Politics Unpacked - podcast cover

Politics Unpacked

Times Radiowww.thetimes.co.uk

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/

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Episodes

Stuck in neutral

Matt Chorley is in Brighton for the Labour Party conference, as delegates back Jeremy Corbyn’s policy to not support Remain or Leave in a referendum (yet) and Labour MPs Jon Ashworth and Anna Turley do their best to insist it is all going very well. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 23, 201924 min

Cameron Interview Part 2: What it's like being PM

In part two of the exclusive interview, Matt Chorley asks David Cameron about his relationship with the Queen, his dread of PMQs and his biggest gaffe as prime minister. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 19, 201930 min

Cameron Interview Part 1: What I told May to do

In part one of a two-part special, Matt Chorley speaks to David Cameron about his Brexit regrets, the mistakes Theresa May made, and whether Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, David Davis and Dominic Cummings are "team players or w****". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 18, 201939 min

High on their own supply

Matt Chorley is joined by Esther Webber, who reports from a giddy Lib Dem conference in Bournemouth. Plus YouGov's Chris Curtis on what is really going on in the polls, and The Times' Daniel Finkelstein on his decade-long role in David Cameron's memoirs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 17, 201934 min

Cummings Vs Coalitions

Matt Chorley is joined by Jason Stein, who was Amber Rudd's spin doctor and reveals the politics of mobile phones and how Dominic Cummings is unwilling to compromise. Plus Rachel Sylvester on John Bercow's legacy and David Aaronovitch on the revival of the Lib Dems. Read more at thetimes.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 10, 201933 min

A hard day’s fight

Matt Chorley brings you an hour-by-hour account of an extraordinary day in Westminster, from rebels to PMQs, spending to voting, elections to deselections, and answering your questions. This is the story of Wednesday September 4 2019. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 04, 201958 min

“Just somebody do something”

As the political stalemate continues, Matt Chorley talks to Salma Shah, former special adviser to Sajid Javid, and Times columnists Philip Collins and Iain Martin about the chaos in No10, the existential threat to the Tory party and Labour's election dilemma. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 03, 201936 min

Bonjour de Biarritz

Matt Chorley speaks to Charles Bremner, The Times Paris correspondent, about the G7 summit in southern France, how Brexit and Boris Johnson are viewed by the French, President Macron’s fortunes and the demise of the long lunch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 27, 201923 min

A beginner's guide to the House of Lords - Part Two

Red Box reporter Esther Webber talks to Baroness Evans, Baroness Smith, Lord Fowler and others about the future of the strangest part of the British constitution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 22, 201924 min

A beginner's guide to the House of Lords - Part One

Esther Webber talks to Baroness Evans, Baroness Smith, Lord Fowler and others about how the strangest part of the British constitution works. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 19, 201938 min

Beyond the fringe #3

Matt Chorley is joined by Tiff Stevenson, Konstantin Kisin, Steve Allen and Jena Friedman to discuss free speech, Twitter trolls and being better. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 12, 201930 min

Beyond the fringe #2

Matt Chorley is joined by Matt Forde and Grace Campbell to discuss leaving Labour, writing worries and playing with Putin's kids. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 05, 201928 min

Beyond the fringe #1

Matt Chorley is joined by Iain Dale, Lolly Jones and Dominic Frisby to discuss tax, talk shows and nipple tassels. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 01, 201932 min

The good, the spad and the ugly

What does a special adviser (spad) do? Where does power lie? How do you tell the boss to change the clothes or their poll ratings are tanking? Matt Chorley speaks to three former special advisers who have just left government. Paul Harrison was Theresa May's political press secretary, having previously been an adviser to Jeremy Hunt. Salma Shah was a special adviser to Sajid Javid at the home office, ministry of housing and department for business. James Johnson was the Downing Street pollster f...

Jul 30, 201947 min

PM Johnson: now what?

Matt Chorley was in the room for the announcement that Boris Johnson will be the new Tory leader, and gets instant reaction from Francis Elliott, The Times political editor, and sketchwriter Quentin Letts. PLUS columnist Matthew Parris on whether we get “good Boris or naughty Boris”, Lucy Fisher, Times defence correspondent, on the international crises waiting in the in-tray, and Red Box’s Esther Webber on who might be in Team Boris. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Jul 23, 201926 min

What happens when you become PM?

