Politics Unpacked

Matt Chorley is joined by former No10 pollster James Johnson for the monthly Times Radio Focus Group in association with Kekst CNC, asking a panel of swing voters in Wolverhampton, Rother Valley and Swindon what they noticed about the conference season, the rising cost of living, and their thoughts on Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer.Plus Daniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch on anonymity online and how the rich call politicians. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley speaks to the Labour frontbencher at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, just an hour after news broke of the killing of Sir David Amess. They discuss MPs' safety, honesty in politics and cross-party working.PLUS:Libby Purves and Rachel Sylvester on police attitudes towards threats. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley looks at the link between GCHQ and Cheltenham and speaks to GCHQ's historian David Abrutat and former GCHQ director David Omand. Also Ed Balls pops in to chat about food, new labour and strictly.PLUS the Times' Carol Lewis and Jack Malvern discuss Covid in the city and eavesdropping. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley hosts a panel live at the Cheltenham Literature festival asking how important personality is to a politician's success. PLUS: An interview with Gyles Brandreth on his memoirs. AND David Sanderson from the Arts section of the Times and Manveen Rana of the Stories of Our Times Podcast dissect the days news. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley and Patrick Maguire take a trip down political history lane and analyse their favourite PMQs exchanges in front of a live audience at the Cheltenham Literature Festival.PLUS Author Tim Marshall and the Cheltenham Literature Festival's Head of Programme's Nicola Tuxworth discuss the day's news. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley speaks to the Irish Culture Minister Catherine Martin, Irish Ambassador to the UK Adrian O’Neill and visits a new exhibition showcasing negotiating documents to commemorate 100 years since the start of negotiations of the Anglo Irish treaty.PLUSDavid Aaronovitch and Daniel Finkelstein discuss party conference and Sally Rooney. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley speaks to legendary cartoonist Peter Brookes about satirising the cabinet.PLUSLibby Purves and the Atlantic’s Tom McTague discuss the energy crisis and Newcastle United. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In an exclusive first interview, former NATO ambassador now Parole Board member Sir Stewart Eldon, tells Matt how they decide who gets to come out of prison.PLUS columnists Knight at the Marriott, India Knight and James Marriott, go through Boris Johnson's speech and why we call people scum. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley dives into some analysis and reaction after Boris Johnson addresses Conservative delegates at their party conference in Manchester. Plus James Forsyth and Nadine Batchelor-Hunt go through the day’s news.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley speaks to Nick Timothy, Theresa May's Chief Advisor in the Home Office and Number 10, about policing ahead of the Home Secretary's Conference speech.PLUS: Seb Payne from the FT and The Spectator's Kate Andrews discuss Rishi Sunak's speech and Michael Gove's plans for more local mayors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Live in Manchester Matt Chorley speaks to a panel of economic experts to analyse the PM's claims that wages are rising for the nation's poorest. PLUS: The Daily Mail's John Stevens and The Spectator's Katy Balls discuss the day's news and what to expect from the conference. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley dives into how the political system works with Tim Bale and Paul Webb talking about their new book, The Modern British Party System.PLUSColumnists Melanie Reid and James Forsyth discuss what we should expect from the Conservative Party Conference and the worst jobs they've had. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley remembers the Winter of Discontent in 1978/79 with people who were in government and the media at the time. Can we compare it to today's driver shortage?PLUS: India Knight and James Marriott pick over the news including the sentencing of Sarah Everard's killer.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley looks back through history at the maiden conference speeches made by past Labour leaders.PLUS: Labour List's Sienna Rogers and The Spectator's Isabel Hardman discuss the day's top stories.AND: Times Red Box Editor Patrick Maguire joins Matt to analyse the 5 key takeaways from Starmer's speech Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley speaks to a panel of seasoned Labour journalists and aides about whether the ghost of Tony Blair still haunts the Labour Conference. PLUS: Janice Turner and Hugo Rifkind discuss the days big stories including a Labour frontbench resignation and Labour's troubles over trans-rights Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley speaks to the CBI Director-General Tony Danker about Labour's bid to become the party of business.PLUS Jane Merrick from the I and Times Red Box Editor Patrick Maguire discuss the hot topics around the conference and the petrol shortage  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Labour is heading to Brighton this weekend, kicking off the first party conference season in two years, we take a look at what can go wrong with the people who really know.PLUS columnists Melanie Reid and James Forsyth on the energy crisis and work outings gone wrong. