Remembering Edward Stourton

There have been many tributes this week to our dear colleague Edward Stourton, who died last weekend at the age of 68. They've come from across the media, from the churches and faith communities he covered for so long, and from listeners who simply trusted his voice on a Sunday morning. William Crawley looks back at his extraordinary contribution to religious broadcasting.

Also in the programme, Andy Burnham's first visit as prime minister was to a Catholic run homeless shelter in London called the Passage. He made his first pledge as PM to end rough sleeping. People familiar with his work as mayor of Greater Manchester will know it's a promise he made when he was elected in 2017. Emily Buchanan visits a project set up by a Christian charity in the city to hear about his track record there and his ambition for the country.

Every day, dozens of Palestinian patients from the occupied West Bank cross into Israel for desperately needed specialised medical care they can’t get at home. Waiting to drive them to hospital are Israeli volunteers who have increased in number since the October 7th attacks in 2023. Since the war started, it’s become an increasingly rare space for Israelis and Palestinians to speak and build trust. A meeting of two worlds amid the trauma of war. Naomi Scherbel-Ball has been joining the patients and volunteers for the journeys from the checkpoints to hospitals in Israel.

Presenter: Emily Buchanan
Producers: Katy Booth, Rosie Dawson, Catherine Murray, Dan Tierney and Carmel Lonergan
Studio Managers: Lynsey Akehurst and Catherine Everatt
Editor: Tim Pemberton