This Is Why

Sky News

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

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1,002 episodes
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Episodes1002

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Jul 9, 2023 · 21 min
Mortgages are going up, why aren’t savings?
Heads of the UK’s biggest banks have been summoned by the UK's financial watchdog over concerns interest rates on savings are too low. Higher Bank of England interest rates have led banks to put up mortgage costs , but savings rates are not rising as fast – a situation the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt has said ‘needs resolving’. On the Sky News Daily, Sally Lockwood is joined by Sky’s business correspondent Paul Kelso, and Danni Hewson, Head of Financial Analysis at AJ Bell to find out what the rate disparity means for you, and if anything is likely to change any time soon. Podcast producer: Rosie Gillott Interviews producer: Alex Edden Editor: Paul Stanworth
Jul 6, 2023 · 19 min
Zuckerberg v Musk: Will Threads 'kill' Twitter?
Meta launched its new microblogging app Threads on Thursday, with boss Mark Zuckerberg reporting 10 million sign ups in the first seven hours. But can the tech company, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp, capitalise on recent changes at Twitter by owner Elon Musk which have alienated many of its users and advertisers? Not content with a battle on socials, Meta's multi-billionaire owner also seemingly agreed to a cage fight challenge from his rival – though no date has yet been set for that. On the Sky News Daily, Sally Lockwood takes a closer look at how Threads measures up against Twitter with tech commentator and journalist Chris Stokel-Walker. Plus, Sally discusses the rivalry between Zuckerberg and Musk with Ben Little, associate professor of cultural politics at the University of East Anglia, who co-authored the book 'New Patriarchs of Digital Capitalism: Celebrity Tech Founders and Networks of Power'. Annie Joyce – senior podcast producer Alex Edden – interviews producer David Chipakupaku – podcast promotion producer Paul Stanworth - editor
Jul 5, 2023 · 24 min
Could AI make this podcast?
As artificial intelligence becomes more and more advanced, fears are growing about companies replacing human staff with computers. Businesses from energy providers to car makers are already using AI, but are there some jobs it can’t do? Sky’s science and technology editor, Tom Clarke, has tested if AI could do his job by creating an AI news reporter. On the Sky News Daily, Sally Lockwood is joined by Tom and YouTuber and coder Kris Fagerlie to find out how they built the AI reporter. Plus, she speaks to Carl Benedikt Frey, associate professor of AI & Work at Oxford’s Internet Institute, about how advancements in AI technology could change the types of tasks we do at work. Podcast producer: Rosie Gillott Interviews producer: Alex Edden Editor: Paul Stanworth
Jul 4, 2023 · 26 min
NHS at 75: What’s the story for maternity services?
On 5 July 1948, the NHS was born, promising post-War Britons health support from cradle to grave, free at the point of delivery. Seventy-five years later, and the service is constantly under pressure, and questions are being asked about how sustainable its future is. In this episode of the Sky News Daily, Sally Lockwood spends time with staff, patients, and newborns on the maternity unit at Whittington Hospital, in North London. She examines how services have evolved over the last 75 years for the Service, the pressures on staff as they try to cope after lockdown - and the future for one of Britian's most cherished creations. Producer: Emma Woodhouse Interviews producer: Alex Edden Editor: Paul Stanworth Promotions producer: David Chipakupaku
Jul 3, 2023 · 16 min
Why has a teenager’s death triggered riots in France?
A week after police shot dead a 17-year-old boy of Algerian descent, named as Nahel Merzouk, as he drove away from a traffic stop, riots continue across France. The officer who shot Nahel has been charged with voluntary homicide and his lawyer says he is "devastated". The teen's death has revived grievances about policing and racial profiling in France's suburbs. Some 3,000 people have been arrested so far and the mayor of Paris suburb L'Hay-les-Roses, Vincent Jeanbrun’s home was ram-raided by a burning car as his family slept over the weekend. On the Sky News Daily, host Sally Lockwood hears from our Europe correspondent Adam Parsons in Paris who has been covering this story since the riots kicked off. And Jean Beaman, who has studied and written about state violence in France, explains the deeper-rooted racism still present across society. Producer: Soila Apparicio Interviews producer: Alex Edden Promotions producer: David Chipakupaku
Jul 2, 2023 · 14 min
Narendra Modi: Why India's leader is being courted by the West
Narendra Modi has been doing the rounds on the international stage – most recently meeting US president Joe Biden in Washington, where he received a 21-gun salute during his visit. India's prime minister is also currently negotiating a free trade deal with the UK, after securing one with Australia last year. But India's prime minister has been criticised at home for censorship, concerns about the country's human rights record and embracing far right nationalism. So, why is the West courting Narendra Modi? On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson takes a deep dive to explore the man himself, his power and his country as he is joined by our India reporter Neville Lazarus and professor Kate Sullivan de Estrada, who is director of the contemporary South Asian studies programme at the University of Oxford. Annie Joyce – senior podcast producer Sydney Pead - podcast producer Simon Windsor - archive researcher Danielle Weekes-Chilufya – editor
Jun 29, 2023 · 19 min
Sex, Lies and Police spies: The Met’s undercover police scandal
The first report from a seven-year inquiry into undercover policing in England and Wales has been published, finding that undercover policing deployments were unjustified and would have been "brought to a rapid end" if the public had known what was going on. First commissioned in 2015 by then Home Secretary Theresa May, the investigation is aiming to discover the truth about undercover policing over the past 50 years and provide recommendations for the future. On the Sky News Daily with Niall Paterson, our Home Editor Jason Farrell explains the history of ‘spycops’ that led to the inquiry, and Kate Wilson, an environmental activist who was deceived into a two-year intimate relationship by an undercover police officer in 2003, talks about her experience. Producer: Soila Apparicio Interviews producer: Alex Edden Editor: Danielle Weekes-Chilufya
Jun 28, 2023 · 19 min
Sewage, leaks and hosepipe bans: Should our water companies be nationalised?
