How did we get here? Explaining the news

Is the UK heading for the biggest bust-up with the EU since Brexit?

As Boris Johnson finalises his plan for Britain to tear up parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol, Andy Bell talks to Queen's University Belfast Professor Katy Hayward to find out if this row could destabilise the fragile peace in Northern Ireland.

How Did We Get Here? Explaining the News is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts. Produced by Silvia Maresca.

When it comes to political leadership, what qualities are needed to be successful? And how do the current UK Prime Minister and US President compare to those that came before them?

Andy Bell talks to LBC radio host Iain Dale and conservative MP and chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee Tom Tugendhat about the state of leadership in Britain and America today and what’s needed for the future.

The episode was recorded at the Chiddingstone Literary Festival on 2 May 2022.

How Did We Get Here? Explaining the News is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts. Produced by Silvia Maresca.

From Prince Andrew's scandalous court case to the continued rift with Prince Harry, and now a less than triumphant Caribbean tour by William and Kate… It’s not been a great start to the Queen's Platinum Jubilee year.

But is there more to worry about? Is real damage being done to the institution of the Monarchy? Veteran Royal watcher Robert Hardman gives Andy Bell his verdict.

How Did We Get Here? Explaining the News is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts. Produced by Silvia Maresca.

What did Putin think he would achieve with his invasion of Ukraine? And as Russian troops’ deaths climb, could he decide to cut his losses and get out?

Sir Tony Brenton, a former ambassador to Moscow, met Putin - and watched the emergence of a Russia in the President's image. He gives Andy Bell his analysis of the conflict and the possible motivations behind it.

How Did We Get Here? Explaining the News is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts. Produced by Silvia Maresca.

When 5 News Chief Correspondent Tessa Chapman arrived in Kyiv on the eve of the Russian invasion, the possibility of an immediate full-scale assault on the Ukrainian capital seemed distant.

“People feared what was happening in the east,” she tells Andy Bell. “But they didn’t have a sense that anything so desperate was going to happen here so soon”.

As the attacks on Ukraine’s main city escalated, she joined the hundreds of thousands of refugees trying to reach the Ukrainian border, and along her journey she heard their stories, their fears and their defiance.

How Did We Get Here? Explaining the News is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts. Produced by Silvia Maresca.

As NATO warns Russia is trying to stage a pretext for invading Ukraine, how big is the risk of a war?

Tom Tugendhat, a Conservative MP and chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, gives Andy Bell a breakdown of the Ukraine-Russia crisis, the reasons behind it and what Boris Johnson must do to show he’s serious about facing down Putin.

How Did We Get Here? Explaining the News is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts. Produced by Silvia Maresca.

From the EU referendum to record numbers of people risking their lives to cross the Channel in small boats, migration is a story that never goes away.

But how many people are coming to Britain these days? Where are they coming from? And does government intervention ever make a difference?

Andy Bell talks to the Migration Observatory Director Madeleine Sumption about the UK’s current migrant situation, what the end of the EU free movement meant for it, and how the pandemic has made things all the more complicated.

How Did We Get Here? Explaining the News is a podcast from 5 News.
Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts.

Produced by Silvia Maresca.

The migrant tragedy in the Channel has become yet another element in the worsening relationship between Britain and France. But why do two countries with so many shared interests just can’t seem to get along?

Lord Peter Ricketts, a former National Security Advisor and UK ambassador to France, can't remember a worse time for British-French relations.

He tells Andy Bell he thinks London and Paris will continue to "bump along the bottom" for some time, and that Brexit has caused a "fundamental loss of confidence" between the two governments.

How Did We Get Here? Explaining the News is a podcast from 5 News.

Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts.

Produced by Silvia Maresca.

Boris Johnson wants his time as Prime Minister to be defined by “levelling up” - making the poorest parts of the country as prosperous as the richest.

But does he have a plan? And does he have an understanding of what is needed to do that?

Lord Heseltine has devoted much of his career to the question of regeneration and regional growth. A Member of Parliament for 35 years, former Cabinet Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, back in the 1980s he pioneered what we would now call “levelling up” - famously devising 30 ideas for Liverpool’s regeneration after the 1981 Toxteth riots.

