i >> -- >> good afternoon britain. it's 12:00 on tuesday the 9th january. >> postal pressure ministers are scrambling to piece together a solution to quash the convictions of hundreds of wrongly convicted postmaster . wrongly convicted postmaster. hours wrongly convicted postmaster. hour's top judges are in talks with the government to see what can be done to expedite and accelerate the process of unpicking years of scandalous miscarriages of justice. this snow joke parts of the country are now covered in snow, while others are bracing for days of subzero temperatures. >> frost , subzero temperatures. >> frost, more subzero temperatures. >> frost , more snow subzero temperatures. >> frost, more snow and amber cold health alerts how long will this cold spell engulf britain .7

this cold spell engulf britain? >> dogs off the dinner plate . >> dogs off the dinner plate. south korea's parliament overwhelmingly votes to ban the dog meat trade , bowing to dog meat trade, bowing to pressure from campaigners . the pressure from campaigners. the ban will be phased in over three years. we speak to the owner of one south korean canine refugee now living a healthy life in the uk. >> it feels like we're in the midst of something when it comes to the post office scandal. perhaps many people were expecting more answers yesterday from the government , but it from the government, but it seems like we're in a bit of a holding pattern. >> the government, >> although the government, after years of inaction, not just by this government but previous governments , it does previous governments, it does seem getting its you know seem to be getting its you know what together and doing something about it. we are heanng something about it. we are hearing that the justice secretary holding crunch secretary is holding crunch talks with judges today to see how quickly convictions of

hundreds, hundreds of subpostmasters, how quickly those convictions can be quashed i >> -- >> but and it's a delicate balancing act because what the government is saying, not very publicly but often behind the scenes, is what if amongst these 800 or so wrongful convictions happens, there's a correct conviction? what if there is someone with in that big pool of people who actually has committed some fraud ? should committed some fraud? should they be automatically wiped off? or do you have to go through every single case? there's reticence within government reticence within the government to , uh, reticence within the government to , uh, law to just do a blanket, uh, law that would , uh, exonerate that would, uh, exonerate everyone in case there is a bad apple there. >> but what seems absolutely astonishing is that it took this four part drama documentary on itv to make people act and act more quickly, because the campaigners have been going at this for years and years . and this for years and years. and why did it take this drama last week ? week? >> well, we'll be speaking to

people who've suffered at the hands of this scandal and indeed members of parliament, to see what will actually be done potentially today, potentially in the coming days. potentially today, potentially in the coming days . we'll get to in the coming days. we'll get to all of that. after your headunes all of that. after your headlines sam . headlines with sam. >> tom, pip, thank you very much. good afternoon from the gb newsroom. i'm sam francis, the headunes newsroom. i'm sam francis, the headlines at 12. well in the last hour we have heard that a seven people have been seven people convicted of being part of a scottish child abuse ring face a three month wait to find out if they will be given life sentences . the two women and sentences. the two women and five men, all convicted of abusing children in glasgow, had their sentences delayed earlier today. their sentences delayed earlier today . the judge has warned of today. the judge has warned of a very substantial jail terms for extraordinary depravity that was when the defendants appeared in court last week. the offences happened. court last week. the offences happened . we understand . between happened. we understand. between 2012 and 2019, the justice

secretary is holding crunch talks with judges as the government looks for ways to clear the names of staff caught up in the post office scandal . up in the post office scandal. more than 700 staff were convicted, jailed , bankrupt and convicted, jailed, bankrupt and some took their lives after being wrongly accused of theft . being wrongly accused of theft. to date, just 93 convictions have been overturned and only 30 have been overturned and only 30 have finalised compensate with the government business minister kevin hollinrake says plans to speed up the remaining cases would be announced very shortly. that could include new legislation to scrap the convictions that are being considered. but shadow minister for schools catherine mckinnell says more questions still need to be asked. everybody needs to look hard at who knew what, when and what decisions were taken and what decisions were taken and what decisions were taken and what could have been done to deliver justice more swiftly for deliverjustice more swiftly for the victims of this egregious miscarriage of justice. >> but ultimately, we know one of the issues that is being looked at is the system that the post office has been using to prosecute out these convictions

and making sure that that is reviewed and perhaps brought under a different system to make sure this doesn't happen again . sure this doesn't happen again. >> meanwhile , the leader of the >> meanwhile, the leader of the liberal democrats is accusing the post office of unleashing what he calls a conspiracy of lies against ministers. it comes as sir ed davey faces pressure over his role as postal affairs minister during the coalition government. at the time of the scandal , government. at the time of the scandal, labour has defended government. at the time of the scandal , labour has defended the scandal, labour has defended the use of fines to tackle school absence rates. that's according to the shadow education secretary, who says a labour government would keep the policy in place. speaking at an event in place. speaking at an event in london earlier, bridget phillipson said parents should not children out of school not take children out of school for holidays or birthday for cheaper holidays or birthday treats. it's after more than a fifth of pupils in england were persistently across the persistently absent across the autumn and spring terms in 2022 and 2023. in france , gabriel and 2023. in france, gabriel attal has become the country's youngest ever prime minister

emmanuel macron says he wants to freshen things up in his second tum, ahead of the european parliament elections. the 34 year old, who's a close ally of the french president, is also the french president, is also the first prime minister to be openly gay . he made a name for openly gay. he made a name for himself during the covid pandemic as education pandemic as former education minister in the us, two airlines have found loose hardware during plane inspections. it's after a section of the fuselage fell from an alaska airlines 737 max nine on friday. the plane made an emergency landing, but luckily no passengers were injured. the operator says it has since found some loose hardware on several max nines, meaning united airlines says some bolts need additional tightening and there have been installation issues related to door plugs. oregon high school teacher bob sauer discovered the missing alaska airlines plane doorin missing alaska airlines plane door in his garden . door in his garden. >> i could see that there was something gleaming white underneath the trees in the back that isn't normally there , and that isn't normally there, and when i went to investigate it,

it was very obviously part of a plane . it had the same curvature plane. it had the same curvature as a fuselage. it had a plane type window in it, and it was white, which is why it was gleaming . gleaming. >> and back in the uk , more snow >> and back in the uk, more snow is expected across the country as the health security agency issues an amber cold health alert for parts of the country. the winter weather follows storm henk, which left large areas flooded and thousands of homes damaged. more than 100 flood warnings remain in place across the uk , and earlier weather the uk, and earlier weather journalist nathan raw told gb news that plummeting temperatures could make things worse . woi'se. >> worse. >> areas along the river thames, the river trent, the river nene which are all suffering from floods at the moment. those areas are going to continue to be at risk of flooding through the coming now with the the coming days. now with the cold just cold temperatures, it just compounds the misery because with the clean operation, you with the clean up operation, you know, getting if you're know, and getting if you're flooded, the last thing you want is temperatures plummet . is for temperatures to plummet. >> gb news across the uk >> this is gb news across the uk on tv, on your digital radio and

on tv, on your digital radio and on your smart speaker. just say play on your smart speaker. just say play gb news now though, it's back to tom and . pip back to tom and. pip >> good afternoon britain. it's 12:07 and the justice secretary , 12:07 and the justice secretary, alex chalk, is holding critical talks with judges to find a solution to the post office scandal . he's looking into ways scandal. he's looking into ways to speed up clearing the names of more than 700 wrongfully committed subpostmasters . committed subpostmasters. >> mps are also calling on fujitsu to the firm behind the faulty horizon accounting software that made it look like money was missing to pay for compensation. our reporter theo chikomba breaks down the story . chikomba breaks down the story. >> the computer system post office spent an arm and a leg on is faulty. >> it's been described as one of the worst miscarriages of justice. more than 700 postmasters were accused of fraud over a faulty system . for fraud over a faulty system. for decades, victims of the post

office horizon scandal have been fighting to have their wrongful convictions overturned. less than 100 have been successful . than 100 have been successful. >> well, i've lost everything which i looked at for my whole family that buildings, uh, the whole building, plus my house, uh , reputation in the area, uh, reputation in the area, which i've lived for 50 years. uh haven't been down, had to move out to the area to try and avoid seeing these people who i've known for so many years between 1999 and 2015. >> the post office spent millions prosecuting . 736 millions prosecuting. 736 subpostmasters based on information from a computer system called horizon. some went to prison following convictions for false accounting and theft. leaves many financially ruined. can hated by their communities and some took their lives.

questions are now being asked about how the lib dem leader, sir ed davey , handled the sir ed davey, handled the scandal when he was a minister in the coalition government . in the coalition government. between 2010 and 2012. as the post affairs minister, ed davey was accused of refusing to meet alan bates, the subpostmaster who campaigned to expose the scandal which he denies. he says he was misled by the post office executives . executives. >> i wish i'd known then what we all know now. the post office was lying on an industrial scale to me. >> another ministers and when i met alan bates and listened to his concerns, i put those concerns to the officials in my department, not to the post to office, national federation of postmasters . postmasters. >> and it's clear they all were lying to me. >> treasury minister bim afolami says the government is taking this seriously, despite criticism over how long it's taking. it's not fair that it's

taken the tv drama . taken the tv drama. >> as i said, we brought forward the post office compensation bill several months ago in order to bring this forward . we've to bring this forward. we've already paid out interim payments for compensation, so we have already working have already been working to deal this deal with this in this government. but know that not government. but we know that not everything is done yet. and will we not rest until every we will not rest until every single person wrongly treated in this has justice. >> meanwhile, lawyer nick freeman says legal action needs to be taken quickly. >> all the names need to be pulled together. they need to go before the court of appeal, even if they don't want to, and have those just overturn those convictions just overturn it. it would need an emergency legislation to deal with that. there mps who have done there are mps who have done a sterling job in bringing this to the fighting the public and fighting for these subpostmasters, but was there anyone in the government who actually , um, tried not to who actually, um, tried not to assist , try to get in the way? i assist, try to get in the way? i don't believe there was. >> despite the scandal having been public knowledge for some time, the itv drama has thrust it back into the limelight as

pressure mounts on politicians to be held accountable and accelerate the process to overturn the convictions of hundreds of postmasters. theo chikomba . gb news. chikomba. gb news. >> well, thanks to theo for that. joining us now is our political correspondent , political correspondent, katherine forster, joining us from , um, westminster. and from, um, westminster. and catherine, um, i suppose yesterday we were perhaps expecting a little bit more than the statement we actually heard in parliament. just where have we got to on this ? we got to on this? >> yes , yes. well, these >> yes, yes. well, these miscarriages of justice traditionally take many years and decades indeed to be resolved if ever things moving a little bit quicker here because of the absolute outrage that that itv drama has galvanised within the public and so within the government in an election yeah the government in an election year. so yesterday they, the post office minister, met with the justice secretary, um , there

the justice secretary, um, there was a big debate in the house of commons and today the justice secretary, alex chalk, is meeting with judges to work out a way that they can basically wipe up these wrongful convictions of hundreds and hundreds of sub postmasters. from the record , only 93 have from the record, only 93 have been overturned so far. so it's probable that the government may need to bring forth some legislation, bring a bill forth to enable that to happen , to to enable that to happen, to enable the courts to do this. we are expecting an update this week. certainly um, a real sense of urgency here after so, so many years of drift really . and many years of drift really. and then also, of course , there's then also, of course, there's then also, of course, there's the issue of the cbe , um, for the issue of the cbe, um, for paula vennells that was awarded in 2019 years, years after it was known that this um, horizon system was faulty. now, that's not in the government's gift.

however the forfeiture committee can revoke that award if they see fit. the prime minister has made it clear that he feels , made it clear that he feels, yes, he would strongly support them investigating that . and the them investigating that. and the other thing the government are doing is looking at ways to speed up compensation. they're keen to stress they've already launched a public inquiry. they've already set up a compensation committee , and two compensation committee, and two thirds of people have received some compensation so far. but they want to speed that up. so let's see what happens. but these things often take an awful long time. i mean, just look at the infected blood scandal that dates back to the 1970s. and 80s decades later , people still decades later, people still waiting for justice. a decades later, people still waiting forjustice. a huge waiting for justice. a huge failure of the state. we've got another huge failure of the state here, but it does feel like things might finally be starting to move . starting to move. >> and some of those people, catherine, have been waiting for

justice, and they've actually passed away. they're never going to see it. i noticed, as you were speaking, that the petition to get paula vennells stripped of is now at 1.2 of her cbe is now at 1.2 million. something else i wanted to ask you is about fujitsu . to ask you is about fujitsu. they were behind the faulty honzon they were behind the faulty horizon software. there's calls for them to be banned from getting millions of pounds worth of government contracts . of government contracts. >> yes. mps calling pretty much from across the political spectrum for fujitsu, the japanese tech firm, not to be given any more government contracts, they already have quite a few of them. it's emerged via the ai today that they've also been given a £19 million extension to a contract they have for flood , a flood they have for flood, a flood alert system in england, which obviously being used a lot at the moment . and of course this the moment. and of course this is their system horizon, this faulty software system which made it look like these supposed

masters, hundreds of them were were stealing or cooking the books, which they absolutely weren't. so calls for them ultimately to be paying the compensation. but i think in the meantime that they will look to get the compensation paid and then potentially claw back this money from fujitsu . also worth money from fujitsu. also worth mentioning, there's a huge amount of blame flying around. i mean, there's lots of politicians of all different colours come out not very well out of this . so ed davey um, out of this. so ed davey um, getting a lot of flak because he was post office minister in 2010, 2012. um, alan bates, who's the sort of hero of the hounif who's the sort of hero of the hour, if you like, one of these subpostmasters who didn't accept it and sort of really , really it and sort of really, really fought back. um wrote to him five times, had one meeting and said, ed davey. he five times, had one meeting and said, ed davey . he basically five times, had one meeting and said, ed davey. he basically was told by the post office there was no problem, nothing to see here effectively, and accepted that. here effectively, and accepted that . so we've been talking to

that. so we've been talking to some of ed davey constituents down in kingston and surbiton a little bit earlier. let's have a quick look at what they had to say. asleep at the job. >> but then again , in retrospect >> but then again, in retrospect , you never know . >> but then again, in retrospect , you never know. um, >> but then again, in retrospect , you never know . um, what's , you never know. um, what's coming in the future when you're living in the present. so it's very easy to judge now , but go very easy to judge now, but go back in time and then look at it. >> i think he should resign. resign as mp and as the mp for kingston upon thames and surbiton , because i think it's surbiton, because i think it's disgraceful . disgraceful. >> i guess if they're not actually doing the job well, they're supposed to be doing is what people voted them in for, then like? it's then what's the point like? it's just exploiting the position he should of a, you know, to should die of a, you know, to help it move forward and help get people get their, uh, their compensation that he has helped my friends out of it. >> so he's not all bad . >> so he's not all bad. >> so he's not all bad. >> yeah. so the lib dem leader in the firing line, um, nigel farage has also been asking questions of sir keir starmer , questions of sir keir starmer, who was director of public

prosecutions at the time. of course , public prosecutions. course, public prosecutions. these were private prosecutions. and then the coalition government and the conservative government of the last 13 years. so lots of questions for why people didn't act faster and why victims are still in this horrendous situation so many years later . years later. >> certainly no political party comes out well from this , at comes out well from this, at least at this stage. but katherine forster thank you so much for giving us all of that background information . background information. >> let's bring in former sub—post master and campaigner christopher head. good afternoon to you, christopher. really good to you, christopher. really good to see you today. of course you will be watching all these developments forensically. how do you feel about where we are at today , today. and actually, at today, today. and actually, first of all, just just summarise for us exactly what what happened to you? you were investigated and you weren't convicted, were you? but you were investigated .

were investigated. >> yeah. i run the branch from 2006, when i was the youngest postmaster in the country for me, at 18. >> and, um, but it was i had hopefuls over the years, um, you know, a hundred up to know, a few hundred pounds up to a but in a few thousand pounds. but in 2014, um, i had a i had a lot of problems with horizon with the data being corrupt with not sending the data centre, and it led shortfall of, um, led to a shortfall of, um, nearly £40,000, which a few weeks later doubled to over £80,000. um , it had an £80,000. and um, it had an investigation that went on for six months. they dropped it without didn't give a reason why. and then they pursued civil proceedings instead. um, which only steered because of the only got steered because of the group litigation order being granted. me. granted. goodness me. >> so it was only because this group litigation started that your ordeal came to an end. i suppose there are so many others who had proceedings launched against them earlier. and of course, uh , faced prison time course, uh, faced prison time for all of this. what have you done? uh in response to what you went through? yeah

