Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins

Talk
  • 4.8 (20)
  • NEWS COMMENTARY
  • UPDATED DAILY

Join Ian Collins on Talk for a lively, no-nonsense look at the day’s biggest stories, from politics and current affairs to culture and entertainment. Ian dives deep with expert guests, outspoken commentators, and compelling callers, bringing fresh angles and sharp analysis to everything making headlines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 7H AGO

    Who can fix the cost of living crisis?

    Peter Cardwell sits in for Ian Collins, asking the question on everyone’s mind: which party can actually get the cost of living under control? As Keir Starmer insists easing household pressure is his top priority, William Yarwood from the Taxpayers’ Alliance and Reform UK’s economic message are put under the microscope following Robert Jenrick’s pledge to “restore stability” to Britain’s finances. We then turn to the real-world impact on employers and workers, with Tina McKenzie from the Federation of Small Businesses and business owner Debi Heath French reacting to Labour’s new workers’ rights reforms - with critics warning they risk driving up costs, cutting jobs and hammering small firms just as youth unemployment surges. And finally, former Defence Select Committee chair Tobias Ellwood joins us as Britain faces fresh controversy over the Chagos Islands, raising wider questions about sovereignty, security and government priorities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    29 min

  2. 1D AGO

    No Idea Keir

    Peter Cardwell sits in for Ian Collins on the Afternoon Empire. Journalist, Nicole Lampert, expresses her anger, after a video surfaced of a group of pro-Palestine canvassers door-to-door asking locals to boycott Israeli products, accused of engaging in a 'Jew hunt'. Independent Councillor, Hilary Schan, says Labour is "making their own councillors look stupid" after abandoning plans to cancel local elections, making it the 14th U-turn from the Government. Plus Richard Tice MP, joins Peter to discuss his new role as Business, Trade and Energy Spokesman which was announced today by Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    36 min

  3. 2D AGO

    Another Starmer U-Turn?

    Peter Cardwell sits in for Ian Collins on the Afternoon Empire. He speaks with Mark Francois MP about Keir Starmer’s decision to delay local elections and his subsequent U-turn, as well as the ongoing debate surrounding the proposed deal over the Chagos Islands. The discussion then shifts to royal controversy, with Norman Baker examining renewed scrutiny of Prince Andrew in light of developments connected to the Jeffrey Epstein files. Political commentator Laila Cunningham also joins to discuss Starmer's local election u-turn and what it signals for the months ahead, before then discussing the recent news of Matt Lucas' experience encountering pro-Palestine protesters on the London Underground. Insightful and wide-ranging, this episode offers sharp analysis and candid conversation on the issues shaping Britain today.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    34 min

  4. 5D AGO

    Ban Men in Nurseries? Britain’s Safeguarding Reckoning

    Ian Collins asks a question many parents are now openly debating: should men be banned from working in nurseries? Following shocking revelations about safeguarding failures that created what one report called a “perfect hunting ground” for abusers, social commentator David Shipley argues it’s time for a hard line to protect children - while Tone Langengen from the Tony Blair Institute responds with the policy case for reform rather than blanket bans. Former Conservative peer and writer Matt Ridley weighs in on whether modern ideology has overridden common sense when it comes to child safety. We also turn to energy and climate politics, as Tony Blair urges Labour to keep drilling for North Sea oil - just as Donald Trump scraps a key climate ruling in the US - raising fresh questions about whether the green agenda is finally colliding with economic reality. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    33 min

  5. 6D AGO

    Votes at 16, colonisation and Labour’s Rotten Elite

    Ian Collins takes on a government many critics say is rewriting Britain without voters’ consent. As Labour moves to give the vote to 16-year-olds, Joanna Williams, author of How Woke Won, and Darren Hughes, chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, clash over whether this is democratic renewal — or a cynical attempt to rig the electorate in Labour’s favour. We then turn to immigration and national identity, as former Deputy Speaker Nigel Evans reacts to Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s warning that Britain is being “colonised” by mass migration — and Keir Starmer’s demand that he apologise. Are political leaders finally being forced to confront the cost and cultural impact of open borders, or still trying to silence the debate? And finally, Christine Jardine MP joins us as Labour faces another storm over alleged establishment protection and links between senior figures and convicted sex offenders — fuelling accusations that Starmer’s government is run by a closed-door elite with one rule for them and another for everyone else. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    31 min

  6. FEB 11

    This Government Is Failing Britain

    Ian Collins asks the question many voters are now openly raising: has this government dangerously lost touch with reality? Following a series of shocking crimes, including the jailing of an Afghan migrant for raping a schoolgirl and fresh reports of teenage stabbings in London schools - Ben Habib, leader of Advance UK, and Maria Bowtell, spokeswoman for Restore Britain, discuss whether Britain is paying the price for political decisions on immigration, policing and social order. We then turn to what critics are calling the political and cultural downfall of Britain, as Labour faces mounting backlash over accusations it has abandoned the working class while obsessing over elite priorities and internal power struggles. Ralph Schoellhammer, political theorist and head of the Center for Applied History at MCC Budapest, analyses whether Britain is now entering a period of managed decline and who is really paying the cost. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    26 min

  7. FEB 10

    Is Britain Ungovernable?

    Ian Collins asks the big question shaking Westminster and beyond: has Britain become ungovernable? As Keir Starmer battles to cling on after a dramatic showdown with rebellious Labour MPs - and ministers move to give the Prime Minister a political stay of execution amid market jitters - Adam Cherry, editorial director at Guido Fawkes, and Lord Peter Lilley, Conservative peer, assess whether Britain’s political system is now permanently stuck in crisis mode. We then turn to free speech on campus, as Jack Anderton, political commentator, and Philip Kiszely, senior fellow at the New Culture Forum, react to a university debating society banning a Reform MP from giving a talk - and ask whether open debate is being quietly dismantled in Britain’s institutions. And finally, energy entrepreneur Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity, joins us after his viral intervention on X sparked a fresh political storm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    34 min

  8. FEB 9

    Downing Street in Meltdown

    Ian Collins asks the question dominating Westminster tonight: how long can Keir Starmer hang on? With senior figures including Tim Allan stepping away and the Prime Minister’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney leaving Downing Street - as Labour MPs openly call for Starmer to resign - Peter Cardwell, former special adviser and author of The Secret Life of Special Advisers, joins Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership and former Labour staffer, alongside Giles Dilnot, editor of ConservativeHome, to assess whether Starmer’s leadership is now in terminal decline or if he still has a route back from the brink. We then turn to immigration, with Sarah Pochin MP, Reform UK’s member for Runcorn & Helsby, responding to new figures showing small boat crossings at record levels under Starmer - and warnings that Britain’s asylum system is becoming a conveyor belt into long-term benefits. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    24 min
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4.8
out of 5
20 Ratings

About

Join Ian Collins on Talk for a lively, no-nonsense look at the day’s biggest stories, from politics and current affairs to culture and entertainment. Ian dives deep with expert guests, outspoken commentators, and compelling callers, bringing fresh angles and sharp analysis to everything making headlines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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