Coffee House Shots: Labour’s first year (in review) with Tim Shipman & Quentin Letts
Best of the Spectator
The Spectator
4.4 • 785 Ratings
🗓️ 5 July 2025
⏱️ 22 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Cast your mind back a year. Labour had just won a storming majority, promising ‘change’ to a stale Tory party that was struggling to govern. But have things got any better?
In the magazine this week, Tim Shipman writes the cover piece to mark the occasion of Labour’s first year in government. He takes readers through three chapters: from Sue Gray (freebies scandal and winter fuel cut) to Morgan McSweeney (a degree of professionalisation and dealing with the Donald) to the point at which ‘things fall apart’ (assisted dying, the welfare vote and Reeves’s tears).
On the podcast, Tim is joined by The Spectator’s James Heale as well as sketchwriter and long-time Westminster mischief-maker Quentin Letts to go through the events and personalities that have contributed to the dysfunction.
Listen for: Tim’s run-in with Lord Hermer at the US Ambassador’s bash; why Jeremy Corbyn’s mooted political party could cause a chasm in the Labour party to rival the one tearing the Conservatives apart; who the targets for the chop might be, should there be a reshuffle; how young members of the Labour party are beginning their charm offensive on Angela Rayner; and why politicians have failed to grasp the banal fundamentals that make a great political performer.
Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | The economic tumult of the past month has forced many people to take another look at their finances and whether their retirement plans are on track. |
| 0:07.0 | This is where having an experienced wealth manager can make all the difference, because it's not just trying to hit a number, it's about planning the life and lifestyle that you want to lead. |
| 0:16.0 | Charles Stanley Wealth Management can help you chart your financial course, guiding you on to when you can retire comfortably, as well as how to best pass on your wealth to the next generation, unless you're planning to spend it all. |
| 0:26.4 | For more information, visit www.charl-stanley.com.uk today to schedule a free, no-obligation call to discuss your situation. |
| 0:35.7 | And remember, investment involves risk. |
| 0:41.9 | Hello and welcome to the special Saturday edition of Coffee House Shots. I'm James Heel and I'm |
| 0:45.8 | joined today by the Spectators political editor Tim Shipman and Quentin Letts of the Daily Mail. |
| 0:50.1 | Now, it is 12 months, a year since Labour came into office. You can listen to some of the highlights to get your memory refreshed here. |
| 0:57.0 | And as Big Ben strikes 10, the exit poll is predicting a Labour landslide. |
| 1:04.0 | Today, I am making the difficult decision that those not in receipt of pension credit or certain other means-tested benefits |
| 1:10.0 | or no longer receive |
| 1:11.5 | the winds of fuel payment from this year onwards. |
| 1:14.0 | Sir Kirstama has repaid £6,000 worth of hospitality and gifts he received since entering |
| 1:19.2 | number 10, but will keep more than £40,000 worth of suits for himself, dresses and outfits. |
| 1:24.8 | This afternoon, some very significant breaking news coming from Downing Street that Sue Gray has been moved to a different... |
| 1:31.3 | This morning, we heard that because of his terrible Chegos deal, Maricious is scrapping income tax. |
| 1:39.3 | Right on a diverse nation like ours, and I celebrate that, these rules become even more important. |
| 1:46.4 | Without them, we risk becoming an island of strangers. |
| 1:50.0 | Sir Kier-Stama pulled Labor's flagship welfare reform plans at the last minute. |
| 1:55.1 | It's humiliating U-turn after days of rebellion. |
| 1:59.5 | Tim, what would you say the high and low points of the last year have been for them? |
| 2:03.8 | Well, it's probably rather easier to identify the low points. |
... |
Transcript will be available on the free plan in 18 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Spectator, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of The Spectator and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.