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 WhyAnger and acrimony: The Prince Harry charity row explained
Last week, Prince Harry quit as patron of a charity he co-founded in memory of his mother, Princess Diana. Over the weekend, the charity's chair, Dr Sophie…
This Is WhyWho is MAGA's most aggressive loyalist Marjorie Taylor Greene?
US congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene hit the headlines this week when she told Sky's US correspondent Martha Kelner to "go back to your own country ". It…
This Is WhyHow will Trump’s car tariffs affect the UK? Ed Conway explains
President Trump has announced a 25% tax on all car imports and car parts to the US - they're due to come on 2 April along with tariffs on many other goods in…
This Is WhySpring statement: Beth Rigby and Ed Conway on Rachel Reeves's changed plan
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has set out her plans for the UK economy during her spring statement in the House of Commons. It came as the Office for Budget…
This Is WhyTrump's metal tariffs are already buckling the UK economy: Ed Conway explains
The world is bracing itself for what Donald Trump is calling 'Liberation Day' when on 2 April he's promised tariffs will be placed on most countries trading…
This Is WhyThe 'charisma battle' at the heart of the Turkish protests
Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Turkey, following the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu – the main rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan…
This Is WhyHow could a fire shut down Europe's biggest airport?
Heathrow Airport has been shut all day after an "unprecedented" fire hit a nearby substation. Counter-terrorism police are leading the investigation into the…
This Is WhyIs the soft power of the royals more important than ever?
Prince William is in Estonia to visit British troops but also to show the UK's support for the NATO country which borders Russia. The King's invitation to…
This Is WhyCan Adolescence change the rise of the ‘manosphere’?
Netflix’s hit drama series Adolescence has shone a light on the pressures faced by boys growing up today, and the rise in misogynistic violence that frequently…
This Is WhyInside Syria's prisons: Alex Crawford speaks to a British ISIS fighter
Sky News' special correspondent Alex Crawford joins Niall Paterson to discuss her recent trip to northeast Syria, where she gained extremely rare access to one…
This Is WhyWhy is Labour sick of the benefit PIP?
The government is due on Tuesday to set out its plans to make cuts to the welfare system. One of the benefits targeted for £5bn worth of savings is the key…
This Is WhyJonathan Powell – the UK’s bridge with Trump and Ukraine?
Sir Keir Starmer appointed Jonathan Powell to be his national security adviser at one of the most critical points in European security since the Cold War. He…
This Is WhyWill Reform's civil war hurt the party?
Reform UK has consolidated its gains at the general election, with recent polling suggesting that it is neck and neck with Labour and ahead of the…
This Is WhyThe Danish group behind a children's home run like a cult
The Red House was a children’s home in Norfolk which took in hundreds of students in care from across the UK between 1984 and 1998. It was run by a…
This Is WhyWhat the North Sea crash could mean for the environment?
More than 30 people have been rescued, and one remains missing, after a cargo ship struck an oil tanker in the North Sea on Monday. As one ship continues to…
This Is WhyHow will Canada’s new PM take on Donald Trump?
He's guided Canada through financial crisis and the UK through Brexit, but has no government experience. So how will Canada's new prime minister, Mark Carney…
This Is WhyIs Rachel Reeves giving clues about what's in the Spring Statement?
Sky News political editor Beth Rigby has been to 11 Downing Street to talk to the Chancellor for Electoral Dysfunction. Rachel Reeves reflects on her first few…
This Is WhyIt's a critical time for the MoD - so who is Defence Secretary John Healey?
After just eight months in his role, Defence Secretary John Healey is dealing with one of the most challenging in-trays in the cabinet. He is meeting US…
This Is WhyAre there signs that China is preparing for war?
"If war is what the US wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we're ready to fight till the end," wrote a statement by China's…
This Is WhyWill we ever love Meghan?
