The Briefing Room

Deaths from synthetic opioids such as nitazenes and fentanyl are low in the UK but there are fears the problem could escalate and that figures don't show the true picture of the situation. David Aaronovitch explores how dangerous these drugs are, why the opioid crisis is so bad in the US, where they come from and why a shortage of heroin in the UK could mean drug cartels switch to supplying these...

This week a great queue of dentistless Bristolians appeared outside a new practice offering NHS treatment. That followed a report on children’s health which specifically referenced the poor and worsening state of their teeth. This week the government announced a package to try and improve things in England. But did it go anything like far enough to solve the problems of too few dentists being will...

This week the Education Select Committee said that Ofsted and the Government must rebuild trust and make major changes to school inspections. This follows months of news coverage of the death of Ruth Perry, the headteacher who killed herself following an Ofsted inspection at her primary school. The coroner ruled that it contributed to her death. This week we ask - what’s the point of Ofsted? David...

The UK is experiencing more rain and more floods than previously, and because of climate change this is set to get worse. More than 6 million homes are at risk of flooding in the UK. What is the state of the country’s flood defences? Can people get insurance? What can we do to prepare for a wetter future? David Aaronovitch is joined by the following experts: Louise Slater, Professor of Hydroclimat...

It’s been another difficult week for local government. Birmingham City Council announced it needs to make up to 600 redundancies to help balance its books and Middlesbrough Council decided to apply to the Government for £15m of emergency funding to avoid effective bankruptcy. Also this week new figures have been released showing just how much debt some local authorities hold. And it’s a lot. Since...

As if the conflict in Gaza wasn’t bad enough, the fighting has ignited old and new tensions elsewhere across the region. Since the surprise attack by Hamas on 7th October, clashes on the Lebanon-Israel border have restarted, attacks on US troops stationed in Syria and Iraq have escalated and a group of Houthi armed rebels from Yemen has started firing rockets at cargo ships trying to access the Su...

It’s almost 4 years since the UK left the European Union. Recent polls show a majority of people want to re-join the EU. But is this a realistic option? So in this week’s programme David Aaronovitch asks could we re-join the EU if we wanted? If we did, would it be of any benefit to the UK? And under what terms would the EU have us back? David is joined by the following experts: Peter Foster, Publi...

Aliens are back on the radar after a US Congressional hearing in the summer that featured former intelligence officer, David Grusch. The US Air Force veteran was once part of a task force created to look into what used to be called UFOs. Mr Grusch gave evidence that caused a sensation in America, claiming that the US military had, for decades, been in possession of crashed UFOs and 'non-human biol...

Housing charity Shelter’s latest figures show that homelessness has risen rapidly in the last year. In England, 279,400 people are living in temporary accommodation - an increase of 14% - most of whom are families. And the government’s own figures reveal that almost half (47%) of families who are homeless in temporary accommodation have been there for more than two years. Councils have a legal dut...

Euthanasia is currently illegal in the UK. Attempts to change the law have so far failed. However other countries have legalised assisted dying and/or euthanasia. In this programme David Aaronovitch finds out what their experience has been and what, if anything, the UK could learn from that. Joining David on the programme are: - Imogen Goold: Professor of Medical Law at University of Oxford - Agne...

The start of Ukraine’s counter-offensive against occupying Russian forces was hailed as the breakthrough moment of the war so far. Now six months on, we ask what happened? The Secretary General of NATO has said we should be ‘prepared for bad news’ and the White House has warned that the US is running out of time and money to fund the war. In this week's Briefing Room with David Aaronovitch we find...

UK net migration hit a record 745,000 in 2022 according to recently revised figures from the Office for National Statistics. That means the numbers coming to live in the UK were almost three quarters of a million more than those leaving. Reducing the numbers of people entering the country has long been a government priority with famous promises to reduce it to “tens of thousands”. In a post-Brexit...

In recent weeks, and for obvious reasons, all eyes have been on Gaza. But more Palestinians live in the West Bank, the other Palestinian territory, and the area is critical forany chances of durable peace. Or to an expansion of the violence. So what is happening there right now? What is likely to happen? And does it entail more disaster or hold out the prospect of a settlement? David Aaronovitch t...

