Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins

Ian Collins asks whether the West should intervene in Iran as pressure grows on Keir Starmer to proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist organisation. Matthew Syed, columnist for The Times and The Sunday Times, examines the case for branding Iran’s Revolutionary Guards terrorists amid mass protests on the streets of London and across the world against the Iranian regime - and what intervention, sanctions or restraint would really achieve.Human rights activist Gio Esfan joins us with first-hand insight into Tehran’s crackdown, the global protest movement, and fresh concerns after the UAE restricted funding for students studying in Britain over radicalisation fears. We also turn to the culture and free-speech front. Philip Kiszely of the New Culture Forum analyses the escalating row over Elon Musk’s X facing potential UK action, alongside Conservative plans to ban social media for under-16s and what this means for speech, security and state power.

Join Ian Collins today for a gripping episode covering two major stories.Ian speaks with James Melville about Labour’s controversial digital ID scheme. With ministers ordered to find departmental budget cuts to fund the £1.8 billion rollout, the discussion explores privacy concerns, public backlash, and political tensions in Westminster.Later, Ian talks to Goldie Ghamari about the largest anti-government protests in Iran in years. With nationwide internet blackouts, violent crackdowns, and economic hardship sparking unrest across 111 cities, they examine the human impact and wider implications of the demonstrations.From UK politics to global human rights, Ian Collins delivers expert insight on today’s most pressing stories.

Today on the Ian Collins podcast, a hard-hitting line-up covering politics, public safety, national policy, defence, and health. Rupert Lowe MP joins Ian to discuss the latest Met Police controversy, where officers with serious offences reportedly joined the force after vetting checks were dropped in a rush to meet recruitment targets. They dig into the implications for policing standards and public safety.Dawn Hopkins, a pub landlord, joins Ian to share her perspective from the frontline of Britain’s pubs. With rising business rates and the end of Covid-era relief threatening thousands of community pubs, we explore what real support for the industry looks like.Sean Bell breaks down the UK’s role in supporting the US seizure of the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera in the North Atlantic an operation that has raised questions about sanctions enforcement, international law, and tensions with Moscow.Finally, Toni Russo, obesity nurse consultant joins the conversation about new research showing that people often regain weight rapidly after stopping weight-loss jabs, sparking debate over long-term obesity strategies and the future of weight management in the UK.

Today, Ian Collins is joined by Macer Gifford to discuss the war in Ukraine and the agreements being made by Keir Starmer to put more boots on the ground. Former Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis then offers military and foreign affairs analysis on the UK and France committing troops under potential peace plans, and growing tensions between Europe and Donald Trump over Greenland.Later on, Edmund King joins the programme to discuss proposed changes to drink-driving laws, including lowering the legal limit, tougher penalties for offenders, and whether the measures would genuinely improve road safety or risk unintended consequences for drivers and the hospitality sector.Danny Shaw joins Ian to examine the controversy surrounding the decision to bar Israeli fans from an Aston Villa match, the intelligence cited by police, claims of anti-Semitism, and the wider implications for policing, public order, and community trust.

Over the weekend, Donald Trump ordered a U.S. operation capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, sparking global backlash. He's also reviving interest in Greenland, raising questions about U.S. direction. Ian debates if Trump was right, joined by former Trump deputy campaign manager Rick Gates who is in support of Trump’s decision, and U.S. commentator Laurie Laird who discusses the UK fallout, including pressure on Keir Starmer to condemn it despite no British involvement. Later, communications consultant and ex-Brexit Party press head Liam Deacon joins Ian to criticize Keir Starmer over fresh "Brexit betrayal" accusations amid plans for closer single market ties.Finally, Ian addresses revelations that at least 30 dangerous patients released from secure hospitals have committed murders since 1993, often after secret tribunals excluding victims' families, calling for more transparency and tougher sentencing. He's joined by Emma Webber, mother of Barnaby Webber, killed in the 2023 Nottingham attacks by paranoid schizophrenic Valdo Calocane, who was deemed low-risk despite rising violence.

Ian Collins asks whether the Right should unite as fresh polling shows Kemi Badenoch closing in on Nigel Farage, but Reform UK and the Conservatives still failing to outpace a fractured Left. Green Party councillor Martin Abrams and Reform UK board member Gawain Towler debate the case for and against an election pact, as senior Tories openly discuss cooperation and questions grow about whether division is handing Labour an advantage.Later, Annunziata Rees-Mogg, Head of Communications for Popular Conservatism and former MEP, responds to the EHRC chief’s claim that migration should not be described as a threat to Britain. She also reacts to reports of an Albanian kingpin allegedly smuggling migrant criminals out of the UK, raising wider questions about enforcement, border control and whether the political establishment is refusing to confront reality.

Kevin O’Sullivan sits in for Ian Collins as the show tackles the growing row over free speech and protest in Britain. Journalist Nicole Lampert joins us to discuss police moves to arrest pro-Palestine demonstrators who chant “globalise the intifada”, and whether the line between public order and political expression is being dangerously redrawn.Later, Talk international editor Isabel Oakeshott reacts to the case of a man jailed over anti-immigrant social media posts seen by just 33 people, raising fresh questions about proportionality, policing online speech, and whether Britain is drifting towards criminalising opinions rather than actions.

Ian Collins examines the mounting pressure on the NHS as junior doctors begin a five-day strike at the same time hospitals are grappling with a sharp winter flu surge. Dr Dean Eggitt, GP and CEO of Doncaster Local Medical Committee, breaks down the impact of industrial action on frontline services, staffing levels and patient safety, amid warnings that elderly patients could be left stranded in hospital over Christmas and into the New Year.We then turn to the future of the BBC, as Labour proposals raise the prospect of free TV licences for benefits claimants, the introduction of advertising, and major programmes being placed behind a paywall. Rebecca Ryan, Campaign Director at Defund the BBC, joins the show to discuss whether the licence fee is finally becoming unsustainable, what BBC reform could look like, and how these changes would affect audiences, public trust and the broadcaster’s long-term future.