>> good evening. well, it was the first prime minister's questions today for keir starmer . questions today for keir starmer. but i've got to ask the question. is there any opposition .7 because it appears opposition.7 because it appears to be the uniparty. yes. rishi sunak agreeing with virtually everything. do we need a proper opposition to have a healthy democracy? well biden's out of the way. it's kamala harris, is she going to provide real opposition to donald trump, or is she actually under scrutiny, going to really struggle up against a guy who was a really tough opponent? the royal family finances are really in very, very good shape, and the reason for that, of course, is the crown estate's own a lot of offshore seabed, where wind farms are going up and they're making vast profits. but do the royal family give us real value for money? plus, i'll reveal tonight exclusively here on gb

news. another farage de—banking story . all of that comes after story. all of that comes after the news with polly middlehurst. >> nigel, thank you and good evening to you. well, the main story from the gb newsroom tonight is that police in kent say the stabbing of a british army officer near a barracks in gillingham isn't being treated as terrorism at this stage . as terrorism at this stage. however, they say they are being supported by counter—terror specialists. detectives are continuing with their investigations this evening after witnesses reported hearing screams just before 6:00 yesterday evening . locals rushed yesterday evening. locals rushed to help the officer, including his wife, just in time to see the attacker, who was wearing a mask, flee on a moped. the suspect was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder about 20 minutes later, after being stopped by members of the public. being stopped by members of the pubuc.the being stopped by members of the public. the victim, aged in his 40s, was taken to hospital with serious injuries. the home secretary, yvette cooper, says

she's being kept up to date on the investigation. >> this is an appalling attack on a serving soldier. my thoughts go to him and to his family, wishing him a speedy recovery. this is an ongoing police investigation by kent police. it's really important that they have everyone's support in this investigation. but this was a just appalling attack on a serving soldier, and i know that the whole country will be thinking of him and his family and wishing him a speedy recovery. >> yvette cooper, now sir keir starmer, accused the previous government of losing control of britain's borders today as he took part in his first pmqs as prime minister. reform uk's rupert lowe quizzed the prime minister on labour's migration plans, claiming that failure to control the borders has damaged communities. the prime minister conceded small boat crossings on the channel are a serious issues, but he laid blame at the feet of the tories. >> i'm not sure i agree with his

numbers, but look, i do think that it's serious that the previous government lost control of our borders. record numbers have crossed the channel since the leader of the opposition, when he was prime minister for 18 months, 50,000 people crossed the channel. it's a serious issue that requires a serious answer. and that is why we will set up our border security command to take down the gangs that are running this vile trade. but we won't do is waste further time on a gimmick that cost a fortune and remove just four volunteers. >> meanwhile, rishi sunak used the same session of prime minister's questions today to call for tougher sanctions on russia after the leader of the opposition said the work of the previous government had laid the groundwork for stronger action against moscow, which he said would help fund ukraines reconstruction. and then , taking reconstruction. and then, taking a slightly lighter tone, the former prime minister joked a slightly lighter tone, the former prime ministerjoked as

he sent his best wishes to britains olympians in paris. >> and i also join with the prime minister. in his warm words about our olympic athletes. i have no doubt that after years of training, focus and dedication, they will bring back many gold medals. although to be honest, i'm probably not the first person they want to hear advice from on how to win. but i'm glad. i'm glad in our exchanges . exchanges. >> now nominations open this evening to succeed rishi sunak as leader of the conservative party. the shadow home secretary, james cleverly, threw his hats in the ring last night, saying he's running to take the party's top job if he can. he published a video emphasising his credentials. the former foreign and home secretary saying the conservatives needed to re—establish its reputation as a party that helps grow the economy and help people achieve their aspirations. he's the first to announce a leadership bid, and any challengers will need to get in quickly before nominations close on monday. those are the latest gb news

headunes those are the latest gb news headlines for now , i'm polly headlines for now, i'm polly middlehurst. i'm back in an houn middlehurst. i'm back in an hour. see you then for the very latest gb news direct to your smartphone, sign up to news alerts by scanning the qr code, or go to gbnews.com forward slash alerts . slash alerts. >> good evening. when i spent many hours in parliament yesterday, i gave my maiden speech and i was in today of course, for the first prime minister's questions. the big, great piece of theatre that is. i mean, really, it's be honest about it. quite a global sensation. what have i noticed? so far in the parliament? well, ihave so far in the parliament? well, i have to tell you, i reckon it is between 85 and 90% remainers. i reckon it's over 50% rejoiners. i mean, they would literally rejoin the european union tomorrow and if you even mention or dare to mention legal or illegal immigration, they

look at you, they raise their eyes as if you're spoiling a really rather convivial dinner party. so i don't actually think our electoral system, our first past the post system, is giving us really an especially balanced parliament that represents the views of the country. that's me. but then again, you know, any parliament that i'm in, i'm always in a tiny minority in the chamber. but what's also been really interesting, right from monday when keir starmer gave a long speech, he talked about the nato summit, the european political community, what has been clear from rishi sunak, what has been clear from many, many conservative mps getting up and speaking is that they all seem to agree on anything. it appears to be a bit of a unity party. let's have a look at rishi sunak speaking at the despatch box in pmqs today. >> mr speaker, i'm glad that in our exchanges so far we have maintained a cross—party consensus on important matters of foreign policy. i am glad to

