Coffee House Shots

Coffee House Shots is on the road today. James Heale and Megan McElroy have travelled up to the frozen north to speak to the candidates who are lobbying locals in the lead-up to the Gorton and Denton by-election. This is the seat vacated by Labour’s Andrew Gwynne, and made famous by Keir Starmer refusing to let Manchester mayor Andy Burnham contest it and complete his return to Westminster. Reform are giving it everything they’ve got – selecting academic and GB News presenter Matthew Goodwin – while some polling suggests that the Green party could do well. Who is in pole position?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 information.

It is one of the staple headlines of British politics: Peter Mandelson has resigned. The so-called Prince of Darkness was sacked as US ambassador last September, yet that has done little to stem the flow of stories about the alleged nature of his relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. This weekend saw the publication of a further three million emails, triggering another avalanche of claims about Peter Mandelson’s links to the dead sex offender. So what next for Mandelson? And which former political grandees have successfully managed the transition out of the Commons? Should he be taking notes from George Osborne?James Heale and Tim Shipman discuss.Produced by Megan McElroy and Oscar Edmondson.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 information.

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows.More Epstein files bring Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Peter Mandelson back into the spotlight, and Keir Starmer’s returns from his trip to China.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 information.

As Keir Starmer's visit to China draws to a close, Sam Olsen – who runs the States of Play substack – and Times columnist Cindy Yu join Patrick Gibbons to discuss how the UK should manage its relationship with China. Starmer's visit has drawn criticism from various China hawks – and from President Trump – but is there a way for the UK to balance legitimate security concerns with the need to trade with the world's second largest economic power? Plus, to what extent to the British public care about these geopolitical concerns? Cindy and Sam explain why is it important for policymakers to explain how these trips link back to domestic issues – and Cindy name checks James Cleverly as she highlights the importance of consistency amongst the political class.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 to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In his column this week, Tim Shipman has finally hit upon an answer to the age-old question: what is Starmerism? After a concerted effort from his team to tie the Prime Minister down to a definitive ‘-ism’, he has delivered a threefold structure: firstly, the contestable claim that Labour has achieved macroeconomic stability by clinging grimly to the Chancellor’s fiscal rules, which will mean interest rates and inflation fall; secondly, Starmer will say Britain needs an ‘active government’ to intervene directly in retail offers; and finally, the PM will seek to tie together domestic and international policy by arguing that Britain needs ‘an active and engaged government abroad’ if it is to control the cost of living at home.But is this the sort of thing that can secure his position? The rumour swirling around Westminster is that Streeting has up to 200 supporters waiting in the wings, and a straight fight between him and Angela Rayner is the most likely scenario given a poor local elections result.Tim Shipman and James Heale discuss.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.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 information.

Is centrism back? This week a group of former Tory heavyweights – including Ruth Davidson, Andy Street, Amber Rudd and David Gauke – have launched a new group aimed at reclaiming the centre ground and dispelling the myth that politics in 2026 is a straight shooting match between increasingly diffuse left/right poles. They say that there are seven million voters in the centre who feel ‘politically homeless’ and are looking for serious people to have serious conversations, rather than rabble-rousers with strong rhetoric. Are they totally misunderstanding the direction of modern politics? And should they all just join the Lib Dems?Tim Shipman speaks to David Gauke, former justice secretary and vice-chair of Prosper UK.Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Oscar Edmondson.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 information.

It is our solemn duty to inform listeners that David Lammy won deputy PMQs at a canter today. To be frank, it was a low-rent affair. Andrew Griffith was the Tory sent out to question David Lammy while Keir Starmer is in China, and the shadow business secretary didn’t do a particularly good job. Perhaps he had assumed that Lammy would have another disastrous session, like he did when a prisoner was accidentally released last autumn. There were a few decent jokes in there – mainly about football – but the overwhelming winners were Kemi and Keir, who by comparison look like Gladstone and Disraeli.James Heale speaks to Tim Shipman and Isabel Hardman.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.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 information.

Keir Starmer lands in China tonight as he becomes the first British Prime Minister to visit since Theresa May in 2018. Sam Hogg from the Oxford China Policy Lab and James Heale join Patrick Gibbons to assess the UK-China relationship right now, what Labour is hoping to get from the visit and whether there are risks for Starmer as well as rewards. Is the tight rope Starmer is walking between the UK & China a sign of weakness, or an extension of a pragmatic 'Starmerite' foreign policy?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 to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s psychodrama all round on Coffee House Shots today. Between Andy Burnham – who over the weekend was denied the opportunity to stand in the Gorton and Denton by-election – and Suella Braverman – who has just announced that she’s defecting to Reform (shock horror) – it seems like the main parties are competing to see who can appear the most split. After high-profile Labour MPs gave their support for Burnham’s return, what impact will this have on Labour party unity? And with this latest defection of a former Tory, can Nigel Farage dodge accusations that Reform is becoming the Tory party 2.0?Isabel Hardman speaks to Tim Shipman and Gabriel Pogrund.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.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 information.

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning’s political shows.Labour block Andy Burnham from standing as an MP, Ed Davey says we're in a Cold War, and a new centre-right movement is launched.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 information.

