Coffee House Shots
Episodes
How much vaccine coercion will Boris use?
20 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's the day after 'freedom' day and it's not entirely clear just how free we are, with the prime minister last night say that from September nightclu...
Does it feel like Freedom Day?
19 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Yesterday in what was the quickest public turnaround in government history. The prime minister and the chancellor are now in isolation after getting p...
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 18/07/21
18 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Isabel Hardman hosts the highlights from Sunday's interview shows, with Robert Jenrick, Jonathan Ashworth and Professor Neil Ferguson. Become a Spect...
When will restrictions end for good?
17 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In our last Coffee House Shots before the so called 'Freedom Day' on Monday, James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson share their thoughts on just how free i...
What is the point of Starmer's listening tour?
16 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After a year and a half of Zoom speeches held in empty rooms, opposition leader Keir Starmer is heading out on a listening tour to connect with voters...
Is it up to the state to tackle obesity?
15 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The government has been advised by Henry Dimbleby, founder of LEON food chain, to introduce a new tax on sugary and salty foods. While the Prime Minis...
Have Conservatives lost the culture wars?
14 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Prime Minister looked visibly uncomfortable at Prime Minister's Questions today, as Keir Starmer accused him of 'giving racism the green light' wi...
What does the foreign aid win mean for the government?
13 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Boris Johnson and his government won the vote today to cut foreign aid spending, but there were rebels and some very prominent ones, including former ...
Can social media stamp out racist comments?
12 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The new Health Secretary Sajid Javid addresses the Commons this afternoon ahead of Boris Johnson's 5pm remarks about the lifting of restrictions on Ju...
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 11/07/21
11 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Isabel Hardman rounds up the best bits from Sunday's interview shows. Highlights today come from Nadhim Zadhawi, Kate Green, Professor David Spiegelha...
What does the NHS look like post pandemic?
10 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
James Forsyth talks to award winning journalist Isabel Hardman about her brand new Spectator podcast Building Back. In it first episode, out now, sh...
Will masks ever go?
09 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Polling released yesterday revealed that a surprisingly large minority of the British public support not only just a permanent mask mandate but also t...
Will Sunak scrap the pensions triple lock?
08 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
State pensions may rise by 8pc this year due to the Conservative policy of the pensions triple lock. But can the government keep to it, given the extr...
Boris warned as Tory MPs re-elect Brady
07 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tory MPs today re-elected Graham Brady as chair of the 1922 Committee - the group that represents backbench Conservatives to the government. Brady, wh...
Javid's lockdown balancing act
06 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sajid Javid today said there could be 100,000 Covid cases a day in summer. He said the government would be focusing on hospitalisation and death figur...
How free will July 19th feel?
05 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In a bonus Coffee House Shots, James Forsyth and Katy Balls breakdown the announcement from the Prime Minister this evening about the end of Covid res...
What to expect from the big bang reopening
05 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Boris Johnson will announce details of the 19 July reopening later today. According to reports over the weekend, masks will be ditched, social distanc...
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 04/07/21
04 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Isabel Hardman rounds up the highlights from Sunday's political shows, which today featured Robert Jenrick, Rachel Reeves and Sir Jeffrey Donaldson. ...
What comes after 19 July?
03 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Life might feel normal when nightclubs reopen and masks are tossed aside, but worries about unemployment and inflation will persist. What will happen ...
What should Keir Starmer do with the Batley and Spen win?
02 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In an extremely close race Labour candidate and sister to the late Jo Cox Kim Leadbeater has won her by-election with a majority of just 323. What wil...
What happens if Starmer loses Batley and Spen?
01 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Reports emerged overnight that Angela Rayner's allies are ready to mount a leadership challenge if Keir Starmer loses Batley and Spen tomorrow. What w...
Was that Starmer's best PMQ's so far?
30 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Katy Balls and James Forsyth dissect the back and forth from today's session in the House of Commons. Does Boris really think he can sell his 'I fired...
What's happening in Batley and Spen?
29 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A bizarre flourish of tactics are on display in the run up to the Batley and Spen by-election. And are we already feeling the new Health Secretary's i...
Will Javid handle Covid differently?
28 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's Sajid Javid's first day in the office as health secretary. The former chancellor's comments last year that he would 'run the economy hot' have le...
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 27/06/21
27 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Isabel Hardman rounds up the best from Sunday's political shows. Highlights come from Brandon Lewis, Lucy Powell, Sadiq Khan and Dr Chaand Nagpaul. B...
