dolan. tonight in this is mark dolan. tonight in my big opinion, this weekend sees the four year anniversary of the first covid lockdown. we're still paying the price for that madness. never again . my that madness. never again. my mark meets guest is the legendary us politician bob mcewen, whose traditional conservative views led him to be described as a textbook republican . he'll be talking to republican. he'll be talking to me about joe biden, donald trump and the race for the white house, one of america's politics, most colourful figures. he joins me before the end of the hour in the big story. do the tragic events of the last couple of days remind us just how loved and important our royal family are.7 i'll be joined in the studio by one of the country's leading royal authors, and it might take a ten. sir keir starmer is to hand more power to the unions , with more power to the unions, with even blairite mastermind peter mandelson worrying it will hurt businesses. can britain afford a labour government? i'll be

deaung labour government? i'll be dealing with sir keir starmer in no uncertain terms . two hours of no uncertain terms. two hours of big opinion, big debate and big entertainment. lots to get through. first, the news headunes through. first, the news headlines sam francis . headlines and sam francis. >> mark, thanks very much. and a very good evening to you. it's just gone 9:00. we start with news coming to us from moscow tonight. the two suspects in friday's deadly shooting at a concert hall have been charged friday's deadly shooting at a co courthall have been charged friday's deadly shooting at a co court withhave been charged friday's deadly shooting at a co court with an e been charged friday's deadly shooting at a co court with an actzen charged friday's deadly shooting at a co court with an act off charged in court with an act of terrorism . in earlier, footage terrorism. in earlier, footage from the russian capital showed four suspects being into four suspects being taken into custody that terror custody following that terror incident, which we now know has claimed at least 130 lives. the islamic state terror group has claimed responsibility for the attack. however, russia is continuing to link ukraine, an allegation that kyiv has denied. tonight, russian security officials have published another statement saying they will hunt down and kill those who

masterminded the attack . masterminded the attack. meanwhile, russia's black sea fleet is now functionally inactive. that's according to the defence secretary here in the defence secretary here in the uk, after a massive ukrainian missile strike on sevastopol. this was the moment that two russian navy vessels were targeted and struck. security sources have told gb news that uk supplied storm shadow missiles were used in that strike, and we understand a major military communications centre was also damaged. it marks the largest attack on the russian controlled port in the war, so far, as tensions in the region continue to escalate . region continue to escalate. simon harris has been confirmed as the new leader of the fine gael party, paving the way for him to become ireland's youngest premier. it follows the surprise resignation of leo varadkar on wednesday of this week for what

he described as personal and political reasons . mr harris is political reasons. mr harris is expected to become ireland's youngest shock after the easter recess. he said today that politics should be a force for good. oh enterprise, equality of opportunity , integrity and security. >> i have been in this party since i was 15 years old and those values mean and meant everything to me because i believe in public service. i believe in public service. i believe in public service. i believe in the power of politics to make a difference. i believe that politics as a profession can make people's lives better. >> government lawyers working from home have reportedly spent nearly £4 million of taxpayers money on new laptops , tablets money on new laptops, tablets and mobile phones, according to reports in the telegraph. the government legal department has purchased thousands of remote working devices since 2021, including 560 mobile phones, more than 2000 new laptops and

multiple tablet computers. those figures come as ministers are pushing to have whitehall staff back in the office. at least 60% of the time, amid concerns over reduced productivity due to remote working in london today, the british museum was forced to close as hundreds of pro—palestine and environmental protesters gathered outside. activists were seen waving banners and palestinian flags and shouting hands off the middle east! the group calling itself the energy embargo for palestine, say they will keep targeting the museum until it ends its £50 million partnership with the oil giant bp . and if with the oil giant bp. and if you've ever complained about slow service in a cafe or restaurant, well, your waiter may be able to get to your table slightly quicker than they're letting on today, hundreds of apron service staff surged through the streets of paris in the cafe waiters race contestants to carry contestants had to carry a classic french breakfast of coffee, pastry and a glass of

water with just one hand and importantly, not spill a single drop. the race was first held in 1914, when waiters who took part in that challenge had to take on a much longer route of five miles. those are the latest headlines. i'll be back in the next hour. up next, it's over to mark for more. in the meantime, you can scan the qr code on your screen or go to our website to get all the latest and breaking . news. >> thanks, sam. welcome to a very busy mark dolan tonight. in my big opinion, this weekend sees the four year anniversary of the first covid lockdown . of the first covid lockdown. we're still paying the price for that madness. never again in the big story do the tragic events of the last couple of days remind us just how loved and important our royal family are? i'll be joined in the studio by one of the country's leading and most fearless royal

commentators. my mark meets guest is the legendary us politician bob mcewen, whose traditional conservative views led him to be described as a textbook republican. we'll be talking biden, trump and the race for the white house. it might take a ten sir keir starmer met is to hand more power to the unions, with even blairite mastermind peter mandelson worrying that it will hurt businesses. can britain afford a labour government? i'll be dealing with sir keir starmer in no uncertain terms at ten plus our reform uk , a far right plus our reform uk, a far right party, and is the chancellor , party, and is the chancellor, jeremy hunt, right to say that £100,000 is not a huge salary? i'll be asking former government minister ann widdecombe and we've got tomorrow's front pages at 1030 sharp, with three top punst at 1030 sharp, with three top pundits who haven't been told what to say, who don't follow the script, and normally don't agree with me. the leader of ukip, neil hamilton , and former

ukip, neil hamilton, and former labour special adviser paul richards , and journalist and richards, and journalist and communications advisor linda jubilee . and tonight i'll be jubilee. and tonight i'll be asking. my pundits are too many people using mental health to get out of doing a day's work. we'll also be joined by a top author who's written at length on that very subject. plus, the most important part of the show, your emails. they come straight to my laptop market. gb news. com and this show has a golden rule we don't do boring. not on my watch. i just won't have it a big two hours to come. i'll be deaung big two hours to come. i'll be dealing with keir starmer at ten. you won't want to miss it. but first my big opinion. ten. you won't want to miss it. but first my big opinion . now i but first my big opinion. now i always get in trouble with mrs. dolan for forgetting our wedding anniversary . which absent minded anniversary. which absent minded bloke hasn't found himself at an all night garage in the dead of night, purchasing an anaemic bunch of daffodils to repair the

damage? well, this week sees an anniversary that we would all like to forget about, because this week it is four years since bofis this week it is four years since boris johnson, under the mesmeric spell of sage scientists, announced the first national lockdown. the uk actually had a pandemic plan in place, which we swiftly discarded and instead followed the lead quite amazingly , of the the lead quite amazingly, of the chinese communist party by locking people in their homes. no data to back this up, no science. in fact, the only country in europe that did adopt the established british pandemic plan was sweden , who had no mask plan was sweden, who had no mask mandates. they kept businesses and schools open. they functioned normally , and of functioned normally, and of course, they suffered a fraction of the health, economic and societal damage. and would you believe it ? they boast the believe it? they boast the lowest excess deaths in europe from 2020 to 2023, even beating their scandinavian neighbours

four years on, the damage to our country and our society has been incalculable. it's been unlimited and it will be lasting. this wild experiment of locking people up in their homes but letting everyone go to tesco for an hour a day make it make sense , has destroyed our sense, has destroyed our economy. closed once viable businesses left us with £2.6 trillion worth of debt, a mental health tsunami, an nhs waiting list of almost 8 million people, an angrier, more divided society, an epidemic of worklessness and a generation of damaged kids. and for what what for a nasty new virus ? yes, for a nasty new virus? yes, which took too many from us, but which took too many from us, but which was described by sweden's chief medic as the most age specific virus he'd ever seen. in fact, the average age of death from covid or with covid, of course, that's another conversation was over 80, which is actually higher than the

average life expectancy in this country , a virus so deadly country, a virus so deadly a third had no symptoms , and a third had no symptoms, and a virus for which the authorities told us we had to pretend that we had. do you remember the ad campaign? act like you've got it . make it make sense. a disease so bad we had to keep endlessly testing to find out whether we had it. we did all of this to stop a nasty respiratory virus. given that they spent decades trying to find a cure for the common cold, this move was optimistic to say the least, if not misguided and frankly, insane. not misguided and frankly, insane . how unfortunate that insane. how unfortunate that this madness was authorised and administered by top government scientists . i administered by top government scientists. i remember that expression. follow the science. well, just the word science now is something that many people hold in contempt, given what was donein hold in contempt, given what was done in its name over three dreadful years and as far as i'm concerned, expert is now a four

letter word. there were a few voices of dissent, some brave and brilliant journalists, around 100 heroic tory mps who voted against the second and third lockdowns. a few scientists spoke out. the ones that weren't censored labelled granny killers or given the sack. and even i tried to do my bit on my little drive time show on talk radio, in which i spent months warning about the economic and societal damage of lockdowns . now i famously lockdowns. now i famously chopped up a mask live on air, which led to a viral video watched by tens of millions of people and reported on around the world. here is the moment. if you want to save lives and get the country back on track, the only option is to get back to normal and the first step to achieving that is to get rid of these wretched god awful, damned

blinking , uncomfortable, blinking, uncomfortable, scientifically empty, useless masks . i've never been one to masks. i've never been one to sit on the fence given that the covid inquiry this week heard that those filthy, environmentally catastrophic face rags had, and i quote, a near non—existent benefit, then my little on air rant appears to have aged better than sophia loren. there really is no end to this. the nightingale hospitals remember them well . they cost remember them well. they cost millions, but they stayed empty, serving as monuments to an utterly failed policy. 34 billion. that's right, 34 billion. that's right, 34 billion on the pathetic test and trace system that tracked us like something out of 1984. the madness continued unchecked, unabated for years. and now sky news, who , like so much of news, who, like so much of establishment media, failed to deploy any critical judgement or any attempts to widen the debate

about these unprecedented measures, gleefully announced this week that there is another pandemic around the corner. hooray! we can look forward to that. hooray! we can look forward to that . well, next time that that. well, next time that happens, you know where you can stick your masks and your lockdowns. but just to be on the safe side , i've kept the safe side, i've kept the scissors. you never know when they might come in handy. chop, chop. they might come in handy. chop, chop . now, the government and chop. now, the government and the government's health advisers are very clear that lockdowns, mask mandates, vaccine mandates , mask mandates, vaccine mandates, has saved countless lives and stopped the nhs from being overwhelmed. that is not my view . i think it was the worst pubuc . i think it was the worst public health mistake in history . let me know your thoughts. mark at gbnews.com or get to your email shortly. but first, tonight's top pundits i'm delighted to have in the studio the leader of ukip no less, neil hamilton. we also have former

labour special adviser paul richards and communications advisor and journalist, the one and only linda jubilee. great to see all three of you here in the studio, linda, for years since lockdowns, never again. >> well , i lockdowns, never again. >> well, i made myself quite unpopular with some of my friends by questioning the necessity for a lockdown. i must admit . but i spoke to necessity for a lockdown. i must admit. but i spoke to many health care professionals afterwards, and they explained to me that a lockdown is a very blunt instrument , but it to me that a lockdown is a very blunt instrument, but it is used once in the first instance to protect nhs resources and to gauge the nature of the first wave. what i do question much more is the necessity for the subsequent lockdowns. having said that, i mean i really believed in what sweden was doing and i said so to many people, their effort was led by an epidemiologist who was a veteran of the ebola outbreak in west africa. and i do believe

