guest is nick leeson mark meets guest is nick leeson , the man who quite literally broke the bank. he broke down, brought down the barings bank. he'll tell

2 hours i'll be keeping you company here on tv and radio with the stories that matter across the country, we have plenty coming , including in the plenty coming, including in the face of strike action, adverse weather and pressure on our nhs are we really and truly prepared for christmas? 22 i'll be talking to a top line up of guests and getting their takes on the best way the strikes and the chill. but first, let's bnng the chill. but first, let's bring you right up to date with all of the day's news is tamsin roberts . oh so thank all of the day's news is tamsin roberts. oh so thank you very much. good afternoon from the gb newsroom, it's 1201 police in jersey have confirmed one person has died following a large explosion in st hellier. the blast happened a block of flats in the early of the morning. a

search and rescue effort is underway with . around a dozen underway with. around a dozen people said be missing. jersey police chief officer robyn smith . a news conference, the fire service had been called to the area the previous night after residents reported the smell of gas. he warned number of people killed could still climb. we have a three storey building that that has completely collapsed . describe it from collapsed. describe it from a demolition point of view probably as a pancake that has just dropped almost sort of straight down. it is considerable destruction. destruction and there are also to a nearby building as well, another another block of flats, which is we need to sort of make safe the fire service need to make space so it is it is it is a pretty devastating scene, i regret to say . manchester regret to say. manchester airport has been forced to temporarily close both because of heavy snow affecting dozens of heavy snow affecting dozens of flights. severe cold weather warnings are in place across

northern ireland, wales , northern ireland, wales, southwest and south—east of england this weekend with temperatures dropping as low as , minus ten degrees in some isolated . the met office says isolated. the met office says the conditions could cause travel disruption . and there's travel disruption. and there's also a child some areas could be cut off . power supplies could cut off. power supplies could also affected . rmt general also affected. rmt general secretary lynch has called for an urgent meeting with the prime minister is to try to resolve a running dispute over pay and conditions for rail workers . conditions for rail workers. union members are due to stage 48 hour strikes next week following months of industrial action over the deadlocked rail . millions of people are expected to watch england take on defending world cup champions france in tonight's quarter final in qatar. manager gareth southgate says they're better prepared for success than four years ago, but that this will be the team's toughest test so far . the tournament at home, supporters dare to dream in

south—east london at the kirby in bermondsey, residents are cautiously optimistic . i feel cautiously optimistic. i feel we're going to win. i think , as we're going to win. i think, as i said before, storming today , i said before, storming today, going to win two nil. we're very confident after yesterday. i don't to think anymore don't know what to think anymore . some some of the games . some of some of the games yesterday. we're actually incredible. i mean, to be a neutral them amazing. but to neutral them is amazing. but to actually a supporter mean, actually be a supporter i mean, if we've a game like that if we've got a game like that tonight, i'm going to be all over the place. but if we can if we can do what been doing, we can do what we've been doing, yeah, we've got yeah, i reckon we've got a chance well the french are just as excited about the clash in paris. jealous of many says they're showdown they're ready for the showdown so final against england so quarter final against england it's it's a crunch in football it's a it's a crunch in football on a saturday night at 7:00 8:00 french time so i think everybody tonight in france is going to be watching. it's such a special game, an old rivalry no north fight between between two, two lovers. so i think everybody is really passionate now here about this game . around 200 migrants

this game. around 200 migrants have been intercept crossing the channel this morning one group managed to land on the beaches samphire hoe near dover. they've now been taken to the ftx processing centre. calmer conditions are reportedly making the journey easier today. over 44,000 and people have crossed the channel so far this year , a the channel so far this year, a domestic abuse charity has paused. operations over safety fears after the royal row. it comes after ngozi fulani spoke about her treatment by prince william's lady susan hussey , who william's lady susan hussey, who repeatedly asked her. she really came from a reception at buckingham palace , the sisters buckingham palace, the sisters based charity founder says she and her team received horrific abuse on social media. the charity says it will reinstate its services as soon as it's safe to do so . nurses orion safe to do so. nurses orion spacecraft is making its way back to earth after a 25 day trip around the moon the uncrewed capsule , which is uncrewed capsule, which is

designed to carry astronauts , designed to carry astronauts, has travelled more than 1.4 million miles. it's expected it to land in the pacific ocean tomorrow afternoon if the splashdown is successful humans board the craft for the next lunar mission . board the craft for the next lunar mission. in board the craft for the next lunar mission . in 2024, the king lunar mission. in 2024, the king says the reassuring presence of ancient trees and woodlands is a fitting tribute to his late mother. the monarch's words are part of a foreword for new book called the queen's green canopy. it features photos of 78 old trees and, 70 historic woodlands , which were dedicated to queen elizabeth to mark her platinum jubilee . the book will be jubilee. the book will be published in june , but its published in june, but its images are currently on display at a public exhibition in london . this is gb news we'll bring you more news as it happens. of course . now, though, back to course. now, though, back to alister .

alister. thanks times. and it is 6 minutes past midday our gave grandson his first advance calendar as days tick down to his first christmas he flicks it openit his first christmas he flicks it open it yields a happy festive image each day. the pessimistic in me just wondered if there might be a market a slightly more truthful , slightly more more truthful, slightly more negative ad calendar. frosty windows as many will delay the heating on or putting it up a little further . relatives flying little further. relatives flying in from abroad delayed at passport control the borders due to the strike by border force workers trains for that seasonal family gathering stuck in the side rings due to the rail workers . a less than groaning workers. a less than groaning dinner table as big old turkeys

were in short supply and this very day the national farmers union warns of a supply chain crisis in. agriculture also , of crisis in. agriculture also, of course, christmas cards, yet to be delivered due the postal strikes, cars skidding around as salt is perhaps a little short in supply. and then tables full of medicines that you from your local chemist as there's little hope seeing a gp or worse still getting to hospital and being nursed back to good health . one nursed back to good health. one can barely imagine it all, but thatis can barely imagine it all, but that is the reality of christmas 22 in much of the united kingdom an advent calendar to reflect what we are likely to be seeing and we have certainly seeing in the newspapers this very morning. today's times has led with misery on the railways . with misery on the railways. mail warns readers not fall ill

to rely on trains and forget to send christmas cards. to rely on trains and forget to send christmas cards . strikes send christmas cards. strikes hold britain hostage , they say. hold britain hostage, they say. so today we're looking how well we really are as individuals and indeed as a collective nation for the that we all face. we have a gp, a transport spokesperson, a labour relations expert or two and an expert in child psychology. here with me on the programme to explain the reality and it might not quite match the hopes that those little ones got for this christmas. but do you tell it to him straight, or do you kind of try and cosy it up a little so it doesn't shatter all of their hopes and dreams this time of year? and we would genuinely love to hear from you. send your thoughts to us at gbviews@gbnews.uk or. thoughts to us at gbviews@gbnews.uk or . tweet thoughts to us at gbviews@gbnews.uk or. tweet me or tweet at gb news direct or of course you can go on facebook. most of you. so said, get a grip. it'll be fine don't panic. i like that. very much. grip. it'll be fine don't panic.

i like that. very much . you i like that. very much. you usual channels channels i'm delighted to be joined live in the studio now by gb news political olivia utley is there on the political front much hope that you see or hear of any of these industrial actions predominantly in the public sector or at the railways is slightly different. there's a pubuc slightly different. there's a public sector interest in it as well, but postal workers, the nurses, what have you, there's a big lynch this morning saying rishi sunak's got to get a grip. he's got to come. yes. rishi sunakin he's got to come. yes. rishi sunak in a very difficult position because . on the one position because. on the one hand, he's a pretty new prime minister. he's not hugely popular. the conservatives have been going through a turbulent time the last thing time anyway. and the last thing he premiership to he wants is his premiership to be by all these strikes. be over by all these strikes. and he's worried, of course, that people will see what's happening just blame happening and just blame the government people automatically government. people automatically do when things wrong . so he do when things go wrong. so he does want to engage. he does want to find sort of solution to

these crisis . but at what cost? these crisis. but at what cost? mike lynch's that that driver only trains are scrapped meaning much more staff on the railways would mean a huge outlay for groaning treasury so which is it really doesn't want to give in there and he's worried that if he does and he pushes to a higher pay is higher than 8% which is what he's offered at the moment, that he's going to have to echo that across the rest the public services. so he's still holding his ground at the moment. best. what he's the moment. the best. what he's trying what he's trying trying to do. what he's trying to a bit of is to do is get a bit of is threatening this legislation which saying might bring which he's saying he might bring in which would in the new year which would curtail rights of strikers curtail the rights of strikers and that he's will be enough to push the unions agreeing to push the unions into agreeing to some sort of negotiation. but so far it's not looking hugely promising , far it's not looking hugely promising, being far it's not looking hugely promising , being brutal. is promising, being brutal. is there a political upside for him to see this through and see them down? well, there is an argument in austin wrote a good piece in the labour mp, wrote a very good piece in, the mail a couple of

days ago, saying that he thinks that it's actually going to backfire on labour if you compare to general strike compare it to the general strike 1926 two equal to 1926 when the two equal to strike and actually the public sided with the government, it was for the constituency was good for the constituency already. i draw your already. but i also draw your attention. and those attention. if have an and those who enough to be who are kind enough to be watching us to watching listening to us to a leader the times morning that leader in the times morning that says sir keir starmer cannot be newfound friend of big business as he tried to proclaim at the cbi recently and remain neutral on industrial action, be it in the private , the public sector. the private, the public sector. absolutely. and we know that keir starmer treading a very, very here he very tricky line here because he does to seem like the does want to seem like the sort of blairite open to business where the competent party one but also of course his is beholden to the unions so he can't too far against unions. of course he's got angela rayner his deputy side of the his deputy at his side of the room. no friend of no, room. no friend of labour. no, exactly. well yeah. and angela rayner saying , saying rayner is sort of saying, saying that strikes are doing good that the strikes are doing good job, which isn't the sort of language which is particularly helpful to keir but you helpful to keir starmer, but you might that would help rishi

sunak's out when it comes down to it, polling just sort of to it, the polling just sort of suggests that people at suggests that people look at what's they think the what's on and they think the government's the government's in crisis, the government's in crisis, the government the country government can't run the country . we're going to . and that's what we're going to be afraid of. all right, as be very afraid of. all right, as always, olivia, to see you. great talk you back out great to talk to you back out there the laptop and the there onto the laptop and the phone then back and see phone and then come back and see us 1:00 and bring us up to us at 1:00 and bring us up to date with anything date with with anything that that may or may not have happened. makes grateful of that sitting in the studio sitting here live in the studio with me as well, listening with me as well, and listening to delighted to say as to that, i'm delighted to say as a friend of this program , a good friend of this program, that's who's the that's jim dale, who's the senior meteorologist british senior meteorologist at british weather services. he came with the nickname the troll of trondheim. but i think sounds slightly vulgarian . do you coin slightly vulgarian. do you coin beast from the east as well? a long time ago on the front introduction to a making a film about yeah i'm probably not i'm probably not in it not as the beast or anything but nonetheless i think, i think it's about 20 is go my memory fades i've got to a front page

