James Heale

James Heale

James Heale is The Spectator’s deputy political editor.

Monday

James Heale

Labour risks death by consultation

After 14 years in opposition, you might have expected Labour to come into government bursting with plans for Britain. Yet the first four months of the Starmer supremacy have seen ministers commission a glut of various reviews, consultations and task forces about what they should actually do in office. Helpfully, Sky News has compiled a running tally of these. Their current figure is 61 in less than 150 days: a rate of one every two-and-a-half days. The obvious risk is ‘paralysis by analysis’. Under Yvette Cooper, the Home Office has commissioned seven reviews on police and fire fighter pensions, knife sales, ninja swords, police prosecutions, family visas and counter-extremism.

James Heale

Sir Chris Wormald is the new cabinet secretary

Keir Starmer has today resolved one of his longstanding headaches: who to appoint to lead the civil service. The man chosen to replace Simon Case as cabinet secretary is Sir Chris Wormald. The 56-year-old has served as permanent secretary of the Department of Health since 2016, leading colleagues throughout the ups and downs of the pandemic. Prior to that, he was permanent secretary at the Department of Education (DfE) from 2012 to 2016. Government is very much in Wormald’s blood: his father Peter served as under secretary in the DHSS from 1978 to 1981. The task that faces the new cabinet secretary is considerable With 33 years of continuous service in Whitehall, it is clear that the Prime Minister is opting for a ‘greybeard’ over a wildcard.

James Heale

Is Keir Starmer turning into Rishi Sunak?

11 min listen

The government is trailing a major policy speech ahead of Thursday, in which the Prime Minister will set out key 'milestones' that he wants to hit, in terms of healthcare, living standards, the climate and so on. It's all sounding a little like a previous prime minister... Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and James Heale about the opportunities and perils in setting public targets. Produced by Cindy Yu.

Friday

James Heale

Assisted dying bill passes second reading – what next?

14 min listen

The controversial assisted dying bill has passed its second reading in the House of Commons with a majority of 55 after just hours of debate. It now heads to committee stage for further scrutiny. What does the bill's passing at this stage mean for its likelihood of eventually becoming law? And will Labour's front bench unify behind the bill given the deep-seated opposition from figures such as Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood? James Heale discusses with Katy Balls and Michael Gove. Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Cindy Yu.

James Heale

Louise Haigh’s resignation raises questions for Keir Starmer

11 min listen

In the small hours of this morning Louise Haigh resigned as Transport Secretary following the revelation that she had pleaded guilty to a criminal offence in 2014. Haigh admitted fraud by false representation at a magistrates’ court after she incorrectly told the police that a work mobile had been stolen in 2013. She was then convicted and received a conditional discharge. The incident occurred six months before she became an MP. Haigh had been in hot water just a month ago after her comments nearly cost the government a one billion-pound investment deal with P&O. Is her resignation a little too convenient for the Prime Minister?  James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Isabel Hardman.  Produced by Cindy Yu and Oscar Edmondson.

Thursday

James Heale

Transport Secretary admits to fraud conviction

In recent years, Labour has made great political hay out of allegations of rule-breaking. The party was never slow to criticise Boris Johnson's government for breaches of lockdown, with Sir Keir keen to depict himself as 'Mr Rules.' So it is sub-optimal, to say the least, that a senior minister has tonight admitted pleading guilty to an offence connected with misleading the police while she was a parliamentary candidate. Louise Haigh, the Transport Secretary, appeared at Camberwell Green Magistrates' Court six months before the 2015 general election, after making a false report to officers that her mobile phone had been stolen. Haigh claimed that she was 'mugged while on a night out' in 2013 and then reported the incident to the police.

