submitted letters of no confidence in borisjohnson, in the wake of the partygate report. more than half a dozen tories have urged the prime minister to step down, since the senior civil servant, sue gray, published her full findings earlier this week, on lockdown gatherings in and around downing street. prince william has overseen the final rehearsal for trooping the colour — ahead of thejubilee this week. the ceremony — performed by regiments of the british army — will be part of the queen's birthday parade — which takes place on thursday. prince william was taking part in his role as colonel of the irish guards. more than 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians will be involved. a beautiful site. now it's time for a look at the weather with chris. so like these were very typical. the clouds started to break apart and in scarborough that is how we ended the day. plenty of sunshine, some fairly big waves hitting the coast line on

account of the brisk winds. those winds continue overnight. it is going to be pretty chilly for the time of year with temperatures across northern areas in sixes and sevens. tomorrow, a similar kind of day. we start off with some morning sunshine, a slightly cooler start. this time, the cloud will develop to such an extent that we will see showers for scotland, england and wales. northern ireland should stay dry with sunny spells throughout. top cabbage is down on recent days but still feeling 0k by the may sunshine comes through. hello, this is bbc news. the headlines...

kick—off is delayed in liverpool's match against real madrid in the champions�* league final, because of issues with supporters getting into the stadium in paris. people travelling abroad are facing disruption at airports, stations and on the roads — as the half—term getaway begins. us presidentjoe biden confirms he will visit uvalde tomorrow — to meet with the families of the 19 children and two teachers killed by a teenage gunman in texas. now on bbc news, political thinking with nick robinson. hello, and welcome to political thinking, a conversation with rather than an interrogation of someone who shapes our political thinking about what has shaped theirs.

my guest this week has threatened to bring the country to a standstill, which has made him a target of those who accuse union militants of being hell—bent on suicidal madness. 0thers, though, say that he is an example for working people of how they can get a decent deal at a time when their standard of living is constantly being squeezed. whatever your view is, mick lynch, the general secretary of the rmt, now has the backing of his members for potentially a very major confrontation, notjust with the rail companies but with governments of all political persuasion, with the tories in westminster, the snp in scotland, and also with a labour mayor of london as well. lynch has said all he wants from life is a bit of socialism. mick lynch, general secretary of the rmt, welcome to political thinking. do you enjoy weeks like this? i mean, you're in the limelight, the union is in the limelight, you've got the backing

of your members. well, it's more exciting than dealing with some paperwork, i suppose. so there's a lot of appearances like this, it's a lot of stress but, if you didn't want to do that, if you didn't want to be involved, you should be doing anotherjob. so it's stimulating, i would say. but stimulation isn't always good. and it certainly makes you think. and you prepared for quite a long time for this potential confrontation. we have to say potential because it might not end in strikes. absolutely, we've been talking to the employers for a long, long time, since covid started. they brought out their reform package there to get stuff in place for covid, to change the services. and this is a follow on from covid, one way or the other, about the changes that happened on the railways. so we've got to deal with it. and i hope we don't go on strike but we have to have that in our top pocket, is my opinion. and you did say that you could bring the country to a standstill. could you? would you? well, there's been a bit of hyperbole. people have been saying that it is the biggest strike since 1926. it's not. it's a straightforward traditional trade union dispute about pay, jobs and conditions. it's not going to be the general strike.

i don't think the country will come to a standstill. it will be an inconvenience. i don't indulge in hype but it's a very serious dispute and a lot of our people are very motivated to get behind it, which has been proven in the ballot results. how inconvenient? there was talk when you did an interview with the mirror recently of empty shelves and fuel shortages and blackouts. well, they talk about it. i didn't put those words up. they say can you discount this or would you deny it. it could, if it escalates. it could get very serious. the difference between this dispute and some that others are familiar with where you might have a train operator that's got a particular group of people in a conflict or a dispute is that this involves network rail�*s infrastructure. all the signallers, the electrical controllers and all the maintenance staff from the top of scotland down to the bottom of cornwall and all points in between. and if they're involved in action, that will stop the railway to a large extent. there will be managers working, no doubt, trying to get it going,

