Coffee House Shots

Can the lockdown hawks stave off further restrictions?

22 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Boris Johnson today warned that Britain has 'reached a perilous turning point' in its battle with coronavirus, as he ordered pubs to close at 10pm and...

Why won't Vallance and Whitty answer any questions?

21 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In a Downing Street statement this morning, Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance presented their take on the latest coronavirus data. Speaking without a ...

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Interviews Roundup - 20/09/20

20 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Isabel Hardman rounds up the best of Sunday's interview shows, with clips coming from Matt Hancock, Sir Keir Starmer, Bob Woodward and Len McCluskey.B...

What does Europe teach the UK about a Covid second wave?

19 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As the UK seems to enter a second wave of coronavirus infections, Europe is again the guide on the trajectory of the virus and the best strategy to ta...

What's the point of a two-week lockdown?

18 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The government is reportedly considering the short-term reintroduction of nationwide social restrictions to halt the spread of coronavirus. Will a two...

The impossibility of Moonshot without fixing test and trace

17 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The government has promised to deliver a nationwide mass testing programme by the beginning of next year, claiming it could offer a route out of conti...

Has the government's Brexit plot backfired?

16 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The government's Internal Market Bill won't reach the House of Lords until after the October EU Council, James Forsyth tells Katy Balls and Fraser Nel...

Can the government fix the testing meltdown?

15 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Amid reports of local testing shortages, Matt Hancock told MPs today that the system is facing an 'enormous challenge' after a 'sharp rise' in demand....

Can Boris stave off a Tory Brexit rebellion?

14 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Former attorney general Geoffrey Cox has today warned that the Internal Markets Bill could cause 'unconscionable' damage to the UK's international sta...

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Interviews Roundup - 13/09/20

13 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Isabel Hardman presents the highlights from Sunday's political interviews. Today's featured interviewees are Robert Buckland, Simon Coveney, Louise Ha...

Will Ireland stump a Brexit deal?

12 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The EU said it could walk away from trade talks after the government announced that it planned to break international law in its Internal Markets Bill...

The growing Tory unease over lockdown

11 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As England heads into stricter lockdown measures shortly, James Forsyth talks to Katy Balls and Fraser Nelson about the growing unease amongst backben...

Are the Brexit talks about to break down?

10 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The EU gave an ultimatum today that, unless the UK shelved its Internal Market Bill within three weeks, it would be taking legal action against the go...

Is Britain facing a second Covid crackdown?

09 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Boris Johnson held a press conference this afternoon to announce that only groups of six or smaller would be able to meet from Monday. The new restric...

How will Tory MPs react to No. 10's Brexit law breach?

08 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As Michel Barnier arrives in London for another round of trade talks, Brandon Lewis today said that government plans to reinterpret the Brexit withdra...

Will the hardline Brexit approach work?

07 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Boris Johnson last night issued a warning to the European Union that Brexit negotiations must be concluded by October 15 or Britain will walk away. Wi...

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Interviews Roundup - 06/09/20

06 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Isabel Hardman returns with the highlights from Sunday's political programmes. Today's highlights come from Dominic Raab, Diane Abbott, Leonid Volkov ...

Will state aid sink a Brexit deal?

05 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The deadline for a Brexit deal is fast approaching, but the level of subsidies paid to companies and industries could prove a stumbling block. Will st...

Will the Tories accept tax rises?

04 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rishi Sunak has faced a backlash this week over proposals to increase taxes to pay for the UK's coronavirus response. Can the chancellor push the chan...

Is mass testing the answer?

03 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Hancock today announced Operation Moonshot, a £500 million scheme to ramp up the UK's testing capacity and offer a return to normality without s...

The latest No. 10 U-turn

02 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Bolton and Trafford were returned to Manchester's local lockdown this morning after yet another U-turn by the government. Meanwhile, Boris Johnson and...

Can Simon Case reform the civil service?

01 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Simon Case has been appointed the new cabinet secretary, tasked with leading the UK through its coronavirus recovery and reforming the civil service. ...

Is this the next cladding scandal?

29 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After the Grenfell Tower fire, new fire safety legislation was introduced in an attempt to ensure the tragic incident was never repeated. But the new ...

Can Boris get people back in the office?

