It was a bad tempered PMQs today – Kemi Badenoch attacked Starmer over his involvement, or lack thereof with the Iran conflict. And Starmer hit back at Badenoch over her questions. Not the type of unity you'd want to see on the major foreign policy issue of the day. Also today, three more arrests have been made related to Chinese spy allegations. One of them is the partner of a Labour MP Joani Reid, who has said she is 'not part of' her husbands business activities. James Heale speaks to Tim Shi...
Mar 04, 2026•13 min
Rachel Reeves has today delivered her much anticipated spring statement, her opportunity to address the looming energy crisis, the uncertainty in the Middle East and the crashing Labour market … unfortunately, she did none of the above. The Treasury promised that the spring statement was going to be boring – and at least it delivered on that pledge. For twenty painful minutes, Reeves rattled off her familiar lines about ‘stability’ and Liz Truss. Is this another wasted opportunity for Labour and...
Mar 03, 2026•12 min
The fallout from America's audacious attack on Iran continues, and there are a whole host of questions for Keir Starmer. The prime minister has been accused of being slow to react, having initially confirmed that ‘the United Kingdom played no role in these strikes', Labour since agreed to allow the Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford bases to be used for ‘defensive’ strikes on Iranian missiles sites. This came after Tehran began to hit back at Britain’s regional allies. Is Britain about to be sucked i...
Mar 02, 2026•20 min
Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead, as the US and Israel continue to strike targets across Iran. It is a seismic moment for the Middle East and the world, the consequences of which are yet to be seen. 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 o...
Mar 01, 2026•16 min
As the official Covid Inquiry comes to an end, the Spectator has convened a panel of our own experts to ask the questions that the Inquiry didn’t – or wouldn’t – answer. The Spectator’s commissioning editor Lara Brown is joined by science writer and Conservative peer Matt Ridley, Oxford professor of theoretical epidemiology Sunetra Gupta, former Supreme Court judge Jonathan Sumption, journalist Christopher Snowdon and science writer Tom Whipple. This is a condensed version of the event. Subscrib...
Feb 28, 2026•53 min
In the end, it was not even that close. The Green party has stormed to victory in Gorton and Denton, winning their first ever parliamentary by-election by more than 4,000 votes. The result changes everything: the Lib Dems are no longer the party of the protest vote; Reform's tanks are parked on Labour's lawn; the left has split; and the Tories are nowhere to be seen. The era of two-party politics is well and truly over, and this morning's result could well be remembered as the moment when that b...
Feb 27, 2026•29 min
The Greens have taken Gorton and Denton, defeating both Labour and Reform in the early hours of this morning. Hannah Spencer’s victory marks the first ever Green by-election gain – but the real shock is Labour’s collapse into third place in one of its safest seats. For Sir Keir Starmer, it’s hard to imagine a worse result. Labour MPs are up bright and early briefing against the Prime Minister, whose odds of a leadership challenge just soared. Tim Shipman and James Heale join Megan McElroy to dis...
Feb 27, 2026•16 min
Polls are open in Gorton and Denton for the by-election but as we eagerly await the result we thought we’d discuss economics, because looking ahead to next week we’ve got the spring statement. It’s not a major fiscal event – as Rachel Reeves will be anxious to point out – but one which is taking on lots more significance not least by what is being floated… which is not a huge amount. We are expecting a policy light announcement, although many are hoping there could be something in there on stude...
Feb 26, 2026•16 min
Megan McElroy unpacks a rowdy PMQs with Tim Shipman and Isabel Hardman. Kemi Badenoch made Keir Starmer uncomfortable over student loans but – at a time when trust in the Conservative brand is low – could some of her rhetoric backfire? Plus, what did they make of the revelation that it was the Speaker of the House Lindsay Hoyle that reported Peter Mandelson to police as a flight risk? Produced by Megan McElroy and Patrick Gibbons. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast withou...
Feb 25, 2026•16 min
Overnight, Peter Mandelson has been released on bail after being arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He has not commented publicly in recent weeks, though he has previously denied any wrongdoing. How long will this row continue to haunt Labour? With more documents due to be released relating to his appointment as US ambassador, can the party contain the damage — or is this just the beginning? Elsewhere, Keir Starmer has made an unexpected visit to Gorton and Denton. Is this a s...
