HOW DID WE GET HERE? Explaining The News

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.