28 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The government will launch a new publicity campaign to coax people back into the office, it was announced today. This morning's headlines took a hardl...

Can self-isolation payments improve test and trace?

27 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The government has announced that self-isolating Britons will be paid £13 a day to stay at home. Will this help improve the beleaguered test and trac...

Will the next U-turn be on face masks at work?

26 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The government reversed its position on masks in schools late yesterday evening, announcing that secondary school pupils in local lockdown areas would...

Is Boris being too defensive on the culture wars?

25 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Reports on Sunday suggested the BBC was going to drop 'Rule, Britannia!' and 'Land of Hope and Glory' from its Last Night of the Proms schedule becaus...

Can Gavin Williamson reopen England's schools?

24 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Boris Johnson has returned from his holiday to embark on a media campaign promoting September's schools reopening. With Scottish pupils already back -...

Why is Starmer's support surging?

22 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Following the exam results fiasco, the Tories' lead in the polls has dropped to just two points in the latest YouGov survey. With Labour on the up, wh...

Britain's £2 trillion debt problem

21 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

UK debt has hit £2 trillion, the Office for National Statistics said today - an increase of over £200 billion on last year. What does this mean for ...

Where will the next local lockdown be?

20 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Birmingham and Oldham are on the brink of reentering lockdown, with cases in both rising significantly in comparison to the rest of the country. But h...

How Nicola Sturgeon outsmarts Westminster

19 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A new poll today shows that support for Scottish independence is at a record high of 55 per cent. On the podcast, Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and Fra...

Why has the government scrapped Public Health England?

18 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Hancock today confirmed that Public Health England will be scrapped and replaced by a new National Institute for Health Protection, which will be...

What's behind the government's dramatic U-turn?

17 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Gavin Williamson announced this afternoon that pupils receiving A-level and GCSE results this year would be awarded teacher-predicted marks. Why has t...

Is the government about to U-turn on exams?

17 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As the backlash to the government's exams fiasco continued over the weekend, Gavin Williamson has been steadfast in not U-turning. But with GCSE resul...

Kaya's story: why the government's exams triple lock doesn't help

15 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Kaya Ilska is a free school meals student, coming from a single mother family. She is incredibly bright - and was predicted 4 A*s by her teachers, a s...

Should France have been kicked off the greenlist?

14 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After much speculation, France has been put on the quarantine list, along with Netherlands, Monaco, and Malta. But do the numbers really back it up? C...

Levelling down: the results day fiasco

13 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's A-Level results day and much as expected, a large minority of A-Level grades from across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland have been downgrade...

Why is Labour struggling to attack Boris Johnson?

12 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Gavin Williamson last night announced that A-level students getting their results tomorrow could appeal using mock exam grades. Meanwhile, today, new ...

Will England have to follow Scotland's exams U-turn?

11 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After a week of feet dragging, the Scottish government has today dramatically U-turned on downgrading exam results for 76,000 students. Those who rece...

Is the Preston lockdown justified?

10 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Over the weekend, the city of Preston in the north of England was partially locked down. But on what basis? Cindy Yu talks to Kate Andrews and Fraser ...

Are the Lib Dems finished?

08 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Liberal Democrat leadership race will finally come to an end this month but, after December's crushing election defeat, is the party over too? In ...

Will France be quarantined next?

07 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Belgium, Andorra and the Bahamas were added to the UK’s quarantine list yesterday evening, meaning Brits returning from those countries will be requ...

Will Boris's planning reforms backfire?

06 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The government has announced the most ambitious planning reforms of a generation – but could they backfire? Meanwhile, as the contacting tracing reg...

Can Douglas Ross take on the SNP?

05 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Douglas Ross has won the Scottish Conservatives leadership election – but can take on the SNP without risking a second independence referendum? Mean...

Are we heading for mass unemployment?

04 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pizza Express today announced that 1,100 jobs are at risk as they close 67 outlets. With the Chancellor's furlough scheme winding up in November, shou...

Can 'Eat Out to Help Out' save the restaurant industry?

03 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today marks the start of the 'Eat Out to Help Out' scheme – but can the move save Britain's restaurants without risking a second spike? Katy Balls s...

What's behind the excess deaths statistics?

01 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Statistics released this week showed that England had the worst excess death rate in Europe during the first half of 2020. Katy Balls speaks to Kate A...

