Podcast
Daily political analysis from The Spectator’s top team of writers, including Michael Gove, Tim Shipman, Isabel Hardman, James Heale, Lucy Dunn and many others.
Daily political analysis from The Spectator’s top team of writers, including Michael Gove, Tim Shipman, Isabel Hardman, James Heale, Lucy Dunn and many others.
Coffee House Shots
After a day of speculation, the rumours that Liz Truss was about to U-turn on more areas of the mini-budget proved untrue. Conservative MPs had a tense evening in the 1922 Committee meeting last night – are there any good options left for the Prime Minister? Isabel Hardman speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth.
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
Did Liz Truss misspeak or did she mean it when she said that she wouldn’t go ahead with spending cuts, as promised in her leadership campaign? On the episode, Cindy Yu talks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls about what the Prime Minister could have meant, given the need to balance the books to pay
Play 9 mins
Coffee House Shots
Parliament is back today and Kwasi Kwarteng is facing questions from the opposition as well as from those within his party. How much pressure is he under? Also on the podcast, looking ahead to another fiscal event at the end of the month, are we heading for a series of departmental spending cuts? What would
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
This morning the Chancellor has announced that the government will bring forward both its medium term fiscal event and the accompanying Office for Budget Responsibility forecast. Will Kwarteng exercise some spending restraint to calm the Bank of England? Also on the podcast, after Truss appointed Sunak ally Greg Hands as Minister of State for Trade
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
Max Jeffery, Katy Balls and James Forsyth discuss Liz Truss’s premiership and walk through the various options being cooked up to replace her.
Play 17 mins
Coffee House Shots
Liz Truss attended the European Political Community summit in Prague, where her frosty relations with Macron came to a head. Rather than ‘frenemies’, there were signs of thawing relations between the two. After years of diplomatic tensions over Brexit, immigration and energy, can the two leaders kiss and make up? Katy Balls speaks to Isabel
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
Nadine Dorries, a loyalist to Boris Johnson, has a front-page piece in the Times today, accusing the new Liz Truss government of lurching too far towards the right. As someone who previously backed Liz for leader, is there a growing sense that people wish Boris never left? Also on the podcast, the National Grid has suggested
Play 17 mins
Coffee House Shots
Liz Truss has today delivered her speech to the Conservative Party Conference where she set out the vision for her government. It was arguably the best moment of a difficult week for the party. Has she succeeded in calming Tory nerves? Who are the ‘anti-growth coalition’ that she is taking on? Isabel Hardman speaks to
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
Liz Truss is coming under pressure over another of her policies. Should she increase benefits payments in line with inflation, or in line with earnings, as she would prefer? Will the PM change her mind again? Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth. Produced by Max Jeffery.
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
Kwasi Kwarteng has just spoken at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham defending his mini-Budget, despite having u-turned on the cut to the 45p tax rate this morning. Will his speech have calmed his fellow Tories and, more importantly, the markets? Katy Balls speaks with James Forsyth, Kate Andrews and Isabel Hardman. Produced by Max
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
The Prime Minister has abandoned her plan to scrap the top 45 per cent rate of income tax. Why? Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth. Produced by Max Jeffery.
