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PODCAST

Coffee House Shots

Daily political analysis from The Spectator"s top team of writers, including Michael Gove, Tim Shipman, Isabel Hardman, James Heale and many others. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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All Episodes

20:20

'They expect us to believe this?' – Starmer’s...

Coffee House Shots ·

2026/04/20

Westminster is braced ahead of two key interventions in the Mandelson scandal. This afternoon, the prime minister will give a statement in which we understand he will convey his ‘anger’ at being kept in the dark about Peter Mandelson’s (failed) vetting process. Then tomorrow morning, we are expecting to hear Olly Robbins’s side of the story when he appears in front of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee. Whose testimony will be the most compelling? Will it be the case – as we expect – that

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16:02

'When not if': why the Lib Dems are aiming for second...

Coffee House Shots ·

2026/04/19

Liberal Democrat peer Mark Pack and MP for Surrey Heath Al Pinkerton join James Heale to explain that it is a matter of 'when not if' the party become the second biggest in local government. Overtaking the Conservatives would be 'seismic' but they see it as inevitable, following a 'long-run of sustained wins' in the post-coalition Lib Dem era.Faced with criticism that the Lib Dems are too focused on community and that leader Ed Davey is more interested in stunts than policy, they explain that a

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28:49

Danny Kruger: Reform’s plan to tear up the system

Coffee House Shots ·

2026/04/18

Danny Kruger joins James Heale to set out Reform’s plan to overhaul the British state – from taking on the civil service to restoring ministerial control – and why he believes the system will resist change.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.ukHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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19:42

Mandelson latest: can we trust Starmer's ignorance?

Coffee House Shots ·

2026/04/17

The Peter Mandelson scandal just got more scandalous. Last night the story broke that Mandeslon actually failed his enhanced vetting before being made US Ambassador. Number 10 are pleading ignorance. Their defence sits on the suggestion that the Foreign Office’s most senior official unilaterally decided to ignore the findings and – what’s more – that he told no one. It’s a stretch and, as Tim Shipman says MPs' 'fury is overwhelming'.There are a number of outstanding questions, including: what could

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22:30

Inside parliament’s ‘summer of sex’ | Cindy Gallop &...

Coffee House Shots ·

2026/04/16

It is a hard time to be a Labour MP. The polls are flagging, the economy is stagnating and the Middle East remains in crisis. But facing electoral armageddon in three weeks’ time, one brave backbencher has taken it up on herself to raise her party’s spirits. Samantha Niblett, the Honourable Member for South Derbyshire, is launching a campaign to make 2026 the ‘summer of sex’.On today's podcast, Tim Shipman and James Heale make sense of the story with Cindy Gallop, the sextech entrepreneur who's

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14:08

Why won't Starmer answer the question!?

Coffee House Shots ·

2026/04/15

PMQs is back and – predictably – Lord Robertson’s intervention on the state of the armed forces dominated proceedings. The Prime Minister gave six responses to questions about defence spending, none of which addressed the criticism properly. While it was not a painful session for Starmer, it did show how little he has to say and how little authority he seems to have over such a serious matter. Why can’t he just answer the question? Does he want to be back in opposition?Megan McElroy speaks to Tim

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11:11

Are the Treasury & the MOD at war?

Coffee House Shots ·

2026/04/14

George Robertson (pictured), a former defence secretary and former NATO secretary-general, has accused the government of 'corrosive complacency' towards defence, which puts the UK 'in peril'. This is all the more stinging because the Labour peer was one of the authors of the government's Strategic Defence Review – and that makes two of the three who have since criticised it. How much trouble does this spell for Starmer? And is this just the latest battle in the ongoing war between His Majesty's

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13:20

Keir Starmer thinks he's Henry VIII

Coffee House Shots ·

2026/04/13

Two big stories to chew over on today’s podcast, starting with Viktor Orban’s landslide defeat in Hungary. The left have been celebrating this as a victory over populism, but have they misunderstood Peter Magyar’s politics? He’s hardly the Hungarian Ed Davey – as figures such as Zack Polanski would have you believe – and shares a lot of similarities with the outgoing leader when it comes to his conservatism. What are the real lessons from this weekend’s result? And why should Donald Trump be

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12:41

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 12/04/2026

Coffee House Shots ·

2026/04/12

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows.No end in sight to the conflict in the Middle East, as negotiations in Pakistan between the US and Iran end without an agreement.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.ukHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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13:34

Will Labour lose Wales?

Coffee House Shots ·

2026/04/11

With one month to go until the local and regional elections, Megan McElroy and James Heale have hit the road with Luke Tryl and Louis O'Geran of More in Common. They report back from the focus groups they've been running in Wales, where voters view Labour through the prism of a double incumbency, as they hold both the Senedd and Westminster. Starmer faces an uphill battle to avoid an historic loss – so is he about to lose Wales?Produced by Megan McElroy and Patrick Gibbons.Become a Spectator

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14:59

Left turn: who should Reform target?

