James O'Brien Daily

Lewis Goodall stepped in for James O’Brien for the final day, bringing you a packed episode that examines major fractures on the political right, on both sides of the Atlantic.In the United States, Elon Musk has publicly broken ties with President Donald Trump, marking the end of a high-profile alliance that had become increasingly influential in conservative political circles. The rift follows Musk’s recent departure from the Department of Government Efficiency and signals a significant shift in the dynamics of the American right.Meanwhile, in the UK, Reform Party chairman Zia Yusuf has resigned, stating that he no longer believes working in politics is a good use of his time. The decision comes after comments from newly elected MP Sarah Pochin regarding banning the burka sparked internal tensions.With both events unfolding within hours of each other, today’s episode looks at what these developments signal about the broader direction—and disarray—of populist movements in the UK and the US.This episode was recorded on the 6th June. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed the government’s U-turn on the controversial winter fuel payment cuts that were set to come into play this winter. Lewis thinks this fiasco shows that old, rich people in the UK have too much political power - do you agree?And, Lewis is joined by Ali Milani, National Chair at the Labour Muslim Network, to speak on its recent survey showing that one in three Muslim Labour MPs, councillors and mayors described the party as institutionally Islamophobic. Ali also shares the shocking islamophobia that he’s allegedly received from within the party.This episode was recorded on the 5th of June. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.

Rachel Reeves is announcing £15bn in spending for public transport outside London, saying the UK will not see a return to austerity. Do you accept this? And why have we been prevented from developing infrastructure in recent years? Lewis is joined by Sam Dumitriu, Head of Policy at Britain Remade, which campaigns to promote economic growth via infrastructure, for his thoughts.Also, police cuts will mean ‘some crimes must be ignored’, according to head of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Mark Rowley, who wrote to Sir Keir Starmer in light of the spending review. What do you think of this, and have you had recent experiences where the police haven't done their job? Lewis is joined by Stephen Roberts, Former Deputy Assistant Commissioner for the Met Police.And, Gaza aid points have closed for the day after Israel killed at least 27 Palestinians trying to access food from one yesterday. Lewis is joined by Amira Nimerawi, Senior Programmes specialist at the Palestinian Medical Relief Society and CEO of Health Workers 4 Palestine, to hear what this means on the ground.This episode was recorded on the 4th of June. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.

A major deal that hoped would save Thames Water has collapsed, with US private equity group KKR pulling out of negotiations that would have seen them inject £4 billion in fresh equity into the company. What is next for Thames Water - do you believe it will be successfully nationalised?And, a man who burned a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish consulate in London has been convicted. In a statement, the man said his conviction was "an assault on free speech”, with others in the public sphere echoing this sentiment, including Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch. Was this conviction fair? And can one hate a religion, but not its followers?This episode was recorded on the 3rd of June. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.

Today, Sir Keir Starmer has unveiled the government's new defence spending plans, stating that the UK military is moving to "war-fighting readiness", but he's being criticised for a lack of urgency in hitting the promised 3% spending increase. To help work out whether this is the case, Lewis is joined by Mike Martin, Liberal Democrat MP for Tunbridge Wells and a member of the Defence Select Committee and Natasha Clark, LBC's Political Editor.And, Reform UK has launched a new Elon Musk-style “Doge” unit to crack down on waste and inefficiency in English councils. The party has pledged to slash spending on diversity, equality and inclusion programmes - but their figures simply don‘t add up. Lewis speaks with Reform Chairman Zia Yusuf and asks the callers why Reform aren't scrutinised as heavily as other parties.This episode was recorded on the 2nd of June. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.

Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick has posted a video of himself delivering “vigilante justice” to people he accused of fare dodging in London. Why do we find petty crimes like fare jumping so enraging and what is Honest Bob Jenrick’s plan?Also, new figures show that almost 2.5 million people are likely to have ADHD in the UK. James explores the possibility of himself having ADHD and asks what difference a diagnosis can make to your life.And, James speaks with Dr Alonso Gurmendi, a fellow in human rights at LSE's Department of Sociology, to discuss why he and other lawyers are making the case that Israel is committing genocide.This episode was recorded on the 30th of May. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.

In today’s episode, James drew on analysis from across the political spectrum, as he explored the Conservative Party’s current decline and questioned whether a route to recovery remains viable. Listeners, particularly former Conservative voters, were invited to reflect on whether the party has passed the point of no return and what a future revival might entail.James then turned to a harrowing investigation by LBC into the rise of knife crime among young people. With exclusive data revealing a 60% surge in incidents involving blades on school grounds over the past two years, he considered the deeper societal context behind this alarming trend. In search of understanding, James examines the root causes that may drive young people to carry weapons in modern Britain.Finally, attention shifted to major developments in the United States. Overnight, a federal court in Manhattan blocked former President Trump’s sweeping international trade tariffs, ruling that the emergency powers cited did not grant unilateral authority for such measures. Meanwhile, Elon Musk has stepped down from his role within Trump’s administration. James spoke with LBC’s Washington correspondent, Simon Marks, to unpack the implications for international trade and political dynamics in the US.This episode was recorded on the 29th of May. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.

Thames Water has been fined £122.7m for breaching rules over sewage spills and shareholder payouts - the biggest penalty in water company history. How did we let them get away with it and whose fault is it that we're only waking up to this now?And, people caught driving illegal e-scooters will see their vehicles crushed within 48 hours under new police powers. James thinks they’re a scourge on society, but is painfully aware he sounds like an old git in saying so - what do you think?This episode was recorded on the 28th May. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

50 people, including four children, are injured after a car ploughed into a crowd during Liverpool’s Premier League victory parade yesterday. The suspect has been described as a “53 year old white British man” - but what if he wasn’t a white British man? In telling us this, have the police accepted that far-right violence in response to crimes committed by none-white people are guaranteed? Also, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said the government is looking at scrapping the two-child benefit cap. What was the cap designed to do, and what are your thoughts on its scrappage?And, James speaks with Phillips O'Brien, Professor of Strategic Studies at the University of St Andrews, to discuss the evolution of the Ukraine War, including German Chancellor’s Merz’s backing of Ukrainian military strikes.This episode was recorded on the 27th May. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

Data shows that 52% of first-time buyers can only get on the ladder with help from the 'Bank of Mum And Dad', it feels inevitable that this figure will continue to rise, but what does that mean for society as we age? What happens when those who have been stuck renting forever want to retire? And, it's looking very likely that Sir Keir Starmer is due to change his winter fuel payment policy, and it got James thinking about the importance of being able to change your mind and opinion. Is it something you can easily do?