Coffee House Shots

Danny Kruger joins James Heale to set out Reform’s plan to overhaul the British state – from taking on the civil service to restoring ministerial control – and why he believes the system will resist change.

The Peter Mandelson scandal just got more scandalous. Last night the story broke that Mandeslon actually failed his enhanced vetting before being made US Ambassador. Number 10 are pleading ignorance. Their defence sits on the suggestion that the Foreign Office’s most senior official unilaterally decided to ignore the findings and – what’s more – that he told no one. It’s a stretch and, as Tim Shipman says MPs' 'fury is overwhelming'. There are a number of outstanding questions, including: what could possibly be in it for the FCDO to withhold this key information? Now Sir Olly Robbins has been sacked, will he go public? Did Starmer knowingly mislead parliament when he said that the vetting process was followed? And, considering he found out this information earlier this week, why didn’t he correct the record? Tim Shipman and Isabel Hardman join Oscar Edmondson to react to the latest in what is shaping up to be one of the most challenging scandal of the Starmer era.Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons.

It is a hard time to be a Labour MP. The polls are flagging, the economy is stagnating and the Middle East remains in crisis. But facing electoral armageddon in three weeks’ time, one brave backbencher has taken it up on herself to raise her party’s spirits. Samantha Niblett, the Honourable Member for South Derbyshire, is launching a campaign to make 2026 the ‘summer of sex’.On today's podcast, Tim Shipman and James Heale make sense of the story with Cindy Gallop, the sextech entrepreneur who's working with Niblett on the campaign, and Cleo Watson, former special adviser and author of novels Whips and Cleavage.Produced by Megan McElroy.

PMQs is back and – predictably – Lord Robertson’s intervention on the state of the armed forces dominated proceedings. The Prime Minister gave six responses to questions about defence spending, none of which addressed the criticism properly. While it was not a painful session for Starmer, it did show how little he has to say and how little authority he seems to have over such a serious matter. Why can’t he just answer the question? Does he want to be back in opposition?Megan McElroy speaks to Tim Shipman and Isabel Hardman.Produced by Megan McElroy and Oscar Edmondson.

George Robertson (pictured), a former defence secretary and former NATO secretary-general, has accused the government of 'corrosive complacency' towards defence, which puts the UK 'in peril'. This is all the more stinging because the Labour peer was one of the authors of the government's Strategic Defence Review – and that makes two of the three who have since criticised it. How much trouble does this spell for Starmer? And is this just the latest battle in the ongoing war between His Majesty's Treasury and the Ministry of Defence? Megan McElroy speaks to James Heale and Lucy Fisher, Whitehall editor of the financial times and who broke the story.Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Megan McElroy.

Two big stories to chew over on today’s podcast, starting with Viktor Orban’s landslide defeat in Hungary. The left have been celebrating this as a victory over populism, but have they misunderstood Peter Magyar’s politics? He’s hardly the Hungarian Ed Davey – as figures such as Zack Polanski would have you believe – and shares a lot of similarities with the outgoing leader when it comes to his conservatism. What are the real lessons from this weekend’s result? And why should Donald Trump be wary?Then, Henry VIII is back! The government is considering reviving the so-called Henry VIII powers, passing legislation which would allow Labour to change regulations without having to face full scrutiny from MPs. This comes in the context of Keir Starmer’s EU ‘reset’, which is looking cosier by the day. But does Starmer realise that there is a difference between the ability to make such changes and the political capital to carry them out?Tim Shipman and James Heale discuss.

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning's political shows.No end in sight to the conflict in the Middle East, as negotiations in Pakistan between the US and Iran end without an agreement.

With one month to go until the local and regional elections, Megan McElroy and James Heale have hit the road with Luke Tryl and Louis O'Geran of More in Common. They report back from the focus groups they've been running in Wales, where voters view Labour through the prism of a double incumbency, as they hold both the Senedd and Westminster. Starmer faces an uphill battle to avoid an historic loss – so is he about to lose Wales?Produced by Megan McElroy and Patrick Gibbons.

Gawain Towler, Reform UK board member and their former director of communications, sits down with James Heale to talk about Reform's appeal ahead of the local elections. Gawain argues that Reform needs to broaden its appeal as it won't find the votes to win to its right, but points to their anti-establishment, nationalist and pro-business credentials. While acknowledging that some of the negative stories about a minority of Reform councillors is uncomfortable, he argues that the scrutiny that comes with governing is necessary in order for Reform to prove credibility and competency for national government. Gawain also dismisses Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain as 'not a political project' but 'an angry swipe back at Reform' and says there is not much evidence Lowe can win outside of Great Yarmouth.Produced by Patrick Gibbons.