Katy Balls

Katy Balls

Katy Balls is The Spectator’s former political editor.

Thursday

Katy Balls

Now what? The government’s Covid optimism is fading fast

When the news broke on Sunday morning that Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak planned to skip self-isolation — availing themselves of a loophole — the reaction was as much disbelief as fury. Could the Prime Minister and Chancellor, even for a second, think it right to excuse themselves from the Test and Trace regime that they have imposed on millions? They changed their minds (after just a few hours) but it raised wider concerns in the party: what on earth were they thinking? And is this typical of the quality of decision-making we can expect ahead of a tricky few weeks? Of course they both had other plans in mind for so-called ‘freedom day’.

Wednesday

Katy Balls

Why isn’t Starmer properly scrutinising the government?

13 min listen

On the 80th anniversary of Prime Minister's Questions, viewers were treated to a distinctly lacklustre performance today. James Forsyth argues that Starmer's questions are still too long; and proper scrutiny is not helped by the technical issues that accompanied the Prime Minister's virtual contribution. Isabel Hardman talks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth.

Tuesday

Katy Balls

How much vaccine coercion will Boris use?

11 min listen

It's the day after 'freedom' day and it's not entirely clear just how free we are, with the prime minister last night say that from September nightclub goers will have to prove their vaccination status or provide a negative test. But with just the threat of vaccine passports leading to record appointments booked in both Israel and France could this method get us to herd immunity? Katy Balls talks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman.

Monday

Katy Balls

Boris Johnson’s sombre ‘freedom day’ press conference

On the day that nearly all legal Covid restrictions go, one could be forgiven for presuming ministers would be in the mood for celebration. Instead the press conference Boris Johnson led this afternoon to mark so-called freedom day proved a sombre affair. The Prime Minister was forced to dial in remotely after having to self isolate as a result of coming into close contact with the Health Secretary last week, who has since tested positive for Covid. From his self isolation, Johnson went on to unveil plans for vaccine passports for nightclubs and contingency plans to keep the country moving as millions face self isolation in the coming weeks.

Katy Balls

Does it feel like Freedom Day?

13 min listen

Yesterday in what was the quickest public turnaround in government history. The prime minister and the chancellor are now in isolation after getting pinged for being too close to the Covid ridden health secretary Sajid Javid. There is something a little ironic about the leaders of the country being locked up on what was initially billed as 'Freedom Day', but it is a keen reminder we are just one ping away from losing our new found liberation. Katy Balls speaks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman.

Katy Balls

Green and Global Britain

59 min listen

Britain is already making moves on the global stage to back a green agenda, including calls to slash tariffs on ‘green goods’ and to hold countries responsible for heavily polluting practices. But as Britain reopens after Covid-19 and plans for ‘Global Britain’ take off, will the green agenda become a dominant feature of our trade negotiations, or a side-line strategy? What does Britain have to offer its trading partners when it comes to negative emissions and boosting global recovery? Can Britain lead the way in the export of green technologies such as carbon capture and hydrogen? In what areas can international cooperation on climate change be enhanced through trade?

Sunday

Katy Balls

Why No. 10 U-turned on Boris and Rishi’s self-isolation

It's the eve of so-called 'freedom day' and the government has been forced into a U-turn over its use of a pilot testing scheme. After Sajid Javid tested positive for Covid, both Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak were contacted by NHS Test and Trace having met with the health secretary on Friday.  However, rather than actually self isolate, Downing Street initially announced that the pair would be exempt — instead needing to simply take daily tests as part of the scheme. Following a furious backlash from all sides, that decision has been reversed less than three hours later. Announcing the news, a Downing Street spokesperson said: The Prime Minister has been contacted by NHS Test and Trace to say he is a contact of someone with Covid.

Thursday

Katy Balls

The Trudy Harrison Edition

37 min listen

Trudy Harrison is the Conservative MP for Copeland and currently works as the Prime Minster's Parliamentary Private Secretary. On the podcast, she talks about how when she was younger she always thought she'd be a nanny and how that maternal nature developed into her own childcare business, then local politics and finally the House of Commons. Trudy also bought in a bunch of her own home grown flowers for the podcast team, making her one of our favourite guests ever.

Wednesday

Katy Balls

Boris warned as Tory MPs re-elect Brady

13 min listen

Tory MPs today re-elected Graham Brady as chair of the 1922 Committee - the group that represents backbench Conservatives to the government. Brady, who has voted against the government's coronavirus laws, was standing against Heather Wheeler, who was seen as a candidate more aligned to No. 10. Despite having an 80-seat majority, Boris has been warned. Katy Balls speaks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman.

Katy Balls

Starmer’s PMQs attack line could spell trouble for Boris

Prime Minister's Questions proved a rather testy affair today as both Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer barked questions at each other across the Commons floor. After the Prime Minister unveiled his plans on Monday for a big bang reopening in which legal rules will be replaced by a focus on personal responsibility, Starmer urged caution.  The Labour leader quizzed Johnson on the health impact of this decision. He asked what the government estimate was for the number of hospitalisations if cases hit 50,000 a day. Johnson declined to say.

