and welcome along to wednesday's edition of the mark steyn show. we have a stellar line—up of stories and guest for you as ever and you will not want to miss single second coming up shamima bagan is given a ten part podcast by the bbc . part podcast by the bbc. extremism similarly raises , the extremism similarly raises, the ugly head and the knife attack in paris earlier today and an

old isis video resurfaces . we'll old isis video resurfaces. we'll be digging into this with internationals expert will geddes and asking, is britain safe.7 and a london primary school called the sir francis drake school has voted to change his name after the governing decided the slave trade links with its title did not align with its title did not align with the values of the school. we'll be about this with former mep and political commentator patrick. it's just the latest round of woke madness. plus, the onusis round of woke madness. plus, the onus is revealed to access deaths in 2022 with some of the highest seen since the aftermath of the second world war. it apparently it's not because of covid. later, we'll be discussing this . the spectators discussing this. the spectators data editor michael symons and is studying maths . you are 18 is studying maths. you are 18 straight out of china's playbook. that's right. well our spectator columnist zoe scrambles take on rishi sunak's big plan for the uk she's received a lot of for it. zoe will be joining us in the studio later to talk through this not quite explain but explain what

she's getting on about . quite explain but explain what she's getting on about. think now and as always, we'll bring you the that matter most to you but we can't forget how many the most important part the show ladies and gentlemen, you ladies and gentlemen, what you guys me . i write good guys give me. i write good pummelling views on gbnews.uk pummelling gb views on gbnews.uk ask me anything, please. come on. i'm contracted to have to say that. that's all coming up. but now it's the headlines with parliament last. but now it's the headlines with parliament last . patrick, thank parliament last. patrick, thank you and good evening to you. rishi sunak has promised to reduce the nhs waiting list and tackle illegal migration in his first political broadcast as prime minister. mr. promised hard headed sense in approaching the migration issue. he also blamed the pandemic for creating backlogs in the health service, but promised to let down those on the waiting list. he also said he'd taken difficult but fair decisions to get borrowing and debt under control. the

government's priorities are your priorities . the people's priorities. the people's priorities. the people's priorities . together, we're priorities. together, we're putting needs above politics to repair the economy strengthen our nhs tackle illegal migration and restore pride in the united kingdom. our great country. well, earlier today, the nhs waiting time and the threat of strikes dominated the first pmqs of the year. the prime minister quizzed the opposition leader on why he wasn't supporting the government's proposed minimum safety legislation, which seeks to ensure a minimum standard of service by workers during strike action . sir keir starmer action. sir keir starmer responded by saying that if rishi sunak could negotiate it with nhs workers earlier, they wouldn't be on strike in the first place. in australia and canada and the us, they ban strikes on blue light services. we're not doing that. all we're saying is that in these emergency services patients

should be able to rely , on should be able to rely, on a bafic should be able to rely, on a basic level of life saving care. why is he against that, mr. speaker .7 he's not promising that speaker? he's not promising that people get to see a doctor in a few days like they did under laboun few days like they did under labour. he's not promising that cancer patients would get urgent treatment. as i said, under labour, treatment. as i said, under labour , he's not even promising labour, he's not even promising an nhs that puts patients first like it did under labour. no, he's promising that one day. although we say when the record high waiting list will stop growing . the conservative mp growing. the conservative mp andrew bridgen has had the whip removed after his shared a tweet comparing the covid vaccines after effects on cardiac health with the holocaust . the chief with the holocaust. the chief whip, simon hart, said mr. bridgen had crossed a line and that misinformation about the vaccine caused harm and cost lives . the prime minister's also lives. the prime minister's also called comments utterly unacceptable . a 22 year old man unacceptable. a 22 year old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the of a woman

on merseyside on christmas eve. 26 year old elle edwards was killed at a pub in wallasey but she wasn't believed to be the target of the attack . a 23 year target of the attack. a 23 year old woman has also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender . the foreign suspicion of assisting an offender. the foreign minister has called the immediate release of a british iranian national due to be executed by iran. ali akbari, a former senior defence official, was reportedly arrested in 2019 for spying for british intelligence . james british intelligence. james cleverly has called his execution a politically act by a regime that has total disregard for human life . that's the news. for human life. that's the news. you're up to date tv online and dab radio with gb news. back now to mark steyn with patrick christys .

christys. i can't but worry whether or not we're sleepwalking into a terror attack. whilst it's a great thing that we haven't had a large attack for a good number years now, it also makes me a bit nervous. today emerged the easiest read published a video of london with the words coming soon. we should all very concerned about their silences. used to release videos before attacks back in 2017. a in which it seemed terror attacks happened much every single week. just couple of days ago, the taliban puts a fatwa on prince harry by saying that you should stand trial for war crimes after he announced his killing . it he announced his killing. it doesn't which way he doesn't matter which way he tries to it up about how the right wing are the ones who put his at risk. critics, of course , say that he's put people in dangen , say that he's put people in danger. thanks to his own desires to get something off his chest, i.e. he's killing them. but we've got a member of the royal family who can afford to walk around with armed guards

detailing . his combat detailing. his combat background. the taliban. call him out for it. a couple of days later. rises issue of video appearing to him that goes with scotland london soon and our state broadcaster the bbc decides good idea to do decides it's a good idea to do a £10 poker face with shamima begum so she can try and rehabilitate image. talking of imagery , given that it's a imagery, given that it's a podcast and not a video, it be very difficult for us to tell whether not she's ditched the whether or not she's ditched the burka the old baseball cap burka for the old baseball cap and again. once we all and lipstick again. once we all saw through that, didn't we? here is woman who looks at here is a woman who looks at videos of people beheaded videos of people being beheaded , bombers, etc. thought, , suicide bombers, etc. thought, oh, some of that . now the bbc oh, some of that. now the bbc are giving her the chance to try to convince everyone that she's just a normal girl. i'm still shamima from the blog . at the shamima from the blog. at the very least, she's thick as and not who should be not someone who should be allowed back into britain based frankly, on alone. but of frankly, on that alone. but of course, the bbc podcast series will reignite the debate now about whether or not we can rehabilitate jihadi scumbags and then people like me will be

