Afleveringen
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After sustained speculation and a local elections drubbing, Keir Starmer announced today at PMQs that the government will be softening their policy on winter fuel. Whilst it won’t come into effect for some time, they have agreed to ensure that ‘more pensioners are eligible for winter fuel payment.’
This comes hours after a memo was mysteriously leaked to the Telegraph. It contains an extensive list of recommendations from Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner to the Treasury, including a set of eight tax rises such as reinstating the pensions lifetime allowance and altering dividend taxes. This amounts to a direct challenge to Rachel Reeves’s fiscal approach and preference for spending cuts.
The bigger story, of course, is what this says about feelings within Labour – it’s clearly not a happy family. Sources suggest that Angela Rayner is uneasy with the direction of travel in the Treasury and speaks for a silent majority in the Labour party who are fed up with defending controversial measures such as winter fuel. So who leaked this memo? Could Rayner be leading a mutiny? And will the U-turn on winter fuel placate the rebels?
Oscar Edmondson speaks to James Heale and Isabel Hardman.
Produced by Oscar Edmondson. -
Fallout continues from yesterday's summit and the announcement of a deal between the UK and EU – or is it fair to call it 'fallout' as, despite criticism over the deal from Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch, has the public got Brexit fatigue?
James Heale and Michael Simmons join Patrick Gibbons to talk about the reaction to the deal. Fisheries has taken up most discussion but Michael points out a lesser talked about commitment to energy policy. And, with the government keen to talk about it in tandem with recent deals with India and the US – and Gulf states soon, according to Rachel Reeves this morning – what's the political narrative around the summit?
Produced by Patrick Gibbons. -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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As EU leaders arrive in London for a summit hosted by Keir Starmer, there has been an announcement that the UK and EU have reached a deal. The UK has extended its agreement on EU fishing boats in British waters, while in return fewer checks on British food exports are expected. There have also been discussions about a defence pact, reduced tuition fees for EU students and access to electronic passport gates for British holiday-makers.
While we await further details, deputy political editor James Heale and director of the Centre for European Reform Charles Grant join Lucy Dunn to unpack what we know so far. Will the deal be an easy sell, or does it risk being seen as a ‘brexit betrayal’? And, does it lack ambition or is it an important first step in restoring trust between two allies? Charles points out that there are important implications: on a future US trade deal; for Northern Ireland; and, in setting precedent; while James highlights the tight-rope Labour have to walk in constructing a narrative around the deal – particularly around avoiding being seen as selling out the ‘somewheres’ in favour of the ‘anywheres’.
Produced by Patrick Gibbons. -
Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning’s politics shows.
As the government wraps up negotiations with the EU, some believe the deal will betray Brexit voters, while others think Labour won’t go far enough.
Meanwhile, Elton John calls the government ‘absolute losers’ over its plans to allow AI to use copyrighted material, and Centrica boss Chris O’Shea warns its Rough facility might have to shut down.
Produced by Joe Bedell-Brill. -
Kemi Badenoch has come in for criticism since becoming leader of the opposition – for her energy, her performances at PMQs and her inability to galvanise her shadow cabinet. On this podcast, James Heale hosts the trial of Kemi Badenoch and asks whether someone else might be better placed to take the Tories into the next election and – more importantly – who that prince (or princess) across the water could be. The Spectator’s assistant content editor William Atkinson makes the case for the prosecution, while Michael Gove sets out why the Tories should stick with Kemi. Lara Brown, our new commissioning editor, acts as the jury.
‘If your house is on fire you don’t wait a year to call the fire brigade,’ says William. But Michael argues that political leaders – much like football managers – should be given time and patience in order to implement their direction, philosophy and, ultimately, to become successful. So should she stay or should she go? ... Or should the Tories give it to ‘Big Sam’ until the end of the season?
Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
Have your say, by emailing us at: [email protected].uk -
Labour MP Kim Leadbeater’s assisted dying bill is back in the Commons for the report stage today – returning to parliament for the first time since major changes were made to the legislation. While Leadbeater has insisted the bill is coming back ‘even stronger’ than before, support among MPs appears to be fading.
The mood in parliament was different to the second reading – which listeners will remember as a self-congratulatory affair, hailed as a ‘historic’ day by Leadbeater – but today’s debate was notably more ill-tempered. The majority of speeches seemed to oppose the bill rather than support it, and a late intervention by Esther Rantzen did not help. The prevailing opinion appears to be that, while there is support for this kind of legislation, there is little backing for a private member’s bill. If this bill does achieve Royal Assent, that will only mark the beginning of a complex challenge for Labour, who will then face major decisions on doctors, training and substances – all issues likely to dominate debate for the remainder of their term. Is Starmer right to hang his legacy on this issue?
Lucy Dunn speaks to James Hale and Rajiv Shah, a former adviser to the Attorney General and in Number 10.
Produced by Oscar Edmondson. -
The Prime Minister is in Albania today to focus on immigration: the government has announced that the UK is in talks to set up 'return hubs' with other countries to send failed asylum seekers abroad.
