The Times Red Box Podcast

Last year, to mark 300 years since Robert Walpole became Prime Minister, Matt Chorley learnt about every PM through history each week. This year, Nigel Fletcher from the Centre for Opposition Studies has gone through every Leader of the Opposition and as a festive treat you'll be able to listen to each episode on the podcast this weekIn this episode, Sir William Harcourt, John Spencer, George Robinson, Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice and Joseph Chamberlain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year, to mark 300 years since Robert Walpole became Prime Minister, Matt Chorley learnt about every PM through history each week. This year, Nigel Fletcher from the Centre for Opposition Studies has gone through every Leader of the Opposition and as a festive treat you'll be able to listen to each episode on the podcast this weekIn this episode its Spencer Cavendish, Sir Stafford Northcote, Sir Michael Hicks Beach and the First Earl of Kimberley John Wodehouse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year, to mark 300 years since Robert Walpole became Prime Minister, Matt Chorley learnt about every PM through history each week. This year, Nigel Fletcher from the Centre for Opposition Studies has gone through every Leader of the Opposition and as a festive treat you'll be able to listen to each episode on the podcast this week. On this episode you'll hear about Granville Leveson-Gower, James Harris,  Lord Cairns and Charles Gordon-Lennox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year, to mark 300 years since Robert Walpole became Prime Minister, Matt Chorley learnt about every PM through history each week. This year, Nigel Fletcher from the Centre for Opposition Studies has gone through every Leader of the Opposition and as a festive treat you'll be able to listen to each episode on the podcast.In this episode you'll hear about John Spencer, Lord George Bentinck, Charles Manners, Marquess of Granby and John Charles Herries.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year, to mark 300 years since Robert Walpole became Prime Minister, Matt Chorley learnt about every PM through history each week. This year, Nigel Fletcher from the Centre for Opposition Studies has gone through every Leader of the Opposition and as a festive treat you'll be able to listen to each episode on the podcast this week.In the first episode it's Charles James Fox, George Ponsonby, George Tierney and Henry Petty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley is joined by a live audience for Politics Without the Boring Quiz, a test of how much the teams can remember from the most exciting, exhausting, febrile and funny political year since the last one.The politicians: Angela Rayner and Dehenna DavisonTimes Radio: Mariella Frostrup and Hugo RifkindThe Times: Patrick Maguire and Lara Spirit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt is Chorls Dickens, telling the story of Eber-Rishi Scrooge as he is visited by the spirit of his former business partner Jacob Rees-Marley, and the ghosts of prime ministers past, present and future. Will Scrooge learn from his mistakes, and plan a new year relaunch?Plus the latest installment of the Times Radio Columnists Festive Focus Group, led by former Number 10 pollster James Johnson, sees the group fight over the best Christmas film. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the final Disunited Kingdom of 2022, Matt Chorley puts some of our favourite journalists from around the UK to the test with a quiz of the fun local stories they have submitted throughout the year.Plus the latest installment of the Times Radio Columnists Festive Focus Group, led by former Number 10 pollster James Johnson. The group nominates their biggest winners and losers of the year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prue Leith is already a successful chef, author, dame and queen of the Bake Off tent, but she has her sights on another title: a peerage. She speaks to Matt Chorley about why she'd like to join the House of Lords, why Finland is so good at teaching children about food, and her upcoming one-woman show.Plus the second installment of the Times Radio Columnists Festive Focus Group, led by former Number 10 pollster James Johnson. Matt's regular panelists look back on the year for the Labour Party. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Plenty of former MPs, advisers and political journalists have tried their hand at writing fiction, and they often turn to the drama and skulduggery of Westminster for inspiration. So what makes a good political novel? Matt Chorley speaks to Conservative peer and House of Cards author Michael Dobbs, who says if he wrote a sequel he would introduce new, younger characters.Plus the first installment of the Times Radio Columnists Festive Focus Group, led by former Number 10 pollster James Johnson. Matt's regular panellists look back on a dramatic year for the Conservative Party. