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. i'll also be discussing why the spotlight is also now on sir keir starmer's legal past, following that, the government's controversial rwanda plan will be debated once again in parliament next week. but there's growing pressure on the government to reveal the true astronomical cost of sending asylum seekers to the east african country and fresh spring water in a bottle . what could be water in a bottle. what could be better? but is it really that good for you? because new research may leave you reaching for the taps and saving a few quid while you're at it? now, as usual, i want to hear from you. paul vennells has handed back her cbe . but who else do you her cbe. but who else do you want to see face the music over the post office scandal ? ed the post office scandal? ed davey. what about the other people who had their fingerprints on this throughout the years? please email me at gb views gb news. com but first it's views gb news. com but first wsfime views gb news. com but first it's time for your latest news headunes it's time for your latest news headlines with sam francis .

headlines with sam francis. >> martin, thank you very much. good afternoon. i'm sam francis in the gb newsroom. the headunes in the gb newsroom. the headlines just after three. well our top story as we've been heanng our top story as we've been hearing the former post office boss paula vennells, says she will hand back cbe with will hand back her cbe with immediate effect. her announcement comes after huge pressure to return the honour in the fallout of the horizon scandal. the former chief executive, who ran the post office while it denied there was a its it software , a problem with its it software, says she is truly sorry for the devastate pain caused to staff and families as well. and their families as well. meanwhile, fujitsu has been called to answer questions from mps next week over its role in the post office scandal . downing the post office scandal. downing street says the tech firm will be held accountable, be it legally or financially, if it's found they made mistakes more than 700 post office staff were convicted and jailed, bankrupt and some took their lives after faulty horizon software meant they were wrongly accused of theft. to date, just 93 convictions have been overturned

and only 30 have finalised compensation , with the compensation, with the government . rishi sunak is government. rishi sunak is facing a showdown with mps over his rwanda bill when it returns to the commons next week. penny mordaunt said the legislation will reach the third stage of its progress through parliament on the 16th and 17th of january. however the shadow commons leader, lucy powell , says the leader, lucy powell, says the announcement was just another example of the government making it up as they go along. she called the plan unworkable . called the plan 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. speed earlier at an event in london, bridget phillipson said parents should not take children out of school for cheaper holidays or for birthday treats. it comes after more than a fifth of pupils in england were persistently absent across the autumn and spring terms in 2022 and 2023. in 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 paris. it follows her resignation yesterday . french resignation yesterday. french president emmanuel macron says he wants to freshen things up in his second turm, ahead of the european parliament elections . european parliament elections. back in the uk , a court has back in the uk, a court has heard that harry pitman was stabbed to death with a hunting knife within yards of emergency service workers as a 16 year old boy has appeared at the old bailey today over the killing , bailey today over the killing, which happened as harry waited to watch firework in north london midnight on london just before midnight on new eve. the court was new year's eve. the court was also told the murder happened dufing also told the murder happened during some sort of altercation, as crowds gathered. a provisional trial has been set for the 2nd of september in the us. two airlines have found loose hardware during plane inspections . it's after inspections. it's after a section of the fuselage fell from an alaska airlines 737 max

on friday. the plane made an emergency landing , but luckily emergency landing, but luckily no passengers were injured . the no passengers were injured. the operator has said it has since found some loose hardware on several max nines. oregon high school teacher bob sauer discovered the missing alaska airlines plane door in his garden . 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 the 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 . gleaming. >> a coroner has ruled that schneider o'connor died of natural causes last year. in july , the dublin born singer was july, the dublin born singer was found unresponsive at her south london home and she was pronounced dead at the age of 56. a statement from southwark coroner's court said that they have therefore ceased their involvement in her death . involvement in her death. meanwhile more snow is expected across the country as the uk health security agency issues an

amber cold health alert for parts of england . the winter 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 flood warnings remain in place across the uk . uk scientists who across the uk. 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 encountered a fuel leak shortly after it launched . the probe had after it launched. the probe had aimed to land on the lunar surface by the end of february, but now less than 40 hours of fuel remain before the space craft starts tumbling . well craft starts tumbling. well we've heard 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 likely to be the warmest year in the last 100,000

years. and some breaking news this hour. we're hearing that lord cameron has said that there are still two british nationals being held in gaza. live pictures here of david cameron speaking to the foreign affairs committee for the first time as foreign secretary briefing on policies since joining government. and we will bring you more on that breaking news as we get it here on gb news that's the latest from the newsroom. for more, we're across the uk on tv , on digital radio the uk on tv, on digital radio and of course on your smart speaker to just say play gb news now though. more from martin in westminster . westminster. >> thank you sam. now to our top story. this hour. >> thank you sam. now to our top story. this hour . the former story. this hour. the former boss of the post office has handed back her cbe and said sorry to the hundreds of victims of the post office scandal. paula vennells was head of the organisation when around 700

postmasters and mistresses were wrongly prosecuted for fraud and theft after a faulty computer programme showed money was missing . meanwhile, the justice missing. meanwhile, the justice secretary is in crunch talks with judges to find a speedy way to deliver justice for the victims who want their convictions quashed . some were convictions quashed. some were wrongly jailed and tragically , wrongly jailed and tragically, some took their own lives because of these prosecutions. mps are also calling on fujitsu, the firm behind the faulty hofizon the firm behind the faulty horizon accounting software that made it look like money was missing to pay for compensation . missing to pay for compensation. ian. well, i'll be getting a reaction now from labour mp khalid mahmood , who joins me khalid mahmood, who joins me very kindly in the studio. mp for birmingham perry barr, khalid , a lot of people were khalid, a lot of people were were saying that that paula vennells should be stripped of her cbe . she's acted first and her cbe. she's acted first and handedit her cbe. she's acted first and handed it back herself . is that handed it back herself. is that the right thing to do? >> well , it's the least the right thing to do? >> well, it's the least you could do at and she's done that. >> but the real issue is those people who've suffered for 20

years, some of them are, have just completely , uh, lost all, just completely, uh, lost all, uh, contact with what was going on. their lives have been absolutely ruined, uh, throughout this , people have had throughout this, people have had huge mental . health effects as huge mental. health effects as well. a number of people have died since, and the families still left. uh, resolved , trying still left. uh, resolved, trying to resolve the whole issue. so it's taken a huge of time it's taken a huge amount of time , uh, to deal with this. and we're going through we're still going through an inquiry. the people are saying that what we get the that what we need to get the judges this out, pass judges to sort this out, pass a resolution through the house of commons , get it commons takes a week, get it done, and let's move these people forward get them back people forward and get them back to normality. >> what next? um, compensation would seem likely and would seem the most likely and fair option, but who should foot the bill? a lot of people are saying taxpayer pick saying the taxpayer should pick it why the it up, but why should the taxpayer pick it up when fujitsu, it seems, are patently at fault ? at fault? >> well, agree with you. >> well, i quite agree with you. >> well, i quite agree with you. >> fujitsu have a >> i think fujitsu have a responsibility. and so far we haven't with them . haven't done anything with them. they a huge responsibility . they have a huge responsibility. they have a huge responsibility. they didn't their systems they didn't check their systems when complaints made.

when the complaints were made. they correct and they said they were correct and they were right in doing what they were right in doing what they were right in doing what they were doing. no they were doing. they'd had no issue of checking all these people in life been hugely, hugely affected by this and they have a responsibility to pay this. >> okay. can we come back to you in cross now in a moment? but let's cross now to editor to gb news political editor christopher chris martin, christopher hope. chris martin, hello . hello. >> i'm, uh, big news here in westminster . paula vennells has westminster. paula vennells has handed back her cbe. as you've heard on the news, there . and heard on the news, there. and with me now is kevan jones , with me now is kevan jones, who's been campaigning on this for the past 2 or 3 years. kevin, reaction to kevin, what's your reaction to the removal or the choice by miss vennells to hand back her cbe? >> well, i don't think she had much choice after the, uh, outcry, uh, after the television documentary . documentary. >> but, you know, i have been campaigning this have written four times now to the fortune committee to try and get this taken off her. she's now seen sense and actually given it back. >> this is the beginning of a reckoning about the post office scandal , reckoning about the post office scandal, isn't reckoning about the post office scandal , isn't it? scandal, isn't it? >> well, it is, but also i think

there's questions that there's some questions that number ask about this number 10 need to ask about this honoun number 10 need to ask about this honour, because was them that honour, because it was them that recommended it for in 2019, even when knew all about the, uh when they knew all about the, uh , scandal around the post office, they also made her a non—executive director of the cabinet office and appointed her to the an nhs trust and now we learned today that she was also considered to be the bishop of london. >> so, you know, some questions need asked who need to be asked about who took these decisions . these decisions. >> says yes. and it's an issue for the tory government, isn't it? i mean, it seems to me this whole scandal being whole scandal is being pockmarked an inability of pockmarked by an inability of the establishment officials , the establishment officials, ministers to listen to ordinary people, not just ordinary people, not just ordinary people, but pillars of the community, which supposed pastors are. >> well, yeah. and the you know, the point being is both myself and james are both now and quite and james are both now and quite a few other mps have been campaigning. been this a few other mps have been canwhatning. been this a few other mps have been canwhat i ng. been this a few other mps have been canwhat i think been this a few other mps have been canwhat i think overen this a few other mps have been canwhat i think over 13 this for what i think over 13 years now, not though this now, and it's not as though this information the public information wasn't in the public domain. therefore domain. it was therefore the idea that the government in 2019 gave a cbe for services to the

post office. ironically then, sir needs to explain in number 10 who did that and also who actually recommended to all these other appointments she got. well, number 10 of course won't answer questions. >> an issue issue for >> there's an issue issue for the honours forfeiture committee. asked them committee. when we asked them those . those questions. >> sure it is >> well, i'm not sure it is because in government because somebody in government in 2019 recommended her for this. they also took the decision to appoint the decision to appoint to the cabinet office as a non—executive director and an nhs so who in government nhs trust. so who in government decided these things? and likewise put on the short likewise who put on the short list the of london? >> ed davey is the leader of the liberal democrats. of course, he was post office minister 2010 to 2012. should he now hand back his knighthood? >> well, a very interesting to see whether he'll whether he'll comment on this. but you know he said he was lied to by his officials. well it depends on what questions he asked . i've what questions he asked. i've been a minister and i know if you ask the question, you get the answers. it's quite clearly didn't do that. >> ? why do you think he shut >> why? why do you think he shut his mind to the issues that alan

bates was raising repeatedly in letters ? and what does letters with him? and what does it really, our it say, really, about our politics that subpostmasters pillars of their community, can be ignored so much by people in power ? power? >> now this was the full weight of the establishment and the state against them. but but and also with ministers who are not asking the right questions. i mean, over the years i've said it in parliament, we've dealt some succession of useless post office ministers. the worst office ministers. the most worst one, was swinson one, i think, was jo swinson when she was post office. so arrogant and just supporting the, uh, government's position. but no, these questions need to be asked and people need to have the answers . the answers. >> and what's next? is it time to stop all work with fujitsu until its inquiry is finished? >> i'm on record as >> well, i'm on the record as saying and i think you saying that, and i think you know on earth company know why on earth that company has silent this and is has gone silent this week and is not about come forward and explain its position . and we explain its position. and we still give them a multi—billion pound that can't pound contracts. now that can't be . be right. >> well, kevin jones, thank you for joining us. and i should forjoining us. and i should say, martin, that it was me who

wrote first article about wrote the first article about paula , the cbe, paula vennells, the cbe, reporting on the letter, which kevin there we kevin jones sent. so there we are, a victory, a small victory for highlighting this cbe, which took. >> thank you. chris for that live reaction there from college green . and let's hear now from green. and let's hear now from pauune green. and let's hear now from pauline stonehouse, who was one of the many post office managers wrongly prosecuted. pauline welcome to the show. thank you for joining us. um, before we forjoining us. um, before we get your reaction on to paula vennells would you mind please sharing with us some details of your story ? your story? >> yes, certainly . >> yes, certainly. >> yes, certainly. >> i became a postmaster in 2004 after many years experience working in post offices using the old system. um got prosecuted by the post office as suspended in two thousand and seven and prosecuted in 2008. >> and that must have been devastating for you and you've now learned, of course , that now learned, of course, that that was all wrongful and was the fault of dodgy software . can the fault of dodgy software. can you explain the emotional roller

coaster you must have been through over the years ? through over the years? >> at the time, it was . it was >> at the time, it was. it was horrendous. at the time , uh, to horrendous. at the time, uh, to not know what was going on, wondering what all the money was going to for, uh, the financial stress of my husband and myself. uh taking money from the business to put to in pay the so—called shortages , um, and so—called shortages, um, and then seeking help and not getting it, uh, to then eventually, um, speak into an area manager and then being suspended and then being accused of taking money that now. no, i didn't do . didn't do. >> and the damage to your reputation , your mental health, reputation, your mental health, your wellbeing must have been immense . immense. >> yes. it's true . >> yes. it's true. >> so to get put on antibiotics , >> so to get put on antibiotics, um, antidepressants by the doctor, uh, for a few years. >> um, yeah. affected me in a big way. affected my family as well. the stress of going through it all and seeing me being dragged through to the papers and. yeah, and obviously it's gone on and on over time

with financial worries and not having the usual income . having the usual income. >> and pauline, as we see now , >> and pauline, as we see now, some form of resolution at least beginning , some form of resolution at least beginning, um, the itv drama , it beginning, um, the itv drama, it took that for this to reach the front pages once again. do you feel as if the clouds are passing? you're reaching a resolution and looking forward to a happier time? >> yeah , certainly. hope so. >> yeah, certainly. hope so. this, uh, series is definitely brought it to the forefront of people's minds and making the government step up and take nofice. government step up and take notice . so hopefully we'll get notice. so hopefully we'll get a resolution sooner rather than later, because it's like you said, it's been dragging on long enough now . enough now. >> and pauline, what's your immediate reaction to the breaking paula vennells breaking news of paula vennells handing her cbe ? was that handing back her cbe? was that the correct thing for her to have done ? definitely have done? definitely >> she should have done it before now without without the petition being signed, uh, common decency should have brought us to do that . uh, she brought us to do that. uh, she shouldn't have to be to told do it, but unfortunately , she was

it, but unfortunately, she was almost kicked and dragged into the situation . the situation. >> what do you want to happen next? there's much talk about the prosecutor all being quashed, exonerated , and also quashed, exonerated, and also financial compensation. what would you like to see happen, pauune would you like to see happen, pauline ? pauune? >> the mass convictions being quashed is definitely needs to happen. uh, as for the compensation, i think they drag their heels far too much , uh, their heels far too much, uh, and make it more complicated than it needs to be. so they need to make that simpler and get all, uh, back into get us all, uh, back into position . uh, better than we position. uh, better than we currently are. >> well, pauline stonehouse, i want to thank you very much for joining us on the show today on gb and i hope you get gb news. and i hope you get resolution. you very resolution. thank you very, very much and to you and your much and love to you and your family. thank you much. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> you. bye. now carrie, >> thank you. bye. now carrie, carrie, when see carrie, when you when you see the sort of, know , the human sort of, you know, impact this there and people impact of this there and people like pauline, we have to keep pushing on this. it's not enough for somebody be thrown under for somebody to be thrown under the their the bus or to hand back their cba. cbe we have to keep pushing

to make sure these people get justice. well that's the key thing. >> i mean, pauline and her family have through family have gone through a horrendous a of her horrendous time. a lot of her colleagues have through colleagues have gone through exactly and now that exactly the same and now that it's been highlighted, finally, 20 years later, i think we as politicians have to take responsibility and deal with it. but make sure the civil servants, as servants, and particularly as you said, fujitsu should take total responsibility for the errors and putting these people in harm's way. errors and putting these people in harm's way . we should that in harm's way. we should do that now. no political party >> carrie, no political party has of this has come out of this. this scandal smelling of roses. ed davey , of course, has pressure davey, of course, has pressure on him. tories , as your on him. the tories, as your colleague jones just colleague kevin jones just pointed out, they put, um, miss vennells forward for her cbe and the bishop of london role. keir starmer. also, the spotlight is on him today. um, he was the head of the director of public prosecutions at the time when these cases to he these cases came to light, he could have intervened and didn't. well i think what the problem has been throughout all of how the bureaucracy of this is how the bureaucracy and the civil service has dealt

with all this. with all of this. >> i don't think that they believed the people in the first instance. i don't think enough care was taken to deal with this issue, and thought the issue, and they thought the company and because the advice that given to the post that was given to the post office was fine and these people are just making it up, that is what we have to change the culture wrong. there what we have to change the cult still wrong. there what we have to change the cult still every wrong. there what we have to change the cult still every day ong. there what we have to change the cult still every day thousands of are still every day thousands of people on their own. this is a huge case, but individually are suffering these sort of things under issues of the civil under the issues of the civil service that we have in place of the offices that we have in place, who continue to ignore these people who can't always go to courts . to the courts. >> what about future of >> what about the future of fujitsu ? um, yesterday lee fujitsu? um, yesterday lee anderson was here. he was saying the taxpayers should up the taxpayers should pick up a part bill. and i part of this bill. and i was like, hang on a minute. like, well, hang on a minute. why should taxpayer why should the taxpayer pay for dodgy software of a private enterprise? so should the bill be footed by them in totality down the line? and what about the contracts they still enjoy? well i think kevin was a very good friend of mine . good friend of mine. >> is quite right. he's worked very on this . i they

very hard on this. i think they have responsibility have total responsibility to deal still deal with this. they still have millions of contracts millions of pounds of contracts with local government and national government, as they do in uh, of defence in other, uh, areas of defence and those sort of places. we need with that. need need to deal with that. we need to they are help held to make sure they are help held responsible for what they're doing. >> okay . and so would you like >> okay. and so would you like to see, i don't know, those contracts suspended or put on ice until they put this right or you don't straight away you don't see them straight away saying, we're going to admit liability. this work? liability. how does this work? because people not happy because people will not be happy if the taxpayer once again has to bail out a fat cat private corporation . corporation. >> ian. well, i think we don't we do not bail out these private corporation. i think what you have to do is give them notice to deal this suspending to deal with this by suspending contracts is not contracts straight away is not an to do. i think an easy thing to do. i think what you need do is get them what you need to do is get them to held accountable. to be held accountable. if they agree, if not, agree, then do that. if not, ultimately the ultimately they will. the contracts will have to be suspended. okay. you very much. >> mahmood, please stick >> khalid mahmood, please stick around. i'll get more reaction from later in the show and from you later in the show and we'll have more that we'll have lots more on that story the of story throughout the show. of

course. and there's plenty of coverage at gb coverage on our website at gb news. com and you've helped make it the fastest growing national news website in the country. so thank coming up, thank you very much. coming up, the government's controversial rwanda bill will return to parliament next week , but parliament next week, but ministers are under pressure to reveal the true astronomical costs of sending asylum seekers or not, to the east african country. i'm martin daubney on gb news, britain's news channel .

