gb news. away. >> good afternoon. britain. it's 12:00 on monday, the 1st of april. >> protests are up in edinburgh as scotland's new hate crime law comes today. despite comes into force today. despite warnings the new legislation could be weaponised by fringe activists, waste time and activists, waste police time and have a chilling effect on free speech. >> all out war the tory party chairman labels reform uk leader richard tice a threatening bully, as tice claims he has, and could release embarrassing personal information . on the personal information. on the tory deputy chairman, jonathan gullis. this comes as a shock poll shows reform could cost the tories up to 50 seats and as

germany legalises the recreational use of cannabis . recreational use of cannabis. >> today we're asking should the uk follow suit? well, so this protest in edinburgh, outside holyrood is due to kick off at 1:00. we've got our scotland reporter outside holyrood waiting because there's a lot of anger about this new legislation. some people say this is progress. this is going to, you know, stop people from being vicious towards stop towards each other, stop stirring against stirring up hate against different on race, different groups based on race, genden different groups based on race, gender, whatever you say . gender, whatever else you say. >> gender, emily. but, you know, there's one characteristic that isn't explicitly protected in this legislation men, women, women . women. >> well, there you go. well, there you there's quite there you go. there's quite a lot transgender women and lot about transgender women and men, much about the men, but not much about the females. men, but not much about the fenapparently scottish >> apparently the scottish government going government says they're going to bnng government says they're going to bring piece bring forward a separate piece of legislation to deal with the concerns of women, all in due

time . we haven't yet seen that time. we haven't yet seen that piece of legislation, but it is strange and it has raised a lot of questions as to why are they doing this sort of piece of hate crime legislation. that means anyone can anything anyone can report anything for anyone can report anything for any perceived offence on a whole host of protected characteristics. well, you know what? who we should not, but not about women's rights. >> and we should be listening to the likes of the president of the likes of the president of the association of scottish police. rob. hey, he's warning essentially this will be a massive waste of time for the police scotland. it will embolden a fringe of activists who will it will be on social media, won't it? this will just mean more police social media of social media. someone says something deemed something that's deemed transphobic or deemed bigoted in one way or another. police one way or another. the police then have to look into it, but of course can take a bill. >> is not this is not limited to onune >> is not this is not limited to online interactions . it's not online interactions. it's not limited to interactions in public. it also covers

interactions in private. now, if you say something in the privacy of your own home that someone overhears and doesn't like or thinks might be considered hateful , they could report you hateful, they could report you to the police and the police would have to investigate it. how many times are we going to see children reporting their parents, and then see those sorts of conversations to be raked over by the scottish police? this is opening up a huge, huge web of entangled grandparents. >> come over for easter lunch. one of them says something a bit backwards and off she goes in cuffs. there you go. that is the scenario we could be seeing potentially scotland , north potentially in scotland, north of the border. but let us know what you make of law. what you make of this new law. are worried about the are you worried about the chilling could have on chilling effect it could have on free do think you free speech, or do you think you know should know, stirring up hatred should be happens? be a crime wherever it happens? vaiews@gbnews.com. but first, your . your headlines. >> tom. emily, thanks very much and good afternoon from the gb

newsroom. it'sjust and good afternoon from the gb newsroom. it's just gone 12:00 and we start in scotland where as tom and emily were just mentioning, new laws to tackle hate crime have come into effect, which critics say could threaten the laws threaten free speech. the laws bnng threaten free speech. the laws bring existing bring together existing legislation, crime legislation, making it a crime to stir up hatred against people with protected characteristics , with protected characteristics, including disability, age, sexual orientation or people who are transgender. but some police forces have warned that the law could be weaponised by fringe activists target political activists to target political opponents. the scottish conservatives say resources should be directed towards front line policing. well we asked people on the streets of edinburgh what they think about those new laws . those new laws. >> you're going to be going out and encouraging snitches and people to go and speak up about about having about people who's having you know, having private know, having a private conversation, know, the keys conversation, you know, the keys in the word private. >> police themselves have >> the police themselves have said are going , only said that they are going, only going where going to respond where complaints and complaints have been raised. and our be that our concern was be that there are campaign groups out there that to raise that would be looking to raise complaints order silence

complaints in order to silence people like, not people that they don't like, not interpretation of the hate crime speech. >> now could be used very much against us, and it's a recipe for disaster. >> in other news, the head of the nurses union has accused the government of. she says packing hospital corridors with patients and says that the quality of care in hospitals is not only undignified, but fatally unsafe. it comes as new estimates suggest more than 250 patients may have died needlessly every week in 2023 because of long waits in england's hospitals, a report by the royal college of emergency medicine has revealed. more than 1.5 million patients waited in a&e for longer than 12 hours last year. the department for health says it, though , has for health says it, though, has added thousands of hospital beds and insists it is making progress on waiting times . the progress on waiting times. the number of small boats crossing the english channel illegally is up the english channel illegally is ”p by the english channel illegally is up by 43. that's compared to the same time last year. official figures from the home office

show that 442 people made that crossing in nine small boats on easter sunday. that's despite difficult weather conditions, with lifeboat scrambling to assist some of those arriving. today's strong winds have now made the journey completely impassable . the new figures are, impassable. the new figures are, though, a reversal of last year, which saw a 36% fall compared to record arrivals in 2022. plans to fine rough sleepers are provoking outrage, with more than 40 conservative mps said to be preparing to rebel the new criminal justice bill would allow police to fine or move on so—called nuisance rough sleepers. it was intended to replace the vagrancy act from 1824, which currently criminalises both rough sleeping and begging. but reports suggest the new bill has been paused while ministers negotiate with mps who are concerned about the consequences of issuing fines to homeless people. those plans were introduced by the former

home secretary, suella braverman, who branded rough sleeping as, she said, a lifestyle choice . some lifestyle choice. some households will feel the effects of a cash boost from today as new economic policies come into effect . the national living wage effect. the national living wage is increasing to £11.44, giving a pay is increasing to £11.44, giving a pay rise to around 3 million of britain's lowest paid workers. small businesses will also benefit from a raised vat threshold and fully funded apprenticeships. business minister kevin hollinrake told gb news this morning that economic conditions are improving. >> we understand it's been difficult but things are improving. we see the economy turning a corner. this year. we'll see interest rates dropping, dropping. dropping, taxes dropping. of course , £900 a year for the course, £900 a year for the average person in terms of tax reductions with the national insurance cuts. so all those things are all good news to people. of course, there's more to do, but things really are turning a corner. >> meanwhile, working parents of two year olds in england are now entitled to 15 hours of free

childcare a week. it's part of an £8 billion package of support for families, in effect from today. labour, though, says it's a pledge without a plan , and a pledge without a plan, and some nurseries are also warning that the expansion of available places will put severe strain on the sector . places will put severe strain on the sector. millions of households will see their bills rise as firms roll out their annual price increases on what's being dubbed national price hike day , road tax, broadband mobile day, road tax, broadband mobile bills, water and the tv licence are all going up, as are council taxes in england, wales and in northern ireland, the average council tax bill will rise by £106, while water bills will jump £106, while water bills will jump by £106, while water bills will jump by 6. however, consumer group, which says there are ways to cut costs, they say if you're out of contract , that switching out of contract, that switching providers can save up to £187. and finally, to some good news for energy and energy bills, they're due to fall to their lowest rate in two years after

the regulator, ofgem, cut its price cap today by 12.3. it means the average household bill for gas and electricity will fall by around £238 over the course of a year, or around £20 a month. however, around 10 million households are still being urged to submit metre readings to avoid possibly overpaying . that's the latest overpaying. that's the latest from the newsroom for now. in the meantime, you can sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the code on your screen, or go to gb news. com slash alerts. now though, and . emily. >> it's 1209. you're watching and listening to good afternoon britain. now, the controversial new hate crime law has come into force in scotland. the aim is to tackle the harm caused by hatred and prejudice towards characteristics . well, people characteristics. well, people with these characteristics, such as age, disability , religion, as age, disability, religion, sexual orientation and transgender identity . but tom

transgender identity. but tom picked up on something, didn't you? >> it's worth running through these again. the full list. the full list that is protected under this new law. age disability, religion, sexual orientation , transgender orientation, transgender identity, or the fact of being intersex but not women. >> well, i feel very protected in humza yousaf scotland. well to be fair, the scottish government say they want to bnng government say they want to bring forward a separate piece. >> just what we need legislations, more legislation for all in good time. i'm sure that we'll deal with women. why? they can just add it to the list. i'm not so sure. they can just add it to the list. i'm not so sure . but it's list. i'm not so sure. but it's important note that are important to note that there are big opponents to this legislation . people as jk legislation. people such as jk rowling, peter rowling, elon musk, even peter tatchell have publicly criticised these new laws , criticised these new laws, saying they could be used to stifle free speech or even be weaponised to settle scores . weaponised to settle scores. >> well, it's crossed to our scotland reporter tony mcguire, who's in edinburgh , where there who's in edinburgh, where there is a protest take place

is a protest due to take place at believe tony. at about 1:00, i believe tony. >> yes, that's correct, a bit half one today, and of course, because it's easter sunday, it is a bank holiday. sorry, easter monday, it is a bank holiday , so monday, it is a bank holiday, so we're expecting even more. i spoke to a couple of people outside parliament here already who have you they who have said, you know, they couldn't here otherwise, but couldn't be here otherwise, but because it is that bank holiday, then they are able to come here and show their support. now, this of course, the highly this is of course, the highly controversial, crime and controversial, hate crime and pubuc controversial, hate crime and public order act. this has been approved by parliament in 2021, andifs approved by parliament in 2021, and it's taken this long to come to fruition because police scotland really had to get their ducksin scotland really had to get their ducks in a row in order to how to deal with complaints when and they come in. now, what's interesting is that up in the north—east, a pilot by police scotland has meant that police have come out and said that they will no longer be investigating every crime . however, on the every crime. however, on the flip reverse of that, with this

new hate crime act, police have said they've committed , in fact, said they've committed, in fact, to looking into every single report . now, to looking into every single report. now, this is to looking into every single report . now, this is ruffled report. now, this is ruffled many feathers, including the gender critical feminist movement, the likes of jk rowling and of course, the group for women scotland, who all fought and spoke so loudly dunng fought and spoke so loudly during the gender recognition reform bill conversation, shall we call it last year? now because reports are going to be anonymized, there's seemingly very few safeguards in place to prevent malicious reporting. and one of the groups who is deeply concerned about that is, in fact, the church now , i spoke to fact, the church now, i spoke to pastor arthur o'malley. he was representing eastgate church in glasgow over in elderslie , and glasgow over in elderslie, and he had this to say about his concerns . concerns. >> well, it's against this hate crime speech, which is very, very vague. but really, if you look deeper into it, it's actually i think it's going to be used against free speech,

predominantly . it's going to predominantly. it's going to then vilify the christian message and it could bring us into trouble with the law. it would hinder our great matches which repent and believe the good news. and that interpretation of the hate crime speech now could be used very much against us. and it's a recipe for disaster. i think even many of the policemen are really up in arms against it, and i think it's just going to be very negative for the nation in general. we are a democratic nafion in general. we are a democratic nation with ability to people to speak and everyone to speak, and everyone is able to share views and share their their views and their mind and i think this their own mind and i think this is going be to is going to be used to ruthlessly, not only against the church, who church, but against anyone who is to stand up and church, but against anyone who is speak to stand up and church, but against anyone who is speak out to stand up and church, but against anyone who is speak out for stand up and church, but against anyone who is speak out for righteousness to speak out for righteousness sake . sake. >> so just to give you some extra background on that point, you were saying about men there, now, russell findlay, the scottish tory justice spokesperson, he called that hate monster advert. i don't know if you remember that the kind of silly cartoon from police scotland, in preparation for this act , police scotland, in preparation for this act, he called that grossly offensive because on the

police scotland website, they said that, you know , socially said that, you know, socially excluded communities who are heavily influenced by their peers and these kind of men , peers and these kind of men, what middle class white men are the most likely to cause hate crimes? and that indeed in itself ruffled quite a lot itself has ruffled quite a lot of feathers. >> yes. i'm not surprised. thank you very much indeed. tony mcguire, our scotland reporter there holyrood in edinburgh. >> tony, we should just say for people watching on television, tony was replaced by what looked like cartoon figure of a of like a cartoon figure of a of a of a hate monster. i wonder if we get this video up again we can get this video up again for watching on for those watching on television, because this is one of the promotional tony was explaining. >> yes , yes, it is extraordinary >> yes, yes, it is extraordinary to i love watching it again >> i just love watching it again and again that this is what, what has, has gone into in what has, money has gone into in order to, to get this, to get this law , doesn't it make you this law, doesn't it make you want to be a better person, seeing that it's remarkable . seeing that it's remarkable. >> it makes me want to be a better person. thank you tony, really appreciate your time on that. we'll be back tony at

that. we'll be back with tony at about yeah. the about one 1:30. yeah. as the protest i the protest is due, and i hope the cake as and the cake monster as well. and the hate monster. i'm sure he'll make a return. there you go. should we speak the founder should we speak to the founder of ideas, of the academy of ideas, baroness fox? claire, baroness claire fox? claire, thank you much for joining thank you very much for joining us the to this us on the show to discuss this very important matter. i'm hoping is. hoping we can, there she is. there are, claire, there you are, claire, interesting. interesting what the to say. there the pastor had to say. there because this legislation supposed to protect religious minorities, supposed to protect religion as one of its, identifying characteristic sticks. but actually, he's saying it could actually vilify the christian message. it could be weaponized . could this be weaponized. could this legislation to attack the church? >> well, you can imagine that even, you know, you might say you formally protect a religion, but if somebody views on, for example, i don't know, gay marriage or something of that nature or even sex before marriage , they're saying it marriage, they're saying it because they're christian, but they don't say it in the guise

of being religious. if somebody said that they're not going to be protected, are they ? they're be protected, are they? they're going to be accused of stirring up hate speech in a particular way. and i think, by the way, i think we need to take a step back because we're all assuming that the problem is that you can be harmed by this speech . and my be harmed by this speech. and my argument is that you aren't actually harmed by somebody else's speech. it might hurt your feelings, but it's not harm in any substantive way. what's changed in recent years is that we're starting to associate, speech much the same as an action, as though it's an act of violence . and so as far as i'm violence. and so as far as i'm concerned, anyone should be able to say anything they want. people might find it hurtful or offensive, but it's not actually creating harm in the way that is implied by this legislation. it's the reverse of sticks and stones. >> a yes, it's words of violence. but of course, there's a new, penalty created as a

result of this act stirring up hatred. i suppose it's trying to sort of follow in the footsteps of inciting violence. so stirring up hatred, i suppose it's quite a malleable phrase. and i suppose this is why it's taken so many years for this bill, as it was passed a couple of years ago to finally become an act. we've been talking about this information the this information campaign, the heat is this sort heat monster that is this sort of cartoon, trying to explain to people what what hatred is. we're looking at it right here, a very curious campaign. i just wonder if such a campaign is necessary. do people really understand what's going on and what the implications of this act could be? >> well, first of all, on the hate monster , it indicates just hate monster, it indicates just how patronising the scottish government are because they're talking to their own citizens as though they're children. you know, you be careful of what you say. there's a hate monster on

every shoulder. i mean , how old every shoulder. i mean, how old do they think their citizens are? it's ridiculous . that's the are? it's ridiculous. that's the first thing. secondly, on your stirring up point, i think the people are only beginning to grasp the implications of this, but i think that the, one of the people that was interviewed very rightly in the news that you just had on very rightly said this is a snitches charter , this is a snitches charter, because stirring up on the one handis because stirring up on the one hand is something that you'd want. i want politics to be stirred up. i think it's important that we're able to stirring up effectively means persuading it means persuading people. it means creating a response in someone. and for example, i might want to stir up hatred against islamism , stir up hatred against islamism, but you can imagine that if i was to do that, that somebody could say a third party could then say , oh, she's stirring up then say, oh, she's stirring up hatred, and that could be perceived to be against muslims, which it isn't. and then they could go into one of the numerous places that been

