Katy Balls

Katy Balls is Diary Editor at The Spectator.

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…

Kemi comes out against Sunak’s smoking ban

17 April 2024 5:14 am

When Rishi Sunak first unveiled his plans for a smoke-free generation, Downing Street was clear it would be a free…

David Cameron urges Israel to show restraint

15 April 2024 7:52 pm

All eyes are on the Middle East this week following Iran’s attack against Israel on Saturday night. Nearly all of…

Is Cameron upstaging Sunak?

13 April 2024 9:00 am

The logic behind Rishi Sunak’s decision to make David Cameron foreign secretary was that he would be a ‘big beast’…

The Angela Rayner council house row deepens

12 April 2024 9:24 pm

The row over Angela Rayner’s tax affairs is becoming more serious. This morning, Greater Manchester Police launched an investigation into…

Can David Cameron charm the Americans?

9 April 2024 11:31 pm

David Cameron is stateside today as the Foreign Secretary tries to muster up support for the US to send aid…

How much trouble is Angela Rayner in?

9 April 2024 8:29 pm

Another week, another development in the row over Angela Rayner’s tax affairs. The deputy Labour leader is facing questions over…

What a super-majority means for Labour

6 April 2024 9:00 am

When the last Tory government fell, the famous question after election night was: ‘Were you up for Portillo?’ Were you…

Princess of Wales asks for privacy after cancer diagnosis

23 March 2024 5:23 am

After weeks of speculation over the Princess of Wales’s health since she underwent abdominal surgery in January, Kate Middleton has…