polly middlehurst. >> nigel, thank you and good evening to you. well, the chancellor has cut national insurance in today's pre—election budget , but pre—election budget, but opposition leaders say living standards are still squeezed and millions of people face being dragged into higher tax bands. jeremy hunt said today the government's fiscal performance means the economy is expected, though, to grow this year by 0.8, giving, he says, the government enough headroom to make the cut to national insurance contributions from april the 6th in employee national insurance will be cut by another £0.02 from 10% to 8, and self—employed national insurance will be cut from 8% to 6. >> it means an additional £450 a year for the average employee, or £350 for someone self—employed. when combined with the autumn reductions, it

means 27 million employees will get an average tax cut of £900 a year. yeah >> well also in the budget today, the non—dom tax status will be scrapped , with tax will be scrapped, with tax breaks for wealthy foreign residents replaced by what the chancellor called a modern residency system . also in the residency system. also in the budget. rounding out today's announcements, pubs will get a boost from a freeze on alcohol duty and child benefit threshold , going up from 60 up to £60,000, and the £0.05 cut to fuel duty is locked in for another 12 months. also, the vat registration threshold goes up to £90,000 from 85, while the pensions regulator will get new powers, ensuring people with defined contributions are getting value from their investments . and there's a new investments. and there's a new isa scheme with a £5,000 yearly allowance for british assets, as

well as one more point for you it systems in the nhs getting a £3.5 it systems in the nhs getting a £35 million upgrade. well, in £3.5 million upgrade. well, in other news today, the science secretary is facing calls to quit after taxpayers covered her £15,000 bill in damages and legal fees following her false accusations that she made about an academic michelle donelan, who has now retracted her comments, accused professor kate sang of supporting the terrorist group hamas. however, an investigation found the claims were baseless. labour says miss donelan's false accusation are a new low in government standards . new low in government standards. and lastly, in the united states, where nikki haley has ended her long shot challenge against donald trump to become the republican candidate for president, the former governor of south carolina dropped out today just a day after super tuesday with donald trump beating her in 14 out of 15 contests. in her speech earlier

on today, she declined to endorse donald trump, but did wish him well in what looks to be a rematch with democrat joe biden in november's us elections. for the very latest stories, do sign up for gb news alerts by scanning the qr code that comes up on your screen now and again. it's not there right now, but it will pop up at some point. or you can go to gb news dot com slash alerts. but now it's live to cumbria for farage. well a name. >> yes i'm here in cumbria. i'm in whitehaven , following on from in whitehaven, following on from michelle dewberry. >> we've got a big live energetx enthusiastic audience. well, they're enthusiastic about being at a gb news show as to whether they're enthusiastic about the budget. well, that remains to be seen. now, this was supposed to be a really big moment for this government. perhaps even if it's accepted by the public very well, a precursor to a general

election. that could happen, according to some, as early as may the 2nd. so at 1230 up got the chancellor of the exchequer his opening sentence. i simply could not believe. here it is as we mourn the tragic loss of life in israel and gaza. >> the prime minister reminded us last week of the need to fight extremism and heal divisions. so i start today by remembering the muslims who died in two world wars in the service of freedom and democracy. we need a memorial to honour them. so, following representations from the right hon. member for bromsgrove and others, i have decided to allocate £1 million towards the cost of building one. whatever your faith or colour or class, this country will never forget the sacrifices she's made for our future . she's made for our future. >> well, here is my response. i went to the local cemetery here

in whitehaven, where there are nearly 80 people buried who died in two world wars. pilots, people washed up on the shores here in cumbria, others who'd come back from the front and died of wounds. here is my response to what he had to say over 100 years ago. we had men of more brain and foresight than our chancellor. they decided at the end of the first world war, and we continued it throughout world war ii as well, that everybody, regardless of race or rank religion, be rank or religion, would be buned rank or religion, would be buried beneath the same headstone. the principle was equality in death, recognising the contribution of all. and indeed, if you go to a big commonwealth war graves cemetery in france or elsewhere, what you'll see is a stone of remembrance that says, for those of all faiths and none, we thought about this over a hundred years ago, we do not need jeremy hunt putting forward the idea of a memorial to a specific religion . it is just specific religion. it is just plain wrong . i feel very

plain wrong. i feel very strongly about this. >> i really, really do. >> i really, really do. >> it is sajid javid that was pushing for this memorial, but it shows a total lack of understanding of really how brilliant our leaders were 100 years ago, recognising everybody we were to be unified in death and equal in death . whether you and equal in death. whether you want a victoria cross, didn't matter, didn't matter who you were, what you were, you you had exactly the same headstone. but it says so much, i think, about modern day politics. we try to pander to each individual group rather than saying everybody in our country should be equal. now moving on. of course, this was the great tax cutting budget. yes. tuppence more off national insurance. and i'm going to drill down in a moment with mark littlewood as to whether people really are paying less tax. but moving on, one of the big statements of the budget was

that after all these years, the government is going to sell its stake, its remaining stake, nearly 38% in national westminster bank. now it's fair to say that i have some degree of interest in this subject . and of interest in this subject. and we own we still own about 7 billion quid's worth of natwest shares. and the idea is the government sells these shares. retail investors, such as people in this room , will buy the in this room, will buy the shares at a discounted price . shares at a discounted price. but i have a problem with that. and i do put out a tweet shortly afterwards saying until the natwest group provides full disclosure and apologises for their behaviour and their cover ups, why should any retail customer trust them? so mr hunt, if you want to get about £7 billion back for the treasury to help you balance the books, you better make sure that natwest , better make sure that natwest, which you at the moment are the

