good morning . happy christmas. good morning. happy christmas. and welcome again to today with tom harwood and olivia utley. we're in for bev turner here on tv news . so here's what's we're in for bev turner here on tv news. so here's what's coming up today on the program. rishi sunak has been warned by ex prime minister theresa may not to water down, modernise slavery laws to make it harder to claim asylum in the uk. but with the number of cross—channel migrants hitting nearly 46,000. should the pm stick to his plan .7 the pm stick to his plan? meanwhile, the met office has issued stark weather warnings for the month ahead with predictions that it could be the snowiest january for 12 years. this all, of course comes as at least 57 people have died in the states after a huge snowstorm has plunged the country into chaos. has plunged the country into chaos . award winning chef and chaos. award winning chef and restaurant chas elders and he will be cooking up a storm in the studio show him what you can do with all those christmas

leftovers. and, of course , the leftovers. and, of course, the show is nothing without you and your views. so get in touch. email in gb views at gbnews.uk. that's the address to talk about any of the subjects we're talking about today , or you can talking about today, or you can tweet us at gb news to have your say . back has been warned by ex say. back has been warned by ex prime minister theresa may not to water down modelling modern slavery laws to make it harder to claim asylum in the uk. the number of migrants crossing the channel has reached a staggering 46,000 over the last year . 46,000 over the last year. solving the migrant crisis could be key to winning the next general election, which is fast approaching. meanwhile the last 12 months have been political 12 months have been a political roller coaster say the least. roller coaster to say the least. from partygate to be gates with all those within uk politics. not shying away from a scandal . not shying away from a scandal. plus four chances and three prime ministers sounds like a verse of the 12 days of

christmas. it's so let's deep dive into the political year thatis dive into the political year that is 2022. do you remember i think it was angela eagle who stood up at the last prime minister's questions of the year and listed off in sort of the way in which the 12 days of christmas goes . and i think she christmas goes. and i think she started from about six and got all the way down to one. yeah yeah, we should. we should really. it was fantastic . it's really. it was fantastic. it's some but i'm less of a angela eagle and more about the whole year as it happened. i'm delighted to be joined by the former labour mp , stephen former labour mp, stephen pounds. stephen thank you for being with us. happy christmas. and to you wishing you a year on the one hand rather more peaceful , but on the other hand, peaceful, but on the other hand, what a year to be. one of the prominent investigative journalists of the nation. what a year to be in the media. what a year to be in the media. what a year to be in the media. what a year be shining the a year to be shining the spotlight as you know, the sun, the disinfectant , sunlight on the disinfectant, sunlight on the disinfectant, sunlight on the sordid goings on of

politics. it's been a fairly, fairly busy year for you . look, fairly busy year for you. look, it has been fairly sordid goings on across the board. i suppose it's not the champions thing to start off with, but one of the big themes of this year in westminster, at least was of course, the number of sex scandal as there were in four pnor scandal as there were in four prior to amongst members of the house of commons, people watching illicit material on those benches, members of parliaments, even being cautioned by the police is the culture of westminster just fundamental broken? well well, i wouldn't say is entirely broken, but certainly it's badly, badly damaged . and i must be i would damaged. and i must be i would never look at pictures of tractors again in the same light, but i remember when i was first elected linda macdougall , first elected linda macdougall, a journalist, interviewed myself and my wife, and she said to my wife, you know, are you not worried about stephen? you know, there sort there might be a sort of extracurricular going on. i think she said, well, extracurricular going on. i think she said, well , with think she said, well, with a face like hers, i think that's

slightly unlikely . do shut up . slightly unlikely. do shut up. this is serious. it's a no no. even stephen could could end up being dragged into into some. but one of these occasions anyway fortunately that situation didn't arise but so you know for fairly obvious reasons but but it is i mean, the real problem about this is the real problem about this is the fact that our reputation collectively as mps has has gone from being sort of ignored to being laughed at. and i think in politics you can survive being hated , you can survive being hated, you can survive being loathed . and you know, obviously loathed. and you know, obviously you'd like to be loved, but what you'd like to be loved, but what you can't stand is being laughed at and being an object of scorn and ridicule. and that's really what people, you know, without mentioning their names, you know, they've suffered enough. but these people but you know, these people who do things, they do these ridiculous things, they they dragged they really have dragged us even deeper gutter, into the deeper into the gutter, into the stygian . phytic got stygian sludge. phytic got a ghastly, hellish world that we seem to be occupying at the

presidential grant. the new owen frost. and i think it does feel as though because we've had all these scandals and such a sort of torrid year that in the last couple of months things have gone quiet. politician seem pretty happy with that where she seemed like just seems to be talking about you know phasing things off as a bit of a rhetoric of managed decline. is there opportunity in 2023 for there an opportunity in 2023 for politicians to sort of seize the narrative again and actually do something positive? or that something positive? or is that reputation just so deeply at the mar that we've reached a bit of an impasse ? well, no, no. you an impasse? well, no, no. you can do it. i mean, the interesting thing about the joys of boredom , you know, that's of boredom, you know, that's there's a delights of tedium , is there's a delights of tedium, is that the contrast to what that it's the contrast to what comes before. i mean, after churchill, you know, he's very flamboyant. and after all, churchill was very much in the mire the 1930. know, he mire in the 1930. you know, he came what brought him came back and what brought him back into prominence was a national crisis after him. you then managerial ism of then got the managerial ism of clement know, he was clement attlee. you know, he was basically, know, keir basically, you know, keir starmer, know, starmer, but, you know,

nonetheless he was a nonetheless had he was a managerialism . i mean, after managerialism. i mean, after trump , he was probably the, you trump, he was probably the, you know, the ultimate populist over the top when you've got the sort of the calm joe biden. and i think that the reality is that people now look for people will now look for something completely different. and think ways, and i think in some ways, richard sunak playing a quite richard sunak is playing a quite a game, being boring is a clever game, being boring is something which made him actually particularly exciting at home. but it's particularly it's i think is what the nation wants, however, to get to main point else point is something else certainly dreadful happens when point is something else cert thinkdreadful happens when point is something else cert think of adful happens when point is something else cert think of how. happens when point is something else cert think of how much ens when point is something else cert think of how much awful1en you think of how much awful stuff happened. imagine stuff that has happened. imagine if invades taiwan . imagine if china invades taiwan. imagine what that does to supply change. it was imagine what that does to global security. if that happens, then politicians will be tested and defecate. you know , steel becomes stronger the more it's hammered and become stronger and i think if we had a crisis of that nature, then come it there , maybe come off the it there, maybe come off the person. but at the moment, it's steady as she goes. you know, it's a of the stanley it's a sort of the stanley baldwin opposed to ramsay baldwin as opposed to ramsay macdonald can i can

macdonald line. and i can i can see the attraction of that. but, you as was rightly a very, you know, as was rightly a very, very perceptively said a few moments know , the moments ago, you know, the election's getting closer. it's not two years away. so who not quite two years away. so who knows horus coming over the knows what horus coming over the hill. i think that particular does decryption of the pendulum of british politics from the sort of more jocular characters to the more nerd like characters . i suppose as you speaking, stephen kind of made a list and i think it works absolutely. spot on churchill's big, jocular, actually smooth, nerdy . back to churchill, big again , . back to churchill, big again, eden, perhaps more nerdy, i suppose. eden, perhaps more nerdy, i suppose . macmillan, super mac as suppose. macmillan, super mac as he was known, a big character . he was known, a big character. douglas. douglas, he was very, very , i don't know, sort of very, i don't know, sort of bookish . and then, of course, bookish. and then, of course, wilson was was a huge figure with a pipe and all the rest of it. churchillian, if you will. he he played the piano. he didn't he was he was unmarried. i mean, all of this stuff. and then back to wilson callahan and

getting a nerd thatcher, the ultimate jock nerds. ultimate jock major in nerds. blair a jock. and then a brown. much more nerdy figure. cameron to me , to boris, it was it just to me, to boris, it was it just was ryan starmer but this is next. but then clearly i think liz truss was a nerd. and i think when she sunak is a nerd as well. so i think we broken it this year has broken that pendulum that has been working since since the second world war on that theory. i mean, it'll be angela rayner as the next but it doesn't actually work because i mean i think we have to discount liz truss pretty much as the nafion liz truss pretty much as the nation discounted . liz truss, nation discounted. liz truss, i'm not entirely sure that 44 actually makes it equation inoperable because but the rest of it is actually i hadn't thought about anthony antony and he, you know, they said he was the best advertisement, the 30 shilling taylor ever had. you know, he's a chap that used to wear homburg hat and great wear a homburg hat and is great fashion, you know? i mean, this and this wore out for you

youngsters. i was there so youngsters. i was i was there so and the contrast did go and so. yes, the contrast did go from to macmillan, who came from him to macmillan, who came up lines, you up these great lines, you speaking as one crofter to speaking of as one crofter to another, , and so you another, you know, and so you did have that. it also works in america if you actually think about it with, you know, reagan, bush , clinton, you know, you can bush, clinton, you know, you can actually see the there sort actually see the there is sort of people people want sort of sometimes everything to sometimes everything gets to boring, want big boring, then they want big excitement . then want it excitement. then they want it back boring this again, excitement. then they want it back perhaps|is again, excitement. then they want it back perhaps next|ain, excitement. then they want it back perhaps next year, maybe perhaps perhaps next year, maybe a little bit more boring than this stephen pound, this one. but stephen pound, thank so for rip thank you so much for that rip roaring rollercoaster through british political history and cheers . well this is a serious cheers. well this is a serious illness . so sorry, stephen. we illness. so sorry, stephen. we have run out of time because we do need to bring in he's been waiting patiently for us. mark longhi, the conservative mp . he longhi, the conservative mp. he has joined us now. there we go. marco do you agree with what we were talking to stephen about there that that this year has been rather too exciting , that been rather too exciting, that perhaps it's time for a bit of a bit of calm ? i think i do, too,

bit of calm? i think i do, too, but only to some extent. and i think i'd like us to all feel a little bit more positive about the future here. i mean, this is a fantastic democracy that we live in, and it's what we would call representative democracy call a representative democracy , and if only, say, 2% of the population got up to no good, with 2% of all politician that makes 13 amps who might get up to no good. and of course, they're in the much more of a spotlight because of their own role in the media. so is it is it any surprise really that you know, there are there are some people that that. do you people that do that. do you know? no good when they're in parliament? what like to parliament? what i would like to emphasise, is that there emphasise, though, is that there are employers are a great number of employers that great stuff, that do some great stuff, particularly constituencies particularly make constituencies and never spoken and that's really never spoken about. think that we've about. and i do think that we've got better future ahead of us. got a better future ahead of us. so look at 2023 with a so let's look at 2023 with a spirit optimism and good spirit of optimism and good cheer. spirit of optimism and good cheer . of course, the biggest cheer. of course, the biggest crisis probably facing rishi sunakin crisis probably facing rishi sunak in 2023, not very cheery is the immigration crisis. and

you wrote in the telegraph a few weeks ago, actually suggesting that perhaps there might not be the political will. there to address that, do you think that rishi sunak can get a grip on it? do you think he really wants to get a grip on it next year? well, i think that one of the stands out aspects of rishi's premiership so far is one of he wants to send out a message of competence and sticking to decisions. so it was very it was very positive for me when he finally gave the nod to the cumbria mine, which made every sense to put into production something that i don't think would have happened under other premierships. so he stuck to that and certainly through the whipping of this, i'm seeing a different operation now. and i think that if he does stick to what he has promised, which is to solve the legal immigration, then then i think the conservative party will be regaining position in the polls as it's as it rightly should, as

