The Briefing Room

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...

This week children start to return to school in Scotland, with the rest of the UK due to reopen schools in September. For most students this is the first time they'll be setting foot inside a school since March - the longest interruption to schooling in living memory. But with the number of coronavirus cases back on the rise, how should we balance the risks of reopening schools, against the risks...

Recent polls suggest a growing majority of people in Scotland now favour independence, so what’s behind the change since the 2014 referendum when 55% of voters chose to remain in the Union? How likely is another vote considering Boris Johnson has said it’s not going to happen and what issues are likely to dominate campaigning if it does? David Aaronovitch asks the experts: Allan Little reported wi...

The government says “tackling obesity is one of the greatest long-term health challenges this country faces” and has published a plan to help people in England lose weight. What’s in it, what’s not, and what more could be done? David Aaronovitch asks the experts: David Buck is a senior fellow at the health think tank The Kings Fund and used to work for The Department of Health Smitha Mundas is a d...

How can the UK shape its foreign policy in response to threats posed by the likes of Russia and China? And how does that fit with the government’s vision of ‘Global Britain'? David Aaronovitch asks the experts: James Landale: BBC Diplomatic Correspondent Lord Ricketts: former diplomat, ambassador and national security advisor Dr Leslie Vinjamuri: director of the the US & Americas programme at...

The Chinese Communist Party is accused of locking up hundreds of thousands of Uighurs in internment camps. In the Uighurs' homeland in Xinjiang, the state operates a system of mass-surveillance and is accused of human rights abuses against the mainly Muslim minority including forced labour and compulsory birth control. China says the camps are not prisons but schools for ‘thought transformation’ a...

The pandemic will impact the way healthcare is delivered for years to come. At the same time as preparing for a possible second wave, the NHS also has to work its way through a backlog of delayed appointments and treatments. Waiting lists could top 10 million people this year. David Aaronvicth asks the experts what Covid-19 has done to healthcare in the UK and how can it recover: Journalist Chris...

In Germany fences have gone up to keep people in their homes and stop the spread of Coronavirus, while some people in Melbourne are being threatened with fines or imprisonment for travelling to other states. Could that happen in the UK? The new lockdown in Leicester is likely to be the first of many, so how should local lockdowns work and when should they be introduced? David Aaronovitch asks the...

The Bank of England says unemployment could approach 10 per cent this year and as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is wound down, many economists are warning it could go even higher. With more than a quarter of the UK workforce already on furlough, what can be done to make sure they have jobs to go back to? David Aaronovitch examines the government’s options and hears who is most vulnerable. C...

How have China's relations with other countries changed since the arrival of the virus? The US and China have been facing each other off for years, but increasingly other nations are questioning the benefits that China's growing dominance has brought. David Aaronovitch explores how that is being viewed within China itself. Has trust in the communist regime declined or are nationalistic attitudes s...

What damage are the pandemic and lockdown doing to the economy and what could happen next? David Aaronovitch explores the economic impact of physical distancing on business, whether our fast expanding national debt is sustainable and the threat posed by declining consumer confidence on our economic recovery. Does history offer a guide as to how and when people should return to work and government...

Have the mounting deaths exposed cracks in the way we deliver care to some of our most vulnerable people? David Aaronovitch looks at how the system is structured and funded. and why it sometimes struggles to gain the political attention it needs. This is a sector in which people have called for reform has for decades but very little has been delivered. How have other countries care systems coped d...