tory happening in rural england. tory like jacob rees—mogg, could be at risk of losing their seats and we will go live to the north east. of course it will be the people's forum with rishi sunak, the prime minister, liz , live the prime minister, liz, live after this show at 8:00. but before all of that, let's get the news with polly middlehurst . the news with polly middlehurst. nigel thank you and good evening to you. >> well, the top story from the gb newsroom today is that the prime minister has been busy defending his government's action the economy, insisting action on the economy, insisting it now turning a corner it is now turning a corner dunng it is now turning a corner during a visit to yorkshire today, he acknowledged it had been a difficult few years for households . as data published households. as data published later this week will show whether or not the uk has supped whether or not the uk has slipped a recession. the slipped into a recession. the prime minister insists though all the indicators are heading in the right direction. >> last couple of years have >> the last couple of years have been undoubtedly difficult for the and the economy. the country and the economy. recovering from covid. the war

in ukraine, impact on energy bills. but at the start of this yeanl bills. but at the start of this year, i really believe that the economy has turned a corner and we're heading in the right direction. you can see inflation has come down from 11% 4. has come down from 11% to 4. mortgage rates starting to mortgage rates are starting to come have been come down. wages have been rising because rising consistently now because of the economic circumstances are improving . we've been able are improving. we've been able to cut taxes . to cut taxes. >> meanwhile, the prime minister's safety of rwanda bill has been the subject much has been the subject of much debate today in the house of lords, where it faced considerable opposition. a joint committee of mps and peers says the law is fundamentally incompatible with the uk's human rights obligations. the house of lords will be voting on a series of amendments designed to weaken rishi sunak legislation to deport asylum seekers to the east african nation. two suspected migrants have been caught entering the country illegally by hiding in the luggage compartment of a school coach, police were called when the men thought to be in their 20s, were found in the lowest

suitcase hold on their way to southampton from france, where the school children had been on a school trip. it's understood one of the men tried to run away, but was stopped by parents waiting to up waiting to pick up their children. the office has children. the home office has refused clarify where the two refused to clarify where the two men have been detained, but said the closely the government works closely with law enforcement agencies to tackle illegal migration in all its forms . tackle illegal migration in all its forms. nottinghamshire police is being investigated over the force's contact with paranoid schizophrenic valdo calocane before he went on to kill three people. the independent office for police conduct has launched a probe into police's contact with calocane as well as their handung calocane as well as their handling of the murder investigation itself. the 32 year old killed two students and a caretaker last year in nottingham in unprovoked attacks. the watchdog added. allegations have also been made about the non—execution of an outstanding warrant for his arrest. prior to the killings , arrest. prior to the killings, plans to block bonuses for water

polluting company bosses don't go far enough, says labour, and they're calling for tougher measures. senior executives from five of the ii measures. senior executives from five of the 11 firms were given more than £26 million in total of bonuses over the last four years, even when there were sewage spills, the regulator, ofwat, will launch a consultation on the proposed ban later this year and the royal navy aircraft carrier hms prince of wales has left portsmouth harbour following a slight delay at the weekend , and the £3 at the weekend, and the £3 billion warship now, now on her way to norway to take part in the largest nato exercise since the largest nato exercise since the cold war . the largest nato exercise since the cold war. her commanding officer said his crew had managed to bring the ship from 30 days notice to immediate readiness in just one week. she was put on standby a week ago after hms queen elizabeth was forced to cancel her deployment because they propeller issue for the very latest stories, do sign up for gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen, or go to gb news. com

slash alerts . slash alerts. >> good evening. do you remember those army adverts? they ran for years? begum be the best and it showed young men and women doing adventurous, strenuous and even slightly dangerous things . and slightly dangerous things. and it made the army look like it was a really exciting and elite place to join . you had to be the place to join. you had to be the best to be in the british army. well, a couple of weeks ago i saw a recent army advertisement here it is. >> now working with salathe rensselaer. we're gonna have a couple bannau ally pally. with salomon le .

salomon le. >> i couldn't believe . it. far >> i couldn't believe. it. far from being the best, this is now. now, this is belonging. and in the middle of a war zone, when a soldier stops and prays to allah. but, hey, that's what it's all about. it's not about being the best anymore. no, it's about meeting diversity. inclusion targets . and over this inclusion targets. and over this weekend, we learned extra ordinarily that this now extends to a recruitment drive to recruit more people born overseas without out proper security checks so that we can boost diversity numbers in the british army. we're still . the british army. we're still. the suggestion is that the christianity should be taken out of annual remembrance day services. it all beggars belief and thank goodness, a host of former senior military figures have written what i think is a pretty explosive open letter. i'll quote a couple of paragraphs to you. nothing could be better calculated to destroy

the esprit de corps of our armed forces than this poisonous farrago of nonsense, or to deter from serving the crown precisely the type of people most motivated and apt to our high calling. ours is a tolerant country, and this obsession, this obsessive racializing of everything, is both disgust ing and reprehensible . and they go and reprehensible. and they go on.and and reprehensible. and they go on. and this is a plea to grant shapps. we call on you as secretary of state for defence immediately to cleanse our military culture of these poisonous ideas, and to order a complete reset back to our core values of patriotism and unity that for generations made our armed forces the envy of the world. strong words . how and why world. strong words. how and why is this all happening? well, it is this all happening? well, it is quite extraordinary . shapps is quite extraordinary. shapps himself has come out overnight and said awoke an extremist culture has infiltrated the army

and i'm going to launch a review . that's right. the same grant shapps who this time last month were saying there's not enough diversity in the army. and what i've learned, what i find hard to believe is we have outsourced army recruitment to capita, one of those classic kind of blairite companies, and actually on their website, they say that they are transforming army recruitment. will you bet your life they are transforming army recruitment? it's no longer about being the best. it's no longer a meritocracy. it's now about quotas. it is a woke army. i ask you at home, is the army being ruined ? give me your being ruined? give me your thoughts. farage at gbnews.com. because i have to say, not only have we seen massive cuts in numbers, not only do we have our american friends warning us that it's actually quite difficult now to go on taking us seriously , but now we have a recruitment problem and you might remember