that he did know what he was doing, and he was working from the british press. >> pandemic plan. >> pandemic plan. >> yes. and he really spoke a lot of sense, i think. i mean, i can remember being a foreign correspondent in hong kong when we had bird flu. we had an outbreak of bird flu, and the authorities there had to kill just over a million chickens in 48 so i'm not. and that's 48 hours. so i'm not. and that's because they were the spreaders. i'm not saying that drastic action shouldn't taken. it action shouldn't be taken. it should because we knew should be taken because we knew in hong kong at the time we prevented a pandemic at that time and we knew one was time round, and we knew one was coming and did. time round, and we knew one was coming and did . sometimes you coming and it did. sometimes you just to put that blunt just have to put that blunt instrument force , but you instrument in force, but you shouldn't keep repeating it. that's my view. >> like to have seen >> well, i'd like to have seen no action, richards, no action, paul richards, because nhs because we now have an nhs waiting list 7 million waiting list of 7 million people, completely destroyed people, a completely destroyed economy , an enormous national economy, an enormous national debt and generation damaged debt and a generation of damaged kids . kids. >> but all of those things are down to the government. nothing to do with covid and without the lockdown, entirely possible lockdown, it's entirely possible the wouldn't even be there the nhs wouldn't even be there today to worry about because it

would over. lots of would have fallen over. lots of people were going work, the people were going to work, the key going to work. key workers were going to work. it that was it wasn't everyone that was locked just people that it wasn't everyone that was lockechappilyjust people that it wasn't everyone that was lockechappily not people that it wasn't everyone that was lockechappily not be)ple that it wasn't everyone that was lockechappily not be there 1atan could happily not be there in an office somewhere. is office somewhere. and it is demonstrably true that it saved an awful lot of lives where people watching this tonight who wouldn't here? sweden, not wouldn't be here? sweden, not the the room, but the elephant in the room, but the elephant in the room, but the do the different nations. do different. different different. they have different cultures, different. they have different cultu do different things. so you they do different things. so you know, think, wouldn't think know, i think, wouldn't we think that lockdowns that sweden, with no lockdowns and mandates, surely and no mask mandates, surely they should perform disproportionately . disproportionately badly. >> they've got lowest excess >> they've got the lowest excess deaths europe. they beat >> they've got the lowest excess deatiscandinavian'hey beat >> they've got the lowest excess deatiscandinavian neighbours. at their scandinavian neighbours. >> well, they've got a much stronger service because stronger health service because of being a social norway. >> the norway, the denmark . >> the norway, the denmark. >> the norway, the denmark. >> the norway, the denmark. >> the problem is, i think that at time decision makers at the time the decision makers and this was a conservative government. i'm no fan of those. no, absolutely right. we no, you're absolutely right. we just didn't know, did we? and i think they best think they did the best they could evidence. think they did the best they couwell, evidence. think they did the best they couwell, i'll evidence. think they did the best they couwell, i'll giveidence. think they did the best they couwell, i'll give you:e. >> well, i'll give you something. boris johnson something. i think boris johnson was worst person was absolutely the worst person to during the to have in charge during the pandemic. yes. >> well, that's what's coming out, >> well, that's what's coming out and >> well, that's what's coming outand i will give you that and >> and i will give you that and i'll you that times 100.

i'll give you that times 100. >> would >> it would seem. >> it would seem. >> hamilton, thoughts? >> neil hamilton, your thoughts? >> neil hamilton, your thoughts? >> all >> well, i voted against all these measures i was these measures when i was a member the welsh parliament member of the welsh parliament right from the start. i denounced this as an authoritarian reaction. it was bound described it as bound to fail. i described it as a to miss a nut, a sledgehammer to miss a nut, which exactly what happened. which is exactly what happened. undoubtedly, lockdowns made undoubtedly, the lockdowns made the health problems that we were going suffer far worse than going to suffer far worse than they would otherwise have been. the thing that done, the first thing that was done, of course, turf all of course, was to turf out all the people, most the old people, the most vulnerable hospitals , and vulnerable from hospitals, and stuffed nursing homes, stuffed them into nursing homes, and they and without knowing whether they had virus not. so that had the virus or not. so that created massive spike in the created a massive spike in the deaths and severe complications from covid amongst the most vulnerable part of the population . it was actually an population. it was actually an utterly irrational policy, and it's living proof or in fact, dying proof. actually, in the way that, you know, authoritarian solutions are never a solution. they are the problem. and government is almost never the answer. >> yeah, but you've got to be you've got to you've got to be measured. when those doctors told me lockdown and told me that a lockdown and actually quite close to the

actually it's quite close to the phrase you used blunt phrase you used is a blunt instrument, they mean have instrument, they mean you have to it in the first instance to do it in the first instance to do it in the first instance to actually protect your resources and the wave . resources and measure the wave. you don't need to do it again, but it's not. it's not wrong to do it. >> three weeks to flatten the curve. it used to be. it turned out to be a big fat lie. >> just on that point about the state, right. the state intervention worked intervention that worked the best the vaccination best was the vaccination programme, and that was the nhs delivering a massive public health us all. but we health benefit to us all. but we will now get back to work. and that the private sector that wasn't the private sector that wasn't the private sector that the state okay. that was the state doing okay. >> me say thank >> well folks, let me say thank god it was four years ago. never again. next up in the big story do the tragic events of the last couple of days remind us just how and important our how loved and important our royal are? i'll be joined royal family are? i'll be joined in the studio by one of the country's leading royal authors

next. i'll get to your emails shortly,

but it's time now for the big story. and do the tragic events of the last couple of days. remind us just how loved and important our royal family are. well, let's get the views of leading royal author and journalist angela levin. angela lovely to see you in the studio here. the outpouring of public sympathy for the family at this difficult time speaks volumes , difficult time speaks volumes, doesn't it? >> yes. it's amazing. it's come from all around the world. and, you know, taxi drivers have been crying , you know, not being able crying, you know, not being able to drive. i cried when i spoke about it yesterday. i mean, but it it was obviously very it wasn't it was obviously very important for catherine, but actually it was for the whole royal family. they wanted it to still going and for the still keep going and for the king as well. i mean, you just saw someone realising what a wonderful situation we have here and how everybody respects the royal family, 15 million people come every year just to see

buckingham palace. i mean, it is just amazing. and they were everyone is interested in what's going on. >> most definitely . and this is >> most definitely. and this is a monarchy that is far from irrelevant , isn't it? it a monarchy that is far from irrelevant, isn't it? it remains central to the british way of life. that's what we've been reminded of in the last few days. >> yes. and i think it also because it's very stable. we know where we are with them, and we actually see people who are full of being giving and not taking, encouraging you to be a good with charities and to behave well. i feel they set an example. there's always 1 or 2 black sheep in in the way, but i think they are and all it costs us, each of us is £1.29 a year, and so people who grumble about it, i think are completely wrong because we have the most wonderful events and the most wonderful events and the most wonderful understanding of people giving , all wonderful understanding of people giving, all being wonderful understanding of people giving , all being devout people giving, all being devout about what they want to do and

it's interesting how you created this sense in that last answer that there's a permanence to the royal family, that they are a constant source. >> and of course, when that's interrupted or threatened , such interrupted or threatened, such as, of course, the passing of queen or indeed health queen elizabeth or indeed health news regarding king charles or indeed his daughter in law, then that really troubles people. >> very much so to the core, actually. yeah, because it is unique and it's wonderful. and it it gives so much help to people. it's a sort of tangent to your own family. yeah. you, you see people when they're little, when they grow up, when they get married, when they become ill, when they, you know, it's all, all in a sort of family situation. and i think it does us all a lot of good and we, we enjoy it. i think it's very important actually. >> the royal family are our family and that's why we take this news very personally. >> yes, absolutely it is. and you , you want to go and see it you, you want to go and see it when there's the special days

and you want to actually be part of it. >> what about king charles and what he's going through at the moment? it's so easy to forget that he's fighting his own cancer battle. well, you've written at length about the family about charles. do you family and about charles. do you feel that he physically and feel that he is physically and mentally equipped for what he's going through at the moment? >> i think he's a very determined man. he's wanted to be king for a very, very long time . i mean, to wait till time. i mean, to wait till you're 73 is a long time, actually to take the crown. i think obviously at his age it's very difficult, but he's very determined and he's only really just started to be king. and he wants to move on and supporting him very much. absolutely. by his side is queen camilla, who is going to his the all the engagements that they would have gone to together on her own, except the ones that would have been especially his . and so that

been especially his. and so that way he will feel it's still moving. it's still running, and they can discuss it and talk about it and i think that's marvellous. i mean, she is holding the royal family up and being strong. if you imagine that, you know, 30 years ago people were saying if you know what would happen to her, that's the whole royal family would absolutely disintegrate and she would be of no use. and he couldn't even look at her because of she's not been a virgin. when she married the king, the then prince and i and i think, well, there we are. you know, you really never know what people are going to do. but she's wonderful woman she's a wonderful woman and she's a wonderful woman and she's just it very she's just doing it very quietly. that she quietly. she told me that she doesn't being in the doesn't like being in the spotlight. she's not in the spotlight, but she's there and she's very accessible, and she makes , and she's makes people laugh, and she's very caring. and she's chosen charities as well that are that the royal family wouldn't have chosen , like domestic violence chosen, like domestic violence and, and, and rape and all those

things which actually expand what they can do and which she can really have a strong power in. >> and charles, as the head of the family, needs his wife more than ever, not just for the important public role that she's playing, but to support him. yes to support her husband. >> she understands him very well because they've been together for over 50 years before they even got married. so you know, it's a long time and they make each other laugh. they have the same of humour. they same sense of humour. they understand other, and if understand each other, and if you see them when they're out, they move together in in tandem. yes. and i think he would be so delighted that she's there. and and is kind and knows how to look after him, cheer him up and make sure he's okay. >> would you like to see other figures like princess anne and prince edward upgraded to a more frontline role? >> well, i think princess anne is always ready for a frontline role. i think she did when we

saw that in the coronation that she was there on her horse and guarding the new king, and that was a very important job, right there to look after him. i think she's willing to do everything, but she really doesn't like the press to follow her. she doesn't like to be, again, the centre of attention, attraction. but she will do anything. she'll do anything for her brother, and she can be relied on. and i think the public like her very much indeed, because she's just no nonsense woman, you know ? and no nonsense woman, you know? and i think edward and his wife, sophie, i think sophie is does far more than edward. but i think the pair of them can do everything the queen once said about sophie that she's marvellous because when she's in the room, you don't even know she's there. she just gets on with things. and although it doesn't sound particularly polite, it's actually very important that does actually important that she does actually do work. she's taking on do so much work. she's taking on loads just to be helpful and to be part of the family.