identified where you can go and report anonymously something that someone else said. and there's a joke that one of the places that they've set up is a reporting booth, is in a sex shop, so god knows what they've got mind there. but there got in mind there. but there there's of there's a mushroom farm areas of there's a mushroom farm areas of the but they're the mad places, but they're encouraging people on encouraging people to spy on each to go and each other. yeah. to go and report what people are saying in the pub, saying at home over dinner, emily, you said, you know, maybe you've got an elderly relative who's a bit backward, but let me assure you , backward, but let me assure you, they have to be backward. you could be saying something completely in the completely legitimate in the privacy home that privacy of your own home that somebody would perceive as somebody else would perceive as stirring up hatred and that could get you into trouble with the with the correct police . the with the correct police. >> and you could be arrested just very quickly because unfortunately, we're running out of could talk about of time. we could talk about this president of this all day, the president of the association of scottish police, he's come warning police, he's come out warning against practical against the practical difficulties of this type of legislation, the waste of police time when they should be going after what some people would

call real the fact that call real crimes, the fact that it weaponized by fringe it might be weaponized by fringe activists online that that the police scotland have already committed to investigating every single complaint of this type. this is going to be awful for the police , too. the police, too. >> it's disastrous for policing by consent . it actually, i heard by consent. it actually, i heard somebody from the scottish government interviewed earlier today who said, oh, well, it will be up to the police to decide whether that's, you know, an offence or not, in other words, completely disowning the legislation, also giving legislation, but also giving a huge amount of power to the police to make those subjective decisions as to what's an offence or not. we've seen offence or not. and we've seen the nonsense on the streets of cities say , oh, we cities where they say, oh, we saw a swastika. we're not sure if that's in the context of offensive. that was at the weekend. we don't know what jihad means. so there's going to be two tier policing because they'll decisions of they'll be making decisions of this where they'll say, this order where they'll say, oh, not oh, we've decided that's not stirring offence. this is stirring up offence. this is stirring up offence. this is stirring up offence. and if i could just get one final thing in, don't let say, why aren't

women in this bill? we want women in this bill? we want women in this bill. i can assure you now , i do not need the you now, i do not need the protection of this bill. and in fact, i dread the misogyny hate crime the scottish crime bill that the scottish government to bring. so government is going to bring. so i people bill. i want less people in this bill. i want less people in this bill. i want less people in this bill. i want start adding i don't want to start adding more to them. >> agree you, claire. >> i agree with you, claire. >> i agree with you, claire. >> it's a fair point. it is just a curious omission if you're going for all that . it going to go for all of that. it seems there's a relative seems like there's a relative inconsistency fox inconsistency there. claire fox of founder of course, founder of the academy and member of academy of ideas and a member of the house of lords. really appreciate your time. now, we should we're talking to a should say we're talking to a member who's in member of the snp who's in favour legislation. a favour of this legislation. a little the program. little bit later in the program. so we'll their points of so we'll get their points of view well. but coming so we'll get their points of vievall well. but coming so we'll get their points of vievall out well. but coming so we'll get their points of viev all out war'ell. but coming so we'll get their points of viev all out war between:oming so we'll get their points of viev all out war between the ng up, all out war between the reform party and the tories, just how much of threat could just how much of a threat could richard tice party be at the election that election discussing that after this

? good 7 good afternoon. britain. it's 12:24. and i have to say, our inboxis 12:24. and i have to say, our inbox is practically bursting with your thoughts and comments on that discussion we were having over the scottish hate crime act . we'll be getting to crime act. we'll be getting to your thoughts just crime act. we'll be getting to yourthoughts just moment. your thoughts in just a moment. a little bit later in the show, but shocking new analysis but now shocking new analysis reveals that the conservatives face being reduced to a grand total of just 80 members of parliament out as a surging reform uk threatens to cost them dozens of seats in what could be their worst election defeat in their worst election defeat in the party's history. and let's not forget this is the oldest political party in the western world. >> yes, but this comes as the war of words, let's say, between the two parties is very much heating up. you've got the tory chairman , richard holden, chairman, richard holden, calling the reform leader, richard tice, a threatening bully. and there's lots more of that. but just how much of a

threat could reform prove to be to the tories at an election? >> let's speak to an expert on the matter . >> let's speak to an expert on the matter. martin >> let's speak to an expert on the matter . martin baxter >> let's speak to an expert on the matter. martin baxter is the founder of political consultancy election moral calculus. so, martin, let's do the calculation on just how many seats could reform cost the tories? or frankly, might they not? if people voting reform wouldn't vote for the tories . where? vote for the tories. where? reform not an option. where does the balance fall ? the balance fall? >> so i mean, the thing to noficeis >> so i mean, the thing to notice is that the conservatives have lost voters in all directions since boris johnson's victory in 2019, a lot of conservative voters have decided to stay at home and not vote, and a lot have decided to go to reform, more even than have decided to switch to labour. so the losing the conservatives are losing voters but voters in all directions, but they're losing to, people they're losing a lot to, people staying at home and people going to reform, and it has the air very much of a protest vote in a similar way , perhaps that, in similar way, perhaps that, in 2019, many traditional labour

voters either stayed at home or didn't vote labour because they didn't vote labour because they did not like jeremy corbyn. rishi sunak afraid. is rishi sunak i'm afraid. is repelling voters in all directions or the conservatives are generally. i wouldn't say it's particularly, his fault, but but reformer now, actually in third place in the opinion polls, they're ahead of the liberal democrats , but they're liberal democrats, but they're not likely to win very many seats themselves. they're not likely to win any the moment, likely to win any at the moment, but to take as but they are likely to take as you say, dozens of seats away from conservatives from the conservatives are perhaps even more, if perhaps 50. maybe even more, if all, reform voters went back to 2019 voting patterns, it could even be 100 seats, but the it is a big change to the electoral landscape with the conservatives now predicted in in now more than a couple, at least a couple of, recent mrp polls to get less than 100 seats. that's a number that we have. and another pollsters seeing similar pollsters are seeing similar numbers at the moment. so it is, it is a potential political earthquake that is on its way as all disenchanted

all these disenchanted conservative voters are choosing not to the not to vote for the conservatives as the polls tell us at the moment. >> and this may well be why this war of words is very much, heating up at the moment. this may be become more and more and more, hot, but lee anderson, for example, okay, lee anderson is now a reform party mp. he took a journey from labour to the conservatives, then to the reform party . how many people reform party. how many people out in the country have followed that same journey, or seem like they may well be on that same journey? i think there's quite a large section of society . large section of society. >> i don't have a number for the triple jump. that's an interesting one. but i do have, a number just working out a number of just working out this for every 100 this morning for every 100 voters supporters all voters who of supporters of all parties in 2019, eight are actually conservative voters who have moved to reform, so that's 8% of the entire population is a conservative to reform switcher and no doubt, many of those are likely, anderson, and perhaps started off with, with labour

and came to the conservatives under boris johnson to get brexit done, so, i mean , those brexit done, so, i mean, those are i'd say that's probably the protest vote. people who are worried that the conservatives under sunak under rishi sunak are conservatives name only, and conservatives in name only, and they're not giving them the sort of that they're looking they're not giving them the sort of and that they're looking they're not giving them the sort of and sothat they're looking they're not giving them the sort of and so they, hey're looking they're not giving them the sort of and so they, it y're looking they're not giving them the sort of and so they, it looksyoking they're not giving them the sort of and so they, it looks like,; for. and so they, it looks like, frankly, are possibly cross frankly, they are possibly cross enough that they are not thinking through how the first past the post electoral system works, because what they are doing by supporting reform, ultimately, is taking seats away from the conservatives and giving them to the lib dems and to keir starmers labour party. the making the conservatives will be making that now that point. i think between now and day, desperately and polling day, desperately trying to encourage people to think about the tactical situation and suggest that the conservative, how conservative, fascinating how this the other two fascinating how it's all stepping up suddenly we're seeing a lot more detail about some of these reform candidates . reform party candidates. >> get that a little >> we'll get to that a little bit later. but also, does bit later. but also, it does seem polls seem that amongst some polls amongst amongst working amongst men and amongst working class voters, those are the c to d to get technical of a

demographic breakdown, amongst those two groups in some polls, reform is now ahead of the conservative party. well, thank you very much, martin. >> really appreciate your time . >> really appreciate your time. your line was a little bit dodgy there, it was great get there, but it was great to get your martin baxter, there, but it was great to get youfounder martin baxter, there, but it was great to get you founder ofmartin baxter, there, but it was great to get you founder of politicalaxter, the founder of political consultancy calculus . consultancy electoral calculus. yes, the reform party are very much going be under more and much going to be under more and more scrutiny as that election approaches. and they're putting approaches. and they're putting a pressure on the a lot of pressure on the conservative i don't conservative party. i don't think were think the conservatives were expecting them to be polling in the 15, 16, 14% much higher. i imagine , than they were expecting. >> yes. although as we were just discussing whether that will turn,i discussing whether that will turn, i mean, polling third place nationally huge, i mean, that's that's more people voting for reform or saying they will than than the lib dems or the snp or the greens any other snp or the greens or any other minor party. but currently that doesn't a single doesn't translate into a single seat because it's geographically spread out. it's not concentrated in small areas. >> it's not a great look, is it, though? all this fighting on social media between, the

leaders and the party chairman's and the mps in a bit of decorum, and the mps in a bit of decorum, a little bit, yes. we need a bit more decorum, perhaps. or would you like a scrap? a little you like a scrap? like a little political scrap? anyway personal cannabis. speaking of a scrap, personal cannabis use is officially legal for adults in germany . will this blaze the .way germany. will this blaze the .way for new drug laws in the uk ? see for new drug laws in the uk? see what we did there? we'll get to that after your headlines. >> tom, emily, thanks very much. 1231 the headlines this half houn 1231 the headlines this half hour. scotland's minister for communities has suggested that some people could be investing for misgendering someone online under a new hate crime law, which is now in force. that legislation makes it a crime to stir up hatred against people with protected characteristic , with protected characteristic, including disability, age, sexual orientation or people who are transgender. but some police forces have raised concerns that the law could be weaponised by

fringe activists to target political opponents . new political opponents. new estimates suggest more than 250 patients may have died needlessly every week in 2023. that's due to long waits in england's hospitals, a report by the royal college of emergency medicines revealed more than 1.5 million patients waited in a&e departments for longer than 12 hours last year. it found the risk of death started to increase after a five hour wait and became worse with longer delays . the department for delays. the department for health, though, says it has added thousands of hospital beds and insists it is making progress on waiting times . progress on waiting times. labour has criticised the government's free childcare policy in england, claiming that ministers have made a pledge without a plan. from today, eligible parents and carers of two year olds will be entitled to 15 hours a week of free childcare, but some nurseries say that the funding is not enough to meet the demand on their waiting lists or to cover their waiting lists or to cover their increasing staff costs,

and energy bills are due to fall to their lowest rate in two years after the regulator , years after the regulator, ofgem, cut its price cap by 12.3. it means the average household for bill gas and electricity will fall by around £238 over the course of a year , £238 over the course of a year, or around £20 a month . for the or around £20 a month. for the latest stories, you can sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the code on your screen, or go to gbnews.com/alerts. it's .

>> good afternoon. britain. it's 12:36, and you have been getting in touch . and i did say that in touch. and i did say that we'd come to these because, my goodness, we've had a lot. >> yes, lots of people are concerned about this legislation. would seem,

legislation. it would seem, daryl says this and more daryl says all this and more going on that needs immediate action. and we see where government priorities lie. more legislation to prosecute people who upset . woke snowflakes, who are upset. woke snowflakes, daryl says, by daring to have an opinion and airing it. what has happened to her? our country, he asks. >> and joan says, i am scottish and i think this bill should be stopped by westminster. they need to step in, but i'm afraid, joan, it's a little bit too late for that. this bill is now an act, and you might have heard of the section 35 orders. that's what happens when westminster stops a piece of legislation, because they think it can counteract it with union policy in other ways. it happened actually, over the over the gender recognition bill in scotland. that's the only time it was used. but that can only be used before a piece of legislation gets royal assent before the king signs it off. and sadly , well, sadly, by your and sadly, well, sadly, by your standards, probably by other

people's standards, they might be delighted. but this, this is now an act that has achieved royal assent. too late. joan this is scotland 2024. >> nick says these new scottish hate laws are deeply flawed. prosecution does not depend on fact but on someone's opinion. as with most things, everyone has different perspective on has a different perspective on the issues. whose opinion is correct? yes. do you really want your police officer your local police officer deciding ? it's just ridiculous. deciding? it's just ridiculous. >> actually, in scotland it won't be your local police officer because of course all of the forces got the local police forces got centralised by the snp government. so there's only one police it will be police scotland. so it will be a central police officer. >> i think we will see two tier policing with this legislation is totally unworkable in my view. isn't just us view. and this isn't just us saying it, it's experts saying it. although be it. although we will be president of the association for police scotland of police scotland in favour of this legislation as well, to get the view as to why this is also very necessary. >> richard says here's >> but richard says here's a hate crime for you. i dislike the snp and i don't live in scotland. feel free to let them know. well richard, afraid know. well richard, i'm afraid that the act that probably breaches the act

because it protects religion, and course people who adhere and of course people who adhere to the snp sometimes do behave a little bit like i shouldn't laugh. >> this is chilling, andy, to finish, he says. so humza useless. yes. on very good play on his words. has officially made it a crime to offend someone or perceived to offend someone. the official end of free speech says well there free speech andy says well there you go. keep your views coming in. >> lots and lots of views . if >> lots and lots of views. if you do approve. >> if you do approve of this legislation, do get in legislation, please do get in touch as well. yeah. if any of you out maybe , maybe you are out there, maybe, maybe we shouldn't as unfettered we shouldn't have as unfettered free we have free speech as we have previously enjoyed in this country, but on another issue of perhaps even free speech, perhaps even free speech, perhaps this ties in, and perhaps this ties in, and perhaps it does show that there are boundaries sometimes in these areas . are swastikas ever acceptable? >> it's not a question you probably ever thought you would have to ask, but met police officer policing a pro—palestine protest over the weekend was filmed telling a jewish woman

that using the symbol could be acceptable when taken into context. so let's have a listen to walk with me, because i can point these people out to you. >> and again, i was told when i asked that a swastika was not necessarily anti—semitic or disruptive to public order. >> seem right to me. >> everything needs to be taken in context, doesn't it? >> but it's a context of why. why does it ? why does the why does it? why does the swastika need context? israel. >> what exactly are you confused about? >> what i'm confused is how you don't. in what context? a swastika is not anti—semitic. this to know this is what i want to know because suppose to some this is what i want to know bdon'te suppose to some this is what i want to know bdon't know suppose to some this is what i want to know bdon't know how;uppose to some this is what i want to know bdon't know how everybody some this is what i want to know bdon't know how everybody would i don't know how everybody would feel about that sign that happened. >> i cannot i'm here working for the branch commander, and it is not my responsibility. unfortunately my role to walk down the road fairly extraordinary conversations now. >> we haven't seen the full context of that conversation and of course, context is everything. it doesn't look good. now, joining us is the director of investigations and

enforcement at the campaign against anti—semitism, stephen silverman, stephen, how concerned are you when you sort of hear those conversations that images of swastikas on these marches must be taken in context ? >> 7- >> good ? >> good afternoon. >> good afternoon. >> tom. >> tom. >> emily, this raises two extraordinarily concerning issues. the first is that if we have police officers on our streets who are unable to say unequivocally that that the symbol that is synonymous with the extent to exterminate the entire european jewish population by the nazis, if they cannot say that is unequivocally anti—semitic. >> we are in very , very serious >> we are in very, very serious trouble. the second issue that it raises is that we now have policing by context. we appear to have abandoned on the spot policing . we were told that a policing. we were told that a genocidal chant that we have been gaslit about time and time

again , we have been told that again, we have been told that that chant in some contexts is acceptable. we have been told that there is a context in which calling for violent jihad on the streets of our capital is acceptable. it depends on the context . and now we have been context. and now we have been told that the symbol that is associated with the discrimination, the murder, the herding onto trains and the gassing of millions of jews is possibly not anti—semitic, depending on context. how on earth have we arrived here? >> well, stephen, watching that clip , it >> well, stephen, watching that clip, it seems to >> well, stephen, watching that clip , it seems to me >> well, stephen, watching that clip, it seems to me that this police officer is just completely out of his depth . completely out of his depth. he's been caught up in this conversation while he seems to be having a coffee break. if i'm very generous to the police officer, of course we don't have the full length video here. it's a short clip of this exchange.

