The Story

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.

Police have declared a terrorist incident after two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green. The suspect, Essa Suleiman, is in custody and the two men are stable. Plenty of questions remain as the Jewish community reels from the latest in a series of antisemitic incidents. How can Jewish communities be protected?

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:
Matt Dathan, home affairs editor, The Times.
Neil Basu, former head of UK counterterrorism policing.
Host: Callum Martin
Producers: Callum Martin, Olivia Case, Elizabeth Highfield, Sandra Mitchell.
We want to hear from you - email: [email protected]
Read more: What happened in Golders Green? How London stabbing attack unfolded
Further listening: “They tried to firebomb my synagogue”: The rise in antisemitic attacks
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.

Sir Keir Starmer has dodged a bullet on the Mandelson vetting scandal but did he expend too much political capital in the process? With local elections around the corner he’s not out of the woods yet, so what can we expect from next week's results? And more than 60 days into the Iran war, Trump has proclaimed there's 'No more Mr. Nice Guy' - so are we about to see renewed military action from the USA? Hosts Manveen Rana and Luke Jones are here to answer your questions in our monthly Q&A.

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

Hosts: Manveen Rana and Luke Jones.
Guest: Aubrey Allegretti, chief political correspondent, The Times.
Producers: Olivia Case and Callum Martin.

We want to hear from you - email: [email protected]
Read more: Iran war latest: Trump warns Tehran ‘No more Mr Nice Guy’ in Truth Social post
Further listening: ‘The punishment election’: Is Labour facing a bloodbath in Wales?
Clips: The Independent, Sky.
Image: @realDonaldTrump / Truth Social
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.

South Wales has been a Labour heartland since the party formed over a century ago, but speak to people there today and you'll find support leaving in droves. So can Labour avoid an electoral car crash? Could the other main parties capitalise? Ahead of the Welsh Senedd elections next week, we travelled to Swansea to take the political temperature.

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:
Professor Matthew Wall, professor of politics, philosophy and international relations at Swansea University and principal investigator of the 2026 Welsh election study.
Grant Berni, head of the Osprey’s supporters club.
Host: Manveen Rana.
Producer: Harry Stott.
We want to hear from you - email: [email protected]
Read more: A walk round Pembroke Dock shows why Labour will lose Welsh election
Further listening: Get ready for a pub brawl, it's local election time
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.