gb news. >> morning 930 on thursday the 15th of august. live across the uk. this is britain's newsroom with andrew pierce and bev turner. >> so thousands of students are opening their a—level , t, opening their a—level, t, a—level and btec results this morning in england, wales and northern ireland as top grades are expected to be announced . are expected to be announced. >> across the country. tens of thousands of young people and older learners are learning their a level results . and here their a level results. and here in litchfield it's celebrations and commiserations.

>> 82% of students achieving a place at university. of those who applied, i've been in a clearing centre this morning as people call in getting places . people call in getting places. >> and finally an end to the rail strikes. well, maybe train drivers have been offered a 15% pay drivers have been offered a 15% pay rise over three years, and the industrial action may now come to an end as the government given in to the unions and swifties are uniting in london. >> taylor swift's tour resumes at wembley today. it's her first show since the failed terror plot in vienna. they'll be beefed up security measures in place and sussexes on tour. >> harry and meghan are expected to arrive in columbia today. we'll tell you everything about their schedule . their schedule. >> so those a—level results are

arriving in my day. the letter dropped on the doormat. i don't think it's quite like that now, but we've got lots of people at clearing centres, so if you've got questions about your a—level results, you're a parent or a student. do send them in to us because we can put them to our correspondents who are at the clearing centres . you visit clearing centres. you visit gbnews.com forward slash yoursay. >> that's right. and a whole lot more this morning. don't go anywhere. we're here with you until midday. here's though the news with cameron . news with cameron. >> it's 932. i'm cameron walker here in the gb newsroom. students across england, wales and northern ireland are receiving their a—level as level and other results. today, the total number of students accepted on to uk degree courses has risen by 3% this year. on the same point last year, with over 425,000 taking up places so far, according to ucas . but a far, according to ucas. but a one off uplifts to exam marks

has not been granted to all pupils who had their education disrupted by the collapse risk. concrete crisis despite calls from schools and families affected , the economy is affected, the economy is continuing its recovery from last year's recession, with growth extending over the latest quarter. the for office national statistics says gross domestic product increased by 0.6% between april and june. former conservative chancellor jeremy hunt says today's figures are further proof. labour has inherited a growing and resilient economy. but labour's chancellor rachel reeves, says she has inherited more than a decade of low economic growth from the tories . train drivers from the tories. train drivers are to vote on a new offer aimed at ending their long running pay disputes, which has resulted in days of strike action. the aslef union said the offer was made in talks at the department for transport, which started after labour won the general election following months of stalemates under the conservatives. the drivers are being recommended to accept the offer, which could

bnng accept the offer, which could bring an end to industrial action and overtime bans. manchester police has confirmed. they have submitted a file to the crown prosecution service for advice, after three officers were injured in an incident at manchester airport last month. four men remain on police bail after a series of alleged assaults. separately, two greater manchester police officers remain under criminal investigation for assault following the incident on the 23rd of july. now drivers are being urged to avoid scanning qr codes to pay for parking following a number of scams. the rac is advising drivers to make payments only with cash, cards or official apps. recently fraudsters have been placing stickers featuring qr codes on parking signs in locations across the country , taking across the country, taking victims to fake websites to input their card details. criminals then spend money from their accounts and global superstar taylor swift is closing the european leg of her eras tour with five nights at

london's wembley stadium. it's the first time she's returned to the first time she's returned to the uk since paying tribute to the uk since paying tribute to the victims of the southport attack last month, which saw three young girls die after a mass stabbing dance class , with mass stabbing dance class, with her music as the theme. earlier this month, taylor swift was forced to cancel three shows in vienna after a suspected islamist terror plot . well, islamist terror plot. well, those are your latest gb news headunes those are your latest gb news headlines for now , i'm karen headlines for now, i'm karen walker. more in half an hour 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 . forward slash alerts. >> welcome to britain's newsroom live across the uk on gb news with me, bev turner and andrew pierce. we're just talking about our a—level results. thousands of teenagers are getting their results today. >> yeah england, wales and echo, was gloucestershire echo, which was my first newspaper job

gloucestershire echo, which was my first newspaperjob in my first newspaper job in cheltenham. and so and i'd called some mates the day before called some mates the day before call box in those days, of course, no mobile phones and i was in a bedsit, so no phone there, and was horrified to hear that some had got their results already and they were terrible. oh really? bright kids had failed, so i thought, it's terrible. so i rang my mum and said, don't get your hopes up. so she called me. she went into work late, so she waited. when the letter dropped on the doormat. and i can still remember the words. she said i've got your a—level passes and what did you get? i got three c's in english, history and economics. >> three c's. so i did english and economics . and economics. >> only one a in the whole school. >> really. only one c they didn't used to just give it. >> it used to be quite hard to get a's. now it feels like really hard. i got two a's and a b very good and a c in general studies. in economics and engush studies. in economics and english and my, my b was my b was ,, , my i got in celebrate my freedom, i got in my yellow austin allegro and drove to southport beach and had

fish and chips on the beach with my boyfriend. >> and you know, the day my dad probably put the rivets in, welded the floor of that car because he worked on the austin allegro at british leyland in swindon. he was a spot welder, loved my yellow austin allegro. many people did. they were. that was a car which was much lampooned, much derided. >> i know exactly. we want to hear from you this morning. if you have a young person or maybe you have a young person or maybe you are, as will just said before, there are some adult learners who are getting a—level results this morning . let us results this morning. let us know your results. how difficult is it? how important are a—levels now? do you need them to open the next door on your career journey? to open the next door on your careerjourney? i'm not sure you do so much, but if you haven't got the grades you expected, is there a question you want us to put? >> because we've got people at some of the clearing centres, particularly in cheltenham. we're also, of course, going to be speaking to the higher education minister, baroness smith , jacqui smith, later in smith, jacqui smith, later in the program. >> yeah. so will hollis is at lichfield cathedral school. good morning. will will you i don't know whether you did a—levels will, but if you did it was only

about five minutes ago. let's be honest. what are your recollections of exam results? day and how's it going there in lichfield ? lichfield? >> and entirely it was only a few minutes ago, i think i pretty much walked from getting my a—level results and then jumped in front of the television. it is a stressful time, isn't it? it's an exciting time, isn't it? it's an exciting time, this celebration. and there's commiserations. time, this celebration. and there's commiserations . and it there's commiserations. and it seems that there's a lot of celebration here at lichfield cathedral school. we're only a stone's throw away from the cathedral, and we're in the fantastic courtyard right now with harry and eva and harry. how have you done this morning? as you get your a—level results? i've done what i expected. >> i would do. i've done nothing more , but i've done nothing more, but i've done nothing less. >> i've got exactly what i needed to get into my university. >> really positive today. what's this experience been like and did you have any sleep last night? >> i did sleep last night. ironically, i think i was one of the only people that did actually sleep last night, but i found this whole experience to be amazing in every way. i've

met some amazing people through my course and also through the teachers of this school. i can't thank them enough, especially my music tech teacher. he's just been absolutely sensational and he's driven me to do exactly what it is i want to do in the future. >> you said you got what you need. you needed. what is it you needed to be able to go on and do? so? >> i needed a bbc to get through to the university that i want to go to, and i got abc. >> fantastic. and then what is the university, if you don't mind saying ? the university, if you don't mind saying? and the university, if you don't mind saying ? and where are you mind saying? and where are you going? what are you going to be doing? >> so the university i'm going to is birmingham city, and i'm hoping to go do sound engineering. and with my results today i will be. thank goodness. >> well, we hope that this sounds great. if not, then you can give me a few pointers. but yeah, just describe for me a little bit about your story because you're originally from ukraine and you've come to here study. >> yeah, definitely. it's been quite an interesting journey. i'm going to be honest with you. it's been really difficult to get used to a completely different system of education, completely different mentality of people. it's been quite hard, but to be honest, i was so

dnven but to be honest, i was so driven by the thought of the fact that i am going to achieve my dream in a way. so despite the fact that it's been quite difficult. but i'm forever grateful for everyone i've met here and all the support the school has provided to me, because i don't actually think i'd be able to fully do it myself without their support. >> and. and how have you done this morning? what are your grades like and what do you hope to do next? >> i'm really happy with my grades. i've got what i needed for university. i haven't gone to my firm choice, i haven't. i've got an insurance choice, but it's nottingham trent university and i'm extremely happy. university and i'm extremely happy- i university and i'm extremely happy. i was really nervous. i didn't get any sleep like harry didn't get any sleep like harry did . i was extremely nervous, did. i was extremely nervous, but i did not see myself going into clearing. since i was really confident with how i did, i did get a bit of a lower grades than i expected. however, they're really good for me to be able to go and carry on achieving my dream. >> so yeah, and it was a tough time , particularly because you'd time, particularly because you'd come from another school. what was it like doing a—levels and this period? was it a bit of happiness, a bit of enjoyment, a bit of stress? >> you see, because it's completely different system of education. i was so overwhelmed for like half a year in year 12,

and i did not see where i'm going, what am i doing? but then i kind of decided that i know what i want to do. i need to just go for it. and it's been really stressful since i had moments when i felt like i'm giving up, but i had a dream and i was just going for it, and now i'm looking back at it and i'm thinking it was an amazing time. since i had my amazing friends supporting me throughout and always been so nice to me that i kind of think they made this experience better for me. >> yeah, and harry, thank you so much for sharing your time when you reasonably should be hugging your friends and maybe heading off to the. >> it's amazing. honestly, you did amazing. >> it's a day quite like any other. i feel like i'm back doing my a—levels again, but that was a little bit of time ago now. bev and andrew not that long ago. >> will hollis, you didn't tell us exactly how many years ago you did your a—levels. oh, and by the way, that guy there, he said he wants to be a sound engineer. we're always looking for them. we'll give him a job when he's finished his degree, yeah. pass that on. right. jack carson is at coventry university this morning. carson is at coventry university this morning . jack, what's going this morning. jack, what's going on there ? on there? >> well, just hopped out of the

clearing room where those phone lines are ringing off the hook because, of course , clearing. because, of course, clearing. for those that don't know if you have applied for university, you've maybe not got the results that you wanted. you can call a clearing hotline at any university that is offering them across the country. talk to them about what grades you've got, what places might be on offer, a lot of the time as well. it's not it's not the negative that people think it is a lot of the time people maybe think, oh, i've got better results than what i wanted. so a choice, a university that i didn't think might be an option for me suddenly becomes an option. you can call that university, talk to academics, talk to the hotline about your results, about what might be an option for you. and there are a lot of people that might well be in that boat this morning. 82% of students getting into their first choice, more than 400,000 getting a place at university. this year. they are both up , getting a place at university. this year. they are both up, up on last year as well. and interestingly, a record number of pupils that are classed from being from disadvantaged

backgrounds also getting a university spot . that's university spot. that's a record. the last record was in 2021, where 26, around 26,500 students got from disadvantaged backgrounds got a place it's now this year 27,600, according to ucas. so that's much more positive news. but for those people right now that have opened their results, not knowing to what do, we've got some tips, we've got some help, we've got some advice for you. we spoke to ian dunn, professor stephen dunn, who's the provost here at coventry university. here's what he told us. >> undoubtedly people are nervous because , you know, the nervous because, you know, the pressure that's that's applied is so great. first of all, my advice would be to stay calm and to take a moment, perhaps have a cup of tea and have a chat with your friends and family. and there will be places , and there there will be places, and there are places available and they won't all disappear in the first hour or so of clearing. so you don't have to be completely sort of right now , do some research, of right now, do some research, get online, look at the university web pages .

