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What do you do all day? Data suggests the average time people spend on leisure has decreased since the 1980s. John and Rachel explain what’s going on and what they spend their time doing.

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Hosts: Professor John Curtice and Rachel Wolf

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One of the biggest policy challenges Britain faces right now is its housing crisis. How did we get into such a mess and how do we get out of it? John Curtice and Rachel Wolf are joined by Dr Tim Leunig who advised three secretaries of state on housing policy. 

If you want to hear more from Tortoise on housing, listen to Making sense of social housing.  

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Hosts: John Curtice and Rachel Wolf

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The number of university graduates has never been higher, but what does that mean for social mobility? Has it stalled and if so, what does that reveal about inequality?

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Hosts: John Curtice and Rachel Wolf

Executive producer: Jasper Corbett

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Across Europe the radical right is making progress and winning elections. To understand why, Rachel and John speak to Professor Sara Hobolt from the London School of Economics.

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Hosts: John Curtice and Rachel Wolf

Producer: Lewis Vickers

Executive producer: Jasper Corbett

To find out more about Tortoise:

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Across the western world birth rates are declining. Why aren’t we having as many children as we used to? Is there still a link between marriage and having children? And what can policy makers be doing about the falling birth rate?   

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Hosts: John Curtice and Rachel Wolf

Producer: Rebecca Moore

Executive producer: Jasper Corbett

To find out more about Tortoise:

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A quarter of all government spending goes on welfare, including pensions, housing and incapacity benefit. What challenges does the next government face when it comes to welfare?

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Guest: Robert De Vries, senior lecturer in sociology and social policy at the University of Kent

Hosts: John Curtice and Rachel Wolf

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If the opinion polls are right the Conservatives could face one of their worst electoral defeats in their history in the upcoming general election. Can anything change that?  

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Two thirds of us never go to a place of worship. Support for organised religion in the UK is in steep decline among most groups in the UK. Yet most of us will celebrate Christmas in a few weeks. So what’s going on? John Curtice and Rachel Wolf discuss whether the UK is now a secular country and the role that faith still plays when it comes to certain policies, for instance education.  

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Jeremy Hunt announced £20bn in personal and business tax cuts in his recent Autumn Statement. But to pay for that schools, hospitals and other public services won’t be protected from the rising cost of inflation. On top of that, forecasters predict economic growth will be weak and inflation will remain high over the next few years. So what choices do taxpayers face and what might greet a new government next year when it comes to tax and spend? John Curtice and Rachel Wolf are joined by Torsten Bell who runs the Resolution Foundation think tank.

To find out more about Tortoise:

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If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact [email protected].

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Polls suggest both US president Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak face an uphill battle to win votes in upcoming national elections. John Curtice and Rachel Wolf are joined by US polling expert, Professor Christopher Carman to discuss whether Biden and Sunak could be defeated for the same reasons?  

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