James O'Brien Daily

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. 

In this insightful discussion, Simon Marks, LBC's Washington Correspondent, sheds light on the shocking murder of Trump ally Charlie Kirk. Marks explores the political landscape surrounding Kirk's death and the narrative it has sparked about radical left violence. The conversation also critiques the dismissal of UK Ambassador Lord Peter Mandelson following ties to Epstein, and its implications for UK-US relations. The episode highlights the societal and media implications of political violence, emphasizing the importance of empathy in today’s polarized climate.

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.