Latest from Coffee House

Latest from Coffee House

All the latest analysis of the day's news and stories

Isabel Hardman

Stephen Crabb: how my mother inspired my vision of welfare reform

Earlier, I republished my interview with Stephen Crabb, the new Work and Pensions Secretary. He was, then, Wales Secretary – not all of his (many) thoughts on welfare reform made the cut. So I’ve been through the transcript, and posted more of this comments below: they give a better idea of what the new welfare secretary is like.

Iain Duncan Smith’s resignation letter: full text

I am incredibly proud of the welfare reforms that the Government has delivered over the last five years. Those reforms have helped to generate record rates of employment and in particular a substantial reduction in workless households. As you know, the advancement of social justice was my driving reason for becoming part of your ministerial

Fraser Nelson

Iain Duncan Smith resigns in protest at the Budget

In the last few minutes, Iain Duncan Smith has released a letter of resignation from his post as Work & Pensions Secretary. The proximate cause is the Budget cuts to disability benefits. He knew about them, but had wanted a consultation paper to be published so the government could make the argument carefully, over many weeks, given that this

Alex Massie

George Osborne is the most over-rated politician in Britain

Many moons ago, Charles J Haughey, Taoiseach of the 26 free counties, bestowed a great compliment upon an up-and-coming young Fianna Fail politician. Bertie Ahern, Haughey observed, was the coming force: “He’s the man. He’s the best, the most skilful, the most devious, and the most cunning of them all.” Now, granted, that kind of praise was

Steerpike

Watch: Ukip candidate blames litter in Cardiff on migrants

Oh dear. Gareth Bennett may soon regret his decision to appear on today’s Daily Politics. Bennett, who leads Ukip’s regional list in South Wales Central, agreed to be interviewed on the show after he came under fire this week for blaming increased litter in Cardiff on East European migrants. During his appearance on the BBC

James Forsyth

New YouGov poll puts Labour ahead

When an ICM phone poll this week had Labour level with the Tories for the first time since Jeremy Corbyn became leader, even the pollster cast doubt on the finding. But today, YouGov has Labour ahead by a point—34% to 33%. YouGov’s Anthony Wells says that this suggests ‘something is genuinely afoot’. Now, as the

Money digest: today’s need-to-know financial news | 18 March 2016

The devil is in the detail – as George Osborne is finding out to his cost. Following the Chancellor’s 2016 Budget, delivered to the House of Commons on Wednesday, companies, financial experts and journalists have been poring over the fine print. In a damning verdict, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) warned that Britons should ‘all

Steerpike

Watch: SNP politician in a spin on Question Time over free school meals

This week’s Question Time saw David Dimbleby joined by a panel comprised of Emily Thornberry, Roger Helmer, Nicky Morgan, Tasmina Sheikh and Institute of Economic Affairs director Mark Littlewood. With the Budget up for debate, Morgan found herself having to defend her party’s planned cuts. Alas things didn’t go to plan when she appeared to

Steerpike

Zac Goldsmith tries to win Ken Livingstone’s vote

Zac Goldsmith’s campaign for mayor is nothing if not ambitious. Despite lagging behind Sadiq Khan in the polls, the Conservative candidate remains hopeful that he can beat the Labour candidate in the mayoral race. In fact, Goldsmith’s team appear to be so confident that they are even going after individuals who are unlikely to be convinced to vote blue.

Steerpike

George Osborne bullied in the playground

Is George Osborne’s newly announced Budget already losing him the youth vote? After the Chancellor of the Exchequer revealed plans to introduce a sugar tax on fizzy drinks and extend the school day, he received a lukewarm reception on a visit St Benedict’s Catholic Primary School in Garforth, Yorkshire. There to watch a netball lesson,

Steerpike

Did The Times get cold feet about the ‘desperate chancellor’?

Yesterday George Osborne found himself accused of using spin to distract attention from his missed financial targets — with the introduction of the sugar tax. Matters weren’t helped when the Chancellor’s former chief of staff Rupert Harrison appeared to admit — in a BBC interview — that the tax was introduced in the hope that it

Isabel Hardman

Budget 2016: Osborne gets the front pages he wanted

Normally, a set of newspaper splashes featuring a Chancellor’s most controversial Budget policy would be judged a bad thing. But today’s newspaper front pages are, by and large, just what George Osborne wanted. The sugar tax is just too irresistible to headline writers – and too controversial a policy not to grab attention and provoke endless debate.

Money digest: today’s need-to-know financial news | 17 March 2016

George Osborne gave middle England plenty to smile about in yesterday’s Budget by cutting business rates, helping savers and taking 600,000 people out of higher rate tax. Today’s Money blog looks at the day after the night before while, in other financial news, Fidelity International has warned that the retirement income gap is not just a