Hancock out, Javid in
26 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Hancock has resigned as health secretary this evening following this week's scandal and his replacement has already been appointed: former chance...
Westminster sex scandals: Why do we care?
26 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Cindy Yu talks to Fraser Nelson and Guido Fawkes blogger Paul Staines about the Matt Hancock revelations and how reporting on sex scandals has changed...
Is Hancock's position under threat?
25 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Sun broke the news this morning that Health Secretary Matt Hancock has seemingly been up to some extra-marital exploits with his aide Gina Coladan...
Will Brits be welcomed abroad this summer?
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daily new cases are just under 17,000 today, and Angela Merkel has advised other EU leaders to make British tourists quarantine upon entry to the bloc...
Five years later will we ever truly move on from Brexit?
23 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's the five year anniversary of when the UK decided to leave the European Union and while the opposition are looking to try and put the referendum b...
Who's being hurt by 'white privilege'?
22 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
While Labour are shuffling people round yet again and the DUP are getting ready to welcome in their third leader in less than a month, a new report se...
What's the plan for planning reform?
21 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With the Conservatives still taking stock after their loss in the recent by-election, it seems the governments ambitions for planning reform are now f...
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 20/06/21
20 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Isabel Hardman rounds up the highlights from Sunday's interview shows. Today's guests included John Bercow, Robert Buckland, Andy Burnham, Sir Ed Dave...
Will Boris Johnson face more southern rebels?
19 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The surprise result of Friday's Chesham and Amersham by-election has led to questions over why the Conservative lost just so badly - and why no one sa...
How do you explain the Lib Dems' stunning victory?
18 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In a political upset the Liberal Democrats have won the by-election in Chesham and Amersham in a massive poll swing from the Tories. And in other pol...
How much trouble is the DUP in?
17 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
New DUP leader Edwin Poots faces his first challenge today as he tries to push through a controversial candidate for First Minister. How much trouble ...
Is Matt Hancock Hopeless?
16 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Another day another Dom Bomb. In Cummings latest release, a number of WhatsApp messages reveal communications between himself and the Prime Minister, ...
Will the Australia trade deal really make a difference?
15 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The government has agreed its first post-Brexit bespoke trade deal. But the agreement with Australia has already caused consternation among Conservati...
How long will political and public patience last?
14 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It seems Freedom Day is no longer June 21st. The writing was clearly on the wall this morning, but now the Prime Minister has officially told the publ...
How can Boris justify delay?
14 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Boris Johnson is expected to announce a delay to reopening later today. How will the Prime Minister make his case, and will his backbenchers support h...
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 13/06/21
13 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Isabel Hardman hosts the highlights from Sunday's political shows. Featured today are Dominic Raab, Gordon Brown, Emily Thornberry, Micheál Martin an...
Should we delay 21 June?
12 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On Monday, the Prime Minister will announce whether the 21 June unlocking is to go ahead. Because of the increased transmissibility of the Indian Covi...
Can the G7 beat Russia and China's vaccine diplomacy?
11 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As the G7 rolls on and the world leaders learn where their peers stand on certain issues post Covid, the wealthy western nations need to decide how be...
Could Brexit scupper the G7?
10 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The long-anticipated G7 meeting in Cornwall has got off to a rocky start today, as it transpired that the US had lodged a 'demarché' - a diplomatic u...
Are Brexit talks back to the bad old days?
09 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today, talks between David Frost and the EU's negotiator Maroš Šefčovič ended with little agreement about how to move forward on the Northern Irel...
Is the foreign aid row a sign of things to come?
08 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Though the amendment on foreign aid was not selected by the Speaker yesterday, the row over the budget cut is not over yet. Today MPs will have an eme...
How much trouble is the government in over foreign aid?
07 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After the government cut the UK's foreign aid budget a group of rebellious Tory MPs bound together to try and reverse the decision, will it come to a ...
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 06/06/21
06 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Isabel Hardman hosts the highlights from Sunday;s political programmes. Interviewees today include Matt Hancock, Lisa Nandy, Kate Green, Tony Blair an...
What can the west do about China?
05 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As China changes its two child policy to a three child policy over fears of population decline, the west is also having to regularly change its approa...
Can Rishi Sunak get the G7 on side?
04 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With the G7 looming the range of subjects on the agenda is vast. One of the first items up is the proposal of a global corporate tax rate which Presid...
Could travel this summer be stricter than last?
