The Crisis Room

It's rare that the head of MI6 and the head of the Armed Forces both speak publicly in the same week. But that's what's happened in the past few days, with both warning of the imminent threat the UK faces from Russia. In this episode, The Crisis Room asks: is it time for the UK - and the West as a whole - to admit that we are at war with Russia?

Amber explains the conversations she was involved in about how to deal with Russia during her time as Home Secretary - and whether enough has changed since then for Keir Starmer to take a tougher approach now. Meanwhile, Mark and Marc P unpick Putin's grey-zone warfare tactics - from sending drones to disrupt European airspace, to deploying spy ships in British waters - and discuss which specific measures the UK should take to prepare for more Russian hostility in 2026.

Later, the team each choose their defining crisis of 2025 - and look ahead to the crises we can expect in the year ahead.

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In this Q&A episode, Mark explains what is happening to civilians currently in Russian occupied Ukraine and what lies in store for them in the future.

Amber replies to claims that she has said it is now safe for Afghan refugees to return back home.

Mark, Amber and Marc P all discuss the use of anti-migrant rhetoric and immigration in both US and UK elections.

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After a week where Trump has left Europe wondering if it faces a future where it can't rely on America to protect it - The Crisis Room debates whether Britain will come good on Keir Starmer's promise to massively increase defence spending, and what it will mean if he fails to hit his own targets.

Philip Hammond, the former Foreign Secretary and Chancellor, joins the podcast for an exclusive interview - and questions whether the government is really prepared to cut spending on other departments to fund national security.

The team also debate why the US is appearing to take such a reconciliatory tone with Russia, while taking a hostile approach to its European allies. Plus they ask: is the seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker the start of a full-blown attempt at regime change in Latin America?

Later, Mark reports on the latest failures of the UK's controversial Ajax armoured vehicles - and why the MoD should be so concerned by leaked videos of the faulty kit appearing all over social media.

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In this Q&A episode, Mark opens up about his personal dealings and interviews with former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, before the 2018 Salisbury poisonings. Meanwhile Amber explains why Theresa May was confident in blaming Russia for the attacks so soon afterwards.

Marc P speaks about the role that US and UK governments play in protecting and rescuing citizens when at risk from terrorism overseas.

Plus - Amber and Mark have their say on the potential prosecutions of SAS soldiers for their role in the war in Afghanistan.

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Vladimir Putin is 'morally responsible' for the death of Dawn Sturgess - the British woman killed by Novichok poisoning back in 2018. That was the key finding of a public inquiry which was published today - and in this episode, Mark and Amber give their reactions to the report.

Could and should the government have done anything differently in response to the initial poisonings back in 2018? Should Wiltshire Police really have been told a former Russian agent was living on their patch? Are there still unanswered questions, more than 7 years on from the Salisbury Poisonings?

Plus, the team explains why the EU is unable to agree on whether to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine from defending itself against Putin's invasion. Amber recalls her personal experiences of dealing with the EU, and Marc P reveals why some people believe Trump and the US are backing the Belgians not to release the funds, in a bid to help Russia reintegrate into the international community.

Later: why is US Defece Secretary Pete Hegseth being accused of war crimes? Is he too gaffe-prone even for President Trump and are his days in office numbered?

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In this Q&A episode, Amber gives her reaction for the first time to the new Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's controversial immigration reforms - and the possibility of the UK leaving the ECHR. Are these reforms too harsh? Or is it exactly what the UK needs to stop the far-right from gaining traction?

Marc P has his say on issues over in the US in light of a major row over military personnel ignoring potential unlawful orders. Plus, he explains why Iraq is still such a mess and what, if anything, the Trump administration is doing about it.

Mark also gives his latest thoughts on the crisis at the BBC - and explains why he was mentioned multiple times by former BBC adviser Michael Prescott when he gave evidence to MPs last week. Later, he responds to a question about whether the MoD needed more funding in last week's Budget, and whether we should all be concerned by the state of Britain's drone and air defence systems.

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In this special episode, The Crisis Room takes you back to March 2018 and Russia's extraordinary attempt to assassinate a former spy on British soil. Not only did the Novichok attack in Salisbury kill Dawn Sturgess, but the incident left dozens of other innocent civilians injured and prompted an international backlash against Putin and his regime.

Amber was Home Secretary at the time and led the UK's response to this crisis - and in this week's episode she reveals what it was like to chair COBRA meetings, visit Salisbury and victims of the attack in the days afterwards, and to deal with government colleagues - such as Boris Johnson - who were trying to use the story for personal political gain.

Mark remains the only journalist to have ever interviewed Sergei Skripal - the Russian agent who was the intended victim of the attack - and he explains why the former spy was targeted, and what this brazen assassination attempt told the West about Putin. Meanwhile Marc P looks at the role Donald Trump and other world leaders played in responding to this crisis - and whether Russia ultimately emerged from this episode as the winner.

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Al Carns isn't your average Member of Parliament. After more than twenty years of decorated service in the Royal Marines, last year he became an MP, and days later, he became part of the government. Now the Armed Forces Minister, in this exclusive and extended interview, he opens up to The Crisis Room about what he learned from two decades of special operations and the strategic challenges facing the UK in 2025.

Plus, as more and more former top brass speak out over prosecutions of Northern Ireland veterans, the team press Al on whether the government is doing enough to protect our former soldiers from "lawfare" and unfair legacy prosecutions.

He also speaks candidly about the idea of bringing back national service and the urgency of increasing defence spending as the threat from Russia refuses to go away.

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With Russia and the US reportedly coming up with a 28 point plan to bring an end to the War in Ukraine, The Crisis Room team dissects whether this plan has any chance of leading to a just and lasting peace - or if, in reality, it's simply a surrender.

The team reveals how backchannel negotiations work: why intelligence bosses can sometimes be more effective negotiators than diplomats, and why this so-called peace plan fails on several crucial fronts.

Later, Amber and Marc P recall their dealings with Saudi Arabia as the team analyses the Crown Prince's controversial visit to the White House. Should Mohammed Bin Salman be treated as an invaluable ally to the West, or a pariah after the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi? They explain why the equation for Western governments and world leaders isn't quite that straightforward.

Plus Mark tells us what defines a "spy ship" - and whether we should be worried by reports that a Russian spy ship has returned to British waters.

After a week where the BBC has dominated the headlines for all the wrong reasons, Mark draws on his 35 years of working for the Corporation to assess what's gone wrong - and whether this latest scandal will damage its brand for good. He also gives his verdict on whether the BBC is to blame for the mess it finds itself in, and assesses how much merit there is to the theory that Director General Tim Davie was the victim of a right-wing coup.

Amber reveals the discussions she was party to in government about the BBC and its global soft power - and explains whether this episode will affect the broadcaster's chances of having its Charter renewed in 2027. Plus, Marc relays the impact this story has had in the US - and the team discuss whether this row could even impact Prime Minister Keir Starmer's carefully curated relationship with a furious President Trump.

Later, Amber, Mark, and Marc explain why Britain and France have paused intelligence sharing with the US over the controversial strikes on narco-boats in the Caribbean, and give you a heads up about an exclusive interview coming on The Crisis Room feed next week.

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