The Story

After swearing an oath on the King James Bible, Boris Johnson spent nearly three and a half hours being quizzed by fellow MPs on the privileges committee about gatherings in Downing Street during lockdown. The same afternoon, only 22 Tories followed him through the lobbies, defying a three-line whip to vote against the government’s Brexit deal. So is his appeal – and his argument – fading away? And where does it all leave the Conservatives?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. 

Guest: Henry Zeffman, Associate Political Editor, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: Parliament TV, Channel 4 News.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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It’s three years since the then prime minister Boris Johnson announced the first national lockdown in an attempt to halt the spread of covid. So, as we move on from the last pandemic, what might cause the next one? And have we learned enough this time round to stop it before it gets out of hand?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.

Guest: Ben Spencer, Science Editor, The Sunday Times.

Host: Sean O'Neill. 

Clips: BBC News, Al Jazeera, Parliament.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Twenty years on, the invasion of Iraq is widely seen as a fiasco. But still today the conflict has ongoing consequences for Iraq and Iraqis. Times correspondent Catherine Philp is back in Baghdad to meet people and hear how they were affected then - and now.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.

Guests: 

• Catherine Philp, Diplomatic Correspondent, The Times.
• Dr Saad Eskander, historian and director of the Iraq National Library and Archives.
• Bader Katr, translator.
• Iraqi family in Sadr city.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Clips: BBC, CBS, AP, Al Jazeera, Journeyman Pictures, CNN, The Washington Post.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nicola Sturgeon’s surprise resignation last month triggered the first election for the leadership of the Scottish National Party in a decade. So, what are the priorities of the three candidates? And - with a row over membership numbers leading the party’s chief executive to resign after giving misleading figures to the press - what impact will the leadership election have on the party?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.

Guest: Kieran Andrews, Scottish Political Editor, The Times and The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Clips: STV, ITV, Sky News, Channel 4, The Scottish Sun. 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In March 2003, Britain, the US and others invaded the cradle of civilisation, promising to end the perceived threat from Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and his weapons of mass destruction. But where did the evidence come from and how did it lead us to war?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.

Guests: Michael Evans, Defence Writer, The Times.

Robert E Kelly, nuclear engineer and weapons inspector.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: AP, BBC, Al Jazeera, 60 Minutes, Parliament Live, UK Parliament, BBC, CBS C-SPAN, WSJ, Tim Collins. 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's Friday episode comes courtesy of our sister podcast: Off Air ... with Jane and Fi, who are joined by historian Dan Snow to talk about his latest documentary on the Black Death.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.

Assistant Producer: Kea Browning.

Times Radio Producer: Rosie Cutler.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On September 16, 2022, Mahsa Amini died after being arrested by the Iranian morality police for allegedly dressing inappropriately, sparking protests across the country and beyond. But six months on, there are two opposing narratives of what happened to the 22-year-old: the official account and what her family says. Our correspondent has been investigating to provide the most comprehensive account yet of her final days.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.

Guest: Louise Callaghan, Middle East Correspondent, The Sunday Times. 

Host: Jenny Kleeman.

Clips: BBC News, France 24, CNN Espanol, Al Jazeera, Times Radio, Channel 4 News, Euronews, Sky News Australia, Middle East Matters. 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The NHS has had a tough few years: Covid, huge winter demand and now strikes have disrupted services. But even on an average day, the pressure in one of the country's biggest hospitals is palpable.

A few weeks ago Stories of Our Times visited Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge for a rare glimpse inside the NHS, and to see the pioneering solutions that could ease the situation.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.

Guest: Rachel Sylvester, Times columnist and chairwoman of the Times Health Commission.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: Sky News, BBC Radio 4.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tomorrow the chancellor Jeremy Hunt will stand up in the House of Commons to deliver his first full budget. With the UK economy at its most stagnant point in two years, is there anything Hunt can do to ease the pain?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.

Guest: Mehreen Khan, Economics Editor, The Times.

Host: Jenny Kleeman. 

Clips: Sky News, Bloomberg, ITV, Telegraph, BBC, Al Jazeera, CBS, NBC, Parliament TV.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

They are supposed to help adults quit smoking – so why is a Willy Wonka array of disposable vapes being mass marketed to children? The Chartered Trading Standards Institute wants tougher penalties for those selling to under-18s. Just how did vaping get so big in Britain?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.

Guest: Josh Glancy, Special Correspondent, The Sunday Times. 

Host: Luke Jones. 

Clips: BBC News, Sky News, Channel 4 News.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.