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The State of It

The Times

Real reporting from the coalface of British politics.


Join The Times and The Sunday Times’s political heavyweights Steven Swinford, Patrick Maguire and Lara Spirit as they dig deep into 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, from those who live it daily.

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  • 61 episodes
  • Updated Tuesday

Episodes61

Newest first
  • Tuesday · 27 min

    The Burnham Bounce: how long can it last?

    Andy Burnham's first week as prime minister has been decisive, optimistic and proactive. Labour has overtaken Reform UK in the polls for the first time in more than a year. Now Burnham is taking on education and social care reform: knotty political questions with many landmines. We look at the pitfalls that lie ahead. Zack Polanski's Green Party is losing support. And as Reform and the Conservatives fight to be the main party of the right, how does the new Labour government change things for Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch? Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times Gabriel Pogrund, Insight editor, The Sunday Times Executive producer: Molly Guinness 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.

  • July 24 · 29 min

    Andy Burnham's week of maximum vibes

    Andy Burnham's first week as Prime Minister has been all about creating good vibes. He's pledged to end rough sleeping, cut VAT on energy bills, cap bus fares at £2, and save Britain's pubs. The obvious question is: how is he going to pay for it all? Steve takes us inside Burnham's call with Donald Trump, where everything was surprisingly cordial and the pair ended up talking about their mums. But next week, the easy announcements give way to the hard choices. Burnham is expected to unveil major interventions on social care and unemployment. Can he deliver reform while also tackling the cost of living, boosting defence spending and keeping the public finances under control? Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The 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.

  • July 21 · 30 min

    No, you're a factionalist: Labour's new battle lines

    The Grafton Pub Purge: inside the pub where Keir Starmer had drinks with allies as they were sacked one by one. It's fair to say that Andy Burnham's new cabinet has caused an astonishing amount of bitterness in the Labour Party. The Chancellor Shock: John Healey's surprise appointment as chancellor means he'll have to find £25bn, or the equivalent of 3p on income tax, to fund defence. Get ready for a Mega Budget: the new government is preparing announcements on bus fares and Thames Water, but it's still unclear how they will pay for spending pledges. Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times Producers: Euan Dawtrey, George Clare Executive producer: Molly Guinness Picture: Russel Herneman 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.

  • July 16 · 29 min

    Shabana Mahmood: The 'ruthless' incoming Chancellor?

    Who is Shabana Mahmood, the 'ruthless' politician set to enter Downing Street as Andy Burnham’s Chancellor? After a fierce cabinet debate effectively ended Ed Miliband's hopes for the Treasury, all eyes are on her. And what does her potential appointment means for the future of UK politics, from welfare reform to the economy? Meanwhile, Westminser has descended into a surreal waiting game as the incoming Prime Minister prepares to take power. No one knows if their job is safe, and desperate insiders have resorted to asking our very own Steven Swinford if he knows anything they don't. Will Ed Miliband, Wes Streeting or Yvette Cooper feature? And how exactly will Number 10 North work? Steven Swinford, political editor, The 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 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.

  • July 14 · 27 min

    Burnham's cabinet: Ed Miliband fails the smell test

    Who will be in Andy Burnham's cabinet? It looks like Ed Miliband will not be chancellor after all. We have scoops for you about who's in line for the big jobs in the Westminster cabinet reshuffle. Burnham needs to make room for allies like Louise Haigh and Lucy Powell, so who will be sacked on Monday when Burnham takes over as prime minister? Westminster is like a hornet's nest of briefing and counter-briefing as Wes Streeting, Angela Rayner, Dan Jarvis, Yvette Cooper and others wait to hear what next week will bring. David Lammy has organised a whip-round for Keir Starmer's rather odd leaving present. And what will Burnham do once he's in post? We look at his immediate priorities and the possibility of a mega fiscal event in the autumn. Steven Swinford, political editor, The 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. 01:10 - Blocking Ed Miliband From Chancellor 02:30 - Why the City Doesn't Trust the "London Left" 03:50 - Will Miliband Accept a Demotion? 05:05 - The Brutal Briefing War Behind Closed Doors 06:40 - Defending the "Net Zero Zealot" 07:45 - Cabinet Jenga: Filling the Great Offices of State 09:25 - Angela Rayner & The "Day One" Loyalists 11:05 - The Starmer Purge: Who Is Getting Sacked? 12:45 - The Yvette Cooper Foreign Policy Question 15:05 - Secret Policy Clashes: Josh Simons vs. Miatta Fahnbulleh 17:15 - Angry Loyalists With "Nothing To Lose" 19:40 - Starmer’s Bizarre Leaving Present 21:30 - Flying to the World Cup Final 22:35 - Burnham's Radical Plan for the Cost of Living 25:00 - The Warning Over a "Mega Budget" & Wealth Taxes 26:15 - North vs. South: The Growing Regional Rebellion Picture: Getty Images Email us: thestateofit@thetimes.co.uk 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.

