Another U-turn from Sir Keir Starmer, and this time on the controversial welfare bill. Today, James asked his listeners what these constant policy shifts mean for the public’s perception of the Prime Minister? Can a government change its mind this often without losing credibility? In a deeply troubling story, James also discussed the dismissal of two Met Police officers after a tribunal into the inappropriate strip-search of a 15-year-old schoolgirl in 2020. James heard from listeners — includin...
Jun 27, 2025•51 min•Ep. 118
In today’s episode, James O’Brien unpacks another political crisis for Sir Keir Starmer’s government. With over 100 Labour MPs demanding a delay to the controversial Welfare Bill, pressure is mounting on the Prime Minister to perform yet another policy U-turn. What’s going wrong inside Number 10 — and why is Labour’s grip on power already showing signs of strain? Then, on a lighter note, James dived into the surprising decline of dating apps among Gen Z. Why is the generation raised online sudde...
Jun 26, 2025•43 min•Ep. 117
The US military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities last weekend did not destroy the core components of the country’s nuclear program, as President Trump claims, and likely only set it back by months, according to a leaked US intelligence report. Despite this, the head of NATO has referred to Donald Trump as "daddy" as he lauded the US president over the Israel-Iran “ceasefire”. Is sycophancy inevitable? And, a growing number of Labour MPs are supporting a bid to block the government's planned ...
Jun 25, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 116
Israel has accused Iran of violating a ceasefire, which Iran has denied, hours after the deal brokered by Donald Trump and Qatar came into effect. When questioned about it on live TV, Trump attacked both countries and said the f-word. What should Keir Starmer be doing here? Also, the health secretary, Wes Streeting, has launched a national investigation into NHS maternity services in England. This has come after a series of high profile failures and preventable losses of life, including several ...
Jun 24, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 115
Iran claims it has after launched missile attacks on a US military base in Qatar and Iraq, in response to the US dropping "bunker buster bombs" on three key nuclear sites in Iran over the weekend. Why did Trump decide to hit Iran? This episode was recorded on the 23rd June. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
Jun 23, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 114
The White House says Donald Trump will decide in the next fortnight whether the US will get involved in Israel’s war against Iran. Do you think he’ll do it? And, following the 8th anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire last Saturday, James speaks with Ed Daffarn, Grenfell survivor whose blog catalogued a series of concerns about the tower block before the disaster occurred. He features in the new documentary, Grenfell: Uncovered. This episode was recorded on the 20th June. Catch James O'Brien we...
Jun 20, 2025•43 min•Ep. 113
Sir Keir Starmer is weighing up whether to provide the US with military support if Donald Trump decides to attack Iran. If we do get involved, what would it mean to you, the world, and our future? And, HS2 will be delayed again, beyond its target of 2033, and will not be completed on its already enormous budget. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander blamed previous Conservative governments - but how has this happened? This episode was recorded on the 19th June. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10...
Jun 19, 2025•59 min•Ep. 112
Donald Trump is reportedly considering joining Israel's strikes on Iran. As this conflict escalates, comparisons will be drawn with the disastrous US military intervention in Iraq - is history repeating itself? Also, a new study named “Sleeping with the Enemy” found that the risk of splitting up with your partner if you disagree on Brexit increases by more than 60 per cent. Can you love someone and hate their politics? And, James speaks with Tim Gregory, nuclear chemist working at the Sellafield...
Jun 18, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 111
Sir Keir Starmer has defended his decision to hold a national inquiry into grooming gangs. Baroness Louise Casey’s report recommends both a national police operation to review cases of child exploitation not acted on, as well as a national inquiry. Today, James asks victims of sexual abuse as a child to share what happened when they told someone about it. And, Baroness Casey shared evidence from her report with MPs and asked that the results not be used for political ends - James is also joined ...
Jun 17, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 110
Israel says it has "full aerial operational control" over the Iranian capital Tehran, after four days of intensifying strikes between the countries, with growing casualties on both sides. Is it possible that Israel's actions are unconscionable in Gaza, but justified in Iran? And, importantly, James asks his listeners what the reality of being a citizen of modern Iran actually is. This episode was recorded on the 16th June. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC....
