may well come along to edition of the mark steyn show. we have a stellar line—up of stories and for you today. so as ever you want to miss it. tonight we'll be taking deep dive into how local taxpayers are left picking up the extortionate costs the up the extortionate costs at the expense broken and asylum expense of our broken and asylum system. i am calling for local referendums on migrant hotels. i'll be speaking to windsor and maidenhead councillor stuart carroll about his local area carroll about how his local area has got to find million pounds to soak up costs incurred by the asylum programme and according to the fire brigades union, fire fighters making an average salary of 32 grand a year have

been forced to use food banks to provide for themselves. conservative mp brendan publicly voiced his concerns with the union on this, which caused a little bit of a stir on social media to say the least. tonight, i'm pleased to say, ladies, gentlemen, we were debating this very issue. conservative mp brendan himself and brendan cox himself and firefighter and trade unionist paul embery. that is going to kick off hard after cheltenham. relax covid restrictions in early december covid cases soared to 70. all shanghai's residents are now infected, reaching pangas warned western nafions reaching pangas warned western nations that if they start to impose restrictions on air passengers from china, it will take counter measures . i think take counter measures. i think it's take counter measures. i think wsfime take counter measures. i think it's time to call that bluffs . it's time to call that bluffs. and you, assistant editor and host of the chinese podcast for the spectator , will join me to the spectator, will join me to discuss a exactly this later will talking as well to a transgender religious studies teacher . yep who will be teacher. yep who will be discussing he is working to bndge discussing he is working to bridge relations between the lgbt community and the religious

community. lots to talk about that. namely whether or not transition should be taught to kids. and as always, we'll bring you the stories that matter most. but i forget the most important part of the where important part of the show where you get give me a right good pummelling. jb use gb news, don't you.7 can pummelling. jb use gb news, don't you? can ask me don't you? you can ask me anything . now try pummel me . anything. now try pummel me. that's all coming up. but first is the headlines with the wonderful armstrong . hello wonderful karen armstrong. hello there. i'm howard armstrong. the gb newsroom, the secretary is blaming covid flu and the threat of strep a for the extra pressure being put on the nhs. his comments come amid mounting concern over the winter crisis with more than a dozen nhs trusts and ambulance services declaring critical incidents over the festive period. medical experts say up to 500 people are dying each week as result of dying each week as a result of delays urgent . but steve delays in urgent. but steve barclay the government is barclay says the government is focussed on supporting the nhs , focussed on supporting the nhs, focusing the funding onto the

operations backlogs for. example, getting more diagnostic hubsin example, getting more diagnostic hubs in place, getting the surgical hubs that were rolling out, getting backlog from the pandemic, reduce . that's been pandemic, reduce. that's been the key priority. that's where we've surged additional funding. but we also recognise the big pressure that we're seeing play through in terms of ambulance, handover delays is largely triggered . those who are fit to triggered. those who are fit to leave hospital but delayed in doing and we need to feel that big capacity and that is often about having the right care provision to do so. rail passengers will face continued disruption for the rest of the week as a result of fresh strikes by the rmt union. roughly half of britain's railway lines are closed with only a fifth of services running. many places , including running. many places, including most of scotland and wales, have no trains running at all. the transport secretary, mark harper , says the government has offered a very pay offer but the rmt maintains there's been no new proposal and is accusing the government of an agreement . government of an agreement. people travelling to the uk from

china will not have to sell isolate if they test positive for covid on arrival. the says the testing is designed to collect information in the absence of transparent coronavirus data from chinese authorities . from thursday, authorities. from thursday, though, those flying to the uk from china will be required to show a negative covid test before boarding the plane and thousands of mourners in brazil lined the streets of santos to pay lined the streets of santos to pay their final respects to the footballing legend pele . his footballing legend pele. his coffin draped in brazilian flag, was carried on a firetruck to a private family funeral where pele was laid to rest earlier the day. some 230,000 mourners, including the country's new president, filed past pele's open casket to homage to the three time world cup winner that he died last week at the age of 82 after battling colon . now, as 82 after battling colon. now, as it's on tv , online and dab radio it's on tv, online and dab radio is gb news and now it is to.

patrick i think it's time for a series of local refereed adams on whether or not you more migrant hotels in your area. last year was a record yearjust under was a record year just under 46,000 migrants paid people smugglers thousands of pounds to illegally britain via the channel. this year they've already started coming. hundreds it'll be in the thousands soon and cycle continues. mark my words there will be more migrants year than last year. it'll be another record year. we might as well welcome the 50,000 channel migrant with a brass band, a red carpet and the reds like some kind of competition winner . of course, that's not winner. of course, that's not a million miles away from what they're getting anyway . but this they're getting anyway. but this is why we need local referendums , migrant hotels, because the local needs to know the local tax needs to know the truth about how much is costing their council . and the burden

their council. and the burden these hotels on resources . if these hotels on resources. if these hotels on resources. if the local population decide that they still want hotels in their fine they can have them. but whose saying no shouldn't be made to bear the brunt. i'm going to use the royal borough of windsor and maidenhead as an example, the local council councils out to find around example, the local council councils out to find aroun d £1 councils out to find around £1 million for million and counting for unaccompanied children. so that's 1.25% council tax that's roughly 1.25% council tax increase or a £1 million reduction in services for the local area. three indigenous population, local residents. it impacts them . 225 refugees impacts them. 225 refugees apparently now attend the local area schools, which means there's a shortage of year. five places increase transport costs to get some of those kids to school. that's around 59 grand a year. school. that's around 59 grand a year . there have been 50 health year. there have been 50 health drop surgeries at the area's two. margaret hotels since april. each comprises between one and three members of staff in order to do that. what is more difficult to quantify, of course, is the loss of revenue to the local area. the hotels