  • July 6 · 27 min

    Nigel Farage and Posh George: why it matters

    Nigel Farage could face an investigation by the parliamentary watchdog after a Sunday Times investigation and podcast series raised questions about gifts and benefits in kind that he has received from George Cottrell, a crypto-gambler and convicted fraudster, who's better known as Posh George. Gabriel and Steve discuss how Reform UK has reacted to the story and what could happen next. Both George Cottrell and Nigel Farage deny any wrongdoing. Listen to the series here: podfollow.com/posh-george Episode 3 is out on Thursday 9th July Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times Gabriel Pogrund, Insight editor, The Sunday Times Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson Executive producer: Molly Guinness Image: Getty/Alamy 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.

  • July 2 · 19 min

    Paranoia in the Labour Party: the Andy Burnham enigma

    Andy Burnham is keeping his cards close to his chest and no one seems to know who'll get what job. That means there's a huge amount of paranoia and jostling for position the Labour Party. Cabinet ministers and MPs are lavishing praise upon him, but they're worried about his plans - both on policy and personnel. There's a lot of ill-feeling that could bubble up to the surface surprisingly quickly. Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson Executive producer: Molly Guinness Picture: Getty Images 00:00 - Burnham's Intense One-on-One MP Meetings 00:32 - Paranoia and Panic in the Cabinet 01:44 - Will Burnham Appeal to Southern Voters? 02:50 - Desperate Ministers Begging to Keep Their Jobs 03:40 - The Ghost of 2007: Burnham's "Woman Problem" 06:13 - Ed Miliband's Chancellor Dilemma 07:18 - How Departments Are Pandering to Burnham 08:29 - Is David Miliband Making a Comeback? 10:54 - The Real Reason Angela Rayner Has Been Weakened 13:10 - Burnham's Frustration with Westminster "Ambulance Chasers" 16:56 - A Long Goodbye: Starmer's Farewell Barbecues 17:30 - The £15 Billion Defence Plan Black Hole 18:20 - Government Paralysis and the Rochdale Case 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.

  • June 30 · 29 min

    "You can't have more Milibands than women in top jobs" - Cain and Abel mark II

    There is considerable intrigue around Andy Burnham's possible cabinet, not least because the eldest Miliband brother is being linked to the position of Foreign Secretary. Are we about to see UK politic's Cain and Able story return for a second round? And most importantly, Is Andy Burnham ready? Burnham's debut speech caused headlines with his bold plans to reshape the British state. But there are difficult questions lurking behind the rhetoric, namely what does any of it actually mean? Plus, Reform UK gears up to choose their top candidates to challenge Burnham in his own backyard. Steven Swinford, political editor, The 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 Audio: Reuters Email us: thestateofit@thetimes.co.uk 00:00 The Return of David Miliband? 02:53 The Miliband Brothers Psychodrama 04:23 Labour's "Boys Club" Optics Problem 08:02 The Brutal Fight for Top Cabinet Jobs 11:20 How Burnham is Manipulating Westminster 13:56 Burnham vs Starmer: The Real Difference 16:27 The Hidden Cost of Devolution (Tax Rises?) 19:31 What is "Number 10 North" Really About? 22:31 Why the Tories Fear Ed Miliband as Chancellor 25:29 Nigel Farage's Secret Plot for the North 27:35 The £5 Million Farage Crypto Investigation 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.

  • June 23 · 25 min

    Andy Burnham builds a plane mid-flight as Starmer checks out

    Andy Burnham and Keir Starmer both want an orderly transition but one day in, it's looking anything but orderly. It's a transition beset with bad blood and uncertainty and also some serious technical hurdles. Is he building a plane mid-flight or is he more like Gromit, sitting on a speeding train, laying down the track in front of him? The biggest unanswered question facing Andy Burnham is who will be his chancellor. Three names are in contention: bookmakers' favourite Wes Streeting, rank outsider Shabana Mahmood, and Ed Miliband — the bête noire of the bond markets. Patrick reports from parliament's bars, where the champagne is flowing and Labour MPs have suddenly become shameless attention-seekers, hoping to seduce Andy Burnham's allies. Steven Swinford, political editor, The 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 Audio: Reuters Email us: thestateofit@thetimes.co.uk 0:00 - Can Andy Burnham Build the Plane Mid-Flight? 1:15 - Drama on the Commons Terrace: Euphoria & Champagne 4:20 - Keir Starmer's "Revenge" Timetable 6:30 - The Next Chancellor: Miliband vs. Streeting vs. Mahmood 13:12 - Scrapping the Triple Lock & Upcoming Wealth Taxes 17:37 - Inside Number 10: Starmer's Farewell Speech 19:33 - The £10bn Defence Plan Rupturing Labour 21:55 - Civil Service Gridlock: Why Access Talks Are Delayed 25:20 - The Crypto Billionaire Bankrolling Nigel Farage & Reform UK 29:00 - Will There Be an Emergency Election? 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.

  • May 8 · 25 min

    BONUS: Reform shake Labour to its core

    For now, the Prime Minister Keir Starmer vows to stay as the Reform leader Nigel Farage calls this a “truly historic shift in British politics” Steven and Lara caught up at the Times office in Westminster just after 4pm to unpack the results from England’s local council and mayoral elections, alongside national contests in Scotland and Wales, as Reform and the Greens surge and Labour suffer huge losses. Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson Picture credit: 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.