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 WhyWhy the drought could threaten national security
Britain is on track for one of its worst harvests on record, according to new analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) think tank. It's bad…
This Is WhyWhy we should think before having a conversation about Ariana Grande
The 33-year-old star has announced that she is taking a break from public life due to “endless scrutiny”. In recent years her weight and health have been the…
This Is WhyWhy Reform is hardening its position on small boats
Nigel Farage has held his first press conference in months as he launched his party's new policy to tackle small boat arrivals, if it formed the next…
This Is WhyWhy stuff matters...
Listen to Stuff Matters and subscribe for members-only content You'll never think about a banana or look at your airpods in the same way after listening to…
This Is WhyWhy is FIFA selling the World Cup?
The beautiful game is up for sale, with FIFA boss Gianni Infantino trying to raise billions of dollars from private equity for a stake in the World Cup. It’s…
This Is WhyWhy the UK needs to learn from Europe’s wildfires
Continental Europe is ablaze. Could Britain be next? While we are yet to see the sort of devastation being experienced in France and Spain, record temperatures…
This Is WhyWhy was key evidence ignored in the Suzy Lamplugh case?
What happened to Suzy Lamplugh? It’s a painful question her family and the police have been asking themselves for 40 years. The 25-year-old estate agent…
This Is WhyWhy Burnham benefits from the Zelenskyy visit
Week two of Andy Burnham's premiership and he's hosting his first foreign leader: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It was a meeting with benefits for…
This Is Why'Burnham’s power broker': Why is Louise Haigh back at the heart of government?
Less than two years ago, Louise Haigh resigned from government under a cloud. Today, she's back at the heart of power as Andy Burnham's first secretary of…
This Is WhyWhy millionaires like Gary Lineker want to pay more tax
120 super-rich people have signed an open letter calling for higher taxes on the richest in society. They say taxing wealth more fairly could help reduce…
This Is WhyWhy has Zelenskyy sacked Ukraine’s most senior defence figures?
It's not just Andy Burnham who's been purging politicians from government. There's a wartime power struggle in Ukraine, where Volodymyr Zelenskyy ousted his…
This Is WhyWhy John Healey’s choices as chancellor will make or break Burnham
Everybody needs good neighbours. And on the day Andy Burnham moved into 10 Downing Street, he installed a surprise choice next door at Number 11. John Healey…
This Is WhyWhy Burnham’s first 100 days will define his leadership
"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face." Mike Tyson's infamous warning for his opponents could easily apply to the new occupant of Number 10…
This Is WhyWhy it’s third time lucky for Labour leader Andy Burnham
Cabinet minister, Manchester mayor, ‘King of the North’ - Andy Burnham has held plenty of positions during his political career. But the next will be by far…
This Is WhyWhy nationalisation could be Burnham’s big gamble
It’s coming home.... British Steel will once again be, well, British after it was renationalised to “protect the future of steel production in the UK” - and…
This Is WhyWhy doesn’t the government trust teenagers?
You can have sex, learn to drive and join the army – but can’t be trusted to watch YouTube after midnight. Are the government’s latest curbs on teenage social…
This Is WhyWhy is Trump risking a 'forever war' with Iran?
Rip up the Memorandum of Understanding, the ceasefire is well and truly over. Iran and the United States are once more at war – with oil tankers targeted and…
This Is WhyWhy England vs Argentina means more than just football
From beef over barbed wire to a shared love of Oasis and The Beatles – the relationship between England and Argentina is... complicated. On the pitch, it’s one…
This Is WhyDaddy diplomacy: Why NATO's Mark Rutte remains the Trump whisperer
Mark Rutte has spent years quietly building a reputation as one of Europe's most effective political operators. Now, as NATO secretary general, he's trying to…
This Is WhyWhy Harry’s legal loss leaves him at a crossroads
Everybody has a bad week from time to time - but for Prince Harry the last few days have been something of a royal disaster. The King's wayward son lost his…
This Is WhyWhy Donald Trump says the Iran ceasefire is over
The US and Iran are trading strikes again as Donald Trump turns to his weapon of choice - sitting down at press conferences and calling people names. America’s…
This Is WhyWhy has Nigel Farage resigned as an MP?