major shareholder, in honour their obligations to me. stop their obligations to me. stop the cover up , stop the lies, the cover up, stop the lies, start telling the truth because i'll tell you what, if they think they're going to go ahead with this share sale and i'm going to sit on the sidelines and say nothing until the wrongs have been righted. you know what? i quite like a fight. have been righted. you know what? i quite like a fight . and what? i quite like a fight. and what i did notice was that this was an extraordinarily political budget , to be fair, to hunt. he budget, to be fair, to hunt. he delivered it pretty well. and he did make 1 or 2 quite funny jokes, especially at the expense of angela rayner, over those that own second properties. that really was genuinely quite funny , but political in the sense that what were the constituencies that he named in the budget? bromsgrove, stoke on trent , dudley, the budget? bromsgrove, stoke on trent, dudley, north witham, loughborough south and west rother valley , vale of clwyd and rother valley, vale of clwyd and austell and newquay, north devon.i austell and newquay, north devon. i could go on. he

mentioned 19 constituencies that would benefit from this budget . would benefit from this budget. and guess what? every single one of them are seats held by conservatives where they worry they might lose the seats at the next general election. so it was an overtly political budget, but he also made a statement that i thought was really, really interesting, and it was about immigration and it was about wages and gross domestic product . listen in. >> if we want that growth to lead to higher wages and higher living standards for every family in every corner of the country, it cannot come from unlimited migration. it can only come by building a high wage, high skill economy , not just high skill economy, not just higher gdp, but higher gdp per head. >> and that and that from the

chancellor of a conservative party that have overseen record levels of legal immigration into britain and where gross domestic product per head is falling, we are getting poorer now. the arguments he made are the arguments he made are the arguments that i've made publicly for many, many years. and that perhaps is my biggest problem with this budget. in fact, my biggest problem with the last 14 years of these people, they pretend to be one thing when actually they are quite another . they're whether quite another. they're whether tuppence of national insurance, whether making statements like thatis whether making statements like that is enough to have suddenly a surge in the polls for the conservative party. and a bold step to a 2nd of may general election. i don't know . but election. i don't know. but folks, i've got to tell you somehow i really rather doubt it. now to the main claim in the budget, there was one really extra ordinary statement. and

don't forget £0.02 was taken off last october, didn't give them much electoral benefit, so they have reduced the level of national insurance . they've national insurance. they've hinted they might get rid of national insurance and make it cleaner and simpler that you pay through income tax. but this statement was the biggest claim of the budget, hunt said . the of the budget, hunt said. the personal taxes paid by a median earner as a proportion of their income in 20 2425 are the lowest they've been since 1975. now, that is, i would put it to you. mark littlewood, director of popcorn and former director of the institute of economic affairs. that is a very big, bold statement that is saying anybody in this room that is earning, you know, an average mean salary is paying less tax than anyone for nearly 50 years. wow. they must be doing rather well. >> well, jeremy hunt seems to think so. here's the problem, though, nigel, as you'll know

well, if you're listening to an economist or a politician, always read the fine print and it's the important fine print. in what jeremy hunt said, i believe he's technically correct . he mentions personal taxes, so he's measuring your national insurance and your income tax contributions . and if you're an contributions. and if you're an average earner, given everything he's done, that might be down a bit. but that's not what the average earner thinks about. they think about their overall take pay. so don't know take home pay. so i don't know if smoke you'll be if you smoke tobacco, you'll be paying if you smoke tobacco, you'll be paying more in tax paying a lot more in tax in a different fashion. if your council tax is going up, you're paying council tax is going up, you're paying a lot more in tax in a different fashion. i wouldn't think most people this think most people in this room, nigel, care specifically about what taxes are. what their personal taxes are. they about their overall they care about their overall tax and fact there is tax bill and the fact there is unfortunately, i have to confess, after 14 years of conservative government, it's at its highest since the 1940s. and i think it will be pretty, not much succour to people in this room and in other constituencies

like it to be told on a technicality their personal taxes are down when the overall taxes are down when the overall tax burden is up. and that's the fact of the matter. >> yeah. and he sold this idea that we're not going to have the fuel duty escalator put on that. we're not going to have increased alcohol taxes as somehow you're all better off. but all he was really doing was not putting taxes up. >> yes, exactly. that's that unfortunately, is what governments now pat themselves on back for. you know, great on the back for. you know, great news. taxes gone news. your taxes haven't gone up. a good up. but i think there's a good number people in this room number of people in this room and elsewhere who want and elsewhere who actually want to taxes go down. and to see their taxes go down. and this is also in the context, remember, nigel, where the economy look, if economy is flatlining. look, if we all getting richer, we were all getting richer, i don't know, five, 6% a year seeing our wages go up every year pnces seeing our wages go up every year prices in the year, seeing prices fall in the shops. at that point, you shops. well, at that point, you might not struggle too much if your bill is another £100. your tax bill is another £100. but because there hasn't been growth economy, people growth in the economy, people are , really feeling that are really, really feeling that pinch. so we've become we've drifted into becoming a high tax high spend heavily regulated