that these migrants are in, business, tourism, custom money. now, they don't . they are gyms, now, they don't. they are gyms, leisure facilities , memberships, leisure facilities, memberships, money now they don't. people work at these hotels . now they work at these hotels. now they don't. social housing stock was already in supply. now that's being used up. and any financial help the home office or government does offer gets a lot smaller once . these migrants smaller once. these migrants turn 18. now the royal borough of windsor and maidenhead will have to look after around unaccompanied children who apparently turned 18 in the coming year. well there's the impacts on house prices as well. nobodyin impacts on house prices as well. nobody in their right mind can tell me that a migrant hotel popping up tell me that a migrant hotel popping up next to your home makes property go up in value . makes property go up in value. and general security. a lot of the hotels in the country and their primary nursery schools, etc. introducing a load of young men with allegedly troubled pass onto a footpath where young girls will to school every

single morning isn't adding to a sense of ease in the local area, is it? this will be happening in your area. they will not. do you want to pay 1.25% more council tax ? top of the usual council tax? top of the usual council tax? top of the usual council tax increases? do you want a £1 million reduction in your local pubuc million reduction in your local public ? do you want there to be public? do you want there to be fewer school places for your child or less social housing? enoughis child or less social housing? enough is enough now . the costs enough is enough now. the costs are astronomical and i think you should have a vote on it. local people have a right to know the amount of money that it is costing their council and in turn costing every single year to have migrant hotels. local people have a right to know the burden that these people are having on public services, on school places, on on the health care system . and they have a care system. and they have a right to vote on it. there are all these lovey dovey , bleeding all these lovey dovey, bleeding heart liberals who think everyone across the channel is a genuine asylum seeker. fun of a vote on it. those areas the vote in favour of migrant hotels can

pay in favour of migrant hotels can pay for them. the rest of the population should not have to. with me now to discuss this and go into a lot more detail frankly a deep dive into the local area and provide crucially examples and some solutions is cabinet member for children's services education and health and windsor and maidenhead council. stuart cowell . stuart, council. stuart cowell. stuart, thank you very much. i've outlined some areas that your local council councillors had issues and i think that issues with and i think that it's reflected right it's going to be reflected right across board. but you across the board. but you crucially some crucially have got some solutions . how do know? five solutions. how do you know? five point . i have indeed. point plan. i have indeed. patrick, good evening . good patrick, good evening. good evening to your viewers. you're right to it in the context right to put it in the context that you have in terms of the level of pressure and the resource burdens that it's placing on local authorities, like the one of which i am a member, but myself and the council leader, councillor johnson, have come forward with a five point plan. we published this on conservativehome, a weeks ago and let me just quickly take you through that. the first is very much speaking to what you were just referring

to what you were just referring to in of getting local people involved. we need to have a local funding formula. the government introduces, which isn't just the direct cost from taking a asylum seeker or a refugee . it accounts for the refugee. it accounts for the downstream coastal the coast, which is listed , but also which is listed, but also a local forum where we can have the forces . that's got to be the forces. that's got to be cooperation , collaboration, cooperation, collaboration, coordination , crucially, consent coordination, crucially, consent without consent. that is going continue to cause dismay amongst the local population . and that's the local population. and that's not what we want at all. secondly and i'm pleased to see that the prime minister's moved on this. i think we have have a dedicated border control unit. the home office is basket case of the department in my opinion, many years ago, the former home secretary , john reid described secretary, john reid described it as not being fit for purpose. i don't think improved at all in recent times . i think it's recent times. i think it's partly lacking match fitness and a bit like we did with the

vaccines taskforce. if we tried it was a member of i think we need to actually take this out of the home office with proper leadership, external expertise and focus. third area international dialogue . good international dialogue. good again see the prime minister again to see the prime minister engaging with france, but we can't just have entente cordiale here where we give more money to france . we simply have people france. we simply have people patrolling with the french then no legal enforcement. what we need do is if there are individuals crossing the channel andifs individuals crossing the channel and it's a it's a perilous , and it's a it's a perilous, horrid reality for anybody to do that. and have come directly from france . we need to have an from france. we need to have an agreement with france . we will agreement with france. we will then take those people directly back, not just to pay to patrol there with us. and i think checks for health issues to take them back quickly. border patrols , clearly we need to patrols, clearly we need to invest in border patrols and utilise the royal as appropriate . and finally, as we heard on your program yesterday, tony, the former director general of the former director general of

the border force, and he clearly knows a thing or two about this. and this is very much in line with our proposal. we need to have proper processing centres and accommodation units if needed. we need to look at repurpose in public assets close to the border . we're looking at to the border. we're looking at mobile we can't continue mobile units. we can't continue this policy dumping in this policy of dumping in hotels. it's not fair on the hotels. so it's not fair on the asylum seeker, the refugee is often coming from a very small business and it's not found the local population know exactly that and in your area right now a of pretty major hotels are facing up to the reality that now the people who used to work in them have not got jobs. people in the local area have got a lot of these people they don't know exactly who are don't know exactly who they are or where from to or where they're from to contend. there's a massive a mountain on to public services and and it's and local services. and it's people like you are at the coalface this and like coalface of this and people like you, frankly, may well have you, frankly, who may well have to wrongly to suffer wrongly the way because had say in this because you had no say in this at the ballot box at the next election, it's a local election, whether it's a local election, whether it's a local election indeed your area, election or indeed in your area, by the it's worth pointing by the way, it's worth pointing out. local is

out. the local mp there is theresa last time i she'd theresa may i last time i she'd relatively meanwhile relatively quiet. meanwhile those office those at the home office mandarin decided all of mandarin who decided that all of this a good idea who this was a good idea who presided over what can only be as absolute show over this. as an absolute show over this. well, a niyo , doesn't well, he's got a niyo, doesn't he? remarkable . i it's he? which is remarkable. i it's absolutely staggering. it's deeply confused and in profound reflection how someone can be rewarded and honoured for overseeing the type of situation as described. i mean , that would as described. i mean, that would be a bit like a football manager is overseeing the relegation of their team when in manager of their team when in manager of the year i think the likes of pep guardiola and i've set a mailbox for eddie, my manager of my newcastle the mix. i my team, newcastle the mix. i would jumping and down would be jumping up and down what's going on and this is much more serious than football. this is sovereignty , it's is about our sovereignty, it's about the fairness of the realm. it's border and it's control of the border and all the things you've just all of the things you've just described, clear with the described, what clear with the honour system, by the way is that needs to be reformed. it that it needs to be reformed. it is a black box at the moment. it's in transfer. when someone gets an honour needs to happen

