had the paragliders on the back of their jackets. they were found guilty a jury let found guilty by a jury and let off judge. astonishing off by a judge. some astonishing news that all . to news about that judge. all. to come in the next hour. but first, let's get the news with polly middlehurst . polly middlehurst. >> nigel, thank you, and good evening to you. well, the top story from the gb newsroom tonight is that labour says there are strong checks on would be mps after a second labour candidate was suspended following accusations of anti—semitism. former. mp graham jones was reportedly recalled kid, saying british people who volunteer to fight with the israeli defence forces should be locked up and his suspension came a after labour was came only a day after labour was forced and withdraw forced to suspend and withdraw its backing for by—election. candidate azhar ali. he was recorded suggesting israel had used the october hamas attack as a pretext to invade gaza . sir a pretext to invade gaza. sir keir starmer has pledged to root out anti—semitism in the labour

party. meanwhile a comedian has been banned from a london theatre afterjewish audience members reportedly hounded members were reportedly hounded out of the show. paul curry has been accused of encouraging the crowd to chant and shout at an israeli ticket holder after he refused applaud refused to stand and applaud a palestinian flag. soho theatre has apologised and says it's looking into the incident . the looking into the incident. the rate of inflation remains at 4% today. that's the same as december last year, despite economic forecasters predicting a rise. figures from the office for national statistics found that food prices fell on a monthly basis for the first time since september 2021, but the shadow chancellor, rachel reeves, said today that the figure was misleading because the conservatives could not fix the conservatives could not fix the economy because they were. the reason it's broken. the prime insisted the prime minister insisted the economy, though, turned economy, though, had turned a corner . pictures economy, though, had turned a corner. pictures . have come to corner. pictures. have come to us of a knife wielding man who's

been jailed for life after a group of duty officers group of off duty officers intervened attack. if intervened in his attack. if you're watching television , you're watching on television, take a look at this hold my beer moment footage from the scene in south shows joseph south london shows joseph jimenez repeatedly trying to slash . another man with a large slash. another man with a large knife, seeing the incident unfold off duty officers charged towards the attacker and separate him from the victim. sir police have called the action heroic and nothing short of exceptional . jimenez has been of exceptional. jimenez has been sentenced to a total of 12 months at a young offenders institute. now crossbow owners could face police checks under government plans to stop the weapons being used in violent attacks. it comes after convicted stalker bryce hodgson was shot dead by police last month after he broke into a london home armed with a crossbow. there's currently no registered system for owning one and no need for a licence . now and no need for a licence. now it's valentine's night tonight, but you might want to eat out rather than order in thousands of deliveroo and ubereats,

drivers are on strike across the uk tonight. the strike ends at 10:00. delivery job uk, a group representing many of the workers, has arranged the strike, demanding better pay and working conditions for food delivery . drivers working in the delivery. drivers working in the gig economy . driver ulysses gig economy. driver ulysses cioffi told gb news that without workers like him , delivery workers like him, delivery companies are just an app company, says that they pay us the national minimum wage. >> this is a because we >> but this is a lie because we got paid £12, £11. but this . is got paid £12, £11. but this. is gross. we had to set money aside for tax, for expenses , for for tax, for expenses, for insurance, and at the end we only making seven £8 an hour. this is kofi speaking there. >> well, for the very latest stories sign up for gbs news alerts by scanning the qr code on phone, or go to gb news. on your phone, or go to gb news. com slash alerts . com slash alerts. >> a couple of years ago, i said to you i couldn't believe the

explosion of turkish barber shops, just that most of them weren't turkish. most of them turned out when i did some investigation to be albanian, but exploding but whatever. an exploding number on our high number of barber on our high streets and i asked you to email in had you seen a big increase in had you seen a big increase in barbers in your area? the results were astonishing . results were astonishing. hundreds of you got in touch to say our town had two barbers a year ago. now it's got four or 5 or 6. well the official figures are there are now 18,000 barber shops in the country , a 50% shops in the country, a 50% increase since 2018. and i have always thought particularly as they only take cash , that they only take cash, that probably they weren't cutting enough hair to justify the overheads of a shop, let alone anything else. so i've always had the feeling that it would be very useful as a front for money laundering for drugs, and much else does it mean they're all guilty of it? but something has

to explain. this huge increase. well, i'm very pleased to say that gb news today went out on a raid. the home office have warned they intend to step up efforts to pursue crime gangs using high street businesses as fronts for their criminality. we were told of an explosion in a number of barber shops. yes, we were told by you that that was the case that are now being exploited by criminals to launder and employ illegal launder money and employ illegal immigrants . launder money and employ illegal immigrants. today. gb news was given exclusive access on a raid in oxford, where for the minister for illegal immigration , michael tomlinson, joined enforcement officers targeting a barber's shop suspected of employing foreign nationals illegally. our home and security editor mark white reports . editor mark white reports. >> heading into this suburb of oxford , these immigration oxford, these immigration enforcement officers are en route to raid a local barber shop. route to raid a local barber shop . it's suspected of shop. it's suspected of employing illegal immigrants , employing illegal immigrants, part of a growing phenomenon

where these high street businesses are being increasingly exploited . as increasingly exploited. as fronts for criminality . these fronts for criminality. these officers are looking for an albanian asylum seeker who's absconded and believed to be working here. my wife is pregnant. while there's no trace of him, they have detained this colombian man. another asylum seeker working here in breach of employment laws as well as officers continue to search this business. the albanian owner arrived for the first time in now faces the prospect of a much higher fine with tougher penalties for businesses . penalties for businesses. introduced this week of up . to introduced this week of up. to £45,000 for each immigrant caught working illegally, immigration enforcement raids are up by nearly 70% last year. >> that's a huge increase, and talking to the illegal enforcement team here, they've been ramping up in the west