social democratic economy. after 14 years of conservative government. that's quite a disappointment. government. that's quite a disappointment . and i don't disappointment. and i don't think he did enough today to u—turn from that. >> and that said, by mark littlewood, a member of the conservative party exactly. oh, deah conservative party exactly. oh, dear. they really are in trouble, aren't they? dear. they really are in trotwell,iren't they? dear. they really are in trotwell, butt they? dear. they really are in trotwell, but i they? dear. they really are in trotwell, but i mean, look, >> well, but i mean, look, i mean, here we are. they are. i mean, here we are. they are. i mean, we're in the red wall. we've taken some straw polls of this audience. i think, you know, this a day late and know, this may be a day late and a dollar short. you know, i do read the opinion polls. the conservative party is not popular at all. is there a road back?i popular at all. is there a road back? i don't know, but the only road back is that you need to be honest with people, and you need to to get government off to start to get government off their back and need to their back. and you need to start the right thing by start doing the right thing by ordinary, working brits. start doing the right thing by ordirit's, working brits. start doing the right thing by ordirit's difficult)rking brits. start doing the right thing by ordirit's difficult toing brits. start doing the right thing by ordirit's difficult to discern ;. and it's difficult to discern that thread running through government policy over recent years. >> mark littlewood, thank you very much indeed. in a moment we'll get a reaction. we'll see what sir keir had to say and we'll get a reaction from a labour mp.

okay. a minor change of plan . okay. a minor change of plan. we're actually going to go to the local member of parliament first. trudy harrison mp was elected here in copeland in a by—election back in 2017. and it was a pretty big national by—election. she held the seat in the 17 election and increased her majority again in 2019 general election. so there's been a conservative member of parliament sitting for this constituency for the last three elections and that of itself is actually pretty remarkable because this part of cumbria had been represented by labour since way before world war two. and trudy joins me right now in front of her constituents here in copeland. now, thus far , thus in copeland. now, thus far, thus far, we've talked about the

budget. we've talked about the proposals put forward by jeremy hunt. thus this lot don't hunt. thus far. this lot don't seem be all that impressed, seem to be all that impressed, how would you assess today's budget, i got the memo . sticking budget, i got the memo. sticking to the plan. don't want to go back to square one. yes, we've ticked many of the boxes . growth ticked many of the boxes. growth is up slightly better than germany. better than france, better than italy. >> i thought we were in recession , but it's still up and recession, but it's still up and inflation is down. i mean, you're right, you're right. actually, in one way, you're right. we are doing better than france and germany and italy, and brexit clearly hasn't damaged us. but but being better than those basket cases isn't that good of itself, is it really. and there is more to do. >> but i think in this particular neck of the woods we are quite unique . for example, are quite unique. for example, the national average wage is 31,000. here it's 49,000. and we

are in a particularly strong nuclear economy, which really holds us in a strong place. so the best bit for me is when rishi mentioned nuclear, because thatis rishi mentioned nuclear, because that is what we. absolutely. >> and that was one of the reasons, trudy, wasn't it? >> one of the reasons that you stood for that by—election? >> absolutely. you got involved with politics. >> absolutely. you got involved witibutlitics. >> absolutely. you got involved witibut obviously windscale, as >> absolutely. you got involved wiwast obviously windscale, as >> absolutely. you got involved wiwas sellafield' windscale, as >> absolutely. you got involved wiwas sellafield asindscale, as >> absolutely. you got involved wiwas sellafield as itdscale, as >> absolutely. you got involved wiwas sellafield as it is:ale, as >> absolutely. you got involved wiwas sellafield as it is now.as it was sellafield as it is now. just how many jobs does that provide for part of the country? >> about 27,000. there's about 80,000 nuclear in the 80,000 nuclear workers in the country. those country. and of those about 27,000 area. 27,000 work in this area. nobody's does nuclear better than we do in west cumbria. we've got seven reactors. nowhere else is there that concentration of reactors and all of the processes around, not just sellafield, but also the supply chain as well. and that's why we have such a high average wage. but coupled with the fact that we also have relatively affordable houses, the average house price is about 310,000. ours is about 155,000. it's a

good place to live. >> yeah, well, you could get a flood of people now moving in after those comments and you might not be thankful. >> i don't know, because the worst thing for our area is actually we are the fastest decline in population in england, declining a rate of england, declining at a rate of about 5. >> and even more scarily is the fact that barrow is the second fastest decline in local authority in cumbria . authority in cumbria. >> it's this coast, it's west cumbria, yeah , we went through a cumbria, yeah, we went through a penod cumbria, yeah, we went through a period really, of almost 20 years with no clearly defined nuclear policy. >> oh, we had one. it was switch it off and knock it down. yeah, yeah. >> but but it's okay because i mean, boris told us that wind turbines might solve all of our problems. and you were his ps, weren't you? >> well, there cannot have been a when i didn't boris a day when i didn't tell boris nuclear will do that when we were about levelling up. were talking about levelling up. and outside of and you want jobs outside of london the south east. london and the south east. nuclear that. nuclear does that. >> it seems that i mean, >> now it seems that i mean, when you want apprenticeships, nuclear, i get all of nuclear, i mean, i get all of that. >> seems that we now have

