Today, Laura, Paddy and Henry speak about the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s plans to set up specialist rape and sexual offence investigation teams in every police force in England and Wales by 2029. We also discuss her ambitions as conversations about Keir Starmer’s future continue. And as it’s the last time Laura, Paddy and Henry get together in 2025, the team have a look forward to 2026 to predict what they think the biggest stories of next year might be. You can now listen to Newscast on a...
Dec 14, 2025•32 min
Today, the Prime Minister Keir Starmer has written in the Guardian Newspaper urging members of the British Medical Association to rethink planned strikes. Possible strikes coincide with flu-related illnesses and hospitalisations at a higher rate than usual for this time of year, which have led to worries that a strike would lead to problems for the NHS. Also, Laura has spoken to the new chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson. Since the Supreme Court...
Dec 13, 2025•27 min
Today, the Health Secretary Wes Streeting has given a very broad and far reaching interview to the New Statesman which some are seeing as an attack on Starmer’s leadership. Adam, Chris, Faisal and Alex discuss this, as well as the on going pressure on the PM. Plus, the team also pick out something we should be looking out for in 2026 in politics. You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. ...
Dec 12, 2025•30 min
Today, the number of people in hospital with the flu has risen by more than half this week. Doctors say an earlier start to the flu season plus an unexpected mutation in this years primary strain has led to a lower rate of immunity amongst the general public for this time of year. BBC health editor Hugh Pym and Doctor Jamie Lopez Bernal, consultant epidemiologist from the UK Health Security Agency breakdown the data. Plus, US forces have seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela in an esca...
Dec 11, 2025•40 min
Today, Sir Keir Starmer and Danish leader Mette Frederiksen published a joint article arguing for urgent modernisation of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which has an impact on how a country can tackle illegal migration. David Lammy is in Strasbourg with European counterparts, beginning negotiations to change how the continent’s main human rights treaty is interpreted by judges, following political pressure from right wing parties who are calling for a complete withdrawal from th...
Dec 10, 2025•32 min
Today, a report into almost £11 billion of Covid scheme fraud has found that most of it is beyond recovery. Covid Counter Fraud Commissioner, Tom Hayhoe said that a lack of accountability, bad quality data and poor contracting during the pandemic had led to £10.9 billion being lost to fraud or error. Simon Jack joins Adam to explain where the money’s gone and what, if anything, the government can do to recover it. Plus Baroness Amos, who is leading a review into maternity care in England, has sa...
Dec 09, 2025•32 min
Today, we discuss President Trump’s new vision for global security, one that is creating a lot of criticism in Europe. The 33-page document called the National Security Strategy suggests Europe is facing "civilisational erasure" and does not cast Russia as a threat to the US. Russia says the strategy is “largely consistent” with their vision. Security correspondent Frank Gardner and former UK ambassador to the US Lord Kim Darroch join Adam to discuss what this means for Europe. Plus, we discuss ...
Dec 08, 2025•39 min
Today, Laura and Paddy are joined by Joe Pike to look at government plans to offer young people on benefits taxpayer funded jobs in areas such as construction and hospitality. The goal is to tackle rising unemployment, with over 900,000 young people on Universal Credit looking for work. Plus, the team discuss Zarah Sultana’s interview with Laura on the bumpy establishment of Your Party as well as the latest defection from the tories to Reform. You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. I...
Dec 07, 2025•41 min
Today, Laura and Paddy are joined by TV critic and broadcaster Scott Bryan to discuss the future of the entertainment industry after Netflix agreed to buy the film and streaming businesses of Warner Bros Discovery for $72 billion. But with regulators and rivals still waiting in the wings, it might just be the start of the saga. And one of the biggest controversies in Eurovision history has been in the news. Four countries (Spain, Netherlands, Slovenia and Ireland) have pulled out over Israel's c...
Dec 06, 2025•30 min
The Prime Minister backed Rachel Reeves’ budget on Monday. On the same day, Keir Starmer, not once, not twice, but on three separate occasions spoke about Brexit. We discuss what’s actually going on… You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscord Get in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us ...
