Coffee House Shots
2,109 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★ - 134 ratingsInstant political analysis from the Spectator's top team of writers, including Fraser Nelson, Isabel Hardman, Katy Balls, James Heale and many others.
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Episodes
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 12/09/21
September 12, 2021 14:35 - 11 minutes - 10.8 MBIsabel Hardman rounds up the highlights from Sunday's political shows. Today's best bits come from Sajid Javid, Jonathan Ashworth and Nicola Sturgeon.
Twenty years on, what is the lingering impact of 9/11?
September 11, 2021 09:00 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MBIt's been 20 years since the 11 September attacks and their effect has had a lasting impact on the world. Katy Balls talks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth about their memories of that day, the mistakes made in its aftermath and if the new Taliban takeover of Afghanistan leaves us more vulnerable to similar attacks.
Should the Tories be concerned by their drop in the polls?
September 10, 2021 12:34 - 12 minutes - 11.4 MBLabour are ahead of the Conservatives in a poll for the first time since January. It comes just days after Boris Johnson announced his government's plan to fix social care: a rise in National Insurance. Should the Tories worry? Katy Balls is joined by James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson.
What do the Tory abstentions mean for Boris?
September 09, 2021 16:12 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBBoris Johnson has got his social care payment plan past the Commons, but there were a fair number of Tory abstentions, who still have a philosophical issue with this policy. Also with vaccine passports seemingly just around the corner, could this be another battleground for a Conservative rebellion? Katy Balls is joined by Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth to discuss.
What can we read from the tory abstentions on the social care vote?
September 09, 2021 16:12 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBBoris Johnson has got his social care payment plan past the Commons, but there were a fair number of Tory abstentions, who still have a philosophical issue with this policy. Also with vaccine passports seemingly just around the corner, could this be another battleground for a Conservative rebellion? Katy Balls is joined by Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth to discuss.
How is Boris keeping the Tories so unified?
September 08, 2021 14:04 - 12 minutes - 11.2 MBIn the first session of PMQ's completely Covid restriction free, Keir Starmer proved that the Prime Minster wouldn't commit to definitely getting rid of the NHS waiting list within three years or the risk of people having to sell their homes to pay for care. But Boris Johnson seemed pretty bullet proof with not a whiff of tory rebellion even though some of his new policies go against his members more conservative principles. Katy Balls talks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman about today'...
Will a broken manifesto promise to fund social care pay off?
September 07, 2021 15:07 - 11 minutes - 11 MBBoris Johnson admitted in the House of Commons today that he is breaking the manifesto promise of not raising taxes in order to get rid of the NHS waiting list and fund social care, but will this move work for the Prime Minister politically. Katy Balls and James Forsyth discuss.
Are the Conservatives still a low tax party?
September 06, 2021 12:04 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MBWith the vaccine secretary Nadhim Zahawi declaring on the radio that the Conservatives were a 'party of fair taxation', could the government be looking at rebellion from its right with its new plans for tackling the social care crisis? Katy Balls in conversation with James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman.
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 05/09/21
September 05, 2021 18:42 - 12 minutes - 11.4 MBIsabel Hardman rounds up the highlights from Sunday's political shows, with today's podcasts featuring Nadhim Zahawi, Lord Philip Hammond, Lisa Nandy, Gordon Brown and General Sir Nick Carter.
Are Britain and America drifting apart?
September 04, 2021 09:00 - 13 minutes - 12.7 MBIn a speech this week, Joe Biden said America will focus more on threats from Russia and China and less on foreign interventions. The US President signalled that his country would return to using 'over the horizon' drone strikes against terrorist targets, and would need to prove it was 'competitive' in combatting emerging threats. Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, addressed this in an interview with The Spectator last week. He said: 'If America makes the decision that it needs to tilt mor...
Is Boris Johnson about to betray his manifesto?
