Episodes
Sunday Times chief political commentator Tim Shipman joins Hugo to dig into the final book in his Brexit quartet, 'Out: How Brexit Got Done and The Tories Were Undone'.
How important was Dominic Cummings in the rise and fall of Boris Johnson, and what did Dilyn the dog do to his leg? What did Liz Truss's advisers really think about her fitness to lead the nation? And why couldn't Rishi Sunak cope with failure?
You can buy Tim's book here, and there's a 20% discount for Times+ members.
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Published 11/21/24
With Keir Starmer away, his deputy Angela Rayner takes deputy prime minister's questions from Conservative MP Alex Burghart. Does he impress on his first outing at the despatch box?
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the action from the Commons chamber with the help of Tim Shipman, Lara Spirit and comedian Grainne Maguire.
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Published 11/20/24
Has Elon Musk already overstayed his welcome in the court of Donald Trump? Can a government be made up entirely of mavericks? And how does the billionaire find the time?
Pus: Should we be following the advice of Rishi Sunak's father-in-law and denounce the weekend?
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with James Marriott and Juliet Samuel
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Published 11/19/24
Rachel Reeves is under pressure to explain her CV, after it emerged that she used a false claim to win her seat as an MP - but does it matter?
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Iain Martin and Lara Spirit, including the row over assisted dying and whether Sue Gray will get a peerage.
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Published 11/18/24
Thousands of people, including children, have been questioned by police over non-crime hate speech, but is that involving police in political problems?
Ed Vaizey unpacks the politics of the day with Timandra Harkness and Tim Montgomerie
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Published 11/15/24
Hugo Rifkind is unpacking the politics of the day with Matthew Syed and Manveen Rana. Can Europe hold Donald Trump responsible if the US walks away from its role as the world's policeman, or are politicians this side of the Atlantic to blame?
You can read Matthew's column here.
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Published 11/14/24
In her second outing at PMQs, Kemi Badenoch attacks Keir Starmer over the government's National Insurance rise - but he says she's resorting to the "magic money tree".
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the action from the Commons chamber with the help of Tim Shipman, Lara Spirit and comedian Ria Lina.
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Published 11/13/24
Has the liberal dominance of the old entertainment industry given way to the dominance of right-wing YouTubers, podcasters, streamers and influencers?
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Libby Purves and James Marriott.
You can read James' column here.
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Published 11/12/24
After Paul Johnson tells us he's changed his mind about the scale of the recent Budget, is the government missing the chance to be more radical?
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Patrick Maguire and Lara Spirit.
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Published 11/11/24
Can Keir Starmer learn anything from the Democrats' defeat in the presidential election, or are the UK and the US too different to draw comparisons?
Ed Vaizey unpacks the politics of the day with Jane Mulkerrins and playwright Jonathan Maitland
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Published 11/08/24
Donald Trump's victory might be a bitter pull for liberals around the world to swallow, but they can't avoid his overwhelming success at the ballot box.
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Matthew Parris and Lara Spirit. You can read Hugo's column in the Times here.
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Published 11/07/24
In Kemi Badenoch's first PMQs as Tory leader, she ask whether Keir Starmer will get on with President-elect Trump and protect the "special relationship", but was her explosive style successful?
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the action at Prime Minister's Questions with the help of Tim Shipman, Lara Spirit and comedian Andy Zaltzman.
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Published 11/06/24
In 2020 Keir Starmer promised to abolish university tuition fees - so will his government suffer from the decision to increase them in line with inflation?
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day, and all the other news, with Libby Purves and James Marriott.
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Published 11/05/24
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have been making their closing pitches in front of large crowds in the US, but are the differences between British and American politics exaggerated?
And is Kemi Badnoch right to be frustrated about how her comments are sometimes reported?
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Hadley Freeman and Patrick Maguire.
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Published 11/04/24
Were the markets hostile to the budget or are our jitters a hangover from Liz Truss? Should we bring back food rationing? Can you hold a grudge for as long as a crow?
Ed Vaizey unpacks the politics of the day with Timandra Harkness and Robin Brant.
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Published 11/01/24
As Biden makes another blunder, is the US president making the campaign impossible for Kamala Harris? And are both parties failing to diagnose the real problems in Washington D.C.?
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Manveen Rana and Matthew Syed.
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Published 10/31/24
Labour's first budget in nearly fifteen years will also be the biggest tax-raising budget in history. Hugo unpacks it all with Times Radio's Political Correspondent Theo Usherwood.
Plus: In Rishi Sunak's last hurrah at PMQs, he talks up his record in Number 10. Hugo pauses and analyses the action with the help of Lara Spirit and comedian Jon Harvey.
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Published 10/30/24
Do politicians have to be outrageous to get attention? Why is the nation's birth rate plummeting? Plus, a lesson in how to carve turnip lanterns.
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with James Marriott and Laura Freeman.
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Published 10/29/24
Will racist language used at Trump's latest rally help or hinder his bid for the White House? Are we really living in unprecedentedly bad times? And are new MPs right to complain about Parliament's old customs?
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Hadley Freeman and Patrick Maguire
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Published 10/28/24
After the Wall Street Journal reports on secret conversations between Elon Musk and Russia's president, just how much influence does the world's richest man wield? And is facial recognition the future of your supermarket shop?
Patrick Maguire unpacks the politics of the day with Robin Brant and Timandra Harkness.
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Published 10/25/24
As Commonwealth leaders press the case for slavery reparations, has the summit in Somoa gone wrong for the prime minister? And how serious are Donald Trump's claims of election interference?
Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Manveen Rana and Matthew Parris
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Published 10/24/24
With Keir Starmer away, it's Angela Rayner v Oliver Dowden at deputy prime minister's questions - or the "battle of the gingers".
Lara Spirit pauses and unpacks the action from the Commons chamber with the help of Tim Shipman and Geoff Norcott.
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Published 10/23/24
Will the government's sentencing review stop the prison overcrowding crisis? Are entrepreneurs scared to start their own business? And were there any sensible ideas contributed the government's big conversation on the future of the NHS?
Lara Spirit unpacks the politics of the day with Juliet Samuel and Libby Purves
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Published 10/22/24
Donald Trump has been serving (briefly) at a McDonald's, while Kemi Badenoch worked at one during her A-levels - does having the fast-food restaurant on your CV help connect with voters? Can the government stop the pre-Budget media frenzy, and what do Thatcher, Cameron and Starmer have in common?
Lara Spirit unpacks the politics of the day with Patrick Maguire and Emma Duncan.
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Published 10/21/24