hello everyone and welcome to the mark steyn show. i'm tonia buxton and once again it is my privilege to be mark's seat and i wanted to also restate my wishes to him , his family coming wishes to him, his family coming up tonight, we're taking a look at jamie oliver's call for sugar tax to be used to fund the extension of free school meals as a cook. this one really matters to me. but i'm bit sceptical when it comes to the government telling us how and what to . eat considering the what to. eat considering the disastrous track record weight expert steve miller joins me shortly . someone has been fined

shortly. someone has been fined for cat calling and we wanted we wanted to ask society has we have really come to sensitive can we really legislate and grapple with the complexities of courtship . the lonely doubting courtship. the lonely doubting will be here , weigh in and give will be here, weigh in and give her opinions as the taliban continue their relentless on women and those who chose choose to protest against the headscarf then there are a sentence when looking at women's rights in an international perspective with maya sea plus just it all of all you a chardonnay shiraz or sinister dairy drinker well so extreme pull is here for an indulgent finish as we sample some of the wonderful english wines and give you all take on the flourishing industry . all the flourishing industry. all that's coming up and much more, including a quick bucking of the box. and again , goodness me, you box. and again, goodness me, you won't want to miss it. but first, the latest headlines with tatiana sanchez sanchez . tanya,

tatiana sanchez sanchez. tanya, thank you very much . this is the thank you very much. this is the latest from the gb news. our top story within , the last hour story within, the last hour we've had brazilian football legend has died. widely considered to be one of the greatest footballers of all time. the three time world cup winner scored 757 goals in 831 games during a career spanning 20 years. the 82 year old had beenin 20 years. the 82 year old had been in a hospital in sao paolo since the end last month. he'd been undergoing treatment for colon cancer when his family broke the news on social media with daughter posting. we you infinitely. rest in peace . what infinitely. rest in peace. what the defence secretary says the uk's response to china opening up travel abroad is under. ben wallace says comments follow the government saying there were no to introduce mandatory covid

tests for arrivals from china . tests for arrivals from china. unlike several other countries , unlike several other countries, including the us and italy , including the us and italy, beijing has announced plans to reopen borders next week despite the country's ongoing covid surge. that sparked concern that the secretary also insisted uk borders are safe as military steps in to cover for border force officials. unions claim the country's borders are less secure as more than thousand immigration officers walk out in a dispute over pay. a source has told gb news the passport control operations are running very smoothly at all six airports. labour mp khalid mahmood has told us he would support a general strike but sport support the rights of the people to be able to stroke strike if they want to coordinate that. they totally at will to do that . and if you will to do that. and if you don't call that a general strike, yes. because the people who work want to have the right sort of pay and conditions and they should able to do that . a

they should able to do that. a third man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering 23 year old cody fisher boxing day. the non—league was stabbed to death in crane nightclub in birmingham, which faces closure. west police have said a 22 year old man has been detained in london. he's the third person to be arrested on suspicion of murder while. four others have been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. merseyside police have said a third person has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a 26 year old woman in wirral . elle edwards was in wirral. elle edwards was killed outside a pub on christmas eve. police say a 31 year old man from tranmere has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy . murder. a man and conspiracy. murder. a man and a woman who were previously arrested are being questioned by police . and the deadly storm police. and the deadly storm that's been sweeping across america, killing at least a 69 people, is now bringing wet and windy weather to the uk . the met

windy weather to the uk. the met office says the knock effect of america's bomb cyclone will see spells of unsettled weather over the next 7 to 10 days. forecasters issued an amber weather alert for heavy tomorrow for parts of scotland warning of flooding and travel disruption . flooding and travel disruption. tv, online and dab radio. this is gb news now is back to mark steyn with tanya . steyn with tanya. now, if you've just heard brazilian footballer pele has died this evening aged , 82. to died this evening aged, 82. to many he was the greatest to ever play many he was the greatest to ever play the sport and pele remains the only player to win three world cups doing so 1958, 62 and 70 to reach his passing. to react to his passing, rather, i'm joined now by the former

south hampton and england footballer magnates . hello you footballer magnates. hello you know, you're a football . how know, you're a football. how will the world be.7 how know, you're a football. how will the world be? how how will the football world be now? feeling now, matt. now, natasha is not around anymore . well, is not around anymore. well, pele was a very special player in the world of football. an incredible icon of the game . and incredible icon of the game. and as you mentioned, there , three as you mentioned, there, three world cup winner's medals. as you mentioned, there, three world cup winner's medals . one world cup winner's medals. one was retrospective , i think it was retrospective, i think it was retrospective, i think it was only in two thousand and seven that he got his medal for 1962 because he didn't play in the final. but two goals in the 58 final, another gold in the 70 final and without question, the greatest player of his generation. i think when you talk about the greatest player of it's very difficult of all time, it's very difficult to compare different to compare players of different generations. think with generations. but i think with him only have look at the him you only have to look at the other great players of the time to hear they said about pele, to know how special he was, the likes cruyff and beckenbauer likes of cruyff and beckenbauer talk about him as if he if he

lived on another planet. matt did you did you ever meet him ? i did you did you ever meet him? i did you did you ever meet him? i did get to meet him very briefly in stoke city's ground . a few in stoke city's ground. a few years ago, i played in the charity football match for gordon banks , and pele came gordon banks, and pele came across . obviously, it didn't across. obviously, it didn't play. he was getting on a little bit of stage, but he came across to support gordon and i got to meet him and shake with him for the game, which is a very special moment, you know, because as a kid growing up, i heard all the stories i was just a little bit too young to really see pele play in his prime. but you heard all the stories from parents and my older brothers who could remember him playing . who could remember him playing. and when you see the footage of what he was like on a football pitch for somebody who was, you know, only five foot eight. but you would never have guessed that from there, his aerial that from there, from his aerial ability. but was just everything in his game and will be sorely missed . so as an icon of sport, missed. so as an icon of sport, where does he stand for you?

