James O'Brien Daily

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has indicated that spending cuts will have to be found to fund a boost to the defence budget. How do you persuade the public that we need to spend more on defence and what is the current state of the British military?  Prime Minister Keir Starmer is meeting with Donald Trump next Thursday, in his first visit to the White House since the President’s inauguration. How s...

US President Donald Trump has escalated his attack on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling him a "dictator" and saying he is to blame the war with Russia. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has defended Zelensky as "Ukraine's democratically elected leader". What should we do when the leader of the free world, Donald Trump, is in the pocket of Vladimir Putin? James speaks with Sir Bill Browder,...

Unbelievably, US President Donald Trump has blamed the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for starting the war with Russia, while continuing to exclude Ukraine from its own peace-talks. Considering this and the unprecedented appeasement of the Kremlin by the White House - has Putin already won the war? Also, James interviews the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who takes your phone calls.  A r...

Successive governments trying to look "tough on crime" have driven a rising prison population that's overwhelmed the system, according to a new report. Why doesn’t prison work? Why does the public still think that it does?  Also, Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch has said “our country and all of western civilisation will be lost” if efforts to promote rightwing ideas fail. She implored Brits...

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he is "ready and willing" to put UK troops on the ground in Ukraine to help guarantee its security as part of a peace deal. Should British troops be sent to Ukraine? And, US Vice-President JD Vance has verbally attacked European democracies, saying the greatest threat facing the continent was not from Russia and China, but "from within". Why is he saying this?...

With Donald Trump at the helm, America’s role within international politics and its relationship with Russia is changing. Do we actually understand what it means for America to stop being the leader and protector of the free world? And, according to The Times Generation Z survey, people aged 18-27 are more unhappy, in greater debt and far more pessimistic about Britain than their parents. What’s i...

The man himself, James O’Brien, is back! Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have agreed to begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. As part of a peace settlement, according to the US Defence Secretary, Ukraine should abandon hopes of winning all its territory back from Russia. Is this simply appeasement? Also, more than 100 new towns could be built under the UK government's plans for the "larges...

Lewis Goodall of The News Agents podcast is covering for James O’Brien, live on LBC from 10am, and of course, right here on James O’Brien Daily. The government is making it almost impossible for refugees arriving on small boats to become British citizens. Will this prevent small boat crossings and are Labour acting too much like the Conservatives? Lewis speaks with Labour MP Stella Creasy, who dis...

Lewis Goodall of The News Agents podcast is covering for James O’Brien, live on LBC from 10am, and of course, right here on James O’Brien Daily. Labour MP Kim Leadbeater would change her proposed assisted dying bill so that cases are signed off by experts rather than a judge. Critics believe this could threaten impartial decision-making. Lewis asks whether this change would strengthen or weaken th...

Lewis Goodall of The News Agents podcast is covering for James O’Brien, live on LBC from 10am, and of course, right here on James O’Brien Daily. Labour have been accused of mimicking Reform UK’s approach to immigration after sharing videos of migrant raids online. Will this tactic work to combat Reform's growing popularity? Lewis speaks with Labour MP for Hackney North & Stoke Newington Diane...

Lewis Goodall of The News Agents podcast is covering for James O’Brien all this week live on LBC from 10am, and of course, right here on James O’Brien Daily. Government figures show the number of young people who do not work because of long-term sickness with a mental health condition has increased by 26% in the last year. Remarking on this, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has said that to...

Lewis Goodall of The News Agents podcast is covering for James O’Brien all this week live on LBC from 10am, and of course, right here on James O’Brien Daily. Britain’s head of counter-terrorism has compared the harm social media can do to children to that of cancer by smoking. Indeed, social media’s potential to radicalise was highlighted by the Southport killer Axel Rudakubana, who watched violen...

Last night President Donald Trump said that all Palestinians in Gaza should be resettled and promised to develop the land into the “Riviera of the Middle East”. These plans have been internationally condemned. Should the world be taking Trump seriously? Lewis speaks with Noga Tarnopolsky, freelance journalist based in Jerusalem, Chris Gunness, Former Chief Spokesperson for UNRWA and Stephen Flynn,...

