Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins

Ian Collins asks a question many parents are now openly debating: should men be banned from working in nurseries?Following shocking revelations about safeguarding failures that created what one report called a “perfect hunting ground” for abusers, social commentator David Shipley argues it’s time for a hard line to protect children - while Tone Langengen from the Tony Blair Institute responds with the policy case for reform rather than blanket bans. Former Conservative peer and writer Matt Ridley weighs in on whether modern ideology has overridden common sense when it comes to child safety.We also turn to energy and climate politics, as Tony Blair urges Labour to keep drilling for North Sea oil - just as Donald Trump scraps a key climate ruling in the US - raising fresh questions about whether the green agenda is finally colliding with economic reality. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Collins takes on a government many critics say is rewriting Britain without voters’ consent.As Labour moves to give the vote to 16-year-olds, Joanna Williams, author of How Woke Won, and Darren Hughes, chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, clash over whether this is democratic renewal — or a cynical attempt to rig the electorate in Labour’s favour.We then turn to immigration and national identity, as former Deputy Speaker Nigel Evans reacts to Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s warning that Britain is being “colonised” by mass migration — and Keir Starmer’s demand that he apologise. Are political leaders finally being forced to confront the cost and cultural impact of open borders, or still trying to silence the debate?And finally, Christine Jardine MP joins us as Labour faces another storm over alleged establishment protection and links between senior figures and convicted sex offenders — fuelling accusations that Starmer’s government is run by a closed-door elite with one rule for them and another for everyone else. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Collins asks the question many voters are now openly raising: has this government dangerously lost touch with reality?Following a series of shocking crimes, including the jailing of an Afghan migrant for raping a schoolgirl and fresh reports of teenage stabbings in London schools - Ben Habib, leader of Advance UK, and Maria Bowtell, spokeswoman for Restore Britain, discuss whether Britain is paying the price for political decisions on immigration, policing and social order.We then turn to what critics are calling the political and cultural downfall of Britain, as Labour faces mounting backlash over accusations it has abandoned the working class while obsessing over elite priorities and internal power struggles. Ralph Schoellhammer, political theorist and head of the Center for Applied History at MCC Budapest, analyses whether Britain is now entering a period of managed decline and who is really paying the cost. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Collins asks the big question shaking Westminster and beyond: has Britain become ungovernable?As Keir Starmer battles to cling on after a dramatic showdown with rebellious Labour MPs - and ministers move to give the Prime Minister a political stay of execution amid market jitters - Adam Cherry, editorial director at Guido Fawkes, and Lord Peter Lilley, Conservative peer, assess whether Britain’s political system is now permanently stuck in crisis mode.We then turn to free speech on campus, as Jack Anderton, political commentator, and Philip Kiszely, senior fellow at the New Culture Forum, react to a university debating society banning a Reform MP from giving a talk - and ask whether open debate is being quietly dismantled in Britain’s institutions.And finally, energy entrepreneur Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity, joins us after his viral intervention on X sparked a fresh political storm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Collins asks the question dominating Westminster tonight: how long can Keir Starmer hang on?With senior figures including Tim Allan stepping away and the Prime Minister’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney leaving Downing Street - as Labour MPs openly call for Starmer to resign - Peter Cardwell, former special adviser and author of The Secret Life of Special Advisers, joins Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership and former Labour staffer, alongside Giles Dilnot, editor of ConservativeHome, to assess whether Starmer’s leadership is now in terminal decline or if he still has a route back from the brink.We then turn to immigration, with Sarah Pochin MP, Reform UK’s member for Runcorn & Helsby, responding to new figures showing small boat crossings at record levels under Starmer - and warnings that Britain’s asylum system is becoming a conveyor belt into long-term benefits. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Collins asks the political question now gripping Westminster: if Keir Starmer went tomorrow, who should replace him?Emma Burnell, editor of Labour List, and Charlie Rowley, political commentator, debate Labour’s leadership future as rumours swirl that Angela Rayner is positioning herself for a possible challenge while pressure mounts on the Prime Minister’s handling of the Mandelson scandal. Is Labour heading for a coronation, a civil war - or a total reset?We then turn to a controversial NHS initiative in Bradford. Iram Ramzan, writer on Middle Eastern and Muslim social issues, joins us to discuss the decision to recruit a nurse specifically to work with cousin-marriage families, and whether the health service is tackling genetic risk honestly - or tiptoeing around a sensitive cultural issue. