New podcast

The history of today’s politics with Tom McTague and Helen Thompson

Each week Tom and Helen explore the great forces and ideas that led us to where we are right now. It’s a politics podcast for those who want a deeper, historical understanding of the news, to understand what has really shaped our world and why.

EP. 6 - MAY 23, 2023
When Labour Wins

With Keir Starmer seemingly on course for victory at the next election, Tom and Helen look back at the only other Labour leaders to have won a majority: Clement Attlee, Harold Wilson and Tony Blair. What was it about these three leaders (and the age in which they served) which allowed them to triumph — and what does that tell us about Labour’s chances today?

EP. 5 - MAY 16, 2023
National Conservatism: New or Old?

With the Tories struggling in the polls and the first “National Conservative” convention meeting in the UK this week, Tom and Helen take a look at the history of the Conservative Party and what it really means to be a conservative today. Tom and Helen debate who founded the Conservative Party, what it seeks to conserve and where its future lies. Take a deep dive into a party and an idea which has shaped Britain and much of the world beyond.

EP. 4 - MAY 11, 2023
Axis of Evil: An Interview with David Frum

In this one-off special, Tom McTague interviews the conservative commentator, activist and former White House speechwriter David Frum — the man who coined George Bush’s famous “axis of evil.” Helen was away when David was in London. In the interview Tom and David discuss the war in Ukraine and lessons from Iraq, George Bush’s haunted retirement and the need for more “tragic thinking” when confronting the world’s problems.

EP. 3 - MAY 8, 2023
Ukraine and the world order

This week, Tom and Helen discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine and to what extent it has changed the world order. Tom and Helen look at the security situation in Europe, the growing power of Turkey, and India — and, of course, how it all fits into the emerging battle for supremacy between the United States and China.

EP. 2 - MAY 4, 2023
Coronation and The Union – Part 2

In the second of our two-part opening special on the Coronation of King Charles III, Tom and Helen discuss what the ceremony reveals about the state of the Union at home, the political fudge at its heart and how historical disputes about religion remain key in understanding how it still functions.

Ep. 1 - May 2, 2023
Coronation and power – Part 1

The Coronation of King Charles III marks a momentous day not only in the life of the new monarch, but also for the British monarchy and the country as a whole. In this very first episode of These Times, Tom McTague and Helen Thompson discuss what this year’s ceremony reveals about Britain’s place in the world and how much has changed since previous coronations.

Trailer - 1 May 2023
These Times from UnHerd – Coming Soon

UnHerd political editor Tom McTague and Helen Thompson, Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge University team up to investigate the history of today’s politics — and what it means for our future. Each week they will explore the great forces, ideas and events that led us to where we are, whether in Britain, the United States, Europe or beyond. It’s a politics podcast for those who want a deeper, historical understanding of the news, to understand what has really shaped our world and why.