university web pages. >> yeah. so there's some advice there from from ian dunn who has there from from ian dunn who has the advice there from from ian dunn who's the who's the provost here at coventry university. the important message to remember is that your life does not end at 18 opening these results. it starts and there are plenty of opfions starts and there are plenty of options for students looking for them today. >> all right. that's jack carson in coventry. don't forget if you have got questions, if you are a student, you haven't got quite the results. you wanted. you're a parent, do send them in because we've got those people at those clearing centres. we can get those questions. >> yeah, let us know. a—levels and also of course t levels and btecs of course results today. so good luck to everybody. now up next our labour shrewd negotiators or are they giving in to the unions. as predicted it looks like they may have finally reached a pay deal with striking train drivers, but at what cost? with britain's newsroom on

gb news. 947 this is britain's newsroom on gb news. political commentator matt stadlen is with us and we were just talking about off air, about being at the edinburgh festival . and of the edinburgh festival. and of course you were there as well, weren't you? yeah. and you were interviewing a whole host of politicians, including liz truss and obviously we've had this week the liz truss, another lettuce descending from the sky when she's talking in a theatre. and she just said this, this isn't funny. i think we've got the footage. but she said, this isn't funny. and she walks off. how did you find her? >> well, first of all, i think security told me afterwards they'd had to confiscate a lettuce from people going in. well, in edinburgh. in edinburgh? no, i hope not. >> what were they going to throw it? >> well, i hope, i think i certainly hope not. i found it an electric experience because there were about 350 people in there were about 350 people in

the room, and whatever you think of liz truss, she gets a good crowd. >> she's a good crowd. >> she's a good crowd. >> whatever you think of liz truss, and i'm not a fan of her politics. i'm not a fan of what she did as prime minister. she is a former british prime minister, even though she was only there for 49 days. and therefore i personally think she is still worth listening to. and also, you know, worthy of respect . we're all worthy of respect. we're all worthy of respect. we're all worthy of respect and politeness. so i had to steer this sort of odd line between being polite to her, but also pointing out at times that also pointing out at times that a lot of people felt she was living in a parallel universe, and it made for an extraordinary atmosphere, because most people, i think in the room were hostile to her, not aggressive, but hostile to her. yeah, and the laughter came from the things that i said to hold her to account. and i've done about 400 live events, and i have never beenin live events, and i have never been in a room where the audience is laughing at my guest. >> that's such a good point , >> that's such a good point, because if you were listening on the radio, then we've just shown the radio, then we've just shown the footage that wasn't the event you were at, matt. that

was the one this weekend in norfolk. thank you. and the screen comes down on on the stage and it says , i crashed the stage and it says, i crashed the economy. and it's a lettuce with liz truss eyes on it. and i don't want to be one. you know i'm no perfect. i think we need to be able to laugh at things. but there's something about the way that she is targeted that makes me really uncomfortable. and i sort of want to reach for the chauvinism word. i can't imagine a male politician that would be treated with such derision and, like you say, laughed at. >> and we should remember it was because the lettuce was. it was the daily star early on in her premiership. correct? said what's going to last longer, this battered old lettuce or her premiership? i think there probably the lettuce lasted longer. i think the jokes haunting her, i think there probably is sexism and i would obviously condemn that. >> and i also think that she is being targeted in a way that would probably be unacceptable if she was still prime minister, but is certainly unacceptable in my view , given that she is now my view, given that she is now a private citizen, no longer an mp. now she's not even an mp

because she was booted out by her constituents. so i actually didn't think it was funny. her constituents. so i actually didn't think it was funny . this didn't think it was funny. this 939, didn't think it was funny. this gag, and it was done by led by donkeys , who i think did donkeys, who i think did a pretty good job of holding the conservative government to account when they were in power. but liz truss is no longer in power. the tories are no longer in power. so perhaps an organisation, an outfit like led by donkeys, they're sort of wondering what to do. >> well, they say it's because she's supporting trump. >> they do. but also, do you think she she walked off the stage and she said that was a missed opportunity. i think she should have stuck it out. >> missed opportunity. the only possible explanation for that in her defence would be a security issue. well, that's what she said. because don't forget, when i'm interviewing her because she's a former prime minister, there are about five special branch in the room constantly , branch in the room constantly, and rightly so. i mean, a lot of people whose mortgages have gone up and there's a big debate as to what extent she affected people's mortgages, but they're very angry because she's getting an enormous amount of taxpayers money for the rest of her life, not least in her defence. >> but she should have stuck it out on that stage. and i think

it was a missed opportunity because she could have joked about it, made light of it, engaged with it and think of trump. she said it, but she said, this isn't funny. >> i've got no, she must be so tired of it. imagine going imagine having liz truss round for dinner. you don't get any lettuce. you just don't mention the letters. >> i've got no time for donald trump. but he would have handled that very differently. he would have negotiated with. he'd have taken it head on. yes, he would. and she she didn't seem to be able to do it. >> she looks exhausted by it. >> she looks exhausted by it. >> not quick. she's got to think quicker on her feet. look, we've got you here actually, matt as well, to talk about the rail, the railway workers, as if they've got a 15% pay rise over three years. part of it's backdated. the junior doctors, 22% rise over two years caving in to the unions. aren't they already? well i know that's what you would say. >> and as you might imagine, i've come expecting that line of defence from you. andrew. i'll just say a couple of things. if you talk to the millions of people who use our trains every day, who need our trains to get to work or to go to funerals or weddings or whatever it is they do, they'll be delighted at this

outcome. will they? there will be some who are concerned. how about how it's going to be paid for? >> the next point, of course, is higher fares. >> and my and my answer to that is just think of the damage to our economy over the last two years by the strikes under the conservative government. what this labour government seems to be doing is to be determined to treat people in the public sector as well. of course , as sector as well. of course, as the private sector. with respect, with a degree. let's let's use the word of humanity and actually get things moving forward. and of course, the government isn't going to get everything it wants because that's not how negotiations work. but i suspect in the long run, doing a deal with these guysis run, doing a deal with these guys is going to make our economy stronger, not weaker. >> their basic pay will go up to about £70,000 in three years. bus drivers a lot of money. yeah. bus drivers get about 25,000. are they going to go on strike next? well, we'll have to wait and see. job. an important job, isn't it? we hope not. but the alternative. >> the alternative is if labour hadnt >> the alternative is if labour hadn't come to a deal, is that people using trains up and down the country. and i think there are about 1.3 billion train journeys last year in this

country. they would continue to suffer. and as a consequence the economy suffers. >> interestingly, though, the economy is doing really well. andrew and i were commenting this morning and we constantly seem to be baffled. you and i, don't we, andrew, about calling the election so early when it feels like there is a lot of good news for the economy, even though even in a state of what jack carson was saying then about the record number of kids from disadvantaged backgrounds, the tories could have claimed credit for that. >> they absolutely could claim credit for it. they are starting to claim credit for it as well. nobody's listening. former ministers quote tweeting or quote posting. the chancellor rachel reeves saying you've inherited a very strong economy equivalent of yeah, got to let you go, matthew. >> coming up, we're going to be talking to the education minister, baroness jacqui smith. this is britain's newsroom on gb news. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on gb news this morning.

>> welcome to your latest weather update from the met office here on gb news something of a north south split today. lots of cloud across the north. outbreaks of rain this morning where as much of the south staying dry until tonight. in fact a much brighter day on the south coast compared to yesterday. but it's dull and damp for much of scotland and northern ireland this morning. that rain is trickling into north—west england and north wales, and we'll continue to spread southwards towards the midlands by the end of the afternoon. at the same time it does start to clear from the far north—west. yes, we'll see increasing cloud further south, but we should see some decent spells of sunshine. 2526 degrees in this rainy zone, though, it's also going to be quite windy, particularly for north wales, nonh particularly for north wales, north west england, southwest scotland. by the time we get to this evening's rush hour, the rain should be pulling away from most of scotland. some sunny spells over the highlands, but still 1 or 2 showers could still be quite grey on the east coast at this stage, and potentially through the central belt, although the rain will be heading away by 5 or 6:00. should be clearing from northern

ireland by then as well. so for many here, a fine evening. it's still quite blustery over wales and northwest england, with outbreaks of rain spreading down towards the southwest, whereas east anglia in the southwest southeast rather should stay dry well into the evening. it's not really until later on we start to see that rain spreading across east anglia and then the southeast of england. 1 or 2 heavy bursts as it clears through. for many, it will turn clearer and cooler with temperatures down to single figures in rural parts of scotland and northern ireland still quite warm and humid across east anglia and the southeast. any early rain should scoot away tomorrow morning, but there is the potential. the warmth and humidity may linger across the southeast, which could give some afternoon showers, so looking at some showers, so looking at some showers across the northwest of scotland for many , tomorrow's scotland for many, tomorrow's a decent looking day. dry and bright, a fresher feel as well and temperatures close to the average for the time of year. generally high teens across the north, low to mid 20s. further south. >> that warm feeling inside from

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>> well . >> well. >> well. >> good morning to you. it's a level results day t levels as well of course and btecs. thousands of teenagers receiving their grades across england, wales and northern ireland. >> well joining us now is baroness jacqui smith. she's the minister of for state skills, apprenticeships and higher education. good morning to you baroness smith. the results the grades are up pretty good. >> it's a really really good news for lots and lots of students today andrew. and massive congratulations to them. we're seeing more offers being made at universities. so more students being able to get their first choice. so well done to them. it's been a difficult few years that they've been studying in and well done to their teachers who've helped to get them this far.

>> now, when they get to university , jacqui, are they university, jacqui, are they going to be able to engage in free speech and have debates which might be controversial because there are a lot of parents whose kids are going off to university who are concerned that universities have just become a place for a kind of ideological brainwashing, and that anything that deviates from a very small overton window of what's acceptable to talk about is ruled out. can you guarantee people that our universities will still be free speech bastions? >> look, universities are the places where we learn to think critically, where we argue, where we hear things that we disagree with. it's absolutely fundamental that universities continue to do that. it's something that we feel really strongly about is something that i benefited from at university, and i'm absolutely certain that future students will benefit from it. and the staff that are teaching them as well. >> but your boss, bridget phillipson, the secretary of state, baroness smith, has dropped the free speech act, which was about to be implemented. she says she wants to protect students from harms

and potentially hate speeches . and potentially hate speeches. are we getting into dark waters here? >> no, i don't think we. we are. andrew, look, there is already in law a protection, a responsibility on universities to protect free speech. the problem with the legislation that was being proposed was, yeah, of course, you know , it yeah, of course, you know, it came from a place of that i agree with of wanting to defend that freedom of speech for students, for visitors, to universities, for academics . but universities, for academics. but what people told us both universities and student unions and others was , look, it's not and others was, look, it's not going to work as it was intended. if you're not careful, you're going to get swamped with complaints about free speech, when actually there are lots of other things that students and universities need to worry about as well. so you know, just to be clear, as i was at the beginning. free speech in universities is fundamental. you don't go to university only to hear things you agree with, or that you feel comfortable with. you go there to be challenged and that has to remain in place.

but we need to make sure that that's if you like , organised that's if you like, organised and delivered in a way that doesn't have unintended consequences, which was the potential problem with this legislation. so what we've done is we've said it was due to come in on the 1st of august. we've stopped that in order that we can think about whether or not this legislation or another way is the best way of safeguarding free speech. >> great news that so many children are youngsters are going to go to university. jacqui although last year the number fell for the first time in five years, i suspect that's because of the amount of debt students may leave. but also we've seen and an increase in number of young people between 16 to 24, we call them neets, not in education, employment or training. now estimated at 900,000. what can you do about that ? that? >> yeah, there are too many young people, you know, just as we're celebrating people that are going to university today, there are two to have those

opportunities at the age of 16 or 18. so the first thing to say is university isn't the only opfion is university isn't the only option open to you. it may be that you think , actually, i want that you think, actually, i want to learn and work at the same time. so perhaps an apprenticeship is a better opfion apprenticeship is a better option for you. and last august there were 33,000 apprenticeship opfions there were 33,000 apprenticeship options available on our one stop shop for apprenticeships. so perhaps take a look at that. but for students who've fallen behind and who now really don't have anything in terms of employment or education, what we need to do much more than has been done previously for them. that's why we're thinking about how we deliver our youth guarantee so that all young people have the opportunity of studying, or of work, or of an appropriate type, of course, that they could be doing or apprenticeship. >> what is that? what does that look like? the youth guarantee in practicality. i have three teens in my house. like if one of them was at a bit of a loose

end, where do they go? >> so we're still working up all of the details. but for example, if, if that, if your son or daughter was somebody who wanted to go to university, then obviously there's a lot of advice from their schools and from ucas about how to do that if they wanted to look at an apprenticeship. we've got the government's one stop apprenticeship , shop website apprenticeship, shop website that they can go to look for that. it may be that they need better careers advice. that's something else that we're committed to improving during the course of this , this the course of this, this government. so there are already a whole range of options, but we need to do better to make sure that whatever route you decide you want to take in life as a young person , you've got both young person, you've got both the information about what those opfions the information about what those options are and you've got high quality options out there to help you as well. >> is it right? baroness smith, that so many of these youngsters, when they leave university, they're saddled with pretty eye—watering levels of debt? the average, i'm told last year was 45, £46,000. it could take them years to pay that off. some

people never will pay it off. and i suspect. is that not a reason why? perhaps last year the number of applications for university actually fell. >> well, first of all, it's a good thing that there are more applications this year. andrew. you know, i think there are unfairnesses in the in the student finance system at the moment. it isn't really doing what it should be doing for students, and it isn't doing what it needs to do for universities in terms of stability of funding either. so that's why we're looking at how we can reform that. you know, only a relatively short period of time into the to the government. but it's something we have committed to do. and we will come forward with proposals on that. but i will say about going to university, on average people, if you go to university and you get a degree, that's probably worth on average about £100,000 during the course of your life. so it is a very, very good option. and we've got universities that are the best in the world, you know, four of the top ten universities in the