James Heale

Starmer attacks ‘open border’ Tories, plus Andrea Jenkyns defects

15 min listen

It's been a day of press conferences in Westminster. First to Reform UK, where Nigel Farage unveiled their newest defection: Dame Andrea Jenkyns, who had served as a Conservative MP from 2015-24. Could there be more defections on the horizon?  Next to Keir Starmer who reacted to the newly published migration figures from the ONS. Net migration for the 12 months to June 2024 stands at 728,000. But the real story was the revised 2023 figures, which showed net migration exceeding 900,000. The politics from the press conference were solid - but what about policy announcements? Oscar Edmondson speaks to James Heale and Michael Simmons, and they also look ahead to tomorrow's unpredictable assisted dying vote. Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Oscar Edmondson.

James Heale

Starmer attacks ‘open border’ Tories

Anyone else want to do a Westminster press conference? Keir Starmer made it a hat-trick this afternoon when he gave his reply to the new immigration figures, following Kemi Badenoch’s comments yesterday and Nigel Farage’s response this morning. The Prime Minister’s team gave it the full No. 10 treatment: the flags, the lectern, Starmer looking statesmanlike as he used the trappings of office for all they were worth. From the bully pulpit of Downing Street, he intoned gravely about the revised 2023 figures that showed net migration exceeding 900,000. The Tories, he said, were guilty of running an ‘open borders experiment’ by ‘design, not accident’. Policies were reformed ‘deliberately’ to ‘liberalise immigration’, with Brexit exploited ‘for that purpose’.

James Heale

Reform hits 100,000 members

There was a business-like manner in Nigel Farage’s response to the news that net migration was more than 900,000 in 2023. Speaking this morning at a Mayfair press conference, Farage was almost flat in his reply on the ‘horrendous’ figures. He insisted that the Tories would ‘never be forgiven’ for presiding over a nine-fold increase in the ‘tens of thousands’ target promised by David Cameron in 2010. As for Labour, he was similarly withering about the government’s decision to hike the asylum budget by 36 per cent to £5.8 billion. But after the business, came the pleasure. Farage took great delight in revealing that – after months of growing grassroots support – Reform has at last hit the 100,000 membership mark.

James Heale

David Cameron u-turns on assisted dying

David Cameron has today become the first former prime minister to come out in support of assisted dying, having previously signalled his opposition to it in 2015. In a piece for the Times, he says that: 'My main concern and reason for not supporting proposals before now has always been the worry that vulnerable people could be pressured into hastening their own deaths.' However, Cameron says he has now been reassured by those arguing in favour of Kim Leadbeater's Bill.

James Heale

Why Reform has Wales in its sights

A spectre is haunting Wales. Fresh from Reform’s election victories in Westminster, Nigel Farage is turning his attention westwards, to Cardiff Bay. He wants Reform to replace the Tories there as the main challenge to Labour in May 2026, creating a major platform for his party ahead of the 2029 general election. The man plotting the Tories’ downfall in Wales is someone who knows their leader well. Oliver Lewis, Reform’s chief spokesman, worked with Kemi Badenoch at Coutts. ‘She was very aware of the importance of fulfilling duties she felt were important to her,’ he says, carefully, when we speak.

Wednesday

James Heale

Kemi’s first policy proclamation

12 min listen

Kemi Badenoch has signalled that she could change her position on the ECHR. At a conference today, she said "we will review every policy, treaty and part of our legal framework - including the ECHR and the Human Rights Act." What could this mean for the Conservatives going forward? Katy Balls discusses with Michael Gove and James Heale.

James Heale

Badenoch admits Tory migration failures

Of all the issues which did it for the Conservatives in July 2024, no issue deterred life-long Tories more than the failure to control migration. So it was appropriate then that this subject formed the basis of Kemi Badenoch's first major policy speech since her election as leader. Ahead of tomorrow’s release of migration statistics, she chose to deliver a mea culpa on behalf of her party, admitting at a hastily-assembled press conference that the Conservatives had previously got this issue wrong. The last administration ‘promised to bring numbers down,’ she said. ‘We did not deliver that promise’: As the new party leader I want to acknowledge that we made mistakes.

