The Julia Hartley-Brewer Show

Nicola Sturgeon's estranged husband Peter Murrell has pleaded guilty to embezzling £400,000 from SNP party funds. That money was used for four coffee machines worth £9,000, £2,000 on salt and pepper shakers, an £80,000 Jaguar, and a motorhome parked on his mother's driveway. Sturgeon claims she knew absolutely nothing about where the money came from. Julia Hartley-Brewer is joined by Tom Slater, editor of Spiked, to unpick whether that defence is credible. Julia is unconvinced. For a couple who travelled to work together, jointly led the SNP for years, and were legally responsible for signing off the party accounts, the "I saw nothing" response needs to be fully investigated. Also: two teenage boys convicted of rape are spared custodial sentence, despite overwhelming evidence — including footage they filmed themselves. During sentencing, the judge said he wanted to avoid unnecessarily criminalising them. The Attorney General Lord Hermer has now referred the case to the Court of Appeal, but as Julia and Tom argue, the real problem lies deeper, within the sentencing guidelines themselves, which appear to treat youth, low IQ, and ADHD as excuses. And with the Makerfield by-election looming, polling expert Sir John Curtice, Professor of Politics at the University of Strathclyde, joins Julia to break down why this is no ordinary by-election. With Andy Burnham's personal vote, a resurgent Reform UK, and Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain potentially splitting the right-wing vote, the result is likely to pave the way to a new Prime Minister. 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.

The Office for National Statistics has released the migration figures for the last quarter — and whilst the government is celebrating, Julia Hartley-Brewer isn't buying it. She's joined by Reform UK Councillor and Deputy Leader of Durham County Council Darren Grimes, who forcefully argues that nobody voted for the rampant levels of migration over the past decades. From David Cameron's broken promise of reducing it to tens of thousands, to Boris Johnson's staggering 944,000 net arrivals, the British public have been consistently lied to — and are now footing the bill in housing, healthcare, schools, and council translation contracts running into the tens of thousands. Former Head of UK Border Force Tony Smith then joins to drill down into the raw data. Net migration is down to 171,000 — but 88,000 new asylum claims, a 3% boat removal rate, and nearly a fifth of the UK population now foreign-born tells a very different story. Also: Julia discusses the viral clip of Rachel Reeves getting heckled at a Leeds petrol station… and her questioning the British-ness of her heckler. Plus, the Reform candidate for the Makerfield by-election faces media scrutiny over deleted tweets. 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.

Scrutiny of Andy Burnham, Labour’s candidate for Makerfield, continues. As the Labour party wrangles over who should be leader, Andy Burnham is hoping a successful campaign in Makerfield will prove to party and country that he can beat Reform and turn a hitherto spectacularly unpopular government around. But after his U-turn on Brexit, now his commitment to trans ideology is coming under fire… as his previous comments suggesting that trans-identified men should have access to women-only spaces emerged. Meanwhile, Rachel Reeves has reportedly been discussing voluntary price caps with supermarkets – to keep the prices of essential goods down. Immediately, a furious reaction from retail groups ensued. Karl Turner MP calls it ‘nearly the barmiest idea I’ve ever heard’. 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.