amongst the greats like and ronaldo and maradona ? well, i ronaldo and maradona? well, i think everybody always consider pele in that conversation when they talk about the greatest all time. as i said earlier, i find it very difficult to compare players of different generations . i think we can unequivocally say he was the greatest player of his. and i think. say he was the greatest player of his. and i think . he will of his. and i think. he will always be spoken about when it comes to discussing players from from different because as you say as is world cup record of three wins very likely to stick around for some time before someone will equal that . and i someone will equal that. and i just feel like he was somebody who did so much good the world after his playing career as well. you know have a lot of ambassador stuff that he went on to do and really tried to make difference as a humanitarian, as well, which says a lot about and lovely letizia. thank you much . lovely letizia. thank you much.

so what do you think of when you think of the early pop idol and susanna? love actually , the iraq susanna? love actually, the iraq war for me personally . it's the war for me personally. it's the turkey twizzler snatcher. that was jamie oliver. disclaimer i like jamie and i don't doubt his good intentions. his 30 minute meals and other shows have got people cooking . they're useful. people cooking. they're useful. they help help people out , they help help people out, giving them tips and chips while letting them make their own decisions . letting them make their own decisions. but this week , the decisions. but this week, the nutritional salon is jamie may of 2005 has made a return. children should be fed by the state and it should be funded by the sugar tax, he solemnly declared . i used to quite like declared. i used to quite like the idea of a sugar tax. i was so worried about childhood obesity that i thought, wouldn't it be marvellous if the government taxed cakes , government taxed cakes, doughnuts, custard creams and monster munch ? and then we'd see monster munch? and then we'd see our children no longer with diabetes before they were even

out of their short trousers . but out of their short trousers. but it's prohibition . and we have it's prohibition. and we have learnt lessons about tropez prohibition . those who want to prohibition. those who want to indulge will still find a way. we want to be slim more . we want we want to be slim more. we want to win the lottery . and yet two to win the lottery. and yet two thirds of us really aren't. there's something these foods that makes them irresistible and, addictive. we want to them and, addictive. we want to them and we want to eat more of them. but why? a cook, a nutritionist. i know that nature keeps carbs fat largely separate. we have fats and proteins in meat, eggs and dairy. and we carbs in fruit, veg, grains , legumes. fruit, veg, grains, legumes. nuts are rare foods that have fat protein and carbohydrate in for good measure , but you know for good measure, but you know as well as i do, if over christmas you were standing near the bowl, could you stop eating them ? they're just irresistible. them? they're just irresistible. and moreish and you just can't stop consuming them. well, the food companies know this. they

that the bliss point of processed food is the perfect balance of fat and copper. copper hydrate. we are evolutionary wired to jump at the opportunity to eat such things as they are so rare in nature. so what did the big food people do? they made ice cream, biscuits, cakes , crisps and so biscuits, cakes, crisps and so on. all perfectly engineered irresistibly be addictive. so you stop eating them . so you'd you stop eating them. so you'd think that it would make sense to the producers of these things away from any form of nutritional advice. right we should . but you would not should. but you would not believe it if i told you that pubuc believe it if i told you that public health. now the somewhat sinisterly named uk security. health security agency appointed a panel of processed food industry reps to create the uk . industry reps to create the uk. eat well, guys a kind of nutritional know . in march 2016

nutritional know. in march 2016 the uk eat well . plate became the uk eat well. plate became the uk eat well. plate became the uk. uk eat well, guide . the the uk. uk eat well, guide. the reason was they had to rebrand it because it was pointed out on radio for no less, that someone had included a full fat coca—cola in the first one. can you imagine that ? 11 panel you imagine that? 11 panel members designed . these guides members designed. these guides and these panel members basically constitute the who's of what i call the fake food industry. they include from the british retail consortium, the food and drink federation, the association of convenience stores, the institute of grocery distribution and, the british nutrition foundation . don't nutrition foundation. don't listen to that title . it's not listen to that title. it's not what it says. seriously you couldn't make it up. it gets worse. this eat well. guide which the brilliant dr. zoe hakim has renamed the eat badly guide, is embedded in our school curriculum . one of the core curriculum. one of the core components of the guide is that

by age seven, children should be aware of all that they need in a balanced diet. they need to know that a diet is varied, to grow, to be active, and to maintain health, and that we need to eat more of foods and others more of some foods and others and of . depicted in the and less of. as depicted in the eat well pate . in other words, eat well pate. in other words, by age seven, children should be eating . they eat well. plate or eating. they eat well. plate or big processed food manufacturers are telling them to eat . and you are telling them to eat. and you furious yet because i am . so furious yet because i am. so again i like jamie oliver. i know he means well, but there's a bigger priority than free school meals and unfortunate attlee. these free school meals will likely have been designed by these people who don't have our children's best interests at heart, at and at home. our diet advice has been and we wonder why so many people look overweight , unwell, why so many people look overweight, unwell, eggs are better for us for breakfast than sugary cereals. but kellogg's waiter bakes. they won't tell us that. why they so little? what

