Fraser Nelson is a Times columnist and a former editor of The Spectator.
From our UK edition
23 min listen
Fraser Nelson speaks to Katy Balls and Stephen Bush from the Financial Times about the two party leaders as Britain starts to think about the next year's general election. As Labour's lead in the polls narrows, is their campaigning strategy working? And how is a fractious Conservative party responding to having Rishi Sunak as their leader? Produced by Natasha Feroze.
From our UK edition
18 min listen
On the day that junior doctors begin a four-day strike over pay and working conditions, Lucy Dunn, The Spectator's social media editor and qualified doctor speaks to Kate Andrews and Fraser Nelson. Will public support for the strikes turn if patient safety is put at risk? Also on the podcast, Kate takes a look at the latest IMF forecast for the UK.
From our UK edition
10 min listen
Today Keir Starmer has doubled down on Labour Party adverts attacking the Conservative's record on crime, and which seemingly accuse Rishi Sunak of not caring about child sex abuse. But is everyone in the party willing to play hardball? Or have the adverts highlighted divisions between senior Labour MPs? Also on the podcast, after Peter Murrell was arrested in connection with an investigation into the SNP's finances, why has a luxury motorhome now been seized by police? James Heale speaks to Fraser Nelson and Michael Simmons. Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
From our UK edition
The BBC has today been using its various news platforms to protest against being described as ‘government funded’ by Twitter. It has instructed Twitter to remove this insult ‘as soon as possible’ and its journalistic contacts have found a direct link to Elon Musk himself who, we are told, is a ‘fan’ of the BBC. So perhaps a quiet word with the right person in power can overcome this little hiccup. Radio Four even had a ‘debate’ which just featured one interviewee: Mary Hockaday, a former BBC executive. ‘As a BBC journalist, I care about accuracy,’ she said, ‘the simple fact is that to describe on Twitter the BBC as “state-funded” or “government controlled” is simply inaccurate... Much, much better to describe the BBC as it is which is publicly-funded’.
From our UK edition
If Keir Starmer wins the next general election, today’s interview by Douglas Ross will be seen as a point in that victory. To have the Scottish Tory leader suggest that Scots vote, not for his party, but for Labour in seats where Team Starmer is the strongest opponent to the SNP, is quite remarkable – and a signal that the SNP is not the only party in Scotland with serious leadership issues. 'I will always encourage Scottish Conservative voters to vote Scottish Conservative,' he has told the Sunday Telegraph. But when it comes to creating more of these Scottish Tory voters 'I think generally the public can see, and they want the parties to accept, that where there is the strongest candidate to beat the SNP, you get behind that candidate.' This is no slip of the tongue.
From our UK edition
16 min listen
Nicola Sturgeon's husband, Peter Murrell, has been arrested today in connection with an investigation into the SNP’s finances. James Heale talks to Fraser Nelson and Conservative Home editor Paul Goodman on the episode. They also discuss Trump's arrest and ask whether Suella Braverman might need a new seat. Produced by Cindy Yu.
From our UK edition
2024 scheme is now live, click here The Spectator’s no-CV internship scheme is now open. We don’t care how old you are, where (or even if) you went to university, whether you’re a refugee or a baronet. All that matters in journalism is whether you can do it: do you have good, original ideas, and care about good writing? We have doubled our circulation in a market that has fallen by two-thirds because we believe that nothing matters more than the quality of the people we hire. We’re mindful that good people come in all shapes, sizes and locations, which is why we put a lot of effort into finding the very best staff. A dozen internship offers go to the people with the highest average scores on the anonymised applications.
From our UK edition
16 min listen
Nigel Lawson, former chancellor and Spectator editor, passed away yesterday aged 91. How did he affect conservative economic thinking? And have the lessons from his time in the Treasury been properly learnt? James Heale speaks to Fraser Nelson and Lucy Fisher. Produced by Max Jeffery.
From our UK edition
14 min listen
Channel crossings were down 17 per cent in the first three months of 2023, compared with 2022. Why? And a new poll of Tory members from Conservative Home shows Rishi Sunak jump from being the sixth least popular member of the cabinet in November, to being the sixth most popular member member today. Does it matter? Max Jeffery speaks to Fraser Nelson and Katy Balls. Produced by Max Jeffery.