regular viewers that last week on this show, you know, we had senior former falklands veteran saying he wouldn't join the british army. today i'm joined by mark francois, member of parliament, of course, for essex former armed forces minister. but most important of all, a former soldier. and i'm also joined. well, i have to say , joined. well, i have to say, stephen, welcome your work on the telegraph in this today has uncovered stephen egerton. sorry has uncovered. i couldn't believe it when i read it that there were 93. so separate diversity groups within the ministry of defence. i read this in the telegraph this morning. i couldn't believe it. >> that includes seven groups for lgbt personnel and civil servants , ten groups for gender servants, ten groups for gender care and i4 servants, ten groups for gender care and 14 groups for race. this is the most diversity networks in any department across whitehall . it has more across whitehall. it has more diversity networks just for disability than for the home

office and for the ministry of justice. if this is not an example of the mod becoming a woke bureaucracy, i don't know what is . what is. >> you've been studying for weeks and months . the drift of weeks and months. the drift of not just the army, but our armed forces in general . not just the army, but our armed forces in general. um, you not just the army, but our armed forces in general . um, you know, forces in general. um, you know, when you hear grant shapps today, i mean, perhaps he's had a sort of damascene conversion. when you hear grant shapps today saying, an extremist saying, awoke an extremist culture infiltrated the culture has infiltrated the army, you take him seriously ? army, do you take him seriously? >> i do not. >> frankly, nigel, i do not. these policies have all been in place in the last 14 years. all of these policies that i've been studying over the last few weeks have been in place since i have all been in place since i don't know, 2022, june 2022. and who's been in charge of the armed forces since june 2022, since it's the since 2010? really, it's the conservative party, conservative ministers , they have, in ministers, they have, in essence, enabled these policies. they have endorsed these policies. these aren't just hidden away somewhere. i was easily able to find them lots of sources to send them to me. this isn't some, some, some sort of surprise you surprise and just to run you through remember some of

through it, remember some of these policies are really serious. you talk about one relaxing checks relaxing security checks for overseas makes overseas recruits and what makes that that that even worse is that specifically boost diversity that even worse is that spe(inclusion boost diversity that even worse is that spe(inclusion in 30st diversity that even worse is that spe(inclusion in the diversity that even worse is that spe(inclusion in the officerty that even worse is that spe(inclusion in the officer and and inclusion in the officer and intelligence those are intelligence corps, those are positions uncontrolled positions with uncontrolled access to state assets. that's a direct quote from the mod's race action plan. they've also got other policies. they allow so—called non binary personnel, men who want to pretend they're women to wear makeup on parades. they allow them to grow their hair out longer, like women can. they're introducing gender neutral toilets . they tell. they neutral toilets. they tell. they tell military personnel to use gender neutral language . they gender neutral language. they tell them in one of the examples in policy document says, you in the policy document says, you should hello, my name is should say hello, my name is sergeant my pronouns sergeant smith, and my pronouns are should be are they them. you should be introducing at all. introducing them at all. >> well, francois, what is going on? know how you of on? i know how proud you are of your service and how your army service and how seriously you've taken. you know, a member of parliament know, as a member of parliament these mean, can you these issues. i mean, can you believe you're hearing? believe what you're hearing? well be clear. well i was to be clear. >> was war to in the >> i was cold war to in the 19805, >> i was cold war to in the 1980s, but certainly didn't 1980s, but certainly we didn't have any this. not the point. have any of this. not the point. we any of this in my

we didn't have any of this in my day. look, the army has got three fundamental challenges at the whole the moment. one is the whole woke agenda. stephen has outlined that brilliantly. i won't compete with that. won't try and compete with that. but way, my colleague on but by the way, my colleague on the defence committee, richard but by the way, my colleague on the d hasce committee, richard but by the way, my colleague on the d has donemmittee, richard but by the way, my colleague on the d has done amittee, richard but by the way, my colleague on the d has done a lot:ee, richard but by the way, my colleague on the d has done a lot of, richard but by the way, my colleague on the d has done a lot of workard but by the way, my colleague on the d has done a lot of work on drax, has done a lot of work on this hacked it him. the this hacked it to him. the second major problem is equipped isn't the army's isn't some of the army's equipment is 40, 50 or even 60 years old. we've had some procurement disasters like ajax s morpheus, the new comms system , um, that is years away for working. that's the second big problem. the third, as you said, is recruiting and retention in some bits of the army for every person that joins, three are now leaving . and in some specialist leaving. and in some specialist areas it's even worse than that. so the army is in is bleeding out and i and i use those words deliberately in the strong words in 2012, for some reason , in 2012, for some reason, osborne cameron decided capita . osborne cameron decided capita. >> so this very blairite pc

organisation would be in charge of army recruitment. they've run it since 2012. they have recently in the commons defence committee . they were described committee. they were described as having underperform formed. >> i was there , i'm on the >> i was there, i'm on the committee. >> no underperform . >> no underperform. >> no underperform. >> well, capita are affectionately known to us on the committee as capita . yeah. the committee as capita. yeah. the nickname came from private eye , but i nothing to change eye, but i see nothing to change it. so it's not funny . so. well, it. so it's not funny. so. well, on one level it's not. and since they took over recruiting in 2012, it has been an unmitigated disaster. every year, bar two, they miss the targets by thousands. they miss the targets by thousands . so that meant each thousands. so that meant each year the army was several thousand short and then the next yean thousand short and then the next year, and then the next year. and so on. so the cumulative effect, we're at 20% for the royal navy, for example, for ratings. >> i mean, these figures are appalling. >> let's just stick with the army for a moment because to be fair to capita, they don't need naval recruiting. but but the navy's got problem the navy's got a real problem on the army this the in the army in this year in the in the year 2020, 3% of officer

