James Heale

James Heale

James Heale is The Spectator’s deputy political editor.

Thursday

James Heale

Cabinet Office to take the Covid inquiry to court

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?

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’?

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

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?

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?

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?

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

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.

James Heale

What is Lee Anderson up to?

A new week brings with it a new backbench group. The New Conservatives are a dozen MPs who are drawn from the 2017 and 2019 intakes. They want a fundamental realignment of the party so it better reflects the interests of voters in the Midlands and across the red wall in the north. Prominent members of the group include Danny Kruger, Miriam Cates and Lee Anderson, the straight-talking red wall favourite who previously told The Spectator he backed the return of capital punishment. The presence of Anderson has ruffled some feathers among his fellow Tory MPs In an interview with the Times, Kruger said that while precise policies are still being formulated, the group do have a broad agenda.

Monday

Saturday

James Heale

Is Rishi retreating from net zero?

11 min listen

Immigration and the economy are priorities for Rishi Sunak's government. But under Boris Johnson and Theresa May, net zero was also a major policy focus for Conservative governments. Is Sunak as keen on it as his predecessors were?  James Heale speaks to Fraser and Isabel Hardman.

Friday

James Heale

What does Rishi want from the G7 in Hiroshima?

10 min listen

Rishi Sunak is in Hiroshima for the G7 summit. President Zelensky has said he'll be making a surprise appearance, and Sunak will be meeting with President Modi on the sidelines. What does Sunak want from the trip?  Max Jeffery speaks to James Heale and Isabel Hardman.

Thursday

Wednesday

James Heale

Truss in Taiwan warns of new Cold War with China

Liz Truss is in Taiwan this week, urging the West to take a stronger stance against China. Her message is clear: Europe's future is 'inextricably linked' to that of the island, you can't trust Beijing to follow the rules and Britain and its allies must now take action. Citing Chinese naval expansion, military build-up, economic decoupling and diplomatic initiatives, Truss warned that 'There are those who say they don’t want another Cold War. But this is not a choice we are in a position to make... they have already made a choice about their strategy. The only choice we have is whether we appease and accommodate – or we take action to prevent conflict.' Her solution?

Tuesday

James Heale

Rishi’s ECHR battle at the Council of Europe

11 min listen

The Prime Minister has gone to Iceland today to see the Council of Europe, where he has been talking about immigration and the ECHR with other European leaders. On the episode, Katy Balls explains his mission to get other leaders on board with the UK's hardline approach to immigration. Cindy Yu also talks to James Heale about the second day of the National Conservatism Conference and Michael Gove's recommendation for conservatives. Produced by Cindy Yu.

Monday

James Heale

Why did Braverman’s immigration speech ruffle feathers?

14 min listen

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said that there is no good reason the UK can't train its own lorry drivers and fruit pickers in order to bring immigration rates down. Katy Balls speaks to James Heale and Isabel Hardman about why this has rubbed some up the wrong way and Keir Starmer's speech over the weekend, outlining Labour's vision for the future.

Sunday

James Heale

Tory grassroots plot to ‘take control’

Insurrection was in the air in Bournemouth this weekend as MPs and activists descended on the seaside town for a Tory grassroots jamboree. ‘Take control’ was the aim of the Conservative Democratic Organisation’s inaugural meeet, with 250-odd diehards defying the ‘communist barricades’ of the rail strikes to pitch up at the Bournemouth International Conference. The venue was the scene of Margaret Thatcher’s final conference and the long shadow of the Iron Lady looms large over her greying party today. Most attendees were middle-aged with fond memories of the Thatcherite heyday: of party conferences by the seaside, Mrs T in her pomp, three election triumphs and nights out celebrating in Blackpool and Brighton.

Saturday

James Heale

Where next for Richard Tice and Reform?

The local elections last week proved to be a disappointing night for Reform UK. Prior to polling day, its leader Richard Tice had talked up the 'huge appetite' among voters for Reform but the party averaged a mere six per cent of the vote in the wards where it stood. It won just half a dozen seats on on Derby City Council out of 471 hand-picked seats. Ukip, its effective forerunner, lost all its remaining councillors, going from almost 500 in 2016 to zero. Tice's response was to argue that 'Rome wasn't built in a day' and to focus instead on the next electoral test: the London mayoralty. Petrolhead Howard Cox, the founder of the Fair Fuel UK campaign, is running as Reform's candidate in the capital.

Thursday

James Heale

Can Kemi brush off the Brexiteers on EU law?

11 min listen

Will Kemi Badenoch, the business and trade secretary, lose her supporters in the ERG, after the government confirmed that it would be going back on its pledge to remove all EU legislation from UK law by the end of 2023? James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Kate Andrews.