is we need to publish the criteria by which they've been given an honour and who actually nominated that because the less privileged welcome in this amazing society what on earth can this guy's criteria be ? can this guy's criteria be? matthew ratcliffe. sir matthew ratcliffe. right so he's going to end up with this criteria of, well, did you absolutely knock a local areas up and down the country? managed to cost country? dig managed to cost people managed people that jobs digging managed to social housing to find burden on social housing do to put extra do you manage to put extra burden just social care in burden on just social care in general? did you do a lot to knock down prices all of knock down house prices all of this i mean, it's hardly this stuff? i mean, it's hardly a it? looks a winner, is it? looks different. can i ask you, do you think that a referendum think if that was a referendum in area in the royal in the local area in the royal borough of windsor and maidenhead and it was made obvious, obvious obvious, even more obvious to people the exact cost they were they were given a straight choice saying do you want to continue this particular continue down this particular path the margaret path now with the margaret hotels have a 1.25% increase hotels and have a 1.25% increase to your council tax slash £1,000,000 funding cuts your local budget , which way do you local budget, which way do you think they'd on that ? i think they'd vote on that? i think they'd vote on that? i think people clearly would not

be in favour of the situation , be in favour of the situation, as is when i speak to people. look, people are kind hearted and kind spirited . and kind spirited. overwhelmingly. they want to play overwhelmingly. they want to play their role . they have a play their role. they have a proud heritage as a country think, if in genuine asylum seekers refuge and we should continue to do that, that is the right thing for the united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland do. but it northern ireland to do. but it has done a way secure has to be done in a way secure that's controlled and it has proper purpose processes. we cannot have a situation where we can't control the border and then when we are seeking to process people, we dump them in local. that is unacceptable . local. that is unacceptable. it's not sustainable . and quite it's not sustainable. and quite rightly, local people want to see that reform. that's why if the government has got to put this very top of its list in 23, i know there's a lot going on. i appreciate that . well, let's appreciate that. well, let's remember, people voted for brexit and one of the arguments around was control borders , around was control borders, control the law of the land . and control the law of the land. and we need to see that fulfilled.

i'm we're all skin and people feeling the pinch as well. and this is only adding to it. and again, people have a right to vote on this, my view. thank vote on this, in my view. thank you very much. i is cabinet member for children services, education and health on windsor and council . stuart and maidenhead council. stuart carroll get your carroll look, people get your views coming in. gb is a gb news uk. i think enough is enough now andifs uk. i think enough is enough now and it's time for local referendums on migrant hotels can put their money where their mouth is. want have a big mouth is. if want to have a big refugees welcome sign. absolutely think that absolutely if you think that absolutely single tom and absolutely every single tom and harry across harry who's coming across the channel asylum channel a genuine asylum seeker be your local be my guest you in your local area can pay for the brunt of these council hotels because actually what we're seeing now frankly a million frankly is around a million quid. that's just one area and that'll be happening in your and when laid bare and your when it's all laid bare and your kid get place in school kid can't get a place in school , that stuff, do you , all of that stuff, do you really still stand in favour of it ? not sure. is gb news and it? not sure. gbp is gb news and it's how clandestine it is as well. why is it that home office isn't telling the local areas before they plonk them on

gonads? how that is because they don't want the backlash is because the vast because they know the vast majority british public majority of the british public do it coming. up next, do not want it coming. up next, fire firefighters have been resorting food banks. according fire firefighters have been resthe ng food banks. according fire firefighters have been resthe fireood banks. according fire firefighters have been resthe fire brigadeks. according fire firefighters have been resthe fire brigade union.ording fire firefighters have been resthe fire brigade union. toryg to the fire brigade union. tory mp smith, who mp brendon clarke smith, who disagrees wage disagrees with average wage fireman using food banks, will be at and he is going to go to toe table, house to house with fireman and trade unionist paul embery for a good old debate. so yes, that's going to kick off . yes, that's going to kick off. don't forget, though, send in your views. vaiews@gbnews.uk you can just sending your views generally or ask me any question you'd like and give me a really good pummelling at the end of this, shall we? after the .

break this is people's channel sales channel that paper we asked you with are coming asylum policy. what is the point of the force ian's been on didn't know we had

a border force . what are they a border force. what are they meant to be doing? well, what would issue be? and it's a fair question, by the way one would assume enforcing borders which doesn't to be happening right now. did find it absolutely now. i did find it absolutely amazing though that when some border force officers various airports the airports went on strike, the service improved and they got more efficient . and that wasn't more efficient. and that wasn't just was waving just because the army was waving everyone i know, andy everyone through. i know, andy says them the patrol says, send them all. the patrol , dunkirk and calais the camps and remit . then they might and remit. then they might actually achieve . obviously the actually achieve. obviously the french don't want that either . french don't want that either. this is supposed to be the point. we're supposed have now border force officers on and around the beaches in france. i don't imagine that the french gendarmes feel particularly good about that, although to be fair, it's not the first time we've had british boots front page had british boots on front page some says quite all they seem to is pick them up at the halfway point and bring to the uk a glorified human trafficking taxi service. i mean is i mean, service. i mean it is i mean, i wonder whether or not human wonder whether or not the human traffickers should given some traffickers should be given some kind really because kind of discount really because they them

