Politics Unpacked

Matt Chorley is joined by the Times' Scottish Political Editor Kieran Andrews for a lowdown on the most important things to know about Scottish politics. PLUS Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves talk football and patriotism.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley talks about universities and what it will be like for students when they go back next term with the Office for Students's chief executive Nicola Dandridge, Director of the Higher Education Policy Institute Nick Hillman and Jo Johnson is the former universities minister.PLUS Melanie Reid and John Stevens talk through the day's news and whether we should get a bank holiday if England wins the Euros final. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley is joined by former leader of the Scottish Conservatives Ruth Davidson on the union, indyrefs and why she's ruling herself out as Boris Johnson's next Scottish secretary. PLUScolumnists India Knight and James Marriott on the day's news and discussing why are we so patriotic 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 Times columnist Alice Thomson and City AM acting editor Andy Silvester discuss why we all love England football manager Gareth Southgate so much. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Petrol prices are at an 8 year high - Matt speaks to the RAC to find out why and asks whether it's actually a good thing. And on Tuesday's its Finkelvitch! Danny Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch talk through today's news including the face-mask culture war. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author Matt Speaks to two union general secretaries, historian Tim Bale and Times Red Box's Patrick Maguire to ask how the relationship between Labour and the Unions had changed.Times Columnists Libby Purves and Rachel Sylvester look forward to the end of covid restrictions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley looks at the Batley and Spen by-election results with analysis from the Times' Eleni Courea, pollster Chris Curtis, former Labour minister Lord Mandelson and Labour MP Diane Abbott. PLUS columnists Melanie Reid and Matthew Syed to go through the day's news including how politicians should pass the 'pub test' to see if they're fit to be leader. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley is joined by Sky News Deputy Political Editor Sam Coates to relive the drama of five years ago this week, when Boris Johnson pulled out of the Conservative leadership contest following the Brexit vote, and asks how his old frenemy Michael Gove has managed to get himself back in power.PLUS Sunday Times columnist India Knight and the Daily Mail's John Stevens discuss furlough and Britney Spears." 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 Times Columnists Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton discuss what Sajid Javid needs to tackle as Health Secretary.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley and former Number 10 Pollster James Johnson review the year in politics through the eyes of the Times Radio focus group to mark the station’s first anniversary.PLUSDavid Aaronovitch and Daniel Finkelstein pick over the day’s news.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley asks what's next for Hancock, Sajid Javid and the Department of Health. He speaks to The Times' Political Editor Steven Swinford, former Political Advisor at the Department of Health, Paul Harrison and Salma Shah, former advisor to Sajid Javid. And, he talks to two health think-tanks, Nigel Edwards, the Chief Executive at the Nuffield Trust and Helen Mckenna, a senior fellow at the King's Fund, to find out what would be on their policy wish-list.PLUS Matt Chorley dives into Monday's news with Political Columnist Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves on the camera that caught Matt Hancock in action and a new Tips Bill that will force hospitality businesses to hand over all tips to their staff. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley speaks to Tanni Grey Thompson, Clair Fisher and Nancy Hey about how end of life care can be made better.PLUSThe Sunday Times Josh Glancy and the New Statesman’s Rachel Cunliffe discuss Matt Hancock’s affair and George Osborne’s new job.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt speaks to pollster and analyst James Kanagasooriam who coined the term Red-Wall in 2019 to describe areas in the North whose constituents tended to vote for Labour due to historical and cultural factors. PLUSHe dives into Thursday's news with Times Red Box reporter Mhari Aurora and Acting Editor at City A.M, Andy Silvester on junk food adverts being subject to a near total online ban by the end of next year and the changes for the green travel lists. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley and Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman pause the action at Prime Minister's Questions to analyse the exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer. PLUSTimes Columnists Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton discuss the challenges that the new head of the NHS has ahead of them and the problems of the Liberal Democrats. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

E-scooters, they're being trialled in over 30 areas in the UK, some say they're the future of green urban travel, whilst others say they're a disruptive fad. Matt Chorley speaks to the Head of Roads Policy at the RAC, Nick Lyes and Lindsay Coyle, the local campaigns manager at the Royal National Institute for Blind People, as well as Nick Freeman, aka Mr. Loophole, a traffic lawyer petitioning the government to require e-scooter riders to display a visible ID. And last but not least, he asks Kerry McCarthy, Labour MP for Bristol East about the success of e-scooters in Bristol.PLUS he dives into Tuesday's news with Times Columnists Danny Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch on Keir Starmer being uncharismatic and a report from the Pentagon detailing evidence on UFO's. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley speaks to Times Radio's own Carole Walker about her new book 'Lobby Life' and speaks to Theresa May's Press Secretary Paul Harrison as well as former political editor of the Times Phil Webster and the current Political Editor Steve Swinford revealing how the lobby works.PLUS he dives into Monday's news with Political Columnist Rachel Sylvester and Martha Gill of the Evening Standard on Boris Johnson's row with his Chancellor Rishi Sunak. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley speaks about the symbolic and surprising result of the Chesham and Amersham by-election where the Liberal Democrats took it from the Conservatives. He spoke to the leader of the party Sir Ed Davey, Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Grender, pollster Chris Curtis and the Times' Henry Zeffman.PLUS he dives into the day's news with the Sunday Times' Josh Glancy and Rachel Cunliffe of the News Statesman on the EU sausage row and the Euros.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

