The Met Police officer who was cleared of murder after shooting and killing Chris Kaba is now going to be investigated for gross misconduct by the independent police watchdog. James asks if this investigation is necessary. And, James speaks with Phillips O’Brien, Professor of Strategic Studies at the University of St Andrews, about the resource deal that’s been finalised between Ukraine and the US. What does it mean for both parties? This episode was recorded on the 1st May. Catch James O'Brien ...
May 01, 2025•50 min•Ep. 78
James and LBC’s Washington Editor Simon Marks fact-check Donald Trump’s speech in Michigan celebrating the first 100 days of his second presidency. The Met Police officer who was cleared of murder after shooting Chris Kaba will face a gross misconduct hearing, the police watchdog has said. James speaks with LBC’s reporter Fraser Knight for the details. It’s been reported that men are to blame for the so-called “motherhood penalty”, and that men still don't do enough housework in comparison to wo...
Apr 30, 2025•55 min•Ep. 77
The UK and the EU have outlined a “new strategic partnership” intended to improve trade and security in Europe - totally at odds with Donald Trump’s alignment with Russia. Should Keir Starmer lean to Europe, or America? James is joined by LBC’s Washington Editor Simon Marks, to analyse the first 100 days of Donald Trump’s second term. And, after years of posting cycling videos, broadcaster Jeremy Vine will stop sharing his content, as he’s been the victim to huge amounts of anti-cyclist trolling...
Apr 29, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 76
Ultra-processed foods, including processed meats, breakfast cereal and fizzy drinks are causing almost 20,000 premature deaths in the UK each year, a study has suggested. Why are Brits so susceptible to junk food? And, experts in child development told MPs today that children may struggle to maintain relationships as an adult if they experience verbal abuse as children - the most prevalent form of child maltreatment. Have you been affected by verbal abuse as a child? This episode was recorded on...
Apr 28, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 75
Can we get the social media genie back in the bottle? Technology Secretary Peter Kyle is considering a social media curfew for kids, but has said no decisions will be made unless all the data backs it. Do we need a social media curfew? How bad is the impact of social media? And, Sir Keir Starmer and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, met yesterday to discuss plans for a new UK/EU defence pact. Contrastingly, 10 years ago, Brexiteers such as Nigel Farage used the idea...
Apr 25, 2025•57 min•Ep. 74
In the wake of a deadly Russian drone attack on a bus in Ukraine, which killed 9 people, Donald Trump has accused the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of harming peace negotiations by refusing to relinquish sovereignty of Crimea to Russia. James believes the US and Russia are now allies. What does this mean for both Ukraine and the world? James is also joined by LBC’s Political Editor Natasha Clark, who shares her interview with Chancellor Rachel Reeves, during which they discussed the po...
Apr 24, 2025•55 min•Ep. 73
The list of states, institutions and people around the world that US President Donald Trump offends grows by the day - but why does Trump never do a single thing that upsets Vladimir Putin's and the Kremlin? And, as he marked St George’s Day, Sir Keir Starmer urged the public to reclaim the English flag from the far-right. James asks a question that is simultaneously simple and complex - what is Englishness and why do you feel English? This episode was recorded on the 23rd April. Catch James O'B...
Apr 23, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 72
Pope Francis died in the early hours of Easter Monday. His funeral will take place on Saturday, which will start the first of nine days of global mourning. A liberal Pope, his attitudes were both loved and controversial. James asks what it means to be Catholic, and why Pope Francis’ death has generated such an extraordinary response. Also, for the first time, the Home Office is to publish the nationalities of criminal immigrants in the UK. Why are Labour doing this and why would anyone welcome t...
Apr 22, 2025•59 min•Ep. 71
This is a catch-up version of James O'Brien's Mystery Hour from the 17th April. The James O'Brien Daily Podcast will return after the bank holiday, on Tuesday 22nd April. Have a wonderful Easter weekend!
Apr 18, 2025•49 min•Ep. 70
Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, has said the West as we know it no longer exists. Given Donald Trump’s rejection of America’s role as leader of the free world, James thinks she’s right - do you? And, in an open letter in the Financial Times, dozens of members of the largest body representing UK Jews have condemned Israel's government for the war in Gaza. How significant is this moment? This episode was recorded on the 17th April. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am ...
