the king has granted this request and we will have a general election on the 4th of july. >> well, the battle commences as rishi sunak calls a summer general election. critics claiming number 10 have taken a huge gamble. we'll be joined by the prime minister later in the programme . programme. >> yes, rishi sunak has taken an

enormous gamble by going to the country in july rather than the autumn. does he stand any chance of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat? find out more with me. very soon. >> sir keir starmer claims the future is in the country's hands as he launches his bid for power. with the economy, the nhs and immigration in key battlegrounds. >> a chance to change for the better. your future, your community, your country . community, your country. >> rumours swirl that furious tory mps could be plotting a revolt to try to call off the general election by ousting the prime minister before parliament is dissolved . is dissolved. >> tory big hitters face a huge fight to retain their seats, with chancellor jeremy hunt and defence secretary grant shapps battling to overcome small majorities . majorities. >> and could nigel farage return to frontline politics? the political heavyweight claims he was thinking overnight about

whether he'll stand for reform uk to fight the election. >> as for what i do, i'll think about it overnight . about it overnight. >> well, i was watching football overnight. a surprise, surprise in the sport this morning by leverkusen's 51 game unbeaten run comes to an end as they lose the europa league final three nil to atalanta of italy in dublin. the managerial merry go round is going around so fast it's making my head spin where it's making my head spin where it stops, nobody knows and we'll talk about britain's first olympic swimming gold medallist for 68 years, who passed away yesterday . yesterday. >> good morning. after all that rain we saw yesterday , how much rain we saw yesterday, how much more will we see today? we can find out all the details with me a little later on. morning to you. >> i'm stephen dixon and i'm ellie costello, and this is breakfast on gb news. >> general election .

>> general election. >> general election. >> yes. we're chit chatting already about all of this. what already about all of this. what a relief. yes. if only so we can plan , thankfully, i was, i was, plan, thankfully, i was, i was, l, plan, thankfully, i was, i was, i, we were going to book a houday i, we were going to book a holiday for the first week of july. and we were just about to book the flights. >> thank goodness you didn't. >> thank goodness you didn't. >> and we didn't , thankfully. so >> and we didn't, thankfully. so now we can we can work around when we know the general election is going to be. >> oh well, i wish i was in the same boat as you. i have got a wedding the weekend after. i've got a hen party the weekend before, so i will have to work around this. tell you will. i will have to be changing some flights i think. yes, but it is a good thing to have a date. you are right. and i was wrong. i thought it would be in november. >> november the 14th. >> november the 14th. >> you called? i did, and i now owe me an hour and a very large lunch. well, you said may, i said november. it settled in the middle. well it surprised a lot of people. >> yeah, well, we'd love to know what you think. gb news communal say about the timings of all of this. because as you will be aware now, the prime minister

has called a general election for the 4th of july, defying predictions of an autumn election. >> well, standing in the rain yesterday he called it the moment for britain to choose its future as he went for the 1st july election since 1945. >> yeah, but it is a long time from the highs of 2019, where bofis from the highs of 2019, where boris johnson took the keys to number 10. we've had three prime ministers, a global pandemic, an inflation at a 30 year high. >> well, let's get the latest from our political correspondent olivia utley . good to see you olivia utley. good to see you this morning, olivia. and the prime minister has taken a huge gamble here. >> well, it does really feel like this is an enormous gamble. i mean, the presiding logic was that the conservative party was probably going to lose either way, but most people thought that they would hold off calling an election until the autumn, when the economic picture looked a little bit better. it seems that rishi sunak has made the decision to go to the country early, to go to the country in july, in part because the

economic picture is improving a little bit, but also because he has increasingly believing that it's not going to improve that much more before the next election. lots of economists are now predicting that the bank of england aren't going to lower interest rates when they make their next decision in june. there is also some work from some rumours coming out of number 10, that one reason why rishi sunak decided that it should be july rather than the autumn, was because he didn't want to be accused of squatting in number 10. but when gordon brown was prime minister the conservatives very effectively used the idea that he was too scared to call a general election because he just wanted to be prime minister. rishi sunak did not want people to be saying the same thing about him . saying the same thing about him. now, plenty of cabinet ministers disagreed with the decision to go to the country early estimate they are formally of this parish and chris heaton—harris, the northern ireland secretary, both said that the prime minister

should hold off and wait until that economic picture had gone a little bit better and that had fed through to people. because even though the economic picture is looking rosier, sort of statistically people's money in their pockets doesn't really feel like it's worth much more . feel like it's worth much more. yet now rishi sunak is trying to take the fight to labour. we saw that speech from him delivered in the pouring rain yesterday. let's hear a little bit of what he had to say on the 5th of july. >> either keir starmer or i will be prime minister. he has shown time and time again that he will take the easy way out and do anything to get power. if he was happy to abandon all the promises he made to become labour leader once he got the job, how can you know that he won't do exactly the same thing? if he were to become prime minister now, it's very hard for the prime minister to avoid chat about pathetic fallacy. >> when you see him in his sodden suit, standing there in the rain where you couldn't hear

it there, but music blaring out of things can only get better from a loud speaker. some other logic which we're hearing from number 10 is that is that the conservatives wanted to wrong foot labour. they thought that if they waited until the autumn, the labour campaign would be all up ready and raring to go. that said, there are plenty of conservative mps who i've spoken to who were pretty sarcastic about that idea. they say that labour have been ready for an awfully long time for a general election. whenever the prime minister chose to call it, and listening to keir starmer's opening pitch last night, it was hard to believe that they were wrong. let's have a listen to him. >> the night the prime minister has finally announced the next general election , a moment the general election, a moment the country needs and has been waiting for. and where by the force of our democracy, power returns to you a chance to change for the better. your future , your community, your

future, your community, your country . country. >> keir starmer looks like a man who is ready for the fight. it'll be really interesting over the next few weeks to hear a bit more flesh on the bones of his manifesto promises. for the moment, labour have pretty understandably kept their powder dry about some of the more, extreme details of their policies. but now the election campaign is here. they can't hold off any longer. now, another man who's been calling for an election over and over again most weeks we've heard this from the lib dems is ed davey. this from the lib dems is ed davey . he is desperate for davey. he is desperate for a general election and he too seems like he's ready. let's have a listen to him across the country, people are crying out for change and this election is the chance to make that happen . the chance to make that happen. >> in so many parts of the country. it's the liberal democrats who can beat the conservatives, who've taken people for granted for so long.

every vote for the liberal democrats is a vote for a local champion, an mp who will fight for you, your family and your community to get the fair deal that you so deserve . this that you so deserve. this government is out of touch , it's government is out of touch, it's out of excuses, and it's out of time. yes, yes. out of excuses, and it's out of time. yes, yes . and it's time to time. yes, yes. and it's time to get this conservative government out of office. yes . and if we out of office. yes. and if we do, we can transform our politics. we can sort out the crisis in the health and care system. we can get our economy back on track. we can end the sewage scandal and we can get the fair deal. people deserve love. thank you very much . love. thank you very much. >> now the lib dems prospects

have been looking up in the polls yesterday, recently. but i think what's going to really worry the conservatives is that some of their target seats, mostly in the south east and the south—west those blue wall areas are areas which are held at the moment by conservative members of the cabinet. jeremy hunt, for example, in surrey, is in a seat which the lib dems very much have their eye on. he has said, jeremy hunt, that he will be standing in the next election. another reason, perhaps , for another reason, perhaps, for rishi sunak to go to the country so early is we were already at 65 conservative mps standing down before the next election. i wonder how many more might have decided to throw in the towel if rishi sunak hadn't made this unprecedented decision? and rishi sunak really can't afford to be losing experienced, well—liked members of parliament. with the lib dems hot on his heels, it'll be fascinating to see how this election campaign develops over the next few weeks. we're all assuming that it's a done deal, but you just never can tell.

with the uk general election and olivia, just a quick one on, unhappy tory mps and all this. >> you know, christopher hope, our political, political editor, was tweeting about this last night and geoffrey morris has beenin night and geoffrey morris has been in touch. morning geoffrey. who says can mps stop the election because there's been this talk of mps trying to oust rishi sunak before. when is it next thursday. when the dissolution would happen . dissolution would happen. >> well, there is this theory doing the rounds in westminster that there are a number of conservative mps, that there certainly are a number of conservative mps who are very, very angry about the timing of this election. they are not happy with the way rishi sunak has handled it, and they think that it would be much, much better to wait until the autumn. there are some of them who would be prepared to send in their letters of no confidence in rishi sunak, if that were to happen before the dissolution of parliament. theoretically, we could be in a situation where a

new conservative leader and prime minister was elected very, very quickly and that conservative prime minister could decide not to hold the general election in july. personally, i think that's quite unlikely. yes, there's a handful of mps who are angry enough to sendin of mps who are angry enough to send in their letters of no confidence, but actually it's a pretty high threshold that would need to be reached. i think it's 58 conservative mps would need to sign that letter and send it in to the chairman of the 1922 committee in order to trigger that vote of no confidence . and that vote of no confidence. and even andrea jenkyns, who is one of rishi sunak's most staunch critics. she was the first person to come out and say that she had sent a letter of no confidence in to the prime minister she said that she hasn't withdrawn her letter, but she's advising other mps not to sendin she's advising other mps not to send in letters of no confidence. she thinks that they would be in vain now and that it is simply too late. there are rumours circulating that lots of conservative mps have written their letters in, but let's just remember, still only two tory mps have actually said publicly

that they've taken that step. i just think there is too long to go and not enough time for this plot to come together . plot to come together. >> okay, olivia utley there for us in westminster. thank you very much indeed. well, let's cross to the reform uk candidate for sutton coldfield, mike mark hoath . good to see you this hoath. good to see you this morning. mark, what's your reaction to this 4th of july election? >> well, my reaction is initially i was quite surprised . initially i was quite surprised. and, but when i think about it overall, maybe not because i think what rishi sunak realises that his, rwanda policy is not going to work and we're going to get even more illegal immigrants coming over in the in the better weather in the summer. so we hope it's going to be better weather. and, and so i think it's just going to be it would have just got even worse for him. and i think that that's the main reason why he's called it early, because he just realises that his policies are failing as they've failed on virtually everything that they've put forward. and so, you know, i'm ready, you know, bring it on.

and, that's really what that's really where i'm standing . really where i'm standing. >> but but what are you hoping for in terms of outcome here, mark? because i mean, the reality seems to be i mean, tell me if you disagree, but i mean, as rishi sunak himself said yesterday, come july the 5th, either he will be in number 10 or keir starmer will be in number 10. it seems very unlikely that a reform , unlikely that a reform, candidate will be in number 10. >> yeah, i think that's right. i mean , i you know, i think, you mean, i you know, i think, you know, i'm not a fool to sort of believe that we're going to sweep to victory in the overall general election. however, you know, particularly locally here in sutton coldfield where campaigning, we've already started our campaign, we've been leafleting . we've recently leafleting. we've recently dropped 40,000 leaflets out. we're campaigning because basically we want our country back and i want our town back, because we've had, 20 odd years of mismanaged , of the economy, of mismanaged, of the economy, mismanagement of , literally

mismanagement of, literally everything by both labour and the conservatives and they simply just don't stand for the silent majority. and so therefore , what i'm expecting is therefore, what i'm expecting is that we will put on a very good performance here in sutton coldfield. we're campaigning now on local issues around our town centre, which has seen the biggest level of decline. i think of any town centre in the country over the last 20 years under the watch of our conservative mp andrew mitchell and also the labour bankrupted council. so, you know, we're expected to put in a very, very good performance. i think it's important to remember our goal has always been to punish the tories for the appalling performance that they've put in, particularly over the last four years. that's always been what we've said, that we will do. and then if labour do get in, which is widely anticipated, they will make a mess of it. like they make a mess of it. like they make a mess of it. like they make a mess of everything. as i said, birmingham city council is a good example and then we will then make a strong pitch for potential government running in

2029 or 2028. so you know, i'm not naive enough to believe that richard tice will be turning up at downing street on on july the 5th. however, we stand for the silent majority and the level of , disruption and the level of incompetence shown by this government over the last, particularly the last four years. but overall , the decline years. but overall, the decline in britain has been over the last 20 years, starting with tony blair and then the succession of conservative, prime ministers. so we will put in a good performance. we're ready, interesting that you mentioned , but as far as i'm mentioned, but as far as i'm aware, the labour candidate in sutton coldfield hasn't even been selected yet, so i'm not sure they're ready, as keir starmer was given the impression on your clip. >> well, no. well no. but they've selected most of their candidates across the country. not all but but i mean , in not all but but i mean, in effect and with the greatest of respect, mark, i mean, what you are saying is what rishi sunak

said that actually if people vote for you, they can they can vote for you, they can they can vote for you, they can they can vote for reform uk across the country. but if they do so , country. but if they do so, they've got to expect keir starmer in number 10 as a result. i mean, that's in effect what you're saying. >> to which i would reply what's the difference? so both labour and the conservatives stand for high tax, high high immigration. varne, you know, they're just two examples of the things that both labour and the conservatives stand for. the highest level of taxation in 70 years. labour will put up taxes. so what we would say is there really isn't any difference between these two parties. the different party and the party that will campaign for change is reform uk . you know, i mean, the reform uk. you know, i mean, the thing is, when you look back in history, you would think to yourself if you'd have said 30 years ago, people to people, the things that are going on in this country now, they would have called you insane. 130,000 illegal immigrants crossing the

engush illegal immigrants crossing the english channel and nobody does anything about it . english channel and nobody does anything about it. i tell you what we'll do. we'll put them up in four star hotels, all at the expense of british taxpayer. if you look at the woke infiltrate in schools and our public services, people would have thought you were crazy if you said that you were going to be teaching children trans ideology 30 years ago, people would have thought you were crazy. and you know, the picture that really frustrates me more than anything and just is a kind of symbol to how bad this country has become under both labour and the conservatives, is our greatest living britain, which aston churchill statue having to be boarded up in central london because through fears of a mob . because through fears of a mob. and don't forget, keir starmer took the knee to the mob. so i think it's very, very important to realise how bad this country has become . and if you want has become. and if you want change or if you want more of the same, vote for the conservatives or labour. if you want change, vote for reform uk. and if you want to change to

sutton coldfield, vote for me in sutton coldfield, vote for me in sutton coldfield. >> mark, we are running out of time. but i need to ask you about nigel farage, who is thinking overnight about a political comeback. would you like to see him stand as a candidate for reform uk ? do you candidate for reform uk? do you think richard tice would make way for him if he wanted to become leader ? become leader? >> yeah, well, i can't speak for richard, you know, i don't know whether he would make way for him, but personally, i'd love to see nigel back in the front line. i think he's got a lot to offer, he's probably one of the most influential politicians of the 21st century so far, with what's been achieved in european elections, you know, the vote for brexit, etc. etc. so i really hope that nigel does stand up and who knows, maybe at the 11:00 press conference, which is being streamed, by reform uk, which i ask everybody to watch, maybe there will be an announcement of that. but as regards from richard's point of view, i can't really speak on, you know, on his behalf. would

he stand aside, as you probably understand . understand. >> okay. mark howarth, good to see you this morning. thank you very much indeed. thank you. let's talk to our senior political commentator, nigel nelson. morning to you, nigel. are you as surprised as the rest of us that we now have this date for a first summer election since 1945? >> yes, it was . it was >> yes, it was. it was completely bizarre, and as the day wore on yesterday, it began to feel, more real. we sort of got an election scare every week recently, but this one just felt materially different, as it turned out to be. what most mps can't understand is why he did it, you referred to to the the idea of letters of no confidence going in. it's possible he did. he did that because they would reach the threshold over the summer, and therefore he could be ousted . i think olivia was be ousted. i think olivia was right earlier when she said there isn't time to do it next week. so i don't think that that plot will come to anything. there was also the whole thing

about, the extra cost coming down, coming down the road. there's the 10 billion for the infected blood scandal victims. you've still got the post office scandal that needs to be sorted out, and no one's even addressed the waspi women yet. so it may be also that jeremy hunt felt. well, look, i won't have any room for manoeuvre for of a tax cuts later in the year. might as well go now, because it really can't get any worse. >> and how do you think sir keir starmer is feeling in labour hq today? how ready do you think they actually are for a general election? we saw those six pledges last week, didn't we? but we're lacking that meat on the bone and we don't see a manifesto yet . and there's also manifesto yet. and there's also labour sources saying there's still a handful of candidates to select. >> yeah, that that's absolutely right that the that there's a lot of work for labour to do particularly on the detail because the detail will come out in the manifesto . so you can in the manifesto. so you can expect to see that in a couple

of weeks time , i think labour of weeks time, i think labour have been pretty much ready for a general election, from the beginning of the year that most people thought that the rishi sunak would go for may the 2nd, the same day as local elections were held, keir starmer put his troops on alert for that date. so the whole machine is actually ready to go. so i don't think if rishi sunak was hoping to catch keir starmer on the hop, that that's actually worked , it is an that's actually worked, it is an extraordinary election that we're facing, isn't it? >> because obviously there's the poll differences, between tories and labour. we've got reform, which i mean pulling splitting the conservative party into, into two with all of this . and into two with all of this. and yet there's still these polls which say, heck , you know, we which say, heck, you know, we could well be facing a hung parliament. it's one of those which on the surface looks like it's an easy one to call, but

actually in reality may not be. >> yeah. i mean, i think that we have to dismiss the idea that there would be a hung parliament on the current polling. i mean, that was based on an analysis of local election results and what would happen if that was translated into a general election ? well, actually, those election? well, actually, those figures only showed what would have happened if the entire country had been voting locally . country had been voting locally. vie. so i don't think we're looking at that at the moment. the polls are pretty consistent , the polls are pretty consistent, labour have got a 20 point lead that would give them a landslide at the election. what it comes down to reform. reform would have to get up to around 20% of the vote to actually make a real difference. anything under that. and they probably wouldn't get a single mp. >> and what about we are running out of time here, nigel. but i did want to ask you about the gaza situation we saw in oldham that that damaged the labour

