Politics Unpacked

"Why Is The Home Office A Nightmare?"

25 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Times Columnists Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves pick over the day's news; then Matt Chorley is joined by former Home Secretaries Alan Johnson and J...

How to get a peerage

21 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Red Box reporter, Esther Webber, and Times' columnist Robert Crampton pick over the day's news; Matt Chorley is joined by Lord Norman Fowler to s...

Goodbye Donald: Bonus Episode

20 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The highs and lows of the Trump presidency as remembered by Times and Sunday Times reporters across America, introduced by Matt Chorley. Hear from Dav...

PMQs Unpacked 20-1-21

20 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 Shipm...

"What Do Prime Ministers Do All Day?"

19 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 Mi...

What can Labour learn from Biden?

18 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 Nan...

Education, Education, Education

14 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Red Box reporter, Esther Webber, and Times' columnist Robert Crampton pick over the day's news; Matt Chorley is joined by Professor Robert Winsto...

PMQ's Unpacked 13-1-21

13 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 Shipm...

Times Radio Focus Group - January 2021

12 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Times Columnists Daniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch pick over the day's news, and then Matt Chorley and former Number 10 pollster James Johnson ...

What's the Big Idea?

11 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

American Carnage

07 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Red Box reporter, Esther Webber, and Times' columnist Robert Crampton pick over the day's news; Matt Chorley is joined by the Times Washington Co...

Who Is Richard Leonard?

06 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 Richar...

Vaccination Nations

05 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Times Columnists David Aaronovitch and Daniel Finkelstein pick over the days news; then Matt Chorley boards Times Radio airways to find out how the va...

Do you speak politicalese?

04 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Times Radio's Quiz Of The Year

24 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Disunited Kingdom: Festive Special

23 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ta...

Vaccinderella

22 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Times columnists Festive Focus Group discusses whether the pandemic would have been better handled by someone else, and what they'd get Keir Starm...

Sketching 2020

21 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

Why Scunthorpe turned blue

17 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

PMQs Unpacked 16-12-2020

16 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Times Columnist Alice Thomson and Red Box regular John Kampfner pick over the day's news;  Matt Chorley and Red Box's Patrick Maguire p...

How do you solve a problem like Nicola?

15 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Times Columnists David Aaronovitch and Sebastian Payne pick over the day's news; then Matt Chorley is joined by Scottish Conservative Party Leader Dou...

Because They're Worth It

14 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Times Columnists Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves pick over the news; then Matt Chorley speaks to Opinium's Chris Curtis, Professor Vernon Bogdanor, ...

Chasing MPs with Michael Crick

10 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Times columnist Robert Crampton and Red Box reporter Esther Webber pick over the days news; then Matt Chorley talks to veteran broadcaster Michael Cri...

PMQs Unpacked 09-12-2020

09 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Making The Casey

08 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Times Columnists David Arronovitch and Daniel Finkelstein pick over the day's news; then Matt Chorley is joined by Baroness Louise Casey, a former gov...

The Joy of By-Elections

07 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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, Ti...

Land Down Under

03 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

PMQs Unpacked 02-12-2020

02 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 th...

Abstain On His Conscience

01 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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'...

Tackling HIV Stigma with Philip Normal

30 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

He Who Wields The Knife

26 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 Mini...

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

25 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by columnists Alice Thomson and John Kampfner, then former Chief Secretaries to the Treasury David Gauke and Liam Byrne explain...

The Future of Cash

24 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by Times columnists Daniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch to discuss the day's news; then Head of Money at consumer gro...

Tiers at Christmas

23 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 Ma...

Robot Wars with David Lidington

19 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As Boris Johnson committs billions to the UK defence budget, the biggest investment since the Cold War, Matt Chorley talks national security with Davi...

PMQs Unpacked 18-11-2020

18 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On Wednesday's Matt discusses the days big news stories with Times columnists Alice Thompson and John Kampfner. Plus Tim Shipman stops by to help Matt...

Does Germany Do It Better?

17 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's Tuesday which means Finkelvitch time, as Times columnists Daniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch join Matt Chorley to discuss the democratic tr...

The Leak Inquiry

16 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's Monday which means, as always, Times columnists Libby Purves and Rachel Sylvester join Matt to discuss the big news of the day. Then for the main...

Acting Prime Minister

12 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt speaks to actors Jason Watkins, Mark Dexter and Jan Ravens about what it's like to play the role of Prime Minister. Plus, Rachel Cunliffe and Rob...

PMQs Unpacked 11-11-2020

11 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Tim Shipman to unpack all the goings on from the commons in Prime Minister's Questions, and Times Columnists Alice Thomson and John ...

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis

10 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's Tuesday, which means Finkelvitch time as Times columnists David Aaronovitch and Danny Finkelstein drop by to discuss the days news. And for the m...