sunday mornings from 930 on gb news . news. >> welcome back . it's 325. >> welcome back. it's 325. you're watching or listening to martin daubney on gb news now rishi sunak will showdown with mps as the rwanda bill makes its commons return next week . commons return next week. earlier, the leader of the house of commons, penny mordaunt, announced the legislation will reach the stage of its reach the third stage of its progress through parliament on the 16th and 17th of january. if passed and given royal assent, parliament will deem rwanda safe , overcoming the supreme court's ruling against deporting some migrants to the african nation. well join us now to discuss this in our studio is our political correspondent, katherine forster. new year, same old nightmare for rishi and a two pronged attack on his own. revolt could come out and also today, labour are demanding to know how much all of this costs. let's start with the tories.

they puffed their chests up before christmas. will they do the same again and actually vote against it or is it all posturing? we're going to posturing? well we're going to find out next tuesday and wednesday when the bill comes back to the house of commons. >> of course, before christmas , >> of course, before christmas, there was an almighty row , there was an almighty row, wasn't there? and they were possibly going to have a major rebellion in the end. no conservative actually voted against the bill over christmas . against the bill over christmas. it feels like the heat has gone out of this a little bit, but you know, the conservative party, it could all combust again , because the fundamental again, because the fundamental problem is , is that the sort of problem is, is that the sort of left of the conservative party led by people like damian green, the one nations say that they will support it as long as it doesn't go any further at all, because they can't countenance it breaking international law damian green has said the prime minister looked me in the eye and said he doesn't want to go any further . but on the other

any further. but on the other hand, plenty of mps on the right of the party convinced that it's doomed to fail unless it goes further and that the government needs to take much tougher action. so who is going to blink first, or is it the case that now we are in an election year, we know the election is coming? are are they going to bite their lip? are they going to let it go to the lords ? there'll be an to the lords? there'll be an almighty row in the lords potentially pass into law and then possibly come unstuck in then possibly come unstuck in the courts. we don't have long to find out. >> it feels a bit like groundhog day on brexit. >> um, the left wanted brexit watered down. they want rwanda watered down. they want rwanda watered down. the right wants it beefed up the same again. do you think they'd all just think actually we've got to get rwanda done the same. we had to get brexit done. so therefore if we hope function as a party, hope to function as a party, would like a complete would that look like a complete and shambles of and utter, you know, shambles of disagreement? they'll just vote it through anyway and try and

hope this saves their bacon on the fact they cannot seem to stop the boats. >> well, they're running out of time, aren't they? because the election is looming. we know that for that people do not vote for divided parties . 80s. so the divided parties. 80s. so the government , divided parties. 80s. so the government, number 10 is hoping that they'll realise that they just have to go along with this, that this is their best and only hope they'll be hoping and praying will get those praying they will get those flights and that they can flights off. and that they can go forward together for the general election. meanwhile labour today there's an opposition day debate. they basically want to know where all this money up to 400 million now allocated to rwanda. not a single migrants went where it's all going. they want a load of information releasing the costs of relocating each asylum seeker. the list of all the payments that have been made to the rwandan government, or in a scheduled to be made. and they want know . so lots and lots want to know. so lots and lots of information . yvette cooper at of information. yvette cooper at the shadow home secretary is

basically the basically saying that the government's come government's refusal to come clean totally unacceptable. clean is totally unacceptable. now, of course, they're doing this for political reasons , but this for political reasons, but i think many people will think these are huge sums of money for which the government has currently nothing to show for it . i think a lot of people will be interested to see that detail, but i very much doubt that it will be released , or in that it will be released, or in fact, that labour will win this vote and actually, catherine, um, of your um, irrespective of your political viewpoint, they're fair questions. >> is this costing ? >> how much is this costing? where is the money going? a lot of saying, know, of people are saying, you know, a to money countries like a lot of to money countries like rwanda, famed for that, for rwanda, not famed for that, for their financial , um, prudence their financial, um, prudence or, you know, good will if you like, lots of corruption and lots of countries. these are fair questions. >> absolutely fair questions, particularly numbers particularly since the numbers that the government were planning were planning to send to rwanda were actually quite small. only in the low thousands . it wasn't the low thousands. it wasn't like they were promising to relocate 50,000 a year. and it sounds like a lot of the money

is not so much for the housing and keeping of the migrants themselves. the hotels , whatever themselves. the hotels, whatever themselves. the hotels, whatever the infrastructure has been built , but the infrastructure has been built, but more support. built, but more for support. supporting rwanda as a country as part of this deal. so i think these are fair questions . but, these are fair questions. but, you know, they've sent every home secretary has gone to rwanda, not a single migrant. and it's one of rishi sunaks big pledges. but of course, at the weekend we spent a lot of time heafing weekend we spent a lot of time hearing that he had apparently, as chancellor expressed doubts on if it would work and if it would be a value for money. >> there we rwanda >> there we go. rwanda once again. back to haunt rishi again. come back to haunt rishi katherine forster . again. come back to haunt rishi katherine forster. thank you. superb as ever. okay there's lots more still to come between now 4:00. now we're all now and 4:00. now we're all encouraged of encouraged to drink lots of water carry a bottle, water and always carry a bottle, but new research might see you reaching for the taps and saving a few pennies while you're at it. first, your it. but first, here's your latest headlines sam latest news headlines with sam francis .

francis. >> martin. thank you. good afternoon. from the gb newsroom i'm sam francis. the headlines at just after 3:30. lord cameron has confirmed there are still two british nationals being held in gaza as hostage. that's amid the ongoing conflict. conflict there. he is currently speaking to the foreign affairs committee for the first time since returning to government. earlier, he was asked whether those are still alive. those hostages are still alive. the foreign secretary said he didn't have any information to share at stage. also share at this stage. he also admitted to concerns that israel may have breached international law . the former post office law. the former post office boss, paula venables, says she will hand back her cbe with immediate effect . that immediate effect. that announcement comes after huge pressure on her to return the honourin pressure on her to return the honour in the fallout of the hofizon honour in the fallout of the horizon scandal. meanwhile, fujitsu has been called to answer questions from mps next week over its role in the post office scandal. downing street says the tech company will be held accountable legally or financially if it's found they

made mistakes . rishi sunak financially if it's found they made mistakes. rishi sunak is facing a showdown with mps over his rwanda bill when it returns to the commons next week . penny to the commons next week. penny mordaunt said the legislation will reach its third stage of the process through the parliament on the 16th and 17th of january. however the shadow commons leader, lucy powell, said the announcement was just another example of the government making it up as they government making it up as they go along. she called plan go along. she called the plan unworkable . and more snow is unworkable. and more snow is expected across the country as the uk health security agency issues an amber cold health alert for parts of england that 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 you can get more on the uk. and you can get more on all of those stories by visiting our website, gb news. com . our website, gb news. com. >> for stunning gold and silver

coins, you'll always value rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news financial report . the gb news financial report. and here's a quick snapshot of today's markets . today's markets. >> the pound will buy you $1.2717 and >> the pound will buy you 151.2717 and ,1.1619. the >> the pound will buy you $1.2717 and ,1.1619. the price of gold is £1,600.28 per ounce, and the ftse 100 is currently at 7680 points. >> rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news financial report . report. >> thank you sam. now new studies have shown that bottled water contains more plastic than previously thought. researchers in the us looked at the presence of nano plastics in bottled water and found that a one litre bottle of water can typically contain around 240,000 thousand minuscule pieces of plastic.

well joining me now to discuss this is plastic particles specialist doctor heather leslie. doctor leslie, thank you so much forjoining us on . gb so much forjoining us on. gb news news. i've got a bit i don't drink bottled water, not because i'm so concerned about the impacts on the environment, but because tight and a lot but because i'm tight and a lot of people don't drink it either. and actually, they may have been vindicated. on a serious vindicated. but on a serious point , um, vindicated. but on a serious point, um, often when you drink bottled water, you can taste almost a plastic in terms of this research, nanoplastics that we're consuming this way , is it we're consuming this way, is it actually something for us to be worried about in terms of our health? well that's the big question, because we are very, very exposed as these studies typically show . typically show. >> um, but one of the things that that we still have to wait for is the toxicological data. >> it's very scientifically plausible that these particles, when they reach our body, will cause inflammation . and cause inflammation. and inflammation is , um, dangerous inflammation is, um, dangerous to our health. >> it is the prelude to a lot of

chronic disease. >> so what we have to be concerned about is if these particles actually , um, reside particles actually, um, reside in our body and we showed a couple of years ago that, um, microplastics and nanoplastics can be in our bloodstream as well . well. >> so we know that some of these particles that we're getting in are absorbed into our are getting absorbed into our bodies where eventually bodies where they can eventually cause problems and so these are microscopic, tiny, tiny pieces of plastic. >> are factors at hand, such as the amount of time that water is stored in bottles. does it does it? does more go in the longer it's stored? is it particular types of plastic? there's certain manufacturers coat their bottles on the inside. what should we be looking out for ? should we be looking out for? >> yeah, there's a multitude of factors. the temperature of storage and how long it's been stored. >> and mechanical disturbances and the age of the plastic and the list goes on and on. >> so it's really hard to just generalise what i think we have to look for is , is there a way to look for is, is there a way out of , of an exposure that we out of, of an exposure that we don't want? if we decided we

don't want? if we decided we don't want? if we decided we don't want it, what is what is really the way out of this? and that's also not a simple question. just like the problem. >> is the answer right in >> and is the answer right in front of our eyes just by turning on the tap. what about heafing turning on the tap. what about hearing for old hearing it for good old fashioned tap water these days? very . very safe. >> yes. well tap water is a wonderful resource. um, that can also be contaminated with micro plastics and nanoplastics because actually, our entire living environment contains these fragments of our plasticised environment. we're all a little plastic inside. not only the microplastic , it's also only the microplastic, it's also the chemicals that are in plastic. so it's, um, at our current use and the way we apply plastic applications , it might plastic applications, it might not be the best we can do . um, not be the best we can do. um, so there's a lot , not be the best we can do. um, so there's a lot, a not be the best we can do. um, so there's a lot , a lot to be so there's a lot, a lot to be improved. so doctor leslie, quickly, um , what about home quickly, um, what about home filtration ? filtration? >> the filters that we have on our taps , or we can put it our taps, or we can put it through charcoal, filters ourselves. does that help? or are particles simply too are these particles simply too

small filter out ? small to filter out? >> yeah. well, they the recent studies found very, very small particles. and those are more difficult to filter out. i think it's a good intention to try to, uh , expose yourself to the uh, expose yourself to the cleanest water you can and make decisions that are in alignment with what you want, with your values, with your. yeah, with your health. >> okay. magnificent. thank you for joining us on the show, doctor heather . leslie. there we doctor heather. leslie. there we go. go back to tap and save a few quid while you're at it. what about going back to good few quid while you're at it. whtfashioned)ing back to good few quid while you're at it. whtfashioned glassack to good few quid while you're at it. whtfashioned glass bottles?»od old fashioned glass bottles? anyhow, time to anyhow, it's definitely time to crank up the heating as millions of britons brace themselves for a snap. of britons brace themselves for a snap . i've got of britons brace themselves for a snap. i've got mine a cold snap. i've got mine cranked i must confess . cranked up, i must confess. we'll hearing our we'll be hearing from our reporters country reporters across the country soon. martin on gb soon. i'm martin daubney on gb news, britain's newsroom

me, michael portillo, gb news. >> britain's news channel . >> britain's news channel. >> britain's news channel. >> well come back, it's 341. >> well come back, it's 341. >> you're watching or listening to martin daubney on gb news now before we get stuck in, lots of you have been getting in touch with your thoughts on the post office scandal. it's just motivated. so many of you to reach out to us. john says this. it says something when a dogged drama finally gets the earth to move the grave injustices . move for the grave injustices. under the management of paula vennells , all in the name of the vennells, all in the name of the reputation of the post office. what about the reputation of the wrongly accused sub postmasters? well, john, i think they're finally at long last, being listened to . sonia says this now

listened to. sonia says this now that vennells has handed back her honour , it is time for her her honour, it is time for her to lose all her assets and pensions and to face a time in prison like the sub postmasters did. tough justice there from sonia, jeff adds this what we now need to look for are any links between ed davey and fujitsu, or any of his then civil servants or advisers . civil servants or advisers. surely, at best it is total incompetence. by ed davey and at worst it could be an even bigger scandal . well, thanks for those scandal. well, thanks for those views and please keep them coming in on any of the topics we're discussing on the show today. we're discussing on the show today . now more snow is forecast today. now more snow is forecast as an amber cold weather alert has been issued by the uk health security agency. as the cold snapis security agency. as the cold snap is set to continue this week . many snap is set to continue this week. many communities who were affected by heavy rainfall dufing affected by heavy rainfall during storm hank now fear a widespread freeze . whilst many widespread freeze. whilst many households struggle to afford afford to turn up the heating due of course, to the ongoing cost of living crisis . and let's

cost of living crisis. and let's go live now to our reporters across the country, lisa hartle is in kent, jack carson is in smethwick and sophie reaper is in winter hill. lisa let's go to lisa in kent first. what's the latest ? latest? >> hello. as you can see, there's a lovely wintry scene behind me here in kent. they got the snowfall yesterday. a little bit more overnight, but today it is starting to thaw out now. but uh, kent is overnight. did become one of those that you mentioned to be included in an amber health cold weather alert. so that just means people at dufing so that just means people at during these temperatures have to take more care because the vulnerable and older in society are more susceptible to things like heart attacks, strokes , and like heart attacks, strokes, and things like chest infections and that kind of thing. now, initially, we did think there was going to be more snow due to fall today. that hasn't happened . and now the forecast is that it's just mainly going to be dry until weekend. but this until the weekend. but this health this weather

health alert, this weather alert will until rhodes will be in place until rhodes again tonight , as there were again tonight, as there were last. because although we won't see any more snow , the chances see any more snow, the chances are that the slush . is going to are that the slush. is going to cause that. okay, lisa, that will. >> okay. lisa. we're going to have to cut away there. i'm afraid . i think the bad weather afraid. i think the bad weather is cutting out your signal, but your nose, i gives your red nose, i think, gives away how cold it is. jack carson is smethwick. jack what's the is in smethwick. jack what's the latest there ? yeah well, it's latest up there? yeah well, it's certainly very cold here in birmingham. >> temperatures did reach negative overnight, but of course we've been here all day at the dorothy. dorothy parks community centre here, which is one of those warm banks that provides this local community here in smethwick with a place to keep warm, place to keep warm, a place to socialise and of course, activities and group things to do as well. these warm banks were all over the country. they're offering people who are struggling their homes struggling to heat their homes that chance of course, to to, keep warm, especially with this cold snap that we have seen

today. we'll see over the today. and we'll see over the course of the rest of course of, uh, of the rest of the week. but earlier on, i spoke to a man called lenny harris. he's one of the people that attends the art class here. he place as a warm he uses this place as a warm bank as well. here's what he told bank as well. here's what he tol(it's bank as well. here's what he tol( it's just bank as well. here's what he tol(it's just very expensive at >> it's just very expensive at the moment . the moment. >> very expensive. it's very high. you know , and it comes high. you know, and it comes like you get monthly, you know, you get monthly bills and it's difficult to cope sometimes . but difficult to cope sometimes. but i've got methods that i use , you i've got methods that i use, you know, like when i can't use the heating i'll use a hot water bottle, you know, when i'm, i'm sort of in the bed or if i'm under my duvet watching the television, i'll do that. i'll keep the windows closed to keep the, you know, electricity down, you know , and i try to just you know, and i try to just economise, you know , economise. economise, you know, economise. >> it's really difficult sometimes , but you just have to manage. >> you have to manage. so i come

here to do my art classes, but warm spaces as well, because i find that you save you save money when you come out of the house and you come to places like this, do save a of. like this, you do save a lot of. money yeah, the latest data that we've got is that , of course, we've got is that, of course, more than 3 million homes in the uk are in fuel poverty. lenny. of course , as you heard from of course, as you heard from there, from some of the ways that he has to try and save money not only here to money by not only coming here to the also, of the warm bank, but also, of course, like hot course, using things like a hot water bottle, you him water bottle, as you heard him say, to say, there under his duvet to try so he doesn't try and keep warm so he doesn't have to put put the heating on that reality of fuel poverty is exists all across the uk, particularly birmingham particularly here in birmingham as around 23% of the homes as well. around 23% of the homes here households here in here in households here in birmingham suffer from fuel poverty. and of course, these warm banks where been warm banks where i've been today are for the communities are vital for the communities here at this time when it's very, very cold. >> jack carson and sharm el sheikh fantastic work as ever and great work to the warm bank behind you . finally, sophie behind you. finally, sophie reaperis