called racists for not wanting someone who literally joined the depraved terror cult to come back into this country and live off benefits for the rest of their life in a council tax and a council house, even leeching off the british taxpayer and laughing what soft touch laughing about what soft touch we are . all the while this we all are. all the while this is going on, we're just willing to let pretty much anybody come here, only in a dinghy, ignoring the fact that this is a massive national security risk. and i look at what happened in paris today where a man who allegedly known to authorities for having a criminal past i've heard all this before, wasn't deported successfully and ended up going on a mad rampage at a busy train station, stabbing six people while allegedly shouting about allah. the danger has never truly gone away , and i think the truly gone away, and i think the need for vigilance will always remain high . joining me now is remain high. joining me now is international security expert will geddes and will, i was talking to you a little bit off air. there's a lot going on at the minute isn't there, and potentially a fair bit of it

could be connected. there's a lot of it that is it all interconnect, too. i mean, you'd be actually surprised. and i think public would think the general public would be connectivity be hugely about the connectivity mean be that you've mean whether it be that you've got individuals that are iranian nationals like yesterday who was a 23 year old individual i think was 23 or 32, but dyslexic, always a bit of a challenge, was arrested by authorities trying to plan a bio attack bioweapon attack . and he was going to do attack. and he was going to do it in the name isis. then, coincidentally , we have this coincidentally, we have this issue a couple of days ago, obviously, where the counter—terrorism police and border force very successfully intercepted. obviously some trace elements of uranium coming into the united kingdom that we have. the guardian situation. we have. the guardian situation. we have also the issue of a lot of that surplus weaponry that was left abandoned in afghanistan, which being sold by the taliban to iran and iran, selling it to russia to assist them in the conflict in the ukraine. so you haven't connectivity with all

these groups, you boko haram in west africa who are now being taken over by islamic state . and taken over by islamic state. and so you've now got this issue there where islamic state is joining up as we've seen before, with al—qaeda and various other groups. and again , al—qaeda groups. and again, al—qaeda tying themselves with various various various different sort of terrorism groups. right across al—shabab being one that was a name that was escaping me in all parts of world. so the problem, as you say, is never gone away. always sleepwalking into an attack . no, we're not, into an attack. no, we're not, though that a responsible for our safety when we're fast asleep at night. our safety when we're fast asleep at night . those within asleep at night. those within the security services , those the security services, those within counter—terrorism, policing . those within the sis. policing. those within the sis. am i six? they're all working round the clock to make sure we are intercepting those problems as best they possibly can before they materialise. usman about some of the theories when it comes to what's been going on, like heathrow airport now i read initially with a lot interest

this uranium issue and so i don't think everything meets the eye. what do you think? yeah. no exactly the same. i mean, my feeling this and i'm surprised no one none of the other security pundits out have picked this up. my feeling is because it was very, very small it was very, very, very small trace that were sent trace amounts that were sent through and dispatched from pakistan oman here to the pakistan via oman here to the united kingdom . the no one's united kingdom. the no one's picked up fact that this picked up on the fact that this looks a run , a trial looks like a dummy run, a trial run. now this is not uncommon for terrorists to try a dummy run it be a hostile recon , a run it be a hostile recon, a stance on a target. they're looking to attack or whether it be getting contraband weaponry or component parts that could make up part of a dirty bomb into a particular location or country. now, the small parts of the trace, elements of again we don't know because the counterterror is in place keeping their cards close to their chest, understandably, whether enriched or un whether it's enriched or un enriched, and if it's on enriched, and if it's on enriched , the kind of components enriched, the kind of components that you would use within, say, a power to and a nuclear power factory to and is the type that you would use

it as an isotope in a dirty bomb. so what i think we can take reassurance by and the general public can feel reassured by is the fact that our capability technology has really come a long way down the line to being to detect even the smallest amounts . okay, so that smallest amounts. okay, so that was it. i mean, the reassuring is that it appears to have been picked up. that is that is picked up. and that is that is absolutely the thing when absolutely the main thing when it this this video it comes to this this video that has resurfaced , london coming has resurfaced, london coming soon. i remember in 2017, soon. i can remember in 2017, these videos are happening all these videos are happening all the when i was working at the time. when i was working at a different outlets out here , a different outlets out here, couple of there along couple of reporters there along with intercepted, one with myself intercepted, one that was going through about antwerp . now we've reports antwerp. now we've got reports the ended up going the police ended up going getting there . do you getting stopped there. do you think that we've taken eye off the ball slightly as the public not necessarily in all security services, but i just wonder whether not the british whether or not the british pubuc whether or not the british public been vigilant public have not been as vigilant as should be . well, as maybe they should be. well, it's difficult in it's a difficult one strike in terms balance. patrick terms of balance. patrick i mean, if people like me, security cronies rattle on and on and on about the terrorism

threat , people become deaf to threat, people become deaf to it. they become you know, they become numb it and they don't become numb it and they don't become vigilant. so in the same way as levels, if they way as threat levels, if they used an appropriate fashion used in an appropriate fashion by raising them and lowering them at appropriate times, get them at appropriate times, get them also draws the general them this also draws the general public's to it. now talking of people's consciousness being drawn, something i mean, the taliban didn't exactly need any help being a hateful bunch of so—and—so's, i couldn't help so—and—so's, but i couldn't help but as well that prince but notice as well that prince harry just harry appears to have just stowed the fires yet again. stowed out the fires yet again. now, am certainly saying now, i am not certainly saying that. think prince will that. i think prince harry will definitively cause anything by this. i think he's being very stupid and i am afraid, well, i can see a situation where some over her name is prince harry, is the reason why he goes and does something stupid know. and i'm concerned about that. no, i. i'm concerned about that. no, i. i think we rightly so. i mean, he's talking about context he's talking about the context of the point of his of him raising the point of his his body count or his kill count, if you like , in count, if you like, in afghanistan. i hadn't bearing in mind he was in service for years