>> well, i mean, it came to a head, but i mean, they only put it on a stick. so, i mean, it was hanging over me until the court case concluded in 2020. so i mean, it was, you know, for five there five years, just sitting there in wow. but in the background. wow. um, but in the background. wow. um, but in terms that, you know, in terms of that, you know, obviously, you know, through alan and the justice for subpostmasters we've subpostmasters alliance, we've we've pushing , know, we've kept on pushing, you know, we've kept on pushing, you know, we've mps on we've obviously got mps on board. and um, you know, we've raised the complaint of the parliamentary ombudsman. um, and then the high then obviously when the high court case that obviously court case came, that obviously blew wide up. you blew everything wide up. and you know, you know, that, you know, you couldn't have got a judgement at any eyes of any worse. um, in the eyes of the post office for what they've been doing. >> how hopeful do you feel >> so how hopeful do you feel today, christopher, you today, christopher, when you hear that there talks taking hear that there are talks taking place with senior judges today about whether these wrongful convictions, hundreds upon hundreds of them, can be quashed ? >> 7. >>i 7- >> i mean , 7_ >> i mean , i ? >> i mean , i mean, that's >> i mean, i mean, that's definitely the step that needs to be taken because, i mean, we can't sit through the current process might take process where it might take years you know, years and years. you know, most of people not alive of them people will not be alive in it is in order to see that. it is claimed do something

in order to see that. it is claimeit. do something in order to see that. it is claimeit. so do something in order to see that. it is claimeit. so that's do something in order to see that. it is claimeit. so that's importantthing about it. so that's important because only then can unlock because only then can i unlock the compensation that they deserve. terms of the deserve. but in terms of the whole group of supporters that are in in the scheme schemes at the moment, the compensation is not only slow , that obviously not only slow, that obviously they fighting every they are still fighting every single claim. you know, that they're putting up expensive lawyers litigate lawyers in order to litigate everybody's claim. um, regardless what kind of evidence you're putting forward to support them claim. so it's still an uphill battle for everybody. >> and throughout this long ordeal , throughout this process, ordeal, throughout this process, have you felt only lack really supported by people in positions of power? what was your feeling towards various post office ministers through various years? perhaps before this documentary came out this winter ? came out this winter? >> yeah, i mean, look, we've had a lot of politics support. you know, we've had been, um, debated many times in the house and i've had my own mp, kate osborne, been behind me osborne, that's been behind me since and many others. since 2015. um, and many others. but problem is, is but i think the problem is, is that of ministers the that a lot of ministers over the years haven't delved as

years haven't probably delved as deep as they should have. you know, asked the know, they haven't asked the right maybe right questions. they've maybe just briefings right questions. they've maybe just civil briefings right questions. they've maybe just civil in briefings right questions. they've maybe just civil in thefings from civil servants in the background, and obviously they haven't gone into it haven't gone into it. it was only started move only that thing started to move with, um, paul scully as a minister he started to minister when he started to unlock public inquiry and unlock the public inquiry and some to compensation. but some access to compensation. but it's just, you know, then then this this needs to be more. i mean, the movement now with obviously the outcry from obviously with the outcry from from the drama is obviously spearheaded . this is like one of spearheaded. this is like one of the political agendas. but the top political agendas. but why why did we have to why did it, why did we have to wait 20 for that to wait 20 years for that to happen? know , just it's happen? you know, it's just it's crazy. would you include ed davey therefore, as one of those people perhaps should have people that perhaps should have been top of his brief, been more on top of his brief, should deeper should have asked deeper questions rather than just accepting what the post office said ? well, i think, you know, said? well, i think, you know, i think obviously a lot has been aired towards ed davey and obviously he does have some questions answer. know, questions to answer. you know, why push harder? why didn't he push harder? you know, servants can know, the civil servants can tell thing in the brief, tell you one thing in the brief, but i mean, that's you're the minister, that's minister, you're the one that's supposed to the supposed to be getting to the bottom things. but bottom of these things. but there's many ministers, you

know, you said know, like i think you said earlier, political earlier, they've all political colours, whether that's labour, conservative, so conservative, the coalition. so there's many, many, many other times. so i don't think it's fair just to bring one fair just to bring what one person it . person into it. >> christopher had really hope. well it looks like the wheels are starting to turn a lot more quickly for you and hundreds of other now . wishing you other people now. wishing you all best and hope there all the very best and hope there is a resolution soon, very soon. >> yeah. thanks for coming on. well coming up as snow hits the uk, are you for prepared the subzero conditions and how long will they last? this is good afternoon britain on gb. news .

monday to thursdays from 6:00 till 930. >> good afternoon britain. it's 12:27 and more snow is forecast as an amber cold weather alert has been issued by the uk health security agency . this is the security agency. this is the cold snap is set to continue through this week. >> many communities who were affected by heavy rainfall dunng affected by heavy rainfall during storm henk now fear a widespread freeze. while many households struggle to afford to turn the heating up. due to this ongoing cost of living crisis . ongoing cost of living crisis. >> well, let's go live to our reporters across the country now. lisa hartle is in kent and jack carson is in smethwick. uh, lisa, let's start with you. it looks like there's some snow

behind you. yeah it looks really pretty, doesn't it? >> this all landed here. uh, i'm in seven oaks, but it landed across kent yesterday. stayed across kent yesterday. it stayed here frozen slightly over. over overnight. so the gritters were out in force on the main routes, making sure all the main roads are safe for motorists . uh, this are safe for motorists. uh, this road is busy enough that it is fine, but if you look around the area, there's the quieter roads area, there's the quieter roads are very icy, so the advice is to motorists to be careful on the roads at the moment. as always this time of year, icy roads don't make the best driving conditions. kent was one of the areas to be added to the list amber warnings list of um amber warnings overnight, issued by the uk national health agency and the met office, and that's because we're experiencing below average temperatures for this time of yeah temperatures for this time of year. that warning is set to be in until friday, and the in place until friday, and the reason it's in place is just a warning to health. basically, people can are more likely to experience things like heart attacks, strokes and chest infections when the temperatures plummet. the advice is to

plummet. so the advice is to stay indoors, stay warm for the vulnerable and older people in society. and if you're on the roads just to take care in those icy conditions, let's talk to jack carson, who is in smethwick in the good old black country. >> where are you, jack? you look like you're nice and warm indoors. unlike lisa, you got you got the best job. yeah i've got the good end of the stick today. >> certainly the dorothy parks community centre. this is one of those warm spaces that they exist all around the country of course. um, particularly when we had that with such high had that issue with such high energy bills and, well, they are still high. and so these spaces offer that chance for people who may not be able to afford to put the heating on at home, to come to space to keep warm, have to a space to keep warm, to have a people. and of a chat, um, with people. and of course, know, socialise as course, you know, socialise as well . and one of the people and well. and one of the people and one the things can also one of the things you can also do of centres and do at these kind of centres and these get that these warm spaces is get that advice as and probably advice as well, and probably chowdhury on and join chowdhury um, come on and join us this afternoon . um, you know,

us this afternoon. um, you know, this is all about you know, for you being able to provide advice to people. that's what you do here, isn't it? >> that's right. we're part of the team known as the cost of living team known as colt , run by the cost of living team known as colt, run by consortium colt, run by sandwell consortium and in conjunction with citizens advice and local community centres and that's what we're doing, providing advice on energy bills , benefits, housing, energy bills, benefits, housing, employment , energy bills, benefits, housing, employment, rent and debt as well . well. >> yeah, i mean, obviously one of the things that we know is big as well as here in particularly birmingham, big as well as here in particularly birmingham , is, particularly in birmingham, is, is poverty and people, you is fuel poverty and people, you know, afford know, not being able to afford to on. of to put their heating on. but of course, work with people course, you can work with people . me about some . can't you tell me about some of that you've . can't you tell me about some of particularly,)u've . can't you tell me about some of particularly, you; . can't you tell me about some of particularly, you know, . can't you tell me about some of heating cularly, you know, . can't you tell me about some of heating at.arly, you know, . can't you tell me about some of heating at the, you know, . can't you tell me about some of heating at the moment?v, with heating at the moment? >> yes, we had elderly, >> yes, we had one elderly, disabled centre and disabled lady at this centre and she was struggling with her energy . there were £360 a energy bills. there were £360 a month. we looked at the account and we managed to get that reduced to £160 a month. that's a saving of £200 a month, and which was such a relief to her. >> and the reason for that was her, uh, bill was incorrect and

she was struggling and not putting the heating on, even though you know her account was actually, uh, incorrect . and she actually, uh, incorrect. and she really owed the company £160 a month. >> so it was such a good success that. >> yeah, i mean, if you found , >> yeah, i mean, if you found, you know, over the course of the last year and, you know, since you've been doing project you've been doing this project that are more and that you are getting more and more about, about more people talk about, about fuel, as we know, fuel, about heating, as we know, especially as we go into this week the cold week with, with such the cold weather moment, weather at the moment, definitely . definitely. >> that to be the key >> that seems to be the key issue affecting people is the struggling to, you know, make that decision that should i put the or not. the heating on or not. >> it's very important >> and it's very important for people get in touch with people to get in touch with their energy providers they their energy providers if they are struggling or come to are struggling or to come to approach from approach for support from centres, community centres, citizens advice , because usually citizens advice, because usually the energy companies do help and they want us when they know your circumstances, they will do something to help you to sort of , you know how you can organise that , how we can restructure that, how we can restructure that, how we can restructure that , uh, and that, how we can restructure that, uh, and provide some help

and, and useful sort of tips as well. >> all right, paddy, thank you very much for, for joining >> all right, paddy, thank you very much for, forjoining us very much for, for joining us this afternoon . so yeah, here at this afternoon. so yeah, here at the smethwick community centre, it's people like pradeep and also of course the centre manager here rob, who we were talking to a little bit earlier on gb news that are on here on gb news that are providing support their providing that support for their community in these tough times . community in these tough times. >> well, jack carson and before you, of course, lisa hartle, thank you so much for those updates what the weather is updates of what the weather is like around country. updates of what the weather is likeyeah.1d country. updates of what the weather is likeyeah. lifelineountry. updates of what the weather is likeyeah. lifeline isn'ty. updates of what the weather is likeyeah. lifeline isn't it. that >> yeah. lifeline isn't it. that sort of help, um, in weather like this . like this. >> i'm very jealous of kent where the snow seems to have settled. it snowed where i am a little bit, but it didn't didn't start the ground. little bit, but it didn't didn't sta|we the ground. little bit, but it didn't didn't sta|we should the ground. little bit, but it didn't didn't sta|we should tellie ground. little bit, but it didn't didn't sta|we should tell you,»und. little bit, but it didn't didn't sta|we should tell you, though, little bit, but it didn't didn't sta|just;hould tell you, though, little bit, but it didn't didn't sta|just come tell you, though, little bit, but it didn't didn't sta|just come out. you, though, little bit, but it didn't didn't sta|just come out. you, tlastjh, it's just come out in the last few that we're few minutes that while we're talking weather, talking about the cold weather, complete 2023 last year complete paradox 2023 last year was the hottest year on record . was the hottest year on record. lord, uh, since 18 , 1853. and lord, uh, since 18, 1853. and they still think that that record will be broken again very soon. and 2024 could be even hotter , even though it doesn't

hotter, even though it doesn't quite feel like it at the moment. >> well , uh, stay with us here >> well, uh, stay with us here on gb news we'll have the very latest on the post office scandal, of course, and also we're expecting a statement in the house of commons from the leader of the commons , penny leader of the commons, penny mordaunt, on the rwanda scheme . mordaunt, on the rwanda scheme. and that to come after your headunes and that to come after your headlines sam, this is good headlines with sam, this is good afternoon britain news . afternoon britain on gb news. pip tom thank you very much. >> good afternoon from the gb newsroom. the headlines at just after 12:30 downing street says that tech company fujitsu will be held accountable, be it legally or financially, if the pubuc legally or financially, if the public inquiry finds it blundered. the post office, it scandal. it comes as the justice, justice secretary holds crunch talks with judges to look at ways to clear the names of staff who were wrongly accused of theft . at more than 700 staff of theft. at more than 700 staff were convicted, jailed and bankrupt and some took their lives . to date, just 93 lives. to date, just 93 convictions have been overturned

and only 30 have finalised compensation , with the compensation, with the government business minister kevin hollinrake says plans to speed up the remaining cases would be announced very shortly . would be announced very shortly. meanwhile, labour has defended the use of fines to tackle school absence rates. that's according to the shadow education secretary who says a labour government would keep the policy in place. speaking at an eventin policy in place. speaking at an event in london, bridget phillipson said parents should not take children out of school for cheaper holidays or for birthday treats . it's after more birthday treats. it's after more than a fifth of pupils in england were persistently absent across the autumn and spring terms in 2022 and 23. well, we're going to cross over now to the commons, where penny morden is giving a statement on the rwanda bill include on monday the 15th committee of the whole house and remaining stages of the animal welfare and livestock exports bill on tuesday, the 16th of january, the committee of the whole house of on the safety of rwanda asylum and immigration bill, day one,

wednesday, the 7th of january. >> committee of the whole house of the safety of rwanda asylum and immigration bill, day two. i will announce the business statement on thursday in the usual . usual way. >> let me just and then i'll come. can i just say , well, that come. can i just say, well, that was not a point of order of the chair. the house will chair. i'm sure the house will have leaders have heard the leaders announcement interest. >> powell , shadow leader >> lucy powell, shadow leader of the house. >> w- the house. >> mr speaker. >> thank you, mr speaker. further of order, further to that point of order, isn't this another example isn't this just another example of this government making it up as it goes along with no real plan scrabbling around trying to make something of this failed unworkable plan? we have had at least three business statements or questions since the bill first began being timetabled . first began being timetabled. wouldn't you expect, mr speaker, such an announcement to be made in a business statement in the usual way . usual way. >> on a point of order, it may be helpful if i explain to the house that if i had waited to announce this for the first time on thursday , there would have on thursday, there would have been very limited time for

people to table amendment . it's people to table amendment. it's ahead of the normal tabling deadline. we're making this announcement to facilitate our honourable and right honourable members in tabling amendments. if they wish to do so, and we do not wish to bring forward legislation that will not be successful. this is a matter of great importance to the general public. we wish it to be successful, and i hope the house will understand why we have given them a heads up of the business for next week. >> de—man the region. thank >> de—man to the region. thank you, speaker . you, mr speaker. >> normally business statements allow backbenchers as well as the frontbench to ask questions of the leader of the house. um this is a difficult precedent . this is a difficult precedent. not because it doesn't give the backbenchers a voice and saying it's just a matter of convenience for amendments isn't good enough. when the when the government are in charge of the business and could have done this in a much more organised way to give everybody a say . and way to give everybody a say. and i think this is a deplorable

development. mr speaker , can i development. mr speaker, can i just say, general, i would expect the house business to be announced via a statement on response to the business question. >> it would , of course, be in >> it would, of course, be in order to ask questions about timetabling of the business dunng timetabling of the business during thursday's business day. but unfortunately, you have made the point and at least you have got on the record, right? let got it on the record, right? let us move on. i'm now going to come to the ten minute rule motion bannau wilson here, here. >> well, there we have it. the timetable for the rwanda showdown. a committee of the whole house, two days of parliamentary debate on the 16th and the 17th of january. big, big days for our diaries , big big days for our diaries, big days in parliament. the leader of the house, penny mordaunt, announcing those extraordinarily in a point of order rather than her usual business statement, which would be a little bit later in the week. >> yeah, just explain that when

you say, unusually, announcing it order, just it in a point of order, just explain it. >> mordaunt has, uh , her >> penny mordaunt has, uh, her regular questions in the house of commons, usually on a thursday. she'll turn up and say, this is the order of business for next week in the house. uh, this isn't a thursday. this is a tuesday. so she's announced this unusually early and in a point of order rather than in a long question session where, as angela eagle was just saying, there in a normal questions session from the leader of the house, people would be able to ask lots of questions of her. why are you doing this? what's going on? this a quick point of order. this was a quick point of order. just was just announcing what was happening moving on. so happening and then moving on. so we've learnt about this a little bit earlier than we were expecting. okay >> political editor >> well, our political editor christopher hope think christopher hope i think can talk as well. uh, talk to us as well. uh, christopher , just elaborate christopher, just elaborate a bit more then about what tom was saying about penny morden announcing this earlier than expected. the debate will take place tuesday, wednesday next

week . why is she announced it week. why is she announced it earlier ? earlier? >> well, she said she was doing it, didn't she, to allow more time for parliament to debate . time for parliament to debate. um, the get ready for this big bill. the amendments will be put down by former immigration minister robert jenrick to make it harder, as he sees it, for judges to frustrate the will of parliament to stop these flights taking off as soon as may in the spring, the repeatedly spring, as the pm repeatedly says. spring, as the pm repeatedly says . that's why she says she's says. that's why she says she's doneit says. that's why she says she's done it and as tom correctly says, this set out says, normally this is set out in business statement by in the business statement by penny mordaunt. she's leader of the house of commons on a thursday . for me, the house of commons on a thursday. for me, this is to by the government more time. what's happening here is the whips know that they are facing big issues next week from right and left of the tory party they need lots of time to talk to mps, work out what they're doing, why they're doing it now . yesterday in doing it now. yesterday in accrington, when i was at accrington, when i was at accrington stanley football club with the prime minister, rishi sunak, said he was open to sunak, he said he was open to any bright ideas to improve the

