is. >> that's what he says it is. he's set to strip gps of power to sign people off work . to sign people off work. >> and should we pay our teachers more money? new analysis shows vacancy rates have risen in nine out of ten local authorities in england since 2010. so how do you think we should make the profession more appealing? >> labour's housing solution sir keir starmer, labour leader, sets out his plan to build 1.5 million new homes to tackle the housing crisis. but would they be affordable? >> very good morning to you. thank you for joining >> very good morning to you. thank you forjoining us. thank you for joining us. morning, pip. we're going to be sticking, of course, with that development overnight in iran about israel's reported strike on country. retaliatory on the country. the retaliatory strike also, we're going to be live, aren't we, pip with rishi sunakin live, aren't we, pip with rishi sunak in what, just a few minutes about these welfare reform s. reforms. >> yeah. any moment now we will

of bring you a round up of course bring you a round up of course bring you a round up of news headlines, but we of the news headlines, but we might to out of it to might have to dip out of it to hear from the prime minister about how he is going to tackle what he is britain's sick what he calls is britain's sick note culture. what is your experience record? number of experience of record? number of people work. the people are now off work. the number of people has shot up, shot up since the pandemic. number of people has shot up, shot up since the pandemic . what shot up since the pandemic. what is your experience? do let us know. >> before all that, here's your news headlines with sam francis . news headlines with sam francis. >> ben and pip, thank you very much. well, as we just heard there, rishi sunak is speaking in central london. we're going to take you there live now to hear more from him as he sets out his welfare reform plan, overcome whatever barriers they might face to living an independent, fulfilling life . independent, fulfilling life. >> everyone with the potential should be supported and not just to earn, but to contribute and belong. and we must never tolerate barriers that hold people back from making their contribution and from sharing in

that sense of self—worth that comes from feeling part of being something bigger than ourselves. and that is why this is a moral mission. and why the value of work is so central to my vision for welfare reform. and it is fitting to be setting out that vision here at the centre for social justice . over your 20 social justice. over your 20 year history, you've inspired far reaching changes to welfare, and i want to pay tribute to you and i want to pay tribute to you and of course, your founder, my friend iain duncan smith, who began that journey of reform in 2010, a journey carried through so ably today by mel stride. because when we arrived in office in 2010, people coming office in 2010, people coming off benefits and into work could lose £9 for every ten they earned by far the highest marginal tax rate. and that was morally wrong. so we created universal credit to make sure that work always pays. we introduced the national living wage and increased it every year

, ending low pay in this country. we're rolling out 30 hours of free childcare for every family over nine months of age. we've halved inflation to make the money you earn worth more, and we've cut workers national insurance by a third and £900 tax cut for someone earning the average wage, because it is profoundly wrong that income from work is taxed twice when other forms of income are not. for me, it is a fundamental duty of government to make sure that hard work is always rewarded. i know, and you know that you don't get anything in life without hard work. it's the only way to build a better life for ourselves and our family, and the only way to build a more prosperous country. but in the period since the pandemic , something has gone pandemic, something has gone wrong. the proportion of people who are economically inactive in britain is still lower than our international peers, and lower

today than in any year under the last labour government . but last labour government. but since the pandemic, 850,000 more people have joined this group due to long time sickness. this is wiped out a decades worth of progress in which the rate had fallen every single year. now, of those who are economically inactive, fully half say they have depression or anxiety and most worrying of all, the biggest proportional increase in economic inactivity due to long tum sickness came from young people. those in the prime of their life, just starting out on work and family instead parked on welfare. now we should see it as a sign of progress. of course, that people can talk openly about mental health conditions in a way that years ago would have been unthinkable and i will never dismiss or downplay the illnesses people

have. anyone who has suffered mental ill health, or had family and friends who have knows that these conditions are real and they matter . but just these conditions are real and they matter. but just as it would be wrong to dismiss this growing trend, so it would be wrong to merely sit back and accept it because it's too hard , accept it because it's too hard, too controversial, or for fear of causing offence . doing so of causing offence. doing so would let down many of the people. our welfare system was designed to help . because if you designed to help. because if you believe, as i do, that work gives you the chance not just to earn, but to contribute to belong, to overcome feelings of loneliness and social isolation. and if you believe, as i do, the growing body of evidence, that good work can actually improve mental and physical health, then it becomes clear we need to be more ambitious about helping people back to work and more honest about the risk of over medicalising the everyday

challenges and worries of life failed to address this, and we risk not only letting those people down, but creating a deep sense of unfairness amongst those whose taxes fund our social safety net in a way that risks undermining trust and consent in that very system. we can't stand for that . and of can't stand for that. and of course, the situation as it is economically unsustainable. we can't lose so many people from our workforce whose contributions could help to drive growth, and there's no sustainable way to achieve our goal of bringing down migration levels, which are just too high, without giving more of our own people. the skills , incentives people. the skills, incentives and support to get off welfare and support to get off welfare and back into work. and we can't afford such a spiralling increase in the welfare bill and the irresponsible burden that will place on this and future generations of taxpayers. we now spend.

generations of taxpayers. we now spend . £69 billion on benefits spend. £69 billion on benefits for people of working age with a disability or health condition. that's more than our entire schools budget, more than our transport budget , more than schools budget, more than our transport budget, more than our policing budget and spending on personal independence payments alone is forecast to increase by more than 50% over the next four years. let me just repeat that . years. let me just repeat that. if we do not change, it will increase by more than 50% in just four years. that's not right. it's not sustainable. and it's not fair on the taxpayers who fund it. so in the next parliament, a conservative government will significantly reform and control welfare. now, this is not about making our safety net less generous or imposing a blanket freeze on all benefits, as some have suggested. i'm not prepared to balance the books on the backs of the most vulnerable. instead, the critical questions are about

eligibility , about who should be eligibility, about who should be entitled to support and what kind of support best matches their needs, and to answer these questions, i want to set out today five conservative reforms for a new welfare settlement for britain. first, we must be more ambitious in assessing people's potential for work right now, the gateway to ill health benefits is writing too many off, leaving them on the wrong type of support. and with no expectation of trying to find a job with all the advantages that that brings in 2011, 20% of those doing a work capability assessment were deemed unfit to work. but the latest figure now stands at 65. that's wrong. people are not three times sicker than they were a decade ago, and the world of work has changed dramatically now. of course, those with serious ,

course, those with serious, debilitating conditions should never be expected to work . but never be expected to work. but if you have a low level mobility issue, your employer could make reasonable adjustments, perhaps including adaptations to enable you to work from home and if you're feeling anxious or depressed, then of course you should get the support and treatment you need to manage your condition. but that doesn't mean we should assume you can't engagein mean we should assume you can't engage in work. that's not going to help you, and it's not fair on everyone else either. so we're going to tighten up the work capability assessment such that hundreds of thousands of benefit recipients with less severe conditions will now be expected to engage in the world of work and be supported to do so. 50. >> so. >> so that's the prime minister, rishi sunak, there, unveiling his new welfare reform. some staggering stats. he says that britain is spending more on sickness benefits than on schools or the police. long time sickness is already at 69 billion. once costs such as

housing are included, he says the tories will reform and control welfare , and it is going control welfare, and it is going to look more at what best matches people's needs. >> he wants an end to the sick note culture and over medicalising the everyday challenges and worries of life. thatis challenges and worries of life. that is what rishi sunak said. let's hear what steve mccabe says. he is the labour mp for selly oak. steve i trust you heard a little bit of that. the tories will reform and control welfare if they win the next election. your thoughts please . election. your thoughts please. >> well it's extraordinary they haven't done anything about it in the past 14 years. i suppose , in the past 14 years. i suppose, look, i wish i believed what the prime minister was saying. sometimes when i listen to him, i think he's trying to convince himself rather than everybody else . the reality is that else. the reality is that they've had years to tackle this. i spent several years

sitting on the works and pensions select committee , pensions select committee, listening to evidence of what the government could and should do to help people back into work . they've repeatedly failed to do it, and now magically , just do it, and now magically, just before an election when he knows he's going to be challenged and criticised for that, he's announcing a plan to cut benefits for sick and disabled people. it'sjust benefits for sick and disabled people. it's just so typical of everything he does. >> okay, steve. well, it's easy to critique from the sidelines. so what would a labour government do to tackle this problem? >> well, labour's always started from the position. that's why we have the labour party that if people can work, they should work. but what we know is there are measures that have to be taken to get people back into work, and that isn't about dragooning sick and disabled people into work. and it isn't about putting people with

serious mental health problems into situations where they could be at risk and put others at risk. what we do need is to do something about our mental health services so that people can get treatment quicker earlier, better intervention so that they don't reach a critical phase. we need to allow people who are trying to get back into work to have a better, protection so that they don't lose all their benefits if it goes wrong and they have to go off on long term sickness again , off on long term sickness again, we need to increase, the scope of access to work to disabled people. get quick and easy access to the technology that could help them in work. and we should give them that before they get a job so that they're job ready, not wait until they find a job and then make them wait months to get the right equipment. >> so, steve, when will the labour leader be announcing what he is going to do on welfare

reform? because we haven't had any details from him ? any details from him? >> no, i think , liz kendall >> no, i think, liz kendall actually made quite a detailed , actually made quite a detailed, speech about what she felt needed to be done to tackle this problem just a few months ago, and as i've just indicated, there are some very obvious things . it's there are some very obvious things. it's about there are some very obvious things . it's about better access things. it's about better access to mental health services. it's about better. access to the equipment and technology that helps, disabled people , and it's helps, disabled people, and it's about working more closely with employers to make sure that people who can work get the support that keeps them there. and of course, we've got to make sure that if someone is being unemployed for a long time, because of a health problem, goes back to work, if they have a relapse, we don't want them to lose every single penny that they had previously received in benefits . benefits. >> and steve, whilst we've got

you here, you are of course, shadow defence minister. can we get your thoughts on israel's strike last night, strike against iran last night, please ? please? >> well, i mean, the news is still pretty sketchy, obviously, but i don't think anyone can be surprised at israel carried out , surprised at israel carried out, some act of retaliation after they had 300 drones and missiles targeted on their people, it looks like it was a limited and, quite a surgical strike. and i guess, like everyone else, i hope that's it. and we can get back to the issue of looking for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages and aid into gaza, which i think is the pressing issue in the middle east. >> isn't it important now for all sides to show restraint, though, because there is a risk, is there not, steve, of a full scale war developing ? scale war developing? >> yes, exactly. that's what i'm saying . i hope this was saying. i hope this was a limited surgical strike. i'm not

surprised it's happened after what the iranian regime did. and we do have to remember, you know, it's a pretty grim, evil, despotic regime. and it's responsible for most of the trouble in the middle east. so the iranian regime have no real grounds, for not expected a retaliatory attack. but i hope that will be the end of it. >> but, steve, the argument is just very briefly the argument is that iran was responding to israel's attack on their consulate, killing a lot of their top people . their top people. >> yes, i realise that that is the version of events that iran has managed to spread. but i mean, the reality is the hamas are financed by iran . iran, are financed by iran. iran, islamic jihad are financed by iran, hezbollah are financed by iran. and the event that took place in damascus, i mean, i

don't know, i don't think the details are clear, but the event that took place was at a meeting of islamic revolutionary guards and hamas terrorists . that's the and hamas terrorists. that's the people who were targeted. >> got it. okay steve mccabe, thank you very much for joining us this morning. you are the labour mp for selly oak and of course, the shadow defence minister as well. >> but with us here britain's >> but with us here on britain's newsroom, that's newsroom, apologies, ben. that's okay. we have a recruitment crisis in english schools apparently. and teacher turnover rates is making it even worse. so is it time we just pay them more money?

us. welcome back to britain's newsroom with pip tomson and ben leo. now, the tuc union claimed that a recruitment crisis in engush that a recruitment crisis in english schools is being made worse by huge turnover rates among teachers. >> yeah . so is it time to pay

