Three little girls — Bebe King, aged six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, aged seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, aged nine — are dead. Eight more children carry life-changing injuries. And a devastating Phase One inquiry report has confirmed what many of us already feared: this was a preventable catastrophe, ignored because of incompetent parenting, a failure to take responsibility, and squeamishness about AR’s race and autism. 

Julia Hartley-Brewer and Tom Slater of Spiked tear apart the Southport Inquiry's findings — a report so damning it indicts virtually every agency meant to protect us. Police who found Axel Rudakubana on a bus with a knife and simply took him home. Teachers silenced for daring to call him sinister, accused of racial stereotyping. Mental health workers too frightened to enter his home without police escort. And parents who knew about the ricin, the Al-Qaeda manual, and the machete — but said nothing.

This is the story of a country where woke cowardice has become more dangerous than the killers it refuses to confront. Where political correctness has cost lives — in Southport, in Nottingham, in Manchester. Where no single person is ever held responsible, because committees make decisions and individuals escape accountability.

Lord Walney, former government adviser on political violence and extremism, joins the debate — on whether Rudakubana's parents should face criminal prosecution under Section 38B of the Terrorism Act, on the chronic failure of the Prevent strategy, and on whether AI surveillance could be our last line of defence.

And with Lord Robertson warning that Britain's security is now "in peril," Julia addresses our country's calamitous defence strategy.

Julia Hartley-Brewer broadcasts on Talk from Monday to Thursday, 10AM to 1PM. 

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Chris Parry and Julia discuss the Southport Inquiry - which found major failings among government agencies who failed to take responsibility for Axel Rudacabana - despite warning signals that he was a threat. The report also blamed his parents for their failure to prevent Mr Rudacabana’s attack. 

Meanwhile, Keir Starmer is facing fury over plans critics say would tie Britain back to Brussels by the back door, with ministers seeking sweeping powers to align UK food and agriculture rules with future EU law without full parliamentary scrutiny. Julia Hartley-Brewer is joined by Conservative commentator Benedict Spence to ask whether Labour is quietly unpicking Brexit, and why voters are still being told that every economic woe, from stagnation to inflation, is somehow Brexit’s fault.

They also react to Reform UK’s latest intervention on immigration, as Nigel Farage lays out the claimed cost of the “Boris wave” of legal migration under Boris Johnson. With warnings that 1.6 million arrivals between 2021 and 2024 could leave British households facing a £20,000 bill through pressure on welfare, the NHS and infrastructure, Julia asks whether Westminster is finally being forced to confront the true cost of mass migration. The debate also turns to indefinite leave to remain, welfare for foreign nationals and what a serious border policy would actually look like.

Also: Rear Admiral Chris Parry joins Julia on the Iran crisis, Donald Trump’s bid to choke Tehran’s exports through the Strait of Hormuz, and the looming threat of an oil shock that could hammer family finances and send inflation soaring. Can the US force the Iranian regime to blink, or is the world drifting towards a much wider conflict?

And Julia reacts to growing backlash over the Chagos Islands as more questions are asked about Keir Starmer’s judgement on sovereignty, security and Britain’s shrinking military clout.

Julia Hartley-Brewer broadcasts on Talk from Monday to Thursday, 10AM to 1PM.

Available on YouTube and streaming platforms, along with DAB+ radio and your smart speaker.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the Iran ceasefire descends into confusion and fresh strikes raise fears of a wider regional war, Julia Hartley-Brewer asks the question many Britons will be thinking: why is Keir Starmer posing as a global statesman abroad when he cannot even control the English Channel at home?

Brendan O’Neill, Chief Political Writer at spiked, joins Julia to tear into the misinformation surrounding Israel, Hezbollah and the wider Middle East crisis. He argues that much of the media coverage deliberately ignores the scale of the missile threat Israel has faced, slams those in Britain who excuse or glorify Hezbollah, and warns that anti-Israel activism on the streets has exposed a deeply worrying moral collapse on the Left.

He also lays into Starmer’s Gulf trip, saying it is laughable for a Prime Minister who has failed to stop the small boats to pretend he can help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Julia and Brendan also discuss Britain’s vulnerability to rising oil, gas and fuel prices, and why decades of net zero dogma and political cowardice have left the country dangerously weak, over-dependent and exposed to global shocks.

Also: retired Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, former commander of the US Army in Europe, gives Julia his blunt assessment of the so-called ceasefire, Donald Trump’s bombastic rhetoric, and whether America has really stepped back from the brink.

And: Ben explains why mixed messages from Washington are fuelling instability, why NATO has been damaged but not broken, and why Britain and its allies must get tougher on Russian aggression, shadow fleet tankers and Moscow’s testing of Western resolve.

Julia Hartley-Brewer broadcasts on Talk from Monday to Thursday, 10AM to 1PM.

