{"podcast":{"title":"This Is Why","slug":"this-is-why-1011487","podcast_index_feed_id":1011487,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/this-is-why/","website_url":"https://www.skynews.com","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/af4d448c-300f-43e5-b1cc-5994e35475fe/THIS-IS-WHY-HERO-1x1-3000px.jpg","author":"Sky News","episode_count":1000,"summary":"The world’s a pretty confusing place right now – so how do you make sense of it all? This Is Why takes one story every day, explains how we got here and why it matters to you. Sky News’ Niall Paterson speaks to experts and correspondents from around the world, getting simple answers to some complex questions. Available every weekday afternoon. This Is Why is a Sky News podcast – if you have a question, contact us: why@sky.uk","last_synced_at":"2026-08-01T00:18:38.462333+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/this-is-why-1011487"},"episode":{"title":"Why the government's civil war with the civil service matters","slug":"why-the-government-s-civil-war-with-the-civil-service-matters","published_at":"2026-04-21T04:15:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/this-is-why-1011487/why-the-government-s-civil-war-with-the-civil-service-matters","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/this-is-why-1011487","url":"https://www.skynews.com","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/2be12c9d-8ed8-4c9d-aa4f-aa87421fe5e3.mp3?aw_0_1st.showid=2ca7ec14-a9a8-4a0c-8b24-e04eb2953ca0&aw_0_1st.episodeid=2be12c9d-8ed8-4c9d-aa4f-aa87421fe5e3","summary":"Sir Keir Starmer's relationship with the civil service has broken down following the sacking of Sir Olly Robbins. The former top civil servant at the Foreign Office told parliament there was a \"dismissive approach\" to security vetting from No 10, but the prime minister maintains it was Robbins who made \"an error of judgement\". So, what's at stake when the inner workings of government grind to a halt? Lord Peter Ricketts, who is also a former permanent secretary at the Foreign Office, joins Niall to discuss what happens when things go wrong and whether Starmer can repair relations with the civil servants who deliver his mandate, before it's too late. Have you got a question for Niall? Email the show: why@sky.uk","meta_description":"Sir Keir Starmer's relationship with the civil service has broken down following the sacking of Sir Olly Robbins. The former top civil servant at the Fore…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1037,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/this-is-why-1011487/episodes/why-the-government-s-civil-war-with-the-civil-service-matters/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/this-is-why-1011487/why-the-government-s-civil-war-with-the-civil-service-matters.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}