>> hello and welcome to gb news sunday. >> happy sunday indeed. hope you're having a wonderful afternoon and thank you for joining us this lunchtime. >> i'm dawn neesom for and the next two hours i'll be keeping you company on tv, online and on digital radio. cracking show coming up in first hour. coming up in the first hour. it's been reported that the government cracking down on government are cracking down on activist servants who government are cracking down on activistaxpayervants who government are cracking down on activistaxpayer money/ho government are cracking down on activistaxpayer money on waste taxpayer money on diversity under plans discussed with kemi badenoch and esther mcvey, diversity meetings would have to be held before work , have to be held before work, dunng have to be held before work, during lunch breaks or in the evenings. their own time. but is focusing on diversity a waste of money? your money? remember then several danger to life weather warnings have been issued for today, with brits told not to travel as the uk prepares for storm isha to bring 80 mile an hour winds . seven weather

hour winds. seven weather warnings including two rare amber alerts, have been issued by the met office. a large swathes of the country today. our reporters will be yet we've sent them out in the danger zone. we'll be there, live and labour's hilary benn says the eu will breathe a sigh of relief if keir starmer wins the upcoming general election. the very vocal remainer also appeared to suggest labour should seek closer ties with the brussels bloc if rishi sunak is ousted from downing street. will labour drag us back to the continent, though . but this show is though. but this show is absolutely nothing without you and your views. not what i think, what you think. so let me know your thoughts on all the stories we're discussing today. email on gb views at email me on gb views at gbnews.com or message me on our socials. we're at gb news. very, very simple, but first let's check out the news headlines with the lovely sam francis .

with the lovely sam francis. >> dawn, thank you very much. good afternoon. from the gb news room, the headlines are just after 1:00, while our top story today, the met office has now issued a rare danger to life warning across most of the uk . warning across most of the uk. the storm isa moves in. we're being warned not to travel as winds of up to 90 miles an winds of now up to 90 miles an hour are expected, and forecasters are also warning there could be damage to homes and buildings. northern and buildings. our northern ireland reporter , dougie ireland reporter, dougie beattie, conditions are beattie, says conditions are expected worse tonight . expected to get worse tonight. >> the rain at the front of this storm is now arriving in northern ireland. winds are picking up but it's expected at 6:00 this evening. when that amber warning goes into place for the whole of the province that those damaging winds will start to arrive. people have been told to stay away from coastal areas and side roads for fear of falling debris. >> well, in other news, us troops have been injured in a

rocket attack in western iraq , rocket attack in western iraq, which was claimed by a group affiliated with iran. an unspecified number of people are undergoing evacuation after a possible traumatic brain injury may have been caused to those american soldiers. a group called islamic resistance in iraq have claimed response ability for that attack, which is the latest in a series of strikes against us targets in recent weeks . it marks another recent weeks. it marks another escalation amid heightened tensions in the region following the outbreak of the israel—gaza conflict . meanwhile, israel's conflict. meanwhile, israel's prime minister is rowing back on suggestions of a two state solution with palestine . solution with palestine. benjamin netanyahu has appeared to double down on his position, posting to social media that he will not compromise on israel's control over the entire area. that's despite a call on friday with us president joe biden, where he appeared to be open to some two state proposals here in the uk . the chief rabbi has the uk. the chief rabbi has criticised the use of the word

genocide to describe that situation in gaza. writing in the telegraph newspaper earlier today, sir ephraim mirvis says that campaigners are hijacking the word, trying to demonise israel. he's described that as disinformation. he argues the country is fighting a defensive war that it did not want or ask for. well, amid escalating global tensions, the government here in the uk says it will boost the royal navy's defences with some £405 million of funding missiles that have been used to defend ships in the red sea will be upgraded, making it the uk's most capable naval air defence system ever developed . defence system ever developed. defence secretary grant shapps told gb news earlier that britain is taking a lead. >> we're investing . >> we're investing. £288,000,000,000 billion over the next decade to make sure that we do pump more money into our military, into our equipment and that we can safely defend ourselves and britain's leading

the way, as i said, in ukraine. but actually also this week, i announced an operation in europe called steadfast defender, which is a nato operation at which the united kingdom is providing 40% of the ground troops and 50% of the overall personnel, even though there were 32 countries in total involved in this. so we really are leading from the front in the uk. >> well, in other news, tax cuts could be on the way this spring as the chancellor looks to relieve pressure on families ahead of the budget in march. jeremy hunt says the path to tax relief is working, as he pledged to the government's to stick to the government's economic it's economic plan. economist it's estimate that he could be handed up to £10 billion next week, paving the way for cuts some paving the way for cuts to some taxes in the spring and detectives investigating the deaths of four people in norfolk have now confirmed they're not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. the bodies of two young girls, a 36 year old woman and a 45 year old man were found on friday morning. norfolk police force

have referred itself to the independent watchdog after failing to respond to a 999 call from that home where the bodies were found post mortem examinations are currently underway . tens of thousands of underway. tens of thousands of people have been taking to the streets across germany in protest against a right wing political party. marchers carrying banners saying against hate and defend democracy, a gathering in more than 100 cities and towns across the country . it comes after reports country. it comes after reports revealed a secret meeting involving the popular alternative for germany party. it's alleged they discussed a plan to deport people from so—called non—german backgrounds , which would include many german citizens , as the party german citizens, as the party known as afd is currently polling second in national surveys . and back here in the surveys. and back here in the uk, thousands of patients with inherited blood disorders are set to undergo a world first in genetic testing starting tomorrow. people in england will, with sickle cell disorder

and thalassaemia, can access that test. it's designed to improve blood matching, which would reduce the risk to any complications during a blood transfusion. the nhs is the first health care system in the world to offer that test, and it will benefit around 18,000 eligible patients . that's the eligible patients. that's the latest from the gb newsroom. for now, i'll be back in the next half hour. in the meantime, we're on tv, digital, radio and on our website, gb news.com . on our website, gb news.com. >> thank you very much, sam . >> thank you very much, sam. right, we've got some tasty topics ahead, so let's get stuck in some, shall we? it's been reported that the government are cracking down on activist civil servants who waste taxpayer money on diversity , cabinet money on diversity, cabinet officer, cabinet office minister john glenn has ordered a review of whitehall diversity networks and a refresh of civil service impartiality guidance to stop

officials using their job as a vehicle for political activism. his words , not mine. under plans his words, not mine. under plans discussed with kemi badenoch and esther mcvey, diversity meetings would have to be held before work. during lunch breaks or in the evening their own time basically. now joining me now is political commentator peter spencer to explain what's going on here. peter good afternoon. thank you very much for joining me on this lovely sunday afternoon. peter what do you make of what has been said here? >> well, i'm it is obviously the case that there's a certain amount of wokery has crept into the civil service sort of mindset and i dare say with cutting back on some of the activities that take place dunng activities that take place during work hours, there might be marginal reductions. but i do have to say that in the scheme of things, i had this down as very much a detail. i mean, look, this fits into the broader narrative from rishi sunak and

the chancellor, which is we're going to give you some lovely, spangly tax cuts. so please vote conservative and of course, anything that and they always bang on about how we're going to efficiency savings . and they efficiency savings. and they very rarely come to anything . very rarely come to anything. that said, there is another aspect of this stuff from the cabinet, from the cabinet secretary, john glenn, which means matters a great deal more, which is that he is talking about downsizing the civil service by no less than 66,000. thatis service by no less than 66,000. that is going to get the civil service unions. absolutely spitting nails and there's already a spat going on with them over the rwanda crossings. and the fear expressed by the civil service unions that people will that they will be called upon to break international law and allow flights to take off in defiance of injunctions from the court, the international court of , of human

court, the international court of, of human rights, now , the of, of human rights, now, the answer to that, according to john glenn, is to say, well, if anybody doesn't like it, they can jolly well do one. but if the civil servants gather round in sympathy and protest alongside anybody who might get the sack, then the government has got yet another huge fight on its hands. are peter. >> i'm slightly confused here because basically they're not the elected people running the country. they are civil servants. so we pay their wages, so surely they should just be doing their jobs. it's a bit old doing theirjobs. it's a bit old fashioned. well and no no no no no no, you're absolutely right. >> they should just be doing their jobs of course. and although there are very severe questions to be raised over staff at the home office doing their jobs , when we consider the their jobs, when we consider the fact that we have this huge and ridiculously expensive backlog of asylum claims, um, which which i which, as you rightly say , the taxpayers are footing say, the taxpayers are footing the bill for their hotels and

things. these claims could be sorted out in a matter of weeks, and a lot of them taking well over a year. so, um, my advice to them would be to try a jolly sight harder and do you think i mean, the civil service have been nicknamed the blob by by various politicians, now, have they ? they? >>i they? >> i mean, do you think that's a fair description of how powerful all they seem to be? >> well, i expect you, dawn, will remember those glorious. yes, minister. and yes, prime minister things. and how sir humphrey would always run rings round the minister stroke prime minister but in the end, there is a constant. i mean, of course, one of the factors in this now, come to think about it, is the fact there's been quite a lot of churn of ministers . and the rule of thumb ministers. and the rule of thumb is it takes a year or two for any new minister to seriously get his or her head round the brief with which they're presented, and so in the interim , who's going to have to sort of work things out and make stuff happen? well, it's sir humphrey,

not the minister , but probably not the minister, but probably my intelligence . my intelligence. >> some ministers as well. um, and finally, peter, how much of and finally, peter, how much of a vote winner do you think this is what john has said today? john glenn has said . john glenn has said. >> i don't think it'll make a lot of difference , to be honest. lot of difference, to be honest. i mean, we note that the story has been picked up by the daily, by the sunday telegraph , also by the sunday telegraph, also occasionally known to some as the tory graph. there on manoeuvres the same as the government is because the election's coming up. but we haven't read a great deal about this anywhere else . and as this anywhere else. and as i say, the big story is going to be cuts to to the the to the manning levels rather than this fairly marginal detail. >> okay, peter spencer, thank you very much for joining us. enjoy the rest of your sunday. thank you. okay. interesting story . this isn't it. so let's story. this isn't it. so let's see what my marvellous panel make of it. i'm joined by a political commentator, joe phillips, and telegraph columnist at madeline grant. thank you very much for joining.

and i was joking, um, before we went on air that last week, i had two chaps with me. so the girls haven't got to try too hard to beat that bar, have they? um does that make. >> we've turned up go now, can't we? >> yeah. misandry central before anyone complains, we're joking. okay now, this was a story. it's on the front of at least on the front page of at least one of the papers today, isn't it? i'm to come to it? well, i'm going to come to you on this actually, you first on this one. actually, joe, you make of what joe, what do you make of what ourjohn glenn , who most people ourjohn glenn, who most people have not heard of? >> no. and they probably won't know either, has said today. well i this is , um, it's well i think this is, um, it's been picked up, as peter said . been picked up, as peter said. and, you know, madeleine's papen and, you know, madeleine's paper, the telegraph, um, it's one of those things that the government seems, in the absence of anything else, find something to attack. let's attack the people who can't . speak out for people who can't. speak out for themselves. now if we take this apart slightly dawn, and we look at diversity training, which i know a lot of viewers and listeners go, what load of

listeners go, what a load of nonsense. let's put it in the context of the metropolitan police be horrific , police found to be horrific, dangerously racist, sexist, homophobe and everything else . homophobe and everything else. you know, we saw the way the met turned a blind eye to people who are now in prison for rape and murder and sexual assault and other things . if you want your other things. if you want your institution to get better and not say, oh, it's just a bit of banter, it's just a bit of fun, where's your sense of humour then? you actually have to do something that brings people together, and that has got the unfortunate name of diversity training, which sounds frightfully , frightfully worthy. frightfully, frightfully worthy. but we've got john glenn wanting to save money, apparently. i don't think diversity training in the civil service this actually costs a lot of money compared to the fact that we saw today or yesterday a report out that not one single company has been prosecuted for tax

avoidance and dodgy behaviour , avoidance and dodgy behaviour, despite a new law being brought in in 2017. look at the money that has been wasted on ppe and corruption and fraud there. >> is there absolutely . um, >> is there absolutely. um, yeah. madeleine, this is in your papen yeah. madeleine, this is in your paper, the telegraph. um, and it is , on the surface, a good story is, on the surface, a good story , but does joe have a point here? it's a bit like look over there. don't look at the stuff that's really important. >> well, i think what it's actually can be quite counterproductive for the government in the sense that it reminds people of a small c conservative persuasion that they have in charge for they have been in charge for a very long time, and they have this stuff has been allowed to often run rampage. i think going beyond what joe is talking beyond the what joe is talking about, you know, sensible non—divisive, um , discussions, non—divisive, um, discussions, etc. some of what goes on in diversity training is , i think, diversity training is, i think, incredibly divisive. it involves concepts like unconscious bias, you know, the idea that you're sort of racist without even being aware of it. yeah. and