Coffee House Shots ·

2026/04/10

Gawain Towler, Reform UK board member and their former director of communications, sits down with James Heale to talk about Reform's appeal ahead of the local elections. Gawain argues that Reform needs to broaden its appeal as it won't find the votes to win to its right, but points to their anti-establishment, nationalist and pro-business credentials. While acknowledging that some of the negative stories about a minority of Reform councillors is uncomfortable, he argues that the scrutiny that comes

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15:46

The 'Anglo-Gaullism' debate | Ben Judah

Coffee House Shots ·

2026/04/09

In the magazine this week, Ben Judah – former adviser in the Foreign Office – makes the case for ‘Anglo-Gaullism’. He says that Britain should learn the lessons of France’s Charles de Gaulle when carving out its place in the world, especially given the increasingly erratic nature of the US and the fragmentation of politics at home.In practice, Ben suggests that this would involve an Australian-style ranked-choice voting, injecting Whitehall with experts (in tech and AI), taking on the welfare system

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11:52

Antonia Romeo takes on the civil service

Coffee House Shots ·

2026/04/08

The new cabinet secretary, Antonia Romeo, has published a list of objectives setting out her vision for what the civil service will look like under her. Many have interpreted it as her tightening control over government ... especially since Darren Jones stepped back from his Downing Street role. The path is clear for her to become the Prime Minister’s ‘principal policy adviser’, and to reform the civil service ‘so that it is recognisable for excellence in delivery, innovation and improved

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12:40

Iran deadline: is it too late for Trump to back down?

Coffee House Shots ·

2026/04/07

We are hours away from Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to reopen the strait of Hormuz. The President has ‘chickened out’ many times before and offered an extension of some kind, but the threats and posturing ahead of this deadline make it difficult for either side to back down. Will Trump really ‘end Iranian civilisation’ tonight?James Heale speaks to Michael Stephens.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree

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30:37

Hero voters: who should Labour target? with Chris...

Coffee House Shots ·

2026/04/06

Labour won the 2024 general election in part by focusing on ‘hero voters’ – so called because they may have voted Labour in the past but felt the party had abandoned them. Now they risk losing them again – so how does Labour maintain their support?Chris Curtis, Labour MP for Milton Keynes North and former pollster, and Deborah Mattinson, Labour peer and polling guru, join Tim Shipman to talk about how to appeal to this set of voters. Research suggests that voters from this group that are socially

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28:22

Why is Starmer so unpopular? with Lewis Goodall

Coffee House Shots ·

2026/04/04

Opinion polls consistently show Keir Starmer as one of the most unpopular Prime Ministers in history. His critics point to inertia and a lack of vision, while his supporters argue that media spin is harming the image of a decent man. Less than two years on from Labour's landslide victory, broadcaster Lewis Goodall joins James Heale to try to answer the question 'where did it all go wrong?' – a subject which Lewis explores in a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary. Lewis explains the factors at play,

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26:56

Conservative radicalism: who should the Tories...

Coffee House Shots ·

2026/04/03

Can the Conservatives win back voters' support through a new kind of 'conservative radicalism'? Jack Rankin, Conservative MP for Windsor, joins James Heale to explain why he believes a focus on aspiration and wealth creation, paired with political courage to combat 'short-termism and stakeholderism', would enhance the Party's appeal and energise its supporter base. Jack argues that Conservative politicians need to be more honest about the country's problems, including with immigration and

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12:58

EU déjà vu: the emergency brake is back!

Coffee House Shots ·

2026/04/02

Charles Grant from the Centre for European Reform and Tim Shipman join James Heale to reflect on the rumours about Britain's latest set of negotiations with the European Union. There are reports that the EU may be willing to accept some form of mechanism, that the UK could use, should Britain ever wish to temporarily halt the number of inbound students. Perhaps we could call such a mechanism an 'emergency brake'. Sound familiar? What does this tell us about the dynamics of the EU, how the UK-EU

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14:27

Will Trump pull the US out of NATO?

Coffee House Shots ·

2026/04/01

Donald Trump has said he is 'strongly considering' pulling the US out of NATO, in comments made to the Telegraph – and it doesn't appear to be an April Fool. This isn't the first time he has rallied against the Alliance so should the UK take him seriously? Plus – what is Keir Starmer's strategy? – as he tries to balance a testing transatlantic relationship with pursuing closer relations with the EU.Patrick Gibbons speaks to Tim Shipman and James Heale.Produced by Patrick Gibbons.Become a Spectator

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10:18

Why is Britain so exposed to rising energy prices?

Coffee House Shots ·

2026/03/31

The IMF has warned Britain is particularly vulnerable to another spike in energy prices, and is more exposed than many of its European neighbours. Why is that the case? And does the government have any real plan to shield households and businesses from the fallout? With the Tories and Reform calling for the government to drill baby drill, why is the government avoiding a pretty obvious solution?James Heale speaks to Tim Shipman and Michael Simmons.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this

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