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Collins asks the central political question dominating Westminster today: should Keir Starmer resign?In a head-to-head debate, Sebastian Salek, Labour councillor for Waltham Forest and commentator, goes up against Benedict Spence, political commentator, as fresh revelations emerge that the Prime Minister knew Peter Mandelson had remained in contact with Jeffrey Epstein sparking fury inside Labour and open criticism from senior figures including Angela Rayner. Is Starmer’s leadership now fatally damaged, or can he ride out the storm?We then turn to the grooming gangs inquiry, with Samantha Smith, survivor of grooming and sexual abuse, joining us as new hearings begin into institutional failures to protect vulnerable children and whether long-promised justice is finally being delivered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Collins asks whether Britain is facing a crisis of institutional trust - or simply a series of high-profile rogue figures.Rupert Bell, Talk’s Royal Correspondent, and Isabel Oakeshott, International Editor at Talk, examine the deepening Epstein fallout, from Prince Andrew’s sudden removal from Royal Lodge to fresh police assessments of abuse allegations - and the growing pressure on Peter Mandelson amid reports of potential criminal investigation. Is this evidence of a corrupt establishment protecting itself, or a system finally being forced into the open?The focus then shifts to Britain’s struggling pub trade. Rory Hanrahan, pub landlord and writer, responds to claims from the Welsh First Minister that Netflix and home streaming are to blame for closures - and asks whether politicians are avoiding responsibility for tax, regulation and rising costs crushing local pubs.Finally, former Olympic runner Mara Yamauchi joins us to debate new claims that transgender athletes hold no biological advantage over women - and what the science, policy and fairness arguments really show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Collins examines the political and cultural fallout from a rapidly escalating Westminster scandal.Mark Stephens, lawyer, and Baroness Catherine MacLeod of Camusdarach, Labour peer, join the programme to assess what the latest revelations linking Peter Mandelson to Jeffrey Epstein mean for the Labour Party - and whether the allegations, police reviews and questions over conduct threaten Labour’s credibility on ethics, transparency and power.We then turn to Britain’s classrooms. Hilary Strong, lead of the Suds in Schools initiative, discusses growing concern over declining hygiene standards in schools, asking whether this is a symptom of neglect, squeezed budgets, or the wider cost-of-living crisis now hitting families and local authorities.Finally, Samara Gill, Talk reporter, brings us coverage from the Reform press conference on saving Britain’s pubs, joined by Jamey McIvor, as campaigners warn that taxation, regulation and political indifference are pushing community pubs to the brink. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Collins leads on mounting pressure over migration, public spending and political accountability.Darwin Friend, Research Director at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, joins us to break down new research showing council spending on migrant social care has risen by £83 million in five years - and what that means for already stretched local services. Katy Bourne, Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner and APCC lead for business crime, responds as Labour MPs revolt against plans to house asylum seekers in new council properties, with ministers privately warning of unrest at army bases being used for migrant accommodation.We then turn to the deepening Epstein fallout. Former Labour MP Simon Danczuk and Alexander Larman, author and US Books Editor at The Spectator, assess renewed legal threats facing Prince Andrew, calls for the Met Police to reopen their investigation, and the political shockwaves after Lord Mandelson resigned from the Labour Party amid fresh claims linking him to Epstein - as Donald Trump insists newly released files “absolve” him. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Collins examines three disturbing fault lines in modern Britain.We begin with the shocking rise in serious violence by children. Professor James Treadwell and consultant psychiatrist Raj Persaud explore what is driving extreme behaviour in young people from social breakdown and trauma to warning signs missed by institutions and ask whether Britain is failing to confront uncomfortable truths about youth violence.The focus then turns to the BBC, as Reem Ibrahim debates claims that the corporation’s diversity agenda has drifted into box-ticking at the expense of authenticity, working-class representation and older women and whether public trust is being eroded as a result.Finally, policing and crime commentator Danny Shaw joins the programme to assess Britain’s shoplifting epidemic, with thefts now running at staggering levels, and asks what soaring crime says about law enforcement, deterrence and social order. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Collins examines mounting questions over Labour’s direction at home and abroad. Political strategist Peter Barnes reacts to growing concern that Keir Starmer is delaying meaningful welfare reform, raising doubts about Labour’s appetite for structural change.Attention then turns to foreign policy, as Chung Ching Kwong, Senior Analyst at the Interparliamentary Alliance on China and Benedict Roger’s. The co-founder of Hong Kong watch scrutinises Starmer’s warming approach to Beijing — from diplomatic symbolism to controversial cooperation on Channel crossings — and what it signals about Britain’s global posture.Finally, Iranian-British human rights activist Lily Moo assesses escalating tensions in the Middle East after Donald Trump issues stark warnings to Iran, with the risk of confrontation once again rising on the world stage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Collins asks are we ashamed to be patriotic?As Keir Starmer signals closer alignment with the EU, Lee Rotherham examines whether Brexit is being quietly reversed and what that means for sovereignty and democratic trust.We also look at growing cultural tensions as organised campaigns target national flags in public spaces - and what this says about identity, confidence and cohesion.Major General Tim Cross CBE discusses claims of a political “witch-hunt” against Iraq veterans, while Mark Littlewood assesses whether Britain has lost control of its borders amid mounting migration failures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Collins is back in the chair.We lead on Suella Braverman’s shock defection to Reform UK and the turmoil it has unleashed on the Right. Sarah Pochin MP (Reform UK, Runcorn & Helsby) and former Tory Cabinet Minister David Gauke debate what her move means for Reform, the Conservatives, and the future of conservative politics.We then look at growing Labour