of one of the national newspapers with this big yeti when the beast if you like the winds came in and gave us perhaps what we're not quite getting at this moment in time because the reason it was called the troll from trondheim was. that was the direction. but this one is the naughty. the north moor is exactly moor is. yeah, it is exactly that. watching it one two that. we're watching it one two weeks ago now and first reported on it and we were saying this looks like it's got our name it andifs looks like it's got our name it and it's going to come across norway, hence the name the troll because it was that there's a netflix film out there at the netflix film out there is at the same called trolls same time called the trolls and it these together like it it's these two together like you from everything that you do from everything that you've and seen and the you've read and seen and the folk that i know you talk to constantly the sense constantly do you get the sense that local government central government have got a grip on this and are poised to react to it positively ? because as you it positively? because as you was saying , the government, that was saying, the government, that could be a political upside if you handle a strike. well and win that can also win it, that can also a political upside. if deal with a climactic crisis are seen to do

it. well, yeah . except to say it. well, yeah. except to say this this is not a 201011 event, which which if people can remember that that was universal snow and basically the country by its so own devices if you like this is this hasn't quite got there yet. yes cold yes, it's freezing yes, there's been some snow around a little bit more today, by the way, than there was yesterday and the day before. so it is starting to spread. and yes, it is going to go on a little bit more. i think any government local any government, any local authority, they get to grips authority, if they get to grips with with any extreme of weather, whether we're talking this type of weather or all this summer time when it was really hot and it's time when you have give advice to particular that are not necessarily aware of what to do if they get on so i think they get points i my hat and my thick gloves on this morning having listened to the weather forecast first thing this morning where the headlines seem to be freezing fog that seemed to be the thing they were

most worried about. yeah when we get into a situation with lack of wind, then it's always to be the case. it's the motorist nightmare. you go you go from a clear, clear, nice clear air which polar anomaly is into a dip , a motorway on which polar anomaly is into a dip, a motorway on a on a on a on small road. and yeah, it's difficult. one of the major impacts of weather is always to be transport the effects of a weather we're talking trains leaves a lot talking to a local authority guy later about great and stuff like that. yeah yeah. and i as a long term forecast as well that's what we've often talked about in past. yes. talked about in the past. yes. how do you see this and how long do you see this on and will the happy be a white christmas ? okay. that's the big christmas? okay. that's the big question, isn't it? basically. and i need to i need to impress upon you i've got an interest in terms of the fact that i actually advise to the major bookmakers with this day on, you know, day in, day out making i've got some small gear. these are percentage is not are percentage also this is not what see from the what you'll see from the bookmakers is what we think ongoing look actual the actual cold spell we're in now the trouble i think it will last

another week and i think it gets you from the southwest now as it does so that warm is going does so that that warm is going to move into the very cold frigidaire, particularly the frigidaire, particularly in the north, snow north, would be into the snow event it warms up. but by event before it warms up. but by not on a still a long way to go to christmas, i think the cold air will then come in from a more traditional direction. the nonh more traditional direction. the north could leave with a north west could leave with a few showers on the day few wintry showers on the day and me a day still trying and me having a day still trying to snowflakes they are to count the snowflakes they are and rest. because and all the rest. because there's another part of my so that's what i've coming but i think can safely i think think we can safely say i think anyway that in week's we anyway that in week's time we should end the should be seeing the end the troll weather but we'll be in troll weather. but we'll be in touch with you again, i'm sure. jim always a pleasure jim it's always a pleasure to talk you thanks much, talk to you and thanks much, nick. i give you early nick. can i give you an early christmas you can be. christmas present? you can be. i said my producer he always said to my producer he always has brilliant book with has that brilliant book with him, marvellous how can him, which is marvellous how can you offer? you're welcome, jim. i if there is a trade i don't know if there is a trade union representing, meteorologists union representing, metif»rologists union representing, metif was,iists union representing, metif was, he'd be the shop but if was, he'd be the shop steward on down to place . jim steward on down to place. jim dale, senior meteorologist at british weather services . now

british weather services. now for a political view on the current situation , i'm delighted current situation, i'm delighted to be joined by steve mccabe , to be joined by steve mccabe, who is the labour member of parliament for birmingham selly oak and a good friend of this programme regular which is programme and a regular which is always say and jolly always nice to say and jolly good to see you . do you sense to good to see you. do you sense to pick up that point i was making that that because of the great work that people like jim central government and local government have no excuse but to be ready for this cold spell in terms of keeping the schools open and getting us out and about on safe roads and walking on safe pavements . you also know on safe pavements. you also know so well. i mean , terms of the so well. i mean, terms of the amount of data and information they're getting, there's not much excuse. but i do think government is showing much sense of being prepared for anything in recent times and course, the challenge for local government is, is resource is there

anything different do you think that if labour had in power that it would or could have done to ease some of the industrial action, whether it's the communication workers , who are communication workers, who are going to be talking to in the moment or the unions that we had this morning mclennan saying he wants face to face talks . mr. wants face to face talks. mr. sunak we've got the necessary on the corner and the rest of it. would you have done anything differently? well, i think we would know so clearly of confrontation. i think the evidence from the last labour government most obvious in the health area is where we had the agenda for change , where we were agenda for change, where we were able to work with and help people career options promotional, people career options promotional , creating promotional, creating opportunities is everything that made the career worthwhile as as the that of course we shouldn't have any streets at all during entire period of government . you

entire period of government. you and i are both almost old enough to remember barbara castle and in place of strife trying to get a grip on industrial action that destroyed the public has always been a very tricky call for laboun been a very tricky call for labour. but as the times says this morning in its leader , you this morning in its leader, you can't be the new bodies of , the can't be the new bodies of, the cbi if you remain neutral on industrial action which ruining people's lives . yeah. i mean, people's lives. yeah. i mean, i suppose the difference is barbara castle was trying address wild card strikes this industrial action is legal is action that's taking under laws passed by a furious conservative government i mean i wouldn't say labour was neutral honestly believe that all of these workers a legitimate case and what we're seeing is the government facility meaningful and helpful negotiate actions i

now have to see from the people lost talking to people real estate they're the noblest in the economic circumstances of the economic circumstances of the country . what they do feel the country. what they do feel is the government is deliberately taking advantage of the situation clear with the railway. but steve, you're a reasonable you always have been. wouldn't even you on that basis that there some duty , some jobs that there some duty, some jobs and responsibility within the economy whether it's getting people and goods from to b or whether it's running hospitals and keeping healthy , making them and keeping healthy, making them better if they fall ill, where there should be meaning them standard requirements below this line you may not go . yes and i line you may not go. yes and i think it is government's responsibility to create minimum standard requirements, but it's also the responsibility to try and ensure that things don't get

to the crisis point that we're reaching. no . steve great to reaching. no. steve great to talk to you. thank you very much for breaking into your weekend to share time us and what have you got planned. i hope you have a pleasant festive and stay warm and and sliding and go slipping and sliding there in sally. okay. great there in in sally. okay. great to see you. thanks, dave. steve mccabe, mp for birmingham mccabe, labour mp for birmingham selly as steve and i selly oak. now as steve and i were just talking there and as olivia saying as well , the olivia was saying as well, the nhs under amounts of nhs has been under amounts of pressure for quite some time and it seems that can only get worse for. winter and make sure that our can we make sure our health service can cope to discuss that i'm delighted to be joined by dr. david lloyd, who is an nhs gp and has often appeared gb news for which we are very from everything that you are seeing at the front line . do you sense at the front line. do you sense that the nhs is prepared for? it is obviously going to be a tncky is obviously going to be a tricky winter, not only of

nurses action but just the sheer and more people falling poorly, let alone skin with strep b is nhs up to it . let alone skin with strep b is nhs up to it. golly, that's a very difficult question. we're certainly feeling the effects of this very group based strep . this very group based strep. condition at the moment. this very group based strep. condition at the moment . the condition at the moment. the peak has arrived very early. normally we expected in, but because of all the times able in the covid and the pandemic , it's the covid and the pandemic, it's upset the timing of, the covid and the pandemic, it's upset the timing of , these upset the timing of, these things. so we're getting a huge in streptococcal infections at the moment which is putting a lot of strain on us and you lot in the media have really done a marvellous job of getting everybody very worried about it. so our really departments and our gp surgeries are filling up with thousands of worried well , with thousands of worried well, but really the incidence of serious illness in this condition is one in 6000. so i'd have to 6000 people with

penicillin to prevent one serious complication of group a strep it's a it's a condition that's been around for years. doctors and nurses know how to recognise it. and i can talk to you about that as well. and it's an extraordinary modern. it always gets better with a very old fashioned penicillin . so old fashioned penicillin. so it's a very it's a very well known and it's a very condition, but trouble is that when young children and particular it can be confused with viral infection , which again are very at the moment. so we've got a lot of worried mothers and fathers and carers of that children who are really seeking help as much as they can through one, one, one that gp services absolutely and tell me , david, how are you tell me, david, how are you finding it yourself at the front line . the reason i ask that is line. the reason i ask that is because i got a very helpful text message from my local gp who a really good at

communications and they just said look yet if you want to see a gp it does have to be it has to be really serious which hopefully it always would be . hopefully it always would be. and they were quite clear it was partly increasing numbers of people need notes at this time of year because . they are of year because. they are genuinely poorly and cannot go to work and would lose money. secondly, mums and dads worried about little ones with rashes and all the rest it fevers and all the rest it and fevers and all the rest it and fevers and so on. what are you finding it at your frontline? david well , is exceptionally busy, yes . , is exceptionally busy, yes. mean we're all working very late the night and we're getting a lot of queries and we're seeing a lot of patients face to face because sometimes you've got a sick child with a fever and it's something you can't deal on the telephone or a visit. you really do to see them. an do need to see them. an interesting quirk of this condition you we've got condition is that you we've got darker can't actually darker skins. you can't actually see the rash typically the scarlet fever. so you actually need to put hand on and need to put your hand on and have feel for that classic have a feel for that classic sandpaper . have a feel for that classic sandpaper. so yeah, have a feel for that classic sandpaper . so yeah, there are

sandpaper. so yeah, there are real issues to do with access and getting to general practitioners at the moment that we really would love would be the well so to speak the worried well so to speak just stay away and not fill up departments because it makes it that more difficult to pick that much more difficult to pick up really serious little up the really serious little patients that's the patients and that's the difficulty in getting this balance , isn't it? we're all balance, isn't it? we're all talking about it. we're all thinking about it, but we're getting a lot of people who the first stages, you know, ringing a doctor, guernsey or doctor because you're worried about it. and can i have some penicillin in case? and then the pharmacy is empty of penicillin we can't amoxicillin syrup or penicillin syrup now so we're asking parents to crush up adult to give to their children. so it's a it's an extra ordinary sort of gathering storm and in amongst all all some very elderly people are going to get cold this winter who are going to get viruses, who are going to covid, who are going to get flu and we've got them to worry about as

well. so, yes, very exciting this winter , my old mate chris this winter, my old mate chris hopson was doing media round the other day and i knew amy used to do pressing and media relations, figuring out a television. and of course he is a big cheese at nhs providers and he's now think head of strategy at the nhs and intriguingly he said the answer to where are right now which you just spoke so elegantly and articulately about is not shed loads money it is this personnel planning doctor model it's about recruiting more people to sit alongside you and with you it's about recruiting and training more nurses, more doctors . the more nurses, more doctors. the piece that will solve most of the immediate problems that the nhs faces. do you agree with that? well i yes, i saying the exact thing i can't agree with, but yes, i think the more gp's and nurses we have on front, the front line means the more time we can spend with patients to help prevent illness , to help help prevent illness, to help

