Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 29/09/2024

What Keir Starmer wants to be talking about today is his landmark £22 billion investment into carbon capture. Flanked by Ed Miliband and Rachel Reeves, his speech was an unusually personal one where he spoke about the impacts of deindustrialisation. But how new is this policy? And what does this huge investment mean for the £20 billion black hole?  What Westminster seems more interested in talking about is the news that assisted dying is back on the agenda and the fallout of the deal to give the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Is there a degree of inevitability about these two stories resurfacing?  Oscar Edmondson speaks to Isabel Hardman and James Heale.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

Loyal listeners will know that as well as our concise daily political analysis, Coffee House Shots often delves deeper into the issues of the day. We don’t shy away from fierce debates on controversial issues. The most legendary of these debates have been between our former editor Fraser Nelson and economics editor Kate Andrews. As a parting gift to listeners before Fraser passes on the editors pen, Cindy Yu hosts a final contest between these two worthy debaters on whether we should be optimistic about the next ten years. Has there ever been a better time to be alive, as Fraser argues? Or should we be concerned about the growing threat to civil liberties, volatile markets and foreign policies, the failure to grapple with migration and the looming birth rate crisis?  Produced by Cindy Yu and Oscar Edmondson. 

The final day of the party conference saw all four candidates take to the stage in a bid to have a David Cameron moment. Back in 2005, Cameron managed to gain momentum at the party conference with an assured speech (no notes) and get one over on his main rival – the then frontrunner – David Davis. So, did anyone managed a similar feat in Birmingham? James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Isabel Hardman.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

The mood at Conservative conference has been surprisingly jubilant considering the turmoil that the party finds itself in. Labour's misfortunes may have contributed to this, but there seems to be a genuine optimism around the four candidates vying for the leadership of the party. What's the latest? Have Kemi Badenoch's comments on maternity pay impacted her position with the members?  Also on the podcast, this evening will see the Vance vs Walz vice presidential debate. They go head to head in an increasingly tight election. What does Trump vs Harris say about the state of American politics? And can any of these candidates – on either side of the pond – expect to be fighting future elections for their parties?  The Spectator's Fraser Nelson speaks to Katy Balls, Kate Andrews and Sarah Elliott from Republicans Overseas UK. 

Jeremy Hunt is one of the few Tories at Conservative Party Conference willing to take the fight to Labour. In the second day, he sat down for an on-stage interview where the former Chancellor spoke about the winter fuel allowance, freebies, but also made some polite suggestions about where the Conservative party should go, and dropped a few hints about the former Prime Minister, Liz Truss. Natasha Feroze speaks to Kate Andrews and Isabel Hardman about Hunt's speech and some of the best bits from Liz Truss's own interview at conference. 

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning’s political shows. Tory leadership candidates set out their visions for the party at the Conservative Party Conference. Badenoch says ‘not call cultures are equally valid’, and congratulates Netanyahu. Jenrick suggests immigration doesn’t make the country richer, and defends a £75,000 donation from a mysterious company. Rosie Duffield resigns from Labour, attacking Starmer on the way out. And Pat McFadden defends the prime minister, saying there is no equivalence between Labour controversy and the behaviour of the Tory government. Produced by Joe Bedell-Brill.

The final four leadership candidates have arrived at Conservative Party Conference to make their final pitches. However, day one and Kemi Badenoch has found herself in an online row over comments made about maternity pay. Katy Balls, Kate Andrews and Fraser Nelson take a look at what was really said, and whether there is a clear frontrunner to lead the Tory party at conference. 

Decarbonising power by 2030 is one of the flagship policies for Keir Starmer’s government. Whether this is achievable and how we go about the green transition will impact ten of thousands of jobs and everybody's energy bills. So just how do they plan on reaching this ambitious target? Gary Smith, general secretary of the GMB, argues that there is a fundamental dishonesty about the route to net zero, with communities being hollowed out and the working class left behind. All of this has resulted in fertile ground for the far right.   The Spectator's editor Fraser Nelson sat down with Gary Smith at Labour conference last week, to give an alternative take on the net zero debate. 

The political equivalent of the Rumble in the Jungle happened last night when Starmer sat down for a two-hour dinner with Donald Trump, following the Prime Minister’s speech at the UN General Assembly. Details of what Trump and Starmer talked about are scant: the official read-out merely says they discussed the ‘longstanding friendship’ between Britain and America. Is this good politics from the prime minister?  Elsewhere, the Tory party conference kicks off in Birmingham this weekend and with it the beauty contest for the next Conservative leader. What should listeners expect?  Oscar Edmondson speaks to James Heale and Kate Andrews.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson. 

Events have moved on fast since Labour conference with the mounting prospect of ‘all out war’ in the Middle East. This comes after reports that Israel are preparing a ground invasion of Lebanon to push back Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. What levers are at the disposal of the international community to de-escalate this very volatile situation?  Also today, Keir Starmer’s impressive performance on the international stage risks being undermined by the freebies story which continues to rumble on. What’s the latest?  Oscar Edmondson speaks to James Heale and Michael Stephens, senior fellow at RUSI.  Produced by Oscar Edmondson.