Isabel Hardman

Isabel Hardman

Isabel Hardman is assistant editor of The Spectator and author of Why We Get the Wrong Politicians. She also presents Radio 4’s Week in Westminster.

Burnham and Benn take Shadow Cabinet jobs

In the past few minutes, more details of Jeremy Corbyn’s Shadow Cabinet team have been announced. Andy Burnham is the new Shadow Home Secretary, and is replaced by Heidi Alexander in the Shadow Health Secretary. This is intriguing, as Burnham has quite different views on immigration to Corbyn. Hilary Benn is the Shadow Foreign Secretary:

How big will Jeremy Corbyn’s frontbench be?

It was always obvious from the moment he won that Jeremy Corbyn’s frontbench team would look very different to the one that Labour had last week. What’s more surprising than those stepping back from the Shadow Cabinet, including Chuka Umunna, is who from a different wing of the party to Corbyn agrees to take a

Labour leadership results due shortly

We will get the Labour leadership result rather shortly. The candidates know already and their teams have gone into lockdown with their phones confiscated.I am hearing that Jeremy Corbyn has won and there is a strong chance he has won on the first round, which would be extraordinary and reinforce his mandate as he tries

The best arguments from the assisted dying debate

The debate currently taking place on the second reading of the Assisted Dying Bill in the Commons is one of the best ones MPs have conducted in recent times. It is full of vehement, passionate disagreement. But it is also well-informed, not absurdly tribal or rowdy, and a debate that focuses on scrutinising the legislation

How Jeremy Corbyn and Sadiq Khan work together

So, Sadiq Khan will be Labour’s London Mayoral candidate, while Jeremy Corbyn looks likely to become Labour’s leader tomorrow. The two have worked together during their campaigns, with their staff consulting closely on tactics. But they’ve also worked together in the past. In Emma Crewe’s book, The House of Commons: An Anthropology of MPs at Work,

Cabinet Ministers happy to stay quiet on Europe

The next project for eurosceptic Tory MPs is to get a free vote for government ministers on the EU referendum. They want David Cameron to tell his frontbenchers whether or not they can campaign for a different stance to the one he’ll take (even if he wants to give the impression he might advocate leaving or

Adoption begins at home

Would you open your home to a migrant child? If the reaction to the drowning of three-year-old Alan Kurdi is anything to go by, thousands of families across Britain are ready to welcome Syrian refugee children — including an impressive number of politicians. Bob Geldof has offered space for three families in one of his

Owen Paterson to write policies for Tory leadership hopeful

It’s official: the Tory leadership contest is well and truly underway. No matter that everyone’s interested in the Labour result this weekend and no matter that David Cameron hasn’t even set a date for his departure. This evening, at a drinks reception in a parliamentary lair, Owen Paterson announced that he would be drawing up

Government will not deny ‘kill list’ of Isis targets

Does the government hold a ‘kill list’ of terrorists fighting for the so-called Islamic State who can be taken out at a moment’s notice? Michael Fallon certainly seemed to suggest so this morning on Radio 4, saying the government ‘would not hesitate’ to launch further attacks on those who posed a threat to this country.

Government defeated in the Commons on purdah

So as predicted on Coffee House earlier, Tory rebels and the Labour frontbench did manage to conspire together this evening to defeat the government on purdah. The Commons voted against amendment 53 to the EU Referendum Bill 285 ayes to 312 noes, and then did not oppose Labour’s amendment 4, which means that a ‘full fat’

Labour to push ahead with purdah rebellion

Labour still plans to defeat the government on a key aspect of the purdah row in the EU Referendum Bill, in spite of an attempt by ministers to compromise on the legislation. Labour will support ministers’ proposals to introduce exemptions to purdah in new clause 10, but will also support the rebel amendment tabled by Bernard

Exclusive: Tory rebels to block snap EU referendum

Tory rebels are now confident they will win a vote in the Commons this afternoon which will block the government from holding a snap referendum vote without much notice. Coffee House understands that Bernard Jenkin has tabled what is known as a ‘manuscript amendment’ – one made on the day of the debate rather than

Government risks defeat on EU referendum purdah

Tory MPs are expecting a serious rebellion on the European Union referendum bill which could, depending on Labour’s position, defeat the government. The eurosceptic case has been boosted this morning by the Electoral Commission deciding to support two rebel amendments on purdah. New Clause 5, tabled by Labour, and amendment 78, tabled by Sir Bill