Politics Unpacked

Polling in the deep: Scotland edition

15 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Live from Glasgow, Matt Chorley speaks to Polling guru Sir John Curtice to take the temperature of Scottish politics before Ross Greer from the Scotti...

Anas Sarwar

14 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar about problems for the party and whether they can regain Labour's lost love.PLUS Melanie Rei...

Political Lookalikes

11 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by Tony Blair, Donald Trump, Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson. Well...sort of. Five lookalikes explain what it...

The Power of Proximity

10 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With all the job changes in Downing Street, Matt Chorley speaks to Jack Brown, the former Historian in residence at 10 Downing Street and au...

PMQs Unpacked 09-02-22

09 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and Chief Political Commentator of the Sunday Times Tim Shipman pause the action to analyse the exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir ...

How Do We Fix The Met?

08 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to the Times’ Crime and Security Editor Fiona Hamilton, Regional London Director of the IOPC, Sal Naseem, and he speaks to ...

What is Thatcherism?

07 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Despite raising taxes Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak think they're Thatcherites, but some of their MPs think they're socialists. We speak to the people...

BONUS: Leader of the Opposition - Episode 1

05 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Last year, to mark 300 years since Robert Walpole became Prime Minister, Matt Chorley learnt about every PM through history each week. This year, he's...

The Press Gallery

04 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What is the press gallery? Hundreds of journalists across different media organisations are now able to report from the Houses of Parliament. We take ...

Michael Crick on Nigel Farage

03 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to Veteran Political Journalist Michael Crick about his incredibly detailed biography of Brexit's Nigel Farage "One Party After An...

PMQS Unpacked 02-02-22

02 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and Chief Political Commentator of the Sunday Times Tim Shipman pause the action to analyse the exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir ...

Sue Gray Unpacked

01 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After explosive scenes in the House of Commons, Matt Chorley unpacks what happened with the Times Red Box Editor Patrick Maguire.PLUS FINKELVITCH: Dan...

Sue Gray, Sue Gray and Sue Gray

31 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to an unofficial focus group of women called Sue Gray to find out what they think about the report and Boris Johnson. Plus Opinium...

The Spike in Spiking

28 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt dives into the real spiking threat in nightclubs with chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee Dame Diana Johnson, St John's Ambulance, nightcl...

Holocaust Memorial Day with Stephen Pollard

27 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to the former Editor of the Jewish Chronicle about Holocaust Memorial Day and the threat of anti-Semitism in the UK today. PL...

PMQs Unpacked 26-01-2022

26 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and The Sunday Times' Tim Shipman pause the action and ring the bell in yet another Prime Minister's Questions dominated by Partygate and...

Is A United Ireland Inevitable?

25 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As Liz Truss continues negotiations to fix the Northern Ireland protocol, Matt Chorley speaks to political analysts and MPs on both sides of the Assem...

What's Happening In Ukraine?

24 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to Times Diplomatic Correspondent Catherine Philp, Former Defence Secretary Liam Fox, former UK Ambassador to Ukraine Leigh Turner...

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

21 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone is talking about letters of no confidence this week so Matt looks through letters which have shaped politics down the years, from campaigns t...

The Art of Defection

20 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What makes a politician defect and change political sides? Matt talks to four politicians who decided to jump and how they kept it a se...

PMQs Unpacked 19-01-22

19 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As Boris Johnson claims 'he was not told' the Downing Street party would breach lockdown regulations, Matt Chorley and Patrick Maguire pause the actio...

Who is Liz Truss?

18 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to Times Chief Political Correspondent Henry Zeffman, former SpAd Kirsty Buchanan and head of the Institute of Economic Affairs Ma...

The Scientists

17 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley talks to Sir Mark Walport, Professor Linda Bauld and The Science Media Centre's Fiona Fox about going from anonymous scientists in front ...

How to Remove a Tory Prime Minister

14 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley hears from people who were in the room with previous Conservative Prime Ministers as they were forced out from office. The Times' Politic...

Dying in a Hospice

13 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley catches up with former civil servant, cancer patient and listener Clair Fisher about being moved into a hospice and why palliative care n...

PMQs Unpacked 21-1-22

12 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With Boris Johnson under fire for the latest party allegations, Matt Chorley and Patrick Maguire pause the action between the exchanges at the dispatc...