people are forced to go through it. and the one very contested ideas like this that i think are the opposite of what's likely to bnng the opposite of what's likely to bring together . i the opposite of what's likely to bring together. i mean, i bring people together. i mean, i think there's a country like america, where this america, for example, where this stuff gone even further. stuff has gone even further. i don't think america is actually in a better place since it embraced this particular model of how to encourage diverse diversity, or indeed to kind of bnng diversity, or indeed to kind of bring people together . um, so bring people together. um, so i think sometimes they're going far beyond what ordinary people would be comfortable with. and of course, it's happening in all sorts of workplaces, in the private sector as well. but as you said, we do pay for this. so i think we have a right to know what goes on to and hope that what's being talked about it, um, you know, is not going into the of, um , you know, the realm of, of, um, you know, hyper partisan divide . hyper partisan divide. >> pivnice joe, i completely understand your point about the met police. i mean, but it is a it is a different kettle of fish. i mean, the civil service is already very diverse. i mean 54.5% of civil servants are

women . um, 54.5% of civil servants are women. um, and i think it's 6, 6.1% identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or other , lesbian, gay, bisexual or other, whereas only 1.5% of the population do. so they're already quite diverse, and we are paying civil servants to do their job, are paying civil servants to do theirjob, not sit around having meetings. >> but this isn't about how they interact necessarily with each other. it's how they interact with us. the people they are serving. so whether that is a passport officer, somebody at the dvla, somebody on a border force, somebody in any number of government departments , it's it government departments, it's it could be that any one of us will deal with at some point. diversity isn't just about the colour of your skin or your sexuality. it's actually about, you know, age , age, physical and you know, age, age, physical and mental impairment. >> somebody pointed out disability earlier on, which often gets overlooked. >> yes . well, exactly. and >> yes. well, exactly. and i think and i think that's a really good point because it's ever so easy to go , oh it's woke ever so easy to go, oh it's woke nonsense. it's ridiculous. very well. why doesn't everybody pull

themselves together and just be sensible, you know, from a government that, as madeleine says , they've been there for 13 says, they've been there for 13 years. this has been going on for such a long time, and we've had a previous home secretary who referred to the civil service as a blob. blob you know, this is a woman who also used the most appalling language about immigrants and was pictured memorably standing on the tail of a guide dog, which i think tells you everything you need to know about the previous home secretary . but, you know, home secretary. but, you know, disability ignored and disability gets ignored and ageism ignored. true things ageism gets ignored. true things like little things like visual and hearing impairment, it's that's about how do you deal with people and how do you if you're on the call centre line, for instance , in a civil service for instance, in a civil service department, how do you recognise that somebody needs help? >> the problem with with this argument, i completely understand that . but the problem understand that. but the problem with this particular argument, madeleine, is that 48% of civil servants are still working

either completely or partly from home. so that isn't really echoing what many of us are doing out here. >> well, actually, i mean , some >> well, actually, i mean, some of the examples that joe gave just then, i mean, i think in terms of ordinary people's interactions with the civil service, the big takeaway is that things don't function on a bafic that things don't function on a basic level, and they would like them to actually therefore, them to and actually therefore, all hands ought to be on deck for making sure that services are running as opposed to wasting essentially sitting wasting time essentially sitting in in these workshops rather than actually cracking on and getting on with the business of running a country. i mean, the dvla didn't work for a considerable length of time. and yeah, massively yeah, if you're still massively backed if you if you backed up, yeah, if you if you try phoning, it's sort like try phoning, it's sort of like fiddling while burns, fiddling while rome burns, really yeah. really in that context. yeah. >> part of that as peter >> but part of that is, as peter spencer referred to, is the churn of ministers. you know, if you've new minister, we've you've got a new minister, we've had 16 housing ministers. >> difficult , you >> this is quite difficult, you know, be fair. know, to be fair. >> you're a civil servant >> so you're a civil servant fairly down food chain. fairly low down the food chain. you've another minister who you've got another minister who comes in with yet another

initiative . i'd to know how initiative. i'd love to know how much government has spent much the government has spent on reprint . showing photographs , reprint. showing photographs, labels, stationery and all of that stuff to keep up with the churn of ministers. that stuff to keep up with the churn of ministers . and that's churn of ministers. and that's not, you know, they're just the ones that we see, many of whom will have just slipped back into the obscurity that they richly deserve. know, further deserve. but you know, further down chain and as peter down the chain and as peter said, you know, without the civil service, nothing would function because we'd be relying on somebody to come up with a brilliant idea , only to be moved brilliant idea, only to be moved to a different department by the afternoon. >> this is true. i'm not entirely sure things are functioning that well as it is. no they're not. they're dreadful. >> they're absolutely dreadful. but come that in but we'll come on to that in a minute. can't wait for that. minute. i can't wait for that. >> exciting, isn't it? >> that's so exciting, isn't it? any uh, right. for all the any case? uh, right. for all the best analysis and opinion on that, just as good these that, um, just as good as these two. better for the two. not even better for the story and more. you go to story and more. you can go to our website, gbnews.com you are watching to gb watching and listening to gb news sunday with me. dawn neesom . up on today's . lots more coming up on today's show so several dangers to

show. so now several dangers to life weather warnings have been issued for today, with brits told not to travel as the uk prepares for storm isha to bring 80 mile an hour winds. prepares for storm isha to bring 80 mile an hour winds . seven 80 mile an hour winds. seven weather warnings, including two rare amber alerts, have been issued by the met office for large swathes of the country today. our reporters will be out there reporting from the danger zone just for you. all of that and much more to come. you're watching and listening to gb news, britain's news channel .

that i knew had dewbs& co weeknights from six. >> uh, welcome back to gb news. p&o with me dawn neesom on your tv, online and on digital radio now. i hope you made yourself a nice cup of during the break because the weather is not good. an upgraded amber wind warning has been issued for large parts of the uk, so storm isha will bnng of the uk, so storm isha will bring winds of up to 80 miles an hour this evening, with disruption to travel and utility is very likely. um, now, obviously there is a risk to life as well out there. so what have we done? yeah, we've sent our reporters out to stand in the store. uh, joining me now is our southwest england reporter, jeff moody, looking remarkably , jeff moody, looking remarkably, um, our northern um, windswept. and our northern ireland reporter, dougie beattie. okay jeff, let's start with you, jeff , where are you with you, jeff, where are you and it there ? and what's it like there? >> hello. well i'm up here on

exmoor. where we do get treated to some pretty ferocious winds at times. and that's what it's beginning to look like now, as you can see, it is a little bit windy, but the main storm is a coming later on by about 6:00 this evening. that's when we're going to see, uh, really storm conditions over the whole of the country. now, this is the ninth named storm of the season. the meteorological season starts in september . meteorological season starts in september. this is the ninth one already. and that's the earliest that we've reached the letter i in the alphabet. so we've seen more storms than usual. i should know because i've stood out in every single one of them for you and for gb news. um, and here i am yet again with the ninth named storm. um, what's unusual about this storm is that it's going to affect the whole of the uk. nobody is going to escape unscathed . now what? you should unscathed. now what? you should be careful of is those strong winds that are reaching 80 and possibly even 90 miles an hour at places . it's possibly even 90 miles an hour at places. it's going to be very

ferocious . and the warnings that ferocious. and the warnings that are coming into place from the met office are , are stay away met office are, are stay away from the coast because there's a danger of very large waves that could wash you out to sea. don't walk your dogs off the lead , walk your dogs off the lead, particularly if you're near the coast. stay away from rural roads because we could see a lot of trees down and they're saying, also prepare now , saying, also prepare now, prepare for what's to come this evening . so go around your evening. so go around your garden and make sure that everything is fixed down because there's real risk of sort of there's a real risk of sort of flying debris as deckchairs and trampolines and garden gnomes or whatever else you've got in your garden could just find themselves flying around into next door's garden. so that's one thing they say you can do to be prepared. another thing is to is to be prepared for power cuts. we could see a lot of power cuts as we go into this evening and throughout the night, so maybe it might be a goodidea night, so maybe it might be a good idea to get some candles ready, get your torches on the 90, ready, get your torches on the go, because we could be go, because we could well be in for night out. for a rough night out. >> thank you much . >> jeff, thank you very much. stay safe on exmoor and

stay safe there on exmoor and let's go to dougie over in northern ireland. now, dougie , northern ireland. now, dougie, you're looking slightly more windswept , but, you're looking slightly more windswept, but, um, what's it like there at the moment ? like there at the moment? >> well, yes, very much so. don't stand near the coast and yeah, we are right beside it as we are now. the real wet , uh, we are now. the real wet, uh, nature is a beautiful way of telling how things are coming. i've just noticed the seagulls have all started to come in the land, many of them sitting on the rocks down here, many of the buildings out around me covered in seagulls because they know what is coming out at sea. and it approaching rather fast it is approaching rather fast in the last hour. so winds are getting up here in portstewart. this is usually a beautiful seaside town. uh, but right now it is looking as if it's battering or battling down hatches in order to take on this storm this evening, it will come across here. it will come through the whole of northern ireland in the round about 6:00. and should i mean scotland is just over there to the left of

me . and that is to get me. and that is to get apparently the most severe winds coming in at it. and this is exactly where those winds will cross. so you can see the seas behind me starting to churn up as, as we come on air and end around 6:00, we'll probably be back to you to stand beside the sea and tell you just how dangerous it is. >> draghi. how unusual is it in in your part of the world where you are now? for these sort of storms to be as dramatic as this one is predicted to be? >> well, well, it is really. i mean, the west coast of ireland and, uh, scotland are very, very well prepared for this . i mean, well prepared for this. i mean, the, um, republic of ireland and northern ireland's , uh, elect, northern ireland's, uh, elect, uh, elected city supply is very much linked and they are very, very quick and well rehearsed at getting those supplies back on once they go out, uh, especially dunng once they go out, uh, especially during that corridor from donegal during that corridor from donegal, right through sligo and down into galway . i mean, it down into galway. i mean, it would get these type of storms on a regular basis , but for such

on a regular basis, but for such a severe storm to be passing through the west coast of ireland, of course, right from the atlantic, and come this far in and across , still holding the in and across, still holding the type of power that it's suspected it will have is rare enough. >> maria, thank you very much for joining us. two very brave forjoining us. two very brave reporters there, dougie beattie in northern ireland and jeff moody are live on xma . stay safe moody are live on xma. stay safe boys. but if it gets really bad, get out there again and bring us the latest won't you? the latest updates, won't you? thank very much. um now, thank you very much. um now, lots have been getting in lots of you have been getting in touch. your thoughts in. touch. sending your thoughts in. so let's see what you've got to say. um, the civil service. a lot of you care about this story . mark says the civil . um, mark says the civil service runs this country , not service runs this country, not the government. the civil service is out of control, mark, there are some people that say maybe the civil service are better run in the country than the at the moment, better run in the country than the you at the moment, better run in the country than the you know, at the moment, better run in the country than the you know, and:he moment, better run in the country than the you know, and frank)ment, better run in the country than the you know, and frank orant, but, you know, and frank or frank, good afternoon. thank you for getting in frank. you for getting in touch. frank. you say um, hi, dawn. as a former civil servant, can you

civil servant, i can tell you that line manager spent that my last line manager spent at least 60% of her working month promoting stonewall issues within service. within the civil service. we struggle hold of her, but struggle to get hold of her, but it got her promoted. it is widespread and a scandalous waste of money. great waste of taxpayers money. great email. thank you. thanks so much for getting in touch. you're actually been at the you know, the sharp end. know what's the sharp end. you know what's going on here. um and valerie meanwhile afternoon. meanwhile good afternoon. valerie civil service valerie says the civil service code conduct clause code of conduct has a clause saying that staff must cooperate with of saying that staff must cooperate witiday of saying that staff must cooperate witiday and of saying that staff must cooperate witiday and are of saying that staff must cooperate witiday and are not of saying that staff must cooperate witiday and are not allowed of saying that staff must cooperate witiday and are not allowed to the day and are not allowed to act so rules act against them. so rules already exist to prevent the kind of behaviour we see and hear about. it just needs each minister heads of minister call the heads of department and them that department and remind them that every servant has signed a every civil servant has signed a contract legally binds them contract that legally binds them to rules . interesting. to those rules. interesting. thank so much for all those thank you so much for all those messages. keep them coming in gb views gb news. very simple. views at gb news. very simple. you're watching and listening indeed to that there gb news sunday with me dawn neesom plenty more coming today's plenty more coming up on today's show, is the news show, but here is the news headunes show, but here is the news headlines first with sam .

