i >> -- >> well . >> well. >> well. >> a very good afternoon to you folks. it's 3 pm. and welcome to the martin daubney show on gb news. broadcasting live from the heart westminster all across heart of westminster all across the uk. today there's been a surge in the number of asylum seekers crossing the channel today, adding to the 3500 who've already crossed from france already crossed from france already this year. and this comes as a new report shows the government's plans for housing asylum seekers is set to cost more than using hotels. we'll speak to an raf wethersfield campaigner and later on the show, an raf scampton campaigner for their thoughts. also this houn for their thoughts. also this hour, irish taoiseach leo varadkar has dramatically announced that he'd be stepping down. we'll be discussing what

legacy he leaves behind and will it spa a brexit party style revolt? and finally, in what they call a show of solidarity, blackpool council installs a rainbow zebra crossing aimed at boosting inclusivity in the area. is this really what's an area. is this really what's an area like blackpool needs? well, we'll speak to a councillor who thinks so because it was their idea and that's all coming up in your next hour. now what a show we've got for you today at 5:00, the 1922 committee will meet rishi sunak will face the music. will there be a leadership revolt also the lords well, they're certainly revolt . it's they're certainly revolt. it's due to go through another phase of ping pong. we'll have the full detail on the magnitude of that revolt. and i'm telling you, it feels like brexit groundhog all over again. who's in control of the country? plus,

have the lunatics taken over our asylum system? well, look at the bill. it's ten times more expensive than initially anticipated. we'll speak to campaign leaders at raf wethersfield in essex and raf scampton, of course, the historic site of the dambusters to speak to the people there on the ground saying they weren't listened to and it's simply not fair. people power in action. plus leo varadkar stands down. will that will that spell a brexit party style political referendum over the irish sea turns to get through? please get in touch all the usual ways. vaiews@gbnews.com. but before all of that, it's time for your latest news headlines with sophia jonathan vautrey . sophia wenzler jonathan vautrey. >> thanks, martin. good afternoon. it's 3:01. i'm sophia wenzler in the gb newsroom . some wenzler in the gb newsroom. some breaking news gb news can reveal a migrant has been stabbed on a

small boat attempting to cross the english channel today. uk authorities, including a border force vessel and two lifeboats, attended the incident just before lunchtime. the dinghy was one of eight small boats that reached the uk waters on the busiest day of channel crossings so far this year. a record 450 migrants have arrived in the uk on small boats today. this takes the number of migrants arriving on small boats this year to nearly 4000. housing asylum seekers on barges, military bases and student digs will cost taxpayers more than the hotels currently being used , the currently being used, the national audit office said. housing those waiting for asylum decisions in alternative accommodation, such as the bibby stockholm barge and former raf sites, would cost the home office £1.2 billion. meanwhile, the home office has announced that 100 asylum hotels will have been handed back to the public use by the end of march . sir use by the end of march. sir keir starmer says the prime minister has a sword of damocles

hanging over him. speaking dunng hanging over him. speaking during pmqs, the labour leader criticised rishi sunak over the cost of his rwanda plan and the lack of flights to the east african nation. but rishi sunak has insisted flights will get off the ground, and that the opposition doesn't have a plan to fix the issue. mps overturned ten amendments to the legislation made by peers when the bill was in the commons on monday . monday. >> the tragedy is we know the prime minister doesn't even believe in the rwanda gimmick. he tried to stop funding it, but he's now so diminished that his entire focus is stopping his mps holding the sword of damocles above his head. how has he managed to spend £600 million of taxpayer money on a gimmick to deport 300 people, but the prime minister said labour is running out of ideas not only does the labour party not have a plan to

fix this issue, but the truth is they don't actually care about fixing this issue. >> when he talks about the gangs, when we gave the police new powers to crack down on the people smuggling gangs , he spent people smuggling gangs, he spent months campaigning and voting against him. if it was up to him, those criminals would still be out on our streets, mr speaken be out on our streets, mr speaker, and the truth is, if the truth is, if he wasn't the labour leader, he'd still want to be their lawyer . to be their lawyer. >> in other news, leo varadkar has announced he's stepping down as ireland's prime minister. the 45 year old says he has resigned as the leader of the party immediately, and will stay on as taoiseach until his successor is chosen. mr varadkar became the first openly gay man to lead the irish government when he came out during the 2015 marriage equality referendum . he equality referendum. he described his time in the role as fulfilling and says it was the right time. >> i know this will come as a surprise to many people and a disappointment to some, and i

hope at least you will understand my decision . i know understand my decision. i know that others will. how should i put it ? cope with the news just put it? cope with the news just fine. that is the great thing about living in a democracy. there's never a right time to resign high office. however, this is as good a time as any vaughan gething has officially been elected as the first minister of wales, succeeding mark drakeford . mark drakeford. >> his appointment will now be recommended to the king. vaughan gething says he wants to lead a wales of hope and ambition and unity. >> i am, after all, the first elected leader of my party and indeed my country, with an ap in their name. >> we have, of course , today >> we have, of course, today voted also to ensure that wales becomes a first nation anywhere in europe to be led by a black person. >> it is a matter of pride , i >> it is a matter of pride, i believe, for a modern wales, but also a daunting responsibility for me , and one that i do not

for me, and one that i do not take lightly . take lightly. >> now uk inflation has fallen more than expected to the lowest level in over two years, official figures show . uk official figures show. uk inflation for february came in 3.4. that's down from 4. it's a bigger fall than economists had forecast. inflation is now closer to the bank of england's 2% target and comes ahead of the latest interest rate decision on thursday and a fresh wave of rail and london underground strikes are set to bring travel chaos next month. aslef the train drivers union, has called a series of walkouts from april the 5th to the eighth, coupled with a six day overtime ban involving 16 rail companies. they've also called tube strikes on the 8th of april and the 4th of may in the capital, aslef drivers have voted by 98% in favour of industrial action. and for the latest story, sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen, or go to gbnews.com slash alerts. now it's back to . martin.

it's back to. martin. >> thank you very much, sophia. now let's get stuck into our top story this afternoon. and a migrant has been stabbed and injured on a small boat in the engush injured on a small boat in the english channel today. the dinghy was one of eight small boats that reached uk waters on the busiest day of channel crossings so far this year, an improvement in weather conditions has seen an increase in criminal people smugglers attempting to launch multiple small boats from french beaches. and this comes as a new report shows the government's plans for housing asylum seekers is set to cost more than using hotels. well it's got the thoughts now of our home and security editor mark white. mark, welcome to the show. before we get into the cost of asylum seeker accommodation, can we start with dramatic developments of a violent incident in the channel

>> yeah, it's been a really busy day of breaking news relating to the small boat crisis. what we can confirm at this stage is that a migrant has been stabbed and injured on a small boat as it crossed the english channel today, one of eight small boats , today, one of eight small boats, part of a record breaking day this year, 450 migrants have made it to the uk , compared to made it to the uk, compared to 401 the previous record day earlier this month. now this incident was brought to the attention of uk authorities around about lunchtime today. border force vessels and two lifeboats attended the scene in the middle of the english channel. they took those migrants on board those vessels, the injured migrant. we don't know any more details about them at this stage was taken on board the walmer walmer lifeboat and taken to dover harbour, where an ambulance was awaiting that

lifeboats arrival. our kent producer filmed exclusive images as the ambulance was there on the quay side. the paramedics there to treat that injured migrant as they came off from the lifeboat. now the dover lifeboat was also in attendance. it took the more than 60 plus migrants who were on the boat at the centre of this stabbing incident, on board their vessel came back to dover and there are a number of police officers were waiting by the quayside to check those migrants as they came off the boat. obviously concerned turn that there may still be a weapon there . the migrants have weapon there. the migrants have then been taken, as far as we understand , to the processing understand, to the processing centre run by border force at dover harbour. for more in the way of checks. we don't have an awful lot more about this incident at how badly injured this migrant is. incident at how badly injured this migrant is . we've reached this migrant is. we've reached out to the home office. they

said that kent police are taking the lead on this investigation. so we've reached out to both kent police and the south east coast ambulance service for any information they have at this time. but we can't confirm that a migrant on board a small boat crossing the english channel today was stabbed and injured. and of course, our audience might be asking, why on earth would an incident like this unfold on a small boat? but what sometimes happens in the chaos on the other side of the channel on the other side of the channel on the other side of the channel on the french coast, is that you get some migrants who don't have the money to get on board these boats, who just try to force their way on the boats in the chaotic scenes, as the boats are launching, and sometimes the gangmasters, the people smugglers, deal with that in a violent way. so that might be what we saw unfold there. that will obviously come out in the fullness of time. >> okay, mark. and more grisly news today. the national audit office has released its report

into the frankly staggering cost of asylum accommodation. home office expecting mark an eye—watering, an astonishing £1.2 billion on its large sites programme alone , costing more programme alone, costing more even than asylum hotels . even than asylum hotels. >> yeah, the national audit office figures show that the cost of redeveloping and converting various larger, redesigned sites for use by asylum seekers will cost an expected 1.2 billion. that they say is about 46 million more than if those migrants were kept in hotels. now, rishi sunak, of course , in august of last year course, in august of last year promised that he would end the use of asylum seekers in hotels that was not suitable. he said it was taking, of course , these it was taking, of course, these hotels out of commission for

communities where they're often a vital asset for weddings , a vital asset for weddings, other key events. they're no longer available on that front. the home office have just announced this afternoon that by next friday, they will have handed back 100 hotels, to their local communities again , having local communities again, having put migrants either in rented accommodation or into these sites like, the former raf wethersfield base, the bibby stockholm and eventually to the old raf scampton site. and on that national audit office finding what the home office say is it doesn't tell the true story. yes there has been a cost in a significant cost in the way the home office has kind of rushed through to get these , rushed through to get these, sites in play to get them redeveloped , probably paid a lot redeveloped, probably paid a lot more than they would have done had it been done, on a slower time scale . but they say that time scale. but they say that once the upfront costs of

developing the site are dealt with, actually over the longer time, it makes much more sense. and is cost saving much more efficient to keep asylum seekers in big purpose built or redeveloped sites, rather than paying redeveloped sites, rather than paying £8.2 million a day to keep them in hotels . keep them in hotels. >> okay, mark wyatt, a thorough and excellent summary as ever. thank you for joining and excellent summary as ever. thank you forjoining us on the thank you for joining us on the show. and of course, bring you more on that stabbing incident throughout show as more throughout the show as more details emerges. well, joining me the of the me now is the chair of the fields association in wethersfield, alan mckenzie. alan, welcome to the show. so figures out today about the huge cost of housing asylum seekers in large sites such as wethersfield, where you are a representative of astonishing numbers . i representative of astonishing numbers. i mean, it was initially meant to cost £5 million to repurpose wethersfield, the true figure is £49 million, ten times more than they originally let on. and

presumably you guys still think it's the wrong idea , the wrong place. >> well, they've been saying that from the get go, we warned the home office of the difficulties of the site . it's difficulties of the site. it's incredibly remote. five miles from the nearest a road , 20 from the nearest a road, 20 miles from the nearest motorway , miles from the nearest motorway, the site itself is pretty old. we told them that the main sewer pipe, we told them that the main sewer pipe, over flows and adjoining land, and therefore it won't be able to be utilised properly. we told them the water pressure there was low. they've had to mitigate that. the communications are terrible. they still have problems about providing wi—fi for the asylum seekers on the base , they were seekers on the base, they were warned that the costs would be far, far heavier than ever they thought they possibly could be. and that's been brought to pass. the other factor that we warned, which was just common sense for anybody who thought about it,

was that the thought of housing potentially 1700 young men on a site where they couldn't get out to do anything to any, to any tents and purposes was a recipe for disaster. and lo and behold, once they reached around about 500 people, the call outs that, existed from the emergency services where there's a police or ambulance really got out of control , to the extent that when control, to the extent that when we met cleverly back at the end of january and, again emphasised all of these concerns, which were coming home to roost, the home office has at least now, taken those concerns on board and issued a letter both to scampton and, in respect of wethersfield saying that they're going to limit the numbers to a regular sort of total of about 800, which is still too many, because once you get that many young men together, they , go

young men together, they, go into groups, whether by culture, whether by country , and, you whether by country, and, you know, some tensions arise, which is exactly what was found, at least with that experience, they have started to look at changing their policy on how they approach these things . approach these things. >> alan, you've laid out a factual dossier there of why this is inappropriate in terms of the facilities, the costings, the incompatibility of the cultural values being imported with those of the community, and yet they still haven't listened, they still haven't listened to you guys. how does that make the locals feel in the area? and doesit locals feel in the area? and does it leave the stark conclusion that the lunatics have taken over the asylum system ? system? >> people in the area are just so frustrated that they haven't been listened to properly. in fact, it was a policy by the home office not to engage with the local community at the get go if they had properly consulted local community and the local planning authority,

braintree, they'd have got a lot of feedback, which may have, you know , resulted in not know, resulted in not approaching, the wethersfield site and the way they had and save themselves and taxpayers a huge amount of money. i mean, the £49 million is relation to refurbishment costs and some site costs. if you look at delve a bit deeper into those numbers, you know, you could be talking about £100 million plus and, you know, the way they've just approached this, and it is the, the prior regime at the home office, i mean, it has to changed a certain extent, but the prior regime just was in a panic and went out and spent money willy nilly in a foolish manner, which is coming home to roost now . roost now. >> okay. well, thank you for joining us. alan mckenzie is the chair of the fields association. wethersfield, keep fighting on and keep in touch with us here at gb news. very best of to british you now, welsh labour leader gething has

leader vaughan gething has officially been elected as the new first minister of wales . and new first minister of wales. and of course, he succeeds mark drakeford, who resigned on tuesday after having held the position since 2018. mr gething was elected as the welsh government leader by members of the senate a little earlier today. well gb news political correspondent katherine forster joins me now from cardiff. catherine, always a pleasure. yesterday when we spoke, it was pretty hard to find a local who had a good word to say about mr drakeford. what's the reaction to the new fella ? to the new fella? >> well, we'll come to that in just a moment. martin but first of all, i think it's worth having a little look at what he had to say because of course, he has made history today as the first black leader of any country in europe. so he got 27 out of 51 votes. let's have a quick look now at part of his speech. >> i am, after all, the first elected leader of my party and

indeed my country with an app in the name . the name. >> we have. >> we have. >> of course, today voted also to ensure that wales becomes a first nation anywhere in europe, to be led by a black person. it is a matter of pride. i believe , is a matter of pride. i believe, for a modern wales, but also a daunting, responsible for me and one that i do not take lightly. >> but today we can also expect a depressingly familiar pattern to emerge with abuse on social media, racist tropes disguised with polite language, people questioning my motives . questioning my motives. >> and yes, they will still question or deny my nationality, whilst others will question why i am playing the race card to those people , i say once more it those people, i say once more it is very easy not to care about identity when your own has never once been questioned or held you back. >> he also said that the

government in westminster had been trying to undermine devolution here in wales, and he said that he looked forward. it relished the opportunity to cooperate for wales with a new uk government. obviously he's anticipating a labour government in westminster in the near future, and worth saying although labour are putting on a unhed although labour are putting on a united front here, he did win this by a whisker. there was also a lot of controversy over a £200,000 donation in which he accepted from a man linked to a company that had been convicted twice of environmental offences. so not everybody happy in labour here, though they are appearing unhed here, though they are appearing united and talking to people in cardiff a little bit earlier. well, let's see what the voters make of this . make of this. >> a lot of things need to change in wales. >> vaughan gething i like the old one, the old minister. i

thought he'd done a lot of good dunng thought he'd done a lot of good during the covid times. >> we just have to wait and see with varne we have hope. >> but hard know because >> but it's hard to know because i think the people that come in there quite heavily influenced by as well. by their parties as well. >> we need a more fair play from england. they still have this colonial attitude towards us. we do a raw deal and, it do get a raw deal and, it depends on that. it's out of our control, basically a lot of our problems. so it depends. if we get a labour government, i think it would seem in westminster it'll improve things as well because we do not have full control. >> i would like them to sort of be more independent, actually, of what's happening in england, because to me, you know, the way england is going with the conservatives is pretty much downhill. whereas i think with labour wales, they could labour in wales, they could actually do lot more things. actually do a lot more things. you in a welsh context to you know, in a welsh context to improve people's lives . improve people's lives. >> i'm afraid to say anything in case i swear. >> yeah. no, i'm sorry, i got, got room for a drakeford. i

think you've ruined wales. >> so that's what the people of cardiff have to say. and he's got a huge in—tray , doctors got a huge in—tray, doctors strikes, nhs waiting lists. of course . also this hugely course. also this hugely controversial 20 mile per hour zone that's causing outrage , zone that's causing outrage, with many in wales and farmers protests, and also the fact that at port talbot , just down the at port talbot, just down the road, the coking, factories have been turned off today , going to been turned off today, going to been turned off today, going to be lots of job losses with that. so an awful lot for him to have to deal with. but back to you, martin. thank you. >> catherine falls are worth pointing out. vaughan gething got 51.9% of the vote less than brexit, which his labour party tried to overturn. thank you, katherine forster live from cardiff. now don't go anywhere because very soon we'll be discussing irish premier leo varadkar's legacy after he announced that he will be standing down earlier today . standing down earlier today.

