The Times Red Box Podcast

Philip Webster, who sits in for Tim Montgomerie, is joined by Anne Ashworth, Giles Whittell and Ann Treneman. Anne Ashworth: So that's all right, then. Breathe a sigh of relief and get on with your day. After all, some investors saw Monday's share price falls as a buying opportunity - which meant that global markets recovered some of their losses. But maybe we should actually be concerned as events on the Chinese bourses indicated that the regime is ill-equipped to deal with this sort of situation and that the truth about this country's economy could be more disturbing than we think. Giles Whittell: I've never seen the Baalshamin temple at Palmyra, and now I never will. The barbarism of the Isis fanatics who've blown it up is numbing, but what's really troubling about the destruction of Palmyra is its intent. Isis wants to make a mark for eternity, and to this end it's also doing more practical things like training up women doctors. It's not going away unless and until it's defeated, and diplomacy... &#

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Hugo Rifkind, Francis Elliott and Jenni Russell. Hugo Rifkind: Are politicians responsible for their own unsavory supporters? When opponents of Jeremy Corbyn are targeted with sexist or anti-semitic abuse on social media, is that really his fault? And, if not, does that also render Nigel Farage blameless when racists decide he’s speaking their language, or the SNP, when Cybernats bat for them? More worrying still, what if similar people - heaven forbid - should ever agree with us? Francis Elliott: The delay to the Iraq Inquiry report is clearly upsetting for the families of those killed in the war and is frustrating for the politicians. But when a mob unites David Cameron with Yvette Cooper it's hard not to feel queasy. Are we sure we are blaming the right person for the delay and for the right reasons? Jenni Russell: in the last month Edward Heath and Camila Batmanghelidjh have both been fatally damaged by vague and flimsy accusations. Phrases like sex abuse are now... &

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Daniel Finkelstein, Lucy Fisher and Ed Conway. Daniel Finkelstein: The prospect of Jeremy Corbyn as leader is not a problem for the labour Party. It is a calamity, a disaster, a debacle. It doesn't mean having an leader who can’t win an election. A party can deal with that. It means having a leader that the mainstream Labour MP can't even vote for. It seems astonishing to me that these MPs have not pressed the panic button. They seem to be causally drifting towards catastrophe. Lucy Fisher: Andy Burnham's wife let slip on Monday that he had wanted to be an MP since the age of 18. The revelation prompted jeers that he is a "Westminster bubble” career politician, a common slur that conveys suspicion and contempt. But I think it's time we stopped bashing career politicians. Commons advisers who later look to stand for parliament boast depth of knowledge of the arcane workings of the legislature - surely a good thing. And on a more important level, MPs who have dedicated...

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Isabel Harman, Matthew Parris and David Aaronovitch. Isabel Hardman Politicians are obeying perfectly the rules of a Summer Crisis on Calais. They are ensuring that they are seen to be Doing Something on the question of illegal migrants by posturing on regulations around the private rented sector, rather than answering the question of how to solve the crisis, especially whether Britain should be letting in some of those thronging on the border at Calais. Why answer difficult questions when you can just pretend to be busy? Matthew Parris Fear and dislike of the Left is what impelled me into the Conservative Party as an undergrad. It's part of the Tories' raison d'être and the cement that holds often ideologically different members together. If Labour reall does fall apart, the Tories will be next. David Aaronovitch Yesterday the IPCC announced that it was investigating a claim that Wiltshire police had abandoned a case in the 1990s because someone involved had alleged...

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Sam Coates, Laura Pitel and Philip Webster: What happens to British politics if Jeremy Corbyn wins? A living wage. Prisons reform. 2% spending on defence: do we prefer the Tory government to the Tory manifesto? When will the EU referendum happen? Subscribe via iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-times-opinion-podcast/id660638948?mt=2  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Richard Fletcher and Roger Boyes to discuss Greece and its future in the European Union. Subscribe via iTunes: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/did-you-read  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tim Montgomerie is joined Rachel Sylvester, Philip Aldrick and Matthew Parris. Subscribe via iTunes: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/did-you-read  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

David Aaronovitch sits in for Tim Montgomerie as the panel debate a wide range of topics. Fay Schlesinger Jon Stewart, the American comedian, played it straight on his chat show last week. If Islamist terrorists had massacred nine people in a church, he said, the repercussions would be huge. Because Dylann Roof killed under the banner of home-grown racism, the country will do “jackshit”. The Charleston attack cannot be reduced to failed gun laws, or America as an outlier. Britain and Europe need to take heed. Daniel Finkelstein The idea that the mistakes of the pollsters require state sponsored regulation, as suggested in a new private members bill before Parliament is totally barmy. So is the thought that we should give up polling and just try and guess Melanie Phillips As the Palace of Westminster crumbles, on one side are MPs singing we shall not be moved, on the other, people wanting to hang constitutional change on the scaffolding. All they've got to do is move out for a few years and then move...