He tells Andy Bell he has strong views on how it should happen, and reveals this Government thinks it’s worth getting his advice as well.

How Did We Get Here? Explaining The News is a podcast from 5 News.

Join Andy Bell as he explains the world’s biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts and analysts.

Produced by Silvia Maresca.

As world leaders descend on Glasgow on Sunday for COP26, what do you need to know to make sense of the blizzard of information coming your way?

Climate scientist Dr Tamsin Edwards gives Andy Bell the essential guide to everything you need to know about the UN summit, which Boris Johnson says must be a turning point for humanity.

How Did We Get Here? Explaining the News is a podcast from 5 News.
Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts.
Produced by Silvia Maresca.

The Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies has all you need to know to be ready for Rishi Sunak's Budget and Spending Review at the end of the month.

Will taxes go up again? Is there any money left for anyone else after Sajid Javid has got the lion's share? And in what kind of state has Covid left the UK’s public finances? Andy Bell speaks to British economist, Paul Johnson CBE to find out.

How Did We Get Here? Explaining the News is a podcast from 5 News.
Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts.
Produced by Silvia Maresca.

As the Conservatives gather for their annual conference, what does the Party stand for anymore? We "uncork the Gauke" to hear from the man who was a Treasury minister for six years.

Little more than two years ago David Gauke was in the cabinet - but now he's no longer even a member of the Conservative Party.

He tells Andy Bell that he believes Tony Blair's Labour government was more focused on wealth creation than this one, and that Boris Johnson is still putting up trade barriers that make life harder for businesses.


How Did We Get Here? Explaining the News is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts.
Produced by Silvia Maresca.

You’ve probably heard of bitcoin - but do you know what that is, and how it works?

Cryptocurrencies have emerged as one of the most captivating, yet head-scratching forms of investment in the word. They skyrocket in value. They crash. And, their fans claim, they’ll change the world.

As El Salvador becomes the first government to demand everyone accept them as payment, it’s perhaps time we start paying attention.

Should we start worrying about them, or should we be buying them?

Andy Bell speaks to economist and author, Linda Yueh, to help make sense of it all.


How Did We Get Here? Explaining the News is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts.
Produced by Silvia Maresca.

No one could have foreseen the journey ahead of us. The effects of Covid-19 have touched every aspect of our way of life. But are we capable of living with the consequences and can government adapt?

In February 2020, Andy Bell spoke with NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer in Paediatrics (Infectious Diseases) at King's College London, Dr Nathalie MacDermott about the 'strange' coronavirus which was just beginning to cause harm around the world.

16 months later, Andy Bell has gone back to Dr MacDermott to talk about what has happened since then and what we can expect next.

In this episode, Dr MacDermott tells us her own story: she caught Covid at the beginning of last year and she has not fully recovered.

"Somehow there has been some kind of damage to my spinal cord [...] And over the last year there seems to have been a progression of gradual loss of different neurological functions, so I now walk with crutches."

She also worries that the current government strategy is risky and does not take into account the fact that even if people are not hospitalised, they can still suffer real ill health as a result.

"Long Covid has a potential to cause a significant damage not just to people's lives and livelihood, but to our economy by people being sick of work for a year or more."

Vladimir Putin has accused the UK and US of “provocation” following the incident involving HMS Defender.

Last week, The Royal Navy warship was shadowed by Russian vessels and buzzed by jets as it sailed through the disputed waters around Crimea near the Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol.

The Russian president claimed there was US involvement in the operation, with an American plane sent to monitor Moscow’s response.

Moscow claimed that warning shots were fired by Russian vessels at the destroyer as it passed through the contested part of the Black Sea on June 23 – an assertion dismissed by the UK Government, which said only that a routine “gunnery exercise” took place.

During a marathon live call-in show on Russian television, Mr Putin said “I don’t think we were on the brink of World War Three” but the incident “was a provocation”.

Will this mean that we are already in a conflict with Russia - one that's even more intense than the Cold War and could this one get hotter?

Andy Bell speaks with former Europe minister in the Labour Government and now Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Russia, Chris Bryant.

Mr Bryant talks us through the relationship between Russia and Britain since Vladimir Putin took power. "Cordial but robust" is how Chris would describe the relationship Britain should have with Russia.

