Politics At Sam and Anne's

We couldn’t get to recess without a reshuffle after all. Standby for movements on the Conservative frontbench today.    It sounds like Sir James Cleverly is on his way back to shadow cabinet. Sam and Anne discuss how Kemi Badenoch will feel about the optics of that return.    Also, on the day MPs leave Westminster for summer, the Chancellor faces the Treasury Committee after an eventful couple of...

The Government announces the “Reed Reforms” to fix Britain’s water system, but will it make a difference?    Sky News’ Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy consider if customers' bills will go down and what practical changes will be made.    The Prime Minister meets with two world leaders later this week ahead of the parliamentary summer recess.    Plus, we hear about an unexpected visitor in th...

The Prime Minister suspends four Labour MPs for “persistent breaches of discipline” as the fallout from the welfare reforms continues.    Sky News’ Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy discuss who they are, why now and what was the point, as the government attempts to restore order on the backbenches.     Keir Starmer also welcomes German Chancellor – Friedrich Merz – to London, in the hope of s...

Now details of the enormous accidental data breach by a British soldier that put thousands of Afghans’ lives at risk can be discussed publicly – Sam and Anne try to address some of the biggest questions on this episode.  They include:  Why did the government break the glass on using a superinjunction?  Has anyone been sacked?  Why did the Labour government keep the superinjunction in place for so...

With the Chancellor set to make a keynote speech to the City at Mansion House - are her fiscal rules as iron clad as we thought?    Sky News’ Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy explore what options are on the table for Rachel Reeves to fill the large black hole in the public finances.    Across the pond, Donald Trump says he “likes” Keir Starmer, even though “he’s a liberal” - as he puts press...

The Chancellor is back out on the road to start the government’s re-launch week, ahead of the parliamentary recess.    In today’s episode, Sky News’ Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy explain how comments on a proposed wealth tax by Rachel Reeves’ cabinet colleagues may have already put her in a tricky situation.     Elsewhere, Buckingham Palace has confirmed that Windsor Castle will host U.S....

Ex-Conservative chairman and friend of Boris Johnson - Sir Jake Berry – is defecting to Reform UK, causing more problems for Kemi Badenoch.    On today’s episode, Sky News’ Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy discuss if his defection will divide parts of Reform policy.    Elsewhere, the Anglo-French summit gets underway, as the Prime Minister hopes to announce a migration deal with the French P...

After yesterday’s royal welcome from King Charles, President Macron will get down to business today, meeting the Prime Minister for lunch, after PMQs.    But, as Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy discuss on this episode, away from the pomp, Keir Starmer’s in-tray doesn’t look any less challenging.     It includes a headache for health secretary Wes Streeting as resident doctors, formerly known as junior...

The first European state visit since Brexit starts today – as President Macron arrives at Windsor Castle.     On this episode, Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy look at what’s on the agenda beyond the pomp and ceremony. Will the government get its “one in, one out” migration deal over the line?    Plus, which one of our presenters needs to make a confession about the 2008 French sta...

Could Westminster be on for a quieter week? Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy ponder that as the Prime Minister takes stock after the welfare rebellion - with some in the party telling Sam they're just focussing on getting to recess before a September reset. But the issue they can't shake off - will there be tax rises? With the Chancellor's black hole adding up to far more than £5.5...

Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy serve up their essential guide to the day in British politics.     After Chancellor Rachel Reeves was seen visibly sobbing in PMQs, the Prime Minister last night confirmed she would be Chancellor for a long time to come – but will that be enough to calm fears in the markets? And what do we think is really going on with the Chancellor? Sam and Anne d...

The Prime Minister fended off losing a Commons vote on welfare changes but wakes up with a massive repair job to do within his party – and economically.    Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy wonder what the consequences will be after those last-minute concessions to keep Labour MPs on side.     There’ll be new ways of balancing the finances (could they be filling a black hole by send...

Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy serve up their essential guide to the day in British politics.  Its judgement day for the government's welfare bill and it’s unclear from all sides whether the legislation will pass, despite billions of pounds worth of concessions from the Prime Minister to win over his backbench MPs.  The bill could lead to Sir Keir Starmer’s largest rebellion so f...

Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy serve up their essential guide to the day in British politics.  The Prime Minister has made significant concessions on the welfare bill after the threat of a mass rebellion from his own MPs.  The changes have left Chancellor Rachel Reeves with another black hole in the public finances and some MPs are still planning on voting against the bill when i...

Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy serve up their essential guide to the day in British politics.   In a statement sent to Sam overnight, the government admits that concessions are on their way after an internal struggle over welfare reforms inside the Labour Party.   It seems like meaningful talks are under way. Next Tuesday - the day of a supposed crunch vote on disability cuts tha...

Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy serve up their essential guide to the day in British politics.    Today, Labour is still reeling by a rebellion by 1 in 4 of its MPs over welfare cuts, how can Chancellor Rachel Reeves and PM Keir Starmer recover the numbers and avoid a political humiliation?    The government’s working majority is 165, so it only takes 83 Labour MPs to vote with a...

A NATO summit will be held in The Hague today, hours after Donald Trump announced Israel and Iran had agreed to a "complete and total" ceasefire.   Meanwhile, on the domestic front, more than 100 Labour MPs have shown their hand and vowed to defeat Sir Keir Starmer's disability cuts. On this episode, Sam and Anne discuss what to expect from the NATO summit where defence spending will be top of the...

Sir Keir Starmer has spoken to Donald Trump about the need for Iran to return to the negotiating table after Tehran's warning of "everlasting consequences" for the US bombing raid on their nuclear sites. On this episode, Sam and Anne discuss the key questions facing the UK government after the military action, including what escalation could look like and whether Britain is ready for the economic...

On this episode – what advice is Keir Starmer getting over Britain’s potential involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict?    There are reports that the Attorney General’s legal advice to the PM is to limit what it does to protect its allies from attack - Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy discuss the implications of that.    Plus, we hear David Lammy will get a meeting with his Iranian...

Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy serve up their essential guide to the day in British politics.    They start by picking over what Keir Starmer had to say about the potential for an American attack on Iran – which sounded rather different from the line his German counterpart was taking. So what was going on there then?    Back in Westminster, the details of benefit cuts which will...

Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy serve up their essential guide to the day in British politics.   President Donald Trump's made a hasty exit from the G7 conference in Canada leaving questions about collective diplomacy and his promise to bring peace to an increasingly violent Middle East.   The White House insists his return is to deal with "important matters", while Mr Trump himse...

Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy serve up their essential guide to the day in British politics.  The prime minister is in Canada at the G7 as conflict escalates in the Middle East. Can Sir Keir Starmer contain any further flare-ups between Donald Trump and other allies and attempt to bring some calm to the region? The prime minister is also set to authorise a national inquiry into...

Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy serve up their essential guide to the day in British politics.  Rachel Reeves has said this morning that the latest GDP figures showing the UK economy has shrunk by more than expected are "disappointing". How much will this overshadow yesterday's major spending announcement? Reeves has now planted Labour's fiscal flag in the sand - and spending mist...

Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy serve up their essential guide to the day in British politics. After weeks of haggling between government ministers, Labour announce today how they plan to apportion cash around departments for the foreseeable future. Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Labour say this comes as the government has "fixed the foundations" and introduced stability to the econ...

Sky News' Sam Coates and Politico's Anne McElvoy serve up their essential guide to the day in British politics.  Negotiations for the spending review are complete - with reports Chancellor Rachel Reeves has refused to meet Home Secretary Yvette Cooper's demand for extra police funding. We won't have heard the end of this. Reform UK hold (another!) news conference, and the government announces its...