Katy Balls is the Washington Editor for The Times and The Sunday Times, specializing in US-UK political dynamics. With over 12 years’ experience spanning Westminster corridors to Capitol Hill, her work combines granular policy analysis with psychological profiling of power brokers.
Notable Achievement: Her 2024 investigation into PPE procurement failures prompted two select committee inquiries, demonstrating her ability to drive political accountability through forensic reporting.
Katy Balls has cemented her reputation as one of Britain’s sharpest political journalists through roles at The Spectator (2013–2025) and her recent appointment as Washington Editor for The Times and The Sunday Times. Her career arc reveals three distinct phases:
“Her 2018 profile of Jacob Rees-Mogg’s tea-drinking rituals became required reading for understanding ERG factionalism” – Press Gazette
Since April 2025, Balls has leveraged her Westminster expertise to dissect US-UK relations from Washington DC, providing:
This 2,800-word examination of Labour’s military funding strategy combines leaked Ministry of Defence documents with interviews from 12 shadow cabinet members. Balls identifies the growing rift between Starmer’s national security advisors and traditional Labour pacifists, predicting the policy could alienate 23% of the party’s 2024 voters. Her use of Treasury expenditure projections (2025–2030) gives the analysis rare fiscal gravity for political commentary.
Balls’ granular account of the Ukrainian president’s disastrous meeting with Trump features exclusive details from three Oval Office staffers. She contrasts Zelensky’s EU-backed talking points with Trump’s “America First” rhetoric, framing the stalemate as symptomatic of broader NATO fissures. The piece’s viral map of proposed troop redeployments has been cited in 18 parliamentary debates.
Through comparison of 45 diplomatic cables and interviews with former ambassadors, Balls decodes Starmer’s unconventional outreach to Mar-a-Lago. Her identification of “five shared populist tactics” between the leaders sparked intense BBC Newsnight debate and remains essential reading for transatlantic strategists.
Balls prioritizes stories demonstrating concrete links between Washington decisions and Westminster consequences. A successful 2025 pitch detailed how Trump’s steel tariffs would impact 14 Conservative-held constituencies. Always include:
Her podcast interviewing style (avg. 29 mins/episode) favors subjects who can articulate:
Since 2023, Balls has increased NATO-related coverage by 137% (Spectator internal data). Compelling pitches include:
Her team utilizes:
Balls’ April 2025 series on “Trumpism’s UK Footprint” demonstrates appetite for:
