Labour's Richard Hermer problem
Coffee House Shots
The Spectator
4.4 • 2.1K Ratings
🗓️ 28 January 2025
⏱️ 13 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In government, Hermer has played a key role in several contentious decisions, such as the government’s withdrawal of the UK’s objections to the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, and his involvement in the Chagos Islands deal. And today he admitted that he has had to recuse himself ‘from certain matters’ due to potential conflicts of interest. Is the government hamstrung by Hermer?
James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and Rajiv Shah, former special adviser to the Attorney General and to Number 10.
Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
Transcript
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| 0:22.1 | Hello and welcome to Coffee House Shots. |
| 0:23.9 | I'm James Heel and I'm joined today by Katie Balls, The Spectator's Political Editor |
| 0:27.2 | and Rajeev Shah, former Attorney General Special Advisor. |
| 0:31.0 | Now, Katie, first of all, the big figure in the government who's been the headlines |
| 0:34.2 | over the past week, other than Rachel Reeves, has been Richard Hermann, the Attorney General. Tell us why he is making some Tories and some of his own ministers |
| 0:41.7 | quite annoyed. So Richard Hermann was probably the surprise appointment of the word reshuffler's |
| 0:47.6 | wrong because it was a Kistama forming his first cabinet after the election. But of course, |
| 0:53.4 | it meant some politicians who served in shadow |
| 0:56.2 | roles did not make the carton were brought over. And the most notable on the day was Emily Thornbury, |
| 1:01.2 | who'd been serving as shadow attorney general, was cast aside. And in her place, came along |
| 1:06.5 | Richard Herrmer. Now, Richard Hermann is an old friend of Kirstarmes. They've worked together in the past when Richard Hermanmer. Now, Richard Hermer is an old friend of Kirstarmer's. They've worked together in the |
| 1:13.0 | past when Richard Herrmer received silk. Kirstarmer was the one who gave the speech at the event. |
| 1:19.0 | Richard Herman donated a fairly small sum of money to, I think, Kirstama's leadership campaign at |
| 1:24.1 | some point. And I think the idea was, you know, as a lawyer himself, Kirstama |
| 1:29.5 | wanted someone he trusted to give legal advice, potentially legal advice, you know, without the |
| 1:34.8 | politics. And he saw Richard Herrmer as a man to do it. What has happened in the time between |
| 1:40.8 | that appointment and now is, you know, questions about is Richard Heimer really so apolitical or is he actually, in his own ways, |
| 1:48.0 | a very political appointment? |
| 1:49.8 | And I think there are two things to look at in terms of the controversy surrounding Richard |
| 1:55.7 | Homer. |
| 1:56.4 | The first is about his previous clients. |
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