The Briefing Room

All over Europe and in the corridors of Nato policy makers are discussing the implications for the continent of the Trump victory in the American presidential election. For 70 years the alliance with the USA has been the foundation stone of European defence. During his last term in office, it was reported that Trump wanted to take the US out of Nato. That didn’t happen but he made clear his discontent at the lack of defence spending among member states.

Can that alliance can be maintained, if so on what terms and if not, what then?

Guests:

Presenter: David Aaronovitch

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has delivered the first Labour Budget in 14 years. Naturally there was a flurry of instant responses to individual tax measures, but what about the big picture?

Guests:

Paul Johnson, Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies

Presenter: David Aaronovitch

David Aaronovitch and guests discuss the recent events in Lebanon. Israel has been widely blamed for a series of pager and walkie-talkie attacks targeting members of Hezbollah. Does this mark the invention of a new kind of warfare and what might the wider consequences be for the region?

Guests:

Shashank Joshi, The Economist's defence editor

Presenter: David Aaronovitch

David Aaronovitch and guests discuss the challenges facing Germany. Worries over the economy and immigration have seen the far right AfD party gain support in the former east Germany.

Guests:

Guy Chazan, Berlin bureau chief at the Financial Times

Presenter: David Aaronovitch

Last month the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, warned that "things would get worse before they got better". The Chancellor Rachel Reeves has already said that there's a £22 billion black hole in the government's finances left by the Conservatives. The budget at the end of October, we're told, will be "painful". But just how bad a state is the UK economy really in? And how constrained is the new government by manifesto promises it made not to raise the main taxes on working people?

Guests:

Paul Johnson, Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies

Presenter: David Aaronovitch

The first human cases of MPox were detected in 1970. But a new strain detected in Congo in 2023 has got scientists confused. How worried should we be and are we prepared for it?

Dr Jonas Albarnaz, a Research Fellow specialising in pox viruses at The Pirbright Institute

Presenter: David Aaronovitch

David Aaronovitch and guests discuss the risk of escalation on Russian borders and further afield and explore what form that might take if it were to happen.

Guests:

Natia Seskuria, founder and executive director of the Regional Institute for Security Studies (RISS), a Tbilisi-based think tank

Presenter: David Aaronovitch

David Aaronovitch and guests discuss China's desire for 'peaceful reunification' with Taiwan. Can it really be done peacefully and what happens if it can't?

Guests:

Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, BBC Asia correspondent based in Taipei

Presenter: David Aaronovitch

In the first of three programmes, David Aaronovitch explores the risk of escalation and wider conflict in the Middle East. What would all out war look like and how likely is it?

Guests:

Shashank Joshi, The Economist's defence editor

Presenter: David Aaronovitch

David Aaronovitch and guests discuss Labour's plans for planning reform. This week the Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner announced a new National Planning Policy Framework. Will it boost economic growth?

Sir John Armitt, Chairman of the UK's National Infrastructure Commission

Presenter: David Aaronovitch