people don't realise that having a knife in public is illegal. i remember about five or six years ago, and i did my first talk and i told the group of young people like, you can't actually have them. it's illegal. they was all looking at each other. a few of them had to go to the toilet all of a sudden, and it's just crazy. i think that as adults we understand the severity and we understand what could happen, but young people don't. for example, when i was younger, i used to climb trees. you know, if i fall off, ifall off. now, i wouldn't climb up a tree because i understand that if i fall off, i won't be able to work for a couple of weeks. so it's just that understanding and letting them know that, you know, supporting them to make the right decisions. heavy rain has caused flash flooding in parts of england prompting road closures overnight. these pictures show parts of bedfordshire

the met office has issued an amber warning for more heavy rain in central and southern england today. hitchin, luton and dunstable were some of the worst affected areas last night, with roads underwater. vehicles were partially submerged there. bedfordshire has reportedly seen "a month's worth" of rain in a day. our correspondent nicky schiller is in the village of marston moreteyne in central bedfordshire with the latest. this is the main road behind me. i will turn the camera around so you can see it is completely and utterly flooded. the road has been closed. in the middle of your screen you can probably see a car that has been submerged. it looks like the back of the car has come up. we don't know what has happened to the people who were in that car but you can see the amount of water that has fallen on this road. this is the main

road between milton keynes and bedford. you can see that the road is completely closed. you can see that the traffic is having to be diverted and the water, if i walk across the road, you will be able to see that it road, you will be able to see thatitis road, you will be able to see that it is more like a river on this side over here. this has gone under this bridge where this route is. you can see in the distance the services are here, the council workers and highways agency, trying to do what they can, but it is much more like a river than a road. this is the main road between bedford and milton keynes. also, the train line that runs between bedford and milton keynes has also been shot. i came on the train this morning from luton. you mentioned that luton and dunstable have been badly affected. overnight in luton the rain was continuous.

it kept me awake a lot of the night. you've seen the pictures from dunstable, vehicle submerged there. as i was coming down on the train from luton to bedford, a lot of the fields were flooded. people in bedford when i was talking to them were trying to get to work and having difficulties. there are, as you can see, a few onlookers that have come to look, one of them sent to me, i had to come to see it for myself because they couldn't quite believe what they were hearing, the fact that this main route between bedford and mental kings had been closed because of the flooding. you can see the amount of rain that came last night to cause this flooding because we are not neara flooding because we are not near a river very close here, you can see there is a service station and also a hotel here.

the rest of the road beside this main road are clear there is difficulty on the small route because of the amount of traffic, but it is not that wet on those routes, but you can see here in front of me, this is more like a river and that car that you can see on the screen by that traffic sign, obviously last night it was submerged in the water. so definitely a lot about future, as you have been talking about, has been hit by the flooding today. there are thosejell—o and amber warnings that are still in force. at the moment there are drops of rain, but certainly nothing like it was last night. it was real torrential downpours through the night. as you can see, this is what has caused this road here to have to be shot. ——

shut. some breaking news. israel launched more strikes on the south and east of the country of lebanon. in these rates, an initial toll of 50 people and the wounding of more than 300 people, including women, children, and paramedics. that is from the ministry of public health in lebanon, confirming that 50 people so far have been killed by israeli strikes in the south and east of the country, and more than 300 people wounded, including women, children and paramedics. we will bring you more on that as the day goes on. the former conservative defence secretary sir ben wallace is facing questions about a change that was made to a draft bill, that would have helped to shield the sas

from prosecution. senior government sources have told the bbc�*s panorama programme that before the bill was introduced to parliament, sir ben was made aware of credible allegations that the elite special forces regiment had killed detainees in afghanistan. by the time it became law, the legislation had been amended to remove war crimes and torture from the protections afforded by the act. let's get more now on the labour party conference, as rachel reeves will deliver her first labour party speech as chancellor in the next few minutes. alex forsyth has been there with us all morning. tell us a bit more about what we can expect. fist bit more about what we can exect. �* ., expect. at the moment where i am standing. — expect. at the moment where i am standing, that _ expect. at the moment where i am standing, that is _ conference hall were rachel reeves will be giving her speech in the next ten minutes or so. as i had been walking around this conference centre at the queue to the speech has

to make all the way around the building and there are people queueing up at the other rent to try and get their seats. that is so much interest there is there is what is the key speech for this labour conference. the conference, the first conference on power for 15 years. we know the backdrop to the speech, the economic picture that rachel reeves and the prime minister have been so keen to stress in recent weeks. they claim they inherited a bleak economic picture from the previous administration, some think that the conservatives dispute. they say there are tough decisions that they have already made, cutting it for millions of pensioners, but they are also sending warning singles about tough decisions to come in the budget. there has been some criticism of rachel reeves, that she has been too gloomy and it has