03 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's been a stressful day for those who've booked foreign holidays, as the government updated the latest countries on its various coloured travel list...
Is £1.4 billion enough for schools?
02 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The government's education tsar Kevan Collins resigned this afternoon, saying that the £1.4 billion pledged by the government for schools is only a t...
What difference does a wedding make?
01 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Now officially in June, the significance of the 21st seems even greater for the country, but with the Indian variant still on the rise how safe is the...
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 30/05/21
30 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Isabel Hardman hosts the highlights from Sunday's political interviews. Guests today included Nadhim Zadhawi, Mike Padgham, Edwin Poots, Maroš Šefč...
Will the DUP lose ground under Edwin Poots?
29 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week Edwin Poots was formally endorsed as the DUP's new leader, in a meeting which Arlene Foster, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson (Poots's rival in the lea...
Will Hancock cling on?
28 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Hancock defended his position at a Downing Street press conference yesterday. He told journalists that, by his 'recollection of events', he told ...
Will Hancock hit back?
27 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After the hanger full of Dom bombs that were dropped in yesterday's epic seven hour hearing, health secretary Matt Hancock got a sizeable chunk of Cum...
What we learnt from the Cummings evidence
26 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
From accusing Matt Hancock of criminal incompetence, to lifting the lid on the true nature of his relationship with Boris Johnson, Dominic Cummings's ...
How damaging is the Tory Islamophobia report?
25 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Islamophobia 'remains a problem' in the Conservative party, a report has found. Professor Swaran Singh, who analysed more than a thousand complaints o...
What will Dominic Cummings say?
24 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When Dominic Cummings appears in front of a parliamentary committee on Wednesday, the former aide is expected to attack Whitehall's institutional stru...
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 23/05/21
23 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Isabel Hardman hosts the highlights from Sunday's political shows. Featured today are Priti Patel, Nick Thomas-Symonds, Dr Jenny Harries, Andrew Morto...
What could a reformed BBC look like?
22 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Politicians have buttressed Prince William and Prince Harry's criticisms of the BBC in the wake of the Dyson report, which detailed Martin Bashir's fo...
Why is Boris optimistic about 21 June?
21 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Boris Johnson is increasingly confident that Britain will drop the majority of Covid restrictions on 21 June. But with the Indian variant forcing case...
Have the Lidl free marketeers won the day?
20 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Despite some misgivings in Cabinet, free marketeers seem to have won the argument on the Australia trade deal, one of the first major deals to be stru...
What does Sturgeon's new cabinet say about IndyRef2?
19 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Nicola Sturgeon unveiled her new Cabinet today, reshuffling familiar faces with a clutch of new ministerial appointments. Will it be a line-up that ca...
Should Starmer let the cameras in?
18 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Keir Starmer is reportedly thinking about giving access to a camera crew in order to create a fly-on-the-wall documentary about his leadership of the ...
Could June 21 be delayed?
17 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As England moves into the next phase of its lockdown easing today, the Indian variant threatens to throw the final phase off schedule. Could the gover...
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 16/05/21
16 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Isabel Hardman hosts the highlights from Sunday's political shows. Today's guests include Matt Hancock, Yvette Cooper, Steve Reed and Sir Mark Walport...
Does Boris have a southern problem?
15 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
While the local elections bore fruit for the Tories in the red wall, the party’s rebranding has had some southern shire MPs worried – does the par...
Will the India variant delay the roadmap?
14 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Cases of the Indian coronavirus variant have more than doubled in the last week, and Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccines minister, this morning said that jabs...
Where should prime ministers go after leaving Downing Street?
13 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
David Cameron is giving evidence to MPs today over his lobbying for Greensill Capital, in the latest round of embarrassment for the former prime minis...
What could surface from a Covid inquiry?
12 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Boris Johnson has announced that an inquiry into the government's Covid response will be launched next year. Katy Balls talks to James Forsyth and Fra...
Has Angela Rayner got the upper hand?
11 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Carolyn Harris, a key Starmer aide, has resigned her post as his parliamentary private secretary over allegations that she was behind some of the nega...
How Keir Starmer's reshuffle backfired
10 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After a messy and delayed reshuffle, there is more rancour in the Labour party than there was before the weekend. Has Keir Starmer taken a serious hit...
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 09/05/21
09 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Isabel Hardman takes you through the highlights from Sunday's interview shows, with clips from Michael Gove, Nicola Sturgeon, John McDonnell, Ian Murr...
No SNP majority, now what?