>> angela, briefly, do you think the family will be changed by this? of course. we pray for a speedy recovery for both princess catherine and the king as well. and by the way, i should add sarah ferguson, who had a cancer diagnosis. should add sarah ferguson, who had a cancer diagnosis . yes. do had a cancer diagnosis. yes. do you think that, please god, when they prevail over these medical issues, that the family will be different somehow now? >> well, i think catherine will do a lot people who've had do a lot with people who've had cancen do a lot with people who've had cancer. she'll be able help cancer. she'll be able to help them because understand them because she will understand . and but i think she and the king got close , and william king have got close, and william has got closer to his father to and camilla, don't forget that she was the number three in the family. diana said. and i think that they will be very close together and really respect each other. and work very hard as much as they can to help this country and the commonwealth. >> angela, i always love watching you on saturday afternoons with my hero, nana akua. afternoons with my hero, nana akua . and i think you're back on akua. and i think you're back on breakfast on tuesday, aren't

you? yes. i am so brilliant stuff. my to leading stuff. my thanks to you. leading royal and journalist royal biographer and journalist angela levin. now next up, government mel stride government minister mel stride sparked a backlash after claiming mental health culture has gone too far. so whilst this issue is a serious one, are too many people using mental to health get out of doing a day's work? we'll debate that

next. well, the big response to my conversation with angela levin about how the tragic news of the last couple of days has reminded all of us just how much we love and need our royal family. this from mark, who says , angela from mark, who says, angela levin, a lovely lady, is spot on with edward and sophie bolstering the numbers. given andrew still working , andrew is still not working, this would be a good plan, james says. mark, great discussion. we love william and catherine and their lovely children pray

their lovely children and pray for we did for queen for them as we did for queen elizabeth and prince philip before. charles but before. we like king charles but disagree about the disagree with him about the international hoax. international climate hoax. yours jim . jim, yours sincerely, jim. jim, you're entitled to your view. of course, majority of scientists do believe that the planet is heating up. it needs to be dealt with. but you absolutely welcome to share thoughts and keep to share your thoughts and keep them mark at gbnews.com. them coming. mark at gbnews.com. why that? because mark why is that? well, because mark dolan tonight is the home of diverse opinion and no one gets cancelled. not on my watch. i just won't have it. one last email and it's somebody that disagrees with me very strongly. and it is john. good evening john, how you that was my john, how are you that was my grandfather's name. john to grandfather's name. john says to me, i'd like to tell me, hi, mark. i'd like to tell you how i totally disagree with your rant evening regarding your rant this evening regarding the the covid the anniversary of the covid lockdown. hindsight, lockdown. yes, with hindsight, the action taken may have been handled but we on handled better, but we were on the threshold of an unknown virus with the uncertainties virus with all the uncertainties that the country faced. it's a long and brilliant email. i wish i had more time for it, but john, thank you for offering your view which counters mine. okay, more to come . keep

okay, lots more to come. keep those emails coming. don't forget, in about 25 minutes time i'll be dealing with sir keir starmer in no uncertain terms andifs starmer in no uncertain terms and it's about the fact that the labour government will give the unions more power. but first, the work and pensions secretary, mel stride, has been criticised for saying that normal ups and downs of life are being medicalised amid concern about the effects of ill health on the economy. he said that the culture of mental health has now gone too far, and argued that it's vital to have honest it's vital to have an honest debate about the causes of soaring levels of mental illness and the impact that they're having on the benefits bill. well, let me read you some statistics. there are now a record 2.7 million people off work with long term illness and the cost of sickness benefits for those of working age is projected to rise from £41 billion a year to £69 billion a year before the end of the decade. year before the end of the decade . figures last week showed decade. figures last week showed that two thirds of incapacity

benefit claims cited mental health, with 20,000 people a month being deemed incapable of working as a result. so whilst a deadly serious issue is mental health being used by to some avoid doing a day's work, let's speak to beverley thompson . speak to beverley thompson. beverley thompson is the author of antidepressant a breakthrough examination of epidemic antidepressant harm and dependence. beverley, great to have you on the show . plenty of have you on the show. plenty of people have real mental health issues and they should seek professional help if they do. but is mental health being exploited by some to game the benefit system? >> hi mark, good to see you, i guess one of the questions that was asked following the article, was, you know , do we have was, you know, do we have a mental health benefits racket? and that is one question that many people started to , to, to many people started to, to, to ask. and the answer might be yes

. you know, our obsession, our obsession with mental health has probably gone too far, but it's much more complex issue than one that can be solved by getting people back to work. you know, why do we have such a large, large section of society now? who feel they're unable to work? you know, the department of work and pensions data shows us that poor mental health is now the leading cause of disability among working age adults, and perhaps mel stride should start by asking , why perhaps mel stride should start by asking, why is perhaps mel stride should start by asking , why is this? you by asking, why is this? you know, why have we become mental health obsessed? why are we finding it difficult to cope with life ? and why do we feel with life? and why do we feel unable to work and i guess once he's addressed the real underlying issues that lead to so many of us finding life difficult , you might then be difficult, you might then be better able to address the issue of getting people back to work. >> is it because mental health has become a cult, a religion which is being preached at

school and beyond? >> yeah, i mean, we've been told for quite some time that mental health deserves parity with our physical health. but, you know, now, i suppose the pendulum really has swung too far. now, i suppose the pendulum really has swung too far . we really has swung too far. we need a system that's based on compassion . we are, after all, compassion. we are, after all, human, but we need to understand that as much as it's good to be open about how we feel about life and about our ability to cope with life, we need to understand that the issue is usually not a biological illness, i think. yeah, beverly . illness, i think. yeah, beverly. >> i'm sorry. finish your point, please. >> yeah, i think a better understanding of this might help people realise that the problem does not lie with them. their illness, their inability to cope with life . with life. >> i cannot stress enough. and i know you'll agree that if i've got viewers watching this show or listening to the programme, who are seriously depressed, they want to take their life. they're not happy. they must reach help. you've got reach out for help. you've got samaritans, gp.

samaritans, you've got your gp. do it, it. that's very do it, do it, do it. that's very important. male suicide , for important. male suicide, for example, is an epidemic and an absolute so we take absolute tragedy. so we take mental health seriously. but it's those that are perhaps capitalised on its advantages. and beverly, it seem odd , and beverly, it does seem odd, doesn't it, that we have prevailed as a species for thousands of years through famine, natural disaster , famine, natural disaster, pestilence and war. life has never been comfortable or easy. and yet now this generation are having a particular problem with mental health. what's going on? >> well, i think that, you know , >> well, i think that, you know, it's mental health has become a real social media issue, we have been told for a long time, as you say, to seek help with our mental health, and rightly so, as you say, if we are in trouble, if we need help, we should look for it . but nowadays should look for it. but nowadays we're being encouraged by a host of celebrities and influencers, and they conveniently support this, you know, unsubstantiated ,

this, you know, unsubstantiated, biological based explanation of mental illness . we're told to mental illness. we're told to tell our stories to get help , tell our stories to get help, but really, we're being persuaded into buying into the medical model of mental health because it makes things easier for those who could make changes, changes to social conditions, to get away with things , i suppose. things, i suppose. >> and it makes money. it's the pharmaceutical industry. now, i do have friends and colleagues that say if they didn't have their meds, they wouldn't be here. so i take that very seriously . but there is here. so i take that very seriously. but there is an industry that makes money from flogging pills through the nhs, and that's your book is all and that's what your book is all about. and that's what your book is all about . stay with me, beverly, about. stay with me, beverly, because bring in my top because let me bring in my top punst because let me bring in my top pundits i can. paul richards, pundits if i can. paul richards, linda neil hamilton linda jubilee and neil hamilton to this issue. paul, do to discuss this issue. paul, do you think some people are gaming the system when it comes to mental health? >> no, i think we have an absolute epidemic this absolute epidemic in this country health illness country of mental health illness . i think it's a crisis and the underfunding, underfunding of the system means that people

can't get the treatment they need. and young people in particular can't get access to camhs. and if you've got any kind of problem , you know, you kind of problem, you know, you are being told to stay at home, but you need proper treatment, talking therapies, maybe even pharmaceuticals . but if pharmaceuticals as well. but if to be taken seriously by the nhs , you know, long ago we said we'd have parity of esteem between both physical and mental health. and we're nowhere near that health. and we're nowhere near tha but, but but why is this >> but, but but why is this epidemic know, in epidemic happening? you know, in the 1930s, german bombs rained over london, coventry, liverpool and beyond. you know , we were at and beyond. you know, we were at war. hitler was rampaging across europe . there was no mental europe. there was no mental health crisis. >> there was there was an enormous mental health crisis. but it was all hushed up. that post—war generation had a range of problems that were all hushed up.and of problems that were all hushed up. and people just within families it taboo. people families. it was taboo. people didn't it. there was didn't talk about it. there was no . people were no treatment. people were treated abysmally. if they were really shoved really ill, they were shoved into asylum and away. the soldiers. >> the soldiers , perhaps. i take >> the soldiers, perhaps. i take your point about post—traumatic

stress disorder from the war heroes of the first and second world war, but as a society, you know, we faced extinction as a nation, and yet people got on with it. paul >> no, i mean, we got on with it, but people were unwell and they had all kinds of dysfunction within their family for decades after. >> okay. >> okay. >> fair enough. very badly. >> fair enough. very badly. >> fair enough. sorry to interrupt you, clocks against us, neil hamilton. your thoughts? well i agree with you, mark. >> i mean, what we've done is to breed a snowflake generation and or, prince harry and or, you know, prince harry and meghan are the apogee of all this. you know , they have their this. you know, they have their truths and they they wallow in their own psychological misery. and i've had my problems in life. i've lost everything financially and had to remake a fortune again, and we've had massive stresses as a result of being demonised by the tabloid press on many occasions. but you just have to get on with it,

toughen up and get through it, and that's sort of attitude i think is seen too little today. yes, i accept there are real mental illnesses, but i do think that because you can't unambiguously prove that somebody has got a mental illness in the way, you can prove that you've got measles, for example, then it's very easy for example, then it's very easy for people who are unscrupulous to their condition , to fake their condition, especially if it makes sense financially to do so . financially to do so. >> linda, i know paul, you're shaking your head. i wish we had longer, but linda, briefly, if you can, what ever happened to you can, whatever happened to resilience and the stiff upper lip? life is difficult . lip? life is difficult. >> i think now that it depends on where you come from, what your family is like, what your school is like. i've got three children, and they are amongst the resilient people in my the most resilient people in my life. i would never describe them as snowflakes, even though one them had considerable one of them had considerable mental in his mental health issues in his middle teens. now the proud owner of two masters in behavioural economics , he pushed behavioural economics, he pushed his way through it. but he had to have a lot of support . it was

to have a lot of support. it was very difficult to get him the support and for three years we really, really struggled as a family . but we really, really struggled as a family. but we came really, really struggled as a family . but we came together and family. but we came together and we won through. i mean, i think there is an issue here with the worried well and there is some element of medicalizing some of these problems , but probably the these problems, but probably the biggest scandal we have this biggest scandal we have in this country is that we simply don't have the right relevant backup for those people who suffer. >> okay, beverly, couple of seconds or i'll get in trouble with james, closing thoughts please . please. >> i think we have to remember1 in 3 gp appointments now. have a mental health component. you know, talk about, know, we don't. we talk about, you know, a mental health epidemic. actually, we have depression, anxiety, loneliness. and then now global mental and then now a global mental health pseudo epidemic, a doctor's subjective opinion about our ability to cope with life generally leads to a mental health diagnosis and treatment with drugs , primarily with drugs, primarily antidepressants. and there are no biological tests, such as blood tests or brain scans, which can be used to provide