History teaches us a lot. It allows us to understand how people and societies behave, understand how wars erupted and how pivotal moments in history have changed the world. Historian Dan Snow talks us through everything we should know about the subject.PLUSIndia Knight and James Marriott discuss how a double vaccination could soon allow travel freedom and 'hopeless' Matt Hancock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley and Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman pause the action at Prime Minister's Questions to analyse the exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer. PLUSTimes Columnists Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton discuss Tory lockdown rebels and compulsory vaccinations.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the G7 pledged 1 billion jabs for the developing world, Matt Chorley speaks to a panel of experts including Jane Halton, Lily Caprani, Mary Stephen, Achal Parabhala to find out what it takes to vaccinate the world from Covid. PLUS Daniel Finkelstein and City AM Acting Editor Andy Silvester discuss Lindsay Hoyle and taking the knee.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month the Times Radio focus group is chaired by legendary US pollster Frank Luntz, who speaks to swing voters about lockdown, taking the knee, Joe Biden's age and how Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer are faring. PLUSRachel Sylvester and Martha Gill discuss the day's news.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley is in Cornwall for the G7.He speaks to Esther Webber from Politico and Tom McTague from the Atlantic.And with remembrances of G7s past, former foreign secretary Lord Hague, former ambassador to Washington Sir Nigel Sheinwald, former UK permanent representative to the EU Sir Ivan Rogers and former Tony Blair aide Kate Garvey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley speaks to Patrick Maguire, the Red Box Editor, who broke the story that US diplomats had issued an extraordinary rebuke to Boris Johnson's government over the impact of Brexit in Northern Ireland. We also hear from Sir Peter Westmacott, a former British ambassador to Washington, and Lewis Lukens, a former US diplomat in London.PLUS India Knight and James Marriott on how the culture wars might be fizzling out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Times columnists Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton pick over the day's news, then Matt Chorley and 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 Barack Obama's Ambassador to the UK Matthew Barzun about his book, The Power of Giving Power Away, his time in London and what happened when he hosted a tennis match between David Cameron and Boris Johnson.PLUSThe Atlantic's Tom McTague and the Observer's Andrew Rawnsley discuss the day's news.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One year since the toppling of the Colston statue, Matt Chorley tours the city with a long history of protests, and speaks to the mayor Marvin Rees.PLUSColumnists Libby Purves and Rachel Sylvester give their take on the news Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luke Jones is sitting in for Matt Chorley and talks about long-covid after the ONS reveals around one million people in the UK have reported experiencing "long covid" in April. And another one of our pre-pandemic professors, British statistician Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter. Plus, Rachel Cunliffe and Josh Glancy give us their take on the news. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luke Jones is sitting in for Matt Chorley and hears about how the pandemic has made the courtroom virtual and what lies in store for the future of the legal system.PLUSColumnists India Knight and Jaems Marriott give us their take on the news and we hear the life and times Epidemiologist and government advisor Mike Tildesley and hear about the pressure on the government scientists when they speak to the media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luke Jones is once again sitting in for Matt Chorley and as the race to the 21st June is hotting up, hears about the situation in intensive care to find out is the rise in cases leading to higher hospitalisations? Times Columnists Robert Crampton and Angela Epstein give us their take on the news and standing by in the four nations of the UK, four top hacks to tell us not just about the pandemic but what's really agitating their patch for Disunited Kingdom. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luke Jones is in for Matt Chorley again and hears about the life and times of another 'Pre-Pandemic Professor', this time it's Professor of Immunology, Danny Altmann. And talking trade with expert Sam Lowe as well as Angus MacNeil MP, Chair of the International Trade Committee and Alexander Downer, Former Australian foreign minister and High Commissioner to the UK.PLUSHelen Lewis, Staff Writer at the Atlantic and Rosamund Urwin from the Sunday Times on Naomi Osaka and Carrie Johnston's wedding dress decoy plan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luke Jones sits in for Matt Chorley and speaks to Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Kent Dominic Abrams and Former Chief Constable for Manchester Police Sir Peter Fahy to find out how the pandemic has changed our relationship with authority. Plus an interview with the first of our 'Pre-Pandemic Professors', Professor of Public Health at Edinburgh University Linda Bauld, to discuss the life behind the expert. Also Libby Purves and Rachel Sylvester on sitcoms and the impact of school admission rules on children born in the summer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Tokyo Olympics is to go ahead in July, Matt Chorley speaks to current and former Olympic and paralympic athletes Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Tom Bosworth and Gail Emms about whether it should go ahead. Plus he speaks to Alex Massie and Rachel Cunliffe on the art of lying. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is the Green Party having a resurgence? Matt Chorley speaks to pollster Chris Curtis and Times Radio Political Correspondent Charlotte Ivers about how the Greens are doing across the country and Green co-leader Jonathan Bartley explains how the party can capitalise on the gains made in the local elections. PLUSTimes Columnists India Knight and James Marriott discuss the fallout from Dominic Cummings' mammoth evidence session to the Science and Technology Select Committee. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Times columnist Robert Crampton and John Stevens from the Daily Mail pick over the day's news. Then Matt Chorley and Red Box Editor Patrick Maguire 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.

