sturgeon under pressure >> sturgeon under pressure nicola sturgeon has apologised for deleting covid related whatsapp messages after telling the official covid inquiry she was not aware she should have kept them . she went on to claim kept them. she went on to claim she does not recall receiving an email stressing the importance of keeping her messages relating to covid. but do you believe . her.7 >> her? >> yes. >> yes. >> so difficulties for nicola sturgeon today . but it also sturgeon today. but it also looks like the labour party has quite a few difficulties of its own. >> the guardian today splashing i'm not sure if they splashed actually, but a big piece on the difficulties labour face with the muslim vote. a lot of muslims in key target seats aren't very happy with keir starmer's stance on gaza. >> it's interesting because he

has tried to take a fairly strong position on it, saying israel has a right to defend itself, but it seems that he's been sort of stepping back a little bit from that , trying to little bit from that, trying to find the right positioning, far be it from sir keir starmer to change his mind on any issue, but it does seem that the labour party now, uh, doing private party is now, uh, doing private polling to see what muslim voters think. perhaps they're worried in certain key seats that might be not as rosy that things might be not as rosy for them as would be expected, given their massive poll lead. but what i should say is, i don't think that keir starmer should under pressure to should feel under pressure to change his policies based on one group of voters that would be absolutely ludicrous. >> we saw keir starmer lose ten of his frontbench of the shadow frontbench over this issue of a ceasefire in gaza . keir starmer ceasefire in gaza. keir starmer had that tricky interview on the radio, didn't he? just a few days after october the 7th, when hamas launched its attack on israel, where he said firstly that israel has the right to defend itself , but also which defend itself, but also which was the very controversial part

for a lot of people was that he said israel had the right to withhold water and aid and suppuesin withhold water and aid and supplies in that respect. >> he did row back from that. he said he didn't mean to say that or he actually said that got picked up. but he did say it. and seem that this was and it did seem that this was a bit u—turn, a flip flop, bit of a u—turn, a flip flop, which does seem to a little which does seem to be a little bit of theme, but we'll be bit of a theme, but we'll be diving into whether or not the labour party has consistent or a little attitude little bit of flip flop attitude towards just on towards policy, not just on foreign affairs, but on the economy too too. but before all that, we've got a lot more to come in the show, and i just wanted to say happy birthday, granny. but before all of that, let's get your headlines . let's get your headlines. >> tom, emily, thank you very much. and good afternoon. from the gb news room. it's just gone. 1:00 the headlines. the labour leader says that rishi sunak has crashed the economy and going to max out the and is going to max out the government's credit card. he was

speaking at prime minister's questions earlier and mocked the prime minister after conservative george freeman conservative mp george freeman quit because he was struggling to pay his mortgage. starmer says that for every £2 the government gives people, it takes back £10 in higher taxes and mortgages . but rishi sunak and mortgages. but rishi sunak fought back, saying that the government is supporting people and claimed that mortgage applications are at a multi month high. >> mr speaker, one of the most difficult experiences for any member of this house is speaking to those at the sharp end of this government's cost of living crisis. so nobody could fail to be moved by the plight of the member . for be moved by the plight of the member. for mid—norfolk, his mortgage has gone up £1,200 a month. he's been forced to quit his dream job to pay for it. a tory mp counting the cost of tory mp counting the cost of tory chaos after 14 years. have we finally discovered what they meant when they said we're all in this together? >> thanks to the mortgage

charter that the chancellor introduced last year, millions of mortgage holders across the country are benefiting from support with their mortgages because it's important rather than take the approach that the honourable gentleman just did is actually focus on the practical support in place to help people who do help, and someone on who do need help, and someone on a typical mortgage able to a typical mortgage is able to now hundreds of pounds. now save hundreds of pounds. thanks those reforms , the thanks to those reforms, the home . says that the home secretary. says that the number of asylum seekers likely to be sent to rwanda under the £240 million scheme could be quite low . quite low. >> that comes as james cleverly has been answering questions from the home affairs committee this cleverly told this morning. mr cleverly told mps he couldn't say how many of the 33,000 people who have been identified as potentially eligible would be sent to kigali if flights get off the ground? he said the total could be nearly at that figure, but said it could also be smaller if other work to reduce channel boat crossings is successful . boat crossings is successful. the government has published the

details of its deal with the dup , which guarantees northern ireland unlimited access for trade with the rest of the uk. the agreement sets the stage for the return of power sharing in northern ireland, after the dup withdrew almost two years ago. the new deal will also see a package of more than £3 billion given to northern ireland to support its public services . sir support its public services. sir nicola sturgeon says there's a large part of her that wished she hadn't been first minister in scotland during the pandemic. it comes as she gives evidence at the covid inquiry in edinburgh amid ongoing scrutiny over the deletion of her whatsapp messages , as the former whatsapp messages, as the former first minister admitted to deleting those messages, but said she was acting in line with scottish government policy by not saving them to her devices . not saving them to her devices. ms sturgeon also said the scottish government would sometimes have to air issues in pubuc sometimes have to air issues in public to push the uk government to shift its position . the to shift its position. the government has refused to rule out relying on imported steel

after the planned closure of blast furnaces at port talbot. executives from tata steel have been questioned in westminster this morning on those plans , this morning on those plans, with 2800 jobs at risk , the with 2800 jobs at risk, the company says it's moving to a more environmentally friendly production of steel, which will require fewer staff. however, workers have been staging protests outside parliament to warn of the impact on their jobs and the local community and the welsh economy. unite senior representative of port talbot , representative of port talbot, ian williams, says the future of steel is at risk. >> message today is for tata and the uk government to stand up, listen to what we're saying. we're not going down without a fight. we're going to fight to the bitter end save our the bitter end to save our industry. this struggle is about killing killing all killing communities, killing all of wales. it's the end of of south wales. it's the end of it. in it. industry effectively, in south wales, we've never recovered from the mines . this recovered from the mines. this will be worse again. so i think our fight is to keep our communities alive and keep our

families and our children jobs for them . for them. >> and finally, patience can now get treatment for seven common conditions without having to go to see their gp. that's under a shake up of pharmacy services , shake up of pharmacy services, as nhs england says more than 90% of community pharmacies across the country have agreed to offer the scheme. the health secretary victoria atkins, says the measure will take pressure off of gps for those seven conditions. >> they can pop to their pharmacy. the sooner we will see a real to change gp appointments and of course, this is on top of the investment that the government has put in to help with things like telephone services across gp appointments, which meant that this year we met our manifest pledge to create 50 million more gp appointments. this since 2019. and what that means in practical terms is 44 appointments, new appointments, more appointments appointments, more appointments a day in your average gp practice . practice. >> that's the latest from the newsroom for now. for more , you

newsroom for now. for more, you can newsroom for now. for more, you can sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen or go to gb news. com forward slash alerts . forward slash alerts. >> it's four years to the day since the uk left the european union, and politicians have been spinning their own stories. >> they have, while the labour party highlights the uk's economic stagnation , the tories economic stagnation, the tories point to the uk outgrowing countries like germany . since countries like germany. since the uk left the eu. now labour insists it will renegotiate the brexit deal next year if it wins power . but the tories say this power. but the tories say this is simply keir starmer's plan to undo brexit entirely, taking the country back to square one. health minister andrea leadsom made the pro brexit case to gb news earlier today . news earlier today. >> the uk has gone up the rankings in world trade organisation terms. we've signed up to this massive trans—pacific partnership and in the health

space, as i say, our own medicines agency means we're able to look at medicines, regulations, much faster under our own control . it meant we our own control. it meant we were able to come out of lockdown sooner because we were able to vaccinate our population . and what that meant is that we grew our economy faster. you know, if you look at many eu nations, they've been in recession over the last year or two. the uk hasn't got well , two. the uk hasn't got well, that's what andrea leadsom makes of our progress since brexit. >> but what do you make of brexit? four years on? >> well, let's get the thoughts of the professor of economics and public policy at king's college london, jonathan porter's jonathan, you so porter's jonathan, thank you so much us here today. much for joining us here today. i one big i suppose there's one big question to ask, which is can we know what the results of brexit actually have been ? the data is actually have been? the data is so messy. there's been a pandemic, there's been a war in europe, there's been an energy crisis that has affected the uk more than nuclear powered france

. really? what is the sense here that we can actually see sort of take apart these strands of data 7 take apart these strands of data ? uh, have we really can we really blame our economic malaise today as many people would see it on leaving the eu ? would see it on leaving the eu? >> well, you've made a lot of points there. >> and i broadly agree there's a lot of noise in the data . lot of noise in the data. there's a lot of, you know, and it's impossible it's certainly impossible to come with a precise estimate. come up with a precise estimate. that's the first point. um, and the point is that would the second point is that i would agree wrong agree it's pretty clearly wrong to blame all our malaise on brexit. um, there are a lot of other things going on, and a lot of the reason is that the uk has performed badly over the last 15 years, or obviously not just about brexit. right? there are a lot of long terme structural issues . on the other hand, issues. on the other hand, i think we can also reasonably think we can also be reasonably clear overall brexit has clear that overall brexit has done some damage to the uk economy. >> it hasn't been a catastrophe , >> it hasn't been a catastrophe, but we are poorer than we otherwise would have been. >> so for example , um, andrea >> so for example, um, andrea leadsom just made up some, you

know, i don't know what she was talking about, frankly. but to the extent that she said anything substantive, she appeared be inventing things . appeared to be inventing things. and in particular the uk trade performance over the last few years since brexit has been quite mediocre compared to pretty much to other advanced economies . we've fallen down the economies. we've fallen down the rankings in terms of the trade intensity, how much we import and export, and that is likely in large part due to brexit. so thatis in large part due to brexit. so that is one identify area in which things have gone badly. on the plus side, um , i would say the plus side, um, i would say actually on migration , um, we've actually on migration, um, we've done considerably better. >> the new system has worked rather better than certainly i would have expected four years ago. >> we have a more liberal system than i've expected, than i expected. and so we haven't suffered the loss in terms of lower , um, migration that i had lower, um, migration that i had anticipated. now that may not be

popular with some people, but on the whole, i'd say actually that is one relative success of the post—brexit uk . post—brexit uk. >> now, i remember during the brexit campaign , before the brexit campaign, before the referendum, in the run up to the referendum, in the run up to the referendum, there were huge , referendum, there were huge, huge claims made of course, on both sides of the argument. >> but there was what felt like a bit of a project fear the remain campaign did focus on how the economy would fall apart, how we'd go into immediate recession, how there wouldn't be enough money for the nhs , how we enough money for the nhs, how we wouldn't be able to export and import goods. have we actually found ourselves to be far more robust than that? um well, i think, as you say, there was a lot of nonsense talked on both sides and some of the specific things that you identified. >> um, for example , the stuff >> um, for example, the stuff that george osborne was saying was indeed scaremongering . and was indeed scaremongering. and indeed, i said that at the time . indeed, i said that at the time. um, but there was a consensus, i think, among serious economists, that brexit would not be a

complete catastrophe, you know, because there are a lot of other things going on. it wouldn't, as you say, there was no circumstances in which it would , circumstances in which it would, um, end our ability to export and import to the eu or to the rest of the world, but that it would have it would be a drag on our trade and on investment. and thatis our trade and on investment. and that is indeed broadly what's happened.soi that is indeed broadly what's happened. so i well, i think the politicians on both sides may well have been wrong, but i think here actually the economists got it broadly right . economists got it broadly right. we are maybe 2 or 3% poorer than we would have been if brexit hadnt we would have been if brexit hadn't happened. that's not a disaster. it's not a catastrophe. but it does mean it is a noticeable drag on economic growth. >> well, thank you very much indeed for your time, jonathan portus there, professor of economics and public policy at king's college london. i remember the ridiculous remember some of the ridiculous misinformation about, oh, you won't go holiday. won't be able to go on holiday. uh, you won't to ever uh, you won't be able to ever work abroad, won't able work abroad, you won't be able to use your abroad. all to use your phone abroad. all of this of stuff. this sort of stuff. >> one was how the >> my favourite one was how the leave talked about £350 leave campaign talked about £350 million which was the