behind you. finally, sophie reaper is in winter hill. sophie winter by name. is it winter by nature? you've got your woollies on there. looks blooming cold. i absolutely have got my woollies on. >> i've also got my thermals on under here. it's really rather beautiful behind me. but as the sun starts to set , so beautiful behind me. but as the sun starts to set, so is beautiful behind me. but as the sun starts to set , so is the sun starts to set, so is the temperature . it's really rather temperature. it's really rather freezing up here. now. it's my own fault for coming to such high ground. i suppose . uh, but high ground. i suppose. uh, but here in bolton, like , like much here in bolton, like, like much of the north—west it is falling under that amber cold health warning that the uk health security agency and the met office have put out until friday. uh, many people will be concerned . learned about that concerned. learned about that drop in temperature , expecting drop in temperature, expecting it to get to around freezing here overnight. so people will be concerned about freezing pipes, about ice on the roads. as lisa said, people being told to take extra care that amber alert, meaning that rather than only affecting the vulnerable , only affecting the vulnerable, it means that there is potential risk to the entire population. so everybody , everybody being so everybody, everybody being told to take extra care with

expectations to impact the entire health service until friday, when this warning will remain in place till and sophia. >> we've been speaking to a lot of people at gb news here telling us they're concerned about the costs of heating their house. but when you're faced with choices between with these grim choices between heating eating, i had heating or eating, i mean, i had my blanket last my electric blanket on last night . night. >> i really don't blame you, martin. under my coat . i've got martin. under my coat. i've got an electric chilly which has a heating element to it. so i really don't blame you for bringing the electric blanket out either . out either. >> and, jack, can i cut back to you patiently waiting there ? um, you patiently waiting there? um, some very human stories there of people having to go somewhere else to keep warm. it really bfings else to keep warm. it really brings home how lucky we are those of us who don't have to do that.jack >> yeah, exactly. and all throughout the day when i've beenin throughout the day when i've been in this, in this centre here, sometimes people only come for a few hours. maybe they're on a lunch break from work and they afford to go home and they can't afford to go home and sit for an hour or,

sit in the warm for an hour or, or maybe they are, you know, just needing space to just just needing a space to socialise, lot, of socialise, you know, a lot, of course, all time, course, we hear all the time, don't every about don't we, every year about elderly that are cold, elderly people that are cold, that alone, know, around elderly people that are cold, thatwinter one, know, around elderly people that are cold, thatwinterone, and,1ow, around elderly people that are cold, thatwinterone, and, and around elderly people that are cold, thatwinterone, and, and that'si the wintertime. and, and that's what hearing today. what i've been hearing today. and seeing older and seeing as those older people, the people, as well as the advice that can from that you can get here from people, there's thing called people, there's a thing called the sandwell consortium, which is , you people offer is, you know, people that offer free one of the free advice. and one of the stories is stories i've heard today is how this team helped one old this this team helped one old lady save £200 a month on her energy bill. she was overpaying on her electricity , frightened on her electricity, frightened to put her heating on. and this group able to bring group was able to bring her monthly £160, which monthly bill down to £160, which was so much more affordable for her. and so, you know, there she was home, sitting in the cold was at home, sitting in the cold when she have to so when she didn't have to be. so this these centres this advice that these centres also vital for those people. >> superb. thank you jack and lisa, could i finally ask you a lot of people, of course, driving around kent, huge amounts of traffic on the road. is that still moving freely ? is that still moving freely? >> yes, it is mainly now. the

gritters did a really good job overnight of clearing most of the main well, all of the main roads, the only roads around here i've that would here that i've seen that would have are the, the, have any issues are the, the, the, the quieter ones that aren't as much they do aren't used as much and they do still but yeah, as far still look icy, but yeah, as far as the gritters going, they did as the gritters going, they did a good job. and apparently they say going out say they're all going to be out tonight as to tonight in force as well to ensure remain ensure that the roads remain clear safe . clear and safe. >> of our country >> grace of keeping our country moving. thanks to lisa hartle in kent , jack carson and sharm el kent, jack carson and sharm el sheikh and sophie reaper in winterhill us fully winterhill for keeping us fully up about the big freeze. up to date about the big freeze. thank you very much and have a nice warm cup of tea. you deserve now on, deserve it. now moving on, we have breaking news for you have some breaking news for you and sir ed davey has told gb news that he will not be handing back his knighthood over the post office scandal. just to repeat that, sir ed davey. of course, under a huge amount of pressure, he's told gb news he will not be handing back his knighthood over the post office scandal . he, of course, was the scandal. he, of course, was the post minister at the time. a lib dem spokesperson said this no, he will not. as ed has said many

times , he wishes he'd known then times, he wishes he'd known then what we all know thou now. it's right that vennells gave back her cbe. she was at the centre of a conspiracy of lies against the victims , the public and the victims, the public and ministers of all parties, as alan bates said yesterday, ed was one of many ministers who was one of many ministers who was misled and led to by the post office. so there we go to confirm ed davey will not will not be handing back his knighthood despite all the pressure he's been facing from the public, from the media and politically. and he will not follow suit of paula vennells, who's given back her cbe voluntarily today. of course, there was a huge amount of pressure on her politically rishi sunak was talking about bringing in the honours forfeiture committee to look at her case. so you really do feel the heat would have been too much . and with the prevailing much. and with the prevailing mood, the prevailing wind that

most likely would only have gone one way. now this is a story that i think has motivated more people with as much passion since the days of brexit. family members of mine , associates of members of mine, associates of mine, friends of mine have just been outraged by this ongoing scandal and the seeming ineffectiveness of any inquiry and the answer that people want is for justice for the post masters and post mistresses. we spoke to pauline from sunderland at the top of this hour. she told us it's had a huge impact on her mental health. on her wellbeing, on her finances and of course on her good name. that was thrown under the bus. pauune was thrown under the bus. pauline stonehouse house in sunderland, who was one of the many, many affected , was many, many affected, was prosecuted and had no right of reply and that long last it's taken this itv documentary on alan bates and his sterling work

. here's a guy who deserves a knighthood , and here's a guy who knighthood, and here's a guy who deserves a cbe. he should be decorated . he is the best of decorated. he is the best of british for bringing this once and for all to light and hoping . and for all to light and hoping. hopefully, hopefully for these people to have their names cleared to finally be exonerated in what is surely one of the biggest political scandals and cover ups of our time. what's next? what's next is we need to look in who was culpable. it's simply unacceptable that fujitsu , the software company who put this software forward, horizon computer weekly, the magazine, exposed this as being ineffective and individuals pillars of communities. many people go to post offices, particularly pensioners , and particularly pensioners, and it's their interface with officialdom they trust it. these people, they give us their pubuc people, they give us their public service, these postmasters and postmistresses. they were absolutely thrown under the bus with catastrophic effects. oftentimes in terms of their reputations, their lives,

their reputations, their lives, their careers and now they must get justice. we cannot stop fujitsu surely must be culpable for the public. taxpayer cannot be expected to pick up for those mistakes . we must see this mistakes. we must see this through until the end. and i really, really do hope that the we are facing that process and we are facing that process and we finally might get a resolution that so many people out there absolutely and utterly deserve. so thank you to alan bates. thank you to everyone who's contacted us. thank you for everybody over the years who's actually gone and put forward the pressure on this. okay. that's for all this hour. but stay with me as i'll be joined tory mp joined shortly by tory mp brendan clarke—smith. i'm martin daubney on gb news. britain's news channel . news channel. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar , sponsors of weather on .

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 chilly tomorrow in the winds . chilly tomorrow in the winds. for much of the south. it will be a fine day with sunny spells. this pressure is this area of high pressure is dominating . sitting just to the dominating. sitting just to the north of scotland around it, the winds go clockwise, drawing in the easterly also the easterly breeze but also bringing down bit more cloud bringing down a bit more cloud through night into northeast through the night into northeast scotland and northeast england. maybe 1 or 2 scattered showers here. these should chiefly of here. these should chiefly be of rain. seen some foggy rain. we've seen some foggy conditions scotland conditions in northern scotland that fog may lift as we go through night. south through the night. in the south it's clear , but it's cold with a it's clear, but it's cold with a widespread frost minus one minus two. even in urban areas , the two. even in urban areas, the countryside 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 few showers tomorrow. still a few showers over southeast scotland. northeast chiefly northeast england again, chiefly of rain. pretty light, pretty well scattered . for most. it well scattered. for most. it will lots sunshine in will be dry. lots of sunshine in the south soon. lifting that frost. sunny spells continue in

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

gb news. >> good afternoon. it's 4 pm. welcome to the martin daubney show on gb news, broadcasting live from the heart of westminster and all across the uk . to our top story this hour, uk. to our top story this hour, the former post office boss, paula vennells, has handed back her cbe and apologised for the devastating phone calls to the postmasters, wrongly prosecuted for fraud and theft. he follows a day of ministerial promises with the justice secretary and crunch talks with judges to help deliver swift justice for the victims . sir keir starmer's cv victims. sir keir starmer's cv as a human rights lawyer is under the spotlight , but critics under the spotlight, but critics are questioning his previous work for foreign murderers and child killers and loose bolts on

and insulation issues have become prevalent on multiple boeing 737 planes, with the panel blowing off mid—flight in portland , our security editor, portland, our security editor, mark white, has the story . and mark white, has the story. and just to repeat that, breaking news in the past few minutes, ed davey has told gb news that he will not be giving up his knighthood following criticism of his role in the post office scandal in the past. but again , scandal in the past. but again, reaction to that from the show. i'm here with brendan clarke—smith tory mp for bassetlaw and i want to hear reaction from you as well. all the usual ways. please email me at gbviews@gbnews.com. but first it's at gbviews@gbnews.com. but first wsfime at gbviews@gbnews.com. but first it's time for your news headunes it's time for your news headlines with sam francis . who headlines with sam francis. who is it ?

is it? >> sam's gone home. you'll have to put up with me. polly middlehurst with your afternoon news. martin. thank you and good afternoon . afternoon. >> the foreign has >> the foreign secretary has confirmed still two confirmed there are still two british nationals being held hostage in gaza. as the israel palestine conflict continues . palestine conflict continues. >> lord cameron is currently speaking to the foreign affairs committee for the first time since his return to government. >> the british >> asked whether the british nationals are still alive, the foreign secretary said he didn't have any information on that, but did admit to concerns but he did admit to concerns that israel may have breached international law . international law. >> the leader of the liberal democrats, ed davey, has told gb news today he won't be handing back his knighthood over the post office scandal. >> it follows today's announcement that the former post office boss, paula vennells, will hand back her cbe with immediate effect . her with immediate effect. her announcement came after widespread calls for her to return the honour after the hofizon return the honour after the horizon it scandal. more than 700 post office staff were convicted , jailed and convicted, jailed and bankrupted. some even taking

their own lives after faulty software meant they were wrongly accused of theft . and fujitsu, accused of theft. and fujitsu, the parent company of the faulty software, which caused the scandal, has been called to answer mps questions next week overits answer mps questions next week over its role . downing street over its role. downing street says the tech company will be held accountable legally or financially if it's found to have made mistakes . rishi sunak have made mistakes. rishi sunak is facing a showdown with mps over his rwanda bill when it returns to the commons next week . penny mordaunt has confirmed the legislation will go through its third reading in the house of commons 16th and 17th of commons on the 16th and 17th of commons on the 16th and 17th of however, the shadow of january. however, the shadow commons leader, lucy powell, says government is making it says the government is making it up they go along . meanwhile, up as they go along. meanwhile, the labour party has defended the labour party has defended the fines to tackle the use of fines to tackle school absence rates . that's school absence rates. that's according to the shadow education secretary, who says a labour government would keep the fining policy in place. speaking at an event in london, bridget phillipson said parents

shouldn't take children out of school for cheaper holidays or birthday treats and that's after it was found that more than a fifth of pupils in england were persistently absent across the autumn and spring terms of 2022 and 23. now a court has heard today that harry pitman was stabbed to death with a hunting knife within yards of emergency service workers on new year's eve. a 16 year old boy has appeared at the old bailey today over the killing , which happened over the killing, which happened as harry waited to watch fireworks in north london just before midnight. the accused has been remanded in youth detention accommodation and will appear in court for a plea hearing in march. a provisional trial date has been set for september two. us airlines have found loose bolts on aircraft doors during plane inspections . it's after plane inspections. it'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

make an emergency landing, but no passengers were injured . no passengers were injured. alaska airlines and united airlines both say they found some loose hardware on several boeing max nine carriers. gabrielle ethel has become france's youngest ever and first openly gay prime minister. the outgoing prime minister elisabeth borne, handed over to her successor, her successor in paris today, following her resignation yesterday, the french president , resignation yesterday, the french president, emmanuel macron, says he wants to freshen things up in his second terms of office, ahead of the european parliament elections . us climate parliament elections. us climate news and 2023 was the world's hottest year on record, according to new european 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, but 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 alert for parts of england. it follows storm henk, which left large areas of the uk flooded and thousands of homes damaged. more than 110 flood warnings remain in place across england . remain in place across england. uk scientists who helped create technology for the latest moon mission are working together to gather data from the spacecraft before it loses power. the peregrine mission one blasted into space yesterday but encountered a fuel leak shortly after launch. the probe aimed to land on the lunar surface at the end of february, but now less than 40 hours of fuel remains before the spacecraft starts tumbling out of space. that's the news on gb news across the uk, on tv in your car, on digital radio and on your smart speakeh digital radio and on your smart speaker. this is britain's news channel.

>> thank you very much, polly . >> thank you very much, polly. now top of the agenda this hour as the post office scandal, of course, and the organisation's former boss has handed back her cbe said sorry to the cbe and said sorry to the hundreds of victims of that scandal. paul vennells was head of the post office when around 700 postmasters and mistresses were wrongly prosecuted for fraud and theft after a faulty computer programme showed money was missing when it actually wasn't . meanwhile, the justice wasn't. meanwhile, the justice secretary is in crunch talks with judges to find a speedy way to deliver justice for the hundreds of victims who want their convictions quashed and overturned. some some were wrongly jailed and tragically , wrongly jailed and tragically, some even took their lives because of those prosecutions . because of those prosecutions. and a reminder of that news that we just broke in and that is this. sir ed davey has told gb news that he will not give up his knighthood following criticism of his past role in the post office scandal. of

course, he was the post minister at the time . ed davey will not at the time. ed davey will not be giving back his knighthood. well joining me now to discuss this in the studio is brendan clarke—smith conservative mp for bassetlaw. brendan thanks for being here. now, i know you might have a vote to leg it to in a minute, so let's try to make this punchy davey. let's make this punchy ed davey. let's start with that. was in start with that. he was in charge at the time, yet he's saying he's not well. he's been quiet mouse until he's now quiet as a mouse until he's now said won't hand back his said he won't hand back his knighthood. what you what knighthood. what do you what would to see happen? would you like to see happen? well, exactly. >> at the debate >> and he wasn't at the debate yesterday he could yesterday either, where he could have asked of have actually asked a number of questions chose questions there, and he chose not know there's been a >> now, i know there's been a petition with petition online, especially with paula back her paula vennells handing back her cbe, been a lot of cbe, and there's been a lot of pressure on ed davey to do that. >> now. >> now. >> people haven't kicking >> people haven't gone kicking and screaming, asking ed davey to resign. >> they accept that >> you know, they accept that sometimes see information sometimes people see information in front of them. they act in good they get things good faith, they get things wrong they mistakes. wrong and they make mistakes. but that but in david's book, that doesn't happen people doesn't happen with other people because over 30 times, because over 30 odd times, martin, actually look at martin, if you actually look at his twitter or x or whatever

it's nowadays, it's called nowadays, he's consistently called for other people to resign at the slightest thing. so all we want to know is will he be applying the same standards he sets for others to himself? >> so the answer no >> well, so far the answer is no 34 um, sir ed was asking 34 times. um, sir ed was asking for others to kind of resign 19 times for boris johnson so far. as i said , there's no signs of as i said, there's no signs of him following suit . it's fair to him following suit. it's fair to say no political party has come out of this venture looking particularly well. liberal democrats discussed democrats just discussed conservative party. you're not, um, put forward for that cbe in 2019. but i want to talk about keir starmer because keir starmer was the director of pubuc starmer was the director of public prosecutions at the time. he could have intervened and he didn't. do you think questions need to be asked about that? >> well, that's an interesting point. so some people have said, >> well, that's an interesting point this some people have said, >> well, that's an interesting point this isme people have said, >> well, that's an interesting point this is as people have said, >> well, that's an interesting point this is a private; have said, well, this is a private prosecution and some have spoken about powers that about the special powers that the got. now, the post office have got. now, any individual or any company can forward private can bring forward a private prosecution. there's not prosecution. so there's not a special power as such. but mike freer, justice minister, he

actually , uh, clarified this. i actually, uh, clarified this. i think he clarified this earlier as well , that if the director of as well, that if the director of pubuc as well, that if the director of public prosecutions, if they want to step in and they don't think one of these prosecutions should they can do should go ahead, they can do that. the power do that. they have the power to do it. knew that it. so when we knew that something was going wrong, they could stepped in and they could have stepped in and they could have stepped in and they could this. he could have stopped this. and he didn't . didn't. >> and brandon, huge amount of >> and brandon, a huge amount of people getting people have been getting in touch i don't touch with us about. i don't recall issue getting touch with us about. i don't recall this issue getting touch with us about. i don't recall this motivated getting people this motivated since brexit, honest . people brexit, to be honest. people in bassetlaw furious . they bassetlaw must be furious. they i know they were in broxtowe where my family live in ashfield , lowdham they're , in lowdham in newark. they're all livid about this. this can't stop here, can it? has to go further. what is the next stage of justice look for the of justice look like for the postmasters and mistresses? >> mean, means >> yeah, i mean, justice means a lot more than giving a cbe back for a start. and this is something particularly something that i'm particularly passionate on a passionate about. i worked on a post myself. i'm post office counter myself. i'm a clerk. all my a former council clerk. all my family work for the post office. so this is something that i, i know bit about. um, some know a fair bit about. um, some have said, well, people are only interested an have said, well, people are only intedrama. an have said, well, people are only intedrama. it's an have said, well, people are only intedrama. it's not an have said, well, people are only intedrama. it's not strictly an