"We are already in conflict," he points out and there is a "semi warfare going on already" but he doesn't think Britain and Russia will end up shooting artillery at one another.

The G7, also known as the Group of Seven, is an international organisation made up of the world's seven largest advanced economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The member country holding the G7 presidency, currently the UK, is responsible for organising and hosting the year's annual summit.

This year the event will take place in the Cornish seaside resort of Carbis Bay between the 11th and 13th of June for what will be the 47th summit.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is hosting the event but, how does the host government make one a success? And, do we even need these international jamborees?

Andy Bell speaks with former veteran and senior adviser to Gordon Brown, now Lord Stewart Wood.

Lord Wood talks us through what actually happens on these big occasions behind closed doors. He says that politicians get really excited and people actually have to do the hard work for the summit to be successful.

But "on the whole, it's an amazingly positive moment unless something goes wrong." He also adds that in hosting the summit you need to have what it's called a 'deliverable' - an output which is and will be remembered.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts.

Jon Cruddas has thought and worried about Labour losing touch with its traditional voters probably more than any other MP.

He first had to confront the threat of the BNP taking those voters more than a decade ago in Dagenham and he's been worrying about it ever since.

His commitment and integrity to Labour was reflected in the fact he won the most first preference votes in the contest to be Deputy Leader in 2007, and he's preferred to influence policy rather than take roles in the Shadow Cabinet.

He was asked by Ed Miliband to set out how Labour could maintain its appeal to its traditional voters, and has just written a book called "The Dignity of Labour".

In this frank interview he says there is no future in Labour abandoning those traditional voters and pursuing voters in cities and university towns - and anyway it would betray Labour's fundamental purpose, which is to represent working-class voters.

But he does share his concern that the party could die if it does not reconnect with those voters, he tells Andy Bell the way to do it is to look across the Atlantic at what President Joe Biden is doing.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing mounting pressure over the funding of the refurbishment to his Downing Street flat, just weeks after former Prime Minister David Cameron was questioned over a lobbying row to do with his work with Greensill Capital.

There is an avalanche of headlines and questions surrounding politician's honesty in public life - is this just an inevitable messiness of money colliding with power? Or is it corruption in the UK's highest office?

Dr Hannah White OBE is currently the Deputy Director at the Institute for Government with extensive knowledge of Westminster and Whitehall based on over a decade of experience in parliament and the civil service.

Previously she ran the Committee on Standards in Public Life in the Cabinet Office - the Committee responsible for overseeing these matters.

Hannah's OBE was awarded to her for 'Services to the Constitution' in 2020.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts.

As Scotland gears up to vote for a new parliament, is it also heading for another independence referendum?

Just seven years after the "once in a generation" event, will the existence of the UK be soon on the line if Scots are asked again to say Yes or No to Scottish independence?

Andy Bell speaks with Mandy Rhodes, Managing-Editor of Holyrood Magazine and a long-term observer of Scotland's political scene.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts.

A landmark race report has said it “rejects the common view” that ethnic minorities in the UK have worse health outcomes than the white population.

The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities review claims that for some key health metrics, including life expectancy and overall mortality, ethnic minority groups had better outcomes than the white majority population.

The report, commissioned in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, says this evidence “clearly suggests” ethnicity is not the “major driver” of health inequalities in the UK. Instead, it suggests that deprivation, geography and differential exposure to key risk factors, including obesity, smoking and alcohol use, were indicators for worse health outcomes.

Dr Adwoa Danso is a GP who runs The Clinic Diaries – a social media platform that discusses health and clinical issues, and where she has recently been vocal on the Black Lives Matter movement and the uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill is a series of Government proposals for major changes to crime and justice legislation that will effect the way police can act in England and Wales. One part of the legislation covers the measures police can put in place for protests.

It comes at a time when questions have been raised about police tactics during the Covid pandemic, resulting in multiple nights of 'Kill the Bill' protests, with some turning violent in Bristol.

Distressing scenes on Clapham Common surrounding a vigil for Sarah Everard made many question the way police handled the event - the vigil had been deemed illegal under Coronavirus restrictions, yet a large gathering took place anyway.

