tv State of the Nation GB News May 27, 2024 8:00pm-9:01pm BST
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gb news. >> good evening. i'm tom harwood, deputy political editor of gb news. bringing you state of gb news. bringing you state of the nations 2024 election coverage tonight . national coverage tonight. national service or irrational disservice. rishi sunak raised a few eyebrows this week when he announced that a conservative government would bring back a form of mandatory national service . but with the home service. but with the home secretary saying there'll be no criminal penalties for sidestepping the so—called compulsory scheme, is the plan workable, or is it an ideological gimmick thought up by theresa may era policy wonks and nigel farage has faced utmost opprobrium for the crime of saying to trevor phillips exactly what trevor phillips himself said about british muslims. just a few years ago. we asked tonight why the uproar and today marked sir keir starmer's first election campaign speech. the moment just about no one has been waiting for the opportunity to provide
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substance over style came and went as his majesty's leader of the opposition and knight of the realm attempted to invoke working class roots plus , the working class roots plus, the prince of harry's courtroom drama continues as the biden administration pleads with a court to keep the duke of california's visa application under wraps . all that to come, under wraps. all that to come, state of the nation starts now. and through it all, i'll be joined by my panel. the former labour mp and former royal navy seaman stephen pound, and the former brexit party mep turned conservative annunziata rees—mogg. that's all coming up after your headlines with theo chikomba . chikomba. >> it's 8:01. i'm theo chikomba in the gb newsroom. israeli
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prime minister benjamin netanyahu has described the strike, which reportedly killed 45 people in the southern gazan city of rafah, as a tragic mishap. mr netanyahu says we are investigating the incident and will reach conclusions because this is our policy. he also told the israeli parliament it was vital that israel took every precaution possible to protect civilians caught up in the fighting for gaza . in a separate fighting for gaza. in a separate development, israeli forces said they were investigating reports of an exchange of fire between israeli and egyptian soldiers close to the crossing. the idf said a shooting incident occurred on the egyptian border. it's understood the incident is under review and discussions are being held with the egyptians. the prime minister has defended his plan to make all 18 year olds carry out national service. describing it as modern and bold. rishi sunak says the proposals will mean young people will get the skills and the opportunities they need, which will serve them well in life. he
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says it will make society more cohesive. >> i believe this is the right thing to do because this is how we'll deliver a secure future for everyone and our country. we're not going to do that without taking bold action and that's a type of leadership that i offer. and this modern form of national service will mean that young people get the skills and the opportunities they need, which is going to serve them very well in life. it's going to foster a culture of service, which is going to be incredibly powerful for making our society more cohesive and in a more uncertain and dangerous world. it's going to strengthen our country's security and resilience. so for all these reasons, i think this is absolutely the right thing to do i >> meanwhile, the labour leader has described the conservatives plans to reintroduce national service as desperate. speaking after his first keynote speech of the campaign, sir keir starmer dismissed the prime minister's proposals , got minister's proposals, got desperate policies being made up on the hoof by the tory party and then the image of their party arguing about the policy they only announced in the last
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couple of days, and that in a way , is the choice at the way, is the choice at the election a labour party that is laser focused on the issues that really matter to people. >> in saying we're going to fight for you and a conservative party that's out of road, out of ideas. driven by chaos and division . and that has a cost, division. and that has a cost, a human cost . human cost. >> a tory mp has been suspended by the conservative party for backing reforms. uk candidate in the telford seat she is vacating, lucy allan, who is standing down at the general election, said on social media she'd be supporting allan adams to be the town's next mp. a spokesman for the conservative party said miss allan had been suspended from the party with immediate effect . for the latest immediate effect. for the latest stories, sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen, or go to gb news. slash alerts. now it's back to . tom.
