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 WhyLabour's climate climbdown - how damaging is it?
After weeks of confusion, Sir Keir Starmer has finally announced a row back in Labour's pledge to spend £28bn a year on its flagship green prosperity plan…
This Is WhyRishi Sunak's transgender jibe dominates PMQs
Chants of 'shame' were heard during Prime Minister's Questions today, after Rishi Sunak made a cutting remark about trans-rights aimed towards Labour leader…
This Is WhyThe King and cancer: What's the experience of the thousands diagnosed each day?
In Buckingham Palace’s statement about the King’s cancer diagnosis, it said: “His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the…
This Is WhyKing Charles has cancer: What we know so far
Buckingham Palace has revealed King Charles has been diagnosed with a form of cancer. While it's not been revealed what type he's being treated for, we know…
This Is Why‘In touching distance’: Is a united Ireland now a realistic prospect?
Two years after power-sharing collapsed in Northern Ireland, Stormont is back in business with Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill becoming its first nationalist…
This Is WhyBrianna Ghey's murderers: Should children who kill be named?
The names of two teenagers who murdered 16-year-old schoolgirl Brianna Ghey have been revealed for the first time just hours before they were sentenced…
This Is WhyIs business loving Labour?
Labour’s Rachel Reeves wants to be the next chancellor. She’s used an event in London to try to convince hundreds of business leaders that her party is the…
This Is WhyWhatsApp'ened with Nicola Sturgeon at the COVID Inquiry?
Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has told the COVID Inquiry: "I was the first minister when the pandemic struck and part of me wishes I hadn't been.” She…
This Is WhyNorthern Ireland, cheese and fish: Why it's an important week in life after Brexit
After nearly two years of political deadlock in Northern Ireland, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) agreed a deal on Monday to restore power sharing to the…
This Is WhyPatient 11 | Locked-up and drugged
Something a little different today from the Sky News podcast team: episode 1 of Patient 11, a new investigation from Sky News and the Independent. Young mother…
This Is WhyIsrael-Hamas war: How much pressure is Benjamin Netanyahu under?
Benjamin Netanyahu is Israel’s longest serving prime minister but also one of the most divisive figures in Israeli politics. He was facing huge protests from…
This Is WhyNottingham attacks: Why so many missed chances to stop Valdo Calocane?
The man who killed three people, and injured three others, has been sentenced to detention in a high-security hospital – with the judge saying he'll probably…
This Is WhyCould Brits really be called up to serve in the army?
The head of the British Army has said we should "train and equip" a "citizen army" to prepare the country for any potential land war. The comments from General…
This Is WhyHouthi strikes: Does Britain have an endgame?
A second major wave of airstrikes has been carried out by American and British forces on Houthi targets in Yemen in response to the group's attacks on merchant…
This Is WhyWhistleblower: Police still failing child sex abuse victims
Throughout the 2000s, serious allegations of child sex abuse became known to Greater Manchester Police. Girls as young as 11 were identified as potential…
This Is WhyDoes it matter how young or old our politicians are?
Former prime minister Gordon Brown told Sky News he was too old to be a politician in the UK but too young to be one in the US. He has a point, with Americans…
This Is WhyWhat's going on with asylum hotels?
The Home Office says it has closed 50 hotels to asylum seekers - something it had pledged to do by the end of this month with a promise to house them in…
This Is WhySunak’s rebellion extinguished
Rishi Sunak has faced the toughest test of his premiership as MPs voted to save the government's Rwanda policy. The measures aimed at tackling the small boats…
This Is WhyMr Bates Vs the Post Office – what Fujitsu told MPs
The man who has led fellow former sub postmasters in their campaign to overturn wrongful convictions, Alan Bates, was among those giving evidence to MPs today…
This Is WhyIs Iran the world’s biggest threat?
Iran is a key player in the Middle East – the country supports extremist Islamic groups across the region, notably the Houthis in Yemen, and Hezbollah in…
This Is WhyHouthi Strikes: all you need to know with Yalda Hakim, Alex Crawford and Deborah Haynes
In this episode, Sky News' new international presenter Yalda Hakim gets time with defence and security editor Deborah Haynes and special correspondent Alex…
This Is WhyThe world’s biggest election year: Why does Taiwan matter?