>> yeah. so is it time to pay our teachers more as a greater incentive to stick to the job? well, joining us now is reeve ibrahim communications officer at the institute of economic affairs. and the teacher and broadcaster bobby seagull. bobby, let's come to you first. you're a teacher. should we pay you more? >> yes. i think when you ask people why they join the teaching profession, they join because they're passionate because they're so passionate about young people's education. they to improve the lot of they want to improve the lot of the next generation in our country. but again , i used to country. but again, i used to work in the city in my 20s, and i become a teacher in my 30s. but something has gone wrong. and say, you look and ultimately i say, you look at supply and demand to see at the supply and demand to see how teachers are voting with their so in the teaching their feet. so in the teaching profession, teachers £9,000 profession, teachers pay £9,000 to a teacher. yeah, to train to be a teacher. yeah, one nato them will leave one nato of them will leave within first year. even within the first year. but even more shockingly , within five more shockingly, within five years, 1 3 teachers have years, 1 in 3 teachers have joined the profession , paid joined the profession, paid £9,000 train. and these £9,000 to train. and these are people really to help people that really want to help young people. they leave. so ultimately, the pay and ultimately, if the pay and working conditions are not just

about the pay working about pay, the pay and working conditions better. we conditions were better. we wouldn't recruitment wouldn't find this recruitment and retention crisis. >> well, i think it's important because talking about because we keep talking about should teachers more? we should we pay teachers more? we need actually explain how need to actually explain how much earn currently. so much teachers earn currently. so as understand minimum as i understand it, the minimum starting salary for a teacher bobby, is £30,000 a year. yeah. typically a teacher can get 40 odd thousand pounds a year. head teachers could be on £100,000 plus. is that about right ? plus. is that about right? >> yes. i think head teachers are running a school that supports an entire community. again, for my time working in the city. look at the economics of it. so the institute of fiscal studies, an independent body they found between 2010 and 2022. so the last 12, 13 years, in real terms, teaching professionals dropped 13% in pay compared to the rest of the economy , up 2. again, it's not economy, up 2. again, it's not abouti economy, up 2. again, it's not about i always think with education, it's not about trying to compare sectors, but ultimately teaching profession over the last 12, 13 years. i think as a country, if we again,

if we value education so much, mr sunak, our prime minister when he joined, became the leader of the conservative party and our prime he said and our prime minister he said improving education is the closest thing that we have to a silver bullet to improving the outcome of our country . and outcome of our country. and that's really true. i don't think we should be squabbling about small amounts here and there. ultimately, if teachers are losing in real are again losing pay in real terms, over the last 12 terms, 13% over the last 12 years, people are leaving the profession . clearly, we're not profession. clearly, we're not paying profession. clearly, we're not paying people enough. >> reem, some good >> okay, reem, there's some good points by bobby there. and points made by bobby there. and teachers, are so important teachers, they are so important to, to, well, inspire young people. they can change somebody's life . what do you somebody's life. what do you make of what he had to say ? make of what he had to say? >> absolutely. teachers are incredibly important, and they are really teaching the next generation of young people that then go to off contributing to then go to off contributing to the private sector. so you're absolutely right. teachers are really important. and, you know, we have conversation about we can have a conversation about whether not they deserve more whether or not they deserve more money. that, though , is money. most of that, though, is in the context of public sector

pay- in the context of public sector pay. so when we're talking about pubuc pay. so when we're talking about public sector pay and public sector how much they sector workers and how much they are has to be spoken are paid, that has to be spoken aboutin are paid, that has to be spoken about in the context of public sector spending. the money has to from somewhere and we're to come from somewhere and we're already spending amounts of already spending huge amounts of money the public sector. money in the public sector. pubuc money in the public sector. public debt has been increasing over few years , and our over the last few years, and our debt to gdp ratio again has been increasing . so we've got to have increasing. so we've got to have this conversation in the context of spending . where is that money of spending. where is that money actually going come from, and actually going to come from, and is going to from tax is it going to come from tax rises? the reason why rises? now, the reason why i think this is really important, because not everybody benefits from teachers having an increased pay. average tesco increased pay. the average tesco shelf stacker doesn't need to pay shelf stacker doesn't need to pay more tax. and i think it's immoral for them to be paying more tax in order to pay somebody else a salary that they don't directly benefit from. it's really interesting. also, we spoke about the ifs figures. i think ifs are really i think the ifs are really underscored here because they i think the ifs are really undedon'ted here because they i think the ifs are really unde don't take re because they i think the ifs are really unde don't take into ecause they i think the ifs are really unde don't take into context1ey i think the ifs are really unde don't take into context the also don't take into context the incredibly generous public sector system . so, you sector pension system. so, you know, on on average, the teacher

teachers have earned about £42,000 in 2021, but they were also benefiting from employer pension . pension. >> very sorry. we're going to i'm going to have to interject and wrap you up. unfortunately thank you so much. reem and bobby seagull as well. really appreciate your expertise. >> say they did >> we should just say they did get a 6.5% pay from get a 6.5% pay rise from september last year. so they have something in the last have had something in the last few months. it enough? few months. but is it enough? let know. let us know. >> plenty to come. first, >> plenty more to come. first, here's your weather with aidan. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar . sponsors of weather on . solar. sponsors of weather on. gb news. >> hello and welcome to the latest update from the met office for gb news. rain clearing the south east today , clearing the south east today, followed by further showers for many of us, accompanied by cool, blustery winds. although skies do later time for do brighten later in time for a sunny start to the weekend. here's the picture by mid—morning , a lot of cloud on mid—morning, a lot of cloud on the map. showers affecting many places, particularly central and eastern areas. skies, though, do brighten across much of central

and western scotland, and then later on western parts of the rest of the uk. we keep the showers going through the midlands, the south east as well, accompanied by a cool and gusty that's going to make gusty wind. that's going to make it little disappointing , it feel a little disappointing, i think with highs of 12 to 15 celsius. nevertheless, the showers across central areas do fade away into the evening. the skies tend to clear as well and the wind eases as a result. with lengthy clear skies, a lighter wind and temperatures will fall through the night. such a frost even as we begin saturday, so gardeners beware there will be some frostiness first thing, but there'll be plenty of bright skies as well. lots of sunshine lifting those temperatures fairly quickly through the morning. so if you're out and about first thing, it will soon warm up and there'll be plenty of sunshine until around the afternoon , when the clouds will afternoon, when the clouds will tend to build, particularly for central and northern parts of the country and for the far north of scotland. we're going

to see some outbreaks of to see some light outbreaks of rain moving here, making it feel cool elsewhere lighter cool elsewhere with lighter winds, feeling pleasant enough. >> warm feeling inside . >> that warm feeling inside. from boxt boilers, sponsors of weather on

gb news. >> very good morning to you. it's 10 am. on friday, april the 19th. this is britain's newsroom with me, ben leo and pip tomson >> the prime minister pledges to end what he claims is the sick note culture in britain. and he wants to make hard work. pay. >> israel strikes iran. the us reports that israel has launched a retaliatory strike with explosions near a military base this morning. how will the international community respond? mark white has more. >> well, the israeli iranian government has said that it has

no plans to retaliate at this stage . if what israel has stage. if what israel has launched overnight is the full total of this limited strike, it may be a way forward for de—escalation . de—escalation. >> is the eu trying to lure britain back ? under their new britain back? under their new plan, people under 30 would be allowed to live in europe for up to four years to improve post—brexit youth mobility . post—brexit youth mobility. >> and in a gb news exclusive , >> and in a gb news exclusive, we can reveal there's been a ten fold rise in care sector investigations by the labour exploitation watchdog. our man, charlie peters has more. the gangmasters and labour abuse authority has confirmed that surge in investigations into the care sector, with researchers and mps telling me that the rise is linked to industrial scale abuse of the visa route . abuse of the visa route. >> labour's housing solution sir keir starmer sets out his plan to build 1.5 million new homes to build 1.5 million new homes to tackle the housing crisis,

but would they be affordable? >> as always, let us know your thoughts gbnews.com forward slash your say. the comments are absolutely flying in at the moment. pip and i have been watching them intently. i'm keen to know pip about sir keir starmer's housing reforms. what's he going to do to ensure young people get on the housing ladder? i'm sure what you ladder? i'm not sure what you guys think at home, i am guys think at home, but i am guilty of being a bit of a nimby back in, back down south. my only problem is with these new build houses. not a fan of build houses. i'm not a fan of these sort of toytown new build estates, let us know estates, but let us know what you gbnews.com/yoursay estates, but let us know what youhe's gbnews.com/yoursay estates, but let us know what you he's talkingns.com/yoursay estates, but let us know what you he's talking about1/yoursay estates, but let us know what you he's talking about1/y0|grey >> he's talking about the grey belt, not the green belt, isn't he? not the green belt. the grey belt which is building part of the green building on part of the green belt. a little bit belt. we'll explain a little bit more shortly after more very shortly after your headunes more very shortly after your headlines sam francis .

headlines with sam francis. >> pip and ben, thank you very much and good morning to you from the newsroom. >> it's just after 10:00 and leading the news this hour. the government is calling for de—escalation and moderation in the middle east following reports that israel launched air strikes against iran . iranian strikes against iran. iranian state media says three drones were shot down with explosions heard at an air base near the city of isfahan. it's thought the strikes were in response to last weekend's attack, when iran fired a barrage of its own drones and missiles at israel, local air defences were also activated and commercial flights were grounded. senior iranian officials have said that there's no plan for any immediate retaliation against israel . retaliation against israel. there has also been no reported damage or reports of any injuries. former chairman of the defence select committee tobias ellwood, says that israel appears to have targeted nuclear sites. >> there are reports that iran is beginning to enrich uranium again at scale. up to 60% with

enough quantity for three sizeable bombs. and it could be that they believe that only going by having a nuclear deterrent. are they going to be able to fend off any conventional attacks ? so a lot conventional attacks? so a lot of big questions there. and that's perhaps worth pondering on, because whatever happens next, the rules of the game, this shadow war between iran and israel has completely changed with this direct attack . with this direct attack. >> rishi sunak says there is a moral mission to end what he's called sick note culture and to give people the best possible chance of returning to work . chance of returning to work. dufing chance of returning to work. during a major speech on welfare reform in just the last few minutes, the prime minister claimed that since the pandemic , claimed that since the pandemic, something he says has gone wrong with 850,000 more people now economically inactive . he's also economically inactive. he's also claimed people with less severe mental health conditions should be expected to engage in the world of work. however labour has accused the government of failing to deliver a healthy nafion

failing to deliver a healthy nation and a healthy economy in scotland. opposition parties are urging the snp to cooperate fully with the police investigation into its finances after nicola sturgeon's husband, peter murrell, was charged with embezzling funds. the snp's former chief executive was charged in connection with the spending of more than £600,000 in donations for independence campaigning. it's part of a three year long investigation known as operation branch form officers have confirmed that the 59 year old is no longer in custody . we also understand he custody. we also understand he has resigned his snp membership. in other news, parents are being warned that children aged between 5 and 7 are spending too much time, often unsupervised , much time, often unsupervised, on social media. ofcom claims that 38% of infant school children now use platforms including tiktok, whatsapp and instagram , despite those sites instagram, despite those sites requiring users to at least be 13 years old to have an account.

the regulator's also suggested that a quarter of children in that a quarter of children in that same age bracket , that a quarter of children in that same age bracket, 5 to 7 years old, now have a smartphone. the research comes as the government's online safety bill, which aims to make the internet safer for children, is set to come into force in september . we've heard today september. we've heard today that the government could adopt live ai facial recognition to screen migrants arriving in the uk for potential threats. the uk's anti—terror law adviser is concerned that migrant processing centres are overwhelmed, with some people being released before thorough checks are carried out. the move would allow border officials to screen those crossing in small boats against a database of terror suspects. more than 6200 people have so far crossed the channel this year. the proposals come as the government's rwanda plan, aimed at deterring small boat crossings, is currently stalled in deadlock between the house of commons and the house of lords . the government's being of lords. the government's being warned it's too focused on short

tum responses to extreme weather, including floods , weather, including floods, storms and heat waves. the pubuc storms and heat waves. the public accounts committee is calling on ministers to urgently act to put long term planning in place. their report claims that failure to do so could come at a high cost to individuals, the economy and to society. the government, though, says the uk does have a robust, flexible planning system in place in the us. donald trump has labelled the hush money case against him as a mess. that's as the full jury as a mess. that's as the full jury of 12 have now been sworn in for the trial of the former us president addressed reporters as he left court in new york, saying he was supposed to be campaigning ahead of the 2024 presidential election. those on the jury include an english teacher, multiple lawyers and a software engineer. trump denies the allegations against him of falsifying business records to pay falsifying business records to pay an adult film star, and the o2 academy in brixton is holding its first gig tonight since two women were killed in a crush in

december. they died when fans without tickets tried to get into a show by a nigerian artist. lambeth council ruled the venue could keep its licence as long as it met robust safety rules . those are the headlines. rules. those are the headlines. for more, do sign up to gb news alerts. just scan the code there on your screen or go to gb news. com slash alerts. now though, it's back to ben and pip. >> good morning. welcome to britain's newsroom on gb news with ben leo and pip tomson. great to have your company this friday morning. >> very good morning to you. now rishi sunak has it wouldn't rishi sunak has said it wouldn't be for him to speculate on be right for him to speculate on reports that israel this morning has an attack has carried out an attack on iranian has carried out an attack on irania comes after two us >> it comes after two us officials had already confirmed an israeli missile hit iran in the early hours this morning. the early hours of this morning. >> let's take a look at what the prime minister had to say a little bit earlier. >> as you would appreciate, it's a developing situation. it

wouldn't for to wouldn't be right for me to speculate the facts become speculate until the facts become clear. working to clear. and we're working to confirm details together confirm the details together with . we have condemned with allies. we have condemned iran's reckless dangerous iran's reckless and dangerous barrage of missiles against israel on saturday, and israel absolutely has the right to self—defence. but as i said to prime minister netanyahu when i spoke to him last week, and more generally, significant escalation is not in anyone's interest. what want to see is interest. what we want to see is calm heads prevail across the region . region. >> so that was rishi sunak a little earlier , saying he didn't little earlier, saying he didn't want to speculate. no speculation from our gb news home and security editor mark white, but he can tell us exactly what we know so far. over to you, mark. >> well, we're expecting israel later this morning or early afternoon to confirm that they indeed did carry out this limited strike on iranian soil. and world leaders will be hoping that because of the limited nature of that strike, that that might well be enough to start

leading to an de—escalation in this crisis . the mood music this crisis. the mood music that's coming from tehran this morning seems to be one of playing down the significance of those strikes and saying that they have no plans at the moment, at least to retaliate at any time soon. so they're clearly still assessing exactly what happened. we understand that a number of israeli combat jets fired long—range missiles. now, those jets will have fired those missiles from outside of iranian airspace, likely from syria , because we were getting syria, because we were getting reports from syria, state media that a number of air defence sites and early warning radars were taken out by the israelis overnight. that would have allowed them access to syrian airspace to fire off those missiles . there airspace to fire off those missiles. there are airspace to fire off those missiles . there are also reports missiles. there are also reports that drones were fired in tandem

