Coffee House Shots

What to expect on 'World Tariff Day'

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week will see ‘World Tariff Day’ – as those in Westminster are not-so-excitedly calling Wednesday – when Donald Trump will announce a wav...

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 30/03/2025

30 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning’s political shows.Former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby gives his first interview sinc...

Michael Heseltine on Thatcher, Boris and Badenoch

29 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

An MP for 35 years, Michael Heseltine served as Environment Secretary and then Defence Secretary in Margaret Thatcher’s government. Following his we...

Coffee House Shots Live with Maurice Glasman, David Frost and James Kanagasooriam

28 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join Katy Balls, Michael Gove, Lord Glasman, Lord Frost and pollster James Kanagasooriam as they unpack the highly anticipated Spring Statement and it...

Reeves goes on the defensive

27 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s the morning after the afternoon before, and Rachel Reeves has just finished her broadcast round, where she has faced tough questions and negati...

Labour's 'Sabrina Carpenter' Budget

26 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This afternoon, Rachel Reeves made good on her promise to deliver only one fiscal set piece per calendar year by announcing what is widely being consi...

Could Cabinet turn on Reeves?

25 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hard hats on for the Spring Statement tomorrow, where at around midday Rachel Reeves will deliver her fiscal update (read: significant fiscal set piec...

Can Britain dodge Trump's tariffs?

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Reports in the papers today say that the British government is considering scrapping its digital services tax – largely levied at American tech comp...

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 23/03/2025

23 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows. Rachel Reeves defends her record as chancellor ahead of the Spring Statemen...

Were we right to lock down? Michael Gove vs Toby Young

22 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On 23 March 2020, then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the unprecedented decision to put the UK into lockdown. To mark the 5th anniversary of t...

Does Kemi have a plan?

21 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's been Kemi-takes-action week for the Conservatives, with the leader of the opposition trying to prove that she can – in fact – do policy. She ...

Can Keir trust Macron?

20 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s a big day in defence. Keir Starmer began the day in Barrow talking about nuclear subs and will end the day in a meeting of the ‘coalition of ...

Spring Statement or ‘Emergency Budget’?

19 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The question that everyone in Westminster wants answered is what will actually be included in next week’s Spring Statement. Previously, the Spring S...

Inside Labour's welfare split

18 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This afternoon we had Liz Kendall’s long-awaited address in the Commons on Labour’s plans for welfare reform. The prospect of £5 billion worth of...

Can the Tories save their education legacy?

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Bridget Phillipson's schools bill is back in the Commons today. The scope of the legislation is twofold: firstly, looking at the welfare of children i...

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 16/03/2025

16 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows.NHS England will be demolished as Labour make sweeping changes to the NHS, an...

Is Keir Starmer a Tory?

15 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Slashing the winter fuel allowance, maintaining the two child benefit cap, cutting international aid, cutting the civil service, axing NHS bureaucracy...

The UK economy is shrinking - how much pressure is Rachel Reeves under?

14 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

New figures from the Office for National Statistics show the UK economy unexpectedly shrunk by 0.1% in January. This comes only a few weeks after the ...

Why Labour are abolishing NHS England

13 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It was widely briefed that the main focus of Sir Keir Starmer’s speech in Yorkshire today was his plan to do away with Whitehall red tape. What was ...

What will Nicola Sturgeon's legacy be?

12 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Nicola Sturgeon has announced her intention to step down at the next Scottish Parliament election in May 2026. One of the original MSPs elected to Hol...

Has Ukraine called Putin’s bluff?

12 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Last night there was a huge breakthrough in Ukraine peace talks, with Zelensky accepting a US proposal for a ceasefire and placing ‘the ball in Puti...

Starmer facing welfare rebellion

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There is a row on the horizon over welfare cuts. Yesterday’s meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) was packed, with many lobby journalists...

Have Reform blown it?

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Loyal listeners will remember that just three months ago we released a podcast asking: Is 2025 Farage’s year? The answer was ‘yes’, provided Ref...

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 09/03/2025

09 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows.Pat McFadden addresses Starmer's 'coalition of the willing', and incoming ref...

Who would be a Conservative? – Kate Andrews vs Michael Gove

08 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s a special (and emotional) edition of Coffee House Shots this Saturday because it is the last with Kate Andrews on this side of the Atlantic. Sh...

How long will Starmer’s ‘war bounce’ last?