Dec 05, 2025•29 min
An inquiry into the death of Dawn Sturgess, the woman who died after she came into contact with poison intended for a former Russian agent, has reached the conclusion that President Putin was “morally responsible for her death”. Adam is joined by Marie Lennon the host of the BBC’s podcast Crime Next Door: The Salisbury Poisonings and news correspondent, Tom Symonds to explore what else the inquiry found out. Plus, Alex drops by to unpack why the government has postponed four mayoral elections th...
Dec 04, 2025•33 min
Today, NATO ministers have been meeting to discuss the US’s 28-point plan for peace between Russia and Ukraine after Russia rejected the plan and said it was “ready” for war with Europe. Adam is joined by Europe editor, Katya Adler and the Economist’s defence editor, Shashank Joshi to discuss what President Putin’s statement means for a divided NATO. Plus Faisal Islam, BBC Economics Editor, joins the conversation to discuss the UK’s possible involvement in a new European defence fund and the gov...
Dec 03, 2025•45 min
Today, David Lammy has confirmed plans to get rid of jury trials for crimes with sentences of less than three years. The reforms to the justice system include creating "swift courts" under the government's plan to tackle unprecedented delays in the court system. Serious offences including murder, robbery and rape will still go before a jury. Lammy has said the reforms were “bold” but “necessary”. Adam is joined by home and legal correspondent Dominic Casciani. And, amidst all the noise around la...
Dec 02, 2025•39 min
Today, the Prime Minister has defended Reeves saying she did not mislead the public. Pressure has been building over the chancellor this weekend after Reeves was accused of misleading the public and the cabinet, something she denied. She is accused of of not giving the upsides to forecasts in a speech on 4 November. Adam and Chris is joined by Dharshini David deputy economics editor. And, the UK and US have agreed a deal to keep tariffs on pharmaceutical shipments from the UK to America. Under t...
Dec 01, 2025•38 min
Today, the Chancellor Rachel Reeves responds to claims she lied about the state of the public finances in the run up to her Budget. Laura speaks to Paddy and chief political correspondent Henry Zeffman about her interview with Reeves, in which she also faced questions about whether her policies matched up with Labour’s manifesto promise, and ultimately, whether she could be trusted. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscord Get in touch with Newscast by emai...
Nov 30, 2025•32 min
Today, Laura and Paddy look at claims that Rachel Reeves misled the public after it emerged that she knew the outlook for the government’s finances had improved before giving a downcast pre-Budget speech. Downing Street has denied the allegations. Luke Sullivan, Keir Starmer's former political director, is also in the Newscast studio to give his assessment on those accusations, and how the budget has been received inside the Labour Party. You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you...
Nov 29, 2025•43 min
Today, are the changes to Send funding the big change from the budget that not enough people are talking about? Adam, Chris, Alex and Faisal discuss some of the big consequences of the news this week which may have been initially missed. What do the changes to Send funding mean for children across the country? Are Labour giving themselves the room to cancel some of the tax rises later in the parliament? And, what does the big drop in legal migration mean? You can now listen to Newscast on a smar...
Nov 28, 2025•29 min
Today, Adam is joined by Claer Barrett, Consumer Editor at the Financial Times and Helen Miller, Director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies to unpack how the budget will impact you. The Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended the government's tax-raising budget, saying it will help lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty - with the IFS saying households face a ‘truly dismal’ rise in their spending power. You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just ...
Nov 27, 2025•35 min
Today, Adam and Chris are joined by Ben Chu, Policy and analysis correspondent BBC Verify, and Dharshini David, Deputy Economics Editor, to discuss the budget. This afternoon, Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered a ‘smorgasbord’ of tax increases. Announcements also included a cap on pension salary sacrifices, and abolishing the two child benefit cap. What do today’s measures mean for people’s pay packets? How has this gone down with the other parties, and what challenges still remain for the Chanc...
Nov 26, 2025•35 min
Today, with rumours circulating about the budget, what are the changes that could impact you? On the eve of the budget it has confirmed that more drinks will be included in the so called “sugar tax” and there will be an increase in the minimum + living wage. But what other changes could happen? Will there be changes to the way you can save into an ISA? Could a “tourist tax” be introduced in some cities? And, will there be changes to council tax? Adam and Chris are joined by Claer Barrett, consum...
