Katy Balls is The Spectator’s former political editor.
31 min listen
Dehenna Davison is the MP for Bishop Auckland, and a rising star in Boris Johnson's 2019 'red wall' intake. On this episode, recorded just after Conservative party conference, Dehenna tells Katy about what it was like to lose her father to a pub brawl so young, getting her work marked in Latin by Jacob Rees-Mogg and her plans to go to a Taylor Swift concert with the Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.
10 min listen
Although Boris won over the audience during his conference speech, the opinion polls might say otherwise. Starmer's voice of reason could be starting to resonate with the public as the cost of living continues to rise. Underlying tensions with businesses are also still bubbling. Are they really to blame for labour shortages? And what now is the biggest threat facing the Tories? Cindy Yu speaks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth.
17 min listen
Marking the end of the conference, Boris Johnson gave what James Forsyth describes as ‘the most Boris speech possible’. The Prime Minister set out his ambition for ‘radical and optimistic conservativism' and won over the crowd with his characteristic jokes. The Conservatives are in a strong position, but was the speech enough to retain support across the country amid a fuel crisis and labour shortages? And was the lack of concrete policies a problem? Isabel Hardman speaks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth.
When Boris Johnson addressed his party in his first in-person conference leader's speech since winning a majority of 80 seats, he did it in a different hall to the room his ministers have spoken in this week. The larger set not only helped make the Prime Minister's speech stand out, it also meant that it could take on the form of a rally. The main stage was surrounded by supporters holding placards with various government slogans. It was a theme of Johnson's rallying speech as he crowbarred 'levelling up' and 'build back better' (at one point morphing into 'build back beaver') into a lively address to his party — aimed at reminding them why he was an election winner.
10 min listen
It is day three at the Conservative party conference and, as Isabel says on the podcast, Boris Johnson started the day a ‘little tetchy’ on his morning media round-up. After being told by Nick Robinson to ‘stop talking’ on Radio 4, the Prime Minister clashed with the host when asked about rising wages and inflation. Where the Tories stand on working from home has also been up for debate during the conference. With some ministers eager to get Britons back to their desks, there are whispers that backbenchers don't agree. Katy Balls speaks to Isabel Hardman and James Forsyth.
54 min listen
Katy Balls, James Forsyth, Isabel Hardman and Fraser Nelson are joined by special guest, the American pollster Frank Luntz, in this episode of Coffee House Shots, recorded in front of a live audience at Conservative Party Conference. They discuss what it means to be a Conservative these days, whether 'levelling up' means anything and who should be the next Tory party leader.
As the big winner of the reshuffle, Liz Truss's appointment as Foreign Secretary set the cat among the pigeons. Truss is the first Conservative woman to take on the brief and cuts a rather different figure to her predecessor Dominic Raab who was, by comparison, publicity shy. Since her promotion, there has been a non-stop stream of Twitter and Instagram posts documenting her meetings in New York, Mexico and Westminster. Today in Manchester, Truss gave her first speech to a domestic audience on what she wants to achieve.
11 min listen
The Conservative party conference is underway, and Boris Johnson appeared on The Marr Show this morning to talk about the petrol crisis, the shortage of HGV drivers, and Wayne Couzens. James Forsyth and Katy Balls discuss the weekend's events.
15 min listen
Ministers are bracing for the ‘EFFing crisis’ - that’s energy, fuel and food. As shortages are set to continue for months ahead, the knock-on effects have started to snowball. Will families have a turkey for Christmas? Will inflation cause the costs of living to spiral out of control? Can businesses cope with labour shortages? Katy Balls is joined by James Forsyth and Kate Andrews to discuss.
15 min listen
On this week's episode, Douglas Murray examines the left's tactics of victimhood in the wake of the Labour conference. (00:48) Then James Walton gives us his review of the new Bond film, No Time to Die. (08:34)And finally, Katy Balls talks about how the CO2 shortage could lead to a lack of her beloved Irn Bru.
15 min listen
A shortage of HGV drivers has led to empty petrol pumps and talk that supermarket shelves could be empty come Christmas. Delivery firms want the government to ease immigration rules to fill the gap, but, aside from allowing a small number of emergency visas, they have refused to step in. Why? Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth.
