The Times Red Box Podcast

Philip Webster is joined by Rachel Sylvester, Emma Tucker and Philip Collins. Rachel Sylvester: George Osborne is the most intriguing politician of our age. He’s morphed from a short termist partisan tactician to a political strategist with a long term plan. But, as the tax credit fiasco shows, his biggest flaw is that he still lacks empathy - the ability to win people over by persuading them he understands how they feel. If he wants to become Conservative leader and Prime Minister he's got to prove he knows that that politics is about emotions as well power. Emma Tucker: Debate about Britain's relationship with the European Union is about to heat up as David Cameron prepares to outline his desired reform package in a letter to be delivered to Brussels this week. But he faces very tricky manoeuvres. Europe’s leaders don't really want to engage with him until he can reassure them that he will vote for Britain to stay in the EU. But if he does so, the Outers will accuse him of reducing incentives for... &

Philip Webster is joined by Sam Coates, Hugo Rifkind and Patrick Kidd. Sam Coates: George Osborne got the strategy wrong, the tactics wrong, the politics wrong, the communications wrong and the people-handling wrong - all the things the Chancellor is meant to be good at. MPs think his reputation has taken a hit. After riding high over the summer, the Chancellor's reputation was probably due a correction to the mean, but Boris would be unwise to think things have swung that much in his favour. Anyway the tax credit problem is still far from solved - anyone with any ideas should pop them on a postcard to the Treasury Hugo Rifkind: What's up with students? Last week, Germaine Greer cancelled a lecture at Cardiff University, after a petition circulated calling for her to be disinvited, due to her "problematic" views. When I was a student, visiting speakers included people such as the BNP's Nick Griffin and the radical Islamist Omar Bakri. If we could cope with them, how come students today can't cope with...

In his final Opinion podcast, host Tim Montgomerie is joined by Rachel Sylvester, Mathew Parris and Ann Treneman. Matthew Parris: Now that we're having to take seriously the possibility (though not, I think, the likelihood) that Britain may vote to leave the EU, we need to look beyond that possible Leave vote. What happens then? The government will have to begin a lengthy negotiation about the terms of our departure, with (of course) no negotiating cards to play at all. Much - a huge amount - will hang on the terms we are finally able to secure. It's perfectly possible voters who voted in principle to leave will find those terms unacceptable in practice. There will have to be a second referendum. Ann Treneman: What is Jeremy Corbyn playing at? Going on holiday (and to Scotland!) when he should be kissing the Queen's hand and becoming a privy councillor. It seems that we knew he was a republican but, hey, he actually seems to be a republican! Will Corbyn, in his own way, make us grow up as to how we...

Tim Montgomerie presents the Opinion podcast direct from Manchester at The Conservative Party conference: - Daniel Finkelstein and Jenni Russell: The Times - Paul Goodman: Conservativehome.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tim Montgomerie presents the Opinion podcast direct from Brighton at The Labour Party conference: - Andy Burnham: Shadow Home Secretary - Matthew Parris, Lucy Fisher and Marcus Roberts  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tim Montgomerie presents the Opinion podcast direct from Bournemouth: Norman Lamb - Liberal Democrats Patrick Kidd and Michael Savage from The Times Julia Unwin - Joseph Rowntree Foundation  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Philip Collins, Oliver Kamm and Libby Purves. Philip Collins Let's skip the bit where commentators ingeniously invent reasons why Corbyn might turn out to be Clement Attlee. No, this is man of no interesting ideas and no experience of running a political operation. He has started as he is condemned to go on. In chaos. The task for the sensible Labour party is to renew intellectually and engage the new members who will rapidly have buyer's remorse. Oliver Kamm In the 48 hours since Corbyn's election, I have dramatically changed my opinion. Yet again the great Phil Collins is vindicated. I've previously argued there's an ethical obligation on Labour MPs to withdraw cooperation from the whips and declare themselves opposed to a leader who is out of step with party's traditions & progressive values. Yet I hadn't reckoned on the scale of the incompetence of Corbyn & his allies. You can hold on as leader even in the face of bad polls; but it's much more difficult to do so

