The Political Editors: Julian Haviland

<p>Julian Haviland became political editor of the Times in 1981, but his career in journalism began in the 1950s and covered every prime minister from Alec Douglas-Home to Margaret Thatcher. He tells Matt about his recollections of a smug Jim Callaghan, the decent&nbsp;but flawed Harold Wilson, and Thatcher having a stiff drink before her weekly audience with Queen Elizabeth.</p><br><p>He also reveals that the Queen was horrified by police conduct at the Battle of Orgreave during the miners' strike, a story he confirmed but was unable to run at the time.</p><br><p>The Political Editors is half a century of politics told by the people who wrote the first draft of history for the Times.</p><br><p>Plus: Columnists Daniel Finkelstein and Jenni Russell discuss whether<a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/a-shoplifting-epidemic-is-going-unpunished-0zpcmnrvn" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;shoplifting has effectively been decriminalised</a>, whether the Conservative party is choosing the right people to fight the next election, and whether&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/rishi-sunaks-bee-painting-childlike-or-a-touch-of-picasso-r9wfn2fhj?utm_medium=Social&amp;utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1692634949" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rishi Sunak has a future as an artist</a>.</p><p><br></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>