rwanda bill. um, he wasn't clear what he meant by that. it could be even a sarcastic expression. i doubt it, but we're not entirely sure what was meant by that or you'll lose me slightly. forgive it's forgive me in a while. it's happened. um. i'm not sure quite why he said that , but, um . why he said that, but, um. >> can you still keep. was going on? there was this camera. >> seems like our camera's gone a little bit awol . i suppose the a little bit awol. i suppose the government will be hoping that the backbenchers don't go awol as well . but i suppose this the backbenchers don't go awol as well. but i suppose this is all backbench management, chris. >> so very briefly, yes, that's entirely right. sorry about the camera there, tom. and, uh, and pip. exactly right . i camera there, tom. and, uh, and pip. exactly right. i mean, this is backbench management to try and ensure that any rebels can be spoken about. there are issues here the government issues here for the government going , both for the going both ways, both for the right the party will try right wing of the party will try and harden it. but i think the worst the government has worst problem the government has got left wing tory mps try got is if left wing tory mps try and soften this , these measures, and soften this, these measures, because that might attract the support of the labour party and it may only need around 30 mps

on left of the party to sink on the left of the party to sink the entire bill. so we are now in a in a countdown. i think for some some jeopardy for the government going through this weekend into next tuesday and wednesday. and it's very clear to me that the, the leader of the house of commons, penny mordaunt , has announced this now mordaunt, has announced this now to buy time to try and sort out what could be a dramatic couple of days in parliament on tuesday and wednesday . and wednesday. >> okay. political editor christopher least we christopher hope, at least we could that camera shot could see from that camera shot that jeans that you are not wearing jeans and that you do have suit trousers on. >> should hope so too. he's just beenin >> should hope so too. he's just been in downing street , sir. oh, been in downing street, sir. oh, thank you very much christopher. hopeit thank you very much christopher. hope it is. it is fascinating. we're going to see this big, big showdown now at the of showdown now at the start of next week already. robert jenrick the former immigration minister who resigned in part over this legislation , said over this legislation, said he'll be tabling amendments. no doubt we'll see some amendments as well from the other side, from from the labour party, from the one nation group of conservative well . it'll

conservative mps, as well. it'll be a big, big battle with everyone lobbying things in from everyone lobbying things in from every angle. >> well, joining us now is conservative caroline nokes. conservative mp caroline nokes. uh good afternoon to you. let's just start off by asking you about this rwanda bill. how dramatic a showdown do you foresee it being? caroline well, look, the government is trying to strike a balance here between a to people making a deterrent to people making perilous crossings of the engush perilous crossings of the english channel and making sure that they have a an immigration scheme which complies with international law , which is international law, which is humane and which respects that many people will be fleeing war, persecution in their countries of origin. >> it's not an easy balance to strike, and i think that they're trying very hard to bring both wings of the party together . wings of the party together. >> so do you think that's why penny mordaunt has announced this unusual? only two days before she had to, in a point of order, rather than in her business . well it's business questions. well it's

certainly unusual, a bit odd to have a point of order giving you the future business. >> i think it might have waited until thursday , but clearly until thursday, but clearly penny has said she wants to give us as much notice as she possibly could. >> it us an >> i think it gives us an opportunity to see what amendments like and also amendments look like and also for party managers to try and thrash out the divisions that may come to the forefront . may come to the forefront. >> well, let's move back to the main business of today. we're talking on this programme about the postmasters scandal, of course. and, uh, we were speaking to one victim of this scandal a little bit earlier on the show who felt like there has been a lot of support from some backbench mps over the course of the last few years, but that the support coming from government ministers of many different parties had really been lacking . parties had really been lacking. >> well, look, we heard a 2.5 hour statement from kevin hollinrake yesterday . hollinrake yesterday. >> he answered questions from

all sides of the house and i think has given us reassurance that there is going to be action at pace, not just to make sure that compensation is given to the postmasters as quickly as they possibly can, but also, importantly, at action on the quashing of convictions , on quashing of convictions, on group appeals, whatever format that's going to take, it's imperative that those subpostmasters and mistresses who have been wrongly convicted, who have been wrongly convicted, who have been wrongly convicted, who have lived for years years with a cloud hanging over them with a cloud hanging over them with their integrity, impugn some of them gone to prison, some of them gone to prison, some of them tragically taken their own lives. it's absolutely crucial that there's an easy and rapid way to quash those convictions . convictions. >> do you want to see prosecute actions brought over this ? actions brought over this? caroline, you know, there are a number of people allegations are being made against them. do you think they should face the full force of the law now, after what these people , hundreds of these people, hundreds of subpostmasters have been put through, some of whom have already passed away ?

already passed away? >> well, look, we saw through the itv dramatisation , but some the itv dramatisation, but some of us have been aware for years through cases on our own constituencies , of the impact constituencies, of the impact that this has had on subpostmasters and mistresses. i think there's some really interesting questions. and of course the met should be investigating . of course, we investigating. of course, we have see whether there has have to see whether there has been criminal action by anybody involved with the post office. but what really struck me was that the post office just kept going. it knew it must have known there was a problem . just known there was a problem. just looking at the sheer scale of those who are being accused . i those who are being accused. i think prior to horizon , the post think prior to horizon, the post office on average prosecuted about ten people a year for fraud and then suddenly post the introduction of horizon, they were looking at numbers of 70 or 80 a year. sub postmasters and mistresses. they're not suddenly become criminal to tenfold. the previous rate, and that alone should have flagged up something to those post office bosses who became determined to either look the other way or it looked, in some cases, determined to cover

up and keep from investigators to keep from parliament. actually, what was going on with that horizon computer programme ? that horizon computer programme? >> yes. big questions to answer of the post office. caroline nokes for now, thank you very much for that latest there from uh college green outside parliament. >> at least ten united airlines, 737 max nine aircraft have been discovered with loose bolts following that mid—air blow—out on an alaska airlines max nine at the weekend. >> and yes, the federal aviation administration grounded 171 max nine planes on saturday after a panelin nine planes on saturday after a panel in the fuselage blew out just minutes after taking off from portland , oregon, on fri day. >> friday. >> joining us now is our security editor, mark white. good afternoon mark. this is turning into a real crisis. isn't it. >> yeah i think there's some real concern here that we are only really at the initial

cursory investigation signs and examinations that are taking place on that boeing 737 max nine fleet. and already you united airlines, we believe , united airlines, we believe, have discovered loose bolts in around ten aircraft in the area around ten aircraft in the area around these panels. now they're described as door plugs. that's what they're known as. and effectively what it means is that depending on the configuration of the aircraft in terms of how many people it carries , uh, it may have to use carries, uh, it may have to use other emergency exits or put other emergency exits or put other emergency exit in. so these door plugs can be, uh , these door plugs can be, uh, taken out. they're just panels that are bolted in. they can be taken out and a proper emergency exit can be put in either side of the aircraft to wards the back of that aircraft , um, those back of that aircraft, um, those that particular door plug , that

that particular door plug, that panel blew out at 16,000ft. the aircraft had taken off from portland in oregon, had not yet reached, thankfully had not yet reached, thankfully had not yet reached its cruising altitude, but was still high enough that there was this explosive decompression and very luckily there was a child in a seat. next to, uh, where that gaping hole, uh, there then, uh, manifested itself on the aircraft but was strapped in still at that point. and luckily was not sucked out of the aircraft. the pilots managed to land back in portland after declaring a mid—air emergency. now the national uh transport safety board in the us that's carrying out investigations , uh, carrying out investigations, uh, gave this update on the latest info that we're getting from both united airlines and alaska airlines about these loose bolts

that have been found . that have been found. >> we are aware of the reports of that are coming back from the inspections from united and alaska and boeing, our team is collecting that information , and collecting that information, and there will be some follow up from the inspections . uh, but it from the inspections. uh, but it it right now we're focussed on this one. but we can go broader at any time. we don't have to finish the investigation in to issue an urgent . safety issue an urgent. safety recommendation. we can do that any time. and we have done that for entire fleets before for now, those inspectors are being aided by the fact that they have recovered this panel that was found in a gentleman's back garden, uh , not far from garden, uh, not far from portland, lodged in some trees. >> he's been speaking to reporters. this is what he said. >> it just came down as a single unit. um, and was lying in my backyard. so it was kind of caughtin backyard. so it was kind of caught in the trees at the time. they pulled it out and laid it out on the grass. and even

though it was raining this morning, they up and morning, they were up close and shining and shining their lights on it and taking and starting to taking pictures and starting to try out what had try to figure out what had happened cause that . happened to cause that. >> now 171 of these boeing 737 max nine aircraft that have been grounded as the investigation continues, they're waiting for instructions from the federal aviation administration and from boeing, the manufacturer, about how they conduct the more detailed inspections so they could be grounded for some time yet. and that's clearly causing disruption, not to just the affected airline. alas airlines and now united of course, finding these loose bolts . but finding these loose bolts. but there are other airlines that have 737 max nine aircraft left that are also affected, including turkish airlines uh copa, which is a south american airline . uh lion air in airline. uh lion air in indonesia. so some real concerns

going forward about the implications for passengers that are flying , uh, on this are flying, uh, on this particular airline or air, uh, aircraft type, i should say, mark the footage is just extraordinary . extraordinary. >> seeing that open , uh, part of >> seeing that open, uh, part of the plane . thankfully, people the plane. thankfully, people still strapped in to their seat belts . thankfully, only half its belts. thankfully, only half its cruising altitude. but if this had happened a few more minutes into the flight, as opposed to when it did, if this had happened when people did not have their seat belts on or indeed when the air pressure was so much less outside the plane, people could have been sucked out of this aircraft . out of this aircraft. >> yeah, there's no doubt about that. >> yeah, there's no doubt about that . and obviously, as it's that. and obviously, as it's still cruising or ascending to that cruising altitude, uh, then people are, uh, having to wear the seat belts or the seatbelt signs , uh, on which has helped signs, uh, on which has helped enormously. obviously because

even at 16,000ft, there was tremendous pressure within the aircraft pushing out. and potentially i mean, it sucked a mobile phone out, which miraculously, miraculously survived , uh, its descent to the survived, uh, its descent to the ground. we're told. um, now these, uh , door plugs, they're these, uh, door plugs, they're not just just, um, unique to the max nine fleet. they're common right across air aircraft types within aviation . uh, but senior within aviation. uh, but senior aviation source, uh, that i've been speaking to said that, you know, it's not an issue that they've really ever encountered before. and it appears as, uh, from the information that he's gained , uh, that what we're gained, uh, that what we're looking at here is something in the manufacture process that's either allowed for bolts not to be properly tightened or a defect within some of these bolts, but when you've got a panel on the outside of the aircraft, as opposed to the door

system, which is different, the dooris system, which is different, the door is larger on the inside, so it gets pushed against the fuselage . um, and that stops fuselage. um, and that stops that being sucked out . um, but that being sucked out. um, but when you've got a panel, if there is any loose bolts on that panel there is any loose bolts on that panel, then clearly it can come loose and it can, uh, be blown out of the aircraft. yeah >> no, just a completely scary situation for those on board that aircraft. i suppose we've all been in a situation like that where we sort of, um, just don't think it could happen. and it does. >> and if you're already a nervous flyer seeing nervous flyer after seeing that footage would really send you spinning , footage would really send you spinning, um, home security editor on mark white. thank you so much. do stay with us here on. good afternoon britain. we are obviously going to bring you the latest on this post office horizon scandal. the latest on this post office horizon scandal . are we just horizon scandal. are we just days away now from a solution where legally , the convictions where legally, the convictions of hundreds of subpostmasters

could finally be quashed? it's taken so many, many years and now we have a date in our diaries for the parliamentary showdown of the month, potentially , the rwanda debate potentially, the rwanda debate will last two full days of house of commons time next week. >> that was announced in an extraordinary point of order by the leader of the commons , penny the leader of the commons, penny mordaunt. just a few minutes ago. we'll have more on that coming up as well. also south korea has voted to ban the dog meat trade. >> dogs are off the dinner plate. we'll be talking to one of the campaigners and her dog henry, a beautiful golden retriever who was rescued from south korea. you don't want to miss it. see you very shortly. this is good afternoon. >> britain here on gb news. >> britain here on gb news. >> looks like things are heating up. boxt boilers as sponsors of whether on . gb news. whether on. gb news. >> alex deakin here with your latest weather update from the met office for gb news. for

most, it's another dry cold one out there today. many of us seeing some blue sky and a bit of sunshine, but it feels particularly cold in the wind across south. that's high across the south. that's high pressure, that's dominating, keeping things dry, but the squeeze isobars meaning squeeze in the isobars meaning this pretty this easterly wind pretty noticeable in the south, brought some snow flurries yesterday. 1 or 2 this morning in the far southwest they are scooting away. so as i said, most places dry quite a bit of sunshine around as well. brightening up in devon and cornwall, staying fairly cloudy though over northeast and eastern northeast england and eastern scotland. i think we'll keep a lot cloud in the lot of cloud here in the sunshine, temperatures struggling three, four, maybe five degrees celsius. feeling colder with the winds. parts of the highlands of scotland may not freezing. some not get above freezing. some stubborn in and stubborn fog patches in and around inverness may as well stick throughout the day . stick throughout the day. overnight we'll see the clouds spilling back in across eastern scotland and northern england, so should to keep the so that should help to keep the temperatures up and may just see 1 2 showers coming here as 1 or 2 showers coming in here as well. in the south, well. but for most in the south, it's it's it's clear. it's cold. it's

frosty again , the wind stopping, frosty again, the wind stopping, temperatures dropping far temperatures dropping too far but making a cold feel again but making for a cold feel again tomorrow. again, much of the south. dry and sunny, but a cloudier day for northern england. of scotland and england. most of scotland and parts of northern ireland. there will a showers drifting will be a few showers drifting in. rain rather in. there'll be of rain rather than the west coast of than of snow. the west coast of scotland should hang on to some sunshine temperatures just sunshine and temperatures just creeping up, but feeling colder where it's cloudier . where it's cloudier. >> that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers . boxt boilers. >> sponsors of weather on .

gb news. good afternoon britain. it is 1:00 on tuesday the 9th of january. postal pressure ministers are scrambling to piece together a solution to quash the convictions of hundreds of wrongly convicted postmasters . postmasters. >> top judges are in talks with the government to see what can be done to expedite and accelerate the process of unpicking two decades of scandalous miscarriages of justice. >> snow joke parts of the country are covered in snow . country are covered in snow. others are bracing themselves for days of subzero temperatures, frost , more snow temperatures, frost, more snow and amber cold health alerts. how long could this cold spell be with us? >> dogs off the dinner plate south korea's parliament overwhelmingly votes to ban the

dog meat trade , bowing to dog meat trade, bowing to pressure from long standing campaigners. the ban will be phased in over three years. we'll speak to the owner of one south korean canine refugee now living a healthy life in the uk. all that and more to come before we get going. >> your latest headlines with sam francis . sam francis. >> pip, thank you very much. good afternoon from the gb newsroom i'm sam francis . the newsroom i'm sam francis. the headunes newsroom i'm sam francis. the headlines at just after one the government's rwanda bill will reach the third stage of its progress through parliament next week. penny morden told the commons a few moments ago that mps and suggest mps will debate and suggest amendments to the legislation on the 16 and 17th of january. however, the shadow commons leader, lucy powell, said the announcement was just another

example of the government making it go along . she it up as they go along. she called the plan unworkable . the called the plan unworkable. the justice secretary says the government is actively considering new laws to overturn the convictions of post office workers caught up in the horizon scandal alex chalk told mps it was an appalling injustice. more than 700 staff were convicted , than 700 staff were convicted, jailed, bankrupt and some took their lives after being wrongly accused of theft. to date, just 93 convictions have been overturned and only 30 have finalised compensation , with the finalised compensation, with the government business minister kevin hollinrake says plans to speed up the remaining cases would be announced very shortly. but shadow minister for schools catherine mckinnell says there are still more questions to be asked and everybody needs to look hard at who knew what, when and what decisions were taken and what decisions were taken and what decisions were taken and what could have been done to deliver justice more swiftly for deliverjustice more swiftly for the victims of this egregious mis carriage of justice. >> but ultimately, we know one of the issues that is being

looked at is the system that the post office has been using to prosecute out these convictions and making sure that that is reviewed and perhaps brought under a different system to make sure this doesn't happen again . sure this doesn't happen again. >> the leader of the liberal democrats is accusing the post office of unleashing what he calls a conspiracy of lies against ministers. it comes as sir ed davey faces pressure over his role as postal affairs minister in the coalition government at the time of the scandal , government at the time of the scandal, labour has defended government at the time of the scandal , labour has defended the scandal, labour has defended the use of fines to tackle school absence rates. that's according to the shadow education secretary, who says a labour government would keep the policy in place. speaking earlier at an event here in london, bridget phillipson said parents should not take children out of school for holidays for cheaper holidays or for birthday . it's after more birthday treats. it's after more than a fifth of pupils in england persisting , absent england were persisting, absent across the autumn and spring terms in 2022 and 2023. in

france, gabriel attal has become the country's youngest ever prime minister our emmanuel macron says he wants to freshen things up in his second terms, ahead of the european parliament elections. the 34 year old, who's a close ally of the french president, is also the first prime minister to be openly gay in france. he made a name for himself during the covid pandemic as the former education minister in the us, two airlines have found loose hardware during plane inspections . that's after plane inspections. that's after a section of the fuselage fell from an alaska airlines 737 max nine on friday. the plane had to make an emergency landing, but luckily no passengers were injured. the operator says it has since found some loose hardware on several max nines. meanwhile, united airlines says some bolts needed additional tightening and there have been installed issues relating to door plugs . oregon high school door plugs. oregon high school teacher bob sauer has discovered the missing alaska airlines plane door in his garden . plane door in his garden. >> i could see that there was

something gleaming white underneath the trees in the back that isn't normally there, and when i went to investigate it, it was very obvious part of a plane. it had the same curvature as the fuselage. it had a plane type window in it, and it was white, which is why it was gleaming . gleaming. >> more snow is expected across the country as the uk health security agency has issued an amber coloured health alert for parts of england. the winter weather follows storm henk, which left large areas flooded and thousands of homes damaged by flood waters . more than 100 by flood waters. more than 100 flood warnings remain in place across the uk. weather journalist nathan rao told gb news earlier that plummeting temperatures could make things worse. areas along the river thames, the river trent, the river nene which are all suffering from floods at the moment. >> those areas are going to continue to be at risk of flooding through the coming days. now, with the cold temperatures, it just compounds the misery because with the clean up operation and getting

if flooded , the last if you're flooded, the last thing you want is for temperatures to plummet. thing you want is for tenwe'veires to plummet. thing you want is for tenwe've learned.ummet. thing you want is for tenwe've learned todayet. thing you want is for tenwe've learned today that 2023 >> we've learned today that 2023 was the world's hottest year on record. that's to according new data eu scientists compared average temperatures with global records going back to 1850. the european union's climate service says it was also likely to be the warmest year in the last 100,000 years. and some breaking news just into us here at gb news. former post office boss paula vennells has said she will hand back her cbe with immediate effect. that's amid the fallout of the horizon it scandal, which led to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of subpostmasters . of hundreds of subpostmasters. we'll bring you much more on that throughout the course of this afternoon. this is gb news across the uk on tv , on your across the uk on tv, on your digital radio and on your smart speaken digital radio and on your smart speaker. just say play gb news now though, it's back to tom and