completely out of his depth, perhaps a little lazy and not sure what the law is. that's what it seems to me . what it seems to me. >> i mean, i think you're right. he does appear to be out of his depth. but i would say to that that there is one thing that that if there is one thing that people in this country understand, it's the swastika . understand, it's the swastika. yeah, there are heaven knows how many hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of children and grandchildren of british soldiers who died fighting that symbol. and for an officer of the metropolitan police not to be able to stand there and call out the swastika for what it is, it's completely unacceptable. now, we don't know if this is ignorance or if he's been put between a rock and a hard place because of the policing by contact strategy that has been set out by the commissioner of the metropolitan police, mark rowley, either way, we're heading down a very, very dangerous path. i think everyone

can accept that. >> seeing a swastika on one of these marches is chilling, and frankly, the worst possible taste i have seen some of these signs that use swastikas , almost signs that use swastikas, almost to compare what the jewish state is, is doing now to the actions of the nazis in the 1930s and 19405. of the nazis in the 1930s and 1940s. not so much to say that the jews should be exterminated , the jews should be exterminated, but to say that israel is acting like the nazis. now again, that is an anti—semitic trope. it's wrong, i wonder, where does wrong, but i wonder, where does the bounds of free speech? where does the boundary of free speech sit here? should people be allowed to really expose their movement for ignorance and poor taste under the law? or should they not? is this a free speech issue ? issue? >> well, look, i mean, the free speech has never been an

unqualified right, yes. everyone has freedom of expression. but the soon as that begins to impinge on other people's rights, it becomes a problem. and when it is used in order to carry out expressions of hatred of the jewish people, i'm afraid you know the rights of any minority that is being discriminated against and openly hated . they trump that that. hated. they trump that that. right. and, you know, i understand that, you know, that is different in places like the united states . but here, that is united states. but here, that is a situation . a situation. >> yeah. well, thank you very much indeed for your time. stephen silverman from the campaign anti—semitism. campaign against anti—semitism. great i do great to speak to you. i do think we just have a lot of police officers as well, are police officers as well, who are totally out of depth. totally out of their depth. they're police they're being asked to police protests highly protests that are highly political foreign political about foreign conflict. there are conflict. and i'm sure there are police officers there who simply are ignorant and don't know . are ignorant and don't know. don't know, i think what to clamp down on and what not to. >> well, stephen was saying there about the laws that we have, it does seem that they're

appued have, it does seem that they're applied and not applied for some people and not appued applied for some people and not applied might applied for others. and it might be we sort of an be easier if we had sort of an american first amendment american style first amendment where, anything where, you know, just anything goes precisely the goes all we had precisely the same application the same sort of application of the laws we have. you laws that we do have. have you seen of halfway house? seen some of the halfway house? >> seen some the >> have you seen some of the pro—palestine >> have you seen some of the pro—pwow.ne >> have you seen some of the pro—pwow. no. now those york? wow. no. now those would be some those be shut down. some of those banners a scotland yard banners anyway. a scotland yard spokesman is spokesman has said this clip is a short excerpt of what was a ten conversation with ten minute conversation with an officer . ten minute conversation with an officer. during the full conversation, the officer establishes woman, the establishes that the woman, the person was concerned about had already been arrested for a pubuc already been arrested for a public order offence in relation to a placard. the officer then offered to arrange for other officers to attend accompany officers to attend and accompany the identify any other the woman to identify any other person was concerned about person she was concerned about amongst but amongst the protesters, but after turning to to his after turning to speak to his supervisor, she had unfortunately left. interesting. >> well, coming up a certain london council could be raking in a whopping £1 million a month from low traffic neighbourhood enforcements . but is this fair enforcements. but is this fair on motorists? we'll get to that after this shocking

i >> -- >> it's 1249. you're watching and listening to. good afternoon, britain. now, low traffic neighbourhoods in london are still having a major impact on motorists. previously unseen figures show hammersmith and fulham council issued more than 340,000 340,000 penalty charge notices in less than a year. that's raked in £1 million a month from motorists. now this is a london council, but similar things are happening across the country. well let's get the thoughts now of motoring journalist quentin wilson on this. >> quentin, i suppose on the one hand these are changing the road layouts for people. these are making journeys longer , more,

making journeys longer, more, tncky making journeys longer, more, tricky to navigate and people are clearly being tripped up by it. on the other hand, when these are implemented, local residents tend to quite like them . them. >> so what worries me about ltns 7 >> so what worries me about ltns ? and look, the ambition for cleaner air in our towns and cities is great, and i completely applaud that, as you know. but but it's being sort of the councils are kind of weaponizing it and monetising it. and this isn't right. weaponizing it and monetising it. and this isn't right . and we it. and this isn't right. and we need to take the public with us on this and make environmentalism and cleaner air in our towns and cities a good thing. but like ulez and like, uxbridge, it's become weaponized. it's become anathema to people who drive cars. so this has been badly, badly handled. and when i see, people who are running these schemes, there was one london borough where the person who's responsible for this has a degree in sports education. i want science applied to this. we also know that there's an

investigation into the people that are kind of giving us the evidence that these things work , evidence that these things work, and they're connected to contracts within those ltn schemes. and mark harper, the transport secretary, is quite rightly said, we need to look at this very carefully. so this gets clean air in our cities, a bad rap and that i think is the biggest tragedy of all. >> it's interesting you highlight that there may well be vested interests. know there vested interests. i know there are of cycle cycling are lots of cycle cycling activists within local councils in london and elsewhere, but this is just a cash cow , isn't this is just a cash cow, isn't it? i mean, £1 million in fines from low , low traffic from low, low traffic neighbourhoods. and tom says, oh, the residents like it. yes. the residents who are now living on a very quiet road with no motorists going to love it. on a very quiet road with no moteveryone going to love it. on a very quiet road with no mot everyone elseg to love it. on a very quiet road with no mot everyone else who love it. on a very quiet road with no moteveryone else who has it. on a very quiet road with no mot everyone else who has to but everyone else who has to travel through the who travel through the area, who doesn't live on that doesn't necessarily live on that nice, quiet road now, they're not to like are they? not going to like it, are they? it's nightmare people. >> this figure is really scandalous and i think we need to look at it very, very hard

because it's doing nobody any, any, any service at all apart from council coffers. and as soon as people that this is soon as people see that this is naked profiteering, then they are going to lose faith in in all this. and let's have transparency. let's find out where that money goes and let's reduce the cost for people. and look here, emily, i think we call them not motorists because this makes them sound like a privileged group. we call them drivers because there 40 drivers because there are 40 million and that's two million of them. and that's two thirds of the electorate. that's a i think it's a distinction. i think it's really, really important to make. ulez is make. so this like ulez is really doing clean air and environmentalism a bad service. and we need to look at this and, and study it. does it work? does it bring the benefits claimed . it bring the benefits claimed. and again, like the research coming out of tfl about about ulez, you know, it can't be peer reviewed . it isn't peer reviewed reviewed. it isn't peer reviewed at the moment. >> isn't this just an adjustment cost? people will obviously be tripped up as the road layout has changed, but it'll just take time. people will get used to

the new road layout and frankly, they'll streets where kids they'll be streets where kids can run around and play as they used before . the motorcar used to do before. the motorcar sort of came through every city in land is gone. in the land is gone. >> they've had to axe one already in hackney or somewhere like that because it was causing so problems. isn't that so many problems. isn't that right, ? right, quentin? >> campaign. >> campaign. >> right. >> that's right. >> quentin. >> quentin. >> but but is a delay to the >> but but but is a delay to the bus route. >> we need to look at this >> but we need to look at this in a scientific way, and look, i take point there are take the point that there are some it has some areas where it has benefited residents love it. benefited and residents love it. and that's great, need to and that's great, but we need to include in this clean include everybody in this clean air debate, not just the people who in the leafy suburbs of who live in the leafy suburbs of hammersmith. it's the people on the as well. the big the main roads as well. the big question do ltns work and if they do, how we can implement them without this divisive, apparently money making scheme behind it. and that's a really important message we've got to get across to consumers. >> well, thank you very much indeed. quentin wilson, who is, of course, a motoring

journalist. i mean, i mean, you're going to need a lot of money for cycle lanes, aren't you? that one in bradford we were about weeks were talking about a few weeks ago, it? ago, how much was it? >> expensive. millions and millions like mile. >> a mile and a bit. anyway, coming up, protests erupt in edinburgh. they are due to at this all over, scotland's new this is all over, scotland's new hate crime law. we'll be speaking proponent who speaking to a proponent who supports says will supports the bill says it will protect citizens. afternoon protect citizens. good afternoon britain gb news. britain on gb news. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb news. >> hello there. welcome to your latest gb news, weather. it's a mixed picture out there and over the next few days it remains very similar. unsettled. further spells will be spells of rain but there will be some sunshine at times. some warm sunshine at times. looking at the pressure pattern . looking at the pressure pattern. low pressure systems moving in from the atlantic bringing spells rain, some stronger spells of rain, some stronger winds, particularly later on in the week . but there will be some the week. but there will be some sunny spells in between, which was seen across parts

was what we've seen across parts of and wales today. was what we've seen across parts of showersi wales today. was what we've seen across parts of showers should today. was what we've seen across parts of showers should slowly fade these showers should slowly fade away, however, we see away, however, we will see further rain across further spells of rain across parts scotland into northern parts of scotland into northern england, particularly in the east. this heavy at east. some of this heavy at times in between there will be some clear spells and this will allow temperatures dip down allow temperatures to dip down into figures . so into low single figures. so perhaps a touch of light frost in the countryside for1 or 2 of in the countryside for 1 or 2 of us. but for most it's a cloudy start to tuesday. further showers in places this rain across eastern scotland remains here for much of the little here for much of the day. little brighter across the far north. some sunny spells developing across much of the uk as we move through into the afternoon, but a scattering of showers towards the band the southwest. this band of cloud rain will push in and cloud and rain will push in and temperatures overall reaching the mid—teens in the south. still chilly across scotland, 7 or 8 degrees. taking a look at wednesday, the next area of low pressure moves in showery outbreaks of rain pushing north and eastwards across the country. some of this heavy, at times blustery around the coasts, followed sunshine coasts, followed by sunshine and showers and it remains unsettled through the rest of the week.

further rain times, but in further rain at times, but in any sunshine, temperatures lifting . lifting. >> that warm feeling inside and from boxt boilers sponsors of weather on

gb news. >> good afternoon. britain. it's 1:00 on monday, the 1st of april protests in edinburgh are due to start in the next half an hour. >> as scotland's new hate crime law comes into force today, april fools day. it comes as some warn the new legislation could be weaponised by fringe activists and have a chilling effect on free speech. >> and germany, their legalising the recreational use of cannabis today. so we're asking should the uk follow suit? we'll be debating that very soon and the search continues. >> for a disabled boy's stolen

specialised van, the specially modified vehicle , which was modified vehicle, which was taken on tuesday, is essential for the care of the 13 year old. we'll be joined by his mother. cannabis should we legalise it? that's the debate we'll be hosting in around 20 minutes time. why? because today that's what germany's done. >> yes, a controversial move. i think the strongest argument to follow germany in the uk is that it seems to be already decriminalised . i mean, so you decriminalised. i mean, so you might as well tax it. walking around some parts of the country, particularly urban areas, it's all you can smell . areas, it's all you can smell. it's all you can smell. some bloke cycling down my road bloke was cycling down my road the other day with a massive, you know, stinking of the stuff. >> for me, the strongest argument legalise it is it argument to legalise it is it would annoy a lot of people who

currently. no, sorry. let me get this right. it would delight people . okay. currently there's people. okay. currently there's a group of people in the country who say you should never break international law. and they get very very angry when very they get very angry when people sort of say, oh, this might be breaching international law. well, there is an international law forbidding the legalisation drugs like legalisation of drugs like cannabis. it was the treaty signed in 1961 by just about every country. the single, the single convention on narcotic drugs now the same people that sort of boo and hiss about rwanda necessarily perhaps breaking international law are cheering germany for breaking international law on this. i think it's a remarkable inconsistency. inconsistency fun. >> who would have thought? i'm not sure about this. i don't think it's i don't think it's probably the right move here, but i'm open to arguments. i'm open to it. lots of say , open to it. lots of people say, you know, it would bring in lots of tax money. >> this comes up on >> whenever this comes up on gb news, surprised news, i'm actually surprised by the diversity of the quality and diversity of views in the inbox. lots of

strong on either side strong opinions on either side of the debate here. gb views at gb we'll be getting to gb news.com. we'll be getting to those. and debate after those. and that debate after your sam . your headlines with sam. >> tom. emily, thanks very much and very good afternoon from the newsroom. it'sjust and very good afternoon from the newsroom. it's just gone 1:00 leading the news today. new laws in scotland to tackle hate crime have come into effect , which have come into effect, which campaigners say could threaten free speech. those laws bring together existing legislation, making it a crime to stir up hatred against people with protected character . six that protected character. six that includes disability, age, sexual orientation or people who are transgender. but some police forces are concerned that deaung forces are concerned that dealing with complaints could become a distraction for officers. the scottish conservatives say resources should be directed towards front line policing. well we asked people on the streets of edinburgh what they think about those new laws. >> you're going to be going out and encouraging snitches and

people to go and speak up about about people having , you about people who's having, you know, private know, having a private conversation. know, the keys conversation. you know, the keys in the word private. >> the police themselves have said that they are going, only going to respond where complaints and complaints have been raised. and our concern was there our concern was be that there are campaign there are campaign groups out there that be looking to raise that would be looking to raise complaints in to silence complaints in order to silence people they don't like. people that they don't like. >> of the >> that interpretation of the hate now could be hate crime speech now could be used very much against us, and it's a recipe for disaster. >> the head of the nurses union has accused the government of. she says , packing hospital she says, packing hospital corridors with patients and that the quality of care is not only undignified but fatally unsafe. it comes as new estimates have suggested more than 250 patients a week in england may have died needlessly last year because of long waits for a hospital bed, a report by the royal college of emergency medicine has revealed. more than 1.5 million patients waited in emergency departments for longer than 12 hours last yeah for longer than 12 hours last year. the department for health,

though , says it has added though, says it has added thousands of hospital beds and insists it is making progress on waiting times . more than 5400 waiting times. more than 5400 migrants have been intercepted illegally crossing the english channelin illegally crossing the english channel in small boats during the first three months of this yeah the first three months of this year. that's a record figure for that quarter, up 43% compared to the same time last year. official figures from the home office that 442 people made office show that 442 people made the crossing in nine small boats just yesterday. that's despite difficult weather conditions, with lifeboats scrambling to assist some of those arriving. today's strong winds, though, have now made that journey completely impassable . plans to completely impassable. plans to find rough sleepers are provoking outrage, with more than 40 conservative mps said to be preparing to rebel. the new criminal justice bill would allow police to fine or to move on so—called nuisance rough sleepers. it was intended to replace the vagrancy act from 1824, which currently criminalises both rough sleeping

and begging. but reports suggest the new bill has been paused while ministers negotiate with mps who are concerned about the consequences of issuing fines to homeless people . the plans were homeless people. the plans were introduced originally by the former home secretary, suella braverman, who branded rough sleeping as a lifestyle choice. some households will feel the effects of a cash boost from today as new economic policies come into effect. the national living wage is increasing to £11.44, giving a pay rise to around 3 million of britain's lowest paid workers . small lowest paid workers. small businesses will also benefit from a raised vat threshold and fully funded apprenticeships for young people. business minister kevin hollinrake told gb news this morning that economic conditions are improving well in the sun. >> it's been difficult but things are improving. we see the economy turning a corner this year. economy turning a corner this year . we'll see interest rates year. we'll see interest rates dropping, dropping, dropping, taxes dropping, of course, nine £0 a year for the average person in terms of tax reductions with the national

insurance cuts. so all those things are all good news for people. of course there's more to do, but things really are turning and energy turning a corner and energy bills are due to fall to their lowest rate in two years after the regulator, ofgem, cut its price cap by 12.3. >> it means the average household bill for gas and electricity will fall by around £238 over the course of a year. that's about £20 a month. however, around 10 million households are also being urged to submit metre readings to avoid possible overpayments . and avoid possible overpayments. and finally, before we head back to tom and emily, a pink dress once worn by marilyn monroe has sold for a record setting price. the long sleeved silk jersey frock was owned and worn by the world's most famous film star, and it sold for just world's most famous film star, and it sold forjust under and it sold for just under £300,000 by auction house julien's in los angeles. there was also a smoking jacket and slippers worn by playboy founder hugh hefner, which went under the hammer for more than £10,000. and for the person who

truly has everything, there was a chance to pick up a crypt near both of those iconic stars. the price ? well, it was just under price? well, it was just under £155,000. that's the latest from the newsroom. you can sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the code on your screen, or go to gb news. slash alerts. news. com slash alerts. now though, tom and . emily. >> good afternoon britain. it is 108 now. controversial new hate crime laws have come into force in scotland today. the aim is to tackle the harm caused by hatred and prejudice towards characteristics such as age, disability, religion , sexual disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity and being intersex and not females . and no, not females. >> that was that was the whole list. age, disability , religion, list. age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity, being in sex. that's