and he was in theatre, i can't remember how many towards he actually did down in afghanistan . but in terms of a kill count this is something that people who have been that position or that situation with that experience do not discuss outside of their close circle . outside of their close circle. rarely will they even discuss it with their partners. so whether he's saying, well, actually the papers took it out. context. a lot of veterans that i know are incredibly incensed by the fact that he's even raised it. there's no point to raising it. you know, if you want to talk about operations , i never read about operations, i never read the passages in the book. and he says, oh, well, was doing it says, oh, well, he was doing it to try you know, highlight to try to you know, highlight the that 70 veterans and 40 the fact that 70 veterans and 40 commit suicide. but that's no from reading. that's all you just you know. exactly and i think him rattling on about it, i don't know whether it's an act of bravado whether it's his sort what. but you know, some people are saying maybe they attribute the responsibility to his ghost writer, know, he should writer, but, you know, he should read the whole thing and proofed everything that, everything to make sure that,

you sends check to. you know, he sends a check to. just quickly, show me just lastly, quickly, show me and bbc. i mean, and beg him on the bbc. i mean, that's the daytime series. you never know here, isn't it? never know it here, isn't it? i'm the monster of the i'm not the monster of the shamima begum story. you shamima begum story. do you think the public angle. think the public interest angle. i absolutely get. i am, i think i absolutely get. i am, yeah. i think i absolutely get. i am, yeah . interested in what i use . yeah. interested in what i use. yeah. oh yeah. really. i am i understand the public in hearing for shamima begum . i still for shamima begum. i still however do not think that that legitimises the helping him rehabilitate a public . i agree rehabilitate a public. i agree entirely. i think you know where that ten part series could have been better spent in terms of a taxpayers would have been maybe interviewing her family to talk about how her family were affected by her going off and by them being vilified, probably in their community. well, i that would have served a far greater and beneficial purpose with the general public because then they would see certainly terms of their children. maybe they would look inwardly a little bit more . if they have someone, what would the what were the signs of

that child becoming radicalised? yeah to be honest, i don't give a hoot what shamima to say. she said everything i need to hear. yes. and now i hope she yes. and even now i hope she rots in the syrian refugee camp. yeah. i'm sorry. that's a bit yeah. so i'm sorry. that's a bit harsh, but you should hear harsh, but no, you should hear some of things i'll say. some of the things i'll say. about i'm not all that. about what? i'm not all that. well, very much. we'll well, thank you very much. we'll getting that essential security expert wide range of expert covering a wide range of topics us. coming up. we're topics for us. coming up. we're going thoughts on going to hear your thoughts on all a school in all of this at a school in lewisham have scrapped their name, drake, because of lewisham have scrapped their narlinks drake, because of lewisham have scrapped their narlinks to drake, because of lewisham have scrapped their narlinks to slave ke, because of lewisham have scrapped their narlinks to slave trade, :ause of his links to slave trade, despite the fact that he did loads of other stuff as well, like, know, to feed like, you know, to feed the armada journalist and armada anyway. journalist and former flynn joins former mep patrick flynn joins us of a history us for a bit of a history lesson. maybe likes of which the kids our could learn kids at our school could learn from britain suffered 50,000 excess deaths last year 50,000. we're going to hear from the spectators days earlier. sir michael , this a little michael simmons, this a little bit you will not want bit later on. you will not want to that. so don't .

miss yes, welcome back, everybody. now, before the break, i was my own personal concerns about the terror threats facing this country is in light of a few different things and isis video has resurfaced in which they appear that they are appear to say that they are coming london. prince harry coming to london. prince harry course doing his best to enrage the taliban. cheers. how's that? and during the as well, desperately trying get back into the uk and the bbc doing all they to rehabilitate their they can to rehabilitate their pubuc they can to rehabilitate their public image that to of temper podcast loads we've been getting in touch on this gbviews@gbnews.uk reading james james says it's scary watching grandkids today. james grandkids going out today. james i'm just can't help but feel as though we're helping though we're not helping ourselves. probably my ourselves. this was probably my overarching is overarching point, which is that when of up as well when you add all of up as well as what's been on in the as what's been going on in the channel and all of stuff, channel and all of this stuff, we know a lot of these we don't know a lot of these people are coming here. why on are we doing our best? would are we doing our best? it would seem anyway, to try seem in my view anyway, to try to make ourselves safe is like

national self—harm. anyway, we've zero. here they go . we've got zero. here they go. says feels like everything is collapsing. how can feel safe. yeah, there is just a little of a sense in the air is now and i look across the what's been happening in france paris is really starting to kick off again had a terrorist again recently had a terrorist that to be a far that believed to be a far terrorist in the kurdish that was followed by the incident today all alleged what happens a day although to be honest with you good sources you some quite good sources saying was shouting saying that a chap was shouting about allah starving people in the so reading to the train station. so reading to that, constantly that, what you will constantly and do think? we and says, what do you think? we can rely ourselves nowadays can only rely ourselves nowadays the pointless. well, the cops are pointless. well, i don't know if that's particularly constantine, particularly true. constantine, i your point, though but i take your point, though but the i would it's the only reason i would say it's not true that i think we not true is that i think we would utterly, would be utterly, utterly terrified the true terrified if knew the true extent attacks are extent of the terror attacks are brilliant intelligence services. stop. we don't hear about a lot of them for good. i did think it was fascinating , wasn't it, to was fascinating, wasn't it, to have security have international security expert on earlier, expert will geddes on earlier, who think was saying what we were thinking lot of us were all thinking or a lot of us were all thinking or a lot of us were about this iranian

