The State of It

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Politics
Updated Weekly

What’s really being said inside the corridors of power. Join Steven Swinford, Patrick Maguire, Ben Riley-Smith and Lara Spirit for exclusive interviews, political scoops and the best analysis from Westminster. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3d ago · Video

Burnham brings back Brexit wars: what’s the strategy?

Andy Burnham has pulled the lever marked ‘Brexit’, threatening to reignite the wars of yesteryear. The soft left are delighted, but there’s unease in his cabinet. Is this a route back to a referendum, or just a meagre SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) deal? Or is Burnham already firing the opening shots of his election campaign — at the expense of the leave-voting areas he promised to win over? Has he already failed the Makerfield test? It’s budget season, and speculation is mounting over what’s inside John Healey’s red box. This is billed as a budget for the high street: for the white van man and the beauticians of Rotherham, funded by a crackdown on online retail giants. But with John Lewis sounding the alarm, how far will the chancellor go? Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times Ben Riley-Smith, political editor, The Sunday Times Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson Executive producer: Molly Guinness Picture: Getty Images 00:00 - The Brexit Wars Return 02:51 - Why Andy Burnham Wants Closer EU Ties 05:25 - Nigel Farage Delighted & Secret Cabinet Rifts 08:04 - The Real Cost: Free Movement & Single Market Traps 10:50 - Is Labour Priming The Polls For An Early Election? 13:46 - Has Burnham Abandoned The 'Makerfield Test'? 17:46 - The Russia Claim: Anatomy Of A 24-Hour U-Turn 20:06 - "Authenticity" Or Chaos? Burnham's Loose Talk 22:25 - The Budget: John Healey Targets 'White Van Man' 26:11 - High Street vs Online Giants: Retailers Strike Back 28:56 - Historic Tax Hikes: Distracting From The Pain 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.
Oct 9 · Video

Zack Polanski on the brink

Zack Polanski's defeat in the Holborn & St Pancras by-election puts him in a tough position. The Green leader lost the by-election by 3,300 votes to Sagal Abdi-Wali, the Labour candidate. He's also facing criticism after the Green Party voted to declare that Zionism is racism. Polanski did not vote and has been accused of failing to show leadership. How tenable is his position now? Plus, parliament is back next week and the real business of government gets going. We look at what's in store and how the chancellor, John Healey, is preparing for a very, very difficult budget. Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times Producer: Harry Kitson Executive producer: Molly Guinness Picture: Getty Images 00:00 - By-Election Result: Labour Wins Holborn & St Pancras 00:36 - Is Zack Polanski’s Leadership in Trouble? 01:56 - Green Party Rifts & The Palestine Motion Controversy 07:34 - Is This the Beginning of the End for Polanski? 11:06 - Andy Burnham’s Electoral Boost & Labour’s Position 11:44 - Parliament Returns: Navigating the Autumn Budget 13:18 - John Healey, Treasury Trips, and Bank of England Warnings 16:39 - Defence Spending vs Public Services Dilemma 20:39 - Welfare Reviews, Jackdaw Gas Field & Election Speculation 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.
Oct 7 · Video

Kemi Badenoch bets the house on the economy

Kemi Badenoch's attack on Reform UK was all about character and her attack on Labour was all about economics. In her speech at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, she said she would to scrap inheritance tax on family homes and that under a Conservative government, couples would be able to leave an extra £1m inheritance tax free to their children. Badenoch was withering about Nigel Farage and Reform UK, saying: "The circus goes on and on and it will never stop because this is who Reform are — so to those who say ‘unite the right’, we are not uniting with that.” We look at the Conservatives' electoral strategy, their prospects — especially compared with a year ago — and the vibes among their MPs. Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times Ben Riley-Smith, political editor, The Sunday Times Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson Executive producer: Molly Guinness Picture: Getty Images 00:00 - Live from Tory Conference: Badenoch’s Speech Analysis 00:41 - The Inheritance Tax Gamble: Family Homes Exempt 02:01 - Strategic Shift: Winning Back the South & Abandoning the Red Wall 05:14 - Why Immigration Was Dropped From the Main Message 06:33 - "We Will Not Unite": Direct Rejection of Reform UK & Farage 08:03 - Character vs. Policy: The New Strategy Against Reform 10:45 - Key Omissions: Public Services and the NHS 13:17 - Football Legends, Identity, and Patriotism 17:36 - Vibe Check: A Surprisingly United Tory Party 20:19 - Badenoch’s Dominance: "Captain, Manager, and Owner" 22:13 - Path to Power: Rebuilding Economic Trust 25:08 - Behind the Scenes: Bars, Protesters, and Business Access 29:34 - Did Badenoch’s Speech Set the Political Weather? 32:50 - Looking Ahead to the Budget 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.
Sep 29 · Video