headlines first with sam. >> dorman. thank you very much and good afternoon from the gb newsroom. it'sjust and good afternoon from the gb newsroom. it's just gone 1:30. the headlines the met office as we've been hearing, has now issued a rare danger to life warning across most of the uk as storm isha moves in. a status red warning has also been issued in northern ireland. we're being warned not to travel as winds of up to 90 miles an hour are expected . meanwhile, us troops expected. meanwhile, us troops have been injured in a rocket attack in western iraq, which was claimed by a group affiliated with iran. an unspecified number of people are undergoing evacuation for possible traumatic brain injuries from that attack. a group called the islamic resistance in iraq have claimed responsibility for it. it's the latest in a series of strikes against us targets in recent weeks, and it marks another escalation amid heightened tensions in the region following the outbreak of the ongoing israel gaza conflict . israel's

israel gaza conflict. israel's prime minister is rowing back on suggestions of a two state solution with palestine . solution with palestine. benjamin netanyahu has appeared to double down on his position , to double down on his position, posting to social media that he will not compromise on israel's control over the entire area . control over the entire area. that's despite friday's call with us president joe biden, where he appeared to be open to some two state proposals. defence secretary grant shapps says that netanyahu's comments are very disappointing , and in are very disappointing, and in the uk, tax cuts could be on the way this spring as the chancellor looks to relieve pressure on families ahead of the budget in march. jeremy hunt says the path to tax relief is working, he pledged to stick working, as he pledged to stick to the government's economic plan . in and thousands of plan. in and thousands of patients with inherited blood disorders are set to undergo a world first in genetic testing . world first in genetic testing. starting from tomorrow. people in england with sickle cell disorder and thalassaemia can access. disorder and thalassaemia can access . that test is designed to

access. that test is designed to improve blood matching, which will reduce the risk of any complications during a blood transfusion. the nhs is the first health care system in the world to offer it, benefiting around 18,000 eligible patients . around 18,000 eligible patients. and that's the latest from the gb newsroom . for more on those gb newsroom. for more on those stories and many more. just visit our website gbnews.com . visit our website gbnews.com. >> thank you very much, sam. lots more coming up on today's show. labour's hilary benn says the eu will breathe a sigh of relief if starmer wins the upcoming general election. the somewhat vocal remainer also appeared to suggest labour should seek closer ties with the brussels bloc if rishi sunak is booted out of downing street. who will labour drag us back to the continent ? maybe you want the continent? maybe you want that. maybe you think that's a good idea. but first, let's take a look at what the weather is

doing because it's important today with ellie. >> hello. welcome your latest >> hello. welcome to your latest gb weather. i'm ellie gb news weather. i'm ellie glaisyer storm isha very much in charge of our weather over the next couple bringing next couple of days, bringing some heavy rain and some some very heavy rain and some strong to. it'll slowly be strong winds to. it'll slowly be moving its way towards us through evening, bringing through sunday evening, bringing that rain to those that heaviest rain to those western coasts and the strongest winds through the early hours of monday morning. that rain continues spread its way continues to spread its way north and eastwards later through sunday, and when through sunday, and that's when we winds really we see those winds really starting pick up. gusts starting to pick up. gusts widely to miles an hour widely 60 to 70 miles an hour along those western coasts, perhaps 80 to 90 across northern parts of scotland . through the parts of scotland. through the early monday, i milder early hours of monday, i milder night than we've seen over recent or recent weeks, perhaps 6 or 7 degrees widely , maybe 8 or degrees quite widely, maybe 8 or 9 across the very far southeast. but very windy start to but it's a very windy start to the day on monday. winds will gradually start to ease through the morning, still will gradually start to ease through the stayingig, still will gradually start to ease through the staying very still will gradually start to ease through the staying very blustery will gradually start to ease through the staying very blustery through be staying very blustery through much showers much of monday itself. showers widely pushing in from the west, these particularly heavy widely pushing in from the west, th

ground of scotland. there will be some sunshine particularly further further east, further south and further east, and temperatures here maybe 10 or degrees. but with those or 11 degrees. but with those strong , blustery winds that will strong, blustery winds that will take off those take the edge off those temperatures, tuesday will take the edge off those tempa atures, tuesday will take the edge off those tempa little ;, tuesday will take the edge off those tempa little bit tuesday will take the edge off those tempa little bit drier,day will start a little bit drier, perhaps some sunshine across those through those eastern areas through the morning. next system morning. but the next system quite quickly in from the quite quickly pushes in from the west , rain quite quickly pushes in from the west, rain spreading its way north eastwards, turning north and eastwards, turning heaviest along those western coasts with it some coasts and bringing with it some strong too, little strong winds too, a little brighter on wednesday, but further wet and windy weather is on way in the week . on its way later in the week. >> 2024, a battleground year the year the nation decides as the parties gear up their campaigns for the next general election. >> who will be left standing when the british people make one of the biggest decisions of their lives? >> who will rise and who will fall? >> let's m- fall? >> let's out together. >> let's find out together. >> let's find out together. >> every moment, the highs , >> for every moment, the highs, the lows, the twists and turns , the lows, the twists and turns, we'll be with you for every step of this journey. in 2024, gbp shoesis of this journey. in 2024, gbp shoes is britain's election .

channel >> welcome back to gb news sunday with me dawn neesom on your tv online and on digital radio now. lots more messages coming in on the civil service. really got your goat, this one, isn't it? and understandably so. because you pay their wages this one from michael i quite liked actually dawn. actually said durham at dawn. hello, michael . i could tell you hello, michael. i could tell you stories about the blob. it goes back to the 90s. they are running country. go running the country. if they go on strike, no one will notice. they do as little work as they on strike, no one will notice. theyouchs little work as they on strike, no one will notice. theyouch that's work as they on strike, no one will notice. theyouch that's prettyis they on strike, no one will notice. theyouch that's pretty damning. can. ouch that's pretty damning. um, i'm looking to see if there's any positive ones. nope. can't find any . so, um . excuse can't find any. so, um. excuse me. andy andy says the civil service is full of weirdos with their own agendas. all diversity courses should be scrapped, and they should do what they are told and paid to. do not try and make policy. why is this is why the country is in the toilet? strong emotions here and one of

my panellists has just confessed that her brother actually works for the civil service as well. but i'm not mentioning any names. hello madeleine. um, right. and meanwhile mark says, um, i remember the days when people used to turn up for work to complete the task. they were paid . politics were paid for. politics were primarily private and irrelevant. ridiculous irrelevant. now these ridiculous woke are included. woke principles are included. they concentrate on they seem to concentrate on everything their jobs. everything but their jobs. strong emotions out there. indeed now. oh yes, the eu . indeed now. oh yes, the eu. we're talking about brexit. lovely the eu is apparently gunning for labour leader sir keir starmer at the next election, according to shadow northern ireland secretary and archewell winner hilary benn has claimed that the bloc will breathe a huge sigh of relief if the party were to take charge after the next election. whilst he has also suggested that the party should seek closer ties with the eu . uh, let's see what with the eu. uh, let's see what my panel make of this. apart from both groaning when we're talking about brexit. how many seven years on now, seven years seven years on how, seven years on seven years on now, seven years on right? madeleine, after

outing your brother as a civil servant, i feel like i owe you to come first on this one. your brother can you divorce your sister? i think brother's sister? i think your brother's justsay, didn't say that. my >> say, i didn't say that. my brother wasn't doing a fantastic job. no, no. there are many. there are many good people in the the problem the civil service the problem is, to rid of is, it's very hard to get rid of people are not performing people who are not performing well, because they just get shoved off to another department. it's very dysfunctional. brother. >> not w.- >> that's not you, by the way. she you. no, obviously. she loves you. no, obviously. okay. let's about okay. right. let's talk about brexit. yes. because brexit. madeleine. yes. because we haven't it quite we haven't talked about it quite enough now. so enough for seven years now. so um, is hilary benn. his um, this is hilary benn. his claim eu will breathe a sigh claim the eu will breathe a sigh of labour get in at of relief if labour get in at the election, which is the next election, which is looking possible. obviously and sir wins. uh, what sir keir starmer wins. uh, what do to this? do you make to this? >> well, i think it's quite a cunous >> well, i think it's quite a curious thing to say actually, because the current relationship with is actually a lot with the eu is actually a lot more and conciliatory than more warm and conciliatory than it, under boris it, for example, was under boris johnson when there a lot of johnson when there was a lot of name calling and very poor communication. last communication. i mean, the last year and half, we've had the year and a half, we've had the winds of framework. we've rejoined the horizon scheme. there's other examples there's loads of other examples of things this and more

of things like this and more kind multi unilateral kind of multi unilateral engagement between britain and the eu, and i'm really curious to know what labour, what this actually looks like in practice thatis actually looks like in practice that is not already happening, if you see what i mean, because you know, there are already steps have been taken, ian, and there doesn't seem to be that big a appetite the big of a appetite within the eu to actually go back and revisit things and, and push for ever closer union. um, there's a lot going on in the eu right now, and actually a lot of internal division within the eu. there were more eurosceptic governments being elected or likely to be next year. so i'm not sure that this not really sure that this is actually the actually a reflective of the current political reality. actually a reflective of the curii nt political reality. actually a reflective of the curii say olitical reality. actually a reflective of the curii say ilitical reality. actually a reflective of the curii say i mean,eality. actually a reflective of the curii say i mean, joe, y. actually a reflective of the curii say i mean, joe, i mean sir >> i say i mean, joe, i mean sir keir starmer has always emphasised that he does not support rejoining the eu or even edging in that direction. so for sort of like northern ireland secretary hilary benn to come out with this, do you think it's helpful to the labour party? >> well, i think, you know, we could blow it up into something more than it actually is. i

think madeleine's absolutely right. since rishi right. you know, since rishi sunak became minister, sunak became prime minister, there has been element there has been an element of calm and sensibility and courtesy that was sadly lacking in his predecessors and the relationship with europe. so i think that you know, that's for sure. and we need that relationship . they are 20 miles relationship. they are 20 miles from, of course . um, they were from, of course. um, they were our biggest trading partner. so if hilary benn to say yes , uh, if hilary benn to say yes, uh, the breathe a sigh of relief . the breathe a sigh of relief. well, he might have meant because as if the tories get back in again, they'll have another leadership challenge. there'll be another row about rwanda or whatever. so actually, in the context of maybe things will calm down, that's fine. i mean, i think the point that you just made about and we heard it in the news there, we've seen those demonstrations in germany . those demonstrations in germany. europe is in turmoil. those demonstrations in germany. europe is in turmoil . yes, europe is in turmoil. yes, indeed. um you know, there is a rise of the very dangerous far right, as we saw in germany.

