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PODCAST

Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins

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.

news & politics

All Episodes

30:21

Should We Fear Digital ID?

Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins ·

2026/01/09

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

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29:39

Lost Trust in the Police?

Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins ·

2026/01/08

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 toshareher perspective from the frontline of Britain’s

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31:41

World of War?

Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins ·

2026/01/07

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

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28:38

Tackling Migration

Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins ·

2026/01/06

On today’s Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins, we start with Orla Minihane, who discusses the local and national impact of migration, from the plans to house hundreds of small-boat arrivals at a nearby Army Camp to the council’s CCTV upgrades and the wider fallout from a secret Afghan asylum scheme.Then Rear Admiral Chris Parry joins the conversation to unpack the international tensions sparked by Donald Trump’s renewed talk of Greenland, exploring the implications for NATO, Denmark, and global

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34:24

Did Donald Trump Make the Right Call?

Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins ·

2026/01/05

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 theUK fallout, including pressure on Keir Starmer to condemn it despite no British involvement.Later, communications

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29:52

Unite or Lose? The Right’s Big Question

Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins ·

2025/12/22

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

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30:17

Speech on Trial: From “Intifada” Chants to Jailed Tweets

Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins ·

2025/12/18

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

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27:09

Britain Breaking: Strikes, State Media and Labour’s Mess

Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins ·

2025/12/17

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

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27:38

Is Diversity Really Our Strength?

Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins ·

2025/12/16

Ian Collins asks whether diversity really is Britain’s strength in the wake of the Bondi Beach massacre and the wider debate around multiculturalism and antisemitism. Philip Kiszely, senior fellow at the New Culture Forum, examines whether decades of multicultural policy have failed, while Danny Stone, CEO of the Antisemitism Policy Trust, discusses the surge in antisemitic rhetoric and activism following the attack, including protests chanting “long live the intifada” and revelations about the

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25:21

Bondi Beach Massacre: Terror at a Jewish Festival

Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins ·

2025/12/15

Ian Collins examines the Bondi Beach massacre after gunmen were revealed as a father and son who killed 15 people in an attack described as an act of pure evil at a Jewish festival. Security analyst and international terrorism expert Duncan Gardham breaks down what we know about the attackers, the ideology behind the violence, and the wider terror threat facing Jewish communities. Keith Fraser, founder of an Israel solidarity movement, joins us to discuss the impact on diaspora communities and fears

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25:38

Are We Sleepwalking Into New Lockdowns?

Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins ·

2025/12/12

Ian Collins examines whether Britain is sliding back toward pandemic-style measures after Wes Streeting warns the NHS could “collapse” under record flu hospitalisations and looming strikes. Professor Karol Sikora analyses why hospitals are overwhelmed, whether masks or lockdown-style steps could return, and what the government should be doing instead.Richard Kilpatrick from the European Movement and Gawain Towler of Reform UK debate explosive claims from leaked US documents suggesting Donald Trump

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29:35

Should Ethnicity Matter in Crime?

Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins ·

2025/12/11

Ian Collins asks whether ethnicity should play any role in how Britain understands and tackles crime. Former Labour adviser James Matthewson joins us to break down the row after Labour MPs complained about a minister’s comments on race, as the Government prepares a new grooming-gangs inquiry that will explicitly examine the ethnicity and religion of offenders. Social commentator David Shipley assesses whether this marks a necessary moment of reckoning or a dangerous political shift.Later, Amy

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32:12

Starmer’s Migration Crackdown: Is the ECHR the Real...

Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins ·

2025/12/10

Ian Collins examines Sir Keir Starmer’s call to curb the powers of the European Court of Human Rights as Labour scrambles to get a grip on illegal migration. Liam Deacon, former Brexit Party Head of Press, breaks down the scale of the asylum crisis from spiralling absconding rates to a Home Office that can’t even say how many migrants have vanished. Dr Mike Galsworthy of the European Movement UK joins to challenge the premise, arguing that stripping back ECHR protections would create legal and

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28:36

Is Calling Britain Christian Now a Crime?

Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins ·

2025/12/09

Ian Collins asks whether Britain is still a Christian country after a teacher is banned for telling a Muslim pupil that the UK has a Christian heritage. Tim Dieppe, Head of Public Policy at Christian Concern, explains what this case means for free expression, British identity, and whether stating historical fact is now professionally dangerous.David Wooding, Columnist at The Sun, joins Ian in the studio to examine Sir Keir Starmer’s latest attempt to “connect with voters” on TikTok and why Labour

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32:53

Is Being Right-Wing Now a Crime in Britain?

Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins ·

2025/12/08

Ian Collins asks whether free speech is being criminalised in Britain after shocking revelations that right-wing individuals are being labelled a “danger to children." Jamie Michael, the man at the centre of the story, joins us to explain how he discovered he’d been placed on an extremist safeguarding list, what it means for ordinary people, and why he believes political speech is now being treated as a public-safety threat.Independent MP and Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe reacts to Labour’s new

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31:28

Farage Versus the BBC

Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins ·

2025/12/05

Ian Collinsdelves into the controversy surroundingNigel Farage’s accusation of BBC hypocrisy, after a presenter questionedRichard Tice MPabout claims that Farage made racist and antisemitic remarks during his school days. At a press conference yesterday, Farage condemned the line of questioning as“despicable.”Ian is joined byRobin Aitken, former BBC journalist, to unpack the fallout and discuss whether the broadcaster has crossed a line.Later in the programme, Ian turns to Brexit andDavid Lammy’s

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29:39

Should We Fear Facial Recognition?

Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins ·

2025/12/04

Ian Collins asks the big question:should we fear facial recognition technology?He’s joined byformer Met Police DCI Mike Neville, who has long called for wider use of the technology, andJames Melville, social and political commentator, who shares his perspective on the ethical and societal implications.Later in the show, Ian turns to politics discussingLabour’s decision to postpone four mayoral electionsfollowing accusations from Reform UK that the delays are politically motivated to prevent Reform

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23:45

Are we ready for war?

Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins ·

2025/12/03

Are we ready for war with Russia? Ian Collins asks the question head-on. Former White House adviser Steve Gill backs Trump’s Ukraine peace deal as the only way to avoid catastrophe, while ex-Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood warns it’s capitulation that invites the next invasion.Then the political earthquake: Nigel Farage has told donors he expects a Reform-Tory deal before the next election. Reform UK’s Alex Wilson joins to reveal what’s really happening. No spin, just the unfiltered truth. Hosted on

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29:03

How To Reform the Justice System?

Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins ·

2025/12/02

Ian Collinstears into Justice Secretary David Lammy's controversial reforms, slamming plans to restrict jury trials for sentences under three years as "not right" and a betrayal of peer justice and Magna Carta principles that hands unchecked power to judges while victims suffer endless delays.Former prisoner and writer/researcher, David Shipley andformer Justice Secretary (2019–2021) under Boris Johnson, Sir Robert Buckland join Ian to dissect the Ministry of Justice'su-turn.Later on, Ian is joined

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25:30

Should Rachel Reeves Resign?

Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins ·

2025/12/01

Ian Collins asks whether Rachel Reeves should resign as she faces an ethics inquiry into whether she lied over the public state of the country’s finances ahead of the budget last week.London assembly member Susan Hall joins Ian as she urges Reeves to resign as chancellor. Ian is also joined by independent economist Julian Jessop to dig deep into the issues surrounding the recent budget.Later on, barrister and former Attorney General, Sir Michael Ellis KC provides his thoughts on whether David Lammy

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133 results

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