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Rachel Sylvester, Matthew Parris and Roger Boyes: Rachel Sylvester Politicians ought to like the country they want to lead but the Corbynistas seem to disapprove of modern Britain. They are Roundheads in a Cavalier age, collectivists in an era dominated by individualism. There is a sense of moral superiority on the left that is as off-putting as the born-to-rule attitude on the right. Labour moderates must take back the moral high ground in their party. There is nothing wrong with wanting to win. Matthew Parris There was something infantile about the apparent switch of public - or at least media - opinion after the publication of that photograph of a drowned Syrian toddler. As if we didn't know already that children were being drowned. My guess, though, is that public sympathy and generosity remains rather thin. People do understand the argument that European hospitality risks drawing in new waves of migrants. Still, the sentiment that photo stirred did give the Prime...

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Michael Savage, Patrick Kidd and Melanie Philips: Michael Savage It's not been a good summer for our increasingly cramped second chamber. The latest set of peerages confirmed their use as a reward for political donors, allies and lieutenants - the appointment of a prominent figure felled by the expenses scandal caused wide disbelief, and it all came after Lord Sewell's alleged extra-curricular antics had provoked new calls for Lords reform of some kind. With the second chamber now bigger than ever and its reputation in question, will they - or should they - come to anything? Patrick Kidd The claim that David Cameron had to buy a cheap pair of Asda wellies to visit the Somerset floods when he had a perfectly good pair of Hunters in the car boot shows that we have reached peak vacuity in this image-obsessed era of politics. But is that their fault or ours? And is the key lesson of Corbynmania that looks really don't matter? Melanie Philips When I saw the Union Jack being... &#

Philip Webster, who sits in for Tim Montgomerie, is joined by Anne Ashworth, Giles Whittell and Ann Treneman. Anne Ashworth: So that's all right, then. Breathe a sigh of relief and get on with your day. After all, some investors saw Monday's share price falls as a buying opportunity - which meant that global markets recovered some of their losses. But maybe we should actually be concerned as events on the Chinese bourses indicated that the regime is ill-equipped to deal with this sort of situation and that the truth about this country's economy could be more disturbing than we think. Giles Whittell: I've never seen the Baalshamin temple at Palmyra, and now I never will. The barbarism of the Isis fanatics who've blown it up is numbing, but what's really troubling about the destruction of Palmyra is its intent. Isis wants to make a mark for eternity, and to this end it's also doing more practical things like training up women doctors. It's not going away unless and until it's defeated, and diplomacy... &#

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Hugo Rifkind, Francis Elliott and Jenni Russell. Hugo Rifkind: Are politicians responsible for their own unsavory supporters? When opponents of Jeremy Corbyn are targeted with sexist or anti-semitic abuse on social media, is that really his fault? And, if not, does that also render Nigel Farage blameless when racists decide he’s speaking their language, or the SNP, when Cybernats bat for them? More worrying still, what if similar people - heaven forbid - should ever agree with us? Francis Elliott: The delay to the Iraq Inquiry report is clearly upsetting for the families of those killed in the war and is frustrating for the politicians. But when a mob unites David Cameron with Yvette Cooper it's hard not to feel queasy. Are we sure we are blaming the right person for the delay and for the right reasons? Jenni Russell: in the last month Edward Heath and Camila Batmanghelidjh have both been fatally damaged by vague and flimsy accusations. Phrases like sex abuse are now... &

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Daniel Finkelstein, Lucy Fisher and Ed Conway. Daniel Finkelstein: The prospect of Jeremy Corbyn as leader is not a problem for the labour Party. It is a calamity, a disaster, a debacle. It doesn't mean having an leader who can’t win an election. A party can deal with that. It means having a leader that the mainstream Labour MP can't even vote for. It seems astonishing to me that these MPs have not pressed the panic button. They seem to be causally drifting towards catastrophe. Lucy Fisher: Andy Burnham's wife let slip on Monday that he had wanted to be an MP since the age of 18. The revelation prompted jeers that he is a "Westminster bubble” career politician, a common slur that conveys suspicion and contempt. But I think it's time we stopped bashing career politicians. Commons advisers who later look to stand for parliament boast depth of knowledge of the arcane workings of the legislature - surely a good thing. And on a more important level, MPs who have dedicated...