Feb 24, 2026•11 min
Bridget Phillipson has unveiled Labour’s long-awaited overhaul of the special educational needs and disabilities system – a £4 billion reform designed to rein in spiralling costs and bring order to what MPs across the House describe as a broken model. Ministers insist this is reform, not retrenchment – but with councils under intense financial pressure and families fearful of losing hard-won support, Labour backbenchers are watching closely. Is this a genuine attempt to fix an unsustainable syst...
Feb 23, 2026•9 min
Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows. The Jeffrey Epstein fallout continues, Trump rebukes the Supreme Court with new global tariffs, and the government prepares to announce its new plan for schools. 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 ...
Feb 22, 2026•18 min
Two titans of broadcasting – LBC’s Iain Dale and Sky's Jon Craig – join deputy political editor James Heale for a whistle-stop tour of British by-elections. From Oxford City in 1938 to Chesterfield in 1984 right up to Runcorn in 2025, why do by-elections matter? When have they been most significant? And are longer vote counts the product of fractured politics in the modern age? Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectato...
Feb 21, 2026•16 min
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been released under caution after he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office – the image of him sat slumped in the back of a car while leaving Norfolk police station on his 66th birthday splashes all the morning papers. Focussing on the politics, his could throw up lots of difficult questions for Labour and Keir Starmer – and governments famously don’t much like talking about the Royals. What problems will this cause Starmer? In other news, it is n...
Feb 20, 2026•12 min
General Sir Nick Carter, former chief of the defence staff, joins Tim Shipman to discuss Britain's military preparedness – or rather, lack thereof. While a friendlier US presence at the Munich Security Conference may have provided some relief, the military threats to the UK and to Europe presented are still stark. So what choices need to be addressed to ensure that Britain is equipped to deal with these threats? Is the government doing enough to address the awareness gap with the public? And how...
Feb 19, 2026•35 min
It is Robert Jenrick’s big day out today. The newly-minted Reform ‘shadow chancellor’ made his first speech this morning, where he had the chance to show what kind of chancellor he would be and – sporting a snazzy pair of specs – he had plenty of soothing words to calm the jitters of the bond markets. The top news lines from his presser was his decision to kill Reform’s two-child benefit cap – Nigel Farage’s big offer to Labour voters last summer – and the announcement that he he would support t...
Feb 18, 2026•12 min
Reform UK is no longer a one-man band. Nigel Farage has unveiled Reform's four spokesmen for the “great offices of state” at a press conference in Westminster. Recent Tory defector Robert Jenrick has been given the Chancellor brief, Zia Yusuf is in charge of home affairs, Suella Braverman is responsible for education and Richard Tice will look after business and energy. The format resembled a game show like the ‘Weakest Link’ or ‘Take Me Out’. Each of the quartet was introduced, given a spotligh...
Feb 17, 2026•12 min
Following a weekend at the Munich Security Conference, there have been reports that the Prime Minister is set to sign off on a huge increase in defence spending. While this comes at a time of increasing threats to Britain, it isn't just the UK's position that's under threat but Keir Starmer himself – who continues to face questions about his leadership. Defence secretary John Healey has been talked about as a potential 'unity' candidate between the left and right flanks of the Labour party. But ...
Feb 16, 2026•23 min
Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows. European allies say Russia is responsible for Alexei Navalny's death. And the government's Palestine Action ban is ruled unlawful by the High Court. 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 informat...
Feb 15, 2026•15 min
James Macintyre joins James Heale to discuss his new biography of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown: Power With Purpose . While the book has been years in the making, little did James know that it would end up published at the same time that its themes and subjects could never be more relevant. James tells our deputy political editor about the relationship between Brown and Blair, what the Labour leader makes of Keir Starmer’s problems today and his reflections – with hindsight – about bringing...