people not get cancer to not get heart disease and to watch out for dangerous signs. heart disease and to watch out for dangerous signs . and that's for dangerous signs. and that's the problem we have. we're the whole time rather than actually thinking about a proper service that provides a great service for nhs gb, uk ltd, we need a good health service. so that's our commercial. good health service. so that's our commercial . are big our commercial. are big companies can compete in the world without having a huge population of sick people waiting to hit. it's done all that needs done the better. the health service we have, the more economically advantageous the uk will be on the world market and goodness we need that now . david goodness we need that now. david great, to talk to you again and thank you very much for breaking in to your weekend to do. and let me just underline one thing david won't mind my doing in a whole series of brilliant answers but that key thing he said you can online and you can all sorts of alternatives . to

all sorts of alternatives. to trying to phone up and try and book an appointment for a hard pressed gp surgery. there's lots good advice that we now know as well that you can pop into your pharmacy see and they are very good men and women too. and they will be able to give you primary care and guidance and even be able to give you a prescription but as david said, only in extremis, pick up that phone and call the gp . david, thank you call the gp. david, thank you very much indeed . hope you have very much indeed. hope you have a great rest of the weekend. that's dr. david lloyd, an nhs gp bringing you right to date with what it's like at the frontline and some very sound advice for all of us to get through a chilly and not terribly pleasant winter. you are watching and listening to alastair stewart& friends with lots more coming up on today's programme . england, of course as programme. england, of course as you may just have heard, gearing up their quarterfinal match up for their quarterfinal match against france this evening in england to bring it home. we will be catching up with jason cundy. but first, let's take a look at what we've just been

talking about. the all important weather looking to this afternoon in the uk is looking cold but dry for most although wintry showers continuing some coastal areas. let's take a look at the details . staying dry with at the details. staying dry with plenty of sunny spells for much of scotland today, but some snow showers continuing for and eastern areas getting very cold with moderate winds. showers persist across east and northern ireland afternoon with sleet or snow places, some brighter spells times, but feeling very cold a cold, cloudy afternoon . cold a cold, cloudy afternoon. northwestern england with a risk . some wintry showers, particularly high ground drier, with brighter further east , with brighter further east, cloudy in the far northwest wales with showers which may be wintry in places, particularly over high ground throughout saturday. drier further east with brighter spells at times, but feeling very cold, generally dry across the east midlands with plenty of sunny spells, although some mist and fog may

unger although some mist and fog may linger through afternoon feeling very cold with some spots staying close to freezing all day , staying mostly dry across day, staying mostly dry across anglia. although the odd light shower may skirt far eastern coast , sunny spells further west coast, sunny spells further west , although feeling cold with many places staying close to freezing and mostly dry afternoon in the south england with plenty of sunshine , a few with plenty of sunshine, a few light showers far southern coasts. it's very cold into saturday evening with wintry showers at the and a frosty overlapping for many and that is how the weather is shaping up for the rest of the day .

remember, in the olden days when we dreamed of a better future for them right away, jacob says, i'll never understand the obsession from the right of getting rid of any measures designed to quite literally save the planet . weird. why people

the planet. weird. why people assume that people who lean right don't want to save the planet they're good afternoon. it's1234. i'm good afternoon. it's 1234. i'm tamsin roberts in the gb newsroom police in jersey have

confirmed one person has died following a large explosion in st helier the blast happened at a block of flats in the early hours of the morning. a search and rescue is underway with around a dozen people said to be missing . jersey police chief missing. jersey police chief officer robin smith told a news conference the fire service had been called the area the previous night after reported the smell of gas. he warned previous night after reported the smell of gas . he warned the the smell of gas. he warned the number of people killed could still climb . we have a three still climb. we have a three storey building that that has completely collapsed . described completely collapsed. described from a demolition point of view, probably as a pancake that has just dropped almost sort of straight down. it is considerable destruction. destruction and there are also to a nearby building as. destruction and there are also to a nearby building as . well. to a nearby building as. well. another another said of flats which we need to sort of make safe for fire service, need to make space. so it is it is it is a pretty devastate fighting scene, i regret to say . rmt

scene, i regret to say. rmt general secretary lynch has called for an urgent meeting . called for an urgent meeting. the prime minister is to try to resolve a long running dispute over pay and conditions for rail workers . over pay and conditions for rail workers. union members are due to stage 48 hour strikes next week following months of industrial action over the deadlocked rail . a runway at deadlocked rail. a runway at manchester airport has rio opened after heavy snow forced its closure affecting dozens of flights . severe cold weather flights. severe cold weather warnings are in place across scotland. northern ireland, wales, the south—west south—east of england this weekend , with of england this weekend, with temperatures dropping as low as minus ten degrees in isolated areas . minus ten degrees in isolated areas. millions people are expected to watch england on defending world cup champions france in tonight's quarter final in qatar. manager southgate says they're better prepared success than four years ago, but that this will be the team's toughest test so far at the tournament . tv online , dab+ the tournament. tv online, dab+ radio. this is gb news now it's

back to . back to. times and thank you very much indeed. it says it's the match that england have been looking forward to all week. a third and final fixture with the reigning world cup champions i wonder about that, is whether actually that's the side that they really wanted face. i know everybody wanted face. i know everybody wanted to be at this level on stage in the in the championship and of course every single one of us wishes them all of the luck in the world as they face the reigning world tonight with favourites such as brazil making kanus favourites such as brazil making karius and early exits . can the karius and early exits. can the three lions roar past a blip? wonderful the sun newspaper this morning with a picture . look, morning with a picture. look, look. crop, monsieur , and make look. crop, monsieur, and make the french toast . it's a gift to

the french toast. it's a gift to do two headline writers , but do two headline writers, but obviously it has been much talked about and much reported . talked about and much reported. and therefore i'm delighted offer some fresh thoughts here because i'm joined live in the studio by former professional jason cundy, who played for england for under 1 minutes. i did. good afternoon. good to see you and thanks for sharing with us.the you and thanks for sharing with us. the thing that's really struck me and i'm very taken by it is listening. struck me and i'm very taken by it is listening . so many of the it is listening. so many of the players and, what i'd call the really intelligent commentariat out there, rather than just the back of the net, as it were, is the importance , the camaraderie the importance, the camaraderie that. the importance, the camaraderie that . this the importance, the camaraderie that. this squad has got now that. this squad has got now that it's back to complete . that it's back to complete. having seen one have to go home for four private reasons. they all say that that interaction amongst themselves buddies is crucial. you know what , this has crucial. you know what, this has been building up for years. we saw that in the last world cup

when we got to the semi—finals and the euros last year, when got to the final of that. so it's not coincidence. this is it's not by coincidence. this is a of players gareth has a squad of players gareth has carefully together carefully put together moulded into squad you mentioned into a squad you mentioned there. there's a camaraderie amongst got amongst all they've all got their backs . they seem to be their own backs. they seem to be very relaxed. and one of this company, is not just company, this is not just a squad that's thrown squad that's been thrown together. tough, together. this has been tough, carefully the last carefully nurtured over the last or five years. i think gareth deserves , a huge amount of deserves, a huge amount of credit as well. yeah, credit for that as well. yeah, absolutely. which again, people are that the dark days of are saying that the dark days of looking down upon him a bit would appear to have evaporated. and that matter. my other favourite and he's certainly not a back of the bone in terms of his language is a back of that man in terms what he used to do as alan shearer. he said, we need to be really careful as fans and players and supporters and even coaches and staff, and thatis and even coaches and staff, and that is to talk up how some of the french players are because shearer and it's in my head, it just look at that line up of

strikers we've got and how well they've done so far because it may be the highest single scorer in the competition so far. may be the highest single scorer in the competition so far . we in the competition so far. we are the highest scoring team in the competition. so and i think there's a mutual respect between both both camps. right. you know what? we've we're scoring goals. eight players scored for eight players have scored for our squad, only three of theirs. but they do have arguably best player in the world right now. exactly talk about him exactly right. we talk about him because he's superstar because he is he's a superstar star. you know, he scored 16 goals, last 14 for goals, his last 14 games for france. and he's somewhat to be up but you're up against. but you're absolutely . we need to be absolutely right. we need to be careful and of what he's got. but tell be worried but let me tell you, be worried about got saka looks about we've got saka looks fabulous. players off fabulous. we've got players off . bench such as rashford and . the bench such as rashford and harry is yet to really get harry kane is yet to really get his cup start. i know he his world cup start. i know he scored but he scored last time out, but he goes over us, you know that goes all over us, you know that we have. we're also very we have. but we're also very mindful what they've because mindful what they've got because they've they've got they've got and also they've got they've got and also they've got the goalscorer, a french the highest goalscorer, a french goalscorer ever. griezmann's goalscorer ever. yes griezmann's playing belly playing well, running belly pace. side know this is pace. one side know this is going evenly matched

going be a really evenly matched game and both sets of players be very of what the other very aware of what the other one's got in terms of european competition at club level or national level. has our defence faced this line of strikers in focus or walker has played against mbappe when he was at man city in the champions league last season and for 18 minutes he kept mbappe very quiet. he went off injured and then mbappe i to go and scored the i went to go and scored the winner, which they want to win. so they know up very so they know one up very, very well there's vastly experienced players of players in both sets of times i think matchup looking think the matchup i'm looking forward to is the zero with maguire one because you're always physical in the always a big physical boy in the air. that kind of both air. i think that kind of both enjoy battle it quite enjoy that that battle it quite quite the on the quite even the belly on the other side sure potentially dembele's quick boy gets the dembele's a quick boy gets the ball out he's got a lovely technique left foot . and i technique great left foot. and i mentioned griezmann is mentioned that griezmann is playing then playing potential. but then i got the win. jude bellingham has been absolutely he's been a real i could go on to be proud of the tone if we get as far as i hope we do in the finals it's only 19

as well. my eldest son who writes about football used to be tfo and does it a strategy tfo and that does it a strategy line up. he was saying jude is his absolute paid up. he's captain written all over him. you know what ? he has got you know what? he has got a maturity beyond his year only 19. he plays like he's been playing the game for the last 1015 years. henderson's a big player in there for us as well. that balance between henderson, rice and bellingham . think rice and bellingham. think henderson will will perhaps a little than he has done little deeper than he has done in this tournament before , only in this tournament before, only because the threat got and griezmann playing as number ten. i think bellingham will be given a free licence go and support kane support support kane go and support good support foden god willing will we win ? foden god willing will we win? will they lose? you know what i mean by that? you know alister, this is this such tough one to this is this such a tough one to ago. think we've very little ago. i think we've very little in it i think one go it would not surprise if we're highly behind the after 2 hours of behind the sofa after 2 hours of football penalties . football and seeing penalties. it wouldn't surprise one it wouldn't surprise me one little bit . there's been there's little bit. there's been there's been a fair bit of that about that some we've been there

before. we what it's like. before. we know what it's like. so let's come within 90 so these let's come within 90 minutes. negotiating minutes. i think negotiating live because i've got live on air now because i've got to out away with my lovely to work out away with my lovely producing of writing the producing team of writing the for tomorrow's programme while the game is on and i know exactly what i will be want to be doing and hopefully making some sense . all of it. jason can some sense. all of it. jason can be a real pleasure to see you. i knew it would be great and thanks for your clever, thoughtful respectful and experienced thoughts there. i hope you enjoy. yeah fingers . hope you enjoy. yeah fingers. hopeifs hope you enjoy. yeah fingers. hope it's a nice big sofa that you might have a great evening. take your fingers crossed. thanks, jason. jason can , do thanks, jason. jason can, do that. former professional footballer and england under 19. you're watching , listening to you're watching, listening to alastair stewart and old friends are now new friends. i'm delighted to say we spending still to this afternoon still to come this afternoon including living crisis including the cost living crisis and the energy crisis means that christmas won't necessarily be the same year. but how should you talk to your children about that ? i'll be you talk to your children about that? i'll be discussing that with a child psychologist, but

first. we'll take a quick. with a child psychologist, but watching and a constructive manner to sure that the snp's voice is helped to make sure that we deliver independence for scotland. and i look forward to seeing what they're doing about . yes, i mean, it was the red field and wilton strategies poll that we were citing which doesn't for great reading for nicholas sturgeon get me wrong, she remains abundant, popular north of the border . but do you north of the border. but do you think that a vote for the snp really a vote for independence.