this was a manifesto pledge that we need. and it's something that the whole of the population will hold us to account of if we don't deliver . so hold us to account of if we don't deliver. so yeah, but yeah . and, but suppose the problem . and, but i suppose the problem is rishi sunak's got his is that rishi sunak's got his five point plan for immigration, which been accepted which has been accepted and actually by most of the actually welcomed by most of the conservative party . but there conservative party. but there are still some of those barriers there. of course there are there. and of course there are plenty of mp who are now saying that the big issue is the european court of human rights and without getting out of the european court of human rights , european court of human rights, it might just impossible to it might be just impossible to get anywhere. you've got this great five point plan place , great five point plan in place, but human rights but you'll have human rights lawyers after human rights. so is just thwarting the is just thwarting what the government's do. do government's trying to do. do you leaving the ec in 2023 you think leaving the ec in 2023 is something we should now really be considering ? really be considering? absolutely. i've been writing about that and i've been talking about that and i've been talking about leaving the ecj, who probably over two years now . probably over two years now. this is when former home secretary priti patel was in position because i could see

that initiative after initiative after initiative was being scuppered by these woke leftie lawyers who just were invoking rules and regulations , doing the rules and regulations, doing the bidding of judges based in strasbourg and brussels, and really that was a smack in the face to everybody who voted for brexit, where either we have a sovereign nation or or we're not. now we can have a perfectly gold plated first class bill of human rights that replaces the job that we remove with a laser like focus. those aspects that are being abused by these by these lawyers, that's scuppering our system. so, you know , you our system. so, you know, you have a scenario in which germany which subscribes to the ecj are they they don't let in any albanians at all. and we've let in 55% on the basis of some of these rules and regulations which makes a complete mockery of our own system. clearly the system is being abused and if we don't sort it out, we will be

held accountable at polling day . but to zoom out now to the compare garrisons that inevitably drawn between the conservative party and his majesty's loyal opposition , the majesty's loyal opposition, the labour party , is there that much labour party, is there that much difference now between these two parties? i was listening to rishi sunak's big announcement on illegal migration which made me focussed on on fast tracking those claims of those from safe countries, more processing workers to go through those claims and some cooperation with the french, it looks to me like that's pretty much the labour party's policy. and then you come to other areas where it's tax, whether it's the highest tax, whether it's the highest tax burden since the second world war windfall taxes on energy companies. so world war windfall taxes on energy companies . so whether energy companies. so whether it's lowering the threshold for the top rate of tax, so we're one of the most highly taxed g7 countries now. only italy has a higher top rate of tax . i mean, higher top rate of tax. i mean, if you look at all of these issues, it is the conservative party , particularly .

party, particularly. conservative you make an excellent point, tom, and one that i, too, have been making for some time. i am not a fan of windfall taxes and i'm not a fan of the general direction of travel that we have been taking in the last couple of years. you are right . of course there is are right. of course there is a clever game now that starmer has started to play, which is he wants to sound as tough on immigration and have a go at high levels of taxes. but everybody who knows the labour party and everybody who knows starmer , who was the chief starmer, who was the chief architect , who made sure that architect, who made sure that corbyn, who initially was wanting to vote leave, then voted remain. he's a chief architect of project rejoin and wanting to get us back into the eu and therefore open our borders completely. now i know the conservative party has been talking the talk and has yet to completely walk the walk and then we need to see evidence and we need to see many, many, many more flights taking off back to

those countries or even to rwanda to actually get over the cynicism that i believe that the population quite rightly feels about the conservative party and we need to get back to a growth plan which is underpinned by lower taxation . those are lower taxation. those are fundamental conservative principles. so these are things that the prime minister needs to really think long and hard about because mps because there are many, many mps just me , who are thinking just like me, who are thinking when that the conservative when is it that the conservative party actually going to party is actually going to become more conservative and when is it ultimate ? they're when is it ultimate? they're going to recognise that the centre of gravity of concern , centre of gravity of concern, bit of policy has moved north. now it's moved out of london and the london suburbs and it's moved north. and until we retching lies that that is what's going to happen. you will see a lot of red wall seats just like mine falling back to labour and unfortunately going back to the type of politics we saw not too long ago. we will be losing that great majority that boris johnson delivered for us. i

suppose one problem for rishi sunak , though, is that the sunak, though, is that the conservative party is looking a lot less governable than it has looked in recent years . you will looked in recent years. you will hear saying that we're in danger of red wall to the labour of losing red wall to the labour party and there be plenty party and there will be plenty of colleagues who of your colleagues who will agree you. then the agree with you. then on the other hand, we've got theresa may this disgruntled ex prime minister prime minister saying today the prime minister saying today the prime minister can't go ahead with the plans that he's made to tackle illegal immigration . so where illegal immigration. so where she's going, it might have the best the world to get best will in the world to get the party more the conservative party more conservative, not just conservative, but we'll not just be many thorns in his side be too many thorns in his side to it work . well, this is to make it work. well, this is why rishi now needs to show why he was the right man to become the prime minister. he has to overcome these problems which are inherently part of a party, which is, by its very nature, a very broad church. so it's a very broad church. so it's a very broad church. so it's a very broad church, and therefore it makes it successful. but it's also the reason why it makes it also the reason why it makes it a thorny party to want to lead . a thorny party to want to lead. you know, i don't really want to

comment on theresa may other than to say i've got a lot of personal respect for her. some of the things that she's pushing forward for, making sure that people who live in social housing get better deal from housing get a better deal from the management companies that run that run social housing. i get all of that. but you know, a little bit of self—reflection and thinking about, you know , and thinking about, you know, letting the prime minister of the day get on with their job without someone on sitting from the, you know, the backbenches sniping isn't isn't doing that, prime minister, any any great favours. so i'm sure theresa understands that. and we'll focus on what is the right thing to do. she must she must absolutely recognise that it is that very law that a lot of people are abusing to get into this country illegally. and it needs to be dealt with. and i'm sure well, but i feel confident, based on certainly some anecdotal initial positioning and decisions that rishi has

taken that that that he is going to do it the correct way . but to do it the correct way. but it'll be fascinating to see the detail of this proposal in the coming weeks and months. no doubt a busy legislative calendar when you come back to parliament in two weeks time. if i'm correct on that timescale, i have to like this question, please. oh, go ahead. go ahead . please. oh, go ahead. go ahead. i'd like to know why you didn't tell me i could wear my christmas jumper, but seriously, why ? oh, no. why is that ? why? oh, no. why is that? stephen pound has got a job news mug that i don't have. yes mark, we're going to have to get you into the studio as soon as you back to london. get you into the studio, we'll give you a mug. we can we might some some tinsel and all the rest of it, but it's been a pleasure. thank you so much for joining been a pleasure. thank you so much forjoining us. long, much forjoining us. mark long, of course, conservative mp for dudley north. he very much deserves the gb news mark. i think. quite right. well let's mop up some of this conversation now, bringing in political commentator armstrong. commentator danny armstrong. he's us here in the studio he's with us here in the studio . i suppose the big question

that we sort of touched on at the end there with marco, this idea of theresa may becoming perhaps sniping from the backbench is what ted heath became known as the incredible sulk. or should she be perhaps more statesman like and stay out? it's a tricky decision for her and it is an ex prime minister. it is. and you did raise a great point with the difference between the conservative party and the labour and you can't see labour party and you can't see any difference between them at the moment. that big talk about this, the migrant crisis playing a part in the next election. a big part in the next election. and if there a party that and if there is a party that isn't going win big isn't going to win over big votes with issue is of votes with this issue is of course the labour party. of course the labour party. of course saw them didn't course we all saw them didn't we. those bouquets, the we. those, those bouquets, the leftist, floppy head leftist, those floppy head social warriors in social justice warriors in london holding up signs saying, well, spanish doctor isn't well, a spanish doctor isn't going to take your job when you've b.tech in you've got a b.tech in bricklaying one a—level. of bricklaying and one a—level. of course at the time, course, we all left at the time, didn't we? but the sneering and the to the working the punching down to the working class isn't going to win over any favours. as far as theresa may's course, i may's concerned. of course, i always as a bit

always thought of her as a bit of a bit of it was a joke or of a bit of a it was a joke or book.she of a bit of a it was a joke or book. she was going on about the joke and nerd dichotomy, i suppose it is. is this an americanism ? i suppose, but you americanism? i suppose, but you get sort of the more bookish and then the more bolster ish prime minister. so i think she was more of a bookish one. you can't really imagine a coming out with some the locker room talk of some of the locker room talk of the jocks and then locking rishi sunak and ricky sunak nearly almost made up a different name from their i think it was rasheed, sir nick. she wasn't . rasheed, sir nick. she wasn't. he stays cool. that's also my favourite query as well. yeah. i mean , theresa may oh she's mean, theresa may oh she's obviously a poor man's margaret thatcher. i think she went down as i think she'll go down in many people's books as a as that in terms of the migrant crisis, if you're going to talk to this, is someone who left the country just this year actually for fear of perhaps falling out of the hotel window when i had to come back from russia in june. and i

think if i if i go back there won't be very many good things waiting for me . i of course, i'm waiting for me. i of course, i'm a british citizen, so i had somewhere to go. i had somewhere to run to with the terms of the migrant crisis. if people are coming across the boats and risking a it could be a greater risking a it could be a greater risk of death coming across the channel than what they might what might be chasing them through europe and through the soft touch to the uk and for me i would have, i would i would have taken it. i came back to britain so to avoid something that might've been waiting me back in the kremlin and back in the walls of where putin is sitting . so see i do. i do sitting. so i see i do. i do sympathise with people coming across country . yes. but i mean across country. yes. but i mean , really, it is it has to be something done about it. yeah, absolutely. well thank you very much. and i'm sure we'll be back to you very shortly. well let's now move on to an advert break. that's where we need to go next.

the weather after after which the weather journalist nathan brown will be in the studio talking to us through these extreme weather conditions gripping north america. at least 60 people have now died in a once in a generation storm. we'll be asking if there's any danger the weather system will affect us here in the uk. but first, that's .

break good morning. it's just gone 1025 and you're here with tom harwood and olivia utley on gb news in full bev turner now the worst arctic blizzard in 45 years has hit the united states and canada. new york governor kathy hochul says that the winter storm is like going into a war zone as the death toll in new york state rises to 28. at

least six people have now died across the state. in total . across the state. in total. while some weather forecasters predict that britain could see its snowiest january in 12 years, the met office is playing down reports that this arctic blast could bring heavy snow to the uk. well weather journalist nathan brown joins us now to discuss the extreme weather that's currently gripping america and probably quite pertinently to people here in the united kingdom. if any of that's going to affect us here . that's going to affect us here. yes. now, the extreme cold in the us is not going to affect us here in the short term. what it's going to do is the cold air over the us is sort of thumping against milder air, which is coming up from the south and that's firing up the jet stream which goes from west to east across atlantic the across the atlantic and over the uk in the atlantic there are uk and in the atlantic there are low systems are low pressure systems which are the storm systems that we get sort of all through years sort of all through the years because this really because we've got this really strong stream. some those strong jet stream. some of those can pulled across by this can be pulled across by this extra stream and extra strong jet stream and make our unsettled in our weather a bit unsettled in the few days. so there's

the next few days. so there's a link there. but in terms of in terms of longer range, will the extreme cold in america come to the on settled. the uk? now that's on settled. what do you mean? because of course, the jet stream, most people think as people wouldn't think of us as providing warm , lovely providing us nice, warm, lovely from of mexico in that. from sort of mexico in that. right. i'm completely wrong. no, you're not. the jet stream can sometimes do that. so the jet stream sort of pretty much borders the air the borders the cold air from the out from arctic and the sort out from the arctic and the sort of warmer from the of the warmer air from the subtropics mid—latitudes, subtropics and mid—latitudes, which we are in the which is where we are now in the summer the jet stream moves summer when the jet stream moves north, these north, that's when we get these huge plumes warm air coming huge plumes of warm air coming up. you that jet up. if you think of that jet stream, it's like a boundary between the cold and the cold and south in the winter when the jet south across jet stream plunges south across us, the cold air us, it pulls down the cold air from the okay. what it's from the north. okay. what it's doing at the moment, though, it is sort coming when is sort of coming over us when it that. it's low it does that. it's the low pressure system, the atlantic. so use it as a conveyor belt and they hitch a ride on the jet stream. jet can also stream. the jet stream can also strengthen systems and strengthen these systems and they to us. wet they come over to us. how wet and windy it going make up