million a week, which was the gross, the net figure. the gross, not the net figure. the gross, not the net figure. the gross . and everyone gross figure. and everyone had a huge hoo one ever talked huge hoo ha. no one ever talked about the £4,300 figure that the remain campaign tried to get going , a remain campaign tried to get going, a completely made up nonsense figure that they said, you're going to be £4,300 poorer. all the focus was on the leave campaign saying 350 million, no focus on the remain campaign's dodgy. >> it hasn't all been put into the nhs anyway. the n hs anyway. >> the nhs anyway. >> oh, more than that. >> oh, more than that. >> well moving on, boston in lincolnshire was the most pro—brexit hit area in the country in and gb country back in 2016, and gb news reporter will hollis is there for us now. will thank you very much for joining there for us now. will thank you very much forjoining us. you've very much for joining us. you've been speaking to locals there in one of the most post brexit backing regions country. backing regions of the country. let are let us know what people are saying years on. saying now. four years on. >> yes. well, anywhere else in the country, the being brexit might stand for britain, but here in boston the b stands for boston because as you say, it was the biggest voting area in favour of leaving the european union in 2016. some 75% of

people here that got out of bed and went to vote on that day in 2016, chose to move away from the european union , a connection the european union, a connection that had been in place for some 30, 40 years. and you can find that the places that tended to vote favourably for brexit, they're often seaside towns , they're often seaside towns, often high levels of deprivation, deprivation, places where you might say that people feel left behind. and there were three things that groups were particular voting for. they were voting for freedom, freedom to make their own choices away from the european union . more money the european union. more money being kept here, arguably, whether that's something that has happened or not, we'll leave that for the economists. but more than anything, it was around immigration and there is quite a high level of immigration here in boston, particularly because of the agricultural sector in lincolnshire. the breadbasket of the uk, as it's often dubbed. so i've been speaking to people

particularly who voted for leave all those years ago, how they feel about the decision now . feel about the decision now. >> i don't feel nothing's really changed. you know , um, to be changed. you know, um, to be fair , i mean, we got we all got fair, i mean, we got we all got told a load of twaddle . uh, it's told a load of twaddle. uh, it's a shame boris has gone because he was the one who started the ball rolling and think if he hadnt ball rolling and think if he hadn't got kicked out, we might have got better . better? have got better. better? >> i don't think there's been any great change, to be honest. >> not to the to the common person on the street. >> no prices have maybe gone up, but they maybe would have done anyway with the pre after the covid pandemic and all that type of thing. >> uh, i did vote to leave. um, i feel that we should be in dependent country like we used to be. i know we're not the power we used to be, but definitely, uh, not put so much money into europe and the other countries coming into the common market and that type of thing. and do you regret that decision

now? no no, not at all. >> it hasn't moved on as much as i would have liked . i would have liked. >> unfortunately, they got rid of boris. that might have pushed things a little bit things along a little bit quicker . but left in quicker. uh, but we left in floating in mid—air. i feel at the nothing much moving , the moment nothing much moving, especially with all the boats that crossing . so that's that are crossing. so that's that's bad news in my mind . um, that's bad news in my mind. um, my son lives down in kent and they're just coming over. unbelievable all the time. and unfortunately , this town is full unfortunately, this town is full of a lot of them as well . and of of a lot of them as well. and of course, it's worth noting that gb news has revealed that we would have 200,000 pages of eu bureaucracy . bureaucracy. >> more more red tape , huge >> more more red tape, huge amounts, more red tape. if we if we had, uh, stayed within the european union. but moving on, we've got some breaking news, some breaking news. >> deal that >> the deal deal that has brought about the way in which the northern ireland government will return the details of that deal have now been released. let's cross across to belfast

and join our northern ireland reporter, dougie beattie . hi, reporter, dougie beattie. hi, dougie. what's in the deal? >> well, it's quite a good deal. um, from what we've read of it in a briefing this morning, they're just the headlines of it . there has been a, uh, legal changes to it, especially in around those green lanes and red lanes, raw materials coming from northern ireland are coming into northern ireland are coming into northern ireland are coming into northern ireland to be manufactured that have come from outside the eu will still fall into the red lanes, but things will move much faster, less paperwork , a one time paperwork, a one time registration will get you into the uk lanes with no checks, uh, goods coming from northern ireland, travelling through the dubun ireland, travelling through the dublin ports . ireland, travelling through the dublin ports. uh crossing at holyhead will still have to fill in their irish export certificate as they always did, but there will be new checks for those goods going into the uk. of course, that will not be the case with the republic of ireland. they're still part of

the eu . uh, things around, uh , the eu. uh, things around, uh, veterinary medicines that is also been addressed . there is, also been addressed. there is, uh, an inter trade uk body being set up to encourage trade within the uk. so that applies to all the uk. so that applies to all the uk. so wales, scotland, ireland and england will be able to trade with each other much better and sit around the same table. there is bespoke agreements being put in place with hmrc, so the likes of the shipbuilding that was coming here, uh, those 25% tariffs on steel , there will be special steel, there will be special bespoke um agreements with them . bespoke um agreements with them. so as that doesn't have to be paid up front or looked up when it's not staying in the eu . so it's not staying in the eu. so there is quite a lot in this deal that sir jeffrey has actually managed to get . and actually managed to get. and more than anything, i think it's the fact of the storm on break that that was talked about when the framework document came out . the framework document came out. it was basically a handle, a

break handle, but had no cable on it to pull the brakes. now thatis on it to pull the brakes. now that is put in place, there has to be a cross—community consensus for it to be activated. that means that that, uh, eu legislation that is coming into northern ireland cannot automatically be set upon northern ireland under section seven a, when even when we were in the eu, eu legislation went to westminster. first they decided did they opt in or opt out? so so that has made things a lot more stable behind us. and we wait to see what the other parties will say on it. >> really significant stuff. dougie beattie thank you so much for bringing us that breaking news even more checks have news that even more checks have been abolished and that government to northern ireland. >> good stuff. but still to come, the former bbc journalist martin bashir is accusing the broadcaster racism following broadcaster of racism following the scandal around his infamous interview with the late princess diana. you're watching good afternoon britain on .

>> the camilla tominey show sunday mornings from 930 on gb news . news. >> now, four years on, we want to know what impact has brexit had on the economy? we've had some gloomy forecasts from the government watchdog, from the obr, the office for budget responsibility, but have those forecasts been right ? forecasts been right? >> um, well, joining us now is our economics and business edhon our economics and business editor, liam halligan , to sort editor, liam halligan, to sort the fact from the fiction with

on the money . on the money. >> thanks for joining on the money. >> thanks forjoining us, liam. frankly what did the forecasters get right out and what have they got wrong? >> this is a hugely emotive subject, tom. a lot of people are still angry about brexit, either angry because they lost and they didn't get their own way, or angry because they think that brexit hasn't been properly and fully implemented. what i'm going to do now and even this will controversial many will be controversial for many people . i'm just going to show people. i'm just going to show you some graphs and some tables from the of national from the office of national statistics . uh, impeccable statistics. uh, impeccable source and tell you what's happened. you'll remember back in 2016 before that referendum , in 2016 before that referendum, um, there was a lot of doom and gloom. going gloom. the uk economy is going to suffer an immediate and profound economic shock. what's actually happened? here's gdp growth, the expansion of the economy added up since then. and for radio listeners, let me just describe it. italy on the left

of the graph has grown by about 6% since 2016. france by about 8, germany by about 8, the uk by around 9, spain by just over 10, and the mighty us by 14. so there you see, the uk is pretty much in the middle of the pack when it comes to the advanced industrialised economies , industrialised economies, including the uk , including including the uk, including those in the european union. then, before the referendum , we then, before the referendum, we had people saying on television who were backing remain. one person in particular, trade with the eu will go absolutely to zero. do you remember that ? zero. do you remember that? yeah, that was a tory mp at the time, anna soubry, actually uk exports to the eu are at a record high £298 billion in 2019. mean goods and services were sold to the eu 340 billion last year, or the last full yeah last year, or the last full year. we have figures for 2022. that's 14% year. we have figures for 2022. that's14% up. some of that's due to inflation, but in no way, shape or form has trade with the eu collapsed. i mean, let's be

clear, some small firms have found it hard with the extra admin and rigmarole and some eu countries have made that difficult for uk exporters. but there's lots and lots of trade still with the eu and rightly so. let's have a look at foreign direct investment. when foreign companies invest in things like car plants, gigafactory , his car plants, gigafactory, his infrastructure, all kinds of things. again, the uk has been a magnet for foreign direct investment for many years. between 2009 and 2015, foreign direct investment was equivalent to 1.6% of our total economy of our gdp since 2016. it's been 3.1% of our gdp . i've got to say 3.1% of our gdp. i've got to say this despite brexit, because lots of people who don't like brexit say despite brexit, if there's any good news. and finally, i just wanted to talk about unemployment because in that 2016 treasury dossier, it's about 400 pages long, released with the full force of the civil service then chancellor george

osborne said that the uk would suffer an immediate and profound economic shock just because of a vote for brexit. not even the implementation or unemployment back then was almost 5. now it's much nearer 4, 4.2, so there hasn't been unemployment. look, tom and emily, i'm in no way saying that it's a bed of roses at all. there are big problems with the british economy . some with the british economy. some of them have been caused by brexit. it has made trade more difficult . on the other hand, difficult. on the other hand, our trade with the rest of the world is benefiting from lots of free trade agreements . some have free trade agreements. some have been rollovers of the original agreements that the eu cut on our some them are our behalf. some of them are actually better than the eu agreements that we had. and also we are now part of the what's called the trans—pacific partnership , trading much more partnership, trading much more with those pacific rim countries where the bulk of global growth is going to happen over the next ten, 15 and 20 years. of course, distance doesn't matter when so many of our exports are

services. literally squirted down fibre optic cables in the form of emails , conference form of emails, conference calls, all kinds of service . calls, all kinds of service. we're the second biggest services exporter in the world. that's why it makes sense for us to trade so much with countries beyond those that are geographically near. so i've given you a sort of tour. daizen. yeah, i like speaking french as well. um, of some of the main figures. i'm not saying at all that this is a one way argument. what i am saying is that i think a lot of broadcasters are systematically, overly negative about the uk economy in general, and particularly the uk economy post brexit. >> um, merci beaucoup liam . uh, >> um, merci beaucoup liam. uh, yeah. >> um, merci beaucoup liam. uh, yeah . uh, thank you very much yeah. uh, thank you very much for joining us and going through forjoining us and going through those statistics. really, really interesting stuff. yes. >> but coming up , we will be >> but coming up, we will be joined by the chair of the foreign affairs select committee, alicia kearns. we've got lots to ask her about , not got lots to ask her about, not least her ukip yesterday over

the sale of the telegraph to the uae. that's after your headlines with sam . with sam. >> tom. emily, thank you very much . it'sjust >> tom. emily, thank you very much . it's just gone 1:30. the much. it's just gone 1:30. the headuneis much. it's just gone 1:30. the headline is the government has published the details of its deal with the dup , which deal with the dup, which guarantees northern ireland unlimited access for trade with the rest of the uk. the agreement sets the stage for the return of power sharing in northern ireland, after the dup withdrew almost two years ago. the deal will also see a package of more than £3 billion given to northern ireland to support its pubuc northern ireland to support its public services . the new laws public services. the new laws are expected to be debated in parliament tomorrow . nicola parliament tomorrow. nicola sturgeon says there's a large part of her that wished she hadnt part of her that wished she hadn't been first minister dunng hadn't been first minister during the pandemic. it comes as she's giving evidence that the covid inquiry, amid ongoing scrutiny over the deletion of her whatsapp messages, the former first minister admitted deleting those messages but said she acted in line with scottish

government policy by not saving them on her devices . government policy by not saving them on her devices. miss sturgeons also said the scottish government would sometimes have to air issues in public to push the uk government to shift its position . the government has position. the government has refused to rule out relying on imported steel after the planned closure of blast furnaces at port talbot , executives from port talbot, executives from tata steel have been questioned in westminster. this morning on those plans, with 2800 jobs at risk , the company says it's risk, the company says it's moving to a more environmentally friendly production of steel, which requires fewer staff. however, workers have been staging protests outside parliament to warn of the impact on the local community and the welsh economy . we the deadline welsh economy. we the deadline has now passed for owners of xl bully dogs to apply for an exemption certificate for their pet before a ban on the breed comes into force . from tomorrow, comes into force. from tomorrow, it will be a criminal offence to own an xl bully without one of those exemptions . the ban

those exemptions. the ban follows a series of attacks involving xl bullies last year. owners could face having their pets seized by police and being given an unlimited fine. the rspca says that around 20,000 dogs have still not been registered with the government , registered with the government, and the search for a missing monkey in scotland is continuing after the animal escaped from a wildlife park. drones are being used in the hunt for the japanese macaque, which found its way out of its enclosure on sunday. keepers say animal its way out of its enclosure on sl slowly (eepers say animal its way out of its enclosure on sl slowly making say animal its way out of its enclosure on sleowly making his animal its way out of its enclosure on sleowly making his wayanimal its way out of its enclosure on sleowly making his way back|l is slowly making his way back towards the wildlife park . drone towards the wildlife park. drone footage shows him roaming about under the and sitting in under the trees and sitting in the undergrowth . for the latest the undergrowth. for the latest stories, you can sign up to news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen or by going to gbnews.com forward slash alerts .