party. they lost control of oldham council in large part to down the gaza issue. that is going to be an issue for the party. isn't it, at the general election? >> yes. i think that that , >> yes. i think that that, labour have acknowledged that they do have a problem with muslim voters. and so any constituency which has got a large muslim population is a bit tncky large muslim population is a bit tricky for labour, the question obviously, is that where else do those voters go? it's unlikely they would. they would head to reform. unlikely they would go to the conservatives. so what labour are banking on, although there was something of a rebellion during the local elections, what they're banking on is that a general election, these voters will come back to them , okay. them, okay. >> nigel. good to see you. we'll be chatting a lot more. of course. coming up. thanks very much indeed. >> it's gonna be a busy six weeks, isn't it? >> it is going to be a very busy six weeks. but i want to know. are you pleased to be getting on with it? loads of you getting in touch this morning, but sort of

with your political views, which is fine. but what i want to know from you, this morning is, are you happy that it is happening now that we have a date, that it's going to be done and dusted by the 5th of july, is that what is that what you're pleased about or not? let us know. gb news .com/ or say at 624. >> let's get your weather with annie shuttleworth. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb news. >> good morning. welcome to your latest gb news weather update brought to you by the met office. further rain to come this morning with weather warnings still in force for some areas for much of the day, but it will turn drier as the day goes on. amber rain warning still in force until around lunchtime for parts of northwest england, north wales and rain warnings for a large swathe of northern england, northern ireland and much of scotland, as well . as i said, it will turn well. as i said, it will turn dry as the day goes on, but any further rainfall, particularly on top of the rain we've already

had through wednesday and last night, will cause further travel disruption . a disappointing day disruption. a disappointing day with temperatures down below average and quite a breeze as well, particularly across the coast, so feeling a little bit cooler than it should do for this time of year. the rain will continue across northern areas through this evening, but across the south it should turn that much drier. but still some heavy rain to come in from the north. across much of scotland, a lot of low cloud around as well, but the heaviest rain is likely to build up across parts of southwest scotland, northwest england, cumbria, north wales as well through thursday afternoon across south. as i said, it does tend drier as the day goes on through thursday and there could be some late sunshine across the south coast. but still, after quite a cloudy day, temperatures will still be below par in the day. through tonight we'll see that rain continue to fall across northern areas, but it will slowly turn lighter as the night goes on. but there's going to be a lot of cloud around. could see some clearer skies across the far south and east, but most areas should see quite a cloudy start to the day on

friday. a little bit cooler than it has been of late as well. we've got slightly fresher air that's starting to move in now. that area of low pressure slowly starts to fill and as a result, that rain will ease through friday. so a drier day on the whole, we could see a few showers breaking out, particularly across northern areas, but across the south it's going to be a drier day. plenty of cloud around though , away of cloud around though, away from the far south coast. that's where we'll see the best of any sunshine in that sunshine, perhaps 19 or 20 degrees. but for most of us, still a fairly cool day for the time of year. by cool day for the time of year. by that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers sponsors of weather on gb news. >> now it's time for the great british giveaway, your chance to win £20,000 in cash in time for summer. so have a little think about what you'd spend it on. dream holiday. you could get the garden done, or perhaps treat the family. no, no, i'll stick it in the bank with a good interest rate. that's what you

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good luck . good luck. >> and, best of luck to you with that one, still to come, we've got all your sport with paul coyte in just a couple of minutes

timing. >> is everything okay? >> is everything okay? >> ian's been in touch. yeah. morning, ian . and you know, i morning, ian. and you know, i love the sentiment. it says steven. happy birthday for the other day, mate. thank you very much. i appreciate that very, very much. i appreciate the thought. was the 1st of march, but thank you anyway . i think but thank you anyway. i think you might mean anniversary of my wedding anniversary. >> it was his wedding anniversary on sunday, which. >> so, anyway , do you know what? >> so, anyway, do you know what? i just think it's nice for someone to send a nice message. thank you, thank you. ian, though. ian. ian. cognito i

don't think. is your real name. obviously incognito , but there obviously incognito, but there you go. very good. i appreciate it anyway , yes. it's nice, isn't it anyway, yes. it's nice, isn't it? to get a nice message. >> there you go. >> there you go. >> should we look at the sport? >> should we look at the sport? >> oh, let's paul coyte. >> oh, let's paul coyte. >> could i be the first to wish you a very merry christmas? i just thought i'd like to be the first to tell you what? the last. am i late or early? >> no, early. we're not that. but we're not that far off. really? i was thinking about that. it's only six months. i'll have to go and buy a christmas tree. >> 4th of july is quite a big day in america. yes, and we'll be quite a big day here. >> yeah, i should think so. >> yeah, i should think so. >> and also, as far as the euro, i was looking at the timing of this because obviously i'm not looking at this in the same way that maybe you're looking at it. i'm looking at it at a sporting perspective and thinking, well, how does this affect the sporting calendar? so the euros now this is the thing. >> it's all over the sun this morning about the euro. >> oh is it really. because i imagine this is going to be gripping england and scotland a little more maybe in my opinion,

than what's happening in the 4th of july, because that's when the euros are and if we are successful, this is around quarter final time. so the third and 4th of july are actually down as rest days for the euro. so there'll be no games. >> but that's good because everyone can get to the polls, correct? >> yes. has this been thought about, do you think. yes. >> yeah. but but of course the 5th of july. yes. is where is actually because on the, on the 4th of july people go to the polls in terms of what we do. yes. we can't say anything. right. so 5th of july is when all the telly stuff is going to be happening. >> exactly. and that could possibly be the day that england will be playing the feel good factor. am i going to be elbowed out? are we still going to do the sport on that morning? should england be playing? i just want to make that clear right now. i just want to know what i'm working on. >> yeah, interesting that in terms of could be tricky. >> doing could be tricky. fifth and the sixth. yeah okay. >> but i think it is interesting, isn't it, that the prime minister could be trying to capture some of that feel good factor that goes on because it does take hold of the

country, doesn't it? >> absolutely. and especially, well, the first stages, which is when, when the championships get underway, which earlier on in june, you've really takes it's like the actual game itself. it's a little momentum isn't it. so the first game. yeah, okay. we'll watch it because they're group games. it's only when we get to the quarter finals and then the semi—finals, and then you start thinking that's when the surge starts to happen. everybody starts getting a bit excited. so that would be around that time. so we're looking at the fifth and the 6th of july. and also wimbledon will be on as well. i imagine andy murray might be out by then. >> yes. >> yes. >> yeah but we'll see. >> yeah but we'll see. >> all right. can we talk about vincent company. well yeah. >> it's really it's the old managerial merry go round. i keep talking about this spinning round very fast. and some managers are jumping on and jumping off starace. nobody knows. oh, by the way, i know what the lyric is. oh, god. where it stops, nobody knows. and i'm singing the song. it's abracadabra by the steve miller band. remember where it stops. nobody knows . no, no , that's nobody knows. no, no, that's what he sounds exactly like that even my time. >> that one.

>> that one. >> now, vincent company, burnley manager. so he had success at burnley a year ago taking them up to the premier league and with his success as a player at manchester city. and it's like this is going to be the guy, he's going to be the next hugely successful manager. but burnley have not had a good season, so they've been relegated down to they've been relegated down to the championship. so it's managed to stock. it rises and it falls. so at the moment you'd think that vincent companies stock would be on the just on the turn. not looking very good. but bayern munich a very interested in him. so it looks like possibility of him going to a hell of a jump. i know it really is so. but they, they like the sound of him. mauricio pochettino. so we spoke about him yesterday, he's now leaving chelsea, so there are two jobs which he's been connected to where there are no vacancies at the moment. one of them is england saying that after the euros, should gareth southgate go euros, should gareth southgate 9° ' euros, should gareth southgate go , that mauricio pochettino go, that mauricio pochettino would be good there or manchester united. but eric ten

hag is in the job and also your job as well. he's also up for as well. so all these, all these things where, where people are actually working and surely immovable, mauricio pochettino is being linked in. kieran mckenna now. kieran mckenna , mckenna now. kieran mckenna, ipswich manager. yeah. young manager, another one because everybody thinks well he's had success, we have to get him so he's taking ipswich up, being offered a brand new contract, whether he's going to take it though, seems to be in doubt because now other clubs with vacancies are now looking at him. >> yeah. but it's, it's this is where it gets. so who have you been linked with? brighton yes. and man united. yes. >> because he did have a link with manchester united. was he. >> yes. he was wasn't he. deputy. yes. assistant manager or something. >> under jose or something. >> underjose mourinho and under ole gunnar solskjaer. so he's got links with manchester united and then he's gone off to ipswich, had success there. so maybe . but you know is that a maybe. but you know is that a big too big a too job soon probably for him. brighton may work for him but chelsea obviously are interested in now

and also enzo maresca, who is the manager of leicester, who has taken leicester up. so anybody that takes a team up, all of a sudden it's a new manager, everybody's interested in. so there's a possibility that he may leave leicester , he that he may leave leicester, he worked under pep guardiola at manchester city . so he's another manchester city. so he's another name that's been linked to all these jobs . you know what? i'm these jobs. you know what? i'm finding it exhausting. >> you can have to find you're going to have to like completely refresh your your list of who you talk about every week. >> well, i'd be happy to do it. my >> well, i'd be happy to do it. my mental list. it's just it's just putting the managers into the right places. so yeah. >> should we look at david wilkie? >> yes. david wilkie are david wilkie, were you i think probably less so early , but but probably less so early, but but you, steven wood, remember david wilkie. yeah david wilkie i think one of our great passed away yesterday at the age of 70 now, which is no age. no age, it is no age. it's cancer. and it's really sad that that we've lost him. but for me as a kid , i

him. but for me as a kid, i remember was the first great swimmer that i remember because he won. it was the first swimmer for 38 years to win a male olympic gold medal. so that was him. 76 1976, in montreal. here he is, montreal, 1976. always known for you had the swimming cap . there weren't many people cap. there weren't many people that wore the swimming caps back in those days. the man just behind him is a fellow american called john henken. now, america won every medal when it or every gold medal when it came to the olympics in 1976, bar one. and that was the 200 metre breaststroke that david wilkie won. and there's david there. handsome boy, wasn't he was. and he retired right after that , he retired right after that, only at the age of 22. so he'd won gold medals. he won the gold medal there in the olympics and also world championships as well. but one of our true greats, and it was duncan goodhew, then followed in his footsteps and won the 200 metre breaststroke in 1980. after that. but real legend. and it's you know what? it's almost it's

one of the forgotten heroes. yeah.i one of the forgotten heroes. yeah. i think i don't know whether it's the sport, the fact that it's swimming. but i always remember david wilkie because one of our few gold medals from, 1976 and the montreal games, oh , 1976 and the montreal games, oh, bless him. >> so no age at all? >> so no age at all? >> no, not at all. >> no, not at all. >> paul, thank you very much indeed. pleasure to catch up with you a little bit later on. >> let's start the merry go round. >> that that merry go round again. it's honestly well keep you on your toes where it stops. nobody knows . nobody knows. >> oh, dear. >> oh, dear. >> thank you. paul coyte, do stay with us. we're going to be going through all of the elections in the papers with charlie rowley and scarlett mccgwire. that's

next. >> let's have a look at some of the newspapers for you . at 641. the newspapers for you. at 641. we'll start with the express. it leads with the prime minister's decision to call a snap general election for the 4th of july. to

focus minds on the clear choices facing britain. >> it says the i newspaper leads with the same , calling it with the same, calling it judgement day for the uk. >> the mirror has drowned out, as the prime minister caught in the rain announcing the snap general election. he was absolutely drenched. >> the mail leads with rishi sunak's declaration it is time for the country to choose its future , okay, let's talk through future, okay, let's talk through some of those then and just get their general opinions. actually, with former special adviser to michael gove, charlie rowley and former labour adviser scarlett mccgwire, good to see you. this morning. i don't know if you're both breathing a sigh of relief . are you this year? of relief. are you this year? >> yes. at last. >> at last. and what about you, charlie, well, it's on and. oh, so that's a no. then it's on. and, look, you know , everybody and, look, you know, everybody will be up for the fight, and i'm sure everybody will be looking forward to it. the next six weeks of campaigning, were you as surprised as we were? i was, yes. look, my personal view is that i think it should have

gonein is that i think it should have gone in the autumn. i think, you know, we had some great economic news yesterday, which is why i think the prime minister has decided that actually, you know, things have turned a corner where there was growth figures a couple of weeks ago that were quite positive. >> just pleased to be getting on with it, though. >> well, i just think, you know, the more time that you have and the more time that you have and the more time that you have and the more good news that hopefully you can, announce to the country, then the more that the country, then the more that the country, then the more that the country when it hasn't really been listening and when it hasn't really been alive to the political sort of, you know, debates that we're having in the country. i think the more time that you give yourself, the more of a platform you can, can build, and then go to the country. but, you know, obviously the prime minister has decided that now is the time. and, you know, people, have really got to wake up to the opfions really got to wake up to the options available to them and what kind of country they want to, to live in going forward. >> but as the guardian says, sunak's big gamble, it is a huge gamble. >> yes, yes, you know, it is a it is it is a huge gamble and one in which now every conservative activist and mp and

councillor will have to, rally, rally around and behind the prime minister. we've got an election on the 4th of july. it focuses the minds and, you know , focuses the minds and, you know, there's got to be a very, very clear in such a short campaign. six weeks is not long. there has to be a very, very clear communications narrative as to what the choices are now. so, you know, with good economic news, under the conservative government. so a growing economy, inflation is down. he's got his rwanda policy through parliament. yes, there are the problems still with waiting lists in the nhs, but that is down sometimes to strikes. don't put all of that at risk. versus a labour party, as the conservatives will say, is there'll be constantly saying who want to nationalise energy , who want to nationalise energy, nationalise the railways, nationalise the railways, nationalise your water companies , which means more money, more spending, more borrowing , more spending, more borrowing, more debt, and therefore higher taxes on hard working people . that is on hard working people. that is the choice lower bill. >> that is the choice. can i just say that that is that is absolutely no, it's not the choice, charlie. it's not the

choice. >> come on then, scarlett. no. oh >> older minute, old minute. all i'm saying is it. >> go on, go on. well, i was going to begin by saying that charlie says that all the tories are going to get behind rishi. well they're not i mean that's the first thing is quite a lot of them are absolutely furious that this election has been called because they know they're going to lose and they feel like charlie has expressed it rather articulately that that they needed time, my feeling is they it didn't matter how long, how long it went . but i have to say long it went. but i have to say that the choice, the choice is a chaotic government that we have had for ages and ages. i mean, somebody said, you know, what chance did rishi have after coming in after, you know , coming in after, you know, chaos, boris, then liz truss, but actually he didn't he didn't turn anything around. whereas labouris turn anything around. whereas labour is not going to nationalise everything . they're

nationalise everything. they're going to take the railways into pubuc going to take the railways into public ownership because they're completely failing, they are looking hard at water and how you deal with water, which is not about nationalising it. it's about regulating it. but i mean, the problem with, with water is the problem with, with water is the water companies. what these private companies have done is they've been taken over by people who've just taken the money out and not invested it . money out and not invested it. right. and as far as energy goes, yes, there is going to be a national energy thing, but it's basically going to be renewables. and so that we have an energy strategy. i mean, what we need is to know what's going on, and that's what we have not had for a very long time, like 14 years. dear >> and the point i was trying to make is that that is what the labour party will say. that's their communications plan. that will be their strategy. vie whether it's right or wrong. i'm just saying the conservative party will be putting forward the narrative that i've just set out. so whether it's right or whether it's wrong, whether you

believe it, whether you don't, that's the choice that the pubuc that's the choice that the public have got to make. but dunng public have got to make. but during the campaign, a short term campaign, it's got to be very, very clear in its communications. and i was just setting out what the conservatives will be saying, not necessarily what i think or agree or what anybody could. i'm just putting out the campaign messages that the party's all right. >> but there is this problem already that, that that the conservatives are split. i mean, they're always split. that's been the problem. but i mean, to have i mean, christopher hope you're christopher hope, you know , did a wonderful tweet last know, did a wonderful tweet last night saying, you know, did a wonderful tweet last night saying , you know, i know, did a wonderful tweet last night saying, you know, i hear that the conservatives are trying to stop the general election . yeah. i mean, have you election. yeah. i mean, have you had any truth in that, charlie? >> have you heard those rumours? >> have you heard those rumours? >> well, i, i saw the tweet and i saw a flurry of tweets after that from, from from people. i think, you know, it has taken the party by surprise. there's no doubt about it. i think people were expecting it to go to the autumn. that's where the smart money was. and so i think people might have planned for a summer holiday. they might have planned to have a summer in their constituencies to try and, you know, get back to their,

their roots and, and be able to sort of, again, build up a sort of personal platform with the electorate ahead of a general election. but as it happens, i think they've, you know, people understand why the prime minister decided to throw the dead cat strategy out there to actually grip the nation and call the election. >> you don't think there's going to be a plot to replace rishi sunak before next thursday and call off the general election? well, no. >> whether the whether there is or not a plot. i mean, who's to say, but i think, even if there was, it would be the kiss of death. >> but even if, i mean, if there was and even if even if it was successful, it would be a gift to the labour party or any other party for that matter. probably because nobody would take the conservative party seriously. >> that again , after the prime >> that again, after the prime minister calling an election that the conservative party wants to get rid of yet another leader, and at a time when . so leader, and at a time when. so i think i, you know, there might be conversations, who knows ? i'm be conversations, who knows? i'm not part of them. i haven't heard them, but it would be the wrong thing at a time when