All eyes are on the Makerfield by-election, where Andy Burnham is hoping he can scrape through a tight race, beat Reform and become Labour leader… and then the PM. His hopes are coming under strain as the media, and his political rivals, train their eyes on him. Both Wes Streeting and Keir Starmer said over the weekend they would want to (eventually) look at re-joining the EU. That places Burnham in a bind – Labour members are generally pro-EU, while around 60% of Makerfield constituents voted for Brexit. Lo and behold, following Streeting and Starmers’ statements, Burnham U-turned on a previous pledge to re-join the EU. His critics say this is true to form, pointing to previous ideological flexibility for political expediency. In reaction to these U-turns, Lord Hannan expresses dismay with politicians who renege on their promise that the 2016 Brexit referendum would be a ‘once in a generation’ vote – explaining that Brexit was a problem with execution, not ideas. He also argues that any deal to return us to the EU would inevitably lead to the EU imposing punishing demands on the UK, including losing the pound. And Lord Foulkes trots out the Starmerite line… arguing that the PM's downfall is the fault of the media, run by ‘multi-millionaires who live abroad’, rather than personal failure. 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 (currently!) vowing to lead Britain through its current crisis — but are his supporters falling away? James Lyons, Starmer's former Director of Communications at Number 10, joins Julia to dissect the Prime Minister's extraordinary resilience — or delusion, depending on who you ask. With U-turns piling up, MPs briefing against him, and a leadership circus consuming Westminster, Lyons gives an insider's view of the man at the centre of it all. Then it's the by-election that has been branded the ‘most significant in 50 years’. Andy Burnham is heading to Makerfield — a seat that voted 65% for Brexit, where Reform swept the recent local elections. Is this a bold political gamble to prove he can beat Reform UK… or a catastrophic miscalculation? And did Wes Streeting's comments about wanting to rejoin the EU deliberately torpedo Burnham's chances before he's even on the ballot? Richard Tice, Deputy Leader of Reform UK, makes the case that his party are throwing everything at Makerfield — and explains why he thinks the Tories are simply irrelevant. He also faces tough questions on Nigel Farage's undisclosed £5 million gift from crypto billionaire Christopher Harbour, the Standards Commissioner investigation, and whether Reform can actually govern if civil servants go on strike. Plus: TikTok censors a Reform immigration video using the Online Safety Act — and Julia asks whether Nadine Dorries has repented for helping create it. 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 defying his own party, the public, and political gravity. But is he going anywhere? After a humiliating set of local, Welsh, and Scottish election results, the knives are out in the Parliamentary Labour Party. Yet the would-be challengers — Wes Streeting, Angela Rayner, Andy Burnham, Ed Miliband — can't seem to land a blow. Spiked Online's Brendan O'Neill joins Julia to break down why this isn't just a Starmer problem… it's a problem with the entire political class. Then, as King Charles delivers the King's Speech, the verdict is damning: recycled announcements, no serious plan for the economy, nothing on immigration, doubling down on net zero, and dragging the country back towards the EU. Robert Colvile, Director of the Centre for Policy Studies and Sunday Times columnist, digs into the numbers: Britain is borrowing over £100 billion a year, welfare spending now exceeds income tax receipts, and the bond markets don't care who leads the Labour Party… despite some MPs saying that the bond markets will have to ‘fall in line’. The brutal truth? Whoever takes over from Starmer inherits the same in-tray: wars in Ukraine and Iran, an energy crisis, a ballooning welfare bill, an ageing population, and a public that refuses to hear difficult choices. As Colvile puts it: you can change the Prime Minister, but you can't change the bond markets. 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.

Can Keir Starmer survive the increasing assault on his leadership? In a dramatic, fast-paced day of political turmoil, cabinet ministers including Yvette Cooper, Shabana Mahmood and John Healey are reported to have told the Prime Minister he must set out a timetable to leave. Meanwhile, more and more MPs and even ministers have publicly called for him to go. Yet Starmer is digging in, daring his enemies to trigger a full leadership contest. Mail on Sunday commentator Dan Hodges breaks down Labour’s meltdown after a disastrous set of local election results. With nearly 100 MPs publicly calling for Starmer to go, Hodges explains why the Prime Minister's defiant stand is a surprisingly clever political manoeuvre… but ultimately a losing battle. Wes Streeting must move now. Andy Burnham remains the northern king-over-the-water. And Angela Rayner’s tax affairs are proving far more toxic on the doorstep than she would like. Then, Labour MP for North Durham Luke Akehurst mounts a staunch and unusually honest defence of the Prime Minister — pushing back hard on Julia's challenge that Starmer has delivered nothing of substance. From the Workers' Rights Act to the Renters' Rights Act, Akehurst makes the case for loyalty, stability and giving the government time to deliver. With the King's Speech tomorrow, more resignations expected, and the bond markets wobbling, the clock is ticking for Number 10. 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 examines Keir Starmer’s chances of staying as prime minister. After Labour lost over 1500 councillors in local elections on Thursday, the floodgates have opened: over 50 MPs have demanded Keir Starmer resign. They want a leadership contest - with Angela Rayner, Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting all listed as potential candidates. To garner any remaining support, the PM made a speech this morning, wherein he vowed to nationalise British steel, bring the UK to the ‘heart of Europe’, and a youth experience scheme with the EU. He also took responsibility for the local election results. But it wasn’t enough to stem the calls for him to go. Catherine West MP, a relatively unknown backbencher who caused panic over the weekend by saying she would challenge Keir Starmer if nobody in the cabinet did by this morning, decided the speech wasn’t enough to stop her from asking MPs to support a timeline for Sir Keir to leave. She did row back on her leadership challenge threat though. With her guests, Julia reacts to the speech. She debates Lord Foulkes, Labour peer, on whether Keir Starmer is right for the job. She asks Richard Tice MP about a £5m donation he didn’t declare, and a Reform councillor saying ‘Nigerians should be melted down to fill in potholes’. Then, Karl Turner diagnoses what’s wrong with the Labour party, and backs Angela Rayner as the next Labour leader. 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 and Claire Pearsall discuss the news that Australia is preparing to receive - and arrest - ISIS linked families. With Chris Phillips, former counter terror officer, she questions the repatriation of “walking time bombs” who may have committed serious crimes following Islamist radicalisation. The conversation shifts to the latest health panic: the Hantavirus. As British passengers self-isolate following a cruise, Julia asks whether we are witnessing another bout of state-sponsored scaremongering. Professor Carl Heneghan joins to provide a dose of reality on the actual risks of human-to-human transmission. Finally, Julia unleashes on the "immorality" of Britain’s welfare system. With news that 1.5 million migrants are claiming Universal Credit, Julia and Claire debate the collapse of the social contract, as civil servants "swing the lead" at home and Britain deals with the culture of a lack of shame in living off the taxpayer. 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.

