channel hello and welcome. i'm alastair stewart and for the next 2 hours i'll be keeping you company on tv and radio with the stories that matter across the country. we have plenty coming up today, including just what is the future of the great economy, including infrastructure with news of the collapse of british von news of the collapse of british volt this week i'll be talking to industry experts to find out what's for our manufacturers sector. also joining a little later will be the auto trader

founder john later will be the auto trader founderjohn medeski . and big founderjohn medeski. and big names in british business are speaking out against government , economic policy or in cases the clear lack of one from james day's dyson and rocco forte to the chairman of tesco's this very morning and what they say is that the lack a plan for growth , that taxes are too high growth, that taxes are too high and that the state is too big dead weights around the uk economy. so you may agree with them, you may disagree. do us know we've got a lot more come. but first, let's bring you right to date with all the day's news . here's aaron armstrong . thank . here's aaron armstrong. thank you much. good afternoon. it is a woman of past 12. i married armstrong in the gb newsroom labour are calling for nadhim zahawi to be sacked as tory party chairman following fresh allegations about his tax affairs . it's emerged the

affairs. it's emerged the conservative party chairman paid a penalty as part of a multi—million pound with hmrc relating to the sale of shares in yougov . the polling company in yougov. the polling company he founded. the justice secretary, dominic raab, has told gb news. he's confident zaharie been transparent over his taxes, but shadow chancellor rachel reeves believes , his rachel reeves believes, his position is untenable . dominic position is untenable. dominic raab, who's being invested gated for bullying, is passing judgement on nadhim zahawi, who's just had a £1 million fine for not paying his taxes on time. and that much epitomises this concern . it's safe cabinet this concern. it's safe cabinet . when the prime minister came into office , he said that he into office, he said that he would run a government that would run a government that would have honesty intake , risk would have honesty intake, risk and professionalism . at its and professionalism. at its heart. none of those things are happening today. heart. none of those things are happening today . meanwhile happening today. meanwhile senior labour mp has described the prime minister as ridiculous after he was given a fixed nofice after he was given a fixed notice by police for failing to wear a seatbelt. rishi sunak apologised for error of judgement, which happened , while

judgement, which happened, while filming a social media clip earlier this week and he he will comply with the fine which could be up to comply with the fine which could be up t 0 £500. it was also fined be up to £500. it was also fined last year for breaking lockdown rules in 2020 and shadow financial secretary james murray says mr. sunak lost control. just too many thought the conservatives couldn't get any more ridiculous rishi sunak shows that he can't even fasten his aims out. and i think this speaks they speak volumes about the fact that the prime minister is not is not in control compact. keir starmer was rishi sunak keir starmer has been at the world economic forum this week promoting the uk , promoting week promoting the uk, promoting a plan for economic growth in rishi sunak can't design seat belt. i think people will make their own judgement about who's been sleeping country over the deputy prime minister dominic raab says rishi sunak is a human being who made a. the prime minister put his hand straight up. it was a mistake. he's apologised for. he takes responsibility for it. he hasn't

actually down that path of blaming anyone else. he's taken responsibility for it. pay responsibility for it. he'll pay the he's a human as well. the fine. he's a human as well. a busy politician. a incredibly busy politician. the prime minister got a frantic, hectic schedule, but he's made it clear. frantic, hectic schedule, but he's made it clear . there's no he's made it clear. there's no excuses. he's made it clear. there's no excuses . former health secretary excuses. former health secretary sajid javid says charging patients for gp and a&e appointments is crucial to the survival of the nhs . speaking to survival of the nhs. speaking to the times, mr. javid said it would help the nhs ration its finite supply more effectively. mr. javid also said the appreciation for the health service has become a religious fervour and, a barrier to reform . the co—founder of the bus firm stagecoach anglo has been charged in connection with a human trafficking investigation. police scotland say four individuals understood to be members of family were charged on thursday connection with alleged human trafficking and immigration offences . a immigration offences. a statement issued on her behalf says ms. globe denies , the says ms. globe denies, the malicious allegations made

against her and her family. malicious allegations made against her and her family . an against her and her family. an adviser to the ukrainian president, volodymyr zelenskyy says indecision over whether to german made tanks to ukraine is costing lives. western allies did agree yesterday to send more nato weaponry to ukraine, but germany remains reluctant to provide its leopard tanks or to allow other countries to donate theirs , despite increasing theirs, despite increasing pressure to do . ukraine's pressure to do. ukraine's originally requested tanks to counter planned spring offensive offensive and us federal and state officials have now joined the search for the british actor juuan the search for the british actor julian sands, who went missing in the californian mountains eight days ago. rescue efforts are being conducted by helicopter only due to treacherous conditions . the san treacherous conditions. the san gabriel mountains , where two gabriel mountains, where two hikers have died in the last month. science is best known for his roles in a room with a view and arachnophobia. there's no timeline currently for ending the search . this is gb news will the search. this is gb news will bnng the search. this is gb news will bring you more as it happens. but now back to alastair

stewart& friends . stewart& friends. i want to thank you very much indeed. so good afternoon to you. all mixed signals on the economy this week . for the economy this week. for the second month running headline inflation fell , second month running headline inflation fell, prompting the ever cautious of the bank of england to suggest we might just have turned a corner. he feared recession might not be avoided , recession might not be avoided, but it might just be more and perhaps shorter lived than previously . then a global survey previously. then a global survey of investors suggested they saw the united kingdom in the top three go to destinations . sadly, three go to destinations. sadly, it also emerged that that didn't include britishvolt a forbes pound greenfield project in the north—west of england to

manufacture batteries for the uk car industry . with 3000 skilled car industry. with 3000 skilled jobs, it's sunk into liquidation . had private money been forced , i.e. inward invest movement or even money from here in the so too would government money that had been promised way back when. bofis had been promised way back when. boris johnson was prime minister, but only with that not unreason able condition. so what was forthcoming last week was unreason able condition. so what was forthcoming last week wa s £2 was forthcoming last week was £2 billion in levelling up money. it prompted a row with many saying that the chosen projects were not in many what was really neededin were not in many what was really needed in terms of infrastructure , economic growth infrastructure, economic growth from rail links that some said were not even necessary to changing rooms, and then eco eden project act in morecambe. now they may have a point. labour said that the whole exercise had been a bit the hunger games and hadn't even

replaced the local money that the tories had taken away over the tories had taken away over the years . though of course, to the years. though of course, to be fair, was never the be fair, that was never the objective. but even the tory mayor of the midlands, andy street, has said it was a begging bowl exercise. then two big names from the frontline of british business. but the boot into government economic . sir into government economic. sir james dyson he a vacuum cleaner and handed liar fame right that wrote big government was wrecking country and that the belief that the state could solve all of our woes was a dead weight on british industry . then weight on british industry. then the hotelier rocco forte whose family name synonymous with the hospitality sector, said that high taxes made the uk virtually a no go area for investors and employers. now the boss of the cbi told the world economic forum in davos that he feared investors had lost faith in the uk . john allen, chairman of one

uk. john allen, chairman of one of the country's biggest retailers , joined the chorus of retailers, joined the chorus of concern. this very morning, urging the government to come up with a growth plan to stem the exodus of . it's all over the exodus of. it's all over the daily telegraph. so you may want to read that. so from manufacturing, hospitality and retail. cries louder. so how the uk economy .7 last weekend we had uk economy? last weekend we had a great debate about the dangers of talking ourselves into a recession. how can and the government up our game to cling to that survey global investors and counter the negative top thinkers from the of business and economics join me live and free from the front line including recipients of levelling up money and the that won't now be making batteries. your thoughts and your experiences as always are hugely welcome. get in touch with me via gb views at gbnews.uk or on any of our social media outlets

. joining me live in the studio to get this conversation going are two very good old friends of mine. i'm going to start with rory mccallion, a writer and manufacturing journalist and principal economic for the independent columnist and mail, hamish mcrae sitting next to him. so first up, let's start with rory . you and i had an with rory. you and i had an dunng with rory. you and i had an during the week about britishvolt . yeah, i mean, it britishvolt. yeah, i mean, it seemed to me , but i'm not an seemed to me, but i'm not an expert. you are. and so is hamish. it was slam dunk. it's great technology . car great technology. car manufacturing this country desperately needs it. it was ready to go . the government ready to go. the government would have matched private investment if that had been forming. what wrong? well we all hoped for the best, but expected the worst. unfortunately those of us who've been following the development of britishvolt closely were not surprised, although disappointed by what

happened this week . one of my happened this week. one of my one of my friends, nick peters, who was former editor of the manufacturer, said that it never actually got beyond a cleared and a cgi impression of the factory. and i'm afraid that thatis factory. and i'm afraid that that is the case. it was dependent . the government dependent. the government supplying money as said, balancing and coming in charge a drop that what you're saying what you're saying there is even. yeah because the quid pro quo as a taxpayer seems be perfectly reasonable but we as government will give you x billion pounds or million pounds if private sector says, if the private sector says, yeah, like what see here. yeah, we like what we see here. what you're saying is the blueprint was not fit for purpose from the outset. at the end day, the business end of the day, the business plan really plan didn't look really credible. look credible. if it did look credible, would have credible, it would have attracted investment. very, attracted the investment. very, very straightforward demonstration . but what of demonstration. but what one of the that they did do that the things that they did do that was pointed out that they had hired a £28 million mansion with a jacuzzi and 4k screens for the designers and operators

