Politics Unpacked

Chris Smith tells Matt Chorley about being the first MP to come out as gay, and the first to come out as HIV positive, in the latest episode marking LGBT+ History Month. PLUS: Finkelvitch - Daniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch on Lady Macbeth and anti-lockdowners losing the argument. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One year out from the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, Matt Chorley speaks to Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat and the Muslim Council of Britain's Hassan Joudi about whether Britain should boycott the event over allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, and to Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies and the Times' Matt Lawton about attending controversial international sporting events.  PLUS: Tim...

Red Box reporter, Esther Webber, and Times' columnist Robert Crampton pick over the day's news; Matt Chorley is joined by Blair Jenkins who ran Yes Scotland campaign and Blair McDougall who ran the Better Together campaign on whether a second Scottish independence referendum is likely. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced sweeping reforms to the NHS, but social care plans have been delayed again. Luke Jones - sitting in for Matt Chorley - is joined by experts in the area to discuss how to fix the system.  Plus: Times writers Alice Thomson and John Kampfner pick over the day's news Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The UK parliament has more LGBT members than ever before, but how did it here? As part of LGBT History Month Luke Jones - sitting in for Matt Chorley - is joined by parliamentary historian Penny McMahon and current and former MPs Chris Bryant, Justine Greening and Hannah Bardell to talk about the history of the laws surrounding LGBT rights and what it's like being an out politician today. Plus, Ti...

Luke Jones sits in for Matt Chorley. On Rishi Sunak's first anniversary as Chancellor Luke is joined by IPSOS Mori's Head of Politics Kieran Pedley, George Osborne's former Chief of Staff Rupert Harrison and former economic advisor to John McDonnell James Meadway to discuss why the Chancellor remains so popular, and what challenges he faces in the coming year.  Plus Columnists Rache...

Red Box reporter, Esther Webber, and Times' columnist Robert Crampton pick over the day's news; Matt Chorley marks International Day of Women and Girls in Science by speaking to three prominent scientists, Payal Jain, Professor Monica Grady, Professor Lorna Dawson and the science minister Amanda Solloway.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The  Spectator's  economics correspondent Kate Andrews and Red Box writer John Kampfner pick over the day's news, then Matt Chorley and Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman pause the action at Prime Minister's Questions to explain the Commons exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you noticed a change in the prime minister? Less prone to starting fights? The over-optimism dialled down? Matt Chorley speaks to Steven Swinford, the Times political editor, about a change in tone in No10, plus Charles Walker, the vice-chairman of the 1992 committee of Tory MPs, and Baroness Jenkin, on why the reboot should involve more women. PLUS: Finkelvitch - Daniel Finkelstein and David...

Former No10 pollster James Johnson chairs a group of swing voters to get their views on Boris Johnson, Keir Starmer and the economy. Plus: Libby Purves and Rachel Sylvester on who is in tune with the national mood on tax. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Red Box reporter, Esther Webber, and Times' columnist Robert Crampton pick over the day's news; Matt Chorley is joined by Suzanne Heywood on her book about her husband and former cabinet secretary Jeremy Heywood and the competition she's launched in his name asking for your big ideas to change the country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Times columnist Alice Thomson and Red Box writer John Kampfner pick over the day's news, then Matt Chorley and Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman pause the action at Prime Minister's Questions to explain the Commons exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With a month until the budget, Matt Chorley asks a panel of economic experts if it is time to tighten our belts or splash the cash. Guests include  Robert Chote, former head of the Budget Responsibility, Morgan Schondelmaier, from the free market think tank the Adam Smith Institute, and Costas Lapavitsas, an economist from SOAS University. Plus columnists Daniel Finkelstein and Tom...

Dame Sara Thornton, the Independent Anti-slavery Commissioner, tells Matt Chorley how lockdown has affected the thousands trapped in servitude in Britain. PLUS columnists Libby Purves and Rachel Sylvester on vaccine volunteering and tackling online racists. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Times columnist Robert Crampton and Red Box reporter Esther Webber pick over the day's news, then Matt Chorley speaks to former British Ambassador to the US Peter Westmacott about what Ambassadors do all day, and it isn't eating Ferrero Rochers... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Times columnist Alice Thomson and Red Box writer John Kampfner pick over the day's news, then Matt Chorley and Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman pause the action at Prime Minister's Questions to explain the Commons exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley speaks to Janine Webber, who was born in the Polish town of Lwów in 1932, and from the age of nine, when the Germans arrived, she spent the rest of her childhood on the run. She told her story to mark Holocaust Memorial Day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Times Columnists Daniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch pick over the day's news; then Matt Chorley talks about the newfound popularity of supermarkets with Tesco Chairman John Allan, pollster James Johnson, Times Retail Editor Ashley Armstrong and the Institute for Government's Tom Sasse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Times Columnists Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves pick over the day's news; then Matt Chorley is joined by former Home Secretaries Alan Johnson and Jack Straw, and former Home Office advisor Salma Shah to talk about whether the Home Office is fit for purpose, and why it's so difficult to run.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Red Box reporter, Esther Webber, and Times' columnist Robert Crampton pick over the day's news; Matt Chorley is joined by Lord Norman Fowler to speak about bringing down the numbers in the House of Lords and how to get a peerage.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The highs and lows of the Trump presidency as remembered by Times and Sunday Times reporters across America, introduced by Matt Chorley. Hear from David Charter, Henry Zeffman and Josh Glancy in Washington, Will Pavia and Laura Pullman in New York, Jacqui Goddard in Miami and Ben Hoyle in LA. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Times columnist Alice Thomson and Red Box writer John Kampfner pick over the day's news, then Matt Chorley and Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman pause the action at Prime Minister's Questions to explain the Commons exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Times columnists Daniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch pick over the day's news; then Matt Chorley talks us through a day in the life of a Prime Minister, from Thatcher to Cameron, speaking to former aides and in their own words, including the revelation that Boris Johnson likes a power nap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Times columnists Libby Purves and Rachel Sylvester pick over the day's news; then Matt Chorley is joined by Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy to talk about the party's relationship with US President incumbent Joe Biden, and former advisor to Gordon Brown Stuart Wood and US policy veteran Will Marshall talk about Labour's history to their sister party, the Democrats. Hosted on...

Red Box reporter, Esther Webber, and Times' columnist Robert Crampton pick over the day's news; Matt Chorley is joined by Professor Robert Winston, tv presenter and Labour life peer on the long term impact the pandemic will have on children and young people. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.