Tonight - Season 17 / Year 2021

A year ago Tonight reported on how quickly Britain might be heading towards a cash-free society. Twelve months on and the world of money has changed dramatically with lockdowns and the pandemic accelerating the shift away from coins and notes. Some are now warning that the entire cash system, costing £5billion a year to run, could be under threat. Adnan Sarwar investigates.

Most people would agree that the Covid-19 vaccines are the key to getting life back to normal. But when will everyone get them - and will everybody take them? With lives and livelihoods on the line, Dr Oscar Duke investigates the importance of the mass roll-out.

Paul Brand investigates the shocking toll of lockdown on residents and carers.

With record global temperatures and extreme weather events affecting all parts of the planet, there seems to be little argument that the climate is changing. The UK government is promising urgent action and wants everyone to go greener. But what can the public really do to help? Meteorologist and weather presenter Laura Tobin investigates.

Is the Government's plan to instantly mass test for Covid-19 proving more trouble than it is worth? Major questions are being asked about the accuracy of the instant tests, which are costing hundreds of millions, but whose use is now being curtailed in places like schools and some care homes. Adam Shaw asks whether lives could be at risk and whether rapid mass testing could end up being money down the drain.

Julie Etchingham investigates the dramatic rise in food banks in Britain, asking why one of the richest countries in the world is experiencing food poverty on such a worrying level.

With most of us spending much more time at home due to covid restrictions our communities have had even more of an impact on our lives. But in some areas an old problem is on the rise again.

Since lockdown began last march police have reported a sharp increase in antisocial behaviour with incidents plaguing towns and cities. So what measures are in place to help victims. And are they working?

Paul Connolly talks to residents of the Halton Moor Estate in Leeds dubbed ‘The Zoo' in the media, to see what life is like for those living there. 

With fewer people describing themselves as British and polls showing separatist movements on the rise, Julie Etchingham asks just how much danger the centuries-old Union is in. Using exclusive polling of English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish voters, Julie discovers why so many people have lost interest in the Union, and explores whether the United Kingdom is on the brink of a break-up.

Many people are living longer but not always in the best of health. The Government wants to change that. And by 2035 they're hoping everyone can all get an extra five fitter years of life. Actor and musician Martin Kemp investigates.

Squirrelling away cash in savings accounts was the norm for generations. But after years of low interest rates and easy credit, for many those days are gone.

The brutal murder of Sarah Everard has opened up a wider debate about the safety of women on our streets, with many sharing their stories for the very first time. Julie Etchingham reports.

As the UK's most anticipated summer holiday season in history approaches, Chris Choi investigates where, when and how people can travel in the summer of 2021.

These are unprecedented times, prompting talk of a major transformation for our towns and cities to make them relevant once more in the post-Covid world. But how has the pandemic reshaped our lives? And will our High Streets adapt to survive? Jonathan Maitland investigates.

Former MP Tom Watson investigates how much damage refined sugar is doing to the nation's health, and asks what impact eating less sugar would have on the NHS.

Former MP Tom Watson investigates how much damage sugar is doing to the nation's health, and the potential links between Covid and obesity.

Part one of two. It is one of the cruellest crimes - scammers who rip off the vulnerable. In Britain alone it is estimated more than ?2billion has been lost to fraud over the past year in the pandemic, with crooks even conning people out of their life savings. Adnan Sarwar investigates.

Part two of two. Cameras focus on the criminals, some of who have even targeted friends and family members, by stealing their cash. Reporter Adnan Sarwar also investigates the romance con artists netting millions online by pretending to be a new love.

Every day, it's estimated that over two million pieces of litter are dropped in the UK - costing more than one billion pounds to clean up annually. As our waste problem mounts, reporter Fiona Foster speaks to the councils battling to keep the streets clean, the communities taking action, and the innovators tackling littering in new ways.

In a transport debate that is dividing Britain, there is plenty of evidence on both pros and cons. Trials of legal, rentable e-scooters have been accelerated because of the pandemic, but it's unclear whether they are really the green, clean machines the industry says they are. Chris Choi has new figures revealing the extent of injuries, collisions and anti-social behaviour associated with e-scooters.

For many people, months of lockdown has meant taking a long hard look at their surroundings and tackling the clutter in their homes. Reporter Angellica Bell investigates what people do with their unwanted things.

Six months after the UK left the EU, a look at where Britain stands today. Economics editor Joel Hills sets off on a tour to discover who Brexit Britain's winners and losers are so far.