. money was being spent upfront , but it wasn't really being spent on delivering the market. now it's wrong. say that there's nothing up there because course right next door to the nissan plant envision makes plant is envision which makes batteries and it's making about 30,000 and we have got 30,000 a year and we have got five battery manufacturers in this in this country. five battery manufacturers in this in this country . and it this in this country. and it would probably be rude to say that they've got an industry and when you're talking about williams not williams engineering, you're not talking cottage talking about a cottage industry. they're supplying to lotus and to aston martin and they are likely to be gearing up to provide high density batteries for truck for trucks. so we are doing good stuff. but what we haven't got really is the scale. they've got in germany and in scandinavia i think the government was probably onto a hiding to nothing with if they had done the same as they did with delorean and actually stepped and funded it and then the whole thing and collapsed, then it would be now it would have been castigated wasting taxpayers castigated for wasting taxpayers money. a bit money. it's getting a bit getting a the neck

getting at a bit in the neck this time for not supporting it, being it being seen to support it sufficiently. but i think that given what was happening, they probably right thing and probably did the right thing and said, know, get the said, you know, you will get the money meet these money if you meet these milestone if you don't meet milestone and if you don't meet these milestones, then you won't get that's what happened get it. and that's what happened . weren't met. . the milestones weren't met. they and in they didn't get the money and in the it ran out. hamish, the end it ran out. hamish, you've that that what both britishvolt itself and majority government should have done is out directly to those who do know what they're doing. i mean the chinese for example, who bought what was left of british leyland and c when it when it collapsed and of those japanese manufacturers who back in the seventies and eighties were tempted not to the north—west, but to the north—east and to swindon south wales and swindon and to south wales and what you this what have you and is this a classic case, not only, as rory suggests , a not very impressive suggests, a not very impressive blueprint , suggests, a not very impressive blueprint, but also a poor strategy? i think that you're absolutely right that if you look at what we've we've done, well, we're very good at the top

end.the well, we're very good at the top end. the williams the racing car and the battery projects there . and the battery projects there. we're very good to the top end. rolls—royce been very good to the top end . so you get how you the top end. so you get how you get the mass business. you get into the mass business. you need other countries on your side . and it was the japanese side. and it was the japanese ease, you know, the wonderful plant i think there most efficient one in the world. and you that that actually got us back the game after the collapse of a british leyland and so the question now seems to me are we have we got the right relationship with the big new player, which is china now? m.g. terrific really, really interesting . but are we actually interesting. but are we actually making enough of the stuff here or are we actually just bringing in branding it as m.g. or are we actually just bringing in branding it as mg. and then and then selling it? so i think that they i think the chinese and the japanese are the big players who will help us keep manufacturing going . and that

manufacturing going. and that has big implications obviously for battery sourcing . let me for battery sourcing. let me float to both of you then. you've both been brilliantly specific on on on britishvolt . specific on on on britishvolt. but that generality that i mentioned in my introduction as well, which the telegraph have done a big splash on pointing out that that i mean, these are people who do know what they're doing and have made big names themselves and a lot of money over the years. people like james dyson and rocco forte . and james dyson and rocco forte. and this morning, now, the chairman of tesco as well, saying, yeah, the real problem here is not a rubbish blueprint . people who rubbish blueprint. people who like building mansions, what have you. this is the lack of a government growth strategy because you're going to go to the chinese and say come on, come and help us build batteries here, what have you. they're going to say why? because i read this morning that that that tesco's and dyson. dyson tesco's and that dyson. dyson and that forte all of these guys think you guys haven't got a great strategy . so why would we

great strategy. so why would we want to put our money that. want to put our money into that. and do employ people that and if you do employ people that tax much . are they right? tax too much. are they right? i think the i mean, i think the answer is you got to split the macro and the micro and you've got to say maybe tax is a too high. i don't think that's necessarily a bit higher in germany. guitar in round a lot higher in france. so i think tax is an issue, but i don't think is an issue, but i don't think is the macro issues have to be separated and pushed from one side of the micro issues in the structural issues. and if you look at our infrastructure, there actually are big holes . if there actually are big holes. if you look at the and the detail veil of regulation , you look at veil of regulation, you look at the detail of taxation , which i the detail of taxation, which i think is the things that really worry business people. we don't want grand ideas. we just want more competence, quicker decisions . and then clearing decisions. and then clearing those roadblocks, be it traffic jams , sometimes deliberately , jams, sometimes deliberately, nowadays, you know, and i'm

pretty nutty that or the fact that railways across the north of england just just link up. now what you've done in the west country people are saying they've now built a railway line that they don't know in south wales that they don't need, they're not sure about. but i mean, i'm getting the impression that you were not that both of you were not overwhelmingly the overwhelmingly impressed by the infrastructure or infrastructure rollout or billions pounds earlier this billions of pounds earlier this week . did billions of pounds earlier this week. did that laugh come. i was only thinking it. i'm sorry about that. but yeah, i mean the industrial strategy that they talk about is to be against talk about is hard to be against or favour of something or in favour of something that doesn't exist , that we're doesn't really exist, that we're seeing a lot of nice words, but the actions aren't particularly when you're about the when you're talking about the bigger . northern bigger picture. northern powerhouse rail has been essentially or essentially cancelled or downgraded . northern hs2 has downgraded. northern hs2 has been delayed . levelling up has been delayed. levelling up has been delayed. levelling up has been diluted as we saw with that begging bowl or lottery or whatever you want. call it chips, microchip . we nearly chips, microchip. we nearly allowed the last chip producer in this country to be sold to china covid fukushima

china. covid and fukushima should have told us how should really have told us how vulnerable supply actually vulnerable long supply actually are, but we haven't done about it i didn't see that. it now. i didn't see that. i think it's the chairman of the big committee has announced an inquiry they're going to hold an inquiry. marvellous. now what we had i remember years ago said to me a committee , something that me a committee, something that designs a when it's been asked to come up with a horse and what will happen with these commissions they deliver light. they need the they deliver budget. we need the sort of drive that kate bingham talked about in her book, the long shot, the section in the middle where she was talking about they things going about how they got things going , people involved , how they got people involved from countries know, from other countries. you know, companies not necessarily the countries themselves and how they concertina the development program. so they were able to deliver those vaccines such deliver those vaccines in such a short period of time invested novel technology, were prepared see to see losses , knowing that see to see losses, knowing that the ones that came through would be huge gains. but what we don't talking about the automotive industry we're supposed to be

having electric vehicles only from 2030. yeah car manufacturers have ten year and five year timescales . we cannot five year timescales. we cannot afford to wait to 2008 to get this sorted out if we haven't got it sorted out by 2005, we're going to be in serious trouble. after 2030. we may not have an automotive industry. it is that important. we can't take time to chew the fat . something has to chew the fat. something has to be done quickly. i understand that a number of people have expressed interest in the britishvolt project. a jaguar land rover , and sources say that land rover, and sources say that your colleague liam halligan is very much on case. so i'm sure that we'll be hearing more from him on that. it's good to hear. there's a potentially large there's also a potentially large in coventry, but one of the things that think the things that i think the britishvolt to do was it britishvolt tried to do was it tried to go from a standing start 100 miles an hour without going the intermediate going through the intermediate stages building stages and building up, building up building up reputation, building up—market and demonstrating that it market. it it could supply that market. it was a pipe that was was always a pipe dream that was a but no, it was was a bit harsh, but no, it was was always a pipe dream. we're seeing with williams and we're

seeing with williams and we're seeing others with vision, seeing with others with vision, with hope, about which is williams and joint venture with others with accutron x amg power hyperdrive innovation agm batteries. we've got these these companies that are there and they are demonstrating ability. what they haven't done is scaled up. what we haven't done is actually get the mass production that need . final question to that we need. final question to you, hamish. always bang about that we need. final question to you factnish. always bang about that we need. final question to you fact you'relways bang about that we need. final question to you fact you're my/s bang about that we need. final question to you fact you're my favourite bout the fact you're my favourite political just political rather than just economist in these conversations . and if any government, should be up to having an economic strategy that embraces and supports manufacturing profit growth . it is a conservative growth. it is a conservative government unless rulebook has been rewritten and nobody told me, well of the things that i think hasn't happened is this government hasn't listened enough to people at the sharp to run the show and they've got a few to sit down, listen and start seeing where can get some quick wins . and if they don't it

quick wins. and if they don't it will be the other that is actually doing the listening and will get some quick wins. so i think that i think they've got a few to get moving, but my word they have to move out . i knew it they have to move out. i knew it would be good. i didn't were that brutal. hamish mcrae , great that brutal. hamish mcrae, great to see you. rory mccallion you too, my friend. thank you both very much indeed . you are always very much indeed. you are always welcome this program as you welcome on this program as you know. rory mccallum, know. and that's rory mccallum, freelance writer on industrial strategy and, hamish grey, the principle commentator for the independent and the mail as well. now as we've been discussing, those two britain's electric car battery start—up company based in went into administration this week for all sorts of reasons some of which hamish and rory cost little more light on than i did perhaps in my general introduction . it my general introduction. it promised to create a huge number of high tech jobs for those living in the area. to so discuss the loss and what went wrong , i'm delighted to be wrong, i'm delighted to be joined by counsel leigh brawn, who is conservative councillor for morpeth part of