Nov 25, 2025•33 min
Today, after President Trump hints at “big process” in Ukraine talks, are we actually any closer to peace? The US and Ukraine have held weekend talks in Geneva over a possible peace plan. European leaders criticised the 28-point peace plan when it emerged last week, saying it was too favourable to Russia. Since then the US has said “revisions and clarifications” were made. Adam is joined by diplomatic correspondent James Landale and chief presenter Caitriona Perry. And, just days before the budg...
Nov 24, 2025•44 min
Today, Laura and Paddy speak to a packed sofa of financial experts ahead of the government’s crucial budget announcement. Former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, General Secretary of Unite the Union Sharon Graham, and former Chief Economist at the Bank of England Andy Haldane are in the Newscast studio to assess the runners and riders of economic policy that could be announced by Rachel Reeves on Wednesday. Plus, how much of a moment of political jeopardy is this for the government? And what...
Nov 23, 2025•32 min
Today, the former deputy cabinet secretary, Helen Macnamara, speaks to Newscast about the findings of the recent module of the covid inquiry which found that the UK did "too little, too late". Helen had a front seat for those momentous decisions that shaped the direction of the country during the pandemic, and has previously told the inquiry herself that a "toxic" environment affected decision-making during the crisis. She gives her reflections on life inside Downing Street at the time, the inqu...
Nov 22, 2025•44 min
Today, the home secretary makes second big change to migration policy in a week. Shabana Mahmood has announced the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain will be extended from five to 10 years, and will apply to the estimated 2.6 million who arrived since 2021. The changes will not apply to people who had already obtained settlement. Adam, Joe, Faisal and Sarah Montague, presenter of the World at One, discuss this plus more Labour leadership questions and preview the budget. You can no...
Nov 21, 2025•29 min
Today, the latest report from the covid inquiry has found that the government did “too little, too late” to prevent deaths during the pandemic. Chair of the inquiry, Baroness Hallett acknowleged that Boris Johnson’s government faced “unenviable choices” but said that 23 000 deaths could have been potentially avoided and added that regular rule breaking by officials undermined the public’s trust. BBC health reporter Jim Reed and Dr Catherine Haddon programme, director at the Institue for Governme...
Nov 20, 2025•50 min
Today, John Healey joins the podcast after a Russian ship suspected of mapping undersea cables pointed lasers at RAF pilots tracking its activity near UK waters. The Defence Secretary gave a speech at Downing Street that morning describing the move as “deeply dangerous.” It comes on the same day that a report from MPs says that the UK lacks a plan to defend itself from a military attack. Adam and Chris speak to John Healey about the escalating threat to the UK, lifting the lid on what conflict l...
Nov 19, 2025•28 min
Today, the CEO of Google gives a rare interview to discuss AI, economic risk, climate change and much more. Faisal Islam has been speaking to Sundar Pichai, the head of Google’s parent company Alphabet, about the future of the AI bubble. The tech boss warned that “no company is going to be immune” if the AI bubble bursts after its current period of boom. This comes as some analysts expressed fear that stock markets are heading for a repeat of the dotcom bubble burst of the late 1990s. They also ...
Nov 18, 2025•34 min
Today, the home secretary Shabana Mahmood announced sweeping changes to the UK's asylum policy, including plans to return asylum seekers to their home country if it is deemed safe. Under the new plans, most people will have to wait 20 years to apply for settled status, and the deportation process will be sped up for failed cases, including for families with children. The reforms have recieved tentative support from the oppostion but will likely face resistance closer to home, with a number of La...
Nov 17, 2025•37 min
Today, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood speaks to Laura about the government’s new immigration plans. Under the plans, people who are granted asylum will need to wait 20 years before they can apply to settle permanently. Plus, refugee status will be cut from five year to two-and-a-half years and then regularly reviewed thereafter. Laura, Paddy and Henry discuss the new proposals, plus the ongoing rumours about the Labour leadership. You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to...
Nov 16, 2025•32 min
Today, Laura and Paddy discuss President Donald Trump’s decision to continue with legal action. The BBC apologised to the president, saying it had unintentionally given "the mistaken impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action" and said it would not be broadcast again. However, they would not pay financial compensation. Chief North America correspondent Gary O'Donoghue joins us to talk about where we are with the legal proceedings, how much Americans care about this...
Nov 15, 2025•33 min