Lewis Goodall of The News Agents podcast is covering for James O’Brien all this week live on LBC from 10am, and of course, right here on James O’Brien Daily. Reform UK has overtaken Labour and is topping a landmark YouGov poll for the first time. Lewis compares this with the rise of right wing nationalist parties across Europe and asks if populism can be stopped. Also, the parents of the late Thom...

Lewis Goodall of The News Agents podcast is covering for James O’Brien all this week live on LBC from 10am, and of course, right here on James O’Brien Daily. Over the weekend, Trump announced 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, and hit China with a 10% levy. He’s also renewed calls for Canada to become America’s 51st state. Lewis speaks with Canada’s High Commissioner Ralph Goodale and...

Five years ago today, the UK left the European Union. YouGov polling this week showed just 3 in 10 Brits now think it was the right decision. James asks how so many fell for the promises of the Vote Leave campaign and who should take the most responsibility for Brexit. He also takes a look through the Brexit archives and plays some of the most shocking interviews with politicians and the public fr...

The UK population is set to rise by nearly 5 million over the course of a decade, largely because of net migration, but how do you convince people that, despite what many politicians and newspapers say, the UK does in fact need significant levels of immigration? Also, according to a survey of teachers in England and Wales, some children are starting reception “unable to climb a staircase” and stil...

Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered a major speech this morning, in which she promised to create the “right conditions” to support growth in the British economy and outlined just how Labour intends to do that. James, his listeners and LBC’s Political Editor Natasha Clark analyse the speech. Also, it’s Prime Minister’s Questions and James speaks with LBC’s Political Correspondent Aggie Chambre to di...

England’s children’s commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, has said that children involved in last year’s race riots following the Southport attacks should have their criminal records wiped clean. James asks whether this should be the case and why. And, former Premier League referee David Coote has come out as gay and revealed that a life spent hiding his sexuality led to “really poor choices”, incl...

To mark Holocaust Memorial Day, James asks how the dehumanisation of an entire group of people can happen. He interviews Laurence Rees, historian and BAFTA winning documentary maker, who’s latest book is “The Nazi Mind: Twelve Warnings From History”. James also reminisces on a conversation with his late friend and Holocaust survivor, Lili Pohlmann. This episode was recorded on the 27th January. Ca...

The Southport killer, Axel Rudakubana, has been sentenced to a minimum of 52 years in jail. In the aftermath of this horrific crime, in which he stabbed 3 girls to death at a Taylor Swift themed dance class, James ask what “evil” is, and whether people can be born evil. James speaks to Rudakubana’s father’s former English teacher. Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley told LBC today that “there are...

Following Prince Harry and Lord Watson’s emphatic victory in their lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers, which publishes The Sun, James asks two questions. Firstly, following NGN’s admission of criminal wrongdoing, should the police should pursue the case further? Secondly, have enough of the UK media already cultivated sufficient anti-Sussex sentiment to prevent this from happen...

Unprecedented news broke today: Prince Harry and Lord Watson have settled a long-running legal battle with publishers of The Sun, News Group Newspapers. James analyses Rupert Murdoch’s News Group’s "full and unequivocal apology" and payment, and finds out what the settlement means with a consultant to Prince Harry’s legal team, Dr Evan Harris. And how was Southport killer Axel Rudakubana able to b...

The father of Southport killer Axel Rudakubana stopped his son from returning to his former school a week before he stabbed three young girls to death in July last year at a Taylor Swift dance class. James wonders how scared Rudakubana's father was at what his son was capable of and asks what parents with potentially violent children can do to prevent the worst. And Elon Musk made what many sugges...

Israel has freed 90 Palestinian prisoners, after the first three Israeli hostages were released from Hamas captivity as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal. James asks how this conflict has changed listener’s perception of the region’s geo-political landscape. On the day of Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration, why have liberals and much of the media gone soft on Trump and the shocking behaviours...