incredibly stupid. >> and who would want it? that's the other thing. who want to be leader for a number of days. oh. >> oh, yeah. i mean, it's sort of like like, you know, when bofis of like like, you know, when boris started, when all the all, all the ministers resigned and bofis all the ministers resigned and boris started putting new people in for 48 hours, complete disaster. yeah i love the fact that, i mean, what else do politicians say? i mean, this is in the mail this morning, but but rishi sunak saying it's time for britain to choose its future. well, i mean , well, future. well, i mean, well, that's the i mean, that's really to be fair. to be fair, keir starmer said something not very different. i mean, i know it's a statement of the obvious. >> it is a statement of, of the absolute obvious. i mean, but if you're rishi sunak , what do you you're rishi sunak, what do you do. i mean, he, he everybody thinks he's going to lose. you have all these tory ministers that i was watching on the television last night saying, oh yeah, it's really good, bring it

on.and yeah, it's really good, bring it on. and you feel that underneath they're going, ooh , i mean, i they're going, ooh, i mean, i mean, we're talking about the possibility of jeremy hunt losing his seat, michael gove losing his seat, michael gove losing his seat, grant shapps losing his seat, grant shapps losing their seat. i mean , the losing their seat. i mean, the and this isn't to labour. i mean these are all to the to the lib dems. they're actually you know it is it is a it is dems. they're actually you know itisitisaitisa dems. they're actually you know it is it is a it is a complete and utter disaster for the conservative party because they haven't even begun to make an argument . and this thing about argument. and this thing about the inflation figures, i mean, it's fine for, for your sort of economist to say things are turning and i really hope they are. i mean , you know, labour are. i mean, you know, labour needs some good economic news to go into to go into government with. but actually, as far as people, they go, oh, right. inflation is coming down. but i still can't manage. and that that just means things. prices are going up more slowly. >> well yes i mean it's yeah it doesn't mean prices are coming

down. no. can i mean this to both of you on this one. i mean, it's all a bit of a free for all this morning on the mirror. i think it's a bit unfair. this the whole. i mean, they've gone down and out and obviously it's a labour paper drowning out, there's a lot of fuss being made about the fact the prime minister got drenched giving his speech on the steps of downing street last night. i think that's i mean, look, it's what you do. you make these declarations on the, on the steps of downing street. it was chucking it down. he got wet as a result . he chucking it down. he got wet as a result. he had the chucking it down. he got wet as a result . he had the resilience a result. he had the resilience to stand there and take it. agree. >> yes. i mean you know you do have to wonder and you know, having worked in the sort of sometimes the operational and media side of things in, in, in conservative party rankings, it is a bit of an odd thing. you could have waited an hour or two or we've done it in or had an umbrella or half an hour, but so i think they he couldn't do it

in side because the very, very expensive press room you can't use for such an obvious party political thing. >> i remember, charlie, you'll correct me if i'm wrong. >> i'm sure that's exactly what officials probably would have advised, but i would have, you know, if i was a special adviser at the time, i would have just told them, you know, be probably where to go because i think, you know, they think no different. it would be a semantic argument to say it makes no difference whether you're doing it outside in front of the number 10 big black dot. you're on number 10 downing street. you're on the streets for goodness sake. doesn't matter whether it's inside a briefing room. you just don't have the government crest, but i think it's look, it's if you're launching a election campaign, you don't want to do it in the rain. and i remember back in, i think it was. does it matter? well, the front pages are just, you know, you want when you are 20 points behind in the polls and you want to go to the polls and you want to go to the country with a bit of hope and optimism to say things are getting better, whether it's the economic news or any other news,

you don't want front pages of you don't want front pages of you looking at drenched and a bit washed out. but it could be wetter. the devil you know could be what it's about. >> but very clever. >> but very clever. >> but very clever. >> but if it's the pictures so if you remember neil kinnock, you know, the very first pictures of him as leader on the seaside side, tripping over, going backwards, right . ed going backwards, right. ed miliband who, who is brilliant. but the bacon sandwich. and i think those pictures stay actually . and it's the pictures actually. and it's the pictures we have in our mind. and as i was watching it yesterday, i mean, i did text a friend of mine going, he's just getting wet. and that's all it became distraction. >> didn't it? i mean, it's all about optics in this, isn't it? and it was rishi sunak getting absolutely drenched there and also being drowned out as well by. oh well, things can only get better on the loudspeaker . i better on the loudspeaker. i mean i know look it up. >> labour supporters would probably watching that and going oh great, isn't this great? i honestly , i thought the police honestly, i thought the police should have stopped that. yeah the police at the end. i mean there would have been literally on the other side of the barriers at downing street. >> and it was one man.

>> and it was one man. >> yeah, it should have gone out. why didn't they stop him? >> they should have done it up in a few times now and see because people knew an announcement is coming. so people will just flock to downing street and they'll try and cause mischief. but i think scarlett's right. you know, i also remember i think it was 20, it would have been 2010 when gordon brown was leaving. and i think after the coalition talks, you sort of broke down. gordon sort of said, right. that's it. we're done. you know, no more talks. i'm leaving because he didn't want to leave in the dark, and that's perfectly fine. he wanted to walk out the street. the sun was shining with his two beautiful kids and getting the car and cameron came in slightly later on in the evening, where the photos with him. nobody wants to walk in or out down the street in the dark. no you're right, you're right. >> and actually, it was a lovely picture. i mean, in a way, i have to say i am a really fond of gordon brown, but i think all the people who weren't seeing him with his two little boys and your heart just went out to him. >> but that's all optics again, isn't it? it's all about. >> but we're talking we're talking optics. we're talking.

what do you remember? and it was very interesting. i mean, i don't know how young charlie was. in fact, were you even born when neil kinnock became leader of the labour party? but i mean, no, i mean, you were still in primary school, but no, i mean, you were still in primary school , but actually, primary school, but actually, when i said that picture, you knew what exactly what i meant. and, and that's the thing about opfics and, and that's the thing about optics is they stay in your mind. yeah. >> well , that's that's true. >> well, that's that's true. >> well, that's that's true. >> that's true. i still think , >> that's true. i still think, matty boys. i think it's so rude to be. it's just rude to be trying to overshadow someone making a big political speech . making a big political speech. >> it's history. >> it's history. >> doesn't care who it is. yeah, okay. what party it is, i think it's. >> no, i don't think he's some i mean, i think he's the he's the remainer isn't he. i mean, he shouts all the time. >> yes he does. >> yes he does. >> yeah. he has form. okay. charlie rowley and scarlett mccgwire. thank you very much indeed. >> all right. let's see if it's going to rain today. it was a bit brighter first thing this morning, so keep your fingers crossed. here's annie. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb

news. >> good morning. welcome to your latest gb news weather update brought to you by the met office. further rain to come this morning with weather warnings still in force for some areas for much of the day, but it will turn drier as the day goes on. amber rain warning still in force until around lunchtime for parts of northwest england, north wales and rain warnings for a large swathe of northern england, northern ireland and much of scotland, as well . as i said, it will turn well. as i said, it will turn dry as the day goes on, but any further rainfall, particularly on top of the rain we've already had through wednesday and last night, will cause further travel disruption . a disappointing day disruption. a disappointing day with temperatures down below average and quite a breeze as well, particularly across the coast, so feeling a little bit cooler than it should do for this time of year. the rain will continue across northern areas through this evening, but across the south it should turn that much drier, but still some heavy rain to come in from the north across much of scotland. a lot of low cloud around as well, but the heaviest rain is likely to

build up across parts of southwest scotland, northwest england, cumbria, north wales as well it through thursday afternoon across the south. as i said, it does turn drier as the day goes on through thursday and there could be some late sunshine across the south coast. but still, after quite a cloudy day, temperatures will still be below par to end the day through tonight, we'll see that rain continue to fall across northern areas, but it will slowly turn lighter as the night goes on. but there's going to be a lot of cloud around. could see some clearer skies across the far south and east, but most areas should see quite a cloudy start to the day on friday. a little bit cooler than it has been of late as well. we've got slightly fresher air that's starting to move in now. that area of low pressure slowly starts to fill and as a result, that rain will ease through friday. so a drier day on the whole, we could see a few showers breaking out, particularly across northern areas, but across the south it's going to be a drier day. plenty of cloud around though , away of cloud around though, away from the far south coast. that's where we'll see the best of any sunshine in that sunshine,

perhaps 19 or 20 degrees. but for most of us, still a fairly cool day for the time of year. by cool day for the time of year. by that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers sponsors of weather on

gb news. >> very good morning to you. it's 7:00 thursday, the 23rd of may. today i spoke with his majesty the king to request the dissolution of parliament. >> the king has granted this request, and we will have a general election on the 4th of july. >> the battle commences as rishi sunak calls a summer general election. critics say number 10 have taken a huge gamble. we'll be talking to the prime minister in just a few minutes. >> us rishi sunak has taken the decision that none of us thought was going to happen and gone for

an early election in july. can he snatch victory from the jaws of defeat? find out more with me very soon. very 500“. >> very soon. >> sir keir starmer claims the future is in the country's hands as he launches his bid for power . with the economy, the nhs and immigration key battlegrounds is a chance to change for the better . better. >> your future, your community, your country . your country. >> rumours swirl that furious tory mps could be plotting a revolt to call off the general election by ousting the prime minister before parliament's dissolved next week. >> tory big hitters face a huge fight to retain their seats, with chancellor jeremy hunt and defence secretary grant shapps battling to overcome small majorities . majorities. >> could nigel farage return to frontline politics? the political heavyweight claimed or claimed last night he was going to think overnight about whether to think overnight about whether to stand on behalf of reform uk

reform will fight the election as for what i do, i'll think about it overnight and in the sport this morning. >> bundesliga champions by leverkusen's 51 game unbeaten run came to an end last night as they lost the europa league final three. now to atalanta of italy in dublin. the great david wilkie, britain's first olympic gold medallist for 68 years in swimming, has died at the age of 70 and there's a break of two days during the euros just before the quarter finals on the third and the 4th of july. what on earth could we be doing to take our mind off the football? i wonder? >> good morning. after all that rain we saw yesterday, how much more will we see today? we can find out all the details with me a little later on morning to you. >> i'm stephen dixon and i'm ellie costello , and this is ellie costello, and this is breakfast on . gb news.

breakfast on. gb news. >> well, it's what everyone's talking about . the 4th of july talking about. the 4th of july this morning. this way we can plan ahead, though. it's not far off, is it? it's definitely a snap general election. >> yes. just six weeks to go until the 4th of july. defying predictions of an autumn poll. >> yeah, well, he got drenched yesterday as the prime minister called it a moment for britain to choose its future. it's actually the 1st july election since 1945. >> yes, but it is a long time from the highs of 2019, where bofis from the highs of 2019, where boris johnson took the keys to number 10. we've had three prime ministers, a global pandemic and inflation at a 30 year high. >> and let's talk to our political correspondent olivia utley, who's in westminster. of course . so we know at long last, course. so we know at long last, olivia, when this is going to be. but it seems there are a lot of unhappy people, especially in the conservative party >> well, definitely. rishi sunak has taken the conservative party by surprise, including some of his own ministers who've criticised the decision to go to the country in july. it sounds

as though what happened was the prime minister was looking at the autumn. that's why we heard all those briefings about october or actually specifically november , november the 14th. but november, november the 14th. but then when the economic picture started to improve, the prime minister began to increasingly think that there was no point waiting it out . there would be waiting it out. there would be accusations that he was squatting in number 10, like the conservatives accused boris gordon brown of back in two thousand and seven 2008, and there would be accusations that there would be accusations that the economy just couldn't really improve very much more. it is looking increasingly likely that the bank of england will not lower interest rates when they make their next decision in june, meaning that by the autumn the mortgage hell that lots of people are living through at the moment will still be just as bad as it is now. pretty negative reason really to decide to go to the country. obviously that is not how rishi sunak spun it yesterday when he did that speech on the steps of downing

street in the rain. let's have a listen to what he had to say on the 5th of july, either keir starmer or i will be prime minister. >> he has shown time and time again that he will take the easy way out and do anything to get power. if he was happy to abandon all the promises he made to become labour leader once he got the job, how can you know that he won't do exactly the same thing? if he were to become prime minister >> a pretty personal attack there from at keir starmer. and there from at keir starmer. and the conservatives are saying that they wanted to go early because they wanted to. wrong foot the labour party. they wanted to take them by surprise that said, it doesn't look like the labour party were particularly surprised at all. and actually listening to keir starmer yesterday, he sounded like he was pretty ready for the fight. let's have a listen tonight . tonight. >> the prime minister has finally announced the next general election. a moment the country needs and has been

waiting for , and where, by the waiting for, and where, by the force of our democracy , vie force of our democracy, vie power returns to you a chance to change for the better. your future, your community, your country . country. >> meanwhile, the liberal democrats have been desperately calling for a general election for months now, and they're hopeful of winning some of those target seats in the south west and the south east, which are currently held by sitting cabinet ministers. let's have a listen to what ed davey had to say . say. >> across the country, people are crying out for change, and this election is the chance to make that happen. in so many parts of the country , it's the parts of the country, it's the liberal democrats who can beat the conservatives who have taken people for granted . people for granted. >> well, we've heard the opening pitches now from all three party leaders. everyone's thinking

that it's a done deal, that we're heading for a labour majority. but let's not forget the labour party have a long way to go to overturn that majority that the conservatives achieved in 2019. there are still time for a shock result . for a shock result. >> okay, olivia utley there for us in westminster. thank you very much indeed. >> let's talk to former home office minister and liberal democrat, of course, norman baken democrat, of course, norman baker. norman, good to see you this morning. i mean, how do you think the lib dems are going to fare in all of this? i mean, obviously there's the blue wall seats that they're targeting, but they're not the power they used to be. >> well, i don't know if you look at the results from the by elections, which have been huge swings to the lib dems, you look at the council results, which were tremendous for us. we actually came second to labour in the recent elections just last month or early this month. was it, so i mean , we're in fine was it, so i mean, we're in fine fettle, i think, and it's certainly true. if you look at seats in the south—west, the south—east, in in sussex, where

i am in lewes, eastbourne, seats like that, winchester seats, even jeremy hunt seat, we're looking very strong there. and jeremy hunt seat put us on 35, ten points ahead of him. so i think we can look forward to significant lib dem gains because this election for many people is about abc. anyone but conservatives . and they're conservatives. and they're looking to see who can remove the conservative mp in their particular seat. so it's a rehash in a way, of 1997, when the same public mood was there about ousting the tories. >> is ed davey vie the right man to be leading your party? we just heard him speak. there i've heard an email in from victoria this morning. good morning victoria, who said ed davey should follow his own rules and quit his own involvement in the post office scandal is not good enough to lead a country. is his role in the post office scandal going to be a distraction when it comes to the general election? >> well, i don't think so. ed was one of many, many post office ministers, of all parties, in fact, to cover , the parties, in fact, to cover, the post office issue, just as there

have been many ministers of all parties who went through the, contaminated blood scandal, i don't think anyone who was a minister comes out of that terribly . well, but he's just terribly. well, but he's just one of many, so i don't think it'll be particularly an election issue for him. >> is he a sort of gambling a little bit on on the idea of being a kingmaker. there has been talk of a hung parliament. i mean, the polls don't point to that at the moment, but is that do you think that's what he's hoping for, being kingmaker once ' 7 m. again? >> well, i don't think it's about being kingmaker. i imagine that it's a hung parliament. what will happen is there'll be a minority government, but actually that would be a better outcome, in my view, because i don't think the country wants another five years of untrampled conservative government. they've made a right mess of things since 2015, but nor do they trust keir starmer, who really is untested . and some of the is untested. and some of the attacks by richard sunak last night, actually hit home, i think, about not knowing where he was and not not being clear if he will stick to his pledges or not. and i have to say that none of those two speeches

impressed me. rishi sunak. none of those two speeches impressed me. rishi sunak . on impressed me. rishi sunak. on the downing street steps, i think, was very partisan for a prime minister and that location. and keir starmer needs to learn to read an autocue, but he didn't manage to do that successfully yesterday. maybe a small point, but it didn't look very good at all. so i actually think the best government in the last 20 years has been the coalition government between the lib dems and the conservatives. that's the most stable government of all. so the idea that coalitions aren't stable is the opposite of the truth. we've had chaos since the lib dems left government in 2015. and, that five year government, the coalition but actually rather good for politics. so i hope what will come out of this will be a hung parliament and labour. labour seem to be very confident. but the reality was, as your reporter says, they've got a mountain to climb. they are way behind. they need a huge turnaround. and actually i think the most likely outcome of the election will be a hung parliament. and i think that's probably good for the country. >> norman, we're about to run out of time with you, but i just wanted to ask you about reform party and their rise in recent months. they are overtaking you

in many parts of the country as the third party. how does that make you feel in the run up to the general election? >> well, i've forgotten how many councils actually won in may, but they won two across the whole country, so they hardly make a dent in local councils, they were humiliated at the recent local elections. however, what they will do is they will take a solid 5 to 10% of the conservative vote, which makes it more likely there'll be more lib dem mps and actually more labour mps. >> okay, norman, wipe that grin off your face, thank you very much indeed. good to see you. let's talk to the former labour shadow minister for northern ireland, stephen pound, who said, good morning, are you delighted by this? and the timings ? timings? >> i'm slightly relieved, to be perfectly honest, because, i mean, this has been hanging over us like the sword of damocles for heaven knows how long the labour party has been on a war footing, i mean, since the council elections in may. so, you know, we're ready for it. but could i just disagree with my old parliamentary colleague, norman baker, for a second when he talks about a read across

from the by elections? you know, if you transpose the by elections to a parliamentary general election, i think there'd be three tory mps left and they'd probably be about to defect. but when he does talk about the scale of the of the job that labour has to do, don't forget we need a bigger swing than we got in 1997, 1997. we were so popular, even i got elected, you know, i mean, it was quite remarkable. but we need more than that. >> and, well, also, i mean, the, the, the boundaries have changed for a lot of seats, which actually makes it harder, i think, doesn't it, for, well, it doesin think, doesn't it, for, well, it does in wales particularly. >> i mean, we have a problem in wales where they've actually lost about ten seats. but but by and large, you know, it's one hand and the other, i mean most of them i think we've kind of baked in now we know what we're supposed to be doing. it isn't easy.i supposed to be doing. it isn't easy. i mean, in a lot of places i mean scotland, there's not a huge change. northern ireland, there's not a huge change. it's mostly been around the big urban conurbations where, to be honest, labour's pretty strong anyway, in terms of i mean, norman made a valid point, doesn't he. which, which he's got a keir starmer has got to struggle with a little bit with

voters in that. how do we believe what he says when since the corbyn days, he has flip flopped? well, an awful lot. >> stephen. i don't know about this. look, i mean, i was on the frontbench under jeremy corbyn and, you know, i disagree with almost everything jeremy corbyn did. and i said it to him in private. but the point is, when you're on the team, you don't actually dis the captain. you don't off the captain. and you you can make your points in private, but in, in politics you have to have that at least that display of unanimity. because at the end of the day, every political party is made up of all sorts of different strands. >> isn't that hypocritical, though? if you just if you disagree with i mean, if you disagree with i mean, if you disagree with i mean, if you disagree with everything jeremy corbyn said, he's in effect, you wouldn't want him to be leading the country, would you? >> no, no. the reality is, when you actually have that disparate group of opinions within a party and no, if there was a political party where every single woman and man believed in the same thing, that would be a would be phenomenal and b it would be pretty boring. so no, i don't think there's a hypocrisy there. and i think with keir starmer, you remember what keynes famously said, you know, if the facts change, i change my mind.