The revelation that ministers are considering bringing Thames Water into temporary public ownership has reopened the fierce debate over the privatisation of the country's water industry. It comes after the sudden resignation of Thames Water’s chief executive and Sky’s exclusive report into government contingency plans for the firm’s potential collapse. On Sky News Daily, host Niall Paterson speaks to business correspondent Paul Kelso about how Britain’s biggest water company came to be on the brink of collapse and the chairman and founder of River Action, Charles Watson, about whether decades of problems with sewage, leaks and supply could lead to the renationalisation of water firms. Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse Interviews producer: Alex Edden Editor: Danielle Weekes-Chilufya
Jun 27, 2023 · 17 min
COVID Inquiry: Why were we not prepared for a pandemic?
The COVID inquiry has started, with the first part looking into how resilient and prepared the country was for a pandemic. Former Conservative prime minister David Cameron, ex-chancellor George Osbourne, health secretary during COVID Matt Hancock and the UK government's chief medical adviser Chris Whitty have given evidence so far. On this Sky News Daily, host Niall Paterson is joined by our health correspondent Ashish Joshi to summarise what's been said so far, and Dr Chaand Nagpaul, former chair of the BMA UK Council from 2017-22 - who represented the medical profession during the pandemic - explores how prepared, or ill-prepared, the UK was for COVID. Producer: Soila Apparicio Assistant producer: Amy Lakin Editor: Danielle Weekes-Chilufya
Jun 26, 2023 · 20 min
Wagner mutiny: What’s next for the war and Putin’s Russia?
President Putin's hold on power in Russia has been shaken following a brief mutiny over the weekend led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the boss of the private military group Wagner. An apparent deal between Putin and Prigozhin has the Wagner leader now exiled to Belarus. Joining host Niall Paterson on the Sky News Daily, our correspondent Diana Magnay, in Moscow, describes the feeling within the country on how close Prigozhin's army came. Plus, international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn, in Ukraine, analyses the impact of the mutiny on the war. Producers: Emma Rae Woodhouse and Soila Apparicio Editor: Dave Terris
Jun 25, 2023 · 21 min
Roe v Wade one year on
Saturday 24 June marks a year since the US Supreme Court overturned the Roe v Wade ruling, ending a federal right to abortion access. In 14 states, most abortions are now banned, with no exception for rape or incest in nearly all those states. The overturning was highly controversial with more than 100 global health organisations including the British Medical Association describing it as a "catastrophic blow to the lives of millions of women, girls and pregnant people". On the Sky News Daily, host Niall Paterson is joined by our US correspondent Marth Kelner to explore the impact of Roe v Wade's overturning in Tennessee, and the important role it plays in the abortion debate. Podcast Producers: Sydney Pead, Rosie Gillott and Sarah Gough Assistant Producer: Amy Lakin Editor: Adam Jay
Jun 22, 2023 · 15 min
The tragedy of the Titan submersible and the dangers of diving down to the Titanic
Search and rescue efforts to locate a missing submersible with five passengers inside has become a recovery mission after the US Coast Guard determined there was “a catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber” following finding debris in the search area in the North Atlantic ocean. The deep-sea vessel, called Titan, lost contact with the surface on its way down to view the Titanic shipwreck, a voyage that has become increasingly popular among wealthy tourists. But more than five years ago, industry bodies raised concerns about the safety of the vessel with the company that designed it, warning its "experimental approach" to the expedition could have "catastrophic" outcomes. Today on the Sky News Daily, international correspondent John Sparks reports from the centre of the recovery operation effort in Newfoundland, and Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry offers an insight into the largely unregulated industry of underwater submersive vehicles. Podcast producers: Soila Apparacio and Sydney Pead Editor: Adam Jay
Jun 21, 2023 · 20 min
Windrush: Sir Trevor Phillips assesses the impact 75 years on
On 22 June 1948, HMT Empire Windrush arrived in the UK. The ship carried 1,027 passengers and two stowaways on a voyage from Jamaica to London. Of these, more than 800 passengers gave their last country of residence as somewhere in the Caribbean. On arrival in the UK, however, people were often met with racism, a lack of acknowledgement of their professional skills and very different living conditions. The Windrush's arrival has become symbolic of the generation of Commonwealth citizens who came to live in Britain between 1948 and 1973. Some 75 years on, broadcaster Sir Trevor Phillips sits down with Sky News Daily host Niall Paterson to explore the impact and influence of the Windrush generation on British life and culture. You can watch Windrush and Us with Trevor Phillips on Sky News's YouTube channel. Podcast producer: Soila Apparicio Podcast promotions producer: David Chipakupaku Editor: Adam Jay
Jun 20, 2023 · 20 min
The far-right is on the rise in Germany, but could it go mainstream across Europe?