Unfortunately for the government though, also going abroad are Britain's millionaires. In the cover article for this week's Spectator, our economics editor Michael Simmons writes that London lost 11,300 dollar millionaires last year alone. These figures run in stark contrast to today's news that GDP increased by 0.7% in the first quarter of 2025. This continues a trend of mixed signals for Britain's economy.
Also on the podcast Spectator editor Michael Gove discusses his interview with justice secretary Shabana Mahmood, who announced today that some reoffenders will be recalled to parliament for a reduced, fixed amount of time to relieve the pressure on prisons.
Both Michaels join Lucy Dunn to discuss further, and for the full interview with Shabana Mahmood click through to Spectator TV.
Produced by Patrick Gibbons. -
Prime Minister’s Questions today, and there was lots on the agenda. It is often a fool’s game to guess what the leader of the opposition will lead on, but today she had a wide choice of ammunition – from unemployment to welfare to the government’s new stance on migration to the war in Gaza. Kemi Badenoch looked assured when holding Keir Starmer to account on the Chancellor’s ‘jobs tax’ and on funding for children’s hospices. But can we attribute her performance to growing confidence in the role – or is the news just getting worse for Keir Starmer?
There were a couple of notable moments from the Prime Minister, including an attack on Reform and his response to Liz Saville-Roberts, leader of Plaid Cymru, when she ‘called him out’ on his use of the phrase ‘island of strangers’ earlier this week. Keir Starmer appeared tetchy – is he taking a leaf out of Rishi Sunak’s book?
Lucy Dunn speaks to James Heale and Isabel Hardman.
Produced by Oscar Edmondson. -
Keir Starmer has succeeded in keeping immigration at the top of the news agenda for another day – although he may not be happy with the headlines.
After his set-piece announcement yesterday, the Prime Minister is caught between fire from both sides. On the left, he is accused of ‘pandering' to Nigel Farage and even echoing the rhetoric of Enoch Powell’s ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech – with regard to Starmer's statement about Britain becoming an ‘island of strangers’. Meanwhile, Farage has called the Prime Minister ‘insincere’ and ‘playing catch-up’.
Within Labour, some backbench MPs have broken ranks. But it is the quiet, soft-left faction – already uneasy about winter fuel, foreign aid etc. – that will concern the PM most. Might immigration be the issue that forces them to rebel? And is this really a departure for Keir Starmer, or a return to the language of New Labour?
Oscar Edmondson speaks to Isabel Hardman and Danny Shaw, former adviser to Yvette Cooper.
Produced by Oscar Edmondson. -
Keir Starmer has kicked off what may be one of his most significant weeks in the job with a white paper on immigration. In it, the government details its plan to ‘take back control’ of migration, promising that numbers will fall ‘significantly’ – although no target number has been given. The plan includes the following: English tests for all visa applicants (and their adult dependants); an increase in the residency requirement for settled status from five to ten years; and new measures making it harder for firms to hire workers from overseas, including abolishing the social care visa and raising the threshold for a skilled worker visa.
Many have interpreted the move as an attempt to stem the rise of Reform by beating them at their own game. The Prime Minister gave a press conference this morning to announce the plans. His language marked a sharp contrast with speeches he made upon becoming leader. Gone are the days of ‘making the case for the benefits of migration’ – now replaced with ‘we are becoming an island of strangers’. Are Labour making promises they can’t keep – and are they merely echoing Reform?
Oscar Edmondson speaks to James Heale and Karl Williams, research director at the Centre for Policy Studies.
Produced by Oscar Edmondson. -
Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows.
The home secretary announces new measures to curb immigration numbers, and Starmer has a US trade deal. But not everyone believes the deal is much of a win.
Produced by Joe Bedell-Brill. -
The post-mortem has begun on a historic set of local elections – but where does each party go from here? Is Reform unstoppable? Is Kemi the one to lead the Conservative rebuild? Do Labour really ‘get it’? Michael Gove, James Heale and Lucy Dunn are joined by special guests Zia Yusuf and Jacob Rees-Mogg to unpack these questions – as well as the broader ramifications of the local elections on British politics.
Listen for: Zia’s understanding of why Reform did so well; Jacob’s concession that a Tory/Reform pact of some description could be the only way for the Conservatives to avoid extinction; and Michael’s assessment of whether Labour will force us closer to the EU.
This podcast was originally recorded live at the Emmanuel Centre in Westminster on Wednesday 7 May. -
On Thursday afternoon Prime Minister Keir Starmer gave a speech about closing the long-awaited UK-US trade deal. Not that his announcement went without a hitch however; after first directing lobby journalists to the wrong Jaguar Land Rover factory in Coventry, Starmer then had his limelight stolen by the election of a new Pope. Although, Labour’s ‘historic’ trade deal has pipped the Pope on most front pages.