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back to. tom. >> thanks, theo. now this unexpected election campaign has thrown one bold idea to the forefront of the nation's mind. the tories pledged to reintroduce a form of national service. however, the announcement . since the announcement. since the announcement, there has been much confusion over what this actually means , as national actually means, as national service traditionally meant. according to the national army museum, a standardised form of peacetime conscription which was introduced in 1947 for all able bodied men between the ages of 18 and 21. the young men would then spend four years on a reserve list until this attlee era policy was phased out. phased out by the conservatives in 1963. well, today's tory prime minister wants to bring it or something like it back . he or something like it back. he posted a video on tiktok clarifying the terms of the policy. let's take a listen. >> no, i'm not sending everyone off to join the army. what i am doing is proposing a bold new model of national service for 18 year olds. they'll be able to choose to spend 12 months in a
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full time military commission, or one weekend per month volunteering in roles within your local community. >> well, that's our new tick tocking prime minister. well just hours after the policy announcement was made, the home secretary, james cleverly , said, secretary, james cleverly, said, there's going to be no criminal sanction. there's no one. there's going to be no one going to jail over this. there's going to be no one going to jail over this . so national to jail over this. so national service, without necessarily joining the armed forces , joining the armed forces, mandatory volunteering, which some might describe as a contradiction in terms, and no criminal penalty for refusing to do so. however, this policy might not be hastily or as hastily thrown together as some might think. yes the theresa may think tank onward wrote a report last year promoting what they called great british national service. it just so happens that the former director of that think tank, onward, now works as rishi sunak's head of policy. perhaps with the recent climate , perhaps with the recent climate, it would be beneficial to the nafion it would be beneficial to the nation to instil some national pride into the younger
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generations. but is this new top down statist policy just wishful thinking on the part of rishi sunak.7 well, i'm delighted to say i'm joined now by my panel. the former labour mp and a former member of the royal navy, stephen pound, and the former brexit party turned conservative mep annunziata rees—mogg . also mep annunziata rees—mogg. also joining us is tiktok influencer matthew mattos gillingwater, who has racked up millions of views , has racked up millions of views, tens of millions of views lampooning lampooning the idea of military conscription for generation z. let's take a look today. >> so get ready for the battlefield. >> i didn't get to finish my bronzer, though, because i literally started getting shot at like what i was wearing for the day. i can't believe they gave us these cargos for free because they are so cute. luckily, the french were on our side this time, so you know, i had to get some of the french girlies to do my french tips and they look amazing. but anyways, we headed down to the battlefield and me and my bestie found this swing. we had so much fun. you know, i had to take some instagram pictures. >> generation z in the army. well, would it actually play
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like that? let's turn to matthew first. thank you forjoining us first. thank you for joining us here on state of the nation. what made you make the videos? >> well, i felt like it was just such a ridiculous thing sending gen z out to war. i just thought it would be a funny idea to show like what it would actually be like. also kind of playing on how old people would view gen z in the war. so i just thought i'd kind of make fun of the whole thing, because this has gone really viral on social media. >> people aged 18 to 24 all thinking, hang on, am i going to be conscripted? do you think this is working in favour of the conservatives or against them? >> well, i think they've kind of given up on the younger generation . varne i don't think generation. varne i don't think you know anyone my age. i don't really know anyone that's going to vote for them. so i think it's kind of a desperate attempt to get the older people who maybe think of us as, oh, we're too woke, we're too lazy, this and that to, you know, get their support instead of ours, because i think they've basically done with the younger generation now. >> well, stephen pound, former labour mp and of course generation z, i would assume yourself as well. >> gen z z z. »- >> gen z z z. >> very good. do you think that this is just a sort of age dividing culture war from the. >> well, a couple of things.
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really worrying about this stuff. two days before the announcement was made, andrew morrison, who's a very good defence minister, actually on the floor of the house, said we have no plans whatsoever to introduce national service. this would be destructive morale and it simply wouldn't work. that was in a reply to mark pritchard , another tory mp. in fairness, that was it was two days. two daysis that was it was two days. two days is a long time in politics. >> in fairness, that was about putting every single young person to the army. this proposal from rishi sunak would put about 5% of young people. >> here's the problem and you've actually highlighted it yourself. if it's not compulsory, what is the sanction 7 compulsory, what is the sanction ? is this are we actually seriously talking about people being fined or imprisoned ? you being fined or imprisoned? you know, got any flipping room in the prisons anyway? but here's the prisons anyway? but here's the real problem. if you've got a group of people in the army, either they will be in a platoon or a battalion of their own, in which case, what is their job? what are they supposed to do? or they'll be integrated into the existing standing forces, in which case it'll be utterly destructive for morale. the point is that the modern armed forces are incredibly technical, andifs forces are incredibly technical, and it's interesting that they talked about you know, involvement in drones and cyber warfare, but they've addressed that, they have said sergeant
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reece mulcaire wants to have a word. no, no . sorry, sorry. word. no, no. sorry, sorry. catch him. >> the actual figures you've quoted , it's about 5. yeah, it's quoted, it's about 5. yeah, it's actually 1 in 28. yeah. >> so why only 1 in 28 if it's such a good idea? because the rest of it is to make you volunteer within your own community. but this was david cameron's idea, didn't it? 15 years ago. don't you remember that citizenship was a voluntary scheme? >> but there are lots of conservatives who say, actually, we had conscription in this country. the tories got rid of it, actually brought it in. he was a socialist. this is about the state telling people what to do. it's not very conservative. >> my father was a conscript. he had to leave university to go and be conscripted. and i think he would if he were not dead, happily say right now that that was not a good idea. he was hopeless in terms of the army, but he booleant newspaper edhon >> he had the his legacy. >> he had the his legacy. >> his legacy does live on, though the rest of his family. >> being a fighter wasn't his
