Politics Unpacked
Wireless Group
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the the politics of the day - and the stuff that's even more important - with the brightest brains from the Times and Sunday Times.
You can listen to Hugo on DAB, smart speaker or app 10am-1pm Monday to Friday. If you like what you hear, then read more at http://www.thetimes.com/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Location:
United Kingdom
Genres:
News & Politics Podcasts
Description:
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the the politics of the day - and the stuff that's even more important - with the brightest brains from the Times and Sunday Times. You can listen to Hugo on DAB, smart speaker or app 10am-1pm Monday to Friday. If you like what you hear, then read more at http://www.thetimes.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Language:
English
Episodes
The Chancellor’s ‘Impossible Trilemma’
8/6/2025
With a £50 billion gap in the public finances, it is looking increasingly difficult for Rachel Reeves to avoid raising taxes.
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Janice Turner and Cindy Yu.
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Duration:00:33:33
Will The UK-France Migrant Deal Cut Through?
8/5/2025
The government's 'one-in, one-out' migrant deal with France is coming into force - but can the public be persuaded by technocratic solutions? And should Neil Kinnock stop advising Rachel Reeves to raise taxes?
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Times columnists James Marriott and Libby Purves.
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Duration:00:31:47
Farage's Growing Entourage
8/4/2025
Reform UK's new justice adviser doesn't agree with everything Nigel Farage says - does it matter? And can Farage keep tabs on his growing entourage?
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Seb Payne and Charlotte Ivers.
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Duration:00:35:20
Not So Silly Season
8/1/2025
August is supposed to be a quiet time for politics but the Prime Minister has an array of thorny issues to contend with - from Heathrow's expansion plan, to foreign criminals and the fact that no one wants to name their baby after him.
Harry Wallop unpacks the politics of the day with Alys Denby and Phil Tinline.
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Duration:00:32:44
PM's "Knee-Jerk Reaction" On Palestine
7/31/2025
Top lawyers are warning Starmer he'll be breaking international law if he follows through with the recognition of a Palestinian State, and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the move a "knee jerk reaction" - does she have a point ?
Geoff Norcott is joined by Claire Cohen and Matthew Parris to unpack the politics of the day.
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Duration:00:33:39
Starmer's Palestine Plan
7/30/2025
Israel has criticised Keir Starmer's plan to recognise a Palestinian state if conditions do not improve in Gaza, but many of the Prime Minister's MPs will feel he didn't act quickly enough. Has the PM had a change of heart or is this just gesture politics?
Geoff Norcott unpacks the politics of the day with Jane Mulkerrins and Alice Thomson.
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Duration:00:31:42
Trump's Advice To Starmer
7/29/2025
On his visit to Scotland, President Trump gave Keir Starmer his unsolicited advice for how to beat Nigel Farage at the next election - but should the Prime Minister listen to him?
Michael Binyon is joined by Sarah Ditum and James Marriott to unpack the politics of the day.
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Duration:00:32:57
A MAGA British Summer
7/28/2025
Keir Starmer meets Donald Trump at his Turnberry golf course today, where the president's love of Scotland has sparked talk of a 'MAGA British summer'. But on the domestic front, the prime minister has some thorny issues to contend with.
Michael Binyon unpacks the politics of the day with Charlotte Ivers and Seb Payne.
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Duration:00:35:58
Battle With The BMA
7/25/2025
Keir Starmer has appealed in The Times directly to doctors not to strike - but is this falling on deaf ears? And how does this bode for Labour’s future relations with the unions?
Ed Vaizey unpacks the politics of the day with Michael Binyon and Thangam Debbonaire.
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Duration:00:30:25
Badenoch's Chainsaw Conservatives
7/24/2025
Kemi Badenoch says the chainsaw-wielding president of Argentina would be “the template” for her government - could could she be Britain's answer to Javier Milei?
Ed Vaizey unpacks the politics of the day with Manveen Rana and Fraser Nelson.
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Duration:00:29:48
Is Britain "Fraying"?
7/23/2025
Keir Starmer has warned Britain is "fraying at the edges" and urgent action on immigration is needed to avoid a repeat of last summer's riots. But is this the worst it's been?
Robert Crampton and Phil Tinline join Ed Vaizey to unpack the politics of the day
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Duration:00:32:14
Reshuffles, Reform & JD Vance's Holiday
7/22/2025
Kemi Badenoch is using the last day before the Commons recess to launch a reset of her leadership of the Conservative Party, while Nigel Farage is gearing up to spend his summer talking about crime.
Plus: What will JD Vance get up to in the Cotswolds?
Ed Vaizey unpacks the politics of the day with James Marriott and Sarah Ditum
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Duration:00:32:43
Farage's Summer Of Crime
7/21/2025
Reform UK's leader launches a six-week summer crime campaign, promising to deport criminals to prisons in El Salvador and halve crime overall. Could he deliver it?
Ed Vaizey unpacks the politics of the day with Charlotte Ivers and Patrick Kidd.
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Duration:00:32:53
Afghan Data Leak: "Cock-up Or Conspiracy"?
7/18/2025
As more revelations about the Afghan data leak continue to come out, who will take the blame? And is an urgent inquiry needed to unpack the failings?
Ed Vaizey unpacks the politics of the day with Michael Binyon and Alys Denby.
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Duration:00:32:02
Persistent Knobheadery
7/17/2025
Keir Starmer has suspended four of his MPs over repeated breaches of party discipline, or as one party source described it to the Times, “persistent knobheadery”. Was this a ruthless or desperate move from Starmer?
Patrick Maguire unpacks the politics of the day with Manveen Rana and Matthew Parris.
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Duration:00:31:43
PMQs: Don't Mention The Data Leak
7/16/2025
Keir Starmer said Conservative ex-ministers have serious questions to answer over the Afghanistan data leak at the start of Prime Minister's Questions. But after that, no one seemed to want to mention it.
Patrick Maguire unpacks the action with Sunday Times Whitehall Editor Gabriel Pogrund and former Conservative cabinet minister Sir David Lidington.
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Duration:00:42:02
Melania, Billionaires And The Power Of Pessimism
7/15/2025
Patrick Maguire is unpacking the politics of the day, asking James Marriott and Libby Purves whether Melania Trump changed the US president's mind over Putin, whether we should mourn the departure of billionaires, and why pessimism can be a force for good.
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Duration:00:29:02
Tax Rises: The Question Of The Summer
7/14/2025
What is a "working person" and who is on a "modest income"? Government ministers are pressed to say who could face higher taxes, as expectation mounts that the chancellor will have to act in the Autumn.
Patrick Maguire unpacks the politics of the day with The Times' Seb Payne and Carol Lewis.
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Duration:00:35:33
Sick Note Britain?
7/11/2025
GPs are being told to stop handing out so many sick notes as part of the government's efforts to get more people back to work. And why are women turning to Reform?
Ed Vaizey unpacks the politics of the day with Alice Thomson and Cindy Yu.
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Duration:00:29:30
"Washed-up Tories" Defecting to Reform
7/10/2025
Former Conservative Chairman Jake Berry is the second ex-Tory minister to defect to Reform this week, but is this working in Nigel Farage's favour?
Hugo Rifkind is joined by Tim Montgomerie and Zoe Strimpel to unpack the politics of the day.
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Duration:00:31:46