Keir Starmer is on his first big diplomatic trip to Washington, attending the Nato summit. He has called on member countries to increase defence spending, had a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, and enjoyed a dinner with Joe Biden - all in his first week of the job. How is the trip going, are there any tensions arising, and has it been a success for the new PM? Oscar Edmondson discusses with James Heale and Sophia Gaston, head of foreign policy at Policy Exchange. Become a Spectator subscriber to...
Jul 11, 2024•17 min
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 the 1922 committee chairman election. Where do they go from here? And who could lead them? James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Fraser Nelson. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/pod...
Jul 10, 2024•13 min
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 today to try and solve one: the pay dispute with junior doctors. With ambitious reforms planned, and a workforce with low morale, how successful will Labour be? Isabel Hardman and James Heale join Cindy Yu to discuss. Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Cindy Yu. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator...
Jul 09, 2024•14 min
This morning, Rachel Reeves made her first speech as chancellor. She announced mandatory housing targets, promising 1.5 million homes over the next five years, as well as an end to the onshore wind ban. What else does she have in store, and can Labour deliver the growth the country needs? James Heale discusses with Katy Balls and Kate Andrews. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go...
Jul 08, 2024•12 min
Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's politics shows. Labour win with a landslide, but their relatively small share of the vote makes this a significantly distorted election. Newly appointed Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds defends his party's performance, and says smaller parties don't receive enough scrutiny. The Tory inquest begins, while Lib Dems say they will be constructive opposition, and Reform claim they are the 'real' opposition. Produced by Joe Bedell-Brill. Bec...
Jul 07, 2024•13 min
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 their shadow briefs, but there were a few surprise appointments too. Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and Times columnist Patrick Maguire. Produced by Cindy Yu. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts . Contact u...
Jul 06, 2024•15 min
Where to start with an historic election night. Keir Starmer has got his 1997 moment, winning an enormous majority. Elsewhere, eleven cabinet ministers have lost their seats , including: Grant Shapps, Gillian Keegan and Penny Mordaunt. Former prime minister Liz Truss has lost her seat, as have senior Tories Jacob Rees-Mogg and Miriam Cates. The Lib Dems have made massive gains, the SNP were decimated in Scotland and Nigel Farage is the MP for Clacton. But it's not a clean sweep for Labour. Two L...
Jul 05, 2024•15 min
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 left with 131 seats. Meanwhile the Liberal Democrats will win 61 seats, the SNP ten seats and Reform 13 seats. This would mean a Labour majority of 170 – and would be the Tories’ worst ever result. Megan McElroy speaks to Katy Balls and Kate Andrews. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adf...
Jul 04, 2024•11 min
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 has been little movement when it comes to the gap in vote share between Labour and the Tories. However, there's still plenty of uncertainty across the parties as to what the exit poll will say at 10 p.m. on Thursday night. James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and James Kanagasooriam, chief research officer at Focaldata. Become a Spectator subscriber tod...
Jul 03, 2024•14 min
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 shake off. Will the distractions cost them votes and MPs? How will it affect their momentum - and who's to blame? Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Heale. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts . Con...
Jul 02, 2024•13 min
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 Gray and Katy Balls about what it all means for Keir Starmer. If he does win the UK's own election on Thursday, he faces a European landscape that could be harder to navigate. What do the results mean for the UK and what reaction has there been? Produced by Cindy Yu and Patrick Gibbons. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast with...
Jul 01, 2024•13 min
Join Fraser Nelson, Katy Balls and Kate Andrews for this special edition of Coffee House Shots, recorded live ahead of the general election. As election day draws closer, Fraser talks through some myth-busting statistics and the team answer questions from the audience. Could this election increase support for proportional representation? What policy does the panel think has been the most interesting? And was there ever a probable path to victory for Rishi Sunak? Produced by Natasha Feroze and Pa...
Jun 30, 2024•57 min
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 with Labour to discuss gender transition policy, after writing in The Times that she'd struggle to vote for the party after feeling dismissed by them. After the election, will gender become an increasingly difficult issue for Keir Starmer? Megan McElroy speaks to Katy Balls and Sonia Sodha, chief leader writer and columnist at the Observer Become a S...
Jun 29, 2024•15 min
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 performance was disastrous. Is there any way he can survive this performance? Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and Sarah Elliott, director of the UK-US special relationship unit at the Legatum Institute. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator p...
Jun 28, 2024•13 min
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 how the media is consuming polling. What is a polling blackout, and why do some people want one? Megan McElroy speaks to Katy Balls and Chris Hopkins, polling expert and political research director at Savanta. Elsewhere, David Tennant has taken aim at Kemi Badenoch. She has, to little surprise, responded. With one week to go, does the electorate h...