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley and Patrick Maguire analyse the dramatic scenes at Westminster 50 years ago, when a protest by MPs against rising unemployment caused uproar and led to the Commons being suspended.The events of the day are recreated by actor and impressionist Kieran Hodgson, before Matt speaks to a minister in Edward Heath’s government about his memories of the time. Plus Times columnist Melanie Reid and Daily Mirror political editor John Stevens talk about Conservative MPs calling for ministers to negotiate with nurses, the Scottish Government raising taxes, and why we should stop moaning about snow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Times Radio focus group meets for the last time this year. Matt Chorley is joined by James Johnson from J.L. Partners to see what floating voters make of Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer, and whether they've heard of Jeremy Hunt.Plus columnists Manveen Rana and James Marriott discuss how much they'd be willing to pay to hear Boris Johnson give a speech, whether farmers will vote Conservative, and James explains what happened when he went on a terrible stag do. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley and Tim Shipman pause the action and analyse the exchanges at the last Prime Minister's Questions of 2022, with Keir Starmer accusing Rishi Sunak of going into hibernation over the NHS and Sunak claiming the strikes were Labour's 'nightmare before Christmas'. Plus columnists Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton discuss a major incident in the channel as a migrant boat capsizes, whether Starmer is secretly ruthless or not, and what Andrew Bridgen has been getting up to in Parliament.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Finding themselves on a week-long Times cruise from New York to Southampton, Matt Chorley talks to former cabinet minister Ed Balls about the chances of him returning to politics, his next big challenge and the risk of Keir Starmer becoming complacent in the same way Labour did ahead of the 1992 General Election.Plus columnists Rachel Sylvester and David Aaronovitch ask whether union leader Mick Lynch has gone overboard in his latest round of media interviews, the motivation behind Priti Patel's new group calling for Tory party democracy, and whether Wes Streeting is the next leader of the Labour Party. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After giving evidence to the House of Lords, taking on David Beckham over human rights and becoming an unlikely cheerleader for Liz Truss, Joe Lycett is now a fully-fledged political comedian. He speaks to Matt Chorley about his year of political stunts, and what he has planned for 2023.Plus columnists Libby Purves and Jenni Russell on strikes, ministers in open-plan offices, whether we should all pay more tax and JK Rowling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Matt Hancock releases his 'Pandemic Diaries', Patrick Maguire asks what makes a great political diary? He speaks to Sir Alan Duncan, who published his recollections of the Brexit years, literary agent Martin Redfern and the political journalist Michael Crick.Plus, columnists Melanie Reid and Matthew Syed discuss the army being used to replace striking workers, the UK's coldest constituency, and England playing France at the World Cup. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Summer 2021 the eyes of the world were on Afghanistan as the West's 20-year mission came to an end. This winter the situation for ordinary Afghans is dire, and the Times and Sunday Times have partnered with Afghanaid for our 2022 Christmas appeal.Patrick Maguire speaks to Times diplomatic correspondent Catherine Philp, former Afghan MP Fawzia Koofi and Afghanaid's Charles Davy.Plus columnists Manveen Rana and Kenny Farquharson discuss the politics of opening a new coal mine, SNP unity and the news that Rachel Reeves sends 3,200 Christmas cards every year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patrick Maguire and Tim Shipman pause the action and analyse the exchanges at Prime Minister’s Questions, as Rishi Sunak promises action to stop "unreasonable" union leaders and Sir Keir Starmer accuses him of wobbling like blancmange over housing targets.Plus columnists Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton discuss the the Strep A outbreak, the perils of the office Christmas party, and what happens when you hold a book signing and nobody turns up.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patrick Maguire travels back to the late 1970s and the Winter of Discontent with author Phil Tinline. What caused this prolonged period of industrial unrest, how did it end and what can today's union leaders and politicians learn from it?Plus columnist Danny Finkelstein and the Mirror's John Stevens discuss whether public support for strikes will hold, whether the government should water down its house building targets, and whether it matters that Matt Hancock's pandemic diaries aren't really diaries. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much politics is taking place on the sidelines of the World Cup? Patrick Maguire looks at the wheeling and dealing in Qatar with Sunday Times special correspondent Josh Glancy, and hears examples of sporting diplomacy over the years with former Times foreign correspondent Michael Binyon and former ambassador to Russia, Sir Roderic Lyne. Plus columnists Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves discuss the Government's plan to give workers the right to request flexible working and deadline day for Conservative MPs to declare if they're standing at the next election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.