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news, the people's channel, britain's news. channel >> good afternoon britain it's 1:37 and the world is becoming a more dangerous place . that's the more dangerous place. that's the assessment of donald trump, but also some more sober voices too. how can britain prepare ourselves for a dangerous decade ahead? we're delighted to be joined now by the chair of the foreign affairs select committee, alicia kearns, and alicia , this is a, i suppose, an alicia, this is a, i suppose, an introduction that i didn't want to have to make. perhaps several years ago. none of us thought that we'd be making. but there's a war in the middle east. war in europe, and threats from china . europe, and threats from china. how does britain stay resilient? so there's no question, as you say, the world is getting more dangerous. >> but you hit the nail on the

head. >> it is all about resiliency. >> it is all about resiliency. >> and since i got elected, i've talked about none of us, none of us in the uk, you know, china hawks and others. >> we don't want war with other countries. >> what we want to do is protect ourselves from those hostile >> what we want to do is protect oursel�*whorom those hostile >> what we want to do is protect oursel�*who are those hostile >> what we want to do is protect oursel�*who are attacking.tile >> what we want to do is protect oursel�*who are attacking us, states who are attacking us, whether it be attacking people in our streets or trying to conduct assassinations, whether it be economics, whether it be trying inserttechnologies trying to insert technologies into our lives, whether it's trying to technology from into our lives, whether it's tryi or to technology from into our lives, whether it's tryi or whether technology from into our lives, whether it's tryi or whether technologformsl us, or whether it's other forms of in a form of warfare. we are in a form of warfare at times . it's just warfare at all times. it's just very different from what we're used to . although as we've seen used to. although as we've seen the east and ukraine, the the middle east and ukraine, the threat real, full on war as threat of real, full on war as we are used to in the history books still ever present. books is still ever present. alicia been hearing from alicia we've been hearing from some senior figures in the army, former heads of the army, and also conservative mps about potentially the need for conscription in about potentially bringing back national service. >> what's your view on all of that? is that something that actually could be a reality if

these threats don't go away? >> i think we have to plan for all eventualities and that is what the job of our military and our politicians is to do. but actually for a very long time, about eight years now, i've been saying that we all need to recognise that we have a response ability to our state. >> we have responsibility to >> we have a responsibility to hold accountable for >> we have a responsibility to hold we accountable for >> we have a responsibility to hold we choose ccountable for >> we have a responsibility to hold we choose t0)untable for >> we have a responsibility to hold we choose to engage for >> we have a responsibility to hold we choose to engage in r >> we have a responsibility to hold we choose to engage in the what we choose to engage in the narratives we choose to support. >> we've seen it the >> we've seen it with the houthis recently. >> people out in our streets presenting them as freedom fighters. >> you have a duty, whether it comes to something as small as what you choose to retweet all the way through to what you consider for consider to be security for yourself, loved ones, and yourself, your loved ones, and the technologies and the programs, technologies and activities to engage in. >> we all have a responsibility towards our shared security and no civilian can opt out of it. >> isn't a choice. >> it isn't a choice. >> threats to our country >> now. threats to our country don't the military don't only occur in the military sphere , they also occur in the sphere, they also occur in the information sphere through our . information sphere through our. media and our democracy. and yesterday you asked an urgent question in the house of commons

over the potential sale of the telegraph media group . are you telegraph media group. are you satisfied with where the government is on this crucial issue ? issue? >> not as yet, because i want them to take into account the national security considerations. >> you hit the nail on the head. actually, sometimes the most insidious or brutal battle is over. >> oven >> what the truth is or what the truth are. enemies want to see projected into our countries, into our screens, into our homes. the discussions at homes. are the discussions at our kitchen tables. we have an issue here where it's not about foreign purchases. >> it's about foreign state owning . our media. the media is useful. >> well, no, you hold me to account. you hold parliament to account. you hold parliament to account. you hold foreign governments to account. >> are of our press >> we are proud of our press freedoms country and freedoms in this country and when we are talking about a foreign state owning a paper of note that magazine the note that oldest magazine in the world, separate, shake world, you can't separate, shake and for me is and state. and that for me is a fundamental problem any . fundamental problem for any. country to own it, let alone one that has very different values. when it comes to media freedoms. >> now i want to ask . you

>> now i want to ask. you a story that's in the times today about how iranian dissidents are living in fear in this country. the counter—terrorism police are warning that there could be an increased risk of violence and also kidnapping . how big increased risk of violence and also kidnapping. how big a threat is this in this country? who are these people? who are the threat so autocratic states iran , north korea, iran, but iran, north korea, iran, but russia and iran and china in particular. >> there is nothing more. they hate than their former citizens going to other countries and enjoying the freedoms that we have for them to call out these hostile states for their activities . activities. >> it's amazing how thin skinned autocratic are given autocratic countries are given the control and crackdowns they put place . so there is no put in place. so there is no question m15 came out 18 months ago and said, we are seeing assassinations on our soil. we're attempted we're seeing attempted kidnappings, course , intimidation. >> is reality . >> this is a reality. >> this is a reality. >> the autocratic states will not allow any criticism of them. and like putin, he has many and it's like putin, he has many enemies around the world, but there is no one he hates more or

will hunt down more than a russian who he believes has betrayed the motherland and particularly him. >> so , yes, it is very common. >> however, who they are targeting is not british citizens, although some of course have dual citizenship, but they targeting those who but they are targeting those who have fled from their country's, just as we saw with the manchester the manchester consulate, where the manchester consulate, where the manchester consul—general from china brutal pleased hong kong as so much so they had to be hospitalised and just finally alicia kearns . alicia kearns. >> this is, of course, the fourth anniversary of the united kingdom leaving the european union four years ago today. in your view, how has that changed how britain approaches foreign affairs ? affairs? >> it's given us a lot more freedom. i am unapologetic in my vote for us to leave the european union and the fundamentals of my view on that were shaped by foreign policy. it is complete nonsense that the eu provides our security or our defence, or protects us in any way. >> it is all about five eyes and it's about nato. >> outside of the eu. we would

be far more aggressive in our support to ukraine, and that is why when with president why when i meet with president zelenskyy, there is no he zelenskyy, there is no one he thanks britain as thanks more than britain as having been the leading voice, whether tanks or whether it came from tanks or whether it came from tanks or whether came to weapons or whether it came to weapons or whether it came to weapons or whether it came to weapons or whether it came to standing by their side. ukraine was able to be aggressive step be more aggressive and step forward, world, forward, more lead the world, but like the but also places like the balkans, where being outside of the process, which is the eu process, which is sclerotic, unbalanced and essentially captured by vested interests of eu member states , interests of eu member states, we have been able to deploy more troops to kosovo we are troops to kosovo and we are standing up for their interests and doing everything we can to prevent more warfare breaking out in europe, alicia . out in europe, alicia. >> sorry. just lastly, it hasn't helped us control borders helped us control our borders though. it seems, and that can be the lens of a be viewed through the lens of a national security threat, a legal migration still through the roof , the still the roof, the boats still crossing . crossing. >> there's no question we need to further on illegal to go further on illegal migration. don't anyone migration. i don't think anyone disputes that, have been disputes that, but we have been able bring a points based disputes that, but we have been able whicha points based disputes that, but we have been able which gives|ts based disputes that, but we have been able which gives usbased disputes that, but we have been able which gives us more system which gives us more control comes in control over who comes in legally. that's what want legally. that's what people want to on illegal

to see. and on illegal migration, often there is a reality that the french are not, in my opinion, doing all they can. think unfortunately, can. and i think unfortunately, some is overhang some of that is an overhang of their frustration their opinion and frustration that eu. but we are that we left the eu. but we are doing. how much more do we need to do? we are giving the french more we're giving more money. we're giving them support. people on support. we have put people on the need to tackle the ground. we do need to tackle illegal migration. every conservative committed to conservative mp is committed to making those numbers making sure we get those numbers down it is a down because yes, it is a security threat . but this isn't security threat. but this isn't a of brexit. is a failing of brexit. this is a reality that countries around the world are facing in and out of do need of the eu. but we do need to come with solution . come up with a solution. >> we've covered an >> well, we've covered an absolutely huge amount of territory there. kearns territory there. alicia kearns really appreciate it. thank you so for your time. the chair so much for your time. the chair of affairs select of the foreign affairs select committee, of course. >> , we are now joined in >> well, we are now joined in the gb senior the studio by gb news senior political commentator nigel nelson and the criminal barrister former barrister and former conservative mp jerry hayes . conservative mp jerry hayes. well, we covered a lot there where to begin? >> well, she didn't rule out conscription, did she ? conscription, did she? >> she didn't. >> she didn't. >> she didn't rule it out. >> she didn't rule it out. >> that's interesting of course it's a mad idea, but she didn't

rule it out. what do you think they're buttering us up for war? no i think it's a lot of scare talk. you think it's a lot of scare talk? >> the army have always been against subscription conscription, they? conscription, haven't they? >> been. they? >> yeah, because they want a professional army . professional army. >> they don't teach people to read and write. >> always, always been small. in the united kingdom, the navy on the united kingdom, the navy on the hand, we had press the other hand, we had press gangs taking drugs out of pubs and putting them onto 17th century warships. oh go back there. >> do you know? >> do you know? >> perhaps not. >> perhaps not. >> oh, i think lee anderson might . yes. he'd be there with might. yes. he'd be there with his cosh. >> the whole point of national service. and it's a reasonable debate to have of um, but if you look at what happened at the time, the reason you needed it back in the is that we had back in the 50s is that we had huge commitments around the world. was end empire , world. it was the end of empire, so troops in africa, so we needed troops in africa, asia, um , uh, middle east. and asia, um, uh, middle east. and we don't need them now. now um, the downside of conscription back then was that it took 2

million young men out of the workforce. exactly. >> and off the unemployment figures. >> yeah, yeah. but the most important thing was that that, um, post—war reconstruction was then hampered because of that. should you take 2 million men and women out of the workforce now , where are we going to get now, where are we going to get economic growth from ? economic growth from? >> that's true. and we have a million vacancies in our economy right now. but we do also have a lot people twiddling their lot of people twiddling their thumbs benefits . thumbs on unemployment benefits. fitz, i do want to move this on, though because heard alicia though, because we heard alicia kearns rather kearns there be really rather positive from a foreign affairs perspective about what brexit has terms of the uk's has done in terms of the uk's freedom of movement , isn't for freedom of movement, isn't for want of a better. well, that's been a success, isn't it? in terms of terms of how our terms of in terms of how our foreign affairs can be more flexible , not tied to the eu flexible, not tied to the eu support ukraine more fervently deployed troops in kosovo without asking. please and thank you all the rest of it. does she have a point? >> not really. no. uh you know, look, we're still dependent on the united states of america. we