hear the prime minister raise the nato summit as well, because i very much welcome the message that came out loud and clear from that summit and indeed the prime minister's words from the despatch box on monday about ukraine's irreversible path to nato membership. i know firsthand how important it is that our prime minister can use his prerogative power to quickly respond militarily to protect british national security , british national security, sometimes without giving this house prior notice. now, these are perhaps the most difficult decisions that a prime minister can take, and i welcomed his support when i made them. and i want to take this opportunity to assure him of the opposition's support if he deems it necessary to take similar action in the future. >> and that's the tone everyone agrees on. pretty much everything. and, you know, there was a bob blackman who's a conservative member of parliament for harrow east. he was speaking yesterday and i was tempted to shout out, you're on the wrong side of the house, mate. you should be across with the labour party. i literally can't tell him apart. is there an opposition? i'd love to get

your thoughts on this farage @gbnews. now i raise this point. okay, the conservatives have taken a terrible beating. maybe there's an argument forjust there's an argument for just a little bit of humility from them, but i think it's important for democracy to work, especially when you have a labour government with a huge majority. i think an opposition voice that asks serious questions is actually an essential part of that process. i'm joined this evening by two friends of the programme, richard drax, former conservative member of parliament, and stella santino, former labour adviser and political commentator . and i political commentator. and i think i pronounced your name right. >> you pronounced it wonderfully like a true european. >> oh, god, here we go. well talking of that, talking of that , talking of that, talking of that, it appears we're fast tracking back into all sorts of agreements with the european union, i mean , starmer promised union, i mean, starmer promised we wouldn't actually rejoin the institutions of the european union, but it seems to me this is a very pro—eu government.

>> i would say it's quite the opposite. i, i read a statement by jonathan reynolds, the business secretary today, in which he said that as part of the growing growth mission board, that rachel reeves is leading, they're going to make it easier to scrap eu law so that we can go ahead with building more infrastructure and more housing. >> so i would say they are making a true the intention of bofis making a true the intention of boris johnson, which was to, you know, give this country some growth and get rid of any kind of regulation that is not serving us. well. >> a different point of view. we'll see. i hope you're right, by the way, because the conservatives got rid of virtually no eu rules at all. richard drax i say former conservative mp, you're one of 251 that didn't make it back. that's right. yes i mean, how do you look at the conservative party? i mean, are they going to provide any opposition or are they just so hopelessly split that they can't? >> well , the key word, nigel, is >> well, the key word, nigel, is opposition, isn't it? and today we didn't really see that. and i

quite understand. it's the first session, and the ex prime minister is probably feeling a bit sore . the party is feeling bit sore. the party is feeling a bit sore. the party is feeling a bit humbled, i'm sure. and so it was meant to be, you know, a bit consensual today. but when you and when we know that the labour party with this massive majority and all the things that are coming down the road that they haven't told us are coming, but we know are not least tax rises , we know are not least tax rises, pensions and a closer move to the eu , i would have thought the eu, i would have thought it's now the time to start digging into what their policies are, which the press in my view, failed to do over that six week election campaign . election campaign. >> yeah, there wasn't much there wasn't much scrutiny. and stella, the interesting thing is, i mean, obviously starmer is in a very, very good mood and the labour benches are all joyous, they've secured this huge victory and yet only 33.8% of the vote, a third of the vote and two thirds of the seat. and i raised this because the last labour conference voted for

electoral reform. do you think that's now off the agenda? >> well, proportional representation electoral reform has been there has been a referendum in this country which was rejected. so this has already been considered , but by already been considered, but by the electorate. what i would say about the percentage that keir starmer got is that people would have voted tactically because they are aware of the first past they are aware of the first past the post system. so a british voter knows when they're going to the ballot box, that if there is a competition between a lib dem and a conservative, even if i want a labour government government for me to get a labour government, i have to vote for the lib dem so that we get the tories out. i'm really sorry. >> yeah. i mean, but what an awful system that we're not really voting for who we believe in. we're voting tactically, we're voting cynically, we're voting for who we hate least, >> i mean, how many people do you know who are so involved in politics where they say, i mean, that would be a bit unhealthy, where they say, i love this politician. this politician is my hero. it's usually posthumously that we look at clement attlee and whoever else

and we think, oh, they were a really good reform politician. >> but to vote positively, i see, i think electoral reform would give us that. do you think this government is going to have any honeymoon at all? and i say that because the economic figures , the borrowing figures figures, the borrowing figures that we've seen for the last month are, are bad, to say the very least . i look at the very least. i look at the frontbench, there are some clearly some people there with experience, but a lot of them may well be out of their depth. blair in 97 had this amazing 6 or 9 month period where no one challenged anything. he said. this is going to be tough, isn't it? >> the situation in the country was definitely better for sure, and we see that from all of the statistics that have been presented this week. the official nationals, the national audit office, and, and several departments have released some very, very worrying statistics about the state of the infrastructure and our roads. the state of the nhs and the underinvestment that has been going on there, which they had to prime up 40% compared to 12 months ago. >> we've spent more and more money on the nhs. we've gone