were thinking about this iranian uranium. it off the tongue, which rocks at heathrow airport yesterday. i didn't i think it looks a little bit like a dry run. and george here saying something again, the only thing we're , certainly we're all thinking, certainly for us who live in for those of us who do live in our capital, he says, i feel increasingly unsafe, particularly in london. hate particularly in london. i hate to say it, but to say it. i hate to say it, but i help feel as though i can't help but feel as though there's something in the there's just something in the air minute. anyway, air at the minute. anyway, i hope wrong. of course moving hope i'm wrong. of course moving on from that today. news. it's a francis drake primary school will changing its name to will be changing its name to twin school. twin oaks primary school. i mean, you proud to be mean, it makes you proud to be british, doesn't it? nothing makes of makes you think of great britain, oaks. this britain, the twin oaks. this comes after a poll conducted with 88% of 450 parents, staff, pupils and local residents voting in favour of a new name. you know, this was actually an episode waterloo road, you know, the series waterloo road. they did this on waterloo road. it's not a sitcom. it's not a drama. no is real life. the wokeist have called it absolutely mental. the was prompted after

blm protest is called into question. drake's connection to the slaves. i know that some few things are about drake. okay. drake is primarily remembered for and crucially here, defeats in the spanish armada as invasion of england in 1588. but he drifted into piracy and did own slaves . head teacher of the own slaves. head teacher of the school, karen cartwright . this school, karen cartwright. this to say the slave links associated with the current name santa rs with the values of our school can't say it's one would assume just because the school is called sir francis drake school. i don't anyone thinks that the values of that school would imply that it supports slavery. i mean , that would be slavery. i mean, that would be weird, wouldn't it? this caused outrage on twitter . many outrage on twitter. many prominent historians and figures calling this choice a lack of historic knowledge and contest. in fact, the a copy of it, honestly , as i found it. bbc honestly, as i found it. bbc reported this story on their twitter renaming drake basically just saying slave trader sir francis . so that's it. so sir

francis. so that's it. so sir francis. so that's it. so sir francis drake is just now this of the game literally saving from the spanish. now not so professor robert tombs mailonline naming a school after him does not mean being in favour of slavery. that would be absurd . drake is remembered for absurd. drake is remembered for helping to save england from a terrible invasion rather than using his name to teach his pupils valuable lessons about the past. they've all said very bland and meaningless alternative cuts the from alternative that cuts the from history. tory alexander stafford called this cultural . so does called this cultural. so does this justify fine drake now. do of his other achievements matter . do we just know george orwell as some kind of homophobic ? as some kind of homophobic? remember, churchill is just, i don't know, a rampant alcoholic . here to discuss this eroding history is the journalist and former mep o'flynn, whose weigh in on this debate on twitter patrick young. he very much i'll throw it over to you. i mean it makes you proud to be british, doesn't say i can't wait for my kids to go to twin oak school. yeah, well when i of primary

yeah, well when i was of primary school , most that i knew got school, most that i knew got their bases from history, not just from the primaries, but from this series here. i'm holding up a lady bird history. if the viewers can see if i can get out. anyway this one's on. elizabeth, the first. and it includes screeds about francis . includes screeds about francis. in fact, i'll read you the first. i'm enjoying this. this time writing of was a time for adventure at sea. of all men who sailed from our shores into unknown seas. the was sir francis drake . right. now francis drake. right. now i think our primary school should be learning a bit of that. and the school should get the ladybird back in. but what i'm particularly worried about is this apparently was some kind of queasy democrats decision the way the critical weight of opinion at this school in deptford in south east london. among the parents the pupils, the staff , of course, the left

the staff, of course, the left wing teachers in london was to drop the name of one of our great heroes and my particularly point is that this is an authentic reflection of what's happening in london and with the london population and part of its huge change, mass immigration without any integration , no pride in our integration, no pride in our national story. integration, no pride in our national story . and i blame and national story. and i blame and social conservatives , dare i say social conservatives, dare i say it, probably like us , i would it, probably like us, i would say actually the conservative party in power for the last decade or more, but not taking the fight on, but being too scared to restore a sense of national. yeah, i am begrudgingly inclined to agree with you . i'd like to think that with you. i'd like to think that i tried to do my bit to stop that happening every now and again. but i can happily left, right and centre. i mean, there was a school in pimlico where the union was set on fire and, the union was set on fire and, the school by pupils. and that was all i think, and

was all right, i think, and probably head teacher up probably head teacher ended up apologising replacing the apologising and replacing the union jack which is where we're now and i just can't now isn't it. and i just can't help but feel as though this is pointing to something much wider which you've alluded patrick, which you've alluded patrick, which the total erosion in which is the total erosion in british history . and the only british history. and the only elements of it that are being highlighted as well are all the negative and have you got negative ones. and have you got to a school named to do to have a school named after you? this country the after you? this country from the spanish apartheid is not of them. no, absolutely. and mark my , we or the my words, we don't or the conservative party in government doesn't take up this battle. turn tide on this critical race theory , start teaching young theory, start teaching young people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds the pride and the great achievements of this country. londoners these young londoners will be for nelson's column within this time. be toppled. churchill will be toppled. churchill will be toppled 100. i mean, there is there also another irony to this course, which is about the barbary slaves? i there were loads of people were basically white europeans who were sold

into slavery as well. i mean where all reparations we never hear about that . no, absolutely. hear about that. no, absolutely. and as someone of kind of irish catholic heritage , you know, if catholic heritage, you know, if i was to obsess about the past, i was to obsess about the past, i would call for every statue of oliver cromwell to be ripped down. but the whole point is that i was up focusing on on the country belong to, which is england and the united kingdom and the great achievements which seem to be drumming it into kids from ethnic minority backgrounds these days to be resentful about society. they are growing in an incentive to identify with and get to a post—racial politics. and as you were alluding to, the story of slavery , very, very story of slavery, very, very much more complex , just the idea much more complex, just the idea of why europe peons oppressing black . i'm 100, but there also black. i'm 100, but there also another element to it, which is if you any and heard at the moment on british television or you walk into various different and you saw the amount of signalling going on you would be

