This Is Why - podcast cover

This Is Why

Sky Newswww.skynews.com
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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Episodes

Assisted Dying: What can we learn from Canada?

As MPs prepare to vote on assisted dying legislation, Sky News has been to Canada where wider rules were legalised eight years ago. Some 4% of deaths in the country in 2022 were with the help of a doctor, under the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) law. In this episode, Niall Paterson is joined by Sky’s health correspondent Ashish Joshi, and hears from Canadians about MAID. Niall also talks Dr Ellen Wiebe, a doctor who has assisted in more than 400 deaths. If you want to learn more about the pr...

Nov 25, 202427 min

Gisele Pelicot and France's MeToo moment

Warning: This story contains references to sexual assault and rape. A woman’s decision to waive her anonymity and have a public trial after her husband drugged her and invited dozens of men to rape her over a decade has reignited the MeToo movement in France. Gisele Pelicot has become a feminist hero after insisting that the trial be held in public to raise awareness, saying: "It’s not for us to have shame, it’s for them." Niall is joined by our Europe correspondent Siobhan Robbins to explore ho...

Nov 22, 202420 min

The carer who was a fake

What happens when the care you trust isn’t care at all? When Sarah Whitaker hired a live-in carer for her 89-year-old father, she thought she was securing a lifeline. What she got was a stranger who could not cook, drive, and care – because she wasn’t the carer Sarah had booked. This bizarre and troubling story takes us deep into the cracks of Britain’s care industry, where an unregulated system leaves families vulnerable to shocking deceptions. Sky’s Nick Martin investigates how one family was ...

Nov 21, 202422 min

Why the inflation rise might not be as bad as you think

Rising energy prices pushed up inflation in October, meaning prices elsewhere will also rise. As businesses warn Labour's first budget could lead to further price rises and even job cuts, where does this leave Chancellor Rachel Reeves's plan for the UK to be the fastest growing economy in the G7? Niall Paterson is joined by Sky's economics and data editor Ed Conway, who explains what's behind last month's inflation rise and why he thinks there could be some good news on the horizon. Producer: Ro...

Nov 20, 202413 min

Is this the death of the family farm?

Farmers have left their fields for the streets of London to protest changes to the inheritance tax announced in the budget. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson heads to the protest outside Downing Street to speak to the farmers who are threatening to withhold food supplies if their demands aren’t met. He also asks new farmer Jeremy Clarkson about why he thinks farmers should have inheritance tax relief. Plus, business correspondent Paul Kelso breaks down the figures to show exactly how many fa...

Nov 19, 202421 min

Ukraine: Why is there talk of World War Three?

As the conflict in Ukraine nears its 1,000th day, the war could be about to shift. President Joe Biden's approval for Ukraine to strike deep inside Russia with long-range US missiles has sparked fears of escalation, with fury in Moscow. Vladimir Putin has previously called the move "an unacceptable red line", as Western leaders, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at the G20, weigh their next steps. Host Niall Paterson explores whether this moment marks a turning point for Ukraine, or the ...

Nov 18, 202413 min

Team Trump: 'Great minds' think alike - but can they run a country?

Donald Trump has started to nominate who he wants in his top team. As well as billionaire Elon Musk, controversial Trump loyalist Matt Gaetz and nephew of former president JFK, Robert Kennedy Jr, are among the picks. Matt Gaetz is a Florida congressman and the attorney general pick for Trump. In February 2023, the Justice Department declined to bring charges of sex trafficking a 17-year-old against Gaetz, who has denied wrongdoing since the allegations first came to light. And as health secretar...

Nov 15, 202421 min

Why is the ambulance service boss having to say sorry?

A top ambulance boss has apologised after a year-long Sky News investigation revealed a culture of sexual abuse and harassment within the ambulance service. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson speaks to Sky correspondent Rachael Venables who has been leading the investigation into abuse patients and staff in the service have faced and what is being done to restore trust in those who care for us. A spokesperson for NHS England said: “Any abuse or violence directed at NHS staff is totally unacce...

Nov 14, 202419 min

Will Ukraine be Trumped?

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump vowed it would take him "no longer than one day" to resolve the conflict in Ukraine with Russia. Some in Ukraine worry this could mean having to give up land in the east, as well as Crimea. Mr Trump's announcement that Fox News Channel's "Fox & Friends Weekend" co-host Pete Hegseth will become the US secretary of defence has also caused a stir given that, despite serving in the US National Guard, he lacks senior military or national security experience. Ni...

Nov 13, 202418 min

Lineker goes: Does TV still need Match Of The Day?

After 25 years, Gary Lineker is leaving the BBC's Match Of The Day. He'll stay on for the corporation's coverage of the FA Cup and the next World Cup - but he'll get his Saturday nights back from the end of this season. The change will likely help the BBC's presenter wage bill and might save some run-ins about Lineker's use of social media - but what about the programme he leaves behind? Sixty years after MOTD's launch, do TV viewers really still "look away now" to avoid the scores before 10.30p...