always will be dependent if you get like trump in. we've always will be dependent if you get serious like trump in. we've always will be dependent if you get serious trouble rump in. we've always will be dependent if you get serious trouble because we've always will be dependent if you get serious trouble because he 've got serious trouble because he doesn't believe in nato. got serious trouble because he doewell,elieve in nato. got serious trouble because he doewell,elieve ithink o. got serious trouble because he doewell, elieve ithink that's true. >> well, that's what he says. true. >> no, l, that's what he says. true. >> no, he 1at's what he says. true. >> no, he didn't'hat he says. true. >> no, he didn't say he says. true. >> no, he didn't say that. ys. >> no, he didn't say that. >> no, he didn't say that. >> he say then? >> what did he say then? >> what did he say then? >> well, he said he wanted to that he remove these that he would remove these states from if other if states from nato if other if other countries didn't cough up states from nato if other if other cash tries didn't cough up states from nato if other if other cash .ies didn't cough up more cash. >> oh yeah. he's got a he's, he's got a he's a good point he's got a he's got a good point there because we're coughing up an lot of cash. an awful lot of cash. >> no friend of nato. >> but he's no friend of nato. he's absolutely clear he's made it absolutely clear and a gift putin. and it's a gift to putin. >> anyway the >> but anyway that's the americans to sort out not for us. >> us. >> but isn't it true that the united kingdom been able to united kingdom has been able to some ahead of the some extent, lead ahead of the united states, ahead of european countries with, for example, fervent support for ukraine getting those in law over the shoulder , the sort of anti—tank shoulder, the sort of anti—tank weapons across us doing that, even if we only send a few others , then want to follow, others, then want to follow, we're sort of that spearhead of that effort. >> yeah, i don't disagree with that, but that's nothing to do with it's got absolutely >> no, it's got absolutely nothing with brexit. nothing to do with brexit. >> i mean, you know, i think

it's that we do it's quite right that we do that. that is quite right. we're leading but you leading the way there. but you have actually divorce that have to actually divorce that away from the whole brexit thing. started thing. that where you started from on brexit was that if from on, on brexit was that if you you voted for brexit you if you voted for brexit because you wanted british sovereignty on the basis that working on the great slogan that dominic cummings came up with, take back control. if that's why you voted for brexit, then you got what you wanted. the point about from remainers like myself was that that came with an economic cost and we are clearly paying economic cost and we are clearly paying that cost now. food pnces paying that cost now. food prices are higher, families are paying prices are higher, families are paying about £250 a year, more than they would have done if cheaper than food in much of the eu, though. yeah, all that is true. but i mean, if you just take the figures there that that um, uh , food has gone up in this um, uh, food has gone up in this country 25% since 2019. um, out of that, about 8% of that is down to brexit. so food is more

expensive than it need be. much of its energy. >> to be fair, much of its energy cost. >> but gb news has an investigation out today on brexit, and we have escaped more than 200,000 pages of eu laws since brexit. a huge amount of eu bureaucracy . eu bureaucracy. >> oh, you mean we haven't banned them? >> we've just escaped them. >> we've just escaped them. >> but this is what we want to been added to our laws and regulations. if we had remained in do think it's in the eu, do you think it's a good to have that much , uh, good idea to have that much, uh, regulation coming from the european union? i know you're a you're remainer. you're a big remainer. >> well, i'm a democrat, >> well, well, i'm a democrat, but the public have made it. >> yeah. well, yeah . no, no, i >> yeah. well, yeah. no, no, i just do crime. i just do crime. i don't do any of the eu stuff. >> are you prosecute crime. you don't do crime . um, yeah. don't do crime. um, yeah. >> yeah. no tom. no. i'm prosecute and defend an exclusive . yeah. no, nigel. exclusive. yeah. no, nigel. >> it is a serious point, though, that as as the uk has left the eu, sometimes the benefit s are less quantifiable

because the eu has continuing continued moving on a conveyor belt . we've stood still. the eu belt. we've stood still. the eu has moved on. this conveyor belt. they've piled on all of these new laws. so it's not necessarily going to get a headline. we've repealed this law, we've repealed that law, but these laws haven't been appued but these laws haven't been applied as eu applied to us. as the eu has continued journey, continued on this journey, 200,000 pages of paperwork haven't been applied to us. >> what was that eu guidance we read day ? the eu read the other day? the eu gendered guidance telling us that we can't use words like, oh, that's ridiculous, that is, mastered it because, oh, that's ridiculous . ridiculous. >> so i don't think that was a regulation. >> this is what people in the eu commission are spending their time on. know, are so commission are spending their time (people know, are so commission are spending their time (people insane, are so commission are spending their time (people insane, insanee so many people insane, insane within this 200,000 pages. >> there's quite within this 200,000 pages. >> laws there's quite within this 200,000 pages. >> laws thatere's quite within this 200,000 pages. >> laws that we; quite within this 200,000 pages. >> laws that we might quite within this 200,000 pages. >> laws that we might have, good laws that we might have, like , missed out we're still like, missed out on. we're still using the 48 hour week, the 48 hour which was hour working week, which was which europe. there's which came from europe. there's a of opposition here a lot of lot of opposition here at the time . so it obviously at the time. so it obviously depends on what those eu laws are. >> eu directives is okay. one example is a ruling on gender balance to listed companies. so

essentially businesses, big businesses, uh , will have to businesses, uh, will have to move towards a quota of 40% of women in the top management jobs. >> we've got that in the equalities act. you've got that in the equalities act. >> you have a 40% quota. no but we have quotas. >> they look at quotas. >> they look at quotas. >> exactly. yeah, exactly. >> exactly. yeah, exactly. >> it's english law. >> it's english law. >> so why would do we need the eu decide these things. eu to decide these things. >> decided and we >> well we've decided and we agree with them. that's the silliness of it all. >> thing this. >> same thing with this. >> same thing with this. >> it is of eu. so none >> it is of the eu. so? so none of things apply. but of those things will apply. but as gerry says, yes, we do have our own laws that. our own laws for that. and surely not? it a surely is it not? is it not a good to have as more women good thing to have as more women as possible in higher positions? yes. >> although isn't one of the except in broadcast news that, for the party for example, the labour party has short lists has found is that short lists and quotas have perhaps devalued the role of women who are there and people ask questions. is this person here because they're the best person for the job, or are they here because they fill are they here because they fill a quota? >> yeah, that's right. yeah, but that wasn't the question. >> we're saying we've

>> what we're saying is we've actually this law. i mean, >> what we're saying is we've actlnotr this law. i mean, >> what we're saying is we've actlnot european. law. i mean, it's not european. >> i'd like to see the right person get the right job. yeah, well, down political well, it comes down to political kind shortlists all kind of kind of shortlists all all black shortlists, all women shortlists for elections . big shortlists for elections. big mistake. i don't like them. no. that's wrong. that is actually do you think you justified that kind of quota law saying don't have more women. >> we were saying that we yes we do. >> good women in good jobs, but we also want meritocracy. >> yeah. what what we were saying was there are equalities laws try reach that kind laws to try and reach that kind of . the question is, of quota. the question is, if you list there where you have a list there where somebody i mean, i'm talking about the democratic process rather than in the boardroom . i rather than in the boardroom. i don't think that you should have an all women shortlist for candidates for an election. >> right ? candidates for an election. >> right? right. >> right? right. >> do you think it's one of the reasons why the labour party has never had woman leader? the never had a woman leader? the fact that they many more fact that they got so many more female mps through a quota, perhaps that's devalued the sense that women mps in the labour party are. and i know lots of them are very, very

brilliant people, very, very clever do think clever people. but do you think that the sense that the quota. >> yeah. >> yeah. >> for, for women, quite >> for, for women, they're quite for women. >> they're going with it. >> they're going with it. >> it's for women . they're quite >> it's for women. they're quite clever . clever. >> some of them are terrible, but also lots of the men are too, in all parties. >> in all parties. >> in all parties. >> um, no. i think that the, that the labour party is next leader will be a woman. mm >> wes streeting , um, >> um, we wes streeting, um, well, streeting is certainly well, wes streeting is certainly in the frame there, but i think it'd be difficult for it'd be very difficult for angela rayner, you think? angela rayner, do you think? >> it's more likely >> no, i think it's more likely to rachel reeves. to be rachel reeves. >> nigel, i want to to you >> nigel, i want to talk to you later rachel and later about rachel reeves and her on banks her flip flopping on banks bonuses or the cap on bankers bonuses. she said it's an outrage that liz truss has got rid of this. she's so out of touch. and then hang on. turns out she's going to change out she's not going to change that policy. she's going to keep , going to keep the , uh, she's going to keep the scrap bankers bonuses. scrap on bankers bonuses. so there you go. >> i'm looking forward to >> well, i'm looking forward to that of course, that conversation. of course, we'll be having much, more we'll be having much, much more in these in the next hour after these messages .

messages. >> looks like things are heating up. boxt boilers, sponsors of weather on gb news . up. boxt boilers, sponsors of weather on gb news. i'm alex deakin. >> this is your latest weather update from the met office for gb news very wild day across parts of northern scotland. gusty winds and some heavy rain as well. further south it's largely dry and cloudy thanks to high pressure, but this deepening area of pressure, deepening area of low pressure, named norwegian weather named by the norwegian weather service. look the isobars service. look at the isobars really squeezing together winds across north today, 70, across the far north today, 70, maybe 80 miles an hour, perhaps even 85 miles an hour. but gusty winds further south across northern northern northern england, northern ireland, central and southern scotland could reach 60 to possibly even 65 miles an hour as well. those kind of winds likely to cause some travel disruption, some flying debris and heavy rain sinking and a band of heavy rain sinking south much of the south south as well. much of the south bar a bit of drizzle in the far southwest, be just dry and southwest, will be just dry and cloudy and still quite mild here. the winds will pick up a little as rain sinks little bit as the rain sinks southwards, so a of damp

southwards, so a spell of damp and blustery weather for a time through evening over england through the evening over england and the winds steadily and wales. the winds steadily easing evening over easing this evening over northern scotland, but still quite night with plenty quite a windy night with plenty of coming in here. of showers coming in here. elsewhere and elsewhere it'll turn dry and clear and temperatures will drop to around or celsius, to around about 3 or 4 celsius, so pockets of frost perhaps so some pockets of frost perhaps in some rural spots onto in in some rural spots onto thursday generally a calmer day. still quite windy in northern scotland plenty scotland. still plenty of showers certainly early showers here. certainly early on, but many will have a dry day on, but many will have a dry day on reasonably bright on thursday. reasonably bright as well, certainly across england wales. as well, certainly across england wales . we'll see england and wales. we'll see some hazy sunshine and then more wet weather comes into wet and windy weather comes into the later the northwest later on. temperatures average temperatures close to average getting colder than today in the south. >> that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers , sponsors of boxt boilers, sponsors of weather on gb news .