Apr 17, 2025•59 min•Ep. 69
The Supreme Court has ruled that "woman" in UK law refers to biological sex, rather than one’s gender identity. This is being celebrated by some, while others feel dismay and that trans-people are being erased from society. What does the court ruling mean and what are people celebrating? James is also joined by the journalist and author David A Graham, to speak about his upcoming book “The Project: How Project 2025 is Reshaping America”, which explains why many people believe that a mysterious d...
Apr 16, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 68
The Birmingham bin collector strikes will continue after the latest pay offer by the city council was "overwhelmingly" rejected. Do you support the strikers? What would you do if your boss wanted to cut your wages? Also, James speaks with LBC’s Washington Editor Simon Marks for the latest from the US, including Donald Trump blaming the Ukraine war - again - on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. And, the Prime Minister has pledged to give 16 year olds the right to vote, which would extend t...
Apr 15, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 67
A report by MPs has found no evidence for “two tier policing” during last summer’s violent far-right riots, following the murder of three little girls by the Southport killer. The report also stated that the law preventing the police revealing more information about the suspect, who was a British Christian, should be reviewed, as the truth could have countered the disinformation claiming that he was a Muslim asylum seeker, which fuelled much of the violence. Shouldn’t the government be focusing ...
Apr 14, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 66
The US-China trade war has deepens - again. Beijing retaliates to yesterday’s 145% levy with a 125% tariff on US goods, with President Xi Jinping calling on the EU to join China in opposing "bullying" from the US. With the future global economic and political landscape hugely uncertain, James asks whether Keir Starmer should take bold action to protect the country’s interests by softening Brexit? And, James discusses the BBC’s reinstallation of a statue sculpted by the paedophile and artist Eric...
Apr 11, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 65
Donald Trump paused his tariff hike on all global economies bar China’s, where the trade war has deepened even further - at the time of writing, tariffs on China stand at 145%. Why has Trump done this? What does the future look like? Should these actions prompt Keir Starmer to rebuild bridges with the EU? James also plays back an interview with psychologist, writer, and Donald Trump's niece, Mary Trump, in which she describes what she claims are her uncle’s worsening delusions. And, James speaks...
Apr 10, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 64
Donald Trump continues to dismantle democratic institutions, defy court orders, deport innocent green card holders and facilitate cronyism. Time for James to ask the big question - is the Trump administration fascist? And, the UK government is developing a “murder prediction” programme which it hopes will identify members of the public most likely to become killers. Is this pragmatic, or dystopian? This episode was recorded on the 9th April. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC....
Apr 09, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 63
Following days of tariff turmoil, US stocks rally, while European and Asian markets also stabilise. China, so far, is refusing to withdraw its retaliatory tariffs, saying it will “fight to the end”. Trump has threatened to hit Beijing with an additional 50% tariff if they don’t withdraw their levy by the end of today. How do you make sense of what Trump is doing? Are we wasting our time trying to analyse him using the normal methods? What comes next? This episode was recorded on the 8th April. C...
Apr 08, 2025•56 min•Ep. 62
The head of the Muslim World League says young British Muslims are growing more disillusioned because of the war in Gaza, while the shocking video of Israeli forces opening fire on the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, before killing 15 medics, contradicts the IDF’s initial explanation for the killings. How much damage has Benjamin Netanyahu’s government done to the Israeli cause? Also, health workers will be sent into the community door-to-door, under drastic new NHS plans to tackle sickness ra...
Apr 07, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 61
In the wake of Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs, should Keir Starmer retaliate or negotiate? James also tackles another possibility - how long could it take for this all to blow up in Trump’s face? And, James speaks with Neil Henderson, the father of Jim Henderson, an aid worker and former Royal Marine that was killed in an Israeli drone strike in Gaza last April. Neil shares his son’s story and legacy. This episode was recorded on the 4th April. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on L...
Apr 04, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 60
Stock markets across the world dropped today after Donald Trump's sweeping tariff announcements. Sir Keir Starmer has said this will "clearly" have an economic impact on Brits, but that the UK will keep a "clear head", while also considering retaliatory measures. What should Starmer do? James is also joined by Ta-Nehisi Coates, an American journalist and author, for a brilliant conversation about the dramatic reaction to his latest book, “The Message”, which explores destructive nationalist myth...
