James O'Brien Daily

Sir Keir Starmer has attacked Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage over their stance on the war in Iran, accusing both of U-turning on their support for Donald Trump. Could this be a turning point for Keir Starmer? And, the head of the Treasury Select Committee has warned that young adults in the UK face a “perfect storm” of economic challenges, as it launches an inquiry into student loans. What is it l...

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian who was detained as a political prisoner in Iran for 6 years, has joined more than 100 Iranians living in the UK urging Sir Keir Starmer not to draw Britain further into America and Israel’s war in Iran. James speaks with his listeners across the Iranian diaspora and asks where this leaves us now. And, James is joined by former diplomat Arthur Snell, wh...

British public opposition to US and Israeli military action against Iran up ten points since last week - why have we got it right this time? And, why is our political and media establishment dominated by those who want Sir Keir Starmer to bomb Iran with Donald Trump? And, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey says that King Charles should not go ahead with his scheduled trip to the US next month, during whi...

Tony Blair - yes, disgraced Iraq-war orchestrator Tony Blair - has allegedly criticised Sir Keir Starmer for not joining Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu’s attacks on Iran. You can imagine James’ reaction - what was yours? Also James is joined by LBC reporter and presenter Henry Riley for the newly coined Riley’s Reform Round-Up , and speaks with Alex Tait, co-founder of the campaign group Refo...

It’s the seventh day of the war in the Middle East. President Trump has stated that, other than an "unconditional surrender", there will be no deal made with Iran. The UK’s corporate media is largely supportive of active British involvement in the war, but YouGov polling shows that only 8% of Brits feel the same. Why is much of the British media supportive of America and Israel’s war with Iran - a...

The White House press secretary has said President Trump’s decision to attack Iran was grounded in “feeling based on fact”. So, as the sixth day of the war in the Middle East rages on, the Trump administration continues to change its story as to why it even started this war. Why do you think it started it? This episode was recorded on the 5th of March. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC...

James breaks down the latest from the war in the Middle East, asks why President Trump really started this conflict, discusses whether Sir Keir Starmer’s belittling by Trump is actually a very good thing and receives Washington Correspondent Simon Marks’ analysis. Also, James also speaks with Victoria Rose, a consultant plastic surgeon and one of the many medics who say they have been barred from...

The US has warned of an "imminent" Iranian attack in the Saudi city of Dhahran, a major centre for the oil industry and where a US consulate is located. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump tells Iran it's "too late" to talk, adding their armed forces are “gone”. The death toll continues to sky rocket, and Trump has again criticised Sir Keir Starmer for initially denying access to British bases. H...

Sir Keir Starmer "stands by" his decision not to join in with Israeli and US strikes on Iran, stating that the UK had learned lessons from the "mistakes of Iraq" - but has agreed to a US request to use British military bases for "defensive" strikes on Iranian missile sites. Has Starmer got this right? This episode was recorded on the 2nd of March. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

34-year-old plumber Hannah Spencer marked her victory in the Gorton and Denton by-election with an apology to her customers, saying: "I think I might have to cancel the work that you had booked in, because I'm heading to Parliament. Is something seismic happening in the Green Party? This episode was recorded on the 27th of February. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

A damning report published on England’s maternity care revealed systemic problems, including bereaved mothers facing cruelty from maternity staff, shocking incidents of racism, and a lack of accountability. Hospitals that have caused harm to women and babies were often found to “cover-up” their mistakes, falsify medical records and deny bereaved parents answers. James’ callers share their experien...

Time to discuss the Green Party. No scaremongering, no lazy stereotypes, just these simple questions: Why are the Greens surging in popularity, and how are they reaching parts that no other parties can? Also, James is joined by LBC’s Washington Editor, Simon Marks, for a breakdown of Donald Trump’s longest State of the Union address yet, in which he claimed the US would see an “economic turnaround...