which is part of the to and fro. but we will see. it is a national dispute and we haven't done that since privatisation on this level. and as you survey the scene, as a trade unionist for many years, do you think we're going to see many more disputes? because after all, inflation at this sort of level erodes people's incomes, working people who are represented by unions are going to want to fight to make sure they don't see their pay eroded. are we going to see a lot of this? well, i'd like to say i hope so. i hope that's not too controversial. i use that term, working class, because it's gone out of fashion. so many people in my position, including the tuc and the labour party, don't like using it. but there is a class. i mean, it's undeniable in this country, or in any society. there are people at this moment who are suffering, and they are not just suffering because they're unemployed and on benefits and have got difficulties, whether they are disabled or what have you. there is a working poor in this country, and the chief source of their problems is outsourcing, i think. subcontracting vulnerable work and work that is in jeopardy. so there are loads of people in this country who are working full—time, and maybe more than full—time,

who can't get a decent set of terms and conditions, can't get a pension, cant get holiday pay, are working on gig economies or forms of it. and i think that's where labour has lost some of its ground, actually. because they're not reaching out to those people. if you're living in a small town that used to be industrial, used to be heavily unionised, and all the work you can get might be in a care home working for a second or third party subcontractor, you've got a very, very vulnerable life. the rates are really low and the conditions are really low, and they feel insecure. there's this awful cliche, isn't there, whenever there is an election. people of your and my age, it comes out in every newspaper, in the telly and on the radio every time. "we're heading for a winter of discontent." yeah. well, i know are not heading for winter, we're heading for summer. but do you think, with inflation at this level, it's the sort of thing we should prepare for? well, the union movement has to respond, and so does party and the labour movement as it used to be called. we have to respond because we can't allow people to just get poorer, and that's

what is actually happening. and i view that — some people might say this is a marxist analysis, it's not, it's a simple analysis — working people are getting poorer because their wages aren't keeping up with inflation. they can't find the labour party any more. some of them can't even find the trade union movement any more. they actually can't find a trade union, which is a big problem. i want to come to your views about labour, about the trade unions generally in a second, but i mentioned the winter of discontent. it takes you back. that was your early days as a worker, your early days as a trade unionist. back in, what, the late �*70s? 1979 particularly. so, i left school in 1978 and i started in a place where there were six apprentices... eight apprentices. and six of them came from my school. and my school was about two miles away from that factory. and we all did craft apprenticeships and we all were looking forward to a life as craftsmen, as we were then. it was all men apart from the canteen ladies. and that was wiped away later, in the �*80s, by thatcherism. because engineering disappeared. people never believed me that there was engineering in london. it was full of engineering.

park royal, near where i lived, was the biggest engineering establishment in western europe. that is in north—west london. yeah. your family were irish catholics. yeah. your dad worked in a factory as you did. yeah, my dad was a proper paddy — as i'm not ashamed of saying. he went down the pub a lot, he was a labourer working on building sites with the original john murphy, the big contractor. he went in factories because it was easier. he went in the post office because being a shop steward left him a bit vulnerable. when he joined the post office, he came out of his probation and he went on strike for seven weeks. that was tom jackson, if you remember him, with the big handlebar moustache. i certainly do. trade union leader of old. and they lost the dispute. they didn't get what they wanted. so that was my life... and what are your memories of that? did you learn from that, stand up for your rights? even if you lose? did you look at that and think, "0h, they got that horribly wrong"? yeah, i mean, my family is from a republican tradition. they weren't active republicans but it's the milieu, i think the posh people call it.