from we've gone from just a few years ago, 7.5% of gdp on the nhs to over 11% on the nhs. it's not underfunding that's the problem. >> absolutely. i think what happened with the nhs is that you have an increasingly older population and rather than spend and you spend all of that money on the day to day costs, so you're not really spending on the infrastructure. so that's a big problem. the labour party recognises that wes streeting, the health secretary, has said we are going to spend money on on getting new machines , which on getting new machines, which we desperately need, but at the same time we're going to reform the nhs so that it is not a black hole of cash. >> stella, i really hope he does . >> stella, i really hope he does. it won't be easy, but i hope he does. >> i hope he does. i mean he less bureaucrats. that's the key. there's layer upon layer upon layer. and i've heard it dunng upon layer. and i've heard it during my 14 years as an mp from the local nhs. and they all say the local nhs. and they all say the huge levels of bureaucracy have increased diversity. people on 50 or £60,000 a year. i mean, why do you need something like that? a good manager should be able to cope with that sort of

issue. money back to clinicians in the front line and less than the bureaucrats. >> yeah, i'm sure that sentiment is shared by the public. let's see what i mean. wes streeting at least is prepared to think outside the box. that's good. so we wish him well, genuinely. richard, back to the main question. you know , is there an question. you know, is there an opposition? it doesn't feel like there is one at the moment. i guess a lot depends on who the next conservative leader is. it does. and how do you see that contest? >> i don't want to make predictions or comment about my former colleagues because they're friends, and that would be wrong of me to do so . be wrong of me to do so. personally, i would have thought a period of, of calm would be no bad thing. if i were back in the house, i would suggest that ian duncan smith, for example, whose integrity is unquestioned , not integrity is unquestioned, not saying that the others are, but he is a former leader, should be appointed as an interim leader for about a year or so. while these new other have a chance to sell themselves. and then be chosen. >> that argument was made, but as it is, they made a decision. >> november the 2nd, isn't it?

>> november the 2nd, isn't it? >> november the 2nd? yeah. and sunak will stay on till then. yeah. is this going to be i mean, is this going to be a battle between the eurosceptic right and the one nation? is it as simple as that? >> the conservative party has one single job to do, in my very humble opinion, and that's to be conservative and to go back to its core philosophy, which since i got in in 2010, i've seen the party drift away from starting with david cameron, and then he just went away. so to go back to our core philosophy, which is the simplest of all the political philosophies , hours political philosophies, hours get back to that and we will start to win again. if we start claiming don't go too far right or too far left, or let's try and find the centre. these places don't exist either. you have a philosophy and you believe in it or you don't. >> final thought on not so much opposition, but keir starmer . opposition, but keir starmer. seven people last night rebelled on the two child limit for child benefit. boom. they've had the whip removed. i mean , was that

necessary? >> well, as jacob rees—mogg was explaining at the state of the nafion explaining at the state of the nation last night, this is a constitutional vote. this is a constitutionally important vote, especially after an election. this is a vote not just on an amendment from the opposition, but a vote of confidence in the government on their manifesto. exactly, exactly on a manifesto, on something that was in the manifesto. so these seven mps, there were other mps, like diane abbott for example, who did not vote on this, on this amendment. even though you will not find a person in the labour party who is in favour of the two child benefit cap, you will not find an mp who is in favour of it. and yet. so these people were trying to make a statement and a completely accept that you get to do that. but then at the same time, you can see how the leader gets to do that early on to show to the rest of the mps, especially the new mps, to understand what it is going to be like. >> keir starmer a bit tougher than he looks. >> he's, i mean, we already knew that he's tough enough . that he's tough enough. >> well, i have to say, he did kick out some of the hard left. and i've over the last couple of

years on this programme, said you have to give him credit for getting rid of the corbyn and some of those people, we'll see. he's facing an almighty test and for the sake of the country , i for the sake of the country, i guess we do wish him well. but we do need a parliament that challenges a labour party with a huge majority. i think a fair bit will depend on who the next conservative leader is, but that's many, many months away. but i can assure you, our little gang of five will be making plenty of noise over the course of the next few days. so since i was last with you, biden has gone something i predicted in september 2023. i got that one right and it's a coronation. it's kamala harris versus trump. but can she really do any better than biden did? and i'm just not convinced. i think her performance i think her performance i think her performance as vice president has been pretty underwhelming. we'll get an american pundit on that in just a moment

after today's pmqs, i asked the question. is there an opposition? your response is coming in. steve says starmer and sunak have a bromance . and and sunak have a bromance. and it's designed to maintain the two party system. and it's sickening, a very, very straightforward response from bill, who says two words, two cheeks. i think we all know what you mean , bill. mary says, be you mean, bill. mary says, be fair , nigel. rishi said he fair, nigel. rishi said he wouldn't be political whilst there is a leadership contest. well mary, that's fine, but we're not going to have a conservative leader until the 2nd of november. and there are major things happening in our country and around the world. so i think to say i'm going to just not really play the game for the next few months. i don't i don't find that myself, particularly

