whitehaven in cumbria. andrew in whitehaven in cumbria. andrew is in westminster. >> budget day is here in the chancellor. jeremy hunt is expected to announce, but i think he is going to announce a2p cut to national insurance. our business and economics edhon our business and economics editor. liam halligan. he's got the latest . the latest. >> it is budget day. the chancellor will be up on his hind legs at the commons despatch box at 1230. we know some tax cuts are coming. will they be enough? and can the chancellor pull a rabbit out of his budget hat? or is the rabbit dead ? dead? >> big wins for donald trump and joe biden in their super tuesday election contest. it looks almost certain that the pair will go head to head again in november. let's hear it from that man, trump. >> the poll numbers are so much higher than joe biden's. he's the worst president in the history of our country. there's never been anything like what's happening to our country.

>> goldsmith guns for meghan, the princess of wales uncle, tells big brother housemates that meghan markle creates drama to rewrite history. just have a listen when they were a threesome. >> so kate, william and harry, they look really comfortable together. love. and then suddenly there's an extra dynamic that comes in, puts a stick in the spokes , and creates stick in the spokes, and creates so much drama that i don't genuinely think was there. >> well, the weather here is glorious in cumbria. i'm going to find out whether it matches the mood of this town on spring budget day. what do people here need to hear from the chancellor today? let us know your thoughts as well. gb views at gb news. com is the email address as always. lots more to come between now and midday. first though, the very latest news with sanchez.

with tatiana sanchez. >> beth thank you. the top stories from the gb newsroom. a £0.02 in the pound cut to national insurance looks set to be the focus of the government's budget. ministers are arriving in westminster ahead of the chancellor's statement later today. the expected changes could save the average worker £450 a year, adding up to £900. when combined with last year's changes. when combined with last year's changes . but jeremy hunt may changes. but jeremy hunt may have trouble convincing his critics , with experts warning critics, with experts warning that it won't be enough to stop the tax burden reaching record levels by the end of the decade. the resolution foundation says those earning £50,000 will see the biggest wins , while those on the biggest wins, while those on 19,000 or less will actually be worse off. a man has been charged after two women were injured by shotgun pellets when a firearm was dropped during a police pursuit in south london. a warning the following contains flashing images. 18 year old kimani king has been charged and will appear in court later today. the two women were hit by

shotgun pellets after a suspect dropped a gun while on a moped, as they were being chased by police in clapham. the women have now been released from hospital . in the united states, hospital. in the united states, donald trump was denied a clean sweep of yesterday's super tuesday after nikki haley secured a win in vermont, but it wasn't enough to stop the former president's momentum. >> the worst president in the history of our country. there's never been anything like what's happening to our country. >> the words of donald trump there, moments after he secured victory in a dozen states. this puts him in a prime position to take the republican nomination for president, setting up a rematch with president joe biden, who warned that mr trump would drag the us backwards into chaos. division and darkness . chaos. division and darkness. for the latest stories, you can sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen. or you can go to gb news. com slash alerts .

news. com slash alerts. >> bo good morning. we've got a very special britain's newsroom today as it is spring budget day. andrew, you are there in westminster. of course i'm here in whitehaven. do you think , in whitehaven. do you think, andrew pierce, that jeremy hunt is going to offer anything today that could possibly swing the mood of the nation in the run up to election? to the election? >> don't think there's he >> i don't think there's much he can know there's going to can do. we know there's going to be a2p cut the national be a2p cut in the national insurance rate. that will be worth £450 to people worth about £450 to people earning around 35,000 a year. that will kick in in may, that will kick in in in may, they had the same cut in january. so that's £900 a year. but what he won't tell us, of course, that tax thresholds course, is that tax thresholds are frozen, which means in are being frozen, which means in april more people are being frozen, which means in apriibe more people are being frozen, which means in apriibe dragged more people are being frozen, which means in apriibe dragged intoe people are being frozen, which means in apriibe dragged into higher.e are being frozen, which means in apriibe dragged into higher tax. will be dragged into higher tax. that's nurses, that's teachers, nurses, doctors. helpful, but doctors. not helpful, but i still suspect, bev, there may be a little white rabbit that he may pull out of the hat. and i've noticed that rishi sunak is going to two pubs later in the week. does that mean they're

going to cut vat on pubs, food restaurants , something like restaurants, something like that? that would be a popular vote winner. that's it really is, andrew. >> time and time again when we talk to people, particularly people who own restaurants and pubs, about what they want, the cut in vat is always very popular . let cut in vat is always very popular. let me just cut in vat is always very popular . let me just show you popular. let me just show you a little bit about where i am today. will there be a white rabbit for the people of whitehaven? in whitehaven? we're in just outside district. outside of the lake district. carlisle miles north carlisle is about 30 miles north of here. there's beautiful of here. there's this beautiful harbour. a very pretty harbour. this is a very pretty town. it has incredible georgian architecture because this was a town built on the coal mining industry. originally one local family, the lowthers, who put all of their money into this town. of course, it is now 40 years since the miners strikes. the coal has gone. the sellafield nuclear power station is nearby, and that does employ a lot of people. but they're going to have the first coal power mine here, not a power station. it's for coking coal, for steel production . that's for steel production. that's going to be the first colliery in the country for 30 years. i

want to find out from the locals whether that will make a difference. just difference. i've just seen a wonderful restaurant owner who was friendly along , was very friendly came along, ianed was very friendly came along, invited for a coffee, invited us in for a coffee, which always nice. he owns which is always nice. he owns six businesses this town and six businesses in this town and says they're doing very, says that they're doing very, very well, be interested very well, so i'd be interested to hear he say. to hear what he has to say. i believe now going to talk to believe i'm now going to talk to liam halligan, hopefully liam is there hear me the there and can hear me in the studio, liam, liam , we just studio, liam, liam, we just mentioned 20. sorry mentioned the £0.20, 20. sorry vat rate and how so many hospitality industries would love to see that come down just so that when we pay our bill at the end of a meal, it isn't quite as crippling as it appears to be at the moment. >> nye bevan i must say, it's so nice to see you in one of the nicest, prettiest parts of the uk. certainly one of my favourite parts of the country. great to see gb news as ever getting out and about a lot of this budget has been pre—sold. the treasury has undertaken a huge briefing campaign, telling journalists, unusually, what's going to be in the budget. so we

know the main measures, but as we're now discussing, there may be other things that the chancellor pulls out of his budget day hat. let's have a look at some of the main measures. we know that there's going to be a £0.02 cut in the headune going to be a £0.02 cut in the headline rate of national insurance, national insurance fell from £0.12 in the pound to £0.10 in the pound in january. people felt that in their february pay packets, it's now set to fall to 8. that will actually kick in from april. the beginning of the new tax year, making the average worker those two tax cuts combined £900 better off. why, bev, is he going for a cut in headline national insurance rather than income tax ? the reason he's income tax? the reason he's going for income tax, not for income tax, is because the income tax, is because the income tax, is because the income tax rise is more expensive, because income tax is also paid by pensioners and landlords , not just workers. landlords, not just workers. some other likely measures we got, we got that 2% cut in the headune got, we got that 2% cut in the headline rate of national insurance. other likely measures, fuel duty will be

frozen at just under 53. a litre of petrol or diesel. no chancellor is going to increase that in an election year. those changes to non—dom tax status , changes to non—dom tax status, which we've been talking about for weeks, that is the tax regime that helps wealthy foreigners to pay less tax in the uk, attracting them here so they spend their money, invest their money here. labour wants to make that much, much stricter, restrict the savings for wealthy foreigners . the for wealthy foreigners. the tories are now likely to do the same in addition, we've got an increase in business class airfare duty, another measure of getting more money from the rich to pay for the headline national insurance cuts and then maybe we'll have some help for first time buyers with maybe more favourable stamp duty payments for them so they can get on the housing ladder. but i agree very much with andrew. he's often well informed on economic matters . as we know, the matters. as we know, the hospitality industry employs 1

in 10 people in this country. bev directly and many more in other aspects of the business. and it is being hammered. high streets are being hammered by business rates. we know that the hospitality industry often employs people part time work , employs people part time work, bringing in extra money for the family, lots of family run businesses. and we know that rishi sunak, of course, he's got a track record of trying to help that part of the economy. remember, eat out to help out. he may be trying to encourage his chancellor to justify what he during covid by helping he did during covid by helping the hospitality industry. again, it's going to be a complicated budget. there's going to be headunes budget. there's going to be headlines numbers all over budget. there's going to be hea place, numbers all over budget. there's going to be hea place, but numbers all over budget. there's going to be hea place, but we'lliers all over budget. there's going to be hea place, but we'll be all over budget. there's going to be hea place, but we'll be here )ver budget. there's going to be hea place, but we'll be here on' the place, but we'll be here on gb news at 1230. and after letting our viewers and listeners know what's going on. >> okay. thank you. liam. well, i'm here with a local resident, gerard richardson mbe. in fact, a very special local resident, because you've been a volunteer in this community. you're born and bred here, gerard, and how

would you sum up at the moment how people feel in this town about the cost of living, the standard of living? are they happy with the quality of life they've got? >> no, i think, i think everyone's anxious , you know, everyone's anxious, you know, that it's been that way since covid, to be honest. there's, it feels there's something in feels like there's something in the know, whether the air, you know, whether it needs a clear out across needs a good clear out across whitehall, whether it's just, i don't know, people are frustrated, you know , i mean, frustrated, you know, i mean, around here, for example, it's a very, very strong prawn. nuclear area. and yet we don't seem to get the, the direction from government that we want. i mean, what we want is some real firm decisions on, on nuclear. we want a nuclear power station . want a nuclear power station. we're saying, look, we're actually saying, look, bnng we're actually saying, look, bring nuclear power bring bring a nuclear power station many local station here. how many local authorities areas authorities and local areas are saying but we need some saying that, but we need some private investment. the only private investment. the only private investment. the only private investment recent private investment in recent years offered to us is the coal mine. and yet that's been tied up legislation for seven up in legislation for seven years. frustrating. and years. it's frustrating. and i think that's that's part of it. it's not nothing just directed

against the current government. it's frustration level it's a general frustration level that there's a malaise, you know, that that something isn't happening . and then for me happening. and then for me personally, you know, i run a shop and it's getting harder and harder on the high street. and if you drive from here to carlisle, let's say, there's an amazon warehouse at carlisle on the way between here and, you know, the next town, cockermouth, there'll be at least 30 vehicles of amazon coming to the west coast. i'd like to see in the, in the chancellor's budget, something like an online tax, like, almost like an online tax, like, almost like an online tax, like, almost like a vat perhaps that cuts in when you turn over maybe £1 million or so. it would allow small businesses to continue doing bit online, but it would doing a bit online, but it would level the playing field because it it's getting hard out there. and there's a real issue because the public still avidly support the public still avidly support the high street. all across the country on mother's day, father's day, christmas, every high street across the country is packed. but what about the other 9 or 10 months of the year? you know, you've got to remember that there's a

community out there and it's important to a lot of people of all ages, not just elderly. you know, i think some people write it off and say, well, it's high street's just the domain of a generation. that's that's dying out and that's wrong. generation. that's that's dying out cruel. that's wrong. generation. that's that's dying out cruel. so at's wrong. generation. that's that's dying out cruel. so we've'ong. generation. that's that's dying out cruel. so we've got. generation. that's that's dying out cruel. so we've got to it's cruel. it's so we've got to see something the high see something for the high street and specifically for me, we've to see something for we've got to see something for defence. you know, the defences of this country are in a shambolic state. and i say that as an ex—serviceman, i'll probably vote conservative at the next election. i've it it's kind of dyed in the wool. i've been tempted to spoil the ballot. i've been tempted at a good friend of mine. he's actually the labour candidate around here and i'd love to give him a vote. but i just i'm just looking at at the state of the defences. if the conservatives would show them up, i think they would show them up, i think they would awful better would do an awful lot better than the polls. than they are in the polls. >> interested in what you >> i'm interested in what you say about the amazon factory down and all of the, down the road and all of the, all of the trucks lined up there. presumably i'm playing there. i presumably i'm playing devil's advocate. that is therefore good source therefore a good source of employment for the area people

working there. but i guess what you're saying is, well, what does that mean for the community that might be generating a huge amount of profit for amazon? and it's people jobs, but it's giving people jobs, but then they go to spend then where do they go to spend their when there is no their money when there is no high street? >> look, amazon fantastic >> look, amazon is a fantastic industry knocking industry and i'm not knocking jeff not knocking jeff bezos. i'm not knocking amazon amazon is amazon at all. but amazon is a lower volume in terms of workforce. it's a quite high tech warehouses. you robots tech warehouses. you have robots taking down and putting taking things down and putting them into vans okay. there's local drivers, local delivery drivers, but these guys, you talk to them, they're a pittance. you they're paid a pittance. you know, the high street. you know, your local high street pound . your local high street pound. you know, every every £10 or wherever you spend it stays in the area. it supports people who are your neighbours, your friends, like friends, shops like mine organise events for people organise local events for people to part in. amazon don't do to take part in. amazon don't do that. amazon don't take part in the community. so i'm not attacking them. what i'm saying is there's got to be more is there's got to be a more level playing field. it's got to be slightly more difficult for people there the people to just sit there in the living room order off jeff

living room and order off jeff bezos and supply him with a new yacht. know, we're out there bezos and supply him with a new ysupport know, we're out there bezos and supply him with a new ysupport know, itz're out there bezos and supply him with a new ysupport know, it feelth there bezos and supply him with a new ysupport know, it feels like ere , support us, and it feels like that's a conversation that hasn't been had. >> when you say about this malaise, suddenly these huge changes have happened, these economic , this paradigm economic shifts, this paradigm shift, actually, of what our communities like . and it communities look like. and it doesn't feel like anybody voted for that. and it just sort of happened overnight without without consultation. happened overnight without witimore consultation. happened overnight without witimore people :onsultation. happened overnight without witimore people yourltation. happened overnight without witimore people you talk on. happened overnight without witimore people you talk to and the more people you talk to and i'm going to be talking to a lot of people here in whitehaven, obviously people don't like it. they don't want that sort of industry. >> i think people don't understand it as well. they don't really understand what's happened. and i you know, if you sit back and, you know, take a deep and you look back at deep breath and you look back at the last 4 or 5 years covid was a paradigm change in everyone's lives. so like i say, i'm not this isn't an attack on the current government. it things have been going on in this country that seem to have been dragging their feet for decades. i came across an newspaper. i came across an old newspaper. we quiet in the shop last we were quiet in the shop last

week, so we were browsing old newspapers. news newspapers. 1992 whitehaven news and in the headline it was, we will not be rushed on new nuclear power. it was 32 years ago. we're still waiting for a bleedin reactor. you know, look, this like i say, this is a nuclear friendly area. bring us a reactor. bring us some some jobs. get get some investment going. i don't know, everything feels like it's, tied up in knots . there's a layer of knots. there's a layer of treacle in in whitehall or the civil service and somebody needs to go in there and sort it. it's the same with the health services, and i've experienced that firsthand lately. they you know, there are some great people working in the health service, systems service, but their systems are terrible, absolutely dreadful, no . no flexibility. >> gerard, thank you so much, that was that was a brilliant contribution, look, we're here. we're here at the harbour in whitehaven. if you're in the area, do come and say hello. won't you? michelle, show from 6:00 this evening. nigel farages show from 7:00 this evening are going to be broadcasting live in this local area. go on gbnews.com if you'd like to be

there this evening, andrew, i will, throw back to you a lot of just common sense. northern truisms there from gerard. >> he he talked complete common sense more. gerard, please. i thought he was absolutely fabulous. bev, that's. bev. i'm going to be joined in the studio shortly by reform uk's richard tice. you're with britain's newsroom on gb news on budget day. stay with