A fight for his political future or nothing more than a publicity stunt? Nigel Farage has announced he’s resigning as MP for Clacton only to stand to again in…
This Is WhyWhy is Sky buying the home of Coronation Street?
Cancel Corrie? No chance! ITV will remain free-to-air and continue to show fan favourites, such as Coronation Street and Love Island, following a deal to sell…
This Is WhyWhy Burnham could get the Milibands back together
Brothers, rivals, cabinet colleagues? When Ed Miliband beat brother David to the Labour leadership in 2010, it looked as if their relationship had been…
This Is WhyWhy grooming gang ringleader cannot be deported
He’s a convicted child rapist who’s been stripped of his British citizenship. But the ringleader of a notorious Rochdale grooming gang – released from jail…
This Is WhyWhy Trump’s Iran war is finally costing UK households
Whether you’ve been enjoying or enduring the summer heatwave, running that new air-con unit has just got a whole lot more expensive. For millions of people…
This Is WhyWhy Burnham’s housebuilding boom is doomed
Every prime minister promises ambitious plans to build new homes – every prime minister in more than half a century has failed. Andy Burnham says he’ll be…
This Is WhyWhy British waters are less safe under defence drone plans
Drones in, destroyers out. The Royal Navy looks set to be the biggest losers when the Defence Investment Plan is finally published. Instead of building a new…
This Is WhyWhy the King's tax return leaves unanswered questions
The King has revealed how much income tax he pays, becoming the first monarch to ever do so. The Palace said the move was “increasing transparency”, but have…
This Is WhyWhy we're in the dark on defence under Andy Burnham
It's all a little awkward. Sir Keir Starmer is set to deliver his defence spending proposals to NATO next month, despite having lost both his job and his…
This Is WhyWhy is the UK feeling the heat more than ever?
When an event discussing extreme heat at London Climate Week is called off due to... extreme heat, you know things are bad. In the words of UN Secretary…
This Is WhyWhy Brexit will define Burnham’s relationship with Europe
A decade to the day since the Brexit referendum, the European Union has postponed a proposed summit to reset the UK’s relationship with Europe. Following the…
This Is WhyWhy did Keir Starmer resign as Prime Minister?
It's become a familiar sight in British politics - the lectern outside 10 Downing Street, ready for another resignation speech. On Monday morning, Sir Keir…
This Is WhyWhy Serena Williams is taking another shot at Wimbledon
Serena Williams has nothing left to prove. She's won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, inspired generations of players and built a legacy that reaches far beyond…
This Is WhyWhy reopening the Strait of Hormuz isn’t as simple as Trump thinks
End the war, get the oil tankers moving, and the world’s economy returns to normal. It sounds easy. It really isn’t. Donald Trump and the Iranian regime have…
This Is WhyWhy are Russian warships in the English Channel?
