Politics Unpacked

How do politicians keep fit? Rishi Sunak spends his holidays going to Taylor Swift-themed spin classes; Keir Starmer prefers to kick around a football. Former health minister Lord Bethell and Tanni Grey-Thompson, Paralympian and crossbench peer, tell Patrick Maguire how to stay healthy in Westminster. Plus: Columnists India Knight and James Marriott discuss  Labour's cautious approach to...

Is Parliament broken, and how can we fix it? Chair of the Committees on Standards and Privileges Chris Bryant joins Patrick Maguire to discuss his experience of abuse in the Commons, whether MP's behaviour is now worse than it's ever been and why MPs should be allowed to call their colleagues 'liars'. Plus: Columnists Patrick Kidd and Dorothy Byrne discuss  travelling for an operation, &...

It's a journalistic cliché that very little happens in politics while MPs are on holiday during the Parliamentary recess. But is it fair to describe August as 'silly season'? Historian Phil Tinline joins Patrick Maguire to debunk this myth and look at the biggest political moments of summers gone by. Plus: columnists Alice Thomson and Carol Midgely discuss toxic masculinity , Matt Hancock's TikTok...

A decade of low economic growth has seen Britain fall behind it's wealthy counterparts, and nations like Poland and South Korea are set to become richer than the UK within the decade. How has Britain become so poor, and what can be done about it? Patrick asks the experts, and speaks to a former MP in the American deep-south to find out. Plus John Stevens and Jane Merrick discuss whether boilers ar...

Keir Starmer is firmly ahead in the polls, but nothing in politics is ever certain. So, how do you lose an election that seems unloseable? Patrick Maguire looks at Hilary Clinton's defeat to Donald Trump with Corey Dukes, former state director for Hillary Clinton's campaign in Pennsylvania, and the Australian Labor Party's shock loss in 2019 with Ryan Liddell, former Chief of Staff to Bill Shorten...

Very few people in Westminster have had as many lunches as The Sunday Times' Chief political commentator Tim Shipman. So for the final day of food week, he settles his bet for a big lunch by joining Matt at Hawksmoor in Borough Market, to discuss wining and dining ministers, how he is getting on with his book, and the senior politician who had a cheesy doggie bag. Plus: Columni...

What is it like to cook for world leaders, celebrities, and even the Queen? Graham Howarth is the Head Chef at Chequers - the PM's country retreat. He tells Matt Chorley about being left speechless when the Queen came for dinner, and the prime minister who fancied themselves as a cook. Plus: Columnists Giles Coren and Abbie Moulton discuss going vegan, new food trends, and why burrata is overrated...

Join Matt for a pint in Westminster's Red Lion pub. He talks to Gordon Brown's former spin doctor Charlie Whelan about how he inadvertently killed Tony Blair's dream of Britain joining the Euro with a spritzer in his hand, while Ben Wright talks us through which prime minister loved a drink the best. Plus: Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton eat some insects and discuss  the plastic bag tax ,&n...

After Rishi Sunak delayed the ban on buy-one-get-one-free deals on fatty foods for two years, Matt takes stock of how much the nanny state is policing what we put in our shopping baskets and debates whether more government regulation could help solve the obesity crisis.  Plus: Jane Merrick and Matthew Bell discuss the politics of milk,  tougher sentencing for shoplifters  and h...

Food week begins with the history of Bellamy's, a restaurant that's been serving politicians' portions for 250 years. Charles Walker is the MP in charge of all the bars and restaurants in parliament and he tells Matt that Keir Starmer is wrong to criticise the salads on offer, and why a shortage of chefs has led to some eateries closing.  Plus: Columnists Libby Purves and Iain Martin dis...

More than one hundred new political parties have already been registered this year, but what does it take to create one that goes the distance? Kate McCann is in for Matt, and speaks to former First Minister Alex Salmond, the Rubbish Party's Sally Cogley, and Maia Thomas, spokesperson for the Transform party, to find out. Plus: Columnists India Knight and James Marriott discuss 'global boiling', p...

A group of people from across England who voted for the Conservatives at the 2019 election, but now say they plan to vote for Labour give their verdict on Rishi Sunak, who they describe as a "clone", and Keir Starmer, who they think is "smug". Matt is joined by James Johnson of J.L. Partners to find out why they're switching, and what might bring them back.  Plus: Manveen Rana and Matthew Par...