with those missiles from in country . now, what we understand country. now, what we understand is that those drones, whoever they were fired from inside iran, were fired to try to effectively keep those air defence systems in iran busy while the missiles did their work. so isfahan is the area that was targeted. we believe that was targeted. we believe that a city in the northwest of iran may also have been targeted . it looks as though that northwestern city was a site where ballistic missiles were launched from . isfahan not only launched from. isfahan not only has some important military bases around that area, there are nuclear sites , sites in are nuclear sites, sites in isfahan or around the isfahan area. the international atomic energy agency has said, though, that there are no there is no damage , no indication that any damage, no indication that any nuclear facilities have been targeted, and as far as isfahan is concerned, apart from the military bases , the nuclear

military bases, the nuclear sites, it's believed that there is also drone production facilities. and that's important because we know that 170 drones were fired at israel on saturday night. so targeting those drone facilities, if that's what they've done, may well make sense here, but all eyes, i guess, are on iran now. and of course, on israel, too, to get that final confirmation from them as to what they targeted and what their plans are next, if they will. they're unlikely to share that. but the hope is that this was a single limited response to iran. and it's not just the first phase in what will be deeper strikes on that country . country. >> thanks very much. mark wight gb news his home and security edhoni gb news his home and security editor. i know you'll update us again very shortly , but let's go again very shortly, but let's go back to central london, where the prime minister a little

earlier in the last hour, has been setting out his welfare reform plan. our political edhon reform plan. our political editor, christopher hope , was editor, christopher hope, was there and he asked a question , there and he asked a question, next we go to gb news, christopher gb news prime minister, is this sick note culture, a generational thing ? culture, a generational thing? are you basically saying that britain's got to pull itself together, go back to work to older people, just get on with it, younger don't it, and younger people don't want to? and can i ask you a question about the rwanda flights? you now won't these flights? you now won't say these flights? you now won't say these flights the end flights will take off by the end of will you say where of spring. will you say where they'll take off by the end of they'll take off by the end of the summer? >> right. on this question of >> right. so on this question of mental health, want to be mental health, i just want to be really clear. in any way really clear. i'm not in any way saying mental health isn't saying that mental health isn't a condition. of course a serious condition. of course it is. and why, as i it is. and that's why, as i outlined earlier, we've invested a in it, record a record amount in it, a record amount people treated amount of people getting treated for it's a very welcome for it. and it's a very welcome thing that we all can talk and acknowledge mental health issues in way wouldn't or in a way that we wouldn't or couldn't done ago. couldn't have done a decade ago. and you're feeling and look, if you're feeling anxious depressed and of

anxious or depressed and of course should get the course you should get the support the treatment that support and the treatment that you manage your you need to manage your conditions. that doesn't conditions. but that doesn't mean that we should assume you can't engage in the world of work because that isn't going to help you when all the evidence says that can be good for says that work can be good for your mental health. what we your mental health. and what we need to is risk over need to not do is risk over medicalising these things. when it comes to the welfare system and over medicalising what are essentially the everyday challenges and anxieties of life , right. that is distinct from a welfare system that recognises people with severe conditions, needs very specific help and support . you know, for lots of support. you know, for lots of other people with less severe conditions, they can and should be expected to engage in the world of work. and that's why we're going to reform the work capability assessments again, and treats these and look at how pip treats these conditions. point on conditions. but this point on young people is important. and i said it should worry all of us. the biggest proportional increase in the group of people who have become economically

inactive since the pandemic is young people, right. that is a tragedy , right? it's an enormous tragedy, right? it's an enormous waste and loss of human potential . and so as a matter of potential. and so as a matter of urgency, we should be wanting to tackle that. and i said, if you believe very strongly as i do, that work is good for people, particularly early in their careers in life, then we must look at reforming this system , look at reforming this system, because how it's working at the moment, forget about what it's doing money and doing on the money and everything else, it's everything else, and it's unsustainable for the unsustainable and bad for the economy. fundamentally unsustainable and bad for the econonthese fundamentally unsustainable and bad for the econonthese people mentally unsustainable and bad for the econonthese people down..ly letting these people down. if we are writing them off, rather than helping them get into work, because that's probably one of the positive things can the most positive things we can do them, on rwanda, the very do for them, on rwanda, the very simple thing here is that simple thing here is, is that repeatedly, everyone tried repeatedly, everyone has tried to from getting this to block us from getting this bill through. and, you know, yet again, you saw it this week. you saw labour peers blocking us again. and that's enormously frustrating. everyone's patience with this has run thin . mine with this has run thin. mine certainly has. so our intention now is to get this done on

monday. no more prevarication, no more delay. we are going to get this done on monday, and we will sit there and vote until it's done. i think everyone will be that there's be able to see that there's a clear choice here. you've got a conservative government that is doing everything it doing absolutely everything it can to pass this bill, so that after that as after that we soon as practically possible, can get flights rwanda and flights to leave to rwanda and build deterrent so that we build that deterrent so that we can stop the boats. and you've got labour party is doing got a labour party that is doing absolutely everything it can to delay frustrate, and in delay and frustrate, and us in that aim. think the british that aim. i think the british people can see that clearly people can see that very clearly , deterred. we're , but we're not deterred. we're going everything we can to going to do everything we can to stop and get i said, stop the boats and get i said, look, the priority now is to get this passed at the this bill passed right at the end day, we've got to get end of the day, we've got to get this passed. and i said, this bill passed. and i said, now, clearly, we're going now, very clearly, we're going to this done on monday. we to get this done on monday. we don't want any more prevarication delay prevarication or delay enough from labour we're from the labour party. we're going bill passed going to get this bill passed and we will work to get and then we will work to get flights off so we can build that deterrent, the deterrent, because that is the only this issue. only way to resolve this issue. if care about stopping the if you care about stopping the boats, you've to have boats, you've got to have a deterrent. you've got to have

somewhere can send somewhere that you can send people that they know if they people so that they know if they come get come illegally, they won't get to as simple as that. to stay. it's as simple as that. the bill the way we're going the bill is the way we're going to deliver that, next. >> our man christopher hope, >> so our man christopher hope, gb news. political editor, quizzing there, the quizzing rishi sunak there, the prime minister, interestingly, sunak over sunak making another pledge over rwanda, to sunak making another pledge over rwaitia, to sunak making another pledge over rwait done to sunak making another pledge over rwait done on to sunak making another pledge over rwait done on monday. to sunak making another pledge over rwait done on monday. don't) get it done on monday. don't worry about that. we're going to get done. but terms of the get it done. but in terms of the welfare reforms he's announced today, speak today, let's speak to our political or not ours, the political or not ours, the political editor of huffpost uk, kevin kevin schofield. good morning. kevin, the prime minister we well, minister says that we are well, britain medicalising britain is over medicalising common anxieties and particularly young people he blames are behind it. what's your thoughts on that? >> yeah, it's very interesting , >> yeah, it's very interesting, isn't it? >> clearly the government is worried about the high levels of , people being signed off sick, and want to help as many, who can work, get back into work as quickly as possible. i think the issue there's, there's two issues really for rishi sunak here is one, you know, these promises have been made continually under successive governments a very, very governments for a very, very long helping those out

long time. but helping those out of back into work, and of work back into work, and getting them off sickness benefits and two, i think most people have already come to the conclusion that rishi sunak is not going to be prime minister for very much longer, and that we've got an election coming in a few months time. this is effectively a consultation. it's not going to come not as if it's going to come into being next week. therefore, as it's really going to make much difference this side of a general election. and i don't really think it is how much cut through as well, do you through as well, kevin, do you think will have because some think it will have because some people would listen to that and say that he is belittling young people. >> he's showing a lack of compassion and they want younger people to vote for them at the next election. compared to five years ago. the voting age, we're told, is a lot, lot higher. >> yeah, there was a poll yesterday, i think, which showed that the average age at which people are now more likely to vote conservative than labour has risen to 70 from something like the mid 30s in 2019, which

is a remarkable increase. so clearly the conservatives have a big problem trying to get young people to vote for them. i think the wider issue here, though , is the wider issue here, though, is that i was looking at some polling earlier on this morning, and the public are pretty evenly split when it comes how split when it comes to how society deals mental health society deals with mental health issues. roughly a quarter think that, the company should be doing more to help people suffering mental illness. but roughly the same number are slightly less. think that, more people who are currently off sick due to mental health issues could actually be working. so it doesn't strike me as a sort of slam dunk, politically advantageous policy announcement ehhen advantageous policy announcement either. but clearly this is something that the prime minister and the government have been talking about for a few months now, and it's clearly something he wants to get done before a general election, because, as i say, it doesn't look like he'll be prime minister that. minister after that. >> what do you make of >> kevin, what do you make of the that young people the arguments that young people have covid lockdowns? have enjoyed covid lockdowns? they've taste of, you

they've got a taste of, you know, the home life, working from having as kevin still from home, having as kevin still with us or has gone, oh, with us or has he gone, oh, you're still there. sorry. you disappeared. young disappeared. the young people have, used to the have, basically got used to the easy life at home, and they just don't want to graph the 9 to 5. they don't want to do what generations and generations have done before and go maybe even multiple go to work, maybe even multiple jobs, covid them jobs, because covid gave them a taste something a once in taste of something a once in a generation taste of it's generation taste of what it's like away from the workplace and working . working hard. >> think that's a sweeping >> and i think that's a sweeping generalisation , really. i mean, generalisation, really. i mean, the young people much younger than me, i have to say, the young people that i know don't fit that stereotype, that they that do want work. maybe that they do want to work. maybe they a better work life they want a better work life balance and they don't necessarily to in the necessarily want to be in the office days a week and office five days a week and maybe want to split their time from from home and being from working from home and being in the office. the idea that in the office. but the idea that that that they don't want that means that they don't want to all, and that they're to work at all, and that they're just lounging around on just lounging around all day on youtube, true, youtube, i think is, not true, but, know, no doubt but, you know, there's no doubt that pandemic changed the that the pandemic changed the way all of approached way that all of us approached work. i'm working from home

today. usually in the today. i'm usually in the office, i'm working from office, but i'm working from home today. previously, that probably an probably wouldn't have been an option. i'm still option. so but i'm still working, and i think those that working, and i think those that work home still work from home are still working. so think it's pretty working. so i think it's pretty unfair say that people unfair to say that young people who to work who don't want to work effectively. again, if the effectively. and again, if the conservatives want people conservatives want young people to them, then to maybe vote for them, then that's not really the message that's not really the message that should be putting out . that they should be putting out. >> political editor of huffpost uk, kevin schofield, as always, appreciate your input this morning. some people would also say that the government is distracting from its lack of investment in mental health services. when people try to get appointments and they wait for months and months. >> well, the other argument is some you have said on some of you have said on gbnews.com/yoursay, it boils down to immigration. there's just too people here. you just too many people here. you can't gp appointments, you can't get gp appointments, you can't get gp appointments, you can't a dentist, you can't can't see a dentist, you can't get health appointments, get mental health appointments, you housing to do with you can't get housing to do with a investment in public services. >> yeah. and not to do with immigration at all. yeah. what do us know. tell immigration at all. yeah. what do that. us know. tell immigration at all. yeah. what do that. tell us know. tell immigration at all. yeah. what do that. tell me us know. tell immigration at all. yeah. what do that. tell me the know. tell immigration at all. yeah. what do that. tell me the emailtell me that. tell me the email address. ben, i still can't remember this. gb news. oh, it's

on screen. gbnews.com on the screen. gbnews.com forward yourself, think. forward slash yourself, i think. >> it can be a bit of >> i think it can be a bit of both, can't it? it can be, yes. the government and the tories have invested properly have not invested properly in infrastructure. maybe have not invested properly in infrastr a ture. maybe have not invested properly in infrastra bite. maybe have not invested properly in infrastra bit of maybe have not invested properly in infrastra bit of a maybe have not invested properly in infrastra bit of a problem aybe have not invested properly in infrastra bit of a problem with there's a bit of a problem with uncontrolled migration. but anyway, we are anyway, still to come, we are going to, be discussing children as young as three as three years old. is that right? >> i can't get my head around this as young as three having smartphones, of course, with internet access and all the, the stuff that accompanies that, i've got a four year old. there's absolutely no way in hell he is having a smartphone. >> do you ever sit him in front of a tablet while you're having food with friends? >> no, not no, not >> oh, no no no, not no, not with not out for dinner. no. on a long carjourney. maybe sometimes we to scotland. sometimes we drive to scotland. perhaps, not perhaps, but definitely not because it's the easy thing to do isn't it? oh yeah. and do now isn't it? oh yeah. and i get why i understand. i get why parents it. and actually, parents do it. and actually, before my kids born, we before my kids were born, we were they're only going were saying they're only going to eat organic food. they're not going telly until going to watch telly until they're and all that kind of they're 17 and all that kind of stuff. so, know, out

stuff. so, you know, it goes out the is hard, the window because life is hard, i it. i get it. >> but what's your experience? do have a teeny tot do you have a teeny tiny tot who's obsessed with a mobile phone? do tell us, how do we get well, not just people, well, not just young people, but really, ones

gb news. >> welcome back. good morning. you're with ben and pip on britain's newsroom only on gb news. we're joined now by former editor of the daily star. dawn neesom and author and broadcaster amy nicole turner. neesom and author and broamay:er amy nicole turner. neesom and author and broa may ir amy nicole turner. neesom and author and broa may i say1y nicole turner. neesom and author and broa may i say i' nicole turner. neesom and author and broa may i say i said)le turner. neesom and author and broa may i say i said its turner. neesom and author and broa may i say i said it whenzr. neesom and author and broa may i say i said it when you and may i say i said it when you walked in air. you guys are walked in off air. you guys are looking fab this morning. feel looking fab this morning. i feel a underdressed. all of you, a bit underdressed. all of you, includingyou let side >> well, you have let the side down. it to be said. we do down. it has to be said. we do want to mention it, did we, lady? but you know, come on, someone's lady? but you know, come on, sonwell,�*s lady? but you know, come on, sonwell, men are quite limited, >> well, men are quite limited, aren't they? mean, all we can >> well, men are quite limited, areist they? mean, all we can >> well, men are quite limited, areis whack mean, all we can >> well, men are quite limited, areis whack her.3an, all we can do is whack her. >> you can do whatever you i've copied. >> you gone. blazer. who, me? androgynous yeah. look great. >> yeah. anyway, just thought >> yeah. anyway, i just thought i'd thank you very >> yeah. anyway, i just thought i'd should thank you very >> yeah. anyway, i just thought i'd should we thank you very >> yeah. anyway, i just thought i'd should we get1k you very >> yeah. anyway, i just thought

