The Story

This week Scottish voters will head to the polls for the Holyrood parliamentary elections. To understand what's on people's minds, we visited Motherwell - a town where, for decades, Labour used to dominate. This year Labour appear to be haemorrhaging support across Scotland and may even fall to third place. And an unlikely party is emerging from the fallout.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests:
Ross Thomson, editor, Wishaw Press
Richard Bolton, community development officer, Forgewood Housing Cooperative
Paul Murphy, corporate services office, Forgewood Housing Cooperative
Justin Parkes, industrial history curator, North Lanarkshire Council Museums
Host: Manveen Rana.
Producers: Taryn Siegel
We want to hear from you - email: [email protected]

Further listening: Is Labour facing a bloodbath in Wales?
Photo: 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.
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NHS spending has reached record highs and shows no sign of slowing down. The government poured in £205 billion last year, yet waiting lists remain stubbornly high and patient satisfaction is at an all time low. So where is all the money going? And if spending isn’t the solution, what is?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests:
Eleanor Hayward, Health Editor, The Times.
Tom Calver, Data Editor, The Times and The Sunday Times.
Host: Luke Jones.
Producers: Callum Martin and Micaela Arneson.

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Read more: Why doesn’t ever-growing money seem to improve the NHS
Further listening: Is your sofa toxic?
Clips: BBC, The Guardian, Rishi Sunak / LinkedIn, The Sun, Reuters, The British Library, The Department of Health and Social Care.
Photo: 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.

At his peak, Carl Hayman was widely regarded as the world's best tighthead prop. Then, in 2021, at just 41, he was diagnosed with early-onset dementia and probable CTE, a disease he believes was caused by the sport he loves, and one that has torn his life apart. In this intimate and devastating interview with David Walsh, Carl describes what happened, what he’s doing for the players who come after him, and what concussion means for rugby’s future.

The final part of a two-part special investigation into the crisis facing this global game. You can listen to part one here.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Carl Hayman
Host: David Walsh, chief sports writer, The Sunday Times
Producer: Sophie McNulty
We want to hear from you - email: [email protected]

Read more: Two best friends, two suicides. How did rugby let this happen?
Further listening: Can rugby survive its head injury problem?
Photo: 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.

Marriage rates are at their lowest since 1850, and it's predicted by 2050 just 3 in 10 of us will have tied the knot. Cohabiting is now the fastest-growing family type in the UK. So what’s happening? Feminism, atheism, a mistrust of state intervention, or just an old fashion 'trend' dying out? And should cohabiting couples get the same rights as married ones?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Read by:
Hannah Betts, features writer, The Times.
Will Roe, executive producer, The Story.
Producer: Dave Creasey.
We want to hear from you - email: [email protected]

Read more: Why I will never get married
Photo: Robert Wilson for The Times Magazine
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.

Could Thursday’s local elections herald the end of two party politics in England? Labour are expected to lose heavily to parties on the left and right. So how bad would it need to be for the party to replace the prime minister?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests:
Joe Twyman, co-founder and director, DeltaPoll
Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times.
Host: Luke Jones.
Producers: Micaela Arneson.
We want to hear from you - email: [email protected]

Read more: Angela Rayner weighs leadership challenge after local elections
Further listening: ‘The punishment election’: Is Labour facing a bloodbath in Wales?
Clip: Daily Express.

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.