acceptable. so it's going to be kamala harris. yes, she is going to be the candidate who takes on donald trump for the presidency of the united states. i'm joined live down the line from washington, dc by john christopher birx , white house christopher birx, white house correspondent at real political news. and he joins me right now, john christopher, i, i wonder, you know, is joe biden actually going to stay as president all the way through until the inauguration next january? or would it be fairer on the american people for kamala harris to take that position now so the voters can see her in action? >> well, we're seeing her in action now, nigel. first of all, i've had this date with you pending for a long time. and i'm so glad i was invited to be on with you. you're as charming as can be, and i'm happy to be with you. if i saw her. i'm going to

be honest with you. i've known joe biden for 30 years. i've known kamala harris forjust a few years, and i have to say, you know, we had lots of different feelings about her very capable. she was the attorney general in california. she was a great prosecutor. and i pity trump because he's the he's the felon and she's going to stick it to him . but the to stick it to him. but the thing that is really amazing is yesterday she made a speech from, from milwaukee, wisconsin, and i'm a speech coach. i'm a, i'm a i've trained people to make speeches, political , make speeches, political, non—political candidates, people you would know. and i can't tell you would know. and i can't tell you who they were. and i was just amazed by her excitement , just amazed by her excitement, her her ability to get to the topic and break it down. she knew who her audience was. she was connected. she was strong and powerful. and people complain about, well, she's too

smiley. she was a powerhouse . smiley. she was a powerhouse. and i have to tell you, i was wowed by her. and i think if you saw that, i think your mind would change. she's not any anything but a powerhouse. and remember , she was a vice remember, she was a vice president. she had to fulfil the goals and the legislation of the president. but now she's on her own and she is going to just be a killer. >> well, she was the vice president. you're quite right. and joe biden gave her specific responsibility for the border. millions have come since the last election . and she i mean, last election. and she i mean, and she wouldn't even visit the place. i mean, that doesn't suggest to me as strong a record as perhaps you're suggesting. >> well , you know, with all due >> well, you know, with all due respect, i think you may have been visiting mr trump a bit too much because you've got his talking points about the border and others know america's talking about it. >> it's not of donald trump. >> it's not of donald trump. >> she is not the border tsar, as they like to call her. she

was assigned to work on those issues and bring that legislation to congress. and it was the rule from from your your friend and my i've known for 60 years. i grew up a mile away from him in jamaica, queens, new york, and he . yes, he said to york, and he. yes, he said to his boys, his who i call his accolades or his disciples don't give joe biden a break on this border issue. i want to win. and that's what they did in line. they drank the kool—aid. and it's not her fault, but she went down and she did visit some countries and she, she she put the best foot forward on that. and they'll continue. and we have to we do have to get congress to make sure that we have real strong border regulations. you've got your own issues, i know, and it's tough everywhere. >> well, yeah, we've got our own issues. you know, tens of thousands of people coming illegally, maybe 50,000 this yean illegally, maybe 50,000 this year, something like that, that we know of. but in the case of america, we're talking about millions. so it is a very different quantum, isn't it.

>> well, the yes , but you know, >> well, the yes, but you know, we have a regulations and we have rules and we have we have to increase those and we have to get real strong legislation. but we need, as you said, we need to work together. and both sides of the aisle need to work together for the, the, the people who are the immigrants and for people who are being taken advantage of by those who come over. it's not an easy subject , by those who come over. it's not an easy subject, and we by those who come over. it's not an easy subject , and we have to an easy subject, and we have to really pull it together. maybe she'll show that kind of compassion and she'll show that kind of strength because, she's, she's she's going to be somebody to be reckoned with. and i tell you. okay. no, no. impressed >> no. very interesting. and final thought . who's going to final thought. who's going to win on november the 5th. >> oh, no. she she'll win , the >> oh, no. she she'll win, the fact there's so much energy now and you can see the polls and the youth are behind her. even nikki haley's voters are supporting her. she is showing real, real new as jfk said a, a

torch has been passed to a new generation of americans born in this century. well, they're not born in the century, but this is who america is. is dying for joe biden. i know a wonderful man, an honourable man. but they want an honourable man. but they want a new generation and they've got it with her. and my god, imagine a woman president. you know, you had a you had lady thatcher. >> we've had we've had three female prime ministers. no, john christopher boyer, thank you very much indeed for your thoughts on that . well, very thoughts on that. well, very interesting, very, very bullish there about kamala harris. interesting. back in 2016, i was the only political figure in the country saying i thought trump was the right man. suddenly we find all sorts of former prime ministers saying the same thing. what are your thoughts ? what are your thoughts? >> trump is an extraordinary man because he's unusual for a politician in the sense he actually does what he says he's going to do. and that's what shocks i think the left a lot. they say they well, they don't say what they're going to do and then what they do something. it