>> it seems that we now have a nuclear policy a nuclear policy from a conservative government. hunt was potentially was very warm about potentially the of nuclear the next generation of nuclear reactors. mean, equally, reactors. i mean, equally, i think are the same think labour are in the same place too. aren't they? >> well, they've had a a >> well, they've had a bit of a change, don't particularly change, but i don't particularly believe rather nervous believe it. i'm rather nervous that enough. know, that it's hard enough. you know, the have switched the conservatives have switched on nuclear power station on every nuclear power station this country has ever had, and it's hard enough for us to get new nuclear going. we've got hinkley point c. i very much hope that we get rolls—royce s small modular reactors in our area as well . but it's really area as well. but it's really difficult getting anything done and they're long time decisions. >> but what's interesting, trudy, is this that, you know, your government, you know, and you've been with them through this zero mania. mean, this net zero mania. i mean, bofis this net zero mania. i mean, boris addicted to it. they boris was addicted to it. they are rowing back ever so slightly on 1 or 2 areas. but isn't it extraordinary that here we are in this part of the country which has been associated with energy for centuries, whether it's coal or nuclear? i mean, this is where it's been at very much for a very, very long time.

and a couple of years ago, the approval was given for a new open cast coal mine in this constituency producing high quality coal, very important coal for steelmaking, a grey day for many other things . and yet for many other things. and yet it seems the budget is going to maintain super taxes on those that invest in oil and gas in the north sea. why is this coal mine, given that it was approved still not not open. >> it was approved locally three times by the then cumbria county council . it times by the then cumbria county council. it was times by the then cumbria county council . it was then called times by the then cumbria county council. it was then called in. and the government, i think it was the 7th of december 2022. then agreed it again. but it's tied up currently in a legal tangle, which is, i think, why so much of our infrastructure does get held up. but you know, despite being an environment minister, despite being a decarbonised ocean minister in transport and the chair of the

environment appg, i am fully behind extracting this critical raw material in the cleanest, greenest way possible. not to mention the amount of private sector investment. and i think that's often lost on people. this is all private sector. >> it's all well and good to say that. >> but you know, the government is pushing for net zero, right? net zero means pushing up the price of electricity for these people in this room by subsidising wind energy, perhaps being the, you know, the clearest example of that. and by deindustrialising we close down manufacturing plant, we say, hooray , we're producing less hooray, we're producing less carbon dioxide. that business now goes and the stuff is manufactured in china or india. do you support net zero? >> we have four times more manufacturing in this area. >> do you support net zero? >> do you support net zero? >> i support decarbonisation than you do. but i do think if that means deindustrialisation, that's fine. so i also think that's fine. so i also think that the ten point plan for a green industrial revolution was

quite exciting. but every single part of it needs steel . so part of it needs steel. so whether you want to build nuclear power stations, small ones, advanced ones, or gigawatt plus if you want to build wind turbines , if you want to turbines, if you want to transition towards electric vehicles, which are lot faster vehicles, which are a lot faster than combustion you than the combustion engine, you can't a tesla roadster at can't deny a tesla roadster at 1.9 seconds. 0 to 60 is pretty impressive. >> well, given the number of speed cameras that have been put up in the last few years, what's the point of it anyway? i mean, you can't go anywhere without being flashy. >> it seems to me, but it will all need steel. >> plus, i'm going back from here to kent tonight. an ev is not much good to me, is it really? because i need to stop for half an hour somewhere? >> i recommend tebay definitely the best service station in the country, right? >> well, i, i can't answer to that. i will trust your knowledge. here's my point that on the one hand, the government says it wants to be pro—business. on the other hand, it is, you know, absolutely committed to net zero. we are

about to close primary steel production in south wales. we're about lose primary steel about to lose primary steel production, think the production, i think up on the humber with the world as it is with perhaps the greatest external potential military threat that we've seen , threat that we've seen, certainly in 60 years or maybe evenin certainly in 60 years or maybe even in 80 years. this country under a conservative government is about to become a country that doesn't produce any primary steel. and all of it . steel. and all of it. >> and all of it to meet net zero targets. >> and i just think the public are very confused, utter rubbish, because i think it's war grade hypocrisy kc not to produce coking coal from this country. >> and of course we should be producing steel as well , not producing steel as well, not least because there isn't enough old steel knocking about in the world to put into electric arc furnaces to create the recycled steel, but also for a precise engineering, aerospace, nuclear defence. we're going to need the

virgin steel as well. so on that i completely agree. >> i know, i know, and yet one of the reasons why we've reduced our carbon emissions more than any other western country is we've lost much of this business. >> well, we talk a good game on where we are with our energy decarbonisation , but actually decarbonisation, but actually only 17% of our energy makeup is electricity. the remaining 83% is heat and . transport so we've is heat and. transport so we've got a way to go. and that's another brilliant thing about nuclear, because we can power the electrolysers to produce the hydrogen, to go into the hydrogen, to go into the hydrogen vehicles that won't run on batteries. >> and of course, it produces no carbon on that. carbon emissions on that. >> 100. >> i'm100. »- >> i'm 100. >> the only proven large >> it is the only proven large scale, zero carbon generation that anywhere in the that will work anywhere in the world. get it. i get it world. 24 i get it. i get it days week, i get it. days a week, i get it. >> well, let's hope they do push on parties. whoever's in on both parties. whoever's in government it. government next time and do it. finally, know you've got finally, you know you've got involved politics because involved in politics because you're campaigner, you're a local campaigner, local woman . care about stuff.

