The Times Red Box Podcast

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Philip Webster, Anne Ashworth and Robbie Millen. Anne Ashworth: The Queen's Speech will focus on the extension of Right to Buy to housing association tenants. It's right to place an emphasis on home ownership: why should we deny this rite of passage to younger people. However, there are millions who cannot afford to take this step and must rely on rented accommodation. Whoever wants to win the 2020 election needs to get together a workable policy for the provision of better quality homes for this group. Philip Webster: The Labour leadership race is happening far too soon. Contenders exhausted by the election are having to fight again for four months. And no one really knows what they should be saying and doing to please a Labour electorate whose makeup remains a mystery. Will it be Andy, Liz or Yvette? Robbie Millen: Last week Jeffrey Spector, a 54-year-old British man suffering from an inoperable tumour on his spine, went to the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland to end... &

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Patrick Kidd, Giles Whittell and Libby Purves. Patrick Kidd: When it comes to recovering from a disastrous election it is best to ignore that noted political analyst Meghan Traynor. It is not all about the base ('bout the base) but about understanding those who rejected you. Small businesses and aspirant parents are the kingmakers. Do any of Labour's would-be leaders get this? It would be better to pick the next leader in an open primary of floating voters than an internal talking shop. Giles Whittell: Nicola Sturgeon is right. Renewing Trident is ridiculous. She's wrong about the reason, though. The £100 billion figure used by the CND is for 40 years and anything can be made to seem appallingly expensive over 40 years. The reason is that Trident is outdated now, will be even more outdated in 40 years and may well be every bit as vulnerable to terrorists as Able Seaman William McNeilly says it is. Libby Purves: At last, research confirms what has been obvious to anyone... &#

Part two of an election special recorded in front of a live studio audience. Tim Montgomerie is joined by David Aaronovitch, Daniel Finkelstein and Jenni Russell. Subscribe via iTunes: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/did-you-read  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tim Montgomerie and a panel of Times columnists, including David Aaronovitch, Daniel Finkelstein and Jenni Russell, discuss the results of the general election in front of a live audience. Subscribe via iTunes: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/did-you-read  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Essential listening in the election campaign brought to you by The Times Opinion podcast. Tim Montgomerie is joined by Melanie Phillips, Jenni Russell and Matthew Parris. Subscribe via iTunes: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/did-you-read  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Essential listening in the election campaign brought to you by The Times Opinion podcast. Tim Montgomerie is joined by Philip Webster, Fay Schlesinger and Daniel Finkelstein and asks the following questions: - What was your moment of the week? - Who had a good / bad week? - What new things did we learn this week? - What should Times readers expect next week? And crucially - who is going to be Prime Minister? 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 by Matthew Parris, Rachel Sylvester and Hugo Rifkind. Opinion podcast 28 April: Rachel Sylvester It's going to be Fear versus Fear between now and May 7th. The parties are intent on terrifying the voters about the dire things that will happen if their rivals win but they just risk fuelling the anti-politics mood with their negativity. Matthew Parris This is a genuine question to which I am not sure of the answer. Just imagine the Tory campaign had from the start made no accusations against other parties, said nothing unpleasant about Ed Miliband, and confined itself to describing what they believe to be in their own successes. Doubtless the media would have done the negative stuff anyway. Would this have hurt the Conservatives? I really don't know, but I'm very unsure that it would. Hugo Rifkind The Passion of David Cameron is all a bit "The Quiet Man Is Turning Up The Volume". Passion ought to be deeply suspect in British politics; the preserve of fanatics, zealots... &n