never works. he's unusual in that context, and i think i would be surprised if he loses against someone like kamala harris. i think trump will win. it'll be close, but he'll win. >> no, that's that's my view, too, stella, do you know much about kamala harris? do any of us know much about her? >> i know enough about kamala harris. i was an organiser on the first bernie sanders campaign in 2016. so i do have a fondness for americans and american politics. yeah, i find it quite sad when, british politicians who previously would not have even, you know, there would have been no suggestion of them, even speaking to donald trump, let alone admiring him, are now pretending like they are his best friends. not not you, by the way. i'm talking about other people. >> no, i've been very consistent. >> you've been very consistent. exactly. for others, i find that you are just trying to get some of his fame and popularity. they're just trying to like, what's the phrase, travel on his coattails? yes, yes. that one. and i find it sad, like it's

fine for you because you've always been his supporter. but for other people, i find it really pretentious. >> yes. well, boris johnson even turned up last week, despite some things about him. he was speaking to an empty room, which pretty much which pretty much sums up your point. thank you. in a moment, an extraordinary comment by alan milburn saying that the long term sick will have to be forced to go out and seek work. goodness me, i think he might have read my manifesto from the last election, but we'll debate. is it r , and do we think the

alan milburn, the former health secretary, says the long term sick must be required to look for jobs to deal with unsustainable welfare costs, and to reduce the country's toxic reliance on immigration. and he makes the point that anybody in this election who'd been out and knocked on a few doors will have found that immigration has

become a toxic issue. hooray somebody in the labour party that actually wants to talk about this, it seems very few of their current mps do. the question is stellar . their current mps do. the question is stellar. this is a difficult issue, isn't it ? we difficult issue, isn't it? we know, and the pandemic, of course, made it much , much worse course, made it much, much worse that just with a zoom consultation with a doctor, you could be put on long term sickness, if it was for depression or any form of what could be described as a mental health problem. no requirement to even look for a job, extra money, and we're finishing up now with a burden that is intolerable. but is any government. and it'll be liz kendall, of course. who would be the minister in this case? is any government brave enough to actually tackle this? >> it is quite hard to be on disability benefits for ill health or disability, but the reality is that we have 2.8 million people who are currently out of work because of ill health or disability. and the uk, as you said , the pandemic

uk, as you said, the pandemic sure had an effect, but the uk is the only country in the g7 where our employment rates have not gone up to what they were before the pandemic. so what liz kendall says is we are going to aim for 80% employment rate , and aim for 80% employment rate, and the way that we are going to do this is by rather than focusing on punishing people who are on benefits , we are going to focus benefits, we are going to focus on helping people to find work sustainable work, good quality work that pays well, and that includes people who are on long term, low paid work , people who term, low paid work, people who perhaps are in part time work and who want to get education or training so that they can have an actual career, because 1 in 8 young people are not in education, they are not in work, they're in no type of employment . they're in no type of employment. so what are we going to do about this? now, i've heard what she said. >> i've heard what the government have said. will they actually deliver on it? >> absolutely. i have, i have been, seeing liz kendall set out this narrative for a long time now. this is not new. so there

will be a skills build. they will be a skills build. they will create this new body called skills england . and what this skills england. and what this bodyis skills england. and what this body is going to do, it's going to match up the gaps that we have in our industry with the skills that we have, that we needin skills that we have, that we need in our current british workforce, so that we no longer rely on immigration. >> the theory is great. i'd love to see it happen, one thing i'm very struck by richard drax. i was out knocking on doors in the poorer parts of the constituency and meeting people who were saying, we want to work, but we can't because as soon as we work more than 60 hours a week, we lose. so people are this, this welfare system that the liberal government originally and labour after world war two brought in that was designed to be a safety net, actually becomes a glass ceiling, doesn't it? >> it does. the welfare system is not is not fit for purpose. it's unaffordable, quite apart from the elves. and it was designed to give people a set up. set up literally. yeah. and not for people to jump into it, which is what sadly many people

do the long term sick, which is the issue i think you're talking about. that's quite complicated. and stella and i were chatting before we came on your show because there are probably some genuine cases, mental health cases , which may be, for cases, which may be, for example, impossible to get back to work. but i would like to sing the praises of the weymouth jobcentre, which i visited before i lost my job. yeah, they really are. they're not the old jobcentre where you've got a client of theirs. >> well, probably i will be visiting you very soon. >> sorry, but , this is no longer >> sorry, but, this is no longer is a people smoking in a corner. and the dingy and the glass, the glass in front and the sort of smell of cigarette smoke. this was bright and breezy , and was bright and breezy, and everyone i spoke to said, richard, our aim. someone comes in here. our aim is, say you, we are going to get you into work, not give you benefits. and the whole system now is structured to help all those. so i felt very positive then, very positive. and i was very, very impressed. and we need more of that. >> i mean what is extraordinary is the 2.8 million figure that we're talking about. it's three and a half times higher than

what it was 40 years ago. and yet 40 years ago, there were more people working manually in dangerous industries , mining, dangerous industries, mining, etc, having accidents. you know , etc, having accidents. you know, we've been dishing out these chits too easily, haven't we? >> i'm afraid we have. yeah. and we're paying a hell of a price for it, too. >> we really are. well i hope this gets, you know, i mean, as i say, i've listened to liz kendall, i've listened to labour on all these things, and i just hope they will deliver on some of it. now de—banking the what? the farage moment last week , the the farage moment last week, the financial conduct authority put out a report and i covered it. in fact, i had liz truss on the programme from america where the fca was saying that people in politics who are peps, politically exposed persons, they and their families need to be treated better by the banks. there are about 90,000 people in this country who are categorised as peps. i was debanked last year by natwest coutts, not because i was a politically exposed person, but because i didn't think that net zero was

