gb news. >> a very good evening to you. i'm martin daubney. i'm standing in for the big man, nigel farage. now. shocking remarks by priti patel in a gb news exclusive interview in which she defends the tory party's migration record when knock on doors and ask your listeners, career criminals have more than 100 convictions are being spared jail time whilst the metropolitan police finds itself under the cosh for failing to adequately investigate crimes. next up, the labour party have

made milestones with public sector pay deals, but so far it's estimated that this will exceed the £22 billion black have your latest news headlines with tatiana sanchez . with tatiana sanchez. senous with tatiana sanchez. serious offence of riot over recent unrest in the uk. that's according to the crown prosecution service, in which the incident occurred. on the 2nd of august. the boy has appeared in court today and the case was adjourned for two weeks following what a district judge called a surprise, charging decision. in other news, 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. more than three quarters of english 18 year old applicants have been accepted into their first choice of university, according to the government. but education secretary bridget phillipson earlier said there are still inequalities in the education system. the economy's continuing its recovery from last year's recession, with growth extending over the latest quarter, according to official data. the ons said gross domestic product increased by 0.6% between april and june. labour's darren jones, chief secretary to the treasury, says the government inherited a huge financial challenge from the tories. however, shadow chief secretary to the treasury laura trott says the economic growth is thanks to previous tory

africa centres for disease control and prevention report , control and prevention report, 96% of all cases and deaths have beenin 96% of all cases and deaths have been in dr. congo. the uk health security agency says there are no currently. there are currently no cases of the virus in the uk, and its deputy director claims the risk is currently considered low . five currently considered low. five people have been charged in connection with actor matthew perry's death from an accidental ketamine overdose last october. the attorney said the investigation uncovered a broad underground criminal network responsible for distributing a large quantity of ketamine to perry to and others. the 54 year old actor, who most famously played chandler bing in the hit us sitcom friends, was found

unresponsive in the swimming pool at his residence in los angeles in december. perry's death was ruled an accident from the acute effects of ketamine. a medical examiner said perry had been receiving ketamine infusion therapy for depression and anxiety, with his last known treatment one and a half weeks pnor treatment one and a half weeks prior to his death. united states attorney for the central district of california martin estrada spoke during a press conference this evening. >> as i mentioned, the defendants in this case knew what they were doing was wrong. when they refer to the ketamine they used coded language. they refer to it using terms such as quote, doctor pepper or quote bots or quote cans. also, defendants plascencia and chavez as medical doctors knew full well this was not the proper way to administer ketamine. and they even talked about that in their exchanges. >> those are the latest gb news headlines. for now, i'm tatiana sanchez. i'll be back with more in an hour for the very latest

gb news direct to your smartphone , sign up to news smartphone, sign up to news alerts by scanning the qr code, or go to gbnews.com forward slash alerts . slash alerts. >> thank you tatiana. now, career criminals have more than 100 convictions are being spared jail time. reports suggest the number of people with multiple convictions avoiding prison nearly tripled between two thousand and seven to 2023. well data from the ministry of justice also shows that the proportion of criminals walking free from court has quadrupled in the past 16 years. in another blow for the police, a separate report of the metropolitan police issued today found that the force is underperforming in seven out of eight areas reviewed and is also failing to

investigate crimes and manage offenders adequately. now, these reports, of course, all come in the wake of the recent disorder we've seen on our streets with two tier policing and two tier justice dominating the conversation. so again, what is going on in british policing? well, joining me now is the chairman of the metropolitan police federation , rick prior. police federation, rick prior. rick, welcome to the show. absolutely set of stats once again. mr prior. over 100 convictions being spared jail 4000 such cases , a 400% increase 4000 such cases, a 400% increase in 16 years. an astonishing failure. and yet we're locking people up for posting offensive things on facebook . what's your take? >> well, it's what i've termed the devastation and destruction to policing that was caused by theresa may and the last government. and since 2010,

stripping police numbers and police budgets down to the bone. and it's the actions of that last government that we're we haven't been able to recover from , we've recruited extra from, we've recruited extra numbers and it's always a statistics game with the government. they quote back to us numbers. but what they failed to appreciate is the speed at which those numbers have increased and the inability of the met to properly , retain the met to properly, retain officers , in the roles is officers, in the roles is meaning that we've got a crisis of experience in the metropolitan police service currently with the commissioner predicting that up to a third, a third of our workforce are going to have under four years service by next year , and that is having by next year, and that is having a massive impact, officers are, they are under an unbearable