northumberland county council . northumberland county council. rory says that it wasn't a brilliant plan in the first place and hamish mcrae they don't have a political axe to gnnd don't have a political axe to grind either of them, i swear to you i know them both very well and have done for a long time. and hamish is saying that unfortunately britishvolt didn't reach out to the people who perhaps could got this from being not the most brilliant blueprint, actually into action. what is your take of what went wrong? because loss is far greater than either hamish is or rory's . thank you, alister. yes rory's. thank you, alister. yes it is difficult . it rory's. thank you, alister. yes it is difficult. it is. this was a great project was a project that i was on the northumberland county council , were very keen county council, were very keen to do it to succeed. unfortunate only as you said it got into administration. but i don't think that means that the underlying project is flawed . underlying project is flawed. the location of site remains the best site in the country for

this kind gigafactory, which we do need . it is a site that's got do need. it is a site that's got whaling , it's got road links, whaling, it's got road links, it's got links to the local port, it's got planning permission, which is a big step forward for a site of this nature. so we all i mean, let me button in, david. just say that rory was also saying that he has read that are a number of potential investors, whether they be domestic or foreign, who are sniffing around a site that we've just put a picture but also be the project project . also be the project project. that's correct i do understand that the talks are ongoing and there are these two that we're aware of , potential bidders on. aware of, potential bidders on. these are not the asset strippers. these are but is that want to take the project forward as a bigger plant as it is as you can see designed there is a power that we have as the council because we originally sold the land to britishvolt and

we have the power to get it back if a giga plant isn't forthcoming on the site . so we forthcoming on the site. so we do have some stake in the game and we are hopeful that we can work with any partner to help deliver that project because it will be a transformational project for this part of the country, especially the south—east of northumberland, which is the most deprived area in northumberland and desperately needs this kind of investment . do you think as investment. do you think as a concern and if councillor that a conservative government have done more to help you ? i mean, done more to help you? i mean, i've said earlier on as a taxpayer, i and i presume you'd agree with this as well, i'm totally happy with with the government saying, look , here's government saying, look, here's some money to help with this brilliant project. if guys brilliant project. if you guys can it britishvolt with inward investment from someone else . investment from someone else. hamish mcrae said you people and her majesty's government won't talking to the right people to get it off the ground. yes i agree. this is something we'll

need. we'll need public money, support. but that public money should only be delivered when are hit. it is unfortunate that the team that went in britishvolt hit those benchmarks. i think the government were prudent to hold them to that. now, what we hope is whoever takes the project forward will be able to have the and the ability to hit benchmarks set by government to at least funding. i understand that funding is still potentially on the table as long as the light of the fire comes forward. so i don't the whole project is by any means dead yet. i think there's still real prospect of it going forward with the new investors that can be found all right, david, great to talk to you. and i really do hope that works because many men and women and their kids are dependent upon it. and we wish you well. the uk economy really needs lee, they're it needs it. david lee, they're it on the chin. absolutely but sharing your optimism that there may be others sniffing around

and that the council stand foursquare behind them, planning permission . game on. that's permission. game on. that's great. but you have to believe it when you see when you see the people on the ground, when you see swords being turned and you see swords being turned and you see the footings going around the building going and you the building going up and you have you're able to have a clip, you're able to identify there's identify a clear plan. there's another for a gigafactory another plot for a gigafactory as well , coventry airport. and as well, coventry airport. and that one seems to be a bit further down the road . now, if further down the road. now, if the money is available, then yeah, somebody in the government has got to decide which one to back and if we wait for the inquiry, we'll wait forever. back and if we wait for the inquiry, we'll wait forever . so inquiry, we'll wait forever. so let's, let's see. external come in. great debate . we, all three in. great debate. we, all three of us will remember very well from the seventies and eighties of picking winners, picking winners? tricky, winners? all tricky, tricky, tncky winners? all tricky, tricky, tricky again, because tricky once again, because i want you to listen to what they had to say. and i wanted your views on it, you've done views on it, which you've done brilliantly. hamish rory, brilliantly. hamish and rory, thank very thank you very, very much indeed. watching indeed. you are watching and listening stewart listening to alastair stewart and friends. and indeed friends. what excellent am blessed excellent friends i am blessed with sharing their and their wisdom with you . we've lots more

wisdom with you. we've lots more coming up on today's program a week in politics is a long time and we've got a great deal to discuss there including rishi sunak being fine by lancashire police for that not wearing a seatbelt , a moving car whilst seatbelt, a moving car whilst filming video for his social media account. we'll have that plus much more with our political reporter next. but first, let's bring you up to date with the all important weather. hello there . i'm weather. hello there. i'm jonathan bawtry from the met office here with the latest weather updates. this weekend is all about the north—west, south splits and it's due to where we've got high pressure set across england and wales, keeping the air in tact here. but further towards the north—west we've got milder air pushing up in association. these frontal systems , but mild air is frontal systems, but mild air is going to be wrapped up with a fair amount of cloud outbreaks. right. and drizzle and a persistent breeze , particularly persistent breeze, particularly across the hebrides and up towards northern isles towards the northern isles tonight. we've tonight. meanwhile, where we've got the clearest air is across, particularly areas england particularly areas of england and wales , the frost and eastern wales, the frost we'll returning down to as

we'll be returning down to as low as minus degrees in low as minus seven degrees in some prone spots. we see some rural prone spots. we see some rural prone spots. we see some fog patches as some freezing fog patches as well, perhaps particularly bedfordshire, hertfordshire. so could a bit of murky start could be a bit of a murky start to sunday morning for you here wise. once they do eventually clear the afternoon, we clear off into the afternoon, we will some brighter spells develop, holding onto develop, but holding onto that colder still further to the colder air still further to the northwest then it's going to be another fairly drab day. the winds ease out, but just winds will ease out, but just going help lower the a going to help lower the cloud. a more certainly some hill fog more so certainly some hill fog in places and rather murky with further persistent areas of rain climbing to highs of ten degrees, though, but with the cloud not necessarily going to feel that particularly pleasant into sunday evening, we retain that split then. so it's going to remain mild across the north and where hold onto that and west where we hold onto that cloud. the cloud pushing cloud. but now the cloud pushing its of its way into northern of england, areas of wales england, western areas of wales , risk of , a slightly reduced risk of frost here. where we hold frost here. but where we hold onto clearer skies again, onto those clearer skies again, central, eastern areas of england, temperatures will be plummeting again, minus plummeting once again, minus three, four . plummeting once again, minus three, four. in plummeting once again, minus three, four . in towns plummeting once again, minus three, four. in towns and three, minus four. in towns and cities , it's the start of the

cities, it's the start of the new working week. whilst we do still have that split , the whole still have that split, the whole the will gradually the cloud will just gradually want to push its way into the southeast frontal southeast and these frontal systems eventually make systems will eventually make their towards the their way further towards the south. it will generally be more towards the week before towards the of the week before we see that mild eventually sweep its across all areas of england . that's it for now. england. that's it for now. enjoy rest of your day .

welcome back. it is 1231. i'm karen armstrong in the gb newsroom the shadow . rachel newsroom the shadow. rachel reeves says rishi sunak should sack nadhim zahawi following fresh allegations about tax affairs. it's emerged the tory party chairman paid a penalty as part of a multi—million pound settlement with hmrc relating to the share sale of shares in yougov . the polling company he

yougov. the polling company he founded the deputy prime minister , though dominic raab minister, though dominic raab says that seems to how he has been transparent about all his tax affairs . been transparent about all his tax affairs. dominic raab, who's being investigated for bullying, is passing judgement on nadhim zahawi, who's just had a £1 million fine for not paying his taxes on time, and that pretty much epitomises this conservative cabinet. when the minister came into office, he said that he would run a government that would have honesty, integrity and professionalism at heart. none of those three things are happening today. of those three things are happening today . meanwhile, happening today. meanwhile, a senior labour mp has described the prime minister's ridiculous after he was given a fixed penalty notice by police for failing to wear a seatbelt . the failing to wear a seatbelt. the shadow financial secretary to the treasury, james murray, says mr. has lost control. the prime minister has apologised for the incident which while filming a social media clip earlier this week and he will comply with the fine . mr. sunak was also fined fine. mr. sunak was also fined last year for breaking lockdown

rules in 2020 and one of the uk's richest women has been charged in connection with a human trafficking investigation. the co—founder of the bus firm stagecoach dame anglo egg and three members of her family were charged on thursday in connection with alleged human trafficking and immigration offences. a spokeswoman for de—man says she strongly denies the allegations and intends to vigorously defend herself herself . andy murray's herself. andy murray's impressive winning run , the impressive winning run, the australian open has come to an end . the three time grand slam end. the three time grand slam champion was knocked out in the third round by spain's roberto bautista agut despite a force at battle in the margaret court arena. murray is , not 35 and arena. murray is, not 35 and plays with a metal hip , was plays with a metal hip, was taken to five sets in his first two rounds and spent than 10 hours on the court. he finished at 4 am. local time yesterday morning . to online a dab radio. morning. to online a dab radio. this is gb news but now it is. back to alice stuart friends .

