The Times Red Box Podcast

Matt Chorley presents this year's Times Radio Pantomime, Bojo White and the Seven Political Dwarves. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley talks to Armando Iannucci, the creator of The Day Today, The Thick of It and Veep. They discuss Iannucci's new book Pandemonium: Some Verses on the Current Predicament and what the new year might hold in store. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

No live PMQs this week, so Matt Chorley and Patrick Maguire look back over the year and assess what we've learned from the exchanges at the dispatch box.PLUSRobert Crampton and Alice Thomson look at Conservative regicide and freedom of speech.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Four months on from the evacuation, Jenny Kleeman, in for Matt Chorley, speaks to former Afghan MP Shukria Barakzai, and journalists Lynn O'Donnell and Stuart Ramsay about their experiences fleeing the country, and what life is like there now. PLUSDaniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch discuss Lord Frost's politics, and when a party is not a party.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley speaks to Eden Project founder Tim Smit about growing plants, hosting the G7 and making power with hot rocks. PLUSRachel Sylvester and Libby Purves discuss new possible Covid restrictions.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In a special bumper podcast Matt Chorley speaks to Times Political Editor Steve Swinford, Conservative MP Charles Walker and Number 10 veterans Gavin Barwell, James Johnson and Kate Fall about whether the Shropshire by-election defeat could spell the end of Boris Johnson. PLUSScreenwriter Sarah Phelps talks about her latest drama, A Very British Scandal, series 2, which looks at the Duke and Duchess of Argyle's messy public divorce.PLUSColumnists Melanie Reid and James Forsyth pick over the day's news.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley speaks to COP26 President and self-described "auditor in chief" Alok Sharma about the outcome of the climate summit, the challenges of touring the world in a pandemic, and more.PLUS India Knight and the Daily Mail's John Stevens discuss the day's news. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley and Times Red Box Editor Patrick Maguire pause the action to analyse the exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions.PLUS: Robert Crampton and Alice Thompson discuss the top stories of the day including the Prime Minister's backbench rebellion.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley speaks to economist, author and presenter of Radio 4's More or Less Tim Harford about how to make sense of the numbers around us, and what we can learn from pandemic statistics.PLUSDavid Aaronovitch and Daniel Finkelstein discuss the possibility of a new Conservative leader, and David Davis explains why he'll be voting against the government's new covid regulations.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley asks comedian Andy Zaltzman, host of the BBC's "The News Quiz", how best to satirise today's politicians.PLUS: Libby Purves and Rachel Sylvester discuss whether Boris Johnson's time as PM is running out of steam and who might replace him. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Luke Jones marks the second anniversary of the 2019 General Election with some of the big winners and losers from that year. How has politics has changed since then?PLUS: Melanie Reid and John Stevens discuss the latest on the political scandal surrounding Number 10 and John has a special scoop on Geronimo the alpaca.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Luke Jones sits in for Matt Chorley and discusses what does China want with former US ambassador to China under the Obama administration Max Baucus, MEP and co-chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China Reinhard Hans Bütikofer and Senior Research Fellow at RUSI Veerle Nouwens.PLUS columnists Carol Lewis and James Marriott on Plan B, Christmas Parties and taking pride in Britain's past.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Luke Jones sits in for Matt Chorley. Panto is back so Luke speaks to producers, writers and directors including; Robert Shaw Cameron, Vikki Stone, Lisa Spirling and Michael Harrison.PLUS Daniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch on cancel culture and bringing back old TV hits.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

One hundred years after the Anglo-Irish treaty was signed, Luke Jones (in for Matt Chorley) goes back to the moment in history when the treaty was agreed and its impact on relations between both countries up to this day.PLUS: Libby Purves and Rachel Sylvester talk about new plans to punish middle-class drug users, and the man who made Britain's biggest model railway.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As the Lords debate a bill over whether to scrap Hereditary Peers by-elections, Matt Chorley finds out how the Hereditary Peer by-election system works and speaks to the Lord behind the bill.PLUS: Melanie Reid and James Forsyth discuss the day's headlines  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley looks at the progress of the campaign against smoking, which began in 1971, and the politics of lighting up with Former Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt who passed the public smoking ban in 2007. PLUS: India Knight and John Stevens discuss whether they'll go to their office Christmas party and whether they'll miss Angela Merkel.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley and Times Red Box Editor Patrick Maguire pause the action to analyse the exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions.PLUS: Robert Crampton and Alice Thompson discuss the top stories of the day.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Former Number 10 pollster James Johnson convenes the final Times Radio focus group of the year to discuss new covid measures and what to get Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer for Christmas.PLUSDaniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch discuss reshuffles.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley assesses the state of relations between Britain and France with Lord Ricketts, Britain’s ambassador to Paris from 2012 until 2016, and Sylvie Berman, France’s ambassador to London from 2014-17. One of them rates the relationship as 3 or 4 out of 10, the other thinks it's as bad as anything since Waterloo.Plus Libby Purves and Rachel Sylvester on the politics of pandemic panic and the prospect of a Labour reshuffle.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley interviews Writer James Graham and Director Jeremy Herrin. Their new play: "Best of Enemies" is about the debates of William F Buckley Junior and Gore Vidal which aired on ABC more than half a century ago, introducing viewers to a whole new style of dramatic on-screen punditry.PLUS: James Forsyth and Melanie Reid discuss the day's news.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.