unrest over Keir Starmer’s decision to block Andy Burnham’s return to Parliament, with former Labour adviser Kevin Meagher on whether the row could cost Labour at the ballot box.Finally, Conservative peer and former Home Office minister Baroness Rachel Maclean on the fallout from the scrapped Rwanda asylum plan and the risk of a costly legal bill for taxpayers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peter Cardwell sits in for Ian Collins.We lead on the shock defection of former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who has quit the Conservatives to join Reform UK, sending fresh tremors through the Right and piling pressure on Kemi Badenoch’s leadership. What does Braverman’s move mean for the future of the Conservative Party - and does it accelerate a wider realignment of the British Right?Robert Jenrick MP (Reform UK, Newark), Jo Tanner (Political Strategist), Marco Longhi (Reform UK member and former Conservative MP) and Andrew Allison (Head of Campaigns, Popular Conservatism) debate whether Braverman’s defection is a one-off shock or the moment the floodgates open - and whether Reform is now positioning itself as the true home of the conservative movement. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Collins is joined by a heavyweight panel to unpack Labour’s internal power struggles and Britain’s stance on the Middle East.Paul Embery, writer, trade unionist and author of Despised, debates with Kevin Meagher, former Labour adviser, and Liv Ouewhand, local government commentator, as reports suggest Keir Starmer’s allies are manoeuvring to block Andy Burnham’s return to Parliament. Is Labour closing ranks - and who really holds the power?Jonathan Sacerdoti, writer and broadcaster, then turns to the Middle East after Jared Kushner unveils plans for a luxury “New Gaza” development. The panel also reacts to claims that Starmer’s security chief wants Hamas to retain some of its weapons - raising serious questions about Labour’s foreign policy judgement and Britain’s role in the region. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Collins examines Donald Trump’s dramatic Greenland deal and what it means for global security and Western power, with Admiral Mike Hewitt, retired US Navy officer, and Alan Mendoza, Reform UK’s Chief Adviser on Global Affairs, breaking down how Washington’s move reshapes NATO, the Arctic, and Britain’s strategic interests.The focus then shifts back to Britain’s migration crisis as Nigel Evans, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, and Ivon Sampson, immigration lawyer, react to plans for a 65-strong unit to hunt down 53,000 illegal migrants still at large — and the first migrants being moved into former Army barracks amid mounting public anger.Finally, Hamish de Bretton-Gordon OBE, former British Army colonel, joins Ian to warn that Sir Keir Starmer’s proposed Troubles legislation could put lives at risk, as critics accuse Labour of rewriting the past and weakening national security. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Collins asks whether Britain should align itself more closely with the EU or the United States as Donald Trump tells Sir Keir Starmer to “fix” the UK and brands London a global problem. Professor Anand Menon, Professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at King’s College London, examines Trump’s White House intervention, the warning over Greenland, and what it means for Britain’s place between Washington and Brussels.Author and former European Commission official Peter Wilding reacts to Trump’s headline-grabbing Davos speech and assesses how shifting US priorities could reshape Britain’s future relationship with Europe.Independent MP and Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe joins us to discuss Labour’s welfare expansion, as new figures suggest 1.5 million more people are being placed on benefits with no requirement to work - and what that means for public trust and economic credibility.And Maurice Cousins, Campaign Director at Net Zero Watch, scrutinises Labour’s £15bn Warm Homes Plan, including the rollout of Chinese-made solar panels, the true cost of decarbonising Britain’s housing stock, and whether the policy will really cut bills or deepen dependence on Beijing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Collins unpacks another day of hot topics in the news. He is joined by former headteacher Serge Cefai to discuss Labour’s apparent U-turn on banning under-16s from social media, unpacking whether it should or shouldn't go ahead.Foreign Affairs Analyst Daniel Davis joins Ian to react to Donald Trump’s explosive criticism of the UK over the Chagos Islands and rising tensions around Greenland. Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat councillor Adrian Betteridge joins to defend controversial 20mph speed limits amid claims voters are being ignored. Plus, journalist and filmmaker Andrew Drury discusses the prospect of Shamima Begum being freed as violence escalates near her Syrian detention camp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Collins examines the accelerating collapse of the Conservative Party as senior Tory Andrew Rosindell defects to Reform. Andrew Allison, Head of Campaigns at Popular Conservatism, and former Reform UK candidate Mayuran Senthilnathan debate whether the right is undergoing a permanent realignment, as Robert Jenrick warns that too many Conservative MPs would now feel more at home in the Liberal Democrats. The panel also discusses the backlash after Lisa Nandy branded a future Reform government “fascist”, with critics warning such language risks making British politics more volatile and dangerous.Frank Furedi, Director of MCC Brussels, joins us to explore growing public unease with global elites and democratic accountability. We look at what really happens behind closed doors at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and why distrust in political and economic institutions continues to deepen across Europe.Finally, Maria Bowtell, Pink Lady and spokeswoman for Restore Britain, reacts to renewed outrage over the asylum system. We examine cases of convicted foreign sex offenders fighting deportation on human rights grounds, alongside reports of rejected asylum seekers still receiving thousands of pounds in UK benefits - and what this means for public confidence in immigration policy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.