midlands as well. you can really sense it. you could sense the work they're doing and that work is across the is going to continue across the country . country. >> the number of barber shops has exploded. almost 18,000 in total, up 50% in just a few years . while most are perfectly years. while most are perfectly legitimate and a valuable addition to the high street, sources have told us that increasing numbers of barber shops are fronts for criminality . billions of pounds from the proceeds of crime are laundered through these businesses, which don't just employ illegal immigrants but are often involved in modern slavery, coercing and threatening victims of human trafficking to work for little to nothing . little to nothing. >> there is broader organised crime behind this. these sort of premises do not pop up overnight without them, and without money behind them, and it's really important that we work with agencies such as national agency such national crime agency, such as policing and other policing such as hmrc and other government departments ensure that of all the that the weight of all the government's powers is brought that the weight of all the go bearnent's powers is brought

that the weight of all the go bearnent's porwho is brought that the weight of all the go bearnent's porwho seek)ught that the weight of all the go bearnent's porwho seek toiht to bear on those who seek to exploit individuals exploit vulnerable individuals as and car washes have as nail bars and car washes have long been associated with criminal gangs, often employing and exploiting illegal immigrants. >> but sources say barber shops are rapidly overtaking them as a front for criminality . the front for criminality. the authorities are keen to reiterate that the majority of barber's outs are legitimate and law abiding , barber's outs are legitimate and law abiding, but barber's outs are legitimate and law abiding , but they say they law abiding, but they say they won't hesitate to go after those they suspect of breaking the law. >> takes it for me, mark quite . >> takes it for me, mark quite. gb news. >> well, great package there from mark white. great exclusive for gb news. and i have to say this is what i've been suspecting and saying for the last years. the whole thing last two years. the whole thing folks, you think folks, is a racket. if you think i'm wrong that, please i'm wrong on that, then please send me farage at gbnews.com and tell me why i am wrong. it is a racket on a huge scale, and if immigration services are going

to step up raids, good because they will find many, many more people who've come into britain illegally working in these shops , working in businesses. they will find money laundering, they will find money laundering, they will find money laundering, they will find drugs and much else of that. i'm absolutely sure, as mark said , most of them are mark said, most of them are thoroughly respectable . but what thoroughly respectable. but what a good front and a good cover. a cash business like that makes well, i'm very pleased to be joined down the line by kevin saunders, chief saunders, former chief immigration in calais immigration officer in calais for uk border force, and kevin , for uk border force, and kevin, when you saw that little package from oxford, they'd suspected an albanian was working illegally . albanian was working illegally. actually, it was a colombian . actually, it was a colombian. and did any of that surprise you at all? >> good evening nigel. no not not in the slightest. it's what i what i've been saying for years. people are coming to the uk because they want to work in the unregulated economy , because the unregulated economy, because it's easy and that's exactly what your , your item has shown .

what your, your item has shown. um, the fact that he was a colombian is neither here nor there. he could have been any nationality that you want to think. he just wanted to work illegally. and you're spot on. the barber business is now a growth industry . it was car growth industry. it was car washes and we've got one not very far from where i live. um that i'm quite sure is being run by illegal immigrants. that i'm quite sure is being run by illegal immigrants . um, and by illegal immigrants. um, and nail bars . so it's just another nail bars. so it's just another example of illegal working in the uk . the uk. >> it seems that the size of our illegal economy is actually quite a lot bigger than many of our counterparts across the engush our counterparts across the english channel. um, is this a failure of us as a country to have allowed this to happen on this scale? well, yeah , you're right. >> we do . we don't have that >> we do. we don't have that many employment checks. i mean, if you were working in france, for example , or germany, you for example, or germany, you would need to produce your id

card . of course, we don't have card. of course, we don't have id cards and people are dead against id cards. so yes, it is very easy to work in the, uh, in the, the black economy in the uk , and it's our own fault. we could clamp down on it. we've chosen not to. >> and i wonder what will happen to that barber shop in oxford. i wonder what the penalty will be. it be anything stiff, it won't be anything too stiff, will ? will it? >> cool? not off. he could now be fined up to £45,000 for, uh, taking that , uh, that person taking that, uh, that person because the, uh, uh, the penalties have just, just gone up. i think it was this week that the penalties went up. but yeah , it could cost him a lot of yeah, it could cost him a lot of money. he could, in fact, put him out of business. >> yeah, well , unless he, of >> yeah, well, unless he, of course, offers to pay the fine in cash. uh, which may answer a few questions and suspicions that now . you're that we've got now. you're right. said a massive right. they have said a massive increase in these fines. well let's hope they enforce them. and kevin, just very quickly,

while i've got you , um, january while i've got you, um, january saw slight increase in the saw a slight increase in the number of people crossing the channel from january year. channel from january last year. february has been windy, but numbers there's no numbers are down. there's no sign stopping at is sign of this stopping at all, is there? >> unfortunately there >> uh, no. unfortunately there isn't. we need to do more. there's got to be a lot more. i did see an idea which which i thought might have some, uh, some good idea with, uh , mooring some good idea with, uh, mooring buoys. some good idea with, uh, mooring buoys . yes. um, just off the buoys. yes. um, just off the coast in calais to stop the people getting onto the boats . people getting onto the boats. and i thought that might actually be a practical idea. yeah, so did i. >> and then i thought, well, you know, at low tide , when, you know, at low tide, when, you know, at low tide, when, you know, the water's 3.5ft deep, those boys might be quite good. but at high tide, when it's 25ft deep, may well find they tip deep, you may well find they tip boats over and drown people that i think kevin , is the problem. i think kevin, is the problem. but you, let's think about but like you, let's think about everything. about everything. let's think about everything. let's think about everything you everything. thank you. thank you for joining us again the forjoining us again on the program , i'm joined by steve program, i'm joined by steve chalk, former united nations special adviser on human trafficking. steve, this was gb