austin . well, i understand that austin. well, i understand that the snp are proposing to use the next westminster election as a de facto and a vote for snp would certainly a vote for independence . now that's is independence. now that's is where maybe i read some independence. now that's is he'll tell amazing story at ten. and don't forget, after. we've also got my take at ten nine. it's the opinion we've got my panel it's the opinion we've got my panel, the papers. and in the big question is meghan markle bonkers . we'll be asking

bonkers. we'll be asking america's top psychiatrist . but america's top psychiatrist. but

break hello and welcome back . and hello and welcome back. and school is the one you are watching and listening to. alastair stewart and friends here on gb tv and radio and here on gb news tv and radio and onune. here on gb news tv and radio and online . now asked you last online. now i asked you last night and first thing this morning is to get in touch on our big of the day. is country ready for the winter that lies ahead and it going to be a tncky ahead and it going to be a tricky christmas? well he gets the conversation going . the the conversation going. the current situation in this country . this winter is either country. this winter is either due to the total incompetence of the politicians or has been deliberately engineered by the so—called leaders way. it is not good. so—called leaders way. it is not good . beverly says regarding the good. beverly says regarding the nhs it needs more reorganisation not money thrown at it. well

interesting. i think we agreed with hopson and with my lovely gp friend that what it needs most of all is more people rather than just and more money .even rather than just and more money . even they themselves say that there needs be more medicines. and if you managers, if strikes , it has to be the government wake up call, then so be it. there you go. jean joins the conversation and saying, i'm just getting my down and carrying on normal. it is the british way. shortages of what? everything. i want and everything i need there. just work around it. brilliant philosophy , jean. well done. you philosophy, jean. well done. you and do keep your views coming in and do keep your views coming in and subscribe to our youtube channel. we are at gb news and. you can catch up on previous interviews that done and indeed previous programmes that we have done. so keep those thoughts coming in. gbviews@gbnews.uk or tweet me direct or tweet at gb

news. now many of us look forward watching christmas adverts from our favourite brands , but this year and brands, but this year and alternative ad has gone viral . alternative ad has gone viral. it follows a bereaved dad struggling with cost of living, crisis and raises the question of how should set our children's this year . of how should set our children's this year. i'm being next by child psychologist , founder of child psychologist, founder of the good play guide, amanda gummer and she joins us the conversation now. amanda good to see you. thanks for breaking into your saturday to be with us . i thought a lot about this because we've recently been blessed our first ever grandson little fella and we have 40 children two of whom are still relatively young and all of them think about christmas in traditional terms , as if it's traditional terms, as if it's going to be brutally tough. isn't it a golden opportunity to speak truth onto truth ? yeah,

speak truth onto truth? yeah, absolutely . i speak truth onto truth? yeah, absolutely. i think speak truth onto truth? yeah, absolutely . i think the most absolutely. i think the most important thing is captured by the advert. it made me cry. i have to say. it's just beautifully and captures the message of christmas and it we do need to move away from that sort of how many presidents and what's the value, how much we spend on things . and i think spend on things. and i think when parents are asking me about this, i, i think the biggest, best tip i give them is to have the conversation early. what you want to do is manage expectation so that you can enjoy the day and know what you what you don't want to do is sort of over promise because trying to keep the spirits up and then on day you just get the disappointed faces. so i think if things are tough, it is important to be honest it is, you know, honest and it is, you know, a time to have conversations with kids, the value money and kids, the value of money and being able to always get everything they need . yeah. i everything they need. yeah. i mean, you strikes strikes houses parents but also reflecting back

on that john lewis advert is it is a golden to inspire young people away from material what they are going to have it i want it now they analysis piety and just enjoy them a little closer to kindness . greatest gift of to kindness. greatest gift of all is compassion just being nice to one another. yeah. 100. and that is exactly the message of christmas. just to correct you there, it wasn't the john lewis offer that's gone. it's one that's been made by who's nothing to do with , john laws. nothing to do with, john laws. it's just it's just got that sort of help pulling at the heartstrings messages that you often associate with the john lewis office. but that's it's an independent collection but . yes, independent collection but. yes, absolutely. the message is still very much let's on what's really important and it's about helping families stay and be together and make memories and create those magical moments where. they're just enjoying each other's company and finding that sort of generous spirit and doing nice things . people who

doing nice things. people who are less fortunate than them and, you know, all all of that sort traditional christmas messaging, think now is the messaging, i think now is the year for it to really come to the fore . great wisdom amanda . the fore. great wisdom amanda. me add one other thing i'd love to hear your professional comment upon and that is weaning them off fake competitive element, you know , down the element, you know, down the road's got such and such skill extracts with max verstappen racing, lewis hamilton only got an old one with stirling moss, somebody and, everybody in my classes, schools got brand new pad and i want one now. any tips 7 pad and i want one now. any tips ? hard pressed parents who just want to try and explain to their kids that it is not a competitive thing. absolutely and i think one of the key things there is to lead by example , learn most from the example, learn most from the people that they're most closely attached to. and that's usually parents. so, you know, making sure , not comparing what you've sure, not comparing what you've got with , what your friends or got with, what your friends or your have i your neighbours have built, i think important thing. but think is an important thing. but explaining are things explaining that there are things are different this goes goes

are different and this goes goes much more broad broadly into a sort of an inclusion and conversation around individual differences and how everybody has different ways of doing things . and in your family, this things. and in your family, this is how we do it. this is that's the kind of we do this and this is great. you love it when we do. and i bake cookies together or, you know, go go for a midnight walk and look at the sparkly lights, whatever it is. and maybe different people , and maybe different people, different things. different ways of doing things. and have more money and some people have more money to spend. and other people have more spend. another more time to spend. another people, being people, you know, just being able conversation able to have that conversation around , it's okay to be around, it's okay to be different . think again, really different. think again, really important that at christmas but it's a much wider thing than just about competitive presents . i said in my brief introduction , our conversation introduction, our conversation amongst other things, you amongst many other things, you are famous for producing the brilliant stand good plough play guide. do you agree with late mother who believed firmly that you would never young to play charades. another christmas

games never too old either. absolutely yeah. no, i think christmas games are one of those really great ways of bringing families together and the multiple generations can play together. things like charades or or sort of games of hide and seek, whatever christmas seek, whatever your christmas tradition think family tradition is, i think family christmas games is and there are lots on the good play guys. she was also a firm believer in families singing carols together. as long as you got the casting of king wenceslas, this right so that the person who had to it was in the very sod to say it was in the very sod wasn't playing silly games on the piano anything of that the piano or anything of that nature. out there it and nature. so get out there it and be to one another. and if be nice to one another. and if you are mum or a dad or you are a mum or a dad or a gardener listening to this conversation and get hold of a copy of amanda's good play guide. it is absolute out, full of wisdom , some of which she has of wisdom, some of which she has shared with us this morning. i hope you yours have a terrific christmas. whatever you're doing. but thank you very much indeed. doing. but thank you very much indeed . as i say, for that indeed. as i say, for that wisdom and those tips on how to

make sure little still have make sure the little still have as christmas as is as enjoyable christmas as is possible , but without possible, but without necessarily turning it into materialistic fest . you are materialistic fest. you are watching and listening to our and friends here on gb news tv radio with plenty more still coming in our second hour this afternoon we will continue that conversation . whether the united conversation. whether the united kingdom is really prepared for the delivered difficult winter we know lies ahead . and we will we know lies ahead. and we will be looking at the strikes in a little more detail that are planned right across the country in the coming weeks. many of them already underway, of course . but first, let's bring you up to date with the all important weather . looking to date with the all important weather. looking ahead to this afternoon , the uk is looking afternoon, the uk is looking cold, but for most, although wintry showers at some coastal areas . let's take wintry showers at some coastal areas. let's take a wintry showers at some coastal areas . let's take a look at the areas. let's take a look at the details . staying dry with plenty details. staying dry with plenty of sunny spells for much of scotland today . some snow scotland today. some snow showers continuing for central and eastern areas feeling very cold with moderate winds. showers persist across the east

and northern ireland this afternoon with sleet or , snow in afternoon with sleet or, snow in places some brighter spells at times, but feeling very a cold, cloudy for northwestern england with risk of some wintry showers over higher ground , drier with over higher ground, drier with brighter spells, further east, cloudy in the far north—west of wales , showers which may be wales, showers which may be wintry places, particularly over high ground throughout saturday, dner high ground throughout saturday, drier east with brighter spells at times but feeling very cold, generally dry across east midlands with plenty of sunny spells . although some mist and spells. although some mist and fog may linger through the afternoon very cold, with some staying close to freezing day, staying close to freezing day, staying mostly dry across east anglia, although the odd light shower may skirt far eastern coast sunny further west, although feeling cold with many places staying close to freezing and dry afternoon in the south of england with plenty of sunshine, although a few light showers at far southern it's

remaining very into saturday evening with wintry showers at the coast and a frost for many. and that is how weather is shaping up for the rest of the day. join me every sunday at 6 pm. for glory meets in exclu sive interviews. i'll be finding out who our politicians really are , what they really think , are, what they really think, something that we would never want anyone to suffer. i didn't know what there were. b i didn't think i'd believed. i must have lied about seven stat and i'm 44 eight. my instinct was to sort of cover this up. i'm in play. that was a mistake. join me every sunday at 6 pm. on gb news the people's channel, britain's news. news the people's channel, commentator emma burnell. that's mark dolan tonight on .