George Osborne

09 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by former chancellor George Osborne to get his take on the government's response to COVID-19, and Times columnists Rachel Sylvester an...

Liam Fox

05 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Carole Walker, sitting in for Matt Chorley, speaks to former International Trade Secretary Liam Fox about the US election, and journalists Robert Cram...

Nothing but questions: The US Election and PMQs 04-11-2020

04 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Times columnists Alice Thompson and John Kampfner as well as Sir Christopher Meyer, Britain's ambassador to the US from 1997 to 2003...

Idiot’s Guide to the US Election

03 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by Henry Zeffman to talk though his comprehensive guide to the US election for Brits (and idiots). Plus Times columnists David ...

What the Tories Really Think

02 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and Times Deputy Political Editor Steven Swinford reveal what Conservative MPs and Ministers really think about the new lockdown measures...

US Focus Group

29 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and former Number 10 pollster James Johnson convene a special Times Radio focus group with swing voters from Pennsylvania ahead of the Pr...

Ed Balls

28 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to the former Labour cabinet minster Ed Balls about leaving politics, making documentaries, the Labour party and Strictly Come Dan...

Paul Boateng + Polling

27 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley sits down with the UK's first black cabinet minister Paul Boateng, plus pollsters Chris Curtis and Deborah Mattinson give us the latest l...

Happy Birthday House of Commons

26 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On the 70th anniversary of the House of Commons' post-war reconstruction, Matt Chorley speaks to Speaker Lindsay Hoyle, and SNP MP Kirsten Oswald make...

Coronavirus Updates From Around The World

22 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Is the UK dealing particularly badly with the second wave of Coronavirus? Matt Chorley speaks to Times correspondents from Europe, Asia and the US to ...

PMQs Unpacked 21-10-2020

21 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman pause the action to explain the exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer at Prime M...

Playing Politics

20 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to playwright James Graham about why he loves dramatising politics, we hear from former Home Secretary Amber Rudd and actor Justin...

October Focus Group

19 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and former Number 10 Pollster James Johnson dissect the latest Times Radio focus group, featuring voters from London, Birmingham and Live...

Why Doesn't Britain Work?

15 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From Excel spreadsheets to the Brexit negotiations, former Cabinet Office Minister under David Cameron, Lord (Francis) Maude, speaks to Matt Chorley a...

PMQs Unpacked 14-10-2020

14 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman pause the action between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer to explain what's happening at Prim...

David Dimbleby

13 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to veteran broadcaster David Dimbleby about his new podcast on the Iraq war, public trust, Question Time, and why he doesn't have ...

The Press Secretaries

12 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to former Press Secretaries for every Prime Minister since Thatcher, who give their experiences of the job and advice for Boris Jo...

Pence vs Harris vs Fly

08 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to US pollsters Rachel Bitecofer, Jacob Rubashkin, Kyle Kondik, Professor Jason Reifler and the Washington Correspondent of the Ti...

PMQs Unpacked 7-10-20

07 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman to pause the exchanges between Keir Starmer and Boris Johnson and explain what's h...

Will The Real Boris Johnson Please Stand Up?

06 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rachel Wolf, the woman who wrote the 2019 Conservative manifesto, tells Matt Chorley the secret of Johnsonism. Plus the PM's biographer Andrew Gimson,...

What's Rishi Up To?

05 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On the day he gives his speech to the virtual Conservative Party Conference, Matt Chorley takes a look at the challenges facing Chancellor Rishi Sunak...

Spitting Image

01 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by Spitting Image creator Roger Law, as well as impressionists Matt Forde and Debra Stevenson, ahead of the show's return this ...

PMQs Unpacked 30-9-2020

30 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman pause the action between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer's weekly dispatch box exchange, and...

PMQs Unpacked 30-09-20

30 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman pause the action at PMQs to analyse the exchange between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer. Ho...

Pick of the Polls

29 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley, YouGov's Chris Curtis and Deborah Mattinson from Britain Thinks take a look at where the numbers are headed for Boris Johnson, Keir Star...

Dick & Dom and Cherie Blair

28 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Barrister Cherie Blair QC speaks to Matt Chorley about women in lockdown and Tony Blair's omelettes, then Dick & Dom from 'da bungalow' talk about...

September Focus Group

24 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and former Number 10 pollster James Johnson convene Times Radio's September Focus Group, with participants from Scotland. Hosted on Acast...

PMQs Unpacked 23-09-2020

23 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman pause the action at PMQs to analyse the exchange between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer. Ho...

In The Keir

22 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by Red Box Reporter Patrick Maguire, head of the New Economics Foundation and former Ed Miliband Advisor Miatta Fahnbulleh, and...

A United Ireland?

