The Fourcast

Keir Starmer is on his way out and Andy Burnham looks set to become Britain's next Prime Minister. After years as Mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham appears to have cleared the field, with Labour MPs rallying behind him and potential rivals standing aside. But what happens next?

Can Burnham turn his popularity into a successful premiership? Does he have a plan for Britain's sluggish economy, rising welfare costs and growing defence commitments? What exactly is "Manchesterism", and can it work across the whole country?

To discuss all of this and more, Krishnan Guru-Murthy is in Westminster, speaking to Channel 4 News Political Editor Gary Gibbon about Burnham's path to Number 10, the likely shape of his government, the future of Labour, and what Nigel Farage and Reform UK make of the challenge ahead. He's joined by Labour peer Ayesha Hazarika, the i Paper's Kitty Donaldson, and Ipsos UK Chief Executive Kelly Beaver to assess what a Burnham premiership could mean for British politics.

Andy Burnham has won a thumping victory in Makerfield, proving he can, in certain circumstances, beat Nigel Farage’s Reform UK - but what about beating his own party leader Sir Keir Starmer? 

The prime minister says he will stand and fight any leadership challenge. So, where does it leave the country? Will Starmer be forced to stand down, despite his defiant tone now? And what will happen if there is a leadership election?  

On this episode of The Fourcast Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined by Keir Starmer’s biographer Tom Baldwin, Labour MP and Wes Streeting ally Rosie Wrighting, Labour MP and Andy Burnham supporter Dr SImon Opher and More In Common executive director Luke Tryl.

A $300bn plan to rebuild Iran. A ceasefire in the Middle East. And a new test for Donald Trump. But can this peace plan really work, and who is paying for it?

In this episode of The Fourcast: Indicators, Matt Frei and Mark Urban examine the signals analysts are watching most closely after the Iran war - from the future of Iran’s economy and nuclear programme, to whether Israel will accept a new regional reality.

They’re joined by Channel 4 News Economics Editor Helia Ebrahimi to ask: who pays for Iran’s reconstruction? Can sanctions be lifted? What happens to the Gulf states? And does this mark a new balance of power in the Middle East?

A ceasefire has been announced between the US and Iran - but is this the end of the conflict, or just a pause before the next confrontation?

After days of missile strikes, threats and escalation, Donald Trump has celebrated the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and declared a diplomatic success. Iran says it has forced the US and Israel to accept defeat. Both sides claim victory - but who really got what they wanted?

On this episode of The Fourcast, we examine what the ceasefire means for Iran’s nuclear programme, Israel’s security calculations, and the wider balance of power in the Middle East.

Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined by Ali Ansari, director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews, former Israeli ambassador to Germany Jeremy Issacharoff, and Channel 4 News International Editor Lindsey Hilsum.

The World Cup has kicked off, with three red cards and a win for co-hosts Mexico while the USA face Paraguay later, but President Donald Trump is set not to attend America’s opening game. 

Before a ball was even kicked, this tournament wasn’t short of controversies, from strict border controls and eye-watering ticket prices to the prospect of two countries who are at war with each other playing a game of football. 

So, has the beautiful game’s biggest tournament become impossible to separate from global politics? Is this simply the reality of staging a World Cup across borders in an increasingly divided world - or are the doubters right that this World Cup could be spoiled by the drama off the pitch?

On this episode of The Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy was joined by our sports reporter Jordan Jarrett-Bryan, superfan Billy The Bee who is in Mexico right now and will head to America to follow England’s games and journalist Marcela Mora y Araujo.

While Washington insists pressure is working and Tehran claims resilience; attacks have continued, oil markets are moving, and ships are passing through the Strait of Hormuz despite repeated warnings of disruption.

In this episode of The Fourcast Indicators, Matt Frei and Mark Urban unpack why oil prices haven’t exploded, whether Iran is losing one of its most powerful bargaining chips, and what the movement of ships in the Gulf tells us about what could happen next.

And what does the resignation of UK Defence Secretary John Healey tell us about how the UK is preparing for a more unstable world?

