The BMA has said NHS bosses will be putting patients at risk from tomorrow's resident doctors' strike. Only non-urgent care will be cancelled - a move that will spread senior doctors too thinly according to the union. Considering their 22% pay rise across the last 2 years, do you support the doctor’s strikes this time round? Also, new data shows a third of 20 to 34-year-old men in the UK still live at home, a number much higher than their female counterparts - why is this? Is this “failure to la...
Jul 24, 2025•59 min•Ep. 137
Following two riots outside an asylum hotel in Epping last week, Sir Keir Starmer is demanding urgent action to avoid a repeat of last summer’s far-right violence. What should they do? Also, have you ever experienced brain fog? According to a new study, the Covid-19 pandemic may have aged our brains prematurely. Do you think this has happened to you? And, more than 100 NGOs warn that "mass starvation" is spreading across Gaza, accusing Israel of not allowing food into the strip. James speaks wit...
Jul 23, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 136
Israel has launched another offensive in Gaza, targeting the main hub for humanitarian efforts in the strip, Deir al-Balah, amid warnings of Palestinian starvation. This latest assault comes just after Israel killed at least 85 Palestinians waiting for aid on Sunday, in what has become almost daily slaughter. Yesterday, a joint statement issued by the UK and 27 other nations condemned Israel for the "drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians". The tide in the global community has...
Jul 22, 2025•59 min•Ep. 135
Water regulator Ofwat will be scrapped and replaced with a new watchdog to “prevent the abuses of the past”, including an estimated £85 billion being extracted from the UK water industry, with next to no investment. Simple question here - what has happened to our water and why? Also, the Lionesses have decided to stop taking the knee to protest against racism before their Euro 2025 matches. This comes after England star Jess Carter received significant online racist abuse and a statement from te...
Jul 21, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 134
MP Diane Abbott has said it "is obvious this Labour leadership wants me out" after the party suspended her for a second time over comments she made about the racism experienced by black people in comparison to the Jewish and Traveller communities. What do you think of comments? And, former Masterchef presenter John Torode has been sacked by the BBC for allegedly using the N-word twice. It’s been reported that he was repeating lyrics from rapper Kanye West’s hit Gold Digger, which contain the rac...
Jul 18, 2025•57 min•Ep. 133
Four MPs have been suspended by Labour for their rebellion against welfare cuts earlier this month. One of them, Rachel Maskell, described the cuts as "Dickensian” and belonging to a “different era and a different party". She’ll now sit as an independent and says that the suspension won’t silence her. What do you think about this moment of Starmer’s premiership and what makes a rebellion righteous, as opposed to dangerous? And, today’s breaking news - the government has confirmed that the voting...
Jul 17, 2025•59 min•Ep. 132
The previous government withheld news of their operation to relocate 24,000 Afghans to the UK in order to protect some of those that they’d put at risk of Taliban attack after a Ministry of Defence data leak. So, why did the government cover it up? Also, the two men that cut down the Sycamore Gap Tree have both been jailed for four years and three months. Is this a fair punishment? James is joined by Gabriel Shemirani, whose sister Paloma died from cancer last year at just 23 years old. They dis...
Jul 16, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 131
Secondary school pupils in England are to be taught about "incel" culture, with a focus on positive role models for boys in efforts to tackle “manosphere” related misogyny. To help understand the importance of this, James asks what it’s like to grow up without a positive role model as a boy. And, James is joined by Lewis Goodall for the breaking story on which he’s been working for 2 years, but was legally required to keep secret - until today. Using an unprecedented super-injunction, the UK gov...
Jul 15, 2025•56 min•Ep. 130
Health Secretary Wes Streeting will meet representatives from the BMA this week, as he hopes to avert five days of strikes by resident doctors. Public support for the strikes has plummeted from 52% in the last round to 26%, according to new polling. Have you changed your mind on doctors strikes? Also, last week’s sacking of former MasterChef host Gregg Wallace came after 45 of the 83 allegations against him were upheld, including one of unwanted touching and three of exposing himself. In a state...