dented consumer confidence and it has the potential to dent investment. today, what we are expecting, is her to strike a more optimistic tone. she will talk about the price at the end about this. i think the government wants to explain more why they are doing what they are doing and try to give people a sense that there is hope after all the economic pain that we are told to expect to come. ~ . ~ to come. we were talking earlier on _ to come. we were talking earlier on about - to come. we were talking earlier on about experts l to come. we were talking i earlier on about experts who have been talking about the background, the fiscal headroom for the chancellor, what have they been saying?— for the chancellor, what have they been saying? rachel reeves said in interviews _ they been saying? rachel reeves said in interviews this _ they been saying? rachel reeves said in interviews this morning i said in interviews this morning and has said that that there will be no return to austerity, but that is not the notion of this government. she said that public spending will increase in real terms. as with all things economic, particularly

public finance, the devil will be in the detail. you can increase public spending overall, but that might mean that some government departments will have their budgets cut or reduced. we will only know only get the detail at the end of october with the budget. through the course of the election campaign, labour said it would not increase income tax, national insurance and vat, and the chancellor reiterated that commitment this morning. there is a question about whether she will look at other taxes she has to increase. the detail of all that will come in the budget. we are not expecting that from the conference speech today. you can see the crowds gathering outside the closed doors to the conference hall. they will open shortly and the people will be allowed in. judging by queues around the conference floor, there will probably be a bit of a scuffle for seats. there is a lot of interest in what the chancellor has to say. he

interest in what the chancellor has to say-— has to say. he spoke to the director _ has to say. he spoke to the director of _ has to say. he spoke to the director of the _ has to say. he spoke to the director of the institute - has to say. he spoke to the director of the institute for| director of the institute for fiscal studies. let's listen to what he said.— what he said. government spending _ what he said. government spending will _ what he said. government spending will increase - what he said. government spending will increase in l what he said. government i spending will increase in real terms — spending will increase in real terms over the next four or five — terms over the next four or five years _ terms over the next four or five years. the last government was planning that. the question is whether that means be able to increase in real terms for all parts _ to increase in real terms for all parts of government, so what — all parts of government, so what the _ all parts of government, so what the previous chancellor was — what the previous chancellor was planning was that spending on public— was planning was that spending on public services would increase by 1% a year over the next _ increase by 1% a year over the next five _ increase by 1% a year over the next five years. the problem with — next five years. the problem with that _ next five years. the problem with that is the cost spending on things like health, defence and childcare will increase a lot faster than that. that would _ lot faster than that. that would have implied cuts in other— would have implied cuts in other areas in public services. rathei— other areas in public services. rachel reeves did not say that there — rachel reeves did not say that there will be no cuts in other areas — there will be no cuts in other areas of— there will be no cuts in other areas of public services. i expect— areas of public services. i expect that is what she will try to — expect that is what she will try to achieve and that will require _ try to achieve and that will require an overall increase of more — require an overall increase of more than _ require an overall increase of more than 1% over the next few years — more than 1% over the next few

years we — more than 1% over the next few years. we will have to wait for the budget to find out how she will do — the budget to find out how she will do that.— will do that. people like m self will do that. people like myself are _ will do that. people like myself are always - will do that. people like | myself are always trying will do that. people like i myself are always trying to extract information from the chancellor ahead of the budget. if we are looking at income generation for government, taxes was one of the levers they can pull. we know that rachel reeves has ruled that increases the income tax, vat. what other options could you be considering? she what other options could you be considering?— considering? she is in a tight sot considering? she is in a tight spot there- _ considering? she is in a tight spot there. there _ considering? she is in a tight spot there. there is - considering? she is in a tight spot there. there is one - considering? she is in a tight spot there. there is one big l spot there. there is one big tax rise _ spot there. there is one big tax rise that is still on the books, _ tax rise that is still on the books, which is further years of freezes— books, which is further years of freezes to income tax and national— of freezes to income tax and national insurance allowances and thresholds. that means more of your— and thresholds. that means more of your income will be dragged into tax— of your income will be dragged into tax and higher rates of tax — into tax and higher rates of tax that _ into tax and higher rates of tax. that is something like an £8 billion— tax. that is something like an £8 billion or £10 billion tax rise — £8 billion or £10 billion tax rise. beyond that, it is difficult _ rise. beyond that, it is difficult to get big money from the remaining taxes if you're not doing _ the remaining taxes if you're not doing things to things like national insurance. the biggest

