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Artwork for Politics Unpacked

Politics Unpacked

Times Radio
Keir Starmer
Andy Burnham
Labour Party
Donald Trump
Peter Mandelson
Reform UK
Kemi Badenoch
Brexit
Iran
Nigel Farage
Green Party
Conservative Party
Jeffrey Epstein
Prime Minister's Questions
UK Politics
Immigration
Artificial Intelligence
Energy Policy
Wes Streeting
UK Budget

Hugo Rifkind unpacks the the politics of the day - and the stuff that's even more important - with the brightest brains from the Times and Sunday Times.

You can listen to Hugo on DAB, smart speaker or app 10am-1pm Monday to Friday. If you like what you hear, then read more at www.thetimes.com/

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

PublishesDailyEpisodes2070Founded13 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
PoliticsNews

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Artwork for Politics Unpacked

Latest Episodes

Andy Burnham says Britain can strike a win-win deal with Brussels to boost economic growth. But negotiating with the EU has rarely been straightforward. Is he underestimating how difficult it will be?

Lara Spirit unpacks the politics of the day with ... more

Andy Burnham is spending the day dashing between three countries, tackling some of the biggest issues on his agenda: climate change, the UK-EU relationship and Ukraine - is he the new ‘Never Here Keir’?

Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day w... more

Kemi Badenoch asked punchy questions of Andy Burnham at PMQs, challenging him on his 'ludicrous' energy policy and his 10-year plan. But with Burnham a more agile and personable performer than his predecessor Keir Starmer, is Badenoch struggling to a... more

Kemi Badenoch has set out how she plans to cut £36 billion from the welfare bill including stopping children with behavioural disorders such as ADHD claiming disability benefits - but will people vote for this?

Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of t... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Libby Purves
Times columnist
The Times
Episode: Burnham Faces Reparations Row
Sebastian Payne
Times columnist
The Times
Episode: Burnham Faces Reparations Row
Michael Binyon
The Times leader writer
The Times
Episode: Funding Healey’s Defence Plans
Alys Denby
Opinion and features editor at City AM
City AM
Episode: Funding Healey’s Defence Plans
Juliet Samuel
Times columnist
The Times
Episode: Healey Finds Out We're In Hock To The Bond Markets
Josh Glancy
Associate editor of the Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
Episode: Healey Finds Out We're In Hock To The Bond Markets
Patrick Maguire
The Times chief political commentator
The Times
Episode: PMQs: Burnham's Brexit Booby-Trap
Cindy Yu
Times columnist
The Times
Episode: PMQs: Burnham’s Borrowing Problem
Matt Pound
Former political director to Rachel Reeves when she was Chancellor
Episode: PMQs: Burnham’s Borrowing Problem

Hosts

Hugo Rifkind
Times journalist, columnist and political commentator
Libby Purves
Journalist and columnist

Reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars from 2.2k ratings
  • Elitist and biased

    Appallingly elitist and biased. People like this is the reason the country left the EU because they don’t want to listen to anyone who lives outside of their right wing millionaire bubble.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    ArlenBales
    United Kingdom3 months ago
  • grim

    just the worst people alive ain’t they

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    LogenNo9
    United Kingdom3 months ago
  • Know Your Enemy

    I listen to this to know what the entitled establishment think. Significant arrogant twattishness is prevalent here.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Rhysie Babes
    United Kingdom6 months ago
  • More of Stephan/Stefan across the board pls

    He’s got a bit of edge, and an improvement on Theo and Lara who were a bit dry.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    thorpe_jd
    United Kingdom7 months ago
  • Sometimes vacuous contributors

    Ie Alice Thomson and Trevor Phillips. So uninformed and frankly pointless. Just seemingly toeing the Times line.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Saoifre
    United Kingdom7 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners often praise the topical analysis, lively tone, humor and question-by-question discussion of Prime Minister's Questions.
Hugo Rifkind is frequently described as engaging and witty, though some listeners prefer other presenters or miss the previous host.
The pace and breadth of topics can feel rushed or scattered to some listeners, particularly when discussions are interrupted.
Some listeners value the range of guests and viewpoints, while others see the commentary as politically narrow or biased.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#210
United Kingdom/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#17
United Kingdom/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#39
United Kingdom/News
Apple Podcasts
#174
Canada/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#102
Australia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#126
Italy/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Burnham Faces Reparations Row
Q: Can you bully people into work?
Libby Purves supports locally delivered outreach that follows up with young people who miss appointments and connects them with education, training, and work. She says engagement and support are preferable to simply cutting benefits.
Burnham Faces Reparations Row
Q: If there is guilt here, then it's national guilt. Are you sorry?
Sebastian Payne says he has no personal responsibility, but Britain should acknowledge its historic role in slavery and its role in ending it. He questions why Andy Burnham has entered the reparations debate and says the Commonwealth needs a way to move beyond recurring disputes.
Healey Finds Out We're In Hock To The Bond Markets
Q: Do you think Ofcom's age verification measures will work?
Juliet Samuel expects them to work imperfectly and favors device-level rules, while Josh Glancy argues that added friction can deter many users and that the state needs to show it can regulate big tech.
Healey Finds Out We're In Hock To The Bond Markets
Q: Why is the budget so dull?
Juliet Samuel says the government has little room to maneuver because it is constrained by the bond markets, while Josh Glancy argues that the budget was deliberately cautious and avoided disrupting Andy Burnham's political momentum.
PMQs: Burnham’s Borrowing Problem
Q: Does the Prime Minister accept that his failure to control borrowing is contributing to higher inflation?
Burnham argues that inflation is also affected by events in the Middle East and says the fundamentals of the British economy are strengthening. Cindy Yu questions the strength of linking current inflation to a prime minister who has only recently taken office, while Matt Pound says it is unreasonable to blame current inflation on Labour's policies.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Politics Unpacked

What is Politics Unpacked about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Daily, conversational analysis of British politics and the stories shaping public life, with regular attention to Westminster, government policy, elections, the economy, Brexit and the UK's relationship with Europe. Hugo Rifkind is a recurring presenter, joined by Times and Sunday Times journalists, columnists and other commentators who bring differing areas of expertise to a lively panel discussion. Prime Minister's Questions and the political calculations behind it are a frequent focus, alongside broader debates on energy, welfare, defence, technology and international affairs. Lighter cultural and social topics often round out the conversation, giving the coverage a less formal feel than a straight news briefing. The format suits listene... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Politics Unpacked?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Politics Unpacked:

1. How To Win An Election
2. The State of It
3. Political Fix
4. Coffee House Shots
5. Political Currency

How many episodes of Politics Unpacked are there?

Politics Unpacked launched 13 years ago and published 2070 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Politics Unpacked?

Recent guests on Politics Unpacked include:

1. Libby Purves
2. Sebastian Payne
3. Michael Binyon
4. Alys Denby
5. Juliet Samuel
6. Josh Glancy
7. Patrick Maguire
8. Cindy Yu

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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