do they do so little? well, it's simple. they don't want to offend big business life b.s. covid. i was a sugar tax supporter . ac covid. i was a sugar tax supporter. ac after covid i am not the government overreach so far and controlled us so completely in a way that was previously unimaginable . i just previously unimaginable. i just don't trust them . not just this don't trust them. not just this present government, but any government power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. they took absolute power and abused it and they are showing no signs of backing with their 15 minute cities and let them eat insect and more of that nonsense. need to remember that they work for us. we are not here to be told what to do . here to be told what to do. enoughis here to be told what to do. enough is enough . how are people enough is enough. how are people supposed to take control of their lives and nutrition if the advice itself is so corrupted . advice itself is so corrupted. so. free school meals may be the worst idea in the world. and

nothing is free. but far more important is to get the processed food bigwigs the hell away from our children and get pubuc away from our children and get public services the hell away from us while they're at it. let's get back to basics and teach children how to cook delicious and nutritious meals that will set them up for life. if you'd to know more about what's going on and how to eat well, i recommend you look at the work of dr. zoe hachem. i have much from her. i her now former fat family news presenter steve miller . hello, steve. what steve miller. hello, steve. what do you think of the glamour to by a gorgeous . am i allowed to by a gorgeous. am i allowed to say that in this day and age with all. well, you're allowed to say it to me, steve. i love heanng to say it to me, steve. i love hearing it, especially as i'm getting older. but what do you think of the sugar tax ? well, think of the sugar tax? well, listen, the first thing to say, i'm actually believe that, you know, we've got to look after

our kids. of course we have. and if it means giving them a meal a day, i haven't a problem with that. but i do have a problem with how it's being suggested. we do it which is through a sugar tax, because, frankly, the government, in my opinion, have wasted billions over last few years on, i don't know, tack and trace or whatever it's called . trace or whatever it's called. they wasted a lot of money and they could have funded it that way. a sugar tax penalise rises the poor. this is what people need to realise. you it's one of those tax. you know, if we start putting tax on all sugary foods. well, first of all, what sugary which ones are we going to tax? and secondly, of course , it's and secondly, of course, it's going to penalise the poorest people , the people from poorer people, the people from poorer communities still deserve a treat, but they got to pay more for it. so, no, i'm not a fan of sugar tax at all. what? i am a fan of big time it kind of bolts . this is parental role and parental responsibility because

frankly i know some people might not agree with me on this that lot of parents do great work to be role models to their kids. there are, frankly, lazy parents in this country who are not good role models . and i'm sorry, i've role models. and i'm sorry, i've got to take issue with all this blame in the food money, factual stuff. you know, all we seem to do in the uk is blame food manufacturers. blame the manufacturers. we blame the government, we blame teachers, we blame the schools . it starts we blame the schools. it starts at home. and if people are going to manage their weight, they have got to take personal responsibility. i completely agree with you. all this trap of airy fairy ness. agree with you. all this trap of airy fairy ness . i completely airy fairy ness. i completely agree with you. but the problem is, is that the guidance a lot people who just write, you've decided i'm take decided i'm to take responsibility life. i'm responsibility for my life. i'm to and see what the nhs and to go and see what the nhs and what the government advising and what the government advising and what advising not what they are advising is not good. so i think it needs to start , don't you, with the start, don't you, with the government actually getting their stories right and not being by that make being backed by these that make these for all? these choices for you at all? no, don't with you at

no, i don't agree with you at and afraid what you're doing and i'm afraid what you're doing is you're making it very complicated for people against all the advice you've got from the nhs. it's been wrong and the nhs. it's all been wrong and you know we've never had so much government health education and i've for them bit i've got to stand for them a bit here. a of it has been very, here. a lot of it has been very, very good. not than we need right now is start saying to right now is to start saying to parents, oh ignore all that advice you've had because it's all a load of rubbish. i don't agree you and actually, tanya, i've this vast i've got to say this the vast majority of people you go on the street, the vast majority people, they what they should eat to be slimmer. it's not rocket . what we've done rocket science. what we've done in this country is we've made it complex . we've made it complex. complex. we've made it complex. so as well as normal size and obesity, we've made all of this stuff about what to eat to be slim, really complicated when it's really simple. it's in here . that's where starts. . that's where it starts. i agree with you there. i agree with you on that. but i do think, though, there's a lot of misinformation. and i think maybe the line, maybe somewhere along the line, the to take maybe somewhere along the line, the responsibility to take maybe somewhere along the line, the responsibility , to take maybe somewhere along the line, the responsibility , because e maybe somewhere along the line, the responsibility , because if some responsibility, because if you of something

you get a packet of something and healthy all over it, and it says healthy all over it, but it's low fat and full of sugan but it's low fat and full of sugar, then i that that's misrepresentation . and i think misrepresentation. and i think it's very disingenuous that they're allowed out put these they're allowed out to put these stickers food, saying that they're healthy when they're actually not. so what do we do? what do we do? what we don't do is start making more complicated. what we do is put little very, very down earth, you know, maybe it's my background, my working class roots. i don't know. but you put a very down to earth labelling. not only you don't make it complicated, the complicated, because at the moment so complex. moment labelling is so complex. we need to just put no, we know just will make. it just what this will make. it really will make you really fat. this will make you too fat to keep trying to lose weight. i just rather than all of complicated of this complicated academic stuff , i of this complicated academic stuff, i agree. i did it in an ivory tower in north london . ivory tower in north london. listen, i completely agree you. but unfortunately, these people that selling these kind of processed foods just toxic for our children, full of bad fats and sugar. they to sell this. and so they are nudging people to buy them. and that's where