From our UK edition
11 min listen
Kate Forbes has quit the government after turning down an offer to be rural affairs minister in Humza Yousaf's cabinet. With some suggesting the new First Minister of Scotland should keep his friends close as his enemies closer – was this offer wise? Also on the podcast, James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Fraser Nelson about asylum hotels, a topic that is becoming increasingly contentious as the government explores new ways to house migrants.
From our UK edition
11 min listen
Humza Yousaf has been announced as the new leader of the SNP after a narrow victory over second placed Kate Forbes. What will this mean for the cause of Scottish independence? Katy Balls speaks to Michael Simmons, Stephen Daisley and Fraser Nelson. Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
From our UK edition
16 min listen
This morning Buckingham Palace has announced that King Charles's State visit to France has been cancelled as the country struggles with nationwide strikes against the government's pension reform. The King was due to visit Paris and Bordeaux, two of the cities which have been hit by the most extreme violence. Will his trip to Germany go ahead as planned? Also on the podcast, Rishi Sunak has been buoyed by a successful week in which he pulled off his Brexit plan. Will he be able to weather the storm next week when small boats are back on the agenda? Is there a world in which Sunak could pull off an election victory? James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Fraser Nelson. Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
From our UK edition
20 min listen
Boris Johnson sat through a grueling four-hour hearing into whether the former Prime Minister deliberately misled parliament. Katy Balls and Fraser Nelson take a look at the key moments of the meeting; and whether Rishi Sunak should be worried about the Brexit vote rebels.
From our UK edition
18 min listen
Boris Johnson has today made his defence of partygate, before he is questioned by the Privileges Committee tomorrow. He accepts that he misled the House of Commons, but insists he made his statements ‘in good faith’ and that he ‘would never have dreamed’ of doing so intentionally. But who's going to support him now? Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and Paul Goodman.
From our UK edition
No victory is ever final in politics – and the wrecking-ball of lockdowns now seems to have destroyed almost every success of the 2012-20 welfare reforms. The workless numbers are again as bad as they they were under Labour. People who stopped working during lockdowns never quite got back into it and the UK has done a worse job than almost any other country at rebuilding its post-pandemic workforce. In 2009 I was filling Coffee House with attacks on the Labour government for keeping so many on benefits. And the story now? See below. Remember, this joblessness is not induced by recession and layoffs but incubated by welfare to produce mass worklessness amidst something approaching a crisis in lack of workers. And this in spite of record immigration. So what’s going on?
From our UK edition
12 min listen
The SNP has confirmed that its membership has fallen to 72,000 – a loss of over 30,000 since 2021. This has prompted an open letter from leadership candidates Kate Forbes and Ash Regan, calling for transparency when it comes to membership numbers. Why are so many leaving? Also on the podcast, Humza Yousaf has committed yet another public gaffe when he went to visit a group of female Ukrainian refugees. Is he still the firm favourite? Katy Balls speaks to Michael Simmons, Lucy Dunn and Fraser Nelson. Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
From our UK edition
11 min listen
A look ahead to next week where MPs will vote on parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol. What would a win look like for the government? The vote has been conveniently placed on the same day Boris Johnson is already in parliament for the privileges committee hearing. The lone rebel of the protocol will have to put his money where his mouth is – which way will he vote? Natasha Feroze speaks to Fraser Nelson and Katy Balls.
From our UK edition
15 min listen
Jeremy Hunt, the Chancellor has unveiled his spring Budget, which was accompanied by forecasts predicting that the UK will avoid recession this year and that inflation will drop to below 3 per cent by the end of the year. But do the measures go far enough? Katy Balls speaks to Kate Andrews and Fraser Nelson.
From our UK edition
In his Budget speech, Jeremy Hunt made a great play on how Conservatives value work. Tories love talking about this but in fact they have just presided over a catastrophic increase in benefits. Before the pandemic there were 4.2 million on benefits: at the last count, 5.2 million. Given the mass worker shortage, this is quite a scandal. So what is being done to change this? Hunt referred to tighter conditions in welfare conditionality, but the OBR don’t seem to think it will move the dial, with just 10,000 moving back to work.
From our UK edition
12 min listen
Boris Johnson is reportedly cutting the number of names on his honours list from 100 to 60 (still much higher than the average honours list for former prime ministers). This is a Tory sleaze scandal in the making, so should Rishi Sunak think about blocking it? Or could the reminder of Johnson's flaws actually help the Sunak premiership? James Heale discusses with Katy Balls and Fraser Nelson. Produced by Cindy Yu and Kevin Swartwood.