world are in the uk, ten of the 15 of the top 100 are in the uk. this is an enormous asset for us as a country and rather than as the last government tended to do, using universities as a bit of a political football , let's of a political football, let's improve them, of course. let's make sure that they're financially sustainable. but let's encourage our students to realise what an enormous opportunity there can be. if you go to university, what what would you how would you describe baroness smith? >> the relationship between this government and the trade unions? because obviously we're seeing now there might be a reconciliation for the train drivers . we've had the doctors drivers. we've had the doctors as well. does it mean they've basically got the labour party over a barrel and what they asked for, they will just get paid. >> no it doesn't. how would i describe the relationship? i'd say whether or not it's business or trade unions. we are interested in a partnership. we're not interested in scoring political points. whilst our teachers for example, were thinking about striking. so we

were able to fund the school teachers review body recommendation for a pay increase. we've managed to end the strikes that were happening in the nhs, and we're making it even more difficult for the nhs to improve and for people to get their appointments. and we've come to an agreement with the trade unions that means that people won't be stranded at home and the economy won't be suffering with train strikes continuing. so this is a partnership to make sure that we're able to get to work. we're able to get the public services that we need . that we need. >> oh, i think we've lost her. >> oh, i think we've lost her. >> i think we've lost her out at the end. that was baroness smith, the minister of state for skills, apprenticeships and higher education. of course , she higher education. of course, she was the first woman home secretary in this country under gordon brown. >> and of course, just to just to be clear, she wasn't voted in as an mp. she was parachuted into the lords by keir starmer into the lords by keir starmer in his first reshuffle. i don't know about that . well, it's what know about that. well, it's what they do, like experienced women in government, don't get me wrong. but you know, i don't know. >> and she has been around the

block so she knows a few things now, still living in that one bit of an insult you've been around. you know, i've known her around. you know, i've known her a long time. jack and i go back a long time. jack and i go back a long time. jack and i go back a long way. now. the government is giving £13.5 million to tata steel to support supply chain businesses and workers affected by the government's decision . by the government's decision. the company's decision to transition to greener steelmaking. >> so let's cross live to port talbot and speak to our political correspondent , olivia political correspondent, olivia utley olivia. you could hear the groan in andrew pearce's voice then about this being greener steelmaking. what does that mean for tata jobs? >> well, that's a very good question. so last september, tata steel closed its two furnace plants to replace them with an electric plant, which put over 2000 jobs at risk in this town. >> the whole town is dominated by the steelworks industry here. now, the conservative government, the previous conservative government, set aside £5 million for the transition, but £1,000,100 million of which was there to support workers and other

people, businesses who were affected by this closure. but that was last september, and since then none of that money has really been spent. that comes to an end today, where joe stevens , the new labour welsh stevens, the new labour welsh secretary, is pledging to spend , secretary, is pledging to spend, is now spending 3.5 £13.5 million of that money to help out people who are going to be affected by the closures. but there are still negotiations taking place. labour is hopeful that it will be possible not to have quite as many redundancies as tata steel were originally talking about. now i'm here with alan davies, who is from the community union, which represents most steelworkers in the uk. alan, are you happy with the uk. alan, are you happy with the deal that the government is reaching? >> i think at the moment this is the biggest step forward we've seen from the transition board since it started. the unions were considering considering it to be a talking shop. nothing was happening. so joe stevens , was happening. so joe stevens, announcing that £13.5 billion is

the first tranche of money coming out, is significant today. >> do you think that tata steel should be making as many redundancies as it is making? do they have any choice really? >> we gave them a choice. we've said that from day one we came up with an alternative plan . up with an alternative plan. unfortunately, it was not cost efficient for them in the in the short term, but ultimately that would have saved over half of those jobs . so we're still those jobs. so we're still fighting to save the jobs. that is our key priority at the moment. but we'll we'll do whatever we can at the moment. but our main focus is making sure that people who are affected are supported in the right manner. >> 2000 jobs potentially on the line. and then, of course, the huge wider impact both in this local community, this town and in the wider industry. is it all worth it for the sake of making this plant a bit greener , we this plant a bit greener, we have to go green. >> we've said that from the start. what we're saying is that electric arc is not the only way forward. there are other methods

they could use which would protect jobs. they are there are investments that they could put investments that they could put in to save jobs so they could start building those plants like an electrical steel plant, a plate mill. there's investment in the land to mitigate the job losses down there, all that could be done. but it takes money and it takes a significant amount of money. so at the moment, tata is saying with if they get the 500 million from they get the 500 million from the government that that's 1.25 billion in total, which will only look really after most part of port talbot and a little bit in llanwern . but there are in llanwern. but there are significant job losses. and in the short term we're looking to look after those people. >> do you think that the labour government has a better chance of fixing this problem than the conservative government that went before it? >> i think the conservative government did a deal behind closed doors , and it was a cheap closed doors, and it was a cheap deal for steel, which is not for good anybody, what we have seen is that jonny reynolds in london, in westminster, has made some significant steps and been quite forceful with tata saying

that if the deal stays as it is, you won't be getting any taxpayers money. so you have to make have to put a different deal on the table. we've seen the difference then from tata, when we've been in the discussions around the memorandum of understanding and what we can do to safeguard the jobs for the future, there's this this handout today of 13.5 million and there's another hundred. >> there's 100 million >> there's100 million altogether from this fund . can altogether from this fund. can the government afford to just keep on sort of giving handouts like this ? are you sure it like this? are you sure it wouldn't be betterjust like this? are you sure it wouldn't be better just to like this? are you sure it wouldn't be betterjust to keep the plant more similar to how it was in the first place, and not risk those jobs in the first place? >> we shouldn't be risking the jobs in the first place. i totally agree with what you're saying there, but the 100 million, which is, from the transition board, 20 million of it is from tata. right. so they're trying to put things in place to try and mitigate the job losses . however, what we job losses. however, what we have to focus on are the people, and making sure the plant stays stays as it is. but we have to go green. we have to.

>> thank you very much. and therein lies the problem. 2000 jobs at risk. but even the even the man from the union, even the man who wants to protect these jobs, says that we have to go green. this is going to be a huge problem for the labour government, not just this week or in the few months ahead, but probably for their whole term in office. >> thank you. olivia olivia utley there, you've been it's going to be a big problem for everybody watching and listening because it's going to be higher electric bills, higher gas bills because of their mad dash to get to net zero. >> yeah. and this government is obsessed by it much more than the last one. >> well, every government around the world well no not true. not every every western government around the world is obsessed. >> i mean, ed miliband, who's the climate change secretary, he's been out there starting. it was like a 400 metre sprinter. >> don't even get me started. richard has got in touch and said universities for most degrees specialise in psychobabble to fool the masses . psychobabble to fool the masses. listen to jacqui smith and most politicians. stewart has said

apprenticeships are just a new way of getting slave labour. look at the pay they get, the they, they and a few are employed after completion. the rts was there in the 80s. each government just calls it something else. do you know apprenticeships are a good thing? >> i think apprenticeships when i was when i was leaving school, lots of people gave up school at 16 and did an apprenticeship. my brother did an apprenticeship with british rail. he's never been out of work. >> i think these this new sort of type of apprenticeship where you get paid really quite well to be training and getting a degree on the job whilst getting paid for some. for some kids in particular, it sounds a bit sexist, but for boys, yeah, they are really good because often the boys don't. they can't, you know, they go to uni, the girls go to uni and they have all their colour coded files and they're all brilliantly motivated and they take all their notes and they're marvellously self—propelling. sometimes teenage lads need a little bit of a kick in the backside, but i mean, if you've got an apprenticeship with a company like rover or jaguar, you're made for life. >> they are. >> they are. >> they're really important and we need tradespeople. we do engineers, anything. in fact, we're going to be talking to charlie mullins. thank you. >> he he left school at 16, set

up his own company and had a bag of tools, didn't he? yeah. and he's now worth millions. >> we're going to be talking about plumbers a little bit later actually about his route. >> if you are one of those people who's got a teenager or a young person who's been waiting for exam results, then hear what charlie has to say because he's a gazillionaire now, isn't he? >> he certainly is. >> he certainly is. >> yeah, apart from a few degrees, says richard, the universities are conditioning machines that turn out people who are akin to brain dead zombies. and we were kind of pressing baroness smith on that, weren't we? are you going to allow free speech? and she said, i believe in free speech and freedom of debate. well, we'll hold her to it because because as we know in a number of our universities, people have been cancelled. >> yeah. particularly over the trans issue. >> and, and what's going on this weekend, seeing some of the headunes weekend, seeing some of the headlines of the people who are being arrested and imprisoned for things that they've said on social media are chilling. >> there's an extraordinary story in the front of the telegraph today . how story in the front of the telegraph today. how many story in the front of the telegraph today . how many people telegraph today. how many people who are multiple offenders have never been sent to prison? and yet yesterday, one was sentenced to prison for 15 months for

saying on social media, burn down the mosque with people in it. yeah. now stupid, wicked, terrible thing to say. 15 months in prison. >> yeah. she was on facebook. she's a full time carer for her husband. she's 55 years, no criminal record. and she said i was really angry. it was off the back of the southport stabbings, which we know had nothing to do with an islamic. yeah refugee. however she just said in a moment of anger she wrote a line on facebook to a group of 5000 of her followers and she said, just burn the mosque with all the people in it. it's of course thatis the people in it. it's of course that is you would say, inciting violence. the law certainly thought it was. yeah and she deleted it quite quickly. >> 15 months, 15 months in prison, in prison. and she'll and she'll do at least seven and and she'll do at least seven and a half months. and our prisons are full up already. is she a threat to the public? is the justice system doing the right thing when repeat offenders are extraordinary? that's right. some of them who've committed 100 offences in the last 15, 20 years have never been to prison. >> yeah , well, this is this is >> yeah, well, this is this is keir starmer clamping down isn't

it. on thought, on language , on it. on thought, on language, on tweeting on social media as well. just just just follow what the government tells you to do. don't think outside the box. we will tell you how to think. >> so many people now who would be normally on social media are going to be much more guarded about what they say already happening, and that's what they want. >> and do you know what? it's already happening to people who would consider themselves to be politically right wing. keir starmer has silenced the political right on social media, not me in the last week i'm carrying on. well, you better be careful. i'm serious. some of the stuff that you tweet might literally get you in prison twice on social media last week, i was trending and something that i put out on social media was taken down by social media. it's just really chilling because you don't know what. and in a way, i don't want you to get imprisoned, i promise. but i know i don't want you come and visit some days , but as soon as visit some days, but as soon as he starts looking at locking up journalists, that's when he'll be in trouble. he can't go for

very high profile people. if you and i end up in prison for something we say on twitter, there would be much more public outcry. or, you know, any other influencer . but if he goes for influencer. but if he goes for the housewives like that woman or the full time carer, say something in anger, he'll throw her in prison for 15 months because it doesn't cause protests on the street. well, one day i feel like i'm going to come on here and say, come for us, come on. right, come for you that i got that off my chest. we move on? yeah. you're with britain's newsroom on

gb news. >> not saying it should . right. >> not saying it should. right. oh, there's a lot to talk about. carole malone is here. jonathan lewis also with us this morning. right. where do you want to start ? guys? there's so much to start? guys? there's so much to talk about. >> we just thought we talk about labour's caving in to the train drivers. >> we've established a neutral frame. >> well exactly. you know they've been in like the junior doctors. well then as well. but

this is the second lot. so train drivers who we know are already on, on very high wages. they're on, on very high wages. they're on an average of 60, 62 grand a yeah on an average of 60, 62 grand a year. they've now been given a 15%, sorry, 14% pay rise over the next three years, which is going to push their wages up to 70 grand a year. now that's before overtime. before overtime. so that's going to get them 100 grand a year generally for a four day week. now the tories deal with that. we're not going to give them 15%. but the tories also said they had to compulsorily work sundays . this compulsorily work sundays. this new deal means they don't have to work any weekends at all, no strings attached, no strings attached. and also i was in a cab this week and a cab company has a contract with, the train drivers. so when they finish their shift in in in london, in paddington, whatever , they paddington, whatever, they finish and there's no trains home, they get a cab paid for wherever cabs fares of 200, £250 to get them home. and then they come back the next day in the same thing. now to me this is just outrageous. i think ordinary people sitting at home who are earning you know, working their socks off to earn

a decent wage will read about this and they'll read about laboun this and they'll read about labour. you know , this is this labour. you know, this is this is happening in the same period of time as rachel reeves has just, just announced. they're going to take the winter fuel allowance away from pensioners. and these people on a four day week. we don't even need train drivers anymore. they're all they could all be automatic. what do you mean? well, because they could all be automatic if they could all be automatic if they wanted to be. but they'll never bring them in. so many train drivers. so you know and we'll and it really annoyed me today. he's saying, you know this is this is the aslef general secretary, aslef general secretary. he said today, you know, after two years of being treated with utter contempt by the tories were now are now being listened to. yeah. you know, you're being listened to by your, you know , their the by your, you know, their the paymasters of the labor party. so you know it is just outrageous. i think and i think people have every right to be furious about this. >> and how are they going to pay for this, jonathan. because this is going to presumably be passed on in even higher fares than our train fares are pretty high already. >> that's now that is a legitimate question. i think that one really interesting part