the problem happens. that's what parents where problem you're talking down to parents that most know that if they are serving a certain cereal is a lot of sugar in it. we've got to stop all this, you know. oh, poor parents. let us patronise you because you don't know. there's a lot of sugar in this when in fact, they do because there's lots of responsible parents out there who, you know, aren't aren't nutritionists, but know because they use that common sense. so i say no to complexity say stop blaming the food manufactures chris. yes let's look after our children and pay for free school meals through general taxation and stop paid wasting on things like rainbow on police cars or silly projects that don't work, like the tax and trace thing didn't work . yes, i support that. and work. yes, i support that. and let's look after kids but not let's look after kids but not let's not it more complicated let's not it more complicated let's not it more complicated let's not st start saying to people oh everything you've been told is rubbish and it's all the

food manufacturers, let's giving people hope and aspiration . okay people hope and aspiration. okay we'll end on that an aspirational note. thank very much . coming up, catcalling is a much. coming up, catcalling is a criminal offence , but who's criminal offence, but who's decided this campaign and miss universe 1998. melanie dowding is here. and don't forget to sendin is here. and don't forget to send in your views. the views at the gb news dot uk. see you by after the .

break as mark steyn says, this is the people's channel. let's channel what the people are . we asked what the people are. we asked you should processed food companies be allowed ? advise the companies be allowed? advise the government on what we eat ? david government on what we eat? david said apps lutely not in facts . said apps lutely not in facts. in fact, i'd be looking very deeply into effects. the effects of fake food has on human beings

mean you're right there. i mean worrying. i'm allowed to that anyway. leslie erno, conflict of interests question mark she's completely right. and bob says they are working for the same team. nefarious evil. yeah, i agree with you there as well . agree with you there as well. alford also said based on my experiences of hospital food . experiences of hospital food. absolutely not. wow. now is a real one to come back to, is it the type of foods available in hospital are shocking . but now hospital are shocking. but now last week a man from ilford was fined hundred pounds for catcalling as part of an undercover police operation . undercover police operation. partnered with redbridge council .redbndge partnered with redbridge council . redbridge are going said they are very glad to be the first borough to use the public space protection order. but they are of course as a woman i was no stranger catcalling. well, i used to be when i was younger and there are definitely circumstances where it comes across the line where strangers

on the street harass you. it's not only on, but it's undeniably . and that's why we have laws in place like public harassment act of . 1997 maybe the rise sexual of. 1997 maybe the rise sexual assault has more to do with unfettered coppers and a clash of cultures which view women as instead of people maybe it's the police who really need policing , but does the average guy in the age of eroding masculinity need to feel even worse about their manhood ? do we want to their manhood? do we want to live in a world we have to sign a consent form before we make love? should we strive culturally educate men to understand when something is or when it's reciprocated and when it's the main problem with this catcalling law is who decides the line between verbal harassment and a guy giving you a beautiful well meant comment

here discuss it is campaigner and miss universe 1998 melanie dowding. melanie what do you think about being catcalled do you get offended when you're catcalled ? you know, well, first catcalled? you know, well, first of all, i wanted to look at the exact definition of catcall and it was really, really hard to find because it said harass statement, but then it would say woof , whistling . and then there woof, whistling. and then there was it was it was pretty vague from that. so i watched a video of a woman walking down the street and they used examples of catcalling and shockingly, a couple of examples , somebody couple of examples, somebody saying, good morning, beautiful . well, and smile . and so, you . well, and smile. and so, you know, i walked down the street in a mood and someone said, smile. and i do a smile. i'm like, oh, gosh, i'm really grumpy today. and it puts a smile on my and, you know, obviously in my youth, i was whistled and i never found offensive. i'm actually a little bit sad . no one even bothers bit sad. no one even bothers anymore , but it likewise . yeah. anymore, but it likewise. yeah.

and it's like, where are we going to draw the line. it's a very slippery slope. and, you know, steve miller was just on and he gave you a lovely compliment. he said , you look compliment. he said, you look gorgeous tonight. told you that it was. i allowed to say it was. oh, am i allowed to say that? and what's happened that? and that's what's happened to men , you know, to society and men, you know, they what they're allowed they don't what they're allowed to do or , what women are going to do or, what women are going to do or, what women are going to get offended by. that's exactly it. and i common sense will tell us what's offensive and what's you know, if and what's not. you know, if somebody says to you, oh, darling, you're looking beautiful this morning, then i turn thank you turn around and say, thank you very if they're kind very much. but if they're kind of sexual or of making sexual comments or something like that, that is offensive, and we laws offensive, and we have laws against that, i mean, who decides between decides difference between catcalling , complimenting? catcalling, complimenting? that's what's really important here, isn't it ? yeah, that's what's really important here, isn't it? yeah, and that's what's really important here, isn't it ? yeah, and that's here, isn't it? yeah, and that's the problem . that's where it is the problem. that's where it is really vague. there no proper definitions of what it is and. we don't want to go down that route of men being afraid to say , you know, make a compliment or say something . you know, there say something. you know, there are women out there who are easily offended if a man opens