what would you do? and i think in reality he's been consistent. but wasn't it fascinating yesterday to see rishi sunak with probably the worst support people optics you could ever imagine standing there soaked in the rain compared with keir starmer looking, i have to say, prime ministerial wood panelled office and the union flags and that what a difference that was. and i think that's the difference that we'll actually see a person in kie who's actually can promise that stability and that that almost statesman like quality that i honestly i think rishi, with his cut and run election, has simply he's let himself down. he's made himself look foolish. >> stephen pound, good to see you.thank >> stephen pound, good to see you. thank you very much indeed. >> thanks, ellie. okay. >> thanks, ellie. okay. >> the prime minister looks foolish, according to stephen pound. well, let's ask the man himself . he pound. well, let's ask the man himself. he joins us now. good to see you this morning, prime minister. why the timing? why have you decided to do this now? because, i mean, it's raised a lot of eyebrows . lot of eyebrows. >> well, thanks for having me on the show. first of all, and i'm great to have a chance to explain why . i great to have a chance to explain why. i think great to have a chance to explain why . i think after great to have a chance to explain why. i think after a difficult few years, i'm pleased

that economic stability is now returning to the country. we've just seen that inflation has returned to normal. the economy is growing at a healthy rate. again, wages have been rising sustainably for several months now, and although i know not everyone is feeling the full benefits of that yet, it's clear that we have turned a corner. so now is the moment to look to the future. and the world is clearly in a more uncertain place than it's been in decades. and the question for the country is the choice at this election is who's got the boldest ideas , the got the boldest ideas, the clearest plan to provide a secure future for you and your family? that's the choice at this election. now that the economic stability has been restored, we can turn to that question. and that's the conversation i look forward to having with you, your viewers in the country over the next few weeks. >> the timing is shocked. so many, though, hasn't it? including many in your own cabinet. you had those appalling local election results in may, interest rates yet to fall , interest rates yet to fall, rwanda flights. your central policy flights are yet to take off and you're 20 points behind in the polls. a former cabinet

member has said. this is madness. suicidal charge of the light brigade kind of stuff . light brigade kind of stuff. >> well, if you look at what's just happened over the last few weeks, it's clear that the economy has turned a corner and the economy and economic stability is the foundation of everything else we want to achieve as a country. inflation is now back to normal. wages have been rising, energy bills are falling , the economy is are falling, the economy is growing. and that now gives us the opportunity to talk properly about the future. and i'm clear that it's only me. it's only the conservative party that has a record of bold action that's got a clear plan. and that's how we're going to give a deliver a secure future for the country. you mentioned one thing, the rwanda scheme. you know, that's a that's a great thing to be talking about at this election. border security is important . border security is important. making sure that we have fairness in our migration system is really important. and there's a clear choice at this election. i've got a plan . i'm prepared to i've got a plan. i'm prepared to take bold action. and as you've seen over the last week or two, multiple other countries across europe have realised that our approach is the right one. you

need to be able to send illegal migrants to a safe third country to break the cycle, to end the incentive for them to come to have a deterrent. so everyone else is starting to agree with my approach, which is bold. the one person that doesn't is keir starmer. that's a choice at this election. he thinks that we should just offer an amnesty to illegal migrants to make us a soft touch of europe. it would make us a magnet for thousands of migrants coming from everywhere. so that's the choice at this election. do you think my plan is the right one? do you think i'm the one that's taking bold action to secure our borders and to stop the boats? or do you think he's going to do that? and it's pretty clear that on this issue, not only does he not share the country's values, that it's a problem. he's going to do absolutely nothing about it. >> well, to be fair, he says he's going to tackle it at source, which is to target the gangs who are doing all of this. he says the rwanda plan isn't going to work. that's got to go. it's not going to be a deterrent. what you have to do is, is tackle the gangs at source and whether we like it or not, that's going to mean deaung not, that's going to mean dealing with eu countries more

closely. >> now, well, he says we're going to tackle the gangs at source. i mean, i said that a year ago and we're doing it. we already gave the national crime agency double the amount of funding to do that. i already signed a deal to cooperate on law enforcement with our european partners, and that's why we've got the numbers down by a third last year. but if you really believe that, the question you should be asking him is why did he vote against the new laws that the conservative government brought forward, which have now allowed us to arrest almost a thousand people connected with illegal migration? the ones that have been prosecuted and sentenced are now serving hundreds of years in prison. he voted against those laws so he can say all these nice sounding things. but when it came to it, he voted against those laws that have allowed us to put, as i said, hundreds of people in prison for hundreds of people in prison for hundreds of people in prison for hundreds of years who would otherwise be on our streets. so i think you can take what he says with a pinch of salt. he says with a pinch of salt. he says he wants to scrap the rwanda scheme. well, we've just seen in the last two weeks, 15

european countries have all signed a declaration saying that they believe part of the solution here is the ability to return illegal migrants to safe third countries. because the current system is unsustainable, requires novel solutions. i said that a year ago it was a novel at the time, but that's my track record on prepared to do bold things for our country. and that's what i've done on illegal migration. i've got a clear plan to stop the boats. it requires bold action. the penny is dropping across europe that our approach is the right one. and yes, you are right, keir starmer would stop that scheme. there is no way to solve this problem unless you have a deterrent and you can send illegal migrants to a safe country. that's the choice that this election in an uncertain world, borders are under threat. countries that around the world, like russia, are trying to weaponize migration, that damages our security. who do you trust to make sure that we do have security for you and your families, that our borders are secure? and as i said, we're the ones that are prepared to take the bold action and have the clear plan to deliver that security for you and your family, whether it comes to migration, the economy, getting

to net zero in a sensible way, cutting your taxes to give more financial security for your family, or indeed increasing the amount of money we spend on our defence because the world is more dangerous than it's been at any point since the end of the cold war. >> you are clearly very proud of the rwanda plan. you sound very confident that it's going to work. why then, have you set an election for the 4th of july, when it's thought that these first flights are going to take off the first week of july, and that's without any legal challenges? do you not want to see those flights take off first, and do you not want to see that plan working as you seem very confident that it will? or are you concerned that those planes are not actually going to take off and the plan is not going to work, and that's why you're calling it early? >> the plan is going to work. and i announced a little while ago all the preparations that we've put in place to get those flights off. so we've trained hundreds of caseworkers. we've identified the cohort of the first people that will be sent. we've got an airfield on standby, we've booked flights, we've got the escorts ready. and as people have been watching on

their tv screens and in the papers, we've already started detaining those who will then be removed in subsequent flights. and that's a choice at this election. ellie, if you elect me, if i'm prime minister on the 5th of july, those flights will go off to rwanda and we will begin to put in place the deterrent that we need to stop the boats, because there is no way to stop this problem unless you can have a deterrent, unless it's clear that if someone comes to our country illegally, they won't be able to stay and they will be removed. unless you're able to deliver that, people will keep coming. so we have made progress on this issue. the numbers were down by a third last year because of all the other things that we've been working hard on, which is good progress. but i'm going to be straight with you. this is the only way to fully solve this problem. i'm prepared to take bold action. i've got a clear plan to do that. and that's the choice of this election. that's how you deliver security and you say, why now? i'll go back to what i said at the beginning. you know, when i got this job, my priority was to deliver economic stability to the country after the difficult few years that we'd been through. and we now have that inflation

back to normal because of everyone's hard work and sacrifice, the economy growing faster than our competitors, wages rising, energy bills falling, and that stability allows us now to look to the future. and in an uncertain world, we have got, as i said, the boldest action, the clearest plans to deliver that security for you and your family. that's why we're having this election now. that's the conversation that i want to have with the country over the next few weeks. >> we do hear a lot about the plan. the problem is that the electorate aren't clear about what the plan actually is. i mean, i know obviously we're going to start seeing manifestos, but we need more clarity on that, don't we? >> well, no, i've set out over the past few weeks and months a clear set of ideas about what i want to do with this country in the future, to deliver that economic security, to deliver that border security, that financial security, that national security to families up and down the country. i set out plans to comprehensively reform our welfare system so that work always pays, that the system is fair to those who pay for it, as

well as those who need it. i set out plans to increase defence spending to 2.5% of gdp, because that's what's required to keep everybody safe. we've already discussed the plans i've set out to tackle illegal migration. we just saw yesterday that legal migration is down by a quarter in the first three months of this year because of the steps that i've taken, and we've set out clear plans to cut people's taxes by £900, at the same time raising the state pension by £900. because i believe in rewarding hard work. i believe in a country where if you work hard all your life, you have dignity in retirement. and i've also spoken to you in the past about my plans to take a more pragmatic and sensible approach to net zero, where we prioritise our energy security and people's bills rather than rushing to net zero. and some ideological way with no thought to the consequences. now on all of those things, there is a clear difference between my actions, my plan and what keir starmer is saying. and quite frankly, if he's saying anything at all on any of those things, and that's half the problem, you just don't

know what he thinks. do you know what he thinks on defence spending? he hasn't matched our pledge to increase it 2.5. we know on net zero. he's focused on a more ideological approach. you can see that in london, in wales and elsewhere. pricing drivers off the roads, putting more taxes and levies onto people's bills. we know he doesn't believe in tackling illegal migration. he hasn't got any plans to bring down legal migration. he opposes our tax cuts on working people, which are worth £900. he opposed every single decision that i took as chancellor and prime minister to restore economic stability to our country after a difficult few years. so there is a clear choice at this election, and my track record demonstrates that i'm prepared to take bold action, that i would do the right thing, that i will stick to my plan even when it's difficult, even if it's not necessarily what people want to heat necessarily what people want to hear. because i'm always going to do what i believe is right for our country. that's what i did the first time people got to know me. when i announced the furlough scheme as chancellor years ago. that's how i'll always govern this country. it's an enormous privilege to have done this job, and we've been through a really tough time as a country. but as we look forward,

i want to give people that peace of mind that i can deliver the secure future that they want for themselves and their family and i can do that because i've got a clear plan, and i'm prepared to take bold action. and that's the choice of this election. it's either me or someone who doesn't have any convictions, changes what he thinks by the week, doesn't have the courage to tell the country what he's actually going to do, and he certainly doesn't have a plan. and if you don't have those things, there's no way you can deliver any change for our country. >> okay, prime minister, i know we're out of time. we appreciate you talking to us first this morning. thanks very much indeed.thank morning. thanks very much indeed. thank you, stephen pound is still here. look, he makes some very valid points. doesn't he? the prime minister in all of this. i mean, the problem is. and what i wanted to ask him. but we really were out of time. there is, you know, in that last segment, he made some very good points. however he's still 20 points. however he's still 20 points behind in the polls. >> but it also looked as though he's been speaking from a dungeon somewhere. >> well, he's in he's in derby. >> well, he's in he's in derby. >> i don't quite know what he's doing in derby, but he's in

derby. >> heaven knows what he's doing. but look, a couple of things. it's one thing talking tough about banging people up in prison, where we've got nearly 100,000 people in prison today and hardly a single empty cell. you know the reality and the rhetoric just simply don't match. but look, on the issue of immigration, which i think is about the fourth or the fifth most important issue to people in the country at the present time, when he says about, you know, the labour party not having any plans, believe you me, we have to have a two pronged approach. we have to attack the gangs by all means. but we have to process the people in this country. look, there's some people in this country who presently have no status whatsoever because the home office cannot cope with it. and i want to see them processed. and if they have a right to be here, let's get them working and paying tax at the moment when you've just got thousands and thousands of people in b&bs and hotels around the country, that is an utter failure. and that is where labour party labour party plan does exist. >> but isn't there a significant problem with i mean, he's quite right with what kia what keir starmer is proposing. you know target at source. that all sounds great. but we've been

doing that already. and if the rwanda plan proves to work, why is sir keir starmer so determined to say, right, we're going to scrap it anyway. >> but because he's a realist, he knows that the idea of spending what, £750,000 to fly one person to kigali is absolutely barking mad. and the idea in any case, when i think this week there were 6 or 7 rwandans claiming political asylum in australia and there are people in this country, we've accepted from rwanda, as you know, seeking political asylum. it is absolute nonsense. look, there is a way. i mean, melanie, oddly enough, in italy with the arrangement that she has with albania, is actually quite sensible and rational. you can do that with an adjoining country. but in all honesty, the idea of flying somebody to central africa, to let them sit on the, you know, on the veranda for a couple of years, sipping pina coladas and hope that that solves the problem is nonsense. it's for the birds. >> stephen pound, thank you very much. good to see you this morning. let us know what you think about that interview with the prime minister and what he had to say. was it enough for you? do you let us know what you think? gbnews.com/yoursay vie. >> okay, let's get a check on

the weather for you today with annie . annie. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb news. >> good morning. welcome to your latest gb news weather update brought to you by the met office. further rain to come this morning with weather warnings still in force for some areas for much of the day, but it will turn drier as the day goes on. amber rain warning still in force until around lunchtime for parts of northwest england, north wales and rain warnings for a large swathe of northern england, northern ireland and much of scotland as well. as i said, it will turn dry as the day goes on. but any further rainfall, particularly on top of the rain we've already had through wednesday and last night, will cause further travel disruption. a disappointing day with temperatures down below average and quite a breeze as well, particularly across the coast, so feeling a little bit cooler than it should do for this time of year. the rain will continue across northern areas through this evening, but across the south it should turn that much drier. but still some heavy rain to come in from the north

across much of scotland. a lot of low cloud around as well, but the heaviest rain is likely to build up across parts of southwest scotland, north—west england, cumbria, north wales as well through thursday afternoon across the south. as i said, it does turn drier as the day goes on through thursday and there could be some late sunshine across the south coast. but still, after quite a cloudy day, temperatures will still be below par to end the day through tonight, we'll see that rain continue to fall across northern areas, but it will slowly turn lighter as the night goes on. but there's going to be a lot of cloud around. could see some clearer skies across the far south and east, but most areas should see quite a cloudy start to the day on friday. a little bit cooler than it has been of late as well. we've got slightly fresher air that's starting to move in now. that area of low pressure slowly starts to fill and as a result, that rain will ease through friday. so a drier day on the whole we could see a few showers breaking out, particularly across northern areas, but across the south it's going to be a drier day. plenty of cloud around though, away

from the far south coast. that's where we'll see the best of any sunshine in that sunshine, perhaps 19 or 20 degrees, but for most of us, still a fairly cool day for the time of year by that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers sponsors of weather on . gb news. on. gb news. >> well, it's time now for our great british giveaway and the biggest cash prize we've ever given away. it's £20,000 you can spend. however you like. >> yes, it's totally tax free so you will see every single penny of it, but you will have to hurry as time is ticking on for your chance to win. here's how the next great british giveaway winner could be. >> you . with a massive £20,000 >> you. with a massive £20,000 in tax free cash to be won. imagine how you'd react getting that winning call from us. >> oh my god, are you joking? no way. i never wanted penny in my life. >> i don't know what to say. don't know what? >> i've never won anything like