The Duchess of Sussex’s new lifestyle show, With Love, Meghan is out now. It is part of the deal, reportedly worth $100m, Meghan and Harry signed with Netflix…
This Is WhyCan Europe save Ukraine? Michael Clarke explains how
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is back in Kyiv after three frantic days, during which he was ordered to leave the White House after a tense…
This Is WhyUnreliable Witness: Ellie Williams, and the other trial
At the height of lockdown, 19-year-old Ellie Williams claimed on social media she'd been abused and trafficked by an Asian grooming gang across the North of…
This Is WhyWhy are asylum claims at the highest level in over 20 years?
Government figures released today showed that the number of asylum applications was at a 20-year record high but, for the first time since 2020, more…
This Is WhyMore heat pumps, fewer kebabs. Is this the way to stop climate change?
Four in five cars should be electric and half of homes should have heat pumps within 15 years. That's according to the government's independent climate…
This Is WhyTrump wants Ukraine’s minerals: Ed Conway explains why
Donald Trump wants to do a deal with Ukraine which would see the United States get access to the country’s mineral wealth, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy…
This Is WhyMerz v Trump: Is this the start of a new Europe?
Germany is set to have a new chancellor, Friedrich Merz. From the conservative Christian Democrat party (CDU), Merz will now look to form a coalition…
This Is WhyTRUMP100: Farage on Trump; Bannon on Johnson
This time on the Sky News Daily, we're handing over to another Sky News podcast - Trump 100. Mark Stone, Martha Kelner and James Matthews are dropping episodes…
This Is WhyWhy is the far-right on the rise in Germany?
The far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD) is expected to have its best election results since it was formed 12 years ago. It's currently in second…
This Is WhyStarmer meets Trump - but how does he prepare?
Sophy Ridge guest hosts this episode with a look ahead to Keir Starmer's meeting with Donald Trump next week. He was already going to have a tightrope to walk…
This Is WhyWhat next after the US-Russia talks? (And why was it in Saudi?)
Russia's foreign minister and the US secretary of state have met in Saudi Arabia for the first time since the war in Ukraine began three years ago, to discuss…
This Is WhyCan we rely on Trump for our security?
As the US and Russia negotiate an end to what President Donald Trump calls a “ridiculous war” in Ukraine, Europe faces a critical question. Can it still depend…
This Is WhyUkraine: Trump wants peace - but what would it look like?
Donald Trump promised throughout his election campaign that he would end the war in Ukraine, now following a 90-minute phone call with Russian President…
This Is WhyWhat is health anxiety and is it clogging up the NHS?
Latest figures show 73% of patients in England were seen within four hours in A&E last month - up from 71.1% in December - but still well below the NHS target…
This Is WhyWhat do hidden documents tell us about Syria's missing people?
Two months on from the fall of the Assad regime, Syria is still uncovering the depths of the horrors inflicted on its own citizens during his rule. On the Sky…
This Is WhyThatcher’s Britain? The legacy of the most influential post-war prime minister
It is 50 years ago this week that Margaret Thatcher became leader of the Conservative Party and it’s a testament to her legacy that she’s being invoked by both…
This Is WhySweet FA: Does Plymouth prove there is life in the cup yet?
Arguably one of the best football sides in the world were knocked out of the FA Cup over the weekend by struggling Championship side Plymouth Argyle. On the…
This Is WhyWill Trump make space great again?
The US is back in the race to the moon but this time, the competition is China. Determined not to lose, President Donald Trump is pushing for America to return…
This Is WhyWhy are South African HIV clinics closing because of Trump?
Elon Musk and the Trump administration have agreed to shut down USAID, the world's largest single donor to international aid programs, with thousands of staff…
This Is WhyWhat does the Middle East make of Trump's Gaza 'Riviera' plan?
Donald Trump has proposed the US should take over Gaza and that the two million Palestinians living there should be resettled elsewhere. The US president…
This Is WhyHow do you know you've chosen a good care home?
