James O'Brien Daily

Yesterday, two people were killed in a terror attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation, a synagogue in Manchester. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz, their families, and the three people that remain in hospital.  Today saw a highly distressing development to the tragedy - one of the victims killed was hit by police gunfire, as was one of the surv...

Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley says the sexist and racist police behaviour uncovered by BBC secret filming, broadcast yesterday, is "reprehensible", but stopped short of saying these problems were institutional. What’s the difference between racism and institutional racism in the police and other workplaces?  And, two people from the Jewish community were killed and four patients are in hos...

It seems that the UK is becoming more racist. The far-right have hi-jacked the St George’s flag, protests led by Tommy Robinson spread fear and division, and newspapers are criticising the Prime Minister for calling out Nigel Farage. Why is this? And, if you’re part of a minority group, what experiences have you had that show things are getting worse? This episode was recorded on the 1st of Octobe...

Hamas says they’re reviewing the Gaza peace plan announced by Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu at a joint press conference yesterday. James digs into what’s actually in this plan, what it might mean for the people of Gaza, and why, despite understandable cynicism, he thinks it should at least be tried. This episode was recorded on the 30th of September. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on...

Sir Keir Starmer has labelled Reform UK's policy of scrapping indefinite leave to remain as "racist" and "immoral". This morning, the Daily Mail ran with the headline: “If you worry about migration Labour will call you racist…”. Has Starmer made a mistake in telling the truth? Rachel Reeves that she no longer stands by a pledge last year not to raise taxes , saying “the world has changed” due to a...

It’s Speak to Sadiq! James was joined in-studio by the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who took your calls and shared his thoughts on President Trump’s claim that he was “a terrible mayor” who was ushering in “sharia law”, Tommy Robinson’s far-right protest (with an appearance from Elon Musk), Gaza and more. And, Sir Keir Starmer's used his keynote speech at today’s Global Progress Action Summit to cr...

The British Chambers of Commerce says the UK must tackle its status as the sick man of the G7 if it wants to grow the economy. Around 7% of the UK workforce are currently out of work due to long-term sickness, compared to 3.5% in Japan. What are we getting wrong? Also, deprived areas of the UK will be given tens of millions of pounds each from a new regeneration fund to address Britain’s neglected...

Donald Trump used his address to the UN General Assembly yesterday to attack the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. After saying Khan, born to Pakistani parents, was a “terrible mayor”, Trump claimed he’d introduced “sharia law”, an Islamic system of law, to the capital. This is of course entirely untrue. Is it time to call out racism as racism? This episode was recorded on the 24th of September. Catch...

President Donald Trump has claimed a link between common over-the-counter painkillers and autism, contradicting major medical groups. Is there any strategy in this apparent idiocy? And, GPs in England are being urged to "think again" if they see a sick patient three times but can't pin down a diagnosis, or find their symptoms are getting worse. “Jess's Rule” is named after Jessica Brady, who was d...

Sir Keir Starmer announced the UK’s recognition of a Palestinian state yesterday, alongside Canada, Australia and Portugal. Around 151 UN member states now do so. Benjamin Netanyahu said the recognition is "a huge reward to terrorism". How do you greet this moment, and what do you think it’ll actually mean? And, several of Europe's busiest airports have spent the past few days in chaos after a maj...

President Trump’s state visit to the UK has come to a close. For some, Starmer’s played a blinder. He’s secured a new technology prosperity deal that’s set to draw in billions in investment and strengthened his relationship with Trump. For others, he’s capitulated to an immoral, fascistic President. How do you think it went? And, the French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, are sui...

US talk show host Jimmy Kimmel has had his programme axed after suggesting that President Donald Trump used Charlie Kirk’s assassination to score political points. Arriving in Chequers today as part of his UK state visit, Trump described the decision to axe the show as “great news for America”.  How serious is this moment for freedom of speech? James discusses this and more LBC’s Washington E...