Nearly half of the world’s population could vote in elections in 2024 – but some are more important than others when it comes to global security. On the Sky…
This Is Why'Why did we have to wait for a TV drama?': Post Office convictions quashed
Rishi Sunak's promised a new law to exonerate and compensate Post Office branch managers who were wrongly prosecuted in the Horizon IT scandal. But those…
This Is WhyBoeing’s loose bolts: How much trouble is the company in?
United Airlines has found loose bolts on plug doors on Boeing 737-9 Max aircrafts during inspections. These checks follow the Federal Aviation Administration's…
This Is WhyPost Office scandal: The victim, the journalist and the politician on what should happen next
More than 700 sub-postmasters were prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 in what's been deemed the biggest miscarriage of justice in British legal history. They…
This Is WhyHow to fix the NHS: Public health
Sarah-Jane Mee is joined by Sir David Nicholson, who used to run the NHS in England, as they explore ‘How to fix the NHS’ - a new mini podcast series for 2024…
This Is WhyHow to fix the NHS: Mental health
Sarah-Jane Mee is joined by Sir David Nicholson, who used to run the NHS in England, as they explore ‘How to fix the NHS’ - a new mini podcast series for 2024…
This Is WhyHow to fix the NHS: Cancer care
Sarah-Jane Mee is joined by Sir David Nicholson, who used to run the NHS in England, as they explore ‘How to fix the NHS’ - a new mini podcast series for 2024…
This Is WhyHow to fix the NHS: Accident and emergency
Sarah-Jane Mee is joined by Sir David Nicholson, who used to run the NHS in England, as they explore ‘How to fix the NHS’ - a new mini podcast series for 2024…
This Is WhyIntroducing... How to fix the NHS
Sir David Nicholson, former chief executive of NHS England, joins Sky’s Sarah-Jane Mee for ‘How to fix the NHS’ - a new mini-series from the Sky News Daily…
This Is WhyQueen Camilla: For The Love of Charles - Episode Three: The Queen
Motivated by love, Camilla and the then Prince Charles hatched an ambitious plan to win over the public: Operation Ritz. Camilla is no longer the other woman…
This Is WhyQueen Camilla: For The Love of Charles - Episode Two: “The Rottweiler”
The scandal brought about by the publication of the taped telephone conversation between Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles, and Charles’s failing…
This Is WhyQueen Camilla: For The Love of Charles - Episode One: The Tape
In 1989, somewhere in the English countryside, an amateur radio enthusiast stumbled across a private telephone conversation. The call, between the then Prince…
This Is WhyWhat 2023 has taught us about... the Royal Family
Sky News Daily host Niall Paterson looks back at the stories that defined the Royal Family in 2023 with our royal correspondent Laura Bundock and royal…
This Is WhyWhat 2023 has taught us about... science and technology
Sky News Daily host Niall Paterson looks back at the stories that defined science and technology in 2023 with science and technology editor Tom Clarke. They…
This Is WhyWhat 2023 has taught us about... the economy
Sky News Daily host Niall Paterson looks back at the major economic, business and political stories of 2023 with our economics and data editor Ed Conway. They…
This Is WhyWhat 2023 has taught us about... politics
During the first week of January 2023, as a fairly new prime minister, Rishi Sunak made a speech to outline his top five priorities. As 2023 draws to a close…
This Is WhyWhat 2023 has taught us about... world affairs
Sky News Daily host Niall Paterson looks back at the stories that defined international affairs in 2023 with our international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn…
This Is WhyThe billionaire demanding slavery reparations from Britain
An Irish billionaire is calling on the government to make payments to countries of the Caribbean to compensate for the suffering of slavery. Denis O'Brien is…
This Is WhyPrince Harry, phone hacking and the executives who knew
Prince Harry has claimed victory in a landmark court case against one of Britain’s biggest news publishers – the Mirror Group – with a High Court judge finding…
This Is WhyUkraine and the US: Solutions to the aid stalemate
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made his third trip to Washington DC in less than a year on a whistle-stop tour of the US and Europe, pleading his…
This Is WhyCOP28: Is this 'the beginning of the end' for fossil fuels?