the like, what they the door like, well, what they saying know, i can't my own saying know, i can't open my own doors. does something doors. if a man does something that would do for his mother, that he would do for his mother, like, can i help you with this? you look as though you know, they look as though they're by they're struggling or they're by they're struggling or they're by the of road with a flat the side of the road with a flat tyre and they say, look, can i can i give you a hand? no man wants to come across creepy. wants to come across as creepy. i'm but you know, there's i'm sure but you know, there's a lot of women find offence lot of women that find offence by but i mean i love it. by that but i mean i love it. i love it if a man been struggling to put things into the of my car when been out shopping and, when i've been out shopping and, someone said, can i help you? it's know, it's great when it's you know, it's great when somebody and a nice somebody does that and a nice fruit, i think i think i find sometimes in the tube fruit, i think i think i find som i'mles in the tube fruit, i think i think i find som i'm helping in the tube fruit, i think i think i find somi'm helping a in the tube fruit, i think i think i find som i'm helping a woman,e tube fruit, i think i think i find som i'm helping a woman, carrye and i'm helping a woman, carry a pram down and i think, why any of the men asked? i mean, maybe reason none of the men are asking help is because asking to help is because they're of they're so frightened of being rebuffed. that rebuffed. do you think that i mean i've got young sons and i do think that this is going to scare the younger generation from just basically flirting with each other, absolute 100. i mean, just by steve's reaction, say, oh, gosh, can i that you

know, that's that's a grown man. what is youth going to be thinking ? and another thing as thinking? and another thing as well as we've seen these posters on the tube you mentioned the tubes saying talking about staring or looking on so i context it was eye contact the next thing can't look at somebody you can't smile at somebody you can't smile at somebody obviously you know there's really creepy staring but a lot of people know what thatis but a lot of people know what that is but to have these posters all over the tube talking about staring being sexual harassment and that's another line that we're going down and i do think it is bit of a slippery slope and like you said there harassment laws. so maybe the police should be spending their time going after . women who have legitimate stalkers or make complaints about men not going undercover because they might a woman being wolf whistled at. you know that we need to draw that that line. and it worrying about what and it is worrying about what young might think that they young boys might think that they can or can't say to a girl. i mean, it's amazing that they're undercover police doing this i

mean we don't have them turning up for crimes. we have them doing the actual of policing. and there they are trying to catch someone out for wolf whistling. whistling someone. it's and to that it's incredible. and to that story about swearing, i actually made a good friend on the tube once. young and we used once. it's a young and we used to the every morning to get the tube every morning from station and he was from the same station and he was there. i went over and there. and so i went over and said, know hello. and we ended up being friends that but if this was about then this law was about then i wouldn't have that friend because too scared to because people are too scared to look each other. really look at each other. it's really sad men. what do you sad for young men. what do you think prevent them think can do to prevent them from feeling they can't talk to women any more or flirt more? i that's a really good question because it's quite hard with and what's being put in place, but you know, i think women should not take everything as, you know, a sexual approach. she can always smile back or say , always smile back or say, morning. and if you see somebody , you you walk down the street and you see the same face, say, good morning, there's nothing wrong morning . her

wrong with good morning. her smile. know, they're smile. and, you know, they're not unnecessarily not going to think unnecessarily hitting don't hitting on them. and you don't have every single thing have to take every single thing a man says as you know them hitting on you. and i think, you know, that's the problem that we have you know, old have just the, you know, the old social nice she's letting social nice that she's letting men be. she saying you men be. she was saying thank you when the door or offer when they open the door or offer to help you, you know, thank you so smile, melanie. thank you . so smile, melanie. thank you. you've been brilliant. and this just any man out, if you want to open doors and help us with open the doors and help us with our shopping, olly our shopping, little olly and i are with. thank very are happy with. thank you very much. coming up, why do like iran and afghanistan treat women so badly ? iranian political so badly? iranian political commentator mahyar tousi is here and buck the box includes send in your views. and buck the box includes send in your views . vaiews@gbnews.uk in your views. vaiews@gbnews.uk uk. it's all coming and you won't want to miss it it.

tonight on average . we have an tonight on average. we have an exclusive poll telling us about the popularity of nicola sturgeon's new gender laws. when asked what's the point of the tory party if they're now a high tax party, i ask is the ghost of covid coming back to from the far east and what should we do? and i'm talking pipes that i've got to talk

do islamic theocracies have a problem with women? are they reform of all the taliban regime in has banned women from education? the rule of the mullahs in iran has long mandated girls wear the hijab in pubuc. mandated girls wear the hijab in public . other mandated girls wear the hijab in public. other humiliations include being able to watch a game of football at her aunt's shoes as easy stadium. polygamy

the taking of multiple wives by a single man is illegal common even across many of the muslim states . until 2018, women were states. until 2018, women were not permitted to drive in saudi . they still today require permission from their legal guardian , a male father or guardian, a male father or husband, to acquire a licence to get behind the wheel. let us not forget that islam has many forms and many interpretations, but the subservience women to men appears at first glance to be a common theme across the islamic world. here to discuss this with is a political commentator . is a political commentator. mayer. why don't islamic countries like iran and afghanistan want women to be educated ? mainly because , educated? mainly because, actually, for those who know imam tweed, who is a islamic cleric in iran , he was cleric in iran, he was a reformist and he escaped iran and he now lives in australia and he now lives in australia and he now lives in australia and he actually says that as muslims can be reformed over