recruits. right. 20, 23, 24. and this all came out in the hearing there . target was a little under there. target was a little under 10,000 soldiers. three quarters of the way through the year. they've recruited barely 5000. when we pushed them on. what's your best? you can achieve? they said about 7000, but it's the culture that interests me. >> let's just have a look at what they say on their website because it's really, really interesting. capita and the army collectively transfer armed recruitment by pushing a project reset button . but the key was reset button. but the key was the cultural change in both organisations. >> nigel, i mean, what i'm going to say to you, mark, is it's very simple. >> you know, this has been going wrong since 2012, as you quite rightly point out. yes >> and i've pointed out many, many times, why is a conservative government not doing something about it ? doing something about it? >> and surely if we had labour, it would, it would almost make no difference now. well, i think the, truth is , because the, the blunt truth is, because i think a lot of very senior

civil servants and some generals were invested in this were heavily invested in this outsourcing and simply outsourcing, and they simply cannot bring themselves to believe that they were wrong. >> they are in complete denial. a sergeant major said to me once, he said, excuse me, sir. he says, is it true that capita actually worked for the russians because they've done more damage to the british army than vladimir mhm vladimir putin ever has? mhm >> well, as i say, i was looking at naval figures, etc. and the services that don't use capita have got much better recruitment levels than capita. it is depressing. i'd to love see the government do something about it. >> well not, not so would i. >> well not, not so would i. >> could be worse. >> could be worse. >> could be worse. >> could labour be worse? >> could labour be worse? >> well, they on on on recruits . >> well, they on on on recruits. well they'd have to go some. i mean we should have sacked capha mean we should have sacked capita years ago but as i say, there are too many senior civil servants who are just too embarrassed. but they got it wrong. you were a minister. >> who? who is in charge of the civil servants? who is in charge of the generals. they have all have boss, and those are

have a boss, and those are conservative ministers. and you have had every opportunity to deal and deal with this issue. and in terms the recruitment crisis, terms of the recruitment crisis, when . we look at, well, when you when. we look at, well, when you say you if you mean the conservative, the conservative party no, we should look, we should done this. should have done this. >> drown you in hansard >> i could drown you in hansard full of quotes from me on the committee saying, sack these people, useless or people, they're useless or variations a theme variations on a theme by paganini. could you in paganini. i could drown you in them right? so. but you are right. ultimately, the conservatives in conservatives have been in power. i'm not trying to pretend that we haven't been in government years, but government for 13.5 years, but on point, many us on on this one point, many of us on the committee for a very long while have pleaded with ministers get of capita ministers to get rid of capita and reasons i've given and for the reasons i've given you, they haven't the nerve you, they haven't had the nerve to no to do it. no >> i'm afraid i can't see >> well, i'm afraid i can't see anything happening because all we've got is a review from grant shapps. gentlemen, thank you. now, capita taken quite now, as capita have taken quite a mark francois, we a beating from mark francois, we have them the right of have given them the right of reply. actively working reply. we are actively working in with the army to in partnership with the army to support mod's for support the mod's plans for recruitment. applications to join remain join the british army remain strong and interest in joining

the army is growing due to the ongoing campaigns, including the this is belonging campaign. ongoing campaigns, including the this is belonging campaign . we this is belonging campaign. we continue to introduce improvements to the recruitment process and we confident process and we are confident that the change service we are putting place deliver putting in place will deliver better for candidates better outcomes for candidates and for army . and for the army. >> armadillos live in trees and eat pencils . eat pencils. >> what you want to believe? that's great. i'm looking forward to getting some of your responses this in break responses to this in the break and it just gets and after this it just gets worse. you know, we've learned over weekend some great work over the weekend some great work from newspapers , but from times newspapers, but actually and rapists actually murderers and rapists who've come into britain illegally are allowed to stay in the country because they've converted to christianity. surely we're all being taken for mugs

would. earlier on gb news radio . would. earlier on gb news radio. >> it was the news that the alkali attacker from clapham common had , despite having two common had, despite having two convictions for one for sexual

assault and another slightly less serious, was the fact that he converted to christianity, which was the reason why, on the third attempt, granted third attempt, he was granted his has opened up his asylum. that has opened up a story that we've heard before, but never quite in this magnitude. and the times newspapers really very, very newspapers are really very, very good found good job. they even found a baptist minister in south wales who had baptised up to 500 asylum seekers, but admitted he never saw at least 60% of them ever again . and the news that ever again. and the news that 1 in 10 of the bibby stockholm have converted to christianity and our regulars at the baptist church , and we now we learn church, and we now we learn there are literally people who've committed murder and rapists, who've been allowed to stay in the country because they say they've converted to christianity. and this from people who've entered the country illegally in the first place. i find the attitude of some of our churches naive in the extreme. i'm very pleased to be joined by the reverend sally smith, project leader at sanctus

, which is an organisation that exists to help asylum seekers and former team vicar at saint mark's church, stoke on trent. sally, thank you for joining us. now, i know that you yourself have been involved in welcoming people , um, from the muslim people, um, from the muslim faith into the christian faith. but i thought that if somebody who was a muslim converted to christianity, that made them guilty of apostasy, which is thought to be a terrible crime in islam , well, that's true . in islam, well, that's true. >> so, um, and i think the fact is, if we think about countries like iran, for instance, where a lot of the people that came to my former church were from that it was illegal to even explore other faiths . um, even the other faiths. um, even the churches in iran don't allow muslims to go to them unless they're underground church , they're underground church, because the priests there will because the priests there will be targeted by the for state allowing non um , traditional allowing non um, traditional christians into their buildings.

