This Is Why

Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent for Sky News, delves into the legacy of Margaret Thatcher, the UK's first female prime minister. He explores her profound impact on both Conservative and opposition politicians, highlighting her divisive policies like the poll tax and union reforms. Craig discusses Thatcher's possible stance on Brexit and how her conservative philosophy would intersect with today's political landscape. He predicts her influence will reverberate through history as a transformative figure, embodying both admiration and controversy.

A ceasefire may be in place, but violence continues to plague Gaza. As Hamas attempts to keep some control, a rival group has told Sky News they plan to fight to the end. With internal fighting and power struggles ongoing, can peace hold within Gaza for the Palestinians hoping to begin rebuilding their lives? Dominic Waghorn, our international affairs editor, and digital investigations journalist Ben van der Merwe join Niall to explain who these groups are and what role they are playing. Producer: Soila Apparicio Editor: Mike Bovill 

Dishonesty, discrimination, and misconduct – just some of the reasons why more than 730 police officers were sacked and barred from service last year. Of those, 21 were struck off for child sexual offences. But can our police forces recover from falling public trust and reputational damage?  Martin Brunt, our crime correspondent, joins Niall to explain what’s gone wrong – and assess whether ‘bad apples’ in the police are an institutional issue.  Plus, Jamie Klingler – co-founder of Reclaim These Streets and campaigner for women’s safety and police reform in the UK – discusses what needs to change.  Producer: Emily HulmeEditor: Mike Bovill

Members of minority religious groups say they feel less safe in the UK than ever before.A summer of protests outside asylum seeker hotels and a renewed debate about immigration have led to concerns British society is becoming increasingly fragmented.And last week, figures released by the Home Office showed that religious hate crime recorded by police in England and Wales had reached a record high.Some members of the Sikh community in the West Midlands have been escorting elderly people to their local gurdwara due to concerns about physical and verbal abuse.What are the causes behind this rise in hate crime? How are minority groups responding, and what can be done to rebuild fragile communities?Niall is joined by Rabbi Josh Levy, the co-lead of Progressive Judaism, and Sky's communities correspondent Lisa Holland.Producer: Tom GillespieEditor: Mike Bovill

All 20 remaining living Israeli hostages have been released by Hamas – after more than two years in captivity.  Now the slow process of recovery and rehabilitation begins. For each of them, that journey will be different. What kind of support will they receive? And will the trauma ever truly be over?  Niall discusses the needs of the released hostages with Stephen Regel – a former senior psychosocial practitioner with the British Red Cross and founder of the Centre for Trauma Resilience and Growth.   Producer: Tom Gillespie Editor: Mike Bovill 

Can you put a price on freedom of speech? Comedy royalty including Dave Chapelle and Jimmy Carr, famous for defending their right to say whatever they want, have been paid big money by the Saudi government to appear at the inaugural Riyadh Comedy Festival. But there's a catch.... they're not allowed to say anything that could cause "embarrassment" to Saudi Arabia, its royal family or any religion. The outcry has given you a new phrase to learn - "comedy washing". What is comedy washing and what evidence is there Saudi Arabia is trying to carry it out? Why have comedians agreed to perform at the festival and how can they defend their decision? Niall is joined by stand-up comedian and host of the Pod Save The UK podcast Nish Kumar. Producers: Tom Gillespie, Soila Apparicio Editor: Mike Bovill 

Donald Trump has claimed the credit for ending seven wars and with the developments in Gaza it could soon be eight - surely then he's a dead cert for this year's Nobel Peace Prize?Unsurprisingly, with this bombastic US president, it's not quite that simple... no matter how much he insists that he deserves it.As the world prepares to find out who has won this year's prize, the self-styled peacemaker-in-chief is likely to be among those paying the closest attention.What is the Nobel Peace Prize and why does Trump want to win it so much? How is the winner decided, who else is nominated and what are the US president's chances?Niall is joined by Jay Nordlinger, author of Peace, They Say: A History of the Nobel Peace Prize, the Most Famous and Controversial Prize in the World.Producer: Soila ApparicioEditor: Mike Bovill

The prime minister’s been asked to ‘explain himself’ after the UK’s top prosecutor blamed the collapse of a China spy trial on the government - for not labelling China a risk to national security.  But Sir Keir Starmer blames the previous Tory government.  A parliamentary researcher and his associate were accused of passing on “politically sensitive” information to a member of China’s ruling politburo – so why won’t it go to court?    Niall is joined by political correspondent Mhari Aurora and the former head of MI6 Richard Dearlove.    Producers: Tom Gillespie & Emily Hulme Editor: Mike Bovill

In September, former England rugby captain Lewis Moody received a devastating diagnosis that changed his life forever.  The 47-year-old Rugby World Cup winner is the latest retired professional player to be told he has the fatal muscle-wasting condition motor neurone disease.  What do we know about the possible causes of MND? Is there a link between extreme exercise and developing the disease? And are we any closer to a cure?  Niall is joined by Moody’s World Cup-winning team-mate Will Greenwood and Dr Mike Rogers, director of research and innovation at the MND Association.  Producer: Tom Gillespie and Emily Hulme  Editor: Mike Bovill   

It's the morning of Monday 6 October 2025 and Russia has launched a missile strike against the UK. That was the scenario of The Wargame - a gripping five-part Sky News podcast that brought together former government ministers, military chiefs, and top defence experts to explore how the UK might respond to a modern-day crisis.  On the real 6 October, we speak to some of the makers of the series to get a sense of whether our leaders are taking the threat of Russia seriously enough. Would the United States come to the UK's aid if bombings began on British soil? And what do we need to do to improve our defence capabilities?   Niall Paterson is joined by The Wargame's co-creators - Sky’s security and defence editor Deborah Haynes, and Rob Johnson, head of Oxford University's Changing Character of War Centre - as well as Keir Giles, a leading expert on the Russian military who portrays the Russian president in the simulation.  You can listen to The Wargame here: https://open.spotify.com/show/4lHtW6x1D6R0E1QmGLkBK1  Producers: Tom Gillespie & Emily Hulme Editor: Mike Bovill