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
Interest from American buyers in UK property has reached its highest level in eight years, with Edinburgh emerging as the most popular destination, according to new figures. James asks why Scotland has such a different attitude towards immigrants than the rest of the UK. And, James speaks with Victoria Rose, consultant plastic surgeon, who is currently working at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, South Gaza. Today alone, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza had reportedly killed at least 93 people. This epi...
May 16, 2025•45 min•Ep. 89
Sir Keir Starmer’s post-Brexit 'reset' talks with Brussels have met a hitch over fishing. British fishing waters were one of the most effective tools of the Leave Campaign, but what’s actually happened to our fishing industry since Brexit, and why did fishing become so important before disappearing overnight? James also speaks with Peter Foster, World Trade Editor of the Financial Times, for his take on the UK’s relationship with the EU. LBC’s Political Correspondent Aggie Chambre shares the det...
May 15, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 88
Downing Street has defended Sir Keir Starmer’s language on immigration, which some on the left has likened to that used by Enoch Powell. The questions remain, who exactly is Starmer targeting and how does it feel to be on the receiving end? Unsurprisingly, Starmer is grilled on his speech in today’s Prime Minister’s Questions - James and LBC’s Political Editor Natasha Clark listen and analyse. And, James speaks with Lucy Easthope, international adviser on disaster recovery, to discuss her new bo...
May 14, 2025•56 min•Ep. 87
Starmer’s speech on the government’s immigration white paper in which he warned that “we risk becoming an island of strangers” has been likened to Enoch Powell’s infamous Rivers of Blood speech. Who is the Prime Minister speaking to with this? Also, it’s Speak to Sadiq - the Mayor of London joins me in the studio to answer James and the callers’ most pressing questions - Keir Starmer’s speech, Gaza and Thames Water were on the agenda. And, James speaks with Peter Geoghegan, Editor of the Democra...
May 13, 2025•58 min•Ep. 86
Sir Keir Starmer will be drastically tightening immigration policy. He says the reforms will see net migration drop even further, but do the numbers actually matter to the people this new policy is supposed to please? And, UN-backed assessment has said that Gaza's population of around 2.1 million Palestinians is at "critical risk" of famine, as an Israeli blockade on food and humanitarian aid continues. Why are we closing our eyes to Gaza’s horror? This episode was recorded on the 12th May. Catc...
May 12, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 85
Sir Keir Starmer says the new UK-US trade deal will save thousands of jobs in the car and steel industries. James breaks down the detail with Dmitry Grozoubinski, Founder of Explain Trade, and asks if Starmer could have done any better. Also, two men have been found guilty of felling the world famous Sycamore Gap Tree, a crime that enraged the nation. As a country, why were we so emotionally invested, and should the men be sent to prison for chopping down a tree? And, Cardinal Robert Prevost has...
May 09, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 84
Even in the wake of the UK-India trade deal, an actual benefit of Brexit, many Brexiteers are forgoing celebrations and instead painting Indian workers as the winners, and UK workers as the losers. In this anti-immigrant political climate, how can Labour prove to the electorate that it is benefiting them? Also, migrants coming to live and work in the UK will be required to speak A-Level standard English under a new proposal from the Government. Who is this policy designed to appease, and will it...
May 08, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 83
India launched air strikes on Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir last night, leaving many civilians dead, in the worst fighting between the two nations for decades. This has coincided with the near completion of a UK-India trade deal. What are the stakes here and what happens if the conflict escalates? Also, a new report into last summer’s far-right anti-immigrant riots has found that the police force is ill-equipped to tackle the impact of online misinformation - which fuelled the disorder. Why do ...
May 07, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 82
The Government is rethinking its controversial winter fuel payment cut as anxiety grows at potential electoral repercussions. How big a deal is the winter fuel allowance, and how would you fix it? The Israeli security cabinet has approved a plan to 'capture' Gaza, in which troops will indefinitely occupy the region and forcibly relocate the 2.1 million Palestinians living there to the southern enclave. Was this the plan all along? This episode was recorded on the 6th May. Catch James O'Brien wee...
May 06, 2025•58 min•Ep. 81
This is a catch-up version of James O'Brien's Mystery Hour from the 1st May. The James O'Brien Daily Podcast will return after the bank holiday, on Tuesday 6th May. Have a wonderful weekend!
May 05, 2025•49 min•Ep. 80
Nigel Farage’s Reform has this afternoon taken control of seven councils, just hours after dramatically beating Labour in a by-election for Runcorn and Helsby. Is Keir Starmer Labour’s main problem? How can Nigel Farage, a politician with such a bad track record, enjoy such public support? And, James speaks with the Co-Founders of Project Pure Hope, an organisation that helped bring two girls from Gaza over to the UK for urgent medical treatment. These children are the first to be granted tempor...
May 02, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 79
