Actor Idris Elba and Lionesses manager Serena Weigman lead the New Year Honours - but where did this tradition come from, and do you think the people in receipt of these gongs generally deserve them? The head of the Unite union - Labour's biggest donor - says the Prime Minister is toast and has warned his would-be successor not to make the same mistakes he has. Is she right? But what about party leaders Kemi Badenoch and Sir Ed Davey? Will they still be in their jobs at the end of 2026? A third ...
Dec 30, 2025•2 hr 25 min
Opposition parties are calling for a British-Egyptian dissident to be stripped of his citizenship following the emergence of tweets against British people where he also called for the killing of zionists. We're joined by Emily Thornberry who says citizenship cannot be taken away "willy-nilly". President Trump says "Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed". Does this statement encapsulate the anxiety that Ukraine will not be able to secure a "just peace"? Erin Doherty, the actress who plays a young P...
Dec 30, 2025•2 hr 27 min
Ukraine claims full control of Kupyansk on Christmas Day, dealing a symbolic blow to Vladimir Putin, with investigative journalist John Sweeney analysing what it means for the war. We also bring the latest on US strikes against IS targets in Nigeria and wider global defence implications with expert insight from Helen Hoddinott and Robert Fox. Plus, Dr Ellie Cannon joins us to talk weird phobias, why we get them, and how to overcome them.
Dec 26, 2025•2 hr 5 min
A Christmas Day special exploring what the season really means, from faith and the nativity to commercialisation, family pressures, and changing traditions. Featuring emotional and thoughtful calls from listeners of different backgrounds, live performances, childhood memories, and festive reflections that capture Christmas.
Dec 25, 2025•2 hr 31 min
What does your traditional Christmas diet look like? Do you go heavy on chocolates, or is turkey the highlight of your holiday season? Are there any wacky meals you bring out in December that would raise a few eyebrows?
Dec 24, 2025•3 hr 1 min
Are you working through Christmas?
Dec 23, 2025•2 hr 31 min
Should we all learn another language?
Dec 22, 2025•2 hr 30 min
Call Kemi: Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch takes your calls Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question are Conservative Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Andrew Rosindell, Liberal Democrat Shadow Attorney General Ben Maguire, historian and broadcaster Dr Tessa Dunlop and the social entrepreneur Samuel Kasumu.
Dec 17, 2025•2 hr 32 min
Why would anyone in this country possibly want Trump to win his legal case against the BBC? Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question are MPs Charlotte Nichols from Labour and Sarah Bool from the Conservatives, Baroness Jenny Jones from the Green Party and the former adviser to Boris Johnson, Guto Harri.
Dec 16, 2025•2 hr 30 min
How can Jewish people around the world be made to feel safer, when atrocities keep occurring? Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question are the Conservatives' Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden, Labour MP Tony Vaughan, political commentator Salma Shah and The Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee.
Dec 15, 2025•2 hr 30 min
Are resident doctors being irresponsible to still be considering striking next week, given the scale of the flu outbreak? Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question are Labour's Cabinet Office Minister Josh Simons, former Conservative Cabinet Minister Sir John Redwood, the tech entrepreneur Judith McMinn and the political commentator Benedict Spence.
Dec 10, 2025•2 hr 33 min
Do you recognise Trump's portrayal of London as a city which has been significantly harmed by immigration? Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question are Labour Muslim Network chair Ali Milani, MPs Harriet Cross from the Conservatives and Will Stone from Labour, and the think-tanker Phoebe Arslanagić-Little.
Dec 09, 2025•2 hr 31 min
How can more young people be got into work? Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question are the former Conservative Education Secretary Justine Greening, Labour MP Dame Chi Onwurah, Anna Sabine from the Liberal Democrats & The Spectator's James Heale.
Dec 08, 2025•2 hr 30 min
Does excluding countries from sport and culture really achieve anything? Author and podcaster Rory Stewart joins Iain in the studio to take LBC listeners' calls.
Dec 04, 2025•2 hr 29 min
How should the war in Ukraine best be brought to an end? Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question are Labour MP Chris Curtis, former Conservative Cabinet minister Theresa Villiers, Democratic Unionist Party MP Jim Shannon and the homelessness campaigner Matthew Torbitt.