amount of pressure to do an unfeasible amount, amount of work. and as a consequence, shortcuts will be found and crimes won't get investigated properly . and it's all of the properly. and it's all of the result of the appalling cuts that were made by theresa may. >> okay, so it seems a bit of an easy way out to say it's a question of resource. it's politicians. what about priorities? why are the police policing tweets and not streets? we're seeing people being locked up for facebook posts, for tweets , for offensive things tweets, for offensive things they've said with no actual real world consequences? this is real crime. real criminals, real lives being destroyed. it's not enough to say it's the former prime minister's fault. it's your to job lock up criminals, actual criminals, not people who are posting things on facebook. >> well, the commissioner is prioritising front line policing, but unfortunately there's a very thin amount of

officers to spread over an ever increasing amount of work, at the moment, because of the lack of experience that i've just told you about, particularly on the front line, we're taking experienced detectives away from specialist units such as jigsaw units. that investigate sex offenders, for example, which was cited in that hmrc report. and we're diluting the experience in those units. and to bolster the front line. so the commissioner is doing his best to try to , mitigate an best to try to, mitigate an impossible situation that hmrc report that you referred to. highlights certain failures in around the investigation or sorry, not the investigation. the management of sex offenders and that . and that. >> can i ask you specifically about that? because one of the most astonishing things in a truly eviscerating set of information here is that the

report found that in several areas of london, the metropolitan police force was warning sex offenders that they were going to be visited rather than just turning up for spot checks. that's not a question of resource. it's a question of incompetence . incompetence. >> it's unacceptable, you know that sex offenders shouldn't be warned that they're going to be visited . however, as i said visited. however, as i said before, unbearable pressure on officers who do an unfeasible amount of work results in shortcuts being found. and with the workload that officers have, if they've already visited an address three times and it's taken them an hour to go from one side of one of these super boroughs, now to the other side to do a check. and on three occasions they've not been able to, speak to the offender . then to, speak to the offender. then they, you know, they'll be making these poor decisions to lessen the workload and to be able to be able to, you know, at

least tick off some of the work that has to be done. they're facing an incredible amount of pressure to do an enormous amount of work , and something amount of work, and something has to give at some point that is a that is a bare fact. >> and what's having to give is that people aren't being banged up and what's having to give is that you're tipping off sex offenders before you knock on the door. an astonishing state of affairs. rick prior, chairman of affairs. rick prior, chairman of the metropolitan police federation, thanks for joining us. what do you make of that? well, joining me now to discuss this in the studio is the former tory mp and the minister, ranil jayawardena, and also the former labour adviser, matthew torbett. let's start with you, ranil. what do you. i just thought that was incredible. you know, serious shortfalls though, being quantified, being laid out. the data is unavoidable. he all he did was blame theresa may and blamed police numbers. it's not about numbers, it's about the priorities. surely you're absolutely right. >> priorities are important. numbers are important too. there are now more police on the

streets than there were in 2010, so i don't think the argument that was put forward stacks up . that was put forward stacks up. but the priorities are key. and there does seem to be this obsession in the labour party and in the lib dems with community sentencing, community punishments, which just don't work. you know, people are protected if criminals, hardened criminals are in prison. protected if criminals, hardened criminals are in prison . and criminals are in prison. and when, you know, 50% of all crimes are being committed by less than 10% of the criminals , less than 10% of the criminals, i think we can say that prison would work. >> matthew, what's your take on that? i mean, it just i just think people look at this and they think, have the police completely lost their way? have they completely lost a sense of priority? the idea that serial criminals are just going walkies and they're enjoying their liberty, and a first time offender, a girl of 13, this week in aldershot, who was who would now face a criminal record for being at a protest, have the police just totally lost their sense of priority? >> possibly , what i'd like what

>> possibly, what i'd like what i'd like to do is, is directly challenge what you've just said about community sentencing. why do you think community sentencing doesn't work if people are out on the streets, as they are right now, they are committing repeat offences, and the stats show that this is verified statistics. >> these aren't mine . these are >> these aren't mine. these are other people's. and you know, half of all crime being committed by repeat offenders, less than 10% of the offenders. these are people who are not being challenged in a meaningful way. more crime seems to get them off time. and actually what we need is tougher sentencing, putting these people who are creating great misery for people across this country. well, i'm pleased to see there's clarity here that labour don't want to lock up these criminals. you know, the truth is , these people know, the truth is, these people need to be locked up to protect the public. >> okay, matthew, i'd like to challenge that as someone that's been through community sentencing program, and i'm sat here in a studio right now in front of you. not committing crime on the streets are too

many people are just just just let me speak. i'll let you speak. it's about whether prison works and whether sentencing full time works. the whole point of prison is supposed to be punishment, deterrence, incapacitation and rehabilitation. now the punishment goes some way because you can either lock somebody up, take all their liberties away. that's the ultimate punishment. what i did, i used my cell phone as an example for this a lot because i've got skin in the game. i was homeless as a teenager due to a family breakdown. i slept on the streets of manchester and was groomed into a gang. i then was sentenced to 12 months in prison. i didn't go to prison because it was suspended sentence. i saw that as a second chance at life. now what i couldn't do is gain gainful employment for the next decade and i had to work hard to convince people that i wasn't, you know, a rag tag sort of scumbag or whatever else. i was someone that had fallen by the wayside. a lot of crime is committed through poverty and through people that are vulnerable. not all. and i don't