07 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Trump has been stealing the headlines when it comes to Ukraine this week, but Europe – and whether it can stay united in the face of the US pulling ...

Labour's 'two tier policing' headache

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Labour have found themselves facing accusations of enabling ‘two tier policing’ following new guidelines from the Sentencing Council. Shadow Justi...

Could spending cuts herald a ‘winter of discontent for Labour’s left’?

05 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With reports of ‘billions’ of spending cuts earmarked for the Chancellor’s Spring Statement, taking place later this month, Michael Gove and Kat...

Where does Trump's suspension of Ukraine aid leave Europe?

04 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Overnight President Trump made another extraordinary move in his ongoing attempt to broker a deal between Ukraine and Russia, suspending all U.S. mili...

Can Starmer stick to his promises to Ukraine?

03 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Along with the French President Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer seems to be spearheading Europe's diplomatic efforts to secure a lasting peace deal for ...

Was Zelensky ambushed at the White House?

01 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Zelensky's much anticipated meeting at the White House finished in an angry clash between the Ukrainian President, JD Vance and Donald Trump. The Vice...

Coffee House Shots Live with Robert Jenrick and Jonathan Ashworth

01 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Spectator’s Katy Balls, Michael Gove and Kate Andrews were joined by special guests Robert Jenrick and Jonathan Ashworth for a live podcast, rec...

How Starmer won over the Donald

28 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Unbelievably, Keir Starmer arrives back from Washington today after a successful meeting with Donald Trump. In fact, it’s hard to see how it could h...

Can Starmer charm Trump?

27 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Keir Starmer is in D.C. for what will probably be one of the most important bilateral meetings of his premiership. The goal is to charm Trump and secu...

Why is Kemi struggling at PMQs?

26 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For the second week in a row, the leader of the opposition seemed to struggle at Prime Minister's Questions, ending up accusing Keir Starmer of being ...

Is Kemi Badenoch a 'realist'?

25 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Kemi Badenoch has today given a major speech outlining the Conservatives’ commitment to ‘realism’ in their foreign policy. She said, ‘You cann...

Ukraine war, three years on

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today marks three years since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. From early fears of a swift Russian victory to the Kharkiv offensi...

Cindy Yu's Sunday Roundup - 23/02/2025

23 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cindy Yu presents highlights from Sunday morning’s political shows.After an extraordinary week of anti-Zelenskyy attacks by Trump, the UK government...

How the Whips' office really works

22 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Simon Hart joins James Heale to talk about his new book Ungovernable: The Political Diaries of a Chief Whip. Having stepped down at the 2024 election,...

Starmer's Scottish headache

21 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

'What does a party get after nearly two decades in office, collapsing public services, an internal civil war and a £2 million police investigation? R...

Can Farage navigate the Trump-Zelensky maze?

20 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump's latest comments on Ukraine and its leader have united the British political spectrum in condemnation – almost. Nigel Farage has tread...

Why Rachel Reeves is safe, for now

19 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Foreign affairs are inescapable this week, with the readout from the meeting yesterday between Russian and American diplomats in Saudi Arabia. We unde...

How Europe’s consensus on Ukraine broke down

18 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The future of Ukraine is being decided in a meeting between US and Russian diplomats in Saudi Arabia today. So far, we understand that America will in...

Can Starmer be the bridge between Europe and the US?

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There is lots to make sense of today in a huge week for European and world politics, with the fallout of the Munich Conference and today’s emergency...

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 16/02/2025

16 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows.Next week, European leaders will hold an emergency summit in response to Trum...

Kemi vs Nigel: who would Thatcher have backed?

15 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It is 50 years since Margaret Thatcher was elected Conservative leader, and at this week’s shadow cabinet meeting, Lord Forsyth was invited as a gue...

The UK's balancing act over Trump's 'Ukraine peace plan'

14 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Leaders from around the world are gathering at the Munich Security Conference, with the UK represented by Foreign Secretary David Lammy. All attention...

Can we trust the Tories on immigration? An interview with Chris Philp, shadow home secretary

14 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this special episode of Coffee House Shots, economics editor Kate Andrews is joined by shadow home secretary Chris Philp to discuss the Tories’ n...

The Spectator’s war on government waste

13 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s a double celebration for Rachel Reeves today. Not only is it her birthday, but the UK economy grew by 0.1 per cent in the last three months of ...

Was that Kemi Badenoch's worst PMQs?

12 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today was the final PMQs before recess, and Kemi Badenoch had been hoping to leave on a high before the break. She started promisingly, opening with t...

