The State of It – Details, episodes & analysis

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The State of It

The Times

News

Government

News

Frequency: 1 episode/5d. Total Eps: 65

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.

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

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🇬🇧 Great Britain - trending
18/02/2026
#200
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🇬🇧 Great Britain - trending
09/12/2025
#198
↗
🇬🇧 Great Britain - trending
22/11/2025
#179
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https://www.youtube.com/@ListenToTimesRadio

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RSS feed quality

Good

Score global : 74%

Publication history

Monthly episode publishing history over the past years.

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Latest published episodes

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Introducing...The State of It

Tuesday, September 23, 2025 • Duration 01:42

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.

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Badenoch woos WhatsApp plotters

Wednesday, October 8, 2025 • Duration 36:37

We have details about a secret WhatsApp group of MPs who are tempted to move against Kemi Badenoch sooner rather than later. At the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, there's plenty of manoeuvring and existential angst, and you can also hear Patrick Maguire singing along to Tiffany at a 100th birthday disco for Margaret Thatcher.

Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times

Caroline Wheeler, political editor, The Sunday Times

Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times

Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall editor, The Sunday Times

Producer: Euan Dawtrey

Executive producer: Molly Guinness

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.

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What ministers won't say in public

Wednesday, October 1, 2025 • Duration 40:51

Welcome to The State of It, coming to you from Liverpool where the Labour Party is finishing its annual conference. Keir Starmer's team seem happy after his leader's speech, but what are his MPs really saying about him? Was he wise to call Nigel Farage a racist? How will Rachel Reeves balance the books in November's budget? Oh, and which cabinet ministers excelled at last night's karaoke?

Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times

Caroline Wheeler, political editor, The Sunday Times

Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times

Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall editor, The Sunday Times

Producer: Euan Dawtrey

Executive producer: Molly Guinness

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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Is that a dungeon you're planning?

Wednesday, October 15, 2025 • Duration 35:14

Is Tony Blair his own nation state? Did the security minister mislead the House? And what's lurking in the basement of the proposed Chinese embassy? We also hear about Patrick's road trip with Nigel Farage and why the Speaker rang Caroline to say "hello, Mrs Angry".

Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times

Caroline Wheeler, political editor, The Sunday Times

Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times

Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall editor, The Sunday Times

Producer: Euan Dawtrey

Executive producer: Molly Guinness

Email us: thestateofit@thetimes.co.uk

Picture credit: Getty Images

Audio credit: 1942 British Council Film Collection

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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The tepid bath of managed decline

Tuesday, October 21, 2025 • Duration 34:19

A two-scoop episode. We reveal one of the controversial measures coming in next month's budget. And there's trouble ahead for the UK's most senior official. Both stories raise questions about the government's grip on the levers of power.

Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times

Caroline Wheeler, political editor, The Sunday Times

Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times

Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall editor, The Sunday Times

Producer: Euan Dawtrey

Executive producer: Molly Guinness

Picture credit: 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.

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Have a go if you think you're hard enough

Tuesday, November 11, 2025 • Duration 33:00

We reveal how the prime minister intends to fight a leadership challenge that he now sees as inevitable. Meanwhile the chancellor plans to scrap the two-child benefit cap to appease some Labour MPs, even though there are no votes in it. And why are phrases like 'carpet bombing' and 'harassment' being applied to Steve's reporting style?

Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times

Caroline Wheeler, political editor, The Sunday Times

Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times

Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall editor, The Sunday Times

Producer: Euan Dawtrey

Executive producer: Molly Guinness

Picture credit: 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.

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If you're going to raise taxes, why not just say so?

Tuesday, November 4, 2025 • Duration 34:14

Before the election, Rachel Reeves said she wasn't going to raise taxes on working people. Well, guess what? It looks like that's exactly what she's about to do. We reveal the measures the treasury is considering. And even the Labour whips are talking about a spring leadership challenge. Could a former leader make a comeback? And is Keir Starmer's Terminator demeanour helping or hindering him?

Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times

Caroline Wheeler, political editor, The Sunday Times

Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times

Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall editor, The Sunday Times

Producer: Euan Dawtrey

Executive producer: Molly Guinness

Picture credit: 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.

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Has Starmer gone woke?

Tuesday, October 28, 2025 • Duration 31:49

In this half-term special, Gabriel Pogrund and Patrick Maguire tackle the week’s heavyweight political stories. Gabriel lifts the lid on a capital S scoop from his morning's round of whatsapping, and Patrick explores what Plaid Cymru’s triumph in Caerphilly means for Labour and Reform? And has Keir Starmer really gone woke?

Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times

Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall editor, The Sunday Times

Producer: Euan Dawtrey

Executive producer: Molly Guinness

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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Mahmood vs the liberal luminaries

Tuesday, November 18, 2025 • Duration 39:13

Shabana Mahmood brings Blue Labour values to the Home Office, but can the human rights lawyer in Keir Starmer hold the line? Also, after last week's episode unleashed chaos in Westminster, we look at the anatomy of a briefing war and the chancellor's sudden u-turn on income tax. And today's scoop: how the Corbynite left is eating itself while Zack Polanski is eating their lunch.

Warning: offensive language

Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times

Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times

Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall editor, The Sunday Times

Producer: Euan Dawtrey

Executive producer: Molly Guinness

Picture credit: Getty Images

Clips: Parliament Live, Times Radio

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.

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Bonus Episode: Labour's economics-free budget

Friday, November 28, 2025 • Duration 28:46

The dust has settled on Rachel Reeves’s budget. What does it really mean for the country? Is there any real economics behind it? And is it politically fatal for Labour? Tune in to our bonus episode recorded live in Westminster.

Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times

Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times

Fraser Nelson, columnist, The Times

Mehreen Khan, economics editor, The Times

Producer: Euan Dawtrey

Executive producer: Molly Guinness

Picture credit: 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.

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The State of It – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

The State of It – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other17

Youtube6

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Other17

Youtube6

Acast8