reserve this for people like sex offenders and murderers. and there's a different kettle of fish altogether. there now, if my friends, if my best friend's mum didn't take me in, i still had nowhere to go. i would have continued committing crime. because if it's between stealing and starving, you're more than likely going to steal, and starving, you're more than likely going to steal , because likely going to steal, because otherwise you're not. you're not surviving. that's that's as simple as it is. i think prison doesn't currently work because it punishes . absolutely. it it punishes. absolutely. it doesn't rehabilitate. and as a conservative and i will let you in re—offending cos the home office, nearly £20 billion a yean office, nearly £20 billion a year, that money could be used for so much good and community sentencing isn't for everybody. but i think we're sending so many people to prison the same as james timpson has said. the prisons minister, two thirds of people shouldn't even be there in the first place. the fact that you can't get on in life is a punishment in itself in many ways. >> well, i salute you for rebuilding your life. but the truth is, as you set out, that you wanted to change, you wanted to do better. and i'm sorry to say, the statistics show too

many people don't. and when people don't want to change, because i agree, if people want to be. if people want to change, if people want to live a better life, i'm all for that. that's something that generations of people in this country have believed in. but if people don't want to change the law abiding majority, the british public deserve to be protected. and that's what prison does. >> but if you want to change, but there isn't the opportunity. and this is what i always come back to. i only got out of that cycle or what could have been a cycle, because i was given an opportunity. if you don't have the opportunity and we see this, you know, described as career criminals with hundreds of things , hundreds of, you know, things, hundreds of, you know, crimes that they've committed . crimes that they've committed. have they been given opportunity now? they might have done and therefore you know, something needs to be done. i agree, but ultimately, i think if you're in that cycle, it actually becomes easier to be inside than out because you're a jobless layabout. you know, nobody respects you on the outside. if you're inside. people, even people in prison, know who you are. >> so we should stop people getting into that cycle in the first place. and that's why

education is so important. i talked about that in my maiden speech many moons ago, and people in this country are blessed with a fantastic free education across this country. we have now the best standards in reading and maths in the western world. that's a great start for anyone who wants it. and i would encourage everyone to do that. i'd encourage to parents encourage their children to do that, but there will be cases where people don't want to take that path . and i do come take that path. and i do come back to the point that the pubuc back to the point that the public do need to protect protection from people who want to do them harm. that's what the job of government is . and, you job of government is. and, you know, big test ahead for the labour government as to whether they're going to rise to that challenge, because you know, previously, labour governments and lib dems have wanted to prioritise community sentencing over that sense of protection for the public. so it's a big test for the government in the weeks, months, years ahead. >> so how do you explain crime going up under the last conservative government? >> well, actually crime fell by fraud. fraud went up. i accept

that i'm not going to pretend otherwise. i'm a very straight speaken otherwise. i'm a very straight speaker. but crime fell bar fraud and that's as a result of more investigation into those particularly heinous crimes. sex crimes, offences against the person . so progress has been person. so progress has been made. that's as a result of putting more police officers on the streets. i don't disagree entirely with what the fed said. we do need more officers. we need to back our officers to do the right job. but then it comes back to, as you said, the priorities. >> okay. rhino matthew, a full, frank, honest, wonderful start to show. thank you very much for being so frank with us there. excellent stuff . now up next, excellent stuff. now up next, has the labour party delivered or will their supermassive black hole prove too overwhelming? and we'll bring you that bombshell exclusive with priti patel. believe me, you will not want to miss it

welcome back to farage with me. martin daubney standing in for the big man. now, on the surface it seems that the labour party is well on their way to sorting out the major striking that has been plaguing the uk over these past couple of years. but is it all smoke and no fire? junior doctors have been offered a 22% pay doctors have been offered a 22% pay rise and train drivers 15%, averaging their salaries to about 70 grand. not bad is it for driving a train? now that begs the question how are they going to pay for all of this lot? well, lucky for you, i took this matter into my hands and i worked out that the so—called black hole the labour claims they've inherited, which amounts to £22 billion, is not as vast as the supermassive black hole created by labour's seemingly unfunded promises. but could the black hole turn into that supermassive black hole with the addition of labour's public sector bonanza giveaway? well,