and windy is it going to make up for office is sort of for the met office is sort of saying it's unsettled is going to unsettled run up to new to be an unsettled run up to new yeah to be an unsettled run up to new year. there are some gales around there, some 70 mile per hour fringes, on hour gales on the fringes, on the coastal regions, north—west is get the worse is going to get the worse because think comes in because we think it comes in from west and up to the from the west and up to the north, the southeast, we'll north, in the southeast, we'll probably better, probably come off better, but that's affects so that's how it affects us. so a couple of years ago we were having the beast from the east. now get to have the volume, now we get to have the volume, something been having something we have been having from from the west, from the west. from the west, yes. oh, wow. that's not too original. what's it worth? but the is the interesting thing is actually the east actually the beast from the east came february. and that came in february. and it's that time year always get time of year that we always get the of the weather. so we the worst of the weather. so we always just when you think always hope just when you think everybody you're more everybody thinks you're more likely to get white easter likely to get a white easter than white christmas, all the than a white christmas, all the discussions about white christmas, thought christmas, which we thought was going happen all so going to happen all summer so close, come off. close, didn't really come off. it the highlands this it was in the highlands this yeah it was in the highlands this year. yes, we for all us, year. yes, but we for all of us, really, we didn't much. yeah really, we didn't see much. yeah it's likely in january. really, we didn't see much. yeah it's so likely in january. really, we didn't see much. yeah it's so thisely in january. really, we didn't see much. yeah it's so this this| january. really, we didn't see much. yeah it's so this this feels ary. really, we didn't see much. yeah it's so this this feels like okay so this this feels like it's been a year of pretty extreme weather. weird. is this is this a fluke or is this

something that we expect to something that we can expect to see of? i think see more and more of? i think the still out there is the jury is still out there is no doubt that our weather is changing. we cannot look the changing. we cannot look at the summer 40 degrees summer we had we had 40 degrees dunng summer we had we had 40 degrees during summer, which was during the summer, which was absolute. oh, so can tell absolute. oh, so can you tell about that when on the day that it happened hardly walk it happened could hardly walk out it was out the front door? it was roasting we never seen roasting hot. we have never seen that we are getting that before and we are getting more sort of changes in our weather. so there's something the changing now, the weather is changing now, whether that's manmade, whether it's whether it's climate change, whether it's climate change, whether it's discussions it's the various discussions going on about that. as we know. but opinion, but certainly, in my opinion, at least, are more least, yeah, we are seeing more more changeable weather. weather happening. it is interesting because getting, because we are getting, i suppose some people might have thought that in summer that thought that in the summer that was quite nice for us in was really quite nice for us in the united kingdom. felt the united kingdom. it felt a bit bit like tropical. i don't bit a bit like tropical. i don't know. remember the day know. do you remember the day that was not that was quite that was not i thought was walk around the thought i was walk around the park. i was not i thought it was quite i said, quite nice. maybe i said, i don't know. i popped outside for a little bit. i mean, i wasn't bathing it. that's a good bathing in it. that's a good idea. but even even before that 40 degree day temperatures in

the mid thirties and the mid in the mid thirties and that ten years if that about ten years ago, if you've thirties that was you've got the thirties that was big news people like me. big news for people like me. it's mid—thirties now. it's it's like mid—thirties now. it's like, oh yeah, that's what the forties. oh, always sort forties. oh, we always sort of ready this. mean, britain ready for this. i mean, britain , tubes, our noses , you know, our tubes, our noses are all heated, all air conditioned . are we ready for conditioned. are we ready for the extreme weather that we're all we saw just 12 days all i mean, we saw just 12 days ago, i was sorry. i was sat right here when the snow fell before christmas. we just thought the christmas thought all the christmas lights, everything was in chaos. the were cancelling. the airports were cancelling. the airports were cancelling. the tubes are all of the spout. everything was in chaos. the roads all well. we can't roads were all well. we can't leave something behind because . leave something behind because. because the infrastructure, the trains, the buckles, it it makes sense in a country that rarely gets snow and rarely gets very, very hot things you don't want to install all the very expensive systems that you can use a year. if this use once a year. and if this stuff gets more common, i suppose we all are going to need to install these systems. it's going political going to become a political issue. still issue. yeah, but it's still probably not to be, you probably not going to be, you know, long get it in know, as long as i get it in scandinavia where they have this infrastructure in place because

they months and they get months and months and months we still only at months of this, we still only at the getting, you the moment we're getting, you know, freeze for us. how know, a big freeze for us. how long did it last? ten days, i think, before in there, after christmas. so who knows? but we tend cope well to tend not to cope very well to say, no, absolutely. say, well, yeah, no, absolutely. well, fascinating well, it's a it's a fascinating topic. and i think it is something going be something we're going to be talking more and more about in the and years ahead. but the months and years ahead. but nathan brown, so much nathan brown, thank you so much for very much, talking for talking very much, talking us those big us through those big, big topics. in now the topics. let's bring in now the political commentator, danny armstrong you've armstrong for your views. you've lived . that's very lived in russia. that's very cold, i'm suppose . i suppose cold, i'm suppose. i suppose anything here is basically tropical by comparison. well, you've done your homework there . yeah, russia very cold. . yeah, russia is very cold. i know the cold is the got down to when i was that was about about —31. now i am from manchester so i mean that was like a and we are very ready for those 40 degree days. nathan are you are you ready for those. oh yes, we are in manchester. yeah, yeah , are in manchester. yeah, yeah, yeah. right . are in manchester. yeah, yeah, yeah. right. it yeah. you're exactly right. it is down to infrastructure and how you are prepared it of how you are prepared for it of course over there do

course erm over there they do plough into things like plough money into things like gritters of course is on the grid is that we see here those little road sweepers, the kind of funnel outsole onto the pavement. they're massive, massive big machines they massive big machines and they work night work through the night pretty much night for around much every night for around about months. and they can about four months. and they can really is it worth us investing in infrastructure like or in infrastructure like that, or do i mean, i remember do you think? i mean, i remember when had the snow day at when we had the old snow day at school, gone day off school, if i'm gone a day off school, if i'm gone a day off school, was quite nice. maybe school, it was quite nice. maybe we should just of trundle we should just sort of trundle on as we are. yeah, well, for a country that's there's pretty much and drizzly for most much grey and drizzly for most of mean, we're we're of the year. i mean, we're we're kind of attracted to these very exotic sorts of harsh climates in winter and very, very hot in the winter and very, very hot days in, the summer. but the short answer is no, no. there is no point . and this is why the no point. and this is why the country grinds to a halt, because little if there's some leaves train tracks, leaves on the train tracks, then the to a halt. so the country grinds to a halt. so we get very, very cold we do get these very, very cold snaps. always going to be snaps. it's always going to be the north now that's going to get in fact, now the get them. in fact, now is the nonh get them. in fact, now is the north getting it going with the northwest, north—west always. and it's

and if it does get worse, it's going either manchester. i'm going to either manchester. i'm down to cornwall itself. today is place it seems is the place to be. it seems very because so often the very unfair because so often the nonh very unfair because so often the north with the north is the place with the least of investments in least amount of investments in infrastructure to actually handle sort of stuff. handle this sort of stuff. no doubt talking more and doubt we'll be talking more and more this goes, but more about this as it goes, but it's more about this as it goes, but wsfime more about this as it goes, but it's time for another break, after award winning after which award winning chef and al zilli will and restauranteur al zilli will be cooking up a storm in the stew. taking us stew. stew. he'll be taking us through some christmas leftovers recipes. very, important recipes. very, very important stuff . so to make sure that all stuff. so to make sure that all food doesn't go to waste, stick around for that. that's after this short .

break it's just gone 1036. and you're here with tom and olivia utley in with bev turner today on tv needs now from leftover turkey to the cheese foods that you perhaps couldn't quite finish, many of us have been left with excess foods in our fridges or

indeed excess in our fridges after the christmas period this yean after the christmas period this year, perhaps more than ever, we want to get the most out that festive food with the cost of living crisis that's gripped the nafion living crisis that's gripped the nation . but don't fear award nation. but don't fear award winning chef aldo zilli is joining us in the studio to share some delicious recipes to help us make the most out of our christmas leftovers. he's looking very christmassy. yes, i feel. i feel so underdressed . feel. i feel so underdressed. i thought looked like christmas was his job. i thought of any of those. go to the jacket. i'm taking these glasses. you know what? i could wear those that at least there's least as some least there's at least as some taking my hat off as well. there we go. there we go. okay much better. a bit more recognisable now. okay christmas turkey . it's now. okay christmas turkey. it's in here leftover because mr. turkey . so you see. okay so turkey. so you see. okay so basically you know i blurred all through the years of christmas i'm italian and but i have a

engush i'm italian and but i have a english wife so a tradition in every christmas is turkey, of course. but this year we had a little bit more. we had turkey by the barbecue . my eldest by the barbecue. my eldest daughter came lara. she helped me cook outside . we had a lovely me cook outside. we had a lovely barbecue with beef and veal and a small turkey . okay, well, it's a small turkey. okay, well, it's a small turkey. okay, well, it's a very small turkey, so we all tasted the turkey . and i still tasted the turkey. and i still got a little bit of leftovers, so i made you and like, a little turkey stew here. my turkey stew . oh, and i it with this lovely pizza bread that was leftover pizza bread that was leftover pizza bread. yeah, well, i've made it into that. and then i covered the turkey. can you throw it into a turkey stew? what sort of stuff? pretty much the fridge is in here , so the fridge is in here, so there's some pancetta. there is some neapolitan broccolini , some neapolitan broccolini, loads of onions as a base because onions gives a lot of flavour. and then i flavour it with some chilli . so it's got

with some chilli. so it's got all the smells and yeah, so it's got a little kick cream and i had a little bit of truffle left. so from the fish my fridge is more like yours. i never have a bit of leftover truffle left. oh yeah. that's too much. and you like a little bit. i'd love some. i'll do it. so, yeah , this some. i'll do it. so, yeah, this is, this is the leftover turkey but you know, traditions every christmas change and crafty is this year i wanted i wanted to be a little bit a little bit more adventurous with with my cooking . and because i had all cooking. and because i had all of my family, i had my grandson for the first time this christmas , you know, he's seven christmas, you know, he's seven years old. so we still did the sun we still did all the all the things i haven't done for years because my kids, you know, i've got two teenagers, 115 and one's 17 and nearly a march. and so , 17 and nearly a march. and so, you know, why decided to do this

year a very small amount of presents and my mum and dad used to make me really work for my presents because in those days i'm the youngest of nine. so they were christmas was a big christmas big family. and we never got presents because we lived in poverty, to be honest . lived in poverty, to be honest. but christmas day , we had to but christmas day, we had to write a letter to my parents and put it under the plate and my little twiggy this year she, she had to write me a letter to get a new phone if she wants it. she had to write me and she wrote the most moving letters to me in my life. nicky i've ever seen in my life. nicky i've ever seen in my life. nicky i've ever seen in my life so that is really i brought back lots of old traditions . yeah, yeah. and traditions. yeah, yeah. and because we haven't had christmas really for a few years. and so i suppose that is something that food can do as well. so it bnngs food can do as well. so it brings everyone together around the table, i suppose, in a way that perhaps most families haven't for the last few years,

given the situation that the world has exactly plunged into, we weren't allowed. so this year was really, really special . and was really, really special. and then i had some leftover dough and i made this focaccia here. all i mean, this now how long doesit all i mean, this now how long does it to take make a incredible piece? because, i mean, if only if i had some dough sitting on the table or whatever, i'm not sure i could do that. okay so i'll let you taste that . oh, and then a taste that. oh, and then a little bit for you around here . little bit for you around here. i'm i feel like i'm in the restaurant. my i have to say, i've been munching away as you've been talking, and it is absolutely delicious , actually. absolutely delicious, actually. so. yeah, yeah , it's it. and so. yeah, yeah, it's it. and then i made some italian and squeak. oh, italian butter. yes we use imported what i've done. these are potatoes. these are potato skins. right. so a baked potatoes. rub them with a bit of oil, a bake them for an hour and then scoop them out . and i