Tuesday

Katy Balls

Javid’s lockdown balancing act

12 min listen

Sajid Javid today said there could be 100,000 Covid cases a day in summer. He said the government would be focusing on hospitalisation and death figures, but added Britain was in 'uncharted territory for any country in the world'. Many thought of the new health secretary as a lockdown sceptic, so why is he urging caution? Isabel Hardman speaks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls.

Monday

Katy Balls

How free will 19 July feel?

12 min listen

In a bonus Coffee House Shots, James Forsyth and Katy Balls breakdown the announcement from the Prime Minister this evening about the end of Covid restrictions and try to piece together why something that should feel like a celebration seems so stoic.

Katy Balls

Boris Johnson’s Covid double act

Boris Johnson used today's press conference to unveil the government's plan for stage four of the roadmap. Announcing that the public need to learn to live with Covid, the Prime Minister declared his intention from 19 July to reopen all remaining businesses, lift limits on gatherings and lift the bulk of rules on wearing a mask. While no final decision on what happens on 19 July will be made until next week, Johnson said it was time to move away from 'legal restrictions and allow people to make their own informed decisions'. Although the contents of the PM's statement points towards a big bang reopening, Johnson's tone was rather more cautious.

Katy Balls

What to expect from the big bang reopening

13 min listen

Boris Johnson will announce details of the 19 July reopening later today. According to reports over the weekend, masks will be ditched, social distancing will be scrapped, indoor venues will open to full capacity and mass events will be allowed. Katy Balls speaks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman about the plans. The government has made much of the reopening being 'irreversible'. On the podcast, James says it puts them vulnerable political position: 'As you see in Israel, where they've had to reintroduce the mask mandate, using the word "irreversible" when it comes to Covid is a political hostage to fortune.' There has been a notable change in tone since Savid Javid become health secretary.

Katy Balls

Boris Johnson’s plan for ‘freedom day’

Four weeks later than planned, ministers are preparing to lift nearly all Covid restrictions from 19 July. This afternoon, Boris Johnson will lead a press conference in which he will unveil plans for so-called freedom day later this month. At the same time, the new Health Secretary Sajid Javid will address MPs in the Commons. The announcement doesn't mean 19 July is definitely going ahead; that will be confirmed next week. However, the mood music in government is very optimistic with ministers taking the view that rising cases aren't an issue as the vaccine has successfully weakened the link between cases, hospitalisations and deaths.  When it comes to the rules that are on course to be lifted, nearly all legally binding Covid restrictions are due to go.

Friday

Katy Balls

What went wrong for the Tories in Batley and Spen?

What went wrong for the Tories in Batley and Spen? That’s the question Conservative MPs are asking after the party failed to win the seat from Labour in yesterday’s by-election. In a way, it’s a strange question to ask. The seat has been Labour since 1997 and wasn’t seen as a key target by Conservative Campaign Headquarters ahead of the 2019 election. It isn’t an obvious potential Tory gain. Yet after George Galloway decided to stand, the general consensus among pollsters, pundits and Conservative MPs was that the Tory party was on course to win it.

Katy Balls

What should Keir Starmer do with the Batley and Spen win?

12 min listen

In an extremely close race Labour candidate and sister to the late Jo Cox Kim Leadbeater has won her by-election with a majority of just 323. What will the opposition do with this narrow but note worthy win? And is it time to for the tories to admit they aren't as invincible as they first thought? To discuss Katy Balls is joined by James Forsyth and Isobel Hardman.

Thursday

Katy Balls

What happens if Starmer loses Batley and Spen?

12 min listen

Reports emerged overnight that Angela Rayner's allies are ready to mount a leadership challenge if Keir Starmer loses Batley and Spen tomorrow. What will happen if the Tories win another Labour heartland seat? James Forsyth speaks to Katy Balls.On the podcast, Katy says there are similarities between Starmer and former prime minister Theresa May after the 2017 election. Katy says: 'Authority is slowly draining away from them. They cannot move the top team in the way they wanted to - Angela Rayner is someone who has more authority as a result of Starmer's reshuffle rather than less.'James says the problem could've been avoided if Labour chose not to let Tracey Brabin stand to be West Yorkshire mayor.

Wednesday

Katy Balls

What will life look like on 19 July?

When the cabinet met on Tuesday, ministers agreed that once the roadmap is complete the country will be able to live with Covid — even if cases continue to rise. The implication is that so long as the vaccines continue to work, there will be no going back after 19 July. There is increased optimism over that date as the day of the final easing. It is, in part, out of necessity.  Not only are Tory MPs on the rampage about the four-week delay from 21 June, but ministers also sense a growing backlash among the public over the half and half rules which mean full capacity for the Wimbledon final yet leave restaurants only able to fill a portion of their capacity.