This Is Why

On Tuesday afternoon, James Cleverly got the most votes from Tory MPs in the party’s leadership contest. One day later and the next round of voting went a different way. Cleverly failed to make the final two.    Party members will now choose between Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick in a clear indication that the party will shift towards the right in the months after its election defeat.    So, wha...

The departure of Sue Gray, as Sir Keir Starmer's most senior adviser in Number 10, has shone a spotlight on the role of special advisers in government.      So on today’s Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by our deputy political editor Sam Coates to find out exactly what role these advisers, often known as SpAds, play in the running of the country.     Niall also speaks to former Conservati...

It's one year on since Hamas's 7 October attack on Israel, which was followed by Israel's mission to eradicate the terror group in Gaza. In short, what followed was a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Iranian attacks on Israel, and Israel fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon.     With the region yet to find a sustainable path away from conflict, on the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson takes a step back and asks...

With only a month to go until the US election, Sky’s dedicated team of correspondents goes on the road to gauge what voters in key swing states make of the choice for president.           This week a series of unexpected events have been derailing the campaign. Iranian ballistic missiles poured into Israel, putting foreign policy at the top of the agenda at the vice presidential debate as Democrat...

With the Middle East on the edge of an all-out war, Sky News Daily takes a look at how the situation looks for civilians on the ground, and what could happen next.  Niall Paterson is joined by special correspondent, Alex Crawford, who is on the ground in the old city of Tyre in the south of Lebanon.   He also speaks to Deborah Haynes, our security and defence editor, who is near the Israel-Lebanon...

Israel has a layered air defence system, which has acted to protect the country from the latest wave of incoming missiles from Iran.      The more well-known Iron Dome brings down frequent incoming short-range rocket systems fired at Israel by both Hezbollah and Hamas. David's Sling, and Arrow 2 and 3, are built to tackle medium-range and long-range ballistic missiles, but how does Israel's defenc...

Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat are contenders to become the next Conservative Party leader.       With infighting already playing out among the candidates, and outgoing leader Rishi Sunak calling for party unity, can whoever is successfully chosen last until, and even win, the next general election in 2029?       On this episode of the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterso...

President Biden has said "all-out war" in the Middle East has to be avoided after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in Israeli airstrikes on Beirut.    The White House has tried to tread carefully to contain tensions between Israel and both Hamas and Hezbollah, who are backed by Iran.     But the strikes which killed Nasrallah happened hours after Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netany...

Sky News’ team of US correspondents bring you original stories and analysis from their reporting across the country in the build-up to the presidential election.     This time – what will the scandal involving Donald Trump-backed candidate Mark Robinson mean in North Carolina? They are at early voting in Virginia and discuss what Hurricane Helene means for the campaign in Florida.     Mark Stone i...

The threat of an all-out conflict between Israel and Hezbollah seems to be edging closer after Israel rejected Lebanon ceasefire plans.   The Iranian-backed militant group has been a force in Middle East politics and conflict for decades, but has suffered heavy losses in the last few weeks after Israeli attacks.  Niall Paterson speaks to Sky's international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn about how...

Sanctions on Russia were introduced two years ago shortly after the start of the country’s Ukrainian invasion. The purpose? To limit the Russian war machine and starve Russian oligarchs of access to luxury items.     Our economics and data editor Ed Conway noticed that sales of British luxury vehicles to Russia had fallen away to almost nothing, yet sales to former Soviet states such as Azerbaijan...

As Sir Keir Starmer delivers his first leader's speech as prime minister to a packed-out conference hall in Liverpool, can he convince his party, and the country, that Labour's promise to deliver "national renewal" in return for short-term pain will be worth it?      Niall Paterson gets the reaction of Labour's front bench from the conference floor and sits down with Sky's deputy political editor...

As the UK's first female chancellor delivers her speech to the Labour Party's annual conference in Liverpool, the Sky News Daily asks why the new government is already fighting to regain the trust of the public.     Host Niall Paterson is joined by Sky's political editor Beth Rigby and economic and data editor Ed Conway in the conference hall to comb through Rachel Reeves's speech.    Producer: Ro...