then scoop them out. and i stuffed them all with the veg taboos, leftovers. look at the sprouts . yeah, my lord. my sprouts. yeah, my lord. my daughter did the sprouts this year. daughter did the sprouts this year . and she's got this recipe year. and she's got this recipe that she said it was amazing, but , you know, they're a bit but, you know, they're a bit overcooked, but it's not. if you sort of throw it all in together andifs sort of throw it all in together and it's all yeah, yeah. so we stuffed the potatoes again with bake them in the oven and then the last minute a bits to make with some parmesan cheese and cover them on top and is that makes it italian. yeah carbonara carbonara bubbling squeak. that's the catch. it is absolutely fantastic . i've got absolutely fantastic. i've got a question i like making bread, but my proving technique , i but my proving technique, i don't think i'm getting it right because i'm bake off. they have those neat little proving drawers, but i don't want to have those in my kitchen. have one of those in my kitchen. what you do get that room what do you do to get that room places? don't the. places? just don't the. weather's been pretty tough and cold for blue pruning bread and pizza dough. and, you know ,

pizza dough. and, you know, leave it near the stove , near leave it near the stove, near the kitchen where it's warmer than anywhere else . even even than anywhere else. even even mixed radiators. okay yeah. so if you've got a radiator going all the time , just leave it near all the time, just leave it near the end . it will work. it really the end. it will work. it really will work. but making a focaccia like this takes takes couple of days. yeah. you know, it's not a five minute window. so what would be your top tip to people who might be sitting at home now watching the television with a fridge sort of half full of yesterday's food , thinking, i yesterday's food, thinking, i want to make something easy to throw this all together. perhaps i want to make something for lunch out of all of my lunch today out of all of my leftovers from last couple leftovers from the last couple of we'll be your number of days, we'll be your number one if you've got one tip. well, if you've got sausages, sausages and sausages, then sausages and mash. if you've got loads of cheese and a really good mac and cheese and a really good mac and cheese cooks and pasta on the side , throw the cheese into it . side, throw the cheese into it. some butter and flour and milk and make a white sauce and then throw loads of cheese in it,

melt it all together and put it on top of the pasta. bake it. and everybody loves mac and cheese. anyone in the world it like mac and cheese. yeah, but vegetables, you know, people have a lot of leftover vegetables . do not please throw vegetables. do not please throw them away because they're so valuable . mean look, this this valuable. mean look, this this is this is if know five a day if you like yeah yeah. you know it's incredible. and desserts you know i'm doing a desserts item later on this on this on this channel. ooh going and i've made an amazing dessert with all the leftover dessert so my mother in law maureen is incredibly . convinced that incredibly. convinced that christmas day has to be christmas day has to be christmas pudding with brandy. so even if you don't eat it, you to light it and she got to buy it and so did i and so did my wife. and so did laura. and so did everybody else. oh, so my

brother in law saved today. he turned up on christmas eve with a christmas pudding. so on christmas day at the end of the day, we forgot it was in the fridge. us it came out later on bright and chaotic at christmas . it stayed on the table because nobody wanted it, because everybody was so full . yeah, everybody was so full. yeah, that's christmas. i'm always up for christmas pudding. it goes, oh god, no, i couldn't manage any more. i always have a symbolic. i have a symbolic bits. i want to eat. i'll just have bit. but i think the best thing about it, they're in the middle of the table. it seems up in flames, you know. yeah. if a chocolate pudding and then the panettone, you the italian panettone, you know, the italian christmas leftovers so christmas not good leftovers so in this is the made for this for later it's got everything like that it's got all of those ingredients panettone the cream part it's got the delicate and it's got the brandy from the christmas pudding that we didn't

need. christmas pudding that we didn't need . i wish i'd christmas pudding that we didn't need. i wish i'd had christmas pudding that we didn't need . i wish i'd had the segment need. i wish i'd had the segment yesterday because last night i had panettone in pancetta just by itself within a project. pancetta well, that's nice. the raisins , the bacon, salty and raisins, the bacon, salty and sweet . it was made because tesco sweet. it was made because tesco was closing . well, almost. try was closing. well, almost. try that. was closing. well, almost. try that . i was closing. well, almost. try that. i never thought was closing. well, almost. try that . i never thought that it that. i never thought that it was okay . me and it was nice. it was okay. me and it was nice. it was okay. me and it was nice. it was really nice to be honest. got back from a run. tesco was closed all together, but it was great. i wish i'd had some of those tips. wow, well done. you've been quietly eating that in the court. what you make of the food? he's brilliant . i the food? he's brilliant. i mean, i spent most of my adult life in russia, so you can imagine of the atrocities imagine some of the atrocities i've had on christmas isn't celebrated 25th of celebrated on the 25th of december russia is new december in russia is the new year the thing which is year is the main thing which is like your birthday, like christmas, your birthday, you birthday. your you misses his birthday. your boyfriend's your mother boyfriend's been your mother in law's birthday, dad's birthday and birthday rolled and everybody's birthday rolled into as massive, massive into one as a massive, massive celebration. ten celebration. everybody gets ten days first the days off on the first all the time. january they time. the january and they celebrate all christmas on the 7th january. and you 7th of january. and can you guess what do on that

guess what they do on that street? they drink lots and lots of work. course, that very, of work. of course, that very, very and that of course, very and that is, of course, like a big celebration, like everybody's birthday into everybody's birthday rolled into one. you one. and every special that you can imagine. so yeah, can ever imagine. so yeah, but this much preferable to this is much more preferable to some of the. but what i've learned is that i've had i've done december in russia. i think the learned this the main thing i've learned this year starters. oh yeah , no year is no starters. oh yeah, no talking. i know i didn't people every year they by the time the turkey grows then everything all the trimmings are ready. they're no longer anymore . can i ask you no longer anymore. can i ask you a question and have lunch at 1:00? not at 4:00 in the afternoon. oh, well, then get the king's speech. at least we wait till we waited this year. until the king had spoken, until after the release very good after the release of very good cheen after the release of very good cheer, which know why we cheer, which i don't know why we arrived at that. i thought i was getting really quite hungry by that and there's that point. and there's only a there's a limited number of there's only a limited number of tickets be passed tickets that can be passed around time did it around before the time we did it the other way round. we're there and everybody glass of and everybody had a glass of champagne and a glass of wine. so sounded a more

so the king sounded a lot more powerful . we watched the king on powerful. we watched the king on iplayer and we weren't allowed to look on social media in case there spoilers . spoilers? there was spoilers. spoilers? you, of course. of course. he's going say something really huge. oh honest. i think i hope i hope this isn't unpatriotic to say. i think i could probably have guessed what he was going to tell you to think there . it's tell you to think there. it's nice to watch a unifying moment and all the rest of it. i don't think it's particularly profound. and you might have a point there, but i nearly had a heart attack going out to pick my grandmother for queen my grandmother up for the queen for speech, because for the king's speech, because we were on cooking duty, but we had some push back christmas lunch i a till lunch and i think a two till three because our oven three or four because our oven is good. so we were pushing is very good. so we were pushing it and back and we it back and back and back and we asked my grandmother off and she's very, very big fan of she's a very, very big fan of the i'm not going to let the royals. i'm not going to let you away that. we've you get away with that. we've got eat vegetables, say, oh, got to eat vegetables, say, oh, prawn cocktail, yes or no ? no prawn cocktail, yes or no? no way. oh, it's cold. absolutely awful . yeah, it's going to. it

awful. yeah, it's going to. it apparently one of the most googled for christmas foods this yeah googled for christmas foods this year. you mean the crisps or how many sort by with all those get the star all together. yeah, yeah, yeah. just knock them on the air. just have a glass of champagne. yeah, well, just just in case . just in my mother in case. just in case my mother is watching, and i do want to say am eating my vegetables say i am eating my vegetables and he's being a good boy. i this looks much than this looks much better than engush this looks much better than english that's have english and that's great. i have to breakfast is to say, the breakfast is important. know, you you important. you know, you you work up christmas morning, a nice smokes and lots nice bit of smokes and with lots of and not even of pepper and lemon not even eggs.i of pepper and lemon not even eggs . i mean, if you don't want eggs. i mean, if you don't want the eggs, just have the smoked salmon, you know, with a little bit of brown twist and glass bit of brown twist and a glass of a little of champagne, have a little champagne. i mean, ijust champagne. but i mean, ijust think been here all day think it's been here all day because because because he's gone now, because all they they've been all these tips they they've been good. so we will need to write them down. yes we need to write them down. yes we need to write them down. yes we need to write them down and get them ready for next year or indeed some of these things. i'm sure these leftover things. i'm sure there many, many there will be many, many, many fridges. this year, the fridges. but this new year, the dogs full and this dogs had a very full and this stuff got to say is i'm

stuff i've got to say is i'm still getting getting the stuff out of my it is delicious. it's so nice to eat so thank you so much for bringing it in. i know i got my course busy. this is better than my main . movie was better than my main. movie was for the first time on television and you've actually got the real leftovers of the results . leftovers of the results. incredible, incredible . this incredible, incredible. this never happened before. thank you so much for coming in and for providing this incredible for us as well. really really do appreciate it . not least because appreciate it. not least because it means that i won't have to cook myself lunch now, that's all. very good. well coming up next is some b views you've been writing in about all of the things that we've been talking about today. of course , we've about today. of course, we've been talking about the weather . been talking about the weather. we've been talking a little bit about politics as well. and pizza has written in to say we're don't having extreme weather, we're just having a

weather, we're just having a weather . centuries ago, the weather. centuries ago, the thames regularly froze over and winters were terrible. summers were also hotter. so just say we're having extreme weather is untrue. well i'm not sure that that's quite what i mean. yes, peter, the thames did freeze overin peter, the thames did freeze over in what was called the mini ice age, but that was quite extreme. we have extreme extreme. and we can have extreme weather in the past and that still makes it extreme. we are still makes it extreme. we are still talking about the fact that the thames did freeze over a which suggests at best a time which suggests at best fact about that's you know, we were talking earlier about it's more likely to snow on easter than it is at christmas. apparently the reason we associate so with christmas is because charles dickens grew up dunng because charles dickens grew up during that mini ice age when the thames froze over, when it snowed every christmas and so when he was writing all of his great novels, great victorian novels, particularly leigh writing a bit about scrooge and the rest of it , that was all set in his idea of his childhood. christmas is absolutely fascinating. let's just start again now. every christmas film there ever is , it christmas film there ever is, it has to have something for all of

the things that charles dickens grew up that's some well, grew up with. that's some well, that's at least a theory that i read online. so i'm sure it's very, very true. but we've got more people writing it. yes. phil asked , will the train phil has asked, will the train strike be cancelled the strike be cancelled when the trains can't due to trains can't run due to snowfall? they paid snowfall? so they get paid for not working? operators not working? train operators should not to such a should not agree to such a situation . well i'm not quite situation. well i'm not quite sure what phil was asking . yeah, sure what phil was asking. yeah, no, but i suppose the train situation across the across the whole the whole of the winter penod whole the whole of the winter period has been pretty shocking. let's not even tried to get on trains this year have been driving all over the place. yeah i'm moving on. and every festive penod i'm moving on. and every festive period , hundreds of dogs across period, hundreds of dogs across the country from abandonment or taken into animal shelters with the increases in the cost of living this year will be no different. and i don't dogs homes across the country are warning of an increase in abandoned pets. we sent our west midlands reporterjack abandoned pets. we sent our west midlands reporter jack carson to

birmingham dog's home to find out how they're giving man's best friend a second chance . a best friend a second chance. a dog is for life, not just for christmas. the phrase coined by the charity dog's trust remains true as ever. 40 years later, every christmas, the rspca estimate 4000 animals are dumped in england and wales when they're found , many are brought they're found, many are brought to charities like birmingham dog's home and their sunnyside centre in wolverhampton . centre centre in wolverhampton. centre manager karen dalby says . the manager karen dalby says. the number of dogs brought here is up on last year. they dachshunds are bringing the dogs in daily. this particular centre has five local authorities and i think there's nine altogether between there's nine altogether between the two sides. as i'm birmingham solihull. so we do get a lot of said we're up this year there's 250 dogs have come to date more this year than last year. so the extra mystery pushed for spice but getting it in queries daily about people asking if we can