of rachel reeves announcement before parliament broke for recess was the despite the cuts that she announced to tory infrastructure plans. and i happen to disagree with a lot of those cuts, because i think we need to invest in our infrastructure to boost productivity. and also, you know, the winter fuel payments cut that sort of divided the left in quite an interesting way, because a lot of the left objects to means testing, for example, and things that we should have universal benefits. but at the same time, there is an acknowledgement, there are a lot of very, very wealthy pensioners who themselves are saying, no, no, they didn't need there are some the money. so i happen to think that that was a mistake as well. it's a huge mistake as well. it's a huge mistake and i don't think it's fair to either bribe groups of voters or to punish them. but that's a slightly separate issue. one interesting thing that she did, which i thought was really important and sent an important signal, was that she was going to accept the findings and the recommendations of all the independent pay review bodies about how to pay for pubuc bodies about how to pay for public service workers, because, look, do you not see what she's done now, what she's done? >> she's put a big message out

there and it says strikes pay. so now all the other public sector pay, carol, we've known that. >> that's why that's why people strike all the public sector unions now. >> i mean, the doctors have been sorted, but lots of public sector unions are going to say, well, if they've had 14% of the next four years, we're going to go on strike until we get it. >> i think, i think that people look, people are reasonable no matter what you think. people. >> hello. >> hello. >> look, the previous government, the previous government, the previous government allowed the biggest penod government allowed the biggest period of industrial unrest in decades to carry on. they didn't. they took months and months and months to sit down with key unions to try and negotiate things they did not. in in certainly, according to many of the unions, negotiating in good faith. >> now you have a labour government they said was this was the deal. this is the final the government said this, this is your final offer and we're not going to talk about it again because there's no more money that's not refusing to sit down. they had sat down with them for months, refusing to negotiate. >> no negotiations. they had done no negotiations mean that both sides have to compromise something. what you have is a government, a labour government coming in and basically trying

to reset the political atmosphere and the political know you have a government coming in that is actually pandenng coming in that is actually pandering to its people. you would obviously see it that way. obviously you would see it that way. i'm seeing it. i'm trying to i'm trying to see it in a different perspective. >> how is it going to be paid for? well, it's going to be higher fares, andrew. >> we can have a conversation about how governments are funded and clearly it could be politician. >> and so his question how is it going to be paid for? >> well, look, i'm not here to defend the labour party. i think that we should have more borrowing, more taxes. i think that the arbitrary fiscal rules that the arbitrary fiscal rules that reefs are set up about debt are actually going to hamstring her. and i think that it was a mistake for labour to box itself in by by refusing to countenance major tax rises . i happen to major tax rises. i happen to think that there are all kinds of tax rises that you could make on the edges to, to where taxing the people with the broadest shoulders. and also, we have to remember , show the people who remember, show the people who are going to pay for this are the people who get on trains. >> they are not the broader shoulders, they are working people trying to make a living. >> obviously, people who use

trains will have to shoulder some of the, the increases. that's why we have trained the treasury in this country to pay. look, i think that we need to have a broader conversation about public transport in this country anyway, in particular the rail network. we know that we have some of the highest pnces we have some of the highest prices on the network in europe. we don't have even higher now. we don't have even higher now. we don't have the we don't have the high speed networks that most of our neighbours are going to be renationalised within the next couple of years anyway, isn't it under labour, the train service and it does seem complicated at the moment. >> it is who owns the track compared to who employs the drivers, who owns the trains? i think it does need and rail nationalisation is actually a really popular policy, and that's why i think a lot of the people on the left are really happy about labour's policy. >> but the idea that the train network under british rail, when it was nationalised was ran effectively. it was appalling. it was appalling. >> no one says that there are no halcyon days, no one says that having something owned by the state in itself makes something good. well, the argument states, can't run things if the public owns something ,

can't run things if the public owns something, something can be run in the public good, not in this, not it's not the public to run it. >> it will be politicians setting targets and politicians are no good at running things. yes they're useless. >> well, they need to employ the right people. >> sometimes things are well run, sometimes things aren't well run. this is an opportunity to take the profit element out of it and to deliver for the public. that's the same argument. do you really think the companies necessarily think this is delivering for the public? >> this is this is doing i think this is delivering, you know, delivering to strikes. people who are already well paid very well paid for what they do, play the victim because , you know, the victim because, you know, aslef is a big unit. it can fight for its members . there are fight for its members. there are other people who are, you know, all the union bosses always say, we're fighting for the workers, you know, for the people who who do the cleaning , for the people do the cleaning, for the people who work the long hours. no they're not. they're fighting for themselves . and this is not for themselves. and this is not this is not the poorest in that union. this is people who are already very well paid. >> the fundamental point is that we have seen absolute misery across the country with this ,

across the country with this, with strikes in the health service on the trains in actually in many with more people threatening to walk out actually. and so it's important for the government to kind of try and reset and say we're going to negotiate, we're going to give you a pay rise. >> what they've done is they've said to everyone in future, every public sector organisation and go on strike, and we'll give you exactly what you want. and that's what's happened here. thatis that's what's happened here. that is not a negotiation . that is not a negotiation. >> and we've got since the election for the first time in 60 years, jonathan, gps effectively bringing in a work to rule. so they'll be cutting their appointments with patients. >> that wasn't 25% because of the new labour government that had been brewing for a long time. >> but but but i thought this was all going to come to an end. >> well, look, i will very much expect wes streeting to negotiate with the gps and their and their representatives to try and their representatives to try and sort that out. >> they'd have seen what the junior doctors got. 22%. yeah. where's ours ? where's ours? >> the nurses didn't get that much. for example. look, every single profession will be different. i mean, everyone accepts that gps who are most of them who are partners in their practices, are on an average of 153 grand a year.

>> that's really hard done . >> that's really hard done. >> that's really hard done. >> by i mean not obviously gps are well paid. no one's denying that. yeah, well they are. >> they're saying they want they're not denying they're well—paid. >> i think they're disputing the conditions in which they have to work . work. >> right. >> right. >> carol, good to see you too. >> thank you. you'll be back in the next hour. we only got through one story. there was one big story, right? cameron walker is here with the very latest news headlines . news headlines. >> thanks, beth. it's 1031. news headlines. >> thanks, beth. it's1031. i'm cameron walker here in the gb newsroom. the proportion of a—level entries awarded top grades is up on last year and remains above pre—pandemic levels. hundreds of thousands of students in england, wales and northern ireland received their exam results today, in a year when grading was expected to be restored to pre—pandemic levels . restored to pre—pandemic levels. more than three quarters of engush more than three quarters of english 18 year old applicants have been accepted into their first choice of university. that's according to figures from the uk government. gb news has spoken to two students at lichfield cathedral school .

lichfield cathedral school. >> results have gone pretty well. i've gotten into the university. >> i wanted to do better than i expected. it feels amazing and weird at the same time. >> i've had to do year 12 twice, but i'm finally here and i've actually gone and done it. so i'm really happy. >> the economy is continuing its recovery from last year's recession , with growth extending recession, with growth extending over the latest quarter. the office for national statistics says gross domestic product increased by 0.6% between april and june . former conservative and june. former conservative chancellor jeremy and june. former conservative chancellorjeremy hunt says chancellor jeremy hunt says today's figures are further proof. labour has inherited a growing and resilient economy. but labour's chancellor, rachel reeves, says she has inherited more than a decade of slow economic growth from the tories train drivers are to vote on a new offer aimed at ending their long running pay dispute, which has resulted in days of strike action. the aslef union said the offer was made in talks at the department for transport, which started after labour won the

general election following months of stalemate under the conservatives. the drivers are being recommended to accept the offer, which could bring an end to industrial action and overtime bans. to industrial action and overtime bans . manchester police overtime bans. manchester police has confirmed. they have submitted a file to the crown prosecution service for advice, after three officers were injured in an incident at manchester airport last month. four men remain on police bail after a series of alleged assaults. separately, though, two greater manchester police officers remain under criminal investigation for assault following the incident on the 23rd of july. now drivers are being urged to avoid scanning qr codes to pay for parking following a number of scams. the rac is advising drivers to make payments only with cash, cards or official apps. recently fraudsters have been placing stickers featuring qr codes on parking signs in locations across the country, taking victims to fake websites to input their card details. criminals then spend money from their accounts and global

superstar taylor swift. she is closing the european leg of her eras tour with five nights at london's wembley stadium. it's the first time she's returned to the first time she's returned to the uk since paying tributes to the uk since paying tributes to the victims of the southport attack last month, which saw three young girls die after a mass stabbing dance class with her music as the theme. earlier this month, taylor swift was forced to cancel three shows in vienna after suspected islamist terror plot. well, those are your latest gb news headlines for now, i'm cameron walker, back in half an hour for the very latest gb news direct to your smartphone, sign up to news alerts by scanning the qr code , alerts by scanning the qr code, or go to gbnews.com. >> forward slash alerts . >> forward slash alerts. >> forward slash alerts. >> up next, as the sussexes set off on their trip to colombia, groan and moan is this the reason their chief of staff, josh kettler, quit his job earlier this week? interesting.

this is britain's newsroom on gb news

1037 this is britain's newsroom on gb news >> today marks day one of prince harry and meghan's tour of columbia. >> so they're going to spend time visiting notable leaders and women's rights activists in the south american country. and what's being called a quasi quasi quasi royal trip. sorry. >> and also princess anne. we all know and love is britain's hardest working royal. she's celebrating her 74th birthday today. but let's talk about william and william. meghan and harry with the former bbc royal correspondent michael cole, who's a great friend of this program. michael, what's the point of this trip to colombia? they've gone out there as guests of the vice president. is it another attempt to raise their

flagging profile ? flagging profile? >> good morning andrew. good morning bev. you know, this is the riskiest thing the sussexes have done since they scooted to off canada in 2020. they should be very concerned what they have to sell is their celebrity and their royal status, and they should be very careful about selling that celebrity too cheaply and to whom they're selling it, because within colombia, which is a beautiful country with wonderful people and much to recommend it, but it is also controversial. the cocaine cartels , pablo escobar cocaine cartels, pablo escobar and so on. and within the country there are people in opposition to the government who are saying that the government of gustavo petro will exploit his royal visitors for his own political ends. now, obviously, they're going there to do what they're going there to do what they think is good, to follow up

they think is good, to follow up the causes they believe in, to spread goodwill and do lots of other good and fine things . but other good and fine things. but they should be very, very careful about the people around them. we don't know, of course, why their chief of staff quit. the jargon is that it wasn't a good fit. he wasn't a good fit with meghan, who we see there, and harry, and he left. but it could have been over this visit to colombia and i would quite understand that. do you know, i actually feel for the sussexes because they really need buckingham palace. whenever there's a royal invitation, it is scrutinised, whether it's in this country or it's abroad, is it the right place to go? are these the right people? we want these the right people? we want the royal personages to be meeting. should we go? how does it fit with our politics? what does number 10 think about it now of course they haven't got that help. they haven't got that guidance. and i'm sure if advice was given they wouldn't take it. you know, one of the only

regrets, the late queen, the grandmother of the man we can see there had during her long reign was inviting a state visit by the romanian tyrant nicolae ceausescu in 1978, and he was staying at buckingham palace and wandering around the gardens. the queen actually hid in a bush to avoid him. he was. it did happen. and of course, 11 years later, on christmas day , later, on christmas day, ceausescu and his wife were shot by a firing squad. christmas day, by their own people. that's how controversial he was. now, you also mentioned that the invitation has come this time from the vice president, a woman called francia marquez. now she is the minister of equality and justice . equality. get that justice. equality. get that word? well, she's been flying around the country in helicopters. she's. she's not content with the official

residence of the vice president. she's building her own house. people will say, well, what has this got to do with equality? because most of the people or many of the people , sadly, in many of the people, sadly, in colombia, are well below the poverty line. >> michael, can we just reflect for a minute? andrew and i were laughing about the fact that harry and meghan called, called josh kettler, who's basically their pr guy and their manager, they called him their chief of staff. i mean it's the most very grand grandiose title . they, you grand grandiose title. they, you know, they're just celebrities. why do they need a chief of staff? >> well, if you're if you're in a hilltop fortress at montecito, you have your own little court. well, it's surprising they didn't call him sir galahad. but isn't it really? i mean, it could be. they've got their california . camelot has its own california. camelot has its own courtiers. i'm quite sure. but as i think you've alluded to in the past, rather a lot of them have left. i think there is some