so our life was being roman catholic. it wasn't a lifestyle choice like it is for many people now. "i want to get my kid in that school." being roman catholic was an everyday permanent experience. mass every sunday, holy days of obligation, confession saturday night, taking communion sunday morning, stations of the cross, the whole bit. where i lived, it was catholic. in paddington kilburn, where we had grown up, i thought everyone was a catholic. all the caribbean people near me were catholic. there were italian people, they were polish people. we didn't have very many english people, i've got to say. and you can't believe that with my accent. when i went to school, we had a boy in my class who was an english catholic and we used to call him the english boy. is that right? in central london. and what about trade unionism? so, you were an electrician working in a factory

in your teens, your late teens. 16. do you go straight into a union? did you have a sense that, actually, yourfuture might be running a union, or at least being a shop steward on the way to that? well, when i was a kid, trade union general secretaries vic feather and jackjones and all those people, these were big people. these were national figures. so i never thought i'd be like that. you had to be in a union. when ijoined, a fellow came up to me and said, "you're the apprentice electrician." the other five or six, whatever they were, were mechanical fitters. you had tojoin the union. we made printing presses and we had a printing establishment, we had all the print unions, and when we went to install presses they would be closed shop printing houses. so if i went to fleet street to put some machinery in, your card would be inspected. and i would expect it to be inspected, i wanted it to be inspected, because i didn't want a nonunion person coming into that setup. all of that was made impossible by margaret thatcher. the laws were changed to do away with the closed shop, the obligation to be the member of a union. are you nostalgic for the pre—thatcher days? i'm nostalgic for the power that we had, and what i more

nostalgic for the control and the values that we had. people talk about the winter of discontent and the excesses of the trade union movement as it's styled and as it's caricatured by the press, which was extremely hostile. i'm nostalgic for the balance that we were creating. i think society was becoming rebalanced in the �*70s. thatcher not only crushed the trade unions, she brought in the big bang. she got rid of paternalism in companies. when you worked at a factory, notjust in bournville, in cadburys, but nestles as we used to call it in west london where i used to work, any of the brewers, any of the factories had football fields, social clubs. some of them had housing. my first house i bought was a railway house, provided by british rail and provided by the great western railway. all of that has gone. people now disregard the workforce as something that's under their shoe in some ways. not if you're an office worker, but if you're doing refuse

collection, if you're doing care services, if you're doing manufacturing, in many ways you are an inconvenience and we are waiting to automate you out. before we go back to sort of the disputes you're currently in, you paid a very heavy price for being a trade unionist. a phrase that will mean a great deal to trade unionists listening and watching but might not mean a lot to other people. you were blacklisted. what happened ? so, i came out of engineering because it was closing down and went into construction, which was transferable skills, good thing. and i remained a union activist and there was a lot going on. 0ur union was collaborating, the electricians union as you remember, with murdoch and all that, not to be too boring, but we formed another union which was probably a big mistake, to be loyal to the tuc and loyal our values. and that made me a big target in london, in the construction industry. so the employers, going back to 1919 and the economic league, used to keep a blacklist. so, in other words, a blacklist is a whole list of workers who are, in inverted commas, trouble.

and the word is basically going out to all the employers, don't give them a job. don't take them on. so i was put on that and i couldn't get work. it was obvious to me. so you move to job to job as a contract electrician, it's part of the deal. i couldn't get work, and so i said to my wife, "i'm going to have to change direction here." i know it's because of a blacklist. you can't prove it. and when you tell people there's a blacklist, they think you are paranoid. but you didn't know. 0ra sense? everyone knew. it's only the activists that can't get work. so, if you're the shop steward on a big site where you've got some control and you're getting good deals, that you won't get work the next time, you hope that maybe if you take a month out they'll forget in the heat will go off, "i'll get a job." but it never did? and a group of people i know, and they tend to be all the people i know, didn't get work. this was only confirmed in the sense of the blacklist published in 2009. i got a letterfor the information commissioners office and you are basically on a blacklist. there was a blacklist a support group that we

