The Briefing Room

No crisis has had the global reach and impact of Covid-19. There have been more than 120 million recorded cases of the Coronavirus and 2.7 million people have died and curbs on people’s freedoms have become a familiar part of daily life in many parts of the world. Just over a year since the world started to get to grips with the first global pandemic in more than a century, what can we say about h...

Britain's transition period with the EU ended on December 31st. For the first time since the inception of the single market in 1992, British companies were on the outside. A trade agreement was reached meaning that no tariffs would be paid on imports or exports, but it did mean that trade would no longer be entirely friction free. It’s still early days, but what do we now know about the extent of...

The prime minister is due to announce on Monday his plan for lifting the current lockdown in England. He says he wants progress to be cautious but irreversible. And he, like many, is saying that decisions on how and when to lift lockdown need to be driven by data not dates. So what are the risks, for example, in sending primary age children back to school? Of opening pubs? Of opening non-essential...

The prospect of independence for Scotland may never have been brighter for the SNP. Elections to Holyrood are due in May and the party has promised to seek a new referendum on independence if it gains a majority. Yet, at the same time, a prominent SNP MP concluded this week that the “turmoil” within her party was “unprecedented”. Others have talked about the “fight to the death” that’s currently b...

There was pandemonium on the US stock market when shares in a chain of video game shops went through the roof. At one point GameStop’s stock, which averaged just seven dollars last year, was valued at more than 480 dollars. The frenzy was fuelled by cheerleaders on Reddit. Investors were being encouraged to buy the stock even as it became clear that they would probably lose most of their investmen...

This year marks 100 years since the creation of Northern Ireland, in May 1921. But in the light of Brexit, which has left Northern Ireland inside the EU’s single market and customs union, creating, in effect, a border in the Irish Sea, conversations about the possibility of Irish reunification are getting louder. One opinion poll suggested there is now a slender majority in Northern Ireland in fav...

Millions of people have been watching a film in the past two days that was released by Alexei Navalny, Russia's leading opposition figure, even as he languished in a Moscow jail. The film, presented by Navalny, accuses the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, of embezzlement on the grandest of scales. Mr. Putin is said to be furious. Last year there was an attempt on Mr. Navalny’s life using the ner...

More than 80 thousand people in the UK have now died with Covid-19; there are currently more than three million confirmed cases across the country and in the worst affected areas one person in 20 is infected. Even with the whole of the UK now in some form of lockdown, there are more than 35,000 people in hospital with the virus. That is around 50 per cent more than at the peak of the epidemic in t...

The past day has been an extraordinary one in the history of modern America. Firstly, the Democrats secured a majority in both houses of Congress. Secondly, Congress certified Joe Biden’s election victory - although many Republicans challenged the votes of some states. Thirdly, while the political debates were underway, pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol and four people died. David Aaronovit...

US federal regulators and dozens of state prosecutors are suing Facebook accusing it of illegal actions in buying up rivals and stifling competition. It's one of the biggest antitrusts in US history and is one of several cases being taken against big tech companies. David Aaronovitch explores the case against Facebook and the evolution of antitrust law in the US. What is the basis on which these c...

While the world’s attention has been distracted by Covid, the climate crisis has continued to pose an existential threat. But there have been significant developments this year, not least the announcement by China that it has set 2060 as the year when it will become carbon neutral. Joe Biden was elected president of the United States with promises to set a carbon neutral target of his own and to s...

The war in Afghanistan has just entered its twentieth year. It has come at an enormous cost, most notably to Afghan civilians, but also to Britain. Nearly 500 British military personnel have lost their lives there since 2001. But now, for the first time the Taliban and the elected Afghan government are involved in direct peace negotiations. The talks in Doha, which have been going on since Septemb...

