How To Win An Election

The race is on to get candidates in place for the general election, with the Tories having to deal with more MPs announcing their departure by the day.The political masterminds Peter Mandelson, Polly Mackenzie and Daniel Finkelstein join Matt Chorley to discuss who the parties will pick, and who they’ll come to regret.And has Rishi Sunak’s campaign actually started better than we’d expected?Send questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk, or WhatsApp 0333 00 323 53 with the words 'How To Win'.

It's happened. Rishi Sunak has announced the General Election for 4th July - as predicted by Danny in the last episode of the podcast.The political masterminds Peter Mandelson, Polly Mackenzie and Daniel Finkelstein join Matt for an emergency episode, recorded at the Podcast Show in London.Send questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk, or WhatsApp 0333 00 323 53 with the words 'How To Win'.

The long election campaign is well underway, and politicians are vying for attention with eye-catching photocalls, speeches, visits and stunts.The political masterminds Peter Mandelson, Polly Mackenzie and Daniel Finkelstein explain what happened when Blair and Brown shared an ice cream, when Ming Campbell pointed down the toilet, and when Danny was asked to arrange an actual bonfire of regulations.And why does Danny think the chances of a summer election may be rising?Send questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk, or WhatsApp 0333 00 323 53 with the words 'How To Win'.

Is there a point in an election campaign when you realise that the game is up and you're going to lose? And can you admit it when it happens?The political masterminds Peter Mandelson, Polly Mackenzie and Daniel Finkelstein join Matt Chorley to discuss whether Rishi Sunak has another roll of the dice, why Polly planned for a coalition that never happened, and when Peter, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown knew they had no chance of beating the Tories.Send questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk, or WhatsApp 0333 00 323 53 with the words 'How To Win'.

In a special bonus episode of the podcast, Matt and the political masterminds analyse the local elections results in front of a live audience.How easy is it to spin your way out of a heavy election defeat, has Rishi Sunak done enough to see off Tory rebels, and should Labour be talking more about Liz Truss?Send questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk, or WhatsApp 0333 00 323 53 with the words 'How To Win'.

Is there anything that Rishi Sunak can do to defy political gravity and deny Labour a majority? And after flying high for so long, can the SNP find a new leader that will help them turn the page?The political masterminds Peter Mandelson, Polly Mackenzie and Daniel Finkelstein join Matt Chorley to discuss the turmoil in Scottish politics, whether Labour is overpromising, and Conservative fortunes heading into the local elections in England and Wales.Send questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk, or WhatsApp 0333 00 323 53 with the words 'How To Win'.

There's currently no vacancy for the leadership of the Conservative Party, but that hasn't stopped potential candidates from positioning themselves for life after Rishi Sunak.Matt Chorley asks the political masterminds Peter Mandelson, Polly Mackenzie and Daniel Finkelstein how to get the top job without being seen to wield the knife.After Rishi Sunak turns on Liz Truss, has he been taking their advice? And what will happen if Donald Trump endorses Nigel Farage during the election campaign?Send questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk, or WhatsApp 0333 00 323 53 with the words 'How To Win'.

How much lasting damage has Liz Truss done to the Conservative Party, and any future leaders hoping to pursue a radical tax-cutting agenda?The political masterminds Peter Mandelson, Polly Mackenzie and Daniel Finkelstein join Matt Chorley to discuss the former prime minister's new book and whether she wants her party to win or lose the election.And with local elections on the way, does expectation management really work - and could a defeat even lead to Rishi Sunak walking away from Downing Street?Send questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk, or WhatsApp 0333 00 323 53 with the words 'How To Win'.We'll be recording a special episode of the podcast in front of a live audience after the local elections - find the details here.