Coffee House Shots

Will Rachel Reeves soften the winter fuel cut?

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tomorrow MPs will vote on Rachel Reeves’ decision to cut winter fuel payments for pensioners who aren’t eligible for pension benefits. We spoke on...

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 08/09/2024

08 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning’s political shows. Keir Starmer says his government will ‘have to be unpopular’ and take...

Coffee House Shots live: the Starmer supremacy

07 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join Fraser Nelson, Katy Balls and Kate Andrews, along with special guest Jonathan Ashworth, for a live edition of Coffee House Shots recorded earlier...

Does Rachel Reeves need an 'escape route' on winter fuel?

06 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Fraser Nelson and Katy Balls join James Heale to look ahead to a crucial week for Labour. On Tuesday, Parliament will hold a binding vote on the chang...

Tory leadership race latest: Priti out

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The first round of the Conservative leadership race has seen Dame Priti Patel eliminated with the fewest votes. Robert Jenrick came out on top but, wi...

Grenfell report: why did it take so long?

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Seven years after the tragedy, the inquiry into the Grenfell fire has published its report. What did we learn from it and who bears responsibility? An...

Is the UK still a 'staunch ally' of Israel?

03 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The fallout continues from the UK's decision to suspend some arms sale licenses to Israel. Defence Secretary John Healey insists the UK remains a 'sta...

Is Keir right to scrap one-word Ofsted verdicts?

02 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s back to school day for kids up and down the country, and also back to school for our politicians who have returned from summer recess. To celeb...

Which Conservative leader could be a problem for Keir Starmer?

31 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Tory leadership contest is still rumbling on, and we're lucky enough to still have weeks to go! In this Saturday episode, we assess which of the c...

Why has Starmer taken down a portrait of Thatcher?

30 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Keir Starmer's biographer Tom Baldwin has revealed that the PM has removed a portrait of Margaret Thatcher from No 10. The portrait was originally com...

How far will Starmer’s smoking ban go?

29 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Keir Starmer has confirmed that the government is looking at plans to revive Sunak's smoking ban legislation. They may go even further - reports sugge...

What's behind Starmer's 'reset' with Europe?

28 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Keir Starmer has been in Germany today visiting Chancellor Olaf Scholz, before heading to Paris to meet President Macron. This is part of his plan to ...

Just how ‘painful’ will Starmer’s October Budget be?

27 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Winter is coming. That’s the message from Keir Starmer’s set-piece speech this morning from the No. 10 rose garden. After a tricky few weeks for t...

What could a Kamala Harris presidency mean for the UK?

24 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As the Democratic National Convention draws to a close in Chicago this week, Patrick Gibbons is joined by James Heale and Gerry Baker, editor at large...

Is the energy price cap hike bad news for Labour?

23 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ofgem, the energy regulator, has announced that the price cap will rise by 10% in October. Is this bad news for Labour, or will they be successful in ...

Can Labour crack apprenticeships?

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today's GCSE results show an exams system that has largely returned to pre-Covid norms. It has also given the government a chance to talk about skills...

Labour cronyism claims continue

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The government seems to have appointed another party-political advisor to the civil service – this time Labour Together's Jess Sargeant to the role ...

Can Starmer reinvigorate Welsh Labour?

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Keir Starmer has been meeting the new First Minister Eluned Morgan as part of a two day trip to Wales. While the trip included a visit to a wind farm,...

Prison overcrowding triggers emergency measures

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The fallout from the riots continues as the numbers being processed by the justice system have led to emergency measures being triggered by the govern...

What are Sue Gray's plans for the civil service?

17 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Labour is planning to reform the civil service into five 'missions' that will lead the agenda, moving away from the purely departmental way of arrangi...

Can Labour really tame the unions?

16 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Less than 48 hours after Transport Secretary Louise Haigh hailed a new deal with train drivers... the rail union Aslef announced further strike action...

Has GDP growth come at the wrong time for Labour?

15 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The broader story this morning paints a positive picture for the UK economy. While growth in June took a pause, growth in Q2 for this year is estimate...

Why has the inflation rate gone up again?

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We've got some news today on the inflation rate, which rose to 2.2 per cent in July, slightly up from the Bank of England’s target of 2 per cent, wh...

