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tv   Mark Dolan Tonight  GB News  February 11, 2024 9:00pm-11:01pm GMT

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if an assault on rafah civilians if an assault on rafah goes ahead . however, the israeli goes ahead. however, the israeli prime told prime minister has told reporters today enough of reporters today that enough of the 132 remaining hostages are alive to warrant that ground invasion . earlier tanks and invasion. earlier tanks and bulldozers could be seen operating along the israel—gaza border, and it comes after at least 44 people, including several children, died yesterday in what the palestinians have claimed was an israeli air strike here in the uk. the family of murdered teenager brianna ghey have been holding a vigil today to mark the first anniversary of her death . anniversary of her death. earlier, i spoke to our north—west of england reporter, sophie reaper, who was at that gathering. well one year on from the tragic death of brianna ghey, hundreds of people have gathered here in warrington for a vigil in her memory. >> we heard from several of brianna's friends who spoke, bringing tears to the eyes of the crowd as they remembered their friend. we also heard from their friend. we also heard from the head teacher at brianna ghey
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school . we finally heard from school. we finally heard from brianna's mother, esther, who spoke in emotionally and emotively about the loss of her daughter. here's what she had to say . say. >> brianna was an amazing, unique and joyful teenager. i will be forever thankful that i was lucky enough to spend 16 years with her. she taught me so much and gave me so much happiness and love. if there's one piece of advice that i can give to any parent, it would be to hug your children tight and never stop telling them that you loved them . loved them. >> well , in loved them. >> well, in the last couple of hours or so, we've heard that four boys aged between 12 and 14 have been arrested today in rochdale on suspicion of raping a young girl. the alleged incident took place in the newbold area of rochdale. police say the victim is being supported by specialist officers . a spokesperson for greater manchester police said that officers were called at about
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6:00 on saturday evening to reports of that assault. the suspects . we understand, are a suspects. we understand, are a 12 year old, a 13 year old and 214 year olds. they are currently in police custody . a currently in police custody. a crime scene remains in place. a man and a woman have tonight been charged after an eight year old boy was seriously injured in a confirmed now xl bully attack. merseyside police say the boy is in a serious but stable condition in hospital after receiving treatment for serious head injuries. doctors say his injuries are life changing 49 year old amanda young and 30 year old amanda young and 30 year old amanda young and 30 year old lewis young have been charged with being in charge of a dog of dangerous, out of control and causing injury, though not related to though they're not related to the in the government is the victim in the government is set to block bonuses paid to water bosses whose firms pollute rivers, lakes and seas. the move comes after public anger in recent months at bosses pocketing more than £26 million in bonuses, benefits and incentives over the last four years. the proposed ban by ofwat
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could apply to ceos and all executive board members . as executive board members. as we've heard today 124 migrants crossed the english channel yesterday on three small boats, according to new figures. the latest arrivals brings the total for the year to just over 1500. that's down, though, from just over 2000. this time last year. but up on the figure in 2020. apart from the latest crossings, small boats had not been intercepted since the 31st of january. the prime minister, you'll remember, has made stopping the boats a key pledge of his leadership as we approach the general election. and finally , just take a look at finally, just take a look at this footage here from social media that's captured as a large crowd surrounded a self—driving taxi in san francisco and decided to set it on fire. you can see there the scenes in san francisco, the local fire department, say that fireworks were thrown inside the vehicle that started that blaze. the taxi was one of google's self—driving vehicles. as the tech giant tries to expand its
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driverless service across the us. but robot car companies have run into some resistance from those who fear the technology is unproven and the vehicles pose a safety risk . i think unproven and the vehicles pose a safety risk. i think i'll walk home later . safety risk. i think i'll walk home later. for the safety risk. i think i'll walk home later . for the latest home later. for the latest stories, you can sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen. or go to gbnews.com for slash alerts. now, though, it's time for. mark. >> thanks, sam. on television, on radio and online in the united kingdom and across the world. this is mark dolan tonight, in my big opinion , the tonight, in my big opinion, the blind push for diversity is seeing military bosses recruiting from overseas to hit target s our national security is becoming national insanity. should rishi sunak bring boris johnson back into frontline politics to rescue his political fortunes .7 are we asking boris fortunes? are we asking boris johnson's biographer , tom bower johnson's biographer, tom bower my mark meets guest is sas hero
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rusty firmin, who risked life and limb in the falklands and northern ireland. he tells his extraordinary story about this extraordinary story about this extraordinary regiment shortly in my take a ten the dream of home ownership is now beyond the reach of millions of brits, and the cost of rent is becoming a national scandal. if we don't start building houses and fast, this country is finished. should nigel farage step in and help the tories or leave them to disintegrate ? i'll be asking disintegrate? i'll be asking former government minister ann widdecombe. plus tomorrow's front pages. at 1030, with three top pundits who haven't been told what to say and who don't follow the script. tonight, former labour special adviser paul richards , ex bbc chief paul richards, ex bbc chief political correspondent john sergeant and journalist and communications advisor linda jubilee . tonight i'll be asking jubilee. tonight i'll be asking my pundits with reported tensions between keir starmer and his shadow chancellor, rachel reeves, over the now axed
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£28 billion green revolution. and with fury from backbenchers over starmer's israel position, would a labour government descend into civil war? plus, the most important part of the show? your emails, they come straight to my laptop mark at gbillionews.com, and this show has a golden rule we don't do bonng has a golden rule we don't do boring , not has a golden rule we don't do boring, not on my has a golden rule we don't do boring , not on my watch. i has a golden rule we don't do boring, not on my watch. i just won't have it. a big two hours to come and we start out with my big opinion . as sergeant frazer big opinion. as sergeant frazer told captain mannering in the classic wartime sitcom dad's army, we're doomed. the british army, we're doomed. the british army wants to relax security checks for recruits from overseas in order to boost diverse city and inclusion. this, according to an exclusive from the sunday telegraph , if from the sunday telegraph, if britain's armed forces have consistently failed to hit recruits targets and are looking overseas , ways to boost ethnic overseas, ways to boost ethnic minority representation, which currently stands . at 14% of the
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currently stands. at 14% of the regular army , a document leaked regular army, a document leaked to the paper , entitled the to the paper, entitled the british army's race action plan, notes that the army struggles to attract top talent from ethnic minority backgrounds into the officer corps . now diversity is officer corps. now diversity is important. diversity of background , diversity of background, diversity of opinion, diversity of faith, of lived experience , you name it. lived experience, you name it. no organisation should be homogenous or closed to any groups or be guilty of one sided ideological groupthink. but in our increasingly dangerous world, do we really want to compromise security checks on those who seek to serve in the british armed forces and take up arms on our behalf? people from all backgrounds should be encouraged to participate in the military , and the job should be military, and the job should be made attractive to everyone. but in the end, do you really care who defends your country? who puts their life on the line? as long as someone does the defence of territorial boundaries,
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of our territorial boundaries, which were threatened in two world wars, shouldn't become a box ticking exercise . of course , box ticking exercise. of course, the only people that helps is tyrants around the world like vladimir putin, who, let me tell you, is not sweating the small stuff over how diverse the russian military are. as his troops rampage across ukraine, military recruitment is at an all time low and the focus should not be the racial, religious or cultural profile of the people that we're asking to do a difficult and dangerous job, but it should be about getting the numbers up and choosing the best people for the job. shipping people from overseas to fulfil quotas strikes me as dishonest. it's cooking the books. frankly, all in order to fulfil the unwavering political mantra that diversity is our strength. ultimately we're weakening ourselves with all of this nonsense. who could forget the shocking story last year, which revealed that white men seeking to join the royal air force were
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described as useless, while eight male pilots, a number of selection boards to place new recruits on courses were cancelled as they did not include women or ethnic minorities. this is insanity proved to be against the law, with the raf paying out thousands to applicants who have been unfairly disadvantaged because of their gender or the colour of their skin . sky news colour of their skin. sky news revealed at the time that group captain elizabeth nichol, the then head of raf recruitment, had resigned in protest of what she deemed to be an unlawful order, effectively pausing the selection of white male recruits to hit what she described as impossible. diversity targets . impossible. diversity targets. that's when the military go woke. you know you're in trouble because let me tell you, the taliban are not woke. i isis are not woke . they don't worry about not woke. they don't worry about pronouns . the iranian regime is pronouns. the iranian regime is not woke and vladimir putin is a
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lot of things, but woke. he is not nyet and he'll be chuckling to himself about this story as he sips his evening vodka . it's he sips his evening vodka. it's the military's job to go out there and kill the enemy. but with this nonsense coming from the mod , it feels increasingly the mod, it feels increasingly like the enemy is within. this is a war on common sense and britain's national security is turning into national insanity. so the last word goes to private frazer . frazer. >> we're doomed . no big fire, >> we're doomed. no big fire, frazer . frazer. >> we're doomed. >> we're doomed. >> i'll tell you your reaction, mark at gbnews.com. or gets your email shortly. but first, my top pundits, former labour special adviser paul richards, ex bbc chief political correspondent john sergeant and journalist and communications adviser linda jubilee . linda, your reaction to
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jubilee. linda, your reaction to the news that the mod are looking to recruit from overseas in order to fulfil military diversity targets? >> i think it's completely ridiculous because actually one of the things you do have to think about when you are leading an army or part of an army is a certain loyalty , if you like, to certain loyalty, if you like, to the country . we've all seen what the country. we've all seen what happensin the country. we've all seen what happens in ukraine when and how they've been able to stand up to russia. and that's because they're completely behind their leader . they're completely behind their leader. that's point one. point two is it's okay to have a campaign constructed at appealing to a wide range of people , but at the end of the people, but at the end of the day , you have to recruit the day, you have to recruit the best people. and you mentioned in your monologue , well, you in your monologue, well, you know, the taliban aren't woke, but i can tell you, i spent two years with women who were evacuated off the tarmac at kabul airport after the taliban invaded and the taliban would no sooner adopt a diversity
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strategy than fly to the moon on a kalashnikov of. >> yes, i mean , paul, i'm >> yes, i mean, paul, i'm concerned about this national security is becoming a national joke . joke. >> well, if you look at any history of the british armed forces , you will know that we've forces, you will know that we've always drawn people from all over the world. where do you think the gurkha regiment come from? but not they're not coming out of diversity paul. out of diversity targets, paul. well, anzac and well, what about the anzac and what about the fijians? they serve in the british army. and what about people all what about the people from all over world that have served what about the people from all ov our world that have served what about the people from all ov our forcesld that have served what about the people from all ov our forces inthat have served what about the people from all ov our forces in two have served what about the people from all ov our forces in two have swarsi in our forces in two world wars that you mentioned this is not new all. and we've always new at all. and we've always drawn strength. the box ticking is new under our colours. >> ticking is new. >> the box ticking is new. >> the box ticking is new. >> let's get under the >> well, let's get under the skin of this story, because i don't think it's quite it don't think it's quite as it seems. idea that you seems. but the idea that you live and can't serve live abroad and you can't serve in armed forces has in the british armed forces has always nonsense. we've always been a nonsense. we've always been a nonsense. we've always over always had people from all over the world who've been proud to serve as british soldiers. >> okay, well, john, sergeant, in your best selling autobiography , give me 10s. you autobiography, give me 10s. you railed against a culture of box
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ticking at the bbc. are the mod guilty of the same crime? >> they are? but i think it's more a sort of a real problem. as with all the public sector crises, this is about recruitment and about money. and when you get into that , all the when you get into that, all the factions and all the difficulty that can arise bubble to the surface and then come on to the media. of course, there are people in the army who are very worried about the standard of their their people . they're their their people. they're coming into their their other people are saying, oh, let's get them from overseas. it is the nhs writ large , isn't it? you nhs writ large, isn't it? you know, we need more doctors. where get them from? where do we get them from? it takes train takes a long time to train people to the levels that you need them to operate. change is going on in the mod like never before. once the russians invade ukraine and a conventional war starts up , so ukraine and a conventional war starts up, so many of the ukraine and a conventional war starts up , so many of the deep starts up, so many of the deep assumptions of the mod are turned , are turned upside down.
