The Fourcast

After two years of relentless war, devastation, and loss in Gaza — a ceasefire has finally been agreed that will see all remaining Israeli hostages freed in exchange for thousands of Palestinian detainees. It’s a stunning diplomatic breakthrough, driven by Donald Trump’s personal intervention — but can this fragile deal really end the war, or is it just another pause before the next explosion of violence? In this special episode of The Fourcast from Hostage Square in Tel Aviv Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined by Palestinian filmmaker and journalist Yousef Hammash and former Israeli peace negotiator Daniel Levy.

As Kemi Badenoch fights for her political life at the Conservative Party conference, the Tories face a growing threat from the right. With high-profile defections to Reform UK and deep internal divisions, is this the beginning of the end for the Conservative Party?In this episode of the Fourcast, Cathy Newman speaks with former deputy prime minister and Conserative MP Baroness Therese Coffey, and Lord Daniel Finklestein, columnist for The Times and also a Tory peer. They unpack the party’s identity crisis and ask whether the Tories can survive or if British politics is undergoing a major and irreversable realignment.

The Conservative Party Conference is underway in Manchester where the Tories are in turmoil, trailing badly in the polls and staring down electoral oblivion as they are squeezed between Nigel Farage’s Reform UK and Keir Starmer’s Labour Party.  Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride joins Cathy Newman on this episode  of The Fourcast to explain how the Conservatives plan to regain momentum and rebuild their reputation as the party of economic competence — but is it too little, too late?

Nadine Dorries, a former Conservative cabinet minister and ally of Boris Johnson, now defends her defection to Reform UK under Nigel Farage. She argues that Farage is the change communities need, while addressing accusations of racism against the party. Dorries outlines Reform's nuanced immigration policy and critiques Labour's rhetoric at conferences. She predicts more Tory exits, discusses the future of the Conservative Party, and emphasizes the importance of safeguarding children online. The conversation ends on a lighter note with fun anecdotes!

Labour’s deputy leadership contender and Keir Starmer ally Bridget Phillipson joins Krishnan Guru-Murthy on The Fourcast to set out her vision for the party.She talks about the threat from Reform UK and Nigel Farage, and how she would still hold Keir Starmer to account even though she’s a cabinet minister and widely believed to be the prime minister’s preferred choice. Plus - does she prefer Tony Blair or Gordon Brown?

James Murray, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Labour minister, dives deep into the upcoming budget's challenges. He discusses global instability and the need for fiscal discipline amidst slow growth. Murray addresses the potential inevitability of tax rises and how Labour plans to stimulate economic growth through public investment and planning reforms. He also tackles immigration policies and the need for fair contributions while contrasting the conference's optimistic vibe with concerning public polls, emphasizing the importance of visible improvements.

Award-winning Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah was sacked after posts she made about Charlie Kirk on social media sparked a storm of controversy. Her dismissal has become a flashpoint in the debate over free speech, newsroom policies, and the future of press freedom in America.In this episode of The Fourcast, Karen Attiah speaks to Cathy Newman, reflecting on the circumstances of her firing, the political pressures facing journalists, and why she believes her case is a test for how far opinion writers can go in today’s media climate.

As a UN commission concludes that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and international pressure grows with more nations, including the UK, moving toward recognising a Palestinian state, is there any hope for a two-state solution?Can Israel and Palestine ever coexist side by side in peace, or has the violence, mistrust and the events of October the 7th and its aftermath made that dream impossible?In this special extended episode of The Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined in Jerusalem by Alan Baker, a former legal adviser to Israel’s foreign ministry who helped draft the Oslo Accords, Yariv Oppenheimer, a human rights lawyer, Dr. Hassan Jabareen, the head of Adalah - The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights, and the former managing editor of the Jerusalem Post Tovah Lazaroff. In relation to some of the claims made in the podcast, Israel's Foreign Ministry has categorically rejected the UN commission's report calling it "distorted and false" and Israel has always strenuously denied all claims of genocide, ethnic cleansing and apartheid in relation to the Palestinian people.

A UN commission investigating the Gaza war has concluded that Israel is committing genocide, adding its voice to growing international concern from legal scholars and human rights organisations.It doesn’t have the force of a court or the UN Security Council. But as a commission of eminent legal experts, its findings carry significant moral weight.Arab Barghouthi is the son of Marwan Barghouthi, who is perhaps the most popular Palestinian leader in the occupied territories. He has been in jail for two decades after refusing to take part in the legal process that ultimately convicted him of being involved in attacks that led to the deaths of five people. He denied involvement.In the podcast Arab Barghouthi makes claims about his father's alleged mistreatment in prison. The Israeli prison service has previously responded to these allegations by saying that they have been examined in court which concluded that there had been no violation of the law by the Israeli Prison Service. It also said that all detainees have the right to file a complaint that will be fully examined by official authorities.Israel's Foreign Ministry has categorically rejected the UN commission's report calling it "distorted and false". Israel has always strenuously denied all claims of genocide, ethnic cleansing and apartheid in relation to the Palestinian people.

For the third time in his political career, Peter Mandelson has fallen from high office in a scandal linked to rich and powerful men - this time it was his relationship with the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein that was his undoing. Lord Mandelson was sacked from his role as UK ambassador to the US after leaked emails showed him offering support for Epstein even after a sex offence conviction. Downing Street said the Prime Minister found 'the depth and extent of the relationship reprehensible.' But questions are now being asked about Keir Starmer's judgement in appointing him in the first place given Lord Mandelson has attracted - some would say courted - controversy throughout his career. He was widely considered to be doing a good job in Washington though, with a good rapport with President Trump. Is that relationship now damaged? On the latest episode of the Fourcast, Cathay Newman was joined by the Labour peer Ayesha Hazarika, the author and political journalist Ian Dunt who has written extensively on Lord Mandelson and the film-maker Richard Sanders who produced the Dispatches documentary that first revealed the friendship between the two men.