will there be a political revolution over the irish sea? i'm martin daubney on gb news, britain's news channel

welcome back. time is 327. i'm martin daubney, and this is gb news. now, the shadow agriculture secretary, steve reed, has slammed the current government over their record for farmers and rural voters as he pitches for the rural vote ahead of the next general election. mr reed said that farmers feel completely shafted by this government and that people in rural britain who backed the tories significantly in the 2019 election are angry and are now looking at labour for the first time in more than a decade. well, joining me now to discuss this is the conservative mp and the chair of the environment , the chair of the environment, food and rural affairs select committee, sir robert goodwill. sir robert, so the labour party

making a big plea here to be the vote of the farmers, the rural people of this amazing country. what's your take? >> i think the labour party have one big problem making this case, and that's wales, because they're in government in wales. >> in fact, they've gone so far as to that wales is the as to say that wales is the blueprint government as to say that wales is the bl|the int government as to say that wales is the bl|the uk. government as to say that wales is the bl|the uk. and government as to say that wales is the bl|the uk. and you government as to say that wales is the bl|the uk. and you know, nment as to say that wales is the bl|the uk. and you know, ifnent as to say that wales is the bl|the uk. and you know, if you in the uk. and you know, if you want to really find an angry farmer, go to wales. they've you made the whole country a nitrate vulnerable zone. they're insisting that farmers are going to put 10% of their land into forestry, 10% into environmental schemes, and they're not pursuing policies that actually control bovine tuberculosis. so, you if you want to know you know, if you want to know what labour is like in government, go to wales. they're in . of course, government, go to wales. they're in failing . of course, government, go to wales. they're in failing across of course, government, go to wales. they're in failing across the ourse, they're failing across the spectrum. education they're failing across the spectrdown education they're failing across the spectrdown the education they're failing across the spectrdown the pound ion they're failing across the spectrdown the pound .»n they're failing across the spectrdown the pound . their going down the pound. their health is not good. they've health care is not good. they've got lists. you got long waiting lists. so you know, i don't think farmers will fall to be honest, fall for this to be honest, because business because farmers are business people. they know that, you know, not be on know, labour tends not to be on the business. the side of business. >> fact, sir robert, that >> and in fact, sir robert, that led protests in wales

led to protests in wales recently wasn't quite as violent as france . in france, as we saw in france. in france, they say it with fire in wales. they said it with a choir. they sang outside the senate, but nevertheless you're right to point out they're fed up of 10% wilding of the land, 10% planting trees, 20% loss of land, 20% loss of revenue. yeah. >> i mean, if you're a dairy farm with 100 cows and 100 acres and you're being told you're going to have to go to 80 cows, you those 20 are your you know, those 20 cows are your profit margin . you know, of profit margin. you know, some of the suitable for the land, maybe is suitable for forestry. but having this blanket, inflexible policy , i blanket, inflexible policy, i think, really demonstrates how, how little they understand about land use, how little they understand different understand about the different types farming . and actually, types of farming. and actually, in england, you know, we are rolling reforms and not all rolling out reforms and not all of are universally popular. of us are universally popular. but think understand but i think farmers understand that the what call the that the what we call the environmental management that the what we call the environrisntal management that the what we call the environrisntal of management that the what we call the environrisntal of supportingent scheme is a way of supporting farmers, but supporting in a way that will support as well. >> it's also fair to point out, though. i mean, jeremy clarkson highlighted that in england and the country as well,

the rest of the country as well, there is a strangulation of red tape. and in the national tape. and in fact, the national farmers union conference recently, farmers saying recently, farmers were saying they often do at the moment at least feel a bit overlooked or even taken for granted by the conservative party. what do you even taken for granted by the con to vative party. what do you even taken for granted by the con to that? party. what do you even taken for granted by the con to that? welli. what do you even taken for granted by the con to that? well i'm 1at do you even taken for granted by the con to that? well i'm at do you even taken for granted by the con to that? well i'm a farmer,| say to that? well i'm a farmer, you know, and most of my friends were farmers vote conservative. >> understand farming were farmers vote conservative. >:a understand farming were farmers vote conservative. >:a businesszrstand farming were farmers vote conservative. >:a business like nd farming were farmers vote conservative. >:a business like any farming were farmers vote conservative. >:a business like any other'ming is a business like any other business and that conservatives understand business. i think they also understand and, you know, if you look across europe, what's happening there, they're moving payments what's happening there, they're m

look closely at wales before you decide cast your votes. decide how to cast your votes. >> though did >> nevertheless, though we did see constituencies such see in rural constituencies such as they're as north shropshire, they're still that cannot be taken still seats that cannot be taken for granted. liberal democrats, obviously it's a by—election it's a bit different, but they made storm into that area. made a big storm into that area. you can't take any the rural you can't take any of the rural seats granted those robert. seats for granted those robert. >> that's true. >> em 5 elm— >> i mean, we had a by—election where in north yorkshire where i live in north yorkshire in and big there in 1986. and the big issue there was imposition milk was the imposition of milk quotas and liberal quotas. and the liberal democrats took the seat. 13 months later, the tories came back. actually, you'd back. and actually, if you'd gone back farmers gone back to the farmers a decade later and taken away decade later and, and taken away their quotas, which we did, their milk quotas, which we did, eventually they would actually be arms then because the be up in arms then because the quotas were an asset. you quotas were an asset. so, you know, think should know, i don't think we should read too into by elections, read too much into by elections, but need listen the but we do need to listen to the countryside. and i think, you know, given labour's done know, given what labour's done in we have a lot in wales, i think we have a lot of alarm bells ringing in of alarm bells ringing here in england. were to take control. >> okay. so good. well thank you very joining us in the very much forjoining us in the studio. a pleasure to studio. always a pleasure to have here. there's have you in here. now there's lots still come the lots more still to come on the show, including for the show, including a boost for the conservatives as inflation falls

by expected set by more than expected and is set to fall below that magic 2% target next month. but do members of the public feel the benefit, or we'll find out a little later on by asking them with the people's channel after all. but first, here's your latest news headlines with sophia wenzler. >> martin. thank you. it's 331. i'm sophia wenzler and the gb news room . your headlines gb news room. your headlines gb news room. your headlines gb news can reveal a migrant has been stabbed on a small boat attempting to cross the english channel. today, uk authorities, including border force and two lifeboats, attended the incident just before lunchtime . the just before lunchtime. the dinghy was one of eight small boats that reached uk waters on the busiest day of channel crossings so far this year , a crossings so far this year, a record 450 migrants have arrived on small boats. this takes the number of migrants arriving this year to nearly 4000. keir starmer says the prime minister

has the sword of damocles hanging over him. speaking dunng hanging over him. speaking during pmqs, the labour leader criticised rishi sunak over the cost of his rwanda plan and the lack of flights to the east african nation. but rishi sunak has insisted flights will get off the ground and that the opposition doesn't have plan opposition doesn't have a plan to the issue. mps overturned to fix the issue. mps overturned ten amendments to the legislation made by peers when the bill was the commons on the bill was in the commons on monday . monday. >> the tragedy is we know the prime minister doesn't even believe in the rwanda gimmick. he tried to stop funding it, but he's now so diminished that his entire focus is stopping his mps holding the sword of damocles above his head. how has he managed to spend £600 million of taxpayer money on a gimmick to deport 300 people and leo varadkar has announced he's stepping down as islands prime minister. >> the 45 year old says he has resigned as the leader of the

party immediately, and will stay on as taoiseach his on as taoiseach until his successor is chosen. mr varadkar became the first openly gay man to lead the irish government when he came out during the 2015 marriage equality referendum , marriage equality referendum, and bosses at the london clinic , and bosses at the london clinic, where the princess of wales had abdominal surgery, have said all appropriate investigatory, regulatory and disciplinary steps will be taken when looking at medical data breaches . the at medical data breaches. the mirror has reported that at least one member of staff tried to access princess catherine's notes while she was a patient at the private hospital in london in january . and for the latest in january. and for the latest stories, sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen, or go to gbnews.com/alerts . gbnews.com/alerts. >> for stunning gold and silver coins, you'll always value rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news financial report ,

the gb news financial report, and here's a quick snapshot of today's markets. >> the pound will buy you $1.2706 and ,1.1708. the price of gold is £1,697.69 per ounce, and the ftse 100 is at 7745 points. >> rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news financial report . report. >> thank you sophia. now stay with us here on gb news. plenty more to bring you throughout the show , and please don't forget to show, and please don't forget to get your emails. get them whizzing in your thoughts whizzing in with your thoughts on stories of the day, on the big stories of the day, including they ever stop including will they ever stop the boats? 450, a record number today. and somebody was stabbed on one of those dinghies on the way over to britain . what does way over to britain. what does that say about the types of people coming into this country, and are they being housed anywhere near you ? i'm getting

anywhere near you? i'm getting lots and lots of contact of people having houses bought in their communities. people stuffed in their neighbourhoods without them being consulted has that happened to you? let me know. gb views at gb news. comm that's the email. i'll get through as many as i can before the end of the show. martin the end of the show. i'm martin daubney news, britain's daubney on gb news, britain's news

welcome back. i'm martin daubney and this is gb news. now don't forget, i really want to hear from you today. the big topic of the day is this. have the lunatics taken over our asylum system? £1.2 billion is now the cost . some of those now the cost. some of those projects, including raf wethersfield and essex, ten times over budget, thousands of

men being dumped on communities. get in touch will we ever stop the boats? will we ever get a handle on this? gb views at gb news. com now the world renowned hospital where king charles and princess kate were recently treated as confirmed that it's investigating a potential data breach . and it comes after at breach. and it comes after at least one member of staff were suspected of trying to access the princess of wales medical notes, and this afternoon the chief executive of the london clinic has said all appropriate investigatory, regulatory and disciplinary steps will be taken when looking at alleged data breaches. an outrageous situation. let's discuss that now with our royal correspondent cameron walker, who joins us now from outside that clinic, the london clinic. cameron, this really seems like an intrusion too far. what's the latest ? too far. what's the latest? >> well, martin, this appears to

be quite serious, as you said. the chief executive of the london clinic, hal russell, has released a statement in the last couple of hours saying that all appropriate investigatory, regulatory disciplinary regulatory and disciplinary steps will be taken. so he appeared to acknowledge that there certainly is some kind of allegation about this alleged data breach to do with the princess of wales's health records. now, the health and care professions council. they've also said that its standards clearly state that patients information should be treated confidentially, but they didn't confirm whether or not a complaint has been made. downing street also got involved street has also got involved this afternoon, saying that people behind the people should get behind the princess of wales. and the spokesperson the prime spokesperson for the prime minister clearly there are minister said clearly there are strict rules on patient data that be followed. well, the that must be followed. well, the london clinic is a renowned hospital . it's trusted to treat hospital. it's trusted to treat royals politicians as well as celebrities it prides itself on in its own words, providing excellence in one place. the princess was in here in january, having that planned abdominal

surgery . and then last night, surgery. and then last night, the mirror reported that at least one member of staff had allegedly tried to access the princess of wales's medical records. this is potentially records. now this is potentially very serious because that is a criminal offence. if it is true, you cannot, without the patient consent , access those records or consent, access those records or indeed the hospital consent or hospitals consent. in other words, unless you are directly treating the patient, you should not have access to those medical notes. now, the health minister, maria caulfield, maria caulfield , said this morning she appeared to suggest that the metropolitan police had been asked to look into it. there was a bit of confusion because a metropolitan police spokesperson said that there not they were not there had not they were not aware of any kind of referral. but this, course , is in the but this, of course, is in the context all the conspiracy context of all the conspiracy theories princess of theories around the princess of wales health. and wales and her health. and remember, just the princess remember, not just the princess of wales who was treated in that hospital. his majesty the king was walker was to cameron walker from outside london clinic. outside the london clinic. >> thanks for joining outside the london clinic. >> thanks forjoining us on the >> thanks for joining us on the show. anybody's medical records

are sacrosanct, especially a princess. if this is true, surely heads must roll now. moving on, moving on now. and a gb news series innovation britain. we are looking at the success of british manufacturing around this fine country. >> there's high value manufacturing happening all around the world, but for those factories to make good components , they need to be components, they need to be supported by good engineering, production products, production engineering products, mick, that's what you guys make here in brown and holmes in tamworth. >> yep. that's where all of our manufacture comes from, the skills that we have here. yes absolutely. >> those products that you make, they go all around the world. >> what are those products doing? >> products enabling >> those products are enabling other places, other countries to produce high quality parts. without these solutions, it's a struggle for them to produce these parts. >> exactly. >> exactly. >> what exactly kind of parts are they doing? >> there's example here.

