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

York state of mind

Matt Chorley is joined by Rachel Sylvester who wonders if the Lords really will move to York, Hugo Rifkind warns Labour hating Tories is no vote winner, and Henry Zeffman prepares to move to the US by examining Trump's impeachment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 21, 202032 min

War! Royals! Britney!

Matt Chorley is joined by Lucy Fisher, The Times defence editor, on how President Trump avoided World War Three; David Aaronovitch wonders why everyone is so excited about Harry and Meghan; and James Marriott, the deputy books editor, examines the cultural hinterland of Labour leadership candidates, including the one who cites Toxic by Britney Spears as an influence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 14, 202036 min

Drama out of a Cobra crisis

Matt Chorley speaks to actor Robert Carlyle about playing the prime minister in new Sky One drama Cobra, and its creator Ben Richards explains that a solar storm is a real threat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 09, 202029 min

Inside the government machine

Matt Chorley is joined by Lord O'Donnell, the former cabinet secretary, David Gauke, the former cabinet minister, and Polly Mackenzie, the former No10 policy adviser, to ask if Whitehall is broken, who really has control, and if Dominic Cummings is right that the civil service needs more weirdos. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 07, 202030 min

2020 Vision

Matt Chorley asks Francis Elliott, Times political editor, Steven Swinford, deputy political editor, and Lucy Fisher, defence editor, what the new year will bring for the Tories, Labour, and everybody else. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 31, 201938 min

This. Is. Not. Normal.

How did Matt Chorley end up embarking on a political stand-up tour? The tables are turned as he is interviewed by Alex Jacques about satire, reading an audience and the Two Ronnies. Matt Chorley is performing This. Is. Not. Normal. at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London on January 25 2020. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 24, 201936 min

2019 Quiz of the Year: Part two

Forget the election, this is the big political battle of the year. Part two of the Red Box podcast 2019 Quiz of the Year. Will Patrick Kidd and Esther Webber make it four years in a row for the reporters' team? Can Daniel Finkelstein and Rachel Sylvester avoid the usual fate of the columnists coming last? Can MP Tom Tugendhat remember the names of his own colleagues and can Angela Rayner remember why Boris Johnson last used the NHS? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Dec 20, 201923 min

2019 Quiz of the Year: Part one

As another bizarre year in politics comes to an end, Matt Chorley poses the questions to see who has been paying most attention. The MP team has Tom Tugendhat, one of the only Tories not to run for leader this year, and Angela Rayner, one of the only Labour MPs left in Britain. Patrick Kidd, Times diary editor, and Esther Webber, Red Box reporter, return to see if the reporters’ team can win for a fourth year in a row. Daniel Finkelstein is joined by Rachel Sylvester on the columnists’ team. Let...

Dec 17, 201928 min

The morning after

As the full scale of the election result became clear, Red Box assembled a stellar line-up of Times and Sunday Times reporters and columnists to explain what happened and why, and what happens next. Henry Zeffman talks through the key seats and swings. Columnists Camilla Long, Daniel Finkelstein, Alice Thomson and Matthew Parris discuss what kind of prime minister Boris Johnson will be now. Red Box reporter Esther Webber, Times deputy editor Emma Tucker, columnist David Aaronvitch and Henry Zeff...

Dec 13, 201952 min

How to survive election night

Matt Chorley brings you everything you need to know, with Esther Webber’s guide to the key seats to stay up for, TV reviewer Hugo Rifkind on what to watch, Tony Turnbull on what to eat, and former May spokesman Paul Harrison and ex-Miliband aide Stuart Wood on what to do if you lose on the night. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 10, 201930 min

100 voters in one room

The Times invited people from swing seats across England and Wales to talk parties, policies and polls. Matt Chorley speaks to Emma Tucker, Oliver Wright and Ben Macintyre about what they said, and what it means for politics and the way we report on it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 06, 201937 min

Election road trip

Matt Chorley speaks to Times writers Janice Turner, Patrick Kidd and Robert Crampton about what they found during their election road trips, discuss voters really think of the party leaders, and reveal the secrets of the successful vox-pop. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 03, 201934 min

Land’s End to John O’Groats

Matt Chorley chats to Philip Bowern and Keith Rossiter from the Western Morning News about election prospects in Cornwali and Devon, then Kieran Andrews, Scottish political editors of The Times, reveals the seats to watch north of the border. Plus Esther Webber helps to round up the week Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 28, 201927 min

Is this the election result?