September 03, 2021 12:20 - 15 minutes - 13.8 MBDespite pledging not to raise taxes in the 2019 manifesto, rumours abound in Westminster that Boris Johnson is about to increase National Insurance in order to raise funding for healthcare and social care. Katy Balls talks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth about whether the government has other options.
Why isn't No 10 stopping the Wallace-Raab war of words?
September 02, 2021 17:11 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MBIn an interview for the latest issue of The Spectator, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace hits back at Dominic Raab's suggestion that it was military intelligence which failed the British side when it comes to evacuation planning. On the podcast, Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth about the increasing public acrimony between the two secretaries of state, and ask - why isn't No 10 putting a stop to it?
Raab faces Afghanistan grilling from MPs
September 01, 2021 18:26 - 17 minutes - 15.6 MBDominic Raab was hauled before the Foreign Affairs Committee today to answer questions about how the government handled the withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Foreign Secretary faced tough questions about being on holiday during the crisis, risk reports produced from his own department, and whether a portrait of the Queen in Britain's Kabul embassy was taken by Taliban militants. How did he fare? Cindy Yu also speaks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls about whether China will fill the vacuum left...
Who is to blame for Afghanistan exit failures?
August 31, 2021 17:34 - 11 minutes - 10.8 MBThe Pentagon says the UK pushed to keep Abbey gate at Kabul airport open, which was later the site of a terrorist attack that killed 13 US soldiers and 170 Afghans. Dominic Raab took on today's broadcast round and defended the work of the Foreign Office during the evacuation process, but said the intelligence community's assessment of the strength of the Afghan government was wrong. Who is to blame for the chaos of the last few weeks? Cindy Yu speaks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth.
What if vaccines can't end the pandemic?
August 28, 2021 09:00 - 13 minutes - 12.7 MBNew data from Israel shows that the Delta variant is getting through the protection offered by double jabs, even though the vaccines do lessen symptoms. With this and cases rising in the UK again, could it be that vaccines can never offer us the highly effective protection once hoped? Perhaps natural immunity is the strongest of all, as one study (yet to be peer-reviewed) showed this week. Isabel Hardman talks to Fraser Nelson and Kate Andrews.
What does the Kabul attack mean for Biden?
August 27, 2021 14:39 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MBAfter the attack on Kabul's airport by Isis, President Biden addressed the world last night and mourned for the 13 US marines who were killed. But with this grim event already being politicised by the Republicans, what will the lasting damage to the president legacy be? Isobel Hardman in conversation with Kate Andrews and Fraser Nelson.
The last days of the Kabul airlift
August 26, 2021 17:00 - 13 minutes - 12.2 MBChaos surrounds the Hamid Karzai airport today as two explosions and a potential knife attack has left at least 13 dead. The attacks are suspected to be suicide bombers from ISIS-K, as the American and British military had feared. What does this mean for the evacuation in its last days? Cindy Yu talks to Isabel Hardman and Lucy Fisher, deputy political editor of the Telegraph.
Why Raab's holiday answers only raised more questions
August 25, 2021 12:02 - 12 minutes - 11.3 MBIn his first broadcast round since coming back from Crete, Raab's handling of the questions surrounding his holiday have only managed to fuel the conversation further, with choice quotes such as 'the sea was closed that day'. Cindy Yu talks to Isabel Hardman and Katy Balls about what went wrong with the Foreign Secretary's handling of the issue.
Is the 'gentler, kinder' Taliban already gone?
August 24, 2021 16:49 - 12 minutes - 11.6 MBAs many had expected, President Biden has not agreed to extend the August 31 deadline despite pleas from Nato allies in today's G7 call. Meanwhile, there are signs that the veneer of the new and reformed Taliban is already beginning to crack in Afghanistan. Katy Balls talks to Isabel Hardman and Fraser Nelson.
Will Biden agree to Boris's Afghanistan request?
