Times Radio

Politics Unpacked

News EN ↓ 1980 episodes

Hugo Rifkind unpacks the the politics of the day - and the stuff that's even more important - with the brightest brains from the Times and Sunday Times. You can listen to Hugo on DAB, smart speaker or app 10am-1pm Monday to Friday. If you like what you hear, then read more at  http://www.thetimes.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author

Times Radio

Category

News

Podcast website

www.thetimes.co.uk

Latest episode

Jul 10, 2026

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Episodes

PMQ's Unpacked 13-1-21 13.01.2021

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 Ministers Questions to explain the Commons exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Times Radio Focus Group - January 2021 12.01.2021

Times Columnists Daniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch pick over the day's news, and then Matt Chorley and former Number 10 pollster James Johnson convene the Times Radio focus group to see what they make of the new lockdown Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's the Big Idea? 11.01.2021

Times Columnists Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves pick over the day's news; then Matt Chorley is joined by former Cabinet Secretary Gus O'Donnell to talk about the £25,000 prize open for the public's policy ideas, then Matt Kilcoyne from the Adam Smith Institute and Polly Mackenzie rate some listener suggestions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

American Carnage 07.01.2021

Red Box reporter, Esther Webber, and Times' columnist Robert Crampton pick over the day's news; Matt Chorley is joined by the Times Washington Correspondent Henry Zeffman and the Times columnist Danny Finklestein to reflect on what happened in the US Capitol and why Donald Trump is not as unique as he likes to think he. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who Is Richard Leonard? 06.01.2021

Times columnist and Red Box regular Alice Thomson and John Kampfner pick over the day's news. The Matt Chorley speaks to Scottish Labour Leader Richard Leonard to find out whether the party is doomed north of the border, and is then joined by a panel of regional journalists to talk about the big political stories in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...

Vaccination Nations 05.01.2021

Times Columnists David Aaronovitch and Daniel Finkelstein pick over the days news; then Matt Chorley boards Times Radio airways to find out how the vaccine rollout is going across the globe, from France, to Germany, Israel, Japan the US and China Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you speak politicalese? 04.01.2021

Times Columnists Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves discuss the day's news; then Matt Chorley speaks to Yougov's head of data Matt Smith , partner at Public First James Frame, former No10 director of communications Katie Perrior and journalist Rob Hutton about political jargon and do we really understand what it all means? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Times Radio's Quiz Of The Year 24.12.2020

Matt Chorley pits Times Radio against The Times against MPs for the title of 2020 Quiz Champions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Disunited Kingdom: Festive Special 23.12.2020

The Times Radio Columnists Focus Group talk about what they make of the current crop of party leaders and we convene the Disunited Kingdom panel to talk about the latest Christmas Coronavirus restrictions across the four nations.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vaccinderella 22.12.2020

The Times columnists Festive Focus Group discusses whether the pandemic would have been better handled by someone else, and what they'd get Keir Starmer and Boris Johnson for Christmas; then it's the premier of the Times Radio pantomime: Vaccinderella. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sketching 2020 21.12.2020

How do you find the funny in a pandemic? Matt Chorley is joined by the Times cartoonist Peter Brookes and political sketch-writer Quentin Letts to talk about bringing cabinet figures to life. Plus: the first installment of the Times Radio columnists festive focus group. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why Scunthorpe turned blue 17.12.2020

Times columnist Robert Crampton and Red Box reporter Esther Webber pick over the days news; then Matt Chorley speaks to pollster James Johnson who has been talking to his focus group in Scunthorpe on their views on Boris Johnson, Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PMQs Unpacked 16-12-2020 16.12.2020

Times Columnist Alice Thomson and Red Box regular John Kampfner pick over the day's news;  Matt Chorley and Red Box's Patrick Maguire pause the exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer to explain what's happening at Prime Minister's Questions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you solve a problem like Nicola? 15.12.2020

Times Columnists David Aaronovitch and Sebastian Payne pick over the day's news; then Matt Chorley is joined by Scottish Conservative Party Leader Douglas Ross  to discuss Coronavirus, independence and how to save the union Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Because They're Worth It 14.12.2020

Times Columnists Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves pick over the news; then Matt Chorley speaks to Opinium's Chris Curtis, Professor Vernon Bogdanor, campaigner John Myers and the High Pay Centre's Luke Hildyard about Times Radio's exclusive polling on what MPs should be paid. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chasing MPs with Michael Crick 10.12.2020

Times columnist Robert Crampton and Red Box reporter Esther Webber pick over the days news; then Matt Chorley talks to veteran broadcaster Michael Crick about 40 years of chasing politicians to ask them the important questions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PMQs Unpacked 09-12-2020 09.12.2020

Times Columnist Alice Thomson and Red Box regular John Kampfner pick over the day's news; then Matt Chorley is joined by Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman pause the exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer to explain what's happening at Prime Minister's Questions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Making The Casey 08.12.2020

Times Columnists David Arronovitch and Daniel Finkelstein pick over the day's news; then Matt Chorley is joined by Baroness Louise Casey, a former government advisor on social cohesion and rough sleeping, to talk about her new campaign to end hunger and how the government can bring the country together after the pandemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Joy of By-Elections 07.12.2020

Times columnists Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves discuss the day's news; then Matt speaks to Professor Tim Bale, Welsh Lib Dem Leader Jane Dodds, Times Radio's John Pienaar, the Telegraph's Chris Hope and former Conservative advisor Giles Kenningham about why by-elections are so important, and what it's like on the ground covering the action in marginal seats.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...

Land Down Under 03.12.2020

Red Box's own Esther Webber and Times' Robert Crampton pick over the day's news; then Times Radio Airways flies all the way to Australia (virtually of course) where Matt Chorley is joined by Labour Senator Kimberley Kitching, Madeline Morris from the Australian Broadcast Corporation and Hana Robinson from DropBear Adventures on Fraser Island to discuss coronavirus, wildfires and a trade and propag...

PMQs Unpacked 02-12-2020 02.12.2020

John Kampfner and Tom McTague look over the days news; then Matt Chorley and Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman paused the action to explain the commons exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer at PMQs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Abstain On His Conscience 01.12.2020

Matt Chorley is joined by Times columnists Daniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch to discuss the day's news; Matt takes a look at Keir Starmer's polling with Ben Page from Ipsos MORI, then John Rentoul from The Independent , former advisor to Miliband Miatta Fahnbulleh and Patrick Maguire, who co-wrote the book: Left Out, the Inside Story of Labour under Corbyn join...

Tackling HIV Stigma with Philip Normal 30.11.2020

Times Columnists Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves pick over the day's news, then Matt is joined by the first openly HIV+ Mayor Philip Normal to talk about tackling stigma, and pop sensation Sophie Ellis-Bextor speaks about the campaign to combat Christmas loneliness Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He Who Wields The Knife 26.11.2020

Columnist Robert Crampton and Times Red Box's own Esther Webber pick over the day's news with Matt Chorley; then former Conservative Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine, Conservative minster John Whittingdale, Times former Political Editor Phil Webster and former Telegraph Political Editor Julia Langdon and former civil servant Caroline Slocock recount what happened when Margaret Thatcher was...

"All Hail the Chief... Secretary to the Treasury" 25.11.2020

Matt Chorley is joined by columnists Alice Thomson and John Kampfner, then former Chief Secretaries to the Treasury David Gauke and Liam Byrne explain what the job involves when you're preparing for a spending review, and Liam Byrne explains why he left the famous note: "I'm afraid there's no money." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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