Andy Bell speaks with John Apter, Chairman of the Police Federation for England and Wales. In his role, John represents over 100,000 officers and he himself has been a serving Police Officer for 28 years.

John says that while the Police Bill may contain contentious proposals, the vast majority of the legislation has been back and campaigned for by the Police Federation in an attempt to protect their officers and make legislation fit for purpose.

John Apter is keen to stress that the police are not the law-makers, but are here to serve the public and will do so as they've been told. He says that the pandemic has put many officers in an impossible situation at times, feeling that they are "damned if they do, and damned if they don't" while trying to navigate the various Covid restrictions that are "alien" to everyday policing.

He notes that during the pandemic the crime that has risen most has been crimes of abuse against police officers, and tells Andy why he hopes all frontline services will receive their Covid vaccines sooner rather than later.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts.

Two years ago the Government commissioned an independent review by Professor Dame Carol Black looking into Britain's drug epidemic. They wanted to know how big the issue was, why it was happening and how to break the drug cycle.

Dame Carol Black will be handing her recommendations to the Government in April, including proposals for prevention, treatment and recovery.

She spoke with Andy Bell ahead of the release date for her independent review, in tandem Channel 5 News' #BreakingBritainsDrugCycle investigation. Her overlook is that the drug epidemic is "pretty bad" in the UK, due to a perfect storm of high-quality drugs (heroin and cocaine) and years of austerity for those in the most vulnerable groups.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts.

Since leaving the European Union, many industries in the United Kingdom have experienced challenges in the way they operate whether through supply and demand or through importing or exporting.

Government voices say there were always going to be 'teething problems', but have we gone past that point and the problems are here to stay?

Raoul Ruparel was the Special Adviser to Theresa May on Europe and had a key role in the Department for Exiting the EU. He was involved in the original Brexit conversations with the EU, attempting to build a relationship that would provide a formal agreement that would be beneficial for both sides.

Raoul tells Andy Bell that there don't seem to be any areas of the UK economy that have benefited from leaving the European Union, but also states that the dier warnings and forecasts of falling of a cliff edge haven't materialised.

He says that things like admin costs, delays and additional border checks may iron out slightly over time - but that other so-called teething problems are likely here to stay and are just a result of the deal that was struck.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced his post-Covid Spring budget and in general, has received a good reaction from Westminster and the public - but who misses out in the Chancellor's spending? And who will pay for the Government's £400bn+ of fiscal support?

Economist Miatta Fahnbulleh is the Chief Executive of the New Economics Foundation, a British think-tank promoting "social, economic and environmental justice". She has worked in government under Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron.

Miatta hopes the Government can #BuildBackBetter from the pandemic - a chance to take a fresh look at the economy and build a greener that provides a few basic things for every family; a good job, enough food for their children, quality care and a warm home on a healthy planet.

She tells Andy Bell that the Chancellor's spending plans don't go far enough and that the tax policies he's freezing and changing could be altered altogether so that those who have done well out of the pandemic can pay for those who are struggling.

Miatta warns that while the budget has responded well, on the whole, to support the economy through a pandemic, she's concerned that as the UK leaves lockdown and the grasp of Covid the support will be dropped and those who needed it will be ignored or forgotten about.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts.

The American space agency (NASA) has successfully landed its Perseverance rover on Mars and started to receive images back from the red planet.

It's the second robot NASA has managed to land on Mars, following in the wheel-tracks of Curiosity which landed in 2012 - so how does the UK shape up in the space race?

Dr Alice Bunn is the International Director at the UK Space Agency, responsible capturing the wider societal benefits of space programmes and harnessing the inspirational effect of space for skills and education.

She speaks to Andy Bell about Britain's plans for space exploration, the likelihood of a British astronaut landing on the moon and explains where the next generation of UK astronauts may be found.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts and analysts.

Brexit, Covid and the prolonged wait for a trade deal with the EU - British farmers are teetering on the edge of a new world for agriculture, with a changing landscape and a drive for sustainability. But will they prosper? Or struggle without further government intervention?

Minette Batters became the first woman to be president of the National Farmers Union (NFU) in 2018, after serving as the vice-president from 2014-2018. She is a tenant farmer of 300 acres and was co-founder of campaigns 'Ladies in Beef' and the 'Great British Beef Week'.