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turned, are turned upside down. so i think we should imagine that going back to dan army, the shouts of don't panic are really what they're talking about. they don't quite know to what do. and in these circumstances , people in these circumstances, people saying, oh, make sure it's diversity then no, no, no, we can't have diversity . we they can't have diversity. we they really running around not really are running around not knowing quite what to do. but linda, jubilee, do you linda, linda jubilee, do you think the military should have diverse i think all they need >> because i think all they need a brave people a target of is brave people willing to fight for this country. >> yeah, and i tell you what, i would like to respond to something paul said. and after all, i wasn't born in this country. i was born in canada, which know , part of the which is, you know, part of the commonwealth, part of the great british the end british empire. and at the end of you go and ask them, of the day, you go and ask them, ask some of those soldiers or the descendants of those soldiers top soldiers that went over the top at gallipoli. ask some of those other were in some other soldiers who were in some of the asian during of the asian battalions during the how the first world war. how comfortable were they? and how were they treated when they fought for the british army? i'm
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not saying a small thing. i'm not saying a small thing. i'm not saying a small thing. i'm not saying an emotional thing. i think you fight for think when you fight for a country, you have to have a level of endeavour for and loyalty and trust to be able to do it properly . now, you could do it properly. now, you could do it properly. now, you could do it properly. now, you could do it . you could wage do it. you could wage a successful recruitment campaign. but it's not that easy just to go out there, hire thing, you know, on the fly. >> it's also not easy to do it quickly. no, that's the problem. you get people's loyalty to the regiment, loyalty to the country. prepare to be take orders. whatever the orders are , orders. whatever the orders are, even if you may die, the whole thing requires an enormous amount of effort and concentration to get people into that peak to that condition. so they will go and be prepared to die. >> it's not like any otherjob, >> it's not like any other job, paul richards, we can agree that diversity is a very good and important thing, but i think diversity targets in the military are dangerous and potentially unlawful , as we saw potentially unlawful, as we saw with that, raf story. >> and also there's talk of
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diluting ing security rules in order to bring people in from overseas , which a couple of top overseas, which a couple of top military figures have said is a terrible idea . terrible idea. >> well, i don't think anyone's suggest that you sort of dilute the quality of the soldier. you're just saying that you open up those pathways to people from abroad. well, that's just to clarify, paul. >> they're talking about diluting the security checks on potential, but we don't know what the security checks are. >> maybe there are maybe that's a box ticking exercise that we don't to go through either. don't need to go through either. but you did say but i would also say you did say something which something important, mark, which is recruitment is about home grown recruitment too, a of too, because there are a lot of people should be in the people who should be in the forces. but don't quite know how to do it. they don't see me as an attractive option anymore . we an attractive option anymore. we have society . have demilitarised our society. we to record low point and i think, you know we are going to have to have a bigger army, navy and air force in the future. >> okay. fascinating debate. well view, mark at well what's your view, mark at gbnews.com should the military have diversity targets. but next up in the big story, should
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rishi sunak bring back boris johnson into frontline politics to rescue his political fortunes? i'll be asking boris johnson's biographer tom bower. plus we'll discuss the implications of king charles's cancer diagnosis for the rest of his reign. that's
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>> and you know, and it's quite interesting. >> you're listening to gb news radio . radio. >> well, a big reaction to my big opinion with a telegraph story suggesting that the ministry of defence are seeking to impose , taught and employ to impose, taught and employ overseas personnel to join the military. the army in particular in order to fulfil diversity targets. so should the military have diversity targets at all? your reaction is coming in thick and fast, bryce says. we are doomed. mark the question on everyone's lips is who's making these woke decisions? government, civil service mandarins? can't we just find them and sack them ? mark says, them and sack them? mark says, good evening mark. the pay is
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not good enough for the forces . not good enough for the forces. my not good enough for the forces. my son served for years and said that the jobs done by armed forces personnel at a poorly paid rate sometimes trebled when done by an outsider . better we done by an outsider. better we pay done by an outsider. better we pay would boost recruitment , pay would boost recruitment, says mark. thank you for that. and a couple more emails. i'll get to you very shortly. mark at gbviews@gbnews.com. but first, it's gbviews@gbnews.com. but first, wsfime gbviews@gbnews.com. but first, it's time for the big story and the sun newspaper report that a tory minister has called for bofis tory minister has called for boris johnson to make a shock comeback into government. andrew griffith suggested the ex—pm could be a secret weapon in taking on sir keir starmer in an election campaign, telling lbc radio he's a strong voice that would have keir starmer running scared . allies of johnson want scared. allies of johnson want rishi sunak to give johnson a peerage so he can be brought into the cabinet, like david cameron . meanwhile, in an cameron. meanwhile, in an interview with itv news, the prime minister himself refused to rule out a return to the political front line for his
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former colleague, with sunak adding i'm proud of the work that boris and i did together and we work well together for a long time, so could recruiting bofis long time, so could recruiting boris johnson save rishi sunaks political fortunes ? kwasi political fortunes? kwasi kwarteng certainly thinks so . he kwarteng certainly thinks so. he spoke to camilla tominey this morning on gb news. >> if you want somebody help , >> if you want somebody help, you should reach out to them. yes, that's what you would do. yes. if you were in a difficult spot and you wanted a friend to help you or somebody to help you. probably you. yeah you would probably pick or admit that pick up the phone or admit that he needs. well, there's all of that ego nemesis. there's of that ego nemesis. there's all of that ego nemesis. there's all of that nonsense. not that ego and nonsense. it's not time to more, more, you time simply to more, more, you know, more of the same. no, something to change for us something has to change for us to have a chance of winning . and to have a chance of winning. and if that means swallowing some pride suppressing bit of pride and suppressing a bit of ego reaching out to someone ego and reaching out to someone who's campaigner. yeah, who's approved campaigner. yeah, then do that . then he should do that. >> so should boris enter the cabinet and return to frontline politics to save sunaks skin? let's ask top biographer and
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journalist tom bower , whose best journalist tom bower, whose best selling book about boris johnson is called the gambler in is out now. great to see you again now. tom, great to see you again . do you think that boris should have a crack at frontline politics once again? would he relish return cabinet, relish a return to the cabinet, for ? for example? >> i'm sure he would relish it. recalled back from the wilderness , like winston wilderness, like winston churchill . the problem is, churchill. the problem is, though, that he is so vulnerable because he was kicked out of parliament, accused and convicted of lying and he did pretty badly at the covid inquiry. he looked like a broken man . he was so vulnerable to man. he was so vulnerable to labour attacks that i don't think that for very much of the time he'd be a great asset. think that for very much of the time he'd be a great asset . and time he'd be a great asset. and i think there are two other problems with boris. i don't think he's come to terms yet. why he lost office. i mean, there's the man who won this phenomenal 80 seat majority in 2019. he made keir starmer at that time unelectable and everything has gone upside down. and he hasn't come to terms and
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doesn't understand why he failed. so i think he'd find it very difficult to take to the road, especially when he wasn't very impressive in the covid inquiry and that's really the problem . i don't think the old problem. i don't think the old bofisis problem. i don't think the old boris is there yet. he may recover , but he's not there yet . recover, but he's not there yet. >> and it's an interesting question , isn't it, tom, about question, isn't it, tom, about whether boris would help or hinder sunak on the campaign trail? there has to be a concern varne he might overshadow the . pm >> well, i think that's true. i mean, he's pretty exuberant and the problem is that boris is not a team player. he would not want to accept that he is actually subject to what sunak wants. he'd on tangent and he'd go off on a tangent and that makes him pretty that makes him a pretty unreliable time . unreliable person at this time. i mean, sunak is in the position he's in because he's blown every opportunity of setting up a proper tory manifesto for low taxes and all the rest of it . proper tory manifesto for low taxes and all the rest of it. he and jeremy hunt seem intent on keeping taxation far too high and not presenting a vision other than banning smoking for
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children, which seems to me not on everyone's thoughts at the moment . so i don't know what moment. so i don't know what bofis moment. so i don't know what boris would actually contribute other than being a distraction . other than being a distraction. >> indeed, and i guess boris is probably enjoying making some money now , tom, and being a free money now, tom, and being a free man . man. >> well, of course he's enjoying . he's spending a fortune on his home and he's got lots more children and all the rest of it, but i'm sure he hankers to be back in the spotlight. there's nothing he'd like more than a call from sunak to say, please come and save me . uh, what his come and save me. uh, what his reaction would be, though , would reaction would be, though, would be save you on my terms . be i'll save you on my terms. and those terms undoubtedly would not suit rishi sunak . the would not suit rishi sunak. the problem is it's been hasn't been enough time to for boris to actually calm down and take stock, understand what he did wrong and come back with a fresh mandate and as a different person, he is still unfortunately, the person who is angry with everybody and blames everybody for his own folly.
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>> tom of course it was rishi sunak resignation as chancellor that saw the collapse of johnson . his premiership is there still bad blood between the two of them? do you think ? them? do you think? >> absolutely. i'm sure that's the part of the problem. boris blames everybody but himself. but you've got to remember that the reason that sunak called it a day was after, uh, pincher was proven to have, uh , been guilty proven to have, uh, been guilty of this sin. and boris lied about it. and there was a constant drip of apologies because of the parties and everything else . boris. every everything else. boris. every day he appeared , every time he day he appeared, every time he appeared at the dispatch box in the commons, apologised . he the commons, apologised. he became the best apologist in british politics. he never actually got on with governing britain and many of the problems we are facing today all occurred because boris didn't fix brexit. bofis because boris didn't fix brexit. boris didn't get rid of woke britain . he boris didn't get rid of woke britain. he didn't boris didn't get rid of woke britain . he didn't get boris didn't get rid of woke britain. he didn't get rid of all the civil servants who were undermining the tory government.
