hello. it's monday, it's 10 o'clock — our new programme start time — i'm victoria derbyshire... as mps prepare to debate bullying and sexual harassment in parliament, onejunior house of commons member of staff tells us exclusively that dealing with abuse "just part of the job". i have one older civil servant for a government department get right in my face, shouting at me. i could almost feel the spit landing on my face. he was so angry. she claims one mp is notorious for inappropriate behaviour with women, but that nothing's been done to stop him. he seems to take greatjoy in intimidating members of staff, particularly women, staring at them and not breaking eye contact, standing close behind them and maybe touching them inappropriately. katie also says she has no confidence any mp will face any consequences. we'll have the full excluisve interview in the next few minutes. the head of the nhs's gender identity clinic answers

claims that it's "fast—tracking" young people into making life—changing decisions about transitioning. we've been following the progress of trans children who've been using the tavistock clinic for the last few years you have started to have puberty blockers, haven't you? yeah. what does that involve? and that will pause you, effectively, becoming a teenage boy. the clinic director is live exclusively this morning to respond to the criticism and the un special investigator into poverty is visting the uk after being sent hundreds of stories of people who say they're suffering from hardship here. here are some of the people who wrote to the un poverty tsar. did you write to him too? let us know. hello.

welcome to the programme at our new time of 10am. we're live until 11 this morning — the spice girls are set to announce a new tour today...minus posh spice. is it the biggest musical comeback of the decade? why are they doing it? do get in touch on all the stories we're talking about — use the hashtag victoria live. if you're emailing and are happy for us to contact you — and maybe want to take part in the programme — please include your phone number in your message. it's just after 10 o'clock. here's rebecca with the summary of the morning's news so far. good morning — i'm rebecca jones. our top stories today at 10: the mayor of london, sadiq khan, has warned it could take up to ten years or even a generation to make progress in tackling the problem of violent crime in london. his comments come after a recent spike in murders in the capital, with four fatal stabbings since last wednesday. two men have been arrested on suspicion of stabbing a 22—year—old man to death in south

east london yesterday. on friday, a 17—year—old was fatally stabbed outside a tube station, and a 15—year—old was killed on wednesday in what police are describing as a "premeditated" attack. the latest victim was the 116th person to be murdered in the capital this year. this morning the mayor of london, sadiq khan, said the increase in violent crime across london was unacceptable. the home affairs select committee, a cross—party committee, recently did a report which was scathing on cuts from government. the home office's own officials say there's a link between police officers being cut and violent crime going up, and the most senior police officers say it would be naive to think there is no link between police cuts and an increase in violent crime. all that being said, in london and at city hall, we're doing as much as we can investing in policing, but also investing in young people. but the increase in violent crime in london and across england and wales is unacceptable.

mps are preparing to debate a major report into bullying and sexual harassment in the houses of parliament. the report, written by dame laura cox, was commissioned after a series of allegations about bullying in parliament came to light. onejunior house of commons member of staff — speaking exclusively to the victoria derbyshire programme — said that "dealing with abuse is part of the job". i have had members of staff shouting in my face, calling me stupid. one older senior member of staff shouted at me and asked if i even knew what brexit was, if i even knew what was going on. i have had inappropriate comments, members of staff, particularly mps, asking, don't i know who they are? us sanctions on iran have been reinstated in a measure described by president trump as the "toughest ever". the sanctions — which target iran's oil sales and banking sector — are being introduced following america's withdrawal from the international nuclear deal agreed in 2015. washington says it's trying to stop

what it calls tehran‘s destructive behaviour across the middle east. the rules on foreign fighters in the british armed forces are to be relaxed to try to ease the worst recruitment crisis in a decade. currently, citizens from commonwealth countries can only sign up if they have lived in the uk for five years, but the ministry of defence is to lift this requirement so they'll be able to join without ever having lived in the uk. that is the latest news. now back to victoria. lynn has tweeted regarding bullying in the commons after our interview with katie, appalling behaviour, needs to stop. this bullying seems to have got to new levels. we talk as if it is children, but these are adults. it is shameful. later in the programme we'll be talking about the un poverty tsar coming to town — he's been sent

hundreds of stories about people's experiences of living on the breadline in this country — what's your story? send us a message in the usual way. and the spice girls are set to announce a new tour — we'll be talking about that at around 10.45. our top story today — mps are preparing to debate a major report into bullying and sexual harassment in the houses of parliament. and one junior house of commons member of staff — speaking exclusively to this programme — tells us that "dealing with abuse is part of the job" and she has no confidence anything will change. three weeks ago, a 155 page report into commons bullying said it was "tolerated" and "normalised", and it went on to criticise a culture of "silence" in response to widespread cases of inappropriate touching, lewd language and intimidating behaviour. the report, written by dame laura cox, was commissioned after a series of allegations about bullying in parliament came to light, including against the speaker of the house of commons, john bercow. he strenuously denies those allegations and has resisted calls for him to stand down immediately. as for "katie", she says

she's been shouted at and called stupid, while one mp, she claims, is well known for taking "greatjoy" in intimidating junior female staff by stroking their hair and backs. katie isn't her real name and her words are spoken for her. what kind of things have you witnessed? have you experienced? i've had, you know, members of staff shouting in my face, calling me stupid. 0ne older senior member of staff shouted at me and asked if i even knew what brexit was, if i even knew what was going on. i have had inappropriate comments. members of staff, particularly mps asking don't i know who they are? just a complete lack of respect, is what i would say and one of the things that i really identified with when some of the people came forward with their experiences was that feeling of locking yourself away in a room and crying. and just being completely overwhelmed. have you done that?