i'd should we get stuck| very >> yeah. anyway, i just thought i'd should we get stuck intol much. should we get stuck into some of the. >> for the flattery? yeah. everyone always does this in telly. your dress. telly. oh, i love your dress. >> your dress is gorgeous. >> oh, your dress is gorgeous. >> oh, your dress is gorgeous. >> out the room. >> you walk out the room. where'd you get your from? where'd you get your dress from? and walk the and soon as you walk out the room. looks room. oh, god. she looks dreadful. oh, god. >> let's just the >> oh, let's just let's just the input. sorry. input. yes, then. sorry. >> that's ever going to happen. >> elianne his mouth shut. >> elianne keeps his mouth shut. >> elianne keeps his mouth shut. >> we're off to flying start, right. >> after all that mutual flattery, we'll. we'll carry on, shall about what? shall we? and talk about what? what mentioned minutes what we mentioned a few minutes ago. a quarter children under ago. a quarter of children under seven own seven having their own smartphone seven having their own sm.dawn, |e seven having their own sm.dawn,|ejust couldn't i was >> dawn, i just couldn't i was reading first thing >> dawn, i just couldn't i was readmorning. first thing >> dawn, i just couldn't i was readmorning. couldn'thing >> dawn, i just couldn't i was readmorning. couldn't believe >> dawn, i just couldn't i was reél'veirning. couldn't believe >> dawn, i just couldn't i was reél've literally couldn't believe it. i've literally just got a new smartphone other week new smartphone the other week and idea how to and i have got no idea how to use it, so it's like, so the fact that year olds now fact that three year olds now have and are using have smartphones and are using not like, you not just phones, not like, you know, things you know, the very simple things you can but can play bubbles games on, but proper smartphones it . proper smartphones and is it. >> i want to believe that it's that they've sort of taken it off their parents and just having a bit of a play for a few minutes, but it's more than that. >> it's they are literally they have phones but have their own phones and but over of parents have over 50% of parents have no problem and i can't problem with this. and i can't understand it. and this this report ofcom report also

report is an ofcom report also says that are accessing all says that they are accessing all the things on the, on the sorts of things on the, on the sorts of things on the, on the internet they shouldn't be accessing because the checks and balances about age just don't seem know, kids seem to work. you know, kids will find that they're will always find that they're cleverer we they cleverer than we are. they always ways things. always find ways around things. so they're accessing that so they're accessing stuff that is kind of surreal. >> i mean, ben, you've got kids. could a three year old find their way around a smartphone, my four, my boy jude, who's four, he knows he doesn't. knows actually, no he doesn't. once i open the notes app on an ios device, he likes drawing, and he knows how operate and he knows how to operate the notes app in an iphone or an ipad. but no, he wouldn't. >> do know what, though? >> do you know what, though? there like these kids >> do you know what, though? thegrowing like these kids >> do you know what, though? thegrowing a.ike these kids >> do you know what, though? thegrowing a lot these kids >> do you know what, though? thegrowing a lot more kids >> do you know what, though? thegrowing a lot more used are growing up a lot more used to media than we are, to social media than we are, because obviously didn't even because obviously we didn't even have noticed now, have it. and i've noticed now, if to a child, oh, can if you say to a child, oh, can you what phone is? you show me what a phone is? they go like this or they sort of go like this or like i sorry, they like this. i mean, sorry, they go rather like go like this rather than like this. and go like this rather than like tiknow and go like this rather than like tiknow children and go like this rather than like tiknow children will and go like this rather than like tiknow children will your1d i know children will grab your phone how swipe phone and they know how to swipe from such. from such and such. >> know how to swipe. >> yeah. whereas we didn't know that, did think that's the that, did we? i think that's the thing. my generation, thing. it's like my generation, we up with the we didn't grow up with the internet and we're bringing up

this of this new generation of like digital and this new generation of like digita|why and this new generation of like digita|why think and this new generation of like digita|why think we ind that's why i don't think we always this always register how harmful this stuff really is. >> going end >> you're going to end up breeding generation breeding a generation of children communication children whose communication powers limited , because powers are very limited, because all they do is do that , don't all they do is do that, don't look up. don't look anybody in the face. >> no, i think we've already got it. we've we've got it. we've got we've got generations remember generations now, i remember working newspaper. working at my old newspaper. we'd coming from we'd have people coming from universities on work experience. they'd been stuck in a digital world for years and years and years and they'd come into work and couldn't pick up a phone, couldn't someone eye and couldn't pick up a phone, coulspeak someone eye and couldn't pick up a phone, coulspeak to someone eye and couldn't pick up a phone, coulspeak to them,)ne eye and couldn't pick up a phone, coulspeak to them, couldn't eye and speak to them, couldn't knock a door chase a news knock on a door to chase a news story. was insane. so i guess story. it was insane. so i guess the argument is, though, dawn, if young kids from if you do ban young kids from accessing they accessing technology, are they going when going to be left behind when they get a bit older and their peers are advanced their peers are so advanced in their coding, creating? peers are so advanced in their coding, cyou ng? peers are so advanced in their coding, cyou have to make it. >> well, you have to make it. you somehow it you have to somehow make it a blanket mean, of blanket ban. i mean, sort of like, know, like, you know, you know, rishi sunak on about sunak keeps going on about making tougher kids to making it tougher for kids to access shouldn't be access stuff they shouldn't be accessing on their phones, but it just doesn't to be it just doesn't seem to be happening. finding happening. they keep finding ways. set ways. so you have to surely set an so no child under an age limit. so no child under an age limit. so no child under

a certain age has a phone. >> it's about social >> i think it's about social media mainly, though, because i know when i was reading the infamous castle report, there was the links with social media use , poor sleep, online use, poor sleep, online harassment, poor self—esteem , harassment, poor self—esteem, poor body image. what equals that huge mental health problems . and we've seen that, haven't we? mental health problems in younger particularly are younger people particularly are absolutely skyrocketing. and i don't between don't think the link between that and phone use can be is aiming nothing on. >> is real. nothing is >> there is real. nothing is real. not seeing real. you're not seeing realistic body images. you're not seeing realistic lifestyles. you're being fed a lie, but you're believing you are not as good as everybody else because they look so much better than you. a nicer car, you. they have a nicer car, nicer house, clothes, and nicer house, nicer clothes, and sorry, was just going sorry, no, i was just going to say, this therefore show say, doesn't this therefore show that the that this government's the government at a cracking government looking at a cracking down on the use of smartphones under 16, isn't it? >> social media, that is >> and on social media, that is sorely needed. >> it's much needed. but >> it's very much needed. but i don't how they're to don't know how they're going to don't know how they're going to do there are checks do it because there are checks in supposedly checks in place, supposedly checks in place year olds place to stop 13 year olds accessing much stuff on accessing so much stuff on

there. kids are doing accessing so much stuff on thethese kids are doing accessing so much stuff on thethese are ids are doing accessing so much stuff on thethese are ids areitioing accessing so much stuff on thethese are ids areit at1g it. these kids are doing it at seven, and nine years old. seven, eight and nine years old. >> an piece >> there was an opinion piece i think a canadian website think it was a canadian website where said she'd rather where a parent said she'd rather her second hand smoke her child have second hand smoke blown than blown in their face than use social because such social media, because it's such a all the a massive concern of all the harm that it can potentially do. yeah, as less of a health concern than than social media. well, facebook owner for very young children with developing brains. >> facebook owner mark zuckerberg his kids zuckerberg doesn't let his kids use instagram or facebook. so what mean exactly ? what does that mean exactly? >> yeah. what does that tell us, should move this second should we move on to this second story? european union is story? the european union is trying to worm way into trying to worm its way back into bed britain . it's i guess bed with britain. it's i guess it's anticipating an impending labour government. they're saying that they are. well, they've proposed a freedom of movement style deal for young europeans, appeal to a future europeans, to appeal to a future labour government. basically, 18 to olds can go to europe to 30 year olds can go to europe to 30 year olds can go to europe to work for four years. europeans here to work europeans can come here to work for freedom of for four years. freedom of movement, starmer has movement, sir keir starmer has made course, made no secret, of course, of the he would like closer the fact he would like closer ties is this the ties with the eu. is this the first, sign, the first step of us getting into bed with

us getting back into bed with the eu? amy? >> well, i think that's perhaps what some of the headlines want us think. but, labour us to think. but, labour have already ruled it out, as have number 10. so this is more of the european commission saying, hey, we propose freedom of hey, we propose this freedom of movement style deal, which sounds to me a lot like the erasmus scheme. do you remember the foreign the erasmus scheme, a foreign exchange student exchange program. basically. i think the proposal sounds pretty good, actually. it means that students and young people under 30 from the from european countries can come here. and a reciprocal scheme, our young people can go over to europe to work, study . over to europe to work, study. >> there's a four year limit, well, at the moment the scheme has just been been completely denied by anyone on our side. and it's just a bit of a proposal from brussels that has been kind of kind of dead in the water. but the erasmus scheme, it could that could come back and that a lot of support , and that has a lot of support, from the likes of sadiq khan signed letter lords signed a letter for you lords have signed a letter, because a lot feel that we

lot of people feel that we really lost something with that when left the eu. and i when we left the eu. and so i think it would good idea to think it would be a good idea to have sort of foreign have some sort of foreign exchange , but it doesn't exchange program, but it doesn't look it's going this one. >> dawn. i mean , some people >> dawn. i mean, some people could understand could never understand why freedom of movement ended anyway. quiet. anyway. well quiet. >> but i mean it. we are where we are with whole brexit we are with the whole brexit thing. usual, thing. but this is, as usual, everything in favour the eu everything in favour of the eu and not so much in favour of this because we under this country because we under this country because we under this proposed scheme, as amy quite pointed is quite rightly pointed out, is just we accept people just proposal. we accept people from the whole european bloc, but students are only but our students are only allowed to go to one country. >> okay, dawn, amy, thanks very much. back with us much. you'll be back with us shortly. get your shortly. let's get your news headunes shortly. let's get your news headlines francis. headlines with sam francis. >> good morning. from the newsroom. 1033 a recap of the headunes newsroom. 1033 a recap of the headlines this morning. the government is calling for de—escalation and modernisation in the middle east. moderation rather, in the middle east, following reports that israel launched air strikes against iran state media says three drones were shot down with

explosions heard at an air base near the city of isfahan. the strike is thought to be in response to last weekend's attack, when iran fired a barrage of its own drones and missiles at israel . we missiles at israel. we understand no damage or injuries have been reported . senior have been reported. senior iranian officials, though, say there is no plan to immediately retaliate. the prime minister says there is a moral mission to end what he's called sick note culture, and to give people the best possible chance of returning to work. during a major speech on welfare reform , major speech on welfare reform, rishi sunak claimed that since the pandemic, something has gone wrong, with 850,000 more people now economically inactive. however, labour has accused the government of failing to deliver a healthy nation and a healthy economy . opposition parties are economy. opposition parties are urging the snp to cooperate fully with the police investigation into its finances , investigation into its finances, after nicola sturgeon's husband, peter murrell, was charged with embezzling funds. it's in connection with the spending of

more than £600,000 in donations for independence, campaigning officers have confirmed. the party's former chief executive is no longer in custody and he has also resigned his snp membership . that's the latest membership. that's the latest from the newsroom. for more, do sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the code on your screen or go to gb news. com slash alerts . alerts. >> for stunning gold and silver coins, you'll always value rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news financial report , the gb news financial report, and here's a look at the markets this morning. >> the pound will buy you 131.2445 and >> the pound will buy you $1.2445 and ,1.1684. the price of gold is £1,914.47 per ounce, and the ftse 100 is at 7823 points. >> rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news financial

i >> -- >> we're -_ >> we're gb news and we come from a proud tradition of british journalism. >> that's why i'm so excited to be here. >> it's something so new. >> it's something so new. >> the first news channel to be launched britain over 30 years. >> launched to represent the views of the british people. to go where broadcasters go where other broadcasters refuse . refuse to go. >> how do you find out about the story in the first place? >> launched aim to be >> launched with one aim to be the of britain i >> -- >> it's an absolutely fantastic atmosphere >> it's an absolutely fantastic atnthislere >> it's an absolutely fantastic atnthis ise >> it's an absolutely fantastic atnthis is gb news the people's >> this is gb news the people's channel >> this is gb news the people's channel, gb news britain's news channel, gb news britain's news channel. >> hello, it's 1039. you're with ben and pip on britain's newsroom only on gb news. lots of emails flying in and comments. one from virginia. good morning virginia. you say no under no no phones for under 16. no social media until they're 16. the internet is killing childhood , echoed a lot in the childhood, echoed a lot in the

gbnews.com/yoursay comment section as well. >> brian, good morning. your little nephew , who's three years little nephew, who's three years old, pretends that the tv remote is a phone. >> well, my 14 month old does that. he picks it, he picks it up and says , jan, morning my up and says, jan, morning my grandsons , age 12 and ten, both grandsons, age 12 and ten, both have iphones linked to their daddy's phone who has full control of what they can do. >> they can't have email, they can't download apps, and dad gets notifications . if they try gets notifications. if they try to download one, he can see what they're doing and for how long. and when it's bedtime, he can turn them off. the technology exists. they need the skills, but to learn them in a safe environment, you don't have to ban phones to keep them safe. i mean, people do say, don't they? if government this if the government goes down this road, nanny road, it's a bit of a nanny state. really good point. >> and david says one of your panel toddlers who panel said toddlers who have their mobile will their own mobile phones will have communication have very poor communication skills. daughter . she can skills. not my daughter. she can download apps, she can search for interest. however, download apps, she can search for has interest. however, download apps, she can search for has great nterest. however, download apps, she can search for has great communication r, she has great communication skills. can and she's

skills. she can read and she's only four years old, in june. wow. so a three year old that can read. that's pretty good isn't it. good stuff . isn't it. good stuff. >> okay. thank you for all your thoughts. keep coming thoughts. do keep them coming in. gbnews.com forward slash your right . your say right. >> we move on. is the government short sighted. a bit of a loaded question. some mps. well they reckon that when it comes to extreme weather warning ministers . sorry. let's start ministers. sorry. let's start that again shall we. >> should we. >> should we. >> yeah. let's we're talking about extreme weather. and mps are warning that the government is too focused on its short term response rather than long term plans for flooding, for heatwaves, for storms . heatwaves, for storms. >> yeah. so joining us now is one of my favourite contributors, senior meteorologist jim dale, who is here with some climate warnings. no doubt jim , are we as a no doubt jim, are we as a nation, are we as a government being too slack on the impending climate catastrophe as you predict? >> yeah . good morning. the pair