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news channel. >> big day. it's budget day. joining me in the studio is the leader of reform uk, richard tice. richard tice. this is make or break for the conservatives. he's. we know i mean i've never known a budget frankly where so much has been leaked in advance. we about the to be cut and we know about the to be cut and income national insurance. income in national insurance. i'm convinced there's i'm absolutely convinced there's something sleeve. something else up his sleeve. too late. oh, far. something else up his sleeve. tooi late. oh, far. something else up his sleeve. tooi thiste. oh, far. something else up his sleeve. tooi this is oh, far. something else up his sleeve. tooi this is just far. something else up his sleeve. tooi this is just break >> i mean, this is just break day. it's reaffirmation the day. it's reaffirmation of the fact we're in a recession. fact that we're in a recession. let's remind everybody exactly a year ago, hunt stood up year ago, jeremy hunt stood up and said that the plan is and he said that the plan is working, that it's a budget for growth. said obr was growth. he said the obr was forecasting not go into forecasting we would not go into recession. exactly a year ago. they said that we're now in recession. there's been no growth. and simple question growth. and the simple question is these people hijacked is why are these people hijacked and handcuffed to the woefully inaccurate, grotesquely inaccurate, grotesquely inaccurate forecasts of the office for budget responsibility and the treasury officials and economists? they all sort of

moved between each other . i moved between each other. i mean, all of their modelling is completely wrong. we're in recession because all of their planning has failed. we need a complete different reset. and that's why we've put forward a plan for growth in our contract that we released a few days ago. you've got to dramatically , you've got to dramatically, you've got to scrap net zero. you've got to stop paying interest on the qe reserves. there's tens of billions of pounds that they could free up in order to give tax cuts. they're tinkering at the edges whilst rome burns a cinder, whilst rome burns to a cinder, just so we can just remind people. >> the office of budget responsibility, one of george osborne's brilliant ideas not set up in 2010. i saw a figure the other day, richard, suggesting that the obr's estimates have been wrong over 13 the tune of £558 13 years to the tune of £558 billion. that is unbelievable . billion. that is unbelievable. >> that's that's it's such a big number. it's half £1 trillion. i mean, it's just it's like 20 or £30,000 per adult. wrong in the last decade or so. and what that

doesis last decade or so. and what that does is that means that the politicians are making the wrong decisions , the wrong judgements, decisions, the wrong judgements, based on completely the wrong advice. it's the old expression, isn't it, guy go garbage in equals garbage out. and that's what we've had. and yet none of them, they seem obsessed with it. labour party's rachel reeves she wants to become even more indoctrinated and sort of attached to this office for budget . i'd attached to this office for budget. i'd rename it. i'd rename it the obe. the office of budgeting competence. >> will you get rid of it? >> will you get rid of it? >> i think we've got to relook at all these quangos. frankly, they are not fit for they are they are not fit for purpose. they're not worth the cost. got have cost. you've got to have a wholesale reset, wholesale reform whole economic reform of the whole economic model. otherwise i promise you we are towards disaster , we are heading towards disaster, catastrophe, starmageddon, bankruptcy. >> he is not going to cut income tax because it's cheaper to cut national insurance, which means pensioners, many of whom will be brought dragged into the tax bracket time on bracket for the first time on their of the their pensions because of the freezing allowances . is that freezing of allowances. is that a mistake? should be cutting

a mistake? should you be cutting income and by more two income tax and by more than two ipp pound, they ipp in the pound, what they should they should should be doing is they should be the tax threshold up be lifting the tax threshold up to £20,000 before anybody pays any tax . any income tax. >> would help everybody >> and that would help everybody and work pay. it and that would make work pay. it would people back into work would get people back into work off benefits. it help off benefits. it would help pensioners and way you pay pensioners and the way you pay for you net zero is for that, you net zero is costing over 30 billion of taxpayers cash every single yeah taxpayers cash every single year. we've identified that cost and yet they're all obsessed with it. >> if you take all these people out of paying tax, they richard, people earning up to £20,000 a yean people earning up to £20,000 a year, what ownership do they have, well, of you're have, well, of course you're still paying national insurance, you're vat, you're you're still paying vat, you're still all other duties. still paying all other duties. >> still paying >> you're still paying fuel duty. we reduce that as duty. we would reduce that as well. people have got well. so people have got significant but significant ownership, but fundamentally don't make fundamentally if you don't make work then don't be work pay andrew then don't be surprised when people don't go to work. i've got to go to bev turner before i go back to bev turner before i go back to bev turner in whitehaven very briefly. >> happening lee >> what's happening with lee anderson? coming into the anderson? is he coming into the reform the well know of reform uk? the tory well know of this parrish. >> lee anderson giving >> lee anderson not giving a running commentary anybody,

>> lee anderson not giving a runrdiscussionsntary anybody, >> lee anderson not giving a runrdiscussionsntary not anybody, any discussions i will not be having. >> richard richard >> all right. richard richard tice, going back to bev tice, we're going back to bev turner who is in whitehaven. glorious whitehaven. bev glorious sunny whitehaven. bev turner glorious turner i am in glorious whitehaven in cumbria. >> the lake district is just down the road from here, this beautiful harbour, lots of fishermen, work out of here and i'm going to be talking to some of them in just a moment. i'm going to be talking also to some cafe owners, business cafe owners, local business people, about they need in people, about what they need in the today , because it's the budget today, because it's all well talking it all very well talking about it in westminster. what matters in westminster. but what matters is people need. don't is what real people need. don't go anywhere. here's alex deakin is what real people need. don't go a|the1ere. here's alex deakin is what real people need. don't go a|the .3re. here's alex deakin is what real people need. don't go a|the . weather.; alex deakin with the. weather. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb news. >> good morning. welcome to your weather update for the day from the met office for gb news. bit of fog and frost in the south and west this morning. that should clear and then much of the west will be fine and bright, but in the east quite a

lot of cloud. again, outbreaks of light rain for northeast england, eastern scotland and 1 or breaking out over or 2 showers breaking out over the east midlands and southeast england through the day. why don't creeping into don't you showers creeping into cornwall but much of cornwall as well? but much of the southwest england, the west southwest england, wales, ireland, western wales, northern ireland, western scotland day with scotland having a fine day with some spring sunshine and that will the temperatures 12, will lift the temperatures 12, maybe 13, 1 or 2 places where it stays cloudy in the east. we're struggling a bit again , only struggling a bit again, only single digits on that east coast and feeling colder with the breeze far north—east. breeze over the far north—east. as through evening , breeze over the far north—east. as through evening, i as we go through this evening, i think we'll see the cloud breaking up a little bit more. any rain tending fizzle any rain tending to fizzle out. so most dry evening so for most it's a dry evening and then a dry and a clear night that will allow the cloud to come into east. some come back into the east. some mist and fog patches and again some patchy likely in some patchy frost is likely in rural spots. towns and rural spots. most towns and cities just about staying above freezing. for thursday, well freezing. as for thursday, well again, for many it'll be dry and bright starting off a bit misty and murky with some low cloud eastern areas likely to stay fairly cloudy through the day.

we'll see a few more showers on thursday. i suspect parts of southern england, midlands southern england, the midlands wales could some heavy wales could see some heavy showers thursday. they'll be showers on thursday. they'll be scattered about but they could be on the heavy side. many places elsewhere. again dry and in spells. in the sunny spells. temperatures up or temperatures getting up to 12 or 13. warm feeling inside >> so that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers sponsors of weather on

gb news. >> very good morning. it's wednesday, the 6th of march. it's a very special. britain's newsroom this morning. it is spnng newsroom this morning. it is spring budget day. and just look how beautiful it is here in whitehaven in cumbria. andrew >> and i'm in, in our very own westminster studio because in just over two hours time, the chancellor, jeremy hunt, will present his spring budget. he's going to announce a2p cut in national insurance . but the national insurance. but the laboun national insurance. but the labour, one of labour's front

benches, jones , who spoke benches, darren jones, who spoke to gb news earlier, said he's not chancellor, saying that not chancellor, is saying that this yet another plan for this is yet another plan for growth. yesterday i looked back >> and yesterday i looked back over last 14 years of the over the last 14 years of the conservatives government and conservatives in government and they've 21 plans for growth they've had 21 plans for growth over the years. this is the 22nd and where are we? we're in the middle rishi sunak recession. middle of rishi sunak recession. >> so there's an extra 500 billion of public spending that's this that's gone in during this parliament. and so what you're seeing is a path to lower seeing now is a path to lower taxes, to being able to hand some of that money back to taxpayers . taxpayers. >> that was the conservative mp harriet baldwin giving her thoughts to and goldsmith gunning for meghan, the princess of wales uncle. the naughty uncle, as he calls himself, tells big brother housemates that meghan markle creates drama to history, have to rewrite history, have a listen to this. >> when they were a threesome so kate, william and harry, they look really comfortable together . love. and then suddenly there's an extra dynamic that comes in, puts a stick in the

spokes and creates so much drama that i don't genuinely think was there. >> so i'm here at bullock quay at whitehaven. we've got michelle dewberry show from this area at 6:00 tonight, and then nigel farage after at seven. lots of locals will be coming down. if you'd like to join us then please go on to gbnews.com to find out all the details and email us this morning. as always, gbviews@gbnews.com. so let what want in the let us know what you want in the budget. anything make a budget. will anything make a difference to you feel about difference to how you feel about the of money in your the amount of money in your pocket? first though, the very latest with tatiana latest news with tatiana sanchez. >> beth. thank you. the top stories from the gb newsroom . stories from the gb newsroom. i'm a £0.02 in the pound. cut to national insurance. looks set to be the focus of the government's budget. ministers are arriving

in westminster ahead of the chancellor's statement. later, the expected changes could save the expected changes could save the average worker £450 a year, adding up to £900. when combined with last year's changes . but with last year's changes. but jeremy hunt may have trouble convincing his critics with experts warning that it won't be enough to stop the tax burden reaching record levels by the end of the decade. the resolution foundation says those earning £50,000 will see the biggest wins, while those on 19,000 or less will be worse off. chair of the treasury select committee harriet baldwin told gb news it's the responsible way to deliver tax relief . relief. >> you're seeing now is a path to lower taxes , to being able to to lower taxes, to being able to hand some of that money back to taxpayers. and i think by doing it through national insurance, actually, the office for budget responsibility says that that is something that is less inflationary than income tax. and so, of course , we've made and so, of course, we've made huge progress on inflation, down

from 11.1 to 4. but there's still some further room to go to get get it back to target at 2. >> the chancellor said to have resisted pressure to cut income tax, with some mps concerned today's changes won't be enough today's changes won't be enough to improve the government's support . shadow chief secretary support. shadow chief secretary to the treasury darren jones told gb news the damage has been done well. >> i think the chancellor is saying that this is yet another plan for growth and yesterday i looked back over the last 14 years of the conservatives in government and they've had 21 plans for growth over the years. this is the 22nd. and where are we? we're in the middle of rishi's recession, so i'm not quite sure if you can take the chancellor's that on chancellor's word for it that on the attempt, he's going the 22nd attempt, he's going to get growth the get growth back into the economy. and that's really important you step important because if you step back individual back from all the individual measures, this measures, the fact that this budget is not going to go budget alone is not going to go anywhere near repairing the damage of last 14 years is damage of the last 14 years is the big political question here in today. in westminster today. >> the government's rwanda bill returned to the house of lords

today as the troubled immigration plan faces another test. the aims to declare test. the policy aims to declare rwanda a safe destination for asylum seekers who come to britain via unofficial routes. but the bill faced its heaviest series of defeats by the lords so far this week . downing street so far this week. downing street says peers should work with mps to protect innocent lives from perilous journeys . junior perilous journeys. junior doctors in northern ireland have begun a 24 hour strike for the first time in a dispute over pay- first time in a dispute over pay. the doctors union is asking for a commitment to a full pay restoration to 2008 levels. health minister robin swann has warned the disruption will lead to thousands of missed opportunities and procedures. it comes after junior doctors in england went on strike for the 10th time last month . a man has 10th time last month. a man has been charged after two women were injured by shotgun pellets when a firearm was dropped dunng when a firearm was dropped during a police pursuit in south london. a warning the following contains flashing images. 18 year old kimani king has been charged and will appear in court

later. the two women were hit by the pellets after a suspect dropped the gun while on a moped as they were being chased in clapham. they've now been released from hospital. israel is to be warned that britain's patience is running thin, as the war in gaza continues to cause extraordinary suffering. the foreign secretary is due to meet benny gantz, later, who is a member of the israel's war cabinet. it's after the foreign secretary told parliament that israel's handling of aid deliveries raises questions over its compliance with international law. britain joined the united states in its initial support of israel's assault against the hamas terror group, but calls are now increasing for a ceasefire amid warnings from the united nations of an imminent famine. and in the united states, donald trump was denied a clean sweep of yesterday's super tuesday after nikki haley secured a win in vermont. but it wasn't enough to stop the former president's momentum. >> the worst president in the

history of our country. there's never been anything like what's happening to our country , the happening to our country, the words of donald trump there moments after he secured victory in more than a dozen states, it puts him in prime position to take the republican nomination for president, setting up a rematch with president biden, who warned that mr trump would drag the us backwards into chaos, division and darkness . chaos, division and darkness. >> for the latest stories, sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen, or go to gb news .com/ alerts . go to gb news .com/ alerts. >> good morning to you. it's 1006. you're with britain's newsroom on gb news with andrew pierce and bev turner. it's budget day. i'm here in our westminster studio bringing you the latest. and beverly is. >> i mean, whitehaven up in cumbria. carlisle is about 40 miles or so north andrew, i believe you've never been to the

lake. districts have just found out you're missing out. just look how beautiful it is. i have to say, it does look gorgeous. >> i've been to carlisle once on a story, but i've never been to the lake district, and it's long overdue, and i have to say, bev, it looks fabulous. absolutely beautiful. what a wonderful part of it really is . of the world it really is. >> and actually, i've been to the district many, many the lake district many, many times growing up in times in my life. growing up in manchester, it was only couple manchester, it was only a couple of couple of hours, of miles, a couple of hours, really, up the motorway. but i've never to part i've never been to this part a lot of people don't realise that just north—west of lakes, just north—west of the lakes, you've got this beautiful coastline , i like coastline and actually, i like most towns, even though this side is, is very, very pretty. once you then move around to the high street, like so many are, particularly coastal towns, actually, there is a kind of story of two halves and the high street here, like many, has lots of buildings which are now unoccupied , lots of scaffolding unoccupied, lots of scaffolding with work going on. i think that particular situation is made

