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

"What Do Prime Ministers Do All Day?"

Times columnists Daniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch pick over the day's news; then Matt Chorley talks us through a day in the life of a Prime Minister, from Thatcher to Cameron, speaking to former aides and in their own words, including the revelation that Boris Johnson likes a power nap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 19, 202140 min

What can Labour learn from Biden?

Times columnists Libby Purves and Rachel Sylvester pick over the day's news; then Matt Chorley is joined by Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy to talk about the party's relationship with US President incumbent Joe Biden, and former advisor to Gordon Brown Stuart Wood and US policy veteran Will Marshall talk about Labour's history to their sister party, the Democrats. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 18, 202144 min

Education, Education, Education

Red Box reporter, Esther Webber, and Times' columnist Robert Crampton pick over the day's news; Matt Chorley is joined by Professor Robert Winston, tv presenter and Labour life peer on the long term impact the pandemic will have on children and young people. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 14, 202135 min

PMQ's Unpacked 13-1-21

Times columnist Alice Thomson and Red Box writer John Kampfner pick over the day's news, then Matt Chorley and Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman pause the action at Prime Ministers Questions to explain the Commons exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 13, 202144 min

Times Radio Focus Group - January 2021

Times Columnists Daniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch pick over the day's news, and then Matt Chorley and former Number 10 pollster James Johnson convene the Times Radio focus group to see what they make of the new lockdown Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 12, 202155 min

What's the Big Idea?

Times Columnists Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves pick over the day's news; then Matt Chorley is joined by former Cabinet Secretary Gus O'Donnell to talk about the £25,000 prize open for the public's policy ideas, then Matt Kilcoyne from the Adam Smith Institute and Polly Mackenzie rate some listener suggestions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 11, 202135 min

American Carnage

Red Box reporter, Esther Webber, and Times' columnist Robert Crampton pick over the day's news; Matt Chorley is joined by the Times Washington Correspondent Henry Zeffman and the Times columnist Danny Finklestein to reflect on what happened in the US Capitol and why Donald Trump is not as unique as he likes to think he. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 07, 202140 min

Who Is Richard Leonard?

Times columnist and Red Box regular Alice Thomson and John Kampfner pick over the day's news. The Matt Chorley speaks to Scottish Labour Leader Richard Leonard to find out whether the party is doomed north of the border, and is then joined by a panel of regional journalists to talk about the big political stories in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 06, 202143 min

Vaccination Nations

Times Columnists David Aaronovitch and Daniel Finkelstein pick over the days news; then Matt Chorley boards Times Radio airways to find out how the vaccine rollout is going across the globe, from France, to Germany, Israel, Japan the US and China Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 05, 202140 min

Do you speak politicalese?

Times Columnists Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves discuss the day's news; then Matt Chorley speaks to Yougov's head of data Matt Smith , partner at Public First James Frame, former No10 director of communications Katie Perrior and journalist Rob Hutton about political jargon and do we really understand what it all means? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 04, 202140 min

Times Radio's Quiz Of The Year

Matt Chorley pits Times Radio against The Times against MPs for the title of 2020 Quiz Champions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 24, 202041 min

Disunited Kingdom: Festive Special

The Times Radio Columnists Focus Group talk about what they make of the current crop of party leaders and we convene the Disunited Kingdom panel to talk about the latest Christmas Coronavirus restrictions across the four nations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 23, 202037 min

Vaccinderella

The Times columnists Festive Focus Group discusses whether the pandemic would have been better handled by someone else, and what they'd get Keir Starmer and Boris Johnson for Christmas; then it's the premier of the Times Radio pantomime: Vaccinderella. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 22, 202034 min

Sketching 2020

How do you find the funny in a pandemic? Matt Chorley is joined by the Times cartoonist Peter Brookes and political sketch-writer Quentin Letts to talk about bringing cabinet figures to life. Plus: the first installment of the Times Radio columnists festive focus group. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 21, 202042 min

Why Scunthorpe turned blue

Times columnist Robert Crampton and Red Box reporter Esther Webber pick over the days news; then Matt Chorley speaks to pollster James Johnson who has been talking to his focus group in Scunthorpe on their views on Boris Johnson, Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 17, 202052 min

PMQs Unpacked 16-12-2020

Times Columnist Alice Thomson and Red Box regular John Kampfner pick over the day's news; Matt Chorley and Red Box's Patrick Maguire pause the exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer to explain what's happening at Prime Minister's Questions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 16, 202044 min

How do you solve a problem like Nicola?