in an interview with bbc radio four today programme, bridget phillipson, the education secretary, repeatedly swerves the question when asked who will foot the bill? let's take listen. >> i was pleased with the offer that you have given them. who will pay? >> well. i think it is important that we settle these disputes, and i'm glad that it sounds like we're going to be able to completely resolve this. so the last conservative government, we are working through this process and we will make sure that this dealis and we will make sure that this deal is fair. i ask you again, who will pay? >> where will the money come from? >> we will make sure that this is properly worked through. >> i don't understand that as an answer to the question though. who? who will pay? well well, i think it's fair to say she doesn't know who's going to pay. >> and maybe none of them do. and let's just chuck in some extra money. there's £100 million given away today to the train drivers. what about an extra 10 billion? well that's the cost of the 5.5% giveaway to teachers and nhs workers. half a

billion to junior doctors. that's 13 billion. if you factor in future pension liabilities. added up, that equates to more than the black hole that the tories allegedly gave to the labour party. well, let's get our teeth into this now with my panel our teeth into this now with my panel. who are still in the studio, tory mp and minister, former tory mp and minister ranil jayawardena and of course, the former labour adviser matthew torbett. matthew, let's start with you. as a man of the political left, where is the money coming from? >> that's a question for rachel reeves. one would assume an element of tax rises which people will be annoyed about, but i think if i was to be generous, the labour party can't really win it. so they either stand firm, as some people may see it and see down the strikers and the unions , and we continue and the unions, and we continue with the misery. and it is it's absolutely awful travelling on the train in this country, up and down and stuff. it's not a

pleasant experience. if you can get on one or they do the short term thing of giving them a pay rise, which, you know, people have pointed out in real terms of inflation since 2019, is a pay of inflation since 2019, is a pay cut. inflation is added to every 30%, and this is a 15% over four years, three years and so i think, you know, and you look at other countries , other look at other countries, other social democratic leaning countries , people pay high countries, people pay high taxes, but they have great pubuc taxes, but they have great public services. now, there's a reason our taxes seem to be at record highs , post—war highs. record highs, post—war highs. and yet the public services are on their backside. so i think they can't really win here. but i'd rather have trains run on time and pay a little bit more than not know if it's going to be there and have a little bit more in my back pocket, probably for the taxi to where i need to be, that the trains not turned up for. >> but doesn't this send out the message that striking pays off? absolutely. i had steve hadley, the former rmt union chair, on the former rmt union chair, on the show, my show earlier on, and he said 100 million is not enough. we should carry on striking. and there was the face

of socialism, £100 million of other people's money. still not enough. other people's money. still not enough . and it has to be said. enough. and it has to be said. surely this sends out the message that number 11, the door will be open to be knocked on by any other union. a month into the labour party's power, and they seem to be on a bonanza giveaway to the unions. >> i don't think that's quite fair. i think, first of all, you know, steve speaks for himself. i wouldn't say he was the face of socialism. and mick whelan is obviously putting this offer forward to his union members and encouraged them to take it. he thinks it's a very good offer and i would agree with that. i think they've got a fairly decent offer on the table, and i think it will remain to be seen if number eleven's door is really open to whoever wants to go on strike. i think it shows has been so far. well, i think it shows the power of being in a good, strong trade union. they'll fight for you and get you exactly what you're rightly owed. but i think on the other side, it is a short term measure and even just anecdotally, the amount of junior doctors and health care workers i know of that have been leaving for

canada for australia, for new zealand, even if this is a short term measure to stop that in the first place and leave us in even more of a worse situation of the health service collapsing in on itself, we know staff. i think that's perfectly okay in the short term. >> ryan o'neal where will the money come from? perhaps rachel reeves might go to corbyn's allotment and dig up that magic money tree. >> well, it seems that there's a lot of spending unfunded spending that rachel reeves and the labour government are already cracking on with. and, you know, this is, you know, i think in stark contrast, £70,000 wages for train drivers. and by the way , lots of people want to the way, lots of people want to drive trains. there's always a waiting list of people who want to progress through the ladder , to progress through the ladder, £70,000 for people who want to drive trains at the same time as cutting the winter fuel allowance for pensioners. and that's the that's the choice that's the that's the choice that this labour government has made in the first month of being in government. and, you know, yes , further tax rises ahead. we yes, further tax rises ahead. we agree there are going to be further tax rises, whether that's capital gains tax taxes to people's pensions,

inheritance tax, which is a terribly unpopular tax across this country. you know, these are the things that are going to happen. and then you've got to look at labour in wales. what what have they done. they've lifted everyone's council tax too. so i think there's a lot of tax rises ahead. and that's going to fund not only these wage bill increases but more . wage bill increases but more. and of course inflation has risen as part of this. so you know all that hard work to get inflation down to keep prices down for people across this country who are working hard, who are trying to do everything possible to keep you know, to make ends meet, this is a big problem. >> and matthew, very briefly, do you think a lot of people who with long memories, they look back to the days of the 1970s and the richest people who inevitably seem to be the ones who'll be targeted by this government, they'll just clear off abroad. >> maybe i'm too young , >> maybe i'm too young, unfortunately, to remember the 70s. >> and then? then the net tax input just plummets because the richest just just clear off again.