more difficult here because there are over 170 listed buildings. this town was very successful in the 17th and 18th century, so it has all this beautiful georgian architecture, which obviously is expensive to maintain in. so i'm going to be talking to some of the people who've lost their businesses in just a moment. i'm going to be talking to woman who started talking to a woman who started a restaurant new business her restaurant new business with her husband, the chef , just husband, who was the chef, just before the 2020 lockdowns. and sadly, didn't manage to make sadly, she didn't manage to make that business survive. we're also going be talking to also going to be talking to people who are doing very well. there was one gentleman who came and hello, this morning and and said hello, this morning and if the area, do say if you're in the area, do say hello. hello to us hello. come and say hello to us because owns six businesses because he owns six businesses in and he said that in this town and he said that business has never been better, particularly to particularly thursdays to sundays people come down sundays when people come down to the marina to the harbour to enjoy this lovely walk, a lot of dog here this morning dog walkers here this morning and have to eat. so and have something to eat. so we're finding out we're going to be finding out more go throughout more stories as we go throughout the morning . the morning. >> all right. that's bev turner in whitehaven. i'm in

westminster for the budget. budget day today. the chancellor will to his feet around will rise to his feet around 1230. we'll go through the charade says question charade of prime says question time, which won't be terribly interesting today because all eyes be on what the eyes will be on what the chancellor has got in that box. so bring in political so let's bring in our political edhon so let's bring in our political editor, chris hope, who is in downing chris this is downing street. chris this is last chance. the last chance. saloon for the tories isn't it? we've seen polls putting the labour lead anywhere between 23 and 27 points in the last few days, although that doesn't seem to have stopped speculation that this budget could be the launch pad potentially, chris, for an election as may, the second. >> that's right. and the date to look out for on that andrew. and morning to you in westminster. i'm in downing street where the where the cabinet has broken up a minute meeting. very brief. a 20 minute meeting. very brief. we'll see chancellor, jeremy we'll see the chancellor, jeremy hunt, behind me from that hunt, emerge behind me from that doon door. number 11 downing street, with battered and red with the famous battered and red budget box. you're totally right. this could be the last budget fiscal event before a may. the second election. i've

got to say, though, no one is saying that to me in government or on the tory benches. that is mainly being pushed by the labour i suspect. so they labour party, i suspect. so they can say when doesn't happen, can say when it doesn't happen, that sunak himself is that the sunak himself is running people. i speak running scared. people. i speak to that the wants to to say that the pm wants to serve years as prime serve two years as prime minister at least. and why would you election when you're you have an election when you're 27 points behind the polls in 27 points behind in the polls in a recession, when in fact, by by the autumn you could have a much different economic picture. and the that we've turned the the idea that we've turned the corner , which is what jeremy corner, which is what jeremy hunt say when he speaks to hunt will say when he speaks to mps that idea, we might be much more voters. by more apparent to voters. and by then, 4% in then, this total of 4% cut in national insurance . we are national insurance. we are expecting a 2% cut today to add on to the 2. last autumn will really be felt by people in their pay packets. so why on earth have it now? having said that, 2017, andrew, you that, back in 2017, andrew, you and i remember the denials from downing about no no downing street about no no election theresa may. election by theresa may. and then called one, went up then she called one, went up a mountain in wales and came back and called election . that and called the election. that won't happen, i think, because what roles are reversed,

what the roles are reversed, labour points or so ahead labour are 20 points or so ahead . back then, of course, it was theresa may over jeremy corbyn. so it just doesn't look like it's going to happen to me. but i know it's been it's good fun for the headline writers. but let's about today, it's all about this party, this about how this party, this government can can try make government can can try and make people better about people feel better about themselves. money in their themselves. more money in their pockets national pockets from the national insurance be insurance cut. will there be a one point cut in income tax? that's a question. of course. it was there by rishi sunak was laid there by rishi sunak when he's chancellor just two years ago. he he would cut years ago. he said he would cut income tax by one pe in 2024. well, now is the moment. will he get his way with the chancellor or not? we'll wait and see. and just finally, is going to be just finally, it is going to be a election. i certainly a november election. i certainly think there will be another budget fiscal event in budget or some fiscal event in september i think that will september when i think that will be the big moment when they try and cut income tax, probably for the the country. the for the rest of the country. >> chris, many people watching this on radio this and listening on the radio will remember the days when budgets much more budgets were much more a discreet affair. this budget, i can't recall so much

can't recall quite so much detail being put out in advance. there's no debate that the £0.02 in national insurance is coming . in national insurance is coming. what is the political strategy behind that? is it if they keep saying it often enough, it finally gets through and people will start to think are will start to think they are feeling better about themselves, feeling better about themselves, feeling their cost feeling better about their cost of and standard of of living and standard of living. are you planning to living. yeah are you planning to come back? >> i think that's right. i mean, i'm you. i can't remember i'm with you. i can't remember so much leaking out in advance and little fuss about it. and so little fuss about it. i suppose if you're the chancellor, his the chancellor, his team, the headunes chancellor, his team, the headlines today, £0.02 off national the day of national insurance on the day of the budget is pretty good. i mean, there'll be more measures to the headline writers to excite the headline writers tomorrow budget. tomorrow about the budget. so you're more of you're getting more days of news. it probably will the news. it probably will annoy the speaken news. it probably will annoy the speaker, hoyle, he would speaker, lindsay hoyle, he would normally be quite cross about these leaks in advance, but of course, unlikely to say course, he's unlikely to say much moment. he's been much at the moment. he's been severely by his severely weakened by his behaviour gaza behaviour over that vote on gaza with he almost with labour, and he almost certainly say anything. he certainly won't say anything. he said last wednesday, certainly won't say anything. he said he last wednesday, certainly won't say anything. he said he may.ast wednesday, certainly won't say anything. he said he may haveiednesday, certainly won't say anything. he said he may have intervened to when he may have intervened to quiet , when he may have intervened to quiet, quieten down so the quiet, quieten down pmqs. so the government's quite, quite government's got quite, quite a weak speaker at the moment in

the so he's the only the commons. so he's the only person who complained about leaks. the look leaks. otherwise the leaks look quite favourable the quite favourable towards the government. saying it's government. no one's saying it's a and what's quite a bad idea. and what's quite fascinating, is the fascinating, i think, is the way that the chancellor that this the chancellor and rishi are almost stealing rishi sunak are almost stealing the cloves of what labour plan to do if they do get rid of the non—dom status today they non—dom tax status today or they rein that's labour rein it back, that's labour policy gone. will labour pay policy gone. how will labour pay for their things? now that's gone? going to also gone? they are going to also probably increase the north sea licensing , tax licensing plans, the tax on nonh licensing plans, the tax on north sea windfall profits. again, another labour again, that's another labour policy which they are using their plan to if they're their plan to spend if they're in government. all sorts of in government. so all sorts of measures being taken tory measures being taken by the tory party almost about the labour into corner, how will into into a corner, how will they pay for their plans for the great british energy and others. so is very political and so it is very political and i think that's why we're in election year. these leaks are not a deal. not such a big deal. >> all right. that's chris hope, who is our political editor in downing street, be back downing street, will be back with go to with him later, we go back to whitehaven where turner is whitehaven where bev turner is talking to lots of local people about what they want from that

budget today. bev >> thank you. andrew. yes, it's so interesting being outside of london, actually, and coming up the north—west, where people are very frank about how they feel about the local, about the current batch of politicians and how they might vote in the election. last year in the uk, more than 25,000 businesses went bank upped. it was a record 30 year high. i'm going to be to talking one of those business owners in just a moment. this is

gb news. >> it's 1017 with britain's news in whitehaven. >> andrew is in westminster. you've got to love a live broadcast, right. i'm here in

whitehaven in, cumbria. just to. just near the lake district. andrew you get to be in westminster in our lovely new studio. but i get the joy of being here out the fresh air. being here out in the fresh air. it's a beautiful morning here in cumbria and going here cumbria and i'm going to be here all well, i'm going all day until. well, i'm going to here all day. actually, to be here all day. actually, i'm be in various shows i'm going to be in various shows throughout afternoon as throughout the afternoon as well, with emily and and well, with emily and tom and also daubney talking to also martin daubney talking to the what do the the local people. what do the people whitehaven in people of whitehaven need in this it's spring this budget? it's a spring budget course, budget day. huge day. of course, we heard most of we think we've heard most of what chancellor has on what the chancellor has on offer, you never know. as offer, but you never know. as they there might be a white they say, there might be a white rabbit out red box, i'm rabbit out of his red box, i'm joined now helen cleaver. so joined now by helen cleaver. so helen a local here. and helen is a local here. and helen, sadly, were one of helen, you sadly, were one of the statistics. more than 30,000 businesses weren't bankrupt last yeah businesses weren't bankrupt last year. happened year. what happened to you? >> well, we started a year before covid, and we were just building the business up and was a restaurant. it was a restaurant? yeah, my husband's a chef, we got the restaurant, and started it up , with his started it up, with his inheritance from his mum. his mum had passed, and so it was

great for the first year, regular customers coming in. it was quite high end restaurant. we did sort of nice food. tried to get hold of fresh fish, which was very difficult, and then covid hit and we were just completely closed down, with the furlough kept , sort of the staff furlough kept, sort of the staff going and everything else. but then obviously brexit, the war and everything just rocketed and, prices of the gas, electric, food deliveries, everything. and it just crushed us. we just just lost the lot. >> and it's heartbreaking . like, >> and it's heartbreaking. like, so what was the what was the time period then between when we came out of the lockdowns and it did keep businesses going for a little while, but suddenly when everybody came out and started turning on their gas and electricity again , the prices electricity again, the prices went through the roof. and for a business like a restaurant, that, was that the major issue for you? >> the major issue for us was yet that the price increase of

everything, we didn't have a garden . and obviously just after garden. and obviously just after covid hit, pubs were allowed to open their outside seating areas to get their money back. but we didn't have any of that, and then obviously we had to buy all then obviously we had to buy all the instrumental things to keep people apart . the instrumental things to keep people apart. so that was an extra cost, and yeah , it was extra cost, and yeah, it was just the fact that people had got so used to then drinking and eating outside in the gardens, getting takeaways bought in, and people just could not afford them because they were hit as well with all the prices, not just the businesses, you know, local people were hit with it. and so they just stopped coming out was easier them out and it was easier for them just to order uber eats or whatever to get and sit in the garden with drinks from the supermarket and takeaways and the tragedy, of course, i think personally from that period of time is that what happened was the huge corporations that could weather that storm have continued to build upon it, because it changed so much of our human behaviour as well, as

you say, working from home, ordering in. >> and yet where does that leave the small business owner? what are you and your husband out of business? what are you and your husband doing now then, well, my husband, luckily being chef is husband, luckily being a chef is quite after, of quite sought after, lots of chefs during decided to chefs during lockdown decided to take other businesses on, other careers . so they've, we've careers. so they've, we've shortage of chefs. so luckily he's managed to get a chef in job. and i'm working in a local bar now, but i am still repaying lots of debt that i had from the business, still now repaying lots of debt. >> and when it comes to the budget today , is there anything budget today, is there anything that this government could give you now that would make you feel like you can pay those debts back more quickly, or start to have more disposable income at the end of the month. >> it would be nice for the government to take a look at the businesses that did get crushed and see where they can help them , even to help them pay back

some of the money, or to say, you know, can that you you know, we can see that you made loss. we can see that it made a loss. we can see that it didn't work, yes, they did help with paying the staff , but with paying the staff, but actually the business owners themselves took a massive hit and it would be nice to be able to go to sleep at night and think, do you know what? i don't have to pay this debt for the next ten years and something is significant as ploughing in an inheritance a business that significant as ploughing in an inherit'tried a business that significant as ploughing in an inherit'tried to a business that significant as ploughing in an inherit'tried to build,;iness that significant as ploughing in an inherit'tried to build,;inesyouat you've tried to build, and you probably blood, and probably put blood, sweat and tears into that. >> it one of the hardest >> it is one of the hardest industries to work in 16 hours a day, seven days a week, and people you do in day, seven days a week, and peo background you do in day, seven days a week, and peo background of you do in day, seven days a week, and peo background of thatyou do in day, seven days a week, and peo background of that business the background of that business as well. the background of that business as 'so l. the background of that business as 'so can you forgive this >> so can you forgive this government when you to the polls? >> no , no, i won't forgive this government. >> not at all. would you have traditionally maybe considered giving the giving your vote to the conservatives i don't really like to say what i vote and what i don't vote, but let's just say that my vote this year will be changing. yeah, yeah. >> and i think this is this is going to be, i think probably the only election in living

memory where people's individual journey journey of the last four years has been so profound for everybody that it's going to affect where you put that cross. and i think people are going to give the tories a bloody nose. >> i think you'll find that maybe half the population won't even vote at because even vote at all, because they've got confidence in any they've got no confidence in any government whatsoever. and that's shame . after all that's the big shame. after all these years of being able to vote, you know, people are just now sick of it. >> yeah, that voter apathy is going to be a huge issue, isn't it, at the election, helen, in terms of the local community here and the local population , here and the local population, how would you describe people? you i like a kind of you know, i like a kind of northern, commonsensical. i always there's an optimism always think there's an optimism when you come up north. there's a positivity about people here, isn't there? >> yeah. well, i've, i moved up here 21 years ago from a city life. i wouldn't look back. i absolutely love it. the people are amazing, very friendly if not nosy as well. but that makes them who they are. and i

absolutely love it, but you do seem to tend to think that the nonh seem to tend to think that the north gets left out a lot , and north gets left out a lot, and we seem to be sort of, i don't know , not downtrodden, but. know, not downtrodden, but. yeah, basically . yeah. yeah, basically. yeah. neglected, even even beautiful town like whitehaven. i mean, i wouldn't, i wouldn't leave it's beautiful, but it's so neglected, as you said, that the buildings are amazing and they're just falling down. we're getting new buildings built and the old ones are getting left to wreck and ruin. yeah and there's so many businesses are just left , empty. >> okay, helen. well, thank you. i'm so sorry for what you've been through with all that hard work. it's so bleak, andrew, isn't it? when you see british people wanting to build a business from scratch and then not managing to get the support or the economic conditions as such, that they just, despite all their hard work, can't make it happen. >> you're absolutely right. thanks. thanks. that's, up in whitehaven. we'll be back with her shortly. it is budget day,

of course. joining me in our westminster studio is the barrister sam fowles, who you know very and we were know very well. and we were supposed be seeing stephen supposed to be seeing stephen pound, mp, but pound, the former labour mp, but he's no surprise there he's got lost. no surprise there with party is that with the labour party is that they lost all the time and they get lost all the time and they'll lose sam i'm already they'll lose us. sam i'm already seeing emails from viewers and listeners saying , okay, listeners saying, okay, fine about national insurance. about the national insurance. cut to £0.02 cut in national insurance, but i don't pay national insurance. i'm a pensioner. pensioners are the tory party's core vote. he's going to cut tax. he's going to cut income tax today as well, isn't he? isn't that going to be the in the white rabbit the rabbit in the white rabbit that comes of the hat? that comes out of the hat? >> must be the rabbit. >> this must be the rabbit. i mean, they've trailed the national insurance cut for so long basically long that it's basically pointless the pointless announcing it in the in commons because in the commons today because everyone knows it's everyone already knows it's happened. he's got to save happened. so he's got to save something. the national something. and the national insurance would something. and the national instornce would something. and the national insto the would something. and the national insto the core would something. and the national insto the core vote. would something. and the national insto the core vote. it would»uld go to the core vote. it would help the conservatives out i think their with their think with their with their electorate . whether it will help electorate. whether it will help the economy out, i think is rather different . rather different. >> will put money in >> well it will put money in people's pockets. i'm a

