James Heale

James Heale

James Heale is The Spectator’s deputy political editor.

Friday

James Heale

Will Starmer recognise a Palestinian state?

From our UK edition

Keir Starmer is facing mounting international and domestic pressure to formally recognise a Palestinian state. Dozens of MPs are expected to publish a cross-party letter this afternoon, urging Starmer to follow the lead of Emmanuel Macron. The French president last night declared that his country will formally recognise a Palestinian state when the UN General Assembly meets in New York this September. A report this morning by the Foreign Affairs Select Committee has also called for immediate recognition, a position that would put the UK at odds with the US. Labour’s manifesto contains a commitment to recognise a Palestinian sovereignty.

James Heale

The Tories face trouble in London

From our UK edition

Friday morning brings with it the usual raft of council by-election results. It has been another good night for Reform UK, who polled a very strong second in the centre of Cardiff, despite only running a limited campaign. But the most striking result was in Bromley, where Nigel Farage's party won their first London ward with 34 per cent of the vote. That is despite the Tories fielding a strong candidate and canvassing the area hard, with Kemi Badenoch out door-knocking on polling day. Reform ran a good campaign here, with their candidate Alan Cook, well-versed on the issues and the party's messaging. But the party believe that something more fundamental is going on than simply the electorate's disdain for the Tories.

Thursday

James Heale

Keir’s Indian Summer

From our UK edition

The UK has finally signed a free-trade deal with India after three-and-a-half years of negotiation. The agreement will open up trade for cars, whisky, clothing and food products, with ministers claiming it will boost the British economy by £4.8 billion. For Keir Starmer, it offers much-needed economic and political good news. For Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, it shows that the £3 trillion Indian economy is willing to shake off its protectionist tradition and open up to international investors. Lucy Dunn discusses with James Heale and Michael Simmons.

James Heale

The UK and India sign their trade deal – at last

From our UK edition

The UK has finally signed a free-trade deal with India after three-and-a-half years of negotiation. The agreement will open up trade for cars, whisky, clothing and food products, with ministers claiming it will boost the British economy by £4.8 billion. For Keir Starmer, it offers much-needed economic and political good news. For Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, it shows that the £3 trillion Indian economy is willing to shake off its protectionist tradition and open up to international investors. The trade deal is an all-too-rare example of Labour getting things right in opposition The trade deal is an all-too-rare example of Labour getting things right in opposition. Jonathan Reynolds, the Trade Secretary, met with his Indian counterpart, Piyush Goyal, in February last year.

Tuesday

James Heale

The real shock of the Tory reshuffle

From our UK edition

Kemi Badenoch has saved the biggest news of the Tory reshuffle for last. This morning, the headlines were dominated by news of James Cleverly’s return. But this evening, the only story causing shockwaves is Lee Rowley’s departure as Badenoch’s chief of staff. His importance to the Kemi project cannot be overstated. The pair entered parliament together in 2017 and spent countless hours debating the future of the Tory party. After Rowley lost his seat in July 2024, Badenoch appointed him as her most senior adviser. ‘It’s like having another me out there’, she said of Rowley in an interview with this publication in December. ‘He is pretty much my closest friend in politics.

James Heale

Farage unveils first defection in Wales

From our UK edition

This afternoon, Nigel Farage unveiled his party’s first defector in the Welsh parliament. Laura Anne Jones was first elected to the Senedd in 2003 and has been a card-carrying Conservative for more than 30 years. But today she has crossed the floor, citing the dire state of the country and the urgent need for change. This has been a defection long in the making. A number of senior former Welsh Tories now work for Farage’s party; conversations have been going on for months about potential defectors. Polls suggest that Reform is on course to win around 30 of the 96 seats in next year’s elections for Cardiff Bay. After a string of Conservative councillors and party members switching parties, it was always a matter of when, rather than if, a sitting MS would defect.

James Heale

James Cleverly returns to Tory frontbench in shadow cabinet reshuffle

From our UK edition

Former home secretary James Cleverly is expected to make a return to the Tory frontbench as Kemi Badenoch reshuffles her shadow cabinet. Cleverly has been content sitting on the backbenches since losing the leadership race in November, but with the Tories’ poll rating dropping to 17 per cent, the Braintree MP is returning to the fray. Badenoch is using Argar's departure as the chance to make what she calls ‘a few changes to my frontbench’ The full list of changes will be announced this afternoon, with Kevin Hollinrake likely to move from shadow levelling up secretary to party chairman. The 61-year-old Yorkshireman has proven his worth in recent months on the morning media rounds.

