Katy Balls

It’s back to school day for kids up and down the country, and also back to school for our politicians who have returned from summer recess. To celebrate, Keir Starmer has announced that one-word Ofsted classifications will be scrapped with immediate effect. Is this the right move?  Also on the podcast, we have had the official launches of several Tory leadership campaigns in the last few days. What's the latest?  Oscar Edmondson speaks to Fraser Nelson and Katy Balls.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

The Tory leadership contest is still rumbling on, and we're lucky enough to still have weeks to go! In this Saturday episode, we assess which of the candidates would create the biggest problem for Keir Starmer. Who would be most frustrating at the dispatch box, and whose politics would be the most difficult for him? Who might be a slightly easier opponent? Megan McElroy speaks to Katy Balls and John McTernan, political strategist and former political secretary to Tony Blair.

Keir Starmer's biographer Tom Baldwin has revealed that the PM has removed a portrait of Margaret Thatcher from No 10. The portrait was originally commissioned by Gordon Brown. Why has he bothered to get rid of it? Elsewhere, the government has more plans for health, and select committees have some surprising new candidates. Megan McElroy speaks to Isabel Hardman and Katy Balls.

Keir Starmer has confirmed that the government is looking at plans to revive Sunak's smoking ban legislation. They may go even further - reports suggest they will seek to extend the current indoor ban for hospitality venues, to outdoor places such as pub gardens. What's the rationale behind this, and where could it lead? How popular is the measure with the public? And, following Starmer's speech on Tuesday about the economic problems the nation faces, is this another thing for business to worry about? Patrick Gibbons speaks to Katy Balls and Kate Andrews.

Winter is coming. That’s the message from Keir Starmer’s set-piece speech this morning from the No. 10 rose garden. After a tricky few weeks for the new Prime Minister on cronyism claims and anxiety about cuts to the winter fuel allowance, Starmer and his team attempted seize the agenda with a speech looking ahead to the months to come. However, anyone hoping for optimism will be disappointed, with Starmer warning things can only get worse. How bad can they be? James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Fraser Nelson.

Women with Balls has taken a summer break and will be back in September with a new series. Until then, here's an episode from the archives, with current Tory leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch MP. Widely seen as one of the Conservative Party’s rising stars upon her election to Parliament in 2017, her star has only continued to rise. Serving under successive PMs, this episode was recorded in May 2022 when she was Minister of State for Local Government, Faith and Communities, and for Equalities. Now many consider her the frontrunner to be Tory leader.  On the podcast, Kemi talks about her childhood in Nigeria and the golden ticket that was her UK passport, hacking Harriet Harman and what it's like to be a 'rising star'.

Should Keir Starmer go on holiday whilst the country is still grappling with violent disorder? In a YouGov poll on Thursday 71% of those surveyed said he shouldn’t. The PM is meant to be heading off on a summer break on Monday but that is looking increasingly unlikely. We still haven’t got the final word from No.10 but we we thought it was a good opportunity to take a look at the politics of prime ministerial holidays. Oscar Edmondson speaks to Katy Balls and Jon Rentoul, chief political commentator at the Independent.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

Elon Musk has it in for the Labour government, his latest tweet screenshotting a racist comment Labour MP Lauren Edwards made over a decade ago. On this episode, Lucy Dunn talks to Katy Balls and John McTernan about whether Big Tech can be regulated, and how DSIT Secretary Peter Kyle thinks the government should treat tech tycoons. Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Cindy Yu.

The last week has been dominated by rioting, and last night was expected to be a particularly explosive night. How did it measure up against expectations?  Meanwhile, the Tory leadership race continues to chug along, with each of the six candidates providing their own take on Keir Starmer's response to the violent disorder. Rishi Sunak has been surprisingly absent. How do you provide effective opposition during a time of civil disobedience? Lucy Dunn speaks to Katy Balls and Paul Goodman, former editor of Conservative Home.  Produced by Cindy Yu and Oscar Edmondson.