people's pockets. and i'm a great believer let people great believer that let people spend the money themselves. governments how governments don't know how to spend more money in their people more money in their pocket. might it in pocket. they might spend it in the street. we might see in the high street. we might see in whitehaven more doing whitehaven more shops doing better have got more better if people have got more money. i wouldn't out money. and i wouldn't rule out ehhen money. and i wouldn't rule out either. potentially a change either. sam potentially a change in vat rules for restaurants in the vat rules for restaurants and he's going to and pubs. well, he's going to two later this week. the two pubs later this week. the prime minister. that's not a coincidence. >> possibility >> and the other possibility with cut in with with that is a cut in alcohol as well. so that we alcohol duty as well. so that we might we might be seeing some cheapen might we might be seeing some cheaper, cheaper booze cheaper, some cheaper booze which will allow us to drink which will allow us all to drink through recession and through the recession and, and no rules, maybe no mask rules, which maybe that's thing. cuts that's a good thing. cuts inflation but the but the inflation to but the but the problem with these tax is problem with these tax cuts is it's giving one hand and it's giving with one hand and taking with the other. and it's giving with one hand and taking giving/ith the other. and it's giving with one hand and taking giving headline :her. and it's giving with one hand and taking giving headline tax and it's giving with one hand and taking giving headline tax taxd they're giving headline tax tax cuts national cuts whether that's national insurance whether that's income tax. they've big headline . tax. they've got a big headline. but in order to pay for those they're looking to cut public services in the long terme. and that means that while you may have a bit more money in your pocket, you're going to have to pay pocket, you're going to have to pay for a lot more yourself as well, because the things that

you would expect to be provided by the government aren't being provided. >> i'm more concerned because i think there's lots of ways that governments i'm think there's lots of ways that gover concerned i'm think there's lots of ways that goverconcerned by i'm think there's lots of ways that goverconcerned by what i'm think there's lots of ways that goverconcerned by what they call more concerned by what they call this expression. sam this awful expression. sam fiscal drag. in april, more fiscal drag. so in april, more people they've frozen people because they've frozen the allowances, they should the tax allowances, they should be every year. when you be going up every year. when you start paying tax, more people are to be dragged into are going to be dragged into higher are higher rate taxes. these are people to be people who are going to be paying people who are going to be paying 40 £0.45 who paying 40 and £0.45 who shouldn't i'm shouldn't be. frankly, i'm talking teachers talking about teachers and nurses. they should be nurses. they should not be paying nurses. they should not be paying a rate of tax. paying a higher rate of tax. >> and you've got to look at the look at the numbers. it shows the reality the course of the reality over the course of this average, the reality over the course of this are average, the reality over the course of this are paying average, the reality over the course of this are paying £3,500 |e, the reality over the course of this are paying £3,500 a year people are paying £3,500 a year more in tax, whereas the best case scenario with with this national insurance cuts, for example, is a £900 a year saving. so whichever way you whichever way you cut it over the course of this parliament, we're paying much more in tax. so this tax cut is not really a cut. it's a slightly less of a tax raise basically. >> now one of labour's most strategic advisers is a man

called lord mandelson. he masterminded three of. he was one of the founders of new labour and he masterminded some of blair's election victories. he interview today where he gave an interview today where he some advice to the he gave some advice to the labour leader, sir keir starmer. have a listen to what lord mandelson had to say and what would i do with rishi sunak and keir starmer? >> i don't know my problem with rishi sunaks fashion is that he wears these , you know, very wears these, you know, very fashionable skinny suits and narrow ties and i think they diminish him rather than expand him. and just to be completely sort of even handed about it. i think that by the same token, keir starmer needs to shed a few pounds and that would be an improvement. so i mean, i don't want to trivialise this podcast any further than i've already done, but this ties are not ties and appearance are not unimportant . unimportant. >> i well that's interesting. i mean, if lord mandelson thinks he's got a point, by the way, keir starmer has piled on the way. i've noticed it. it's around his chin and it's around

his waist. is that the right place to give that sort of advice when he is back in fashion? i we saw him at the labour conference. was labour conference. he was everywhere at the labour conference last year and he likes always the front likes he's always in the front row when starmer speaks. he's always the front row. when always in the front row. when rachel reeves shadow rachel reeves the shadow chancellor likes to chancellor speech, he likes to be a key player. is that be seen as a key player. is that advice really important? >> hope it's not >> well, you would hope it's not right. what we want from right. the what we want from politicians, to be able politicians, we want to be able to them, what they to judge them, not on what they look just on what's coming look like, just on what's coming out mouths, on on what out of their mouths, on on what they're doing. however, there is a research that suggests they're doing. however, there is a we research that suggests they're doing. however, there is a we do earch that suggests they're doing. however, there is a we do judge that suggests they're doing. however, there is a we do judge peoplejgests they're doing. however, there is a we do judge people onsts they're doing. however, there is a we do judge people on what that we do judge people on what they like. and so, for they look like. and so, for example, voters like leaders example, we voters like leaders to be taller. they're more likely to vote for a man to be leader if that's a problem for rishi. and that's a big problem for rishi, the problem for keir as well, actually, keir is shorter than the previous prime ministers previous ministers and previous candidates prime minister ministers and previous can(david. prime minister ministers and previous can(david camerona minister ministers and previous can(david cameron and 1ister ministers and previous can(david cameron and ed er like david cameron and ed miliband. barack obama, of course , was was incredibly tall, course, was was incredibly tall, as was mitt romney. donald trump , not so much compared to joe

biden, so unfortunately, we do make decisions a bit on a bit on what people look like, look like. and that's what mandelson is, is an expert on. right. he was he's an on the dark was he's an expert on the dark arts. he's an expert in getting into the into the psychology of voters. still at the same voters. but still at the same time, i really wish people would just focus on what is being said. >> you've got to look and sound the part if you want to be prime minister. and i'm afraid jeremy corbyn just didn't just said when he saw those terrible shellsuit tracksuits, oh my god, we're going to hear more from sam it's now for the sam later. it's now time for the latest headlines with tatiana sanchez. >> andrew, thank you and good morning. your top stories from the gb newsroom a £0.02 in the pound cut to national insurance looks set to be the focus of the government's budget. ministers are arriving in westminster ahead of the chancellor's statement soon. the expected changes could save the average

worker £450 a year, adding up to £900. when combined with last year's changes. but jeremy hunt may have trouble convincing his critics , with experts warning critics, with experts warning that it won't be enough to stop the tax burden reaching record levels by the end of the decade. the resolution foundation says those earning £50,000 will see the biggest wins, whilst those on 19,000 or less will be worse off. the government's rwanda bill returns to the house of lords today as the troubled immigration plan faces another test. the policy aims to declare rwanda a safe destination for asylum seekers who come to britain via unofficial routes. but the bill faced its heaviest series of defeats by the lords so far this week. downing street says peers should work with mps to protect innocent lives from perilous journeys . in the united perilous journeys. in the united states, donald trump was denied a clean sweep of yesterday's super tuesday after nikki haley secured a win in vermont, but it wasn't enough to stop the former

president's momentum . president's momentum. >> the worst president in the history of our country. there's never been anything like what's happening to our country, the words of donald trump there, moments after he secured victory in a dozen states, it puts him in a dozen states, it puts him in prime position to take the republican nomination for president, setting up a rematch with president biden, who warned that mr trump would drag the us backwards into chaos, division and darkness . and darkness. >> for the latest stories, sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen, or go to gb news .com/ alerts . go to gb news .com/ alerts. >> for stunning gold and silver coins, you'll always value rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news financial report . the gb news financial report. >> here's a quick snapshot of today's markets. the pound will buy you $1.2730 and ,1.1704. the

price of gold is £1,671, and £0.45 per ounce, and the ftse 100 is at 7668 points. >> rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news financial report . report. >> thanks, tatiana. now in a new gb news series, innovation britain, we're looking at the success of british manufacturing around the country. >> ppe control and automation are an electrical control system builder. now they've had a record year. so tony, what's behind this growth? and also why are you so integral to uk manufacturing. >> our business produce control and automation systems have gone to machinery . to machinery. >> and machinery is used to make everything we buy. everything that we touch, everything that

we see. >> so our company supplying automation into companies that will that could will make machines that could milk could cut metal , milk cows, that could cut metal, that could labels on fruit, that could put labels on fruit, that could put labels on fruit, that put meat trays . that could put meat in trays. >> so everything we do is really affecting ability of people affecting that ability of people to want and buy things and how things happen. >> why have you had such >> so why have you had such a successful year then? >> the growth of >> we're seeing the growth of automation sectors. automation across many sectors. now invest in now we need to invest in automation. so i've said before and there are skills shortages now that also exist. so certain processes that used to be done by people are now being done by machines. >> so what is it you as a company are doing then? >> we're investing ourselves. so although we talk about automation, we need invest automation, we need to invest ourselves. we over £2 ourselves. we spent over £2 million investing in automation for parts of our for certain parts of our processes. and we're working with customers to promote automation into new sectors. >> so then what is it that you're doing with regards to automation? >> well, in addition to promoting automation other promoting automation to other industries , we're investing industries, we're investing heavily automation heavily in automation ourselves. so invested over £2 so we've invested over £2 million in automation for cable manufacturing and test. that's enabung manufacturing and test. that's enabling us to scale and work

with some really exciting companies in some really exciting new sectors such as esg, hydrogen and renewables . esg, hydrogen and renewables. and that's really important for us as a business. it's really important for those companies, and ultimately it's helping us scale ourselves. so our scale and grow ourselves. so our own is helping us own investment is helping us help companies help those companies grow and develop . develop. >> well, it's a big day for the poundin >> well, it's a big day for the pound in your pocket because it's the budget day. the chance will be making that speech around 1230. in the studio with me is sam forbes, the barrister and columnist, and stephen pound, the former labour mp, has finally found his way here. stephen, did you know your stephen, did you not know your way westminster? how many way around westminster? how many years i was years were you an mp for? i was 22 22 years you 22 years. 22 years and you managed to lost. it's managed to get lost. it's extraordinary because we are just just so viewers know we are. appreciate stone's are. i appreciate that stone's throw big ben well, throw from big ben well, a stone's don't talk stone's throw. we don't talk about stones the about throwing stones in the present political context. >> right. >> right. >> nice for you to finally >> very nice for you to finally make your here. you are make your way here. you are a metaphor for everything that's

wrong labour. you can't wrong with labour. you can't find around. find your way around. >> via the third >> i came here via the third way. clearly. clearly >> describe us the >> now, describe to us the atmosphere in the commons when it's there used to atmosphere in the commons when it'sa there used to atmosphere in the commons when it'sa of there used to atmosphere in the commons when it'sa of excitemented to atmosphere in the commons when it'sa of excitement and be a sense of excitement and dissipation, there were dissipation, because there were going secrets white going to be secrets and white rabbits pulled hats. not rabbits pulled out of hats. not so much. >> well, it's very, very strange. i mean, it's two. chancellor of the exchequer had to their to resign. actually their position to resign. actually their positiorsecrets. you remember budget secrets. you remember jemmy one. he was jemmy thomas, famous one. he was playing golf and he said, oh, tea's and they're about to playing golf and he said, oh, tea' a and they're about to playing golf and he said, oh, tea' a .oni they're about to playing golf and he said, oh, tea' a .on tea.y're about to playing golf and he said, oh, tea' a .on tea. yeah.)out to playing golf and he said, oh, tea' a .on tea. yeah. andto playing golf and he said, oh, tea' a .on tea. yeah. and you put a tax on tea. yeah. and you know, that's happened in hugh dalton know, that's happened in hugh dalhe was the stock press of >> he was in the stock press of the evening standard. people remember the evening standard. i know about. and he didn't he thought for thought it was too late for a newspaper report something. newspaper to report something. >> he power >> little did he know the power of the press. you know what? you what well, quite. but what you lot. well, quite. but the interesting thing is here is now this one, know, it's. now this one, you know, it's. i've never seen. it's got more leaks than the calendar. i mean, it's amount of it's incredible the amount of information in information that's gone out in ordinary circumstances. information that's gone out in ord your circumstances. information that's gone out in ord you mightnstances. information that's gone out in ord you might haveces. information that's gone out in ord you might have as. information that's gone out in ord you might have a speaker of >> you might have a speaker of the saying this is the commons saying this is outrageous budgets, the commons saying this is outrageinformation budgets, the commons saying this is outrageinformation budgetbe budget information should be conveyed first. conveyed to the commons first. but a weak speaker

but we have a very weak speaker in cylinder. i speak as one who likes him because of day likes him because of the day bark of. bark over the vote of. >> i very hope that lindsay >> i very much hope that lindsay will something, because the will say something, because the thing actually is thing is, this actually is market sensitive. put market sensitive. when you put this sort of information out early, affect things. early, it does affect things. but the atmosphere, i mean, but but the atmosphere, i mean, you talk about the atmosphere there. the old there. you know, back in the old days, even i in, days, even before i was in, you know, used wear know, people used to wear tailcoats things on budget tailcoats and things on budget day. was a very, very day. and it was a very, very foreign i haven't got a grade topper, you know, to fair, topper, you know, to be fair, i could done with one, but could have done with one, but i can still remember gordon brown's first budget when you talked rabbits every talked about rabbits every chancellor and chancellor loves rabbits, and sometimes gordon's first sometimes that's gordon's first budget for the sometimes that's gordon's first budgeof for the sometimes that's gordon's first budgeof england. for the sometimes that's gordon's first budgeof england. but for the sometimes that's gordon's first budgeof england. but yeah,for the bank of england. but yeah, suddenly something. bank of england. but yeah, suddenly of something. bank of england. but yeah, suddenly of us something. bank of england. but yeah, suddenly of us did. something. bank of england. but yeah, suddenly of us did. certainly1ing. well, none of us did. certainly not bank of england, but not the bank of england, but a group of us suddenly realised it was to up a massive was about to whack up a massive great on cigarettes. great increase on cigarettes. and i'm about or 20 mps. and i'm not about 15 or 20 mps. hacking and coughing, rushed from chamber, in from the chamber, because in those house of those days there was a house of commons you could commons cigarette you could actually them. well actually buy to smoke them. well and in tea room in nolene, and in the tea room in nolene, in the tea room, she saw a whole group of us coming in, puffing and and she said, and wheezing, and she said, because you had your with

because you had your box with the portcullis said the the portcullis on, you said the deed. they've all deed. yeah. no, they've all gone. all gone. and of gone. they've all gone. and of course, the that somebody course, the minute that somebody had gordon, a form of had heard that gordon, a form of insider trading stephen barclay, it wasn't insider trading because like he because he announced like he announced it the floor of the announced it on the floor of the house. and say would house. and i say he would have taken seconds get from taken you 15 seconds to get from the to the tea room. took the floor to the tea room. took most of us half an hour because we were all heavy smokers. but the thing is, the golden rule of budgets is, you and know budgets is, you know, and i know is great on the is that what looks great on the day dreadful. the day looks dreadful. in the morning it goes with a rocket morning it goes up with a rocket and down with a stick. so the reaction today will be interesting. mean, remember interesting. i mean, remember osborne's pasties and osborne's famous pasties and caravans? yeah. caravans? one. yeah, yeah. >> on the day. >> scrap them on the day. >> scrap them on the day. >> as soon as >> scrap them on the day. >> cold as soon as >> scrap them on the day. >> cold light as soon as >> scrap them on the day. >> cold light of as soon as >> scrap them on the day. >> cold light of days soon as >> scrap them on the day. >> cold light of day dawned,s >> scrap them on the day. >> cold light of day dawned, he the cold light of day dawned, he said, on earth is he said, what on earth is he talking? what's got against talking? what's he got against ginsters? well, we've been ginsters? yeah, well, we've been and were, these were taxes and these were, these were taxes that had been that the treasury had been trying to foist on a chancellor for time. for a long time. >> gordon brown has >> well, i know gordon brown has seen them off, george seen them off, but george osborne rolled over osborne i recall he rolled over republican convention in the united was doing united states. what was he doing there? concentrating united states. what was he doing the his concentrating united states. what was he doing thehis budget? concentrating on his budget? >> i'm constantly amazed by