formed. i was very active in it, to be fair. we ended up at the high court, robert mcalpine, wimpey, all these big groups had to cough up a load of money. did these big groups had to cough up a load of money-— load of money. did you get the mone ? money? i got £35,000 of compensation. _ money? i got £35,000 of compensation. quite - money? i got £35,000 of compensation. quite a i money? | got £35,000 of| compensation. quite a lot money? | got £35,000 of. compensation. quite a lot of money? | got £35,000 of— compensation. quite a lot of money. the treat yourself? _ compensation. quite a lot of money. the treat yourself? i _ compensation. quite a lot of money. the treat yourself? i did _ compensation. quite a lot of money. the treat yourself? i did something i the treat yourself? i did something to my house- _ the treat yourself? i did something to my house- it— the treat yourself? i did something to my house. it didn't _ the treat yourself? i did something to my house. it didn't compensate | to my house. it didn't compensate for the amount of wages that were lost at the time. and many people got very low sums compared to what i got. got very low sums compared to what i not. ., got very low sums compared to what i tot. ., 4' ., got very low sums compared to what i not. ., ~ ., ., i. got very low sums compared to what i not. ., ~' ., ., i. ., got. you will know that your union in particular. _ got. you will know that your union in particular, and _ got. you will know that your union in particular, and it _ got. you will know that your union in particular, and it is _ got. you will know that your union in particular, and it is going - got. you will know that your union in particular, and it is going to - in particular, and it is going to happen more and more, the more you are drawn into a dispute, is portrayed as militant, as extreme. assertive. . �* . . portrayed as militant, as extreme. assertive. ., �* , ., , ., portrayed as militant, as extreme. assertive. ., �*, ., ,. , assertive. that's what you describe it as instead- _ assertive. that's what you describe it as instead. i'm _ assertive. that's what you describe it as instead. i'm going _ assertive. that's what you describe it as instead. i'm going to - assertive. that's what you describe it as instead. i'm going to put - assertive. that's what you describe it as instead. i'm going to put it - it as instead. i'm going to put it to you that there is a little secret going on here which people might have cottoned on to, listening to your interview. when we have spoken to trade unionists and the people in

the labour party, they say that mick lynch, he is nothing like as left—wing as people yes to deal with us and it own executive. i’m left-wing as people yes to deal with us and it own executive.— us and it own executive. i'm not in the labour — us and it own executive. i'm not in the labour party. _ us and it own executive. i'm not in the labour party. i _ us and it own executive. i'm not in the labour party. i am _ us and it own executive. i'm not in the labour party. i am a _ the labour party. i am a socialist and i have got a set of principles based on traditional labour values. there are factions in your union. some of them do.— there are factions in your union. some of them do. some of them take orders from — some of them do. some of them take orders from bodies _ some of them do. some of them take orders from bodies outside _ some of them do. some of them take orders from bodies outside of - some of them do. some of them take orders from bodies outside of my - orders from bodies outside of my union. i'm not interested in that, and i tell them very directly. fire and i tell them very directly. are ou and i tell them very directly. are you embarrassed by some of the things your colleagues in the rmt are for? ~ , ., ., things your colleagues in the rmt are for? ~ , . ., ., , are for? when they are at the table with me, are for? when they are at the table with me. they _ are for? when they are at the table with me, they deal— are for? when they are at the table with me, they deal with _ are for? when they are at the table with me, they deal with it - are for? when they are at the table with me, they deal with it as - are for? when they are at the table with me, they deal with it as trade | with me, they deal with it as trade unionists. some of them have got things that are quoted from years ago, people move on from some of their various beliefs.— their various beliefs. have they moved on _ their various beliefs. have they moved on from _ their various beliefs. have they moved on from supporting - their various beliefs. have they - moved on from supporting vladimir putin? the daily mail has made a great deal in recent days of the fact eddie dempsey is one of your