Apr 03, 2025•58 min•Ep. 59
Donald Trump is set to announce his global tariffs at 9pm tonight. Can Keir Starmer, who’s being urged to fight back with retaliatory tariffs, stand up to Trump? James also analyses some of the New Jersey Senator Cory Booker’s record breaking anti-Trump speech from yesterday. Also, Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch has said she opposes protest-free buffer zones around abortion clinics and thinks they undermine free speech in the UK. Why are certain powerful individuals so against abortion and ar...
Apr 02, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 58
Sir Keir Starmer has admitted that the UK is likely to be hit by Donald Trump’s global trade tariffs, as the US refuses to sign an economic deal with Britain. James gets into the nitty gritty: What's the reason for tariffs? When did they originate? How will these tariffs affect us? The Prime Minister has described Netflix’s hugely influential series Adolescence as something that the entire nation is talking about. Yet today on LBC the Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch revealed that she hasn’t wa...
Apr 01, 2025•52 min•Ep. 57
The number of men becoming secondary school teachers has plummeted to a record low, while conversations about the effects of online misogyny and healthy role models are being had more than ever. Do boys need male role models specifically, and if so, why? NHS bosses have decided to shut the maternity unit at a major London hospital in response to a dramatic fall in the birthrate in its area in recent years. If you’re child free - why? And how do people react when you tell them? This episode was r...
Mar 31, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 56
Labour has come under fire from its welfare cuts, with affected families forecasted to lose £1,720 on average a year. James and his listeners look to identify exactly who Labour is trying to appeal to right now. Also, mid show, Keir Starmer’s director of communications quit - after just 9 months in the job. LBC’s Political Correspondent Aggie Chambre shares the details. And, Just Stop Oil is to cease its campaign of civil resistance after 3 years of climate action. The group stated that its init...
Mar 28, 2025•59 min•Ep. 55
More than 3 million UK households will lose out as a result of the government’s cuts to welfare, according to official analysis, with an extra 250,000 people forecasted to fall into relative poverty by the end of the decade. How will this impact you? And, the Netflix drama Adolescence has brought much needed attention to toxic masculinity and dangerous online influences such as Andrew Tate. James speaks to women about their thoughts on the show and the conversations it's opened up. This episode ...
Mar 27, 2025•52 min•Ep. 54
As well as plans to bomb Yemen's Houthis being leaked in the US security breach yesterday, messages also revealed a contempt toward America's European allies. One of US Vice President JD Vance’s messages stood out: "I just hate bailing Europe out again". Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth replied: "I fully share your loathing of European freeloading. It's PATHETIC". Why does JD Vance have this attitude towards Europe? James also speaks with Phillips O'Brien, Professor of Strategic Studies at the Uni...
Mar 26, 2025•59 min•Ep. 53
A journalist was accidentally added to a group chat on which the US Government was planning the bombing of Yemen's Houthis. The chat included US Vice President JD Vance, Defence secretary Pete Hegseth and the leaders of US national security and intelligence. When questioned this morning, Donald Trump said he knew nothing about it. Is this indicative of the incompetence of the Trump administration? And, the Palestinian director of the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land” has been arrested by...
Mar 25, 2025•58 min•Ep. 52
The UK’s first live facial recognition cameras, intended to make fighting crime easier, are being set up in south London. Would you be comfortable with these cameras arriving on your street, or is this an invasion of privacy? Brits spend less time in the office than workers in every other country bar the Philippines, research claims. Why are Brits resisting the call back to the office? Elton John, Stormzy and Coldplay are among a group of artists backing Ed Sheeran’s call for Keir Starmer to com...
Mar 24, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 51
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson is considering a smartphone ban in England schools. Pressure mounts from MPs to act on the effect of social media on teenagers, encapsulated by the viral Netflix drama, Adolescence. Is totally banning phones from schools possible? Also, there’s been a huge rise in women working beyond the state pension threshold simply in order to survive. Simple question here - will you ever be able to retire? And, James speaks with LBC’s Scotland Political Editor, Gina Da...
Mar 21, 2025•50 min•Ep. 50
Donald Trump has suggested the US takes over ownership of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants as part of a truce between Ukraine and Russia. Is Trump’s second term changing the West beyond all recognition? Also, James speaks with LBC’s Political Editor Natasha Clark, who shares the highlights from her recent interview with the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davey. Also, James speaks with Jerusalem-based journalist Noga Tarnopolsky, who details why Israeli protestors are saying that Benjamin ...
Mar 20, 2025•53 min•Ep. 49
