James Heale

Deputy Political Editor at The Spectator

Political Correspondent @spectator Co-author of 'Out of the Blue' - Sunday Times politics book of 2022

Articles

Starmer: migration control is a ‘core Labour value’

2 days ago | spectator.com.au | James Heale

This morning, the Home Office is publishing its long-awaited white paper on legal migration. The Home Secretary has already been out on the airwaves, billing it as a ‘crackdown’ on low-skilled visas. This morning it was the turn of the Prime Minister. Keir Starmer deployed the Downing Street bully pulpit to hail the package as a ‘clean break’ from the ‘broken measures’ of the past.
Starmer: migration control is a ‘core Labour value’

2 days ago | spectator.co.uk | James Heale

This morning, the Home Office is publishing its long-awaited white paper on legal migration. The Home Secretary has already been out on the airwaves, billing it as a ‘crackdown’ on low-skilled visas. This morning it was the turn of the Prime Minister. Keir Starmer deployed the Downing Street bully pulpit to hail the package as a ‘clean break’ from the ‘broken measures’ of the past. Proposed changes include tightening English tests and pausing the recruitment of additional overseas care workers.
The changing face of Nigel Farage

1 week ago | spectator.co.uk | James Heale

While drinking, dancing and laughter were the order of the day in Britain on the VE Day, things were not so hunky dory in Germany. At the liberated Belsen concentration camp situated 65 miles to the south of Hamburg, nurse Joan Rudman cut a depressed and lonely figure. She recalled: ‘One could hardly think of
The changing face of Nigel Farage

1 week ago | spectator.com.au | James Heale

On Monday night, a hundred Reform staff and donors met at a Marylebone pub to toast the local election results. A jubilant Nigel Farage addressed his troops, who ran up a five-figure bill. They had good reason to celebrate. With 30 per cent of the vote, Reform crushed Labour (20 per cent) and the Tories (15 per cent).
Tories slump to 17 per cent in poll

1 week ago | spectator.com.au | James Heale

A new YouGov poll published this morning makes for grim reading for Kemi Badenoch’s team. It finds that, in the wake of the local elections, Reform are now on 29 points compared to Labour on 22 and the Tories on just 17, with the Liberal Democrats on 16. That is the joint-lowest ever Conservative poll rating, tying with June 2019, during the dark days of the Brexit wars.
The Tories have slumped to 17 per cent in a new poll

1 week ago | spectator.co.uk | James Heale

A new YouGov poll published this morning makes for grim reading for Kemi Badenoch’s team. It finds that, in the wake of the local elections, Reform are now on 29 points compared to Labour on 22 and the Tories on just 17, with the Liberal Democrats on 16. That is the joint-lowest ever Conservative poll rating, tying with June 2019, during the dark days of the Brexit wars.
How Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party upended British politics

1 week ago | almendron.com | James Heale

“Guess who’s back, back again?” After Britain left the European Union in 2020, much of Westminster hoped that they had seen the last of Nigel Farage. But the veteran Brexiteer is dominating British politics once again, having been elected to Parliament in July using the music of Eminem as his campaign song. Last week, Farage’s insurgent party, Reform UK, stormed to victory in the English council elections.
How Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party upended British politics

1 week ago | washingtonpost.com | James Heale

How Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party upended British politics (washingtonpost.com) How Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party upended British politics By James Heale 2025050421025300 "Guess who's back, back again?" After Britain left the European Union in 2020, much of Westminster hoped that they had seen the last of Nigel Farage.
The Tories are doing worse than feared

1 week ago | spectator.co.uk | James Heale

These local elections – last fought at the height of the vaccine bounce of 2021 – were always going to be tough for the Conservatives. But the evidence thus far suggests the party has done worse than most initially feared. At midday, Tory losses were running at 43 per cent of total contests, according to YouGov’s Dylan Difford. That’s worse than the -38 per cent figure for the Tories in 1971, the most dire set of local election results for a party on record.
The Labour left turns on Starmer

1 week ago | spectator.com.au | James Heale

After defeat, comes the recriminations. The bulk of council seats are still yet to declare but already the blame game within Labour has started after the loss of their Runcorn safe seat. A handful of MPs on the left of the party have started publicly demanding a change of direction by the government.