forgiven for thinking every other person that you past in the street was a member of the lgb plus community. you know trans or whatever. you would be forgiven for thinking that the vast majority of people in this country were not, in fact ethnic minorities. they were now the i think, majority. you will be forgiven for thinking if forgiven for thinking that if you just your tv on you just turned your tv on and saw adverts, why on earth saw the adverts, why on earth are do you think , not proud are we? do you think, not proud of our own culture, enforcing our own culture ? he said. we're our own culture? he said. we're so apologetic about it. well i think it's very much to do with with being so predominant in the uk, the centre of finance, politics, media, you know, seven or eight times as big as the next city, the centre , you know, next city, the centre, you know, the volume and the voice of london, you know, and an enormous hotbed for immigration . and so, you know, most people work in london, growing up in london were not born in london were not even born in england . were not even born in england. you know so it's a completely different and yet the people

working in media, particularly in the bbc in london think the whole country is like london and that's why you get this over over predominantly tiny minority it's the creation is completely fake narrative . like i've said, fake narrative. like i've said, they're about the demographics this country whether that's in an ethnic sense or whether it's in a sexual orientation sense. at the same . so simultaneously , at the same. so simultaneously, the total desecration of our actual history and a relentless desire to focus only on the negatives, which absolutely my mind boggling. patrick, thank you very much . always you very much. always a pleasure. patrick flynn for brexit party going to commentator as next up , i commentator as well. next up, i have the one and only michael symmons, data editor of the spectator on the 50,000 excess deaths recorded in the uk in 2022. why do you think that might be? people will get stuck into the meat and bones of that and the great zoe and afterwards the great zoe simple telegraph on the simple for the telegraph on the prime minister's plan to make all children study maths until 18. i just thought it was a big sweaty nerd than mine. i've got

bullied at school frankly bullied at school and frankly a lot like well, from the inbetweeners , i'm told that inbetweeners, i'm told that maybe wrong , but essentially maybe i'm wrong, but essentially it's a charade for the it's all a charade for the inevitable takeover of the chinese communist party. of chinese communist party. and of course , the chance to give me a course, the chance to give me a right good pummelling people gb views gb news don't look. you views of gb news don't look. you can ask me anything, i promise. so sorry, delgaudio .

do you remember ? the days of do you remember? the days of lockdown? i certainly do . every lockdown? i certainly do. every night on the tv especially the bbc news the country shown a rather shocking looking graph display the huge number excess deaths caused by 19 supposedly. just to recap excess deaths or any deaths that exceed what is statistically so if we take an average number of deaths based on the preceding five years, but the current numbers exceed those

numbers will be called excess deaths it would make. yep go right. well what if i was to tell you that in 2022, britain had an average of roughly thousand excess deaths per week? yes about 50,000 in total, and then what if i told you that only a small minority of those were covid deaths ? so then were covid deaths? so then naturally the question is what's actually causing all of these access deaths? a report late last year found that 30,000 people have needlessly died from heart disease since , the heart disease since, the beginning of the pandemic, perhaps the vast backlogs that emerged from pandemic are playing their evidence may also ambulance waiting times contributing to. but one thing seems clear to me all roads lead back to lockdown for a long. this story was ignored , but this this story was ignored, but this show pursued scrutinised it relentlessly . one of the many relentlessly. one of the many who examined this story more than most is michael simm. as

the data editor at the spectator. thank you very very much. absolutely. much. monaco absolutely. pleasure you on the pleasure to. have you on the show. may i say talk show. may i say just talk through what some of these findings what mean findings are and what they mean to this the cost of to you is. this the cost of lockdown, in your view. thanks for having me on i would say absolutely is the cost of lockdown. so as you mentioned. and every week the office for national statistics publishes death figures for the country and they all sometimes split that because and covid and other causes. that because and covid and other causes . and as you mentioned in causes. and as you mentioned in the introduction if that goes above the average we saw before the pandemic, that's in excess deaths. and what's found now that we have all of the data for last year is there's about 50,000 more and average. and that's the highest excess deaths apart from the pandemic. and in since about 1951. and if we look at the causes and a lot it is or rather a very small portion of it is covid and other parts that look like there's a big increase

and in heart deaths. i know you mentioned the british foundation report that found that fires and deaths happened because perhaps of missed appointments. and one thing we calculated in the spectator data team is that dunng spectator data team is that during lockdowns was about 8 million missed appointments and. we now know that the nhs waiting are at record record high and so it looks like a lot of health problems that people would have had just normally a normal year dunng had just normally a normal year during the pandemic get treated and then that's coming to bite them and there's now and how does this compare to the amount of people who were dying and excess deaths wise during pandemic the height of the pandemic the height of the pandemic during lockdown. so the reason why we lockdown to try to limit these access deaths, how doesit limit these access deaths, how does it relate to those numbers that because was saying at the time in my view i think that more people might end up dying. sadly as a result of our response to covid that may be covid it's if was not way off

the mark. so in terms of just pure excess deaths , there were pure excess deaths, there were more excess deaths during the lockdowns because you of course, had all these heart and cancer deaths, plus the covid deaths . deaths, plus the covid deaths. and now we're certainly seeing in some weeks of last year, there was more deaths from all these other causes than there were in in the covid weeks. i would say that it's probably too early to say. was there more covid or was there more lockdown caused deaths because , of caused deaths because, of course, the people that are going to die because they missed treatments during lockdown have an old idea . there will still be an old idea. there will still be people on the nhs lists waiting for treatment who needs ambulances? because these backlogs that are sadly going to die. so the number is going going to mount and. it's certainly something that we need to keep looking at that what is going to be the true cost are absolutely but please tell me that the government is investigating this because i really hope that when the dust settles some people at least be