>> yes. i'm constantly amazed by the amount of detail that you have. how on earth did you know that? i've been around. >> i've been around as long as you. don't think it's a long time. >> i don't think you read about it. probably wrote it. i think you probably wrote about wrote about it, yes. about it. i wrote about it, yes. give me. yeah. >> let's bring sam in. the tories points behind in tories are 20 points behind in the you have no the polls. you have no inclination to be a tory supporter. think there's inclination to be a tory supporte|they think there's inclination to be a tory supporte|they do?k there's inclination to be a tory supporte|they do?k titere's inclination to be a tory supporte|they do?k tit game anything they can do? is it game over tories? from where anything they can do? is it game oversee tories? from where anything they can do? is it game oversee it? tories? from where you see it? >> well, i hesitate to make that prediction because as soon as i say tories say game over for the tories on on television can they'll on television you can they'll bounce immediately. bounce in the polls immediately. but they've got but i think they've got a mountain to climb. and think mountain to climb. and i think what jeremy hunt is doing isn't in what the public in line with what the public wants. are wants. his big headlines are tax cuts, the recent cuts, whereas all of the recent polls actually what the polls say actually what the public, of the public, the majority of the pubuc public, the majority of the public is investment in public wants is investment in pubuc public wants is investment in public and i think public services. and so i think that what jeremy is doing that what jeremy hunt is doing is for an old playbook, is going for an old playbook, thinking, maybe thinking, oh, this is maybe going to work again. but he's out of touch with the mood of the country. >> don't people say that because that's right thing to say, that's the right thing to say, because good, because it sounds good, but actually they for actually they then vote for a party that cuts taxes because

consistently tories have consistently the tories have been elections at far consistently the tories have been successfullytions at far consistently the tories have been successfully than at far consistently the tories have been successfully than the far more successfully than the labour party, because they're the that traditionally the party that traditionally have the party cuts. have been the party of tax cuts. you exactly say that of you can't exactly say that of them now. >> well, quite mean, i was >> well, quite i mean, i was going to say the conservative party aren't the party definitely aren't the party of tax cuts. >> now we've got to to >> now we've got to go to dallas. we're going to go straight street straight to downing street now because editor, because our political editor, chris there waiting chris hope, is there waiting for the of exchequer the charts of exchequer jeremy hunt with hunt to emerge with that battered which may have battered red box, which may have all of secret surprises in all sorts of secret surprises in there. see. chris all sorts of secret surprises in the that's see. chris all sorts of secret surprises in the that's right. chris all sorts of secret surprises in the that's right. andrew. yeah, >> that's right. andrew. yeah, we're here waiting for jeremy hunt to emerge. you'll be about five minutes away, 10:45. he'll emerge with the gladstone bag dating from 1853. william gladstone gave four budgets and holding information in that battered, case. and whether we'll see any further rabbits in there, we'll try and find out from him as he walks past and heads off to the house of commons. but we know there's going to be this cut in national insurance. will be the insurance. that will be the £0.04 the past few months insurance. that will be the £0.04 tory the past few months insurance. that will be the £0.04 tory party,)ast few months insurance. that will be the £0.04 tory party, ast few months insurance. that will be the £0.04 tory party, as they months by the tory party, as they try and show voters to and and show to the voters to and the electorate, and also almost

also to their own backbenches, that believe in tax also to their own backbenches, that despite believe in tax also to their own backbenches, that despite the eve in tax also to their own backbenches, that despite the tax in tax also to their own backbenches, that despite the tax burden cuts, despite the tax burden being highest in 70 years. being the highest in 70 years. so that's the focus. and of course, labour will be poring over here wondering over the detail here wondering what tax raising ideas what are the tax raising ideas they're going to take from that party. if they do get rid of the of the non—dom tax status , they of the non—dom tax status, they increase the windfall tax on oil and gas companies that is taking billions of pounds off labour's plans, putting them them in a bind to find out how they're going to raise money. so yeah, we're waiting. waiting with bated breath in downing bated breath here in downing street chancellor . street for the chancellor. >> was on my way into the >> i was on my way into the studios when bumped into a few studios when i bumped into a few tory i could. i couldn't tory mps. i could. i couldn't honestly say that they had much of a spring in their step. i don't know what they're expecting, particularly as one of a very marginal seat i >> -- >> yeah, and that's, that's that's a three minute call for the chancellor, a three minute call for the chancellor. so i'll be moving out the way shortly. but that's right. i think what the problem i've got is these

putting, cutting national insurance is all very well. but it's doesn't grab it's not it doesn't really grab the headlines income tax the headlines like income tax because only affects because it only only affects those pay . the others those who are in pay. the others aren't affected. pensioners and those aren't in work, those who aren't in work, they're not affected by it. it doesn't cut through in the same way. and a frustration, i think, is that got these cuts is that you have got these cuts in insurance, but in national insurance, but it's failed at all. failed to move the polls at all. that's because so many that's largely because so many voters off from voters are turned off from the labour will labour message. that will probably change as get into probably change as we get into the of the election the white heat of the election campaign this year, but campaign later this year, but that is the that certainly is the frustration would explain that certainly is the frusgloomy, would explain that certainly is the frusgloomy, the nould explain that certainly is the frusgloomy, the gloomprlain the gloomy, the gloomy countenance those mps met countenance of those mps who met andrew. >> chris, i'm just looking at an email here from a viewer called derek there's a derek who says there's a pensioner just the pensioner who's just above the threshold credits. threshold for pension credits. i'd thank the chancellor i'd like to thank the chancellor missing to i'd like to thank the chancellor missius to i'd like to thank the chancellor missius out to i'd like to thank the chancellor missius out with to i'd like to thank the chancellor missius out with a to i'd like to thank the chancellor missius out with a cut to i'd like to thank the chancellor missius out with a cut or help us out with a tax cut or something. he realise how something. does he realise how many used to vote many of us used to vote conservative? there not still conservative? is there not still a chance, think a chance, chris? and i think there chance. surely that there is a chance. surely that actually he met the surprise. may be that one p cut in income tax. it doesn't come in in tax. if it doesn't come in in april, they signal it's coming in year.

in later in the year. >> i think there's a good chance of that, not least because that's what rishi sunak wanted to do when he was chancellor. this time, this two this time, exactly this day two years he said that, years ago when he said that, didn't before the didn't he? before the defenestration of boris johnson, he there be a1p cut he said there would be a1p cut in tax in 2024. that in income tax in 2024. that meant budget. clearly meant this budget. so clearly when we saw those photographs of the pm leaning over the shoulder of the chancellor in the chancellor's study, was he saying, don't forget that one p for me, jeremy hunt, that's £9 billion, though, and that is often inflationary . and often seen as inflationary. and that's why the chancellor might well just for the national well go just for the national insurance cut, not for income tax, because the fear it might act to fuel inflation and deaung act to fuel inflation and dealing inflation and dealing with inflation and bringing inflation down is one of the key targets of this of the key key targets of this government. of course that government. so of course that pensioner is right. they are pensioner is right. but they are worried inflationary worried about the inflationary way of inflation impact of way of the inflation impact of cutting . cutting income tax. >> and of course, one thing we also know is probably going to do, chris, it's on the non—dom changes to the non—dom rules on taxation, which could effectively in effectively box labour in because to change effectively box labour in bec rules to change

effectively box labour in bec rules on to change effectively box labour in bec rules on non—doms, change effectively box labour in bec rules on non—doms, which; the rules on non—doms, which they were going to use to pay for schools for every for free schools for every primary school, free for primary free school, free for breakfast every school breakfast every primary school child . child. >> yeah, and other things besides. that's right . so that besides. that's right. so that that there's about £3 billion would, would have been saved for the labour government by axing non—dom status for, for about 35,000 people who pay a charge not to pay tax and live here, not to pay tax and live here, not to pay tax and live here, not to pay tax on overseas earnings. and that was almost a personal attack at the beginning , aimed at akshata murty, the pm's wife, who of course is a non—dom but voluntarily pays tax on a global earnings in the uk. so to do that, they're just kind of shoot there. fox and i'll be scrambling around to find other measures. i mean increasingly we are seeing the two parties come together on many tax and together on many on tax and spend.in together on many on tax and spend. in many ways we are seeing that after the of the day party got rid of its plans to spend £28 billion on green policies a weeks ago, policies a few weeks ago, there's not much that divides there's not much that divides the parties, and that's part of a for labour, because if

a problem for labour, because if you're same as the tory you're the same as the tory party, why labour? that's party, why vote labour? that's the problem. they've got to answer. looking at the the problem. they've got to answ of course, what will really matter to rishi sunak the matter to rishi sunak and the chancellor be what happens chancellor will be what happens to polls. chris to the opinion polls. chris >> that's right. and the problem is polls are wedded or is the polls are wedded or cemented, aren't they? at around 20 points plus behind. and there haven't been changed for so for so long, even since mr sunak came in. so dropping boris johnson, dropping liz truss

failed to work. so we have a chance. >> mind you, here they come. that looks to me like that's the chance of the exchequer. he's with his treasury team . if with his treasury team. if you're listening on the radio, that's the chancellor outside with his treasury team. he's about to hoist that red box above his head, which has all the budget secrets in there. there goes. chancellor is there he goes. chancellor is this really a turning point ? and this really a turning point? and he stoically ignoring the questions. i know our own chris hopeis questions. i know our own chris hope is going to be asking a question or trying to. >> morning, annie robertson there for gb news. no. good morning, good morning, morning, morning, good morning, morning, morning . we have the chancellor morning. we have the chancellor there posing with the gladstone box outside. >> chancellor, is this really a turning point ?

turning point? >> annie robertson, er, chancellor is that box big enough ? enough? >> how about one off income tax? chancellor when's the election? chancellor when's the election? chancellor is it in . may. chancellor is it in. may. >> well, he just gave a little nod. >> let me in. >> he just gave a little nod to the chance when chris hope said it's the chancellor's budget is the election in may gave a little nod and he's gone back into number 11, so he's not ready to go the commons quite ready to go to the commons quite yet. are we going chris yet. are we going to get chris hope? think we're, chris, hope? no. i think we're, chris, are you appeared to nod when you asked him , is there an election asked him, is there an election in may? >> yeah, i'm not sure if he nodded to me or someone else shouting at him. i mean, that's all the talk. is this the last budget before the general election? he's gone back inside

now. that was part of the theatre of budget day. and you see the chancellor just moving off now into a car to be taken off now into a car to be taken off to deliver his budget . the off to deliver his budget. the cabinet, of course, were briefed on that at 8:30, a very brief cabinet meeting, 20 minutes. there will be a prime ministers questions session before that, 12 till 1230, rather largely performative, because all the perform ative, because all the focus performative, because all the focus will be on what's in that red box. and is that going to be a pre—election budget , red box. and is that going to be a pre—election budget, a red box. and is that going to be a pre—election budget , a tax a pre—election budget, a tax cutting budget to try and get this party off the off the floor in the polls? we'll wait and see. >> all right. that's chris hope in, in in downing street in the studio with me still stephen pound and sam fellowes, stephen pound and sam fellowes, stephen pound , it's we always wait with pound, it's we always wait with bated breath for the chancellor to be waving that battered old red box around. it's quite a new box indeed, actually . yeah. and box indeed, actually. yeah. and but it's so few surprises are in that box this year, i suspect. >> well, i see you're trading

the possibility of a cut in income tax. >> i think it's a possibility. yeah, or maybe a cut in vat on on hospitality because i noticed that the prime minister going that the prime minister is going to later in this week. to two pubs later in this week. that won't coincidence. no that won't be a coincidence. no indeed won't. indeed it won't. >> but little bit worried >> but i'm a little bit worried that going to announce that they're going to announce a ban on hunting, vat ban on fox hunting, ending vat for schools and for exemption for schools and setting up a gb energy because it's policies that it's decent labour policies that they're nicking right they're nicking left, right and centre. fox centre. but look, banning fox hunting, you banned it already we have. >> tony blair said it was the biggest mistake of his premiership. >> on. but look, >> well we move on. but look, here's the interesting thing. there's one group that there's one group of people that the to be able to the tories used to be able to rely 100% were people of my rely on. 100% were people of my age. and what's in it for age. yes. and what's in it for us? you know, the, you us? you know, where's the, you know, vat on werther's know, end of vat on werther's originals? cut in originals? where's the cut in saga know, all the saga cruises? you know, all the things we would actually things that we would actually like what he's done like to hear. so what he's done is some ways i think it's is in some ways i think it's quite admirable. he's actually let's of let's go for the engine of growth in economy. let's growth in the economy. let's actually cut national insurance to work and also to incentivise work and also some of the other things that he's done in that particular area , which is i think is quite area, which is i think is quite impressive. it's going impressive. however, it's going to be too little and too late.

