James Heale

James Heale

James Heale is The Spectator’s deputy political editor.

Tuesday

James Heale

Vote Leave duo turn on Johnson at Covid Inquiry

Boris Johnson wasn't in attendance at the Covid Inquiry this morning, but he was certainly there in spirit. The ex-Prime Minister suffered a bevvy of blows in absentia, in the form of WhatsApps published from his former No. 10 team. Among the more explosive were his blunt views on a second national lockdown in October 2020: 'We should let the old people get it [coronavirus] and protect others' he wrote in one. 'The median age is 82-81 for men & 85 for women. That is above life expectancy. So get Covid and live longer.' A diary entry from Sir Patrick Vallance complained that  Johnson is ‘obsessed with older people accepting their fate and letting the young get on with life and the economy going.

James Heale

Life behind bars: so long to Westminster’s favourite landlord

If you work in politics, chances are you have drunk in the Westminster Arms. Located just off Parliament Square, every night it hosts the collection of hacks, wonks and mandarins that comprise the SW1 bubble. For 30 years, Gerry Dolan has run the pub with his mix of Irish humour and no-nonsense determination. When we meet, three days before his retirement, his roving eyes still flick up every time to scan each new patron that enters his beloved bar. ‘I have loved the Westminster Arms. It's been a great mistress’ he says. ‘My wife ran the wine bar downstairs, and she probably worked harder than I did. I was like a Redcoat, really.’ Dolan is one of a dying breed of lifelong landlords in the capital, tied to one establishment.

Monday

James Heale

What’s the point of the Covid inquiry?

14 min listen

The Covid inquiry enters its most dramatic week, questioning Martin Reynolds (a.k.a. 'Party Marty'), as well as former No. 10 advisors Lee Cain and Dominic Cummings. But it seems that the inquiry has gone down more the route of interpersonal drama rather than lessons learnt for government decisionmaking. So what's the point of it? Katy Balls talks to Isabel Hardman and James Heale. Produced by Cindy Yu.

James Heale

Government aide sacked after calling for Gaza ceasefire

Rishi Sunak has tonight moved quickly to sack a Tory MP who called for a ceasefire in Gaza. Paul Bristow, the MP for Peterborough, was removed as a Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) less than two hours after the Telegraph reported that he had become the first Conservative MP to publicly support such a plan. According to a No. 10 spokesman: 'Paul Bristow has been asked to leave his post in government following comments that were not consistent with the principles of collective responsibility.' Bristow wrote to Sunak on Thursday, setting out the case for a ceasefire in a two-page letter. He wrote that 'Thousands have been killed and more than one million now displaced. It is difficult to understand how this makes Israel more secure or indeed makes anything better.

Friday

James Heale

Will Starmer cave in to calls for a Gaza ceasefire?

12 min listen

Keir Starmer is under mounting pressure from his party to back a call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Palestine conflict. The week began with the Labour leader correcting comments he made on LBC that Israel had a right to defend itself. But now, politicians to the left of his party are campaigning for a ceasefire. Is this something Starmer can support? Also on the podcast, James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Fraser Nelson about more 'pestminster' scandals and Liz Truss on AI and China.

Thursday

James Heale

Can Starmer change the subject?

15 min listen

Keir Starmer has had a difficult week, trying to keep his party on message over the war in Israel and Gaza. The official position is that Israel has a right to respond to Hamas’s attacks on 7 October, but a number of Labour MPs are now calling for a ceasefire. Could Starmer have better handled the situation?  James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and John McTernan.

James Heale

Tory MP Crispin Blunt arrested on suspicion of rape

Former Justice minister Crispin Blunt has tonight confirmed that he is the Conservative MP arrested on suspicion of rape and possession of controlled substances. In a statement posted on Twitter/X, he wrote the following statement: It has been reported that an MP was arrested yesterday in connection with an allegation of rape. I am confirming that MP was me. The fact of the arrest requires a formal notification of the Speaker and then my Chief Whip. I have now been interviewed twice in connection with this incident, the first time three weeks ago, when I initially reported my concern over extortion. The second time was earlier this morning under caution following arrest.

James Heale

Sunak sounds the alarm on AI

‘Dr Death’ was the nickname bestowed on Rishi Sunak by one scientist during Covid. But ‘Dr Doom’ seemed a more apt sobriquet at certain points during his big speech today on artificial intelligence. The Prime Minister evoked the spectre of humanity ‘losing control of AI completely’ to a ‘superintelligence’ that could result in ‘extinction’. He warned of a world in which AI facilitated chemical weapons, disinformation and child sexual abuse. Therefore, governments ought to step up, he argued, as ‘only nation states have the power and legitimacy to keep their people safe’.How best to do this then?