"Just one of those things." A typically British response to an unprecedented act of belligerence. When Alan and Jane Kelvey took their yacht out for a sail…
This Is WhyWhy the social media ban could affect everyone
It's not just teenagers having tantrums over TikTok, a social media ban for under-16s could have unforeseen consequences for anyone who uses the internet. The…
This Is WhyWhy Iran’s nuclear ambitions put peace in doubt
It was Donald Trump’s 80th birthday present to himself – announcing the US had finally agreed a peace plan with Iran. But is it really a done deal, especially…
This Is WhyIntroducing... Stuff Matters with Ed Conway
LEDs were supposed to be one of the great environmental success stories: a revolutionary technology that uses a fraction of the energy of traditional light…
This Is WhyWhy Labour’s ‘Action Man’ Al Carns could challenge for No 10
He’s the former Marine who served in the special forces, climbs mountains for fun, and now could hold the keys to Downing Street. Following an astonishing…
This Is WhyWhy the US’s Iran-fuelled inflation is trouble for Trump (and the UK)
Americans are finally feeling the pinch due to Trump’s war in Iran, with inflation surging to a three-year-high. There’s no end to hostilities in sight, and…
This Is WhyWhy Belfast’s troubled past made violence inevitable
The riots which brought mass disorder to the streets of Belfast on Tuesday night weren’t just a reaction to a brutal stabbing in the city the night before…
This Is WhyWhy the UK has fallen behind on drone warfare
Swindon. The epicentre of the global drone industry? As unlikely as it might seem, the Wiltshire town could soon be just that. But instead of taking advantage…
This Is WhyWhy Trump and Netanyahu are split on Iran
After Israel launched strikes on Iran for the first time since April – against US wishes – are the cracks beginning to show between Donald Trump and Benjamin…
This Is WhyWhy Beatrice and Eugenie living rent-free is a risk for the royals
The idea of two princesses living in luxury while the King pays their rent may have seemed normal in days gone by – but surely not in 2026. Beatrice and…
This Is WhyWhy 'trillionaire' Musk and SpaceX are driving the AI arms race
He was already the richest man on the planet. Now Elon Musk's wealth is about to go stratospheric. The SpaceX founder will become the world's first…
This Is WhyWhy Putin has plunged Russia’s economy into ‘the death zone’
Moscow may have hit Ukraine with one of its biggest attacks of the war so far - but is it Russia’s economy that’s starting to crack? Businesses are closing…
This Is WhyWhy Nigel Farage is accused of exploiting Henry Nowak's murder
Is the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak a new low for the police - or an excuse for political point scoring? Henry was handcuffed as he lay dying after being…
This Is WhyWhy defence delays are dangerous for the UK
A year on from publishing a plan to make the UK's military fit for purpose, the government still hasn't said where the money's coming from. It now admits the…
This Is WhyWhy Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin could be a problem for NASA
A Blue Origin rocket explosion during a test launch at Cape Canaveral in Florida could have huge implications for Jeff Bezos' ambitions in space. His company…
This Is WhyWhy don't we know more about cold water shock?
At least eight teenagers have died after getting into difficulty in open water during the UK’s record-breaking heatwave. The tragedies have caused the Royal…
This Is WhyWhy Russia is ‘relentlessly targeting’ the UK
The head of the GCHQ intelligence agency has warned that Russia is going after critical infrastructure and democracy in the UK. Anne Keast-Butler also used the…
This Is WhyWhy did teenage rapists avoid jail?
Three teenagers who avoided jail over the rape of two girls in Hampshire will now have their sentences reviewed after a judge initially said he wanted to…
This Is WhyWhy Westminster needs to think differently about devolution
In all corners of the United Kingdom, parties that back independence are now in charge. The SNP retained control in Scotland and Plaid Cymru took power in…
This Is WhyWhy did Thomas Tuchel leave out some big England names?
Thomas Tuchel is England’s first German-born manager. He has led some of Europe’s biggest clubs, from Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich to Chelsea, where…
This Is WhyWhy is the UK easing Russian oil sanctions?
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Britain has sanctioned Moscow’s economy in an attempt to weaken Putin's war machine. But this week, the UK introduced a new…
This Is WhyWhy Putin and Trump are queuing up to visit China
President Xi Jinping's hopes of putting China at the centre of a new world order have been given a boost by back-to-back visits of two of his fellow world…
This Is WhyWhy Elon Musk took Sam Altman to court (and lost)
Tech titan and X owner Elon Musk has seen his high-profile lawsuit against the boss of OpenAI Sam Altman thrown out of court. Musk accused his rival of making…
This Is WhyWhy the world should care about Africa’s latest Ebola outbreak
A new strain of Ebola virus has been declared an international public health emergency by the World Health Organisation. More than 300 suspected cases have…
This Is WhyWhy winning Makerfield might not be so easy for Andy Burnham
The constituency of Makerfield has been a Labour safe seat for generations, but in the May elections, Reform UK won nearly every seat that was up for grabs at…