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all. well. general election underway, then. well. general election underway, then . the campaigning is fully then. the campaigning is fully underway. part laments being prorogued on the 28th. i think i'm going to get the next thursday. well, no. well, prorogued. but then , dissolution prorogued. but then, dissolution on the 30th. so that's when obviously there are no mps, and it all is officially underway. then we've got six weeks. so people have got to really set out their pitches. we've talked to the prime minister a few minutes ago and earlier we spoke to the reform uk candidate for sutton coldfield, mark hoath . sutton coldfield, mark hoath. >> i was quite surprised, but when i think about it overall, maybe not, because i think what rishi sunak realises that his rwanda policy is not going to work and we're going to get even more illegal immigrants coming overin more illegal immigrants coming over in the in the better weather in the summer. so we

hope it's going to be better weather, and so i think it's just going to be would have just got even worse for him. and i think that that's the main reason why he's called it early, because he just realised his that his policies are failing as they failed on virtually everything that they put forward. and so, you know , i'm forward. and so, you know, i'm ready, you know, bring it on. and, that's really what that's really where i'm standing. >> but but what are you hoping for in terms of outcome here, mark? because i mean, the reality seems to be i mean, tell me if you disagree , but i mean, me if you disagree, but i mean, as rishi sunak himself said yesterday, come july the fifth, either he will be in number 10 or keir starmer will be in number 10. it seems very unlikely that a reform candidate will be in number 10. >> yeah, i think that's right. i mean , i you know, i think, you mean, i you know, i think, you know, i'm not a fall to sort of believe that we're going to sweep to victory in the overall general election. however you know, particularly locally here in sutton coldfield, we're campaigning. we've already started our campaign, we've been leafleting . we've recently

leafleting. we've recently dropped 40,000 leaflets out. we're campaigning because basically we want our country back and i want our town back, because we've had, 20 odd years of mismanaged , of the economy, of mismanaged, of the economy, mismanagement of , literally mismanagement of, literally everything by both labour and the conservatives and they simply just don't stand for the silent majority. and so therefore , what i'm expecting is therefore, what i'm expecting is that we will put on a very good performance here in sutton coldfield. we're campaigning now on local issues around our town centre, which has seen the biggest level of decline. i think of any town centre in the country over the last 20 years under the watch of our conservative mp andrew mitchell and also the labour bankrupt council. so you know, we're expecting to put in a very, very good performance . and i think good performance. and i think it's important to remember our goal has always been to punish the tories for the appalling performance that they've put in, particularly over the last four years. that's always been what

we've said that we will do. and then if labour do get in, which is widely anticipated, they will make a mess of it. like they make a mess of it. like they make a mess of it. like they make a mess of everything. and as i said, birmingham city council is a good example and then we will then make a strong pitch for potential government running in 2029 or 2028. so, you know , i'm not naive enough to know, i'm not naive enough to believe that richard tice will believe that richard tice will be turning up at downing street on on july the 5th. however, we stand for the silent majority and the level of, disruption and the level of , incompetence shown the level of, incompetence shown by this government over the last, particularly the last four years. but overall , the decline years. but overall, the decline in britain has been over the last 20 years, starting with tony blair and then the succession of conservative, prime ministers. so we will put in a good performance . we're ready. >> well, that was reform uk candidate for sutton coldfield, mark hoath speaking to us a little bit earlier on in the

programme. do stay with us. we're going to be talking to former culture secretary nadine dorries to get her view on rishi sunak's interview with us earlier

next. >> right 741. let's return to. what else is there to talk about today? actually general election taking place on the 4th of july. >> well, after speaking to him, we can get the thoughts of former culture secretary and bofis former culture secretary and boris johnson loyalist nadine dorries. good to see you this morning, nadine. i'm not sure if you heard the prime minister speaking to us about half an hour ago, but if you do, if you did, it'd be good to get your reaction to that interview. and of course, your response to that date. we have now the 4th of july. >> i didn't hear the interview. apologies for that, so my thoughts on the date of the 4th of july, i think it was

obviously a calculated decision to go for the snap election to be announced yesterday. i think one of the main reasons for that has to have been the fact, i mean, the big question everyone was asking yesterday was last night, was why? and i think the answer to that question is because no one was listening anymore to anything that rishi sunak was saying or the party was saying. and the decline in the polls was continuing. and i think that you know, the decision must have been taken. do we save the party from annihilation and just win badly ? annihilation and just win badly? and i think that was the point they got to, because if we'd continued in power with rishi sunak, because it's rishi, the voters aren't in love with it. they they still want conservatism and they still want conservative principles. it's the prime minister, which is the issue . and his personal poll issue. and his personal poll ratings actually tell us that. so i think if we just continued, it would have just got worse and worse. and so i think what they did yesterday was decide , well, did yesterday was decide, well, just win badly, we'll just lose badly rather than the party actually being completely

annihilated. we were facing a prospect with some polling. i don't know if you remember about six weeks ago where we'd be returning after general election with something like six mps. so we're getting into pretty dangerous territory. so i think what happened yesterday probably had to happen. it was stopped. >> yeah. >> yeah. >> but i mean, look, i mean that polling saying six, six mps, i mean, that was based on, the local election results, which of course never translate into a general election. but i mean, you say people are, you know , you say people are, you know, that the, the local and you're quite right to point that out because the local election results, they didn't take place in scotland but were actually predicted to do far worse than we're doing in england. >> so i think if they were extrapolated out across the uk, if those local election results were extrapolated out, it would probably have shown us to be an even worse position. >> yes. well, perhaps, but the issue is, i mean, it's not right to say, is it, that people just don't want rishi sunak as prime minister, people are. i mean, the polls would suggest that

people and it's not surprising after 14 years that people are just ready for a change of government, aren't they ? almost government, aren't they? almost regardless of what labour is standing for, because we haven't got the details yet . we need to got the details yet. we need to wait for, you know, for for, well, for now to get the full details through. but people are just ready for a change after 40 , effectively 14 years of conservative rule . conservative rule. >> no, i don't think that's the case at all, actually, because this is 97, the public aren't crying out for tony blair. they're not in love with labour. they're not in love with labour. they're not in love with labour. they're not passionate about labour's policies because they don't actually really know what they are. i mean, even wes streeting couldn't remember his their own six pledges. the other day. so it's not like, you know, dunng day. so it's not like, you know, during the local elections, it wasn't a case of like it was in 97 when people were saying, no, had enough of tories, it's time to give labour a go. that isn't the situation at the moment. we have today. so, you know, if you were here, this conversation was taking place, you know, in 1997, i'd agree with you, but it's not

the case. keir starmer doesn't ignite the country the way tony blair did. this is election for labour to lose , actually, labour to lose, actually, because people are not screaming out for labour, and which is why i think that what many people will do in this election is that they will just stay at home. labour will possibly win by default because it will be like 19 in 2005 and 97, sorry, 2005, where i think 35% of people stayed at home. it's going to be kind of like not people going out and voting for labour. it's going to be people just voting with their feet and staying at home and saying none of the above. it isn't. it isn't that labour are doing well. labour don't have a plan, you know, please forgive me. >> why? why would that be any different if, say, boris johnson had still been in power now? i mean, obviously he did very well in 2019, but it almost became a single issue election then. it was about brexit and he promised to deliver. now in the wake of

what has happened since i mean, even even boris johnson wouldn't be as popular now as he was in 2019. >> on the day boris johnson was removed from power, we were 2 to 4 points behind in the polls. one poll had us at two points. the worst case scenario was at four points. that was the day he was removed from power as prime minister. and i think many tory mps will be reflecting on that today as they go to as they launch into their election campaigns. 21 i think one poll had us 26 points behind yesterday, so , you know, we will yesterday, so, you know, we will never know because he's not there and he was removed two years ago. but it is worth reflecting on where the party was on the day he was removed as prime minister. and i've always said that even if we fail to six, seven, eight points behind in the polls, that's the kind of deficit that could have been burnt away in a general election campaign. when boris johnson was on the trail, because there's a big difference between boris johnson, keir starmer and rishi sunak , and that is that he is

sunak, and that is that he is a campaigner and a winner. and both of those men are not. so you're going to have the most bonng you're going to have the most boring election campaign coming up with two leaders of two parties who just are not campaigners. they don't win, they don't know how to win elections against boris johnson, who had won the mayoral london of twice, who won massive in 2019 and was an absolute campaigner . 2019 and was an absolute campaigner. so, you know, you haven't got that this time. it's not there. and you say, you know he had it was a one election issue in 2019. i don't think anybody goes many people go to the polls based on one issue. obviously brexit was a factor, but no one actually no people care about things like education and schools and how safe their streets are and a lot of other things too. so i think it's wrong to say it was a one issue election, but, you know, you have the best campaigner we've known for a generation in politics, and he just isn't there. >> i'm very interested in what you were saying about people staying at home on polling day

on the 4th of july, sitting on their hands. you're not a fan of rishi sunak. you're not a fan of sir keir starmer either. who will you be voting for on the 4th of july? will you be voting at all? >> so i vote conservative. i'm one of those, you know, i believe fundamentally in conservative principles and the principles of conservatives and always have done. it's why i'm from my own background, from a liverpool council estate. it's why i'm a conservative mp and why i'm a conservative mp and why i'm a conservative mp and why i was a conservative mp. so it's yes, i'll be voting conservative. i couldn't put my cross next to any other, any other party. so i'll be voting and i think, you know, there'll be a hard choice for a lot of conservative party members i know to make who are very angry about what happened to boris johnson and i know their inclination is not to vote at this election. and what i would say is that that people are talking about rebuilding the conservative party. in order to rebuild it, it needs to exist . rebuild it, it needs to exist. and i know for some members who've always voted conservative

all of their life, it's a difficult choice. and they want to stay at home and they don't want to go out. they want to show the party how they feel about what the party did to the prime minister that they elected and they chose. and what i would say is, when the day comes, try to put those feelings aside and go out and vote conservative because the party needs to be rebuilt . and if it doesn't rebuilt. and if it doesn't exist, that won't be possible. >> okay. nadine doris, we've got to leave it there. good to talk to leave it there. good to talk to you. thank you . and let us to you. thank you. and let us know what you think about that. gb news communal essay coming up. we're going to have a very quick look through the papers and see

all right. let's talk to former adviser to michael gove and therefore a conservative charlie rowley and former labour adviser. scarlett mccgwire, who are here. it's looking through the papers, really? but in a

sense, the papers are all talking about one thing this morning, which is the election. it's the story. it's the story of the day , you'd be i mean, of the day, you'd be i mean, one's got to presume charlotte scarlett that charlotte got. >> i'm having charlie scarlett. well, yes, we are. i'm going to call you charlie . at least we call you charlie. at least we have. at least we. >> at least we have a date. >> at least we have a date. >> oh, yeah. >> oh, yeah. >> at last. at last, we have a date, and we all can work towards that date. and we know, i mean, i mean, labour has been calling for a general election for something like two years. well, frankly, we just increase the poll lead. well i mean, nothing like when it was liz truss, when it looked as though the tories were going to be wiped out. but yeah, i mean, we've got something because because it's awful just hanging around and actually , to be fair, around and actually, to be fair, i mean, i think it must be pretty awful for the tories. not knowing. i mean, a lot of them knowing. i mean, a lot of them know they're going to lose their seats and they well, you know, you never know. you never. i

think i think this is the whole point. >> well, no ever happens. >> well, no ever happens. >> a lot of conservatives are going to lose their seats. >> i mean, what do you reckon, charlie? >> because what we i mean, what we do know is the noises have been pretty unhappy from the backbenches. >> yeah. i mean, look, it's taken people by surprise, but, you know, a shock election just has to allow people now to focus their minds. there'll be a clear choice at the next election on who people want to vote for. and i think, you know, when it comes to the polling, look, you know, i've been there. 2017 theresa may is 20 points ahead in the polls. and it didn't quite pan out as she would have wanted, is it going to be the same for sir keir starmer? is nadine dorries a great interview that you just had with with her, as she was saying there isn't that appetite for sir keir starmer. and he's had four years, five years now as leader. >> well i was quite intrigued saying, you know, she's i mean we know she doesn't like rishi sunak. i mean she's made that more than clear more often than i've had hot dinners. and yet she says she's going to vote conservative. >> well, and you know, every vote helps. and i, you know, i'm

sure she would vote conservative. why wouldn't she? but i think, you know, she's she's right to point out that. look, there isn't that love. i think for sir keir starmer there are still within all the polling, even though labour are 20 points ahead in the polls, there is still a significant amount of people who are undecided. and you never know the people who obviously voted conservative back in 2010, 15, 17. and to get that stonking majority in 2019, whether these people are actually just, you know, going to quietly as a silent majority , come out with silent majority, come out with even new boundary changes as well and vote conservative, which could actually muddy the waters. >> i mean, the difference here, and we're almost out of time, scarlett, is the fact that keir starmer, they always say we're not taking it for granted. however, he needs to put meat on the bones now. he's got to actually convince people he will. >> he will. and i can tell you the labour policies are great, but the other enormous thing, if we're just talking electoral politics, is reform. i mean, reform are going to they're not going to win any seats, but they are certainly going to lose the

tories even more. i mean, that's thatis tories even more. i mean, that's that is a real win. >> seats. >> seats. >> okay. if we get to 20% of polling, they could win seats. >> they're not going to win lot. >> no, no. but because because it's first past the post they won't. >> okay. look, i'm really sorry. it was very tight for time that time. good to see you both

dissolution of parliament. the king has granted this request, and we will have a general election on the 4th of july. >> the battle commences as the prime minister calls a summer general election . critics general election. critics claiming number 10 have taken a huge gamble. well, we spoke to the prime minister earlier, got the prime minister earlier, got the boldest ideas, the clearest plan to provide a secure future

for you and your family. >> that's the choice at this election. now that the economic stability has been restored, we can turn to that question. >> sir keir starmer claims the future is in the country's hands as he launches his bid for power, with the economy, the nhs and immigration key battlegrounds a chance to change for the better . for the better. >> your future, your community, your country . your country. >> but rumours swirl that furious tory mps could be plotting a revolt to try to call off the election by ousting the prime minister before parliaments dissolve next week . parliaments dissolve next week. >> tory big hitters face a huge fight to retain their seats, with chancellor jeremy hunt and defence secretary grant shapps battling to overcome small majorities . majorities. >> and what about reform in all of this? could nigel farage return to frontline politics? well, he said last night, he's going to think about it,

well, he said last night, he's going to think about it , fight going to think about it, fight the election. >> as for what i do, i'll think about it overnight and the sport this morning. >> bundesliga champions by leverkusen's 51 game unbeaten run came to an end last night as they lost the europa league final three nil to atalanta of italy in dublin , the great david italy in dublin, the great david wilkie, britain's first olympic swimming gold medallist for 68 years, has died at the age of 70. and i got to tell you, i've had so many messages asking how will election day affect our sporting calendar? well, i may have to miss the henley regatta this year, but it does fit in nicely in the middle of the euros . euros. >> good morning. after all that rain we saw yesterday, how much more will we see today? we can find out all the details with me. a little later on morning to you. >> i'm stephen dixon and i'm ellie costello, and this is breakfast on . breakfast on. gb news. well, it's interesting looking at the

timing of all of this this morning. i asked you earlier on what you thought of it all. andy says i'm pleased the pm has announced the election. i wish it had been sooner, jack says euanne it had been sooner, jack says elianne stephen, i'm a local tory party chairman. i am absolutely terrified, jul says i'm pleased to get the election over and done with so we can start to sort the country out. >> clive says this is going to be a horrible election. we have very little choice. we have flip flop starmer out of touch. sunak. hopefully reform can have a say, but they would need to act fast. labour will walk into power and i remember what they did last time. we live in very interesting times. paul, clive. >> yeah, paul says it's going to get personal and dirty. oh well we shall see about that. well, of course, all in the wake of the news that the prime minister has called a general election for the 4th of july, defying predictions of an autumn election, well, standing in the rain yesterday, he called it the moment for britain to choose its future. >> as he went for the 1st july election since 1945. >> it is a long time, though,

since the highs of 2019, where bofis since the highs of 2019, where boris johnson took the keys to number 10. since then we've had three prime ministers, a global pandemic and inflation at a 30 year high. well earlier we spoke to the prime minister after a difficult few years. >> i'm pleased that economic stability is now returning to the country. we've just seen that inflation has returned to normal. the economy is growing at a healthy rate. again, wages have been rising sustainably for several months now, and although i know not everyone is feeling the full benefits of that yet, it's clear that we have turned a corner. so now is the moment to look to the future. and the world is clearly in a more uncertain place than it's been in decades. and the question for the country is the choice of this election is, you know, who's got the boldest ideas, the clearest plan to provide a secure future for you and your family. that's the choice at this election. now that the economic stability has been restored, we can turn to that question. and that's the conversation i look forward to having with you, your viewers in the country over the next few weeks. >> the timing has shocked so

many, though, hasn't it? including many in your own cabinet. you had those appalling local election results in may, interest rates yet to fall , interest rates yet to fall, rwanda flights, your central policy. those flights are yet to take off and you're 20 points behind in the polls. take off and you're 20 points behind in the polls . as a former behind in the polls. as a former cabinet member has said, this is madness . cabinet member has said, this is madness. suicidal charge of the light brigade kind of stuff. but >> well, if you look at what's just happened over the last few weeks, it's clear that the economy has turned a corner and the economy and economic stability is the foundation of everything else we want to achieve as a country. inflation is now back to normal. wages have been rising , energy bills have been rising, energy bills are falling, the economy is growing. and that now gives us the opportunity to talk properly about the future and i'm clear that it's only me. it's only the conservative party that has a record of bold action that's got a clear plan and that's how we're going to give a deliver a secure future for the country. you mentioned one thing, the rwanda scheme. you know, that's a that's a great thing to be talking about at this election.