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style. you can use people . i style. you can use people. i think we're more advanced now in different ways . you can use different ways. you can use their brains, you can use their skills, you can use tiktok, you can use, any kind of electronic stuff that i will not begin to understand. >> but one of the questions i'd ask that would be a good idea. >> but bring people together, surely is you just don't have to put back in for a second, matthew, do you think that your generation generally, is a bit too glued to social media doesn't get stuck in with the community? because a lot of this isn't just about the army, it's also about volunteering and sort of picking up litter and all the rest of it is there is there something of a community spirit that needs to be injected? of course i understand that side of it, but i also think the older generations who want us to do this, they never had to do that. >> they never had to do community service. they never had to join the military. so i don't know why. it's just our generation now suddenly and, and
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it's theatre, there will be many young people who think, hang on, i've done my national service. >> i've done two years doing my national service, staying indoors during covid so that granny didn't die. >> no, no, that's absolutely fair . but actually, if you're fair. but actually, if you're double matthew's age , as i am, double matthew's age, as i am, you had to do at school a compulsory community service. you had to go and visit old people. you had to work in a nursery. you had to do things that brought people together of different generations and unfortunately, i would say the woke propaganda has stopped that happening now. >> they'd want to be fighting from home, wouldn't they? >> now they need to have dbs checks on both sides , and it's checks on both sides, and it's made it impossible because schools can't. >> can i just say one very serious thing? when we had national service, national service men and women that were men, they were obviously had a choice between 18 months and two years, two years, 18 months was active service. our national service men died in korea, in
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malaya. they were actually fighting. it wasn't just about picking up litter, it was going and being killed. yeah. so is the national service actually about a volunteer army, which actually filled the gaps in our armed forces, which are calamitous, like a chasm at the present time? is it about community service? is it about throwing some red meat to the tory right, because they've given up on matthew's generation and they're trying to give something to people of my generation? well, people of my generation? well, people of my generation actually can see through this nonsense. this is a desperate last throw. and i just wonder what on earth are you going to bring up next? god help us if they start talking about capital punishment or something. there seems to be no depth to it. they will not sink and yet there was polling done by onward, the think tank i mentioned in the introduction, of course, a think tank that was born out of the 2017 conservative manifesto and those behind it now, now, many of the people from that think tank work for rishi sunak work in number 10. >> they did polling on this that showed almost every age group supports this apart from generation z. >> i'm sorry. you know, focus groups are the way that's the past. i mean, focus groups are not good indicators of really where people are standing. matthew is a person. he actually
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is speaking from the from the ground up on this one. he knows what he's talking about. you honestly can't tell me that people of matthew's generation are going to overwhelm me, say, absolutely, i want to go and scratchy khaki uniform and, you know, live on a diet of worms or whatever it is they eat on salisbury plain. and, you know, all those dreadful things behaving and everything. no, i'm sorry. the armed forces themselves don't want it. i've spoken to a lot about navy friends of mine. the last thing we want is on a, you know, a royal navy ship, which is an incredibly difficult, expensive, technical piece of kit. the last thing you want is some unwilling person forced in there to mess around, you know, with your 30 millimetre. >> should we not encourage us all? yes. yes. of our community? yes yes and yes. part in this broader but part of do it through scouts, do it through cadets, do it through all the organisations that exist. they don't need this. only 1 in 28 would be forced into the military. >> well, in that case, what is the point ? the point? >> let's join. >> let's join. >> join the scouts. >> join the scouts. >> okay. well, let's let's turn to matthew for a final word, because a lot of this election is being fought on social media,
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are the tories or the labour party doing more to sort of engage ? because we saw the prime engage? because we saw the prime minister post on tiktok advertising this policy. did it go down? well, yeah. >> i've also seen labour posted tiktok kind of taking the mick out of the whole thing. but to me, i just feel like the younger generation is completely disillusioned by the tory party. it feels like they almost don't like us, so yeah, i don't really think they've got much chance of winning over the younger generation, especially with this kind of thing. nobody in my age wants to join the military. we just turned to the age where we can go partying or we want to live our lives. be young, just like you guys did when you were that age. so why our generation? why is that being stripped from us on our weekends? >> do you support votes at 16? incidentally, no. now that is that that is interesting. >> no, i think even i don't know, i'm labour and i don't and i because we do need to get to an outbreak. >> but why do you think 16 year olds wouldn't support that idea? >> i know what i was like when i was 16. i know what all my friends were like when they were 16. nobody very small amount of people cared about politics. i
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feel like people will just end up doing what their parents did and would just be influenced by them. so i don't think there's much interesting stuff. >> well, on that note, thank you to matthew and to my panel much more to come. after the break. i'll be diving into the fury sparked by nigel farage's comments yesterday with trevor phillips, but it seems there's more to this story than was first let on. you won't want to miss it that next uh.huh.
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this is state of the nation at 8:19. now, nigel farage has , 8:19. now, nigel farage has, over the last 24 hours, faced the utmost opprobrium for his remarks yesterday about the british muslim community. speaking in an interview with trevor phillips about muslims. >> here we are. >> here we are. >> and i'm afraid i found some of the recent surveys saying that 46% of british muslims support hamas , support a support hamas, support a terrorist organisation that is proscribed in this country.