it. so lots of protected characteristics, but not including women . including women. >> well, not that i think that women need more protection in this way, but it's worth noting, but yes, opponents , including but yes, opponents, including pubuc but yes, opponents, including public figures such as j.k. rowling, elon musk, have been very vocal in their criticism of the law, saying that they could be used to stifle free speech and weaponize to settle scores, particularly online. >> but shall we get some of the details now? joining us is former snp councillor austin shendan former snp councillor austin sheridan austin. now why did the scottish government bring forward this bill. is there a particular problem with hateful conduct in scotland ? conduct in scotland? >> i don't just have a problem with hateful conduct in scotland . it is a particular problem with it. across several parts of the united kingdom and indeed, across world. i feel like, across the world. i feel like, you know, a very recent example. if you look at the, the conflict that's happening in the middle

east, and then we look at people, you know, for example, jewish people and muslim people being targeted and so on, that we can see that as a rise in hatred and people are feeling , hatred and people are feeling, you know, unsafe at particular times. and i think it's important that our legislators, respond to that , and create laws respond to that, and create laws in order to , to, to protect in order to, to, to protect everybody and our society. i think the problem i've had with this is that there's been a lot of misconceptions. about what? about what the bill means. of misconceptions. about what? about what the bill means . and about what the bill means. and people, right to question people, have a right to question and and have the and legislate and have the freedom of speech to do so. but there's a difference between freedom of speech and having an having this perceived freedom to spread hatred , which obviously, spread hatred, which obviously, you know, shouldn't be the case. >> but austin, why aren't the snp listening to the likes of the of the association the president of the association of mean, he's of police scotland? i mean, he's warned that the police will be caughtin warned that the police will be caught in the middle. they'll all those lodging complaints, you know, if the police conclude

the legal threshold for a prosecution isn't high enough , prosecution isn't high enough, then those people will go off to then those people will go off to the police and complain. they're saying that they won't have the time or the resources chase time or the resources to chase after every complaint they after every complaint that they will law , look into will have to, by law, look into they're talking about how this will be used online in to score points. it'll be weaponized by some fringe activists . i mean, some fringe activists. i mean, there are a lot of practical issues towards this . and then issues towards this. and then lawyers coming out and saying that essentially this means scotland might have to police the world, if the world, because if something's in scotland, it something's read in scotland, it is considered published in scotland . i mean, there are so scotland. i mean, there are so many issues with this legislation in terms of the practicality we. >> well, of course, there could always be people that could try and abuse any legislation. you know, that, you know, that's in place, whether new place, whether it's new legislation or existing legislation. police legislation. however, the police and, are well—trained and, you know, are well—trained and, you know, are well—trained and well—equipped. and i've got faith and our faith and, you know, and our christian justice system christian and justice system that and, you that they will be able and, you know, to to take carry this out efficiently. have to

efficiently. but we also have to remember that this bill has been passed with cross—party support. the only party that hasn't supported this is the scottish conservatives . so the snp, the conservatives. so the snp, the labour party, green labour party, the green party and democrats , have and the liberal democrats, have all backed this legislation in scotland's parliament, it's been it's this has been in the making for three years. so it's not the case of that anything has been rushed parliament, this rushed through parliament, this has has been has been something that has been carefully considered, you're right to bring up that many different parties backed this and people , perhaps in other and people, perhaps in other parts of the united kingdom, might look to some of those parties and think is another is a similar of this a similar version of this legislation other legislation coming to other constituent the uk. constituent countries of the uk. but just finally, is it not the case that under the terms of this act, as it is now an act of , of the scottish parliament, if ihear , of the scottish parliament, if i hear something that i think is offensive towards me . i will be offensive towards me. i will be able to say the police have to investigate this, whether or not any reasonable or objective

person that it was person would think that it was a hateful thing. everything now has by the has to be investigated by the police . police. >> so any complaint to the police? the police would look into it. you can't make a complaint to the police and are going to say, oh no, you know, we're not going to ask any questions. depends on it questions. it depends on it depends nature of depends on, on on the nature of what's been said. but absolutely, something that absolutely, after something that has you know, that is has been said, you know, that is deemed offensive , then of deemed to be offensive, then of course, if you make a complaint to the police, then the police will take the reasonable measures to, you to ensure measures to, you know, to ensure that the law hasn't been broken. it's like, for example , it's a bit like, for example, you know, if you witness somebody assaulted the somebody being assaulted in the street, you know, the person that's been assaulted may not report that but you report that train, but if you witness then witness that and you're then contacted the contacted at, you know, the police and to report that you've witnessed. >> oh, sorry, austin, but offence the is get offence is the offence is to get that austin has got to that austin offence has got to be the price we pay for freedom. i mean, this is ludi , chris, but i mean, this is ludi, chris, but thank you very much for putting up strong defence of this up a strong defence of this legislation. austin sheridan, former councillor. it's legislation. austin sheridan, former councillor . it's not former snp councillor. it's not it's not up to the government to

make no one's offended and make sure no one's offended and it's crazy. >> and yet emily, here's perhaps a parallel situation because this is an edge case when it comes to free speech. something that happened in london over the weekend and a swastikas ever acceptable . a metropolitan acceptable. a metropolitan police officer policing a pro—palestine protest over the weekend was filmed telling a jewish woman that using the symbol the swastika could be acceptable when taken into context. let's take a listen. you like to walk with me because i can point these people out to you. >> and again, i was told when i asked that a swastika was not necessarily or necessarily anti—semitic or disruptive order. necessarily anti—semitic or dis|that'e order. necessarily anti—semitic or dis|that doesn't order. to me. >> everything needs taken >> everything needs to be taken in context, doesn't it? >> but it's a context of why. why does it? why does the swastika need context? >> what exactly are you confused about? what i confuse is how you don't. >> in what context? a swastika is not anti—semitic . this is is not anti—semitic. this is what i want to know. because again, suppose some i don't again, i suppose to some i don't

know how everybody would feel about that sign that that has happened. >> i cannot i'm here working for the branch commander, and it is not my responsibility. >> unfortunately , my role to >> unfortunately, my role to walk down the road concerning footage there, although we must say this is just a short clip of what the police have gone on to say was a ten minute conversation. >> but let's get some details now on what the police should be doing or should not be doing, how they should be interacting with people on protests like this. joining is former this. joining us is the former met detective met police detective superintendent shabnam chaudhri. thank much for making the thank you so much for making the time for us this afternoon. do you think that the police officer this in this officer in this case, in this video, was acting inappropriately? >> actually, i give credit to the police officer in that particular situation. >> i think in fairness to him, he was given a briefing in terms of where he could and where he couldn't be posted. so he was trying to comply with that. if it had left that location, then he placed other

he would have placed other officers public at risk. he would have placed other ofthere public at risk. he would have placed other ofthere had public at risk. he would have placed other ofthere had been3lic at risk. he would have placed other ofthere had been some risk. he would have placed other ofthere had been some form of a if there had been some form of a situation. however, he did try very hard to establish exactly what the situation was . credit what the situation was. credit where credit is due. he didn't actually understand the detail on swastikas and so on, and he did actually explain that to her and said that he wasn't an expert in that matter . and said that he wasn't an expert in that matter. he and said that he wasn't an expert in that matter . he also expert in that matter. he also tried to explain the legislation to her and as i understand it, it was in fact a ten minute clip. and he did actually establish for that woman that the person had been the person concerned had been arrested, in fact, with a placard, whether it was that placard, whether it was that placard or not, i don't know. but the other thing i'd say about police officers when they're, at these protest sites is they're not actually experts in, you know, speaking to the pubucin in, you know, speaking to the public in that respect, when it comes to almost like a media type interview, they're not spokespersons for the met. i think perhaps they could have done a couple of things differently. and that is perhaps call to say, call up his supervisors to say, look, situation look, we've got this situation here. can you please advise? havei here. can you please advise?

have i got this wrong? i'm trying to comply with the legislation. but actually he wasn't witness to what wasn't even a witness to what the woman was talking about. so she was merely asking him she was just merely asking him a question that i mean, she was frustrated about. >> does from the >> now, it does look from the clip is , well, either clip that he is, well, either completely unaware and out of his depth at what the swat sticker represents, particularly in this context, we talk about policing in context or by context . clearly, when it's context. clearly, when it's a israel versus palestine protest, if we can reduce it to that , of if we can reduce it to that, of course, it's far more complex, but he seems totally out of his depth . are the police being depth. are the police being asked to too or are the asked to do too much, or are the police simply being asked to do too much, or are the police enough)ly being asked to do too much, or are the police enough to being asked to do too much, or are the police enough to manageg asked to do too much, or are the police enough to manage these trained enough to manage these type deeply type of protests that are deeply controversial ? controversial? >> i think the police are getting better at it, but i think one of the issues here is that there is a lack of training for majority these for officers. majority of these officers frontline , officers come from frontline, whether it's your borough training, whether they're neighbourhood officers , whether neighbourhood officers, whether they're recruits. some of these officers trained officers are newly trained

recruits are out onto recruits are coming out onto these never these protests that have never necessarily policed those protests. there definitely needs to training around to be some more training around it, but i don't think you're ever going to get complete ever going to get a complete package from an officer who understands everything about every type of faith, what can and can't be done. these officers . and just listening to officers. and just listening to him, he clear instructions him, he had clear instructions around either the arresting of individuals , what they can and individuals, what they can and what they can't do. they have to consider the wider implications to them if they are, you know, undertake a number of arrests because then what that does, it actually leaves those protests short of police officers and resources front line, on resources on the front line, on the ground level there. >> well, shabnam chowdhury, former detective superintendent at the metropolitan police, really your time really thank you for your time on this issue. just, looking

i >> -- >> good afternoon. britain. it's 1:21, and we're looking now at a picture of some cannabis. we are. why? well smoking cannabis is now legal for over 18 in germany. as of today . that's as germany. as of today. that's as new laws around personal possession of the substance come into effect. >> well, adults can now officially carry up to 25g of dned officially carry up to 25g of dried marijuana , and they can dried marijuana, and they can grow up to three plants at home. >> yeah. well, it's, i suppose it's encouraging horticultural skills, if nothing else but the pros and cons of decriminalising drugs is an age old conversation . many arguments for and against. we're going to be debating this topic in just a few moments time. should the united kingdom follow germany's lead? >> now, i would instinctively say absolutely not. there's enough cannabis about as it is. you can barely walk down a

street these days without smelling it, and it is the most awful smell for those of us who don't indulge . don't indulge. >> that's a wonderful point to show that prohibition has failed well, in the united kingdom we might as well legalise it. >> but making personal, i guess the problem is, is that there will always be stronger married . will always be stronger married. gonna always be stronger, perhaps more dangerous products, marijuana products that will be on the black market. so i'm not sure if it will end criminality. >> but emily ian has written in to say cannabis should be legalised. it's no worse than alcohol . we should be making alcohol. we should be making cash by taxing it well, lorraine says, absolutely not. >> i went to new york where it's legal and the whole place just stank of it. yes, i've heard this too. every i walked this too. every street i walked down, hit with vile down, you were hit with the vile smell of it. it can make some of us feel a little nauseous. actually >> yes. and paul agrees. says my. when my windows open. well, paul,

my. when my windows open. well, paul , your my. when my windows open. well, paul, your neighbour, seems to be doing something illegal there. >> yes, actually, yes a moment. would that be a. oh, gosh, there's that bill that went through about how if you're a disruptive neighbour. >> oh, yes. >> oh, yes. >> and i think that sort of thing might come under it. >> it might. but then again, there could be legal reasons. of course. medical cannabis is growing and growing, if you'll pardon the pun , and of course, pardon the pun, and of course, the united kingdom is actually a large exporter of legal medical medical cannabis , along with medical cannabis, along with countries like canada. >> this is what i'm worried about. phil saying cannabis taken causes taken by young people causes brain problems and brain and thinking problems and addiction often used as a gateway think is gateway drug. i think there is some truth to that. not in all cases, of course, but in some it very much will be the first drug someone and then may someone uses, and then they may follow path a stronger follow a path to a stronger drugs . unfortunately. drugs. unfortunately. >> would they, if they didn't get it through an illegal dealer ? if they if they didn't sort of open their world to that criminal underworld, to that black market, if it was getting

if they got it in boots, would they then to they necessarily then go on to other substances ? other illegal substances? perhaps not. >> well, let us know what you think about it. it's clear there are very much two sides to this debate, taken debate, and germany has taken this bold move. not the first. no, not first to. no, not the first to. >> but maybe not the last. >> but but maybe not the last. well, let's debate this. now. joining us is the consultant neurologist and medical cannabis expert, professor mike barnes, who feels the uk should follow germany and legalise cannabis, and the journalist and author peter hitchens , who says that we peter hitchens, who says that we should certainly not. peter hitchens, let's start with you. why not? >> why not? well, there are many reasons , but the most obvious reasons, but the most obvious one available to us now is the growing correlation between the use of marijuana and mental illness in its users. there is also a correlation observable, and i stress their correlations because that's what they are. but i don't think that many people can really resist the suggestion that they may be

connected , the other correlation connected, the other correlation is between violent crime and the use of marijuana. an increasing number of seriously violent crimes turn out to have been to , crimes turn out to have been to, to have been committed by people who have been long time marijuana users. it's a very serious and growing problem , and serious and growing problem, and one in which the authorities, for one reason or another, are completely uninterested. that's partly because since 1971, they've been engaged in a de facto slow motion decriminalisation of marijuana in this country, technically possession of marijuana in this country carries a five year prison sentence and an unlimited fine, which is quite, quite a serious crime on any book. but these laws simply are not enforced. the police have decided enforce them, decided not not to enforce them, and the courts have decided not to enforce them. and this has been on so long been going on now for so long that walked to this studio that as i walked to this studio from from the paddington tube station, i walk through station, i had to walk through a miasma of marijuana stench , as miasma of marijuana stench, as you do most of the time in london during the summer months.

