Coffee House Shots

The Treasury has plans to kick start the economy with a £9bn borrowing bonanza – something Michael Simmons wrote about in The Spectator in June. Could this reveal something about Burnaham and Healey's plans for the upcoming budget? Also Ed 'Miliwatt' heads to Washington. How will he get on with his American counterparts? James Heale speaks to Michael Simmons and Isabel Hardman. Become a Spectator...

The government has revised its early prisoner release scheme – now 1000 fewer prisoners with convictions related to rape or child sexual abuse will be let out early. Controversially, PC Harper's killers will be released this year under the new plan, despite calls for manslaughter cases to remain in custody. Natasha Feroze speaks to James Heale and the journalist Danny Shaw about the details of the...

After some weeks on the periphery of British politics, Nigel Farage and Reform UK are back in the spotlight with the debut of 'Operation Fortess' – their plan to deploy the Navy to stop the small boat crossings in the channel. Is it just a headline-grabbing gimmick or will it actually work – and is it even a new idea? To answer the important questions, James Heale is joined by Christian Calgie, Se...

Is Andy Burnham the country's first catholic Prime Minister, and how might it influence his leadership? Despite his faith drawing him to Labour, he doesn’t attend mass and rarely emphasises his religion publicly. To unpack his faith and where it might take him, Lara Brown, The Spectator's commissioning editor, is joined by the chief political commentator at The Times, Patrick Maguire, and The Spec...

After appearing to have been fired on by the French coastguard, and having objects thrown at him by an alleged people smuggler, the shadow home secretary, Chris Philp, sat down with Noa Hoffman to talk about his recent trip across the channel. In today's episode, Noa asks Chris why the French gendarmes refused to intervene while migrants set off from their beaches, and what he would do differently...

Continuing his tour across the country, Andy Burnham has been in Barrow-in-Furness backing Starmer's investment plan into nuclear submarines. This ties together with a commitment to reindustrialise Britain and promise more apprenticeships for NEETs. But despite policy pledges on employment, the economy and social care this week – small boats have been a story dominating the headlines. Natasha Fero...

It's Wednesday, which means there's another announcement from Downing Street. Yes, another one. Today, Andy Burnham is talking social care, and this time, he wants to build a 'cross-party consensus' to fix the broken system. Unfortunately neither Kemi Badenoch nor Sir Ed Davey were able to attend in person, but in a far more successful assemblage, James Heale, Tim Shipman, and Isabel Hardman have...

It's a day dedicated to the NEETs (again) with the Prime Minister announcing his plans to prevent swathes of future NEETs coming to the fore. With proposals to widen the participation and provenance of his Manchester Baccalaureate, and giving more powers to Mayors over education, Andy Burnham is seeking to break with Blair, as he pushes vocational skills over academia. Natasha Feroze is joined by...

A week on from the start of Andy Burnham's premiership, and Westminster is bracing for another innings of announcements from the government. Among them, after meeting Volodymyr Zelenskyy today, the PM will be announcing fresh decisions on defence spending on Thursday. The government are also plotting out their plans for changes to adult social care this week, while Whitehall is still suffering fro...

Tim Shipman is joined by Sir Nick Clegg, the former Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Liberal Democrats, as part of The Spectator's new event series, Tim Shipman Meets the Party Leaders. Tim challenges Sir Nick on the decisions that defined his political career, from his passionate support for Europe to the failed referendum on an alternative voting system, and those famous coalition years....

In the magazine this week, James Heale writes that Kemi Badenoch was in an upbeat mood when she addressed her troops last week. ‘This time last year,’ she told the 1922 Committee, ‘people said Jenrick was taking over the party, Starmer was steady and Farage would be the next prime minister. A year later, Rob is under police investigation, Starmer has resigned and Farage is not even an MP.’ It is a...

It is day three of Andy Burnham’s premiership, and we have had a tranche of policy announcements and funding commitments. A VAT cut for energy bills, £2 bus fares, and today a business rate cut for pubs and hospitality businesses. But are any of them actually funded? Michael Simmons joins Tim Shipman and Oscar Edmondson to walk through the promises made, and how, if at all, they will be funded by...