assistant general secretary, he is a putin apologist, posed for a picture with a pro—russian separatist. i think that was six years ago. he does not support a putin, he does not support the russian invasion and aggression against ukraine. we support ukraine's self—determination. we support ukrainian trade unions and ukrainian people. ukrainian trade unions and ukrainian --eole. , . . , ukrainian trade unions and ukrainian heole. , , , , , ukrainian trade unions and ukrainian --eole. , .. , , ., ukrainian trade unions and ukrainian n-eole., ,, i, people. dempsey signed a stop the war coalition _ people. dempsey signed a stop the war coalition or _ people. dempsey signed a stop the war coalition or coalition _ people. dempsey signed a stop the war coalition or coalition is - war coalition or coalition is slightly different, in my opinion. there is a slight disdain. there are two sides in a war and some of the stuff that is happening in ukraine hasn't been very pleasant. under a regime of zelensky, there was a burning down of a trade union hall. that does not counterbalance anything putin has done an putin's repression is far more severe than anyone he is opposing at the minute

and evading. we are totally opposed to their invasion. ”aha, and evading. we are totally opposed to their invasion.— to their invasion. "a failed state held ransom — to their invasion. "a failed state held ransom by _ to their invasion. "a failed state held ransom by neo-nazis.�* - to their invasion. "a failed state| held ransom by neo-nazis.�* the to their invasion. "a failed state i held ransom by neo-nazis.�* the as to their invasion. "a failed state - held ransom by neo-nazis.�* the as of battalion is — held ransom by neo-nazis.�* the as of battalion is based _ held ransom by neo-nazis.�* the as of battalion is based on _ held ransom by neo-nazis.�* the as of battalion is based on neo-nazi - battalion is based on neo—nazi beliefs. that can't be avoided. but in my union, i speakfor the union officially as the general secretary, eddie does as well when i don't do it. he supports the union's position, which is to oppose putin's aggression and invasion of ukraine. let's talk about the disputes. what do you say to people who would say, look, at a time like this, however good the argument you make, you just can't risk adding to the woes of ordinary working people who depend on the train, depend on the tube to get about and earn their living. i recognise that, i recognise that completely. i live in my community. people use the train, my family uses the train, my son works on the

railway. i recognise that inconvenient and i want it to happen. i know that can sound a bit trite, i'm bound to say it. do happen. i know that can sound a bit trite, i'm bound to say it.— trite, i'm bound to say it. do they sa , trite, i'm bound to say it. do they say. "come _ trite, i'm bound to say it. do they say. "come on. — trite, i'm bound to say it. do they say, "come on, mick?" _ trite, i'm bound to say it. do they say, "come on, mick?" people i trite, i'm bound to say it. do they i say, "come on, mick?" people stare at me. i say, "come on, mick?" people stare at me- idon't _ say, "come on, mick?" people stare at me. i don't want _ say, "come on, mick?" people stare at me. i don't want to _ say, "come on, mick?" people stare at me. i don't want to bring - say, "come on, mick?" people stare at me. i don't want to bring the i at me. i don't want to bring the country to its knees. i don't want members to be on strike and lose money. i want a contented worklife balance and continue carrying on their lives as happily and contentedly as they can. but the timing is because the employers at the government have got a plan to slash thousands ofjobs. they don't want to give us a pay rise, some of our members into the third year of that. and inflation is rampant, as we all know. we all know that. and the conditions that we enjoy and have negotiated are under threat. and yet you see people say, look, they are not bad paid, a lot of your people. they are not bad paid, a lot of your --eole. .. they are not bad paid, a lot of your --eole. ., , they are not bad paid, a lot of your neale, ., , ., they are not bad paid, a lot of your neale, ., ., , ., ., people. one of the reasons for that is because everyone _ people. one of the reasons for that is because everyone has _ people. one of the reasons for that is because everyone has lost. i people. one of the reasons for that is because everyone has lost. we i is because everyone has lost. we have never lost our ability to

