Politics Unpacked
Episodes
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...
Live from Labour Conference: The Ghost of Blair
28 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley speaks to a panel of seasoned Labour journalists and aides about whether the ghost of Tony Blair still haunts the Labour Conference. ...
Live From Labour Conference: The Economy
27 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley speaks to the CBI Director-General Tony Danker about Labour's bid to become the party of business.PLUS Jane Merrick from the I and Times ...
When Conference Goes Wrong
24 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Labour is heading to Brighton this weekend, kicking off the first party conference season in two years, we take a look at what can go wrong with the p...
Michael Cockerell
23 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Legendary documentary maker and journalist Michael Cockerell speaks to Matt Chorley about what makes a good political documentary.PLUSIndia Knigh...
PMQs Unpacked 22-9-21
22 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley and Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman pause the action to analyse the despatch box exchanges at Prime Ministers Questions. P...
All Aboard The Love Train
21 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley speaks to former Ambassador to the US Kim Darroch about what Boris Johnson can expect when he sits down to speak to President Joe Biden o...
Read All About It
20 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley speaks to the editors of three of the UK's biggest political magazines including the Spectator and the New Statesman to find out what mak...
Chorley in Chorley Special
17 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley is live from a café in Chorley for the G7 Speakers Conference. The UK's speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle gives him a tour of the market and sta...
Cabinet On Shuffle
16 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley and Times Chief Political Correspondent/DJ Henry Zeffman unpack what the new cabinet means for the country, and discuss whether or not th...
PMQs Unpacked 15-09-21
15 Sep 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...
Chequers Mate
14 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As Boris Johnson prepares to host an awkward dinner party at chequers this weekend, Matt Chorley gets the best anecdotes from those who know the Prime...
Starmer's Essay Crisis
13 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley speaks to Financial Times journalist Sebastian Payne about his new book Broken Heartlands, which documents the key constituencies Labour ...
Parliament After 9/11
10 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley looks back at the political response to 9/11 ahead of the 20th anniversary with those who were in the chamber, including Sir Bernard Jenk...
Spitting Image Revisited
09 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley goes to the Spitting Image studio to speak to some of the stars of the show ahead of its second seriesPLUSIndia Knight and the Spectator'...
PMQs Unpacked 08-09-21
08 Sep 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...
The End Of Cheap?
07 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Are we facing the end of cheap goods and services? Matt Chorley speaks to economists, industry leaders and people working at the sharp end of ret...
Parliament Returns
06 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley is live from the House of Commons as parliament returns. He speaks to the chief political correspondent for The Times, Henry Zeffman, to ...
Chorley's Covid Press Briefing
03 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's been months since the governments last covid briefing so Matt Chorley steps up to the plate and has re-created it. Speaking to The Times data jou...
America's Gun Problem
03 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Three weeks on from the Plymouth shooting, Matt Chorley speaks to Times Miami Correspondent Jacqui Goddard, Republicans Overseas' Greg Swenson and the...
Disunited Kingdom 1-9-21
01 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley speaks to journalists from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to get the news from the four corners of the UK. PLUSRobert...
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
31 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley speaks to the Times Scottish political editor Kieran Andrews and editor of the Courier David Clegg about the alliance and feud of Nicola ...
Riding the Populist Wave
30 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Carole Walker, sitting in for Matt Chorley, speaks to politics professors Tim Bale, Matthew Goodwin and Amelia Hadfield about what populism in Europe ...
Focus Group: Raab’s seat
27 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley reassembles the Times Radio Focus Group with views from voters in Dominic Raab’s constituency in Surrey.PLUS columnists Melanie Reid an...
"Please Email Me"
26 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley indulges Boris Johnson's request for local leaders to email him with ideas on how to 'Level Up' the UK, hearing from several councillors ...
Disunited Kingdom 25/8/2021
25 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley speaks to journalists from the four corners of the UK to get the latest political and pandemic news.PLUSRobert Crampton and Alice Th...
What The G7 Want
24 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley speaks to experts and journalists in the US, France, Italy, Germany, Canada and Japan about what their countries want to see happen at th...
Nudge Nudge Wink Wink
23 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley speaks to Nobel Prize winning behavioural economist Richard Thaler about this new book Nudge: The Final Edition and how governments can c...
Afghanistan: 2001
20 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Luke Jones sits in for Matt Chorley and speaks to guardian correspondent Jason Burke and Lieutenant Colonel Richard Williams about what it was like in...
How to topple a dictator
19 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Luke Jones sits in for Matt Chorley where he discusses the situation in Belarus right now with former UK ambassador to Belarus, Dr Nigel Gould-Davies ...
Disunited World
18 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In a departure from normal service, Luke Jones speaks to journalists and experts from China, Pakistan, the US and Russia to hear about what different ...
How To Take Over A Business
17 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Luke Jones speaks to Times Retail Editor Ashley Armstrong, Pizza Express Founder Hugh Osmond, Phones4u founder John Caudwell and serial entrepren...