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Alice Thomson, Ed Conway and Hilary Rose. Alice Thomson: The Scottish Nationalists lost the referendum but they were left with the moral high ground. The Scots had been 'scared' into voting no and then dumped by the English, which is partly why the Scot Nats did so well in the Election. But the increasingly nasty sectarian abuse by the extreme cybernats, hounding the late Charles Kennedy and any businessmen who dare to speak up for the union risks souring the SNP's apparently triumphal progress. When moderate Scots are fleeing South of the border it's time to ask if the dream is turning sour. Ed Conway: For the umpteenth time, Greece is back on what everyone is calling the brink of default. The economy is back in recession and austerity seems to be biting even more than in the darkest days of the crisis. What's agreed by most insiders and outsiders is that it should never have joined the euro in the first place. But simply turfing it out of the club would cause more... &n

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Lucy Fisher, Rachel Sylvester and Helen Rumbelow. Lucy Fisher: As the referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU looms closer, the “out” campaign is beginning to take shape. But its proponents now face a number of tough questions: who to lead them, with whom to ally and what strategies to pursue? The right business chiefs must be recruited, Tory Eurosceptics and Ukip must calculate how closely to embrace each other, and theoretical reasoning about UK sovereignty must be carefully balanced with more tangible arguments about the impact of immigration. Rachel Sylvester: Labour is speaking in code as it launches its leadership contest. Aspiration, equality, responsibility, choice, Blairite Brownite - these are words used to signify a political direction rather than simply to communicate. The party has to face up to electoral reality and go back to celebrating success even if that means some people doing better than others. Helen Rumbelow: Flexible working the male way: ask...

Philip Webster steps in for Tim Montgomerie and is joined on the panel by Suzy Jagger, David Aaronovitch and Lech Mintowt-Czyz. Subscribe via iTunes: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/did-you-read  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Philip Webster, Anne Ashworth and Robbie Millen. Anne Ashworth: The Queen's Speech will focus on the extension of Right to Buy to housing association tenants. It's right to place an emphasis on home ownership: why should we deny this rite of passage to younger people. However, there are millions who cannot afford to take this step and must rely on rented accommodation. Whoever wants to win the 2020 election needs to get together a workable policy for the provision of better quality homes for this group. Philip Webster: The Labour leadership race is happening far too soon. Contenders exhausted by the election are having to fight again for four months. And no one really knows what they should be saying and doing to please a Labour electorate whose makeup remains a mystery. Will it be Andy, Liz or Yvette? Robbie Millen: Last week Jeffrey Spector, a 54-year-old British man suffering from an inoperable tumour on his spine, went to the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland to end... &

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Patrick Kidd, Giles Whittell and Libby Purves. Patrick Kidd: When it comes to recovering from a disastrous election it is best to ignore that noted political analyst Meghan Traynor. It is not all about the base ('bout the base) but about understanding those who rejected you. Small businesses and aspirant parents are the kingmakers. Do any of Labour's would-be leaders get this? It would be better to pick the next leader in an open primary of floating voters than an internal talking shop. Giles Whittell: Nicola Sturgeon is right. Renewing Trident is ridiculous. She's wrong about the reason, though. The £100 billion figure used by the CND is for 40 years and anything can be made to seem appallingly expensive over 40 years. The reason is that Trident is outdated now, will be even more outdated in 40 years and may well be every bit as vulnerable to terrorists as Able Seaman William McNeilly says it is. Libby Purves: At last, research confirms what has been obvious to anyone... &#

Part two of an election special recorded in front of a live studio audience. Tim Montgomerie is joined by David Aaronovitch, Daniel Finkelstein and Jenni Russell. Subscribe via iTunes: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/did-you-read  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tim Montgomerie and a panel of Times columnists, including David Aaronovitch, Daniel Finkelstein and Jenni Russell, discuss the results of the general election in front of a live audience. Subscribe via iTunes: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/did-you-read  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Essential listening in the election campaign brought to you by The Times Opinion podcast. Tim Montgomerie is joined by Melanie Phillips, Jenni Russell and Matthew Parris. Subscribe via iTunes: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/did-you-read  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Essential listening in the election campaign brought to you by The Times Opinion podcast. Tim Montgomerie is joined by Philip Webster, Fay Schlesinger and Daniel Finkelstein and asks the following questions: - What was your moment of the week? - Who had a good / bad week? - What new things did we learn this week? - What should Times readers expect next week? And crucially - who is going to be Prime Minister? Subscribe via iTunes: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/did-you-read  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Matthew Parris, Rachel Sylvester and Hugo Rifkind. Opinion podcast 28 April: Rachel Sylvester It's going to be Fear versus Fear between now and May 7th. The parties are intent on terrifying the voters about the dire things that will happen if their rivals win but they just risk fuelling the anti-politics mood with their negativity. Matthew Parris This is a genuine question to which I am not sure of the answer. Just imagine the Tory campaign had from the start made no accusations against other parties, said nothing unpleasant about Ed Miliband, and confined itself to describing what they believe to be in their own successes. Doubtless the media would have done the negative stuff anyway. Would this have hurt the Conservatives? I really don't know, but I'm very unsure that it would. Hugo Rifkind The Passion of David Cameron is all a bit "The Quiet Man Is Turning Up The Volume". Passion ought to be deeply suspect in British politics; the preserve of fanatics, zealots... &n

Essential listening in the election campaign brought to you by The Times Opinion podcast. Tim Montgomerie is joined by Laura Pitel, Daniel Finkelstein and Alice Thomson and asks the following questions: - What was your moment of the week? - Who had a good / bad week? - What new things did we learn this week? - What should Times readers expect next week? Subscribe via iTunes: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/did-you-read  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Philip Collins, Marcus Roberts and Jenni Russell. The panel discuss the latest trends in the run up to the 2015 General Election. Subscribe via iTunes: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/did-you-read  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.