five years. let's over the next five years. let's hope this is another case when they're wrong and that it's an underestimate. a new study has suggested british children are being indoctrinated left wing being indoctrinated by left wing causes, as a report revealed a sharp increase in mentions of fashionable trends like transgenderism in stories written by children under 12 years old. plus two preachers were arrested on the streets of somerset. god's own county, for the crime of preaching the holy gospelin the crime of preaching the holy gospel in a victory for free speech. their case has been dropped and i'll be speaking to one of them shortly. state of the nation starts now. i'll also be joined by my most intellectual panel this evening, gb news senior political commentator nigel nelson, and the former conservative mp, michael brown. as always, i want to hear from you. it's a crucial part of the programme. email me. mail mageenews.com. but now it's what all been waiting what you've all been waiting for. news of the day with

for. the news of the day with sam . sam francis. >> jacob, thank you very much. good evening . from the newsroom. good evening. from the newsroom. the headlines just after 8:00, government ministers are today challenging labour to set out its own funding plans after the opposition party backed the government's decision to cut national insurance, the non—dom tax status will be scrapped, with the aim of raising revenue to make up for the £0.02 cut. but figures suggest any benefits for the taxpayer are likely to be cancelled out by an expected rise in council tax. while earlier jeremy rise in council tax. while earlierjeremy hunt rise in council tax. while earlier jeremy hunt told rise in council tax. while earlierjeremy hunt told gb news that his budget is proof that the government's fiscal plan is working , we want to end the unfairness. >> the direction of travel we've goneis >> the direction of travel we've gone is to reduce national insurance by one third. the fact that labour are opposing this today is really because labour don't have any plans to reduce taxation. it sort of makes my point for me, their plan is

basically that tax should remain at its current levels. we say we don't have to accept the status quo. if you make difficult decisions , if you stick to our decisions, if you stick to our plan for the economy, that's seen inflation falling and growth starting to rise, we can bnng growth starting to rise, we can bring down the tax burden . bring down the tax burden. >> the uk tonight has pledged a further £125 million of military support to ukraine. in another major move against putin's invasion. here's our home and security editor mark white, with more on what that announcement tonight will mean for ukraine's war efforts . war efforts. >> this extra package, announced by grant shapps on a visit to ukraine is very significant. hundreds of pounds and millions of pounds in extra commitment from the uk to provide 10,000 military drones. now the vast majority will be first person view drones, fpv drones, which can loiter over the battle space and drop their munitions on russian tanks and artillery. but

it will also provide a thousand new one way attack drones in addition to that, more maritime attack drones . attack drones. >> mark white, our home and security editor, speaking earlier , the government will earlier, the government will attempt to overturn amendments to its flagship immigration policy after it suffered heavy defeats in the house of lords . defeats in the house of lords. commons leader penny mordaunt confirmed today that the safety of bill will return to of rwanda bill will return to the lords 18th of this the lords on the 18th of this month . mps will then get a month. mps will then get a chance to debate and vote on any amendments in the following week. the government's plan would judges to deem would compel judges to deem rwanda as a safe country and clear way send people who clear the way to send people who cross the channel in small boats on flight to the on a one way flight to the african . mps have warned african nation. mps have warned that the post office is not fit to run any compensation schemes for victims of the horizon it scandal. the business and trades committee published recommendations for delivering payments to hundreds of victims, and described the efforts so far as an abject failure. they say

that an independent body should instead be appointed to the process. the chairman described it as a national disgrace that only £1 out of every £5 allocated for compensation has so far been paid out, and joe biden is set to announce an emergency mission to build a temporary port on the gaza coast so that humanitarian aid can be shipped into the region. the us president will make that announcement in his state of the union speech later tonight . it's union speech later tonight. it's also reported he will use his fourth address to dispel any concerns about his age and highlight the difference between concerns about his age and higtrack the difference between concerns about his age and hig track record fference between concerns about his age and hig track record and nce between concerns about his age and hig track record and that)etween concerns about his age and hig track record and that of ween concerns about his age and hig track record and that of his n his track record and that of his likely opponent, donald trump . likely opponent, donald trump. those are the headlines. for more, you can sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen or go to gb news. com slash alerts. for now, though, it's back to jacob in westminster. >> what? could you believe it? the european union appears to still be in control of britain's

laws. the guardian has revealed that the chancellor privately admitted to backbench mps , not admitted to backbench mps, not including me, which is why i feel able to tell you if he told me, i'd feel that i'd been told confidentially and i couldn't passit confidentially and i couldn't pass it on, that the feeble increase yesterday's vat increase in yesterday's vat threshold increase was restricted by european union laws yesterday. the vat threshold for businesses increased from £85,000 to £90,000. it appears the chancellor wanted to take it further, which he should have done. it's a very good policy but couldn't because of the windsor framework deal signed with union last with the european union last yeah with the european union last year. framework crystallised year. the framework crystallised the northern ireland protocol, which separates northern ireland from the rest of the united kingdom, forcing it into compliance with the eu's single market. but if his majesty's government had continued with boris's plans with the northern ireland protocol bill, that would have unilaterally withdrawn us from components of the protocol. in other words, if we had stuck to boris's plan, we would have been able to increase

our vat threshold. now why does this it matters because this matter? it matters because that thresholds discourage business, especially smaller ones, from increasing their revenue. so if you're a tradesman whose business earned £87,000 under the new regime, and you're offered £4,000 worth of business just before the end of business just before the end of the financial year, it's in your interest to reject that business because if you accepted it, you would go over the threshold and in the following year you would have to apply 20% vat to all the services you sold, making you significantly less competitive. so a £5,000 increase, which we saw yesterday, is mere nickel and diming. it helps a bit, but not much. and thank you to christopher hope for raising this point with the chancellor earlier on today. you haven't cut income tax. >> some thought you might do. jacob rees—mogg , your colleague jacob rees—mogg, your colleague in parliament, also works with gb news. he said this kind of nickel and diming won't make a lot of difference. have you been fiddling around when could