independent, objective data to support any mental health diagnosis. >> okay, well, look, i know you could say a lot more, but beverly thompson is the author of anti depressed a breakthrough examination of epidemic antidepressant harm and dependence. lots more to get through, folks. don't forget in my take at ten i'll be dealing with sir keir starmer, who even peter mandelson is worried about. find out why in just 15 minutes time. but next up my mark meets guest is legendary us politician bob mcewen, whose traditional conservative views led him to be described as a textbook republican. he'll be talking biden, trump and the race for

next. coming up in just ten minutes time. peter mandelson, the architect of new labour, is worried about sir keir starmer. find out why in my take at ten. but first, mark meets . and

but first, mark meets. and tonight, one of the most colourful and respected figures in us politics, american lobbyist and former republican party politician bob mcewen . party politician bob mcewen. bob, welcome to mark dolan tonight. what was it about your upbringing and early years that shaped your political outlook ? shaped your political outlook? >> well, i grew up in a rural area at a time, was not unlike currently. that is that it seemed in the 1970s the world was falling apart. as you know , was falling apart. as you know, we had callaghan and jemmy carter and helmut schmidt and just the world was coming to an end any day. yeah. but lo and behold, with with thatcher and kohl and reagan, by the end of the beginning of the 1990s, the world a different and world was a different place. and i couldn't understand the i couldn't understand why the old not as old timers were not as frightened i was. but what frightened as i was. but what i learned was they'd been through the depression of the 30s and world war now, as i see world war ii. and now, as i see the chaos our current the chaos in our current leadership, optimistic that leadership, i'm optimistic that with thing done at with the proper thing done at the polls, that we can correct

all of this. well you're absolutely right to say that there echoes now of past i >> -- >> the same here in the uk. you were elected at the age of 24 to the ohio house of representatives. that was in 1974, 50 years ago. you're looking good for it, how has america changed since then ? america changed since then? >> well, it has changed in the point that they the principles that made america work, they liberals really got into the academic institution and felt that we could do better. and rather than understanding that the american free enterprise system was the magnet that drew people to america, they said that somehow another, that somehow or another, diversity our strength diversity was what our strength was , and that somehow or was, and that somehow or another, people from another, if we took people from areas where the people were escaping and we inculturated what they're dynamics into our culture, that would benefit culture, that that would benefit us, that would that would us, that that would that would make things better in europe. in the states. i think we're the united states. i think we're beginning wasn't beginning to see that wasn't isn't wise. i think that isn't so wise. and i think that isn't so wise. and i think that is most significant

is the most significant difference i see, although difference that i see, although hasn't america always had diversity a sense ? diversity in a in a sense? >> i mean, my family are irish and half of them went to off washington in the 1960s. for example . example. >> mark. absolutely. but the significance was that people came to america. we had the lowest, the weakest, underpinning of poverty. that is everybody in europe looked down on america because you had to work or you struggled and so people came to america to become americans. and once we began to lift the, the, the hammock , as lift the, the, the hammock, as we call it, not a safety net. and where people could come to this country and live better sitting on their and they sitting on their butt and they could have a higher standard of living than they had where they came they their came from. and they have their free cell phones air free cell phones and air conditioning unlimited food conditioning and unlimited food stamps they stamps and health care. they think, i work? think, well, why should i work? and the distinction and that's the distinction between parents. my dad came between our parents. my dad came from we're from scotland. i hope we're still friends, and the still friends, and in the process of becoming american now, they want to still wave

their foreign flag and not in corporate. the american dream. that's what. that's what leadership can change. reagan changed it. and i believe we can changed it. and i believe we can change it as well . change it as well. >> going to america to become americans. i think that puts it very well. couldn't agree with very well. i couldn't agree with you now, donald trump will you more. now, donald trump will be the republican candidate in the race for the white in the race for the white house in november. but, bob, have november. but, bob, do you have mixed about trump as mixed feelings about trump as the candidate? he's not really a republican as such, is he? and he's certainly no ronald reagan . he's certainly no ronald reagan. >> well, he's more similar. and if i may say so, mark, i remember those days . if i may say so, mark, i remember those days. i was reagan's chairman in ohio in 1976 when we lost by 11 votes in the convention. and then we got jemmy carter and iran and all the rest that goes with it. yeah. so when he came in in the in 1980, when he came in during the 80s, he was despised. i remember 500,000 people demonstrated in paris against this terrible man that was going to blow up the world. ronald reagan i remember 250,000 demonstrating in berlin, a

nation, a city that was surviving because of his generosity. so when we say these things about donald trump, it's not all that different from what they did about ronald reagan. the with left is the frustration with the left is always that they they proved to be right. and when america economy took off and when, when the stock market in beijing fell by 47% after four years of donald trump's leadership, that's what frustrates the big money interests, because they don't want to see freedom and free enterprise and democracy triumph. they want to have a world global government. and so this is a fight between the world economic forum and a man that the guts fight it. that has the guts to fight it. donald is woke killing america. >> bob . >> bob. >> bob. >> it can. we just have to make sure that it doesn't , and how sure that it doesn't, and how bad are things on the us border at the moment? i understand that illegal immigration was in excess of 3.5 million people last year alone. that's 1% of last year alone. that's1% of the population in a year , every the population in a year, every year and every month, the population of dayton, ohio comes

across the border. >> it's a deliberate effort by the democrat party to change america, not. and whenever you confront them with it, then they always throw up racism , as in always throw up racism, as in not debate the topic. we don't care about the race of the people . we care about people people. we care about people coming illegally. quickly. coming here illegally. quickly. let you're willing to let me say you're willing to rent your to place to a rent your home to a place to a person you know their name, person who you know their name, and give the money up and they give you the money up front you, but don't front and you, but you don't walk off leave door walk off and leave the door unlocked the person that unlocked because the person that comes treats the place comes in then treats the place entirely a entirely different. as a squatter, people come squatter, when people come illegally, doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs don't come illegally because if they do, they can't get the licenses and they can't get the licenses and the wherewithal to prosper. and what, donald, what what joe biden chosen , chosen to do biden has chosen, chosen to do is to allow millions people is to allow millions of people we allow legally more immigrants than the rest of the world combined. now we allow 4 to 5 times that to come illegally in the last three years, and the nafion the last three years, and the nation is paying a severe price for it. >> bob mcewen, a privilege to have you on the show do come back soon. a fascinating back again soon. a fascinating conversation. my thanks to

legendary figure bob legendary political figure bob mcewen. up, dealing mcewen. next up, i'll be dealing with keir starmer. find out with sir keir starmer. find out why in two. >> that warm feeling inside from boxt boiler sponsors of weather on . gb news. on. gb news. >> hello. here's your latest weather update from the met office for gb news. we saw a quiet day weather wise across the uk on sunday, but things are turning more unsettled once again during the week ahead with wind at times. a ridge wind and rain at times. a ridge of pressure brought of high pressure brought a quieter sunday, low quieter day on sunday, but low pressure is already gathering towards that towards the west and that will move the week ahead to move in during the week ahead to return unsettled conditions. return to unsettled conditions. wind and rain already arriving across the west and southwest of the the overnight period, the uk for the overnight period, some of rain turning quite some of that rain turning quite heavy whereas towards heavy in places, whereas towards the east it's clearer. the north and east it's clearer. just 1 showers lingering just 1 or 2 showers lingering and touch frost and certainly a touch of frost possible east. possible in the north and east. by of monday by the early hours of monday morning. out towards the morning. whereas out towards the west those west and southwest those temperatures to temperatures will start to climb. monday itself, climb. as for monday itself, with wet days store, with a very wet days in store, cost some and cost some western and southwestern particularly southwestern areas, particularly

across england across the south—west of england . some very heavy rain developing here at times, whereas north and whereas towards the north and east bright picture, at east it's a bright picture, at least time, before wind least for a time, before wind and to move in from and rain starts to move in from the south—west, turning snow and rain starts to move in from theitouth—west, turning snow and rain starts to move in from theit reachesest, turning snow and rain starts to move in from theit reaches colder ning snow and rain starts to move in from theit reaches colder air; snow and rain starts to move in from theit reaches colder air acrossow as it reaches colder air across parts of scotland, especially on the the central the hills north of the central belt, particularly later on belt, and particularly later on in temperatures peaking in the day. temperatures peaking at celsius towards the at 12 celsius down towards the south—east, colder though south—east, a bit colder though towards the north and northeast. as , what a very as for tuesday, what a very unsettled day is expected across scotland. rain and snow at times snow chiefly on the hills, but some rain and some of some of that rain and some of that snow could be quite heavy elsewhere. it's a pretty unsettled day. or showers unsettled day. rain or showers never and those never too far away, and those temperatures struggling, reaching an average figures at best staying best and staying pretty unsettled week ahead with unsettled in the week ahead with showers or longer spells of rain. again, those rain. and again, those temperatures struggling into the low figures looks like low double figures looks like things are heating up. >> boxt boilers spot answers of weather on

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>> good evening. it's 10:00. way. >> good evening. it's10:00. on television. on radio and online in the united kingdom and across the world. this is mark dolan tonight in my take at ten, sir keir starmer is to hand more power to the unions. with even blairite mastermind peter mandelson worrying it will hurt businesses , as can britain businesses, as can britain afford a labour government. i'll be dealing with sir keir starmer in no uncertain terms in two minutes time. also, our reform uk , a far right party and is the uk, a far right party and is the chancellor, jeremy hunt, right to say that £100,000 is not a huge salary? i'll be asking tonight's newsmaker, formidable ex—governor minister and broadcaster ann widdecombe , plus broadcaster ann widdecombe, plus tomorrow's newspaper front pages and live reaction in the studio from tonight's top pundits who, let me tell you, are coming in hot. so a packed show. lots to get through. hold fire keir starmer in two minutes. i'm not

pulling my punches. but first, the news headlines and sam francis . francis. >> mark, thank you very much. and good evening to you. it's just gone 10:00 and we start with the latest developments from moscow tonight, where we're now hearing that three suspects in friday's deadly concert hall shooting have been imprisoned for two months as they await trial and according to a statement published by the city's district court tonight, the suspects pleaded guilty to charges of terrorism. a total of 11 people were detained following that terror attack , following that terror attack, including those three gunmen who are shown here. for those watching on television being taken for interrogation earlier today in the russian capital, russia has claimed they were attempting to escape across the border into ukraine. us intelligence services believe the attack was carried out by a branch of the islamic state terror group known as isis. k however, the russian president, vladimir putin, has attempted to