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i mean, he failed as a prime minister having succeeded in that brilliant election coup. so it's very hard to see what he would bring to the party other than being a great rabble rouser for a little short period before he's called out again . he's called out again. >> now, tom, you're also a best selling royal biographer. we hope the king makes a full recovery . but will charles's recovery. but will charles's cancer diagnosis forever alter the course of his reign ? the course of his reign? >> i fear it will. i fear that, uh. charles, uh, when he came to the throne, was already dubbed the throne, was already dubbed the caretaker king because he's 75 now and obviously there's a limit on what? how long he could reign. and i fear that he is now somewhat wounded . i think the somewhat wounded. i think the pubuc somewhat wounded. i think the public wish him well . i somewhat wounded. i think the public wish him well. i think the public don't want him to feel in any way inhibited , but feel in any way inhibited, but by nature, the point is that when you face such a challenge as cancer , your psychology as cancer, your psychology
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changes. as cancer, your psychology changes . and i think he'll changes. and i think he'll always be now seen as a king with a question mark over how long he can reign. however i think he's got a very loyal son in william who will not be pushing , so in william who will not be pushing, so to speak, that his father's step aside. i think william would like to be the father of three children, and the rest for a lot longer. but you know , uh, king charles you know, uh, king charles hasn't even got his face on the stamps yet. king charles doesn't even have his face on the coins that i've got in my pocket yet. so it's so early in the reign. it's such bad luck for him. i would be sympathetic towards that. but there is a problem. >> this is a testing time, of course, for his wife, queen camilla. how do you think she will cope? because you've spoken to me in the past, tom, and you've said she doesn't enjoy the very best health herself . the very best health herself. >> well, i think that's true. we won't go into the suspected illnesses of the queen. but however, i think she's stepped up amazingly . however, i think she's stepped up amazingly. i however, i think she's stepped up amazingly . i mean, however, i think she's stepped up amazingly. i mean, i'm a great critic of camilla for what
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she did before the coronation and there because i felt that she hadn't treated diana well, etc. but there's no doubt that ever since she has become queen and now in the last weeks, knowing that, uh, king charles wasn't well, she really has worked very hard and it hasn't been for easy her because she does tire easily and hates her long distance , uh, travel with long distance, uh, travel with jet lag and things . so i think jet lag and things. so i think we should be very fortunate , as we should be very fortunate, as is the king, because he relies on camilla, you know, to jolly him along, to tell him to get on with life, not be maudlin and all the rest of it. so i think we should be grateful that she is by his side, that she is keeping him sane. so to speak, and he'll do his best. you know, he's a man of great strength. he's spiritual. he has a lot of interests . he's spiritual. he has a lot of interests. i'm sure he's he's spiritual. he has a lot of interests . i'm sure he's greatly interests. i'm sure he's greatly determined to push ahead and put this behind him and prove that he can be a monarch who imposes his own philosophy on the history of britain . history of britain. >> would king charles ever
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consider relinquishing the throne, or do you think that he will go all the way like his mother ? mother? >> oh no, he won't abdicate . and >> oh no, he won't abdicate. and it wouldn't be in the interests of the monarchy or of britain for him to abdicate . and there's for him to abdicate. and there's no reason for it. you know, i mean, god, we've had the most amazing in cancer amazing progress in cancer treatment now. and whatever the suspected cancer is , there are suspected cancer is, there are so many treatments available now, and apparently it's been caught early. so let's be optimistic and hope that by christmas it's all over. and he's i mean, not by christmas, i mean by the summer that he and the prince of wales, kate, are back working , serving the back working, serving the country and putting the best foot forward for britain. i think that's what we should all hope for. >> last but not least, tom, you've written a cracking autobiography, a biography, a biography of meghan markle . what biography of meghan markle. what does this shock health scare in relation to the king do in terms of the dynamic of the relationship between harry, he
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and his family? does it change anything ? anything? >> well, i think it does. i when harry announced he was doing his dash across the atlantic last tuesday, i said many times how suspicious i was. i didn't believe he was coming really for his own father or in any way a charitable quest to be by his father's side. now he has proved right. you can't trust the sussexes. everything is done in their interests. self—interest and they have been absolutely poisonous in their treatment and their comments about britain and their comments about britain and the monarchy. repeat we've gone through it all so many times is dreadful and i do hope that now, when harry was sort of, so to speak, kicked out after 30 minutes, having flown from california, not not invited to stay the night in any of the many palace bedrooms , and then many palace bedrooms, and then scuttled back to california the following morning. i think he's by now got the message he's not
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welcome in britain, and i just welcome in britain, and ijust hope that when king charles recovers that he finally puts paid to the sussexes , takes away paid to the sussexes, takes away their titles or whatever , but their titles or whatever, but tells them very firmly they're not welcome in britain. so tom, it's your interpretation that harry was snubbed by his own father in that 30 minute meeting. oh, absolutely . he meeting. oh, absolutely. he i think he volunteered to come because he didn't want to appear in las vegas, not having visited his father , so to speak. but his father, so to speak. but remember, he was absolutely silent for two weeks after the prostate. uh, review . was prostate. uh, review. was publicised. he never said he wished his father well or anything. why did he suddenly dash over ? it was all in dash over? it was all in self—interest. it was a gimmick. it was to get publicity. he was to show that he was the dutiful son american few son to his american few supporters . don't let us in any supporters. don't let us in any way think that this was because he feels any warmth towards his father , the royal family. after father, the royal family. after all. i'm sure queen camilla
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didn't see him. prince william certainly didn't want to see him . he hasn't got many friends left in england . he's cut them left in england. he's cut them all off. he's a he's an outsider. an outcast . and, outsider. he's an outcast. and, uh, should be firmly told not uh, he should be firmly told not to bother to come back anymore. tom bower, always a delight to have you on the show. >> catch up soon. my thanks to royal biographer and of course, bofis royal biographer and of course, boris johnson's biographer, tom bower. coming up with bower. uh, coming up with reported between keir reported tensions between keir starmer and his shadow chancellor, rachel reeves, over the now axed to £8 billion green revolution . would a labour revolution. would a labour government descend into civil war or debate that next, plus , war or debate that next, plus, in an exclusive mark dolan tonight people's poll, we've been asking as it's revealed, military chiefs are recruiting from overseas to hit diversity targets . this is wokery targets. this is wokery compromised britain's national security. well the results are in. i shall reveal
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yes. you're listening to gb news radio . radio. >> hi, rishi. here as prime
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minister, i'm focussed on delivering on your priorities. so i'll be on the road to join gb news for a special people's forum on monday the 12th of february, where i'll be taking questions from a live audience about the issues that really matter to you the economy, immigration and the nhs. see you there . there. now in an exclusive mark dolan tonight people's poll, we've been asking , as it's revealed been asking, as it's revealed military chiefs are recruiting from overseas to hit diversity targets. >> is wokery compromise using britain's national security ? britain's national security? while the results are in and 91.3% of you say yes while 8.7% say no . now following labour's say no. now following labour's decision to axe their £28 billion a year plan for a green revolution , speculation is revolution, speculation is growing. about ten nation between sir keir starmer, the labour leader, and his shadow
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chancellor, rachel reeves . the chancellor, rachel reeves. the sunday times today report that behind the scenes things have become difficult between the pair, with robust discussions over the cost of labour's plans for the environment . others have for the environment. others have been more vocal in their condemnation of the u—turn , with condemnation of the u—turn, with labour mp barry gardiner describing the decision as economically illiterate and environmentally irresponsible . environmentally irresponsible. meanwhile, restless labour backbenchers remain unhappy with keir starmers robustly pro—remain position in regards to the military conflict in gaza . so will labour descend into civil war should they achieve power ? let's ask tonight's top power? let's ask tonight's top punst. power? let's ask tonight's top pundits. former labour power? let's ask tonight's top pundits . former labour special pundits. former labour special adviser paul richards, ex bbc chief political correspondent john sergeant and journalist and communications adviser linda jubilee. well, look, you've been part of the labour nerve machine. paul richards , your machine. paul richards, your reaction to this story? is there any truth in it regarding a rift between starmer and reeves? >> well, i can exclusively reveal that there is no stronger
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relation . in politics than that relation. in politics than that between keir and rachel. i mean, they are the absolute epicentre of labour's recovery over the last three years. four years, and at the epicentre and they'll be at the epicentre of a labour government if there is one. so this is absolute nonsense. yes. >> the sunday times are >> i mean the sunday times are reporting originally reporting that it was originally rachel reeves idea to make this commitment of £28 billion a year for a green revolution . the for a green revolution. the story suggests that she wanted to make a splash with a headline figure, and that starmer was the concerned about this approach from day one. >> well, rachel's a pretty sharp cookie and she knows what it will be like if she is the first woman chancellor exchequer first labour one for a quite a while when she opens the books, she knows there is not much headroom. the tories have taxed their maxed out the credit card and there isn't going to be loads of money splash loads of money to splash about on even good causes like, uh, you technology. so you know, green technology. so she getting in her she is getting in her retaliation first, and she is basically making sure that labour a credible financial
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labour has a credible financial position . into an position going. into an election. and if she hadn't done that, you know, the tories would have said it would cost us all x number of pounds per week extra. they'd done the tax they'd have done the tax bombshell, stunt yet again bombshell, um, stunt yet again at. and she knows that this next election not a deal. the election is not a done deal. the labour over the line yet. labour is not over the line yet. so that's the context for this. it's the environment. it's not about the environment. it's not about the environment. it's about winning an it's actually about winning an election. do election. so you can do something the environment. election. so you can do sonwell1g the environment. election. so you can do sonwell1g you 1e environment. election. so you can do sonwell1g you 1e elinda ment. >> well there you go, linda jubilee reeves and starmer have put on united front. they've put on a united front. they've denied this story. but is there trouble in paradise ? trouble in paradise? >> i think the problem rests on the fact that they put a figure on this to start with, and i know why. figures are very attractive because they can grab attractive because they can grab a headline, they resonate . a headline, they resonate. people understand a big figure , people understand a big figure, or they think they do. the problem is you hold yourself a hostage to fortune. now having said that, i don't think there's anything wrong in reconsidering that figure or reconsidering how that figure or reconsidering how that impacts upon their green policy . because at the end of
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policy. because at the end of the day, any financially responsible person will change that figure when the circumstances change and what we have to accept here is circumstances have changed very, very radically. and we all have to recalibrate over our finances. >> but can i pick you up on that, linda? because the economy was in the toilet when labour came up with this policy in 2021, but it's got worse, hasn't it? >> so you could expect some sort of recalibrate nation. look, i'm not saying they've done a great job. personally, i think putting a figure on this to start with was a bad idea. it's not something i would advise anyone to i've said, you're to do. as i've said, you're holding to holding yourself a hostage to fortune, but having put the figure in there, i don't think it's unusual that you would recalibrate in the circumstance as john sergeant, this u—turn is as john sergeant, this u—turn is a political disaster for keir starmer . starmer. >> does it suggest cracks at the top ? top? >> no. it suggests incompetence , >> no. it suggests incompetence, i'm afraid. i mean, the way it was all handled completely was all handled was completely wrong the beginning. wrong from the beginning. putting the 28 billion out to
