James O'Brien Daily

Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, has said the West as we know it no longer exists. Given Donald Trump’s rejection of America’s role as leader of the free world, James thinks she’s right - do you? And, in an open letter in the Financial Times, dozens of members of the largest body representing UK Jews have condemned Israel's government for the war in Gaza. How significant is this moment?This episode was recorded on the 17th April. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

The Supreme Court has ruled that "woman" in UK law refers to biological sex, rather than one’s gender identity. This is being celebrated by some, while others feel dismay and that trans-people are being erased from society. What does the court ruling mean and what are people celebrating?James is also joined by the journalist and author David A Graham, to speak about his upcoming book “The Project: How Project 2025 is Reshaping America”, which explains why many people believe that a mysterious document by a conservative think tank is the blueprint for Donald Trump’s America.This episode was recorded on the 16th April. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

The Birmingham bin collector strikes will continue after the latest pay offer by the city council was "overwhelmingly" rejected. Do you support the strikers? What would you do if your boss wanted to cut your wages?Also, James speaks with LBC’s Washington Editor Simon Marks for the latest from the US, including Donald Trump blaming the Ukraine war - again - on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.And, the Prime Minister has pledged to give 16 year olds the right to vote, which would extend the franchise to around 1.5 million young people. Is he right to do so?This episode was recorded on the 15th April. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

A report by MPs has found no evidence for “two tier policing” during last summer’s violent far-right riots, following the murder of three little girls by the Southport killer. The report also stated that the law preventing the police revealing more information about the suspect, who was a British Christian, should be reviewed, as the truth could have countered the disinformation claiming that he was a Muslim asylum seeker, which fuelled much of the violence. Shouldn’t the government be focusing on punishing those who spread false information, rather than changing the system? Does the report’s findings insinuate that, if the killer had been an asylum seeker or a Muslim, that the riots would have been less wrong?And, research has found that stress is taking an “immense toll” on the lives of teachers in England, with only 1.5% of those working in schools being unaffected. Why is teaching in 2025 so stressful and what has changed to make it so?This episode was recorded on the 14th April. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

The US-China trade war has deepens - again. Beijing retaliates to yesterday’s 145% levy with a 125% tariff on US goods, with President Xi Jinping calling on the EU to join China in opposing "bullying" from the US. With the future global economic and political landscape hugely uncertain, James asks whether Keir Starmer should take bold action to protect the country’s interests by softening Brexit?And, James discusses the BBC’s reinstallation of a statue sculpted by the paedophile and artist Eric Gill, on the outside of its London HQ. Can the artist ever be separated so far from the art that such a works, by such a man, should be on public display?This episode was recorded on the 11th April. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

Donald Trump paused his tariff hike on all global economies bar China’s, where the trade war has deepened even further - at the time of writing, tariffs on China stand at 145%. Why has Trump done this? What does the future look like? Should these actions prompt Keir Starmer to rebuild bridges with the EU?James also plays back an interview with psychologist, writer, and Donald Trump's niece, Mary Trump, in which she describes what she claims are her uncle’s worsening delusions.And, James speaks with LBC’s Washington Editor Simon Marks, who brings insider details analysis the capital.This episode was recorded on the 10th April. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

Donald Trump continues to dismantle democratic institutions, defy court orders, deport innocent green card holders and facilitate cronyism. Time for James to ask the big question - is the Trump administration fascist?And, the UK government is developing a “murder prediction” programme which it hopes will identify members of the public most likely to become killers. Is this pragmatic, or dystopian?This episode was recorded on the 9th April. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

Following days of tariff turmoil, US stocks rally, while European and Asian markets also stabilise. China, so far, is refusing to withdraw its retaliatory tariffs, saying it will “fight to the end”. Trump has threatened to hit Beijing with an additional 50% tariff if they don’t withdraw their levy by the end of today.How do you make sense of what Trump is doing? Are we wasting our time trying to analyse him using the normal methods? What comes next? This episode was recorded on the 8th April. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

The head of the Muslim World League says young British Muslims are growing more disillusioned because of the war in Gaza, while the shocking video of Israeli forces opening fire on the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, before killing 15 medics, contradicts the IDF’s initial explanation for the killings. How much damage has Benjamin Netanyahu’s government done to the Israeli cause?Also, health workers will be sent into the community door-to-door, under drastic new NHS plans to tackle sickness rates across England. Will the scheme work?And, James speaks to Dmitry Grozoubinski, founder of Explain Trade and author of “Why Politicians Lie About Trade: ... and What You Need to Know About It”, about the fabled US-UK trade deal.This episode was recorded on the 7th April. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

In the wake of Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs, should Keir Starmer retaliate or negotiate? James also tackles another possibility - how long could it take for this all to blow up in Trump’s face?And, James speaks with Neil Henderson, the father of Jim Henderson, an aid worker and former Royal Marine that was killed in an Israeli drone strike in Gaza last April. Neil shares his son’s story and legacy.This episode was recorded on the 4th April. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.