yeah. the fact that that is such a standard experience of working in that place, that it is so accepted and normalised, isjust bizarre. part of my role was dealing with civil servants. i had one kind of old senior civil servant for a government department, get right in my face, shouting at me. he called me stupid. i could almost feel the spit landing on my face. he was so angry. it wasjust so, you know, i had only been in the job a few months and it was so overwhelming and scary that ijust... i didn't know how to deal with it. but when i talk to the members of staff, particularly female members of staff, they all had a similar experience here and again, itjust seemed to be a part of the job was dealing with abuse like that. and you just ran into the loo, did you? yes, just locked myself away for 20 minutes. you said that mps said to you, don't you know who i am?

what is the context of that? ijust kind of casually remarked to one mp that they should maybe wear their pass, like a security pass. to which they replied, don't you know who i am? surely they should know who i am. i know that is just one example that could kind of be laughed off, i suppose, but to me itjust kind of acts of a sample or a kind of symbol of what the attitude is in that place. that air of superiority that they are above the rules, just a kind of complete disdain sometimes you see them treat other people with which is just acceptable. and i think if it was me to do that or any other person in any otherjob, it would not be tolerated. do you think they treat members of staff who are a lower grade, if i could put it like that, in that way because they are seen as being lower down the social hierarchy? i think so. for someone like me in my department, i was only kind of a new member of staff, a junior member of staff.

i am almost nothing. like, what i say against an mp who has been there for ten years or more, it isjust not... it is not going to be considered with the same weight. i'm not considered of the same social ranking. and that is why when this report was originally commissioned, that was something i was worried about. that it was very much going to focus on just clerks of the house, on mp5, on their experiences, that there are going to be members of staff who deal with mps and their guests and whatever on a daily basis thatjust weren't going to be considered at all. and i am glad that was not the case. but i still think there is a complete subsection of staff who are completely ignored on a daily basis. a subsection of staff. yes. that are almost invisible? yes, i think so. you described yourself as lucky because you had not experienced sexual harassment while you have been working in the house of commons. can you tell us about

the mp who you say is well known amongst women for... certain things? yes. he is kind of one man, if possible, you would avoid being by yourself with. he has been known, i think it is almost a game to him. he seems to take greatjoy, if you can call it that, in intimidating members of staff, particularly women, staring at them for long periods of time, not breaking eye contact, standing very close behind them, maybe touching them inappropriately. but this figure is such a kind of... so ingrained into parliament, so ingrained into his party, i suppose, there is no way that anything a member of staff on a lower pay grade said would ever be considered, i don't think. and also, you have got to think how confident that member of staff would have to be to do that. how brave they have got to be. what, to make a complaint?

yes. and do you know if any of those women have made a complaint about him or spoken to dame laura cox recently when she was doing her report? as far as i know, they haven't. i think they thought because they were sort ofjuniors in the department, it was not their place to say anything. that they weren't necessarily invited to be a part of the process. where would you go if you wanted to make a complaint? would you know where to go? not really. friends of mine who have suffered kind of abuse or poor behaviour have gone to more senior members of staff, complained, filled in a form and that form kind of disappears into somewhere in parliament, some hr department. nothing ever comes of it. and just to do that is actually quite brave to complain because it is still not anonymous, at all. so you would be identified? you would be identifiable. what do you think about the behaviour that you have described to us today about the culture of disrespect in the higher ups, as you call them, towards more junior members of staff like yourself and the culture of sexual harassment, which as dame laura cox said in her report, is tolerated,

concealed, normalised? i think the idea of hierarchy i mentioned is ingrained in all members of staff since day one. you learn that you are there to serve mps, but it also means to not challenge them as well. but if no one has complained, and you think maybe no one has, because they don't have confidence that anything would be done, how could an investigation be brought? i do understand that. and i knew that people would need to come forward to do it. so i know that nothing could happen until they do, but for that to occur, surely you've got to allow people to have the confidence in the reporting system that exists and to know that they would be taken seriously. and at the minute, and the way that i think the commons authority have responded to dame laura cox's report, that confidence is not going to come any time soon, i don't think. so i don't think any investigation will happen. i don't think any mp will face any consequences because peoplejust don't think the system works for members

of staff like them. even though we have had this report? yes, i know it is all allegations. i know nothing has been proven yet. i respect that. but if you have got somebody likejohn bercow, a speaker of the house, the highest authority in the commons, who has been accused of things himself, which he has denied. which he has denied. you know, i concede that. 0ther mps who, again, have denied the allegations, but who are sitting on the committee who are considering the report, who have been accused of bullying members of staff... you are talking about valerie vaz? yes. who has denied the allegations. i know that it's only accusations and i don't know if they are true or not, but how can anyone have confidence in a system that is being developed by people who have been accused of such actions themselves? what we have got to remember is that there is kind of a big conclusion at the end of that report that says that dame laura cox does not think anything is going to change unless the senior leadership of that place changes.

