Oscar Edmondson

Keir Starmer is on his first big diplomatic trip to Washington, attending the Nato summit. He has called on member countries to increase defence spending, had a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, and enjoyed a dinner with Joe Biden - all in his first week of the job. How is the trip going, are there any tensions arising, and has it been a success for the new PM?  Oscar Edmondson discusses with James Heale and Sophia Gaston, head of foreign policy at Policy Exchange.

Last nights election Question Time programme was probably the best of the campaign in that it gave space for proper discussion while making all the leaders uncomfortable.  None of the four men questioned over the two hour programme – Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Ed Davey and John Swinney – did badly. There were some good revelatory comments, but Fiona Bruce's questioning exposed each leaders key weakness. Did anyone manage to shift the dial?  Oscar Edmondson speaks to Isabel Hardman and Katy Balls.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

It's yet another gaffe for Rishi Sunak. At yesterday’s D Day anniversary celebrations when it came time for official photographs with Joe Biden, Olaf Scholz and Emmanuel Macron, it was Lord Cameron, not Rishi Sunak, who did the honours for Britain. With the prime minister reportedly leaving early to do a pre-recorded political interview with ITV. He has since apologised, but can he bounce back from this one?  Oscar Edmondson speaks to Katy Balls and Isabel Hardman.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

Keir Starmer is now putting the final touches to this with a last minute purge of pre-existing candidates and MPs who risk frustrating their election campaign. There is an ongoing row about whether Diane Abbott, the former shadow home secretary, will be barred from standing, but who else might join her?  Oscar Edmondson speaks to Katy Balls and James Heale.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

The first big new policy announcement of the election campaign is in from the Tories, and it’s likely to be a talker. Where Keir Starmer appears to be opting for a ‘ming vase’ strategy – trying not to rock the boat ahead of polling day – the Tories are leaning towards the opposite. At 20 points behind in the polls, aides believe they need headline-grabbing, bold policies in order to get the public’s attention. The first of which is the return of mandatory national service. What's the thinking behind this one?  Oscar Edmondson speaks to Katy Balls and Fraser Nelson.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) confirmed this morning that the UK confined its technical recession to 2023. The economy grew by 0.6 per cent in the first three months of the year, thanks in large part to stronger-than-expected growth in March, which reached 0.4 per cent. But is the plan really working?  Also on the podcast, Keir Starmer gave a speech in Dover this morning on Labour's plans to stop the boats. He also took the opportunity to unveil new Labour MP Natalie Elphicke. Is there any clear blue water between Labour and the Tories when it comes to migration?  Oscar Edmondson speaks to Kate Andrews and James Heale.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

It's looking like the worst night for the Conservatives in 40 years. The prediction – that the Tories will lose about half of the council seats they are defending – looks on track so far. Labour comfortably won the Blackpool South by-election with a 26 per cent swing and it has also taken several key councils, including Rushmoor which has been Tory-run for the last 24 years. A Gaza backlash has seen Labour lose Oldham while the Conservatives have suffered a string of council losses, coming within 120 votes being beaten by Reform in Blackpool. Oscar Edmondson speaks to Katy Balls and Fraser Nelson.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

Sunak's top team is considering another ban: smartphones for teens. A consultation is due to begin this month that will question whether children need a smartphone, and if social media should require age verification. Could the debate bring the party together?  Also, there's another suspension in Westminster. Mark Menzies has been suspended after claims he made a late night call to ask for money to pay off 'bad people'. He strongly disputes the claims.  Oscar Edmondson speaks to Katy Balls and James Heale.  Produced by Megan McElroy.

Today we have had the Cass Review, a landmark report into gender services for children in England, authored by paediatrician Hilary Cass. She concludes that medical interventions were being made on the basis of 'remarkably weak' evidence and that there is a lack of a holistic approach to those questioning their gender. How big of an issue will gender politics be at the next election? Also on the podcast, after William Wragg gave up the whip last night will his decision to voluntarily resign call into question Rishi Sunak's authority?  Oscar Edmondson speaks to Isabel Hardman and James Heale.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

There is anxiety in parts of Starmer’s circle about Sue Gray appointing jobs in a Starmer-led Downing Street. When she’s in No.10 she’ll ‘be in her natural territory and running rings around everyone’, a former colleague told Katy Balls in her profile of 'the Gray lady' for The Spectator this week. How is Sue Gray shaking things up as Keir Starmer’s chief of staff?  Oscar Edmondson speaks to Katy Balls and Jill Rutter, former senior civil servant.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