help their dogs in they can't afford them any longer. the charity has existed in the midlands for more than 130 years, but in the middle of a cost of living crisis, keeping a place like this open has been made more difficult over the past as of past year. as head of fundraising for harrison explains. so have kennels, explains. so we have kennels, which means that have more mouths to feed more vet bills, more kennels to keep warm. so a fundraising appeal . christmas is fundraising appeal. christmas is more important than ever. we have lots of support from local businesses, which is great. so people are being down. donations of food and toys, which is fabulous rosa got an appeal on our website where people can go in there and they can donate onune in there and they can donate online , they can donate in online, they can donate in memory of people in memory, maybe of their dogs. so we're trying to be creative and there's many things as we can just to keep that support coming in. it's not just donations that they send to the dogs. this place is full . and so they need place is full. and so they need people to come and adopt dogs like timothy . and dogs to adopt

like timothy. and dogs to adopt come in all shapes and sizes. this is donald, he's a nine month old american bulldog. cross and arrived at the centre in october . cross and arrived at the centre in october. but unfortunately, upon his arrival he had to have surgery , became interested in surgery, became interested in october . he surgery, became interested in october. he had surgery, became interested in october . he had unfortunately october. he had unfortunately got a damaged left hind leg and some sent in for x—rays straight away . unfortunately, it turned away. unfortunately, it turned out that he could have an untreated injury to his leg and can cause damage to his staff for his pelvis, his family. so we sent him to our station because that was the only thing we could do. so i can comfortable. he is definitely not dampened his spirits and he's a really happy chap and, lovely lifestyle. so that's nice without birmingham dog's home. donald would not be the bouncy nine month old pup he is today this christmas and new year, when the calls come in from people who can no longer look after their canine companion, charities across the charities like this across the country to love

country will be there to love and look them they and look after them until they can hopefully find their forever home. carson gb news. oh, home. chuck carson gb news. oh, thanks jake for bringing that , thanks jake for bringing that, but i suppose it's a bit of an uplifting story. there are people working there with the dogs to make sure that these these dogs have homes. really important we are, after these dogs have homes. really impatant we are, after these dogs have homes. really impa nation we are, after these dogs have homes. really impa nation of we are, after these dogs have homes. really impa nation of animal, after these dogs have homes. really impa nation of animal lovers. all, a nation of animal lovers. well coming up, we'll be reflecting on the political rollercoaster of last year. that, of course , is after that, of course, is after a short break. and after we get all of that lovely food absolutely finished off, come out nicely. so after a short break, stay with us here on gb news. looking ahead to, today's weather and the uk is looking chilly for some. the rain and cloud will spread eastwards this morning. let's take a look at the details for you across south—west england, a band of rain and strong winds will spread eastwards this morning with some heavy spells of rain. at times, coastal gales are likely across northern cornwall and devon mostly try morning for

london and the southeast , though london and the southeast, though there may be an odd shower for there may be an odd shower for the english channel coast and becoming increasingly cloudy , a becoming increasingly cloudy, a band of rain will affect southern wales through this morning with some heavy bass at times strong winds too, with coastal gales possible . looking coastal gales possible. looking across the midlands this morning and it will be dry but cloudy in the east, across the west, a band of rain with some heavy spells and strong winds will push a cold start across . north push a cold start across. north east england this morning ahead of a band of cloud and rain. it's spreading in from the west . strong winds, too, especially over high ground drives to start across eastern parts of scotland .band across eastern parts of scotland . band of rain, some of which will pull snow at first. the spread in from the west through this morning, a band of rain will clear away to the north—east of northern this morning, though some showers will linger behind . a windy will linger behind. a windy morning, too, especially around coasts at best. a band of rain will continue to spread eastwards this afternoon at noon, remaining windy and a risk of coastal gales . and that is

of coastal gales. and that is how the weather is shaping up for the rest of the day .

good morning and welcome to today with tom harwood and olivia utley on gb news in for bev turner now rishi sunak has been warned by the ex—prime minister, theresa may to not water down modern slavery laws to make it harder to claim asylum in the uk. but with the number of cross—channel migrants hitting nearly 46,000 this year, should the prime minister stick to the plan ? meanwhile, russian to the plan? meanwhile, russian president vladimir putin has said he is ready to engage in

peace talks with ukraine despite ordering more attacks on the country . and with the end of the country. and with the end of the year fast approaching. everyone is now beginning to think what the year of 2023 could bring for them. world famous astrologer majorie or will be giving her predictions for the year ahead. and of course, the show is nothing without you and your views. email us and gives at gbnews.uk or tweet me gb news to have your say . well, so the big have your say. well, so the big news that broke last night, that's of course , prime minister that's of course, prime minister or the former prime minister, i should say theresa may was warning rishi sunak to not just those modern slavery laws that she put in place where she wants to adjust them, of course, to make it harder to claim asylum in the uk. well, meanwhile, all of this of course , the record of this of course, the record number of migrants has reached almost 46,000. that's those coming across by small boats

across the channel. illegally. and solving this crisis could be a key political issue in the next general election. the last 12 months have been an absolute political roller coaster, to say the least , from partygate to big the least, from partygate to big eight. those within uk politics haven't shied away from a scandal and what was it? four chancellors, three prime ministers. it must have been two of something to monarchs. i think there were six education secretaries . two monarchs. it's secretaries. two monarchs. it's like it's like a verse of the 12 days of christmas says , deep days of christmas says, deep dive into the political year. that was 2022. now, political commentator anna mcgovern joins us in the studio . anna, thank us in the studio. anna, thank you so much for being with us. i suppose, first of all, what's the big takeaway from this year? there's always been too much to sort of compete. yes, absolutely. and i think so much has happened this year and i think many people are recording this one of the worst this year is one of the worst years yet. we had the everything

happening with ukraine, for example, apartheid . we're example, with apartheid. we're coming the corrode of coming out of the corrode of our. so those terrible few years where we're all locked down in our homes. and this migrant crisis as well, that's ongoing. i think many people are feeling very disheartened with the government because we're seeing scandal after scandal, mistake after mistake . and that's after mistake. and that's leading a lot of people to lose a lot of faith . and i think this a lot of faith. and i think this will have a really big impact what we see in the next general election. and we often say that rishi sunak has a very full in—tray. what would you say is the biggest challenges facing him next year? i think absolutely. the migrant that i think that would be something that the next that will dominate the next election could be the difference between if the conservative just get back a government not. get back a government or not. i think government, think with the government, they've offered empty they've offered many empty platitudes in terms of the migrant crisis, you you know, we've had 13,000 albania and immigrants coming this country this year alone and people who are saying it's not an invasion,

it absolutely is. and i think there's been so many of these empty platitudes that have been offered. and lot of these sort offered. and a lot of these sort offered. and a lot of these sort of half hearted policies that i'd suggested when actually people are looking for some action to actually come into play. do you think migration will be biggest issue at a time when people are facing record energy bills , when pay packets energy bills, when pay packets are going down, when people are losing their jobs, when the coal lily is where it is and the tax burden is where it is. you think migration will be bigger? i think that will also be a big part of it as well. you know, many people have been really struggling with the terms the struggling with the terms of the cost living crisis, lot cost of living crisis, a lot of things getting expensive. things getting more expensive. and of these and i think many of these problems starting to add up problems are starting to add up and again, is a reason why people are losing faith the people are losing faith in the government. of the government. but in terms of the migration you know, migration crisis, you know, we've at high scale of we've record at high scale of number of people coming into this it's putting this country. it's putting pressure on services and pressure on these services and then increasing that tax burden as well, which we pay for. and it means that a lot of people

that, you know, the services that, you know, the services that they want to access that is getting a lot harder to. do you think sunak has think rishi sunak actually has the political power to do anything about it? because you say he's coming with say that he's coming up with empty he seem empty platitudes. he does seem to putting together some sort to be putting together some sort of coherent the question of coherent plan. the question is whether he's actually able to implement it, because it feels at the moment that the conservative is just conservative party is just so fractured . you've got trust fractured. you've got the trust sites, you've the boris sites, you've got the boris sites, you've got the boris sites, got markets. are sites, you've got markets. are there any malaise . that's can he there any malaise. that's can he can you can he do anything about it even if he wants to? we've had three. what is it, free prime ministers. i think this year alone and you know, each prime minister bringing their own different set of policies, i do think he has the political power to do it and i do think he has the strength to lead this country forward. i think the conservatives and many people have lost faith because they'll say but then they say one thing, but then they actually know implemented actually have know implemented it. said would. the it. as they said would. the migration , for example, migration crisis, for example, i think that's one the biggest think that's one of the biggest issues. know, people voted issues. you know, people voted

for for the government's for brexit, for the government's take control our borders and take control of our borders and simply haven't. and it's the problem is getting worse and worse . so i think rishi seeing worse. so i think rishi seeing that would actually need to really on policies they really act on the policies they promised would. so back the promised they would. so back the trust of the voters. but i don't think that's going to happen. do we hear make a pretty we need to hear make a pretty important between important distinction between illegal and legal illegal migration and legal migration because of course after we left the european union have a points based system where people, they can speak the people, if they can speak the language provide skill and language and provide a skill and we there are some skills we know there are some skills gapsin we know there are some skills gaps in uk, in the health gaps in the uk, in the health service, the service sector service, in the service sector in there in other areas. is there a distinction we need make distinction we need to make between who illegally between those who illegally entering between those who illegally enteri who come and make it those who come and make it through the points based system and play by the rules? yes, absolutely. if you absolutely. and i think if you play absolutely. and i think if you play the rules and come play by the rules and you come here, should come to this here, you should come to this country. majority country. however, the majority people here illegally. people coming here illegally. the majority. well, in terms if they take take using the service , says jude, as soon as they come into the country across the border , they'll get 1/10 of the

border, they'll get 1/10 of the number that come legally are coming illegally and. when they come in illegally, they'll take the services they get the five star hotels they get had a blanket pizza . many people, blanket pizza. many people, i think, who then come here legally to this country, they think they have to go for all these processes when some people are just coming in straight away and get a handwritten one to pay- and get a handwritten one to pay. and i think that's right. but there's a question mark, too, isn't there, tom? and everyone really over the points based system actually working as it should , because you've got it should, because you've got obviously students are allowed in on the points space mean that might seem sensible but then you've them not you've got some of them not doing very degrees to the country. got some of them country. you've got some of them bringing in three or four family members person. there a members per person. is there a problem subsequent same problem subsequent at the same time immigration time as the illegal immigration problem with legal migration? i'm that the legal i'm not sure that the legal migration issue salient as migration issue is as salient as the illegal one. if we talk about these conversations but we don't have many political interviews, you see , politicians interviews, you see, politicians always point to the boats as a problem. i think puts bags

problem. i think that puts bags full talking about the full of people talking about the people illegally. people coming in illegally. because at that because if we look at that number, the 500,000 net migration, migration saw migration, legal migration saw this year, 190,000 ukrainian, 120,000 with hong kong, a number from afghanistan. these are the people that we invite do over on these programmes, around 100,000 with students. the number of economic came were economic migrants that came were hundred and 50,000. a tiny fraction of the 500,000 number that led the headlines from that tiny fraction is quite small as a fraction . i think some people a fraction. i think some people will feel there are two subsequent problems running alongside each other here and the point space migrants migration system can work, but it might need a little bit of finessing perhaps. and i suppose that's things with that's one of the things with the you can always the points based, you can always change as your needs develop change it as your needs develop and clearly there are some areas where have skills where we have real skills shortages the labour force. shortages in the labour force. some left and say some people have left and say that yeah. it's that again. yeah yeah. well it's a fascinating issue . no doubt a fascinating issue. no doubt there'll be much more to say on it. but for now , thank you, anna

