Politics Without The Boring Bits

Join Matt Chorley as he guides you through what really matters in British politics. Formerly the Red Box podcast, he brings together the best interviews, smartest analysis and funniest panel discussions from his Times Radio show, Politics Without The Boring Bits.
Logo for How To Hold The Line
Latest episode

How To Hold The Line

Show more

Heading into an election campaign, politicians can be asked to explain their party's position on absolutely anything - but it's not always easy to remember exactly what that is. Matt is joined...

Show more
00:00
00:00
 

More from Politics Without The Boring Bits

May 15, 2024

PMQs: Goodnight Sweetheart

Show more

Never mind prisons running out of space or rainbow lanyards - PMQs gets derailed by Nicholas Lyndhurst. Matt is joined by Patrick Maguire and Lara Spirit to unpack all the action from the Commons.Plus: Columnists Alice Thomson and Robert...

Show more
May 14, 2024

Why Is Food Still So Expensive?

Show more

As Rishi Sunak hosts farmers at Number 10 to offer his support to British agriculture, the sector is struggling with ever higher costs and extreme weather. Food Minister Mark Spencer explains why the wet winter could lead to food prices...

Show more
May 13, 2024

The Exit Interviews: Edward Timpson

Show more

Matt sits down with MPs leaving Parliament at the next election to find out their highs and lows, their best and worst bosses, and the lessons they've learned from politics.Conservative Edward Timpson remembers arriving in Westminster...

Show more
May 10, 2024

The Prime Minister That Never Was

Show more

It's been 30 years since the sudden death of Labour leader John Smith, a man many expected would go on to be prime minister. Matt hears from some of the people who knew him best, including the recollections of Tony Blair, Margaret...

Show more
May 9, 2024

Focus Group: It's Like He's Evil

Show more

It's the Times Radio Focus Group, where Matt steps outside the Westminster bubble to hear the opinions of ordinary voters. This month it's a group who all voted for the Conservatives in 2019 but now want to vote for Labour or haven't...

Show more
May 8, 2024

PMQs: Dover And Out

Show more

Matt Chorley and Patrick Maguire pause and unpack the action from the Commons chamber, as Tory MP for Dover Natalie Elphicke defects to Labour moments before PMQs.Plus: Columnists Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton discuss never-ending...

Show more
May 7, 2024

Did Liz Truss Really Screw Your Mortgage?

Show more

Mortgage costs went up after Liz Truss' mini-budget in 2022, and are yet to come down. As new analysis of the local election results suggests that support for the Conservatives dropped more sharply in areas where there are more mortgage...

Show more
May 6, 2024

The Exit Interview: Craig Whittaker

Show more

Matt sits down with MPs leaving Parliament at the next election to find out about their highs and lows, their best and worst bosses, and the lessons they've learned from politics. Conservative MP Craig Whittaker tells Matt about being...

Show more
May 3, 2024

Losing Is Becoming A Habit

Show more

After a difficult set of election results for the Conservatives, including a by-election defeat in Blackpool South, Matt looks at what they mean for the parties and for Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer as elections expert John Curtice says...

Show more
May 2, 2024

Hello From The Other Side: Thatcher's Rise To Power

Show more

In half a century just three opposition leaders have become prime minister. 45 years after Margaret Thatcher arrived in Downing Street, Matt hears from the people who knew her best - including Conservative colleagues Ken Clarke, Jonathan...

Show more
May 1, 2024

PMQs: Stop Banging The Furniture

Show more

Tim Shipman and Kait Borsay join Matt Chorley to pause and unpack the action from the Commons chamber as Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak clash over pensions and how to fund them, and one Tory gets a ticking-off from the Speaker.Plus:...

Show more
Apr 30, 2024

Inside The Plot To Bring Down Sunak

Show more

For months a group of Tory plotters have been saying that the local elections will be pivotal to their efforts to remove Rishi Sunak from office. So as the moment of truth nears, can the plot succeed, or are the plotters themselves...

Show more
Apr 29, 2024

The Exit Interviews: Caroline Lucas

Show more

Matt sits down with MPs leaving Parliament at the next election to find out about their highs and lows, their best and worst bosses, and the lessons they've learned from politics.Caroline Lucas - the only Green MP - tells Matt about her...

Show more
Apr 26, 2024

Three-Way Trump-Off

Show more

The impressionists are back - Jon Culshaw, Rory Bremner and Nerine Skinner join Matt to talk about their favourite political impressions, before engaging in a 'three-way Trump-off'.Plus: Andrew Neil gives his take on the future of Humza...

Show more
Apr 25, 2024

Could The Tories Disappear?

Show more

Exclusive polling for the podcast shows two in 10 voters - including one in 10 of those who voted Tory in 2019 - would like the Conservative party to disappear completely, in favour of another right-wing party.How bad do things look for...

Show more
Apr 24, 2024

Deputy PMQs: Pint-Sized Loser

Show more

It's Deputy PMQs wile Rishi Sunak is in Germany, with Oliver Dowden facing questions from Angela Rayner. Tim Shipman and Calum Macdonald join Matt Chorley to pause and unpack the action from the Commons as the deputies trade blows over...

Show more
Apr 23, 2024

Keir Starmer's Flagging

Show more

Keir Starmer has urged his Labour party colleagues to fly the flag with enthusiasm on St George's Day. But does everyone in Labour agree with him, and how much does patriotism matter in politics? Plus: While voters in Pennsylvania head...

Show more
Apr 22, 2024

The Exit Interviews: Mike Freer

Show more

Matt sits down with MPs leaving Parliament at the next election to find out about their highs and lows, their best and worst bosses, and the lessons they've learned from their time at Westminster.Conservative MP and minister Mike Freer...

Show more
Apr 20, 2024

The Brexit Interview: Tim Shipman

Show more

Brexit was the greatest conundrum visited on the British political class in the last 80 years, according to Sunday Times Chief Political Commentator Tim Shipman.He sits down with Matt to discuss his latest book examining the years...

Show more
Displaying 1 to 19 of 1300 shows

Load More

More ways to listen

You may also like

  • Mini podcast

    The Story

See all podcasts