The Story

Today's weekend listen comes courtesy of our sister podcast, Red Box. While everyone else was waiting for Sue Gray, on Tuesday two of Britain's country's leading political scientists published a major new study. It busts a series of myths about the so-called 'Red Wall'. They spoke to Matt Chorley on the Times Red Box podcast, and we thought the discussion was so interesting that you'd like to hear...

In the week that the government announced a major review into England's council-run children's services, a Times investigation has found scores of inexperienced owners in the sector - including those with criminal convictions. With young people at risk, and big money to be made, what needs to change? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times...

As the long-awaited report into lockdown-breaking parties at Downing Street is published, we dissect the key points. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes . Guest : Charlotte Ivers, Political Correspondent, Times Radio. Host : Manveen Rana. Clips: Times Radio, S...

What happened when, after two years of mudslinging, Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney, the wives of two top footballers, met in court over allegations one had been leaking details of the other’s private life? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes . Guest : David B...

A forty year high level of inflation and soaring household bills over the last few months have quickly led to a cost of living crisis. UK businesses are already feeling the squeeze, but what does that mean for your shopping basket staples? We’ve chosen to follow a pint of milk through the supply chain, to find out what pressures are raising its price.  This podcast was brought to you thanks t...

Sweden and Finland are putting decades of military non-alignment and neutrality behind them to join NATO but one member of the alliance isn’t prepared to let them join.  Why is Turkey doing this?’ This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes . Guest : Louise Calla...

More than two years after Britain and the EU signed the Brexit withdrawal agreement, one of its stickiest points is suddenly back in the headlines again: the Northern Ireland protocol. Why are we back here again? And -- more to the point -- what exactly is the protocol? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one m...

On Wednesday inflation in the UK hit 9% - the highest since the early 1980s. A few weeks before in Brussels, Diederik Samsom, the Head of Cabinet in the European Commission, said the age of cheap living in Europe was over and that the cost of living crunch is not a temporary setback - but our new future. Is he right? And if so, what does that future look like? This podcast was brought to you...

Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the SNP, has been pushing for Scottish independence since she was elected First Minister seven and a half years ago. The UK government has repeatedly rejected her calls, but after the local elections further strengthened the SNP, could a second referendum be on the horizon? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times...

For 12 days, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer tried to play down claims he’d broken lockdown rules when he’d had a curry and beer with staff. But when the police announced they would investigate whether it was a work or social event, he made the biggest gamble of his political career so far - if he’s fined, he will resign. Why has he made such a high-stakes move? And what does it tell us about the m...

Johnny Depp’s personal life has been splashed across the headlines thanks to high-profile defamation cases against his ex-wife Amber Heard. Now, the latest trial is playing out in real time, live streamed to audiences across the world. What does this case tell us about their fans and how we all consume celebrity gossip?  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The...

Today's weekend listen comes courtesy of our sister podcast, Danny In The Valley. Yesterday, Elon Musk put his $44 billion takeover of Twitter on pause. Some investors now seem sceptical that the deal will happen at all, although Musk says he remains committed. Whatever happens next at Twitter, the future of online debate is being thrashed out in public this weekend. So today we're listening to a...

As markets across the globe react to the latest cryptocurrency meltdown, which some warn may go beyond the usual boom-and-bust cycle - today we look at a band of mega-rich crypto enthusiasts who are settling on a Caribbean island. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofou...

In the year the BBC celebrates its centenary, and Channel 4 its 40th birthday, the government has announced plans for funding models that fundamentally alter the broadcasters. Could these proposals change the media landscape forever? And what would they mean for the audience? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get...

A draft Supreme Court opinion on the law defining a woman’s right to have an abortion in America was leaked last week, causing uproar - and celebration. So, what’s the history of this law - and what would the end of Roe v Wade mean? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thetimes.co.uk/stor...

From people nabbed fleeing the country with suitcases full of bank notes to a former pub landlord accused of cashing his loan and sending it to the terrorist group ISIS, case after case is emerging of how money from the government's pandemic bounce back loan scheme may have been misused. So what went wrong? And is the government doing enough to fix it? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the...

It's Victory Day in Russia, the annual celebration of victory in the Second World War. But as Putin's tanks parade the Moscow streets, how is his war in Ukraine really playing out - both in Russia and on the battlefield - and what might happen next? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thetime...

The Palace of Westminster has, once again, been rocked by a series of sexual misconduct scandals -- culminating in the revelation that an MP was caught watching porn during a Commons debate. Is this just a case of some very 'bad apples' or does Westminster have a problem? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one...

Former ministers have broken ranks to describe how successive prime ministers, including Boris Johnson, withheld arms from Ukraine until just weeks before February’s invasion because of fears they might provoke Vladimir Putin. How did they get it so wrong? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at:...

In 2018, the Sunday Times broke the story that then-serving Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke had been accused of rape by a former aide. Elphicke denied the allegation and sued for libel, and the paper spent the next four years in a legal battle, which has only just concluded. To read more: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/charlie-elphicke-the-predator-mp-and-his-protection-racket-3kb30pl6w &nbsp...

As Northern Ireland goes to the polls on Thursday, we could be about to witness a political earthquake. Today: what it might mean on both sides of the Irish border if Sinn Fein sweeps to power. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes .   Guest: Justine M...

What happens when one half of a couple becomes a parent against their will? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at:  thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes .   Guests:  Jenny Kleeman, Times Radio presenter and investigative journalist. Host: David Aaronovitch. Hosted...

With potential war crimes in Ukraine unfolding over social media, internet whizzes around the world are using Bellingcat's open source toolkit to find, fact-check, and expose them in real time. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at:  thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes . Guests: Elliot Higgins...

As Shanghai enters the fourth week of the world’s strictest Covid lockdown, residents are running out of food, medicine and patience – and there’s no end in sight. Meanwhile Beijing has begun mass testing and ordered its nearly 22 million residents to remain in the city. Should China rethink its Covid strategy? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The S...

Nicknamed Le Grêlé, or ‘the pockmarked man’, a French serial killer evaded police for decades, until he claimed one last life – his own. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at:  thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes . Guest:  Peter Conradi, Europe Editor, The Sunday Times. Host:  David...