Andy Burnham's radical British reset

The Labour Party is jubilant. Andy Burnham has fired the starting gun for the next general election with one of the most consequential conference speeches in recent memory. He used it to set out a series of major proposals, including an end to the triple lock, the abolition of first-past-the-post and closer ties with Europe. At the heart of his national project is a care service free at the point of use. Burnham has set out a vision that promises to put Britain on a different road. But can he persuade the country to buy into it? Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times Ben Riley-Smith, political editor, The Sunday Times Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson Executive producer: Molly Guinness Pictures: Getty Images 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.
Sep 28 · Video

Labour parties like it's 1997

At the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, the mood is jubilant. They have a popular leader who can speak fluently in public. Andy Burnham's speech on Tuesday will be a big moment and it's expected to be full of announcements. Whitehall and cabinet ministers are trying to keep up. The problem, as always, is making the sums add up. The prime minister has made social care the main topic of conversation. We discuss whether he is ready to ditch the triple-lock on pensions to pay for social care reform and whether he could fight an election promising tax rises. In Rachel Reeves's first budget, taxes went up more than £30 billion, and then she had to come back for more. The Treasury wanted to avoid a third tax-raising budget but the numbers are moving against them. Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times Ben Riley-Smith, political editor, The Sunday Times Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson Executive producer: Molly Guinness Pictures: Getty Images 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.
Sep 26

EXCLUSIVE - John Healey: budget will prove I'm pro-business

John Healey, the chancellor, tells us his budget will offer people breathing space on both the cost of living and the cost of business. He said he was concerned about the rising price of fuel and that he wanted wealthy people to stay in Britain. In July, Andy Burnham, the prime minister, said that he would use "any flexibility" in the government's fiscal rules, but Healey was clear that there was no room for manoeuvre on the fiscal rules. Listen to the full interview to hear how he's getting notes in caps lock from Gordon Brown, his thoughts on bringing down the welfare bill and a Treasury Dragon's Den. Ben Riley-Smith, political editor, The Sunday Times Producer: Euan Dawtrey Picture: Getty Images 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.
Sep 25 · Video

A snap election - surely not?

The Labour Party conference starts in Liverpool this weekend. It's a chance for Andy Burnham to lay out his vision for the country. Expect worldview, class, solidarity and hope. How much criticism is likely to come from allies of Keir Starmer? Darren Jones, Starmer's former right-hand-man, has been giving interviews. Will others do the same? Could Burnham call a snap election? An MRP mega poll for The Times and Sky News suggested that if an election were held now Labour would win 241 seats, the Conservatives would have 130 and Reform UK would be in third on 123 seats. The split on the right makes it tempting for Labour to call a snap election. Is that a realistic possibility? Ben Riley-Smith, political editor, The Sunday Times Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson Executive producer: Molly Guinness Picture: Getty Images 00:00 - Tactical Voting: The Left’s New “Cheat Code”? 00:10 - Heading to Liverpool: Navigating Labour Conference 01:26 - Decoding Andy Burnham’s “Hope Again” Vision & Liverpool Roots 04:07 - Inside Number 10: How the New Team is Bedding In 06:56 - The Reform UK Threat & Marginal Seat Panic 09:12 - The Dangers of Relying on Tactical Voting 14:10 - Snap Election Rumours: Is Burnham About to Gamble? 18:55 - Labour Infighting: Sacked Cabinet Ministers Strike Back 23:07 - Critiques From Within & What Success Looks Like 26:07 - John Healey Interview Preview 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.
Sep 22 · Video

Raise taxes, fix welfare later: Labour's tough sell

What a difference a year makes The Labour Party conference awaits. Has Andy Burnham's folksy charm and optimism taken the party as far as it can, or can he consolidate power and popularity? Six-party politics A YouGov poll for The Times and Sky News puts Reform UK and the Conservative Party on level pegging for the first time in 18 months. Thursday's mega poll, the first MRP from YouGov in a year, will be a fascinating snapshot of the shifting electoral tectonic plates. Labour MPs are pinning their hopes on a split on the right, but will Burnham's government be able to build enough support from potential Green and Liberal Democrat voters? What will Andy Burnham's government do about welfare? Three reports into work and benefits are imminent: Charlie Mayfield's recommendations about how to keep people in work, Alan Milburn's report into Neets (young people not in education, employment or training) and a government review of mental health conditions. All of them put the welfare system into the spotlight. The timing creates a political problem for the government because next month's budget will not address the welfare bill. Raising taxes without fixing welfare is difficult for a prime minister who has talked about the power of politics to change things. Meanwhile his chancellor, John Healey, is buffeted by rising borrowing costs, which hit £18.3 billion in August, up nearly a fifth on August last year. Brexit re-litigated? On the plane to New York, Andy Burnham refused to rule out rejoining the European Union. A year ago he said he hoped the UK would rejoin the EU in his lifetime. Could he really be tempted to try to boost economic growth by aligning more closely with the EU or putting rejoining the EU in the next manifesto? Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times Producer: Harry Kitson Executive producer: Molly Guinness Picture: Getty Images 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.

