Could Boris win another election?
From our UK edition
10 min listen
Katy Balls, James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman delve into the 2022 local election results and discuss how the Conservatives will adapt their strategy to remain in power.
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.
Saturday
Friday
Can the Lib Dem’s declare victory?
From our UK edition
14 min listen
We’ve had more election results in and it looks like the Lib Dems will be celebrating tonight, encroaching on many Tory seats around the country. But is this Liberal passion from voters or disaffection with the two major parties? Katy Balls talks with James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman about all the latest results.
Who are the ‘winners’ in the local elections?
From our UK edition
13 min listen
The results are coming in! While the Tories seem to have done quite badly in the capital, Labour has not made the gains in the rest of the country that many predicted they would. The Lib Dems and the Greens have had a good showing so far but we won’t know just how good until
Wednesday
Could Labour overtake the Tories in Scotland?
From our UK edition
9 min listen
A new poll from ComRes has shown Scottish Labour taking second place in tomorrow’s local elections, overtaking the Scottish Conservatives. On the podcast, James Forsyth explains the torrid flip-flop that Douglas Ross, leader of the Scottish Tories, has made over partygate, first calling for Boris Johnson to resign before rowing back (‘He thought that the
Tuesday
What does victory look like in the local elections?
From our UK edition
13 min listen
Campaigning in the local elections is entering its final few days. But what are the expectations for the Tories and Labour and can they be met? Both leaders Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer have already put their foot in it to some degree, with the Labour leader getting rather too defensive about his lockdown mid-work
Friday
Neil Parish investigated over Commons porn claims
From our UK edition
Neil Parish has now been suspended from the Conservative whip after referring himself to Parliament’s complaints process following allegations he watched pornography in the Commons chamber. The Tiverton and Honiton MP spoke to the chief whip today and had the whip removed pending the outcome of the investigation. Two female Conservative MPs alleged earlier this
Thursday
Is Pestminster back?
From our UK edition
17 min listen
This has been a bad week for the reputation of the House of Commons. From inappropriate comments toward female MPs, three cabinet ministers facing sexual misconduct claims and one MP accused of watching pornography in the chamber. Can anything be done to change this grotesque culture? And is it Westminster specific or an issue with
Wednesday
PMQs: The return of Pestminster?
From our UK edition
Prime Minister’s Questions opened with Sir Keir Starmer and Boris Johnson agreeing that the anonymous briefing about Angela Rayner was unacceptable. The Labour leader speculated that Johnson would have ‘whipped his backbenchers to scream and shout – and that’s fine’, before demanding that he send a ‘clear message that there’s no place for sexism or
The dark side of the ‘protect the NHS’ slogan
From our UK edition
The High Court’s ruling today that the government broke the law on the discharge of patients to care homes in the early days of the pandemic further undermines the claim by the then Health Secretary Matt Hancock that ministers had thrown a ‘protective ring’ around the sector. The case was brought by two relatives, Cathy
Tuesday
Can the Cabinet really solve the ‘cost of living’ crisis?
From our UK edition
13 min listen
Today a pre-briefing on what Boris Johnson plans to say to the Cabinet about the cost of living crisis was released. He wants them to brainstorm ideas to ease the pain felt by the British public in the face of rising prices of food and energy. The catch, is these have to be non-fiscal ways.
Monday
What does Macron’s victory mean for Anglo-French relations?
From our UK edition
12 min listen
French President, Emmanuel Macron secured victory over the weekend. But with the election over, will we see a reset in relations between the UK and France? Apart from support for Ukraine, there has been little the governments on either side of the Channel have agreed on. Katy Balls is joined by Isabel Hardman and James
Thursday
The new inquiry proves partygate isn’t going away
From our UK edition
The Commons has approved – without a vote – a motion calling for Boris Johnson to face an investigation into whether he misled the House over partygate. Labour’s motion, supported by other opposition parties, means the Privileges Committee will start an inquiry after the Metropolitan Police’s work on the lockdown parties has concluded. There was
Boris Johnson U-turns on partygate vote
From our UK edition
MPs are now likely to pass the motion referring Boris Johnson to a privileges committee inquiry into whether he misled parliament after the government dropped its opposition. Now, Conservative MPs have a free vote and are on a one-line whip, with their party whips instructing them that the Prime Minister is ‘happy for the Commons
Wednesday
PMQs: Starmer’s attacks are working
From our UK edition
Prime Minister’s Questions took a rather bizarre twist this afternoon when the Labour leader ended up demanding Boris Johnson apologise to the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Prime Minister reportedly complained to Tory MPs last night about Justin Welby’s criticism of the government’s Rwanda asylum policy. Sources at the meeting said Johnson had claimed Welby was ‘less vociferous’ about
Tuesday
Boris says sorry. Is it enough?
From our UK edition
13 min listen
Boris Johnson faced MPs today for the first time since he was issued a fine for breaking lockdown rules. He apologised in the Commons, but maintained that he did not know he was breaking any rules at the time. Is that enough? Katy Balls speaks to Isabel Hardman and James Forsyth.
Johnson’s partygate apology ploy
From our UK edition
Boris Johnson bundled his Commons apology for breaking Covid laws together with an update on Ukraine because he wanted to try to draw a line under the matter. He spent a couple of minutes reiterating his apology that he’d already given in response to his fixed penalty notice, before performing a handbrake turn and saying:
What’s the real point of Priti Patel’s Rwanda migrant plan?
From our UK edition
Why is Priti Patel trying to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda? Is it to stop so many of them drowning in the Channel after their people smugglers’ inflatable boats have sunk? Is it to help develop the Rwandan economy? Or is this purely a political move? The Home Secretary naturally claimed the first two
MPs set for partygate vote
From our UK edition
The Speaker Lindsay Hoyle has just confirmed that MPs will be able to debate a motion on whether Boris Johnson misled parliament over whether Covid laws were broken in Downing Street. Lindsay Hoyle said that Keir Starmer will be able to table the motion for debate on Thursday, but it is not clear yet what that
Friday
What is the secret to Boris Johnson’s political survival?
From our UK edition
13 min listen
Cindy Yu, Isabel Hardman and Katy Balls discuss the Prime Minister’s remarkable ability to keep his head above the surface of even the choppiest waters.
Thursday
Is the government’s Rwandan immigration plan viable?
From our UK edition
12 min listen
This week the government has announced a pilot scheme meant to address the increasing number of asylum seekers dangerously crossing the English Channel. While some have criticised this plan as expensive and immoral it could prove to be popular among large swathes of Conservative voters. Cindy Yu talks with Isabel Hardman and Katy Balls about
