James O'Brien Daily

Global

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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405 episodes
Updated Yesterday

Episodes405

Newest first

February 16 · 1 hr
How can you convince the UK public that war with Russia is a possibility?
The government has announced a crackdown on tech firms to protect children from harmful online content that could open the door to an Australia-style social media ban… but what is it specifically that makes social media so harmful? And, Britain and Germany’s highest ranking military leaders have made an unprecedented joint appeal to the public to accept the “moral” case for rearmament and the preparation for war with Russia. How can you convince the UK public that war with Russia is a possibility? This episode was recorded on the 16th of February. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
February 13 · 58 min
Reform’s Iraqi-born Nadhim Zahawi supports Ratcliffe’s anti-immigrant comments…
The former Conservative Education Secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, who is now a member of Reform UK, said on LBC that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is right on immigration. Why don’t black and brown right-wing politicians realise that when Ratcliffe claims immigrants are “colonising the UK”, that he’s talking about them? This episode was recorded on the 13th of February. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
February 12 · 55 min
Jim Ratcliffe: “Immigrants are colonising the UK”
The Monaco-based billionaire and Manchester United co-owner,Jim Ratcliffe, has faced a barrage of criticism since saying in an interview that the UK was being “colonised” by immigrants and citing inaccurate statistics, labelled as hypocritical and reminiscent of “far-right narratives”. What's it like as an ethnic minority person living in a country where racism is back in fashion? This episode was recorded on the 12th of February. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
February 11 · 1 hr 5 min
Why don’t we care more about Jeffrey Epstein's victims?
King Charles has said he’s “ready to support” the police as they consider allegations against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, his brother. Shouldn’t the public be holding the Royal Family - which paid an estimated £12m to settle a sexual abuse case brought by Virginia Giuffre against Andrew in 2022 - under the same scrutiny as Sir Keir Starmer? Why doesn't society care more about Jeffrey Epstein's victims? Washington Correspondent Simon Marks shares the most important developments from the US and James discusses Seamus Culleton, the Irish national who’s been detained by ICE for five months, despite having all necessary documents, with his lawyer, Attorney Ogor Winnie Okoye. This episode was recorded on the 11th of February. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
February 10 · 59 min
What does Britain want from the Prime Minister?
Sir Keir Starmer has said he’ll "never walk away from the country that I love" and thanked his cabinet for their support after Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar called for him to stand down over the Mandelson-Epstein disaster. What does Starmer need to do now? What do you want from the Prime Minister? And, what's the opposition of populism? Plus, LBC Reporter Henry Riley is in the studio for always illuminating "Reform UK Watch". This episode was recorded on the 10th of February. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
February 9 · 50 min
Is Keir Starmer ill-suited to being Prime Minister?
Several cabinet ministers have publicly backed Keir Starmer after Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called on the PM to resign over the Epstein-Madelson controversy. James asks why Keir Starmer is seemingly ill-suited for the role of Prime Minister, and is joined by LBC's Political Editor Natasha Clark to run through the resignation of Starmer's former director of communications, Tim Allan. This episode was recorded on the 9th of February. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
February 6 · 51 min
Is Keir Starmer's time up?
Is Sir Keir Starmer’s time up? Some journalists are saying that it is, but James wants to look into how the situation might unfold and asks listeners to answer the question ‘Just why is Keir Starmer in so much trouble?’. In his final hour, James steps away from Keir Starmer, to talk about racism after an image that’s been shared online. This episode was recorded on the 6th February. Catch James O’Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
February 5 · 51 min
Keir Starmer apologises to Epstein victims - but is it enough?
Sir Keir Starmer today apologised to Jeffrey Epstein's victims and says he is "sorry for having believed Mandelson's lies", ahead of appointing him as US Ambassador, saying he gave the impression he "barely knew" Epstein. James analyses the speech and asks his callers what they think… is this the end of the road for Starmer? This episode was recorded on the 5th of February. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
February 4 · 58 min
Will Keir Starmer survive the Epstein-Mandelson scandal?
Keir Starmer said today that Peter Mandelson has "lied repeatedly" about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, that he regrets appointing Mandelson as US ambassador in 2024, and that he’ll release all material relating to the appointment - with some exemptions in the interest of national security. Kemi Badenoch has accused Starmer of trying to "sabotage" this file release, and opposition MPs are demanding answers. Will Keir Starmer survive this? This episode was recorded on the 4th of February. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
February 3 · 59 min
The Epstein Files: What is wrong with Peter Mandelson?
Peter Mandelson is to step down from the House of Lords after the latest release of Epstein files appear to show he leaked sensitive information to Jeffrey Epstein in 2009 - after Epstein’s conviction of procuring a child for prostitution in 2008. What is wrong with the former Lord Mandelson? On a rather different note, the charity National Landscapes is undertaking government funded plans to remove barriers to ethnic minorities in each of its 46 “areas of outstanding natural beauty”. Why is it so important to have a connection to nature? This episode was recorded on the 3rd of February. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
February 2 · 53 min
The Epstein Files: Prince Andrew, Donald Trump... and the rest
