Politics Unpacked

What do Queen Victoria, Arthur Conan Doyle, Charles Dickens and an anonymous prostitute have in common? They all wrote letters to The Times that rewrote history.Matt is joined by Letters Editor Andrew Riley and Archive Editor Rose Wild to dip into the notable notes that changed Britain.Plus Manveen Rana and Jimmy McLoughlin discuss tax, Turkey and avoiding parking fines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt talks to shadow health secretary Wes Streeting about NHS pay, Labour's relationship with the unions and his experience as a gay Anglican - before he plays our own version of the word association game 'Mallet's Mallet'.Plus columnists James Marriott and India Knight discuss amateur detectives disrupting the search for Nicola Bulley, the rules of modern etiquette and the new Conservative deputy chairman's support for the death penalty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt is joined by Patrick Maguire to pause and unpack the exchanges between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions. With Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Westminster to address Parliament, both leaders talk tough on Putin.Plus columnists Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton on policing porn, whether MPs should be awarded a medal after leaving office, and how to pronounce 'Türkiye'. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon is under pressure following the row over her gender reforms and a drop in the polls.But is she in serious trouble, or will the dominant force in Scottish politics continue to confound her critics?Matt hears from former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson, the SNP's Emma Roddick, politics professor John Curtice and Times columnist Alex Massie.Plus Finkelvitch: Daniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch are back to discuss Rishi Sunak's cabinet reshuffle, Liz Truss's lack of apology and their collection of political badges.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liz Truss is back to make the case for her tax-cutting agenda. Does she have a point, and is anyone listening? Matt is joined by journalist Katy Balls, pollster Patrick English and economists Paul Johnson and Mark Littlewood.Plus columnists Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves discuss Boris Johnson, petrol prices and the death of satirist Kit Hesketh-Harvey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All week, people in politics have been asking whether the next general election is going to be a similar result to 1992 - when Labour were expected to win but lost, or like 1997 when Labour won in a landslide victory. Who better to ask than former Labour leader Neil Kinnock?In a wide-ranging chat, Neil talks about the challenge of facing Margaret Thatcher at PMQs, sharing funny tweets with Keir Starmer, how he feels about the trans-debate given his grandson has transitioned, and what Labour need to do to win the next election. Plus columnist Iain Martin and former head of Channel 4 News Dorothy Byrne on the rumoured comebacks of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, Iain's defence of Brexit and commemorating political moments with blue plaques. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Prime Minister has been in office for 100 days, a big achievement by recent standards. Matt has some exclusive polling from YouGov showing what the public thinks of his performance so far, and discusses the scale of the electoral task ahead of him.Plus columnists India Knight and James Marriott discuss whether false modesty is worse than bragging, the Times investigation into the practices of British Gas debt collectors, and what to do with jade vaginal eggs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley, Tim Shipman and Lara Spirit pause and unpack the exchanges at Prime Minister's Questions. Rishi Sunak accuses Keir Starmer of siding with 'extremist protestors and union bosses', but the Labour leader says that's 'rank pathetic'.Plus columnists Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton discuss whether Therese Coffey will clean up the environment, fines for wood burning stoves and the bird charity removed from Twitter for posting about woodcocks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three years after the UK left the European Union, Matt hosts a panel of experts from The Times to answer questions sent in by readers. Plus columnists Daniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch discuss whether Rishi Sunak is the new John Major, and whether he's heading for an election like 1992 or 1997. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why do politicians find it so hard to say sorry? After Nadhim Zahawi declined to apologise following his sacking by the Prime Minister, Matt discusses the art of the political apology with US author Marjorie Ingall and The Times' Matthew Parris.Plus columnists Rachel Sylvester, Libby Purves and Paul Johnson discuss the government's NHS blueprint, whether we need to change the way we think about old age, and what happens to young people after a recession. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.