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>> well, trevor phillips said that these were incendiary remarks and went on to say this . remarks and went on to say this. >> you talk about muslims as hostile to british values. no, i've got to say i don't really. let me finish what i'm going to say. i don't really see the i don't really see how you arrive at that conclusion . at that conclusion. >> well, this interview has been seen by millions of people, with many claiming nigel farage is racist because of it. but let's drill down to some of the facts, because nigel's claims that alarming numbers of british muslims hold beliefs that are contrary to british values are seemingly supported by some evidence . the great irony of evidence. the great irony of this is that we don't need to look much further than trevor phillips own research with channel 4 from just a few years ago. well, trevor phillips own data with channel 4 revealed that only 34% of british muslims would inform the police if they thought somebody they knew was
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getting involved with people who supported terrorism in syria, 52% did not believe that homosexuality should be legal . homosexuality should be legal. in britain, 23% supported the introduction of sharia law, 32% refused to condemn those who take part in violence against those who mock the prophet muhammad and 39% agreed that wives should always obey their husbands. well. mr phillips, a former chair of the equality and human rights commission, even went as far as to say that some british muslims represent a nafion british muslims represent a nation within a nation. promoting his suspension from the labour party. it seems if anything, it's trevor phillips and his research who at least used to take a firmer view on british muslims than nigel. nigel farage does now. so how on earth have we found ourselves in a situation in which phillips is accusing farage of being offensive for making exactly the same type of claim that he did just a few years ago? well, i'm
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delighted to be joined now by the imam and broadcaster ajmal masroor . ajmal, thank you so masroor. ajmal, thank you so much for making the time for us this evening, because i think there's two different points here. number one, the idea that all british muslims are antithetical to british values, i think is plainly wrong and it isn't borne out by data, but the claim that a significant proportion of british muslims do hold views that are contrary to what most people would describe as british values . well, that as british values. well, that seems to stack up to evidence . seems to stack up to evidence. >> thank you very much for inviting me, and good evening to you and your viewers, on this glorious day, we've had a fantastic weather outside. what it what a discussion to have at the end of the day about our values. what defines us as unique and british. it's our acceptance of people who are different. it's about our multicultural country in which
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we can go to any high street and find any cuisine, any culture that we want, and we celebrate it. it's about our neighbours who are very different to us, but we embraced them . it's about but we embraced them. it's about our open arms to people who are in trouble around the world. it's about us standing for justice and fairness and equality across the globe. these are british values by the way. it is about us promoting justice. they are british values, ajmal. >> but i suppose the big question is to what extent does tolerance extend to being tolerant of intolerance? for example, 52% of british muslims saying that homosexuality should be illegal. should we be tolerant of that view? >> let me let me just finish my sentence. so if the paramount feature of britain is about justice, fairness and rule of law , did you know the most law, did you know the most important feature of islam is justice? in fact, it's more paramount to be just to be godly. you can't be godly without being just. and that's why i've said many times before, if you do a google search, you'll find on sky itself. i did
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a tv programme where i said britain is more islamic than most muslim countries here. when i say islamic, i mean there is rule of law, freedom, justice, acceptance, diversity, education, opportunities. these are islamic values and these are british values . so for anyone to british values. so for anyone to suggest that british muslims are in any way, shape or form opposed to these sacred and universal values that are so british, i think that's really strange because i don't recognise any of those accusations . i, for one say to accusations. i, for one say to everybody, britain is more islamic than most muslim countries. you name me a better muslim country in the world. even so, the arabia will not. unfortunately will not measure. when i measure the islamic values and british values. >> and yet when you look at, for example, how many mosques operate in the united kingdom, there are some that are funded by iran, of course, some that take a more wahhabist view, those that come through saudi arabia funding as well. there are lots of different groups within the muslim community, and
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i think it's completely right to promote and highlight the number of muslims who hold that view that you seem to espouse there, that you seem to espouse there, that there should be sort of tolerance and, and peace. but of course, there there does seem to be a particular problem within islam of a certain radicalism that doesn't exist within some other religions. perhaps it did send diaries ago and that radicalism has sort of been reformed out of the mainstream of, of christianity or judaism. but there is a problem with radicalism within islam. >> well, you're going to have to be fair with your assessment. how many mosques do you know ? how many mosques do you know? how many mosques do you know? how many mosques have you visited? i have established a mosque myself. only recently we funded the mosque £6.65 million from our local congregation . not from our local congregation. not a single penny from outside, 99% or more of the british mosques are built by the hard earned cash , hard earned money and cash, hard earned money and wealth of british muslims to
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suggest that these have been built or funded by foreign countries in itself is not true. number one. number two, 1 or 2 mosques that have been funded by countries such as saudi arabia , countries such as saudi arabia, where we are in good terms with saudi arabia. so the arabias are our friend. we buy oil from them, we sell them weapons. i don't like saudi arabia, but some of the british government do. so we can't have it both ways. if we're going to be buying oil from saudi arabia and if we're going to be selling weapons from saudi arabia, surely saudi funding should be welcomed when it comes to our mosques. why are we having a problem with saudi funding? i do want to drill down in are we don't we don't have long legs. >> just give me archewell. let me ask you one more question. >> one more, one more point before let me ask you one more question. >> just, just just just to finish on. you seem to be suggesting that there isn't a problem within the british muslim community. is that actually what you're saying, or do you accept that there is a particular problem of radicalism within this community? >> i believe the problem in our
