Politics Unpacked
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.
Episodes
In this special Christmas episode of the podcast, Patrick Maguire joins Ed Vaizey for a story of a prime minister visited by three Christmas spirits - one carrying a disposable vape, one looking like George V, and the last smelling of tofu. Do any of them bear glad tidings for Keir Starmer as he looks forward to elections in 2026?
Politics Unpacked will be back on 29th January.
Nearly ten million voters could see their local elections delayed until 2027, which Nigel Farage claims is to stop him winning more councils - does he have a point?
Guto Harri unpacks the politics of the day with Alys Denby and Michael Binyon
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TDS, or Trump Derangement Syndrome, is apparently the irrational desire to criticise the US President Donald Trump. But with his approval ratings slipping in the polls, is he in serious trouble over his handling of the economy?
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Matthew Parris and Juliet Samuel.
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In the final PMQs of the year, Kemi Badenoch challenges Keir Starmer on growth, taxes and claims he doesn’t have the “baubles” to stop the doctors’ strike. Starmer hits back, arguing that Badenoch’s Christmas wish list would freeze the minimum wage...
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the Commons exchanges with Josh Glancy, Stefan Boscia and Ahir Shah.
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Donald Trump has sued the BBC for $10 billion over an edit of his January 6th speech in a Panorama documentary. Could the corporation's survival be threatened if it doesn't settle with the US president?
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Libby Purves and Patrick Kidd.
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Does Andy Burnham want to be PM? Reform UK has become Britain’s largest party by membership, and Jeremy Clarkson is the latest pub owner to bar Labour MPs from his pub.
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Seb Payne and Emma Duncan.
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Keir Starmer has appointed 25 new peers, despite having pledged to shrink and even abolish the House of Lords in the past - how could that affect trust in politics?
Hugo unpacks the politics of the day with Matthew Syed and Salma Shah.
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Panto season hits PMQs, with Badenoch calling Starmer a “caretaker PM,” Starmer accusing her of job-saving panic, and Lindsay Hoyle asking MPs to stop the pantomime auditions.
Hugo Rifkind is joined by Patrick Maguire and Andrew Hunter Murray to unpack the exchanges in the House Of Commons.
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Angela Rayner has expressed "frustration" with slow progress delivering on workers' rights. Now she's on the backbenches, is she going to be creating problems for Keir Starmer, and could she end up as leader?
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Megan Kenyon and Patrick Kidd.
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The think-tank that backed Keir Starmer's bid to be Labour leader has started canvassing members about potential successors - are preparations underway for a leadership change?
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Cindy Yu and Charlotte Ivers.
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The UK is planning to use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine. But with Putin welcomed with open arms in India, how much pressure will this really put on the Kremlin?
Ed Vaizey unpacks the news of the day with Alys Denby and Michael Binyon.
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Nigel Farage wants a “reverse takeover” of the Tory party, but he's not interested in any Reform UK-Conservative Party pact at the next election - could he lure Robert Jenrick to join Reform?
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Matthew Parris and Juliet Samuel.
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Kemi Badenoch is on a roll at PMQs, but was she right to keep the focus on what was and wasn't said in the weeks before the Budget?
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the exchanges from the Commons with Gabriel Pogrund and Guto Harri
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Keir Starmer says the UK is still facing consequences of Brexit vote's 'wild promises' - why is the prime minister bringing up Brexit?
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Libby Purves and Patrick Kidd.
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The Prime Minister has denied that he and the Chancellor misled the cabinet, and the country, over the state of the nation's finances - has he put the question to bed?
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Charlotte Ivers and Sebastian Payne.
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The governments' abandoned its plan to give workers day-one-rights against unfair dismissal - a policy which was in its manifesto. Will this blow up into a full-scale row - or is ditching the pledge what “grown-up politics” looks like?
Ed Vaizey unpacks the politics of the day with Thangham Debbonaire and Michael Binyon.
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Rachel Reeves has told Times Radio she is determined to remain in Number 11 Downing Street, and that she wasn't going to have her political obituary written today - how might this play out with Labour’s election chances?
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Robert Colvile and Megan Kenyon
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The OBR may have mistakenly released Reeves' budget too early, but it was just in time for Prime Minister's Questions.
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the exchanges with The Times' Chief Political Correspondent Patrick Maguire.
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Rachel Reeves has told Labour MPs she'll survive Wednesday's budget, and be back for years to come. Is it set to be worse than previous budget disasters, including George Osborne's 'omnishambles' in 2012?
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Ed Vaizey and James Marriott.
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