Politics Unpacked

Matt Chorley explores whether politicians are too obsessed with the red wall. He hears from Professor Jane Green from Nuffield College at Oxford University and part of the British Election Study, as well as Dr Rose de Geusfrom the University of Reading who released a report called Red Wall, Red Herring. PLUS Patrick Kidd and Daniel Finklestein discuss Boris Johnson misleading Parliament and the Ch...

Matt Chorley hears from headteachers to see how the cost of living crisis is hitting our schools. He also speaks to  Anne Longfield, former Children's Commissioner and Robert Halfon, Conservative MP and Chair of the Education Select Committee. PLUS Carol Lewis and Rachel Sylvester discuss the politics of windfall tax and the care review. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa...

Matt Chorley speaks to Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi to hear about University fee refunds, how cost-of-living is affecting schools and whether we test too much. PLUS Melanie Reid and James Forsyth discuss the Tories losing in 2024 and Rishi Sunak joining the Sunday Times Rich List. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are hyperlocal newspapers on the rise? Matt speaks to Francesca Evans from Lyme Online, Joshi Hermann from the Manchester Mill and Phyllis Stephens from Edinburgh Reporter. Matt also speaks to the Independent Community News Network, News Media Association and the National Union of Journalists on the future of local journalism. PLUS James Marriott and Martha Gill on the cost of living and...

Matt Chorley is joined by Sunday Times' Chief Political Commentator Tim Shipman to analyse the exchanges between Boris Johnson and Sir Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions. PLUS Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton discuss sustainable farming and he-peating Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is this batch of politicians the worst ever? Matt Chorley speaks to journalists Isabel Hardman and Elinor Goodman, Dr Will Jennings and father of the House Sir Peter Bottomley on the calibre of current crop against MPs of the past. PLUS FINKELVITCH: Daniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch discuss the government obesity strategy and Putin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informatio...

Matt Chorley hears from a panel of experts to see how the NHS can be fixed after Jeremy Hunt's new book claimed that 150 preventable deaths were occurring every week. PLUS Libby Purves and Manveen Rana discuss A Level Exams and Guinness drinking in Nigeria. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley speaks to Jeremy Hunt about his new book 'Zero' where it explains how the NHS is causing 150 preventable deaths each week. They explore how culture within the organisation and leadership from the top can be changed to prevent the preventable deaths. PLUS Melanie Reid and James Forsyth discuss the housing crisis and the Bayeux Tapestry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...

Matt Chorley is joined by James Johnson from Kekst CNC who has convened the latest Times Radio Focus Group of 2019 Conservative voters in the constituency of Neil Parish, who recently resigned, triggering a by-election. Will they stick with the Tories?  PLUS: India Knight and James Marriott on bad people, food banks and eating in the bath Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inform...

Matt Chorley gets reaction to the Queen's Speech as well as all the latest news from the four corners of the UK. PLUS: Patrick Kidd and Alice Thomson on Prince Charles, Keir Starmer and Eurovision. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley and Patrick Maguire unpack Queen Elizabeth's first ever state opening of parliament, 70 years ago in 1952 to explain what has and hasn't changed in British politics during the reign of the Queen. Featuring Deadringers impressionist Jan Ravens as the voice of the Queen. PLUS. David Aaronovitch and Danny Finkelstein on the point of the Queen's Speech and Beergate. Hosted on Acast. See a...

Following last week's election results, which saw success for the nationalists in Northern Ireland and Scotland, Matt Chorley speaks to a panel of politicians and commentators to ask whether the Conservative and Unionist Party has what it takes to keep the Union together. PLUS: Libby Purves and Rachel Sylvester discuss what may and may not be in the Queen's Speech and making fun of millennials. Ho...

After our special documentary series, the Sunday Shows at 50, charting the rise and fall of Sunday political shows, Matt Chorley interviews broadcast legend Andrew Neil ahead of the launch of a new political TV show this weekend, discussing his plans to reinvent the format and his view of today's politicians. PLUS COLUMNISTS: James Forsyth and Rachel Cunliffe break down the election results as the...

After almost five years near total silence, Big Ben is ready to bong again. Matt Chorley got exclusive access to the Elizabeth Tower to see how the restoration is going. He speaks to Keith Scobie-Youngs, from the Cumbria Clock Company who have helped to fix the clock and Matthew Hamlyn, chair of the Elizabeth Tower project board. COLUMNISTS Knight at the Marriott, The Times' India Knight and James...

Matt Chorley convenes the Disunited Kingdom panel to preview the local elections from the four corners of the UK. PLUS: Alice Thomson and Patrick Kidd discuss what voters in the South West really think, and French MP expenses. BONUS: MPs and Times Radio listeners tell tales from the doorstep, telling their experiences canvassing for elections. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inform...

Matt Chorley dives into this potentially historic Northern Ireland Assembly election including interviews with U105's News Editor Grainne McKinney, Bill White from the polling company LucidTalk, Dr Clare Rice and Lord Peter Hain who is a former Northern Ireland Secretary. PLUS FINKELVITCH: Danny Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch on all women shortlists, beergate and Roe vs Wade. Hosted on Acast. S...

After a flurry of more accounts of sexual harassment and bullying within Parliament, Carole Walker speaks to those who've seen it first hand and people who have both tried and are continuing to try to improve political life for women. PLUS: Libby Purves and Rachel Sylvester consider a Liberal Democrat and Labour electoral pact and the dangers of privatisation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac...

Last year, to mark 300 years since Robert Walpole became Prime Minister, Matt Chorley learnt about every PM through history each week. This year, he's learning about each Leader of the Opposition with Nigel Fletcher from the Centre for Opposition Studies. Each month you'll find a collection of episodes on the podcast. This month, Spencer Cavendish, Sir Stafford Northcote, Sir Michael Hicks Beach a...

25 years after New Labour's landslide, Matt Chorley lifts the lid on the fears, egos and infighting among the party's grandees. He dives into the Times Red Box podcast archive so you'll hear the voices of Tony Blair, Peter Mandelson, Anji Hunter, Margaret McDonagh, Phil Webster, Alistair Campbell and James Landale. PLUS James Forsyth and Melanie Reid on misogyny in Westminster and why we shou...

Matt Chorley is joined by James Johnson from Kekst CNC who has convened the latest Times Radio Focus Group to find out what they think about partygate, the cost of living and sexism in parliament. PLUS: India Knight and James Marriot discuss the revelation that an MP watched porn in parliament and ambitious children. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley is joined by Sunday Times' Chief Political Commentator Tim Shipman to analyse the exchanges between Boris Johnson and Sir Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions. PLUS Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton discuss the day's news. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley sits down for an exclusive interview with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps to discuss Planes, Trains and Automobiles.....and Ferries too. PLUS: Danny Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch on Elon Musk and the use of anonymous sources in political journalism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A victory for Macron who secured a second term as French President. Matt speaks to the Times’ Charles Bremner, and Sylvie Bermann, France’s ambassador to London. PLUS Times reporters in Europe on their reaction to the result. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt puts France under a microscope and heads to the different regions of France to find out what voters are thinking and what issues really matter to them. Interviews with local reporters, exclusive polling from YouGov’s Patrick English and David Runciman on the future of France and what that means to Europe. Columnists Rachel Cunliffe and James Forsyth talk about the possible end for B...

Matt Chorley speaks to one of Boris' former High Commissioners to the country and an Indian MP to find out what will be on the agenda for the PM's trip to India, PLUS: The Times' Carol Lewis and the Spectator's Katy Balls Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.