Politics Unpacked

Matt Chorley speaks to the leader of Scottish Conservatives, Ruth Davidson about life beyond politics, including her upbringing, struggles with mental health, and impending motherhood. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at Edinburgh's Signet library. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you solve a problem like Brexit, the Budget or Bercow?Matt Chorley is joined by Times columnist Rachel Sylvester, who warns Theresa May has no room to compromise.Carl Emmerson, from the Institute for Fisxal Studies, on why the chancellor can’t end austerity and the balance the books.And Henry Zeffman, Times political correspondent, on whether John Bercow can survive the latest calls to quit.Read more at thetimes.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded live at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, Matt Chorley hosts a special episode as Iain Martin, Lucy Fisher, Jenni Russell and Bruno Waterfield, argue over the big (and not so big) political issues of the day. Including: the Brussels view of brexit, the USA's abdication as "world police", how should the west fight back against Russia? And what is a Kayne West? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley meets health minister Matt Hancock in the last of the party conference podcasts. They talk about his dyslexia, why he accepted a demotion to remain in a minister in 2016, what he plans to do with the billions allocated for the NHS and what Ronnie Wood handed him to get through the Brit awards. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley is joined by Times columnists, Alice Thomson, Patrick Kidd and Hugo Rifkind and former number 10 adviser, Will Tanner.The panel debates if a party torn apart by Brexit, promising tax rises not cuts and buffeted by domestic crises can reinvent itself and who is the right person for the job?Recorded live at the electric cinema in Birmingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded shortly before her speech to the Labour party conference in Liverpool, Matt Chorley sits down with shadow foreign secretary, Emily Thornberry. In a wide ranging interview they discuss her childhood, brexit, anti-semitism and why she expects Labour's demands for a general election to succeed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded live at the Labour party conference in Liverpool, the panel debate whether Jeremy Corbyn can inspire an electorate and turn the last election's gains in to a majority or whether his peak will be remembered as a song on a Glastonbury hillside.To find an answer Matt Chorley is joined by former Corbyn spokesman Matt Zarb-Cousin, author of "Comrade Corbyn" Rosa Prince and Times columnists Rachel Sylvester and Jenni Russell.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley is at the Lib Dem conference in Brighton, where leader Sir Vince Cable had a nightmare delivering the key part of his speech.Polly Mackenzie, former Lib Dem No10 policy chief, Vanessa Pine, former adviser to Sir Vince, and Henry Zeffman, Times political correspondent, pick over a bad few days beside the sea.Matthew Parris, The Times columnist, discusses 30 years of attending Lib Dem conference.And Matt goes in search of anyone who want to be Lib Dem leader instead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Chorley is joined by Daniel Finkelstein, who argues only one person can lead a new Blairite party, and that’s Tony Blair. Sam Coates, The Times deputy political editor, tackles the most contentious issue in politics: trans rights. And Anne Ashworth, The Times money editor, wonders why ministers care so little about how much we are saving for old age. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As MPs return to Westminster, Matt Chorley assembles a crack team of former political spin doctors to diagnose the problems in their parties, and their long-term chances of survival.Katie Perrior, who was Theresa May's No10 director of communications, insists the PM is dead set against a second Brexit referendum: "She thinks it's highly divisive, when you go back on democracy. But will she choose it over getting fired? I don't know, that's politics."Paul Ovenden, who was a Labour press spokesman until after last year's snap election, voices his despair at the party's failure to get a grip on the antisemitism row. He explains: "The problem is it is not just any political issue for Jeremy Corbyn or the people around him. The foundation of their politics is the idea that the West is a force for bad, a force for disruption of the Middle East and Israel is a big part of that."Vanessa Pine, a former special adviser to Sir Vince Cable in the coalition government, admits her party has not made the progress it should have done in the last year: "There have been self-inflicted wounds."  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.