woman. you care about stuff. this area your this is this area is in your blood. it is. i've been blood. i know it is. i've been talked to you earlier, but you've your i know you've done your bit. i know there's a few constituency changes, changes going there's a few constituency chang�*here, changes going there's a few constituency chang�*here, but changes going there's a few constituency chang�*here, but that'sanges going there's a few constituency chang�*here, but that's it.ies going on up here, but that's it. you're done. you're off. you're retiring. >> no no, no, i am leaving parliament because unlike you, nigel, i'm bit fed of nigel, i'm a bit fed up of politics. >> but i think the national policies are there or thereabouts . but i worry that in thereabouts. but i worry that in this area we won't be able to, you know, capitalise on the benefits of those national policies. as a minister, i would go to the oxford, cambridge , go to the oxford, cambridge, london triangle and see how those areas were really switched on with their business community and local councils. i want and the local councils. i want us to be like that. all right. >> so you're back to being a local campaigners really what you're saying i'm always going to be an activist. right. well, you've your bit, you've you've done your bit, you've done you've your done your bit, you've done your time. some would say last question you were pps question when you were pps to one, boris johnson, what was that do you know what? >> i didn't a peerage, but i >> i didn't get a peerage, but i got 24gw. i'm happy about that. >> harrison, thank you

>> trudy harrison, thank you very indeed. thank you. on very much indeed. thank you. on gb we'll take a break >> we'll take a break in a minute. with label minute. back with a label reaction

well. of course , we were all well. of course, we were all waiting for the response. >> in the house of commons. now, i thought rachel reeves, the shadow chancellor, might respond to jeremy hunt, but no, it was sir keir starmer, the leader of the labour party. and this is just a little snapshot of what he say. just a little snapshot of what he there say. just a little snapshot of what he there we 1. just a little snapshot of what he there we have it. the last >> there we have it. the last desperate act of a party that has failed britain in recession. the national credit card maxed out and despite the measures today , the highest tax burden today, the highest tax burden for 70 years, the first parliament since records began to see living standards fall confirmed by this budget today , confirmed by this budget today, thatis confirmed by this budget today, that is their record. it is still their record. give with

one hand and take even more with the other, and nothing they do between now and the election will change that . will change that. >> well, keir starmer there in pretty confident mood. i thought, well let's go and speak to lloyd russell—moyle, labour member of parliament for brighton and peacehaven. and i have to say lloyd , i want to have to say lloyd, i want to hear your thoughts on this budget, but i particularly want to hear i particularly want to hear why you think a labour government might be better. so without hesitation on repetition or deviation, give us your take please. >> well, my take is that this is a budget that doesn't go to deal with any of the systemic issues in society. we have a cost of living crisis. we have a crisis, particularly for adult social care, that's causing a lot of our councils to go bankrupt up and down the country of all political flavours. we have

crisis in our schools and none of things were addressed of those things were addressed by this budget. in fact, we also have a crisis that the squeezed middle have a high tax burden now, much higher than we have had for a generation . and it had for a generation. and it doesn't really go after people who have the broadest shoulders. yes, the chancellor took on some of our policies on the non—doms, but actually that won't come in for two years anyway, and it won't come in until after the election. so it's all nice words. he has suggested changes on national insurance . i on national insurance. i actually agree with some, some of the charts that were saying that national insurance is a regressive tax. it should be better rolled into income tax so that people, whatever your income , are paying a fair income is, are paying a fair share. but none of the wider reforms that you proposed will actually come in until after the election. this budget was generally a budget of. i will do something very meagre now, and i will promise to do something far reaching in the future in the

neveh reaching in the future in the never, never manana, manana. and that's effectively what the ifs has said as well. in all the future parts of the budget, our complete fantasy, they're not costed and they're not worked out. what labour will do is actually make those reforms on business rates that we know small that small businesses need, so that people fair amount . people are paying a fair amount. we will make sure that we increase the threshold so that people effectively aren't put into tax for reason, just into tax for no reason, just because inflation has gone up, but they have not actually earning really, in real terms, a penny more, but are paying more tax. we will make those changes. so tax is fairer. tax. we will make those changes. so tax is fairer . that is the so tax is fairer. that is the bafis so tax is fairer. that is the basis of the labour proposal. and so it will be better under labour for the ordinary person, for the working person . and that for the working person. and that is what at the moment this country, are people who are suffering . suffering. >> well i agree with you. that jam tomorrow was a very big message from this budget. but from your analysis there, it sounds to me that what you're saying is that labour will spend even more money on public

services than this government currently is . currently is. >> we will spend better on pubuc >> we will spend better on public services. so for example, local government, let's talk about the crisis. there rather than a cash settlement that happens every year means local government is scrabbling around for money, drawing down lots of bits of pots where they spent hours and hours of time writing the bids for central government to say yay or nay, like some emperor nero with the thumbs up or thumbs down, labour will give a fair funding formula, will give fixed amounts of money to local for five years local governments for five years so local areas can properly decide to invest and then recoup their and we believe that their money. and we believe that is a more responsible way to run government. so it's not just about more cash, it's about giving more cash, it's about giving more cash, it's about cash responsibly in about giving cash responsibly in ways that allows our services to recover. that's the difference the labour government will make. yes >> lloyd russell—moyle, thank you for joining >> lloyd russell—moyle, thank you forjoining us live tonight you for joining us live tonight on gb news, giving us your reaction to the budget. thank you very much indeed. >> now , now, the most important

>> now, now, the most important part of this programme after the break, it is, of course, farage the farage where i get your questions and your thoughts on what happened today in the budget generally, where budget and more generally, where we as a country. we are as a country. >> back with farage, the farage in a moment.