Labour kicked off their local elections campaign today with a joint op-ed from Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner in the Times promising to empower localities and put an end to the regional divide. This is all encompassed in their Take Back Control Act … where have we heard that before? Rather than a seamless launch, the Labour leader has been met with difficult questions over Angela Rayner's tax affairs and the suggestion that the shadow education secretary could scrap the £4 billion expansion of free childcare.  Oscar Edmondson speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Heale.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

Former Conservative MP Scott Benton has resigned, triggering a by-election in Blackpool South. The outgoing MP had the Tory whip removed after suggesting to undercover reporters that he would be willing to break lobbying rules for money. Oscar Edmondson speaks to James Heale and Katy Balls about the likelihood of another Tory election defeat in Blackpool South, plus whether the Conservatives are pivoting on their China stance following an alleged cybersecurity threat.

George Galloway has won a resounding victory in Rochdale, after a chaotic and messy by-election in which Labour was forced to disown its own candidate after he claimed Israel had allowed Hamas to attack on October 7th. Former Labour MP Galloway – standing for the Workers Party of Britain – won on a single issue campaign, criticising the Israel-Gaza war and in particular the response of Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak to the conflict. How bad is the result for Labour? Oscar Edmondson speaks to Katy Balls and James Heale.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

Liz Truss continues to haunt Rishi Sunak. Labour leader Keir Starmer took aim at her recent exploits at CPAC in the US during prime minister's questions today. Starmer called on the prime minister to remove the whip after Truss claimed that her premiership was sabotaged by the 'deep state'. What's Truss up to this time?  Also on the podcast, chancellor Jeremy Hunt will deliver his budget next week. We expect that he will have made his final decision on the March 6th budget by the end of the week. What do we know so far?  Oscar Edmondson speaks to Katy Balls and Kate Andrews.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

Tory MP Simon Clarke called for Rishi Sunak to resign last night. In a piece in the Telegraph, he wrote that the Prime Minister was ‘uninspiring’ and ‘does not get what Britain needs.’ Will other Conservative MPs also demand Sunak resign, or will they unify around their leader? Oscar Edmondson speaks to Katy Balls and James Heale.

Last night the US and the UK launched airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen whose continued attacks are disrupting trade in the Red Sea. The decision to sanction military action has been broadly welcomed in Westminster, but some have urged the PM to hold a retrospective vote on airstrikes amid fears that the UK risks being sucked into a tinder-box region. Will these airstrikes increase tensions in the Middle East? What impact will they have on the economy?   Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak is in Kyiv where he has announced a landmark new package of support for Ukraine totalling £2.5 billion.  Oscar Edmondson speaks to Katy Balls and Simon Mayall, former British Army officer and Middle East advisor at the MoD.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Max Jeffery.

At PMQs today Rishi Sunak took the opportunity to announce that the government will be introducing legislation to 'swiftly' exonerate the victims of the Post Office scandal. Keir Starmer chose not to probe, instead grilling Rishi on his commitment to curbing migration. With the Safety of Rwanda Bill returning to the Commons next week, will the prime minister be able to juggle demands from the left and the right of his party and avoid a rebellion? Oscar Edmondson speaks to Katy Balls and Isabel Hardman. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. The Spectator is hiring! We are looking for a new producer to join our broadcast team working across our suite of podcasts – including this one – as well as our YouTube channel Spectator TV.

The Liberal Democrats began their 2024 campaigning this week by unveiling a huge poster branding them as ‘Ed Davey’s Tory Removal Service’, but they will have to be more than just the 'none of the above party' if they hope to make a difference come the election. What do the Lib Dems stand for? And can they turn by-election success into election success?  Oscar Edmondson speaks to James Heale and Nick Tyrone, author of the This Week in Brexitland substack. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. The Spectator is hiring! We are looking for a new producer to join our broadcast team working across our suite of podcasts – including this one – as well as our YouTube channel Spectator TV. Follow the link to read the full job listing: https://spectator.

It was a big day in the Covid inquiry as Boris Johnson gave evidence for the first time. Just as Johnson launched into an apology during his opening statement, protestors off-camera made their presence known. There were also revelations concerning the attention he paid to Sage minutes and Cobra meetings and the former prime minister defended his decision not to lock down sooner. What else did we learn? Was this a turning point in the perception of the inquiry?  Oscar Edmondson speaks to James Heale and Michael Simmons.

The chancellor Jeremy Hunt will deliver his autumn statement next week and Rishi Sunak will be hoping to stamp his authority onto a fracturing party after a difficult few days. There are lots of rumours swirling around about what might be included, such as cuts to inheritance tax and to taxes for small businesses. What should we expect?  Oscar Edmondson speaks to James Heale and Isabel Hardman.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.