Podcast
James O'Brien Daily
Hosted by Global · EN
Welcome to the best bits of James O'Brien's LBC phone-in show.
Listen back to all the highlights in a 60-minute bite sized chunk of his show with new episodes every weekday.
James covers all the big stories which will make you think - and possibly change your outlook.
James O'Brien Daily is a Global Production
For advertising opportunities on this podcast email: dax@global.com
98episodes
Episodes
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Will Andy Burnham succeed where Keir Starmer failed?
1w ago00:46:30Tap to summarizeIndependent MP Karl Turner guest presents James O’Brien Daily as he asks whether Andy Burnham would make a better Prime Minister than Keir Starmer.Callers weigh in on Burnham’s communication style, Labour’s direction after Starmer, the pressures of modern media scrutiny, and whether a more devolved, regionally driven model of government could reconnect Westminster with the rest of the country.(James is back on Monday!)This episode was recorded on the 10th of July. James O'Brien Daily is a Global production, available every week day on Global Player, or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.
Transcribe →Robert Jenrick defends Farage's $5M "gift" and the Clacton by-election
1w ago00:45:34Tap to summarizeRobert Jenrick guest hosts the James O’Brien Daily podcast as Nigel Farage’s shock decision to quit as MP for Clacton and trigger a by-election dominates the national conversation.Is this a bold democratic move that puts the question back to voters — or a political stunt designed to dodge scrutiny? Robert hears from callers on both sides as they clash over accountability, the parliamentary standards process, media coverage, and whether Farage is being targeted by the establishment or simply refusing to face the facts.This week's guest hosts:Friday: Independent MP Karl TurnerThis episode was recorded on the 8th of July. James O'Brien Daily is a Global production, available every week day on Global Player, or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.
Transcribe →Jess Phillips takes on Nigel Farage
1w ago00:46:17Tap to summarizeJess Phillips guest hosts the James O’Brien Daily podcast and doesn’t hold back.With Nigel Farage triggering a by-election in Clacton rather than facing parliamentary scrutiny over questions about his finances, Jess asks whether this is political genius, political cowardice, or just a desperate grab for attention. As callers weigh in, the conversation turns to standards in public life, accountability, and whether Farage is playing the public for fools.This week's guest hosts:Thursday: Reform UK Treasury Spokesperson Robert JenrickFriday: Independent MP Karl TurnerThis episode was recorded on the 8th of July. James O'Brien Daily is a Global production, available every week day on Global Player, or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.
Transcribe →Wes Streeting on the NHS Crisis
1w ago00:49:20Tap to summarizeFormer Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting guest hosts the James O’Brien Daily podcast and takes on one of the biggest rows in public life: should NHS consultants be demanding more pay right now?Drawing on his time in government, Wes reflects on the strikes threat, the pressures facing the NHS, and the difficult balance between valuing doctors properly and protecting the wider health service. Along the way, callers share powerful personal experiences of care, waste, staffing shortages, disability support, student debt, and what it really feels like trying to build a life in Britain today.This week's guest hosts:Wednesday: Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley Jess PhillipsThursday: Reform UK Treasury Spokesperson Robert JenrickFriday: Independent MP Karl TurnerThis episode was recorded on the 7th of July. James O'Brien Daily is a Global production, available every week day on Global Player, or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.
Transcribe →Angela Rayner takes on Farage — and asks what Britain must fix
2w ago00:47:05Tap to summarizeAngela Rayner guest hosts the James O’Brien Daily podcast and brings a mix of optimism, anger and straight-talking politics.After England’s World Cup victory over Mexico lifted the mood, Angela asks what needs to change in Britain to make life feel fairer and more hopeful - from flexible working and better jobs to stronger public services and more opportunity for young people. She also takes on Nigel Farage over fresh questions about money, donations and transparency, and later turns to the care system to hear from those living and working through its daily pressures.This week's guest hosts:Tuesday: Former Health and Social Care Secretary Wes StreetingWednesday: Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley Jess PhillipsThursday: Reform UK Treasury Spokesperson Robert JenrickFriday: Independent MP Karl TurnerThis episode was recorded on the 4th of July. James O'Brien Daily is a Global production, available every week day on Global Player, or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.
Transcribe →Can Andy Burnham really change British politics?
2w ago00:47:59Tap to summarizeFor his final turn in James' chair for now, Lewis Goodall asks whether Andy Burnham’s promised “circuit breaker” in British politics could really change anything at all.After Burnham sets out his ambition to do politics differently - less point scoring, more problem solving, more power outside Westminster - Lewis and callers explore what people most dislike about the way British politics works now: the adversarial culture, the whipping system, the media-politics machine, and the grip of Whitehall. But even if everyone agrees the system is broken, can it actually be fixed from within?This episode was recorded on the 3rd of July. James O'Brien Daily is a Global production, available every week day on Global Player, or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.
Transcribe →Why aren't Brits having kids?
2w ago00:43:43Tap to summarizeLewis Goodall sits in for James O’Brien and takes on a quiet but profound crisis: Britain’s birth rate has fallen so far that deaths are now outnumbering births for the first time.What does that mean for the future of the country, the economy, and the welfare state? And why are so many people choosing not to have children - or finding that they simply can’t afford to? From childcare costs and housing to careers, relationships and changing expectations, callers share the personal realities behind a huge national shift.This episode was recorded on the 2nd of July. James O'Brien Daily is a Global production, available every week day on Global Player, or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.
Transcribe →Nigel Farage’s money problem
2w ago00:49:13Tap to summarizeLewis Goodall sits in for James and asks a blunt question about Nigel Farage: if you want to be Prime Minister, how much outside money is too much?With fresh questions over Farage’s earnings from a gold bullion company, on top of the already controversial £5 million gift from a crypto billionaire, Lewis explores whether Reform’s leader is starting to look less like an anti-establishment insurgent and more like a politician with too many financial interests to explain away. As callers weigh in, the debate turns to trust, standards in public life, and whether British politics is becoming numb to conflicts of interest that would once have ended careers.This episode was recorded on the 1st of July. James O'Brien Daily is a Global production, available every week day on Global Player, or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.
Transcribe →Is Britain now ready for war?
2w ago00:51:48Tap to summarizeLewis Goodall sits in for James O’Brien and takes on one of the biggest questions facing the country: are we spending enough on defence in a far more dangerous world?As Keir Starmer unveils his final defence investment plan in what feels like one of the last big acts of his premiership, Lewis asks whether Britain is genuinely prepared for the threats ahead - from Russia and the High North to cyber warfare and a less reliable America. With ministers promising more money for drones and deterrence, but critics warning it still falls short, the debate turns to what the UK can actually do, what it can’t, and whether politicians are being honest enough about the risks.This episode was recorded on the 30th of June. James O'Brien Daily is a Global production, available every week day on Global Player, or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.
Transcribe →Can Andy Burnham really "rewire" Britain?
3w ago00:53:37Tap to summarizeLewis Goodall sits in for James O’Brien and reacts to Andy Burnham’s first major speech as Prime Minister-in-waiting.Broadcast from Manchester, Burnham sets out an ambitious vision for a “rewired Britain” - with a new Number 10 North, a huge shift of power away from Whitehall, major council house building, industrial strategy, and a promise to spread “good growth in every postcode and hope in every heart”. Lewis and callers ask the big question: is this the bold reset Britain has been waiting for, or a hopeful speech without the money to match?This episode was recorded on the 29th of June. James O'Brien Daily is a Global production, available every week day on Global Player, or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.
Transcribe →