Mother and Father of the House
16 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Luke Jones, sitting in for Matt Chorley is joined by the Mother and the Father of the House, Conservative MP Peter Bottomley and Labour MP Harriet Har...
How To Save The Government
13 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley tries to save the government with the Times' Henry Zeffman as they take part in an immersive play called Crisis? What Crisis? where they ...
The Secret Service
12 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley speaks to Washington Post journalist Carol Leonnig on her book, Zero Fail, which sheds light on the secrets and scandals of the Secr...
Disunited Kingdom: Education Special
11 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley dives into the news across the four corners of the UK and this week's focus is on education. PLUS John Stevens and Emma Woolf join M...
Are Second Homes Where The Heart Is?
10 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley asks whether second home ownership is a blessing or a curse for local communities in staycation hotspots with local protest groups, counc...
The Doctor Won't See You Now
09 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley hears from Red Box listeners about the difficulty in getting a face-to-face appointment with a GP. He hears from GP Sarah Jarvis and peop...
The Riots of 2011
06 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley reflects on the riots of 2011 with Shadow Justice Secretary and MP for Tottenham David Lammy, Stephen Reicher and Frances Crook.PLUS colu...
The MP who faked his own death
05 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley speaks to Julia Stonehouse, the daughter of the former Labour MP John Stonehouse who faked his own death in the 1970s, and found out how ...
Disunited Kingdom 04/08/2021
04 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley gets the news from the four corners of the UK with guests Rob Parsons, Editor of the Northern Agenda for Reach, Caroline Wilson, Sen...
Space Wars
03 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley speaks to Chair of the Defence Select Committee, Tobias Ellwood MP, and experts in the field of space defence to find out what threats co...
Going Green
02 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley speaks to the Prime Minister's COP26 spokesperson, Allegra Stratton, ahead of the COP26 conference in Glasgow. PLUS Times columnists...
Prime Minister Priti Patel And The Alternate Political Universe
30 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What if Ed Miliband had won? What if we'd voted for proportional representation? Luke Jones, sitting in for Matt Chorley, speaks to Duncan Brack ...
"How To Be An Olympic Champion"
29 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Luke Jones, sitting in for Matt Chorley, speaks to Adam Peaty's mum Caroline, Jessica Ennis-Hill's coach Steve Ingham and Chair of the British Olympic...
Disunited Kingdom 28-7-21
28 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Luke Jones, sitting in for Matt Chorley, gets the news from the four corners of the UK. PLUSTimes Columnist Robert Crampton and the Daily Mail's ...
What's The Big Idea - Revisited
27 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Luke Jones, sitting in for Matt Chorley, speaks to Suzanne Heywood and the winners of the Heywood Prize, which asked for members of the public to send...
The Young Ones
26 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Luke Jones, sits in for Matt Chorley and speaks to three eighteen year old councillors about why they wanted to get into politics, and what they...
Andrew Marr's Elizabethans
23 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley talks to legendary broadcaster Andrew Marr about 40 years in the industry, holding politicians to account, and which Britons he thinks wi...
Harry Enfield
22 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley is joined by legendary comedian Harry Enfield to talk about his new West End Show Windsors: Endgame, creating infamous political comedy c...
PMQs Unpacked 21-07-21
21 Jul 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 20-7-21
20 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley is joined by former Number 10 Pollster James Johnson to see what the Times Radio focus group make of freedom day, the pingdemic and Boris...
What did the pandemic ever do for us?
19 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley goes through some of the positive things to come out of the pandemic and covid breakthroughs with Sunday Times Science Editor Ben Spencer...
Historical PMQs Unpacked: Episode 1
16 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's 60 years this week since Prime Minister's Questions started properly in the Commons. Matt Chorley goes back to that first PMQs in 1961, and recre...
Wolff at The White House
15 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley talks to Michael Wolff, who has spent the last four years chronicling Donald Trump's presidency. His third book Landslide covers the fina...
PMQs Unpacked 14-07-21
14 Jul 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...
What the FOI?
13 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The government is subject to an inquiry into the way it's handing Freedom of Information Requests; Matt Chorley speaks to veteran FOI journalists...
"Five Things You Need To Know About Scottish Politics"
12 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley is joined by the Times' Scottish Political Editor Kieran Andrews for a lowdown on the most important things to know about Scottish politi...
Universities Challenged
09 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley talks about universities and what it will be like for students when they go back next term with the Office for Students's chief executive...
Can't handle the Ruth
08 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Chorley is joined by former leader of the Scottish Conservatives Ruth Davidson on the union, indyrefs and why she's ruling herself out as Boris J...
PMQs Unpacked 07-07-21
07 Jul 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...
The Politics of Petrol
06 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Petrol prices are at an 8 year high - Matt speaks to the RAC to find out why and asks whether it's actually a good thing. And on Tuesday's its Finkelv...
Unions strife
05 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Author Matt Speaks to two union general secretaries, historian Tim Bale and Times Red Box's Patrick Maguire to ask how the relationship between Labour...