The government has confirmed the UK will rejoin the Erasmus student exchange programme from 2027, allowing students to immerse themselves in a different culture and grow their foreign language skills in Europe. Why are Brits so bad at speaking foreign languages and what difference can languages make to your life?And, half of people arrested recently in London were found to potentially have undiagnosed ADHD, according to a Cambridge University study calling for better neurodivergence screening for vulnerable individuals. James’ callers explain why their own ADHD can lead to behaviours resulting in problematic police encounters.This episode was recorded on the 17th of December. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
The 5 day resident doctor’s strike will go ahead from tomorrow in England, as planned, after the government's offer to postpone the action until the new year in order to alleviate NHS pressure was heartily rejected by BMA members. If we trust doctor's with our lives, why shouldn't we trust them when they tell us they they have to go on strike? This episode was recorded on the 16th of December. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
Two gunmen, a father and son, opened fire on Bondi Beach in Sydney on Sunday, killing 15 people attending a Hanukkah event. The Australian Prime Minister described the tragedy as an attack motivated by “extremist ideology”. The victims include a 10-year-old girl, a British-born rabbi, a retired police officer and a Holocaust survivor. Is it right, or even possible, to talk about the attack without referring to Gaza?This episode was recorded on the 15th of December. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has warned of “probably the worst pressure the NHS has faced since Covid" occurring next week, when the next resident doctors strike will clash with soaring numbers of flu patients. Ministers have proposed a last minute deal in an attempt to appease the BMA, but in the case that this is not accepted, Streeting has also offered an extension on the union's mandate so that the strike could be postponed until January. James thinks Streeting has played a blinder here - do you?And, today on LBC, Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley described Donald Trump’s claims about violent crime in London as “complete nonsense” - claims which are peddled by many Brits on the right. Why do so many of us join in with untrue, hostile attacks on London?This episode was recorded on the 12th of December. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has launched The Youth Matters plan, a £500m strategy aimed at protecting the UK’s youth. The plan aims to give 500,000 more young people access to a trusted adult outside their home, boost resilience and teach essential skills. What difference did youth clubs, or a lack thereof, make to you?Also, Justice Secretary David Lammy is considering wiping childhood criminal records clean. The proposal looks to simplify the criminal records check system and prevent minor teenage offences from negatively impacting adult job prospects. James asks his callers to share the reality of having your life impacted by a childhood offence.And, James is joined by Washington Editor Simon Marks to talk through Donald Trump’s latest policy announcement that could lead to tourists being required to provide five years of social media history to enter the US.This episode was recorded on the 11th of December. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
A top NHS executive has urged people with cold or flu symptoms to wear a face mask in public as the hospitals brace for a “tidal wave” of illness this winter. Why then are so many of us against the idea of wearing face masks?Also, a report commissioned into Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy, a school in East London, found that pupils have been harmed by shouting, public humiliation and a lack of special needs support. What does a climate of fear do to a child at school? What did it do to you?And, and LBC investigation has found that a former Metropolitan Police officer was accused of being involved in a London paedophile ring while serving with the force, but the case was “brushed under the carpet” and “covered up”. Andy Hughes, LBC’s Crime Correspondent, breaks the story with James.This episode was recorded on the 10th of December. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
Russia has welcomed Donald Trump's new National Security Strategy to "end" the Ukraine War, calling it "largely consistent" with Moscow's vision. Why is Trump siding with Russia against Europe and where will it take us? Joining James is Phillips O'Brien, Professor of Strategic Studies at the University of St Andrews, to share his analysis of the tightrope European leaders are walking between supporting Ukraine and keeping Trump sweet.And, in a world first, Australian children under 16 will be banned from social media. The goal is to protect kids from harmful content, cyber bullying and online grooming... what’s not to love?This episode was recorded on the 9th of December. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
Almost one million young people in the UK are currently not in employment, education or training (NEET). To help tackle this, the government has announced 350,000 new training or workplace opportunities will be offered to young people on universal credit - but that those who don’t engage could have their benefits cut. Why are you or the young person in your life in the NEET category? And, what would make a difference?This episode was recorded on the 8th of December. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
Nigel Farage has accused the BBC of double standards after he was asked about numerous claims he used extreme racist and antisemitic language as a teenager, which he denied. Today, James is joined by one of the many people who've made such claims, Peter Ettedgui, a Jewish former classmate of Nigel Farage's, who told the BBC that Farage had repeatedly said to him "Hitler was right" and "gas them". This episode was recorded on the 5th of December. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
Wes Streeting will be launching an independent review that’ll investigate whether mental health, ADHD and autism are being over-diagnosed in England - James explores the distinct possibility that it isn’t.Also, facial recognition technology could be used more often by UK police forces, according to the Home Office. Could this be the “end of privacy as we know it”, as privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch claims?And, James speaks with Washington Correspondent Simon Marks for the latest Donald Trump-related news, including the President stating that he doesn’t want any Somalian people in the country and that Somalia “stinks”.This episode was recorded on the 4th of December. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