Israel and Hamas are at war and there are no signs of a quick resolution. But what would a resolution actually look like and who's actually going to try and negotiate one? David Aaronovitch talks to: Shashank Joshi, Defence editor at The Economist Steven Erlanger, Chief Diplomatic correspondent in Europe for The New York Times Professor Lina Khatib, Director of the Middle East Institute at SOAS Un...

David Aaronovitch and guests talk through the thinking behind Hamas's deadly attack on Israel, discuss what might happen next and ask what all this means politically. Guests: Jennifer Jefferis, Director of Curriculum at the Security Studies Program, in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown Shashank Joshi, Defence editor at The Economist David Makovsky, Ziegler Distinguished Fellow at The Was...

David Aaronovitch and guests talk about what a second Trump presidency might mean for America's relationship with the world and discuss what countries are doing to prepare. Guests: Anthony Zurcher, BBC North America correspondent Inu Manak, fellow for trade policy at the Council on Foreign Relations Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King's College London Elizabeth Saunder...

When a Canadian Sikh was murdereed in British Colombia in June few predicted the diplomatic bust up that ensued. What does this say about India's relationship with the West? David Aaronovitch speaks to: Professor Gurharpal Singh, Emeritus Professor of Sikh and Punjab Studies at SOAS Nadine Yousif, BBC Canada Correspondent, based in Toronto Shruti Kapila, Professor of History & Politics at the...

David Aaronovitch and guests discuss how Conservative and Labour preparations for the next election will be dictated by the state of the UK's public finances. Guests: Paul Johnson, Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies Mehreen Khan, economics editor of The Times Torsten Bell, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation Production: Ben Carter, Claire Bowes and Kirsteen Knight Production co-...

Two years ago we looked at Britain’s political geography and the role of identity and party loyalty. In this special programme in front of a live audience, David Aaronovitch and guests discuss what’s changed since then. David talks to: Paula Surridge, political sociologist from the University of Bristol Rosie Campbell, Professor of Politics at King's College, London Rob Ford, Professor of Politica...

Some school buildings in England have been forced to close or do urgent repairs because they’re built with a potentially crumbling material, reinforced autoclave aerated concrete, known as RAAC. Lightweight and cheap, RAAC was widely used during the post-war building boom of the 1950s, 60s and 70s. But it has a limited shelf-life, which experts have been aware of for the last 30 years. And poor ma...

The number of holiday lets in England rose by 40% between 2018 and 2021. There's been a similar boom across the UK and governments are at varying stages of legislation to regulate the industry and curb the problems associated with these kinds of rentals. Launching England's consultation earlier this year the Secretary of State for Leveling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, said too many p...

Former US President Donald Trump now faces multiple criminal and civil cases. Which are the most serious, what do they mean for his presidential campaign and could the US constitution prevent him from taking office if he wins the 2024 election? David Aaronovitch speaks to: Sarah Smith, BBC North America Editor Renato Mariotti, Legal Affairs Columnist for POLITICO Magazine, former federal prosecuto...

What is the European Convention on Human Rights, how does it impact what the UK government can do and what would the ramifications be if the UK left it? Joining David Aaronovitch in The Briefing Room: Dr. Ed Bates, Associate Professor, University of Leicester School of Law. Author of The Evolution of the European Convention on Human Rights. Robert Spano, Partner at Gibson Dunn, Former President of...

Military unrest in Niger isn't an uncommon phenomenon. There have been five coups in the last 50 years. But what's behind the latest one and is a peaceful resolution possible? David Aaronovitch talks to: Paul Melly, Consulting Fellow at Chatham House Africa Programme Gare Amadou, journalist and manager of the newspaper Le Canard Dechaine in Niger Nabila Ramdani, French Algerian journalist Olayinka...

With vast financial resources and a new found desire to engage in regional and global diplomacy, Saudi Arabia has got the world's attention. But just how powerful can it become? David Aaronovitch talks to: Frank Gardner, BBC Security Correspondent Quinn Slobodian, Professor of History at Wellesley College and author of Crack-Up Capitalism Simon Chadwick, Professor of sport and geopolitical economy...