bargain, going back to before privatisation. we have not lost a final salary and pension scheme or our terms and conditions. so relative to where we were, and we have done well in some negotiations, on tube, railand bus, we have maintained our position. is a relatively, the rest of the working class has been relegated to league 1. class has been relegated to league 1, a bit where man united are headed at the moment. 1, a bit where man united are headed at the moment-— 1, a bit where man united are headed at the moment. enough of that, thank ou. that at the moment. enough of that, thank you- that is — at the moment. enough of that, thank you- that is the _ at the moment. enough of that, thank you. that is the relativities. _ at the moment. enough of that, thank you. that is the relativities. if - you. that is the relativities. if ou look you. that is the relativities. if you look at — you. that is the relativities. if you look at the _ you. that is the relativities. if you look at the relativities, i you. that is the relativities. if you look at the relativities, a | you. that is the relativities. if i you look at the relativities, a tube driver used to be on the same weight as a bus driver. a bus driver traditionally, before the 60s, was often on more money than a tube driver. the tube driver, because of our empty membership, the unions that are prepared to campaign and go to the wall on these issues. is now on a much higher wage. it relatively, against inflation, wages may not be must different, but bus drivers have been subcontracted and relegated down the league table. i

think what your saying is that, far from apologising for this, the strikes and disruption, this is something you are proud of, that you can say to your members you have got higher wages, can say to your members you have got higherwages, betterterms can say to your members you have got higher wages, better terms and conditions, better pension than a lot of other people, precisely because i, on your behalf, are willing to pick a fight. you because i, on your behalf, are willing to pick a fight.- willing to pick a fight. you can choose to _ willing to pick a fight. you can choose to be _ willing to pick a fight. you can choose to be in _ willing to pick a fight. you can choose to be in whichever- willing to pick a fight. you can i choose to be in whichever union you want, even on the railway. if i said to you, do you want to be in this limp, passive union that has just submitted to the trends of modern working life, would you want to be in this assertive, high—profile, powerful union? which one do you want to choose? you are not going to choose the limp one, are you? the one that has not got any profile in this country. such as? i'm not going to name one. this country. such as? i'm not going to name one-— this country. such as? i'm not going to name one. you've got one in mind. i wouldn't to name one. you've got one in mind. i wouldn't dare _ to name one. you've got one in mind. i wouldn't dare say _ to name one. you've got one in mind. i wouldn't dare say that. _ to name one. you've got one in mind. i wouldn't dare say that. i _ to name one. you've got one in mind. i wouldn't dare say that. i think- i wouldn't dare say that. i think thatis i wouldn't dare say that. i think that is where the union movement has got to go, and i tell 0'grady, you

have got to get out of your offices and onto the streets and into the working class towns around this country and build it up again as if we were victorians.— we were victorians. what is interesting. _ we were victorians. what is interesting, now— we were victorians. what is interesting, now and - we were victorians. what is interesting, now and at i we were victorians. what is interesting, now and at the | interesting, now and at the beginning of this interview, you criticise the tuc, you have basically criticised the labour party. if it comes to strikes this year, will they back you? i don't know. i year, will they back you? i don't know- i don't — year, will they back you? i don't know. i don't think— year, will they back you? i don't know. i don't think the - year, will they back you? i don't know. i don't think the labour. year, will they back you? i don't i know. i don't think the labour party will back us. i don't think keir starmer or wes streeting, the new breed will, go on the telly and say these workers deserve a pay rise. they will say, warm words, trite words such as there has got to be a settlement, we encourage both parties to get around the table. i'm never not around the table. what never not around the table. what about angela _ never not around the table. what about angela rayner? _ never not around the table. what about angela rayner? you i never not around the table. what about angela rayner? you very speeds to give her money. indie about angela rayner? you very speeds to give her money-— to give her money. we give people who identify _

