Politics Unpacked

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...

Becoming leader when nobody cares

02 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As Labour picks its leader, Matt Chorley talks to William Hague about taking charge when "people are utterly uninterested in what you think and do". H...

Labour. Remember them?

31 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As the opposition prepares for a new leader, Matt Chorley asks Janice Turner and Daniel Finkelstein how to make a first impression. PLUS Gabriel Pogru...

Greatest political movies ever

26 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley asks Kevin Maher, The Times chief film critic, to separate the ballot box blockbusters from the low-turnout turkeys. PLUS: Esther Webber ...

Communicating a crisis

24 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to Alastair Campbell and James Johnson about mixed media messages, plus Rachel Sylvester on politics turned upside down. Hosted on...

Introducing Stories of our times; Has the government done enough?

23 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today an edition of our new daily podcast - Stories of our times. Our new free daily news podcast takes you to the heart of the stories that matter, w...

Reasons to be cheerful

20 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After a grim week, Matt Chorley, Esther Webber and Daniel Finkelstein discuss how to cope at home, and glimmers of hope. Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...

Eurovision of misery

17 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Holed up at home, Matt Chorley speaks to Times colleagues across Europe and the world to see what quarantine is like, including filling forms, dodging...

How to build a budget

10 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From the scorecard and Commons speech to the red box and wardrobe malfunctions, Matt Chorley speaks to George Osborne, Ed Balls, Norman Lamont and Pop...

How is Biden back from the dead?

05 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Two weeks after Joe Biden was written off, he is now the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. Matt Chorley asks Henry Zeffman, The Times Washing...

Is everything getting worse?

03 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by ex-No10 adviser Will Tanner, who has new research on tears in our social fabric. Plus: columnist Rachel Sylvester on a warni...

What do you see?

25 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by ex-spad Jason Stein, who lifts the lid on the shadowy Whitehall unit which polices propriety, Matthew Parris explains why th...

Who should Trump fear?

18 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As the Democrats struggle to find a candidate, Matt Chorley asks The Times' US team David Charter, Henry Zeffman and Ben Hoyle who has momentum, who c...

Big fish in a small reshuffle

11 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by James Starkie, a former special adviser to Priti Patel, Dominic Raab and Michael Gove, who explains what is like inside gove...

Frankly, my dear, I don't give a Dom

04 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How powerful is the PM’s adviser? Matt Chorley is joined by Steven Swinford, The Times deputy political editor, to assess the waning influence of Do...

Back to the future

30 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley and Tim Shipman revisit their predictions made on the morning after the Leave vote in June 2016, and reflect on what came next. Hosted on...

Could Johnson turn out to be good?

28 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley asks Iain Martin why he now thinks Downing Street might know what it is doing, Lucy Fisher explains why the Huawei decision is so controv...

Armando Iannucci

23 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley asks the comedy genius about bringing back The Thick of It, sneaking into the US State Department, and his new space tourism series Avenu...

York state of mind

21 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by Rachel Sylvester who wonders if the Lords really will move to York, Hugo Rifkind warns Labour hating Tories is no vote winne...

War! Royals! Britney!

14 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by Lucy Fisher, The Times defence editor, on how President Trump avoided World War Three; David Aaronovitch wonders why everyon...

Drama out of a Cobra crisis

09 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to actor Robert Carlyle about playing the prime minister in new Sky One drama Cobra, and its creator Ben Richards explains that a ...

Inside the government machine

07 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by Lord O'Donnell, the former cabinet secretary, David Gauke, the former cabinet minister, and Polly Mackenzie, the former No10...

2020 Vision

31 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley asks Francis Elliott, Times political editor, Steven Swinford, deputy political editor, and Lucy Fisher, defence editor, what the new yea...

This. Is. Not. Normal.

24 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How did Matt Chorley end up embarking on a political stand-up tour? The tables are turned as he is interviewed by Alex Jacques about satire, reading a...

2019 Quiz of the Year: Part two

20 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Forget the election, this is the big political battle of the year. Part two of the Red Box podcast 2019 Quiz of the Year.Will Patrick Kidd&n...

2019 Quiz of the Year: Part one

17 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As another bizarre year in politics comes to an end, Matt Chorley poses the questions to see who has been paying most attention.The MP team has Tom Tu...

The morning after

13 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As the full scale of the election result became clear, Red Box assembled a stellar line-up of Times and Sunday Times reporters and columnists to expla...

How to survive election night

10 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley brings you everything you need to know, with Esther Webber’s guide to the key seats to stay up for, TV reviewer Hugo Rifkind on what to...

100 voters in one room

06 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Times invited people from swing seats across England and Wales to talk parties, policies and polls. Matt Chorley speaks to Emma Tucker, Oliver Wri...

Election road trip

03 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to Times writers Janice Turner, Patrick Kidd and Robert Crampton about what they found during their election road trips, discuss v...

Land’s End to John O’Groats

28 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley chats to Philip Bowern and Keith Rossiter from the Western Morning News about election prospects in Cornwali and Devon, then Kieran Andre...

Is this the election result?

27 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As YouGov releases its seat-by-seat forecast for the election, Matt Chorley speaks to pollster Chris Curtis about how it works, and what could change....

Your election questions answered

26 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After Red Box listeners sent in questions about the election, Matt Chorley assembles a stellar panel to answer them. Henry Zeffman, The Times’ polit...

