Podcast
This Is Why
Hosted by Sky News · EN
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
134episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Why Putin has plunged Russia’s economy into ‘the death zone’
Jun 300:18:03Tap to summarizeMoscow may have hit Ukraine with one of its biggest attacks of the war so far - but is it Russia’s economy that’s starting to crack? Businesses are closing while bills and taxes are on the rise – as the growing cost of the conflict is felt on the high street and in homes as much as the battlefield. With his hometown under attack from Ukrainian drones, what does Vladimir Putin fear most - losses on the frontline, unrest over the struggling economy, or the possibility both could combine to threaten his control? Sky’s Ivor Bennett sends a snapshot from St Petersburg, while Niall Paterson is joined by our military analyst Professor Michael Clarke. Have you got a question for Niall? Email the show – why@sky.uk
Transcribe →
Why Nigel Farage is accused of exploiting Henry Nowak's murder
Jun 200:21:53Tap to summarizeIs the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak a new low for the police - or an excuse for political point scoring?Henry was handcuffed as he lay dying after being stabbed, having been falsely accused of racially abusing his Sikh killer, Vickrum Digwa.Reform UK leader Nigel Farage claims this is yet another example of 'two-tier policing', where white people are treated differently to ethnic minorities.Are those allegations justified? Do police forces in England have an institutional problem with race? Or are the facts and statistics being ignored to suit a political agenda?Niall Paterson is joined by Clifford Stott, professor of policing research at the Open University.Have you got a question for Niall? Email the show - why@sky.uk
Transcribe →
Why defence delays are dangerous for the UK
Jun 100:14:58Tap to summarizeA year on from publishing a plan to make the UK's military fit for purpose, the government still hasn't said where the money's coming from.It now admits the long-delayed defence investment plan is still weeks away from being published.The prime minister has committed to spend 3.5% of GDP on core defence by 2035 - but is Sir Keir Starmer willing to sanction cuts elsewhere, from welfare or the NHS, to pay for it?As the US seemingly turns its back on NATO and the threat from Russia increases, is the UK taking defence spending seriously enough?Niall Paterson is joined by Sky's military analyst Sean Bell.Have you got a question for This Is Why? Email the show: why@sky.uk
Transcribe →
Why Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin could be a problem for NASA
May 2900:13:08Tap to summarizeA Blue Origin rocket explosion during a test launch at Cape Canaveral in Florida could have huge implications for Jeff Bezos' ambitions in space.His company had just won a big NASA contract to deliver lunar landers to the moon using his New Glenn rockets which are specifically designed to carry cargo.The failure will also affect NASA's moon plans, which already included little margin for error.Sky's science and technology correspondent Mickey Carroll joins Mhari Aurora to discuss what the explosion means for Blue Origin, getting humans back on the moon and the space race.
Transcribe →
Why don't we know more about cold water shock?
May 2800:14:30Tap to summarizeAt least eight teenagers have died after getting into difficulty in open water during the UK’s record-breaking heatwave.The tragedies have caused the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to warn of the dangers of “cold water shock”, as many try to cool down in the baking heat.The deaths have also happened days before the official start of summer - so what can be done to keep people safe in the months ahead?Mhari Aurora discusses water safety with campaigner Beckie Ramsay, whose son drowned in open water in 2011.Have you got a question for This Is Why? Email the show – why@sky.uk.
Transcribe →
Why Russia is ‘relentlessly targeting’ the UK
May 2700:18:46Tap to summarizeThe head of the GCHQ intelligence agency has warned that Russia is going after critical infrastructure and democracy in the UK.Anne Keast-Butler also used the inaugural GCHQ annual lecture at Bletchley Park to say the threat of this "daily hybrid activity" leading to a wider conflict is as "high as I’ve ever seen it".Her warning comes days after an RAF jet carrying the UK's defence secretary John Healey had its signal jammed near the Russia border.Why is Moscow allegedly carrying out these hybrid attacks and what is being done to tackle them?Gareth Barlow discusses how severe the Russia threat is with Sky's military analyst Professor Michael Clarke.
Transcribe →
Why did teenage rapists avoid jail?
May 2600:14:33Tap to summarizeThree teenagers who avoided jail over the rape of two girls in Hampshire will now have their sentences reviewed after a judge initially said he wanted to "avoid criminalising these children unnecessarily". One of the victims described the ruling as being like a "rock straight in my face".The attorney general, Lord Hermer, has announced that the Court of Appeal will review the sentences. His office had received "multiple" requests for the sentences to be reviewed under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.Gareth Barlow speaks to Susan Edwards, Professor of Law at Northumbria University and author of 'Sex and Gender in the Legal Process', about how the decision was reached and what will happen next. Also, Sky’s political correspondent Rob Powell discusses the government's plan to reform the youth justice system.Warning: This podcast contains references to rapeHave you got a question for This Is Why? Email the show – why@sky.uk
Transcribe →
Why Westminster needs to think differently about devolution
May 2500:18:52Tap to summarizeIn all corners of the United Kingdom, parties that back independence are now in charge.The SNP retained control in Scotland and Plaid Cymru took power in Wales for the first time following the May elections. And, with Sinn Fein becoming the biggest party in Northern Ireland back in 2022, it now means all three devolved legislatures in the UK are led by nationalist parties.So, what's behind their rise and are there similarities between them?Niall is joined by Professor Michael Keating, Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of Aberdeen and Fellow of the Centre on Constitutional Change at the University of Edinburgh.Have you got a question for Niall? Email the show: why@sky.uk
Transcribe →
Why did Thomas Tuchel leave out some big England names?
May 2200:18:33Tap to summarizeThomas Tuchel is England’s first German-born manager. He has led some of Europe’s biggest clubs, from Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich to Chelsea, where he won the Champions League.But he has rarely stayed long in one place; Tuchel has had fraught relationships with club owners and executives.Now, as he announces his squad for the 2026 World Cup in North America, some of his selection decisions have already sparked controversy. So what do they, and his career so far, reveal about the man carrying England’s hopes on his shoulders?Our sports correspondent Rob Harris, fresh from interviewing the England manager, speaks to Niall Paterson about Tuchel’s leadership style, his track record under pressure, and whether he can succeed where others have failed.Have you got a question for Niall? Email the show – why@sky.uk
Transcribe →
Why is the UK easing Russian oil sanctions?
May 2100:15:12Tap to summarizeSince Russia invaded Ukraine, Britain has sanctioned Moscow’s economy in an attempt to weaken Putin's war machine. But this week, the UK introduced a new exemption allowing diesel and jet fuel made from Russian oil to enter Britain via third countries.So, has Britain quietly relaxed its sanctions on Russia? And more broadly, have Western sanctions actually worked?Niall is joined by Tom Keatinge, founding director of the Centre for Finance and Security at defence and security thinktank the Royal United Services Institute, to explain what sanctions are designed to do, whether they change government behaviour, and why Russia is still making billions from oil exports despite years of restrictions.Have you got a question for Niall? Email the show: why@sky.uk
Transcribe →