it. but for now, thank you, anna mcgovern, for coming in and talking through that. so let's delve in further now. peter spenceh delve in further now. peter spencer, the political commentator , joins us the commentator, joins us down the line . peter i suppose let's line. peter i suppose let's start off by with migration. i do . to come to some other issues do. to come to some other issues as well. but this is a really tncky as well. but this is a really tricky thicket for the government . it is, but also, i'm government. it is, but also, i'm actually rather with you. i think that you, tom, i think that the whole thing is slightly overblown. you talk about 40,000 people or something coming over. we're a population of 56 million. i think we can more less accommodate that. of course . there are huge pinch points in certain areas . pressures on the certain areas. pressures on the health service and pressures on the education and so on. but in the education and so on. but in the grand scheme of things , i the grand scheme of things, i think that this thing is to some extent rather fuelled by right wing media. and there's got altogether out of proportion. i compare and contrast with the where we have one in ten people

are actually on an nhs waiting list. now is a crisis. that's where you find it. and of course the other crisis that we actually haven't been talking about that much over christmas, but it's still burning away is inflation and of course, analysts are predicting that inflation to go down inflation will start to go down next but will be next year. but will it be enough? will soon enough enough? will it be soon enough enough? will it be soon enough enough ? that's a very difficult enough? that's a very difficult question i mean, i have to say that that the official figures suggest that we're heading a rather worse economic situation than anticipated, which suggests that getting inflation down take a little bit longer . that getting inflation down take a little bit longer. and of course, here we'd talk about rishi sunak's inbox. here is a huge problem . he's got something huge problem. he's got something approaching a million people in various walks of life, either going on strike or threatening to go on strike. and he's trying to go on strike. and he's trying to hold the line and make the point. look if we if we allow wages to go up in line with inflation , then that will inflation, then that will actually make inflation worse,

which will hit the poorest . so which will hit the poorest. so the plenty of people on the right at the tory party are game on. say this is your thatcher moment, you go for it. but at the same time there are very , the same time there are very, very real concerns, particularly over the health service and consider the backdrop to all this . a little while back, the this. a little while back, the government asked the king's fund , a think tank , to have a good, , a think tank, to have a good, thorough guide and look at the nhs. and they came back and talk about red faces in whitehall. they said, look, the nhs is tough. with a decade of neglect upshot not staff, not enough equipment , upshot not staff, not enough equipment, not enough up to date buildings and. so you find that nurses have only suddenly decided, look with this we will not put on strike. and there's an awful lot of public sympathy for them . yes. and when we. for them. yes. and when we. yeah, there certainly is . i've yeah, there certainly is. i've read that king's fund report because it was really

interesting . it pointed to a lot interesting. it pointed to a lot of failures in terms of the management, but it also pointed to a 40% funding increase from 2010 compared to 2022 in 2010, 11, the funding was 130.2 billion a year. in 2020 to 23, it's . a 180.2 billion a year. it's. a 180.2 billion a year. that's a 40% increase in the amount of money going in. that's more than the population's gone up by. that's more that's inflation adjusted , i should inflation adjusted, i should say. we're putting more money to the health service than we've ever put in before. and yet the outcomes seem like they've never seemed worse . yeah, we're seemed worse. yeah, we're putting more, but not enough are living longer as they get towards the end of their life, they become more frail. they need more health care and so. so what do you do? do you say let's make cuts? smoking compulsory so people won't use long have it that way. of course it won't have. there's pressures on the

health service, but i mean there's another aspect to all this, which is you mentioned how the nhs is run and indeed how nurses paid they get actually, although their wages have fallen way behind over the years, the fact is they get very generous pensions . there is an argument pensions. there is an argument that says why don't you change this round a little bit so that the pensions aren't quite so generous, but they've got more money in their pocket right now, which is jolly handy . go pay which is jolly handy. go to pay the bill yeah that's the lucky bill next. yeah that's a really interesting. i think one of the other things that was picked the was picked up was the was the capital investment budget. to get technical since 2014, george osborne started reading so osborne started reading that so that weren't buying new mri that they weren't buying new mri scanners they're buying all scanners and they're buying all the tech might actually the new tech that might actually make better . and make the thing run better. and instead they were going for more places, which might look good on the manifesto . but actually, in the manifesto. but actually, in terms of nurses only as good as the equipment that they can or maybe nurse could be so much maybe a nurse could be so much

more if they had the more efficient if they had the new tech and nhs had much new tech and the nhs had much new tech and the nhs had much new tech. haven't buying new tech. we haven't been buying any stuff precisely. at any of this stuff precisely. at another point that it is worth looking at is actually how the nhs structured. there are arguments , it is said for a kind arguments, it is said for a kind of a much more, much less top down system of management, far fewer targets, far more sort of devolved management so that people can actually that that managers can make local decisions rather than having to comply rules which are placed upon them from above . there's i upon them from above. there's i mean the interesting about all this is that we've had rishi sunak having his brilliant idea to sort out immigration . well, to sort out immigration. well, then there are a few people and within either commentators or within either commentators or within the tory party who say you want a great idea, your great idea should be saying we're going to have a we are looking look at the nhs. oh and in the process of course you can

adjust the way nurses and paramedics are paid and thus buy off that probably same time. so if you could pop out your crystal ball and i know that this is probably a fool's errand , it comes to predicting. i mean, the last 12 months was so unpredictable, the 12 will probably be just unpredictable. where the conservative party in the polls in 12 months time has rishi sunak been able to claw back some some some credibility in some respect, quite frankly , in some respect, quite frankly, from the british people ? i think from the british people? i think he has i mean , always outstrips he has i mean, always outstrips in terms of polling is part 80 and he's he is i mean he is he's has got there's no question about it. he's got down this dividend. i mean, in actual fact, morale in number ten has picked up rather because and say, hey, we've got a prime minister who doesn't just have a glance at what's in the in the red boxes, come up with a wacky wheeze at breakfast time and

then sort arguing against it by lunchtime. in other words, boris johnson, followed by liz truss, who's too busy inventing her own reality to bother about worrying about anyone else's reality , about anyone else's reality, mean keir starmer the labour leader. his take was trying to tie boris johnson down is like trying to nail custard to a war. trying to find it, just trying to tie liz truss down is like trying to shoot a fish in a barrel. well, that's his take but at the same time it's also has to be said to some extent that the take of in downing people are trying to run the show against that what we have i mean i wrote a headline little while ago saying you know is ungovernable question mark because what we've seen is the breakdown in the commons within the conservative party. i mean, we have outside say, oh my goodness gracious me, what's going to happen next? perma crisis but we any spectators , crisis but we any spectators, these guys have lived through it

and they've come out the other side collectively bottom think so it's a little bit bonkers. i mean the normal rule of thumb is that if there's something with which tory backbencher disagrees is he has a good grumble about it, then toes the line . but it, then toes the line. but what's been happening since sunak's taken over this has been rebellion after rebellion and at some point he's had to decide this which which faction am i going to appease here when he ever since covid is felt like this government that has a notional majority of i think 70 now is actually a hung parliament. it doesn't feel like a big majority government is a big question going forward. is this a particular problem for the conservative party or is this how a parliament works in the age of social media and the age constituents pelting mps age of constituents pelting mps 7 age of constituents pelting mps ? mp is feeling much more independent from policy structures. a would structures. would a would a labour majority government have the think it's a the same issue? think it's a big, question going forward, big, big question going forward, but afraid we have run to but i'm afraid we have run to the end of that segment. but peter spencer, thank you so much

for really for joining us. really appreciate thoughts. forjoining us. really appreciate thoughts. let's appreciate your thoughts. let's you soon because you back very, very soon because it fascinate thing to talk it is a fascinate thing to talk through . let's just end through. but let's just end conversation now with danny. danny armstrong , he's still with danny armstrong, he's still with us. i'm ungovernable conservative party . well, yeah, conservative party. well, yeah, i mean, it sounds very good oh, if you'll excuse me. and you just gave me a name, danny russia, actually, because they can't . danny yeah , it's can't. danny yeah, it's fascinating. i talked peter there. i think i'll pick up on a couple of points. of course, i we have illegal migration . of we have illegal migration. of course, the conservative party needs to get hard and if they've got any chance of winning the next election, i think we should see an they should pick up heels dragging his on on that particular issue. but then we have legal migration . there is have legal migration. there is a big question about when do really need more illegal really need any more illegal migration. of course, we have spread lot of albanian men of spread a lot of albanian men of around about my age. we're fighting. if i can just get to the end of this little point before i let you in libya and saying want to come over and they want to be builders or want

to enter the construction trade or anything that. do we or anything like that. do we really more really need more manual labourers? is this labourers? well, i mean, is this usually working that get usually the working that get lumbered downsides lumbered with the downsides of migration, whether it be illegal or don't ghettos in or illegal don't the ghettos in the places where they live, they get undercut their jobs. we get undercut in their jobs. we do have a bit of a in do seem to have a bit of a in that industry in particular. lots people trying lots of people have been trying to extensions and to build extensions and whatever, to find whatever, then trying to find people the work. is people to do the work. it is getting much harder and i suppose the other which ties into of this you know, into all of this is, you know, can support these legal can we support these legal migration? and is migration? and that is a question about and we sort question about tax. and we sort of around a bit of scratched around it a bit there with spencer, who there with peter spencer, who thinks be investing thinks we should be investing more nhs. know we've more in the nhs. we know we've got this argument on excellent argument in the conservative party the way to out party is the way to get out of our economic our current economic crisis just to people more, to invest to tax people more, to invest more in the nhs, to allow more migrants or do have to have migrants or do we have to have a low policy where where we're low policy where we where we're sort of building our to sort of building our way to growth that way? which way do you where are you seeing you think? where are you seeing that's new year? that's to go in the new year? because he's given us pretty mixed messages. i would you mixed messages. i would say. you would mean, i we buried my

would say i mean, i we buried my dear grandad this month. dear old grandad this month. so it means i've spent the last few months in and out of nhs hospitals. an nhs hospitals. my mother is an nhs employee . she works around the employee. she works around the corner from hospital. i was corner from the hospital. i was born the birthplace the born in the birthplace of the nhs in manchester. nhs trust general in manchester. she works in the path lab . she she works in the path lab. she is kind of one of many people who feel that this council that the country see the nhs as simply nurses and nurses have a big, big voice and i think they join the strikes particularly they trade very heavily on the fact that people think that the nurses they're people nurses and they're saving people left, and centre. left, right and centre. i wouldn't just purely based wouldn't think just purely based on experience being in on my experience of being in allegations as hospitals as they say over the last few months throwing money at the problem say over the last few months throvsomething at the problem say over the last few months throv something that he problem say over the last few months throvsomething that is problem say over the last few months throv something that is to oblem say over the last few months throv something that is to solve isn't something that is to solve it. there are often people work in these jobs it nurses or porters, whatever you we're talking about low skilled manual labouh talking about low skilled manual labour, as it were , just a step labour, as it were, just a step up from manual labour of them aren't up to it. some of them don't speak the language, some of them have real problems with communication. not to get it, but people throw words at

but people will throw words at buzz xenophobic or buzz words like xenophobic or something something buzz words like xenophobic or somiyourg something buzz words like xenophobic or somiyou can't something buzz words like xenophobic or somiyou can't get something buzz words like xenophobic or somiyou can't get outromething buzz words like xenophobic or somiyou can't get out of|ething buzz words like xenophobic or somiyou can't get out of and ng buzz words like xenophobic or somiyou can't get out of and to that you can't get out of and to kind of disappear that problem away from my money, don't see away from my money, i don't see away from my money, i don't see a way out of it. it's just throwing money at the nhs, pumping that we don't have pumping money that we don't have into nhs to solve a problem into the nhs to solve a problem that isn't going to be solved that isn't going to be solved that way . yeah, very that way. yeah, very interesting. thanks very much. danny now onto further afield, getting outside of westminster and the war in ukraine is rumbling on russian president vladimir putin has said he is ready to engage in peace talks , ready to engage in peace talks, but he's still ordering more attacks on the country. more of that after the .