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excite people. sure. two and a half years later takes all this time to then manoeuvre away from that figure . now that's one of that figure. now that's one of the arts of politics, isn't it ? the arts of politics, isn't it? manoeuvre. and if you want the military connection, retreat is the hardest manoeuvre to do so. i mean, i know the difficulties , i mean, i know the difficulties, i mean, i know the difficulties, i know the problems they had, but it couldn't have been worse. and when , when, when paul says, and when, when, when paul says, this is the great, you know, the closest relationship in politics, do you remember one of the last, closest relationships in politics, tony blair and gordon brown? i mean, the difference is between the prime minister and the chancellor is almost bound to be there . so you almost bound to be there. so you asked a simple question will they disagree when they're in government? well, frankly, they're bound to will that disagreement matter? will it depends on all sorts of other factors . but there will be factors. but there will be conflict. there's these are big issues and they will come up again and again. >> paul richards, briefly, if you can, barry gardiner, a highly respected high profile labour backbencher , has said
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labour backbencher, has said that the u—turn was economically illiterate economically catastrophic. you've got a by—election, labour by—election candidate suggesting that israel allowed the october the 7th massacre to happen as some kind of conspiracy. he's apologised , of conspiracy. he's apologised, but he's still the by—election candidate for labour. and you've got backbenchers not happy with keir starmer's pro—israel position . it doesn't sound very position. it doesn't sound very harmonious for a party getting ready for power. i think if azhar ali wins in rochdale , the azhar ali wins in rochdale, the first thing that needs to happen is that he has the labour whip taken off him . taken off him. >> he can't, you can't get him off the ballot paper now. it is now a choice between him or galloway, have galloway, and i'd rather have the labour candidate in place, but have to be but he does have to be disciplined for because it disciplined for this because it was thing to say was a disgraceful thing to say or or contemplate , or think or even contemplate, and he does need to be punished. you , starmer said we're you know, starmer has said we're going anti—semitism . going to root out anti—semitism. um, has to keep doing um, and he has to keep doing that. it would seem the party is unhed that. it would seem the party is united at the moment. i mean,
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these poll leads of 22 points do you give us a bit of a spring in our step? i think we're going to do really well in these by elections that are coming up in a l elections that are coming up in a , and i think that a few weeks, and i think that will with because will help with unity, because people like to be on the winning side, don't they. >> mhm. >> mhm. >> fascinating your >> fascinating stuff. your reaction do >> fascinating stuff. your reacthink do >> fascinating stuff. your reacthink a do >> fascinating stuff. your reacthink a labour do you think that a labour government would harmonious. government would be harmonious. let's current one let's be honest the current one isn't is it. let me know isn't very is it. so let me know your thoughts. but in my take at ten looking forward this. the ten looking forward to this. the dream ownership now dream of home ownership is now beyond of of beyond the reach of millions of brits of rent is brits and the cost of rent is becoming national if becoming a national scandal. if we building houses we don't start building houses and country is and fast, this country is finished. but next up, my mark meets guest is sas hero rusty firmin, who risked life and limb in the falklands and northern ireland. he tells his extraordinary story about this extraordinary story about this extraordinary regiment
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next you won't want to miss my take at ten. i'm furious about the state of house building in this
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country. but first it's time for mark meets . and tonight, a true mark meets. and tonight, a true military hero, rusty firmin spent 15 years in the sas and was a key figure in the iranian embassy. siege. in may 1980, he also served in the falklands and northern ireland during the troubles. one of the most respected figures in the history of that brave and formidable regiment . of that brave and formidable regiment. his time serving in the forces, his all documented in his best selling book. it's called the regiment 15 years in the sas and it's out now. rusty firmin , welcome to mark dolan firmin, welcome to mark dolan tonight. yeah lovely to see you. what what is special about the sas compared to other regiments ? sas compared to other regiments? >> um, it makes me bigheaded about it, but actually , it takes about it, but actually, it takes an awful lot to get into the sas, and it's organised as one of the toughest courses in the world. >> yeah. um, you know, six months of gruelling day in day out, day in, day out, wearing you down, you know , start off
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you down, you know, start off with 100 guys. you might end up with 100 guys. you might end up with ten. it was actually physically past it. that's how tough it is. so it's a six month job interview. yeah yeah. if you pass the first month, which is the physical side of it, and then you go further down the line and do everything else and basically it's wearing you down day in and day out all the way through until they've got what's left. and what they've got left is what they push out. and that's why it's been such, um, a successful regiment over the years in everything it does, including the counter—terrorism . including the counter—terrorism. >> yeah. the elite, the elite of the british military. what attracted you to the sas in the first place? what was happening in your life at the time you joined ? joined? >> i was in two line >> um, i was in two line commando, which . was based in commando, which. was based in plymouth. um i was a commando instructor. um, so i was out in the hills every day training new commandos to be commandos , if commandos to be commandos, if you like. um, going through the training phases there . and one training phases there. and one day i got itchy feet. at that
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time , i was still playing time, i was still playing football for the british army, which was the highest level in semi—professional position. >> you look like a midfielder to me. >> i've been a midfielder and forward. >> there you go. attacking midfielder in the kind of, uh, yeah. >> kick a few, kick a few. >> kick a few, kick a few. >> yeah, yeah i like it. >> yeah, yeah i like it. >> can't get away with it in this day and age. >> but that's what i was and that's what i was doing. >> yeah i just felt that that stage, if i wasn't to stage, if i wasn't going to move, then i'd probably never have a have done it. yeah so i put a lot of into the training lot of time into the training pre—training then for pre—training and then went for it. in 1977, did the summer it. um in 1977, did the summer selection and got through, of coui'se. >> course. >> and of course , you know, you >> and of course, you know, you were in the sas for a very important part of this country's history. uh, the troubles in northern ireland and the falklands war in which you served at the falklands, did you always know that the uk was going to win, or did you ever have doubts that we might not prevail ? prevail? >> no, no, i never have doubts .
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>> no, no, i never have doubts. um, you know, the calibre of people, you know, you can see what happened. um, and the guys that i served with, it was very, very quickly put together by mrs. thatcher, the prime minister at the time. and, um , minister at the time. and, um, yeah, we took some casualties , yeah, we took some casualties, but actually the falklands islands is ours , and it was islands is ours, and it was worth fighting for. most definitely . definitely. >> how did your time in the sas change you? it didn't really change you? it didn't really change me. >> um , once i got in, i realised >> um, once i got in, i realised i had some hard work to do , but i had some hard work to do, but the calibre of guys out there before you bring you through . before you bring you through. yeah. if you can make it. some people don't. even when they pass, they'll fall by the wayside. um even once you've got through . um, c guided by the through. um, c guided by the experience around you . if you experience around you. if you don't learn from that , you're don't learn from that, you're never going to learn at all. and then you go through and you guys
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coming in, then they learn from you. and that's what we did . you. and that's what we did. >> and you share that intelligence that knowledge, that did you that experience. yeah. did you ever come close to losing your life whilst serving in sas? life whilst serving in the sas? yeah >> down in the falklands in particular. um, other places maybe you didn't know about, but actually, yeah, when we did operation mikado and jumped into the south atlantic . yeah. um the south atlantic. yeah. um a cold place just bobbing . around, cold place just bobbing. around, waiting to be picked up. >> so in the sea. yeah and how long were you in the sea for waiting? probably about 7 or 8 minutes, probably. >> right in ice cold water. >> right in ice cold water. >> oh, yeah. yeah yeah, it's. it's remarkable . um, the clocks it's remarkable. um, the clocks against us. but in 1980, a group of six armed men stormed the iranian embassy in london. they were campaigning for the sovereignty khuzestan. they sovereignty of khuzestan. they took 26 people hostage, including embassy staff and a police officer . you were part of police officer. you were part of that operation. and there's somebody that's been reported about that you think is claiming to be involved but wasn't. >> yeah . it's, um, norman
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>> yeah. it's, um, norman merrill. unfortunately, his deceased last year, 82 years of age, but they've had a memorial for him up in ilkeston , um, on for him up in ilkeston, um, on saturday, gone where they've claimed in the bbc in um , the claimed in the bbc in um, the newspapers , the news desk. i've newspapers, the news desk. i've beenin newspapers, the news desk. i've been in touch with them all, including the reporter who called me for a story on it and told him that this sergeant, norman merrill, was never in the sas. it was never in the siege. and i call it stolen valour . my and i call it stolen valour. my guys, some of them are deceased right now . they were involved in right now. they were involved in that operation , so they made that operation, so they made them out to be a hero . um, i them out to be a hero. um, i said i was going to report them if they didn't do something about it. even the emails are sent to the news desk are being not even returned. so here i am, sat here tonight. >> well, it's a matter of national record. and thank you for putting the record straight. listen, of time, but listen, we're out of time, but very do miss
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very briefly. do you miss your time no right. time in the military? no right. are to be out? i'm are you happy to be out? i'm happy to out. we're happy to be out. well, we're happy to be out. well, we're happy have you on civvy happy to have you on civvy street. thank you for telling us your story. your amazing story. more importantly, thank you for the service you've to service that you've given to this country. rusty. >> thank you. thanks the >> thank you. thanks for the invite privilege to invite tonight. privilege uh, to have up in have rusty with us coming up in the hour. the 10:00 hour. >> got the papers. and in >> we've got the papers. and in my take at ten, the dream of home ownership is now beyond the reach of millions of brits. it's a national scandal. if we don't start building houses and fast. this is finished. that's this country is finished. that's my take. at ten a few minutes my take. at ten in a few minutes time, won't want to miss it. time, you won't want to miss it. >> that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers sponsors of weather on . gb news. on. gb news. >> hello there. good evening. i'm jonathan vautrey here with your gb news weather forecast provided by the met office the next few days. the theme really is clear spells and showers around and we have really around and we have that really as end sunday as well. as we end sunday as well. showers pushing their way in from west. quite frequent from the west. quite frequent for western districts. some
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for some western districts. some clearer though further clearer spells though further towards the east a much towards the east and a much dner towards the east and a much drier overall though for drier night overall though for the northeast here in the far northeast. here in shetland going be shetland it is going to be a much with that band much wetter one, with that band of sweeping through of rain sweeping through underneath clear underneath some of those clear spells, temperatures spells, though, temperatures will off a bit low. will just drop off a bit low. single for many of single figures for many of us, and a frost is possible. and a patchy frost is possible. first on monday morning. first thing on monday morning. maybe stretches well maybe some icy stretches as well where we do have those showers around, to see around, we will continue to see those showers pushing way around, we will continue to see tho they owers pushing way around, we will continue to see thothey will's pushing way around, we will continue to see thothey will's pushingfrequentay in. they will be most frequent and heaviest northwestern and heaviest for northwestern areas. blustery winds areas. some quite blustery winds around times also, but around here at times also, but generally further east and south. more to south. you're more likely to stay throughout the day with stay dry throughout the day with a decent number sunny a decent number of sunny spells in well. a relatively in there as well. a relatively pleasant start to the new week. temperatures 11 c is temperatures around 6 to 11 c is pretty much we'd expect pretty much where we'd expect them be this time in the them to be for this time in the year got an area of year. on tuesday, got an area of low pressure just to the north that again bring some very that will again bring some very breezy, for breezy, blustery showers for scotland, a ridge of high scotland, but a ridge of high pressure for drier, pressure allows for a drier, finer start much of northern finer start for much of northern ireland, and wales , with ireland, england and wales, with some spells once again, some sunny spells once again, but see the but we will start to see the cloud thickening from the cloud thickening up from the southwest with outbreaks of rain eventually arriving. turning breezy as but in amongst
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breezy as well. but in amongst all of this we have milder air sweeping its way in, so temperatures will be on rise temperatures will be on the rise as head the middle as we head towards the middle part week, seeing part of the week, seeing mid—teens some of us as we mid—teens for some of us as we head wednesday. head towards wednesday. enjoy the evening by. the rest of your evening by. >> things are heating >> looks like things are heating up boxt boilers . as sponsors of up boxt boilers. as sponsors of weather on .