>> it remains to be seen. i think rachel reeves has done quite a good job of getting business onside. and so i would be surprised. i'd be surprised if she hits them too hard in the pocket, because it'll undo all that good work. she's got to get in in the first place, and she no doubt has ambitions higher than chancellor. at some point you're not going to get him without business, unfortunately. okay. >> matthew randall, thank you very much. another great debate. now coming up, despite economic growth, labour are to hike up our taxes, as we've just been discussing . rachel reeves has discussing. rachel reeves has confirmed also what is monkeypox and should we be worried. well, we've got an expert on shortly to shed some light on this new outbreak. another pandemic incoming ? surely not. and we'll incoming? surely not. and we'll bnng incoming? surely not. and we'll bring you that bombshell exclusive with priti patel. you will not want miss it. and coui'se course we'll get that priti patel chat soon.

next. welcome back to farage with me.

martin daubney standing in for nigel himself. now, some good news for chancellor rachel reeves in the run up to the autumn budget, because the uk economy continues to recover from recession , with gdp growth from recession, with gdp growth of 0.6% recorded in the six months to june. now, the latest figures from the ons follows a 0.7% increase in the first three months of this year, and it means that the uk economy is the fastest growing in the g7 so far this year , despite brexit. but this year, despite brexit. but rachel reeves was quick to dampen the positivity once again, paving the way for tax rises in her maiden budget in october. and the chancellor said that labour is under no illusion as to the economic challenge they've inherited, citing that £22 billion black hole in the pubuc £22 billion black hole in the public finances once again . now, public finances once again. now, ms reeves went on to say that the government is taking the tough decisions to rebuild

britain. well, joining me now to discuss this is the political editor at huffpost uk, kevin schofield. kevin, always an absolute delight to speak to you , absolute delight to speak to you, my friend. so as sure as night follows day death and taxes, they're both inevitable tax rises under the labour party seem absolutely nailed on. where do you think miss reeves will be looking to dip into the pockets? >> well, obviously martin, in the manifesto that labour ran on, they ruled out raising vat income tax , national insurance. income tax, national insurance. so that limits her options. i think you've got to look at maybe capital gains tax . maybe capital gains tax. inheritance tax is another one potentially, but you know , potentially, but you know, rachel reeves has said that she will raise taxes. so it is inevitable. so in a strange way, although she's chancellor, this is good economic news today . but is good economic news today. but in a weird way, it's not great for news her because it kind of

runs against the narrative that labour have had ever since they got elected, that the economy is on its knees, there's no money left and things are worse than any government has had in terms of an inheritance since the second world war. and lo and behold, the economy actually is ticking along quite nicely. so i can understand why the conservatives are pointing the finger at labour and saying, hey, hang on a minute. you can't, on the one hand say things are terrible, but be presented with these economic growth figures. so, yeah, i think the picture isn't quite as black as labour would have you believe, but , i black as labour would have you believe, but, i think, you black as labour would have you believe, but , i think, you know, believe, but, i think, you know, it's not great, and there's no doubt at all that unfortunately, come the budget, i think taxes will go up somewhere. >> but, kevin, how does this picture of old mother hubbard going to the cupboard and its bare tally with this bonanza, this giveaway that we're seeing at the moment, £100 million to the train drivers today, £10 billion to public sector

workers, half a billion to junior doctors. and who knows who's going to be knocking on the door of number 11 next. does that marry up? there's a feeling here that it's great if you work in the public sector, but if you're a hard working private sector worker, el tufo, the labour party has come in for you. >> or if you're a pensioner who isn't receiving tax credits and you're going to see your winter fuel allowance go. and i've just been back home to scotland for a few days, speaking to relatives who are losing out, and they're not happy about it. i can tell you that for a fact. so, so yeah, it's a gamble and it's a balancing act as far as labour are concerned. i think in terms of the strikes, they want to end the strikes. that was one of the main criticisms that they made of the conservatives, wasn't it before the election was that these strikes had to end , that these strikes had to end, that these strikes had to end, that the government had been using the government had been using the strikes almost as a political weapon? so the they've decided, obviously it's a price worth paying now that might get them over the hump. now, in the short term, it'll end the strikes. but further down the

line , the unions will come back line, the unions will come back again , as is entirely their again, as is entirely their right to do and say. right, we want some more money for our members, and that is where it's going to get difficult for laboun going to get difficult for labour, because they have to find the money to fund them. now they're putting all their eggs in the economic growth basket, and they're going to have to hope, really, with their fingers and toes crossed , that they and toes crossed, that they actually hit the hit their targets, or else the money's going to have to come from somewhere. and that could be even more tax rises or public spending cuts. >> okay. kevin schofield, thank you for joining >> okay. kevin schofield, thank you forjoining us. that's >> okay. kevin schofield, thank you for joining us. that's the political editor at huffpost uk. always a pleasure to have you on the show. now we're moving swiftly on now because the world health organisation has declared a fresh outbreak of mpox, which of course was formerly known as monkeypox before they declared that was racist. a global emergency apparently is on the way now. there have been almost 15,000 cases in the democratic repubuc 15,000 cases in the democratic republic of congo, with more than 500 deaths. but what might