news going out on a raid. um, it was a shop in oxford , and they was a shop in oxford, and they found there was a colombian there who had illegally entered there who had illegally entered the country working, um , but the country working, um, but what's interesting is we have this very big illegal economy, and we understand that people come into britain illegally, disappear , work in that economy. disappear, work in that economy. but it's also said that that and whether this is true or not, i don't know. it's also said there . are quite a lot of people coming into britain and actually working under coercive conditions that might not be too far away from slavery. should i be sceptical about that, or do you think that is going on as well? >> no, i'm sure that's going on. nigel as well. in fact, you probably know this just, uh, the beginning of this week, the centre for social justice and, uh, a charity called, uh , truth, uh, a charity called, uh, truth, um , truth and mercy together um, truth and mercy together produced a report and it said

that the people most likely to be coerced into illegal working in this country , a form of in this country, a form of modern slavery as they called it, are , um, 14 to 18 year old it, are, um, 14 to 18 year old boys on our council estates , boys on our council estates, pushed and coerced into becoming mules, uh, carrying drugs for, um, for gangs , drug gangs. so um, for gangs, drug gangs. so huge report from the centre for social justice there and that that ties right into what i see happening in the youth work that we're responsible for around the country. but as you know, i also served as special advisor to the united nations around, uh , human united nations around, uh, human trafficking and communities, um, for eight years. and the reality is, traffickers are always ahead of us in every way. is, traffickers are always ahead of us in every way . we have to of us in every way. we have to constantly battle with this crime. it keeps on reinventing itself. a person, a people

trafficker , never gets out of trafficker, never gets out of bed to traffic people. they get out of bed to make money. their traffic guns, their traffic drugs , their traffic people. drugs, their traffic people. they do anything they can to make cash. they don't care about anybody's life, anyone's possessions . so we've got to possessions. so we've got to keep on top of this all of the time. but it's not just trafficking in from overseas . trafficking in from overseas. >> and what you're saying, it's people already living here on council estates can finish council estates that can finish up falling into this modern slavery . slavery trap. >> yes. so what happens all of the time is this a child is excluded from school. i'm talking about people that know this has happened to a child is excluded from school, and that can happen for all sorts of reasons . uh, not just to do with reasons. uh, not just to do with their poor behaviour. um i let me tell you a story about a boy that i know. he ended up outside of school. he wasn't actually excluded. he ended up outside of school because his father beat him up. he went into school the next morning. he had bruises on his face. the school have the

report back through. it's. it's a guarding issue and have a safe guarding issue and have to report it to the local authority. authority . authority. the local authority. had to take action. the police went to his home, saw that the mother was also beaten up, removed boy from the house. removed the boy from the house. social . then after social services. then after a few days returned the boy to the house, where he was beaten up again for grassing on his father . this time he didn't go to school knew that he'd school because he knew that he'd be reported in the same circle, would repeat itself. so he hung about the estate . what is it? about on the estate. what is it? um. somebody saw him. uh, and another kid offered to buy him a kebab and a pair of trainers. he was shown love. attention ian. yeah, yeah . first time it was yeah, yeah. first time it was drawn into the gang, he became a mule. he is a modern slave . mule. he is a modern slave. yeah, it is coerced. yeah >> massive problem. steve chalke , thank you for your experience on that. very much indeed . yeah, on that. very much indeed. yeah, it's all pretty alarming. but folks , i tell you, these folks, i tell you, these barbershops are a complete and

utter racket. in a moment, another damning report about the state of britain's prisons , i'll state of britain's prisons, i'll be joined prisons be joined by former prisons minister ann widdecombe. and let's what should prisons let's debate what should prisons really be like? are we? if the prisons of that awful are we likely to rehabilitate anyone .

he's not jeremy corbyn. earlier on gb news radio . now on gb news radio. now occasionally you can have a look

at a tabloid newspaper who'll tell you that life in british prisons is far too cushy and far too easy. >> and yet i'm not sure that's the reality, because we get overnight another . yes, yet overnight another. yes, yet another damning report about a state of a british prison. in this case, it's the victorian prison in bedford and hm. chief inspector of prisons said that the conditions there are some of the conditions there are some of the worst. he has ever seen. he said it's a damning indictment of the state of our prisons . and of the state of our prisons. and he goes on to talk about, you know, rats , cockroaches, poor know, rats, cockroaches, poor washing facilities . i mean, the washing facilities. i mean, the whole thing sounds, i'd say the whole thing sounds, i'd say the whole thing sounds pretty good, asli. which brings us to a very important debate. what is prison actually for? well, who better who better than ann widdecombe, former prisons minister. and this is a really important point , isn't it? you know, we punish people for doing wrong. we put them away to protect the public