they only bring them three quarters and the quarters of the way. and the british border force does the rest. another, ian says if double end says correct is a complete border farce and complete fast border farce and absolutely disgraceful that the borders correctly enforced . borders not correctly enforced. you argue that we don't you can argue that we don't really any borders, we, really have any borders, do we, anyway? right. we're anyway? right. okay, we're moving this is big moving on, people. this is a big one. is hot debate. one. this is hot debate. according to the brigades union, fire fighters earning approximately fire fighters earning approximately £32,000 a year have been turned into. food banks past months . banks over the past few months. this the union this comes after the union reject a 5% pay offer from the government in which they branded it disgusting . well, tory mp it disgusting. well, tory mp brendon clarke smith commented on this tweet saying i respect the profession . bu t £32,244 and the profession. but £32,244 and using a food bank. never heard such a ridiculous thing in my life. but with me to discuss and debate it, i am very to say is the man himself. mp brendon clarke smith and fireman and trade unionist paul m breaks will fly people sparks will. brendon why do you say what you said. people might say you're a

bit. do you really think that 32 in a bit ground you shouldn't be using the bank. well i think a lot of people find difficult at the moment with the cost of living. and we understand that and get of course. but and get that, of course. but what i'd also say is £32,000. yeah, that is that is not a bad salary. that's more than enjoyed my teaching career. the median salary is , about 25,000 in salary is, about 25,000 in bassetlaw where i am because it's well above the national average . scotland, of course, average. scotland, of course, it's a lot more than stuff in parliament to pay it as well . so parliament to pay it as well. so whilst i'm sure that people want a decent wage and i'm sure that every does counts , i think every penny does counts, i think we to it in context of we need to put it in context of it's nobody on 32,000 it's really nobody on 32,000 should be using food banks. now what i would say is there will individual cases of people who've suffered domestic abuse and who have and what of costs or tragedies or will other things. and i think you have to treat on their individual merits . but generally a person on £60,000 a year should not be using the food. yeah, i mean, paul, using the food. yeah, i mean, paul , bring using the food. yeah, i mean, paul, bring you in now. funnyman

and trade unionist paul embery. firefighters might be good at putting out fires, but they're no good at managing own no good at managing their own finances. , it's finances. apparently well, it's not true. i think many firefighters would find it insulting that . look, the fact insulting that. look, the fact is , you look at the average is, you look at the average firefighter after tax, national insurance , their occupational insurance, their occupational pension scheme contributions, they take something like around £800 a month. now half of that immediately, roughly on average, is wiped out through mortgage or rent payments . you then got to rent payments. you then got to factor in energy bills, which as we know are increasing sharply at the moment. you then got to talk food bills, which for the average family is something like three or average family is something like three 0 r £400 a month. you then three or £400 a month. you then talk about the standard monthly bills such as water rights and council tax . you then talk about council tax. you then talk about childcare . i mean, i don't childcare. i mean, i don't nofice childcare. i mean, i don't notice brendan's being serious when he says firefighters should comfortably be able to get along on this salary. and it strikes me that perhaps hasn't grasped just how serious these cost of

living crisis is to people. people are really to make ends meet and of it's true that there are some people on a lower wage than firefighters as. some people have even suffered . does people have even suffered. does that mean that firefighters themselves are not having it tough? of course it does. and then the tory mp who are making this sort of have got get this sort of cases have got get in the real world. brendan you've got get in the real you've got to get in the real world. yeah i mean, you can, you can point to people who are earning and you can look at pensioners for and i'm not interested in race to the bottom and say i can live on less money than you can and so on that as we all are assuming that that's the sole breadwinner in this. there's another in the there's not another adult in the household, there's been household, but then there's been government wife and government support. my wife and l, government support. my wife and i, used like 30 hours free i, we've used like 30 hours free childcare tax childcare childcare and tax free childcare . things energy bills, . things like the energy bills, the forms of pounds that extra if you need it and so on. so there is that support that that. but i think what we also have to bear for most of the bear mind for most of the country, is country, this is this is a decent income . but now if you

decent income. but now if you look on twitter and of course, this caused quite a twitter storm earlier and one word kept coming up quite often and that word was london and. i think you have to look at london as is a different case entirely. so cost of living crisis. yes, for many. but i think you also have a cost of living crisis actually pre—dates ukraine, predates covid. you know, you could go back to saying that, you know, bofis back to saying that, you know, boris johnson, i think in his first five years as london man, doubled the number of affordable homes. he condemned that looking at ultra low emissions zone at this ultra low emissions zone now that's going to target people with bangers and on. people with bangers and so on. you can't afford a brand new electric tesla? you can look at labourin electric tesla? you can look at labour in boroughs like lambeth charge extra council tax , what charge extra council tax, what used to be conservative ones like so i think we like westminster. so i think we have to look london in have to look at london in isolation, t £32,000, i think isolation, but £32,000, i think isolation, but £32,000, i think is a good salary. i'd like a lot of my constituents to be earning that sort of salary. but for those who can't, then yes, it's great. we have foodbanks and volunteers paul, volunteers to help out. paul, i'm going to throw over

i'm just going to throw over something bit something that you said a bit earlier on about the pension contributions. i mean, you could opt pension contribution opt out the pension contribution does immediate does get that in your immediate pay does get that in your immediate pay packet. you don't be doing that. well, i of course, you could opt out of , know, could opt out of, you know, having having a pension scheme, being part of the scheme. but i don't think even the government recommend that people opt out of their this their pensions. this government's of the arguably one of the correct things. it's done is argue that people should is to argue that people should secure futures . so, secure their own futures. so, you know, i certainly don't want to see pension of firefighters in in, you know, destitution or poverty because they have incidents in a pension scheme that brings its problems financially for the country in years to come. but look, brendan , he doesn't want a race to the bottom, but every argument he made, more less the race to made, more or less the race to the bottom, essentially the bottom, he's essentially saying, look, are some saying, look, there are some people off than people worse off than firefighters, including his constitu . and so the constitu. and so what the firefighters complain in about what unquestionably that is some worse it's right and worse off and it's right and proper those get proper that those people get a decent wage as well because the

