Podcast

Coffee House Shots

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

Who won the second leadership debate?

Isabel Hardman, James Forsyth and Katy Balls pick through tonight’s ITV debate with the five candidates for Prime Minister.

Play 13 mins

Coffee House Shots

Tory leadership debate: who won?

In the first televised Tory leadership debate, the five remaining candidates set out their stalls on trust in politics, tax cuts and the NHS ahead of the next round of voting on Monday. How did each candidate fare tonight? Katy Balls speaks to Isabel Hardman and James Forsyth.

Play 16 mins

Coffee House Shots

How many MPs can Truss take from Braverman?

The ERG’s favoured candidate, Suella Braverman, dropped out of the Tory leadership race last night. This morning, ERG chair Mark Francois said that he wanted the 60-strong group to now back Liz Truss. Will they? And looking ahead to tonight’s Channel 4 debate, why does the format most benefit Kemi Badenoch? Cindy Yu speaks to

Play 10 mins

Coffee House Shots

Can Penny Mordaunt hack the top job?

The Tory briefing war continues to get underway, with David Frost launching a vicious broadside at Penny Mordaunt on talkRadio this morning. ‘She wasn’t fully accountable or visible. Sometimes I didn’t even know where she was’, Lord Frost said. On the episode, Cindy Yu talks to Isabel Hardman and James Forsyth about the latest round

Play 12 mins

Coffee House Shots

Hunt and Zahawi out: who will mop up their supporters?

The first ballot of the Tory leadership contest is now over, with Jeremy Hunt and Nadhim Zahawi knocked out as they weren’t able to meet the 30 votes required in this round (on 18 votes, Hunt actually lost two supporters from yesterday’s nomination round). The question of who their supporters fold in behind next is

Play 11 mins

Coffee House Shots

Can Penny Mordaunt win it?

Today all candidates need 30 nominations to make it through to the next round. One dark horse in the race is Penny Mordaunt who is seen as Labour’s greatest threat. This morning she held her official campaign launch in at Westminster’s Cinnamon Club – promising to ‘fix a broken Whitehall’. But will she be able

Play 12 mins

Coffee House Shots

Can the leadership candidates take the heat?

Appropriately matched to the summer heatwave, the Tory leadership contest is hotting up. Whilst Grant Shapps has pulled out and decided to back Rishi Sunak, candidates must secure nominations from at least 20 MPs by this evening to enter the contest. Who will go through to the next round? And are they ready to be

Play 11 mins

Coffee House Shots

Who will win over the Tory right?

Liz Truss has today announced her candidacy for the Tory leadership. With Kemi Badenoch and Suella Braverman already looking to win votes from MPs on the right of the Conservative party, and with Jacob Rees-Mogg and Priti Patel also considering a run for the top job, who will become the candidate of the Tory right?

Play 16 mins

Coffee House Shots

What is Boris Johnson’s legacy?

James Forsyth speaks to Fraser Nelson and Katy Balls about what Boris Johnson has achieved and if he will leave a significant imprint as a result of his time in office.

Play 17 mins

Coffee House Shots

Who wants to replace Boris?

The Tory leadership race has begun. Some candidates, like Steve Baker and Suella Braverman, have already declared that they will be running. Others, like Nadhim Zahawi, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, are expected to announce their candidacy in the coming days. What are their platforms? How many MPs will hopefuls need to have supporting them

Play 11 mins

Coffee House Shots

Boris resigns. What next?

After fighting words briefed out to the papers overnight, this morning, the Prime Minister has finally decided to resign. A statement is expected today. On the episode, Katy Balls discusses with Isabel Hardman and Fraser Nelson whether he should have gone sooner (and the implications for the post-politics speaking circuit) and the leadership race that

Play 15 mins

Coffee House Shots

Boris refuses to resign – what next?

Despite mass resignations and calls from newly appointed ministers to resign, Boris has dug his heels in and refused to leave. What will be his next moves? And are the rumours of a snap general election really on the cards? Isabel Hardman speaks to James Forsyth.

Play 8 mins

Coffee House Shots

Is the end nigh for Boris?

As several cabinet ministers have resigned, is it hours, days, weeks or months before Boris Johnson is kicked out? James Forsyth joins Katy Balls from the roof of Parliament.

Play 14 mins

Coffee House Shots

Sunak and Javid resign. Now what?

Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid have resigned from government. In letters to the Prime Minister this evening, Sunak said the government ‘cannot continue like this’, while Javid told the PM that ‘the situation will not change under your leadership.’ Will more ministers now resign? And is this the end of Boris Johnson’s premiership? Isabel Hardman

Play 11 mins

Coffee House Shots

Have Tory MPs reached breaking point?

Boris Johnson was briefed ‘in person’ on a formal Whitehall complaint into Chris Pincher, a former Foreign Office official said today, despite No. 10 saying yesterday that the Prime Minister was unaware of specific allegations against the MP. With the government having to explain itself once again, how much more will Tory MPs take? Max

Play 10 mins

Coffee House Shots

What did Boris know about Chris Pincher?