good afternoon britain. >> it's 2:00 on wednesday. the 3ist >> it's 2:00 on wednesday. the 31st of january. labour youturn shadow chancellor rachel reeves comes under criticism as she announces she will not reverse the government's decision to scrap the cap on bankers bonuses, despite having argued against the policy as being completely out of touch. >> hmm'hmm bbc cover up newly released documents show martin bashir blamed his class and his race for the scandal. >> around the interview with the

late princess diana . why did the late princess diana. why did the bbc try to cover these documents up ? up? >> and sturgeon under pressure? nicola sturgeon has apologised for deleting covid related whatsapp messages after telling the covid inquiry that she was not aware she should have kept them. she went to on claim she does not recall receiving an email, the importance does not recall receiving an enkeeping the importance does not recall receiving an enkeeping any the importance does not recall receiving an enkeeping any messages rtance does not recall receiving an enkeeping any messages relating of keeping any messages relating to covid. but do you believe . her? yes >> we'll be crossing live to the covid inquiry in edinburgh in a little bit later in the programme because nick la sturgeon has been appearing there and i think she's escaped a lot of criticism . um, there a lot of criticism. um, there was widespread media coverage for when boris johnson was, was perhaps mislaying some whatsapps that was widespread media criticism . um, when dominic criticism. um, when dominic cummings appeared before that

committee to yet. nicola sturgeon seems to have lost all of her whatsapp messages , as of her whatsapp messages, as she's extraordinarily forgetful. >> but tom, she's been holding back the tears, choking back the tears at the covid inquiry are you saying those are crocodile tears? i'm not alleging anything of anyone. >> i just think for someone who is clearly a gifted communicator, clearly a highly intelligent woman, it's remarkable how forgetful she seems to be and how she seems to know everything about everything in scotland, apart from the specific emails from the covid inquiry telling her to retain her whatsapp messages, she accidentally deletes them. it's remarkable. i wonder if she accidentally deleted that email . accidentally deleted that email. a level a level of cognitive dissonance. i've never seen someone so sharp, so on the detail. one of the big criticisms with boris he was criticisms with boris is he was so scatterbrained and all over the place. no wonder he sort the place. no, no wonder he sort of had some whatsapp messages going. but nicola she going. but nicola sturgeon, she knew why knew every single detail. why did her messages missing? am did her messages go missing? am i thinking that there i right in thinking that there may be some evidence in the

messages seen she messages we have seen that she wanted from uk policy wanted to divert from uk policy for the sake of the independence campaign. she wanted to have an argument with the uk government. the only reason we get to see those messages is because they're on the of people those messages is because theymessaged, of people those messages is because theymessaged, of )f people those messages is because theymessaged, of heraople those messages is because theymessaged, of her owns she messaged, not of her own phone, because you can't delete whatsapp off someone whatsapp messages off someone else's phone. if only she'd have known that. well, we'll get more on that after your headlines with sam . with sam. >> tom. emily, thank you very much . good afternoon from the gb much. good afternoon from the gb newsroom. the headlines just after 2:00, the labour leader says that rishi sunak has crashed the economy and is going to max out the government's credit card. that was as he spoke at prime minister's questions earlier, where sir keir starmer continued to mock the prime minister of . after the prime minister of. after conservative mp george freeman quit because he was struggling to pay his mortgage. sir keir says that for every £2 the government gives people, it takes back £10 in higher taxes

and mortgages. but rishi sunak fought back, saying the government is supporting people, and claimed that mortgage applications are at a multi—month high. >> mr speaker , one of the most >> mr speaker, one of the most difficult experiences for any member of this house is speaking to those at the sharp end of this government's cost of living crisis. so nobody could fail to be moved by the plight of the member . for be moved by the plight of the member. for mid—norfolk, his mortgage has gone up £1,200 a month. he's been forced to quit his dream job to pay for it. a tory mp counting the cost of tory mp counting the cost of tory chaos after 14 years. have we finally discovered what they meant when they said we're all in this together? >> thanks to the mortgage charter that the chancellor introduced last year, millions of mortgage holders across the country are benefiting from support with their mortgages because it's important rather than take the approach that the honourable gentleman just did is actually focus on the practical

support help people support in place to help people who do need help, and someone on a typical mortgage is able to now save hundreds of pounds. thanks to those reforms. >> other news, the home >> well, in other news, the home secretary says that the number of asylum seekers likely to be sent to rwanda under the £240 million scheme could be quite low. it comes as james cleverly answered questions at the home affairs committee this morning. mr cleverly told mps there that he couldn't say how many of the 33,000 people identified as potentially eligible would be sent to rwanda if flights do get off the ground, he said the total could be nearly at that figure , but said it could also figure, but said it could also be smaller if other work to reduce channel boat crossings is successful . meanwhile gb news successful. meanwhile gb news understands that several migrants have been rescued after their boat got into difficulties in the english channel. they were attempting to cross from france in poor weather conditions. lifeboats from doven conditions. lifeboats from dover, dungeness and hastings were called to the scene earlier

this morning for other boats. did make the crossing successfully with around 200 people being brought ashore to dover by border force vessels. that means that so far this yean that means that so far this year, around 1200 migrants have crossed to the uk. that's roughly the same number as this time last year. roughly the same number as this time last year . the government time last year. the government has now published the details of its deal with the dup, which guarantees northern ireland unlimited access for trade with the rest of the uk . the the rest of the uk. the agreement sets the stage for the return of power sharing in northern ireland, after the dup withdrew almost two years ago. the new deal will also see a package of more than £3 billion to support public services in northern ireland. the new laws are expected to be debated in parliament tomorrow . nicola parliament tomorrow. nicola sturgeon has said that there is a large part of her that wished she hadn't been first minister dunng she hadn't been first minister during the covid pandemic. it comes as she gives evidence at the official inquiry amid ongoing scrutiny over the deletion of her whatsapp

messages . the former first messages. the former first minister admitted deleting the messages but said she was acting in line with scottish government policy by not saving them to her devices . miss sturgeons also devices. miss sturgeons also said the scottish government would sometimes have to air issues in public to push the uk government to shift its position . on the government has refused to rule out relying on imported steel after the planned closure of blast furnaces at port talbot , executives from tata steel have been questioned in westminster. this morning on those plans, with up to 2800 jobs at risk, the company says it's moving to a more environmental friendly production of steel , which production of steel, which requires fewer staff . however, requires fewer staff. however, workers have been staging protests outside parliament today to warn of the impact of the closures on the local community, their jobs and the welsh economy. we and finally, patients can now get treatment for seven common conditions without having to see a gp

that's under a shake up of pharmacy services . nhs england pharmacy services. nhs england says more than 90% of community pharmacies across the country have agreed to offer the scheme. the health secretary victoria atkins, says the measure will take pressure off of doctors for those seven conditions. >> they can pop to their pharmacy. the sooner we will see a real change to gp appointments and of course this is on top of the investment that the government has put in to help with things like telephone services across gp appointments, which meant that this year we met our manifesto pledge to create 50 million more gp appointments. this since 2019. and what that means in practical terms is 44 appointments, new appointments, more appointments appointments, more appointments a day in your average gp practice and for the latest stories, you can sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen now, or go to . gbillionews.com/alerts.

to. gbillionews.com/alerts. >> good afternoon britain. it's 2:08 and the labour party is making a play for the city of london today with pro—business policies. however, the shadow chancellor, rachel reeves, has come under criticism as she announces she will not reverse the government's decision to scrap the cap on bankers bonuses. this, despite having argued against the policy as being completely out of touch . being completely out of touch. >> yes, she was a very critical of liz truss and kwasi kwartengs decision to scrap that cap, she said. it was outrage during a cost of living crisis, totally out of touch. but she's changed her tune somewhat anyway. at the same time, the labour party is concerned that they are losing support among british muslim voters seats over voters in key target seats over the party's position on the israel gaza conflict. >> as the general election >> but as the general election approaches , what is keir approaches, what is keir starmer's game plan? he's miles aheadin starmer's game plan? he's miles ahead in the polls. will it stay

that way ? let's talk to one man that way? let's talk to one man who knows the inside of the labour party and literally wrote the book on spin. former spin doctor and labour insider paul richards joins us now. and paul, it's fascinating to see there are some wobbles along the way. keir starmer has had a lot of criticism for u. turning on policy and yet he's still miles aheadin policy and yet he's still miles ahead in the polls. is there a risk that as more voters pay attention, those polls narrow? i think the polls will narrow . think the polls will narrow. >> but labour's strategy is to reach deep into former conservative territory and to win over the centre ground. >> and that's why things like bankers bonuses and a range of other pro—business policies are being rolled out this week because they know that the next government is up for grabs. i think that the country has fallen out of love with the current government, hasn't quite made his mind up about who they want to be the government, want to be the next government, and labour party and that's what the labour party is all about for the next six months so, doesn't really

months or so, doesn't really create image trust that create an image of trust that you can trust in the labour party, though, does it? >> i mean, the shadow chancellor, she was so . critical chancellor, she was so. critical of liz truss and kwasi kwarteng when they made this decision to scrap the bonus. the bankers bonus cap and now saying, oh no , bonus cap and now saying, oh no, we won't get rid of it. we won't reinstate the cap. i mean, and then it goes to the 28 billion on these green schemes. that doesn't look like it's happening. or maybe it will. i'm not sure people know where exactly the labour party are on key issues as well. >> on the big issues of the economy. you know, i think the things are clear. and on crime and law and order, the nhs, the things that matter to people, i'm there's so much i'm afraid there's so much policy can spend day policy you can spend a day reading it if you wanted to, and these missions that keir set out are clear as well. these missions that keir set out are i clear as well. these missions that keir set out are i mean, .ear as well. these missions that keir set out are i mean, iar as well. these missions that keir set out are i mean, i thinkwell. these missions that keir set out are i mean, i think we l. these missions that keir set out are i mean, i think we have to >> i mean, i think we have to reserve the right to change our mind reserve the right to change our mirand we saw with liz truss and >> and we saw with liz truss and maybe even with jeremy corbyn, the dangers of having a fixed position, irrespective of the facts reality and just

facts and reality and just ploughing on regardless because that lead you into very dark that can lead you into very dark places that the electorate reject. >> so i think, yeah, obviously there's going to be a certain fleetness foot but fleetness of foot here, but rachel is brilliant. >> she's brilliant economist. >> i mean, she is brilliant at uh, the understanding the uh, at the understanding the economy, but also getting what people in terms of just people need in terms of just everyday life and jobs and the cost of living and mortgages and the rest. and i think she'll be a brilliant chancellor for that. >> you do have >> but, you know, you do have occasionally change your mind, right, facts change. occasionally change your mind, rigipaul facts change. occasionally change your mind, rigipaul , facts change. occasionally change your mind, rigipaul , have cts change. occasionally change your mind, rigipaul , have the :hange. occasionally change your mind, rigipaul , have the factse. occasionally change your mind, rigipaul , have the facts really >> paul, have the facts really changed? you've changed? i mean, you've you've worked of worked in the heart of government. know how these government. you know how these decisions are made what is decisions are made and what is said is thought. said versus what is thought. i've sneaking suspicion i've got a sneaking suspicion that reeves never really that rachel reeves never really liked the eu bankers bonus cap . liked the eu bankers bonus cap. i think rachel reeves perhaps always thought that this was a cap on ambition , an a cap on cap on ambition, an a cap on economic growth imposed on one of our most important sectors in the uk economy. the city of london. and yet , the uk economy. the city of london. and yet, perhaps an

opposition politician sees it as an easy way to bash the government . but then when that government. but then when that politician thinks , oh gosh, it politician thinks, oh gosh, it looks like i'm about to get in government, that sort of decision tree changes from going from being a sort of campaign donor to being someone who thinks, gosh, policy actually matters . matters. >> well, there's nothing in that, tom, that i disagree with. i think that's exactly what is going on as a labour gets near a government, it's starting to be the grown up room. the grown up in the room. >> it's thinking in genuine terms the plans it terms about what the plans it would be in place in year are. >> um, it's got the talks starting the service. starting with the civil service. now, these talks where the now, these these talks where the behind scenes are behind the scenes plans are crunched the people crunched through by the people who'll be implementing them. >> to form >> if labour were to form a government. i did start the interview, by saying interview, though, by saying it's done want it's not a done deal. i want to just that believe just stress that i don't believe these massive poll leads . i've these massive poll leads. i've been around long enough to remember they can melt away remember how they can melt away like in the sun, so it's like snow in the sun, so it's still all to play for. >> paul, what would you advise? uh keir starmer and the labour

party, the labour party machine, about issue with the muslim about this issue with the muslim vote. it's very clear that a lot of muslims in this country are not at all pleased with keir starmer's stance when it comes to israel, gaza not calling for a ceasefire. that's the main sticking point here, not calling for a ceasefire . you've had for a ceasefire. you've had numbers of frontbenchers leaving their positions because of this. you've now got a potential muslim candidate standing against labour candidates in some key seats . some key seats. >> i mean, it is it's a very divisive issue , israel palestine divisive issue, israel palestine and it has been for as long as i've been in politics, which is 40 years. >> um , my main message would be, >> um, my main message would be, though, no such thing as though, there's no such thing as the muslim vote. i mean, the muslims in the uk come muslims who live in the uk come from kinds different, uh, from all kinds of different, uh, backgrounds have backgrounds and different have different economic stakes in society and, you know, different professions . professions. >> um, and that vote is not a block that you can just wield from one way or to the other.

