The Story

The end of Britain’s political duopoly now looks complete, as Labour suffers a catastrophic by-election defeat to the Greens in Gorton and Denton. Reform comes second, while the Tories lose their deposit with just 2% of the vote. Keir Starmer is now a prisoner of the left, and Britain is undergoing a tectonic realignment of its electoral politics. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the supp...

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After a six-month-long investigation into maternity care in England, the government has published its initial findings. The report reveals a catalog of failures at 12 NHS trusts – from inadequate staffing and poor facilities to racial discrimination. So what do bereaved families make of the findings? And can this broken system be fixed? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of read...

First Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested, then Peter Mandelson. The fallout has been swift, dramatic, and is still unfolding. Hosts Manveen Rana and Luke Jones answer your biggest questions about the two men and what comes next.  Neither men have been changed and they both deny any wrongdoing. We don’t know what evidence was used in their arrests.  This podcast was brought to you th...

On Monday, the government released its plan to reform SEND, the system that supports children with special educational needs and disabilities, in England. It’s used by around one in five children and Keir Starmer is promising £4 billion over 3 years to overhaul it. But what’s changed, who’s affected and how will the government pay for it? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of re...

Four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine is still fighting – but the strain is visible. How has the conflict changed since those first days of war? Why would a free and fair election in Ukraine be so difficult? And is peace even conceivable? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory...

Over the past decade, thousands of families say they have been failed by England's maternity services. With a review into 12 NHS trusts due to publish its interim findings this week, we hear from some of those affected. What went wrong? And can future tragedies can be prevented? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: htt...

Jesse Jackson, the civil rights firebrand, preacher, and two-time presidential candidate rose from segregated South Carolina to the front lines of America’s fight for justice. Marching alongside Martin Luther King Jr. , Jackson transformed protest into political power, inspiring generations and paved the way to the first black president. We take a look at his influential, and controversial life. G...

After her horrific rape ordeal, Gisèle Pelicot did not want a public trial. But, in an exclusive extract from her new book, she reveals why she changed her mind. This episode is from the audiobook A Hymn to Life by Gisèle Pelicot, read by Emma Thompson. Read by: Emma Thompson. Producer: Dave Creasey. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com Read more: ‘I saw him rape me. My body tor...

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He has denied all wrongdoing. This is the first time a member of the royal family has been arrested since the English Civil War in the 1600s. What does this mean for the future of the British monarchy? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscrib...

Just after 8am this morning, patrol cars arrived at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. What do we know? What happens next? And what does this mean for the palace? Our sister podcast, The Royals, brings you the latest. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Tim...

The Board of Peace began with the grand ambition of reconstructing Gaza and securing a lasting end to one of the world’s most intractable conflicts. But with Donald Trump as chairman for life, its ambitions have grown: it wants to become a wider international peacekeeping organisation. As members meet for the first time in Washington DC, will their lofty ambitions translate into action on the grou...

James Van Der Beek’s death last week at just 48 shocked fans, reignited fears about a disease we still associate with old age. Cases of bowel cancer are rising in those under 50, even as rates fall among the elderly. To find out why, researchers are turning to a century of preserved samples. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscri...

The Labour Together scandal is the latest storm threatening to capsize the government - and Gabriel has been right at the heart. For the first time, he describes what happened when a Labour think tank set private investigators on a journalist. Their secret report falsely accused Gabriel of acting as a Russian agitator and "grotesquely subverted" his faith in an attack on his and his colleagues' re...

Labour Together, the think tank which helped Sir Keir Starmer become prime minister, has been accused of paying a PR firm to investigate Sunday Times journalists. The subsequent report contained personal information and false claims about Whitehall editor Gabriel Pogrund’s faith and family background, including the incorrect suggestion he was part of a Russian conspiracy to bring down Starmer. So...

The Times’ Money desk has been investigating the UK’s student debt system – and has discovered some bombshells. After being promised a loan that would be like paying a ‘phone bill every month’, graduates are weighed down by tens of thousands of pounds in ever-increasing debt. So how did we get here? And is there a plan to fix it? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of...

AI researcher Zoe Hitzig quit her job at OpenAI this week over “deep reservations” about the company’s strategy, including their decision to pilot running ads on ChatGPT. In a rare interview, she gives her reasons for leaving the industry - a world with access to "an unprecedented archive of human candour". Meanwhile, another AI researcher, this time at Anthropic, also quit with a the stark warnin...

Danny Finkelstein's mother survived Bergen-Belsen. When far-right activist Nick Fuentes began spreading antisemitic, pro-Hitler ideas, our writer challenged him. He wasn’t ready for the onslaught that ensued. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Ready by: Danny Finkelstein, Times columnist,...

It’s almost six weeks since America launched military strikes against Venezuela and captured its President over claims the country was flooding the US with drugs and migrants. But was this ever actually the intention, or is Trump more interested in syphoning off the country’s oil? Why is the old regime still in power – and what is life like for locals? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the...

It’s been almost a fortnight since the release of the Epstein files, and since then we’ve learned a lot about the disgraced financier’s connections to the rich and powerful. But what more have we learned about Jeffrey Epstein himself? Was he a foreign spy? And what do the files tell us about how the world is really run?  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The...

The Office for National Statistics has said that by 2029 it expects more deaths than births in Britain. Simultaneously migration could go into reverse soon, with more people leaving our shores than arriving. But how will a shrinking - and ageing - population affect our politics, our economy and our lives? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday...

After a whirlwind week in Westminster, we've decided to bring you an extra dose of Whitehall gossip. Check out this week's episode from our sister podcast: The State of It. The prime minister thought it was all over for him this weekend, but a scrambled rearguard action has left him looking stronger than he has for some time. But to survive, Keir Starmer may now have no choice but to move leftward...

It’s been a week of chaos in Westminster, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer fights for survival. The crisis he faces reached fever pitch on Sunday with the resignation of his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, followed swiftly the next morning by the departure of Tim Allan, his director of communications. On Monday afternoon, the pressure escalated further when Anas Sarwar, Labour leader in Scotland,...

Prince William is making his first visit to Saudi Arabia this week to celebrate “growing trade, energy and investment ties” between the kingdom and the UK. But with a number of sensitive issues on the table – from defence and intelligence sharing to Saudi Arabia’s poor human rights record – how will the prince walk the diplomatic tightrope? Should the UK be pursuing a closer relationship with the...

The British royal family isn't the only European monarchy in turmoil. In Norway the Epstein files have revealed intimate conversations between the Crown Princess and future Queen, Mette-Marit , and the paedophile after he was convicted. Meanwhile, her son is on trial facing charges on thirty-eight offences, including four counts of rape. If convicted, he faces up to ten years in prison. Could this...