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Legendary documentary maker and journalist Michael Cockerell speaks to Matt Chorley about what makes a good political documentary.PLUSIndia Knight and James Marriott on Keir Starmer's Labour essay and freshers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley and Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman pause the action to analyse the despatch box exchanges at Prime Ministers Questions. PLUSAlice Thomson and Robert Crampton discuss the day's news. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley speaks to former Ambassador to the US Kim Darroch about what Boris Johnson can expect when he sits down to speak to President Joe Biden on Tuesday. PLUSDaniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch pick over the day's news.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley speaks to the editors of three of the UK's biggest political magazines including the Spectator and the New Statesman to find out what makes a good one, and why print is still popular despite the rise of digital. PLUSLibby Purves and Rachel Cunliffe discuss the day's news.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley is live from a café in Chorley for the G7 Speakers Conference. The UK's speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle gives him a tour of the market and star of 'The League of Gentleman' Steve Pemberton explains which of his characters were based on Chorley residents.PLUSThe Spectator's Political Editor James Forsyth and Associate Editor of the Lancashire Post Nicola Adam discuss the day's news including Michael Gove's plan for levelling up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley and Times Chief Political Correspondent/DJ Henry Zeffman unpack what the new cabinet means for the country, and discuss whether or not they're all singing from the same hymn sheet.PLUSIndia Knight and the Daily Mail's John Stevens discuss the day's news.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley and Times Red Box Editor Patrick Maguire pause the action to analyse the exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions. PLUS: Crampon: Robert Crampton and Alice Thomson discuss the top stories of the day Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Boris Johnson prepares to host an awkward dinner party at chequers this weekend, Matt Chorley gets the best anecdotes from those who know the Prime Minister's country residence inside out, including Winston Churchill's grandson Sir Nicholas Soames, and former de facto Deputy Prime Minister, David Lidington. PLUSDaniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch discuss the day's news. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley speaks to Financial Times journalist Sebastian Payne about his new book Broken Heartlands, which documents the key constituencies Labour leader Keir Starmer needs to win back in the next election, and hears from Andrew Adonis, a former Labour cabinet minister, James Meadway, a former advisor to John McDonnell and Sienna Rogers from Labour list about Starmer's standing with MPs.PLUSLibby Purves and Andy Silvester pick over the day's news. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley looks back at the political response to 9/11 ahead of the 20th anniversary with those who were in the chamber, including Sir Bernard Jenkin and Louise Ellman.PLUS Columnists Melanie Reid and James Forsyth on the day's news.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley goes to the Spitting Image studio to speak to some of the stars of the show ahead of its second seriesPLUSIndia Knight and the Spectator's Katy Balls discuss the Commons action last night Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley and Times Red Box Editor Patrick Maguire pause the action to analyse the exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions. PLUS: Crampon: Robert Crampton and Alice Thomson discuss the top stories of the day Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are we facing the end of cheap goods and services? Matt Chorley speaks to economists, industry leaders and people working at the sharp end of retail, food and logistics to find out whether consumers are looking at permanently higher prices. PLUSFormer Social Care Minister Alistair Burt and Care England's Martin Green respond to the Prime Minister's Social care plan; and The Times' David Aaronovitch and the New Statesman's Rachel Cunliffe pick over the day's news.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley is live from the House of Commons as parliament returns. He speaks to the chief political correspondent for The Times, Henry Zeffman, to find out who's up and who's down in the cabinet and hears from three MP's who've spent most of their career so far on Zoom. PLUS, The Times' Rachel Sylvester and The Telegraph's Lucy Fisher discussed the social care crisis.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been months since the governments last covid briefing so Matt Chorley steps up to the plate and has re-created it. Speaking to The Times data journalist Tom Calver and experts on the ground Dr Rachel Clarke and Rohini Mathur, epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.PLUSThe Times' Melanie Reid and The Financial Times' political editor Jim Pickard discuss the day's news. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three weeks on from the Plymouth shooting, Matt Chorley speaks to Times Miami Correspondent Jacqui Goddard, Republicans Overseas' Greg Swenson and the Adam Smith Institute's Morgan Schondelmaier about the different attitudes to gun ownership and the legacies of mass shootings in the UK and the US. PLUSThe Times' James Marriott and the Telegraph's Olivia Utley discuss the day's news. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley speaks to journalists from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to get the news from the four corners of the UK. PLUSRobert Crampton and Susie Boniface discuss Dominic Raab's fate.