meaning the speaker goes. yes. that is not happening for me. it is difficult to hear members of parliament on both sides campaigning against harassment in the workplace and then all kinds of bullying behaviour, aggressive behaviour and then continue to support a kind of stability in that leadership for political expediency. what should happen to him now? i think, honestly, i think you should do almost the honourable thing and go sooner. now. yes. i think him being there is impeding the progress of any major change. you alluded to the fact that some labour mps have said the speaker has to stay in hisjob right now because there is so much important brexit business that is coming down the road. it is absolutely not time to change the speaker. what do you think of that? it's demeaning to people who have been brave enough go forward to this committee and give evidence. you know, people who i know have been put off, like i said,

forfear of not being seriously, for fear of losing theirjobs or facing consequences if they are found to disclose certain information. veteran labour mp margaret beckett said that the speaker should stay in post as speaker "because brexit trumps bad behaviour". some of the things in this report and the kinds of constant bullying driving people out of theirjob, it is horrendous. it is notjust bad behaviour. it is creating a workplace that is intolerable and where people are completely susceptible to abuse with no recourse for action. to say that is bad behaviour, to me, completely undermines the report and again, it does not give me any confidence that anything will change. how much of a risk is it for you to speak out? i think if people knew i was here today, i don't think i would lose myjob, i think it would be... it would make life very difficult for me. in myjob, i have got to work alongside a lot of different government departments and clerks

in the house and things like that. and i almost feel like if they knew i was not on their side, it would put me in a difficult position. why have you made the decision to talk to us? i knew all this was going on. i told people this was going on, but neverfelt confident enough to do anything. and then i think something which really changed my mind was firstly, the kind of ambivalence of some members of parliament to implementing any real sustained change in response to the report. and the second thing was when members of the commons, in terms of clerks and the people who work for the house, give up their right to anonymity to sign a letter to say this is going on, we need change, and that made me think, i cannot not do anything if these people who have had worse experiences than may have come forward and said something. can i ask, did you talk to laura cox yourself?

i did not, no. why? honestly, i kind of thought in my head that it was for senior members of staff. i thought that what i had seen, witnessed, was hearsay. it was not important enough and also, it did not seem very approachable, i would say. the inquiry, i think, has done a really good job. i think what it says is completely true, but again, itjust did not feel it was for me at the time. do you regret that? i think so. ithink... the fact that almost everyone i worked with, particularly every woman i work with, has got a story, speaks volumes. and ifeel like i should have gone and said that and said, there are so many people you could talk to who might not even consider, thinking about who might not be brave enough to come forward. that is something i wish i could have done. thank you, thank you for talking to us. let's talk now to the labour mp for birmingham yardley, jess phillips, amy leversidge, assistant general secretary of the fda — that's the trade union which respresents senior civil servants and some senior workers within parliament

and jenny mccullough, who used to work in the commons and has criticised the handling of her complaint to house of commons management after alleging that she was bullied whilst working there. let me ask you all firstly what you think of what katie has told as? jess phillips first of all. it's absolutely heartbreaking to listen to katie's testimony. unfortunately, none of it surprises me. the hierarchical nature of parliament makes it seem like some people matter and some people don't. quite a lot of the lower ranking staff, as she described, came to me during the laura cox reporting and inquiry and ask for me to tell dame laura cox that they had to consider more than

just the clerks, which i did. they didn't feel like they even had a place in that. what would you say, amy leversidge, trade representative? i agree. it is heartbreaking to hear testimony like that. it echoes exactly what members say to me. during the dame laura cox inquiry, we constantly encouraged oui’ inquiry, we constantly encouraged our members to go to dame laura and tell her about their experiences. without that body of evidence, the mps will not listen. it was a shame when dame laura said in her report that many people had gone to her and said, i would like to come to you and talk about what happened, but i can't because it is either too traumatic or i feel that this will impact on my career. and it is sad that there were members of staff who didn't feel that it was something for them. didn't feel that it was something forthem. i didn't feel that it was something for them. i don't know how anyone

could listen to that testimony and not feel that this isn't something that shouldn't be happening in any workplace. jenny? that was an extremely powerful account from a brave young woman. i have had a lot of messages today from other people who signed the letter that we wrote to the house of commons commission are offering their support to katie and thanking her for speaking out. like me, they also feel sorry that she didn't feel able to contribute to laura cox's inquiry, because that has been a helpful process for some of us and i am sorry she has not had the benefit of that support. jess phillips, it is three weeks since laura cox's report. the house of commons commission, which is led by the speaker, john bercow, and valerie vaz is a committee as well, both facing allegations of bullying and both denying those allegations, they have accepted laura cox's recommendations. would you expect mps to accept them?”