place some blame on ukraine, an allegation that kyiv has called absurd . meanwhile, ukraine is absurd. meanwhile, ukraine is working to restore power suppues working to restore power supplies across the country after russia's biggest attack of the war so far on ukraine's power grid . the ukrainian power grid. the ukrainian president, volodymyr zelenskyy, has said that more than 200,000 people in kharkiv are still in the dark. it's after russia pounded ukrainian power facilities on friday, striking the country's largest dam. that attack killed at least five people and put the put, europe's biggest nuclear station at risk . biggest nuclear station at risk. it comes as more than 30,000 civilians have so far been killed in ukraine since russia's invasion . well, back here in the invasion. well, back here in the uk, the chancellor has defended the government's record on affordable housing after claiming that £100,000 a year is, he said, not a huge salary. jeremy hunt says it doesn't go as far as people think for those in his surrey constituency,

because of higher house prices and the rising cost of living, the average home in the uk now costs around eight times the average income. it was half that in the 1990s, the chancellor told camilla tominey on gb news this morning that lower taxes will make a difference . will make a difference. >> house prices in that part of the world, £670,000. if you've got a mortgage, if you're paying child care, what looks like a very high salary doesn't go as far as you might think it would. if you look at the average salary in this country , £35,000, salary in this country, £35,000, they have been feeling the pinch. and those people will see their tax bills go down by £900 this year. if you look at people on an even lower salary, the lowest legally payable salary, the national living wage, because i've increased that to £11.44, they will see if they're working full time. their income go working full time. their income 9° up working full time. their income 90 ”p by working full time. their income go up by £1,800. >> chilling levels of harassment

are posing a serious threat to social cohesion. that's according to an independent government adviser . a review led government adviser. a review led by dame saira khan will be published tomorrow , showing that published tomorrow, showing that more than 75% of the public feel that they can't speak their mind. it suggests many people feel society has become more divisive and cites the case of a teacher who went into hiding after showing a caricature of the prophet muhammad during one of their classes. it's understood the report will recommend a series of measures, including a ban on protests within 150m of schools. well, we've heard today that china is believed to be targeting britain with a wave of cyber attacks aimed at interfering with the upcoming general election. the deputy prime minister, oliver dowden, is expected to warn mps tomorrow about escalating state backed threats from chinese hackers. m15 has also revealed an exponential increase in their investigations into chinese hacking activities. and it comes after a report found that britain is unprepared for a

large scale ransomware attack due to what they've called a lack of investment . and finally, lack of investment. and finally, eight people have been rescued after their fishing boat sank off the coast of shetland, triggering a major rescue effort . a lifeboat and two helicopters were scrambled to the scene after the 27 metre vessel activated its distress beacon this morning, it had started taking on water in rough seas and sank within just a matter of minutes. the call out saved all of the crew on board, who were safely airlifted from their life rafts, and we understand they are reported to be in a good condition . that's it from me for condition. that's it from me for now. i'll be back in the next houn now. i'll be back in the next hour. more coming up from mark. but in the meantime you can get all the latest breaking news by scanning the qr code on your screen or go our website, screen or go to our website, gbnews.com/alerts . gbnews.com/alerts. >> thanks a million, sam. welcome to mark dolan tonight.

busy one this evening are reform uk, a far right party, and is the chancellor jeremy hunt right to say that £100,000 is not a huge salary ? i'll be asking huge salary? i'll be asking tonight's newsmaker, former government minister ann widdecombe, plus tomorrow's newspaper front pages and live reaction in the studio from tonight's top pundits. this evening, the leader of ukip, neil hamilton, former labour special adviser paul richards and journalist and communications expert linda jubilee . plus, they'll be jubilee. plus, they'll be nominating their headline heroes and back page zeroes are packed. our lots to get through those papers are coming and ann widdecombe is waiting in the wings. but first, my take at ten. now the tories are horribly divided at the moment, with scores of mps plotting against their, in my view, underrated leader rishi sunak. but don't be fooled. the labour party aren't

exactly the swiss family robinson themselves . angela robinson themselves. angela raynen robinson themselves. angela rayner, the deputy leader who still has unanswered questions about the sale of her council house, is at odds with her leader, sir keir starmer, about whether diane abbott should return to the party. that's the same diane abbott who says that jewish people don't experience racism. meanwhile, labour's long time cheerleader, the guardian's columnist owen jones, has torn up his party membership because starmer is not as revolutionary as he would like . labour as he would like. labour backbenchers threatened a mutiny over labour's pro—israel stance, a major political embarrassment narrowly avoided by starmer when he reportedly convinced the speaker of the house of commons to cancel the vote altogether. the corbynites on the back benches , of whom there are many benches, of whom there are many more than labour would like to admit , and more than labour would like to admit, and the hard core lefties out there in the country, who are fast tracked into the party after miliband's rule

after ed miliband's bonkers rule change on membership, are vocally unhappy with starmer's plans. starmer, out regularly trends on twitter and that doesn't bode well . and labour's doesn't bode well. and labour's more radical ideas are already an accident waiting to happen. don't take my word for it. new labour mastermind peter mandelson, speaking to the sunday times today, has voiced concerns about labour plans to bolster union power and burden businesses with extra costs and red tape . mandelson is urging red tape. mandelson is urging starmer to move more slowly and here's why. sir keir starmer has vowed to put forward drastic labour market reforms within the first 100 days of winning power , first 100 days of winning power, the policy platform being fronted by angela rayner, which should be a red flag in itself, would give all workers. that's right, all workers employment rights from their first day in the job. now, doesn't that sound

lovely ? who would argue with lovely? who would argue with that? but what it means in reality is that businesses could employ someone who's completely useless and be stuck with them. companies will potentially have to use a four stage process, then potentially an employment tribunal. if someone was incompetent or even if they didn't turn up to work under those circumstances, companies will simply be reluctant to hire people in the first place. and what does that mean? more more unemployment. you're welcome . unemployment. you're welcome. labour also wants to end zero hours contracts for people who do casual work on unspecified days and for unspecified hours, like a lot of ideas from labour, this is well intent on it sounds great, doesn't it? get rid of zero hour contracts. but the reality is that many people , reality is that many people, including women with families and students, enjoy the informal nature of zero hours contracts. it's an easy way to pick up a bit of work . i it's an easy way to pick up a bit of work. i was on them for

years. the flexibility is enjoyed by many, which is why so many people take advantage. if companies can't employ people casually, they'll just make do with the staff they've got. and what does that lead to? yes, more unemployment and more people on benefits in a country that's already broke. and then there are enhanced rights for there are enhanced rights for the trade unions, including 1970 style collective bargaining , style collective bargaining, again, enhanced rights, stronger unions. it sounds lovely, but bearin unions. it sounds lovely, but bear in mind how industrial action has crippled our railways, our health service and other sectors in recent months. and that is before labour's reforms, which will inevitably lead to more strike chaos, which means disrupted lives. and yet more economic damage . enhanced more economic damage. enhanced union power will also lead to more government borrowing. as prime minister, starmer is forced to grant unaffordable pubuc forced to grant unaffordable public sector wage settlement , public sector wage settlement, as a further consequence of which is inflation in it's all

what can only be described as a potential perfect economic storm. but it doesn't stop there. what about the £15 national living wage? an idea that i'm sympathetic to? of course, it sounds like a good idea, but what is the reality? well it will devastate businesses and jobs in sectors like hospital , retail and social like hospital, retail and social care. they're going to take on fewer people or go bust . i like fewer people or go bust. i like policies that work , not policies policies that work, not policies that sound good. now, i do believe that trade unions are of critical importance . bosses will critical importance. bosses will always try to rip off their workers, which is why all of the people watching and listening to this programme should have professional support and protection . but it's a fine protection. but it's a fine balance between workers rights and a fair wage versus crippling businesses. business is that generate the national income for this country that pays for

schools, police officers and hospitals, businesses who do us a great service by actually employing people . the public employing people. the public sector bankrolled by the taxpayer is already far too big, with many people doing nonsense jobs like diversity officers in the nhs. we need companies employing people, not the state. but these reforms under labour threaten to make that less attractive. the tories are in a chaotic state at the moment, but if so—called chaos means low unemployment, if so—called chaos means low unemployment , falling inflation, unemployment, falling inflation, expected, lower interest rates and modest economic growth, with and modest economic growth, with a government that stands up to the striking unions, well, i'll take that chaos . thank you very take that chaos. thank you very much. the alternative is shadow chancellor rachel reeves, who has tried to paint herself as the new margaret thatcher this week, except that it was

margaret thatcher that dismantled the out of control unions, not embolden them. i'm not convinced by labour's claims of moderation. new labour this lot ain't. keir starmer is no tony blair, a man that i voted for three times and rachel reevesis for three times and rachel reeves is no margaret thatcher. in fact, she's more iron curtain than iron lady. i did i voted new labour three times because they believed in low taxes. they were aspirational and they were so pragmatic. they actually kept the tories spending plans in place in their first year in power. why? because tory chancellor ken clarke did such a bloody good job anyway . your bloody good job anyway. your reaction? let me know if you agree or disagree or somewhere in between. market gbnews.com. i'll get to your email shortly. but tonight's top but first, tonight's top pundits. the leader of ukip, neil labour neil hamilton, former labour special paul richards special adviser paul richards and journalist and

communications linda communications advisor linda jubilee. linda, take it away. >> well , i jubilee. linda, take it away. >> well, i think that peter mandelson is clearly an expert in political campaigning . he is in political campaigning. he is quite right to sound a note of caution , especially since the caution, especially since the labour party has what's called, i believe , a smoked salmon and i believe, a smoked salmon and scrambled egg offensive with the city, it is really, really important now because you've quite rightly pointed out the balance between cutting back and actually being sensible with some of these regulations. and that's the fine balance that anyone who takes power in the next administration will have to pay next administration will have to pay attention to. the fact is that zero hour contracts aren't particularly popular with anyone. i've never heard anyone say they would rather be on a zero hour contract. linda. >> they're popular with all of the people that are on them, people that want to pick up casual work. >> well, my kids have all wanted to pick up casual work, and when

they before they got jobs and while they were in their holidays, they regard holidays, but they don't regard it long term ambition. most it as a long term ambition. most people want the security of a job. well, how can you possibly raise a family? how can he possibly lay down some of the markers in your life? if you are perpetually a casual labourer? >> i hear what you're saying, but that's not the purpose of zero hours contracts. i think there brilliant because it's representative of a flexible labour market, neil hamilton, in which it's for easy companies to employ people. >> of course, you're absolutely right . and, you know, i'm on right. and, you know, i'm on a zero hours contract as a barrister and as a freelance journalist. you know, i haven't got a right to be paid if i don't work , if i don't get don't work, if i don't get contracts, then i'm out of a job effectively , i wouldn't have it effectively, i wouldn't have it any other way. i've been working now for 50 years, and i've had a formal contract of employment formal contract of employment for only five of those years , for only five of those years, and i actually made a lot more money out of being self—employed than i would have done out of

being in being on somebody in some employer's books. so i think this is a nonsense, really. the gig economy actually is a great thing. so which enables people to work for as long or as little as they like, and also means that there are lots more people providing services and there would otherwise be no. so, you know, the more restrictions you place upon taking people on and employing them, the fewer people as you rightly say, will be employed. and that's pure, you know, sensible economics, isn't it? so the more we load costs on employers , makes it much more employers, makes it much more difficult to be flexible in the labour market, then the less efficient the economy is going to be, and the poorer the whole country is going to be. so yeah, back to the 1970s. it's a great election slogan, isn't it, because the unions were so productive and good for us, then brought the country to the, to its knees and the winter of discontent in 1979. and that was a labour government. so bring it