counties, 18 people. yeah. >> michael, i was also struck. harry says he couldn't bring meghan to britain because he doesn't think it's safe enough. and there's all the issues over royal protection officers. but columbia has a murder rate. 13 times higher than any country in europe . he's going to one of the europe. he's going to one of the most dangerous countries in that region. >> kali , kali, the kali, kali >> kali, kali, the kali, kali cartels, bogota . my goodness. cartels, bogota. my goodness. and then if we go back to where they live, los angeles, the murder rate there is nothing to be envied by any means at all. of course they'll have protection, but it does make you wonder if it's not safe enough to come over here with with the appropriate level of police protection. let's make it clear to harry. and meghan would not receive the appropriate measure of armed police protection, but it would be decided by the home office by, their father's his father's government, who decide

the level of protection they'd get. and when he comes, here he goes. he comes in, at least a range rovers with guards and all the rest of it. it's just that it's not going to be 24 around the clock, coverage. so one wonders what goes through their mind. of course we wish them the very best of good fortune in colombia. i'm sure they'll see some wonderful things, meet some wonderful people and make friends with lovely children that will all go well. but it's the. it's the look. it's the look. and i'm quite sure. had they asked buckingham palace about this, i think that would have been a discreet. oh no, i don't think we should go there. >> i often sort of wonder about their finances, actually , their finances, actually, because this must be costing them , presumably. does this is them, presumably. does this is this this trip is going to be paid for partly by the sussexes themselves , presumably. and yet themselves, presumably. and yet it's not an income generating event. it's not an income generating event . it's just a photograph event. it's just a photograph generating event. >> i suppose they think that will lead to income generation. >> but how? because no brand wants to be associated with them in any way. i don't know what

their situation is with netflix at the moment, whether they have another programme coming up. his book did well, but i mean, you don't. you know what i'm talking about. i look at them and i think they are haemorrhaging money, cash , left, right and money, cash, left, right and centre. and how do they make a living, michael? >> well, round the clock security. three shifts early. men protecting you. you could burn through a lot of money. don't. don't forget that. when tragically and sadly, his mother died, he had a very large inheritance , rumoured to be £7 inheritance, rumoured to be £7 million. but. but royal wills are always sealed. we don't know. and he will receive when he becomes 40. in september. september 15th, a bequest from the late queen mother, who looked after all her great grandchildren in that way. and of course , when she was in, of course, when she was in, toronto making suits all those years, i think it was 7 or 8 seasons of it. she was quite well paid . but it is undoubtedly well paid. but it is undoubtedly true if you want to live at the

high level of their friends in in los angeles, that's going to cost you an awful lot of money, and it can disappear very , very, and it can disappear very, very, very quickly. and one would hate to see i would hate to see them having to downsize to their to their chicken one. >> you know, just very briefly, michael, we've got to say goodbye. but happy birthday to the greatest royal in my opinion, princess anne. i wouldn't have thought she was doing anything particularly lavish. >> no, i think she would love. well, she is, and i've worked with her around the world. she's always quite tough. you know, but always got on with her. well, she spoke her mind. she was very, very definitely her father's daughter. >> certainly was. yeah. that's michael cole. thanks so much for joining us. and if you're watching us, ma'am, princess royal watching us, ma'am, princess royal, happy birthday, princess anne. birthday. >> right. still to come. now we have to look like we know what we're talking about here. andrew pierce, it's over . say the pierce, it's over. say the headlines. tommy fury and molly may have split after five years.

do you have any idea who they are? >> none whatsoever. >> none whatsoever. >> i don't know. look, this is a woman who clearly has a young baby at this point, i don't know how long ago these pictures were taken. any family falling apart is sad. but this apparently is huge news. we'll you all about it

1050. this is britain's newsroom on gb news. >> well. she's back. american p0p >> well. she's back. american pop goddess taylor swift. she's in london for the final leg in europe of her eras tour. >> so it's a sold out show. of course, it's going to have 90,000 fans making their way to wembley. and the failed terror plot at her shows in vienna means that there will be extra security measures in place in london. >> well, our reporter adam cherry joins us live from wembley. adam, are you a swiftie ? wembley. adam, are you a swiftie? >> oh, guilty as sin. andrew. yeah, absolutely . i'm wearing

yeah, absolutely. i'm wearing pink just as a just especially for it. i'm not the only one already. i mean, the gig doesn't start until 730, but we've been here for about 50 minutes and already it's getting pretty busy here. there's a lot of glitter, there's a lot of fancy hats. we went over to the merchandise stand and it cost £15, but it's £20 if you want one with glitter and tassels on it. so i'm kind of weighing up that option at the moment, as you say, of course, this is the first gig since that failed terror plot. the show goes on here. of course, there will be added security. the fans will not be able to congregate, as they often do at taylor swift concerts. those without tickets will not be able to congregate outside and sing along, and obviously there will be a lot of every bag will be searched, it will be heightened. but, you know, people are here to have a good time and they're not letting that put them off. so it's a good atmosphere already. >> adam, there was some talk that the she had an actual impact on our inflation figures in this country because when she was here earlier, hotel prices,

particularly where she was performing, went through the roof . roof. >> well, good. great. i mean, let's tell rachel reeves we need to hear her here more often. yeah, as you say, sold out tonight. she's here for five nights. so everyone's everyone's happy. it's fantastic. >> are you. and are you a fan? adam, tell us the truth now . adam, tell us the truth now. >> i mean, i can probably name a handful of songs, but. >> i mean, i can probably name a handful of songs, but . look, handful of songs, but. look, everyone, like i said, everyone's here to have fun. maybe after tonight, i'll. i'll be a super fan. i'll be a swiftie. i'll have a friendship bracelet and all that. i'm learning all the terms . and learning all the terms. and london loves taylor, i'm told. so here we are . so here we are. >> thank you. adam. adam. cherry. there at wembley. i think last time we talked about taylor swift, we got used to seeing one of the songs, didn't we? yeah. >> yeah. well, the thing is shakeit >> yeah. well, the thing is shake it off, because i didn't know the name. i couldn't name a single taylor swift song, and i don't think i've knowingly ever heard her singing anything. >> look what i get. >> look what i get. >> she's really famous and popular, but it's passed me by

completely. >> and do you know what? i'm just sorry. i'm looking at my screen. i don't like doing that when i'm on the telly, but i just wanted to bring up the details about when her concerts were cancelled in austria, because that was the implications of that were seeing in wembley tonight. the idea that these young girls can't just congregate outside. i know that's the word. i was looking for, you know, just to enjoy the occasion. and it's rather sad, isn't it? that's right. there was and you know , and one guy i was and you know, and one guy i think was arrested, wasn't he? two people were arrested on suspicion of planning attacks inspired by the islamic state group in austria. and the idea was that the islamic state, these particular terrorists, were so appalled. but taylor swift is a woman who is a feminist, comfortable in her own sexuality, isn't married, but has had multiple boyfriends, and it's a celebration of female success. and that was why she was the target . was the target. >> and remember the terrorists who targeted ariana grande? did they ? yeah, yeah. the concert they? yeah, yeah. the concert where over 20 young people were killed. >> i'm sure it was a coincidence

that the southport stabbings, who knows whether that was. that's a taylor swift connection. i think that's a coincidence. but the poor woman, the children were going to a taylor swift dance class and making making her bracelets. and of course, taylor swift has this kind of , this negativity, sort kind of, this negativity, sort of that she has to wake up in the morning and know that this is kind of around her at the moment, in the same way that ariana grande had to deal with it. but she's definitely one of the hardest working women in show business, by all accounts. yeah, well, like you , she's yeah, well, like you, she's like, i don't know who she is. you're like the telly version of taylor swift because you're the hardest working man in the news media, and taylor swift is the hardest working woman in music how. >> now. >> still to come , monkeypox has >> still to come, monkeypox has been declared a global emergency. this is going to get miss turner going. this is britain's newsroom on gb news. alex has your. britain's newsroom on gb news. alex has your . weather. alex has your. weather. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb

news. >> morning. welcome to your latest weather update from the met office here on gb news. something of a north south split today. lots of cloud across the north. outbreaks of rain this morning where as much of the south staying dry until tonight. in fact a much brighter day on the south coast compared to yesterday. but it's dull and damp for much of scotland and northern ireland. this morning. that rain is trickling into north—west england and north wales, and will continue to spread southwards towards the midlands by the end of the afternoon. at the same time it does start to clear from the far north—west. yes, we'll see increasing cloud further south, but we should see some decent spells of sunshine. 2526 degrees. in this rainy zone, though, it's also going to be quite windy, particularly for nonh quite windy, particularly for north wales, north west england, southwest scotland. by the time we get to this evening's rush houn we get to this evening's rush hour, the rain should be pulling away from most of scotland. some sunny spells over the highlands, but still 1 or 2 showers could still be quite grey on the east coast at this stage, and potentially through the central belt, although the rain will be heading away by 5 or 6:00.

should be clearing from northern ireland by then as well. so for many here a fine evening. still quite blustery over wales and northwest england with outbreaks of rain spreading down towards the southwest, whereas east anglia in the southwest southeast rather should stay dry well into the evening. it's not really until later on we start to see that rain spreading across east anglia and then the southeast of england. 1 or 2 heavy bursts as it clears through. for many, it will turn clearer and cooler, with temperatures down to single figures in rural parts of scotland and northern ireland still quite warm and humid across east anglia and the southeast. any early rain should scoot away tomorrow morning , but scoot away tomorrow morning, but there is the potential. the warmth and humidity may linger across the southeast, which could give some afternoon showers, so looking at some showers, so looking at some showers across the northwest of scotland for many tomorrows. a decent looking day. dry and bright. a fresher feel as well, and temperatures close to the average for the time of year. generally high. teens across the north. low to mid 20s. further

south. >> that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers . sponsors of boxt boilers. sponsors of weather on

gb news. away. >> morning 11 am. on thursday the 15th of august. live across the 15th of august. live across the uk. this is britain's newsroom with andrew pierce and bev turner. >> thank you forjoining us. >> thank you for joining us. this morning. so. a—level results day and also t levels and btecs. 76% of 18 year old students in england have been accepted into their first choice university. will hollis has more . university. will hollis has more. >> despite expectations for a—level results to go back down to where they were in 2019, the department for education says that students are performing better this year than pre—covid . better this year than pre—covid. >> yeah, more than 400,000 applicants across the uk have

managed to gain a place at university. from this results day, but many places still on offer . day, but many places still on offer. clearing day, but many places still on offer . clearing hotlines across offer. clearing hotlines across the country at universities are open and busy . open and busy. >> and is it finally an end to those rail strikes ? because the those rail strikes? because the train drivers have been offered a whacking 15% pay rise over three years. and does this mean the industrial action will come to an end? but at what cost have the government just caved in? >> and swifties in london, taylor swift's tour resumes at wembley today. it's her first show since the failed terror plot in vienna that saw three concerts cancelled. there will be beefed up security measures in place, of course , and it's in place, of course, and it's terrible news it's over . terrible news it's over. >> molly—mae and tommy fury brackets who have split after five years together. bev and i are very upset but we will be when we work out who they are .

when we work out who they are. they are a social media sensation, aren't they? >> i think they met on love island apparently, which i've never watched. if you would like to do our research for us this morning and tell us who molly—mae and the fury guy are, we would very much appreciate it. >> gbnews.com/yoursay he's related to the boxer isn't he? >> tyson fury's brother. yeah i do, i know that much about them, but i'm sure this is one of those stories that divides the country by age in a way that never used to happen in the news media. there'll be all the youngsters are going, you old dinosaurs! >> how can you not know? trending on social media for hours and hours and hours? and when? when i read about it, i had to look up who they were. yeah, i'd never heard of them. >> did you let us know? here's cameron walker. he'll know who they are. he's got your. cameron walker. he'll know who they are. he's got your . news. they are. he's got your. news. >> thanks, bev. 11:02. i'm cameron walker here in the gb newsroom. the proportion of a—level entries awarded top grades is up on last year and

remains above pre—pandemic levels. hundreds of thousands of students in england, wales and northern ireland received their exam results earlier today when in a year where grading was expected to be restored to pre—pandemic levels , more than pre—pandemic levels, more than three quarters of english 18 year old applicants have been accepted into their first choice of university. gb news has spoke to students at lichfield cathedral school. >> it's gone pretty well. i've gone into the university. >> i've wanted to better than expected. >> it feels amazing and weird at the same time. >> i've had to do year 12 twice, but i'm finally here and i've actually gone and done it, so i'm really happy. >> the economy is continuing, its recovery from last year's recession, with growth extending over the latest quarter, according to official data. the office for national statistics said gross domestic products increased by 0.6% between april and june. former conservative chancellor jeremy and june. former conservative chancellorjeremy hunt says chancellor jeremy hunt says today's figures are further proof. labour has inherited a growing and resilient economy.

