James O'Brien Daily

The British Chambers of Commerce says the UK must tackle its status as the sick man of the G7 if it wants to grow the economy. Around 7% of the UK workforce are currently out of work due to long-term sickness, compared to 3.5% in Japan. What are we getting wrong?Also, deprived areas of the UK will be given tens of millions of pounds each from a new regeneration fund to address Britain’s neglected communities, and, Starmer hopes, tackle the threat posed by Reform UK. And, James plays a film from the BBC in collaboration with other international news agencies that calls on Israel to allow foreign journalists into Gaza.This episode was recorded on the 25th of September. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

Donald Trump used his address to the UN General Assembly yesterday to attack the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. After saying Khan, born to Pakistani parents, was a “terrible mayor”, Trump claimed he’d introduced “sharia law”, an Islamic system of law, to the capital. This is of course entirely untrue. Is it time to call out racism as racism?This episode was recorded on the 24th of September. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

President Donald Trump has claimed a link between common over-the-counter painkillers and autism, contradicting major medical groups. Is there any strategy in this apparent idiocy?And, GPs in England are being urged to "think again" if they see a sick patient three times but can't pin down a diagnosis, or find their symptoms are getting worse. “Jess's Rule” is named after Jessica Brady, who was diagnosed with long Covid, but was actually suffering from cancer, which she died from shortly after. Whether doctor or patient, what’s your reaction to this?This episode was recorded on the 23rd of September. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

Sir Keir Starmer announced the UK’s recognition of a Palestinian state yesterday, alongside Canada, Australia and Portugal. Around 151 UN member states now do so. Benjamin Netanyahu said the recognition is "a huge reward to terrorism". How do you greet this moment, and what do you think it’ll actually mean?And, several of Europe's busiest airports have spent the past few days in chaos after a major cyber-attack. In recent years we’ve also seen Marks & Spencers, Jaguar Land Rover, the Co-Op and NHS trusts brought to their knees by hackers, but with relatively little public reaction. Is this getting out of control? And, should we care more?This episode was recorded on the 22nd of September. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

President Trump’s state visit to the UK has come to a close. For some, Starmer’s played a blinder. He’s secured a new technology prosperity deal that’s set to draw in billions in investment and strengthened his relationship with Trump. For others, he’s capitulated to an immoral, fascistic President. How do you think it went?And, the French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, are suing right wing influencer Candace Owens for promoting her belief that Brigitte Macron is in fact a man. Why has Owens done this and are the Macrons responding correctly?This episode was recorded on the 19th of September. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

US talk show host Jimmy Kimmel has had his programme axed after suggesting that President Donald Trump used Charlie Kirk’s assassination to score political points. Arriving in Chequers today as part of his UK state visit, Trump described the decision to axe the show as “great news for America”.  How serious is this moment for freedom of speech? James discusses this and more LBC’s Washington Editor Simon Marks and Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.This episode was recorded on the 18th of September. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

The UK has rolled out the red carpet for Donald Trump on his second state visit, with Keir Starmer preparing to welcome him to Chequers tomorrow for talks on tariffs, steel, and aluminium. But has Starmer played a stellar game in managing his relationship with Trump, or should he have stood up more firmly to the US president’s demands? James put the question to his listeners: Is Keir playing his cards right, or not?Meanwhile, Health Minister Wes Streeting has condemned the weekend’s far-right marches, saying the scenes were “not the kind of country any of us want to live in.” James asked his audience to share their lived experiences of being on the receiving end of far-right hostility.This episode was recorded on the 17th of September. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.

A United Nations inquiry has concluded that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. It is the first time the allegation has been made publicly by a UN body, and has been greeted with fury by the Israeli government. With this conclusion, James asked listeners: What has Benjamin Netanyahu done to Israel’s reputation?And, currently in America, a growing number of organisations have fired workers over comments made online about remarks they made about Charlie Kirk's death or his political beliefs. Among them, Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah lost her job after posts on gun control and race in the aftermath of Kirk’s killing. To unpack the implications, James spoke with LBC’s Washington Correspondent, Simon Marks.This episode was recorded on the 16th of September. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.

Over the weekend, Elon Musk made a speech online for the Far-Right “Unite the Kingdom” march in London, organised by Tommy Robinson. Musk told attendees to “either fight back or you die”, remarks that Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has condemned as dangerous incitement to violence. Today, James turned his focus to Musk’s words and asked listeners: how should Keir Starmer respond?And the political landscape shifted again as Tory MP and shadow minister Danny Kruger defected to Reform. Accusing the Conservatives of clinging to “defunct institutions” and “sham unity” since their election defeat, Kruger declared the party stuck in “stasis.” James asked his audience: is this truly the end of the road for the Tories?And finally, presenter and broadcaster Roman Kemp joined James in the studio to talk about his new Premier League-backed initiative aimed at breaking the taboo around mental health.This episode was recorded on the 15th of September. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.

Despite Keir Starmer’s insistence that he has full confidence in his “top team”, his leadership faces fresh scrutiny after losing two key allies: his Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, and, more recently, US Ambassador Peter Mandelson, who resigned following revelations of his links to Jeffrey Epstein. But while Downing Street backs Keir, does the country still back him?James also turned to international news, reflecting on the death of Charlie Kirk and the fallout surrounding MSNBC’s firing of political commentator Matthew Dowd over on-air remarks just minutes after the event. Beyond the headlines, James asked: will America truly change in response?This episode was recorded on the 12th of September. Catch James O’Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC. 