on. >> paul richards in the times today. >> paul richards in the times today . peter mandelson, labour's today. peter mandelson, labour's union reforms must not be rushed. they can't betray business. >> well, we're not talking about barristers and journalists. we're talking about people working at boots. we're just waiting at home for the a call to come so they can get some money together the rent . money together to pay the rent. and that's a a but with with. >> no sorry to interrupt you paul briefly but with no zero hours contracts. then there's just no job rather than an occasional that's point . occasional job. that's my point. >> no, they'll be better paid and secure jobs, which will and more secure jobs, which will be something that everyone aspires. no there's aspires. and there's no there's no dichotomy. >> acknowledge with >> do you acknowledge that with no there will be no zero hours, there will be fewer, jobs? fewer, better jobs? >> well, this is the argument people like advanced people like you advanced about the minimum wage, the national minimum wage, wasn't it, which we were told wasn't it, which we were told was to cost million jobs was going to cost a million jobs and it didn't. it just made the people work better pay, people in work get better pay, which course, they then spend which of course, they then spend in pubs shops in local pubs and shops and restaurants improves the restaurants and it improves the economy. true. having economy. very true. not having low peter low wages. so that's true. peter mandelson that mandelson is right to say that we these in there. we need to ease these in there. shouldn't a burden on

shouldn't be a burden on business, labour is business, but labour is positioning being positioning itself as being a pro—business a pro—worker pro—business and a pro—worker party, there's reason why party, and there's no reason why those things can't be true. those two things can't be true. >> do really want the >> paul, do we really want the unions to be more powerful, given chaos seen given the chaos we've seen in the civil service, nhs, the civil service, the nhs, college lecturers and of course, the rail workers? i mean, we've had union chaos before giving the unions more power, which is what starmer wants to do. >> i mean, there's only 6 million people in trade unions out of a workforce of about 30. that's enough to cripple the country, paul. about million. country, paul. about 30 million. so most people not in a so most people are not in a union. i mean, the as union. but i mean, the cover, as you said, you know, getting decent getting decent legal advice, getting good workplace good services in the workplace and having someone there looking after good i'm after you is a good thing. i'm a i'm a member of a trade union. i'm a member of a trade union. i'm i am. and, know, i'm glad i am. and, you know, anyone watching should anyone watching this should consider one because considerjoining one because i likepaul, i'm going let you >> paul, i'm going to let you into secret. i'm secretly an into a secret. i'm secretly an admirer rachel my admirer of rachel reeves. my tongue was in cheek about tongue was in my cheek about the. it? the iron lady the. what was it? the iron lady and rest of it. but, the and all the rest of it. but, the truth is that she's made a lot of good noises. the obr are

going to sign off labour's spending pledges. they're not going the cash. going to splash the cash. they're to spend they're not going to spend money. haven't got well money. they haven't got so well done and done rachel done labour and well done rachel reeves. it not concerning reeves. but is it not concerning that the architect of new labour is to write articles in is having to write articles in the paper warning the labour party damage business? party not to damage business? it's not a good look, is it, paul? >> no, he's entitled to say it and he's probably. but why is he saying well, because he saying it? well, because he wants set of the wants to set the tone of the labour government that he thinks might corner. might be around the corner. and rachel reeves, as you say, is brilliant. by the labour brilliant. by the way, labour stuck for stuck to the tory plans for three just there three years, not just one. there you go. three years, not just one. there you brilliant stuff. listen, i'll >> brilliant stuff. listen, i'll tell you what. maybe the country needs is it time? needs a change. is it time? that's the polls say. your that's what the polls say. your thoughts? gb news that's what the polls say. your th0|com.? gb news that's what the polls say. your th0|com.? brilliant gb news that's what the polls say. your th0|com.? brilliant panelb news that's what the polls say. your th0|com.? brilliant panel are aws dot com. my brilliant panel are back for all of back at 1030 for all of tomorrow's papers. next up tomorrow's papers. but next up are reform right and is are reform uk, far right and is 100 grand a huge amount of money. we'll debate that with ann widdecombe

next. is mental health a cult and an

industry ? the emails are coming industry? the emails are coming industry? the emails are coming in thick and fast. or get to them at 1030 with the papers. but first up, the bbc has apologised uk after apologised to reform uk after calling right . apologised to reform uk after calling right. in a news calling it far right. in a news report, the corporation made the claim a report about the claim during a report about the liberal democrats spring conference. although reform is arguably to the right of the tory party on certain issues like legal and illegal immigration and the tax burden, it has always stated its political aims are not motivated by political ideology . but were by political ideology. but were the bbc right or wrong to use this label ? are reform uk far this label? are reform uk far right? let's speak to former government minister and reform uk supporter, arguably other than nigel, their most high profile supporter ann widdecombe and our reform uk far right. >> no, it's a nonsense . >> no, it's a nonsense. >> i mean, if when you get a common sense party that is just saying a lot of things that a lot of people agree with and want actually to see done, rather than just talked about. >> if you immediately say, are far right and of course, i know

exactly why they're saying that. >> it's not because of our policies on anything except immigration and the instant you start talking about immigration and the need to control it and what you might do to control it at that point, everybody says , at that point, everybody says, or you're far right or whatever it might be, and that is just a nonsense, far right. >> i mean , far left is >> i mean, far left is communist, far right is fascist , communist, far right is fascist, we are not, believe it or not, fascist . fascist. >> glad to hear it. reform uk has ditched an election candidate an after claims emerged that he fantasised about deporting millions of british citizens to get rid of. and i quote the foreign plague. we've been diseased with. is this the kind of person that reform uk is attracting ? attracting? >> well, obviously we moved very, very fast indeed, to remove that candidate. and, that was the right thing to do, or

all parties get broke, candidates, all parties and all parties are embarrassed, both dunng parties are embarrassed, both during elections and just during ordinary parliaments, by something that a candidate says. >> that is not our view, and thatis >> that is not our view, and that is why we removed the candidate and we didn't mess about , you know, it was done immediately. >> and i find you among the most persuasive political commentator in the country. that's why we love having you on the show every sunday night. you're the jewel in the crown of mark dolan tonight. every sunday. and i think that the policy platform of reform uk is based on common sense and rather attractive. but aren't reform a bit like the liberal democrats of old? they can say anything because they're never going to win power. >> well, no, i mean, we've produced a very carefully costed set of measures, very carefully costed. >> so nobody can say we can't do it. >> but your point is, you know, we're never going to get past. well, it's time for change. you yourself said so just now. you

know, you're talking about the labour party, but actually it's time for change in a much bigger sense. >> it's time to get rid of this idea that you must vote for one of the two main parties. >> it's time for that sort of change, because they're both useless, and that is why reform is now, attracting a large numbers of members and why reform is now very steadily climbing the polls. >> most definitely. but an going back to the fantasy politics argument , how back to the fantasy politics argument, how are back to the fantasy politics argument , how are reform uk argument, how are reform uk going to stop the boats? should they win power? is it? richard tice in a naval uniform on a frigate turning the boats back himself? >> well, that's a wonderful thought. my father was in the navy, so that's a pretty good thought. but no, of course that's not what we're planning to do. look at what australia did and look at what belgium did. >> people tend to forget belgium , the is that what , and the answer is that what you is you intercept the you do is you intercept the boats and you take occupants boats and you take the occupants of back to where they

of the boats back to where they came from, which this case is came from, which in this case is france, and by the time you've set off and had to go back, you know , several times, you've run know, several times, you've run out of money, no longer out of money, you're no longer able to pay the tracking agent, so that is the first thing. but the second thing is, okay, some will still get through . they will still get through. they will still get through. they will be held in secure reception centres, not hotels, where they can come and go and disappear in secure reception centres so that we can process them quickly and again, take them back , if we're again, take them back, if we're going to, refuse their claim and a lot of focus. by the way, in case you're wondering, let me just stress this international law already allows us to do that. it allows us to intercept and turn people back who are entering our waters illegally. it allows us to. >> and let me add that i'm sure richard tice looks excellent in a naval uniform. he's got the shoulders for it, but an, reform uk . you're very tired of this uk. you're very tired of this question is a vote for reform uk

a vote for the tories? and i understand your frustration. that was the argument for ukip and the brexit party. so let's look at it from the other side are reform uk also a threat to labour? >> oh, i think we're becoming an increasing threat to labour, because the red wall very much our values very much. and your ordinary labour voter who wouldn't actually touch the tories with a ten foot barge pole, now has an option . he has pole, now has an option. he has the option of reform, which is speaking his or her language. so i think , yes, we are a very big i think, yes, we are a very big threat to labour. and over the coming months that will become more manifest. i mean, it's inevitable that you concentrate on the government to start with because after all, they're in charge. they're the ones making a it. but now that a mess of it. but now that labour is, you know, coming up with and all the rest with policies and all the rest of it, we should be more focused on labour. so, yes , we're a on labour. so, yes, we're a threat to both. i'm very pleased to say , but that threat will not

to say, but that threat will not turn into reality unless people have the guts to vote for change. and that's what i would say to people. you really want change? find your courage and vote for it. >> now, ann, i'm getting a bit frustrated with politicians being dry for saying being hung out to dry for saying uncontroversial things that are true . your reaction to the true. your reaction to the chancellor, jeremy hunt, who has defended his comments in an interview when he said that £100,000 is not a huge amount of money. it isn't, is it? by the time you've paid your mortgage, your childcare, your tax, bloody piano lessons for the kids, you name it, life ain't cheap anymore . is 100,000 a name it, life ain't cheap anymore . is100,000 a huge anymore. is100,000 a huge amount of money? >> no it's not. i mean, quite clearly, you know, it would seem like a million to some people who are on very low wages. but the fact is that some gps earn that, you know, the head of a large comprehensive will earn that in the private sector and industry. lots and lots of

people will earn that. it's no longer, you know , something that longer, you know, something that you can't aspire to. so, no , i you can't aspire to. so, no, i don't think it's a huge salary. it's certainly a very comfortable one, but it's not a huge salary . huge salary. >> and i look forward to seeing you in a week's time. my thanks to the formidable ex—government minister broadcaster ann minister and broadcaster ann whittaker. next up, the papers. some hot headlines. whittaker. next up, the papers. some hot headlines . see you

just gone 1030. time for this . just gone 1030. time for this. front page of the daily telegraph. china and russia behind slurs on the princess. whitehall. sources warned that disinformation online may be used to destabilise society, including vicious online rumours about the princess of wales . a about the princess of wales. a majority of private schools will

raise fees if labour bring in vat raid and free speech threats from climate of censorship. the sun newspaper . government to sun newspaper. government to punish cyber raid china hack attack on the uk chinese hackers accessed the personal details of 40 million uk voters in an assault on our democracy , assault on our democracy, according to an exclusive report in the sun. the guardian suspects appear in court accused of moscow attack that left 137 dead and nhs exodus as overseas nurses seek higher pay. the times beijing blamed for malign cyber attack on election watchdog. catherine inspired to speak out by reaction to the king's cancer and russell group gets most of its fees from overseas. of course those are the top universities in the uk. uk students now account for less than 25% of some leading institutes . income. than 25% of some leading