we've got real threats coming from russia. we've got , you from russia. we've got, you know, possible threats of disease , us environmental disease, us environmental disasters, climate change, food security, all of those things . security, all of those things. and we've seen a couple of reports out in the last few days , um, about the, you know, the doomsday scenario , if you like, doomsday scenario, if you like, of what putin russia, um, will all do. and what is planning to do and how it's planning to warned to be prepared for. absolutely so it makes perfect sense for us to have good working, constructive relationships with europe that doesn't mean we have to go back in, but we do need to repair an awful lot of damage that is done. >> and the common sense, madeleine, come back to you. i mean, if , um, madeleine, come back to you. i mean, if, um, hilary benn has said this because he thinks it's a vote winner, bearing in mind what happened in in 2019. yeah >> which he was at the forefront of, he was one of the key agitators in parliament that was trying another trying to, uh, get another referendum involved to get

referendum involved or to get to, referendum involved or to get to, , referendum involved or to get to, , hamper the government in to, uh, hamper the government in what negotiate out. what they could negotiate out. he i mean, that should not he was i mean, that should not be i think there be forgotten. and i think there is a question mark here about what wants, because what labour wants, because in the been briefed out the past, it's been briefed out by that they by people in labour that they were keen to join some kind of eu wide refugee scheme. that and then quickly backtracked on then they quickly backtracked on that pointed that when it was pointed out that when it was pointed out that see that actually that might see britain more refugees that actually that might see brita they more refugees that actually that might see brita they currently ore refugees that actually that might see brita they currently do, refugees that actually that might see brita they currently do, higheres than they currently do, higher than they currently do, higher than current numbers . um, i than the current numbers. um, i think there's perhaps they're still their policy still deciding what their policy on is going to be. and on europe is going to be. and they are lucky because there's so chaosin they are lucky because there's so chaos in the government so much chaos in the government at the moment that they can get away with, um, actually maintaining policy maintaining this policy of almost deliberate vagueness, maintaining this policy of almydeliberate ate vagueness, maintaining this policy of almydeliberate vaguenessass, maintaining this policy of almydeliberate vagueness .;s, this deliberate vagueness. >> i mean, that's going to be the buzz phrase for the next election. >> but i think, you know, it was ever thus for parties in opposition. yeah, yeah. because you know, you can't say what you're spend on you're going to spend money on because you don't know how much money left. you can't money is left. you can't say a lot of things with surety because don't know. and lot of things with surety becauonly don't know. and lot of things with surety becauonly justyn't know. and lot of things with surety becauonly just beginning and lot of things with surety becauonly just beginning toj lot of things with surety becauonly just beginning to see we're only just beginning to see the beginning of civil service

briefings to the labour party. and, you know, interestingly , and, you know, interestingly, um, keir starmer was called in or was spoken to by rishi sunak after the attack on the houthis last week. yeah. so you know, we actually are we need to actually be a little bit more serious and a bit more grown up and stop getting so cross about, you know, a handful of civil servants supporting stonewall and really look at the threats that facing this company, that are facing this company, this country. >> absolutely. thing, >> absolutely. one thing, unfortunately, out of unfortunately, we've run out of time. sorry. um lots more coming up on today's show, um, up on today's show, though, um, is key to tackling the is the key to tackling the obesity , copying japan obesity crisis, copying japan with compulsory weigh ins. your employer being allowed to measure your weight and apt your waistline rather, and apps that shout insults of fat people sounds cruel, but japan has an obesity rate of just 4% compared to the uk's 25. should we start being cruel to be kind, to save the nhs all of that and much more. i'm dawn neesom and you're watching and listening to gb

news, britain's news

isabel monday to thursdays from . isabel monday to thursdays from. six till 930. >> welcome back to gb news sunday with me dawn neesom on your tv, online and on digital radio. now let's turn to the obesity crisis in the uk . over obesity crisis in the uk. over 25% of adults in this country are classified as obese. where someone has a body mass index of 30 or above, a country, which

might be one to look to is japan , where the level is significantly lower at just 4. this is in part thanks to compulsory weigh ins at work and apps that shout insults at fat people in the street. i can't if we if we implemented a similar regime in the uk, just how significant could the benefits be as obesity related diseases cost the nhs an estimated £6.5 billion a year? joining me now is the former presenter of fat families, steve miller. good afternoon steve. thank you very much for joining afternoon steve. thank you very much forjoining us this much for joining us this afternoon. >> sounds gone . i can't hear >> sounds gone. i can't hear you. >> oh, right . okay. sorry, >> oh, right. okay. sorry, steve. we're trying getting that link back up. um we, um, we're going to talk. link back up. um we, um, we're going to talk . might be the going to talk. might be the weather, but it might be the weather. it's probably the weather. it's probably the weather. i'm blaming the weather. i'm blaming the weather. can weather. i'm british. i can do that right now. this this this. i was prompted to talk about this by the programme called around in 80 ways, around the world in 80 ways, which group obese which takes a group of obese brits around the world to see how cultures deal with the how other cultures deal with the

obesity issue and the japanese one was, was, was, was shocking because they were literally treated like a freak show, walking through tokyo and they were treated like a freak, a freak show, and i was surprised at the reaction. and the people in the show actually said it was a good thing because it made them think more. so i'm going to come to you first on this one, joe. i mean, are we too sensitive around the weight issue and obesity in this country? >> obesity is a really big health problem. it's huge. it costs nhs billions. it costs the nhs billions. it wrecks families and you know, the figures you gave out just then don't. or just about then don't. orjust about adults. but you can look at a group of school children and you see kids that are clearly overweight. you stand behind people in a supermarket and you see the rubbish that they put in their trolleys . and, you know, their trolleys. and, you know, i'm afraid i'm a little bit strict on this . i'm a little bit strict on this. i'm a little bit mary poppins ish, because actually, i think we need to teach people how to cook . we teach people how to cook. we need to actually encourage

people, um, to eat more healthily and get more exercise. >> i think we've got sorry, we've got steve. have we got steve back now? steve um. thank you. i think we've got you back. have yes. lovely. steve, can have we? yes. lovely. steve, can you now ? you hear me now? >> oh, no we can't. oh, no, but we— >> oh, no we can't. oh, no, but we can't hear you. >> steve, this this is exciting. >> steve, this this is exciting. >> dear. >> oh, dear. >> oh, dear. >> no. >> oh, no. >>- >> oh, no. >> oh, no. >> oh, yes, we can. yes. this is like. hear me married. you know, i you were ignoring me. i thought you were ignoring me. so steve, what do you of so steve, what do you make of this? know, the this? i mean, you know, the attitude obesity in japan attitude to obesity in japan compared attitude compared to the attitude to obesity uk . oh i love the japanese. >> bear with me. by the way, because the voice is a bit dodgy today. um, the japanese have got it right. they're straight talkers. if you're fat, they tell you you're fat. if they if you're they say you've got you're fat, they say you've got to something it because to do something about it because you'll putting yourself into you'll be putting yourself into an early grave. and you're an early grave. and also you're costing the taxpayer too much money, you're money, potentially, if you're too are given, well, too fat, you are given, well, you're directed to go to weight loss counselling and to receive coaching. employers they they

measure the waist of their employees. and as you said , you employees. and as you said, you know, if you're if you're too overweight , then you go for this overweight, then you go for this counselling. other thing counselling. the other thing with japanese , is with japanese, the japanese, is that reason they've got this that the reason they've got this , this, um, fabulous obesity rate is because they have developed this culture. it's not just about the food. everyone talks about the food all the time. oh, it's because they eat rice. it's because they eat fish. yes, they do, but listen, they've got the same fast food chains that we've got as well in japan. what have they japan. what you have is they walk more. it's part of the culture. when kids go to school, it's natural for the kids to actually clean the school because it's for good their bodies to be moving. so what we've got to do here is stop whingeing, stop moaning, stop getting all sensitive to the fat shaming . so it's called and shaming. so it's called and actually , if people want to actually, if people want to listen to an app because the app where these so—called messages to japanese people , they're to japanese people, they're supposed to be rude, they're not rude, they're just honest. and it actually motivates people.

they're optional. so it's not forcing people to listen to them . and they have this great culture. and it's no wonder that in the uk we are like a we're like a herd of elephants and in japan they're like, eh , i don't japan they're like, eh, i don't know, a herd of llamas or something. they, they, they have that mentality. they've got balls in japan. we need those balls in japan. we need those balls that they've got. thank you. >> well i'm going to leave it on that note actually. thank you very much steve. that is steve miller, former presenter of fat families. they're very, very forthright views. madeleine just very out of time. very we're running out of time. but very quick response but very, very quick response from about this story. from you about this story. >> i mean, i think it's >> well, i mean, i think it's i think that steve makes a really good points there. i mean, obviously the food thing makes a massive, difference. but massive, massive difference. but it's difficult to it's almost difficult for us to take a country like take lessons from a country like japan they are such japan because they are such a unique and closed off culture from the rest of the world. they have strong social have incredibly strong social taboos, as well as a food taboos, um, as well as a food culture that, you know, i think it would take us an awful lot of

work in civil society to get anywhere to that. i anywhere close to that. but i think we need to try, because actually, a lot of the government's work on this has been kind quite been these kind of quite small kind little tweaks and kind of little tweaks and nudges, often involving price, which think really which i don't think really gets to heart of why people eat to the heart of why people eat that what they need is that way, what they need is people some kind people to have some kind of food literacy. i we it literacy. i wish we taught it better in school. unfortunately i'm of time again. i'm running out of time again. >> is news sunday with >> this is gb news sunday with me dawn neesom lots more coming up today shows, but let's up on today shows, but let's look the weather here look at the weather first. here it with ellie, a brighter it is with ellie, a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb news. of weather on. gb news. >> hello! welcome to your latest gb news weather. i'm ellie glaisyer storm isha shirt, very much in charge of our weather over the next couple of days, bringing some very heavy rain and some strong winds too. it'll slowly be moving its way towards us sunday evening, us through sunday evening, bringing that heaviest rain to those coasts and the those western coasts and the strongest through the strongest winds through the early hours of morning. early hours of monday morning. that rain continues to spread its way north and eastwards later sunday, and that's

later through sunday, and that's when really when we see those winds really starting up . gusts starting to pick up. gusts widely 60 to 70 miles an hour along those western coasts, perhaps 80 to 90 across northern parts of scotland through the early hours of monday. a milder night seen over night than we've seen over recent perhaps 6 or recent weeks. perhaps 6 or 7 degrees quite widely, maybe 8 or 9 the very southeast . 9 across the very far southeast. but very windy start to but it's a very windy start to the day on monday. winds will gradually start to ease through the morning , gradually start to ease through the morning, but it still will be staying very blustery through much itself. showers much of monday itself. showers widely pushing from west, widely pushing in from the west, these widely pushing in from the west, th

winds too. a little brighter on wednesday, further wet and wednesday, but further wet and windy weather is its way windy weather is on its way later in week. later in the week. >> looks like things are heating up . boxt boilers sponsor of up. boxt boilers sponsor of weather on gb news is . weather on gb news is. >> thank you very much, ellie. lots more coming up on today's show . chancellor jeremy hunt has show. chancellorjeremy hunt has teased potential tax cuts in the spnng teased potential tax cuts in the spring budget to relieve pressure on families ahead of the budget in march, he said the government's plan of prioritising tax relief is working and they will stick to it, so , so all of that and much, it, so, so all of that and much, much more coming up. i'm dawn neesom and you're watching and listening to gb news, britain's news channel. don't go too far

away - - away . hello and welcome to gb away. hello and welcome to gb news sunday. happy sunday afternoon. thank you for joining us this lunchtime. i'm dawn neesom and for the next hour i'll be keeping you company on tv, digital, radio and tv, on digital, radio and online. coming up this hour, chancellor jeremy online. coming up this hour, chancellorjeremy hunt has chancellor jeremy hunt has teased tax cuts in the teased potential tax cuts in the spnng teased potential tax cuts in the spring budget to relieve pressure on families ahead of the budget in march. he said the government's plan of prioritising tax relief is working and they will stick to it , with the tories behind working and they will stick to it, with the tories behind on opinion polls, though, could it be the winning vote strategy they need come up to you to sell on that one, then several a danger to life weather warnings

have been issued for today, with brits told not to travel as the uk prepares for storm isha to bnng uk prepares for storm isha to bring a 90 mile an hour, winds have upgraded this seven weather warnings, including two rare amber alerts, have been issued by office. a large by the met office. a large swathes of country. our swathes of the country. our reporters will be out there risking their lives you to risking their lives for you to bnng risking their lives for you to bring us the latest and the royal mail could be allowed to scrap saturday deliveries scrap saturday post deliveries as part of an ofcom review into how postal service may need how the postal service may need updating , the royal mail posted updating, the royal mail posted a £319 million loss for the first half of this financial yean first half of this financial year, so just to survive , they year, so just to survive, they have been calling for urgent reform to go from delivering six days a week to just five monday to friday. would you be happy giving up your saturday post though ? but this show is nothing though? but this show is nothing without you and your views, so keep your thoughts coming in on all the stories we're discussing today and what you want to talk

about. email at gb views gb news. com or message me on our socials. we're @gbnews, but first let's have a look at the news headlines with sam francis . news headlines with sam francis. >> dawn, thank you very much and good afternoon from the gb newsroom. it'sjust good afternoon from the gb newsroom. it's just gone. 2:00 the headlines as people are being warned not to travel as they string of storm warnings blanket most of the uk today. there are several weather warnings in place, including two amber wind alerts, a storm echr sweeps for in masters say there is a danger to life and they're warning of falling trees. possible power cuts and flooding , winds of up to 90 miles an hour are expected and earlier. our northern ireland reporter dougie beattie, said that conditions are expected to get much worse tonight . much worse tonight. >> light rain at the front of this storm is now arriving in northern ireland. winds are picking up but it's expected at 6:00 this evening when that amber warning goes into place