back to alice stuart friends. thank you very much . week in thank you very much. week in politics is of course, a long time. i'm going to pick a couple of things out of hands billiton to talk about next because there is so much unpack today in is so much to unpack today in world of politics. as you've just seen, the prime minister has been for not wearing has been fined for not wearing a in a moving car whilst filming a video for his social media. plus, the newspapers are awash morning with and you just heard rachel reeves talking about it at the fabian conference. labour calling for rishi sunak to sack his party chairman, nadhim zahawi , after reports that he zahawi, after reports that he has made to pay a penalty as well as back taxes to majesty's revenue and customs as part a multi—million pound tax settlement , multi—million pound tax settlement, something that he had previously denied. this week was tension in the house of commons as well. the scottish

agenda id bill after it was blocked by the westminster government. well, today kemi badenoch minister for women and equality opposes the bill. it puts women and girls at risk, she says, from predators. i'm delighted to join me live in the studio now as we partly our political correspondent seatbelts back taxes and what have you . bluntly, this is more have you. bluntly, this is more than a bad . yes, it was than a bad. yes, it was a surprisingly shambolic week for the government , i say the government, i say surprisingly, because that trip that rishi sunak went to on announce more levelling up funding for a lancashire should have been an easy win for the government and indeed was the very subject of the piece to camera he was doing for social media. but without the seatbelt , absolutely. and what we do know about rishi sunak's, the pandemic, is that he's normally very good announcing big cash very good in announcing big cash influxes . should have been easy, influxes. should have been easy, wasn't easy. the seatbelt thing wasn't easy. the seatbelt thing

was a ridiculous own goal from , was a ridiculous own goal from, the prime minister and it was quite surprising . well, because quite surprising. well, because he can usually be relied upon to be pretty slick. and this was sort of anything but slick . sort of anything but slick. generally it just really felt this week as though the government has got grip on the narrative it feels very much as though labour has been setting the agenda and the government been back foot. that been on the back foot. that absolutely . as said been on the back foot. that absolutely. as said in absolutely. and as aaron said in his bulletin, you've got his news bulletin, you've got rachel senior rachel reeves, very senior figure within the cabinet, simply calling for sackings and or resignations. but you've also got james murray there saying the impression , impression. it the impression, impression. it leaves voters with is a government that is just not control. yes a government that's not in control. governments which have can't get a grip on anything . but also, i think anything. but also, i think what's quite interesting , this what's quite interesting, this government struggling with government is struggling with the fundamentals as well . so we the fundamentals as well. so we have these embarrassing own go own goals. nadhim zahawi the seatbelt incident this week. but then we've also got charles moore in the telegraph today writing about how rishi sunak

has a temperamental aversion to boldness and how he doesn't have what it takes to get the economy back on track, essentially. and the telegraph the other mistakes that rishi sunak made, if you can call it that, on that trip, that disastrous trip , lancashire that disastrous trip, lancashire wasn't just the seatbelt . wasn't just the seatbelt. instead, it was also saying that those who thought that he could lower taxes were idiots. and that's meant that the telegraph has turned against him. and we have this brilliant quote from charles moore to say, yes, mr. sunak's seems like a decent, intelligent man. would be intelligent man. you would be pleased him as your pleased to have him as your accountant he's sort to accountant, but he's not sort to shares dreams and fights shares your dreams and fights for chances for your life. chances and i think you've got someone like rachel pointing to the to rachel reeves pointing to the to the to the mismanagement of the government this week. and that will definitely off will definitely turn off floating core floating voters. but the core conservative voters will also put this approach to tax, put off by this approach to tax, which is very upset and also our mutual friend and colleague camilla tominey also writes very eloquently in the same newspaper about that very, very subject, that cutting taxes isn't silly.

my that cutting taxes isn't silly. my earlier guests, which is why i went on levelling up and why i went on what some of the big gunsin went on what some of the big guns in british industry are saying now is there is this lack of an economic strategy. charles touches on it. camilla digs deep into it. but when james dyson scirocco, 40, a chairman of tusk tesco, a whole range people are saying, come on, you conservatives, get a grip. no one's going to invest in this country. i mean, with all due respect to the law of the land, i do genuinely respect it . that i do genuinely respect it. that stuff is more important than seatbelts . well, yes, the seatbelts. well, yes, the calculation seems to be for mr. sunak since he came to office that the worst thing he can possibly do is sort of create news, and he's desperate to get far away from possible as possible from liz truss is . possible from liz truss is. disastrous agenda , but it's disastrous agenda, but it's beginning to appear as though he's sort of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. and yes liz truss might have moved a bit fast, her radical reform for fast, but her radical reform for

changes to the tax code that would allow people to invest in britain would allow entrepreneurs to start up their businesses that seem more like a conservative plan for growth than rishi doing at than what rishi sunak's doing at the i've heard the moment, which i've heard from conservative mp, from multiple conservative mp, is phrase decline , is the phrase managed decline, which sign heading into which is a bad sign heading into the election. you don't win the next election. you don't win elections that way. you don't win he did his big five win. when he did his big five pledges speech, he and the questioning talked a little bit about optimism for the spring budget . and there's a piece budget. and there's a piece i think it's in the times we've we've flagged up the telegraph quite enough already but i think it's in the times it because of the reduction in energy prices it may just be that rishi sunak and jeremy hunt are looking at a bit of a windfall that may allow them to meet that tax cutting demand that dyson's making tom and he's making making all sorts of people is making come the spnng of people is making come the spring budget and the prime minister did say back at the

start of the year keep your eye on the spring budget. absolutely and what rishi sunak's would argue, of course, is that if you manage country's finances manage the country's finances carefully, done , then carefully, as he's done, then you get these moments where you do get these moments where there's a little bit more money that expected. and that that was than expected. and that and markets have trust in and the markets have trust in the government, the though with jeremy sometimes of jeremy hunt is sometimes sort of takes with one hand gives with one and takes away with the one hand and takes away with the other . and one thing that we're other. and one thing that we're heanng other. and one thing that we're hearing for, the spring hearing trial for, the spring budget that that fix the budget is that that that fix the personal allowance 12,500 personal allowance of 12,500 the amount you before you amount that you pay before you start income tax is going start paying income tax is going to be fixed which is essentially a so yes, there a stealth tax. so yes, there might be some middle there's hundreds and hundreds of pounds say all of the newspapers this morning. absolutely crazy, bonkers . well, i'm glad bonkers stuff. well, i'm glad we're on the right subject economically. and thank you for making stick the making sure we stick on the right politically right subjects politically as well. utley gb news well. olivia utley that gb news political reporter . well. olivia utley that gb news political reporter. and she'll be little later on in the be back a little later on in the program, hope with more program, i hope with more reflections what's going reflections on what's going on at conference. at labour's fabian conference. always in you all

always interested in you all kind enough to be watching , kind enough to be watching, listening to alastair stewart& friends with plenty still friends with plenty more. still to this afternoon including to come this afternoon including following the news that another former met police officer david carrick's crimes unfolded before us will be asking what is wrong with police vetting and recruitment . but first, we're recruitment. but first, we're going to take a quick.

break welcome back. you're and listening to alastair stewart& friends here on gb news tv and radio . and as i requested you radio. and as i requested you indeed been getting in touch with your views on how you would reform police force particularly recruitment and vetting procedures . robert says there's procedures. robert says there's a disconnect between pc stroke. sergeant inspector and superintendent chief superintendent assisi , which superintendent assisi, which involves the police college promotions and pensions. the guys doing the job are

controlled by those of any repercussions , joseph says. get repercussions, joseph says. get rid political correctness and ideology , for starters , you may ideology, for starters, you may agree or disagree with any or all of that. keep your views coming . we will share the best coming. we will share the best of them. and of course, do to our youtube channel. we are at gb news where you can catch up on previous programmes and on previous as well as the interviews that we're doing today. interviews that we're doing today . i mention that because today. i mention that because i'm going to use past tense now and dropped again this week with another metropolitan police officer, david carrick, shown to be one of the worst offenders record. it prompted , me and many record. it prompted, me and many others to ask what on earth is wrong with police vetting applicants and why evidence that they are wrong ends to be either ignored or passed over by those who are in control of the service ? the metropolitan police service? the metropolitan police commissioner smart has published his plans , improve police

his plans, improve police standards and restore trust in the force following this latest incident . the force following this latest incident. i'm the force following this latest incident . i'm delighted to be incident. i'm delighted to be joined live in the now by two guests, patsy and graham, patsy stevenson , been on the program stevenson, been on the program before. she's a women's rights activist, writer and public and graham wetton , a police graham wetton, a police commentator and also an author and work is celebrate ted how to be a police officer. perhaps that should be a good police officer when you when you do to take an open question to of you and we've all studied carefully what the new commission lateral police has said about this specific case. i'm very detail filled about vetting, cross—referencing all forces checking and so forth. does any of it reassure you i mean, it doesn't, but that's simply because the past two years, you know, two years ago, we had been promises we're going to change things. we're going to make better and safer for women and,