>> yeah. good morning. the pair of you, nice to be with you. and the answer is a big yes. they've been slack for a long time. if they've not slack, then they're going backwards. staring backwards. i'm going to give you one word, actually, because i think there's a line in the sand that's happened the last, few that's happened in the last, few days , and that's a huge days, and that's dubai, a huge event to a very, very modern city, qatar seismic type flooding, 20 odd people dead. and this isn't the first place to go down with, this type of event, but it is a major city. and you, you know, when you get this type of event happening in a very modern city infrastructure in infrastructure not quite in the right place. it's a massive, massive warning going forward . massive warning going forward. and i think this is what the mps have tagged on to, not just this event, jim, sorry, sorry to interject . you and i both know interject. you and i both know dubaihas interject. you and i both know dubai has been messing around with weather modification. they've been cloud seeding, which for anyone who doesn't know what that is, it's basically encourage basically trying to encourage

and artificial rain. so and creating artificial rain. so how do we know that this flooding, it was 18 months worth of just one day. how do of rain in just one day. how do we know that wasn't attributed to the to cloud seeding? because the uae government has said they were doing cloud seeding in the days before this incident, and the others said they weren't, but actually no difference. >> but cloud seeding is a very localised thing. it generally speaking just a few few fields here there, small region here or there, a small region this is absolutely nothing. i've looked this looked at the meteorology. this was to do with, the was everything to do with, the arabian at a record. arabian sea at a record. temperatures give or take, pushing up very warm , humid air, pushing up very warm, humid air, meeting cold air coming across saudi arabia to the convergence of the two air masses. very slow moving, massive, massive thunderstorms fuelled by excess temperatures created by climate change and then we're going to see more of this, make this absolutely clear. i've been on this station many, many times, and pitt talking and certainly with pitt talking about . and you know about this subject. and you know full well isn't going full well that this isn't going anywhere tomorrow . and that is anywhere tomorrow. and that is

why mps are concerned that why the mps are concerned that this government is kind of, in a way, moving to more towards the reform uk sort of denial, build a wall thing that's a big wall type thing that's that's what richard tice was saying last night, i'll meet him on another occasion and talk to him about that one. well, no one denies climate's changing, denies the climate's changing, but pounds or but how many more tax pounds or civil liberties do you want us to to, you know, to how many? >> how many do you want lose? >> how many do you want to lose? because. because the loss is going to be bigger than anything that that's the that we spend. and that's the point. and that's not just my words. the big words. that's deloitte. the big financial firm. they they know that this is going on. they're putting the cost into billions. and we're already seeing it around the world. eyes wide open, not eyes wide closed. we've got to be seeing what's going on, not just in our own country, which is kind of you know, sometimes it gets us, sometimes it doesn't. but that message in a bottle in, in message in in a bottle in, in dubai was, in effect, a massive, massive warning, by the way, because. go on, pip. sorry >> no, i was just going to say

that when you go out and you talk to real people who are victims flooding time and victims of flooding time and time again, one of the issues is that the barriers aren't high enough. another issue is that there's too much building on floodplains, and that rivers aren't being dredged. >> yeah, you're not wrong with that. and i don't say, you know, don't put those walls higher. but but look , you can keep but but look, you can keep making things bigger and bolder a l making things bigger and bolder a , a bit like walls in, in a bit, a bit like walls in, in texas to keep migrants out. if you can carry on doing you like, you can carry on doing that. ways that. but there's always ways and that climate as and means that the climate as it's as it is doing it's ramping up, as it is doing at moment time, will at this moment in time, will just overstress that. so look, you've got to go to the to the to the to the problem itself. and the problem itself is fossil fuels being put into the atmosphere. there are loading the c02 atmosphere. there are loading the co2 in the atmosphere that has given us a greenhouse effect, that is putting temperatures makes that temperatures up, that makes that makes the atmosphere hold more water and or increasing heat around the globe, which is going on left, right and centre as we speak. >> okay. jim dale, thanks very

much. i mean, some would say that, china is that, you know, china is building power stations building two coal power stations a and uk is a week, and the uk is responsible for less than 1% of global emissions. so what's it got with got to do with us? >> our bit then our bit. >> yeah. okay. jim, thanks for joining us this morning. take care yourself. joining us this morning. take car> you're welcome. >> you're welcome. >> do stay with us here on britain's we're going britain's newsroom. we're going to talking about to be talking about investigations care investigations into the care sector, have surged by sector, which have surged by more than ten times in the last few years. but why is that ? few years. but why is that? we'll bring you the results of an exclusive investigation. you're with britain's newsroom on

us. >> right. it's 1049. we've got an exclusive gb news investigation for you. now. the care sector, there's a probe for my man, charlie peters about the exploitation watchdog. who was basically reported a surge. a ten fold surge over the last few years of forced labour. so in

2021, there were just four investigations by the gangmasters and labour abuse authority . while in 2023 last authority. while in 2023 last year there was 44. so what's causing this sudden increase? charlie peters joins us now charlie peters joins us now charlie great story and shocking statistics as well. just give us some context about what you found. and yeah the reason behind it. >> well, most of the researchers and analysts i've spoken to about this sudden surge in these investigations by the labour abuse authority have said that there is a link between the health and care visa routes that has seen a very significant surge in recent years . when it surge in recent years. when it was first introduced, the department of health anticipated around six 6000 people would take it on about nought point 3% of the total nhs and social care workforce. last year, 350,000 people arrived on that route since january 2021, when the brexit transition period ended , brexit transition period ended, 570,000 people have arrived on this route. 99% of them are

non—eu eu nationals, and at the same time, there has been a significant criticism of that route and some of the changes in the care sector in recent years. there was a report leaked by the home office, leaked from the home office, leaked from the home office, leaked from the home office rather earlier this year by david neal, the former chief inspector of the borders, who found in one case that there had been 275 visas issued to her care home that didn't even exist. so with those significant numbers and all these concerning situations, it's no surprise perhaps , that the gangmasters perhaps, that the gangmasters and labour abuse authority is now confirming to us, through a freedom of information request, that they've seen that ten fold surge in probes into the care sector. >> and what is the care sector saying about this? >> well, there's been quite limited commentary from individual companies. when we asked for further information on on the specifics of their investigations, they said it would too be difficult to manually source them. it breached the cost limits. a government spokesperson told me that they are concerned about

abuse of particularly foreign migrant workers in the care sector, and that they've introduced rules in england specifically to not allow visas to be issued unless they are conducting regulated work in the care quality commission . so care quality commission. so unless they're being regulated by that authority, that can't be pursued. also, we've seen over half of those coming on this visa, this health and care visa are dependents . so that's also are dependents. so that's also been a cause for the concern. the government has acted on that earlier this year by reducing that path for dependents. but unseen uk, which is a modern slavery helpline and charity . slavery helpline and charity. yesterday they reported a 30% increase of potential victims, calling them from this sector really stunningly. that comes on the back of a 606% rise on the year before. so this concern is still growing at the same time as the labour abuse authority is looking into the sector. >> so these workers, they're potentially working very long hours, awful conditions , bad

hours, awful conditions, bad pay, hours, awful conditions, bad pay, bad pay. how are families of people in care homes, elderly relatives, parents? how worried should they be about the standard of care they're receiving when the workers themselves are being abused like this? >> well, the tory mp neil o'brien told me that this visa route has been a boon for criminals and exploiters. and not only is it extremely dangerous for many of the people coming in on this route who are then experiencing terrible conditions in care homes from their employers , as you say, their employers, as you say, ben, it's also really concerning for those who have family members in the care sector who are concerned potentially, that the quality of the care they're receiving is reducing . there receiving is reducing. there were zero investigations by the gangmasters and labour abuse authority in 2020 to then surge up to 44 last year does suggest that almost certainly has been a sector wide decline in standards, as they adapt to hundreds of thousands of new workers and dependents arriving on that route. so it's a sort of a double edged sword in terms of a double edged sword in terms of a decline in standards, both for

workers and for those on care . workers and for those on care. >> okay, charlie, pizza's great story. thank you very much. you're going to have more of this later on in the day. and yeah, what a i mean, a concern for families of people in care homes. you've got an elderly homes. if you've got an elderly relative home, it's relative in a care home, it's stressful relative in a care home, it's strewhen you've a relative in >> when you've got a relative in a whose health is a care home whose health is declining hearing declining without hearing information like this , what do information like this, what do you think? do you send your views on that ? post your views on that? post your comments and everything that we have been talking about so far today by visiting gbnews.com forward slash yourself. there is plenty more still to come. >> yeah . should we just get >> yeah. should we just get stuck into some very quick emails? because i know a lot of you on gbnews.com/yoursay, you've been very active. are asking for us to raise them out. so, anita says on the teachers pay, so, anita says on the teachers pay, teachers get enough, especially if they do the job they train for instead of telling them if they are a boy girl , girl, telling them if they are a boy girl, girl, no, are girl, girl, boy. no, they are there teach and jeff there to teach them. and jeff says it's amazing the profits of many companies the wages many companies and the wages given executives if given to their executives if they were forced to share even a small amount profits

small amount of those profits with more with the workers, then more people to work and people would go back to work and also, joe, on the issue of teachers, should they be paid more, he says, pay the good teachers more . teachers more. >> more, because, they would need some form of assessment and monitoring. but there are staff, where, you know, they are deserving to be rewarded. they are the best of our educators. stay with us. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb news. >> hello and welcome to the latest update from the met office for gb news. it's going to turn brighter eventually. today but at first it's cloudy and breezy with showers for many of us. we've got a number of systems moving south across the uk. low pressure close to denmark, but higher pressure is moving in in time for the weekend before it gets here. a lot of cloud, a cool breeze coming from the north northwest

that's particularly noticeable on the north sea coast and we've got this area of showery rain moving through central parts of england into parts of wales, followed showers for followed by further showers for much southeast scotland. much of southeast scotland. northeast england temperatures will be suppressed in that northerly breeze. 11 celsius in the east, but potential for 16 further west as skies brighten increasingly by the end of the day and then overnight, the rain disappears and we've got lengthy clear spells up and down the country. with the wind easing as well. well, we're going to see temperatures fall away. perhaps a few fog patches here and there, particularly for northern ireland. and touch of frost ireland. and a touch of frost first but for many it is first thing. but for many it is a bright start. blue skies across much of the country, a couple of exceptions. northern scotland, the cloud will be thickening through the day, with some outbreaks of light rain later , and that down the later, and that breeze down the nonh later, and that breeze down the north it feel on north sea will make it feel on the cool side. the cloud will fill in by the afternoon in many places, but it's going to stay largely dry and bright and

feeling pleasant with lighter winds with recent days winds compared with recent days and of 13 celsius. and highs of 13 celsius. >> warm feeling inside from >> that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers sponsors of weather on

gb news. >> good morning. it's 11 am. on friday, the 19th of april. almost the weekend. woohooi this is britain's newsroom with ben leo and pip tomson. >> very good morning to you. happy friday. israel strikes iran the uk government is stressing the need for de—escalation and moderation after israel launches a retaliatory strike on iran overnight , the prime minister overnight, the prime minister pledges to end what he says is the sick note culture in britain, and he says he wants to make hard work pay. labour's housing solutions. sir keir starmer sets out his plan to build 1.5 million new homes to tackle the housing crisis.