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gb news. good evening. >> it's 10:00 good evening. >> it's10:00 on television, on radio and online in the united kingdom and across the world. this is mark dolan tonight in my take at ten. the dream . of home take at ten. the dream. of home ownership is now beyond the reach of millions of brits , and reach of millions of brits, and the cost of rent is becoming a national scandal. if we don't build houses and fast. this country is finished. also tonight, should nigel farage step in and help the tories or
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leave them to disintegrate , i'll leave them to disintegrate, i'll be asking former government minister ann widdecombe . plus, minister ann widdecombe. plus, at tomorrow's newspaper front pages and live reaction in the studio from tonight's top pundits, and we're bringing out the royalty this evening. we have former labour special adviser paul richards exit, bbc chief political correspondent . chief political correspondent. the one and only john sergeant and journalist and common communications adviser linda jubilee. lots to get through a packed show. first, the headunes packed show. first, the headlines and sam francis . mark, headlines and sam francis. mark, thank you very much and good evening from the gb newsroom. >> it'sjust evening from the gb newsroom. >> it's just gone 10:00 and we'll start in the middle east tonight. as tensions escalate amid warnings against an israeli invasion in rafah in the south of gaza, uk ministers have today said that it would be potentially catastrophic for civilians there . that's despite civilians there. that's despite calls from the uk, the us, germany and egypt among others, to the israeli prime minister
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for him to abandon the offensive . in a call with the us president, joe biden, benjamin netanyahu . faced pressure to netanyahu. faced pressure to halt the planned invasion. joe biden said that there must be a credible plan to protect the 1.4 million people seeking shelter in rafah. however, netanyahu insists insists enough hostages are alive to justify the ground offensive that comes after at least 44 people, including several children, died yesterday in what the palestinians claim were israeli air strikes . back were israeli air strikes. back here in the uk, the family of murdered teenager. brianna ghey have today held a vigil to mark the first anniversary of her death. flowers, candles and a painting of brianna were laid nearby, with many wearing pink in tribute to brianna, her mother , esther was among the mother, esther was among the many members of the community gathering to pay their respects. brianna was an amazing, unique and joyful teenager. >> i will be forever thankful that i was lucky enough to spend 16 years with her. she taught me
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so much and gave me so much happiness and love. if there's one piece of advice that i can give to any parent, it would be to hug your children tight and never stop telling them that you love them . love them. >> esther ghey they're the mother of brianna ghey. speaking earlier , well, a man and woman earlier, well, a man and woman have been charged today after an eight year old boy was seriously injured in an xl bully attack. merseyside police say the boy is in a serious but stable condition in hospital after receiving treatment for a serious head. injuries doctors say his injuries are life changing. 49 year old amanda young and 30 year old louis young and 30 year old louis young have been charged . being young have been charged. being in charge of a dog that's dangerously out of control and causing injury. we understand, though, they're not related to the victim . 124 migrants crossed the victim. 124 migrants crossed the victim. 124 migrants crossed the english channel yesterday on three small boats, according to new home office figures. the latest arrivals bring the total for the year, so far to just
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over 1500. that's down, though , over 1500. that's down, though, on the 2000. at this time last yean on the 2000. at this time last year, but up on the figure in 2022. apart from the latest crossings, small boats had not been intercepted since the end of january. the prime minister as you'll remember, has made stopping the boats a key pledge of his leadership. as the country approaches the general election . in other news, the election. in other news, the government is set to block. we understand, bonuses paid to bosses who run water firms that pollute rivers, lakes and seas . pollute rivers, lakes and seas. the move comes after public anger at bosses pocketing more than 26,000,000,000 million rather pounds in bonuses, benefits and incentives over the last four years. the proposed ban by the regulator, ofwat, could apply to ceos and all executive board members and finally, 14 people have today been injured , including two been injured, including two seriously, after a tree fell onto the tracks of a roller coaster in spain. footage here for those watching on social media, watching on tv rather that appeared on social media
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showing the showing an air ambulance landing at the scene of that crash site where emergency services say five people, including two, were in a critical condition taken to hospitals nearby the portaventura theme park, the largest in spain, says the accident is not related to the ride safety or maintenance. but they say instead, because of strong winds . and for the latest strong winds. and for the latest stories, you can sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen. or, if you're listening on radio, you can to gbnews.com forward can go to gbnews.com forward slash . slash alerts. >> thanks, sam. good evening and welcome to mark dolan tonight. >> should nigel farage step in and help the tories or leave them to disintegrate, i'll be asking. tonight's newsmaker, former government minister and whittaker, plus tomorrow's newspaper front pages and live reaction in the studio from my
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top pundits this evening, reaction in the studio from my top pundits this evening , former top pundits this evening, former labour special adviser paul richards, ex bbc chief political correspondent john sergeant and journalist and communications adviser linda jubilee . lots to adviser linda jubilee. lots to get through. i'll be asking my punst get through. i'll be asking my pundits for their headline heroes and back page zeroes of the day and those papers are coming. plus ann widdecombe . but coming. plus ann widdecombe. but first, my take at ten. now i don't know whether i've got the man flu or if i had a big night last night, but i found myself agreeing with michael gove this morning, speaking to the sunday times, the cabinet minister responsible for levelling up, housing and communities told the paper that if young people can't get housing, they will abandon democracy . the political democracy. the political veteran, famous as much for his disco dancing as his political ruthlessness, has got himself in a bit of a spin on the dance floor about the future of
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society . if people in their 20s, society. if people in their 20s, 30s and 40s have no chance of getting on the housing ladder. although he's no john travolta, he's absolutely right on this issue. sukh on generation rent will be most young people and far too high a portion of ordinary people's salary goes on a roof over their head, especially for renters. gove added that if people think that market are rigged and that democracy isn't listening to them, then an increasing number of young people will say, well, i don't believe in democracy. i don't believe in markets of course, michael gove and his party be a part of the problem . party be a part of the problem. rishi sunak last year dropped compulsory housing targets to avoid a potential backbench tory rebellion. he fudged the issue horribly by making a manifest commitment to build 300,000 homes a year. but subject to local approval. well, good luck with that. britain is the world capital of nimby in other words,
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not in my back yard . and michael not in my back yard. and michael gove points out that since the credit crunch of 2008 2009, it's harder for people to get mortgages plus foreign ownership of property, including vast housing developments picked up by the chinese , arabs and by the chinese, arabs and russians is hitting supply too. but the elephant in the room is population growth . now, sensible population growth. now, sensible levels of legal net migration are linked to economic prosperity and an enriched society . and with an ageing society. and with an ageing population and millions of brits unwilling to do some of the important work in this country, that needs to be done , such as that needs to be done, such as the care sector and seasonal farming. you'll always need migration, but with legal net migration, but with legal net migration last year reaching almost 700,000, that's an increase in the entire population of 1% in a single year. population of 1% in a single year . this population of 1% in a single year. this problem is only going to get worse, particularly given that housebuilding can't even keep up with current demand.
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last month, the office for national statistics forecasted that the uk population will likely reach nearly . 74 million likely reach nearly. 74 million by 2036, fuelled by net migration of 6.1 million people, 6.1 million extra people, great, but where are they going to live? according to the centre for policy studies think tank ons population figures suggest that we'll need to build at least 5.7 million new homes in england over the next 15 years. elton john's hair will grow back naturally before that happens . naturally before that happens. so what is the way forward? well we need a radical post—war style housing revolution . michael gove housing revolution. michael gove must accelerate his plans to allow the repurposing of office blocks, industrial estates and disused retail outlets into housing work from home means that millions of square feet of office space are no longer
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needed, and people would more than happily live in those properties. also we need to slap a massive property tax on foreign investors, stop locals blocking construction , which blocking construction, which they always will, and a radical plan is needed to build on brownfield . and yes, some brownfield. and yes, some greenfield sites because they're not all flowery meadows given the fact that over 85% of uk landmass is rural, it means there's no excuse not to build baby build. now this should be cross—party housing is critical infrastructure and labour, the tories and even the lib dems should come together to make a long terme plan to house this and future generations . as and future generations. as margaret thatcher proved in the 19805, margaret thatcher proved in the 1980s, home ownership is good for social mobility and sees people engage with democracy , people engage with democracy, society and the economy rather than walking away from it. as michael gove fears . margaret michael gove fears. margaret thatcher's big mistake was not
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pumping right to buy money into building new social housing, of which we also need much , much which we also need much, much more legal net migration should come down to a sensible , come down to a sensible, manageable level, ensuring that our compassion as a nation and our compassion as a nation and our need for fresh blood and skilled and unskilled labour is balanced by the capacity of our infrastructure . school places, infrastructure. school places, nhs beds , public transport and nhs beds, public transport and our ability to accommodate extra people and we should look into build half a million. that's right , half a build half a million. that's right, half a million. high quality new homes every year for the next decade at least bring is a home owning democracy with a proud history of social housing and the construction of which needs to be ramped up as well. if we don't build all types of houses and flats and fast, we are finished. as a country , you know what they say country, you know what they say home sweet home. well, at the moment , thanks to our useless moment, thanks to our useless politicians, all we're getting is sweet. far. there's no two
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ways about it, folks . we've got ways about it, folks. we've got to build baby build. but your reaction mark at gb news news.com. let's hear from my top pundits. former labour special adviser paul richards, ex bbc chief political correspondent john sergeant and journalist and communications adviser linda jubilee. john sergeant, your reaction to the comments of michael gove? he's told the sunday times this morning that if young people think they can't get on the housing ladder, they're going to walk away from democracy. yeah i think walking away from democracy assumes they would then know where to go . would then know where to go. >> so i don't think it's a very useful phrase. i also don't think country be, in think the country would be, in your finished it. but my your words, finished it. but my gosh, you're rising all the other main points. there's got to an enormous house building to be an enormous house building program or they've got to take radical action to reduce immigration and to build up much more social housing. but no, the target certainly should be half
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a million. but people should then get behind it, and the government should know this is going to be unpopular in many areas , but they've got to have areas, but they've got to have the political will to do this, which done by a which can be done by a conservative government. it was donein conservative government. it was done in the 1950s by harold macmillan with, you know, we were build 300,000 houses a year and people thought how, what an amazing figure. but they did it and a great success and and it was a great success and very good politically . i can't very good politically. i can't think of a, you know, an issue apart from the nhs and some other things which would get people than feeling people more excited than feeling that we could house the population. yes >> i don't think the tories have covered themselves in glory when it comes to house building. in fact, they've been a disaster. paul richards but would labour fact, they've been a disaster. pa|any chards but would labour fact, they've been a disaster. pa|any better?)ut would labour be any better? >> you've been >> it sounds like you've been reading the next labour manifesto , mark. or maybe manifesto, mark. or maybe writing it. i don't know , but i writing it. i don't know, but i mean to disagree with mean hard to disagree with anything say anything you said. i would say immigration is a bit of a red herring here because we've had, you know, population growth since and we've since the romans and we've managed people . it's managed to house people. it's more , getting the
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more about supply, getting the planning laws sorted out, letting councils build homes to rent out for people on low incomes like nurses and teachers, but also sorting out this deposits issue because unless you've got the bank of mum and dad, these sort of 30, 40, £50,000 deposits that people need starting out to even get on the first rung of the ladder is absurd . so we need to have absurd. so we need to have a situation where people can get on that first become on that first rung and become a property owners, and that's what we're after . we're all after. >> paul, i'm sure you know labour couldn't do than labour couldn't do worse than the let me pick you the tories, but let me pick you up issue legal net up on that issue of legal net migration. agree the country migration. i agree the country has but not has always been growing, but not at rate , 700,000in a year. at this rate, 700,000in a year. that's 1% of the whole uk population . there will be 3.5 population. there will be 3.5 million extra people in five years. they've got to live somewhere. >> but the population has always grown. and this. >> but not at that rate. paul >> but not at that rate. paul >> but not at that rate. paul >> but these are people who are coming to and they coming here to work and they will add to the growth of our economy people over economy as people from all over the coming here have the world coming here have always and they'll do the
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always done and they'll do the jobs, as you say, that maybe some people don't want to do. and also they'll be building the houses. the people houses. they'll be the people who actually we need the who actually we need in the construction industry as well. so not nothing fear. it so it's not nothing to fear. it is just part the natural is just part of the natural growth of country . growth of our country. >> renee linda, can you sort this me? what's going this out for me? what's going wrong? build houses? >> well, i mean, that's all down to how much money you've got in the kitty. how much will you've got to the planning laws? got to change the planning laws? how hard you tackle local authorities, whether you really get your your your troops behind a good policy . get your your your troops behind a good policy. but get your your your troops behind a good policy . but what get your your your troops behind a good policy. but what i will tell is only thing that tell you is the only thing that surprised michael surprised me about michael gove's appearance this morning on television , and what wrote on television, and what he wrote in sunday times is it in the sunday times is it took so to it. i've got so long to say it. i've got three children. they've all worked really hard. they've all got bachelor's degrees, they've all masters one's an all got masters one's an economist, in the theatre, economist, one's in the theatre, one's architect. ironically one's an architect. ironically enough. one's an architect. ironically enough . and two of the three enough. and two of the three don't believe they will get any chance of getting on the property ladder because their older brother, who is the economist, worked out economist, has worked it out until their late
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until they are in their late 30s. cannot we cannot 30s. now, we cannot we cannot allow that continue to continue and more importantly, the concern party can't continue to disenfranchise younger voters in this way. the fact is, the conservative party does an awful lot to keep older voters happy . lot to keep older voters happy. but that's not the only investment you should be making investment you should be making in who votes for you. you simply have to invest in younger voters now. and i'm telling you that i talk to my kids, i talk to younger children and top of their list of concerns is . housing >> there you go. build baby, build. well, my top pundits return at 1030 sharp for tomorrow's papers. next up, tomorrow's papers. but next up, should nigel farage step and should nigel farage step in and help or leave them to help the tories or leave them to disintegrate, be asking disintegrate, i'll be asking tonight's newsmaker, former government minister ann widdecombe. to get through. widdecombe. lot to get through. don't
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interesting. you're listening to gb news radio show . gb news radio show. >> high rishi here as prime
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minister i'm focussed on delivering on your priority , liz. >> so i'll be on the road to join gb news for a special people's forum on monday. the 12th of february, where i'll be taking questions from a live audience about the issues that really matter to you the economy, immigration, the nhs. see you there . see you there. >> i'll get to your feedback shortly regarding my take at ten and britain's housing crisis. but first, it's time for the newsmaker. a nigel farage has sensationally revealed that he receives desperate calls from tory mps, several times a day. the gb news presenter has hinted several times about a potential return to politics, but remains undecided , receiving a message undecided, receiving a message from an unnamed conservative backbencher on his phone during an interview with the times newspaper , he said to the times newspaper, he said to the times journalist there's another one calling me. they're looking for something. they're desperate.
