Coffee House Shots - podcast cover

Coffee House Shots

The Spectatoraudioboom.com
Instant political analysis from The Spectator's top team of writers, including Michael Gove, Isabel Hardman, James Heale, Lucy Dunn and many others.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

David Neal vs the Home Office

Until recently the government's independent chief inspector of borders and immigration, David Neal has been in front of the Home Affairs select committee today to hit out at his erstwhile employers. Cindy Yu talks to Isabel Hardman and Katy Balls on the episode about Neal's abrupt sacking and just how 'independent' an independent inspector can be. Produced by Cindy Yu. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 27, 202412 min

Have the Tories got 'Islamophobic tendencies'?

Conservatives are divided over Lee Anderson's suspension, with some believing that if he apologises for comments made about Sadiq Khan, he should be allowed to return. This has sparked new concerns about the Tory party having a problem with islamophobia, worsened by Liz Truss appearing at an event with Steve Bannon who has also been accused of making Islamophobic comments. How can Rishi Sunak squash these accusations? Should Truss also lose the whip? Cindy Yu speaks to James Heale and Katy Balls...

Feb 26, 202411 min

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 25/02/24

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows. Oliver Dowden is asked to comment on provocative remarks made by multiple Tory MPs about 'Islamists'. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham says the Tory Party is ambivalent about Islamophobia. Lisa Nandy claims no-one from Labour threatened Speaker Lindsay Hoyle over Gaza ceasefire vote. Ed Davey says he has high hopes for Lib Dem chances in the next election. And Estonia's PM is 'honoured' to be on Putin's most wanted li...

Feb 25, 202414 min

Lee Anderson suspended: what now?

Lee Anderson has been suspended from the Conservative party this afternoon after saying on GB News that Islamists controlled Sadiq Khan. Will Rishi Sunak miss having the Ashfield MP in his party? Will Anderson join reform? Max Jeffery speaks to Fraser Nelson and Katy Balls. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 24, 202411 min

Tom Baldwin: 'There is no such thing as Starmerism'

In this special Saturday edition of Coffee House Shots, Katy Balls is joined by Tom Baldwin, author of a new authorised biography of Labour leader Keir Starmer. Tom tells Katy why Starmer is such a complex character, his struggle to get the leader of the opposition to open up – particularly about his relationship with his father – and why he is not a politician, in the usual sense. Produced by Natasha Feroze and Oscar Edmondson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Feb 24, 202417 min

Commons chaos revealed the threat to MPs’ safety

As MPs return to their constituencies, the drama from Wednesday's parliamentary debate is still fresh in Westminster. James Heale speaks to Fraser Nelson and Isabel Hardman about whether MPs' safety concerns are influencing democracy, and why the outcome of the debate could mean lessons are learned for the future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 23, 202413 min

What happened in the Commons chaos last night?

The Commons descended into farce and chaos last night. The SNP were not able to vote on their own motion on their own Opposition Day debate; the Conservatives walked out of the chamber in protest; and Lindsay Hoyle seemed tearful as he seemed to apologise for how the Gaza debate went down. On the episode, Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and Chris Ward, director at Hanbury Strategy and former deputy chief of staff to Keir Starmer. Produced by Cindy Yu. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...

Feb 22, 202416 min

Has Lindsay Hoyle overstepped?

Sir Keir Starmer can breathe a sigh of relief this afternoon, thanks to Lindsay Hoyle. The Speaker has selected Labour’s amendment on a Gaza ceasefire, which means that a likely mass rebellion from Labour MPs will be averted. SNP and Tory MPs are furious at Hoyle, and say that he has tried to rewrite the rules. What's going on? Katy Balls speaks to James Heale and Isabel Hardman. Produced by Cindy Yu. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Feb 21, 202412 min

Starmer moves to quell ceasefire rebellion

Today Keir Starmer has moved his party’s position on a ceasefire in Gaza as he seeks to quell what could the biggest rebellion of his leadership. MPs will vote on an immediate ceasefire in Gaza with Labour set to add its own amendment to the SNP motion tomorrow. For the first time, Labour is calling for an ‘immediate humanitarian ceasefire’, but is this really such a big change in Labour's position? James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Isabel Hardman. Produced by Cindy Yu and Oscar Edmondson. Ho...