>> slow response on yobs shocking new figures show police take almost 18 hours to respond to reports of anti—social behaviour in some parts of england. we'd love to hear what you think about all that and everything we've been talking about so far today. we have plenty of comments on this issue of children as young as three using smartphones. yeah, the nurse that about the argument is if you ban kids from using smartphones and technology, they'll fall behind their peers who are, you know, whizzing away coding, making websites and apps i >> -- >> but do you want three year old kids messing around on smartphones and accessing the internet? i mean, i don't. >> and also , what did you make >> and also, what did you make of what rishi sunak has to say today about making work pay and people over medicalising issues

like stress and anxiety. what is your experience? what do you reckon the address gb news. com forward slash my say your say your say. see i still haven't got it right gbnews.com/yoursay you'll say you'll get it correct before before the end of the houn before before the end of the hour. okay. let's get your latest headlines while i go and practice with sam francis . practice with sam francis. >> very good morning to you. it's just after 11:00. the headunes it's just after 11:00. the headlines from the newsroom this houn headlines from the newsroom this hour. the government is calling for de—escalation and moderation in the middle east. following reports that israel launched air strikes against iran. state media there says three drones were shot down with explosions heard at an air base near the city of isfahan . the strike is city of isfahan. the strike is thought to be in response to last weekend's attack, when iran fired its own barrage of drones and missiles at israel. no

damage or injuries have been reported in the latest exchange, former defence select committee chairman tobias ellwood told gb news this morning that israel may have targeted a nuclear site. >> there are reports that iran is beginning to enrich uranium again at scale up to 60% with enough quantity for three sizeable bombs. and it could be that they believe that only going by having a nuclear deterrent, are they going to be able to fend off any conventional attacks? so a lot of big questions there. and that's perhaps worth pondering on, because whatever happens next, the rules of the game, this shadow war between iran and israel, has completely changed with this direct attack . with this direct attack. >> in other news, the prime minister is promising that his rwanda safety bill will be passed on monday. rishi sunak couldn't confirm whether asylum flights would get off the ground by this spring deadline, but he did say his intention was to get

the bill through parliament without any further delay . he without any further delay. he says mps will be forced to sit in the commons until the job was done, and rishi sunak is also warning against over medicalisation of everyday stresses and worries. that's as he laid out plans for welfare reform during a major speech this morning. the prime minister has claimed that 850,000 more people are out of work since the pandemic, many of them with mental health issues. he's claimed people with less severe mental health conditions should, he says, be expected to engage in the world of work. and he also said he thinks he'll be accused of lacking in compassion, but insisted that the uk can't afford such a spiralling increase in the welfare bill. >> we now spend £69 billion on benefits for people of working age with a disability or health condition. that's more than our entire schools budget, more than our transport budget, more than our transport budget, more than our policing budget and spending

on personal independence payments alone. it's forecast to increase by more than 50% over the next four years. >> opposition parties are urging the snp to cooperate fully with the snp to cooperate fully with the police investigation into the police investigation into the party's finances. after nicola sturgeon's husband, peter murrell, was charged with embezzling funds. it's in connection with the spending of more than £600,000 in donations that were dedicated towards independence, campaigning officers have confirmed that the party's former chief executive is no longer in custody , and he is no longer in custody, and he has also resigned his snp membership . parents are being membership. parents are being warned that children aged between 5 and 7 years old are spending too much time, often unsupervised, on social media. ofcom claims that 38% of infants school children now use platforms including facebook, tiktok, whatsapp and instagram. that's despite the sites requiring users to be at least 13 to have an account. the

regulator also suggests a quarter of children in that same age bracket now own a smartphone. the research comes as the government's online safety bill, which aims to make the internet safer for children, is set to come into force in september . the government's september. the government's being warned it's too focused on short tum responses to extreme weather, including floods, storms and heatwaves. the public accounts committee is calling on ministers to urgently act to put long term planning in place. their report claims that a failure to do so could come at a high cost to individuals, the economy to and society. the government, though, says the uk does have a robust and flexible system in place to the us, where donald trump has labelled the hush money case against him as a mess. that's as the full jury of 12 have now been sworn in for the trial . the former us the trial. the former us president addressed reporters as he left court in new york, saying he was supposed to be campaigning in other states

ahead of the 2024 presidential election . those on the jury election. those on the jury include an english teacher, multiple lawyers and a software engineer. trump denies the allegations against him of falsifying business records to pay falsifying business records to pay an adult film star. and finally, before we hand back to ben and pip, the o2 academy brixton is holding its first gig tonight since two women were killed there in a crush in december 2022. gabby hutchinson and rebecca ikumelo died when fans without tickets tried to get into a show by a nigerian artist. lambeth council did rule the venue could keep its licence as long as it met robust safety rules . those are the headlines. rules. those are the headlines. for more, sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the code on your screen, or go to gb news. com slash alerts. now though, let's get more from pip and ben . let's get more from pip and ben. >> good morning. welcome to

britain's newsroom on gb news with ben leo and pip tomson, emails are on our desk. you have been getting very, very vocal about sick note britain. are we about sick note britain. are we a soft touch or is there a mental health crisis ? john good mental health crisis? john good morning, you say, i suspect that this sickness crisis is correlated to lockdowns, long covid and excess deaths , mike covid and excess deaths, mike says, on climate change, we had jim dale on a few moments ago. he says, of course, the climate is changing. we don't live in a dome. if no human had ever set foot on planet earth, there would still be floods and storms and changing weather. >> interesting, philip says if we're going to endure more flooding, we need to be more adventurous in developing better ways of controlling it. better defences, better reservoirs, better drainage systems. you cannot keep building more houses. okay let's go back then. to what the prime minister was talking about earlier, vowing to end sick note culture. that's what he describes it as. and

he's unveiled a plan to strip gp's of their power to sign people off work. >> and it comes as new figures this week revealed a staggering 2.8 million people are considered, quote, economically inactive after being placed on long term sickness benefits. so are all these people really too sick to work or are, are they having a bit of a blag? joining us now to shed some light on this is behavioural psychologist jo hemmings. good morning joe, some people have said or suggested that i've been a bit cruel by maybe mooting the idea that actually some people, especially the younger generation , are being a bit generation, are being a bit lazy. they've just got used to working from home. they enjoyed the lockdown period where they weren't having to go and graft in an office from 9 to 5. is this some of that or is there, you know, really a mental health crisis as described? >> no, i mean, there's a little part of it. of course, if you've got a system that allows you to take advantage, there will be

people who do exactly that . people who do exactly that. however, i think the main concern this thing about over medicalisation of sickness , medicalisation of sickness, this, or of illness, i think that's mainly referring, as you say, to mental health issues. i think part of the problem is not teaching our kids an early enough stage what the difference is between a mild bit of everyday anxiety that we all go through and what is depression? you know what? they're two very different things , teaching them different things, teaching them coping mechanisms. if they are feeling a bit stressed . i mean, feeling a bit stressed. i mean, all this should be part of a school curriculum. so we don't end up in this strange situation where we're very candid and open about our mental health. however there's a great deal of misunderstanding still going on about , you know, what is it kind about, you know, what is it kind of just normal if you like , in of just normal if you like, in everyday life, we can still go to work. and what really does need proper attention and treatment. >> i mean, the british medical association has come out and has urged the prime minister to avoid using a hostile rhetoric

on sick note. culture he has been accused in other quarters of lacking compassion in the way he talks about this. is that fair ? fair? >> i think it is fair that it's a bit rich , to be fair, to have, a bit rich, to be fair, to have, kind of damaged, health system to have not put enough money into building a decent health system, building a decent mental health support system. and then after you've done that, then to say, oh, well, yeah, you know, people are kind of using the sick note culture. if there's any culture about, it's because there isn't enough support there at an early enough stage for people to be able to understand whether they are truly sick or whether they are truly sick or whether they, you know, they can go on, what can they do ? where's go on, what can they do? where's the support? so i find it a bit like locking the stable door after the horse has bolted and sort of blaming people for a situation that's been created effectively by the government. >> what about gps losing the

power to administer these these sick notes and bringing in instead specialist work and health professionals ? how health professionals? how concerned are you about that? because one wonders whether how how qualified these people are going to be to do this work. >> yeah. and whether they have the history of that patient and whether indeed, well, they certainly won't have the relationship if there is a relationship if there is a relationship between a patient and their gp. however sort of scant that may be, there is something there. if they don't have that background, how on earth are they going to judge, particularly on a mental health bafis particularly on a mental health basis , whether somebody is fit basis, whether somebody is fit to go to work or not? and again, i feel , you know, making gps is i feel, you know, making gps is under so much pressure these daysis under so much pressure these days is again, another sort of exit route for the government to sort of cover up their own tracks. >> joe, you are a behavioural psychologist. have you got any practical tips or advice that people could do today? if they're feeling a bit down or a

bit anxious, what can people do to make themselves feel better before it escalates into something more serious? >> well, they're very simple things, very simple coping mechanisms such as breathing techniques , three, three, three. techniques, three, three, three. breathe in for three. hold it for three. breathe out. i mean, it does sound simple. do it two, three times. and what you do is you bring down your levels of adrenaline and cortisol, and actually it just makes you feel calmer very quickly. exercise is another good thing. has been a study today saying how much exercise de—stresses us. so again, get out there, get a bit of fresh air, do the things you can do, eat healthily, all that lifestyle, but for quick, simple, you know, just feeling a little bit less stress, breathing exercises and getting some exercise might just tip you into a better place. yeah >> and i think there there is, logic in saying that actually getting back into work , even if getting back into work, even if it's not full time, but having that routine can be hugely

helpful. >> it is. and it's one thing to say it, but for some people it feels like a mountain to climb to get back into work. so they need to be in work to understand and the benefits, the wellbeing benefits of being in work . so benefits of being in work. so i think again, you know, more to encourage people about what they might do. careers advice, what might do. careers advice, what might suit them if they want to work partly from home or and also because they got used to it and partly work in an office or and partly work in an office or a different working situation. again, the flexibility to find the right sort of role for the right sort of people again , right sort of people again, then, yeah, work is undoubtedly incredible for our wellbeing , incredible for our wellbeing, but you've got to kind of be in it to know that , okay. it to know that, okay. >> jo jo hemmings, behavioural psychologist . thanks very much psychologist. thanks very much for joining us this morning. forjoining us this morning. very much appreciated. should we bnngin very much appreciated. should we bring in former tory mp scott benson now, who joins us live down the line? scott. good morning, dare i say it, are we simply, a soft touch? do we need to man up? i know that phrase isn't appreciated these days, but do we need to man up?

>> good morning, ben and pitt. absolutely. we do need to man up.and absolutely. we do need to man up. and i'm afraid we are a soft touch when it comes to not only unemployment benefits , but unemployment benefits, but sickness benefits as well. and the figures speak for themselves here. 2.8 million people out of work signed off on the sick is absolutely shocking . and to put absolutely shocking. and to put these figures into context, that's up from 2.1 million just a few years ago . and it's almost a few years ago. and it's almost threefold what it was a generation ago as well. when i was elected in 2019, the country was elected in 2019, the country was spending £42 billion on sickness benefits. that's now risen exponentially to £69,000,000 billion every single yeah £69,000,000 billion every single year. this is simply unsustainable for the government. and of course, it's hindering our economy . so mps hindering our economy. so mps will talk about trying to restart the sluggish growth we've seen in our economy over the last ten years. we talk about tax cuts, planning reform,

supply side reform, but i'm afraid we're getting people who can work back. the work has to be the absolute top mission for this government. this has been going on for far too long, and i suspect conservative support and mps up and down the country will have been cheering the prime minister on this morning with his speech , but also asking why his speech, but also asking why on earth weren't we bringing forward these measures 2 or 3 years ago, following the pandemic, when the early signs of this huge explosion in people, in many occasions swinging the leg and not going back to the office was, i'm afraid, all too common? >> well, there has been more reaction from all sides about his speech. one of them is from the lib dem leader, sir ed davey. scott who says that the prime minister's welfare reforms. it was a desperate speech from a prime minister mired in sleaze and scandal. and you, of course , scott, are part you, of course, scott, are part of that sleaze and scandal. you

were suspended last year. >> well, you would expect ed davey to say that the liberals party and the labour party have no interest whatsoever in getting people to work, and i suspect this will become a wedge issue at the general election, and rightly so , between the and rightly so, between the conservative government, who, to be honest, could and maybe should have done more to tackle this issue. as i've just said over the last few years. but a prime minister who is now bringing out plausible measures to try and tackle people who can work and who should be working, but who are choosing not to, versus a labour party and the liberal party. and certainly in the case of labour, we saw 13 years of labour party government when the figures of people who could work but who weren't working just wokeist a year. >> but does he not have a point about, a government mired in sleaze and scandal? i mean, we've now got this situation with tory mp mark menzies. well, he's had the whip removed ,

he's had the whip removed, alleged misuse of campaign funds. we've had neil parish, chris pincher, peter bone, crispin blunt, many mps in this government, including yourself , government, including yourself, have been caught up in problems, serious problems . serious problems. >> well, if we're talking about the issues here, which we are, we're talking about the future of this country. we're talking about economic growth, getting people back to work. that's what wishes speech was about today. of course, standards in parliament is a slightly different issue, and the conservatives myself included, have had issues regarding this dunng have had issues regarding this during the course of this parliament, but so have the labour party and so of all parties in parliament. so let's not pretend this is a conservative only issue. and we've seen labour mps, for example, have to leave their positions throughout the course of this parliament as well. but with respect, you invited me on the show today to talk about sickness benefits , and that's sickness benefits, and that's what many people will want to hear from the prime minister about and what he's trying to do

to get those people back into work. >> yeah, we get that , scott, and >> yeah, we get that, scott, and we appreciate you being here to talk about it. but i mean, pip was asking about sir david's accusation that this is merely a distraction to what's going on with his government . so that's with his government. so that's why the question was asked . why the question was asked. >> no, i appreciate that, ben. of course, the prime minister has got a job to do. he's got to govern. and it's only right that he will seek to address issues such as this, which the british people care about. i know this morning he was , of course, asked morning he was, of course, asked about the mark menzies situation. you would expect that. but from the prime minister's point of view, he's got a huge number of issues to tackle, whether it be welfare and benefit reform, whether it be the nhs, economic growth, immigration and you're naturally expect the government to want to tackle those issues ahead of a general election. >> okay, scott, thank you again for being with us. really appreciate it. have a great weekend. thank and mark menzies. >> he has issued a statement