so it is a huge lifestyle change for people to decide to discard islam and or whatever faith other faith they've come from. and to embrace christianity . and to embrace christianity. >> yes. i mean, it would be a very, very it is a very, very big step. and i agree with you on that point. all of which makes me more suspicious about why such large numbers of young men are doing it. i mean , you men are doing it. i mean, you know, you yourself, i think i mean, i think you've admitted that not every person you've bapfised that not every person you've baptised has been genuine. so is it worth us going through this process ? process? >> well, i think we could say the same about anything. any support system that's there to help people. so, for instance , help people. so, for instance, disability, uh, payments . we disability, uh, payments. we know that many people falsely claim pip, but that doesn't mean we scrap all of the whole system of support for disabled people, because there are just a few people who are using that system nefariously abusively , we know. >> but i mean, given that, you

know, attendance at church over the last few years has fallen very sharply. the idea that a significant number of these young men have suddenly converted to christianity and want to go to church. i mean, we're being taken for a ride, aren't we? that's the point i'm making. and when you hear, i mean, when you hear that people who've committed murder rape who've committed murder or rape suddenly they've converted who've committed murder or rape su christianity,hey've converted who've committed murder or rape su christianity, theye converted who've committed murder or rape su christianity, they can't/erted who've committed murder or rape su christianity, they can't go ed to christianity, they can't go back home because they'll be persecuted . and, i this is persecuted. and, i mean, this is our system, isn't it? being taken to the most gigantic ride amidst growing public anger? >> i mean, i think if you look within with open eyes, if you're not narrow in your viewpoints and you look at what's happening in iran, i mean, young man was in iran, i mean, a young man was sentenced to death, was actually killed other day for killed the other day for supporting the movement of the young women and the men of young women and the young men of the to not have the supporting them to not have to wear a hijab. and i think it's really good that lots and lots young people, this young lots of young people, this young generation, out generation, are striking out against the, um, the confines of the religions that they've been born into and want to break out

and to explore other religions, other faiths, other ways of living their lives or the ways of worshipping god and other ways themselves in ways of presenting themselves in the any cross the community. in any cross section of any community, you are get people who are going to get people who commit criminal acts and that is something that's just about being human and living together in human community. uh, sadly, l, in human community. uh, sadly, i, i get that, i get that, but, you know, we learn that the alkali attacker from clapham common said he'd converted to christianity was allowed to stay, was given his asylum on the third attempt and yet continued , continued to act and continued, continued to act and pray as a muslim. >> i mean, that is just an outrage, isn't it? yeah that and that shows that he was, if that's what he was doing, i mean, i don't know about that case personally, only what i've read and seen on the news. >> yeah. and so he would be one of those small percent of people that are disingenuous in their conversion to christianity . all conversion to christianity. all right. but the whole thing right. um, but the whole thing about the christian faith is that isn't something that that it isn't something that beganin

that it isn't something that began in england for british people . the whole story of the people. the whole story of the gospel of jesus, which people are to, is built around are turning to, is built around are turning to, is built around a refugee family who fled from one to another due to one country to another due to political persuasion and skulduggery, and the mixture of religious leaders with politicians and all of the nefarious situations that arise out of that . that is the story out of that. that is the story of the gospel and actually the story of christianity is something that transcends , uh, something that transcends, uh, national identities, ethnicities . it's something that is looking forward to a new world where we can care for one another and love one another and support each other and understand that i understand that. >> and if i thought these people, if i thought these young men coming forward were genuine, i might take a very different view. but thank you, sally smith, sharing your smith, for sharing your experiences with us. well, i'm joined regular guest on the joined by regular guest on the program, farhat, senior program, fadi farhat, senior legal gulbenkian legal consultant at gulbenkian and ionian lawyers, and i don't doubt sally smith's sincerity, but i mean, some of the stuff

we're getting over the weekend, i mean, 500 people in south wales , one baptist minister, you wales, one baptist minister, you know, who was baptised and 60% he's never seen again . i mean, i he's never seen again. i mean, i mean , isn't this just the most mean, isn't this just the most mass massive loophole that is being abused ? uh thank you. being abused? uh thank you. >> nigel. um, no. sally came across as a very kind and warm. no, no, i don't doubt that. >> but but but possibly naive. >> but but but possibly naive. >> well, possibly. but she touched on something, actually. is sometimes it's not just is that sometimes it's not just about conversion. you about the conversion. so you don't necessarily have to have a genuine conversion to qualify for refugee status. sure it's enough you've explored the enough that you've explored the idea your back on idea of turning your back on your existing religion so you don't have to go the don't actually have to go the full nine yards actually prove. >> so what is your sort of. oh, i looked at a bible once or well, that's reflective of the risk situation in in the country of origin. >> so she cited iran because the system over there is a theocracy and you can't even explore the possibility of another of turning your back on your

existing religion or the religion you born religion that you were born with. >> it's as loose as that in that particular >> it's as loose as that in that paryes.ar >> it's as loose as that in that paryes. goodness gracious. >> yes. goodness gracious. it depends where depends on the country where from which risk is emanating and certain countries certain theocracies. it's as easy theocracies. it's just as easy as that. now, it might not be the same in nigeria, for example, has several example, which has several religions. it has a large christian , it has christian population, it has a large muslim population, but it depends countries. and depends on the countries. and yes, could be as easy as that yes, it could be as easy as that in certain situations. >> so the judge is presented with the so—called that mr with the so—called facts that mr x, here x, despite since he came here illegally having, having behaved x, despite since he came here illegalhasaving, having behaved x, despite since he came here illegalhas converteding behaved x, despite since he came here illegalhas converted to behaved badly, has converted to christianity or has examined converted to christianity. the judge will say you're granted asylum. is that is that pretty much in every case? >> um, in a large chunk of cases, yes, of course, you could be excluded from refugee status if you have behaved badly in certain cases. but yes, in terms of actually putting yourself within the framework, you could be. >> yes. but but you know, as the times have revealed over the weekend, there's guarantee weekend, there's no guarantee even there? even of that, is there? >> course, mr yazid's >> no. of course, mr yazid's case, he, um. well, yes .