and that's and that's the punishment bit, i guess . punishment bit, i guess. >> yes. it's what is called retribution and deterrence. so it's retribution towards the person and deterrence towards others who might do what he did. but the mission statement of the pfison but the mission statement of the prison service is divided into two. and first keep two. and the first is to keep people custody , i.e. not have people in custody, i.e. not have them escaping all over the place , but the second one. that just doesn't happen on the scale that it should, is that the prison service is supposed to prepare the inmates to lead useful and law abiding lives, both in prison and upon release. now a useful life means that you're occupied, that you you might be doing work in the prison workshop or in the education department, or you might be attending . you might be attending. you might be attending. you might be attending behaviour courses. um and all that type of thing . and and all that type of thing. and thatis and all that type of thing. and that is useful. but what actually happens is that as soon as you get any overcrowding in our prisons , which we've got, as our prisons, which we've got, as soon as you get that , um, what soon as you get that, um, what we call purposeful activity ,

we call purposeful activity, which is what i've just been talking about, is the first casualty, because as all the officers are then so busy upon movements of prisoners is that they're not actually able to put they're not actually able to put the time into the purposeful activity. it's always the first casualty. and there are appalling stories coming out of our prisons at the moment about prison officers having relationships with prisoners and goodness knows what else. and of course, once that happens , you course, once that happens, you run the risk of those officers bringing in drugs and etc. to um, and i haven't seen our prisons so bad since , um, the prisons so bad since, um, the early 1990s when ken clarke actually brought in somebody from outside , from the private from outside, from the private sector to try and sort it out. and then after him came michael howard, who had a very clear view that we should not just accept that crime was going to happen and, uh, for a while, the pfison happen and, uh, for a while, the prison service actually was

humming along and was doing useful stuff. >> we've had these problems before . so presumably if people before. so presumably if people are not able to engage in purposeful activities , they're purposeful activities, they're then sitting around or lying in bed . bed. >> i found one prisoner in bed at 11:00 in the morning. >> good lord, good lord, and not much chance then , of them living much chance then, of them living useful lives when they get out. >> no, i mean, unless you can. actually, i always used to say that somebody into that if somebody comes into prison unable read write . prison unable to read and write. and 75% of them are actually in a state of illiteracy, 75, huge number. uh that if somebody comes into the gates unable to read and write, they should leave the gates able to read and write. i mean, unless they're only there for a fortnight or something, you know, they should leave able to read and leave the gates able to read and write. that to me, is so basic it shouldn't even need stating . it shouldn't even need stating. >> and aren't learning >> and if people aren't learning anything useful in prison and they're around sitting they're lying around sitting around on their hands, the around time on their hands, the prison conditions are awful. the other big problem with prisons is not just that we're not

managing reform managing to reform enough people, growth of people, but the growth of islamism in prisons. islamism in our prisons. >> uh, indeed. and of course, the prison service is in a cleft stick. they separate the stick. if they separate the islamists from the rest, then they just egg each other on. but if they mix them in with the rest of the prison population, then they make converts. that's a very difficult, very difficult judgement. yeah it's an incredibly difficult one to call. and i'm not one who sits in judgement on the prison service because i think it's one heck of a challenge. and they've got to make individual judgements. basically bound to get bound to. get some wrong, bound to. >> and you've visited, i think you visited every prison when you visited every prison when you were prison. >> then was. yes. >> was. yes. obviously the >> then was. yes. obviously the population is bigger. the prison population too is bigger. you've visited america. population too is bigger. you've visited visited america. population too is bigger. you've visited visited prisonserica. population too is bigger. you've visited visited prisons in a. you've visited prisons in australia . uh, this is you've visited prisons in australia. uh, this is a you've visited prisons in australia . uh, this is a subject australia. uh, this is a subject you've spent a lot of time looking at, understanding . is looking at, understanding. is there a model out there somewhere? is there a country out there that maybe gets this right, that we could think about copying? >> well, we had don't know

>> well, we had i don't know whether but whether we still have, but we had an industrial prison at coldingley where every single prisoner got up at 7:00 in the morning, went to work , did a morning, went to work, did a whole day in the workshops, and this coldingley generally supported the prison service . supported the prison service. they'd be making clothes or they'd be doing laundries or whatever, but a whole day they spentin whatever, but a whole day they spent in the prison workshops and then 5:00 at night they came back. so you know, we don't actually have to look abroad. we could look at what coldingley was doing. but if you were looking abroad, then i would say , take a look at germany, where nearly every prison is run like that. >> so almost run along military lines. >> um , no, i wouldn't say >> um, no, i wouldn't say military lines. um, there we had a couple of those for young offenders. i wouldn't say military lines. i would say that it is run on how you and i would live our lives . you know, we live our lives. you know, we have an alarm clock . we have to have an alarm clock. we have to render satisfaction to an employer, or we get the sack and we do this all day, and then we come home in the evening. and

that is own. now what that time is our own. now what we were trying to do in coldingley successfully was to get prisoners to take that structured lifestyle for granted . most of these people, nigel, they've truanted away their education. you know, i used to go into education departments and they'd be doing the adult equivalent of cat the equivalent of the cat sat on the mat and i would say, what happened at school all and i wish i had a penny for every time happened. would time it happened. they would say, school , miss. say, didn't go to school, miss. and truanted away and they've either truanted away or excluded from their or been excluded from their secondary education. >> bedford prison is being talked about today. we had the escape from wandsworth that took place a few months ago. a lot of these prisons were literally built in the late 19th century. >> absolutely . >> absolutely. >> absolutely. >> do we need to knock them down and ? and start again? >> we need do a certain >> we need to do a certain amount i you amount of that. yes. i mean, you can't wholesale. but can't do it wholesale. no, but over time, that is exactly what should be happening. and indeed we built modern prisons we have built modern prisons over time under successive over time in under successive government . so it's not, you government. so it's not, you know, government the know, one government or the other. have built modern other. we have built modern prisons, still too