Matt is joined by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Daniel Greenberg, the man in charge of investigating politicians behaviour. He discusses whether MPs' conduct is getting worse or not, and the possible punishments he could hand down to those that break the rules. And with no PMQs Unpacked this week, Times Radio's very own 'PM', Patrick Maguire, faces questions from callers about ULEZ,...

With the climate at the top of the news agenda, why isn't the Green Party doing better? Matt asks Siân Berry if she can hold the party's only parliamentary seat, and finds out how green politicians in Europe have fared in government.  Plus: Columnists Katy Balls and Kieran Andrews discuss whether Sunak, Starmer and Yousaf are leading or following , SNP attacks on the Labour Party , and Gregg...

Should Rishi Sunak go early like Boris Johnson, or cling on until the bitter end like John Major? Matt considers the merits of an early or a late general election with pollsters Beth Mann and Peter Kellner, and the former Number 10 adviser Tim Smith. Plus: Columnists Libby Purves and Steve Richards discuss Michael Gove's plan to build more houses , tactical voting and the Lib Dems , and why people...

After the Conservatives suffered two by-election defeats but were spared the embarrassment of a whitewash, Matt explores what it means for Sunak and Starmer's fortunes with polling expert John Curtice , Red Box Editor Patrick Maguire, Conservative Minister Claire Coutinho, Labour's Thangam Debbonaire and Lib Dem leader Ed Davey. Plus: Columnists James Heale and Eleni Courea discuss political expec...

As MPs leave Westminster for the summer recess, Matt brings you his guide to the dos and don'ts of taking some time away from politics. He talks about Harold Wilson's knees, David Cameron's sunburn and the sea being closed with Claire Irvin from the Times and Sunday Times, and former Number 10 adviser Giles Kenningham. Plus: Columnists Manveen Rana and Matthew Bell discuss whether the Tories...

The deputies have gone, and Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer are back at PMQs for their last outing before the summer recess. Matt pauses and unpacks the action from the Commons with Tim Shipman and Stig Abell, as the leaders clash over NHS waiting times and spending. Plus: Columnists Alice Thomson and Carol Lewis discuss  inflation , Nigel Farage's  bank account , and anti-social youths in...

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley joins Matt to talk about his plan to overhaul Britain's largest force, warning it will be a 'bumpy journey', and Matt heads out with with two officers to find out what an afternoon answering 999 calls is really like. Plus: Columnists Tim Montgomerie and Jane Merrick discuss whether the government can stop the small boats , Tony Blair and Keir Starme...

When George Osborne promised to scrap inheritance tax on the family home in 2007, it was credited with deterring Gordon Brown from holding a snap election. Could the government afford to abolish it entirely, and is any kind of tax cut really on the cards? Matt speaks to former cabinet minister John Redwood, and former Labour adviser Lord Wood. Plus: Columnists Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves dis...

Matt looks at a boom in hyper-local community radio, including the station bringing you the sounds of a hedge for eight hours. Plus: Columnists James Marriott and Gaby Hinsliff are joined in the studio by a live brass band as they discuss whether Britain has lost its religion , whether the Conservatives can win the next election, and what locals make of Boris Johnson's swimming pool plans. Hosted...

If your town hall isn't already in trouble, it could be soon. Local authorities around the country are taking drastic action to balance the books, with many now paying the bills for failed business ventures too. Matt is joined by Tim Minogue, editor of Private Eye's Rotten Boroughs column, Kirsty Weakley from the Local Government Chronicle, and journalists covering some of the worst-affected areas...

It's Deputy PMQs, and Matt and Tim Shipman are joined by a deputy head teacher to help them pause and unpack the action as Oliver Dowden and Angela Rayner trade blows over housing policy and child poverty. Plus: Columnists Janice Turner and John Stevenson discuss Rishi Sunak's hog roast for Tory MPs, the return of Liz Truss, and Keir Starmer's love of the flute . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri...

As Henry Zeffman leaves the Times, he joins Daniel Finkelstein and Matt one last time. They discuss what politics will look like in 2030, how journalists protect their sources, and what happened when they went to play crazy golf. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been four years since the term 'Red Wall' entered the political lexicon.  Matt is joined by the man who coined the phrase, analyst James Kanagasooriam, as well as former Tory chairman Jake Berry and Labour's Jenny Chapman, who lost her seat in 2019.  Plus: Columnists Libby Purves and Patrick Maguire discuss  Joe Biden's UK trip , the prospect of a Labour reshuffle , a...