>> no. of course, mr yazid's case, he, um. well, yes. in >> no. of course, mr yazid's case, he, um. well, yes . in that case, he, um. well, yes. in that case, he, um. well, yes. in that case, yes. of course. what he then afterwards, um, was then did afterwards, um, was after he had gained. yes, but but there've been others. but that third attempt. that was on the third attempt. so to make three claims, an initial claim, a fresh claim and a second fresh claim. so in effect, three claims that would have taken time and therefore that talks about office that talks about home office enforcement of enforcement and the lack of enforcement and the lack of enforcement to enforce removal in the first place. for you to even get to the third attempt. well situation, well i thought the situation, fadi bad , but you've fadi was bad, but you've really enlightened that all you have enlightened me that all you have to do, folks, is just examine the possibility converting to the possibility of converting to christianity, can be christianity, and they can be grounds you to given grounds for you to be given asylum country . asylum in this country. >> and it's that is that established in law? is it precedent? how does that work? >> it's not an >> um, it's not an interpretation of human rights law. i guess it's an interpretation of the risk factors in the country of origin. so certain countries will have that risk factor where simply exploring or simply turning your back on the religion that you were born with could you within the risk could put you within the risk prism, as it were . thank you.

prism, as it were. thank you. >> you've got a great clarity on that. have to say, what foudy that. i have to say, what foudy just said was thoroughly depressing, but it was at least clarity. more now how clarity. we know more now how this works. in a moment, this system works. in a moment, we'll head up to the north—east, where in exactly 30 minutes time, rishi sunak will face a gb news p&o. apple's audience will join our political editor, chris hope, after the

radio. >> well, we discussed the army recruitment problem is the letter that has come from senior officers. i ask is the army being ruined? one viewer says capha being ruined? one viewer says capita will responsible for royal marine recruitment and are the main reason why my son gave up on returning to the marines. another viewer says what a mess we have become home and very accurately, john says the world must be laughing at us. john in iran are laughing at us. china are laughing at us every potential enemy is laughing at

us because we're being weakened right? right. in just over 25 minutes time, we have got this event up in the north—east of england. it will be rishi sunak with the audience . it's our with the audience. it's our first big people's panel in this general election year, and i'm crossing now live to the venue to join christopher hope gb news is political editor. chris, obviously an exciting event , is political editor. chris, obviously an exciting event, and obviously an exciting event, and obviously we hope that other party leaders will come and do this format. from what i understand , and stephen dixon understand, and stephen dixon will introduce it. then literally give the microphone to the prime minister and he will then have to control the audience. so my sort of thought on this, he's going to have to command this room, isn't he . command this room, isn't he. >> he is. it's a challenge , >> he is. it's a challenge, nigel. it's one that you wish you might accept if you were running for office. how can you win over an audience? i'm going to show you around the venue. we're walking now into this. into cauldron excitement into this cauldron of excitement with audience here in county

with the audience here in county durham. i'm go past the durham. i'm going to go past the camera here. have camera here and here. we have it. you can see behind me at this table here. we'll see rishi sunak shortly. answering questions from viewers, from people selected by survation. the polling company . they'll the polling company. they'll look around here. these chairs are filling up very rapidly and it's really on unmoderated whatever you whatever they want to ask , they will ask them. it's to ask, they will ask them. it's no problem. we think he wants to answer questions. he talked hasn't he, on this clip for gb news immigration, the nhs and the rest. really there are the rest. but really there are two microphones here. the pm's in middle and ask what you in the middle and ask what you like . it's an untried idea in the middle and ask what you like. it's an untried idea in british it's the beginning british tv. it's the beginning of the road to the ballot box, probably in november. >> well, it's really exciting. christopher thank you very much indeed. and yeah, gb news people's forum gb news the election channel. and it is, it is actually a pretty unusual piece of tv. normally the questioner will ask a question. the party leader might evade it

and there'd be somebody in the middle to invigilate saying, come on, prime minister, can you answer question ? that's answer sally's question? that's not to happen in this not going to happen in this case. will case. stephen dixon will intervene absolutely has intervene if he absolutely has to. it's going to be up to sunak to. it's going to be up to sunak to control that audience . and to control that audience. and that i got to tell you, not that is i got to tell you, not an undertaking , but it an easy undertaking, but it should make great television . should make great television. but if you can't watch it, remember, you can always get gb news on dab radio and your car or elsewhere . now, quite an or elsewhere. now, quite an extraordinary story over the weekend. a real what the farage moment and this concerns the revelation about labour's candidate in rochdale for the by—election azhar ali is his name and he was talking to a meeting of lancashire labour party members, at which he said that israel had been warned about the 7th of october attack and had allowed it to happen . and had allowed it to happen. they allowed it to happen because they actually wanted to go into gaza and do what they're

doing. i can't imagine that if a party for any a candidate for any mainstream party was to say things like this, that they'd be allowed to continue as a legitimate candidate towards the election, but azhar ali has been forgiven by labour, apparently he read something on the internet on a conspiracy website and repeated it. but now sees the error of his ways . and the error of his ways. and doesn't it just go to show what a total and utter mess labour have got themselves into? they were desperate. desperate in the beginning with with starmer as leader, to show there was no hint of anti—semitism left. but now they're more worried about losing the muslim vote than anything else. they are in a complete and utter pickle over this. now, as it's a by—election, i've got to tell you that, you know, ali has apologised for his comments. um, and he said, i apologise unreservedly to the jewish