where maybe i read some caution to the one the mirror of the debate because that's going to be a special conference held by the snp early next year and as going to be sworn to the snp are going to be sworn to the snp are going to be sworn to the snp are going to frame that to the pubuc going to frame that to the public and obviously that will like to them explore and stage goesin like to them explore and stage goes in a scottish parliamentary election as a referendum because if america's top psychiatrist. but labour may lead the tories in the polls at the moment. but is

the polls at the moment. but is the greatest threat to rishi sunak. the greatest threat to rishi sunak . his hopes of re—election sunak. his hopes of re—election . richard tice and the reform uk party could . he split votes on party could. he split votes on the right gift number ten to labour

channel hello and welcome . you've just

hello and welcome. you've just joined us . at 1340 and hello joined us. at 1340 and hello again and thank you very much indeed. if you've been with us since o'clock , i'll be keeping since o'clock, i'll be keeping you company here on tv and radio with plenty still to come, including more on our top discussion just. how prepared are we for all winter? especially relation to the strikes that already unfolding and the others are in the pipeline? plus we'll be speaking to superfans ahead of england's quarterfinal contest contest with france this evening. but first, let's bring you right up to date with all the day's news here. once is . tamsin so thank here. once is. tamsin so thank you. good afternoon from the gb newsroom. 1:01. police in jersey confirmed a person has died . a confirmed a person has died. a large explosion in st helier. the blast at a block of flats in the early hours of this morning.

a search and rescue effort is underway with. around a dozen people said to be . jersey police people said to be. jersey police chief officer robin smith told news conference the fire service had been called to the area the previous night after residents reported the smell of gas. he warned the number of people killed could still climb. we have a three storey building that that has completely collapsed . described as from collapsed. described as from a demolition point of view probably as a pancake that has just dropped, always sort of straight down. it is considerable destruction. destruction and there are also to a nearby building as well, another another said block of flats, which is we need to sort of make safe for first ever need to make space. so is it is it is a pretty devastating scene, i regret to say manchester. airport has now reopened one of two runways which were closed after snow affecting dozens flights. severe cold weather is causing travel problems across

the with yellow warnings in place across scotland. northern ireland, wales, the south—west and east of england this weekend . temperatures are expected to drop as low as minus ten in some isolated . rmt general secretary isolated. rmt general secretary mick has called for an urgent meeting . the prime minister is meeting. the prime minister is to try to resolve a long running dispute over pay and conditions for rail union members due to stage 248 hour strikes next week following months of industrial action over the deadlocked rail . millions of people are expected to watch england on defending world cup champions france in tonight's quarterfinal in qatar , manager gareth in qatar, manager gareth southgate . they're better southgate. they're better prepared for success than four years ago. but this be the team's toughest test far at the tournament. at home, supporters dare to dream in south—east london at the kirby estate in bermondsey , residents are bermondsey, residents are

cautiously optimistic . i feel cautiously optimistic. i feel we're going to win. i think, as i said before strong today we're going to win two nil. i'm very confident after yesterday. i don't know what to think any more so some of some of the games yesterday were absolutely incredible. i mean to be a neutral them is neutral watching them is amazing. to actually be amazing. but to actually be a supporter, i if we got a game like that tonight, i'm going to be place. but if we can be all over place. but if we can if can do what we've been if we can do what we've been doing. we've got doing. yeah, i reckon we've got a the french are just as a chance. the french are just as excited about the clash in paris joan less than i says they're ready for the showdown it's a final against england it's a it's football on a it's a crunch in football on a saturday night i'd at 7:00 8:00 french time. so i think everybody tonight in france is going to be watching. it's such a special, special game, an old rivalry . no fight between rivalry. no fight between between two, two brothers. so i think everybody is really passionate now here this game to dover now. and around 200 migrants have been intercepted crossing channel this morning

one group managed to land on a beach at some farm near dover. they've now been taken to the ftx processing centre. calmer conditions are reportedly making the journey today. over 44,000 people have crossed the channel so far this year. a domestic charity has paused operations over safety fears after the royal race row . it comes after royal race row. it comes after and goes . alani spoke about her and goes. alani spoke about her treatment by prince william's godmother, lady susan , who godmother, lady susan, who repeatedly asked her where really came from during a reception at buckingham palace, the sister space charity founder says she and her team horrific abuse on media. the charity says it reinstated services as soon as it's safe to do so . nasa's as it's safe to do so. nasa's orion spacecraft making its way back to earth after a 25 day trip around the moon. the uncrewed capsule , which is uncrewed capsule, which is designed to carry astronauts , designed to carry astronauts, has travelled more than 1.4

million miles. it's expected to land in the pacific ocean tomorrow afternoon if the splashdown is successful , all splashdown is successful, all humans will board the craft for the next lunar mission in. 2024. the king says the reassuring presence ancient trees and woodlands is a fitting tribute to his late mother. the monarch's words part of a foreword for a new called the queen's green . it features queen's green. it features photos of 78 old trees and 70 historic woodlands, which were dedicated to queen elizabeth to mark her platinum jubilee. the book will be published in june, butits book will be published in june, but its images are on display at a public in london . this gb news a public in london. this gb news will bring you more news as it happens, of course. now, though, it's back to. asda .

it's back to. asda. thank you very much indeed. today's newspaper bits have been so awash with news of strikes it's like looking at a vat of papier mache rather than reading fleet street's final notes with news of current strikes and other strikes in the pipeline . other strikes in the pipeline. the times newspaper reports on its front page of misery , the its front page of misery, the railways, the daily warns readers not fall ill or to rely on trains and forget send christmas cards. they say . as christmas cards. they say. as strikes will hold, britain hostage. well, let's have a little look further at part of gloomy backdrop to christmas around the corner. the current wave of industrial action. in a moment, i'll talking to one of the finest industrial correspondents around the guy who covers all of these things for the press association, which is one of those sources that we rely on for accurate reporting of stuff that we can't get out and about on. and also

intriguing. i'm really looking forward to this one for my boss of acast the arbitration conciliation service which is exists purely to try and sort out strike and industrial action as promised. i'm delighted to be joined once again live in the studio with me now by gb news political reporter olivia utley. so who did you phone and who's been phoning you over the break? well it seems as though the government now just trying to. it looks as though negotiations going to pay off any time particularly soon. so the government is concerned with just keeping all infrastructure, pubuc just keeping all infrastructure, public services running in some capacity and then in the next month , oliver dowden is in month, oliver dowden is in charge of . this unit, the unit charge of. this unit, the unit to keep things up and running basically while the strikes are happening and these are quite confident about oliver dowden he's known to be a sort of very good operator and he was chancellor of the duchy of lancaster knows lancaster before. he's he knows how of the party chairman how much of the party chairman of post guy everybody

of the post guy knows everybody knows to actually make things work . close friend of rishi work. close friend of rishi sunak's. so they're working very closely together. the main problem the army is problem now is that the army is pretty off if i think i should have got beeb . so sorry . the have got beeb. so sorry. the army isn't because . they feel army isn't because. they feel there are plenty of young soldiers who feel as though they are now going to be missing christmas as a result of having to stand in for border force officers, for example, and many officers, for example, and many of them earn less than what they sport force officers will be earning. private example earning. so a private example is o earning. so a private example is 0 less than that on £22,000, much less than that many strikers. so that many of these strikers. so that the big pressing concern for the government the moment can government at the moment can they the month and they just get the next month and a and will that of plan a bit and will that sort of plan b be able to hold things up . a bit and will that sort of plan b be able to hold things up. did you see my with steve mccabe. i did, yes. i thought absolutely . did, yes. i thought absolutely. i've known him for years. good bloke . feet on the ground, kind bloke. feet on the ground, kind of guy . and i thought that issue of guy. and i thought that issue of guy. and i thought that issue of how difficult it would be for labour to vote against minimum

service requirements in areas such as the nhs and indeed even the railways . i mean, see you in the railways. i mean, see you in the railways. i mean, see you in the lobby. sunshine, bling. exactly. is very difficult. and particularly when going back to the army. the army is legally bound not to strike . so you sort bound not to strike. so you sort of make the public wonder why there are public services where it is extremely easy to strike some way. you sort of can't strike at but labour is obviously on a very sticky wicket. we talked about this last time. but keir starmer wants to be a sort of blairite labour business man . he wants labour business man. he wants people to trust him corporates, to trust him, but then he also has to keep the unions on side because of the the labour because of the that the labour party funded and strong. both party is funded and strong. both recommend that you read the times today you have got times today if you have got time and also we both collectively apologise for the use of very military language a little earlier on in describing how the how military felt about it as a slip of the tongue. i a figure of speech and i'm sure but or

two people have just said i did expect to hear so from both of and for me a genuine sorry these things occasionally happen don't do sorry they've got me do it again sorry they've got me there as . i've do it again sorry they've got me there as. i've said do it again sorry they've got me there as . i've said several there as. i've said several times i'm really looking forward to this next conversation because john is a former chief executive of the arbitration conciliation service and joins me live now. why can't you guys just bang a few heads together or , your successors, i should or, your successors, i should say , got such a knock knock the say, got such a knock knock the approach that they never used actually . what done is what actually. what done is what commonly got the parties together and got them bang their heads together. really it's very situation where if you get into a dispute , essentially , people a dispute, essentially, people have been driven along by their emotions . and what you need to emotions. and what you need to do is get them to come back from those involved in trying to think about what the issues are

. but as it were, you can't take direct actions yourself . one of direct actions yourself. one of the parties has to refer themselves to your expert . themselves to your expert. that's to sit around a table , that's to sit around a table, try and sort it out there, and then , well, in essence , those to then, well, in essence, those to both parties need to come because pay comes in misses the strength that doesn't have any statutory powers. it was actually the creation of the cpi in the us. back in the 70 something that there was massive concern about direct government intervention in the workplace . intervention in the workplace. and what that means is when the parties come to a course they really are looking for some kind of settlement . if we some of of settlement. if we some of them do cost to we quite for them do cost to we quite for them not to turn both if they're prepared to compromise and it looks like a longer term it wouldn't work except not being it could be good politics if you were the royal college nurses . were the royal college nurses. when steve barclay says my door

is always open and i want to genuinely constructive conversations . if i was the all conversations. if i was the all c and i'd turn up, i'd call his bluff and say, see what occurs . bluff and say, see what occurs. yeah, well, i'm sure. behind the scene , contacts have been made. scene, contacts have been made. i mean, in my day and remember i'm talking ten years ago when the situation was relatively benign and strike three what you'd never was negotiate in pubuc you'd never was negotiate in public and of course now with the power of social media a lot can quickly undermine the position neither of the parties if want to try and compromise and you need to do is avoid that and you need to do is avoid that and then the next two in pressure and you've got to get them to concentrate on what they can control . and your years of can control. and your years of experience would you agree me and i was an industrial correspondent and throughout the seventies and the eighties that that disputes that involve terms

and conditions of employment job security are much more in tactical than a straight forward. here's my pay on the table so absolutely and i think what's even worse is if you then conflate all of those issues into the dispute. i mean if you think about what has happened over the last 2030 years in all workplace and is that technology is quietly changed the way in people operate and what happened with covid that sort chris crystal everything then suddenly hybnd crystal everything then suddenly hybrid work and all people working at home, not working in the workplace became accepted across other industrial sectors . and that means also that customer not change their behaviour . customer not change their behaviour. so what the parties have got to do is think long term in in actually think about what their customers actually

