Episodes

  • Tory leadership debate: who came out on top?

    Tory leadership debate: who came out on top?
    Oct 18 2024
    Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch, the final two candidates for the Tory leadership, went up against each other on a special GB News show last night. Kemi came out swinging in defence of her ‘culture warrior’ tag, but many wanted some more meat on the bones when it comes to her stance on policy. Meanwhile, Jenrick clearly had a message to land – but will the membership see through his plea to ‘end the drama’? And did either of them manage to change any minds?

    Katy Balls speaks to Lucy Dunn and Giles Dilnot, editor of Conservative Home.

    Produced by Cindy Yu and Oscar Edmondson.
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    13 mins
  • Did Labour make its own Budget trap?

    Did Labour make its own Budget trap?
    Oct 17 2024
    A scoop from Bloomberg has revealed that a number of Cabinet ministers have written formally to the Prime Minister to complain about the budgetary decisions they are being asked to make in their respective departments. Rachel Reeves seems to have an impossible task ahead of the Budget – but was this a trap of Labour's own making? Oscar Edmondson talks to Katy Balls and Kate Andrews.

    Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Cindy Yu.
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    15 mins
  • Starmer denies being soft on China

    Starmer denies being soft on China
    Oct 16 2024
    Starmer and Sunak debated Labour's position on China at today's PMQs, with Starmer denying going soft on the Asian superpower. Did Sunak draw inspiration from Katy Balls's cover article in last week's Spectator? Katy and Isabel Hardman speak to Oscar Edmondson about the party dynamics behind the debate; how much pressure is each party under from their own China hawks?

    Isabel also gives an overview of the debate around the Assisted Dying Bill, which was introduced to Parliament today.

    Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Oscar Edmondson.
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    12 mins
  • National Insurance: Starmer’s first big U-turn?

    National Insurance: Starmer’s first big U-turn?
    Oct 15 2024
    The Budget is not due for a fortnight, yet with every day that passes its contents seem to become clearer. This morning Keir Starmer gave an interview to the BBC where he twice refused to rule out a rise in employer’s national insurance contributions in the Budget. Instead, he repeatedly stressed that Labour’s manifesto promise was specifically that it would 'not raise taxes on working people'. Can Rachel Reeves afford a national insurance hike?

    Oscar Edmondson speaks to Katy Balls and Michael Gove.

    Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
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    14 mins
  • Is Labour's investment summit back on track?

    Is Labour's investment summit back on track?
    Oct 14 2024
    This morning is the government's big investment summit. They pledged to have the summit within their first 100 days in an attempt to hit the ground running and show the UK as a sensible place to do business. The timing – two weeks before the budget – is interesting, and so is the U-turn from P&O, who will attend the summit despite comments last week by Transport Secretary Louise Haigh (she described the ferry company as a ‘rogue operator’). P&O's reported £1 billion worth of investment is back up for grabs. Is it time to invest in Britain? What is Labour's big pitch to business?

    Also on the podcast, over the weekend we had the sad news that former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond passed away. What will be his legacy?

    James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Kate Andrews.

    Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
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    13 mins
  • Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 13/10/2024

    Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 13/10/2024
    Oct 13 2024
    Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning’s politics shows.

    Jonathan Reynolds says Transport Secretary Louise Haigh’s comments are ‘not the government’s position’, and hints at possible employer national insurance tax rises. Robert Jenrick is asked about his previous anti-Brexit views. John Swinney pays tribute to Alex Salmond, after the death of the former Scottish first minister. And Lloyds bank CEO speaks about the issue of online fraud.

    Produced by Joe Bedell-Brill.
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    14 mins
  • 100 Days of Starmer: the verdict

    100 Days of Starmer: the verdict
    Oct 12 2024
    Today marks Labour’s 100th day in office. But they are unlikely to be popping champagne corks in Downing Street – even if Lord Alli offered to pay for the Dom Pérignon. This has been a disheartening time for the government and those who wished it well. The promise of dramatic change has been overshadowed by a series of errors, misjudgments and scandals that one would associate more with an administration in its dying days than a government enjoying a fresh mandate, a massive majority and an absent opposition.

    Former shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire and former deputy prime minister Thérèse Coffey join The Spectator's Katy Balls to discuss what went wrong and – if we think hard enough – what went right?

    Produced by Natasha Feroze and Oscar Edmondson.
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    25 mins
  • Is Keir Starmer the new Harold Wilson?

    Is Keir Starmer the new Harold Wilson?
    Oct 11 2024
    It's another busy few days for the Prime Minister as he chairs the inaugural meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions today, marks 100 days in office, and hosts an investment summit on Monday. With the absence of Sue Gray looming large, James Heale unpicks the politics behind these milestones with Katy Balls and the Financial Times's Stephen Bush. They share some lessons from history and the welcome, or perhaps unwelcome, comparison with former Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson.

    Also on the podcast, they discuss the merits and pitfalls of potential Conservative Party rule changes. Could their era of rapid defenestration soon come to an end?

    Produced by Patrick Gibbons.
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    19 mins