The UK media is beginning to acknowledge Brexit as the unmitigated failure that it is, partly in thanks to damning findings like the National Bureau of Economic Research’s, that concluded Brexit has reduced UK GDP by 6-8%. This is far more than most previous estimates. The question is finally beginning to be asked… should Labour reverse Brexit?And, so-called "miracle" weight-loss jabs are currently only available to 1 in 10 people who need them worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. For those of you that do have access, what happens when you stop taking them?This episode was recorded on the 3rd of December. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
Justice Secretary David Lammy has announced the creation of new “swift courts” which will see a judge decide verdicts in thousands of cases where the right to a jury trial will be removed.… What does this actually mean and what are we so afraid of losing?Resident doctors have announced a fresh round of strikes with a five-day walkout from the 17th December. Considering their recent wage increase, is this a strike too far? Or do we not know the full picture?And the UK’s attorney general, one of the most senior Jewish government ministers, Richard Herner has urged Nigel Farage to apologise to school contemporaries who claim the Reform UK leader racially abused them while at school… So why is there not more scrutinyThis episode was recorded on the 2nd of December. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is facing accusations she misled voters and ministers by not revealing upsides in the OBR’s (Office for Budget Responsibility) forecasts for the economy. Starmer and Reeves both defend the Budget and deny that the Chancellor misled anyone. James gets into the nitty gritty and asks what we’re supposed to be angry about here?And, AI is set to replace 3.4m jobs in the next decade, a major educational research organisation has warned. Are we totally ignoring the reality of this situation? Has AI already taken your job? What hope do our kids have?This episode was recorded on the 1st of November. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
Net migration to the UK fell by two-thirds in the year ending June 2025 compared with the previous 12 months, according to ONS figures. This has coincided with rising numbers of young people leaving the UK because of its economic and political landscape. Are you leaving the UK? If so, why? And, how can we persuade young people to hang around?This episode was recorded on the 28th of November. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
Yesterday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her 2025 Budget. Much of the media is in uproar at tax rises, especially the lifting of the two-child benefit cap - but what measures should we actually be angry about?And, James asks his listeners what their experiences of Universal Credit are, as well as what it’s like being labeled as a scrounger by much of the right-wing media and political class?This episode was recorded on the 27th of November. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has unveiled the long-anticipated budget - but not before the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) leaked it! James was joined by fellow LBC presenter Shelagh Fogarty and Politics Editor Natasha Clark to discuss both the fallout from the leak and the budget itself!Also, Justice Secretary David Lammy is proposing to massively restrict the age old to a jury by trial by only guaranteeing it for defendants facing the most serious of crimes… is this right?This episode was recorded on the 26th of November. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
Sir Keir Starmer and David Lammy are set to escape Labour’s “mansion tax” after adjustments from the Treasury - the tax will now only apply to houses worth over £2m. Is a mansion tax the right move for the Chancellor?And, a new study has found that the majority of ethnic minority adults (55%) believe those putting up St George’s crosses as part of the “Operation Raise the Colours” campaign are doing so to express racist and/or anti-migrant sentiment. Has this campaign changed the way you feel about the flag?This episode was recorded on the 25th of November. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
With Rachel Reeves’ budget, many more pensioners could be pulled into paying income tax. Are pensioners receiving too much support or should the state pension be means-tested?And, new research shows obesity rates among the poorest children are nearly double those of their wealthiest classmates. In the modern West, has thinness become a marker of privilege?Plus, David Cameron has revealed he was treated for prostate cancer after his wife urged him to get checked. Why are men still so reluctant to go to the doctor and is masculinity costing lives?Carole Cadwalladr also joins James to discuss the mounting pressure for a full government inquiry into Russian interference in UK politics.This episode was recorded on the 24th of November. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has found that the government response to the pandemic was "too little, too late" - imposing lockdown a week earlier could have saved 23,000 lives. Worse still, lockdowns could have been avoided altogether, had Boris Johnson’s Conservative government acted with the urgency that was so obviously needed. James asks his callers lay their emotions bare and share the most significant, and often tragic, moments of the pandemic with him.And, Ex-leader of Reform UK in Wales Nathan Gill has been sentenced to 10-and-a-half years for taking at least £40,000 in pro-Russia bribes - James takes the sentencing live.This episode was recorded on the 21st of November. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.
Senior Pentagon officials are in Ukraine to "discuss efforts to end the war" with Russia. It’s been reported that the potential “peace deal” drawn up by the US and Russia will require Ukraine to give up large amounts of territory and dramatically shrink its military. If Zelenskyy accepted these terms, what would it mean for the world?And, Labour MP Clive Lewis has offered to give up his seat to allow the Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, to challenge Sir Keir Starmer's premiership. This comes shortly after suggestions that Health Secretary Wes Streeting would be challenging Starmer. Why the Prime Minister so unpopular?This episode was recorded on the 20th of November. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.