Boris Johnson pauses lockdown easing

31 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Overnight, the government announced a return of stricter social distancing measures in Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and East Lancashire, with mu...

Why are England's excess deaths so high?

30 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

New figures show that England had the highest excess death rate across Europe in the first half of 2020. With another coronavirus wave looking imminen...

Could the government be over-correcting on a second wave?

29 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Fears of a second wave dominate Westminster chat, but how much of it is the government trying to fight the last battle? Cindy Yu talks to James Forsyt...

Is a second wave imminent?

28 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Boris Johnson said there are signs that a second wave of coronavirus will soon sweep through Europe. Should Brits still go on their holiday abroad, an...

Was there a different way to handle the Spanish quarantine?

27 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Within a few hours, the government enacted a quarantine policy for those returning from Spain (including the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, and alm...

Katy Balls' Sunday Interviews Roundup - 26/07/20

26 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Katy Balls presents the highlights from the Sunday interviews, with Dominic Raab, Dido Harding, Jonathan Ashworth and Tony Blair. Become a Spectator ...

Prime Minister Johnson's turbulent first year

25 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Boris Johnson probably didn't expect his first year as Prime Minister to shake out quite the way it did. From winning a landslide majority, to leading...

Will Boris's war on obesity succeed?

24 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

New plans are being drawn up to tackle obesity in Britain, with proposals including a ban on adverts of junk foods and calorie content shown on restau...

Could Boris's Scotland charm offensive backfire?

23 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Prime Minister visits Scotland today as parliament goes into recess. The Union is in grave danger, as a previous episode discussed. But can the go...

Starmer vs Corbyn

22 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Keir Starmer was keen to put clear blue water between himself and Corbyn's Labour party today, on both the apology to anti-Semitism whistleblowers and...

Is there anything new in the Russia report?

21 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The long-awaited Russia report is finally out, so what are the revelations within it? Katy Balls speaks to James Forsyth and the New Statesman's Polit...

Is TikTok the next Huawei?

20 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Now that Huawei is banned, China hawks in the Conservative Party are turning their attention to social media platform TikTok, which is owned by a Chin...

Katy Balls' Sunday Interviews Roundup - 19/07/20

19 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Katy Balls hosts the highlights from Sunday's interview shows, with Chinese ambassador Liu Xiaoming, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, Russian ambassado...

How much danger is the Union in?

18 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

James Forsyth writes in this week's Spectator that the Union is the biggest challenge facing this government, despite everything that is going on with...

Does the government's plan really approach 'significant normality'?

17 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In a press conference from Downing Street today, Boris Johnson set out the road to 'significant normality' - but not until November. It's a more cauti...

Why the government moved against Julian Lewis

16 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Chris Grayling failed to win the chairmanship of the Intelligence and Security Committee on Wednesday evening. In his stead, Julian Lewis clinched the...

Who should be worried about the independent Covid inquiry?

15 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Why Boris u-turned on Huawei

14 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 woul...

Does anyone know the truth about face masks?

13 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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. ...

Katy Balls' Sunday Interviews Roundup - 12/07/20

12 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Katy Balls presents the highlights from Sunday's political inerviews, today featuring Michael Gove, Lucy Powell and Sir Richard Dearlove. Become a Sp...

Dominic Cummings's plans for defence reform

11 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 a...

The government's inconsistent messaging on lockdown easing

10 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

New lockdown easing measures have been announced, so later this month swimming pools, gyms, and outdoor theatres will be reopening in England. At the ...

Is Rishi Sunak really hinting at tax rises?

09 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Can Rishi Sunak’s jobs pledge keep unemployment down?

08 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 reduc...

Is social care reform now inevitable?

07 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Boris Johnson has rowed back on comments suggesting that care homes suffered from the pandemic because they did not follow procedure, after a widespre...

Why the government's arts bailout was so generous

06 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Katy Balls' Sunday Interviews Roundup - 05/07/20

05 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Katy Balls presents the highlights from Sunday's interview shows, with Matt Hancock, Anneliese Dodds and Sir Simon Stevens. Become a Spectator subscr...

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

04 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Downing St has announced that it will be televising its afternoon lobby press briefing, come October. Inspired by the daily coronavirus briefings, it'...

Will Super Saturday prove a washout?

