Hello and welcome to Coffeehouse Shots, the Spectator's Daily Politics Podcast. I'm

Oskaradmson. I'm joined today by James Heel and Michael Simmons. Now, the sun is setting on

potentially the worst week that Keir Starmer has had in the job as Prime Minister, but maybe

the best one that Kemi Badenock has had, James, discuss. Yep, certainly on the first point about Kirstama, it's really striking that it's Friday, and of course that means some of the heat goes to the Westminster MPs returned to their constituencies, but Kirstama has had a pretty torrid week. And it's all based on the kind of original sin of appointing Peter Mandelson, while of course it was known that Peter Mandelson had kept on fraternising with Geoffrey Epstein, despite his conviction, some 15 years prior. So I think that it's worth reflecting on the reaction from MPs. About a dozen or so have called for Morgan McSweeney, the number 10 chief of staff, who's believed to have been a very important person

in the appointment to Peter Mandelson. There's therefore lots of people saying that this is a disgrace to the Labour Party, obviously lots of talk about the party's record and women and girls. And so he will be relieved and made it kind of to the weekend. And I think the fight back will have to start next week in terms of resetting the narrative. And then, of course, you've then got the, a bit like, again, the dying days of the Tories, you've then got the Gorton

and Denton by-election, which I'm told of between. will have to start next week in terms of resetting the narrative. And then, of course, you've then got the, a bit like, again, the dying days of the Tories, you've then got the Gorton-Denton

by-election, which I'm told between people today, Labour has heard a really bad response the last couple of days or so. As a result of this year. Is that just gone, do you think for them? I wouldn't say gone. I mean, they've got a really strong Manchester Labor Party, and I think that on current polls, even given how bad they're doing right now, they would hold that Cesar de General. But it's obviously something that potentially risks benefiting the Greens and then letting reform through, I think, the right wing sort of through the middle, as it were. In terms of coming of Bade Knock, as you say, Oscar, I think that she's had a pretty good week. They've played this very well. They're very good at using the kind of parliamentary playbook in terms of releasing the files, putting pressure, having Baitnock at PMQ's was coaching the MPs through. And so she had been able to very much make it clear that Stamb was at fault for this point the finger at him rather than let him muddy the waters. But it's quite interesting because, of course, while Cainlock is doing pretty well there's very positive ratings at the moment, the party are not seeing that kind of cut through narrative.

And so it's no surprise, therefore, that Gila Forks is reporting claims that Mel Stride, the shadow chancellor, might be sacked at the next reshuffle. And I've heard similar people in the shadow cabinet who think that Mel Stride, who has lots of many average qualities, but may be seen too much as an analogue politician in a digital age, may therefore be moved on, because they want to bring through people who are a bit different, who might be seen to be sort of polling better. And so I think that's going to be one big thing in Tarrantority World over the next few weeks and months is, would there be some kind of reshuffled before or after May? Yeah, I mean, Mel Stride came under a lot of fire, didn't he, when Robert Generate defected over to reform?

What have you been hearing, Michael, about his position? Yeah, well, I mean, look, similar to James, going a bit further back, loads of people involved in Toryism have been saying for a while that they're not fans of Mel for the job. And I'm personally aware

of both Robert Jenrick, obviously, before he defected and also Neil O'Brien, not necessarily

saying explicitly they wanted the job, but kind of starting to gather people around them

that might be able to contribute some ideas there. I would say in a slight defence of Mel,

though, that the one thing that the Tories are trouncing every other party on is on economic

competence. And, you know, whatever people might say about the digital issues or whatever,

I mean, Mel surely deserves a little bit of credit for that, at least. No, totally. I think he's seen as a respectable figure. The question is, I mean, you've got very few weapons when you're in opposition. I think the conversation is a bit more like who might be able to benefit in that. I agree that parties have to face different audiences. And certainly, Samel is very good at that. I think, though, that, you know, it gets the point where Kevin Vod was thinking, thinking, how, I'm quite secure in my position. I can therefore afford to move around some of my team, which she maybe wouldn't have been able to do even six, 12 months ago. And it was really striking after that reshuffle at the end of last year that she chose not to move any of the big three from her post. Pretty Patel, she'll shed shadow foreign secretary. A lot of the Tory is very critical about record immigration.

Chris Phillips was in the home office, obviously was in the home office, so he's a little bit difficult than what he can't say about issues, and then Mel Stride as well. And so given how few weapons are at King of Baynock's disposal, I think the mood among some in the Shadda Cabinet, a sense of we may as well try something different. Sure. Michael, I mean, because this position of shadow chancellor is actually a really, really important one because the whole conservative pitch seemed to be at conference that they're going,

they're going hard on being the party of fiscal responsibility, fiscal competence.

Do you think that they can land that message with a Mel Stride leading the way?

I think they have been landing that message with a Mel Stride leading the way? I think they have been landing that

message with a Mel Stride leading the way in that like you do see polling success there,

but then equally the biggest economic policy that say they announced at their conference

was not announced by Mel, it was announced by Kemi and that was wanting to scrap stamp duty.

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