fiddling around when you could have dramatic, have been more dramatic, more more maybe? have been more dramatic, more mo well, maybe? have been more dramatic, more mo well, it's maybe? have been more dramatic, more mo well, it's not aybe? have been more dramatic, more mo well, it's not nickel and >> well, it's not nickel and diming to cut national insurance payments by one third. >> that means three months. >> that means three months. >> in three months, that means that the person on the average wage is going to see their tax bill fall by about £900. that is a very significant reduction in taxation in. >> and it's fair enough to say that the national insurance cut is significant . but that the national insurance cut is significant. but in that the national insurance cut is significant . but in the grand is significant. but in the grand scheme of things, it just lets people keep about £450 a year on average, which is less than £40 average, which is less than £40 a month. what we need is some bold and ambitious changes. we need to have a taxation system that encourages economic growth and creates the least friction, whilst raising the money that needs to be raised . and that's needs to be raised. and that's why we need to look at reforming stamp duty , which would help stamp duty, which would help homeowners and potential home owners to get rid of ir35, which discourages entrepreneurship and hold businesses back, as does the low level of the vat

threshold. ir35 basically assumes that self—employed people are tax avoiders. it's also time to increase tax thresholds in line with inflation, because that's having an effect on people across the country and eats into the cut in national insurance very significantly , particularly on significantly, particularly on retired people don't pay national insurance . but we need national insurance. but we need to get spending under control. and we're continuing with real terms increases, which is a mistake. if we put all these bold cuts together, if we make it work, then we will have a chance with supply side reforms of planning reforms of welfare reforms, not just winning the next election , even more next election, even more importantly, improving. in disraeli's terms, the condition of the people far beyond the expectations of the obr, the imf, the oecd and all the other brexit hating, british bashing acronyms, economist institutions that have become so encumbered by bureaucratic liberal groupthink. as always, let me know your thoughts . male

know your thoughts. male margaret gb news and i'm joined now by the former labour adviser, mike barclay, mike, thank you very much for joining me. it's quite an interesting revelation given in the guardian that, the chancellor was going around telling tory mps that he'd have liked to have raised the threshold more, but couldn't because of the windsor framework >> well, if that is what the chancellor said, then he wasn't being entirely truthful. he can raise the vat threshold to whatever he likes within great britain, in scotland, northern ireland, raise it to ireland, he can raise it to 100,000, 200,000, 500,000 if he wants to. the only place where he can't it is in northern he can't raise it is in northern ireland, and that because to ireland, and that is because to northern ireland, protect or to protect the absence of a hard border on the island of ireland, is the single market for is part of the single market for goods, agreed when we goods, as was agreed when we left european union. left the european union. and that northern that means that northern ireland has vat rules across has to abide by vat rules across across the across the rest of the eu and the maximum there is ,100,000. so we're still within that jeremy hunt has

that limit. so jeremy hunt has chosen maintain this status. chosen to maintain this status. >> but but we're a united kingdom . kingdom. >> that's a good thing. >> that's a good thing. >> but we're a united kingdom. and therefore to differentiate it between gb and northern ireland be problematic . ireland would be problematic. and why do we care about the single market? that's a matter for eu, for us. for the eu, not for us. >> it's not about caring >> well, it's not about caring about about abiding by about it. it's about abiding by an international agreement that we matter you we signed. only a matter of, you know, number of years know, a small number of years ago. no option other ago. we have no option other than renegotiating it to obey ago. we have no option other tha|agreement:ing it to obey ago. we have no option other tha|agreement thatt to obey ago. we have no option other tha|agreement that we obey ago. we have no option other tha|agreement that we signed, the agreement that we signed, because that's that's not a country that believes in that's not right. >> that's not right. the protocol had within it the intention for it to be reformed. and we had a piece of legislation before parliament that had passed through the house commons would house of commons that would have restored proper independence to northern ireland and the whole united voted as one united kingdom voted as one country to come out, not not just for great britain to come out the european union . out of the european union. >> but if you remember, the people of northern ireland voted by a significant margin stay by a significant margin to stay in union, but we in the european union, but we voted a united kingdom, not in the european union, but we votyregions united kingdom, not in the european union, but we votyregionsunthe kingdom, not in the european union, but we

voty regions unthe united m, not as, regions of the united kingdom. recognise that kingdom. you'll recognise that the people of northern ireland voted by a significant margin to stay in and they also in the assembly elections they had in 2022, two thirds of people 2022, about two thirds of people elected stormont theirto elected to stormont to their to their assembly voted. in fact, for that are in favour for parties that are in favour of the protocol and therefore in favour of this vat arrangement. >> but no, they voted to remain. they haven't had vote because they haven't had a vote because it hasn't the threshold for it hasn't met the threshold for a poll, to remain part the a poll, to remain part of the united kingdom and the united kingdom european kingdom has left the european union have they should union and they have they should have full rights people have the full rights of people in kingdom . in the united kingdom. >> in the stormont elections last could vote for last year, people could vote for a different political a number of different political parties. obviously, some of those were against the those parties were against the protocol. some of those parties were before protocol. the were before the protocol. the people northern voted people of northern ireland voted by about two thirds for people, for members stormont for members of the stormont assembly were in favour of assembly who were in favour of the protocol. so they an the protocol. so they had an opfion the protocol. so they had an option for parties that option to vote for parties that were against it. and most people chose parties that chose to vote for parties that were protocol. were for the protocol. >> left as a united >> but we left as a united kingdom. that's the fundamental point. and northern ireland