prisons, but there's still too many prisons of the older state left. i mean, the worst i saw was armley road in leeds when . was armley road in leeds when. in 1995 or 6, they were only just ending slopping out in the 1990s. >> yeah , yeah, not the 1890s. >> yeah, yeah, not the 1890s. >> yeah, yeah, not the 1890s. >> nigel. the 1990s. >> nigel. the 1990s. >> now a prison service spokesman has said the findings of this inspection are unacceptable, which is why we are taking urgent action to address the concerns raised. i want to have one more question with and whilst you're here. yeah if somebody goes into prison . and you say they can't prison. and you say they can't read and write and they've truant from school and they've probably slipped into crime very early in their lives, absolutely . 15, 16 whatever it is , what . 15, 16 or whatever it is, what are the chances of actually turning that person's life around in a good prison? >> it depends how long we've got them there. but b it depends them there. um, but b it depends on the will of the prison staff and c on the cooperation of the person you know, if you can't

get the person to see that, you know, they're not going to make anything they anything of their lives if they carry are, then carry on the way they are, then that doesn't work. but it can happen. it can happen and it does happen. and the crucial place where it should happen is in our young offenders institutions. huge subject. >> and thank you very much indeed for coming in and joining me a moment. donald trump me in a moment. donald trump caused outrage he's good caused outrage when he's good at that. when talked that. isn't he? when he talked about and people not paying about nato and people not paying their astonishingly, their bills astonishingly, overnight, we get a statement from nato saying that now a lot more people are going to pay the 2. did trump actually do us 2. so did trump actually do us all a favour

that global warming was man made i >> -- >> what -_ >> what do you think? >> what do you think? >> earlier on gb news radio . in >> earlier on gb news radio. in 2017, shortly after trump became president, he went to brussels . president, he went to brussels. >> it was the opening of a new nato building. and in his speech he said, why are we spending all this money on a big building in

brussels? why have we got all these staff and why ? why are these staff and why? why are only five of you out of what was then 28 members? why are only five of you paying for 2% membership fee? you are delinquent . s and he left them delinquent. s and he left them with a feeling that maybe america wouldn't come to their aid. well, by the time he'd finished his president, actually, about nine of them were paying their way . actually, about nine of them were paying their way. but nine out of what is now 31 members isn't very much. hence these comments he made last weekend. >> the secretary—general stoltenberg was, i don't know if he is anymore, but he was my biggest fan. he said. all these presidents came in, they'd make a speech, leave, that presidents came in, they'd make a spaech, leave, that presidents came in, they'd make a spaech, and leave, that presidents came in, they'd make a spaech, and leaall that presidents came in, they'd make a spaech, and leaall owedhat was a bit. and they all owed money and they wouldn't pay it. i came in, i made speech and i came in, i made a speech and i said, to pay up. they said, you got to pay up. they asked me that question. one of the of a big country the presidents of a big country stood well , sir, if we stood up, said, well, sir, if we don't pay and we're attacked by russia, will you protect us? i said, you didn't pay. you're delinquent . he said, yes. let's delinquent. he said, yes. let's

say that happened. no, i would not protect you. in fact, i would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. you got to pay . you got to pay your got to pay. you got to pay your bills . bills. >> now, of bills. » now, of >> now, of course, everyone's got absolutely potty . donald got absolutely potty. donald trump has encouraged russia to invade nato members . now that's invade nato members. now that's donald trump making a point. that's donald trump causing outrage. that's donald trump trying to get a response. now a combination of that speech . and combination of that speech. and also, you know what is happening in ukraine, saw a statement from nato today saying that now, 18 of the 31 are going to pay their 2. and my point is, however outrageous , you may think some outrageous, you may think some of trump's comments. outrageous, you may think some of trump's comments . actually, of trump's comments. actually, he's got a point, of trump's comments. actually, he's got a point , because if he's got a point, because if we're going to have mutual military support in this club, people, i think need to play by the rules . but keen to get a the rules. but keen to get a view from colonel john hughes—wilson, military hughes—wilson, former military intelligence officer and previous advisor to nato's international political staff, john, his style is not

everyone's cup of tea, but he does have a point, doesn't he ? does have a point, doesn't he? >> he does indeed. and i know he's caused a great upset to a lot of people, but if you decode the diplomatic language carefully, nigel, he's not talking to putin at all. he's talking to putin at all. he's talking to putin at all. he's talking to nato . and basically talking to nato. and basically he's saying in very simple, blunt , very he's saying in very simple, blunt, very trump language , blunt, very trump language, cough up what you can't hide behind a america's skirts because we've got problems of our own . and i take the point our own. and i take the point one stage further , america is one stage further, america is now embroiled in gaza , ukraine. now embroiled in gaza, ukraine. they've got an emergent china in the middle east. and big problems, expensive problems on the mexican border. how long is joe schmo and you know america better than i do . how long is better than i do. how long is joe schmo in idaho going to fork out to pay for nato ? oh, no, i

out to pay for nato? oh, no, i think that's the point, john. >> really, i think what trump has done is to put his finger on pubuc has done is to put his finger on public opinion in america . and public opinion in america. and they're saying, look , you know, they're saying, look, you know, we understand haaland, we understand the world. we think of ourselves as leaders of the world. and we're prepared to do that. world. and we're prepared to do that . but but world. and we're prepared to do that. but but please don't world. and we're prepared to do that . but but please don't take that. but but please don't take the mickey out of us. and i think that's where trump is. that's where trump's politics is quite clever. but i wonder , quite clever. but i wonder, john, just looking at this situation , you know, you situation, you know, you mentioned the international problems that happening problems that are happening and may happen order. who may happen in short order. who knows ? i seems to me i mean our knows? i seems to me i mean our 2, you know, we are now at 2, but if you take out the cost of the nuclear deterrent, if you take out some of the ceremonial dufies take out some of the ceremonial duties , as we know we're near 2. duties, as we know we're near 2. and i'm just wondering , given and i'm just wondering, given the state of the world is in a given that now some very senior american military figures who are natural friends and allies