Zack Polanski’s Green Party surge comes under fierce scrutiny as Julia Hartley-Brewer asks whether the bubble has finally burst amid allegations of antisemitism, radical policies and growing questions over the party leader’s past claims. Former Senior Military Intelligence Officer Philip Ingram MBE joins Julia to examine the Greens’ controversial platform — from wealth taxes and net zero targets to leaving NATO, scrapping Trident and legalising drugs — and whether protest voters are now seeing what lies beneath the party’s “nice” image. As local elections loom, the pressure on Keir Starmer intensifies. With Labour facing potentially disastrous results in Wales, Scotland, London and the Red Wall, Julia and Philip discuss whether the Prime Minister could soon face rebellion from his own MPs, a major reshuffle, or even a leadership challenge. Rachel Reeves’ future also comes under the spotlight as UK borrowing costs rise and the markets react nervously to Labour’s economic direction. Then, Julia turns to the escalating Iran crisis. Donald Trump’s shifting position on escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, fears of military escalation, and the West’s ability — or inability — to confront hostile regimes are all on the table. Also on the podcast, Spiked Online’s Brendan O’Neill delivers a blistering assessment of Zack Polanski, the Green Party, antisemitism allegations and what the rise of radical protest politics says about Britain today. He also weighs in on Labour’s collapse in its traditional heartlands and whether anyone — from Andy Burnham to Angela Rayner, Wes Streeting or Ed Miliband — can rescue the party from freefall. 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 faces mounting pressure on borders, crime and national security as small boat arrivals over the Channel head towards 200,000 since the crisis began. Only a fraction have been removed from Britain. Julia Hartley-Brewer is joined by Spiked Online editor Tom Slater to take on the biggest stories shaking Westminster: alleged Iranian attempts to destabilise Britain, rising antisemitism on UK streets, the failure to proscribe the IRGC, and growing anger over “two-tier policing” at protests and football fixtures. As Labour battles a collapse in support among Muslim voters and the Greens surge in some inner-city areas, Julia asks whether Starmer’s party has lost control of the debate on Gaza, antisemitism and public order. Also: Reform UK’s proposal to build migrant detention centres in Green-voting areas — and deport hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants. Is it serious policy, political theatre, or a brutal challenge to the open-borders Left? Former Sun political editor Trevor Kavanagh joins Julia to react to the small boats milestone, the scale of illegal migration, and whether any government can regain control of Britain’s borders. Plus: Kemi Badenoch’s pitch on zero-tolerance policing, shoplifting, vandalism and street crime; Nigel Farage’s rising profile; Labour’s local election nightmare; and the growing speculation over who could replace Keir Starmer if the party turns on him — Angela Rayner, Andy Burnham, Wes Streeting or Shabana Mahmood? 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 takes on the day’s biggest stories as Keir Starmer faces a crunch Commons showdown over claims he misled Parliament on Peter Mandelson’s vetting. With bombshell evidence, Labour unrest and fresh questions over trust, competence and cover-up, is the Prime Minister finished? Plus, the King addresses Congress, shoplifting chaos on Britain’s high streets, and growing alarm over Iran-linked threats. Ruthless, fair and unmissable from Talk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julia Hartley-Brewer takes on the biggest stories shaking Britain and beyond — from growing pressure on Keir Starmer over sleaze claims and Labour infighting, to the latest Donald Trump assassination attempt, royal diplomacy in America, and outrage over attacks on British troops. Ruthless, fair and unmissable, this is the Julia Hartley-Brewer Podcast from Talk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keir Starmer says closer co-operation with France will help stop the small boats crisis — but is Britain paying hundreds of millions for more failure and inaction? Alex Phillips - stepping in for Julia - is joined by former Border Force chief Tony Smith to break down Labour’s latest Channel deal, including the extra cash for France, the promise of tougher beach enforcement, the role of French riot police, and why surveillance alone will not stop illegal crossings in the Channel. They also look at the key questions ministers still have not answered: what happens when migrants are intercepted, why detention capacity matters, whether Belgium is now becoming a new launch point, and how people-smuggling gangs are using social media and encrypted platforms to stay one step ahead. If you want serious insight into border security, illegal migration and the real-world limits of government policy, this is essential listening. Also: Andrew Allison from Popular Conservatism joins Alex to discuss the mounting pressure on Keir Starmer, the mood inside Labour, and the growing row around Attorney General Lord Hermer. They examine concerns over the power of unelected figures at the heart of government, the controversy surrounding legal claims brought against British soldiers, and wider questions over who is really shaping policy on national sovereignty, immigration and the Chagos Islands. In response to claims he had prosecuted British soldiers despite knowing claimants were lying, a spokesman for Lord Hermer said that he had “always acted with the highest professional standards, and the suggestion the Attorney acted for individuals with the knowledge that their claims were false is categorically untrue”. 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 facing fresh questions over the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal after the explosive evidence from former senior civil servant Olly Robbins — and the pressure on No.10 is building. Julia Hartley-Brewer asks: is the Prime Minister a dead man walking? With claims of disquiet from inside Downing Street, accusations of “jobs for the boys”, and Labour figures openly turning on their own leader, this row is fast becoming a full-blown crisis for Starmer. Joined by former Conservative adviser Claire Pearsall and independent MP Karl Turner, Julia tears into the toxic culture at the heart of government, whether Starmer misled Parliament, and why Labour nerves are jangling after PMQs and before the local elections. If the drip-drip of revelations continues, can No.10 survive the summer — or is this the scandal that finally breaks him? Also: Julia reacts to the alarming poll showing half of young people would never fight for Britain, asking what it says about patriotism, identity and whether this country is still worth defending. There’s also the growing fallout from the Iran crisis and disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, with warnings of higher fuel costs, rising energy bills, supply chain shocks and fresh pain for British households already squeezed by Rachel Reeves’ faltering economy. And fury too over the tobacco and vapes bill, as MPs wave through a lifetime smoking ban for anyone born after 2008 — a common-sense health measure, or another open goal for smugglers, black-market gangs and the nanny state? 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 huge pressure after Sir Olly Robbins gave explosive evidence on the Peter Mandelson appointment — as he describes an 'atmosphere of pressure' to approve Peter Mandelson as US ambassador. Julia reacts to the extraordinary claims that Mandelson’s appointment was effectively treated as a done deal before the vetting process had run its course, with senior figures allegedly pushing for approval and little appetite inside government to stop it. If warning signs were already there, why was the process handled in this way? And if Starmer knew more than he later admitted, did he mislead Parliament? Veteran journalist Adam Boulton joins Julia to give his verdict on Robbins’s defence, the sacking of officials, and whether the Prime Minister has made the crisis even worse by trying to pin blame on everyone around him. Was this simply a disastrous political judgement — or evidence of a deeper culture of arrogance at the heart of Labour? Also: Blue Labour founder Lord Maurice Glasman tears into the Labour establishment’s obsession with Peter Mandelson, explains why the party is losing working-class voters, and warns that Starmer now looks like a leader with no clear direction and no easy escape. The allegations discussed in this episode are denied by Peter Mandelson, who has not been charged - as of the time of publishing. 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.