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Isabel Harman, Matthew Parris and David Aaronovitch. Isabel Hardman Politicians are obeying perfectly the rules of a Summer Crisis on Calais. They are ensuring that they are seen to be Doing Something on the question of illegal migrants by posturing on regulations around the private rented sector, rather than answering the question of how to solve the crisis, especially whether Britain should be letting in some of those thronging on the border at Calais. Why answer difficult questions when you can just pretend to be busy? Matthew Parris Fear and dislike of the Left is what impelled me into the Conservative Party as an undergrad. It's part of the Tories' raison d'être and the cement that holds often ideologically different members together. If Labour reall does fall apart, the Tories will be next. David Aaronovitch Yesterday the IPCC announced that it was investigating a claim that Wiltshire police had abandoned a case in the 1990s because someone involved had alleged...

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Sam Coates, Laura Pitel and Philip Webster: What happens to British politics if Jeremy Corbyn wins? A living wage. Prisons reform. 2% spending on defence: do we prefer the Tory government to the Tory manifesto? When will the EU referendum happen? Subscribe via iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-times-opinion-podcast/id660638948?mt=2  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Richard Fletcher and Roger Boyes to discuss Greece and its future in the European Union. Subscribe via iTunes: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/did-you-read  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tim Montgomerie is joined Rachel Sylvester, Philip Aldrick and Matthew Parris. Subscribe via iTunes: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/did-you-read  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

David Aaronovitch sits in for Tim Montgomerie as the panel debate a wide range of topics. Fay Schlesinger Jon Stewart, the American comedian, played it straight on his chat show last week. If Islamist terrorists had massacred nine people in a church, he said, the repercussions would be huge. Because Dylann Roof killed under the banner of home-grown racism, the country will do “jackshit”. The Charleston attack cannot be reduced to failed gun laws, or America as an outlier. Britain and Europe need to take heed. Daniel Finkelstein The idea that the mistakes of the pollsters require state sponsored regulation, as suggested in a new private members bill before Parliament is totally barmy. So is the thought that we should give up polling and just try and guess Melanie Phillips As the Palace of Westminster crumbles, on one side are MPs singing we shall not be moved, on the other, people wanting to hang constitutional change on the scaffolding. All they've got to do is move out for a few years and then move...

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Alice Thomson, Ed Conway and Hilary Rose. Alice Thomson: The Scottish Nationalists lost the referendum but they were left with the moral high ground. The Scots had been 'scared' into voting no and then dumped by the English, which is partly why the Scot Nats did so well in the Election. But the increasingly nasty sectarian abuse by the extreme cybernats, hounding the late Charles Kennedy and any businessmen who dare to speak up for the union risks souring the SNP's apparently triumphal progress. When moderate Scots are fleeing South of the border it's time to ask if the dream is turning sour. Ed Conway: For the umpteenth time, Greece is back on what everyone is calling the brink of default. The economy is back in recession and austerity seems to be biting even more than in the darkest days of the crisis. What's agreed by most insiders and outsiders is that it should never have joined the euro in the first place. But simply turfing it out of the club would cause more... &n

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Lucy Fisher, Rachel Sylvester and Helen Rumbelow. Lucy Fisher: As the referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU looms closer, the “out” campaign is beginning to take shape. But its proponents now face a number of tough questions: who to lead them, with whom to ally and what strategies to pursue? The right business chiefs must be recruited, Tory Eurosceptics and Ukip must calculate how closely to embrace each other, and theoretical reasoning about UK sovereignty must be carefully balanced with more tangible arguments about the impact of immigration. Rachel Sylvester: Labour is speaking in code as it launches its leadership contest. Aspiration, equality, responsibility, choice, Blairite Brownite - these are words used to signify a political direction rather than simply to communicate. The party has to face up to electoral reality and go back to celebrating success even if that means some people doing better than others. Helen Rumbelow: Flexible working the male way: ask...

Philip Webster steps in for Tim Montgomerie and is joined on the panel by Suzy Jagger, David Aaronovitch and Lech Mintowt-Czyz. Subscribe via iTunes: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/did-you-read  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.