Whether sprucing up the garden, or dreaming of a house makeover after spending more time at home during the pandemic, Jonathan Maitland looks at the rising costs of home improvements.

Towards the end of last year, research revealed 8.4 million people were drinking at a high-risk level, almost double the number who were prior to the pandemic. ITV journalist and recovering alcoholic Toby Winson explores what's led to this stark rise in problem drinking. The Tonight programme hears from experts with advice for anyone wanting to reduce their consumption.

About one in five people has a disability. It may be obvious but often it's not, leaving people struggling to find work, support and healthcare. Some with hidden disabilities battle even to be believed. Saima Mohsin goes on a very personal journey.

The summer holiday season is here, but it's another year where nothing is quite back to normal and for many this means a summer break right here in the UK. Sonali Shah takes a look at whether Brits will have to accept they're going to need to blow the budget for a British break this year.

Since 2010, Britons have failed to meet national legal limits of air pollution in the UK. Joe Crowley investigates what is being done to tackle the problem and assesses the health implications it may have for us all.

For 18 months it's been all hands-on deck in the NHS as it grapples with the most deadly pandemic in a century. The knock-on effect has been enormous too, with warnings that mounting delays to cancer treatment and other life-threatening illnesses could create their own shocking death toll. As a new SOS is sounded over the longest waiting lists since records began, Romilly Weeks meets doctors, patients and families and asks what can be done to clear the backlog.

Last year Brits spent over one hundred billion pounds on food in the UK. The horse meat scandal eight years ago exposed serious gaps in how standards were policed. Now, with pressure on council investigators, food fraud is said to be on the increase.

The UK's wholesale energy markets have reached record highs over the past few weeks, meaning Brits are facing some of the most expensive winter energy bills in years. Reports suggest half a million people could be plunged into fuel poverty, Jonathan Maitland investigates the energy saving tips to keep costs down.

With food thought to account for at least 20% of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions, our grocery basket can have a big impact on our environment. Greenpeace say British supermarkets are producing about 900,000 tons of plastic packaging every year. That means if they go `green', so do we. Jonathan Maitland examines the Green credentials of Britain's biggest supermarkets, and asks what people can do as consumers to play their part.

The UK's electronic waste mountain is the second largest in the world. On average each Brit throws away 24 kilos of electrical items, fuelling climate change, but there are growing calls for change. Chris Choi meets the repairers who want to give our electronic waste a second lease of life and asks whether existing laws giving us the right to repair go far enough.

Paul Kennedy passed away from pancreatic cancer just three months after he was diagnosed. Treated during the pandemic, Paul allowed his son Daniel to film brief precious moments on his final journey. Tonight shines a spotlight on the deadliest common cancer and investigates whether enough is being done to get patients diagnosed early.

As Britain faces shortages of fuel and food, a look at whether a supply chain crisis is brewing, or whether consumer panic buying is creating the crisis. The government says that this is a good moment to recalibrate the British economy and bring back high-skilled, high-wage jobs, but have they done enough to prevent shortages and deliver the Christmas we all want?

Only 14 per cent of England's rivers are rated as being in a good condition, a figure that hasn't changed since 2009. Joe Crowley investigates how waste water is contributing to the crisis in our rivers and examines the impact of water companies dumping raw sewage into rivers and coastal waters, sometimes illegally.

Scientist and weather presenter Laura Tobin explores what a carbon-zero Britain will look like, whether its coal mining past could help pave the way for a greener future, and what Brits can do to save money and save the planet.

Forty years ago baffled British doctors witnessed the mysterious death of a gay man who regularly visited America. It was the first reported case of AIDS in the UK, and until now he has never been identified. Now Paul Brand traces that first case - along with others who lived, loved and lost to a disease that, worldwide, has now claimed 36 million lives.

As Boris Johnson pledges to fix social care once and for all, reporter Fiona Foster looks at whether the government's plans to reform it can address the challenges facing the sector or whether they are just a sticking plaster.

For some Brits, complaining is an uncomfortable concept. But how do you get your money back if you do not air your grievances effectively? Reporter Adam Shaw gets to the bottom of what it takes to get it right when you make a complaint.

Many will be feeling the pinch this Christmas. Furlough is over, the Universal Credit uplift has been scrapped and food and energy prices are rising. Following families trying to make ends meet as well as experts offering festive money saving tips.

This time last year, much of Britain was in lockdown. Many families were forced apart and Christmas celebrations put on hold as the nation continued to fight the Covid pandemic. But even with new restrictions to counter the Omicron variant, can it be a different story this year? Fiona Foster reports on the people providing hope for others this festive season.