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society is universal, and it transcends the religion we have in our country. crime going through the roof, youth are being killed. one of my friend imam, a muslim cleric, was stabbed to death. he wasn't stabbed to death. he wasn't stabbed to death because he's an imam . he just happens to be imam. he just happens to be walking by the street now , walking by the street now, knife, knife. crime, gang crime, drugs , education failure, nhs, drugs, education failure, nhs, crumbling . these are universal crumbling. these are universal problems everyone is facing. so to single out muslim community and to say there is a problem with the muslims is actually you're being not honest and genuine about it. and finally, look, there is a problem that you are missing. many religious values or many people from various religions may take an extremist view, such as in america, we have got evangelical christians or even those who call for the destruction of the palestinians in israel. people would think this would be an extreme right, a little disingenuous to deny that there is a particularly more radical problem in recent years in
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within islam, that there is this view of islamism as a as a proportion of those that follow islam. >> that does seem to me you're not violent at the moment. if we were talking 30 or 40 years ago, were talking 30 or 40 years ago, we could talk about the ira till the cows come home. but but clearly, i think there is a deeper problem that perhaps we're skirting over there. but ajmal masroor, i'm afraid that's all we've got time for. but thank you very much for coming on. really appreciate it. i'm joined now by the chairman of the national muslim war memorial trust, mohammed amin, and mohammed . i struggled there a mohammed. i struggled there a bit in that conversation with ajmal because i think in order for there to be more integration , we need to be open and honest about where there are problems and where there is extremism within any, any community. >> of course there are extremists. unfortunately in every single community in this country , we've had two mps country, we've had two mps murdered in the last ten years, one by an islamist extremist,
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one by an islamist extremist, one by a far right extremist who was obsessed with brexit. >> but but you would be. but you would be. i suppose, in agreement that whilst yes, those two isolated mp examples sort of almost present a 5050 sort of, dynamic when it comes to far right terrorism and islamist terrorism, when it's when it's actual numbers of terrorist incidents, the proportion that is islamist far, far, far outweighs the proportion that is far right. >> we had some terrible instances of islamist terrorism instances of islamist terrorism in this country from the 7th of july 2005, london bombings onwards . at the same time, one onwards. at the same time, one of the things i'm very conscious of the things i'm very conscious of is somebody who reads the reports from the people who run prevent , for example, is the prevent, for example, is the number of far right, people that have also been monitoring this. >> this does sound does start to seem like you're trying to sort of deflect, because i think everyone can agree that there are i agree that terrorism there are i agree that terrorism there are bad sections within any group that my proposition here,
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which was also the proposition of trevor phillips when he did that report in 2016, also, tony blair, who wrote about this at the time as well, saying that there is a specific problem within islam and that we need to promote the moderate voices within islam because too often communities are represented by people that that aren't moderate and aren't mainstream , let me and aren't mainstream, let me answer your point, because i don't actually go through , you don't actually go through, you know, both sides ism. there are problems in all communities. the problems in all communities. the problem that interests me most, and the one that i care about most, is actually extremism amongst muslims. that's why i've been deeply involved with projects like curriculum for cohesion, because i want to get rid of extremism and radicalisation amongst muslims. however, never forget that the numbers of people that we're talking about are tiny. what i object to with farage's comments is he's latched on to a poll that i actually discussed with him in person in this studio in april . it was
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him in person in this studio in april. it was a poll commissioned by the henry jackson society , which, frankly, jackson society, which, frankly, i've written about it on my website . it was a poll that was website. it was a poll that was structured to find the answer that it found. >> we could we can put that poll to the side, because there have been other polls, and the one that i'm referencing is the trevor phillips poll that he did with channel 4. i don't think that had an agenda. >> i, i read trevor phillips poll at the time. for 20 years i've seen the same kinds of polling, and in that 20 years we've had more and more muslims becoming lawyers in accounting , becoming lawyers in accounting, in law firms, accounting firms, more muslims in parliament, geographical dispersion of muslims because they are less concentrated now than they used to be. what we have in this country is a great integration success story. there is a huge success story. there is a huge success story. there is a huge success story of integration, but there are also there are also pockets that just haven't integrated and that live almost separate lives under separate values. shrinking pockets. we are the story, the big picture
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story, which i pay a lot of attention to, is one of continuing success at integration , when occasionally integration, when occasionally it suits people like mr farage to promote scare stories for his own purposes. >> well , own purposes. >> well, mohamed amin, i hope you're right and i hope that the direction of those pockets is shrinking . although i do look at shrinking. although i do look at situations like the batley grammar teacher , which i've grammar teacher, which i've criticised vociferously. yes, i know, and i'm not saying you're one of the pockets. i'm not saying that at all. and i think that we need to promote more voices like yours, but i do hope that your analysis is the local authority in batley. >> let down the teacher, the school let down the teacher. we need a robust response from the authorities. >> well, we had mohammed amin there. the chairman of the national muslim war memorial trust. thank you very much for your time. now coming up, sir keir starmer made his first keynote speech of the general election campaign today. did you miss it? i don't blame you. if you did, what can we take away from his performance? well,