Times Columnists David Aaronovitch and Sebastian Payne pick over the day's news; then Matt Chorley is joined by Scottish Conservative Party Leader Douglas Ross to discuss Coronavirus, independence and how to save the union Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 15, 202042 min

Because They're Worth It

Times Columnists Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves pick over the news; then Matt Chorley speaks to Opinium's Chris Curtis, Professor Vernon Bogdanor, campaigner John Myers and the High Pay Centre's Luke Hildyard about Times Radio's exclusive polling on what MPs should be paid. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 14, 202039 min

Chasing MPs with Michael Crick

Times columnist Robert Crampton and Red Box reporter Esther Webber pick over the days news; then Matt Chorley talks to veteran broadcaster Michael Crick about 40 years of chasing politicians to ask them the important questions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 10, 202043 min

PMQs Unpacked 09-12-2020

Times Columnist Alice Thomson and Red Box regular John Kampfner pick over the day's news; then Matt Chorley is joined by Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman pause the exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer to explain what's happening at Prime Minister's Questions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 09, 202043 min

Making The Casey

Times Columnists David Arronovitch and Daniel Finkelstein pick over the day's news; then Matt Chorley is joined by Baroness Louise Casey, a former government advisor on social cohesion and rough sleeping, to talk about her new campaign to end hunger and how the government can bring the country together after the pandemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 08, 202037 min

The Joy of By-Elections

Times columnists Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves discuss the day's news; then Matt speaks to Professor Tim Bale, Welsh Lib Dem Leader Jane Dodds, Times Radio's John Pienaar, the Telegraph's Chris Hope and former Conservative advisor Giles Kenningham about why by-elections are so important, and what it's like on the ground covering the action in marginal seats. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 07, 202041 min

Land Down Under

Red Box's own Esther Webber and Times' Robert Crampton pick over the day's news; then Times Radio Airways flies all the way to Australia (virtually of course) where Matt Chorley is joined by Labour Senator Kimberley Kitching, Madeline Morris from the Australian Broadcast Corporation and Hana Robinson from DropBear Adventures on Fraser Island to discuss coronavirus, wildfires and a trade and propaganda war with China. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Dec 03, 202041 min

PMQs Unpacked 02-12-2020

John Kampfner and Tom McTague look over the days news; then Matt Chorley and Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman paused the action to explain the commons exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer at PMQs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 02, 202044 min

Abstain On His Conscience

Matt Chorley is joined by Times columnists Daniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch to discuss the day's news; Matt takes a look at Keir Starmer's polling with Ben Page from Ipsos MORI, then John Rentoul from The Independent , former advisor to Miliband Miatta Fahnbulleh and Patrick Maguire, who co-wrote the book: Left Out, the Inside Story of Labour under Corbyn join Matt to discuss how the Labour party is doing under his leadership. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Dec 01, 202038 min

Tackling HIV Stigma with Philip Normal

Times Columnists Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves pick over the day's news, then Matt is joined by the first openly HIV+ Mayor Philip Normal to talk about tackling stigma, and pop sensation Sophie Ellis-Bextor speaks about the campaign to combat Christmas loneliness Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 30, 202037 min

He Who Wields The Knife

Columnist Robert Crampton and Times Red Box's own Esther Webber pick over the day's news with Matt Chorley; then former Conservative Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine, Conservative minster John Whittingdale, Times former Political Editor Phil Webster and former Telegraph Political Editor Julia Langdon and former civil servant Caroline Slocock recount what happened when Margaret Thatcher was ousted from power, thirty years ago this week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor...

Nov 26, 202039 min

"All Hail the Chief... Secretary to the Treasury"

Matt Chorley is joined by columnists Alice Thomson and John Kampfner, then former Chief Secretaries to the Treasury David Gauke and Liam Byrne explain what the job involves when you're preparing for a spending review, and Liam Byrne explains why he left the famous note: "I'm afraid there's no money." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 25, 202036 min

The Future of Cash

Matt Chorley is joined by Times columnists Daniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch to discuss the day's news; then Head of Money at consumer group Which? Gareth Shaw, Director of Strategy at Link UK, Graham Mott, CEO and Co-Founder of Tandem Bank Ricky Knox and Founder of the Young Money Blog Iona Bain join Matt to discuss whether cash is a thing of the past. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 24, 202033 min

Tiers at Christmas

Matt Chorley speaks to Times Columnists Libby Purves and Rachel Sylvester, then its all aboard Times Radio's very own "train track and trace..." as Matt is joined by senior data journalist at the Times Tom Calver, on a tour of the country to find out what different areas want to see happen to them under new Covid restrictions. Subscribe today and get one month free at thetimes.co.uk/timesredbox Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Nov 23, 202038 min
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