Keir Starmer’s first foreign policy tests

13 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After successful showings at NATO and Blenheim Palace Keir Starmer is facing his first foreign policy tests, with big developments in Ukraine and in t...

Labour goes to war with the Nimbys

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Over the weekend we have had some news on Labour’s housing policy. The Times have splashed on the news that in order to meet their pledge to build 1...

The politics of prime ministerial holidays

10 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Should Keir Starmer go on holiday whilst the country is still grappling with violent disorder? In a YouGov poll on Thursday 71% of those surveyed said...

Keir vs Elon: round II

09 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Elon Musk has it in for the Labour government, his latest tweet screenshotting a racist comment Labour MP Lauren Edwards made over a decade ago. On th...

How the Tory candidates have responded to the riots

08 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The last week has been dominated by rioting, and last night was expected to be a particularly explosive night. How did it measure up against expectati...

Will Starmer crack down on social media?

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Courts have started giving out severe sentences to those involved in the riots today, but there is a continued clamouring for Keir Starmer to do more....

Keir Starmer slaps down Elon Musk over ‘civil war’ comment

06 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Prime Minister has clashed with billionaire owner of ‘X’ Elon Musk over comments that Musk made claiming that – in light of the violent diso...

Can our prisons take these 'thugs'?

05 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Keir Starmer will be chairing his first Cobra meeting, as the government continues to grapple with the rioting that has broken out across the country....

Is Starmer’s response to the riots enough?

02 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Police are bracing themselves for more violent disorder this weekend. This is in the aftermath of the tragic stabbings in Southport and unrest in Lond...

Could Robert Jenrick overtake Kemi Badenoch?

02 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kemi Badenoch is the favourite in the Tory leadership race at the moment, which is partly why she's been subject to a fair amount of scrutiny and some...

Sunak's gift to Labour

01 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today the Bank of England has cut rates for the first time in four years, bringing more good economic news to the Labour government. On the episode, C...

How should Starmer respond to the Southport riots?

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rioters in Southport have clashed with police after three young girls were fatally stabbed outside a Taylor Swift themed dance class on Monday. The cr...

Winter for boomers

30 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rachel Reeves wakes to mixed headlines today after she announced a range of spending cuts to part fill a £22 billion ‘shortfall’ in public spendi...

How will Labour fill the surprise £20bn ‘black hole’?

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Chancellor Rachel Reeves has today been providing covering fire for a raft of unpopular policies, including changes to the winter fuel allowance a...

What's next for Suella Braverman?

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's a busy day in Westminster as we await the new Chancellor's ‘spending audit’ of the financial challenges Labour has ‘discovered’ on enteri...

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 28/07/2024

28 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning’s politics shows.Tax rises might be on the horizon, as Labour prepare to reveal a £20bn hole...

Who might replace Simon Case as Cabinet Secretary?

27 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The rumour swirling around Westminster is that there will soon be a new Cabinet Secretary, the most senior civil servant position. Politico reported t...

Labour's '£20 billion black hole' strategy

26 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to give a statement to Parliament on Monday outlining the state of public finances, including a '£20 billion...

Tory leadership race latest: who's declared?

25 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As more Conservative MPs declare their intentions to run for the Tory leadership, James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Conservative peer Paul Goodman ...

Starmer’s plan to deal with Labour’s hard left

24 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Three weeks in for the new government and we have had our first Labour rebellion. In a vote last night on an SNP amendments to axe the two child benef...

Are we in for a 'dirty' Tory leadership contest?

23 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

At last there is white smoke in the negotiations over the rules for the Tory leadership contest. On Monday, the 1922 committee met and agreed a timeta...

Labour's Kamala Harris problem

22 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last night we had the news that President Biden will not contest the election, announcing in a separate statement that he will support his vice presid...

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 21/07/2024

21 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning’s politics shows.Chancellor Reeves is in the spotlight. She maintains Labour will be strict w...

What is going on with Joe Biden?

20 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Joe Biden has faced further calls to step down from some of the most senior characters in the Democratic party. The President is currently ...

Tory leadership race latest: what's going on?

19 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Conservatives need to choose a new leader, but first they need to agree on the process... Easier said than done. Lucy Dunn talks to Fraser Nelson ...

Keir Starmer: 'We want to reset relationships with EU'

18 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Keir Starmer is at Blenheim Palace today for the gathering of the European Political Community, the forum created by Emmanuel Macron in the wake of th...