Post-holiday depression, failed New Year’s resolutions and battered bank balances: January’s Blue Monday has long been branded as the most miserable day of the year. Headlines warn of ongoing war, political turmoil and economic gloom – but could they be mistaken?Join The Spectator and special guests as they defy the doomsters to deliver an optimist’s guide to 2026. Almost three-quarters of people worldwide believe that this year will be better than the last. Are they right?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 information.

With the Conservatives on watch for further defectors, academic Richard Johnson and Conservative peer Danny Finkelstein join James Heale to discuss whether British politics rewards traitors or faithfuls. Richard points out that often personal success is dependent on whether the party goes on to be a major or minor player in British politics; Winston Churchill and Shaun Woodward fared better, while Shirley Williams and Mark Reckless had less success. Danny – whose political career began with the SDP in the 1980s – also takes us through his personal experience and the challenges of defecting, from ideology and demography to the perception of betrayal. How fundamental is the shift taking place in British politics?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 to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three big stories for James Heale and Tim Shipman to pick over today: Andy Burnham’s return, the Donald Trump that refuses to go away, and the continued fallout of Robert Jenrick’s defection to Reform.This afternoon we found out that former Labour minister Andrew Gwynne is on the brink of standing down as an MP, after losing the whip during last year’s WhatsApp group scandal. A by-election is therefore on the cards in Gwynne’s Manchester seat, potentially paving the way for the ever-ambitious local mayor Andy Burnham to return to the Commons and make a leadership challenge against Keir Starmer. Would he be able to mobilise enough support?Also today, Donald Trump’s sabre-rattling over Greenland has proven to be just that, and James and Tim take us through their interview with Robert Jenrick – in which he puts much more detail behind his dramatic decision to quit the Tories.Produced by Megan McElroy and Oscar Edmondson.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 information.

Keir Starmer scored a rare win at PMQs, talking tough on Trump in light of the President’s escalating rhetoric on Greenland and the Chagos Islands. Kemi Badenoch pressed the Prime Minister on foreign affairs and Britain’s relationship with the US president, and Starmer departed from his usual caution to strike a notably firmer tone.What does this moment tell us about Labour’s emerging approach to Trump – and is the UK political class finally losing patience with the volatility of the White House? Was this the closest we’ll get to a Keir Starmer Love Actually Prime Minister moment?James Heale speaks to Tim Shipman and Isabel Hardman.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.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 information.

China's controversial ‘super embassy’ has been approved, after years of debate over the security risks. Campaigners had called on ministers not to give the site the green light, given its proximity to important internet cables that support the City of London. MI5 have admitted they can't 'wholly eliminate' the national security risks around the site. Megan McElroy is joined by James Heale and Sophia Gaston, research fellow at King's College London, to discuss. There's more international chaos for Keir Starmer too – overnight, Donald Trump described plans to hand over the soverignty of the Chagos islands as 'an act of great stupidity.' Where on earth does this leave the special relationship? 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 information.

Donald Trump has thrown another diplomatic hand grenade. This weekend, the President threatened sweeping tariffs on countries backing Greenland’s independence – a move that has rattled European capitals and reignited questions about America’s global strategy. Is this about Arctic security, rare earth minerals, or something more personal?As tensions rise, how should Britain respond? Can diplomacy defuse Trump’s latest escalation, or does this mark a deeper shift in US–European relations – and the future of Nato itself?James Heale speaks to Tim Shipman and Tim Marshall, foreign affairs analyst and author of Prisoners of Geography. Produced by Megan McElroy and Oscar Edmondson.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 information.

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows.Donald Trump says it's tariffs or a deal for Greenland. And Robert Jenrick is the latest in a growing list of Reform recruits.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 information.

As Ed Davey condemned Donald Trump's military manoeuvres abroad, Annabel Denham looked on and asked 'what's the point of the Liberal Democrats?'. Thinking about the Lib Dem's longstanding europhile stance, the senior political correspondent at the Telegraph wrote: 'the party that once stood on a tradition of civil liberties now wants us to rejoin a bloc which regulates everything'. Calum Miller MP – foreign affairs spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats – joins Annabel and deputy political editor James Heale to address Annabel's challenge that the party is defined more by opposition the other parties than by their own policies. So, from localism and the UK's place in the world to free markets and social care, what do the Lib Dems stand for? And what constitutes 'liberalism' today? Produced by Patrick Gibbons, Megan McElroy and Natasha Feroze.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 information.

Yesterday was a breathless day in Westminster. The defection of Robert Jenrick spawned plenty of headlines and even more memes. But now that the dust has settled, how has the news been received? Was it a total victory for Reform, and evidence that they are slowly swallowing up the Tory party, or is Kemi still in the race?Today, the assisted dying bill is back in the Lords. As discussions about this legislation drag on, does its implementation look increasingly unlikely?Oscar Edmondson speaks to Tim Shipman and James Heale.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.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 information.

Robert Jenrick has sensationally defected to Reform. After a day that started with his sacking from the Conservatives – over plotting to reject – continued with the will-he-won’t-he drama of whether Farage would accept him as a new Reform member this afternoon; it ends with a press conference welcoming him to Farage’s gang.So what happens now? Kemi Badenoch was praised for her show of strength in swiftly expelling Jenrick, but she is undoubtedly weakened after this news and her frontbencher looks considerably lighter. Is this an inflection point for the Conservative party? And what role will Bobby J play in Reform – could he be their new shadow chancellor?Oscar Edmondson, Tim Shipman and James Heale discuss a hectic day on the British right.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.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 information.