Coffee House Shots
2,109 episodes - English - Latest episode: 11 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.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 18/04/21
April 18, 2021 17:19 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBIsabel Hardman hosts the highlights from Sunday's political shows, with George Eustice, Nicola Sturgeon, Andrei Kelin and Rachel Reeves.
What is Keir Starmer doing wrong?
April 17, 2021 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.6 MBA new YouGov poll shows that the Conservative party is 14 points ahead of the Labour party. What is Keir Starmer doing wrong? Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and the Mail on Sunday's Dan Hodges.
Can the UK and EU fix the Protocol?
April 16, 2021 16:54 - 8 minutes - 7.99 MBThe UK and EU are holding talks over how to fix the Northern Ireland Protocol and stop the continuing violence on the island. Cindy Yu speaks to Katy Balls and Isabel Hardman about whether there's a way forward.
Could the South Africa variant stunt the vaccine rollout?
April 15, 2021 13:55 - 11 minutes - 10.3 MBA number of cases of the South African variant have been detected around parts of London, leading to surge testing of those neighbourhoods this week. Could this variant stunt the UK's vaccine rollout? Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and Kate Andrews.
Will the Greensill scandal hurt Boris?
April 14, 2021 16:56 - 13 minutes - 12 MBA civil servant advised Greensill Capital while still working in government, it emerged yesterday evening. Is the scandal hurting Boris Johnson, or just damaging an old rival? Cindy Yu speaks to Katy Balls and the New Statesman's political editor Stephen Bush.
Why is Boris talking down vaccines?
April 13, 2021 16:17 - 10 minutes - 9.48 MBBoris Johnson today said that the fall in coronavirus hospitalisations and deaths 'has not been achieved by the vaccination programme'. After pubs, restaurants and shops reopened yesterday, why is the PM talking down vaccines? Cindy Yu speaks to Katy Balls and Isabel Hardman.
What's next in the David Cameron scandal?
April 12, 2021 11:27 - 11 minutes - 10.3 MBDavid Cameron finally issued a statement over the weekend on the ongoing Greensill scandal. Gordon Brown also waded in this morning, telling the Today programme that there should be a five-year cooling-off period before former PMs can lobby. Will this but the issue to bed? Katy Balls speaks to Isabel Hardman.
Have we almost achieved herd immunity?
April 10, 2021 09:00 - 14 minutes - 12.9 MBThe government's vaccination plan is clearly to achieve herd immunity. So why won't anyone say that? Katy Balls talks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth about the disparity between the strategy and the messaging on the government's current Covid strategy.
Could Cameron's Greensill lobbying damage Rishi Sunak?
April 09, 2021 12:48 - 13 minutes - 12.1 MBThe Treasury has released text messages that the Chancellor sent to David Cameron, in response to the latter's repeated lobbying. While Labour is trying to land a blow on Rishi Sunak as a result of this, can they succeed? Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and James Kirkup, Spectator contributor and Director of the Social Markets Foundation.
The complicated background to the Belfast unrest
April 08, 2021 16:52 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MBLast night violence in Belfast escalated - petrol bombs were thrown, a bus was hijacked and children as young as 13 were reportedly getting involved. Cindy Yu talks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls about why Northern Ireland is experiencing this renewed wave of violence.
Will AstraZeneca slow down the UK's reopening?
April 07, 2021 16:41 - 11 minutes - 10.4 MBUnder-30s should be offered an alternative to the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab, the UK's vaccine regulator said this afternoon. What does this mean for the UK's roadmap? Katy Balls speaks to James Forsyth and Kate Andrews.
Is Boris being 'honest' on vaccine passports?
April 06, 2021 14:46 - 11 minutes - 10.8 MBThe government needs to be 'honest' about vaccine passports, Labour's shadow health minister Jonathan Ashworth said today. Boris Johnson yesterday said the 'certificates' would not be needed for pubs or shops, but a recent paper from the government said venues could scrap social distancing rules if they're used. Cindy Yu speaks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls about the proposals.
Is the exit roadmap still what it seemed?
April 05, 2021 18:03 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBThe next stage of lockdown easing is going as planned, but some caveats around international travel and vaccine passports are being floated for further down the line. What did the government's announcements today clear up? Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and Kate Andrews.