but labour's darren jones, chief secretary to the treasury, says the government inherited a huge financial challenge from the tories. >> the economic facts are clear because we have the highest debt burden that we've had for over 60 years and we're having to spend billions and billions of pounds on debt interest to pay that off every month . and that off every month. and because working people have got the highest tax burden since the 19405, the highest tax burden since the 1940s, people at home know . and 1940s, people at home know. and anyone can look at the statistics that what we inherited from the conservatives was the worst fiscal inheritance since the second world war. >> train drivers are to vote on a new offer aimed at ending their long running pay dispute, which has resulted in days of strike action. the aslef union said the offer was made in talks at the department for transport, which started after won labour the general election following months of stalemate under the conservatives. the drivers are being recommended to accept the offer, which could bring an end to industrial action and overtime bans. government minister baroness smith says labour wants a partnership with businesses and trade unions come to an agreement with the train

unions. >> that means that people won't be stranded at home and the economy won't be suffering. with train strikes continuing. so this is a partnership to make sure that we're able to get to work. we're able to get the pubuc work. we're able to get the public services. >> the government is pledging £13.5 million in funding to support supply chain businesses and workers affected by the tata steel's decision to transition to greener steelmaking, which is expected to lead to job losses. it is understood more than 50 businesses so far have signed a pledge to support any workers forced to leave their jobs in the steelworks. negotiations between the uk government and tata steel regarding the future of the port talbot works is continuing separately . now continuing separately. now manchester police have confirmed they have submitted a file to they have submitted a file to the crown prosecution service for advice after three officers were injured in an incident at manchester airport last month. four men remain on police bail after a series of alleged assaults. separately, two greater manchester police

officers remain under criminal investigation for assault following the incident on the 23rd of july. now, drivers are being urged to avoid scanning qr codes to pay for parking, following a number of scams. the rac is advising drivers to make payments only with cash, cards or official apps. payments only with cash, cards or official apps . recently, or official apps. recently, fraudsters have been placing stickers featuring qr codes on parking signs and locations across the country , taking across the country, taking victims to fake websites to input their card details before spending money from their accounts . women living with accounts. women living with breast cancer are being put at risk because of staff shortages. who can deliver specialist scans . who can deliver specialist scans. that's according to the society of radiographers, who've warned that a shortage of mammographers have reached critical levels in the nhs in england, leading to late diagnosis and treatment delays. the government says it will tackle these issues head on to ensure the nhs has the staff it needs to be there for all of us when we need it. it needs to be there for all of us when we need it . and the us when we need it. and the princess royal is marking her

74th birthday today. the king's younger sister, frequently dubbed britain's hardest working royal, cheered on a number of team gb athletes at the paris olympics last week in her role as the british olympic association president. earlier this summer, she was hospitalised with concussion and minor injuries after being kicked or headbutted by a horse . kicked or headbutted by a horse. the duke and duchess of sussex are expected to arrive in colombia after an official invitation by the country's vice president. it's understood prince harry and meghan will focus on the impact of the digital world on young people, the military community and female empowerment. the duke and duchess will also explore colombia's history and culture, and global superstar taylor swift is closing the european leg of her eras tour with five nights at london's wembley stadium. it's the first time she's returned to the uk since paying she's returned to the uk since paying tribute to the victims of the southport attack last month, where three girls lost their lives in a taylor swift themed dance class. earlier this month, taylor swift also had to cancel

three shows in vienna after a suspected islamist terror plot. well, those are the latest gb news headlines for now. i'm cameron walker, more in half an hour 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 . forward slash alerts. >> oh, welcome back to britain's newsroom live across the united kingdom. shall we say that with pride on gb news? i love my i love my country. i love my country. i was discussing with my daughter yesterday, my 13 year old how everyone speaks. she was like, isn't it funny when we go away, mummy on houday when we go away, mummy on holiday and everyone speaks english? yeah. aren't we lucky? and i said yes. it is a privilege to live in this country because when we go abroad, we can be lazy with our languages and we are , and i'm languages and we are, and i'm afraid i am, which is not good. >> i'm pidgin. french is all i've got. >> me too. i'd like to. i'm

actually. i'm actually going to teach myself italian, you know, give me a year. >> yeah, it's a good language. >> yeah, it's a good language. >> and spanish would be better because more people. spanish is spoken in more countries. >> i'd like to spend more time in italy though, so i'd quite like to get to get to speak. but talking of languages. yeah. a—level results day. of course. the proportion of a—level entries awarded top grades is up on last year remains above pre—pandemic levels, and hopefully many parents and teenagers celebrating across england, wales and northern ireland today. >> so will hollis is at lichfield cathedral school and jack carson is at coventry university. well, to you . university. well, to you. >> yes. well, there is a lot of expectations for today as thousands of a—level students around the country rip open those envelopes and find out if they're celebrating or if they're celebrating or if they're looking for commiserations. now, we've just heard from the department for education not too long ago . we education not too long ago. we are expecting we're expecting that this will be the first year

that this will be the first year that results would go back down to what they were in pre—pandemic levels . but what pre—pandemic levels. but what we've heard from the education secretary is that around 76% of students that received their a—level results today got into their first choice of university. now that's 4% higher than it was last year. in 2023, after a period of inflated grades, those measured where students were given slightly higher grades based on predictions from their teachers. because of the damage that was done to education during that penod done to education during that period of the pandemic. but in fact, it's even students this yeanin fact, it's even students this year, in 2024 have even performed better than before the pandemic in 2019 by about a percent. i have been speaking to some of the students here at lichfield cathedral school who were pretty happy with the results that they've received this morning. >> they've gone fantastic. i've got more than i needed and i'm off to study at lancaster university. >> it's also gone pretty well. i've gotten into the university. i've gotten into the university. i've wanted to. i haven't got

crazy good results, but i haven't got bad results either. i've declined all my offers, so i'm wanting to change course. >> so i'm going to go through clearing in a minute. >> i have gone really well actually. i'm going to lancaster uni next, i'm doing a year abroad with nuclear engineering, >> results have gone very well. i've got three a's and i needed a b, and i'm going to exeter. >> oh, where is it? where is it? is it . is it. >> well, you'll see now at lichfield cathedral school that it's an empty courtyard. that's because lots of students have gone off to the pub or to celebrate with their family. but some students will be on the phone right now to universities across the country , going across the country, going through clearing to find out what their next step is, when maybe they've done better or worse than expected. and jack carson is live for us at coventry university. >> yeah, yeah. well good afternoon or good morning. sorry to you. all the clearing hotlines . well, well underway hotlines. well, well underway here at coventry university from

8 am. when, when they opened, it was just minutes before the first calls started to come in. as will was mentioning that clearing isn't just about. if you haven't reached the results that you've wanted. a lot of students aim for a specific course, maybe what they're doing. and in that time in the last six months to a year of your a—levels, your opinions can change. your thoughts can change what you maybe want to do is not what you maybe want to do is not what you maybe want to do is not what you thought initially, and you might get better results than what you thought. so it's about ringing up universities, clearing the hotlines are open, being able to call them up, have a chat with the university. talk through your grades is a really important part for a lot of students today. into this afternoon, and there's often this big rush at the start of the day. lots of people think that the places are going to go within the hour, and it's almost down to the last, last person standing, but that's not the case. these clearing places are open across the country. there are thousands of places at universities look to fill on days like today as well as will

was mentioning there about the record achievements of students as well. we've had more than 400,000 people achieve university places, more than 70% of them getting their first place. today there still is a is a gap when you look at where in the country 18 year olds are going to university, only just above 25% of 18 year olds from the north—east are going to university places. that's in comparison to more than 42% from london. now, that's not just because of necessarily attainment levels, but that's because of the different choices that 18 year olds may be making. those parts of the country as well, whether it's maybe more apprenticeship focused, focused or degrees obviously aren't for everyone. and that's a lot of decision making that students have got to make today. maybe if they haven't received the results that they've got. but how do you cope with that kind of pressure? the situation that a lot of 18 year olds are under today, we spoke to doctor rachel molitor, who's a chartered psychologist and lecturer here at coventry university. she gave us some tips for students today. >> today is going to be a really exciting day for everybody, whether they are super elated

with their grades, whether they are slightly disappointed, it's important to be able to keep calm and really think about what they are, what they're going to be opening and their future. so it's so important to not rush into any sort of decisions, not rush into reading something and taking taking any thoughts or feelings or just getting very excited or very disappointed. it's really good to be able to keep calm and just see where the future is going to go for them . future is going to go for them. >> yeah, so there's some handy advice from from doctor molitor there. if you are looking at possibly going through clearing, if you've maybe not got the results you've wanted, if you've got the results that you didn't expect and you're trying to manage the expectations of today, manage how to work out today, manage how to work out today some handy advice for you there. bev and andrew. >> thank you . jack. jack, can we >> thank you. jack. jack, can we just ask you quickly, where is everybody ? and you will it does. everybody? and you will it does. students get up very early now in my day, we wouldn't have got to college until 11:00. we've been having a lie—in. have they all been and gone already ? all been and gone already? >> well, it's summer. it's the summer term here, isn't it? university. so half the students are probably back home. maybe

with a summerjob or or a way with a summer job or or a way away in the sunshine, i should think, tucked up in bed, that explains where you are, jack. >> but what about you? will? have they all been and gone home now ? now? >> well, i heard that one of the local pub landlords is a parent of some of the students here, so they're all being given free fizz. >> oh, very, very nice too. very posh. >> get yourself there will get yourself there. get some nice colour for us. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> our permission. great to talk to you. well, let's talk now to charlie mullins, who is no stranger to this program. he is the founder of pimlico plumbers, who famously did not go to university or even do a—levels, as i recall. charlie, it's a big day for these kids. but you say for a lot of people, don't worry about university, go and do an apprenticeship . apprenticeship. >> yeah, i mean, i certainly, but yes, of course it's a big day and very exciting for them. but unfortunately, you know , but unfortunately, you know, universities have just gone too many students letting them come on a course and believing that they're going to get the ideal job. and that's not going to be the case. you know, student

students really should be. i think, doing more and more apprenticeships and, and, you know, learning something that we're going to need them for in the future. i mean, i don't want to take the lovely day away from them, but believe me, you know, this university thing is not going to turn out exactly what they want. they're obviously going to get the massive debt, not necessarily going to get a job. and at the moment we need, you know, 300 sort of ashes. so we need builders , plumbers, we need builders, plumbers, skilled workers and the other thing i've noticed now is that university is to get more bums on seats. were actually telling students to follow their passion and not necessarily be the future kind of thing. well, if you follow your passion, i mean, you follow your passion, i mean, you know, at the end of your dream, if it doesn't work out, you're going to be skinned and you're going to be skinned and you're going to have no money. so i'm not necessarily think it's great advice of what the universities are doing at the moment. >> you're right, charlie, i think that was advice that was really fitting. at least even five years ago. ten years ago, definitely . but we're five years ago. ten years ago, definitely. but we're in this a!

revolution now. and there was a list recently of jobs that will be in existence in 10 to 20 years, when everyone else will have gone. we won't have a job, we'll be replaced by robots. and one of those, actually, charlie is a plumber, an electrician, someone who can actually build a wall. it's the future is going to be in the hands of people who work with their hands. >> you look, you're so right there again. i was speaking to people who have just gone into the banking industry, and they've told them that, you know, they've got five years of one particular job, but ten one particularjob, but ten years of maximum before they're going to be replaced. so you're exactly right there. and we've just got to encourage more and more apprentices and let them realise that , yes, you're never realise that, yes, you're never going to be out of work, you're going to be out of work, you're going to be out of work, you're going to earn loads of money and it's not going to be done away with. you know, as i say this, they're talking about us going green. and at the moment with the amount of tradesmen, we're short of it. take 50 years to change all the boilers in england where, you know, if you get more and more of these students learning that type of thing or the technical side of it, you know , it's just

it, you know, it's just guaranteed it. i mean, you cannot! guaranteed it. i mean, you cannot i mean, i have to be honest with you, i think that the, the bosses or the admin people at universities telling people at universities telling people to follow your passion and not necessarily , you know, and not necessarily, you know, your future. and as i say, you know , we follow our passion. know, we follow our passion. we'll all be skint and not be in work. >> have you noticed? you know, we hear lots of people talking about the fact that income has gone down hourly wages aren't rising in line with inflation. if you are a plumber now , can if you are a plumber now, can you command a bigger hourly rate than you would have been able to do a few years ago? >> absolutely, absolutely. i mean , you know, i think that mean, you know, i think that i don't think but the company i used to have, i think it was about 120, £150 an hour. we're going to be starting a new company up in october. and, you know, the charges, you know, are going to be, you know, very, very expensive because there's a massive shortage, a massive demand of it. and obviously, you know, getting out and about in

london, but wherever there's supply and demand is going to be, high cost. and, you know, people are going to earn a fortune. i mean, if you want to be a millionaire, be a plumber, be a millionaire, be a plumber, be a millionaire, be a plumber, be a tradesman. there's no hesitation about it. i've actually working with a guy from america that wants to set up trade schools, and he's prepared to pay all the trade school costs for a student to go there , costs for a student to go there, and then he will sell them to a company, sell them on kind of thing, or pass them on for a fee. and so you can actually be trained as a plumber for nothing and earn an amazing salary at the end of 3 to 4 years. >> fantastic. >> fantastic. >> honestly, it's a great opportunity for people now to give university a miss and get a job that they're going to just earn loads of money because as you say, the end result is they haven't got very long with all this technology. >> okay, charlie, thank you so much. good to see you. charlie mullins, founder of pimlico plumbers and an inspirational voice on results day, isn't it? what a difference. how much has changed since tony blair came in and just said, i want everyone