They’re joined by Yael Selfin, Fellow at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research and Chief Economist at KPMG, to ask whether markets are underestimating the risks - and what this could mean for fuel prices, inflation and the wider economy.

The family of Stephen Ogilvie, the victim of the Belfast stabbing, has called for calm and said they don’t want the “terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or fuel hostility.”, as Sudanese national Hadi Alodid was charged with attempted murder, threats to kill an NHS radiographer and possession of a knife. 

Last night, violence spread across parts of Belfast, with police attacked, properties damaged and communities left on edge after a video of the attack was shared online. Politicians and police have pointed to the role of social media, misinformation and outside agitators. But what is really driving the disorder?

On this episode of The Fourcast, Jackie Long explores what's happening in Northern Ireland, why immigration has become such a political flashpoint, and whether far-right voices are helping fuel tensions online.

Jackie is joined by Allison Morris, Crime Correspondent at The Irish News, former Metropolitan Police officer Victor Olisa, and Robert Topinka, lecturer and researcher on far-right movements and online radicalisation.

The Nottingham attacks shocked Britain and raised urgent questions about mental health services, public safety and institutional accountability.

In this special edition of The Fourcast, Jackie Long is joined by the families of those killed in the attacks, alongside mental health experts, campaigners and policymakers, to discuss the findings of the Nottingham Inquiry and what must change to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

Emma Webber, mother of Barnaby Webber; Dr Sanjoy Kumar, father of Grace O'Malley-Kumar; and James Coates, son of Ian Coates, reflect on their fight for answers and accountability. They are joined by former Care Minister Norman Lamb, Professor at the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London Dinesh Bhugra, and SANE Chief Executive Marjorie Wallace.

Can lessons finally be learned from Nottingham? Has enough changed since the attacks? And how do we balance compassionate mental health care with public safety?

Nottingham Police said they would consider any recommendations made. Nottingham Health Trust did not respond to a request for comment. The CPS said they were ‘fully engaging with the public inquiry’. During the inquiry, a representative from the University of Nottingham said that since Valdo Calocane had left the university, the university had “continued to refine and adapt its policies and processes, but any changes made have not been as a direct result of the attacks themselves.” The spokesperson added that: "The University does not take the view that any of the changes made would have had an impact on the devastating attacks which took place.” The Department of Health said that “whilst there has been significant investment in mental health services over the past ten years, demand has risen and outpaced the services available”, and acknowledged “a significant and ongoing rise in demand means there remains a substantial treatment gap”.

Donald Trump says he’d be “honoured” to meet the new supreme leader of Iran Mojtaba Khamenei as there’s little sign of progress in peace talks between Tehran and Washington. 

So what do the people in Iran really feel about the US president, the war and their Islamic regime that has ruled for almost half a century? 

Krishnan Guru-Murthy has travelled to Iran, speaking to supporters of the regime and, in a rare interview, one of its most prominent critics.

Sadegh Zibakalam is an Iranian academic and author who has spent years calling for reform of the Islamic Republic. He has been jailed, removed from university posts and banned from public speaking. In this episode of The Fourcast, he shares his views on Iran's leadership, its future, and its relationship with the West.

The death of Henry Novak has sparked more than just grief; it has ignited a fierce debate over the state of British policing and the "rage" currently gripping the nation. While the Prime Minister accuses Reform UK leader Nigel Farage of ignoring the Novak family’s pleas for unity, Nigel Farage claims the incident is proof of "two-tier policing" - a justice system he argues treats people differently based on who they are.

But is this a genuine case of systemic bias, or a tragic failure of training and human error in the heat of the moment? And as "identity politics" moves from university lecture halls into police training manuals, are we losing sight of the common ground needed to hold a diverse society together?

On today’s episode of The Fourcast, Ciaran Jenkins is joined by Sundar Katwala, Director of British Future, academic and author Lisa McKenzie, and former Policing Minister John Denham to ask: is Britain’s policing truly broken, or is it simply a mirror reflecting our deepest national divisions?