want yes. and that's one of the ways that we would what it was i was trying to help is to try and get parties to concentrate on what they agree on because at the end of the day the workforce and the employer of the mutual interest in what's called the success of the enterprise because if it goes bust, everybody loses . john great, to everybody loses. john great, to see you again. thank you very much for sharing so much of your time with us this weekend that was very enlightening pleasure for and i hope much for the for me and i hope much for the people good enough to. be either watching or listening to our conversation on gb news tv and radio. taylor, former radio. john taylor, former arbitration advisory service chief executive of across, as we used to call it, in day now royal mail are also striking thousands of workers rallied near parliament yesterday in increasingly bitter dispute over jobs pay and conditions. increasingly bitter dispute over jobs pay and conditions . exactly jobs pay and conditions. exactly what john and i were just talking that it isn't simply wage claim against the rocketing

cost of that all of us face it is about serious concerns as well over jobs security and conditions or conditions rather relating to that work. and i'm delighted therefore to be joined for the first time on this program. but my pleasure. the assistant secretary of , the assistant secretary of, the communication workers union that sounded fury, who is you can see on the right hand of your screen and you're an experienced negotiator and trade union leader . negotiator and trade union leader. would it be easier as ? leader. would it be easier as? john was just suggesting if it was just about cost of living, if it was just a good old pay claim , we need more to meet our claim, we need more to meet our bills . but because it involves bills. but because it involves and conditions and job security , it gets intractable . but , it gets intractable. but i think that's a very good description of dispute the cwc got. we were all male and we often is this about pay and it's

much more than paying it good starts off about pay in the summer. and to be clear, i know perception says a winter of discontent but for the communication workers union, our members have now taken 13 days of action since the end of august. so this is much more than i don't that expression winter of discontent . but the winter of discontent. but the reality is our members are in this for the long haul because it is such a complex dispute and indeedin it is such a complex dispute and indeed in terms of i guess i've spent a couple of days a casual this week with the chief conciliator . and as john conciliator. and as john describes their role is to face these very, very helpful. they do try facilitate a way forward but they impose their will they have to remain impartial and we welcome their involvement where welcome their involvement where we can where we can resolve it . we can where we can resolve it. yeah the newspapers and i've mentioned the times several times i haven't got shares in them. i'm not beholding to the editor or anybody else like that, but they've done some serious work on a lot of these .

serious work on a lot of these. and one of the points they make, the morning is that the private sector is having a feel good day at your expense at the moment because parcelforce has been given an absolute thumping by all of the private delivery cams and are now setting up saying . and are now setting up saying. we will deliver letters . you we will deliver letters. you want to make sure that you get your christmas cards delivered. we will do it . you you could be we will do it. you you could be swept away by private market forces . well we understand that forces. well we understand that the dispute can be damaging our members have got their eyes wide open voted twice by nearly . 8% open voted twice by nearly. 8% on nearly an 80% turnout on each occasion to for strike action . occasion to for strike action. yesterday we had nearly 20,000 people that were on strike in parliament square. that was for the police official figures. our members are extremely angry about the way they're treated by the company. we are trying to find a way through this . find a way through this. unfortunately we to a pause in

the negotiation actions on thursday . no other talks are thursday. no other talks are planned but we do need to put this into context. the company royal mail might this into context. the company royal mail migh t £758 million royal mail might £758 million profit last year declared in may and they paid out in this calendar year along try and they paid out in this calendar year along tr y £567 calendar year along try £567 million of shareholders. so this is a very successful company and our members have delivered magnificently for four years and years not least of all the covid times when they were held as key workers and connected this country. six days a week by delivering 32 million addresses. it is a difficulty , but we're it is a difficulty, but we're willing to get in to negotiate elections tomorrow, monday, tuesday . we want to find a way tuesday. we want to find a way through this and it does require compromise on the behalf of royal mail . the arguments about royal mail. the arguments about profits being made have been used by the rmt and aslef and others exactly the same articulation as you know, they're making lots of money

they've got it in the bunker. they to share it a little bit is there an element of coordination in wave of industrial action . i in wave of industrial action. i did a promotional thing for gb news the other day saying it looks to me , as a former looks to me, as a former industrial correspond as a little bit of a mini general . industrial correspond as a little bit of a mini general. i know it's not fully there and not easy, but it has not air about it. is it coded ? they did about it. is it coded? they did national coordinated british convergence of many, many sectors of operation, an onslaught of attacks on pay terms and conditions. and it's right and just that working class can stand up for themselves and they're doing that democratically . they're that democratically. they're doing it legally, that delivering through the ballot box. we now high thresholds to pass ballots we didn't used to have we have to give two weeks nofice have we have to give two weeks notice of strike. everything is a postal ballot so but the reality is all the mechanism are in place for negotiating to take place and a breakthrough to

happen. it does take two to tango and the is prepared to compromise. we've made our position clear on matches where we're willing to work with the company , but there are issues company, but there are issues that are completely unacceptable and one of them is compulsory redundancies where. you cannot toy in an iconic industry such as royal mail with 120,000 workers. cw members. but andy, thank you very much indeed for fitting us in on what i know is a very, very weekend for you . a very, very weekend for you. good to talk to you. thank you very much indeed. and if you're of that, here's assistant secretary at the communication workers who don't just do posters they do a whole raft of people right across the communications industries , communications industries, private and public. thanks for his and indeed for his time as advertised. now one of my pin ups, alan jones, the correspondent at pa media . as correspondent at pa media. as i said, they are a news source to the rest of us who try , write the rest of us who try, write stuff up and make sound as

compelling as possible. and he makes sure that it's all straight, proper and accurate reporting . do you think there's reporting. do you think there's an element of coordination to this or as andy just said, it's virtually coincidental that well—run unions are just facing the same problems at the same time. yeah, i think he's right. they haven't being coordinated. they haven't being coordinated. the only coordination is we have the next three of the big nhs unions unite and the gmb are going to strikes in the ambulance service . up to now, no ambulance service. up to now, no , the strikes are not being coordinated . are so many strikes coordinated. are so many strikes going on now ? it's almost going on now? it's almost coordination by default . but i coordination by default. but i do know that there are some serious discussions going on between the leaders and i wouldn't be at surprised if these disputes continue that we will have some quite serious coordination coordinating of strikes going in the new year. so can you imagine we'd probably get near the near term . a

get near the near term. a million workers involved disputes. so if you can imagine a million workers going on strike on the same day in the new year, i think that would be the outbreak of industrial action since the infamous 1978 1979 period with phrase i don't i also don't that because it's so different you know employment relations are so different now and as you know i was there there were millions of people on strike in 1978 1979. and you could have meeting in a car park, raise your hands, walk out, you know, now you have to be there's thresholds be balloted. there's thresholds to reached. have give to be reached. you have to give notice. to be reached. you have to give nofice.so to be reached. you have to give notice. so the fact that so many people are on strike, i think just the level anger. do just shows the level anger. do you a case for a more you think as a case for a more proactive a—class a proactive a—class with a capacity bang few heads capacity to bang few heads together when barclays . my door together when barclays. my door is always open to nurses to is always open to the nurses to insist that he and the nurses turn up for talks and instead of having lunch on the media airwaves saying, i want to meet ricci , invite the two of them .

in we've lost that link now. so i'd say my huge thanks, as always, alan, welcome to the program. any time. thank you very much indeed. any time. thank you very much indeed . you're watching and indeed. you're watching and listening to alastair stewart& friends with lots more still come in the remaining 30 or 40 minutes or so of the programme england, of course, gearing up for quarterfinal match for their quarterfinal match against evening. against france this evening. can england we'll be england bring it home. we'll be crossing to qatar for crossing lines to qatar for an update from ground and with update from the ground and with some of the absolutely dedicated who out there hoping who are still out there hoping for the very a bit warm out there but let's bring you right up to date with weather right here. looking ahead to this afternoon in the uk is looking cold but for most although wintry showers continuing at some coastal areas. let's take a look at the details . staying dry look at the details. staying dry with plenty sunny spells for much of scotland today , but some much of scotland today, but some snow showers continuing for central and eastern areas

feeling very cold with moderate northeasterly winds. showers persist across the east and northern ireland this afternoon with sleet or snow places. some brighter spells times, but feeling very cold. a cold, cloudy afternoon , northwestern cloudy afternoon, northwestern england with a risk of wintry showers, particularly high ground. drier with brighter spells. further east . cloudy in spells. further east. cloudy in the far northwest of wales with showers , which may be wintry in showers, which may be wintry in places particularly over high ground throughout saturday. dher ground throughout saturday. drier further east, with brighter spells at times, but feeling very cold. generally dry across the east midlands, with plenty of sunny spells, although some mist fog may linger through the afternoon . feeling very cold the afternoon. feeling very cold with spots staying close to freezing all day. staying mostly dry across east anglia. although odd light shower may skirt. far eastern coast. sunny further west. although feeling cold with many places staying to freezing and mostly dry afternoon in the

south of england with plenty of sunshine, although a few light showers at far southern. it's remaining very cold into saturday evening with showers at the coast and a frost developing for many . and that is how the for many. and that is how the weather is shaping up the rest of the day. join me every sunday at 6 pm. for gloria meets exclusive interviews . i'll be exclusive interviews. i'll be finding out who are politicians , really are and what they really think. it's something that you would never want anyone to suffer. i didn't know what channels there were be . didn't channels there were be. didn't think i'd be believed. i'm mystified about stabbed and i'm five for eight. my instincts was to sort of cover this up. i'm that was a mistake. join every sunday at 6 pm. on gb news people's channel. britain's news.

welcome back. the headliners me, leo here and i'm still here with the headliners legends jonathan cogan and nick dixon . saturday's cogan and nick dixon. saturday's guardian and they get paid £80,000 to sit in their bums drinking coffee , pressing the drinking coffee, pressing the odd button. but train drivers still want to ruin everyone's christmas nick oh, quite a neutral intellectual player there is the host yeah. about 4000 fans to be cancelled daily christmas even after strikes . so

christmas even after strikes. so some routes will be cut for almost month as operators wrestle with the full impact of the overtime ban and it yeah it's going to go go on and on till tomorrow where i said the ban was meant to it was meant to be run no transits on the 18th of december. and i also expect we are unable to run any trains north banbury on its london to birmingham network until after the four days of strikes end on 7th of january. this feels like traffic report reading this about

if we use a westminster election more than disenfranchised 16 year olds got to vote the referendum to 1814 but they won't be able to do so and a scottish parliamentary election and a scottish parliament election also be focussed on scotland only election also be focussed on join the nana akua saturday sunday afternoons on gb news. expect fiery debate and

passionate discussion of me and my panel to tackle some of the biggest topics hitting the headlines. it's a place for everyone's opinion. no gets cancelled, but no one gets an easy ride . oh, it is. i be ready easy ride. oh, it is. i be ready for conversation , but a fierce for conversation, but a fierce frank and of course fun every and sunday afternoon from 4 pm. on tv news , the people's . channel hello . afternoon. i'm tamsin hello. afternoon. i'm tamsin roberts in the gb news room. it's 130 police in jersey confirmed one person has died following large explosion in st heuer. following large explosion in st helier . the blast happened as helier. the blast happened as a block of in the early hours of this morning. block of in the early hours of this morning . a search and this morning. a search and rescue effort is underway . rescue effort is underway. around a dozen people said to be missing. jersey police chief officer robin smith told a news conference the fire service been called to the area the previous after residents reported smell

of gas. he warned the number of people killed could still climb . we have a three story building that that has completely . that that has completely. described as from a demolition point of view probably as a pancake that has just dropped almost sort of straight down. it is considerable destruction destruction . there are also destruction. there are also damage to a nearby building as well. another another said block of flats, which is we need to sort of make safe the fire service, need to make space. so it is it is it is a pretty devasted scene, i regret to say . i'm manchester airport has now really opened one of two runways which were closed . heavy snow which were closed. heavy snow affecting dozens of flights. severe cold weather is causing travel problems across the country with yellow warnings in place across scotland, northern ireland, wales , the south—west ireland, wales, the south—west and south—east england this weekend. temperatures are expected to drop to as low as

minus ten in some isolated areas . rmt general mick lynch has called for an urgent meeting with the prime minister is to try to resolve a long running dispute over pay and conditions. rail workers, union members due to stage 248 hour strikes next week following months of industrial action . the industrial action. the deadlocked row . millions of deadlocked row. millions of people are expected to watch england take on defending world cup champions france in tonight's quarterfinal in qatar . manager gareth southgate says the better prepared for success four years ago but this will be the team's toughest test so far at the tournament tv online and dab+ radio this is gb news is now it's over to alastair stewart& friends . stewart& friends.