recommendations. would you expect mps to accept them? i absolutely expect mps to accept them in full today in the debate. i don't imagine there will be much dissent on the matter. so how soon could they be implemented and whose job is matter. so how soon could they be implemented and whosejob is it matter. so how soon could they be implemented and whose job is it to do that? that is an entirely different question. mps will accept them. on implement in them, they have given a six—month review and we wa nt to have given a six—month review and we want to see it happen much sooner, those of us who are involved in this. however, ican‘t, those of us who are involved in this. however, i can't, with my hand on heart, say i think there is going to be an overhaul a massive change any time soon in westminster. the cases we have already heard in the media, the largely historical cases, although not long ago, it seems that they are just although not long ago, it seems that they arejust going although not long ago, it seems that they are just going to fall away. so whilst i have faith in andrea

leadsom to leave this... so what have to change for this recommendation is to be incremented swiftly? there needs to be a com plete swiftly? there needs to be a complete change to the commission. i think even most mps don't know all the different committees and systems that exist to run parliament. so there needs to be change at the commission level to make sure that staff are commission level to make sure that staff a re represented commission level to make sure that staff are represented on that, because so much of parliament is about the staff. we are a minority, mps. is it feasible that the speaker could continue as speaker while potentially being investigated over historic bullying allegations, which he denies? there are two issues there. the allegations against the speaker himself rightly deserve to be looked into by an independent body, and he should be able to

a nswer body, and he should be able to answer those. the other issue about the speaker is that he has been the person in charge in this period. that is the second point that makes you think he cannot be the person in charge of this. until due process has been followed, he deserves, as do those complaining about him, a proper process. but the fact that this system of silence and mistrust has been under his era whether he knew about it or not, for those people cannot trust that the current management continue in that role. which was what katie said. amy leversidge, according to katie it is senior civil servants who are treating juniors like her really badly. some of the people that you represent in your union. new labour iam represent in your union. new labour i am obviously not going to defend any bad behaviour and dame laura did pick up on this. they were notjust talking about mps, they were

u nfortu nately talking about mps, they were unfortunately also talking about their experiences when they tried to report a complaint to management. there are indeed some bullies amongst staff. it doesn't matter who is doing the bullying, be an mp or a memberof is doing the bullying, be an mp or a member of staff, they need to have an independent process and they need to be independent in terms of sanctions. the managers cannot be sanctioning themselves. most importantly, staff need to have the confidence, whether you are a clerk ora memberof the confidence, whether you are a clerk or a member of the canteen staff or security staff, you need to have the trust that if you raise a complaint, you are taken seriously in the first instance, that it is investigated swiftly and thoroughly and that there is a fair sanction made if your case is found to need a ieds. would you trust that things are going to change, jenny, and if so, over what period of time? what amy

said about confidence is key. that is what katie's story shows, really shows how much work the house of commons has to do to win trust. when we wrote to the commission, we asked them to implement dame laura's recommendations immediately. it is that swift action that is needed. those recommendations include mps not being able to investigate themselves in the future, as well as historical allegations being allowed to be investigated. jess phillips, what should the women do who katie says have been intimidated and inappropriately touched by one particular mp, who she says is well—known for it among junior female staff? i can only encourage them to come forward. to whom? to them to come forward. to whom? to the independent system that has now been set up. there is a phone number that they can call. in the meantime, what i have been doing across both

political parties and parliament is, if they want to come and talk to me, i will hear that complaint and i will help them make it personally. but i can't be the solution for the whole of parliament. what do you say to your labour colleagues who want the speaker to stay for political reasons? i think this isn't about political expediency. whilst i have got some good faith in the fact that they are worried about the complexity of what is going on, i don't think the two things should never be confused, especially by the party of workers' rights. jenny and amy, what are the reasons for this grotesque behaviour, this rudeness, this patronising attitude from the higher ups, as katie called them, to those on lower greats? dame laura summed it up by saying there is a culture of deference and silence and there is that culture towards the

mps and the house is self. staff are proud to work for parliament as an institution, but it has to be an institution, but it has to be an institution to be proud of. surely parliament cannot have any authority in talking about sexual harassment in other workplaces if it doesn't get its own house in order. they need to crack down on this culture and the only way that will happen is by implementing those recommendations straightaway. why is there that culture? people talk about it as a unique place to work and it is special because staff are providing a service to a group of people who are doing two full—time jobs and also representing thousands of constituents. naturally, there is respect and deference that. but without proper hr procedures in place, everyone is depending on all of these people behaving properly. and when a small minority don't and the leadership of the house tolerates this and normalises it,

staff are left unable to do their jobs, unable to thrive in a place where they should be contributing to public service. thank you all for coming on the programme. we will see what happens. still to come... the spice girls are getting together, —1. we'll have the details just after 10.30 a gender identity clinic that helps children if they want to change their gender has launched an internal review. 0ne employee, and a letter — reportedly signed by some parents — has raised concerns that it is fast—tracking young people into making decisions about transitioning. the number of patients under 18 that the tavistock clinic is seeing has increased dramatically in recent years — they now get more than 2000 referrals a year.