Jun 27, 2024•12 min
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 until the general election, who came out on top and did we learn anything? Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts . Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor...
Jun 26, 2024•16 min
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. How damaging is 'gamblegate' - and has it gone too far? Cindy Yu speaks to Katy Balls and Stephen Bush, columnist and associate editor at the Financial Times. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts . Conta...
Jun 26, 2024•17 min
It's another bad day for the Conservatives. Rishi Sunak has withdrawn support for the Tory candidates involved in the general election betting scandal. What has led to the timing of this decision? Also on the podcast, James Kanagasooriam, Chief Research Officer of Focaldata, explains their latest poll that suggests a 250-seat Labour majority. He joins Katy Balls and James Heale. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out m...
Jun 25, 2024•19 min
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 leader taking inspiration from Trump? And could this be a small win for the Tories who are seeking to claw back Reform votes? Also on the podcast, James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Fraser Nelson about the latest in the election date betting scandal. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/ad...
Jun 24, 2024•12 min
Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning’s political shows. The election date betting scandal engulfs the Conservatives, while James Cleverly also has to contend with a Tory aide calling the Rwanda policy ‘crap’. There's controversy also in the Scottish National Party, with allegations that staff may have used public money on the election campaign. Bridget Phillipson is asked to clarify Labour’s position on gender identity in schools, and Unite’s Sharon Graham suggests Labour voter...
Jun 23, 2024•14 min
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 government. Paul highlights the need for Labour to deliver on its promises and avoid alienating working-class voters. Will Rachel Reeves appease the Red Wall? And how tough will Labour be on immigration? Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcas...
Jun 22, 2024•19 min
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 leaders uncomfortable. None of the four men questioned over the two hour programme – Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Ed Davey and John Swinney – did badly. There were some good revelatory comments, but Fiona Bruce's questioning exposed each leaders key weakness. Did anyone manage to shift the dial? Oscar Edmondson speaks to Isabel Hardman and Katy Balls. ...
Jun 21, 2024•13 min
Another allegation over betting with insider knowledge has transpired today, this time involving the Conservative candidate Laura Sanders, who is married to the party's director of campaigns, Tony Lee. Lee has now taken a leave of absence as the Gambling Commission carries out an investigation. On the episode, Cindy Yu talks to Kate Andrews and James Heale about how this derails an already wobbly campaign. Produced by Cindy Yu. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without a...
Jun 20, 2024•12 min
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 the campaign trail as reports say that the party has given up on the Red Wall. On the episode, James Heale talks to Katy Balls and conservative commentator Paul Goodman about why the Tories will continue to struggle to close the poll gap given the roles played by the Liberal Democrats and Reform. Produced by Cindy Yu. Become a Spectator subscriber t...
Jun 19, 2024•13 min
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 holiday in Sardinia. Might he make a bigger return to the election campaign? Is he the man that could save the Tories from Farage - and does he want to? James Heale speaks to Isabel Hardman and Fraser Nelson. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podca...
Jun 18, 2024•12 min
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’. It promises a freeze on non-essential immigration, a patriotic curriculum, leaving the European Court on Human Rights, and cutting taxes by £88 billion. Is this contract more of a wish list? How much damage can Nigel Farage do to the Conservatives? Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Heale. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this ...
Jun 17, 2024•10 min
Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning’s politics shows. Election campaigns are ramping up, and we hear from the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, Labour, and Plaid Cymru. Mark Harper is asked why some Tory candidates are avoiding official Conservative branding, and Wes Streeting is asked whether Labour’s manifesto amounts to real change. Produced by Joe Bedell-Brill. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to f...
Jun 16, 2024•15 min
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 narrowly prevented the Lib Dems becoming official party of opposition. Whilst this may sound far fetched, it is the likely result when you take an average of the last week's polls. What would those first 100 days of Labour look like? Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and John McTernan, former political secretary to Tony Blair. Produced by Oscar Edmond...
Jun 15, 2024•19 min
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 Conservatives in the polls (more on that here ). Are they the new party of opposition? And what sort of tactics will the Tories use to try and claw back voters they are haemorrhaging to Reform? Katy Balls speaks to Isabel Hardman and Chris Hopkins, director of Savanta. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spect...
Jun 14, 2024•14 min
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 the proverbial hat, how do they plan to achieve growth? Kate Andrews and Starmer's biographer Tom Baldwin joined Katy Balls to discuss. Tom also provided some insight into Angela Rayner's election bus, including a surprising admission about a lettuce... Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Join the Coffee House Shots team for a post-election live recordin...
Jun 13, 2024•12 min
