Coffee House Shots
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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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3210 episodes
Is the government right to restrict jury trials?
The government's plan to restrict jury trials passed its first parliamentary hurdle this week. It is one measure, amongst many, in a Bill designed to...
The Mandelson scandal exposes Starmer’s greatest flaw | with Gabriel Pogrund
Today we are delighted to be joined by the Sunday Times’ Gabriel Pogrund, whose book – Get In, which details Starmer’s rise to power – is out now in p...
How will the Iran war end? | with Shashank Joshi
In this special edition of Coffee House Shots, Tim Shipman is joined by defence editor at the Economist, Shashank Joshi. Two weeks in to the conflict...
Starmer should be honest about why he picked Mandelson
This afternoon we have had the first tranche of documents released by the government relating to the process by which Peter Mandelson was chosen to be...
Is the special relationship over?
The US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said today will be the most intense day yet of American strikes on Iran. Over the weekend, Donald Trump clai...
Is Keir Starmer good in a crisis?
Tim Shipman is joined by Isabel Hardman to discuss the domestic fallout from the conflict in Iran – from oil prices surging past $100 a barrel to rene...
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 08/03/2026
Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows.
Is the UK already too implicated in an illegal war? Or does Keir Starm...
Why we quit the Foreign Office | Ben Judah & Ameer Kotecha
Does Britain still have a coherent foreign policy? James Heale and Tim Shipman are joined by Ben Judah, former special adviser to David Lammy, and Ame...
Green surge: could Labour lose London?
Deputy political editor James Heale and deputy editor of The House magazine Sienna Rodgers join Patrick Gibbons to discuss the challenge the Greens po...
Iran: has Starmer alienated Britain's allies?
As the conflict in the Middle East escalates, the British government continues to face questions about its response. Was the UK too slow to act, and i...
Labour humiliated by Chinese spy arrests
It was a bad tempered PMQs today – Kemi Badenoch attacked Starmer over his involvement, or lack thereof with the Iran conflict. And Starmer hit back a...
Spring statement: everything you need to know
Rachel Reeves has today delivered her much anticipated spring statement, her opportunity to address the looming energy crisis, the uncertainty in the...
Iran: is Starmer doomed to repeat Blair's mistake?
The fallout from America's audacious attack on Iran continues, and there are a whole host of questions for Keir Starmer.
The prime minister has...
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 01/03/2026
Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead, as the US and Israel continue to strik...
LIVE: The Spectator’s Alternative Covid Inquiry
As the official Covid Inquiry comes to an end, the Spectator has convened a panel of our own experts to ask the questions that the Inquiry didn’t – or...
How Gorton & Denton changed British politics | with Luke Tryl
In the end, it was not even that close. The Green party has stormed to victory in Gorton and Denton, winning their first ever parliamentary by-electio...
Green victory in Gorton and Denton
The Greens have taken Gorton and Denton, defeating both Labour and Reform in the early hours of this morning. Hannah Spencer’s victory marks the first...
Spring statement: Reeves' last throw of the dice?
Polls are open in Gorton and Denton for the by-election but as we eagerly await the result we thought we’d discuss economics, because looking ahead to...
Badenoch rattles Starmer – but are they as bad as each other?
Megan McElroy unpacks a rowdy PMQs with Tim Shipman and Isabel Hardman. Kemi Badenoch made Keir Starmer uncomfortable over student loans but – at a ti...
Peter Mandelson haunts Labour
Overnight, Peter Mandelson has been released on bail after being arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
He has not commented publ...
SEND plans: 'cost-cutting or reform'?
Bridget Phillipson has unveiled Labour’s long-awaited overhaul of the special educational needs and disabilities system – a £4 billion reform designed...
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 22/02/2026
Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows.
The Jeffrey Epstein fallout continues, Trump rebukes the Supreme Court...
Why by-elections matter – with Iain Dale & Jon Craig
Two titans of broadcasting – LBC’s Iain Dale and Sky's Jon Craig – join deputy political editor James Heale for a whistle-stop tour of British by-elec...
Andrew's arrest spells trouble for Labour
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been released under caution after he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office – the image of him sat sl...
How prepared is Britain for war? – with Gen Sir Nick Carter
General Sir Nick Carter, former chief of the defence staff, joins Tim Shipman to discuss Britain's military preparedness – or rather, lack thereof. Wh...
Is Reform now part of the ‘orthodoxy’?
It is Robert Jenrick’s big day out today. The newly-minted Reform ‘shadow chancellor’ made his first speech this morning, where he had the chance to s...
Nigel Farage unveils his shadow cabinet
Reform UK is no longer a one-man band. Nigel Farage has unveiled Reform's four spokesmen for the “great offices of state” at a press conference in Wes...
Can Starmer protect the country (and himself)?
Following a weekend at the Munich Security Conference, there have been reports that the Prime Minister is set to sign off on a huge increase in defenc...
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 15/02/2026
Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows.
European allies say Russia is responsible for Alexei Navalny's death....
Starmer, Mandelson & HMT: why Gordon Brown has never been more relevant
James Macintyre joins James Heale to discuss his new biography of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown: Power With Purpose. While the book has been year...
Can Starmer escape his problems in Munich?
Keir Starmer has headed to Germany for the Munich Security Conference to meet allies and discuss defence, NATO and the war in Ukraine. He is expected...
Is Antonia Romeo what the civil service needs?
When a PM is in crisis, what do they do? Sack the head of the civil service. Having lost both his Chief of Staff and Director of Communications at the...
Keir Starmer gets angry
PMQs today and – as predicted – Keir Starmer came out worst in a pretty unpleasant session. Kemi Badenoch pinned the Prime Minister on the continued M...
Is Starmer back from the brink?
After a dramatic day in Westminster, the threat to Starmer appears to have receded – at least in the short term. But with the Gorton and Denton by-ele...
McSweeney resigns – is Starmer next?
Morgan McSweeney resigned yesterday as Keir Starmer’s chief of staff and – while it was not a surprise, given his role in appointing Peter Mandelson –...
Morgan McSweeney quits - Sunday Roundup 08/02/2026
Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows.
Morgan McSweeney has resigned as Keir Starmer's chief of staff, just h...
Jonathan Hinder: ‘I don’t know if Starmer should fight the next election’
On this special edition of Coffee House Shots, Tim Shipman is joined by Jonathan Hinder – a rising star of the back benches and a blue Labour acolyte...
Keir's worst week – but Kemi's best?
The sun is setting on Keir Starmer’s worst week in No. 10 – but potentially Kemi’s best. We go into the weekend with MPs publicly calling for his most...
Could the herd move on Starmer?
James Heale, Tim Shipman and Oscar Edmondson discuss the continuing fallout over the Mandelson scandal. The mood amongst Labour MPs is pretty dire – f...
The Mandelson scandal could spell the end for Starmer
Another impressive PMQs from Kemi Badenoch – but she had plenty of ammunition to deploy after the Peter Mandelson scandal took a bleaker turn this wee...