to pay. >> well, he wanted to at least 50%, and it went up to 60% of 18 year olds to go to university. >> and people would look down their noses at a trade. not anymore. >> and i've just looked at the current level of student union student loan debt owed to the government, £250 billion. the nhs budget is 182 billion. so that's the nhs budget and a bit more. isn't that ridiculous? it will never be, will never be paid back. >> of course it won't. >> right. let us know your thoughts this morning. gbnews.com/yoursay. up next, find out why career criminals with more than 100 convictions are getting an easy ride, and maybe even the door opened and they can walk out onto the streets. this is britain's newsroom on

gb news. carole malone and jonathan lewis are back with us in the studio to go through some stories. let's crack right on, because we've only got on to one, didn't

we've only got on to one, didn't we earlier? right. what do you want to talk about, carol? we're going to talk about this. oh go on jonathan, because i know what you're going to talk about. >> i'm going to say the same thing. it's only fair. we're going to talk about career criminals. walk free and soft justice scandal. apparently, it is a scandal. apparently it's true. so what we the framing is the framing is always interesting. and the story here is that career criminals with more than 100 previous convictions are being spared jail, according to the telegraph. >> and this is and this has been going on. >> this is one of those stories that in principle, everyone agrees. well, i think most people will agree. the people who have multiple convictions need some kind of custodial sentence. i think that separate to that, and it's really important. but we do need to have a broad conversation, a national conversation. >> well, we're not going to go into broad conversations about not subject, but i think it's important to just to say that we do need to have a conversation about prison, whether prison works, whether prison can make things worse. >> what the purpose of prison, you know, what doesn't work? >> rehabilitation. you know what doesn't work? letting someone who has 26 convictions for burglary when he comes up in

court for the 27th, you let him off again. that doesn't work because clearly it doesn't work because clearly it doesn't work because he's committed to 24. >> i couldn't agree more. the question is, what do we do with these people? >> what are you doing them up to get them off the street to protect people. >> but but andrew, the slight problem with that is that we've had hundreds of millions of pounds of cuts in the criminal justice system . 43% of all justice system. 43% of all courts have been closed under the last conservative government, and they closed seven. >> and they closed police numbers. >> carlos sainz. >> carlos sainz. >> no, no, you've got to the tories have built two prisons since 2020 though, and the process of building a third. so. so what they closed they they have rebuilt. but the bottom that's not true. >> that is true. it's a rebalancing. it hasn't made up. >> prisons have been built by the tories. >> the third is in process. >> the third is in process. >> but they did close seven. >> but they did close seven. >> they might have but they built. they're rebuilding. they can only rebuild. but however you know crime has to have a consequence. jonathan. you know you can't have decent law abiding people sitting at home watching people robbers who do this habitually. and the figures on this are really quite shocking. it's saying that, you know, people who've got, you know, people who've got, you know, 21 previous convictions for a robbery can do it again.

and they're still going to get sent to jail. >> and what i think is interesting, if you juxtapose with what happened in the courts this week, the 55 year old carer woman had no criminal record. she's been sent to prison for 15 months because she put out a tweet in terrible tweet. but she basically said burn down the mosque with people in it. so she was she's been caught up in this, the draconian sentencing as part of the riots. >> she said she sent it in a moment of anger. she's never beenin moment of anger. she's never been in trouble with the police. and then she deleted it. >> and yet serial burglars, serial shoplifters are escaping any form of custodial sentence , any form of custodial sentence, which means they're free to carry on offending. >> i think that there is an absolutely conversation that we need to have about consistency, because things do need to be consistent. and you had. but at the same time, you can also point to the people who appeared on the zoom conversation about blocking the m25, who went to jail for four years. that was obviously completely preposterous as well. and then you have people who found guilty of rape who get suspended sentence . yeah, of course there sentence. yeah, of course there has to be a conversation about how we deal with having a go with cops because they solved

just 5% of crimes, which is terrible, and they're not doing theirjob properly. their job properly. >> but theirjob properly. >> but what is the point of solving any crime if when you spend the time and money and effort to catch a criminal, they end up in court and then the judge or the magistrates lets them off with a smack because there's no point. >> prison spaces. >> prison spaces. >> and i think we've got five spaces for the people who are rioting last week. >> there's plenty of spaces for them. >> you know what i, who i've been recently very inspired by, is this tempest nova. we've had those guys on. remember the two prison officers who worked with rehabilitated? they were very good prisoners and they were on with camilla tominey on sunday. if you didn't see it, have a look at it online. and they are very persuasive about the fact that prison for most people does not work. and all you get is re—offending and they have an incredibly low rate of reoffending because they bring them out , they work with them, them out, they work with them, they get them a job, they get them a purpose, and so bring them a purpose, and so bring them out. keir starmer but don't just put them on the street with nothing to do. give them to an organisation like this. fund these organisations that makes sense. get them in the community work. >> there's a guy who used to the prisons, a guy called simon neary , and he said, clearly 3 or

neary, and he said, clearly 3 or 4 years ago, prison. he said , 4 years ago, prison. he said, rehabilitation does not work. he said all these schemes that we have in prisons that are six months, six weeks, whatever they are, he said, you cannot undo a lifetime of harm. and he said the only way it would ever work, he said, and he said he said prison does work. he said it's at least you get them off the streets and you get them out of the way of people who are going to get hurt by them. but but, he said the only way it would work was the kind of prison, the kind of scheme you're talking about, a prison that is, is run and is run properly . we know they're run properly. we know they're not run properly. we know there's everyone smoking cannabis. all the prisoners, whatever gang violence in prison, gang violence, all that going on. but that's in the ideal world. and we don't live in the ideal world. so for me, the most important thing is the victims of crime. they have to be protected and they have to feel that justice has been done by them . by them. >> can we do just a complete change of gear, guys , about the change of gear, guys, about the fact that sunbathing is good for us? all of a sudden that uv irradiation is good for us? carol, you've this is great news. we were told we weren't doing 50.

>> don't you wear factor 50 million? >> well, i do now, but i didn't used to. >> apparently sunbathing improves the health of pasty brits and outweighs the risks of sunburn, a study has shown. >> and even even in those awful sunbeds, apparently they know. they're saying that even the risks of those are. i don't believe that , actually. but believe that, actually. but anyway, they're saying the risks of those outweigh. but, you know, we know that that sunbathing produces vitamin d. yeah we feel better. we were more energised. we look better. that's a fact. i mean look better. >> getting the sun as brown as nut. >> but it ages. >> but it ages. >> it ages well it is ageing. yes. >> and it can. and skin cancer incidence has soared in this country. >> yeah it absolutely has. but people have got to go and get checked. and we should say that on air if you, if you do something you've got to go and get checked all the time. but there's no doubt about it, it does make you feel better. that's a fact. >> there is. >> there is. >> there is. i'm >> there is. i'm glad >> there is. i'm glad we're having a debate around this though, because this research is saying that the benefits of sun exposure can outweigh the risks when you're living in gloomier parts of the uk, such as scotland. i mean, so get out in the sun a bit. >> yeah. i mean, i got terribly

sunburnt last week and i was in quite a lot of pain for a day, so i was. did you, did you fall asleep in the sun? no, i just kind of. i was, i was very english. i didn't, i just english. i didn't, ijust thought i'd apply the sun cream on my back myself rather than asking my friends to do it for me, but. well you see, you got burned there. >> that's that's just idiocy. not it's nothing to do with the sun. that's just that's you being an idiot. >> we can't protect you from your own stupidity, jonathan. you say that to me. >> well, i think i think she's absolutely right. >> you should have got someone to help you. you can't do you can't do your own back. >> you slather on. i've been on trips with you. >> put it on for me. >> i've asked you to do the full sun vest on. >> there he goes in the sea. he looks like a diver. and he's not. of course he can't do it. you don't let a bit of your skin. no, no, no, you. you are the opposite. you should be getting out there and getting a bit of vitamin d. >> we need a bit. >> we need a bit. >> i think we need vitamin d. >> i think we need vitamin d. >> do you? yeah i take vitamin d. yes. >> i think the pendulum swung a bit too much though on this. i mean, crikey, i used to lie out with baby oil. i think we all did when we were kids. >> my mum used to say, slap a

bit of lemon juice and vinegar on. yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah know. >> what are you making? >> what are you making? >> what, are you making a pie or something? >> well, yeah, that's what we look like at the end of the day. a burned up pie. >> everything in moderation. but that's the point. everything in life, if you like . life, if you like. >> jonathan. jonathan, please don't try and put the sun block on your back yourself. get some help because it's caroline age, says jonathan. >> it was idiotic. so stupid. please don't be like me. >> and it's the pain over. >> and it's the pain over. >> yes. thank you. right. >> yes. thank you. right. >> you've got a nice and we are. >> political pain continues. >> political pain continues. >> alas, jonathan and carol, thank you for this morning. right, here's cameron walker with the headlines . with the headlines. >> it's 1131. with the headlines. >> it's1131. i'm cameron walker here in the gb newsroom. the proportion of a—level entries awarded top grades is up on last year and remains above pre—pandemic levels. hundreds of thousands of students in england , thousands of students in england, wales and northern ireland are receiving their exam results today. more than three quarters of english 18 year old applicants have been accepted

into their first choice of university, according to the department for education. gb news has spoken to students at lichfield cathedral school, has also gone pretty well. >> i've gotten into the university. i wanted to better than i expected. >> it feels amazing and weird at the same time. >> i've had to do year 12 twice, but i'm finally here and i've actually gone and done it, so i'm really happy. >> me is continuing its recovery from last year's recession, with growth extending over the latest quarter, the office for national statistics says gross domestic products increased by 0.6% between april and june. former conservative chancellor jeremy hunt says today's figures are further proof that labour has inherited a growing and resilient economy. but labour's chancellor, rachel reeves, says she has inherited more than a decade of low economic growth from the tories. manchester police has confirmed they have submitted a file to the crown prosecution service for advice, after three officers were injured in an incident at

manchester airport last month. four men remain on police bail after a series of alleged assaults. separately, two greater manchester police officers remain under criminal investigation for assaults following the incident on the 23rd of july. now drivers are being urged to avoid scanning qr codes to pay for parking following a number of scams. the rac is advising drivers to make payments only with cash cards or official apps. recently, fraudsters have been placing stickers featuring qr codes on parking signs in locations across the country, taking victims to fake websites to input their card details. criminals then spend money from their accounts . women living their accounts. women living with breast cancer are being put at risk because of a shortage of staff who can deliver specialist scans. that's to according the society of radiographers, who warned that a shortage of mammographers have reached critical levels in the nhs in england, leading to late diagnosis and treatments delays. the government says it will tackle these issues head on to

ensure the nhs has the staff it needs to be there for all of us when we need it and global superstar taylor swift is closing the european leg of her eras tour with five nights at london's wembley stadium. it's the first time she's returned to the first time she's returned to the uk since paying tribute to the uk since paying tribute to the victims of the southport attack last month, where three young girls died in a mass stabbing at a dance class featuring her music. earlier this month, taylor swift was forced to cancel three shows in vienna after a suspected islamist terror plot. well, those are your latest gb news headunes those are your latest gb news headlines for now. i'm cameron walker. more in half an hour 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 . forward slash alerts. >> delighted to say that emily and tom are with us to tell us what's coming up this afternoon,

guys. >> yes, we certainly are. >> yes, we certainly are. >> we've got an action packed show for you. >> we're going to be speaking to tom tugendhat, who we all remember from the speech earlier this week, is going to be asking him about a lot of stuff. there's this new rumour going around that all the tories want the leadership contest to be sorted, done and the leadership contest to be sorted, dput and the leadership contest to be sorted, dput that to him and ask going to put that to him and ask him about the taylor swift concert. >> actually, his shadow security minister, after all. and there is some huge security concerns around that. but perhaps most of all, i want to ask him about the peculiar background he was stood in front of on monday, the sort of brown i didn't see. this creased non—iron, strange sort of curtain. and i just wondered, is it the best look for a leadership contender? yes. >> i wonder if he was pleased with it, with how it looked aesthetically. >> hasn't he also been banging on this week about not being anonymous online? isn't that his? yes thing? >> yes he has. >> yes he has. >> yes. he's made a lot of comments about the riots. he chose to make that speech all about the violent disorder and everything else. and he also talked about elon musk and the