. pip >> good afternoon britain . it's >> good afternoon britain. it's 1:06 and more now on that astonishing news breaking in the last minute or so that paula vennells has decided to give back hand back her cbe , obe and back hand back her cbe, obe and this is amid mounting pressure . this is amid mounting pressure. >> there has been a petition , >> there has been a petition, uh, taking place to strip her of her cbe that is now at over 1.2 million signatures. but in the last few minutes, paula vennells, she ran the post office. when the post office said there was not a problem with, uh, the software, the honzon with, uh, the software, the horizon software that turned out to be faulty. she was running the post office at the time. she now says with immediate effect, she will hand back her cbe and of course, it was just yesterday that the prime minister himself waded in to this debate , saying waded in to this debate, saying that it was his strong view that she should hand back her cbe . she should hand back her cbe. >> however, of course, the forfeiture committee was due to

look at this process was due to begin looking at whether or not her cbe should be stripped. could it be that paula vennells has jumped out before she was pushed and all this comes on the day that the justice secretary is looking and holding talks with judges to see how the convictions of hundreds of subpostmasters could be quashed. >> hundred of subpostmasters were prosecuted, while paula vennells was in charge. some of them have since passed away. some of them were actually sentenced and imprisoned. so this is quite a day now to hear that paula vennells has voluntarily , it appears, decided voluntarily, it appears, decided that with immediate effect, she will hand back her cbe . will hand back her cbe. >> and of course, for subpostmasters have taken their own lives in the course of this scandal as well. let's get more on this now with our political

correspondent, katherine forster and catherine, i suppose the political pressure had mounted to breaking point this . to breaking point this. >> exactly. paula vennells must have seen the way that the wind was blowing. the prime minister yesterday making clear that he would strongly support the forfeiture committee , looking at forfeiture committee, looking at potentially taking her cbe back, and then all those members of the public, 1.2 million having signed the petition demanding that she should have it stripped from her. normally those sorts of petitions take weeks, months to get up to, you know, any, any significant number. this happened very , very fast because happened very, very fast because the outrage triggered by this itv series about an issue that's been going on, frankly, for decadesis been going on, frankly, for decades is really something else. so she has handed it back voluntarily. no doubt she realised that ultimately it was likely to be stripped from her. so she's decided to do the right

thing. so that's one of the things that have been widely being called for. another one, of course, being a way to quash the hundreds and hundreds of convictions of suppose masters that were guilty of doing nothing wrong but were convicted of fraud, of stealing, of cooking the books over many, many years between 1999, when this horizon system, this dodgy software system was brought in and people being convicted right up until 2015. now, alex chalk , up until 2015. now, alex chalk, the justice secretary, has confirmed today that they are actively considering how that might happen. he's been talking to judges . is might happen. he's been talking to judges. is it sounding like potentially a piece of legislation will be brought to parliament to enable the courts to do that? because currently only 93 people have had those convictions overturned and then, of course, there's also the matter of compensation. now, about two thirds of people have

had some compensation. but of course , this is a matter dating course, this is a matter dating back years . as you've said, back years. as you've said, people have died. people have taken their own lives. it's ruined the lives of hundreds of, you know, real pillars of the community. so calls for compensation to be speeded up. and then , of course, the small and then, of course, the small matter , not so small matter of matter, not so small matter of fujitsu , this, um, japanese tech fujitsu, this, um, japanese tech firm who had this faulty equipment and caused calls for them not to be given any new government contracts, but perhaps easier said than done, as it's now emerging that they're quite heavily embedded. they've got multiple contracts through government, including monitoring england's flood uh, alerts and so not quite as simple , but you know, it does simple, but you know, it does feel like there is an energy and a desire finally to right some of these terrible , terrible of these terrible, terrible wrongs that have been done to these people over many years. >> it's extraordinary to read

back the reason why paula vennells was given the cbe in the first place. quote for services to the post office. now this seems like a sick joke really. reading back, i suppose the irony as well got too much . the irony as well got too much. >> yes, exactly. i mean, this was first reported concerns about the horizon system and people being accused of crimes that they hadn't committed by computer weekly back in 2009, when they were literally hundreds of stories in the media and on tv in papers too, over the years about this and yet progress on getting justice has moved at snail's pace. and we've seen this over and over again . seen this over and over again. we saw it with hillsborough , we saw it with hillsborough, when basically the police cover up their mistakes and liverpool fans were blamed. we've seen it with the tainted blood scandal. people still . waiting 30, 40, 50

people still. waiting 30, 40, 50 years after terrible wrongs were done to them for justice. these huge failures of the state, we see them again and again and again. let's hope that with this one, with the focus that's on this, that things will finally start to move . start to move. >> political correspondent katherine forster, thank you. i just want to bring our viewers and listeners, paula vennells statement that, uh, she is returning her cbe and she says that i have so far maintained my silence as i considered it inappropriate to comment publicly while the inquiry remains ongoing and before i have provided my oral evidence, i am aware, however, of the calls from suppose masters and others to return my cbe. i have listened and i confirm that i have returned it with immediate effect. i'm truly sorry for the devastation caused to the subpostmasters and their families whose lives were torn, torn families whose lives were tom, torn apart by being wrongly accused and wrongly prosecuted as a result of the horizon system. it concludes with her

saying i now intend to continue to focus on assisting the inquiry and will not make any further public comment until it has concluded that is former post office boss paula vennells issuing that statement in the last few moments. she is handing back her cbe following this post office horizon, deepening scandal, she might not want to make any more comment, but i expect people will want to ask her questions , handing it back her questions, handing it back and scuttling away . and we and scuttling away. and we should note as well. sorry tom, that alan bates, the man who has been so , uh, well, who has led been so, uh, well, who has led the campaign for justice been so, uh, well, who has led the campaign forjustice in this, he was, uh, offered an honour or given an honour, and he refused to take it while paula vennells still had that cbe she has announced in the last few minutes she is returning it. >> well, let's speak now to the labour mp, steve mccabe, for reaction to this. and, steve, uh, first of all, just your

words in response to what paula vennells has just done . vennells has just done. >> well, i think it's probably the right thing to do and it will go some way , uh, to will go some way, uh, to satisfying some of the, the issues that have been raised. but as you say, i think there are probably a few more questions that need to be answered about the infamous version that was put out in the decision on the private post office prosecutions , and also , office prosecutions, and also, steve, lots of people are asking king, who and earth awarded her a cbe in the first place, while all this was going on. well, there's a lot of questions about how honours are awarded these days. how honours are awarded these days . um, i don't know. i mean, days. um, i don't know. i mean, i honestly have no idea , but i i honestly have no idea, but i think it's probably if the honours system , they continue to honours system, they continue to have any kind of validity, she's

done the right thing. finally because this getting a cbe that is significant . is significant. >> it will have done her career when she received that, i think she was it was announced at the end of 2018. once she received that, it would have given her career a big boost. she went on to hold many other big positions, didn't she . positions, didn't she. >> yes, i mean, i think that's the point, she has continued to do quite well for herself while all these other people have had such a terrible time . such a terrible time. >> now, steve, uh , whilst this >> now, steve, uh, whilst this has been going on within governments , we've been seeing governments, we've been seeing meetings, meetings between the post office minister and the justice secretary. now, between the justice secretary and members of the judiciary about potential expediting this process of exonerating, really the hundreds of wrongly convicted postmasters yet to be exonerated . what would you like exonerated. what would you like

to see the government do to move this forward over the coming days. >> well, i think the only thing they can do is to have a short and very rapid piece of legislation. i don't think there would be any trouble getting all party agreement for it to give a blanket exoneration to these people . all i mean, they are not people. all i mean, they are not going to be in a position these people already feel that they've been rightly, that they've been abused by the judicial process. they're not going to go through individual appeals to try and clear their name. some of them have been made bankrupt, can't get access to compensation even when it's clear they're entitled to it. so the only solution to this is a piece of very rapid, simple legislation to clear it out once and for all. and the quicker the better. steve what do you say to those who say

that's all very well and good, but there are potentially 800 people here. >> what if 1 or 2 were right, fully convicted , and we know fully convicted, and we know that the numbers who were wrongfully convicted is huge . wrongfully convicted is huge. but would it is it is it right to think, hang on, were there zero cases of fraud across this 20 year period ? might there be 20 year period? might there be an issue with a blank audit exoneration . exoneration. >> well, i mean, i, i haven't yet heard , uh, of a single case yet heard, uh, of a single case where someone has protested their innocence , where there's their innocence, where there's been, uh, conclusive proof that whole argument rests on the fact that they were wrongly and falsely convicted . um, and you falsely convicted. um, and you know, i was, uh, you were saying your own, uh , reporter was your own, uh, reporter was saying earlier it's going on for far too long, and, you know, uh,

l, far too long, and, you know, uh, i, i personally doubt very much that a single person involved in the horizon scandal is guilty of anything. uh, but actually, i think this is a situation where the needs of the vast majority must prevail. uh >> steve mccabe, thank you very much for talking to us. this afternoon. and just to recap, if you are just joining us, paula vennells , the former boss of the vennells, the former boss of the post office, uh, she's been under mounting pressure over the last few days , and she has just last few days, and she has just announced that she will be returning her cbe that was awarded to her. well five years ago now. >> and that's after more than 1.2 million people signed that petition. demand that she handed back her cbe, the prime minister intervening yesterday to say that the forfeiture committee should begin looking into that case of whether or not she was rightfully handed a cbe and whether or not it should have

been taken off her. well, in the end it was her decision rather than theirs . than theirs. >> and this is the former chief executive of who kept denying that there was a problem with the horizon it system, and we now know what the actual problem was. and it was nothing to do with the subpostmasters . with the subpostmasters. >> well, don't go anywhere . >> well, don't go anywhere. we've got lots and lots more coming up for you this afternoon, including antony blinken's shuttle diplomacy in the middle east zipping between saudi arabia and israel. can he prevent a wider regional conflict erupting ? well, this is conflict erupting? well, this is good afternoon, britain on .

sunday mornings from 930 on . gb sunday mornings from 930 on. gb news. good afternoon britain. >> it is 124 and the us secretary of state, antony blinken, is in israel today meeting with the country's leaders to try and discuss a way forward after recently touring other middle eastern nations . other middle eastern nations. >> speaking alongside israeli president isaac herzog ahead of their meeting earlier, mr blinken said he would share what he had heard from regional countries during a day of meetings with israel's government, including its prime minister benjamin netanyahu. well joining us now is the israeli journalist yotam confino and yotam , this is a tense and yotam, this is a tense moment . moment. >> of course, it's not long

after after there have been some extrajudicial , uh, extrajudicial, uh, assassinations , uh, people assassinations, uh, people worried about the spill—over effects of this war, potentially in lebanon, potentially in other countries. is that what this visit is about? >> it's both about that. but obviously it's also about the us policy towards gaza. >> the united states would like to persuade israel to come up with finally to come up with some sort of a viable solution for the day after hamas in gaza , for the day after hamas in gaza, because the us doesn't see eye to eye with israel when it comes to eye with israel when it comes to this. israel has expressed , to this. israel has expressed, uh, basically that they don't want to see the palestinian authority taking charge in gaza. that's something that the united states would like to see. so they're now to find they're trying now to find common ground here. course, common ground here. of course, blinken is also going to speak to the palestinians that's going to the palestinians that's going to if can find to try and see if they can find some solution for some sort of a solution for gaza, for who's supposed to take oven gaza, for who's supposed to take over, and also for the many palestinians who are now homeless , whether they can go

homeless, whether they can go back to where they came from in northern gaza . so there are many northern gaza. so there are many questions that obviously relate to gaza. but another i think, more worrying aspect of all of this is what's happening on israel's northern border with hezbollah. every single day. israel hezbollah attack each israel and hezbollah attack each other. uh, today , israel other. uh, today, israel apparently killed three members of hezbollah . hezbollah launched of hezbollah. hezbollah launched several drones across the border. they set off rocket siren alarms in all across northern israel as far as five minutes ago, actually . and this minutes ago, actually. and this is something that blinken and the united states are extremely worried about . but the last worried about. but the last thing they want is a full fledged war between israel and hezbollah . hezbollah. >> everything you hear, though, yotam suggests that you just one bad move away from a fully fledged war. here things are so incredibly tense now , i can't incredibly tense now, i can't believe we're not already at war. >> under normal circumstances , >> under normal circumstances, this would have been a full fledged war months ago . the fledged war months ago. the reason why israel has not

invaded southern lebanon and gotten rid of hezbollah and simply just bombarded all of hezbollah's military infrastructure , is because it infrastructure, is because it can't fight two wars at the same time . it had to focus its time. it had to focus its attentions in gaza. now it's so close to simply, um, giving in to also public pressure. we have to also public pressure. we have to remember 80,000 israelis have been evacuated from the northern border. uh, simply because it's too dangerous for them to live there due to the daily attacks . there due to the daily attacks. and they are all saying that the government has to do something . government has to do something. this is not sustainable. so there's a huge pressure on the government to, to get rid of hezbollah from the, from the northern border and just explain the dangers of , uh, hezbollah the dangers of, uh, hezbollah compared to hamas. >> many people say they are far more armed. they're backed, perhaps more explicitly by iran . perhaps more explicitly by iran. they've got more modern weaponry . a war with hezbollah compared to hamas could be far larger, far more , uh, effective in terms

far more, uh, effective in terms of spill—over and could, uh, really deliver for some pretty, pretty harsh consequence for the whole region . whole region. >> absolutely. it would be a nightmare scenario for israel if hezbollah and israel, uh, went into a full fledged war, mainly because hezbollah has 150,000 rockets. many of them are precision guided missiles. they can reach all across israel and israel is relatively well equipped with its missile defence system. but many israelis don't have bomb shelters, me included . i don't shelters, me included. i don't have a bomb shelter. so there's a huge difference between a katyusha rocket fired from hamas in gaza and then a heavy, long—range precision guided missile from hezbollah. it's a completely different ball game, and thousand thousands of people would likely be killed in such a war. and that's i'm now i'm talking just about the israeli side. we talk about the lebanese side, the devastation in lebanon. if israel began, uh , lebanon. if israel began, uh, conducting airstrikes all across

lebanon would be huge , simply lebanon would be huge, simply huge devastation. and israel is also said that before it has said that it will turn lebanon back to the stone age in, uh, in a new war with hezbollah . a new war with hezbollah. >> israeli journalist jossom confino , i really appreciate confino, i really appreciate your analysis and insight this afternoon. thanks very much. thank you . thank you. >> concerning times , uh, a bit >> concerning times, uh, a bit closer to home now , more snow is closer to home now, more snow is forecast as an amber cold weather alert has been issued and a cold snap is set to continue this week . continue this week. >> yes, many communities who were affected by heavy rainfall dunng were affected by heavy rainfall during storm henk now fear a widespread freeze. while many households struggle to afford to turn the heating up due to the ongoing cost of living crisis. well let's go live to our reporters across the country how. >> now. >> lisa hartle is in kent and jack carson is in smethwick. uh, lisa, let's start with you. some snowy scenes behind you . snowy scenes behind you. >> hello. yes, well, it's all

