Coffee House Shots

It is the first Prime Minister’s Questions of the new year – and Keir Starmer returns to the Commons already under pressure. With major international crises unfolding, Kemi Badenoch used PMQs to question whether the Prime Minister is present, engaged or in control. In response, Starmer just seemed narky.As the exchange descended into rows over Ukraine, Venezuela and the role of government lawyers, the issue of the armed forces – how they are supported and resourced – came up once again. With global events dominating the news agenda, are British forces prepared to be deployed – and does the Labour party really grasp the political danger of that debate?Oscar Edmondson speaks to Tim Shipman and Isabel Hardman.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

It’s our first podcast back in the office of 2026 – and the year has started with a bang, of course, after the successful US operation to remove Nicolas Maduro from Venezuela. He will appear in a Manhattan court later today. This throws up all sorts of problems for Labour and the left more broadly – they seem to be hedging their bets on whether to condemn this as a breach of, if not international law, then certainly international norms, or to celebrate the removal of a corrupt regime. Could this be a dividing line for the Labour party?Elsewhere, the battle that Labour want to focus on is the cost of living crisis. As a result – I’m sure – of lots of focus grouping and polling, they have hit on this as the issue that has the most salience and one that they are going big on for the new year. Given events in Venezuela, has Keir been able to cut through at all?Oscar Edmondson speaks to Tim Shipman and James Heale.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows.This week, the US sends shockwaves across the globe with its capturing of Venezuelan president Maduro.And Keir Starmer sits down for a big interview with Laura Kuenssberg.Produced by Joe Bedell-Brill.

James Heale sits down with Sir John Curtice, the doyen of British polling, to take stock of an extraordinary year in UK politics and to look ahead to what 2026 might hold. Curtice explains why the rise of Reform UK during the spring local elections marked a historic turning point – establishing the longest period in polling history where a party outside the traditional Conservative–Labour duopoly has led nationwide and assesses Labour’s continued slide, the unprecedented collapse in support for both major parties, and the growing influence of the Greens under new leadership.John also explores why Britain has entered a new era of multiparty politics, how cultural divides now rival economic ones, and why neither Labour nor the Conservatives can rely on their old electoral coalitions. He breaks down the challenges facing each party in Scotland, Wales and England ahead of next year’s crucial local and devolved elections, and considers how fragmentation, voter disillusionment and shifting identities could reshape the political landscape. Will 2026 see the definitive end of the two-party consensus? Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

Regular listeners will remember back in May we recorded a podcast debating whether Kemi Badenoch was the right fit for Tory leader. At that point in time the Conservatives were falling in the polls and she was facing allegations of laziness and a lack of a political vision. Spool forward to the end of the year and she is in her strongest position ever. She looks more assured in PMQs, her conference speech was a hit and her media game is much improved. But is she actually getting better, or is Starmer getting worse? And will this modest bump in fortunes translate to success at the local elections?James Heale speaks to Paul Goodman, Lara Brown and William Atkinson.Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons.

Dominic Cummings joins Michael and Maddie to reflect on his time in government – what he got right and what he regrets – and what he believes must change for the country to thrive.Part one: 30 December 2025 (9am GMT) Part two: 1 January 2026 (9am GMT) Search 'Quite right!' wherever you are listening.

2025 has been a busy year in economics, with tariffs, taxes – and even some tears. It's also been a busy year for the Spectator's economics editor Michael Simmons, who launched his new show Reality Check. The aim of the show is to cut through the spin and explain the numbers behind the noise. In each episode, Michael will make a data-driven case on a story hogging the headlines.In this special episode for Coffee House Shots listeners, Michael reflects on some of the economic highs and lows of 2025. For more episodes – with guests including Arthur Laffer and Rory Sutherland – search for Reality Check, wherever you subscribe to your podcasts.

From scandals and cabinet chaos to Trumpian antics and the ‘special’ relationship that some say is anything but, The Spectator presents The Year in Review – a look back at the funniest and most tragic political moments of 2025. Join The Spectator’s editor Michael Gove, deputy editor Freddy Gray, political editor Tim Shipman, deputy political editor James Heale and parliamentary sketch-writer Madeline Grant, along with special guests, who’ll all share their favourite moments from the past 12 months.