There was a standing ovation as delegates at the COP28 international climate conference agreed an historic deal that included a commitment to transition "away"…
This Is WhyRishi Sunak wins Rwanda vote. What happens now?
Rishi Sunak’s plan to “stop the boats” by sending some migrants to Rwanda has scraped through the House of Commons. The bill aims to address the issues raised…
This Is WhyRwanda and COVID: Rishi Sunak's toughest week yet
The prime minister has given his evidence to the COVID inquiry today, defending his Eat Out to Help Out scheme and telling of fears within the Treasury that…
This Is WhyFunding the BBC – if not the licence fee then what?
The government has announced that in 2024 the BBC licence fee will rise by £10.50. The fee, which had been frozen at £159 two years ago, was expected to rise…
This Is Why'Unite or die': Why the Tories can't stop fighting
Rishi Sunak has told Conservatives to "unite or die" over his Rwanda migration bill. The prime minister's plan to send migrants to the African country, where…
This Is WhyBoris Johnson at the COVID Inquiry: part one
The former prime minister, Boris Johnson, has given almost five hours of evidence to the COVID inquiry today. He began by apologising for the pain and…
This Is WhyWill the Tories' latest plans to cut legal migration work?
Home Secretary James Cleverly is having a busy third week in his new job, just as his approval ratings among Tory supporters collapse, according to polling by…
This Is WhyWhat happens to the families of sex offenders?
Police forces make more than 850 arrests a month for online child sex offences in England and Wales. The majority of suspects are men who can have families…
This Is WhyBonus: ClimateCast - COP28: Breakthrough at Dubai climate conference
The King has urged world leaders assembled in Dubai to make the COP28 climate summit a "critical turning point" in the fight to tackle global warming. And…
This Is WhyIsrael-Hamas war: What happens now the ceasefire is over?
It took just minutes for Israeli airstrikes to resume on Gaza after a week-long truce between Israel and Hamas ended. Israel's military resumed combat…
This Is Why‘Wish I’d acted earlier’: Matt Hancock’s defence at the COVID inquiry
Matt Hancock took the stand at the COVID inquiry for the first of two days of giving evidence on Thursday. In 2021, the then health secretary was forced to…
This Is WhyRoyal race 'revelation': PR stunt or genuine mistake?
The sale of a new book about the Royal Family has been halted in the Netherlands after publishers of the Dutch translation of Omid Scobie's Endgame appeared to…
This Is WhyIs war fatigue Ukraine's new enemy?
The world's attention has been turned to the Israel-Hamas conflict, resulting in the war in Ukraine falling further down the news agenda. Not only does this…
This Is WhyThe team helping the victims of revenge porn
The Revenge Porn Helpline has seen the number of phone calls it receives rise by nearly a third. It was set up when revenge porn was made a crime in 2015 – and…
This Is WhyIs the COVID inquiry missing the point?
The COVID inquiry is now into its second round of public hearings – examining how key decisions were made in Westminster as the coronavirus began to take hold…
This Is Why‘Curious not furious’: How to negotiate with hostage takers
Qatar has announced key details of the planned pause in fighting and release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza by Hamas. In the first phase of the agreement…
This Is WhyAutumn statement: What does it mean for you?
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has revealed his autumn statement. Among the proposals National Insurance is to be cut by two percentage points, and NI payments for the…
This Is WhyNicola Bulley: What did the police get wrong?
Police who investigated the disappearance of Nicola Bulley from beside a riverbank have been heavily criticised in a damning report. Lancashire Police's…
This Is WhyUnderstanding what's happening at Gaza's al Shifa hospital
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has described al Shifa hospital in Gaza City as a "death zone" - it said there was a mass grave at the entrance and a…