it's i think it's really dangerous thinking on that point. >> paul. i'm sorry to interrupt you. we've been speaking to people in bradford today, quite a highly muslim populated area. should we have a listen to what they had to say? >> sure. the picture is quite cloudy, but i do know one thing, which is that irrespective of people's political views, i think issues should think the humanity issues should override is the override that which is the treatment people in a manner treatment of people in a manner that's humane is what should take priority, at least in my view . view. >> well, i didn't even vote. i didn't even know what pro even is. i didn't even vote for labourin is. i didn't even vote for labour in there. >> man. i'm palestine, i vote for palestine. >> just some voices on the street there in bradford . do you street there in bradford. do you think that it's going to be seats like that? of course. bradford is an area that george galloway won against the labour party in the coalition years . party in the coalition years. uh, could that be a problem ? uh, could that be a problem? >> um, well, i think people like galloway and other demagogic figures are going to try and stoke up division over this . i

stoke up division over this. i mean, there are people who see the global politics as an opportunity to stir up trouble domestically , and we've seen domestically, and we've seen that before in certain seats. >> but as i say, there's not a block to be wielded. but also, i think when people, if they happen to be of muslim faith, get near an election and start to think about the nhs and their job and businesses and the holes in the roads, then maybe they'll think, well, yes, i do care deeply about a palestinian state, but maybe, well, clearly the party is clearly the the labour party is clearly the labour is more concerned labour party is more concerned about this than you perhaps are. >> they're commissioning private polling on muslim voters. they are very worried, uh, that that are very worried, uh, that that a lot of muslim voters aren't happy with the labour party and that they may vote this decision may decide their vote, this issue may decide vote, issue may decide their vote, but thank you very indeed. paul thank you very much indeed. paul richards, labour insider richards, a labour insider and former . there you go. >> really interesting . relaxed >> really interesting. relaxed about it, to be honest, if i was 25 points ahead in the polls, i'd fairly well. i'd be fairly relaxed as well. but you know, things can change and there are , what, nine or so

and there are, what, nine or so months to go. as we've been months to go. but as we've been discussing , it's four years to discussing, it's four years to the day since the uk left the european union , politicians have european union, politicians have been spinning their own stories. yes, the labour party , of yes, the labour party, of course, highlights the uk's economic stagnation. >> they say , and the tories >> they say, and the tories point to the uk outgrowing countries like germany since the uk left eu. uk left the eu. >> labour insists it will renegotiate the brexit deal next yearifit renegotiate the brexit deal next year if it wins power, and the tories say this is simply keir starmer's plan to undo brexit entirely, taking the country back to square one now health minister andrea leadsom made the pro—brexit case to gb news earlier today. >> uk has gone up the rankings in world trade organisation terms. we've signed up to this massive trans—pacific partnership and in the health space, as i say, our own medicines agency means we're able to look at medicines regulations much faster under our own control. it meant we were able to come out of lockdown sooner because were lockdown sooner because we were able to vaccinate our population

and what that meant is that we grew our economy faster. and what that meant is that we grew our economy faster . you grew our economy faster. you know, if you look at many eu nafions know, if you look at many eu nations , they've been in nations, they've been in recession over the last year or two. the uk hasn't. >> andrea leadsom, speaking to us a little bit earlier, quite a lot earlier this morning. let's get more on this now. and speaking to the director of the uk changing europe think uk in a changing europe think tank, professor anand menon and anand, this is such a difficult issue because there have been so many different factors. we've had . we've had europe, had. we've had war in europe, we've had covid. what we say we've had covid. what can we say about how things have changed in the uk following brexit? >> well, there are loads of different issues, tom. >> i mean, for instance, and brexit as it always was, is about trade offs. >> for those people who think i want decisions taken in my country, i don't want to share decision making with other countries , then getting countries, then getting sovereignty back is a good in, in, in and of itself without worrying about the economics. >> equally, people who want us to be in control of immigration, we in control our we are in control of our

immigration policy. >> might not as >> now, that might not have as have gone the that some have gone the way that some leave wanted. leave voters wanted. >> leave voters don't >> a lot of leave voters don't feel we're control feel like we're in control of our migration policy. >> we know. >> we know. >> but but but you know, my point simply, if you believe point is simply, if you believe in sovereignty and control to a significant extent, brexit has achieved that. on the economics, the picture more mixed. the picture is more mixed. >> i think credible . >> i think most credible. economic analyses will point to the fact that, particularly when it comes to goods trade, uh, our trade is lower than we would have expected it to be, and that is certainly in large is almost certainly in large part you're part down to brexit. but you're absolutely the absolutely right. with the war in ukraine, with covid putting precise numbers on these things is virtually impossible . is virtually impossible. >> so it hasn't exactly been the economic armageddon, uh, that some people on remain side some people on the remain side of argued. it would be. of things argued. it would be. have we been more robust than some feared ? some feared? >> well, i think there's a combination of things. and i think the main thing is that those short tum treasury forecasts that george osborne's treasury put out in april 2016 were, frankly, just a little bit silly. >> uh, it was never going to be

a brexit cliff edge. it was always i mean, if you wanted a if a metaphor for if you want a metaphor for brexit, is a slow puncture. brexit, it is a slow puncture. and puncture means and what a slow puncture means is takes ages for the effects is it takes ages for the effects to be seen. and by the time you nofice to be seen. and by the time you notice the effect, you can't really where pick really remember where you pick them that that's them up. and i think that that's what's happening to the economy is there is there is very clear evidence. oh it looks like we've got a problem, not just with the british economy, but also with the telecommunications infrastructure in this country. >> i don't know if we should blame brexit for that or not. i don't think so. think that don't think so. i think that might be more to do with, uh, vladimir putin, i don't know. who which who do you want to blame? which villain? villain? who do you want to blame? which villtake villain? who do you want to blame? which villtake your villain? who do you want to blame? which villtake your villawhich villain who do you want to blame? which viwell,3 your villawhich villain who do you want to blame? which viwell, anyway, illawhich villain who do you want to blame? which viwell, anyway, it awhich villain who do you want to blame? which viwell, anyway, it wasich villain who do you want to blame? which viwell, anyway, it wasich viitoin ? well, anyway, it was good to speak to honoured men on, uh, when had him anyway. when we had him anyway. >> a nuanced >> but yes, i think a nuanced perspective there well. perspective there as well. not a disaster. but also perhaps perspective there as well. not a disastare but also perhaps perspective there as well. not a disastare someut also perhaps perspective there as well. not a disastare some things perhaps perspective there as well. not a disastare some things that aps perspective there as well. not a disastare some things that are there are some things that are that have become a bit harder, perhaps friction in perhaps a bit more friction in trade. you can mitigate trade. but you can mitigate those liberalisation those with more liberalisation in economy as well. in the economy as well. >> to jonathan porter's >> we spoke to jonathan porter's earlier was much earlier and, uh, he was much more and balanced more reasonable and balanced than uh , he used to be on

than he, uh, he used to be on this. he was very much anti—brexit voice. um, but he seems more sort of, you know, i think everyone pros and cons, pluses and minuses, ultimately control over your economy . control over your economy. >> more levers with which to play >> more levers with which to play means you can, uh, perhaps make the economy go better . it make the economy go better. it also means you could make the economy go worse, but you're in control . well, yes. control. well, yes. >> control, control, control . >> control, control, control. well, has it been worth it for you? gb views at gb news.com . you? gb views at gb news.com. but still to come, the former bbc journalist martin bashir is accusing the broadcaster of racism the scandal racism following the scandal around his infamous interview with the late princess diana. we'll find out more after the break. you're watching good afternoon britain

p.m. only on gb news, the people's channel, britain's news channel. >> well, it was one of the most controversial interviews to ever air. it was laden with mind blowing admissions and revelations that shocked the world. and. >> but martin bashir blamed race and class discrimination for the accusations he used forged documents to obtain this 1997 bombshell panorama . interview bombshell panorama. interview with the late princess diana. >> yes, this revelation has emerged after the bbc was forced by a court to make public over 3000 emails relating to that interview. the bbc had previously forked out over.

£150,000 for lawyers to keep the dossier of private emails firmly under wraps. >> well , this doesn't cover >> well, this doesn't cover anyone in a lot of glory , does anyone in a lot of glory, does it? joining us now to discuss this is royal commentator jennie bond, who of was the bond, who of course was the bbc's royal correspondent 14 bbc's royal correspondent for 14 years. to good see years. jennie, so to good see you this afternoon. i'm trying to get my head around this story. martin bashir clearly he did very wrong did something very, very wrong and then tried to cover it up by throwing allegations of racism around, but also the bbc kept him employed for many, many, many years. it doesn't seem like anyone is in the right. here >> no, it's complex and i don't know the answer to those. i left the bbc 20 years ago, but i was at the bbc and i was the bbc's royal correspondent when martin got this scoop and scoop. undoubtedly it was, but we now know it was obtained by illicit means, by forged documents . yes. means, by forged documents. yes. um, and now we learn from the

emails today that he feels that , emails today that he feels that, uh, he was the victim of some prejudice, some discrimination. um, i never met martin bashir. people probably be astonished that working in the same organisation . we never met then. organisation. we never met then. >> and i've never met him since. >> and i've never met him since. >> had that panorama >> i had no idea that panorama were sniffing around my patch as i regarded it as the bbc's royal correspondent. um, and that he was going for an interview at the very same time that i coincidentally, uh, was having long conversations with the princess, um, at kensington palace, just the two of us. and so when that bombshell of an interview came out on november the 20th, 1995, um, the world was astounded. i was i was surprised and shocked. but . surprised and shocked. but. i was not shocked by . what diana was not shocked by. what diana said, because five months earlier i had sat probably in the same room and had this long

conversation. i've got the notes still, uh, those notes taken on the day in which she says, um, she says there were always, from day one, three people the day one, three people in the marriage, she marriage, she means camilla. she says that says she now understands that the charles the relationship between charles and andis the relationship between charles and and is one of and camilla was and is one of true and always going true love. and was always going to than any marriage to be stronger than any marriage charles might have made. so she told me this sort of stuff. told me all this sort of stuff. then um, she didn't want to then um, but she didn't want to say camera. of course say it on camera. of course i asked her. um, but martin found ways means of persuading ways and means of persuading her very indeed get very interesting indeed to get your insight on that. >> jenny. he seems to have claimed that if he were white, there wouldn't have been such an uproar, such a scandal around the way he managed to get this interview. do you imagine there's any truth to that ? or is there's any truth to that? or is this just excuses? it's entitled to his own view and his own perception of how he was treated at the bbc. >> i do not know how he was treated. i do know that i was sitting along alongside on the reporters bench, for example, the george alagiah. um, and

the late george alagiah. um, and i don't think he would have made ever similar allegations as, um, mark in, as i say, is someone i don't know, but i am ashamed , don't know, but i am ashamed, um, that he worked for the bbc and wasn't true and honest in the way that i honestly, truly believe most. well . 99.9% of the believe most. well. 99.9% of the journalists at the bbc are are. um, i certainly always sought to maintain my integrity. and even as i say, diana told me all these things, she asked me to keep confidential between the keep it confidential between the two of us. so i did, and that's the way you behave , jenny. the way you behave, jenny. >> it's absolutely stunning seeing your notes there from conversation around the same time with the late princess diana. how does it make you feel as someone who at the time was on the royal beat for the bbc, having someone and someone who operated and acted and did their

job with integrity and honesty , job with integrity and honesty, to see someone who wasn't on the royal beat for the bbc to come onto your turf, but not only come onto your turf, but to lie and cheat their way through your turf to then get that big scoop that must have that must have hurt you . hurt you. >> yeah, i was, i was very annoyed. >> i could say something a bit stronger than that, but i was very annoyed. uh but all these years on now, we know that martin used this, this forgery to persuade diana. um i felt a bit better about it, you know that was not something i was ever going to do. but of course it was. it was annoying at the time . um, i asked diana, time. um, i asked diana, actually, about a year later, after panorama had another chat with her at the palace , and, um, with her at the palace, and, um, i said, why did you do that? and why didn't you call me? because i always you know, call me i always said, you know, call me if you want to go on camera . and i always said, you know, call me if y(told1nt to go on camera . and i always said, you know, call me if y(told me:o go on camera . and i always said, you know, call me if y(told me she» on camera . and i always said, you know, call me if y(told me she felt camera . and i always said, you know, call me if y(told me she felt thatara . and i always said, you know, call me if y(told me she felt that there .nd she told me she felt that there was a gagging order pending because the divorce was around the corner , and she felt that the corner, and she felt that was be a gagging order. was going to be a gagging order.