on this programme, we've been following the progress of two young trans children — both of them are patients at the tavistock. earlier this yearjessica told me how it was going... since we last spoke a year ago she's begun a course of puberty blockers that suppresses male hormones and delays the development of features like facial hair or a deep voice. some people go to secondary school in stealth in secret, they never reveal even if somebody asks, that they used to live as the opposite gender. that you don't want to do that of someone asks, why? and why do you think no one will ask? you have started to have puberty

blockers, haven't you? so what is that involved? and that will pause you effectively becoming a teenage boy and allows you to grow up and put your and evolve and decide if you genuinely wa nt to evolve and decide if you genuinely want to carry on living your life as a girl? what do you think you will do? probably? yes, definitely. definitely? definitely. and why do you think you are sure. because i think i am a girl. 300 children in the uk are prescribed

this method of treatment, every year, since 2011, under16 this method of treatment, every year, since 2011, under 16 is were allowed the injection on the nhs. that was jessica. polly carmichael is the director of the gender identity clinic at the tavistock. this letter that you have received andi this letter that you have received and i happens in it for confidentiality reasons, called, pa rents a re confidentiality reasons, called, parents are worried that patients do not receive the complex psychological assessment that young children get, it goes on, for those adults there is little exploration but firmly or cultural context per still developing gender identity. and the people who have written this letter said they are worried about you fast tracking young adults when it comes to transitioning. what do you say? ok, we are a service for children and adolescents, we see people up to the age of eight team,

and so you are really talking about sort of young adults going to the aduu sort of young adults going to the adult service, i think probably the concern is that round the world there has been a huge increase in there has been a huge increase in the number of young people coming forward and we unfortunately have a waiting list at the moment which we didn't used to have and so young people, if they are referred to us around the age of 16, 17, may not be seen around the age of 16, 17, may not be seen until they are transferred onto aduu seen until they are transferred onto adult services. so we have worked ha rd to adult services. so we have worked hard to ensure that they don't face a second weight but nonetheless, they will nbc in adult services. but i'd be being fast tracked? we absolutely don't fast track young people, i think what we have to hold in mind is that there really is a very heated debate going on and i think some people are very concerned around the complexity of some of the young adolescents coming forward. but i think equally, there would be

many other families who feel that we are far too slow. so i think, you know, we've always had a comprehensive assessment over a period of time. and that won't be compromised. who is the letter from, i don't mean the names, but what sort of people have written this letter? in all honesty i'm not absolutely sure, so i don't know whether they are parents or not. i think though, they represent a particular view, really, which is a view which is about concern for adolescents who may be getting caught up in something and ijust worried that this is properly explored. so i just worried that this is properly explored. so ijust want worried that this is properly explored. so i just want to reassure, really, that, you know, we a lwa ys reassure, really, that, you know, we always precede anything with a thorough psychosocial assessment. what would happen if 816—year—old came to your clinic for example, who

had a diagnosis of gender dysphoria. right, many young people coming to the service now have made social transitioning and they are very clear about their wishes but in the first instance there would be a number of meetings with two professionals to really provide the young person with an opportunity to explore their feelings about their gender but it would also be thinking about the person as a whole, how they are doing in general, the quality—of—life, whether there are co—occurring mental health problems. so, you know, it's an assessment that takes place over quite a long period of time. how long? i think most period of time. how long? i think m ost ofte n period of time. how long? i think most often it would be between 3—6 months and sometimes, you know, it might be that the outcome of the assessment is that more time is needed. and so, you know, we are trying to engage families in thinking about something that often for a young person, is a fundamental

sense of who they are. but yet, there is still the feeling amongst some campaigners that there is some ideological reason, from people like yourself, from the nhs clinic at which you work, are pushing people into opposite genders. well, all i can say is, you know, that's absolutely not the case and i think we all need to be aware that, you know, this is a heated debate with those wanting quicker, faster treatment who feel we are far too slow and those who want to slow it down. but as a service, you know, oui’ down. but as a service, you know, our primary aim is to accept and respect young people's sense of themselves, their preferred gender identity but provide time and space to properly think about the implications of any of the pathways they may take. thank you very much for coming on the programme. thanks so for coming on the programme. thanks so much. today marks the first day of a uk

wide visit by a un special investigator into poverty across the country. it comes several wks after the pm declared austerity was over followed by the chancellor last week announcing austerity was coming to an end. is it? latest figures by the charity thejoseph rowntree foundation suggest that 1a million people live in poverty in the uk. 4 million of those are children — and the institute for fiscal studies — which is an economic research insitute — predicts that number will rise to 5.2 million by 2021. the un's philip alston will spend the next two weeks speaking to people up and down the country about their experiences of being poor and he'll summarise how well the government's repsonding how well the government's responding to the needs of the people once his time in the uk is done. the public was invited to send in written submissions about the issues that matter to them — those letters included everything from universal credit, child poverty and pensions.

