Shows / Politics Unpacked
Politics Unpacked
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the the politics of the day - and the stuff that's even more important - with the brightest brains from the Times and Sunday Times.
You can listen to Hugo on DAB, smart speaker or app 10am-1pm Monday to Friday. If you like what you hear, then read more at http://www.thetimes.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
- Politics Unpacked
PMQs Unpacked: Speaking With One Voice
Against the backdrop of the escalating conflict in the Middle East, the prime minister and Labour leader debate the global response and the impact on the…
- Politics Unpacked
The Changing Face of War
As the world faces another major conflict, Matt takes a look at the history and changing nature of warfare since 1945 with former director of the CIA General…
- Politics Unpacked
Faith In Politics?
Should politicians do God, and does religion still matter in politics? Matt discusses the role of faith in public life and the Israel-Gaza conflict with the…
- Politics Unpacked
What Election Year Is It?
Which election in history could 2024 most closely resemble? Will it be a 1997-style landslide? Could the Tories pull off a surprise win like John Major in…
- Politics Unpacked
Focus Group: Stop Being So Weak
Has Keir Starmer sealed the deal with undecided voters? In the latest Times Radio Focus Group, Matt and James Johnson from JL Partners find that while Rishi…
- Politics Unpacked
Planes, Trains and Toilet Doors
Forget the Westminster bubble, some of history's most important political events happened not in the corridors of power but in car parks, village halls and…
- Politics Unpacked
Can A Conference Speech Win An Election?
As Keir Starmer makes his final pitch to the public ahead of the next general election, Matt looks back at the pre-election conference speeches of previous…
- Politics Unpacked
Angela Rayner's Venom
Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner and shadow health secretary Wes Streeting have a round of cocktails with Matt and discuss Angela's favourite drink…
- Politics Unpacked
Iron Daughter: Carol Thatcher
After Labour's decisive win in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, Keir Starmer channelled Michael Caine and claimed the party had 'blown the doors…
- Politics Unpacked
Secrets Of Churchill's Office
The old War Office in Whitehall, once used by Winston Churchill as the nerve centre of Britain's war effort, has been hidden from public view for more than a…
- Politics Unpacked
What Comes After Sunak?
Rishi Sunak has made his first party conference speech as leader, but polls suggest it could be his last; so who comes next? JL Partners' Scarlett Maguire and…
- Politics Unpacked
100 Years Of Tory Turmoil
This year marks a century since the 1922 committee of Conservative backbenchers came into being. Why do the men and women in grey suits still wield so much…
- Politics Unpacked
Focus Group: Snog, Marry, Avoid
It's a special conference edition of the Times Radio Focus Group; Matt and James Johnson from JL Partners hear from a group of 2019 Conservative voters who say…
- Politics Unpacked
30 Years Since Back To Basics
30 years ago John Major made a speech pledging to get Britain, and his government, ‘back to basics' - but the scandals just kept coming. Matt speaks to Howell…
- Politics Unpacked
Your Starter For Ten
How often do politics and quizzing collide? There's a rich history of politicians trying and failing to answer simple questions, and the British public…
- Politics Unpacked
Take A Chance On Ed?
It's the podcast everyone has been waiting for... join Matt and Patrick Maguire as they bring you Ed Davey Unpacked: pausing and analysing the action from…
- Politics Unpacked
Crazy Golf, Crazy Davey
It’s Liberal Democrat conference in Bournemouth, and Matt plays crazy golf with party leader Ed Davey. How many houses does he want to build, why won’t he talk…
- Politics Unpacked
How To Party At Party Conferences
As party conference season kicks off, Matt speaks to those who have seen it all - from karaoke, to babysitting drunk ministers, to skinny dipping. Plus…
- Politics Unpacked
The Not Quite Prime Ministers
History is written by (and often about) the winners, but the lives and careers of Britain's political losers can be just as telling. Leaders of the Opposition…
- Politics Unpacked
Why Are We In Love With The Big State?