thawing now, unfortunately. well unfortunately for some like me who like looking at the pretty coverings, but probably good news for people who have to get about during this weather, because overnight kent was added to the list of places in the in england that under amber weather warnings. so that's introduced because we're experiencing uh, below uh below average temperatures at the moment . and temperatures at the moment. and the problem with that is it can be a risk to people's health, particularly older people. and the more vulnerable vulnerable in society during lower temperatures, you've got more risks of experiencing things like heart attacks, strokes and chest infections . so that's why chest infections. so that's why the warning has been issued. and that's in place until friday, as well as across other parts of the south east and london. overnight, the gritters were out um , making sure that all the um, making sure that all the main roads are safe for motorists and that will be the same again this evening, because although the is thawing, although the snow is thawing, there's surface and there's still surface water and that freeze

that will likely freeze overnight as temperatures set to plummet . so overnight as temperatures set to plummet. so the overnight as temperatures set to plummet . so the advice overnight as temperatures set to plummet. so the advice is to stay warm and also to take care on the roads when you're travelling about as is often the case at this time of year. >> nora forster okay. lisa hartle and kent, thank you very much. somebody much. stay warm. somebody who is managing to stay warm because he's indoors is jack carson, who this afternoon is in smethwick in birmingham. tell us where you are jack and what they're up to there. >> yeah. good yeah. good afternoon to you. this is, uh, the, uh, dorothy parkes community centre . it's one of community centre. it's one of those, um, uh, community centres. like many across the country that is providing a warm space for people if they do need to keep warmer. this winter, if they maybe can't afford that high energy bill to put their heating on all the time, they can come to this space, come to the activity groups that are put on here, socialise. but importantly, we say, importantly, like we say, especially this cold weather, especially in this cold weather, keep warm as and rob keep warm as well. and rob bruce, ceo of the of bruce, who's the ceo of the of the is with us uh, this the centre, is with us uh, this afternoon. now, you've managed

to get some haven't to get some funding, haven't you, as part of warm you, as part of this warm welcome. tell us about that funding what you're to funding and what you're able to spend that on. yeah. >> well we're fortunate enough to under £10,000 to receive just under £10,000 from national grid , uh, their from national grid, uh, their community fund. uh focusing on fuel poverty. so with that, we've been able to invest in 100 warm packs that are consistent of things like, uh, heated throw and hand warmers , radiator bleed and hand warmers, radiator bleed keys , 20m of draught excluder keys, 20m of draught excluder and a and a thermos flask . and and a and a thermos flask. and the idea with that is people can take that home, use it to help keep themselves warm, and also keep themselves warm, and also keep their homes warm. um the remainder of that fund we've been able to use to be able to cover the costs of the operating the centre in terms of the heating the lighting, heating and the lighting, because we are bank and because we are a warm bank and we're open seven days a week, 12 hours a day, and it's free for all members of the community to come down, sit in the foyer area, access to refreshments, socialise but more importantly keep themselves warm .

keep themselves warm. >> yeah, i mean, you say you're providing space people providing this space for people to you you to keep warm, but you must. you know energy are know people, energy costs are for high normal people, high for high normal people, the high for high normal people, the high for is a business well. for you is a business as well. to able put this on. so to be able to put this on. so you what costs you know, what are your costs looking like at the moment. >> like everywhere >> yeah. well like everywhere else, our costs else, um, you know, our costs are our gas and are i think our gas and electric. is electric. this year, uh, is double what we, what we paid last year , um, the gas bill in last year, um, the gas bill in november, i think, was as much as six months combined . as the last six months combined. um, so we are finding it hard as well. thankfully , there are well. um, thankfully, there are funders out there that we can go to. um, last through, for example, do a cost of living fund that we were successful in applying and that, again, will help look after our gas and electric for for the the electric costs for for the the future. we're also looking to make more energy make the centre more energy efficient well. efficient as well. >> you so much for >> rob, thank you so much for joining us this afternoon. you do work do some fantastic work that we've here at the we've been seeing here at the centre today . centre today. >> well, carson, it's my nye bevan brilliant work indeed . bevan brilliant work indeed. lisa hartle as well in kent. thank you to you both. >> well, coming up, we'll hear the thoughts of our panel on the

stories britain is talking stories that britain is talking about, including this breaking news in the last half hour. that former post office boss paula vennells said she'll hand vennells has said she'll hand back her cbe with immediate effect this is good afternoon britain on gb news as. >> tom, thank you very much. good afternoon. from the gb news room i'm sam francis. the headunes room i'm sam francis. the headlines at just after 1:30. well as we've been hearing in the last half hour or so, the former boss of the post office, paula vennells, has said she will hand her cbe with will hand back her cbe with immediate effect. her announcement comes after huge pressure on her to return the honourin pressure on her to return the honour in the fallout of the honzon honour in the fallout of the horizon scandal. the former chief executive, who ran the post office while it denied there problem with the it there was a problem with the it software, she is truly software, says she is truly sorry for the devastation that's been to staff and to been caused to staff and to their families . meanwhile, the their families. meanwhile, the justice secretary says the government is actively considering new laws to overturn the convictions of post office

workers who were caught up in the scandal. alex chalk told mps it was an appalling injustice . it was an appalling injustice. more than 700 staff were convicted , jailed, bankrupted convicted, jailed, bankrupted and some took their lives after being wrongly accused of theft. to date , just 93 convictions to date, just 93 convictions have been overturned and only 30 have been overturned and only 30 have been overturned and only 30 have been finalised , with have been finalised, with compensation being given from the government at the government's rwanda bill will reach the third stage of its progress through parliament next week. penny morden told the commons that mps will debate the legislation on the 16th and the 17th of january. however, the shadow commons leader, lucy powell , says the announcement powell, says the announcement was another example of the was just another example of the government up as they government making it up as they government making it up as they go she called the plan go along. she called the plan unworkable . 2023 was the world's unworkable. 2023 was the world's hottest year on record. that's to according new data. eu scientists compared average temperatures with global records going back to 1850. the european union's climate service says it's likely to have been the warmest period in 100,000 years,

and from the sun to the snow, more winter weather is expected across the country as the uk health security agency issues an amber cold health alert for parts of england. it follows storm henk, which left large areas of the country flooded and thousands of homes damaged. more than 100 flood warnings are still in place across the uk . still in place across the uk. for more on all those stories and many more, you can visit our website gbnews.com . website gbnews.com. >> for a valuable legacy your family can own, gold coins will always shine bright. rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news financial report . news financial report. >> here's a look at the markets this afternoon. the pound will buy you $1.2734 and ,1.1633. the price of gold is £1,598.80 per ounce, and the ftse 100 is

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monday to thursday from six till 930. >> the former head of the post office, paula vennells, has announced today that she is handing back her cbe . well, handing back her cbe. well, let's dive into the detail with this now joining us in the

studio is the political commentator matthew stadlen and the columnist and former mep patrick o'flynn . and matthew, patrick o'flynn. and matthew, let's start with you. i suppose the political pressure for paula vennells to, to do what she's donein vennells to, to do what she's done in the last hour became too much. >> i suspect it was more the pubuc >> i suspect it was more the public that someone needs to be seen to take a fall for the horrific story that we've all been gripped by. >> i mean , everyone's saying it, >> i mean, everyone's saying it, but we should repeat that. >> it shouldn't have taken my tv drama. >> brilliant. though it sounds as though. >> matthew, we need to get your mike out. it's a bit mike sorted out. it's a bit dodgy. so let's let's mike sorted out. it's a bit dod patrick so let's let's mike sorted out. it's a bit dod patrick socome let's let's mike sorted out. it's a bit dod patrick socome least let's mike sorted out. it's a bit dod patrick socome leas well. get patrick to come in as well on this. >> yeah. so i'm rather impressed on this. >>thish. so i'm rather impressed on this. >>this act,» i'm rather impressed on this. >> this act, which ather impressed on this. >> this act, which 1th quite jressed on this. >> this act, which 1th quite rare ed by this act, which is quite rare in life. these days of in public life. these days of someone who is in a senior leadership position. uh acknowledging something terrible went wrong on her watch , uh, and went wrong on her watch, uh, and handing back an honour, which must be quite a painful thing for paula vennells to do. >> now, how much personal culpability she has.

>> we'll await further details to come out, but i think it is admirable, though, because we heard on monday the prime minister saying that the body that looks into this, the forfeiture committee, should look into this . look into this. >> yeah. is she just handing it back before an even more embarrassing thing happens? which would be it being ripped off her? >> um, potentially. >> um, potentially. >> i think that committee is very , uh, it's very rare that very, uh, it's very rare that they strip people of honours and people, you know, there have been other cases where there've been other cases where there've been big media claims to lose knighthoods on grounds, for instance, of having shown big tax exiles who protect their company pension schemes very well. and yet honours well. and yet their honours haven't been withdrawn. so the only i can think is jimmy only one i can think of is jimmy savile was taken away. savile where it was taken away. that's incredibly that's right. so it's incredibly rare. think her action rare. so i think her action places the spotlight back on all the political parties really at various times because, you know, the liberal democrats obviously were part of the coalition. you know, so they, you know, ed davey has made a particular thing calling for everyone to

thing of calling for everyone to resign all and sundry who's in any position responsibility . any position of responsibility. so it's nasty one for him. so it's a nasty one for him. we've seen has questions we've seen starmer has questions to answer. there's also been obviously conservatives in power for a lot of the time. >> this has been rolling out and conservative ministers also culpable. >> so many so many names caught up in this. >> and tom i mean i've scribbled down a few because these people, these individuals are involved . these individuals are involved. we haven't heard from them at all. so we've got adam crozier , all. so we've got adam crozier, who was the royal mail chief exec between 2003 and 2010. >> is he the one who then got the job with itv and was suspiciously absent from the itv documentary kc? >> yeah, he was not involved in that at all. he hasn't been called to give evidence at the pubuc called to give evidence at the public inquiry. called to give evidence at the public inquiry . what about the public inquiry. what about the chief executive of fujitsu, michael keegan 2014 to 15. >> but another big question on the lips of everyone in the country is why is it so bloomin cold? when last year was very, very warm? that's according to

the experts. should we have a little look at the weather? afternoon >> i'm alex deakin, this is your latest weather update from the met for gb news. the cold met office for gb news. the cold theme continues feeling particularly tomorrow in particularly chilly tomorrow in the winds for much of the south. it will a day with sunny it will be a fine day with sunny spells. area of high spells. this area of high pressure is dominating. sitting just scotland . just to the north of scotland. around winds go clock around it the winds go clock wise, drawing in the easterly breeze but also bringing down a bit cloud through the night bit more cloud through the night into northeast scotland and northeast england. maybe 1 or 2 scattered showers here. these should chiefly be of rain. we've seen foggy conditions seen some foggy conditions in northern that fog may northern scotland that fog may lift we go through night . lift as we go through the night. in the it's clear , but in the south it's clear, but it's cold with a widespread frost. minus one minus two. even in urban areas, the countryside . in urban areas, the countryside. and lower than that, it's not quite as cold in the northeast because there'll be more cloud here. but that will make for a cold feeling day tomorrow. still, a few showers over southeast northeast southeast scotland. northeast england rain. england again, chiefly of rain. pretty light, pretty well scattered . for most. be scattered. for most. it will be dry. lots of sunshine in the

south soon. that frost. south soon. lifting that frost. sunny spells continuing western scotland. a mixture of cloud and sunny spells continuing western scotlofd. a mixture of cloud and sunny spells continuing western scotlof sunshinerre of cloud and sunny spells continuing western scotlof sunshine forof cloud and sunny spells continuing western scotlof sunshine for northernind a bit of sunshine for northern ireland. temperatures ticking up a tomorrow, but it won't a little tomorrow, but it won't feel any warmer with the cloudier skies in the northeast and a fairly wind here. and a fairly brisk wind here. that wind continues to in that wind continues to bring in more cloud and a chilly feel on some north sea coast and along the south coast as on the south coast as well. on thursday again , most places dry, thursday again, most places dry, quite cloudy over northern england. sunny england. eastern scotland sunny spells in the south and the west , but staying on the cold side . , but staying on the cold side. >> bye for now in the jbi newsroom we bring the news newsroom we bring you the news as happens with our team of as it happens with our team of dedicated journalists across the uk. we're ready to give you accurate reporting every day when the news breaks, we'll be there with bulletins on gb news, there with bulletins on gb news, the people's channel, britain's news channel . news channel. >> welcome back. after that little pivot to the weather, while we sorted out our slightly dodgy sound issues , which now dodgy sound issues, which now hopefully will be perfect . let's hopefully will be perfect. let's pick up on what i was just

talking about. guys, these these names that we've got . paula names that we've got. paula vennells returning her cbe , but vennells returning her cbe, but there's not been many questions asked of adam crozier , royal asked of adam crozier, royal mail chief exec between 2000 and 3 2010, as ian cooke , managing 3 2010, as ian cooke, managing director of the post office 2006 to 2010, it goes on michael keegan, the chief exec of fujitsu 2014 to 2015. this isn't just about paula vennells , is just about paula vennells, is she? at the moment, though , she? at the moment, though, appears to be the fall guy or woman . woman. >> patrick i think so , and i >> patrick i think so, and i think that what she's done is quite astute to hand back the honoun quite astute to hand back the honour. it's almost an acknowledgement from her that whether she was personally culpable or not, she was in a senior leadership position when this terrible events have taken 1.2 million signatures on a petition, though, for her to actually hand it back , it has actually hand it back, it has indeed, but nonetheless , it's indeed, but nonetheless, it's quite an astute move because the spotlight now will move on to some of the other names that you've just mentioned there, and

also some of the political figures who, again, are much more comfortable when throwing out for other people to out calls for other people to resign or throw their hands resign or or throw their hands up and admit wrongdoing than they are when it applies to themselves. >> let's not forget that there's been rumbling on. >> i think there are sort of three. >> i'm going to try very hard to remember these three things, but there three things that there are three key things that emerge out of this. >> i think one is and first and foremost is the victims. the victims. what do we do about them ? what do we do about the them? what do we do about the fact that 90 or so have had fact that only 90 or so have had their when their convictions quashed when we know that there are about 700 people have been convicted , people who have been convicted, and maybe part of this scandal, i'm quite sympathetic to the idea. >> if it's possible for a line of an act of parliament just says , look, you guys have your says, look, you guys have your convictions quashed so that they don't have to go through the trauma of the appeals process, which could take a very long time and be very distressing because as the impact of having the full weight of the state

against you as these people found and wrongly, is just horrendous. do these people really want to go some of them back that , that legal back into that, that legal process? or possibly process? probably or possibly not. so can we look after the victims ? first and foremost? victims? first and foremost? i think the second thing is let's make sure for goodness sake, something like this never, ever happens again . and to his happens again. and to his credit, richard tice was saying on a show that i was a guest on recently, was bringing to recently, he was bringing to attention , putting spotlight attention, putting a spotlight on who's had too much on those who's had too much money taken out of their accounts by a combination of the department for work and pensions and hmrc for child maintenance payments . payments. >> so that's a different story. >> so that's a different story. >> it's a different story, but it's about computer systems getting it wrong. so my great fear here is as well as these victims that we're talking about rightly and horizon, there may be victims who's going be other victims who's going suffering the moment similar suffering at the moment similar experiences. so let's make sure this never happens again including third including right now. the third question yes , of it's question is yes, of course it's interesting giving interesting about who's giving back and forth and back their cbe and so forth and accountability is critical. but

what is the political backdraft here? we've had nigel farage pointing fingers or at least asking questions of keir starmer because he was the director of pubuc because he was the director of public prosecutions at the time. we know these were private prosecutions. the question is, should stepped in, could should he have stepped in, could he in? and then he have stepped in? and then there questions, you've there are questions, as you've already about ed already intimated, about ed davey, was davey, because he was a minister. response for the post office a while at a critical office for a while at a critical moment. his spondence with moment. and his spondence with alan alan bates , i don't alan bates, alan bates, i don't think, is angry with him because he there are lots of he thinks there are lots of people , but there are people involved, but there are questions this is an questions for him and this is an election will any of this election year. will any of this mud stick either to davey or to starmer? don't forget, the tories were the main party of government into 2010 right until now . so there are questions now. so there are questions there, perhaps to be asked of dominic grieve, who was the conservative attorney general at the time . these are all really the time. these are all really important themes , those three important themes, those three themes. first foremost themes. but first and foremost it about the victims. i think it is about the victims. i think there's a fourth thing, by the way, which is surely somebody in the post office or a group of

people in the post office, which was the private prosecuting authority . authority. >> he must have suspected at some point that that that they were putting a false prospectus before the courts and certainly we believe that some of the people being prosecuted were pressured to plead guilty on the false grounds that they were the only ones being investigated and about. >> i thought you were innocent until proven guilty. well, absolutely. >> but i think the key point i think the british public will be wanting is surely the wanting to know is surely the police have grounds to at least investigate the possibility of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice around within the royal mail somewhere saying, guys ' royal mail somewhere saying, guys , have we made a mistake? guys, have we made a mistake? >> and then covering it up that there could be indeed an investigation? absolutely. >> i think level of >> so i think that level of criminal culpability is not something i've heard addressed. >> davies defence. by the way , >> davies defence. by the way, is that was lied to by the is that he was lied to by the post office. as i understand it. is that a good enough defence for a minister responsible when he was being told by someone in

