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
The government is coming under pressure to reverse the Christmas relaxation of Covid rules, with two of the country’s leading health journals – the Health Service Journal and the British Medical Journal – jointly calling for a rethink. Keir Starmer, meanwhile, has called on Boris Johnson to hold an emergency COBRA meeting to review the
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
London is set to enter the highest set of coronavirus restrictions. Normally this would see restaurants, pubs and indoor entertainment venues forced to close, but could the capital see the introduction even tighter rules? John Connolly speaks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth.
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen have decided to continue Brexit negotiations, it was announced today. A deal between the two sides seemed distant after the pair met for dinner last week, and they decided to take stock over the following days. Does the announcement mean real progress is now being made? Katy Balls
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
Katy Balls, James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson look back on Boris Johnson’s first year of leading a majority government.
Play 21 mins
Coffee House Shots
While Brexit negotiations rumble on, important decisions about Covid still have to be made. Next week, the government will review the tier system and decide whether the localised restrictions need to be eased or tightened. Katy Balls speaks to James Forsyth about what might change.
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
A Brexit breakthrough seemed possible when Boris Johnson met European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen for dinner last night. This evening, however, the PM has warned that there was a ‘strong possibility’ of no-deal. What’s changed, and is no-deal now the most likely outcome? James Forsyth speaks to Katy Balls.
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
Boris Johnson is today visiting Brussels to meet EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen for dinner, in the hope that the two can agree a path through the stalling Brexit talks. Katy Balls speaks to James Forsyth and Denis Staunton, London editor of the Irish Times, about whether it could give negotiations the lift
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
The world’s first doses of an authorised Covid vaccine were administered today, with ninety-year-old Briton Margaret Keenan first in line for the Pfizer jab. Health secretary Matt Hancock said it ‘makes me proud to be British’, after confirming that restrictions could begin to be lifted once the most vulnerable were protected. Has his approach been
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
It looks like Brexit talks could finally be coming to a head. After Boris Johnson and Ursula Von Der Leyen decided that efforts to reach an agreement should continue, negotiators spent the weekend bartering over fishing rights and the level playing field. The pair are set to have another call later today, but can it
Play 12 mins
Coffee House Shots
After promising news about the coronavirus vaccines, Katy Balls talks to James Forsyth and Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, a former adviser to Matt Hancock, about what this will mean for experiencing life as we knew it.
Play 24 mins
Coffee House Shots
In the last days of the negotiations, the pressure is ramping up as reports began to surface on Thursday evening that the talks were not going as well as hoped. This morning, allies of Emmanuel Macron have warned that France could unilaterally veto a Brexit deal. What will the next days bring and could Macron
Play 15 mins
Coffee House Shots
The promising sign of late night negotiation pizza has caused some optimism in Westminster that a Brexit deal may be just around the corner. On the podcast, James Forsyth and Katy Balls discuss what to look out for in the coming days.
Play 10 mins
Coffee House Shots
The UK is the first western country in the world to approve a coronavirus vaccine, it was announced today. The first doses of Pfizer’s jab will be distributed from next week, and the news has renewed hopes that restrictions could soon be lifted. But after last night’s vote saw 55 Tory MPs reject the new
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
The government looks set to win today’s Commons vote on the return of the tiers system for England, but tens of Tory backbenchers are unhappy. For them, the Prime Minister’s reassurances have lost credibility, so on today’s podcast, Isabel Hardman discusses with Katy Balls and James Forsyth whether or not Boris’s optimism has backfired.
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
Brexit negotiations are continuing this week, with fisheries and the level playing field remaining key sticking points. But with the deadline for an agreement edging closer, is no-deal more likely than anticipated? Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth.
Play 20 mins
Coffee House Shots
In this week’s Spectator, Matthew Parris asks why the Lib Dems have lost their ideological backbone. On the podcast, he discusses this ‘soggification’ of the party with Katy Balls and Polly Mackenzie, former special adviser to Nick Clegg and now chief executive of the think tank Demos.
Play 17 mins
Coffee House Shots
The return to the tier system will be voted on in the Commons next week, but from the grumblings in the Conservative party, it sounds like the government may need Opposition votes in order to get the legislation through. That’s never a comfortable position for a government, so on the podcast, Katy Balls discusses with
Play 14 mins
Coffee House Shots
England’s tier system returns today. With some areas in a stricter tier than they were before the lockdown, as well as a general mistrust amongst Tory lockdown sceptics for the government, many MPs are not happy. But is there anything they can do about it? Katy Balls and James Forsyth discuss.
Play 15 mins
Coffee House Shots
Pandemic finances are different to normal finances, as seen by today’s new figures from the OBR which show that the UK’s economy will not be back to pre-pandemic levels until 2022. In today’s spending review, the Chancellor broke a manifesto pledge by cutting the overseas aid budget. Is this a taste of things to come?
Play 20 mins
Coffee House Shots
The Prime Minister announced yesterday that the nationwide lockdown would come to an end on December 2. In the updated tier system, pubs and restaurants will be closed at the highest level of restrictions, but gyms and non-essential shops will remain open. Isabel Hardman speaks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth about whether Conservative MPs
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
Oxford University’s vaccine could be up to 90 per cent effective, data from phase III trials shows today. With the UK government ordering 100 million doses of the jab, could it mean a return to normality is on the horizon? Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth.
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
Polls consistently show a majority of Scots are in favour of independence – do they have a case? Fraser Nelson speaks to Andrew Wilson, former MSP and founding partner of Charlotte Street Partners.
Play 32 mins
Coffee House Shots
Sir Alex Allen, a top civil servant in charge of the report into allegations of bullying at the Home Office, has resigned, but the Home Secretary Priti Patel, who is at the centre of it all, has not. Why is the Prime Minister so keen to ‘stick with Prit’? Fraser Nelson talks to James Forsyth
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
The government has announced a £16.5 billion increase in defence spending, far more generous than previously expected. Will this new budget signal an end to the MoD’s spending blackhole? John Connolly talks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls.
Play 11 mins
Coffee House Shots
Boris Johnson has today announced a raft of new environmental policies, following the departure of Dominic Cummings and Lee Cain last week. Will it reset the direction of Number 10, or are more comprehensive changes needed? Cindy Yu speaks to Fraser Nelson, James Forsyth and Katy Balls.
Play 18 mins
Coffee House Shots
Boris Johnson told northern MPs last night that he thought Scottish devolution had been a ‘disaster’, a comment that was immediately disowned by the Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross. Katy Balls talks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth.
Play 13 mins
Coffee House Shots
Boris Johnson has been told to self-isolate by contact tracers after meeting with a Covid positive MP last week. It comes just as the PM was expected to reset his premiership following the departure of Dominic Cummings and Lee Cain. Gus Carter is joined by Fraser Nelson and Katy Balls.
Play 15 mins
Coffee House Shots
Dominic Cummings walked out of No. 10 Downing Street last night – but what did he actually do in there? Katy Balls is joined by Fraser Nelson and Peter Cardwell, a former SpAd and author of The Secret Life of Special Advisers.
Play 24 mins
Coffee House Shots
Boris Johnson’s chief aide has said that he’ll be gone by Christmas – so what does that mean for Downing Street operations? Katy Balls is joined by Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth.
Play 15 mins
Coffee House Shots
Downing Street has seen a day of backstabbing and counter-briefings after Dominic Cummings ally Lee Cain resigned as Boris Johnson’s director of communications. John Connolly talks to Fraser Nelson and Katy Balls.
Play 14 mins