necessarily a very good policy. and i didn't quite sort of, you know, fit with the bank's political views, but what has been happening to politicians and to relations of politicians over the last few years has been appalling, folks, despite the fca report, it's still happening. one of my children and i won't say which one. all four are grown up. all four have got their own bank accounts and run their own lives. one of my four children was contacted last friday by a bank called wise and asked , are you the son of nigel asked, are you the son of nigel farage? the answer went back by email . yes the next question was email. yes the next question was to say you need to provide more evidence. could we see your last three months bank statements? to which the reply was, well , which the reply was, well, what's the point? you've got them. you are my bank and within two hours account closed. no

questions, account closed, gone . questions, account closed, gone. debanked. just because somebody is one of my children, i think the whole thing is an absolute disgrace. there we are. i did well, i didn't swear, but i'm pretty bloomin angry about it. there were so many promises that came from the last government in response to this story. this massive story of my de—banking last year. so many promises came from ministers, so many promises came from the financial conduct authority. i'm going to be pushing labour really hard on this. you know, it's rough enough and tough enough these days to put your head over the parapet to go into public life . parapet to go into public life. if people think that their children or their parents or their relations are going to get punished because of what they do themselves on the political scene, you will put off good people going in to politics. this needs to be sorted out . this needs to be sorted out. okay, in a moment. let's have a

look. the royal family are making lots of money out of offshore wind farms, but they claim much of that money will go to good environmental causes. but do the royal family give us good for value money? it's a debate as old as as old as the hills. but it's still worth having

royal family profits soared at 1.1 billion as cost of engagements over the last year increases by £300,000. so the royal family are costing all of us about £1.29 per person per year. us about £1.29 per person per year . that us about £1.29 per person per year. that will go up a us about £1.29 per person per year . that will go up a little year. that will go up a little bit next year. and the real reason is that the crown estate owns quite a lot of seabed around this country. and of

course, offshore wind farms are where they're making their profits and their money. now, this debate is as old as the hills, but it keeps coming back , hills, but it keeps coming back, do the royal family give us good value for money? well joining me is norman baker, former liberal democrat minister and author of what the royal family don't want you to know. and charlotte griffiths, editor at large of the mail on sunday. now, norman, we love the royal family. they're enormously popular. the rest of the world are jealous, particularly americans jealous to the back teeth that we have this family. >> it doesn't mean the gift of a blank cheque. and if you look at the cost of the british royal family compared to the european royal families, any other european royal family, it's enormously more expensive. and actually the figure you've quoted fails to take into account, for example, the tax exemptions which they uniquely have, and other royal families don't. the fact is, the figure let's give you a figure 7.9 million was the cost of the

civil list for the royal family in 2011, 7.9 million. we're now over 100 million a year. and that's a fantastic increase. and the reason is, is because george osborne, when he was chancellor, decided to change the arrangements under pressure from charles to move the civil list out of the way and to replace it with access to the crown estate. the crown estate is not actually, despite what it says, something which the royal family has been able to tap into. >> there was a controversy over this since 1760, because in 1760 it was handed over to the public in response. >> in return for the civil list. now, technically it belongs to the king, but no one's exercised that. and what's happened in 2011, of course, is by linking the royal income to a property company which produces excess of excess above inflation every yeah excess above inflation every year. that means the royal family's income has gone up substantially without even without wind farms. but are you suggesting, norman, are you suggesting, norman, are you suggesting that we have a bicycling monarchy? >> yes i am, you are right. so get rid of all the splendour. >> well, all the splendour, some of the splendour doesn't cost

very much, but there's a huge number of properties you have. there are a huge number of people supported from the duchy of lancaster, the duchy of cornwall. and if you look at the european monarchies, which is where they are in the 21st century, they are rather better than ours in terms of value for money, dull and boring and ghastly, with a blank check. >> charlotte. charlotte is he. >> charlotte. charlotte is he. >> he's a bit of a meanie, really, isn't he a meanie? >> have you ever heard of a european royal? can you name them? i mean, we can't really. you know, prince william, he's william, prince charles, they are the they are the face of this country. and, you know, charles has foregone £110 million windfall, you know, the cost of the sovereign grants been frozen at 83 million for three years. william is busily rehoming the homeless all over the duchy of cornwall. he's he's built 24 houses for the homeless, 24 houses and another 200 to come and they do huge personal donations. they're working whilst two of them are working whilst two of them are working whilst two of them are working whilst they've got cancer. working whilst they've got cancer . princess anne has been cancer. princess anne has been working through concussion. they working through concussion. they work non stop. charles's number of engagements this year has only dropped by 100, and the man's got cancer for crying out