of ours are asking the question, is the united kingdom still a serious player ? and i say this serious player? and i say this ahead of the budget, which is coming, of course, on the 6th of march, shouldn't we really be back to something like 3? give given the international situation ? situation? >> i think that's absolutely right . and the problem is, as right. and the problem is, as peter hitchens said in one of the earlier programs , is that, the earlier programs, is that, uh, if you do that, you can't borrow money now because we're bankrupt as a country. as near as damn it . so therefore, you've as damn it. so therefore, you've got to raise taxes. no one's going to vote for raising taxes, which . means you have to take which. means you have to take some money away from the internal government budget. and one place you start, for one place you could start, for example, lot example, is getting rid of a lot of mod civil servants who excelled themselves at their incompetence . as the last few incompetence. as the last few years proved . so there are great years proved. so there are great cuts to be found inside government , and that's one way

government, and that's one way you could raise the money. but certainly we need to spend a lot more money on defence because nigel defence is an insurance policy and as trump got it right , we don't pay the premiums . you , we don't pay the premiums. you don't get covered when the emergency comes. well i think that's a very, very good clear point, john. >> and thank you very much for contributing to this debate. thank you. well, he put it pretty clearly, didn't he . now pretty clearly, didn't he. now the what the farage moment we get another story in the newspaper . the times do it newspaper. the times do it today. yes we're going to spend money by paying tiktok stars in albania to do their little messages on tiktok to say, don't cross the english channel, don't come to the united kingdom. you'll be making a terrible mistake and we're paying albanian celebrities and we'll be doing the same in turkey and other countries, too. and it's funny , when these stories come funny, when these stories come up, you think, oh, this is a new idea. it's not idea. well, no, it's not actually, in july 2021, actually, because in july 2021, the set up a fake the home office set up a fake website to asylum seekers

website to deter asylum seekers from crossing the channel uh, in august 2021. uh, fake home office website targeting asylum seekers was probed. actually by the commissioner, telling because actually we told afghans not to flee before the taliban takeover , whether we got that takeover, whether we got that right or wrong, i don't know. but case after case, you know, home office spent £35,000 on ads. we've spent seven figure money over the last three years in all sorts of ways, trying trying to deter people from crossing the channel, using social media. believe you me , social media. believe you me, this will not make a blind bit of difference. it is yet more wasted money now a story last night that really interested me were the three women who turned up shortly after the . october up shortly after the. october 7 outrage wearing paragliders on the backs of their coats and i explained to you last night how they'd been to court, how they'd been found guilty by by a jury

of a terror offence, namely giving support to hamas, a banned terrorist organisation . i banned terrorist organisation. i also mused on air that i found it extraordinary that the judge had effectively overruled the jury had effectively overruled the jury and given them non—custodial sentences and basically said, look, they didn't really believe in all of this. i want to be clear. the judge said there is no evidence that any of these defendants are supporters of hamas or were seeking to show support for them completely. the opposite to what the jury had just decided. and i said last night, i wonder whether i get in trouble for criticising my judge. well, i'm pleased to say today's newspapers were full of it and was more, know, it turns out was more, you know, it turns out that one of the three women had become had been given asylum status in britain on the basis that her family were critics of hamas. and you couldn't invent some of this stuff . and another some of this stuff. and another one of them has been told she

doesn't need to pay the £400 costs because she hasn't yet been given leave . leave to been given leave. leave to remain and therefore can't claim the £400 on benefits . if that the £400 on benefits. if that wasn't bad enough , let us get to wasn't bad enough, let us get to the judge . the judge is tan the judge. the judge is tan ikram and he liked he liked a linkedin post that said this free free palestine to the israel terrorist. both in the uk, the us and of course, israel. you can run, you can bomb, but you cannot hide justice. yes, now it seems to me pretty extraordinary on the face of it, that somebody who was sitting in a judge, sitting as a judge and in particular sitting as a judge in this particular case, if he's liked that , that case, if he's liked that, that sort of comment on linkedin , i sort of comment on linkedin, i think this raises very , very think this raises very, very serious questions about his

impartiality. serious questions about his impartiality . we now we have impartiality. we now we have beenin impartiality. we now we have been in contact with him . we are been in contact with him. we are hoping and waiting that we might get a comment from the judiciary on this. we've even invited him onto our programme to explain these comments. you know, did he mistake only like the post or does liking the post and the words that he used in court send you a very different message ? you a very different message? you know, one of the things i don't like about america is the politicised ation of its judiciary . i thought here in judiciary. i thought here in this country we were free of it. it would appear with every year that goes by, they become more and more political . that's my and more political. that's my take.i and more political. that's my take. i could of course, be wrong . it could have been wrong. it could have been a complete error . we'll find out complete error. we'll find out when we get a statement tomorrow . ellwood, conservative member of parliament for bournemouth last night saw his home attacked by about 100 pro—palestine in gaza protesters. for this to

happen on this scale and to go on for hours outside his property is, i think , worrying, property is, i think, worrying, disturbing . it property is, i think, worrying, disturbing. it is part of property is, i think, worrying, disturbing . it is part of that disturbing. it is part of that trend that i've talked about already that i think we're beginning to see sectarian ism in politics therefore in politics and therefore i believe and i've said this to you before , that we need to you before, that we need to better our mps, or we'll better protect our mps, or we'll find people simply good people, particularly not coming forwards . on patrick christys tonight, 9 to 11 pm. labour are in free fall. >> has keir starmer been found out? their lead is slashed to 12 points a special dispatch from x immigration minister robert jenrick from the us southern border, a stark warning to the world on illegal immigration and if a pro—palestine mob turned up outside your home, what would you do? the same as tory mp jonathan gullis. anyone in my community can challenge me, but if you dare come near my house, believe me, if the police aren't

going to take action, i'll take action into my own hands. >> miss patrick christys >> don't miss patrick christys tonight,

