Could spending cuts herald a ‘winter of discontent for Labour’s left’?

Coffee House Shots

The Spectator

News, Politics, Government, Daily News

4.4 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 5 March 2025

⏱️ 15 minutes

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Summary

With reports of ‘billions’ of spending cuts earmarked for the Chancellor’s Spring Statement, taking place later this month, Michael Gove and Kate Andrews join Katy Balls to discuss what exactly Rachel Reeves could cut. With little fiscal headroom and sluggish forecasts of growth, Reeves doesn’t appear to have many options. It’s likely that welfare will be targeted, and there are reports that Labour’s opposition to new North Sea oil & gas licences may be relaxed to stimulate growth. One area that appears off the table is defence – following the Prime Minister’s pledge to cut international aid in order to fund new defence spending.

But if all these reports are true, where does that leave Labour ideologically? Could Labour’s left be heading for what Michael calls their own ‘winter of discontent’? And what appetite does a weary British public have for further spending cuts?

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode of Coffee House Shots is sponsored by Alliance Witten Investment Trust.
0:05.1	From the OPEC oil crisis of the 1970s, the financial crash in 2008, to the COVID epidemic
0:12.0	and Liz Truss's doomed premiership, there has been no shortage of economic crises over the last 58
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0:35.5	If you're looking for a less stressful way to invest in stocks and shares,
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0:51.7	Hello and welcome to Coffee House Shots as spectators' daily politics podcast. I'm Katie Balls and I'm joined by Michael Gove and Kate Andrews. It's Wednesday. We've had Prime Minister's questions. Was there much of note, Michael, or is it becoming a bit of a non-event when it comes to these exchanges between Keir Stama and Kemi-Padenok?
1:09.0	It was quite low energy at Primeus' question time today overall.
1:14.2	Kemi-Badnock asked a series of questions which were stateswoman-like about the challenge of
1:20.5	navigating the choppy waters generated by storm Trump emanating from the White House.
1:25.7	There was a barb at the end about the economy, but
1:28.7	overall it was relatively consensual. I think actually the most interesting thing in Prime Minister's
1:34.3	questions was a question from David Davis. It was specifically about the operation of special forces
1:39.5	in Northern Ireland during the troubles. It followed on directly from a column last week
1:44.0	spectator by Mary
1:44.9	Wakefield, drawing attention to the injustice being visited on those who put themselves in harm's
1:50.7	way to keep us safe during that time. And of course, that full is a brilliant piece by Paul Wood
1:55.3	about the problems that the special forces are facing at the moment with lawfare pursuing them through the courts.
2:03.1	And it really matters because if we're contemplating putting British forces in harm's way
2:08.4	in Ukraine, even as peacekeepers, then one of the questions that every single one of those men
	...

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