With just weeks to go till the Brexit transition period ends, David Aaronovitch and The Briefing Room team explore Britain’s readiness for 2021. What will it mean for you? What have supermarkets, airlines, businesses, ports and the government done to get ready – and will it be enough? Producers: Serena Tarling, Kirsteen Knight, Sally Abrahams Editor: Jasper Corbett

Thanks to the pandemic, Britain’s borrowing is forecast to hit nearly £400bn this year, and the economy is expected to contract by more than 11 per cent. How can we afford this, and what can the government do to bring public spending under control? David Aaronovitch is joined by: Jagjit Chadha - Director of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) Nicholas Crafts - Professor...

Whoever wins the US presidential election, what policy priorities await the next man in the White House? David Aaronovitch, asks what are the domestic priorities for an-coming President Biden or a second term President Trump and how do they go about rebuilding the US economy amid an ongoing Covid pandemic? On the international front, how might America's relationship with the rest of the world chan...

Scotland has cancelled its National 5 school exams next summer - should the rest of the UK follow? On The Briefing Room David Aaronovitch asks if exams should go ahead next year, and can governments ensure assessments are fair? Contributors: Branwen Jeffreys, BBC education editor Prof Anna Vignoles, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge Laura McInerney, former editor of Schools Week Natali...

As the U.K. introduces more restrictions to stem the spread of Covid-19, why are there such marked regional differences in the infection rate? Contributors: Greg Fell, Director of Public Health, Sheffield City Council Wendy Burke, Director of Public Health, North Tyneside Council Dr Susanna Currie, Clinical Director for Cumbria Sexual Health Services at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation...

As the Home Secretary Priti Patel promises to fix a 'broken' asylum system, what measures could the government take to reduce the number of migrants crossing the English Channel? Contributors: Professor Nando Sigona, Department of Social Policy, University of Birmingham Kathleen Newland, co-founder of the Migration Policy Institute Rob McNeil, deputy director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford...

As more restrictions are put in place regarding who we can meet and where we can go, to what extent are we following the rules? Is there any evidence of fatigue among the British public when it comes to adhering to government guidance designed to stop the spread of Covid-19? David Aaronovitch looks at the latest restrictions put in place around the UK and maps our behaviour since lockdown was firs...

Sweden decided not to lockdown like other countries - was it the right decision? David Aaronovitch explores the Swedish experience of the pandemic and reveals that, for a country which didn't officially lockdown, it still introduced significant changes to everyday life, from school closures to social distancing and the cancellation of theatre shows and concerts. He looks at how the country's econo...

It's been six months since the coronavirus-induced lockdown was introduced across the UK - what have we learned about Covid-19 in that time? David Aaronovitch explores what we now know about the science of the virus, the symptoms it produces, and the policies which have been developed to tackle its spread. Contributors: Ravi Gupta, Professor of Clinical Microbiology, University of Cambridge Tim Sp...

Allegations of potential postal voting fraud and voter suppression have raised questions about the fairness of November's US presidential election, but what evidence is there to suggest these fears will be realised and influence the vote? David Aaronovitch explores the prevalence of electoral fraud in America, and in a year when the polls suggest a tight race in several states, he asks what will h...

Like many other areas of life the pandemic has hit football where it hurts: revenues are down and there’s a danger that some clubs will go out of business. But if that were to happen, does it really matter? The Premier League has become a great British export and it generates billions pounds for the British economy. Beyond its monetary value, it is also something which millions of people enjoy wat...

The EU has warned a trade deal with the UK now seems unlikely – is that just posturing to speed up negotiations or is ‘no deal’ now the most likely outcome? And how will Brexit affect you when the transition period ends – from the price of shopping, to pet passports and lorry parks, David Aaronovitch asks the experts: Katya Adler – BBC Europe Editor John Peet - Political and Brexit Editor, The Eco...

Belarus is gripped by nationwide protests, triggered by what is seen as an unfair election, rigged in favour of the country’s authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko. Violent clashes have led to the arrest of more than 6000 people, with many reporting beatings and torture at the hands of the police. President Lukashenko has told protestors they would have to kill him before there was another...