time, but islam can't. that's the difference between islam and christianity . islamic text is christianity. islamic text is fixed with christianity, both christian and christians evolve over time. so that's one difference. and every system is about the balance between , chaos about the balance between, chaos and order or freedom and it's about the degree. so when he calls the islamic and you have certain places like saudi that there is a cultural consent to an extent and. so it's actually the population haven't had the opportunity to be told that something else. so they actually essentially politic under that political establishment is mirror held that themselves whereas is a slightly different case because they that population a culture. that's why they call it the islamic occupation. they are as people they're not on the same boat . they're not on the same boat. and so this is about the balance between islam and muslims in terms of the evolution of it or , modernisation of it. so

someone like me, for example, who is kind of modern culture , who is kind of modern culture, true christian part , the greek true christian part, the greek orthodox faith. i don't do religion, but culturally i love it all. is that what you're saying? if there is reform , it saying? if there is reform, it can't be islam. it can only be muslims that reform themselves . muslims that reform themselves. yeah, exactly . so whether it's, yeah, exactly. so whether it's, say, islamic texts itself or right now, the deep, toxic culture and of some of the muslims , the islamists, as we muslims, the islamists, as we call them, have . and it's not call them, have. and it's not really just against women or children . and it's a it's also children. and it's a it's also the men and just humans , the men and just humans, general. they just control them. differently and separately , a differently and separately, a sort of system that we have in communist countries, all we had in communist states were, for example, in order to maintain order in they would prevent you from getting rich or prevent you from getting rich or prevent you from having individual choice . from having individual choice. and so that is a similar thing. but it's on a whole different level. so women, for example,

being forced to a headscarf or something or even like a niqab. and that's that's a symbolic thing to that. they know that are under control. it's the same thing again. men also have restrictions on a different level. and so they start from early days. everything is about it's not really about any morality. it is not really about violence. so this is this is more about governmental control than it is about islam. is this is not the true islam. well my controversial view is that the whole islamic ideology was a political ideology anyway . right political ideology anyway. right now, obviously, there is a faith aspects to it. so a lot of muslims , just normal muslims, muslims, just normal muslims, they just have a faith that's different. just the different. that's just the link between islam the rest , the between islam and the rest, the abrahamic religions. but as a text , it was clearly a political text, it was clearly a political ideology. it was about control. so it's not a surprise that islamic leaders the text to run and establish events, whether

they want to call it government . so what can muslims within this country who don't with this kind of dictatorship , what can kind of dictatorship, what can they do to help themselves ? they do to help themselves? well, i mean, muslims or back in the middle east or north africa , what you kind of need, first things first, there is a little bit of responsibility . and on bit of responsibility. and on every individual when it comes to whether it's terrorism or extremism or anything else that dodgy comes out, i have found that the islamists and the so—called muslims, normal people, they need to start speaking out . that way you speaking out. that way you prevent and non—muslim who criticise and islamic terrorism for example , from being called for example, from being called an islamophobic . so if you an islamophobic. so if you actually have muslims coming out to fight back then that be a good start. but again, we commonly dictate to people what to do. it is not a dictatorship andifs to do. it is not a dictatorship and it's just it will be. it will. lovely if we had that scenario . but the other issue is

scenario. but the other issue is we have enough evidence to show that. a lot of the that normal people in the islamic and they're the ones who are still those countries, they are more liberal and reformists than some of the people who escaped those countries who come to the west. some of the people who are actually here, they are not integrating . they're not willing integrating. they're not willing to actually embrace freedom. and so that is a bit of a dilemma. so you kind of want to replace them the ones who are still them with the ones who are still there. but we don't know exactly what to that's problem. what to do. that's the problem. mayor wonderful to mayor it's always wonderful to speak you. thank you so much. speak to you. thank you so much. all we proud to be english, but you wines . you drink english wines. spectator columnist spectator telegraph columnist and wine connoisseur zoe. extreme is here and it's all us. time for the buxton . don't touch time for the buxton. don't touch that dial .

false here in britain, we are avid consumer farmers of wine. we've always been a relatively minor producer of it. but perhaps this has been advanced by misconceptions such that british cuisine is bland. well the british palate is unsophisticated . nothing could unsophisticated. nothing could be further from the truth. what if i were to tell that winemaking has been a customer ? winemaking has been a customer? these islands for over a thousand years, ever since the romans it over brought over the practise and by the way they learnt it from the greeks obviously . well as a matter of obviously. well as a matter of fact it's making a resurgence in the last years grapevine planting in england has doubled with more available on the market than ever before. so our palate are going to take a deep into the cold dip into . the cool into the cold dip into. the cool rivers reservoirs of essex run through the rolling hills , through the rolling hills, sussex and a leisurely stroll through the woodlands of kent i say when drink prosecco, when in france, drink champagne when in

