Shows / The Briefing Room
The Briefing Room
David Aaronovitch and a panel of experts and insiders present in-depth explainers on big issues in the news
Episodes
- The Briefing Room
Universal Credit: What's gone wrong and can it be fixed?
Work and Pensions Secretary, Amber Rudd, this week announced that the next stage of the Universal Credit roll-out is to be scaled back amid concerns about the…
- The Briefing Room
Climate Change: is time running out?
In October, the IPCC, the UN body that reports on climate change, issued a stark warning. It said that if the world wanted to avoid catastrophic environmental…
- The Briefing Room
Brexit: Where Next?
Theresa May has been back in Brussels to attend a meeting of EU leaders, a day after surviving a leadership challenge at home. Her mission: to try to extract…
- The Briefing Room
Les Gilets Jaunes
In France a wave of protests has brought the country to a standstill in recent weeks. The original cause of the anger - the government's plan to raise the rate…
- The Briefing Room
Deal or no deal?
Theresa May is urging her MPs to accept the deal she has struck with Brussels on the UK's withdrawal from the EU. The trouble is that few in Westminster…
- The Briefing Room
A new political direction for Brazil?
Is Brazil embracing a more conservative political future? In the wake of economic crisis, corruption scandals and rising levels of violent crime, Brazilians…
- The Briefing Room
How bad is the air we breathe?
Air pollution is creating big problems. Scientists say it is a leading cause of climate change, which will be the subject of a major report to be released next…
- The Briefing Room
Nationalisation - how would it work?
At its annual conference in Liverpool this week, the Labour party set out plans to nationalise a large range of industries that previous governments had sold…
- The Briefing Room
Another Brexit Referendum?
How could a new referendum on Britain's relationship with Europe work? As pressure mounts on Theresa May to seal an agreement on Brexit, there are growing…
- The Briefing Room
Can a new political party win?
The Tories are split, Labour is split and some people think it just can’t go on. Once more there is serious talk about the formation of a new political party…
- The Briefing Room
What's at stake in the US midterm elections?
November's midterm elections in the US are the first chance for voters across the country to pass judgement on President Trump's administration since the 2016…
- The Briefing Room
Britain's Housing Crisis
The prime minister, Theresa May bemoaned the state of the housing sector in a speech earlier this year. She said the national housing crisis was one of the…
- The Briefing Room
Is Greece out of the woods?
Greece exited its bailout programme last week. It's the culmination of nine years of reliance on huge loans from international finance bodies and stringent…
- The Briefing Room
Is Turkey imploding?
This week Turkey's currency plummeted to its lowest level ever against the US dollar. The lira's steady descent this year was accelerated by the imposition of…
- The Briefing Room
Is the Student Finance System Working?
This month exam results are published, and millions of young people will be hoping that they will do well enough to get into their chosen university. But…
- The Briefing Room
Chaos on the railways
In May, what was billed as the biggest ever overhaul of train timetables led to widespread rail disruption - why has this new timetable caused such rail chaos…
- The Briefing Room
Imran Khan and Pakistan: what's going to change?
Imran Khan has claimed victory in Pakistan's election - but what will he be able to change? Khan is better known internationally for his exploits on the…
- The Briefing Room
What does the UK want from the EU?
Dominic Raab, the recently appointed Brexit Secretary has been in Brussels this week - his first visit since replacing David Davis, who resigned after the…
- The Briefing Room
Trump vs NATO
Should NATO plan for a future without the United States? President Trump has long complained that some European members of the organisation have been getting a…
- The Briefing Room
Brexit decision time
What will Britain's relationship with the EU look like after Brexit? On Friday the cabinet meets in Chequers and the Prime Minister needs to unite her…
- The Briefing Room
Why are the British Armed Forces short of personnel?
How well equipped is Britain today to defend itself both at home and overseas? Britain's armed forces are struggling to maintain numbers. According to the…
- The Briefing Room
Could Italy bring down the European Union?
Does the new Italian government really pose a danger for the Eurozone and the European Union? There has been much to-ing and fro-ing in Rome this week as the…
- The Briefing Room
Macron: One Year On
One year into his presidency, can Emmanuel Macron succeed in reforming France where his predecessors have failed? The Briefing Room visits Paris to find out…
- The Briefing Room
Is the Home Office a problem department?
Why do we get through so many Home Secretaries? It may be one of the great offices of state, but many British politicians regard the job of Home Secretary with…
- The Briefing Room
What is the problem with plastic?
Some 8 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans every year, where it can be lethal to marine life. Governments and businesses have vowed to take action to…
- The Briefing Room
A new Cold War?
After the missile strikes by the US, France and Britain on Syria, Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, condemned the attacks and warned that any more would…
- The Briefing Room
Violent Crime
London's murder rate overtook that of New York in February and March this year, and the violent crime rate seems to be rising in other parts of the UK too…
- The Briefing Room
Can you win a trade war?
According to US President Donald Trump "trade wars aren't so bad". Recently his government surprised the world by announcing unexpected big increases in import…
- The Briefing Room
The EU after Brexit – A special programme together with The Bottom Line
Radio 4’s Bottom Line and Briefing Room will combine in a special hour-long programme examining the economic and political future of the EU once Britain has…
- The Briefing Room
The Mueller Indictment
Robert Mueller, the Special Counsel appointed to investigate possible Russian links to the Trump campaign in 2016, last week issued formal charges against…
- The Briefing Room
Is ISIS still a threat?
