The Fourcast

Britain is getting hotter. But is the country ready?

After another record-breaking heatwave, experts estimate that thousands of excess deaths may already have been linked to the extreme temperatures. From overheating homes and buckling railways to schools, hospitals and reservoirs struggling to cope, questions are growing over whether Britain's infrastructure was ever designed for the climate it's now facing.

On this episode of The Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy asks why the UK remains so unprepared for extreme heat, what climate adaptation should actually look like, and whether the debate around Net Zero has become more political than practical.

He's joined by Professor Rebecca Willis from the University of Manchester, environmental lawyer and Uplift Executive Director Tessa Khan, and architect Smith Mordak to discuss how Britain can prepare for a warmer future and whether the country is running out of time.

Christopher Nolan’s newest blockbuster film The Odyssey, with a star-studded line up including Matt Damon, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland, hits the cinemas next week, and it’s already causing a stir. 

But what is the film really about? 

On this episode of the Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy sat down with Christopher Nolan and Tom Holland and explored the themes of revenge, the hero’s journey, homecoming, and asked how the Greek concept of Zeus’s law could be linked to the debate around immigration today. 

Later Krishnan spoke to classicist Edith Hall to delve deeper into the epic tale.

Donald Trump says the ceasefire is over. After fresh US strikes on Iran and retaliatory attacks on American military bases in the Gulf, hopes that the conflict was winding down have been thrown into doubt. 

Trump has declared he no longer wants to negotiate with Tehran, raising fears that the Middle East could be entering a dangerous new phase.

So what do these latest attacks tell us? Is diplomacy finished? Could Israel escalate its military campaign? And what does renewed instability mean for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the wider global economy?

On this episode of the Fourcast Indicators Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined by defence and intelligence analyst Mark Urban and also speaks to Hossein Kanani Moghaddam, founder of the Green Party of Iran and a former senior IRGC commander, to discuss Iran's response, the future of the regime, and whether there is any route back to diplomacy.

Nigel Farage is trying to take back control of the scandal around his finances. Facing mounting questions and a parliamentary standards inquiry which could prompt a recall petition and by-election he has pre-empted it all and forced one himself. He's pitching it as the people against the establishment - the chance to flick two fingers at the media and political opponents, and prove he's done nothing wrong. But will it work? Will it resolve any of the questions about who gave him money, why and why he didn't declare it? Is this a genius masterstroke by a brilliant tactician, or a desperate stunt by an angry man that could backfire? And is it effectively an admission that the inquiry will find he broke the rules? On this episode of The Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy was joined by the former Conservative now Reform supporting commentator Tim Montgomerie, former Reform Deputy Leader turned Farage critic and rival Ben Habib, who has shared a platform with far-right activist Tommy Robinson, and from More in Common the pollster Luke Tryll.

How far would an Andy Burnham government be willing to go to tackle inequality? In this episode of The Fourcast, economist and activist Gary Stevenson told us that the incoming prime minister will “fail” unless he is willing to properly tax wealth.

A former trader who made millions in the City, Gary Stevenson has gained a huge online following as one of the left’s foremost campaigners against inequality.

He spoke with Krishnan Guru-Murthy about his new Channel 4 documentary ‘How to Get Filthy Rich’ and told us whether he would be willing to work with a future Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

Thousands of killers, rapists and sex offenders are among those who could be released early this September as the Government tries to tackle the crisis facing Britain’s overcrowded prisons.The plans have sparked a political row, with former safeguarding minister Jess Phillips calling for child rapists to be excluded from the scheme, while the Conservatives have accused the Government of putting victims at risk.On this episode of The Fourcast, Jackie Long speaks to Amy Clowrey, a solicitor who specialises in child sex abuse cases, Mark Fairhurst, chair of the Prison Officers Association, and prisons minister Lord Timpson.What does the scheme mean for victims? How many offenders could be released? And is there another way to fix Britain’s prison crisis?

With Sir Keir Starmer just weeks away from leaving office, his government has finally released its long awaited Defence Investment Plan - but will it be enough to keep the UK safe? 

On this episode of The Fourcast Indicators, Matt Frei and Mark Urban are joined by Channel 4's International Editor Lindsey Hilsum. 

They discuss how the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have "completely changed" the nature of warfare, how Britain is betting big on drones - and if Vladimir Putin might be at risk of lose his prized possession: Crimea. 

Andy Burnham is setting out what a Premiership under him could look like. The former Greater Manchester Mayor has said that he would set up a permanent “Number 10 North”, with greater powers handed to England’s regions. 

So could the Manchester model work across the country? Why has “levelling up” repeatedly failed? And could moving power out of Westminster really make England richer?

To discuss this, Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined by Hannah Peaker, Deputy Chief Executive of the New Economics Foundation, Henri Murison, Chief Executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, and Channel 4 News Economics Editor Helia Ebrahimi.

Russia’s stock market has plummeted in recent days, hitting a three year low, mounting pressure on Vladimir Putin while Ukraine ramps up its long range drone attacks on critical infrastructure, including oil facilities around Moscow. 

Are the costs of the war becoming unbearable for Russia? Is Ukraine finding new ways to fight back? And if Putin believes time is no longer on his side, will he escalate? 

On this episode of The Fourcast Indicators, Matt Frei and Mark Urban are joined by Nina Khruscheva, professor of international affairs at The New School in New York.

Maggie Haberman has spent years covering Donald Trump - from his first presidential campaign to his return to the White House.

Now, in her new book Regime Change, written with Jonathan Swan, she examines how Trump has wielded power in his second term: his relationship with loyalty, his desire to shape history, and the people around him who help drive his decisions.

On this episode of The Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy speaks to Maggie Haberman about Trump’s ambition to be remembered as one of the most powerful leaders in history, whether he is considering a third term, and what his presidency reveals about his character.

Donald Trump has frequently dismissed Haberman for writing false stories about him, which she rejects. 

Is Trump changing the presidency - or trying to make the presidency about himself?