August 23, 2021 11:22 - 12 minutes - 11.3 MBThe Prime Minister has requested Washington to extend the August 31 deadline for the withdrawal of US troops from Kabul. But will Joe Biden acquiesce, amidst warnings from the Taliban that there will be 'consequences' if the US stays longer? Isabel Hardman talks to Fraser Nelson and Katy Balls.
Can ministers ever go on holiday?
August 21, 2021 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBWith Dominic Raab in the firing line for his £40,000 Crete holiday, the Coffee House Shots team reflects: can ministers ever go on holiday? And if they do, should they be sticking to the domestic ones, and at what point of a political crisis does one decide to turn back? Isabel Hardman talks to Fraser Nelson and former special advisor for Sajid Javid, Salma Shah.
Is Raab the victim of a witch hunt?
August 20, 2021 13:53 - 13 minutes - 12.6 MBWhile Dominic Raab continues to weather charges of incompetence and call for resignation, it is the Health Secretary Sajid Javid who might not have any time for a holiday come autumn. Israel, one of the most vaccinated countries in the world, is seeing a rush of new Covid cases. Could mean a wave of Covid and flu, later this year? Cindy Yu talks to Fraser Nelson and Isabel Hardman.
Should Dominic Raab be sacked?
August 19, 2021 16:24 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBPressure on the Foreign Secretary is piling up after the Daily Mail revealed today that Raab had rejected the strong advice of Foreign Office civil servants to call his counterpart in the Afghan government before the weekend, to ensure the safe departure of interpreters from the country. Instead, his junior minister Zac Goldsmith took the call. Could - or should - Dominic Raab be sacked? Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and Isabel Hardman.
Have Tory backbenchers lost faith in Boris?
August 18, 2021 12:22 - 12 minutes - 11.5 MBThis morning was the first time that we saw the chamber of the House of Commons full since the pandemic began. MPs were called back from recess to discuss the worsening situation in Afghanistan. Emotions and tensions ran high on both sides, some directed at the government, some at the Prime Minister and some at the White House. Katy Balls and Isabel Hardman dissect the first half of today's debate.
What will the British Parliamentary response be to Afghanistan?
August 17, 2021 16:42 - 11 minutes - 10.1 MBWith Parliament being called back from recess tomorrow, including the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab who maybe stayed on the beach a touch too long given the worsening circumstances on the ground in Afghanistan. Isabel Hardman talks to Fraser Nelson and Katy Balls about just what we may hear tomorrow.
What will the West response be to the Taliban takeover?
August 16, 2021 12:21 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBDefeat in Kabul now means that the Taliban have effectively taken over Afghanistan. Katy Balls talks to Fraser Nelson and Isabel Hardman to discuss the West's response to the occupation. ‘we have got a peacekeeping military, not a war fighting military, but still I think we’ve got this muscle memory from the days when Britain did have a bigger military’ – Fraser Nelson
Is the West in retreat?
August 14, 2021 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MBThe south of Afghanistan is now under Taleban control, after the group took the cities of Kandahar and Lashkar Gah this week. Meanwhile, Britain and America are deploying thousands of troops - as many as were there before the withdrawal began earlier this year - to evacuate expats and the majority of embassy staff. After a 20-year war in Afghanistan, the West is running away. Britain and her allies, however, will continue to face challenges like Russian aggression and Chinese expansionism i...
Will Britain regret the Afghanistan withdrawal?
August 13, 2021 01:00 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBWith things on the ground in Afghanistan accelerating from bad to worse so fast that the Americans are now even worried about the safety of their embassy. Cindy Yu talks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman about what the UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace's attitude towards this 20 year conflict has been like in statements both past and present.
Is the Taleban's success a surprise?
August 12, 2021 17:17 - 10 minutes - 9.89 MBThe Taleban are continuing their advance through Afghanistan, and are on the cusp of taking control in the major cities of Herat and Kandahar. The group's fighters have predictably ignored the Doha Agreement, but has the speed of their success taken politicians by surprise, and how much of an embarrassment is the deteriorating situation for the White House and Downing Street? Cindy Yu speaks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman.