this case by alan bates, that there was a miscarriage of justice being carried out, should have looked further. should he have looked further. we in public life, we need people in public life, whether it's ed davey , rishi whether it's ed davey, rishi sunak or keir starmer , to make sunak or keir starmer, to make sure that they look beyond the immediately obvious. it's almost as if, you know matt hancock sitting there at the start of covid. >> he goes away and says, do we have a pandemic plan? they say, oh yeah, i think we've got a plan. he walks away and plan. then he walks away and says, fine. says, right, it's all fine. everything's your everything's great. so as your job as a minister, i suppose, is to tough questions, to ask those tough questions, interrogate rather than just take face value what you're take at face value what you're told. but matthew, i want to pick you up on your first point. this a one line bill in this idea of a one line bill in parliament just to exonerate all 700 odd people accused and indeed convicted over the course of these last 20 years, one of the reasons i understand as to why the government doesn't want to rush towards doing that is it's very unlikely that there were 700 people committing fraud over the last 20 years, perhaps

it's also quite unlikely that there were zero. mhm. so the one line thing i actually stole from patrick as a suggestion when we were discussing this, debating this in the green room. >> but it has a certain appeal and the reason it has an appeal is because this is a historic miscarriage of british justice. i mean arguably the biggest even i mean arguably the biggest ever. let's hope it turns out to be the biggest ever. because, as i say, we desperately don't want this sort of to repeat this sort of thing to repeat itself. are itself. but these are exceptional circumstances . and exceptional circumstances. and because overwhelming because the overwhelming likelihood seems to me that the vast majority of these convictions were wrong. yes, you might get 1 or 2 people who did actually commit fraud, but far better to exonerate the vast majority and let 1 or 2 people who did something wrong walk free, or have their names also cleared in their case, wrongly far better that way around. my one problem with this, and you might mention lawyers fees and that avoids lawyers fees. i'm that it avoids lawyers fees. i'm not so worried about that. what i do worry about though, is the rule because would

rule of law, because we would now be having situation where now be having a situation where parliament, which yes, is supreme democracy , but it supreme in our democracy, but it would to over would be legislating to over overturn decisions made in the in the, in the royal courts or in the, in the royal courts or in the, in the royal courts or in the courts of justice. that thatis in the courts of justice. that that is a that that could be a slippery slope. i just think this is so exceptional. slippery slope. i just think this is mighteptional. slippery slope. i just think this is might feel1al. slippery slope. i just think this is might feel like quite >> we might feel like it's quite a good precedent to set what with certain random court decisions. that's my that's my worry. yeah. >> and how important is it as well that the post office is stripped of all powers when it comes to mounting ? comes to mounting? >> we know with the rspca >> we know this with the rspca and the appeals i >> -- >> they shouldn't have any be anywhere near it. >> exactly. they were investigators. they were prosecutors. some of prosecutors. in the end, some of their were the victims their staff were the victims of this. that rspca has this. we know that the rspca has given some of its given over some of its responsibilities in the last couple years because of couple of years because of criticism to the public, prosecutors, prosecutor's office. so i think that that is an overwhelmingly clear thing. we have to say , prosecutions in we have to say, prosecutions in this country should be confined to, to the crown prosecution service .

service. >> i certainly think they they should have oversight . right. should have oversight. right. and clearly the post office has had an end to end , uh, being had an end to end, uh, being able to drive these cases through the courts without anyone even looking and saying, well, have you got a vested interest and uncovering interest here? and uncovering what wrong? i don't what has gone wrong? i don't quite agree with that quite agree with matthew that that no other body should be entitled to bring prosecutions or that the rspca, for instance , or that the rspca, for instance, should be entirely stripped of its ability to do that. but but certainly the case for oversight , right. for a fresh pair of eyes from a different organisation. the official organisation, the director of pubuc organisation, the director of public prosecutions, is well made . made. >> well, we've run to the end of this little segment. there'll be plenty more to come. we'll see you both again in the next hour. but also australia putting their republic referendum hold. republic referendum on hold. what's all that catch up what's all that about? catch up with us after this. looks like things are heating up . things are heating up. >> boxt boilers sponsors of weather on . gb news. weather on. gb news. >> afternoon. i'm alex deakin.

this is your latest weather update from the met office for gb news. the cold theme continues feeling particularly chilly tomorrow in the winds for much of the south it will be a fine day with sunny spells. this area of high pressure is dominating. sitting just the dominating. sitting just to the north . around it the north of scotland. around it the winds clock wise, drawing in winds go clock wise, drawing in the easterly breeze but also bringing down a bit more cloud through night northeast through the night into northeast scotland and northeast england. maybe 1 or 2 scattered showers here. these should chiefly be of rain. we've foggy rain. we've seen some foggy conditions in northern scotland that may as we go that fog may lift as we go through night. in the south through the night. in the south it's clear , but it's cold with it's clear, but it's cold with a widespread frost. minus one minus two. even in urban areas, the countryside . and lower than the countryside. and lower than that, it's not quite as cold in the northeast because there'll be more cloud here. but that will make for cold day will make for a cold feeling day tomorrow. showers tomorrow. still a few showers over southeast scotland. northeast again, chiefly northeast england again, chiefly of pretty light , pretty of rain. pretty light, pretty well scattered for most. it will be dry. lots of sunshine in the south lifting frost. south soon. lifting that frost. sunny continuing western sunny spells continuing western scotland. a of cloud and

scotland. a mixture of cloud and a sunshine for northern a bit of sunshine for northern ireland. temperatures ticking up a tomorrow, it won't a little tomorrow, but it won't feel any warmer with the cloudy skies in the northeast and a fairly brisk wind here. that wind to bring in more wind continues to bring in more cloud and a chilly feel on some nonh cloud and a chilly feel on some north coast and along the north sea coast and along the south coast as well. on thursday . places dry . quite . again, most places dry. quite cloudy over northern england, eastern scotland sunny. spells in the south and the west, but staying on the cold side. bye for now . for now. >> that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers , sponsors of boxt boilers, sponsors of weather on .

gb news. >> good afternoon britain. it's 2:00 on tuesday the 9th of january. we >> return to sender for our post office boss, paula vennells is to hand back her cbe following the fallout of the horizon it scandal, which led to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of subpostmaster actors. we'll have all the latest snow joke parts of the country are covered in snow , whilst others are in snow, whilst others are bracing for days of subzero temperatures and frost. >> more snow and amber cold health alerts . how long will health alerts. how long will this cold spell engulf britain ? this cold spell engulf britain? >> the australian government says it's put on hold a proposal

to hold a vote on removing king charles as its head of state, with the minister saying such a vote is not a priority and there is no timeline for it. we'll be joined by our royal correspondent to dissect that. >> but i suppose the story on the top of everyone's lips is what broke in the last hour or so. paula vennells has handed back her cbe . this, of course, back her cbe. this, of course, the former head of the post office, the person who was in charge when all of these wrongful prosecutions were taking place . taking place. >> yes, she has given a statement saying that she is returning that cbe with immediate effect and she's truly sorry for the devastation caused to subpostmasters and their families and there's also been some reaction from those subpostmaster owners and mistresses, with one saying it is a shame it took just a million people to cripple her

conscience. that's in reference to the petition , in which 1.2 to the petition, in which 1.2 million people had signed to get that cbe removed and the calls for this to happen had been growing and growing, but reached a cacophony after the fallout of this four part itv documentary. >> mr bates versus the post office . and that has really office. and that has really galvanised that petition. it ended up being over 1.2 million people who had signed it before this cbe was handed back. and of course, the prime minister added his voice to that cacophony yesterday too. >> we will be getting more reaction to, uh, paula vennells returning that cbe at, well, at the top of the hour. but first, let's get your latest headlines with sam . with sam. >> pip and tom, thank you very much. good afternoon. from the gb news room i'm sam francis.

well our top story at two as we've been hearing the former boss of the post office paula vennells , says she will hand vennells, says she will hand back cbe with immediate back her cbe with immediate effect. that announcement comes after there was huge pressure on her to return the honour in the fallout of horizon scandal. fallout of the horizon scandal. the chief executive, who the former chief executive, who ran post office while it was ran the post office while it was denying there was a problem with its has said she is its it software, has said she is truly sorry the devastation truly sorry for the devastation that was caused to staff and their families , says. meanwhile, their families, says. meanwhile, their families, says. meanwhile, the justice secretary says that the justice secretary says that the government is actively considering to overturn considering new laws to overturn the convictions of post office workers who were caught up in the scandal. alex chalk told mps it was an appalling injustice as more than 700 staff were convicted, jailed , bankrupt and convicted, jailed, bankrupt and some took their lives after being wrongly accused of theft . being wrongly accused of theft. to date, just 93 convictions have been overturned and only 30 have been overturned and only 30 have finalised compensation, with the government . rishi sunak with the government. rishi sunak faces a showdown with mps over his rwanda bill when it returns

to the commons next week . penny to the commons next week. penny morden told said the legislation will reach the third stage of its progress through the parliament on january the 16th and 17th. however, the shadow commons leader, lucy powell, says that announcement was just another example of the government making it up as they government making it up as they go along. she called the plan unworkable . labour has defended unworkable. labour has defended the use of fines to tackle school absence rates. that's according to the shadow education secretary, who says a labour government would keep the policy in place. speaking at an eventin policy in place. speaking at an event in london earlier, bridget phillipson said that parents should not take children out of school for cheaper holidays or for treats. it comes for birthday treats. it comes after more than a fifth of pupils in england were persistently absent across the autumn and spring terms in 2023, and 2022, gabriel attal has become france's youngest ever prime minister these are the live pictures coming to us from paris, where elizabeth born is handing over to her successor.

the 20. the 34 year old at the premieres official residence in hotel matignon . it follows her hotel matignon. it follows her resignation yesterday . say resignation yesterday. say emmanuel macron says that he wants to freshen things up in his second terms, ahead of the european parliament elections. the 34 year old is a close ally of the french president, and he's also the first prime minister to be openly gay in france. he made a name for himself during the covid pandemic as the former education minister in the us, two airlines have found loose hardware during plane inspections. it's after a section of the fuselage fell from an alaskan airlines. 737 max nine on friday. the plane had to make an emergency landing, but luckily no passengers were injured . the passengers were injured. the operator says it has since found some loose hardware on several max nines. meanwhile, united airlines says some bolts needed additional tightening on its aircraft and there have been an installation issue relating to door plugs on various planes . door plugs on various planes. oregon high school teacher bob

sauer discovered the missing alaska airlines plane door in his garden . his garden. >> i could see that there was something gleaming white underneath the trees in the back that isn't normally there , and that isn't normally there, and when i went to investigate it, it was very obviously part of a plane. it had the same curvature as fuselage , and it had as the fuselage, and it had a plane type window in it, and it was white, which is why it was gleaming back here in the uk, more snow is expected across the country as the health security agency issues an amber cold health alert for parts of england. >> the winter weather follows storm henk, which left large areas flooded and thousands of homes damaged by flood waters . homes damaged by flood waters. more than 100 flood warnings remain in place across the country . uk scientists who country. uk scientists who helped to create technology for the latest moon mission are working to gather data from the spacecraft before it loses power. the peregrine mission one blasted into space yesterday, but it encountered fuel leaks shortly after its launch. the

probe aimed to land on the lunar surface at the end of next month, but now less than just 40 hours of fuel remains before the spacecraft will start tumbling back to earth . and some breaking back to earth. and some breaking news. a coroner has said that irish musician sinead o'connor died of natural causes last year . in july. the dublin born singer was found unresponsive at her south london home and was pronounced dead at the age of 56, a statement just in to us from southwark crown court , from southwark crown court, southern coroner's court, rather said . this is to confirm that said. this is to confirm that miss o'connor died of natural causes. the coroner has therefore ceased their involvement in her death . well, involvement in her death. well, this is gb news. that's the latest from the gb news room. for more, you can find us on tv, on your digital radio and on your smart speaker. just say play your smart speaker. just say play gb news. now go back to tom and . pip. good afternoon

britain. >> it's 2:07 and let's start with that . breaking news from with that. breaking news from the last hour that the former post office boss, paula vennells, will hand back her cbe after public outcry surrounding the subpostmasters scandal. more than 1.2 million people had already signed a petition calling for her honour to be removed proved her involvement in the scandal was thrust back into the spotlight after itv's mr bates versus the post office dramatised the uk's biggest miscarriage of justice. this is as downing street fire back at accusations they're now taking swift action only because of the tv show. the prime minister stresses the post office scandal has been an issue of successive governments , but admits they are governments, but admits they are now acting much faster. >> well, joining us now is our political editor , christopher political editor, christopher hope. good afternoon to you, christopher rishi sunak . christopher rishi sunak. yesterday was piling pressure really on paula vennells. and

then at lunchtime we had this announcement from her. what's been the political reaction to her saying she's returning her cbe for services to the post office ? well this is the bare office? well this is the bare minimum of what should happen from this emerging scandal that's been reported by newspapers, websites, the bbc. >> see, we report that gb news and elsewhere for months and years going back some time this cbe was given to paula vennells for service to the post office after dozens of convictions against subpostmasters were quashed in 2019. it was egregious then and it's proved to be so now. 1.2 million people have signed a petition saying that she should lose it . the that she should lose it. the government this morning at the lobby meeting , which i attended lobby meeting, which i attended on behalf of gb news, made very clear on behalf the prime clear on behalf of the prime minister they it minister that they thought it should at, but they should be looked at, but they were to say anything were not willing to say anything to honours to go ahead of this honours forfeiture committee, which

decides when to strip people of their honour. it hasn't happened, of course , to fred happened, of course, to fred goodwin, the former um ceo of royal bank of scotland that was taken away from him . um, but taken away from him. um, but back over, over a decade now. but the government couldn't really go ahead of that committee. it looks like, um, paula vennells has acted really ahead of where of where that committee might be going in the future because as an inquiry ongoing, um, into this scandal and the issue, big issue had been whether whether they, they might be able to, um , carry on might be able to, um, carry on with this with allowing that, allowing that to, to to, take place what also appears to be a bit of a development as well is that fujitsu now they're the manufacturers behind the faulty it software . it software. >> they've now been called to answer questions from mps. next week. mps honour select committee . committee. >> yeah that's right, fujitsu of course, is behind the horizon programme . the computer

programme. the computer programme, which is found to be at fault and led this. the at fault and led to this. the wrong jailing and prosecution of these subpostmasters . um, the these subpostmasters. um, the problem the government's got is fujitsu is involved in many parts of government. we parts of government. um, we asked today in the lobby meeting whether the government might put a stay on all future contracts with . um, i mean, we're with fujitsu. um, i mean, we're guided that that might that might actually damage the work of government because the company is so involved in so many parts of government. but i think i think any minister will now look and know there's political risk about dealing with ongoing until with fujitsu. ongoing until this, this inquiry has finished, this, this inquiry has finished, this independent inquiry has worked out where the blame lays and the where the blame lays is quite interesting because of course, sir ed davey was knighted for his service to politics. he was also a post office minister. will he now return or reject his knighthood ? return or reject his knighthood? and this is the beginning, i think , of a reckoning for the think, of a reckoning for the political class, for the whitehall class, about the way

they've treated these subpostmasters. these are people who are who are pillars of their communities party who have been disbelieved and instead the officials ministers chose to believe a company, um , called believe a company, um, called the post office. they believe the post office. they believe the computer against people . and the computer against people. and thatis the computer against people. and that is not a good place to be politically. and the reckoning is started . is started. >> absolutely. and it's been a david versus goliath fight for all these years. something else that has occurred today. chris, of course, is an extraordinary point of order in the house of commons. uh, very unusual this . commons. uh, very unusual this. but penny mordaunt, the leader of the house of commons, has announced pretty much ahead of schedule when the big two day rwanda full house committee, uh, stage will be next week . stage will be next week. >> tom, you you you give us a bit more information on this because we lost chris sound. well so we've got some dates for our diary.

