As temperatures drop around the UK, Patrick Maguire and historian Phil Tinline look at how political problems can turn into a crisis during the winter months - from the industrial action and coal shortages of the 1970s to modern-day demands to help households pay their energy bills. Plus: Columnists India Knight and James Marriott discuss Keir Starmer's taste in classical music, whether people really care about politicians swearing , why we're still obsessed with posh people , and is it too earl...
Nov 24, 2023•45 min
Conspiracy theories aren't new, bu they're becoming harder for politicians to ignore. Patrick Maguire explores how they've crept into mainstream discourse, and how they're dominating the Republican primaries in the US. Plus: Columnists Manveen Rana and Matthew Syed debate how to solve the crisis in the asylum system and what to expect from the new "minister for common sense". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 23, 2023•45 min
On the day of the chancellor's Autumn Statement, Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer clash in the Commons over Sunak's missing pledge and Labour's record in Wales. Patrick Maguire is joined by Tim Shipman and Lara Spirit to pause and unpack the action. Plus: Columnists Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton play our election slogan quiz, share train horror stories, and learn why Robert is 'team Farage'. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 22, 2023•49 min
Rishi Sunak has been under pressure from MPs on the right of his party since the cabinet reshuffle, which saw Suella Braverman replaced by David Cameron. But what options do his critics really have, and will they go as far as a leadership challenge? Patrick Maguire is joined by two seasoned Tory-watchers to explain what could happen next. Plus: Matt Chorley presents the first part of the latest episode of How to Win an Election, featuring political masterminds Peter Mandelson, Polly Mackenz...
Nov 21, 2023•42 min
Rishi Sunak says the time has come to cut taxes, but how much are we really paying? Patrick Maguire asks how much they pay in Europe and America, and what, if anything, the Chancellor can do about them in this week's Autumn Statement. Plus: Columnists Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves discuss David Cameron's introduction into the House of Lords, revelations from the Covid inquiry , and the prime minister's latest five-point plan . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inform...
Nov 20, 2023•47 min
As a cabinet minister under both Maragret Thatcher and John Major, Norman Fowler is perfectly placed to chronicle the rise and fall of the two prime ministers. He tells Matt about his shock at being promoted by Thatcher, his battle to draw public attention to the dangers of Aids, and why he never forgave her for talking down 'Majorism'. Plus: Columnists James Marriott and Helen Lewis discuss whether the Tories have lost their heads over Rwanda, whether Labour has a woman problem  ...
Nov 17, 2023•50 min
It's bad news for both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer in the latest Times Radio Focus group, with voters taking a dim view of David Cameron's return and Suella Braverman's departure - and it's not much better news for the Labour leader. James Johnson of J.L. Partners joins Matt to discuss the results. Plus: Columnists Manveen Rana and Matthew Parris look at the fallout from the Rwanda ruling and the Gaza ceasfire vote , and find out why a disco ball is essential in a chicken hotel. Hoste...
Nov 16, 2023•48 min
On the day that the Supreme Court ruled the government's Rwanda plan is unlawful, Rishi Sunak goes head-to-head with Keir Starmer over immigration and national security. Matt is joined by Tim Shipman and Lara Spirit to pause the action and unpack the exchanges. Plus: Columnists Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton discuss the progress Sunak is making on his five pledges , whether it matters what a minister's spouse does for a living , and Robert is forced to defend his asserti...
Nov 15, 2023•1 hr 2 min
What does the rest of the world make of David Cameron's return to frontline politics? Climb aboard Chorley Airlines for a whistle-stop tour from Jerusalem to Brussels to Berlin. Matt is also joined by two people who came up against Cameron on opposite sides of the Brexit debate - former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond and former Brexit Secretary David Davis. Plus: A taster of the third episode of How To Win An Election , the new podcast which sees electoral masterminds Peter Mandelson...
Nov 14, 2023•45 min
As David Cameron's return to government stuns Westminster, Matt asks if he's the future once again - with guests including the former prime minister's biographer and his former deputy chief of staff. Plus: Columnists Libby Purves and Rachel Sylvester discuss the future of the Suella Braverman, the power of protest and why some in society are blind to antisemitism . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 13, 2023•47 min
Jonathan Aitken's career in politics began 60 years ago as a speech writer for Alex Douglas-Home and saw him rise to the cabinet under John Major. It all came crashing down when he was convicted of perjury and sent to prison, where he then rediscovered his religion. He talks to Matt about faith, prison reform, and why politicians lose their moral compass. Plus: Columnists James Marriott and India Knight discuss the possibility of Nigel Farage entering the I'm a Celebrity jungle , how happy...