wants as far as one wants to remain as far as one can tell, within united can tell, within the united kingdom, being kingdom, and they are being depnved kingdom, and they are being deprived benefits of that deprived of the benefits of that because a protocol that because of a protocol that makes them some extent, them to some extent, second class citizens. them to some extent, second class ci'will s. them to some extent, second class ci'will recall, you will >> you will recall, you will recall because you've been a member of parliament throughout recall because you've been a menprocess,’arliament throughout recall because you've been a menprocess,’arliawe'vethroughout recall because you've been a menprocess,’arliawe've hadighout this process, that we've had long debates about northern ireland a settlement ireland and about a settlement for we could for northern ireland. we could have border across the have put a border across the island ireland, of course, have put a border across the isla that ireland, of course, have put a border across the isla that is'eland, of course, have put a border across the isla that is politically ourse, but that is politically impossible given context of impossible given the context of northern and southern northern ireland and southern ireland and the peace process. >> there would have been a choice for the european union. >> were going >> we never we were never going to border in. that's to put a border in. that's that's been one of the fallacies. we never had put a fallacies. we never had to put a border in case that jacob, border in case that case, jacob, as as all concluded, there as we as we all concluded, there is one. >> are ti- >> there are two further options. one is for the whole of the kingdom to in the united kingdom to stay in the united kingdom to stay in the customs decided we the customs union. we decided we didn't do that. didn't want to do that. >> not right. that's not >> that's not right. that's not right the only other right is the only other alternative have customs alternative is to have a customs border the irish sea, which border down the irish sea, which is what we've got now. >> significant. is what we've got now. >> sigididn'tt. is what we've got now. >> sigididn't need to do either >> we didn't need to do either of those. we have just of those. we could have just said european this said to the european union, this is you sort it anyway. we're >> you sort it anyway. we're going end there going to have to end there because i'm joined now by my

panel senior political panel gb news senior political commentator the commentator nigel nelson and the former brown , former tory mp michael brown, nigel, it's quite a revelation in guardian that the windsor in the guardian that the windsor framework tale is wagging the uk's economic policy dog. >> well, the windsor framework did a betterjob than the did a better job than the original protocol, but not the ideal job. and the trouble about all this is that everyone went hurtling towards brexit without really thinking what we were going to do about the bit of the uk that shares a land border with ireland and keep the northern ireland peace deal intact act. so i tend to agree with mike there. i mean the way the vat rules are working is that uk vat can apply to alcohol thanks to the windsor framework and to anything that you can't move around like, say a heat pump or something like that. when it comes to other things , when it comes to other things, eu rules must apply and in this case so as to not disadvantage eu companies. and that's because of the land border. and that is the point about keeping it open .

the point about keeping it open. >> but the point i was trying to make to mike was that this was a matter for the irish government. the never the uk government was never going put a land border in, going to put a land border in, and was the eu , and that we've and was the eu, and that we've sort of accepted that we have to change our systems in northern ireland, just in case the eu decides to do something unreasonable . unreasonable. >> well, no, it's the other way round, isn't it, that we decided to actually to leave europe? that was our decision. the decision, although , northern decision, although, northern northern ireland voted against that 56 to 44. >> surely once we've left, >> but surely once we've left, then what they do in relation to us is their business, not ours. that's up to them, yes, but but the point that the eu would make is why should they change their rules? >> because we've decided to leave. but it's up to them and so. well, but the issue remains that at the end of it all is how do you maintain the peace that we've got from the good friday agreement in northern ireland? and border open ?

and keep that border open? >> i just don't believe, michael, that the irish government would ever have allowed a hard border to be created. i've always thought this was a straw we're this was a straw man, and we're now consequences of now seeing real consequences of it because is raising the vat threshold, which nigel lawson was a advocate of, is one was a great advocate of, is one of those things that really helps small businesses . helps small businesses. >> absolutely. if i was still the mp for scunthorpe or cleethorpes , i would simply say cleethorpes, i would simply say to the chancellor, exchequer , to the chancellor, exchequer, i'm not going to have my constituency decided on the vat threshold for self—employed people , in particular by some eu people, in particular by some eu rule. i would have actually, if i was a brave chancellor , i i was a brave chancellor, i would have said i'm going to increase the threshold to whatever i think. i know that i can't do it for northern ireland. that would have then caused perfectly reasonably all the ulster members of parliament from all the political parties to put pressure on our government. but they would also put pressure, possibly the sdlp and sinn fein members of

parliament, to put pressure on the irish government. i would have actually taken the political risk and said in the house of commons i want to raise it by £10,000, £20,000. i can't do it for northern ireland for these reasons. but of course all this goes to show that the windsor framework framework agreement that was signed with great, fanfare last year is not the final answer on this . i the final answer on this. i suspect if there were to be another government and the temperature will cool down if we take mr starmer , sir keir take mr starmer, sir keir starmer at his word, the tories got brexit done. i intend to make brexit work. that's something for his agenda. were he, to be the next prime minister >> if this budget is a budget for an election, which you would think it, that's another matter then shouldn't it be delivering on the benefits of having left the european union ? and one of the european union? and one of them is raising vat thresholds ? them is raising vat thresholds? and if you look at the voters who have gone off to reform, who are saying they're going to stay

at home, they are mainly of at home, they are mainly part of that is pro—brexit. >> but there's an even better way. i recall, when i was on political death row six months before the 1997 general election, one of the best budgets ever. that really was trying to win votes. it didn't, by the way, the 1990 6th november budget by kenneth clarke, which, of course, was leaked to the daily mirror, the day before, and that was why purdah came to an end, that budget reduced income tax across the board, pensioners, everybody by one p in the pound . the tax by one p in the pound. the tax thresholds. of course, we had the rooker wise amendment that no conservative government because the tory opposition you were eight at the time joined with jeff rooker and audrey wise, the two labour mps, the rooker wise amendment, in the 1996 budget, six months before the 1970 election, the thresholds were increased three and a half times above

inflation, which was written into statute. the biggest crime of this government has been to abandon the policy of david cameron, on which he was elected in 2010. >> just remind me how much difference this budget made, this budget yesterday, the kenneth clarke one. >> oh, well, by the there >> oh, well, by the way, there were things , increase in were other things, increase in the inheritance tax threshold , the inheritance tax threshold, economic growth of 2.5% gdp as a proportion of national income, just over 1. and it made not a jot of difference. i cheered with my order paper and six months later i was gone. >> is that the lesson ? is it >> is that the lesson? is it from 1996 that we should be looking back and saying, actually , it's not a budget that actually, it's not a budget that will change things, it's much wider than that. and it's how do you get through to the voters in the six months? >> i don't think budget >> i don't think this budget will actually change at will actually change the dial at all, probably we get to all, and probably when we get to the end of all this, that what is going to really determine this election is the feeling as in time for change.