>> the 16th and the 17th of this month . that's tuesday and month. that's tuesday and wednesday next week, i believe, which will be the big, big, uh, days of a committee of the whole house, of the house of commons whereby mps will be able to put forward a amendments to that crucial rwanda legislation , big crucial rwanda legislation, big battles to be had in parliament. the government's trying to say, we welcome this scrutiny. we welcome lots of amendments. although i think behind the scenes they'd probably rather it just passed simply. but there will be amendments put forward on both sides and a huge amount of consternation and debate. >> well , let's continue talking >> well, let's continue talking about the post office scandal by, uh, we're joined now by alexander stafford, who's a conservative mp for rother valley. good afternoon to you, alexander . first of all, your alexander. first of all, your reaction to afternoon to paula vennells returning her cbe for services to the post office . services to the post office.

it's >> well, good afternoon. and it's incredibly right that she handed back a cbe. i mean this the cbe clearly brings the whole honours situation disrepute. it's unfathomable that she could keep a cbe after the absolute scandalous thing that she presided over and it's right that she handed it back . that she handed it back. >> is it right that it took this amount of time? do you think it was partly the itv documentary , was partly the itv documentary, partly that petition of over 1.2 million people signing on to demand this or indeed, was it some political pressure from the prime minister yesterday that fed into this ? fed into this? >> well, clearly, if she had had a shred of decency, she'd have handed this back the cbe back years ago. i mean, people have known about this scandal for fall for years, decades when fall for years, for decades when i to i first got elected to parliament, one of the first things i did in march 2020 was sit select committee sit on the base select committee looking bates looking at interviewing mr bates about horizon about the horizon scandal. what's going on? i raised it 2021 of other 2021 and lots of other colleagues as well. and it's colleagues did as well. and it's good.the colleagues did as well. and it's

good. the prime minister put pressure hand back pressure on her to hand back a cbe, should have done it cbe, but she should have done it years if she had years ago, frankly, if she had a shred decency. but now shred of decency. but now it seems she's doing seems like she's just doing a little late to try and little bit too late to try and take the blame away from her, where presided over where she presided over literally worst literally probably the worst scandal for the post office in his 400 year history. his entire 400 year history. >> talking should >> talking about should have done years ago. a lot of done things years ago. a lot of people will be utterly astonished that it has taken this itv four part docu drama for the government to actually pull its finger out on this situation and look at overturning earning these convictions . and now we're convictions. and now we're heanng convictions. and now we're hearing people saying, well, actually it can be done incredibly quickly. well, it can be done that quickly . why wasn't be done that quickly. why wasn't it done years ago ? it done years ago? >> well, the law has been changing, i said. i raised this in the chamber in 2021 with a law change to try and protect the postmaster and postmistress. the government has been doing things i've things over the years, but i've got remember this scandal is got to remember this scandal is going 1997. this going back since 1997. this dodgy the government

going back since 1997. this dcpulling the government going back since 1997. this dcpulling its the government going back since 1997. this dcpulling its fingerthe government going back since 1997. this dcpulling its fingerthe gis ernment is pulling its finger out, is getting it going. but it's great that document is that the itv document is actually shone actually brought shone a spotlight this the spotlight onto this into the wider consciousness . this wider public consciousness. this is something myself and many colleagues is something myself and many colleaguthe chamber for about in the chamber for absolutely . but great absolutely years. but it's great now fully aware now the public are fully aware of this and actually putting pressure fujitsu the pressure on on fujitsu on the post office to actually try and bnng post office to actually try and bring back what is right to the post of postmaster postmistress, which the post office has stolen from them. yes it is true that, of course, many members of parliament had been raising this, it wasn't as this, but perhaps it wasn't as high the government's , uh, high up the government's, uh, priority list as it subsequently became , perhaps due to the became, perhaps due to the pubuchy became, perhaps due to the publicity of this docudrama. >> alex, while we have you a big, big week in parliament next week, we learn two days of rwanda debate. are you surprised that this was announced in the peculiar way in which it was done with penny mordaunt's point of order earlier today . of order earlier today. >> well, i can't speak for the leader of the house, but why? it

was done on a point of order. but we all knew it was coming. it was going to be either next week or the after. that's week or the week after. that's what expecting. all what we were expecting. we all presumed two day commit presumed to be a two day commit to house because to the house because it's such an of legislation to the house because it's such an it's of legislation to the house because it's such an it's good of legislation to the house because it's such an it's good > and be looking >> and will you be looking at the understand, the amendment? we understand, robert bringing robert jenrick will be bringing forward try and toughen forward to try and toughen up this you think forward to try and toughen up th needs you think forward to try and toughen up th needs toughening'ou think forward to try and toughen up th needs toughening up think forward to try and toughen up thneeds toughening up ?1ink it needs toughening up? >> well , i'll it needs toughening up? >> well, i'll be looking at all amendments because what i want to do is fundamentally get those planes off the ground and wheels down kigali and get to down in kigali and get to rwanda. i had meeting, rwanda. now, i had a meeting, several prime several meetings with the prime minister, year, uh, minister, end of last year, uh, ahead reading ahead of the second reading to thrash some details. thrash out some of the details. i pressed the prime minister, anything that we can do to make the stronger, would the bill stronger, i would support minister support and the prime minister grew anything grew with me. he said anything we could do to tighten things up, would support up, he would fully support it. well, look well, so i think we should look at the table. at all the options on the table. but think the bill in front but i do think the bill in front of us is very good bill,

of us is a very good bill, a very strong one. strongest very strong one. the strongest piece legislation piece of immigration legislation ever put down in this country. and will and i do think this will actually do it on the actually do what it says on the tin, get those flights off and that's need. that's what we really need. >> tafford, thank so >> alex tafford, thank you so much us. member of much for joining us. member of parliament for rother valley and looking two days looking ahead to those two days of debate on on rwanda legislation next week , let's go legislation next week, let's go down under because the australian government appears to have shelved plans for an imminent referendum on the country becoming a republic, which was expected early next yeah which was expected early next year. a spokesperson for the albanese labour government in australia said its main priority remained helping australians deal with the cost of living pressure . but that, quote, we pressure. but that, quote, we support the vision for an australia republic and maintain a long terme vision for australia as a mature, independent nation . when the independent nation. when the news comes ahead of a rumoured visit by the king down under in autumn. yet buckingham palace have not yet confirmed any plans as well.

>> joining us now is cameron walker, gb news royal correspondent, camera on with with king charles now on the throne , how much support is throne, how much support is there for the monarchy ? i mean, there for the monarchy? i mean, has it has it dipped recently ? has it has it dipped recently? >> to be honest pip, it depends which poll you look at. i think the recent yougov poll for the monarchy here in the united kingdom shows that the public, on the whole, support supports a constitutional monarchy. it's around 60. there has been a recent poll done in the last, uh, couple of days, which suggests that support is slightly lower. but still an overall majority when it comes to australia, the polling is slightly narrower . so on the slightly narrower. so on the first anniversary of king charles's accession ascends to the throne. a yougov poll showed that there was a small majority of australians who wished to retain king charles as head of state at 35, but that's a very, very narrow margin because

australians who wanted the country to become a republic was 32. so just three percentage points difference there. i think the news today or will be seen as a bit of a boost for king charles. as you mentioned, it is rumoured that both he and queen camilla will be visiting australia uh, later on this yeah australia uh, later on this year. although buckingham palace has not confirmed that, and there were fears that all of that would be overshadowed by an imminent, uh, australian referendum on becoming a republic. but australian government spokesperson has actually told me that their priority is the cost of living crisis. but as you quoted, there , they do support the long tum vision for a republic. now there has been some rumours over the last 48 hours or so, um, reported in the times. uh, the times newspaper here in the united kingdom that the australian labour party , australian labour party, separate to the labour party here in the united kingdom, has perhaps got a bit of cold feet because they lost a vote. uh a

referendum back in october to do with trying to get aboriginal people in australia more rights or make it easier for them to have their voices heard in the australian parliament. and that was an overall defeat for the governments there. and it's thought that perhaps the prime minister of australia doesn't want to yet another high want to lose yet another high profile referendum. if indeed australians chose to keep king charles as head of state. >> yes, that vote was absolutely fascinating. the opinion polls were all sort of two thirds in favour of this. only one third against when the campaign started, it was the liberal. it was the fashionable thing to say. of course we should have this extra parliamentary assembly for indigenous people . assembly for indigenous people. when the vote actually happened, it was almost two thirds against the government. was overwhelmingly defeated. and i wonder if they think that actually perhaps the small c conservative, quiet voice of australia, as it expressed itself in that referendum, might well express itself in a similar way in a referendum to uphold

upend the constitutional settlement of that country with regard to the king. >> yeah, absolutely. as you said, tom, it was very much a silent majority in that referendum. and it's actually incredibly difficult to get a change to the constitution, particularly when it comes to changing your head of state over the line. so for australia to become a republic and rid king charles as head of state, a majority of people in a majority of states would need to vote in favour of a republic. and at the moment , the latest, latest polls moment, the latest, latest polls are showing that that's just simply not the case. so it would be incredibly hard, as it stands for government for the australian government to get referendum get that republic referendum over line . over the line. >> gb news royal correspondent cameron walker, thanks very much. well coming up, we'll have all of the latest concerns over dodgy airlines and indeed aeroplanes. >> have they put you off flying? this is good afternoon britain on .

monday to thursdays from 6:00 till 930. >> good afternoon britain . it's >> good afternoon britain. it's 2:26 and at least ten united airlines , 737 max nine airlines, 737 max nine aircrafts. if you've got a head around that have been discussed with loose bolts, this following a mid—air blow—out on an alaska airlines max nine at the weekend, the federal aviation administration grounded . 171 max

administration grounded. 171 max nine planes on saturday after a panelin nine planes on saturday after a panel in the fuselage blew off just minutes after taking off from portland in oregon on fri day. >> friday. >> well , joining us now is our >> well, joining us now is our security editor , mark white. security editor, mark white. >> and mark, these were the most extraordinary scenes. but, uh , extraordinary scenes. but, uh, what's perhaps more worrying now is these other planes being discovered . and that could have discovered. and that could have beenin discovered. and that could have been in for the same fate . been in for the same fate. >> yeah. especially as we're really only at the early stages of the investigations. just preliminary examinations of the max nine fleet to cross a number of different airlines . and of different airlines. and already united airlines , we're already united airlines, we're told, has , um, established that told, has, um, established that about nine separate or ten separate aircraft have loose bolts around this area of the fuselage , uh, around an area fuselage, uh, around an area called the door plug. and effectively, it's just a hole in the fuselage that allows an

aircraft, depending on the configuration and how many passengers they carry to put, uh, additional fuel emergency exits in there . if they're exits in there. if they're carrying more passengers . exits in there. if they're carrying more passengers. but if they're not doing that, then an it's effectively just like another piece of the fuselage or it should be it should be bolted and secured in there properly so that it can't come loose. uh, it's not just the max nine fleet that have these door plugs. they're common in aircraft types right across this. the airline sector . and there's never really sector. and there's never really been any , uh, issues with these been any, uh, issues with these door plugs in the past. so some real concern there that this is a particular issue relating to the max nine. it may be, uh, either a manufacturing issue or a component issue around these door plugs. the ntsb has been carrying out this initial investigation when they've recovered that piece of panel, uh, in a field or a garden , i

uh, in a field or a garden, i should say, nearby this is what the ntsb says , said with regards the ntsb says, said with regards to the latest developments that we are aware of, the reports of that are coming back from the inspections from united and alaska and boeing. >> our team is collecting that information, and there will be some follow up from the inspections . uh, but it it some follow up from the inspections. uh, but it it right now we're focussed on this one. but we can go broader at any time. we don't have to finish the investigation in, uh, to issue an urgent safety recommendation. we can do that any time. and we have done that for entire fleets before . for entire fleets before. >> where will the investigators have been helped considerably by the fact that this panel has been recovered? as i say , in been recovered? as i say, in a garden near portland , the owner garden near portland, the owner of that particular property has been speaking to reporters about the sight of a piece of aircraft landing in his back garden . landing in his back garden. >> just came down as a single unit , um, and >> just came down as a single

unit, um, and was lying in my backyard . so it was kind of backyard. so it was kind of caughtin backyard. so it was kind of caught in the trees at the time. they pulled it out , uh, and laid they pulled it out, uh, and laid it out on the grass and even though raining this though it was raining this morning, up close and morning, they were up close and shining on and shining their lights on it and taking and starting taking pictures and starting to try out had try to figure out what had happened to cause that. >> panel detached from >> now this panel detached from the aircraft , as it was at about the aircraft, as it was at about 16,000ft. so it was still in the climb. it hadn't reached its cruising altitude of more than 30,000ft, and just as well, really, because it was a bad enough explosive decompression at 16,000ft. but luckily, because it was still in the climb, the passengers were all strapped in as per the fasten seat belt signs. strapped in as per the fasten seat belt signs . but if that seat belt signs. but if that explosion had taken place at decompression . at 30,000 decompression. at 30,000 35,000ft or whatever, then i think the results would have been very, very different . but been very, very different. but in terms of passengers actually being sucked out of that aircraft , that, uh, shudder to aircraft, that, uh, shudder to think about it, i think we've

all been in those situations where you might feel a little bit uncomfortable on an aeroplane, but you don't expect the to be blown out . the side to be blown out. >> mark, do we have any idea about when these aeroplanes might be re—entering service and what sort of knock on effects this has had for flights across the board? >> well, i think it could be a while because the airlines are still waiting on a proper instruction coming from the federal aviation authority and from boeing, the manufacturer, about the best way to examine these panels to ensure that they are properly and rigorously examined. as i say already, just cursory examination fans have turned up these loose bolts on ten united airlines aircraft and a number of alaska airlines aircraft. so it may be that there are quite a number more than that , that are affected. than that, that are affected. and clearly that would potentially point to an issue

with the excuse me, with the manufacturing process , the manufacturing process, the fitting process of these panels to the fuselage . to the fuselage. >> well, mark white, thank you very much for delivering us there. latest there on a pretty extra ordinary scandal in aviation . astonishing. aviation. astonishing. >> stay with us. we are going to be looking further into former post office bosses . paula post office bosses. paula vennells decision to hand back her cbe . that's cbe was awarded her cbe. that's cbe was awarded some five years ago for service to the post office . that's after to the post office. that's after your news headlines with sam . your news headlines with sam. >> pip. tom, thank you very much. good afternoon from the gb newsroom i'm sam francis. the headunes newsroom i'm sam francis. the headlines at just after 230, the former boss of the post office as we've been hearing paula vennells , says she will hand vennells, says she will hand back her cbe with immediate effect. her announcement comes after huge pressure on her to return the honour after the fallout of the horizon scandal .

fallout of the horizon scandal. the former chief executive, who ran the post office while it denied there was a problem with its software , has said she is its it software, has said she is truly sorry devastate truly sorry for the devastate pain to staff to and pain caused to staff to and their families . meanwhile, their families. meanwhile, a court has been told that harry pitman was stabbed to death with a hunting knife with in yards of emergency service workers . a 16 emergency service workers. a 16 year old boy has appeared at the old bailey today over the killing, which happened as harry waited to watch fireworks in north london just before midnight on new year's eve. north london just before midnight on new year's eve . the midnight on new year's eve. the court was also told the murder happened during of happened during some sort of altercation , as crowds gathered altercation, as crowds gathered altercation, as crowds gathered a provisional trial has been set for the 2nd of december in france . gabriel attal has become france. gabriel attal has become the country's youngest ever prime minister in the last hour, the outgoing prime minister, elisabeth borne, handed over to her successor in paris. it follows her resignation yesterday. the french president , yesterday. the french president, emmanuel macron, says he wants to freshen things up in his second tum ahead of the european parliament elections here in the uk . a coroner has said that the

uk. a coroner has said that the irish musician sinead o'connor died of natural causes last year . in july, the dublin born singer was found unresponsive at her south london home and pronounced dead at the age of 56, a statement from southern southwark coroner's court said this is to confirm that miss o'connor died of natural causes . o'connor died of natural causes. the coroner has therefore , they the coroner has therefore, they said, ceased their involvement in her death and you can get more on all of those stories and many more by visiting our website at gb news.com

sunday mornings from 930 on . gb sunday mornings from 930 on. gb news. well more now on that astonishing news that we heard in the last couple of hours that the former boss of the post office, paula vennells , has office, paula vennells, has handed back her cbe . handed back her cbe. >> joining us in the studio is political commentator matthew stadlen and the columnist and former mep patrick o'flynn. and patrick, i suppose to some extent this became inevitable. >> paula vennells handing back her cbe . her cbe. >> i think so, and i think she's wise to do it herself rather than wait for it to be dragged from her and she'll find she's in the spotlight. particular for 12 to 24 hours. but then the spotlight moves on to the next person who's kind of exposed on

the issue , who hasn't made an the issue, who hasn't made an act of contrition like that. and maybe she will look back on it as a as a good bit of media handung as a as a good bit of media handling work. >> well, there'll be further questions, matthew, about how exactly awarded that cbe exactly she was awarded that cbe in the first place, who recommended it to her. >> i think there are so many different people for different areas and people for the spotlight to focus on that. quite not. i think when quite possibly not. i think when a drama is a successful as this itv drama has proved to be, and as many people have watched it and have been as collectively outraged and upset by it as they are, there is a going to be an inevitable clamour. huge public clamour for heads to roll for someone. some people to be accountable for me, as well as the focus being on the victims and trying to ensure that this never happens again. the most interesting question in an election is whether any of election year is whether any of the questions being directed at politicians , fans who were in politicians, fans who were in power in some form or another at the time, or in the case of keir