In a busy week for British politics, LBC’s Iain Dale joins Tim Shipman and James Heale to discuss his new book, Have I Said Too Much? Iain speaks frankly about standing as a Conservative candidate at two general elections – and his fateful attempt to fight a third. James asks what makes a good political book, while Tim delves into the 2005 Conservative leadership election and Iain’s role in approv...

Appointment into Andy Burnham's new cabinet went late into the evening: Wes Streeting to defence, plus the comeback queens – Louise Haigh, Lucy Powell and Angela Rayner all into senior posts in government. Noa Hoffman, James Heale and Tim Shipman discuss the new appointments and Andy Burnham's morning policy announcements. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts....

Andy Burnham has continued to announce his new cabinet: John Healey as Chancellor, Ed Miliband as Foreign Secretary and Shabana Mahmood remains in the Home Office. Now ten of Starmer's most trusted ministers have either been sacked or quit. What could come of Angela Rayner? And what could be the consequences of having some of the most powerful people in Labour on the backbenches? Natasha Feroze sp...

As Andy Burnham unveils his first Cabinet, join Tim Shipman and James Heale for a special live edition of Coffee House. Who’s in, who’s out? What do the appointments reveal about Burnham’s priorities, and might they hint at the likely direction of his premiership? Along with a panel of familiar faces and special guests, get the only analysis you’ll need as the political implications begin to unfol...

Andy Burnham has promised to turn the whips’ office into an ‘HR department’ – but the former chief whip Simon Hart warns that the approach is ‘naive’ and could leave the new prime minister unable to control his party. Hart explains why large majorities can be harder to manage than small ones, what Keir Starmer got wrong and why Burnham will begin making enemies as soon as he appoints his first cab...

Andy Burnham will today be crowned Labour leader, before entering Downing Street on Monday. His first speech is expected to argue that Labour has lost touch with the working-class communities it was founded to represent – and to promise a new era of devolution, economic intervention and northern political power. Meanwhile, the shape of Burnham’s government is beginning to emerge. Ed Miliband now a...

Rachel Reeves has delivered what is likely to be her valedictory Mansion House speech, defending her record on growth, borrowing and the public finances. But with businesses counting the cost of higher employers’ National Insurance and Labour preparing for a change of government, what will her legacy be? Meanwhile, the race to become Andy Burnham’s chancellor appears to be shifting. Ed Miliband wa...

Keir Starmer has delivered his final PMQs. It was a more cordial occasion compared to most weeks, with Kemi Badenoch exchanging jokes with the outgoing Prime Minister over their previous clashes amid a more sombre tone given the murder of Ann Widdecombe. But will this final speech go down in history? And how will Andy Burnham do things differently? Noa Hoffman speaks to James Heale and Tim Shipman...

Kemi Badenoch has declared war on the Tory wets, removing the whip from Gavin Barwell after Theresa May’s former chief of staff criticised her leadership and opposed the party’s positions on net zero and the ECHR. Her allies insist this is not a purge, but proof that the Conservatives have changed. Is Badenoch finally imposing discipline on her party – or narrowing a broad church that is already s...

The murder of Ann Widdecombe has sent shockwaves through Westminster and reignited the debate over politicians’ security. But with questions still unanswered about the motive for the attack, Reform’s response has already become politically charged. Is Nigel Farage right to argue that threats against him and his party have not been taken seriously – or is he ‘weaponising’ Widdecombe’s death for pol...

The Tories will not stand a candidate against Nigel Farage in the Clacton by-election – and on today’s podcast Conservative party chairman Kevin Hollinrake explains why. Hollinrake also reveals what is behind the turnaround in the Conservatives’ fortunes and their bump in the polls, as well as how the party plans to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past: namely, talking right but governing left...

Everyone in Westminster is trying desperately to peer inside Andy Burnham’s head and work out what ‘Manchesterism’ really is – and in the magazine this week, Tali Fraser offers the definitive take. Rather than being a mixture of vibes and ‘business-friendly socialism’, it's roots lie in the 'Manchester liberalism' of Richard Cobden and John Bright, from which a direct line can be drawn to Margaret...

Nominations openned today for the next Labour leader and – spoiler alert – it looks as though Andy Burnham might clinch it. We strongly suspect he will be the only person to put his name forward, after Al Carns pulled out and rowed in behind the MP for Makerfield. In the background, Burnham’s preparations for government are continuing, including a surprise intervention on foreign affairs and an em...