James Heale

James Heale

James Heale is The Spectator’s deputy political editor.

Wednesday

James Heale

India’s century: Sunak’s plan for a new Indo-Pacific alliance

From our UK edition

When Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister, India’s press was thrilled. ‘From Age of Empire to Rishi Raj’ declared the Times of India: another headline hailed the ‘Browning Street’ phenomenon. ‘Indian son rises over Empire’, proclaimed the New Delhi TV channel, a play on the colonial-era adage that the sun never sets on Britain’s empire. When Sunak visits New Delhi for the G20 next week, it will be quite a moment. Two Hindu heads of government will meet – the old power and the new. Sunak’s agenda is to bind Britain closer to a growing Asian economic powerhouse – which last week completed its first successful moon landing – while containing China by bolstering its rivals.

Tuesday

James Heale

Who will take Nadine Dorries’s seat?

From our UK edition

15 min listen

Nadine Dorries’s seat in Mid Bedfordshire has a majority of 25,000. With the Boris Johnson ally now leaving Parliament, the seat is set to be a three-way race between the Tories, Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Who stands the best chance of challenging the Conservatives? Also on the podcast: Suella Braverman has instructed police to ‘investigate every crime’. Will it improve the public’s faith in the force? James Heale speaks to Fraser Nelson and Katy Balls.

Monday

James Heale

Does Nadine Dorries have a point?

From our UK edition

17 min listen

Nadine Dorries resigned from Parliament over the weekend, writing in a letter to Rishi Sunak that the Conservatives have been ‘corrupted’, and accusing the Prime Minister of ‘opening the gates to whip up a public frenzy against one of his own MPs’. Is Dorries, at least in part, right? James Heale speaks to Fraser Nelson and Kate Andrews.

Sunday

Saturday

James Heale

James Heale, Svitlana Morenets, Melanie McDonagh and Richard Madeley

From our UK edition

28 min listen

This week James Heale describes the mess the Conservative Party has got itself into when selecting its parliamentary candidates (01.17), Svitlana Morenets is in Ukraine witnessing first hand the tragedy of how troops are dying for want of proper medical supplies and training (06.59), Melanie McDonagh discusses the art of kissing and when a kiss is not just a kiss (18.22) and Richard Madeley shares with us his diary in which he ponders Queen songs and cancel culture and the shocking case of Lucy Letby (22.07).

Thursday

James Heale

Why is Rishi delaying his reshuffle?

From our UK edition

12 min listen

Rishi Sunak is reportedly going to delay a planned major reshuffle. A Cabinet switch-up was expected next month, but it now seems that only ministers like Ben Wallace, who has already indicated that he wants to step down, will be moved from their posts. What changed the Prime Minister's mind? Max Jeffery speaks to James Heale and Craig Oliver, former director of communications in No. 10. Produced by Max Jeffery.

Wednesday

James Heale

The problem with the Tories’ ‘local heroes’

From our UK edition

You know the Conservative party is in trouble when it does not dare use its name on leaflets. Instead, it took a two-pronged approach in the last two general elections: a presidential campaign for the national media and local politics for the doorstep. With the Tories now 20 points behind Labour, it seems the strategy for next year’s general election is to once again go easy on the Conservative brand and emphasise the local-hero credentials of the candidates. All they need is to find some local heroes. It’s not just that local candidates are seen as more attractive, the barriers to outsiders have been fortified ‘Voters want someone who is going to fight for them and that’s an easier conversation to have if they are a local resident,’ says one newly picked Tory candidate.

Saturday

James Heale

James Heale, Lisa Haseldine and Neil Clark

From our UK edition

19 min listen

This week: James Heale reads his politics column on why the Tories should fear the Greens (00:56), Lisa Haseldine outlines some of the changes to Russia's school curriculum (06:04) and Neil Clark extols the joys of non-league football (13:02).   Produced and presented by Oscar Edmondson.

Wednesday

James Heale

The Greens are coming for the Tories

From our UK edition

So far, Keir Starmer has been unmoved by complaints from left-wingers that his policies differ little from those of Boris Johnson’s at the last election. After all, if left-wing voters don’t like his low-key approach, where else would they go? The problem in British politics – as David Cameron found out – is that disgruntled voters do find somewhere else to go. In Cameron’s case, it was to Nigel Farage; in Starmer’s case, it may be to the Greens. Once dismissed as idealistic hippies, the Greens now serve in seven governments across Europe, including Germany, Belgium and Scotland. Even under the UK’s majoritarian system, they’re doing well with 800 council seats – more than Farage ever managed in his prime.

Saturday

James Heale

Spectator Out Loud: James Heale, Melanie McDonagh and Sam McPhail

From our UK edition

18 min listen

This week (01.07) James Heale meets the Conservative London Mayoral Candidate, Susan Hall, who is ready and willing to take the fight to Sadiq Khan in next year’s elections, (06.51) Melanie McDonagh examines the effects on children’s publishing as sensitivity readers gain more and more influence and (12.39) Sam McPhail explains why football clubs could be in big trouble if fans start following superstar players, rather than the clubs.