Monday

James Heale

The Liaison Committee summed up Starmer’s woes

From our UK edition

If you want a sign of how badly things have gone wrong for this government, compare Keir Starmer's third Liaison Committee grilling with his first. Back in December, it was all stonewalling and smiles, as the Prime Minister gently dead-batted questions in front of a (largely) sympathetic crowd. Seven months on, the audience remains the same: 18 of the 26 select committees in the Commons are chaired by Labour MPs. But now the tone has hardened considerably. Today's session focused on poverty and international affairs. Normally, these might be regarded as areas in which a redistributive social democrat premier would excel. But after the benefits U-turn a fortnight ago, Starmer found himself subjected to some hostile grilling.

James Heale

Reform turns tough on crime

From our UK edition

11 min listen

Nigel Farage has unveiled the party's policy proposals for tackling crime should they get into government. The Reform leader said that his entire policy platform would cost £17.4 billion, and suggested that a Reform government would introduce a 'three strikes' system for repeat serious offenders. Lucy Dunn speaks to James Heale and Tim Shipman about the policy pledges, how the Tories should respond and what Britain can do about its failing water industry.

Sunday

James Heale

Inside the Lords battle on foreign media ownership

From our UK edition

After a two-year impasse, the future of the Daily Telegraph could be resolved shortly. A £500m deal has been struck for US firm Redbird Capital to take control of the Telegraph Media Group, with state-backed Abu Dhabi investment vehicle IMI among investors. But a fresh challenge has arisen in the House of Lords. Peers are threatening to block minister's efforts to change the law to give foreign companies a greater stake in British media outfits – up from the existing five per cent to 15 cent. This is a necessary legal change to allow the Telegraph sale to go ahead. A 'fatal motion' will be held in the Lords on Tuesday; if passed, it would kill the government's plans. It is a device seldom wielded by peers, having been last used in 2012.

Thursday

James Heale

Confessions of a new intake Labour MP: ‘We’re not here to make friends’

From our UK edition

16 min listen

Keir Starmer has struck again. Compounding his reputation as a ruthless operator – like Michael Corleone – he is settling all family business by removing the whip from a number of troublemaking MPs, including Neil Duncan Jordan, Chris Hinchcliff, Brian Leishman and Rachel Maskell. This comes after each led respective revolts on winter fuel, planning reform, Grangemouth and the welfare changes. Rosena Allin-Khan, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Mohammed Yasin have all lost their trade envoy roles too. Many of the MPs who have been cast adrift are from the new intake, and so today we are joined on the podcast by Mike Tapp, MP for Dover and Deal, to give his reflections on a year in office.

James Heale

Burghart: It’s the economy, stupid

From our UK edition

Most elections are fought and won on the economy. So it is no surprise that the Tory leadership have identified this as the strongest issue on which to attack Keir Starmer. At the 1922 committee last night, Kemi Badenoch told her troops that the economy would be the 'number one issue' going forward. Alex Burghart, her policy chief, did the same this morning at the Onward think tank, in a thoughtful speech reflecting on the first year of this government. Burghart's speech stressed three main points. The first, the primacy of economic policy in political debate, as the contractions under Labour become increasingly evident. The second, the underpriced possibility of widespread civil unrest summer.

Wednesday

James Heale

Tories end their term on a high

From our UK edition

Labour woes mean Tory smiles. The Conservatives have ended the parliamentary session on a (reasonable) high, after last week's benefits debacle. At the shadow cabinet yesterday, frontbenchers were treated to a presentation by Mark McInnes, the new chief executive, and Paul Bristow – the only real success story from May's local elections. This evening, it was the turn of Kemi Badenoch to address the 1922 Committee for their final meeting before the summer recess. Badenoch's speech was an upbeat affair. She pointed to the U-turns secured on welfare, grooming gangs and winter fuel. Progress was highlighted in a number of key areas, after the shambles of the last election. Following the betting scandal, the Tories have now rebuilt their candidates' team.