to give her money. we give people who identify with _ to give her money. we give people who identify with what _ to give her money. we give people who identify with what we - to give her money. we give people who identify with what we identify | who identify with what we identify with support, physical, materialand financial support. bud with support, physical, material and financial support.— financial support. and so is angela ra ner financial support. and so is angela rayner still — financial support. and so is angela rayner still an _ financial support. and so is angela rayner still an ally? _ financial support. and so is angela rayner still an ally? she _ financial support. and so is angela rayner still an ally? she is - financial support. and so is angela rayner still an ally? she is an i rayner still an ally? she is an all . i rayner still an ally? she is an ally- ithink— rayner still an ally? she is an ally. i think some _ rayner still an ally? she is an ally. i think some of - rayner still an ally? she is an ally. i think some of the i rayner still an ally? she is an l ally. i think some of the things rayner still an ally? she is an i ally. i think some of the things she believes in personally is the same as me. she has a very similar background. coming from a council estate and wanting to lift the whole council estate. that is why i don't like that blairite language about equality of opportunity. i will pick individuals out and select them to do well. but they can leave that estate. that why cant you stay on the estate and lift the whole estate, lift all the people and that estate, lift all the people and that estate together? not pick them out, which is the grammar school id and the academy idea.— which is the grammar school id and the academy idea. have you stayed on the academy idea. have you stayed on the estate? i — the academy idea. have you stayed on the estate? i haven't, _ the academy idea. have you stayed on the estate? i haven't, no, _ the academy idea. have you stayed on the estate? i haven't, no, because i the estate? i haven't, no, because my mother — the estate? i haven't, no, because my mother died — the estate? i haven't, no, because my mother died in _ the estate? i haven't, no, because my mother died in a _ the estate? i haven't, no, because my mother died in a council - the estate? i haven't, no, because my mother died in a council flat. i my mother died in a councilflat. i've bought a house because i've always earned a decent wage. and we have a home that we own ourselves. what about the tories? the tories are saying that if it comes to this,

they have a manifesto promise of what they called minimum service levels. a sort of guarantee that the most important things will happen on the rail. freight, for example. can they make that happen or can you stop them? indie they make that happen or can you stop them?— stop them? we don't want that to ha en. if stop them? we don't want that to happen- if they — stop them? we don't want that to happen. if they bring _ stop them? we don't want that to happen. if they bring in _ stop them? we don't want that to | happen. if they bring in legislation to change what you can do, and there are countries that have this, they will take away the right to strike. there is no point having a strike if it has no effect. people may not like that but it is simply the chemistry of how a dispute works. in industries where you go on strike and it'sjust industries where you go on strike and it's just a industries where you go on strike and it'sjust a protest, instead outside the building for an hour or two and have an extra long lunch break, you are not going to get anything. which is why all great unions and all sector unions look after the lower paid and the more vulnerable. that is what they want, they want to emasculate us. if they do that, that is going at the fundamentals of living in a free society. the suffragists and all of the for our rights to get to this

position where we can, if our members wanted, take this action. it hurts us, it's difficult to be on strike in a community, it is difficult to be a trade union leader organising strikes, but it does bring results.— bring results. there is a bit of ou, i bring results. there is a bit of you. i put _ bring results. there is a bit of you. i put it — bring results. there is a bit of you. i put it to _ bring results. there is a bit of you, i put it to you, _ bring results. there is a bit of you, i put it to you, that i bring results. there is a bit of| you, i put it to you, that wants bring results. there is a bit of i you, i put it to you, that wants to go back to some of the values that you loved and admired, that your parents grew up with, the solidarity, the community. i don't have any problem _ solidarity, the community. i don't have any problem in _ solidarity, the community. i don't have any problem in that. - solidarity, the community. i don't have any problem in that. we i solidarity, the community. i don'tl have any problem in that. we have got to be built in a modern way because life is different. people don't socialise that way. the caricature of the miners of working men's club. they are struggling, people communicate a different way, they don't all want to go to boring branch meetings. but they don't always want to take part in resident associations or supporting the church rebuilding fund, whatever. all of these things are part of it. some people don't even want to go to the pub any more. i can't understand that at all. but all that kind of