starmer, held a role as the director of public prosecutions . director of public prosecutions. whether those questions get interesting answers, whether they're oxygen of those questions continues, sustains beyond this immediate press cycle, that's a really interesting political question. there's no evidence that keir starmer did anything wrong . but starmer did anything wrong. but nigel farage on this stage , and nigel farage on this stage, and he said he's not accusing him of anything, but he wanted to know why he didn't step in. and there seems to be a sort of there seems to be a sort of there seems to be disagreement as to whether he in position whether he was in a position actually to step in. and those questions, i'm sure , will be questions, i'm sure, will be asked of the labour leader . asked of the labour leader. >> and i suppose in an election year this is under a great deal of heat in a way that perhaps it might be more measured outside of an election year. i think that's right. >> for particularly people in party leadership positions and you're you're seeing both the lib dem leader and the labour leader under the cosh a little bit . um, about that. leader under the cosh a little bit. um, about that. i think

viewers also need to be aware that that, that politicians, as much anyone , like to show much as anyone, like to show show boat on an issue that suddenly blows up . so for suddenly blows up. so for instance, you get select committee chairman thinking, how can we get our leg over this story and get our ten minutes of fame, or you get senior backbenchers, former ministers, like, for instance, david davies entering it by making some sweeping claim about let's overturn all the prosecutions, knowing that that they will then end up you know, on the top of news websites and, and, you know, again, the question must be for people like michael patrick, but the question should be for those people, you know, none have changed. none of the facts have changed. they public they were all in the public domain. wouldn't it have domain. uh, wouldn't it have looked more impressive had you been of separately been campaign of this separately to a christmas drama which topped the ratings just to pick up on on what patrick is saying there. >> we know, don't we, that this story came to light in 2009, that amongst other other publications, private eye was doing some really important stuff on this. so it is very

disappointing that it has taken a an itv drama to capture the imagination of not just the public, but politicians as well. i remember earlier, last year, you know, possibly as long as a year ago, 12 months ago now, my dad bringing up this question of the post office scandal to me and saying that this is one of the worst miscarriages of justice in british history. so this this people who should this this is people who should have known about it, have known about it for far longer than just now , carry the to just now, carry the can to a certain extent, whether we're whether we're, know, the whether we're, you know, the pubuc whether we're, you know, the public journalists and the public as journalists and the media, the, uh, the politicians , media, the, uh, the politicians, i think we're all accountable for not having a big enough conversation about this. >> but there was a conversation. >> but there was a conversation. >> i mean, look at the drama itself . you had people like itself. you had people like nadhim zahawi , the conservative nadhim zahawi, the conservative mp, playing himself in the drama because it's a significant chunk of it, focussed on the work of select committees that were looking there wasn't select committees that were lcbig1g there wasn't select committees that were lc big enough. there wasn't select committees that were lc big erthere. there wasn't select committees that were lc big erthere were here wasn't select committees that were lcbig erthere were articlessn't >> but there were articles written there is now, now written about. there is now, now where we finally getting the

wheels this, i mean, wheels moving on this, i mean, we've today that we've just been told today that these convictions could be quashed relatively easily . if quashed relatively easily. if that was the case, why didn't anybody? >> well, indeed. and that and that's an important question because sunak is prime because rishi sunak is prime minister. it's a question it has to asked of why he to be asked of him. why does he now to taking this now seem to be taking this seriously? why wasn't he taking it seriously? two weeks ago or a couple of months ago? think couple of months ago? i think patrick raised a very interesting and important point, and i'd be interested to know where it. this where you stand on it. this question an question of whether a line in an act of parliament just chuck in act of parliament just chuck in a line there say , because a line there and say, because this is such an exceptional set of because the of circumstances, because the scale of this miscarriage of justice is so huge, because 90 people have already had their convictions quashed, not just i don't think decided that they were unsafe, but quashed it. would it be appropriate extraordinarily for parliament to say, okay, we'll have one line we're going to quash all of the convictions related to the honzon the convictions related to the horizon scandal. yes. 1 or 2 people might have done something wrong, but the focus should be

on the vast majority, who we assume have not. would be assume have not. would that be right, would that would that right, or would that would that create for the rule of create issues for the rule of law? >> i think this exception >> i think in this exception circumstance personally circumstance that i personally would support that because the old saying of justice delayed is justice denied. you know , the justice denied. you know, the 700, the vast majority of whom haven't just had an unsafe conviction but have been absolutely shown to be innocent, altogether innocent . they've altogether innocent. they've been through the mill through years of trauma, and yet they still haven't had resolution or compensation or overturned convictions . that seems to me to convictions. that seems to me to be the biggest injustice in the system. so in these circumstances, i think parliament can legislate and clear the whole thing up very quickly. >> involved here has has time on their side. we know that four have already passed , but also we have already passed, but also we know how clogged up the public prosecutor is. >> we know how clogged up the judicial system is. and i wonder, alex chalk, the justice secretary, is currently sitting in meetings with senior members of the judiciary. he's been doing that all day about this issue. and i suppose there are

two arguments will be being two arguments that will be being had. number do want to had. number one, do we want to pile work to an already pile on more work to an already stretched judicial tree with this, these so—called expedited, uh , resolutions or , or is the uh, resolutions or, or is the judiciary going to be one rid about losing its independence, about losing its independence, about parliament doing something, perhaps setting a precedent of overturning the independent judiciary ? i think independent judiciary? i think that these are the two different competing elements. >> first of all, i don't think she these meet these she was having these meet these urgent a couple of urgent meetings a couple of weeks ago. that back weeks ago. and that comes back to of why to this original question of why is on an itv drama on is it taken on an itv drama on the substance of it, i think you've put your finger on it, tom. there is this there, there are these competing interests. one is the overwhelming sense that been a massive that there's been a massive miscarriage justice. and as miscarriage of justice. and as you a lot people do you say, a lot of people do not have side. we know have time on their side. we know some , tragically, some people, tragically, have taken others taken their own lives. others will be getting on in years . the will be getting on in years. the trauma of going through the appeals process. do not underestimate that. revisiting revisiting the legal system that

has so badly failed you. that is a very upsetting thing. so that would argue in favour of this one line in parliament. let's just call it that. but against that, as tom rightly says, is this concern that this would somehow interfere here with the rule of law? it would be quite an unwise and unconstitutional thing to do where courts of justice have found people to be guilty . and parliament then guilty. and parliament then sitting in judgement on those courts and saying, actually, no, we don't need to go through the appeals process. we're just going to quash them. i mean, we appeals process. we're just gothis:o quash them. i mean, we appeals process. we're just gothis country them. i mean, we appeals process. we're just gothis country thetalkingean, we in this country are talking about don't about this earlier. we don't have presidential pardon, do have the presidential pardon, do we? and this would be this would seem to be sort of on those sorts of lines. however, because of of what seems to of the scale of what seems to have been terrible scandal . have been this terrible scandal. well, broadly in well, i think i'm broadly in favour of an of an act of parliament just says, look, these people suffered these people have suffered enough, more. enough, suffer no more. >> settlement of 1688 would >> the settlement of 1688 would be proud. parliamentary supremacy and all the rest of it. shall we move on to an issue that has been brought up the that has been brought up in the sun morning ? it

sun newspaper this morning? it rakes over another element of the judiciary. um sir keir starmer's, uh , uh, exploits back starmer's, uh, uh, exploits back in the early 2000, where the sun says sir keir starmer did pro bono work for free for some heinous criminals at the start of the millennium. >> yes, i think you all know that it's been swirling around westminster before christmas . westminster before christmas. the conservative campaign hq was going to have a real blast at keir starmer. now they did an initial one, which slightly misfired because it was about when he was a defence barrister. defending people who were unpleasant. but that was so—called rank principle . so so—called cab rank principle. so i think most people in legal circles sort of threw back their eyes about that. but this is different. this is starmer different. this is keir starmer not a case. just land in not having a case. just land in his lap. but going across the road to seek out, if you like , road to seek out, if you like, really heinous murderers in countries largely commonwealth

countries, that still had the death penalty , you could argue death penalty, you could argue as well. there's a bit of a white saviour liberalism going on here where these are former colonies where, you know, legacy law means that that the uk high courts still have some kind of sway. but he's gone out of his way to prevent the death penalty that these countries had in their legal system is being carried out against people , all carried out against people, all of whom there's no question about their guilt. you know, child murderers , other child murderers, other murderers. that wasn't why he was doing it. he was doing it to see the death penalty. >> exactly. he is always openly been fundamentally opposed to the death penalty, which he believes is barbaric . so, believes is barbaric. so, matthew, was he not sticking to his principles in doing that work ? work? >> look, should we be completely clear this clear about this? this is election year and the sun newspaper, this is my view. i'm sure they may dispute. it will be absolutely gung ho going for starmer on anything they can, and they will see those five years between 2008 and 2013,

when he was in charge of public prosecutions as very fertile territory . they will be territory. they will be desperate to drag up populist stuff such as this . but as you stuff such as this. but as you rightly say, pip, what starmer seems to have been doing is helping people avoid the death penalty. and you either have murdered children. yeah, well , murdered children. yeah, well, i'm against the death penalty. you may be in favour of it. i am against the death penalty and he's be against the he's entitled to be against the death . the idea that death penalty. the idea that starmer somehow of starmer is somehow a fan of child murderer is actually deeply offensive . deeply offensive. >> completely take that point and he might be very principled against death penalty . he. i against the death penalty. he. i just it very odd that this just find it very odd that this is priority . not not not is the priority. not not not going after not prosecuting anyone in the united kingdom or doing law here, but but travelling halfway around the world to, to intervene and lessen the sentences for people who are definitely guilty of some of the most horrific acts that we can't say even on time. >> you're talking about the word priority there, starmer was in charge of prosecuting thousands

and thousands of cases. he did a vast amount of good in this country to put very dangerous, very bad people behind bars. the fact at the same time that this is someone who opposes the death penalty, as i hope most people , penalty, as i hope most people, most decent people in this country do , that doesn't worry country do, that doesn't worry me a tiny bit, he is presenting himself run up to this himself in the run up to this election as mr >> law and order mr tough on crime . um, >> law and order mr tough on crime. um, you >> law and order mr tough on crime . um, you know this >> law and order mr tough on crime. um, you know this is an example of an extreme mr leniency interfering in other countries uh legal uh positions legal systems in order to prevent a penalty that that was legal under there. >> but we know the death penalty doesn't work, don't we? so he could still be tough on crime and oppose it. i don't support the death penalty myself, but there circumstances it there are some circumstances it clearly works. >> you've had people who've been convicted , many miscarriages. convicted, many miscarriages. i agree but there are agree with you, but there are also been also people who've been convicted of murder who've supposedly got life sentences coming out and killing again. now, clearly , if the death now, clearly, if the death penalty had been applied in the

first there would be first conviction, there would be people today who aren't. people alive today who aren't. so you can't say sweepingly it doesn't. >> it doesn't act as a deterrent i >> -- >> it doesn't. it's too authoritarian. it's too much state power . you can't say it state power. you can't say it does work either , because of the does work either, because of the risk of wrongful conviction . risk of wrongful conviction. well, i think you can look at the homicide rate in this country since the end of the death penalty and say there are more homicides now , look at more homicides now, look at america. you know, i, i do not advocate that the return of the death penalty, because of the danger of, of wrongful conviction, i remember the case that stefan kiszko, who who was convicted of murdering a child , convicted of murdering a child, i think, and then later on, when dna came through, it wasn't just it was unsafe. he was conclusively proved to have been innocent. so we've just been talking about the office talking about the post office and, well, could have been killed. >> but miscarriage >> but in the miscarriage of justice you presented justice scandal, you presented a utilitarian argument for a blanket exoneration , even if blanket exoneration, even if there might be some miscarriage of justice, of justice on the margins. >> isn't that the flip side of

that argument? the same sort of utilitarianism could be presented, uh, towards an argument , because death penalty. argument, because death penalty. there might be some that there might be some people that if we let someone if we let some if we let someone off their conviction for this scandal, and 1 or 2 of those 700 turns out to be guilty, the price we pay as a society is not that great. >> my point, my point about linking what you've just said, and i understand and where you're coming from. i disagree with it, but my point of linking it are just talking about it is we are just talking about one of biggest miscarriages one of the biggest miscarriages of history, of justice in british history, where up to 700 where it looks like up to 700 people wrongly convicted . people were wrongly convicted. imagine a world in which i'm against the death penalty anyway. a world in anyway. but imagine a world in which are convicted on which people are convicted on that sort of scale for far more heinous crimes and are put to death. there is no way in which the death penalty is just can we zoom out? >> however , and look at how this >> however, and look at how this might in intellectual might not play in intellectual debate, the general debate, but in the general election, because in 1988, the democrats presidential candidate, michael dukakis, was asked if his wife, if his wife

was raped and murdered, would he oppose the death penalty. and many people say that his answer in presidential debates to that question, where he just turned and curtly said, oh, no, of course i wouldn't, blah blah blah blah blah, was one of blah blah, blah blah, was one of the things that meant that he didn't connect the didn't quite connect with the electorate. of the reasons electorate. one of the reasons he to h.w. bush he lost to george h.w. bush could play out in a similar could this play out in a similar way ? headlines rather than way? headlines rather than detail, working against sir keir starmer here? >> i think there's possibility with certain niches of the electorate, what we turn the red wall working class electorate has got the highest levels of support for the death penalty , support for the death penalty, pretty much 5050. i think , pretty much 5050. i think, across, uh, the demographic spectrum . polls will show the spectrum. polls will show the death penalty is would not probably win a referendum. but among certain older, more working class socially conservative voters, some of whom labour needs to win back . i whom labour needs to win back. i think people think he's shown the wrong instincts here and, uh, i think it's legitimate . i

uh, i think it's legitimate. i clearly think it is a conservative, uh, campaign operation going on here. but, you know, we are in an election yeah you know, we are in an election year, uh, in every other year, the government is the one that gets scrutinised in an election yeah gets scrutinised in an election year, there would be governments have to be scrutinised as well . have to be scrutinised as well. >> and just one of the other lines of attack that the tories and say the sun and maybe the mail will go after starmer for is this idea that he, he has opposed, i think at certain points, the deportation of foreign criminals. and i'm really clear about this. if someone was brought up in this country , even if they weren't country, even if they weren't born in this country and they commit a crime, they should not be exported. if they're an adult . it's a different question. >> stadlen patrick >> matthew stadlen patrick loughlin we've run loughlin i'm afraid we've run out a fascinating out of time, but a fascinating discussion. much out of time, but a fascinating distoining much out of time, but a fascinating distoining us. much out of time, but a fascinating distoining us. be much out of time, but a fascinating distoining us. be back, :h forjoining us. we'll be back, of afternoon of course, tomorrow afternoon with good afternoon britain , a with good afternoon britain, a brighter outlook with box solar, sponsors of weather on . gb news

afternoon. >> i'm alex deakin. this is your latest weather update from the met office for gb news the cold theme continues feeling particularly tomorrow in particularly chilly tomorrow in the winds for much of the south it will be a fine day with sunny spells. this area of high pressure dominating, sitting pressure is dominating, sitting just scotland just to the north of scotland around go clockwise around it the winds go clockwise , drawing in the easterly breeze, but also bringing down a bit more cloud through the night into scotland and into northeast scotland and northeast england. maybe 1 or 2 scattered showers here. these should chiefly be of rain. we've seen foggy conditions in seen some foggy conditions in northern scotland that fog may lift we through the night. lift as we go through the night. in the south clear , but in the south it's clear, but it's cold with a widespread frost. minus one minus two. even in urban areas, the countryside . in urban areas, the countryside. and lower than that, it's not quite as cold in the northeast because there'll be more cloud here make for a cold here that will make for a cold feeling day tomorrow. still a few showers over southeast scotland, england scotland, northeast england again, chiefly of rain. pretty light , pretty well scattered for light, pretty well scattered for most. it will be dry. lots of sunshine in the south soon. lifting spells

lifting that frost. sunny spells continuing western scotland. a mixture of cloud and a bit of sunshine for northern ireland. temperatures ticking up little temperatures ticking up a little tomorrow any tomorrow but it won't feel any warmer with the cloudy skies in the northeast and a fairly brisk wind that wind continues to wind here that wind continues to bnngin wind here that wind continues to bring in more cloud and a chilly feel on some north sea coast and along the south coast well. along the south coast as well. on thursday . again, most places along the south coast as well. on quiteiay . again, most places along the south coast as well. on quite cloudyjain, most places along the south coast as well. on quite cloudy overmost places along the south coast as well. on quite cloudy over northern :es dry quite cloudy over northern england, eastern scotland sunny spells in the south and the west , but staying on the cold side by for now. >> looks like things are heating up . up. >> boxt boilers spot hours of weather on gb news as

i >> -- >> well . good afternoon. >> well. good afternoon. >> well. good afternoon. >> it's 3 pm. and welcome to the martin daubney show on gb news broadcasting live from the heart of westminster and all across the uk . across the uk. >> i'll be joined shortly by labour mp khalid mahmood, who joins me in the studio. >> our top story this hour. >> our top story this hour. >> the former post office boss, paula vennells, has handed back her cbe and apologised for the devastation caused to the postmasters wrongly prosecuted for fraud and theft . in a few for fraud and theft. in a few minutes time i'll be getting reaction from one of the hundreds of post office scandal victims and this follows a day of ministerial promises with the justice secretary and crunch talks with judges to help deliver swift justice for those

victims.