tamzin you very much indeed it is very nearly crunch time for england in their quarterfinal match france in the world tonight. as tamzin was just suggesting around 22 million people are expected to . tune in people are expected to. tune in tonight to see the lions play against the reigning champ . and against the reigning champ. and against the reigning champ. and a blur. but can the team make it through the next round? well, the skipper harry kane says , the skipper harry kane says, that the team are confident . but that the team are confident. but is football finally coming home as they say. well, from the snowy reaches of manchester, we can go to blazing warmth and, heat of qatar and doha and join our reporter , paul hawkins, who, our reporter, paul hawkins, who, as you can see on the right hand side of your screen is live for us reporting on the build up to and the ground punjab. well, let's hope it's not that anyway. you've been in doha for quite some time and build up some fantastic relationships with

some of the fans who've scraped a lot in consider what amount of money to get out there and it. are they kind of saying we knew it was going to be this good or is it as a bit of a delirious and delightful shock ? i'd say and delightful shock? i'd say a delirious and delightful shock . delirious and delightful shock. alistair, 3000 england fans have travelled out for this game, but some of them have been here since the very beginning. they've all really enjoyed it. everyone we've spoken to said it's been when they've it's been fantastic when they've wanted a drink. they've wanted to have a drink. they've done designated areas. done it in the designated areas. they've little of they've paid a little bit of a premium for and even when premium for it and even when they haven't wanted to have a drink, give a great time. maybe here musharraf downtown here and musharraf downtown musharraf we're musharraf in doha, we're in the souk, which behind us souk, which is just behind us over and just correct over there. and just to correct you weather, i'd like to you on the weather, i'd like to say was blazing hot sunshine. say it was blazing hot sunshine. today's day i'm today's the first day i'm wearing woollen jumper and wearing a woollen jumper and i know that for everyone in the uk they're to throwing they're going to be throwing things on. it's things at the tvs. hang on. it's minus five. minus six. but by doha standards, quite cold doha standards, it's quite cold today. 20 degrees. and today. it's 90, 20 degrees. and actually bit of actually there's a little bit of this and it's overcast

this morning and it's overcast so the blazing hot sunshine so not the blazing hot sunshine , perfect conditions. perfect conditions morocco and conditions for both morocco and portugal who are playing in round about 25 minutes time. and then england and france later, maybe even about 17 or 18 degrees for that match. more like english, french conditions. so it's going to be a blur or it's going to be annie le blanc. we've been at the england versus france fans match this morning, mingling with the fans who had a kickabout amongst himself proper seven aside game. it was england coming out on top seven fours. i hope that's a good omen for later, but we did also catch up with some of the england fans when. they were subs on the subs as it were. here's one of them. how feel about the game how you feel about the game tonight. we're content to tonight. we're pretty content to be fair i mean i've been since the start of world cup and the start of the world cup and i think any other has been think any other team has been better england far even better than england far even france. had the france. as soon as they had the second out. but at least second team out. but at least yeah depth the squad you've got to be able to show that throughout cup you throughout the world cup you know injuries or know yeah. any injuries or anything they anything like you know they do

have players i think have quality players but i think at moment in time you go in at this moment in time you go in form think england just look form i think england just look a bit better to be honest. yeah back has to wait until you want to fair, right. yeah, but not to be fair, right. yeah, but not in don't think it'll in minutes. i don't think it'll go i don't it'll go go time. i don't think it'll go a lot of discomfort. i've been comfortable since start of the world and just every world cup. yeah. and just every game, the game, especially after the holland last holland argentina game last night, better night, we even better now i think. and you know argentina, they showed their flaws by letting of goals . letting a couple of late goals. you're kind saying that maybe you're kind of saying that maybe one the underdogs this one for the underdogs and this match the underdog. yeah match we are the underdog. yeah yeah suppose you go on record yeah i suppose you go on record ten being world champions the moment we are the underdogs. however, going forward however, i think going forward we my opinion . yeah, we are, in my opinion. yeah, because you know declan rice jude bellingham in centre jacob. at the moment jude has been unreal this tournament. at the moment jude has been unreal this tournament . so unreal this tournament. so england fans are feeling confident french fans i would say quiet confident maybe not as confident as were before. they do fear the england team know the england team have players

can hurt the french and they know that both sides know each other really . but as one french other really. but as one french fan said to me this morning, we absolutely cannot lose . to the absolutely cannot lose. to the engush absolutely cannot lose. to the english side, it's going be english side, it's going to be fascinating. watch it pans fascinating. watch how it pans out later before in an out later. before that, in an hour and a half sign in portugal on morocco and of course, the winner of the last match will play winner of the last match will play the winner of the england france game. and already got the other semi—final line up with brazil getting knocked out in a huge shock yesterday. so it will be the other semi—final is croatia argentina which croatia against argentina which is sure to be a cracker as well of great for football to look forward . to don't you tomorrow forward. to don't you tomorrow i'm sure i have to ask you one question. what are those extraordinary things over your shoulder ? is that streaked shoulder? is that streaked architecture or is it people in cosy ? where's this? over here . cosy? where's this? over here. yeah, like like kind furry stuff seem lit up up . yeah this is seem lit up up. yeah this is kind of like a big silver tree,

which kind of marks the south american football area . and american football area. and there's loads of like little games if you look at. that is a little cage where can play football. i've seen grown ups there as well. i've actually let me just show you this very quickly, because this one fascinates me. if you just follow me over here, this one, so football right so you can play football right over there's some over here. there's some interactive well. but interactive games as well. but this one is vr. interactive games as well. but this one is vr . so i mean, i've this one is vr. so i mean, i've never heard anything so weird, but clearly this two gentlemen, they were having lots of fun recreating . vr, not something recreating. vr, not something i've ever thought was particularly something i wanted to , that's kind to recreate, but that's the kind of interactivity of the exhibition that my mate danny baker out there who hates vr more than anything, i think in the world portal, you're doing a brilliant job and thank you so much for those fantastically articulate passionate fans. and i know you do a great job for us tonight. i look to talking to you again on the show tomorrow. take kind of yourself and i hope

you managed . enjoy the football. you managed. enjoy the football. fingers crossed . paul hawkins fingers crossed. paul hawkins live there in qatar , doha for us live there in qatar, doha for us . and he has done a brilliant brilliant job from start to finish. i'd just like to put that on record. we've inundated here with more of your views, for which thank you very much indeed. gwen says . as a kid , i indeed. gwen says. as a kid, i survived the winter of 1962. i then enjoyed the three day week in 1973 while at secondary no central heating . mum put a towel central heating. mum put a towel on the windowsills to collect the melted ice running off metal frame brittle windows during the day we will just have to adapt, steve says. the gap between those that have and those that will not will widen . christmas will not will widen. christmas will not will widen. christmas will now pay rise our communities. i think that's a real danger which is what i was getting at when i was talking to the psychologist early on about children this competitive spirit. i've it and you spirit. i've got it and you

haven't got it. and you want it. they're not nice. not nice at all. and fears that it will increase that gap between those who have those who have not. who have and those who have not. and it will polarise communities . and that is always a negative .jean . and that is always a negative . jean comes in and says, i'm just my head down and carrying on as normal it is the british way shortage of everything that i want and need. seems there done you congratulations just work round it. if you can't what you want, something else will do. i think that's probably very sound there from jean do keep the views coming in and of subscribe to our youtube channel. we are gb news there you can find all of the previous programmes we've done plus a series of , the interviews that series of, the interviews that we've done that i hope you will find a mixture of enlightening and occasionally entertaining. but it's all on our youtube channel gb news now you're watching and listening to alastair stewart& friends plenty more still to come this afternoon and our final 30

minutes or so, including opening christmas . if minutes or so, including opening christmas. if you are minutes or so, including opening christmas . if you are lucky christmas. if you are lucky enough and i'm sure you are , is enough and i'm sure you are, is one of the joys of this festive season. but what about all of that wrapping paper waste? well can still enjoy beautifully wrapped gifts without taking a toll on the environment. we'll have all of best alternatives next. right after this short break . next. right after this short constituencies. they were old laboun constituencies. they were old labour, massive, old labour. they were voting for ukip me in huge numbers . so the danger huge numbers. so the danger actually of reform, if they get their act together is not to the conservatives per say oh, they will get does tories. of course

they will, because the tories are so bad it's the whole working class office in this country who are polluting , country who are polluting, clean, homeless and can't vote. but yes another idiot . what's but yes another idiot. what's the difference

about passengers on the a4. i'm just giving you back information . yeah. so basically this strike is going to go even longer, going to destroy the trains for months to come. and it's all a total nightmare. as you say, train drivers don't get paid, so they have to bring in the army. probably who get paid half as

much as a train driver. and yet we get some we get some nurses to ride the trains when the system works. the train drivers are run like 70, 80, 80 grand and they literally don't even have a steering wheel, you know what i mean? it's harder to drive a car so. yeah, it seems it seems unfair drive a car so. yeah, it seems break welcome back. it is quarter to two. you are watching and listening alastair stewart& friends here on, gb news tv and radio. and thank you very much indeed for so doing. best christmas present. i can possibly have and nothing quite beats opening a good but we do produce a lot of waste when it comes to wrapping them and lots of the wrapping can be recycled of the wrapping can be recycled

of course, but not all of it. so what are the best alternatives to wrapping paper to sure that we don't generate a lot of unnecessary waste and stuff can't be recycled . i am can't be recycled. i am delighted to be joined live the studio by the absolute expert tina bandar is the founder of wrap it by tina. she is a professional gift wrapper and trainer and can also tell us all about the alternatives to wrapping paper that are out there particularly to those ones that people absolutely adore the shiny shiny stuff that sometimes i just cartoon characters on it and all the rest that simply cannot be recycled in any way. what in your handbook other no go ones what we avoid like the plague , the foils. yeah. plague, the foils. yeah. anything with glitter on them and that can't even in a box that's recycled tin cans and stuff . no not at all. well we