anyway it is effectively a decriminalised drug and the effects of it growing . the effects of it are growing. the difficulty, i say, for people difficulty, as i say, for people like is there no like me, is that there is no money at in posing this money at all in in posing this as awful lot of money in the as an awful lot of money in the vast billionaire campaigns for legalising marijuana, such as the successful one in california recently, and therefore there's no money in research which might establish a link. but people such as professor sir robin murray, the leading psychiatrist, will say pretty much that the connection between marijuana use and mental illness is more or less a very good point, peter, that there could be a lot of money in legalising it . it. >> professor mike barnes is a peter says it's a danger to the individual who's taking the marijuana. but also to the pubuc marijuana. but also to the public at large . public at large. >> well, not be surprised to know i disagree with that. >> there's no doubt that cannabis can cause psychosis in vulnerable people, but that risk is very much overplayed . and as is very much overplayed. and as a recent study that showed you've got to stop 10,000 men

and 29,000 women from smoking to and 29,000 women from smoking to and prevent one episode of psychosis, that puts it into context . i'm not playing down context. i'm not playing down the fact that, yes, high thc street cannabis can cause psychosis, but the point is that there's about 3 million people in this country who use it regularly anyway, let us legalise it. let us make it safe for people to use it. we can control the quality, we can control the quality, we can control the quality, we can control the quantity, and we can make it much safer. >> i have a caveat about making it legal. >> i have to say that we do need to get medical. the medical prescription, right in the first place. there's a risk that if we, it legalise we, decriminalise it or legalise it soon and the people who it too soon and the people who needit it too soon and the people who need it for medical use, will their doctor will tell them to go and get it from the shop down the road, whereas they actually probably proper medical probably need proper medical advice. i would to see advice. so i would like to see the medical side of cannabis got right isn't right first, which it isn't in this country as yet. and then think about legalising second. >> peter, what make of >> peter, what do you make of that? currently there are 3 million people in the country

who use cannabis, and frankly, it would be safer for them if it was strains that we knew that we could control , that we could could control, that we could tax, that we could regulate. >> well, i don't know where mike barnes gets his figure on that or on earth one could or how on earth one could establish that it was so. but the problems tend to arise among two groups, particularly among the young , because the danger the young, because the danger from human from marijuana to the human brain at its greatest below brain is at its greatest below the age of 26. and anyone with much knowledge of our school system knows that it circulates freely in our schools. for from the age of about 11, i know of one particularly tragic case where the person involved began smoking marijuana at the age of 11 and his life was ruined as a result . the real problem then, result. the real problem then, among others, is in the habitual users. so there may be quite a lot of people who might have tried it once or twice, but the ones who are habitually using it are smaller and are a much smaller number, and it is among that you tend it is among them that you tend to problems. i wouldn't to find the problems. i wouldn't preach complacency. also, there's if you

there's this fantasy that if you legalise it, it can be regulated. this been regulated. now, this has been demonstrated to be untrue in all the jurisdictions where it's been it be been legalised, whether it be uruguay canada or california uruguay or canada or california or colorado. in all those cases, the legalisation has taken place there has been regulation, but there has been regulation, but the illegal market has continued to flourish alongside because of course, with regulation it becomes taxation on and the illegal market which is as, as unconstrained and by feeble policing as it was before, continues to sell free of tax at much lower prices, and therefore and therefore people continue to buy unregulated. the whole fantasy that legalisation will lead to regulation is just that. and people should stop saying it. there's quite enough experience from from places experience now from from places where it has been legalised to show that is and it show that it is false and it just simply morally for just simply morally wrong for people to make this claim. >> well, mike, if you're still there, mike, i'd like to put one of those points to you. are you worried ? well, one of the points worried? well, one of the points that keeps reoccurring from some of our viewers and listeners is the that cannabis is the worry that cannabis is a gateway other , harder drugs

gateway to other, harder drugs that can be even more damaging in of health. so a lot of in terms of health. so a lot of young people, they start by smoking marijuana with their friends, and it can escalate to much harder, more dangerous drugs. is this not giving the green it's okay green light, saying it's okay for you take drugs , no. for you to take drugs, no. >> we're giving the green light to say it's okay to take cannabis. not all drugs, and there is no evidence whatsoever . there is no evidence whatsoever. and i know peter will disagree with this, but there's no evidence whatsoever that cannabis is a gateway drug. it's a drug, and only in the a gateway drug, and only in the sense if you go to your illegal dealer, or she will try and dealer, he or she will try and sell you something else the sell you something else at the same taking cannabis does same time, taking cannabis does not to the harder not lead to the use of harder drugs , necessarily drugs, necessarily psychologically or physically . psychologically or physically. >> so that that is complete fallacy. >> i'm afraid. fallacy. >> i'm afraid . so that will not >> i'm afraid. so that will not happen. is it not addictive? >> mike? mike, is there not an addictive element, even through just habitual nature of it? just the habitual nature of it? >> yes, about 9% is the accepted figure of people who take high

thc at the moment. >> street cannabis become not addicted is the wrong word to dependent on it. that does happen and that will probably continue to happen. if it's legalised. there's no doubt about not. it's not about that. it's not. it's not something safe. something that's entirely safe. no drug, no medicine is entirely safe. so there are issues. safe. so yes, there are issues. but my point is that if you make it legal, you can do your best to control those issues and i don't know where peter got his figures from because there is no evidence that in the states or uruguay or ever that regulating it doesn't work. regulating it does work. you control the level of thc, you control the amount you can carry. of course, the big criminal gangs that still bypass that, that's that's inevitable . inevitable. >> but you can control it. you can make it safer and you can. >> and of course, we shouldn't forget the benefit to the economy. about 100,000 and economy. about 100,000 jobs and several billion pounds of income, which is not to be sneezed at in these days. >> and peter , what do you make >> and peter, what do you make of that raised of that point that mike raised that reason this can that the reason this can sometimes be a gateway drug is

people get it through illegal means. if you got it through legal means , you wouldn't then legal means, you wouldn't then be on that other be upsold on that chain of other illegal drugs. it would be much safer. >> well, i've dealt with this claim that that decriminalising cannabis will will stop it being sold illegally because it's simply is not. so i haven't got any figures because figures for the illegal sale of marijuana are, for some reason, startlingly hard to obtain. but ask the canadian government whether there is still a large illegal marijuana market in canada, and it will tell you that there is. and ask anybody in colorado or california the same thing, they'll you same thing, and they'll tell you that isn't really that there is it isn't really worth because it worth arguing about because it vanes worth arguing about because it varies how much varies depending on how much you're allowed to buy. >> some of the places that have legalised only legalised >> some of the places that have legalizamounts only legalised >> some of the places that have legalizamounts of)nly legalised >> some of the places that have legalizamounts of possession,yd small amounts of possession, others of others large amounts of possession, would possession, so that would correspond with how large the illegal market is. >> before they >> surely before they decriminalised and legalised, all were , as all these jurisdictions were, as we are completely feeble and defeatist possession defeatist about the possession of the drug. they didn't make any serious effort to deter it

for years beforehand . and any serious effort to deter it forthis years beforehand . and any serious effort to deter it forthis enormouseforehand . and any serious effort to deter it forthis enormous and hand . and any serious effort to deter it forthis enormous and highlyand so this enormous and highly prosperous and very successful illegal market flourished before legalisation and flourishes afterwards. it's a very simple to take on and people should grasp it. but the point about gateway drugs is , is rubbish. gateway drugs is, is rubbish. i've never made it. marijuana itself is such a dangerous drug that it doesn't need to be a gateway . we've been told for gateway. we've been told for decades that the bogeyman drugs have been lsd at one point and then heroin and cocaine. marijuana is very rarely kills , marijuana is very rarely kills, though it can. but its main problem is, is this association with lifelong, incurable mental illness. people's lives are permanently ruined by it at young ages . we will have to young ages. we will have to leave it there. >> on that note, peter, let me thank you so much for making your case. and mike barnes before you, we've got to get to the but thank you very the news. but thank you very much cross so much for putting your cross so passionately. coming we're much for putting your cross so passiototely. coming we're much for putting your cross so passioto be 1. coming we're much for putting your cross so passioto be live �*ning we're much for putting your cross so passioto be live in1g we're much for putting your cross so passioto be live in edinburgh'e much for putting your cross so passioto be live in edinburgh as going to be live in edinburgh as those speech those protests over free speech starts. but get your news starts. but let's get your news

headlines. >> tom, emily, thanks very much and very good afternoon to you from the newsroom. the top stories this half hour plans to find rough sleepers are provoking outrage. with more than 40 conservative mps said to be preparing to rebel, the new criminal justice bill would allow police to fine or to move on. so—called nuisance rough sleepers , as it was intended to sleepers, as it was intended to replace the vagrancy act from 1824, which currently criminalises both rough sleeping and begging. but reports suggest the new bill has been paused while ministers negotiate with mps who are concerned about the consequences of issuing fines to homeless people. the plans were introduced by the former home secretary, suella braverman, who branded rough sleeping a lifestyle choice . campaigners lifestyle choice. campaigners are gathering outside the scottish parliament in protest of new hate crime laws, which they say are a threat to free speech. the laws bring together existing legislation , making it existing legislation, making it a crime to stir up hatred

against people with protected characteristics. that includes disability , age, sexual disability, age, sexual orientation or people who are transgender. but some police forces are concerned that deaung forces are concerned that dealing with complaints could become a distraction for officers. the scottish conservatives say resources should be directed towards front line policing and. more than 250 patients a week in england may have died needlessly last year because of long waits for a hospital bed, a report by the royal college of emergency medicines revealed more than 1.5 million patients waited in a&e departments for longer than 12 hours last year, the department for health says it's added thousands of hospital beds and insists it is, though making progress on waiting times and energy bills are due to fall for their low to their lowest rate in two years after the regulator , ofgem, cut its price cap by 12.3. it means the average household bill for gas and

electricity will fall by around £238 over the course of a year , £238 over the course of a year, or about £20 a month . that's the or about £20 a month. that's the latest from the newsroom. you can sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the code on your screen, or go to our website, gbnews.com/alerts . gbnews.com/alerts. >> for a valuable legacy, your family can own, gold coins will always shine bright. >> rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news financial report . report. >> it. >> it. >> well, let's take a look at the markets this afternoon . soon the markets this afternoon. soon the markets this afternoon. soon the pound will buy you $1.2613 and ,1.1694. the price of gold is £1,782.22 per ounce, and the ftse 100 is currently at 7952 points. >> rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news

i >> right. well, it's 140 in the afternoon. you're watching and listening to good afternoon, britain, but let's return. oh, do you want to do some views? i think we should. we've got lots coming in. >> i think should, >> i think we should, just because had and lots because we've had lots and lots of into the inbox . of them coming into the inbox. and said, and this is an and ali has said, and this is an interesting didn't and ali has said, and this is an intere�*upon didn't and ali has said, and this is an intere�*upon in didn't and ali has said, and this is an intere�*upon in the didn't and ali has said, and this is an intere�*upon in the debatet and ali has said, and this is an intere�*upon in the debate . if touch upon in the debate. if we're phase out we're trying to phase out smoking, legalising smoking, how would legalising weed be beneficial? except for those who need for pain those who need it for pain relief ? well that's true. relief? well that's true. >> don't people put tobacco in it? sometimes. >> don't people put tobacco in it? sometimes:imes. >> don't people put tobacco in it? sometimes .nes. >> don't people put tobacco in it? sometimes. but i would argue >> sometimes. but i would argue that perhaps shouldn't that perhaps we shouldn't face out . out smoking. >> yes, but. amar says cannabis does to stronger drugs. my does lead to stronger drugs. my grandson started taking and selling at school . now selling it while at school. now he's a heroin addict in and out of rehab. well, there's an extreme example that is. >> that's under the current >> but that's under the current paradigm it is illegal. paradigm whereby it is illegal. if he started smoking cannabis

legally, not getting it through an illegal dealer, getting it at boots, boots isn't going to sell him heroin. >> alan says it's incredibly naive to think that legalising will stop the illegal trade. the amount of stories that are told about in the and about smugglers in the 18th and 19th century, will always be 19th century, it will always be a because there a gateway drug because there will illegal trade, will always be an illegal trade, and think. don't and that's what i think. i don't think stop an illegal think it will stop an illegal trade, emily. people will always want product, want a stronger product, won't they? is caffeine a gateway drug? they? is caffeine a gateway dru it's is alcohol >> it's not. is alcohol a gateway drug? >> the same thing because caffeine doesn't affect your, you know, psychology? >> yes it does. >> yes it does. >> just gives you all of energy. >> all of these things are some drugs are legal, some are illegal. a drug. caffeine. >> is is a drug. caffeine. >> is marijuana drug. caffeine. >> is marijuana iirug. caffeine. >> is marijuana i mean the strong skunk, not people. not exactly but my exactly the same, but my goodness, if we discovered caffeine, know, 100 years caffeine, you know, 100 years later, it would definitely be made illegal by our puritanical politicians. >> well, we'll get back to this because as we said, we have loads of views it. but let's loads of views on it. but let's return to our scotland reporter in protests return to our scotland reporter in erupting protests return to our scotland reporter in erupting outside protests return to our scotland reporter in erupting outside the )tests are erupting outside the scottish are erupting outside the scoyes, tony mcguire is in

>> yes, tony mcguire is in edinburgh for us. and tony, what's the mood on the ground? >> right. quite, quite heated for me. and you can hear the cheers of , of the people who are cheers of, of the people who are out here protest up on stage out here to protest up on stage just now as glasgow cabbie steve shaw and if you've ever tried to get a word in over a cabbie, well , you know get a word in over a cabbie, well, you know you're on a hiding to nothing. certainly in the mood here. people have been gathering really for about gathering here really for about the minutes. and steve the last 90 minutes. and steve shaw is indeed the first person up. relatively politically up. he's relatively politically active here. we saw quite a lot of him last year , around the of him last year, around the time of the gender recognition reform bill protests and the pubuc reform bill protests and the public discourse that went on around that, and indeed even by by 1:30, we're certainly looking at about 3400 people here gathered outside the parliament. not a lot of activity going on inside the building today of course, because it's the bank holiday. but that bank holiday has meant that more people have been come here turn been able to come here and turn out and somebody, somewhere has

brought and brought the rain with them and let it be said, but certainly here we're quite at the just at the beginning here, lots of flags, quite huge contingent flags, quite a huge contingent from the scottish family party and course the pastor. we and of course the pastor. we heard from him a little bit earlier on. he from glasgow, the, the east bank, elderslie church. he is sorry, east gate. he is going to be here and talking just after glasgow cab. and of course this is all over this highly controversial hate crime and public order act which has ruffled the feathers of the gender critical feminist movements such as jk rowling, who has come out and said that she has no intentions of removing any posts in which she has misgendered people in the past, allegedly , and albeit that past, allegedly, and albeit that she is, says that if she did well, that would be the greatest april fools joke of them all. we know that the church is already concerned with this act as law as well, and of course, the

third one, which would you believe? it is the people who are actually going to have to enforce this new law. the police , the police scotland, have said that they are already concerned that they are already concerned that their police officers are stretched there stretched to the limit. there are concerned that a law like this is going to turn the public against the police . and against the police. and certainly is certainly today's protest is a sign happening already. sign of that happening already. >> well, tony, thank you very much for bringing us that live from the protest. we'll see if we can get back to you and some of the views from the people in the crowd. a little bit later on. >> on. >> yes, hopefully the rain won't scare be to scare them off. we'll be able to listen and hear what they have to why they're there. i'm to say, why they're there. i'm shocked. always. shocked. yes, i mean it always. not often , often not always, but it often, often is, as it is across our wonderful united kingdom. >> but i mean, it's interesting that there's all sorts of different people outside , different people outside, whether it's gender critical feminists, whether it's the scottish party, it'd be scottish family party, it'd be interesting to know what their arguments are. also, the church community, the community community, the church community is because religion is interesting because religion is interesting because religion is of these protected is one of these protected characteristics the act characteristics within the act thatis

characteristics within the act that is supposed to be protected by the act, but it seems that certainly at least some christian think christian churches think actually it's not. >> they don't want people to not be able to criticise them or whatever the intention is. that's the problem with the legislation, isn't it? >> someone from the >> because if someone from the church said something negative >> because if someone from the churcrgayd something negative >> because if someone from the churcrgay marriage,1g negative >> because if someone from the churcrgay marriage, for|egative >> because if someone from the churcrgay marriage, for example , about gay marriage, for example, or something that impacted a minority, then who's whose rights should be protected first when it comes to free speech. and this is the problem, we all just allowed to say what just be allowed to say what we want to say, as long as it doesn't incite violence against someone else. >> well, wouldn't that be nice? >> well, wouldn't that be nice? >> common sense . >> sounds like common sense. >> sounds like common sense. >> yeah, but. >> yeah, but. >> hey, gb at news. com >> hey, gb views at gb news. com coming , the search continues. coming up, the search continues. we were talking about this on friday. continues for friday. the search continues for a stolen mobility van. now this van for the care of van is essential for the care of a 13 year old disabled boy. we're going to be joined by his mother shortly. we'll see if the police leads. the police have any leads. as the investigation underway . now, investigation is underway. now, if we look down the point at the thing with my pen,

i >> -- >> the debate. >> the debate. >> well, the debate on cannabis has really got you going. >> yes, it certainly has. kathleen has written in to say if we make cannabis legal, we will increase the number of traffic accidents and fatalities. so there's a there's a point possible, although it will still be illegal to smoke it at the wheel or be under the influence. >> i'm sure . but jay says >> i'm sure. but jay says i think we should legalise cannabis. the government should profit from sale what he profit from the sale of what he calls harmless stimulant. we calls a harmless stimulant. we are not babies and shouldn't be treated as such. the issues are known drug and are known about this drug and so are those alcohol. alcohol is those of alcohol. alcohol is much and much much more addictive and much more element than more of a gateway element than any goes to any other. well, that goes to tom's to tom's tom's point. speaks to tom's point, really, doesn't it, about, if some of about, you know, if some of these we accept as these drugs that we accept as every day were imagine if we only discovered alcohol now and we of said we're going to

we sort of said we're going to impair the senses of, of everyone and make people do silly things. >> and by the way, while you're on this, you won't be allowed to drive and all the rest of it. there a common refrain that there is a common refrain that actually than actually cannabis is safer than alcohol do get , alcohol and alcohol. you do get, you know, a small number of people who who it affect in a much worse way than other people. any people. and that's true of any drug. can trigger drug. yeah it can trigger psychosis small number of psychosis in a small number of people , dagmar says cannabis use people, dagmar says cannabis use does violent . does not make you violent. again, alcohol can make you violent. the violence connected with is between the with cannabis is between the dealers, who are all for dealers, who are all vying for trade . yes. i mean, speak to any trade. yes. i mean, speak to any police officer and they'll tell you how the drug trade leads to violence and mostly gang violence and mostly gang violence . and of course, young violence. and of course, young people being used mules . people being used as mules. >> i'm saying i'm being told we have to move on. but honestly, there are many views on this. have to move on. but honestly, there get many views on this. have to move on. but honestly, there get to many views on this. have to move on. but honestly, there get to more views on this. have to move on. but honestly, there get to more aiews on this. have to move on. but honestly, there get to more a littleyn this. have to move on. but honestly, there get to more a little bithis. we'll get to more a little bit later program . but do later in the program. but we do need to story now need to get to this story now because continue their because police continue their search modified search for a specially modified van hackney in van stolen from hackney in london in the early hours of