loud. >> well, this is not an argument about whether the royal family exist or not. this is an argument about money. >> well, i wonder, norma, whether actually whether your book and your criticism, you're really a republican, aren't you? >> you want to get rid of them? really? >> i've said in my if you read my book, nigel, i hope you read my book, nigel, i hope you read my book. >> it's a very i'll be honest, it's a very good read. >> i recommend it thoroughly available zigi available from all good bookshops and some bad ones as well. and that demonstrates pretty clearly that the issue about value of money is the central issue there in the book. and it doesn't actually say at the end we need actually say at the end we need a republic. well, it says is what would you like to see a republic or not? i'd be. i don't mind a republic, but equally i don't mind. i don't mind a bicycling monarchy. i don't want i think we're really getting to know what i want is value for money, for the taxpayer. and if you look at my record in parliament, you'll find that i was a mp who, first of all, indicated the problems with mps expenses. i was the first one to do a freedom of information request. i do not like people taking money from the public purse, but it's not necessary to do so. whether it's mps, members of the house of lords or the royal family. >> but you know what does the royal family bring us? i mean,

estimates vary, but what does it bnng estimates vary, but what does it bring us in terms of tourism? >> well, the most popular huge numbers of people every day in the holidays, walking past buckingham palace, coming to london, walk past buckingham palace, if they were all failing, were there or not, if they were well under your model, they'd be living in a three bed semi, wouldn't they? no, they wouldn't actually. but the most, the most, the most visited royal palace in europe is the palace of versailles. and the french monarchy was abolished in 1848. >> okay, so turn it into a museum, i think buckingham palace. >> you don't need all i don't know about buckingham palace, but they don't need all these properties. you've got on buckingham palace. £370 million of public money has been spent on that. the original estimate was less than 50 million. it's gone up to 370 million. and you know what? we paid for all of them peanuts compared to hs2, isn't it? well we've paid for all of that. and charles is keeping the income from the ticket sales. >> one of the arguments that was often made, charlotte, about the royal family is that it was far too big. there were too many people involved, too many people on the old civil list. but ironically, we're now in a

situation , aren't we, where situation, aren't we, where there aren't enough royals to perform duties? no, exactly . perform duties? no, exactly. >> because prince charles, i mean, king charles is incredibly aware of all of this. and so he's stripped back the monarchy to its very bare bones . and now, to its very bare bones. and now, you know, he's facing criticism because it's too skeletal and there aren't enough royals on hand to do duties of if anyone's ill. but he's completely aware of the fact that, you know, he's come under criticism and his mother had too many people on the balcony, and he's worked really hard to strip the monarchy right back to its bare bones. >> but he can barely function now, surely. i mean, harry has disappeared , and as you say, had disappeared, and as you say, had that fall, but she's well into her 70s and probably can't go on at the same pace that she has been for the last few years. yeah, i mean , yes. and of yeah, i mean, yes. and of course, the prince and princess of wales. i know the duke of edinburgh, you know, has stepped up, but really it's a very small royal family now. >> it's a really small royal family. it is stripped to its bare bones. you're right. if somebody is ill or indeed three people are ill, as has happened recently, and one has left altogether, they're in real trouble. but it's because they listen to people like norman and they want you know, they really

are. they've heard years and years of criticism and they've stripped it right back. and actually, buckingham palace is on course to be under budget. i've never known a public building that's been on course. >> that's really not true. the original estimate was less than £15 million, and it's now going to cost £370 million. if you come at £358 million, that's not under budget. that's massively over what it was originally going to be. and it's not been true. it's been stripped back. okay. there are a few people on the balcony and there aren't enough people at the moment to perform the functions. i've always been charities and all those things which have been traditionally performed, but what's not been stripped back is the income from the public purse, from the taxpayer. that's been increased massively. >> well, it's true their money is going up, and the crown estates have reaped a big bonus, king charles has promised that quite a bit of that money will go to environmental causes. and i think we can we can believe him on that. but just giving you a sense of perspective, you know, we as a country are $2.7 trillion in debt. this is really peanuts, isn't it? >> it is in terms of the overall overall deficit, which liz truss and others generated for us in the last parliament. >> so it's been going on for

much longer than that. >> but but you know, that doesn't make it right. you know, people in top in top positions in society, whether it's the royal family or the politicians and the cabinet ltns set by example, you have to lead by example. and that's not leading by example. >> well, do you know what i think in terms of public service? they've led by example for a very, very long time, charlotte. >> and they bring people a lot of joy. i think that's what you're not accounting for. you know, there is there is. >> we love the royal family >> we love the royal family >> so they actually cost us £0.77 a year. it's gone up slightly. it's gone up slightly to 129. it's not a big cost for what is essentially a wonderful luxury, a point of pride for the nation. it brings a lot of people joy. you know, the amount of buckingham palace garden parties they throw for thousands of people. the amount of letters they write. these are letters that you know your granny keeps on the mantelpiece for her whole life. you know , huge sources of life. you know, huge sources of pride to meet the king, to meet catherine, i think. >> i think the queen, the late queen, was probably the most respected human being in the world. >> totally. and a huge, huge, huge badge of honour for she was the most famous woman in the

