HOW DID WE GET HERE? Explaining The News

Can Rishi Sunak lead the Conservatives to victory at the next elections?

The Tories have been the main governing party in the UK since 2010, but recent polls show the tide might be turning in favour of Labour and its leader Sir Keir Starmer come 2025.

Host Andy Bell talks to Lord Robert Hayward, polling analyst and lifelong observer of the Conservative party, to find out whether the Prime Minister can not only be confident of staying party leader, but even start mapping a path to winning the next election.

How Did We Get Here...

  The latest fatal shooting at an elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, which killed six people, has renewed calls for a crackdown on gun ownership in the US and the reform of the country's gun laws.   Host Andy Bell talks to Saul Cornell, Professor of constitutional history at Fordham University in New York and gun control advocate, to find out how American gun regulations work, what the Second Amendment has got to do with them, and why attempts to restrict them have failed so far.   How Did We Get Here? Explaining the News is a podcast from Channel 5 News. Join Andy Bel...

OpenAI has released GPT-4, the latest version of its hugely popular artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT that it claims is its "most advanced system yet". The new model can answer all sorts of requests and questions using human-like language, pass academic exams, and now even give you recipe suggestions based on a photo of the content of your fridge.

All this sounds exciting - or scary?

Host Andy Bell is joined by author and AI expert Nina Schick to find out what artificial intelligence is, how it is being used and the ways it could change...

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak seems to have done what his three predecessors could not - pull off an ambitious deal with the EU to refine post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland.

So, how does the Windsor Framework change Northern Ireland trading arrangements?

Host Andy Bell is joined by Raoul Ruparel, former special adviser to Theresa May on all things Brexit and now director at the Boston Consulting Group, to look at the new protocol deal, its hidden problems and whether it will stick.

How Did We Get Here? Explaining the News is a...

Even by the standards of British Parliament, which is used to its fair share of scandal, the recent few months have been a grim time - whether it's tax rows, allegations of bullying or just MPs playing fast and loose with the rules.

So, has this become the norm in Westminster? Host Andy Bell is joined by Dr Hannah White, Director of the Institute for Government, to look at whether the current system to keep politicians in line is actually working.

How Did We Get Here? Explaining the News is a podcast from Channel 5 News...

By now, you'll be familiar with headlines warning that Britain's National Health Service, the NHS, is at "breaking point" - still feeling the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, together with chronic staff shortages, long waiting times and the recent wave of strike action.

So how do we fix it?

Is it just a question of more money, beyond the £160 billion a year the government spends already - or is the system as it is no longer fit for purpose?

To answer these questions we're joined by Alan Milburn, a former UK Health S...

The race to become the next UK Prime Minister goes through the leadership of the Conservative party. But what do the Tories want their party to be?

As Conservative MPs and members prepare to chose who will replace Boris Johnson, Andy Bell talks to Will Tanner, former Number 10 insider and director of the Think Tank Onward, to find out what sort of leader the party is looking for.

How Did We Get Here? Explaining the News is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with...

Is the UK heading for the biggest bust-up with the EU since Brexit? As Boris Johnson finalises his plan for Britain to tear up parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol, Andy Bell talks to Queen's University Belfast Professor Katy Hayward to find out if this row could destabilise the fragile peace in Northern Ireland. How Did We Get Here? Explaining the News is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts. Produced by Silvia Maresca.

When it comes to political leadership, what qualities are needed to be successful? And how do the current UK Prime Minister and US President compare to those that came before them? Andy Bell talks to LBC radio host Iain Dale and conservative MP and chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee Tom Tugendhat about the state of leadership in Britain and America today and what’s needed for the future. The episode was recorded at the Chiddingstone Literary Festival on 2 May 2022. How Did We Get Here? Explaining the News is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the wo...

From Prince Andrew's scandalous court case to the continued rift with Prince Harry, and now a less than triumphant Caribbean tour by William and Kate… It’s not been a great start to the Queen's Platinum Jubilee year. But is there more to worry about? Is real damage being done to the institution of the Monarchy? Veteran Royal watcher Robert Hardman gives Andy Bell his verdict. How Did We Get Here? Explaining the News is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts. Produced by Silvia Mare

What did Putin think he would achieve with his invasion of Ukraine? And as Russian troops’ deaths climb, could he decide to cut his losses and get out? Sir Tony Brenton, a former ambassador to Moscow, met Putin - and watched the emergence of a Russia in the President's image. He gives Andy Bell his analysis of the conflict and the possible motivations behind it. How Did We Get Here? Explaining the News is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts. Produced by Silvia Maresca.