institutes. income. metro than 25% of some leading institutes . income. metro £14 institutes. income. metro £14 billion. united kingdom . billion. united kingdom. generous people gave a record £13.98 billion to charity last year , with some of the uk's year, with some of the uk's least well off places the most generous and the daily star. we are tops for treasure. daily star joins the gold rush hunt starjoins the gold rush hunt for 4 billion in sunken ship. your daily star has joined the hunt for a sunken galleon packed with gold worth £4 billion. if our pirate finds the treasure, we'll all get shipwrecked. promise the daily star brilliant stuff . listen, i've got some stuff. listen, i've got some great emails coming in. let me just catch up on that, because we were just discussing whether mental health has become a cult, an industry. this from jess. hi, mark. after struggling with mental health issues for decades, i've only recently found out the reason why and that was from private that was from a private diagnosis. my gp only prescribed countless antidepressants which address the symptoms, not the cause. now i'm unable to work

and sadly rely on benefits. the mental system in this mental health system in this country appalling and needs country is appalling and needs a complete overhaul. love. the show jess. jess, thank you show says jess. jess, thank you for that and my heart goes out to for what you're going to you for what you're going through. bridget. mark. too through. bridget. hi mark. too many people have never many young people have never been resilience. been taught resilience. they've been taught resilience. they've been all through been mollycoddled all through the school years, sarah says , the school years, sarah says, we've been told we need to think about our mental health. people need to stop dwelling on it and get on with life. too much mollycoddling which means people don't and don't face up to life and therefore build resilience therefore don't build resilience . yes, be hard, but face . yes, it can be hard, but face up to things life's up to things and life's challenges will be easier. and, look, catch up. would you look, i'll catch up. would you have a lot more of those emails to come , how about this? okay, to come, how about this? okay, we'll finish on this because it's a really good email about mental health. and it's from russ. good evening . russ, how russ. good evening. russ, how are you, russ says yes. people are you, russ says yes. people are playing the system because it's stay at home it's easy to stay at home and claim benefits. confusing claim benefits. we are confusing stress with mental health. i was an pilot . it was an raf fighter pilot. it was a very stressful job, but we all

got on with coping . i think got on with coping. i think we're suffering from a snowflake attitude by many . russ, thank attitude by many. russ, thank you for that. if you're having mental health issues, it is of critical importance that you do reach got samaritans reach out. you've got samaritans , online resources, places you can you've got your gp. can call and you've got your gp. but i think the point about resilience is one worth reflecting on. okay, reaction to the big stories of the day with my top pundits this evening. we have the leader of ukip, neil hamilton, former labour special adviser paul richards and journalist and communications expert linda jubilee, folks, lots of front pages to sink our teeth into . and what about this teeth into. and what about this china and russia behind slurs on the princess? now, i don't want linda jubilee to focus on catherine because she's recovering. she's got a serious diagnosis. but this is about foreign powers that are such a great threat to our democracy. and as we're seeing in this story the threat to our society. >> yeah. and i think it's incredibly likely that some of this has happened . it's

this activity has happened. it's already happened in the past. we know it's happened. we know that china has has hacked into people's accounts . i think it people's accounts. i think it hacked into one stage. the tech correspondent of the ft and surveilled her family and friends. and that's all gone. >> still, at least she had some readers for a change. >> they've got plenty of the right readers, mark. they've got an optimist. >> kidding. an optimist. >> they've kidding. an optimist. >> they've kiddin optimum circulation. >> sure be writing >> i'm sure i'll be writing for the paper some point. the pink paper at some point. >> right. but i think this is absolutely when you think absolutely true. when you think about what said about the about what people said about the king princess being, you king and the princess being, you know, fundamentally know, the two most fundamentally important and charismatic figures of the royal family. if you're thinking about destabilising a country, those are two of the people you'd pick on first. >> well, indeed, more of the >> well, indeed, and more of the same the sun. poor richard's same in the sun. poor richard's china attack the uk , china hack attack on the uk, chinese hackers accessed the personal details of 40 million uk voters in an assault on our democracy . this has been a democracy. this has been a concern in america as well, this is a this is a major worry, isn't it?

>> it really is a worry because it's quite easy to do, it would seem. and they obviously don't support our democracy and they want undermine us and they support our democracy and they want to undermine us and they support our democracy and they want to spread1ine us and they support our democracy and they want to spread disinformationey support our democracy and they want to spread disinformation , want to spread disinformation, and they do their fake and they want to do their fake videos. the ai and all this videos. and the ai and all this stuff. and it just sort of means that we can't really trust what we're seeing hearing online we're seeing and hearing online anymore. course, there we're seeing and hearing online any people course, there we're seeing and hearing online anypeople in course, there we're seeing and hearing online anypeople in c0|and there we're seeing and hearing online anypeople in c0|and russia are people in china and russia that be that want us to be discombobulated, confused and divided. yeah, divided and not vote. tell you, one thing, i vote. i tell you, one thing, i was a foreign correspondent in hong kong and therefore cover china for five years. >> chinese refer to themselves as the middle kingdom. they mean that they're between us. we're down here on earth and heaven. they're the middle kingdom. zhonghuain they're the middle kingdom. zhonghua in mandarin china, middle do not not middle kingdom. they do not not play by middle kingdom. they do not not play by the same rules as the rest of this. that's pretty chilling, actually. mindset wise, culturally wise. you know, maybe i'm being a little bit too outspoken. >> be outspoken . this is mark >> be outspoken. this is mark dolan tonight. that's your job. >> but it's true that, you know, the world of the internet is awash with conspiracy theorists and disinformation, yeah. we

can't rely on the chinese. we can't rely on the chinese. we can't even rely on our own government. >> i know prime territory. >> i know prime territory. >> they are using disinformation, as we saw during covid, effectively , most of what covid, effectively, most of what the government said was a load of no scientific of rubbish with no scientific bafis of rubbish with no scientific basis at all. whole global warming riddled with warming debate is riddled with this as well. >> well, during covid we had the sixth. was it the six metre rule, the three metre rule, the two metres for cotton? how many metres was but men metres it was now. but men always make longer, always make it longer, don't they? tall as they? but but but neil tall as you just a bit ask mrs. you need to just a bit ask mrs. dolan metre rule. the dolan the two metre rule. the covid didn't come from covid that didn't come from anywhere that was just up anywhere that was just dreamt up by scientists. anywhere that was just dreamt up by exactly scientists. anywhere that was just dreamt up by exactly . scientists. >> exactly. >> exactly. >> although you mentioned >> and although you mentioned the i mean, the the climate hoax, i mean, the majority of climate scientists believe the planet believe that the planet is heating needs to be dealt with. >> absolutely no evidence for that whatsoever. science is not a democracy anyway. but what do we mean by climate scientists ? we mean by climate scientists? to there's experts to start with, there's experts in field. two, the 1 or in their field. two, the 1 or 2 self—serving studies of this that have been made by propagandists. and from that , propagandists. and from that, they say 97% of climate

scientists , agree. but who needs scientists, agree. but who needs the chinese government when we've got neil hamilton who spread misinformation and nonsense amongst the populace? he wants to make me his deputy. i'm up for the job. >> over there, >> be straight over there, won't you? about you? what about this? >> story? paul richards ? >> this story? paul richards? does you? free speech does it concern you? free speech is sorry. free speech is a threat. sorry. free speech under threat from climate of censorship, this is the home affairs editor of the daily telegraph. free speech is being threatened by dangerous threatened by a dangerous climate and climate of harassment and censorship. dame saira khan identified the rise of freedom restricting harassment in a report highlighting threats to the uk's social cohesion , saying the uk's social cohesion, saying that not just politicians but also individuals were being subjected to rape and death threats, abuse and hatred to silence them and prevent them from expressing their views . you from expressing their views. you could mention, couldn't i, paul? jk rowling has had death threats , rape threats for pointing out bafic , rape threats for pointing out basic biology. it goes basic human biology. it goes back to this idea of social media, which has created a climate whereby people can say and things online, but and do these things online, but the , you know, it's the danger is, you know, it's now spreading real life.

now spreading into real life. >> are demonstrating >> so people are demonstrating outside schools and shouting outside of schools and shouting each centres and outside of schools and shouting each sorts centres and outside of schools and shouting each sorts of centres and outside of schools and shouting each sorts of things. ntres and outside of schools and shouting each sorts of things. and, and outside of schools and shouting each sorts of things. and, you these sorts of things. and, you know, gaza. and this issue has sort exacerbated that. sort of exacerbated that. >> tomorrow also >> reports out tomorrow and also it focuses on batley grammar school, doesn't it, where there was the big, protest that that teacher is still in hiding and under threat. and his family, it's a total disgrace what's gone on there. >> it's a failure of the rule of law in this country. >> absolutely. >> absolutely. >> it's completely failed because police don't because the police don't actually provide west actually provide any west yorkshire police. >> have been accused of >> people have been accused of doing so little to support the family , and the government has family, and the government has done nothing about all the problems which have been spawned by equalities act, a by the equalities act, which a lot this diversity nonsense , lot of this diversity nonsense, spreads outwards and freedom of speech has not been protected properly in universities , properly in universities, academic institutions or indeed evenin academic institutions or indeed even in in business and employment aren't conditions where people live under a self—censorship now about what they can and can't say , which is they can and can't say, which is actually more sinister.

>> in many ways it is than government laying down the law to say you can't do things well. >> social cohesion needs activity, words. we don't activity, not words. we don't need any more words and any more reports unless we respond directly to the recommendations of the report. but what we've got to look at is like the idea of a ban on demos outside the gates, because i think there's no excuse or no excuse for it at all. >> well, most definitely in the old days, of course, the police would have come in and cleared them off. >> yeah, but they don't because it's obviously an offence to harass and to inspire feelings of fear in people. >> what was the purpose of the demonstration? it is actually to try to force people to do what? >> and similarly, neil, are you concerned by developing story that was covered by sam in the headunes that was covered by sam in the headlines there that the british museum, which is arguably the most famous museum on planet earth, had to close early today because of palestinian protesters ? protesters? >> why are the police, why are they there them off? >> i mean, that's what the

police should be doing. i mean, under highways police should be doing. i mean, undyknow, highways police should be doing. i mean, undyknow, it's highways police should be doing. i mean, undyknow, it's not ighways police should be doing. i mean, undyknow, it's not lawfuls police should be doing. i mean, undyknow, it's not lawful to you know, it's not lawful to have demonstrations of statue, have demonstrations of a statue, is because are >> because the cops are outnumbered? >> think they're >> linda? i don't think they're outnumbered . outnumbered. >> but what i want to know is, why are those demonstrators outside museum? why are those demonstrators out because museum? why are those demonstrators out because of museum? why are those demonstrators out because of bp museum? why are those demonstrators out because of bp subsidised. >> because of bp subsidised. >> because of bp subsidised. >> giving £50 million to the british museum. we had a council meeting in hastings this week that was broken up by pro—palestinian demonstrators. they got 1.5 minutes into their agenda before the meeting had to be stopped. while hastings council got to do with gaza. yeah, nothing to . yeah, nothing to. >> right. well, listen, folks, lots more to come, more front pages to come. plus, my pundits will nominate their headline heroes page zeroes. and heroes and back page zeroes. and here's worth staying heroes and back page zeroes. and here's we're worth staying heroes and back page zeroes. and here's we're going orth staying heroes and back page zeroes. and here's we're going toh staying heroes and back page zeroes. and here's we're going to hearying up for. we're going to hear about a theatre that has instructed white members of the audience to check their privilege at the door. it's a wild story, and one of my favourite comedians has stayed up late on his holiday to tell us all about it. that's

