Politics Unpacked

Matt hosted this year's Parliamentary Book Awards, where he sat down with winner and children's TV legend Floella Benjamin.Columnists Manveen Rana and Katy Balls discuss the surprising number of people who want to be Tory MPs, the public's continued support for Ukraine, and Therese Coffey's suggestion that we eat more turnips.Plus: Matt heads to Turnips restaurant in London's Borough Market to find out more about the environment secretary's favourite seasonal vegetable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Times Radio focus group returns, this time with a group who voted Conservative in 2019 but say they currently plan to back Labour. Matt is joined by James Johnson from J.L Partners to discuss his findings, which aren't all good news for Keir Starmer - one voter calls him a 'wooden turncoat'.Plus columnists James Marriott and Jane Merrick on the government's plan to reduce the backlog for asylum claims, Keir Starmer's five 'national missions' and ITV's Mark Pougatch remembers football commentator John Motson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt is joined by Tim Shipman and Lara Spirit to pause and unpack the exchanges at Prime Minister's Questions. Rishi Sunak says he'll keep fighting until he gets a new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland, while Keir Starmer asks if he'll let MPs vote on his plan.Plus columnists Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton discuss whether Digital ID cards are inevitable, why there's a tomato shortage, and Robert showcases his impression of William Hague. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After SNP leadership candidate Kate Forbes faces questions about her views on gay marriage, Matt discusses the role of faith in politics with columnists Daniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch, while former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron says she should be honest about her religious beliefs.Plus: Over the last six months, employees at 60 British businesses have been taking part in an experiment - can they move to a four-day working week without losing any pay? Now the results are in, Matt speaks to some of the firms who took part to find out whether it could be replicated across the country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Baroness Ashton was the first - and last - Briton to lead European foreign policy, with an in-tray including Iran's nuclear programme, natural disasters and talks in Ukraine during the 2014 pro-democracy protests.She tells Matt what it was like to sit across the table from Putin, and whether she became a lightning rod for critics of the EU at home.Plus columnists Rachel Sylvester and Camilla Long compare rewriting Roald Dahl's books to tearing down a museum, and discuss whether we should bother listening to economic forecasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Twenty years on from the march against the Iraq War, Patrick Maguire is joined by historian Phil Tinline to ask whether protests ever actually work. They hear from some of the people who have organised the UK's biggest recent marches, including the ban on fox hunting, tuition fees and Brexit, to reflect on how effective their protests really were. Plus the New Statesman's Rachel Cunliffe and former Number 10 adviser Jimmy McLoughlin discuss whether women are routinely subjected to victim blaming after Lancashire Police released the health information of missing person Nicola Bulley, why Liz Truss is staging her comeback, and the state of Britain's courts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patrick Maguire get's the latest polling on Nicola Sturgeon’s possible successor with Dr Emily Gray from Ipsos and explores the wider implication of her resignation on the UK political landscape. Expert analysis comes from former deputy leader for the SNP Jim Sillars, Scottish Political Editor Kieran Andrews and Katy Balls from The Spectator.  Plus columnists Manveen Rana and James Marriott discuss whether modern politicians have gone soft, whether cancel-culture is taking over book publishing and the reaction to Lancashire police releasing personal information about missing mother Nicola Bulley.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patrick Maguire presents highlights from the reaction to Nicola Sturgeon's resignation as First Minister live on Times Radio. The Conservatives' Ruth Davidson, Labour's Shadow Scotland Secretary Ian Murray, SNP MP Angus Macneil and pollster Sir John Curtice all speak on a dramatic morning in British politics.Plus Alex Massie and Matt Chorley reflect on her achievements and shortcomings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A decade after the Commons voted to introduce civil marriage for same-sex couples, Patrick Maguire looks back at a moment of change for the country and the Conservative Party with former MP Matthew Parris, former culture secretary Dame Maria Miller and former equalities minister Baroness Featherstone.Columnists Robert Colvile and Dorothy Byrne consider whether the Brexit summit at Ditchley Park was an innocent meeting of minds or remainer skulduggery.Plus Patrick is joined by historian Andrew Lownie to imagine what might have happened if Edward VIII hadn't abdicated. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New polling for the Times shows that 70% of voters think the Conservatives give the impression of being sleazy and disreputable - up from 51% in April 2021. Patrick Maguire asks what Rishi Sunak can do to turn the page on propriety before the next election, with former independent MP Martin Bell and former Downing Street chief of staff Lord Barwell.Plus columnists Libby Purves and Martha Gill on whether government credit cards are a scandal or not and the guestlist for King Charles' coronation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.