this mean for public health here in the uk? well despite the uk health security agency said today that there were currently no cases in the country and that the current level of risk is low. sweden tonight has reported its first case of the more dangerous and contagious mpox strain, the first of its kind in europe . so what does this all europe. so what does this all mean for the state here in the uk? well, i'm joined now to shed some light on this by the virologist doctor chris smith. doctor smith , welcome to the doctor smith, welcome to the show. so another pandemic is incoming it seems for now the risk to the uk is low. tell us more . more. >> well what's actually been announced by the world health organisation is a public health emergency of international concern. now that's not like going to defcon one. that's like actually warning people that there may be a threat . but the there may be a threat. but the threat is mainly focused on

africa at the moment. so what it doesisit africa at the moment. so what it does is it tells countries, member states who subscribe to the world health organisation all around the world, really to be on their guard and prepare and be vigilant. but it doesn't mean that they're expecting a pandemic anytime soon. these measures that this will invoke are designed to prevent that becoming the case. >> do you think that the public in britain is going to listen to any of this any more ? forgive me any of this any more? forgive me for my cynicism. we've had so many warnings of pandemics. we saw it with monkeypox the last time around with avian flu, with ebola before that, and with covid lockdowns, of course, and already were being teed up that the best way to get around this is to take a preventative vaccine. doctor smith, do you really think the british public is going to be compliant? the w.h.0, is going to be compliant? the who, after all, hardly bathed w.h.o, after all, hardly bathed itself in glory during the pandemic, at least in the early stages. >> well, one of the criticisms that's emerged both during the

pandemic and also during our covid inquiry here in the uk, levelled not just at our country but at countries worldwide, was that we were all slow off the mark. and i think what the w.h.0. mark. and i think what the who. are trying to do is to w.h.o. are trying to do is to make sure that we stay one step ahead, because we know prevention is always better than cure. if we do little or nothing, and we wait until we have cases , it's much harder to have cases, it's much harder to deal with this sort of thing than to put people on notice that this may be coming . that this may be coming. prepare, make sure that we're vigilant, and if we do , then see vigilant, and if we do, then see a patient coming into hospital who has a travel history to an affected geography, it means that people are more likely to take it seriously, and we can nip it in the bud before it becomes an outbreak. these are infectious diseases. remember the r value from covid. the r value for this virus is about 2 to 3, which means for every case we see, it will infect about 2 or 3 other people. so outbreaks will grow quite quickly. so being on our guard, being vigilant and galvanising the world to respond will help to

deal with the problem at source, where it is in the democratic repubuc where it is in the democratic republic of congo at the moment, and minimise the risk to us here. but as maria van kerkhove, who's the director of emerging infection for the world health organisation, told me about half an hour ago and i was just to talking her. she said viruses don't need passports to cross borders and what they're already seeing in african nations flanking the democratic republic of congo, where the current outbreak is occurring, that's burundi, rwanda, it's also going into kenya and uganda. they're seeing cases cropping up there. and indeed, you've just highlighted we've seen a case declared by sweden. so these things do travel. and it's important that we're aware of the threat so that we can do something about it to be prepared. >> okay. doctor chris smith, thank you for your input. >> okay. doctor chris smith, thank you for your input . a lot thank you for your input. a lot of sense of deja vu in all of that. and let's let's see what becomes of it. now. our political editor sat down with the tory leadership hopeful, dame priti patel, and her comments on net migration are simply stunning, remarkable.

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welcome back to farage with me. martin daubney standing in for nigel. now we've got a treat for you. now brace yourselves because our political editor, christopher hope, has been interviewing tory leadership hopeful dame priti patel. now, she was asked by chopper if she would apologise for her and the tories shocking record on immigration. now remember that dunng immigration. now remember that during her time as home secretary, successful asylum claims reached a 30 year high. now her answer, i'm sure, will shock you. take a listen. >> former home secretary when immigration hit record levels. do you want to apologise for that? >> well, i think we have to look at context first of all. so. and