>> there's an example here. >> there's an example here. >> this example. this is an aircraft aircraft aircraft component for aircraft engine. yeah, yeah. aircraft component for aircraft engso . yeah, yeah. aircraft component for aircraft engso they're yeah. aircraft component for aircraft engso they're being the >> so they're being made all the way singapore this way over in singapore this component to go into a jet engine, and how come the products that they need to use to hold the blades to make them, why do they have to get made to here in the uk? >> yeah, they need the, the massive amount of experience for the design and the manufacture of these solutions to be able to produce their parts. >> absolutely. >> absolutely. >> and here at brownite homes in tamworth, what exactly are the skills that you need to be able to produce the parts like this that sent everywhere? that get sent everywhere? >> guys working >> yeah. we've got guys working on in the office doing on computers in the office doing the then the designs and then manufacturing, these manufacturing, machining these parts on the same site. so dunng parts on the same site. so during manufacture , any during manufacture, any problems? we've got the guys here that design the parts . here that design the parts. >> and why is it important to be able to do all of that here in the uk in one site? >> it's because it's a it's a bespoke solution that needs a lot, lot knowledge to lot, of lot of knowledge to manufacture that specific solution. >> yeah, but how important is

the experience in making these kinds of these fixtured engineering components for these products? >> yeah, the experience goes a long way into the product that we produce. i mean, we've been doing this for over 75 years, but it's 75 years of experience in engineering products supporting high value manufacturing all around the world, like this one going to singapore.

>> welcome back. it's 348. i'm martin daubney, and this is gb news, who's now irish premier leo varadkar is a dramatically announced that he is to resign from office. varadkar's resignation as leader of his party, fine gael, is effective from today. and he will step down as prime minister. as i say in ireland, the taoiseach, when a successor is to be born, when a successor is to be born, when

a successor is selected . now to a successor is selected. now to discuss this, i'm joined now by the leader of the irish freedom party, herman carry. herman, welcome to the show. why do you think he went and why now , why? think he went and why now, why? and i'll say the taoiseach. leo varadkar. >> it went and i'm. >> it went and i'm. >> he did? why? >> he did? why? >> well, we're just two weeks after a double referendum blow where they expected an easy victory for the yes campaign over raising women and mothers from the constitution and, there was two referenda, one defeated by two thirds of population, another by three quarters of the population voted no. >> now there's only two parties in the whole country that campaigned among one of them was irish freedom party campaigned against . so look, one third against it. so look, one third of the parliament party of fine gael of the parliament party of fine gael, of which leo varadkar is leader, have made known that they're not going to stand in they're not going to stand in the next election. this is incredible statistic. it's very

all the political parties have felt the anger of the irish people against the damage done by globalist policies , which by globalist policies, which they are pushing incessantly in ireland. be it regards the imposition of anti free speech laws by pushing eu open borders, which is making ireland less safe, which is which is making it more difficult for young people to get a home which is actually pushing young people to emigrate out of ireland. that's a that's problem. we don't a that's a problem. we don't hear about much outside of ireland. but i think knew ireland. but i think he knew that the pressure was coming. so many of his own parliamentary party have had enough, have given up and i think he just thought, you know what we've i've created so much trouble in the last seven years of my tenure, maybe now's a good time to leave before. i don't want to say the lynch the political lynch mobs come out and gets lynch mobs come out and he gets a kick in the ballot box. come the local and european election of june this year. >> and herman, that's a

fascinating prospect because, as i understand it, independent candidates, smaller parties are currently polling at 17. fine gael itself is only on 20. are we about to see herman , a we about to see herman, a political revolution in ireland, akin to what the brexit party did in the mainland? >> what you're looking at in ireland is well arisen. people a people who are starting to, who've been on their knees for decades. and it's the first time where there's a political and ideological opposition to liberalism, globalist liberalism, globalist liberalism, whatever you want to call it. but basically the anti—nationalist now we have a return of a nationalist, not not a nationalist, return of a nationalist, not not a nationalist , just we hate a nationalist, just we hate brits, but a nationalist cause in which once they take control of its own destiny, control of its own laws, its own borders , its own laws, its own borders, its own laws, its own borders, its own laws, its own borders, its own budgets, rather than having these dictated by people in brussels or the who. or the wef , f that basically the irish

wef, f that basically the irish people are sovereign over our own affairs and rise by our own genius or fall by our own stupidity. but we've certainly had enough of the huge demographic change which eu open borders has brought to ireland so far, and it's making our country much less safe. we only have to look at the amount of murders and sexual assaults over the last number of years. it's basically it's getting pretty rough, around parts of dublin. very rough indeed . very rough indeed. >> okay. thank you forjoining >> okay. thank you for joining us. and that was herman kelly, the leader of the irish freedom party. always a pleasure to have you on the show. now, in a colourful display of solidarity and inclusivity, blackpool have unveiled rainbow adorned zebra crossings as part of its be who you want to be initiative. these vibrant crossings inspired by the progress pride flag, support for the lgbtq+ community, a long standing presence in the area. but many residents have reacted with a mixed bag , saying it with a mixed bag, saying it won't be long until it's either

trashed or turned into a selfie spot, which is dangerous. well, joining me now is the leader of blackpool council and ward councillor for claremont, lynne williams. welcome to the show lynne . thanks forjoining us, lynne. thanks forjoining us, what was the thinking behind and this crossing? and if you don't mind me asking, how much did it cost? >> 35,000 for the two crossings and the other work around the junction. so so which isn't money that would have been spent on, on anything else. it's money that is, is ring fenced for street furniture and street, you know, regeneration, etc. so, the, the road markings are the zebra crossing and at the junction there, the first stage of , of, the action plan that junction there, the first stage of, of, the action plan that has come from the be who you want to be plan. so then that follows consultation and surveys with the community, the wider community across the and community across the town. and this wanted something this was they wanted something that the area and that lifted the area and supported being a bit supported businesses being a bit of colour, the area needs, investment and regeneration. we're in the midst of a 2

billion regeneration across the town. so and of course it supports the lgbt community who have, you know, real part of the history and contributions to blackpool . blackpool. >> okay. lynn, blackpool has 17% above the national average in long terms. sickness, very high proportion of heroin and crack, opiate addiction compared to the national average. is this really what taxpayers want to see? a rainbow crossing? >> we absolutely have to focus on, you know, on the most, you know, important things and looking at our vulnerable residents and, you know, public health schemes, we do do that. but we've also got to be able to support other communities because this is about a health support other communities becewelfare. is about a health support other communities becewelfare. this)out a health support other communities becewelfare. this isit a health support other communities becewelfare. this is about alth and welfare. this is about businesses , regeneration, people businesses, regeneration, people living area . it's about living in the area. it's about civic pride. so it is it's easy to discount it as, as, you know , to discount it as, as, you know, as something gimmicky, but it's far more valuable to the community. and it's a sign of for businesses, the pink pound, you know, we are a tourist town.

so absolutely all of those things. we are aware of the things. and we are aware of the challenges in challenges that we face in blackpool. hard blackpool. we work very hard to deal with them. >> to leave it >> okay. we have to leave it there. thanks for joining >> okay. we have to leave it there. thanks forjoining us lynn now all lynn williams. now that's all for hour, but in for this hour, but stay in touch. getting the touch. we're getting all the latest crossing latest on those channel crossing surges. time for surges. but first it's time for your luke miall. your weather with luke miall. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb news. >> hello and welcome to your latest gb news weather forecast from the met office. as we head through this evening, from the met office. as we head through this evening , the rain through this evening, the rain we've seen across england and wales will start ease, wales today will start to ease, but further wet windy but further wet and windy weather returns to the north—west and that's because we're looking out towards the west this next weather west for this next weather system. going spread system. that's going to spread its feature, its way in. this feature, though, ease away, so though, starts to ease away, so the rain and low cloud will start just push its way south start to just push its way south eastwards. but for most of us, it does leave quite a lot of cloud tonight, a few cloud overnight tonight, a few pockets skies , but

pockets of clearer skies, but where see those we'll see where we see those we'll see some and patches some mist and fog patches developing . you see to developing. but you can see to the the return of that the northwest the return of that wet and windy weather spilling in. does mean is in. but what it does mean is that most places, that for most places, temperatures be falling temperatures won't be falling away between away too low, typically between 5 to 10 c. a wet and windy start to the day, though for western parts of scotland and northern ireland, some heavy bursts of rain filtering their way west to east the morning. so east through the morning. so we'll start to fringe in across northern england, perhaps north wales for most of wales as well, but for most of england and wales, a dry and bright thursday afternoon with some sunshine but some spells of sunshine but a stronger for of stronger breeze for all of us. so temperatures still getting to 14 degrees in the sunny 14 to 16 degrees in the sunny skies but feeling just that little bit fresher fast forward to friday morning and that weather front starts to filter its way southwards , so a grey its way southwards, so a grey and murky start the day here, and murky start to the day here, but skies following on but brighter skies following on behind a mixture behind with a mixture of sunshine but is sunshine and showers. but it is turning cooler, our temperatures sliding towards sliding away in towards the weekend. some stronger winds at times and some times too, and some heavy downpours. for now.

downpours. bye for now. >> that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers sponsors of weather on

gb news. >> a very good afternoon to you. it's 4 pm. and welcome to the martin daubney show on gb news. broadcasting live from the heart of westminster. all across the uk. today, there's been a dramatic surge in the number of asylum seekers crossing the channel today, adding to the 3500 who have already crossed from france this year. and get this, a migrant was even stabbed by another migrant during one of today's crossings on a dinghy. we'll have all the latest on that. and this comes as a new report shows the government's plans for housing asylum seekers is set to cost more than using hotels and astonished £1.2 billion. and we'll speak to an

raf, raf wethersfield campaigner for their thoughts. also this hour,insh for their thoughts. also this hour , irish taoiseach leo hour, irish taoiseach leo varadkar has announced that he will be stepping down a dramatic twist and we'll be discussing what legacy he leaves behind. and will it spark a political revolution over the irish sea and could we see a drop in interest rates at long last? well, all eyes will be on the bank of england's announcement tomorrow after today's drop in inflation, with the rate falling to its lowest level in over two years, will we see a corresponding fall in interest rates? and that's all coming up in your next hour. rates? and that's all coming up in your next hour . welcome to in your next hour. welcome to the show. it's always an absolute pleasure to have your company have the lunatics taken over our asylum system. £1.2 billion is now the bill and rising of the large scale

projects like scampton, like wethersfield. and it's costing even more than the £15 million a day. if you believe the labour party's figures that it costs for hotels and people simply aren't being listened to. and today somebody has been stabbed on a dinghy and illegal coming over has been stabbed by another one. what does that say to you about the types of people coming into britain? we've already had hundreds of emails on this topic . have we totally lost the plot? will we ever stop the boats? can we ever make them listen to taking back control of our borders? get in touch all the usual ways. this is your show. we are the people's channel. email me gb views at gb news. com but before we get cracking into all of that, it's time for your latest news headlines with polly middlehurst .

polly middlehurst. >> martin, thank you and good afternoon to you. well, as you've been hearing , afternoon to you. well, as you've been hearing, gb afternoon to you. well, as you've been hearing , gb news afternoon to you. well, as you've been hearing, gb news can reveal migrant been reveal a migrant has been stabbed boat stabbed on a small boat attempting to cross the english channel. the uk channel. today, the uk authorities , including border authorities, including border force and two lifeboats, attended incident just attended the incident just before lunchtime today. the dinghy was one of eight small boats that reached the uk waters on the busiest day of channel crossings so far this year. in fact, a record 450 migrants have arrived on small boats . this arrived on small boats. this takes the number of migrants arriving this year to nearly 4000. meanwhile, housing asylum seekers on barges in military bases and in student accommodation will cost taxpayers more than the hotels currently being used. the national audit office has said. housing those waiting for asylum decisions in alternative accommodation, such as on the bibby stockholm barge or former raf sites, would cost the home office £1.2 billion. meanwhile, the home office has announced that 100 asylum hotels will have

already been handed back to pubuc already been handed back to public use by the end of march . public use by the end of march. well, sir keir starmer says the prime minister the sword of prime minister has the sword of damocles hanging over him. now speaking during pmqs, the labour leader criticised rishi sunak over the cost of his rwanda plan and the lack of flights to the east african nation. but rishi sunak has insisted flights will get off the ground and that the opposition doesn't have a plan to fix the issue. meanwhile mps overturned ten separate amendments to the legislation made by peers when the bill was in the commons on monday and the lords are debating the rwanda bill once again later on today. >> the tragedy is we know the prime minister doesn't even believe in the rwanda gimmick. he tried to stop funding it, but he's now so diminished that his entire focus is stopping his mps holding the sword of damocles above his head. how has he managed to spend £600 million of

taxpayer money on a gimmick to deport 300 people? >> but the prime minister said labouris >> but the prime minister said labour is running out of ideas. >> not only does the labour party not have a plan to fix this issue, but the truth is they don't actually care about fixing this issue . when he talks fixing this issue. when he talks about the gangs, when we gave the police new powers to crack down on the people smuggling gangs, he spent months campaigning and voting against him. if it was up to him, those criminals would still be out on our streets, mr speaker, and the truth is, if the truth is, if he wasn't the labour leader, he'd still want to be their lawyer . still want to be their lawyer. >> rishi sunak. now leo varadkar has announced he's stepping down as ireland's prime minister. the 45 year old says he's resigned as leader of the fine gael party immediately, but will stay on as taoiseach until his successor is chosen. mr varadkar became the first openly gay man to lead the

irish government when he came out during the 2015 marriage equality referendum . he equality referendum. he described his time in the role as fulfilling and says it was the right time for him. i know this will come as a surprise to many people and a disappointment to some, and i hope at least you will understand my decision. >> i know that others will. how shall i put it? cope with the news just fine. that is the great thing about living in a democracy. there is never a right time to resign. high office. however this is as good a time as any and vaughan gething has officially been elected as the first minister of wales, succeeding mark drakeford i >> -- >> his appointment will now be recommended to his majesty the king. vaughan gething says he wants to lead a wales of hope, ambition and unity. >> i am, after all, the first elected leader of my party and indeed my country, with an app

indeed my country, with an app in the name we have. of course, today voted also to ensure that wales becomes a first nation anywhere in europe to be led by anywhere in europe to be led by a black person. it is a matter of pride. i believe, for a modern wales, but also a daunting responsibility for me , daunting responsibility for me, and one that i do not take lightly . lightly. >> vaughan gething speaking there. just one last story for you. hmrc has had to reverse a decision to close its self—assessment telephone helpline for half the year. the tax authority originally announced the line would be closed between april and september , with taxpayers september, with taxpayers directed to online services instead . but the chair of the instead. but the chair of the treasury select committee, harriet baldwin , has said the harriet baldwin, has said the move to online services shouldn't be forced on taxpayers , as mps have criticised the u—turn and the shadow financial secretary, james murray, told the commons the government's giving governing . giving up on serious governing. >> who on earth is running the treasury this morning,