tuesday morning. >> well , there have been no >> well, there have been no official updates on the van's location following an urgent appeal on friday. >> the carazo's van sorry the carazo's, the family affected say that the van is a lifeline for their son. a 13 year old disabled boy who relies on the fully customised van to get to hospital appointments and access vital medical equipment. >> yes, well, elijah's mother, anisa caraccio, joins us again today. thank you very much for joining us. now, we spoke on friday and you were shocked and upset that this has happened to you and your family. you said you and your family. you said you were hoping that the police will find the van and you issued an appeal to those who have taken it. you said , you said taken it. you said, you said that that you're desperate for this van back, that your son needsit this van back, that your son needs it desperately. can you tell us a little bit about where the police are with this? and are you still hopeful? >> yeah. first of all, i'd like

to thank you. thank the media for, on how they're helping us or supporting us. find the van. thank you. ever so much. we are humbled and really grateful for the police, the met police have been working as far as i'm aware. they've been actively searching since it was lost, last tuesday, up to this day yesterday, they have been. they have been still actively looking for it, but the short, answer is that they haven't found it, so i don't know , what else, but they don't know, what else, but they haven't stopped looking for it. they're actively searching and for that we are really grateful, if you're asking me in terms of, in terms of how are we at the moment, we are still being hopeful. and even if that small window of hope, even if it's just little and even if it's

very slim, hope is something that we would never give up and we will await in faith and hope that still whoever took it will find it in their hearts. so actually, return it, again , when actually, return it, again, when we plea that we are we. if i'm honest and this is truthfully honest, whether do i want them to be caught? do i want them in jail or do i do we want the van in a good condition , left in a good condition, left somewhere i would really be more inclined to say, please just leave it somewhere . i'm. we're leave it somewhere. i'm. we're not really interested. if you're locked up or what? no. we just want you to find it in your heart to actually return it back. because of elijah's life limiting condition and how it's very difficult to transfer him from place of a to b to and us, that's the most important thing. >> anessa that's such an open

hearted appeal. many people would not have the grace and compassion that you have to say what you have just done, that , what you have just done, that, that, that really you don't want to go after whoever did this . to go after whoever did this. just if they give up the van, it's extraordinary. looking at that video of it being driven away, of it being taken from you . just just explain, if you would much this van has would how much this van has meant to you has, has, has meant to the care of your son, elijah . to the care of your son, elijah. >> so elijah's been given a death sentence when he was born. however, he's the boy that lived and he's still living in a day to day, hour per hour. in terms of the his breads are given by the machines that he goes. so it's like an outside lungs , if it's like an outside lungs, if you like, and without the actual safe environment for him to go from a to b, then he won't be able to see his friends. he

won't be able to attend hospital appointments, but it's not all about his medical things. this van has created so many memories of whatever little life we have as a family. we only have elijah, myself and my husband are healthcare professions and we continue to serve our community through our jobs. and we would like to say to whoever did this, do you know what we look after different types of people, regardless of who you are. if ever you get into something , i would still care something, i would still care for you. i would still treat you because that's just that's just our nature as a family. but the van is actually for us to make more memories and to be a family. >> powerful message. anessa. thank you so much for speaking to us, and please do keep in touch and we'll help you as best we can. and we really hope that they that van. they return that van. >> and if you see the van, we've

got the pictures there, we've got the pictures there, we've got pictures on the gb news got the pictures on the gb news website. do look and let's website. do look out and let's hope anessa gets her van back. but up, tories divided but coming up, tories divided over their prime minister's plans criminalise plans to criminalise homelessness. all that homelessness. what's all that about? we'll be joined by a campaigner after this.

>> well. good afternoon. britain. it is 2:00 on monday, the 1st of april. now the prime minister faces a rebellion over controversial plans to criminalise homelessness. if passed, police could be granted powers to fine or even jail news and rough sleepers. we'll hear from a campaigner who was once homeless himself and germany legalises, the recreational use of cannabis today. so we've been asking should the uk follow suit and protests in edinburgh are underway as scotland's new hate

crime law comes into force. this comes as some warn the new legislation could be weaponised by fringe activists and have a chilling effect on . chilling effect on. free speech. >> now what is all of this about homelessness? the criminalisation of this idea? what is behind the idea from the government? it seems like a cunous government? it seems like a curious sort of policy. upon first hearing. >> yes . so quote unquote >> yes. so quote unquote nuisance, rough sleepers could be punished by law. so they're talking about fines even jail terms, moving people on at the lower end of the spectrum . lower end of the spectrum. >> now, this is presumably about those people who are offered accommodation and refuse it. and isuppose accommodation and refuse it. and i suppose the government wants to carrot and a stick to have a carrot and a stick approach here because it does seem that there are some people

who do refuse the option of warm and safe accommodation when offered to them. >> well, this was suella bravermans very controversial , bravermans very controversial, comments that you're referring to, i think because she said that it's a lifestyle choice for some people who are living rough on the street, street. and that caused a huge debate. well, i think people interpreted it as one of the reasons why she left her position. >> it's a lifestyle choice, which obviously it's not. many people themselves on people find themselves on the streets fault of people find themselves on the stree'own, fault of people find themselves on the stree' own, i fault of people find themselves on the stree'own, i thinkilt of people find themselves on the stree'own, i think it of people find themselves on the stree'own, i think it is their own, but i think it is fair say that in some fair to say that in some instances there are people who do refuse do sometimes refuse accommodation and there will be some circumstances. some circumstances. >> some circumstances. >> and us know if you've >> and let us know if you've been affected by this. but sometimes small sometimes people have a small for business example, and there will be a rough sleeper who is in the doorway every single day. the council doing the council aren't doing anything , and that is anything about it, and that is something that is very uncomfortable. but it does happen. uncomfortable. but it does happen . and what do you do? happen. and what do you do? >> what do you do? and has the government got the right answer here? sure they here? i'm not sure that they necessarily have, i'd be

necessarily have, but, i'd be interested to hear your views on the gb views at gb news. the issue. gb views at gb news. >> and also, i must say, the elephant in the room, the fact that not have that we simply do not have enough housing. yes. enough affordable housing. yes. which leaving lot of which is leaving a lot of people, without home, people, well, without a home, well housing,. yeah, well enough housing,. yeah, well, otherwise, let us know what but your what you make of that. but your headunes . what you make of that. but your headlines . next. headlines with sam. next. >> tom. emily, thanks very much . >> tom. emily, thanks very much. and very good afternoon to you from the gb newsroom. it's just gone 2:00 and first we turn to scotland, campaigners are scotland, where campaigners are gathered outside the scottish parliament this afternoon in protest of new hate crime laws, which they say are a threat to free speech. laws bring free speech. the laws bring together legislation , together existing legislation, making it a crime to stir up hatred against people with protected characteristics. that includes disability , age, sexual includes disability, age, sexual orientation or people who are transgender. but some police forces are concerned that deaung forces are concerned that dealing with complaints could become a distraction for officers. the scottish

conservative evs say resources should be directed towards front line policing. well, we've been asking people on the streets of edinburgh what they think about those new laws. >> you going to going out >> are you going to be going out and encouraging snitches and people speak up about people to go and speak up about about people who's having, you know, having a private conversation, you know, the keys in word private . in the word private. >> the police themselves have said that they are going, only going respond where going to respond where complaints been raised. and complaints have been raised. and our that our concern was be that there are groups out there are campaign groups out there that looking raise that would be looking to raise complaints silence complaints in order to silence people that don't like. people that they don't like. >> interpretation of the >> that interpretation of the hate crime speech now could be used much against us, and used very much against us, and it's a recipe for disaster. well as we've been hearing, plans to find rough sleepers are provoking outrage. >> with more than 40 conservative mps said to be preparing to rebel, the new criminal justice bill would allow police to fine or to move on so—called nuisance rough sleepers. it was intended to replace the vagrancy act from 1824, which currently criminalises both rough sleeping

and begging. but reports suggest the new bill has been paused while ministers negotiate with mps who are concerned about the consequences of issuing fines to homeless people. the plans were introduced originally by the former home secretary, suella braverman, who branded rough sleeping a lifestyle choice . the sleeping a lifestyle choice. the head of the nurses union has accused the government today of packing hospital corridors with patients , and says that the patients, and says that the quality of care in hospitals is not only undignified but fatally unsafe. it comes as new estimates suggest more than 250 patients a week in england may have died needlessly last year because of long waits for a hospital bed. a report from the royal college of emergency medicine revealed. more than 1.5 million patients waited in a&e departments for longer than 12 hours in 2023. the department for health says. it adds it has added thousands of hospital beds, though, and insists it is making progress on waiting times. more than 5400 migrants

have been intercepted illegally crossing the english channel in small boats during the first three months of this year. it's a record figure for that quarter, up 43% compared to the same time in 2023, official figures from the home office show that 442 people made that crossing in nine small boats just yesterday. that's despite difficult weather conditions, with lifeboats having to scramble to assist some of those arriving. today's strong winds have now made the journey completely impassable . some completely impassable. some households will feel the effects of a cash boost from today as new economic policies come into effect . the national living wage effect. the national living wage is increasing to £11.44, giving a pay is increasing to £11.44, giving a pay rise to around 3 million of britain's lowest paid workers . small businesses will also benefit from a raised vat threshold and fully funded apprenticeships. business minister kevin hollinrake told gb news this morning that economic conditions are improving well in the sun.

>> it's been difficult but things are improving . we see the things are improving. we see the economy turning a corner this yeah economy turning a corner this year. see interest year. we'll see interest rates dropping , taxes dropping, of dropping, taxes dropping, of course, for course, £900 a year for the average person in terms of tax reductions with the national insurance cuts. so all those things are all good news to people. of course, there's more to do, but things really are turning corner and energy turning a corner and energy bills are due to fall to their lowest rate in two years. >> that's after the regulator, ofgem, has cut its price cap by 12.3% today. it means the average household for bill gas and electricity will fall by around £238 over the course of a yeah around £238 over the course of a year, or around £20 a month. however, 10 million households are still being urged to submit their metre readings to avoid overpayments . and finally, overpayments. and finally, a pink dress once worn by marilyn monroe has sold for a record setting price. the long sleeved silk jersey frock was owned and worn by the world's most famous film star, and it sold forjust

under £300,000 in los angeles . under £300,000 in los angeles. there was also a smoking jacket and slippers worn by playboy founder hugh hefner, which went under the hammer for more than £10,000. and for the person who truly has everything, there was a chance to pick up a crypt near both of those iconic stars. the price though, well, just under £155,000. that's the latest from the newsroom for now. for more, you can sign up to gb news alerts . just scan the qr code on alerts. just scan the qr code on your or go to website your screen or go to our website gbnews.com/alerts. now though, it's and . emily. it's back to tom and. emily. >> good afternoon britain. it's 2:08 and rishi sunak is facing a conservative party revolt over his plans to criminalise homelessness in a key crime bill this year. yes the bill would give police the power to fine or move on so—called nuisance rough

sleepers . well, they say it will sleepers. well, they say it will encourage rough, rough sleepers to make use of accommodation services and mental health support. but with more than 40 conservative suspected rebels against the plans, including people like damian green and even iain duncan smith, is this the right move for rishi to keep? >> well, joining us now is a homelessness campaigner who spent some time sleeping rough himself as a teenager. matthew torbett matthew, thank you very much for joining torbett matthew, thank you very much forjoining us. i mean, let's look at the premise of this, of this bill. how many rough sleepers are sleeping rough sleepers are sleeping rough , as a choice, there seems rough, as a choice, there seems to be an implication here that there are many people who are sleeping on the streets because they almost want to . they almost want to. >> yeah, i think that's that's clearly the message that certain elements of the home office are wanting to put out. i think from my own experience, homelessness is a very complex thing, and how people become rough sleepers in

the first place is a very complex thing. >> normally, it's very rarely somebody's fault . it can be a somebody's fault. it can be a family relationship breakdown. somebody's fault. it can be a familjcouldionship breakdown. somebody's fault. it can be a familjcould be ship breakdown. somebody's fault. it can be a familjcould be aip breakdown. somebody's fault. it can be a familjcould be a divorce,jown. somebody's fault. it can be a familjcould be a divorce, itwn. somebody's fault. it can be a familjcould be a divorce, it can >> it could be a divorce, it can be a section 21 no fault eviction , and in my time being eviction, and in my time being homeless for around 12 months, i met one person who decided he wanted to live a nomadic life and was going to be staying on the streets and living off grid. but the idea that people want to be sleeping on the streets is just neither here nor there. >> yeah, no, i think that's a fair. that's a very fair point to make that for the vast majority of people sleeping rough, it's not a choice. it's not what they want to do. if they were offered accommodation, they were offered accommodation, they would take that up they would want to take that up in a in a stable way. i suppose there is a fair point, though, that there are some who that there are some people who do refuse accommodation when it is offered them, and looking is offered to them, and looking at it through that lens, does there need to be some sort of stick as well as a carrot, or is that counterproductive? >> i think the idea of

criminalising it further is neither a stick or a carrot. >> to be perfectly honest with you, i think people need support and assistance. if people are refusing that for whatever reason, there may be further support or assistance needed. or maybe there's only so much you can do for some people. but if this going to solve the this was going to solve the problem , it would be solved problem, it would be solved already because is nothing already because this is nothing new. these powers already exist within the 2014 antisocial behaviour act. so this is nothing new. when have you ever seen the police unable to move somebody on? if they're a so—called nuisance and i think really my concern is it speaks to the constant dehumanisation of rough sleepers as some sort of rough sleepers as some sort of problem, when really, if you ask the majority of people that walk past homeless people, there's a sense of helplessness and you would want to help them rather than have them imprisoned. matthew do you accept the terms nuisance, rough sleeper ? no, i think it's nobody sleeper? no, i think it's nobody likes to see this stuff, right?

