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Sat, 22 August 2026

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Sebastian Whale

Sebastian Whale

Sebastian Whale is a freelance journalist and the former political editor of The House. He is the author of Call to Order, a biography of the former Commons Speaker, John Bercow

James Heappey, Conservative MP for Wells and minister for the armed forces, recalls his tours of Afghanistan

14 Nov 2021 Defence

James Heappey, Conservative MP for Wells and minister for the armed forces, recalls his tours of Afghanistan

Minister for the armed forces, James Heappey, reflects on his time in Afghanistan and delivers a message to veterans ahead of Remembrance Sunday.

Whatever happened to the 2011 Eurosceptic Rebels?

24 Oct 2021 Brexit

Whatever happened to the 2011 Eurosceptic Rebels?

Ten years on from what was the largest postwar rebellion on Europe, Sebastian Whale looks back at a pivotal moment in the race to secure an EU referendum – and the little-known group of Conservative MPs who helped bring it about

Whatever happened to the Coalition government?

07 Oct 2021 Political parties

Whatever happened to the Coalition government?

To some it was a forced marriage doomed to fail. To others it was a chance to get different ideas around the table. Sebastian Whale talks to coalition-era politicians about life in – and the legacy of – the Conservative-Lib Dem years

Whatever happened to the class of 1997?

29 Sep 2021 Political parties

Whatever happened to the class of 1997?

Some got a seat at the cabinet table; one even nabbed the Speaker’s chair, but did Labour’s class of ’97 live up to expectations? With Things Can Only Get Better echoing down the years, Sebastian Whale discovers how the intake has fared – just don’t call them ‘Blair’s babes’

Defending the power: can Britain secure its energy supplies? Sebastian Whale investigates

20 Jul 2021 Energy

Defending the power: can Britain secure its energy supplies? Sebastian Whale investigates

Recent French threats over the electricity supply to Jersey have made a concerning truth clear: in the globalised world of energy, it’s easier than ever for foreign powers to exert control over each other.

‘I’d probably give him a B’ — new Tory voter from Boris Johnson campaign video on the PM’s tumultuous first year

23 Jul 2020 Political parties

‘I’d probably give him a B’ — new Tory voter from Boris Johnson campaign video on the PM’s tumultuous first year

David Barnard was shocked to meet Boris Johnson midway through a campaign video for the Conservative party. The highway maintenance worker from Bolton had just voted Tory for the first time. As Johnson marks one year in Downing Street, what has Barnard made of the PM's first twelve months in office?

Martha Lane Fox interview: Why chairing the new Lords Covid-19 Committee was a 'no-brainer'

23 Jul 2020 Coronavirus

Martha Lane Fox interview: Why chairing the new Lords Covid-19 Committee was a 'no-brainer'

Martha Lane Fox had been searching for a way of contributing to the UK’s recovery from the coronavirus outbreak. In the shape of the new Covid-19 Committee in the House of Lords, she has found her outlet. The tech entrepreneur speaks to Sebastian Whale

Coronavirus: MPs shocked at ‘astonishing failure’ to plan for economic impact of a pandemic

23 Jul 2020 Coronavirus

Coronavirus: MPs shocked at ‘astonishing failure’ to plan for economic impact of a pandemic

MPs have lashed out at the Government over what they deem to be an “astonishing” failure to come up with an economic plan to deal with a pandemic.

'Reports of our demise are greatly exaggerated': What's next for the Labour left?

17 Jul 2020 Coronavirus

'Reports of our demise are greatly exaggerated': What's next for the Labour left?

Keir Starmer’s first 100 days as Labour leader have been something of a disappointment to those on the left of the party. Concerned about backtracking on the environment, the sacking of Rebecca Long-Bailey, and being outflanked on economic policy, what is the future for those who were firmly Team Corbyn? Sebastian Whale reports

Exclusive: Labour are being ‘timid’ in the face of ‘worst recession since the 1930s’, warns Len McCluskey

17 Jul 2020 Political parties

Exclusive: Labour are being ‘timid’ in the face of ‘worst recession since the 1930s’, warns Len McCluskey

Labour risks looking like “middle managers” while the UK faces a “tsunami of redundancies” and the worst recession since the 1930s, Unite general secretary Len McCluskey has warned.

Rishi Sunak hopes the UK’s economic response can define its handling of the coronavirus crisis

08 Jul 2020 Coronavirus

Rishi Sunak hopes the UK’s economic response can define its handling of the coronavirus crisis

“We will not be defined by this crisis, but by our response to it.”

