Isabel Hardman

Isabel Hardman is assistant editor of The Spectator and edits the Coffee House blog. She also presents Radio 4’s Week in Westminster.

Kemi Badenoch failed to pin down Starmer at PMQs – again

19 December 2024 12:26 am

Kemi Badenoch has become fixated on accusing Keir Starmer of not telling the truth at Prime Minister’s Questions, to the…

The finger-pointing over Yang Tengbo begins

17 December 2024 5:47 am

The threatened Commons drama of an MP using parliamentary privilege to name the alleged Chinese spy was dampened rather after…

Starmer and Badenoch clash over immigration at PMQs

12 December 2024 12:15 am

Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch had quite an angry clash at today’s Prime Minister’s Questions. The Tory leader attacked on…

Will Labour engage with HTS?

10 December 2024 7:10 am

Is the fall of Bashar al-Assad really cause for celebration in Syria and across the world? UK government politicians have…

Justin Welby says goodbye

6 December 2024 3:29 am

Justin Welby has given his valedictory speech in the House of Lords, his first public remarks since his resignation. It…

The problem with Keir Starmer’s pledges

6 December 2024 12:05 am

Keir Starmer still clearly misses opposition. He spent almost as much of his reset speech complaining about the Tories and…

Named and shamed: the PMQs time wasters

5 December 2024 3:53 am

You’re an ambitious backbench Labour MP with a weighty constituency caseload, legislation that you’re interested in improving, and a few…

PMQs has become painfully predictable

4 December 2024 11:56 pm

Kemi Badenoch had an odd line of attack at Prime Minister’s Questions: she chose to pursue Keir Starmer over what…

MPs back assisted dying, but was the debate long enough?

30 November 2024 1:29 am

The debate on assisted dying, which culminated in a victory for those in favour, hasn’t been long enough – we…

Kemi Badenoch calls on Keir Starmer to resign at PMQs

28 November 2024 12:28 am

Unconventional as ever, Kemi Badenoch used her third ever Prime Minister’s Questions as Conservative leader to call on Keir Starmer…

Why is Labour wavering on China and Israel?

27 November 2024 4:24 am

Normally when MPs criticise the uncertainty around the government’s relationship with another country, they are referring to the constant chopping…

In praise of Shabana Mahmood

25 November 2024 10:13 pm

Should Shabana Mahmood be allowed to ‘impose’ her religious beliefs on everyone else? Lord Falconer doesn’t think so, arguing yesterday that…

Badenoch’s substitute fails to land on Rayner at PMQs

21 November 2024 1:02 am

Angela Rayner was so keen to get out of the traps with her criticism of the last Conservative government at…

Resignations alone won’t fix the Church of England

15 November 2024 1:54 am

Will there be more resignations following the departure of Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury? The Church is, as on…

Keir Starmer has a problem answering questions

14 November 2024 12:45 am

Kemi Badenoch didn’t have the best start at today’s Prime Minister’s Questions: she asked a question that had apparently already…

MPs should take their time over the assisted dying bill

13 November 2024 1:34 am

You don’t need to have a strong opinion either way on assisted dying to be concerned about the latest attempt…

Justin Welby quits as Archbishop of Canterbury

13 November 2024 1:09 am

In the past few minutes, Justin Welby has announced he is resigning as Archbishop of Canterbury over his handling of…

Can Justin Welby cling on?

12 November 2024 10:18 pm

MPs are getting involved in the row over Justin Welby’s position as Archbishop of Canterbury, with Conservative MP Nick Timothy…

Evangelicals have questions to answer over the John Smyth scandal

11 November 2024 1:59 am

Justin Welby has said he considered resigning as Archbishop of Canterbury over the findings of the Makin Review into the…

Laura Trott’s Commons debut gives a clue to Kemi’s tactics

5 November 2024 6:01 am

What difference has Kemi Badenoch’s victory made to the way the party talks about education? Badenoch doesn’t want to make…

Rishi Sunak enjoyed his last Commons hurrah

31 October 2024 2:21 am

Rishi Sunak’s final act in the Commons as leader of the opposition was one he clearly enjoyed. The outgoing Conservative…

Rachel Reeves’s ‘stability Budget’ contained few surprises

31 October 2024 1:24 am

All the political framing of the past three months has been around Rachel Reeves’ first Budget. Black holes have been…

Rishi Sunak says farewell to Keir Starmer

31 October 2024 12:23 am

When Rishi Sunak was Prime Minister, he and Keir Starmer had some of the most repetitive and uninformative sessions at…

Why is Lindsay Hoyle telling off Rachel Reeves?

29 October 2024 7:43 am

Is the Speaker being a bit precious with his complaint about pre-Budget announcements? Lindsay Hoyle made a statement in the…

Keir Starmer is borrowing from Nick Clegg’s playbook

28 October 2024 11:53 pm

Keir Starmer has given up trying to define what a ‘working person’ is after last week’s debacle, announcing at the…