James Heale

James Heale

James Heale is The Spectator’s deputy political editor.

Thursday

James Heale

Three things we’ve learned from the Partygate report

From our UK edition

The Privileges Committee has today published its findings on whether Boris Johnson deliberately misled MPs over Partygate. The House of Commons voted for such an inquiry, fourteen months ago: its members now have a 100-page, 30,000 word report to trawl through. It makes for damning reading. It finds that Johnson committed multiple contempts of parliament, including deliberately misleading the House, breaching confidence and ‘being complicit in the attempted intimidation of the committee’.   They conclude that 'there is no precedent for a Prime Minister having been found to have deliberately misled the House' and therefore recommend a 90-day suspension for him: one of the longest in parliamentary history.

Wednesday

James Heale

Will Ulez be the undoing of Sadiq Khan?

From our UK edition

London faces its seventh mayoral election next year and, yet again, the Tories are having trouble finding a suitable candidate. The publication this week of the final shortlist – Susan Hall, Daniel Korski and Mozammel Hossain – was accompanied by accusations of stitch-ups, counter-claims and legal threats between two of the defeated candidates. Sadiq Khan’s aides have enjoyed watching it all play out; Labour leads in London by a whopping 40 points. So a Tory victory next May is unlikely – but still not impossible. Air quality in the once-smoggy capital is the cleanest it’s been for centuries, but Khan has declared a pollution ‘emergency’.

Tuesday

James Heale

Are ‘sinister forces’ conspiring against Nadine Dorries?

From our UK edition

12 min listen

Nadine Dorries has hit out on various platforms saying that 'sinister forces' stopped her from receiving her peerage, as promised to her by former prime minister Boris Johnson. This has been met by a strong rebuke from Number 10, but do Boris and Dorries have grounds to feel aggrieved? Also on the podcast, tomorrow we will learn the Privileges Committee's findings on whether Boris Johnson knowingly misled the House. What should we expect?  James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Paul Goodman, editor of Conservative Home.  Produced by Cindy Yu and Oscar Edmondson.

Monday

James Heale

Sunak comes out fighting over Boris honours row

From our UK edition

12 min listen

This morning Rishi Sunak has delivered a direct rebuke of Boris Johnson over the resignation honours row, during an interview at London Tech Week. Is this the Prime Minister going into fighting mode? Do his comments go some way towards heading off a Johnson-led rebellion?  Also on the podcast, Nicola Sturgeon was released from custody yesterday evening after seven hours of questioning. What's the latest? Cindy Yu speaks to Katy Balls and James Heale.  Produced by Cindy Yu and Oscar Edmondson.

Saturday

James Heale

Downing Street hits back in peerages row

From our UK edition

Talk about the end of the peer show. Boris Johnson's allies have spent the past two days spitting blood and crying betrayal, accusing Rishi Sunak of 'deceit' over the alleged removal of several nominees from the honours list. But tonight No. 10 has hit back, telling the Sunday Times that such claims are 'categorically untrue' and suggesting that Johnson misunderstood the process of awarding peerages. And in a bid to ward off such criticisms, Downing Street has tonight taken the step of publishing the list of names that were approved by the House of Lords Appointments Commission (Holac).

Thursday

James Heale

Johnson’s honours list spells more trouble for Sunak

From our UK edition

Another day, another episode in the ongoing Johnson-Sunak psychodrama. Following clashes over the Stormont brake and the Covid inquiry, Rishi Sunak is now prepared to wave through his predecessor’s honours list – nine months after his resignation. The ongoing delay in the publication of the list has been a source of tension between the pair. But the Times reports today that Sunak has accepted the precedent that outgoing prime ministers should be entitled to make appointments. The list is expected to be published and approved before the summer parliamentary recess.

Wednesday

James Heale

Should Rishi be worried about Covid inquiry messages?

From our UK edition

13 min listen

It was prime ministers questions today and while Rishi Sunak is away in the US Oliver Dowden stood in. The Covid inquiry was a hot topic of debate. Rishi Sunak says he is not worried about being embarrassed by messages seen by the inquiry, but is he right to be so calm?  Also on the podcast, the OECD has forecasted that the UK will narrowly avoid recession. But with growth at only 0.3 per cent for 2023, can we consider this a good outcome? James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Kate Andrews.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

Tuesday

James Heale

Can Sunak and Biden crack AI regulation?

From our UK edition

12 min listen

The Prime Minister will be flying stateside tonight to visit Joe Biden. Top of the agenda will be AI regulation and Britain's role in it (they may also talk about Ben Wallace's bid to become the next Secretary General of Nato). It's a tricky issue and famously fast moving, so can the two leaders crack it? Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and James Heale. Produced by Cindy Yu.

Monday

James Heale

Is Andy Burnham a problem for Starmer?

