While Westminster politicians and journalists alike continue to predict exactly how many letters of no confidence in Boris Johnson have been officially filed. Michael Gove's levelling up white paper has finally arrived. A bizarre document that references many ancient cites and how they 'levelled up', but does it propose any tangible solutions on how to achieve its goal in present-day Britain? Isabel Hardman is joined by James Forsyth and Katy Balls to dissect the document. Become a Spectator sub...
Feb 02, 2022•15 min
While Boris Johnson's performance in the Common's yesterday was seen broadly as tone deaf – thanks to comments about Jimmy Savile and drug-taking on the Labour front bench – he was given a chance to redeem himself at a private meeting with his party yesterday evening. 'One of my favourite questions was when one 2019 MP asked if they could reschedule the Parliamentary away day. This received a number of groans from politicians . ' – Katy Balls. Today, the Prime Minister leaves the Westminster dra...
Feb 01, 2022•13 min
The long anticipated Sue Gray report was finally published today albeit lacking significant chucks of details. Following the report Boris Johnson made a statement in the Commons addressing Partygate. Though he apologised at the beginning, his tone did not seem particularly apologetic which clearly riled a number of MPs across party lines. 'The discomfort among the Tory benches today was striking' - James Forsyth But what will be the aftermath of the debate? And can Boris Johnson still come back ...
Jan 31, 2022•14 min
Isabel Hardman showcases the best bits from Sunday's interview shows. In the spotlight today are Liz Truss, Lisa Nandy and Sir Ed Davey. 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 information....
Jan 30, 2022•13 min
Boris Johnson has come out fighting, but that doesn't mean he's in the clear. Cindy Yu talks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls about the Prime Minister's efforts to keep himself inside No. 10. 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 information....
Jan 29, 2022•12 min
Today the Met Police requested that Sue Gray's report makes 'minimal reference' to the events in her inquiry, whilst there is an ongoing police investigation. ' I think it puts the government in a difficult position. If you publish the report with minimal reference to the alleged parties being investigated by the police you’ll be accused of a whitewash report' - Katy Balls. As a consequence of the police investigation, there are also rumours that others in Whitehall might be fined over parties i...
Jan 28, 2022•10 min
Whilst everyone waits for the Sue Gray report, all eyes turn to the next scandal: Pen Farthing's animal rescue operation out of Afghanistan. It has been revealed that Boris Johnson's parliamentary private secretary, Trudy Harrison contacted a jet hire company in an attempt to secure a plane to evacuate the pets. The PM has responded to these allegations saying they are 'total rhubarb' - but what does that mean? 'You don’t seem to get the impression that Downing Street feels as if they are under ...
Jan 27, 2022•16 min
The view on the Tory benches at the moment seems to be consistently ‘wait for Gray’ before they decide whether or not they will send a letter of no confidence. The 54 letters required is now more likely since the announcement of the police probe into Downing Street parties, but it is still by no means a certainty. Boris Johnson gathered a surprising amount of support at PMQs today. Helped in part. by opposition MPs calling on him to resign: ' Richard Burgon, a former member of Jeremy Corbyn's sh...
Jan 26, 2022•14 min
The latest in the scandal of Downing Street parties points to the Prime Minister’s own birthday, where a gathering took place in the Cabinet Office. Whilst this has been played off by a Downing Street spokesperson as being on ‘the edges of a work event’. Cressida Dick announced this morning that events at No.10 during lockdown have now been deemed serious enough to deserve a police investigation. How long does this now go on for? It could make the May election results terrible for the Tories, pr...
Jan 25, 2022•16 min
Over the weekend the MP Nusrat Ghani accused the government of sacking her because allegedly her Muslim faith was an issue, and they thought she didn't defend the Conservative party's charges of Islamophobia more. In the week of the release of the infamous Sue Gray report into Partygate how are the Tories dealing with these two scandals? 'The whip's office is caught between Sandhurst and a HR department.' - James Forsyth Cindy Yu is joined by James Forsyth and Katy Balls to unpack the weekend's ...