break well, welcome back. is just 1125. you're watching gb news

here with me? tom harwood and olivia utley. we're in today for bev turner. russian president vladimir putin claimed that russia is ready for peace talks to end the war in ukraine, a state television interview on sunday, he said it's not us who refuse talks , it's them. well refuse talks, it's them. well yesterday, ukraine's foreign minister announced that his government aims to have a peace summit by the end of february . summit by the end of february. the un, with the secretary—general and with the un secretary—general as a possible mediator. so could really be on the horizon . well, really be on the horizon. well, let's bring in political commentator reem ibrahim . of all commentator reem ibrahim. of all reem , i'd i can't take anything reem, i'd i can't take anything that vladimir putin or sergei lavrov or anyone in that crony administration say, i can't take anything that they say seriously , completely agree. i think we cannot take anything that they say as truth and war as fact, because think that a lot of the things that they say all sort of walked into the sort of

propaganda that the russian government seem to be putting out and idea that, out there. and this idea that, you they're the ones that you know, they're the ones that are of trying mediate are sort of trying to mediate peace ukrainians are peace and the ukrainians are refusing just just refusing it. it's just it's just completely i think completely not true. and i think that what we're thinking about at the is a sort of the fact that the russians, all the aggressive they they aggressive that they want they want these peace talks want to have these peace talks in for to be able to in order for them to be able to secure territories that secure the territories that they've been able take. they they've been able to take. they want recognition want this sort of recognition for that for. the annexation of the crimea in 2014. they want to be that be able sort of have that recognition and just recognition of ukraine and just will not give it to them. and i think that's right. we not think that's right. we do not appear aggressive there appear as aggressive and there are now in the uk are people now in the uk worrying that is pushing worrying that britain is pushing too this war and too much money into this war and we've even heard reports that rishi sunak is getting a bit concerned, play a bit concerned, wants to play a bit more cautiously 2023. he more cautiously into 2023. he wants goldman sachs style wants a goldman sachs style dashboard quote , to dashboard was the, quote, to monitor money is being monitor how this money is being spent. clear, number spent. let's make clear, number ten did deny that. and then are those say the only to those who say that the only to beat this, as you say, is to sort of not not not cave in to the aggressors , to be as

the aggressors, to be as magnanimous and generous as possible. what do you that that line is going to be drawn? where do you think things are going to settle as we head into the new year? well, look, i'm sort of somebody that is pretty cautious about money is spent about how our tax money is spent on boards. i think on on all boards. and i think that government wastes that the government wastes across and across the across the board and across the country when it comes to our pubuc is country when it comes to our public is huge. but public services is huge. but this an area i don't this is an area where i don't think that we should be, you know, scrimping money. know, scrimping on money. i think when we're think that actually when we're thinking effect thinking about the effect of these russia an these have russia is an aggressor. and i think when we look back to i that look back to so i know that people don't like to compare it but we can say this is 1939. this behind, you know, this idea behind, you know, this is our not our problem. is not our war, not our problem. we shouldn't be spending our taxpayer to support the taxpayer money in to support the ukrainians. know, if ukrainians. well, you know, if we thing in 1939, we said the same thing in 1939, you this be very, very you know, this be very, very different situation we're different situation that we're thinking so thinking about across europe. so what think that, we what do i think that, yes, we should careful where should be careful about where our taxpayer money is spent and i think we should be i think we should always be cautious but this is cautious about it. but this is not area we should be not an area where we should be trying save. suppose trying to save. i suppose we really did follow that

really did sort follow that pathway in when crimea was pathway in 2014 when crimea was annexed vladimir putin. we annexed by vladimir putin. we said, okay, well we're very angry, but no further. i think we vote in some some sanctions that now by comparison, they really seem like we did anything at all. and of course, few at all. and of course, a few years later, came back for years later, he came back for more. is this what these more. this is this is what these guys he's in the sense that guys do. he's in the sense that president set that president xi already set that precedent you the precedent that, you know, the west anything west won't do anything to support or indeed support the ukrainians or indeed support the ukrainians or indeed support that is by support any country that is by another sovereign nation. i think it's awful. i think what we do is put our foot we need to do is put our foot down of this western down as part of this western sort of force good or force sort of force for good or force for democracy. essentially, we've allowed an aggressor to invade us, a sovereign . and invade us, a sovereign. and we've well, you know , it we've said, well, you know, it doesn't and of course , doesn't matter. and of course, you you've been living in russia . you know what the situation is like on the ground. do you think the as a whole is doing the west as a whole is doing enough. i mean, britain has been a leader in this from the very beginning. but how about european neighbours? we've been pulling properly . pulling their weight properly. european you mean pulling european would you mean pulling their weight? pulling their weight back

weight in the fight back against. i terms of money in terms of monetary funding been funnelling money into ukraine and i think germany only sent helmets when we were sending three months ago. so since then they've come a huge amount of scrutiny. i mean , the french, scrutiny. i mean, the french, the french is only sent a fraction of the amount cash that the british would. i mean , the british would. i mean, there's the argument that if you start funding ukraine, then it would cease to exist, whereas if you stop funding or if russia don't stop its aggression, then there would be no war. i was in there would be no war. i was in the russian foreign ministry this january and asked sergei lavrov . i said i said everything lavrov. i said i said everything that this was anthony blinken's words i put to him. i said everything that vladimir putin is doing over the past couple of years has gone against everything that been everything that he's been working for , for that and working for, for that time. and of course, and better ties of course, peace and better ties with the west and you sort of laughed it as a great anglo—saxon way with words. anglo—saxons is , what they call

anglo—saxons is, what they call people who are from the west or white people from the west, basically it out basically. but it turned out that it was true and then later they invaded ukraine. and that led to me resigning from state propaganda machine because i see because i was stood on red square just for olaf scholz came into into the kremlin in on red square and around about half an hour before he got there, russia withdrew troops from the border as a great theatrical sort of show . they were working towards show. they were working towards peace and it's not what they were doing. nine days later, they invaded. i think i think now, as we said, we can't take what they say at face value because there are things this that there the that are there to. sweep the carpet from you. what made carpet from under you. what made that that's that decision for you that's a big step to resign from your employer. resign from the states, in the states, propagate in the machine. you'll be you're living in russia at the time. machine. you'll be you're living in russia at the time . that's in russia at the time. that's a big decision . it wasn't as big big decision. it wasn't as big as decision as you think. i mean, i got into the industry i went over to russia to show that

russia was this this nuanced post—soviet space, that there's a lot of good things about russia. and when i was reporting on the celebrations of new year's, it's just been an talking you about red talking to you about on red square people drink a lot square where people drink a lot of sort of is of vodka and that sort of is everybody's birthday and every celebratory day that you can imagine rolled into one reporting on that stuff's great reporting on that stuff's great reporting on that stuff's great reporting on rocket launches is great reporting some of the great reporting some of the great stuff that russia is doing is but russia makes is fantastic. but russia makes a that shows that it is actually not nuanced and that's something is actually very categorically bad . then i didn't think that my bad. then i didn't think that my position was tenable and i left that. i mean, i if we're talking about negotiations, i completely agree that russia has been playing this game with you, saying we need to sit down at the table , did in minsk a couple the table, did in minsk a couple of months after the invasion. and they said, well, the ukrainian isn't ukrainian side just isn't sitting down to the negotiating table . there is going to be a table. there is going to be a big, big over l.a. table. there is going to be a big, big over la. and that the next people's republic is in the

hands of people. see hands of people. i can't see those being given by russia without a fight. crimea i think ukraine to forget that. ukraine needs to forget that. but territorial but of course, the territorial integrity of ukraine be integrity of ukraine can't be compromised . that's the compromised. that's the ukrainian view. and of ukrainian side's view. and of course, they've been there will be in pushing it be any recently in pushing it doesn't seem like peace talks will come at the moment at which ukraine advancing , because if ukraine is advancing, because if they happen they'd be they were happen today they'd be negotiating weaker negotiating from a weaker position happening negotiating from a weaker potwo n happening negotiating from a weaker potwo months happening negotiating from a weaker potwo months when happening negotiating from a weaker potwo months when they ening negotiating from a weaker potwo months when they might in two months when they might have land. it have won back more land. it seems russia would ask for seems like russia would ask for peace when that sort trying to hold onto what they have, if they risk losing it, it's a it's a tricky position for everyone, no doubt. but i suppose we'll have to see what the all the new year for the war. it's year brings for the war. it's a it's a fast moving situation. but but raymond, danny, thank you your thoughts this on you for your thoughts this on this that actually really this issue that actually really does affect us here in uk as well as stability and peace across europe and leading into that very neatly, we've market strategist mike ingram here with us too. and of course , long as us too. and of course, long as this war goes on, energy bills

are going to stay extremely high, according latest data we the highest price of consumption, the world. how we see that developing in 2023, is the situation going to get any better better ? well, olivier, better better? well, olivier, it's certainly not going to get better any time soon. mean the situation we're in at the moment is even if gas flows for instance from russia stay at their current level, they're still next to be some something like 50 to 60% on where they were during 2022 as a whole . and were during 2022 as a whole. and if you look at oil , we know that if you look at oil, we know that opec's is unhappy with oil pnces opec's is unhappy with oil prices at the moment. opec's is unhappy with oil prices at the moment . there was prices at the moment. there was a speculation they would be actually going to further cut production. and earlier this month that didn't happen. but it's very much on the table now for early next year. and then, of course , got the an ongoing of course, got the an ongoing more structurally issues in the uk of a lack of gas storage and just just very, very poor

decision making over decades in terms of energy policy. so you know, ultimately one of the things that might cushion short term is the level of government support or shall i say, a publicly funded to uk households. but of course, ultimately that all has to be paid for in terms of taxation . paid for in terms of taxation. now, a lot of people might be asking, is it that energy seems more expensive or at least perhaps heating a home seems more expensive in the united kingdom than it does in continental ? and it's not continental? and it's not because there's less government intervention here. in fact, in ways there's more government intervention into price stability mechanism more what is it about sort of the raw nature of things that makes stuff more expensive here than the continent ? well, yeah. well we continent? well, yeah. well we spoke to much governance in many ways. so as i mentioned before, we are suffering from decades of

awful policy , poor decision awful policy, poor decision making. so, for instance we've always known that nuclear should be part of the energy mix within the uk and yet we haven't built a nuclear power station in the uk since 1995. we use a lot of gas we let two thirds of our gas storage closed down in 2017 because the government basically couldn't be bothered to spend a few tens of millions of pounds, which is peanuts now within the context of the conversation, we now think of energy bills just to maintain facility. we've got a wholesale energy market which is allowed over 30 energy companies to go bust over the last 18 months. so, you know, you have to see that it takes a certain you know talented talented level of idiocy to end up in this situation those i was involved in the in the privatisation of the energy markets in central europe in the mid nineties and it was apparent

me even then that some of these which were doing this for the first time had better designed policies than we have been and it hasn't got any worse and things like , you know, net zero things like, you know, net zero of just, just made the problem worse still . well thank you worse still. well thank you very, very much making room. it's really great to get the expert opinion on this complicated master certainly so many different elements to it as well. that's what's really, really fascinating. but we will be discussing more of this no doubtin be discussing more of this no doubt in the weeks and months ahead his doubt in the weeks and months ahead it is going away as ahead as it is not going away as an issue . but for now, with the an issue. but for now, with the end of the year fast approaching, everyone is beginning to. think about what the year 2023 could them. the year 2023 could bring them. and got world famous and we've got world famous astrologer marjorie all giving her predictions for the year ahead. her predictions for the year ahead . go that's ahead. don't go away. that's after the .