border security is important. making sure that we have fairness in our migration system is really important. and there's a clear choice at this election. i've got a plan. i'm prepared to take bold action. and as you've seen over the last week or two, multiple other countries across europe have realised that our approach is the right one. you need to be able to send illegal migrants to a safe third country to break the cycle, to end the incentive for them to come to have a deterrent. so everyone else is starting to agree with my approach, which is bold. the one person that doesn't is keir starmer. that's a choice at this election . he thinks that we election. he thinks that we should just offer an amnesty to illegal migrants, to make us a soft touch of europe. it would make us a magnet for thousands of migrants coming from everywhere. so that's the choice at this election . do you think at this election. do you think my plan is the right one? do you think i'm the one that's taking bold action to secure our borders and to stop the boats? or do you think he's going to do that? and it's pretty clear that on this issue, not only does he not share the country's values, that it's a problem. he's going to do absolutely nothing about it. >> well, to be fair, he says he's going to tackle it at

source, which is to target the gangs who are doing all of this. he says the rwanda plan isn't going to work. that's got to go. it's not going to be a deterrent. what you have to do is, is tackle the gangs at source and whether we like it or not, that's going to mean deaung not, that's going to mean dealing with eu countries more closely . closely. >> no. well, he says we're going to tackle the gangs at source. >> i mean, i said that a year ago and we're doing it. we already gave the national crime agency double the amount of funding to do that. i already signed a deal to cooperate on law enforcement with our european partners, and that's why we've got the numbers down by a third last year. but if you really believe that, the question you should be asking him is why did he vote against the new laws that the conservative government brought forward, which have now allowed us to arrest almost a thousand people connected with illegal migration? the ones that have been prosecuted and sentenced are now serving hundreds of years in prison. he voted against those laws, so he can say all these nice sounding things. but when it came to it,

he voted against those laws that have allowed us to put, as i said, hundreds of people in prison for hundreds of years who would otherwise be on our streets. so i think you can take what he says with a pinch of salt. he says he wants to scrap the rwanda scheme. well, we've just seen in the last two weeks, 15 european countries have all signed a declaration saying that they believe part of the solution here is the ability to return illegal migrants to safe. third countries, because the current system is unsustainable , current system is unsustainable, requires novel solutions. i said that a year ago. it was a novel at the time, but that's my track record. on prepared to do bold things for our country. and that's what i've done on illegal migration. i've got a clear plan to stop the boats. it requires bold action. the penny is dropping across europe that our approach is the right one. and yes , you are right, keir starmer yes, you are right, keir starmer would stop that scheme. >> that is the prime minister speaking to us on breakfast a little bit earlier on this morning, the first interview i believe the first one of the day, the first one of the day since he announced the general election on the 4th of july. well, let's speak now to our

political correspondent, libby utley, who's at downing street for us, and katherine forster, who's at labour party hq this morning. good morning to you both, ladies. olivia, let's start with you, shall we. what did you make of what the prime minister had to say? there >> well, the prime minister certainly took everyone by surprise yesterday. it sounds now as though actually, this plan for a summer general election has been rattling around for nearly a month. but previously , of course, we were previously, of course, we were all expecting a november election from what the prime minister said there. and from what we've been hearing coming out of downing street and from ministers and from special advisers over the past, sort of 24 hours or so, basically , the 24 hours or so, basically, the prime minister was worried about a narrative that he was squatting in downing street. if he waited until october or november . that's the narrative november. that's the narrative that was used very powerfully by the conservatives back in two thousand and seven against gordon brown and gordon brown never really recovered from it. reading between the lines of what rishi sunak said there, it also feels as though one of the reasons why he's called this

general election now is because, although the economic picture is getting a bit rosier, inflation is now down at 2.3. it's not going to get that much rosier before the autumn . it feels as before the autumn. it feels as though rishi sunak is thinking he may as well rip off the plaster, because interest rates are unlikely to go down now before the autumn . so why not before the autumn. so why not just go to the country now? it's all pretty negative reasons to be calling a general election in spite of the prime minister's pretty upbeat tone in that interview there. >> let's head over to labour, labour party headquarters and katherine forster. what i was intrigued by catherine was the prime minister saying, i mean, particularly on the rwanda scheme, that this shows the clear choice that voters face between tories and the conservatives. and we know an awful lot of people get in touch with us and say, well, they all seem very similar at the moment, one and the same . one and the same. >> yes, indeed. but i think there are dividing lines, emerging defence, that pledge to

get up to 2.5% by 2030. on defence spending that labour have said , well, they'd like to have said, well, they'd like to do, but they can't commit to it. and of course, on rwanda, because sir keir starmer has said if that's her policy comes in, that they will scrap it even if flights are going off. now. i was with the prime minister in vienna . he was talking just then vienna. he was talking just then about how european leaders are basically saying that safe third countries are essential. and i was absolutely stunned, have to say, yesterday, because having been with him monday and tuesday, he was very upbeat, very energetic , but no sign at very energetic, but no sign at all of what he was about to do. but there are dividing lines, definitely emerging. of course, you know, he's saying 4th of july for an election. he told me he told me on monday that flights would be going off in july. will any flights go off before the next election? meanwhile, sir keir starmer is in kent today. >> okay. katherine forster there

for us at labour party hq and olivia utley in downing street. thank you very much indeed . thank you very much indeed. >> right. let's get the view then of former labour defence minister ivan kaplan who joins us now. good to see you this morning. i mean, there is an issue actually about clear blue water, isn't there, between the two parties that the that keir starmer is going to have to deal with and one of the key ones actually is defence spending . actually is defence spending. he's got to get himself in line with what the country clearly wants, doesn't he? if he's going to win this election . to win this election. >> i don't think there's any doubt, stephen, that labour will want to at least have the 2.5 that, both, keir has already said and that the prime minister has said in relation to what happens, over the next five or so years, i think the issue for the labour party in this situation, one that that i can remember very well all those

years ago in 96, 97, is that in opposition? you can't really go full blame with everything going early on. so there will be moments when on the very things that broadcasters and media want to see is the actual details of what labour is saying that will come about in the next few weeks . in respect of the manifesto and the launch of that. et cetera, et cetera. in that we can then look at the defence issues as part of that . i am issues as part of that. i am confident, both in, keir and in in particular in john healey as shadow defence minister, at the moment that we will make the right noises in our manifesto in relation to the 2.5 and as some people have said, maybe it should even be higher because we probably need to do that because the numbers in the military over the numbers in the military over the last 14 years have gone down considerably . and that's that's considerably. and that's that's not a good thing for the

conservative party to have undertaken . undertaken. >> i mean, it's a great undertaking, isn't it? there's a lot of work to do. just six weeks to put meat on the bone, as you say, to get that manifesto out, and also to hand—pick those candidates which still haven't been selected in a number of seats. is there time to do all of that? is labour party actually ready? >> yes. we've done this before in when there have been snap elections and this one, this elections and this one, this election is not really a snap election. it'sjust election is not really a snap election. it's just a bit earlier than some people thought. many of us actually thought. many of us actually thought it was going to be in may. on the same day as the local elections. and then of course, that didn't, come, come, come true . so i think we the come true. so i think we the candidates is fairly easy to do. that's something the party knows exactly what to do . and i would exactly what to do. and i would guess that that will be sorted in the next week or so . and the in the next week or so. and the manifesto and the policies and you heard just now from scarlett, i think just before , scarlett, i think just before, 8:00, you know, she said about the number of, decisions

8:00, you know, she said about the number of , decisions that the number of, decisions that had already been taken in the labour party getting ready for the manifesto. so i think labour is in good shape , we're not is in good shape, we're not taking anything for granted, we're , you know, we're a party we're, you know, we're a party who wish to win. and to do that, we've we've got to have the, you know, they have the public with us. and that's that's part of what we will be trying to do over the next, next few weeks. >> there's a real danger here, though, isn't there? i mean, even if you go on on the, you know , the polls and how things know, the polls and how things are looking, generally the idea that this is the labour party's election to lose if keir starmer doesn't go in and inspire more people, actually give people something to believe in rather than just anything but the conservatives, then you're in real danger of going back to that old system, aren't you, of getting in for one parliamentary term and then losing it again?

he's got to start inspiring the public. >> it's quite a long time though, stephen, since we did that, losing an election after one. after after one, given that we, you know, 97 to 2010 was three, three elections, look, i think keir has done a fantastic job in taking the party forward over these last four years. he is ready to be prime minister but he knows full well that we can't just say i want to be prime minister. there is a lot to do to say to the public that there is a positive, agenda to that the labour party has to take forward over the next five years and maybe over a longer period, if we are very successful in the forthcoming election and we don't, we don't really know what will happen in that the polls , you know, are that the polls, you know, are have been the same for a long time now. but in a in an election , moment, you can't rely election, moment, you can't rely on the polls . all you can do is

on the polls. all you can do is hope that the public come and vote for you. and that's what keir and his team will be doing. >> ivor caplin, the former labour defence minister. thank you very much for your time this morning . morning. >> right. let's talk to the deputy leader of the liberal democrats , daisy cooper, who democrats, daisy cooper, who joins us now. always good to see you. thanks very much indeed. i was quite intrigued listening to, ed davey last night after all this news came out, because it seemed to be the first time that i've. i've heard a leader of the lib dems in the run up to a general election rallying the troops, but he's effectively saying, you know, we're not going to we're not trying to be to get a majority in this election. we're trying to wipe out the tories in a certain number of seats. is that the wrong tactic to be taking on? >> no, i think it's exactly the right tactic. as you will know, the liberal democrats are in second place to the conservatives in around 80 seats around the country, and it's in

those seats where we're really targeting our resources. >> we know that the country is absolutely crying out for change, and what we're saying is that we're standing a candidate in every seat. we're going to fight for every single vote, but we will target our resources in those 80 seats where we're liberal democrats are the key challenges to the conservatives, and we are best placed to deliver the change that people so desperately need. >> is sir ed davey the right choice to be leader of the liberal democrats? we've got an email in from victoria this morning who says that ed davey should follow his own rules and quit his involvement in the post office scandal means he is not good enough to lead a country. there is so much public anger around the post office scandal and his role in that scandal. do you think he'll be a distraction when it comes to this general election ? election? >> no, i don't think so. i mean, let's remember that ed was the first post office minister to actually meet with alan bates. and of course, we now know that there were 16 post office ministers over 20 years. and in fact, it looks like all of them

were lied to by various people in the post office. and i think people's anger is really anger about the fact that the victims, the subpostmasters, are still waiting for financial redress, for justice for and accountability. but let's be really clear in this parliament that ed was the first party leader to call for a windfall tax on the big oil and gas companies who were raking in billions of pounds in profits when people couldn't afford their energy bills. he was the first party leader to call for the energy price hike to be scrapped. he's the first party leader to call for action against water companies who have allowed sewage to be pumped into our rivers, and he has spoken very movingly and very openly about his experience of being a family carer. and he's become a real champion for unpaid carers around the country, so it is absolutely the right leader for the liberal democrats going into this general election. >> you've got to be taken seriously as a party, haven't you?i seriously as a party, haven't you? i mean, on national level, on a on a national level. and the fact you mentioned sewage ,

the fact you mentioned sewage, he raised sewage as one of the top issues in his speech yesterday. and the carers issue is very is very important to him as, as you say. but actually if you're going to important as these issues are and i'm not saying they're not, but actually we need to be hearing from the lib dems about immigration, about the economy , be about about the economy, be about about the economy, be about about economic stability, about securing our borders, about the cost of living crisis. that's what matters to people, isn't it ? >> 7- >> yes. and 7_ >> yes. and you ? >> yes. and you will hear from us over the course of the next six weeks on all of those issues. and our manifesto, which issues. and our manifesto, which is always fully costed, will be published in due course. but when i go knocking on doors, as i do almost every single week, what i hear time and time again is that people want politicians to be talking about our nhs and social care, and about the cost of living crisis. people are struggling to see a gp, they're struggling to see a gp, they're struggling to see a gp, they're struggling to see a dentist, they're battling long waiting lists. they're worried that if you call an ambulance, it won't turn up. and on top of all of

that, they're still struggling to pay the bills to put food on the table. liberal democrats have been utterly relentless about talking about these issues for the last few months and years, and we're going to keep on talking about the nhs and the cost of living over the next six weeks. >> how do you feel about the role of the reform party in this general election period? now they are they are fast overtaking you, aren't they, as the third party in this country ? the third party in this country? >> well, let's be really clear. when you look at real votes in real elections, the reform party have never won a parliamentary seat. and i think they have about ten local councillors. you can put that in stark contrast to the liberal democrats, because in this parliament we have won four stunning by—election results in in different parts of the country, all in sort of true blue parts of the country, whether that's in buckinghamshire or shropshire or in somerset and devon. and we've also now got 3000 councillors across the country, and we're running many local

councils. so i think when you look at real results and real elections, you can see that the liberal democrats are doing really well. >> yeah, i wonder though, does that change your stance then on proportional representation that you've you've long called for? because if you look at the national polls and if the general election was held under pr rules , there would be more pr rules, there would be more seats for reform than the lib dems . dems. >> yes, they would. and liberal democrats are long standing supporters of proportional representation. we believe that we need an electoral system where every single vote counts, every single vote should matter. and quite frankly, i think i probably , you know, think i probably, you know, think i think it's really important that every single person, for whichever political party they vote for, can see represents lives in the house of commons. so, yes, we are longstanding supporters of having a fairer voting system. but what we hear on the doorsteps time and again, and what i think voters really want to hear about in this election, is our plans for fixing the nhs , fixing social

fixing the nhs, fixing social care and tackling the cost of living crisis . living crisis. >> okay. daisy cooper, deputy leader of the liberal democrats, thank you very much for your time this morning. >> well , i time this morning. >> well, i mean, look, fair play to her on that. it's often, often you get a lot of parties campaigning for proportional representation until they get into power and realise that they wouldn't do as well without if it was brought in easily. sort of saying on that. well, yes, we want pr , even though actually it want pr, even though actually it would mean reform getting more seats than they would as it currently stands . yeah. can't currently stands. yeah. can't argue with that. >> yeah. let us know what you made of that interview and the interview with rishi sunak as well. a little bit earlier on in the programme, gb news .com/ your say yes. >> thank you. all right. time for the weather with annie . for the weather with annie. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb news. >> good morning. welcome to your latest gb news weather update

brought to you by the met office. further rain to come this morning with weather warnings still in force for some areas for much of the day, but it will turn drier as the day goes on. amber rain warning still in force until around lunchtime for parts of northwest england, north wales and rain warnings for a large swathe of northern england, northern ireland and much of scotland as well. as i said, it will turn dry as the day goes on. but any further rainfall, particularly on top of the rain we've already had through wednesday and last night, will cause further travel disruption. a disappointing day with temperatures down below average and quite a breeze as well, particularly across the coast, so feeling a little bit cooler than it should do for this time of year. the rain will continue across northern areas through this evening, but across the south it should turn that much drier. but still some heavy rain to come in from the north across much of scotland, a lot of low cloud around as well, but the heaviest rain is likely to build up across parts of southwest scotland, north—west england, cumbria, north wales as well through thursday afternoon across the south. as i said, it does turn drier as the day goes

on through thursday and there could be some late sunshine across the south coast, but still, after quite a cloudy day, temperatures will still be below par. to end the day through tonight, we'll see that rain continue to fall across northern areas, but it will slowly turn lighter as the night goes on. but there's going to be a lot of cloud around. could see some clearer skies across the far south and east, but most areas should see quite a cloudy start to the day on friday. a little bit cooler than it has been of late as well. we've got slightly fresher air that's starting to move in now. that area of low pressure slowly starts to fill and as a result, that rain will ease through friday. so a drier day on the whole, we could see a few showers breaking out, particularly across northern areas, but across the south it's going to be a drier day. plenty of cloud around though, away from the far south coast. that's where we'll see the best of any sunshine in that sunshine. perhaps 19 or 20 degrees. but for most of us, still a fairly cool day for the time of year. by that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers sponsors of weather

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>> so the game is afoot. 4th of july. 5th of july. we'll actually know what's going on. yes. so it's going to be. it's interesting. so anyway, so it's all happening. so let's talk to conservative mp for shipley, sir philip davies and former first minister of northern ireland, baroness arlene foster. good morning to you both. philip,

let's kick off with you on all of this one, because obviously you've got a campaign to fight now, are you are you ready? are you geared up for it? is the timing problematic? >> well, i was shocked. i must admit, i wasn't expecting the election to be announced, i was expecting it to be in the autumn, like i think everybody else was. but yeah, it's as good a time as any. we've got to fight an election at some point. so why not? why not now? let's get on with it. and, yeah, i'm i'm as ready as i'm going to be. >> right. >> right. >> are the rumours to be believed that there are plots afoot to get rid of rishi sunak, reinstate the election and stop the election? >> no, that's that's absolute tripe. it's a prime example of why you should never believe everything you read in the newspapers , or preferably newspapers, or preferably anything you read in the newspapers. but certainly not everything you read in the papers. that is absolute tripe. >> what about letters of no confidence going in? >> no, it's absolute rubbish. well, it would be. >> i mean, it really would be. turkeys voting for christmas . yeah. >> it's just it's just it's just it's just not happening. i don't know who started the rumour, but it's just it's just not true.

>> okay? >> okay? >> arlene. what what do you make of this now? it's sort of is this your first general election, one where you sort of out of frontline politics yourself, yes it is. >> so does that give you a slightly different perspective? yes. >> i can come along and chat to you. lovely people about what i think's happening. you know, it was bizarre yesterday in westminster, i was in, in the lords yesterday and it started quite early on that something was happening and then, people thought, oh, maybe he's doing a reshuffle because chris heaton—harris, the northern ireland secretary, has said he wasn't going to run in the election. so the thinking was, well , maybe we should, have well, maybe we should, have cabinet ministers that are going to run in the elections. so he was going to do a reshuffle . i was going to do a reshuffle. i couldn't believe it. then by 3:00, 4:00 he was off to the palace. i think everybody was shocked in westminster about the announcement. and you know what? that's not a bad thing . he that's not a bad thing. he really caught people on the hop. >> why do you think rishi sunak has decided that now is the best moment to ask voters to give their verdict? because historically, no one has ever come from 20 points behind to go

on to win. >> yeah, that's true, but but those are just polls. at the end of the day , the election now of the day, the election now starts. and we should always remember that . and i think it's remember that. and i think it's very interesting that during those by elections that we've seen throughout, this last period, tories just didn't come out to vote, they stayed at home and when you look at the turnout in some of those elections, it was really low. so his job now is to energise tory voters to come out. and if he does that, i think it will be a lot closer than what people are saying. >> what are we likely to see in northern ireland? and in terms of i mean, it's always difficult, isn't it, with sort of with devolved areas as to quite how it's going to work with the westminster elections. >> well, i think scotland is going to be fascinating actually, but in terms of the snp, but in northern ireland, i think the seat that everybody will be looking at is the lagan valley seat, which is the seat of sir jeffrey donaldson, who of course is not running again. so who are the dup going to choose to run in that seat? is there going to be a challenge from the

alliance party in that seat? because it's always been one of the safest seats for unionism. so it's going to be a fascinating watch there. and i think everybody will be watching because of what has happened, in relation to sir jeffrey and just the idea that there could be a change there and i think the dup will want to pick someone who is a strong candidate and someone that will win the seat . that will win the seat. >> and i was intrigued talking to the pm earlier. philip, there's lots of talk about, you know , well, we just we're know, well, we just we're building on the progress now . building on the progress now. we've got a plan. when i said to him, what is what is the plan ? him, what is what is the plan? everybody knows what the plan is. he says, well, actually, i don't think they do. and i think on the progress it's being built. well, people aren't feeling that progress yet. and this is the problem he's got, isn't it? >> well, look, i think people can see that things are turning. i think that we've had the economic growth figures where the uk is growing faster than germany and france and even the us at the moment. >> mark. >> mark. >> no, but it's the country is