Did Keir Starmer really not know Peter Mandelson had failed security vetting — or is Downing Street’s defence simply impossible to believe? In this episode of The Julia Hartley Brewer Podcast, Julia is joined by commentator Dan Hodges and former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith to dissect the growing row over Peter Mandelson’s appointment, the claims that officials knew for weeks, and the extraordinary questions now hanging over the Prime Minister’s judgment. If Mandelson was considered too high-risk for the usual clearance process, how was he allowed into one of the most sensitive jobs in British diplomacy? And if concerns about his links to Russia, China and Jeffrey Epstein were already widely known, why was he appointed at all? Dan Hodges lays out why he believes it is “inconceivable” that nobody in Downing Street was aware of the failed vetting outcome, while Sir Iain Duncan Smith argues the real issue is not whether Starmer was formally told, but whether he already knew enough to stop the appointment himself. Julia also examines the wider fallout: accusations of a cover-up, claims of a national security failure, and fresh scrutiny over whether the Prime Minister misled Parliament when insisting due process had been followed. As pressure mounts on Number 10, this is the inside analysis of the Mandelson scandal, Keir Starmer’s credibility, and the political storm now threatening to engulf Labour. 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 fierce pressure after explosive claims surrounding Peter Mandelson’s appointment and the handling of his security vetting – as reports emerge that Mandelson FAILED the vetting. Keir Starmer says (implausibly) that the Foreign Office failed to tell cabinet that he had failed. On Talk today, Ben Habib and former Sun political editor Trevor Kavanagh tear into the Prime Minister’s defence, asking the question at the heart of the scandal: if serious concerns were raised about Mandelson, who knew what — and when? Was Downing Street genuinely kept in the dark, or is this another carefully lawyered denial from a government already accused of saying only what it thinks it can get away with? They examine reports that officials pushed ahead with Mandelson’s appointment despite failing security vetting, and why Starmer appears to have spent so much political capital backing one of Labour’s most controversial operators. From Mandelson’s long history of resignations and comebacks to renewed scrutiny of his links to Jeffrey Epstein, the conversation turns to the wider culture of protection, secrecy and entitlement at the top of British politics. Plus: Ben Habib argues this is bigger than one man — it is a symptom of a rotten Westminster system that rewards insiders, shuts out voters and closes ranks when challenged. Trevor Kavanagh says the official story simply does not add up, pointing to senior aides, missing phones, wiped messages and the growing belief that the establishment still thinks the rules are for everybody else. 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.