spain drink cava and when england drink english sparkling wine and have a bottle of it right here. joining me now to prance and jink through the joy phase of english wine is spectator and, telegraph, communist zoe pool. right i gather that you were a bit of a sceptic when it came to english wines. i'm going to try and open this without making a mess. it's highly unlikely. yeah. so i was just like, let's get the light. oh, no, no. oh, this feels . oh, oh, no, no. oh, this feels. oh, look at that. there oh. and i knew i was going to make a mess. here we. so you were a sceptic so i was a sceptic because i associate english wine with like just very high price tags for what you're getting. i remember really excited to try timber and then you know fancy places like glenmore . and you can try and it glenmore. and you can try and it sort of costs the same more than the champagne. and so i was thinking, is this actually better than champagne. and the answer was always no. so i sort

of apply that to other english wines. i mean, there was a chapel down belvedere. i mean, i love chapel down and. i like 40 hall as well. yeah english wines is english. yeah they're okay. i mean, chapel down has grown me, but i just remember there was a time about maybe five, ten years ago was trying still from ago and i was trying still from i think from sussex and kent. and i just thought it's just like the packaging like it's the packaging is great. love this, but great. i want to love this, but i don't. so i a sceptic. was i don't. so i was a sceptic. was a sceptic. and time has passed and the household and the wine culture has grown in britain. and i think that they've learnt lots of lessons from travelling abroad, haven't going to abroad, haven't been going to other. i think other. you know i think a question if they learnt lessons that way. i think they're just clever they just, i think clever and they just, i think they probably all know what supposed but they've just supposed to do but they've just figured how the most figured out how to coax the most out the, out of the land, out of the, out of the land, which of, which is so which reminds me of, which is so court gardens this is i remember. so i went, i got a tasting recently is how i came to write this this article about engush to write this this article about english wines and this was

easily best of kind of but i can't but where is it from. they're all sort of hampshire, sussex. i'll have to put this is south downs and then they right in insects and times on the in with insects and times on the label. and i think that's what i found so beguiling. you're sort of it. history of english of like it. history of english history. not so. but history. yeah. not so. but realistically, zoe, you know, you wouldn't drinking you wouldn't dream of drinking italian spain . you italian wines in spain. you wouldn't dream of drinking , you wouldn't dream of drinking, you know, all different . i'm so keen know, all different. i'm so keen on one day of not drinking booze . okay? but today was the day , . okay? but today was the day, so, you know, you wouldn't drink spanish wines in greece. you just wouldn't do that. i think it's really you drink the wines of the country and we need to encourage people to drink engush encourage people to drink english wines more. now um , english wines more. now um, that's a really interesting point in a way , if i was point in a way, if i was a tourist in, i'd want to drink engush tourist in, i'd want to drink english wines. think the thing about london and, the uk in general is that it's always been especially london has always been a sort of massive global wine importer. so people come

from over world to from all over the world to london have access to wine london to have access to wine from all over the world. so it's a different. a little bit different. you wouldn't about rome or wouldn't say that about rome or milan berlin necessarily. so milan or berlin necessarily. so but i think i think it is a very cool to be able to do. and i think, you english food and produce and that has become quite chic in recent years. and you know, it's a nice bit of heritage branding and i think engush heritage branding and i think english wine from now is starting to taste quite good they have a very cool sort of packaging and marketing and. it's they've sort of managed to make a sort of quirky sort market out of it. yes. and obviously, if you're here and you can drink one, i still have to say i reservations about to say i have reservations about whether it's the best for your buck. okay. but you're being very slow pouring the wine. very slow in pouring the wine. i'm i've to pour i'm sorry. oh, i've got to pour from cup over your pouring from my cup over your pouring for us . yes. oh, got it. for both of us. yes. oh, got it. right. what, what i would say right. so what, what i would say is that, yes, it is a little bit more expensive to buy indigenous wines britain . i think it's wines in britain. i think it's worth it. think worth it worth it. i think worth it because if we buy wines,

because if we buy more wines, the become more the wines will become more affordable , then able affordable, then we'll be able to grow . and it will it's an to grow. and it will it's an industry that we could market on. but not only that but people are saying, you know, with armageddon, with the climate and what have you like the new will be will be the south england it's lovely. this is called hip rose and it is. it's lovely. this is called hip rose and it is . oh well it's rose and it is. oh well it's just it seems to be from east sussex, so. okay let's see. so the roses were the ones i was not roses. it's a tough sell engush not roses. it's a tough sell english roses a tough sell i think because associate it so much with french. but i think i can taste the fruits in there i think it's like a little bit more chilled guys in the galleries but what does that face? i need to know the price point if this was lik e £7 i'd be point if this was like £7 i'd be like fine oh no come on it smells at £7. i don't it. can you get a british wine for less than about 17 quid. no. and i think that's tricky. yeah so the best. so i tried some delicious engush best. so i tried some delicious english wine. that one was £17,

actually. it was 17. oh. okay okay. well, it's good but you are getting the sort of satisfaction having a wine from like ten miles away from your house. so whatever . i try this. house. so whatever. i try this. that's the reason. like a lot of the british whites and the roses is that they're, they're they're very dry. they, they tend to have an acidity that kind of cut through a cook, you know, fatty meats and things like that. that's why i think they work so. well, what's this one here let's this one is dog . well, what's this one here let's this one is dog. i well, what's this one here let's this one is dog . i think it's this one is dog. i think it's from the same it's from the same place. so it's another east sussex. we shouldn't dilly dally too much on this one. again i like it. it's christmas, it's got a freshness about so i think it's really good actually. yeah. i can see myself sitting in the garden in the summer. yeah glass of rose in hand. i like that. i'm a fan . i don't know as much i'm a fan. i don't know as much . british reds. well, do we have a quick, dry white? but you're going to have to have in a champagne flute. that's okay. here you here are gb news.