Does vaccinated Britain really need mass testing?
April 05, 2021 12:34 - 13 minutes - 12 MBBrits will be offered two lateral flow tests a week, it was announced last night. The expansion of testing, the government say, will allow those who haven't been vaccinated to continue life as normal. But is it really necessary? Cindy Yu speaks to Fraser Nelson and Kate Andrews.
Will lateral flow tests just be a tool of harassment?
April 05, 2021 12:34 - 13 minutes - 12 MBBrits will be offered two lateral flow tests a week, it was announced last night. The expansion of testing, the government say, will allow those who haven't been vaccinated to continue life as normal. But will they just become a tool of harassment? Cindy Yu speaks to Fraser Nelson and Kate Andrews.
Does Sadiq Khan deserve a second term?
April 02, 2021 16:00 - 10 minutes - 9.87 MBCindy Yu talks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls about London's upcoming mayoral election.
Is Starmer really against vaccine passports?
April 01, 2021 17:25 - 16 minutes - 15.1 MBKeir Starmer said that needing a vaccine passport to go to the pub would go against 'British instinct', in an interview today. But is he really against the proposals? Katy Balls speaks to Kate Andrews and James Forsyth.
Is 'structural racism' real in Britain?
March 31, 2021 16:58 - 15 minutes - 14.7 MBToday's report from the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities has made waves for its rejection of the existence of 'structural racism' in the UK, and recommendation to stop using the label 'BAME' when it comes to describing minority experiences and ethnic relations. Katy Balls talks to James Forsyth and Cindy Yu about what it gets right.
Does 'BAME' still make sense?
March 31, 2021 16:58 - 15 minutes - 14.7 MBToday's report from the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities has made waves for its rejection of the existence of 'structural racism' in the UK, and recommendation to stop using the label 'BAME' when it comes to describing minority experiences and ethnic relations. Katy Balls talks to James Forsyth and Cindy Yu about what it gets right.
Did police 'act appropriately' at the vigil?
March 30, 2021 16:08 - 11 minutes - 10.4 MBA report on the Met Police's handling of Sarah Everard's vigil has concluded that the force 'acted appropriately'. Was the conclusion a surprise, and has the new Policing Bill given them too much power? Isabel Hardman speaks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls.
Will Salmond's new party help independence?
March 29, 2021 12:32 - 14 minutes - 13.7 MBAlex Salmond has been building his new Alba Party over the weekend. Two SNP MPs have defected to the former party leader's side - is he helping further the cause of Scottish independence? Cindy Yu speaks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth.
Katy Balls' Sunday Roundup - 28/03/21
March 28, 2021 15:47 - 14 minutes - 13.4 MBKaty Balls rounds up the highlights from Sunday's political programmes. Highlights today come from Oliver Dowden, Mark Drakeford, Nick Thomas-Symonds, Nusrat Ghani, Kenny MacAskill and Lorna Slater.
Is Britain turning into a 'bio-security state'?
March 27, 2021 10:00 - 29 minutes - 27.2 MBAfter ruling out vaccine passports for most of this year, the government seems to be moving the goalposts with little discussion. Fraser Nelson writes in his Telegraph column this week that Britain could be moving to a bio-security state - and discusses with James Forsyth and Katy Balls on this episode.
What should the government do about China's sanctions?
March 26, 2021 13:52 - 12 minutes - 11.8 MBChina has sanctioned nine Brits and four British entities in retaliation to sanctions imposed by the West earlier this week. What should the government do about this? Katy Balls talks to Cindy Yu and James Forsyth about the next moves.
Will Covid restrictions really end in June?
March 25, 2021 18:10 - 14 minutes - 12.9 MBToday Matt Hancock refused to rule out not bringing the government's Covid emergency powers back for another renewal vote in September, while the Prime Minister has been firefighting his comments from yesterday about pubs and vaccine passports. What kind of normality can we actually expect this summer? Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth.
Are summer holidays abroad off the table?
March 24, 2021 16:01 - 13 minutes - 12.6 MBWhat's the point of vaccinating the population, if fear of new strains will prevent a return to normality when it comes to air travel? That's the question the government is facing this week, after comments by Professor Neil Ferguson suggested that foreign travel may still be forbidden this summer. Katy Balls talks to James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson about what the future holds.
