The Briefing Room Podcast
David Aaronovitch and a panel of experts and insiders present in-depth explainers on big issues in the news
Episodes to download
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The Far Right in America
Thu 17 Aug 2017
What do the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, tell us about the far-right in America?
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Is Venezuela on the brink of collapse?
Thu 10 Aug 2017
How did the oil rich state of Venezuela see such a rapid economic decline?
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A Great Day at the White House?
Thu 3 Aug 2017
It's been a tumultuous week in DC, but how much does the chaos in the West Wing matter?
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Why is there still a migrant crisis in Europe?
Thu 27 Jul 2017
This year almost 100,000 people have arrived in Italy by boat and 2,000 have died trying
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The Crisis in Conservatism
Thu 20 Jul 2017
Are Tory divisions temporary or symptomatic of deeper problems?
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Where does Labour stand on Brexit?
Thu 13 Jul 2017
Labour has crucial role in shaping Brexit since the Tories lost their overall majority
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The Cost of Abandoning Austerity
Thu 6 Jul 2017
David Aaronovitch explores the arguments for and against raising public spending
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Labour's Election Result: A Successful Failure?
Thu 15 Jun 2017
The election was supposed to be a disaster for Jeremy Corbyn - but wasn't. Why?
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Trump, Russia and the FBI
Thu 18 May 2017
What to make of the mounting investigations into Donald Trump's campaign.
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How Do We Pay for the UK?
Thu 11 May 2017
The need-to-know facts on where taxes come from and how they're spent
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How Does France Work?
Thu 4 May 2017
David Aaronovitch examines the state, economy and changing people of France
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The Problem of North Korea
Thu 27 Apr 2017
David Aaronovich explores what to do about a nuclear North Korea.
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Snap General Election
Thu 20 Apr 2017
What defines British voters today, and how will the vote in June shape Britain?
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Should we worry about Turkey?
Thu 13 Apr 2017
What does Turkey's referendum mean for the UK's foreign policy?
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Can the NHS Survive?
Thu 6 Apr 2017
What are the changes needed now to ensure the NHS is sustainable in the future?
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Britain's Broken Housing Market
Thu 2 Mar 2017
Is building more homes the only answer to fixing the housing market?
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Does IS Need a State?
Thu 23 Feb 2017
What will happen if the Islamic State loses its state? David Aaronovitch investigates.
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Is It Time to Renationalise the Railways?
Thu 16 Feb 2017
Public ownership is a popular idea with voters, but would it improve Britain's railways?
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Trump and Trade
Thu 9 Feb 2017
Can President Trump deliver on his promise to bring back outsourced manufacturing jobs?
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Trump and the Economy
Thu 2 Feb 2017
Will President Trump's plan to put 'America first' make the USA richer?
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India's Bonfire of the Bank Notes
Thu 26 Jan 2017
Why did India's prime minister ban the country's most widely-used bank notes?
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Drugs in West Yorkshire
Thu 19 Jan 2017
How did British-Pakistani gangs come to dominate the drugs trade in Yorkshire?
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Aleppo: After the Evacuation
Thu 12 Jan 2017
What happened after the buses left eastern Aleppo? David Aaronovitch finds out.
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Liberalism's Horrible Year
Thu 22 Dec 2016
What is Liberalism? And did it die in 2016 as both left and right wing media claim?
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Yemen: A Global Conflict
Thu 15 Dec 2016
What are the causes of Yemen's civil war and who is fighting?
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The Prison Problem
Thu 8 Dec 2016
What are the policies and political decisions which led to the current crisis in prisons?
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The Investigatory Powers Act a.k.a The Snoopers' Charter
Thu 1 Dec 2016
What powers does the so-called 'Snoopers' Charter' give to the intelligence services?
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VIP Sex Abuse Allegations
Thu 24 Nov 2016
How did police investigations into VIP sex abuse go astray?
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Infrastructure: The Roads to Recovery?
Thu 20 Oct 2016
Is building roads and bridges the best way to solve our economic woes?
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Black Lives Matter UK
Thu 13 Oct 2016
What does Black Lives Matter stand for in the UK? David Aaronovitch finds out.