girls. and then nothing seemed to happen in those two years. it's been two years since the vigil, nothing vigil, two years. and nothing seemed change. there's seemed change. so unless there's stuff that has changed that we don't about , i stuff that has changed that we don't about, i really don't don't know about, i really don't trust that it's to happen and change now . why is that change now. why is that possible? because i can't contradict patsy, because i know it. having read a bit around it. thatis it. having read a bit around it. that is that cressida dick talked about trying to improve that system and when the commissioner says this will now happen, we will get this right. how can it be . she's right, but how can it be. she's right, but it doesn't happen. and if it does happen, it doesn't happen quickly enough. no degree, but it hasn't happened quickly enough. it's a huge amount of work. the difficulty with vetting. as good vetting. vetting is only as good as day it's actually done as the day it's actually done andifs as the day it's actually done and it's on information and it's on the information usually the person, usually supplied by the person, the what to the applicant what needs to happenis the applicant what needs to happen is much more in—depth vetting on a regular and frequent basis because it's a huge task of work to into what and you take it on almost on trust what the person said to you. got to almost you. you've then got to almost

become investigator and start looking background, looking at their background, what doing who what they doing online, who their where they their associate with, where they live, etc. these live, their habits, etc. these abusers know they're in a position of trust, apparently so know how to hide this and what you'll that brilliantly from your police experience is what is called in many other industries continual assessment . yeah. i mean it's done in my trade and my daughter's a teacher and it's done in that as well. that you were nodding delicately off camera that . i delicately off camera that. i continue in assessing and yeah because the thing i think personally i think that they're not vetted enough or in depth and i think the problem is that yeah like you said any system, any you are looked at, you are vetted in a way but with the police, you're such power to do you want to do with certain . so you want to do with certain. so i think it should be stricter. and also we look at the consequences nine times apparently they were told about it and nothing there needs to be

consequences where okay something's been you're immediately suspended why should you be allowed to work any other job would suspend you you know that absolutely that continual assessment and your suggestion i'm delighted when the two of you agree on that . the thing you agree on that. the thing that we talked about at home when , this story broke and my when, this story broke and my wife absolutely as furious as you are about it, i and it is a terrifying event . our son was terrifying event. our son was briefly a pc in the met and incredibly bright high man and departed for other reasons . how departed for other reasons. how is it that people like carrick and others get through? not they continue an assessment on betting once you're in the job in the canteen and the ghastly stuff goes on that we know about . so you're not not knock on the door of used to be an appeal centre attendance to join. i'm brilliant i'm clever and i'm

your or woman for the job that system it seems me desperately needs to be as well. yeah it is it's clearly an issue with and people there are people looking to see as has been mentioned please he's got a position of power and authority so people want to use that for their own needs will enjoy police in hyde whatever they do in the whatever they do in it's the recruitment application recruitment the application process it needs reviewing as well and actually face to well and actually have face to face interviews with putting through where actually through a process where actually you're assessing them as characters in—depth characters through the in—depth vetting at that time. but again, that does need doing on a on a regular basis. can trust regular basis. we can trust majority of police officers, but clearly for police in society, it's the easing rules that are in place and it needs identifying, getting rid of. and it's that change it's how is that change of a huge amount of work nationally to this not just within to do this not just within london at london nationally, to look at policing , you speak to police policing, you speak to police officers across country they officers across the country they will this and it's will tell you this and it's different been like poor behaviour performance behaviour poor performance policing historically policing being been historically poor both aspects and poor dealing both aspects and that even if you identify an

issue as as we've mentioned a pc or sergeant to those higher up there's never that much in actually going to deal with it because it may reflect on them. i identify the obvious in charles moore's piece in the times today we were talking about stories that are about economic stories that are all the papers, but that one all in the papers, but that one is really worth reading and he's back referencing something that's in the that's well above her in the home about home secretary said about wanting back to basics, wanting to get back to basics, policing and worrying too much that that all must have degrees be terribly open minded , bright be terribly open minded, bright things and get back to basics. what have you most of the emails and tweets that we've been getting audience going getting from our audience going that charles moore that line but charles moore makes the point i thought it makes the point and i thought it was really powerful is i don't ever want to go back a system of policing where the policing where within the canteen culture domestic abuse is that's par for the is something that's par for the course, just rock with it. yeah. and i mean the thing is the i've known for ex—police officers that are my friends i know a lot of people in that who've been there and an experience that you know the culture within the

police force is so that it feels like say you did do that incorrectly even if you did do all these things . i feel like all these things. i feel like like i said, the consequences how are these people allowed to fit? this is a police officer how are you allowed to say things like the whatsapp chats that we saw like, oh, you should slap your wife she would love it and think this is a common thing and think this is a common thing and i know that you say it's not majority of the police, but what seeing is the evidence like? it is a lot them and that's scary because . these police can use because. these police can use their warrant card to do what they like. we've the public order bill coming out as well which gives them even more powers it's when does powers and it's when does it stop law in where stop where is the law in where it's like they've much. it's like they've done too much. now really need to go in and now we really need to go in and fix them via that comment. give the word, were, to of the last word, as it were, to of suella braverman in the home secretary. and i thought it was a important where she a really important where she said, please of us never said, let please all of us never forget there are an awful forget that there are an awful lot of really men and women lot of really good men and women out want do this job and out who want to do this job and actually doing it to the

actually are doing it to the best their abilities . i'd best of their abilities. i'd echo that. and i think the danger here is that if you start thinking it's as wide of this degree patchy, that it's as widespread that can seem, widespread as that can seem, culture is like a label been attached to seem to agree attached to can't seem to agree attached to can't seem to agree a to get support from your a place to get support from your colleagues really colleagues we've really dangerous and, troubling dangerous things and, troubling incidents almost on a daily bafis incidents almost on a daily basis is to go back, actually talk it through debriefs , to talk it through debriefs, to talk it through debriefs, to talk it through with your colleagues , really reassuring colleagues, really reassuring and fact that and supportive. the fact that those have gone now i think is a real negative and that's why there's, mental health there's, you know, mental health issues is stress is issues in policing is stress is going is through the roof. going is going through the roof. but again, in but i think, again, put it in a context there are a vast majority of officers out there doing really great they don't doing a really great they don't want to work these people, want to work with these people, don't these people don't want these people alongside they work alongside them. they to work alongside them. they to work alongside will alongside people who will work somebody that attitude somebody who's got that attitude or behaviour towards either or that behaviour towards either their or their daughters. their wives or their daughters. so them in alongside so don't want them in alongside you. of them as you. they to get rid of them as much as everybody else does is having the confidence in or the managers above to supervise is actually addressing the and

deaung actually addressing the and dealing it properly. so dealing with it properly. so ford, and patsy , you both ford, graham and patsy, you both very, very much indeed for those constructive thoughts . and i constructive thoughts. and i think a bit of optimism within there as well. we perhaps don't hold our breath. i carefully, but thank you both very much indeed. and great to see you again and very nice. see you. come in again. love to have you on board. now, looking ahead to the six of may 20, 23, the date of king charles, two thirds coronation at westminster abbey, the events to attract viewers andindeed the events to attract viewers and indeed visitors from across the world. but there are rumours that the festivities i know what festivities, office activities may be scaled back a little. the reports this morning that there will be a break with tradition as the king modernises his outfit and it's all over the sun as well i'm delighted to say but some argue that a scaled down could provoke controversy , could provoke controversy, disappoint many people who buy

into the monarchy. and clearly there will be no way of satisfying those who don't . and satisfying those who don't. and just think it's all a lot of old nonsense. we thought we discuss that now. and i said to my bosses, the one person i'd really love to talk to about all of this is one of the people who really does know what's going on about kate attire, appearances and tradition and what have you. and it's grant harrold, and there is it's grant harrold, former to king charles former butler to king charles and prince william. and prince harry, of course. now you and i both know because we've talked about it before, but this king is very sensitive to the appearance of indulgence and waste but folk, i reading want expect the full monty when it comes to the first coronation in decades , decades and decades. decades, decades and decades. what's your take? he definitely asked. i think something back on. absolutely right, people. one a coordination similar to the coronation that his mother had. but the reality is it's a different time. things are very

different. obviously, money, something that the king is very aware what we've been receiving recently, even this week that money is something that he's very aware there's not he can't just be seen to be spending it the way that we would have done. maybe 60, 70 years ago. and i think a down coordination is a great question, what you will want. but think what people have got to understand he's not got to understand is he's not going the there's going to cut the there's obviously parts of co—ordination. it will still take enthronement, take place. is the enthronement, is , there's is there the anointing, there's the and all these parts the crown and all these parts will continue the scaling down pies most likely is just do a few people. so instead of 10,000, you're talking about 2000. those kind of things. it's just being a bit more sensible when it comes to not overspending and those kind of areas . i overspending and those kind of areas. i think he's already bought into that clearly. but you change tack there to exactly where i wanted to go and the sense that elements of it like the crown clearly the old the sceptre they are part of not just tradition but they're also