21 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to the President of Sinn Féin, Mary Lou McDonald, about the legacy of her party and what the future could hold for both sides of ...

David Cameron

17 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Former Prime Minister David Cameron speaks to Matt Chorley about the "talent" of Jeremy Hunt, working in a food bank during lockdown, sacking Dominic ...

PMQs Unpacked 16/09/20

16 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and Times Red Box Reporter Patrick Maguire pause the action at PMQs, and dissect the exchanges between Boris Johnson and Angela Rayner Ho...

Why Labour Lost

15 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to Gordon Brown's former pollster, Deborah Mattinson, about attitudes towards the Labour Party through the years and what exactly ...

Tory Tribes Go To War

14 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With Brexit bringing splits in the Conservative Party back to light, Matt Chorley speaks to the Times' Deputy Political Editor Steven Swinford about w...

Coronanomics

10 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to the Times' Economics Editor Philip Aldrick; the Resolution Foundation's Torsten Bell; Paul John from the Institute for Fiscal S...

PMQs Unpacked 09/09/20

09 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by Red Box reporter Patrick Maguire to watch this week's exchanges at the despatch box, pausing the action throughout to explai...

Parlez-vous Brexit?

08 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley takes a refreshers' class in Brexit vocabulary with Times Policy Editor Oliver Wright, Professor of EU Law Catherine Barnard, former advi...

Hot Takes and Hot Cakes

07 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to Times Columnists Libby Purves and Rachel Sylvester about the news of the day, and comedian Andy Hamilton about what he'd do if ...

Al Murray and the Comedy of Politics

03 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The comedian who ran for Parliament, Al Murray, speaks to Matt Chorley about the politics of comedy...and the comedy of politics. Hosted on Acast. See...

PMQs Unpacked 02/09/20

02 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman to watch the first despatch box battle of the new term, and pause the action to ex...

Live from Parliament

01 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley takes the show to Parliament to explore the Commons chamber; speak to one of the doorman, the Times' lobby team and Parliament's resident...

Best PMs We Never Had

31 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As part of Times Radio's World Cup of Best Prime Ministers We Never Had, Matt speaks to political historians Anthony Seldon and Steve Richards on the ...

The New Lib Dem Leader

27 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Daniel Finkelstein - sitting in for Matt Chorley - speaks to former Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable, and gets the results of the leadership contes...

Left Out with Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund

26 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Red Box's very own Patrick Maguire and the Sunday Times' Gabriel Pogrund join Daniel Finkelstein - sitting in for Matt Chorley - to talk about their n...

The Age of Osborne

25 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Daniel Finkelstein - sitting in for Matt Chorley - speaks to former Chancellor George Osborne about the right age to enter politics, and whether Joe B...

The Power of Data

24 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Daniel Finkelstein - sitting in for Matt Chorley - speaks to authors Tom Chivers and Jamie Susskind about how data and algorithms are being used to sh...

Next Slide Please - August

20 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to the Times data team to recreate a government Coronavirus press briefing, and finds out whether or not we've got the virus under...

The Kids Are Alright

19 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt speaks to three 17-year-old budding politicians about political TikTok, General Election 'hype houses' and what it's like to be young and politic...

If The Government Were A Car...

18 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Times columnists David Aaronovitch and Danny Finkelstein join Matt to chew over government resignations and U-turns. Then, Matt speaks to two top poll...

When Things Go Bad

17 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Algorithms: what are they? And how can you use them to predict someone's exam results? Matt Chorley speaks to Timandra Harkness, journalist and author...

Alan Johnson’s Lessons

13 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On A-level results day, former Labour Education Secretary Alan Johnson speaks to Matt Chorley about not going to university, the government's handling...

NZ Deputy PM Winston Peters

12 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister, Winston Peters, about the new outbreak of coronavirus cases there; Brexit and Boris Johnso...

Pulling US polls apart

11 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to Dr Larry Sabato, editor in chief of 'Sobato’s Crystal Ball', and Rachel Bitecofer, host of the Election Whisperer podcast, ab...

The One with David Miliband

10 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by former Foreign Secretary and Chief Executive of the International Rescue Committee David Miliband to discuss Lebanon, the re...

The Andys

06 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, and the Conservative Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, speak to Matt Chorley about local ...

August Focus Group

05 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and former Number 10 pollster James Johnson return to Times Radio's regular focus group to ask swing voters their take on politics, and p...

Moving Out of No10

04 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Amid talk that Boris Johnson could be considering moving his office out of Downing Street, Matt Chorley speaks to former historian in residence in Num...

How Do We Save Our Cities?

03 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to four city council leaders from across the UK about the state our city centres now, and post-COVID19. Featuring: Rachael Robatha...

Attlee and Space

30 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

No not Clement Attlee in space... Matt Chorley talks to Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds and historian Steven Fielding about the 75th anniver...