03 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

One day to go until 'Super Saturday', when pubs and restaurants in England (except Leicester) will reopen. But polls show that only a small minority o...

How schools will look after the pandemic

02 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The government has set out its guidelines for how schools will look come September. Attendance will be compulsory, and even Labour is on board. Cindy ...

Should the government go further on Hong Kong?

01 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 b...

What's so new in Boris's 'New Deal'?

30 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The country is facing a post-pandemic recession that will leave millions unemployed and businesses bankrupted, so despite all the noise, is Boris's 'N...

Will the 'whack-a-mole' approach of local lockdowns work?

29 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Leicester is set to lock down locally. It's an approach that the Prime Minister has dubbed 'whack-a-mole', referring to clampdowns on local clusters t...

What Sedwill's departure means for No 10's civil service reform

28 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill has announced that he will be stepping down in September, though his resignation letter suggests that it wasn't nec...

Cindy Yu's Sunday Interviews Roundup - 28/06/20

28 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Cindy Yu presents the highlights from Sunday's political shows, with Priti Patel, Jonathan Reynolds and Ed Miliband. Become a Spectator subscriber to...

Has Keir Starmer upset Labour's fragile unity?

27 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Throughout the leadership contest, Keir Starmer was careful not to upset the delicate balance between the hard left and the moderates in the party. Bu...

The government's dilemma on reopening

26 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The government wants the country to head back out and boost the economy, but scenes at Bournemouth beach and elsewhere reflect the government's dilemm...

Will Long Bailey's sacking trigger a Corbynite backlash?

25 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After retweeting an interview with Maxine Peake in which the actress voiced an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory, Rebecca Long Bailey has been sacked as ...

Can Keir Starmer get under Boris's skin?

24 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth.Presented by Katy Balls.The Spectator is looking for the UK's brightest entrepreneurs for our Economic Innovator ...

The new common sense phase of lockdown

23 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Boris Johnson has announced further measures to ease the lockdown, and from the 4th July, more venues will be open than not, including restaurants, pu...

What's behind the brewing Sunday trading Tory rebellion?

22 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

There's a rebellion brewing on the backbenches - MPs claim that there are over 50 backbenchers who oppose the government's proposal to loosen Sunday t...

Katy Balls' Sunday Interviews Roundup - 21/06/20

21 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Katy Balls hosts the highlights from Sunday's interviews. With Boris Johnson, Matt Hancock, Rachel Reeves and Shaun Bailey. Become a Spectator subscr...

Is the Foreign Office DfiD merger a mistake?

20 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The plans for a merger between the two departments has united three former prime ministers in their criticism. Andrew Mitchell, Tory MP and former Int...

What the new alert level means for lockdown easing

19 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The government has downgraded the coronavirus alert level from 4 to 3, with the support of its scientific advisers. So is it about time to ease lockdo...

Why did the government persist with its doomed app?

18 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The government is today announcing a switch from its NHS-built contact tracing app in favour of one built by Apple and Google. On the podcast, Katy Ba...

Is Boris Johnson's week starting to look up?

17 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

At Prime Minister's Questions, Boris Johnson cornered Keir Starmer on the Labour party's ambivalent position on schools reopening. After a bumpy start...

Was the government's free meals U-turn inevitable?

16 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After the highly publicised campaign by the footballer Marcus Rashford, the government has U-turned on the question of free school meals in the summer...

Will the government's lockdown easing work?

15 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As the government tries to encourage more spending with the opening of non-essential shops today, is the public still too cautious about Covid? Katy B...

Katy Balls' Sunday Interviews Roundup - 14/06/20

14 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Katy Balls hosts today's essential interviews roundup, which today features Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak, Nick Thomas-Symonds and David Lammy. Become a...

Is toppling a statue an act of performance art?

13 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Has the statue of Churchill been improved by being enclosed in a protective casing? Was Colston's toppling one of the greatest acts of performance art...

The Tory fightback against identity politics

12 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Late last night, the statue of Winston Churchill on Parliament Square was boarded up over fears the monument could again be targeted by Black Lives Ma...

How long can the two-metre rule last?

11 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tory MPs are increasingly concerned about the impact of the two-metre rule, with No. 10 facing pressure to relax the policy to help save businesses. G...