The Spectator Columnists & Writers

Why the government moved against Julian Lewis

Chris Grayling failed to win the chairmanship of the Intelligence and Security Committee on Wednesday evening. In his stead, Julian Lewis clinched the position, and No 10 withdrew the whip from Lewis. On the podcast, Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth about why this happened and whether it's better to rule by fear or love. Also on the episode: Shamima Begum and Patrick Vallance's comments on working from home.

The SNP’s next battle against Westminster

James Forsyth

The SNP’s next battle against Westminster

James Forsyth

The Union is in graver danger than ever

Coffee House Shots

Who should be worried about the independent Covid inquiry?

15 min listen

Coffee House Shots

Who should be worried about the independent Covid inquiry?

15 min listen

Boris Johnson has confirmed that there will be an inquiry into the handling of the pandemic after a possible second wave is over. On the podcast, Katy Balls talks to James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson about what it will find and who should be worried.

Coffee House Shots

Why Boris u-turned on Huawei

21 min listen

Coffee House Shots

Why Boris u-turned on Huawei

21 min listen

Much as expected, the government has u-turned on Huawei, though the new government policy doesn't go as far as some of the most hardline Tory MPs would wish. On the podcast, Cindy Yu talks to James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson about the UK's China policy in the years to come. Also on the episode: masks and the Union.

James Forsyth

Why Boris u-turned on Huawei

Will making face masks compulsory help us get back to normal?

James Forsyth

Will making face masks compulsory help us get back to normal?

Coffee House Shots

Does anyone know the truth about face masks?

15 min listen

Coffee House Shots

Does anyone know the truth about face masks?

15 min listen

In recent days, more supportive noises have been made by those on the top of government about the wearing of face masks indoors, especially in shops. Scotland has already made it compulsory. But it wasn't long ago when the government was saying that face masks may even harm efforts to control the virus. So does anyone know the truth about face masks? Katy Balls talks to James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson.

Coffee House Shots

Dominic Cummings’s plans for defence reform

13 min listen

Coffee House Shots

Dominic Cummings’s plans for defence reform

13 min listen

Dominic Cummings will be touring key Ministry of Defence sites ahead of this year's defence review. So how would he like to reform the UK's military and defence capabilities? Katy Balls finds out from James Forsyth and the Times's Defence Editor Lucy Fisher.

Coffee House Shots

The government’s inconsistent messaging on lockdown easing

11 min listen

Coffee House Shots

The government’s inconsistent messaging on lockdown easing

11 min listen

New lockdown easing measures have been announced, so later this month swimming pools, gyms, and outdoor theatres will be reopening in England. At the same time, the government advice on offices is still to work from home and do not travel by public transport. So are offices and trains really much less safe than beauty salons and pools? Katy Balls talks to James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson.

Coffee House Shots

Is Rishi Sunak really hinting at tax rises?

15 min listen

Coffee House Shots

Is Rishi Sunak really hinting at tax rises?

15 min listen

The Chancellor's statement has gone down well but the big question is how the government will pay for all this. On the podcast, Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth about the possibility of tax rises, why the Governor of the Bank of England is still planning to address the 1922 committee, John Lewis's troubles, and Mark Sedwill's severance pay.

James Forsyth

Is Boris brave enough to stand up to the Nimbys?

James Forsyth

Is Boris brave enough to stand up to the Nimbys?

James Forsyth

Target for half of kids to go to university dropped

James Forsyth

Target for half of kids to go to university dropped

James Forsyth

The young are the most vulnerable to the Covid crash

James Forsyth

The young are the most vulnerable to the Covid crash

Coffee House Shots

Can Rishi Sunak’s jobs pledge keep unemployment down?

15 min listen

Coffee House Shots

Can Rishi Sunak’s jobs pledge keep unemployment down?

15 min listen

The Chancellor has given his mini-Budget in a statement to the Commons today, and among a raft of stimulus measures from a VAT cut to stamp duty reduction, he has announced measures designed to keep down unemployment. But the government is clearly braced for a wave of unemployment when furlough ends, so are his pledges enough? Katy Balls talks to Kate Andrews and James Forsyth.

Rishi Sunak’s two big fears for the future

James Forsyth

Rishi Sunak’s two big fears for the future

Liam Fox to be UK’s nomination for WTO Director-General

James Forsyth

Liam Fox to be UK’s nomination for WTO Director-General

Coffee House Shots

Is social care reform now inevitable?