remember this 2019 election campaign . i was absolutely campaign. i was absolutely crystal clear. we as a party stood on a platform points based system, points based system. and you know why that was? a lot of people didn't want to write about it or report on it at the time. points based system means the government of the day has levers to control immigration numbers. that is a fact we chose not to. that's actually you can't you cannot say that that is that is not accurate, if i may say so. primarily because actually conservative government did choose to act on that. and it did in rishi sunak's government. my time as home secretary, i was bringing in the whole system reforms, and that was on legal migration. a points based system. and we can come on to illegal, which is separate. the two should never be conflated. no, i don't, but on legal migration, let's not forget in 2020 onwards we've just spoken about the pandemic. we had the pandemic. so what did the government choose to do? and i think this is the right thing to do. we absolutely made sure we gave the nhs the support that

it needed through health and social care visas. are we going to say that was the wrong thing to say that was the wrong thing to do? i mean, knock on doors and ask your listeners, your viewers, would they say we should not have had more doctors and nurses? i think they would not. >> that's what labour say. >> that's what labour say. >> i mean, i think, well, are they saying there are labour really saying that? because i think that's incredibly disingenuous and insincere. think about the implications that would have had for nhs waiting lists and people accessing treatment. and then on top of that, i mean, people want top of that, i mean, people want to have this debate. i'm very happy to have the debate and discussion. humanitarian crises. russia ukraine. would we say no to the ukrainian citizens that have made their homes here and nor to the hong kongers? >> i mean the bno, british, british nationals in hong kong, the national security act in hong kong was a turning point for all of us. >> we have historic so you don't want the people of hong kong. >> net migration has gone 2 million over four years. you don't want to say that was too much. i mean, many would say it is too much, but you can put context to it and i think it's

too lazy. >> if i may say so. i think it's really quite sloppy just to go around, you know, the merry go round on this in the sense that students, we shut down, don't forget, during the pandemic, our borders were effectively closed. there was no travel. what about all those international students? they came in after the pandemic. are we saying that they should not have come into they should not have come into the country so what their families there, didn't they? on your watch, the system? actually, no. no, you have to again, which students brought their families look at the categories and the criteria. i do think, you know, put the facts and the context around this. we have to be honest with the public about what our economy and our country needs . economy and our country needs. i've spent years when i was in government as well. all colleagues lobbying for more seasonal agricultural workers , seasonal agricultural workers, treasury, of course, more lorry drivers, lorry drivers . drivers, lorry drivers. actually, dwp did some really good work on to actually national training schemes in place. but again it speaks to our economic needs and how we actually going to grow the talent that people automatically said we have domestically here. we now have the levers of

control. we have to apply those. >> what brexit gave you, gave you that control. >> so brexit freedoms gave us that control. and i think for your viewers and listeners in particular, a points based system was only possible because of . brexit. of. brexit. >> wow. well joining me now to discuss this in the studio is one of peter patel's former colleagues, the former tory mp and minister ranil jayawardena, and minister ranil jayawardena, and also the former labour adviser matthew warburton . tom adviser matthew warburton. tom harwood has hoved into view. of course, he's going to have to say to the nation later, let's get the views of all of you and we have to start with you. 2 million came in on the conservatives watch in that that short period of time. priti patel there defended all of it. what's your take. >> well i thought that was a very strong interview actually. and she was right to talk about the context, but also the control on the borders. and one thing i want to talk the control 2 million. well, the point is she's talked about the context and the control. so the points

based system is what people wanted to give the government of the day control of our borders. and that control meant that when there was an issue in hong kong, as she talked about, or in ukraine, as she also referenced , ukraine, as she also referenced, we were able to act, but equally , we were able to act, but equally, where the immigration rules need to be tightened up, for example, on students, then we've gone ahead and done that too. and that's just happened. well, james cleverly, who has just been home secretary, has done exactly that. so, so progress has been massive outcry , has been massive outcry, progress has been made. i think the point is that that was a very strong interview as part of her pitch to be leader. there are lots of great candidates who are lots of great candidates who are looking to be leader. the really important point here is that we now have control. we didn't have control before when we were in the european union. do you think conservative voters actually listen to what you're saying and believe that there was control of borders during that period? >> 2,675,000 net inward last yean >> 2,675,000 net inward last year, the last term of the conservative party in what planet is that? controlling

borders. well, i'm certainly in agreement that we should be reducing net migration further, and i'd like to see that come right down. >> but you've got to do one other thing, which is something that i was talking to you a moment ago about, which is have more children in your country and to fill the jobs in the nhs, as she referenced, we've got to make sure there are people to do that job might take 18 years before they're old enough. >> well, exactly. >> well, exactly. >> so we'd better get going. and you know, the tax system, the tax system needs to be changed to encourage people to make it more affordable for families to have more children. it's a really important thing that no government, conservative, laboun government, conservative, labour, liberal democrat, anyone else has wanted to tackle. it's something we must if we want to get migration down in the future. >> matthew talbot, you have a wry smile on your face. tell us why. >> i'd like to welcome comrade patel to the movement of liberal migration levels. it was nice to hear some context from her. and, you know, a sensible discussion, itend you know, a sensible discussion, i tend to think, which you. i suppose you'd expect. we look at this almost through the wrong end of the telescope. i think we have an ageing population and