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Trailer

Introducing...The State of It

Real reporting from the coalface of British politics. Join The Times and The Sunday Times’s political heavyweights Steven Swinford, Caroline Wheeler, Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund as they give you the latest tea room tip offs, reveal insider conversations and bring analysis, authority and insight. No party loyalty. No spin. Not hosted by some old politicians. Taking you into the real business of politics, as only those who live it can. 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.

Award-winning investigative and true crime podcasts. The Trial of Russell Brand is season 14 of Times Investigates. From war zones to suburban homes, pursuing brutal criminals and cult leaders, our podcasts go further than any other to uncover the truth. In season one, war correspondent Anthony Loyd investigates the fate of his colleague John Cantlie, who was kidnapped in Syria by Islamic State. In season two, crime correspondent John Simpson breaks down the wall of silence surrounding the killing of 14-year-old Corey Junior Davis In season three Berlin correspondent Oliver Moody uncovers the story of Hans Globke, the Nazi bureaucrat who laid the legal basis for the Holocaust - and helped build the modern German state In season four, columnist David Aaronovitch follows the trail of charm and deception left by businessman Lex Greensill through the corridors of power in Britain In season five, special correspondent Emily Dugan asks whether the wrong man was sent to prison for a brutal attack on a mother of two In season six, Middle East correspondent Louise Callaghan steps into the weird world of ‘kittens’, ‘lions’, and televangelism surrounding a cult leader In season seven, journalists Brenna Daldorph and David Aaronovitch explore the dark past behind some of Britain’s wealthiest stately homes In season eight, feature writer Andrew Billen exposes a very British scandal at the world-famous university college, Christ Church, Oxford In season nine, David Aaranovitch steps into the online world of Patriotic Alternative, a far-right group using the Covid pandemic as a recruiting tool In season ten, journalists Peter Gillman and Emanuele Midolo investigate the death of one of our own, David Holden, the reporter whose killing became a Cold War whodunnit In season 11, social affairs editor James Beal follows a trail leading from a quiet British town to frozen Canada, where he discovers a man allegedly selling death online In season 12, reporter Mario Ledwith returns to his hometown in Northern Ireland, seeking answers about the bloody 1987 Remembrance Sunday attack In season 13, The Sunday Times’s Insight team investigates how Nigel Farage came to depend upon a crypto enthusiast, gambler and convicted fraudster In season 14, journalists Rosamund Urwin and Charlotte Wace join Luke Jones to report daily from the trial of Russell Brand Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Two friends, too many opinions. Enjoy an unfiltered look at the ups and downs of life with Jane Garvey and Fi Glover - the kind of conversations that only happen Off Air. If you want to ask a question or get involved in the conversation, please email us: janeandfi@times.radio Follow our antics away from the mic on Instagram: @janeandfi Or join us on Times Radio every Monday to Thursday afternoon between 2pm and 4pm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Caroline Wheeler

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Gabriel Pogrund

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Patrick Maguire

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Steven Swinford

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Ben Riley-Smith

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John Healey

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Lara Spirit

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81 Ratings

The best, now it’s gone!

08/29/2025

Timtimtimtim1587

I was so disappointed to hear that this podcast is ending because it’s literally my first listen every day. I’m still following to see what comes at the end of September 2025. Thank you for all the great episodes!
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04/19/2025

Che Block

Let’s remember as Russia was about to go down Mike Johnson for the boss stopped support Hey podcasters don’t forget this and while we’re talking don’t forget the immigration bill
Israel attack of Gaza (18.03.25)

03/19/2025

Nancy from Texas

Your reporting clarified the anti-Israel and anti semitic rhetoric in the UK. Thank you for the enlightened reporting. And may God bless the UK.
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11/23/2024

AintWhatIUsedToBe

I find this very interesting: it’s a European view into the interpretation of global security issues from European (British) perspective. Generally centrist, nonetheless, how allies view global issues.

What’s really being said inside the corridors of power. Join Steven Swinford, Patrick Maguire, Ben Riley-Smith and Lara Spirit for exclusive interviews, political scoops and the best analysis from Westminster. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.