Tuesday

James Heale

Sunak to lift bankers’ bonus cap

Rishi Sunak is in office but Liz Truss remains in power. That's the line that Labour are pushing on today's announcement that the cap on bankers' bonuses will be abolished next week. The change was initially announced by Kwasi Kwarteng in the infamous mini-budget of September 2022. It was one of the few measures to be retained when Chancellor Jeremy Hunt replaced Kwarteng at the Treasury on the grounds that it did not have an impact on state finances, unlike her tax cuts. Labour are naturally keen to suggest that this shows that Sunak has not moved the Tories on from the Truss era.

Monday

James Heale

One year on: does Sunak have anything to celebrate?

12 min listen

This week marks one year since Rishi Sunak entered No.10. Faced with the weekend's double by-election defeat, Labour's lead in the polls and another by-election coming soon, what can Rishi Sunak still do to turn things around? Natasha Feroze speaks to Katy Balls and James Heale.

Sunday

James Heale

What Liz Truss did next

It was a year ago on Wednesday that Liz Truss left office. As the ministerial cavalcade rolled out of Downing Street for the short drive to Buckingham Palace, so she entered the history books as the shortest-serving Prime Minister in British history. Truss was still reeling from the events of the past seven weeks. The rejection of her mini-Budget by the world markets had been dubbed Britain's 'economic Suez.' But in keeping with her character and past record, she did not follow the example of Anthony Eden and ignominiously slink off into retirement. After a short holiday – her first non-ministerial break in more than a decade – she returned and began to plot her next moves.

Friday

James Heale

Are the Tories facing a 97’ style defeat?

13 min listen

Labour has overturned the Tamworth and and Mid Bedfordshire by-election results, overturning the biggest majority in by-election history. Is there anymore road for Rishi Sunak? Isabel Hardman speaks to Katy Balls and James Heale.

Thursday

James Heale

Sunak tells Israel: ‘We want you to win’

14 min listen

Today Rishi Sunak joined Benjamin Netanyahu for a joint press conference in which he pledged support to Israel. Netanyahu thanked him for his, ‘strong statement of support’ and grounded Israel’s fight in the context of Britain’s own history. ‘You fought the Nazis 80 years ago,’ he said, ‘Hamas are the new Nazis'.  Also on the podcast, the polls have opened for by elections in Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire. What should we expect? Oscar Edmondson speaks to Katy Balls and James Heale.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.  Photo credit: Simon Walker/No.

James Heale

Sunak tells Israel: ‘We want you to win’

Rishi Sunak is in Israel today for talks with the country’s leaders amid the ongoing conflict. The Prime Minister has just concluded a televised appearance with Benjamin Netanyahu, in which the Israeli Premier paid tribute to Sunak. He thanked him for his ‘strong statement of support’ and grounded Israel’s fight in the context of Britain’s own history. ‘You fought the Nazis 80 years ago,’ he said, ‘Hamas are the new Nazis.’ He framed the conflict as a fight between good and evil, modernity and barbarism, declaring that both Israel and the world were facing their ‘darkest hour’.

Tuesday

James Heale

How long can the cross-party consensus on Israel hold?

12 min listen

So far, both major parties in the UK have aligned on their approach to the Israel-Gaza conflict, but can the Labour party really hold their position, considering how much of the party's grassroots support come from Muslim backgrounds? James Heale talks to Katy Balls and Conservative Home's editor, Paul Goodman. Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Cindy Yu.

Monday

Saturday

James Heale

What is Israel’s army capable of?

17 min listen

James Heale speaks to foreign policy expert Sophia Gaston and defence correspondent Sean Rayment about what could be Israel's next steps, the strength of their military and how much political backing they have worldwide.

James Heale

Paul Wood, James Heale and Robin Ashenden

23 min listen

This week Paul Wood delves into the complex background of the Middle East and asks if Iran might have been behind the Hamas attacks on Israel, and what might come next (01:11), James Heale ponders the great Tory tax debate by asking what is the point of the Tories if they don’t lower taxes (13:04) and Robin Ashenden on how he plans to introduce his half Russian daughter to the delights of red buses, Beefeaters and a proper full English (18:36).

Friday

James Heale

The winners and losers of this year’s conference season

14 min listen

Conference season is over, so we thought that we’d run through this year’s winners and losers. Did Rishi Sunak manage to present himself as the Action Man who can end the ‘thirty year consensus’ in British politics? Did Keir Starmer finally answer the question: if not them, why us? Did anyone surprise us? Or was it all for nothing, as new YouGov polling might suggest. Oscar Edmondson speaks to James Heale and Isabel Hardman.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

Thursday

James Heale

Why did Lisa Cameron defect to the Tories?

11 min listen

Lisa Cameron MP has quit the SNP to join the Conservative party, just days before the SNP holds its party conference in Aberdeen. What does this say about the state of the Scottish National Party under Humza Yousaf? James Heale talks to Isabel Hardman and Lucy Dunn. Produced by Max Jeffery and Cindy Yu.