Dec 03, 2025•2 hr 30 min
Do you support the planned reforms to the justice system? Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question are Channel 4's former Head of News Dorothy Byrne, Labour MP Andrew Pakes, the Centre for Policy Studies' Emma Revell and the former Conservative adviser Tom Skinner.
Dec 02, 2025•2 hr 30 min
Are you concerned by the claims that Rachel Reeves misled the public about the country's finances? Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question are Labour MP Polly Billington, the Liberal Democrats' group leader in Liverpool Carl Cashman, Conservative peer Lord Robert Hayward and ConservativeHome's Henry Hill.
Dec 01, 2025•2 hr 28 min
Kemi Badenoch takes your calls. Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question are the Exchequer secretary to the Treasury Dan Tomlinson, Shadow business minister Dame Harriett Baldwin, General secretary of the Trades Union Congress Paul Nowak and Columnist for The Times Fraser Nelson.
Nov 26, 2025•2 hr 30 min
Would you support British troops being sent to defend Ukraine after this war ends? Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question are the British Chambers of Commerce's Director General Shevaun Haviland, former Scottish Labour Party leader Kezia Dugdale, Conservative MP Graham Stuart and the Sunday Telegraph's Political Editor Camilla Turner.
Nov 25, 2025•2 hr 30 min
Should the Chancellor be bold on Wednesday and slash public spending? Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question are MPs Catherine Atkinson from Labour, Dr Luke Evans from the Conservatives and Edward Morello from the Liberal Democrats, plus the journalist and broadcaster Angela Epstein.
Nov 24, 2025•2 hr 33 min
Is stopping legal migrants who aren't citizens from getting benefits the way to end public anger about legal migration?
Nov 20, 2025•2 hr 29 min
What needs to happen for this country to take the threats being posed to us a lot more seriously? Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question are the former Conservative Cabinet ministers Lucy Frazer and former Labour Cabinet minister Jim Murphy, along with Re:Start think-tank director Charlotte Pickles and journalist and disability rights campaigner Liam O'Dell.
Nov 19, 2025•2 hr 30 min
Why are so many Brits fleeing this country? Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question are the Labour MP Alex Sobel, Conservative MP Sir John Hayes, Alys Denby from the business newspaper City AM and the political commentator and Liberal Democrat activist Mathew Hulbert.
Nov 18, 2025•2 hr 29 min
Would the government's new asylum reform plans be the deterrent it says it claims, or is it just totally inhumane? Joining Iain Dale for a business-themed special edition of Cross Question are the wealth manager Gina Miller, drinks producer boss and hotelier Steve Perez, fine jeweller Kiki McDonough and the inventor and entrepreneur Richard Browning.
Nov 17, 2025•2 hr 30 min
Could removing incentives for buying electric vehicles stop you buying one? Journalists Jonathan Dimbleby and Peter Oborne take listeners' calls on the war in Gaza and on Palestine's future.
Nov 13, 2025•2 hr 30 min
If Labour were to oust Keir Starmer, who would you want to replace him? Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question are the Labour Health Minister Stephen Kinnock, James Reed of the employment agency Reed, former Conservative Cabinet minister Sir Ranil Jayawardena and The Guardian columnist Zoe Williams.
Nov 12, 2025•2 hr 32 min
Would you support the two-child benefit cap being scrapped? Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question are the Spiked Online editor Tom Slater, the New Statesman's associate political editor Rachel Cunliffe, Labour MP Natasha Irons and the Conservative MP Sir Alec Shelbrooke.
Nov 11, 2025•2 hr 31 min
What should - and shouldn't - the BBC do in the future? Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question are the Green Party MP Siân Berry, Conservative peer Lord James Bethell, former Brexit Party and Conservative MEP Lucy Harris and the political commentator Matthew Stadlen.
Nov 10, 2025•2 hr 31 min
Call Kemi: Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch takes calls from LBC listeners. The former Cabinet minister Sir Vince Cable also takes calls, on his new book about growing Chinese and Indian economic and political power.
Oct 30, 2025•2 hr 31 min
If the Chancellor raises taxes in next month's Budget, is this just a coward's way out? Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question are MPs Chris Murray from Labour and Greg Smith from the Conservatives, writer and comedian Timandra Harkness and LBC's political correspondent Aggie Chambré.
Oct 29, 2025•2 hr 30 min