here you go. here are gb news. we struggle a little bit with our glasses, i think. but could be for drinking out of be forgiven for drinking out of the wrong i have high the wrong glass. so i have high hopes this one because it's hopes for this one because it's from court garden ditching wine and i was think ditching like so that's what's nice about it because wine know it's thing because wine i know it's thing i know if you live this thing know if you live in this thing and i go france but and when i go to france but i don't really know the that something from if i'm something is from if i'm drinking the wine there it's a little bit sweet me . what do you little bit sweet me. what do you think. i think it's nice . oh think. i think it's nice. oh we'll see simply. but that's the thing about wines. so we have different and we have different things that we like. people should go out and try them all i do think that we should invest in wine and that we should in our wine and that we should try and spend money on british to help the industry. so even if it is a little bit more than normal, why not try and just get it? see that note and we have one sip of this lovely. yeah i feel like markets have to speak for themselves we can't have a sort of centralised people have to the wine has to be good

enough for people to spend their hard earned pennies on. we can't we can't ask them to spend the nafion we can't ask them to spend the nation unless we're actually in we can't ask them to spend the n.in)n unless we're actually in we can't ask them to spend the mn a unless we're actually in we can't ask them to spend the mn a kind ss we're actually in we can't ask them to spend the mn a kind of we're actually in we can't ask them to spend the mn a kind of worldactually in we can't ask them to spend the mn a kind of world warally in we can't ask them to spend the mn a kind of world war fly in a in a kind of world war ii situation. but i think they're getting there. that's getting there. but that's pointless. to pointless. you still have to down. okay, what do you think of this? i it. so look, give this? i like it. so look, give it if you can afford it. it a go if you can afford it. but next is dan wootton but up next is dan wootton tonight live neil fox. neil tonight live with neil fox. neil have got for today? i've have you got for us today? i've got fabulous panel going to be got a fabulous panel going to be joining me to discuss some big stories. bailey , emma stories. shaun bailey, emma burnell as well . burnell and culver as well. going to be looking at homelessness, crime the demise of really good christmas and of course, discussing age old thing too, to make new year's resolutions or not to make new year's resolution , since that is year's resolution, since that is the question and the subject of my opening monologue . so she'll my opening monologue. so she'll be a good one and save a glass for me later. i will. i'll save you a glass. that's all coming up after work, the weather . and up after work, the weather. and as mark steyn says, stay . i say as mark steyn says, stay. i say thank you for and stay free. hello there. i'm trying to share

with you weather update. an amber warning for. heavy rain has been issued across southern parts of scotland. a yellow warning northern ireland's warning for northern ireland's central of scotland central and southern of scotland and warning for snow and ice and a warning for snow and ice across northern scotland. yes the weather remains unsettled and cold in places, particularly in the north. one area of low pressure clearing towards the north, another one approaching from the west. and this is an area of heavy rain which will track across northern ireland. clipping england and pushing towards at same towards scotland at the same time. rain will approach wales as west country. as as well as the west country. as the winds pick up some strength and the winds be a feature of the weather through the first part friday, severe gales, part of friday, severe gales, the channel across the north channel gales across sea well channel sea coast as well as channel coast and a wet and windy start to day. that amber warning to day. so that amber warning the there's to the fact that there's going to be roads with be issues on the roads with surface water high rainfall totals could actually see some flooding here . so a risk of some flooding here. so a risk of some really quite torrential rain for a time. but it clears quite quickly by lunchtime. most places some drier skies places seeing some drier skies away from shetland as well as

orkney . although a legacy of orkney. although a legacy of showers arrive northern showers will arrive northern ireland through the ireland and scotland through the a breeze here , a few a blustery breeze here, a few showers running in across the east of england. now overnight, some clear skies yet again across southern areas, so across more southern areas, so icy across the far north of scotland with the risk of snow above and then some above 200 metres. and then some sporadic bursts of rain come in from the west across . many parts from the west across. many parts as we head into the early hours of new eve. so still of new year's eve. so still unsettled for the last day of 2022. rain comes goes through the day on new year's eve . a the day on new year's eve. a keen breeze coming in the southwest. even so scotland and northern ireland will remain and through the day the rain will intensify by across more southern areas . blustery day southern areas. blustery day wherever you are with showers to follow across more areas, but even a little sunshine to end 2022 for northern ireland then will struggle in the north milder , in the south. and here's milder, in the south. and here's your outlook into the beginning of 2023. dry skies monday with even some sunshine .

good evening and welcome to your thursday evening . i'm neil fox thursday evening. i'm neil fox covering for the amazing wootton. now we have an excellent couple of hours of news an entertainment tonight with a fabulous panel helping me tackle of the big stories around this week include with whether rishi sunak's pledge tackle violent crime will actually fix lawless britain , how we can lawless britain, how we can tackle our worsening homeless crisis and what on earth happened to good christmas telly. we also some superb guests including jacqui weaver, who holds all the authority now as well as the legendary comedian tommy sandhu . plus, in comedian tommy sandhu. plus, in my monologue, i ask whether , we my monologue, i ask whether, we put too much pressure on ourselves in our new year's resolutions . all this much more

resolutions. all this much more . but first,