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next. this is state of the nation at 836. ever since the prime minister announced on that rainy afternoon last week. he would be calling a snap election , it calling a snap election, it seems the public has been waiting for the labour party to do something. later that very afternoon, sir keir starmer made one of the most forgettable speeches in modern history . speeches in modern history. since then, the campaign has been launched in kent for the labour party, again to little nofice labour party, again to little notice or acclaim . yesterday, notice or acclaim. yesterday, sir keir starmer was absent from the campaign trail completely promoting some speculation that the 61 year old didn't have the stamina of 44 year old sunak. he dismissed those claims today, but this morning represented an opportunity for some substance, some soundness and some
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significance. during his first keynote speech, the leader of his majesty's opposition boldly declared that he, that many people might fold, might find him unconvincing. >> i know there are countless people who haven't decided how they'll vote in this election . f they'll vote in this election. f fed up with the failure, the chaos, and the division of the tories, but they still have questions about us. i've changed this party. permon only. >> well, perhaps i'm being a little harsh, sir keir spoke to great lengths about his changing of the labour party , his humble of the labour party, his humble upbringing, his parents, his love of the countryside and of cows, as well as the need for economic stability that serves the interests of the working people of britain and this idea of the working class remains a running theme throughout his leadership. but he himself has in the past struggled to define exactly what that means. >> fine working class working
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class is, families that are, you know, work for their living. >> i mean, this has been the story of artists. >> have that. >> have that. >> of course they do. of course they do, i don't quite understand his definition, but maybe we can be helped out now by the labour mp for brighton kemptown, lloyd russell—moyle . kemptown, lloyd russell—moyle. lloyd. i suppose it's sort of fun to poke fun at what is a relatively, strong and stable, perhaps dull as dishwater campaign. but after all, i suppose if you're 20 points aheadin suppose if you're 20 points ahead in the polls, perhaps you don't want to say all that much. >> well, i don't think you have given a fair analysis at all. i mean, sunak disappeared from the campaign and then reappeared after making this bonkers, proposal around national service . they cut 1 billion from youth services, and they want to put it back in compulsory youth service. it seems mad to me. and in what labour outlined is, six key pledges that we're going to
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push forward in our first few days of government. so people get an idea of what we're actually going to do. it's going to be a mission led leadership. and keir outlined those things and he outlined the things saying how he is a socialist, but that that should not scare people because socialism is about making sure that the country is the very best it can be for working people. so i think actually some real good substance there. and, you know, as you know, i'm not always a, just a cheerleader for the leader. >> i know you're not you're an independent minded member of parliament, but they all say those six first steps. i mean, the first one is economic stability. that's not a detailed plan . that's just saying we're plan. that's just saying we're going to keep things very stable. i mean, is that is that really what we need to hear right now? well i think it is after we've had such a disastrous, response from the conservative government and instability so far. >> the first one is about an underlying golden thread that will run through all of our policies. so if you look at our
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green energy policy, that we will ensure that we have home grown energy, that we own the assets of it, that it isn't owned by someone that can pull the strings, that is about economic stability in people's homes. so we don't have those awful inflationary pressures that are coming down the road this winter. let me be very clear. this winter, prices for, home heating and electricity is due to go up more than it is even now. i know we've got a price dip now, but the markets are very clear and only labour has a plan to make sure that we are no longer at the whims of the international market and at the international market and at the whims of putin turning on and off the oil. >> how would how is your plan going to make us no longer at the whims of the international market? you want to stop any exploration , any new exploration exploration, any new exploration in the north sea and when it comes to your great british energy proposal, it seems that it's not all that different from the government's great british nuclear policy, which is going to fund new nuclear power stations . stations. >> i mean, the nuclear policy is good, but from the conservatives but of course, it is about ten,
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15 years too late. if you remember, when we left office, we had plans for four new nuclear power stations and the conservative liberal government shelved them. and we are now playing catch up. but our view is nuclear isn't the only option. it can't be the only option. it can't be the only option. no one thinks it can be. seriously, we need a mix of providers. we need renewables, we need wind, which the government has been lacking on no one bid for the last round. >> the government hasn't been lacking on i'm sorry, lloyd russell—moyle the uk is the largest offshore provider of wind in the world. people refer to the united kingdom as the saudi arabia of offshore wind , saudi arabia of offshore wind, yes, but in the last round for offshore wind , no one applied offshore wind, no one applied because the economic framework that britain is offering them is poon >> and that's why that economic stability line needs to run throughout, because we might have made great progress now, but it is a race. and if we do not win that race because we've taken our foot off the pedal at the last moment, there will be no good. >> and so labourjust finally, >> and so labour just finally, just finally, lloyd russell—moyle because we're running out of time. can a
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knight of the realm, the leader of his majesty's most loyal opposition, be working class ? opposition, be working class? >> well, i think working class in this country, as we know, is complicated. it is about culture as well as about wealth. but i think what is very clear is that keir started off working class and he worked his way up, and that's what those opportunities we want for all. >> well, lloyd russell—moyle , >> well, lloyd russell—moyle, thank you very much for joining us. as ever. i really appreciate your company here on state of the nation. well, with me now is my panel. former labour mp stephen pound and head of communications at the popular conservatives , annunziata conservatives, annunziata rees—mogg. annunziata. what did you make of that ? you make of that? >> i if i ever had to listen to a monotone , i would just watch a monotone, i would just watch that speech on repeat. it was platitudes . it was words of platitudes. it was words of repetition . it was without any repetition. it was without any form of emotion. it was quite surreal. on how dull it was .