The capture of two Londoners accused of brutal crimes in Syria has again raised questions about the viability of so-called Islamic State. The two men - El…
- The Briefing Room
Is Your Local Council Going Bust?
Child services in Northampton are under pressure - and it's partly due to where long-distance lorry drivers choose to take a pee. In fact, Northampton County…
- The Briefing Room
Britain, China and the new Silk Road
Theresa May has been in Beijing this week at the head of a large British trade delegation. China is an important partner for Britain, especially given the UK's…
- The Briefing Room
Syria: who wants what from the conflict?
As Turkey launches a new offensive over the border into north-east Syria, David Aaronovitch and guests examine what Turkey, Russia, Iran and the US want from…
- The Briefing Room
John Worboys: Understanding the Parole Board
How does the Parole Board decide whether to release offenders on licence? Should it be more open, especially since the decision to release serial sex offender…
- The Briefing Room
Would you pay more for the NHS?
In its 70th year the NHS is in a winter crisis again. Many people working in the NHS argue successive governments have failed to address what is arguably the…
- The Briefing Room
Who are the protesters in Iran and what do they want?
Twenty people have been killed and hundreds arrested after a series of protests in Iran this week - but what's behind these demonstrations? Iran is a…
- The Briefing Room
Correspondents Look Ahead
A group of senior BBC journalists forecast what is likely to happen in 2018 in a discussion chaired by Owen Bennett Jones. Last time they got together they…
- The Briefing Room
What Next for the Democrats?
A year on from their shock defeat in the US presidential elections, David Aaronovitch asks how the US Democratic party is responding to Donald Trump's…
- The Briefing Room
President Trump's End of Year Report
Has President Trump delivered on the promises he made on the campaign trail? This programme cuts through the White House soap opera which has dominated…
- The Briefing Room
What's Russia up to?
What do we really know about Russian 'meddling' in Western democracy? David Aaronovitch asks experts on Russia what the Kremlin is trying to achieve by hacking…
- The Briefing Room
May's Brexit Dilemma
The different factions piling Brexit pressure on Theresa May. Following the failure to reach a deal on the first stage of Brexit earlier this week, David…
- The Briefing Room
Saudi Arabia's Radical Crown Prince
Can Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince radically change the kingdom? Mohammed bin Salman is an ambitious new leader who wants to reshape his country's politics…
- The Briefing Room
A world without antibiotics?
Drug resistant infections cause 700,000 deaths a year and it's estimated that could rise to 10 million by 2050 unless major action is taken. David Aaronovitch…
- The Briefing Room
President Xi and the Chinese Dream
President Xi Jinping is said to be China's most powerful leader since Chairman Mao Zedong - so what does he want to do with this power? The Chinese Communist…
- The Briefing Room
Capitalism in Crisis
Is capitalism broken, and if so, what should replace it? David Aaronovitch examines whether the free market is failing, and asks how it could be reformed. He…
- The Briefing Room
Could Spain split?
Could the crisis over Catalonia lead to the break up of Spain? With political rhetoric from both Barcelona and Madrid intensifying, David Aaronovitch asks a…
- The Briefing Room
Is Big Tech Out of Control?
Are big technology companies out of control, as their rapid growth and influence has made them too big to fail? David Aaronovitch asks if companies such as…
- The Briefing Room
Why are Myanmar's Rohingya persecuted?
Myanmar's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, says she wants to know why 400,000 Muslim Rohingyas have fled into Bangladesh. The UN says what's going on seems…
- The Briefing Room
What are the consequences of lifting the public sector pay cap?
The public sector pay cap is being scrapped after five years - what will it mean for public finances? Prison and police officers will be the first to benefit…
- The Briefing Room
What does the EU want from Brexit?
As negotiations between the UK and the EU hit choppy waters, the Briefing Room asks what does the EU want from Brexit and what would be its bottom line? David…
- The Briefing Room
The North Korean Missile Threat
Do the United States and its allies really have the technology to stop incoming missiles from North Korea? In the week North Korea tested another ballistic…
- The Briefing Room
The AI Revolution
How will Artificial Intelligence shape our lives, and what should we do now to prepare for it? AI is all around us in our everyday lives. It's used to make…
- The Briefing Room
The Far Right in America
What do the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, tell us about the strength of the far-right in America? What should the government do to combat domestic…
- The Briefing Room
Is Venezuela on the brink of collapse?
How did the oil rich state of Venezuela see such a rapid economic decline? Poverty is rife, inflation is running at more than 700 per cent and protests are…
- The Briefing Room
A Great Day at the White House?
It's been a tumultuous week in Washington - but to what extent does the chaos in Trump's West Wing matter? Anthony 'The Mooch' Scaramucci was gone in 900,000…
- The Briefing Room
Why is there still a migrant crisis in Europe?
This year almost 100,000 people have arrived in Italy by boat - and more than 2,000 have died trying. The Italians say they can’t cope, but it's a problem…
- The Briefing Room
The Crisis in Conservatism
Are Tory divisions temporary or symptomatic of deeper problems? Parliament has broken up for the summer, and the last week has seen Conservative cabinet…
- The Briefing Room
Where does Labour stand on Brexit?
Labour will play a crucial role in shaping Britain's exit from the EU now the Conservative government has lost its overall majority. The vast majority of…
- The Briefing Room
The Cost of Abandoning Austerity
The chancellor is facing widespread calls for more spending. Should he listen, or stick to his deficit reduction plan? Senior Conservatives are calling for…