A manhunt is ongoing for the “college age” killer of conservative activist and influential Trump ally Charlie Kirk, who died after being shot at a university in Utah yesterday. Donald Trump has blamed the killing on "radical left political violence" - yet next to nothing is known about the killer. What did Charlie Kirk stand for and why has his killing prompted this extraordinarily political outpouring? And, the UK Ambassador to the US, Lord Peter Mandelson, has been sacked by the Prime Minister over links to his “best pal” and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. James discusses what these links are and what the ramifications of the sacking will be with LBC’s Washington Correspondent Simon Marks and reporter Henry Riley.This episode was recorded on the 11th of September. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

Israel has launched a strike on Hamas officials in Qatar’s capital, Doha, reportedly including the group’s chief ceasefire negotiator, who was meeting there to discuss the potential for a ceasefire in Gaza. Is there any point in negotiating with Israel?And, Sir Keir Starmer has rejected growing calls to sack the UK’s ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson, over his dealings with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. These indlude claims that Epstein brokered a deal involving Mandelson after Epstein had been convicted of child sex offences, and a 50th birthday from the ambassador calling Epstein his “best pal”. Should Peter Mandleson stay, or go?This episode was recorded on the 10th of September. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

The NHS has for the first time published league tables ranking every trust in England. Is this really a good idea?And, the London tube strike concludes its second full day, with a union leader warning that industrial relations have "totally collapsed". How do you decide whether or not to support a strike?This episode was recorded on the 9th of September. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

It’s Online Safety Day at LBC - James discusses what unfettered access to pornography has done to children and how we can know if the Online Safety Act is actually working to protect kids from harmful content.Also, the Met Police arrested almost 900 people at a protest against the proscribing of Palestine Action as a terror group on Saturday. Has the government made a mistake in banning the group and should they reverse it?And, James speaks with Meetali Jain, Director of the Tech Justice Law Project, which is supporting a family who are suing OpenAI over the death of their teenage son. They allege that Chat GPT encouraged their son, Adam Raine, to take his own life.This episode was recorded on the 8th of September. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

James navigated an extraordinary moment in British politics with the breaking news of Angela Rayner’s resignation from Government.Before the announcement, James invited listeners to share their perspectives on the independent investigation led by Sir Laurie Magnus, the Prime Minister’s adviser on ministerial standards. Although the story has dominated headlines since Wednesday, James sought insights directly from professionals within the field.Midway through the programme, the news broke: Angela Rayner had resigned as Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, following revelations she had breached the ministerial code over her underpayment of stamp duty on her £800,000 seaside flat. To help unpack the implications of this dramatic development, James was joined by LBC’s Political Correspondent Aggie Chambre. Together, they explored what the resignation means for Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour Party, and the wider political landscape.This episode was recorded on Friday, the 5th of September. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.

Pressure is mounting on the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Angela Rayner, after she admitted to underpaying stamp duty on her £800,000 flat. Should she stay, or should she go?And, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has testified before the US House Judiciary Committee to discuss freedom of speech. Democrat congressman, Jamie Raskin, referred to Farage as a "Putin-loving, free-speech imposter and Trump sycophant" - James analyses the extensive evidence backing this up.This episode was recorded on the 4th of September. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

Sir Keir Starmer is considering introducing digital ID cards in a bid to crack down on small boat crossings. These ID cards would be issued to everyone, nationwide - but what are the security pros and the invasion of privacy cons?Also, James speaks to Jessica Elgot, Deputy Political Editor of The Guardian on her story that has cast serious doubt over Kemi Badenoch’s claim she received an offer to study medicine from Stanford University.In other news, alarmingly, the fertility rate for England and Wales has fallen to a record low. In Greece, 5% of schools are being closed as the country’s birth rate drops. Why is this happening?And, James is joined by LBC’s Political Editor Natasha Clark to analyse today’s breaking news: Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has referred herself to the independent adviser on ministerial standards over failing to pay the correct stamp duty on the purchase of her second home.This episode was recorded on the 3rd of September. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

The government is temporarily suspending new applications for a scheme allowing refugees to bring their family members to the UK. The move has been called out as another attempt to appeal to those swept up by growing anti-immigrant sentiment. How can this country operate when such views dominate so much of the discourse and who is Keir Starmer trying to appeal to exactly?And, Zack Polanski has been elected leader of the Green Party by a landslide. He campaigned with an agenda of radical eco-populism - this signals a clear shift to the left for the party. James speaks with LBC’s Political Correspondent, Aggie Chambre, to discuss the appointment.This episode was recorded on the 2nd of September. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

This summer, thousands of St George's flags have been seen painted on roundabouts and hung from lamp-posts across the country. Supporters say the flags are an expression of English pride, whilst critics say they're a nationalist expression of racism. What do you think, and how do the flags make you feel? And, the most comprehensive poll of British 16 and 17-year-olds has revealed that nearly 70 per cent of girls have skipped school because of anxiety. James is interested in the difference between children that can’t go to school because of poor mental health and those that just don’t want to - and how to help the kids that can’t.This episode was recorded on the 1st of September. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

To finish off LBC’s week-long guest series is Sir Ed Davey. He asks the callers what they think of his controversial boycotting of King Charles’ state banquet for Donald Trump’s visit next month. Do you think he was right to refuse the invitation because of Trump's inaction regarding Gaza?Next, Ed looks bigger. During his second term, Donald Trump has changed the world order. In Ed’s opinion, he is no longer a reliable ally to the UK. Of course, not everyone agrees with this - meaning Keir Starmer’s approach to Trump is a source of great debate. Ed thinks a different approach is needed, what do you think?This episode was recorded on the 29th of August. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.