On the first anniversary of George Floyd's death, Matt Chorley speaks to his school friend Jonathan Veal about his memories of Floyd and reflections on the year since his friend's death, and Labour's Shadow Justice Secretary David Lammy on systemic injustice in the UK today. PLUSDaniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch discuss Islamophobia in the Conservative Party.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ahead of Dominic Cummings' appearance at the Science and Technology Select Committee on Wednesday, Matt Chorley speaks finds out what select committees do, and why they're so important, with author of How To Survive A Select Committee Scott Colvin, Times Diary Editor Patrick Kidd and Labour MP Sioban McDonagh.PLUSRachel Sylvester and Libby Purves discuss the BBC, Martin Bashir and education. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In his first interview since taking over the domestic spy agency, MI5's Director General Ken McCallum speaks to Matt Chorley, along with the head of counter-terror policing Neil Basu, about how being an agent handler works, what social media firms can do to prevent terror spreading online, and how spies have managed to do their job during the pandemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley finds out what Red Wall voters really think with YouGov pollster Patrick English and the re-elected Conservative Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen. Plus our columnists James Marriott and Katy Ball on nostalgia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Times columnists Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton pick over the day's news, then Matt Chorley and Tim Shipman pause the action at Prime Minister's Questions to explain the Commons exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does home ownership mean about your politics? As parliament debate the housing element of the Queen's Speech, Matt Chorley speaks to property royalty Kevin McCloud, former Labour Housing Minister Margaret Beckett and the Resolution Foundation's Lindsay Judge about the politics of home ownership. PLUSTimes Columnists Daniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch talk about the easing of restrictions and Keir Starmer's documentary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As parliament debates the bills related to crime in the Queen's Speech, Matt Chorley speaks to Shadow Domestic Violence Minister Jess Philips, Former Durham Chief Constable Mike Barton and the Times' Crime Correspondent John Simpson about Labour and the government's plans to tackle crime, and where the real threats to society lie. PLUSLibby Purves and Rachel Sylvester discuss moral superiority.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After Labour's reshuffle earlier this week, Matt Chorley speaks to the people who've conducted them and the people who've been on the receiving end of a botched shake-up, for a special documentary. PLUS The Sunday Times Alex Massie and journalist Angela Epstein discuss the day's news. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the Scottish parliament is sworn in, Matt Chorley looks at the history of Holyrood and speaks to one of the new MSPs, Liberal Democrat's Alex Cole Hamilton.PLUSTimes columnists, India Knight and James Marriott, on inquiries and being dull to be successful. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley is joined by journalists from the four corners of the UK Parliamentary Correspondent at Yorkshire Live Alexandra Rogers Chief Reporter at the Glasgow Times Catriona Stewart, Welsh Affairs Editor at Wales Online Will Hayward and Crime Correspondent at the Belfast Telegraph Allison Morris to analyse the state of the union in the wake of the elections and to find out how each country is coming out of lockdown. PLUSTimes Columnists Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton discuss exams and David Cameron's texts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley and Times Radio's Chief Political Commentator Tom Newton Dunn analyse the announcements made in the Queen's Speech, and Matt speaks to the head of Care England Martin Green to see what he makes of the announcements about social care reform. PLUSTimes columnists Daniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch discuss the day's news. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the wake of Labour’s reshuffle, Matt Chorley is joined by Pollster John Curtice, Professor of Politics Roger Awan Scully and Labour List’s Sienna Rodgers to look at what the election results mean for the Labour Party.PLUS Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves discuss the day’s news. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley straps in to a centrifuge to experience the G-force of going into space, and speak to two real life astronauts Clayton Andrew and Chris Hadfield. Plus our columnists James Marriott and Angela Epstein on zoom fatigue. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ahead of local elections Matt Chorley is joined by Hannah Al-Othman who is News Reporter for the Sunday Times based in Manchester,Scottish Political Editor at The Times Kieran Andrews, Sam Cook who is a Presenter at Cardiff TVand Grainne Mckinney Senior Broadcast Journalist at u105 Belfast to get the news form the 4 corners of the UKPLUSTimes columnist Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton pick over the day's news Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two days out from the local elections, Matt Chorley is joined by former Number 10 pollster James Johnson to convene the Times Radio focus group, this month with SNP voters. PLUSTimes columnists Daniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch discuss the day's news. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As campaigning for the local elections hots up, Matt Chorley looks at some of the most iconic political stunts, from the the Mirror Chicken to Dave the Chameleon and speaks to the brains behind the photos. PLUSTimes columnists Libby Purves and Rachel Sylvester discuss the day's news Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.