The reception has been positive across government too, with many heralding a political win for Labour – just when they really needed one after the local elections. But is this an economic win as well? Critics say the deal is shallow, clearly just a start, and are at pains to point out that we are still in a worse trading position than earlier this year. Meanwhile, the governor of the Bank of England intervened to urge the government to ‘do everything’ it can to rebuild trade with the EU.
Lucy Dunn speaks to James Heale and Michael Simmons.
Produced by Oscar Edmondson. -
It’s a massive day for the Labour government and for Keir Starmer, as the UK becomes the first country to sign a trade deal with the US following the tariff turmoil of last month. Donald Trump described it as a ‘full and comprehensive deal’ … although we are still waiting for some of the details to be thrashed out. What we do know is this: the 25 per cent tariff on UK steel and aluminium has been removed and the rate on most car exports has been slashed from 27.5 per cent to 10 per cent. In return, the UK is removing the tariff on ethanol for US goods and has agreed ‘reciprocal market access on beef’. So far there is no word on the digital services tax, and Britain is still liable to pay the 10 per cent baseline tariff rate.
On both sides of the pond, the deal is being described as ‘historic’ by leaders who – for their own reasons – could really do with a win. But who does this deal favour? Is it a coup for Starmer – or Trump?
Oscar Edmondson speaks to Kate Andrews and Michael Simmons.
Produced by Oscar Edmondson. -
Lots to talk about today, including new polling which puts Reform on 29 points compared to the Tories on just 17. We’ve also just had the first PMQs since the local elections. But the trade deal announced yesterday between the UK and India is dominating the headlines, with many concerned about some of the concessions made – namely the decision to exempt some short-term Indian workers from national insurance as part of the new agreement. This comes barely a week after the local elections, where immigration has been widely considered the most salient issue.
The Conservatives have gone on the attack, despite the fact that a trade deal with India was supposed to be one of the major gains from Brexit – an example of how Britain could ‘venture out into the world’ and open up trade with fast-growing economies. Are the Tories now against free trade?
Interestingly, Kemi Badenoch omitted to ask about the trade deal at PMQs today, choosing instead to question Keir Starmer on the ongoing concerns around winter fuel and the pressure from many elements within his party to at least water down the policy. Can Starmer afford to U-turn?
James Heale speaks to Michael Simmons and Paul Goodman.
Produced by Oscar Edmondson. -
It’s day five of recriminations after the local elections, with politicians, pollsters and journalists alike still trying to make sense of what just happened. On today’s podcast, Rachel Wolf gives her verdict: we should not be shocked by Reform’s surge. She argues that Nigel Farage’s success should have been predicted – that it’s the same, distinctly anti-political silent majority who ‘surprised’ us during Brexit, ‘surprised’ us in 2019 and are ‘surprising’ us now.
How will Labour respond? Will they U-turn on winter fuel? And is Boris Johnson the only one who can win back these disillusioned voters for the Tories?
Oscar Edmondson speaks to James Heale and Rachel Wolf, CEO of Public First and former adviser to Boris Johnson.
Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Megan McElroy. -
In this special edition of Coffee House Shots, Lucy Dunn speaks to the Holyrood leader of the pro-independence Alba party, Ash Regan. Regan was formerly a member of the SNP and even ran to be the party’s leader after Nicola Sturgeon resigned in 2023. She defected to the late Alex Salmond’s Alba party 18 months ago and ran for party leader after his death.
On the podcast, she talks to Lucy about the difference between Alba and the SNP, the threat of Reform in Scotland, the ‘performative’ nature of Scottish politics, the Supreme Court ruling over what is a woman, and why she was right to resign over the Gender Recognition Bill.
Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons. -
The two main parties are reeling after local elections in which Reform surged to huge wins. Wes Streeting has admitted that Reform could be Labour’s main opposition by the next election. Tory MP Nigel Huddleston says Kemi Badenoch will remain as Tory leader, Reform chairman Zia Yusuf hints they may use legal action to prevent migrants being housed in hotels, and Ed Davey wants the Liberal Democrats to 'call out' Reform.
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As the parties regroup following the local elections, both Labour and the Conservatives have to face a miserable result. Lucy Dunn speaks to Isabel Hardman and pollster Luke Tryl about the anger and disillusionment amongst the electorate, and why Keir Starmer message 'we need to go further and faster' can't cut through.
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The word ‘unprecedented’ is often overused in politics, but these local elections have proved to be just that. The headline is: sweeping success for Reform.
Nigel Farage's 'teal tsunami' comes at the expense of the main parties – turning the two-party consensus on its head. The recriminations for Labour and the Tories have already begun. On the left, a number of MPs have broken cover and urged the government to shift its position on high-salience issues such as winter fuel. On the right, Kemi Badenoch’s leadership is looking increasingly shaky, with Tory MPs and staff warning that a step change is needed. Where do the main parties go from here? And can anyone stop Nigel?
James Heale speaks to Isabel Hardman and The Spectator’s incoming political editor, Tim Shipman.
This episode was recorded as part of The Spectator’s local elections live broadcast. You can watch the full coverage here. - Laat meer zien