Public anger erupted into protests after Surrey Police refused to release meaningful descriptions of the men suspected of a shocking alleged gang rape in Epsom — while deploying riot police to the peaceful demonstration by local residents demanding answers. The response begs the question: are authorities more interested in managing public reaction than protecting the public? Former military intelligence officer Philip Ingram warns that withholding basic information creates a dangerous vacuum, fuels mistrust and risks even greater unrest. Brendan O’Neill says the scenes in Epsom are yet more evidence of “two-tier policing” — with ordinary, law-abiding Britons treated more harshly than violent mobs on the streets. Note: the police were seemingly unable to prevent feral teenagers from rampading through Clapham. Also: Shabana Mahmood vows action against lawyers accused of helping migrants game the asylum system with false claims about sexuality, religion and domestic abuse. But journalists have exposed this taxpayer-funded racket for years - so it is surprising the BBC has finally decided to pick up the story. Despite Mahmood’s statement, public trust in the Labour government’s ability to address our border crisis is at record lows. And one year after the Supreme Court ruled that biological sex defines whether someone is a man or a woman in law, why are government departments, councils and NHS bodies still refusing to fully protect women-only spaces? Julia and her guests take aim at Labour’s weakness, the collapse of common sense in public institutions, rising anti-Semitic violence, and the wider sense that Britain’s leaders no longer put citizens first. 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.

Rachel Reeves blames Donald Trump for the fallout from the Iran conflict just as the IMF warns Britain could suffer the biggest economic shock among developed nations. Julia Hartley-Brewer asks if this is really Trump’s fault, or whether Labour’s high-tax, net zero agenda left the UK dangerously exposed to soaring energy prices, weak growth and another brutal hit to living standards. Also in this episode, Labour claims success after moving 10,000 migrants out of asylum hotels. But is this really a win for the country, or simply a cynical accounting trick designed to hide the cost from the public? Julia is joined by former Conservative adviser Claire Pearsall to debate asylum hotels, shared accommodation, the ballooning welfare bill and why so many voters feel they are footing the bill for a system that no longer works. Julia also tears into Wes Streeting’s claims about sexism in the NHS, asking why ministers seem more interested in grievance politics than fixing the real failures in healthcare and protecting women’s dignity. And: Falklands veteran Simon Weston issues a chilling warning over Britain’s military weakness. With fresh alarm over defence cuts, troop numbers, energy insecurity and the growing threats from Russia and the Middle East, this is a blunt look at how vulnerable Britain has become. 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.