none of us walk past homeless people and enjoy seeing that. i think, therefore, you have to look to more compassionate and look to a more compassionate and empathetic forward. and empathetic way forward. and the other thing is, the stipulations within this bill are so broad andifs within this bill are so broad and it's totally open to interpretation. so if you want to talk about nuisance beggars, well, could easily be well, that could easily be charity their charity chuggers with their buckets, asking people for money and people obviously running off and people obviously running off and to do it. it and not wanting to do it. it could singers falling could be carol singers falling foul trying to raise foul of it, trying to raise money singing and people not money by singing and people not enjoying the most enjoying that. and the most horrific of them the horrific one of them all, the idea excessive smell is idea that excessive smell is worth a two, 2500 pound fine or a potential prison sentence . a potential prison sentence. this is again not solving the problem . problem. >> yeah, it does seem extraordinary that the government is saying there could be these 200 and a half thousand pounds. i i can't imagine that many homeless people have 2500 pounds no spare to be able to pay pounds no spare to be able to pay such a fine. matthew, would you mind talking about your own personal circumstances in how

you ended up homeless and also how how you got out of that situation ? situation? >> yeah, so mine was a family breakdown situation , you know, breakdown situation, you know, my me and my parents didn't always get on growing up, and i therefore was homeless and spent 12 months, sleeping on the streets of manchester and, you know, ended up on the wrong side of the law briefly , i was of the law briefly, i was essentially groomed into a gang. i only a teenager , and i'd i was only a teenager, and i'd have done anything to put a roof over my head the way i got out of it. and the thing that i will always to people always say to people is it's support education. i had support and education. so i had this , my friends, best mum. this, my friends, best mum. sorry, my best friend's mum. called dawn. amazing. i call her my guardian angel. she took me in and she said, you're not a daft lad. get yourself to college, go and get your gcses and then go to university . and and then go to university. and without that constant support, i don't where i would have don't know where i would have gone and i don't know where people would go. so for me, the idea is wrapping your arms around people, showing them

there's another way showing around people, showing them there'that)ther way showing around people, showing them there'that there'say showing around people, showing them there'that there's hope, showing them that there's hope, actually, worst actually, because the worst part of homeless, will of being homeless, anyone will tell the tell you, is waking up in the morning because after those first couple of seconds of coming of your sleep from coming out of your sleep from whatever realise where you are coming out of your sleep from wha what realise where you are coming out of your sleep from wha what is'ealise where you are coming out of your sleep from wha what is going where you are coming out of your sleep from wha what is going on ere you are coming out of your sleep from wha what is going on again,j are and what is going on again, and the true reality of it all. >> and matthew, just lastly, what do you think the government should do about rough sleepers who are deemed a nuisance? so for example, there may be a rough sleeper who's perhaps a little aggressive , may have drug little aggressive, may have drug or alcohol issues, may be causing a nuisance by example, by sleeping outside someone's front door and making it very difficult for them to access their home or something like that, or outside a small business. and and perhaps scaring customers or that business. and and perhaps scariof customers or that business. and and perhaps scariof thinngtomers or that business. and and perhaps scariof thing ,;tomers or that business. and and perhaps scariof thing , becauseyr that business. and and perhaps scariof thing , because often the sort of thing, because often the councils aren't very good at getting involved and moving people on and providing the support always. do you think there does need to be an element of, know what do you of, i don't know what do you see? the solution is if this

isn't it . isn't it. >> so the solution for me, there's two things there. so if somebody's being violent, that's anti—social behaviour. we don't need a new act for that. so you know if anybody's violent you know if anybody's violent you know you're arrested and processed now if processed accordingly. now if you're homeless, the idea that arresting somebody regardless is going to solve it isn't what finland very well have finland do very well and have doneis finland do very well and have done is something called housing first, got first, whereby if you've got mental health or mental health issues or a substance alcohol, substance abuse issue, alcohol, whatever might be, and you're whatever it might be, and you're on the streets, rather than try and go through a programme to get to a point where you can go into accommodation, put into accommodation, they put you into accommodation, they put you in and you the in a house and give you the wraparound time wraparound care at the same time . finland at this current juncture has virtually zero homelessness and has shown over the last three decades how it can the government have can be done. the government have actually trialled housing first in manchester liverpool , in manchester and in liverpool, and the results are there for all to see. so why they're considered continuing down this path rather than a housing first path rather than a housing first path is nonsensical, to put it bluntly, housing first is such

an interesting idea. >> it's something that actually george bush in the united states also pushed and also really, really pushed and seemed to have some successes. but thank much but matthew, thank you so much for sharing your story. really, really, interesting points there, especially how individuals can be the path out. really? yes. >> well, in other news, demands are growing for labour's deputy leader, angela rayner, to face a full police probe into her council house tax row. >> yes, this comes as conversations around the sale of rayner's council house a decade ago continues to heat up, with the deputy labour leader saying she wrongdoing she denies any wrongdoing but questions us questions remaining. joining us now is the political correspondent at the spectator, james hill. james, can you just break down precisely what the argument is over here? >> sure, tom. >> sure, tom. >> so this is about the sale of angela's rayner's former council home in 2015. and the argument really is about how much tax she paid on that house and whether

she was in line with all laws at the time, because according to this new book, which has been published by lord ashcroft, the former of former deputy party chairman of the conservative party, there are concerns, perhaps, that she was not being completely forthcoming about house was not being completely forthas|ing about house was not being completely forthas livingyout house was not being completely forthas living int house was not being completely forthas living in at house was not being completely forthas living in at timese was not being completely forthas living in at time .5 she was living in at the time. she had one house where she registered the electoral registered it on the electoral registered it on the electoral register . and yet at the same register. and yet at the same time, she also appearing to time, she was also appearing to be at another place. be living at another place. according to local residents in manchester. and therefore this has sparked a whole row, with the conservatives now demanding that forthcoming that she be very forthcoming about advice she about the tax advice she received and rayner has been going out, saying the tax going out, saying that the tax advice received suggests advice she's received suggests that she hasn't broken any rules. she's not rules. but of course, she's not willing that tax willing to share that tax advice. think what's advice. and i think what's really this whole advice. and i think what's really tom, this whole advice. and i think what's really tom, is this whole advice. and i think what's really tom, is not this whole advice. and i think what's really tom, is not justis whole advice. and i think what's really tom, is not just about,e story, tom, is not just about, you know, the backstory of angela because her angela rayner, but because her deputy leader, she has been so quick others about quick to criticise others about their tax arrangements, very much the charge against much leading the charge against bons much leading the charge against boris johnson in january 2022 over partygate. and therefore the concern is about whether she is being completely forthcoming here. and think that that's

here. and i think that that's why we're in now month three. it's now 1st of april. and still these questions not going away anytime soon. >> now we have this >> yes. and now we have this x ethics adviser , sir alistair ethics adviser, sir alistair graham, getting involved and calling for a public a full inquiry, a full police probe is what the sun is calling it today . i mean, the police are already looking into this, aren't they ? looking into this, aren't they? >> yeah. so it's a kind of two step process really. which is that greater manchester police are their decision are reassessing their decision not investigation then. not to open investigation then. and if that comes back and they think they should actually, upon reassessment, go for that investigation, then there will reassessment, go for that invanigation, then there will reassessment, go for that invan investigationthere will reassessment, go for that invan investigation .1ere will reassessment, go for that invan investigation . and will reassessment, go for that invan investigation . and then of be an investigation. and then of course, they'll decide if she's done wrong. but i think done anything wrong. but i think today, alastair graham's today, sir alastair graham's intervention partly intervention is notable partly because, of course, his interventions have been so critical the conservative critical of the conservative over the past 3 or 4 years. and on those occasions, labour have been sir been quick to amplify sir alistair claims alistair graham's claims and said for instance, that said noticed for instance, that he was the former chairman of the committee standards the committee on standards in pubuc the committee on standards in public life under tony blair.

and seems that , you and so now it seems that, you know, the boot is on the other foot. and of course they want labour to be equally kind of transparent and labour to be equally kind of tra hold rent and labour to be equally kind of tra hold the and labour to be equally kind of trahold the same and labour to be equally kind of trahold the same standards and labour to be equally kind of trahold the same standards that to hold the same standards that they've been very quick to demand of others when it comes to past to the conservatives in the past four that four years or so, it seems that the might spot an the labour party might spot an issue because sir keir issue here, because sir keir starmer continually said he starmer has continually said he hasn't looked at this tax advice. >> he doesn't need to look at this advice, because this tax advice, because angela rayner that that's the rayner has said that that's the tax advice and he believes her and takes her at her word . is he and takes her at her word. is he just covering his own back here? if do find against if the police do find against angela rayner, he can say, well, i see the tax advice. how i didn't see the tax advice. how how could i possibly know? and he can sort of insulate himself from this scandal. >> well, i mean, that was so, so striking , really, about the striking, really, about the labour local election launch last week was that keir starmer was saying, you know, i haven't seen the advice . some of his seen the advice. some of his language was careful to sort of distance himself some ways. distance himself in some ways. but then afterwards it was briefed advisers had briefed that his advisers had

seen course, this is seen it. and of course, this is from his advisers, not him. >> so he can his advisers >> so he can throw his advisers under bus. that's no under the bus. that's no problem. himself is problem. but he himself is insulated . insulated. >> quite a, you know , >> well, quite as a, you know, former director of public prosecutions who doesn't actually want to look the actually want to look at the evidence, and suggesting that there's nothing to see here, really. doesn't really there's nothing to see here, reéwith doesn't really there's nothing to see here, reéwith the doesn't really there's nothing to see here, reéwith the kindzsn't really there's nothing to see here, reéwith the kindzsn forensic fit with the kind of forensic eliot he's tried eliot ness image that he's tried to over the recent years . to craft over the recent years. so you're quite striking one. and questions and that's why the questions aren't because aren't going away, tom, because basically been three, basically there's been three, two, now. two, three months of this now. and still questions are yet to be answered. and that advice has not been shown publicly. >> have thought >> yes. you would have thought forensic starmer would want forensic keir starmer would want to go through the tax advice line by line. >> but but also keir starmer built his reputation, saying when he was investigated over the beers had in durham the beers he had in durham dunng the beers he had in durham during covid, if the police find against me, i'll resign. he said that and he built a reputation on the back of that. yeah. why doesn't angela rayner say something police something similar? if the police find resign. find against me, i'll resign. that that has that would show that she has real in her position. real confidence in her position. yes. interesting your theory >> it's interesting your theory that to that perhaps he's trying to insulate looking

insulate himself by not looking at he do at the tax advice. can he do that? his advisers have that? if his advisers are have already it, can easily already read it, they can easily sack adviser. already read it, they can easily sac yeah,|dviseh already read it, they can easily sac yeah, true. r. can. already read it, they can easily sacyeah, true. r. can. he can >> yeah, true. he can. he can easily that's not me . easily just say, that's not me. that's that's adviser. they that's that's an adviser. they advise that's advise me incorrectly. that's that's their fault. that's not my fault. well, there we go. forensic political forensic or political correspondent at the spectator. >> news, the met >> well, in other news, the met police are under fire after an officer appears excuse officer appears to excuse a swastika at a pro—palestine rally. now we're going to be speaking to an activist who himself has been arrested at one of these london rallies. after this short .

break. >> good afternoon. britain. it is 2:24. and now i have to say, a lot of you have an opinion on the legalisation or otherwise, of marijuana . and jerry has

of marijuana. and jerry has written in to say i'm a regular , written in to say i'm a regular, regular cannabis user for over 30 years. was i was a regular cannabis user for over 30 years. never had the urge to try anything else, only gave it up because i stopped smoking. no mental health problems, no violent tendencies. happily retired now and still in good health. >> well, take your word for it, jerry. >> but no, i think jerry raises a good point, right? there are, of course, terrible side effects from any drug for a from using any drug for a minority people . but for any minority of people. but for any drug, whether it be alcohol , drug, whether it be alcohol, caffeine, nicotine or marijuana , caffeine, nicotine or marijuana, there are people who can use it with no problems as well. >> well, it is unfortunately unked >> well, it is unfortunately linked things linked to things like schizophrenia and other psychoses , charlie says it does psychoses, charlie says it does cross the blood brain barrier and drug rehabilitation centres often remark upon being often remark upon it being a precursor to abuse of serious stimulant drugs, such as amphetamines and cocaine. >> well, chris says, having previously worked for several years as a nurse on wards for the acutely unwell psychiatric

patients, i can attest that many have have had to been sectioned for their own safety and that of others suffered from drug induced psychosis , mostly induced psychosis, mostly marijuana. every ever, every effort should be made to discourage use of this drug. but chris, again on this issue where we see problems in society today , these are problems associated with the prohibition of marijuana. they're not marijuana. well, they're not necessarily problems of i'm not sure legal situation sure about the legal situation because we don't have a legal situation. >> i'm not sure about that because as i said before >> i'm not sure about that bwillise as i said before >> i'm not sure about that bwill always as i said before >> i'm not sure about that bwill always seeks i said before >> i'm not sure about that bwill always seek outaid before , will always seek out a stronger product and will stronger product and that will be market. be on the black market. >> will they seek out? >> will they always seek out? >> will they always seek out? >> things mixed >> yes, but and things mixed with paul with other products. paul says, i is an i know mo, this is an interesting whoever chooses interesting one. whoever chooses to drugs including alcohol, to take drugs including alcohol, food, including food, cannabis, etc. including cigarettes should not be cared for by the nhs. i have nursed for by the nhs. i have nursed for years and have been abused dunng for years and have been abused during those years by people who have use these tools have chosen to use these tools by recreation. stop by way of recreation. stop pandenng by way of recreation. stop pandering to minority, i pandering to the minority, mo. i mean food, although mean apart from food, although i presume high sugar fat presume you mean high sugar fat food, food that can food, junk food that people can get addicted to , or so it's get addicted to, or so it's claimed, yes, it's good,

claimed, but yes, it's a good, good point , claimed, but yes, it's a good, good point, i'm not sure you're right, though, but it's worth raising that people do behave badly in hospitals because they're addicts. >> activity. should you be >> risky activity. should you be denied health care? i mean, if you. >> well, no. otherwise choose to go bungee jumping and you accidentally injured. accidentally get injured. >> then get >> i mean, do you then not get access to nhs? access to the nhs? >> but a question >> no, but there is a question oveh >> no, but there is a question over, know, personal responsibility. >> this horse riding >> this one horse riding professor, david nutt, who was the under gordon the drugs adviser under gordon brown and was was fired from his job. said that ecstasy was job. he said that ecstasy was safer than horse riding and statistically , it's true. well, statistically, it's true. well, fewer people take ecstasy as a proportion of those who do, as a proportion of those who do, as a proportion of those who do, as a proportion of those who horse ride versus those who take ecstasy or all the other, all the other societal problems that come with the use of class a drugs outweigh that. drugs probably outweigh that. >> so that's a silly point from doctor nutt. >> well, that was fired >> well, anyway, that was fired by labour government for by the labour government for saying science anyway. >> moving on. no, but that's rubbish. it ignores everything else. swastikas else. our swastikas ever acceptable? met office acceptable? well, a met office officer policing a pro—palestine protest over the weekend was

filmed telling a jewish woman that using the symbol could be acceptable when taken into context. let's have a listen to walk with me, because i can point these people out to you. >> and again, i was told when i asked a swastika was not asked that a swastika was not necessarily anti—semitic or disruptive to public order. >> seem right to me. >> everything needs to be taken in context, doesn't it? >> it's context of why. >> but it's a context of why. why does it? why does the swastika need context? israel? >> what exactly are you confused about? >> t- w- w— t— t said to you is how you >> what i said to you is how you don't. >> in what context? a swastika is anti—semitic. is is not anti—semitic. this is what to because what i want to know. because again, some i don't again, i suppose to some i don't know how everybody would feel about that sign that that has happened. >> i cannot i'm here working for the branch commander, and it is not my responsibility . not my responsibility. >> unfortunately, my role to walk down the road , really walk down the road, really interesting exchange there and it did seem that the policeman was perhaps in a bit of a muddle in terms of what the rules were, what the law was, and what should be happening.

>> let's discuss this more >> but let's discuss this more with ghorbani , an iranian with niyak ghorbani, an iranian activist who was arrested at an anti—israel march for having a sign saying hamas is terroris right now, thank you so much for joining us. i suppose . can you joining us. i suppose. can you just first explain the atmosphere on some of these rallies? because i suppose you turn up with a message that is, of course, the law that any western country would, would say is the law. but i suppose the police do sort of want to maintain un peace and stop disturbances . and that's what disturbances. and that's what you sometimes run up against. >> so first of all, thank you so much for having me. and i'm so happy to, speak with them. young generation here in uk in tv, same as you guys . and, look, i'm same as you guys. and, look, i'm always going to, pro—palestinian march and i see, what's going on. exactly. and i know, you

know, the, two days ago when i was in, this march, i'm jumping in front of jeremy corbyn and show my sign without any, you know, shouting or any , saying know, shouting or any, saying bad word or something. i'm just silent. show my, sign and, someone behind jeremy corbyn come and really attacked me. and pushed me back. and the police come and, you know, remove me from front of march and, move me in the walk side. and they try to get an information from me and say, okay, give your name and say, okay, give your name and address. i say, okay, look, look around you. i think the police are not you know, exactly brief and they don't know exactly what they want to do. you know, they just think, yeah,

they just come there. and then something happened between two or, you know, two groups. they just remove one of the. do you feel that there is a two tier level of policing on these protests that people like you holding up signs that say , hamas holding up signs that say, hamas is a terrorist organisation will be moved on by the police and perhaps less attention will be paid to those holding up signs with swastikas on them. yeah, exactly. you know, the police are . i spoke with, police are. i spoke with, police officer, which is, was front of me after this happening when they police arrested me, you know, for the second time, they arrested me. and, you know, we all move here in this, the place which is, police officer right now stand, the israeli, british and iranian was there. and, with the sign hamas is terrorists .