A Sky News investigation has discovered elderly people in care homes across the country are being left unwashed in soiled sheets, unable to reach food and…
This Is WhyHow does Starmer keep Trump’s US and the EU sweet?
After having introduced trade tariffs on Canada and Mexico over the weekend, President Donald Trump is now threatening import taxes on EU goods. He has…
This Is WhyTrump: Making Tariffs Interesting Again, with Ed Conway
“Tariffs is the most beautiful word to me in the dictionary,” said Donald Trump during his second inauguration as US president, alongside God, religion, and…
This Is WhyWashington plane crash: What we know so far
American Airlines flight 5342 was preparing to land on runway 33 at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport last night when it collided with a military…
This Is WhyHeathrow Airport: The case for and against a third runway
Rachel Reeves has backed a third runway at Heathrow as a key part of her economic growth strategy, saying the expansion of Europe’s busiest airport was “badly…
This Is WhyExclusive: Iran's warning to US and Israel
Sky News' international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn joins to Niall following his exclusive interview with Iran's foreign minister in Tehran. Abbas Araghchi…
This Is WhyAuschwitz remembered: Why we should never forget
The 80th anniversary of the liberation of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz is marked on 27 January. It’s a day for remembering…
This Is WhyTrump 100: What is Trump really trying to say?
Trump 100 is Sky News' latest podcast covering President Donald Trump's first 100 days in office. Daily host Niall Paterson drops in on day six, where US…
This Is WhyHow do survivors of violent attacks try to move on?
Today, Axel Rudakubana was sentenced to a minimum term of 52 years for the murder of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe…
This Is WhyThe Prince and the Papers: Harry reaches settlement
Prince Harry has his apology from the owner of The Sun. The Duke of Sussex has settled with News Group Newspapers (NGN) following a long legal battle over…
This Is WhySouthport murders: What did the authorities know and when?
Sir Keir Starmer says terrorism has changed and we face a new threat as he announces the details of an inquiry into the state failings that left Axel…
This Is WhyWhat Trump’s America could look like
As Donald Trump is sworn in for a second term as US president, the Sky News Daily takes a look at how he could shape America - and the rest of the world - over…
This Is WhyBye-Bye Biden
After more than 50 years in politics Joe Biden's career is coming to an end, as Donald Trump enters the Oval Office on Monday. On this episode, Niall Paterson…
This Is WhyGaza ceasefire: How fragile is the deal?
A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is due to come into force on Sunday. It will see hostages set free, a phased withdrawal of IDF forces from parts of…
This Is WhyWill a small drop in inflation make a difference?
Chancellor Rachel Reeves can probably breathe a small sigh of relief, as contrary to expectations, inflation has dropped. The rate came in at 2.5% for…
This Is WhyWhat is Trump's plan for the tech bros?
Days before Donald Trump’s inauguration Mark Zuckerberg has announced META is scrapping third-party fact-checking which he says will 'curtail censorship'. But…
This Is WhyHas Rachel Reeves crashed the economy?
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is not having the easiest time reining in the economy. Last week saw markets turn against Labour's economic strategy - with the cost…
This Is WhyCan taking hard drugs in an NHS room save lives?
The UK's first safer drug consumption room will open in Glasgow's East End on Monday. It will allow users to take illegal substances under medical supervision…
This Is WhyAre weight loss drugs making only the wealthy healthy?
Weight loss injections like Wegovy and Mounjaro are being taken by so many people in the UK that obesity statistics could fall for the first time ever. More…
This Is WhyThe forgotten voice: have child abuse survivors been ignored?
A torrent of posts from X owner Elon Musk has thrown an unexpected spotlight on the issue of historical grooming gangs in the last week. In the early 2010s…
This Is WhyWhy Elon Musk is trolling world leaders
Elon Musk, the world's richest man, South African-born American resident and owner of X (formerly Twitter), is already within the fold of US politics and…