that's the bottom line , sam. that's the bottom line, sam. >> we had richard tyson earlier from and he said his from reform and he said his flagship policy on tax today would not be tepee off national insurance. it would be to take everybody earning up to £20,000 out tax altogether. said, out of tax altogether. i said, hang on, how do they then have any sense of ownership if they're not paying, of course they're not paying, of course they're still paying vat and they're still paying vat and they're paying national they're still paying national insurance. go insurance. would you go that down that route? >> mean , i think it's >> no, i mean, i think it's richard's magic tax cut wand again that he thinks he'll he'll wave and everything will be wave it and everything will be okay. it's just a it's not okay. but it's just a it's not a realistic policy. and b it's not actually going to help people that much because yes, it'll put a bit more money in their pocket, but it's not going to incentivise work because people are working extreme are already working extreme hours and it's also not going to not going to incentivise the, the economy, because in, in an economy that that's in a recession, if you are what richard's talking about is cutting tax for a bunch of people, but also cutting investment. and the thing that's

holding the economy back is investment . and so what we will investment. and so what we will see is you may be paying a little bit less in tax, but it's going to be much harder to get a job. going to much job. it's going to be much harder to to get a decent harder to get to get a decent paid so while seems like paid job. so while it seems like a good headline for richard, what actually going to be what he's actually going to be doing plunging of people doing is plunging lots of people into . into poverty. >> and think the two two areas >> and i think the two two areas that really sort of the that are really the sort of the lacuna firstly, military lacuna here. firstly, military spending, know, where's the spending, you know, where's the defence spending? yeah. there's neven defence spending? yeah. there's never, been a time when defence spending? yeah. there's never, been been a time when defence spending? yeah. there's never, been in en a time when defence spending? yeah. there's never, been in greater1e when defence spending? yeah. there's never, been in greater danger. we've been in greater danger. where is possibility an where is the possibility of an increase, know, even increase, you know, even a minute increase in minute entry increase in expenditure. other thing is expenditure. the other thing is pubuc expenditure. the other thing is public and you're public services and you're right, know, it's all very right, you know, it's all very well couple of bob in well having a couple of bob in your know, if your your pocket. you know, if your bins aren't being emptied and you to a private you have to go to a private hospital get your treatment, you have to go to a private hopublic get your treatment, you have to go to a private hopublic serviceer treatment, you have to go to a private hopublic services aren'ttment, you have to go to a private hopublic services aren't being so public services aren't being addressed and the issue of defence, a great many conservatives very, very conservatives will be very, very unhappy there's unhappy if there's not a considerable increase defence considerable increase in defence and all the briefings suggest there's going to be no increase. well, what they're saying there's going to be no increase. we mean, what they're saying there's going to be no increase. we mean, you hat they're saying there's going to be no increase. we mean, you know, zy're saying there's going to be no increase. wemean, you know, if re saying there's going to be no increase. wemean, you know, if youaying . i mean, you know, if you actually have have look at actually have have a look at what saying. what grant shapps is saying. he's

secretary. >> wants defence go up a >> he wants defence to go up a lot, penny morton. he's lot, as does penny morton. he's putting his record. >> well, i mean, penny morton i mean naval >> well, i mean, penny morton i mean indeed naval >> well, i mean, penny morton i mean indeed she naval >> well, i mean, penny morton i mean indeed she is. naval >> well, i mean, penny morton i mean indeed she is. and aval >> well, i mean, penny morton i mean indeed she is. and she's town. indeed she is. and she's you she's the wavy you know, she's in the wavy navy, sort of royal naval navy, the sort of royal naval reserve. she'd reserve. yeah. but she'd actually personally, actually fight them personally, wouldn't given the chance. wouldn't she, given the chance. >> also thinking >> she's also thinking about her leadership prospects. >> she's also thinking about her leadershiheavens.:ts. >> good heavens. >> good heavens. >> but peter maddison put >> but hasn't peter maddison put his finger on the big problem for starmer? that's for sir keir starmer? that's exactly the big exactly what it is. the big problem? on too much problem? he's put on too much weight. what did you think about his advice? >> we really descended to >> have we really descended to these depths? >> he's been rude >> i mean, he's been rude about rishi quite rishi sunak sukh. he's quite right. those suits are ridiculous, but they're very expensive. >> hang second. >> hang on a second. >> hang on a second. >> just starmer need to >> just keir starmer need to smarten his act. does he? smarten up his act. does he? >> had i had a cup of tea >> i had a i had a cup of tea with peter mandelson many, many years when was years ago, and when i was drinking glass of drinking tea, he had a glass of hot he sort wafted hot water and he sort of wafted a piece peel. yes. a piece of lemon peel. yes. that's him all over. and i thought, for heaven's sake, you know, you so appreciate know, you know. so i appreciate the never forgave me for the man who never forgave me for writing he was in writing when he was in hartlepool, campaigning as a young candidate. >> when he pointed, he >> i know when he pointed, he said in fish chips shop, said in the fish and chips shop, i'll that nice i'll have some of that nice guacamole. do guacamole. and i said, no, do you mushy peas?

you mean mushy peas? >> know, that forgave >> i know, i know, that forgave me for writing. it's like john major's underpants that's come to the underpants. >> was all you, know, >> but it was all you, you know, that no, that was alastair campbell. no, no, guacamole man. no, you were the guacamole man. i'm i big say in i'm afraid i had a big say in that. but the but it's it is. if they don't the dial after they don't move the dial after this budget in the few this budget in the next few days, might. he just days, it might. he then just be tempted i'll just go tempted to think i'll just go for may. >> no he won't, because basically parliamentary >> no he won't, because basic'won't parliamentary >> no he won't, because basic'won't supportnentary >> no he won't, because basic'won't support that. ry party won't support that. i mean, there's at the moment there's what, 100, 120 tory mps are almost certain to lose their seats just in in the normal seats in just in in the normal churn that you get, are they actually to give nine actually going to give up nine months months months salary, nine months chance nine months chance to get a job, nine months more, know, on the green more, you know, on the green benches, going do benches, they're not going to do it. the key thing here will be the blackpool by—election. it. the key thing here will be the almost lackpool by—election. it. the key thing here will be the almost certain l by—election. it. the key thing here will be the almost certain l by-scott ion. and almost certain that scott benton will be will get a experiencing a recall petition . experiencing a recall petition. he's a chap who's caught in one of the newspaper stings. the gambling now that gambling thing. now that that will dial will see whether the dial shifted that's real will see whether the dial shifte on that's real will see whether the dial shifte on for that's real will see whether the dial shifte on for realthat's real will see whether the dial shifte on for real people�*al will see whether the dial shifte on for real people on the votes on for real people on the real date, not anoles. >> and that's and that's a majority of 3000, that's sam folds and stephen pound who finally made his way to the

studio. with us. still to studio. stay with us. still to come, we're going bring you come, we're going to bring you the it happens, and the budget as it happens, and we're going to go to the weather now deakin. stay tuned now with alex deakin. stay tuned to gp news. >> for a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb news. on. gb news. >> good morning. welcome to your weather update for the day from the met office for gb news. bit of fog and frost in the south and west this morning. that should clear . and then much of should clear. and then much of the west will be fine and bright, but in the east quite a lot of cloud. again, outbreaks of light for northeast of light rain for northeast england, eastern scotland and 1 or breaking out over or 2 showers breaking out over the east midlands and southeast england through the day. why don't showers into don't you showers creeping into cornwall as but of cornwall as well, but much of the southwest england, the west southwest england, wales, northern ireland, western scotland day with scotland having a fine day with some spring sunshine and that will lift the temperatures 12, maybe 13 1 or 2 places where it maybe 131 or 2 places where it stays cloudy in the east. we're struggling a bit. again, only single digits on that east coast and feeling colder with the

breeze the far north—east. breeze over the far north—east. as through evening , breeze over the far north—east. as through evening, i as we go through this evening, i think we'll see the cloud breaking little bit more. breaking up a little bit more. any tending to fizzle any rain tending to fizzle out. so it's dry evening so for most it's a dry evening and a dry and a clear night and then a dry and a clear night that will allow the cloud to come into the east. come back into the east. some mist and patches again mist and fog patches and again some patchy frost is likely in rural spots. most towns and cities just about staying above freezing. as thursday, well freezing. as for thursday, well again, for many it'll be dry and bright starting off a bit misty and murky with some low cloud eastern areas likely to stay fairly cloudy through the day. we'll see a few more showers on thursday. i suspect parts of southern england, the midlands, wales could see some heavy showers thursday. be showers on thursday. there'll be scattered about but there could be on the side. many be on the heavy side. many places again, dry and places elsewhere. again, dry and in spells. in the sunny spells. temperatures up to 12 or 13. >> that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers sponsors of weather on . gb news. on. gb news. >> thanks, alex. well, as you

can see, the weather here in whitehaven is absolutely beautiful today, but the mood is a little mixed as we stare down the barrel of the spring budget . the barrel of the spring budget. we're going to be finding out what the locals here think about it . i'm going what the locals here think about it. i'm going be talking in it. i'm going to be talking in just moment to local just a moment to a local fisherman as we sit here behind this, this beautiful this, with this beautiful harbour us of what are harbour behind us of what are the challenges facing if you work in that industry now? i've been talking to him about it. i think you'll be surprised. don't

>> this. >> this. >> it's 11 6th of march. this >> this. >> it's116th of march. this is britain's newsroom on gb news with andrew pierce and bev turner. just over one hour until the chancellor presents his spnng the chancellor presents his spring budget . the labour mp for spring budget. the labour mp for bristol north, who's a frontbencher darren jones. he had say about the budget frontbencher darren jones. he h.little say about the budget frontbencher darren jones. he h.little earlier. about the budget frontbencher darren jones. he h.little earlier. chancellorbudget frontbencher darren jones. he h.little earlier. chancellor isdget a little earlier. chancellor is saying that this is yet another

plan for growth and yesterday i looked back over last 14 looked back over the last 14 years the conservatives in years of the conservatives in government and they've 21 government and they've had 21 plans over the years. plans for growth over the years. >> this is the 22nd and where are we? we're in the middle of rishi sunak recession. >> so there's an extra 500 billion of public spending that's gone in during this parliament. and so what you're seeing now is a path to lower taxes, to being able to hand some of that money back to taxpayers . taxpayers. >> that was the conservative mp harriett baldwin. >> renee shore miners club. >> renee shore miners club. >> we're here live at renishaw miners club in sheffield in south yorkshire to get reaction to the budget, but also to mark to the budget, but also to mark to mark 40 years since the miners strike began back in 1984. >> and i'm here in leamington spa. speaking to a small business owner to find out just how business is and what the chancellor could say at his budget, which might just turn them around.

>> and i'm here in whitehaven in cumbria, meeting the locals here. what do they want to hear in the budget? it's about 90 minutes to go now. will there be any surprises in there that will make you feel at home? like you have a little bit more money to spend end of every month? spend at the end of every month? talking people here. talking to the people here. there huge amount of there isn't a huge amount of optimism going to optimism that we're going to get to see that. your emails to see that. keep your emails coming morning coming this morning gbviews@gbnews.com. first though, latest news though, the very latest news headunes though, the very latest news headlines tatiana sanchez . headlines with tatiana sanchez. >> beth thank you. the top stories this morning from the gb newsroom. the chancellor appeared in downing street just moments ago as he prepares to deliver the government's budget. later a cut to national insurance looks set to be the main focus , which could save the main focus, which could save the average worker £450 a year, adding up to £900. when combined

with last year's changes . but with last year's changes. but jeremy hunt may have trouble convincing his critics , with convincing his critics, with experts warning that it won't be enough to stop the tax burden reaching record levels by the end of the decade. chair of the treasury select committee harriet baldwin told gb news it's the responsible way to deliver tax relief . deliver tax relief. >> you're seeing now is a path to lower taxes , to being able to to lower taxes, to being able to hand some of that money back to taxpayers . and i think by doing taxpayers. and i think by doing it through national insurance , it through national insurance, actually, the office for budget responsibility says that that is something that is less inflationary than income tax . inflationary than income tax. and so, of course, we've made huge progress on inflation, down from 11.1 to 4. but there's still some further room to go to get get it back to target at 2. >> the chancellor is said to have resisted pressure to cut income tax, with some mps concerned today's changes won't be enough to improve the government's support . shadow

government's support. shadow chief secretary to the treasury darren jones told gb news the damage has been done well. >> i think the chancellor is saying that this is yet another plan for growth and yesterday i looked back over the last 14 years of the conservatives in government and had government and they've had 21 plans growth years . plans for growth over the years. this is the 22nd. and where are we? we're in the middle of rishi's recession, so i'm not quite sure you can take the quite sure if you can take the chancellor's word for it that on the attempt, he's going to the 22nd attempt, he's going to get back the get growth back into the economy. that's really economy. and that's really important because if you step back from all individual back from all the individual measures, this measures, the fact that this budget alone is not going to go anywhere near repairing the damage of the last 14 years is the big political question here in today. in westminster today. >> the mother of a ten year old girl who was found dead in the west midlands has been charged with murder. she was discovered with murder. she was discovered with injuries at an address in the rowley regis area, near birmingham on monday afternoon. 33 jaskirat kaur, also 33 year old jaskirat kaur, also known as jasmine kang, has been charged and she'll appear in court later . the government's

court later. the government's rwanda bill returns to the house of lords today as the troubled immigration plan faces another test. the policy aims to declare rwanda a safe destination for asylum seekers who come to britain via unofficial routes . britain via unofficial routes. but the bill faced its heaviest series of defeats by the lords so far this week. downing street says peers should work with mps to protect innocent lives from perilous journeys. junior doctors in northern ireland have begun a 24 hour strike for the first time in their pay dispute. the doctors union's asking for a commitment to a full pay restoration to 2008 levels. health minister robin swann has warned the disruption will lead to thousands of missed appointments and procedures. it comes after junior doctors in england went on strike for the 10th time last month . a man has 10th time last month. a man has been charged after two women were injured by shotgun pellets in south london. a warning the following contains flashing

images. 18 year old kymani king has been charged and will appear in court later. it's understood a shotgun was dropped by assailants on a moped during a police chase when they then discharged, injuring two women with pellets who were in a nearby pub. they've now been released from hospital . israel released from hospital. israel is to be warned that britain's patience is running thin, as the war in gaza continues to cause extraordinary suffering. the foreign secretary is due to meet benny gantz, later, who is a member of israel's war cabinet. it's after the foreign secretary told parliament that israel's handung told parliament that israel's handling of aid deliveries raises questions over its compliance with international law. britain joined the united states in its initial support of israel's assault against the hamas terror group , but calls hamas terror group, but calls are now increasing for a ceasefire amid warnings from the united nations of an imminent famine . in united nations of an imminent famine. in the united nations of an imminent famine . in the united states, famine. in the united states, donald trump was denied a clean sweep of yesterday's super tuesday after nikki haley secured a win in vermont. but it

wasn't enough to stop the former president's momentum . president's momentum. >> the worst president in the history of our country. there's never been anything like what's happening to our country today, the words of donald trump there moments after he secured victory in more than a dozen states, it puts him in prime position to take the republican nomination for president, setting up a rematch with president biden, who warned that mr trump would drag the us backwards into chaos. >> division and darkness. for the latest stories, sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen, or go to gb news .com/ alerts. now it's back to andrew and . bev. back to andrew and. bev. >> hello and welcome to britain's newsroom on gb news with andrew pearson bev turner. i'm in our westminster studio, our westminster our spanking new westminster studio it budget day. of studio. it is budget day. of course, chancellor of the course, the chancellor of the exchequer, will exchequer, jeremy hunt, will rise feet around 12:30 rise to his feet around 12:30 pm. we will you all

pm. and we will bring you all the colleague the latest. my colleague bev turner. glorious turner. she is in a glorious part of world and i'll let part of the world and i'll let her explain to you exactly where she what she's doing. she is and what she's doing. >> thanks, andrew. yep. mean , >> thanks, andrew. yep. i mean, whitehaven in cumbria. it's the little coastal part of the lake district. if you're coming up north and then you turn west and you end up here and it is really beautiful. i've made a fisherman friend this morning. this is andrew carter, who's a local fisherman. how long have you been here, andrew? been a fisherman here, andrew? and how difficult it now and how difficult is it now compared ten years ago? compared to, say, ten years ago? it's very difficult now, we've been whitehaven commercially been in whitehaven commercially fishing out of here since 2015, but in them nine years it's dramatically changed. >> in what way? >> in what way? >> the rules, the regulations, the micro management of government organisations, it's just it's crazy. >> so, so give us an example. so if you want to say hire a local lad to be sexist from this area, to go out with you fishing for

lobsters and prawns and sea bass, they're the kind of things you were telling me you fish for. how difficult is that to do? kind of hoops do you do? what kind of hoops do you have through? have to jump through? >> firstly, i can't >> well, firstly, i can't just take out harbour to take him out of the harbour to see he's going to be seasick. see if he's going to be seasick. take out, have a little spin take him out, have a little spin for an hour. not for half an hour. not commercially but just commercially fished, but just to see he's seasick . and what's see if he's seasick. and what's happenedin see if he's seasick. and what's happened in the past that's been i >> -- >> we've been able to do that. what happens now is they've got to have a medical that just came in. there's they've got to have , in. there's they've got to have, seafish certificate to be able to go out of the harbour. so that's about £200, 100 odd pounds for the medical. and then itake pounds for the medical. and then i take them out. and this has happened numerous times. a young lad out of the harbour. and then what happens? is there the seasick, they come back in. that's so you've went that's it. so you've went through the process of looking for young lads around here because that's what we want to do. we've got seven commercial boats. we want to try and sort of employ local lads and at the

end of the day you end up going to someday an older one that, you know, that's not going to be seasick. who's got the tickets. >> you've much on >> so you've spent how much on people, you it's people, like, did you say it's about by time you've about £1,000 by the time you've spent on the course spent everything on the course and the medicals and the certificates them certificates just to take them out? not to fish out? and that's not even to fish , but just to see if they like it beyond harbour wall, well it beyond the harbour wall, well , you can , to be honest, you can actually, course, which is actually, one course, which is £200 and a medical that gives you three months to get the other three courses done. so so you're looking at £320 for me to take out and then to get out there and to come back. so usually you'd like to take 3 or 4 lads out with you because 1 or 2 of them's going to be seasick, so a complete waste of your so it's a complete waste of your money then if get out there money then if they get out there and that. >> but that's thing. that's >> but that's new thing. that's a legislation thing that's a health and safety issue, isn't a legislation thing that's a heimaybei safety issue, isn't a legislation thing that's a heimaybei safgovernment1't a legislation thing that's a heimaybei safgovernment would a legislation thing that's a he¢i\well, i safgovernment would a legislation thing that's a he¢i\well, i sacan'trnment would a legislation thing that's a he¢i\well, i sacan't justant would a legislation thing that's a he¢i\well, i sacan't just haveould say, well, we can't just have you young lads out in you taking young lads out in case happens them. case something happens to them. it's insurance issue. no, no it's an insurance issue. no, no years gone by. >> this was a thriving port. there was a lot of fishermen.