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i'm uncle nige. they all want to know what i'm going to do. so what is he going to do? should nigel farage step in to help the tories or let them disintegrate? let's get the views of tonight's newsmaker, former government minister and reform uk supporter ann widdecombe. and to great see you. this is a dilemma for nigel, isn't it? the conservative party is the oldest and most successful party in the history of western democracy. he might like to be part that. might like to be part of that. >> no, don't think it's >> no, i don't think it's a dilemma at all. >> first of all, they may be the oldest and they have oldest party and they have hitherto been extremely successful . but the last four successful. but the last four years have seen a complete meltdown, and it's all very well saying, you know, should not lead the conservatives. um, which branch of the conservative party would that you know that there is not a unified party there is not a unified party there for anybody to leave and all this nonsense about how they're now going to get the rishi sunak, the local council elections badly wrong , rishi sunak, the local council elections badly wrong, as elections go badly wrong, as they will will not solve their
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problems because they're real. problem is total disunity and a very , very second rate very, very second rate collection of mps. and by the way, the labour party has an equally second rate collection as we will find out when they win the election . win the election. >> and we know that the conservatives those backbenchers, yes, they have their various ideologies. it's a broad church, but the tories are pragmatic too, aren't they? if nigel became a tory leader , nigel became a tory leader, which is only possible if he joins the party, he he could win them an election. >> the point is that they used to be pragmatic . it used to be to be pragmatic. it used to be the most pragmatic party on earth, and even got rid of margaret thatcher when its position started to slide very badly in the poll. it had a huge instinct for self—preservation. that's gone . i mean, we've had that's gone. i mean, we've had we've had kindergarten pay off now, uh , for, you know, four now, uh, for, you know, four solid years and it's not going to get any better. and anybody who would take on the leadership
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of that party, uh, i, i would admire hugely if i thought they make a real difference . but make a real difference. but until they get together , until until they get together, until they realise that election victory has been thrown away , victory has been thrown away, they've won a majority of 80 under now. but they've got a majority of nearly 80. and they are doing absolutely nothing with it. nothing with it. >> now of course , an nigel >> now of course, an nigel farage is the honorary life president of reform uk. but are you surprised that he hasn't ruled out joining the conservatives . oh no. conservatives. oh no. >> nigel is nothing if not a very, very , uh, and he likes to very, very, uh, and he likes to laugh at the establishment, so i'm not surprised that he's ruled it out. there's probably also very serious motive underneath it to see exactly what the strength of feeling is in the conservative party on which reform can capitalise, and if any of them want to join reform. as wonderful as a big
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difference between tory joining reform and farage joining the tories now , ann, you've said on tories now, ann, you've said on several occasions on this program that reform uk exists and you joined reform uk because the conservatives are not a proper conservative party anymore. >> but if britain is so ready for true conservative ism, why are they about to elect a labour government ? government? >> because the current concern of party is utterly unelectable . of party is utterly unelectable. it's done nothing except navel gaze and fight among itself. it's got very few real achievements to, you know, to put on the record book and to say this is what we've done when the election comes along. and so most people are fed up. people are very fed up. i mean, actually nobody is more conservative with a small c than people in the red wall, and they will likely go back to labour because they've been completely let down by what they thought
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was going to be a common sense conservative party in which turned out to be a ridiculous party, ridiculous . party, ridiculous. >> and you're wearing tory blue today, and you look absolutely marvellous. could you rule out ever returning to conservative party if they had a set of policies and a philosophy to which you adhered ? which you adhered? >> well, i mean, the simple fact of life is that i go where i agree with most of the policies. you're never going to agree with 100. but where i agree with most of the policies. so in a hypothetical world, uh, you know, if reform disappeared and the conservatives rejuvenated, uh, of course i would look at it, but that ain't gonna happen. you've got a stark at westminster. it's a circus, and it's peopled by clowns . it's peopled by clowns. >> too many elephants as well. and uh, can i get to another story? this one will certainly, i think, excise a response from you soldiers and politicians have reacted with fury after
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british soldiers were told to make. remember, remember commemorations more inclusive by making them less christian. so official army policy states that they should avoid making armistice day events on november the 11th, wholly religious to avoid offending veterans of other religions and those without a religion. your reaction ? reaction? >> well , i reaction? >> well, i think nobody would have been more offended than those who gave their lives for a christian country . i those who gave their lives for a christian country. i think nobody would be more offended than that . uh, and what we've than that. uh, and what we've never understood in this country is that respecting other faiths does not mean surrendering your own. i mean, when we were celebrating the millennium, i know it feels like a long time ago now, but when we were celebrating the millennium, it was seriously proposed by the then government, which was blair's , that we wouldn't have a blair's, that we wouldn't have a prayer . well, what was the prayer. well, what was the millennium celebrating if it wasn't celebrating 2000 years of
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jesus christ ? and wasn't celebrating 2000 years of jesus christ? and this is the same sort of mentality . and same sort of mentality. and people think the way you appeal to other faiths is to belittle your own and other faiths don't understand it, because they certainly don't make that line. >> ruth, remember that this is a christian country speaking of which, anne, briefly, if you can, canterbury cathedral have opened their doors to a late night silent disco. this happened on thursday. i think we might have some footage of this. so, jonathan, if you're able to flash it up, i want to ask you whether this kind of event is appropriate in a church setting. this is hundreds of youngsters with big headphones on their ears dancing to music in a place of worship . what do you think , of worship. what do you think, anne? well i think it entirely depends on what sort of music they're dancing to. >> i doubt very much somehow, from looking at it as if they're singing christian choruses . but singing christian choruses. but if it were to be a religious music event, that would be fine. if this is just a secular event,
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such as you find on friday nights in most towns, then no , nights in most towns, then no, it is not appropriate. then there's this is for the worship of almighty god and thrilled to have you on the show. >> and i look forward to catching you in a week's time. my thanks to the formidable x government minister, broadcaster and television personality, and widdecombe. lots more to come , widdecombe. lots more to come, including tomorrow's papers with full pundit reaction. don't go anywhere
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yes. you're listening to gb news radio . radio. >> find me. >> find me. >> it's 1030 >> find me. >> it's1030 and time for tomorrow's front pages . after tomorrow's front pages. after jewish groups condemn starmer for standing by candidate who blamed israel for hamas atrocity, critics demand to know. so has labour really changed the i newspaper? jeremy hunt braced for double budget
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blow this week . official figures blow this week. official figures are expected to show an increase in the rate of inflation and a possible recession last year, ahead of crucial budget out in three weeks time . daily express three weeks time. daily express grant shapps woke culture is poisoning common sense. grant shapps pledges to end the poisonous woke culture, which he says threatens to distract the military from its job of protecting the nation. this very much ties in with the topic of tonight's big opinion. much ties in with the topic of tonight's big opinion . the tonight's big opinion. the defence secretary warned that controversial leftist thinking has crept into the armed forces. he said the drumbeat of those who despise britain is failing the army and the public, and vowed to finally restore common sense in the services with a review of diversity rules here for my people, dutiful kings wave of gratitude for support daily mirror kidnapped alex at 18. my new life alex batty has told of his life back in the uk after six years on the run in
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europe. guardian overseas students in push to clear names over english test cheating and cousin of gaza girl, aged six, haunted by her last call . the haunted by her last call. the sun newspaper crowds cheer brave charles king's wave of hope is the headline metro biden versus trump in war of words. unhinged white house fury as ex—president claims i would encourage putin to invade nato countries. the times bonus ban for water bosses who break rules and candidate in anti—semitism row backed by starmer . those are your front starmer. those are your front pages. let's get full reaction now from tonight's top pundits. former labour special adviser paul richards , ex bbc chief paul richards, ex bbc chief political correspondent john sergeant and journalist and communications adviser linda jubilee . okay, listen, lots of jubilee. okay, listen, lots of stories to get through. we can't speak in any detail about
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candidate s in the forthcoming by elections as you will all understand, due to election rules, but can we talk about whether or not keir starmer has got a problem with regards to israel and his future premiership? is that going to be a dividing line within his party? >> there's less of a dividing line than it was, i think. i mean, you may remember a few years ago the front row of the labour party conference were all there waving their palestinian flags, was not flags, and there was not a single sight. single israeli flag in sight. and think long gone, and i think that has long gone, though attitude has long though that attitude has long gone you a side , um, gone where you pick a side, um, there are noises off, but he's sticking to his guns and i think he's, you know, he said, well, i'm to prime i'm going to be the prime minister, possibly i can't minister, possibly me. i can't be party of pro test. i've got be a party of pro test. i've got to be a party of government. and that's do you think it's right >> so do you think it's right that he's pushed back calls that he's pushed back on calls for in the region? for a ceasefire in the region? >> what do mean by >> well, what do you mean by a ceasefire? it only works ceasefire? i mean, it only works if their arms and if hamas lay down their arms and return hostages, and the return the hostages, and the hostages must come home. those that left alive and that are still left alive and that's you know, a really that's a, you know, a really terrible . that's
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terrible situation. that's the most thing, it? most important thing, isn't it? so it's a slogan so you know, it's just a slogan unless you have lay down unless you have must lay down arms. unless you have must lay down arnwell , john, you think that >> well, john, do you think that the issues in the middle east could problem for a starmer premiership? >> i think they're going to be a problem i mean, what problem for us all. i mean, what what haven't caught what the papers haven't caught up is these, these very up with yet is these, these very firm line from the white firm line coming from the white house saying, now house to israel saying, now look, go in to rafah look, if you go in to rafah without a proper plan to protect the civilians, we're not going to back you, which is almost unprecedented, isn't it? that really is. and if you take that as you never know quite exactly what form it's being , we'll have what form it's being, we'll have to at it carefully. to look at it more carefully. but maybe just, you but maybe they've just, you know, losing and losing all patience israel . now, if patience with israel. now, if that happens , i think we've all that happens, i think we've all discussed this over months, really is it a credible policy to say we're going to destroy, to say we're going to destroy, to wipe out hamas and somehow protect the civilian population , protect the civilian population, even though egypt won't accept refugees? so where will people go? how will this work? whatever happens, it seems to me, is it
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will take time . netanyahu is will take time. netanyahu is saying we press on. we're determined to do this . but he's determined to do this. but he's not saying, oh, we can do it in a few weeks. just be patient for a few weeks. just be patient for a bit longer. no, he's really saying be patient. perhaps for months now that's going to press on, not just the united states, but the uk government certainly . but the uk government certainly. cameron, making it quite clear , cameron, making it quite clear, lord cameron making quite clear that worried people are that he's worried people are just thinking this is going to be catastrophic. so it may be the timing of all this, you know, when can you destroy how could you destroy hamas in this know, when can you destroy how coulwithoutzstroy hamas in this know, when can you destroy how coulwithoutzstdeal?1mas in this know, when can you destroy how coulwithoutzstdeal? it'ss in this know, when can you destroy how coulwithoutzstdeal? it's all this know, when can you destroy how coulwithoutzstdeal? it's all up s way without a deal? it's all up in the air, isn't it? very, very difficult. well, indeed. >> mean, got to ask >> i mean, you've got to ask yourself, linda, whether america could potentially disown israel's action in gaza. >> i mean, that's almost unbelievable, really, to start thinking that way. but it is getting to the point where it's very, very hard to feel sympathy for netanya , yahoo's position for netanya, yahoo's position here. i mean , you've got to here. i mean, you've got to remember as well that he's under
