Shows / This Is Why
This Is Why
The world’s a pretty confusing place right now – so how do you make sense of it all? This Is Why takes one story every day, explains how we got here and why it matters to you. Sky News’ Niall Paterson speaks to experts and correspondents from around the world, getting simple answers to some complex questions. Available every weekday afternoon. This Is Why is a Sky News podcast – if you have a question, contact us: why@sky.uk
Episodes
This Is WhyHow the conflict in the Middle East might put Donald Trump in the White House
Sky News and NBC News have joined forces for a new podcast - The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim. For the first episode, Yalda is in Jerusalem and…
This Is WhyUSA '24: A storm of misinformation as early voting begins
It's less than a month to go until the US election, and Sky News' team of US correspondents have been reporting on the campaign trail across the country…
This Is WhyMilton: The hurricane scientists were dreading
Hurricane Milton has torn through Florida bringing 100mph winds, flooding and storm surges with it. Several people have lost their lives, and more than three…
This Is WhyWhat's gone on with the Tory leadership contest?
On Tuesday afternoon, James Cleverly got the most votes from Tory MPs in the party’s leadership contest. One day later and the next round of voting went a…
This Is WhyCan special advisers be too powerful?
The departure of Sue Gray, as Sir Keir Starmer's most senior adviser in Number 10, has shone a spotlight on the role of special advisers in government. So on…
This Is WhyCan there be a peaceful solution in the Middle East?
It's one year on since Hamas's 7 October attack on Israel, which was followed by Israel's mission to eradicate the terror group in Gaza. In short, what…
This Is WhyUSA 24: Vice Presidents, hurricanes, and war in the Middle East
With only a month to go until the US election, Sky’s dedicated team of correspondents goes on the road to gauge what voters in key swing states make of the…
This Is WhyOn the ground in Lebanon and Israel: What happens next?
With the Middle East on the edge of an all-out war, Sky News Daily takes a look at how the situation looks for civilians on the ground, and what could happen…
This Is WhyBeneath the Iron Dome: How Israel's air defence system works
Israel has a layered air defence system, which has acted to protect the country from the latest wave of incoming missiles from Iran. The more well-known Iron…
This Is WhyThe Tory final four: Could any of them be PM in 2029?
Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat are contenders to become the next Conservative Party leader. With infighting already playing…
This Is WhyWhat can the rest of the world do to stop a Middle East war?
President Biden has said "all-out war" in the Middle East has to be avoided after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in Israeli airstrikes on Beirut…
This Is WhyUSA 2024: Scandal for North Carolina and voting in Virginia
Sky News’ team of US correspondents bring you original stories and analysis from their reporting across the country in the build-up to the presidential…
This Is WhyWhat is Hezbollah and how powerful is it?
The threat of an all-out conflict between Israel and Hezbollah seems to be edging closer after Israel rejected Lebanon ceasefire plans. The Iranian-backed…
This Is WhyHow sanctioned goods are getting into Russia
Sanctions on Russia were introduced two years ago shortly after the start of the country’s Ukrainian invasion. The purpose? To limit the Russian war machine…
This Is WhyWill Starmer's 'no pain, no gain' strategy pay off?
As Sir Keir Starmer delivers his first leader's speech as prime minister to a packed-out conference hall in Liverpool, can he convince his party, and the…
This Is WhyLabour’s trust issues and can Rachel Reeves fix them?
As the UK's first female chancellor delivers her speech to the Labour Party's annual conference in Liverpool, the Sky News Daily asks why the new government is…
This Is WhyUSA 2024: Who's to blame for political violence?
With seven weeks to go until the US goes to the polls, Sky’s dedicated team of correspondents goes on the road to gauge what citizens in key swing states make…
This Is WhyCan you fix the prison service?
