Julia Hartley-Brewer is joined by former Conservative government adviser Claire Pearsall for a wide-ranging discussion on the biggest political stories of the day.

In this episode, Julia and Claire debate:

• whether working families could end up subsidising another energy bailout
• the impact of the Iran crisis on oil prices, gas supplies and household bills
• warnings that the British Army is now too small to defend UK interests effectively
• concerns over Britain’s defence spending, recruitment and military readiness
• the latest on the Golders Green ambulance arson attack and the arrests made
• criticism of London Mayor Sadiq Khan for failing to visit the scene
• questions around social media restrictions and device limits for teenagers
• Wes Streeting’s latest NHS reform plans and falling public confidence in the health service
• anger over failures in handling a meningitis outbreak

A sharp, outspoken look at energy policy, national security, law and order, and the state of Britain’s public services.

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

Has Donald Trump been talking to Iran to end the war? Or are his announcements intended to calm the markets? 

Julia Hartley-Brewer discusses the confusion over Washington’s shifting messages, the threat to the Strait of Hormuz, and what a longer Iran conflict could mean for Britain’s safety, energy prices and economic stability.

With Keir Starmer refusing to give a clear timetable for lifting defence spending to 3%, Julia asks whether Britain is already dangerously exposed in a world growing more unstable by the day.

From the risk posed by Iran’s missile capability to questions over Diego Garcia and the UK-US alliance, this is a hard look at whether Britain is prepared for the threats it now faces.

Also in this episode: why soaring energy bills are the result of political choices, and not just global crises. Julia tears into the Net Zero consensus, green levies and Britain’s dependence on costly energy as Rachel Reeves prepares yet more “help” for households already squeezed to the limit.

Plus, why white working-class boys are still among the most failed groups in Britain, and why identity politics continues to block an honest conversation about class, culture and opportunity. 

And the growing anger over sky-high vet bills, as the Competition and Markets Authority takes aim at a sector dominated by a handful of giant firms.

Julia also speaks to Republican strategist Matt Terrill, former chief of staff to Marco Rubio, on Trump’s Iran strategy, the nuclear threat, and whether Starmer has weakened the special relationship.

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.

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Keir Starmer says the antisemitic arson attack on four Jewish ambulances in Golders Green is "deeply shocking".

Julia Hartley-Brewer asks the question many will be asking: do Britain’s leaders really think these violent, antisemitic acts come out of nowhere?

In this episode, Julia is joined live from the scene by Gideon Falter of the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, who explains how the Hatzalah emergency service is funded by the Jewish community, staffed by volunteers, and serves people of all faiths and backgrounds in North London. After ambulances were torched outside a synagogue, he warns that Britain has spent years tolerating intimidation, conspiracy theories and open hatred.

Julia also speaks to Lord Walney, former government adviser on political violence and extremism, who says this kind of attack is the predictable result of weakness, double standards and a refusal to confront antisemitism before it spirals into outright violence.

Also: Julia and Benedict Spence discuss the growing threat from Iran, Donald Trump’s ultimatum over the Strait of Hormuz, fears over soaring energy prices, and what an attempted missile strike on the Diego Garcia base says about Britain’s vulnerability in an increasingly dangerous world.

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.

A major political fault line has opened up in Britain over mass public prayer, integration, immigration and Labour’s growing fear of losing ground to both the Greens and Reform UK.

In this episode, Trevor Kavanagh, former political editor of The Sun, joins Talk to give his blunt verdict on the Trafalgar Square Muslim prayer event. Was it a harmless act of faith or a political show of strength in the heart of London? Trevor argues Britain’s leaders are too frightened to confront the rise of Islamist influence, while free speech is being steadily eroded by accusations of “Islamophobia” whenever anyone dares to speak out.

He also warns that Labour’s reliance on bloc votes, the growth of the Green Party, and the political establishment’s refusal to deal with illegal migration and cultural division are pushing Britain into dangerous territory.

Then Karl Turner, Labour MP for Hull East, joins the show for an interview on the crisis inside Keir Starmer’s party. He admits Labour is in serious trouble ahead of the local elections, warns the party could be heading for a catastrophic backlash, and says Starmer must urgently change direction or face a challenge. Turner also opens up on Angela Rayner’s role, Ed Miliband’s net zero agenda, North Sea oil and gas, jury trial reform, and whether Labour is drifting back towards Brussels.

Alex Phillips broadcasts on on Talk from Friday to Sunday, 10AM to 1PM.

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Labour is in fresh turmoil over immigration, as Angela Rayner attacks plans to make migrants wait longer for permanent settlement, and Downing Street refuses to say whether the reforms will survive.

Julia Hartley-Brewer is joined by Brendan O’Neill, chief political writer at spiked, for a furious takedown of Labour’s latest wobble on borders, benefits and British sovereignty. As ministers flirt with watering down Shabana Mahmood’s migration reforms, Brendan asks the question millions of voters are already asking: whose side is Labour actually on?

He slams the political class for treating basic border control as somehow “un-British”, and warns that both Labour and the establishment still refuse to grasp the scale of the Boris-era migration ‘betrayal’. With public trust shattered and working-class communities among the hardest hit by the impacts of mass migration, is this exactly why more voters are turning to Reform UK?

Also in this episode: Brendan reacts to the row over mass Islamic prayer in Trafalgar Square, the furious backlash against Nick Timothy, and the wider crisis of free speech when any criticism of Islam is instantly branded “racist” or “Islamophobic”.

And Julia speaks to Tony Smith, former head of the UK Border Force, on why Britain remains powerless to remove illegal migrants and foreign criminals. He explains how the European Convention on Human Rights, Article 8 “family life” claims and weak political leadership have turned deportation into a farce — even for offenders who should plainly be removed.

