The Times Red Box Podcast

With Parliament in recess, Matt Chorley looks at what it takes to win PMQs with former Ed Miliband advisor Ayesha Hazarika, Theresa May's former press secretary Paul Harrison, and which leaders were the best to caricature with sketch-writers Quentin Letts and Ann Treneman.PLUS:Times Columnists Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton discuss the government's Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley is joined by Jonathan Lynn, co-creator Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister, to talk about the legacy of the hit comedy series, and how he thinks it may not have been beneficial to the way Whitehall works now.PLUS:Times' Columnists Daniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch discuss the day's news.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week marks 300 years since Britain got its first Prime Minister. In the first instalment of a special Prime Ministers' week, Matt Chorley is joined by Times Columnist Danny Finkelstein, Historian and political biographer Anthony Seldon, author and journalist Andrew Gimson and former civil servant Jill Rutter to discuss what qualities are needed to build the perfect Prime Minister. PLUS Columnists Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves pick over the days' news.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley tackles the philosophical questions behind pub passports and longer lockdowns, with AC Grayling, Baroness Deech and Alberto Giubilini.PLUS: India Knight and James Marriott on editing friends out and the curse of London.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Times columnist Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton pick over the day's news, then Matt Chorley and Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman pause the action at Prime Minister's Questions to explain the Commons exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

To mark a year of lockdown, Matt Chorley and former Number 10 pollster James Johnson convene the Times Radio focus group to see how people's attitudes to politics and politicians have changed over the past year. PLUS Times columnist Daniel Finkelstein and Red Box Editor Patrick Maguire talk protests, Scotland and flags.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley speaks to the Times' veteran war reporter Anthony Lloyd about Syria, Shamima Begum and what essential packing for life in a war-zone. PLUS Times Columnists Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves discuss Nicola Sturgeon and the droves of people leaving cities for villages.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this special bonus edition we are bringing you an episode from another Times podcast - Past Imperfect.Ed Balls is a broadcaster, former Labour Politician and Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer and the winner of Celebrity Best Home Cook 2021. He talks openly to Rachel and Alice about his time in government, how he overcame the bullying he faced as a child and why he kept his lifelong stammer a secret.Get The Times free for a month: thetimes.co.uk/pastimperfectBullies Out: www.bulliesout.comYoung Minds: www.youngminds.org.ukThe Brittish Stammering Associtation: www.stamma.org  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley hosts the Parliamentary Book Awards, revealing the winners of the best books by, and about, politicians. Stephen Lotinga, from the Publishers Association, dishes out the prizes, and Chris Bryant, Nicky Morgan and Dan Jarvis discuss their work. PLUS: Rosamund Irwin and James Marriott on self-esteem, and one man who doesn't lack it, Dominic Cummings.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How will nightclubs survive the pandemic? Matt Chorley speaks to CEO of Night Time Industries Association Michael Kill, Chief executive of late night bar and club operator REKOM Peter Marks and Graeme Park who is one of the original founders of the UK rave/club scene about how the nightlife industry will bounce back after the pandemic.PLUS Times columnists Robert Crampton and Alice Thomson pick over the day’s news  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With a bumper crop of elections across Britain on May 6, Matt Chorley speaks to Robert Hayward, the polling analyst, Ailsa Irvine from the Electoral Commission, and Jackie Weaver on parish councils.PLUS: Daniel Finkelstein and Patrick Maguire on what is annoying them this week.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley speaks to Jihyun Park who was tortured and persecuted in North Korea before coming to Britain, where she is now standing in the local elections.PLUS: Libby Purves and Rachel Sylvester on the weird obsession with violence against women in books and films.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this special bonus edition we are bringing you an episode from another Times podcast - Stories of our times.Last year, a Sunday Times investigation exposed failures at the top of government which may have cost thousands of lives. Now the team behind those revelations has written the first major book telling the inside story of Britain's battle with coronavirus.In the first of three episodes this week, we examine what went wrong between January and March 2020.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.Guests: - Jonathan Calvert, Insight Editor, The Sunday Times.- George Arbuthnott, Deputy Insight Editor, The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Links:- Failures of State: The Inside Story of Britain’s Battle with Coronavirus by Jonathan Calvert and George Arbuthnott.- Audiobook of Failures of State.- '38 days when Britain sleepwalked into disaster', The Sunday Times, April 19 2

What class are you? As a major study reveals we are becoming more middle class, Matt Chorley speaks to the Britain Thinks' Deborah Mattinson about the focus groups into social status, and comedian Russell Kane and self-styled middle class British Battleaxe Christine Hamilton talk about what their class means to them.PLUS: Esther Webber and Robert Crampton on why refurbishing parliament is more pressing than No10's makeover  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Times columnist Alice Thomson and Red Box writer John Kampfner pick over the day's news, then Matt Chorley and Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman pause the action at Prime Minister's Questions to explain the Commons exchanges between Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley ventures on to the much-hyped social media app, and joins a room with Conservative MP Esther McVey and Labour's Stephen Doughty to find out how British politicians are using it, while the New Yorker's Jiayang Fan describes how young people in China used it to discuss human rights abuses - before the app was banned.PLUS: Finkelvitch - Daniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch give their take on the political news.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley boards a Times Radio Airways flight around the world to see how the vaccine roll-out is faring in America, China, France, Germany, Spain and Japan.PLUS: Libby Purves and Rachel Sylvester on the art of stepping back, from royals to Nigel Farage.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Forget the budget, the government wants us to lose the pounds from our waistline. Prue Leith from the Great British Bake-Off tells Matt Chorley whether it will work, and Dr Tim Lobstein, from the World Obesity Federation, explains how thousands of deaths in Britain could have been avoided if we had not been so obese.PLUS WebbCram: Esther Webber and Robert Crampton on Labour's problem with Rishi Sunak.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley and Red Box Reporter Patrick Maguire give their snap analysis of the budget, ahead of PMQ's Unpacked, where Matt is joined by Sunday Times Political Editor Tim Shipman to pause the action and explain the exchanges between Boris Johnson and Kier Starmer.PLUS Times Columnist Alice Thomson and Red Box writer John Kampfner pick over the day's news.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond were once close allies and friends, but then the relationship turned sour, with the battle going all the way to the courts and to the heart of the question about whether the United Kingdom will follow their friendship in being broken up. Matt Chorley is joined by Keiran Andrews, Scottish political editor of The Times, to explain the row. Professor James Mitchell from Edinburgh University and journalist Angela Haggarty assess the impact on the SNP; and Luke Graham, former head of Boris Johnson's Union Unit, on turmoil in the Tory camp.PLUS: Finkelvitch: Daniel Finkelstein and David Aaronovitch on political retreads, and Trump's comeback.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.