facts speak for themselves. workers in this country including firefighters are in the grip of the tightest squeeze since napoleonic times they are being asked once again to take a real terms pay cut during a cost of living crisis. when inflation is something . oh, i'm just going is something. oh, i'm just going to really struggling to make ends meet and lecturing people about budgeting better simply isn't the answer. you've got to give these these get money in people's pockets. that's how you relieve the well problems does now that that paul i'll take on but what exactly what you're saying but that is a fine line i'm going to throw it back to you brendan because paul might say lecturing people on budgeting but budgeting better argument but when whitty to when chris whitty used to lecture and my family single lecture me and my family single flipping evening and i was sick lecture me and my family single fli that] evening and i was sick lecture me and my family single fli that actually] and i was sick lecture me and my family single fli that actually it|nd i was sick lecture me and my family single fli that actually it was was sick lecture me and my family single fli that actually it was supposed of that actually it was supposed to government's to be government's advice. should we not have some government when comes government advice when it comes to and you know, to living crisis and you know, just useful advice. just giving useful advice. brendan if like you and lee anderson well we've just anderson well yeah, we've just that about turning that with energy about turning service costs all sorts service costs down and all sorts of but as i before,

of things. but as i said before, patrick and you know, a lot of my constituents would be delighted to m e £32,000 a year. delighted to me £32,000 a year. you know, that is a that is an aspiration for a lot of people. and i think with foodbanks, i think is completely wrong to think it is completely wrong to trivialise foodbanks every time there's a wage negotiation. i mean, i would challenge the afp you to actually show these people well the outside london who are using foodbanks on £32,000 a year where it's no printing should be fair. you raise an interesting point . this raise an interesting point. this is an uncomfortable issue. and paul is an uncomfortable issue. and paul, do have to put this to you. okay we do hear a lot about these just bandied these things. just bandied around go into food around accidentally go into food so going to foodbanks. paul around accidentally go into food so honestly) foodbanks. paul around accidentally go into food so honestly) foodithats. paul you honestly prove that firefighters are going to foodbanks . paul yeah , we lost foodbanks. paul yeah, we lost paul we lost. paul i think. oh, sorry. paul gong keep twice these . sorry. patrick again . these. sorry. patrick again. sorry, paul. i lost you that for a second. can you prove that firefighters are going to foodbank? well my union has reported that firefighters , as

reported that firefighters, as are i'm perfectly happy to believe my union. i don't think my union is lying about that. and actually knowing in i've been a firefighter for 25 years and firefighters are colleagues assigned me things now that assigned to me things now that they've said to me before. they've never said to me before. they before christmas they said to me before christmas they struggling to find they were struggling to find their christmas presents. they they were struggling to find their struggling presents. they they were struggling to find their struggling payants. they they were struggling to find their struggling pay theirthey they were struggling to find their struggling pay their energy were struggling pay their energy bills. pay bills. they were struggling, pay their i'm pretty their mortgages. so i'm pretty certain union certain that what the union is report is true. but let me report it is true. but let me put this point if i can to brendan why is it that tory mp is always going for people at the the scale? what the lower end of the scale? what have seen recently? we've have we seen recently? we've seen bonuses surge and, seen city bonuses surge and, we've executive pay going we've seen executive pay going up handsomely. we've seen some of corporations registering of our corporations registering profits. now, why it that the likes of brendan and others don't say well actually during the cost living crisis some of that sort of stuff. all right. and if we're going target people, we should perhaps target some of those people before we emergency. we have are struggling to make ends meet. that me a pretty that shows to me a pretty immoral set of priorities . all immoral set of priorities. all right, paul, thank you very much

for that. i'll the final for that. i'll give the final word brendan. let come word to brendan. let him come back off chaps them. back of the more off chaps them. so i don't think back of the more off chaps them. so i don't thin k £32,000 a year so i don't think £32,000 a year is pile. is the bottom end of the pile. i mean that's that's not people on minimum this skilled minimum. this is a skilled profession. talking about profession. we're talking about here. i could go back here. you know i could go back 20 you asking for about 40% 20 is you asking for about 40% and think the union leader at and i think the union leader at about an 80 grand or package that so i mean there's a long history of this now. i don't resent going resent anybody going for a decent wage, don't resent negotiations. how negotiations. i understand how unions and i completely respect that and i respect firefighters, but that and i respect firefighters, bu t £32,000 to visits to food but £32,000 to visits to food bank. i think it's very the exception rather than the rule. look, by the way, thank you very much. exactly right way. and much. exactly the right way. and we say that wish you we love to say that i wish you both the best. i'm sure i'll both all the best. i'm sure i'll speak to you both very, very soon. that is brendan smith, tory fireman and trade tory mp and, fireman and trade unionist bridget unionist paul and bridget reacting stories of reacting to that stories of whether actually whether or not actually realistically whether or not actually realisticall you realistically £32,000 a year you should going to food. should be going to a food. i'm not sure. do you think not sure. what do you think you're about that of you're wrong about that kind of money? get in money? let us know. get in touch. vaiews@gbnews.uk okay.

downsize exact salaries , if downsize your exact salaries, if ever personal question. that isn't you let us isn't it. but you could let us know you're on around that know if you're on around that kind have been kind of salary. have you been close to using a food bank anyway? moving on. just what all paying anyway? moving on. just what all paying on one cunning on the cpp lot playing us. yes, that's the phrase i never thought i'd say on national television. we're going find out next week. going to find out next week. cindy to expert cindy you trying to expert hosted chinese podcast hosted the chinese podcast i'm assistant of the assistant editor of the spectator . there she is. thank spectator. there she is. thank you very much, cindy. i don't forgot make sure that you send in your views. forgot make sure that you send in your views . we're talking in your views. we're talking about whether or not it's time to get tough on china anyway .

