Brendan O’Neill, chief political writer at Spiked Online, discusses another government U-turn with Julia - this time on the introduction of mandatory digital ID. 

Rights campaigners have long criticised digital ID as a dangerous infringement on British people’s right to privacy. 

Previously, Keir Starmer’s government argued it would help reduce migration. 

It was intended to prevent illegal migrants from working on the black market, but politicians and campaigners questioned whether the ID would act as a successful deterrent. And it was estimated to cost £1.8 billion over three years.

Also: Julia and Brendan discuss why Labour have U-turned on so many policies, the Jewish MP stopped from visiting a primary school visit by pro-Palestinian activists, the Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban for a Europa League game against Aston Villa, and why pro-Palestinian activists have been silent on anti-regime protests in Iran.

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On her Talk radio show Julia Hartley-Brewer talks to Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative Party leader.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith discusses calls for Keir Starmer's government to proscribe the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps - the group that maintains the theocratic regime - as a terrorist organisation.

He explains why he thinks it would support Iranian protestors. Protests against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's rule erupted after economic turmoil in the country, as Iran's currency plummeted to record lows.

Also: he discusses the Chinese super-embassy opposite the Tower of London that could be approved soon, and why he thinks it's a threat to British security. Earlier, reports emerged of plans for a 'secret room' at the mega embassy just metres from key communication cables carrying sensitive information.

Sir Iain responded to news that a Jewish MP was banned from visiting a primary school after pro-Palestine teachers and parents threatened to publicly protest his visit.

And he talks about the news that Nadhim Zahawi has defected to Reform UK - and whether he would ever to move across to Nigel Farage's party.

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Following the surprise defection of former Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi to Reform UK, Julia Hartley-Brewer speaks to Reform UK’s London Mayoral candidate, Laila Cunningham. 

In this interview, Julia asks about the most senior defection to Reform and whether her party is becoming the home of “washed-up” Tory politicians. 

Laila Cunningham describes Nigel Farage as a “true leader”, the likes of which we haven’t seen in years, and sets out a vision of her party and city:

Lawless London: As Met Chief Sir Mark Rowley claims that critics of the police in London were willing to “promote narratives that suit them”, Laila condemns the "gaslighting" of Londoners who don’t feel safe.

Faith & British Values: Laila explains why she doesn’t want to be known as a “Muslim mayor”, the difference between her and Sadiq Khan’s Islamic faith, and why British values should come first no matter who you are. 

Civil Service Mutiny: Laila warns that her party is ready to overcome “obstacles” - including civil servants that refuse to work with Reform.

X Ban: Laila explains why she views calls to ban Elon Musk’s X (and Grok AI) as an attempt to “control the narrative”, as Ofcom says they will investigate X over sexualised AI deepfakes being shared on the site. 

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

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

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A mother of three was shot dead during an ICE operation in Minneapolis, triggering furious backlash from Democrats who are now demanding the federal immigration agency leave the state. The woman has been named as Renee Nicole Good who had only recently moved to the Twin Cities with her partner.

Footage of the incident shows Good sitting inside her Honda Pilot as ICE agents attempt to detain her with officers surrounding the vehicle and orders her to get out. Moments later, as the car begins to move, one of the agents opens fire.

Speaking with Former Senior Military Intelligence Officer Philip Ingram, Talk's Julia Hartley-Brewer says: "This is not an act of self-defence!"

Meanwhile, people on fat loss jabs need ongoing support, researchers have said, after a major study found they put all the weight back on much faster than traditional dieters. Researchers from the University of Oxford discovered that people on drugs including semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) lose weight during treatment but, on average, regain it within 20 months of stopping the jabs.

Improvements to blood sugar levels, cholesterol and blood pressure are also lost when people stop the drugs, with patients ending up back where they were at the start of their diet journey.

Carl Heneghan highlighted that obesity in the UK has doubled since the 1990s, with one in three children now obese.

Julia Hartley-Brewer expresses fears that Keir Starmer's government will bring back rationing along with Digital IDs.

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British armed forces will be deployed on the ground in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia, Number 10 has said.

Speaking at a press conference in Paris alongside French president Emmanuel Macron and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said “military hubs” will be set up across Ukraine once a peace deal has been reached.

The joint press conference was followed by a statement from Number 10, which said: “The signing of the declaration paves the way for the legal framework to be established for French and UK forces to operate on Ukrainian soil, securing Ukraine’s skies and seas and building an armed forces fit for the future.

Speaking with Spiked Online's Brendan O'Neill and Former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, Talk's Julia Hartley-Brewer says: "Putin won't attack French and British troops!"

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The Government will look at reforming the licence fee and consider more commercial revenue options for the BBC in plans outlined in its royal charter review. It comes amid disruption at the BBC following resignations from top executives and a lawsuit from US president Donald Trump, who is seeking up to 10 billion US dollars (£7.5 billion) in damages in response to the editing of a speech he made before the 2021 attack on the Capitol that was featured in a Panorama episode. The charter sets out the BBC’s public purpose and is the constitutional basis for the corporation, which is predominately funded through the licence fee, paid by UK TV-watching households.

Meanwhile, the Health Secretary has apologised to patients as doctors began a five-day walkout in England in an ongoing row over jobs and pay. It comes as healthcare leaders warned the impact of the strike will be “felt all the way into January and beyond”. Wes Streeting said the Government did “everything we could” to avoid the strike, including holding 11th-hour talks with British Medical Association (BMA) officials on Tuesday.

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The US president has filed a lawsuit against the BBC and is seeking up to 10 billion dollars (£7.5 billion) in damages in response to the editing of a speech he made before the 2021 attack on the Capitol.

Donald Trump’s lawyers argue the depiction of him given in the edit, which aired in a Panorama documentary a week before the results of the 2024 US election, “was false and defamatory” and they also said “the BBC intentionally and maliciously sought to fully mislead its viewers around the world”.

In the Panorama programme, a clip from Mr Trump’s speech on January 6 2021 was spliced to show him saying: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol… and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.”

Speaking with Editor of Spiked Online's Tom Slater, Talk's Julia Hartley-Brewer says: “Everyone knows why they did it!"

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Julia Hartley-Brewer chats to Lord Young about Britain's Free Speech crisis as yet another Brit becomes the latest victim of Keir Starmer's two-tier nation. Today, it's Jamie Michael, who was initially charged with hate speech towards illegal migrants after posting a video on Facebook. Even though a jury took 17 minutes to find Jamie ‘not guilty’, local safeguarding authorities in Wales deemed him not to be allowed to work with kids. Jamie, a father of two, is no longer allowed to coach his daughter's local football team. Outraged by this decision, Julia is joined by Conservative Peer and Free Speech Union founder, Lord Young, as well as regular guest Sam Armstrong.

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