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a lot of political pressure at home. so that's always a factor. but of the day, hamas but at the end of the day, hamas is an ideology you destroy is an ideology you can't destroy an ideology. >> can dismantle the war >> you can dismantle the war machine of hamas, though, can't you? >> e- e“ >> you could, you could. but without killing lots of civilians. but do do civilians. but how do you do that without lots of that without killing lots of civilians? believe that civilians? i don't believe that you can. >> civilian casualties have been weaponized this is weaponized by hamas. and this is the the israelis . the dilemma facing the israelis. >> that's an argument >> sure. but that's an argument for how it start? yeah, for how did it start? yeah, everyone can accept that. >> and there's a disproportion senate you'd senate response, though you'd have to say that there was a disproportionate response by israel, the coverage, israel, but also the coverage, we'll have to say, because of all these people being killed day after day the children day after day and the children being day, being killed day after day, and it and we're it being reported and we're seeing it day after day, it is. >> people hate to see these pictures i certainly horrible yes, you look at them and that little that little kid saying come and help me. come and help me. she's body is me. and she's her body is then discovered mean , now you discovered dead. i mean, now you may say, well, it's in proportion to this. who proportion to this. and who started it? all the rest of started it? and all the rest of it. but people's human reaction
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to these pictures and these, it shouldn't underestimated. shouldn't be underestimated. cool people in foreign cool people in the foreign office may say , we're used office may say, oh, we're used to all this ordinary people. they're home in full they're not this at home in full colour, definition are terrifying. >> and this is people, children being operated upon without anaesthetic, know , doctors anaesthetic, you know, doctors are end of their tether. are at the end of their tether. i you read the sunday i think if you read the sunday times talk about times today and the talk about going it's so frightening. >> well, it's interesting the political right seem to be shifting position. this is in the tomorrow's the telegraph, tomorrow's telegraph. richards, telegraph. paul richards, tim stanley , one of their top stanley, one of their top columnists. he's no lefty. and the headline is for israel's sake, netanyahu must go now. the gaza war is the fault of hamas, but the innocent are dying, and it's beyond time for the killing to end. well hamas must be defeated and the hostages must come home. >> but then israel needs to ask itself the question who does it want to be? its leader? and you know, we would argue that needs to be a regime change in israel so that there's a more progressive, left leaning israeli leadership, or at least
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more moderate . yeah, more more moderate. yeah, more moderate and more coming so that the two state solution can be put back on the table. i mean, the tragedy of this situation is that palestinian statehood is now further away than it was before the massacre. yeah. you know, and this is the know, and maybe this is the hamas calculus that it wants this reaction. yes. but this massive reaction. yes. but they still need to be defeated. you know, as did with you know, just as we did with other enemies like isis. they have be militarily defeated. have to be militarily defeated. but the initial but you see, the initial reaction of keir starmer, which i'm sure was correct in of i'm sure was correct in terms of positioning, which was to make sure that he and the government were that. were like that. >> the for that was >> and the reason for that was to of prove to the nation to sort of prove to the nation of people in the of doubters, the people in the middle. if he was prime middle. look, if he was prime minister he would be much the minister he would be in much the same position . and that is what same position. and that is what obviously , i think labour gained obviously, i think labour gained a great deal from that in terms of credit, credit and credibility. we're moving into a different era now where every decision, every move is going to be analysed and there's sort of to say to keir starmer, do you agree with that? right. and to
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say to rishi sunak, do you agree with that ? we may be into that. with that? we may be into that. and it these vague talk about there must be a ceasefire and how about this and when where this may be coming to a completely position completely different position quite quickly. >> is the west ready to disown israel? let me know your thoughts. market gb news. com linda jubilee, the i newspaper jeremy hunt, the chancellor, braced for a double budget blow this week , fears that inflation this week, fears that inflation could creep up and the r word potentially that that we might have been in recession last yeah have been in recession last year. yeah. >> and there's all this talk actually about are we in a will we be in a technical recession. well i mean it's like being technically pregnant isn't it. at the end of the day. yeah, it this is a very , very difficult this is a very, very difficult week for jeremy hunt. this is a very, very difficult week forjeremy hunt. these are very, very bad points. >> what worries me is are we being softened up ready for bad news rather than totally bad news? they've done this before. the treasury has done this
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before, haven't they? we don't know the figures . they've got a know the figures. they've got a pretty inkling now of pretty clear inkling now of what's expected . are we just what's expected. are we just being told? so we'll think, oh, what a relief. inflation has only gone up a bit. >> so do you think do you think we are i mean reading the mood music there john. do you think we are being prepared for news that gone that inflation's gone up. >> i know we >> how does the i know that we as it the only the only as it were the only the only source for this kind of information given is the government. what is the government. yeah what is the government's the government's interest. the government's interest. the government's interest. the government's interest it's government's interest is if it's bad news is to make it seem worse and then say, oh, people thought it was going to be terrible, but it's not so bad . yeah. >> most definitely. listen, let's have a look at a couple of other stories if we can. this is another breaking story in the telegraph. former dutch prime minister his wife die hand minister and his wife die hand in hand in double euthanasia . in hand in double euthanasia. there you go. that's holland with a very different attitude to this procedure , to the one we to this procedure, to the one we have here in the uk. do we need to have a national conversation about this? paul >> we definitely do, actually.
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and i would argue for and i would even argue for a royal commission get some royal commission and get some experts table. i experts around the table. i think laws in at the think the laws we have in at the moment outdated and moment are so outdated and unfair people who unfair and cruel to people who want to take this you'd want to take this course, you'd need safeguards . of course need the safeguards. of course you but other countries seem you do. but other countries seem to be more enlightened , and i to be more enlightened, and i think just need have that. think we just need to have that. as say, national as you say, national conversation as you say, national conyes.3tion as you say, national conyes. esther rantzen has been >> yes. esther rantzen has been campaigning with this she's campaigning with this as she's suffering terminal suffering from terminal terminal lung cancer. i think. >> lindner yeah, i wrote a quite a piece for the telegraph. >> lindner yeah, i wrote a quite a soiece for the telegraph. >> lindner yeah, i wrote a quite a soiece'ago1e telegraph. >> lindner yeah, i wrote a quite a soiece �*ago because �*aph. >> lindner yeah, i wrote a quite a soiece �*ago because my. not so long ago because my father died with vascular dementia the last dementia and i spent the last two his bedside. the two weeks by his bedside. the funny thing was that although to start with, i felt like i was going come down on the side going to come down on the side of euthanasia and frankly, when you watch someone starve to death because can't swallow death because they can't swallow the tell their the brain, can't tell their mouth swallow, truly mouth to swallow, it is a truly horrific experience. the end horrific experience. at the end of the day, my mother, my aunt and me , we all sat round the bed and me, we all sat round the bed and me, we all sat round the bed and it was a very, very meaningful experience . he wasn't meaningful experience. he wasn't conscious, so i then changed my mind . but you're conscious, so i then changed my mind. but you're right, paul, because what we have to do is
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have these difficult conversations . you can't get conversations. you can't get anywhere until you start talking. and at the moment, we've kind of brushed this subject under the carpet. >> yeah, it's a it's a classic . >> yeah, it's a it's a classic. good on esther and phil. >> also bringing up >> and also bringing it up again also a time , for many, also for a long time, for many, many years doctors behind the scenes, and more scenes, the more and more the drugs better. drugs got better. >> drugs got better. people. >> oh, absolutely . absolutely. >> oh, absolutely. absolutely. >> oh, absolutely. absolutely. >> it's all very >> so, you know, it's all very well. >> show of extra morphine. >> show of extra morphine. >> right. >> that's right. >> that's right. >> we need to >> this needs to we need to discuss properly in the open. discuss it properly in the open. in do. how about this for a >> we do. how about this for a potential political in potential political bombshell in the states sergeant, the united states john sergeant, this disaster for this is an express disaster for donald as michelle obama, donald trump. as michelle obama, former first lady, could replace joe biden as presidential candidate for 2024. that would throw a cat among the pigeons, wouldn't it ? wouldn't it? >> well, i mean, i just feel that that biden's time is over. it's gone . and the americans are it's gone. and the americans are they've got all sorts of skills , they've got all sorts of skills, haven't they? and this is i'm putting up sort of caricature. but when they need to act, they'll act, won't they. and i just i can't imagine them just
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sort of rambling on and not concentrating and letting him become the candidate. i it doesn't seem very american . doesn't seem very american. >> it's gone to the americans to say they're all about presentation, aren't they? >> they're all about >> and they're all about decisions hard times. we decisions and hard times. and we got and all this thing got to do it and all this thing and he looks stereotyping them. but he looks completely , utterly but he looks completely, utterly unsuitable for the for the debates. apart from anything else. can you imagine him being 1 to 1 with trump in a debate with, with someone in between saying, what about this? how about that? is he going to cope with he's very few with that? he's given very few interviews as president. i think it's a third number that it's a third the number that you'd expect at the same stage. he's not up to it. this guy wasn't making it up. he may have been a republican in the guy that was judging him . um, over that was judging him. um, over the release of files that he that was what he was. he was judging him on that and finding him, in okay he wouldn't him, in fact. okay he wouldn't be charged, but partly because him, in fact. okay he wouldn't be didn'ted, but partly because him, in fact. okay he wouldn't be didn't thinkt partly because him, in fact. okay he wouldn't be didn't think he|rtly because him, in fact. okay he wouldn't be didn't think he|rtly bestand he didn't think he could stand up to the judicial inquiry. well, i mean, and yet and yet
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he's the leader of the free world with access to the nuclear codes. >> do you think that biden is potentially a couple potentially weeks or a couple of months relinquishing months away from relinquishing power? i am a huge joe power? paul i am a huge joe biden fan and it is tragic to see what's happening. >> but i think there is some truth into in this which he is becoming increasingly unlikely to be the candidate because i think his faculties are failing and that's what we see. you know, we can see the evidence of our own eyes. so i think it's very sad. and i think he's a good thing. i think he's been thrown under the bus by, well, democratic party insiders. john's he? the john's right, isn't he? the democrats , the strategists, the democrats, the strategists, the moneymen , you know, they're all moneymen, you know, they're all look at situation and go, look at this situation and go, look, guy making look, this guy is making trump look, this guy is making trump look you this is not look good. you know, this is not a situation for us be a good situation for us to be in. maybe there's a better in. um, maybe there's a better candidate wings is candidate in the wings who is the candidate, whoever else trump fear because the trump would fear because the frontrunner be frontrunner would be the governor california , gavin governor of california, gavin newsom. well there are lots of people coming through . i mean, people coming through. i mean, the michelle obama thing is really fascinating because who
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knows better how the white house runs. you know, who has better empathy with the american people? she's a great communicator, the great speech maker, great backstory. you know what's not like? what's to not like? >> great excitement to great excitement. >> but also, she's not a divisive she'd have not divisive figure. she'd have not a true she with many americans, many voters. many floating voters. >> absolutely marvellous. wouldn't it? >> what would be >> but what would be the mechanism into play? mechanism to get her into play? that's what i'm not quite clear. well, they'll make it if they well, they'll make it up if they if there there, if there isn't one there, they'll, they'll the law. they'll, they'll change the law. >> the i >> they'll change the rules. i mean, there you go. >> do you think, folks? >> what do you think, folks? >> what do you think, folks? >> are you ready for another obama house obama in the white house stranger have happened , stranger things have happened, let me tell you that. we've been conducting an exclusive mark dolan tonight people's poll. we've been asking, should nigel farage join the conservative party? well, the results are in. i shall reveal all next. plus more from the papers. see you in two.