Essential listening in the election campaign brought to you by The Times Opinion podcast. Tim Montgomerie is joined by Laura Pitel, Daniel Finkelstein and Alice Thomson and asks the following questions: - What was your moment of the week? - Who had a good / bad week? - What new things did we learn this week? - What should Times readers expect next week? 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 by Philip Collins, Marcus Roberts and Jenni Russell. The panel discuss the latest trends in the run up to the 2015 General Election. Subscribe via iTunes: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/did-you-read  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Essential listening in the election campaign brought to you by The Times Opinion podcast. Tim Montgomerie is joined by Daniel Finkelstein, Rachel Sylvester and Callum Jones and asks the following questions: - What was your moment of the week? - Who had a good / bad week? - What new things did we learn this week? - What should Times readers expect next week? 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 by Matthew Parris, Jenni Russell and Hugo Rifkind. Subscribe via iTunes: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/did-you-read  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Essential listening in the election campaign brought to you by The Times Opinion podcast. Tim Montgomerie is joined by Daniel Finkelstein, Michael Savage and The Spectator's Isabel Hardman and asks the following questions: - What was your moment of the week? - Who had a good / bad week? - What new things did we learn this week? - What should Times readers expect next week? Subscribe via iTunes: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/did-you-read  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Election special: Tim Montgomerie is joined by Philip Webster, Laura Pitel and Oliver Moody. 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 by Danny Finkelstein, Peter Kellner and Libby Purves. Danny Finkelstein: The most lasting and impressive thing about the Coalition may end up being the fact of it - that it lasted and was stable at a time when the country needed stable government but hadn't voted for one. But there was more - in particular that it enabled cuts to be made with remarkable little social unrest. And there was less - the parties together failed to forge a political identity that enabled them to capture the centre. Peter Kellner: I agree with Danny. In addition, voters are now far less keen on the idea of coalitions than they were before the last election. They wanted parties to work together in the national interest but now are unhappy with the results. As a nation we say we want politicians to put country before party. Nick Clegg did just that- and look what has happened to his ratings. Libby Purves: Excited that scientists have discovered not only Richard III’s scoliosis and head wounds but... &#

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Patrick Kidd, Ann Treneman and Matt Ridley to discuss David Cameron's potential gaffe, Alex Salmond scaring Westminster, and the governments role in the biggest marine protection zone in the world.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Richard Fletcher, Philip Aldrick and Janice Turner for a Budget special, plus a look at George Osborne the Chancellor and the man.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Jenni Russell, Matthew Parris and Hugo Rifkind. Jenni Russell: Is the icecap starting to break? For months the polls have been locked, with Labour and the Tories stuck on a third of the vote, and Labour remaining just slightly ahead. Labour has been hoping that the electorate will reject austerity; the Tories have been anxiously awaiting a reward for seeing the economy turning at last. Ashcroft's latest poll puts the Tories four points ahead; more importantly the Tories have led more of the last twenty polls than Labour have. Matthew Parris: Okay, I'll say it: I think there's a chance the Tories are just going to win outright. We are in the media have a habit of fighting the last battle and because the last election led to a coalition this has conditioned thinking about the next one. But Labour support may begin to ebb away: not least because the party has no stomach for this fight and people know it. Hugo Rifkind: Parts of England are developing a profound...  

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Alice Thomson, Rachel Sylvester and Philip Webster. The panel discuss how the major parties are confronting the issue of immigration ahead of the general election in May. 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 by Lucy Fisher, Isabel Hardman and David Aaronovitch. Lucy Fisher: Yesterday a new “cash for access” scandal exploded, after MPs Jack Straw and Sir Malcolm Rifkind were caught out offering their influence and political contacts in exchange for money. The revelation looks set to erode further voters’ faith in mainstream politics, which will benefit only Ukip and the Greens at the polls in May. The scandal has also sparked a row about MPs’ second jobs, on which many are now calling for an outright ban. Isabel Hardman: The Church of England is now locked into a face-off with the Conservative party. The Bishops probably didn’t mean to offend the Tories so much with their letter last week, but they did, partly by being so naive about complex issues such as defence and partly by being mealy-mouthed about the recovery. But the Tories also didn’t need to get so upset about what the Bishops wrote - if indeed they read it. It included a defence of markets and of the Big Society:... &

Tim Montgomerie is joined by Suzy Jagger, Lech Mintowt-Czyz and Philip Webster. The panel discuss: 1. Focus on the Conservative Party's key weakness - being party of the rich. Are they in danger of being too punitive on welfare? 2. Focus on Labour's key weakness - their remoteness from business. Is it too late to correct? 3. Key weakness of all of the parties - a complete disinterest in foreign policy. Subscribe via iTunes: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/did-you-read  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.