Loony tunes

21 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley meets Alan “Howling Laud” Hope, leader of the Monster Raving Loony Party and veteran of eight general elections, and asks: what’s t...

When election campaigns go wrong

19 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley takes you behind-the-scenes with three people who know what it is really like trying to win the nation's vote.Polly Mackenzie was a polic...

Can we trust the polls?

14 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley talks to polling guru Sir John Curtice about where the polls went wrong, whether they are right now, and how his election night exit poll...

Prime Minister Corbyn: what then?

12 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley examines what a Labour government would do. He speaks to Andrew Gwynne, the party's election co-ordinator, about what sort of PM Jeremy C...

Not many friends in the North

07 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley heads to Leeds, where Yorkshire Post political editor Rob Parsons and ITV Political Correspondent Joe Pike warn it will be harder for the...

The Bye Election

05 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

And they're off! MPs are leaving in Westminster, back to their constituencies in search of re-election. But not all of them: dozens of MPs of all...

How could Johnson lose the election?

29 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As the country gears up for some festive political fun, Matt Chorley asks YouGov's Anthony Wells what could go wrong for the Tories, Rachel Sylvester ...

Welcome to Taunton

22 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

With Westminster in turmoil Matt Chorley heads back to his hometown to talk shops, Brexit and the long-trailed Lib Dem fightback. Hosted on Acast. See...

Not-so-Super Saturday

19 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined in parliament by Henry Zeffman, Tim Shipman, Esther Webber, Iain Martin, Francis Elliott and Steven Swinford to watch Brexit hi...

Finishing Brexit could be bad for Boris

15 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley talks to James Johnson, a former No10 pollster, about the Tory election strategy and why voters don’t reward politicians for what they’...

Election shock therapy

08 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by British Election Study authors Jane Green, Geoff Evans and Chris Prosser to explain why half of us are now floating voters a...

On the buses

03 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley boards the 142 from Manchester to Didsbury with the Manchester Evening News’ Jen Williams to talk buses, Brexit and getting out of the ...

Brexit, Boris and blackface

01 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined at the Tory conference by Daniel Finkelstein, Alice Thomson and Hugo Rifkind. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...

Live with Liz Truss

30 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley sits down with International Trade Secretary, Liz Truss, to discuss brutal political rhetoric, crashing out with no deal and why she's be...

Live with John McDonnell

24 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As Labour conference is cut short for the recall of parliament, Matt Chorley talks to the shadow chancellor about the Supreme Court ruling, the timing...

Stuck in neutral

23 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is in Brighton for the Labour Party conference, as delegates back Jeremy Corbyn’s policy to not support Remain or Leave in a referendum...

Cameron Interview Part 2: What it's like being PM

19 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In part two of the exclusive interview, Matt Chorley asks David Cameron about his relationship with the Queen, his dread of PMQs and his biggest gaffe...

Cameron Interview Part 1: What I told May to do

18 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In part one of a two-part special, Matt Chorley speaks to David Cameron about his Brexit regrets, the mistakes Theresa May made, and whether Boris Joh...

High on their own supply

17 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by Esther Webber, who reports from a giddy Lib Dem conference in Bournemouth. Plus YouGov's Chris Curtis on what is really goin...

Cummings Vs Coalitions

10 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by Jason Stein, who was Amber Rudd's spin doctor and reveals the politics of mobile phones and how Dominic Cummings is unwillin...

A hard day’s fight

04 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley brings you an hour-by-hour account of an extraordinary day in Westminster, from rebels to PMQs, spending to voting, elections to deselect...

“Just somebody do something”

03 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As the political stalemate continues, Matt Chorley talks to Salma Shah, former special adviser to Sajid Javid, and Times columnists Philip Collins and...

Bonjour de Biarritz

27 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley speaks to Charles Bremner, The Times Paris correspondent, about the G7 summit in southern France, how Brexit and Boris Johnson are viewed...

A beginner's guide to the House of Lords - Part Two

22 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Red Box reporter Esther Webber talks to Baroness Evans, Baroness Smith, Lord Fowler and others about the future of the strangest part of the British c...

A beginner's guide to the House of Lords - Part One

19 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Esther Webber talks to Baroness Evans, Baroness Smith, Lord Fowler and others about how the strangest part of the British constitution works. Hosted o...

Beyond the fringe #3

12 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by Tiff Stevenson, Konstantin Kisin, Steve Allen and Jena Friedman to discuss free speech, Twitter trolls and being better.&nbs...

Beyond the fringe #2

05 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by Matt Forde and Grace Campbell to discuss leaving Labour, writing worries and playing with Putin's kids. Hosted on Acast. See...

Beyond the fringe #1

01 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley is joined by Iain Dale, Lolly Jones and Dominic Frisby to discuss tax, talk shows and nipple tassels. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv...

The good, the spad and the ugly

30 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What does a special adviser (spad) do? Where does power lie? How do you tell the boss to change the clothes or their poll ratings are tanking?Matt Cho...

PM Johnson: now what?

23 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Chorley was in the room for the announcement that Boris Johnson will be the new Tory leader, and gets instant reaction from Francis Elliott, The ...

What happens when you become PM?

19 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A visit to the Queen, a speech in Downing Street, then what? In a special documentary Matt Chorley speaks to those who know what it is like to move in...