As YouGov releases its seat-by-seat forecast for the election, Matt Chorley speaks to pollster Chris Curtis about how it works, and what could change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 27, 201916 min

Your election questions answered

After Red Box listeners sent in questions about the election, Matt Chorley assembles a stellar panel to answer them. Henry Zeffman, The Times’ political correspondent, Katie Perrior, a former adviser to Theresa May and Boris Johnson, and pollster Matt Singh to explain the polls, Northern Ireland, the Queen and rosettes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 26, 201938 min

Loony tunes

Matt Chorley meets Alan “Howling Laud” Hope, leader of the Monster Raving Loony Party and veteran of eight general elections, and asks: what’s the point? PLUS: Esther Webber rounds up the week, including TV debates, manifesto muddles and an “impromptu rally”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 21, 201922 min

When election campaigns go wrong

Matt Chorley takes you behind-the-scenes with three people who know what it is really like trying to win the nation's vote. Polly Mackenzie was a policy adviser to Nick Clegg, and now runs the Demos think tank. She explains how a manifesto is written, and the pitfalls of party democracy. James Johnson was Theresa May’s Downing Street pollster and now runs JL Partners. He will explain what campaign bosses look out for in the polls, and how messages are tested before voters ever see them. And Theo...

Nov 19, 201934 min

Can we trust the polls?

Matt Chorley talks to polling guru Sir John Curtice about where the polls went wrong, whether they are right now, and how his election night exit poll works. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 14, 201936 min

Prime Minister Corbyn: what then?

Matt Chorley examines what a Labour government would do. He speaks to Andrew Gwynne, the party's election co-ordinator, about what sort of PM Jeremy Corbyn would be. Alice Thomson and Rachel Sylvester unpick the policy programme on offer, and David Aaronovitch and Henry Zeffman examine the personnel who would be lurking in the corridors of power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 12, 201938 min

Not many friends in the North

Matt Chorley heads to Leeds, where Yorkshire Post political editor Rob Parsons and ITV Political Correspondent Joe Pike warn it will be harder for the Tories to make gains in the north than they think. Plus Esther Webber casts a critical eye over the chaotically bad first week of the election campaign. Jacob Rees-Mogg clip courtesy of LBC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 07, 201932 min

The Bye Election

And they're off! MPs are leaving in Westminster, back to their constituencies in search of re-election. But not all of them: dozens of MPs of all parties and all ages are standing down, saying goodbye at this election. Matt Chorley speaks to three of them about their reasons for quitting, and the highs and lows of life as a politician. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 05, 201930 min

How could Johnson lose the election?

As the country gears up for some festive political fun, Matt Chorley asks YouGov's Anthony Wells what could go wrong for the Tories, Rachel Sylvester discusses the tensions in Team Corbyn, and Gabriel Milland explains whether Dominic Cummings is a genius or a menace.. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 29, 201937 min

Welcome to Taunton

With Westminster in turmoil Matt Chorley heads back to his hometown to talk shops, Brexit and the long-trailed Lib Dem fightback. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 22, 201934 min

Not-so-Super Saturday

Matt Chorley is joined in parliament by Henry Zeffman, Tim Shipman, Esther Webber, Iain Martin, Francis Elliott and Steven Swinford to watch Brexit history not unfold during the first sitting of parliament for almost 40 years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 19, 201934 min

Finishing Brexit could be bad for Boris

Matt Chorley talks to James Johnson, a former No10 pollster, about the Tory election strategy and why voters don’t reward politicians for what they’ve done. PLUS Lucy Fisher, defence correspondent, on the mess in Syria and Henry Zeffman, political correspondent, on what John McDonnell is up to. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 15, 201933 min

Election shock therapy

Matt Chorley is joined by British Election Study authors Jane Green, Geoff Evans and Chris Prosser to explain why half of us are now floating voters and what that means for the next election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 08, 201942 min

On the buses

Matt Chorley boards the 142 from Manchester to Didsbury with the Manchester Evening News’ Jen Williams to talk buses, Brexit and getting out of the Westminster bubble. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 03, 201930 min

Brexit, Boris and blackface

Matt Chorley is joined at the Tory conference by Daniel Finkelstein, Alice Thomson and Hugo Rifkind. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 01, 201933 min

Live with Liz Truss

Matt Chorley sits down with International Trade Secretary, Liz Truss, to discuss brutal political rhetoric, crashing out with no deal and why she's beyond happy Sajid Javid is chancellor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 30, 201930 min

Live with John McDonnell

As Labour conference is cut short for the recall of parliament, Matt Chorley talks to the shadow chancellor about the Supreme Court ruling, the timing of an election and why Labour is doing so badly in the polls. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 24, 201928 min
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