Was Lord Wolfson right?
26 min listen
Natasha Feroze hosts as Fraser Nelson and Kate Andrews debate Lord Wolfson’s recent BBC interview in which he called for the UK to import more low skilled workers in order to fill the country’s job vacancies.
Fraser Nelson
Fraser Nelson is a Times columnist and a former editor of The Spectator.
Saturday
Monday
Bright green: the case for eco-optimism
Of all the world leaders at the Cop27 summit today, I suspect Rishi Sunak will be one of the least comfortable with the whole jamboree. How can he justify a £50 billion-a-year net zero programme without anyone having worked out what difference, if any, the proposed extra taxes and regulations would make? How can a
Friday
Is now the time to make peace in Ukraine?
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, British press and public opinion has been firmly behind Volodymyr Zelensky. But is it healthy to look at any subject so uncritically? If a year or more of fighting will achieve nothing, then why prolong the bloodshed? The How To Academy has just held a debate about this
Why have the RMT cancelled the strikes?
14 min listen
Today the planned rail strikes have been cancelled at the 11th hour. Is this an indication that a deal may be soon reached to end the months of disruption? Also on the podcast, after it was announced that Arts Council England would cut its funding, it looks like the English National Opera will be forced
Thursday
Are we heading for a recession?
11 min listen
Alongside an interest rate hike of 3 per cent, the Bank of England have today warned the economy will ‘be in recession for a long period’. How much of the blame can we place on Truss’s economic policy? What will this recession look like? Also on the podcast, Rishi Sunak plans to remove the ‘legal
Sunak drops ‘legal but harmful’ censorship clause
For some time now, The Spectator has been highlighting the danger posed by the so-called Online Safety Bill which would order social media firms to censor content regarded as ‘legal but harmful’. This was, in effect, a censorship diktat. Rather than have Orwellian figures employed by the government to censor articles, the Online Safety Bill
Wednesday
Why is Rishi now going to Cop?
13 min listen
Rishi Sunak has said that he will now attend the Cop 27 summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, which begins on Sunday. What’s behind the U-turn, and should we expect more policy reversals from the new PM? Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth. Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Max Jeffery.
Robert Buckland: ‘Let asylum seekers work – and pay tax’
When the small boats crisis began, it was seen by some in government as a positive sign. ‘It was an emblem of success,’ says Robert Buckland, who was solicitor general at the time. ‘If you remember, the previous mode of entry for migrants was on lorries.’ Heat scanners had been introduced at the Channel Tunnel
Tuesday
What's Matt Hancock up to?
17 min listen
Matt Hancock has signed up to be a contestant on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! What’s behind the former health secretary’s move into reality television? Robert Jenrick, the immigration minister, took to television studios this morning to defend how the government has handled overcrowding at the Manston processing centre for asylum seekers. Is there
Could Robert Jenrick end up replacing Suella Braverman?
Why did Rishi Sunak reappoint Suella Braverman? Her decision to back him rather than Boris Johnson was probably the most decisive endorsement of the recent campaign – this might well have been done with the understanding that she’d be Home Secretary. If so, it would have been an understandable trade. She had been a Johnson
Monday
How much trouble is Suella in?
14 min listen
Suella Braverman is under attack for sharing confidential documents with other members of parliament, and has admitted to sending official documents to her personal email on six occasions. Could she be forced out, again? Also on the podcast, as Rishi Sunak faces pressure on the small boats crisis as well as his decision not to
Monday
Ready for Rishi?
12 min listen
After Boris pulled out of the leadership race last night, all eyes are on Rishi Sunak who could be Prime Minister by lunchtime. Can Rishi rescue the Conservatives? Kate Andrews speaks to Katy Balls, James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson. Produced by Natasha Feroze.
Six reasons to be optimistic about a Rishi Sunak premiership
For the last few days and weeks, the political news from Britain has been unremittingly grim. But Rishi Sunak in No10 represents a new start – but before he starts, it is worth considering the case for optimism for his premiership. Here goes:- At a time when market-literacy is at a premium, we’ll have the
The gig economy – how far have we come?
32 min listen
When Uber arrived in Britain ten years ago, the app transformed the way people move around cities. All of a sudden, at the click of a button, city dwellers could order a car for a competitive price which would arrive within minutes.To some policymakers, this hailed a new way of working and putting consumers first.
Sunday
Might Tory MPs refuse to recognise Boris Johnson as PM?
Might Tory MPs refuse to recognisee Boris Johnson as leader if party members choose him? George Osborne raises the prospect on the Andrew Neil Show today saying: I think there’s a real chance the Tory parliamentary party says ‘we don’t accept the result of the members’ ballot. We don’t accept that 200 of us are
Will there be a new PM by tomorrow?
14 min listen
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.
Does Boris really deserve a second chance?
The original fans of Boris Johnson feel a special kind of disappointment about his disastrous premiership. He’s the best campaigner of his generation, he governed London well, his superpower is to find and devolve to brilliant people who can implement a vision of liberal conservatism that he articulated over a 20-year career. Judge him, we’d
Friday
Penny reign: how Mordaunt could be kingmaker
Tory MPs will likely have three candidates to vote for in Monday’s leadership race: Boris Johnson, Penny Mordaunt and Rishi Sunak. If Johnson runs, gets to the final two and it goes to the Tory membership, then he’s probably be back in No. 10 within days. Polls of Tory members put Boris ahead by a
Thursday
Why Liz Truss had to go
The Liz Truss survival plan was, in the end, unworkable. She not only hired her enemies – Grant Shapps and Jeremy Hunt – but let them govern: tearing up her policies, while she held on in No. 10. She thought the Tory right had no candidate to replace her with and the Tory left would be happy
Wednesday
Coffee House Shots Live: Another winter of discontent?
75 min listen
Fraser Nelson, James Forsyth, Katy Balls and Kate Andrews discuss plans to stop spiralling inflation – and a spiralling government.
