Radio choice

Charlotte Runcie

Shock and War: Iraq 20 Years On Radio 4, 1.45pm

This major new series marks two decades since a Us-led coalition invaded Iraq to overthrow Saddam Hussein, for reasons that remain controversial today. Over 10 episodes, the BBC’S Security Correspondent, Gordon Corera, explores why and how the war happened, and why then-prime Minister, Tony Blair, committed the UK to the project. Corera speaks to key players including: Blair, Richard Dearlove, who was head of MI6 at the time, the CIA’S head of the Iraqi Operations Group, weapons inspectors and Washington insiders – and Iraqis who lived through it all.

The Blues Show with Cerys Matthews Radio 2, 9pm

On The Blues Show tonight, Cerys Matthews presents a celebration of Van Morrison, with an interview with the man himself as the centrepiece. Van Morrison discusses his relationship with the blues, his early musical influences and life in the Northern Ireland of the 1950s, the artists that he most admires, and the history of skiffle, as well as his new album, in which he reimagines classics from the late 1950s that first gave him his musical ambitions. The music on the playlist includes hits from across his own illustrious career and some famous blues musicians.