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now we've been conducting a mark dolan tonight people's poll. we've been asking, should nigel farage join the conservative party? well, very interesting result. not a landslide, but 60.5% say no. but. result. not a landslide, but 60.5% say no. but . 39.5% say 60.5% say no. but. 39.5% say yes. and i suspect those people voting yes are disgruntled tory voters who would like nigel to rescue their party. will it happen? well, nigel hasn't ruled it out. watch this space, eh? reacting to the big stories of the day. what a brilliant set of punst the day. what a brilliant set of pundits i've enjoyed with me tonight. former labour special adviser richards, ex bbc adviser paul richards, ex bbc chief political correspondent john sergeant and journalist and communications advisor linda duberly and let's now get my nomination , please, for my nomination, please, for my pundits, for headline hero and back page zero of the day. so who's your hero of the day, paul? well well, uh, you won't be surprised to know it's king charles and i am no great fan of monarchy as an institution. >> but him as a man, i think,
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has done an enormous good and particularly raising awareness of cancer. of my age and of cancer. men of my age and maybe a little older, going for getting getting tests now . and getting getting tests now. and he will have saved lives by raising this issue to the prominence that has. good prominence that it has. so good for well, the cat's out of for him. well, the cat's out of the bag because all three of you have king as have nominated king charles as your headline hero. >> you? >> why have you? >> why have you? >> do we get for three >> what do we get for three kings? that's it. kings? is that well that's it. >> yeah. kings? is that well that's it. >> they're all things that that paul mentioned. >> i think there lots of >> but i think there are lots of things. mean, it's partly it's things. i mean, it's partly it's the man who's the story of the man who's waited all life, and he then waited all his life, and he then gets into this position and the natural sympathy but natural sympathy for him, but also right, also his feeling that. right, what mother what would my mother do? and very keep the show on the very much keep the show on the road? no question of what about abdication , anything like that? abdication, anything like that? nothing to do with that. but turn church ? uh, take turn up for church? uh, take your own umbrella. your wife, the queen, can also take her umbrella. but just be there and. and there are lots of times with the royal family when it's not what you say . and the queen was, what you say. and the queen was, of brilliant at all
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of course, brilliant at all this. it'sjust. of course, brilliant at all this. it's just. where are you standing? you doing? standing? what are you doing? who standing with? what standing? what are you doing? wh> very humble. it wasn't it wasn't or way wasn't haughty or in any way regal was it? >> every word was was perfect in that letter. but also, can i just say people you just say that people say, you know, he's how unlucky he's waited 70 years for this job. how unlucky he has been. i don't think he's unlucky because i think he's unlucky because i think the making think this will be the making of him . him. >> really? now, why do you say that? >> because i think that he has been enough to be been brave enough to be open about has spurred about a condition he has spurred on attention . he's focussed on attention. he's focussed attention he will attention upon it. he will undoubtedly have encouraged many men to come forward for testing and he waived his right to privacy. yeah, it would have been harder for him to cover up this kind of thing. it's much harder. it would have been decades ago. it would have probably but probably come out anyway. but he made decision. made a clear, concise decision. and his communication
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and i think his communication team did a brilliant job with it. >> most definitely to me, jonathan, you would listen, jonathan, if you would listen, i don't nominate don't normally nominate a headune don't normally nominate a headline hero, but i've got absolutely no hesitation in nominating my colleague. patrick christys right . what a talented christys right. what a talented guy. what a lovely bloke . and he guy. what a lovely bloke. and he spoke so movingly and honestly on gb news this morning about his struggles with alcoholism , his struggles with alcoholism, over which he has prevailed magnificently . he looks great magnificently. he looks great now. his body is a temple and so well done patrick, on your amazing recovery. really nice story in the mail on sunday about that so big on you big guy. and we'll see you tomorrow at nine. okay. what about back page zeros of the day. who were who's got the thumbs down tonight paul. >> well i think tucker carlson should be in a dock. frankly for providing putin with this platform to undermine the west and to spout his propaganda unchallenged. it'd be like turning up to interview hitler and saying, what's your favourite colour, adolf? >> right. so, tucker carlson, disgraceful. >> one of the best known
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broadcasters in the world, of course, fired from fox news in april of last year. what he april of last year. what was he thinking ? i mean, do not thinking? i mean, do you not want to try to understand the motivations behind putin's actions? is that not was that not the purpose of the. you don't do that without scrutiny and questioning. >> if you allow him to spout on this sort of half baked history of russian imperialism and his, you so—called claims on you know, so—called claims on territories and all the rest of it , it was a disaster. and, it, it was just a disaster. and, you it was unchallenged. you know, it was unchallenged. >> do we i mean , i'm no >> but do we not? i mean, i'm no putin fan, let me assure you. >> want to engage >> but do we not want to engage with in order to with these people in order to hopefully resolve this issue? well if you give an interview, you should expect some scrutiny. >> imagine if sargeant had turned just sat there and turned up and just sat there and let him speak. john would have made we made mincemeat, but we can't imaginehim to pieces. exactly. >> cut him to pieces. exactly. so you should. wish i wish so you should. i wish i wish no, the only i mean , just the the only thing i mean, just the elements of. >> as professional >> even as a professional journalist , >> even as a professional journalist, how can he say that other journalists didn't bother to putin? i mean, to interview putin? i mean, that's just a straightforward line. it's very to line. it's very offensive to
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people like the bbc's stephen rosenberg. exactly and it's just totally, totally . so the idea totally, totally. so the idea i'm a great professional reporter, i get the big story . reporter, i get the big story. oh, yeah. >> linda, a couple of seconds. why why do you think it was a good or a bad interview with tucker carlson? >> i think it was quite difficult to listen to technically, quite difficult to listen was nothing listen to. and there was nothing in um, that listen to. and there was nothing in any um, that listen to. and there was nothing in any , um, that listen to. and there was nothing in any , any um, that listen to. and there was nothing in any , any real um, that listen to. and there was nothing in any , any real meritthat listen to. and there was nothing in any , any real merit att listen to. and there was nothing in any , any real merit at all. had any, any real merit at all. >> okay. well, let me say my punst >> okay. well, let me say my pundits had merit tonight. uh, linda, by the way , had thames linda, by the way, had thames water, i'm assuming, for dirty, polluted water. >> goodness , thames >> oh my goodness, thames water outrage back on outrage over and i'm back on friday at 8:00. >> headline this next that >> headline is this next that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers sponsors of weather on gb news . gb news. >> hello there. good evening. i'm jonathan vautrey here with your gb news weather forecast provided by the met office. the next few days. the theme really is spells and showers is clear spells and showers around and we have really around and we have that really as we end sunday as well.
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showers pushing their way in from quite frequent for from the west quite frequent for some some some western districts, some clearer spells though further towards east and a much towards the east and a much dner towards the east and a much drier night overall though for the in the far northeast here in shetland it is going to be a much wetter one, with that band of rain sweeping through underneath clear underneath some of those clear spells, temperatures underneath some of those clear speljust temperatures underneath some of those clear speljust drop temperatures underneath some of those clear speljust drop offemperatures underneath some of those clear speljust drop off a peratures underneath some of those clear speljust drop off a perlow. s will just drop off a bit low. single figures for many of us, will just drop off a bit low. singa�* figures for many of us, will just drop off a bit low. singa patchy; for many of us, will just drop off a bit low. singa patchy frostnany of us, will just drop off a bit low. singa patchy frost is ny of us, will just drop off a bit low. singa patchy frost is possible and a patchy frost is possible first morning. first thing on monday morning. maybe as well maybe some icy stretches as well where we do have those showers around, we'll to around, we'll continue to see those way those showers pushing their way in. most frequent in. they will be most frequent and heaviest for northwestern areas, quite blustery areas, some quite blustery winds around here at times also, but generally further east and south. more to south. you're more likely to stay throughout day with south. you're more likely to stdecentthroughout day with south. you're more likely to stdecentthroughoof day with south. you're more likely to stdecentthroughoof sunnyy with south. you're more likely to stdecentthroughoof sunny spells a decent number of sunny spells in as a relatively in there as well. a relatively pleasant to the new week. pleasant start to the new week. temperatures around 6 to 11 c is pretty much where we would expect for this time expect them to be for this time in year . on expect them to be for this time in year. on tuesday got an in the year. on tuesday got an area of low pressure to the area of low pressure just to the north again bring north that will again bring some very blustery showers very breezy, blustery showers for but a ridge of for scotland, but a ridge of high pressure for high pressure allows for a dnen high pressure allows for a drier, start for of drier, finer start for much of northern ireland, england and wales, some sunny spells wales, with some sunny spells once . we start to once again. but we will start to see cloud thickening up see the cloud thickening up from
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the outbreaks the southwest with outbreaks of rain eventually arriving. turning breezier as well. but in amongst all of this we have milder air sweeping its way in, so temperatures will be the so temperatures will be on the rise we towards the rise as we head towards the middle the week, seeing middle part of the week, seeing mid—teens us we mid—teens for some of us as we head towards wednesday. enjoy the your evening by. the rest of your evening by. >> things are heating >> looks like things are heating up boxt boiler. as sponsors of weather on gb news .
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you're watching and listening to gb news from the newsroom at 11. >> the headlines this hour in a call this evening with the us president at the. he has urged the israeli prime minister to halt his planned .invasion of the gazan city of rafah. joe biden said it shouldn't go ahead without a credible plan in place to protect the 1 million people seeking shelter there. it follows biden's recent comment that israel's response in gaza
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is, he said, over the top . is, he said, over the top. meanwhile, here in the uk, the government's also warning there could be catastrophic consequences civilians if an consequences for civilians if an assault on rafah does go ahead. however, the israeli prime minister has told reporters enough of the 132 remaining hostages are alive to warrant that ground offensive. earlier tanks and bulldozers were seen along with troops operating along with troops operating along the gaza border . it comes along the gaza border. it comes after at least 44 people yesterday, including several children, died in what the palestinian ins have claimed were israeli airstrike s here in the uk, the family of murdered teenager brianna ghey have today held a vigil to mark her first anniversary of her death . anniversary of her death. flowers, candles and a painting of briana were laid nearby, with many people wearing pink in tribute. her mother, esther ghey , was among many members of the community who gathered to pay their respects . their respects. >> brianna was an amazing, unique and joyful teenager. i will be forever thankful that i
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was lucky enough to spend 16

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