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley speaks to the Times Scottish political editor Kieran Andrews and editor of the Courier David Clegg about the alliance and feud of Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond, that has dominated Scottish politics for a decade.PLUSEmma Woolf and Daniel Finkelstein discuss Greta Thunberg and the nappy tax. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carole Walker, sitting in for Matt Chorley, speaks to politics professors Tim Bale, Matthew Goodwin and Amelia Hadfield about what populism in Europe means for traditional mainstream right-wing parties. PLUSRachel Sylvester and Libby Purves discuss Afghanistan and Monica Lewinsky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley reassembles the Times Radio Focus Group with views from voters in Dominic Raab’s constituency in Surrey.PLUS columnists Melanie Reid and John Stevens on the death of department stores and political memorabilia.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley indulges Boris Johnson's request for local leaders to email him with ideas on how to 'Level Up' the UK, hearing from several councillors from around the country.PLUS James Marriott and Rachel Cunliffe reappraise the importance of the suburbs, and whether Nigella Lawson was right to remove the word 'slut' from her recipes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley speaks to journalists from the four corners of the UK to get the latest political and pandemic news.PLUSRobert Crampton and Alice Thomson discuss Britain's relationship with animals and the four day working week.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley speaks to experts and journalists in the US, France, Italy, Germany, Canada and Japan about what their countries want to see happen at the virtual G7, hosted today by Boris Johnson to find an international solution to the situation in Afghanistan. PLUS David Aaronovitch and Daniel Finkelstein discuss Dominic Raab and Extinction Rebellion.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley speaks to Nobel Prize winning behavioural economist Richard Thaler about this new book Nudge: The Final Edition and how governments can change people's behaviour in a pandemic. PLUSTimes columnists Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves discuss the day's news. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luke Jones sits in for Matt Chorley and speaks to guardian correspondent Jason Burke and Lieutenant Colonel Richard Williams about what it was like in Afghanistan in 2001.Plus Times columnist Melanie Reid and the Daily Mail’s John Stevens on the holidays and the Paralympics.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luke Jones sits in for Matt Chorley where he discusses the situation in Belarus right now with former UK ambassador to Belarus, Dr Nigel Gould-Davies and former Belarusian Minister of Culture, now opposition figure, Pavel Latushko.PLUS columnists India Knight and James Marriott discuss incel culture and uprooting your life.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a departure from normal service, Luke Jones speaks to journalists and experts from China, Pakistan, the US and Russia to hear about what different countries will be hoping happens in the wake of the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan and how they are pivoting to capitalise on the situation.PLUS Robert Crampton and Alice Thomson assess the opening statements of the parliamentary debate on Afghanistan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luke Jones speaks to Times Retail Editor Ashley Armstrong, Pizza Express Founder Hugh Osmond, Phones4u founder John Caudwell and serial entrepreneur Luke Jonhson about how you go about buying and selling a business. PLUSDavid Aaronovitch and Daniel Finkelstein discuss the West's response to the unfolding crisis in Afghanistan.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luke Jones, sitting in for Matt Chorley is joined by the Mother and the Father of the House, Conservative MP Peter Bottomley and Labour MP Harriet Harman to reminisce over 85 years on the green benches. PLUSThe Times Libby Purves and the New Statesman's Rachel Cunliffe talk Afghanistan and the Plymouth shooting.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley tries to save the government with the Times' Henry Zeffman as they take part in an immersive play called Crisis? What Crisis? where they have to save the Callaghan government of 1979 from a vote of no confidence. PLUS columnists Melanie Reid and James Forsyth discuss learning languages and why we need the royal family more than ever. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley speaks to Washington Post journalist Carol Leonnig on her book, Zero Fail, which sheds light on the secrets and scandals of the Secret Service.PLUS columnists India Knight and James Marriot discuss privacy and the rise in supermarket delivery apps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley dives into the news across the four corners of the UK and this week's focus is on education. PLUS John Stevens and Emma Woolf join Matt to go through the day's news.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley asks whether second home ownership is a blessing or a curse for local communities in staycation hotspots with local protest groups, councils and MPs. PLUS David Aaronovitch and Danny Finkelstein discuss whether we should really care about the protests to save Geronimo the alpaca.AND As students learn their A-Level results, MPs including Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick and Deputy Labour Leader Angela Rayner share memories from their own results day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.