James O'Brien Daily

Israel launched strikes across the “heart” of Iran’s nuclear programme last night, killing senior military figures, scientists, and according to Iranian state media, civilians and children. Iran then struck back, sending around 100 drones to Israel, most of which were intercepted. Is this Benjamin Netanyahu’s latest attempt at self-preservation, or is this action morally justified? And, James is joined by David Challen, whose mother killed his father after a lifetime of coercive control. David successfully campaigned for his mother’s release and has been a prominent domestic violence campaigner ever since. His new book, The Unthinkable, tells his story.This episode was recorded on the 13th June. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.

James discusses the warning that police forces will struggle to fulfil Sir Keir Starmer’s promise to recruit an additional 13,000 officers. Why aren't people joining the police? Would you?Also, earlier today, a London-bound Air India plane carrying 242 people crashed in Ahmedabad, western India. On board were 169 Indian, 53 British, seven Portuguese and one Canadian national. James is joined by two aviation experts to try and understand how this might have happened. Please note this story is ongoing and there may have been developments since the time of recording.And, a new report has found that the bonnet height of new cars in the UK and Europe is rising relentlessly, significantly increasing the death rate when pedestrians are struck and especially dangerous for children. James can’t stand SUVs - why do people drive them in the first place?This episode was recorded on the 12th June. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.

The UK has sanctioned two extremist far-right Israeli ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, over "repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities" in the occupied West Bank. Is this too little, too late? Or a major step in the right direction?And, government ministers are planning to scrap the 200 years old Vagrancy Act, which outlaws rough sleeping in England and Wales. James’ listeners share their personal stories about how easy it is to end up homeless. This episode was recorded on the 11th June. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.

Yesterday's U-turn on the controversial winter fuel payment cuts restored the allowance to all pensioners with an income of £35k or less a year. Does this U-turn make the government look better, or worse? How does that £35k threshold sit with you?And, Israel has said it’s deported Greta Thunberg, a day after the IDF intercepted The Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s aid boat, arresting Thunberg and the other 11 campaigners on board. What would Israel have done if Greta wasn’t there, and was her mission a success?This episode was recorded on the 10th June. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.

Protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles continued for a third day yesterday, with Donald Trump calling in the National Guard against the wishes of California's Governor Gavin Newsom, who has said he’ll be suing the President for doing so. What’s Trump’s plan? James breaks it down with the callers and LBC’s Washington Editor, Simon Marks.And, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed the government’s U-turn on winter fuel payment cuts, reinstating the payment for more than three-quarters of pensioners. Natasha Clark, LBC’s Political Editor explains the significance of this policy change.This episode was recorded on the 9th June. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.

Lewis Goodall stepped in for James O’Brien for the final day, bringing you a packed episode that examines major fractures on the political right, on both sides of the Atlantic.In the United States, Elon Musk has publicly broken ties with President Donald Trump, marking the end of a high-profile alliance that had become increasingly influential in conservative political circles. The rift follows Musk’s recent departure from the Department of Government Efficiency and signals a significant shift in the dynamics of the American right.Meanwhile, in the UK, Reform Party chairman Zia Yusuf has resigned, stating that he no longer believes working in politics is a good use of his time. The decision comes after comments from newly elected MP Sarah Pochin regarding banning the burka sparked internal tensions.With both events unfolding within hours of each other, today’s episode looks at what these developments signal about the broader direction—and disarray—of populist movements in the UK and the US.This episode was recorded on the 6th June. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed the government’s U-turn on the controversial winter fuel payment cuts that were set to come into play this winter. Lewis thinks this fiasco shows that old, rich people in the UK have too much political power - do you agree?And, Lewis is joined by Ali Milani, National Chair at the Labour Muslim Network, to speak on its recent survey showing that one in three Muslim Labour MPs, councillors and mayors described the party as institutionally Islamophobic. Ali also shares the shocking islamophobia that he’s allegedly received from within the party.This episode was recorded on the 5th of June. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.

Rachel Reeves is announcing £15bn in spending for public transport outside London, saying the UK will not see a return to austerity. Do you accept this? And why have we been prevented from developing infrastructure in recent years? Lewis is joined by Sam Dumitriu, Head of Policy at Britain Remade, which campaigns to promote economic growth via infrastructure, for his thoughts.Also, police cuts will mean ‘some crimes must be ignored’, according to head of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Mark Rowley, who wrote to Sir Keir Starmer in light of the spending review. What do you think of this, and have you had recent experiences where the police haven't done their job? Lewis is joined by Stephen Roberts, Former Deputy Assistant Commissioner for the Met Police.And, Gaza aid points have closed for the day after Israel killed at least 27 Palestinians trying to access food from one yesterday. Lewis is joined by Amira Nimerawi, Senior Programmes specialist at the Palestinian Medical Relief Society and CEO of Health Workers 4 Palestine, to hear what this means on the ground.This episode was recorded on the 4th of June. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.

A major deal that hoped would save Thames Water has collapsed, with US private equity group KKR pulling out of negotiations that would have seen them inject £4 billion in fresh equity into the company. What is next for Thames Water - do you believe it will be successfully nationalised?And, a man who burned a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish consulate in London has been convicted. In a statement, the man said his conviction was "an assault on free speech”, with others in the public sphere echoing this sentiment, including Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch. Was this conviction fair? And can one hate a religion, but not its followers?This episode was recorded on the 3rd of June. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.

Today, Sir Keir Starmer has unveiled the government's new defence spending plans, stating that the UK military is moving to "war-fighting readiness", but he's being criticised for a lack of urgency in hitting the promised 3% spending increase. To help work out whether this is the case, Lewis is joined by Mike Martin, Liberal Democrat MP for Tunbridge Wells and a member of the Defence Select Committee and Natasha Clark, LBC's Political Editor.And, Reform UK has launched a new Elon Musk-style “Doge” unit to crack down on waste and inefficiency in English councils. The party has pledged to slash spending on diversity, equality and inclusion programmes - but their figures simply don‘t add up. Lewis speaks with Reform Chairman Zia Yusuf and asks the callers why Reform aren't scrutinised as heavily as other parties.This episode was recorded on the 2nd of June. Catch James O'Brien weekdays from 10 am on LBC.