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Welcome to the best bits of James O'Brien's LBC phone-in show.
Listen back to all the highlights in a 60-minute bite sized chunk of his show with new episodes every weekday.
James covers all the big stories which will make you think - and possibly change your outlook.
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The US blockade of Iran’s ports has begun, while the Strait of Hormuz stays closed, with oil prices surging above $100 a barrel. What's going to happen next? Joining James to break it all down is the inimitable Simon Marks, LBC's Washington Correspondent. This episode was recorded on the 13th of April. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
Lewis Goodall sits in for James O’Brien at the end of a week where the temporary ceasefire in Iran seems increasingly out of reach. With the US and Iran willing to have talks and a possibility of relative stability in the Middle East on the horizon - why is Israel pressing ahead with attacks on southern Lebanon? Is there anything that could persuade Netanyahu to sign up for a ceasefire that includes Lebanon, and if not, what is his game plan? Ayala Panievsky, presidential fellow at City University gives her view. Melania Trump delivered a surprise statement from The White House about Jefferey Epstein - where she said she neither had a relationship with him nor was she his victim. She also called on congress to give his victims a hearing. Why has she made this statement seemingly out of the blue? Jon Sopel joins the conversation from Washington and Jaimi Shrive from Victim Focus explains the impact this could have on Epstein’s victims. This episode was recorded on Friday 10th April. Catch James O’Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
Lewis Goodall sits in for James O’Brien as the US-Iran ceasefire is called into question. Within 24 hours of the ceasefire agreement, Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz again in response to Israeli strikes on Lebanon. Israel and the US say that Lebanon wasn’t covered by the ceasefire - Iran disagrees. So, which side do you believe? And why has this agreement crumbled so quickly? Alex Gandler, spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy in London, and Lord Ricketts, UK National Security Advisor under David Cameron share their views. Mark Rutte has said that the world is now safer than before the Iran war. Do you feel safer now? And is NATO worth anything while Trump is in The White House? This episode was recorded on Thursday 9th April. Catch James O’Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
Lewis Goodall sits in for James O’Brien as yet more momentous events unfold in the Middle East. A two-week ceasefire has been agreed: the Strait of Hormuz is reopened, and the guns, bombs and rockets have fallen silent across Iran. So, who is the winner here? Did Donald Trump blink, or will he claim this as a victory? And does this change the US’s political standing on the world stage? As Keir Starmer heads to talks with Gulf leaders - we reflect on the UK government’s response to the war in Iran. Will this change the public perception of Starmer? Sir Sadiq Khan joins from a community centre in south London - where he is launching a new £30m scheme for youth clubs in the capital - and he responds to James Cleverly’s criticism of the PM’s handling of the war. This episode was recorded on Wednesday 8th April. Catch James O’Brien on LBC weekdays from 10am.
Lewis Goodall sits in for James O’Brien on the eve of the day that Donald Trump has threatened to destroy Iran’s power plants and bridges unless it reopens the Strait of Hormuz. With the president threatening moves that could be considered as war crimes against the Iranian civilian population, and given the president’s profane statements made over the Easter weekend: has Trump lost what’s left of his mind? And if that is the case, is there any route left for the US to get rid of him? The government has announced that they are capping interest rates on student loans at 6%. Is that enough for graduates or is this a sticking plaster for a bust system? And does this illuminate the approach that the government is planning on taking to tackle rising interest rates as a result of the war in Iran? The crew of the Artemis II shuttle have travelled further from earth than any humans before them, Dr Meganne Christian from the European Space Agency and Zoe Williams from The Guardian discuss whether or not there is any point to space exploration.
Time for your next Easter instalment of Mystery Hour, the game in which James invites his callers to ask and answer questions about absolutely anything. You are guaranteed to learn something new after listening to this (however please note James cannot guarantee the usefulness of any newly acquired knowledge). The James O'Brien Daily podcast is back from the 7th April. Have a very happy easter!
While indulging in your Easter eggs, why not also tuck into another instalment of Mystery Hour! It's the feature in which James' callers ask and answer questions about absolutely anything... the type of questions that Google doesn't even know the answer to (well, Google might know, but it's much more fun this way). Enjoy! The James O'Brien Daily podcast is back from the 7th April. Have a very happy Easter!