Jul 14, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 129
How do we tell the difference between the relatively tiny number of people who take advantage of the welfare state and those who suffer from serious mental health issues? Once that is established - what will really help them? Also, French President Emmanuel Macron has said that Brexit has drastically worsened the UK's small boats crisis, because the UK no longer has a migratory agreement with the EU. Considering this and the stats, James states that those who orchestrated and voted for Brexit ar...
Jul 11, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 128
Major building projects in the UK take two and half years longer to complete than in the rest of the developed world, according to new analysis. Why is the UK so slow? Also, pubs across Britain will close down at a rate of more than one a day this year, according to new research. Why are pubs dying off, and this a natural, or unnatural death? And, James speaks with Donie O'Sullivan, senior correspondent at CNN, whose podcast, Persuadable, seeks to guide people whose loved ones have fallen into a...
Jul 10, 2025•58 min•Ep. 127
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has warned junior doctors that the public will “not forgive them” for launching another wave of disruptive strikes as he made clear that a pay rise was off the table. Is he right? Also, James speaks with James Ball, Political Editor of The New World, who explains how and why Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot praised Hitler on X (formerly known as Twitter). And, James is joined by Lara Lewington, whose new book Hacking Humanity reveals how we can harness the power of tech...
Jul 09, 2025•51 min•Ep. 126
The government has declined to rule out a wealth tax, following former Labour leader Lord Kinnock championing the policy. Such a tax remains public enemy number 1 for many right wing figures and their supporters. How are poor people persuaded to protect the interests of the super rich by opposing a wealth tax? And, the Chief Executive of the College of Policing has said the smell of cannabis made him feel unsafe in his own community and that police “ought to do something about” it. Is he right? ...
Jul 08, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 125
Today is the 20th anniversary of the 7/7 London bombings, when four bombers attacked central London, killing 52 people and injuring hundreds more. James remembers those who lost their lives, plays back LBC audio from the day itself and speaks with several brave people who were deeply impacted by the attacks. First, Emma Craig, a survivor, who was 14 years old and travelling into the city for work experience when an explosive went off in the carriage next to hers. Next, Marcelle Stroud, former Me...
Jul 07, 2025•59 min•Ep. 124
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has set out a digital overhaul of the NHS, centred around a new NHS app. He said “The NHS app will become a doctor in your pocket, bringing our health service into the 21st century”. Will this work? Also, prolific shoplifters are to be barred from stores and prosecuted using the first national database of repeat offenders. Why has there been an epidemic of such successful shoplifting? And, the producer of a documentary, Gaza: Doctors under Attack, that was droppe...
Jul 04, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 123
In her first public comments since crying at Prime Minister's Questions yesterday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said she was having a "tough day", but that she is "totally" up for the job. How did you respond to the Chancellor's tears and how do you think she’d been treated in the media since? And, The Health Secretary has announced he will give more people access to weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro, stating that “the jabs are a route not just to lower weight, but lower taxes”. Are...
Jul 03, 2025•50 min•Ep. 122
Keir Starmer was humiliated during yesterday’s welfare reform vote, losing control of the Commons and swathes of his own MPs. What has Starmer done that has led him here, after winning an unassailable majority just a year ago? To James chew this over, he speaks with Tom Baldwin, former Labour Party advisor, journalist and author of the upcoming “Keir Starmer: The Biography.” And, the cost of the UK’s obesity epidemic has soared to £126bn a year according to a new study. Why don’t we make the obv...
Jul 02, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 121
The government's welfare bill passed by 335 votes to 260 today, after ministers made last-minute concessions to avoid a possible defeat. What would actually help you get back to work? Also, a criminal investigation has been launched into the Glastonbury performances of both Bob Vylan and Kneecap after the police reviewed footage. Is anyone more outraged by Bob Vylan's words than civilian deaths at the hands of the IDF? And, three former senior staff at the hospital where nurse Lucy Letby murdere...
Jul 01, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 120
Prime Minister, Keir Starmer has criticised the ‘appalling’ anti IDF Chants made by Bob Vylan during their Glastonbury performance at the weekend. Today, James asks how is it that we are still discussing a festival chant rather than how many people have been killed in Gaza since the incident happened? And, new research has revealed the number of entry level jobs in the UK has dropped 32% since the release of ChatGPT in November 2022. James asked listeners how their lives and jobs have been impac...
Jun 30, 2025•59 min•Ep. 119
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