the sign hamas is terrorists. simple sign is a uk law. and, you know , the police officer you know, the police officer always, you know , every minute always, you know, every minute told me the, in the beginning told me the, in the beginning told me, look, you are safe now. we give you opportunity to stand here and show your opinion. i say, i tell him, look, it's not my opinion. it's uk law. my opinion. it's maybe . maybe two, opinion. it's maybe. maybe two, you know, radical bomb. i'm just coming with this. with the uk law. you don't understand what's going on exactly here. >> i think, i think, i think nayak i think that is one of the key points here that some of these police officers appear to be completely their be completely out of their depth. but thank you very much. niyak ghorbani really great to speak to you. you're an iranian activist who was arrested at an anti—israel march for having a sign hamas is terrorist. sign saying hamas is terrorist. >> well, we should say that the

metropolitan say that metropolitan police, say that they did arrest the individual holding the sign with the swastika on it. at this particular protest over the weekend, although and they say that the clip that we looked at there was, just a section of a ten minute long conversation, but clearly some of the things that were said in that conversation, were a little , conversation, were a little, dismissive and dismissive. >> dismissive. well, coming up, a southern london council get this could be raking in a whopping £1 million a month from a traffic neighbourhood a low traffic neighbourhood enforcement. is this fair on motorist ? that's . motorist? that's. >> tom. >> tom. >> emily, thanks very much. and good afternoon. from the newsroom. the headlines at just after half past two campaigners are now gathered outside the scottish parliament in protest of new hate crime laws, which they say are a threat to free speech. author jk they say are a threat to free speech. authorjk rowling took speech. author jk rowling took to social media to criticise the

new legislation, saying that if her gender critical comments fall foul of the new law , she fall foul of the new law, she looks forward to being arrested. she said the bill makes it a crime to stir up hatred against people with protected characteristics, including disability, age , sexual disability, age, sexual orientation or people who are transgender. plans to find rough sleepers are provoking outrage. with more than 40 tory mps said to be preparing to rebel, the new criminal justice bill would allow police to fine or to move on so—called nuisance rough sleepers. it was intended to replace the vagrancy act from 1824, which currently criminalises both rough sleeping and begging. but reports suggest the new bill has been paused while ministers negotiate with mps who are concerned about the consequences of issuing fines to homeless people. more than 250 patients each week in england may have died needlessly last year because of long waits for a hospital bed, a report by the royal college of emergency

medicines revealed that more than 1.5 million patients waited in emergency departments for longer than 12 hours in 2023. the department for health says that it has, though, added thousands of hospital beds and insists it is making progress on waiting times and energy bills are due to fall to their lowest rate in two years after the regulator, ofgem, has cut its price cap by 12.3. it means the average household bill for gas and electricity will fall by around £238 over the course of a year , or around £20 each month . year, or around £20 each month. for the latest stories, you can sign up to gb news alerts . just sign up to gb news alerts. just scan the qr code there on your screen if you're listening screen or, if you're listening on radio, go our website gb on radio, go to our website gb gbnews.com/alerts

i >> -- >> well, it is 238 in the afternoon. you're watching and listening to good afternoon, britain . now, low traffic britain. now, low traffic neighbourhoods in london are still having a major impact on motorists previously unseen figures show hammersmith and fulham, for one, issued more than 340,000 penalty charge notices in less than one year now that raked in £1 million per month from motorists . month from motorists. >> yeah, that's, 341,000 fines at around £35, £12 million clean for the year. goodness me. is this just a cash cow or are people just not understanding the rules? well joining us now is motoring journalist danny kelly and danny . you can't deny kelly and danny. you can't deny that for people that live within low traffic neighbourhoods, they quite . quite like them. >> well it's divisive. tom, in birmingham , where i'm speaking birmingham, where i'm speaking to you from this afternoon, it's fairly divisive . yes. if you're fairly divisive. yes. if you're a pedestrian, if you don't have

a pedestrian, if you don't have a car, then yes, it's, it's a great idea. but if you're a pedestrian with a car, then maybe it's not such a great idea. now, the problem with this ltn in hammersmith and fulham. tom and emily, is that they don't have to prevent people using these streets as rat rules. they don't have physical obstructions like they do in a lot of other ltns. now that is incredibly, incredibly contentious because anything that physically obstructs, for example, an ambulance or a police car getting down the street, well, obviously that could have negative consequences. so they have consequences. so what they have in of london, this in this part of london, in this particular borough is they have, anpr , automatic number anpr cameras, automatic number plate recognition cameras. so that means if you're an out of towner, if you like, who is trying to use 4 or 5 of these rat runs that hammersmith council wants you not to use, then if your number plate isn't actually registered , then you're actually registered, then you're going to get walloped with a fine, of course , that begs fine, and of course, that begs the question if you're having a delivery, you're ordering the question if you're having a deli'iery, you're ordering the question if you're having a deli'i don'tyou're ordering the question if you're having a deli'i don't know, ordering the question if you're having a deli'i don't know, a'dering the question if you're having a deli'i don't know, a fridge from like i don't know, a fridge from currys the

currys or something, then the currys or something, then the currys driver has got currys delivery driver has got to get down your road. and unless actually put their unless they actually put their reg this anpr system, reg number on this anpr system, they're walloped they're going to get walloped with everybody with a fine. and not everybody is technology. with a fine. and not everybody is mustn't technology. with a fine. and not everybody is mustn't forget technology. with a fine. and not everybody is mustn't forget that hnology. with a fine. and not everybody is mustn't forget that there gy. with a fine. and not everybody is mustn't forget that there are we mustn't forget that there are older people who don't necessarily have a smartphone or broadband, and then they've got a 24 hour hotline. >> it's very messy. it's very complicated . and before the complicated. and before the break, emily, you asked a question that's very straightforward question. is it fair or unfair on the motorists? and i think it's unfair on the motorists. >> well, danny, also, if i were a council and i found did my, you know, looked at the statistics , fix the data that statistics, fix the data that i've got and saw that we were dishing out 341,000 fines, i'd probably think, maybe we're not actually advertising this as much as we could. perhaps we're not letting people know in a clear enough way. but no, i imagine they're not thinking that. i imagine they're thinking, lots of money. >> yeah, i think it's fair to be cynical about what motivates these councillors . emily and

these councillors. emily and tom, i really do. you know, councils are skint , councils tom, i really do. you know, councils are skint, councils are cash strapped. and i know over the last 4 or 5 years what councils are prepared to do to compensate for that lack of money from council tax. birmingham city council, they followed london's ulez . it's not followed london's ulez. it's not quite the £12.50 a day to drive through , but it's an £8 fine if through, but it's an £8 fine if you're driving a non—compliant car. motorists are being hammered and you're shown some fabulous , tranquil photographs fabulous, tranquil photographs ofinner fabulous, tranquil photographs of inner city london streets where the kids are playing safely and they can knock a football around without a car coming down the road at 50 miles an hour to knock them down. and that's a great thing. but let's not also be naive, because if you can't get down that street to get to your destination, then all doing is removing the all you're doing is removing the problem somebody else's all you're doing is removing the probleand somebody else's all you're doing is removing the proble and the nebody else's all you're doing is removing the probleand the leafny else's all you're doing is removing the probleand the leafy suburbs all you're doing is removing the proble and the leafy suburbs of street and the leafy suburbs of hammersmith and fulham, the real wealthy parts , they're the wealthy parts, they're the they're the roads that are benefiting and the people who are living on the main roads, you know, who aren't as wealthy and the ones

you know, who aren't as wealthy and are the ones you know, who aren't as wealthy and are now the ones you know, who aren't as wealthy and are now having the ones you know, who aren't as wealthy and are now having the onwith that are now having to face with the more cars driving the thousands more cars driving past their front door. and of course, we're to cut course, if we're trying to cut down on pollution, all we're doing the problem to doing is pushing the problem to that road rather than 5 or that road rather than these 5 or 6 roads. 6 leafy roads. >> and suppose there's >> and i suppose there's a double with the double issue with the hammersmith fulham areas hammersmith and fulham areas that you describe without planters, without physical roadblocks , trying to rely roadblocks, trying to rely solely on technology for some of these areas. well, you don't make the streets safe then, for children either. you're not winning on either account. you're fining people because people don't realise they're going into a zone. they're driving through streets . so driving through the streets. so the not actually the street's not actually particularly it was particularly quieter than it was before. children can't run without supervision or whatever. it's almost like there's no win on either side of this policy there. >> well, the council, according to their website, tom moore, they've actually reduced the traffic by i think 6 or 7000 per day. so they would argue that it's successful as far as that is concerned. so pedestrian safety has indeed increased. but

just going back to an earlier point, pedestrian safety has decreased on the areas that those cars who do know that they can't drive down 5 or 6 roads without a fine, that pedestrian safety has decreased because they've got to go somewhere. those cars still need to get back to that destination and again, it's the wealthy, affluent, leafy suburbs or the leafy roads that have benefited. >> i think that's a very important point. got important point. you've got a jill and john in their £2 million terraced house that's on their street, that's just been turned into an ltn. and now it's lovely. don't have deal lovely. they don't have to deal with their down, with cars going down their down, their down their road. but next d00h their down their road. but next door. but emily next door, there's main road that now there's a main road that is now congested. entire time. if congested. the entire time. if you're a businessman, if you're a white van man, you can't get anywhere. if you're a freelance hairdresser, can't hairdresser, you can't get anywhere . anywhere. >> in time, you might have quentin or barnaby deciding not to the 4x4 out for the to take the 4x4 out for the little the shop , just little drive to the shop, just at the end of the street. they might walk instead. you might remove from the and remove the car from the road and create journey. create a walking journey. >> you're living >> i think you're living in hypotheticals, though, there,

tom, evidence tom, because the evidence suggests that that is not happening and that what you're seeing roads seeing is just other roads becoming congested becoming more and more congested , and people are not able to get to eight from a to b, like for like not every single car that doesn't down has doesn't go one down one road has to another to go on another road. >> people might choose a different motorist, different you're not a motorist, you're not a driver. >> you're not a driver. use a different you're not a driver. >> tom of travel. >> tom of travel. >> other news, illegal >> well, in other news, illegal small boat crossings in the engush small boat crossings in the english are up by 43% on english channel are up by 43% on the period last year. rishi the same period last year. rishi sunak you know, he's come out many times saying, oh no, no , many times saying, oh no, no, small boats are down. and they were a bit down last year, but it like, not anymore. it seems like, not anymore. will anything britain's anything solve britain's small boat sorry, i didn't boat crisis? yes sorry, i didn't realise that was a

well, it's 248. and the number of illegal small boat crossings in the english channel is up by 43% on the same period last yeah >> well, official home office figures report that a total of 791 channel migrants reached uk waters in 16 small boats over the easter weekend. >> well , in the easter weekend. >> well, in light the easter weekend. >> well , in light of the easter weekend. >> well, in light of these shocking new figures, shall we take listen what rishi take a listen to what rishi sunak had say at the end sunak had to say at the end of last year? sunak had to say at the end of lastbutar? british people's >> but the british people's patience be stretched patience can only be stretched so and they expect the so thin and they expect the boats stopped . boats to be stopped. >> that is why i made it one of my five priorities and whatever our critics might say, we are making progress. >> well, that was true last yeah >> well, that was true last year. last year , the number of year. last year, the number of small boat arrivals was down by over a third. this year, however, the tide has started to go the other way. let's speak to our home and security editor , our home and security editor, mark white for the details. and mark, started picking up on mark, you started picking up on this before. just about anyone else . else. >> yeah. and i think it's very significant now, tom, because we

are at the point where we have actually seen a full reversal here where the 36% reduction in small boats coming across the channel last year has been flipped around, so that actually even more than that now, 43% more more are coming across the engush more more are coming across the english channel than last year. again yesterday, nine boats that came across the channel. we got some video. we want to show you. this was shot by one of those on board. one of the small boats that made it in fairly treacherous conditions . and what treacherous conditions. and what it shows the video, which will repeat for you is, on that boat, amongst others , are quite a amongst others, are quite a significant number of vietnamese , and, you know, vietnam. the last time i was here on holiday was in a particularly hot war zone. as far as i remember. and this is one of the difficulties that the government is, is up against because they see anyone, of course , from the likes of of course, from the likes of vietnam, surely has no right to

claim asylum in the uk , but it claim asylum in the uk, but it will still have to be processed like the other almost 800 who came across this very busy weekend. and i think the reason that it's so significant now, the flipping of this number is that the government and rishi sunak was able to say at various points last year as it was turning in their favour, that look what we are doing, we are getting there. okay, not immediately, but we're making the difference . we're reducing the difference. we're reducing the difference. we're reducing the number of boats coming across till it ended at 36% last yeah across till it ended at 36% last year. we're only a quarter of the way now into the new year 2024, and already it's 43% more. the government can't say that anymore. it might turn around and say, well, judge us on the end of the year. but of course, dunng end of the year. but of course, during the course of last year, they were only too willing to come out at news conference after conference after news conference throughout

that tell us how well that year and tell us how well they were doing by the same degree. then they have to be able to take the criticism now that will be levelled at them, that will be levelled at them, that this is a complete reversal and failure of that same policy. >> i mean, mark, are we taken by surprise by the fact that now vietnamese nationals are crossing the channel >> what we see from year to year is that there is often a change, sometimes it's afghans, and iranians , in fact, they're iranians, in fact, they're always pretty much well represented. but there are various other countries as well, turkish nationals for instance, have been coming across in ever greater numbers and, yes, all those, groups from south east asia as well, vietnam, china are significantly represented. and those that actually watch the way in which these illegals come across the channel will tell you that this is clearly to them

anyway , an example of economic anyway, an example of economic migration and not an example of people who are fleeing, war torn countries to get here for asylum i >> vietnam, of course, a fast growing economy, a member of the, trans—pacific partnership, the, trans—pacific partnership, the comprehensive, the cptpp , the comprehensive, the cptpp, china, the second largest economy in the world. it's extraordinary that people will be fleeing these countries that economically are not are not actually or even i mean , surely actually or even i mean, surely that's got to put if we say that vietnam and china are now akin to afghanistan. on my goodness. or or i don't know any, any sort of failed state around the world, what country isn't then it will still be people . it will still be people. >> there will still be people who say everyone crossing in, in a dinghy in one of these boats must be, you know, have been persecuted in their home country, must be an asylum seeker. you know, there will be people continue to argue people who continue to argue that when it becomes more that even when it becomes more and more clear to most people that actually there are a lot of

people who are just economic migrants, just would prefer to live here where they're from. >> well, the un convention on refugees that we signed to in refugees that we signed up to in the that we helped draft, the 1950s, that we helped draft, that write , does that we helped write, does theoretically give the right of potentially hundreds of millions or billions of people. that theoretical right to move to the uk. it rather undermines any sense of migration control. and then it means that you have to have these peculiar deterrence policies rather border policies rather than border control policies rather than border contrdon't policies rather than border contr don't we policies rather than border contrdon't we have a >> i don't suppose we have a returns agreement with vietnam ehheh >> no, i either. » no, n either. >> no, u think we do. >> no, no, i don't think we do. >> no, no, i don't think we do. >> well, that's it from us for today. but up next, don't fear it is martin daubney, martin, thank you very much. what's coming up on your show then ? coming up on your show then? >> thank you very much, guys. well, tories are at war with well, the tories are at war with reform with no sign of a pact in sight. now the parties are tearing chunks out of each other as 50 seats could be lost thanks to reform . to reform. >> i'm scottish hate crime bill. will everybody in scotland end

up getting arrested? >> the war on boys continues as a new report shows white working class lads are at the bottom and yet nobody is sticking up for them and fantastic news, thank you gb news viewers, because the batley grammar school fundraiser has now reached a £100,000 mark. >> all that money goes directly to the teacher. thanks to you. >> so that's all three till six. but first it's time for your latest weather forecast . latest weather forecast. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb news. >> hello there! welcome to your latest gb news weather. it's a mixed picture out there and over the next few days it remains very similar. unsettled. further spells of rain. but there will be some warm sunshine at times. looking pressure pattern. looking at the pressure pattern. low pressure systems moving in from atlantic bringing from the atlantic bringing spells of rain, some stronger winds, particularly later on in the week. but there will be some sunny spells in between, which was seen across parts was what we've seen across parts

of wales today. was what we've seen across parts of showers wales today. was what we've seen across parts of showers should today. was what we've seen across parts of showers should slowly fade these showers should slowly fade away, however, we will see further spells of rain across parts into northern parts of scotland into northern england, particularly in the parts of scotland into northern englasome|rticularly in the parts of scotland into northern englasome|rti

the week. further rain at times, but sunshine, but in any sunshine, temperatures lifting that warm feeling inside from boxt boiler as sponsors of weather on

gb news. >> a very good afternoon to you. and a very happy easter monday. it's 3 pm. welcome to the martin daubney show on gb news. >> broadcasting live from the heart of westminster. >> all across the uk. >> all across the uk. >> today, there's reaction to the shocking new poll that says the shocking new poll that says the conservatives could win just 80 seats at the next general election, as traditional voters turned to reform and rishi sunak and promised to stop the boats . and promised to stop the boats. but the number of small boat migrants crossing the channel illegally is increased by an astonishing 43. >> on the same period last year.