held to account . well you would held to account. well you would absolutely hope that the government was investing this andindeed government was investing this and indeed investigating . and and indeed investigating. and then when i started writing about this in the summer and that was sort of the impression i had it being investigated i had that it being investigated but spoke to the department for health today and they said that there was no formal just that there was no formal just that the situation was being monitored . and it's certainly monitored. and it's certainly true to say that do have very good monitoring tools that people either spoke to senior in government just don't seem to be aware of these monitoring tools and so i certainly think a proper investigation is needed and that should definitely form part of the covid inquiry that's going to kick off this year. yeah, i'm saying now, given that we waiting for this we are still waiting for this to work through the system, work its way through the system, covid a of it is covid is still a thing of it is still affecting people . and as still affecting people. and as you rightly pointed out, all the people yet to die as people who are yet to die as a response to our coronavirus crisis, only the lockdowns. well, had well, did you have they all had medical nhs is medical conditions. the nhs is still knees, partly as still on its knees, partly as a result of all of this. do you

think that if we look at these things side by side again now , things side by side again now, if anything ever happens again, that the public should be given almost like the trade off. so instead of just with these graphs in next slide, please , graphs in next slide, please, this is the consequence of what might happen if we let covid rip. now we have a little bit of data, don't we, imply what data, don't to we, imply what could did let it could happen if we did let it rip? actually yeah, absolutely . rip? actually yeah, absolutely. mean during during covid. certainly the first lockdown, it was all focussed on that one issue and the public be made made more aware of the trade offs. and in fairness chris whitty he did recently publish a paper where i think he made this point himself that some of the trade offs could have been better communicate, edited so that people can make better choices or not necessarily better choices , but just more better choices, but just more informed choices, knowing there are to both sides . do you are costs to both sides. do you think this was deliberately out at the time because people want to get in the way of lockdown and i wouldn't say it was unreported because . the old fs

unreported because. the old fs pubush unreported because. the old fs publish this every week, so the data was there for people to look at and but maybe the government could have had a clearer eye on it and had looked for it. you certainly know you speak to people in government who are now seem unaware this is going on and. so maybe it wasn't so much unreported is that people didn't want to know about it. yeah, i think that's the key point, isn't people didn't really want to know. it didn't point, isn't people didn't rea of want to know. it didn't point, isn't people didn't rea of the |t to know. it didn't point, isn't people didn't rea of the narrativer. it didn't point, isn't people didn't rea of the narrative att didn't point, isn't people didn't rea of the narrative at thein't lot of the narrative at the time, michael, really appreciate you making the time for us this evening. there, evening. michael simmons there, the editor at spectator. the data editor at spectator. make check him make sure you always check him out on twitter, out online as well on twitter, on media. he's always got on social media. he's always got a of great research right a load of great research right now up. has our prime now coming up. has our prime minister next guest minister gone mad? my next guest reckons that his new plans don't consider the variety of this great country maybe more creative things country has creative things his country has to telegraph columnist to offer its telegraph columnist zoe's israel . in the zoe's temple israel. in the studio with me will be guide is zoe shortly plus your zoe very shortly plus your favourite show. yes favourite part of the show. yes it's the time contractually obuged it's the time contractually obliged to say. it's the time contractually obliged to say . you got to give obliged to say. you got to give me a ride pummelling gb views

gbnews.uk ask me anything . i'll gbnews.uk ask me anything. i'll answer our saying a minute .

all right. how many of us have walked into a room of computer programmers hacking away that keyboard? there shaking from bottle after bottle , monster bottle after bottle, monster energy, drink and thought, gosh this country . we need more of this country. we need more of these guys because for all we bang on about diversity . there's bang on about diversity. there's not a great deal of it and she's fun to force maths on so everyone until the age of 18. is that why i'm open to? different skill sets, different talents and different interests or having something unique to bring to the table? or dare i say it, bit of creativity without doubt, maths will probably help get a job with a decent pay packet . no job with a decent pay packet. no doubt that. not knocking doubt about that. not knocking at have found deep at so rich might have found deep meaning in his time as an analyst for an investment bank.

but don't all want to be but we don't all want to be finance pros banging about forex trading and a clapham wine bar. now do it is this really the future ? because if we don't see future? because if we don't see the if it is the future just struck me as one of those space struck me as one of those space s rockets and just jettison me off into the stratosphere. i would much rather, for example, be one of my lucky produced heroes, one of my lucky producers to you producers helping to bring you treasure view the news that treasure to view the news that you anywhere. sunday you won't get anywhere. sunday telegraph about size telegraph is about size a columnist joins now saw columnist who joins now saw something out of the communist playbook in this rishi sue not big mouth the gender in the air. okay i the idea of och yes something we've got to take that you a big headline let's be yeah i mean there are some important points though and i think the reaction i had to this article is interesting because i got monstered by people who were just very, very angry at what they thought i was saying chinese communist, to be honest, has much more stuff that it's

imposing on people than just force. yes, but the point is, we live in an age in which anyone can access a calculator and they can access a calculator and they can access a calculator and they can access maths like calculating machines better than any human practically by just literally putting something into the internet. you need to know the internet. you need to know the answer to something mathematical. you can it without having to learn all that stuff yourself. if you want to learn the yourself, that's the stuff yourself, that's great. actually jealous great. and i'm actually jealous of because numeracy stands everyone way better than everyone in a way better than being it. know, i'm with being at it. you know, i'm with you the i'm it so i think you on the i'm it so i think there's that i that's the there's that i think that's the age we're in like in terms of that okay yes knowing what that it's okay yes knowing what questions to ask a little bit more an issue. but when think more an issue. but when i think back, i'm one of the people is bad at maths it was torture being forced it really difficult if . i you know i enjoyed it but if. i you know i enjoyed it but it took about ten times longer than most other i say in than most other i would say in current parlance , probably it's current parlance, probably it's a of learning. i agree on a lot of learning. i agree on the same right. but that said i'm very grateful what i learned

