Coffee House Shots

With the Conservatives on watch for further defectors, academic Richard Johnson and Conservative peer Danny Finkelstein join James Heale to discuss whether British politics rewards traitors or faithfuls. Richard points out that often personal success is dependent on whether the party goes on to be a major or minor player in British politics; Winston Churchill and Shaun Woodward fared better, while Shirley Williams and Mark Reckless had less success.

Danny – whose political career began with the SDP in the 1980s – also takes us through his personal experience and the challenges of defecting, from ideology and demography to the perception of betrayal. How fundamental is the shift taking place in British politics?

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.
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Three big stories for James Heale and Tim Shipman to pick over today: Andy Burnham’s return, the Donald Trump that refuses to go away, and the continued fallout of Robert Jenrick’s defection to Reform.
This afternoon we found out that former Labour minister Andrew Gwynne is on the brink of standing down as an MP, after losing the whip during last year’s WhatsApp group scandal. A by-election is therefore on the cards in Gwynne’s Manchester seat, potentially paving the way for the ever-ambitious local mayor Andy Burnham to return to the Commons and make a leadership challenge against Keir Starmer. Would he be able to mobilise enough support?
Also today, Donald Trump’s sabre-rattling over Greenland has proven to be just that, and James and Tim take us through their interview with Robert Jenrick – in which he puts much more detail behind his dramatic decision to quit the Tories.
Produced by Megan McElroy and Oscar Edmondson.
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Keir Starmer scored a rare win at PMQs, talking tough on Trump in light of the President’s escalating rhetoric on Greenland and the Chagos Islands. Kemi Badenoch pressed the Prime Minister on foreign affairs and Britain’s relationship with the US president, and Starmer departed from his usual caution to strike a notably firmer tone.
What does this moment tell us about Labour’s emerging approach to Trump – and is the UK political class finally losing patience with the volatility of the White House? Was this the closest we’ll get to a Keir Starmer Love Actually Prime Minister moment?
James Heale speaks to Tim Shipman and Isabel Hardman.
Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
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China's controversial ‘super embassy’ has been approved, after years of debate over the security risks. Campaigners had called on ministers not to give the site the green light, given its proximity to important internet cables that support the City of London. MI5 have admitted they can't 'wholly eliminate' the national security risks around the site. Megan McElroy is joined by James Heale and Sophia Gaston, research fellow at King's College London, to discuss.

There's more international chaos for Keir Starmer too – overnight, Donald Trump described plans to hand over the soverignty of the Chagos islands as 'an act of great stupidity.' Where on earth does this leave the special relationship?
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Donald Trump has thrown another diplomatic hand grenade. This weekend, the President threatened sweeping tariffs on countries backing Greenland’s independence – a move that has rattled European capitals and reignited questions about America’s global strategy. Is this about Arctic security, rare earth minerals, or something more personal?
As tensions rise, how should Britain respond? Can diplomacy defuse Trump’s latest escalation, or does this mark a deeper shift in US–European relations – and the future of Nato itself?
James Heale speaks to Tim Shipman and Tim Marshall, foreign affairs analyst and author of Prisoners of Geography.
Produced by Megan McElroy and Oscar Edmondson.
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