Right-wing extremism is the greatest danger to democracy in Germany, according to the country’s domestic intelligence agency. The Alternative for Germany Party, Germany’s main far-right party, now attracts a third of voters in the east of the country and the nation is home to over 38,000 registered right-wing extremists. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by Siobhan Robbins, Sky’s Europe Correspondent who has spoken to members as well as victims of the far-right in Germany. We also hear from Julia Ebner, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and author of Going Mainstream, on how far-right ideas seep into mainstream politics. Podcast producer: Rosie Gillott Assisitant podcast producer: Amy Lakin Interviews producer: Alex Edden Promotions producer: David Chipakupaku Editor: Adam Jay
Jun 19, 2023 · 21 min
What will 6% mortgages do to the housing market?
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has ruled out help for homeowners after the average fixed two-year mortgage rate hit 6% for the first time this year. More than 400,000 people will see their existing fixed deals end between July and September, meaning they could face significant rises to their monthly bills. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson hears from one homeowner whose mortgage is about to go up by £600-800 a month and asks our business correspondent Gurpreet Narwan, why rates have risen again now. Plus, Gráinne Gilmore, from property consultancy Cluttons, explains why rising rates could mean more houses on the market than people wanting to buy them. Podcast producer: Emma-Rae Woodhouse Interviews producer: Alex Edden Editor: Adam Jay
Jun 18, 2023 · 19 min
Sky’s Diana Magnay on reporting from Putin’s Russia
In a speech made to a business forum in St Petersburg, President Vladimir Putin denied Russia is isolated from the rest of the world. But as foreign companies withdraw and many Russian journalists flee the country, it's getting harder to find out what’s going on inside one of the world's most powerful nations. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by Sky’s Moscow correspondent, Diana Magnay, to discuss how Russia has changed in the decade since she first began reporting there, and what it’s like to work as a journalist inside an increasingly isolated authoritarian state. Podcast producer: Rosie Gillott Editor: Paul Stanworth
Jun 15, 2023 · 19 min
The ‘ghost children’ problem: why so many are still missing school
Since the pandemic, hundreds of thousands of children in England haven't returned to school. They’re known as “ghost children,” and in the first term of this year, more than 125,000 children were out of school more than in school, a figure that’s doubled since the pandemic. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by Nick Martin, Sky’s People and Politics Correspondent who has been investigating what is stopping students from returning to class, and Conservative MP Flick Drummond to discuss how to stop children from falling through the cracks. Producers: Sydney Pead and Soila Apparicio Editor: Paul Stanworth
Jun 15, 2023 · 15 min
Boris Johnson report: Brutal, damning, but can he really say ‘vindictive’?
Boris Johnson lied to parliament over Partygate allegations, according to a report from MPs. The House of Commons Privileges Committee recommended a 90-day suspension, but as the former prime minister has already resigned as an MP, the Commons could now vote for his right to enter the Parliamentary estate to be revoked. Mr Johnson has called the findings “a lie” and described the report as a "political assassination". On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby to discuss the report and look at what’s next for the former Prime Minister. Podcast producer: Rosie Gillott Editor: Paul Stanworth
Jun 14, 2023 · 17 min
The challenges of getting to a net zero world
Sand, salt, iron, copper, oil and lithium - six materials we couldn't do without. But is it possible to fulfil our sustainability goals in building renewables and batteries without their exploitation? Our economics and data editor Ed Conway sits down with Daily podcast host Niall Paterson to talk about his latest book, Material World: A Substantial Story of Our Past and Future, and discuss the reality of the move to net zero on our resources, the impact of geopolitical tensions in China, and where the UK stands as a post-industrial economy. Producer: Soila Apparicio Digital Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse Editor: Paul Stanworth
Jun 13, 2023 · 17 min
Toxic workplace culture and what to do about it
After a string of high-profile accusations about toxic cultures in workplaces, the Sky News Daily hears from a Harvard professor credited with turning around problems at Uber. Frances Frei, the senior vice-president of leadership and strategy at the company, explains how she made siginifcant changes in a matter of months to address an environment rife with claims of sexism. Host Kimberley Leonard also asks legal trainer Neha Lugg about why bad behaviour in the workplace is coming under a new level of scrutiny. Podcast producer: Sydney Pead Interviews producer: Alex Edden Editor: Philly Beaumont