stuff... ~ . ., ~ ., stuff... we will be talking about the fact you _ stuff... we will be talking about the fact you have _ stuff... we will be talking about the fact you have to _ stuff... we will be talking about the fact you have to have ipa i the fact you have to have ipa instead of better. my the fact you have to have ipa instead of better.— the fact you have to have ipa instead of better. my culture is around this _ instead of better. my culture is around this idea _ instead of better. my culture is around this idea of _ instead of better. my culture is around this idea of the - instead of better. my culture is around this idea of the crack. l instead of better. my culture is i around this idea of the crack. more than just telling jokes, the atmosphere in a community and the society. i think we are missing that. people are stuck in their beds, bedrooms, not helped by covid. that thing of being obsessed with your phone, your laptop, we have to turn that around surely? surely everybody wants that. doing sport, camping, whatever you need to do. i was in the cups, i loved it. i camping, whatever you need to do. i was in the cups, i loved it.— was in the cups, i loved it. i asked ou how was in the cups, i loved it. i asked you how it — was in the cups, i loved it. i asked you how it was _ was in the cups, i loved it. i asked you how it was to _ was in the cups, i loved it. i asked you how it was to be _ was in the cups, i loved it. i asked you how it was to be in _ was in the cups, i loved it. i asked you how it was to be in the - was in the cups, i loved it. i asked you how it was to be in the public| you how it was to be in the public eye now. do you want people to know the name mick lynch? do you like the idea that may arthur scargill, imagine some of the names from the 70s who i remember growing up as a kid. jackjones. do you want to be a big public figure in that way? i have some problems with that personally. i don't seek it.

everybody has got an ego. if i wasn't known to anyone, i wouldn't be doing myjob. and if you are an anonymous trade union leader, i think there is something wrong with the campaigning that your union is doing. so i would love it if there were 30 well known trade union leaders. getting interviews, getting aerospace, getting their message across. and that's what i want. it is not for me particularly. i know it sounds over humble, but i have an ego and i enjoy these conversations. but ultimately it is so the union effort to get a profile in society. mick lynch, general secretary of the rmt, thank you forjoining me on political thinking. rmt, thank you forjoining me on politicalthinking. is rmt, thank you forjoining me on political thinking. is the general secretary of the rmt a man simply doing hisjob? making sure that secretary of the rmt a man simply doing his job? making sure that they get a better deal than those who are not represented? 0r get a better deal than those who are not represented? or is he a selfish

militant putting his own interests, member's interests, before those of the wider community? that is a debate where you have to come up with the answer. thank you for joining me on political thinking. hello again. for many of us, cloud tended to build through the course of the day. so, skies like these were fairly typical with just a few breaks around. towards the end of the day, as can started to drop, the club started to break apart. in scarborough, that is how we ended the day. plenty of sunshine, some fairly big waves hitting the coastline on a account of the brisk winds. 0vernight, they will continue to bring some scattered showers to northern and eastern scotland, into north—east england. 0therwise, northern and eastern scotland, into

north—east england. otherwise, a largely dry evening. temperatures across northern areas at sixes and sevens. tomorrow, a similar kind of day. start off with some morning sunshine. a slightly cooler start. cloud will develop and this time it will develop to such an extent we will develop to such an extent we will see some showers for scotland, england and wales. northern ireland should stay dry with sunny spells throughout. top temperatures down in recent days but still feeling 0k where they may sunshine comes through.

this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. the champions league final between liverpool and real madrid gets underway, but the kick off was delayed by more than half an hour as fans struggled to get into the stadium. we'll get the latest from paris. president biden renews his appeal for tighter gun control following a the texas elementary school massacre. there is too much violence. too much fear. too much grief. former us president donald trump dismisses calls for gun reform and says the us should prioritise funding for school security over aid to ukraine. and france and germany urge president putin to engage in peace talks as russia

continues its offensive in eastern ukraine.