The Julia Hartley-Brewer Show

Donald Trump has declared a “big day for world peace” after brokering a two-week ceasefire with Iran — but has the world really stepped back from the brink, or has Tehran emerged stronger than ever? Julia Hartley-Brewer unpicks the fallout from six weeks of conflict, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the growing fear that the West has once again failed to finish what it started. With Iran...

Former Health Secretary Stephen Dorrell joins Julia Hartley-Brewer for his verdict on the latest junior doctors’ strike — and why Wes Streeting must not give in again. After last year’s 29% pay deal, the BMA is now demanding another 26%, with strike action already costing the NHS an estimated £3 billion since 2023. Dorrell warns that every Health Secretary eventually learns the same lesson about t...

Julia Hartley-Brewer is joined by Brendan O’Neill, Chief Political Writer at Spiked, to react to Trump’s latest Iran address to the nation, a row over Nato after he threatened to leave it, and the claim from much of the Left that this is an “unprovoked war”. They argue that Iran’s regime has already destabilised the region, that Britain cannot pretend the crisis has nothing to do with us, and that...

Keir Starmer says Britain is “ahead of the game” on the cost of living — while families face rising fuel, energy, rent and tax bills. In this episode, Julia Hartley-Brewer dissects the Prime Minister’s latest press conference, his vague five-point plan, and Labour’s failure to explain how ordinary working people are meant to cope with the economic shock caused by the Iran conflict and threats to t...

Keir Starmer is under pressure over the long-delayed national grooming gangs inquiry, after years of dismissing calls for a full investigation as “far right”. Now, with Baroness Anne Longfield’s terms of reference finally published, serious questions remain over whether the inquiry will truly uncover the full scale of one of Britain’s darkest scandals. In this episode, Julia Hartley-Brewer speaks...

As oil and gas prices jump following the Iran crisis, Julia Hartley-Brewer why it feels like Labour is rewarding dependents while punishing the people who get up early, go to work and pay the bills.  Sir Iain Duncan Smith joins Julia to tear into the row over MPs receiving a £3,300 ‘cost-of-living payment’, a 6.2% increase in benefits and the scrapping of the two-child benefit cap. He argues...

On today’s show with Alex Phillips: the extraordinary row over Morgan McSweeney’s allegedly stolen phone, the missing messages linked to Peter Mandelson, and the growing suspicion that Labour’s version of events simply does not stack up.  Former Conservative adviser James Price joins Alex to ask: why were conflicting details reportedly given to police, why was such a sensitive device seemingl...

Former MI6 chief  Sir Richard Dearlove  joins  Philip Ingram  on  Talk War  for a hard-hitting conversation on the global security crises reshaping the world. From the escalating confrontation with  Iran  and Donald Trump’s response, to growing pressure on  NATO , the threat from  Russia and China , and serious questions over whether  Britain...

Labour MP Karl Turner tells Julia Hartley-Brewer he simply does not believe Morgan McSweeney’s missing phone story adds up. Turner says the explanation “won’t wash”, compares it to the worst Westminster excuses of recent years, and admits the entire saga reflects badly on the Prime Minister’s judgement. Former senior military intelligence officer Philip Ingram also warns that any loss of a device...

Julia Hartley-Brewer is joined by former Conservative government adviser Claire Pearsall for a wide-ranging discussion on the biggest political stories of the day. In this episode, Julia and Claire debate: whether working families could end up subsidising another energy bailout the impact of the Iran crisis on oil prices, gas supplies and household bills warnings that the British Army is now too s...

Has Donald Trump been talking to Iran to end the war? Or are his announcements intended to calm the markets?  Julia Hartley-Brewer discusses the confusion over Washington’s shifting messages, the threat to the Strait of Hormuz, and what a longer Iran conflict could mean for Britain’s safety, energy prices and economic stability. With Keir Starmer refusing to give a clear timetable for lifting...

Keir Starmer says the antisemitic arson attack on four Jewish ambulances in Golders Green is "deeply shocking". Julia Hartley-Brewer asks the question many will be asking: do Britain’s leaders really think these violent, antisemitic acts come out of nowhere? In this episode, Julia is joined live from the scene by Gideon Falter of the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, who explains how the Hatzalah em...

A major political fault line has opened up in Britain over mass public prayer, integration, immigration and Labour’s growing fear of losing ground to both the Greens and Reform UK. In this episode, Trevor Kavanagh, former political editor of The Sun , joins Talk to give his blunt verdict on the Trafalgar Square Muslim prayer event. Was it a harmless act of faith or a political show of strength in...