saying i strongly dispute the allegations put to me . i have allegations put to me. i have fully complied with all the rules for declarations as there is an investigation ongoing. i will not be commenting further . will not be commenting further. >> okay. i mean, i know scotland, he did very well there. you can tell he's a politician at deflecting that question . it was a valid question. it was a valid question. it was a valid question because sir ed davey is saying this morning that this speech about welfare reform is just a distraction about the chaos going on in the government. and you've got a good point. peter bone, last yean good point. peter bone, last year, mark menzies william wragg that, you know, absolutely crazy situation with the honeypot sixteen scandal, yeah , who sixteen scandal, yeah, who knows. but to be fair to scott, he did. you know, he did rightly say there are mps of other colours caught up in sleaze and scandal as well. >> yeah, i said, i said last night on patrick's show about keith teflon vaz . you remember keith teflon vaz. you remember him some years ago. the who, anyway, we won't go into it. we're going to. we're going to get to the break. let us know what you think. gb news comment slash forward slash your say. up next, the government is calling for de—escalation and moderation in the middle east following

reports overnight that israel launched air strikes against iran . how launched air strikes against iran. how will launched air strikes against iran . how will the international iran. how will the international community respond with ben and pip on britain's

us. >> we're gb news and we come from a proud tradition of british journalism. >> that's why i'm so excited to be here. it's something so new. >> the first news channel to be launched in britain in over 30 years. >> launched to represent the views of the british people. >> to go where other broadcasters refuse to go . broadcasters refuse to go. >> how do you find out about the story in the first place? >> launched with one aim to be the fearless champion of britain i >> -- >> it's an absolutely fantastic atmosphere here. >> this is gb news lviv ofsted gb news. >> britain's news channel . >> britain's news channel. >> britain's news channel. >> welcome back. it is 1124 this friday morning with britain's newsroom on gb news with ben leo and pitt thompson. great to have you with us. also here is former editor of the daily star, dawn

neesom and author and broadcaster amy nicole turner. and we'll be talking about your old paper, their front page lead shortly. dawn. but first of all, kemi badenoch telling watchdog is to scrap company equality. quotas can we badenoch, the business secretary. >> hallelujah to that. to be honest with you . i mean, i'm honest with you. i mean, i'm sorry. i just think someone needs to say it , diversity. she needs to say it, diversity. she is saying in this risk. look, we already have legislation that prevents people discriminating on sex, ability, age, all of these things in the workplace. so why do we now need companies above ? i think our, 350 above? i think our, 350 employees. is it to list people by, you know, every other you know their faith, you know all these things. why do we need to know that? and what really annoys me about this story, pip, is that sex and gender are lumped together. so if you're talking about getting more women into the workplace, that includes trans women. and i was reading a story last week about a ceo of a big company. at first

female one ever. >> but they're not are they trans? it's a trans woman. yeah. >> so it's also not fairly represent females in the workplace. that's my main issue with that. so well done. kemi >> what a joke to women amy. thatis >> what a joke to women amy. that is what i want to talk about. that is what i want to talk about . i'm that is what i want to talk about. i'm not that is what i want to talk about . i'm not gonna lock horns about. i'm not gonna lock horns again about trans. >> i just think that's a category of women. so of course they would be included in those statistics. but i think the reason that we need to know these figures is because so many groups are underrepresented in employment, and there's massive inequality. so the idea of scrapping equality, equality quotas at this time, when we have a more diverse than ever society, but we still have an inequality based on gender, social class, disability , vie in social class, disability, vie in the workplace, we have legislation seems really counterproductive . counterproductive. >> i mean, maybe some people are just better at other jobs than others or some demographics have more interest in other fields than others. i mean, the nba is about 95% black. well, are we going to go over there and start kicking off, find out if we if we levelled the playing field of opportunity, which is what i think equality quotas do . think equality quotas do. >> but i think you're right that

most companies won't need to scrap these because they'll know it's practice have them it's best practice to have them regardless . yes. so any good regardless. yes. so any good business will keep these because they've been linked pretty consists to profitability and the ultimate aim of any business is to have profitability. >> so just to clarify, if you ran a business, any old business and you you had two and you had you had two candidates. exemplary. candidates. one was exemplary. great , the other was, say great cv, the other was, say a gay black person , but you were gay black person, but you were down on your own targets. who was less qualified ? you'd hire was less qualified? you'd hire the diverse hire. >> would, you know, because that is positive discrimination. >> but what's the difference? >> but what's the difference? >> well, that what you're talking illegal. it's talking about is illegal. it's about playing about making the playing field, even for the white candidate and the black gay candidate, it's about levelling the playing field for everyone. and to have a diverse workforce is linked to efficiency profitability, a diverse workforce is linked to efficanyy profitability, a diverse workforce is linked to efficany good profitability, a diverse workforce is linked to effic any good ceo itability, a diverse workforce is linked to effic any good ceo will lity, a diverse workforce is linked to effic any good ceo will tell you and any good ceo will tell you that, which is why it's pretty much in the law. it's a legal requirement to advance equality . requirement to advance equality. i mean, it's not just a moral

imperative. it's not about this moral imperative. oh, aren't we great? we've got all these people. it's about increasing efficiency by efficiency and profitability by understanding the diversity of your customer base, by giving the worst candidate the job. that's that's the misreading. that's that's the misreading. that's not what it's about. it's about giving equal opportunities in britain. do we we in britain. what do we value? we value and we value value fairness and we value opportunity. and all this equality, diversity initiatives do is create an equal opportunities. and surely that's a good thing about discriminating against women. >> yeah. sorry >> yeah. sorry >> i mean, was humza yousaf right when he went on an anti—white saying there anti—white rant saying there was too people in too many white people in governmental i think what governmental posts, i think what he was trying to do, quite clumsily, is just draw an eye to he was trying to do, quite clurfact', is just draw an eye to he was trying to do, quite clurfact that ust draw an eye to he was trying to do, quite clurfact that blackaw an eye to he was trying to do, quite clurfact that black people ye to he was trying to do, quite clurfact that black people areo the fact that black people are underrepresented of , underrepresented in a lot of, higher up positions across the board. >> i mean, would it have been racist he'd got there and racist if he'd got up there and said, there's many black said, there's too many black people posts, no. people in government posts, no. because historically because they're not historically underrepresented, ? underrepresented, are they? white people have had quite a good, throughout good, easy ride throughout history . history. >> yeah. okay. >> yeah. okay. >> okay. let's let's change topic complete slowly and have

a. well, i was going to say i have a bit of a laugh with this, but there is a serious side to it. british fry up in it. the british fry up is in danger of dying out as youngsters turn their on youngsters turn their back on the dawn, 1 in 10 the full english dawn, 1 in 10 health conscious 18 to 34 year olds never eat a british fry up. what are they having instead? >> i couldn't quite work out from the story what they were actually having. >> avocado. >> avocado. >> toast? yeah beat >> avocado on toast? yeah beat me it. mosley, it's a health me to it. mosley, it's a health thing , isn't it? an 89% of them, thing, isn't it? an 89% of them, i think, the statistic. so i think, is the statistic. so when they have eaten a full engush when they have eaten a full english they just instantly english pip, they just instantly feel . and to be honest, feel guilty. and to be honest, if you and work out the if you sit down and work out the nutritional of a full nutritional content of a full engush nutritional content of a full english is like english breakfast, it is like around calories. that's enough. it's a heck of a lot. so what >> it's a heck of a lot. so what have got? we've got bacon, have we got? we've got bacon, 999, have we got? we've got bacon, egg, toast. what egg, sausage, beans, toast. what about have black about some people have black pudding as well. black pudding. >> now this is the this is the better debate. whether better debate. is not whether gen millennials gen z and millennials are actually big. full actually eating big. full engush actually eating big. full english breakfast. it's what you put it also depends if it's fried >> it also depends if it's fried or grilled, by the way, or air fried in an air fryer. maybe

that's why these youngsters are so anxious all the time. they just need to relax. just eat. eat do you know why people are anxious? >> this is an explainer for sick note britain. you've been talking it morning. talking about it all morning. it's ups. we need it's too many fry ups. we need to healthier. to get healthier. >> think fry ups are >> i don't think fry ups are that you. oh my god. that bad for you. oh my god. especially if you grill them. if you've eggs, you've got, say, poached eggs, grilled bacon i mean bacon's, you of protein, very you know, full of protein, very minimal cut the fat minimal fat. if you cut the fat off don't think it's that bad. off i don't think it's that bad. >> gen z on this >> no, i'm with gen z on this i think. >> isn't better? isn't it >> isn't it better? isn't it better bowl of cornflakes? >> yeah yeah, probably >> yeah. yeah yeah, probably more protein. >> it's going >> more such a thing. it's going to you up. cornflakes is to fill you up. cornflakes is just old time in moderation. >> don't it . how moderation. >> don't it. how i moderation. >> don't it . how i live my >> don't eat it. how i live my life, dawn not. life, dawn as a not. >> yeah. life, dawn as a not. >> you've heard. we've heard about you. love >> all right. one man who looks like he's never devoured a fry up in his life because he's so lean and handsome is sam francis. he's got your news headunes. headlines. >> ben, thank you very much for those kind words . and it's just those kind words. and it's just after 1130, the headlines from

the newsroom . the government is the newsroom. the government is calling for de—escalation and moderation in the middle east, following reports that israel has launched airstrikes against iran. state media says three drones were shot down with explosions heard at an airbase near the city of isfahan. the strike is thought to be in response to last weekend's attack, when iran fired its own barrage of drones and missiles at israel. we understand no damage or injuries have been reported in that latest exchange. the prime minister is promising that his rwanda safety bill will be passed on monday. rishi sunak couldn't confirm whether asylum flights would get off the ground by his spring deadline, but he did say his intention was to get the bill through parliament without further delays . he says mps will further delays. he says mps will be forced to sit the commons be forced to sit in the commons until the job is done, leading mental health charities have described rishi sunak's welfare reforms as deeply damaging and an irresponsible war of words . an irresponsible war of words. dufing an irresponsible war of words. during a major speech on welfare reform this morning, the prime

minister warned against the overmedicalization stresses minister warned against the overworriesization stresses minister warned against the overworries andon stresses minister warned against the overworries and claimedasses minister warned against the overworries and claimed that and worries and claimed that people with less severe mental health conditions should, he said, be expected to engage in the world of work . however, the world of work. however, labour has also accused the government of failing to deliver a nation in scotland. a healthy nation in scotland. opposition parties are urging the snp to cooperate fully with the snp to cooperate fully with the police investigation into its finances after nicola sturgeon's husband, peter murrell, was charged with embezzling funds. it's in connection with the spending of more than £600,000 in donations for independence , campaigning for independence, campaigning officers have confirmed. the party's former chief executive is no longer in custody, and he has also resigned his snp membership . that's the latest membership. that's the latest from the newsroom for now. for more, do sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the code there on your screen or go to our website, gb news .com/ shirts .

shirts. >> for exclusive, limited edition and rare gold coins that are always newsworthy, rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news financial report , and news financial report, and here's a look at the markets this morning. >> the pound will buy you 131.2451 and >> the pound will buy you $1.2451 and ,1.1684. the price of gold this morning is £1,915.60 per ounce, and the ftse 100 is at 7832 points. >> rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news financial report . report. >> sam, thank you. coming up in exactly 27 minutes. time is good afternoon britain with tom and emma. >> hello. >> hello. >> we love being quite so particular with when we're going to turn up on the television. >> it's very i hope everyone at home is setting their timers, perhaps long—range egg perhaps their long—range egg timers. yes, but we've got quite an exciting show coming up because we're going to be speaking. i don't know if you've seen case of jewish man seen the case of the jewish man in was forbidden from

in london who was forbidden from crossing the street by a police officer , saying he risked officer, saying he risked antagonising a pro—palestinian protest because he was wearing a kippah , we're going to be kippah, we're going to be speaking to that man who was told he couldn't cross the road and he couldn't walk towards a certain area of london simply because there was a pro—palestinian march there. >> goodness me. and did he? did he heed that advice, or did he do it anyway? well, he asked to cross the road and they said they would escort him, but only once the march had passed. >> because they >> because he didn't. they didn't. visibly jewish. >> too visibly jewish. >> too visibly jewish. >> that was the phrase they used. >> i mean, that's the disgrace. we pro—palestine we had it in the pro—palestine protest chap who was protest with that chap who was walking a placard walking around with a placard saying and saying hamas are terrorists, and they moved they arrested him and moved him away area . he was away from the area. he was allowed to protest and allowed there to protest and to have say . and instead of have his say. and instead of deaung have his say. and instead of dealing with the actual troublemakers, with troublemakers, they deal with the very peaceful. >> and one further, >> and this is one step further, because man wasn't because this man wasn't protesting , he didn't protesting, he didn't have a sign. he was simply someone sign. he was just simply someone who visibly jewish. who was visibly jewish. >> not the >> and importantly, not the first this has

first time either. that this has happened. first time either. that this has happened . aid to people from the happened. aid to people from the campaign anti—semitism . so campaign for anti—semitism. so if you remember, just after october the 7th, they were trying to raise awareness of the hostages and the police targeted them, driving around their them, driving around with their billboards van rather than the protesters who might assault them or cause trouble because they were driving around in westminster and just ask them to leave london. >> interesting. was suella braverman right in her infamous telegraph mean , some telegraph column. i mean, some would say she's been vindicated since then. >> well, we'll be certainly asking question the asking that question to the man who this extraordinary who faced this extraordinary experience . but experience over the weekend. but we're also going to be speaking to the conservative to anna firth, the conservative member who member of parliament, who has a private to pet private member's bill to ban pet abductions. now, this bill is facing its third reading. now in the house of commons. it's going to make a specific offence to steal cats and dogs. >> is it not already stolen god's property? >> aren't they so currently it is someone's is illegal to take someone's cat or would be treated or dog, but it would be treated in same way as if you took in the same way as if you took their television. would their television. this would make serious sort of make it a more serious sort of crime. going to crime. so we're going to be

speaking about bill speaking to her about her bill too, asking people too, and also asking people to send their cats send in pictures of their cats and dogs and of course, more coming israel. coming up on israel. >> you mine . >> i'll send you mine. >> i'll send you mine. >> marvellous. yes, stupid. >> marvellous. yes, stupid. >> forward to it. >> marvellous. yes, stupid. >> thank forward to it. >> marvellous. yes, stupid. >> thank you, ward to it. >> marvellous. yes, stupid. >> thank you, emma, it. >> marvellous. yes, stupid. >> thank you, emma, and some great that more great stuff, all that and more to come , of course, at midday. to come, of course, at midday. for though, with for now, though, you with britain's newsroom, with ben and pip on gb stay with .