between of five and ten between the ages of five and ten because percentage is fractions , arithmetic times, tables. so basically useful. yeah, it come in and the everything else complete just just unpleasant. well i agree with you know i very fortunate in my schooling i had fantastic teachers , i had had fantastic teachers, i had fantastic classmates lot of the time, of course, but i was absolutely shocking. it matters is set nine out of nine i think instead of four out of four the year before that. and she think a fine of hunter persisted with mass all the way through to the age of 18. it would have genuinely been bad for mental genuinely been bad for my mental health, well, mean, health, right? well, i mean, i think should we the think we should we the responsibility at least responsibility as well at least i older to not fall into i do the older to not fall into this about everything's this thing about everything's about things about mental yeah yeah things can can be embarrassing can suck can be embarrassing fine i mean and be difficult fine but i mean and be difficult thatis fine but i mean and be difficult that is what school unfortunately on people and i suppose that's useful life lesson but i look i grew up in the states as you might so and there you do have to take math for the whole time but i came here for a—levels gratefully dropped it then thought i might

return the us when it turned return to the us when it turned out i would have had to take physics calculus. all those things until i thought things until i just thought i literally this will ruin my life for the year. i don't have the time i could just you know, i'm going to do the system because you can't. and the other thing doesis you can't. and the other thing does is make that back to this kind of of individualism. i kind of idea of individualism. i think getting this think we are getting to this place are overly place where we are overly worshipping school and what school be or rather we school should be or rather we are endowing school with are overly endowing school with what have. and what it's supposed to have. and that goes for things like mental health of students and like health of the students and like every aspect is being every single aspect is now being outsourced to schools . don't outsourced to schools. we don't give any to kind , give anyone any chance to kind, just out. well, just figure stuff out. well, i agree you on i completely agree with you on i completely and i hope i didn't come across as too much no flowers and as too much with no flowers and me doing but that's me doing maths, but that's completely mental. of course i would have done it, but i don't think i would necessarily think i would have necessarily gained anything else. you wouldn't all. definitely wouldn't at all. definitely wouldn't at all. definitely would by way, would the teachers, by the way, they'd it as much as they'd have hated it as much as i i wasn't there to i did because i wasn't there to learn wouldn't have wanted learn and i wouldn't have wanted to that particular to learn at that particular moment i look

moment time. but when i look around at this country now, we've got it's never anyone's responsibility for anything. so it's apart the it's apparent, apart from the schools, it's the schools, really. so it's the school's to be school's responsibility to be mum, kids or whatever mum, dad to kids or whatever permutation course permutation of that, of course they want days. so it's they want these days. so it's possible. be like possible. seems to be like mental as mental health care workers as well. it's obviously our responsibility the responsibility to teach the responsibility to teach the responsibility and responsibility to maybe and would say educate them politically about a variety of different left wing bonkers ideologies all of a sudden ideologies and all of a sudden we a generation children we create a generation children who after themselves who cannot look after themselves and over. and you and just roll over. and you know, roll over on their backs and limbs in air and throw their limbs in air whenever anything tough. and throw their limbs in air wheithat's, nything tough. and throw their limbs in air wheithat's, n'think tough. and throw their limbs in air wheithat's, n'think we tough. and throw their limbs in air wheithat's, n'think we are>ugh. and throw their limbs in air wheithat's, n'think we are now and that's, i think we are now possibly just to say possibly and i think just to say i agree with that, i think to take it back to the maths thing, it's really this idea that rishi said, well, these today said, well, all these jobs today have data driven need have really data driven and need all stuff people are all that stuff when people are motivated because they want to earn the work. earn, they will do the work. yeah you do not need to take up taxpayer money learning things that are for five years ahead. but also where's where's the imagination of this? is imagination in all of this? is this the best that britain has got? just from a policy got? just from a purely policy perspective? naff perspective? i think it's naff because is this the best idea,

right? maths, stop. we've got these people who are going go these people who are going to go into finance, job, whatever and not knocking finance jobs. that is . probably deep is tremendous. i'm probably deep down bit jealous that down really a bit jealous that i'm built that right? i'm not built that way, right? i'm not built that way, right? i'm not built that way, right? i'm not wired that but i'm not wired that way. but in a country at the moment that is struggling with practical trades and we need to and we were told that we need to import them all for however long we've a couple we've got a couple of generations children who generations now of children who are need whatsoever go to are no need whatsoever to go to university, settle themselves are no need whatsoever to go to ullifetime settle themselves are no need whatsoever to go to ullifetime full:le themselves are no need whatsoever to go to ullifetime full of themselves are no need whatsoever to go to ullifetime full of debt selves are no need whatsoever to go to ullifetime full of debt we res a lifetime full of debt we stigmatise practical trades and creativity. too long creativity. i think for too long did away and it looks like we're doing that that sounds doing it again. that that sounds right only thing right to me. the only thing would that it seems like would say is that it seems like he's saying have to do an he's not saying have to do an a—level, could a a—level, but you could do a technical course in maths. but that's to your point. why not encourage people these the encourage people to do these the equivalent a technical equivalent of a technical course? it's something like course? but it's something like fixing absolutely. fixing cars. absolutely. that would really would sort of be be really practical that let practical in that way and let people come to the maths later and also this, you know, this idea these jobs need idea that all these jobs need maths. of but we're maths. yes, of course. but we're also, know, everybody also, you know, everybody knows the aren't at the people who aren't good at math will either come to it on their own or should be