The British Social Attitudes Survey has been running for 40 years, and its latest findings show that we expect the state to do more than ever before. Matt is…
- Politics Unpacked
Cutting The Green Crap?
With Parliament in recess and no PMQs, Matt is joined by Patrick Maguire and Kate McCann to answer questions from the listeners on Rishi Sunak's net zero…
- Politics Unpacked
Make Slogans Great Again
As we learn Labour's slogan for party conference season, Matt is joined by columnists Daniel Finkelstein and Jane Merrick to discuss the best and the worst -…
- Politics Unpacked
How To Look Like A Prime Minister
Keir Starmer may be ahead in the polls, but nearly half of voters say they still don't think he looks like a prime minister in waiting. Matt hears advice on…
- Politics Unpacked
WTF did WFH do to UK?
Matt is working from home today...a rare occasion for him but not for millions of people . Stanford economist and world leading expert in remote working Nick…
- Politics Unpacked
Can Starmer Stop The Boats?
Keir Starmer says he'll tackle the problem of small boats crossing the channel with his plan to "smash the gangs". Will the policy work, can he park his tanks…
- Politics Unpacked
PMQs Unpacked: Cock Up After Cock Up
It's the last PMQs before the party conferences, with Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer trading blows over the government's string of recent woes and Starmer…
- Politics Unpacked
Would You Like A Referendum On That?
Are referendums the sign of a healthy democracy, or as Thatcher said a "device of dictators and demagogues"? Matt finds out about their increasing use around…
- Politics Unpacked
Can Labour Beat The Tories On Defence?
Defence and security is one of the areas where the Conservatives are still more trusted than Labour by the public. With big questions looming over Ukraine…
- Politics Unpacked
The Museum of Political Fiascos
Welcome to the grand opening of The Museum of Political Fiascos, where artefacts old and new are on display showcasing the most embarrassing moments in British…
- Politics Unpacked
Focus Group: It Gets Worse For Sunak
The focus group is back, with swing voters from around England giving us their unvarnished view of politics. It's bad for Rishi Sunak, with even former Tory…
- Politics Unpacked
PMQs Unpacked: Concrete Chaos
It's the first PMQs clash between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer since Parliament returned from the summer break, and the exchanges are dominated by crumbling…
- Politics Unpacked
Blair To The Future
Keir Starmer has met with his brand new shadow cabinet for the first time, but does his top team now have more Blairites than Tony Blair ever did? Matt is…
- Politics Unpacked
What's Worrying Rishi Sunak?
With MPs back after the summer recess, Matt and Times Radio Political Editor Kate McCann bring you their guide to the five things Rishi Sunak should be…
- Politics Unpacked
The Rest is Dominic Sandbrook
Brand new Times columnist and Rest is History star Dominic Sandbrook tells Matt why the King's first year on the throne has been a surprising success, why Tony…
- Politics Unpacked
The Political Editors: How Reporting Changed
From sending stories by mail to sacking ministers by tweet, 'The Political Editors' series showed how the news, and the creators of news, changed over the last…
- Politics Unpacked
The Political Editors: Steven Swinford
The Times' current Political Editor Steven Swinford has been in the job for a turbulent three years, straddling three prime ministers and at least 42…
- Politics Unpacked
The Political Editors: Francis Elliott
Francis Elliott became The Times' Political Editor in 2013, covering an extraordinary period that saw the end of the coalition, the slow downfall of Theresa…
- Politics Unpacked
How To Write A Great Political Speech
Sixty years ago Martin Luther King gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, which went onto shape modern America. Hugo Rifkind asks a panel of former Downing…
- Politics Unpacked
The Political Editors: Roland Watson
After covering the US for the Times in the aftermath of 9/11 - and interviewing President Bush in the White House - Roland Watson returned to the "goldfish…
- Politics Unpacked
The Political Editors: Philip Webster
Philip Webster was political editor at the Times for 18 years, a colossus of the Blair and Brown eras who survived nine editors at the paper. He tells Matt…
- Politics Unpacked
The Political Editors: Sir Peter Riddell
Westminster veteran Sir Peter Riddell tells Matt about his time charting the dramatic end to the Thatcher era, underestimating John Major, Labour coming back…
- Politics Unpacked
The Political Editors: Julian Haviland
Julian Haviland became political editor of the Times in 1981, but his career in journalism began in the 1950s and covered every prime minister from Alec…
- Politics Unpacked
The Political Editors: Fred Emery
The Political Editors is half a century of politics told by the people who wrote the first draft of history for the Times. First up is Fred Emery, who became…
- Politics Unpacked
Has Political Correctness Saved Comedy?