us. very good morning to you. it's 1139. you're with ben and pip on britain's newsroom on gb. news >> nicola sturgeon's husband has been charged in connection with embezzlement of funds from the scottish national party . scottish national party. >> peter murrell became chief executive of the snp in 2001, and he stepped down from the role last year. and he stepped down from the role last year . joining us now role last year. joining us now with the latest is our scotland reporter tony maguire. tony, what's .

what's the latest. >> good morning. well indeed this was quite a shock yesterday as the world found out just after 5:00 that peter murrell had been rearrested. nicola sturgeon's husband , of course, sturgeon's husband, of course, was arrested about a year and two weeks ago, the first of three arrests last year in relation to operation branch from that police investigation into £600,000 of missing snp funds. now, about an hour and a half after that, we then found out that peter murrell had indeed been charged and the police scotland had put out a statement yesterday to say that the man, who was arrested at 930 yesterday morning, was then went on to be charged at 6:35 pm. after further questioning by the police scotland detectives and investigating funding and finances of the party. now he's been charged in connection with the investigation and in connection with the embezzlement of snp funds . now, of course,

of snp funds. now, of course, this is an active police investigation , and the police investigation, and the police have been erring on the side of caution to once again instruct people, of course, that this will be subject to contempt of court order. but if we take a step back and we actually look at what this week has been like for the snp and for humza yousaf , we see that hate crime act legislation , debate rolling on legislation, debate rolling on again into a third week. we now see that that the snp yesterday have chosen to ditch one of their key climate targets, the 2030 target to cut down greenhouse gas emissions by 75. and then, of course, that decision to pull new prescriptions of puberty blockers, after in the wake of the cast report, all taken together, the greens party, some of the councillors around scotland, will they actually want their party to the scottish greens to move away from the coalition deal, and to leave the

snp for this recent spate of decisions? so all things considered , not a particularly considered, not a particularly great week for the snp up here in scotland. >> okay, tony, thanks very much for that. and yes, of course the snp as well. just to add to that, they are involved in a charity push to ask four year olds and five year olds, primary school kids in scotland if they're gay, bi or trans. we covered it on patrick's show last night, so yeah, interesting . up next, are those guilty of anti—social behaviour getting an easy ride in some parts of england? it's taken police up to 17.5 hours, actually, some of you aren't going to be surprised at that , to come and deal with at that, to come and deal with calls for help . so we're going calls for help. so we're going to get stuck into that just after this break. you're with britain's newsroom gb

us. >> welcome back. now! police!

they are taking. we are told up to 17.5 hours to respond to calls of anti social behaviour. this is an increase of 37% since 2021. so just in what, three years? >> yeah. really interesting. what's behind it. well joining us now is former detective chief superintendent at the met police kevin hurley. kevin, we know that the tory government in recent years has bolstered the number of police officers. we had the 20,000 plus, which i think boris johnson was, was pushing forward to replace the officers that were cut previously. that said, why are they now failing to respond to calls of anti—social behaviour ? calls of anti—social behaviour? surely that's just the basics. >> well, what we do know is that before they boasted with 20,000 brand new people who've yet to learn their job properly, they cut by 20, they cut by 22,000 officers and another 20,000 back officers and another 20,000 back office staff and have cut 60% of the police stations in the

country . country. >> so the present government's reputation on maintaining police numbers is far from good. but the thing that concerns me about this, and i come at it from a point of view of not only 30 years in policing, but four years in policing, but four years as an elected police and crime commissioner , where i crime commissioner, where i attended countless public meetings listening to what concerns the main rump of the pubuc concerns the main rump of the public and it's anti—social behaviour, anti social behaviour, anti social behaviour, anti—social behaviour , assaults, disrupt robberies , , assaults, disrupt robberies, rape, murder are right down the bottom of most people's agendas when it comes to how they live . when it comes to how they live. and so i think the police service politicians and local authorities are really missing a trick here in in the way in which resources are configured in delivering personnel to deal with issues . so let me give you with issues. so let me give you an example. as a result of the clamour from every symbol imaginable, activist group,

whether it's black community, muslim community, lgbtq community, police divert significant numbers of resources to engage whatever that means in activity related to that . all of activity related to that. all of those people are taken off the street . let me put that in street. let me put that in perspective for you. less than 1% of all the meetings between police and the public are stop and search of that. probably less than one tenth of 1% involve difficult searches with young black youths. yet the police service turns itself inside out, trying to demonstrate how good it is deaung demonstrate how good it is dealing with the black community, in particular young people. this is a huge diversion of resources that should be used for dealing with nuisance neighbours, people throwing rubbish in the streets, smashing up phone boxes, damaging our buses , causing problems outside

buses, causing problems outside the kebab house, driving their scramble, motorbikes in the allotments out the back of where people live , causing trouble in people live, causing trouble in the phone leads police and politicians have got this wrong about what's important for the pubuc about what's important for the public anti—social behaviour and you said it earlier at the very start of that, this, this, trailing this programme affects every single one of us, every day. and the police response for all sorts of reasons , not the all sorts of reasons, not the least of which is the cuts they face and the failure to increase resourcing for police and the criminal courts that support the police and prisons they cannot attend in the numbers they want to. kevin i'm afraid with the with the government being stuck for cash as we are, i don't really see any hope in the future because it's not just the police, kevin. police can only deal with anti—social behaviour if there's a sanction and if the courts are overwhelmed , prisons courts are overwhelmed, prisons and probation are overwhelmed. it's a problem. okay kevin, let me just put to you what the

government says, which is that they've got an increased police presence in hotspots as part of a £160 million action plan. >> but what you hear repeatedly from victims is that police are playing down complaints of anti—social behaviour, and they are looking at it as neighbourly nuisance. they're just not taking it seriously enough until there is a very long run of incidents. >> yeah, well, i mean, two points, first of 160 million is an absolute drop in the ocean when i said what you need if you want to deal with this is court systems that can deal speedily with cases and appropriate sanctions, whatever they are up to and including prisons. and we all know that's collapsing . but all know that's collapsing. but back to your other point. well, police would do that , wouldn't police would do that, wouldn't they? because if they haven't got the resources to send people out because they're overwhelmed deaung out because they're overwhelmed dealing with mentally disordered people in the street because there are no, secure mental facilities or inadequate numbers of mental health resources. this

takes up huge numbers of police and of course, all the other different pressure groups and interest groups distracting from time. they they end up doing just like an a&e nurse does, which is triage every call that comes in and try and put some kind of palliative there, there, there. which of course is unsatisfying factory because if you've got people continually causing trouble outside your house every night of the week , house every night of the week, or causing you to feel intimidated when you're walking from the railway station, by the way, they can't call you if you're a woman or someone you know, like like that walking home of an evening. it's unsatisfying , but they've got no unsatisfying, but they've got no opfion unsatisfying, but they've got no option because there's not adequate resources. >> kevin, do we need to adopt something akin to rudy giuliani, the former mayor of new york? his broken window approach, whereby he transforms a crime fidden whereby he transforms a crime ridden city in a couple of years into a, you know, a fairly decent, fairly safe place by having a zero tolerance approach, whether it's a broken window or, whether it's

vandalism or, you know, looting . vandalism or, you know, looting. theideais vandalism or, you know, looting. the idea is that you stamp that kind of stuff out and it discourages any further serious crimes escalating . crimes escalating. >> well, you are talking to, a one man political party who, when he won the police and crime post in surrey, stood as the zero tolerance policing ex—chief , party. so, yes, i completely support that. when i ran, west london, fulham and so on, we had a zero tolerance approach working with the local authority to all forms of crime, saying precisely what you do if you make sure people pay their bus fares on the tube, they pay their fares on the subway . you their fares on the subway. you respond to rowdy yobs and there are people. see, there is a sanction that tends to drive other types of behaviours . so other types of behaviours. so yes, i do believe in an idea that if something is done wrong, there is some kind of sanction . there is some kind of sanction. i'm not saying hang, flog or put them in prison, but you don't

ignore stuff. so a real example is you're walking down the high street, as a cop, and you see someone drop a kebab paper on the floor. you go up to them and say, pick that up, please, and put it in the bin. no, i won't give me your name. i'm giving you a summons. no, i won't if you a summons. no, i won't if you don't give me your name, you'll be arrested . i won't be you'll be arrested. i won't be arrested. if you don't want to be arrested, i'll use force on you. and if you resist, you'll be sprayed. or you'll be tasered. so pick it up. got it? thatis tasered. so pick it up. got it? that is zero tolerance policing, okay. >> former top cop at the met police, kevin hurley, thanks very much for your time . very much for your time. >> we're getting some some reaction to our chat with kevin, which is why i wasn't being rude. i was looking at what you're saying to us so i can air it, eric says problem with police is community officers. police believe they are above the basics and have lost the ability to communicate with the public, dickie , you say it took public, dickie, you say it took four days for police to knock on

your door after it was reported that yobs were shooting at cars with air pistols. >> yeah , and just on the sick >> yeah, and just on the sick note, briton neil says they talk about over £61 billion in benefit costs at the same time as the sick and disabled , as the sick and disabled, because this blames all the costs on the sick. but those billions are including universal credit and housing costs. and gemma says i'm really looking forward to saint george's day. i display the flag and i feel like, this year i do not sure why that one's in there. actually, we've not spoken about saint george's day, but i agree with you, gemma. >> maybe. good afternoon britain. >> we'll touch on saint george's day. they are talking about pets, pet theft. they're asking for your photos of your pets, that'll be a good one. you'll all be. you'll all be writing in with that. but thank you for your company this morning on britain's news newsroom. a busy one, as always. whatever you're doing, have a great weekend. you're back tonight? yes. >> patrick shows tonight. this is . good afternoon, britain. enjoy. >> yes, we will be getting on to pets pet theft and talking to

the mp behind a new bill on cracking down on it. but also iran and israel's retaliation. are we going to be sucked in to a wider war? big questions as britain and the world stands on the brink. >> and as the prime minister has said, that we need to crack down on sick note. britain, we will be debating whether or not we are a lazy nation. >> all that to come on the show, do get involved. of course, we look forward to your views all after this, whether . after this, whether. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb news. >> hello and welcome to the latest update from the met office for gb news. it's going to turn brighter eventually today, but at first it's cloudy and breezy with showers for many of us. we've got a number of systems moving south across the uk. low pressure close to denmark, but higher pressure is moving in in time for the weekend before it gets here. a

lot of cloud, a cool breeze coming from the north northwest , coming from the north northwest, but that's particularly noticeable on the north sea coast and we've got this area of showery rain moving through central parts of england into parts of wales, followed by further showers for much of southeast scotland. northeast england temperatures will be suppressed in that northerly breeze. 11 celsius in the east, but potential for 16 and further west as skies brighten increasingly by the end of the day and then overnight, increasingly by the end of the day and then overnight , the rain day and then overnight, the rain disappears and we've got lengthy, clear spells up and down the country with the wind easing as well. well we're going to see temperatures fall away. perhaps a few fog patches here and there, particularly for northern ireland, and a touch of frost. first thing. but for many it is a bright start. blue skies across much of the country , a across much of the country, a couple of exceptions. northern scotland. the cloud will be thickening through the day, with some outbreaks of light rain later, and that breeze down the nonh later, and that breeze down the north sea will make it feel on the cool side. the cloud will fill in by the afternoon in many

places, but it's going to stay largely dry and bright and feeling pleasant with lighter winds compared with recent days, and highs of 13 celsius. >> that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers sponsors of weather on

gb news. >> good afternoon. britain. it's 12:00 on friday, the 19th of april. >> israel strikes back. defence chiefs are nervous as israel retaliates with revenge strikes on iranian territory. the question now becomes, what will iran do next? >> sick note britain, the prime minister announces sweeping reforms to get britain back to work as mental health sign offs soan work as mental health sign offs soar. does britain need a war on the work? >> shy and snp arrest nicola sturgeon's husband peter murrell

, has been rearrested by police scotland amid their investigation into snp funding and finances. >> now, a little bit later in the program, we'll be talking to anna firth , the member of anna firth, the member of parliament for southend. now, the reason why we're doing this is not only to talk about some of the big issues of the day, but also a very important to bill her going through parliament today that will ban pet theft as a specific offence for cats and dogs. >> i personally think this is wonderful and she's become one of my favourite mps as a result of my favourite mps as a result of this. what do you think, tom? >> yeah, you're a big fan of anna firth. it's going to be very good to talk to her. i, i am willing to hear the arguments because i do know currently it is illegal to steal a cat or a dog. i want to know what sort of making it more illegal will do.

what's the sort of