Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins

Ian Collins asks the question gripping Britain: Did we lock down for nothing? Professor Simon Wood breaks down the Covid Inquiry’s explosive finding that lockdowns could have been avoided entirely, while virologist Dr Chris Smith weighs in on what the science really showed in 2020. Dan Hodges joins us to discuss why the £200m Covid Inquiry is being branded an “I told you so” waste of money — and whether anyone in government will be held accountable for the social, economic and medical fallout. Plus, we cover Shabana Mahmood’s latest migration crackdown, from paying illegal migrants to leave to restricting benefits to British citizens only, and the proposed 25-year wait for settled status. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Collins breaks down Britain’s “500-a-day” migration shock as nearly 500 migrants every single day sign up for UK benefits. Charlie Downes from Restore Britain joins us to unpack the Telegraph’s figures, the strain on Universal Credit, and whether Labour has already lost control of the asylum system. Then Neal Lawson from Compass reacts to the growing Labour civil war as Andy Burnham circles Keir Starmer’s weakened leadership, with reports of up to 80 Labour MPs backing a Burnham comeback. We ask: could Andy Burnham replace Starmer — and would voters actually choose him? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jonathan Gullis sits in for Ian Collins as we ask if Britain is too weak to defend itself? Shadow Defence Minister Mark Francois reacts to the major review warning the UK is not ready for war - from depleted forces and missed spending targets to the risks facing Britain’s military and NATO commitments.We then turn to Labour’s growing civil war as Green councillor Martin Abrams joins us to discuss the left-wing revolt against Keir Starmer, the Tribune Group’s manoeuvres, and fresh infighting across Labour and Your Party ahead of their inaugural conference.Independent councillor John Edwards weighs in on the row over St George’s flags after a police chief branded them “tools of division," amid soaring public anger and renewed debate over national identity, policing and asylum reform. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jonathan Gullis sits in for Ian Collins as we break down Shabana Mahmood’s explosive asylum reform speech and what it means for Labour’s survival. Liam Deacon, Paul Richards and Kieran Mullan MP join us to unpack the Home Secretary’s “Asylum Reset” — from 20-year settlement waits and 30-month reviews to visa bans on Angola, Namibia and the DRC, voluntary return payments, benefit restrictions and mass case reconsiderations costing £872m. We look at Mahmood’s claims of ‘violence and racism’, the backlash from Labour MPs including Sarah Owen, and whether these Denmark-style reforms can actually work. Plus: new polling shows nearly half of Labour voters want Keir Starmer to quit, trust in Rachel Reeves collapses, and successor names surge as Labour crashes to 19% with Reform UK on 27%. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode of The Ian Collins Show, Ian asks whether Shabana Mahmood’s new immigration crackdown can finally get control of Britain’s asylum system. The Home Secretary is preparing Trump-style UK visa bans for countries refusing to take back failed asylum seekers, alongside Denmark-inspired plans to seize valuables from illegal entrants to cover accommodation costs.Baroness Maclean, Conservative Peer and former Home Office Minister, joins Ian to assess whether Mahmood’s plans are workable under the ECHR and Human Rights Act, and whether Labour’s approach can survive the legal challenges already being prepared. Amos Schonfield, Founder and CEO of Our Second Home, gives his perspective on how asylum seekers can be supported while the system faces major reform.Mahmood’s proposals include visa sanctions on Angola, Namibia and the DRC, temporary refugee status with tougher reviews, and raising the wait for permanent settlement from five to twenty years. With 111,000 asylum claims in the year to June 2025, local protests over new accommodation sites, and Starmer promising to end hotel use by 2029, the question remains: will any of this fix Britain’s asylum crisis? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode of The Ian Collins Show, Ian asks the key question facing the Government: if Rachel Reeves has dropped her income tax rise, where does the money now come from? Reeves has informed the OBR that the manifesto-breaking tax raid is gone, alongside her abandoned £2bn ‘exit tax’ after a fierce backlash from business. With millionaire flight rising, tech leaders like Herman Narula considering moves to Dubai, and Henley & Partners forecasting 16,500 wealthy individuals leaving the UK next year, Labour is scrambling to fill a growing Budget gap. Kemi Badenoch has welcomed the retreat but is demanding guarantees that no new taxes will be introduced.David Buik, Financial Adviser and Markets Commentator at Aquis Exchange, joins Ian to analyse what options are left for Reeves and whether Labour is heading toward further tax rises or forced spending cuts.Ian then turns to Shabana Mahmood’s plan to model Britain’s asylum policy on Denmark’s system, which cut claims by nearly 90 per cent. Colin Freeman, former Chief Foreign Correspondent at The Sunday Telegraph, explains why Denmark’s strict rules on work requirements, taxes, language, good behaviour and delayed residency may not translate to the UK. With 111,000 asylum claims recorded to June 2025 and a backlog of 224,742, Labour faces a major challenge and internal resistance to Danish-style reforms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this blockbuster episode of The Ian Collins Show, Ian Collins tackles the explosive question: “Who would replace Keir Starmer?” as leadership of the Labour Party and Prime Minister of the UK. Ministers are demanding the sacking of his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney after hostile briefings allegedly targeting Wes Streeting. Leaks, counter-leaks and internal leaks are hitting the heart of Downing Street — just as ministers speak openly about regime change. Joining Ian to dissect the mess:•Sebastian Salek — insider strategist on Labour Party dynamics and power plays.