Politics Unpacked

After covering the US for the Times in the aftermath of 9/11 - and interviewing President Bush in the White House - Roland Watson returned to the "goldfish bowl" of Westminster, becoming the paper's political editor in time for the 2010 election. He tells Matt about Gordon Brown's prickly relationship with the press, making contacts in the coalition, and how David Cameron sowed the seeds of Brexit.The Political Editors is half a century of politics told by the people who wrote the first draft of history for the Times.Plus: Columnists India Knight and Gaby Hinsliff discuss Donald Trump's historic mugshot, who does and doesn't suffer from impostor syndrome, and Matt attempts to answer some GCSE maths questions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Philip Webster was political editor at the Times for 18 years, a colossus of the Blair and Brown eras who survived nine editors at the paper. He tells Matt about writing the story that killed Tony Blair's dreams of joining the Euro, getting stuck on Margaret Thatcher's battle bus, and what happened when he was locked up in Africa with Neil Kinnock.The Political Editors is half a century of politics told by the people who wrote the first draft of history for the Times.Plus: Manveen Rana and Matthew Holehouse discuss what the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin means for Russia, the Conservative MPs rounding on the immovable Nadine Dorries, and which portraits ministers are hanging on their office walls. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Westminster veteran Sir Peter Riddell tells Matt about his time charting the dramatic end to the Thatcher era, underestimating John Major, Labour coming back from the wilderness, and how the job of covering politics has changed over the years.The Political Editors is half a century of politics told by the people who wrote the first draft of history for the Times. Plus: Columnists Robert Crampton and Hadley Freeman discuss Andy Burnham giving an honest answer about wanting to be Labour leader, turning potholes into a golf course, and why some meal deals should be eaten in the bathroom. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julian Haviland became political editor of the Times in 1981, but his career in journalism began in the 1950s and covered every prime minister from Alec Douglas-Home to Margaret Thatcher. He tells Matt about his recollections of a smug Jim Callaghan, the decent but flawed Harold Wilson, and Thatcher having a stiff drink before her weekly audience with Queen Elizabeth.He also reveals that the Queen was horrified by police conduct at the Battle of Orgreave during the miners' strike, a story he confirmed but was unable to run at the time.The Political Editors is half a century of politics told by the people who wrote the first draft of history for the Times.Plus: Columnists Daniel Finkelstein and Jenni Russell discuss whether shoplifting has effectively been decriminalised, whether the Conservative party is choosing the right people to fight the next election, and whether Rishi Sunak has a future as an artist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Political Editors is half a century of politics told by the people who wrote the first draft of history for the Times.First up is Fred Emery, who became political editor in 1977 after a series of foreign postings including covering the Vietnam War and Watergate. He tells Matt about getting the scoop that President Nixon was about to resign, the fall of the Callaghan government and what it was like to interview Margaret Thatcher.Plus: Columnists Robert Colvile and Libby Purves discuss what the Lucy Letby case says about large institutions, whether older people really have it too good, and which European country has the best Parliament building?. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Has political correctness come to bury comedy, or to save it? Patrick Maguire speaks to David Stubbs, who believes 'wokeness' has been good rather than bad, and takes a tour through the changing face of British comedy.Plus: Columnists Laura Freeman and Ailbhe Rea discuss why Labour is spending so much time talking about class, the decline of the chat show, and how to stage a heist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Military coups are "back" according to the UN, with Niger the latest African nation to have its government overthrown. Patrick asks why they're on the rise, and discusses the most consequential and surprising coups to have ever happened. The Times' Catherine Philp recounts what it was like to report on the 1997 coup in Cambodia with bullets flying overhead. Plus: Manveen Rana and Matthew Bell look ahead to Rishi Sunak's September reset, whether the UK's economic success can be measured by the number of its millionaires, and why politicians are incapable of looking normal while watching football. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Wednesday, but with the House of Commons in recess we bring you the other PMQs - Patrick Maguire Questions. Patrick is joined by Red Box Editor Lara Spirit and political commentator Isabel Hardman to answer listeners' questions, including what happens if Labour doesn't win the next election, can Nadine Dorries be forced to stand down as an MP, and where did all the Corbynites go?Plus: Columnists Robert Crampton and Phil Tinline discuss whether there are political rewards for falling inflation, the origins of US deep state conspiracy theories, and whether some people still sneer at women's football. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's 16 years since Tony Blair walked away from frontline politics, forced to step down by a party that had fallen out of love with him. But with Keir Starmer keen to hug the three-time election winner close, could he and his Institute for Global Change have a big influence over British politics in the future?Plus: Columnists Robert Colvile and Helen Lewis discuss the implications of Donald Trump's indictment in Georgia, Labour's contortions over congestion charging, and why Parliament is still crumbling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Twenty five years after Bill Clinton infamously denied having an affair with Monica Lewinsky, Patrick speaks to Damian Whitworth, who remembers the chaos that gripped US politics while he was covering the story of The Times. Boris Johnson's former Director of Communications Guto Harri, Andrew Gimson and Isabel Hardman analyse the best and worst denials made by UK politicians.Plus: Anoosh Chakelian from the New Statesman and former Number 10 advisor Jimmy Mcloughlin discuss the government's latest policy week, whether schools should teach more sociology or more languages, and whether the government should appoint a toilet czar - or even a 'Lenin of the loos'.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.