>> who on earth is running the treasury this morning , just treasury this morning, just after we requested this urgent question, we found out the chancellor has told hmrc to pause this change. this is a u—turn of quite extraordinary speed and indignity after hmrc announced yesterday it would permanently close its self—assessment helpline altogether for half the year for an april till september. this morning, a treasury source said that ministers have halted this change immediately, implying that ministers were taken by surprise by hmrc's announcement yesterday. >> those are your latest gb news headlines. for the latest stories, do sign up to gb news alerts, scan that qr code on your screen right now or go to gb news. carmela, it's back now to . martin. to. martin. >> thank you pauline. now a migrant has been stabbed and injured on a small boat while crossing the channel to britain. today. the uk and french authorities have responded to multiple dinghies in the english channel. this morning, an

improvement in weather conditions has seen an increase in criminal people smugglers attempting to launch multiple small from french beaches small boats from french beaches once again, and this comes as a new report shows the government's plans for housing asylum seekers is set to cost even more than using hotels. well, let's get the thoughts now of a home and security editor mark white. mark before we move on to the huge increase to £12 billion of housing asylum seekers, can we have a quick update on the stabbing incident in the channel earlier on today ? in the channel earlier on today? >> yeah, this was an incident that unfolded just before lunchtime in the channel. a border force vessel. two lifeboats responded to that incident, a migrant suffering we understand from stab wounds was taken on board the walmer lifeboat and that then rushed to dover harbour, where an ambulance was waiting to treat

that migrant. we don't know at this stage how serious the injured that individual is. the 60 plus migrants who were on the boat at the centre of the stabbing incident were taken onto the dover lifeboat that also made its way to dover harbour there. at that point , harbour there. at that point, kent police officers were waiting at the quay side to assist those border force personnel in searching , checking personnel in searching, checking those migrants as they came off that that lifeboat, because of course, the concern is the knife that was used in that incident may still be there may still be in the possession of someone on that particular boat. we understand that the migrants who have been taken off that quay site have now been taken to the border force processing centre in dover harbour for other checks. we don't know at this stage what caused this incident. the story behind it, but it wouldn't be uncommon for there to be violence, especially on

the other side of the channel. there are chaotic scenes when these boats are launched into these boats are launched into the water and frequently now. it's an increasing phenomenon where migrants who do not have enough money to get on board the boats just try and muscle their way in to the small boats. but of course, you have gang of course, you have the gang masters, the smugglers masters, the people smugglers there that and mete there that resist that and mete out their own justice. often in the form of violence. so the full story behind this, of course, will be known in the fullness of time we've reached out to kent police, who are leading this investigation , but leading this investigation, but as yet they have to give us any formal comment on this. >> and okay, mark, thanks for that. now let's move on to this astonishing figure of £1.2 billion. this is a national audit office report out today. this is for the large sites alone on top. mark of the between 8 and £15 million a day, depending on where you get your figures from. for hotels, an

astonishing amount of money. >> yes. well remember of course, no one feels that the housing of asylum seekers in hotels is an ideal scenario . it's something ideal scenario. it's something that the prime minister announced in august of last year he was going to end, but in doing that, there was an imperative on the home office to act quickly to get these purpose built, specially adapted sites. former raf bases. the bibby stockholm barge up to spec to be able to accommodate these migrants. now, according to the national audit office . in doing national audit office. in doing that, what's effectively happenedis that, what's effectively happened is that the work to redevelop the likes of the former raf wethersfield base in essex was just awarded to a contractor without really going out to proper tendering process to try to get as efficient a price as possible for that work.

so the £5 million original estimate for redeveloping the wethersfield site has now ballooned to £49 million, and the £5 million original estimate for doing the raf scampton site as well has also ballooned to £27 million. now, that's not all, just down to the fact that they rushed in and awarded it to they rushed in and awarded it to the first contractor that came along. they have also found that there are significant issues with these sites, which are very old, dilapidated buildings , all old, dilapidated buildings, all of the wrap around infrastructure needs to be actually, redeveloped and put into place again so that they are finding to the cost is very pncey are finding to the cost is very pricey indeed. £1.2 billion will be the cost of putting at the moment, about 900 asylum seekers into accommodation. it will eventually rise to about 3000 but that, according to the

national audit office, is about 46 million more than if they just kept the asylum seekers in the hotels in the first place. >> okay, thank you for that full and comprehensive update as even and comprehensive update as ever. mark. white soup stuff. now we have a quick bit of breaking for news you. and it's this junior doctors and england votes by 98% to continue taking industrial action for a further six months. in their long running pay dispute. the bma has announced. just to repeat that breaking news that junior doctors in england have voted by 98% to continue with that industrial action for a further six six months. and that's long running pay dispute. the british medical association has just announced more misery for nhs waiting lists. there now the prime minister has insisted that asylum seekers will be accommodated at the former raf scampton site for the shortest

time possible to combat spiralling costs. well, joining me now from the save our scampton group, it's sarah carter, sarah, it's always an absolute pleasure to speak to you. although of course the circumstances unfortunately aren't necessarily good news for you. sarah figures out today astonishing numbers, £1.2 billion being spent on large sites such as rac and of course, the historic site of the dambusters campaign. the original cost was meant to be 5 million. it's now £27 million, five and a half times the original estimate. and still they won't listen to you in the local community. sarah, what's going on? >> well, i mean, we had notification on monday that they were going to reduce the number from 2000 to 800. so, i mean, even on monday , we were like, even on monday, we were like, why are you still going ahead with this? because it renders it

not value for money, because they were saying they were going to have for to have to have 2000 here for a minimum of three years to actually make it value for money. >> and then with this coming out as well, to say that it's going to even more , it's like, to cost even more, it's like, why are they still carrying on with they , you know, been >> it's they, you know, been proven that they are just throwing money away and they just won't back down. it's like, what is what is your plan? just to throw as much money at it as possible ? possible? >> well, sarah, can you just outline for those who may not be aware of your campaign, why you believe raf scampton is completely inappropriate for this ? this kind of usage? >> oh, there's so many reasons. the fact that west lindsey district council had worked tirelessly for years to make sure that when raaf scampton closed, it didn't turn into just another housing estate or an industrial estate, that we industrial estate, and that we had this amazing regeneration deal worth £300 million to protect the history and the heritage of scampton. >> like you said, being the former home of the dambusters

and having the red arrows here, the got so much the lancasters, it's got so much potential that that the potential here that that the home office are just sort of ignonng home office are just sort of ignoring and want to, you know, potentially waste that. >> but also we were told that we were going to be an experiment to have a site of this size next, right next door to a community, the other side of a fence, with a primary school and a nursery here as well. it you know , it just it beggars belief. know, it just it beggars belief. why they why they think that this is a tall a good idea. >> sarah, you've campaigned endlessly now for over one year. often you've been out under tarpaulin. you've experienced some pretty grisly and gruesome behaviour as well. your personal safety has come under threat, hasn't it ? hasn't it? >> yes it has. i mean, i'm currently sat in the car now because the camp is at the right at the side of the a15 . it's at the side of the a15. it's rush hour and it's tipping it

down so you can't hear anything on the phone if i was outside. so hence why i'm in the car now. but, yes, i've, experienced sort of physical aggression and my husband as well, he was attacked and injured . but we've we've and injured. but we've we've suffered a lot of online abuse as well from people that, you know, want us out of the way for their own cause . so i'm still their own cause. so i'm still here and still will be. they can carry on as much as they want, but if at the end of the day, this is a home office that we're fighting, i don't you know, worry about the others that are causing problems . our fight is causing problems. our fight is with the home office and we'll just carry on until we get what we want. >> sarah, you've campaigned doggedly. you've got you've got the dambusters spirit in you, that's for sure. but has this entire incident , that's for sure. but has this entire incident, sarah. thank you. has this entire incident shattered your trust, shattered your belief in the political class that they just simply don't listen to communities that

come together, such as your own ? come together, such as your own? >> well, i mean, if this was going to be anything else but used by the government, we would have been consulted before any plans were properly submitted. the fact that five months into this was the first engagement meeting by the home office, and then every time we've asked a set of questions at a meeting, you know, we get one answer. you ask the same question at the next you get next meeting. you get a completely different answer. they've sort they've changed all their sort of responses, and they said they were going to keep us up to date. and now they've said they're not going to keep us up to it's just we don't to date. so it's just we don't believe anything. and this news came on monday that they were going the numbers to going to reduce the numbers to 800. just rolled 800. everyone just rolled their eyes. believes them eyes. nobody believes them because they've they've lied to us way through this. us the whole way through this. and they just keep changing the narrative them. so you narrative to suit them. so you know, yeah, it got lost complete faith in in any of them . faith in in any of them. >> it's interesting, sarah, because we get so much contact

here at gb news from people on a smaller they have houses smaller basis. they have houses bought their community is bought up and their community is from serco, from mears. and they're spreading this this issue thin and far. now to try and get around it. sarah, are you going to carry on with your campaign? must be a lonely vigil at times 100. >> no, it's not for all the people that want sort of the campaign out of the way, there are 5100 people that are completely behind it. there's not many people on the ground up at the camp at the moment because of the history of what happened up here, but there's plenty of support and i have i mean, i use this to my advantage, but we've even i'm trying to reach out to farage again to get him to come back, because it's a year today since his last visit. so we'd like him to come back and just sort of come and see how things are going. >> okay , well, he's back in this >> okay, well, he's back in this studio tonight from his trip to see donald trump and have a word

in his ear for you. sarah carter from the save our scampton group . very best of british to you and stay safe out there. thank you very much for joining us and stay safe out there. thank you very much forjoining us on you very much for joining us on the show. now, i'll have lots more on that story at 5:00, and there's of coverage on there's plenty of coverage on our , gbnews.com. and our website, gbnews.com. and you've helped to make it the fastest national fastest growing national news website in the country. so thank you very much. now there's still plenty of time to grab our spnng plenty of time to grab our spring in the spring spring prizes in the great british giveaway. that's a shopping spree. a gadget bundle, and an incredible £12,345 1234 £5 tax free. you've got to be in it to win it. and here's how you could get your claws on it. >> time is ticking on your chance win the great british chance to win the great british giveaway. there's a massive £12,345 in tax free cash to spend however you like, along with £500 in shopping vouchers for your favourite store, a games console, a pizza oven and a portable sonos smart speaker. and the best news? >> you could be our next big

winner. >> just like phil didn't quite believe it and still can't, and if i can win it, anybody can win it for another chance to win the vouchers, the treats and £12,345 in tax free cash. >> text gb win to 84 902. text cost £2 plus one standard network rate message or post your name and number two gb gbo3, p.o. box 8690, your name and number two gb gb03, po. box 8690, derby de19, double tee, uk. only entrants must be 18 or over. lines close at 5 pm. on friday, the 29th of march. full terms and privacy nofice march. full terms and privacy notice at gbnews.com forward slash win. please check the closing time if watching or listening demand. luck i listening on demand. good luck! >> great stuff. gets a look in now . inflation plummeted to 3.4% now. inflation plummeted to 3.4% this morning, falling at its lowest rate to its lowest rate in over two years. now, could the bank of england finally cut interest rates tomorrow be great news for homeowners won't it? i martin daubney on gb news, britain's news channel

>> earlier on breakfast, people will either fall into the category that. this is awful. this is terrible , or it's a this is terrible, or it's a hospital. that's what staff do. >> at least one member of staff allegedly accesses accessed the princess of wales's private medical information line. >> if you look at some of the reasons we've been so uniquely exposed to high inflation, well, exposure to high fossil fuel prices, government doubling prices, the government doubling down on rather than finding down on that rather than finding alternatives, some breaking alternatives, got some breaking news for you today. >> breaking news. and >> breaking breaking news. and i have a standard order in the morning. so you got in before the glitch from six. >> it's breakfast on gb news. >> it's breakfast on gb news. >> welcome back. it's 424. i'm martin daubney and this is gb

news. now. many greggs stores have been forced to close after an i.t. glitch is causing issues at their tills . some outlets at their tills. some outlets have been forced to shut temporary close notices on their doors, including the one, by the way, around the corner from here. i tried earlier while others asked customers to place their using the greggs their orders using the greggs app their orders using the greggs app before even arriving at the store . now, this comes as last store. now, this comes as last week consumer giants mcdonald's , week consumer giants mcdonald's, tesco, sainsbury's and argos also experienced tech issues which affected card payments and onune which affected card payments and online deliveries. well, joining us now is our west midlands reporter, jack carson, who is outside of the greggs in birmingham. now jack, one thing i know, especially the morning after the night before, do not stand in the way of anybody trying to get a greggs. what's going on? >> well, you'll be happy to know, martin, that if you want a little post—show snack and want a sausage roll for your journey a sausage roll for yourjourney home, you will now be able to get one. of course, they had this it problem this morning. we're not sure how many of the

2500 greggs stores across the country exactly were affected, but it was widespread across the country. errors being reported around particularly outages with the tills and that kind of system meaning that there were no items showing up on the tills in order to be able to process those payments through the till and payments in and the card payments in particular. i speak spoken to a few the greggs in birmingham. few of the greggs in birmingham. they say they were experiencing those this morning those issues this morning and even those issues even though once those issues had resolved, luckily had been resolved, luckily here in around lunchtime, in birmingham around lunchtime, the card payment machines were still particularly slow. but thankfully here this store in birmingham in the jewellery quarter that was closed this morning, now reopened and serving its customers. a greggs statement all of statement confirmed that all of those affected stores are now once fully operational. once again fully operational. but you mentioned it, martin, that this is not the first time in the recent days that a major chain and store in the uk has had these it problems. on saturday, sainsbury's reported

that a lot of their online grocery deliveries on saturday couldn't be delivered due to overnight it issues. they were able to resolve. those tesco similarly had to cancel a small, small number of delivery orders and at times couldn't collect those contactless payments in store and mcdonald's worldwide global outages were their technology system. they say that was caused due to a configuration change resulting in a halt to order taking process here in the uk . that process here in the uk. that happened around 5 am. last friday and for some stores in the midlands, there were outages of over two hours for that. so it really only stresses, of course, the way in which, more stores are going for more card preferred or card only cash, the british retail consortium saying if for the first time in a decade in 2023, the amount of cash being used in transactions grew to 19% of all transactions .

grew to 19% of all transactions. just to give you some context, it was 15% in 2021. but cards still accounting for 76% of transactions . so when you get transactions. so when you get these it outages, as we've seen recently, of course that is stopping stores from trading more widely. but as i was saying, greggs confirming now this afternoon that all those stores that were affected are once again trading again. jack dawson, thank you for restoring order and calm to the nation. >> i can live without argos. perhaps even sainsbury's, but greggs, that's a different matter and i think many people tonight will be steaming into their steak bakes. jack carson thank you for joining their steak bakes. jack carson thank you forjoining us their steak bakes. jack carson thank you for joining us from greggs there in birmingham . greggs there in birmingham. there's lots more still to come between now and 5:00, including the house of lords are yet again debating and voting. you can see live pictures there on the government's rwanda bill, and we'll bring you the latest on this. the lords are revolting once again. but first, here's your latest news headlines with polly middlehurst raanan .