the great things about scientific advancement is we all get to live longer, and we have lots of medicines and whatever else. but i think what that means is we should look a bit less at the proportions and how maybe a bit more , why our public maybe a bit more, why our public services need things like immigration. so if you look back to the 80s, we had about four working people per pensioner. now we're at 2 or 3 and that's going to come further down, even more so without more people paying more so without more people paying into the tax system. we're not going to have an nhs. we're not going to have an nhs. we're not going to have an nhs. we're not going to have a state pension. we don't have any of these nice things. >> and it all comes to down children. >> tom moore can i get a quick nibble from you on this? so in the context of 4 million people who went to the reform party this year, they're expecting priti patel to pitch in. i think they thought she may have been on the right of this. how do you think that will land with conservative voters? it's really interesting because priti patel has often been painted as being on the right of the conservative party. >> she certainly is on a lot of these issues. i wonder if this is a pitch to conservative

members of parliament before talking to the members. let's not forget, members don't get to vote until until october, right? no conservative party member will be voting in this context for months. the first element of this contest is only 121 conservative mps. they might think a little bit differently to the membership. let's see how this conversation develops. >> okay, we've got some breaking news for you now because harry and meghan have arrived in columbia and we see live pictures now on your screen. they've been greeted by columbia's vice president francia marquez. as you can see there, and her husband rafael. johnny pinilla. they spent around half an hour at the vice president's residence, as you can see there, with some majestic local dancers and where they exchanged welcome gifts and were offered tea , coffee and were offered tea, coffee and traditional pandebono, which apparently is colombian cheese bread. now remember they snubbed the uk for this because they felt that it wouldn't be safe enoughin felt that it wouldn't be safe enough in the uk because of the risk of acid or knife attacks

just pointing out to spoil the revelry on your screen there. but in actual fact, you're 22 times more likely to be killed in colombia. sorry to pour cold water on these proceedings, but look, they're over there on what's being called a faux royal toun what's being called a faux royal tour. and this is moments ago. they're taking a seat . they're they're taking a seat. they're getting a heroic welcome. superb silver. like to thank our panel tonight. and ranil and matthew. and of course tom harwood is up next with state of the nation. but for now, let's enjoy the sussexes. they're having the full red carpet treatment rolled out in colombia. they look pretty smug about it too. first, here's your weather and it's alex burkill . alex burkill. >> looks like things are heating up. boxt boilers sponsors of weather on gb news >> hey good evening. here's your

latest gb news weather forecast coming to you from the met office looking ahead to tomorrow. and there will be sunny spells for many of us in just a few showers in the north. but before then we do have some wet weather around. at the moment. we do have a frontal system that's still making its way southeastwards, and this is going to bring quite a bit of cloud, quite a bit of rain across much of england and wales through the end of the evening, pushing away towards the southeast as we go through the early hours of friday morning. could be some heavy bursts amongst it before it eventually clears away towards the southeast through tomorrow itself. behind it some clearer skies and under the clear skies, temperatures may drop a little bit lower than they have done through some recent nights. some places getting into mid single figures. so first thing tomorrow morning it is going to be a bit of a damp start across some parts of the far southeast, particularly towards kent. here we could have some outbreaks of rain for a time before that front clears away across the southwest of england. it's brighter. also across much of wales and the midlands, some decent sunshine early on and a similar story further north, and

northern england, northern ireland and into scotland. there will be some decent sunny spells here, but for western scotland quite a few showers already developing and these showers are going to continue as we go through the day tomorrow. they're always going to be most frequent across western northwestern parts of scotland, and here we will also have some blustery winds pushing their way in, and those blustery winds are going to add to the slightly cooler feel to things across northern parts of the uk. further towards the south southeast . once the cloud and southeast. once the cloud and the rain clears away, it should feel pretty warm with temperatures in the mid 20s celsius. looking ahead to saturday and again we're going to see some showers across northern and western parts. not many showers , but a few coming many showers, but a few coming through at times and some brisk winds towards the far northwest. a greater chance of staying dry and avoiding the showers towards more eastern and southeastern parts . sunday looks like a parts. sunday looks like a relatively similar day, with more showers across the north before some wet weather arrives. for many of us by monday. >> by a brighter outlook with

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gb news. >> mog on state of the nation tonight. shocking soft touch statistics offenders with more than 100 charges are walking free. instead of time behind bars, they're getting a slap on the wrist. critics say it sends the wrist. critics say it sends the wrong message , while victims the wrong message, while victims are left asking where's the justice? are our streets really safe? stay tuned for more on this . tory safe? stay tuned for more on this. tory leadership candidate priti patel has sat down for an

exclusive interview with gb