itv drama. it's not strictly true. there's been a number of years this been going on and years this has been going on and in have mps in fairness, there have been mps across different across the house all different political that political parties that have actually in cases actually been raised in cases of their where things their constituents where things have gone wrong. there have been some interim that have some interim payments that have been i understand been made. i understand that there's to money there's actually more to money come. there's an inquiry to finish they want finish as well. but they want those and want those answers and they want those answers and they want those account who those people held to account who made decisions, whether made these decisions, whether that's , whether that's executives, whether that's executives, whether that's people with the that's people involved with the software or so think software or not. so i think there's a more to come . there's a lot more to come. >> £150 million so far is the compensate pot that's gone out. it's going to be many, many multiples of you'd imagine multiples of that. you'd imagine before over before we reach resolution over the of cases. of the many hundreds of cases. of course, bring back course, we can't bring back those who've taken their own lives sadly away lives or have sadly passed away since began. should since this began. who should pick for that? pick up the bill for that? surely shouldn't be the taxpayer? >> well, i certainly don't think it taxpayer. no. it should be the taxpayer. no. if have made the if the post office have made the mistake, then of course that's okay. owned by the by the okay. it's owned by the by the government or there is a shares there. you would that there. so you would expect that thatis there. so you would expect that that is going to hit it a bit. but there are other people, that is going to hit it a bit. but are there are other people, that is going to hit it a bit. but are private re other people, that is going to hit it a bit. but are private re other psome there are private partners. some people have mentioned fujitsu for example. we to know

for example. we want to know more about their it more about what their role in it is. course, if they've made is. of course, if they've made mistakes, you know, maybe they're the they're going to be one of the people paying up as well. >> and maybe, maybe brendan, those contracts, still those fat contracts, they still get could looked get to this day could be looked at. you're bad supplier, at. if you're a bad supplier, surely deserve get surely you don't deserve to get any wonga. any more wonga. >> well, it's certainly a bit of leverage there. i've seen stories back stories dating all the way back to blair, when horizon was to tony blair, when horizon was first the pressure first introduced. the pressure that were under with that they were put under with jobs. it affect trade with jobs. will it affect trade with japan and so on. so say japan and so on. so i'd say leverage both ways . leverage works both ways. >> superb clarke—smith >> superb brendan clarke—smith conservative for bassetlaw. conservative mp for bassetlaw. thank for joining make thank you for joining us. make sure get back to that vote sure you get back to that vote in they'll be in time. otherwise they'll be telling at gb news telling off us here at gb news now hope our political now chris hope our political edhon now chris hope our political editor, veterans editor, has spoken to veterans affairs minister mercer affairs minister johnny mercer as his department and the nhs have launched a new campaign to promote the mental health of servicemen called operation courage . courage. >> johnny mercer , you're the >> johnny mercer, you're the veterans minister, a survey from nhs england found that 60% of veterans serving personnel reserve family members and carers found it difficult to ask

for help. is that an embarrassment for the government? i mean, it's not an embarrassment. >> it's not where i want it to be. course not. we work night be. of course not. we work night and day in this place to try and make to understand, make care easier to understand, easier access, betterjoined easier to access, better joined up, so you don't have up, you know, so you don't have to go around and your to go around and tell your story. a number of times. we've transformed the last transformed it over the last few years. care years. we have single care pathways like pathways with things like courage know, 19,000 courage, you know, 19,000 referrals its first year, referrals in its first year, 30,000 people have been treated by courage. you only have to by courage. now you only have to look the on social look in the media, on social media people lives media for people whose lives it saves. look, think we have saves. so look, i think we have fundamentally changed veterans care country. i'm really care in this country. i'm really proud i'm always, you proud of it. but i'm always, you know, conscious we know, conscious of the fact we need to do more until everybody knows about who the knows about it. who leaves the military? to keep military? i'm going to keep going take that on board. going and i take that on board. but as a with service in but as a veteran with service in afghanistan, well known but as a veteran with service in afgwhitehall well known but as a veteran with service in afgwhitehall , well known but as a veteran with service in afgwhitehall , is well known but as a veteran with service in afgwhitehall , is there ll known but as a veteran with service in afgwhitehall , is there something in whitehall, is there something in whitehall, is there something in psyche of fellow veterans in the psyche of fellow veterans who want ask for help? who don't want to ask for help? >> think traditionally , certainly. >> you know, when i started and a long time ago now , 20, 20 a long time ago now, 20, 20 years ago now, 22 years ago, i think it yeah, it was a

different concept coming forward and asking for help with your mental health than it is today. and you know, we should be proud of that. the it's changed, of that. the way it's changed, both within the military but outside military all the outside the military and all the work on in the work that's gone on in the mental health space from the royal downwards royal foundation downwards to change but change the discussion but look, there more do , there is always more to do, chris, and no one's going to sit there look, we're there and say, look, we're completely this completely happy with this progress. sit on progress. we're going to sit on our laurels. we're not going to do single do any more. every single veteran is a tragedy, veteran suicide is a tragedy, not individual, for not only for the individual, for their also for us as their family, but also for us as a as a nation , right? people who a as a nation, right? people who leave the military, i want them to go away from that completely boosted time in the boosted by their time in the military. the best version military. and the best version themselves. i don't want them going in the going away from that in the states. them so states. some of them do. so we will keep driving down this hole until everybody knows about courage. knows that the courage. everyone knows that the programs that are there, they do work. and work. you can get better and life can get back to normal. >> and is your working >> and is your role working in whitehall? based here in whitehall? you're based here in a office. you're outside a cabinet office. you're outside of mod. the idea is give of the mod. the idea is to give you across you a wider role across government , our officials government, our officials listening to you when make listening to you when you make these look, these point to them, well, look,

i only have to look at i mean, you only have to look at what able to deliver what we've been able to deliver in last 12 months alone. in the last 12 months alone. >> store, >> you know, opera store, single, pathway for single, dedicated pathway for physical courage for physical injuries. courage for mental injuries. we launched up 42. there were no veterans sleeping rough this christmas because of a lack of provision. right. people try and right. i know people try and muddy sully that muddy the water and sully that down that's 407 of the most vulnerable veterans in this country who may be in addiction, may be in debt, may be coming out of domestic violence , that out of domestic violence, that we provided a roof over we have provided a roof over their head and a pathway to get their head and a pathway to get their lives back on track. that is all about. is what government's all about. we're incredibly proud of it. but , we're to keep but again, we're going to keep going want going because we don't. we want to veterans to end the scourge of veterans sleeping rough this country today. >> junior doctor strike ends >> the junior doctor strike ends this week . >> the junior doctor strike ends this week. has >> the junior doctor strike ends this week . has that had this week. has that had a beafing this week. has that had a bearing or an impact on the treatment of veterans and their mental health? look the doctors strike. >> i see it for myself down in plymouth that clearly it has had an impact on on my local hospital . it's incredibly hospital. it's incredibly disappointing because people have worked really hard across , have worked really hard across, uh, plymouth, whether it's clinicians , managers and so on,

clinicians, managers and so on, to bring waiting lists, get to bring down waiting lists, get people out of hospital in time for this doctors for christmas. this doctors strike hardest time of strike at the hardest time of year something i profoundly year is something i profoundly disagree actually, you disagree with. um, actually, you know, the junior doctors, the last of , uh, of the unions, last part of, uh, of the unions, we been able to reach we haven't been able to reach agreement they've agreement with, they've had an 8% want in excess of 8% rise they want in excess of 30% pay rise. you know, the prime minister's made it clear his mission on inflation. and you're seeing the figures change on need need on that. uh, you need they need to re—engage with the government. need to this government. we need to get this sorted out because actually, when aren't strike, when people aren't on strike, those lists are coming those waiting lists are coming down. and that's what people want government. on office >> and on the post office scandal, right that paula scandal, is it right that paula vennells hand back her cbe? >> well, i think it is. cbe? >> well, i think it is . it is >> well, i think it is. it is the right thing to do. i think if look uh, the lives if you look at, uh, the lives that have been portrayed so vividly drama and that vividly in this drama and that have ruined by what have been ruined by what has gone post office, gone on at the post office, i think that is the right decision. i think you got people like doing a great like alex chalk doing a great job seeing what he can do. and kevin hollinrake you he's kevin hollinrake you know, he's been years, been working on this for years, actually, i'm not saying the media because media haven't covered it because they hasn't had the

they have, but it hasn't had the priority. people priority. it's had people like kevin as kevin have been going on this as a backbencher through westminster into the house westminster hall into the house of now post of commons. he's now the post office dealing office minister. he's dealing with and really pleased with it. and i'm really pleased to, i hope that can to, you know, i hope that we can get progress get real progress on that. >> the post >> and just finally on the post office, the government office, surely the government should the slate for should wipe clean the slate for any convicted in any subpostmasters convicted in this scandal. >> yeah, that's not a question for it? that's a question for me, is it? that's a question for, , alex, the justice for, um, alex, the justice secretary and others. they're looking options . and i looking at all options. and i think we'll end up in a place that, you know, you can bring. you're to bring, you you're never going to bring, you know, , uh, you're never going to bring, you know, , uh, compensate know, completely, uh, compensate for that has gone on for the hurt that has gone on over this period of time. but i think government's going to think the government's going to do and do everything it can. and i think more out think you'll see more coming out about this week . about that later on this week. >> a fantastic initiative. many, many people think we simply do not care enough about our armed services, veterans, servicemen and servicewomen , men who are and servicewomen, men who are willing to pay the ultimate price defending our country seem to be forgotten so often. um, £33 million of funding was promised at the last budget over three years. that's £11 million

a year, not bad. when you think about the fact that we're spending £8 million a day on asylum hotels , where are our asylum hotels, where are our priorities ? but i'm glad to hear priorities? but i'm glad to hear that johnny mercer is pushing on with this initiative . too many with this initiative. too many people lose their lives to suicide and poor mental health, and we must stand behind them and we must stand behind them and thank them for all their service. we'll have lots more on that story at 5:00. we'll discuss that in more depth with an armed service veteran, and there's plenty of coverage on our website gbnews.com and you helped to make it the fastest growing national news website in the country. so thank very the country. so thank you very much that . now, much indeed for that. now, channel 4 is under fire with complaints over their failure to hit diverse city targets in new board hires. yes, there to white obviously i'm martin daubney on gb news britain's news channel .

monday to thursday from six till 930. >> welcome back to the show. it's 422. you're watching or listening to martin daubney on gb news live from the heart of westminster. now channel 4 has launched a protest against the appointment of four white direct heirs to its board in a row, of course, over ethnic diversity, culture secretary lucy frazer approved the appointment with 14 staff out of the 15 members now

now being white and that's well below the 18% of its total workforce . that is from an workforce. that is from an ethnically diverse background. and that in itself is actually way above the . national average. way above the. national average. but join me now to discuss this is social policy analyst doctor rakib hasan , great fan and rakib hasan, great fan and friend of the show. welcome to the show. raqib always a pleasure. here we are again, mate. the same old merry go round. and of course the people who are too white. but there is a certain delicious irony this time. raqib channel 4 who always bangs on about diversity , bangs on about diversity, actually hung by its own petard . actually hung by its own petard. >> oh no. absolutely. and we've seen similar dynamics at the guardian as well, where employees in the past have complained about, um, how exclusionary the guardian is or the lack of inclusivity in terms of how it runs its organisation internally. >> so you can see here the

channel four is very much being hoisted by its own identitarian petard. uh, you could say and i think it's a real shame, martin, just to make this point that when we're talking about the quality of a boardroom, that it is so focussed on race, i think it's a shame. yeah >> and there's an extra element to this. raqib turns out as well. rozina breen , a former bbc well. rozina breen, a former bbc executive , was rejected in this executive, was rejected in this process and she's not happy about that. complaining about lucy frazer, the culture secretary, as role in that. are we really getting towards a point? raqib do you think? where? well, we have to apology guys for every time an ethnic candidate doesn't make the grade or kind of grovel or sack somebody, if a white person gets the gets the job, well, no, i, i think that when it comes to these kind of processes, of course, we can look at how they can be improved. >> think point that >> but i think the point that we're making is that the we're both making is that at the moment, at to moment, when looking at how to improve those processes, make

improve those processes, to make them rigorous, them more robust and rigorous, i don't think the answer is focusing so much race. and as focusing so much on race. and as we much of this um, the we know much of this is, um, the result of importing this toxic racial identity politics from the united states , which does the united states, which does have a very different national history and environment when it comes matters race. and comes to matters of race. and into uk . i comes to matters of race. and into uk. i think comes to matters of race. and into uk . i think something into the uk. i think something that we've talked about before is the lack of working class representation boardrooms. representation on boardrooms. how people sitting in these how many people sitting in these boardrooms that referring boardrooms that we're referring to, them had to, how many of them had a traditional class traditional working class background? of background? and irrespective of their ethnic heritage , i'd be their ethnic heritage, i'd be quite keen to see the figures on that. >> well, i think we know the answer to that , and think answer to that, and i think we know answer the diversity know the answer to the diversity of politics within channel 4. not that diverse , i would say, not that diverse, i would say, but of course, people would argue with some justification. of course it is healthy. it is appropriate to have a diverse workforce no matter how you measure it. raqib whether it's politically, whether it's class or whether it is indeed ethnic city. but do you think this is just another indication of the fact actually diversity simply

means less white people ? means less white people? >> well, i think that much of the d.e.i. uh policies that we're seeing in a variety of sectors, i think they're deeply exclusionary towards the white british mainstream . i think that british mainstream. i think that we saw that recently , um, in we saw that recently, um, in respect of the raf , where you respect of the raf, where you had recruitment officers, uh , had recruitment officers, uh, making comments such as useless white male pilots , uh, if we white male pilots, uh, if we want true diversity, equality and inclusion, then that has to be a considered and measured approach towards all groups in society , of course, including society, of course, including the white british mainstream . the white british mainstream. but the reality is, martin, when we're looking at dei, much of it doesn't really promote diversity of thought . um, contrary to of thought. um, contrary to being inclusive live, i actually find it deeply , um, exclusionary find it deeply, um, exclusionary and if we're looking at equality, i think the issue is that i support equality of opportunity. but i think dei , opportunity. but i think dei, um, operates more towards the equalisation of outcomes. and i don't think that has any place

in a civilised and advanced democracy such as ours . democracy such as ours. >> so, doctor hassan, we talk about this a lot. do you think this is going away, or is it going to get much worse before it gets any better? we seem obsessed with identity politics and to be dictating who and it seems to be dictating who gets jobs, who doesn't, and who gets jobs, who doesn't, and who gets laid off. >> well, i think that it's reached a very advanced point, uh, far too advanced for my liking . but i do think uh, far too advanced for my liking. but i do think that there's a counter challenge. and indeed, i think, uh, channels , indeed, i think, uh, channels, uh, such as gb news, uh, play an important part in that. and i think many people who i'd consider to be a sensible liberal leftists , i think even liberal leftists, i think even they're beginning to wake up now to the toxicity of dei, the fact that it can be incredibly alienating towards a variety of people . and they also understand people. and they also understand if you really want to make genuine progress on matters of anti—racism, if you want to live in a society which is truly meritocratic, which is defined by equality of opportunity , then

by equality of opportunity, then you need to build allies in the white british mainstream and alienate the largest ethnic group and large swathes of it is not the way forward. >> okay, doctor raqib hasan, thanks for joining us >> okay, doctor raqib hasan, thanks forjoining us on the thanks for joining us on the show as ever. main lining, common sense. always a pleasure . common sense. always a pleasure. now moving on. the australian government appears to have shelved plans for an imminent referendum on the country becoming a republic, which was expected in early 2025. a spokesperson for the albanese labour government said its main priority remained helping australians deal with the cost of living pressure , but that we of living pressure, but that we do support the vision for an australian republic and maintain a long time vision for australia as a mature, independent nation . as a mature, independent nation. ian and the news comes ahead of a rumoured visit by the king down under in autumn. yet buckingham palace have not yet confirmed any plans. buckingham palace have not yet confirmed any plans . well join confirmed any plans. well join us now to discuss. this is cameron walker, gb news royal correspondent. cameron always a

pleasure. so great news at least in the short terme, australia will stay part of the commonwealth. they will stay . commonwealth. they will stay. they, um, admiring and loving the royal family . the royal family. >> yeah, certainly a boost for king charles martin. he is head of state in 15 realms and territories across the world, including the united kingdom and indeed australia . and when he indeed australia. and when he ascended the throne, there were fears that perhaps republican rumblings would ramp up a bit. however, as we have heard, the australian government seems to have shelved plans for an imminent republic referendum. it's thought or it's rumoured at least, that king charles and queen camilla would be visiting australia in october. and although buckingham palace have not confirmed plans again, there were worries that this trip, if indeedit were worries that this trip, if indeed it does happen, would be completely overshadow by an imminent referendum in early 2025. but a government spokesperson, an australian government spokesperson, has told me that there current priority is helping australians

with the cost of living pressure. now there's been some speculation over the last couple of days, including from the times newspaper, which alludes to the previous referendum held by the australian government back in october. and that was to do with trying to get aboriginal people in australia , or at least people in australia, or at least make it easier for them to voice their views in the australia parliament and essentially change the constitution. and they failed in that the australian people chose not to make it easier for the australian aboriginals to be able to voice their opinions in parliament. so it's a very simplistic way of looking at it, but the bottom line is that was a significant and embarrassing defeat for the labour government in australia. completely different to that is separate from labour here in from a labour government here in the united kingdom. the the united kingdom. but the rumour the australian rumour is that the australian prime minister could not face another defeat when it came to a referendum. so just to put this into some context, the current

polling or at least the most recent polling when it comes to , recent polling when it comes to, uh, australian becoming a republic 35% are very small, majority of australians want to continue to with king charles as head of state. that's according to a yougov poll conducted on the first anniversary of king charles, uh, ascending to the throne. whereas 32% want, uh, the australia to become a republic and have an elected head of state. that is a very narrow margin, however, and the australian government in the long terme does want australia to become a republic . to become a republic. >> excellent surf. cameron walker , thank you. as ever, the walker, thank you. as ever, the king shall continue to reign down under. now there's lots more still to come between now and 5:00. multiple boeing 737 planes could be faulty as a panel flew off mid—flight in portland, our security editor , portland, our security editor, mark white, will have the story, but first, here's your latest news headlines with polly middlehurst .