in 1997, time for change. >> oh dear. >> oh dear. >> change, change. aren't things bad enough already ? anyway, bad enough already? anyway, thank you to my panel coming up next. that was palmerston, by the as worklessness is the way, as worklessness is expected mass expected to worsen mass migration has been predicted to average at 350,000 a year over the next five years, plus , is it the next five years, plus, is it unchristian to judge others

? >> 7- >> well. 7 >> well. welcome ? >> well. welcome back. >> well. welcome back. >> we've been discussing taxes and vat and so on. and we have been getting your mail. moggs in. graham says something i agree with. the monumental rise in corporation tax is far more damaging to small businesses than threshold rise . than a small vat threshold rise. well, when i was in boris johnson's cabinet, i opposed that rise very that ridiculous rise very vigorously, richard says , jacob, vigorously, richard says, jacob, why didn't you try for the chancellor's job? you would do a much betterjob than hunt. well, there's no vacancy, i think is there's no vacancy, i think is the to that . and robin, there's no vacancy, i think is the a to that . and robin, there's no vacancy, i think is the a firm to that . and robin, there's no vacancy, i think is the a firm believer. and robin, there's no vacancy, i think is

the a firm believer that robin, there's no vacancy, i think is the a firm believer that the)in, i'm a firm believer that the threshold loans has threshold on student loans has an equally, if not more damaging impact incentive impact on the incentive for young to work to work young people to work or to work hard earn more. and, robin, hard to earn more. and, robin, i think on a very good think you're on to a very good point, is that we have point, which is that we have these very high marginal rates at stages the tax at certain stages in the tax system . it's student loans, it's system. it's student loans, it's child so on. and child benefit, and so on. and that ought to be sorted out. that's nigel lawson that's exactly what nigel lawson did. simplicity , simple and did. it's simplicity, simple and fair. amidst the backdrop of yesterday's budget, the office for budget responsibility has suggested that not only is britain's worklessness crisis expected get even worse , expected to get even worse, currently sits at about 5.5 million people on out of work benefits, but also that net migration is expected to average around 350,000 for each of the next five years. there's troubling of both of these predictions are. the good news is that the abr is usually wrong. so let's hope these predictions are too high. but with net migration last year exceeding 650,000, the immigration protection may be overly optimistic. while my panelis overly optimistic. while my panel is still with me, gb news

is senior political commentator nigel nelson and former tory nigel nelson and the former tory mp michael brown. michael, the immigration issue is one that constituents up and down the country are complete , fed up country are complete, fed up with. i think it's one of the things that has done the biggest damage to the tories credibility from thousands from the tens of thousands promise of david cameron prior to 2010. if we're still running at 350,000, that's just too high, isn't it? it's much more than people expect. well it certainly is. >> is far too high. it's breaching the manifesto commitments that successive prime ministers and home secretaries have given over the last 14 years. and the blunt truth is, let's leave the boat, people on one side. this is legal migration, allegedly. but there's a wonderful article in there's a wonderful article in the times today by ian martin, that makes the point that , we that makes the point that, we don't know how many immigrants there actually are in the country. these are only estimates. and he says that they're probably underestimates. and the blunt truth is , there is

and the blunt truth is, there is a conspiracy among ministers and civil servants to want and need , civil servants to want and need, more immigrants because of that figure that you gave just now, 5.5 million people in my day, people that weren't working used to be called unemployed. and the way that this government covers up real unemployment, that i understand my generation of politicians understood unemployment is to wrap it all up in this worklessness caused by all sorts of mental illness, out of work benefits . and the out of work benefits. and the reason for that is because we insist on replacing them with immigrants. the government says it needs immigrants . it doesn't. it needs immigrants. it doesn't. >> but the immigrants undercut the wages of the british worker. >> well, they won't under the new rules . i >> well, they won't under the new rules. i mean, >> well, they won't under the new rules . i mean, the new rules new rules. i mean, the new rules that come in means that a migrant will have to be paid the same amount as it. >> but don't they inevitably just simply the argument of just simply on the argument of supply demand, if supply and demand, that if you increase the supply and the demand remains level, the price

falls? i mean, falls? well, yes. i mean, i mean, than mean, it's better than the 20% cut. >> mean, but at least we >> yes. i mean, but at least we have a level playing field. the starting the issue starting point, the issue here is one thing that is that the one thing that jeremy hunt yesterday was jeremy hunt did yesterday was bang about bang on constantly about not relying for growth , relying on migrants for growth, then he goes and nicks labour's policy on the non—dom tax raises £2.7 billion. but instead of spending that on what labour would have done, which would have been 2 million more operations to get people off hospital waiting lists, he spent he spent it on tax cuts. had he been a responsible chancellor with the country's best interest at heart, he'd have used that money to reduce nhs waiting lists and getting people back to work. that is the way to actually get british workers back into it. >> but he spent a lot of time on the nhs and what he pointed out was that the public sector has seen in productivity seen a decline in productivity of which he's trying get of 6, which he's trying to get back, that must surely be back, and that must surely be the first that doesn't the first target that doesn't require just require more money, that just requires work in the requires people to work in the same as they did in 2018. same way as they did in 2018. >> they work

