Coffee House Shots

Andy Burnham's first overseas trip as Prime Minister took him to Ukraine this week, offering the first real glimpse of what his foreign policy might look like. But with a budget and a party conference ahead, how much time can a PM elected on a domestic agenda really give to the world stage? Oscar Edmondson is joined by James Heale and the foreign policy analyst, Sophia Gaston, to assess Ed Miliband's early moves at the Foreign Office, why Jonathan Powell has made himself indispensable to Britain's allies, and who is in the running to replace Olly Robbins as permanent secretary.

Produced by Henry Lloyd
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Former veterans minister Al Carns joins James Heale to discuss the government’s handling of Northern Ireland legacy cases – and why the issue helped drive him to resign.
Writing in The Spectator this week, Al attacks the ‘two-track approach’ to legacy cases, which he says could cost taxpayers billions, and warns against allowing the history of the Troubles to be ‘rewritten through the courts’. He argues that Labour failed to listen properly to veterans before changing the law and sets out what more should be done to protect those who served in Northern Ireland.
What was it like fighting the issue from inside government? Did Keir Starmer understand the strength of feeling – and will Andy Burnham take a different approach?
Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
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With Parliament returning next week, the Conservatives are in a much stronger position than they were this time last year. That said, questions remain – not least when it comes to Kemi Badenoch’s top team. A reshuffle is apparently scheduled and, while it won’t be a total overhaul, there could be a few surprises.
James Heale and Lord Goodman join Oscar Edmondson to discuss Badenoch’s improving position, why a Tory–Reform pact now looks increasingly unlikely, and who could be in line for promotion. Plus: could Penny Mordaunt be blocked from standing again – and does the Tory party have a growing talent problem?
Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
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Lee Anderson and Richard Tice fronted another Reform presser yesterday, this time on their plans for council housing, should they be elected to government. Included in the announcement was the desire to prioritise council housing for married couples with children, as well as 'British-born' citizens. To analyse this fresh distinction, Oscar Edmondson and James Heale are joined by Ameer Kotecha to go over the plans, and ask whether it is right to draw a line between the Brits who are born here, and those who are not.

Produced by Henry Lloyd
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After spending his Saturday afternoon watching Everton win at home, Andy Burnham showed up in Kyiv this morning to hand a gift to President Zelenskyy in the form of missile blueprints. To dissect the PM's trip to the eastern Europe, James Heale is joined by Mark Galeotti to discuss the impact of the Storm Shadow plans, both for Kyiv, and for Moscow.

Produced by Henry Lloyd
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.