fishermen used to take the sons out. the grandfathers used to take the grandkids out . they take the grandkids out. they would see the industry. they would? yeah. i want to be part of that industry. there was never any issues. there's no government sort of guidelines to say this and that. we're just micromanaged, it's everything's just cost , cost, cost. just cost, cost, cost. >> you've got the imca, the you've got the inshore fisheries and you've got , the all these and you've got, the all these organisations that are all and it's everything costs. it's costs, costs, costs. send them on a course. we want this the mce boats that were okay to go out five years ago. they brought legislation in or. but we want this change. so the time boat's up. it's costing tens of thousands of pounds. it's wrong. >> i think what i'm hearing >> so i think what i'm hearing and funnily enough, you're not the first person who said this today that they've got businesses they want to run, but the regulations around are the regulations around them are so difficult to get around that

even when you've got willing people that want to go and put in a day's work and it's just illogical paperwork work a lot of the time stopping you, what's the prognosis going forward , the prognosis going forward, andrew? it look like andrew? what does it look like for business how for your business now? how many boats you got? for your business now? how many bane've you got? for your business now? how many bane've gotu got? for your business now? how many bane've got seven. we've got >> we've got seven. we've got seven boats, lot of them are seven boats, a lot of them are day boats to go out. i haven't got for them all, because got staff for them all, because it's hard because there's a massive , like, decline in the massive, like, decline in the fishing industry. because of the regulations. what we need is we need some help. we need a bit of common sense. somebody to sit and listen to the fishermen , how and listen to the fishermen, how to go forward. because what happens is these government organisations are doing things where or let's , you know, yeah, where or let's, you know, yeah, we'll have a forum come and talk about it . but we'll have a forum come and talk about it. but and they don't listen to us. something needs to seriously change. seriously change. >> otherwise what i mean for you, what does your business look like in the next few years? >> well, it would be very easy for me to sell my boat. we've got, and go and buy property and

just rent it out. there's i don't want to do that. yeah, i'd get probably the same revenue with a lot less hassle, but i'm wanting to try and build. this is a great harbour. it's a great community. what we want to do is we want to try and get young lads into the industry so we can make whitehaven great again and the northwest and stop all this, this, you listen to start this, you know, listen to start listening us. so frustrating. listening to us. so frustrating. >> i think you speak for a lot of people, andrew. honestly, at that sense of feeling disempowered that nobody's listening to the people of this country . andrew, back in the country. andrew, back in the studio, this idea that the government today, they might tinker around with the taxes and they might take off another £0.02 off national insurance, etc, but it's something about the practical logistical workings of these businesses which is making it so difficult for people. andrew back to you. >> all right. thanks for that, bev turner. and really perfect guest having the studio with me now. shanker singham, former

advisor to the secretary for advisor to the us secretary for the secretary of state the to the secretary of state for trade and for international trade and co—chairman of of the growth co—chairman of the of the growth commission. singham . i commission. shanker singham. i thought going to make thought brexit was going to make people andrew's up people like andrew's life up there in whitehaven as a fisherman, better. and it fisherman, much better. and it doesn't appear it hasn't. why not? because of brexiteer. >> yeah, i mean it's very interesting to hear what andrew was saying to bev there, because what we did the growth what we did in the growth commission is looking budgets commission is looking at budgets for three things need to for the uk. three things need to focus on spending and focus on tax spending and regulatory reform. and the third thing regulatory reform is the biggest mover. so we've projected a budget that would give you about 28% gdp per capha give you about 28% gdp per capita growth over a 20 year period, which is huge, £15,000 in for every man, woman and child in the uk over that period of time. most of that i mean, a significant amount of that is actually regulatory reform. it's exactly the issues that andrew was talking about. how can we streamline regulations? how can we? they have actually imposed this growth duty now on regulators. so regulators actually have to consider

economic growth, which is a step in direction. but you in the right direction. but you know, we need to do a lot more. we need to do a lot more on planning. planning is a huge mover of these things right now. i andrew talked about the i mean, andrew talked about the number has to deal number of people he has to deal with. you're trying to do with. if you're trying to do anything with planning, building anything, have to with anything with planning, building anytiof g, have to with anything with planning, building anytiof different ve to with anything with planning, building anytiof different groups, with tens of different groups, statutory consultees, you know , statutory consultees, you know, people count. councils are worried about judicial review. i mean , there is everything in the mean, there is everything in the system is designed to slow things down and stop things from happening. and we need to cut through that. so, so regulatory reform is important, but but tax is important . i mean i don't is important. i mean i don't want to understate that targeted tax cuts such as the ones that we've proposed are very, very important, which tax cuts are you proposing. well, we've looked big three. if you looked at the big three. if you if you, if you will, corporate tax, inheritance tax and tax, iht, inheritance tax and income tax. and what we find is if you're looking at it depends on how long your projections are. so if you're looking at

just five years then income tax reduction a is a bigger reduction is a is a bigger mover. but if you're looking at the terme pretty quickly, the long terme pretty quickly, corporate and even corporate tax and even inheritance start to become inheritance tax start to become bigger. movers of gdp per capita growth and one of the reasons inheritance tax and we did some work on this in the growth commission, because we were people talking about it and people were talking about it and we, we actually projected what the likely gain was, was going to be. and one of the problems with inheritance tax in the uk is our tax rate is very, very high. so if you look at a sample £3 million estate. yeah, in ireland it's about 26% is the effective tax rate for inheritance tax in the uk is about 25.8, most of europe is 14. and the g7 group is typically around 7 or 8. so. so we're way out of kilter. >> and it's a pernicious tax because we've paid tax in it already. >> and also what it does do and it is doing is causing people to make different decisions. you know, it's linked to other

things that we're worried about. so we're worried about the productivity of the country and particularly how you get older people back into the workforce after they essentially left the workforce because of the covid lockdowns. so how do you do that? well telling them that they're going to have pay all they're going to have to pay all this tax if they continue this extra tax if they continue to work into their 50s and 60s is not the way to do that, you know, that that discourages them. a lot of these things them. so a lot of these things are interrelated. the are interrelated. the tax, the spending, regulatory spending, the regulatory reform. it's so i it's all interconnected, so i think, know , productivity is think, you know, productivity is the big driver that we need to at the moment. >> you used the expression regulatory reform. you see people's eyes glazing over and no government is embraced. it no government's engaged. and i don't see we're going to get that with the labour government either long either because it's about long terme. about is terme. all they think about is short terme getting through the next months. the next year. next six months. the next year. yeah >> it's m terme. m— m terme. it's also >> it's long terme. it's also difficult because the reality is that when you want to change something, people have been talking about planning reform. as you have many

as you know, you have many people have for many, many years. not do years. why can we not do planning reform? because there are lots of people who benefit from the current system and to get them actually embrace get them to actually embrace reform or to start to streamline things, to remove some of the powers of some of these bodies that sort of stand in the way of reform, requires two things. one is to show people what the cost. and that's one of the things that the growth commission we want show want to do, we want to show people, if you look at 28% people, if you look at that 28% gain projected for gain that we've projected for 2020 over years, about 2020 over 20 years, about a third of that is just planning reform just by itself. planning reform. so if you think about that, £15,000 for the every man, woman and child in the uk, £5,000 of that roughly is planning reform. so you've got to show people this is the gain. this is what you're leaving on the table if you don't do this, and then you have to show people how, to do it. and part of how, how to do it. and part of this is some of the things they have done, which is, you know, introducing economic introducing this economic growth duty regulators. duty into regulators. i think every should at least

every regulator should at least have that as part of their consideration and economic growth shouldn't be confused with other things. there's a danger here also that economic growth gets confused with sustainability and net zero targets and all kinds of other things. we need to have very clear view that if a regulator is thinking about economic growth, along with other things, they about they should be thinking about primarily the effect on competition, we need a much, much more competitive economy. i mean, you know, there's a big talk, a lot of discussion about 99% the 99% mortgages. well, the question ask question we have to ask ourselves is, why is it that in every other country in the world, or most other countries in the world, the idea of a fixed rate mortgage for 30 years is normal? why do we not have that here? >> we've got to go that shankarsinh, think. he shankarsinh, i think. i wish he was doing budget today was doing the budget today because think it would be a because i think it would be a little more constructive, little bit more constructive, a little bit more constructive, a little we're going to little bit more. we're going to go bev turner, who is in go back to bev turner, who is in glorious whitehaven with the latest of local latest talking to lots of local businesses what they want businesses to see what they want from bev thank you from today. bev thank you andrew, i wish you was doing the budget as well.

>> and let me tell you, i think a lot of people around here do. you can see i'm still here at this beautiful harbour in whitehaven. to whitehaven. we've spoken to fishermen, we've spoken to restaurant who lost restaurant owners who sadly lost their restaurant owners who sadly lost th> and what would you like the, the chancellor to today? what the chancellor to do today? what would in your business, would help you in your business, particularly do you think? >> think problem is he's >> i think the problem is he's going be messing around going to be messing around at the edges, a penny here, a penny there is going to make no difference. need a big, difference. they need a big, bold tax cuts , bold campaign, massive tax cuts, massive investment and just take the pressure off everyone . they the pressure off everyone. they need to start getting some growth because at the moment it's just stagnation . it has it's just stagnation. it has been the last years, the been for the last ten years, the sense had from to talking

sense i've had from to talking people as well, this people here as well, is this idea vote doesn't idea that the vote doesn't really matter. >> your vote in an election doesn't matter. nothing doesn't really matter. nothing changes. to i changes. nobody listens to me. i keep that lot. is that keep hearing that a lot. is that something can relate to? something you can relate to? >> yes, i've been a lifelong conservative voter all my life, i've cut up my membership card. i've cut up my membership card. i look at them as the socialist party . they're no different to party. they're no different to laboun party. they're no different to labour. they'll be a little bit the odd tweak here and there, but they're pretty much the same. i think that's what everyone feels now. and do you have any idea why that is? >> like what do you speculate as to there's so little between to why there's so little between the two of why they aren't the two of them? why they aren't are longer a typical are no longer a typical conservative government? >> . i think a lot >> i don't know. i think a lot of it happened with david cameron. he bought a lot of the sort of wet side of the conservative party in, and they used to be a broad church and the people more traditional conservatives, have been pushed out. and i think there's just this consensus use of the city institutions, the blob , to keep

institutions, the blob, to keep everything the same. >> i was also talking to one of the residents earlier about the huge amazon factory that you've got up the road and how, yes, that's providing some employment, but very little really. whilst it appears that a lot of those big corporations are being well looked are being very well looked after, small business after, but the small business upon this country was upon which this country was built left go to built have been left to go to rack and ruin. >> and i think that's for the entire country . the high street entire country. the high street here is no different high here is no different to high streets other towns. if streets in other towns. if anything, few more anything, there's a few more independents. problem is independents. the problem is, is when these massive when you get these massive corporations tax, they corporations offshore tax, they know how to work the system, they know how to get the as minimal, minimal amount of tax paid, and unfortunately with business rates, with lowering footfall and of course, with the pandemic, it made it very easy for people to start shopping onune for people to start shopping online to their door. and once the footfall starts to drop , the footfall starts to drop, it's a vicious circle and there's just nothing left in the end . yeah, absolutely. end. yeah, absolutely. >> and why do you love gb news

so much? jamie they say how it is they speak the people , is they speak for the people, you know, the bbc just totally left wing. they don't speak for what most people think. well we're hearing that a lot. >> we appreciate your support. right. there's going to be a lot more from whitehaven here. i'm going be talking a moment going to be talking in a moment to very interesting man who to a very interesting man who came us, because he has came to find us, because he has so say about the so much to say about the property market here. he's a landlord, he's got several properties. said properties. but as i said earlier , there over earlier, there are over 170 listed buildings in this formerly beautiful georgian town. why is that making his life so difficult? don't go

>> 1125 with britain's newsroom on gb news. with andrew pierce in westminster for the budget. and bev turner. who is in whitehaven? well, it is the budget day. it's finally here. all over the papers are reports of a2p cut to national

insurance, which is worth £450 a yeah insurance, which is worth £450 a year. if you're earning £35,000 and possible changes to non dom status. so joining us now is our reporter anna riley who is in sheffield. anna what's what's the view where you are. >> so it's not. >> good morning andrew. well yes we are obviously covering the budget day with that announcement coming up at 1230. but we're also here at renishaw miners club near sheffield in south yorkshire, to mark the 40th anniversary of the miners strikes. the began this day, march the 6th. back in 1984. i'm joined by david turton. he's a former miner. he worked in the pits in south yorkshire for 31 years. david, what does this anniversary of the strikes mean to you , it makes me angry. it to you, it makes me angry. it makes me sad and makes me proud. angry about the loss of an industry. proud of every man who

gave up a year's wages in the fight . you know, and, sorry . and fight. you know, and, sorry. and sad about what happened to the industry. we've lost a total industry. we've lost a total industry. and we lost it because of the actions of one person. and that was margaret thatcher. margaret thatcher came into power in 79, and she spent five years for years planning this strike. she stockpiled coal at every pit. she stockpiled coal. so that there wouldn't be power. power shortages like there was in the strike, which edward heath lost his premiership in 74. so it was a revengeful strike. it was it wasn't a strike. it was it wasn't a strike. it was a war. it was a war on the working classes. it was a war on the miners. it was war on the mining industry. what we mustn't forget is when i said pride, it's pride for every man.