13 min listen

Coffee House Shots

Is social care reform now inevitable?

13 min listen

Boris Johnson has rowed back on comments suggesting that care homes suffered from the pandemic because they did not follow procedure, after a widespread backlash. On the podcast, Cindy Yu talks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls about whether or not social care reform is inevitable, as well as why Andrew Bailey planned to address the Tory 1922 committee and the Magnitsky Act.

Coffee House Shots

Why the government’s arts bailout was so generous

13 min listen

Coffee House Shots

Why the government’s arts bailout was so generous

13 min listen

Rishi Sunak has announced a £1.6 billion bailout for the arts industry, which was more generous than many were expecting. On the podcast, Katy Balls talks to Kate Andrews and James Forsyth about why this is. They also discuss Pret's troubles and the coming Huawei u-turn.

Spectator Out Loud

Spectator Out Loud: James Forsyth, Douglas Murray, and Leaf Arbuthnot

28 min listen

Spectator Out Loud

Spectator Out Loud: James Forsyth, Douglas Murray, and Leaf Arbuthnot

28 min listen

On this week's episode, James Forsyth talks about Boris Johnson's impossible mission - to rewire Whitehall (01:00), Douglas Murray on woke books (09:00), and Leaf Arbuthnot on the underground world of lockdown speakeasies and theatre (17:15).

Coffee House Shots

Will No 10’s press briefing shake-up really deliver more transparency?

13 min listen

Coffee House Shots

Will No 10’s press briefing shake-up really deliver more transparency?

13 min listen

James Forsyth

The looming Tory trade debate

James Forsyth

The looming Tory trade debate

Post-Brexit, the UK needs to find allies on trade liberalisation. One obvious place to look is the Trans-Pacific Trade Partnership. The UK is keen to join this group of 11 countries, as Liz Truss reiterated at a Policy Exchange event this afternoon. The Singaporean trade minister emphasised how keen he would be to see the UK join, and how this would send a message about the role that the UK wishes to play in the world post-Brexit. Interestingly, he also warned that the government needs to prepare domestic businesses for the change this would bring to prevent any anti-trade backlash. In her remarks, Truss implicitly accepted that there isn’t going to be much multilateral progress on trade liberalisation, and so the plurilateral option offered by the Trans-Pacific Partnership is the next best thing.

Coffee House Shots

Will Super Saturday prove a washout?

12 min listen

Coffee House Shots

Will Super Saturday prove a washout?

12 min listen

The Edition

Mission Impossible: can Boris Johnson rewire the British government?

39 min listen

The Edition

Mission Impossible: can Boris Johnson rewire the British government?

39 min listen

The Prime Minister is trying to reform the civil service. He's not the first to try - so will he succeed? (00:50) The stakes for success are high, as his opponent is no longer Jeremy Corbyn, but the more impressive Keir Starmer. How have Starmer's first almost 100 days gone? (15:45) And last, how widespread is loneliness? (29:45)With the Spectator's political editor James Forsyth; Jill Rutter from UK In a Changing Europe; our deputy political editor Katy Balls; former C4 Economics Editor Paul Mason; author Leaf Arbuthnot; and Andy Nazer from the Campaign to End Loneliness.Presented by Cindy Yu.

Coffee House Shots

How schools will look after the pandemic

14 min listen

Coffee House Shots

How schools will look after the pandemic

14 min listen

James Forsyth

Will Boris’s Whitehall shake-up really work?

James Forsyth

Will Boris’s Whitehall shake-up really work?

James Forsyth

Mission impossible: Boris’s attempt to rewire the British government

James Forsyth

Mission impossible: Boris’s attempt to rewire the British government

Coffee House Shots

Should the government go further on Hong Kong?

17 min listen

Coffee House Shots

Should the government go further on Hong Kong?

17 min listen

China's new national security law has been passed in Hong Kong, and from this morning it has been implemented as handfuls of protestors have already been arrested under its new wide-ranging powers. Dominic Raab has pledged to speed up the process to offer British residency for Hong Kong's BNO passport holders and their dependents. Cindy Yu talks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls about whether or not the government should go even further. Also on the podcast: the local lockdown in Leicester and Keir Starmer's new strategy.

James Forsyth

Brits want a tougher line on China

James Forsyth