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PODCAST

The Briefing Room

David Aaronovitch and a panel of experts and insiders present in-depth explainers on big issues in the news

news news commentary

All Episodes

28:32

The UK’s financial headache

The Briefing Room ·

2023/09/21

David Aaronovitch and guests discuss how Conservative and Labour preparations for the next election will be dictated by the state of the UK's public finances. Guests: Paul Johnson, Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies Mehreen Khan, economics editor of The Times Torsten Bell, chief executive of the Resolution FoundationProduction: Ben Carter, Claire Bowes and Kirsteen Knight Production co-ordinator: Sophie Hill and Jacqui Johnson Sound: Rod Farquhar Editor: Richard Vadon

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40:18

Who do we think we are now?

The Briefing Room ·

2023/09/14

Two years ago we looked at Britain’s political geography and the role of identity and party loyalty. In this special programme in front of a live audience, David Aaronovitch and guests discuss what’s changed since then.David talks to:Paula Surridge, political sociologist from the University of Bristol Rosie Campbell, Professor of Politics at King's College, London Rob Ford, Professor of Political Science at the University of ManchesterProducers: Claire Bowes, Kirsteen Knight and Ben Carter Editor:

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28:30

No concrete plans?

The Briefing Room ·

2023/09/07

Some school buildings in England have been forced to close or do urgent repairs because they’re built with a potentially crumbling material, reinforced autoclave aerated concrete, known as RAAC. Lightweight and cheap, RAAC was widely used during the post-war building boom of the 1950s, 60s and 70s. But it has a limited shelf-life, which experts have been aware of for the last 30 years. And poor maintenance of buildings has added to the risks of sudden and catastrophic collapse.But are schools just

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28:35

What's the problem with Airbnb?

The Briefing Room ·

2023/08/31

The number of holiday lets in England rose by 40% between 2018 and 2021. There's been a similar boom across the UK and governments are at varying stages of legislation to regulate the industry and curb the problems associated with these kinds of rentals. Launching England's consultation earlier this year the Secretary of State for Leveling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, said too many people were being "pushed out of cherished towns, cities and villages". Meanwhile a second

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29:00

How much trouble is Donald Trump in?

The Briefing Room ·

2023/08/24

Former US President Donald Trump now faces multiple criminal and civil cases. Which are the most serious, what do they mean for his presidential campaign and could the US constitution prevent him from taking office if he wins the 2024 election?David Aaronovitch speaks to:Sarah Smith, BBC North America Editor Renato Mariotti, Legal Affairs Columnist for POLITICO Magazine, former federal prosecutor and co-host of the “It’s Complicated” podcast Kermit Roosevelt III, professor of constitutional law at

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28:58

The UK and the European Convention on Human Rights

The Briefing Room ·

2023/08/17

What is the European Convention on Human Rights, how does it impact what the UK government can do and what would the ramifications be if the UK left it?Joining David Aaronovitch in The Briefing Room:Dr. Ed Bates, Associate Professor, University of Leicester School of Law. Author of The Evolution of the European Convention on Human Rights. Robert Spano, Partner at Gibson Dunn, Former President of the European Court of Human Rights. Dr Joelle Grogan, Head of Research, UK in a Changing Europe. Tom

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28:42

What’s behind the Niger coup?

The Briefing Room ·

2023/08/10

Military unrest in Niger isn't an uncommon phenomenon. There have been five coups in the last 50 years. But what's behind the latest one and is a peaceful resolution possible?David Aaronovitch talks to:Paul Melly, Consulting Fellow at Chatham House Africa Programme Gare Amadou, journalist and manager of the newspaper Le Canard Dechaine in Niger Nabila Ramdani, French Algerian journalist Olayinka Ajala, senior lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Leeds Beckett UniversityProduced by:

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28:48

Is it Saudi's century?

The Briefing Room ·

2023/08/03

With vast financial resources and a new found desire to engage in regional and global diplomacy, Saudi Arabia has got the world's attention. But just how powerful can it become?David Aaronovitch talks to:Frank Gardner, BBC Security Correspondent Quinn Slobodian, Professor of History at Wellesley College and author of Crack-Up Capitalism Simon Chadwick, Professor of sport and geopolitical economy at Skema Business School in Paris Cinzia Bianco, visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign

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28:22

Can we meet the net zero challenge?

The Briefing Room ·

2023/07/27

As wildfires tear across southern Europe the need for urgent action on climate change becomes ever clearer. Reducing carbon emissions is a global challenge but can we meet it?David Aaronovitch talks to:Attracta Mooney, climate correspondent at the Financial Times Jemma Conner, Research Manager at YouGov Dr Shaun Fitzgerald, Director of Research for Cambridge Zero and Director of the Centre for Cambridge Climate Repair Frederic Hans, climate policy analyst at the NewClimate InstituteProduced by:

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28:39

The China Threat

The Briefing Room ·

2023/07/20

The government needs to radically change its approach to Chinese ambitions in the UK according to a report by Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee. The report says Chinese investment in the UK has gone unchecked. It warns that allowing China to develop significant stakes in industry and infrastructure was short-sighted and, unless swift action is taken, “China will have a pliable vehicle through which it can export its values”. So just how much interest and influence does China have in

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28:34

What can schools do about record absences?