James Heale

Starmer takes Labour whip off rebels

From our UK edition

After a week of brooding, Keir Starmer has decided to strike. Like Michael Corleone, today he is settling all family business. A series of Labour recalcitrants have been summoned to the Whips' Office this afternoon. So far four MPs – Neil Duncan Jordan, Chris Hinchcliff, Brian Leishman and Rachel Maskell – have lost the whip. All have reputations of being 'troublemakers', having led respective revolts on winter fuel, planning reform, Grangemouth and the welfare changes. Rosena Allin Khan, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Mohammed Yasin have all lost their trade envoy roles too. What is behind today's bolt from the blue? Among Labour MPs, there is some surprise at the timing of the purge. 'Why now?' was one veteran's snap reaction, pointing to the fact that a six week recess begins on Monday.

James Heale

Reform will exploit the Afghan scandal to the full

From our UK edition

The Afghan data leak is the kind of scandal which is perfect for Reform UK. It involves gross incompetence, profligacy and the complicity of both major parties. The Tories took the decision to allow thousands of Afghans into the country secretly; Labour continued the super-injunction which stopped that fact from being reported. Both Nigel Farage and Zia Yusuf are now gleefully savaging the last Tory government for decisions taken in late 2023. Two ministers in that Home Office at that time were Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick. She left the Home Office on 13 November; he followed on 6 December. Allies of both say that official records will show that the pair opposed the scale and premise of the Ministry of Defence plan.

James Heale

Mel Stride: ‘what I would do differently’

From our UK edition

12 min listen

Last night, Rachel Reeves was the headline act at the Mansion House dinner. In her speech, she made the case that ‘Britain is open for business’ and that we must ‘stay competitive in the global economy’. Critics would say it is hard to claim to be open for business while having also overseen a £25 billion national insurance tax raid that is now known to be costing thousands of jobs. She began by stressing that, despite what recent reporting might suggest, she is ‘okay’ – the economic indicators, however, suggest that the economy is far from okay. Just this morning, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that inflation hit 3.6 per cent in the year to June – well above the 2 per cent target.

Tuesday

James Heale

Why does Trump like Starmer so much?

From our UK edition

12 min listen

It can now be revealed that a Ministry of Defence data leak has cost the UK some £7 billion and put thousands of Afghans at risk of death. A dataset containing the details of nearly 19,000 people who applied to move to the UK following the Taliban takeover was released in error by a British defence official in February 2022. Ministers were informed of the debacle in August 2023; since then, an unprecedented super-injunction has been in place to stop the press from reporting details. What does this mean for successive governments?

James Heale

The MoD Afghan leak is a national embarrassment

From our UK edition

Some days the British state really does embarrass itself. It can now be revealed that a Ministry of Defence data leak has cost the UK some £7billion and put thousands of Afghans at risk of death. A dataset containing the details of nearly 19,000 people who applied to move to the UK following the Taliban takeover was released in error by a British defence official in February 2022. The unauthorised data breach was committed by a soldier as he tried to help verify applications for sanctuary in Britain Ministers were informed of the debacle in August 2023; since then, an unprecedented super-injunction has been in place to stop the press from reporting details. Today, the full details of that leak can finally be revealed.

James Heale

James Cleverly’s case against the revolutionary right

From our UK edition

There is a revolutionary air on the right at present. Whether it is Kemi Badenoch's call to 'rewire the state' or Nigel Farage's attacks on 'broken Britain', few have much good to say about our current political set-up. Step forward James Cleverly to offer balm to all that inflammation. At a speech this morning at the IPPR think tank, the former foreign secretary gave his thoughts on the rise of Reform UK and how government must change to function more effectively.  Cleverly began by contrasting two Reform-run councils: Warwickshire and Leicestershire. Both wanted to change the rules to allow only national flags to be flown from council buildings.

James Heale

Starmer’s veteran woes are just beginning

From our UK edition

As hundreds of veterans marching past the Cenotaph brought Whitehall to a halt yesterday afternoon, inside parliament a debate was held on the government's plan to repeal the Northern Ireland Legacy and Reconciliation Act. Passed by Boris Johnson, this aimed to prevent veterans from being prosecuted for all but the most serious crimes committed during the Northern Ireland ‘Troubles’ from the 1960s to 1998. Labour's bid to scrap the legislation has sparked fury among veterans – and has left Alistair Carns, the Veterans Minister, on resignation watch. Quentin Letts, who has sat in parliament for nearly 40 years, suggested it was ‘the biggest turnout I have seen for a Westminster Hall debate.