Newscast

Latest Episodes:

Could A Major Part Of Brexit Be Reversed? Oct 25, 2026

Show notes

The Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he would welcome an "honest discussion" about the prospect of returning to free movement between the UK and European Union.

In an interview with the Sunday Times political editor Ben Riley-Smith, he said a new relationship with Brussels could also include full EU membership or joining the single market.

Ben is in the studio to talk about what the PM told him, along with Laura, Paddy and Joe Pike.

You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.

Get in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.

New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd

Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenters were Paddy O’Connell and Laura Kuenssberg. The weekend editor is Chris Flynn. The producer was Eleanor Harrison-Dengate. The social producer was Beth Pritchard. The technical producer was Philip Bull. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

The Secrets Of Creating A Budget Oct 24, 2026

Show notes

On Wednesday the Chancellor John Healey will deliver his first Budget.

In this episode we hear from his predecessor’s chief of staff of nearly five years.

Katie Martin lifts the lid on codenames for government policy, what she thinks Healey should do, and what really happened with the winter fuel payment cut decision.

You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.

Get in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.

New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd

Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenters were Paddy O’Connell and Laura Kuenssberg. The weekend editor is Chris Flynn. The producer was Eleanor Harrison-Dengate. The social producer was Laura Butler. The technical producer was Philip Bull. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

The Week Before The Secret Budget Oct 23, 2026

Show notes

There’s less than a week to go until this year’s autumn statement and the Chancellor has been keeping things tightly under wraps. Adam, Alex, Chris and Faisal get together in the Newscast studio to discuss what might be in John Healey’s budget and what it could mean for the UK economy.

You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.

Get in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.

New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Chris Gray with Beth Pritchard. The social producer was Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Have We Just Entered A New Era For Cyber Security? Oct 22, 2026

Show notes

Today, millions of websites around the world are dealing with the discovery of a potential cyber-security threat using artificial intelligence.

Vulnerabilities were found in the PHP programming language, which is used on roughly 70% of the internet, by researchers using AI. These flaws had gone undetected for over a decade, with the boss of the UK's National Cyber Security Centre saying the scale of the issue has been “unprecedented”.

Technology and AI editor Zoe Kleinman joins Adam to explain what has happened, and how the weakness was identified.

Plus, President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff has had talks with Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin, whom he called a “humanitarian”. Russia editor Steve Rosenberg tells us what’s significant about the latest developments and whether the prospect of peace is any closer.

You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.

Get in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.

New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Miranda Slade with Gabriel Purcell-Davis and Adam Chowdhury. The social producer was Beth Pritchard. The technical producers were Hannah Montgomery and Jonathan Greer. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Jackdaw Gas Drilling Gets Government's Go-Ahead Oct 21, 2026

Show notes

Today, the government has approved drilling at Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea after years of arguments and a legal challenge by Greenpeace

Adam and Chris unpack how the decision was reached, plus what it means for jobs, energy bills and Labour’s drive towards net zero. And James Cook, Scotland Editor, dials in from Rosebank: the the controversial oil field the government is yet to make a call on.

You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.

Get in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.

New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Miranda Slade with Osman Iqbal and Gabriel Purcell-Davis. The social producer was Beth Pritchard. The technical producer was Ben Andrews. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Covid Inquiry: Care Homes Were An “Afterthought” Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

Today, the latest report from the Covid-19 Inquiry found that action to protect the social care sector came too late, with government failings helping create conditions in which the virus could “spread like wildfire” in care homes.

The report describes social care as an “afterthought” in the early pandemic response, highlighting a lack of planning, testing and protective equipment.

Adam is joined by the BBC’s social affairs editor, Alison Holt, to unpack the findings, discuss the impact on families and explore what needs to change to protect people receiving care in a future emergency.

Also, the BBC’s chief anchor in Washington DC, Caitríona Perry, reports on Donald Trump’s visit to Kansas to support Republican senator Roger Marshall in an unexpectedly tight race against Democrat Adam Hamilton. And Ben Chu from BBC Verify, examines how the US economy is performing under Trump.

You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.

Get in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.

New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd

Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Chris Gray with Osman Iqbal and Sophie Millward. The social producer was Gabriel Purcell-Davis. The technical producer was Jonathan Greer. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

The Politics Behind The French Riots Oct 19, 2026

Show notes

Today, French cities were been given the power to implement partial curfews after violence across France over the weekend.

Hundreds of thousands of people turned out for protests against falling education standards and the rising cost of living.

There were outbreaks of rioting, looting, and arson, after weeks of student-led rallies across the country. Adam is joined by the Financial Times’ Paris bureau chief, Leila Abboud, and Politico’s chief Europe correspondent, Marion Solletty, to discuss the situation on the ground, and how the government might respond just six months before the French presidential election.

You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.

Get in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.

New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Anna Harris with Osman Iqbal. The social producer was Sophie Millward. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Can Labour Prevent Another Winter NHS Crisis? Oct 18, 2026

Show notes

Today, around 3000 people are being treated in hospital corridors, as nurses and charities call on the government to take action as the annual NHS winter rush approaches.

As the BBC highlights the case of two-year-old Finlay Roberts who died in a hospital corridor in 2024 - a death the coroner said could have been prevented - we speak to Health Secretary Yvette Cooper about the immediate challenges facing the NHS.

Plus, Zack Polanski speaks to Laura about the Green Party's controversy over the definition of Zionism.

Apply to run with Adam (or just cheer him on in person) as he completes his 500k in 100 days challenge: https://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows/newscast-run-club-27oct26

You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.

Get in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.

New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd

Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenters were Laura Kuenssberg and Adam Fleming. It was made by Richard Fenton-Smith with Adam Chowdhury. The social producer was Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Philip Bull. The assistant editor is Richard Fenton-Smith. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Why Is Trump Criticising Zelensky And Complimenting Putin? Oct 17, 2026

Show notes

Today, President Trump blocked sanctions on Russia a month after he signed them into law. This comes after he said he ‘wasn’t a big fan’ of Volodymyr Zelensky. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian president at a summit in Brussels said the Europeans were ‘real leaders’.

Laura is joined by BBC world affairs editor John Simpson to discuss why the US president is becoming more friendly with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Plus, John marks 60 years at the BBC by sharing his most memorable moments from his career reporting around the world.

Apply to run with Adam (or just cheer him on in person) as he completes his 500k in 100 days challenge: https://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows/newscast-run-club-27oct26

You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.

Get in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.

New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Laura Kuenssberg. It was made by Joe Wilkinson with Adam Chowdhury and Cordelia Hemming. The technical producer was Philip Bull. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

The Week: Is Labour Ready To Talk About Welfare Reform? Oct 16, 2026

Show notes

Today, Chris Mason joins us from the SNP party conference, where the party mood seems, once again, very high.

Adam and Chris are joined by Baroness Ayesha Hazarika, Labour peer and former political advisor, and Times columnist Fraser Nelson to look back at this year’s conference season to see what it can tell us about where each party stands.

We also discuss whether Labour MPs might be ready to back welfare reform ahead of the review of young people and work conducted by Alan Milburn.

Apply to run with Adam (or just cheer him on in person) as he completes his 500k in 100 days challenge: https://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows/newscast-run-club-27oct26

You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.

Get in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.

New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Anna Harris with Gabriel Purcell-Davis. The social producer was Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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