In her role as NFU president, Minette Batters has agreed a target for the NFU of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, and has also embraced the challenge of changes brought about through leaving the European Union.

She tells Andy Bell that farmers and businesses alike will have to be able to stand on their own feet post-Brexit, but says it is important for the Government to invest if they want to keep food affordable and competitive.

Minette sets out an optimistic look at the future of UK farming, aspiring to be a world leader in sustainability.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts and analysts.

As a number of vaccines are rolled out across the United Kingdom at rapid pace, many are lining up to receive their first dose. Financial forecasters predict the UK economy will "rebound strongly" because of the speed at which the vaccine is being administered and the UK's vaccine minister has declared the nation is "getting safer every day".

Reassuring news, but with it comes conspiracy theorists who believe that Covid-19 is a myth and that vaccines pose a dangerous threat to those who receive them.

Professor Stephen Evans is a professor of Pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, he's an expert on the safety of medicines and vaccines with 25 years of experience.

He tells Andy Bell how Britain got ahead of Europe in delivering vaccines and says that politicians shouldn't make pronouncements on scientific matters they don't understand.

He also explains why the vaccines currently being rolled out are safe for use, and that no shortcuts were taken during the vaccine trials.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts and analysts.

The United States has reached 400,000 deaths during the coronavirus cases, way more than any other country in the world, on Donald Trump's last day as President.

His replacement, Joe Biden, has said he will make tackling the pandemic the priority and knows his role will firmly be as crisis management for his first 100 days.

However, those fighting the virus on America's frontlines in the hospitals have said the administration has been behind every step of the way.

Identical twins Jim and Joe Gentile have been working as nurses in the healthcare system for over 40 years each - they say they've wrapped more bodies in two months than they had in 42 years.

They tell Andy Bell that it's been doctors and nurses coming up with solutions to tackle the virus, while the administration has been hesistant and unhelpful. They believe it doesn't matter whose in the White House, but put their faith in the vaccine.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts and analysts.

The Prime Minister has once again put the country into a national lockdown in a desperate attempt to protect the NHS from being overwhelmed.

As conspiracy theorists question the numbers, NHS frontline staff have been fighting the coronavirus relentlessly since it came to our shores and they say now they are operating at over their full capacity - and they're concerned that the peak of the current still hasn't arrived.

Dr Zudin Puthucheary is an experienced intensive care consultant at the Royal London hospital, he speaks to Andy Bell from his role as a council member at the Intensive Care Society. He reveals how his colleagues are struggling to cope with the current growing demands, how angry they are at those who claim wards are empty, and the fear he lives in that the worse is still yet to come.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts and analysts.

As time runs out for the United Kingdom to reach a deal with the European Union over how it leaves the single market, Prime Minister Johnson travelled to Brussels to meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in hope of a breakthrough.

Professor Catherine Barnard is a senior tutor of EU law and Employment Law at the University of Cambridge; she's also a senior fellow for The UK in a Changing Europe, a thinktank conducting independent research on Brexit and UK-EU relations.

Catherine tells Andy that the future of relations post-Brexit are looking 'gloomy' as we enter the final months of talks, revealing that the EU has produced contigency plans with the outlook that the UK will in fact leave without a deal. How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News.

Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts and analysts.

As the UK becomes the first country in the world to authorise a Covid-19 vaccine, what will Britain look like after the coronavirus pandemic?

The outbreak has seen a massive change in the economic landscape of the four nations, with most businesses relying upon a remote workforce and many companies closing altogether as we see further big losses to the high street and in the hospitality industry.

Also if you can work from home - why pay the big bucks to live in the city? Polly Mackenzie is the Chief Exec of Demos, Britain's leading independent, cross-party think tank which hopes to 'bring Britain back together'.She tells Andy Bell that she's cautiously optimistic for the future but says it will certainly bring some change, including an adjustment to the housing market in big cities like London and Manchester.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts and analysts.

Netflix has released the 4th series of The Crown, a drama chronicling the life of Queen Elizabeth II from the 1940s to modern times.