A visit to the Queen, a speech in Downing Street, then what? In a special documentary Matt Chorley speaks to those who know what it is like to move into No10. Contributors include Tony Blair, the former prime minister; Anji Hunter, Blair’s former gatekeeper; Gus O’Donnell, the cabinet secretary to Blair, Brown and Cameron; Stewart Wood, foreign policy adviser to Brown; Gabby Bertin, press secretary to Cameron; and Katie Perrior, May’s director of communications. For more, read Matt Chorley’s fea...

Jul 19, 201927 min

What Theresa ever did for us

As May leaves No10, Matt Chorley asks Alice Thomson, Daniel Finkelstein and Anne Ashworth if her injustices are still burning. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 16, 201939 min

Running out with Boris Johnson*

After going running with Jeremy Hunt last month, Matt Chorley wants to know how Boris Johnson exercises, his plans for Brexit and his other policies. *Rory Bremner helps provide the answers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 11, 201914 min

Only weirdos join parties

Matt Chorley is joined by David Aaronovitch and Hugo Rifkind to discuss who are the members pulling the strings in the Labour and Tory parties. Plus Catherine Philp, The Times’ diplomatic correspondent, on what on Earth is going on in the White House. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 09, 201936 min

Who can beat Trump?

In this transatlantic special to Mark Independence Day, Matt Chorley is joined on the line from DC by David Charter, The Times US editor, who tries to explain the method in the Trump madness. Boer Deng, Washington correspondent, on the ones to watch in the Democratic race to take on the Republican President. And Ben Hoyle, US West Coast bureau chief, on America’s confused experiment with drugs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Jul 02, 201953 min

The other leadership contest

Matt Chorley is joined by Alice Thomson, Eleni Courea and Steven Swinford to debate why Lib Dems need more scrutiny. PLUS how to beat Boris and MPs' maternity pay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 25, 201933 min

Dead Ringers

Matt Chorley is joined by Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, Theresa May, Lorraine Kelly and many more thanks to impressionists Jon Culshaw and Debra Stephenson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 20, 201933 min

Who is the real Michael Gove?

Matt Chorley is joined by Owen Bennett, author of Gove biography Man In A Hurry, to discuss the radical in the Tory leadership contest. Rachel Sylvester on the Tory problem with ethnic minority voters and Henry Zeffman on Labour's Brexit civil war. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 18, 201938 min

McDonnell, Gove and Clegg

Matt Chorley sits down with John McDonnell to discuss worrying businesses, Rachel Sylvester quizzes Michael Gove on drugs and hate crime and Hugo Rifkind asks Sir Nick Clegg why he's changed his mind on Facebook. All interviews were recorded at Times CEO Summit on June 11th. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 11, 201951 min

Running out with... Jeremy Hunt

Matt Chorley joins the foreign secretary on his morning jog to talk Brexit, why he could do a better job than Theresa May, how Donald Trump is advising him on Twitter and his love of chocolate cake. WARNING: Contains huffing and puffing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 09, 201925 min

Walking out with... Andrea Leadsom

Matt Chorley buys Andrea Leadsom an ice-cream and asks her about quitting the cabinet, running for leader a second time, and who ordered the food for Pizza Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 07, 201943 min

Walking out with... Matt Hancock

Matt Chorley is joined in the rain by the health secretary who discusses Love Island, tanktops and why he would be good at PMQs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 04, 201928 min

Walking out with... Rory Stewart

Matt Chorley takes a stroll with the Tory leadership contender, who discusses being the Trumpian anti-Trump, who he would have in his cabinet and being liked by Larry the Cat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 03, 201933 min

The Parris Agreement

Matt Chorley is joined by Matthew Parris, who explains why rescuing a dog helped him become a Tory MP 40 years ago, discusses how coming out cost him his political career and reveals his fear that the Conservative party could disappear by the end of 2020. Plus: which Tory leadership contender could swim across the Thames? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 28, 201940 min

Walking out with Sam Coates

Matt Chorley goes for a walk in the park with Sam Coates, as he prepares to quit as deputy political editor after two decades on The Times. They discuss not discussing football, the peril of the screenshot and Gordon Brown’s bomber jacket. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 23, 201929 min
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