned over the weekend that they may have to shut down some manufacturing points due to the rising costs. This has lead to tensions between the Treasury and the Business Secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng about how to proceed. Isabel Hardman is joined by Katy Balls
Play 10 mins
Coffee House Shots
Katy Balls talks to James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson about the rise of ‘Trussmania’ that seemed to be sweeping the Conservative party conference in Manchester.
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
The former housing secretary, Robert Jenrick delivered a warning to his former colleagues in government yesterday that a failure to build new homes will cost the Conservatives down the line. Cindy Yu is joined by James Forsyth and Katy Balls to discuss this, as well as the update to Covid holiday restrictions and the sad
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
Although Boris won over the audience during his conference speech, the opinion polls might say otherwise. Starmer’s voice of reason could be starting to resonate with the public as the cost of living continues to rise. Underlying tensions with businesses are also still bubbling. Are they really to blame for labour shortages? And what now
Play 10 mins
Coffee House Shots
Marking the end of the conference, Boris Johnson gave what James Forsyth describes as ‘the most Boris speech possible’. The Prime Minister set out his ambition for ‘radical and optimistic conservativism’ and won over the crowd with his characteristic jokes. The Conservatives are in a strong position, but was the speech enough to retain support
Play 17 mins