Boris Johnson knew of media reports about Chris Pincher’s conduct when he invited him to join the government, it emerged today. How serious a crisis is this for the government? And as the Prime Minister today returned from three international summits, was he able to put his domestic problems behind him in the Commons? Katy

Play 12 mins

Coffee House Shots

Will Nicola Sturgeon get her way?

Isabel Hardman speaks to James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson about Nicola Sturgeon’s latest plans to hold a referendum on Scottish independence on 19th October 2023, and whether they will even get off the ground.

Play 11 mins

Coffee House Shots

Has Tory sleaze hit a new low?

Last night Chris Pincher resigned from his role in the government – after ‘drinking far too much’ and ’embarrassing himself’. Witnesses reportedly saw the deputy chief whip ‘groping’ men at the Carlton Club in London. Also on the podcast, today is the 25th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong to China. Can the government

Play 15 mins

Coffee House Shots

Is the privileges committee a kangaroo court?

After an eight-day world tour, Boris Johnson is back on British soil to face Tory MPs for the first time since the two by-election defeats. Meanwhile, the privileges committee begins with Harriet Harman as its chair. Critics have suggested this inquiry into whether the Prime Minister misled parliament over partygate risks becoming a ‘kangaroo court’.

Play 11 mins

Coffee House Shots

Does Nicola Sturgeon really want an independence referendum?

The campaign for a second independence referendum is well and truly on, as Nicola Sturgeon tours the airwaves this week. But can the SNP will Indyref2 into existence, given Boris Johnson is very unlikely to allow it? Natasha Feroze speaks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth on the podcast, in which James suggests that, perhaps,

Play 14 mins

Coffee House Shots

Why did Tory rebels abstain from the NI Protocol Bill?

The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill passed its second reading last night with a majority of 74 votes. A number of Tory rebels voiced their opposition to the bill including former Prime Minister, Theresa May, Simon Hoare and Andrew Mitchell. However, despite vocal opposition, not one Tory MP voted against the bill – opting to abstain

Play 10 mins

Coffee House Shots

Is Boris being too bullish?

After a bruising few days, Boris Johnson remains bullish suggesting his intentions to stay in Downing Street for a third term. Is this rattling Tory MPs? Also on the podcast, a Cabinet reshuffle may be approaching. Who is under threat and why? Isabel Hardman is joined by Katy Balls and James Forsyth. Produced by Natasha

Play 12 mins

Coffee House Shots

Will 2024 see an avalanche of tactical voting?

Isabel Hardman talks to James Forsyth and James Johnson of the J.L. Partners polling company, about how much the Conservative party has to fear from tactical votes at the next election.

Play 13 mins

Coffee House Shots

Is Boris Johnson heading for a 1997 moment?

In a major blow, the Conservatives have lost two seats in the Tiverton and Wakefield by-elections. Immediately after, the Conservative party chairman, Oliver Dowden resigned citing ‘a deeply personal decision’ following a ‘run of very poor results for our party’. The Lib Dems overturned a huge Tory majority in Tiverton and Honiton, Devon, their third

Play 10 mins

Coffee House Shots

Can the government prevent a ‘bummer summer’?

Today, British Airways staff have voted have a strike of their own, adding to the government’s woes as rail workers continue to strike throughout this week. On the podcast, James Forsyth adopts a term from the Americans and asks: can the government prevent a ‘bummer summer’, where nothing quite works? Cindy Yu also talks to

Play 10 mins

Coffee House Shots

Are the latest inflation figures worrying for the government?

The latest figures suggest that inflation has risen at the highest rate in 40 years. Now at 9.1 per cent, it’s not all bad because the rate at which inflation is increasing has in fact slowed down. However, on the podcast, our economics editor, Kate Andrews suggests we are nowhere near the peak yet. How worried

Play 9 mins

Coffee House Shots

Is Labour in trouble over the rail strikes?

The first day of strike action has begun with large parts of the country’s railways, as well as London’s underground lines, shut down. But where workers are trying to put pressure on the government and Network Rail over higher pay, it seems like the Labour party is in more trouble. Disagreement over the party’s position

Play 11 mins

Coffee House Shots

Will the government hold their line on strike action?

Today begins a chaotic week for commuters who face major travel disruptions as rail staff stage the biggest walkout in 30 years. Union leaders have accused the government of ‘inflaming tensions’, as Grant Shapps has refused to negotiate with the unions over pay, conditions, job cuts and safety. Also on the podcast, what could be

Play 11 mins

Coffee House Shots

Who will be the PM’s next ethical compass?

Katy Balls discusses the vacant role of ethics adviser with James Forsyth and prime ministerial biographer Lord Anthony Seldon. 

Play 12 mins

Coffee House Shots

Is it time to call Sturgeon’s Bluff?

The calls for Indyref2 are coming thick and fast from the SNP leader this week with a plan for a monthly speech to express the benefits of Scotland leaving the UK. But would allowing a referendum now be better than resisting one? Newer generations of Scots tend to be more nationalist than their elders. Should

Play 8 mins