The head of the British Armed Forces and the Chief of MI6 have warned of the distinct possibility that Britain will be pulled into war with Russia. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said that Putin has already started World War 3. Why then, are we all so relaxed about it? And, the BBC has apologised for not editing out the n-word racial slur from its BAFTA Film Awards coverage, after...

“I’ll ensure no child with special needs is left behind”... Sir Keir Starmer has set out a £4 billion package to reform special needs education, as he states that the current system supporting disabled children in schools “does not work”. James’ callers bravely share what it was like to be at school before special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision. This episode was recorded on th...

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, was released from custody after 11 hours last night, following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office in relation to the Epstein Files. Will the Royal Family survive this scandal? And, why do we even still believe in the Monarchy? This episode was recorded on the 20th of February. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on...

Today, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (formerly known as Prince Andrew) was arrested by police. He remains in custody on suspicion of misconduct in public office. While the police searched several of Mountbatten-Windsor's residences for evidence, including the Royal Lodge in Windsor, the King released a statement saying "the law must take its course". James speaks with LBC reporters on the ground at W...

In their election manifesto, Labour committed to increasing the minimum wage of 18 to 20 year olds inline with those over 21... however, it’s been reported these changes are being delayed. Is it fair for an 18 year old to be given the same minimum wage as a 50 or 60 year old? And, middle-class women in their thirties and forties make up the bulk of the over 2 million people taking weight-loss jabs...

Reform UK is no longer the bookmakers’ favourites to win the most seats at the next general election, according to new odds from Ladbrokes. This comes as a surprise to James, who asks why the Labour party appears to be doing so well. And, parents in Enfield, North London, have been told their children could be excluded from school if they are not fully vaccinated against measles, amid a recent out...

The government has announced a crackdown on tech firms to protect children from harmful online content that could open the door to an Australia-style social media ban… but what is it specifically that makes social media so harmful? And, Britain and Germany’s highest ranking military leaders have made an unprecedented joint appeal to the public to accept the “moral” case for rearmament and the prep...

The former Conservative Education Secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, who is now a member of Reform UK, said on LBC that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is right on immigration. Why don’t black and brown right-wing politicians realise that when Ratcliffe claims immigrants are “colonising the UK”, that he’s talking about them? This episode was recorded on the 13th of February. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC...

The Monaco-based billionaire and Manchester United co-owner,Jim Ratcliffe, has faced a barrage of criticism since saying in an interview that the UK was being “colonised” by immigrants and citing inaccurate statistics, labelled as hypocritical and reminiscent of “far-right narratives”. What's it like as an ethnic minority person living in a country where racism is back in fashion? This episode was...

King Charles has said he’s “ready to support” the police as they consider allegations against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, his brother. Shouldn’t the public be holding the Royal Family - which paid an estimated £12m to settle a sexual abuse case brought by Virginia Giuffre against Andrew in 2022 - under the same scrutiny as Sir Keir Starmer? Why doesn't society care more about Jeffrey Epstein's vic...

Sir Keir Starmer has said he’ll "never walk away from the country that I love" and thanked his cabinet for their support after Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar called for him to stand down over the Mandelson-Epstein disaster. What does Starmer need to do now? What do you want from the Prime Minister? And, what's the opposition of populism? Plus, LBC Reporter Henry Riley is in the studio for alwa...

Several cabinet ministers have publicly backed Keir Starmer after Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called on the PM to resign over the Epstein-Madelson controversy. James asks why Keir Starmer is seemingly ill-suited for the role of Prime Minister, and is joined by LBC's Political Editor Natasha Clark to run through the resignation of Starmer's former director of communications, Tim Allan. This...

Is Sir Keir Starmer’s time up? Some journalists are saying that it is, but James wants to look into how the situation might unfold and asks listeners to answer the question ‘Just why is Keir Starmer in so much trouble?’. In his final hour, James steps away from Keir Starmer, to talk about racism after an image that’s been shared online. This episode was recorded on the 6th February. Catch James O’...