middlehurst. >> the headlines this hour, the foreign secretary has confirmed there are still two british nationals being held hostage in gaza as the israel—palestine conflict continues there. lord cameron has been speaking today to the foreign affairs committee for the first time since his return to government. asked whether the british nationals are still alive, he said he didn't know, but he admitted to concerns that israel may have breached international law . the breached international law. the leader of the liberal democrats , leader of the liberal democrats, ed davey, has told gb news he won't be handing back his knighthood over the post office scandal. it follows today's announcement that the former post boss, paula post office boss, paula vennells, will hand back her cbe after widespread calls for her to return the honour in the wake of the horizon it scandal. more than 700 post office staff were convicted, jailed or bankrupted, some even taking their own lives after the faulty software made it look like money was missing and in the united states, donald trump says he might prosecute us

president joe biden if he returns to the white house the former president posted a message on social media as his lawyers prepared to argue that he immune from he should be immune from criminal for his attempt criminal charges for his attempt to overturn the 2020 election. mr trump falsely claimed he was being indicted for opposing the election in a warning that was not substantiated by any evidence . evidence. >> but just look around at the complete mess that crooked joe biden has caused . biden has caused. >> he's the worst president in the history of our country by far. >> you don't indict your political opponent because he opposes the corrupt election, which, you know was corrupt. >> everybody knows it was corrupt. the american public knows it was corrupt . knows it was corrupt. >> here in the uk. more knows it was corrupt. >> here in the uk . more snow >> here in the uk. more snow expected, right across the country as the uk health security agency issues an amber cold health alert for parts of england. the winter weather follows storm henk, which left large parts of england flooded with more than 100 flood

warnings. still in place across the uk . those are the headlines. the uk. those are the headlines. more background to those stories by heading to our website , by heading to our website, gbnews.com . gbnews.com. >> thank you polly. now an alaskan airlines operated boeing 737 max nine, had an accident on friday where a panel blew off mid—flight shortly after takeoff from portland . loose bolts and from portland. loose bolts and other insulation issues on multiple 737 max nine aircraft have since been discovered, and the boeing model has been grounded while investigations are underway . well, joining me are underway. well, joining me now to discuss this is our security editor, mark white. mark boeing, a huge company. this was a huge concern. how widespread is it and what's going to be done about it? >> yeah, the stuff of nightmares really. and the potential for this being more widespread has emerged with new is that came

out of the states overnight that two airlines now alaska airlines, the airline at the centre of that midair emergency on friday when one of these panels blew out, has found other faults on some of the aircraft , faults on some of the aircraft, but that it has examined ed and united airlines is, um, as you mentioned in the introduction, there , uh, with about ten of there, uh, with about ten of their fleet. so far having been examined and showing loose bolts and other deficiencies around this area of the fuselage. it's called the, uh, plug. the door plug. it's effectively there. it's a hole in the fuse that's plugged with with another, uh, piece of fuselage there that's bolted in and depending on the passenger configuration of the 737 max nine aircraft, if there are more people on board, they

need to provide more emergency exits so it can be reconfigured to provide two emergency exits at the rear of the plane . in at the rear of the plane. in this particular configuration , this particular configuration, person not carrying as many passengers was the fuselage remained intact, but some real concerns that perhaps something to do with the manufacturing process or the bolts used , or process or the bolts used, or the way in which these bolts were or were not tightened , had were or were not tightened, had something to do with that mid—air explosion on friday. this is what the ntsb investigators in the us said about the latest developments as found by united airlines and alaska airlines . alaska airlines. >> we are aware of the reports of that are coming back from the inspections from united and alaska and boeing, our team is collecting 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 at any time. we don't have to finish the investigation in 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. >> well, the investigators are being aided by the fact that they have recovered that piece of fuselage . that blow out blew of fuselage. that blow out blew out at 60,000ft. it was found in the back garden of a property near portland . this is what the near portland. this is what the owner of that property said about this piece of aircraft landing on his land . landing on his land. >> it just came down as a single unit 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 were up and morning, they were up close and shining lights it and shining their lights on it and taking and starting to taking pictures and starting to try to figure out what had happened . happened to cause that. >> well, 171 of these boeing 737 max nine aircraft have been

grounded , added. while these grounded, added. while these investigations are carried out, all of the airlines affected are waiting for instructions from the federal aviation authority and also from , um, boeing and also from, um, boeing itself. the manufacture era. so they know exactly what to do in terms of looking for potential faults around these door plug areas . areas. >> okay. mark white, thank you very much for that update. huge concerning and of course very impactful on the share price. boeing share price has plummeted almost 9% in the past five days alone . now, sir keir starmer's alone. now, sir keir starmer's work as a human rights lawyer could be coming back to haunt him, with the labour leader facing criticism for his work with murderers and even child killers. i'm martin daubney on gb news, britain's news channel .

sunday mornings from 930 on gb news is . news is. >> welcome back. it's 442 now. the sun newspaper today claimed that labour leader sir keir starmer worked for free in his time as a lawyer to help some sick, sadistic criminals reduce their sentences or even to walk free from jail. stonewall's part of a team that launched several bids to scrap the death penalty across africa and the caribbean. but could this affect his

chances at this year's general election ? well, joining me now election? well, joining me now is to discuss this is barrister and writer stephen barrett, the and writer stephen barrett, the a political expert who i always turn to in such times of legal analysis . turn to in such times of legal analysis. this. thanks for joining us stephen. so of course, starmer's political opponents are making much of the fact that he helped some criminals who were, let's face it, are very, very dangerous. jamaican who killed his girlfriend and their nine month old baby, a malawian who a murderer who buried his stepson, aged two, alive , and a ugandan aged two, alive, and a ugandan axe murderer. but of course, starmer's defendants say he was merely doing his job. what's your. merely doing his job. what's your . take your. take >> right. well, you remember that the last time that keir starmer was attacked for the work that he did inside the uk , work that he did inside the uk, i came on and i defended him and that's because, broadly put, barristers who operate inside ride the shield of our ethical obugafions ride the shield of our ethical obligations all deserve defence

by their very definition. criminals are awful people, so most of those criminal barristers who have gone to work today, a lot of them will have represented somebody really awful. and it's entirely right that somebody likes me, like me steps in to defend them, to remind people where the ethical shield is . in remind people where the ethical shield is. in this remind people where the ethical shield is . in this instance, shield is. in this instance, it's very difficult , shield is. in this instance, it's very difficult, very different. and what mr harry cole of the sun has done, he's identified the cases where mr starmer isn't operating inside the uk. he isn't being paid, he isn't doing his job. >> he's volunteering to go abroad and to represent people who've already been convicted of these awful things . these awful things. >> and he's trying to get them off the death penalty. now that is his personal political opinion. >> and it's not inside what i called earlier our ethical shield. >> so it is perfectly right for everyone to take their own view of whether or not they approve of whether or not they approve of that. >> and of course, being neutral. >> and of course, being neutral. >> i'm not going to say whether

the death penalty is a good or a bad thing. >> there badthing. » a >> i mean, there are a number of political it is the political ideas is it is the death penalty, right? >> is it right to go to foreign countries and tell them that they must have the they must or must not have the death penalty? >> are fundamental >> these are fundamental political questions that we all must ourselves. must ask ourselves. >> what i want to highlight is that there is a distinct difference barrister difference between a barrister acting inside their ethical shield , operating under the cab shield, operating under the cab rank , and those barristers rank rule, and those barristers who volunteer to engage in political campaigning and when they do so. >> and i've been vociferously criticised by a number of really rather rude individuals on social media for pointing out this rather simple point barristers are not immune to criticism for ever . criticism for ever. >> everything a barrister does is not inviolable, and keir starmer chose to make these political decisions. >> he chose to represent these individuals. he may very well defend that, but he'd be defending it on a political bafis. basis. >> and what i want to do is to make it clear to the public that they every to

they have every right to disagree with if disagree or agree with him. if they him, that that's they agree with him, that that's their too. their political opinion, too. but he's no longer under the shield barristers. ethical protections. >> he chose to do this now . >> he chose to do this now. >> he chose to do this now. >> stephen starmer's defendants will say for 20 years he campaigned against the death penalty outside of the uk. and so he wasn't actually supporting fighting these violent criminals as in giving them a character reference. as such, he wasn't actually talking about the particular instances of their brutal crimes . particular instances of their brutal crimes. he was merely trying to save them from the death penalty as an ethical , death penalty as an ethical, philosophical, legal point of view. he's entitled to do that, isn't he? no matter what you think about the individual says, i'io. 110. >> no. >> and i want to you to pass a line between those three words. >> you to put ethical and >> i want you to put ethical and moral on one side and legal on the because ethical and the other, because ethical and moral politics all moral is with politics and all you about it. if you can say about it. if he did it 20 years, you can say it for 20 years, all you can say

is, was consistent in is, well, he was consistent in his and his political position and that, you you good you know, whether you think good of or that, it was of that or bad of that, it was nonetheless a political position. >> he did no, it's right say >> he did no, it's right to say he they had done. he knew what they had done. >> the sun article >> so when the sun article highlights what these people had done, wasn't defending them done, he wasn't defending them at . he's going at trial. he's going over to appeal and get the death appeal and try and get the death sentence right . it's sentence right. it's a consistent political position, but it is a political position . but it is a political position. >> barristers only get automatic protection from criticism when they stay on the other side of that line , when they stay inside that line, when they stay inside our ethical shield , when they our ethical shield, when they operate purely under the cab rank rule. >> he chose this. >> he chose to do this. >> he chose to do this. >> it may be laudable. >> it may be laudable. >> be that many your >> it may be that many of your viewers think this viewers think that this is heroic thing for an individual to and all i can ever do is to do, and all i can ever do is simply say, i have no comment to do, and all i can ever do is simply she's have no comment to do, and all i can ever do is simply she's aave no comment to do, and all i can ever do is simply she's a heroo comment to do, and all i can ever do is simply she's a hero , comment to do, and all i can ever do is simply she's a hero , whether|t whether he's a hero, whether he's a devil. >> it's a personal political opinion. our shield, our opinion. but our shield, our protection from criticism does not extend to every aspect of our life. >> and he cannot expect to avoid criticism for these choices which he has made. he must own them . if he wishes to be proud them. if he wishes to be proud of then argue for them.

of them, then argue for them. >> okay , steven barrett, >> okay, steven steven barrett, lawyer barrister, beg your pardon and writer. thank you very much for joining pardon and writer. thank you very much forjoining us on the very much for joining us on the show, giving a political show, giving your a political expert ever. now, expert analysis as ever. now, then donald trump then you heard donald trump there in fighting form. and i think we can now cross live to donald trump giving a speech if you don't. >> as an example, if this case were lost on immunity and i did nothing wrong , absolutely nothing wrong, absolutely nothing wrong, absolutely nothing wrong, absolutely nothing wrong, i'm working for the country and i worked on very hard on voter fraud because we have to have free elections. we have to have free elections. we have to have strong borders, we have to have strong borders, we have to have free elections. those two things are almost above and we found above all. and we found tremendous voter fraud. we have a list of it. we have some findings if you want it. the press doesn't like reporting it, but we found tremendous voter fraud determinative voter fraud. but we worked on that. that's what i was doing . and they were what i was doing. and they were talking about after well, nothing has to do with after i left. it was during the time. and that was what they really focussed on today . during the

focussed on today. during the appeal. focussed on today. during the appeal . and they concede that appeal. and they concede that and everybody concedes that. and if it's during the time you have absolute immunity, so , so uh, absolute immunity, so, so uh, we'll see how it all works out. we have , uh, a great argument. we have, uh, a great argument. we have, uh, a great argument. we have, uh, a great argument. we have an argument with they conceded two major points today. in fact, i think it's probably a concession to have to ask the lawyers. if you'd like to lawyers. todd, if you'd like to talk about it, but they conceded two that i think were two points that i think were were, uh, by normal standards. if it weren't me, that would be the end of this case. but sometimes they look at me differently than they look upon others. and that's very bad for our country . you had a very big our country. you had a very big event. yes today, as you saw in georgia , where the district georgia, where the district attorney is totally compromised. the case has to be dropped. uh they went after , i guess, 18 or they went after, i guess, 18 or 20 people. they wanted to go after a lot of other people. they want to go after senators . they want to go after senators. she was out of her mind . now it she was out of her mind. now it turns out that that case is

totally compromised. in fact , totally compromised. in fact, they say she's in far more criminal liability than any of the people she's looking at. so i think that when you look at what happened , where they pay what happened, where they pay a lawyer with absolutely no experience, $700,000, who happens to be her lover or her boyfriend , and then they go on boyfriend, and then they go on trips and vacations together. very expensive vacations together . and the reason they together. and the reason they paid him so much because he was after me . because this way they after me. because this way they can afford to pay him a lot more. probably passes certain test and that's a very sad thing that happened in georgia . and i that happened in georgia. and i would imagine that case is going to be dropped . every legal to be dropped. every legal analyst that i've spoken to, every legal analyst that i've read, have said that case is so compromised now it has to be dropped. a very good people were very badly hurt by that case. it's a shame. very good people, people did nothing wrong. uh they did nothing different than what democrats have been doing for years. and years and years. whether it's slates or anything

else you're talking about . else that you're talking about. but they were very hurt. and it turns that she profited turns out that she profited tremendously on that case. it's illegal. what she did is illegal. what she did is illegal. so we'll let the state handle that. but what a what a sad situation. it is . i want to sad situation. it is. i want to thank everybody for the fairness . we've been covered very fairly. most people agree that we're entitled as a president to immunity. if you didn't have immunity. if you didn't have immunity as an example, uh, joe biden with the prosecutor, we're not going to give you $1 billion unless you get rid of the prosecutor. that's after that's after the company or his son or whoever it is thereafter. but he wanted that prosecutor gone, and he's on tape saying it. or you could say the horrible job he's done at the border where our country is being destroyed or the horrible situation that took place. the lowest moment, i think, in the history of our country was afghanistan , the way country was afghanistan, the way we withdrew, not that we withdrew , but we withdrew, but the way we withdrew, but the way we withdrew was with shame. we

surrendered . uh, people killed surrendered. uh, people killed 13 great soldiers, killed many unbelievably horrific . we hurt, unbelievably horrific. we hurt, wounded, hurt , and hundreds of wounded, hurt, and hundreds of people died on both sides. hundreds of people died . he hundreds of people died. he could be prosecuted for that. so you can't have a president, uh, without immunity . you have to without immunity. you have to have as a president, you have to be able to do your job. but if be able to do yourjob. but if this didn't work out, if i wasn't given immunity , then wasn't given immunity, then other presidents wouldn't. we talked about today, president obama, with the drone strikes, which were very bad. they were mistakes. terrible mistakes . and mistakes. terrible mistakes. and you can't put a you really can't put a president in that position . so i think most people understand it. and we feel very confident that eventually we hopefully at this level, but eventually we win . a president eventually we win. a president has to have immunity. eventually we win. a president has to have immunity . and the has to have immunity. and the other thing is i did nothing wrong. we did nothing wrong . the wrong. we did nothing wrong. the investigation of the election, which was a rigged election,

everybody knows it. and just if you just look at it, they didn't use state legislatures and they didn't they went to the fbi. and you look at fbi and twitter, the twitter files with the fbi , all twitter files with the fbi, all of the horrible things . is fisa, of the horrible things. is fisa, the fisa court , the signed the fisa court, the signed documents , the lying to congress documents, the lying to congress and the stuffing of the ballot boxes all on tape stuffing a ballot boxes, all on tape, government tape and most of the information as you know, we'll give you some of the findings that just came out. but all of that just came out. but all of that information, as you know , that information, as you know, was gotten from mostly government sources, government tapes, government files and government stats . so it's a very government stats. so it's a very sad when something like that happens. you know, you wouldn't have inflation. but much more importantly , you wouldn't have importantly, you wouldn't have had the ukraine situation happen with russia. you wouldn't have had the attack on israel . you'd had the attack on israel. you'd have a much different economy