It's portrayals of Her Majesty the Queen, Prince Philip, Princess Diana, Margaret Thatcher and many more, have been celebrated thanks to the A-li

But, as the series starts to catch up with recent memory, many are questioning just how accurate the storylines are.

Historian and broadcaster Hugo Vickers says the show is littered with inaccuracies, and that he takes joy in spotting them.

He tells Andy Bell that he is worried that many watching the series may take the scripted events as fact when in some cases they are the opposite of what happened.

So just how accurate is The Crown on Netflix?

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts and analysts.

The results of the US Election have been called across the world, announcing Joe Biden officially as President-Elect.

However, President Donald Trump has so far refused to concede, insisting that various attempts at electoral fraud have changed the outcome of the vote - he says he can prove it in court.

Carol Laham is a constitutional lawyer and political campaigns expert, she spoke with Andy Bell from her home in Chevy Chase, explaining on what grounds Donald Trump could bring a case.

Florida has backed the winning presidential candidate in every election since 1996 - but what makes the state the most likely to elect a leader?

President Donald Trump and former vice president Joe Biden have both made Florida a battleground in the final few days of the election campaign.

The area is known as a swing-state and the Trump campaign has been keen to target voters in what the President refers to as his 'home state'.

Dr Susan MacManus is a political analyst at the University of South Florida, she was born and raised just outside Tampa and spoke to Andy Bell from the house her grandfather built in the 1920s.

She says it's not only Florida's 29 electoral votes that make the state such a key focus point for candidates. The state is home to a rich diversity of age, race, politics and occupation which leads to a lot of difference in opinion and voting intentions - meaning it really can all come down to the wire.

In 2000, it did exactly that. Just 537 votes were the difference between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore, resulting in President Bush taking his place in the White House.

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Shadow Justice Secretary David Lammy served as a Minister for Culture in Tony Blair's government and has always spoken proudly about his black British background.

David has commented on Britain's history of slavery and has been vocal over the Windrush scandal which affected a generation of people who were born British subjects and had made Britain their homes.

He tells Andy Bell that these things should be taught in schools to help society change the culture around race and educate people on Britain's colonial history.

He believes that year on year things are progressing, but that more needs to be done.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts and analysts.

The US presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden was eagerly awaited around the world - but did it deliver?

Laura Schwartz served as an adviser to the President during the Clinton administration, she also served as a senior advisor to the 2004 Presidential campaign of former Senator John Kerry.

She speaks with Andy Bell about the bad-tempered TV stand-off and sets out the pathway that each candidate will now have to walk to find themselves sitting in the White House.

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How do we monitor and tackle fake news, hate speech and extremism on the internet? And what happens when the messages being promoted start to have an effect on elections, protests, or government policy for fighting the Covid pandemic?

Chloe Colliver leads the Digital Research Unit at the Institute of Strategic Dialogue, a specialist team that analyses malign influence campaigns online - from debates over postal voting in elections to spreading false information about how the Covid pandemic began - Chloe's team spots the false information and tries to do something about it.

Chloe shares her insight into the rapid growth of this dangerous phenomenon and raises red flags on its impact on the approaching US presidential election.

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The rate of coronavirus infection in the UK is rapdily increasing and the UK government is having to decide on which measures it will bring in.

Currently vast areas of the north of England, and Wales, have local lockdown restrictions in place, but the data shows it hasn't currently had an immediate impact on the spread of Covid-19.

Prof Christina Pagel sits on the Independent SAGE committee, where she collates and analyses various data, from testing to hospitalisation, and offers informed comment and guidance while holding the Government to account over it's handling of the pandemic.

She is a mathematician and professor of operational research at University College London, where she is also the first female director of the Clinical Operational Research Unit, which applies operational research, data analysis and mathematical modelling to problems in health care.

Professor Pagel warns that Boris Johnson's government have to "act smart and act now" to save lives and curb the spread of Covid.

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Officially the UK is no longer a member of the EU, Brexit happened on 31st January, in theory the two sides are trying to find an agreement that covers everything from trade to fishing, immigration to security.

But what chance of a deal when the EU is accusing the UK government of breaking its word over the divorce deal signed in January. Boris Johnson says he's sticking to his plans to change the Withdrawal Agreement, but Brussels says he must drop it or any deal is off.

