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
83episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Has Andy Burnham just put the nail in Starmer's coffin?
6d ago01:02:36Tap to summarizeJames reacts to the political shockwaves from Makerfield, where Andy Burnham’s victory piles huge pressure on Keir Starmer and raises the question that now feels unavoidable: should he fight on, or step aside?This episode was recorded on the 19th 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 →It’s the World Cup… cue the racist abuse
1w ago00:59:09Tap to summarizeFollowing the England men’s squad triumphant defeat of Croatia in their first game of the World Cup, James discusses that fact that, win or lose, it's inevitable that our black players will have to deal with racism both on, and off thew pitch.So damaging is the online racism that our players receive, England manager Thomas Tuchel has said it’d be better for players to stay off social media entirely… while FIFA has revealed strengthened protections against abuse.Whether they deliver their bigotry via social media or in real life - what do these racists get out of it?This episode was recorded on the 18th 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 →Should Keir Starmer go?
1w ago01:03:04Tap to summarizeJames asks if Starmer is really failing, or whether a culture of online conspiracy, media distortion and political chaos is shaping how the country sees him. Do you want to see a leadership challenge?Then, James turns to the future king’s education, and what Eton represents in modern Britain: privilege, power, tradition, and the enduring grip of class.This episode was recorded on the 17th 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 →Starmer's arsonist "rent boys": The conspiracy
1w ago01:02:14Tap to summarizeJames examines the widespread conspiracy theory - spread by Russia - that the firebombing of a house owned by Sir Keir Starmer was carried out by disgruntled "rent-boys" that he had failed to pay. Why are so many of us willing to believe obvious nonsense?Then, James turns to the heartbreaking case of baby Preston Davey, exploring whether repeated warning signs were missed by professionals - or whether this is the awful reality of overstretched services trying to spot evil in plain sight.This episode was recorded on the 16th 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 →Starmer's social media ban
1w ago00:59:58Tap to summarizeJames welcomes Keir Starmer’s plan to ban under-16s from social media, calling it one of the boldest and most important decisions of his premiership. As James reflects on the damage these platforms can do - from addiction and anxiety to self-harm content and relentless bullying - callers share their own experiences of trying to protect children from an online world designed to keep them hooked.This episode was recorded on the 15th 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 →If Russia might bring war to the UK, why aren't we more scared?
2w ago00:59:24Tap to summarizeIf Britain really faces a growing military threat, why has no one made the case clearly enough to the public?After the resignations of two defence ministers heap fresh pressure on Keir Starmer, James opens up a bigger, more serious conversation about national security, cyber warfare, Russia, NATO and whether the UK is truly prepared for what may be coming. If the danger is real, what exactly should more defence spending pay for?This episode was recorded on the 12th 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 →Why are we not more excited about the World Cup?
2w ago00:48:23Tap to summarizeJames opens the phones on the biggest event in world sport and asks two deceptively simple questions: why aren’t more of us excited, and why aren’t more fans going? From eye-watering prices and tournament overload to FIFA, Donald Trump and the politics surrounding this year’s competition, callers explain why even lifelong football lovers are struggling to feel the usual magic.This episode was recorded on the 11th 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 →Why does Elon Musk want racist violence on Britain’s streets?
2w ago00:53:51Tap to summarizeJames confronts the horror of anti-immigrant violence on UK streets after homes are attacked in Belfast, asking how crimes committed by individuals are being twisted into collective punishment against entire communities. He also turns to the role of Elon Musk, social media and far-right agitators in stoking hatred — and asks why this is being allowed to happen in plain sight.This episode was recorded on the 10th 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 →Is University still worth it?
2w ago00:49:54Tap to summarizeJames asks a deeply uncomfortable question: is university still worth it? For generations, higher education was sold as the great route to opportunity, independence and a better life - but with soaring fees, huge debt and shrinking returns, James wonders whether that promise still holds true, or whether it now belongs to a different era.This episode was recorded on the 9th 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 →Will tech giants ever protect kids from social media?
2w ago00:57:02Tap to summarizeJames asks why politicians, including Keir Starmer, still seem so timid in tackling the harm social media can do to children. With callers from the tech world weighing in, he explores whether the safeguards already exist and why the biggest platforms so often fail to act. Later, he analyses an extraordinary interview between NBC's Kristen Welker and Donald Trump, which the president ended abruptly after branding Welker, NBC and the 2020 election as "crooked".This episode was recorded on the 8th 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.
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