no more elected politicians . no more elected politicians. nobody else here on this show. selling party policy? no. this is the really important bit. this is the reaction for people here in whitehaven . come on, here in whitehaven. come on, gary, let's get on with it, shall we? >> i, nigel, do you think that this budget was meant to be a sweetener for the electorate in election year? >> yes, i do actually. and i thought, you know, as i said earlier, 19 parliamentary constituencies were mentioned. 0h, constituencies were mentioned. oh, there's money for this and

money for that. i've listened to this member and that member, and i think it was designed perhaps this member and that member, and i tgive it was designed perhaps this member and that member, and i tgive them designed perhaps this member and that member, and i tgive them an signed perhaps this member and that member, and i tgive them an option perhaps this member and that member, and i tgive them an option asrhaps this member and that member, and i tgive them an option as toips to give them an option as to whether might go on the whether they might go on may the second. so they're hoping for a big from the budget big uplift from the budget because they're cutting taxes. but, you know, we sat here with mark littlewood earlier on who said, though we appear to said, even though we appear to have these cuts, the have these cuts, actually the overall burden , because we overall tax burden, because we pay overall tax burden, because we pay tax through other means, you know, through duties etc. is the highest for 70 years. so yes, i think they were giving my suspicion is this now i don't think there's going to be a big positive reaction to this budget at all. i think they're going to run this election right through to november or later. and i'll bet you do i i'll bet you there's an autumn statement with more giveaways. more so—called giveaways. you're with this . with me on this. >> yeah, i am, i totally agree. i think we'll run to the end of the year for the election, but it was good to hear the conservatives talking about tax cuts again. but i don't think it's going to make a difference. >> gary, thank you very >> okay, gary, thank you very much indeed. well it's

much indeed. yeah. well it's always to hear good things. always nice to hear good things. but brian good evening. but brian brian good evening. >> good evening. nigel, if you had been chancellor today, would you have increased the tax free allowance from 12,500 to 20,000 to help all those low paid workers? >> i do you know, one thing that amazed me? for the first time in years, they lifted the threshold at which small traders start paying at which small traders start paying vat, having to charge and process but went from process vat. but it went from 85,000 a year to 90,000 a year. why bother? you know, and i'm sure there are a lot of people running little businesses who would much rather stay outside the vat regime , look, i think the vat regime, look, i think the vat regime, look, i think the problem we've got is that for many people in living in certain circumstances , going to certain circumstances, going to work does not pay. it does not pay- work does not pay. it does not pay. you know, 5.4 million people of working age, just not working at all, and we've been relying on migrant labour whilst

british people haven't done the jobs. now, you know, there's obviously a carrot and stick needed here. you know, we clearly have to get tough on those that are claiming benefits that, sponging. that, frankly, are sponging. it's , you know, it's not everybody, you know, please don't condemn me. i'm not having a go at everybody . you having a go at everybody. you know, society wants to look after its weakest. but we also have to incentivise work. so yes, the single most yes, i think the single most important thing they could have done is to significantly done today is to significantly lift threshold to make lift that tax threshold to make work. pay. definitely, work. really pay. definitely, what tax would you like to what other tax would you like to see changed? >> well, we'd all like income tax to come down. but again, as gary said, i think that's just a sweetener whatever. whenever sweetener for whatever. whenever the . the election comes. >> and here's the interesting thing £0.40 tax. it came down to £0.40 in 1988. it stayed at £0.40 in 1988. it stayed at £0.40 top rate all through blair's years. through that time , 1.5 million people were paying ,1.5 million people were paying 40% tax under hunt's plans. but at the end of 2027, 8 million will be paying £0.40 or more tax. and they tell us we're

better off. brian, thank you very much indeed. >> thank you karen. hello >> thank you karen. hello >> hi, nigel. i'm a huge fan. >> hi, nigel. i'm a huge fan. >> oh, that's very kind of you. thank you. >> don't make me blush and go all red. oh, no. >> we live in kendal, cumbria. do you think the impact of second home ownership in cumbria is having an effect on the local housing supply? >> look, second homes do, of course, have an effect on the local housing supply. but equally, those that come and buy second homes sometimes are wealthier people from the big cities. in this case, probably manchester. in my part of the world. london, and they do also spend more money and inject money into the local economy . so money into the local economy. so it's really, really difficult . i it's really, really difficult. i know the lakes are enormously popular for second homes, and certainly in places like cornwall , norfolk, other areas cornwall, norfolk, other areas like that, there's been a total distortion of the market and a complete shortage of housing,

and prices have gone through the roof. but you know, here's the thing. here's the thing. i have seen one cornish village where they've had a new housing development, and they've literally only sold those new houses to people who live locally, you know, pay council tax locally, work locally. so i think to ban people from buying second homes because they happen to be more fortunate financially . that's not the way a free market works. i don't think we can afford to do that now. there's clearly the tax they're going to pay now has gone up as of today. but i think we need to adopt a different approach, which is house building that is actually for local people. that to me is the only possible sensible way forward. and by the way , if mass legal immigration way, if mass legal immigration wasn't running at the numbers, it was that has that has a far bigger impact on housing than second houses anyway. yeah, yeah, yeah . yeah, yeah. >> thank you .