part of the symbol ism of it and the religious dimension . it how the religious dimension. it how much of the entire is also tradition and that which must be done because it's a coronation with the attire once again and i see it's something that each monarch obviously it's designed that's obviously the fictions . that's obviously the fictions. it's different. see what king charles iii will choose. obviously his mother. we all remember the icon dress that she wore. and i read somewhere she actually used a few other times at which was quite interesting because again, that coordination was not that long after the war. so obviously, again, with they had vary it had be careful had to vary it had be careful i think with with the king he's going to be a bit in that in mind and i'm sure you'll pick something pick something that fits traditional but yet fits in that traditional but yet modern but see the other hidden cost people may not realise is that it's edward's crown as well as there's already been removed from the terror of london. it's been resized because each monarch obviously we're all humans, all different shapes and

sizes it's got be sized for sizes. it's got to be sized for the king and be the same the king and it'll be the same with imperial state. and with the imperial state. and that's where these hidden costs come so i think it's not come in too. so i think it's not just what all see there's just what we all see there's a lot that's going behind the scenes. an away to scenes. it will be an away to where they've got to that where they've got to put that into the and they've got be into the cost and they've got be aware these are things that will cost huge amounts money as well. indeed behind scenes indeed talking behind the scenes and men very well and you know both men very well . imagine william . what do you imagine william prince wales will be saying to his father about that? because precedent matters in these things and is it conceivable that william would say i didn't want to do that? because if you do that, then be expected that when my time comes, have to do it well. would you it as well. how would you envisage exchange of views envisage that exchange of views 7 envisage that exchange of views ? do you know what's wonderful is spending time around the prince william and, his father, and seeing the two of them do well together. the father and son work well. he's in a, i think, an amazing job kind of teaching his son way of what

lies ahead him. and as you quite rightly point date he has i think said on occasion that he learns from his son as well because his son different generation. you know, some people see that the king is of touch. i've always disagreed with a very with that. think he's a very modern thinker. with that. think he's a very modern thinker . but what you modern thinker. but what you always see is a younger generation , and i'm sure generation, and i'm sure there'll be times that he may satisfy it. we've got to be careful. but same, why am careful. but at the same, why am i decide to position an important that it's the monarchy . and so even though he may think that has think this thing that money has got be cut back on there's got to be cut back on there's other areas you simply if other areas you just simply if you want a coronation and the things to happen that things that have to happen that cost reality of it indeed cost the reality of it indeed grant always pleasure to talk grant, always a pleasure to talk to genuinely thanks to you genuinely and thanks for saying yes to my invitation and you keep in touch. always welcome on the programme. grant harrold, former royal butler to king charles. prince and indeed prince harry. you are watching and listening to alastair stewart& friends here on tv and radio and online with lots more coming up on the programme . coming up on the programme. afternoon, i'll be joined by the

founder of auto trader at former redding football club chairman sir john medeski to discuss the sirjohn medeski to discuss the state of the economy and indeed the state of british football. why wealthy people still like to buy into it. let's take a break first, so stay with .

us hello there. good afternoon. it is a minute past. i'm karen armstrong in the newsroom. labour are calling for nadhim zahawi to be sacked as tory party chairman following fresh allegations about his tax affairs . it's emerged the tory affairs. it's emerged the tory party chairman paid a penalty , party chairman paid a penalty, part of a multi—million pound settlement with hmrc to the sale of shares in yougov. the polling company he founded , the justice

company he founded, the justice secretary, dominic raab, though, has told gb news his comfort and zahawi has been transparent over his taxes. but shadow rachel reeves believes his position is untenable . dominic raab, who's untenable. dominic raab, who's being investigated for bullying, is passing judgement on nadhim zahawi, who's just had a £1 million fine for not paying his taxes on time. and that pretty much epitomises this conservative cabinet. when the minister came into office, he said that he would run a government that would have honesty, integrity and professionalism at its heart. none of those three things are happening today. none of those three things are happening today . a senior labour happening today. a senior labour mp , meanwhile, has described the mp, meanwhile, has described the prime minister as ridiculous after he was given a fixed penalty by police for failing to wear a seatbelt. rishi sunak has apologised for an error of judgement which happened while filming a social media clip earlier this week and he says he will comply a fine that could be up to £500. he was also fined last year for breaking lockdown

back in 2020 and shadow financial secretary james murray says mr. sunak's lost control . says mr. sunak's lost control. just when you thought the conservative couldn't get any more ridiculous , rishi sunak more ridiculous, rishi sunak shows he can't even in his own safe out. and i think this speaks volumes about the fact that the prime minister is not is not in control compared keir starmer rishi sunak's keir starmer rishi sunak's keir starmer has been at the world economic forum this week promoting the uk promoting a plan for economic growth in rishi sunak's complex design seat belt. and i think people will make their own judgement about who's going to lead the but deputy prime minister dominic raab says rishi sunak is a human being who made a mistake. the prime minister put his hand straight up, it was a mistake . he's apologised for it. mistake. he's apologised for it. he takes responsibility . it. he he takes responsibility. it. he hasn't actually gone down that path of blaming anyone else. he's taken responsibility for it. he'll pay the fine. he's human as as an incredibly human as well as an incredibly busy politician. the prime

minister got a frantic schedule, but he's made clear there's no excuses. but he's made clear there's no excuses . the former health excuses. the former health secretary says charging patients for their gp and a&e appointments is crucial to the survival of the nhs. speaking to the times , mr. javid said it the times, mr. javid said it would help the nhs ration its finite more effectively. mr. javid also said the appreciation for the health service has become a religious fervour and a barrier to reform . the barrier to reform. the co—founder of the bus firm stagecoach de anglo has been charged in connection with a human trafficking investigation . police scotland say she is one of four individuals understood to be members of her family as. they were charged on thursday in connection with alleged human trafficking and immigration offences. a statement issued on her behalf says ms. gloade denies the malicious allegations made against her and her family an adviser to the ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy says indecision over whether to

send german made tanks to ukraine is costing lives. western allies agreed yesterday to send more weaponry to ukraine, but germany remains reluctant to provide its leopard tanks or , allow other countries tanks or, allow other countries to donate theirs. despite coming under increasing pressure , do under increasing pressure, do so. ukraine has requested urgently to counter russia's spnng urgently to counter russia's spring offensive and the met office has a yellow weather warning for fog tomorrow, but says the worst of cold spell is nearly over . the says the worst of cold spell is nearly over. the warning will be in place until 11 am. on monday and will cover the areas of the south and east of england. it may cause disruption to flights and drivers are being warned of icy conditions. temperatures, though, are expected to climb next week across . the country next week across. the country while andy murray finally has run out of steam at the australia and opened his campaign has ended in the third round. the three time grand slam champion out by spain's roberto bautista , a goods enforcer.

bautista, a goods enforcer. murray, who's now 35 and plays with a metal hip, has spent some amount of time on court. five sets in the first two matches in the tournament he spent more than 10 hours on court and he finished after 4 am. local time yesterday morning . this is gb yesterday morning. this is gb news. we'll bring you more as it happens. but now it's back to alastair stewart& friends . alastair stewart& friends. and thank you very much indeed. lots his news bulletin there for us to pick over because i'm to say that as promised , renee say that as promised, renee joining me live in the studio is our political correspondent olivia utley. i said earlier on about the fabian conference, so we saw in aron's bulletin there a bit of rachael talking about the stuff , seatbelts and what the stuff, seatbelts and what have you. but there was one image that really caught my eye

just a few days and it was rachel reeves chancellor of the exchequer and keir starmer all wrapped up against the skull and skull and in great big boots and what have you. strutting their stuff at the world economic forum in davos how will that go down amongst the fabian brethren and sisterhood? well, yes , be and sisterhood? well, yes, be very interesting to see and keir starmer said and then interview this week i think it was with the newsagent's podcast he was asked quickfire questions at the end and was at westminster or end and he was at westminster or davos and he said davos , which davos and he said davos, which is very interesting and it might suggest that keir starmer's attempt be sort of all things to all people might be beginning to two falter. how will go down with fabian's we'll have to see but it was interesting to see rachel reeves at that conference out, a sort of big reforming agenda. she's talking about being that the uk's first green chancellor and there is actually some sort of meat on the bones, that policy. and she's not the first shadow cabinet minister to

have on out on the have been out on the out on the rounds in the last couple of weeks, out with a big weeks, coming out with a big reforming we bridget reforming agenda. we saw bridget phillipson education reforming agenda. we saw bridget phillipsoron education reforming agenda. we saw bridget phillipsoron childcare,ion secretary on childcare, basically rip basically wanting to rip up everything we've and start everything that we've and start from scratch. jonathan ashworth on doing something on welfare, doing something similar course, similar wes streeting of course, on the nhs, talking about reform , a way that the conservatives haven't done for years haven't done for 12 years and keir starmer himself saying that he is. but yes, he's blairite essentially, and that the programme that he's looking at is similar to something that blair planning before 1997. so we're seeing the labour party this week very much sort of grappling with ideas in a way that perhaps tory party, which does seem to be very on the back foot, isn't quite to do that . it foot, isn't quite to do that. it is fascinating and indeed on welfare , health, that's work welfare, health, that's work that the idea that the thought that the idea that the thought that the idea that the thought that the ideas were a bit fresher than some had feared that it was going be a rather dull predictable general election. no way at. the previous conversation we had shortly before you came in police vetting i mean there

