Megan McElroy

It’s over. Sir Keir Starmer has finally done the deed and quit. After years spent berating the Tories for constantly changing leader, fighting among themselves and looking inwards, Labour has succumbed to the same fate in less than two years. The path now looks clear for Andy Burnham to descend on Westminster and triumphantly assume the Labour leadership at the third time of asking. So what happens next? Will anyone contest Burnham’s bid to become prime minister? And will he be able to resist calls for a general election? Megan McElroy speaks to Tim Shipman and Noa Hoffman. Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Megan McElroy.

Donald Trump has announced a deal to end the war between Iran and the US, but in Westminster, the relief comes with serious questions. What does the deal actually contain? Will the Strait of Hormuz reopen quickly enough to bring down oil prices? And could any economic boost come too late to save Keir Starmer? Elsewhere, Keir Starmer has announced under-16s will be banned from social media by spring 2027. The policy may be popular with parents, but the details remain sketchy: how would it be enforced, would it require facial recognition or digital ID, and could teenagers simply get around it with VPNs? Tim Shipman and Michael Simmons discuss with Megan McElroy.

Canvassing in Makerfield continues at pace ahead of the by-election in two weeks time, so we dispatched Megan McElroy and James Heale to the north to report from the ground. They discuss each party’s ground game, why it looks like a Labour–Reform shoot-out, whether Restore will split the vote on the right and – most importantly – Nigel Farage’s Desert Island Discs. This comes after revelations in Lord Ashcroft’s book claimed that Farage has effectively been banned from appearing on the programme, a story that has dominated the papers over the last 48 hours, evidencing the continued interest in brand Farage. James spoke with Nigel earlier this morning and can bring the Reform leader’s favourite tracks, book and luxury item exclusively to Coffee House Shots listeners.

Peter Murrell, the SNP’s former chief executive and Nicola Sturgeon’s estranged husband, has admitted embezzling £400,000 in party funds. The guilty plea has revived questions about what senior figures in the SNP knew, how long the scandal had been going on, and what happens next. To discuss the story, including some of the ridiculous purchases including a couple of hairdryers (for a bald man) and £2600 salt and pepper shakers, James Heale and Michael Simmons join Megan McElroy.

After a turbulent few weeks, Westminster is in limbo. Keir Starmer appears safe – for now – after Wes Streeting’s underwhelming resignation speech, and all eyes are turning to the Makerfield by-election on 18 June. Until then, the drama seems to have temporarily gone out of Labour’s leadership turmoil. Isabel Hardman and Noa Hoffman join Megan McElroy to discuss Starmer’s ‘pompous’ tone at PMQs, what is really going on with Wes Streeting, and the Essex icon causing a storm on Twitter and inside the Department for Education.

It’s polling day! Tim and James take the opportunity to go through their favourite political books ever, fiction and non-fiction. They discuss the books that have shaped their understanding of politics and make the case for the top spot. Is your favourite on the list? Have you read their number one? And which rankings would you dispute? They discuss with Megan McElroy. If you enjoy Coffee House Shots, you can join Tim Shipman and James Heale live as the election results roll in. Will Starmer survive the night? Are Reform and the Greens about to redraw the political map? And what happens next? Along with a panel of familiar faces and special guests, get the only analysis you’ll need as the political fallout begins. Watch live on Friday at 3 p.m.

Hereditary peers have left their red leather benches for the final time. The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act became law earlier this year, which removes all hereditary peers' right to speak and vote in Parliament by virtue of their family ties. Critics have described their role as indefensible, but others accuse Labour of political point-scoring and vandalising the upper house – removing a 'living part of Britain's constitutional inheritance'. James Heale and Megan McElroy discuss – joined by Lord Strathclyde and Lord Courtenay.

Does Keir Starmer have confidence in Rachel Reeves? Kemi Badenoch pressed the Prime Minister on his Chancellor’s future at PMQs – and he declined to answer, twice. Westminster (and Twitter) is now awash with reshuffle rumours. No 10 has since issued a denial, but the damage may already be done, raising a familiar question: is Keir Starmer just bad at politics? With recess looming and Labour braced for a battering at the local elections, Tim Shipman and Noa Hoffman join Megan McElroy to discuss.

PMQs is back and – predictably – Lord Robertson’s intervention on the state of the armed forces dominated proceedings. The Prime Minister gave six responses to questions about defence spending, none of which addressed the criticism properly. While it was not a painful session for Starmer, it did show how little he has to say and how little authority he seems to have over such a serious matter. Why can’t he just answer the question? Does he want to be back in opposition? Megan McElroy speaks to Tim Shipman and Isabel Hardman. Produced by Megan McElroy and Oscar Edmondson.