Nov 10, 2023•46 min
Nadine Dorries' new book "The Plot" claims Boris Johnson was ousted by a cabal called "The Movement" that has been controlling the Tory leadership for two decades. Matt puts those claims to the test by speaking to Patrick Maguire - who read the book cover to cover, Danny Finkelstein - an alleged member of "The Movement", and Stephen Greenhalgh - an ally of Boris Johnson. Plus: Columnists Manveen Rana and Matthew Syed discuss Suella Braverman's claim that the Met police is biased towa...
Nov 09, 2023•48 min
Has the relationship between the civil service and politicians and their advisers been permanently damaged? Matt speaks to Lord McDonald, permanent secretary at the Foreign Office until 2020, former civil servant Jill Rutter, and Hugh Bennett, former special adviser to Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. Plus: Columnists Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton discuss Rishi Sunak's lack of political energy , British women's binge drinking habits , and why politicians are bunking off work more than ever...
Nov 08, 2023•36 min
As the government sets out its plans for the year ahead in the King's Speech , Matt is joined by impressionist Jon Culshaw to imagine some alternative measures King Charles could have announced. Plus: A taster of the second episode of How To Win An Election , the new podcast which sees electoral masterminds Peter Mandelson, Polly Mackenzie and Daniel Finkelstein join Matt to find out how to write an election-winning policy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 07, 2023•29 min
British horticulture is at a crisis point, with millions of pounds worth of crops rotting in the ground every year. Matt asks how our politicians can help the industry flourish and speaks to some green-fingered politicos. Plus: Columnists Libby Purves and Rachel Sylvester look at what's in and what's out of the King's Speech , why more kids than ever are missing from school , and James Marriott talks about his strange evening watching philosopher Jordan Pete...
Nov 06, 2023•46 min
Matt's been to see 'gently spoken nerd' Elon Musk meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak , and finds it's all a bit strange. He talks to Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer about whether the interview was a good idea, and talks to a former Twitter employee who was sacked by Musk. Plus: Columnists India Knight and James Marriott discuss a future where no one has a job , James' opinion that we all have too many opinions , and M&S apologising after an online backlash. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/...
Nov 03, 2023•40 min
What can Rishi Sunak learn from the final days of the Major government, when the prime minister was behind in the polls with a party mired in sleaze and infighting? Matt talks to Howell James, John Major's political secretary in the lead up to the 1997 election. PLUS: Columnists Manveen Rana and Matthew Parris discuss whether the prime minister's's AI summit can help him escape his domestic political troubles, whether King Charles should have apologised to Kenya for colonial-era abuses, and whet...
Nov 02, 2023•45 min
This week at the Covid inquiry we've learned a lot about the way Boris Johnson's government worked - and didn't - during the pandemic. Matt is joined by the Sunday Times' George Arbuthnott and the Specator's Isabel Hardman to unpack the most important, and the most expletive-laden, exchanges. Plus: Columnists Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton discuss whether MPs should be selected using US-style open primaries , and why Robert is determined not to retire . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy ...
Nov 01, 2023•49 min
Keir Starmer has been explaining why he has rejected calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, and claims the Labour Party is united. Will his speech settle tensions within the ranks? Matt speaks to Times Radio senior political correspondent Patrick Maguire and a councillor who calls Starmer's speech 'tone deaf'. Plus: We introduce the first episode of How To Win An Election, as electoral masterminds Peter Mandelson, Polly Mackenzie and Daniel Finkelstein join Matt to discuss when Rishi Sunak will call the...
Oct 31, 2023•36 min
As politicians from around the globe prepare to touch down in England for Rishi Sunak's AI summit, Matt asks the experts what risks this new technology poses for next year's campaign and elections around the world. Plus: Columnists Libby Purves and Rachel Sylvester discuss Keir Stamer allowing his MPs to undermine his position on a ceasefire in the Middle East , the blockbuster week ahead in the covid inquiry and the accents replacing cockney and RP. Hosted on Acast. ...