world and people's whole lives were made by that brief moment they met the queen. and i think that continues, and we can afford that little bit of luxury. >> oh, cheer up, norman. i'm very happy. thank you very much. i'm very happy. >> i just i'd be much happier if they got good value for money out of them, which we don't. >> fine. well, look, it's a very good, healthy and spirited debate. i'm joined in the studio by jacob rees—mogg. now, jacob, what on earth is going on with this reality tv show? tell us all. >> oh, well, at least i'm not going into the jungle. i'm not following the footsteps, well, i'm going to be doing something with discovery. plus, they are following me around. they're here in the studio at the moment and they're beginning to see what life with jacob rees—mogg is like. >> so they're going to be following you. but this is also inside the home as well, isn't it ? yes. it? yes. >> now they've come to see us at home and mary, my daughter, is absolutely loving it . my absolutely loving it. my grandmother, my father's mother was an actress. and i think this is an inherited by mary. >> who long are they going to follow you for, >> i'm not entirely sure when

they're going to end. it was because we were thinking there'd because we were thinking there'd be an election in november and that all came earlier. so i think they're trying to get it all done quite quickly. >> and are you not worried about the downsides of this? >> well, there's always risk in anything, isn't there? i talk to you about going into the jungle. yes. and i thought there were more downsides than upsides. you were right that it was very good for you, and i think hugely helpful in getting you to appeal to a new audience that hadn't seen you before. and i'm afraid in politics you have to put yourself out and about. >> yeah, well, you're certainly doing that . and the kids are all doing that. and the kids are all very excited about it. >> yeah , well, to differing >> yeah, well, to differing degrees, i mean, some of them like it more than others. >> goodness gracious me now , >> goodness gracious me now, jacob. i was there at pmqs today, and it appears that rishi sunak agrees with absolutely everything keir starmer says. there's no opposition at all. >> i'm afraid the problem is that the budget we had from jeremy hunt could have been given by rachel reeves and the king's speech mostly could have been written by rishi sunak . and been written by rishi sunak. and what worries me is that voters

voted for change and they're not getting it . and you see in getting it. and you see in america that whoever they vote for, the democrats think they can run a popular i know , i know can run a popular i know, i know isn't mentally fit. i mean, it isn't mentally fit. i mean, it is disgraceful how those elected have allowed themselves to get completely out of touch with the people who vote for them in this country in the united states, i'm afraid i agree. i mean, in europe there's this sort of conspiracy theory of the uniparty. >> well, i'll tell you what. what i've seen so far in this parliament that isn't too far away. in a moment, jacob rees—mogg will be giving you the state of the nation. first, though, let's get the all important weather. >> it looks like things are heating up. boxt boilers sponsors of weather on gb news . sponsors of weather on gb news. >> hello again and welcome along to the latest forecast from the met office for gb news. gloomy skies overnight and into the start of thursday. for many of us, outbreaks of rain. but it

will turn brighter later on now. we started wednesday with a ridge of high pressure, didn't last long. weather fronts are now moving in from the west and they are thickening up the cloud in many parts of the uk and bringing extensive low cloud to western parts and southern parts of the country with hill fog, coastal mist and areas of rain and drizzle. nevertheless with the largely cloudy skies overnight, it is going to remain mild in some places, rather muggy, 15 or 16 celsius first thing, but if you're in the south and southwest, expect a gloomy start to thursday. a lot of low cloud covering the hills, bringing some mist and fog to coastal parts as well, and some more persistent and heavier bursts of rain into south cornwall and south devon through the morning . wales cloudy and the morning. wales cloudy and damp, the worst of the drizzle and low cloud over the hills. likewise for northwest england, but for scotland and northern ireland something a little brighter. first thing, certainly for eastern scotland. some sunny spells coming through largely dry here, showers pushing into

western scotland and through the morning we're going to see things cheer up across the northern two thirds of the uk. the cloud will lift. there will be some cloud breaks, although there will still be some showers arriving across western scotland, northern ireland into northern england mostly dry for wales by the afternoon , as well wales by the afternoon, as well as the midlands, but for the south and southeast outbreaks of rain heavy at times and as a result significantly cooler compared with wednesday. that rains out of the way by friday morning and then for most, it's a much brighter start to the day. sunny spells but further showers are likely in places especially, although not exclusively , across scotland, exclusively, across scotland, northern ireland, west wales and western england. saturday more widespread and heavier downpours for a time interspersed by sunny spells. sunshine on sunday a brighter outlook with boxt solar, sponsors of weather on gb. >> news

>> hello. good evening . it's me, >> hello. good evening. it's me, jacob rees—mogg on state of the nation. tonight anjem choudary has been found guilty of directing the islamist group al—muhajiroun. but is it time to reform our contempt of court laws? the good of freedom of speech? the labour party is, on one hand scrapping tory welfare reforms , while on the other reforms, while on the other claiming the long term sick need to get back to work. so which is it? the crown estate has published its accounts for the last year and the usual suspects have already begun bemoaning the figures. plus, a phenomenal story comes to gb news. i will be joined by a man who went from being a north korean defector to a local british election candidate. timothy cho will be joining me shortly . state of the joining me shortly. state of the nafion joining me shortly. state of the nation starts now .