The Times Red Box Podcast

If sometimes you think politics seems to trivial this might not be the episode for you.Matt Chorley assembles three of the biggest brains filled with useful (and useless) facts about politics and only one can emerge victorious.Showing off their knowledge are Patrick Kidd, The Times sketchwriter and diarist, Esther Webber, Red Box reporter, and Mark Mason, author of Question Time: A Journey Round Britain's Quizzes.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded live at a TimesPlus event, Lucy Fisher speaks to Stig Abell, editor of the Times Literary Supplement, about his new book, How Britain Really Works, an in-depth look at the challenges facing the UK.Getting to grips with Britain is harder than ever – a nation that chose Brexit, rejects immigration but is dependent on it, is getting older but less healthy, is more demanding of public services but less willing to pay for them, and is tired of intervention abroad but wants to remain a global authority.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In part two of our special looking at political shows on the Edinburgh fringe, Matt Chorley is joined by Andrew Maxwell, who you’ll know from Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week and Celebrity Mastermind. He is at the fringe with his show Shake a Leg.Lolly Jones, whose show Fifty Shades of May is a comedy/burlesque hybrid described as Downing Street on poppers, with a P45, suspenders, and a chunky metal necklace!And Fin Taylor tackles the politics of sex with his show When Harassy Met Sally.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley is joined by three comedians taking political shows to the Edinburgh fringe.Nick Hall brings his show Spencer, the story of Spencer Percival, the only British prime minister to have been assassinated. He asks if, in this age of Brexit, Trump, Corbynista and Maybot, could we still learn something from the past?Jess Green’s show is pretty self-explanatory: A Self-Help Guide to Being in Love With Jeremy Corbyn. She’ll describe how it was impossible to resist the Labour leader’s raw communist sex appeal.And Pierre Novellie’s show See Novellie, Hear Novellie, Speak Novellie promises satire for people without a team.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Why a cross-party effort makes sense, but won't happen.PLUS Leaving Labour and replacing MayMatt Chorley is joined by Times columnist Philip Collins, Times deputy diary editor Grant Tucker and Red Box columnist Jane Merrick to discuss the week in politics.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Biographers of Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson help Matt Chorley write the first draft of political history.Sir Anthony Seldon argues Theresa May could still rescue Brexit and avoid bgeing remembered as the worst PM ever.Rosa Prince, biographer of Jeremy Corbyn, asks what the Labour leader needs to do to become PM himself.And Andrew Gimson, biographer of Boris Johnson, on what the ex-foreign secretary will do next.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Resignations, reshuffles and May's survival.In this special recorded in Westminster, Matt Chorley is joined by The Times' Henry Zeffman, Sam Coates and Lucy Fisher to discuss why political crises are linked to the hole in Sam's trousers.Alastair Campbell describes helping Robin Cook write his resignation letter. Katie Perrior, Theresa May's former director of communications, and Rupert Harrison, George Osborne's former chief of staff, on the threat posed by Boris Johnson and the PM's chances of fighting the next election.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley speaks to Ben Rhodes, whose new book, The World As It Is, charts a decade at Barack Obama’s side, from the campaign in Chicago to flying with him to California on the day he left the White House for the final timeHe was at the table for the Iran nuclear deal, the opening up of relations with Cuba, the night US Navy seals killed Osama Bin Laden.And he was there when David Cameron asked Barack Obama for his help to stop Brexit.More than just a speechwriter, he sought to recast the American story, but it was a story that had an unhappy ending for Team Obama, with the election of Donald Trump.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