Will Williamson be moved from education?
August 11, 2021 14:46 - 14 minutes - 13.2 MBEqualities minister Kemi Badenoch could replace Gavin Williamson as education secretary in the next reshuffle, according to reports today. Should he be moved, and how is he making his case for staying? Cindy Yu speaks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman.
What's wrong with grade inflation?
August 10, 2021 13:01 - 11 minutes - 10.4 MBA record number of students got As or A*s in their A levels this year. After last year's fiasco, teachers were given the responsibility of grading their own pupils. Has leniency put less well-off kids at a disadvantage, and will the achievements of future students now look worse? Katy Balls speaks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman.
How deep is the Boris/Rishi divide?
August 09, 2021 11:32 - 11 minutes - 10.8 MBWith the Chancellor's leaked letter to the Prime Minister (which apparently he'd never seen) showing some disagreement about COVID policy, is this an omen signalling a fracas to come over future spending plans? Isabel Hardman talks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth
Will a Scotland 'love bomb' woo voters?
August 07, 2021 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.6 MBBoris Johnson and Nicola Sturgeon seem to be battling for the position of most amiable leader. The First Minister invited Johnson to meet with her on his visit to Scotland, but the PM politely declined, instead inviting Sturgeon to a more formal meeting of devolved administrations. The Prime Minister's visit to Scotland is part of a wider plan to soften support for independence. Will a 'love bomb' work? Katy Balls speaks to James Forysth and James Johnson, co-founder of polling firm JL Partn...
Will Johnson's mining misstep cost him?
August 06, 2021 12:53 - 10 minutes - 9.22 MBThe Prime Minister joked yesterday that thanks to Margaret Thatcher closing coal mines, the UK 'had a big early start and we're now moving rapidly away from coal altogether.' Is this typical Boris, or has he misread the room? Isabel Hardman speaks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth.
What if Covid was leaked?
August 05, 2021 17:09 - 9 minutes - 8.73 MBUS intelligence agencies are combing through reams of documents from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, according to reports from CNN, which could provide a vital indication as to whether Covid was leaked. What would be the repercussions if it was? Katy Balls speaks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman.
Why has Boris snubbed Sturgeon?
August 04, 2021 16:08 - 10 minutes - 9.45 MBBoris Johnson is visiting Scotland today, but has declined an offer from Nicola Sturgeon for a meeting. Why doesn't the PM want to meet with the First Minister, and, after a period of relative quiet, is independence back on the agenda for Sturgeon's government? Katy Balls speaks to James Forsyth.
Why are 16-year-olds being given a vaccine?
August 03, 2021 16:05 - 9 minutes - 8.91 MBNicola Sturgeon said she expects that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation will soon be recommending that those aged 16 and above will be offered a vaccine. Is this an acceptance that vaccine certificates and Deliveroo discounts aren't enough to reach herd immunity? Isabel Hardman speaks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth.
Boris Johnson’s popularity problem
August 02, 2021 15:46 - 15 minutes - 14.1 MBIn a ConservativeHome poll on who should replace Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak came out on top. It comes as the Chancellor is reportedly pushing the PM to relax travel restrictions. Is this a problem for No. 11? Cindy Yu speaks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls.
Should Britain boycott the Beijing Winter Olympics?
July 31, 2021 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.6 MBTeam GB has had a brilliant start in Tokyo - can the government learn lessons on how to pick and nurture talent? And looking to the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022 - which foreign secretary Dominic Raab said he is 'very unlikely' to attend - should Britain boycott them? Katy Balls speaks to James Forsyth and Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics and member of the International Olympic Committee.
What's the point of the 'amber plus' list?
July 30, 2021 11:03 - 9 minutes - 8.85 MBA row is brewing with France over the government's decision to put the country on an 'amber plus' list, where restrictions on quarantine are tighter. But the reasoning for this has been ill-communicated by the government - is the measure worth the trouble? Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth.