>> thank you. >> thank you. >> okay. let's go. nigel. nick. hello. >> hello . how are you? all >> hello. how are you? all right. i like your desk. my question has been slightly hijacked by somebody with jews, but what's your take on the fact that in this budget, he was given out money to all the areas the north east? you even talk about the devolution of the nonh about the devolution of the north east. but the north—west was totally neglected . was totally neglected. >> yeah, you're right. there's a huge emphasis on the north east. it's because they see ben houchen, their mayor, up in teesside, as being their sort of poster boy, i guess. i mean , poster boy, i guess. i mean, look, you know, the whole concept of levelling up, the idea that you just chuck money at the north and somehow by chucking money, life's going to get better . i don't believe the get better. i don't believe the economy works like that. i often think when government chucks money in different areas, it gets misspent. it goes to all the wrong people . i think what the wrong people. i think what really matters, what genuinely matters , is creating the right

matters, is creating the right conditions for business. i would say, in fairness, that there was a commitment made today towards the nuclear industry which would benefit sellafield, which would benefit sellafield, which would benefit this area if it actually comes to pass. >> i would disagree on that. go on, tell me why. first of all, we wanted the, advanced modular nuclear here. yep. and it should be done by english company, not westinghouse or some other. but it was given to teesside. so again, we don't get nuclear here. yeah, yeah. the previous people were going to do nuclear here. dropped out and the whole thing collapsed at moorside . so thing collapsed at moorside. so basically we are basically being quietly neglected while they move all this kind of thing into the areas where i think they've got better links, better transport, more money. >> now, i think, look, overall, you raise a fair point. massive emphasis on the north—east . very emphasis on the north—east. very little said about the northwest. thatis little said about the northwest. that is a very, very fair point.

>> thank you. thanks very much . >> thank you. thanks very much. >> thank you. thanks very much. >> okay. we have another nigel in the room . bad luck. u lverston. ulverston. >> what a great place. >> what a great place. >> which is the home of stan laurel, just in case. i know, just in case you didn't know. i know for anybody else listening, nigel, i work in the shipyard down in barrow, and we build the nuclear deterrent for the submarine business. is great for the area . what i'd like to know the area. what i'd like to know is, will the next government carry on and support the submarine business? and will it support the shipyard? >> okay, we're assuming here a labour government. first thing to say is that the aukus deal not well. well i think given the opinion polls today, it's not a bad assumption to make. the aukus deal has been one of the big successes of brexit. there have been too few successes of brexit, too few businesses feel the burden of regulations being lifted from them. in fact, in many ways something it's worse the promise to control our

borders. well, i mean, six more boats crossed the english channel today and we've got legal immigration as well. but the aukus deal was done. we couldn't that would not have happened. as members the happened. as members of the european union . so we are going european union. so we are going to, know, we're going to to, you know, we're going to have significant in have a significant role in building that building nuclear submarines that the use. my the australians will use. my slight worry. and barrow, of course, as you know , has led the course, as you know, has led the way with this engineering for decade after decade since the 19005. 1900s. >> 19005. >> yeah. >> yeah. >> no, no, absolutely. building submarines here for the first world war, let alone trident. >> every submarine i think that's been built in the british navy has been made in barrow. >> yeah. >> yeah. >> i'm told the trident fleet is a kind of a bit tired at the moment. at times not all of them are operational, so the future prospects for work in barrow are very, very good indeed. if an incoming labour government sticks with those policies, do you know what? do you know what i the labour party, tore themselves to pieces back in the 19805 over this issue. i do not

believe there will be a change to that policy under labour. >> that's good news. >> that's good news. >> all right. thank you very much indeed . okay time for two much indeed. okay time for two more. we have got jack hawley, jack and nigel. >> good evening. so with the government removing the non—dom tax and the phantom tax today , tax and the phantom tax today, with all of the gains for the wealthy , when will the wealthy, when will the government stop focusing on the wealthy, making them richer and start focusing on the average person? >> i. >> i. >> i. >> i don't really agree with that, jack. and i'll tell you why. the top 1% of taxpayers in britain pay 30% of our taxes. all right . we need those people all right. we need those people to stay in our country. and if we send the wrong messages, they're so mobile, they can literally, at the press of a button, move their money overseas and hop on a private plane and go . and whilst, of plane and go. and whilst, of course you're right, the emphasis must be on, you know,

helping people get on and advance in life. and we were asked a question about that earlier on about raising tax thresholds to make work pay. and it's funny, isn't it? you work, you earn money, you feel good about it. you maybe want to work harder more money and harder and make more money and then tax ultimately. so then pay more tax ultimately. so i this anti rich narrative i think this anti rich narrative jack, doesn't work for me, jack, it doesn't work for me, and already we're seeing people leaving britain. we have the biggest brain drain we've had since the 1970s. and people are leaving because taxes are going up. so i would say this to you, you know, there are always unfairnesses in life. some people have a lot more money than others. some are born in different circumstances. to others. i just think that if we go on this attitude of go on with this attitude of wanting to tax the rich and they leave the country, we'll all be worse off. >> but with with taxing >> yeah, but with with taxing the rich more, when will the taxes the rich start to taxes from the rich start to come into local areas? so come into the local areas? so like the north west because the tax nothing. tax is nothing. >> yeah, doesn't like >> yeah, it doesn't work like that. tax goes into a that. the tax goes into a central part. it doesn't into