right. let's rattle two people under pressure from protests , under pressure from protests, kind of which have not been seen in china since 1989. and with their economy beginning to falter under the corona

restrictions , beijing had sheds restrictions, beijing had sheds finally, finally relented . their finally, finally relented. their zero covid policy on december the seventh. the result, after two years of extreme restrictions, has been rather predictably an explosion in covid cases yet again. what's the problem in china can become a problem over here . an a problem over here. an explosion that, of course, has frighten several western countries, including uk, into introducing entry restrictions for the first time. here to discuss the situation in china and western reaction to it is china expert and host of the spectators. excellent whispers podcast. it's sending you, cindy. thank you very, very much . china has spoken about essentially if we dare to restrict chinese people from coming into the uk. restrict chinese people from coming into the uk . what do they coming into the uk. what do they mean . well, i'm not sure there mean. well, i'm not sure there are there is much retaliation to be done considering china requires inbound travellers themselves have a negative test. so if i were to go to china, as i'm hoping to do this year, then i'm hoping to do this year, then ihave i'm hoping to do this year, then i have to take a negative, take a test and for it to be

negative, otherwise i won't be let. so it is essentially equivalent to what they have. you whether not you can question whether or not this restriction matters in either direction, considering and endemic the pandemic and how endemic the pandemic already . but at the same already is. but at the same time, you know , there is such an time, you know, there is such an equivalent, i guess the only thing they could more thing that they could do more that other countries have done to a positive cases. so to isolate a positive cases. so there's talk of that in italy, for example, and that would be a kind of retaliation. but other than , as i say, negative tests than, as i say, negative tests are required and to china right now think at the moment now, do you think at the moment we're hearing increasing whispers of restrictions of mask of all of this stuff as shock horror winter comes and people get the sniffles , do you think get the sniffles, do you think china actually provides the best example of why a full throttle zero—covid just doesn't work ? zero—covid just doesn't work? well it's really hard to say. i think. i think under delta variant, where it was much less infectious and much more serious to get it, it actually did make sense. and we saw that in the first two years of the pandemic where china did manage to keep

cases down, might not believe it's official numbers. but i mean, what seeing now is that they can't hide a massive wave when a massive wave because people me, other people like me, other journalists contacts, her journalists have contacts, her family, friends in china. so family, her friends in china. so anecdotally, we know something's . that didn't happen the . but that didn't happen the first years ago. it did work first two years ago. it did work at. omicron changed at. the time omicron changed everything in my opinion this much more infectious. but most many more mild variant the disease. and over the last year we've various attempts to keep that under under wraps shanghai lockdown being one of the first as lockdowns and that just didn't work for this kind of variant. so but at the same time, i'm not sure like it's kind of system of opening up the timeline that we're talking about where within a month you go from zero—covid completely go from zero—covid to completely opening is working either now opening up is working either now are seeing pictures of the wuhan institute , a virologist where in institute, a virologist where in my opinion and it is just my opinion i think the coronavirus first started they weren't particularly in telling people exactly about it then. cindy i

think people have a concern that if a new variant was detected china now it was more deadly china now and it was more deadly probably wouldn't tell the world about and might let it spread about it and might let it spread . so i mean, i think i have to say that i'm not an epidemiologist, but in my understanding, there is an international database where tests are sequenced and you put up you put up test results to this database. and international scientists can new variants and can question how many cases are being tested and put in that database, considering not many people are getting tested in china all, but i'm not sure a china at all, but i'm not sure a cover up will be particularly easy as i that the chinese easy as i think that the chinese government just has idea. government just has no idea. basically also, know, basically but also, you know, i'm believer in living with i'm a believer in living with covid, now in 2023 is time covid, where now in 2023 is time that we lived with this. so if there's variant, we should there's a new variant, we should be new ways be looking at new ways to vaccinate to boost most vaccinate to boost the most vulnerable . but people like me vulnerable. but people like me and you, know, we should and you, you know, we should concerned about new variants otherwise it's like i don't otherwise it's not like i don't want under any more want to live under any more restrictions whatsoever. i don't think anyone to.

think anyone should have to. we've done conceivably everything can everything that we possibly can do particular thing. do about this particular thing. now, have we a vaccine now, not only have we a vaccine and available to and it's freely available to anyone of them they anyone as many of them as they want, you get jabbed to your want, you can get jabbed to your eyeballs if you so please. we've knock we've knock it our economy. we've ruined children's ruined a load of children's education. we've created a massive health on massive mental health crisis on top was already mental top of what was already mental health crisis. people with addiction issues have had those addiction issues have had those addiction lot. addiction issues, got a lot. i mean, know alcoholics and drug mean, i know alcoholics and drug addicts, for example, suffered hugely being locked hugely by virtue of being locked down. people were down. several people were locked down. several people were locked down their domestic abusers down with their domestic abusers for sake, we've absolutely down with their domestic abusers for sake this ve absolutely down with their domestic abusers for sake this countrylutely down with their domestic abusers for sake this countrylut�*many brought this country in many respects to knees a lot of respects to its knees a lot of the time to protect our nhs and our nhs has to be that to serve us, in my opinion, and not the other way round. and just finally closer to home on not pulling any more restrictions . pulling any more restrictions. do you think the british public would just resist en masse ? yes, would just resist en masse? yes, well, i hope so . i mean, in some well, i hope so. i mean, in some ways i feel kind of negative, requiring a negative test from chinese visitors would cutting off on things because why are we putting in more restrictions at

all? you know, the chinese may require a negative, but that doesn't mean we should . and in doesn't mean we should. and in order live with covid, we order to live with covid, we have okay with the idea of have to be okay with the idea of new variants and believing our vaccines. if that is what you chose to do. and you know very mild this new variants of the flu every year and the flu jab gets updates of the new variants every single to protect the every single year to protect the most vulnerable and. you just say, how did you think about it? in way, i do feel like in the same way, i do feel like we made a political choice rather choice, rather than a scientific choice, by tests for by requiring negative tests for from will never forget from china. i will never forget the fare. i was sat there next to my grandma. i was running my grandma's house. one day. it was just and i chris was he pops just her and i chris was he pops up patrick vallance and up and patrick vallance and whoever were whoever else and they were pumping predictions, pumping our predictions, predictions, predictions. now it's well good but it's all very well and good but they as fact they could they were as fact they could have done more. they could have done to say that these done more to say that these might the mark. might be way off the mark. i don't care. anyone says was don't care. anyone says i was there. i watched it live with my grandmother looking grandmother and we were looking at and it certainly at tvs screen and it certainly was at least presented this was at least presented as this being more than not. and being more likely than not. and it people . and that

