The Times Red Box Podcast

Matt Chorley meets Alan “Howling Laud” Hope, leader of the Monster Raving Loony Party and veteran of eight general elections, and asks: what’s the point?PLUS: Esther Webber rounds up the week, including TV debates, manifesto muddles and an “impromptu rally”.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley takes you behind-the-scenes with three people who know what it is really like trying to win the nation's vote.Polly Mackenzie was a policy adviser to Nick Clegg, and now runs the Demos think tank. She explains how a manifesto is written, and the pitfalls of party democracy.James Johnson was Theresa May’s Downing Street pollster and now runs JL Partners. He will explain what campaign bosses look out for in the polls, and how messages are tested before voters ever see them.And Theo Bertram, a former adviser to Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, discusses how things go wrong, from Bigotgate to a blue lizard riding a bicycle.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley talks to polling guru Sir John Curtice about where the polls went wrong, whether they are right now, and how his election night exit poll works.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley examines what a Labour government would do. He speaks to Andrew Gwynne, the party's election co-ordinator, about what sort of PM Jeremy Corbyn would be. Alice Thomson and Rachel Sylvester unpick the policy programme on offer, and David Aaronovitch and Henry Zeffman examine the personnel who would be lurking in the corridors of power.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley heads to Leeds, where Yorkshire Post political editor Rob Parsons and ITV Political Correspondent Joe Pike warn it will be harder for the Tories to make gains in the north than they think.Plus Esther Webber casts a critical eye over the chaotically bad first week of the election campaign.Jacob Rees-Mogg clip courtesy of LBC  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

And they're off! MPs are leaving in Westminster, back to their constituencies in search of re-election. But not all of them: dozens of MPs of all parties and all ages are standing down, saying goodbye at this election.Matt Chorley speaks to three of them about their reasons for quitting, and the highs and lows of life as a politician.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As the country gears up for some festive political fun, Matt Chorley asks YouGov's Anthony Wells what could go wrong for the Tories, Rachel Sylvester discusses the tensions in Team Corbyn, and Gabriel Milland explains whether Dominic Cummings is a genius or a menace..  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With Westminster in turmoil Matt Chorley heads back to his hometown to talk shops, Brexit and the long-trailed Lib Dem fightback.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley is joined in parliament by Henry Zeffman, Tim Shipman, Esther Webber, Iain Martin, Francis Elliott and Steven Swinford to watch Brexit history not unfold during the first sitting of parliament for almost 40 years.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley talks to James Johnson, a former No10 pollster, about the Tory election strategy and why voters don’t reward politicians for what they’ve done.PLUS Lucy Fisher, defence correspondent, on the mess in Syria and Henry Zeffman, political correspondent, on what John McDonnell is up to.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley is joined by British Election Study authors Jane Green, Geoff Evans and Chris Prosser to explain why half of us are now floating voters and what that means for the next election.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley boards the 142 from Manchester to Didsbury with the Manchester Evening News’ Jen Williams to talk buses, Brexit and getting out of the Westminster bubble.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley is joined at the Tory conference by Daniel Finkelstein, Alice Thomson and Hugo Rifkind.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley sits down with International Trade Secretary, Liz Truss, to discuss brutal political rhetoric, crashing out with no deal and why she's beyond happy Sajid Javid is chancellor.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As Labour conference is cut short for the recall of parliament, Matt Chorley talks to the shadow chancellor about the Supreme Court ruling, the timing of an election and why Labour is doing so badly in the polls.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley is in Brighton for the Labour Party conference, as delegates back Jeremy Corbyn’s policy to not support Remain or Leave in a referendum (yet) and Labour MPs Jon Ashworth and Anna Turley do their best to insist it is all going very well.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In part two of the exclusive interview, Matt Chorley asks David Cameron about his relationship with the Queen, his dread of PMQs and his biggest gaffe as prime minister.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In part one of a two-part special, Matt Chorley speaks to David Cameron about his Brexit regrets, the mistakes Theresa May made, and whether Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, David Davis and Dominic Cummings are "team players or w****".  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley is joined by Esther Webber, who reports from a giddy Lib Dem conference in Bournemouth. Plus YouGov's Chris Curtis on what is really going on in the polls, and The Times' Daniel Finkelstein on his decade-long role in David Cameron's memoirs.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley is joined by Jason Stein, who was Amber Rudd's spin doctor and reveals the politics of mobile phones and how Dominic Cummings is unwilling to compromise. Plus Rachel Sylvester on John Bercow's legacy and David Aaronovitch on the revival of the Lib Dems.Read more at thetimes.co.uk  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.