The UK has rolled out the red carpet for Donald Trump on his second state visit, with Keir Starmer preparing to welcome him to Chequers tomorrow for talks on tariffs, steel, and aluminium. But has Starmer played a stellar game in managing his relationship with Trump, or should he have stood up more firmly to the US president’s demands? James put the question to his listeners: Is Keir playing his c...

A United Nations inquiry has concluded that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. It is the first time the allegation has been made publicly by a UN body, and has been greeted with fury by the Israeli government. With this conclusion, James asked listeners: What has Benjamin Netanyahu done to Israel’s reputation? And, currently in America, a growing number of organisations ha...

Over the weekend, Elon Musk made a speech online for the Far-Right “Unite the Kingdom” march in London, organised by Tommy Robinson. Musk told attendees to “either fight back or you die”, remarks that Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has condemned as dangerous incitement to violence. Today, James turned his focus to Musk’s words and asked listeners: how should Keir Starmer respond? And the politic...

Despite Keir Starmer’s insistence that he has full confidence in his “top team”, his leadership faces fresh scrutiny after losing two key allies: his Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, and, more recently, US Ambassador Peter Mandelson, who resigned following revelations of his links to Jeffrey Epstein. But while Downing Street backs Keir, does the country still back him? James also turned to in...

A manhunt is ongoing for the “college age” killer of conservative activist and influential Trump ally Charlie Kirk, who died after being shot at a university in Utah yesterday. Donald Trump has blamed the killing on "radical left political violence" - yet next to nothing is known about the killer. What did Charlie Kirk stand for and why has his killing prompted this extraordinarily political outpo...

Israel has launched a strike on Hamas officials in Qatar’s capital, Doha, reportedly including the group’s chief ceasefire negotiator, who was meeting there to discuss the potential for a ceasefire in Gaza. Is there any point in negotiating with Israel? And, Sir Keir Starmer has rejected growing calls to sack the UK’s ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson, over his dealings with the convicted...

The NHS has for the first time published league tables ranking every trust in England. Is this really a good idea? And, the London tube strike concludes its second full day, with a union leader warning that industrial relations have "totally collapsed". How do you decide whether or not to support a strike? This episode was recorded on the 9th of September. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on...

It’s Online Safety Day at LBC - James discusses what unfettered access to pornography has done to children and how we can know if the Online Safety Act is actually working to protect kids from harmful content. Also, the Met Police arrested almost 900 people at a protest against the proscribing of Palestine Action as a terror group on Saturday. Has the government made a mistake in banning the group...

James navigated an extraordinary moment in British politics with the breaking news of Angela Rayner’s resignation from Government. Before the announcement, James invited listeners to share their perspectives on the independent investigation led by Sir Laurie Magnus, the Prime Minister’s adviser on ministerial standards. Although the story has dominated headlines since Wednesday, James sought insig...

Pressure is mounting on the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Angela Rayner, after she admitted to underpaying stamp duty on her £800,000 flat. Should she stay, or should she go? And, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has testified before the US House Judiciary Committee to discuss freedom of speech. Democrat congressman, Jamie Raskin, referred to Farage as a "Putin-loving, fre...

Sir Keir Starmer is considering introducing digital ID cards in a bid to crack down on small boat crossings. These ID cards would be issued to everyone, nationwide - but what are the security pros and the invasion of privacy cons? Also, James speaks to Jessica Elgot, Deputy Political Editor of The Guardian on her story that has cast serious doubt over Kemi Badenoch’s claim she received an offer to...

The government is temporarily suspending new applications for a scheme allowing refugees to bring their family members to the UK. The move has been called out as another attempt to appeal to those swept up by growing anti-immigrant sentiment. How can this country operate when such views dominate so much of the discourse and who is Keir Starmer trying to appeal to exactly? And, Zack Polanski has be...

This summer, thousands of St George's flags have been seen painted on roundabouts and hung from lamp-posts across the country. Supporters say the flags are an expression of English pride, whilst critics say they're a nationalist expression of racism. What do you think, and how do the flags make you feel?  And, the most comprehensive poll of British 16 and 17-year-olds has revealed that nearly...