it terrified people. and that i think was wrong. cindy thank you very much indeed . who is this very much indeed. who is this spectators accent , chinese spectators accent, chinese whispers, podcast guru and of course as well as a lot of family in china so can give us a first hand accounts of what's been going on over there coming up we'll be talking to this transgender catholic school george white about how plans to bndge george white about how plans to bridge the gap between the lgbtq community and the church. good stuff . i'm looking forward. stuff. i'm looking forward. there's actually lots to learn on pommel. patrick yes , that's on pommel. patrick yes, that's right. i'm from not enough pubuc right. i'm from not enough public , probably. it's just public, probably. it's just around the corner . public, probably. it's just around the corner. i wonder public, probably. it's just around the corner . i wonder how around the corner. i wonder how you'll come tonight . oh, i you'll come only tonight. oh, i try myself to slip gbviews@gbnews.uk

coming up on dan wootton with mark dolan with the health service in a death spiral is it time to privatise the nhs. mark asks the question the msm isn't

brave enough to tackle . plus brave enough to tackle. plus there's opinion galore , comedy there's opinion galore, comedy legend and free speech activist graham linehan . former mumford graham linehan. former mumford and sons musician winston marshall and fleet street . marshall and fleet street. calvin mackenzie. dan wootton tonight with mark dolan tonight . pm to 11 pm. on. gb news. welcome back. now we cover a lot of trans stories on this show . of trans stories on this show. we believe in personal freedoms, but in biological truths . and but in biological truths. and this week we saw the first non—binary priest to be ordained by the church of england. we've noficedifs by the church of england. we've noticed it's becoming a bit of a theme. the lgbt community and religion butting heads with each other. remember when , a other. remember when, a cambridge dean insinuated jesus might have been transgender . or might have been transgender. or a recent exclusive where we interviewed a father who discovered that a c of a school sharing his eight year old child transgender educational books.

if you don't remember? take a look at the video that they were being shown . hello everyone . my being shown. hello everyone. my name is nana cc. being shown. hello everyone. my name is nana cc . jj is neither name is nana cc. jj is neither a boy nor a girl. when you were born. you couldn't tell people you were or how you felt . they you were or how you felt. they looked at you and made a guess . looked at you and made a guess. maybe they got it right . maybe maybe they got it right. maybe they got it wrong . what a baby's they got it wrong. what a baby's looks like when they're born can be a clue to what the gender will be. but not always. i know you think i'm a boy, but really i feel like a girl. oops ruthie was a girl all along. they just didn't know at first . hmm. okay. didn't know at first. hmm. okay. the question is, does lgb . q the question is, does lgb. q ideology and, religious values augn ideology and, religious values align someone ? who aims to align someone? who aims to bndge align someone? who aims to bridge the gap between the lgb community and religion? is my next transgender catholic school teacher . george y. george, thank teacher. george y. george, thank you very much . first things

you very much. first things first. is it all right if you just tell viewers and our listeners a little bit about your story? sure. hi. my name is . i am a transgender man , so . i am a transgender man, so i was born female. i identify as man. i take testosterone. i've had chest surgery . i'm legally had chest surgery. i'm legally recognised as female still. my name has been changed. mr. george white. i became catholic at the age of 16, but my secondary school where i now teach and i transitioned, i started the process of transitioning about four years ago. well, thank you very much for outlining all of that before. just talk a little bit about bridging the gap between religion and transgenderism, etc. keen to get your views on why you think or if you think that children should be taught about transgenderism. do you think it might be a bit i think a lot of things that we teach children about can be seen confusing. and i wouldn't advocate for the resource we've just seen. but i do think that

we can talk about things in a sensible , mature way, in the sensible, mature way, in the same way we about people of other faiths or other things like that. and there are going to lots of things that might sway someone's as a young person that be for a lengthy period of time. it be for the rest of their it may be a phase. their life. it may be a phase. but as educators , that's not our but as educators, that's not our job decide . yeah. and i think job to decide. yeah. and i think that's a really fascinating point of actually to have point of view actually to have and i think one that a lot of people will with because people will agree with because there a concern, especially there is a concern, especially we've at the we've looked at some of the stuff that's been going up in scotland, example, about scotland, for example, about whether are whether or not decisions are made by children and they are child ren at a particular moment in time during a very confusing of their lives. can on to have permanent consequences to some them may go on to regress and do you think that may be quite a few people will go to on i know obviously you you doubt of course but i think some people might there is always a chance

that people might the numbers are exceptionally low of people detransition i think, is the word used . there is some word used. there is some misunderstanding of the way in which the system works. so i've been on an nhs waiting since november 2017. i had my appointment in february 2022. that would have meant that i wouldn't have had access to surgery or hormones had i not had the funds to that. so people are not being into a life changing decisions immediately and i still think there needs to be a service people to explore that feelings of gender identity , whether they might be short term or long term something for them within . that process, i them within. that process, i think some people have concern, don't they? so whether or not that child is at simply demonstrating thinking a certain way , in which case you could way, in which case you could argue natural right or. way, in which case you could argue natural right or . whether argue natural right or. whether or not that thought is punted into the child's head by, someone who may or may not be qualified in order to put that

just more specifically in terms of yourself and where you are as well. my understanding is you want to try to bridge that gap between, lgbt and the church just talking about that because some people would be saying that there's not any to bridge there's not any need to bridge there's not any need to bridge the gap . okay, sure . i think the gap. okay, sure. i think things changing and i think the gap is getting . but i work in gap is getting. but i work in a school where i work with people that might be religious that might be lgbt , often feel that might be lgbt, often feel that those things can't go together . those things can't go together. and one of the ways in which the media often kind of presents these things is to say that you can only be one or the other and like me being trans and being catholic are two very, very important facets of my identity . what we have seen is a change in the catholic church within the papacy . pope francis really the papacy. pope francis really that there's an acknowledgement of lgbt people and what they are through. church teachings doesn't change. and that's not the intention of i'm trying to