Has political correctness come to bury comedy, or to save it? Patrick Maguire speaks to David Stubbs, who believes 'wokeness' has been good rather than bad…
- Politics Unpacked
How To Stage A Coup
Military coups are "back" according to the UN, with Niger the latest African nation to have its government overthrown. Patrick asks why they're on the rise…
- Politics Unpacked
PMQs: Patrick Maguire Questions
It's Wednesday, but with the House of Commons in recess we bring you the other PMQs - Patrick Maguire Questions. Patrick is joined by Red Box Editor Lara…
- Politics Unpacked
What Does Tony Blair Want?
It's 16 years since Tony Blair walked away from frontline politics, forced to step down by a party that had fallen out of love with him. But with Keir Starmer…
- Politics Unpacked
How To Perfect A Political Denial
Twenty five years after Bill Clinton infamously denied having an affair with Monica Lewinsky, Patrick speaks to Damian Whitworth, who remembers the chaos that…
- Politics Unpacked
Why So Many MPs Are Calling It Quits
This Saturday we're bringing you an extra episode from another Times podcast - Stories of Our Times - one remarkable story, told in depth, each day. With an…
- Politics Unpacked
Spinning Like Sunak
How do politicians keep fit? Rishi Sunak spends his holidays going to Taylor Swift-themed spin classes; Keir Starmer prefers to kick around a football. Former…
- Politics Unpacked
How To Fix Parliament
Is Parliament broken, and how can we fix it? Chair of the Committees on Standards and Privileges Chris Bryant joins Patrick Maguire to discuss his experience…
- Politics Unpacked
Why August Isn't Silly Season
It's a journalistic cliché that very little happens in politics while MPs are on holiday during the Parliamentary recess. But is it fair to describe August as…
- Politics Unpacked
Is Britain Skint?
A decade of low economic growth has seen Britain fall behind it's wealthy counterparts, and nations like Poland and South Korea are set to become richer than…
- Politics Unpacked
How To Lose An Unloseable Election
Keir Starmer is firmly ahead in the polls, but nothing in politics is ever certain. So, how do you lose an election that seems unloseable? Patrick Maguire…
- Politics Unpacked
The Art Of The Political Lunch
Very few people in Westminster have had as many lunches as The Sunday Times' Chief political commentator Tim Shipman. So for the final day of food week, he…
- Politics Unpacked
Confessions Of The Chequers Chef
What is it like to cook for world leaders, celebrities, and even the Queen? Graham Howarth is the Head Chef at Chequers - the PM's country retreat. He tells…
- Politics Unpacked
The Art of Political Drinking
Join Matt for a pint in Westminster's Red Lion pub. He talks to Gordon Brown's former spin doctor Charlie Whelan about how he inadvertently killed Tony Blair's…
- Politics Unpacked
Shopping Under The Nanny State
After Rishi Sunak delayed the ban on buy-one-get-one-free deals on fatty foods for two years, Matt takes stock of how much the nanny state is policing what we…
- Politics Unpacked
Cooking In The Commons
Food week begins with the history of Bellamy's, a restaurant that's been serving politicians' portions for 250 years. Charles Walker is the MP in charge of all…
- Politics Unpacked
How To Start A New Political Party
More than one hundred new political parties have already been registered this year, but what does it take to create one that goes the distance? Kate McCann is…