right now. you'd have a great economy. and we would be respected all over the world the way we were just three years ago. so i want to thank everybody very much. and we think we had a very good day today. the concession of these two major points was pretty amazing. and honestly, i'm very glad they did it. i think they did the right thing. thank you very much, mr trump. >> you just used the word bedlam. >> okay. there he goes. and trump was speaking trump there was speaking after appearing washington dc appearing in the washington dc circuit court of appeals about whether he should be immune from criminal prosecution in washington, dc. this is, of course, after he was accused of interfering with the election last time. a huge story ahead . last time. a huge story ahead. that's all for hour. but that's all for this hour. but stay . i'll be back after stay around. i'll be back after this. martin daubney on this. i'm martin daubney on britain's channel gb news. britain's news channel gb news. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar , sponsors of weather on . 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 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 to the north scotland around it, the north of scotland around it, the winds in winds go clockwise, drawing in the breeze but also the easterly breeze but also bringing down a bit more cloud through into 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 seen some foggy conditions northern scotland conditions in northern scotland that may lift as we go that fog may lift as we go through night in the south through the night in the south it's , but it's cold with a it's clear, but it's cold with a widespread frost minus one minus two. even in urban areas , the two. even in urban areas, the countryside lower than that. it's not quite as cold in the northeast because there'll be more cloud here that will make for a cold feeling day tomorrow. still, showers still, a few showers over southeast . northeast southeast scotland. northeast england again, chiefly of rain. pretty light, pretty well scattered . for most. will be scattered. for most. it will be dry. lots of sunshine in the south lifting that frost. south soon. lifting that frost. sunny spells continuing western scotland. mixture of cloud and sunny spells continuing western

s

gb news. >> good afternoon . it's 5 pm. >> good afternoon. it's 5 pm. welcome to the martin daubney show on gb news broadcasting live from the heart of westminster and all across the uk , to our top story this hour uk, to our top story this hour on 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 . and it for fraud and theft. and it follows a day of ministerial promises, with the justice secretary and crunch talks with judges to help deliver swift justice for the victims. i'll also be discussing why the spotlight is now on sir keir starmer next. the government's controversial rwanda plan will be debated again in parliament next week, but there's growing

pressure on the government to reveal the true astronomical cost of sending, or indeed not sending asylum seekers to the east african country . and if east african country. and if you're giving up pints for a dry january, you might be finding that staying sober is hitting the pound in your pocket as non—alcoholic prices soar. non alcoholic drinks story saw more in prices in supermarkets. alcoholic drinks story saw more in prices in supermarkets . and in prices in supermarkets. and some breaking news. we had in the past hour. sir ed davey lib dem leader of course , has told dem leader of course, has told gb news that he will not be giving up his knighthood following criticism of his role in the post office scandal. i'll be getting reaction to that and i want to hear from you. of course, your views on that. this topic is really got you going in a i don't remember since a way i don't remember since brexit. the outrage at the situation postmasters has situation of the postmasters has really your emotions. really captured your emotions. let me know your feelings as ever the usual way gb views at

gbillionews.com. but before that it's gbillionews.com. but before that wsfime gbillionews.com. but before that it's time for your latest news headunes it's time for your latest news headlines with polly middlehurst i >> -- >> martin. thank you and good evening to you. well donald trump is in washington today as he tries to convince a panel of judges that he shouldn't be prosecuted for attempting to overturn the 2020 us election. the former president is due to go to trial in march on federal charges of trying to overturn the election, but responding to trump's lawyers, the judges said that a former president could be charged if first impeached and convicted in the senate. trump didn't address the court, but in a video posted to social media ahead of that hearing, he said he could prosecute democrat president joe biden if he wins the 2024 presidential election . the 2024 presidential election. >> fine, but just look around at the complete mess that crooked joe biden has caused. he's the worst president point in the

history of our country by far. you don't indict your political opponent because he opposes the corrupt election, which, you know was corrupt. everybody knows it was corrupt. the american public knows it was corrupt . corrupt. >> donald trump now here in the uk, the leader of the liberal democrats, ed davey, has told gb news today he won't be handing back his knighthood over the post office scandal . it follows post office scandal. it follows today's announcement that the former post office boss, paul vennells, will hand her cbe back with immediate effect . her with immediate effect. her announcement came after widespread calls for her to return the honour after the horizon. it scandal. more than 700 post office staff were convicted, jailed , bankrupted, convicted, jailed, bankrupted, some even taking their own lives after faulty software meant they were wrongly accused of theft . were wrongly accused of theft. meanwhile, fujitsu, the parent company of the faulty software which caused the scandal in the first place, has been called to

answer mps questions next week overits answer mps questions next week over its role. downing street says the tech company will be held accountable legally or financially if it's found to have made mistakes . rishi sunak have made mistakes. rishi sunak has faced a showdown with mps today over his rwanda bill when it returns to the commons next week for another reading. penny mordaunt has confirmed the legislation will go through its third reading in the house of commons on the 16th and 17th of this month, but the shadow commons leader, lucy powell, says the government is making it up as it goes along . the foreign up as it goes along. the foreign secretary has confirmed there are still two british nationals being held hostage in gaza, as the israel palestine conflict continues . lord cameron is continues. lord cameron is currently speaking to the foreign affairs committee for the first time since his return to government , the first time since his return to government, and asked whether british are still british nationals are still alive. he said he didn't know, but he did admit to concerns that israel may have breached international law . a court today international law. a court today

heard that harry pitman was stabbed to death with a hunting knife within yards of emergency service workers, a 16 year old boy has appeared at the old bailey today over the killing , bailey today over the killing, which happened as harry waited to watch fireworks in north london just before midnight on new year's eve. the accused has been remanded in youth detention accommodation and will appear in court for a plea hearing in march. a provisional trial has been set for september two. us airlines have found loose bolts on aircraft doors during plane inspections , as it's after a inspections, as it's after a section of the fuselage fell from an alaska airlines boeing 737 max nine on friday. the plane had to make an emergency landing, but no passengers were injured as alaska airlines and united airlines both say they found some loose hardware on several boeing max nines. gabriela tal has become france's youngest ever and first openly gay prime minister the outgoing

prime minister, elizabeth born, handed over to her successor in paris today following her resignation yesterday, the french president , resignation yesterday, the french president, emmanuel macron, says he wants to freshen things up in his second terms of office, ahead of the european parliament elections . 2023 was parliament elections. 2023 was the world's hottest year on record, according to new european data. eu scientists compared average temperatures with global records going back to 1853. the european union's climate service says it was also likely to be the warmest year in the last 100,000 years, as but 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 parts of england. it follows storm henk, which left large areas flooded and thousands of homes damaged . more than 110 homes damaged. more than 110 flood warnings remain in place across the uk . uk scientists who across the uk. uk scientists who helped create technology for the

latest moon mission are working together . new data from the together. new data from the latest spacecraft before it loses power . the peregrine loses power. the peregrine mission one blasted into space yesterday but immediately encountered a fuel leak shortly after launch . the probe did aim after launch. the probe did aim to land on the surface of the moon at the end of february, but now less than 40 hours of fuel are left before the spacecraft starts tumbling out of . space. starts tumbling out of. space. that's the news on gp news across the uk, on tv in your car, on digital radio and on your smart speaker. this is britain's news channel . britain's news channel. >> thank you pauly. now top of the agenda this hour as the post office scandal and the organisation his former boss has handed back her cbe and said sorry to the hundreds of victims of that scandal. paula vennells was head of the post office when around 700 postmasters and

mistresses were wrongly prosecuted for fraud and theft after faulty computer programme showed money was missing when it wasn't . and meanwhile the wasn't. and meanwhile the justice secretary is in crunch talks with judges to find a speedy way to deliver justice for the hundreds of victims who want their convictions quashed and a reminder of that news just in to gb news is sir ed davey has told us that he will not give up his knighthood following criticism of his past role in the post office scandal. what join me now in the studio is political editor christopher hope and i believe, chris, you have a fresh breaking news line on this post office scandal story. >> yeah, martin, the government is quite keen to get ahead of this. of course . paula vennells this. of course. paula vennells returning her cbe is her decision. the government's been very clear they can't force her to can't even really to do it. they can't even really tell honours forfeiture tell the honours forfeiture committee . so they'll committee what to do. so they'll be quite relieved that that's happened. been happened. but that hasn't been the doing what the

the government's doing what the government are government is up to. they are looking ways to do a looking at ways to do a unilateral pardon of subpostmasters . there could be subpostmasters. there could be a bill published as soon as tomorrow or thursday, which could see them, them, they wipe clean the slate for the 700 subpostmasters found guilty because the concern is that by by delaying and by going through each case one by one, which is the way you should do it, it will take far too to long deal with it. so right now that that could to we're could be about to happen. we're heafing could be about to happen. we're hearing where hearing that's where the government towards government is leaning towards some kind of mass pardon for subpostmasters. >> chris, after many, many >> and chris, after many, many years of being ignored, after being brought to the forefront by this excellent drama . um, by this excellent drama. um, this is very, very swift legal resolution. this is very, very good news. >> well, it shows the power of drama, but it shows the power of journalism. i've written when i previous lives before i came to gb news, i worked for the telegraph. i was one of the first to the articles first to write the articles about paula vennells cbe. back in the last decade. why did you have we should have given

have it? we should have given that cbe for service the post that cbe for service to the post office the office after some of the convictions there convictions were quashed, there was for the was a reckoning here for the establishment who which ignored board the complaints from subpostmasters for years and years and years and didn't ignore these aren't people who could be dismissed . these were could be dismissed. these were of questionable character. these are upstanding pillars of are high upstanding pillars of the local community who handle money for local give out money for local people, give out pension money, are respected , pension money, are respected, but were not believed by the state, by the establishment, by whitehall . it is a complete whitehall. it is a complete disgrace. is understood now disgrace. that is understood now by government. it has taken disgrace. that is understood now by itv government. it has taken disgrace. that is understood now by itv drama ment. it has taken disgrace. that is understood now by itv drama toent. it has taken disgrace. that is understood now by itv drama to put it has taken disgrace. that is understood now by itv drama to put viewers ken disgrace. that is understood now by itv drama to put viewers inn an itv drama to put viewers in the shoes of people accused of wrongdoing. we've written about it, repeatedly, talked about it, raised it as journalists, but frankly took a drama to make that happen. sir ed davey , i that happen. sir ed davey, i should say, has told gb news today not be today that he will not be handing back his knighthood. of course, was given course, he was given a knighthood he stood down knighthood when he stood down from government from the government in 2015 after but was after the coalition. but he was post minister 2010 2012. post office minister 2010 2012. he turned fire on the post office itself . office itself. >> okay, chris, thanks for that and stick with us, please. if

you're joining breaking and stick with us, please. if you'rethere joining breaking and stick with us, please. if you'rethere from g breaking and stick with us, please. if you'rethere from chris breaking and stick with us, please. if you'rethere from chris hope,ng and stick with us, please. if you'rethere from chris hope, the news there from chris hope, the government pass a bill government hopes to pass a bill maybe as soon as tomorrow or thursday totally exonerate thursday to totally exonerate all of those involved in the post office scandal. moving very, very swiftly. and joining me now to discuss this further is bob seely, conservative mp for the isle of wight . bob, for the isle of wight. bob, thanks for joining us for the isle of wight. bob, thanks forjoining us in for the isle of wight. bob, thanks for joining us in the studio. my pleasure in westminster. you must be delighted by this swift justice. quick nimble. here by quick and nimble. moving here by rishi . rishi sunak. >> yes, well done rishi for doing but also, look, it doing it. but also, look, it wasn't just a journalist, but it does power drama. does show the power of drama. um, , he's the mp um, james arbuthnot, he's the mp who championed this because one of his postmistresses in his hampshire constituency said, i'm being wrongly accused and, uh nadhim zahawi when he was on the on the relevant committee . so it on the relevant committee. so it also shows actually that the dedication and the work of backbench mps who raise this as a case and sadly, it also shows how useless ed davey was as a minister. the man constantly hid behind his behind his officials and he still blaming them now.

so well done, arbuthnot . well so well done, arbuthnot. well done nadia nadim and well done. people yourself as well. people like yourself as well. christopher and i'm that christopher and i'm glad that government's doing the right thing on that issue thing on this. now on that issue of 34 times the man has of ed davey 34 times the man has demanded other people get the chop , go for the high jump 19 chop, go for the high jump 19 times of those directed towards bofis times of those directed towards boris johnson. >> do you think he should do the right thing do that? do that right thing and do that? do that himself? i is it? himself? yes i do, what is it? >> ed davey lead from the front. he his life calling for he spends his life calling for the resignation of other people. he a deeply he was shown to be a deeply second deeply inadequate second rate, deeply inadequate minister, so he should now do the decent and look, give, the decent thing and look, give, give credit to paula vennells. she's up her title. she's giving up her title. i think davey much think ed davey should do much the same. >> should, i should say ed >> i should, i should say ed davey saying in response to davey is saying in response to you, he in a studio, he you, were he in a studio, he won't his knighthood. won't hand back his knighthood. his as said his spokesman said, as i've said many , he wishes he'd known many times, he wishes he'd known what know now . he adds, it's what we know now. he adds, it's right paula vennells gave right that paula vennells gave back her cbe. she was at the centre of a conspiracy of lies against the victims, the public and of all parties. and the minister of all parties. as alan the original as alan bates, the original subpostmaster he took the action

said yesterday. ed was one of many has been many ministers who has been misled and lied to by the post office. that's what ed davey would say he was. but the whole point being a minister is point about being a minister is having judgement. point about being a minister is having quisn't ent. point about being a minister is having quisn't much politician >> there isn't much a politician does the inherent does um in terms of the inherent characteristic . so what makes characteristic. so what makes a decent somebody who decent politician? somebody who is articulate, also somebody is articulate, but also somebody who somebody who can listen, somebody who makes decisions, but makes good decisions, but somebody sense of somebody with basic sense of judgement . and what really judgement. and what really gets me this is that even now, me about this is that even now, he's basically saying i was misinformed officials . as misinformed by my officials. as you were saying earlier, there is absolute of is an absolute lack of curiosity, think is curiosity, which i think is absolutely dreadful and actually one, one just one other thing on the post office now, they still don't give enough deal to don't give a good enough deal to the and the postmasters and postmistresses because i'm always touch with them and always in touch with them and they always struggling to they are always struggling to make living because the amount make a living because the amount of is of money they're getting is simply good enough. so as simply not good enough. so as well actually using this as well as actually using this as a wake up for like wake up call for people like paula and people paula vennells and for people like sir ed davey actually the post office should now will take this opportunity again this opportunity to look again at and post

at postmasters and post postmistresses and how they are remunerate and work specifically with the banks, so that in places that no longer have banks where the postmasters and mistresses are taking cash and taking money from small businesses make the businesses to make sure the banks and all the money they're making a small amount of it, but larger than it currently to larger than it currently goes to those people. chris, the government said today £148 million has been handed out in compensation to subpostmasters. >> 150 million has gone to >>150 million has gone to lawyers . now how is it right lawyers. now how is it right that lawyers get more than victims? no. well why is that right, bob? it's your government. i don't know and i don't know. >> and, uh, i fess up that i don't have an answer, chris, but i'm sure it's something that you and other people will be exploring. >> a complete gravy train >> it's a complete gravy train for and these poor for lawyers and these poor people stuck there many people are stuck there are many of bankrupt dealing of them went bankrupt dealing with prosecution and with an unfair prosecution and the money is going to the pockets of lawyers, not them. absolutely. >> and a wider point >> and look on a wider point that i think, you know, gb news makes regularly. you're makes pretty regularly. you're looking at quality looking at the quality of management people in management of senior people in this especially in

this country, especially in civil service roles or quasi political roles. and it's just it seems to me that as long as you can talk, the woke language, you can talk, the woke language, you get away pretty much with anything until you really get found moving forward, found out. okay, moving forward, i wish better i just wish we'd had better quality i just wish we'd had better que bob, next okay, >> bob, to the next stage. okay, so what about so the pardon comes. what about the compensation? 150 million you far ? it's going you mentioned so far? it's going to many, many multiples of to be many, many multiples of that assume. now yesterday that you'd assume. now yesterday we lee anderson in here. he we had lee anderson in here. he was well maybe the was like saying well maybe the taxpayer pick this taxpayer should pick up this bill. like that. taxpayer should pick up this bill. should like that. taxpayer should pick up this bill. should taxpayersthat. to why should the taxpayers have to step clear up the mess step in and clear up the mess created by fujitsu, an international conglomerate with very ? surely they very deep pockets? surely they should be the one that should get involved and pay this package. and as a supplier package. and as as a supplier for the government, many , for to the government, many, many massive contracts. you have a leverage to do a lot of leverage to do something that. something about that. >> right , i something about that. >> right, i think >> uh, you're right, i think look, for me decide look, it's not for me to decide how much because this is how much money because this is something to something that's got to be. >> i just name a figure >> i can't just name a figure out of thin air. um, but clearly, software clearly, fujitsu poor software have got to take responsibility . have got to take responsibility. uh, and likewise, the post office for not even bothering to

check until , you know, taking check until, you know, taking taking long before they taking way too long before they admitted as well. so admitted fault as well. so between the two of them, they've got to cough up and they've got to with fujitsu, i to fess up and with fujitsu, i think they've off think look, they've got off pretty so pretty lightly so far. so i think some that pressure and think some of that pressure and some should some of that attention should be on again , going on them. but again, going forward, i hope the post office learns about this and actually starts much more to respect postmasters and mistresses and gives them a better deal. now, as well. >> chris, it's down to believing people, computers . that's people, not computers. that's the failure here that people who are upstanding members of the community were just not believed by the powers that be. and i think that's the heart of it. and that's why it's so deeply embarrassing for the establishment. with fujitsu, embarrassing for the establirthinklt. with fujitsu, embarrassing for the establirthink it's with fujitsu, embarrassing for the establirthink it's rightth fujitsu, embarrassing for the establirthink it's right maybe ;u, do you think it's right maybe that they should all contract should stop being led to that company for company until it can account for its properly . i know its actions properly. i know there's an inquiry going on and others inquiry and others inquiry going on, and we may not want to get may they may not want to get ahead of that. but is that the answer? chris >> know contracts >> i don't know what contracts they've got. if they've got contracts or contracts with the met office or with defra. >> that's part of the