>> tobias ellwood is a conservative member of parliament for bournemouth. he appears quite regularly on gb news. he does the media round. he speaks a lot about defence. as an army officer. he talks about foreign policy. um, i wouldn't call tobias an especially high profile member of parliament. i certainly wouldn't call him a particularly controversial member of parliament. he has his views and he's very happy to debate to and express them . last night outside express them. last night outside his home in bournemouth, about 100 people gathered to protest. take a look at some of these pictures . i'm not running for pictures. i'm not running for nicola sturgeon people . nicola sturgeon people. >> you are here. you are everywhere from the world.

>> now this is all because tobias ellwood did not support an immediate ceasefire when israel started to go into gaza, but 100 of them were there. they were long there for a long time, making a huge amount of noise. 1 or 2 of the things that were being said were not particularly pleasant. and i am worried about this. yes of course, we've always had a history in this country of political protest , country of political protest, and members of parliament have to be big enough and ugly enough to be big enough and ugly enough to take a bit of stick, and that's fine . but i think what that's fine. but i think what we're here, and i've said we're seeing here, and i've said it before in other contexts, i think for the first time in our lifetimes, we're beginning to see sectarianism , political see sectarianism, political sectarianism in england. we've seen it in northern ireland. we know the baleful consequences that it could have and that says to me that we have to think again, even more seriously about the safety of members of parliament. if we don't . my real

parliament. if we don't. my real fear is that a lot of people simply a lot of very good people, simply will not put themselves forward. that's my take on it . themselves forward. that's my take on it. i'm joined by dave spencen take on it. i'm joined by dave spencer, head of crime and justice at the think tank policy exchange and a former detective chief inspector with the met police dave, i mean , it's police dave, i mean, it's happened to me . i know it's happened to me. i know it's happened to me. i know it's happened to me. i know it's happened to jacob. you know, 2 or 3 people turn up and make a bit of noise and then disappear fairly quickly . but an organised fairly quickly. but an organised protest . just with up to 100 protest. just with up to 100 people for four hours outside an mps home. it's pretty frightening stuff , isn't it ? frightening stuff, isn't it? >> good evening. i think that's absolutely right . absolutely right. >> and certainly my sense of things is that we are now confronting a pretty serious and actually escalating issue, which actually escalating issue, which actually goes to the very heart of our democratic settlement. we're all well aware of some of the really awful cases . the the really awful cases. the murder of jo cox mp in 2016 and sir david amess in 2021. yeah.

um, but actually we're all very familiar with those cases. what i think is less well known are the is the reality. the cases where actually mps and other parliamentarians are confronting and dealing with a daily barrage of threats, stalking , of threats, stalking, harassment, really on a daily basis. and what i'm not talking about here is the sort of normal thrust of public debate which, as you rightly say, any politician can deal with. i'm talking about really very serious, awful criminal behaviour and certainly my sense is that this is a problem which is that this is a problem which is getting worse and the impact for our politics and for our democracy is very serious . the democracy is very serious. the risk of, uh, fewer people, fewer good people willing to go into politics, a limit on honest debate. like we do need to have politicians who are willing and able to have honest debate about serious policy matters. and my grave concern is that these

sorts of issues are now going to be having a serious effect on our democratic settlement . our democratic settlement. >> i worry too, do you think mps should be given close protection when they're outside the parliamentary estate ? parliamentary estate? >> well, the national police operation is called operation bridger. um, and there are different, different aspects of operation bridger that mps , operation bridger that mps, depending on the risk , can depending on the risk, can access, whether that's panic alarms , whether it's security alarms, whether it's security staff , these sorts of things. staff, these sorts of things. um, i think my major concern here is that while there are some police forces which are very good on this, there are inevitably , i'm afraid, some who inevitably, i'm afraid, some who are less good. and for some mps it is a bit of a potluck, depending on which constituency. yeah uh, and for sarah, you're deaung yeah uh, and for sarah, you're dealing with. so i think, you know, there is there is more to be done. and this is an issue we need to take very seriously. i think in relation to the, the terrible scenes outside mr elwood's home, i think one of the things that certainly occurs

to me is that the legal question here and the big legal question really is that what seems to happenis really is that what seems to happen is that with the police and the courts and prosecutors is some kind of balancing of rights exercise. on one hand, we have the rights of mr ellwood and his family and his neighbours to have a private family life. and on the other hand, we have rights of a mob to shout and scream through megaphones for a number of hours dunng megaphones for a number of hours during the evening. and it seems to me that time and again, the rights and protesters rights of the mob and protesters are winning out, and my concern in this is, yeah, is that the right way around? i would say probably not that. >> dave spencer. thank you for your clarity of thought on this very, very important issue . uh, very, very important issue. uh, jacob, you know, you and i have talked about i mean, whenever i say to the audience mps to be protected the emails protected better, the emails come spend enough money come in, we spend enough money on but there is on them already. but there is something here, there? >> think happened to >> i think what happened to tobias really very unpleasant. >> and that dark, >> and i think that it was dark, made more unpleasant >> and i think that it was dark, made was more unpleasant >> and i think that it was dark, made was veryore unpleasant >> and i think that it was dark, made was very ite unpleasant >> and i think that it was dark, made was very it was)leasant >> and i think that it was dark, made was very it was intended that it was very it was intended to intimidate and the numbers

