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Coffee House Shots
Shabana Mahmood in conversation with Michael Gove – Labour Conference 2025
Whilst a certain noisy northern mayor has positioned himself as the problem child of conference 2025, The Spectator finds another Labour politician far more interesting. All around Liverpool the newsstands are decorated by the image of the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, dubbed the ‘Terminator’ by Tim Shipman in the most recent issue of The Spectator. As one strategist notes: ‘Shabana is not afraid to use power. That’s what we need.’
In this special edition of Coffee House Shots we present a wide-ranging in-conversation between Shabana Mahmood and Spectator editor Michael Gove. Listen for: how to tackle the ‘Boriswave’, whether the Home Office is fit for purpose, Shabana’s compelling case for digital ID cards and her response to Keir Starmer’s claim that Reform are ‘racist’.
Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Megan McElroy.
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Burnham’s BIG blunder
18:27|It's only Burnham's second PMQs and he's already dropped a clanger. He may have handed the Conservatives their next election slogan after declaring that ‘national security cannot come at the expense of social security’. Has the Prime Minister exposed the fault line at the heart of his government?Noa Hoffman is joined by Isabel Hardman and Tim Shipman to discuss Burnham’s approach to welfare and defence, his increasingly ideological foreign policy – and whether his promise of hope and consensus can survive contact with political reality.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
Why Ed Miliband is taking on Israel
15:59|Ed Miliband has made his first major intervention as Foreign Secretary, with Britain set to announce a trade ban on Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The move comes amid increasingly strained relations between London and Jerusalem – and marks Andy Burnham’s first big foreign policy fight.Oscar Edmondson is joined by James Heale and Michael Stephens to discuss whether the sanctions will have any real effect, how far UK–Israel relations have deteriorated and whether Labour is simply moving with public opinion.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
‘Andy Burnham did the Tories a huge favour’ | Sir Malcolm Rifkind
29:52|Sir Malcolm Rifkind joins Tim Shipman and James Heale to discuss the future of the conservatism and tells The Spectator why Kemi Badenoch is the person to bring the Conservative Party back from the brink. He explains why he thinks Reform is already losing momentum, why Nigel Farage is ‘not fit to govern’, and why Andy Burnham could actually help the Conservatives at the next election.He also reflects on Britain’s relationship with Israel and the United States, criticises Labour’s approach to sanctions on Israel, and gives his verdict on Donald Trump second term. Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Abigail Brierley.
Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 06/09/2026
12:37|Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows.Nigel Farage is on the defence again, after two senior Reform officials are forced to step down. James Orr and Dan Jukes were filmed arranging to break rules on foreign donations with journalists pretending to have access to money from an American businessman.
LIVE | Reform conference round-up – everything you need to know
23:31|Noa Hoffman, James Heale and Tim Shipman host a special live recording of Coffee House Shots from Reform conference. They discuss whether a damaging 48 hours for the party have breached the walls of Birmingham’s NEC, whether Nigel Farage can weather serious questions over Reform’s funding, and whether Zia Yusuf should throw his phone in the nearest river and get off Twitter.Produced by Oscar Edmondson, Henry Lloyd and The Spectator’s events team.
Reform in crisis after Channel 4 sting
11:21|There are grey clouds over day two of Reform UK’s conference after a Channel 4 investigation caused heads to roll. The party announced this morning that Dan Jukes, Nigel Farage’s right-hand man, and James Orr, Reform’s head of strategy, have stood down and left the conference. ‘They have left the building and they won’t be coming back,’ chairman Lee Anderson said.Footage broadcast by Channel 4 on Thursday night showed Jukes suggesting a way to get around electoral law in order to secure a foreign donation. A reporter posed as a UK-based son of an American benefactor, who was to give money to Reform via his 'son' after being wooed by both Orr and Jukes. Electoral law sets out that to be a permissible donor to a UK political party you must be a UK registered voter, or a company registered in the UK. So how damaging is this for Reform – and what happens next?Oscar Edmondson speaks to James Heale and Noa Hoffman.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
Chris Philp: mass immigration is making Britain ‘ungovernable’
32:59|Chris Philp joins James Heale to discuss what the Conservatives got wrong on immigration – and how they plan to fix it. The shadow Home Secretary argues that mass immigration risks making Britain ‘ungovernable’, says the last Tory government made a ‘catastrophic mistake’ after 2020 and explains why he thinks Reform still lacks a credible plan for government.He also lifts the lid on his time inside the Home Office, from civil service resistance to the Rwanda scheme to the legal constraints he believes stop ministers controlling the borders.Produced Oscar Edmondson and Abigail Brierley.
Burnham's 'new politics' is much the same as the old
12:09|After his first PMQs Andy Burnham came away relatively unscathed, although his dream of a 'new politics' may be rapidly falling apart. To dissect what went on in the chamber, James Heale is joined by Tim Shipman and Isabel Hardman to go over today's more feisty exchanges.Produced by Oscar Edmondson
Politics returns: Tories reshuffle & Starmer slopes off
12:29|Politics is back – and it’s a bumper day in Westminster. Kemi Badenoch got ahead of the field yesterday by reshuffling her top team a day earlier than expected, and the changes are much more comprehensive than first thought. James Cleverly is off to run for the London mayoralty, while Priti Patel and Mel Stride have both been given the boot. Katie Lam takes over Cleverly’s housing brief, while Andrew Griffith will hope to bring some much-needed energy to the role of shadow chancellor. So what does the reshuffle tell us about Badenoch’s strategy – and what does it mean for the Tories’ economic offer?Elsewhere, Keir Starmer has resigned as an MP. Listeners may remember that he used to joke that Rishi Sunak would be the one to leave politics behind for sunnier Californian climes. Now, the shoe appears to be on the other foot.Oscar Edmondson speaks to Tim Shipman and James Heale.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.