James Heale

William Hague is the new Chancellor of Oxford

Congratulations to William Hague, who has today triumphed in the race to succeed Chris Patten and become the 168th Chancellor of Oxford. Hague, who topped the ballot at every stage, won the final run-off against Elish Angiolini by a margin of 1,600 votes. Former cabinet ministers Peter Mandelson and Dominic Grieve were both eliminated in the earlier rounds of voting. Jan Royall, the outgoing principal of Somerville College, finished third. The result represents a belated victory for the ex-Tory leader over New Labour, 23 years after his landslide defeat at the hands of Tony Blair. Some commentators viewed the race as a straight party political fight between Mandelson and Hague.

Tuesday

James Heale

Can Keir Starmer get Britain back to work?

10 min listen

The government have announced their latest effort to get Britons back into work. A series of benefit changes intend to tackle the fact that Britain is the only major economy where the employment rate has fallen over the past five years, largely because more people are out of work due to long-term ill health. Why are the UK's post-pandemic figures so much worse than other countries? And can Labour's plans work? The Spectator's data editor Michael Simmons joins Katy Balls and James Heale.

James Heale

Can Starmer’s jobs push get Britain back to work?

The UK isn’t working. That’s the official view of the government as Keir Starmer launches his latest effort to get Britons back into work. A series of benefit changes intend to tackle the fact that Britain is the only major economy where the employment rate has fallen over the past five years, largely because more people are out of work due to long-term ill health. The ‘Get Britain Working’ white paper was published this morning, prior to a statement by Liz Kendall in the Commons this afternoon. Kendall will have a tough time trying to get the UK back to work The statistics speak for themselves. A record 2.8 million people are out of work due to long-term sickness. One in eight young people is a NEET – not in education, employment or training.

Friday

James Heale

Is Keir Starmer really going to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu?

11 min listen

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants against Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defence minister Yoav Gallant as well as – separately – for Hamas military leader, Mohammed Deif. They are all wanted for alleged war crimes, but specifically regarding Netanyahu and Gallant the ICC say that, 'each bear criminal responsibility for ... the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.' So why have these warrants been issued now? And what are the implications for Labour's relationship with Israel?   Oscar Edmondson speaks to James Heale and Tom Gross, commentator on the Middle East.

Thursday

James Heale

Starmer’s Streeting problem

18 min listen

A vote on assisted dying was supposed to be one of the easiest reforms for Keir Starmer’s government. To many, including the Prime Minister himself, a law allowing terminally ill patients to choose to die would be a self-evidently progressive and historically significant change. But he has faced unexpected pushback from his Health Secretary, the very cabinet member who would have to enforce the legislation. Streeting has not only said that he will be voting against but that he is doing so because he fears the bill could harm existing health services. Where does Starmer go from here? Could we be looking at a reshuffle? Also today we had the sad news of the passing of John Prescott, a titan of the Labour movement. How will he be remembered?

James Heale

John Prescott: a titan of the Labour movement

John Prescott, Britain's longest serving Deputy Prime Minister, has died at the age of 86. For 40 years he variously enlivened, enraged and entertained the Commons as the Honourable Member for Hull East. But his demeanour and public image belied a canny political judgement that took him from Merchant Navy seaman to holding some of the highest political offices in the land. From 1994 until 2007, he served as Tony Blair's deputy, serving as the yang to his leader's yin. With his capacity for beer and brawls, Prescott sometimes seemed an unlikely moderniser among the metropolitan liberals of the New Labour elite.

Wednesday

James Heale

Is Rachel Reeves running out of luck?

11 min listen

An unexpected rise in inflation today takes the rate to higher than the Bank of England's target, and adds to Rachel Reeves's worries. James Heale talks to Katy Balls and The Spectator's data editor Michael Simmons about the latest figures, and they also discuss the shadow minister Alex Burghart's performance at Prime Minister's Questions. Produced by Cindy Yu.