Politics Unpacked

Matt Chorley welcomes Times columnist David Aaronovitch, Times religious affairs correspondent Kaya Burgess and Red Box columnist Jane Merrick to discuss the crisis in Germany, religion’s place in politics, and politics place in the celebrity jungle.Philip Hammond’s attempt to save the economy and his own job will be covered in a podcast special later this week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley assembles a team of experts to answer your Brexit questions in an attempt to figure out what is actually going on and whether it's all very boring?On the panel: Times Brexit briefing pair, policy editor Oliver Wright and political reporter Henry Zeffman, and Jill Rutter, former No10 and Treasury policy guru who is now programme director of the Institute for Government.They answer among other questions: will we actually leave, how much will the divorce bill be, do we need urgent cross party talks, what is Labour's position and will the cost of your weekly shop suddenly sky rocket? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With nothing of interest happening in Westminster at the moment - Matt Chorley casts a critical eye over the first year of the Trump presidency. Joining him on the panel: Times columnist Jenni Russell, who argues Trump is not interested in helping anyone but himself, Sir Christopher Meyer, former British ambassador to the US, who says we should finally now stop talking about the special relationship, and impressionist Rory Bremner on whether it is possible to satirise the most extraordinary character to inhabit the Oval Office. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As parliament is gripped by a sexual harassment storm, Matt Chorley is in Westminster to find out what the so-called “dirty dossier” of Tory MPs means and asks how the culture in politics can be changed so people feel safe going to work. Times reporters Henry Zeffman and Hannah McGrath describe the challenge of corroborating the swirling litany of anonymous allegations.Jess Phillips, a Labour MP, warns that listing people in consenting relationships alongside those accused of serious offences risks discrediting victims.Jane Merrick, a Red Box columnist, describes her own experience of being humiliated by a Tory MP and Times columnist Rachel Sylvester warns of a rising tide of misogyny on the hard left. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Matt assembles a panel of people who do politics differently. Forget politicians, or think tanks or even journalists. This episodes focuses on those who bring about change outside the party system.On the panel: David Babbs from the online petition website 38 Degrees, campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez, who’s successes include getting Jane Austen on the £10 note, and Matteo Bergamini from the youth politics website Shout Out UK.They'll be answering: what role can technology play, and what response there should be to the rise in youth engagement in the political process? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley returns to the studio after the party conference season and due to popular demand this episode is a Brexit free zone.This week: Lucy Fisher, senior political correspondent for The Times, on cutting cronyism in the Lords, Katie Perrior, Theresa May’s former director of communications now Times columnist on the perils of reshuffles, and columnist Daniel Finkelstein on Corbyn's proposed assault towards traditional foreign policy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley braves his fourth and final conference of the season this time with the SNP in Glasgow.He asks, have we reached, 'peak Nat', is Brexit making the case for independence harder, and with leaving the union not mentioned throughout conference, how do the SNP continue to motivate party members?The questions are put to Hamish Macdonell, Times Scottish political editor, Times columnist Alex Massie, and SNP MPs including Kirsty Blackman, Stewart McDonald and Stephen Gethins. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the final conference special Matt Chorley welcomes a panel of Times political columnists and journalists including Matthew Parris, Hugo Rifkind and Rachel Sylvester, who dangerously try to predict the future of British politics once more and answer, who will lead the Conservatives next? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special podcast Matt Chorley interviews Ruth Davidson MSP in front of a packed fringe event at the Conservative party conference in Manchester. Davidson speaks on a variety of issues including, firing Boris Johnson, not wanting a second Brexit referendum, parking her tanks on Alex Salmond's lawn, how the party should fight Corbyn and whether she will ever stand for the Tory leadership.In the second part of the podcast the leader of the Scottish Conservatives takes questions from the floor, explaining why she's a "Majorite", answering whether she's the female Boris Johnson and outlining why the party has to speak people 18-25 "not as if they're a separate species". **NB due to circumstances beyond our control the sound quality varies in this podcast** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the second special from Brighton, Matt Chorley is joined by shadow education secretary Angela Rayner MP, to reflect on the changed mood of the Labour party conference.They also discuss why she took the job in the first place, why she's comfortable saying Labour lost, how teenage pregnancy turned her life around and how her upbringing informs her politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.