PLUS Tories bash business and handling Brexit badlyMatt Chorley is joined by James McGrory, from Open Britain, Rachel Shabi, a left-wing commentator, and Anthony Wells, from pollsters YouGov.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley is joined by Paul Johnson, Times regular and director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, who insists there is no Brexit dividend for the NHS, or anything else.Times columnist Rachel Sylvester tackles the drugs debate in the Tory Party.And in a passionate debate on the moral fibre of The Government, Sam Coates, The Times deputy political editor, wonders why on Earth Britain is turning a blind eye to the US separating children from their parents in detention centres.Get in touch redbox@thetimes.co.ukSubscribe to the Red Box get morning email at www.thetimes.co.uk/redbox  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley is joined by political correspondent Henry Zeffman and columnists Daniel Finkelstein and Jenni Russell. The panel discuss the first Brexit resignation, why child protection budgets are being misdirected and why the USA remains the world's police force.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mart Chorley is joined by Tom Swarbrick, former head of broadcast in Theresa May's No10, and Steve Howell, former deputy director of communications in Jeremy Corbyn's Labour, to recall the moment the exit poll dropped, and how their leaders have handled the last year.Tim Shipman, political editor of the Sunday Times, and Alice Thomson, Times columnist and interviewer, reflect on the highs and lows of the last year and what the next 12 months might hold.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Fiona Hamilton, The Times crime and security editor, on Sajid Javid trying to improve relations with the police after years of hostilities.Lucy Fisher, The Times chief political correspondent, warns Theresa May has nowhere to hide from the Northern Ireland abortion debate.And Matthew Moore, The Times media correspondent, on why Radio 2 listeners are revolting over efforts to end tackle its all-male daytime line-up.Subscribe to Matt Chorley's Red Box morning email thetimes.co.uk/redbox  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded live at a Times+ event for Times subscribers, Matt Chorley and a stellar panel grapple with the ethical questions of the tech takeover.He was joined by:Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and the first minister to set up an app about themselves.Timandra Harkness is presenter of the BBC Radio 4 series, FutureProofing, a science comedian and author of Big Data: Size Does Matter.Dame Wendy Hall is Regius Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton, and last year carried out an independent review for the government on the artificial intelligence industry.And Tom Whipple, The Times science editor, whose job it is to try to separate fact from science fiction, and try not to scare us all every morning.To attend future events subscribe to The Times.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Times sketchwriters past and present Patrick Kidd, Ann Treneman and Matthew Parris on the good, the bad and the ugly exchanges across the despatch box.Sign up to the Red Box morning email thetimes.co.uk/redbox  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ayesha Hazarika and Tom Hamilton, former political advisers and authors of Punch & Judy Politics, give their top 10 tips to surviving prime minister's questions.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley is joined by a panel to discuss in-depth three big political themes of the week.Oliver Wright, The Times policy editor, tries to explain what Boris Johnson wants from Brexit, and why he probably won’t get it.Jenni Russell, Times columnist, says the resignation of New York’s attorney-general , Eric Schneiderman, after allegations of abuse by ex-girlfriends, is a chilling reminder of how deeply the currents of misogyny and violence against women still run. And Anne Ashworth, Times money and property editor, on the idea of the state giving 25-year-olds £10,000 to tackle inter generational unfairness.Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review which could be read out on a future episode.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded from Downing Street, Matt Chorley is joined by Jack Brown, the street researcher-in-residence, who reveals the rows about the PM moving out for the repairs in 1958 and why they were almost scuppered by a cup of tea.Additional clips: Sky News/ Reuters  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In part one of Red Box's Downing Street series, Matt Chorley welcomes Philip Collins, Times columnist and former Blair speechwriter, Gabby Bertin, former Cameron spokeswoman and adviser, and Caroline Slocock, former Thatcher private secretary.They speak about the power struggles, how the building shapes it inhabitants and the day their boss was forced to move out.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

PLUS Nasty parties and watching royal-watchersMatt Chorley is joined by Sam Coates, Times political editor, who suspects Michael Gove is again eyeing the Tory leadership, Hugo Rifkind, Times columnist, fears bigotry and bias is ingrained in both the Tory and Labour Party, while comedian Tiff Stevenson wonders if coverage of royal babies and weddings is designed to distract us from the bigger issues.Got a question for a future episode? Email redbox@thetimes.co.uk  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.