With seven weeks to go until the US goes to the polls, Sky’s dedicated team of correspondents goes on the road to gauge what citizens in key swing states make of the choice for president.      This week they focus on the second assassination attempt on Donald Trump.   Mark Stone travels to Florida where the foiled attack took place, James Matthews has been finding out more on the would-be assassin...

In a rare insight into the prisons crisis, a serving governor at one of the UK's crowded jails has spoken anonymously to Sky News about conditions inside, the reality of early release and why we should rethink who is put behind bars.     "There is a smell that you would always associate with prison. It's the smell of unwashed bodies," they told Sky News.     On this episode, Niall Paterson speaks...

In Hull, in the aftermath of summer riots that saw an asylum hotel attacked, shops looted, and cars burned, two strong feelings remain.    Resentment over a perceived strain placed on local services by asylum seekers and anger from the feeling that politicians are ignoring their concerns.    On this episode, Niall Paterson is joined by producer Sarah O’Connell, who recently visited Hull to meet re...

Ed Davey told the Liberal Democrat party conference that he would "cut through the government's doom and gloom" and plans to "vanquish what's left of the Conservative Party".      With attention-grabbing stunts, which this week extended to arriving at the conference on a jet ski, and a record-breaking 72 seats in parliament making them the third biggest party, can the Lib Dems keep the momentum go...

Donald Trump has faced a second assassination attempt while playing golf in Florida.     The accused, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, is said to have fled the scene but was eventually arrested and charged with federal gun crimes. With just seven weeks out from election day, how will voters react to the apparent second bid on Trump's life?     Niall Paterson is joined by Scarlett Maguire, director o...

With eight weeks before the US goes to the polls, Sky’s dedicated team of correspondents goes on the road to gauge what citizens in key swing states make of the choice for president.      This week, James Matthews has been to Bucks County in Pennsylvania to see what voters in that crucial state made of the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Meanwhile, Mark Stone has been investigating...

Sir Keir Starmer has said the NHS must "reform or die" following Lord Darzi's damning report which paints a grim picture of the state of the health service.     On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson speaks to health correspondent Ashish Joshi about what the prime minister has promised to do to save it.      Among the promises is moving from an "analogue to a digital NHS". Niall speaks to medical t...

Vice president Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump have gone head to head for the first time.       In a fiery 90 minutes, Ms Harris attacked the former president over his criminal convictions and the size of the crowds at his rallies, while Mr Trump doubled down on claims the Democrats had damaged the US economy.       Mark Austin is joined by US correspondent James Matthews from the...

On Tuesday, 1,700 prisoners were released early from their sentences in the first phase of Labour's plan to tackle overcrowding.        Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson says the prisoners will serve the rest of their sentence under the strictest licensing conditions, but there are questions over whether this is a long-term solution as currently 2,000 prisoners are recalled every month for brea...

Sudan has suffered three domestic wars spanning well over 40 years of the country's 67 years of independence.  Millions of people have been displaced and thousands killed.   Now a joint investigation by Sky News, Lighthouse Reports, Washington Post and Le Monde has uncovered the gruesome details of a massacre which took place last year - one of the first episodes of ethnically motivated atrocities...

This year has been the deadliest on the English Channel in three years. Six children and a pregnant woman are among the twelve who died on Tuesday after their boat sank off the French coast, bringing the number killed in 2024 to nearly 40.  Today, the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is hosting a summit aimed at smashing the criminal gangs that send the boats across the Channel.  On the Sky News Daily...

The government is bringing in new laws which will see stiffer penalties for water companies and possible jail sentences for their bosses if they don't deal with sewage problems.    The environment secretary, Steve Reed, chaired a meeting attended by the water industry, investors and campaigners where he announced a landmark review into how the industry works. Niall Patterson spoke to our business...