George Robertson (pictured), a former defence secretary and former NATO secretary-general, has accused the government of 'corrosive complacency' towards defence, which puts the UK 'in peril'. This is all the more stinging because the Labour peer was one of the authors of the government's Strategic Defence Review – and that makes two of the three who have since criticised it. How much trouble does this spell for Starmer? And is this just the latest battle in the ongoing war between His Majesty's Treasury and the Ministry of Defence? Megan McElroy speaks to James Heale and Lucy Fisher, Whitehall editor of the financial times and who broke the story. Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Megan McElroy.

With one month to go until the local and regional elections, Megan McElroy and James Heale have hit the road with Luke Tryl and Louis O'Geran of More in Common. They report back from the focus groups they've been running in Wales, where voters view Labour through the prism of a double incumbency, as they hold both the Senedd and Westminster. Starmer faces an uphill battle to avoid an historic loss – so is he about to lose Wales? Produced by Megan McElroy and Patrick Gibbons.

The Greens have taken Gorton and Denton, defeating both Labour and Reform in the early hours of this morning. Hannah Spencer’s victory marks the first ever Green by-election gain – but the real shock is Labour’s collapse into third place in one of its safest seats. For Sir Keir Starmer, it’s hard to imagine a worse result. Labour MPs are up bright and early briefing against the Prime Minister, whose odds of a leadership challenge just soared. Tim Shipman and James Heale join Megan McElroy to discuss.

Megan McElroy unpacks a rowdy PMQs with Tim Shipman and Isabel Hardman. Kemi Badenoch made Keir Starmer uncomfortable over student loans but – at a time when trust in the Conservative brand is low – could some of her rhetoric backfire? Plus, what did they make of the revelation that it was the Speaker of the House Lindsay Hoyle that reported Peter Mandelson to police as a flight risk? Produced by Megan McElroy and Patrick Gibbons.

Overnight, Peter Mandelson has been released on bail after being arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He has not commented publicly in recent weeks, though he has previously denied any wrongdoing. How long will this row continue to haunt Labour? With more documents due to be released relating to his appointment as US ambassador, can the party contain the damage — or is this just the beginning? Elsewhere, Keir Starmer has made an unexpected visit to Gorton and Denton. Is this a show of confidence — or a last-ditch attempt to shore up support? Tim Shipman and John McTernan, former political secretary to Tony Blair, join Megan McElroy to discuss.

Reform UK is no longer a one-man band. Nigel Farage has unveiled Reform's four spokesmen for the “great offices of state” at a press conference in Westminster. Recent Tory defector Robert Jenrick has been given the Chancellor brief, Zia Yusuf is in charge of home affairs, Suella Braverman is responsible for education and Richard Tice will look after business and energy. The format resembled a game show like the ‘Weakest Link’ or ‘Take Me Out’. Each of the quartet was introduced, given a spotlight and then had it turned out when their time was up. Is this new 'shadow cabinet' ready for No. 10, or just Tory 2.0? Tim Shipman, James Heale, and Megan McElroy discuss.

Coffee House Shots is on the road today. James Heale and Megan McElroy have travelled up to the frozen north to speak to the candidates who are lobbying locals in the lead-up to the Gorton and Denton by-election. This is the seat vacated by Labour’s Andrew Gwynne, and made famous by Keir Starmer refusing to let Manchester mayor Andy Burnham contest it and complete his return to Westminster. Reform are giving it everything they’ve got – selecting academic and GB News presenter Matthew Goodwin – while some polling suggests that the Green party could do well. Who is in pole position?

China's controversial ‘super embassy’ has been approved, after years of debate over the security risks. Campaigners had called on ministers not to give the site the green light, given its proximity to important internet cables that support the City of London. MI5 have admitted they can't 'wholly eliminate' the national security risks around the site. Megan McElroy is joined by James Heale and Sophia Gaston, research fellow at King's College London, to discuss. There's more international chaos for Keir Starmer too – overnight, Donald Trump described plans to hand over the sovereignty of the Chagos islands as 'an act of great stupidity.' Where on earth does this leave the special relationship?

The Liberal Democrats have unveiled a new strategy on the NHS. Sir Ed set out his big, bold plan this morning: scrapping the UK–US pharmaceutical deal to redirect £1.5 billion into social care. It sounds like a substantial sum – until you remember it amounts to less than 1 per cent of the NHS’s annual budget. In today’s podcast, the team discuss why Ed Davey is leaning into being deliberately boring, in an effort to appeal to the perceived sensibilities of Middle England. Meanwhile, with the dust settling after Nadhim Zahawi’s defection, is Reform at risk of losing its outsider appeal, given that his resignation from government caused such a public outcry? Megan McElroy is joined by Luke Tryl, UK Director of More in Common, and James Heale.

With Budget week finally at an end, certain mysteries remain. Chief among them is why the Chancellor decided to give an emergency speech preparing the public for a rise in income tax. On 4 November, Rachel Reeves summoned journalists to Downing Street early in the morning to warn that ‘the productivity performance we inherited is weaker than previously thought’. She then refused to rule out hiking income tax rates – sending a clear signal to markets that rises were coming. Nine days later, however, the Treasury let it be known via the FT that income tax increases would not be needed after all.