Times Radio Focus Group 11-1-22

11 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and former Number 10 Pollster James Johnson convene the Times Radio focus group to find out what they think about the latest Number 10 pa...

How To Fix The Foreign Office

10 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to former Ambassador to the US Kim Darroch, Times Diplomatic Editor Roger Boyes, and former senior civil servants Jill Rutter and ...

Borgen Is Back

07 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Danish political drama is back this year. Matt Chorley speaks to the show's creator Adam Price about life imitating art, what really happens in Da...

American Civil War 2

06 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley looks back a year since the Capitol riots with Jamie Roberts and Robert Moore who were there. Also he spoke to Barbara Walter and Carlton...

PMQ's Unpacked 05-01-22

05 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A special PMQs Unpacked episode after Prime Minister's Questions was pushed back to 3pm. Matt Chorley takes over the role of Tim Shipman and pauses th...

Starmer Is Flagging

04 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to Times Chief Political Commentator Henry Zeffman, former Labour MP Anna Turley, pollster Kelly Beaver and Financial Times journa...

Political Dynasties

03 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Carole Walker, sitting in for Matt Chorley, speaks to historian Brenda Van Coppenolle, and Conservative politicians Geoffrey Clifton Brown and Nichola...

Alas Chorley and Jones

31 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In a Christmas special, fellow Times Radio presenter Luke Jones speaks to Matt Chorley about growing up in Taunton, working in Westminster and what he...

Gimson’s PMs: Thatcher to Johnson

30 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

PM Christmas Special: Matt Chorley and historian and author Andrew Gimson dive into the lives of British Prime Ministers. This episodes goes through a...

Festive Focus Group: Part 2

29 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to a focus group of the podcast's regular Columnists who write for The Times discussing the politics of 2021. In part 2 of 2, Matt...

Festive Focus Group: Part 1

28 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to a focus group of the podcast's regular Columnists who write for The Times discussing the politics of 2021. In part 1 of 2, Matt...

Politics Without The Boring Quiz

27 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley pits Labour's Jonathan Ashworth and Conservative Nicky Morgan, against Times and Sunday Times writers Patrick Maguire and Lindsay McIntos...

Matt and Mariella's Selection Box

25 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Christmas Day, Matt Chorley and his fellow Times Radio presenter Mariella Frostrup go through some of their 2021 show highlights. Hosted on Acast. ...

Bojo White: Times Radio Pantomime 2021

24 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley presents this year's Times Radio Pantomime, Bojo White and the Seven Political Dwarves. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more ...

Armando Iannucci

24 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley talks to Armando Iannucci, the creator of The Day Today, The Thick of It and Veep. They discuss Iannucci's new book Pandemonium: Some Ver...

PMQs Packed Up

22 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

No live PMQs this week, so Matt Chorley and Patrick Maguire look back over the year and assess what we've learned from the exchanges at the dispatch b...

Afghanistan Revisited

21 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Four months on from the evacuation, Jenny Kleeman, in for Matt Chorley, speaks to former Afghan MP Shukria Barakzai, and journalists Lynn O'...

Tim Smit

20 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to Eden Project founder Tim Smit about growing plants, hosting the G7 and making power with hot rocks. PLUSRachel Sylvester a...

Is The Party Over?

17 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In a special bumper podcast Matt Chorley speaks to Times Political Editor Steve Swinford, Conservative MP Charles Walker and Number 10 veter...

Alok Sharma talks about the climate

16 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to COP26 President and self-described "auditor in chief" Alok Sharma about the outcome of the climate summit, the challenges of to...

PMQs 15-12-21

15 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and Times Red Box Editor Patrick Maguire pause the action to analyse the exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer at Prime Minist...

Numbers Make The World Go Round

14 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to economist, author and presenter of Radio 4's More or Less Tim Harford about how to make sense of the numbers around us, and wha...

Andy Zaltzman

13 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley asks comedian Andy Zaltzman, host of the BBC's "The News Quiz", how best to satirise today's politicians.PLUS: Libby Purves and Rachel Sy...

Two Years Since the General Election 2019

10 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Luke Jones marks the second anniversary of the 2019 General Election with some of the big winners and losers from that year. How has politics has chan...