Available on YouTube and streaming platforms, along with DAB+ radio and your smart speaker.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump has declared a “big day for world peace” after brokering a two-week ceasefire with Iran — but has the world really stepped back from the brink, or has Tehran emerged stronger than ever? Julia Hartley-Brewer unpicks the fallout from six weeks of conflict, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the growing fear that the West has once again failed to finish what it started.

With Iran reportedly demanding sanctions relief, compensation and control over key shipping routes, Julia asks whether this was a decisive act of strength, or a humiliating climbdown dressed up as victory? As oil prices, global markets and the cost of living hang in the balance, she examines what this means for Britain, for Israel and for the wider West.

Also: Keir Starmer heads to the Gulf claiming Britain can help secure peace, despite the UK looking increasingly irrelevant on the world stage. The embarrassment deepens with fresh scrutiny of Britain’s military decline after HMS Dragon, sent to protect British interests, suffered technical problems and had to turn back.

Julia is joined by Claire Pearsall and Jake Wallis Simons to debate whether Iran has been destroyed or emboldened, why Britain is no longer taken seriously in global defence, and whether Western leaders still understand what it means to confront an enemy.

Plus: why was Kanye West granted a visa in the first place before being barred from the UK over anti-Semitism concerns? And should doctors be banned from striking, just like the police, prison officers and armed forces?

Julia Hartley-Brewer broadcasts on Talk from Monday to Thursday, 10AM to 1PM.

Available on YouTube and streaming platforms, along with DAB+ radio and your smart speaker.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former Health Secretary Stephen Dorrell joins Julia Hartley-Brewer for his verdict on the latest junior doctors’ strike — and why Wes Streeting must not give in again.

After last year’s 29% pay deal, the BMA is now demanding another 26%, with strike action already costing the NHS an estimated £3 billion since 2023.

Dorrell warns that every Health Secretary eventually learns the same lesson about the BMA, and says ministers must stand firm on what is rational, affordable and fair. Julia also takes aim at the absurdity of using 2008 as the benchmark for “full pay restoration”, arguing public service pay contributed to the unsustainable economic environment that contributed to the 2008 financial crash.

Also: Tom Slater joins Julia to take on a wider story of national decline — from a student loan system that traps young people in spiralling debt, to a university conveyor belt producing too many costly degrees and too few British-trained doctors. Why are bright young people being locked out of medical school while the political class pretends immigration is the only answer?

And then there’s the collapse of law and order. Julia reacts to the case of a Waitrose worker sacked for confronting a shoplifter, and asks why decent employees are punished while thieves are effectively given free rein.

Plus: should Kanye West be banned from performing at Wireless after his antisemitic outbursts, or is Britain once again applying totally inconsistent rules depending on who says what?

And finally, a rare note of optimism as Julia and Tom celebrate the Artemis 2 mission and the spirit of exploration that still lifts humanity above the daily grind of broken Britain.

Julia Hartley-Brewer broadcasts on Talk from Monday to Thursday, 10AM to 1PM.

Available on YouTube and streaming platforms, along with DAB+ radio and your smart speaker.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julia Hartley-Brewer is joined by Brendan O’Neill, Chief Political Writer at Spiked, to react to Trump’s latest Iran address to the nation, a row over Nato after he threatened to leave it, and the claim from much of the Left that this is an “unprovoked war”.

They argue that Iran’s regime has already destabilised the region, that Britain cannot pretend the crisis has nothing to do with us, and that UK households will feel the pain through rising oil prices, market shocks and higher bills.

They also take aim at Starmer’s instinct to answer every crisis with warmer ties to Brussels, asking whether Labour is using global instability to push Britain back towards the EU by the back door.

And as Rachel Reeves reportedly rethinks North Sea drilling, Julia and Brendan expose how Net Zero dogma has left Britain dangerously vulnerable, less energy secure and more exposed to global shocks.

Also: fury over an ITV drama about Elizabeth I reportedly seeking a trans actor for the lead role, sparking a row about woke revisionism, women’s erasure and the rewriting of British history.

And after two nights of chaos in Clapham, they ask how Sadiq Khan can still claim London is safe.

From weak policing and disappearing discipline to absent fathers, failing schools and a justice system too timid to punish bad behaviour, Julia and Brendan debate what is driving Britain’s growing sense of disorder.

Julia Hartley-Brewer broadcasts on Talk from Monday to Thursday, 10AM to 1PM.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keir Starmer says Britain is “ahead of the game” on the cost of living — while families face rising fuel, energy, rent and tax bills.

In this episode, Julia Hartley-Brewer dissects the Prime Minister’s latest press conference, his vague five-point plan, and Labour’s failure to explain how ordinary working people are meant to cope with the economic shock caused by the Iran conflict and threats to the Strait of Hormuz.

As Donald Trump sends mixed messages on oil, NATO and America’s role in the region, Julia asks the key question: is Starmer showing strength, or simply drift?

Julia is joined by Claire Pearsall to discuss soaring household costs, Ed Miliband’s energy promises, tax on fuel, and why so much of Labour’s “help” seems designed for Westminster talking points rather than real life in Britain.