community for my comments, which were deeply offensive, ignorant and false. hamas is horrific. terror attack was a responsibility of hamas alone and they are still holding hostages who must be released. so his apology , but what he said so his apology, but what he said was extraordinary. here are the other candidates standing in the rochdale by—election azhar ali, labour party mark coleman , labour party mark coleman, independent simon danczuk reform uk ian donaldson, liberal democrat paul ellison concern george galloway , workers party george galloway, workers party of britain michael howarth , of britain michael howarth, independent william howarth, independent. guy otten, green party david roland, sabatina , party david roland, sabatina, official monster raving loony party and david tully in independent. now, perhaps even more alarming, particularly for 36 school kids who returned to totton , just outside southampton totton, just outside southampton , is when they got back outside the school and they were coming off the coach. they found two people had stowed away, two

young men had stowed away and we've got some footage of them and you can see these guys and they're down in the luggage compartment . um, quite compartment. um, quite extraordinary parents there to pick up their kids. extraordinary parents there to pick up their kids . and clearly pick up their kids. and clearly some sense of panic , uh, that some sense of panic, uh, that these two men had managed to get onto this coach and were there onto this coach and were there on a coach with 36 kids. so shocking . but the sort of thing shocking. but the sort of thing that does happen, i'm afraid. but this is the extraordinary bit. the police turned up to the incident. but no arrests were made. a spokesman said they were possibly illegal immigrants. what do you mean, possibly illegal immigrants? what on earth else could they have been? we've been onto the home office today to try to find out what the status of these two young men is . um, the status of these two young men is. um, and the home the status of these two young men is . um, and the home office men is. um, and the home office have said the government works closely with law enforcement agencies to tackle illegal migration in all its forms.

agencies to tackle illegal migration in all its forms . our migration in all its forms. our illegal migration act will mean that people arriving in the uk illegally are detained and promptly removed to their country of origin, or a safe third country, yes, but what about these two? not what will happen with the illegal migration act? what about these two? the home office has refused to clarify . we know they weren't to clarify. we know they weren't arrested, but has refused to clarify that they've even even been detained for all i know, they're on the run somewhere in they're on the run somewhere in the southampton area . we will the southampton area. we will find out more over the course of the next few days. now you've seen it, haven't you? of course, across the whole of the continent, beginning in the netherlands, and we've seen it in paris and we've seen it in germany and poland and italy. farmers protest. on friday germany and poland and italy. farme|ken,�*test. on friday germany and poland and italy. farme|ken, farmers on friday germany and poland and italy. farme|ken, farmers somewhere' night, ken, farmers somewhere between 30 and 40 tractors were in dover, causing a degree of chaos. and is this a symptom of the conservative party of a disconnect with westminster and

maybe, according to recent polling , the tories losing up to polling, the tories losing up to half their seats in rural constituencies? well, one of those rural mps is jacob rees—mogg. he'll join me in just a

i've got -- i've got a phone call on friday evening. kent farmers are protesting in dover. they're on a go slow through the port of doven a go slow through the port of dover, causing some chaos. and you saw the footage of that just before the break. up to 40 tractors led by kent farmer or kent farmers . and it seems that kent farmers. and it seems that their complaints are not dissimilar to the complaints that we've been hearing over on the continent. they feel running their own farms, particularly if they're small farmers, livestock farmers , they simply can't earn farmers, they simply can't earn a living that the supermarkets don't pay them a fair price. and they, of course, dominate the high street sales of all these

things. and they also feel that cheap imports through trade deals are a further nail in the coffin. they're also alarmed by a government that talks about rewilding , by a government that rewilding, by a government that is prepared to pay them to get out of farming. they feel all the messages are wrong. now, i think what will happen is we'll get a bit more clarity as to what this farmers manifesto is in time , but it does suggest in time, but it does suggest that there's quite a big disconnect now going on between this government and rural england. and that's an astonishing thing to say, because at the last general election of the 100, most rural seats in england, the conservatives won 96 of them, one of them, of course, being nonh one of them, of course, being north east somerset. and you know who represents them, don't you?ifs know who represents them, don't you? it's jacob rees—mogg . og you? it's jacob rees—mogg. 06 jacob, welcome you know, traditionally the rural areas very concerned of bits of lib dem and parts of the west country sort of west from where

you are and further west, um, bits up in cumbria with the return of lib dem mps , even the return of lib dem mps, even the isle of ely and the east once did. but generally very conservative labour not really in with a shout and you know, you can question opinion polls but but but it's remarkable. now the polling companies are all coming up with very similar figures. so they could all be wrong. but i doubt it. this suggestion, this yougov poll suggesting that up to half of those seats could be at risk of going low . labour at the going low. labour at the election, which just seems impossible to believe. looking at the numbers now, there is an increase . in in vote for reform, increase. in in vote for reform, no question about that. they're up nine. but the real story isn't reform. the real story is a 17% rise for people saying they're prepared to vote. labour in rural england. and what's happening here, what this is it is it to do with the net zero agenda? is it to do with rewilding? is it to do with a feeling? and, you know, these people better than anybody that

somehow a sort of bunch of posh kids in london have got hold of environmental policy? >> yes. i mean, i at the popcorn conference last week , the point conference last week, the point i was trying to get across is that there is a that globally, there is a feeling that the electors and the elected are disconnected and a lot of this comes from the green agenda. now i'm strongly in favour of free trade. i think it benefits everybody. but if you have environmental regulations that make your farmers inefficient and high cost , it's not free. it's not cost, it's not free. it's not fair trade, fair. cost, it's not free. it's not fair trade, fair . yeah. and i'm fair trade, fair. yeah. and i'm in favour of reducing regulation to allow our farmers to compete, to allow our farmers to compete, to move away from these schemes that don't want any food production. they just want to do sort of nice to do things to make money. >> i know, i know a theme park. i've got to interrupt you. i hate doing it. we're going to polly middlehurst for newsflash. >> nigel, thanks very much indeed. extraordinary news, indeed. some extraordinary news, uh, the labour uh, concerning the labour candidate rochdale. as are candidate for rochdale. as are ali. we're hearing now that