for the whole of the province, that those damage and winds will start to arrive . people have start to arrive. people have been told to stay away from coastal areas and side roads for fear of falling debris. >> now, if you're watching on tv and nervous about flying, you might want to turn away because flights coming into london's heathrow airport are experiencing some very shaky landings. the windy conditions are creating some frightening conditions for passengers, with several flights spotted looking very unsteady during their landing as they touched down at the capital's main airport at. us troops have been injured in a rocket attack in western iraq that attack has been claimed by a group affiliated with iran, an unspecified number of people are undergoing evaluation for possible traumatic brain injuries , as a group called the injuries, as a group called the islamic resistance in iraq have claimed responsible for that attack, which is one of the latest in a series of strikes

against us targets in recent weeks. it marks another escalation amid heightened tensions in the region following the outbreak of the israel—gaza conflict . meanwhile, israel's conflict. meanwhile, israel's prime minister is rowing back on suggestions of a two state solution with palestine. benjamin netanyahu's appeared to double down on his position , double down on his position, posting to social media that he will not compromise on israel's control over the entire area. that's despite a call on friday with the us president, joe biden, where he appeared to be open to some two state proposals here in the uk. open to some two state proposals here in the uk . chief rabbi has here in the uk. chief rabbi has criticised the use of the word genocide to describe that situation in gaza . writing in situation in gaza. writing in the telegraph newspaper today, sir ephraim mirvis said that campaigners are hijacking the word and trying to demonise israel. he's described it as disinformation. he's also argued that the country israel, that is, is fighting a defensive war that it did not want or ask for. well, amid the global tensions

that are escalating , the that are escalating, the government here in the uk says it will boost the royal navy's defences with some £405 million of funding missiles that have been used to defend ships in the red sea will be upgraded, making it the uk's most capable naval air defence system ever developed . defence secretary developed. defence secretary grant shapps told gb news earlier this morning that britain is taking a lead. >> we're . investing >> we're. investing £288,000,000,000 billion over the next decade to make sure that we do pump more money into our military, into our equipment and that we can safely defend ourselves and britain's leading the way. as i said, in ukraine. but actually also this week, i announced an operation in europe called steadfast defender , which called steadfast defender, which is a nato operation at which the united kingdom is providing 40% of the ground troops and 50% of the overall personnel, even though there were 32 countries in total involved in this. so we really are leading from the front in the uk tax cuts could

be on the way this spring as the chancellor looks to relieve pressure on families ahead of the budget in march. >> jeremy hunt says the path to tax relief is working, as he pledged to stick to the government's economic plan. economists . estimate that he economists. estimate that he could be handed up to £10 billion next week, paving the way for cuts to some taxes in the spring. tens of thousands of people have been taking to the streets in germany in protest against a right wing political party. marchers have been seen carrying banners saying against hate and defend democracy, among others , and they're gathering in others, and they're gathering in more than 100 cities and towns . more than 100 cities and towns. it comes after reports revealed a secret meeting had taken place involving the popular alternative for germany party, now it's alleged that they discussed a plan to deport people from so—called non—german backgrounds, which would also include many german citizens . include many german citizens. the party, known as afd , is the party, known as afd, is currently polling second in national surveys and thousands

of patients here in the uk with inherited blood disorders are set to undergo a world first in genetic testing starting tomorrow. that's monday . people tomorrow. that's monday. people in england with sickle cell disorder and thalassaemia can access that test. it's designed to improve blood matching, reducing the risk of any complications that might occur dunng complications that might occur during a blood transfusion. the nhs is the first health care system in the world to offer that test, and we expect it will benefit around 18,000 eligible patients . that's the latest form patients. that's the latest form from the gb newsroom for now. for more, we're on tv, digital radio and on your smart speaker. just say play gb news now though, let's get back to gb news. sunday >> thank you very much, sam. right. let's get straight into today's stories shall we? lots of you have been sending your thoughts in and some of them are quite dramatic. it has to be said. this what it's said. but this is what it's about. about your opinions.

about. it's about your opinions. this debate we were this is the debate we were having on about the having earlier on about the starmer, labour, um, brexit ongoing saga about, um, whether we should have a closer tie to the eu again if labour get in. uh, karen says good afternoon lovely lady. good afternoon karen . um, we know it. those karen. um, we know it. those that wanted to remain with the eu bullies are at it again. they want us to start playing the paying want us to start playing the paying the large sums of money every week to be in this club called starmer will called shambles. starmer will ruin us, but even more if they start to try and cosy up with the eu. a fan. i'm getting the eu. not a fan. i'm getting there , karen. meanwhile, there, karen. uh, meanwhile, virginia says they are after our money again because they need everything they can to get it. if labour tried to overturn brexit through the back door, democracy is dead and our so—called parliament is corrupt . so—called parliament is corrupt. pretty much one sided on this. it has to be said, um, meanwhile, susan, uh, good afternoon susan says hello. if starmer got in, i think he'll betray the uk and this one might betray the uk and this one might be a bit dramatic . paul, i'm be a bit dramatic. paul, i'm going to read it out, though. um

paul the protesters waving paul says the protesters waving the eu flag. they should be arrested as enemies of the people's majority . i think that people's majority. i think that is a bit dramatic. i mean, you were muttering how ridiculous your breath there, joe. >> absolutely stupid. i mean, you know , that sort of thing is you know, that sort of thing is offensive and it doesn't help having a sensible debate, does it? or a sensible conversation. it's not very grown up. >> of course, if someone wants to carry eu flag in a free democratic country, they should be allowed to do that. >> yeah, i think paul's tongue was firmly in his cheek. >> yeah, i think paul's tongue was firmly in his cheek . well, was firmly in his cheek. well, one would hope so, think. one would hope so, i think. >> but expect he'll back >> but i expect he'll come back in say that we're miserable. >> paul, if you think we're being miserable, please do get back in touch. but call us miserable. >> not a massive fan of the eu myself, but it's not islamic state, you know, it's the eu. >> get >> it's yeah, get real. get a big proportion about the things that matter. oh paul, see that really matter. oh paul, see what done. that really matter. oh paul, see whtl done. that really matter. oh paul, see whtl mean, done. that really matter. oh paul, see whtl mean, you've rolled them >> i mean, you've rolled them both up here. well done. um, we like a bit of debate on this show, don't we? uh, right. okay. now uh, chancellor

now let's talk, uh, chancellor jeremy somebody jeremy hunt, because somebody has his teased potential has to, um, his teased potential tax spring budget to tax cuts in the spring budget to relieve families relieve pressure on families ahead he ahead of the budget in march, he said the government's plan of prioritising relief is prioritising tax relief is working and they will working. yeah. and they will stick to it. economists estimate that hunt could be handed up to £10 billion by official forecasts next week, paving the way for these tax cuts in the spring. but with the tories behind on opinion polls, could this be the vote winning budget they need to get ahead in the next general election. let's see what my panel maker, this one. madeleine, are you right for the telegraph? the tory graph . um, telegraph? the tory graph. um, what do you make of jeremy hunfs what do you make of jeremy hunt's has to be said later list pledge on tax cuts . pledge on tax cuts. >> well, i think the important thing to note about the telegraph and obviously its nickname, the tory graph, but that doesn't necessarily mean that doesn't necessarily mean that love everything about that you love everything about the conservative that's the conservative party. that's that's steam . toryism that's a small steam. toryism predates , um, conserve the predates, um, conserve the conserve the modern conservative party. so it does no, by no means sort of guarantee that we'll always sort of back the

government on whatever they're doing. think it is doing. i mean, i think it is generally quite difficult for them that they are them to claim that they are meaningfully taxes, so meaningfully cutting taxes, so long the effects of fiscal long as the effects of fiscal drag that people are drag mean that more people are being into these higher being dragged into these higher thresholds which therefore thresholds, which therefore cancels when they have cancels out even when they have cut taxes, as they do with national insurance. um, else where in the system and, and actually there's not that much evidence that, you know, i think for it to make a big difference electorally, it would have to be meaningful enough that people would really notice it. and so at given the effects of fiscal drag, i'm not really sure that thatis drag, i'm not really sure that that is seeping through to people. they've been told there was a tax cut. is that how people feel? yeah, they notice the fiscal thing. the fiscal drag thing. >> just case it >> let's just just in case it has slipped your i'm sure has slipped your mind. i'm sure it the autumn it hasn't. um the autumn statement, it was cutting £0.02 from national insurance, which they is they they rah rah. this is brilliant. saving your brilliant. we're all saving your money, mention at money, but forgot to mention at the same time that were the same time that they were obviously thresholds obviously the tax thresholds were a lot more were frozen. yeah, a lot more people would dragged people would be dragged into paying people would be dragged into paying and that is the paying more tax. and that is the fiscal so it's of

fiscal drag. so it's sort of like, you know what we're giving you with one hand, we're also taking away the other. but being you with one hand, we're also tébitg away the other. but being you with one hand, we're also tébit quiety the other. but being you with one hand, we're also tébit quiet about)ther. but being you with one hand, we're also tébit quiet about that. but being you with one hand, we're also tébit quiet about that one. being a bit quiet about that one. >> exactly. well explained. >> exactly. very well explained. i i think a of small i mean, i think a lot of small c conservatives would very conservatives would be very pleased have tax cut, pleased to have a tax cut, provided meaningful and provided it's meaningful and sustainable. joe, are we just sustainable. i joe, are we just heanng sustainable. i joe, are we just hearing i mean, um, so far we've had inheritance tax yesterday. >> i think was child benefit. um i know is it just a white noise from both parties? this isn't even political. a white noise of promises and pledges. yes. and i vote for us. >> and i think underlying all of this is that virtually every single person , every single single person, every single household in this country is struggling is noticing the cost of everything, every time you go to the shops, you think, blimey, it's gone up since last week. uh oh. that's got smaller. oh, there's fewer tea bags, smaller bars of chocolate, whatever it is . um, we bars of chocolate, whatever it is. um, we know that bars of chocolate, whatever it is . um, we know that everybody's is. um, we know that everybody's struggling, but what we also know, and you cannot take this

away. the fact that after 13 years of the conservatives being in power, there are so many things that are broken and they are broken because of lack of investment and cuts to services, whether that's local government going bust , whether that's local government going bust, having to sell off libraries, having to sell off sports centres and things like that. >> after local governments that have gone bust have been labour run though, haven't they? >> some have. some haven't. i mean, kent , >> some have. some haven't. i mean, kent, you >> some have. some haven't. i mean, kent , you know, where i mean, kent, you know, where i live is kent county council the biggest, um, one in the certainly in the south—east is tory run and always has been . um tory run and always has been. um woking, his tory, uh, croydon was labour. but you know, you're seeing it across the board. it's not about the complexion of the politicians who are there. it's about the fact that budgets have been cut and cut and cut and so at the same time as people are feeling hard up when they go shopping to spend their money, whatever they're trying to access, whether it's social care, education in libraries ,

care, education in libraries, um, and other facilities , they um, and other facilities, they are noticing that those are getting less . getting less. >> madeleine, do you think that this is what the voters are thinking out there? i mean, sort of like all i ever hear from jeremy hunt is tax cuts. um, how important is that to the voters at the moment? important is that to the voters at the moment ? what do important is that to the voters at the moment? what do you i mean, the latest polls have shown that, um, you know, voters consistently, they want public services to go back to joe's point improved rather than tax cuts, even though obviously we're all feeling that pinch. >> well, the thing is, i mean, the state not functioning a bafic the state not functioning a basic level is very true and very important . experience very important. the experience that have, however , that many people have, however, it's true that taxes have it's also true that taxes have risen in cases , i think risen and in some cases, i think we're now at a at an overall tax take. that's the highest it's beenin take. that's the highest it's been in peacetime. >> yeah 70 years. >> yeah 70 years. >> and so the playbook of tax and spend, tax and spend you could argue well that's not really working very very well ehhen really working very very well either. you know for example with something like the nhs , an