polly middlehurst judith raanan. >> the top stories this hour gb news can reveal a migrant has been stabbed on a small boat attempting to cross the english channel. today, uk authorities , channel. today, uk authorities, including border force officials and two lifeboats, attended the scene just before lunchtime. a man has been taken to hospital with non—life threatening injuries. we understand , and injuries. we understand, and officers are carrying out enquiries now to establish the full circumstances. the dinghy was one of eight small boats that reached uk waters on the busiest day of channel crossing so far this year. it was a record 450 migrants who arrived on small boats today, taking the total number of migrants arriving to uk shores this year to nearly 4000. speaking at prime minister's questions earlier on today, the labour leader criticised rishi sunak, though over the cost of his rwanda plan and the lack of flights getting off the ground.

but rishi sunak insisted flights will go and that the opposition doesn't have a plan to fix the issue. mps overturned ten amendments to the legislation made by the lords when the bill was in the commons on monday. and as you just heard from martin, the lords are currently debating once again debating that bill once again today. labour leader today. the labour leader criticised plan , calling it criticised the plan, calling it a mere gimmick. and in other news today , the hmrc has news today, the hmrc has reversed a decision to close its self—assessed telephone helpline for half of the year. it originally announced the line would be closed between april and september, with taxpayers directed to online services instead. mps have criticised that u—turn , and shadow that u—turn, and shadow financial secretary james murray told the commons earlier the government's giving up on serious governing . junior serious governing. junior doctors in england have voted by 98% to continue their strike action in the long running dispute over pay. the british medical association is requesting a 35% pay rise for them, which the government says

previously has been unacceptable and is unreasonable. there have been ten walkouts so far by junior doctors since the first one in march last year. those are the top stories for the very latest news. do sign up to gb news alerts. scan that qr code on your screen right now. if you're watching tv, or go to gb news .com/ alerts . news .com/ alerts. >> thank you very much, polly. now stay with us here on gb news. there's plenty more to bnng news. there's plenty more to bring you throughout the show. and please don't forget to get your emails in with those thoughts the news the thoughts on the big news of the day, the of day, including the cost of housing, asylum that housing, asylum seekers that stabbing and a dinghy. and what's really got you going is the lgbtq rainbow crossing in blackpool fair. to say you're not especially happy about that? get stuck in gbviews@gbnews.com is the email. i'll get through as many as i can before the end of the show. now i'm martin daubney on gb news, britain's news channel .

welcome back. it's 437. i'm martin daubney, and this is gb news. now, the rwanda bill could face yet another delay. as the house of lords debates new changes to the legislation. and peers are currently. again, as you can see, live on your screen , see, live on your screen, picking through rishi sunak's flagship policy and picking it apart to the bones . the bill apart to the bones. the bill aims to continue plans to send asylum seekers to rwanda and, should the new changes be agreed, the bill must return to the commons . agreed, the bill must return to the commons. endless ping pong, more ping pong than a youth club. and joining me now to discuss this further is gb news political editor, christopher hope. chris, before we get to rwanda, let's go back a little

bit earlier on to your show today. bit earlier on to your show today . pmqs live got a bit tasty today. pmqs live got a bit tasty with esther mcvey . with esther mcvey. >> that's right. it's a big day today for the for the pm. we know he's meeting with tory mps at 5:00. be in westminster at 5:00. i'll be in westminster hall reporting for your programme about what happens in that try that meeting. he's got to try and convince them come back and convince them to come back him don't put more him and don't don't put more letters in. we think as many as 40 letters of no confidence may letters in. we think as many as 40 lein�*rs of no confidence may letters in. we think as many as 40 lein in of no confidence may letters in. we think as many as 40 lein in primeconfidence may letters in. we think as many as 40 lein in prime minister:e may letters in. we think as many as 40 lein in prime minister morey gone in in prime minister more than will be than 53, and there will be a vote no confidence him. vote of no confidence in him. organised graham the organised by graham brady, the last the pm last easter surprise, the pm needs. but earlier today we heard, didn't we, on this show that present here with gloria that i present here with gloria de piero pmqs live 12 to 1 every every time parliament's sitting for we asked, didn't we? i for pmqs, we asked, didn't we? i asked i think esther mcvey , asked i think esther mcvey, should penny mordaunt become leader? and here's what she had to . to say. >> her chance to become the leader. win. so you leader. she didn't win. so you know that's where it is. goes to bed.so know that's where it is. goes to bed. so penny won't be the leader. it's rishi sunak. however, we those ten however, when we did those ten rwandan votes the other night, we there for as vote we were there for hours as vote to all the conservative mps and they him, except

they fully supported him, except for those disgruntled ones. so if vote of if there was a vote of confidence in rishi sunak, he'd won win country mile . won by win by a country mile. >> and there we have it. that's mcvey being for giving a bit of a nonsense chat there mcvey being for giving a bit of a penny nonsense chat there mcvey being for giving a bit of a penny mordaunt|se chat there mcvey being for giving a bit of a penny mordaunt sayingt there mcvey being for giving a bit of a penny mordaunt saying winda for penny mordaunt saying wind it in penny, i should say. by the way, penny mordaunt has not been encouraging this. it's come from mps, some, some think from other mps, some, some think it's a double bluff here. it's friends sunak trying to friends of rishi sunak trying to undermine penny mordaunt who's the main challenger undermine penny mordaunt who's th> yeah, yeah. she kept some >> yeah, yeah. she has kept some but not encouraging it but but she's not encouraging it or not not not in, or not. not overtly not not in, not in my orbit. so anyway, we'll more from pm at, we'll hear more from the pm at, at 5:00. >> yeah. and i, i hear that voting has just begun. yeah. >> forgive me for checking my phone that's being phone on air. that's me being rude viewers listeners rude to viewers and listeners who me doing it. but who can't see me doing it. but i am noting that has am noting here that voting has started on the seven votes started now on the seven votes on the attempts by the lords to reverse what the commons did on monday on to try and weaken the safety of rwanda bill. so it's happening right now. we'll bring the of those results as

the news of those results as soon we them. soon as we get them. >> and been lot of >> and there's been a lot of talk they're to call talk that they're trying to call every they possibly every tory peer in they possibly can to make sure they get this through. also know through. but we also know there's been joined up tactical voting campaigning voting and campaigning by liberal peers, by liberal democrat peers, by labour peers, tony blair's old attorney lord goldsmith attorney general, lord goldsmith , has been leading that lord carlile, who was basically lord remain when they're all ganging up, what's going to happen ? up, what's going to happen? they're going to bat it back again. and here we go again. endless and throwing. endless killing and throwing. >> they are almost certainly going to the seven, going to pass the seven, attempts going to pass the seven, attem|than ten on monday. rather than ten on monday. and that roll over till after that will roll over till after easter. i heard it from a very, very senior government source, earlier today. plan to get earlier today. they plan to get it the commons in it all through the commons in the week starting april the 15th. another month of rwanda bill misery for the government to get this out of the way. don't forget all the started two prime back in prime ministers ago back in april 2022. >> yeah, that's two weeks >> yeah, and that's two weeks after april fools day. they are taking us for fools, aren't they, chris? yeah, there are the laws. as you can see, they're queuing up to vote speak.

queuing up to vote as we speak. don't listen to me. that's that's probably them. it's probably saying probably the lords saying don't vote. queuing up to vote. they're queuing up to vote. they're queuing up to vote. you see, people are vote. as you can see, people are going sick and tired of going to get sick and tired of this, aren't they? know this, aren't they? chris, i know this, aren't they? chris, i know this democratic system. this is the democratic system. i know that, but they will see again. surely this is brexit all over again. it's the lords frustrating. the commons round and round we go. ultimately it's frustrating the will of the people. >> people will think that . i >> people will think that. i think that's not entirely fair. this is our parliamentary process. we have a second chamber. we choose not to elect people sitting in it. we could have senators , but then have elected senators, but then the problem then is you have, that's lord gardiner speaking now. i think he was a deputy speaker of the house of lords. >> not content, we're listening in to what lord gardiner is saying there. it's not. we're not entirely sure what the vote right now. we'll get back to that. but the point is, we could have elected senators who were then with mps . so then conflict with mps. so we have chamber as then conflict with mps. so we h.way chamber as then conflict with mps. so we h.way of chamber as then conflict with mps. so we h.way of trying chamber as then conflict with mps. so we h.way of trying to chamber as then conflict with mps. so we h.way of trying to balance nber as then conflict with mps. so we h.way of trying to balance and,as a way of trying to balance and, and, and almost polish

legislation from, from the elected commons. >> okay. let's have a quick, look at leo varadkar. could we dramatically step down today in ireland ? why do you think he's ireland? why do you think he's gone now? and we're looking ahead to the election in coming up in may. and the writing is on the wall. is it. he had a recent referendum, a massive kick up the backside. 76% of people in ireland rejected his referendum on the meaning of motherhood and families . on the meaning of motherhood and families. did he? do you think he's gone? >> i mean, parallels jumped in that referendum parallels there with brexit, where the elite in dubun with brexit, where the elite in dublin failed to read the country read of what was going on.can country read of what was going on. can you weaken the role of the mother in the constitution and form of and say a different form of words that not accepted by words that was not accepted by by people living of by the people living in all of ireland, he he's gone. he ireland, he so he's gone. he says run seven years says his road is run seven years at the top of government, time to time to move on. others say there are concerns about immigration are being addressed by by dublin properly. the population up by 1.5 population has gone up by 1.5 million, in the past decade or

so, to 5.5 million. who might replace him is interesting, helen mcentee, simon harris, they are they could replace him. and if that happens, they might go long for the election until april next year. simon coveney will be a stop gap leader and if he takes charge, there could be an election in ireland, i'm told in october, around the time in october, when around the time we go to the polls. so a lot of things are happening in ireland right could have right now and it could have this, change of this, this huge change of government. it's sinn government. and if it's a sinn fein government, if they win a sinn win southern sinn fein win in southern ireland sinn fein ireland with a sinn fein administration, northern ireland with a sinn fein adminis'the on, northern ireland with a sinn fein adminis'the on, n independent candidates or polling high. people sick of the political status quo, sick of the continuum. could we see a brexit party style, a reform, a reform uk style insurgency? >> you don't have the same as i understand it, as many kind of right of centre parties in in ireland. and it may be that happens.

>> there's a lot of political will. i think you're dead right. immigration at control, housing shortages, finding shortages, young people finding it very, very, very difficult to the point of impossibility to afford to ever be able to buy anywhere, especially around dubun anywhere, especially around dublin . soaring crime, a lot of dublin. soaring crime, a lot of concerns and varadkar concerns and leo varadkar calling. everybody disagrees with him. far right. >> yes. which isn't always the case, of course. in fact, very, very rarely is the case. yeah, i think shock. he wasn't think it's a shock. he wasn't expected to go, but we're in for a interesting a very, very interesting 12 months ireland. a very, very interesting 12 mo superb, reland. a very, very interesting 12 mo superb, chrisi. a very, very interesting 12 mo superb, chris hope always >> superb, chris hope always a pleasure. ever. now pleasure. excellent as ever. now moving football moving on. should the football association ban transgender women from playing women's football? that's biological men playing in the women's game. well i'll be discussing that. surely i'm martin daubney on gb news, britain's news channel

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news. now, should the football association ban transgender women from playing women's football? well, this policy has been under review by the fa trying to balance out the playing field, with many arguing biological men playing women's football is completely unfair and should be shown the red card well, the fa's current transgender stance is that gender identity should not be a barrier to participation in football . so do we need a change football. so do we need a change in policy sooner rather than later? well, joining me now to discuss this is former football referee janie frampton. janie, welcome to the show . always welcome to the show. always a pleasure. so this is, off the back of a report by the culture secretary, lucy frazer, who is saying that the fa should look very carefully and follow the examples of rowing and swimming. what's your take? >> this is a very tricky discussion point, for sure. and i do believe that every single case should be, discussed on its

own merit. >> i was reading some information on this and we were talking about they were talking about the testosterone levels. >> it's not all about >> but it's not all about testosterone . it's about testosterone levels. it's about the physical size of a person born as a male rather than a female. >> because whether you want to lower the testosterone levels or not, they're not going to be able to cut six inches off them or four inches off their arms if they're a goalkeeper. >> yeah, and that's precisely the undergone the point. if you've undergone male puberty, you have a different skeletal system, a different skeletal system, a different muscular mass, and you are forever advantaged. that's just the way that the cookie crumbles. that's not transphobic . it'sjust crumbles. that's not transphobic . it's just a statement of facts. and then we need to look , facts. and then we need to look, don't we, janie, to the aspects of causing injury. and indeed, last november, four teams in sheffield boycotted ross and ladies club who had a biological male , while a trans woman, male, while a trans woman, francesca needham, who ended up ending a woman's career with a

single shot of a ball. janie. the evidence is clear. biology men have a clear advantage. so i put it to you again. surely it's time for the fa to follow the lead of international cricket council, world athletics and world aquatics and simply make this policy fair to women . this policy fair to women. >> and it has to be fair, because otherwise you're being totally unfair to women who are born women and play women's football. and i have seen a case where six foot two, trans male to female was playing in goal. nobody will ever convince me that wasn't an advantage. and we don't want to destroy the women's gay or any woman's participation in sport. but what we have to make it fair for all. nobody wants to discriminate against those that are transgender in any way, but i do think every case has to be judged on its own merits . judged on its own merits. >> and so what do you think the solution is? should there be a separate category trans separate category for trans athletes ?