era is a word which is flippantly used. nowadays. footballers get called heroes, rugby players get called heroes. miners who gave up a year's salary to strike for a job. no money, no money involved. not better conditions for a job to work in a dirty , dangerous, you work in a dirty, dangerous, you know, dusty environment. and that's what they were fighting for . and we must never lose that for. and we must never lose that fight. the strikes were going on. nowadays, every one of them, every one of them bears the same resemblance. it's about money. miners strike was the only strike. what happened and will ever happen where people strike to keep a job which really wasn't worth keeping. it was bad for your health and everything else you know. >> and on that, david, obviously there's been a lasting impact on mining communities. a lot of them now are run down. there's a

lot of unemployment . there's a lot of unemployment. there's a lot of unemployment. there's a lot of unemployment. there's a lot of problem with housing. it's had a negative impact in a lot of areas. what would you want to for see areas like this in the chancellor's budget this afternoon . what would you like afternoon. what would you like to see him do well in the budget for areas like this? >> i'd, i'd like to see investment in investment in manufacturing industry. so to give back , not jobs, give properjobs back, not jobs, stacking shelves and collecting trolleys in a supermarket car park, you know, which i see miners doing nowadays, you know, and as far as the budget is concerned, i think you ought to concentrate on health service , concentrate on health service, elderly care, child care and make sure that there's provisions for the hospitals to let them continue the excellent work they do . he's done about work they do. he's done about cutting taxes. you don't cut taxes if you've got a surplus, which will allow you to cut tax, put that surplus into our public services , which benefits every services, which benefits every single person in this country ,

single person in this country, and they will be pleased about that. >> thank you so much, david. so david turton there, former miner sharing his views on marking this 40 years of the miners strikes and also the upcoming budget this afternoon and what he'd like to see. we'll be back this afternoon with more reaction budget . all right. >> all right. that's anna riley in sheffield. we're going to go straight to the headlines now with tatiana sanchez. >> andrew thank you. the top stories from the gb news room. the prime minister has left downing street as the chancellor prepares to deliver the government's budget soon. that's after jeremy hunt exited number afterjeremy hunt exited number 11. earlier, a cut to national insurance looks to be set, his main focus of today, which could save the average worker £450 a yeah save the average worker £450 a year. but the chancellor may have trouble convincing his critics with experts warning that it won't be enough to stop the tax burden reaching record

levels by the end of the decade. the resolution foundation says those earning £50,000 will see the wins , whilst those the biggest wins, whilst those earning 19,000 or less will actually be worse . off. in the actually be worse. off. in the united states, nikki haley will reportedly drop out of the race to become the republican candidate for president . the candidate for president. the former governor of south carolina managed to prevent donald trump from securing a clean sweep on super tuesday , clean sweep on super tuesday, but that wasn't enough to stop his momentum. a rematch between mr trump and joe biden now looks increasingly likely. however, the former president's various legal troubles may complicate his path to the nomination. he's facing 91 criminal charges across four cases. the mother of across four cases. the mother of a ten year old girl who was found dead in the west midlands has been charged with murder. shae kang was discovered with injuries at an address in the rowley regis area near birmingham on monday afternoon. rowley regis area near biryeariham on monday afternoon. rowley regis area near biryear old| on monday afternoon. rowley regis area near biryear old jaskirat1day afternoon.

rowley regis area near biryear old jaskirat kaur,|fternoon. rowley regis area near biryear old jaskirat kaur, who'son. 33 year old jaskirat kaur, who's also known as jasmin kang, has been charged and she'll appear in court later. and the government's rwanda bill returns to the house of lords today as the troubled immigration plan faces another test. the policy aims to declare rwanda a safe destination for asylum seekers who come to britain via unofficial routes . but the bill unofficial routes. but the bill faced its heaviest series of defeats by the lords so far this week. downing street says peers should work with mps to protect innocent lives from perilous journeys . for the latest journeys. for the latest stories, sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen. or you can go to gb news. common alerts . gb news. common alerts. >> for exclusive, limited edition and rare gold coins that are always newsworthy, rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news financial report at.

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i >> -- >> you're watching. listening to britain's newsroom on gb news. we're. i'm andrew pierce. i'm in the westminster studio because it is budget day today, and bev turner in glorious turner is up in glorious whitehaven before a hand to whitehaven just before a hand to bev. quite a few emails coming in about the budget. carol says, what this do for as what does this do for me as a pensioner? from what she said so far, absolutely nothing. it's the that the tax thresholds that should have because a lot of have increased because a lot of pensioners, i'm afraid, are going to be dragged higher going to be dragged into higher taxes and of people taxes. and but a lot of people are saying they agree with peter

mandelson that matters how mandelson that it matters how rishi starmer rishi sunak and keir starmer look. and paul says the fact is the majority of the electorate don't listen to details in political speeches, but they use their eyes and the image of the politician important. good politician is important. good looks dress all help politician is important. good lookelections. dress all help politician is important. good lookelections. rememberhelp politician is important. good lookelections. remember kennedy win elections. remember kennedy in and blair here in the usa and blair here compared to corbyn? and don't forget, course michael foot forget, of course michael foot in that so—called donkey jacket. it wasn't a donkey jacket, but that's thought he that's what people thought he was the cenotaph back was wearing at the cenotaph back in let's go back to in the 1980s. let's go back to whitehaven who's got whitehaven with bev, who's got some more interesting guests to talk to. bev >> thank you andrew, i have, before i go to my guests , i've before i go to my guests, i've got a fantastic local gentleman. i'm going to talk to you in just a moment, i just want to a moment, but i just want to show you this area, little show you this area, a little bit. this is the marina here bit. so this is the marina here in whitehaven. if you just switching cumbria. switching on, it's in cumbria. it's carlisle it's about 40 miles, carlisle is 40 north of here. and this 40 miles north of here. and this was a town built on the coal industry in the 17th and 18th century. and if emil, my wonderful cameraman, can just show us the shot up there on the

hillside . so on the cliff top hillside. so on the cliff top there, looking out onto the sea. that was the wellington colliery, which the worst colliery, which had the worst disaster in this area in 1910. there were almost 150 men and boys killed with a methane explosion at the pit there. in fact , this week, of course, it's fact, this week, of course, it's 40 weeks since the miners strikes of the 1980s, and there's going to be me 40 years, and there's going to be a new, coal pit. there's going to be here, but that's going to be for steel making. it's going to be the woodhouse colliery. and that is going to be extracting coking coal for steelmaking . of course, coal for steelmaking. of course, energy plays a big part in this area because sellafield area because the sellafield nuclear power station is just down road, and that employs nuclear power station is just d

for you? >> well, i've been renovating properties in the town centre for over 45 years with my brother and the, a local building company, as well as landlords and up until about ten, 15 years ago, we were getting lots of grant aid through english heritage and the local council and sellafield, and they actually did a, an award for renovating old buildings, which was an incentive to us people to do them to our best ability. and as you can see, directly behind us is one of our buildings that we have that we currently keep up to standards. and this is where, the problem arises because of the problem arises because of the amount of cost in keeping these buildings up to a georgian listed grade two standard. we have to abide by these restrictions. and if you if there was only a relax on restrictions, i mean, these are all wooden windows, single glazed in this day and age when

people are trying to conserve heat. and yet we're still having to put single glazing in. in fact, i tell a small lie there because this last building around the corner that we also have, we've just replaced the windows in there and they've allowed us for the first time to put a very narrow double glazed unit in, but it's still got to be wooden windows, sliding sash, and the cost of there was five windows round the corner that's only replaced last last year. i could have replaced them in in a plastic sliding sash that the lay person would not have known any difference. i could have done that for £1,500. it's just cost me and my brother £8,500 to get the windows made. that wasn't fitted, just made because they have to be wooden and them's the planning constraints that were against. plus the fact what would be a massive help to us developers is that we have to pay us developers is that we have to pay 20% vat. so why can't they

bnng pay 20% vat. so why can't they bring no vat on on these grade two listed buildings? we're trying to put these towns and places back in into, you know what it was all those years ago, but we're getting hammered with fat because because it has such phenomenal georgian architecture in this town. >> but i've noticed that a lot of it is quite dilapidated, covered in scaffolding. so again, it's the same issue that we've heard time and time again, less regulation, less box ticking, whilst also preserving the beauty of those buildings . the beauty of those buildings. >> exactly right. i've seen it in the past where things these buildings come up for sale, people go and buy them , think people go and buy them, think great, great, we can renovate this building and then they come andifs this building and then they come and it's like hitting a brick wall. and all these planning consents, and then they realise how going to cost. and how much it's going to cost. and then it's for sale and then it's back up for sale and it's deteriorating. the it's still deteriorating. the whole buildings. so this is what someone needs to look at the issue. >> would it affect your vote in the next election? briefly you

don't have to tell me who you vote for. i know that's a private matter, but this will influence, you do, influence, i guess, what you do, i don't know i can change i don't know how i can change anything. this interview anything. maybe this interview may help, but i don't. >> let's hope so. ashley. we appreciate it. we will. you know, like to raise these know, we like to raise these issues that help people who are just trying to make ends meet. and he his intention and like he says, his intention is this town more is to make this town more beautiful , to look restored to beautiful, to look restored to its georgian grandeur that it used to have. but at every step there's bureaucracy, regular action. andrew, back to you in the studio. >> thanks , bev. and of course, >> thanks, bev. and of course, that's what my guest in the studio was talking about, wasn't he? about all the regulation. and but people never, want and but people never, ever want to involved changing to get involved in changing regulations because it's not seen we're carrying seen very sexy. we're carrying on going beyond london, of course, the budget is course, because the budget is here 1230. but going to here at 1230. but we're going to talk jack carson, who is talk now to jack carson, who is our and is in our reporter, and he is in glorious leamington spa. >> yeah. good afternoon or good morning rather to you. to you, andrew, here in leamington spa spa with mary carmen, fitness .

spa with mary carmen, fitness. mary carmen, thank you so much for joining us this morning. forjoining us this morning. we've been speaking obviously a lot about kind how businesses lot about kind of how businesses at but you're also at the moment, but you're also a mum a bit about mum as well. tell us a bit about kind of family life at the moment cost pressures moment and the cost pressures maybe you're yeah. maybe that you're facing. yeah. >> have two children at >> so i have two children at school and eight month old, school and one eight month old, so living so the cost of living crisis food expensive. my is food is so expensive. my son is going starting nursery in going to be starting nursery in april, obviously the cost of april, so obviously the cost of nursery fees is, really hoping that the chancellor says something in his budget today around the nursery fees. but yeah, i think families are finding it really hard at the moment. >> and obviously, there's £0.02 cuts in national insurance. of course, already in course, we've already had one in effect january , there might effect from january, there might be another again in the be another one again in the budget . i be another one again in the budget. i mean, would that make much difference to you to much of a difference to you to maybe relieve that maybe relieve some of that pressure? >> you know, every >> i mean, you know, every little but i didn't little helps, but i didn't particularly difference particularly see a difference when last time. when they did it last time. i think what make bigger think what would make a bigger impact is if they, restructured the brackets. know, the taxing brackets. you know, you yeah. you know. yeah. >> obviously also >> and obviously you're also a small business we were small business owner, as we were saying, running this, running this know, company

this fitness, you know, company here spa. what here in leamington spa. what maybe could the chancellor say on maybe help you, on that point to maybe help you, help as a small business owner? >> i mentioned earlier around >> so i mentioned earlier around the vat threshold. so currently it's 85,000. and that's been since 2017. so if they increase that with in line with inflation would help small businesses , would help small businesses, along with the tax free dividends after april, i believe that's going to be going down to 500. and it was £2,000 a year. so that all these kind of things have massive impacts on small businesses, particularly if you're grow . you're trying to grow. >> all right. well, thank you so much for joining >> all right. well, thank you so much forjoining us this much for joining us this morning. course, that morning. of course, to get that perspective before the chancellor budget . chancellor delivers his budget. >> all okay. that's our >> all right okay. that's our reporter carson who is in reporter jack carson who is in leamington spa. still to come is that spring budget going to save the tories at the next general election? we'll be putting that to a former labour mp. so don't go anywhere. you're with britain's gb news britain's newsroom on gb news with

bev turner. we're not long to go now to the budget. it's happening at 1230. it's anyone listening to me? here with me in the studio is olivia utley, our political correspondent and the former labour mp stephen pound. olivia set the scene. this is a very difficult one for jeremy hunt. got a lot on his resting on his shoulders. >> it's very difficult >> it's a very difficult one indeed. to pull sort indeed. he has to pull some sort of of the hat, which of rabbit out of the hat, which will conservatives will snap conservatives absolutely victory from the jaws of defeat, which almost everyone now thinks impossible . well, now thinks is impossible. well, he's already told us that he is going to reduce national insurance by £0.02 in the pound. it's really unusual for a chancellor to announce a measure in the budget in advance, and it's got whispers in westminster started that actually jeremy hunt has something else up his sleeve. that's very unlikely to be the big bold move of the budget if he's announced it a day in advance. so what else might do? there's a lot might he do? well, there's a lot of pressure from conservative mps for him to reduce income tax

as well. now that was a measure that was being discussed a few weeks but was thought weeks ago, but it was thought that jeremy hunt had decided against the that against it on the grounds that it be expensive it would be very expensive indeed. about 14 billion was the estimate, and he only has 13. >> got to lose to play with, >> he got to lose to play with, well, an election. >> that's what he's got to lose. there is worry that he could end up in a sort of truss up in a sort of liz truss position too wild position if he goes too wild with but on the other with tax cuts, but on the other hand, if he doesn't do that one p cut to income tax, there will be lots of conservative mps who will very fed up indeed. will be very fed up indeed. national very national insurance is all very well, but it only benefits workers, not pensioners. and as we know, the grey vote tends to be the most reliable at elections. those are the people who actually turn up to the to the polling stations. could the polling stations. so could jeremy hunt do both things? could national insurance could he cut national insurance and it would play and income tax? it would play very his mps, probably very well with his mps, probably play very well with his mps, probably play quite well with the public in short terme, in the in the short terme, well in the in the short terme, well in the in the short terme, well in the in the hot seat during the budget. >> tom and emily is he is there something else. there's got to be something maybe on

be something else. maybe vat on on hospitality. be something else. maybe vat on on thisitality. be something else. maybe vat on on this islity. be something else. maybe vat on on this is what the chatter >> this is what is the chatter in westminster there must in westminster that there must be that has not yet be something that has not yet been pre—announced. >> remember back to >> if we remember back to clement government, clement attlee's government, i can't far, but can't remember that far, but stephen barclay was born because it was, of course, his chancellor that was fired but lost his job for, for, for , for, lost his job for, for, for, for, for mentioning one aspect of the budget to a newspaper before that. >> yeah. >> yeah. >> and now we have practically the entire budget pre—announced to the papers. >> there must be something that has been held back. >> but as olivia says, what? that could be. all right. >> well , that's it from >> well, that's it from britain's newsroom on gb news. annie has your weather. and stay tuned for the budget. of course. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb solar sponsors of weather on. gb news. hello there. welcome to your latest gb news weather update. there's plenty of dry and bright weather on offer through the rest of the