>> but they can't work if they're if you've they're ill. so if you've got 1 in 8 people for , no, in 8 people waiting for, no, this is in the public sector. so this is in the public sector. so this is in the public sector. so this is in the nhs. we assume all people in the nhs who all the people in the nhs who aren't working ill. aren't working aren't ill. >> but but but there, >> well, no, but but but there, there will still be people who are industry. who are are in any industry. who are these 2.5 million people who are sick waiting lists which are huge. if you can treat them, you will get more people who are able to work and will go back to work. and that's where that 2.7 million billion non—dom tax should have gone , i agree with should have gone, i agree with him on many things, but this is one where i disagree. i simply do not believe that 5.5 million people on out of work benefits, are on those out of work benefits, because for many of them, it is attractive to be on those benefits for. and i really think that we do have to go back to the 1980s. yeah, i'm prepared to the 1980s. yeah, i'm prepared to accept that there will be a proportion. nigel, i simply don't believe that 10% of the

population who are of working age simply can't work. if the if the economic circumstances with the economic circumstances with the migration were sorted out, they would . they would. >> i agree with michael on that. the other concerning. >> sorry about that, nigel. >> sorry about that, nigel. >> the other concerning component of yesterday's budget is it's expected is the effect that it's expected to on the 8 million or so to have on the 8 million or so pensioners in britain on average. those that have retired are expected to face a £1,000 real time cut to their yearly income owing to a six year freeze on income tax threshold. while the chancellor has vowed to stick to the triple lock promise for pensioners, his focus yesterday's budget focus during yesterday's budget was on cutting national insurance by 2, a tax that's seen as citizens do not pay. well, i'm joined now by two people who they they look like mere youths. the schoolboys of gb news are in fact pensioners. so i'll go to gb news senior political commentator nigel nelson first. are you at all miffed that you're one of the losers in the budget? one of 8 million? >> no, because i don't think he should have made tax cuts anyway

, so on the basis of that, which i've said all along basis i've said all along on the basis of the budget was, of that, i think the budget was, missed construed in the way that he put it together, but it will do. it will do your party an awful lot of damage . i mean, the awful lot of damage. i mean, the pensioners tend to vote tory. maybe i'm the exception, but pensioners do. >> there's hope for you yet . >> there's hope for you yet. >> there's hope for you yet. >> it's only going to get there somehow , but the. but the other somehow, but the. but the other thing is, is how many people have been dragged in. you're now talking about 12.6 million pensioners in this country, of which now or 8.5 million of them are now paying income tax and 1.5 million are actually in work . and of course, don't pay national insurance, don't benefit from it when he comes when he's able to actually do some tax cutting, it's thresholds that need to be addressed. as you said earlier. well, we agree on that one, michael, i'm not going to ask you to be as philanthropic as nigel, but what i am going to ask is about the politics of this, because the older you get,

the more likely you are to vote tory and isn't it wise to look after your own voters? >> was brought up by the >> i was brought up by the labour governments and tory governments idea , after governments on the idea, after that famous richard tice amendment you index link amendment that you index link every single year. it's it used to be written into the law. no chance to get out of it that you index linked the personal allowance. whether you're an old age aged 90 a well off age pensioner aged 90 a well off pensioner, poorly pensioner. that was the way you did it. so it's bad politics now. i think we've got to be a little bit fair to jeremy hunt. pensioners have been well looked after with the triple lock , i'm bunged £500 the triple lock, i'm bunged £500 every november for my heating allowance, and as ken clarke said, he gets it as well. i would much rather keep the triple lock, i think it needs to be kept for the poorer pensioners, tax those of us that are fortunate enough to have a private pension pay and we are paying private pension pay and we are paying our tax anyway, unlike the, the, the working

population. but i think politics wise they should have extended the thresholds and we're going to get to the bizarre situation, by the way, where some pensioners are just going to breach the current £12,570 limit and they're suddenly going to get a tax return, they probably won't be able to operate a computer , and that's going to computer, and that's going to cause the tories a lot of trouble. yeah, absolutely. >> its constituency mp >> and its constituency mp pensioners in with their pensioners do come in with their , not aware of , tax coding, not fully aware of what it means. and this will certainly create problems. >> but many pensioners are. jacob probably haven't been paying jacob probably haven't been paying many years. they paying tax for many years. they might have 1000 or 2 by the way. they can only £500 of they can only have £500 of savings they've got to savings before they've got to pay savings before they've got to pay tax. so there will be a lot of pensioners that are suddenly going having to complete going to be having to complete a tax return for the first time. >> this is concern about >> and this is my concern about the structure the budget, the structure of the budget, that sort of takes from one that it sort of takes from one to the other, that to give to the other, and that it's marvellous reduce it's marvellous to reduce national insurance dup. and national insurance by dup. and if is to abolish if the aim is to abolish it, that's a really important transformation of the tax

systems, if it ever happens. but doing it by holding thresholds back makes an awful lot of losers as well as winners. yes. >> i mean, and pensioners, the losers here. so if you'd an income tax that would obviously have benefited everybody. but i appreciate it is inflationary . appreciate it is inflationary. it is a problem for scotland that has six rates where we've got got three. so i can understand it's a difficult one to do, but if you are going to do it, that's the place to go, as i say. then what he should then do is not have done tax cuts. now, if we assume he's got one more, fiscal event before the of the year, that's when the end of the year, that's when he should have done it. once inflation was down to the bank of england target. >> and jacob, just to to >> and jacob, just to add to that, bearing mind that you that, bearing in mind that you and your colleagues in and all your colleagues in 2010 stood commitment, stood on a manifesto commitment, that we extend the that we would extend the personal allowance and traded on the fact in at that the fact in 2015, at that election , look what we have election, look what we have done. that's been undone by done. that's all been undone by that chap who was chancellor of exchequer about four years ago, a chap called rishi sunak. i think off great man.