Trump has threatened to pull the US out of NATO over lack of support shown for his attack on Iran. Have we reached a point where we need to treat his words with some level of plausibility? And if so, what happens if he pulls the trigger and withdraws the US from the NATO alliance? Kanye West has announced three headline dates at Wireless Festival in London in July. Ed Davey has called on the government to ban him from coming to the country and performing at the festival. Should he be banned on account of his antisemitism? And how do we respond to his claims that bipolar disorder affects his behaviour? This episode was recorded on Thursday 2nd April. Catch James O’Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
In an address to the nation, Keir Starmer has set out his two priorities in response to the war in Iran: deescalation and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. So, is it time for us to make a deal with Iran? And if negotiation isn’t on the table, what are our other options? LBC’s Washington Correspondent Simon Marks joins James in the studio ahead of this evening's presidential primetime address. Should we be taking Donald Trump seriously when he says that he is strongly considering pulling out of NATO? And should we believe his claims that the US could ‘finish the job’ in Iran in two weeks? This episode was recorded on Wednesday 1st April. Catch James O’Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
As oil prices hit above $112 a barrel, the IMF has warned that the United Kingdom will be left particularly vulnerable to the impact of the war in Iran. We’re left to ask - how does the war end? And with the media and right-wing politicians diverting blame for the price of petrol to Keir Starmer - what would an end to the war look like for the UK? Keir Starmer has given the BMA 48 hours to call off their planned six-day strike, or else face losing 1000 extra training places. Whose side are you on: the doctors’ or the governments’? Noga Tarnopolsky reports from Jerusalem where public support for the war with Iran remains high but has dropped since the start of the conflict. This episode was recorded on Tuesday 31st March. Catch James O’Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
After Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine and Donald Trump attacked Iran, it became clear that the UK has a potentially crippling dependency on fossil fuels. When it comes to energy we cannot afford to be beholden the unpredictability of the world, so why is the move toward sustainable energy the subject of political debate? Following reports that 92% of burglaries went unsolved in Britain last year, why is burglary no longer being taken seriously? Has it always been like this and is there a way to turn this around? A former head of Harrow school has said that stress is ‘good’ for GCSE pupils. Is there a difference between good stress and bad stress - and what is the best way to deal with stressed students? This episode was recorded on Monday 30th March. Catch James O’Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
Today, as thousands of U.S. troops head towards the Gulf and speculation grows over whether Donald Trump could order “boots on the ground” in Iran, James asks what would a major escalation really mean? James is also joined by Simon Marks, LBC’s Washington Correspondent, for the latest from the U.S., as tensions rise and the stakes reach a potentially catastrophic new level. This episode was recorded on the 27th of March. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
Meta and Google have been found liable for social media addiction in a landmark trial in Los Angeles. A young woman sued the companies saying that the addictive design features of their platforms Facebook, Instagram and YouTube caused her harm and worsened her depression. When does social media use become a problem and cross the line into addiction? What happens when we shift our focus from dangerous content on social media to the platforms themselves? And when can wholesome content become harmful? This episode was recorded on Thursday 26th March. Catch James O’Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
Donald Trump declares the war with Iran “won” - even while deploying thousands more troops to the region and requesting military support from NATO states. What have the past three weeks of the war in the Middle East taught you about the modern world? And despite the chaos, one statistic refuses to budge: 36% of American voters still back Trump. Why? What explains this enduring loyalty in the face of war, controversy, and contradiction? This episode was recorded on the 25th of March. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
It's looking like the President of the United States could very well have lied through his teeth about the supposed peace talks with Iran. We’re being asked to decide who to believe out of Donald Trump, or the remaining leaders of a tyrannical theocratic regime - tricky. What in the world will happen next? Also, Conservative MP, Charlie Dewhirst, has said more needs to be done to address the "underachievement" of white working class boys in the UK. What should - and what could - society be doing? And, LBC reporter and presenter, Henry Riley, is back with James for Riley's Reform Round-up! This episode was recorded on the 24th of March. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
James unpack today's breaking claims from Donald Trump that the United States and Iran have held “very good and productive” talks on a “complete and total resolution of hostilities” in the Middle East—prompting a temporary pause in planned military strikes. But with Tehran denying direct negotiations and the region still on edge after weeks of escalating conflict, what's really going on? This episode was recorded on the 23rd of March. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
Benjamin Netanyahu says that true regime change will not be achievable through military force alone - despite supposedly undertaking this war with that ambition. With the U.S. and Israel now deep into a war that has destabilised global energy markets and triggered deadly retaliation across the Middle East, James asks the question at the heart of it all: why did Donald Trump go to war in the first place? This episode was recorded on the 20th of March. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
Sir Keir Starmer has called on Kemi Badenoch to sack shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy after he described a mass Muslim public prayer as an "act of domination and division". Why haven’t the Tories sacked Timothy yet, and how does it feel that many in the political establishment promote bigoted views? And, James is joined by Simon Marks for an update on the US - specifically Donald Trump’s attempts at distancing himself from Israel’s strikes on Iranian oil sites. This episode was recorded on the 19th of March. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
A meningitis case has been confirmed at a second Kent university, with officials believing the outbreak originated at a Canterbury nightclub. Of the 20 confirmed cases thus far, two people have died. James asks his listeners who’ve suffered with meningitis what it was like and what processes are in place to protect people from it. Also, James is joined by LBC reporter Henry Riley, for the next instalment of Riley’s Reform Round-up, complete with listener-made jingles. And, former Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner has backed a large group of Labour MPs lobbying the government against its right-wing immigration reforms, which she has says risk being “un-British”. Is it indeed time for Labour to change course? This episode was recorded on the 18th of March. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
James has been waiting for this one… today he asks why it’s so hard for society and the media to call out President Donald Trump as the “deranged liar” that the evidence suggests he is. Then, if we did, would it even matter? And, the Government has set out plans to tackle the spiralling number of young people not in employment, education or training, including a £3000 grant for each company that hires unemployed under 24 year olds… James asks young people and employers how this sounds to them. This episode was recorded on the 17th of March. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.