When 5 News Chief Correspondent Tessa Chapman arrived in Kyiv on the eve of the Russian invasion, the possibility of an immediate full-scale assault on the Ukrainian capital seemed distant. “People feared what was happening in the east,” she tells Andy Bell. “But they didn’t have a sense that anything so desperate was going to happen here so soon”. As the attacks on Ukraine’s main city escalated, she joined the hundreds of thousands of refugees trying to reach the Ukrainian border, and along her journey she heard their stories, their fears and their defiance. How Did We Get Here? Explaining t...

As NATO warns Russia is trying to stage a pretext for invading Ukraine, how big is the risk of a war? Tom Tugendhat, a Conservative MP and chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, gives Andy Bell a breakdown of the Ukraine-Russia crisis, the reasons behind it and what Boris Johnson must do to show he’s serious about facing down Putin. How Did We Get Here? Explaining the News is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts. Produced by Silvia Maresca.

As the Prime Minister says he wants all Covid restrictions in England to go by the end of the month, what about those who can't put the pandemic behind them? Almost 1.3 million people are estimated to be living with long Covid in the UK, struggling with symptoms for more than a year after first becoming infected with the virus. Claire Hastie is a long Covid sufferer and founder of Britain’s biggest online support group, with over 47,000 members on Facebook. “Several times I thought I was going to die,” she tells Andy Bell, recalling her many trips to A&E since...

From the EU referendum to record numbers of people risking their lives to cross the Channel in small boats, migration is a story that never goes away. But how many people are coming to Britain these days? Where are they coming from? And does government intervention ever make a difference? Andy Bell talks to the Migration Observatory Director Madeleine Sumption about the UK’s current migrant situation, what the end of the EU free movement meant for it, and how the pandemic has made things all the more complicated. How Did We Get Here? Explaining the News is a podcast fr...

The migrant tragedy in the Channel has become yet another element in the worsening relationship between Britain and France. But why do two countries with so many shared interests just can’t seem to get along? Lord Peter Ricketts, a former National Security Advisor and UK ambassador to France, can't remember a worse time for British-French relations. He tells Andy Bell he thinks London and Paris will continue to "bump along the bottom" for some time, and that Brexit has caused a "fundamental loss of confidence" between the two governments. How Did We Get Here? Explaining the News is a po...

Boris Johnson wants his time as Prime Minister to be defined by “levelling up” - making the poorest parts of the country as prosperous as the richest. But does he have a plan? And does he have an understanding of what is needed to do that? Lord Heseltine has devoted much of his career to the question of regeneration and regional growth. A Member of Parliament for 35 years, former Cabinet Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, back in the 1980s he pioneered what we would now call “levelling up” - famously devising 30 ideas for Liverpool’s regeneration after the 1981 Toxteth riots. He tells A...

As world leaders descend on Glasgow on Sunday for COP26, what do you need to know to make sense of the blizzard of information coming your way? Climate scientist Dr Tamsin Edwards gives Andy Bell the essential guide to everything you need to know about the UN summit, which Boris Johnson says must be a turning point for humanity. How Did We Get Here? Explaining the News is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts. Produced by Silvia Maresca.

The Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies has all you need to know to be ready for Rishi Sunak's Budget and Spending Review at the end of the month. Will taxes go up again? Is there any money left for anyone else after Sajid Javid has got the lion's share? And in what kind of state has Covid left the UK’s public finances? Andy Bell speaks to British economist, Paul Johnson CBE to find out. How Did We Get Here? Explaining the News is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news st...

As the Conservatives gather for their annual conference, what does the Party stand for anymore? We "uncork the Gauke" to hear from the man who was a Treasury minister for six years. Little more than two years ago David Gauke was in the cabinet - but now he's no longer even a member of the Conservative Party. He tells Andy Bell that he believes Tony Blair's Labour government was more focused on wealth creation than this one, and that Boris Johnson is still putting up trade barriers that make life harder for businesses. How Did We Get Here? Explaining the...

You’ve probably heard of bitcoin - but do you know what that is, and how it works? Cryptocurrencies have emerged as one of the most captivating, yet head-scratching forms of investment in the word. They skyrocket in value. They crash. And, their fans claim, they’ll change the world. As El Salvador becomes the first government to demand everyone accept them as payment, it’s perhaps time we start paying attention. Should we start worrying about them, or should we be buying them? Andy Bell speaks to economist and author, Linda Yueh, to help make sense of it all. How Di...