think he started off great man. >> thank to my panel >> anyway, thank you to my panel coming up. has woke ideology >> anyway, thank you to my panel coming |our-ias woke ideology >> anyway, thank you to my panel coming |our youthyke ideology >> anyway, thank you to my panel coming |our youth .e ideology >> anyway, thank you to my panel coming |our youth . andeology >> anyway, thank you to my panel coming |our youth . and don't infected our youth. and don't forget and this will astonish you. there's some news from somerset that is not entirely propitious

well, thank you for sticking with us. we've been talking about immigration and the economic consequences . and bob economic consequences. and bob says 5.5 million unemployed. but 7 million awaiting treatment. any correlation? rather here in north—west london, there are thousands of visa overstayers who came in on visitor's visas but appear to be now permanently settled . what is the government settled. what is the government doing about this? and that's a very good question. and hugh says, i think that pensions should be exempt from tax. well, yes. perhaps some people with four children in hungary are exempt from tax , which seems to exempt from tax, which seems to me jolly good scheme as i've got

six. a new study shows that creative writing among school children under 12 years old has taken a concerning turn. gone are the days of fairy tales of dinosaurs and all of that. when analysis of 44,000 stories shows that more common themes for writing include gender fluidity , writing include gender fluidity, transgenderism and gaza researchers from oxford university press reviewed stories submitted by children aged 5 to 11 to the bbc loving's 500 words competition. it concluded that stories this year addressed themes of gender and noted a 20 fold rise in mentions of gaza . well, my panel is still of gaza. well, my panel is still with me, nigel nelson and michael brown, michael, is this indoctrination going on in schools? >> well, it's certainly very unhealthy. i mean, a child between 5 and 11 really does need to be protected as much as possible from the horrors of the real world. i know eventually, you know, it catches up with you only too well. i remember it was

a long time ago, being that age , a long time ago, being that age, and, you know, i hadn't got very much beyond , noddy and big ears much beyond, noddy and big ears and all the rest of it. but i think a child's childhood, a child's childhood should be as idyllic as is possible. now, that's. it's bad enough with all the horrors of poverty and single parent families , that single parent families, that make childhood difficult. but i have a horrible feeling that this is being encouraged by the educational establishment. we do have a thing called the secretary of state for education. what does she do all day? >> well, a very good >> well, it's a very good question, nigel. what do you think does all think she does all day? >> i that is really >> i think that this is really good news. i mean, what this is showing children are showing is that children are actually world actually aware of the world around should around them. and should we celebrate that rather than criticise they're criticise it, and if they're going on about transgender issues, maybe us in the media should stop banging on about them. quite so much, which is obviously encouraging them. but the fact that i've read some of the fact that i've read some of the things that they they'd written and they really mature,

they were they were very, very coherent. if they're doing that, if they know what's going on in the world, that's good. >> but it's a bit odd to be writing about transgenderism if you're a ten year old, isn't it? >> well, but there obviously heanng >> well, but there obviously hearing place >> well, but there obviously hearthey place >> well, but there obviously hearthey know place >> well, but there obviously hearthey know it's place and they know it's a controversial issue the same way with gaza. they actually hearing it, the news. so it, hearing it on the news. so these kids are actually listening the they may listening to the news. they may pick it up differently. tick tock something like that. pick it up differently. tick tociwhat)mething like that. pick it up differently. tick tociwhat is ething like that. pick it up differently. tick tociwhat is going like that. pick it up differently. tick tociwhat is going to (e that. pick it up differently. tick tociwhat is going to happen in >> what is going to happen in about ten, 15, 20 years? we are going have thalidomide going to have a thalidomide style, our hands when style, scandal on our hands when people who are being encouraged to go down a particular road by all this kind of nonsense are going to have their lives absolutely ruined. and i cannot understand what this person called the secretary of state for education does all day i thought that the government ran the education department and set the education department and set the ground rules for. >> but does it? the ground rules for. >> but does it ? i the ground rules for. >> but does it? i mean, clearly not with academies. don't schools have considerable independence as to what they teach? >> i still think that guidelines

and there should be more than guidelines , education guidelines, education secretaries have it within their power to set certain guidelines. we all know what is going on. we all know what's going on, what you're saying. we all know what the, establishment. but michael couldn't. >> a left wing government use that to and set guidelines that you and i thought were disagreeable ? and nigel was in disagreeable? and nigel was in favour that? is quite favour of that? this is quite dangerous have too tight dangerous to have too tight guidelines, think. guidelines, i think. >> that about 10 or >> i think that in about 10 or 15 years time, as i say, the courts are going to be stuffed full of people in their teens and 20s who've been egged on and pushed down this particular path, suddenly realised when they're when it's too late that their lives have been absolutely ruined. >> well, sticking to education, a headmaster in doncaster may have taken things a little too far in an attempt to crack down on truancy after he claimed staff were checking pupils homes to determine if their absences were legitimate, specifically their their dustbin is. their bins, their dustbin is. logic follows that if the bins hadnt logic follows that if the bins hadn't been put out at students

homes, it could suggest that they were secretly on holiday instead of being ill. while the headmaster, david scales , has headmaster, david scales, has claimed the checks were done out of concern, some have called it invasive snooping tactics. well, back to my panel, michael. when you were an mp, would you have wanted schools going around checking people's bins? well i am now okay. >> i've been a bit hard on the educational establishment. i am in favour of children going to school even if they're nearly half dead . i won only one prize half dead. i won only one prize ever at my secondary school. i won the attendance prize. my parents would never allow me to stay at home unless i was nearly dead. fortunately, i'd had all my childhood illnesses of measles and all the rest of it when i was at primary school, but i am on the side of teachers in wanting to get children into school and so checking the bins, i doubt whether doncaster i rather doubt whether doncaster is the kind of place where they're actually going. on on lavish holidays. somehow, i