in the studio this morning are; louisa mcgeehan who is the head of policy at thechild poverty action group — that's one of the charities that wrote to philip alston ahead of his visit here this week. sheila jones also submitted a letter — she is a nurse who feels women over the age of 50 are losing out thousands of pounds on state pensions and jailson rocha is also here — he is someone who has struggled with housing. and, alex tiffin is in our inverness studio — he also wrote to philip alston — he's had issues with universal credit since it was piloted. welcome, all of you and thank you for coming in. sheila, you see you've missed out on thousands of pounds since the retirement age for women was raised, how has this affected you. i'm 65 now, i reached pension age this year, i've lost four years and nine months pension, i was due to retire, receive my pension at the age of 60 but was two yea rs pension at the age of 60 but was two years to go until the age of 60 i

found out just because years to go until the age of 60 i found outjust because i went on to the hmrc website that i was not going to be able to retire until either 63. a few months later i cannot retire until an almost 65. then with just literally six months to go until my retirement age this year, i then found out that i will not receive along with 80% of other people, this new state pension figure of £165. how do you feel? i feel very let down, very angry. i sort of accepted that pension age had gone on, nothing i could do about that but itjust had gone on, nothing i could do about that but it just seems had gone on, nothing i could do about that but itjust seems as though they are chipping away at our funding for absolutely everything. and in future, we cannot increase at spending power, once we are retire, thatis spending power, once we are retire, that is it. ok. let me bring in one of our other guests. you have been served with an eviction notice, to get out of your privately rented

flats which is paid for by housing benefit, the landlord want you to leave. can a visit by someone from the un make any visit to someone like? i don't think so, not directly at least. because i think they will look at the overall picture but they will not be able to see what's actually happening on the ground. i actually happening on the ground. i actually live just around the corner from for the boy was stabbed on wednesday, it's a very rough area and so many people in need and i don't see officials from the council going around, trying to find out about the situation or trying improve, actually, the relationship tween the council and the tenants of private and social housing, to actually know what's going on. they don't know how people lived, inside, how they live inside their homes,

they might look ok, to the outside world but once they shut that door, they've got so much problems, it's ha rd they've got so much problems, it's hard to begin to say, the list is extremely long. and yes. i'm going to bring in alex, thank you. you've had problems with universal credit add up one point you and your son we re add up one point you and your son were left with £20 for food to last you a month. can you describe to our audience how you cope? not very well at first, if i'm completely honest, it was like that for about a year. because i took the advance which is the department for work and pensions, they always give that is the answer to helping out for the waiting period. then they decided to ta ke waiting period. then they decided to take back £125 a month from my standard 317. i have £190 a month for food and bills. and my two children who i take every friday— sunday. food banks came into play

pretty quickly. yes. it will make no difference to you but the government says they are putting much more money into universal credit from next year, reducing the time you wait for your first payment. i next year, reducing the time you wait for yourfirst payment. i mean, when someone like this man from the un comes will it help you in anyway, what the point of that? well, that's yet to be seen, after last year the un says they were creating a human catastrophe for the disabled, the government took over a year to respond. i'm not hopeful but i have beenin respond. i'm not hopeful but i have been in correspondence with the office for philip allston and he's been too many third world countries suffering from extreme robbery and malnutrition yet the uk, he announced on his twitter last week, he got the most submissions he has ever had, which he sees as quite significant and before he came on friday, he tweeted last in the uk per being the sixth richest country

yet having such extreme poverty. hopefully it will put pressure on the government but their only recommendations so the current government seems to ignore them so hopefully it can be pressure that's put up on the government but whether it will change anything, i really don't know. luisa, you are from the child poverty action group, government tells us the uk has a close working relationship with un bodies and is committed to upholding the rule of law and rules —based international systems. household incomes have never been however, there are1 million incomes have never been however, there are 1 million fewer people living in absolute poverty than in 2010 including 300,000 children, poverty rates have fallen, the employment rate is increasing which is really encouraging and we are committed to ensuring every child gets the very best chances in life. we would disagree with that quite strongly, we are facing a child poverty crisis in this country. and strongly welcome the un rapporteur

coming and shining an independent light of what we see everyday around us light of what we see everyday around us in the uk. what do we see everyday in uk? families with children have been particularly badly affected by the cumulative effects of this government's austerity measures. what we have seen austerity measures. what we have seen this on social security benefits, for people in work or tax credits are people in work or out of work have been frozen at the level they are in for, the fourth year of a freeze now and that's had a major impact. along with that, families are also having to cope with a benefit cap, which breaks a link between what they need and what they get in way of support and now we have a two child policy, which says actually, the only children in a family who will get support at the first two children, any further children... when they say 1 first two children, any further children... when they say1 million fewer people living in absolute top of the 2010... fewer people living in absolute top of the 2010. .. that's a case of choosing your measures i think. that

