Talkback with Petrie Hosken

The National Crime Agency has reported that an average of 1,000 suspected child sex abusers are being arrested every month, with the number of arrests doubled in the past 3 years. Paedophiles use technology and online platforms to find like minded individuals and create, share and promote child sex abuse material. It may not be the most pleasant of conversations, but Petrie gets your opinions afte...

The government launched an AI Action Plan last year to work with new technology towards transforming and delivering an improved justice system. As part of this plan, we now understand that artificial intelligence could be used to predict criminals of the future by identifying children who could turn to crime as they grow up. Petrie wants to know if you trust AI to do this job properly, or are...

Former US President, Barack Obama, said in an interview that aliens are real but that he has not seen them. He later clarified on social media that his comments were made in line with the spirit of the speed round of questions, adding that statistically the chances are that life is out there but he saw "no evidence" while serving as president. But what evidence do we have on extra terrestrial life...

The UK Government was elected with a manifesto commitment to lower the voting age for reserved elections to 16. The commitment was not included in the first King’s Speech of the new Parliament, but the government says it still plans to legislate before the next general election. Most other parties in the House of Commons support lowering the voting age. The Conservative Party and the Democratic Un...

A new YouGov poll has showed that an overwhelming 82% of people think the King should push Andrew to give evidence to the police in the US over the Epstein files. King Charles made his first intervention on the scandal and said that Buckingham Palace is ready to support the police. Meanwhile, the future King, Prince William, is on a state visit in Saudi Arabia and did not answer any press que...

Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has been fighting for this job as Labour has descended into a civil war over Peter Mandelson’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar called for him to resign, however cabinet ministers have rallied around Starmer shortly and are releasing statements of support on social media. Constitutional Law Expert, Dr Craig Prescott, goes over all the scena...

While facing the commons over Lord Mandelson, Keir Starmer said that he had changed plans on releasing files on Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador - and now sensitive information could be referred to a committee rather than being exempt. This follows a rebellion by Labour MPs and outspoken interventions from Angela Rayner and Dame Meg Hillier, as well as Tory Leader Kemi Badenoch. Petrie wan...

Police are reviewing reports of alleged misconduct in public office after emails suggest Peter Mandelson forwarded internal government information to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, when he was Business Secretary in 2009. Over in the US, former President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton, the former Secretary of State, are set to testify in the congressional investigation into the la...

It's been claimed that ministers have been “massaging” NHS figures to make hospital statistics look more flattering. As the health secretary Wes Streeting has been pointing to a reduction in hospital waiting lists, consultants have been paid to make it look like the health service was treating more people. An analysis of official NHS statistics has revealed that the drop in patients waiting to be...

The Right Rev Dame Sarah Mullally has officially become the new Archbishop of Canterbury after Justin Welby resigned last year. She is the first woman to serve as top minister of the Anglican Church in its 1,400 year history. Social media has arguably been bringing the Church closer to younger people but according to an American think tank, there is no clear evidence of a revival in Christianity i...

As more cases are on the rise, the UK has lost its measles free status. The World Health Organisation downgraded Britain after an outbreak was recorded in 2024, with more than 3,600 suspected cases. It was the worst outbreak in almost a decade. Vaccination uptake was down below the required 95% threshold to achieve herd immunity. Petrie wants to know, have you lost faith in vaccines? GP...

US president Donald Trump has sent his border tsar, Tom Homan, to run ICE operations in Minnesota. Public mood is fast souring for Trump, after a second deadly shooting on Saturday by law enforcement officers. With this happening across the pond, would you be for British ICE agents, considering that Both the Conservative Party and Reform UK have expressed interest in a similar enforcement in place...

A new poll has found that Kemi Badenoch’s approval rating has been rising and surpassed that of Nigel Farage. Half of those polled found that the Tory leader handled the defection of Robert Jenrick well. With the political landscape chopping and changing week to week, Petrie is asking where are you politically right now? Political Editor of The Huffington Post UK, Kevin Schofield, breaks down thes...

The number of employed people in the UK has fallen, with figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing that the rate of unemployment remained at a four year high with private sector wages growing at the slowest rate in five years. Petrie takes your calls to ask why are you unemployed? Is it because you have caring responsibilities, it it because there are no jobs where you live, or...

US president Donald Trump has upped the ante over his Greenland demands and, asked whether he would use force to seize the island, he responded with a ‘no comment’. But the message is clear; however undiplomatic his approach may be, he wants to take over Greenland. Petrie looks into this from a number of angles and asks you, should we stand up to Donald Trump no matter the cost? Professor Of...

Rumours are circling that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are planning a move back to the UK. They're both set to visit in the summer to promote the Invictus Games but there is a chance this could become more permanent as they set to refresh their royal credentials. Petrie is asking simply, would you welcome them back? Former Labour Aide, Stella Tsantekidou, feels that this opens the door to a lot...

A report looking into net zero has found that the cost is much higher than previously thought, suggesting it could require spending more than £3-4 trillion over the next 25 years. Further studies suggest that figure could be over £9 trillion when you include the carbon costs of emissions. Energy Analyst, Jess Ralston, helps break down what net zero actually is and explains out why the costs could...

Bulgarian national, Tsvetka Todorova, has been claiming Universal Credit despite being found guilty of benefit fraud just 18 months ago as part of Britain’s biggest benefit fraud ring that managed to steal more than £54 million from tax payers. Petire is asking how common is benefit fraud? Do you agree that someone should be able to claim benefits if they've previously been found guilty of benefit...

Leaders of the Coalition of the Willing have met in Paris to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia. A declaration of intent has been signed that paves the way for a legal framework under which British, French and partner forces could operate on Ukrainian soil and so Petrie wants to know, do you agree with this decision? Defence Analyst and Author, Paul Bea...

Nicolas Maduro has pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges in a New York court after his capture by U.S forces. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has again proposed annexing Greenland, after Denmark's leader urged him to "stop the threats" over the island. Petrie is asking who will stand up to Donald Trump? Closer to home, she also wants to know if you feel like Keir Starmer is the right le...

Healthwatch England, the patient watchdog, has been looking into how access to urgent dental care has been an increasing challenge for people. New government proposals will come into force in April that aim to help with access to dental emergency services, with dentists in England to be paid more to make sure patients have easier access to emergency appointments. Do you think this will help i...

Air Chief Marshal, Sir Richard Knighton, has given a speech calling the "situation" across Europe more dangerous than he has ever seen in his long career and that he believes the whole nation needs to "step up." In a separate address, the new MI6 Chief, Blaise Metreweli, said that Britain is already on the front line against Russia and should be ready for Vladimir Putin's "export of chaos" to cont...

The Home Secretary is considering radical reforms that would drastically reduce the number of police forces to try and cut costs and increase efficiency. There are currently 43 territorial forces in England and Wales and, according to the Times, these could be reduced to just 12. Petrie wants to know what your local force is like and if you think things will get better or worse with with thes...

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch shared her party's plans for reforming welfare. At the core, she plans to draw a line on which health issues should be considered disabilities for the purpose of state benefits. This would mean a full review to ensure support goes to those who she believes "truly need it". Petrie is asking what do you think should qualify as a disability and where do we draw the l...

New research has found that younger people are feeling more lonely than the elderly. Since 2019, loneliness in the UK has quadrupled and it now affects a quarter of people with the majority are young people. Petrie is asking how do we combat loneliness? South Yorkshire GP from The Resilient Practice, Karen Forshaw, breaks down some of the major causes for this rise and how to combat it. Former Pol...