Feb 20, 202410 min

Are citizens' assemblies the future?

In the Times today is the latest instalment of Tom Baldwin's authorised biography of Keir Starmer. It includes reports that Labour chief of staff Sue Gray has been drawing up plans for so-called citizens' assemblies. Are citizens' juries the future of democracy? Or is this simply a way for Starmer to avoid making policy decisions? Elsewhere there is some interesting polling out from the think tank Labour Together, warning that Labour should not get complacent despite their huge poll lead and rec...

Feb 19, 202413 min

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 18/02/24

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows. Alexei Navalny is dead, and our government says Putin is responsible. The Tories lose again in by-elections, and Michael Tomlinson says a vote for Reform is a vote for Labour. Meanwhile, Labour themselves are split again, with Scottish Labour backing a motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Produced by Joe Bedell-Brill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Feb 18, 202415 min

Do accents still matter in politics?

The new MP for Kingswood has been under fire for apparently changing his accent over the course of his political career. Does this matter? And if so, what does this tell us about British politics today? Cindy Yu talks to James Heale and author and former cabinet minister, Nadine Dorries. Produced by Cindy Yu and Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 17, 202414 min

Labour triumphs in by-election brace

Labour has the won two by-elections in Wellingborough and Kingswood, overturning big Conservative majorities in the process. Party chairman Richard Holden has brushed the results off as typical midterm by-elections where voters what to give the government a kicking. Does this argument stack up? And what can Reform take from the results? Isabel Hardman speaks to James Heale and pollster John Curtice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Feb 16, 202412 min

UK tips into recession – what's left of Sunak's priorities?

This morning's figures show that the UK went into a technical recession last year. Forecasts suggest it will be a short and shallow recession, but how badly does this reflect on the government's priorities to increase growth and lower inflation? Also, will this make Rishi Sunak think again about his plan to meet as many rattled voters as possible on the campaign trail? Natasha Feroze speaks to Kate Andrews and James Heale. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Feb 15, 202411 min

Have the Tories given up on Wellingborough & Kingswood?

Inflation figures released this morning have remained at 4 per cent – a worry for Rishi Sunak's five pledges. There are several hurdles are still to come for the Prime Minister this week, including growth figures tomorrow and two by-elections on Friday. Why are the Tories keeping things low-key on the campaign trail? James Heale is joined by Kate Andrews and Lucy Fisher, Whitehall editor of the Financial Times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Feb 14, 202410 min

Can Labour learn from its mistakes?

Keir Starmer has rolled back on his support for the Rochdale by-election candidate, Azhar Ali over further comments made about on Israel-Palestine. John McTernan and James Heale speak to Natasha Feroze about the lessons Labour can learn, and whether antisemitism could topple Starmer. Also on the podcast, Rishi Sunak has been taking advantage of Labour's U-turns, and Michael Gove has laid out his new house building plan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Feb 13, 202414 min

Can Starmer stamp out Labour's antisemitism?

Labour faces another antisemitism battle as their candidate for the Rochdale by-election said that Israel allowed the October 7th attacks as a pretext to invade Gaza. Azhar Ali has since apologised for his comments and Labour has allowed him remain the candidate for Rochdale. Natasha Feroze speaks to James Heale and Isabel Hardman about Keir Starmer's challenge to stamp out antisemitism and take a look ahead at another challenging week for Rishi Sunak. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for ...

Feb 12, 202410 min

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 11/02/24

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows. Michael Gove thinks problems with the housing market could drive young people away from democracy. Who caused these problems? Gove is also questioned over the PM's transphobic joke, and Israel's imminent Rafah offensive. Meanwhile Labour have officially U-turned on their green pledge. And Joe Biden is defending his memory, with little success. Produced by Joe Bedell-Brill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in...

Feb 11, 202414 min

Is the Labour party already fractured?

Having ditched the green investment pledge, Keir Starmer faces questions over what the Labour party actually stands for. And without a clear vision, how can the Labour leader hold together a divided party? Cindy Yu speaks to Fraser Nelson and former Labour advisor Ayesha Hazarika. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 10, 202426 min

Boris Johnson accused of sabotaging Ukraine peace talks

Tucker Carlson released his highly anticipated interview with Russia's leader Vladimir Putin last night. The two-hour long discussion was dominated by Putin who gave history lessons, blamed the Nord Stream 2 explosion on the CIA, and accused Boris Johnson of sabotaging the peace talks 18 months ago. Natasha Feroze speaks to James Heale and Freddy Gray about the highlights of the interview, and whether Boris Johnson's role in the talks was as influential as Putin suggests. Hosted on Acast. See ac...