like. >> and he was critical of keir starmer for not addressing the underlying issues. yeah, he talked about a lot. >> he said he said we needed a leader, not a lawyer. >> yeah that's right. >> yeah that's right. >> and of course all these pay rises for everyone. where's all that money coming from? >> can you just ask him from on behalf of me, please, that if he is going to insist on a lack of anonymity online, can you make sure that the counter—disinformation unit operate under the same principles? so when they're spying on me, i'll know about it. >> thanks. >> thanks. >> i will ask him that. yes, thanks. >> right. emily and tom will be here from midday next. we've got a brilliant report on the beckenham street sweeper who stole the hearts of the nation. that sounds nice. >> that's a lovely story. this is britain's newsroom on

gb news. >> it's 1139. this news. >> it's1139. this is britain's newsroom with me , bev turner and newsroom with me, bev turner and andrew pierce. >> we love this story. this is

the london street sweeper who's stony hearted bosses prevented him from accepting £3,000 raised by his local community. they wanted to send him on a holiday trip of a lifetime. charlie peters has the full story. >> hard earned holiday for a hard grafting street sweeper. paul spiers is a much loved part of this south london community. he's spent years keeping the streets spotless while bringing j'oy streets spotless while bringing joy to the community. while playing elvis from his portable speaken >> when i first got here, it was so quiet and after three months i decided to buy myself a speaken i decided to buy myself a speaker. i started playing music. everyone loved it . music. everyone loved it. everyone loved the music. >> so when 200 residents from beckenham chipped in more than £3,000 to send the sweeper on a summer break to portugal, it was a moment of great local spirit. >> i'm the one with it all. i'm just here to do a job to better

my ability and way they've reacted is brilliant . reacted is brilliant. >> lisa knight, an estate agent, said she started the campaign after becoming friends with mr speirs. >> last monday, i bumped into him after work. it was a 30 degree day and he'd been working all day. so we stood and had a chat. like we often do, and he explained to me that it was his birthday on tuesday, and he wanted to save up to go to portugal because he's only ever been abroad once for his 60th birthday and after he left, i decided to make the go fund me. i checked with him that he was happy for me to do so. before going live, he said yes. so we shared it on the local beckenham appreciation group on facebook, which is huge and is a real local community standpoint for us and it just flew away. so many people got in touch. so many people got in touch. so many people got in touch. so many people donated . many people donated. >> but mr speirs was unable to make the trip due to his employer's rules on accepting gifts . veolia blamed its gifts. veolia blamed its contract with bromley council,

but they said that it was a matter for the waste management firm. amid all of this bureaucratic bickering, a solution appeared when a travel company spotted an opportunity to help out on the beach. >> .com had an amazing idea to run a competition whereby paul would be the winner and he had to be aged between the age of 62 and 64. be loved in beckenham, have the surname speirs and love elvis. he completed all of those. and so he's won the houday those. and so he's won the holiday and he still gets to go on holiday. >> tough competition for him to win. >> yeah, he was really blown away. he said yesterday he forgot that he'd entered it. >> i entered the competition and i forgot all about it. but then all of a sudden i said, i won, got my £2,000 voucher, which they're going to send me when i can go on holiday and hopefully i'll be flying out on saturday. >> paul told gb news he was delighted that he could take the

holiday, and is now set to take his brother david to albufeira in portugal . and viola has now in portugal. and viola has now stepped in and given paul some extra paid leave to take his holiday. >> i did say if i wanted to go two weeks they'd pay me for the two weeks they'd pay me for the two weeks, but i'm going to try and split it, so i'll take a week now and maybe a week later on. >> on. >> the company has also said it will match the £3,000 from lisa's fundraiser to spend on charity. >> we all have matched that £3,000 to a donated to who i ever wanted nominated, and i to cancer research, which they've already done , and they said it'd already done, and they said it'd take about 2 or 3 days to sort out. >> everyone likes to hear something nice and it was a nice thing to do, which is the whole reason we set it up. >> common sense and community spirit have prevailed. charlie peters gb news, beckenham .

peters gb news, beckenham. >> that is my favourite story of the year so far. >> just common sense has come out and what a decent bloke. great guy. local community rallying round and viola saw the light in the end because it was a pr disaster. >> the thing is, you shouldn't have to. >> you shouldn't have to bend the rules in that way. they should have just been decent from the start and let him have his holiday. >> how clever that the competition you had to be an elvis fan. you had to be a certain age. you had to have the same surname as paul. and of course he was going to. and only his second trip abroad. we saw so many of us take it for granted, don't we, that you just go abroad? it's only a second time. >> let us know how you get on, won't you? yeah, yeah. yeah, right. still to come, if you use those qr codes to pay for your parking. you don't do that, do you? you need to stay us us for some priceless advice. you don't want to miss this. this

gb news. >> right. >> right. >> drivers have been urged to avoid scanning qr codes to pay

for parking after a spate of scams. scde. >> scams. >> the codes are meant to make life simple and easy for us all, apparently. >> well, joining us now from sunny bordeaux is motoring journalist quentin willson. quentin thank you so much for giving up some time on what might be, i suppose, your holiday, maybe if you're in bordeaux now, just just explain to our viewers what we're talking about here with the qr codes. it's because this isn't just using the app, is it? it's something specific. no. >> so what? >> so what? >> fraudsters are doing is they're putting stick on qr codes on parking machines. >> and we saw this on electric car chargers in london last year and flagged it up . and flagged it up. >> but it's now spread to car parks and it's quite prevalent in america and in canada . so in america and in canada. so what they do is they put the sticker on you , then think sticker on you, then think you're paying for your parking using this handy and labour less , using this handy and labour less, qr code. >> but in fact, your data then goes straight to the fraudulent website . website. >> they capture it and then they

try to empty your bank account. and the irony is you don't pay for the parking. so you could not only have your bank account emptied, but you could have the bailiffs appearing because you haven't paid for parking and don't don't realise you've done that. so my advice is understand that. so my advice is understand that very few councils do use, qr codes. they use either cash cards or apps , so pay for cards or apps, so pay for parking only with cash cards or things like ringo or just park things like ringo orjust park because they're much, much better and never ever pay for parking using a qr code. >> do you think we've sort of sort of slept, walked into this way of paying for our parking ? way of paying for our parking? quentin without enough kind of debates about the pros and cons of it? i mean, i'm particularly thinking about my parents when they go to park my car. my dad doesn't have a smartphone, and he can just be baffled by the fact that he can't put a pound in the machine. and it's just all happened without a huge amount of scrutiny. >> well, it's the parking industry , the billion pound

industry, the billion pound parking industry who have made it easier for them and not for us by making it, you know, supposedly better to use a smartphone. >> and as you say, with senior citizens not having smartphones and not able sometimes to pay with cash at all, it does make it difficult. but i think, you know, if you, if you have access to a smartphone, then absolutely download these apps. but it's, it's the way, you know , it's the way, you know, collecting cash and emptying machines is labour intensive . it machines is labour intensive. it costs them time and money. so they're obviously trying to streamline it as quickly as possible. but i think the british parking association needs to make it clear to everybody that if they have been scammed like this and not paid for parking, then not to chase people because, you know, they didn't realise that this was a scam. qr code, it's not great. and who knew that fraud would come to the car park ? come to the car park? >> it's extraordinary, isn't it? it's nowhere is safe from it. quentin. fraud is now the

biggest crime in britain. >> it's really depressing. >> it's really depressing. >> and you hear this lovely, heartwarming story about that, that, that that street cleaner. and it kind of breaks your heart that on the one side, there are these lovely people. and on the other side there are these malicious, fraudulent, devious people who want to do nothing but create chaos. >> i know you're not here to talk about this, but i would really love to hear your opinion on this. we've seen freddie flintoff, former top gear presenter, talking about the awful accident that he had when he sustained significant facial industries, and also injuries, and also psychological troubles that he continues to have from that. do you think those days, the days of those car shows, pushing the limits are probably over now? quentin >> yeah, i think look, we've we've had quite a few celebrated car crashes on, on, on car shows and mercifully, we haven't had any fatalities. but it's a very dangerous game. and when i did top gear, you know, we didn't have the levels of health and safety that they do now. and,

you know, you took things to the limit to create those golden television moments. so i think that world is now gone and we won't see those, those, those those shows that really challenge things because it's basically unsafe. and you can put all the health and safety stuff in and have all the people watching it. but if you're taking cars to the limit and you're driving at extreme speeds and doing extreme cornering, things do go wrong. it's as simple as that. so that was then. and sadly, this is now. >> yeah, this is a different time, isn't it? although ironically, freddie flintoff was travelling in a car that was going quite slowly. i think about 20 miles an hour. >> what car are you driving at the moment, quentin, >> well, look, you know me . i >> well, look, you know me. i drive an electric car a tesla, and i've driven it here to bordeaux and. no, no, no problems at all. and managed to charge all the time. i go to the supermarket here in france. there's a huge 350 kilowatt charger. go shopping, plug it in, come out. it's done. >> have they gone? is it because. are there many more chargers there, quentin, than there are in the uk? >> charging points and not many more. but they've just got

bigger higher power and higher powered chargers here. and the french are really really behind this. and they've got all the wind turbines. is one of the nuclear energy. so we need to sort our grid out. we need to say look this is the long term future . we can we can have cars future. we can we can have cars that don't don't, don't pollute. >> and how many times did you have to stop on your journey to charge up? >> when i took the dogs with me, so it was three three times, so i charged once when i left the uk, once when i got to, to cannes and then twice on the way to bordeaux. and you stop and you have a beef bourguignon in the lovely service station, and it's not an inconvenience. trust me, it's not. >> it's not a beef burger in france . beef beef bourguignon. france. beef beef bourguignon. very good. quentin. lovely to talk to you. great to see you. quentin willson. and very important advice. if it is a qr code on the parking thing, ignore it. don't do it. >> if it's on the gb news website, of course, or on our screen, that's safe. don't be frightened. of all qr codes , but frightened. of all qr codes, but on the parking machines, they don't. they aren't reliable.

>> i don't think i've ever accessed a qr code, ever. >> that does not surprise me. right what day is it? thursday. okay, we won't be back tomorrow . okay, we won't be back tomorrow. thank you for that. we'll be back on monday though, but up next, you're in the very safe and capable hands of tom and emily. >> well, soft touch britain. why on earth are criminals with up to 100 convictions being spared jail and 15% bumper pay rises for train drivers? >> yes, the government has paid to in these bumper demands from the unions. the question is, might this solve the strikes? but at what cost? we'll be into that. and so much more on good afternoon britain. after your weather forecast . weather forecast. >> looks like things are heating up. boxt boilers sponsors of weather on gb news. >> morning. welcome to your latest weather update from the met office here on gb news.

something of a north south split today. lots of cloud across the north. outbreaks of rain this morning where as much of the south staying dry until tonight. in fact a much brighter day on the south coast compared to yesterday, but it's dull and damp for much of scotland and northern ireland this morning. that rain is trickling into nonh that rain is trickling into north west england and north wales, and will continue to spread southwards towards the midlands by the end of the afternoon. at the same time it does start to clear from the far north—west. yes we'll see increasing cloud further south, but we should see some decent spells of sunshine. 2526 degrees in this rainy zone , though it's in this rainy zone, though it's also going to be quite windy, particularly for north wales, northwest england, southwest scotland. by the time we get to this evening's rush hour, the rain should be pulling away from most of scotland. some sunny spells over the highlands, but still 1 or 2 showers could still be quite grey on the east coast at this stage, and potentially through the central belt, although the rain will be heading away by 5 or 6:00. should be clearing from northern ireland by then as well. so for many here a fine evening. still quite blustery over wales and

northwest england with outbreaks of rain spreading down towards the southwest, whereas east anglia in the southwest southeast rather should stay dry well into the evening. it's not really until later on we start to see that rain spreading across east anglia and then the southeast of england. 1 or 2 heavy bursts as it clears through. for many, it will turn clearer and cooler, with temperatures down to single figures in rural parts of scotland and northern ireland still quite warm and humid across east anglia and the southeast. any early rain should scoot away tomorrow morning , but scoot away tomorrow morning, but there is the potential. the warmth and humidity may linger across the southeast, which could give some afternoon showers. so looking at some showers. so looking at some showers across the northwest of scotland for many tomorrows. a decent looking day. dry and bright. a fresher feel as well, and temperatures close to the average for the time of year. generally high. teens across the north. low to mid 20s further south. >> that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers . sponsors of boxt boilers. sponsors of weather on

gb news. >> good afternoon britain. it's 12:00 on thursday the 15th of august. i'm tom harwood and i'm emily carver soft touch britain career criminals with over 100 convictions each. a spared jail as the government cracks down on keyboard warriors. could we be slapping the wrong wrists? >> them's the breaks. the government caves in to train driver pay demands. offering a 15% pay rise . this could end the 15% pay rise. this could end the rail strikes. but at what cost ? rail strikes. but at what cost? >> and we'll be joined by the tory leadership hopeful, tom tugendhat. what has he got to say on security, tax and .