clearly is something of a crisis in pub confidence in the police force. there's one headmistress whose reported in the papers morning as saying that she's been telling her girl students at the school that she runs if a police man is on his own to approach him. i when read that, i just thought that was absolute terrifying. i mean , this is an terrifying. i mean, this is an issue clearly that this government is going to have to get a grip of. definitely. i'm it's a really shocking thing to i remember when i was younger, you know you were told that if you know you were told that if you have found lost your parents or whatever centre of town or whatever the centre of town go talk to a policeman. so go and talk to a policeman. so the we've got to a the fact that we've got to a state where there this little state where there is this little trust the police is deep trust in the police is deep worrying. i think it's particularly worrying for a conservative government because. of the conservatives of course, the conservatives have long had a reputation for being the party of law and order, it's very hard to see order, but it's very hard to see how rishi sunak can go into next election . holding up that claim election. holding up that claim . so it does feel a little bit

as though that's another area where it's labour's for the taking really if labour can come up with a bold plan for reforming the police and reforming the police and reforming the police and reforming the justice system which is also absolutely creaking at the seams partly as a result of delayed cases due lockdown then it does just feel like another area where where labour has the potential to seize the main ground. the issue of course , when you scratch the of course, when you scratch the surface of some of these big reforming labour policies, there's a bit of vagueness and not much cost going on. what are the party saying to you about sunak decision to pick a fight with nicholas sturgeon and the scottish parliament over gender identification ? kemi badenoch identification? kemi badenoch has been talking about it defending the decision that was taken, but it will be a brutal political fight. it will be a brutal political fight. but from the mp, i've to at least spoken to a few about it. they feel that rishi sunak had no choice

other other than to do exactly what they did . people generally what they did. people generally in the conservative party seem to think that nicholas sturgeon was deliberately picking a constitutional battle with the government in westminster by so personally pushing through this bill. it rushed through hollywood, rooted insane speed at the end of last year and there's no particular urgency about it. it's thought that it will benefit 200, 250 trans people who may not have got a gender recognition certificate before and will now, but it's a pretty niche issue. it does seem as though nicholas sturgeon wanted to create sort of constitutional roadblock between , england and scotland. and she's managed to do that. and now rishi sunak is in a position where he feels jack feels that it's incompatible with the uk wide equalities law and shares the concerns of many women in worried about what their rights . so he's waded in here i mean perhaps as a conservative believe he he had no option but to do that. it's not to be a

massive vote for we saw yesterday going polling showing that 60% of people thought that 60 is too young to change your agenda, but only 20% strongly supported rishi sunak engaging in this constitutes no battle. the vast majority didn't really know what it was about and weren't very interested. so it's going to use up quite a lot of sort of political capital, as it were, or energy and time without obvious results . and there's a obvious results. and there's a lot of other things to think about. absolutely. is there a point scored about putting labour the spot over it? because, of course , the because, of course, the majority, if not all, but labour msps supported this measure as dunng msps supported this measure as during that. i mean, it was a very fierce and fiery debate . very fierce and fiery debate. yeah, i think actually that labouris yeah, i think actually that labour is in worse position than the conservatives, even on this issue. but as i in the country it feels like quite a niche. but keir starmer said that he supported what nicholas sturgeon had originally and said that the, the laws around gender recognition needs needed to be changed in the uk as well. then

a bit of bad polling and a few days he came out and said that actually he's concerned about people changing, their gender. before the age 16. then of before the age of 16. then of course you've plenty labour course you've plenty of labour mp women in particular, rosie duffield speaking out very bravely in the comments the other day about her misgivings , other day about her misgivings, about this new law and being bullied by by, well, allegedly bullies by lloyd russell moyle. so there are clearly a lot of divisions in the labour party on this and keir starmer's approach at the moment just seems to sort of sweep it under the carpet but it's unclear whether he'll be able to keep going right up until the rosie duffield leaving labour story has gone away now because quoted in all of because she's quoted in all of the papers this morning. it's a brilliant line of hers that being member of the labour being a member of the labour party like being an party for her was like being an abusive relationship. yeah i think makes things really think that makes things really awkward party and awkward for the labour party and based what what essentially she's saying is that she was just sort of stonewalled on her concerns was silenced and this morning breakfast morning in the breakfast interview with james murray senior shadow secretary

senior labour shadow secretary to the treasury , was asked to the treasury, was asked whether he felt that he said that he thought that the transition would become incredibly toxic and a no one had behaved well. and he was asked if he'd include rosie duffield in that and didn't duffield in that and he didn't say which was very say no, which was very interesting. it just shows how deeply the labour party is deeply split the labour party is on this issue and might say that the hollyrood government and the uk government at each other's throats and behaving badly, but they're as badly. they're behaving just as badly. fascinating stuff. and if you're always enjoyed you thank always enjoyed so you thank you very indeed thanks for very much indeed and thanks for breaking busy day breaking into your busy day to come once but come and chat to not once but twice. olivia utley gb news twice. olivia utley that gb news political . now we're going to political. now we're going to have reprieve as part of what have a reprieve as part of what we were talking about from the very beginning the program very beginning of the program today. very beginning of the program today . and it's the state of the today. and it's the state of the british levelling and british economy levelling up and infrastructure this week rishi sunak announced the latest in a second round of government levelling fund funding that would see a total of 111 areas across the united kingdom awarded funds with . the aim of awarded funds with. the aim of helping regenerate that

particular local area and create economic . there was, however economic. there was, however much criticism as the latest allocation would see the richer southeast of england region. many argued sunak the prime minister utterly denied that, saying the north and wales were the ones that got considered more, including his own constituency up in yorkshire, who got a little bit more. it was also that wales will receive shared funding of was also that wales will receive shared funding 0 f £208 million shared funding of £208 million for a total of 11 new projects . for a total of 11 new projects. cash for new cardiff rail and the aim to make rich and poor areas more equal. but the welsh government said that wales remained over government said that wales remained ove r £1,000,000,000 remained over £1,000,000,000 worse off than previous eu schemes to reduce in equality . schemes to reduce in equality. to get more on that and indeed broader discussion of the levelling up fund, i'm delighted to be joined now by debbie francis obe of the lancashire partnership , which are a which

partnership, which are a which is a collaboration between businesses and local councils to help generate economic growth in those areas . i guess apart from those areas. i guess apart from andy street, his point about a begging bowl mentality and labour's saying was a bit like the hunger games. the most common criticism that i've read is that it simply wasn't focussed enough on things that would really create wealth, create and boost the economy . create and boost the economy. was your overall take, debbie my overall take is that generally it is everybody that actually appues it is everybody that actually applies for goes to a very rigorous process to try to make the case that says this is going to help economic growth, this is going to help regeneration . so going to help regeneration. so things are not just for to, you know, to make something a bit prettier or make a little bit nicer. well, the authorities put this together clearly at whether an initiative can improve jobs

in the area , improve investment in the area, improve investment that might be attracted to the area . in our case in lancashire area. in our case in lancashire , you know, a very big piece of what we got is. you know, in a look at tourists that we might be able to bring in. and that in itself generates income. and i think you're showing there. i think you're showing there. i think it's the eden project and space and what be done from an what can be done as a result a generation ago. so i don't i don't think it lacks focus i think everybody who's bid has had right focus is on what they want the criticisms as i've read them. so is largely levelled at them. so is largely levelled at the fact that you've thought people who sit in you know in in london and never been these areas who are actually making those and therefore you know they best place to make those and you know it's a tricky it's and you know it's a tricky it's a tricky thing . there is a lot a tricky thing. there is a lot of argument that evolution agenda says that the funds just go direct to the authorities and then they may talk the minds

about the things to put them through. but at the end of the day, those authorities will still have to go through the same processes to, assess the range they have range of projects that they have and a decision. since we and make a decision. since we it's will never it's a limited part will never be money for everything be enough money for everything that wish to do so i don't that we wish to do so i don't know it's quite right site it lacks focus. i think there was a lot the people who lot of focus on the people who got the in there has got the bids in and there has been lot consideration, it been a lot consideration, it seems to me, on what's come out. i would find it very hard to from lancashire perspective, from a lancashire perspective, we see we you know, we see a significant amount of funding and projects that and all of the projects that have received funding for have received the funding for have received the funding for have really great cases have got really great cases behind to help growth and behind them to help growth and investment , which is what investment, which is what ultimately will to the levelling up . do you sense that that this up. do you sense that that this is a government that has a vision for growth in this ? i vision for growth in this? i mean, in a sense , fact that mean, in a sense, fact that malcolm gets approved , you know, malcolm gets approved, you know, an eden project and as you yourself said it recognises . at