Nov 12, 202416 min

Who will play climate good cop to Trump’s bad cop?

When Donald Trump was elected in 2016, attendees of that year’s COP in Marrakech said an “orange cloud” had descended on the talks. Eight years later, Trump has once again punctured the mood of this year’s climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan. On this episode of Sky News Daily we explore what the next Trump administration could mean for climate progress with Alden Meyer, senior associate at E3G working on US and international climate policy and politics, who has been to every COP bar one, sinc...

Nov 11, 202414 min

USA '24: Planning Trump’s America

As Donald Trump begins to prepare for his return to The White House, our US correspondents James Matthews, Martha Kelner, and Mark Stone reflect on his historic election victory. From criminal convictions to a defiant fist pump after his near assassination, it has been an extraordinary campaign for the president-elect. Having spent the year crisscrossing the country, the team share their most enlightening encounters with voters in the run up to election. They discuss how Trump was able to broade...

Nov 08, 202433 min

USA ‘24: Trump vs The World

It's back to the White House for Donald Trump in January after a decisive election victory. Less clear, however, are the global implications of Trump's return to office. Sky's US correspondent James Matthews presents this episode of the Sky News Daily from Palm Beach in Florida to explore what Trump's historic victory could mean for the rest of the world. With conflicts ongoing in the Middle East and Ukraine, Trump's agenda for US foreign policy is perhaps more significant than ever. Internation...

Nov 07, 202424 min

USA '24: What did Trump get right and Harris get wrong?

Donald Trump has done it again and won the US election. Eight years after beating Hillary Clinton and four years after Joe Biden evicted him from the White House, the former president is now the future president. It's a remarkable comeback for the man whose reputation was severely damaged after the violence of the January 6 Capitol riots back in 2021. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson talks to Chris Jackson, senior vice president at Ipsos Public Affairs, about why the polls failed to predict...

Nov 06, 202416 min

USA ‘24: Trump 2.0

Donald Trump has won the 2024 election and has become only the second president in history to win on non-consecutive terms. US correspondent James Matthews presents this edition of the podcast from West Palm Beach in Florida where the Republican candidate addressed thousands of his supporters. James is joined by his US colleague Martha Kelner, who has followed Kamala Harris’s campaign all night in Washington. With Trump staging one of the biggest political comebacks ever, James and Martha look a...

Nov 06, 202417 min

USA '24: What to look out for tonight

On the final day of campaigning, our US correspondents James Matthews and Martha Kelner are with Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on their final stops, both in Pennsylvania, and Mark Stone prepares for election night in Washington, DC. With last-minute pitches in battleground states and a whirlwind of rallies, the candidates push their final messages - Harris leaning on unity and star power, while Trump doubles down on his base, painting the opposition as a threat to America's future. James, Marth...

Nov 05, 202430 min

USA '24: Why some Latino voters want stronger borders

America goes to the polls tomorrow, and from Arizona's deserts to Michigan's college campuses, our team of correspondents in the US James Matthews, Yousra Elbagir, and Shingi Mararike speak to different voter groups just days from the big decision. In Arizona, Shingi meets Latino voters split on Trump and Harris, where a booming economy clashes with tough border stances Meanwhile, Yousra explores Michigan's youth vote, where students wrestle with issues from Gaza to economic woes. Producer: Rosi...

Nov 04, 202428 min

USA '24: Do Harris’ hopes come down to female voters?

With just two days until election day, join our US correspondents on the road. Mark Stone and James Matthews discuss how the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, could influence the result. Stone attends one of Musk’s million-dollar-a-day giveaways which have become embroiled in a court case. They’re also joined by former US correspondent Cordelia Lynch in Georgia, to ask whether this has become a gender election – with Kamala Harris leading significantly among female voters and Donald Trump hol...

Nov 03, 202436 min

USA '24: Political division and the economy

With three days until election day, both sides are throwing everything behind winning over those last few undecided voters in swing states. Pennsylvania is one of the bigger prizes - Kamala Harris is scheduled to do five events in that state on Monday alone. Sky News international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn is also there, speaking to one Republican couple with opposite views on Donald Trump. And US correspondents James Matthews and Mark Stone discuss how important the economy will be when it...

Nov 02, 202427 min

USA ‘24: How Trump and Harris are using the final days

With just four days until polling day, join our US correspondents on the road as they examine the closing arguments from each campaign. James Matthews takes listeners inside Donald Trump’s Maddison Square Graden rally and finds out if controversial jokes by a support act could jeopardise his chances with Hispanic voters - a key demographic in vital swing states. And Martha Kelner heads to Kamala Harris’s rally on the Ellipse, in Washington DC - the same spot President Trump rallied before suppor...

