Katy Balls

Katy Balls is Diary Editor at The Spectator.

Tories and Labour go to battle on TikTok

27 May 2024 3:08 am

The digital election battle is heating up. Just a few days ago the Labour party joined TikTok, the social media…

Sunak: let’s bring back national service

26 May 2024 8:00 am

The first big new policy announcement of the election campaign is in from the Tories, and it’s likely to be…

How many Tory big beasts will the Lib Dems oust?

26 May 2024 6:09 am

It’s four days since Rishi Sunak surprised his colleagues and announced a summer election. So far a lot of the…

The deluge: Rishi Sunak’s election gamble

25 May 2024 9:00 am

‘Only a Conservative government, led by me, will not put our hard-earned economic stability at risk,’ said Rishi Sunak as…

Inside Labour’s fight with the unions

25 May 2024 9:00 am

By the end of the year, Britain may be one of the few countries in the democratic world where the…

Michael Gove leads the Tory exodus

24 May 2024 8:27 pm

When Rishi Sunak told cabinet colleagues about his decision to call a general election, Michael Gove sought to raise spirits…

Has Sunak’s Farage gamble just paid off?

23 May 2024 8:29 pm

Rishi Sunak’s election gamble has hit a little turbulence less than 24 hours in. Several members of the cabinet voiced…

Sunak takes his biggest gamble yet: a July election

23 May 2024 3:29 am

Rishi Sunak has chosen to go for a summer election. The Prime Minister has confirmed in an address to the…

Infected blood scandal was ‘no accident’, says report

21 May 2024 1:01 am

The Infected Blood Inquiry has finally concluded after a five-year investigation. This lunchtime, the inquiry’s chair Sir Brian Langstaff said…

Shabana Mahmood: The disgraceful treatment of Kate Forbes

18 May 2024 9:00 am

It was like a scene from the Blair government: a minister admits inmates are being released before their sentence ends,…

Starmer channels his inner Blair as he unveils six election pledges

16 May 2024 9:30 pm

It’s 1997 in Essex today as Keir Starmer unveils six election pledges. In a nod to Tony Blair’s election pledge…

What Sunak’s big speech reveals about his election strategy

13 May 2024 11:21 pm

Rishi Sunak has this morning given a speech aimed at framing the choice at the next election: security with the…

Natalie Elphicke row deepens

12 May 2024 7:45 pm

Was Keir Starmer’s decision to welcome the Tory right wing MP Natalie Elphicke to the Labour party a genius strategic…

The battle of the pollsters

11 May 2024 9:00 am

There was plenty for Rishi Sunak and his cabinet to discuss on Tuesday morning. The Conservatives had lost half of…

Inside the Labour backlash over Keir Starmer’s latest Tory recruit

9 May 2024 6:45 pm

Has Keir Starmer made a tactical mistake by recruiting the Tory MP Natalie Elphicke as his latest Starmtrooper? That’s the…

Sadiq Khan wins a third term as London mayor

5 May 2024 2:29 am

Sadiq Khan has won the London mayoral race with 43.8 per cent of the vote to the Tory candidate Susan…

Survival plan: is Rishi ready for the rebels?

4 May 2024 9:00 am

Ever since Rishi Sunak became leader of the Conservative party, he has been preparing for this week. Entering 10 Downing…

Has Labour done enough?

4 May 2024 4:30 am

Is Labour on course to be the largest party at the next election but miss out on a majority? Despite…

Humza Yousaf quits – sparking SNP leadership contest

29 April 2024 10:26 pm

Humza Yousaf is stepping down as first minister of Scotland. After feverish speculation over the weekend, Yousaf has announced this…

Plotters set out ‘100 days’ policy plan to rival Sunak

29 April 2024 6:46 pm

It’s the week of the local elections and the most pivotal of Rishi Sunak’s premiership to date. It’s been clear…

Kemi and Gove’s Cabinet clash on Rwanda

27 April 2024 9:00 am

When the Rwanda Bill had its second reading in the House of Commons just before Christmas, there was a revolt…

Can Humza Yousaf hang on?

26 April 2024 9:04 pm

Humza Yousaf is facing the biggest crisis of his leadership after the First Minister axed his party’s power-sharing deal with…

Rishi Sunak vows to boost defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP

24 April 2024 12:48 am

After finally getting his Rwanda legislation through the Lords, Rishi Sunak is in Warsaw today to meet with Nato Secretary-General…

Will there be a summer election?

22 April 2024 8:13 pm

It’s less than a fortnight till the local elections where Rishi Sunak will face his last major electoral test before…

Confessions of a defecting Starmtrooper

20 April 2024 9:00 am

Next month, Keir Starmer is expected to lead his party to victory in the local elections. The Tories are forecast…