problem. >> they're so involved now >> they're so involved right now in it might in government business, it might damage government damage the work of government to withdraw no, withdraw them from. no, no, no, i taking responsibility for i mean taking responsibility for one is different from one element is different from basically cutting them out of government. >> this is not it's not huawei. i find this as a backbench mp. i find frustrating find this as frustrating as everybody. give you another everybody. i'll give you another slightly . you slightly unrelated example. you know, when we were told repeatedly huawei was repeatedly that huawei was a private company , you know, in private company, you know, in parliament, ministers were saying that it is so saying that and it is so frustrating when you have ministers in whatever guise and whatever party saying things that you and i as, as sort of people in the streets, so to speak. um, just no , not actually speak. um, just no, not actually to be true. who are we? >> of course, a telecoms company i >> -- >> the slightly different case, but and the issue was their links to the chinese state. >> that's correct. >> yes. that's correct. >> yeah, we just you. >> so yeah, we just need you. this judgement common >> so yeah, we just need you. this comestgement common >> so yeah, we just need you. this comestge|this. common >> so yeah, we just need you. this comestge|this. this mon sense comes into this. and this is why , you know, ed davey is is why, you know, ed davey is wrong. if he just look, wrong. if he just said, look, i made judgement calls made the wrong judgement calls on this, fine. the way he on this, fine. but the way he just pathetically hides and other lib dems as well, he's not the there's of the only one. there's three of

them. of basically say, them. the sort of basically say, oh, by my civil oh, i was misled by my civil servants that's servants. okay, well, that's at that you just say, yeah, that point you just say, yeah, maybe to question you maybe i need to question you a bit harder. maybe i need to meet with these other people. maybe i need opinion. need to get a second opinion. i'm not going to meet you guys. you're victims. because you're the victims. because actually, servants you're the victims. because actua want servants you're the victims. because actua want so vants you're the victims. because actua want so iants you're the victims. because actua want so i won't. don't want me to, so i won't. that we've minus. now, bob that is. we've minus. now, bob is exactly what you shouldn't be doing as minister, doing as a minister, bob. >> it's fair to say that no political party come out of political party has come out of this showered this particularly showered in glory. . glory. um, no. >> but our backbenchers did the right thing. james arbuthnot did the zahawi the right thing. nadhim zahawi did the right thing. >> but, um, kevin jones , who's >> but, um, kevin jones, who's been labour party, been working this labour party, spoke pointed spoke to you earlier, pointed out that the tories out correctly that the tories nominated vennells for her cbe. in fact, she was put forward to be the bishop of london um, long after these allegations are already but i want to already come out. but i want to turn keir starmer, keir turn to keir starmer, keir starmer, as starmer, starmer role as a director public prosecutions director of public prosecutions at this time is coming into question. should he have intervened at that time ? intervened at that time? >> okay, look, um, i think we're getting we're slightly getting to the place where hindsight is a thing with use a wonderful thing with the use

of he should of hindsight. clearly he should have keir starmer role. have done keir starmer his role. i mean , what slightly me i mean, what slightly gets me about starmer now is that about keir starmer now is that the labour have said judge the labour party have said judge keir, all cases he took keir, by all the cases he took on, didn't take on on, well, he didn't take on jimmy um, he supported jimmy savile um, he supported the . so the even more the inla. so the even more extreme irish republican outfit than the ira . and clearly he than the ira. and clearly he didn't do the right thing here. so i don't think his judgement actually comes across. if you look at his time as public prosecutor in some things , he prosecutor in some things, he did thing, but in did the right thing, but in others his judgement was others i think his judgement was seriously lacking. >> clear, >> it's not entirely clear, though, dpp though, is it, bob, that the dpp could intervene private could intervene in a private prosecution ? i mean, i think prosecution? i mean, i think it's no , you're fine. so these it's no, you're fine. so these are private prosecutions by are private prosecutions led by the post office limited. he has to have duty to go in there to intervene. it wasn't his team of lawyers doing the prosecutions . lawyers doing the prosecutions. it was a private company. so i think this one, not as think on this one, it's not as clear cut as you're saying. >> no. fair enough. i'll take happy take your on happy to take your steer on that. happy to take your steer on tha gentlemen, to leave happy to take your steer on ththeretlemen, to leave happy to take your steer on ththere fornen, to leave happy to take your steer on ththere for fantastic to leave happy to take your steer on ththere for fantastic debate. eave it there for fantastic debate. very lively , of course. and very lively, of course. and great breaking news line as even great breaking news line as ever. we've had loads and loads

and emails about this. and loads of emails about this. i haven't seen you get this animated since animated about a topic since brexit. that's saying brexit. and that's saying something you have been something many of you have been getting touch about the post getting in touch about the post office scandal. jose this office scandal. jose says this ed davey should be forced to give up his knighthood should a petition should be started. i'm sure it will get thousands of signatures. it's shameful that he is not willing to accept any part of this scandal and keep up the excellent coverage on this and getting it into the public arena, problem at all. and arena, no problem at all. and well done, of course, to chris. hope continuing to push on hope for continuing to push on this. says this please this. isabel says this please can someone ask what fujitsu staff were doing logging on remotely to various post—match computer systems and manipulate figures whilst leaving no trace of what they were doing? isabel, i'm sure these questions will be put forward as this scandal rolls forward . and ronnie says rolls forward. and ronnie says this paula vennells is playing the long game, giving up her cbe to make herself look moral, the long game, giving up her cbe to make herself look moral , then to make herself look moral, then being shortlisted for a role as

bishop of london, which propels her straight into the house of lords. um chris, do you want to react to that one? well, one thing the odd thing about a cbe is although you hand it back and say you don't want it, you don't lose until annulled. lose it until it's annulled. >> what has to happen next? >> so what has to happen next? and it's odd this way are and it's the odd this way we are honoured works is the honoured system works is the honours forfeiture committee has to sit and remove the honour from her. >> i would say, look, whatever she's. we're slightly in she's. i think we're slightly in the she's being damned the case of she's being damned if she does and if she doesn't. >> she's done the right thing and her moral and she's accepted her moral responsibility. ed responsibility. let's see if ed davey the if not, i'm davey does the same. if not, i'm sure the next six months sure in the next six months there'll be a of there'll be a lot of people reminding him. >> and finally, on this >> okay. and finally, on this topic, this does sir topic, alan says this does sir ed further because he was ed davey further because he was lied by the post office, he lied to by the post office, he should not any blame should not shoulder any blame for the injustice that has taken place surely had a duty of place. surely he had a duty of care to the post office employees to carry his own employees to carry out his own investigation into those allegations at the time, bob seely, nodding so hard his head

might drop off next week. bob, see you. thank you very much for coming in, chopper. superb as even coming in, chopper. superb as ever. you get lots more on that story on website thanks story on our website and thanks to you, gbnews.com is the fastest growing national news website country . it's got website in the country. it's got breaking news and all the brilliant analysis you've come to expect from gb news. so thank you that . now you very much for that. now coming be joined by the coming up, i'll be joined by the host of veterans in politics podcast as a campaign is launched to offer help with those with health issues those with mental health issues in forces . i'm those with mental health issues in forces. i'm martin in our armed forces. i'm martin daubney gb news, britain's daubney on gb news, britain's news channel .

&co & co weeknights from six. >> welcome back. it's 526. you're watching or listening to martin daubney on gb news now veterans affairs minister johnny mercer and the nhs have launched a new campaign to promote the mental health of ex—servicemen and women . and mercer says we and women. and mercer says we have fundamentally changed veterans care in this country and join me now to discuss this is johnny ball, host of veterans in politics podcast. johnny, welcome to the show. it's always a pleasure . um, great news. i a pleasure. um, great news. i mean , we hear a lot of talk, mean, we hear a lot of talk, a lot of gestures, but this is fancy tastic news. you must be delighted with this news. i'm overwhelmed , armed and over the overwhelmed, armed and over the moon . moon. >> and as a beneficiary myself of op courage, the mental health provision provided for and spoken about in this

announcement, the lived experience i've got, i can. i'm living proof that you can actually thrive after having excellent mental health support . excellent mental health support. >> and there's a lot of talk. um, johnny, about the barriers. um, johnny, about the barriers. um that proud servicemen and women face to take that first step to reach out for help. how do you think this will help to break down those essential barriers ? yeah, and a lot of barriers? yeah, and a lot of these barriers are the ones that we self—impose , which is why we self—impose, which is why the way has come about, way that this has come about, it's a health provision really crafted for veterans by veterans and the way in which i was referred to mental health support was by one of my peers, one of my muckers picking up the phone to me, checking in, see how how i was sent thing that something had changed. >> i know that my own behaviours had changed at home, but he'd picked up on it too. >> so that kind of peer to peer support . support. >> but more that, support. >> but more that , once you >> but more than that, once you actually then feel able to access that support, we've now

got better provision for us. and not only can we access that now, but we can actually thrive five out of the other side. as i know many people who have accessed mental health support from this community have done so. i'm absolutely overwhelmed. >> johnny. i'm proud to say that i know many veterans watch gb news and i always thank them for their service. how can they get in touch and access this help if they so desire ? they so desire? >> well, it's not just for veterans, it's also for the reserve forces too. reserve forces loo. >> reserve forces too. >> and when i access this, i was serving in the reserve forces and through my own lived experience was able to change the policy with the mod to extend it from veterans also to reservists too. so if you are one of the 30,000 plus reservists, so you do need assistance with mental health support. if you google op courage , um, you'll be able to courage, um, you'll be able to access the various different regional support available to you . and of course, the devolved you. and of course, the devolved nafions you. and of course, the devolved nations too . there is support nations too. there is support for mental health provision . so

for mental health provision. so i know that's a question that is commonly asked. and we have veterans commissioners , publicly veterans commissioners, publicly appointed are appointed people who are veterans themselves in scotland and northern ireland and wales. so the lived experience, the peer to peer having veterans in these positions, and we've got a minister that is himself a veteran and understands this firsthand. so i think it's great news. and we've still got a hell of a way to go. it's not let's not be complacent about this , not be complacent about this, but the biggest way in which we can change mental health provision and changing the narrative is by us taking responsibility . the armed forces responsibility. the armed forces community and by doing what we're used to in service, looking after our mates and johnny, that that is such a key point because you you need that credibility , don't you? credibility, don't you? >> you need to understand. well, you understand what i'm talking about that. about because you've lived that. you've rather you've been through this rather than complete stranger who than a complete stranger who would have no understanding whatsoever it's like to whatsoever of what it's like to serve and look , you know, we've serve and look, you know, we've seen when it goes wrong as well. >> i've lost friends to suicide .

>> i've lost friends to suicide. i've myself experienced the depths and darkness of mental health. and i will say to anyone thatis health. and i will say to anyone that is suffering from those moments, do reach out to your mates. i know it's really easy. i would say reach out to your mates while you're feeling okay because i know that when i wasn't feeling i was wasn't feeling okay, i was exhaust couldn't just pick exhaust and i couldn't just pick up absolutely up the phone. i was absolutely knackered, so better. when knackered, so the better. when you're knackered, so the better. when you time to really open up to the time to really open up to your friends. because when you do need to pick up the phone, that's when it becomes so much eafieh that's when it becomes so much easier. by just simply easier. but by just simply googung easier. but by just simply googling up courage , looking at googling up courage, looking at the provision for the armed forces there's forces community, there's a there's never been so much mental health support . there's never been so much mental health support. um, in my lifetime, it's changed. i first joined the armed force in 1996, and served in northern ireland in the late 90s. it's changed a hell of a lot. we've still got somewhere to go, and the only way do but you, by way we'll do that. but you, by giving voice, is really giving us a voice, is really important without important too. because without the because the media being on side, because the media being on side, because the for the sexy the media will go for the sexy headune the media will go for the sexy headline or if they want to flog a drama, the veterans always going portrayed as either going to be portrayed as either mad, sad so we can thrive

mad, bad or sad so we can thrive at the other side of mental health support. and by you giving us a voice on channels like this, it's really important i >> -- >> thank 5mm >> thank you very much for joining us. johnny ball, the host veterans in politics host of veterans in politics podcast, i'm delighted to podcast, and i'm delighted to help in way i can. thank you help in any way i can. thank you so lots still so much. there's lots more still to come between now and 6:00. and the number of pop hole related insurance claims has rocketed by a record high of 40% last year. we'll find out more on that later in this hour. but first, here's your latest news headunes first, here's your latest news headlines with polly middlehurst the headlines this hour. >> donald trump is in washington in trying to convince a panel of judges that he shouldn't be punished for trying to overturn the 2020 election, his lawyers are expected to argue that allowing a former president to be charged would set a dangerous precedent , be charged would set a dangerous precedent, paving be charged would set a dangerous precedent , paving the way for precedent, paving the way for politically motivated

indictments. the process to nominate the republican candidate for president begins on monday , with mr trump on monday, with mr trump expected to easily win the state of iowa. but he'll still need to overcome a series of legal challenges if he's to retake the white house. speaking a short time ago, mr trump insisted the charges against him are baseless i >> -- >> and i did nothing wrong . >> and i did nothing wrong. absolutely nothing wrong. i'm working for the country , but we working for the country, but we found tremendous voter fraud, determinative voter fraud. but we worked on that. that's what i was doing. and they were talking about after well, nothing has to do with after. i left. it was dufing do with after. i left. it was during the time and that was what they really focussed on today. during the appeal . and today. during the appeal. and they concede that and everybody concedes that . and if it's concedes that. and if it's dufing concedes that. and if it's during the time you have absolute immunity. >> the leader of the liberal democrats , ed davey, has told gb democrats, ed davey, has told gb news he won't return his knighthood over the post office scandal, which saw more than 700

staff wrongly accused of theft. it follows today's announcement that the former post office boss, paula vennells, will hand back her cbe . and the foreign back her cbe. and the foreign secretary has confirmed today there are still two british nationals being held hostage by the hamas terror group. lord cameron couldn't confirm their conditional where they were as he addressed the foreign affairs committee and more. snow is expected across the country as the uk health security agency issued an amber cold health alert for parts of england . the alert for parts of england. the winter weather follows storm henk , which left large parts of henk, which left large parts of england flooded with more than 100 flood warnings. still in place across the uk . those are place across the uk. those are the headlines . more background the headlines. more background to all those stories on our website by going to gbnews.com . website by going to gbnews.com. >> for a valuable legacy, your family can own gold coins will always shine bright. roslyn gold proudly sponsors the gb news

financial report . financial report. >> quick snapshot for you of today's markets and the pounds buying you $1.2712 and ,1.1625. the price of gold is £1,597, and £0.27 an ounce, and the ftse 100 is closed for the day to day . at is closed for the day to day. at 7683. rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news financial report . report. >> thank you polly, wonderful stuff. now it's time for my favourite part of the show. and once again joining me is michelle dewberry . course it's michelle dewberry. course it's dewbs& co right after this six till seven. michelle, what's on your menu ? your menu? >> you flatter. are you your favourite part? that's not what you say about me in the break. i hear him, everybody . anyway, i hear him, everybody. anyway, i want to get stuck into. of course, all the top stories that you uh, paula

you would expect. uh, the paula vennells ? finally, vennells is it now? finally, time a bit of accountability time for a bit of accountability . is this going to be first . is this going to be the first step that row ? uh, somehow i step in that row? uh, somehow i think not. but anyway , i want think not. but anyway, i want to look at but the look at that. but also the labour that a video on labour mp that did a video on social about social media yesterday all about the stockholm went the bibby stockholm went wandering over there, uh, interviewing the people, the residents talking about how cruel and inhumane and prison like know what? i'm like it is. you know what? i'm getting bit fed up with getting a little bit fed up with this, martin. quite frankly , this, martin. quite frankly, because treat these because we actually treat these people very kindly indeed . we people very kindly indeed. we look after them, we keep them safe . um, so i'm asking, she safe. um, so i'm asking, she thinks the bibby stockholm needs to be closed down. does it really? need be made really? does it need to be made more comfortable? >> incentivise more >> will that incentivise more people crossing or not? >> and education. i want to get stuck into this as well. >> martin. right. we >> martin. right. because we know uh, absences is know that, uh, child absences is a big issue now, isn't it? >> so the answer is, what are you going do about it? all you going to do about it? all the politicians are setting their something their stall for something caught my which is my eye, uh, recently, which is one the people in this one of the key people in this devising policy. she was sitting there saying that if a parent

takes their out school takes their kid out of school for they've got for a trip, they've got a seriously reflect on themselves, martin, because apparently she reckons they're going to be damaging child hood and damaging their child hood and their . and i their life's chances. and i think at the heart of think actually, at the heart of this whole education thing is we've got it all wrong. we have this kind of conveyor this kind of factory conveyor belt where we just pump out these focus just on these kids, focus just on academic attainment, and if that is starting point, how on is your starting point, how on earth are you going to solve the issues to? issues that we need to? >> excellent stuff there, jeeves. that heck of jeeves. that is one heck of a meaty menu. nadia whittome, the mp in question, nottingham east. that's my patch. that's where i'm from. there's a lot of people on streets people homeless on those streets . a lot of people in nottingham east want to, might east might want to, might actually would quite like to live on somewhere the bibby live on somewhere like the bibby stockholm indeed. live on somewhere like the bibby stockho in indeed. live on somewhere like the bibby stockho i can indeed. live on somewhere like the bibby stockho i can tell indeed. live on somewhere like the bibby stockho i can tell you indeed. live on somewhere like the bibby stockho i can tell you ind got >> and i can tell you i've got difference my difference of opinions on my panel tonight. got quentin letts. >> you'll be familiar with him from kevin as from the mail and kevin craig as well. labour councillor. >> they see eye to eye on >> they don't see eye to eye on this issue. so it'll be interesting or interesting to see whether or not bottom of not we can get to the bottom of what we should be doing in this situation or not. >> what want. >> that's what you want. politics that's all