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surreal. on how dull it was. >> but isn't that what he's sort of trying to do? it's how. it's how biden won in 2020. it's how the australian election john major won some sometimes, perhaps clement attlee won it doesn't want to see theresa may won . woi'i. >> won. >> yes it was. i am a responsible pair of hands and i'm sorry. what our country needs right now is a little bit of life. we need to be invigorated. we need to be injected with enthusiasm for how wonderful our country genuinely is. and if you look at what he actually said , there was nothing actually said, there was nothing there . there. >> stephen pound, is this an issue as an art erases , theresa issue as an art erases, theresa may became prime minister by default. all of her opponents spectacular took themselves out. and it sort of feels like that's happening right now with keir starmer. the snp is taking itself out. the tory party is tearing chunks out of itself.
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the lib dems are nowhere to be seen. the lib dems are nowhere to be seen . keir starmer is sort of seen. keir starmer is sort of winning by default. well, i don't know. >> i mean, what's it? napoleon said he'd much rather have lucky generals and good generals and so certainly said he's been lucky. but look, i have to say, and i really don't want to be too predictable, but i was listening to that speech today, and i thought it was damn good. i thought it was invigorating, and i thought it actually did have a vision for the country. absolutely genuine. and trust me, i used to be a politician. but look, he's a couple of times he did say, honestly and i say this honestly, and it did strike me the sincerity, but also by honestly from any politician , honestly from any politician, one of the important things he said he was actually talking about rural crime, about the problems. we concentrate on what happensin problems. we concentrate on what happens in the cities. he was talking about the problems of people facing the country. he's talking about his football team that used to play for and his family down in worthing. i found that absolutely extraordinary. and certainly you remember when douglas hodge stood for the leadership of the tories. sorry, sorry, what was his day , the sorry, what was his day, the home secretary, douglas hurd, who denied he went to eton, he just said he went to a school in buckinghamshire or somewhere
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near slough. you know, the business about being holier than thou is an illness that a fixed politicians. i don't think keir starmer's got. keir starmer may not define working class as somebody who is upper, lower middle class myself. i mean, i think working class means it's where you start, not where you are. and as we used to say , rise are. and as we used to say, rise with your class, not above it, of course. >> i think he had the benefit of going to a grammar school, which sadly not many students have the opportunity to go to any more, but much more to come. of course, we'll be, over to the united states in a second. a tale of a certain prince and a certain visa row . what will it certain visa row. what will it mean for the duke of sussex's american dream that
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documented in his autobiography when he made his visa application to the country? that question formed the basis for the conservative think tank, the heritage foundation's application for the visa records of the prince to be made public. but there's been a new development. lawyers for the department of homeland security have claimed that releasing a document relating to the duke of sussex's visa application would be a breach of his privacy. john bardo, the lawyer representing the department, reportedly added that there's a stigma associated with being mentioned in a law reform record. well, can we buy that ? what does it reform record. well, can we buy that? what does it mean for reform record. well, can we buy that ? what does it mean for the that? what does it mean for the prince's american dream? well joined back with my panel now and annunciator. it's a bit of a tncky and annunciator. it's a bit of a tricky one for the prince. i mean, either he lied on his application to have a visa in the united states or he lied in his book. >> i mean, i would have thought the obvious thing for him to do would to be clarify that all of
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this would go away if prince harry said, this is what i said, and this is what i've done. the fact he hasn't worryingly , he fact he hasn't worryingly, he implies to me that perhaps he didn't tell the truth on either one or the other. of those two things. there is a third option, stephen pound, which is that the administration in the united states, the presidency or whatever lowly bureaucrat actually involves security . actually involves security. >> yeah, that they turned a blind eye to it. >> well, look, i mean, this is there's two aspects here. >> maybe he didn't, you know, have a little bit of the old jazz cabbage when he was at school, you know, and he mentioned this in his book, but that hasn't stopped paul mccartney, mick jagger, a number of people getting visas to go to the united states. i think what this is to do with whether he actually lied on his visa application for and the department of homeland security, most of them are capable of reading or at least having books reading or at least having books read to them, and i'm sure they can read his book and if he
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said, on the one hand he did, and in on his visa said he didn't, end of story. >> and he's judged by the same standards as anyone else would be, then that's fine. but if it were any of us, they would take anything we said as gospel and worth investigate thing. >> not if we wrote a book. >> not if we wrote a book. >> is there a is there a double standard here though? and it's not just a royal double standard. is there a rich and famous double standard? i mean, all of the beatles, as you rightly mentioned, they wrote songs about lsd, and then they went and lived in the united states. ozzy osbourne, david bowie, elton john, robbie williams all admitted to drug taking. all lived in the united states for a period. is there a double standard if you're a rock star? >> under american law, you are not banned from having residency just because you have ever taken drugs . you are banned. if you drugs. you are banned. if you lie about about taking drugs. now, the question here is did he