•James Matthewson — veteran political journalist breaking down Westminster’s next move.•Plus a powerful caller from the public: Georgina from London, who rings in live to ask what this chaos means for Britain’s future.Topics on the agenda:•Why ministers are demanding the ousting of Morgan McSweeney and whether Starmer will survive the pressure. •The briefing war inside Labour — how anonymous attacks, “juvenile” briefings and internal factionalism are exposing a party in crisis. •Overview of the leadership battlefield: Who is positioning, who is waiting, and who might step up if Starmer falls?•What this means for British politics, Labour’s agenda, and the next UK general election.If you’re interested in Labour leadership, Keir Starmer’s future, Wes Streeting speculation, Morgan McSweeney scandal, UK politics 2025, Downing Street leaks, Labour power struggle, this episode is essential. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this powerful episode of The Ian Collins Show on Talk, Ian asks whether Britain has lost its drive and its faith.With unemployment rising, businesses struggling to hire, and millions claiming benefits without ever needing to work, Ian unpacks the state of a nation in decline. Under Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves, more than 1,000 jobs a day are now being lost, while over 4 million people are on benefits exempt from seeking employment.Tina McKenzie MBE, Chair of Policy & Advocacy at the Federation of Small Businesses, joins Ian to explain how anti-enterprise policies and red tape are crushing entrepreneurs and stopping Britain from hiring again.Then, shifting from economics to faith, Bishop Ceirion Dewar from the Confessing Anglican Church explores the rise of Christian nationalism and why Britain’s churches are losing touch with people. “It’s not about the platform or the politics,” he says “it’s about the people.”From Starmer’s socialist paradise to a nation of non-workers, and from empty pews to failing policies, Ian Collins exposes the cultural and spiritual crisis shaping modern Britain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump vs the BBC: The $1 Billion Showdown - In this explosive episode of The Ian Collins Show on Talk, Ian breaks down the story shaking global media: Donald Trump suing the BBC for $1 billion, and what that means for the future of Britain’s national broadcaster. With Tim Davie and Deborah Turness both resigning amid mounting pressure, former BBC presenter Sally Jones joins Ian to ask whether the Trump threat was the final straw and if the BBC can ever learn to leave politics at the studio door. Then Ed Gemmell, leader of The Climate Party, defends the existence of COP summits, arguing they’re vital to Britain’s economic and environmental future - potentially worth £20 billion a week to the UK economy - while others question whether Net Zero conferences have lost all credibility. From BBC bias and licence fee reform to Trump’s billion-dollar lawsuit and the future of COP, Ian Collins pulls no punches on money, media, and political hypocrisy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this hard-hitting episode of The Ian Collins Show on Talk, Ian takes on two defining stories shaking Britain: the BBC’s internal collapse after Tim Davie’s shock resignation, and the migration mess that sees asylum seekers offered £100 a week to leave taxpayer-funded hotels.Veteran broadcaster David Elstein, with over fifty years inside television — from the BBC to Channel 5 — joins Ian to expose the deep ideological fractures tearing through the BBC. Then Sonia Sodha, columnist and commentator, unpacks how the Corporation became “captured by minority gender ideology,” and what that says about modern media culture.Between callers, Ian explores the asylum incentive scandal with Robert Bates from the Centre for Migration Control, asking whether paying migrants to leave is policy failure or pragmatic politics.From BBC bias and newsroom infighting to Britain’s border breakdown, this episode pulls no punches on the state of the nation’s institutions — and the cost to the British taxpayer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this explosive episode of The Ian Collins Show on Talk, Ian examines a nation on edge: falling national pride, rising division, and a leadership class doubling down on ideology instead of unity.As polls reveal a frightening collapse in national pride and growing divides between Brits and migrants, writer and trade unionist Paul Embery joins Ian to ask whether Sir Keir Starmer’s Britain has lost its identity.Live from Rio, our COP30 reporter breaks down Starmer’s declaration that Britain is “all in” on Net Zero, even as taxpayers face mounting costs and energy pressures back home. Then Reem Ibrahim from the Institute of Economic Ideas dissects the chaos at Villa Park, where police clashed with football fans and Palestine protesters amid another surge of public unrest.And former Scotland Yard superintendent Nusrit Mehtab exposes the latest Met Police racism scandal, after an internal review brands the force “institutionally racist” — once again shaking public trust in British policing.Ian Collins brings the straight talk you won’t hear anywhere else — cutting through spin, ideology, and media noise to ask: is Britain breaking down under the weight of its own divisions? