The Briefing Room

BBC Radio 4

4.8 (51)
NEWS
UPDATED BIWEEKLY

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

7 HR. AGO

Why do we have such overcrowded prisons?

Our prisons are overcrowded, the Government recently released a group of prisoners early to ease the pressure. Britain seems to incarcerate more people per head of population compared to any other Western European country. Now the Government has announced there is going to be a Review of Sentencing to see what we can do to reduce the number of people in prison. Recently an eight week consultation period began, during which members of the public can send in their thoughts on how to tackle these issues. Why have prisons have become so over-crowded, and what we can do about it? John Podmore, former prison governor and prison inspector and author of Out of Sight Out of Mind: Why Britain's Prisons Are Failing Nicola Padfield, Emeritus Professor of Criminal and Penal Justice, at the University of Cambridge Catherine Heard, Director of the World Prison Research Programme Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Charlotte McDonald, Kirsteen Knight and Beth Ashmead Latham Sound engineers: Rod Farquhar, Neva Missirian Editor: Richard Vadon Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman

28 min
NOV 14

European defence in the new Trump era

All over Europe and in the corridors of Nato policy makers are discussing the implications for the continent of the Trump victory in the American presidential election. For 70 years the alliance with the USA has been the foundation stone of European defence. During his last term in office, it was reported that Trump wanted to take the US out of Nato. That didn’t happen but he made clear his discontent at the lack of defence spending among member states. Can that alliance can be maintained, if so on what terms and if not, what then? Guests: Heather Conley, a senior advisor to the think tank, the German Marshall Fund's (GMF) board of trustees Elisabeth Braw, who is now at the Atlantic Council’s Transatlantic Security Initiative Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor, of The Economist Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Charlotte McDonald, Kirsteen Knight and Beth Ashmead Latham Sound engineer: Rod Farquhar Editor: Richard Vadon Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman

29 min
NOV 7

What does the Budget mean for the UK’s economy?

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has delivered the first Labour Budget in 14 years. Naturally there was a flurry of instant responses to individual tax measures, but what about the big picture? Well, more than a week has passed, and the dust is settling. We thought it was time to return to a panel of experts who we spoke to in September. Is this really a once in a generation budget? What will it mean for the government’s finances and services? Will it bring much needed growth? And what might the re-election of Donald Trump mean for the British economy? Guests: Paul Johnson, Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies Mehreen Khan, economics editor of The Times Chris Giles, economics commentator at The Financial Times. Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Charlotte McDonald, Diane Richardson and Kirsteen Knight Sound engineer: Rod Farquhar and Neva Missirian Editor: Richard Vadon Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman

29 min
SEP 23

How do the Lebanon attacks alter the equation in the Middle East?

David Aaronovitch and guests discuss the recent events in Lebanon. Israel has been widely blamed for a series of pager and walkie-talkie attacks targeting members of Hezbollah. Does this mark the invention of a new kind of warfare and what might the wider consequences be for the region? Guests: Shashank Joshi, The Economist's defence editor Professor Lina Khatib, Director of the Middle East Institute at SOAS University of London Ronen Bergman, Israeli investigative journalist for The New York Times Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Natasha Fernandes and Ben Carter Sound engineer: Neil Churchill Editor: Richard Vadon

28 min
SEP 12

Is Germany in trouble?

David Aaronovitch and guests discuss the challenges facing Germany. Worries over the economy and immigration have seen the far right AfD party gain support in the former east Germany. Guests: Guy Chazan, Berlin bureau chief at the Financial Times Dr Constanze Stelzenmuller, Director of the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings Institution Marcel Fratzscher, President DIW Berlin - German Institute for Economic Research and Professor at Humboldt University Berlin Thiemo Fetzer, Professor of Economics at Warwick and Bonn Universities Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Caroline Bayley, Kirsteen Knight and Ben Carter Sound engineer: James Beard Editor: Richard Vadon Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman

29 min
SEP 5

How much trouble is the UK economy in?

Last month the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, warned that "things would get worse before they got better". The Chancellor Rachel Reeves has already said that there's a £22 billion black hole in the government's finances left by the Conservatives. The budget at the end of October, we're told, will be "painful". But just how bad a state is the UK economy really in? And how constrained is the new government by manifesto promises it made not to raise the main taxes on working people? Guests: Paul Johnson, Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies Mehreen Khan, Economics editor at The TImes Chris Giles, Economics Commentator at The Financial TImes Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Ben Carter, Caroline Bayley and Kirsteen Knight Sound engineers: Sarah Hockley and Gareth Jones Editor: Richard Vadon Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman

29 min
AUG 29

What we know (and don't know) about the new Mpox outbreak

The first human cases of MPox were detected in 1970. But a new strain detected in Congo in 2023 has got scientists confused. How worried should we be and are we prepared for it? Dr Jonas Albarnaz, a Research Fellow specialising in pox viruses at The Pirbright Institute Dr Lilith Whittles, lecturer and Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellow in the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis Dr Josie Golding, head of epidemiology at The Wellcome Trust Trudie Lang, Professor of Global Health Research at the University of Oxford Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Ben Carter, Kirsteen Knight and Drew Hyndman Sound engineers: Jonathan Glover and James Beard Editor: Richard Vadon Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman

28 min
AUG 21

Global Tensions 3: Russia and the West

David Aaronovitch and guests discuss the risk of escalation on Russian borders and further afield and explore what form that might take if it were to happen. Guests: Natia Seskuria, founder and executive director of the Regional Institute for Security Studies (RISS), a Tbilisi-based think tank Dr Jack Watling, Senior Research Fellow for Land Warfare at the Royal United Services Institute, Michael Clarke, Professor of Defence studies and Specialist Advisor to the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy Mark Galeotti, writer on Russian security affairs and director of the consultancy Mayak Intelligence Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Ben Carter, Kirsteen Knight and Drew Hyndman Sound engineers: James Beard and Nigel Appleton Editor: Richard Vadon

34 min

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David Aaronovitch

Host

4.8

out of 5

51 Ratings

Excellent!

04/02/2021

phxroy

Terrific, quick primer on the topic, leaving you with an informed, working knowledge. I always look forward the podcast when I see it in my feed, as I know from several years consistent listening that it’s excellent! (A show on COVID in last six months left me with more nuanced information than I had learned elsewhere.)
5 stars

01/03/2021

avm1406

Outstanding. From diversity of topics to the unique format that moves from one expert providing the in-depth backstory to an engaging dialogue with a panel. Always learn something new even on widely reported stories.
Brilliant

08/22/2020

AdiKharo

You end the podcast knowing more than when you started it. And you are engrossed in the topic along the way. Brilliant. Great topics, great interviewer, great guests.
Nice podcast

02/01/2019

lalalahexd

Really cool and the guests are well informed!