Ministers ‘messed up royally’ over PPE as MPs demand plan to protect NHS workers from potential coronavirus second wave

08 Jul 2020 Coronavirus

Ministers ‘messed up royally’ over PPE as MPs demand plan to protect NHS workers from potential coronavirus second wave

Ministers have been put on notice to solve problems with personal protective equipment (PPE) ahead of a feared second spike in cases of Covid-19.

'Conservatism is going back to the future': inside the Tory battle to regenerate in the wake of coronavirus

04 Jul 2020 Economy

'Conservatism is going back to the future': inside the Tory battle to regenerate in the wake of coronavirus

Boris Johnson’s evocation of Roosevelt’s ‘new deal’ to announce the coronavirus economic recovery package was a successful piece of salesmanship. But does it signal a wider shift in the Conservative party? Sebastian Whale reports

The unusual channels: how to whip MPs in the age of coronavirus

30 Jun 2020 Political parties

The unusual channels: how to whip MPs in the age of coronavirus

With MPs dispersed across the country and social distancing rules disrupting life at Westminster, the coronavirus pandemic is, in the words of one politician, a “whips' worst nightmare”. Sebastian Whale explores how the art of whipping has evolved – and reports on how whips are adapting to a new age

Victory for campaigners as MPs will not debate bullying and harassment sanctions

23 Jun 2020 Political parties

Victory for campaigners as MPs will not debate bullying and harassment sanctions

MPs will not debate the most serious sanctions against a member determined by an independent panel after a widespread backlash to the plans by parliamentary staff and unions.

Revealed: the inside story of the explosive BBC Newsnight report into bullying and harassment in Westminster

22 Jun 2020 Political parties

Revealed: the inside story of the explosive BBC Newsnight report into bullying and harassment in Westminster

MPs will on Tuesday vote on proposals for an independent expert panel to deal with bullying and harassment claims in Westminster. In an abridged extract from ‘Call to Order’, his biography of John Bercow, Sebastian Whale sheds light on the award-winning journalism that helped lead to this point

Exclusive: Commons staff furious at new plans to tackle Westminster bullying and harassment

17 Jun 2020 Political parties

Exclusive: Commons staff furious at new plans to tackle Westminster bullying and harassment

Current and former parliamentary staff have lashed out at plans that would allow MPs to debate the suspension or expulsion of another member for bullying and harassment.

Exclusive: MPs urged to reject ‘dangerous’ part of new plan to tackle Westminster bullying as vote looms

16 Jun 2020 Social affairs

Exclusive: MPs urged to reject ‘dangerous’ part of new plan to tackle Westminster bullying as vote looms

MPs are being urged to reject a “dangerous” part of proposals to tackle bullying and harassment in Westminster ahead of a looming vote on a new independent complaints panel.

‘Power concedes nothing without demand’ – black MPs on the ongoing struggle for equality

13 Jun 2020 Political parties

‘Power concedes nothing without demand’ – black MPs on the ongoing struggle for equality

Racial equality has come a long way since the first black MPs were elected 33 years ago this week. But as Black Lives Matter forces us to confront difficult questions about our past and our future, Sebastian Whale hears from MPs about their experiences of racism in modern Britain and their hopes of achieving lasting change

Inside the big Tory row over food standards as Boris Johnson eyes post-Brexit trade deals

06 Jun 2020 Environment

Inside the big Tory row over food standards as Boris Johnson eyes post-Brexit trade deals

The debate over chlorinated chicken and hormone-fed beef has had a distinctly 19th Century feel to it, with combatants split into two camps: free traders and so-called protectionists. As Britain embarks on a new future as a free trading nation, which side will prevail? Sebastian Whale reports

Living in the dark: the truth about special advisers

02 Jun 2020 Coronavirus

Living in the dark: the truth about special advisers

Shaped by several high-profile instances where the adviser became the story, the public image of SpAds is largely negative. But have a few notable characters distorted the reality of those who work behind the scenes? Sebastian Whale investigates

Inside the Liaison Committee as senior MPs prepare to grill Boris Johnson on coronavirus and Dominic Cummings

27 May 2020 Coronavirus

Inside the Liaison Committee as senior MPs prepare to grill Boris Johnson on coronavirus and Dominic Cummings

Boris Johnson will appear before the powerful Liaison Committee for the first time this afternoon, to face questions over his handling of coronavirus, the economy and Dominic Cummings. Committee chairs past and present talk to Sebastian Whale about getting the truth out of the PM

Rachel Reeves interview: “Usually, oppositions don’t want governments to succeed. That’s not the case at the moment”

23 May 2020 Coronavirus

Rachel Reeves interview: “Usually, oppositions don’t want governments to succeed. That’s not the case at the moment”