Jun 16, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 109
Israel launched strikes across the “heart” of Iran’s nuclear programme last night, killing senior military figures, scientists, and according to Iranian state media, civilians and children. Iran then struck back, sending around 100 drones to Israel, most of which were intercepted. Is this Benjamin Netanyahu’s latest attempt at self-preservation, or is this action morally justified? And, James is joined by David Challen, whose mother killed his father after a lifetime of coercive control. David s...
Jun 13, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 108
James discusses the warning that police forces will struggle to fulfil Sir Keir Starmer’s promise to recruit an additional 13,000 officers. Why aren't people joining the police? Would you? Also, earlier today, a London-bound Air India plane carrying 242 people crashed in Ahmedabad, western India. On board were 169 Indian, 53 British, seven Portuguese and one Canadian national. James is joined by two aviation experts to try and understand how this might have happened. Please note this story is on...
Jun 12, 2025•57 min•Ep. 107
The UK has sanctioned two extremist far-right Israeli ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, over "repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities" in the occupied West Bank. Is this too little, too late? Or a major step in the right direction? And, government ministers are planning to scrap the 200 years old Vagrancy Act, which outlaws rough sleeping in England and Wales. James’ listeners share their personal stories about how easy it is to end up homeless. This episo...
Jun 11, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 106
Yesterday's U-turn on the controversial winter fuel payment cuts restored the allowance to all pensioners with an income of £35k or less a year. Does this U-turn make the government look better, or worse? How does that £35k threshold sit with you? And, Israel has said it’s deported Greta Thunberg, a day after the IDF intercepted The Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s aid boat, arresting Thunberg and the other 11 campaigners on board. What would Israel have done if Greta wasn’t there, and was her missi...
Jun 10, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 105
Protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles continued for a third day yesterday, with Donald Trump calling in the National Guard against the wishes of California's Governor Gavin Newsom, who has said he’ll be suing the President for doing so. What’s Trump’s plan? James breaks it down with the callers and LBC’s Washington Editor, Simon Marks. And, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed the government’s U-turn on winter fuel payment cuts, reinstating the payment for more than three-quarters ...
Jun 09, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 104
Lewis Goodall stepped in for James O’Brien for the final day, bringing you a packed episode that examines major fractures on the political right, on both sides of the Atlantic. In the United States, Elon Musk has publicly broken ties with President Donald Trump, marking the end of a high-profile alliance that had become increasingly influential in conservative political circles. The rift follows Musk’s recent departure from the Department of Government Efficiency and signals a significant shift ...
Jun 06, 2025•49 min•Ep. 103
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed the government’s U-turn on the controversial winter fuel payment cuts that were set to come into play this winter. Lewis thinks this fiasco shows that old, rich people in the UK have too much political power - do you agree? And, Lewis is joined by Ali Milani, National Chair at the Labour Muslim Network, to speak on its recent survey showing that one in three Muslim Labour MPs, councillors and mayors described the party as institutionally Islamophobic. Ali a...
Jun 05, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 102
Rachel Reeves is announcing £15bn in spending for public transport outside London, saying the UK will not see a return to austerity. Do you accept this? And why have we been prevented from developing infrastructure in recent years? Lewis is joined by Sam Dumitriu, Head of Policy at Britain Remade, which campaigns to promote economic growth via infrastructure, for his thoughts. Also, police cuts will mean ‘some crimes must be ignored’, according to head of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Mark Rowley...
Jun 04, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 101
A major deal that hoped would save Thames Water has collapsed, with US private equity group KKR pulling out of negotiations that would have seen them inject £4 billion in fresh equity into the company. What is next for Thames Water - do you believe it will be successfully nationalised? And, a man who burned a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish consulate in London has been convicted. In a statement, the man said his conviction was "an assault on free speech”, with others in the public sphere e...
Jun 03, 2025•56 min•Ep. 100
Today, Sir Keir Starmer has unveiled the government's new defence spending plans, stating that the UK military is moving to "war-fighting readiness", but he's being criticised for a lack of urgency in hitting the promised 3% spending increase. To help work out whether this is the case, Lewis is joined by Mike Martin, Liberal Democrat MP for Tunbridge Wells and a member of the Defence Select Committee and Natasha Clark, LBC's Political Editor. And, Reform UK has launched a new Elon Musk-style “Do...