Feb 09, 202410 min

Is Starmer right to ditch his £28 billion green pledge?

Later today Keir Starmer is expected to officially kill off Labour's £28 billion green investment pledge. With the centrepiece of their public policy now scrapped, what will Labour's promise be at the next election? James Heale speaks to Kate Andrews and John McTernan, former No. 10 political secretary. Produced by Cindy Yu and Oscar Edmondson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 08, 202415 min

Is the prime minister gaffe-prone?

It has been a gaffe-filled week for Rishi Sunak. At PMQs today the prime minister was chastised by his opposite number for an ill-judged comment about transgender people with the mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey in parliament. This comes after being pictured embracing Sinn Fein leader Michelle O'Neill and then making a wager with Piers Morgan over his pledge to stop the boats. Is this a prime minister ready to fight a general election? James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Stephen Bush, a...

Feb 07, 202414 min

What Liz Truss's PopCon launch was really about

Liz Truss is back! This time with a conference called 'Popular Conservatism', bringing together voices in the Conservative party and aiming to 'deliver popular conservative policies'. But what does the event really tells us about the state of right wing political thought in the UK today, and why were some of Truss's key allies not there? Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and Fraser Nelson. Produced by Cindy Yu. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Feb 06, 202411 min

Rishi Sunak admits to failing on NHS waitlists

Rishi Sunak is in Belfast to mark the return of Stormont after a two-year deadlock. With Sinn Fein now the leading party, can the government pitch this as a win? Also on the podcast, the Prime Minister admitted he's failed to meet the NHS waitlist targets from his five pledges last year. James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Fraser Nelson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 05, 202411 min

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 04/02/2024

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows. Michelle O'Neill becomes the first nationalist first minister of Northern Ireland. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan is questioned over her childcare pledges and the government's record on protecting children from online harms. Chris Bryant defends Labour against more accusations of changing their minds. And when does UK military action end if the Houthis remain undeterred? Produced by Joe Bedell-Brill. Hosted on Acast. S...

Feb 04, 202413 min

Arlene Foster: 'a united Ireland is not around the corner'

This week in Westminster has been dominated by the news that we can expect to see power sharing restored at Stormont in the near future. James Heale gets the reaction of former DUP first minister Baroness Arlene Foster. Produced by Natasha Feroze and Oscar Edmondson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 03, 202413 min

Should ex-MPs stop shilling for foreign rulers?

In his Telegraph column, Fraser Nelson makes the case that it's time to ban former politicians accepting jobs from foreign rulers. The likes of Tony Blair, George Osborne and David Cameron have all made money from government's abroad. But is this becoming more of a problem? And are their critics simply a product of their success? Natasha Feroze speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Heale. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Feb 02, 202412 min

Is Labour the party of business?

At the 'Labour Business Conference 2024', shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves wooed business with a pledge that Labour would not raise corporation tax in their first term. Instead, she told the audience of FTSE 100 chief execs that a Labour government would keep the current cap at 25 per cent. How convincing is Reeves' big pitch to business? Also on the podcast, the big news this week has been the Northern Ireland negotiations. What's happened in parliament today? Natasha Feroze speaks to Katy Balls...

Feb 01, 202411 min

Sturgeon paints herself as perfect at Covid Inquiry

Nicola Sturgeon was emotional whilst giving evidence at the Covid inquiry today – a highly anticipated part of the inquiry given the issue of deleted Whatsapp messages. How did the former first minister come across today? And what else can the evidence tell us about how the Scottish government operated? Katy Balls speaks to Isabel Hardman and Michael Simmons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 31, 202411 min

What could still scupper Northern Ireland's power-sharing plan?

After hours of late night negotiations, power sharing looks like it's back on in Stormont – or is it? James Heale talks to Katy Balls and TalkTV's Peter Cardwell about the latest political developments in Northern Ireland. Produced by Cindy Yu. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 30, 202410 min
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