suspect , to be fair to the suspect, to be fair to the schools, there probably is a high degree of truancy , and i'm high degree of truancy, and i'm on the teachers side on that. >> all right. i think there's something that i'm not very keen on people checking on on people checking bins. i once got letter from a once got a letter from a constituent had look constituent who had had a look at dustbins i wasn't at my dustbins and said i wasn't recycling which recycling enough, which i thought the most ridiculous thought was the most ridiculous letter letters i've letter of all the letters i've ever got from a constituent. >> the idea of >> well, i mean, the idea of actually sending teachers to actually sending teachers out to mount on mount surveillance operations on parents, it sounds to me that is a dubious legality for a start. and secondly, is there not a simpler way of doing it by saying, right, we'll demand a doctor's note if children are absent over, over a long period of time. >> well, that wouldn't that seem fair? i mean, it's but it's also a bit inspector clouseau, isn't it, that you're going around. you're bins okay, i'm you're saying are bins okay, i'm prepared to concede that this particular school's methodology might not be in keeping with the general spirit, but i do accept that truancy is out of all proportion to what it was pre—covid. >> and i do accept that children

are probably best from the safety point of view. apart from anything else in schools under supervision. >> and to be fair to the headmaster, even if we don't think this is the best approach, he is doing it out of goodwill and concern that he really wants to sure people are coming to make sure people are coming into and that's that's a into school, and that's that's a very honourable, noble thing to be no one can actually >> no one can actually complain about the idea that that children holiday children should go on holiday rather in school. rather than be in school. of course should school. course they should be in school. and but 117,000 kids don't go to school . and that's really school. and that's really serious. that's, you know, a 20% rise in what it was pre—covid. >> so in summary, it's a rubbish plan but well intended. that's it.thank plan but well intended. that's it. thank you my panel coming it. thank you to my panel coming up. speech is fundamental. up. free speech is fundamental. but who without sin but let he who is without sin cast the first stone. >> on patrick christys tonight, 9 to 11 pm, jewish students intimidated by a baying pro—palestine mob . pro—palestine mob. >> you keep making some very, very interesting comments. you keep talking about intimidation. you keep talking about you were

talking about. >> i'll speak to one of the victims who is left absolutely broken. plus nigel farage reacts to the £1 million muslim war veteran statue . are the tories veteran statue. are the tories in for a hiding after yesterday's damp squib of a budget, we have got exclusive new polling and was india willoughby right or wrong to report jk rowling to the police over being called a man? don't miss patrick christys tonight nine till 11 pm. be

>> welcome back. well, i may have given the impression that somerset is an idyllic paradise. a heaven on earth in which the hills endlessly roll off into burnt sunsets with the burnt orange sunsets with the gentle bleating of sheep echoing in the distance. news coming from god's own county isn't on this occasion entirely propitious. last june, two preachers were arrested in

glastonbury. now glastonbury is the most christian place in the country. christ himself was thought to have visited there with joseph of arimathea and in glastonbury in somerset, under section 35 of the anti—social behaviour, crime and policing act 2014. complaints were made from the public about preacher who was preaching against homosexuality and transgenderism . however, yesterday the crown prosecution service dropped its case against the two individuals on the grounds that there were no evidence for the charges. so i want to defend the right of people to say what they think, but also to question whether it's christian to be judging people and accusing them of sin. so here's a taste of what happened. >> as long as you don't make me look silly when i turn away and you go look at this pauper, he's not to idiot. and i'm not listening because i'm not to worry about what they think of you. >> on, you're a man. get >> come on, you're a man. get up. straighten chest up and up. straighten that chest up and than up. straighten that chest up and tha i'm going challenge that >> i'm going to challenge that because know whether because you don't know whether i'm a female. i'm a man or a female. >> i'm gonna. i'm gonna

challenge. challenge. challenge. i'm gonna challenge. i'm i'm challenge i'm gonna. i'm gonna challenge that. such that. there's no such other thing and female. thing that male and female. >> is one of >> well, with me now is one of the preachers himself, sean o'sullivan. sean, first of all, thank you for coming in. god bless you, jacob. thank you and god bless you too. tell me, what were you doing first of all? >> i was just, i went there >> so i was just, i went there to preach about jesus . i, was to preach about jesus. i, was saved very radically . so saved very radically. so i wanted to go to glastonbury with the message of turn to god of righteousness. and i was arrested. >> and glastonbury, as i said in the introduction , is one of the the introduction, is one of the most christian sites in england. the legends around glastonbury are remarkable, and glastonbury abbey and the continuing tradition. so you were choosing it as a christian pilgrimage site to go? >> yes, because i travel across all the uk. >> and what were you saying about homosexuality and transgender ? transgender? >> i said, so i said about that it was sin. according to god. now all of us have sinned. none of myself included, we are of us, myself included, we are all guilty before god. so i

said, that is sin according to the bible. now it's up to people to receive that or not. i don't hate people , but i believe that hate people, but i believe that the bible, the king james bible is clear. >> i brought a bible with me and it's math. but matthew seven is the bit that says, do not judge others. yes, and you know it's the motes and beams taking the mote out of your brother's eye when there's a beam in yours. do you feel that by focusing on homosexuals city, you were taking the speck out of the other's eye? >> well, no, i didn't, just focus on that and if you read on a bit further down, it tells you when you take the log out that you can now see and then warn your brother. that's right. >> thou shalt have clear sight to rid thy brother of the speck. >> yeah. i can't make a >> yeah. so i can't make a judgement off my own back. i have to go by the word of god. >> yes, yes. and so what were you saying ? that you were you saying? that you were quoting the bible? yes. but what's interesting is why specifically on homosexuality, why not the ten commandments,

which is the basis of all our understanding of sin. >> okay, so i said that adultery is sin. i said homosexuality, i said drunkenness , which i used said drunkenness, which i used to be an alcoholic. i said, according to god, we cannot enter his kingdom. this is why the cross, this is why we have jesus. he gave his life as a sacrifice for people who have sinned against god, ways that he would perfect us and make us walk towards his way. so it's actually all have sinned. it's not just one group, particular group that you were talking about. >> yes, and you were exercising your right to freedom of speech. yes. policeman came up . how yes. the policeman came up. how did they then treat you? >> well, they didn't seem to understand why they were there. >> they were, in ensuring , understand why they were there. >> they were, in ensuring, as i, you know, seen a lot. i preached a lot of places last year. the police seem to. someone seems to get offended in the crowd. so the police seemed to say , oh, the police seemed to say, oh, well, he's offended. someone's broke the law. well, we know that not to be true, just if you feel offended by what i say, it