stuff. no not at all. well we normally tend to do a scrunch test and as long as the paper doesn't bounce back, then that can be recycled. but if it bounces back, then there's elements of in that is elements of foil, even if paper taste great, if it's got glitter , it great, if it's got glitter, it it cannot be recycled the site simply because it is that it's that metallic stuff. you also me via , the team, the one that i via, the team, the one that i knew about that because my wife is an absolute stickler for it and says that's a no go area because it's ghastly stuff and you can't do anything with it afterwards . haven't thought of afterwards. haven't thought of sellotape tape. so sellotape or sticky tape. so there are a companies that are making fairer plastic tape. now, the stickiness of them doesn't last as long, but it does the job at the body of the tape is plastic and plastic has is no no yeah plastic a no no and the tape is made plant based sort of molecule so it can be is biodegradable tape and sitting on the table in front of you is what my answer to it was is just

nice ribbon string and ribbon holds is designed in as well. i mean, this is a wrap made out a prime bag and you can get lots of shopping bags that make that paper and re—use them why throw them away when we can re—use them? we should we should stress on the other retail outlets of the retailers. sorry sorry. the retailers. yes, sorry sorry. a but them even if you don't use shopping bags, you can use just plain brown paper as make some foil each from the neighbours garden. when you when you came in i had sort of admitted one to you already when saw that one one year our eldest son wrapped of his gifts even quite big in that beautiful old traditional brown paper, which is just so nice and has that kind of texture and smell to which is lovely. and that same year another of our son's can you see this on the camera here this is newspaper in the sense it's been recycled wrapping paper one year

freddie our son did all of his gifts in old newspapers and it was fantastic. and if you look here close up on that one, so when you finished unwrapping it, he's got a crossword puzzle as an additional pressie right to presence in one. and it looks pretty as well. so you have to worry about it. looking when it's finished. and i think that's why lots of people tend to go for the foil. so the metallics because they stand out they are eye catching but you can have catching and can still have eye catching and totally catching. they're totally eye catching. they're because the other thing you said to is it's partly about to the team is it's partly about using your imagination and that's a fistfuls from the that's just a fistfuls from the garden face and it's just brown paper but i've created a nice style it so it something to style with it so it something to it. i mean even without the foliage, it still looks really nice well. this is just extra nice as well. this is just extra and you connected absolutely anything this can go straight into compost the paper into your compost bin. the paper into your compost bin. the paper into recycling bin and the into the recycling bin and the vase with some flowers somebody might it it's done . tell might do it once it's done. tell me this. are you. are you a fan of my favourite scene in. in the

famous . absolutely christmas famous. absolutely christmas movie with rowan atkinson playing the character in the department store . who is you? in department store. who is you? in fact, with the little lavender little this and all that. oh love, actually, yeah. it's lovely . see, people innovative lovely. see, people innovative with gift wrapping and this person can so yeah. adding all those bits on top still being environmentally is completely doable this christmas how do you make absolutely sure you don't cut your fingers when you're doing that are another paper the amount i deal with i can't guarantee it but if you're doing generally just be mindful where the paper ends. i've with lots of paper cuts today , but i get of paper cuts today, but i get used to it after a while. absolutely brilliant. so no paper avoids plastic sellotape avoid , anything that's got ten avoid, anything that's got ten silly bits and bobs in it. avoid, anything that's got ten silly bits and bobs in it . and silly bits and bobs in it. and don't forget in the garden you'll find some of the best little bits and pieces that you can add and shopping from

primark or indeed any other retail outlet you use can be worked into a good purpose . and worked into a good purpose. and i personally thoroughly recommend it newspapers because it's a great idea and it's instant and easily recyclable huge thanks to you i really enjoyed the item and learned a great deal from it so i thank you very very much thank you continue to get in touch with your thoughts not on wrapping. you may now start to do that and you'll be very welcome so to do but you are clearly in our conversation about the strike and the winter that lies ahead. let's get some more of your thoughts on that, starting with keith, who says those who don't strike make themselves victims of government . if people were of government. if people were paid a decent wage, nobody would need to go on strike. that is to down their employer and indeed government , he says. caz says , government, he says. caz says, i'm really not pleased about the strikes, but if i step down from own inconvenient bosses, then the government is taking no

nofice the government is taking no notice of any of us how do we make changes? no one's allowed to say anything. i don't know the answer, but we are not listened to . rich get richer and listened to. rich get richer and the gap . the rich and poor gets the gap. the rich and poor gets wider whilst power and greed lose lose. it is a tough in which to try make change. i don't like them, but therefore i go in these circumstances for strikes now i suspect we all know the of music to cheers up make us cry just get those emotions really running. not least at this time of year. but can i really good song improve your health . you may have heard your health. you may have heard the brilliant vicky mcclure's dementia choir on television , dementia choir on television, but now the alzheimer's society are bringing people together affected by the condition and they are singing together this christmas. and indeed beyond

and. you'll remember, i hope that a couple weeks ago we did a very serious item on a new drug, had gone through clinical trials that could help fight with alzheimer's. so it's wonderful to this conversation as to have this conversation as well. peter edwards is the leader of the singing from the brain for london and the south region, and he's here with me in the studio . not a clinical trial the studio. not a clinical trial on the merits of singing. you just know that i've been some studies and it does show the improvement in people with as you were saying that this there's no cure the and won't be one some time but there are treatments but it the concentration that's required to sing properly and learn the piece because i do know you're joking about crosswords earlier that if you think you may have dementia coming on then things like crossword puzzles and even times tables to keep the old brain active and the cylinders all firing. i think it's almost the opposite because this is an

thing. it's something where people find it it's very accessible. they have a memory which because the which survives because the memory for music and pleasure is stored it, which is the last stored in it, which is the last thing be so thing to be affected. so therefore people will come along and they may be able to put words together. they may not know for breakfast know they have for breakfast or even to, but even where they've come to, but in environment, suddenly in the environment, suddenly they life . they know they spring to life. they know they spring to life. they know the songs and it's in the music in a way it goes to certain in a way that it goes to certain places, has certain intervals places, it has certain intervals and has a associations. so and it has a associations. so one of the points that a number of people, vicky mcclure is brilliant program and my family and i thoroughly enjoyed, it was the undeniable medical advantage of just bringing together. the undeniable medical advantage of just bringing together . yes, of just bringing together. yes, there's a huge social benefit of self—esteem, both for the person with dementia and the carer , with dementia and the carer, because sometimes they're feeling hopeless and useless at being able to help with this person and they come and the social grouping is amazing. and the carers will often form themselves self—help and we

collaborate. it's not just that they come one day a week and sing and away again . we've done sing and away again. we've done projects where, we've taken people and recorded them and recorded them with new arrangements of songs and put that online and people can download it still , that might be download it still, that might be the answer to my next question, which is if you're listening to this conversation and someone in your family is passively early onset, how can they get involved if they think that ticks boxes as they've heard? you just articulate well for a start that you can just be involved singing with the person. about with the person. think about what big popular hit at what was a big popular hit at the time when they were early teens. the time when they were early teens . and just that, teens. and just beyond that, just see what the kind of response you get. most people with will respond very with dementia will respond very positively not all, positively to music. not all, but but most. and then you can go to alzheimer's society website and look for singing for the brain. yeah, you can become more involved by becoming what we call a delivery partner. so alzheimer's society will train you and lend you the branding

and all support of that to create a small group might be two or three or four people in your neighbourhood with your neighbourhood because with the the world the best will in the world approaching a million people with dementia in the next few years. so how big are you in terms of choir reach? terms of the choir reach? because i described you as being london, a big london, the south—east as a big old well, our reach was old patch. well, our reach was dunng old patch. well, our reach was during the pandemic because went onune during the pandemic because went online zoom . and one of the online via zoom. and one of the things i think if you're an ethnic minority and you're thinking, they're singing thinking, well, they're singing songs know songs that we don't really know , didn't grow up with burl ives or, doris day or it or, doris day or whoever it might you could start might be is. you could start a group online and could reach group online and you could reach them. had one session them. we had one session where someone angeles , someone was in los angeles, someone was in los angeles, someone else in india , and someone else was in india, and it was just like they're in the same room, of course. yeah. and so our reach is within croydon . so our reach is within croydon. merton where i, william get that finished , get folk at home. just finished, get folk at home. just that the website . okay. so it's that the website. okay. so it's alzheimer's org dot uk and there's also you can then look on for the dementia connect and talk to someone and there's

always going to be someone that will come back to you with whatever help and it may help. a good friend of yours really needs help or someone within your now. it's a great your do that now. it's a great idea. real pleasure to meet idea. a real pleasure to meet you.thank idea. a real pleasure to meet you. thank you very much. thank you. thank you very much. thank you. to come and talk us. you. your to come and talk us. that will be back at 12:00 tomorrow. he i will be i will be. he's too much has things to do. i'm sure . but david, great do. i'm sure. but david, great to you thank you very to meet you and thank you very much for both of do much indeed for both of do please enjoy rest of your day bye bye it thanks for joining please enjoy rest of your day bye bye it thanks forjoining us looking head to this afternoon in the uk is cold but dry for most although wintry showers continuing in some coastal areas. let's take a look at the details . staying dry with plenty details. staying dry with plenty of sunny spells. much of scotland today, but some showers continuing for central and eastern areas. it's getting very cold with moderate northeasterly winds. showers persist across eastern northern ireland this afternoon in with sleet or snow in places . afternoon in with sleet or snow in places. some brighter afternoon in with sleet or snow in places . some brighter spells in places. some brighter spells at times feeling very cold. a

cold, cloudy afternoon for north western england with a risk of some wintry showers, particularly over high ground , particularly over high ground, dner particularly over high ground, drier with brighter spells, further east, cloudy , the far further east, cloudy, the far northwest of wales with showers, which may be wintry in places particularly over high ground throughout saturday, drier further east with brighter spells at times, but feeling very cold but generally drier across the east midlands with plenty of sunny , although some plenty of sunny, although some mist and fog may linger through the afternoon feeling very cold with some spots staying close to freezing all staying mostly dry across east anglia. although the odd light shower may skirt far coast sunny spells west although feeling cold, many places staying close , freezing and staying close, freezing and mostly afternoon in the south of england with plenty of sunshine, although a few light at far southern coasts , it's remaining southern coasts, it's remaining very cold into saturday evening with wintry showers at, the coast and a frost developing for many. and that is how the

weather shaping up for the rest of the day . weather shaping up for the rest scotland only a westminster election could certainly muddying the waters of what's happening along the rest of the uk. and so certainly ethnic consultant pushes ahead through our westminster election . what our westminster election. what will campaign on? that's going to be the de will campaign on? that's going the difference between ? sunak the difference between? sunak and starmer? what's difference? and if people came out of london and visited the pubs and, talked in the pubs, people would you what's the difference and that's the gameplan . it's an open goal

the gameplan. it's an open goal for reform if they get it right, but i'm not sure they're getting it right. well that's what i want to ask you because , as part want to ask you because, as part of ukip, you mentioned you are you are a founding member of ukip. you are former nigel farage quite literally changed the

it seems unfair that , you know, it seems unfair that, you know, so, so well—paid. it seems almost they're are sort of mafia using the leverage of the power that they've got a sort of monopoly over over driving trains to force us to give them more money. we're like communists against the rest of the country. carry on. you kind of get the feeling everything's the country. carry on. you kind to be the de facto. however i would encourage first minister chris to consider other options . well, listen, austin , real . well, listen, austin, real treat to have you on the show. let's catch soon have a great friday evening. sheridan is a former