The Briefing Room ·

2023/07/13

The pandemic disrupted schooling everywhere. But since then record numbers of children have not returned to regular schooling. Data from the Department for Education show that persistent absence - missing roughly seven days a term - is now at a record high. So is this a blip affecting a Covid cohort or a worrying trend toward a breakdown in the social contract between society and school?David Aaronovitch talks to:Branwen Jeffreys, BBC’s Education Editor Katie Beynon, Statistician at FFT Education

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29:02

What happened to the Israel/Palestine peace process?

The Briefing Room ·

2023/07/06

It's 30 years since the signing of the Oslo Accords. That agreement spurred optimism that peace could be forged between Israel and Palestine. It didn't happen. Will it ever?David Aaronovitch talks to:Yolande Knell, BBC’s Middle East Correspondent Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent for The Economist Khalil Shikaki, Director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research David Makovsky, Ziegler Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute and director of the Koret Project on

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28:47

Why is Britain getting inflation so wrong?

The Briefing Room ·

2023/06/29

Despite the Prime Minister's pledge to halve inflation by the end of the year it's the Bank of England's job to deliver on that. Why is it struggling and what happens if it fails?Britain's facing an inflation crisis. Core inflation - which measures underlying inflation and disregards food and energy costs - is at its highest since 1992. Earlier this year most economists thought this situation could be avoided - so what's gone wrong? David Aaronovitch and guests discuss what the rest of the world is

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28:45

Ukraine: the long game

The Briefing Room ·

2023/06/22

Ukraine's spring offensive has begun. But what can it realistically achieve? What can be done to prevent this becoming a 'forever war'? And in the meantime, how has this regional conflict impacted on global politics. Are we seeing a changed international order, with the rise of China and a new role for Africa and the Global South? David Aaronovitch and guests discuss the long game for Ukraine and its western allies.Guests:Michael Clarke, Professor of Defence studies and Specialist Advisor to the

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28:51

The Online Safety Bill

The Briefing Room ·

2023/05/11

The Online Safety Bill is a new set of internet laws to protect children and adults. It will place more responsibility on the technology giants to monitor content. Will it succeed? David Aaronovitch talks to:Joshua Rozenberg, legal commentator and presenter of Radio 4’s Law In Action programmeLorna Woods, Professor of Internet Law at the University of EssexVictoria Nash is the Director, an Associate Professor, and Senior Policy Fellow at the Oxford Internet InstituteGina Neff is the Executive

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28:22

Ukraine: Is it all about to change?

The Briefing Room ·

2023/05/04

Recent movements by Ukraine and Russia's military forces suggest that the long awaited spring offensive could start any day. David Aaronovitch and guests discuss the implications. Guests: Michael Clarke, Professor of Defence studies and Specialist Advisor to the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy Vitaly Shevchenko, Russia editor at BBC Monitoring Tomila Lankina, Professor of politics and international relations at LSE Dr Leslie Vinjamuri, Director of the US and the Americas programme

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28:57

Sudan conflict: what led to this?

The Briefing Room ·

2023/04/27

David Aaronovitch and guests discuss the latest events in Sudan. Fighting has been commonplace ever since Sudan gained independence but what's behind the latest violence?Guests:James Copnall - currently presenting Newsday on the BBC World Service and formerly the BBC's Sudan correspondentMohanad Hashim - Sudanese journalist working on Newshour on the BBC World ServiceDame Rosalind Marsden, associate fellow at the Chatham House International Affairs and former UK ambassador to SudanProfessor Alex De

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29:48

Does Rishi Sunak's maths calculation add up?

The Briefing Room ·

2023/04/20

Rishi Sunak says the UK has an 'anti maths mindset' and that low levels of numeracy are damaging the economy. Will studying maths until the age of 18 solve the problem?David Aaronovitch talks to:Branwen Jeffreys, the BBC's Education Editor Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills Paul Johnson, Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies Emma Lark, Associate Dean Ambition Institute leading the Master's in Expert Teaching Rob Eastaway, author and director of Maths

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29:38

The AI Revolution

The Briefing Room ·

2023/04/13

Artificial intelligence is going to change all our lives. There are seemingly limitless opportunities. But as computers get ever more powerful how much cautious do we need to be?David Aaronovitch talks to:Professor Michael Wooldridge, Director of Foundational AI at The Alan Turing Institute Nina Schick, author, entrepreneur and advisor specialising in Generative AI Dr Anders Sandberg, a Senior Research Fellow at The Future of Humanity InstituteProduced by: Kirsteen Knight, Isobel Gough and Ben

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29:38

Trump's Legal Woes

The Briefing Room ·

2023/04/06

David Aaronovitch and guests discuss Donald Trump's appearance in a New York court this week, his other looming legal cases and what all this means for him politically.Guests::Anthony Zurcher, BBC North America correspondent Renato Mariotti, legal affairs columnist for POLITICO magazine, a former federal prosecutor and host of the It’s Complicated podcast Dr Leslie Vinjamuri, Director of the US and the Americas programme at Chatham House Dr Mitchell Robertson, associate lecturer in US History at

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373 results

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