Millions of the so-called “Epstein Files” have been released by the US Department of Justice, the largest number of documents shared by the government since a law mandated their release last year. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (formerly Prince Andrew), President Donald Trump, Peter Mandelson, Bill Clinton and Elon Musk are just a few of the vast number of rich and powerful people implicated. So… why hasn’t the world stopped yet? This episode was recorded on the 2nd of Feb. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
January 30 · 58 min
Should Keir Starmer be cozying up to China?
Sir Keir Starmer has brushed off criticism from Donald Trump after a visit to China, during which he negotiated the lifting of sanctions on British MPs. Should we be doing business with China, and why do we know so little about the world’s second biggest economy? And, Kemi Badenoch has said that centrist ideas are no longer wanted in the Conservative Party, arguing that one nation-type Tories or those who have qualms over the party's move to the right “need to get out of the way”. Where do old-school Tories go now? This episode was recorded on the 30th of January. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
January 29 · 52 min
Should Donald Trump attack Iran?
Donald Trump has warned Iran that "time is running out" to negotiate a deal on its nuclear programme following the steady build-up of US military forces in the Gulf. The risk of military intervention edges closer... so James asks his listeners with connections to Iran whether they’d support an American attack. And, James is joined by LBC Reporter Henry Riley, with an exclusive story - Reform Leader Nigel Farage has opened an investigation into a Reform candidate, Mike Manning, after he was accused of “antisemitic and xenophobic” social media posts by a senior Liberal Democrat MP. This episode was recorded on the 29th of January. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
January 28 · 48 min
America after the ICE killings & heinous UK leaseholds
Freeholders may “resort to lawfare” to block the government’s £250 cap on ground rents, Angela Rayner has warned, as leasehold experts urged ministers to speed up the “glacial” pace of reform. James digs into the truth around leaseholds - is it a heinous system that protects the interests of the wealthy? And, James is joined by Washington Editor Simon Marks who shares the latest from the US following the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good by ICE, as well as Donald Trump’s warning to Iran today ‘that time is running out’ for them to avert an American military intervention. This episode was recorded on the 28th of January. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
January 27 · 1 hr 4 min
Is Keir Starmer acting in the greater good?
Around 50 Labour MPs have signed a letter objecting to Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to block Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham from standing in a forthcoming by-election. Is he acting for the greater good? Shockingly, a quarter of UK GPs are seeing obese children aged 4 and younger. Why do we still have such an alarming problem with childhood obesity, and how should parents and doctors tackle it? Also, talented white working-class pupils “lose ground” at secondary school, compared with their black and Asian peers, a study has found. If you grew up in a household where education wasn't valued, what is that like, and how do you break the cycle? And, in honour of Holocaust Memorial Day, James shares some powerful words from the late Lilli Pohlmann, who was a holocaust survivor and James’ dear friend. This episode was recorded on the 27th of January. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
January 26 · 1 hr 1 min
Is America now a fascist state?
Two killings in Minneapolis by ICE in two weeks… Alex Pretti was a 37-year-old intensive care nurse who supported veterans with life threatening illnesses. The Trump administration labelled Pretti as a “domestic terrorist” who was looking to cause harm - this is at odds with the footage of the incident, a video that has caused global outrage. James is pretty certain that the US has crossed the line into fascism… how should this be covered in the media and what does it mean for our greatest historical ally to be a fascist state? This episode was recorded on the 26th of January. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
January 23 · 59 min
Trump denigrates NATO’s war dead
President Donald Trump has claimed NATO troops avoided the front lines during the Afghanistan War and that he “wasn’t sure” troops would support the US in the future. 457 British service personnel were killed in the conflict. James speaks with those who’ve served in the forces to discuss just how wrong - and offensive - Trump’s claims are. And, James is also joined by Emily Maitlis, who’s been in Minneapolis reporting on ICE’s activities, including the detainment of a 5-year old boy in Minnesota yesterday. This episode was recorded on the 23rd of January. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
January 22 · 51 min
Trump bottled it… then distracted the world with his “Board of Peace”
President Trump has backed down on his tariff threats against the European states who opposed his plans to take over Greenland. He then announced a Gaza “Master Plan” and his Board of Peace, inviting world leaders, including Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu, to join after paying an entry fee of £1b each. What can we actually learn from this? This episode was recorded on the 22nd of January. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
January 21 · 1 hr 3 min
Explaining President Trump’s madness
Donald Trump has told European leaders that the US is the “only country” that could secure Greenland, calling for "immediate negotiations" to acquire the Danish territory, but insisting he "won't use force"... How do we explain why Trump is doing all of this? And, how have British commentators been so unbelievably wrong about him? And, James is joined by comedian Stewart Lee, who’s needing to rewrite some of the material for his latest tour given the recent upturning of the entire world order. This episode was recorded on the 21st of January. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
January 20 · 58 min
Should Europe hit back at Donald Trump?
Donald Trump said there was "no going back" on his plan to take control of Greenland. He also posted images of himself placing an American flag on the Danish territory, and a message that seemingly shows the NATO General Secretary supporting his demands. Should Europe hit back? And, Brooklyn Beckham has launched an astonishing attack on his “controlling” parents, cutting them off and claiming they’ve consistently tried to ruin his marriage. It's easy to forget that the Beckham’s deal with family problems too… James asks his callers to share their own experiences of parental estrangement. This episode was recorded on the 20th of January. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.