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tell the truth on his visa application that he had taken drugs and they took that into account and they accepted it. and he is still allowed in? or did he say, i never have? well, and then write a book saying i've taken lots of drugs, can i, can i just say something? >> somebody, you know, i've appued >> somebody, you know, i've applied for a visa in the past and they do. one of the questions, are you now or have you ever been a member of the communist party, all that sort of stuff. but they don't say, have you ever taken drugs? they say, have you ever had a criminal conviction? have you ever had a caution? have you ever had a caution? have you ever been in any way? no. >> the americans there's nothing in it which says, have you ever had a spliff? >> i think i think there is in the specific american green card specific vie. >> oh, for a green card. that's for residents. yeah. for permanent residents, which not a visa, not permanent residence, which he's got. well, i believe prince harry does have a permanent resident. >> he lives in california. it's not through his wife. >> she may be nigerian, but you still have to fill it out for yourself. >> so this is why the case has been brought. but of course, we're hearing from the
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department of homeland security that they're just saying that this would be a breach of privacy. do we buy that? >> i think the really big point here that's very relevant to british people is that we need to keep the judiciary and politics completely separate, unlike america , in america they unlike america, in america they are totally blurred, but they elect trump coming out on one side saying, i will never let him come in. if he's given a hint of lying. you've got the, ambassador for biden on the other side saying biden will never ban him. we want i think most countries should have a totally independent judiciary. >> but hasn't he breached his own privacy , look, we're talking own privacy, look, we're talking about the breach of privacy. when he wrote that book, he breached his own privacy. six weeks to christmas. come on, come on. it's got it's got to be a bit of a sense sensibility. well, that that is the argument. >> i'm afraid we have run to the end of the discussion and the
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end of the discussion and the end of the discussion and the end of the show, but nunziata, rees—mogg and steve tuckwell, let's let's give it very much for joining us. we've got forjoining us. we've got patrick christys up next. and, patrick, what's on your program? >> so the revolutionary communist are standing at this election? i have got one of them on versus somebody who has survived communism and fled it. that should be an interesting debate. labour can't be bothered to justify votes for 16 year olds anymore. rishi sunak is auditioning to play up front for southampton. is it islamophobic to state facts and find out the latest mass? angela rayner has got herself into ? got herself into? >> well sounds marvellous. we'll be sticking to every word of it. patrick christys up next. this has been state of the nation with me tom harwood and i'll see you tomorrow . you tomorrow. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar, sponsors of weather on gb news . news. news. news. >> good evening. welcome to our latest gb news weather from the met office. so there's been plenty of showers around for many of us today, and there's further rain expected over the next couple of days, all thanks to low pressure situated out towards the west of the uk, slowly moving its way towards us
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over the next couple of days, bringing some heavy rain and some blustery showers. any showers that we have seen across eastern parts of scotland and northern england will gradually ease as we head through the rest of this evening, leaving some clear spells overnight here. but down towards the southwest. a very different picture. plenty of cloud around and some outbreaks of heavy rain moving in. temperatures here around 12 or 13 degrees, but definitely a little chillier under those clear skies. and quite a bright start for parts of scotland and northern england through tuesday morning. however, down towards the southwest it'll be a much greyer and damper picture to start on tuesday. those temperatures are starting the day around 13 or 14 degrees, and heavy and persistent rain continuing through much of tuesday morning, particularly across northern ireland and parts of wales. as i mentioned, a bit of a brighter start across parts of scotland, albeit a chilly start in places . however, chilly start in places. however, there will be some sunshine as we head through tuesday morning, but in towards the afternoon that area of rain continues to push its way northwards, eventually reaching into parts of northern england and
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scotland, later two behind that area of rain. plenty of showers across northern ireland, wales and into southern and central parts of england too. again with some hail and thunder mixed in, some hail and thunder mixed in, so some heavy downpours likely another warm day. temperatures around 17 or 18 degrees, so around 17 or 18 degrees, so around about average for the time of year. although perhaps just a little cooler under that cloud and rain further north. wednesday does start a little brighter for most of us. plenty of sunny spells through the morning, but quite quickly as we head towards the afternoon, there'll be plenty of showers developing again. these heaviest across eastern parts of england and scotland, and there could be some hail and thunder mixed in further showers as well. on thursday, but there are some hints of high pressure returning towards the end of the week and in towards the weekend. >> looks like things are heating up. boxt boilers sperm answers of weather on
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>> it's 9 pm. i'm patrick christys tonight . christys tonight. >> we're talking about muslims. here we are . here we are. >> was nigel farage absolutely spot on or downright offensive about the british muslim community. plus its up. what we do, i doubt it. >> we've got the energy. will tell you all about it. i search for my spark and i found this. >> rishi sunak is forced to defend his national service plan first thing. >> no, i'm not sending everyone off to join the army, but labour don't seem to want to justify lowering the voting age to 16 for many 16 year olds pay proper tax in this country. >> why are you so worked up about it ? about it? >> angela rayner is absolutely copped. it >> if me resigning as an mp now would bring a ceasefire, no, i would bring a ceasefire, no, i would do it . i would bring a ceasefire, no, i would do it. i would do it.
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