do either . the intention of i'm trying to do either. but what i do feel is that we must listen to the other. if we're going to love neighbour i'm just sorry to interrupt . it's just we are interrupt. it's just we are a bit past time and i want to ask you one more question, if that's all right, because i understand you obviously transitioned from being into into male and being female into into male and there's a lot of hoo ha at the moment about people going the other round and potentially other way round and potentially that more intrusive other way round and potentially th.things more intrusive other way round and potentially th.things like more intrusive other way round and potentially th.things like nlevelltrusive to things like elite level women's or just maybe women's sport or just maybe pubuc women's sport or just maybe public safety in changing rooms, etc. can i ask how you feel about that. i know we're bit pressed for time. it's a massive question, how do you feel question, but how do you feel about you think that about that, do you think that people transitioning from manhood frankly, manhood into womanhood, frankly, tends might bit more of tends might pose a bit more of a threat i understand what threat? i can understand what people are saying, and i think there's a there's a very deeper issue of what we're we're assuming trans women are doing because they have lived as men and i think what we need to be looking at is what are men doing? the equality act and the changes to the gender recognition reform do not change

the that a man could still enter a women's bathroom in in accordance with the equality act or if a man chooses or inequality. if a man chooses to identify as female that . you to identify as female that. you can a women's bathroom . can go into a women's bathroom. thatis can go into a women's bathroom. that is a problem with men, not with trans women. and most of the time we can see that . okay, the time we can see that. okay, look, george, very much, i've enjoyed discussion. i'm enjoyed this discussion. i'm sorry. bit pressed for sorry. we're a bit pressed for time because i could talk to all evening. i'd say would find it evening. i'd say i would find it fascinating seeing george, who is teacher, is catholic school teacher, looking gap looking to bridge the gap between the lgbt between religion on the lgbt community. what you make of community. what do you make of that, and gentlemen? that, ladies and gentlemen? there's another lot to unpack. there's another lot to unpack. there right, i think very there is no right, i think very quickly, it's time to quickly, quickly, it's time to give good give me a really good pummelling. there go. how do give me a really good punholding. there go. how do give me a really good punhold your'here go. how do give me a really good pun hold your eyebrows? o. how do give me a really good pun hold your eyebrows? done./ do you hold your eyebrows? done. they look beautiful. no i've not actually got sharon. thank you very much. but, sharon, if you won't see my eyebrows, you cannot suppose janine's says, who your week? who is your who is your week? who is your favourite presenter of on mark steyn ? who's on over there at steyn? who's on over there at the minute? he's on my chris days. dole is my favourite gb news presenter of myself. i mr.

mark steyn and. yes. okay, here he is . here he is. bring him on. he is. here he is. bring him on. oh, my favourite dvd of what a coincidence mark was on the show. no pressure at all. well, listen, you've always been my favourite. patrick could facing down the unions b rishi soon acts a thatcher moment could it be his falklands moment also is the vegan diet con and in my big opinion monologue the government want to wear these again. no action in a couple of minutes. oh come on. that comeback. there we are. well, the wonderful mark down and we'll be covering with dan this evening where we go make sure you stay tuned as great mark steyn says, by the way marks on the menu, i want to just inform all as i know a lot of you ask marks is getting better. he will be soon. it's been an honour and a privilege to fill in for him. i'll be back again tomorrow night, the again tomorrow night, by the way. don't he'll way. but yes, don't worry. he'll be soon as mark steyn be back soon as mark steyn sighs, make sure you wonderful people stay safe. stay free.

hello again. it's aidan mcgivern here from met office. the rain that we've seen through day that we've seen through the day continues overnight, but for many turns dry into many it turns dry into wednesday, although it stays windy and that wind bringing very mild air for the time of yeah very mild air for the time of year. a southwest finch tightly packed. i all this warm coming towards the uk even northern scotland where it has been cold dunng scotland where it has been cold during the last couple of days. temperatures are rising here now and some outbreaks of rain are spreading north as well. the rain heaviest, most persistent across central parts of scotland combined melt could cause combined with melt could cause more issues and wet for parts of wales that also cause issues overnight . but the rain eases, overnight. but the rain eases, it pushes away. many places turning drier the end of the night, but it stays windy, it stays very mild. 12 celsius in the south, 5 to 8 across scotland. and northern ireland into the start of wednesday. rain clears from the southeast quick enough , but it still quick enough, but it still lingers across northeast scotland for a time through the morning. otherwise it's for many more persistent rain, mostly

confined to southern scotland , confined to southern scotland, north—west england. but brighter and drier weather compared with tuesday, at least for most . and tuesday, at least for most. and it is mild 14 celsius in the south , 8 to 10 celsius in the south, 8 to 10 celsius in the northern half of the uk. sometime weather around southwest towards the end of the afternoon. that will continue for parts of cornwall into the evening and overnight cloudy skies the southwest and skies towards the southwest and some cloud elsewhere, but generally speaking, the clearest air will be the east and the north and that's where the lowest temperatures will as we start of thursday. but it's not going to be a cold start to the day, slightly less compared day, slightly less mild compared with it's with wednesday morning. it's going to be bright in the east. in north, first thing, in the north, first thing, a touch of frost for northern scotland for the rest of the uk, cloudy skies and that cloud spreads all areas by the spreads across all areas by the afternoon, outbreaks afternoon, some light outbreaks of for england of rain and drizzle for england and more persistent rain and wales more persistent rain expected northern expected scotland and northern ireland by end of the day and it's here where will turn increasingly windy as well with the risk gales in places

the risk of gales in places overnight overnight .

no spin , no bias, no censorship no spin, no bias, no censorship . this is dan wootton tonight me. mark dolan. coming up new yeah me. mark dolan. coming up new year. same old fear mongering. the government backed and on evidence to warning for brits to mask up if they feel unwell to you guessed it save the nhs. this is performative mission creep and i'll explain why giving in again will leave us with medical tyranny forever masks. thanks but no thanks. that's next. then i'll get the views of my superstar panel. christine hamilton johnson, agent, and rebecca reid . but agent, and rebecca reid. but forget muzzling the nation is privatising the nhs the only way to save it ? we'll hear from