central part. it doesn't go into individual areas. promise you, individual areas. i promise you, jack, start taxing the jack, if you start taxing the rich more, they will leave the country and we will be poorer. and i really, really believe that. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you very much indeed. okay the final question goes to charles. >> hi, so do you think if rachel reeves had been giving the budget statement today instead of jeremy hunt, she would have been able to do anything differently? >> it's a good question. and i think it was very interesting. i listened to the ends, the end of michelle dewberry's show, and i think both are and bastani very much from a left wing perspective. you know, a mark very much more from a sort of centre right perspective , centre right perspective, basically. agreed at the end of her show that we have two big state, high tax social democrat parties . it's state, high tax social democrat parties. it's quite state, high tax social democrat parties . it's quite difficult to parties. it's quite difficult to tell them apart on most issues. and as the election comes, they'll play up whatever

differences there are. i don't believe they're that great. what do you think? >> no, i think they're painted into a corner, aren't they, it seems that no one has any money to spend. so if a labour government gets in, i suspect they will keep a steady state for a few years, and then they'll revert to the their type and try and just raise taxes, spend more money, increase the debt. so that would be my concern , my worry. concern, my woi'i’y. >> concern, my worry. >> what do you may well be right, but i mean, remember that when the conservatives came to power, the accumulated national debt was pushing on for a trillion. it's now 2.6 trillion. and hunt stands up and tells us they're cutting the deficit. they're cutting the debt, and we're all supposed believe we're all supposed to believe it. know what i think it. do you know what i think those enough in this those of us old enough in this room remember the 1970s, to room to remember the 1970s, to remember absolute mess the remember that absolute mess the economy remember that economy was in, remember that the only out of this is the only way out of this is growth, the only way out of this is lots of you setting up businesses , taking risks, businesses, taking risks, working hard, earning money, employing people, paying tax. we

need growth. and i don't see anything, frankly, charles, from either party. that inspires me to think that any of them have frankly got a clue how small business and entrepreneurship works . thank business and entrepreneurship works. thank you. thank you everybody this evening for joining me here. >> and i'm going to give one last mention to whitehaven . last mention to whitehaven. >> they love it. let's now get the weather with aidan mcgivern. thanks everybody. thank you . thanks everybody. thank you. >> looks like things are heating up . boxt boilers sponsors of up. boxt boilers sponsors of weather on gb news. >> hi there. welcome to the latest gb news forecast from the met office. yeah, there was some warm, sunny spells during wednesday, but for many over the next 24 hours it is going to be cloudy with an increased chance of showers developing through thursday. we've got high pressure to the east that's

bringing a lot of low cloud into eastern parts. we keep the clear spells overnight in south spells overnight in the south and west, where we do have and the west, where we do have the clear spells. there'll be such and some fog such a frost and some fog patches forming, a few showers continuing across parts of cornwall as well. otherwise many places will be dry and we start the day with a bit of a chill in the day with a bit of a chill in the air. certainly where we've got those frost and fog pockets in the west, but it will soon warm up , the cloud will lift as warm up, the cloud will lift as well, and actually with the rising cloud, it's going to be a brighter day across northeastern parts of the uk. still a lot of cloud and that cloud bubbling up some sharp showers will develop, particularly through the midlands, east wales into later on parts of northern england away from the showers, though, plenty dry and bright plenty of dry and bright weather. of sunshine in weather. best of the sunshine in the west southwest. highs of the west and southwest. highs of 12 13 celsius, although the west and southwest. highs of 12chill§ celsius, although the west and southwest. highs of 12chill inelsius, although the west and southwest. highs of 12chill in ther, although the west and southwest. highs of 12chill in the east, hough the west and southwest. highs of 12chill in the east, and|h the west and southwest. highs of 12chill in the east, and it's a chill in the east, and it's going to increasingly breezy going to be increasingly breezy through and into through thursday and into friday. coming from friday. that breeze coming from the east will it feel on the east will make it feel on the east will make it feel on the cold side, but increasing

sunny spells will develop in the south on friday and it's going to be largely dry. same can't be said for the weekend. increasingly, spells of showery rain will move north across the country at eight celsius in the north, 12 further south. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on

gb news. >> hello. good evening. it's me. jacob rees—mogg on state of the nation. tonight, the chancellor of the exchequer has announced his budget, which included a 2% decrease in national insurance, which could be worth an average of £450 to you. but the question is, is it enough ? how much of is, is it enough? how much of your hard earned money do you get to keep? does the budget encourage investment, jobs, innovation and economic growth? i'll be discussing all of that and more. this includes increased spending on nhs,

increased spending on the nhs, the of zero and a new the cost of net zero and a new muslim war memorial . most muslim war memorial. most importantly, item importantly, a news item launched . vox populi, vox launched today. vox populi, vox day. well, i'll be speaking to you about how you feel about the budget and whether you think it cuts the mustered state of the nafion cuts the mustered state of the nation starts now. i'll be joined by my most pugnacious panel this evening, former editor of the sun, kelvin mackenzie, and the historian and broadcaster tessa dunlop. as always, i want to hear from you. it's a crucial part of the programme. email me mailmogg@gbnews.com . but now mailmogg@gbnews.com. but now it's favourite part the it's your favourite part of the day. with polly day. the news with polly middlehurst. >> jacob, thank you and good evening to you. well, all eyes were on the chancellor, jeremy hunt, today as he delivered his spnng hunt, today as he delivered his spring budget. he slashed personal taxes to their lowest level in nearly 50 years with