What was missing from the King's Speech?

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Labour has set out its ambitious missions in the King's Speech to open a new parliament today. On the podcast, Oscar Edmondson speaks to Katy Balls an...

Two-child benefit cap row – Starmer’s first big test?

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Keir Starmer is coming under pressure to commit to scrapping the two-child benefit cap, introduced in 2017 by the Conservatives. Plaid Cymru, the Gree...

How Westminster reacted to the Trump assassination attempt

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s two days after the failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump and we thought we would use this podcast to discuss some of the reaction from W...

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 14/07/2024

14 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows. Donald Trump has narrowly escaped with his life after an attempted assassin...

Coffee House Shots live: election aftermath

14 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join Fraser Nelson, Katy Balls and Kate Andrews, along with special guest Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, for a live edition of Coffee House Shots recorded earli...

Welcome to Whitehall Watch

13 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What happens to staff in Whitehall when a government changes? In this Saturday edition of the podcast, Katy Balls is joined by Henry Newman, former ad...

Can Labour solve our prisons crisis?

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Justice secretary Shabana Mahmood has acknowledged that ‘our prisons are on the point of collapse’. She has announced that, from September, most p...

Has Nato been a success for Starmer?

11 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Keir Starmer is on his first big diplomatic trip to Washington, attending the Nato summit. He has called on member countries to increase defence spend...

Who will lead the Tories in opposition?

10 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's been a big 24 hours in Tory-world as the party tries to pick itself up after last week's defeat. We have had the first shadow cabinet meeting and...

Can Wes Streeting end the NHS strikes?

09 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Health Secretary Wes Streeting declared the NHS 'broken' over the weekend. With a creaking in-tray of issues, he opened up negotiations with the BMA t...

Can Labour deliver economic growth?

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This morning, Rachel Reeves made her first speech as chancellor. She announced mandatory housing targets, promising 1.5 million homes over the next fi...

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 07/07/2024

07 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's politics shows.Labour win with a landslide, but their relatively small share of the vote make...

The surprises in Starmer's cabinet

06 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In his first 24 hours as Prime Minister, Keir Starmer has appointed his cabinet and held a cabinet meeting. Most of his frontbench have carried over t...

Labour wins by a landslide

05 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Where to start with an historic election night. Keir Starmer has got his 1997 moment, winning an enormous majority. Elsewhere, eleven cabinet minister...

Exit poll predicts Labour landslide

04 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The polls have closed and the exit poll is in. The BBC exit poll projects that Labour will win a landslide of 410 MPs and the Conservatives will be le...

Will there be an election upset on Thursday?

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tomorrow, voters will head to the polling booth to cast their vote in the 2024 general election. Will there be any surprises in store? So far, there h...

Has Reform peaked too soon?

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The election campaign was going well for Nigel Farage's Reform... until it wasn't. A series of controversies have been difficult for the party to shak...

Starmer's Europe dilemma

01 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As Europe comes to terms with the fallout from Marine Le Pen's victory in the first round of their parliamentary elections, Cindy Yu talks to Freddy G...

Coffee House Shots live: election special

30 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join Fraser Nelson, Katy Balls and Kate Andrews for this special edition of Coffee House Shots, recorded live ahead of the general election. As electi...

Labour's women problem

29 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The gender debate has become increasingly difficult for the Labour Party as the election campaign has rumbled on. JK Rowling has now agreed to meet wi...

Will Biden survive his debate implosion?

28 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Democrats wanted and needed a compelling performance from Joe Biden last night: a rebuttal to the concerns about his age and ability. Instead, his...

Should we ban polls?

27 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Some countries, like Canada and France, have bans on polling close to the election. Many figures on both sides of the campaign have been frustrated at...

Sunak vs Starmer round two - who won?

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Isabel Hardman and Katy Balls speak to Patrick Gibbons following the second, and final, debate between Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak. With a week to go...

Has 'gamblegate' become ridiculous?

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We are now two weeks into the political betting saga. Since our last episode, Keir Starmer has suspended a Labour candidate who bet on himself losing....

Who will survive?

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's another bad day for the Conservatives. Rishi Sunak has withdrawn support for the Tory candidates involved in the general election betting scandal...

Is Nigel Farage drawing from the Trump playbook?

