The Inquiry

Conflict in the Middle East has led to volatility in global oil prices, pushing up fuel costs worldwide. Previous oil shocks prompted some countries to reconsider their reliance on cars, investing in alternatives such as cycling. In some places, this has become part of everyday life, while elsewhere it has proved more contested, reflecting wider political and cultural divides.
Cycling offers benefits for health and the environment, but it is not practical for everyone. For many people, including those in rural areas or with limited mobility, cars remain everyday essentials.
As oil price volatility continues to affect motorists, questions remain about how far behaviour can change.
This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: is it time to swap four wheels for two?
Contributors:
Meredith Glaser, CEO of Urban Cycling Institution, professor of cycling at Ghent University, Belgium, and a senior lecturer at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Levke Sönksen, research associate at the German Institute of Urban Affairs, Germany
Dr Eunhye Enki Yoo, professor of Geography at the University of Buffalo, US
Martin Tillman, independent transport consultant, UAE
Presenter: Gary O’Donoghue
Producer: Matt Toulson
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford
Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey
(Photo: Cyclists ride bicycles in Amsterdam. Credit: George Clerk/Getty Images)

Broadcasters from The Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, Spain and Slovenia are all boycotting May’s Eurovision Song Contest because Israel is participating.
Sources within Israel’s broadcaster say calls for it to be banned are unjustified, and organisers of the contest insist it must remain politically neutral, describing the event as "a platform for displaying the importance of peace and unity in a divided world".
The boycott has sparked one of the biggest crises in Eurovision’s 70-year history. In several cases, the position to withdraw also reflects wider pressure from politicians and public opinion. How will countries boycotting Eurovision affect the contest?’
Contributors:
Natalija Gorščak, president of the management board of RTV, Slovenia
Dr Bárbara Barreiro León, lecturer in film and visual Culture, University of Aberdeen, UK
Dr Heather Dichter, associate professor of sport history and sport management, De Montfort University, UK
Dr Dean Vuletic, author Postwar Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest, Luxembourg
Presenter/producer: Daniel Rosney
Sound enginee: James Bradshaw
Production co-ordinator: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey
Editor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: Eurovision flags. Credit: Georg Hochmuth/Getty Images)

For the second time in 12 years Glasgow is preparing to host the Commonwealth Games after Australia’s Victoria state pulled out because of increased costs. Victoria’s withdrawal raised questions about whether the 2026 games would go ahead before Glasgow agreed to step in.
Staging a sporting mega-event is expensive and governments face increasing scrutiny over public spending. Victoria’s decision raised wider questions about affordability for potential hosts. At the same time, critics question the Games’ political relevance, given its origins in Britain’s colonial past.
The Commonwealth Games Federation says the event can be delivered in a more sustainable way and argues that it brings cultural and economic benefits to host cities, but recent editions have run into significant costs and budget pressures.
This week on The Inquiry, Tanya Beckett asks ‘Is it time to scrap the Commonwealth Games?’
Contributors:
Dr Stuart Whigham, senior lecturer in sport, coaching and physical education at Oxford Brookes University, UK
Dr Matthew McDowell, lecturer in sport policy, management, and international development at the University of Edinburgh, UK
Dr Verity Postlethwaite, lecturer in strategic event management at Loughborough University, UK
Professor Gayle McPherson, associate dean for research at the University of the West of Scotland, and director of legacy and community engagement for Commonwealth Games Scotland, UK
Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producer: Matt Toulson
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Technical Producer: Craig Boardman
Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey
(Photo: 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medals. Credit: Adrian Dennis/Getty Images)

Ireland has a new permanent government scheme providing regular cash transfers to 2,000 artists.
The people who can access it range from circus performers to opera singers.
It follows a pilot of more than three years which is believed to have brought a return on investment to the economy.
Big tech backs basic income schemes like this to offset the consequences AI is having on the workforce.
Leading economists believe it could create a dystopian world.
Nevertheless, more governments are piloting or planning to introduce schemes like this.
This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Why is basic income being debated?’
Contributors:
Dr Jenny Dagg, assistant lecturer, Maynooth University, Ireland
Dr Catarina Neves, postdoctoral fellow, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
Daron Acemoglu, 2024 Nobel Peace Prize winner in economics, institute professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US
Jurgen De Wispelaere, acting chair of the Basic Income Earth Network
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producer: Daniel Rosney
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Technical producer: Craig Boardman
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Production Management: Liam Morrey & Phoebe Lomas

Ireland has a new permanent government scheme providing regular cash transfers to 2,000 artists. The people who can access it range from circus performers to opera singers.
It follows a pilot of more than three years, which is believed to have brought a return on investment to the economy.
Big tech backs basic income schemes like this to offset the consequences AI is having on the workforce. Leading economists believe it could create a dystopian world. Nevertheless, more governments are piloting or planning to introduce schemes like this.
Contributors:
Dr Jenny Dagg, assistant lecturer, Maynooth University, Ireland
Dr Catarina Neves, postdoctoral fellow, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
Daron Acemoglu, 2024 Nobel Prize winner in economics, institute professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US
Dr Jurgen De Wispelaere, acting chair of the Basic Income Earth Network.
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producer: Daniel Rosney
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Technical Producer: Craig Boardman
Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey
(Photo: A customer withdraws euro bills from an ATM in Sofia. Credit: Bloomberg/Getty Images)