From small boats to soft-touch courts, this is a devastating look at why Britain still cannot defend its own borders.

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 Tom Slater, editor of spiked, for a fearless look at the stories Britain’s political class would rather avoid.

They begin with the growing backlash against assisted dying, after Scotland votes down plans to legalise it. Julia and Tom ask whether so-called safeguards ever really hold, and whether Britain is being pushed towards a moral and medical disaster seen elsewhere in the West.

Also in this episode: the Kent meningitis outbreak and the astonishingly slow response from public health officials, raising fresh questions about whether Britain’s bureaucracies have learned anything at all.

Then to leadership maneuvers in the Labour Party, as Angela Rayner warns Keir Starmer’s government is already running out of time. Is Labour collapsing under the weight of its own incompetence? And with voters losing faith in both main parties, is this exactly why more people are turning to Reform UK for answers?

Julia and Tom also tackle the escalating Iran conflict, Donald Trump’s attacks on Starmer, and the West’s growing inability to face down serious geopolitical threats.

And then the big row over mass Islamic prayer in Trafalgar Square. Is this harmless religious expression or a visible sign that Britain’s leaders are too weak to defend the country’s identity, public space and traditions?

Plus, former British diplomat Edmund Fitton-Brown joins Julia to warn that Islamist entryism inside the civil service, academia and the BBC is now impossible to ignore. He explains how fear of being labelled “Islamophobic” is silencing debate, distorting policy and leaving Britain dangerously exposed.

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.

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Julia Hartley-Brewer speaks to Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch about Donald Trump’s criticism of Keir Starmer, the importance of preserving the UK–US “special relationship”, and whether Britain should have taken a different stance on US operations and access to Diego Garcia.

Badenoch argues Labour has failed to plan ahead on defence, calls for greater North Sea oil and gas extraction, and attacks a potential fuel duty rise, while dismissing talk of “closer ties” with the EU as a slogan rather than a growth strategy.

Later, former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe OBE assesses escalating risks around the Strait of Hormuz, the operational impact of decades-long cuts, and why the UK’s mixed messaging means it is involved but not commanding events.

Also: a Gail’s Bakery row after a Guardian column called one bakery's location near a Palestinian-owned business as an "act of heavy-handed aggression". Discussion includes the extent of intimidation of Jewish-linked businesses and warnings about antisemitism in public life.

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 The Julia Hartley-Brewer Podcast, Julia and Benedict Spence examine Donald Trump’s threats towards NATO allies and the UK’s position on the Iran conflict. She asks whether Britain should deploy the navy to help protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and what the closure of one of the world’s most important shipping lanes means for oil prices, energy bills and the British cost of living. 

Plus: the £53m support package for families hit by soaring heating oil costs, pressure on Ed Miliband’s Net Zero policies, and the latest fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein revelations and questions around the vetting of Lord Mandelson.

Then, Julia is joined by Matt Goodwin, author of Suicide of a Nation: Immigration, Islam and Identity, for a conversation on mass immigration, integration vs multiculturalism, British identity, free speech, and the long-term political impact of demographic change. They discuss Britain’s approach to Islam and Islamist ideology - pertinent following the Al Quds protest in London supporting the hardline Islamic regime in Iran.

Matt Goodwin was the losing candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election, representing Reform UK. He blamed the Muslim vote for his loss to the Green Party candidate Hannah Spencer, who appealed to Muslims in the constituency using messaging in Urdu, praising diversity, and taking a staunchly pro-Gaza stance. 

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 Trevor Kavanagh to dissect the latest “Mandelson files” and what they suggest about the Prime Minister’s judgment, the ambassadorial appointment process, and whether Parliament was misled by Keir Starmer during his extended defence of his appointment and then sacking in September 2025.

They question the £75,000 pay-out given to Lord Peter Mandelson, which the government has defended by pointing out it is much lower than the £547,000 he requested.

The government were also worried about an expensive tribunal.

Then Labour peer Lord Foulkes pushes back in a combative exchange over integrity, accountability and the fallout from Mandelson’s departure — including the controversial £75,000 settlement.

Remarkably, Lord Foulkes struggles to answer whether he thinks Donald Trump is better than the Ayatollahs in Iran, and also seems to struggle to say if Donald Trump is better than Vladimir Putin.

Eventually he says Putin is more dangerous and Trump is better than the Ayatollahs.

Finally, defence analyst Philip Ingram responds to the arguments on Iran, UK involvement, basing and how diplomacy and force intersect in real-world conflict.

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 discuss the Home Secretary’s decision to ban the pro-Iran Al-Quds March — and whether restricting a march can ever be justified without trampling on free speech. Brendan argues the event has become a “hate march”, raises concerns about radical Islamism in Britain, and questions why groups who openly despise Western values are able to organise on UK streets.

They also examine the proposed new definition of “anti-Muslim hostility” and whether it risks becoming a blasphemy law by the back door, with a chilling effect on speech and criticism of religion. Plus: the controversial guidance issued to schools around religious sensitivities — and what it could mean for art, music, dance, and classroom freedoms.

Later, Labour MP for Hull East Karl Turner returns to explain the tactics behind efforts to stop Labour’s Criminal Justice Bill restricting jury trials for many offences. Julia and Karl debate the courts backlog, the impact on defendants’ rights, and whether removing jury trials would make any meaningful difference. They also discuss delays for victims (including rape and serious sexual offences), why Turner believes the government can be forced into changes, and whether the Treasury is driving policy more than justice.

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.