No one could have foreseen the journey ahead of us. The effects of Covid-19 have touched every aspect of our way of life. But are we capable of living with the consequences and can government adapt? In February 2020, Andy Bell spoke with NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer in Paediatrics (Infectious Diseases) at King's College London, Dr Nathalie MacDermott about the 'strange' coronavirus which was just beginning to cause harm around the world. 16 months later, Andy Bell has gone back to Dr MacDermott to talk about what has happened since then and what we can expect next. In this episode, Dr MacDermott...

Vladimir Putin has accused the UK and US of “provocation” following the incident involving HMS Defender. Last week, The Royal Navy warship was shadowed by Russian vessels and buzzed by jets as it sailed through the disputed waters around Crimea near the Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol. The Russian president claimed there was US involvement in the operation, with an American plane sent to monitor Moscow’s response. Moscow claimed that warning shots were fired by Russian vessels at the destroyer as it passed through the contested part of the Black Sea on June 23 – an assertion dismissed by the UK G...

The G7, also known as the Group of Seven, is an international organisation made up of the world's seven largest advanced economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The member country holding the G7 presidency, currently the UK, is responsible for organising and hosting the year's annual summit. This year the event will take place in the Cornish seaside resort of Carbis Bay between the 11th and 13th of June for what will be the 47th summit. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is hosting the event but, how does the host government make one...

Jon Cruddas has thought and worried about Labour losing touch with its traditional voters probably more than any other MP. He first had to confront the threat of the BNP taking those voters more than a decade ago in Dagenham and he's been worrying about it ever since. His commitment and integrity to Labour was reflected in the fact he won the most first preference votes in the contest to be Deputy Leader in 2007, and he's preferred to influence policy rather than take roles in the Shadow Cabinet. He was asked by Ed Miliband to set out how Labour could...

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing mounting pressure over the funding of the refurbishment to his Downing Street flat, just weeks after former Prime Minister David Cameron was questioned over a lobbying row to do with his work with Greensill Capital. There is an avalanche of headlines and questions surrounding politician's honesty in public life - is this just an inevitable messiness of money colliding with power? Or is it corruption in the UK's highest office? Dr Hannah White OBE is currently the Deputy Director at the Institute for Government with extensive knowledge of Westminster and Whitehall based on over...

As Scotland gears up to vote for a new parliament, is it also heading for another independence referendum? Just seven years after the "once in a generation" event, will the existence of the UK be soon on the line if Scots are asked again to say Yes or No to Scottish independence? Andy Bell speaks with Mandy Rhodes, Managing-Editor of Holyrood Magazine and a long-term observer of Scotland's political scene. How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and...

A landmark race report has said it “rejects the common view” that ethnic minorities in the UK have worse health outcomes than the white population. The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities review claims that for some key health metrics, including life expectancy and overall mortality, ethnic minority groups had better outcomes than the white majority population. The report, commissioned in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, says this evidence “clearly suggests” ethnicity is not the “major driver” of health inequalities in the UK. Instead, it suggests that deprivation, geography and differential exposure to key risk factors, including obesity, smo...

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill is a series of Government proposals for major changes to crime and justice legislation that will effect the way police can act in England and Wales. One part of the legislation covers the measures police can put in place for protests. It comes at a time when questions have been raised about police tactics during the Covid pandemic, resulting in multiple nights of 'Kill the Bill' protests, with some turning violent in Bristol. Distressing scenes on Clapham Common surrounding a vigil for Sarah Everard made many question the way police handled the event...

Two years ago the Government commissioned an independent review by Professor Dame Carol Black looking into Britain's drug epidemic. They wanted to know how big the issue was, why it was happening and how to break the drug cycle. Dame Carol Black will be handing her recommendations to the Government in April, including proposals for prevention, treatment and recovery. She spoke with Andy Bell ahead of the release date for her independent review, in tandem Channel 5 News' #BreakingBritainsDrugCycle investigation. Her overlook is that the drug epidemic is "pretty bad" in the UK, due to a perfect storm of high-quality drugs...

Since leaving the European Union, many industries in the United Kingdom have experienced challenges in the way they operate whether through supply and demand or through importing or exporting. Government voices say there were always going to be 'teething problems', but have we gone past that point and the problems are here to stay? Raoul Ruparel was the Special Adviser to Theresa May on Europe and had a key role in the Department for Exiting the EU. He was involved in the original Brexit conversations with the EU, attempting to build a relationship that would provide a formal agreement that...