with something like the nhs, an enormous um health system which is centrally managed in a way that there is really no other health service in the world that is run on those terms, gets more money every year. it inevitably guzzles up it's given and guzzles up what it's given and needs more and more and more. and i think you could make and so i think you could make a very good case, actually, you know, perhaps some people would rather money it's rather keep the money if it's being public being pumped into public services unreformed being pumped into public sennot; unreformed being pumped into public sen not functioning.reformed being pumped into public sen not functioning. the med being pumped into public sennot functioning. the most are not functioning. the most bafic are not functioning. the most basic level. so i think that's a very fair point. people would say, i can keep say, well, at least i can keep my money and put it towards my this money and put it towards making up the difference from whatever aspect the whatever that's aspect of the state working. state is not working. >> think the other point >> and i think the other point is that both you and madeleine have is that because have mentioned is that because tax the threshold is so tax, the tax threshold is so high. yes. in order for anything to be seen as a tax giveaway or a tax cut, he would have to lose an enormous amount of revenue. you know, £10 billion actually isn't that much when you think about it, when you think about the cost of , oh, i don't know, the cost of, oh, i don't know, let's think about track and trace. let's think about ppe

contracts, you know, for and a half billion pounds worth had to be thrown away because they were unusable oil. >> well that was a massive waste dunng >> well that was a massive waste during the pandemic. very a lot of people didn't seem to give a damn about that while it was happening. the opposition wanted more and more lockdown endlessly. and you know, did that know, people who did warn that actually this a actually is this a is this a very sensible way of managing things, that you simply give vast sums of money, no questions asked, what happened ? and, asked, as what happened? and, um, in an emergency um, but in an emergency situation , were others who situation, there were others who said, actually the said, well, actually the important is that the important thing is that the money people. um, money gets to some people. um, in hindsight, money gets to some people. um, in hindsight , that now looks in hindsight, that now looks like a very decision. like a very foolish decision. and actually a lot of the money on regime simply on the testing regime simply went the kits. um, went on paying for the kits. um, so that was i think people were testing themselves multiple times a week, and the government was the taxpayer money was paying was the taxpayer money was paying for that. it was partly to do with the, i think often quite febrile. his culture that we were living through at the time of lockdown, where people were testing themselves even if they have symptoms, you

they didn't have symptoms, you know, it was a very panicked time and made foolish time and we made some foolish decisions level decisions that are macro level and panicked in a and people panicked in a personal level. >> i think that's really true. but i think the other thing is to go back to the beginning of the programme, if you like. you know, a lot of these deals were done by ministers their done by ministers as to their mates to tory party donors. mates or to tory party donors. in some cases bypassing the civil service and, you know, actually what we need on a lot of money wasted projects, whether it's ppe or hs2 or whatever it might be, or rwanda as it will probably turn out, um, we need that oversight and accountability, which we are not getting from our elected representatives, from government . we've got this division that they're trying to this wedge between them and the civil servants. so when civil servants have raised their hands and said, hang on a minute , they've said, hang on a minute, they've been dismissed. >> well, that's , that's a that's >> well, that's, that's a that's a really good point. but on the flip side, um, one of our

biggest successes was the rollout of, of the vaccine. vaccine absolutely, absolutely. we did . yeah. and that was we did. yeah. and that was partly because they had appointed who was appointed someone who was personally them, who personally known to them, who was damn what did, was damn good at what she did, and it happen. kate and she made it happen. kate bingham it can bingham um, so, you know, it can go ways. it sort of depends go both ways. it sort of depends on the but also when on the choices. but also when people are working very quickly and quickly is absolutely and acting quickly is absolutely vital. can see that that vital. you can see that that might lead to some successes, but also so some terrible choices and waste and corruption. >> but come trust and compare kate bingham, who got it and managed to work with other people with dido harding . yeah, people with dido harding. yeah, sunk without trace. yeah. um. or michelle mone. >> yes. let's leave it on the words michelle mone, shall we? yeah. for all the best analysis and opinion on that story and more , please do go to our more, please do go to our website gb news.com. you're watching and listening to gb news sunday with me dawn neesom. lots more coming up on today's show . uh, several dangerous show. uh, several dangerous alive weather warnings have been issued for today with brits told

not to travel as the uk prepares for storm isha to bring 90 mile an hour winds. seven weather warnings, including two rare amber alerts, have been issued by the met office for large swathes of the country today. our reporters are out there risking their lives for you. all of that and much more to come. you're listening to you're watching and listening to jubilee britain's news jubilee news, britain's news channel. don't too channel. please don't go too far.

sunday mornings from 930 on gb news .

news. >> welcome back to gb news sunday with me dawn neesom on your tv, online and on digital radio. now several danger to life weather warnings have been issued for today, with brits told not to travel as the uk prepares to brace itself for storm isha are bringing 90 mile an hour winds today. storm isha are bringing 90 mile an hour winds today . joining me an hour winds today. joining me now is our southwest reporter, jeff moody, and our northern ireland reporter, dougie beattie . uh, let's start with you first, jeff, shall we? you are on exmoor, i believe. what's the weather like down there at the moment ? moment? >> i am indeed. well, i mean, it's pretty blowy at the moment, but nothing compared to what is going to be coming later on. we've got about 3 or 4 hours to go before the storm really hits. they're saying at around 6:00 this evening, that's when the winds start to really up. winds start to really pick up. getting up as you say, 90 getting up to, as you say, 90 miles an hour. well, this is the ninth named storm of the

meteorological season that began in september. we've had nine storms this winter. i don't i know about it. and that's more than we've ever had at this particular time of the year. we've never reached the letter. i in the alphabet this early on in the season. so that gives you some idea how many storms some idea of how many storms we've this is we've had. um, this storm is going be particularly . oh, going to be particularly. oh, particularly bad for communications issues. >> obviously . dougie, dougie, >> obviously. dougie, dougie, are you still with us? have you been washed away or something? or blown away by the wind? dougie. hello we have dougie stewart. >> just . yeah, i've. i've i'm >> just. yeah, i've. i've i'm still here at port stewart. and you can just. i don't know if you can just. i don't know if you can just. i don't know if you can actually hear it. the wind is really whipping up over my right shoulder is the inishowen peninsula. that'll be out to donegal and magilligan point. and that's where this weather's really starting to come you can see the come in from. you can see the white horses over my left shoulder just

white horses over my left shoulderjust dancing along the shoulder just dancing along the harbour wall as the sea really starts to turn and churn and come in. the seagulls have came inland. i've been watching them over the last couple of hours or so, and you can really tell that this storm is going to start making land within the next houn making land within the next hour, or hour and a half, and it does seem to have quite a whip behind it. but of course, portstewart is the northernmost point , i portstewart is the northernmost point, i suppose, of northern ireland. best way i'd describing it. and that storm will travel on out across the irish sea before it meets scotland and, uh, across rathlin island. uh, and into cairnryan. and there it will make landfall by 6:00. but i would say at this point on really 6:00, i think it's going to be here before that. and dougie, i mean, obviously, you know, your part of the world is used to sort of getting a battering of, you know, across the atlantic how how prepared do you think you have been for this storm in northern ireland? well, in fairness to the electricity

service of northern ireland, in fact, the whole of ireland, the repubuc fact, the whole of ireland, the republic of ireland as well, they are well used to this, but especially in the west of the province. and they usually usually get the power switched back on very, very quickly. they are at it. uh, but are well trained at it. uh, but you know, there's other things that are, are problems here. and that are, are problems here. and that would for be animals etc. and trees . trees is going to and trees. trees is going to play and trees. trees is going to play a big part in this because we had such a deep frost here. and the water table has been very high as it has across the rest of the uk. and what happens in that frost ? it freezes the in that frost? it freezes the root of the tree, the ball root of the tree if you like. and of course, when ice forms, it expands and then it leaves a gap in amongst that root. and when the wind comes, of course it starts forcing it, especially amongst pine trees and lowlands , amongst pine trees and lowlands, because they are very top heavy with water in them all year round. that's what keeps them green. and of course when they move a lot on that, that slackness is already in the

ground because of the ice. they will come down. so over the next 3 or 4 days, i would seriously say, you're going to see a lot of trees down across not only northern ireland, but britain. >> okay, dougie, thank you very much. think we can go back to much. i think we can go back to jeff moody now, who standing? jeff moody now, who is standing? oh underneath some oh yeah. underneath some trees on jeff, how is it on exmoor. um jeff, how is it down there at the moment ? well down there at the moment? well it's not too bad at the moment. >> the wind is beginning to pick up, but as dougie beattie saying, by about 6:00 this evening we are all in for a good battering. tonight we're going to see plenty of wind reaching 90 miles. was has issued some very good advice this afternoon . very good advice this afternoon. they're saying before you batten down the hatches, have a quick look around your garden and make sure that everything is secure because a real danger of because there's a real danger of flying debris. that could flying debris. now that could be, um, garden chairs . last be, um, garden chairs. last december, a trampoline blew out of somebody's garden onto a railway line. so check your gardens, look out for plant pots. they're saying, because, you know, if a terracotta plant

pot, uh, blows across your neighbour's fence and hits you on the head, you're going to know about it. so be particularly careful there. prepare for power cuts. make sure your phones are charged. make sure everything your make sure everything in your house you've house is charged, that you've got your phone, your torch ready on your phone, candles, even because there could be a lot of power cuts. so far, there's been no delays at airports. airports are well prepared for this sort of thing, and they're running smoothly at the moment. but the storm is young, as i say, it doesn't really kick off until about 6:00 tonight. so anything could happen tonight. the best thing to to check your thing to do is to check your gardens, sure everything's gardens, make sure everything's secure, and then get inside in the warm jeff , same secure, and then get inside in the warm jeff, same questions i asked. >> do you really? mean, the >> do you really? i mean, the west does west country notoriously does suffer with those atlantic storms coming in. how prepared do you think the local authorities are for, you know, 90 mile an hour winds? we're being told. >> well, i think there is prepared as they can be. i mean, it's one of those things that it

requires effort from everybody, doesn't it? it's okay. you can have the snow ploughs out. you can grit the roads, all can you can grit the roads, all things the flying things like that. but the flying debnsis things like that. but the flying debris is a real problem. you know, the authorities aren't going to be going into everybody's garden make sure everybody's garden to make sure that is secure. that that everything is secure. that really is our job. so i think at really is ourjob. so i think at the moment, the emphasis is on on us taking personal risk, possibility for our own properties , making sure that properties, making sure that things are battened down as things are as battened down as they can be. >> thank you very much, gentlemen, and please do stay safe. i would expect you to safe. but i would expect you to be you are reporting when be where you are reporting when the at 6:00 hard the storm hits at 6:00 hard tonight. much. tonight. thank you very much. that's beattie in that's dougie beattie in northern ireland and jeff moody, thank now, if thank you very much. now, if you're nervous about flying, you might want to away right might want to look away right now. are live images of now. these are live images of flights into heathrow's flights coming into heathrow's london bringing london airport. it's bringing some landings indeed. some very shaky landings indeed. and yes, actually, i'm not entirely sure i'd want to be on that plane right now . if you're that plane right now. if you're listening on the radio, it's a plane attempting to land at heathrow, very, very heathrow, but looking very, very wobbly. before the wobbly. and this is before the main storm hits, which is predicted to really only pick up

around 6:00 tonight. across the country , if you look at the met country, if you look at the met office maps, it is a vision of yellow and amber for those warnings, and the warnings are very unusual. but 90 mile an hour wind . so please stay safe hour wind. so please stay safe out there . right now you are out there. right now you are watching and listening to gb news sunday with me. dawn neesom loads more coming up on today's show, but first, here's the news headunes show, but first, here's the news headlines with sam . headlines with sam. >> dawn, thank you very much. good afternoon. from the gb newsroom. it'sjust good afternoon. from the gb newsroom. it's just gone half past two. our top story today as we've been hearing people are being warned not to travel. that's as a string of storm warnings. blanket most of the country. there are several weather warnings in place , weather warnings in place, including two amber wind alerts as a storm. esha starts to sweep in. forecasters are predicting there could be a danger to life , there could be a danger to life, with warnings of falling trees possible power cuts and flooding

