07/12/2012 James O'Brien Show - Child Maintenance, NHS, Leftover Food

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Hour 1

• After bloviating on the story of estranged fathers being faced with pay hike, James reiterates his strong held position that has seen him clash with a Premiership footballer in the past.  He then invited calls from people who disagree with him.

Hour 2

• James is suspicious of the government's rhetoric around the NHS and after going into one of his Marxist monologues before contending that a lot of people who darken the door of A & E have no business being there.  He then invites callers who have personal experience in A & E and they call in in droves.

Hour 3

• After being mugged off his £2.50 at a posh toy shop yesterday, James invites calls from people who have also been duped by unscrupulous merchants in the past.
• A government minister has urged celebrity chefs to give us leftover menus to cut food waste.  James invites callers to persuade him that he's not a bad person for not being keen on leftovers for dinner.

20/11/2012 James O'Brien Show - MPs expenses, Private Schooling, Prisoner Mentorship

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Hour 1

Can you make a case for MPs keeping details of their expenses a secret? Call @mrjamesob on: 0845 60 60 973 @lbc973
— LBC 97.3 (@lbc973) November 20, 2012

• 51 of our 320 MPs have not disclosed their landlords' details on security grounds 
• James wonders whether the absence of fury is a sign that we're suffering from "fatcat fatigue"
• This is not "moats cleaning" revisited but it should still give us pause

Hour 2

• After the Sutton Trust's report that a disproportionate amount of birthdays recorded by national newspapers are of people who are privately. Furthermore, 80% of them run the country. Why?
• Cue a succession of posh accents.

Hour 3

• Chris Grayling is will set out plans to introduce a mentor programme for newly released prisoners.
• James expresses his frustration with the usual refrain that "prisons are holiday camps" and tells of his visit to a prison last week
• James takes calls from former prisoners in an effort to find out how they transitioned back to outside life after their release.

Cultural references

• Following reports that Tory MP Peter Luff rents a flat from Chelsea footballer and regular caller to the James O'Brien Show, Frank Lampard, let's remind ourselves of Mr Lampard's call to the show a few years ago.

When news of this call spread like wildfire, James was invited on Sky News.  Kay Burley then set about trying to extort an apology from James on behalf of his friend, Frank Lampard.  I don't want to be unkind, but she was ill-equipped for the task.

• Jacqueline Wilson's Hetty Feather - the book James referred to in the third hour while discussing prisons.