From our UK edition

11 min listen

James Heale is joined by Isabel Hardman and Katy Balls to discuss Rishi Sunak's visit to Dover in a bid to tackle small boats. Also, following a clash between Keir Starmer and members on the left of the party, how much of a problem has Andy Burnham become for the Labour leader?

Saturday

James Heale

Who will be on the candidates list?

From our UK edition

14 min listen

James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Lord Stewart Jackson, regional chairman of the Conservative Democratic Organisation. On the podcast they discuss Labour and the Conservative's candidates selection process and the politics behind it.

Friday

James Heale

Is the government heading for a court defeat?

From our UK edition

14 min listen

The Cabinet Office has officially triggered a judicial review against the Covid Inquiry – but is this a misstep, if eventually they will lose their legal case against it? On the episode, James Heale talks to Katy Balls and the Institute for Government's Catherine Haddon. Produced by Cindy Yu.

Thursday

James Heale

Cabinet Office to take the Covid inquiry to court

From our UK edition

The Cabinet Office has tonight launched a last-ditch legal effort to avoid handing over Boris Johnson’s unredacted WhatsApps to the official Covid public inquiry. Officials released a strongly-worded statement confirming the department has requested a judicial review of the inquiry's demands for material, having missed the revised 4 p.m deadline to pass on Johnson's messages. Baroness Hallett, the inquiry's chair, had demanded WhatsApp messages and notebooks from Johnson and texts from one of his No. 10 aides, Henry Cook. Johnson agreed to hand these over to the Cabinet Office but the department is resisting passing them to the inquiry, partly due to fears the inquiry could request the WhatsApp messages of serving ministers and officials.

James Heale

When will Pestminster end?

From our UK edition

11 min listen

Natasha Feroze speaks to Isabel Hardman and James Heale about Geraint Davies, a Labour MP who has been suspended from the party amid allegations of sexual harassment. Another Pestminster scandal to add to the list, how many more could be out there? Also on the podcast, as Rishi Sunak meets European leaders in Moldova to discuss illegal migration, how has it been received back home with his own party?

Wednesday

James Heale

Do the Tories really hate ‘the Blob’?

From our UK edition

8 min listen

Boris Johnson's team today suggested that they would be happy to hand over his WhatsApp messages from during the pandemic to help the Covid enquiry. Why has the civil service got itself in such a muddle over this, and why have the Tories failed to reform Whitehall?  Max Jeffery speaks to James Heale and Kate Andrews.  Produced by Max Jeffery.

James Heale

The battle with the Blob

From our UK edition

Most prime ministers fall out with the civil service at some point. David Cameron attacked the ‘enemies of enterprise’; Tony Blair spoke of ‘the scars on my back’ from battling the public sector. But the premiership of Boris Johnson brought relations to a new low, with prorogation and partygate fuelling paranoia on both sides. Under Rishi Sunak, tensions have been reignited by Dominic Raab’s resignation and the Cabinet Office’s attempt to hand over Johnson’s pandemic diaries to the Covid inquiry. For some Conservatives, the mandarins involved in these dramas are the embodiment of ‘the Blob’. The etymology of this term shows how Tory criticisms of the civil service have changed throughout their time in office.

Tuesday

James Heale

Should Rishi Sunak ban vapes?

From our UK edition

Natasha Feroze is joined by James Heale and Fraser Nelson to discuss the Covid inquiry's requested release of Boris Johnson's unredacted Whatsapp messages and diary entries. Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak has spent the day in Kent looking at ways to clamp down unsafe vaping. But he won't go as far as other countries who intend to ban them.

Friday

James Heale

Why are borrowing costs surging?

From our UK edition

13 min listen

James Heale speaks to Fraser Nelson and Kate Andrews about the news that borrowing costs are back to being the highest since last Autumn. What could this mean for the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt?

Thursday

Tuesday

James Heale

Is the ministerial code fit for purpose?

From our UK edition

15 min listen

Paul Goodman, editor of Conservative Home joins Katy Balls and James Heale to discuss the most recent victims accused of breaching the ministerial code. The code covers things like telling the truth in Parliament, keeping cabinet discussions secret and not allowing conflicts to arise between public duties and private interests. But is it fit for purpose? Produced by Natasha Feroze.

James Heale

Tory MPs line up to support Suella Braverman

From our UK edition

Once it was David Gauke, then it was Michael Ellis. Now it is Jeremy Quin who bears the honorary title of 'minister for sticky wickets'. The Paymaster General was called upon to answer an Urgent Question in the House this lunchtime on – what else? – the allegations about Suella Braverman's speeding fine. He confirmed that Rishi Sunak has 'asked for further information' from both Braverman and Sir Laurie Magnus, his independent adviser, after meeting with them both. Quin insisted that 'It is right that the Prime Minister, as the head of the executive and the arbiter of the ministerial code, be allowed time to receive relevant information on this matter.' Naturally, such pleas had little traction with the opposition, led by Angela Rayner.