growing now economically. so that's one thing. inflation is coming down to where it normally is. >> but yeah. and that's right. but is that anything to do with what the government. well it is because the government has resisted spending lots of money on different things, which helps to speed up the decline in inflation. >> everyone knows that the next move on interest rates is going to be downwards, so people can see the light at the end of the tunnel. economically and i think what rishi sunak is saying, i suspect this date has been in some t think what he thought was if we if i can show people that we're turning the corner, the economy starting to grow, that inflation is coming down, the interest rates are going to start coming down. people then can see that we're on the right trajectory. and do they want to then put that at risk with a labour government who they don't really know? and the other advantage for rishi of an early election is i mean, rishi keir starmer has been 20 points ahead in the polls through saying nothing, doing nothing, and really hoping that nobody notices. and of course, that can't survive an election campaign . and so what

election campaign. and so what is the labour party going to do on immigration? what are they going to do on the economy? how are they going to restrain pubuc are they going to restrain public expenditure to make sure taxes don't go up? nobody knows the answer to any of these questions. and i think that what rishi sunak hopes is that people can see that what he's been doing is starting to turn the corner economically, and labour have got nothing. they want to be the next government in a few weeks time, a few days time, really. and yet they've got absolutely no policies at all because they haven't really been saying what they're going to do. >> well, they say they've got a six point pledge, which we saw last week, but they're vacuous, aren't they. >> that will we'll see meat on the bones with a manifesto. that's what they say. >> it's philip being unfair in the sense that labour have got policies. they just haven't. you know there in the manifesto the manifesto is ready to go. we just don't know what's in it yet. >> well, first of all, let me say, i think that the prime minister and his strategists have been quite clever in saying this is either sunak or starmer, because when you put it down to that level, starmer is not a great performer. he's a bit boring. let's be honest, whereas

today i thought on our programme, that sunak was quite punchy and he came across as someone who really did have a plan. and of course they have a plan. and of course they have a plan and here's what it is. and he rhymed off the things that he was talking about. and so it will be the battle of the plans, essentially, and what detail there is behind those plans. essentially, and what detail there is behind those plans . and there is behind those plans. and i think, you know, we are as as the prime minister said, living in a perilous time in the world. and people will have to make up their mind who they want to lead. the uk going into the next number of years. is it sunak or is it starmer? i think that's a very clever strategy. >> philip. we've only got a minute left with you, but i just want to ask you about reform's role in all of this. and we are expecting to hear from nigel farage, who has told us he's thinking overnight or was thinking overnight or was thinking overnight or was thinking overnight about a political comeback. do you think that could be a game changer? >> well, nigel is a formidable politician and absolutely, i wouldn't underestimate the impact nigel farage would have on an election. i mean, i don't know. i mean, look, i who knows what nigel will do. nigel is his own man and he's a you know, he

does he really want to give up his fantastic show on gb news. on, on an on an evening where he carries so much weight and he's a, you know , he's a brilliant a, you know, he's a brilliant presenter. i mean, he'd have to give that up. it's a lot for him to give up, for him to do it and to give up, for him to do it and to stand in a seat. which seat would he stand in, does he really want to risk losing another election for parliament? i mean, i think i think it would be a huge gamble on his part, but. but nigel is a gambler, and so i wouldn't rule anything in or out with with nigel. but he is a formidable politician, and i certainly wouldn't underestimate the impact he could have on an election. >> okay, well, look, it's very nice when you've got two guests to be able to say. sir philip baroness hallett foster. thank you very much indeed. well, what a fabulous panel to have on. yeah. and it's just a dull old me and you. >> i know we're still waiting on ours, aren't we? yeah. >> we'll get there. it suits you, both of you. >> yes. very well done. >> yes. very well done. >> lovely to see you both. all right. we'll bring you more on the election. >> we're going to talk

>> well, we have it now, don't we? in our diaries, the 4th of july. >> actually, i haven't. well, your diary put it in. and you haven't booked your holiday, thank goodness. >> no, no, we've heard of people having to cancel their honeymoons and all sorts. so >> but we really. >> but we really. >> well, yes, we just had. that didn't we? but we are in the swing of things now, aren't we? and we're hearing from all of the parties this morning. earlier we spoke to the reform uk candidate for sutton coldfield, mark hoath. >> i was quite surprised . and, >> i was quite surprised. and, but when i think about it overall, maybe not because i think what rishi sunak realises that his rwanda policy is not going to work and we're going to get even more illegal immigrants coming over in the in the better weather in the summer. so we hope it's going to be better weather, and so i think it's just going to be it would have just going to be it would have

just got even worse for him. and i think that that's the main reason why he's called it early, because he just realises that his policies are failing as they've failed on virtually everything that they've put forward. and so, you know, i'm ready, you know, bring it on. and, that's really what that's really where i'm standing. >> but but what are you hoping for in terms of outcome here, mark? because i mean, the reality seems to be i mean, tell me if you disagree, but i mean, as rishi sunak himself said yesterday, come july the fifth, either he will be in number 10 or keir starmer will be in number 10. it seems very unlikely that a reform candidate will be in number 10. >> yeah, i think that's right. i mean , i you know, i think, you mean, i you know, i think, you know, i'm not a fool to sort of believe that we're going to sweep to victory in the overall general election. however you know, particularly locally here in sutton coldfield, we're campaigning. we've already started our campaign , we've been started our campaign, we've been leafleting, we've recently dropped 40,000 leaflets out, we're campaigning because basically we want our country

back. and i want our town back, because we've had , 20 odd years because we've had, 20 odd years of mismanagement of the economy, mismanagement of, literally everything by both labour and the conservatives. and they simply just don't stand for the silent majority , right. let's silent majority, right. let's cross straight over to our political editor, christopher hope. he's with the prime minister this morning, the battle buses out. christopher >> that's right. stephen. yeah, it's not yet wrapped in the logo. that's a big moment that might be happening later today or tomorrow in the tory party logo with the familiar oak tree. but i'm here in derbyshire on the first day. one the first visit of the prime minister. he's about to meet with some factory workers and answer questions live on gb news starting around 9 pm. at 9 am. forgive me and we're here. and it's quite an exciting time. it's not raining yet. the pm has said he's brought an umbrella if it pours with rain. we've heard

already from him, haven't we? today on gb news how those flights to rwanda will take off in july, but not before the election. so yet again, people are voting for the tory party on the promise of what might happen rather than what's happening. and that is the risk. i think the pm has taken with its entire election strategy. rather than wait until maybe the november see some interest rate cuts ease the mortgage misery for millions of people. maybe wait until net migration falls. the rwanda flights take off, the economy comes round, inflation is still at 2. rather than wait for all those things to happen, he's gone early, surprising all of westminster. many of his mps , westminster. many of his mps, some of whom are unhappy on the hope that if you back the tory party, all this will happen in the future, rather than delivering it for voters in the past. they're trying to say don't risk everything with laboun don't risk everything with labour, whether the we'll see here what the factory workers have to say about that shortly. and christopher hope, tell us a bit more about this plot that you revealed on x about some tory mps working on a plan to

call off the general election by replacing rishi sunak as leader before parliament is dissolved next thursday . yes, ellie, it's next thursday. yes, ellie, it's extraordinary, isn't it? i've actually written quite a long article for the gb news website about this. it should be online very shortly. essentially what's happening here is parliament is prorogued on friday. that's tomorrow. mps line up to say goodbye, dozens of mps leaving parliament for the final time next thursday . parliament is next thursday. parliament is dissolved. now the view of some senior tory backbenchers who are very unhappy about the timing of election. they can't believe it's been called with the party 21 points behind the polls, according to a poll out today. they think they can try and do a vote of no confidence and replace the prime minister and call off the election. that is an idea. it's been mooted seriously, at least one. i talked to one person yesterday , talked to one person yesterday, last night who has put a letter of no confidence to graham brady . after that speech, several more have done the same. graham

brady isn't commenting. time is running out. i don't think it's going to happen, frankly, eddie and stephen, but it just shows, the cold fury amongst some tory mps about why this pm is calling election when he's so far behind in the polls. it's the biggest political risk i think a sitting pm has taken in decades. normally you're far ahead in the polls or you have to call an election before you call it voluntarily, calling it when you're so far behind is highly, highly risky. and some of his colleagues don't understand it. by the way, those are those those, tory colleagues haven't been spoken to by the prime minister. normally, what happens is the meeting of the 1922 committee of tory mps. they meet, they hear what the pm has to say. they're sent out to the country to fan out to their constituencies and try and win back another term of government for the term of office in the government . that hasn't happened government. that hasn't happened this time. and mps, tory mps are scratching their heads. >> okay, christopher, good to see you. thank you. and we'll keep up to date with chris, of

course, throughout the course of the day today. >> yeah. >> yeah. >> we'll keep up to date with all the sports news next with paul coyte.

welcome back to breakfast. it's time for sports with paul coyte . time for sports with paul coyte. where do you want to start? >> well, i'll tell you where we want to start. 4th of july. 4th of july. how it's going to affect my life. >> yes, euros. >> there are rest days on the third and 4th of july. whether it's very carefully done, because the quarterfinals start on the fifth and the sixth. so maybe england and scotland will play maybe england and scotland will play in the fifth and the sixth. so that leaves that free, wimbledon thursday. so there'll be wimbledon will be going on on the thursday because wimbledon starts on the monday. the henley royal regatta . yes. where are we royal regatta. yes. where are we going on that i'd cancel the lot. i well i think it's probably, i think it's probably cancel the election quite

frankly. british grand prix qualifying. he's on the fifth so. but all i can say is that i'll have to give equal time to every team. yes. during that time. so that's what i'll be doing. >> so then the them, the rules them to rules and i will not break those. >> but on a serious note, the euros there is this feel good factor isn't there. in the country when we're playing in the football, so do you think rishi sunak is kind of factored that in? >> maybe if we get through that, if we get through, we will. >> can you imagine it to disaster mystic? well, it's at that time it's just it's just when the momentum builds. so just before the knockout time quarterfinals. so yeah, it'll be very interesting time. so the little break in the middle and then the next game be after that, can i say i'm feeling for bayer leverkusen. >> do you feel for bayer leverkusen? >> do they lose one match of the season? it's the final. >> well , it's not really such >> well, it's not really such a worry because the bundesliga, they've won, which was a huge surprise by beating bayern munich and they've they've won the bundesliga. >> they're unbeaten all season 51 games and we'd never talk about bayer leverkusen, but they've been amazing. but they come up against atalanta , last

come up against atalanta, last night in dublin, which is in the europa , europa league final, and europa, europa league final, and they lose three nil. but atlanta atalanta were amazing. ademola lookman, who is actually from peckham and starred, scored a hat trick , for atalanta last hat trick, for atalanta last night. there he is. look at this. he's hat trick balls. he gets the ball, everybody signs it. so he gets the hat trick ball from the europa league final. and, the thing is leverkusen, i think it's safe to say were a little bit leggy. they've had a very long season so they were a little bit leggy. not in a good way. so they've also got the german cup final at the weekend as well, should we talk about the managerial merry go round? we know you like to talk about that. >> i'm going to spin this really quickly because we don't have very long right round. right. okay. mitchell mauricio pochettino, possibly the same. now he's left chelsea. maybe manchester united, although erik ten hag is in the job there, maybe england. so maybe after the euros, if gareth southgate decides to walk away, there's a chance for him there. kieran mckenna, who's the ipswich manager, doesn't look like he's

going to sign a new contract because he's the new kid on the block and everybody likes the look of him and thinking, well, we'll have him. so manchester united possibly interested there, or chelsea or maybe brighton, but there's so many of them enzo maresca, sebastian herness who's german, saves stuttgart from relegation then finished second, and thomas frank, brentford manager. there's gaps in managerial jobs that are going around and there's managers looking for jobs, so it's just a matter of them all fitting into the right place. >> little neck, very, very complicated . complicated. >> it's very complicated. but that's the merry go round spinning very quickly. >> yeah. >> yeah. >> brilliant stuff. and oh gone. >> brilliant stuff. and oh gone. >> oh yeah . >> oh yeah. >> oh yeah. >> go on ask me a second, just, very sad news about david wilkie. >> david wilkie. yeah. we should pay >> david wilkie. yeah. we should pay tribute to david wilkie. one of our greatest swimmers of all time. won the olympic 200 metre breaststroke in 1976, passed away yesterday at the age of 70, which is now age, but a great swimmer and a true legend of the sport, without a doubt. >> okay, paul, thank you very much indeed. >> pleasure. i'll see you tomorrow. okay. here's the weather. >> a brighter outlook with boxt

solar sponsors of weather on gb news. who's . news. who's. >> good morning. welcome to your latest gb news weather update. brought to you by the met office. further rain to come this morning with weather warnings still in force for some areas for much of the day, but it will turn drier as the day goes on. amber rain warning still in force until around lunchtime for parts of northwest england, north wales and rain warnings for a large swathe of northern england, northern ireland and much of scotland as well. as i said, it will turn dry as the day goes on, but any further rainfall, particularly on top of the rain we've already had through wednesday and last night, will cause further travel disruption. a disappointing day with temperatures down below average and quite a breeze as well, particularly across the coast, so feeling a little bit cooler than it should do for this time of year. the rain will continue across northern areas through this evening, but across the south it should turn that much drier. but still some heavy rain to come in from the north across much of scotland, a lot of low cloud around as well, but

the heaviest rain is likely to build up across parts of southwest scotland, northwest england, cumbria, north wales as well through thursday afternoon across the south. as i said, it does turn drier as the day goes on through thursday and there could be some late sunshine across the south coast, but still, after quite a cloudy day, temperatures will still be below par. to end the day through tonight, we'll see that rain continue to fall across northern areas, but it will slowly turn lighter as the night goes on. there's going to be a lot of cloud around. could see some clearer skies across the far south and east, but most areas should see quite a cloudy start to the day on friday. a little bit cooler than it has been of late as well. we've got slightly fresher air that's starting to move in now. that area of low pressure slowly starts to fill and as a result, that rain will ease through friday. so a drier day on the whole, we could see a few showers breaking out, particularly across northern areas, but across the south it's going to be a drier day. plenty of cloud around though, away from the far south coast. that's where we'll see the best of any

sunshine in that sunshine, perhaps 19 or 20 degrees. but for most of us, still a fairly cool day for the time of year. by that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers sponsors of weather on

gb news. >> good morning to you. it's 9:00 on thursday, the 23rd of may. today i spoke with his majesty the king to request the dissolution of parliament. >> the king has granted this request, and we will have a general election on the 4th of july. >> the battle commences as rishi sunak calls a summer general election . but critics claim election. but critics claim number 10 have taken a huge gamble . we spoke to the prime gamble. we spoke to the prime minister earlier, got the boldest ideas, the clearest plan to provide a secure future for

you and your family. >> that's the choice at this election. now that the economic stability has been restored, we can turn to that question . can turn to that question. >> meanwhile, sir keir starmer claims the future is in the country's hands as he launches his bid for power with the economy, the nhs and immigration key battlegrounds a chance to change for the better. >> your future, your community, your country . your country. >> rumours swirl that furious tory mps could be plotting a revolt to try to call off the election by ousting rishi sunak before parliaments dissolve next week. >> tory big hitters face a huge fight to retain their seats, with chancellor jeremy hunt and defence secretary grant shapps battling to overcome small majorities. >> and what's happening with nigel farage? could he return to frontline politics? well, apparently he's trying to work out what to do and whether he will stand on behalf of reform

uk . uk. >> fight the election. as for what i do, i'll think about it overnight. >> good morning. after all that rain we saw yesterday, how much more will we see today? we can find out all the details with me a little later on morning to you. >> i'm stephen dixon and i'm ellie costello , and this is ellie costello, and this is breakfast on . gb news. breakfast on. gb news. >> so, it's all been set off? yes. the sort of clock is ticking now until the 4th of july, when we will have a general election. all those talks of a an election later on in the year. well, that's all gone. >> they're standing in the rain yesterday the prime minister called it a moment for britain to choose its future as he went for the 1st july election since 1945. >> it's all though a very long time, is it? since the highs of 2019 for the conservative party where boris johnson took the

keys to number 10? since then we've had three prime ministers, a global pandemic, an inflation at a 30 year high. well earlier we spoke to the prime minister, rishi sunak, after a difficult few years. >> i'm pleased that economic stability is now returning to the country. we've just seen that inflation has returned to normal. the economy is growing at a healthy rate again, wages have been rising sustainably for several months now and although i know not everyone is feeling the full benefits of that yet, it's clear that we have turned a corner. so now is the moment to look to the future. and the world is clearly in a more uncertain place than it's been in decades. and the question for the country is the choice of this election is, you know, who's got the boldest ideas, the clearest plan to provide a secure future for you and your family. that's the choice at this election. now that the economic stability has been restored, we can turn to that question. and that's the conversation i look forward to having with you, your viewers in the country over the next few weeks. >> the timing has shocked so many, though, hasn't it? including many in your own

cabinet. you had those appalling local election results in may, interest rates yet to fall , interest rates yet to fall, rwanda flights, your central policy. those flights are yet to take off and you're 20 points behind in the polls. take off and you're 20 points behind in the polls . as a former behind in the polls. as a former cabinet member has said, this is madness . cabinet member has said, this is madness. suicidal charge of the light brigade kind of stuff . light brigade kind of stuff. >> well, if you look at what's just happened over the last few weeks, it's clear that the economy has turned a corner and the economy and economic stability is the foundation of everything else we want to achieve as a country. inflation is now back to normal. wages have been rising, energy bills are falling, the economy is growing. and that now gives us the opportunity to talk properly about the future . and i'm clear about the future. and i'm clear that it's only me. it's only the conservative party that has a record of bold action that's got a clear plan. and that's how we're going to deliver a secure future for the country. you mentioned one thing the rwanda scheme. you know, that's a that's a great thing to be talking about at this election. border security is important. making sure that we have