is true? we say there are 4 million children currently in poverty and the iff predict that by 2020 we will be looking at 5 million. a recent study by a group of people from across the political spectrum and academia, lived at a new measure of poverty in the social metrics commission and they came up at the child poverty measure even higher than ours, they came up at four and a half million. so, you know, one of the real benefits of this visit is he will go around the country and see for himself what you know, we have been working with teachers, with health workers, who are all seeing the absolute impact of poverty on families in this country and it's those impacts i think, that are you know, much more significant for people than any kind of, you know, data driven way of looking at it. when you see children who are going to school too hungry to learn, you are seeing family is not able to have a child discharge from hospital

because they haven't got the basic standards of housing that they need to be able to bring their child home, we are seeing it in all different areas. i met with people from one of the unions on friday who represent shop workers and they say people working in supermarkets, some of them are in employment so early paid they are having to go to food youngster beat their families. it's these illustrations i think we need to look at. no doubt you will pass them onto un investigator. thank you, all of you for coming onto the programme. let me read you this e—mail about our interview with katie, thejunior e—mail about our interview with katie, the junior member of staff e—mail about our interview with katie, thejunior member of staff in parliament am not her real name, obviously, dealing with abuse that she says is a normal part of her job. that that is our mps treat verstappen wonder the public is disillusioned with mps and the people who put them into power. we wa nt people who put them into power. we want mps with backbone. jared says i am glad the house is under the spotlight for bullying, it is overdue. thanks for those, i will

try and nick read some more of your comments before the end of the programme. “— comments before the end of the programme. ——i comments before the end of the programme. —— i will try and read. the spice girls are reforming and are set to tour next minus posh... the announcement is expected later today. # if you wannabe my lover # you gotta get with my friends # make it last forever, friendship never ends # if you wannabe my lover # you have got to give # taking is too easy but that's the way it is... chi chi izundu, our reporter, is here. why i be getting together? reunion affirmation tours are in bucks, when they were reunited in 2007, the greatest hits album sold 205% more than fodder normally would have, people are interested, it makes money. they've been dropping hints for ages, since they break, they been dropping pictures from geri

halliwell as them reunited as five, emma bunton has been posting videos of her in the studio, if you are a fan like myself, you would have got an e—mail on the 31st of october asking whether you wanted to still be part of the spice girls website as per data protection. do you? of course, i didn't, as per data protection. do you? of course, ididn't, of as per data protection. do you? of course, i didn't, of course i did. 0bviously today, they've announced nothing yet, but according to emma bunton on her breakfast show, this morning, she said from 3p pm this afternoon, we should find out he tells. no posh spice, no victoria beckham, why? she doesn't need the money? depends on which magazine, newspaper you read, she has a massive empire in terms of her fashion business and she is really concentrating on that, she always said she didn't want to be part of

any reunion, she was there at the opening ceremony of the 2012 0lympics but who doesn't want to be pa rt 0lympics but who doesn't want to be part of bad? who would say no to having that many eyes on at that time, she's always been very much i don't want to be part of this but not to say she will not get a cut in the chain a cos lets not forget, these women were smart, when they signed up they signed a load of deals making sure they had stakes in album sales, how they looked, sounded, victoria will still get a little bit of change her pocket. we'll find out exactly who is doing what, how, hopefully add 3pm. thank you. on the edge of my seat already! there's a pretty shocking report out today — half of children with learning disabilities aren't diagnosed during childhood and that on average those with learning disabilities will die 15—20 years sooner than the general population. that's according to a report from university college london which claims the government's emphasis on ‘fairness' and fixing a ‘broken society‘ has failed ”catastrophically” for hundreds of thousands of children with learning disabilities. the author says many 18—year—olds

may not even live long enough to draw their pension. so what can be done to improve the lives of those living with learning disabilities? with me now in the studio is ciara lawrence — she has a learning disability and is in full time work at mencap. with her is her colleague 0nah smith. 0nah is mencaps direct of strategy and influence. and alsojoining us from coventry is martin green. his eighteen—year—old daughterjodie has a learning disability. thank you all for coming in. keira, i gather at school you were effectively written off. i gather at school you were effectively written offlj i gather at school you were effectively written off. i was schooled at a mainstream school, and i was written off as being lazy, the teachers did not know how to support me, they did not have support in place, i was told i would no longer