Labour is in fresh turmoil over immigration, as Angela Rayner attacks plans to make migrants wait longer for permanent settlement, and Downing Street refuses to say whether the reforms will survive. Julia Hartley-Brewer is joined by Brendan O’Neill, chief political writer at spiked , for a furious takedown of Labour’s latest wobble on borders, benefits and British sovereignty. As ministers flirt w...

Julia Hartley-Brewer is joined by Tom Slater , editor of spiked, for a fearless look at the stories Britain’s political class would rather avoid. They begin with the growing backlash against assisted dying , after Scotland votes down plans to legalise it. Julia and Tom ask whether so-called safeguards ever really hold, and whether Britain is being pushed towards a moral and medical disaster seen e...

Julia Hartley-Brewer speaks to Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch about Donald Trump’s criticism of Keir Starmer , the importance of preserving the UK–US “special relationship”, and whether Britain should have taken a different stance on US operations and access to Diego Garcia . Badenoch argues Labour has failed to plan ahead on defence, calls for greater North Sea oil and gas extraction, an...

On today’s The Julia Hartley-Brewer Podcast, Julia and Benedict Spence examine Donald Trump’s threats towards NATO allies and the UK’s position on the Iran conflict. She asks whether Britain should deploy the navy to help protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and what the closure of one of the world’s most important shipping lanes means for oil prices, energy bills and the British cost of...

Julia Hartley-Brewer is joined by Trevor Kavanagh to dissect the latest “Mandelson files” and what they suggest about the Prime Minister’s judgment, the ambassadorial appointment process, and whether Parliament was misled by Keir Starmer during his extended defence of his appointment and then sacking in September 2025. They question the £75,000 pay-out given to Lord Peter Mandelson, which the gove...

Julia Hartley-Brewer is joined by Brendan O’Neill (Chief Political Writer at Spiked ) to discuss the Home Secretary’s decision to ban the pro-Iran Al-Quds March — and whether restricting a march can ever be justified without trampling on free speech. Brendan argues the event has become a “hate march”, raises concerns about radical Islamism in Britain, and questions why groups who openly despise We...

Julia Hartley-Brewer is joined by journalist and political commentator Henry Hill and author Jake Wallace-Simons to take on the government's controversial new definition of anti-Muslim hostility and the appointment of Britain's first anti-Muslim hostility czar. Is this a genuine attempt to protect the Muslim community from Islamophobia — or a politically motivated move that threatens free speech a...

As Donald Trump dismisses soaring energy costs as a “very small price to pay”, the West is bracing for surging oil prices — and UK households are in the firing line, with higher prices for electricity, heating, petrol, airfare, and more. With disruption in the Strait of Hormuz (a critical route for roughly a fifth of the world’s oil), some analysts warn crude could surge towards $150 a barrel, wit...

Day seven of the Middle East conflict raises fresh questions about UK readiness at home and abroad. From Dubai, Isabel Oakeshott describes daily life under periodic alerts, assesses Iran’s degraded drone/missile capability, and warns of potential IRGC-linked reprisals — as counter-terror police arrest four suspects over alleged links to Iranian intelligence and surveillance of London’s Jewish comm...

Alex Phillips, sitting in for Julia Hartley-Brewer, discusses reports that Middle East allies are angry about the Labour government’s handling of the conflict in Iran. Questions continue over the UK’s military posture, the security of British bases overseas, and reports that cabinet minister Ed Miliband advised Keir Starmer against allowing the US to use UK bases, leading to Keir Starmer’s initial...

Alex Phillips, sitting in for Julia Hartley-Brewer, is joined by former senior military intelligence officer Philip Ingram to assess the UK Government’s handling of the US/Israeli strikes on Iran, and what he calls an incoherent, domestically driven approach that risks weakening UK leverage with Washington.  The pair unpick reports that HMS Dragon’s deployment towards Cyprus has been delayed,...

Keir Starmer faces fierce criticism after refusing to back US action against Iran — and then allowing limited “defensive” use of UK-US bases. As Donald Trump accuses the Prime Minister of weakness and political pandering to the Muslim vote, Alex Phillips’ considers whether Keir Starmer is dithering and hiding behind international law.  Mark Littlewood (Director of Popular Conservatism) weighs...