labour has withdrawn its support for the rochdale by—election candidate azhar. for the rochdale by—election candidate azhar . ali after his candidate azhar. ali after his remarks. you may have heard aboutin remarks. you may have heard about in the media about israel and that is according to a party spokesman. it is extraordinary because just a short time ago, labour much stood by its labour very much stood by its candidate the rochdale candidate in the rochdale by—election, despite those remarks about israel. but it has now clear that labour now been made clear that labour has withdrawn its support for rochdale by—election candidate azhar ali after his criticism of remarks about israel . that is, remarks about israel. that is, according to a party spokesperson. back to you, nigel. >> polly. thank you very much indeed. well jacob, i was talking about this just a few moments ago. what he said was absolutely appalling ing deeply conspiratorial, but suddenly it's all okay because he read a conspiracy website and believed it it's fine. so the it and now it's fine. so the labour chopping and changing all over the place in a right mess. but is this the right thing they've done now? but is this the right thing the it's done now? but is this the right thing the it's dorrightv? but is this the right thing the it's dorright thing but is this the right thing the it's dor right thing they've >> it's the right thing they've done. i it now makes done. but i think it now makes their 27th u—turn. and this is their 27th u—turn. and this is the mistake. why did they back

him the first place? what he him in the first place? what he said awful, nasty, said was awful, nasty, anti—semitic stick. and it's taken several days to work taken them several days to work out that that could not be allowed to stand. >> just extraordinary. just extraordinary. and we not extraordinary. and we will not comment on what that might mean for the by—election. no, we must not allow it becomes terribly difficult. afterwards . difficult. we will afterwards. jacob, back to where you were . jacob, back to where you were. so green stuff is burdensome so the green stuff is burdensome in terms of regulations that farmers have to comply with. they need to do a lot of this stuff now to get the subsidy and the nutrient neutrality that you're hearing stories now of people buying farmland to do nothing with it, to be an offset for the nutrients that they're going to add. >> if they're doing a building project. now this is completely crazy. this is taking productive land out of use simply because of a green obsession that comes from the eu, comes from the habitats directive , is habitats directive, is implemented by a quango which we have no control. so of course people feel there's a disconnect between the people are following the rules and the entirely

unaccountable people who are making them. that particular eu directive, which has affected house building in this country in big way. in a very, very big way. >> but i thought we >> yes, but but i thought we were in brexit britain with a government that believed blocked it in last summer , it being removed in last summer, the government put forward a government to a law. >> now they could do it under retained eu law bill. but when the retained eu law bill was going through , a commitment was going through, a commitment was made to environmental made not to reduce environmental protections. of protections. so the house of lords been the problem lords block has been the problem here. and that's again an unelected, unaccountable body. and completely fed up and voters are completely fed up with this. look at france, look at italy. look even at argentina. we've got to get back to being on the side of our voters. and this means moving away from this lunatic green agenda. >> yeah, yeah, yeah. well, jacob, i tell you what, you know, i like the goldsmith family. they're lovely people , family. they're lovely people, but most charming people. but i think their influence the think their influence over the conservative this conservative government on this has enormous . so has been absolutely enormous. so the question is , can the the question is, can the

conservatives, if labour are up 17 points? and that i mean, surely, you know, i don't even know what labour's rural policy is. maybe labour don't know what their rural policy is. >> well, look, this is rehoboam solomon, isn't my father solomon, isn't it? my father scourged you with whips, and i will with scorpions. will scourge you with scorpions. that the labour party is fanatical on green stuff. fanatical on this green stuff. it make much worse. it it will make it much worse. it will much more hostile to the will be much more hostile to the countryside for the countryside. the task for the conservatives make this conservatives is to make this clear. areas. conservatives is to make this cle.but areas. conservatives is to make this cle.but i areas. conservatives is to make this cle.but i wonderzas. conservatives is to make this cle.but i wonder ,|s. conservatives is to make this cle.but i wonder , how do you get >> but i wonder, how do you get back that chunk of people who've decided they're going to switch the labour party? >> well, i thought rishi sunak made a very good start on this last september when he made an excellent speech about rolling back some of green back some of the green enthusiasm, as claire coutinho is at least is now done well at least briefing the tax briefing that the boiler tax won't place. need to do won't take place. we need to do more that. so much more, so more of that. so much more, so much need to support much more. we need to support the can much more. we need to support the car. people want to the petrol car. people want to buy they don't want buy petrol cars. they don't want to buy these electric cars that don't that's where we need don't work. that's where we need to heading try to make to be heading to try to make sure we make people's lives sure that we make people's lives affordable, than making affordable, rather than making them poor not

them cold and poor and not having it comes to farming, >> when it comes to farming, subsidy . jacob, we know we live subsidy. jacob, we know we live with agricultural with the common agricultural policy. a policy. for nearly half a century. decided we're going century. we decided we're going to ourselves, and the to do it ourselves, and the benefit of that not benefit of that is we're not subsidising france as well. so that's good. have we got that right? >> and such an important >> and that's such an important point opening up to free point because opening up to free trade our trade shouldn't harm our farmers. may harm farmers. but it may harm continental farmers , continental european farmers, who are the ones who really benefited from high tariffs . um, benefited from high tariffs. um, have we got it right yet? no, i don't think we have, because i think we have focussed too much on not using land effectively rather than using it for the production of food, and we still need to have a base food production in this country. >> yeah . it's, you know, it's >> yeah. it's, you know, it's difficult in one sense because you put a new regime in place. it's always going to have some teething problems and is what our farmers are facing now less burdensome than the cap ? burdensome than the cap? >> no not yet, not yet. we've got but we haven't got rid of so many of the eu rules yet. and we need we have got rid of the three crop rule. and that's one.