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Ian Collins turns the spotlight on three urgent crises hitting Britain now: the new pay-per-mile tax for EVs, warnings of a crime surge under the National Police Chiefs’ Council about the sentencing bill, and a major security operation in Birmingham ahead of the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv match amid anti-Semitic protests.First, meet our EV-guest Jordan (the EV Guy), who explains how the pay-per-mile tax will hit EV drivers and British taxpayers alike. Next, we’re joined by former Justice Minister Dr Phillip Lee, dissecting law-and-order breakdown: how the sentencing overhaul could invite thousands more offences and unleash chaos on our streets. Then caller Leanne from Birmingham shares her live experience preparing for the match under heavy police deployment — more than 700 officers in place as anti-Semitic protests threaten public safety.If you’re concerned about EV tax, pay-per-mile charges, British taxpayers, crime surge UK, sentencing bill, Labour Party law reform, Aston Villa Maccabi Tel Aviv Birmingham, anti-Semitic protests UK, police deployment, then this episode is a must-listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 1 of the Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins exposes how left-wing politics, woke ideology, and weak leadership are breaking nations on both sides of the Atlantic. Ian Collins investigates how Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party is pushing Britain toward economic chaos and cultural division - while New York’s far-left figurehead Zohran Mamdani drives the same woke experiment in America.From Britain’s “sick note” crisis costing billions, to Labour’s education reforms turning classrooms into ideological battlegrounds, Ian and his guests reveal how the left's obsession with virtue politics is bankrupting common sense and taxpayers alike.Joining Ian Collins are:Chloe Dobbs, political commentator challenging the rise of woke culture.Jonathan Gullis, former Conservative MP fighting back against Labour’s radical agenda.Tom Rivers, veteran US broadcaster offering an American perspective from London.Expect fearless conversation about Keir Starmer, Zohran Mamdani, woke Britain, education reform, UK politics, taxpayer spending, the culture wars, and the cost of progressive ideology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Security and Threat expert and former Scotland Yard Detective Philip Grindell, who helped stop a terrorist attack after Jo Cox’s assassination, shares his strategies for protecting high-profile clients; now advising politicians and celebrities, he’s also author of Personal Threat Management and host of The Defuse Podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Ian is joined by Kerry Daynes — a world-renowned Consultant Forensic Psychologist with over 25 years at the sharpest edge of crime. From police interrogations to courtrooms, maximum-security prisons to locked psychiatric wards — she’s seen the darkest corners of the human mind. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Ian is joined by Dawn Dines, CEO of Stamp out Spiking who’s spent 20 years fighting drink spiking and led the push to make it a specific offence, with the Prime Minister now promising new laws to help more victims come forward.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Ian is joined by Jonathan Levi and Dr Emma French, authors of the upcoming book Inside Belmarsh, for an eye-opening conversation about life inside Britain’s most notorious high-security prison—nicknamed ‘Hellmarsh’. With exclusive access to both inmates and staff, they reveal the harsh and often brutal realities behind the walls of Belmarsh, home to spies, terrorists, and killers, including Julian Assange, Wayne Couzens, and Southport murderer Axel Rudakubana.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Ian speaks with investigative journalist and author Paul Henderson, who helped uncover an astonishing Cold War tale. A Spy in the Family tells the extraordinary true story of how a Soviet agent not only infiltrated Western intelligence networks—but also won the trust of a grieving mother. It's a gripping account of deception, espionage, and emotional betrayal that spans decades and continents.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first of the TalkCrime series in association with CrimeCon, Ian speaks with Colin Sutton, former Senior Investigating Officer with the Metropolitan Police, who led more than 30 murder investigations between 2003 and 2011. Among his most notable cases are the hunt for Levi Bellfield and the re-investigation of Delroy Grant, known as the "Nightstalker." Sutton’s work on complex, high-profile crimes has earned him a reputation as one of the UK’s most respected detectives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mike Graham, Russell Quirk, Peter Cardwell and some guy called Kevin O'Sullivan, join forces for 'Clash Of The Titans', to analyse, debate, discuss (and argue) over the biggest issues of the week. Topics this week include Heathrow's new runway, migrants and Donald Trump. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.