copein place, i was told i would no longer cope ina place, i was told i would no longer cope in a mainstream school and they went to a special needs school and i was told a baby the best place for me. what did you think? i actually thought, 0k, me. what did you think? i actually thought, ok, i me. what did you think? i actually thought, 0k, iwill give me. what did you think? i actually thought, ok, i will give it a go because if it is the right place for me, i will get the right support, i need to go there. so i went there andi need to go there. so i went there and i really liked it and i got five gcses which i'm really proud of.|j wa nt to gcses which i'm really proud of.|j want to ask you how you react to this report, so many children with learning disabilities and even diagnosed in childhood and so many adults with learning disabilities will buy 15—20 years before a lot of other people? to me personally that shocking, as someone with a learning disability i know so many people with a learning disability are challenged by so many inequalities in their life, things from early diagnosis, education, employment, housing, getting a job, diagnosis, education, employment, housing, getting ajob, having relationships, so many challenges in

someone's life, i face some of those but now i've come through education, i have a job, i'm but now i've come through education, i have ajob, i'm married and i have a home of my own and i live with my husband. i'm very lucky, i have a very supportive family but there are so many people with a learning disability out there like me who don't have that support, and very lucky. how do you respond to this report? we welcomed the report, it gives a broad overview of the inequalities people face, why... why? why do people face it, it's a complex issue with a lot of courses, at least one of which is a fundamental stigma and discrimination in the system. give me the misconceptions people think, of what if you have a learning disability? i of what if you have a learning disability? i think people think the lives of learning disability is not high, and look at the example of keira, people think that people with

learning disabilities can't work or live independently, ithink learning disabilities can't work or live independently, i think what this report tells us is in every single area people's lives there are inequalities and because it's so wide this needs a governmentwide response that can't just focus on the end point of health but has to focus on the earlier bits as well. martin, how do you respond to this? i believe the children with disabilities, young adults with disabilities, young adults with disabilities are just being left behind by society and by the government. they haven't got a chance in life. the government don't think the government believes in them. they need to help these children and adults, the help is not there any more. government says improving the lives of people with learning disabilities will be a key pa rt learning disabilities will be a key part of our long—term plan and we will be consulting shortly on mandatory awareness training for health and care staff to help end

unacceptable health and care staff to help end u na cce pta ble differences health and care staff to help end unacceptable differences and life expectancy. they go on to say funding for children with special educational needs and disability is the highest on record and we are working with employers to support more people with learning disabilities into work. the schools try your hardest to support these children. my child, jodie, she has been supported very, very well by her school. but when she goes on to college, which is going to be next year, she will go through the first year, she will go through the first year and year, she will go through the first yearand then year, she will go through the first year and then she slipped out and reviewed and if she is not capable of going forward, then she is told to leave. and then, what happens to her? if employers, if they are not learning in school, employers are not going to employ them, if they are unaware of how their like this. of course. finally, brickley, why

are people with learning disabilities dying 13—20 years earlier than those in the general population? i think what was quite eloquently described in the report was the social determinants of health and health care. the fact people are more likely to be less well people are more likely to be less we ll off, people are more likely to be less well off, bad education, housing, worse support and help and it's the combination of all of that which means people are dying so much earlier and means people are dying so much earlierand in means people are dying so much earlier and in 2018 that's not acceptable. thank you, all of you, thank you so much for coming on the programme, thank you for your time, we appreciate it. last night the tower of london glowed when around 10,000 torches were lit in its dry moat to mark 100 years since the end of the first world war. the tribute follows the display of ceramic poppies four years ago. it will be repeated each night until remembrance sunday on the 11th of november.

music: last post. sunday marking the day 100 years ago that the guns fell silent. thank you for your messages on early on in parliament, one viewer says, the bullying inquiry, the recommendations have to be implemented by no one linked to parliament. and another viewer says mps believe they are above us, they should be setting an example to the people because they lead and make major decisions for our country. thank you for those and for tuning in. we are back tomorrow at 10am. bbc newsroom live is coming up next. thank you for your company today. have a good day. hello, good morning. a rather cloudy start to the day, mild start, temperatures above average for the next few days, we've had a bit of rain this morning across western

parts of wales. still some rain for northern ireland and the north and west of scotland as we go through this afternoon, some brighter skies, sunshine developing, maximum temperatures this afternoon ranging from 11 — 13 degrees. 17 degrees in the south—east, staying mild if you are heading out this evening for bonfire at night stop staying dry for many of us. lighter winds than we saw over the weekend. the odd shower drifting its weight northwards across eastern areas but for most staying dry. as we go through tonight, rain moving into northern ireland, western scotland, rain in the west of wales as well stop and which staying a tired and through tomorrow, mild day, the breeze picking up, lots of dry weather, any rain coming into western areas. goodbye. you're watching bbc

newsroom live, it's11.00am and these are the main stories this morning — after the stabbing of four people in the capital in five days, london's mayor warns it could take a decade to tackle knife crime. we've got to actually focus on a generation and the reality is, maybe a generation before we get the levels of violent crime that are acceptable in our society. the united states imposes its "toughest ever" sanctions against iran hitting oil exports, shipping and banks. the iranian goverment say they will not comply. the eu says it's 50—50 that a deal on the irish border will be struck, as brexit negotiations enter the final phase a pay rise for 180,000 workers. companies signed up to the real living wage agree

to pay staff £9.00 an hour from today.