fairness in our migration system is really important. and there's a clear choice at this election . a clear choice at this election. i've got a plan. i'm prepared to take bold action. and as you've seen over the last week or two, multiple other countries across europe have realised that our approach is the right one. you need to be able to send illegal migrants to a safe third country to break the cycle, to end the incentive for them to come to have a deterrent. so everyone else is starting to agree with my approach, which is bold. the one person that doesn't is keir starmer. >> well, let's talk to our political correspondents. olivia utley, who's in downing street, katherine forster who's at labour party hq this morning, olivia , let's start with olivia. olivia, let's start with olivia. i don't feel olivia can hear us. i'll tell you what. let's go to katherine forster to begin with, because i know she's i know she's standing by. and i mean, there's a lot of talk from the pm this morning, catherine, about really that clear blue water is what he's trying to sort out a clear dividing line between him and keir starmer. it's whether people buy it or

not. >> yes. and i must say, i am absolutely stunned, along with most of westminster, that he didn't take till the autumn because, okay, the economy may because, okay, the economy may be turning a corner, inflation down, but has it really had the time to feed through to people feeling better off? i'm not sure about that at all, but he's taken a massive, massive gamble. it's never happened before that a prime minister has gone to the polls so far behind out of choice. he could have waited another six months. but here at laboun another six months. but here at labour, a very different mood and watching sir keir starmer's , and watching sir keir starmer's, speech yesterday, of course, in the dry, in the warm and a very simple message from labour, three things they're saying stop the chaos. the second one is it's the chaos. the second one is wsfime the chaos. the second one is it's time for change. the third one, build a better britain. very simple messages now labour

talking to people around starmer's team yesterday and actually just before somebody came over to speak to me, just before he started to talking you. and, you know, they've been waiting for this moment for a long time. they feel that they are ready. they are up for it. they're excited. they are not complacent. they do say, you know, they know things can change. they know they have to fight for this . so they are fight for this. so they are optimistic. but you know, they don't think at all that it is in the bag. just one thing i did find out yesterday afternoon that speech that starmer made that speech that starmer made that was only written about 2:30 yesterday afternoon. so labour have been ready for this to get up and going for months. but of course when it actually happens that's all a bit different. that's one thing that rishi sunak did have was the element of surprise. so it's going to be a wild six weeks ahead. day one to day that it is. >> katherine forster thank you very much. at labour party hq. let's go to olivia utley. now who's at downing street for us

this is a huge gamble for the pm. >> it's an absolutely huge gamble for the prime minister. everyone thought that he was going to wait until the autumn because the presiding logic in westminster was that things generally in the country would be looking a bit better by the autumn. interest rates are probably going to fall over the course of the next six months. inflation will probably fall a little bit further. and so by the time we get to october and november, people should be feeling a little bit less of that cost of living crisis. the rwanda bill, of course, has now made its way through parliament, but we are yet to see any flights take off. we all thought that the prime minister was going to wait until october and november because that would give people a chance to actually see those flights that take off and perhaps feel the dividends of the prime minister's plan to stop the boats. so why has the prime minister taken this surprising step? well, reading between the lines of what he's been saying, he thinks firstly, the economy probably won't improve that much more. it now looks as though the bank of

england may not cut interest rates before october or november , and inflation is already pretty low. what's more , it pretty low. what's more, it might be that even if the economic picture technically looks a little bit rosier by the autumn, people won't really feel that in their pockets until much later on. the other reason is because it's looking increasingly unlikely that flights through rwanda are actually going to get off the ground in the next couple of months, and it could be that the prime minister's plan for a drumbeat of flights regularly leaving for rwanda throughout the summer turned out to be pie in the sky, so that it feels as though that is the real reason the prime minister has just decided to rip off the plaster and get the election over and done with. okay olivia utley there for us in westminster. >> thank you very much indeed. >> thank you very much indeed. >> well, earlier we spoke to deputy leader of the lib dems, daisy cooper. >> well, democrats are in second place to the conservatives in around 80 seats around the country. and it's in those seats where we're really targeting our resources. we know that the

country is absolutely crying out for change and what we're saying is that we're standing a candidate in every seat. we're going to fight for every single vote, but we will target our resources in those 80 seats where liberal democrats are the key challenges to the conservatives, and we are best placed to deliver the change that people so desperately need. people want politicians to be talking about our nhs and social care, and about the cost of living crisis. people are struggling to see a gp, they're struggling to see a gp, they're struggling to see a gp, they're struggling to see a dentist, they're battling long waiting lists. they're worried that if you call an ambulance , it won't you call an ambulance, it won't turn up. and on top of all of that, they're still struggling to pay the bills to put food on the table. liberal democrats have been utterly relentless about talking about these issues for the last few months and years, and we're going to keep on talking about the nhs and the cost of living over the next six weeks. >> well, we also spoke to the reform uk candidate for sutton coldfield, mark hoath. >> i was quite surprised. but when i think about it overall , when i think about it overall, maybe not because i think what

rishi sunak realises that his rwanda policy is not going to work and we're going to get even more illegal immigrants coming overin more illegal immigrants coming over in the in the better weather in the summer. so we hope it's going to be better weather. and so i think it's just going to be it would have just going to be it would have just got even worse for him. and i think that that's the main reason why he's called it early, because he just realises that his policies are failing as they've failed on virtually everything that they've put forward. and so , you know, i'm forward. and so, you know, i'm ready, you know, bring it on. and, that's really what that's really where i'm standing . really where i'm standing. >> well, it's fascinating to hear all the different views on all of this. are we starting to get clearer, dividing lines between the parties , hopefully between the parties, hopefully we are, then it makes we all then got the next six weeks to make our choice , haven't we? make our choice, haven't we? especially when we get the manifestos out, of course. then we'll get the detail, which we all need. >> well, it is time for the great british giveaway now. and our biggest cash prize that we've ever given away, £20,000

that you can spend however you like. it's totally tax free. so you will see every single penny of it. but you will have to hurry as time is ticking on for your chance to win. >> and here's how the next great british giveaway winner could be you. with a massive £20,000 in tax free cash to won. be imagine how you'd react getting that winning call from us. >> oh my god, are you joking? no, i never wanted any in my life. >> i don't know what to say to know what i've never won anything like this in my life. >> oh my god, oh, god. >> oh my god, oh, god. >> oh, you shocked me . >> oh, you shocked me. >> oh, you shocked me. >> is amazing. >> is amazing. >> for another chance to win £20,000 in tax free cash text win to 63232. text cost £2 plus one standard network rate message or post your name and number to gb05 , po box 8690. number to gb05, po box 8690. derby dh1 nine, double two uk only entrants must be 18 or oven only entrants must be 18 or over. lines closed at 5 pm. on

the 31st of may. full terms and privacy notice @gbnews .com forward slash win please check the closing time if listening or watching on demand. good luck . watching on demand. good luck. >> breaking news this morning we've just heard from nigel farage. he is not going to stand as a candidate for reform uk in this general election. before we talk to mark white about something else, actually in just a couple of minutes, he's already sat in. so i just want to get your reaction to that mark. >> i think there will be a huge sigh of relief at tory party headquarters with this news, because i think with nigel at the helm, there was a chance, significant chance of actually pulling quite a few votes away from the tories . i pulling quite a few votes away from the tories. i mean, we're already looking at what, 11, 12% polling for reform at the moment and suggestions is that with nigel on board, that would have been an even greater lure for the voters. but he's decided not to. i have to say i'm not

surprised. i think he values his platform on gb news as a way of being able to get to a large and significant audience and be able to put his views across that way , channelling into an election. he's done it many times before, with mixed results , certainly in with mixed results, certainly in terms of westminster elections and clearly he feels on this occasion that he doesn't want to stand, as a candidate anyway. >> okay , mark. thank you. i'm >> okay, mark. thank you. i'm going to be back with mark in just a couple of moments talking about the prime minister's comments on

>> welcome back to breakfast. now, the prime minister, rishi sunak, is holding a question and answer session in derby. let's listen in. >> get to stay. we will be able to remove you to a safe alternative because that's how you break the cycle . and you you break the cycle. and you

know what? i just got back from austria. 15 other european countries have all now signed a statement saying that they agree with that approach. they think it's necessary . cindy yu person it's necessary. cindy yu person who doesn't believe in that approach is keir starmer. he said he would scrap that, doesn't believe in it. he wants to offer an amnesty to illegal migrants that are here. that would just make us the soft touch of europe and attract even more people to come to our country. so on that and on so many issues , you just can't many issues, you just can't trust them to deliver the security that our country needs. and look, he wants to tell you that this election is over before it's even begun . but i'm before it's even begun. but i'm going to fight very hard every single day . and with your single day. and with your support, i think the british people can say that they don't like being taken for granted, actually. and what we do know about him is that he will say anything, take the easy way out to get into power. and if he is abandoned, all the promises that he made when he ran to be labour leader, how do you know that he won't do exactly the same thing

if he becomes prime minister if you can't stand up for anything himself, how can he stand up for all of you and your families? and i'm prepared to take some bold action. i'm prepared to stick to a plan even when it's difficult and i'm getting criticism when i believe it's the right thing to do for our country. that's how you deliver a secure future. that's what you've seen me do, and that's what i will keep doing, because i want to build a britain, a country where you all can have confidence, restore confidence and pride in our communities and our society , in our nation, our society, in our nation, where we have opportunities for the next generation that were enjoyed by the previous generation , where all your hard generation, where all your hard work is rewarded and where safety , security and our defence safety, security and our defence is assured that is the secure future that i'm working towards and with bold action and a clear plan and your support. that's the secure future that we can deliver. thanks very much . all deliver. thanks very much. all right. okay

>> right , right. okay >> right, right. >> right, right. >> so we've got some time for some questions. let's open it up. who's got some hands up. right. okay. let's start there and let's go there. brilliant. right. >> so thank you and welcome to area wash. you've talked a lot about the economy specific to everybody. cost of living crisis . what's been done and what sets you apart for the future to , you you apart for the future to, you know, benefit that, you know the poundin know, benefit that, you know the pound in the pocket. yep >> great. great place to start. it's been really tough, as i said, right at the beginning, for all of you, for all of your families, energy bills doubling inflation at 11. right. of course, that's going to take its toll . but the course, that's going to take its toll. but the only course, that's going to take its toll . but the only way to fix toll. but the only way to fix those things is to have a clear plan right. and that's what i've done. you know, you can trust me when it comes to the economy. i got our country through covid, right. and that's because i was prepared to do some bold things. and then i was prepared to do some difficult things. right. i'm not going to pretend that we didn't have to spend a lot of money during covid. and to help everyone with energy bills, and it's reasonable that we have to pay it's reasonable that we have to pay that money back, and that requires difficult.

>> well, there's the prime minister in derby taking a q&a session and, let's leave him there because we want to crack straight on with pat mcfadden, labour's national campaign coordinator, who joins us now , coordinator, who joins us now, excellent timing, pat, to talk to you this morning because we just heard the prime minister say, look , don't vote labour say, look, don't vote labour because, i mean, why would you trust sir keir starmer? you can't. he'll say anything to get into power. well, that's a that's a message that's going to resonate with a lot of people . resonate with a lot of people. >> look, i think we've put forward a good programme for the country. we published our six first steps last week on the economy, on the health service, on borders , on anti—social on borders, on anti—social behaviour, on clean energy and on education, we'll have other policies to announce during the course of the campaign. keir is a great candidate to be prime minister we are looking forward

to fighting this election and making the case to the country, which in the end boils down to one thing. do you want to carry one thing. do you want to carry on with five more years of what you've already had, or do people want to vote for change with the labour party? and that's the case that we're going to make? >> well, you caught caught off guard by the announcement yesterday that the general election would be on the 4th of july, because it does mean now that you have a lot of work to do in six very short weeks. you mentioned those six pledges, but there's not yet any meat on the bone. we haven't seen a manifesto. there's also a number of seats where there's candidates still to select . candidates still to select. >> i wouldn't worry about all that. i mean , on the timing, that. i mean, on the timing, i think it was interesting because the prime minister had been making this case that he had a plan, that it was working. the economy was turning around and so on. and if he really believed in that case, then he would have felt that the public should see the fruits of that over the course of the summer. so i think

the timing is really interesting because it suggests to me that he doesn't believe in the case that he was making , that things that he was making, that things are turning around and they're going to get better because if he did believe in that, he'd want people to feel that over the next six months or so. and if he's not got faith in the case that he's been making, then why on earth should the british public? so i think the timing is interesting, and it suggests to me weakness, not strength. i've i've got to be brutally honest, pat, a lot of people watching when you say, well, you know what, you've got work to do. >> where's the manifesto, what are the details? and you say, i wouldn't worry about that. people are worried about that . people are worried about that. >> no, i was referring to not having a candidates in every seat who sought that out in the next few days . in terms of the next few days. in terms of the manifesto, that will be published in the next few weeks. you want me to run through more of the policies of very happy to do so. and we'll start with a six first steps that we published last week. the first

is restore economic stability to grow the economy. that's the foundation for everything else . foundation for everything else. we want to make sure that people feel that growth wherever they live in the country. the second is to cut nhs waiting lists with 40,000 more appointments every week, 2 million more appointments every year. and that makes a huge difference to anyone waiting in pain for nhs treatment. the third is a secure border command, a new force with new powers to tackle this problem of small boats coming across the channel and, unlike the tories, a plan for the whole problem not just for 1% of it. the fourth is to set up gb energy, a publicly owned energy company , to help get bills down company, to help get bills down in the long term and improve our energy security so that we're not reliant on the international markets that spiked so highly after russia invaded ukraine. the fifth is to crack down on antisocial behaviour, with 13,000 more police and pcsos

restoring neighbourhood policing and cracking down on that problem, which is such an issue in many communities represented around the country . and the around the country. and the final one is to hire 6500 new teachers to expand opportunity for young people and make sure that they're ready for life, work and the future. these are our first steps. these are our policies , and we're looking policies, and we're looking forward to talking a lot about them over the next six weeks. yeah, but you say these are your first steps. >> how are you going to get any of these in place if you win the election? you'll be lucky to get any of these up and running by 2029, won't you? >> i no, i don't think so. i think we can get started on these things right away. we're conscious of the economic inheritance that we will inherit, but, you know, we can't have a debate where people say you don't have any policies. and then when we say these are our policies , people just say, you policies, people just say, you can't do any of that. these are our policies. this is the core

of what will have to say. we'll have, you know, things to say about other areas , too, like about other areas, too, like house building and in other areas of policy over the next six weeks. we've got plenty to announce and plenty to campaign on, and we are really looking forward to taking that case to the public because we know there is a mood for change out there in the country. we want to make sure that when people look at the labour party , they look at the labour party, they look at a labour party that itself has changed and has got a good programme for the future of the country . country. >> what are your concerns about the party's stance on gaza? because we saw it at the local elections, didn't we? you lost control of oldham council. that was a warning shot, wasn't it, to the labour party that muslim voters were protesting the party's stance on gaza? and you must also be very concerned about the likes of people like george galloway, workers party britain and independent candidates who are standing and very pro gaza . very pro gaza. >> well, look, if those voters

in some places you say i used to support you and i don't, any more. of course we want to win those people's trust. but i don't think you should just change your foreign policy on that basis. your foreign policy should be based on what you believe in and what's in the best interests of the country. and that has been what's informed our stance on this issue since october the 7th. and just on oldham that you mentioned there, it's not correct to say this is all about gaza. correct to say this is all about gaza . in oldham, there are some gaza. in oldham, there are some hyper local issues there where the local election results in oldham have been out of line with the national picture for a few years running, so i think it's incumbent on all of us not to leap to assumptions that whenever anybody is unhappy, it's automatically about gaza. there can be other things involved too. >> we are at a time i just want to ask you very briefly, though, on this issue, would a labour party in government follow the

likes of ireland and recognise a palestinian state? >> we do want to see a palestinian state. two things have informed our position since october the 7th. one is defending israel's right to defending israel's right to defend itself after that appalling attack by hamas. but the second is a better future for the palestinian people and for the palestinian people and for us. that should mean, in time, a palestinian state, so that you can have a secure future for both the palestinians and for israel. >> yeah. but would you recognise the palestinian state now as islanders? done >> i don't want to put a timescale on it, but we do want to see a palestinian state. >> okay. pat mcfadden, good to see you . thanks very much see you. thanks very much indeed. >> that's it from us. we're back tomorrow from 6 am. britain's newsroom is up next with a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb news.

sponsors of weather on. gb news. >> good morning. welcome to your latest gb news weather update brought to you by the met office. further rain to come this morning with weather warnings still in force for some areas for much of the day, but it will turn drier as the day goes on. amber rain warning still in force until around lunchtime for parts of northwest england, north wales and rain warnings for a large swathe of northern england, northern ireland and much of scotland as well. as i said it will turn dry as the day goes on, but any further rainfall, particularly on top of the rain we've already had through wednesday and last night, will cause further travel disruption. a disappointing day with temperatures down below average and quite a breeze as well, particularly across the coast, so feeling a little bit cooler than it should do for this time of year. the rain will continue across northern areas through this evening, but across the south it should turn that much drier. but still some heavy rain to come in from the north across much of scotland. a lot of low cloud around as well, but the heaviest rain is likely to build up across parts of southwest scotland, north—west england, cumbria, north wales as

well it through thursday afternoon across the south. as i said, it does turn drier as the day goes on through thursday and there could be some late sunshine across the south coast. but still, after quite a cloudy day, temperatures will still be below par in the day. through tonight we'll see that rain continue to fall across northern areas, but it will slowly turn lighter as the night goes on. but there's going to be a lot of cloud around. could see some clearer skies across the far south and east, but most areas should see quite a cloudy start to the day on friday. a little bit cooler than it has been of late as well. we've got slightly fresher air that's starting to move in now. that area of low pressure slowly starts to fill and as a result, that rain will ease through friday. so a drier day. on the whole, we could see a few showers breaking out, particularly across northern areas, but across the south it's going to be a drier day. plenty of cloud around though, away from the far south coast. that's where we'll see the best of any sunshine in that sunshine, perhaps 19 or 20 degrees. but for most of us, still a fairly cool day for the time of year.

by that warm feeling inside