Oct 30, 2023•48 min
80 years ago, Winston Churchill announced a plan to rebuild the Palace of Westminster after the Commons chamber was hit during the last major raid of the blitz. Patrick Maguire in for Matt Chorley looks at the building's history from the Great Fire of London to the present day, and speaks to the chairman of Parliament's Restoration and Renewal programme Nigel Evans. Plus: Columnists James Marriott and Isabel Hardman discuss the power of the individual backbencher , play a round of Hansard Hoedow...
Oct 27, 2023•49 min
The crisis facing prisons in England and Wales is nothing new - in fact, governments of every stripe have been trying to fix it for decades. Patrick Maguire asks why they've failed, and what can be done to improve criminal justice in the future. Plus Manveen Rana and Matthew Bell discuss Israel's fallout with the United Nations , whether we should be scared of the AI future and Rachel Reeves plagiarising Wikipedia in her new book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy fo...
Oct 26, 2023•47 min
Fresh from Labour's recent by-election victories, Keir Starmer tells Rishi Sunak that voters want him to eff off while they clash over mortgages and rent costs. Patrick Maguire, Tim Shipman and Lara Spirit pause and unpack the action from Westminster. Plus: Columnists Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton chat about bankers bonuses, the division of labour in their households and why you should be writing a letter to winter... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mor...
Oct 25, 2023•1 hr 3 min
Its one year since Rishi Sunak was voted into number 10 so how is he faring when it comes to the policies that really matter? Patrick and a faculty of experts from The Times track his progress and grade his homework. Plus: The Daily Mirror's John Stevens and the Spectator's Katy Balls discuss why the Tories are losing voters to both their left and right, and why Brexiteer Steve Baker regrets that the referendum passed without a supermajority. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor...
Oct 24, 2023•40 min
With the government set to raise the spending cap for the next general election, Patrick Maguire asks if more money leads to worse politics. He talks to two donors about why they give money to the parties, and takes a look at how the billions of dollars being spent in the US have affected American political culture. Plus: Columnists Jenni Russell and Paul Mason discuss Labour's response to the Israel-Gaza conflict, a new zero tolerance approach to shoplifting , and whether ce...
Oct 23, 2023•47 min
Introducing: How To Win An Election. As the next General Election approaches, Matt Chorley is joined by three of the sharpest, funniest and best-connected strategists who know a thing or two about winning (and losing). Peter Mandelson was Labour’s director of communications for Neil Kinnock in 1987 and 1992; New Labour’s architect and later cabinet minister in 1997, 2001 and 2005; and Gordon Brown’s right-hand man in 2010. Daniel Finkelstein advised the SDP’s David Owen in 1987, worked for John ...
Oct 20, 2023•14 min
Do Labour's by-election wins add up to a political earthquake, and a sure sign that the Conservatives are destined to lose the next election? Or are they what you'd expect from a party that's been in power for 13 years facing difficult circumstances in both seats. Matt is joined by an expert panel including polling expert Professor John Curtice, Times Radio's Patrick Maguire and shadow cabinet minister Nick Thomas-Symonds. Plus: Columnists India Knight and James Heale discuss Joe Biden's de...
Oct 20, 2023•45 min
Matt is joined by Times and Sunday Times cartoonists Peter Brookes and Morten Morland at the Cheltenham Literature Festival to discuss the art of mocking politicians, and why mocked politicians still want to buy their work. Plus: Columnists Manveen Rana and Matt Deegan talk about the importance of language when reporting on conflict, and how to get over news fatigue. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 19, 2023•42 min
Against the backdrop of the escalating conflict in the Middle East, the prime minister and Labour leader debate the global response and the impact on the streets of Britain. Matt is joined by Tim Shipman and Lara Spirit to pause and unpack the action. PLUS: Robert Crampton and John Stevens discuss whether Westminster has a drinking problem , Robert's 30-year-old jokes , and whether there's any point in learning German . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informatio...
Oct 18, 2023•1 hr 4 min
As the world faces another major conflict, Matt takes a look at the history and changing nature of warfare since 1945 with former director of the CIA General David Petraeus and historian Andrew Roberts. Plus: Columnists Tom McTague and Jane Merrick discuss British influence in the Middle East, whether Sir Patrick Vallance's Covid-19 diaries should be kept private, and the tree-felling that brought down a Conservative council. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 17, 2023•47 min