Is it a battle over principle or just brinkmanship?

Anand Menon is one of the leading authorities on the UK and the EU. He is professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at King's College London, and heads up the thinktank 'UK in a Changing Europe'. He can be found tweeting at @UKandEU.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts and analysts.

As data becomes more valuable than oil - how are we able to protect ourselves and our nations from would-be hackers and cybercriminals?

Dr Jessica Barker is a co-founder of the Cyber Security company, Cygenta, and author of 'Confident Cyber Security'. She specialises in the human nature of cybersecurity and discusses the level of targeted cybercrimes on individuals.

Dr Barker talks to Andy Bell about cybersecurity ranging from the daily assault on personal inboxes to state-on-state threats.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts.

On Tuesday 4th August 2020, the city of Beirut was devastated by a catastrophic explosion. The blast killed over a hundred people, injuring thousands and leaving many more homeless.

A large fire had broken out in the Port of Beirut and as it spread from warehouse to warehouse a small explosion was witnessed, before what were seemingly fireworks being lit by the flames. Moments later there was a large explosion, which formed a mushroom cloud in the air and sent a shockwave through the city and surrounding area.

Lebanon's President, Michel Aoun, has said the source of the explosion was 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that was being stored unsafely in one of the port's warehouses. President Aoun has now promised an investigation into the catastrophe.

Tom Fletcher formerly served as the UK's Ambassador to Lebanon from 2011-2015 - an experienced British Diplomat, Fletcher had previously advised Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron on Foreign Policy.

During his time as Ambassador, the UK government budget for Lebanon grew from £2m to £200m, and Tom led a huge partnership between the two countries. His transparent and open diplomacy style is now world-renowned and brought him a lot of attention, through his blogs and his obvious admiration for Lebanon.

Tom Fletcher speaks to Andy Bell about the fragility of the Lebanese state and how it came to be through civil war. He discusses the challenges Beirut may now face after the smoke and rubble of the explosion has cleared.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts.

Bill Browder is an American-born British financier who in the 90s was one of the largest foreign portfolio investors in Russia during a period of mass privatisation after the fall of the Soviet Union - he says the change from communism to capitalism was ruled by "the law of the jungle".

After a decade of business deals in Russia, Bill Browder was blacklisted by the Russian government as a "threat to national security" and denied entry to the country. He says this came because he had exposed corruption and corporate malfeasance in partly state-owned companies.

It put him on the wrong side of oligarchs and Vladimir Putin.

His offices were raided and those of his lawyers. Browder's friend and auditor Sergei Magnitsky was arrested and died in prison - where he logged reports of abuse and even torture.

The European Court for Human Rights ruled that Magnitsky was detained in conditions that amounted to "inhuman and degrading treatment" which combined with negligence, lack of adequate medical care and ill-treatment led to his death.

As a result of the controversy surrounding Sergei Magnitsky's death, the Magnitsky Act was signed into law by President Barack Obama, which allows a government to sanction those who it sees as human rights offenders, freeze their assets, and ban them from entering the country.

Bill Browder speaks to Andy Bell about his experience with the Russian State and what he thinks the recent intelligence and security committee revealed in its 'Russia Report', warning about Russia's interference with UK politics.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts.

Jeremy Hunt served as the UK's Health Secretary for six years before being made Foreign Secretary in 2018. He then ran against Boris Johnson in the Conservative Party's leadership contest, exactly a year to the day before this interview with Andy Bell.

Mr. Hunt now serves as the Chair of the Health and Social Care Select Committee, where recently he has been analysing the response of the Government to the coronavirus pandemic.

The former Health Secretary admits that the scientific advice given to the British government at the start of the outbreak was wrong - and was partly based on work that he was responsible for.

He believes Ministers should've been presented with a choice to follow a South Korea style system of track and trace, and says if the advice had been published the UK's wider science community would have offered the alternatives and challenged the approach.

Jeremy Hunt prides himself on his work trying to reduce avoidable deaths in the NHS, but during his long stint in the role he also clashed with Junior Doctors over contracts, something which for many would define his time in the Department of Health.

He speaks with Andy Bell about the outbreak and likelihood of a second wave, his regret over the strike action of Junior Doctors, and also of his regards for the man who took the top job of Prime Minister away from him.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts.