money— national insurance. the biggest money she could get would be by restricting the tax relief that you get— restricting the tax relief that you get when you put your money into a — you get when you put your money into a pension. there could be as much— into a pension. there could be as much as _ into a pension. there could be as much as £15 billion from doing — as much as £15 billion from doing that and that will come from — doing that and that will come from somewhat higher earners, though— from somewhat higher earners, though not necessarily very high — though not necessarily very high earners these days. there could _ high earners these days. there could be — high earners these days. there could be changes to national gains — could be changes to national gains tax and inheritance tax. those — gains tax and inheritance tax. those taxes certainly need reform. _ those taxes certainly need reform, but she would not get substantial amounts of money from _ substantial amounts of money from them. we may see the end of the _ from them. we may see the end of the 15— from them. we may see the end of the 15 year freeze on fuel duties, _ of the 15 year freeze on fuel duties, but simply entering that~ — duties, but simply entering that. things getting worse than raising — that. things getting worse than raising more money. there are a few options— raising more money. there are a few options there. my guess is what _ few options there. my guess is what we — few options there. my guess is what we will see in the budget is quite — what we will see in the budget is quite a _ what we will see in the budget is quite a lot of smaller increases and reforms over a lot of— increases and reforms over a lot of taxes which between them add to— lot of taxes which between them add to a — lot of taxes which between them add to a significant amount. it will be —

add to a significant amount. it will be much more risky than simply— will be much more risky than simply reversing the national insurance cuts that jeremy hunt put in _ insurance cuts that jeremy hunt put in place over the last year _ let's get more now on the labour party conference, as rachel reeves will deliver her first labour party speech as chancellor in the next few minutes. she stops him dead in his tracks— she stops him dead in his tracks and said, you had me at hello — tracks and said, you had me at hello that— tracks and said, you had me at hello. that is what rachel did to me — hello. that is what rachel did to me back in 2022. laughter macro her actual words were, _ laughter macro her actual words were, i_ laughter macro her actual words were, iwaht _ laughter macro her actual words were, iwarrtto— laughter macro her actual words were, i want to make _ laughter macro her actual words were, i want to make sure - laughter macro her actual words were, i want to make sure that. were, i want to make sure that wealth— were, i want to make sure that wealth creation— were, i want to make sure that wealth creation is _ were, i want to make sure that wealth creation is no— were, i want to make sure that wealth creation is no longer. were, i want to make sure that wealth creation is no longer a i wealth creation is no longer a dirty— wealth creation is no longer a dirty word _ wealth creation is no longer a dirtv word in— wealth creation is no longer a dirty word in the _ wealth creation is no longer a dirty word in the uk. - 0k, snappy it was not. accurate, hell yes. ithought,

finally, — accurate, hell yes. ithought, finally, here is a woman no less— finally, here is a woman no less that _ finally, here is a woman no less that understands industry and gets— less that understands industry and gets that without wealth creation, ie economic growth, you cant— creation, ie economic growth, you can't have excellence in the nhs, _ you can't have excellence in the nhs, you can't fix roads or increase — the nhs, you can't fix roads or increase salaries or help people _ increase salaries or help people live in better housing. wealth — people live in better housing. wealth creation creates more than — wealth creation creates more than wealth, it is the engine of social— than wealth, it is the engine of social progress. the _ of social progress. the labour party conference waiting for the chancellor to give her speech. let's bring in alex forsyth. clearly everyone packing in there and it is an exciting moment for them. give us the headlines about what we can expectjust us the headlines about what we can expect just a us the headlines about what we can expectjust a month out from a budget we will not get rabbits out of a hat exactly, are we? ., ., �* , ., are we? no, don't be a conference _ are we? no, don't be a conference speech - are we? no, don't be a conference speech full| are we? no, don't be a l conference speech full of detail. it is much more about

the tone, about a party trying to explain why they are doing what they are doing. there is a lot of talk the tough economic decisions they are having to make, the winter fuel payments being the first such decision. the tone of rachel reeves will be really important, as well as the content. you can see rachel reeves there. aside her is keir starmer, the prime minister. as i stood here by the doors to the conference halljust behind me, i have seen hilary benn go in, the health secretary, west drayton, the environment secretary. tuesday that this is really one of the big speeches of the party conference and particularly this party conference because you have to remember this is the labour party's remember this is the labour pa rty�*s first conference remember this is the labour party's first conference in 15 years where they have been in power. it has been the first time that the labour party has had a labour chancellor stand

up had a labour chancellor stand up and set out their party for