What does China want?

09 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Luke Jones sits in for Matt Chorley and discusses what does China want with former US ambassador to China under the Obama administration Max Baucus, M...

He's Behind You!

07 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Luke Jones sits in for Matt Chorley. Panto is back so Luke speaks to producers, writers and directors including; Robert Shaw Cameron, Vikki Stone, Lis...

Anglo-Irish Treaty Centenary

06 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

One hundred years after the Anglo-Irish treaty was signed, Luke Jones (in for Matt Chorley) goes back to the moment in history when the treaty was agr...

Hereditary Peers

03 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As the Lords debate a bill over whether to scrap Hereditary Peers by-elections, Matt Chorley finds out how the Hereditary Peer by-election system work...

50 years of the campaign against smoking

02 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley looks at the progress of the campaign against smoking, which began in 1971, and the politics of lighting up with Former Health Secretary ...

PMQS Unpacked 01 - 12- 21

01 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and Times Red Box Editor Patrick Maguire pause the action to analyse the exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer at Prime Minist...

Times Radio Focus Group 30-11-21

30 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Former Number 10 pollster James Johnson convenes the final Times Radio focus group of the year to discuss new covid measures and what to get Boris Joh...

Entente Discordiale

29 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley assesses the state of relations between Britain and France with Lord Ricketts, Britain’s ambassador to Paris from 2012 until 2016, and&...

Best of Enemies

26 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley interviews Writer James Graham and Director Jeremy Herrin. Their new play: "Best of Enemies" is about the debates of William F Buckley Ju...

After Prison

25 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Do prisons work? Matt speaks to the former justice secretary Robert Buckland, former prisoners Tyrell and David Breakspear and Paula Harriott from the...

PMQS Unpacked 24 - 11- 21

24 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and Chief Political Commentator of the Sunday Times Tim Shipman pause the action to analyse the exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir ...

What Does Putin Want?

23 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to former White House advisor Fiona Hill, former UK Ambassador Tony Brenton and former Kremlin spokesperson Sergei Markov abo...

Katharine Birbalsingh

22 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley interviews Katharine Birbalsingh, the new Chair of the Social Mobility Commission, also known as "Britain's Strictest Headteacher".PLUS: ...

I'm A Politician, Get Me In There!

19 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Why MPs do reality TV? Matt speaks to the culture secretary Nadine Dorries, former MPs; Matthew Parris, Julia Goldsworthy, Michael Fabricant and more....

Polling in the Deep

18 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What can the polls tell us? Matt Chorley speaks to Chris Curtis from Pollsters Opinium and Political Scientist Paula Surridge to reveal what's really ...

PMQS Unpacked 17-11-21

17 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and Chief Political Commentator of the Sunday Times Tim Shipman pause the action to analyse the exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir ...

Remembering Clarissa Eden

16 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to author and friend of Clarissa Eden, wife of Anthony Eden, who died this week at the age of 101. PLUSDaniel Finkelstein and...

Whips Smart with Andrew Mitchell

15 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Former Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell speaks to Matt Chorley about his new book Beyond a Fringe: Tales from a Reformed Establishment Lackey.PLUS The ...

The Sleaziest Decade: Nineties, Noughties or Now?

12 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Is the present sleaze scandal the worst? Or do we need to travel back in time to the 90's or the noughties? Matt speaks to some of the journalists who...

MPs Killed In WWI

11 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley reflects on what Remembrance Day means to MPs and finds out about some of those who served and died in the war with parliament ...

Disunited Kingdom 10-11-21

10 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's transport day at COP26, and Matt Chorley speaks to journalists from the four corners of the UK to find out what green travel is like across the c...

Who'd be a GP?

09 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley hears about a day in the life of two GPs as they face winter pressures and a mounting backlog of patients, as well as Royal College of GP...

Is WhatsApp Killing Political History?

08 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to historian Anthony Seldon, Catherine Haddon from the Institute for Government, Chris Evans MP and Nick Mays from the News UK arc...

Stayin' Alive

05 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Could we live forever? Matt Chorley speaks to Richard Faragher, professor of gerontology at the University of Brighton, on the science of living forev...

Out of Africa

04 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In just 60 years there will be more Nigerians than Europeans. Matt Chorley looks at the future of migration in Africa with Roger Boyes, Yvonne Ndege f...