Jan 24, 2022•16 min
Isabel Hardman rounds up the highlights from Sunday's political shows, with Dominic Raab, Emily Thornberry, Nicola Sturgeon and Vadym Prystaiko. 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 information....
Jan 23, 2022•13 min
Cindy Yu talks to James Forsyth and the Spectator's Russia correspondent Owen Matthews about the buildup of forces on the border with Ukraine. 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 information....
Jan 22, 2022•18 min
After Christian Wakeford's defection to Labour, Boris Johnson looks to be in the clear – for now. The Prime Minister's backbenchers, though, are still frustrated by the aggressive tactics used by his whips to ensure their support. Is blackmail normal in the Commons, and are their complaints a result of Parliament's generational divide? Cindy Yu speaks to James Forsyth. 'If you had turned up in Westminster in the 1970s, you would find whips pushing people up against the wall. I don't think that g...
Jan 21, 2022•13 min
As the Prime Minister has a stay of execution after the pork pie plot came to nothing, today allegations are flying that Tory whips have been using unsavoury methods to threaten wavering MPs into line. Christian Wakeford, the newly defected Labour MP to Bury South, says that whips threatened to withdraw funding from a local school; while William Wragg claims that MPs have been blackmailed with information about their private lives. But how much of this is true, and how much, as some in SW1 are s...
Jan 20, 2022•9 min
Last night rumours were flying around Westminster that letters of no confidence from Tory MPs were pouring in and Boris might be leaving sooner rather than later. But with the surprising crossing of the aisle by MP for Bury South, Christian Wakeford, it appears that old party tribalism may have stayed some hands. 'While a coup against a leader is one thing defecting is quite another.' - James Forsyth Katy Balls talks with James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman about all of today's political drama, fro...
Jan 19, 2022•14 min
To keep Partygate alive, Dominic Cummings has released fresh accusations on his blog about Boris Johnson, who he claims knew about the parties taking place. The former chief advisor to the Prime Minister is prepared to swear under oath on this. As divisions in the Tory party are starting to show, a no confidence motion could be expected in days. 'There is a cat and mouse game where those loyal to the leader are trying smoke out potential rebels' - James Forsyth All eyes are on Keir Starmer for P...
Jan 18, 2022•11 min
Tory MPs have just returned from their constituencies after a weekend of persuading voters to support their party in the May local elections. It’s not just the public that is angry, the local associations are equally outraged at the scandals that have marred the first month of 2022. Those around Boris Johnson are planning 'Operation Red Meat' which is a policy tactic to save the Prime Minister's premiership. Nadine Dorries has announced her plans to cut the budget of the BBC. It has also been an...
Jan 17, 2022•10 min
Isabel Hardman hosts the highlights from Sunday's political shows, with interviewees Sir Keir Starmer, Oliver Dowden, and Iain Duncan Smith and Kurt Volker. 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 information....
Jan 16, 2022•14 min
Katy Balls, James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson discuss what happens if Boris Johnson's premiership is overwhelmed by the sheer volume of Downing Street parties he may or may not have attended. "I will eat this microphone if Steve Baker or Kemi Badenoch stand." – 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 podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts . Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hoste...
Jan 15, 2022•20 min
It's been revealed that two more parties took place in No. 10 during the pandemic. This time, on the eve of Prince Philip's funeral. While the Prime Minister was not at this event, is No. 10's party culture coming straight from the top? Max Jeffery is joined by Katy Balls and James Forsyth. 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@spe...
Jan 14, 2022•13 min
After a hard PMQs for Boris Johnson which included multiple MPs calling for his resignation, the cabinet took to the media to show support for their embattled leader... though some took a bit longer than others. 'Notably, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss took quite some time. I think they both got round to it by the early evening.' - Katy Balls Cindy Yu talks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls about how deep the senior Tories' loyalties lie. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast witho...