break welcome back. happy christmas. it's just 1140 on the day after boxing day. you're with tom harwood and olivia utley here on gb news in for bev turner. now new year's eve is , nearly upon new year's eve is, nearly upon over upon us and many of us attending our minds the year ahead, wondering what 2023 has in store. yeah, the last two years have been eventful from covid a war in europe. and of course the death of our queen. but will the year ahead bring more doom and gloom , or could it more doom and gloom, or could it be a good one? finally for russell ? well, we've got a tough russell? well, we've got a tough astrology , marjorie, all here astrology, marjorie, all here right now , to give us right now, to give us predictions for how for the year ahead.so predictions for how for the year ahead. so marjorie, what's in store for us ? well, what do you store for us? well, what do you want me to tell you is going to come down and everyone's going to be happy and it's and roses and it isn't. i'm afraid so. there are things coming up but

we are in quite a long period planetary shift and it's a bit like tectonic plates moving and you have to stay adaptable. i think this is the year for changing your blessings, being resilient and looking to see what's good now. the good things are that jupiter is in it is for the first five months, which is upbeat, adventurous very much a kind of go to energy. so that will keep everybody afloat somebody who knows sport than me might me because the uk is for in some very good news a about february and march and that usually a sporting victory and it's amazing how in the middle of the world falling about your ears if people win or something or teams do then everything feels better. jupiter then moves into taurus to may for the rest

of the year, which is indulgent. so there will be a little bit of extra to allow people to enjoy themselves , but there's always themselves, but there's always a huge , huge but pluto is moving huge, huge but pluto is moving into aquarius in late march, pluto hasn't moved for 16 years. think back to 2008 again. it moved into capricorn . one sign moved into capricorn. one sign of money, the financial markets and governments and the great crunch happened because you moves into aquarius hasn't been there for 250 years which is a better energy because inventive it's high tech and it's military expression. it is my detached i thought we no longer considered you to be a planet. it still came in astrology because pluto is not considered to be a planetary. but it still counts

in astrology. oh, yes. you don't listen to astronomers. they don't like astrology you. they make as a joke. don't like astrology you. they make as a joke . we've still got make as a joke. we've still got it's still around it is having an effect. believe you me, pluto going into aquarius can be quite enlightening and it might help calm down of the mush that's been around there's been a lot of , as you been around there's been a lot of, as you well been around there's been a lot of , as you well know, been around there's been a lot of, as you well know, irrational belief which there is no way that rational argument can shift. people dig in. pluto moves into aquarius , says, moves into aquarius, says, nonsense, you've to look at this from a more sensible standpoint . so it will be useful for that . america broke away from the uk, from england the last time was iniquity is so it is part of a great shift in history is it were there was a french revolution which came 20 years later and if you remember back your history to that period it was a time of affirming of

ideas. and i was very in what you were seeing about the tory party and government and whether or not, we're actually about to move into a different of government, which is very pure to iniquities and not have the old to party dingdong kind of system. so there are some really interesting things coming up, but it require resilience , but it require resilience, resourcefulness and strength in your spine . well, moving on from your spine. well, moving on from store for the world, i'd like to say what's in store for me. i've said i've heard that you can predict my future . well, you predict my future. well, you sign you. i october libra libra . libra. yeah, definitely sign my ascendant sign this libra libra as well jupiter and it is getting on very well which relationships which is not only close partnerships but also out in the world until may and then

more money coming in. me to early next year. more money coming in. me to early next year . lots more money coming in. me to early next year. lots more money and positive changes . this and positive changes. this sounds fantastic. thank you very much . word that a future for much. word that a future for will work. you're not going to avoid that painting now. i'm a virgo. i'm at the end of august, so that's what what does that mean for me ? well, i'm virgo . so mean for me? well, i'm virgo. so we're nicer to virgo we are neck picky . it would have to be picky. it would have to be uncritical , but good at staying uncritical, but good at staying . no where we are with virgo is moving in to a period of more success. jupiter in taurus from may onwards , you're going to be may onwards, you're going to be talking more, communicating on more , even more, even more . year more, even more, even more. year after, even more successful. so if . oh, wonderful, you'll more

if. oh, wonderful, you'll more serious the. one thing i didn't see early on certain moves into pisces in march for the rest of the year and that affect virgos and particularly saturn is the planet of pragmatism . get your planet of pragmatism. get your feet on the floor . look to see feet on the floor. look to see how things are sorting themselves out and. be resolute about making it happen . one of about making it happen. one of the things i didn't in and just to get this thing you didn't mention earlier you did mention earlier that a don't particularly like the work of astrologers perhaps perhaps it's because the words are too similar and people get confused, but what is what is the sort of thinking behind why you believe the position of various celestial bodies actually affects things , the lives of affects things, the lives of human beings on planet earth? so what's the thought process that. well i grew up in a very scientific, academic family ,

scientific, academic family, would have thought it was absolute tosh until someone read my chart and i thought, oh, and it knew about the past. it wasn't so much. i wasn't that interested in what was coming up. so i thought, this is worth learning. and i was a journalist those days and journalists , you those days and journalists, you well know, pick up things very fast and usually drop them just as fast. but stuck because it actually made sense. there is no explanation for it and it's difficult to learn an area where you've got no rational beliefs to fall back on. i always say and hate to be sexist, it's easier for women because i don't understand computers and understand computers and understand electric city or telephones. but i know how to use them and i've always approached astrology the same way . it has its limitations. it way. it has its limitations. it won't make your decisions for you , but the fact that it gives you, but the fact that it gives the broad context of whatsapp training is absolutely fascinating. and i could bore

you rigid with my idea of why i think might work but nobody actually knows why it works so but and the trouble is scientists and astronomers have sort of a form in minds and they don't they can't think it because they ruin the reputation . if they do so, they just believing what we've been taught and we're parted company from astrology, of which was galileo. and after because galileo all of the early astronomers were astrologers as the early doctors. and then then we realised that the goes around the sun rather than vice versa . the sun rather than vice versa. i mean, until the point at which we realised that the earth went around the sun rather than vice versa. and there were lots of different debates and discussions . it doesn't, it discussions. it doesn't, it doesn't make any difference in astrology, i think is too complicated to explain how the

astrology actually . but if i astrology actually. but if i really irritate the physicist , i really irritate the physicist, i do think it possibly fits into david bowen's the physicist theory of the universe unfolding into the explicate universe. and you don't want to know what that, but i do think there will be an explanation and there's somewhere . well, i was feeling somewhere. well, i was feeling it like a bit of a sceptic, marjorie. but if i'm heading for lots money and lots of 20, 23, then i. you've got me converted. thank you. so much for that. a fascinating look year fascinating look to the year ahead. it's always it's always such a fun to do to. go such a fun thing to do to. go through this list. yeah, mostly. thank you. thank it's always so interesting. through that interesting. go through that sort of stuff because course sort of stuff because of course there's writing things there's ways of writing things sort affects to my sort of everyone affects to my favour anecdotes you favour anecdotes about, you know, wilson, the oh know, jacqueline wilson, the oh yeah. she ran magazine yeah. well she ran a magazine think who and there was think who jacqui and there was an she used to just make up the horror all the time we horror stories all the time we would writing oh really would writing saying oh really affected me and it's like you know it's a it's a fun game i think it's is well moving moving

on it's been a year of great highs and tragically for the windsor family of this morning we're looking back at a royal year instead of dwelling on the queen's passing. we remembering the high of the platinum jubilee in june nation came together to celebrate the 70 year 70 year reign of britain's longest serving queen elizabeth, the second herself appeared on the buckingham palace balcony in front of cheering crowds with her family. it was a british tradition on the global stage. now, olive oil . cameron walker now, olive oil. cameron walker looks back at that platinum jubilee weekend . a jubilant jubilee weekend. a jubilant weekend of pomp and pageantry . weekend of pomp and pageantry. the eyes of the world were on great britain as we celebrate its queen elizabeth ii's second 70 years of service . trooping 70 years of service. trooping the colour marks the official birthday of the late queen. over 1400 soldiers, 200 horses and 40

musicians came together for a magnificent display of military precision horsemanship and fanfare . the streets were packed fanfare. the streets were packed with crowds for us all to be together for all, be celebrating not just the queen but life. our lives are being again. was, i think, something very special. the queen appeared on the buckingham palace balcony twice that day. firstly with her cousin, the duke of kent, to watch parade, and secondly towards the aria fly—past with working members of the royal family and their children . family and their children. mobility problems meant her late majesty chose not to take salute at horse guards as on child's tickets on her behalf . that tickets on her behalf. that didn't stop the crowds erupting in applause when queen waved at them from the balcony . only the them from the balcony. only the roar of aircrafts jammed them out much to prince horror . queen out much to prince horror. queen elizabeth helped lights the principal jubilee beacon, heralding the starts of celebrations throughout her beloved commonwealth with the touch of her hand and

illuminated globe centre river of lights from windsor castle to buckingham palace , where prince buckingham palace, where prince william watched tree of trees, sculpture, bathe , lights, the sculpture, bathe, lights, the queen was absent from her service of thanksgiving at st paups service of thanksgiving at st paul's cathedral, where the duke duchess of sussex made their official appearance of the weekend . there were cheers from weekend. there were cheers from the crowds when harry and meghan arrived, accompanied by a smattering of boos . the queen smattering of boos. the queen also missed the derby ups and downs instead opting to view it on tv from windsor castle, where she was sent a souvenir race cards to follow the action . it cards to follow the action. it was understood the decision was taken for her comfort . there was taken for her comfort. there was no guarantee we actually would seen her. i know on the build up to it , it was seen her. i know on the build up to it, it was very much on the day . see how she was feeling. it day. see how she was feeling. it will be memories i'm sure, which will be memories i'm sure, which will last all our lifetimes. we've never seen anything like that. i'm sure ashley will never see anything like that again . see anything like that again. street parties and jubilee were the talk of many towns the uk, but the most memorable was the

platinum party at the palace a star studded event in front of spectators chosen in a lottery we were treated to a surprise appearance from her late majesty alongside paddington bear. thank you, ma'am, for everything paddington said at the end of the sketch. despite a little tantrum from a young prince, the crowds cheered for the pageant celebrating different decades of her majesty's reign . the weekend her majesty's reign. the weekend was rounded off . one final was rounded off. one final appearance on the balcony from queen elizabeth ii with her close family for generations and three future kings in a message of thanks, the queen said she remains committed to serving the nafion remains committed to serving the nation a promise kept for the rest of her life. cameron . gb rest of her life. cameron. gb news well, thanks to cameron for that. we've come to the end of the show again now. it's flown by. i'm just thinking back to that jubilee weekend . it felt that jubilee weekend. it felt like the country's of came together it was even sometimes

it feels like royal occasions are sort of a bit of a bit stuffy sort of maybe older generations get involved and social media the term juice for platinum jubilee was trending fatigue you may wool of i was in was in northern ireland for the occasion and you have thought that might be a might tension might rear their heads during platinum jubilee but it was lovely happy lovely everyone was happy and enjoying garden party and yeah i think it's something that the monarchy a that monarchy does in a way that almost no other sort of thing can do for a country because it is its nature, is not is by its nature, is not political. absolutely. and i think that king charles got his headin think that king charles got his head in the game looking for a good year ahead. reckon , and a good year ahead. i reckon, and a happy coronation that i'm very excited that. well, that's excited for that. well, that's it us. coming up next, it's it for us. coming up next, it's mark been tom mark longhurst. i've been tom harwood olivia utley and bev harwood, olivia utley and bev turner will be back in this seat tomorrow. looking ahead to today's weather and the uk is looking chilly for some. the rain cloud will spread eastwards this morning. let's take a look

at the details for you across southwest england, a band of rain and strong winds will spread eastwards this morning with some heavy spells of rain times, coastal gales and likely across northern cornwall and devon, a mostly dry for london and the southeast , though there and the southeast, though there may be an odd shower for the engush may be an odd shower for the english channel coast and becoming increasingly cloudy , a becoming increasingly cloudy, a band of rain will affect southern wales through this morning with some heavy bass at times strong winds too, with coastal gales possible . look coastal gales possible. look across the midlands this and it will be dry but cloudy in the east across the west, a band of rain with some heavy and strong winds will push a cold start across north—east england this morning. ahead of a band of cloud and rain. it's spreading in from the west . strong winds, in from the west. strong winds, too, especially high ground. try too, especially high ground. try to start across eastern parts of scotland , bands of rain, some of scotland, bands of rain, some of which will force snow. at first, the spread in from the west through this a band of rain will

away to the north—east of normal ireland. this morning though some showers will linger behind a windy morning, too, especially around coasts . that first, a around coasts. that first, a band of rain will continue to spread eastwards this afternoon at remaining windy and a risk of coastal gales and that is how the weather is shaping up the rest of the day .

noon on you're with gb news live mark longhurst and coming up for you today , the strike is over you today, the strike is over but we're still off the rails , but we're still off the rails, it seems. when will it get easier? just to get from a to b 7 easier? just to get from a to b ? top chef aldo zilli with us with all the leftovers with a mouthwatering treat in store for

us. this