James O'Brien Daily

MP Diane Abbott has said it "is obvious this Labour leadership wants me out" after the party suspended her for a second time over comments she made about the racism experienced by black people in comparison to the Jewish and Traveller communities. What do you think of comments?And, former Masterchef presenter John Torode has been sacked by the BBC for allegedly using the N-word twice. It’s been reported that he was repeating lyrics from rapper Kanye West’s hit Gold Digger, which contain the racial slur, at an after-work ­gathering six or seven years ago. Should he have been fired?This episode was recorded on the 18th July. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

Four MPs have been suspended by Labour for their rebellion against welfare cuts earlier this month. One of them, Rachel Maskell, described the cuts as "Dickensian” and belonging to a “different era and a different party". She’ll now sit as an independent and says that the suspension won’t silence her. What do you think about this moment of Starmer’s premiership and what makes a rebellion righteous, as opposed to dangerous?And, today’s breaking news - the government has confirmed that the voting age will be lowered to 16 across the UK for the next general election. James sees this as a universally positive move for our democracy. Do you agree?This episode was recorded on the 17th July. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

The previous government withheld news of their operation to relocate 24,000 Afghans to the UK in order to protect some of those that they’d put at risk of Taliban attack after a Ministry of Defence data leak. So, why did the government cover it up?Also, the two men that cut down the Sycamore Gap Tree have both been jailed for four years and three months. Is this a fair punishment?James is joined by Gabriel Shemirani, whose sister Paloma died from cancer last year at just 23 years old. They discuss Gabriel’s assertion that their mother pressured Paloma into refusing treatment based on conspiracy theories.And, James speaks with historian and author Dr Eliza Filby about her book "Inheritocracy: It’s Time to Talk About the Bank of Mum and Dad", which explores the divide between those who can rely on family wealth and those who can’t - and the damage this is doing to society. This episode was recorded on the 16th July. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

Secondary school pupils in England are to be taught about "incel" culture, with a focus on positive role models for boys in efforts to tackle “manosphere” related misogyny. To help understand the importance of this, James asks what it’s like to grow up without a positive role model as a boy.And, James is joined by Lewis Goodall for the breaking story on which he’s been working for 2 years, but was legally required to keep secret - until today. Using an unprecedented super-injunction, the UK government witheld knowledge of a catastrophic data breach that exposed thousands of Afghan people who had worked with UK forces during the Afghanistan War, putting them in danger of attack by the Taliban. Since then, the government has undertaken a secret relocation operation of thousands of those Afghan people to the UK. This episode was recorded on the 15th July. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10am on LBC.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting will meet representatives from the BMA this week, as he hopes to avert five days of strikes by resident doctors. Public support for the strikes has plummeted from 52% in the last round to 26%, according to new polling. Have you changed your mind on doctors strikes?Also, last week’s sacking of former MasterChef host Gregg Wallace came after 45 of the 83 allegations against him were upheld, including one of unwanted touching and three of exposing himself. In a statement he defended himself, citing his recently diagnosed autism as a reason for the alleged behaviour. Could autism have played a role in his alleged sexual misconduct?And, with MPs warning that a new mandatory duty to report child sex abuse could end up having "little or no consequence," James speaks with ​​Jonathan West, Director of Mandate Now, a pressure group that campaigns for more robust policy in the area.This episode was recorded on the 14th July. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.

How do we tell the difference between the relatively tiny number of people who take advantage of the welfare state and those who suffer from serious mental health issues? Once that is established - what will really help them?Also, French President Emmanuel Macron has said that Brexit has drastically worsened the UK's small boats crisis, because the UK no longer has a migratory agreement with the EU. Considering this and the stats, James states that those who orchestrated and voted for Brexit are in fact the ones who’ve caused the illegal immigration crisis. And, James hosts an incredible interview with Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, to discuss Israel’s assault on the people of Gaza, and her new report: “From economy of occupation, to economy of genocide”.This episode was recorded on the 11th July. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.

Major building projects in the UK take two and half years longer to complete than in the rest of the developed world, according to new analysis. Why is the UK so slow?Also, pubs across Britain will close down at a rate of more than one a day this year, according to new research. Why are pubs dying off, and this a natural, or unnatural death?And, James speaks with Donie O'Sullivan, senior correspondent at CNN, whose podcast, Persuadable, seeks to guide people whose loved ones have fallen into a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories.This episode was recorded on the 10th July. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has warned junior doctors that the public will “not forgive them” for launching another wave of disruptive strikes as he made clear that a pay rise was off the table. Is he right?Also, James speaks with James Ball, Political Editor of The New World, who explains how and why Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot praised Hitler on X (formerly known as Twitter). And, James is joined by Lara Lewington, whose new book Hacking Humanity reveals how we can harness the power of technology to improve our lives now and transform our healthcare system for a better future.This episode was recorded on the 9th July. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.

The government has declined to rule out a wealth tax, following former Labour leader Lord Kinnock championing the policy. Such a tax remains public enemy number 1 for many right wing figures and their supporters. How are poor people persuaded to protect the interests of the super rich by opposing a wealth tax?And, the Chief Executive of the College of Policing has said the smell of cannabis made him feel unsafe in his own community and that police “ought to do something about” it. Is he right?This episode was recorded on the 8th July. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.

Today is the 20th anniversary of the 7/7 London bombings, when four bombers attacked central London, killing 52 people and injuring hundreds more. James remembers those who lost their lives, plays back LBC audio from the day itself and speaks with several brave people who were deeply impacted by the attacks.First, Emma Craig, a survivor, who was 14 years old and travelling into the city for work experience when an explosive went off in the carriage next to hers. Next, Marcelle Stroud, former Met Police CCTV Coordinator DC, who investigated the attacks in the aftermath of the bombings and discovered footage of the bombers.Finally, Azuma Wundowa, who was 16 years old when her mother Gladys was killed in the bus which was blown up at Tavistock Square. This episode was recorded on the 7th July. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.