Feb 14, 2026•17 min
Keir Starmer has headed to Germany for the Munich Security Conference to meet allies and discuss defence, NATO and the war in Ukraine. He is expected to meet Chancellor Merz and President Macron later, before delivering a speech in the morning. But – after his worst week as Prime Minister – can Starmer use this moment to reset his image as one of a statesman on the world stage, or could his problems follow him to Munich? Lisa Haseldine is attending the conference and joins Tim Shipman and James ...
Feb 13, 2026•10 min
When a PM is in crisis, what do they do? Sack the head of the civil service. Having lost both his Chief of Staff and Director of Communications at the beginning of the week, Keir Starmer resolved to make it a hat-trick by dispensing with the services of his short-serving Cabinet Secretary. The favourite to replace him is Antonia Romeo – currently doing great work at the Home Office, but comes with a series of ‘caveats’ concerning historic allegations of bullying and irregularities over expenses ...
Feb 12, 2026•13 min
PMQs today and – as predicted – Keir Starmer came out worst in a pretty unpleasant session. Kemi Badenoch pinned the Prime Minister on the continued Mandelson fallout and now the scandal over Matthew Doyle, the former No. 10 comms chief who – just four weeks after his ennoblement – Labour have already been forced to kick out of their party in the House of Lords, after it emerged he had campaigned for a friend charged with possessing indecent images of children. Once again, one of those mysteriou...
Feb 11, 2026•15 min
After a dramatic day in Westminster, the threat to Starmer appears to have receded – at least in the short term. But with the Gorton and Denton by-election less than three weeks away, (more) trouble could be on the horizon. Luke Tryl – from pollsters More in Common – and James Heale join Patrick Gibbons to discuss. Produced by Patrick Gibbons. 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...
Feb 10, 2026•13 min
Morgan McSweeney resigned yesterday as Keir Starmer’s chief of staff and – while it was not a surprise, given his role in appointing Peter Mandelson – the news that the Prime Minister has now lost his closest aide and political fire blanket is a huge shock. The repercussions are numerous: Starmer loses the man widely regarded to have won him his large majority and someone who was popular in No. 10; he has recruited two new deputies to fulfil a role considered insurmountable for one person; and i...
Feb 09, 2026•24 min
Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows. Morgan McSweeney has resigned as Keir Starmer's chief of staff, just hours after Pat McFadden said he could see 'no point' in making such a change. 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 informati...
Feb 08, 2026•13 min
On this special edition of Coffee House Shots , Tim Shipman is joined by Jonathan Hinder – a rising star of the back benches and a blue Labour acolyte – for a candid discussion about the state of the Labour party and the security of its leader. They discuss the Peter Mandelson scandal and the impact it has had on backbench support for the Prime Minister, as well as the implications it may have regarding decision-making at the top of government. Are Labour MPs considering moving against Keir Star...
Feb 07, 2026•34 min
The sun is setting on Keir Starmer’s worst week in No. 10 – but potentially Kemi’s best. We go into the weekend with MPs publicly calling for his most senior aide, Morgan McSweeney, to step down because of his role in the botched vetting of Peter Mandelson, and with huge questions remaining about how much the Prime Minister knew about Mandelson’s association with Epstein. All of this means that the upcoming by-election on the Labour party’s patch in Gorton and Denton is poised very precariously....
Feb 06, 2026•10 min
James Heale, Tim Shipman and Oscar Edmondson discuss the continuing fallout over the Mandelson scandal. The mood amongst Labour MPs is pretty dire – following a bruising PMQs and a government climbdown over the release of Mandelson's vetting files – but is it bad enough for Labour MPs to challenge Starmer? And could his chief of staff – and close Mandelson ally – Morgan McSweeney be in the firing line? How long ago the decision to block Andy Burnham seems now... Become a Spectator subscriber tod...
Feb 05, 2026•11 min
Another impressive PMQs from Kemi Badenoch – but she had plenty of ammunition to deploy after the Peter Mandelson scandal took a bleaker turn this week. The Prime Minister clearly wanted to make a strong statement in his first answer to Kemi Badenoch, saying that ‘Mandelson betrayed our country, our parliament and my party’. He added: ‘He lied repeatedly to my team when asked about his relationship with Epstein before and during his tenure as ambassador. I regret appointing him.’ He then listed ...
Feb 04, 2026•14 min