24 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In a speech this afternoon, Nigel Farage doubled down on controversial comments he made about the West provoking the war in Ukraine. Is the Reform lea...

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 23/06/24

23 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning’s political shows. The election date betting scandal engulfs the Conservatives, while James ...

Is Brexit safe under Labour?

22 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Writer, trade unionist and Labour Brexiteer Paul Embery joins James Heale on Spectator TV to discuss Labour's plans for the EU should they get into go...

Question Time special – who came out on top?

21 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last nights election Question Time programme was probably the best of the campaign in that it gave space for proper discussion while making all the le...

Sunak's campaign derailed by betting claims — again

20 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Another allegation over betting with insider knowledge has transpired today, this time involving the Conservative candidate Laura Sanders, who is marr...

Have the Tories given up on the Red Wall?

19 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Yet another three MRP polls landed today – and none of them look pretty for the Conservative party. This comes as Boris Johnson rules out helping on...

Is Boris back to save the day?

18 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you're a Twitter user, you might have seen more of Boris Johnson than usual. He's been making videos to endorse selected candidates from his holida...

Does Nigel Farage have the cure for Britain?

17 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nigel Farage has unveiled Reform UK's manifesto. Except, it's not a manifesto, because he says the word is synonymous in voters’ minds with ‘lies’...

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 16/06/24

16 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning’s politics shows. Election campaigns are ramping up, and we hear from the Conservatives, the...

What could Starmer's first year in power look like?

15 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Picture the scene: it's July 5th and a triumphant Keir Starmer arrives at Downing Street after achieving a supermajority and the Tories have only narr...

Who is the real opposition to Labour?

14 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nigel Farage tried to claim at the start of Thursday’s TV debate that Reform was the real threat to Keir Starmer, given it has just passed the Conse...

What wasn't included in Labour's manifesto

13 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Keir Starmer launched Labour's manifesto today, but how much did we actually learn about their plans for government? And with no rabbits pulled out of...

Sunak vs Starmer – who came out on top?

12 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Katy Balls and Kate Andrews speak to Natasha Feroze after the Battle for No.10 leadership interviews. The two leaders gave their pitch to a live audie...

Why are Tories talking about a Labour Super Majority?

12 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Grant Shapps has been speaking to media this morning and warning that a Labour landslide would be 'very bad news' for the country. Is the acknowledgem...

Is Sunak's cautious manifesto a mistake?

11 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Conservatives hoping to turn their fortunes around with the publication of the party's manifesto have been disappointed. The document contained little...

Why has Douglas Ross resigned as Scottish Tory leader?

10 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Just when you thought this election campaign couldn’t get any more tumultuous, Douglas Ross has announced he will resign as Scottish Conservative le...

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 09/06/2024

09 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows.Mel Stride defends the prime minister after his D-Day gaffe. Farage criticise...

Nigel Farage's Conservative manifesto

08 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last night, leaders and senior representatives from seven political parties went head to head in the latest TV debate. But who came out on top? Katy B...

Will Labour's manifesto contain a surprise?

07 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Overnight, details of Labour's manifesto were leaked. There are several new policies, but how surprising are they, and how will they land with voters?...

Why did Sunak leave the D-Day commemorations early?

07 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's yet another gaffe for Rishi Sunak. At yesterday’s D Day anniversary celebrations when it came time for official photographs with Joe Biden, Ola...

Has there been a CCHQ candidates stitch up?

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Conservative grassroots are up in arms over the installment of Tory party chairman, Richard Holden, as the candidate for Basildon and Billericay, a sa...

Who won the first leaders' debate?

05 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last night, Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer went head-to-head in the first TV debate of the campaign. They clashed on a variety of topics, including hous...

What would it take for Sunak to have a breakthrough?

04 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Some Conservatives have put their hopes on tonight's TV debate as a breakthrough moment for the lacklustre and disorganised Tory campaign, but will it...

Could Farage crush the Tories?

03 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This afternoon a wildcard was thrown into the election – the return of Nigel Farage. He will be standing for the Reform party at Clacton, the one pa...

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 02/06/2024

02 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows.Division in the Labour Party as Keir Starmer belatedly approves Diane Abbott ...

Can Keir handle Trump?

01 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The news that Donald Trump has been convicted of 34 felonies meant that the Labour leader faced questions about the former president on Friday morning...