, winds of up to 90 miles an hour are expected . us troops hour are expected. us troops have been injured in a rocket attack in western iraq, which was claimed by a group affiliated with iran, an unspecified number of those troops are undergoing evacuation for possible traumatic brain injuries. a group called the islamic resistance in iraq claimed responsibility for the attack, which is the latest in a series of strikes against us targets in recent weeks . labour targets in recent weeks. labour says the government's rwanda plan won't act as a deterrent to migrants entering britain illegally. speaking to gb news, presenter camilla tominey shadow immigration minister stephen kinnock said tackling the crisis depends on international cooperation . cooperation. >> there's no way that shipping perhaps 1% of the number of people that come across the channel on small boats to rwanda is ever going to act as a deterrent. you're dealing with people who are fleeing violence and persecution by stopping , and persecution by stopping, wasting much time on rwanda , wasting so much time on rwanda, which just a gimmick that is

which is just a gimmick that is doomed failure. plough doomed to failure. let's plough much more resource and time and energy into doing some of the things that have worked, like the deal. we fully the albania deal. we fully support deal. support the albania deal. how many that has worked as many other that has worked as a deterrent and finally thousands of patients with inherited blood disorders are set to undergo a world first in genetic testing . world first in genetic testing. >> starting from tomorrow. people in england with sickle cell disorder and thalassaemia can access the test. it's designed to improve blood matching, which will reduce the risk of any complications during a blood transfusion . asian the a blood transfusion. asian the nhs is the first health care system in the world to offer that test, benefiting around 18,000 eligible patients . and 18,000 eligible patients. and you can get more on all of those stories and many more by visiting our website gbillionews.com. >> thank you very much, sam. lots more coming up on today's show. the royal mail could be

allowed to scrap saturday post deliveries as part of an ofcom review in how the postal service may need updating. royal mail posted a £319 million loss for the first half of this financial yean the first half of this financial year, so just to survive, they've been calling for urgent reform to go from delivering six days a week to five monday to friday. would you be happy to give up your saturday postal delivery? but first, let's have a look at the weather so important today with ellie. >> hello. welcome to your latest gb news weather. i'm ellie glaisyer storm isha very much in charge of our weather over the next couple of days, bringing some heavy rain and some some very heavy rain and some strong to. it'll slowly be strong winds to. it'll slowly be moving its way towards us through sunday evening, bringing that rain to those that heaviest rain to those western coasts and the strongest winds through the early hours of monday morning. that rain continues to spread its way north eastwards later north and eastwards later through sunday. that's when through sunday. and that's when we winds really we see those winds really starting pick up. gusts starting to pick up. gusts widely 60 to 70 miles an hour along those western coasts,

perhaps 90 across northern perhaps 80 to 90 across northern parts scotland through the parts of scotland through the early hours of monday, a milder night we've over night than we've seen over recent weeks, perhaps 6 or 7 degrees, quite widely, maybe 8 or 9 across the very far south—east. but it's very south—east. but it's a very windy the day on windy start to the day on monday. winds will gradually start to ease the start to ease through the morning, but still will be morning, but it still will be staying very blustery through much monday showers much of monday itself. showers widely from the west, widely pushing in from the west, these particularly heavy these turning particularly heavy at perhaps odd at times. perhaps even the odd flake snow across the high flake of snow across the high ground scotland. will ground of scotland. there will be some sunshine particularly further east, further south and further east, and temperatures maybe 10 and temperatures here. maybe 10 or 11 degrees. but with those strong, will strong, blustery winds that will take off those take the edge off those temperatures hours tuesday will start a little bit drier. perhaps some sunshine across those areas, through the those eastern areas, through the morning. but the next system quite pushes in from quite quickly pushes in from the west , rain quite quickly pushes in from the west, rain spreading its way north eastwards, turning north and eastwards, turning heaviest western heaviest along those western coasts with it some coasts and bringing with it some strong too, little strong winds too, a little brighter on wednesday, but further wet and windy weather is on way later in the week .

on its way later in the week. >> 2024 a battleground year, the year the nation decides as the parties gear up their campaigns for the next general election. >> who will be left standing when the british people make one of the biggest decisions of their lives? >> will rise and who will >> who will rise and who will fall? >> let's find out together. >> let's find out together. >> for every moment, the highs , >> for every moment, the highs, the lows, the twists and turns . the lows, the twists and turns. >> we'll be with you for every step of this journey. >> in 2024. g gb news is britain's election . channel. britain's election. channel. >> thank you very much, ellie. welcome back to gb news sunday with me dawn neesom on your tv onune with me dawn neesom on your tv online and on digital radio. now lots of you have been sending in your thoughts and thank you for being so complimentary about the show today. so far that's lovely to read . not so complimentary to read. not so complimentary about some of our politicians. it has be said. we were it has to be said. we were talking about promised tax talking about the promised tax cuts by jeremy hunt earlier on. david says if hunt is serious

about tax cuts, all he has to do is increase the personal allowance, but he will not instead will hide a tax cut to hide another stealth tax. such an important point. i mean, both my panellists actually that my panellists actually made that point felt, point really well. i felt, um, and we see john says we don't need tax changes, we need public services become services to become more efficient. i think we all agree on that one, john. it's just how you go about achieving it, isn't it? um. meanwhile, generous a good afternoon if i pronounce that you don't trust that correctly. you don't trust labour would love labour and they would love to have to the eu once have us tied to the eu once more. and important story? more. and the important story? we didn't have that much time to discuss unfortunately discuss it. unfortunately earlier on the obesity story from last year about how japan tackle obesity with 4% population obese compared to 25% in the uk, and the cost that has on the nhs. um anthony says. good afternoon. i have a suggestion for the government they should tell the nhs that they should tell the nhs that they must not treat obese people until they reduce their weight to a certain level, or they should be told that they should use private facilities. use private health facilities. anthony i do understand where

you're coming but i think you're coming from, but i think we have time. i said we didn't have time. as i said to mention this earlier on. but obesity many causes as obesity has so many causes as well. and we didn't even touch on health issue on the mental health issue around depression. around obesity and depression. and obviously the link to poverty as well. all very important there. and important points there. and where do you draw the line with that? do draw the you know, that? do you draw the you know, do if you don't get do you if you don't get treatment, if you're obese, do you get treatment if you smoke or you do or you drink or you do a dangerous sport? it's where dangerous sport? um it's where do with that one? but do you stop with that one? but we on. we're going to talk we move on. we're going to talk about the royal mail again. now, the royal mail could be set to scrap deliveries the royal mail could be set to scrpart deliveries the royal mail could be set to scrpart of deliveries the royal mail could be set to scrpart of an deliveries the royal mail could be set to scrpart of an ofcom deliveries the royal mail could be set to scrpart of an ofcom review es the royal mail could be set to scrpart of an ofcom review into as part of an ofcom review into how could be how the service could be updated. read save money, um ofcom are set to publish details next week on how the courier company can evolve to more closely meet consumer needs . closely meet consumer needs. yeah, right. okay, this comes after they posted a loss of over 300 million for the first half of the current financial year, and having called for urgent reforms for over three years. but how would you feel if your local post office were to be

closed on a saturday? the most convenient day, obviously , for convenient day, obviously, for people who work monday to friday? um, yeah . i love the friday? um, yeah. i love the fact that this is being sold as an efficiency to help us all. how madeline, is it helping us to all cut postal deliveries and shut post offices on a saturday? how is that helping you exactly? >> frankly, it already feels like that's the case already. well, yeah. i i can't well, yeah. i mean, i can't remember the last time i, you know, posted things and they arrived timely fashion. um, arrived in a timely fashion. um, and clearly the where the money is now is in parcels, not letters. there's no longer the sufficient volume of letters to justify financially providing that level of service. that same level of service. they've decided to, um , follow they've decided to, um, follow the money into prioritise packages as um, but you know , packages as um, but you know, this is this creates real problems . there were problems. there were particularly for, for example , particularly for, for example, some letters are maybe a christmas card or something. that's also important that is not, you know, essential to daily life. but older people , daily life. but older people, you know, many may not be as okay with the computers and

technology. therefore they're very reliant on letters especially. they may be getting very important documentation that's coming from hospitals , that's coming from hospitals, from their local gp, etc. you know, i can foresee huge problems with this and it's something that, you know , so something that, you know, so far, this is an ofcom proposal. it's not what's absolutely going to happen . you would hope that to happen. you would hope that this be a step that this would only be a step that they'd take if they absolutely no other to resolve it. no other way to resolve it. >> i love fact, joe, that >> i love the fact, joe, that they're selling it as something for us. >> benefiting from this >> we're benefiting from this like, just cast our minds like, let's just cast our minds back we? the idea back, shall we? to the idea that we're get of people we're going to get rid of people in railway station ticket offices. ross bros, in railway station ticket of1course. ross bros, of course. >> so much better for all of us because we can go and buy tickets at half the price on days want them. days we don't want them. >> if you're blind in >> and if you're blind or in a wheelchair, tough. >> yeah. technology famously never fails, does it? >> no, no, never. >>— >> no, no, never. >> and will always give you >> and it will always give you the option, which be the best option, which might be of this is i live in of split. so this is i live in a town where we don't actually have a post office. it's quite a large town, quite a well known town the coast. they town on the kent coast. they closed our post office years and

years huge years ago, despite a huge campaign by people. so campaign by local people. so what that meant was that you couldn't go in and do things like your passport, which was jolly handy because they cherry absolutely parcels that needed to be delivered . not everybody's to be delivered. not everybody's got access to a car . and then if got access to a car. and then if you had something that you needed collect that the post needed to collect that the post of a postman couldn't deliver, you had to drive or go to a town. seven miles away to an industrial estate, to the sorting office. and as madeleine says , you know, there are lots says, you know, there are lots of people for whom the post, the old fashioned service is really important. there are also a lot of legal documents , points that of legal documents, points that cannot be. >> exactly. that's a good point, actually . yeah. actually. yeah. >> um, you know, so what are you going to do about that? are you going to do about that? are you going to do about that? are you going to digitise absolutely everything? um, i think, you know, we have to stop and think, is this a service that the post office is unique in that it is a service to the people of this country, and it means that

everybody, wherever they live, even if they're right down there, um, you know, in the west country with, uh, jeff or they're in ireland with dougie , they're in ireland with dougie, with the wind blowing , they will with the wind blowing, they will still get a postal delivery. postal delivery workers are really important. they know their communities. and i know it sounds old fashioned, and i know it sounds twee, but actually they do go and help people. they do notice there have been . do notice there have been. >> actually. that's a good point because there have been stories where where post are recently actually because of the floods. yeah, absolutely. where, you know, and women know, postmen and women delivering saved delivering have actually saved people's . people's lives. >> yeah, yeah, yeah. it's often you'll have the same for post could be decades. yeah. they really know their patch. um, it's funny because i grew up in the countryside and i'm, you know, this we knew our post postman by name, and then he retired and then we had another one.then retired and then we had another one. then for a good 20 years after that, which is very important in, in a city like london, where i live now, i

don't really see it's much more anonymous. but that worries me sometimes because think , sometimes because you think, what weren't in what if someone weren't in trouble a city like london? trouble in a city like london? and would quite easy for and it would be quite easy for that go overlooked a way that to go overlooked in a way that to go overlooked in a way that might not in a village that it might not in a village or a town. and then i think maybe the having the postal around you know, maybe the having the postal aroundthere you know, maybe the having the postal aroundthere too. you know, useful there too. >> that human contact isn't >> it's that human contact isn't it? i mean, and, know, and it? i mean, and, you know, and to certain extent, know, to a certain extent, you know, the office horizon scandal, the post office horizon scandal, which we all know and are all appalled by, apart from people like paula vennells, obviously , like paula vennells, obviously, um, you that showed you um, you know, that showed you writ large the human cost and how important it is. and not everybody wants to do stuff digitally. and there are lots of parts of this country where you can't get a blooming signal. so you couldn't do it digitally if you couldn't do it digitally if you wanted to. >> yeah. no, absolutely . very >> yeah. no, absolutely. very good point. >> so you when you've got good point. >.customer when you've got good point. >.customer service'hen you've got good point. >.customer service problem ve got good point. >.customer service problem and )t a customer service problem and you just can't to human you get sent to chat an ai, and sent to a chat bot, an ai, and then the ai does everything it can to you away from can to keep you away from talking you. yeah. and talking to you. yeah. and sometimes many sometimes there are many

companies with companies that i've dealt with recently they don't have a recently where they don't have a single person. no can i just a human being, please. only human being, please. you only have address have an email address and sometimes something sometimes when something is really really panicking. really you're really panicking. the a great, the human contact means a great, great deal. >> i certainly know and you >> i certainly i know and you know, funnily spent know, i funnily enough i spent quite of time over the quite a lot of time over the weekend on, on the phone trying to to now ex to get through to my ex now ex mobile phone provider, because they me text message they sent me a text message saying, coming saying, your contract is coming up to an end. >> thought, all right, i'll >> so i thought, all right, i'll give you a call, see what you can offer. could i get through? no, was so important no, but my call was so important to them. it was. and guess what? i have answered the i could have answered all the questions going online. and questions by going online. and you if i could have you think, no, if i could have done, wouldn't be hanging on done, i wouldn't be hanging on the sodding phone. yes. >> case. >> any case. >> any case. >> i've changed supplier? yeah. >> any man over machine. >> any man over machine. >> exactly. any case you can get in touch with us. it's very easy. don't to us easy. you don't need to send us a letter views at gb news. so a letter gb views at gb news. so get in touch with the post office. remember office. it's for you. remember less service, we're doing it less service, but we're doing it for you. uh, lots more to come. the cellist who performed at the wedding duchess wedding of the duke and duchess of sussex has said, rule,

britannia should be axed in the last night of the proms because of the song's uncomfortable associations with slavery and britain's colonial past. associations with slavery and britain's colonial past . do you britain's colonial past. do you think the song should be banned , think the song should be banned, though? are you offended? all of that and much more to come. i'm dawn neesom and you're watching and news and listening to gb news britain's channel .