Can Anas Sarwar stop the SNP?
March 23, 2021 18:21 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MBNicola Sturgeon today survived a confidence vote brought forward by the Scottish Conservatives. Newly elected Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said Scots deserved a 'better government' and a 'better opposition'. Could he stop the SNP winning a majority in May's elections? Katy Balls talks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth.
How will Boris respond to the EU's vaccine threats?
March 22, 2021 12:59 - 9 minutes - 9.16 MBOvernight the European Commission's rhetoric on vaccine export bans hotted up. In the run up to Thursday's meeting between European leaders to discuss its vaccines options, what will the UK government do? Cindy Yu talks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls about Boris's options.
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 21/03/21
March 21, 2021 17:48 - 12 minutes - 11.2 MBIsabel Hardman rounds up the highlights from Sunday's interview shows, with clips from Steve Baker, Ben Wallace, Mairead McGuinness, Lisa Nandy and Jonathan Ashworth.
Should Britain engage in vaccine diplomacy?
March 20, 2021 10:00 - 23 minutes - 21.5 MBAmerica has belatedly joined the vaccine diplomacy arena, the progress of which by Russia and China has been covered by The Spectator. On this episode of Saturday's Coffee House Shots, Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls, James Forsyth, Kate Andrews and Fraser Nelson about the latest developments in the race and whether Britain should be altogether more noble in its vaccines distribution.
What's next for Sturgeon?
March 19, 2021 11:54 - 13 minutes - 12.7 MBNicola Sturgeon misled the Scottish Parliament, a special Holyrood committee concluded yesterday. In a defiant response, the First Minister said that 'opposition members... made their minds up before I uttered a single word of evidence.' Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth about the fallout.
Will the EU go through with its threat of blocking vaccines?
March 18, 2021 18:35 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MBThe European Medicines Agency has announced that the Oxford-Astrazeneca jab is safe after all. In light of this, will the European Commission go through with its threat of banning vaccines from leaving the bloc? Cindy Yu talks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth.
What’s behind the EU’s vaccine flip flop?
March 17, 2021 16:43 - 13 minutes - 12.8 MBUrsula von der Leyen today said that the EU could block vaccine shipments to the UK if it doesn't export AstraZeneca jabs to the bloc. The Commission's head is under pressure to fix a rollout programme that continues to flounder - just 12 per cent of EU citizens have received a dose compared to 39 per cent in the UK. But why does the continent want vaccines it won't approve? Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth.
Is Boris being too soft on China?
March 16, 2021 18:27 - 10 minutes - 9.82 MBStarting 'a new Cold War on China' would be 'a mistake', Boris Johnson said today as he set out the government's integrated defence review. The military reassessment - the biggest in decades - also outlined plans to lift the UK's cap on the number of nuclear warheads from 180 to 260. Why does the review matter, and is the PM being too soft on China? Isabel Hardman speaks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls.
Will Tories kickback on new police powers?
March 15, 2021 13:05 - 12 minutes - 11.2 MBMetropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick is facing calls to resign after women were forcibly removed from Saturday's vigil for Sarah Everard. It comes as a bill that gives police more powers to crack down on protests will soon come before Parliament. How big will the backbench rebellion be? Katy Balls speaks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman.
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 14/03/21
March 14, 2021 16:24 - 10 minutes - 10 MBIsabel Hardman hosts the highlights from Sunday's political shows, with Victoria Atkins, Jess Phillips, Diane Abbott and Sir Ian Diamond.
Life as a Lobby journalist
March 13, 2021 10:00 - 29 minutes - 27.2 MBThe Lobby refers to the group of political journalists with access to the Palace of Westminster. On this episode, three former Lobby hacks - Fraser Nelson, James Kirkup (of the Social Mobility Foundation) and Francis Elliott (retiring political editor of the Times) - discuss their rehabilitation from the job, the old days of boozing lunches and the impact of social media on the job today, and much more.
What’s behind the UK’s EU export slump?
