Politics Unpacked

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley joins Matt to talk about his plan to overhaul Britain's largest force, warning it will be a 'bumpy journey', and Matt heads out with with two officers to find out what an afternoon answering 999 calls is really like.Plus: Columnists Tim Montgomerie and Jane Merrick discuss whether the government can stop the small boats, Tony Blair and Keir Starmer, and whether you should rewild your garden. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When George Osborne promised to scrap inheritance tax on the family home in 2007, it was credited with deterring Gordon Brown from holding a snap election. Could the government afford to abolish it entirely, and is any kind of tax cut really on the cards? Matt speaks to former cabinet minister John Redwood, and former Labour adviser Lord Wood.Plus: Columnists Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves discuss "rip-off" university degrees, Labour's tangle over the benefits cap, and whether we should let seagulls steal our chips. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt looks at a boom in hyper-local community radio, including the station bringing you the sounds of a hedge for eight hours.Plus: Columnists James Marriott and Gaby Hinsliff are joined in the studio by a live brass band as they discuss whether Britain has lost its religion, whether the Conservatives can win the next election, and what locals make of Boris Johnson's swimming pool plans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If your town hall isn't already in trouble, it could be soon. Local authorities around the country are taking drastic action to balance the books, with many now paying the bills for failed business ventures too. Matt is joined by Tim Minogue, editor of Private Eye's Rotten Boroughs column, Kirsty Weakley from the Local Government Chronicle, and journalists covering some of the worst-affected areas.Plus: Columnists Matthew Parris and Matthew Bell ask whether Labour really will get tough over ethics, whether Rishi Sunak is being written off too soon, and whether Keir Starmer needs a voice coach. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Deputy PMQs, and Matt and Tim Shipman are joined by a deputy head teacher to help them pause and unpack the action as Oliver Dowden and Angela Rayner trade blows over housing policy and child poverty.Plus: Columnists Janice Turner and John Stevenson discuss Rishi Sunak's hog roast for Tory MPs, the return of Liz Truss, and Keir Starmer's love of the flute. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Henry Zeffman leaves the Times, he joins Daniel Finkelstein and Matt one last time. They discuss what politics will look like in 2030, how journalists protect their sources, and what happened when they went to play crazy golf. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been four years since the term 'Red Wall' entered the political lexicon. Matt is joined by the man who coined the phrase, analyst James Kanagasooriam, as well as former Tory chairman Jake Berry and Labour's Jenny Chapman, who lost her seat in 2019. Plus: Columnists Libby Purves and Patrick Maguire discuss Joe Biden's UK trip, the prospect of a Labour reshuffle, and why we should be a bit less precious about the loss of railway ticket offices. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a year since Boris Johnson resigned outside Downing Street, telling the nation: "Them's the breaks." Matt is joined by impressionist Jon Culshaw and columnists James Marriott and Gaby Hinsliff to discuss exclusive new polling about the former prime minister and whether people want him back.Plus: Decisions, decisions, decisions. We convene a panel of experts to discuss the difficult trade-offs in politics when deciding who gets what, and who misses out. With the chair of the UK Statistics Authority Sir Robert Chote, Professor Paul Dolan from the LSE, former minister Dame Margaret Hodge and Tracey Brown from Sense About Science. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In two weeks' time Rishi Sunak faces major by-election tests in the seats vacated by Boris Johnson, Nigel Adams and David Warburton, and the suspension of former whip Chris Pincher means there could be at least one more on the way. Matt speaks to Times journalists on the ground to find out where the Conservatives have a chance of holding on.Plus: Columnists Manveen Rana and Matthew Bell discuss oracy lessons with Keir Starmer, whether Bishops should sit in the House of Lords, and where they sit in the great hanging basket debate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deputies Oliver Dowden and Angela Rayner stand in at PMQs and clash over mortgage rates and problems in the rental market. Matt pauses and unpacks the action with the help of Tim Shipman and tennis coach Mark Petchey, who joins us live from Wimbledon.Plus Columnists Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton discuss whether Rishi Sunak's low attendance record at PMQs is a problem, whether Robert will be downloading Mark Zuckerberg's new Twitter alternative, and how to solve the rental crisis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.