their own or they should be encouraged to become you philosophy or know, probably philosophy or you know, probably you're philosophy. you're very good at philosophy. so well, so you could some other well, you know , paper might have you know, paper might have benefited let's see, benefited more. let's see, you've read my books. no, not i've never had a book i've never, never had a book deal i've never, never had a book deal. you very deal. but look thank you very much. really enjoyed this, much. i really enjoyed this, actually. to actually. it's been great to have show. thank you have you on the show. thank you very. in passing wisdom on very. in passing your wisdom on managing twitter tirade managing ride the twitter tirade of we giving you of abuse that we were giving you as well, taking strong stuff to giles right now time to you giles go right now time to you can't count the of abuse this is so bad and you work out your ratio . yeah look at the data ratio. yeah look at the data analyst understand the ignorance is bliss because we've got loads .thank is bliss because we've got loads . thank you so, so much . . thank you so, so much. fantastic stuff. right? okay so it's a fun time on the show. it's time for pamela patrick. yeah okay. what have you got for me today, you lovely people? lee says , what do you want to be says, what do you want to be prime minister? and if were prime minister? and if you were . oh, gosh, what's the first thing you would do ? well, i have thing you would do? well, i have thought about the idea of being prime minister. i think we all have. let's be honest with you. at some point, i don't think i'd

like all of the hassle and faff that it takes in order to get into a position of even being an mp, let alone actually becoming prime but in this day prime minister but in this day and i'm starting and age, right now, i'm starting to whether or not i to wonder whether or not i should try run to be prime should try to run to be prime because, know, maybe time because, you know, maybe time for to put my money where my for me to put my money where my mouth is. and also, if theresa may can earn two and a half million pounds, the dinner million pounds, the after dinner speaking after becoming speaking circuit after becoming minister for a brief period of time , which she utterly then time, which she was utterly then surely i've got to able to coin it about 10 million large, which think is worth a couple of years of probably everyone in this country is about what's the first thing that i would do? the thing that i do is maybe thing that i would do is maybe this is rather predictable for a lot but it is so our lot of people, but it is so our immigration and of what's immigration and sort of what's going in the channel and make going on in the channel and make the tough decisions that actually frankly to actually frankly need to take. because you look at because when you look at everything at stake, not everything else at stake, not just security, the just national security, but the impact it's on our impact that it's having on our pubuc impact that it's having on our public services and the impacts, i that is i would argue as well that is happening very different happening on very different ideologies country.

ideologies in this country. i would no problem saying the would have no problem saying the things needs to be things that i think needs to be said, says he's asked me said, sean says he's asked me that's asked me how that's what's he asked me how can we see a quiet year out on the front line? will the political front line? will it another year of it be another year of pandemonium? i think pandemonium? well, sean, i think there to be medium there has to be a happy medium here. we'll be here. i think we'll be fundamentally let down by being in a holding pattern of british policies, nothing will in a holding pattern of british po|done. nothing will in a holding pattern of british po|done. in nothing will in a holding pattern of british po|done. in a1othing will in a holding pattern of british po|done. in a time1g will in a holding pattern of british po|done. in a time1g crisis be done. and in a time of crisis on multiple different fronts, we need not going get need and we're not going to get any because we're going to we end up just choosing two very, very men at the next very dull men at the next general election and we're lucky. next. down watson lucky. up next. he's down watson dunn's don. and dunn's here right now, don. and you've opposite you've got the opposite of. a dull man, aren't you, patrick? christie's no, a strong christie's of no, a strong pitch. p m. i like pitch. christie's p m. i like it. it's terrifying thought. but i'm the man we need done. anyway, have you got coming anyway, what have you got coming up going to continue up? look, i am going to continue to tackle these lies and delusions from harry that we saw overnight. i know you mentioned it briefly at the top of the show this bizarre backtrack on the taliban. we've got a great line—up, including meghan mccain, who is, of course, one

of the top republican commentators, the world and the daughter of , john mccain. oh my daughter of, john mccain. oh my gosh, fantastic stuff down most no one would expect anything less . lovely to see you as ever. less. lovely to see you as ever. make sure you don't move at all because . the wonderful diane because. the wonderful diane watson the man been you've watson the man has been you've all come to say, is here right now. hi there , aidan mcgivern now. hi there, aidan mcgivern here met office it's here from the met office it's going to be cold tonight in northern scotland, but elsewhere across the uk more wet and windy weather way, wettest in weather on the way, wettest in south where of course it's been so wet so far this year. there are more weather fronts coming in, bringing bouts of rainfall will be persistent across parts of wales and south—west england through the night there'll be some wetter weather elsewhere. the pushing into northern ireland as well as northern and southern scotland during. the evening heaviest and evening really it's heaviest and most persistent over brecon beacons, over exmoor and that's falling on to saturated and so there'll be issues with flooding i think by the morning accompanied by a wind that wind

coming from the south—west gales in places 12 celsius though in the south whilst it's clear calm and frosty for northern scotland minus three or minus four celsius first thing, then an area of rain moves into scotland , england, northern ireland as it bumps into colder air. we can expect some snow, but four or 500 metres for central and northern scotland , the rain northern scotland, the rain elsewhere replaced by showers . elsewhere replaced by showers. it's staying blustery through thursday . the gales ease it's staying blustery through thursday. the gales ease and it's staying blustery through thursday . the gales ease and the thursday. the gales ease and the showers will be interspersed by some brighter spells . however it some brighter spells. however it turns increasingly windy for western scotland . northern western scotland. northern ireland. as we end thursday, gales , severe gales for the gales, severe gales for the northern irish coast pushing into western scotland and, then the irish sea coast during hours of darkness and the early of friday will see rain replaced by showers. a blustery night, but with the wind, of course, temperatures will stay above frost levels for most eight celsius in the south, three or four in the north, a bright despite it being a bit colder the south compared with thursday morning and it looks like

there'll be sunny spells coming through by friday afternoon across much of england wales eastern northern ireland, eventually but there'll be further showers, especially for scotland, north—west england and parts of wales. now into scotland, north—west england and parts of wales . now into the parts of wales. now into the weekend rain on saturday will be replaced by showers on sunday and it'll turn colder .

no spin, no bias, no censorship . dan wilson tonight mr. accountability, prince harry has gone off the deep end, denying his own dangerous taliban . the his own dangerous taliban. the kill count revelation blaming guess who for inventing the justify and outrage attacks is everything and unfortunately due to those leaks the british press chose to strip away all the context and take out individual segments of my life . so after