Have Kemi Badenoch’s first 100 days been a success?

11 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Kemi Badenoch has been Conservative Party leader for 100 days. Her party is fighting for survival, and she faces an uphill task greater than many of h...

Keir Starmer and the lost art of political oratory

10 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From Churchill to Thatcher to Blair to Farage, Parliament has seen some truly fantastic rhetoricians over the years. But last week came the news that ...

Katy Balls' Sunday Roundup - 09/02/2025

09 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Katy Balls presents highlights from Sunday morning’s political shows.Health Minister Andrew Gwynne is sacked by Starmer after sending offensive What...

Will there be a Tory/Reform pact?

08 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

While both Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch are quick to talk down speculation of a pact between the Tories and Reform, listeners may be surprised to he...

The inside story of Labour under Starmer

07 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week saw the publication of Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund’s new book Get In: The Inside Story of Labour Under Starmer. It’s the second ...

Have the Tories thought through their immigration policy?

06 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Bank of England has cut interest rates for the third time since the inflation crisis, taking the base rate to 4.5 per cent. The Monetary Policy Co...

Should Starmer stand up to Trump?

05 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Trump has blown the Overton window wide open. In a press conference yesterday alongside Benjamin Netanyahu, the US president outlined his intention to...

Reform in 'poll' position

04 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's happened. Reform are now ahead of Labour, according to a voting intention poll by YouGov. Reform leads the landmark poll with 25 points, with Lab...

Trump vs Europe

03 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Trump's tariff spree continues... After making good on his election promise to opt for another round of tariffs – a 25 per cent tax on imports from ...

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 02/02/2025

02 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Cindy Yu presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows.The day before Keir Starmer is set to meet with European leaders, we hea...

Was Peter Mandelson the right pick for ambassador to the US?

01 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

‘An absolute moron’ – those were the words used by Chris LaCivita, a senior campaign advisor to Trump, to describe Peter Mandelson. Lord Mandels...

John Prescott's legacy, plus Labour & the Tories grapple with migration

31 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Labour heavyweight John Prescott's funeral took place yesterday with former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown leading the tributes. What is ...

Can Reform turn more Tory donors?

30 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tuesday night's Reform fundraiser was designed to spook the Conservative party, says Conservative peer and journalist Paul Goodman on today's episode....

'Props to Rachel'

29 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today was the day for Rachel Reeves, as she delivered her big growth speech in Oxfordshire. This was not this government’s first attempt to pivot to...

Labour's Richard Hermer problem

28 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Richard Hermer was one of the surprise announcements from Keir Starmer’s first Cabinet, and one of the most controversial since. Starmer’s old pal...

Is Donald Trump warming to Keir Starmer?

27 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Starmer and Trump have finally spoken, with a 45 minute phone call taking place between the two leaders. The pair reportedly discussed the ceasefire i...

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 26/01/25

26 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning’s political shows.Rachel Reeves hints at new Heathrow runway, and defends the softening of he...

What Labour and the Tories can learn from Pierre Poilievre

25 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For the past fortnight, Canada’s Parliament has been empty. After Justin Trudeau resigned as Liberal leader, all the polls are pointing to the likel...

Do Reform want to bring back the death penalty?

24 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Reform MP Rupert Lowe has called for the death penalty to be re-established in the wake of the sentencing of the Southport killer Axel Rudakubana. Wit...

Reeves vs Miliband

23 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After last week’s bond market jitters, the Chancellor pledged to go ‘further and faster’ to improve the UK’s anaemic economic growth. It looks...

Should Rachel Reeves be at Davos?

22 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s Davos day two, and Rachel Reeves has touched down in Switzerland to continue her hunt for growth. On the agenda today was a fireside chat with ...

Why wasn’t the Southport killer stopped?

21 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

At a press conference this morning, Keir Starmer moved quickly to announce a public inquiry into the Southport murders. This comes after Axel Rudakuba...

Could Trump 2.0 derail the Starmer project?

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The parties - and protests - have already kicked off, as Trump's inauguration gets underway in Washington D.C. today. Katy Balls speaks to Michael Gov...

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 19/01/2025

19 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning’s political shows. It’s a momentous few days, as a ceasefire begins in Gaza, and the US pr...

Reeves's worst week so far?

18 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's been a tricky week for Rachel Reeves: an onslaught of criticism for the levels of borrowing costs, GDP at 0.1 per cent, and stagflation still gri...