In a rare insight into the prisons crisis, a serving governor at one of the UK's crowded jails has spoken anonymously to Sky News about conditions inside, the…
This Is WhyThe riots have gone but the anger remains…
In Hull, in the aftermath of summer riots that saw an asylum hotel attacked, shops looted, and cars burned, two strong feelings remain. Resentment over a…
This Is Why'Let’s finish the job’ - Ed Davey at the Lib Dem conference
Ed Davey told the Liberal Democrat party conference that he would "cut through the government's doom and gloom" and plans to "vanquish what's left of the…
This Is Why'Never surrender!' - Trump defiant after another assassination attempt
Donald Trump has faced a second assassination attempt while playing golf in Florida. The accused, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, is said to have fled the scene…
This Is Why"They're eating the dogs! They're eating the cats! " It's the 2024 US Election campaign
With eight weeks before the US goes to the polls, Sky’s dedicated team of correspondents goes on the road to gauge what citizens in key swing states make of…
This Is Why'Reform or die': Can technology save the NHS?
Sir Keir Starmer has said the NHS must "reform or die" following Lord Darzi's damning report which paints a grim picture of the state of the health service. On…
This Is WhyHarris-Trump Debate: Who came out on top?
Vice president Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump have gone head to head for the first time. In a fiery 90 minutes, Ms Harris attacked the former…
This Is WhyPrisoners celebrate - but is early release good news?
On Tuesday, 1,700 prisoners were released early from their sentences in the first phase of Labour's plan to tackle overcrowding. Policing minister Dame Diana…
This Is WhyThe war nobody is talking about
Sudan has suffered three domestic wars spanning well over 40 years of the country's 67 years of independence. Millions of people have been displaced and…
This Is WhyIs it really possible to “smash” the smuggling gangs?
This year has been the deadliest on the English Channel in three years. Six children and a pregnant woman are among the twelve who died on Tuesday after their…
This Is WhyWill new sewage dumping laws work?
The government is bringing in new laws which will see stiffer penalties for water companies and possible jail sentences for their bosses if they don't deal…
This Is WhyGrenfell: What happens to those the inquiry blames?
All 72 deaths were "avoidable", according to the final Grenfell Tower inquiry report, which found "decades of failure" led to the tragedy. The inquiry lasted…
This Is WhyWhy are Grenfell safety laws being ignored by building owners?
Sky News has found out that legislation introduced after the Grenfell Tower fire to force building owners to fix serious fire safety issues is not being…
This Is WhyTicket troubles – can there be a better system?
After a long Saturday for millions of Oasis fans in online queues, the culture secretary says surge pricing will be part of the government’s review of the…
This Is WhyPolitics is back - so what's in store for Autumn?
Politics returns to Westminster next week, with a Conservative leadership race, Labour's first budget, and party conference season around the corner. Host Liz…
This Is WhyThe end of a smoke in the beer garden?
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed the government is looking at tougher rules on outdoor smoking to reduce the number of preventable deaths linked to…
This Is WhyScrapping Winter Fuel Allowance: Could there be another way?
Around 10 million people in England and Wales will not receive winter fuel payments this winter. Under Chancellor Rachel Reeves' plan, only those who receive…
This Is WhyOasis reunite: Terry Christian on what made them special
After 15 years, brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher have announced they’ll reunite for a tour next year. On this Sky News Daily episode, Terry Christian, the man…
This Is WhyWhat are the takeaways from Kamala Harris's speech?
Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic nomination for president and laid out her election pitch to millions of voters at the party's national convention. As…
This Is WhyGCSE results: Why grades don't tell the full story
Are GCSEs the best thing for 16-year-olds to show as they leave secondary education? Is there a better method to assess what they've achieved in school and to…
This Is Why'It's going to be grim': Ed Conway on the state of public finances
Official data shows government borrowing in July was above expectations and at its highest since the pandemic. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR)…
This Is WhySuperyacht sinks: What do we know?
A British-flagged superyacht has sunk off the coast of Sicily, leaving at least one person dead and six others missing. Among those still lost are British tech…
This Is WhyPrison overcrowding: Can the police and the courts cope?