Nov 01, 202431 min

Silent prayer and religious chanting: Why the UK is protecting abortion clinics

Starting today, new protection zones around abortion clinics will make it illegal to harass, obstruct, or attempt to influence anyone seeking or providing abortion services within 150 metres. But what does this mean for women accessing clinics and the potential impacts on pro-life protests? Host Liz Bates visits a London clinic to hear from medical staff who have faced abuse when going into work, and speaks to Lily, who told us "my abortion wasn't traumatic. The harassment I received was", when ...

Oct 31, 202422 min

Is this the biggest budget ever?

Rachel Reeves has delivered a historic budget - Labour's first in 14 years, the first ever from a female chancellor, and the biggest tax-raising fiscal event in more than 30 years. On the Sky News Daily, host Darren McCaffrey is joined by economics and data editor Ed Conway and deputy political editor Sam Coates to discuss their reflections and expert analysis on the momentous budget. Plus, political editor Beth Rigby has been speaking to Chancellor Rachel Reeves about whether Labour has broken ...

Oct 30, 202434 min

USA '24: Who is the real Kamala Harris?

Next week Kamala Harris could be elected as America’s first ever female president. But despite decades in politics the narrative of her life has been closely guarded by her aides. Sky’s Martha Kelner has spent the past two months uncovering who the real Kamala Harris is and shares all with today’s host Liz Bates on the Sky News Daily. Podcast producer: Rosie Gillott Editor: Philly Beaumont

Oct 29, 202428 min

USA '24: Trump at Madison Square Garden: Rally or reckoning?

Donald Trump’s decision to hold a rally at Madison Square Garden, in the heart of Manhattan, nine days before US voters go to the polls has been compared to the 1939 pro-Nazi German American Bund. Is this a fair comparison? On this episode of the Sky News Daily, host Darren McCaffrey explores the significance of the rally, the political climate surrounding it, and the polarising reactions it has generated. He’s joined by US correspondent James Matthews, who was at the rally, and Chris Wilson, a ...

Oct 28, 202422 min

USA '24: Why Arab-American voters are swinging behind Trump

With just 11 days to go until the US election, Sky's dedicated team of correspondents goes on the road to gauge what voters in key swing states make of the choice for president. Mark Stone is in Michigan, where Arab-American voters are a key demographic seemingly swinging towards Trump. Some in the community feel abandoned by the Democrats because of their approach to Gaza, and as the consequence of a gradual leftward creep by the party away from socially conservative values. And what happens wh...

Oct 25, 202430 min

Assault, screaming, overcrowding: What is it really like inside prison?

Sky News has been given exclusive access to HMP Elmley in Kent, a prison operating at almost full capacity. Our correspondent Mollie Malone has been inside the prison, just as more than 1,000 inmates are released early to ease overcrowding. Joining Niall Paterson, Mollie shares the chaos she witnessed inside, from the noise and violence staff face, to the struggles of inmates facing drug addiction and mental health issues. They also explore what life inside tells us about the state of the UK's p...

Oct 24, 202424 min

'I was suicidal': The teachers being bullied by their colleagues

Over 300 teachers have told Sky News that they have been bullied by fellow teachers and colleagues at school. Niall Paterson is joined by our correspondent Amelia Harper, who's been speaking to some of those teachers about their experiences, including a teacher who faced racist and sexist abuse in the staffroom, and a deputy head forced out for being critical of new school leadership. Niall also asks Phil Clarke, National Education Union president and teacher, about the use of NDAs in some schoo...

Oct 23, 202420 min

'I feel like I have to do this’ Bianca Gascoigne on Al Fayed accusations

Paul Gascoigne's daughter has told Sky News she was groomed and sexually assaulted by Mohamed al Fayed when she worked at Harrods as a teenager. Speaking publically about her experience for the first time, British model Bianca Gascoigne joins more than 60 women who have made allegations against Al Fayed since a documentary on the businessman who died last year. On this episode, Niall Paterson is joined by Sarah-Jane Mee who spoke to Bianca, as we hear her tell her story. Plus, Niall speaks to ba...

Oct 22, 202433 min

'You are not my King!': Will Charles be Australia's last monarch?

The King and Queen are in Australia for his first overseas visit since becoming monarch. But as they met Australian parliamentarians in Canberra, it wasn't exactly the reception they were expecting, let alone hoping for. Lidia Thorpe, the first female Aboriginal politician from the state of Victoria to become a senator, heckled Charles, yelling: "You are not our King, you are not sovereign... you have committed genocide against our people." It is a view shared by many Australians – indigenous or...

Oct 21, 202417 min

USA '24: Can Kamala win the black male vote?

It's just 17 days to go until the US election, and Sky News' team of correspondents have been reporting on the campaign trail across the country. This week, US correspondents James Matthews and Mark Stone are joined by one of the most recognisable faces on American television, NBC's pollster Steve Kornacki. They discuss the swing states to watch and if it's really true that a few hundred thousand voters will decide who becomes the next president. Plus, Kamala Harris has been trying to nail down ...

Oct 18, 202438 min
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