next. a very quick shout out to james and josh and sofia, who worked so hard on the show today. and particularly mezhgan , who has particularly mezhgan, who has just attacked it, working so hard, doing such a brilliant job. so thank you, mezhgan james and the team for working so hard. this show is nothing without viewers. without the viewers. the listeners and the team. the other side of the camera, more front pages and let's a front pages and let's have a look the now, battle look at the mirror now, battle for the boozer. pubs call time at 8 pm. beleaguered boozers now shut as early as 8:00 as drinkers stay at home. publicans have cut their opening hours to save on staff and energy bills as the cost of living crisis reduces custom. that's devastating william, in awe of kate's coverage . courage in the kate's coverage. courage in the mirror is the other story. there the express. and how about this chancellor ? we will keep triple chancellor? we will keep triple lock for the whole of the next parliament and king's easter message of unity and to hope the

nation. king charles will rally the nation with a powerful easter message of hope and unity this coming week. easter message of hope and unity this coming week . and don't we this coming week. and don't we need that? well, i've got a great story for you now. the telegraph newspapers charlotte gill report that white audience members attending a comedy show at an arts council funded venue are being asked to check their privilege at the door showing at the soho theatre in london. the femme of colour comedy club is billed as an unapologetic celebration of comedians, of colour that are not cis men. attendees are told. white audience members are encouraged to check their privilege at the door. to check their privilege at the door . well, joining me now is door. well, joining me now is comedian quincy , who, let me comedian quincy, who, let me tell you, is a regular on headliners. but he's on holiday in barbados tonight. quincy, the comedian , is this progress? what comedian, is this progress? what do you think of this story , do you think of this story, well, when i first heard it, i actually thought to myself, is that a new word for tickets?

yeah, that's what i thought it was . is that new? the new. the was. is that new? the new. the new word for tickets? but, yeah , new word for tickets? but, yeah, i thought to myself, you know what? female comedians of colour , all different shades, isn't a bad thing because you don't get a lot of females. but i'm just saying to my white, my white family members, how long is this show ? what, an hour and a half. show? what, an hour and a half. you can't sit in the back seat or the back of the theatre for at least an hour and a half, and take in the vibes. yeah, that's that's that's that's just my perspective of it, i think that comedy is for all shapes and sizes and all minds. comedy is for all shapes and sizes and all minds . and i do sizes and all minds. and i do believe that, especially in that space, everybody should experience what people are talking about. and if you are a true performer , you will embrace true performer, you will embrace and you will deliver your material for a wider audience to understand. so if it's for white people to check their privilege,

if that means white people leave that theatre feeling that they have to donate towards reparations, then then bring it on. >> i mean, the thing is, you're a top comedian yourself. you don't go around dividing up your audience, do you? you just want to make the people in front of you laugh. >> well, my main important thing is i want to see the ticket sales. yeah. so if you're purple, your orange or your blue, as long as you understand my sense of humour, i want to make people laugh. regardless of your background, regardless of where you're yeah, want where you're from. yeah, i want to people laugh. and we to make people laugh. and we are. we are living times are. we are living in times where i think it's very decisive that you should tell people what kind of audience should come to your show. an audience member will come to your show if your material is open and honest and they find a bit about you, they will come to your show regardless and be seen that i totally agree. >> you know you don't care if the audience are orange, yellow or blue. it does help if they've

had a drink though, doesn't it? >> well, i don't know about you, mark. i mean, i like my oldest to be sober. no, my honest, you know, take it . know, so they can take it. >> no, mine. mine need a few sellers. >> mine need a few sellers. stay with us, quincy. and i appreciate interrupting appreciate you interrupting your glamorous holiday to join us, on the bring in my the show, let's bring in my punst the show, let's bring in my pundits for their views on this linda jubilee. richards and linda jubilee. paul richards and neil hamilton, linda, your reaction to this story , white reaction to this story, white audience members, check your privilege at the door. >> do you know i've done stand up comedy and i've had to get on stage as as a white woman and make a whole crowd of people laugh, and it's bloody hard work. and don't think it work. and i don't think it matters what colour you are, the performer or the audience . performer or the audience. there's two things here, and quincy's pointed them out . can quincy's pointed them out. can he make people laugh and can he sell tickets? totally agree with him also. >> i mean, maybe there was a joke being made here, paul. i mean, perhaps, you know, the telegraph are not seeing the funny side. telegraph are not seeing the funly side. telegraph are not seeing the fun! think. telegraph are not seeing the fun! think they were making a

>> i think they were making a really important i mean, really important point. i mean, i soho theatre. the i love the soho theatre. the last i saw was last thing i saw there was actually conducted in actually conducted entirely in british language, which actually conducted entirely in britisyou language, which actually conducted entirely in britisyou know,iguage, which actually conducted entirely in britisyou know, ajage, which actually conducted entirely in britisyou know, a breakthrough was, you know, a breakthrough performance translated, thank heavens, because i don't speak bsl, , you know, it's not bsl, but, you know, it's not that long since comedians in this country big, fat blokes this country are big, fat blokes in northern working class clubs and racist jokes. so you and making racist jokes. so you know, you do need to keep the pushing boundaries. and pushing the boundaries. and that's the soho that's what i think the soho theatre about. theatre is all about. >> i think some >> although, neil, i think some people will be offended by this. >> martin luther king >> wasn't it martin luther king who me by my who said, judge me by my character, the of my character, not the colour of my skin ? skin? >> exactly. mean, the only >> exactly. i mean, the only colour you should be colour that you should be interested in if you're in a theatre, is the colour of the audience's and you know, audience's money. and you know, we've to soho theatre. we've been to soho theatre. in fact, a at the fact, there was a play at the soho theatre once about soho soho theatre once about christine and me, in our in our own words, actually, not that we wrote but some taken from wrote it, but some taken from one of the great court dramas that littered our lives , that have littered our lives, sadly, the sadly, the play sadly, the yeah, sadly, the play didn't have a long run, but but there it is now. >> i think it's a lot of nonsense. white privilege. i

don't know what privilege i had and everything i've got, i've made as a result of christine bringing me up in the right way. >> i know you spent most of it on bow ties, a couple of seconds left, quincy, how's your holiday going well it's a going in barbados? well it's a holiday, and it's apart from a memory of my father, who? >> i've brought back his ashes. so i'm here to show respect to his birthplace, and, i've got some families from around the world to come in, so. yeah i'm out here taking a break and gb news. the last time i was on it paid me so well. i paid for my ticket. first class. >> worth every penny. listen. god bless your dad. and god bless we'll catch bless you, quincy. we'll catch up quincy, comedian up soon. quincy, the comedian there returning to there and no doubt returning to headliners the ahead . headliners in the weeks ahead. listen, the clocks against us. it's been such a busy show. i wish had for the wish we had time for the headune wish we had time for the headline heroes and back page zeros, one zeros, but it's been one of those what i say? i've those days, what can i say? i've loved last three shows, so loved the last three shows, so much. your company much. enjoy your company listening watching much. enjoy your company listthe 1g watching much. enjoy your company listthe box. watching much. enjoy your company listthe box. i watching much. enjoy your company listthe box. i return watching much. enjoy your company listthe box. i return on watching much. enjoy your company listthe box. i return on actually on the box. i return on actually after i won't after easter. i won't see you next weekend . have a great

next weekend. have a great easter and i'll see the week easter and i'll see you the week after. headliners is next. >> that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers, sponsors of weather on gb news. >> hello! here's your latest weather update from the met office for gb news. we saw a quiet day weather wise across the uk on sunday, but things are turning more unsettled once again during the week ahead with wind at times. a ridge wind and rain at times. a ridge of pressure brought of high pressure brought a quieter on but low quieter day on sunday, but low pressure gathering pressure is already gathering towards that towards the west and that will move the week ahead to move in during the week ahead to return unsettled conditions. return to unsettled conditions. winter already arriving return to unsettled conditions. winterthe already arriving return to unsettled conditions. winterthe westady arriving return to unsettled conditions. winterthe west andarriving return to unsettled conditions. winterthe west and south—west across the west and south—west of the uk for the overnight period, some of that rain turning quite places, turning quite heavy in places, whereas towards north and whereas towards the north and east 1 east it's clearer. just 1 or 2 showers lingering and certainly a possible in the a touch of frost possible in the north east by the early north and east by the early hours of monday whereas hours of monday morning. whereas out towards the west and southwest temperatures out towards the west and southwest climbemperatures out towards the west and southwest climb as)eratures out towards the west and southwest climb as fortures will start to climb as for monday itself, with a very wet days in store, cost some western and southwestern areas, particularly across the south—west very south—west of england. some very heavy developing here at

heavy rain developing here at times, towards the north times, whereas towards the north and bright picture, and east it's a bright picture, at a time, wind at least for a time, before wind and move in from and rain starts to move in from the turning to snow the south—west, turning to snow as reaches cold across as it reaches cold air across parts scotland, especially on parts of scotland, especially on the north of the central the hills north of the central belt, particularly on belt, and particularly later on in day, temperatures peaking in the day, temperatures peaking at towards the at 12 celsius down towards the south—east a bit colder though towards the north and northeast as for tuesday, what a very unsettled day is expected across scotland. rain and at times scotland. rain and snow at times snow hills, but snow chiefly on the hills, but some rain and some of some of that rain and some of that snow could quite heavy that snow could be quite heavy elsewhere. pretty elsewhere. it's a pretty unsettled rain showers unsettled day. rain or showers never those never too far away, and those temperatures struggling , temperatures struggling, reaching an average figures at best pretty best and staying pretty unsettled week ahead with unsettled in the week ahead with showers longer spells showers or longer spells of rain. again, those rain. and again, those temperatures into the temperatures struggling into the low figures looks like low double figures looks like things are heating up. >> boxt boiler as sponsors of weather on

gb news. >> good evening. you're with gb news. i'm sam francis from the newsroom. the top stories at 11:00 in moscow. four suspects in friday's deadly concert hall shooting have been imprisoned for two months as they await trial . according to a statement trial. according to a statement published tonight by the city's district court . the suspects district court. the suspects pleaded guilty to charges of terrorism . a total of 11 people terrorism. a total of 11 people were detained following the terror attack , including those terror attack, including those three gunmen shown here being taken for interrogation earlier in the russian capital. russia claims they were attempting to escape across the border into ukraine. meanwhile, us intelligence services have said they believe the attack was carried out by a branch of the islamic state terror group known as isis k. however, vladimir putin has attempted to place some blame on ukraine. an allegation kyiv has called absurd . meanwhile, russia's absurd. meanwhile, russia's black sea fleet is now functionally inactive. that's according to the uk's defence

secretary, after a massive ukrainian