An emergency plan to try to ease prison overcrowding has been started by the government – as courts continue to hear cases involving those accused of rioting…
This Is WhyCan Taylor Swift really bring a £1bn economic gold rush?
Musician and billionaire Taylor Swift is so influential that a new economic term has been coined to refer to her impact: 'Swiftonomics'. From concerts and…
This Is WhyCan universities make their sums work?
Can universities make their sums work? As students nervously receive their A-level results, many of the universities they'll enrol in are facing their own…
This Is WhyInflation nudges up – what can we expect from the economy this autumn?
The inflation rate is up for the first time this year. Prices went up by 2.2% in the year until July – moving the rate above the Bank of England target of 2%…
This Is WhyHow Ukraine’s invasion crossed Putin’s ‘red line’
A week after Ukraine invaded the Kursk region of western Russia - when around 1,000 troops surprised analysts by storming across the border - Russia’s…
This Is WhyWhat's Iran up to?
Middle Eastern nations are scrambling to protect a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas and prevent a regional conflict. There are reports of imminent…
This Is WhyWhat happens after an Olympics?
The Olympics in Paris ends this weekend – as it gears up for the Paralympics. But what legacy does such a huge event leave for athletes and a host city? Team…
This Is WhyStarmer's first big test: How well did the PM handle the riots?
Thousands of anti-racism protesters gathered across England and formed human barriers to protect asylum centres after police warned of more than 100…
This Is Why'Unease and fear': How communities are feeling about the riots
The UK is bracing itself for more than 100 protests across the country – with thousands of specialist officers on standby. On the Sky News Daily, Niall…
This Is WhyWho are the rioters?
After a week of unrest across dozens of towns and cities, police have arrested hundreds of those involved. The former head of counter-terrorism policing, Neil…
This Is WhyCan the government stop the far right?
After a weekend of violence and disorder, Sir Keir Starmer has said police will have access to a "standing army of specialist officers" to deal with the riots…
This Is WhyWhat can GOATs of the future learn from Andy Murray and Simone Biles?
As one sporting great retires and another adds to her gold medal tally at the Paris Olympics, the Sky News Daily profiles Andy Murray and Simone Biles. Liz…
This Is WhyHow disinformation is fuelling the far right
A judge has made the "exceptional" decision to name the 17-year-old suspect charged with the murder of three girls in the Southport stabbing attack, in an…
This Is WhyHuw Edwards guilty: What questions now for the BBC?
Former BBC newsreader Huw Edwards has pleaded guilty to charges of making indecent images of children. The court heard Edwards had been involved in an online…
This Is WhySouthport stabbings: What's the help for the people who helped?
On this episode, Liz Bates talks about the impact of the stabbings in Southport which killed three children at a summer holiday dance class. We hear Sky News'…
This Is WhyIs there really no money left?
Chancellor Rachel Reeves says she's discovered a "£20bn black hole" in the public finances left by the previous government. In the Commons, she set out her…
This Is WhyAre the Paris Olympics safe?
As Paris prepares for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games, arsonists have targeted France's high-speed rail network causing travel chaos. The French…
This Is WhyStamping video: What justifies police officers using force?
A police officer has been suspended after a video showed a suspect being kicked in the head and stamped on at Manchester Airport. The police watchdog has…
This Is WhyCharlotte Dujardin: Why did the whipping video come out now?
Team GB's Charlotte Dujardin could have become the country's most-decorated female Olympian in Paris. But she's withdrawn from the dressage after a video…
This Is WhyHow much trouble is Strictly Come Dancing in?
It's one of television's most successful shows ever and this year's series was meant to be all about celebrating its 20th anniversary. But controversy has hit…
This Is WhyHow will Kamala Harris take on Trump?
Joe Biden, Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton have endorsed Kamala Harris for the Democrat nomination for President. But there are notable names – including…