athletes? >> i think that's where we're going. you know, i spoke to someone recently and said that i think in many sports, like we have a paralympics , for those have a paralympics, for those that, you know, have a physical or difficulty , i think or learning difficulty, i think eventually we're going have eventually we're going to have classes who have classes for people who have different forms of body, body , different forms of body, body, what's, dysphoria , however it what's, dysphoria, however it is. yeah, because it's so very different and we cannot compete apples against oranges. it's just wrong. >> yeah. i think many people will agree with you. and i wonder how many people actually are out there even doing this. i wonder ? 0.5% of the population, wonder? 0.5% of the population, jenny frampton, if they even struggle to get a few football teams together. anyway, that's a separate topic . thanks for separate topic. thanks for joining us on the show. former football referee janie frampton , football referee janie frampton, very delicately handled. now then, been in then, you've been getting in touch in your droves on two topics of the day migration and the lgbtq+ rainbow crossing in blackpool. let's start with

migration. of course. there's been a stabbing on one of those dinghies in the channel today. that's prompted a of you to that's prompted a lot of you to get touch. let's start with get in touch. let's start with this. says this martin, this. linda says this martin, i'm horrified to hear the news of stabbing of an illegal of the stabbing of an illegal migrant on one of the small boats crossing the channel today . what does this tell you about the people making the calibre of people making these illegal crossings? if they are stabbing each other on the way here, what they capable way here, what are they capable of? they arrive? tommy adds of? once they arrive? tommy adds this the simple way to deal with these people is to stop all benefits , stop any offers of benefits, stop any offers of housing, stop nhs treatment and make it clear they will get nothing for ten years after they arrive, legally or illegally. well, that's a bit hardline, but in france it was five years now, five years with no benefits in france. and that went down very well. now quickly on the lgbtq crossing in blackpool fair. say this has really got you going. richard says this 35 grand for a single crossing . how many

single crossing. how many potholes could that hov have got rid of? you can see on your screen there. richard adds this what that money be better spent cleaning the town up to stop it smelling like an open toilet. ps i live there and gary says this. that's it . i live there and gary says this. that's it. i'm not going to blackpool anymore. that's a bit harsh. but anyway, that's speaking from the heart. roy says this how can these how come such people are elected and have the power to authorise expenditure for such as rainbow crossings, blackpool has many, many social issues, including drug addiction , long term drug addiction, long term incapacity benefits and general worklessness and the place seems depressed . is it really the depressed. is it really the labour party's policy to keep them poor and struggling? well, we had the councillor on lynn earlier and she said this is a way of encouraging diverse hs2. she stands by it. ian adds this when will those that governors

nationally and locally stop spending money on pointless things? we simply don't want ? things? we simply don't want? thanks for that. now don't go anywhere. there's been a surge in number of asylum seekers in the number of asylum seekers crossing channel today, as crossing the channel today, as i said, the nearly 4000 said, adding to the nearly 4000 who've already come from france this year. whilst the house of lords could yet again frustrate the government's rwanda bill. but first, here's your weather with luke miall. >> for a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb news. on. gb news. >> hello and welcome to your latest gb news weather forecast from the met office. as we head through this evening, the rain we've seen across england and wales today will start ease, wales today will start to ease, but further wet and windy weather the north but further wet and windy weathand the north but further wet and windy weathand that's the north but further wet and windy weathand that's becauseyrth but further wet and windy weathand that's because we're west. and that's because we're looking out towards the west for this system that's this next weather system that's going its way this going to spread its way in. this feature, to feature, though, starts to ease away, so the rain and low cloud will start to just push its way south eastwards. but for most of us, it does leave quite a lot of

cloud overnight tonight, a few pockets but pockets of clearer skies, but where we'll see where we see those we'll see some mist and fog patches developing. can see to developing. but you can see to the northwest the return of that wet windy weather spilling wet and windy weather spilling in. but what does mean is in. but what it does mean is that places, that for most places, temperatures won't be falling away typically between away too low, typically between 5 to 10 c. a wet and windy start to the day, though for western parts of scotland and northern ireland, some heavy bursts of rain filtering their way west to east through morning. east through the morning. we'll start to fringe in across northern england, perhaps north wales but for most of wales as well, but for most of england and wales, dry and england and wales, a dry and bright afternoon , with bright thursday afternoon, with some of sunshine but some spells of sunshine but a stronger for all of us. stronger breeze for all of us. so temperatures still getting to 14 to 16 degrees in the sunny skies. feeling just that skies. but feeling just that little bit fresher. fast forward to and that to friday morning and that weather front starts to filter its way southward, so a grey and murky to the day here, but murky start to the day here, but brighter following on brighter skies following on behind mixture of behind with a mixture of sunshine but it is sunshine and showers. but it is turning temperatures turning cooler. our temperatures sliding away in towards the weekend, some stronger winds at

times and heavy times too, and some heavy downpours. now . downpours. bye for now. >> looks like things are heating up . boxt boilers sponsors of up. boxt boilers sponsors of weather on

gb news. >> a very good afternoon to you. it's 5 pm. and welcome to the martin daubney show on gb news. we're broadcasting live from the heart of westminster. all across the uk. coming up now, the house of lords has been debating on whether the prime minister can start deportation flights to rwanda. and as you can see on your screens, peers are now voting on the policy. we'll bnng voting on the policy. we'll bring you all the latest. once again, the lords are revolting . again, the lords are revolting. and all this comes as a surge in the number of asylum seekers crossed the channel today, adding to the nearly 4000 who've

already crossed from france. this year. and get this, a migrant was even stabbed by another migrant during one of today's crossings on a small dinghy. we'll have the full update on that . and all update on that. and all britain's diversity and inclusion programmes backfiring. well, the business secretary, kemi badenoch , thinks so. she kemi badenoch, thinks so. she says inclusion policies come at the expense of white men. and that's all coming up in your next hour . welcome to the show. next hour. welcome to the show. we've got an action packed final hour right now. the lords of voting on the rwanda bill. we're expecting this to be a revolt to down vote once again , the down vote once again, the government to frustrate it. endless ping pong to and fro. more ping pong than a youth club . will we ever get a single .will we ever get a single flight off the ground to rwanda?

i don't think so. i think there's more chance of me flying to the moon. and also, what about this stabbing on a dinghy in the channel today? hundreds of you have been in touch so far saying a simple thing. if this is what they're doing on the dinghies, what are they going to do they get here? plus the do when they get here? plus the eye—watering £1.2 billion cost of developing large sites such as raf scampton and wethersfield to house asylum seekers, will speak to somebody from r.a.f. wethersfield, a campaign group, shortly. get in touch email me please gb views at gb news. com this is the people's channel. please get in touch and make it yours . but first it's time for yours. but first it's time for yours. but first it's time for your latest news headlines with polly middlehurst. >> martin. thank you. the top story this afternoon gb news can reveal a migrant has been stabbed on a small boat attempting to cross the english channel today , uk authorities,

channel today, uk authorities, including border force and two lifeboats, attended the incident just before lunchtime today. the man we understand has been taken into hospital with non—life threatening injuries and officers are trying to establish exactly what happened. the dinghy was one of eight small boats that reached uk waters on the busiest day of channel crossing so far this year, a record 450 migrants arriving on small boats , taking the number small boats, taking the number of migrants arriving on uk shores. this year to nearly 4000. meanwhile housing asylum seekers on barges, military bases and in student accommodation will cost taxpayers more than the hotels currently being used. that's according to the national audit office, which says housing those waiting for asylum decisions is in alternative accommodation would cost the home office £1.2 billion. meanwhile, the home office has announced that 100 asylum hotels will have already been handed back to the public by the end of march. let's show

you live pictures coming to us from the house of lords, where the rwanda bill is once again facing further facing the prospect of further delay as peers discuss a fresh set of amendments to the government's flagship legislation. mps have already overturned ten amendments to the legislation suggested by the house of lords, but it is back in the upper chamber once again , in the upper chamber once again, and we've just learned in the last minutes or so that the last 15 minutes or so that the peers have inflicted fresh peers have inflicted a fresh defeat government, defeat against the government, against the bill that is voting it down by 271 to 228. that's a majority of 43. if those new changes are all agreed in the lords, the bill will have to return to the commons again , return to the commons again, potentially delaying it until after the easter break. well, the labour leader today criticised the prime minister over the cost of the government's rwanda plan. but rishi sunak said flights will get off the ground and that the opposition doesn't have plan opposition doesn't have a plan to fix the issue. >> the tragedy is we know the prime minister doesn't even believe in the rwanda gimmick.

he tried to stop funding it, but he's now so diminished that his entire focus is stopping his mps holding the sword of damocles above his head. how has he managed to spend £600 million of taxpayer money on a gimmick to deport 300 people? but the prime minister said labour is running out of ideas . out of ideas. >> not only does the labour party not have a plan to fix this issue, but the truth is they don't actually care about fixing this issue. when he talks about the gangs , when we gave about the gangs, when we gave the police new powers to crack down on the people smuggling gangs, spent months gangs, he spent months campaigning and voting against it. if it was up to him, those criminals would still be out on our streets , mr speaker. and the our streets, mr speaker. and the truth is, if the truth is, if he wasn't the labour leader, he'd still want to be their lawyer.

>> rishi sunak now to ireland, where leo varadkar has announced he's stepping down as the country's prime minister. the 45 year old says he's resigned as leader of the fine gael party immediately, but will stay on as taoiseach until his successor is chosen. mr varadkar became the first openly gay man to lead the irish government when he came to power during the 2015 marriage equality referendum, and in wales, vaughan gething has officially been elected as the first minister, succeeding mark drakeford. his appointment will now be recommended to his majesty the king. vaughan gething says he wants to lead a wales of hope, ambition and unity . unity. >> i am, after all, the first elected leader of my party and indeed my country, with an ap in their name. we have, of course , their name. we have, of course, today voted also to ensure that wales becomes a first nation anywhere in europe to be led by

anywhere in europe to be led by a black person. it is a matter of pride , i believe, for of pride, i believe, for a modern wales, but also a daunting responsibility for me , daunting responsibility for me, and one that i do not take lightly . lightly. >> now, in other news, today junior doctors in england have voted by 98% to continue with their strike action in their long running dispute over pay. the british medical association is requesting a 35% pay rise, which the government has previously said is unreasonable. there have been ten walkouts so far by junior doctors since the first one in march last year, and that's as a fresh wave of rail and london underground strikes is set to bring travel chaos to the network next month . chaos to the network next month. aslef, the train drivers union, has called a series of walkouts from april the 5th to the eighth, coupled with a six day overtime ban involving 16 train companies. they've also called tube strikers to go to strike on, two workers, rather to go on

strike between april the 8th and the 4th of may. aslef drivers have voted by 98% in favour of that industrial action. now hmrc has reversed a decision to close its self—assessment telephone helpline for half the year. the tax authority originally announced the line would be closed between april and september, with taxpayers directed to online services instead. mps have criticised the u—turn and the shadow financial secretary, james murray, told the commons the government is giving up on serious governing, is running the treasury . is running the treasury. >> this morning, just after we requested this urgent question , requested this urgent question, we found out the chancellor has told hmrc to pause this change. this is a u—turn of quite extraordinary speed and indignity after hmrc announced yesterday it would permanently close its self—assessment helpline altogether for half the year from april till september. this morning. year from april till september. this morning . a treasury source this morning. a treasury source said that ministers have halted this change immediately, implying that ministers were taken by surprise by hmrc's

announcement yesterday . announcement yesterday. >> that's your news for the latest stories, do sign up for gb news alerts. scan the qr code on your screen right now or go to gb news. common alerts back now to . martin. now to. martin. >> thank you very much. now, polly, we've been here before. the game of political ping pong continues once again as the rwanda bill is yet again voted in the lords. and these are live pictures as you can see right now from the house of lords, peers are voting on whether rishi sunak can put migrants on deportation flights to rwanda. the lords are revolting and let's cross live now to gb news political editor christopher hope. chris, it's groundhog day all over again. it's like brexit on steroids. and once again, the government has suffered a

defeat. what's the latest ? defeat. what's the latest? >> that's right. so we can at this hour we have the first votes are coming through for what you're seeing on your screens now in the of screens now in the house of lords, peers inflicted lords, peers have inflicted a fresh on government's fresh defeat on the government's attempts of attempts to pass this safety of rwanda by a 271 votes to rwanda bill by a 271 votes to 228, a majority of 43, and the bill was to try and press their demand that the legislation has, quote . quote. >> that, on the other hand, i accept the point made by yeah, we've gone . we've gone. >> that's a lord mouthing it. as we just said, there 271 versus 228, a humiliating defeat for rishi sunak, despite the fact he had every conservative peer, lord and lady in the nation on call to get them back. i saw lord of the rings style call out to get them in. wasn't enough. chris coming back to you. another humiliating defeat . another humiliating defeat. >> it is. and this is how, of

course, parliament works. the house of commons passed, passes its laws and then the revising chamber. the peers are meant to be able to ask mps to think again. this will happen, i think, as many as three times this process. but we do expect this, safety rwanda bill, to according the whips, to become law in a week starting april 15th. so in four months, four weeks time, four weeks time, two years after the original bill was first announced by boris johnson. two prime ministers ago. so it's always a delaying process. the hope is for the government's point of view, to get this law within in a month's time and then the first flights off in off in may. >> okay, chris, so thank you for that update. and of course, the 1922 committee meeting this afternoon. any insight there into what might happen? chris no, we lost him anyway. let's not worry about that. let's quickly move on. we'll have more on that, of course, throughout the show and there they are. look. still debating are they

look. still debating or are they gloating ? they've actually just look. still debating or are they gloathis ? they've actually just look. still debating or are they gloathis debate.'e actually just look. still debating or are they gloathis debate. anotherly just won this debate. another humiliating defeat. 271228a majority of 43. fresh humiliation for rishi sunak , now humiliation for rishi sunak, now a migrant, has been stabbed and injured on a small boat while crossing the channel today, the uk and french authorities have responded to multiple dinghies in the english channel once again this morning and moving through the day, an improvement in weather conditions seen an increase in criminal people smugglers attempting to launch multiple boats from french beaches once again. and this comes as a new report shows the government's plans for housing asylum seekers is set to cost even more than using hotels. well, i'm joined now in the studio in westminster by the executive director of migration watch, doctor mike jones. welcome to the studio. always a pleasure. it never rains, but it pours. and these latest figures simply eye—watering. this is a

national audit office report. it's called investigation into asylum accommodation a staggering £1.2 billion to develop large sites, including raf wethersfield and scampton. and mike, this is on top of between eight and £15 million a day. whoever's numbers you take on asylum seeker hotels have the lunatics taken over the asylum system. >> well , the prime minister's >> well, the prime minister's cost saving plan to rehouse asylum seekers is in complete tatters. >> i mean, if you look at the four sites mentioned in the national audit office report , national audit office report, you know, raf scampton, raf wethersfield, the bibby stockholm, the repurposed student digs and huddersfield, they were actually meant to save they were actually meant to save the taxpayer money around 95 million. but according to the national audit office, this is going to cost the taxpayer 45, 46 million of what it would have costed to house these people in hotels. so the policy is in complete tatters , and we'll be

complete tatters, and we'll be speaking soon with a member of the wethersfield air force airfield security scrutiny committee. >> we spoke earlier to sarah carter from raf scampton. save our scampton time and time again, doctor jones, the public, again, doctorjones, the public, the activists, the voters simply not being listened to, being trampled on no matter what they say . so these sites are going say. so these sites are going ahead ? ahead? >> yeah for sure. >> yeah for sure. >> i mean, if you zoom out for a minute, you know why is this happening? >> you know, for any project or any institution to succeed, power and responsibility have to be . be aligned. >> you know, if you're responsible for something, you need h. need the power to implement it. and likewise, if you're responsible it , and likewise, if you're responsible it, you need and likewise, if you're responsible it , you need the responsible for it, you need the power to do so. >> now, when the home office, it's the complete reverse. >> the home are >> the home office are responsible asylum policy, responsible for asylum policy, housing these people and deporting , but they deporting illegals, but they don't have any power. the power lies with the courts and the judges and the ngos. and what you find with this topsy turvy

system is that the government is scrambling around to try and house these because it's house these people because it's illegal to allow an asylum seeker to be destitute . so seeker to be destitute. so essentially they have to impose these quotas on communities against the will of the people there. >> and that brings me on to my next point, 450 today over the channel next point, 450 today over the channel, a record number for this time of year. big sites like scampton and wethersfield, we know about we know about the hotel bill. i'm getting contacted all the time by people from local communities who are having houses bought up in their locale by by the government agencies, serco, mears . how big agencies, serco, mears. how big an issue do you think that's going to be? because they're just trying different methods of distribution all over the shop, aren't ? aren't they? >> they are. >> they are. >> i mean, home >> i mean, the home office released release today released a press release today saying that closed down saying that they've closed down a asylum hotels , and a hundred asylum hotels, and they've freed up about 20,000 spaces. now, in that press release, they mentioned , you release, they mentioned, you know, scampton wethersfield and