14 min listen
As Wayne Couzens receives his sentence today, Harriet Harman has called for Cressida Dick to resign over the Met's handling of the death of Sarah Everard. It's not the first time Dick has faced pressure to resign (not even this year), but her tenure as police chief was renewed only earlier this month. So will she - should she - go? Cindy Yu talks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls.
39 min listen
In this week’s episode: is Boris Johnson running on empty or is a weak opposition giving him the momentum he needs? Kate Andrews asks in her cover story this week if Boris Johnson’s government has run out of ideas – as well as petrol. Katy Balls also writes in the magazine that the opposition seems unable to take advantage of the government’s failures. Katy and Kate join William on the podcast to give their takes on the state of both parties. (00:51) Also this week: what is behind China’s latest crackdown on cryptocurrency? Ian Williams writes in this week’s Spectator that the CCP’s latest move to criminalise anyone dealing in cryptocurrency is to clear the decks for China’s new, state-sanctioned digital currency.
There aren’t many countries where Coca-Cola isn’t the most popular drink. Scotland is one of them. And unlike some of the others — such as North Korea or Cuba — it’s not because Coke isn’t sold. It’s because of the popularity of Irn Bru, Scotland’s ‘other national drink’. Few soft drinks have such a devoted following as Irn Bru. It has inspired tattoos, poetry (‘a drop ae yer liquid gold’) and — in true Scottish style — its own batter. Why is it so popular? It helps that it is an excellent hangover cure, but it has something else going for it — a sense of fun. Irn Bru is known for pushing things a little too far in advertising campaigns.
There is relief in the opposition leader's office this morning following a broadly warm reception to Keir Starmer's speech at Labour conference. An Opinium poll found that when chunks of the speech were surveyed on a group of 1,330 people, 63 per cent agreed with what he had to say and 62 per cent said he was competent. The front pages, too, are encouraging for Starmer with the papers focussing in on his effort to separate himself from Corbynism and learn from the Blair years. The Mirror has hailed it as one step 'closer to power', the Times says he made a 'reasonable fist' of it while the Sun has blasted Starmer over how long it went on for.
As the Tories faced multiple crises this week, Keir Starmer’s party was busy in Brighton doing what it does best: arguing with itself. The Labour conference has been dominated by internal rows about rule changes, a shadow cabinet resignation and whether or not Tories can be called ‘scum’. Labour’s failure to focus on the chaos at petrol stations or chastise the Tories for incompetence was enough to baffle international visitors. ‘Why didn’t Starmer start conference at a petrol station in Brighton trying to fill people’s cars?’ one experienced diplomat asked me. ‘It would have been everywhere.’ Starmer had hoped to use the conference to end his party’s navel-gazing and outline his vision It is a good question.
15 min listen
After a rocky few days, Sir Keir Starmer has delivered his first in person speech as Labour leader to conclude the 2021 Labour Party Conference. The 90-minute speech featured hecklers, multiple references to ‘tools’ and 17 standing ovations. But was it enough to win over the country or even his party? Katy Balls speaks to Isabel Hardman and James Forsyth.
12 min listen
With petrol and gas supply issues still continuing Labour doesn't seem to be focusing on this important issue gripping the nation. Instead, though Starmer had a victory in pushing through his changes in regards to Labour leadership voting, his parade was rained on by the resignation of Andy McDonald over disputes about the minimum wage.Isabel Hardman and Katy Balls join us from the conference in Brighton along with James Forsyth in London.
It’s been a bruising few days for Keir Starmer at Labour conference. The Labour leader has had to deal with internal warfare and in the process lost a member of his shadow cabinet. Tomorrow, Starmer will attempt to move past the turbulence of the last 48 hours and set out his vision to the public. Given that this will be Starmer’s first conference speech in front of the membership (the last conference was remote due to Covid restrictions), it is a test for his authority and his ability to connect both with his party and the public.
-7 min listen
With images of long queues at the petrol station dominating social media this weekend, not due to lack of petrol but lack of drivers, the Labour party conference continues in Brighton. Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves made more of an impact with her speech than some others, but Labour's real problem at this conference seems to be finding a distinct message to rally the party loyal. Katy Balls speaks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman.