U.S. President Donald Trump was first elected as the 45th U.S. President in 2016 after beating Hillary Clinton in the presidential campaign.

Since then his approval ratings have been up and down, but heading into 2020 Donald Trump's supporters would have been confident that he could win reelection because the economy seemed strong and unemployment was at its lowest rate - but since then a lot has happened.

President Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. has been seen as "exceedingly negative" says Washington Post's Chief Correspondent Dan Balz. He comments that Donald Trump is "at odds with the scientists" and that there's a "perception he has not taken it seriously".

Donald Trump will compete with Barack Obama's former Vice-President Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential election campaign.

Dan Balz is the Chief Correspondent at the Washington Post, where he has been a political correspondent since 1978.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts.

Boris Johnson has declared his plan for the UK to 'build back better and bolder' after the COVID pandemic to help the economy recover.

The Prime Minister pledged an initial £5 billion as part of a 'new deal' to be used to accelerate infrastructure projects as he promised to 'build, build, build'.

But can the Government emerge from the crisis without having to levy the cost on the public who are already experiencing financial struggles from the crisis?

Economist Miatta Fahnbulleh is the Chief Executive of the New Economics Foundation, a British think-tank promoting "social, economic and environmental justice". She has worked in government under Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron.

Miatta tells Andy Bell that the economic forecast for the UK is "looking pretty grim", with high levels of unemployment.

The pair discuss what the government's role will be in the recovery, whether we should pay more taxes and whether or not this creates an opportunity to build a greener economy for Britain in the future.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts.

Historian and author Tom Holland's latest work 'Dominion' concludes that without Christianity the Western world wouldn't be what it is today.

Not many books can start with St Paul and end with Harvey Weinstein but that's what Tom Holland does with Dominion: the Making of the Western Mind.

From human rights to sexual morality, the historian says we have forgotten how Christianity has shaped what we now think of as western civilisation.

Without the dominant influence of the followers of one man in Palestine two thousand years ago, he claims, the ideas and values we take for granted simply wouldn't exist.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts.

Four years on since the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union on the 23rd of June 2016, is the UK Government any closer to actually leaving?

Both Boris Johnson and his EU counterparts have agreed that there will not be an extension to the transition period beyond December 2020, giving the UK just 6 more months to agree on a deal or leave without one.

Raoul Ruparel was the Special Adviser to Theresa May on Europe and had a key role in the Department for Exiting the EU.

He believes the Government should have negotiated a conditional extension period with the EU, and suggests that there may be a few issues that Boris Johnson will not be prepared to compromise on, such as fishing rights and State Aid which may mean not getting a compromise on a lot of issues from the European Union.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts.

The death of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, in police custody in the US sparked protests across the world.

In the UK, the Black Lives Matter movement organised marches up and down the country with one notably ending with the statue of Edward Colston, a slave trader, being pulled down and dumped in Bristol Harbour.

It was clear that people weren't just protesting alongside the US counterparts, but were raising their own historic grievances here in the UK.

It led Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesperson to state that the UK was not a racist country, however, many activists, historians and rights campaigners disagreed.

Sayce Holmes-Lewis is the Founder and CEO of Mentivity, an organisation that works with young people from diverse backgrounds and helps them to get a foot in the door of global brands where staff may not currently represent them.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts.

The coronavirus pandemic has hit countries around the world with each government having to quickly create a strategy to combat the spread of the virus.

Many countries have followed guidance from the World Health Organisation but there hasn't been a consistent global effort to fight COVID-19.

Each country and government has faced their own challenges in their own way, so will this lead to a change in rhetoric for global diplomacy after the pandemic is contained?

Andy Bell speaks with Tom Tugendhat MP, the Chairman of the UK's Foreign Affairs Committee, who thinks foreign policy has never been more important as a way to protect our interests and "protect our home".

They discuss Covid-19's origin, the dialogue between superpowers US and China, and how the UK will appear on the world stage after the outbreak as it attempts to continue with Brexit.

How did we get here? Explaining the news is a podcast from 5 News. Join Andy Bell as he explains the world's biggest news stories through interviews with politicians, experts, and analysts.