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced his post-Covid Spring budget and in general, has received a good reaction from Westminster and the public - but who misses out in the Chancellor's spending? And who will pay for the Government's £400bn+ of fiscal support? Economist Miatta Fahnbulleh is the Chief Executive of the New Economics Foundation, a British think-tank promoting "social, economic and environmental justice". She has worked in government under Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron. Miatta hopes the Government can #BuildBackBetter from the pandemic - a chance to take a fresh look at the economy and build a greener t...

The American space agency (NASA) has successfully landed its Perseverance rover on Mars and started to receive images back from the red planet. It's the second robot NASA has managed to land on Mars, following in the wheel-tracks of Curiosity which landed in 2012 - so how does the UK shape up in the space race? Dr Alice Bunn is the International Director at the UK Space Agency, responsible capturing the wider societal benefits of space programmes and harnessing the inspirational effect of space for skills and education. She speaks to Andy Bell about Britain's plans for space exploration, the likelihood...

Brexit, Covid and the prolonged wait for a trade deal with the EU - British farmers are teetering on the edge of a new world for agriculture, with a changing landscape and a drive for sustainability. But will they prosper? Or struggle without further government intervention? Minette Batters became the first woman to be president of the National Farmers Union (NFU) in 2018, after serving as the vice-president from 2014-2018. She is a tenant farmer of 300 acres and was co-founder of campaigns 'Ladies in Beef' and the 'Great British Beef Week'. In her role as NFU president, Minette Batters has agreed...

As a number of vaccines are rolled out across the United Kingdom at rapid pace, many are lining up to receive their first dose. Financial forecasters predict the UK economy will "rebound strongly" because of the speed at which the vaccine is being administered and the UK's vaccine minister has declared the nation is "getting safer every day". Reassuring news, but with it comes conspiracy theorists who believe that Covid-19 is a myth and that vaccines pose a dangerous threat to those who receive them. Professor Stephen Evans is a professor of Pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and...

The United States has reached 400,000 deaths during the coronavirus cases, way more than any other country in the world, on Donald Trump's last day as President. His replacement, Joe Biden, has said he will make tackling the pandemic the priority and knows his role will firmly be as crisis management for his first 100 days. However, those fighting the virus on America's frontlines in the hospitals have said the administration has been behind every step of the way. Identical twins Jim and Joe Gentile have been working as nurses in the healthcare system for over 40 years each - they say they've...

The Prime Minister has once again put the country into a national lockdown in a desperate attempt to protect the NHS from being overwhelmed. As conspiracy theorists question the numbers, NHS frontline staff have been fighting the coronavirus relentlessly since it came to our shores and they say now they are operating at over their full capacity - and they're concerned that the peak of the current still hasn't arrived. Dr Zudin Puthucheary is an experienced intensive care consultant at the Royal London hospital, he speaks to Andy Bell from his role as a council member at the Intensive Care...

As time runs out for the United Kingdom to reach a deal with the European Union over how it leaves the single market, Prime Minister Johnson travelled to Brussels to meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in hope of a breakthrough. Professor Catherine Barnard is a senior tutor of EU law and Employment Law at the University of Cambridge; she's also a senior fellow for The UK in a Changing Europe, a thinktank conducting independent research on Brexit and UK-EU relations. Catherine tells Andy that the future of relations post-Brexit are looking 'gloomy' as we enter the...

As the UK becomes the first country in the world to authorise a Covid-19 vaccine, what will Britain look like after the coronavirus pandemic? The outbreak has seen a massive change in the economic landscape of the four nations, with most businesses relying upon a remote workforce and many companies closing altogether as we see further big losses to the high street and in the hospitality industry. Also if you can work from home - why pay the big bucks to live in the city? Polly Mackenzie is the Chief Exec of Demos, Britain's leading independent, cross-party think tank which...

Netflix has released the 4th series of The Crown, a drama chronicling the life of Queen Elizabeth II from the 1940s to modern times. It's portrayals of Her Majesty the Queen, Prince Philip, Princess Diana, Margaret Thatcher and many more, have been celebrated thanks to the A-li But, as the series starts to catch up with recent memory, many are questioning just how accurate the storylines are. Historian and broadcaster Hugo Vickers says the show is littered with inaccuracies, and that he takes joy in spotting them. He tells Andy Bell that he is worried that many watching the series...