Rachel Reeves is back on the Labour frontline after a five year hiatus. Though “shocked” to get the call up, the Leeds West MP is excited to be part of a team that she believes in. Tasked with pushing for a national recovery plan from the coronavirus crisis, she tells Sebastian Whale why we must address inequalities across society

Boris Johnson: a changed prime minister

20 May 2020 Coronavirus

Boris Johnson: a changed prime minister

In December 2019 Boris Johnson’s resounding election win made him the most powerful UK politician since Tony Blair. Having reshaped his party in his image, he had the means and the mandate not just to deliver Brexit, but to ensure his brand of Conservatism would dominate British politics for the next decade. Then everything changed. Sebastian Whale reports

Higher taxes, more pay for nurses and a bigger state – our exclusive poll reveals how MPs see the post-Covid society

19 May 2020 Coronavirus

Higher taxes, more pay for nurses and a bigger state – our exclusive poll reveals how MPs see the post-Covid society

Tax hikes, more pay for key workers, higher unemployment and a larger state – MPs have painted a picture of society after the pandemic

The Hybrid Parliament has set the right example - don't undo all that good work

13 May 2020 Coronavirus

The Hybrid Parliament has set the right example - don't undo all that good work

The Hybrid Parliament has shown what can be done during a pandemic. Now is not the time to undo that good work

The Nandy doctrine: renewing the ‘moral commitment’ to an ‘ethical’ foreign policy

12 May 2020 Coronavirus

The Nandy doctrine: renewing the ‘moral commitment’ to an ‘ethical’ foreign policy

The shadow foreign secretary has made it her aim to win the argument on internationalism. Sebastian Whale explains

Sarah Atherton: 'Going into Parliament was like joining the army - but in Hogwarts'

12 May 2020 Coronavirus

Sarah Atherton: 'Going into Parliament was like joining the army - but in Hogwarts'

Military veteran, nurse, Brexiteer and now the new Conservative MP for Wrexham – Sarah Atherton talks about life in lockdown, real ale, and why her time in public service solidified her politics

End of the ‘golden era’? The growing calls for a ‘decoupling’ from China

11 May 2020 Coronavirus

End of the ‘golden era’? The growing calls for a ‘decoupling’ from China

The Chinese Ambassador to the UK last week warned that increasingly vocal criticisms of Beijing from Conservative Members of Parliament risked “poisoning” UK-China relations. What’s behind the rift, and how should the UK approach one of the key foreign policy challenges of the coming decade? Sebastian Whale reports

John Bercow and the Clerks

09 May 2020 Brexit

John Bercow and the Clerks

From his championing of Urgent Questions to the creation of a creche, John Bercow was undoubtedly a reforming Speaker. But his working relationship with some parliamentary authorities – who he viewed as obstructive – was often stretched to breaking point. In an abridged extract from ‘Call to Order’, his new biography of the former Speaker, Sebastian Whale looks at the fraught relationships during the Bercow era

Could a Virtual Parliament help revive the Restoration and Renewal?

29 Apr 2020 Coronavirus

Could a Virtual Parliament help revive the Restoration and Renewal?

R&R has been beset by delays and concerns over costs, with some MPs believing the project is now dead in the water. But could virtual working help to revive the project and save the taxpayer money?

The Bollocked by Bercow Club

25 Apr 2020 Political parties

The Bollocked by Bercow Club

In an extract from Call to Order, his new biography of John Bercow, Sebastian Whale hears from MPs on the receiving end of the former Speaker’s short temper

Is the 'hybrid' Parliament here to stay?

23 Apr 2020 Coronavirus

Is the 'hybrid' Parliament here to stay?

With the introduction of a semi-virtual Parliament underway, some MPs are calling for the measures to be installed on a permanent basis. Sebastian Whale reports

What lay behind the UK’s ‘political decision’ to opt out of the EU’s ventilator procurement scheme?

21 Apr 2020 Coronavirus

What lay behind the UK’s ‘political decision’ to opt out of the EU’s ventilator procurement scheme?

The most senior Foreign Office official told MPs that ministers had been made aware of the scheme but made a "political decision" not to take part

Campaigner of the Week: Chi Onwurah

21 Apr 2020 Coronavirus

Campaigner of the Week: Chi Onwurah

On a historic day for Parliament, the Labour frontbencher speaks to Sebastian Whale about her campaign to set up a virtual House of Commons

Coronavirus: A vacuum of global leadership

20 Apr 2020 Coronavirus

Coronavirus: A vacuum of global leadership

International cooperation has been found wanting in a time of global pandemic. With the United States retreating from its leadership role, and countries gripped by domestic health concerns, who can take control? Sebastian Whale reports

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