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
Michael Gove this morning said that Liz Truss’s plans to scrap the top 45 per cent tax rate are a ‘display of the wrong values’. It comes as Jake Berry, the Tory party chairman, confirmed that MPs who vote against the budget would lose the Conservative whip. Has Gove just ruined Truss’s conference? James Heale
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
Despite rejecting the Office for Budget Responsibility’s offer of a forecast to accompany last week’s so-called fiscal event, this morning it appears that the government have u-turned. What can we expect from the OBR’s statement ahead of the November budget? Also on the podcast, after last night’s YouGov poll put Labour ahead by 33 points,
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
Liz Truss broke her silence this morning and embarked on a pre-Tory conference media round of regional stations across the UK. In a brutal set of interviews, the Prime Minister faced questions on tax cutting the rich at the expense of the poor, fracking and bankers’ bonuses. With conference just three days away, what will be
Play 23 mins
Coffee House Shots
The Bank of England has today announced a major intervention into gilts to prevent a ‘material risk’ to financial stability as a result of government policy. How unprecedented is this move? Will Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng break their silence? Are we heading for another leadership election? Kate Andrews speaks with Fraser Nelson and James
Play 18 mins
Coffee House Shots
Keir Stamer took centre stage for his speech at the Labour party conference today. Unlike last year, there were several standing ovations and loud cheers from the audience. Was his speech one to remember in Labour’s history? And has he secured his position as the man to lead Labour back into government? James Heale speaks
Play 10 mins
Coffee House Shots
It’s day two of Labour Conference and the party appear upbeat and confident of their chances at the next election. But are they being too reactionary in their narrative? What do they have to offer other than not being the Conservative party?From Liverpool, James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Isabel Hardman.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
Following Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng’s ‘mini’ budget, the pound has fallen to a record low against the dollar, fueling speculation that the Bank of England will hike interest rates. How worrying are these figures? ‘I think the pound falling is a bit of a distraction from the real problem’ – James Forsyth Katy Balls speaks to Kate
Play 19 mins
Coffee House Shots
Kwasi Kwarteng has today announced what has been dubbed as his mini-Budget, but looking at the scale of the package it is far from small. The Coffee House Shots team take us through what has been revealed. Who are the winners and who are the losers? Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson, James Forsyth and
Play 17 mins
Coffee House Shots
With hours to go till the Chancellor’s fiscal statement, we’ve heard today that the National Insurance hike will be scrapped, as promised during Liz Truss’s leadership campaign. This comes as the Bank of England increases the base rate to 2.25 per cent. How much further will Kwasi Kwarteng go, and just how willing is the
Play 16 mins
Coffee House Shots
Vladimir Putin warned the West that, if pushed, Russia would use a nuclear weapon. How seriously should we take his threat? And reports emerged overnight that Liz Truss will cut stamp duty to increase demand for housing. But will that help more people get onto the housing ladder? Katy Balls speaks to James Forsyth and
Play 15 mins
Coffee House Shots
Liz Truss is in New York today on her first foreign visit as prime minister. On the flight across the Atlantic, Truss said that a trade deal with the United States was unlikely in the ‘short to medium term’. Why has the PM, who was so vocal about a free trade agreement with the US
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
Today was the state funeral of Britain’s longest reigning monarch Queen Elizabeth II. From Westminster, we evaluate the day’s proceedings. Also on the podcast, as the period of mourning ends and politics resumes, can Liz Truss hit the ground running? Will we get some clarity on how much her energy plan will cost? Katy Balls
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
Cindy Yu, James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson discuss the impression Queen Elizabeth II made during her 70 years as a head of state.
Play 16 mins
Coffee House Shots
Two police officers were stabbed this morning near Leicester Square in central London. What can new Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley do to fix the capital’s crime epidemic? And the pound today fell to a 37-year low against the dollar. What can the government do to give the markets confidence? Max Jeffery speaks to Fraser
Play 10 mins
Coffee House Shots
Preparations are well under way for the Queen’s funeral next week, but which world leaders will be in attendance? Will they all be able to behave themselves? Also on the podcast, as the new Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng works quietly in the background, is his idea to scrap caps on banker’s bonuses a risk worth taking?
Play 15 mins
Coffee House Shots
The Queen’s coffin has been taken from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall. Mourners will pay their respects for the next four days before the funeral on Monday. Also on the podcast, James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson discuss the latest news in the Ukraine conflict.
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
King Charles arrived in Belfast where he was met by the new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris. The King has pledged to follow the ‘shining example’ set by his mother during her life of public service. Tonight, the Queen’s body will be moved from Edinburgh to Buckingham Palace where her body will lie-in-state
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
This morning, surrounded by the lead, oak and stone of Westminster Hall, King Charles III addressed parliament. Lindsay Hoyle, speaker of the Commons, introduced him, and said that he knew the new King would ‘bear those responsibilities which fall to you’. King Charles said that he was resolved to follow his mother’s ‘selfless duty’. Katy
Play 16 mins
Coffee House Shots
Freddy Gray, The Spectator‘s deputy editor, is joined by our former editor Charles Moore, and our political editor James Forsyth, to discuss the Queen’s death. What was her coronation like? Should unionists be concerned? How important was the Queen’s faith to her? What do we miss about the Queen?
Play 12 mins