08 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Scotland will have a pro-independence majority at Holyrood, but the SNP has fallen short of an overall majority. What does this mean for the party, it...
What the Hartlepool loss means for Starmer
07 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The local election results are coming in over the weekend, but the bombshell came early with Hartlepool going to the tories in a massive 16-point sw...
What are the Royal Navy doing in Jersey's waters?
06 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Once again it's all about the fish - following protests from French fisherman over their rights in the waters surrounding Jersey, Boris Johnson has de...
How serious would Labour losing Hartlepool be?
05 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A poll last night gave the Tories a 17-point lead in Hartlepool. Tomorrow's by-election in the red wall seat is to be one of the first barometers of K...
Will the G7 summit mark the end of online diplomacy?
04 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
One of the key aspects of the imminent G7 summit will be the return of face-to-face meetings between politicians. What will be on the agenda, and can ...
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 02/05/21
02 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Isabel Hardman presents the highlights from Sunday's political shows. Interviewees today include Douglas Ross, Dominic Raab and Lisa Nandy.Become a Sp...
What does the DUP shakeup mean for Northern Ireland?
01 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Arlene Foster's departure has left the DUP in a difficult place. Unionists could become disaffected if another relative moderate takes over, but young...
Why does Boris give out his phone number?
30 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Boris Johnson's mobile phone number has been available online for 15 years, it emerged last night. Why does the Prime Minister give it out so freely? ...
Has Starmer misfired on wallpaper-gate?
29 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Keir Starmer was pictured shopping for wallpaper in John Lewis today, poking fun at Boris's ongoing No. 10 refurbishment troubles. But is the Labour l...
What's next for the DUP?
28 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Arlene Foster has stepped down as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party. What's next for the party? Isabel Hardman speaks to James Forsyth and Katy ...
Will the Downing Street refurbishment cut through?
27 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Reports today suggest that the Conservative Party initially covered the costs of the Downing Street refurbishment. Will Conservative members, and the ...
Does Simon Case have all the answers?
26 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Simon Case dodged questions from MPs about his lockdown leak inquiry at a select committee appearance this afternoon, and refused to go into details a...
Where will the Downing Street psychodrama end?
26 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Downing Street psychodrama continues today, with the Daily Mail reporting that Boris Johnson said he would rather see the 'bodies pile high in th...
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 25/04/21
25 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Isabel Hardman presents the highlights from Sunday's political shows. Interview clips today came from Liz Truss, Jess Phillips, Nicola Sturgeon, Anas ...
What's Putin up to?
24 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Russian troops had been building up on the Ukrainian border for weeks now, only for Putin to announce their pullback this week. Moscow claims it was o...
A new Blitz of Dom-Bombs
23 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After damning accusations in the papers that Dominic Cummings leaked a series of the Prime Minister's texts, the former No 10 aide has wasted little t...
Is Dom out to get Boris?
23 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Downing Street insiders have accused Dominic Cummings of being behind a series of lobbying leaks. But why is the Prime Minister's team turning on the ...
Can Boris Johnson's green credentials win over Joe Biden?
22 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Biden is hosting world leaders for a virtual summit on climate change today. In attendance was Boris Johnson, who was keen to impress the Presiden...
What is Michael Gove up to in Israel?
21 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Gove is on a fact-finding mission in Israel this week, studying the country's vaccine passports scheme. But are the plans not already set for ...
Can Boris really stop the super league?
20 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Fans, players, managers and politicians have spoken out against the proposals by 12 of Europe's top football teams to form a breakaway league. Boris J...
What does Boris's India cancellation mean for vaccines?
19 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Boris Johnson's trip to India was today cancelled as the country battles a new coronavirus variant. The PM was expecting to push Modi to release Astra...
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 18/04/21
18 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Isabel Hardman hosts the highlights from Sunday's political shows, with George Eustice, Nicola Sturgeon, Andrei Kelin and Rachel Reeves.Become a Spec...
What is Keir Starmer doing wrong?
17 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A new YouGov poll shows that the Conservative party is 14 points ahead of the Labour party. What is Keir Starmer doing wrong? Cindy Yu talks to Katy B...
Can the UK and EU fix the Protocol?
16 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The UK and EU are holding talks over how to fix the Northern Ireland Protocol and stop the continuing violence on the island. Cindy Yu speaks to Katy ...
Could the South Africa variant stunt the vaccine rollout?
15 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A number of cases of the South African variant have been detected around parts of London, leading to surge testing of those neighbourhoods this week. ...