the bibby stockholm , but only the bibby stockholm, but only two of those facilities are operational. and between them they has about 900 asylum seekers. but what about the other 19,000 places? where are they going exactly ? my guess is they going exactly? my guess is they're going into the private rental sector. some of them may have been granted asylum, they may have been fast tracked, but a lot of those are going into the sector. and we've the private sector. and we've heard rents have heard today that rents have increased record since increased to record levels since records in 2015. records were recorded in 2015. average increase of 9, 10% in london. so this is just contributing to the cost of rent crisis and the cost of living crisis. >> great as ever, superb food for thought. doctor mike jones, thanks for joining me for thought. doctor mike jones, thanks forjoining me in for thought. doctor mike jones, thanks for joining me in the studio. it's always a pleasure. now, as i said, a new report has highlighted that accommodation for asylum seekers at former essex base raf wethersfield is costing a staggering ten times more than originally planned and andrew hearle, a member of wethersfield airfield scrutiny committee , joins me now on the

committee, joins me now on the show. welcome to the show, andrew. thank you so much for joining us. the figures are astonishing, it was meant to cost £5 million to prepare wethersfield. it's actually costing £49 million. ten times the original amount. and yet nobody in the areas i can see it, actually wants this to happenin it, actually wants this to happen in your community. andrew, how do you feeling today? >> i'm martin, to be honest, this comes as no surprise to us as communities. i think we've known since september that these large sites are going to cost considerably more than hotel accommodation. you know , we've accommodation. you know, we've seen various legal documents which shows , i mean, to be which shows, i mean, to be honest, i go stronger. >> i think the intention was never actually to be cheaper than hotels, judging by what we've seen , we've had seen some we've seen, we've had seen some ridiculous one one example ridiculous we've one one example is a letter of intent signed by

a senior civil servant to lease portacabins for 12 months for 1100 people, for £72 million yeah >> now that's the equivalent of £175 a person. so this was signed back in february 23rd. so you have to ask yourself the question , was the intention ever question, was the intention ever to be cheaper than hotels or is this just a form of political sort of point scoring, which seems to have turned into an own goal ? goal? >> and andrew, for those who may not be aware of the wethersfield area, can you spell out and make it clear to us why you believe the area simply isn't suitable for this kind of accommodation for this kind of accommodation for asylum seekers? >> yeah, basically we're >> yeah, so basically we're about nine, ten miles from the nearest town. >> the local villages got 1000 people population, which is a two mile walk from the airbase. >> the buildings themselves , we >> the buildings themselves, we know to be semi dilapidated. you know, they're stuck up in the 70 years ago by the americans in a rush . we know the sewage system rush. we know the sewage system fails. know the water supply fails. we know the water supply

failing the electricity failing, the electricity supply is any home office is failing. if any home office actually listened to all of this right at the beginning, where we pointed out all these problems, you estimate of 5 you know, this estimate of 5 million, we could have saved £45 million. >> you know, this is they weren't their policy. >> have not listening to communities, not listening to local planning authorities has backfired massively and is going to the taxpayers , an to cost us, the taxpayers, an extra £45 million. so you know it's just the home office have to start to learn to listen to people and not try and bulldoze through everybody , or fire or through everybody, or fire or sack those that they don't agree with. like, you know, like david neal from the, you know, the independent inspector for immigration who condemned wethersfield for basically what it for. wethersfield for basically what it so, for. wethersfield for basically what it so, yeah, the home office >> so, yeah, the home office have and when he spoke out on these issues and blew the whistle, he was swiftly dispersed or got rid of put his head above the parapet. >> andrew, you've campaigned on this tirelessly. you've galvanised your community.

you've come together, you've been cohesive, you've been sensible . you've been peaceful, sensible. you've been peaceful, you've been respectful, you've played this down the line straight and done it the right way. and yeah, they still haven't listened. andrew, what's this do for your belief in the political system ? political system? >> it's gone to be honest. >> it's gone to be honest. >> it's gone to be honest. >> it's , it's evaporated >> it's, it's evaporated completely. i mean, what this particular the national audit office report confirms this. you know, the government repeatedly said this policy is to save the taxpayer money, and it's proven from the outset that actually it's not true. so where is the sort of, honesty? where's the transparency ? where's the transparency? where's the accountability for this government? i mean, i think everyone in the surrounding area feels the same as me. i think . feels the same as me. i think. >> and, andrew, in terms of the political priority , is the political priority, is the financial priorities of this government . you've been government. you've been campaigning tirelessly now. do you just believe that british citizens are just second class citizens are just second class citizens now in our own land ,

citizens now in our own land, i'm not sure about that. i'd say that there's a massive disconnect between those forming policy and government and the ability to listen to facts , ability to listen to facts, evidence, things like this. i mean, the national audit office isn't the first time the national audit office has criticised government spending back in 2022, highlighted back in 2022, they highlighted that only 8% of major government spendis that only 8% of major government spend is robustly evaluated before it's spent. that's 30 billion out of £450 billion is robustly evaluated for expense. >> so there's just a disconnect between listening to evidence and facts and people and actually their policy. >> it's just it's just blinkered i >> -- >> and andrew, briefly, if we could, despite the fact they're pressing on, despite the fact you've galvanised the community against it, are you going to fight on, yeah. >> we want common sense to come through . so, they're about to through. so, they're about to launch a special development order, which is again , is order, which is again, is another way of bypassing local communities, local planning authorities , we would expect authorities, we would expect

them acknowledge the them to acknowledge the operational problems which the home secretary's our local mp , home secretary's our local mp, james cleverly, admitted, and cap the number at a minimum of like 600, which they believe now is they can't get over 600 people in there. >> it's chaos. they can't, you know , who would have guessed? know, who would have guessed? you know, you try and put 1700 people torn areas and people from war torn areas and it's to cause trouble. it's going to cause trouble. i mean, who would have guessed that? i mean, everyone other than the home office, so we'd expect listen the expect them to listen to the facts and actually respond to it. >> okay. thank you very much for joining and we wish you the joining us. and we wish you the very that's very best of british. that's andrew hearle, a member of wethersfield scrutiny wethersfield airfield scrutiny committee. joining us committee. thanks forjoining us on gb news. now. it's time now for the great british giveaway. gm 6 ,—§%:;:ff7;f i got a shopping got a shopping spree, we've got a shopping spree, a garden gadget bundle and £12,345. 12345 tax free pounds. and here's all details you need to get your hands on that wonga. >> time is ticking on your chance to win the great british giveaway. there's a massive

£12,345 in tax free cash to spend. however you like , along spend. however you like, along with £500 in shopping vouchers for your favourite store, a games console, a pizza oven and a portable sonos smart speaker. and the best news? you could be our next big winner. just like phil didn't quite believe it and still can't . and if i can win still can't. and if i can win it, anybody can win it for another chance to win the vouchers, the treats and £12,345 in tax free cash . in tax free cash. >> text gb win to 84 9002. text cost £2 plus one standard network rate message or post your name and number two gb gbo3, p0 your name and number two gb gb03, po box 8690 derby d19, double t, uk only entrants must be 18 or over. lines close at 5 pm. on friday, the 29th of march. full terms and privacy nofice march. full terms and privacy notice at gbnews.com forward slash win. please check the closing time if watching or listening demand. luck . listening on demand. good luck. >> great. so fill your boots now. still to come , the now. still to come, the government wants to create a smoke free nation with tobacco

and vaping really go out of fashion . i'm martin daubney on fashion. i'm martin daubney on gb news, britain's news channel .

welcome back. it's 527. i'm martin daubney on gb news now. all the latest throughout the rest of the show on the house of lords they frustrate the lords as they frustrate the rwanda bill once again. you can see live pictures on your screen. now, just a quick refresher. the government suffered a humiliating defeat. 271 votes versus 228 votes, a majority of 43. ping pong. it goes back to the commons for another round, and this is going to drag on, chris hope said. until april the 15th, two weeks after april fools day. and don't we all sort of feel now a little

bit like fools now ? moving on. bit like fools now? moving on. could britain ever become smoke free? well, the government plans put forward in parliament today. current 15 year olds will never be able to buy a ciggie , with be able to buy a ciggie, with vapes coming under tougher restrictions as well . and it's restrictions as well. and it's as scientists find, vape users might experience the same cancer risks as smokers. well, our reporter anna riley went out and aboutin reporter anna riley went out and about in hull to see what people there are saying in years to come. >> yeah. my wife died mainly through smoking, but i've never smoked. i've never smoked, ever. and it's a habit and it's not a healthy habit. but yeah , i healthy habit. but yeah, i should they should phase it out. >> no, no, not at all. >> you can't you can't organise people that much if they want to let them. >> yeah i do, i mean i've never really smoked myself , but i know really smoked myself, but i know now that i have a child, especially when you walk around with somebody smoking right near you and you know, you can smell it you and

it and it goes all over you and just very nice at all. just it's not very nice at all. so i just think that be so i just think that would be more beneficial. would more beneficial. plus it would stop younger children from smoking see smoking because if you don't see it, it. it, you're not going to do it. >> yes, it'd be great. >> ideally, yes, it'd be great. i it'd certainly i mean, it'd certainly be benefits from it and everything like benefits from it and everything uke and like that, but enforcing it and personally you'd have a situation. i think that, you know, the americans had with prohibition and everything like this, around this, people found a way around it. i think it it should be how you want to be. >> it's a personal choice. you want to smoke? that's fine. if you don't want to smoke, that's fine . fine. >> well, join me now. is the director of the uk vaping industry association, john dunn. john, welcome to the show. so, john, welcome to the show. so, john, the medical consensus always seemed to lead us to believe that vaping was a far safer alternative to smoking . safer alternative to smoking. yet this report today sending out shockwaves there, could be a comparable cancer risk. what's the truth ? the truth? >> well, first of all, that's not what the survey says today. >> what it's talking about is comparing light smokers with heavier smokers and the traits

that are happening in the dna. >> but nobody is saying that vaping is 100% safe. >> nothing that we do in this world is. >> but what we do know is compared to smoking combustible cigarettes, which kills 220 people every day here in the uk, vaping is a far safer alternative. >> if you cannot quit by any other means . other means. >> and john, what would you say to the this continual clampdown, tobacco is now coming under the scrutiny. it's been made to feel compared to hard drugs, you'd say. and now vaping, should vaping get more leeway, should it be allowed to go to kids, or do we need some restrictions on the market to keep it sensible ? the market to keep it sensible? >> no, absolutely. young people shouldn't these shouldn't be using these products . it's already illegal products. it's already illegal in this country to if in this country to vape if you're under the age of 18. but those rules are not being enforced by this government. so bringing in more legislation when you can't even enforce the current legislation seems to me to be silly, and especially when

it's going to discourage adult smokers from taking up this product because they wrongly believe that it's just as bad as smoking cigarettes. >> so i might as well just continue smoking. >> that's going to the problem. >> i see with this. >> i see with this. >> okay, great. thank you for >> okay, great. so thank you for your sense approach . your common sense approach. that's director that's john dunn, the director of industry of the uk vaping industry association. thanks for joining us on gb news. now there's lots more still to come between now and 6:00. equalities minister kemi badenoch says britain's diversity programs are back firing and inclusion policies are coming at the expense of white men. but is she right? this, and much, much more in our final bumper half hour. but first it's time for your latest news headlines with polly middlehurst . middlehurst. >> the top stories this hour. gb news can reveal a migrant has been stabbed on a small boat attempting to cross the english channel today.

attempting to cross the english channel today . uk authorities, channel today. uk authorities, including border force and two lifeboats, attended the incident, which happened just before lunchtime. we understand the man has been taken to hospital with non—life threatening injuries and police officers are trying to establish exactly what happened. the dinghy was one of eight small boats reaching uk waters on the busiest day of channel crossings so far this year, a record 450 migrants arrived on small boats today , that takes the number today, that takes the number arriving on uk shores this year to nearly 4000. let's bring you up to date with events happening in the house of lords this afternoon, where the rwanda bill is again facing the is once again facing the prospect further as prospect of further delay as peers been discussing peers have been discussing a fresh set of amendments. it does look from those live pictures of the upper chamber that the peers are at the moment, taking a short break, but we can tell you that in the last half hour they've already inflicted their first defeat against the rwanda bill, voting it down by a majority of 43. it means there's little chance of that bill

getting through parliament until after the break. now and after the easter break. now and in other news today, hmrc has decided to reverse a decision to close its self—assessment telephone helpline for half the yeah telephone helpline for half the year. the tax authority , year. the tax authority, originally announcing the line would be closed between april and september, directing taxpayers to online services instead, and junior doctors in england have been voting by 98% to continue with their strike action in their long running dispute over pay. the bma is requesting a 35% pay rise, which the government has previously said is unrwa reasonable. there have been ten walkouts so far by junior doctors this year since march last year. for the latest stories, do sign up for gb news alerts. scan the qr code on your screen or go to gb news. carmela that's . that's. >> for a valuable legacy your family can own , gold coins will family can own, gold coins will always shine bright.

>> rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news financial report and a quick look at the numbers for you today. >> the pound will buy you $1.2716 and ,1.1708. the price of gold is £1,697.48 an ounce, and the ftse 100 has closed for the day today at 7737 points. >> rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news financial report . report. >> thank you very much, polly. now, i've been asking you throughout the show for your emails and you've been sending them in by the hundreds and it's got to be said, you've really been frothing at the mouth about this lgbtq rainbow crossing in blackpool. it's fair to say not a single person is happy. but before we get to that , my before we get to that, my favourite time of the show it's

time to cross now to michelle dewberry the queen of prime time political debate, michelle, i want to jump in on your conversation there. >> i concur with those viewers that been in what that have been emailing in what on these councils sit on earth to these councils sit there and talk about when they come with these kind of come up with these kind of suggestions and focus on the stuff that you're to be stuff that you're supposed to be focusing your potholes, focusing on, fix your potholes, stuff like that. >> get started on that >> don't get me started on that one, martin. goodness me. anyway, coming on show anyway, coming up on my show tonight, we'll have tonight, of course we'll have all the we'll follow all the latest. we'll follow that and see what that rwanda bill and see what goes we'll look at goes on there. we'll look at what out of 1922 what comes out of the 1922 committee. also tobacco and vapes. that's what sunak is focusing that the right focusing on, is that the right priority for him or not, also, there something that caught there was something that caught my eye. the largest, aid package now uk has gone into now from the uk has gone into gaza. it's got me wondering, gaza. and it's got me wondering, do that we do enough do you think that we do enough to try and resolve foreign conflicts , as a country or not? conflicts, as a country or not? is that our job or not? some will perhaps say. yeah, it came up at pmqs today that we should replicate the scheme that we had for the ukrainian refugees , and for the ukrainian refugees, and we should open up and expand

that to palestinian people . that out to palestinian people. you've got students that have barricaded. i shouldn't laugh, but students that but you've got students that have barricaded themselves into rooms saying that they're not going to come out until their university starts cutting ties with arms companies and the like. i've got their lists of demands. you won't believe your eyes you see that one. eyes when you see that one. also, well, i want to talk also, as well, i want to talk about child and wonder about child care, and i wonder whether got things whether or not we've got things right country. got whether or not we've got things ri fabulous country. got whether or not we've got things ri fabulous panel,:ry. got whether or not we've got things ri fabulous panel, martin. got whether or not we've got things ri fabulous panel, martin. i've a fabulous panel, martin. i've got bastani peter got aaron bastani and peter hitchens joining me. they have very opinions on this very different opinions on this topic. peter, for example, says that one parent should always stay at home. aaron suggests that you could even pay that parent to stay at home and essentially be a parent. and where a grandparents in all this, martin, because they pick up lion's share up dirt, they the lion's share of of this child care too well. >> the best form of diversity is diversity of opinion. you find it by the spadeful dewbs& co 617 always a pleasure . look forward always a pleasure. look forward to that later on. now stay with us here on gb news plainmoor to bnng us here on gb news plainmoor to bring you throughout the final

furlong of this show. and please don't forget your emails. get in touch with your thoughts on the big stories of the day, including would you do with including what would you do with this zebra crossing in this rainbow zebra crossing in your council area? it's been revealed today. blackpool has spent 35 grand on that little number there and you're frothing at the mouth about it. vaiews@gbnews.com is the email, and i'll get through as many as i can before the end of the show. i'm martin daubney gb show. i'm martin daubney on gb news, britain's channel

okay. welcome back to the show. so i'm martin daubney 1740 okay. welcome back to the show. so i'm martin daubney1740 is the time. and this is gb news. now, britain's diversity programs are completely backfiring. and inclusion policies are coming at the expense of white men. and that's not my words . that's according

not my words. that's according to business secretary and equalities minister kemi badenoch. well, she commissioned a report into equality, diversity and inclusion and it shows millions of pounds is being wasted on programmes with as she says, they have little to no tangible impact in increasing diversity or reducing prejudice . diversity or reducing prejudice. a lot of people will be crying out in agreement with that and join me in the studio now is sunil sharma from the conservative friends of the commonwealth. sunil, welcome to the always a the studio. it's always a pleasure. it's kemi badenoch right? do you think in this stampede for inclusion and diversity , some people have diversity, some people have simply been left behind and that includes white men, particularly the working classes? definitely. >> if you look at old stats, it pretty this. if pretty much supports this. so if we're gcse level , we we're looking on gcse level, we now see that black, asian and pretty much all minority ethnic groups outperform white british people in particular. white boys are scoring very poorly , when it are scoring very poorly, when it comes to numeracy rates, literacy rates .

literacy rates. >> so she's 100% right in literacy rates. >> so she's100% right in terms of this obsession with diversity and inclusion. it's letting down the vast majority of the country, which is predominantly white. >> and sunil, you know, common sense. thank you for even saying it. it feels like a victory to even have these words. but it is true . it is true. and i know true. it is true. and i know from journey into from my own journey into politics got into politics before i got into broadcasting, no broadcasting, there's still no initiatives help, initiatives out there to help, particularly those white working class lads. the least likely demographic to finish with gcses, go to a—levels and go to university. being left behind, being forgotten. no one's helping them because what you might be seen as racist for sure. >> and it goes even further because naturally, if their education is low, they're likely to be doing as well professionally. >> so even look at in terms of professional jobs, managerial jobs , white british people are jobs, white british people are scoring lower and lower. >> so you know, here's a stat for you in terms of white british people in professional jobs, there's about 25% asians, 33, the black community is slightly lower, 24.7, but it's a

very minute difference . but very minute difference. but you've got to remember, more than 80% of this country is white. >> you know, i know in london, in big cities like birmingham , in big cities like birmingham, that isn't the case. >> but the majority of this country is white. >> and you have a workforce >> and when you have a workforce and on particularly and an education on particularly for the largest demographic of people struggling, is people struggling, that is really pretty terrible for our country and something that really needs to be addressed. >> and sunil kemi badenoch singles out concepts such as white privilege and reading those stats out there, looking through the prism of reality and not diversity, you might think, well, when does this white privilege kick in? >> well, i think this is an obsession and needs to stop in terms of talking about white privilege so we can again, this goes further. >> if look at, professor, >> if we look at, professor, personal, economic, in terms of going to prison socially on almost every aspect , going to prison socially on almost every aspect, we're seeing british white people on a on a downward trajectory . on a downward trajectory. >> and i think some of this

alludes to more what we should be looking at rather than this sort of inclusion, inclusivity, obsession is looking at stats such as two parent households. >> and think this is something >> and i think this is something that a lot of are a bit that a lot of people are a bit shy talking about. and aren't shy of talking about. and aren't very but it's clear we very okay, but it's clear we know for a fact if you're growing, if you grow up in a single parent household, regardless of skin colour, you're going to be bigger you're going to be a much bigger disadvantage parent disadvantage than a two parent household. back household. and the stats back this so the community that's this up. so the community that's outperforming this up. so the community that's out|bestrming this up. so the community that's out|best is ing this up. so the community that's out|best is typically british the best is typically british indians. they have the lowest percentage of people that are have single parents. >> so that's around 6 to 11. the group that doing worse when group that is doing worse when it comes to education, crime , it comes to education, crime, employment is black caribbean. they have a 63% of black canbbean they have a 63% of black caribbean children grow up in a single parent household. >> so before this poor child, even as a fair opportunity of life, they're at a disadvantage. that's to do with that's got nothing to do with skin colour. that's got nothing to with race, that's do to do with race, that's to do the fact they have the simple fact that they have growing a two parent and a growing up in a two parent and a single household,

single parent household, and it's happening a scale. it's happening on a mass scale. >> know what? again, >> and you know what? again, you're absolutely bang the you're absolutely bang on the lammy years ago, lammy report. some years ago, david lammy wrote a report into this and he acknowledged the absence particular this and he acknowledged the absethe particular this and he acknowledged the absethe social particular this and he acknowledged the absethe social outcomes. :icular this and he acknowledged the absethe social outcomes. it's ar and the social outcomes. it's a real thing, but it's an unfashionable thing to talk about and this obsession with not offending people, it sets us back. >> well, i think what we're seeing, you know, a lot of the blm movement and that whole initiative destroy initiative was to destroy the concept family, concept of a nuclear family, destroy fact of a of this destroy the fact of a of this bafic destroy the fact of a of this basic concept of having two parents. and, you know, i'm not advocating say abusive relationships. >> we're talking about, you know, father being present. know, a father being present. >> i'm not saying that they have to be married or in whatever partnership, just having two parents present in the parents that are present in the child's life. there is no matter what you're in, you're what country you're in, you're at advantage if have two at an advantage if you have two parents. unfortunately, at an advantage if you have two paren seeing unfortunately, at an advantage if you have two paren seeing in|fortunately, at an advantage if you have two paren seeing in scarily|tely, at an advantage if you have two paren seeing in scarily now we're seeing in scarily now happening in the white british community is that is also decreasing quite a rapid rate. and i would much rather our government other other initiative is have a much more

bigger influence on the impact on how important family is, because at the moment seems to because at the moment seems to be a very unfashionable thing to say. >> if you do talk about family, which, you're going to be labelled straight away on the spectrum of being right or far right, you can't have a discussion talking about discussion about talking about family all. and think family at all. and i think that's concerning. that's deeply concerning. >> magnificent . thank >> absolutely magnificent. thank you very much. what a common sense blast we got there from sinner alok sharma from the conservative friends of the commonwealth, which is fabulous. thank you. now don't go anywhere . we'll be getting all the very latest house of lords latest as the house of lords looks set once again to continue frustrating government's frustrating the government's rwanda bill. it's groundhog day, i'm daubney on gb news i'm martin daubney on gb news british news

channel. >> earlier on breakfast, people will either fall into the category that this is awful, this is terrible, or. or it's category that this is awful, this is terrible, or . or it's a this is terrible, or. or it's a hospital. that's what staff do. >> at least one member of staff allegedly accesses accessed the

princess of wales's private medical information. >> if you look at some of the reasons we've been so uniquely exposed to high inflation, well, exposure to high fossil fuel prices, the government doubling down on that rather finding down on that rather than finding alternatives . alternatives. >> got some breaking news for you breaking you today. breaking breaking news, i have a standard order in the morning. >> so, so you got in before the glitch from six. >> it's breakfast on gb news >> it's breakfast on gb news >> gb news is the home of free speech. we were created to champion it and we deliver it day in, day out. >> free speech allows us all to explore and debate openly the issues most important us, our issues most important to us, our families and of course, the british people having challenging conversations to enlighten each other. >> which is we all >> which is why we hear all sides of the argument. >> we are the people's channel. >> we are the people's channel. >> always stand by the >> we will always stand by the freedom to express yourself on tv , radio and online. tv, radio and online. >> this is gb news, britain's news channel .

news channel. >> welcome back. 550. on the final furlong let's get galloping. i'm martin daubney on gb news now. the lords has just passed that vote. we'll cross to live pictures that got through 271 votes to 228 against the government , a majority of 43. government, a majority of 43. the lords once again have revolted. the lords are revolting and this would frustrate the process. another humiliating defeat for rishi sunak. humiliating defeat for rishi sunak . this will now go back to sunak. this will now go back to parliament for another vote. more ping pong. as i keep saying , there's more ping pong than in a youth club. so don't forget £600 million has been spent on the rwanda project so far , 300 the rwanda project so far, 300 migrants have been earmarked for sending over there. but will that ever happen? this has very,

very large echoes for me of the brexit time. groundhog day , the brexit time. groundhog day, the lords frustrating the will of parliament. and now let's cross to our political editor, christopher hope , who is live on christopher hope, who is live on the scene in the commons. chris, as i was just saying, another humiliating defeat for rishi sunak. >> that's right. another blow here, in in parliament, amendment b1 has now been passed by the house of lords. it says that the rwanda will only be seen as a safe country when the arrangements provided by the rwanda rwanda treaty have been fully implemented . this is a fully implemented. this is a further attempt by peers to stop flights off, because flights taking off, because there are all sorts of measures in signed by james in that treaty signed by james cleverly. and what they're saying unless all those saying here is, unless all those measures , measures been measures, measures have been applied, some might take months or cant applied, some might take months or can't any or years. you can't have any flights taking off. a further flights taking off. so a further attempt here to attempt by peers here to frustrate the work of the safety of rwanda bill. and that is why frustrate the work of the safety of theinda bill. and that is why frustrate the work of the safety of the beginningnd that is why frustrate the work of the safety of the beginning of that is why frustrate the work of the safety of the beginning of a1at is why frustrate the work of the safety of the beginning of a long why at the beginning of a long process, as i i've been process, as i say, i've been told very authority will

told on very good authority will only itself in the week told on very good authority will onthe itself in the week told on very good authority will onthe april itself in the week told on very good authority will onthe april theelf in the week told on very good authority will onthe april the 15th. the week told on very good authority will onthe april the 15th. so week told on very good authority will onthe april the 15th. so we're of the april the 15th. so we're a month away before we're anywhere law . anywhere near this becoming law. >> okay, chris, thank you for that. quick update. and let's pick this up again tomorrow on the show . chris, superb as ever. the show. chris, superb as ever. thank you very much. now then , thank you very much. now then, you sent in hundreds and hundreds of emails today and the top of this really got you going is rainbow crossing the is the rainbow crossing the lgbtq+ awareness zebra crossing proposed for blackpool. and listen to some of these emails we've had in barrie says this as a gay man living very close to these crossings in blackpool, i've lived in the area for 21 years and i've never had any problem whatsoever of being who i want to be. this is a total waste of money and instead of bringing diversity, it actually causes division between the gay community and the straight community. glen adds this no wonder these councils are going bankrupt. rob says this what a

blackpool council playing at 35 grand on a rainbow zebra crossing. this really makes my blood boil and glenda says this will they change the highway code? because it certainly does not help the visually impaired community and is not represented in that highway code. and of course, we've seen incidents of police horses refuse to cross over these things because they frightened them. and some reports of guide dogs not recognise seeing them as zebra crossings and taking their owners onto them as if they weren't there . putting people, weren't there. putting people, perhaps under some duress , not perhaps under some duress, not going down completely well at all. finally, jamie says this before council go bust in blackpool. maybe they should also pump the money into local non football clubs and that's it from me. dewbs& co is up next. but don't forget to join us from 6 am. tomorrow. it's breakfast with stephen and ellie, followed by britain's newsroom at 930 with andrew and bev. and then of

course tom and emily with good afternoon britain from midday now. i'll be back tomorrow at three till 6 pm. as i say, dewbs & co is after this, and on dewbs& co is after this, and on that show they'll be looking at that show they'll be looking at that huge debate in the lords. that's all coming up. i'm martin daubney and this is gb news. but first it's time for your weather with alex mele. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb news. >> hello and welcome to your latest gb news weather forecast from the met office. as we head through this evening, from the met office. as we head through this evening , the rain through this evening, the rain we've seen across england and wales will start ease. wales today will start to ease. but further windy but further wet and windy weather returns to the north—west and that's because we're looking out towards the west this next weather west for this next weather system. that's to spread west for this next weather sysway. that's to spread west for this next weather sysway in.|at's to spread west for this next weather sysway in. this to spread west for this next weather sysway in. this feature, spread its way in. this feature, though, ease away, so though, starts to ease away, so the rain and low cloud will start just push its way south

start to just push its way south eastwards. but for most of us, it does leave quite a lot of cloud overnight tonight, few cloud overnight tonight, a few pockets skies , but pockets of clearer skies, but where see those we'll see where we see those we'll see some fog patches some mist and fog patches developing can to developing. but you can see to the northwest return of that the northwest the return of that wet and windy weather spilling in. does mean is in. but what it does mean is that places , that for most places, temperatures won't falling temperatures won't be falling away typically between away too low, typically between 5 to 10 c. a wet and windy start to the day, though for western parts of scotland and northern ireland, some heavy bursts of rain filtering their way west to east morning. east through the morning. so we'll start to fringe in across northern england, perhaps north wales well . but for most of wales as well. but for most of england and a and england and wales, a dry and bright thursday afternoon with some of sunshine but a some spells of sunshine but a stronger us. stronger breeze for all of us. so temperatures still getting to 14 16 in the sunniest 14 to 16 degrees in the sunniest guys but feeling just that little bit fresher. fast forward to friday morning and that weather front starts to filter its way southwards, so a grey and murky start to the day here, but skies following but brighter skies following on behind mixture behind with a mixture of sunshine showers. is sunshine and showers. but it is turning cooler , our temperatures

turning cooler, our temperatures sliding away in towards the weekend. stronger winds at weekend. some stronger winds at times and some heavy times too, and some heavy downpours. now . downpours. bye for now. >> that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers, sponsors of weather on gb news

continues being voted on again. it's not looking good that this law is going to pass or become law. any time soon. the government won't want to know, though, that today has been the busiest day for crossings on the channel. again goodness gracious me. also, the uk's largest delivery of aid to gaza has crossed the border and is being distributed . it's got me distributed. it's got me wondering, do you think the uk needs to do more to help resolve some of these foreign conflicts