and was her to speak and now was her chance to speak up. was also very up. and she was also very nervous about, being bugged nervous about, uh, being bugged around the house. um, and, and probably her car and wherever she was. and i think those were the seeds of doubt that martin martin had implants in her. and one reason why she agreed to go ahead with it. >> and the bbc tried to, uh, block these documents from becoming available. they've been redacted and, uh, quite a bit of them. according to reports . uh, them. according to reports. uh, what does this say about the culture at the bbc? the accusation of cover up, something going wrong there ? something going wrong there? >> well, something clearly has gone very wrong . um, as i say, gone very wrong. um, as i say, i have worked for the for bbc years and years. um, i have no idea why they redacted, but this is common practice, isn't it? when people forced a when people are forced by a court of issue documents, court of law to issue documents, they particularly they don't particularly want to issue, know, there issue, i don't know, maybe there are private personal details about members of staff or about other members of staff or indeed about martin that that

shouldn't be in the public domain. i don't know, i wish that it was all just clear, aboveboard because, see, everything that said to everything that was said one to another. but not how the another. but that's not how the world unfortunately. world works, unfortunately. >> jennie it's been >> well, jennie bond, it's been an absolute pleasure to speak to you. again , so amazing to you. and again, so amazing to see those notes from that time. thank you so much for joining see those notes from that time. thank you so much forjoining us here afternoon britain. here on. good afternoon britain. >> yes, i'd be a bit, uh, peed off. someone came onto my patch and got my scoop when i'd been told things in confidence. so. but there you go. in a statement from the bbc, they have said any suggestion that it acted in bad faith? simply wrong saying throughout the process we have taken our responsibilities to comply direction of the comply with the direction of the tribunal extremely seriously. therefore, we've today released approximately 3000 documents, some 10,000 pages to mr webb. this latest disclosure includes many hundreds of pages of duplicates and material that was not related to the 1995 panorama, but was nevertheless caught by the electronic search as well. >> there we go. that's what the

bbc says. uh, coming up, we're live outside the covid inquiry as the former first minister of scotland, nicola sturgeon, has held back tears following a grilling over whatsapp messages. don't want to miss it. that's after your headlines with sam . after your headlines with sam. >> tom. emily, thank you very much and good afternoon from the gb newsroom . it'sjust gone gb newsroom. it's just gone 2:30. our top story this hour. the government has published details of its deal with the dup, which guarantees northern ireland unlimited access for trade with the rest of the uk . trade with the rest of the uk. the agreement sets the stage for the return of power sharing in northern ireland, after the dup withdrew almost two years ago. the new deal will also see a package of more than £3 billion given to northern ireland to support its public services as northern ireland secretary chris heaton—harris says the new laws will bring the uk together . it will bring the uk together. it isfime

will bring the uk together. it is time to build on the progress of the last 25 years. >> today we have presented a plan which will deliver the long tum change that northern ireland needs. it will strengthen northern ireland's place in our union and guarantee the free flow of goods across the entire united kingdom and it's only by sticking to this plan that we will become a more united and prosperous country together . the prosperous country together. the labour says that it will set out plans to nationalise the railways next month. >> the party had announced the news last year , but speaking news last year, but speaking exclusively to gb news earlier, the shadow transport secretary said the public will find out more about those plans in 2 or 3 weeks time. she said our railways are wasteful at the moment because they are so fractured . the home secretary fractured. the home secretary says the number of asylum seekers likely to be sent to rwanda under the £240 million scheme could be quite low. it comes as james cleverly answered questions from the home affairs committee. this morning. mr

cleverly told mps he couldn't say how many of the 33,000 identified as potentially eligible would be sent to rwanda if flights do get off the ground , he said the total could be nearly at that figure. but he said it could also be smaller if other work to reduce channel boat crossings is successful. all . meanwhile, gb news all. meanwhile, gb news understands that several migrants have been rescued after their boat got into difficulties in the english channel. they were attempting to cross from france in poor weather conditions. lifeboats from doven conditions. lifeboats from dover, dungeness and hastings were called to the scene earlier this morning for other boats successful made the crossing, with around 200 people being brought ashore to dover by border force vessels . that means border force vessels. that means that so far this year, around 1200 migrants have crossed to the uk. that's roughly the same number as this time last year. and for the latest stories , you and for the latest stories, you can sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen or by going to gbnews.com

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sunday mornings from 930 on gb news . news. >> good afternoon britain. it's 2:39 and nicola sturgeon has become the latest high profile figure to give evidence at the covid inquiry and has caused

controversy after admitting to deleting whatsapp messages she sent to colleagues during the pandemic. >> yes sir. she also broke down in tears when asked if she had been a good leader and she said bofis been a good leader and she said boris johnson was not the right person to lead the country dunng person to lead the country during the pandemic. no, no surprise. breaking news there. nicola sturgeon sturgeon doesn't like boris johnson . like boris johnson. >> well, there you go. but she also stunning she also so she apologised for deleting her messages. >> and then she also said that she doesn't recall an email that went out to everyone saying you must so you go. must keep them. so there you go. well more now well let's get some more now with gb news political correspondent forster, correspondent katherine forster, who's the cove has been who's at the cove who has been watching inquiry. watching the covid inquiry. >> catherine, what has >> uh, catherine, what has nicola sturgeon been saying ? nicola sturgeon been saying? >> yes. well, most notably, i think, was the display of emotion from her. she's generally been a very polished media performer during the pandemic . i media performer during the pandemic. i think her media performer during the pandemic . i think her popularity pandemic. i think her popularity ratings were through the roof

and people would compare boris johnson and say, look at the dither , the delay, the dither, the delay, the dysfunction in westminster, and look at nicola sturgeon and what an amazing job she's doing in scotland . and it turns out, of scotland. and it turns out, of course, that that was not quite the case because we now know that in terms of excess deaths , that in terms of excess deaths, deaths and overall there was very little difference between scotland and england . and i scotland and england. and i think we've seen the toll that the pandemic had on her when she spoke and broke down in tears on more than one occasion, she said i was the first minister when the pandemic struck and part of me wishes i hadn't been, um . she me wishes i hadn't been, um. she said she wanted to be the best first minister she could be. she said it's for others to judge. if i succeeded. and as she said, if i succeeded, she really could hardly speak. she was obviously fighting back tears . so i think fighting back tears. so i think that was notable . but the other

that was notable. but the other thing, of course , is the matter thing, of course, is the matter of the whatsapp messages, which , of the whatsapp messages, which, yes, she was forced to admit that she had deleted initially . that she had deleted initially. um, when she was asked by jamie dawson kc if she deleted them, she said i didn't retain them, but of course he drilled down into that and asked her again, did you delete them ? and she did you delete them? and she said yes . now did you delete them? and she said yes. now her argument is that that was standard government procedure , that she government procedure, that she was used to doing that . um, from was used to doing that. um, from 2008 when she came into office a couple of problems with that, one of which is that, um , when one of which is that, um, when she was giving evidence against alex salmond, the former snp leader, um, she was able to produce whatsapp messages from, uh, dating back to 2018. so she hadnt uh, dating back to 2018. so she hadn't deleted those. and the other one was, of course, this email that you mentioned. there was an email sent from seville servants with a do not destroy

notification and clearly saying do not get rid of any communication that might be of interest to a public inquiry. she said she always knew there would going to be a public inquiry . she said that she inquiry. she said that she didn't conduct business over whatsapp, that she used it to a minimal amount , that basically minimal amount, that basically the implication was that they were not relevant. of course, i think the covid inquiry would have wanted to be the judge of that. she was also criticised for perhaps, um, not having consulted, not having included other people in the team widely . other people in the team widely. she was asked, um, if the scottish government doesn't like to have a light, a light, she on on it? um, she disputed that. but hearing evidence in the last few days from humza yousaf and kate forbes, it does seem that she only wanted certain people in on certain decisions and they felt certainly at times that they were excluded .

they were excluded. >> but nicola sturgeon broke down in tears a bit. i mean, there has been said a lot on her plate . she has had a lot, to say plate. she has had a lot, to say the least, not the least criminal investigation. >> one final thing, >> um, but one final thing, catherine. there was, of course, the news learned at the start the news we learned at the start of the week that of nicola of the week that some of nicola sturgeon's advisers had been talking with nicola sturgeon. now these whatsapp messages have been retained because it was on their than on their phones rather than on hers. but wanting to have a barney with the uk government over policy , not because they over policy, not because they wanted to find the best policy, but i suppose the implication there is that they just wanted there is that they just wanted the argument. they wanted to be different so that they could have an argument with westminster . yes westminster. yes >> fortunately for the inquiry , >> fortunately for the inquiry, nicola sturgeon might have deleted her whatsapp messages, but some of the people that she sent them to kept theirs. so some of her messages do in fact remain. we know that she called bofis remain. we know that she called boris johnson, uh, something i can't say clown . uh, very

can't say clown. uh, very offensive. that's no surprise that she thought that she made her scorn and hatred of boris johnson.i her scorn and hatred of boris johnson. i think, abundantly clear. uh, we knew that already . clear. uh, we knew that already. but, yes, this suggestion , but, yes, this suggestion, really, that she was up for a fight with westminster . they fight with westminster. they denied that they were playing politics in any sense. nicola sturgeon is still saying that. but it does seem clear from some of the messages that we have seen that they were very keen to differentiate themselves and to do things differently from westminster, and that some of that was for political ends. well thank you very much indeed. >> katherine forster our political correspondent there, bringing us the latest from the covid in quiry. yes, i remember at the time thinking, why are they bothering to diverge on this? and why are they saying groups of eight and it's groups of six or it's groups of ten? >> i mean, what's these are minuscule to be different. just to be different. just to stick. we're going to open the we're not going to open on the 15th of this month. we're going to on the 16th this

to open on the 16th of this month. what a profound month. oh, what a profound difference make to the difference that will make to the epidemiological setting, the threats close the border and threats to close the border and all of this. >> well, we're joined by gb news senior political commentator nigel the criminal nigel nelson and the criminal barrister and former conservative gerry hayes. conservative mp gerry hayes. right. let's start with right. well, let's start with nicola sturgeon. you just heard an update from katherine forster uh, there. uh gerry, i'm sorry, i'm just getting all emotional . i'm just getting all emotional. >> i really it's you know, my heart goes . out to nicola. i heart goes. out to nicola. i mean, she's as tough as an old boot.i mean, she's as tough as an old boot. i mean, this is her media fight back because she wants the sympathy . for god's sake, it's sympathy. for god's sake, it's enough to put you off, marcy. >> you're suggesting you're. do you do correct me if i'm wrong. are you suggesting the first minister of scotland was deploying some crocodile tears? the former first minister, i fear so . fear so. >> goodness me, i don't think she's going to sue. >> he's not going to sue. >> he's not going to sue. >> you must have seen a lot of crocodile tears in your lifetime, sir, i, i was in parliament too, even more there. >> why do politicians lie? i'll

