The Times Red Box Podcast

Matt Chorley is joined by Patrick Kidd and Rachel Sylvester to pick over the politics of Philip Hammond's spring statement, in which he mocked the Eyeore's on the Labour benches.Plus Francis Elliott, Times political editor, and Lucy Fisher, senior political correspondent, on what to do about Russia and can John Bercow survive the bullying scandal?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley welcomes Times political correspondent, Henry Zeffman, Times columnist, Rachel Sylvester and comedian, Matt Forde.Discussed this week: why May's speech means there's finally a significant Brexit update, why the election for Labour general secretary shows fresh infighting on the left and why PMQs is now dreadful to watch.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley welcomes Times columnist, David Aaronovitch, Times assistant editor, Anne Ashworth and director of Social Market Foundation, James Kirkup.The panel discuss: why the government energy cap teaches us to be active consumers and hold businesses to account, why Britain’s under-taxing of housing wealth means a return for the dementia tax and why Marvel films mean absolutely nothing.There's a fair chance you might disagree with the second half of this podcast, if you do, leave a review on iTunes or tweet @timesredbox    See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley welcomes Lucy Fisher, Daniel Finkelstein and Philip Collins to debate the chances of a new force emerging from the current two main parties.They discuss why it has to come from a Tory/Labour split, the events which could lead to its creation and why an electoral shift is required to make it viable.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As a record number of new parties are set up, Matt Chorley and Lucy Fisher speak to Daniel Oxley, a founder member of the Democrats and Veterans Party, Chris Coughlan a founder of centrist party Renew, and Sally Cogley, founder of The Rubbish Party.Tomorrow: Daniel Finkelstein and Philip Collins debate the chances of a new force emerging from the current two main parties.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley meets Nish Kumar, comedian and host of the 'Mash Report’ to try and understand why a British 'Daily Show’ has never worked, how losing elections is the best way to avoid satire, how he dealt with being told to "go home" the day after the Brexit vote, and how he feels about that Piers Morgan cartoon.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley meets David Baddiel to discuss his appearance on a government panel hoping to tackle antisemitism, how social media forces comedians to take political positions and why Tony Blair is like Bob Monkhouse.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

You’ve worked hard to become an MP, you’ve worked even harder to become a minister, so what happens when it all comes crashing down and you’re faced with a resignation calibre problem? Matt Chorley sits down with Mark Harper MP to discuss why his response to events in 2014 is regarded as the textbook political resignation.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Politicians resign for all sorts of reasons, in this special the panel examine the art and the fall out of the political resignation.Matt Chorley is joined by Theo Barclay, author of “Fighters and Quitters” which chronicles some of the great resignations, Sir Craig Oliver, David Cameron’s director of communications, and Jane Merrick, Red Box columnist.They discuss: what are grounds for quitting, how do you do it with grace and some dignity intact, and is there ever a way back?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley is joined by Fay Schlesinger, Alice Thomson and Iain Martin to discuss fears of society becoming overly prudish, how to fix the housing crisis, and why the Tories need to find the courage to change leader.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week Matt Chorley talks comedy, social media and why we need a party of nutters.On the panel: Matthew Moore, The Times media correspondent, who asks why all the jokes are on the left. Polly Mackenzie, head of Demos think tank, on regulating the future and Times columnist Matthew Parris on the slow death of a political party.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley is joined by Chris Smyth, Times health editor, to see whether Jeremy Hunt can solve social care, Graeme Paton, transport correspondent, on Chris Grayling hitting the buffers, and Rosemary Bennett, education editor, on whether Damian Hinds can win over whingeing teachers.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley is joined by Times columnists David Aaronovitch and Rachel Sylvester and former Director of Strategy & Chief Speechwriter at May's No10, Chris Wilkins.The panel debate: a government afflicted by caution as seen in the reshuffle, how the hard left is further seizing control of the Labour party and its institutions and whether President Hilary Clinton could have survived the mainstream media onslaught if facing Trump like revelations.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley welcomes Lucy Fisher, Times Senior Political Reporter, Tim Shipman the author of 'Fall Out' and Tom McTague co-author of 'Betting the House' to cast one final look at the political events of 2017.The panel pick their highlights from the last twelve months and dare to make wild guesses about the chaos which might await us in the coming year.    See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this special episode recorded in front of an audience, Matt Chorley sits down with former No10 speechwriter and Times columnist, Philip Collins to discuss the art of writing the perfect political speech. Using examples from famous speeches Philip explains how Churchill showed timing is everything, why you must have something of importance to say and why it's best try to include a joke, unless the person telling it is John Prescott.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Red Box christmas quiz returns to review another bizarre political year. In part two Matt Chorley introduces rounds such as "play your Farages right" as three teams go head to head. The reporters Patrick Kidd and Lucy Fisher attempt to defend their crown against Ruth Smeeth and Johnny Mercer, the MPs, while the columnists Danny Finkelstein and Matthew Parris attempt to find Matthew's glasses.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Red Box christmas quiz returns to review another bizarre political year. Matt Chorley attempts to keep order as three teams of varying ability go head to head. The reporters Patrick Kidd and Lucy Fisher attempt to defend their crown against  Ruth Smeeth and Johnny Mercer, the MPs, while the columnists Danny Finkelstein and Matthew Parris mainly plead for bonus points for decent guesses. Part two airs on Friday.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley is joined by Times Columnist Rachel Sylvester, Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London, and Grant Tucker from the Times Diary. This week: Will anyone stand up for the benefits of Immigration? What are the conclusions we can draw from David Davis’ media appearances? What might 2018 look like?   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley is joined by Lucy Fisher, senior political correspondent, who tells us about Labour's "purge", Matthew O'Toole, a former No10 Brexit spokesman, explains why it all comes back to Irish first principles, and Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos Mori, reveals the five political tribes crossing party and Brexit lines.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley is joined by Times columnist Hugo Rifkind, who worries that the Tories are kitten-killers, Anne Ashworth, Times Money editor, who warns that we are all still losing interest from the major banks, and Patrick Maguire, political reporter, tries to explain the political fall out in Ireland.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.