Politics Unpacked

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...

Around the World in Eight Correspondents

29 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After Boris Johnson warned about the risks of foreign travel this summer, Matt jets off aboard Times Radio Airways to get the latest from Times corres...

Is Democracy Dead?

28 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to journalist and historian Anne Applebaum on her new book, 'Twilight of Democracy' - how worried should we be about our politics?...

Choose Your Vice

27 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to the Times' Washington Correspondent Henry Zeffman about Joe Biden's upcoming Vice Presidential selection. Hosted on Acast. See ...

One Year of Boris

23 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In an extra special podcast, Matt Chorley looks back over Boris Johnson's first year in office by assessing the success of promises made in his first ...

Next Slide Please

22 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A month after the government stopped doing them, Matt Chorley speaks to the Times very own experts to re-create the Downing Street Coronavirus press b...

From Russia with Love

21 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by two experts on Russia - Dr Jonathan Eyal from RUSI and Dr Calder Walton from Havard - to dissect the Russia report and look ...

The Red Wall

20 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley talks to author Steven Rayson, pollster Peter Kellner and former Labour MP Caroline Flint about the future of Red Wall seats in the North...

Layla vs Ed

16 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The two Liberal Democrat leadership candidates - Ed Davey and Layla Moran - talk to Matt Chorley about what they would do if they were in charge. Hos...

PMQs Unpacked

15 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman pick through the exchange between Keir Starmer and Boris Johnson. Hosted on Acast. See acas...

Legal ease with Geoffrey Cox

14 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley talks to former Conservative Attorney General Geoffrey Cox about keeping the government in line with the law, and what happens when your ...

Blast from the Past

13 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Eminent classicist Mary Beard joins Matt Chorley to look at what we can learn about politics by studying the ancient Greeks and Hosted on Acast. See ...

Hague on Rishi

09 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to former Conservative Foreign Secretary William Hague on Rishi Sunak's summer statement and Britain's place in the world. Hosted ...

PMQs Unpacked

08 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman to dissect the ballot box exchange, and pause the action to explain what's going o...

One month after Colston

07 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A month after the statue of slave-trader Edward Colston was toppled in Bristol, Matt Chorley talk's to the city's Mayor Marvin Rees about how the prot...

Pensions, Actually

02 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Director of Bridget Jones, Notting Hill and Love Actually talks to Matt Chorley about pensions, and we hear from a hotelier who's been housing rough s...

Who Run The World?

01 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley talks to not one, but two former Prime Ministers. Helle Thorning-Schmidt was Prime Minister of Denmark at the same time Julia Gillard was...

July Focus Group

30 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley unveils the first ever Times Radio focus group, and talks through the results with former Number 10 pollster James Johnson. Hosted on Aca...

Osborne and Darling

29 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the first episode of his new Times Radio show Matt Chorley talks to former Chancellors George Osborne and Alistair Darling about what you no when t...

What the hell went on

23 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As Matt Chorley prepares to turn the podcast into a live show on Times Radio, he looks back over four and a half years of madness. Hosted on Acast. Se...

What is Rishi Sunak up to?

15 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to Steven Swinford, deputy political editor of The Times, and Salma Shah, former special adviser to Sajid Javid, about the game th...

Marvin Rees on race, statues and police

09 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to the Labour mayor of Bristol about his childhood, protests and why the dumping of a statue of Edward Colston into the harbour wh...

Trump fighting on multiple fronts

04 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to Henry Zeffman, The Times Washington correspondent, about the president’s problem with protests, coronavirus and Twitter. Plus...

Let's all do the conga

02 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As MPs vote on how to vote, Matt Chorley speaks to one MP caught up in the socially-distanced queue (Tracy Brabin) and another shielding at home (Robe...

Testing Cummings’ hindsight

25 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by Steven Swinford and Hugo Rifkind to discuss why Dominic Cummings is going nowhere. Which makes a change. Hosted on Acast. Se...

Life after Italy's lockdown

21 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to Tom Kington, who was on the streets of Venice, about tourism, loan sharks and the rising price of coffee. Hosted on Acast. See ...

Pulling polls apart

19 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to Deborah Mattinson (Gordon Brown's former pollster), James Johnson (Theresa May's former pollster) and YouGov's Chris Curtis abo...

Pienaar's politics

15 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to John Pienaar about the impact of coronavirus on politics and the media, and his new Times Radio show. Hosted on Acast. See acas...

Disunited Kingdom

12 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As the four nations go their own way on coronavirus, Matt Chorley speaks to political journalists in Manchester, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast about ...

PMQs: Courtroom drama

06 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and Esther Webber watch as Sir Keir Starmer cross-examines Boris Johnson for the first time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m...

Is this the way out?

05 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to Tom Whipple, The Times' science editor, about what we know (and what we don't know). Plus specialists Rosemary Bennett, the edu...

Can Biden win from his basement?

30 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to Henry Zeffman, The Times’ Washington correspondent, about the trouble for Trump and how his Democrat rival is inching ahead. ...

Who is in charge here?

28 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The politicians say they are following the science, the scientists say politicians must decide. Matt Chorley is joined by Chris Smyth, The Times' form...

Did Starmer storm it?

22 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and Esther Webber watch the Labour leader make his PMQs debut during a very weird virtual Commons sitting. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com...

No pink shorts in parliament

20 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As parliament returns in virtual form, Matt Chorley asks Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker, about video question time will work, and what MPs sho...

The language of a lockdown

16 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From quarantine crisis to unprecedented panic, the news is full of alarming new words and phrases. Matt Chorley speaks to Julia Samuel, a psychotherap...

No, everything hasn't changed forever

14 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Life might have been turned upside down, but Matthew Parris tells Matt Chorley we will be desperate to go back to our old ways.PLUS James Johnson on B...

Greatest political TV shows

06 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With a lot of us having time on our hands to watch shows about when politics was more normal, Matt Chorley asks Hugo Rifkind, The Times' columnist and...