doesn't mean i've committed a crime. and you were being accused of a hate crime? yes, a hate crime. and so what they did is they gave me a public, anti social order to leave the area. now i refuse to leave because i've not committed a crime. i preached that the bible , which preached that the bible, which this country swore by the king james bible , was swore. james bible, was swore. >> well, tell me about your journey to christianity. how you came to believe in christ. >> okay, so i was a very devout atheist. i was a heckler in a gospel. i was actually a seven stone heroin addict, armed robber, spent many years in her majesty's prison, which i deserved and i deserved a longer sentence, to be honest, i used to heckle a street preacher. john dunne the guy that was arrested with me, and i used to really mock him for about six, seven years. i went on to get radically born again at the end of my life. i wanted to end it all. i had enough of life and i come to a place to receive my own sin and see the grace and

the power of the cross, and it truly changed me. and that's been many years now. i've been blessed have a wife, blessed to have a wife, children, gone on to children, and i've gone on to see people out of drug see many people come out of drug addiction. have now addiction. people who have now surrendered people who surrendered knives, people who have come out of gangs, people who have, who have really suffered in this world. and that's my message. is of that's my message. it is of love. i know that a lot of love. but i know that a lot of people will not receive it. >> the understanding that >> and the understanding that we are , we're all are all sinners, we're all sinners. but christ's love will forgive us. >> will forgive >> christ's love will forgive us, have to tell the us, but we have to tell the truth. and that's the bible truth. and that's what the bible says is to warn lift says is to warn people to lift up your voice. >> you very much indeed >> thank you very much indeed for me for sharing for joining me and for sharing your sean yes, that's all your story. sean yes, that's all from me. up next, patrick from me. up next, it's patrick christys . patrick, what is on christys. patrick, what is on your bill of fare this evening? >> well, can i just by >> well, can i just start by saying fantastic segment saying what a fantastic segment that really that was? actually really enjoyed yeah, i'll have enjoyed it. but, yeah, i'll have to snappy now. i've got some to be snappy now. i've got some shocking videos to shocking extremism videos to reveal i'm also reveal to the nation. i'm also talking about he says he talking about welby. he says he needs we needs a panic alarm, but are we the danger? and it's the ones in danger? and it's rowling willoughby. round 858. >> oh, well, that sounds >> oh, well, that all sounds very exciting and i hope you

won't need a panic alarm. that'll be after the weather. i'll be back on monday at 8:00. i'm jacob rees—mogg. this has been state the nation, and been state of the nation, and although may have although we may have had a problem in glastonbury, actually somerset own somerset remains god's own county. and the weather there, which going hearing which you're going to be hearing in a moment, be the most in a moment, will be the most beautiful sunshine. even reflected by the moon. it will be the most beautiful light you can possibly imagine in the finest county in the world. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb news. >> good evening. here's your latest gb news weather update brought to you by the met office. a few showers and a touch of frost for some of us tonight, then a mostly fine day tomorrow. at the moment the uk is sandwiched in between low pressure around the bay of biscay high pressure across biscay and high pressure across scandinave la, leading to a strengthening southeasterly flow through the night. we are going to see a few showers,

particularly across parts of northern ireland. also, some showery for northeast showery outbreaks for northeast england eastern parts of england and eastern parts of scotland be little bit scotland could be a little bit of or snow over the higher of sleet or snow over the higher ground elsewhere, mostly ground here. elsewhere, a mostly dry with some clear dry picture with some clear skies, particularly towards the south england. western south of england. also western scotland , under which could scotland, under which we could see of frost first thing see a touch of frost first thing on morning in on friday morning in any sheltered rural spots. otherwise, through otherwise, as we go through tomorrow , then any showery tomorrow, then any showery outbreaks areas outbreaks across northern areas will out . so for will largely die out. so for much of the country it will be a dry picture by the afternoon, with a decent amount of sunshine across england , wales across much of england, wales and western parts of and also western parts of scotland. that southeast scotland. but that southeast wind will be bringing in some cloud which is likely to linger across eastern north eastern parts significant wind parts and a significant wind chill will make it feel pretty cold under that cloud. two looking ahead to the weekend and after a dry start for most on saturday, a weather system pushing up from the pushing its way up from the southwest will lead to a fairly wet story for many of us as we go through weekend, the rain go through the weekend, the rain likely be heaviest and likely to be heaviest and most frequent across southern areas further probably further north. it's probably

going patchy , a bit going to be a bit patchy, a bit more showery and mostly light. two temperatures picking up on saturday, again . saturday, dropping down again. >> it looks like things are heating up . boxt boilers heating up. boxt boilers sponsors of weather on

gb news. >> you're watching and listening to gb news with me. sam francis, the headlines at exactly 11:00. government ministers are challenging labour to set out its own funding plans. after the opposition party backed the government's decision to cut national insurance . the non—dom national insurance. the non—dom tax status will be scrapped with the aim of raising revenue to make up for the £0.02 cut figures suggest any benefits for the taxpayer are likely to be cancelled out by an expected rise in council tax. however jeremy hunt told gb news earlier that his budget is proof that the government's fiscal plan is working. >> we want to end the

unfairness, the direction of travel we've gone is to reduce national insurance by one third. the fact that labour are opposing this today is really because labour don't have any plans to reduce taxation. it sort of makes my point for me, their plan is basically that tax should remain at its current levels . we say we don't have to levels. we say we don't have to accept the status quo. if you make difficult decisions, if you stick to our plan for the economy, that's seen inflation falling and growth starting to rise, we can bring down the tax burden . burden. >> we've heard today that the uk has pledged a further £125 million of military support to ukraine in another major move against putin's invasion is our home and security editor mark white, with more on what that means for ukraine's war efforts. >> this extra package, announced by grant shapps on a visit to ukraine is very significant. hundreds of pounds and millions of pounds in extra