And former detective and Rochdale whistleblower Maggie Oliver gives her verdict on the long-awaited grooming gangs inquiry. She warns that survivors are still being failed, accountability is still missing, and the authorities responsible for years of cover-ups may once again escape justice. If this inquiry does not lead to prosecutions, reform and the truth about ethnicity, culture and institutional failure, what exactly is the point?

Also: Julia reacts to the BBC’s handling of serious allegations surrounding star presenter Scott Mills, questions elite double standards after Tiger Woods’ latest car crash scandal, and dismisses the anti-space hysteria around Artemis II and the mission to the moon.

Julia Hartley-Brewer broadcasts on Talk from Monday to Thursday, 10AM to 1PM.

Available on YouTube and streaming platforms, along with DAB+ radio and your smart speaker.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keir Starmer is under pressure over the long-delayed national grooming gangs inquiry, after years of dismissing calls for a full investigation as “far right”. Now, with Baroness Anne Longfield’s terms of reference finally published, serious questions remain over whether the inquiry will truly uncover the full scale of one of Britain’s darkest scandals.

In this episode, Julia Hartley-Brewer speaks to former Sun political editor Trevor Kavanagh and Rotherham grooming gang survivor and campaigner Sammy Woodhouse, who gives a harrowing first-hand account of the abuse she suffered, the institutional failures that let it happen, and the political class’s refusal to face the truth.

Sammy warns that the scandal is not confined to a handful of northern towns, but is happening across the UK, with children still being failed by police, councils, social workers and politicians. She and Trevor both argue that unless the inquiry squarely addresses the role of ethnicity, culture and religion — and the fear of being called racist or Islamophobic — it will fail victims yet again.

Julia also tackles the wider establishment crisis: from Labour’s handling of NHS strike threats to the continuing failure to scrap non-crime hate incidents and rein in Britain’s “thought police”.

Julia Hartley-Brewer broadcasts on Talk from Monday to Thursday, 10AM to 1PM.

Available on YouTube and streaming platforms, along with DAB+ radio and your smart speaker.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As oil and gas prices jump following the Iran crisis, Julia Hartley-Brewer why it feels like Labour is rewarding dependents while punishing the people who get up early, go to work and pay the bills. 

Sir Iain Duncan Smith joins Julia to tear into the row over MPs receiving a £3,300 ‘cost-of-living payment’, a 6.2% increase in benefits and the scrapping of the two-child benefit cap.

He argues ministers could give immediate relief by cutting fuel duty and energy taxes, and says Britain is mad to sit on North Sea oil and gas while importing more expensive energy from abroad. IDS also takes aim at Ed Miliband’s net zero agenda, calls out the “medicalising” of anxiety and depression, and warns the welfare bill is spiralling as more adults and children are classed as disabled. He also backs a ban on first-cousin marriage, saying the health risks are too serious to ignore.

Then Baroness Kate Hoey says Labour is losing touch with the strivers who keep the country going. With pump prices rising, fears of fuel rationing growing and family budgets already stretched, she says ministers are making life harder for workers while chasing green fantasies. Hoey also warns that Keir Starmer’s EU reset is a Brexit betrayal in slow motion, with the proposed youth mobility scheme amounting to free movement by the back door.

Also: Hoey questions the unanswered issues surrounding Morgan McSweeney’s missing phone, says Starmer’s judgement over Peter Mandelson raises serious concerns, and argues Red Wall voters will not forgive a government that hikes costs, weakens borders and edges Britain back towards Brussels.

Julia Hartley-Brewer broadcasts on Talk from Monday to Thursday, 10AM to 1PM. 

Available on YouTube and streaming platforms, along with DAB+ radio and your smart speaker.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s show with Alex Phillips: the extraordinary row over Morgan McSweeney’s allegedly stolen phone, the missing messages linked to Peter Mandelson, and the growing suspicion that Labour’s version of events simply does not stack up. 

Former Conservative adviser James Price joins Alex to ask: why were conflicting details reportedly given to police, why was such a sensitive device seemingly treated so casually, and why does every new Labour scandal come wrapped in yet another convenient explanation?

Also: fury over reports that Sir Sadiq Khan could be heading to the House of Lords. 

After years of criticism over knife crime, policing, transport and London’s wider decline, Alex asks whether a peerage would be a reward for failure, or a tactical move to shore up support in a fracturing Labour party. 

With politics shifting to populist parties and Labour facing pressure on multiple fronts, can the government do anything to prevent voters flocking to other parties?

And former Sun political editor Trevor Cavanagh joins the show for a hard-hitting discussion on illegal migration, small boats, border control and the public anger over crimes committed by people who should never have been allowed into the country in the first place. 

They discuss why Britain still seems unable — or unwilling — to defend its borders, protect its streets and tell the truth about the consequences. 

Julia Hartley-Brewer broadcasts on Talk from Monday to Thursday, 10AM to 1PM.

Available on YouTube and streaming platforms, along with DAB+ radio and your smart speaker.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.