um, but we still haven't lifted the ban on neonicotinoid ids. now, science about that is disputed. >> there's a heck of a lot to do. >> there's a lot to do. >> and maybe that helps to explain part of that disconnect that's happening with rural england, which is much broader than agricultural sector. >> it is across almost all demographics people who feel demographics of people who feel that government is very remote and that they can't get things changed. well, they're not wrong i >> -- >> they're not wrong in many ways. now jacob, you know, here you are. we're both here at gb news and we love being part of this broadcaster that trying this broadcaster that is trying to mould of british to break the mould of british broadcasting. tonight's endeavour to this people's forum that's been put in place. did it ? what's really interesting, it's not like a normal leaders debate whether it's with a group or one person, you know, when sally asks the question and if the leader doesn't answer it the way thinks is right, the way sally thinks is right, the invigilator comes in and says, now but this is now come on. but this is literally stephen dixon introduces this. he's there to intervene if he has to. this is

literally rishi. you've got an hour with the audience. i quite like. how's he going to get on? >> of all, quite >> well, first of all, i quite like the fact that my slots are only ever taken over by party leaders either. >> tice rishi sunak. >> richard tice or rishi sunak. >> richard tice or rishi sunak. >> quite flattered by that. >> i'm quite flattered by that. >> i'm quite flattered by that. >> he's deputising. he's deputising standing. yes deputising for my standing. yes >> rishi is very good in >> um. uh, rishi is very good in these sessions. these question answer sessions. he's much more of he's actually much more fleet of foot in these circumstances than he is with the set speech when, um , he doesn't necessarily come um, he doesn't necessarily come across as very charismatic . but across as very charismatic. but in question sessions, he sometimes comes alive. but that's been with conservative party members generally . party members generally. >> this is different. this is we've used survation, you know, who do lot of the big tv shows who do a lot of the big tv shows and done for years. they're and have done for years. they're trying to in a room 100 trying to put in a room 100 undecided voters . can he control undecided voters. can he control the room ? the room? >> i would have thought so. he's got a authority and charisma that come from two things. one is office high office gives people that and the other is he's extremely intelligent and i think people have a respect for intelligence. and that that

means he can sometimes give very detailed answers to questions which politicians shouldn't shy away from . i think you should away from. i think you should never underestimate the intelligence of the electorate. >> no. very good jacob. thank you. well, i tell you what, i agree with that in the sense that i think rishi is very, very intelligent. but that on its own doesn't give leadership qualities . doesn't give leadership qualities. he's got a massive opportunity in this next hour to prove himself . tell you what, prove himself. tell you what, it's going to make great telly. don't go anywhere . looks like don't go anywhere. looks like things are heating up . things are heating up. >> boxt boilers spot of weather on gb news is . hello on gb news is. hello >> very good evening to you, alex burke. you're here again with your latest gb news, weather forecast. but it will be a bit chilly for some of us tonight with some showery rain around. tomorrow around. but it's tomorrow when we're going to have the wettest weather association with a weather in association with a low system that low pressure system that is currently waiting out to currently waiting out just to the of us. however back to the west of us. however back to the west of us. however back to the here and do still

the here and now and we do still have blustery winds, have some blustery winds, particularly towards northern parts through the parts as we go through the night. there'll also be some night. and there'll also be some showery outbreaks of rain pushing southeastwards across some parts of the uk, though many staying largely dry , many areas staying largely dry, some clear skies as well and under these clear skies, temperatures take a bit of temperatures will take a bit of a dip mid single figures towards the south, a little bit colder than this. further north, some places dipping below freezing so could be a patchy frost, even some icy patches to watch out for. tuesday for. first thing tuesday morning. go morning. otherwise as we go through tomorrow then through tomorrow morning then a wet start across parts of the south west, some heavy outbreaks of here. that then of rain here. that rain then feeds its northeastwards feeds its way northeastwards across much england , wales across much of england, wales and northern ireland and and into northern ireland and just the far south of just into the far south of scotland afternoon. scotland through the afternoon. two staying dry across the north. brighter two but chillier temperatures in mid single figures, milder towards the southwest of the uk as we go towards another towards wednesday. it's another unsettled picture much of unsettled picture for much of the many areas will be the uk. many areas will be cloudy. outbreaks of rain, which could be a little bit heavy at times. always the chance of times. always the best chance of seeing sunny weather seeing some bright sunny weather will northern of

will be across northern parts of scotland, to that scotland, but holding on to that chilly there otherwise , and chilly feel there otherwise, and more weather to come as we more wet weather to come as we go thursday could go through thursday could be some around some disruptive rain around friday looking drier by friday is looking drier by by a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on .

gb news. >> good evening and welcome to county durham , where a hundred county durham, where a hundred undecided voters are hoping to put their questions to the prime minister, rishi sunak live on gb news this is the gb news people's forum , with the prime people's forum, with the prime minister . minister. please welcome the prime minister rishi sunak.

well, prime minister thank you for being here tonight and joining us for our first gb news people's forum of 2024. now at the start of an election year, we're here in the north east. it's a key battle ground as the conservatives try to keep the seats they won in the red wall back in 2019. green now following promotion on gb news and social media, tonight's people forum audience were chosen in dependently by survation , a third party polling survation, a third party polling and market research agency . and market research agency. everyone here is either undecided on who they vote for in a general election or open minded to changing their vote. now gb news does not know the questions that are going to be asked tonight and most importantly, neither does the prime minister so, prime minister, over to you for your opening remarks. >> perfect. thank you stephen. well, good evening everyone. lovely to be here in newton aycliffe with you all. and