politics with punch. that's all coming on dewbs& six till coming up on dewbs& co six till seven. fantastic stuff . and i seven. fantastic stuff. and i see i did mean it. it's my favourite part of the show now. moving favourite part of the show now. m0'i'lli favourite part of the show now. m0'i'll give you give you >> i'll give you i'll give you a fee later. >> superb. you have a great one. all right. now moving to on one of those topics you've just talked labour wants talked about. labour wants to reset relationship reset the broken relationship between and families. between schools and families. it's a recent data on school absences shows they have doubled since the pandemic. nick and a keynote speech today. shadow education secretary bridget phillips set out how her party's vision to tackle generational challenges facing english schools is. >> but let me be absolutely clear cheaper holidays, birthday treats, not fancying it today . treats, not fancying it today. these are no excuses for missing school penalties must be part of the system, but they can never be the answer alone . allowing be the answer alone. allowing your child to skip school without good reason should not just be cause for a fine. it is deepen just be cause for a fine. it is deeper. it's a mark of disrespect for the children, the teachers , the school because teachers, the school because

absences hurt not just the children missing, but the children. their >> well, put yourself there. from bridget phillipson, shadow education secretary, and i want to discuss that further now with headteacher christine cunniffe. thank you for joining headteacher christine cunniffe. thank you forjoining us on the thank you for joining us on the show. christine look, absenteeism a huge problem , absenteeism a huge problem, particularly since the pandemic. we know it's more than doubled, but is fining parents really the way to get to the bottom of this ? >> 7- >> no, not 7_ >> no, not at 7 >> no, not at all, because i think this is already in place. >> doesn't seem to be working, doesn't it? >> so i think it's the educational issues need educational issues that need to be but fining . be addressed, but not fining. >> yeah. and a lot of people out there , chris, will be um , there, chris, will be um, parents got to admit, full disclosure, i did take my kid out of school for a week this year because it was loads cheaper to go on holiday, but people like me aren't the issue, are they ? please say i'm not. are they? please say i'm not. it's actually people with longer terme . absenteeism. 25% of terme. absenteeism. 25% of parents in this survey said they don't think it's a problem that

their kids don't regularly attend school. this is a different thing and chris, what we saw during the pandemic was lots of kids, particularly at the bottom of the educational scale, simply giving up on school altogether and their parents also having the same mindset. that's issue, mindset. that's the real issue, isn't ? isn't it? >> yeah, it is a problem. there's been a real mindset and attitude change since covid because i mean, obviously covid, attitude change since covid bec never mean, obviously covid, attitude change since covid bec never thought)bviously covid, attitude change since covid bec never thought anything covid, attitude change since covid becnever thought anything like 1, we never thought anything like that could happen. schooling that could happen. and schooling itself and there's so i itself changed. and there's so i think there's 100,000 children now homeschooled and some now being homeschooled and some very good online education available for children. and you know, parents, you know, see this as an alternative. um i also think, you know, as you say, with the holidays, isn't it about time we looked at the terms structure? i mean, why do we have these long summer holidays? was holidays? surely that was for harvest in the good old days. and now know , maybe children and now you know, maybe children should longer and should be in school longer, and maybe know, maybe the prices, you know, shouldn't fixed. soon as shouldn't be fixed. as soon as the breaks they the school breaks up, they double in price because that is extremely annoying. and that's a historic well. historic problem as well. >> okay, quickly, >> okay, christine, quickly, there's idea which >> okay, christine, quickly, there's my idea which >> okay, christine, quickly, there's my eye idea which

>> okay, christine, quickly, there's my eye freer which >> okay, christine, quickly, there's my eye free breakfast caught my eye free breakfast clubs for primary schools to tempt work ? tempt kids in. would that work? >> no, i don't think it will. i think, you know, i think the think, you know, um, i think the education system itself, if you look got a lack of look at it, we've got a lack of teachers. this is a government also um , they say they put also that, um, they say they put this as child centred policy. well, to start with the policy, you could put any name and any party same. party to it reads just the same. but this is a government who want thousands want to displace thousands of children, on children, put in vat on education. not education. so they're not putting children anyway. putting children first anyway. you need to look at, you know, they need to look at, look nothing's been talked look at i nothing's been talked about of technology. about that rise of technology. the curriculum doesn't suit the future. curriculum is future. the curriculum is actually boring when you actually quite boring when you think it. the exams are think about it. the exams are not and we need not fit for purpose and we need to prepare children for a future. and motivate them because we're going through challenging there's no challenging times and there's no talk education, an eye exam talk of education, an eye exam structure for motivation in that speech whatsoever. >> come on, bring on something new. >> yeah. superb head teacher. christine, thank you very much. always a breath of fresh air. and also, by the way, thank you for not telling me off for taking my kid out of school. i

suspect might have given me suspect you might have given me a fine. anyway. she a little fine. anyway. look, she wagged takes wagged her finger. that takes me right a little right back to being a little boy. let's move on. right coming right back to being a little boywe'lly move on. right coming right back to being a little boywe'll be ove on. right coming right back to being a little boy we'll be finding right coming right back to being a little boywe'll be finding out|t coming right back to being a little boywe'll be finding out howning right back to being a little boywe'll be finding out how and up, we'll be finding out how and why plastic bottles of water might actually be harming your health. after all, i'm martin daubney on gb news, britain's news channel .

to 11 pm. only on gb news. the people's channel, britain's news channel.

>> welcome back. 544 now, new studies have shown that bottled water contains more plastic than previously thought . researchers previously thought. researchers in the us looked at the presence of nanoplastics in bottled water, and found that a one litre bottle of water typically contains around 240,000 minuscule pieces of plastic. well. joining me now to discuss this is health and wellbeing experts monica price. monica, welcome to the show. um i must confess, i don't drink bottled water. not because i'm concerned about its impact on the environment, but the impacts on my wallet. i'm tight. tap water, after all, might be the best solution. >> absolutely . martin. yes. >> absolutely. martin. yes. i mean, we have perfectly safe what we call potable water here in the uk, so there's no absolute no reason whatsoever for to us be drinking plastic, you know, water from plastic bottles. you're quite bottles. anyway, you're quite right in that. you know , right in that. but you know, alarmingly it's being increased more and more people now,

especially children, are actually drinking bottled water and, and what's, what's really important about this study is the fact, as you've you the fact, as you've said, you know, of minis know, the thousands of minis particles and nanoparticles of plastic. now, what we don't know , martin, is the long terme health effects that these plastic particles can have on us. but what we do know is that the damage that it can cause to our cells, it can affect and give us diseases like cancer, lung disease , um, all sorts of lung disease, um, all sorts of problems. and more alarmingly, martin was when they did these studies, they looked at what and how it affects childbirth . and how it affects childbirth. and it was and it can cross over from the placenta to the mum and, you know, so what they're saying is that it can cause birth defects, stillbirth , birth defects, stillbirth, death, you know, so this is really alarming things that are going on here, really, really bad conditions which i've bad health conditions which i've known for ages. but at known about for ages. but at last we're actually talking about it. so i welcome a study like because need like this because we don't need to having all of this bottled to be having all of this bottled water the time .

water all the time. >> and monica, it stands to reason . i mean, when you drink reason. i mean, when you drink bottled sometimes can bottled water, sometimes you can taste the plastic. so if can taste the plastic. so if you can taste the plastic. so if you can taste it, it must be there taste it, then it must be there as as tap water. monica, as well as tap water. monica, what about , i as well as tap water. monica, what about, i don't as well as tap water. monica, what about , i don't know, as well as tap water. monica, what about, i don't know, an old fashioned solution like we used to do. water came in glass bottles which are perfectly safe and can recycled . and can be recycled. >> absolutely. bring back glass . >> absolutely. bring back glass. you know, if you think about it, why is wine only made in a glass bottle ? you know, wine and bottle? you know, wine and alcohol are only made in glass bottles because the contents of the plastic would leak into the liquid that's inside that bottle. so why we don't think the same is going to happen when we have water bottles is we have water in our bottles is beyond me. you know, i was brought up with glass. it's 100% recyclable. you mould it and recyclable. you can mould it and reuse it. limitlessly there is no timeline on glass . but of no timeline on glass. but of course, martin, the reason why the food production and manufacturers don't use it is because of the cost . you know, because of the cost. you know, it's more costly to use glass than it is to use the plastic bottles . but we're than it is to use the plastic bottles. but we're inhaling this. we're ingesting it, you

know, it's in our clothes now. we're just bombarded with we're we're just bombarded with plastic in places where we don't really think that they, you know, and they really know, they are and they really shouldn't i think shouldn't belong. and i think particularly with the single use plastic and particularly obviously study with the obviously this study with the bottles is because it's become increasingly popular and people use them again. and again. martin, which is an absolute no, no, that. reuse no, never do that. never reuse your plastic bottle. now monica, a quick defence for wine in plastic bottles. >> you know, the stuff that's about ,2. i do quite like that. but in terms of tap water that's always in for flak. can always coming in for flak. can home filters make a difference ? home filters make a difference? >> yeah, home filters will filter out the chemicals. so things like chloride, you know, all the things lots of there's lots that through lots of things that go through the process. obviously as our water processed throughout water is processed throughout the filters the the uk. so it filters the chemicals. and some people have a um, not an allergic reaction , a um, not an allergic reaction, but they can a reaction to but they can have a reaction to those just those chemicals. so it just makes purer . those chemicals. so it just makes purer. but it makes your water purer. but it but it's perfectly safe for us to turn on our tap and pour ourselves a glass of water.

absolutely magnificent. >> monica pryce, thank you for giving taps . i >> monica pryce, thank you for giving taps. i love giving it for the taps. i love tap water. it's free and it's endlessly. well, it's not free, is it? pay your water bills. and thank much for joining thank you very much for joining us. superb stuff. now another topic the collar . it's us. superb stuff. now another topic the collar. it's this under the collar. it's this admiral insurance has admiral car insurance has revealed the number pothole revealed the number of pothole related claims increased by a record. an astonishing high of 40% last year. well approaching fast is january the 15th, which marks national pothole day as many motorists know too well, potholes are more than just an inconvenience. they can be very costly to drivers, including my mrs. who got stung for hundreds going for a pothole in the west country and as we approach the winter months, should councils them down the country be on top of fixing these blooming roads? well, me now for some well, joining me now for some commonsense motoring commonsense is motoring journalist and news car dealer danny cowley. danny potholes . danny cowley. danny potholes. they really, really get people's goat the eternal curse 40% boom

in claims and those costs danny they're getting no cheaper . they're getting no cheaper. >> they're not martin. it's interesting you mentioned about your missus car. your missus can >> my wife two, about five years ago had thousands of pounds worth of damage when her car at speed went over a large pothole, a crater like the one you just showed on the telly. >> thought it had >> the car thought it had actually pedestrian it actually hit a pedestrian and it went pedestrian striking. >> uh , defence zone, where the >> uh, defence zone, where the bonnet lifts up to try to try and, uh, take the pressure off a pedestrian head hitting the can quite remarkable stuff. modern technology, modern cars are so sensitive to physical interruptions like this . and interruptions like this. and tens of millions of pounds every year are compensated to motorists because of these damn things. and for the viewers watching now, martin, you know they are literally like someone who has dropped a small munition on on some of the roads and, and it they get repaired there exacerbated the situation is exacerbated the situation is exacerbated in the winter mate because of so much traffic on

the asphalt and then water gets through the cracks, the water freezes and then it expands and then the processes repeated. but you're right, and it's curious, martin, that it's admiral motor insurer, who's releasing this information , because that means information, because that means one thing that means people one thing that means that people are no are having to lose their no claim they're going claim bonuses. they're going through to get through this privately to get their money back. >> i must confess , danny. >> yeah. i must confess, danny. i the bullet and went and i bit the bullet and went and got out myself. the got this sort out myself. the front was entirely destroyed front rim was entirely destroyed by a pothole, lost a tyre, lost a wheel . but still i went and a wheel. but still i went and got a second hand wheel. much cheaper than a new one cheaper than getting a new one because, typical because, danny, the typical cost of last year was over of a claim last year was over £3,000 down, up from 2400 the year before. three grand for each pothole related injury . and each pothole related injury. and the problem of that is because cars are getting more and more high tech. you mentioned all the sensitive electronic gear, but wheels , anything, all the wheels, anything, all the undercarriage, bumpers , they undercarriage, bumpers, they cost a bomb now and that's why costs are going through the roof than they do martin.

>> and it's really interesting if we take ourselves away from the private insurer and let's just say we were trying to get our local council to cough up, you may not actually know the damage that you've caused . so in damage that you've caused. so in your you knew that the your case, you knew that the tyre blew and you knew that the wheel lot of wheel was damaged. but a lot of people will continue driving after noticing a really tough, violent . and there won't be violent thud. and there won't be necessarily any indication that the suspension is damaged. but when you take it to the mod, martin, that violent thud could have caused sufficient play in a little suspension joint. let's give you an example. something called drop link, which is a minor the car suspension minor part of the car suspension , and that causes it to , and that then causes it to fail. and at that point it's too late for you to go back because the onus is to prove that the onus is on you to prove that the onus is on you to prove that the was liable. the the council was liable. the council to know about the council needs to know about the pothole in the first place, and they as difficult they make it as difficult as possible claim . so possible for you to claim. so people their suspension people may have their suspension part damaged. martin. they may not be aware it, but they'll not be aware of it, but they'll be of when comes to be aware of it. when it comes to an failure, you that. >> and all time , danny as

>> and all the time, danny as well. seemed fix well. council seemed to fix a pothole and it's back within a week because they they do a worse job i could worse bodge job than i could manage . manage. >> yes, it's uh. >> well, no, never underestimate your ability to do a bodge job. uh, i you're right, though. the council could do a bods job as bad as martin daubney, that's for sure . um, and it will be for sure. um, and it will be reappear , martin, that that reappear, martin, that that pothole will reappear in this weather, no matter whether you fixed it or whether the council guy fixed it. >> yeah. superb danny kaye, thank you for joining >> yeah. superb danny kaye, thank you forjoining us. thank you for joining us. i reckon you're right. actually. could have a decent go at fixing some of these polls, danny, but anyway, i'm busy. i'm too anyway, i'm too busy. i'm too busy show that. busy doing this show for that. and back on and of course, i'll be back on this channel three till six tomorrow after break. it's tomorrow after the break. it's dewbs& co punchy politics. people don't agree on that show. it's going to kick off. had a fantastic show here today from the new studio in westminster. we've got left , right we've got mps here left, right and holding them to and centre holding them to account behalf. us account on your behalf. send us your questions. account on your behalf. send us your questions . we're to your questions. we're going to

make to you , make sure they answer to you, the voters. i've martin the voters. i've been martin daubney . i'm back tomorrow three daubney. i'm back tomorrow three till break. june till six after the break. june and co have a great evening . and co have a great evening. >> earlier on breakfast. more snow is expected across england today. snow is expected across england today . the met office has issued today. the met office has issued an amber cold health alert for several regions that lasts right through until lunchtime time on friday. fri day. >> friday. >> the first snowfall of the yean >> the first snowfall of the year. whilst it looks beautiful, that has of course meant that some of the roads there are warnings on because they are dangerous to drive on. >> going to be the first >> it's going to be the first cabinet meeting of the year. we've big faces we've also seen some big faces heading down downing street already . already. >> the cabinet meets for the first time in 2024, as the post office scandal mounts. but how will the pm lance the boil? >> i'm here at winter hill in bolton and i can confirm to you that the name does exactly what it says on the tin . it says on the tin. >> every morning it's breakfast from 6 am. hope you can join us

a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb solar sponsors of weather on. gb news evening. >> welcome to your latest weather update from the met office for gb news. i'm alex deakin , another cold one tonight deakin, another cold one tonight and tomorrow . so quite a bit and tomorrow. so quite a bit more cloud tomorrow over northeast england and eastern scotland definitely scotland. sunny skies definitely in the south. high pressure is still dominating our weather close the centre of this close to the centre of this high. we've seen some stubborn fog patches, breeze coming fog patches, the breeze coming around the high bringing in a bit more over northeast bit more cloud over northeast england and eastern scotland dunng england and eastern scotland during so maybe 1 or during the night. so maybe 1 or 2 showers here and as 2 showers here and there as well. be light, well. they'll be pretty light, pretty scattered they pretty well scattered and they will maybe a little will be of rain, maybe a little bit hills further bit of snow on the hills further south. dry south. it's generally just dry and clear and cold and temperatures down to minus one minus two , even in towns and minus two, even in towns and cities and feeling colder with that will be a that wind, which will be a feature weather tomorrow feature of the weather tomorrow as northeast as it will be over northeast england eastern scotland. england and eastern scotland. a cloudy day here as well, so feeling even colder without any

sunshine with that breeze again, western should see western scotland should see quite some quite a bit of sunshine, some sunshine for northern sunshine possible for northern ireland and plenty of sunshine across the south. still 1 or 2 scattered showers coming in and where it is cloudier with a stronger wind. even though temperatures little higher temperatures are a little higher tomorrow, it'll probably feel colder . mostly 5 tomorrow, it'll probably feel colder. mostly 5 or 6 celsius, so still below average for the time of year. another frosty one in south on wednesday night time of year. another frosty one in thursdayyn wednesday night time of year. another frosty one in thursdayyn wednesbut night time of year. another frosty one in thursdayyn wednesbut again and thursday morning, but again here fine and sunny here generally fine and sunny for most . again. thursday is for most. again. thursday is looking dry again . there's quite looking dry again. there's quite a bit of cloud at times in northeast eastern northeast england and eastern scotland. at sixes scotland. temperatures at sixes and feeling cold once and sevens, so feeling cold once more, particularly in the east, with a brisk, chilly wind that

and also, did you see the labour mp talking about the bibby stockholm ? she went over there stockholm? she went over there to see the migrants and they say it's basically like a prison . it's basically like a prison. >> the man i met said it felt like living in a prison. >> really a prison, really . >> really a prison, really. anyway, point is, she's now saying it needs to be closed

down. many