Labour caves on grooming gangs

17 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There will be more inquiries into grooming gangs. After sustained pressure, the Home Secretary announced yesterday a series of local, government-backe...

Is Starmer doing enough for Ukraine?

16 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Keir Starmer is in Ukraine today, on his first visit to Kyiv since becoming Prime Minister. And he came bearing gifts: a 100-year partnership agreemen...

Why would the government pay Gerry Adams?

15 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With rumours swirling around Westminster and after Keir Starmer’s less than convincing defence of his Chancellor earlier in the week, Rachel Reeves ...

Is Reform about to overtake Labour? And Tulip Siddiq resigns

14 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

New voting intention polling today puts Reform neck and neck with Labour. The YouGov/Times poll reveals that support for Starmer’s army has plummete...

Sturgeon-Murrell split & Scotland's Reform challenger

13 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Former Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced she is separating from her husband Peter Murrell, former chief executive of the SNP. The ...

Why hasn't Tulip Siddiq been sacked yet?

13 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s rare that a world leader knows the name of a junior minister in the British government – let alone calls for them to be sacked. Yet that is t...

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 12/01/2025

12 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows.Fires continue to burn in LA, as Donald Trump prepares to begin his second te...

What's the point of public inquiries?

11 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, MPs voted against a new national inquiry into grooming gangs. The vote followed weeks of pressure on Labour after Elon Musk brought groomin...

Can Musk oust Starmer?

10 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The war between Labour and Elon Musk continues to rage. Today the Financial Times reports that the tech tycoon has had discussions about ousting Keir ...

Borrowing costs soar - will Rachel Reeves have to go back on her word?

09 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Long term borrowing costs for the government have reached levels not seen since 1998, and 10 year UK gilts are now at their highest point since the 20...

Michael Gove: why does Labour want to ruin state schools?

08 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

At PMQs today, the battle lines were drawn ahead of today’s vote on Labour’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which aims to protect childr...

Farage vs Musk

07 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How do you solve a problem like Elon? We have spent much of the past week talking on the podcast about Labour vs Musk, and the tech billionaire’s vo...

Grooming gang row overshadows Starmer's big NHS speech

06 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In a speech this morning, the Prime Minister unveiled his plans to tackle the NHS backlog, and hit back at comments Elon Musk has made regarding groom...

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 05/01/2025

05 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows.The fallout from Elon Musk's attacks continues. Wes Streeting calls Musk's co...

Elon Musk and the outrage about Britain's grooming gangs

04 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The grooming gangs scandal is back in the news this week after Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips rejected calls for a government inquiry into histor...

Is Labour serious about social care reform?

03 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Happy New Year and – of course – happy new long-term social care plan. Not only has Labour announced a ‘longer-term’ solution to a problem the...

Is 2025 Farage’s year?

02 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Happy New Year! And it could prove to be a very happy new year for Nigel Farage and the Reform Party. They provided some of the stand-out political dr...

Why 2025 could redefine politics

30 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Santa will have had a tricky time this year fulfilling all the Christmas wish lists in Westminster. Keir Starmer is desperately hoping for a change in...

Have we been too quick to judge Kemi Badenoch?

27 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kemi Badenoch is just over a month into her tenure as leader of the opposition, and already she has been criticised for her performances at PMQs and f...

Year in Review 2024 with Michael Gove, Quentin Letts and Katy Balls

21 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been a historic year in British politics. At the start of 2024, the UK had a different Prime Minister, the Tories had a different leader, and T...

Is Mandelson the right pick for US Ambassador?

20 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last night we got the news that Peter Mandelson is expected to be named the next UK ambassador to Washington. Despite months of speculation, Labour he...

UK interest rates held, plus could Musk fund reform?

19 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Bank of England have voted to hold UK interest rates at 4.75%. The Spectator's economics editor Kate Andrews joins Katy Balls and Freddy Gray to d...

Rising inflation will make Rachel Reeves's job harder

18 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

New figures have shown that, for the year to November, inflation rose by 2.6%. While unsurprising, how much will this impact the Chancellor's plans go...

Chinese spy named, plus Farage meets Musk

17 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After days of speculation online, the alleged Chinese spy has been named as Yang Tegbo. This latest example of Chinese espionage has opened up a numbe...

Could the local elections be cancelled?

16 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Labour will reveal plans today to re-design local government, with district councils set to be abolished, and more elected mayors introduced across En...