This Is Why

Why is Andy Burnham giving military support to Saudi Arabia?

This Is Why

Show Notes

It's been a busy week already for Andy Burnham - who approved his first military intervention as prime minister just hours before his inaugural meeting with Donald Trump. The RAF will now provide Saudi Arabia with "purely defensive" air support against attacks from Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, after Burnham agreed to Riyadh’s request. The Saudis had earlier been turned down by Trump – so why is the new PM so happy to help? And is it really due to cost-of-living pressures as he claims? Niall Paterson is joined by Dr H A Hellyer, an expert in geopolitics across the Middle East and Europe and a senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence. There is more exclusive content on the situation in the Middle East on the new Sky News Defence Insider app. Sky News Defence Insider is a subscription app designed for audiences seeking deeper insight into defence, security and global affairs. Download and subscribe here. Paid subscription required for full access. UK only. 18+. T&Cs apply. Have you got a question for Niall? Email us: [email protected]

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