tell to save their own tell you to save their own miserable skins. and what miserable skins. and that's what she's doing. >> nigel, >> okay, well, nigel, are you going on going to provide some balance on this tears were really. this one? the tears were really. >> she's a wonderful woman. >> she's a wonderful woman. >> i don't why nicola >> i don't know why nicola sturgeon bursting into sturgeon started bursting into tears, but i would give her the benefit doubt it's benefit of the doubt that it's an emotional occasion. it's very difficult covid difficult here at the covid inquiry the important point, i mean , tom, makes the point that , mean, tom, makes the point that, um, the devolved administrations used to diverge on various rules, whether it became whether it was face masks, lockdown bans, social distancing , they bans, social distancing, they all had something slightly different. the point of the covid inquiry will be is that the best way forward, or should we? if there's another pandemic , we? if there's another pandemic, um, do the same rules for the whole uk and not diverge? so in other words, that in a situation like that that health wouldn't be a devolved matter? um, i'm inclined to think that probably doing it for the whole uk is probably a better bet than individual . individual. >> why not go the whole hog and

sign up to a global pandemic treaty? a what i don't think is that hers was that was that her idea ? idea? >> no, i don't think i think that something was that was something that was proposed yeah but but proposed at some. yeah but but world not about not about world health not about not about all countries doing the same thing time. but what thing at the same time. but what the think one of the the i think one of the interesting things is that interesting things here is that scotland is a country of 6 million people. london is a city of 10 million people. why did scotland have autonomy over pandemic restrictions ? but the pandemic restrictions? but the mayor of london, for example , mayor of london, for example, his purview is you've answered the question once a country and the question once a country and the other is a city. >> yeah, i mean, that health is a devolved issue. >> yeah, obviously london isn't devolved from from england. so therefore it was covered by sadiq khan in charge during covid. >> i mean really the best thing about sadiq khan during covid is how he firstly asked for a curfew on london businesses and then the government implemented then the government implemented the curfew on london businesses like we've got to scrap this ridiculous curfew .

ridiculous curfew. >> he seemed really rather inconsistent . but >> he seemed really rather inconsistent. but i >> he seemed really rather inconsistent . but i suppose, inconsistent. but i suppose, nigel, this goes to the heart of it, where whichever politicians were making the decisions nicola sturgeon, mark drakeford , boris sturgeon, mark drakeford, boris johnson, whoever it was there was no playbook for this . this was no playbook for this. this was no playbook for this. this was a completely novel virus and people were sort of scrabbling around in the dark, very often. but it does seem that all of these places have ended up pretty much in the same place. >> yeah, yeah. and again, that may well be the decision that the covid inquiry comes up with. it's the whole point of this exercise. um, what you're trying to find out is what is best practice. how do we tackle it better next time round. you're absolutely right. this time round. in the early days, we didn't didn't know how didn't know. we didn't know how many people were going to be killed we know whether killed. we didn't know whether various things were working. masks clearly didn't work, for instance. so the chances are that won't be introduced . that won't be introduced. >> are you sure about that? >> are you sure about that? >> i think if you had a proper mask, that was fine. if you had

one of those things that the industrial that really fp industrial mass that really fp whatever fp 22 whatever is. yeah, the fp 22 masks that probably did masks that they probably did work the loose kind of sorry. >> how did we get into a debate over what type of mask like, why don't we talk about vaccination ? don't we talk about vaccination? >> that's always there . >> that's always there. >> that's always there. >> let's get neil oliver on. >> let's get neil oliver on. >> he's got a 1 or 2 views on vaccination. >> let's move on. let's move on. >> mask mandates were absolutely ridiculous opinion . ridiculous in my humble opinion. shall on to the labour shall we move on to the labour party ? party? >> not? >> why not? >> why not? >> why not? >> why them ? before we >> why not let them? before we get into the details of masks and all of that which i can't bear right now, was there bear right now, there was there will be whatsapp messages about that, will be no that, presumably will be no doubt an extraordinary doubt there was an extraordinary scoop night i >> -- >> today's guardian from pippa cryer, a great journalist, saying that the labour party is now polling muslim communities. it's suggesting that they're worried about it. uh, perhaps keir starmer's positioning on the middle east, perhaps worried about losing some seats with large muslim george population. >> you know galloway watch out for him. and we were speaking

earlier . for him. and we were speaking earlier. he's standing in is it rochford? rochford >> rotherham, rochdale, rochdale i >> -- >> it begins with an r. it's rochdale , not rochdale is it. rochdale, not rochdale is it. yes. that's cyril smith's old territory isn't it cyril smith. >> smith. yes >> smith. yes >> um less said, less said about him the better . >> um less said, less said about him the better. but it's going to be a problem for labour. i mean 56 labour mps voted for the snp motion, didn't they ? and i snp motion, didn't they? and i think ten members of the of shadow cabinet disappeared . shadow cabinet disappeared. >> it's a problem. >> it's a problem. >> it's a problem. >> it's interesting looking at those. so for example, one of those. so for example, one of those resignations was jess phillips birmingham yardley. >> actually good news. but >> she's actually good news. but there's a large muslim community, she's community, so clearly she's basing her vote on that. >> someone who didn't vote against , uh, against a vote against this, uh, against a vote against this, uh, against a vote against the labour whip, was wes streeting ilford north, large muslim population in his constituency. >> the large jewish population and jewish population . and a large jewish population. >> difficult, very >> very difficult, very, very difficult . nigel. >> very difficult, very, very diferah, nigel. >> very difficult, very, very diferah, lthink it >> very difficult, very, very diferah, i\think it is, but but >> yeah, i think it is, but but i let's actually put into i mean, let's actually put into perspective what labour are doing . they're at doing. they're looking at the muslim looking at muslim vote, they're looking at

how starmer's position on how keir starmer's position on gaza might have affected that. that's what political parties do, especially in election year. so the tories, for instance , are so the tories, for instance, are looking at the over 65 vote because most people vote , um, because most people vote, um, vote, vote tory after they've got to that age. they need to know that those people are still on board. i don't think it actually changes. keir starmer s position. useful to know what what they're thinking out there. um, useful to know going forward . what kind middle eastern . what kind of middle eastern people think. >> good thing, though, >> it's a good thing, though, that labour mps are potentially being amounts being feeling under huge amounts of based on where they of pressure based on where they stand on a foreign conflict ? is stand on a foreign conflict? is that not a worry? >> well, i mean, i think that the, uh , well, i don't know the, um, uh, well, i don't know why it's a worry that that's what mps do, but optics are bad. >> it looks really bad. >> it looks really bad. >> no, i agree because you've still got the anti anti semites there. >> the corbyn people there. they're it's music to their ears . yeah. the jewish population is now beginning to calm down. they're thinking hey wow. who's

wagging labour dog. wagging the labour dog. >> but you're, you're dealing with a highly emotive issue when it comes to down the middle east. so it is understandable that mps find it difficult to, uh, take positions on certain things . things. >> i don't want my mps to feel so under pressure to change their stance on something, that they have to stand down from the frontbench because they're they have to stand down from the frontberabout:ause they're they have to stand down from the frontberabout losing hey're they have to stand down from the frontberabout losing hey' muslim worried about losing the muslim vote. that not vote. is that is that not happening ? happening? >> i think that they were >> well, i think that they were they a they were standing down on a principle. labour mps principle. these are labour mps who actually believed in jess phillips actually phillips as an example, actually believe where they stood believe in in where they stood and thought they couldn't keep their job and thought they couldn't keep theirjob in the same time. their job in the same time. >> what's the difference between a vote? a principle and a vote? >> well, starmer >> well, for keir starmer thereafter, for keir thereafter, the votes for keir starmer was you're looking starmer, it was you're looking at him being the future prime minister and taking prime minister and taking prime minister type decisions. >> well , on minister type decisions. >> well, on that minister type decisions. >> well , on that note, let's >> well, on that note, let's look at what prime ministerial type decisions might be affecting other issues . affecting other issues. >> up next, it's martin daubney and martin. what's coming up on your show .

your show. >> well, as usual, we've got a juicy menu. happy brexit day of course. four years ago today at 11:00 as big ben bombed, i was on the stage with nigel farage. i've got exclusive videos and photos and insights into that magical moment. plus, was the whole thing a good idea or have we been let down on brexit? we'll have a full debate on that with the lord, who vehemently opposes my position. plus, john gillis , the red wall gillis, the red wall conservative, has today tabled his budget £24 billion of tax savings for the working classes . savings for the working classes. um, let's have a delivery on that. we also have a moving interview, a face to face interview, a face to face interview with the cousin of an israeli kidnapped by hamas on october the 7th in london. speaking in parliament will have that. plus is it time for a vote on irish unification? that's all coming in the martin daubney show three till six. but that's right. after your latest weather forecast , a right. after your latest weather forecast, a brighter right. after your latest weather forecast , a brighter outlook forecast, a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of

weather on . gb news. weather on. gb news. >> i'm alex deakin . this is your >> i'm alex deakin. this is your latest weather update from the met office for gb news. very wild day across parts of northern scotland . gusty winds northern scotland. gusty winds and some heavy rain as well. further south it's largely dry and cloudy thanks to high pressure, but this deepening area of low pressure , named by area of low pressure, named by the norwegian weather service look at the isobars really squeezing together across squeezing together winds across the 70, maybe the far north. today, 70, maybe 80 miles perhaps even 80 miles an hour, perhaps even 85 houn 80 miles an hour, perhaps even 85 hour. but gusty 85 miles an hour. but gusty winds further south across northern england, northern ireland, and southern ireland, central and southern scotland could reach 60 to possibly even 65 miles an hour as well. those kind of winds, likely to cause some travel disruption, some flying debris and heavy sinking and a band of heavy rain sinking south much of the south south as well. much of the south bar a bit of drizzle in the far southwest will be just dry and cloudy quite mild cloudy and still quite mild here. the winds will pick up a little bit as rain sinks little bit as the rain sinks southwards, so a spell of damp and blustery weather for time and blustery weather for a time through evening over england through the evening over england

and winds steadily and wales. the winds steadily easing this evening over northern scotland, but still quite a night with quite a windy night with plenty of in here. of showers coming in here. elsewhere it'll dry and elsewhere it'll turn dry and clear and temperatures will drop to about or 4 celsius, to around about 3 or 4 celsius, so some pockets frost perhaps so some pockets of frost perhaps in rural spots onto in in some rural spots onto thursday generally a calmer day. still quite windy in northern scotland. plenty of scotland. still plenty of showers here, certainly early on, many have a dry day on, but many will have a dry day on, but many will have a dry day on thursday . reasonably bright on thursday. reasonably bright as certainly across as well, certainly across england and wales. we'll see some sunshine more some hazy sunshine and then more wet windy weather comes into wet and windy weather comes into the northwest on. the northwest later on. temperatures average temperatures close to average getting colder than today in the south it looks . like things are south it looks. like things are heating up boxt boilers spotty hours of weather on gb news as

i >> -- >> well . good afternoon. >> well. good afternoon. >> well. good afternoon. >> it's 3 pm. welcome to the martin daubney show on gb news broadcasting live from the heart of westminster. across the of westminster. all across the day. now, today is a very special day because exactly four years ago, this happened . no years ago, this happened. no one. yes it's the fourth anniversary of brexit day. the moment the united kingdom finally left the european union. that was me on stage taking that video of nigel farage. i was right in the thick of it. and i

can just about remember some of it. stand by for a gb news exclusive that shows why getting out of the eu has been a huge bonus for this country in terms of the that we've dodged . of the laws that we've dodged. ed, because one of the main reasons, 17.4 million people backed brexit was it would let us take back control of our borders, but more people have crossed the channel on small boats today and we'll tell you about a dramatic rescue after the weather conditions worsened and a tearful nicola sturgeon has told the covid 19 inquiry a large part of her wishes she hadnt large part of her wishes she hadn't been scotland's first minister during the pandemic. join the queue nick and disgraced former bbc journalist martin bashir has claimed, of course, that criticism following his interview with diana, princess of wales, was down to jealousy and wait for it. racism that's all coming up in your next hour . well, welcome