Wednesday

James Heale

Susan Hall: Sadiq Khan is a misogynist

From our UK edition

‘I love a fight. I was going to say debate, but it’s more of a fight to be honest.’ Susan Hall is looking forward to taking on Sadiq Khan at the London mayoral hustings. When we meet for her first interview after securing the Conservative nomination, it is five days after the Uxbridge by-election. Hall is buoyed by an unexpected Tory triumph, thanks to discontent with Khan’s plans to extend the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez). ‘Out on the doorstep,’ she tells me: ‘I thought the questions would be all around Boris but I had nothing. It was all around the Ulez expansion.’ She hopes to replicate a similar result next May. ‘There aren’t really many policies.

Monday

James Heale

Is Labour infighting a problem for Starmer?

From our UK edition

13 min listen

Katy Balls and Fraser Nelson speak to James Heale about Labour's infighting over issues such as ULEZ and the child benefits cap. Whilst not in government yet, is this something Keir Starmer will need to get a grip on in order to become the next Prime Minister? Produced by Natasha Feroze.

Saturday

James Heale

What can we learn from the Uxbridge by-election result?

From our UK edition

13 min listen

The dust has settled after yesterday's by-election results. Having narrowly avoided a triple by-election defeat there seems to be little sign of Conservative party in-fighting, despite their poor showing. There is however a war of words brewing between the London Labour Party and Kier Starmer who blames Sadiq Khan's Ulez plan for the failure to snatch Uxbridge and South Ruislip. What lessons will each party take from the by-elections into next year's general election?  James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and pollster James Johnson, co-founder of JL Partners.

Friday

James Heale

Sunak narrowly avoids triple by-election defeat

From our UK edition

12 min listen

There was something for everyone in the by-elections with each of the three big parties getting a seat. The Tories lost Somerton and Frome to the Lib Dems and Selby and Ainsty to Labour but did narrowly cling on in Boris Johnson’s former seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip, albeit with a reduced majority of just 495 votes. James Heale unpacks the results with Fraser Nelson and Katy Balls.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

Wednesday

James Heale

Who is Susan Hall?

From our UK edition

15 min listen

Katy Balls speaks to Kate Andrews and James Heale about today's inflation figures and the latest news about the Conservative Mayoral candidate for London – Susan Hall.

James Heale

Susan Hall wins Tory mayoral race

From our UK edition

The Tories now have their candidate to take on Sadiq Khan next May. Susan Hall, the right wing member of the Greater London Authority, has today defeated Moz Hossain by 57 per cent to 43 per cent in a ballot of Conservative members across the capital. Hall, who led the GLA Tories for six years, was initially seen as an outside shot for the candidacy back in May. But she impressed the party board in London to make the final three. After Dan Korski dropped out following an accusation (which he denies) of groping, members were faced with a choice of either her or an electoral novice in Hossain. Her strategy for the nomination was based on winning councillors’ endorsements and running a punchy, pugilistic campaign against Khan.

Monday

James Heale

Inside Labour’s fiery Commons meeting

From our UK edition

Sparks flew at tonight’s Parliamentary Labour party (PLP) meeting. Deputy leader Angela Rayner had been due to speak to MPs as part of an end of term pep talk. Instead, the ongoing row over Keir Starmer’s decision to maintain the two child benefit cap if Labour enters government dominated the entire session.  Rayner herself has previously labelled the cap ‘obscene and inhumane’ and she was forced to defend herself when those past comments were raised by backbench Labour MPs. The deputy leader told her colleagues that she stood by the tweet but that there was a need for fiscal responsibility. More surprising than Rayner’s remarks were the range of criticisms voiced at tonight’s meeting.

James Heale

Labour row brews over two-child benefit cap

From our UK edition

17 min listen

Keir Starmer has said that Labour will not be reversing the two-child benefits cap, after Angela Rayner said it was ‘obscene and inhumane’. But will he continue to back the policy, which allegedly saves the Treasury £1.3 billion, or change his mind in the face of pressure from his shadow front bench?  James Heale speaks to Fraser Nelson and Katy Balls. Produced by Max Jeffery.

Wednesday

James Heale

Huw Edwards named by wife as BBC presenter at centre of scandal

From our UK edition

After five days of speculation, Huw Edwards has today been named as the BBC star at the centre of allegations about his private life. His wife, the TV producer, Vicky Flind, has released a statement in which she says her husband is ‘suffering from serious mental health issues’ and is now ‘receiving in-patient hospital care where he will stay for the foreseeable future’. Last year, her husband spoke about how he had been bedridden with depression. His wife says his condition has significantly deteriorated. She says: In light of the recent reporting regarding the ‘BBC Presenter’ I am making this statement on behalf of my husband Huw Edwards, after what have been five extremely difficult days for our family.

James Heale

Illegal Migration Bill survives mammoth voting session

From our UK edition

12 min listen

Tory whips will be smiling today after a mammoth three and a half hour voting session on amendments to the Illegal Migration Bill last night. All the amendments put down by the House of Lords were defeated by the government across 18 divisions. Are Rishi's hopes of stopping the boats still alive? Where do Labour stand on the bill?  James Heale speaks to Stephen Bush and Katy Balls.  Produced by Natasha Feroze and Oscar Edmondson.