Today James Heale has been on quite the magical mystery tour. Bundled into a bus at 7.45 a.m. along with a group of other hacks, he was sent off to an aircraft hangar in Oxfordshire where Nigel Farage finally unveiled his party’s long-awaited deportations strategy. The unveiling of ‘Operation Restoring Justice’ was accompanied by some impressive production value, including a Heathrow-style departure board and an enormous union flag.

The headlines of Farage’s mass deportation initiative are as follows: Reform will leave the ECHR and disapply the Refugee Convention for five years if elected in 2029; a new British Bill of Rights will be introduced, with all government departments required to make the migration crisis their number one ministerial priority; and all this at a cost of £2 billion. But how realistic is it? And since we now have headline deportation plans from the parties at the top of the polls (just), which is more impressive?

Oscar Edmondson speaks to James Heale and Karl Williams, research director at the Centre for Policy Studies.

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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Jamie Greene, an MSP for the West of Scotland region, defected earlier this year from the Conservatives to the Liberal Democrats. Most defections in Scotland – indeed across the UK – seem to be from the Tories to Reform, so what is behind Jamie's motivations to go in a different direction? What are his reflections on the splintering of politics, particularly in Scotland, as we look ahead to next year's Holyrood elections? And does he agree that this is shaping up to be the most consequential Scottish Parliament election of modern times?

In Jamie's view, Reform have shown to struggle with power in the areas they've been successful in, but admits that the Liberal Democrats could learn from Reform in some ways. Can the Lib Dems emulate Reform's Scottish surge?

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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Immigration returned to the headlines this week after the High Court granted an injunction forcing the removal of migrants from a hotel in Essex – a ruling that could have wider implications for similar cases across the country. At the same time, the sight of Union Jacks and St George’s Crosses appearing in towns and cities has sparked a debate over whether flag-flying is a symbol of patriotism or a sign of growing division.

On today’s Saturday edition of Coffee House Shots, Lucy Dunn is joined by Lord Hannan and trade unionist Paul Embery to ask: what kind of country is Britain becoming? Paul argues that rapid cultural change, combined with economic decline, has left many people feeling disoriented and neglected. Dan Hannan warns that national symbols once seen as unifying risk becoming sectarian markers, echoing Northern Ireland’s politics of identity.

On the podcast, they debate the failures of integration policy to the dangers of what Embery calls ‘soft Lebanonisation’ – a creeping communalism in which people retreat into their own tribes. The political class have been slow to listen, leaving space for rising resentment over immigration and national identity. So, why is Britain so uncertain of its own identity? 

Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons.

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Since the government’s decision to proscribe the group Palestine Action, arrests have mounted across the country, raising questions not only about the group’s tactics but also about the government’s handling of free speech and protest rights.

On today’s special edition of Coffee House Shots, Michael Simmons is joined by The Spectator’s James Heale and journalist Ash Sarkar to debate whether this is evidence of an increasingly authoritarian bent to Starmer’s Labour. Has the ban made prosecutions easier, or has it created a chilling effect on freedom of expression? And is this further evidence of the overreach of the attorney-general, Lord Hermer?

Also on the podcast, with Keir Starmer’s majority secured but his party’s membership dwindling, is there space for a new populist party to Labour’s left? Ash defends Jeremy Corbyn and Zara Sultana’s efforts to establish Your Party. Should they be taking a leaf out of Reform’s playbook?

Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Patrick Gibbons.

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GCSE results day has brought a mixed picture; the pass rate has fallen, yet the regional gap has reduced and the gender gap is the narrowest it has ever been. Isabel Hardman and Sir Nick Gibb, former Conservative schools minister, join James Heale to discuss education policy, how changing cultural expectations may be helping the gender gap and why Labour seem determined to attack the Conservatives’ record on education. In Nick’s words, is Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson a ‘more political figure than education figure’?

Plus: how the recent High Court ruling over migrant hotels could spark a crisis for the government as more councils, including Labour-controlled ones, seek an end to the policy.

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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The Green Party leadership election is underway, pitting new MPs Adrian Ramsay and Ellie Chowns against London Assembly Member Zack Polanski. The Greens achieved their best ever result at the 2024 general election, but they’ve remained static in opinion polls ever since. Lucy Dunn and Luke Tryl of More in Common join Patrick Gibbons to try to make sense of this. As Luke says, the dynamics within the leadership election are symptomatic of a wider divide over party strategy – two of the seats they won last year come from more liberal, traditionally left-wing seats, while two others come from traditionally conservative-leaning, rural shires. Plus, does Corbyn’s new party complicate any attempt to make them the anti-system party of the left?

But first, what does the High Court migrant hotel ruling mean for the government? And will it help anti-system parties like the Greens and Reform?

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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What a difference six months makes. The last time Zelensky and Trump met in Washington we were mourning the end of America’s commitment to security in Europe and a new era of isolationism. But yesterday was a totally different story – and Zelensky deserves much of the credit for his change in tactics. Trump complimented Zelensky’s suit as he arrived at the White House, the two exchanged warm words of thanks, and while they didn’t manage to settle on anything substantial when it comes to a peace deal, there was some vague consensus on security guarantees. The stage seems set for a Trump/Putin/Zelensky trilateral. The mood seems positive but is it too soon to celebrate?

Lucy Dunn speaks to James Heale and Svitlana Morenets.

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, joins James Heale to discuss his campaign to improve working class representation in politics. Tom, newly elected in 2024, explains how getting his mum involved in local politics in West Yorkshire led him to think about the structural issues that exist preventing more people from getting involved in politics.

Plus, with both the Liberal Democrats and Reform UK challenging the traditional Labour and Conservative duopoly, what lessons can both parties learn from each other?

Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Oscar Edmondson. Photo credit: House of Commons.

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80 years ago this week Japan surrendered to the allies, ushering in the end of the Second World War. To mark the anniversary of VJ day, historians Sir Antony Beevor and Peter Frankopan join James Heale to discuss its significance. As collective memory of the war fades, are we in danger of forgetting its lessons? And, with rising state-on-state violence and geopolitical flashpoints, is the world really safer today than in 1945?

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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The big news today is of course the bilateral between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska. We should know by around 8 p.m. whether they have successfully negotiated an end to the war in Ukraine – and at what cost – but in the meantime Westminster is abuzz with the news that Nigel Farage is going for the Lords.

This morning the Times splashes on a letter from Nigel Farage to the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, in which he demands that Starmer allow him to nominate Reform peers to the House of Lords. It is not a totally unreasonable request either, with the Greens and the DUP represented in the chamber and Farage has gone after Starmer for ‘democratic disparity’. 

Former Reform spinner Gawain Towler joins James Heale and Lucy Dunn on the podcast to discuss the likelihood that we will see teal in the Lords soon. And who would they nominate? Would Gawain accept a peerage?

Produced by Oscar Edmondson

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