March 12, 2021 15:06 - 15 minutes - 14.3 MBBritain's exports to the EU fell by 40 per cent in January 2021, new figures from the ONS show. Are the numbers a real reflection of post-Brexit trade, or should they be treated with caution? Cindy Yu speaks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls.
Why Scottish independence is not inevitable
March 11, 2021 17:55 - 13 minutes - 12.4 MBA number of polls in recent days have shown a majority support for Scotland staying in the UK. Cindy Yu talks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls about how Scottish independence is not inevitable.
Was that Keir Starmer's best PMQs?
March 10, 2021 16:19 - 10 minutes - 9.23 MBKeir Starmer pushed the PM on the 1 per cent pay rise for nurses at PMQS today. Did shorter, snappier questions bring results for the Labour leader? Isabel Hardman speaks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls.
Sunak's NHS pay rise headache
March 09, 2021 17:54 - 14 minutes - 13.2 MBNHS chief Simon Stevens today confirmed that the health service budgeted for a 2.1 per cent pay rise this year (rather than the 1 per cent being recommended by the government), putting pressure on the Treasury to stump up more cash. What are their options, how are Tory backbenchers reacting, and can Starmer turn the issue into an effective political attack? Katy Balls speaks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman.
Will the government respond to Harry and Meghan interview?
March 08, 2021 13:42 - 13 minutes - 12.3 MBThe government has so far kept quiet about Harry and Meghan's shocking interview with Oprah, in which - among other revelations - the couple claimed that a member of the royal family made racist comments about their son Archie's skin colour. But with Boris Johnson set to host a government press conference at 4pm today, will he respond? Katy Balls speaks to James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman.
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 07/03/21
March 07, 2021 19:11 - 13 minutes - 12.3 MBIsabel Hardman rounds up the best bits from Sunday's interview shows, with Gavin Williamson, Jonathan Ashworth, Lisa Nandy and Dr Susan Hopkins.
Is an early election on the cards?
March 06, 2021 10:00 - 13 minutes - 12.7 MBWith economic growth of over seven percent forecast for 2022, could 2023 be an election year? Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth about the next poll's likely date.
Is a one per cent pay rise fair?
March 05, 2021 17:21 - 13 minutes - 12.2 MBUnions are threatening strike action after the government recommended a one per cent pay increase for nurses in England. Will the backlash force a U-turn, and what will the public make of it? Katy Balls talks to James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson.
Budget Day Two: Has Rishi survived the scrutiny?
March 04, 2021 19:20 - 13 minutes - 12.7 MBDay Two is sometimes when the budgets come unravelled. But Rishi Sunak's Budget seems to have survived the scrutiny of the polls, pundits and papers. Cindy Yu talks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls.
Will Rishi Sunak's budget give Britain a boost?
March 03, 2021 17:53 - 14 minutes - 12.9 MBChancellor Rishi Sunak pledged a further £65bn in today's budget, bringing the government's total spending during coronavirus to more than £400bn. But aside from splurges on extending furlough and the Universal Credit uplift, and new 'restart grants' offered to ailing businesses, the first belt-tightening measures were announced. Income tax thresholds will be frozen, and cooperation tax on profitable companies will rise from 19 to 25 per cent in 2023. Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson, Jame...
Will Brand Rishi take a hit?
March 02, 2021 18:21 - 12 minutes - 11.5 MBRishi Sunak has been a popular Chancellor, mainly because he's responsible for pandemic giveaway after giveaway. But with tomorrow's Budget, the tone will begin to change. Can he get through it unscathed? Katy Balls talks to Isabel Hardman and James Forsyth.
Can the government contain the Brazilian variant?
March 01, 2021 12:28 - 9 minutes - 8.97 MBContact tracers are trying to find a person infected with the Brazilian variant of coronavirus, after they incorrectly returned their testing form. How serious is the new strain's arrival, and could it have been stopped with a stricter quarantine policy? Isabel Hardman speaks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls.
How bad is the Brazil variant?
March 01, 2021 12:28 - 9 minutes - 8.97 MBContact tracers are trying to find a person infected with the Brazilian variant of coronavirus, after they incorrectly returned their testing form. How serious is the new strain's arrival, and could it have been stopped with a stricter quarantine policy? Isabel Hardman speaks to James Forsyth and Katy Balls.