Jan 13, 2022•10 min
Boris Johnson has finally commented on the accusations of a Downing Street garden party held in the first lockdown. Yet his defence – 'I believed implicitly that this was a work event' – has satisfied nobody. On the episode, James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman give their verdict. 'When I started my career I spent a lot of time in magistrates courts and I have to say, I've heard better ones from people who were drunk who were defending themselves in Portsmouth Magistrates Court', Isabel says. And fo...
Jan 12, 2022•11 min
Another day, another party scandal at No.10. ‘Bring your own booze’ said Martin Reynolds, the Prime Minster's private secretary in a leaked email to 100 staff in May 2020 inviting them to a picnic at 10 Downing Street. At the same time, the rest of the country was limited to socialising within household bubbles or one other person. 'This is the most serious party allegation yet when it comes to Boris Johnson specifically' - Katy Balls No.10 have refused to respond to the leaked email whilst Sue ...
Jan 11, 2022•13 min
With some early signs that the Omicron threat is waning, talk has begun around Westminster as to when we can get rid of the remaining Covid restrictions. To help Katy Balls, James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman make sense of the latest figures, they are joined by Editor, Fraser Nelson with an update from The Spectator 's data hub. 'When you look at the number of admissions to hospitals, that actually hit a peak of 2,370 on December the 29th. It hasn't been back at that.' - Fraser Nelson Katy, Isabel...
Jan 10, 2022•13 min
Isabel Hardman presents the first Sunday interviews roundup of the year. Highlights from today feature Nadhim Zahawi, Rachel Reeves and Dr Clive Kay. 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 information....
Jan 09, 2022•11 min
Despite a torrid time for the Prime Minister's popularity over the last few months, there may be a political revival on the horizon. His decision not to lockdown over the Omicron variant seems to have paid off and won back some of the support from his party. But will the Johnson project end up a failure? A lot of the Prime Minister’s future rests on the people who work closest him. On the podcast, Fraser Nelson points to the high turnover of staff at No.10 that has been destabilising, especially...
Jan 08, 2022•12 min
The ‘lost’ texts sent by Boris Johnson to Lord Brownlow over his Downing Street flat refurbishment continues to dominate the headlines today. As the story unravels, it's a sign that the Tory sleaze issues hitting Boris at the end of 2021 will continue way into the new year. 'It’s not going to go down well when people are seriously thinking about the cost of their energy bills over the next few months: how much it costs to buy food, what supplies are in shortage, to be reminded that the Prime Min...
Jan 07, 2022•11 min
In yesterday's Cabinet debate, Jacob Rees-Mogg called on Boris Johnson to abandon the planned hike in national insurance, amid warnings of a looming cost of living crisis. This is not the first time the leader of the Commons has criticised the government following his opposition to tougher Covid restrictions. Might this be a sign that Rees-Mogg is going to jump before he is pushed? ‘After the Patterson affair, there is now a clear distance between No.10 and the whips office. As we both know Isab...
Jan 06, 2022•10 min
The first PMQs of 2022 was a little different. It was Angela Rayner’s turn to step up to the dispatch box whilst Keir Starmer is isolating having tested positive for Covid. Rayner went after Boris Johnson on inflation and the cost of living crisis looming in Britain, criticising the government for refusing to cut VAT on energy bills. Another topic that came up was the pressure on the NHS as a result of the pandemic. NHS Trusts are declaring critical incidents saying they’re not going to be able ...
Jan 05, 2022•11 min
Keir Starmer arrived in Birmingham today to deliver his agenda-setting speech, outlining Labour's vision for the future. The opposition leader had to tread the delicate path between offering a substantial, policy-based agenda whilst holding his cards close to his chest. 'One of the challenges of opposition in the midterm is, they come up with new policy and then the government pinches it' - James Forsyth. Also on the podcast, James and Isabel discuss the reaction to the news that Tony Blair is t...
Jan 04, 2022•11 min