right through until 7:00 this evening. gb news is the people's

. channel uh , welcome back to gb . channel uh, welcome back to gb news sunday with me. >> dawn neesom on your tv online and on digital radio. now, the cellist who performed at the wedding of the duke and duchess of sussex has said that rule, britannia should be dumped from the last night of the proms because of the song's uncomfortable associations with slavery and britain's colonial past in 2020. if you remember the bbc provoked an outcry when it revealed a plan to perform the song without the lyrics, a decision that was reversed one day after tim davie took over the corporation's as director general. but what do you think about this one? you know, should the song be banned? is it woke to want it banned? let's see what my panel make of this one. i'm going to come to you on this one first. joe what do you make of this? >> well, i don't think it should be banned. um, and there was no call for it to be banned. and, um, he said, and i listened to the program, uh, before came the program, uh, before i came in. he said it made him , um, as

in. he said it made him, um, as a young black man, feel uncomfortable . double, um. and uncomfortable. double, um. and he didn't think it should be played, but that was his opinion, he was very clear opinion, and he was very clear to so he's not calling to me that. so he's not calling for a ban. i mean, you know, i personally find it rather uncomfortable. rule britannia and jingoistic stuff. and all that jingoistic stuff. britain never, shall be britain never, never shall be slaves. we became an empire and made an awful lot of money, um, and became very prosperous on the back of slavery. we also abolished slavery. >> we were also the royal navy was quite good at abolishing slavery, wasn't it, in the 19th century? >> yes. >> yes. >> well, we did abolish slavery, but then the people but then we paid the people who'd owned the slaves the who'd owned the slaves for the loss of their property. and we're still arguing about reparations, we would not reparations, but we would not have been other have been the but other countries were not doing that. >> we were ahead of the game in abolishing throughout abolishing slavery is throughout world history, the default. we were the exception to the rule in abolishing it. >> yes, but we but we were also ahead of the game in the amount of business we were doing through the through slavery . uh,

through the through slavery. uh, you know, a slave , um, plantations. >> i'm not sure that we were uniquely any bad or even uniquely any bad or even uniquely prevalent in how much we were using it. i mean, i think we talk about it a lot more than other countries that have a, you know, similarly, um, it's part of their history. and we abolished it objectively. we abolished it sooner. it continued in, well, obviously, america until the civil war. um, countries like portugal engaged on an extraordinary scale. um spans spain . um, holland, spans spain. um, holland, i mean, you name it, it was this was the default. and also, let's not forget the barbary slavers who went from north africa and kidnapped often, i think over a million people were kidnapped. white people were kidnapped from europe and taken off by the barbary pirates. it's much barbary pirates. it's very much the, it is the norm of world the, um, it is the norm of world history that slavery should exist. we, um, in exist. and actually we, um, in abolishing it, that was an extraordinary thing that happened.soi extraordinary thing that happened. so i think . happened. so i think. >> yeah, but the words of rule britannia, um , are slightly they

britannia, um, are slightly they jar nowadays. don't you think? do you do you think? >> i mean, it was written in 1740, so obviously we're judging. we're judging something from then by today's perspective. but do you think in the week when macron in france has is going more towards traditional french values, children were in school uniform. uh singing the national anthem at the start of each day in school. i mean, you know, the french don't seem to have a problem with that. why do we in this country, we always think, well, it's jingoistic, it's too nationalistic. what is wrong with being proud to be british? occasionally we. with being proud to be british? occ but nally we. with being proud to be british? occbut i'my we. with being proud to be british? occbut i'm note. with being proud to be british? occbut i'm not proud of >> but i'm not proud of britain's slaving history. >> no, i'm not talking about slavery. so why would i? that was history. was a history. >> but. was a history. >> but why would i want to sing the to rule britannia? the words to rule britannia? >> song isn't about >> the song isn't all about slavery. that's that's it's got no it's there's a no chorus, but it's there's a number other, aspects of number of other, um, aspects of the national character that are positive that also in that song, if you see what i mean. it's not it's not exclusively a sort of

everyone should be enslaved. >> no, no, no, i know, but i think, you know, there is something if feel something if people feel uncomfortable , particularly one uncomfortable, particularly one of our most celebrated unskilful, um, young black musicians who has been an absolute beacon and of course, very inspirational. >> absolutely. >> absolutely. >> who has said quietly and, um, you know, without rancour. i felt uncomfortable when i was playing at the last night of the proms, so i left before you know, then we should listen respectfully. >> and that is his opinion is absolutely his opinion. >> of course, he's entitled to his opinion. i think when they did polling on this about should rule britannia continue at the proms, the polling suggested the pubuc proms, the polling suggested the public was overwhelmingly in favour of continuing as it favour of it continuing as it was i think you also have to was so i think you also have to take into account the views of the majority people who maybe the majority of people who maybe either think that we either they they think that we shouldn't try pretend that shouldn't try to pretend that these history these aspects of our history never um, or else that never happened. um, or else that there are positive that there are positive things that they song quite they take from the song quite apart anything else. it's apart from anything else. it's a it's a bloody good song, isn't it? song. it's very

it? it's a great song. it's very catchy. preferjerusalem catchy. i preferjerusalem myself . myself. >> yeah. there's probably an issue jerusalem, is there? issue with jerusalem, is there? i mean, did that at our i mean, we, we did that at our wedding. we we had that our wedding. we had, we had that our wedding, mean, the industrial wedding, i mean, the industrial revolution quite bad revolution was quite bad for some who were involved. >> yeah. >> yeah. >> green issues. >> green issues. >> mean, you could >> well, i mean, you could probably go through every single hymn. exactly. anthem. probably go through every single hynthisxactly. anthem. probably go through every single hynthisxaithe anthem. probably go through every single hynthisxaithe arweim. probably go through every single hynthisxaithe arwe are >> this is the thing we are judging things that happened a long ago by today's. long time ago by today's. >> and it's >> but that's fine. and it's important we do . and it important that we do. and it doesn't mean to say that you get rid of them. we've this rid of them. but we've had this debate over, statues debate over, you know, statues to slavers and stuff . you know, to slavers and stuff. you know, we could go on for a year. we learn and move on. >> that's what we should do with the past. right? okay uh, that's it from me for today. but stay tuned, is coming up tuned, because nana is coming up next. gorgeous usual. next. looking gorgeous as usual. nana, coming your show? >> well, it's interesting that you're talking about royal botanic, that's what botanic, cause that's what my monologue i'll monologue is about. um, i'll give you heads up. um, i love give you a heads up. um, i love the song. think it's the song. i think it's ridiculous people are so ridiculous that people are so obsessed that. oh it makes obsessed with that. oh it makes me and da da da da da. me feel bad. and da da da da da. and there's a whole piece about

it telegraph. you know, it in the telegraph. you know, if don't like something if you don't like something quietly, back. but quietly, just just sit back. but this taken the benefits this guy has taken the benefits of the last night the proms of the last night of the proms and he's enjoyed all the fruits of anyway, i'll be of that. so anyway, i'll be talking in my talking about that in my monologue. looking forward monologue. i'm looking forward to that. plus, we'll be talking about service are to that. plus, we'll be talking abouout service are to that. plus, we'll be talking abouout of service are to that. plus, we'll be talking abouout of controlvice are to that. plus, we'll be talking abouout of control because are to that. plus, we'll be talking abouout of control because ite they out of control because it seems to me that they are allowed to almost literally dictate policy. we've dictate policy. and we've got loads to come. i've dictate policy. and we've got loara to come. i've dictate policy. and we've got loara mystery to come. i've dictate policy. and we've got loara mystery guestome. i've dictate policy. and we've got loara mystery guest as e. i've dictate policy. and we've got loara mystery guest as well,3 dictate policy. and we've got loara mystery guest as well, so got a mystery guest as well, so that sounds like a cracking show. >> you really don't want to go anywhere. thank for anywhere. but thank you for watching and listening to gb news sunday with dawn neesom watching and listening to gb news slwonderful dawn neesom watching and listening to gb news slwonderful panel,iwn neesom watching and listening to gb news slwonderful panel, joe neesom and my wonderful panel, joe phillips and madeline grant. today much for today uh, thank you so much for joining us. hope enjoyed joining us. hope you've enjoyed it. it, don't it. we've enjoyed it, but don't go nana is up next, so go anywhere. nana is up next, so all left us to do is wish all is left for us to do is wish you a very happy sunday and a lovely rest your weekend. and lovely rest of your weekend. and let's look at the weather, because important because that is so important today. stay safe. thanks for watching. >> looks like things heating >> looks like things are heating up spoilers, sponsors of up boxed spoilers, sponsors of weather on . gb news. hello

weather on. gb news. hello >> welcome to your latest gb news weather. i'm ellie glaisyer storm isha very much in charge of our weather over the next couple of days, bringing some very heavy rain and some strong winds to the. it will slowly be moving its way towards us through sunday evening, bringing that to those that heaviest rain to those western coasts the strongest western coasts and the strongest winds through the hours of winds through the early hours of monday . that rain monday morning. that rain continues spread its way continues to spread its way north and eastwards later through sunday, and that's when we winds really we see those winds really starting gusts starting to pick up. gusts widely 60 to 70 miles an hour along those western coasts, perhaps 80 to 90 across northern parts of scotland through the early a milder early hours of monday. a milder night we've seen over night than we've seen over recent weeks. perhaps 6 7 recent weeks. perhaps 6 or 7 degrees quite widely, maybe or recent weeks. perhaps 6 or 7 deacrossquite widely, maybe or recent weeks. perhaps 6 or 7 deacross thee widely, maybe or recent weeks. perhaps 6 or 7 deacross the vererly, maybe or recent weeks. perhaps 6 or 7 deacross the very far. maybe or 9 across the very far south—east. but it's a very windy start to the day on monday. winds will gradually start to ease through the morning, will be morning, but it still will be staying blustery through staying very blustery through much monday itself. show is much of monday itself. show is widely pushing in from the west, these particularly these turning particularly heavy at even the odd at times, perhaps even the odd flake snow the high flake of snow across the high ground of scotland. there will be particularly be some sunshine particularly

further and further east, further south and further east, and temperatures here maybe 10 or but with those or 11 degrees, but with those strong, winds will strong, blustery winds that will take the off those take the edge off those temperatures, tuesday will start a little bit drier, perhaps some sunshine across those eastern areas morning. but areas through the morning. but the quite quickly the next system quite quickly pushes from the west, rain pushes in from the west, rain spreading its way north and eastwards, turning heaviest along those western coasts and bringing some strong bringing with it some strong winds little brighter on winds too. a little brighter on wednesday, further wet and wednesday, but further wet and windy weather is on its way later the week . later in the week. >> that warm feeling inside from boxed boilers, sponsors of weather on .

gb news way. >> hello, good afternoon and welcome. it'sjust >> hello, good afternoon and welcome. it's just coming >> hello, good afternoon and welcome. it'sjust coming up >> hello, good afternoon and welcome. it's just coming up to 3:00. i'm nana akua , we're live 3:00. i'm nana akua, we're live on tv, online and on digital radio, and for the next few hours, me and my panel. oh, sorry . i'm exhausted. i've just sorry. i'm exhausted. i've just come . come. >> oh, it's a bit windy out there , isn't it? there, isn't it? >> yes. >> yes. >> are you running against the wind? >> i was running against the wind. yeah >> that's the story of your life, really, isn't it? >> know it's terrible. me and >> i know it's terrible. me and my be taking on some my panel will be taking on some of the big topics hitting the headunes of the big topics hitting the headlines this headlines right now. this show is all about it's mine. is all about opinion. it's mine. it says. and of course, it's yours. debating, yours. we'll be debating, discussing, and times will discussing, and at times we will disagree, one will be disagree, but no one will be cancelled. joining the cancelled. so joining me in the next hour, broadcaster and journalist and also