PMQS Unpacked 03 -11-21

03 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and Chief Political Commentator of the Sunday Times Tim Shipman pause the action to analyse the exchanges between Boris Johnson and Angel...

November Focus Group

02 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by James Johnson, who chairs a panel of swing voters from Plymouth, Manchester and Derby, to get their views on Boris Johnson a...

Danny Alexander

01 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to Former Cabinet Minister Danny Alexander who's arrived at COP26 to argue for greener investment in Asia.PLUSLibby Purves and Rac...

Fiona Hill: From County Durham to the White House

29 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by Fiona Hill to talk about going from a County Durham comprehensive to working for three US presidents.PLUS a look back a...

The Budget Small Print

28 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to a panel of economic experts each with their own key takeaway from Rishi Sunak's Budget. PLUS:India Knight and James Marrio...

PMQs Unpacked 27-10-21

27 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and Times Red Box Editor Patrick Maguire pause the action to analyse the exchanges between Boris Johnson and Ed Miliband (in for Keir Sta...

Allegra Stratton Q&A

26 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley puts questions sent in by Times Radio listeners to COP26 Spokesperson Allegra Stratton.PLUS: David Aaronovitch and John Stevens discuss t...

Happy Birthday, Private Eye

25 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to Adam Macqueen, author of a new book chronicling six decades in news as captured by the satirical magazine.Plus Libby Purve...

The Greens

22 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As The Green Party host their party conference, Matt Chorley asks whether they can gain from environmental issues becoming mainstream and what they ca...

Pandemic Politics + John Humphrys

21 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley looks at the impact of the past year on political attitudes with Sir John Curtice and Gillian Prior from National Centre for Social ...

PMQs Unpacked 20-10-2021

20 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and Red Box Editor Patrick Maguire pause the action to analyse the despatch box exchanges at Prime Minister’s Questions. PLUS Alic...

October 2021 Focus Group

19 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by former No10 pollster James Johnson for the monthly Times Radio Focus Group in association with Kekst CNC, asking a panel of ...

Jess Phillips

18 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to the Labour frontbencher at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, just an hour after news broke of the killing of Sir David Amess....

I Spy

15 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley looks at the link between GCHQ and Cheltenham and speaks to GCHQ's historian David Abrutat and former GCHQ director David Omand. Also Ed ...

Personality Politics

14 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley hosts a panel live at the Cheltenham Literature festival asking how important personality is to a politician's success. PLUS: An int...

PMQs Unpacked LIVE

13 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and Patrick Maguire take a trip down political history lane and analyse their favourite PMQs exchanges in front of a live audience at the...

100 Years Of Ireland

12 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to the Irish Culture Minister Catherine Martin, Irish Ambassador to the UK Adrian O’Neill and visits a new exhibition showcasing...

Cartoonist Peter Brookes

11 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to legendary cartoonist Peter Brookes about satirising the cabinet.PLUSLibby Purves and the Atlantic’s Tom McTague discuss the e...

Inside The Parole Board

07 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In an exclusive first interview, former NATO ambassador now Parole Board member Sir Stewart Eldon, tells Matt how they decide who gets to come ou...

Live from Tory conference: Johnson’s Speech

06 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley dives into some analysis and reaction after Boris Johnson addresses Conservative delegates at their party conference in Manchester. ...

Live from Tory Party Conference - Nick Timothy

05 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to Nick Timothy, Theresa May's Chief Advisor in the Home Office and Number 10, about policing ahead of the Home Secretary's Confer...

Live from Tory Party Conference: Wage against the Machine

04 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Live in Manchester Matt Chorley speaks to a panel of economic experts to analyse the PM's claims that wages are rising for the nation's poorest. ...

The Political System

01 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley dives into how the political system works with Tim Bale and Paul Webb talking about their new book, The Modern British Party System.PLUSC...

Crisis? What Crisis?

30 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley remembers the Winter of Discontent in 1978/79 with people who were in government and the media at the time. Can we compare it to today's ...

Live From Labour Conference: Starmer's Speech

29 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley looks back through history at the maiden conference speeches made by past Labour leaders.PLUS: Labour List's Sienna Rogers and The Specta...