Is there a 'cunning plan' behind vaccine passports?
July 29, 2021 16:43 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBWith over two thirds of young people now vaccinated, does the messaging on how to reach the final third need to shift? And are the government putting the cart before the horse by hinting that vaccine passports are more about coercion than safety? And finally are we in for another turbulent exam season? James Forsyth speaks to Katy Balls.
Is quarantine-free travel a risk?
July 28, 2021 15:38 - 8 minutes - 7.84 MBFully vaccinated travellers from the EU and US could be allowed to come into the Uk without quarantining, under plans being discussed by the government. Will this help businesses to recover, or is it an unnecessary change that risks seeing a repeat of the fiasco around India's traffic light status back in April? Katy Balls speaks to James Forsyth and Isabel.
Are vaccine refusers 'selfish'?
July 27, 2021 15:56 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBOn a visit to Glasgow today, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove went further than other politicians have in saying that those who refuse the vaccine for non-health reasons are 'selfish'. It looks as if the government will continue pushing through its vaccine certificate plans, but what if it has to rely on Labour votes to get it through? Katy Balls talks to James Forsyth.
What will make young people get vaccinated?
July 26, 2021 16:11 - 13 minutes - 12.3 MBUniversity students could need to be double-vaccinated if they want to attend lectures or stay in halls, according to reports today. Young people have the lowest jab uptake, and these reports follow the announcement last week that clubbers will need a vaccine passport to enter venues from September. Will it work? James Forsyth speaks to Katy Balls.
Was the government right to delay 'freedom day'?
July 24, 2021 09:00 - 22 minutes - 20.3 MBIt's our first 'freedom' weekend, but it was only a few weeks ago when our own Fraser Nelson and Kate Andrews clashed heads over the most sensible way to open up. Kate thought we should stick to the 21st of June, Fraser argued that the later opening date made sense. Now it's time to see who was right? This cage match was refereed by Katy Balls.
Could cases have peaked?
July 23, 2021 17:41 - 12 minutes - 11.6 MBDaily cases have fallen again today, leading to cautious optimism that - perhaps - cases in this exit wave have peaked. Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and Kate Andrews.
Can No. 10 stem the 'pingdemic'?
July 22, 2021 16:01 - 13 minutes - 11.9 MBToday the CBI gave a stern warning that the test and trace app is 'closing down the economy'. Despite this, the government's key workers list - promised on Monday - has still not been released. What's the hold up, and what will this mean for Boris Johnson's summer as MPs head home for recess? Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth.
Why isn't Starmer properly scrutinising the government?
July 21, 2021 16:13 - 12 minutes - 11.8 MBOn the 80th anniversary of Prime Minister's Questions, viewers were treated to a distinctly lacklustre performance today. James Forsyth argues that Starmer's questions are still too long; and proper scrutiny is not helped by the technical issues that accompanied the Prime Minister's virtual contribution. Isabel Hardman talks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth.
How much vaccine coercion will Boris use?
July 20, 2021 16:25 - 10 minutes - 9.93 MBIt's the day after 'freedom' day and it's not entirely clear just how free we are, with the prime minister last night say that from September nightclub goers will have to prove their vaccination status or provide a negative test. But with just the threat of vaccine passports leading to record appointments booked in both Israel and France could this method get us to herd immunity? Katy Balls talks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman.
Does it feel like Freedom Day?
July 19, 2021 14:02 - 12 minutes - 11.6 MBYesterday in what was the quickest public turnaround in government history. The prime minister and the chancellor are now in isolation after getting pinged for being too close to the Covid ridden health secretary Sajid Javid. There is something a little ironic about the leaders of the country being locked up on what was initially billed as 'Freedom Day', but it is a keen reminder we are just one ping away from losing our new found liberation. Katy Balls speaks to James Forsyth and Isabel Har...