Undecided voters in Scotland who previously backed the SNP give their verdict in the Times Radio Focus Group. Humza Yousaf is 'unremarkable', but which party leader is a snake?
Matt is joined by James Johnson of JL Partners to discuss the panel's views on the Scottish government, independence and party leaders on both sides of the border.
Plus: Columnists Manveen Rana and Matt Charlton discuss plans to tackle problem gambling, why Britons like their neighbours more than in other other nations, and whether baked beans have been unfairly maligned. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Focus Group: He's A Snake

Join Matt Chorley as he guides you through what really matters&nbsp;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,&nbsp;Politics Without The Boring Bits.
Listen live on DAB, smart speaker or app 10am-1pm Monday to Friday. If you like what you hear, then read more at&nbsp;http://www.thetimes.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

News & Politics

News

Politics

Description: 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 deputy chief whip in Liz Truss's government, what it's been like having stalkers, and the ‘rot’ inside the Tory party.
Plus: Columnists Rachel Sylvester and Libby Purves discuss the return of the 'coalition of chaos' and whether student protests are effective.
The Columnists: (01:50) The Big Thing: (20:22) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Exit Interview: Craig Whittaker

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 that losing is the government's "habit".
Plus: Columnists India Knight and James Marriott discuss why neither of them voted, whether they sympathise with Boris Johnson who forgot his ID at the polling booth, and what it means for politics that young people are becoming more religious. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Losing Is Becoming A Habit

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 Aitken, and David Howell, aide turned author Michael Dobbs, her biographer Charles Moore, and her daughter Carol Thatcher.
Plus: Manveen Rana and Matthew Parris discuss the SNP's leadership struggles, is noise in the Commons a good thing, and whether you should trust attractive politicians. 
The Columnists: (01:00) The Big Thing: (22:27) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

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: Columnists Alice Thomson and Robert Crampton discuss the violence on American University campuses, whether sports stars make good politicians and the policing of domestic violence. 
Columnists (02:30) PMQs Unpacked (23:05) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PMQs: Stop Banging The Furniture

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 divided?
Plus: After an MSP accidentally (and briefly) enters the race to replace Humza Yousaf, we look at the shotest ever leadership campaigns.
Short Leadership Campaigns: (05:06) The Big Thing: (12:25) 
 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Focus Group: He's A Snake

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