were large . however, one of the were large. however, one of the things i love about our democracy is the availability of mps, and that it is safe for mps to walk the streets . i bumped to walk the streets. i bumped into a charming man this afternoon, actually, as i was going to parliament square, and he said to me that he was surprised. i just wandering surprised. i was just wandering about and i was to him, i about and i was saying to him, i just this real just think this is a real advantage our system , and i'd advantage of our system, and i'd hate lose that. hate to lose that. >> we have to find a way >> i know we have to find a way around have around it now. i do have a statement now, a spokesman for the courts tribunals the courts and tribunals judiciary it was a genuine judiciary said it was a genuine mistake and he didn't know he had post. this is in had liked the post. this is in reference to the judge. well i suppose you can believe that if you want to , jacob, can't you? you want to, jacob, can't you? >> you can. >> you can. >> yes, we should. the question, shouldn't we? >> at least he hasn't said that his telephone was hacked, which is the other people use is the other excuse people use when something when they've done something embarrassing . embarrassing. >> oh dear . embarrassing. >> oh dear. what are >> oh dear, oh dear. what are you majoring on tonight? >> um, we're going to be talking, , uh, what are we

talking, um, uh, what are we going to be talking about is a very good question . um, we're very good question. um, we're going to be talking about the labour party again, and how it's still in these terrible difficulties in relation to anti—semitism and how keir starmerjust hasn't anti—semitism and how keir starmer just hasn't got anti—semitism and how keir starmerjust hasn't got a grip on his party. >> it'd be a good debate now, tomorrow , there are two very key tomorrow, there are two very key by elections. and for the first time ever, gb news will be covering all of that live. we'll be on from midnight to 6 am. on thursday night into friday morning, and i'll be in the studio between 2 and 3 as the results come in from wellingborough and from kingswood. please tune . in. kingswood. do please tune. in. >> looks like things are heating up. boxt boiler is sponsors of whether on gb news . whether on gb news. >> good evening. welcome to your latest gb news weather update with me annie from the met office. there will be further rain thursday for rain to come on thursday for many of it will be another many of us it will be another mild cloudy well. mild and cloudy day as well. we've very mild air that's

we've got very mild air that's moved from the south and that moved up from the south and that will pushing north will be pushing north through the , bringing us the evening, bringing many of us another tonight. another mild night tonight. however, there's lot of however, there's still a lot of rain to come from the south and west as that will west as well. that rain will push parts of northern push across parts of northern ireland. many areas of wales , ireland. many areas of wales, northern it northern england and then it will persist across northern many areas of scotland throughout thursday morning . throughout thursday morning. further south of that, across more central and southern areas of will drier by of england, it will be drier by the morning, but there'll still be and some be some drizzly rain and some low across the hills and low cloud across the hills and across coast as well. so across the coast as well. so another murky start the day. across the coast as well. so anotanotherky start the day. across the coast as well. so anotanotherky st mild the day. across the coast as well. so anotanotherky st mild startiay. across the coast as well. so anotanotherky st mild start .iy. across the coast as well. so anotanotherky st mild start . the but another very mild start. the rain will turn quite persistent through thursday, particularly across southwestern scotland, but also the afternoon across but also in the afternoon across south wales as well as the parts of the south—west of england too. there's rain warnings in force here, there could be force here, so there could be some disruption and water some travel disruption and water on areas. the on the roads in these areas. the south and east, though we escape the rain through of the day the rain through much of the day and it will be a very mild day, could reach 17 degrees if we do get any sunshine. the rain clears to the east through friday morning, leaving many of us with a much drier and better

day. sunny spells , day. some sunny spells, particularly for more central areas of england and wales, and temperatures climbing towards 15 or 16 degrees, once again staying mild on the weekend. however, there is some further rain to come, particularly through saturday night and into sunday. that's for now . see sunday. that's all for now. see you later. a brighter outlook with boxt solar , sponsors of with boxt solar, sponsors of weather on .

gb news. >> hello. good evening . it's me, >> hello. good evening. it's me, jacob rees—mogg on state of the nation. tonight some old labour with the same old problems of antisemitism. the party's polling lead has sunk to a seven month low after the suspension of two parliamentary candidates in the midst of further anti—semitism controversies. but anti —semitism controversies. but there anti—semitism controversies. but there are more than just these two that require secures attention, and a new report has suggested a 1% increase in council tax could put more bobbies on the beat. but as the police waste their time harassing christian preachers like this , as you know, you're like this, as you know, you're not preaching over the over the megaphone. >> but obviously a crime has been need to been committed. we need to investigate . okay. or you investigate. okay. or do you want £100? because if you want £100? fine. because if you don't want that, we can deal want £100? fine. because if you don'tit/ant that, we can deal want £100? fine. because if you don'tit/ancustody. e can deal want £100? fine. because if you don'tit/ancustody. e ca notzal trying. >> they need better >> surely they need better organisation, not more money. plus, the tradition peaceful plus, the tradition of peaceful protesters not died. i visited a group of christian climate campaigners who have decided to