Coffee House Shots

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 show what kind of chancellor he would be and – sporting a snazzy pair of specs – he had plenty of soothing words to calm the jitters of the bond markets.The top news lines from his presser was his decision to kill Reform’s two-child benefit cap – Nigel Farage’s big offer to Labour voters last summer – and the announcement that he he would support the independence of the OBR and the Bank of England. Is this a missed opportunity for Reform UK? Oscar Edmondson speaks to Michael Simmons and Tim Shipman. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

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 defence spending. While this comes at a time of increasing threats to Britain, it isn't just the UK's position that's under threat but Keir Starmer himself – who continues to face questions about his leadership. Defence secretary John Healey has been talked about as a potential 'unity' candidate between the left and right flanks of the Labour party. But Labour's internal problems continue to grow, with reports that journalist – and friend of Coffee House Shots – Gabriel Pogrund was the subject of a malicious investigation by Starmerite think-tank Labour Together. Tim Shipman joins James Heale to discuss all the developments.Produced by Megan McElroy and Patrick Gibbons.

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows.European allies say Russia is responsible for Alexei Navalny's death. And the government's Palestine Action ban is ruled unlawful by the High Court.

James Macintyre joins James Heale to discuss his new biography of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown: Power With Purpose. While the book has been years in the making, little did James know that it would end up published at the same time that its themes and subjects could never be more relevant.James tells our deputy political editor about the relationship between Brown and Blair, what the Labour leader makes of Keir Starmer’s problems today and his reflections – with hindsight – about bringing the now-disgraced Peter Mandelson back into government in 2008. Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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 to meet Chancellor Merz and President Macron later, before delivering a speech in the morning. But – after his worst week as Prime Minister – can Starmer use this moment to reset his image as one of a statesman on the world stage, or could his problems follow him to Munich? Lisa Haseldine is attending the conference and joins Tim Shipman and James Heale to discuss.Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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 beginning of the week, Keir Starmer resolved to make it a hat-trick by dispensing with the services of his short-serving Cabinet Secretary. The favourite to replace him is Antonia Romeo – currently doing great work at the Home Office, but comes with a series of ‘caveats’ concerning historic allegations of bullying and irregularities over expenses when she was in New York. She has been cleared of these and passed the civil service vetting process (with caveats) – although Simon McDonald, the former Permanent Secretary at the Foreign Office, has popped up in the news to warn No. 10 about plans to replace Wormald with Antonia Romeo without a new appointment process.All things considered, Romeo is ‘ballsy and brassy’ and currently part of the most successful Secretary of State/mandarin pairing in Westminster, alongside Shabana Mahmood. Could she be exactly what the civil service needs? Would she be the one to drive through some serious ‘change’?James Heale speaks to Tom Shipman and Jill Rutter.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

PMQs today and – as predicted – Keir Starmer came out worst in a pretty unpleasant session. Kemi Badenoch pinned the Prime Minister on the continued Mandelson fallout and now the scandal over Matthew Doyle, the former No. 10 comms chief who – just four weeks after his ennoblement – Labour have already been forced to kick out of their party in the House of Lords, after it emerged he had campaigned for a friend charged with possessing indecent images of children. Once again, one of those mysterious appointments for which the Prime Minister is never responsible came back to haunt him in public – sound familiar?The response from the Prime Minister was to get increasingly shirty, including with Sir Ed Davey, who accused the PM of a ‘catastrophic lack of judgment’ in his most punchy PMQs yet. Are we finally getting to understand the ‘real’ Keir Starmer?James Heale speaks to Tim Shipman and Isabel Hardman.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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-election less than three weeks away, (more) trouble could be on the horizon. Luke Tryl – from pollsters More in Common – and James Heale join Patrick Gibbons to discuss.Produced by Patrick Gibbons.