Jun 02, 2025•57 min•Ep. 99
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick has posted a video of himself delivering “vigilante justice” to people he accused of fare dodging in London. Why do we find petty crimes like fare jumping so enraging and what is Honest Bob Jenrick’s plan? Also, new figures show that almost 2.5 million people are likely to have ADHD in the UK. James explores the possibility of himself having ADHD and asks what difference a diagnosis can make to your life. And, James speaks with Dr Alonso Gurmendi, a fellow...
May 30, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 98
In today’s episode, James drew on analysis from across the political spectrum, as he explored the Conservative Party’s current decline and questioned whether a route to recovery remains viable. Listeners, particularly former Conservative voters, were invited to reflect on whether the party has passed the point of no return and what a future revival might entail. James then turned to a harrowing investigation by LBC into the rise of knife crime among young people. With exclusive data revealing a ...
May 29, 2025•54 min•Ep. 97
Thames Water has been fined £122.7m for breaching rules over sewage spills and shareholder payouts - the biggest penalty in water company history. How did we let them get away with it and whose fault is it that we're only waking up to this now? And, people caught driving illegal e-scooters will see their vehicles crushed within 48 hours under new police powers. James thinks they’re a scourge on society, but is painfully aware he sounds like an old git in saying so - what do you think? This episo...
May 28, 2025•59 min•Ep. 96
50 people, including four children, are injured after a car ploughed into a crowd during Liverpool’s Premier League victory parade yesterday. The suspect has been described as a “53 year old white British man” - but what if he wasn’t a white British man? In telling us this, have the police accepted that far-right violence in response to crimes committed by none-white people are guaranteed? Also, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said the government is looking at scrapping the two-child ...
May 27, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 95
Data shows that 52% of first-time buyers can only get on the ladder with help from the 'Bank of Mum And Dad', it feels inevitable that this figure will continue to rise, but what does that mean for society as we age? What happens when those who have been stuck renting forever want to retire? And, it's looking very likely that Sir Keir Starmer is due to change his winter fuel payment policy, and it got James thinking about the importance of being able to change your mind and opinion. Is it someth...
May 23, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 94
From the war zones of Bosnia to the frontlines of Gaza, Christiane Amanpour has reported from the epicentres of global upheaval for over three decades. Her commitment to being “truthful, not neutral” made her one of the most respected correspondents of her generation and a sharp, unwavering voice in the age of misinformation. In this episode of Full Disclosure , James O’Brien sits down with Christiane to explore the emotional and political terrain of her career. They trace her journey from Tehra...
May 23, 2025•50 min
The latest Office for National Statistics figures show that UK net migration almost halved in 2024. As significant as this sounds, will these numbers make much difference to our political discourse, especially to those most vocal in their resentment of immigrants? And, Shabana Mahmood, the Lord Chancellor, is considering mandatory chemical castration for the most serious sex offenders, such as paedophiles, according to government sources. James approves, do you? This episode was recorded on the ...
May 22, 2025•58 min•Ep. 93
Foreign Secretary David Lammy has called out Israel’s military escalation in Gaza as "morally unjustifiable", demanding an end to its aid blockade, suspending trade talks and imposing sanctions. From support to disgust - how did it get to this? This episode was recorded on the 21st May. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
May 21, 2025•57 min•Ep. 92
With the media responding to Sir Keir Starmer's new landmark UK-EU deal, the question that James wants answered is, can we avoid falling into old traps, or are we destined to bow to the right-wing media like before? With several businesses publicly confirming that this new deal will benefit the majority of us, will the nation move forward and listen to those trusted voices, or will they be swayed by those with the most to gain? This episode was recorded on the 20th May. Catch James O'Brien weekd...
May 20, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 91
Sir Keir Starmer has finalised a landmark UK-EU deal that’ll make trading with the European continent easier and hosted a summit with the EU leaders in London today. The Conservatives and Reform UK have described the deal as a "surrender". Is it time for James to abandon the attitude of "contempt for the conmen, compassion for the conned"? Also, Dmitry Grozoubinski, Founder of Explain Trade and author of the book, ‘Why Politicians Lie About Trade: ... and What You Need to Know About It', explain...
May 19, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 90