yourself said it recognises. at one level that sort of thing . one level that sort of thing. part of the infrastructure is nice to have but also that hospitality to that that leisure , whether it's eco leisure or whatever, is an important part of the economy as . well, creates of the economy as. well, creates wealth, creates jobs , employs wealth, creates jobs, employs people, and gives taxpayers a good time . but is that flowing good time. but is that flowing from a government that really knows where it wants to take this economy? in your experience doesit this economy? in your experience does it so yeah in my experience i mean the government made it clear at the latter end of last year that actually the direct of travel not only needs to being lovely but needs to be in devolution and that is the answer to you rather than them having to think through every aspect of how you you create the growth we need across the country all over every region mean remember the regions are really different is one of the difficulties the government have made the agenda clear you know the move is towards and what most of us would like to see is

some of those steps towards devolution and happening much faster so that people feel you know we local accountability you know we local accountability you know locally the leaders are elected and consequently you know if the right things are not done within then come re—elections people vote with their feet on those things . so their feet on those things. so i think the government's vision in the concept that we're going to try and devolve authority , but try and devolve authority, but there's a bit of a lag between how much they're devolved in bafis how much they're devolved in basis while that why this allocation of central funds goes on, we're not quite getting one thing or the otherjust yet but thing or the other just yet but i think the has to sit behind the devolution how interesting which of course is something that that labour and sir keir starmer have been making a great deal of not least because gordon brown continues to make a great deal of it, not just for scotland or wales, but but also for the regions and areas like yourself . i've got to ask you yourself. i've got to ask you one final thing, if i may, as chair of the lancashire

enterprise, were you impressed by the quality calibre of the people that you were dealing with at the centre were they, were they up to muster in your view and experience . i don't view and experience. i don't have i'm fortunate i don't have a great acting into that. so you go back to that probably asking our county leaders and they found that or not. so it's hard for me to say. but again i think, you know, we can be .we can be really fast to judge, can't wait. and it's the same as you know we accused in not you know we accused them in not necessarily what necessarily knowing what our regions and at regions look like and at the same time we make sweeping assumptions about what they're like, end of day, like, so at the end of the day, don't think should be trying don't think we should be trying to cake eat it so to have a cake and eat it so they understand us, but we they don't understand us, but we know everything about them. brilliantly informative very brilliantly informative and very diplomatic . a real diplomatic as well. a real joy talking you, francis talking to you, debbie francis obe, lancashire obe, chair of lancashire enterprise partnership. thank you very much indeed for your time. we've plenty more to time. we've plenty more still to this alastair this afternoon on alastair stewart& protests stewart& friends protests against immigration have been intensifying republic of intensifying in the republic of ireland . there's people

ireland. there's local people there marching against, the number immigrants arriving in number of immigrants arriving in their there their communities. our there will have the very latest next. but first, let's bring you up to date with the coming up. how hello there. i'm jonathan watt tree from the met office here with the latest weather updates this is about the this weekend is about the north—west southeast east splits andifs north—west southeast east splits and it's due to where we've got high pressure set across england and wales keeping the cold air in tact here but further towards the northwest we've got milder air pushing up in association with frontal system but with these frontal system but milder air is going to be wrapped up with a fair amount of cloud of rain and drizzle and a persistent breeze, particularly across hebrides up the across the hebrides and up the northern isles. tonight meanwhile, where we've got the clearest skies, particularly areas , eastern wales, areas of england, eastern wales, the frost will be returning down to as low as minus seven degrees in some rural prone, we will see some freezing fog patches as well, perhaps particularly bedfordshire hertfordshire. so could a a murky start could be a bit of a murky start to sunday morning you here to sunday morning for you here wise those do eventually wise once those do eventually clear off into the afternoon, we

will see some brighter spells develop holding onto colder develop holding onto that colder air still further to the northwest, then it's going to be another fairly drab day. the winds will ease out, but that's just going to help lower the cloud bit more. so certainly cloud a bit more. so certainly some places and some hill fog in places and rather with further rather murky with further persistent areas of rain climbing to highs of ten degrees, though with the cloud, not necessarily going to feel that particularly pleasant into sunday we retain that sunday evening, we retain that split then, so it's going to remain across the north and west where we hold that cloud. but now the cloud pushing its way into england, into northern areas of england, western of wales. so a slightly reduced frost but reduced risk of frost here. but where hold onto those clearer where we hold onto those clearer skies central eastern skies again, central eastern areas england, temperatures areas of england, temperatures will once again, will be plummeting once again, minus four and minus three, four in towns and cities , it's the start of the cities, it's the start of the new working week. whilst we do still that split on the whole cloud will just gradually want to push its into the south—east and these frontal will eventually their way eventually make their way further towards the south. but will generally be more towards the middle the week before we

see that mild eventually sweep its across all of england.

that's welcome back. and indeed you've been getting touch with us with your thoughts on the state of british industry. following our discussion earlier on in the program , fraser says the key program, fraser says the key question why couldn't british get the finance given these advantages of the company sacked energy availability etc. etc. etc. so much for the much vaunted city, an interesting point. i think was also inward investment from abroad that that the government had made conditional on releasing those rather large amounts taxpayers money. freddie says britishvolt was a daft idea the first place politicians and business running anything at all will always end up in disaster. see also the

nhs, the civil service and on. on and on and on. oh dear , well, on and on and on. oh dear, well, there we go . said i would share there we go. said i would share all of your thoughts as i buy. and greg finally says the only thing that will grow our economy and personal wealth is for britain to have british companies manufacturing its own products with a strong export industry to. good point. i think thatis industry to. good point. i think that is exactly what britishvolt were hoping to do but they go it didn't come off. do keep those views coming in and also subscribe to our youtube channel. we are at gb news and you can hear what rory mccallion and hamish mcleod others have had to say on this important and i've got sirjohn gesicki coming up the end of the program. i'm delighted to say for his take on it as so more to come now. dubun it as so more to come now. dublin has seen a huge shift in its adult population with over 70,000 migrants in 2022 alone. over the last ten year, the country's population has gone

from 3.5 million to just over 5 million, and protests . some million, and protests. some areas are becoming a regular event. now our reporter dougie beattie has gone along to find more what's upsetting folk . what more what's upsetting folk. what do they want done is report. well, this is an old docklands community populated probably about 4000. it's a class which was many . the people would have was many. the people would have walked into docks . and the car walked into docks. and the car that's largely gone dock says. you know, because it's a container station would have destroyed this company. but now we're you know . we're surrounded by, you know. i'm just a new hotel being built here, just there's here, just beside it. there's google just down the road , and google just down the road, and it's an ordinary working class people with a very wide mix people. and it's quite an elderly population as well. maliki speaking for the community east wall in dublin and they're on the march to protest about the amount of immigrants coming into that community where housing has already desperately short . we already desperately short. we have a huge crisis. we have a

population of 5.5 million, which is over the past 15 to 20 years, from three and a half million. these are people who are coming in, by and large from the uk, coming in, having spent many years there and haven't achieved asylum there or are afraid the rwanda policy of coming in and they've been moved off to be processed in rwanda. so they're coming in here. these proto arsed are called right arsed are being called right wing and the people here are very keen to explain that that's not the case. we are ordinary people , workers in a working people, workers in a working class community here who have come out to say not were opposed to refugees. not the word to asylum seekers . but if somebody asylum seekers. but if somebody is coming in as an economic migrant, then during economic migrants , let them come in migrants, let them come in through the ordinary visa process . that's all very well process. that's all very well saying that. but irish used to be the economic migrants around the world. we were and we went as economic migrants, not as asylum seekers. and went to

america, canada and right throughout the world. and we worked on you went in. if you went to america, you stayed with family members or somebody anew or who knew somebody or somebody who knew somebody else a job and. you else and you got a job and. you worked. you didn't go in and get put up in a hotel or an office block. and, you know, today our children are having emigrate children are having to emigrate because afford to because they can't afford to live it seems to me to live here. so it seems to me to be incredible that a government is forcing our young people to emigrate same time saying emigrate at the same time saying we have an open door to everybody that's coming in, does something fundamentally with our society to try to stop . it's the society to try to stop. it's the middle of rush hour in dublin and have and these protesters have managed basically stop traffic people here trying get home. we'll have to wait a while while these protests. go ahead. feelings are running high and it's across a wide section of society . they're not refugees . society. they're not refugees. rodngo society. they're not refugees. rodrigo gorman, the minister , rodrigo gorman, the minister, encouraging them to come all over the world as a common home, will have no country left . there will have no country left. there is racism in ireland , for it's

is racism in ireland, for it's against the indigenous irish people . we can't be putting up people. we can't be putting up with this. we have our own irish homeless people and they're not getting the they need. getting the support they need. they're tents while they're living in tents while the comes a standstill , the traffic comes a standstill, protests are gathering momentum and at some stage public representatives will have to address the situation . dougie address the situation. dougie beattie giving dublin . and i'm beattie giving dublin. and i'm delighted to say that gb news reported dougie beattie joins us live from dublin . dougie, great live from dublin. dougie, great reporter fascinating stuff within that i just noticed as well that on the placards that were being held up on the lining that point that you made that is that point that you made that is that the protesters are keen to say we are not just anti right wing. call it what you will that they were all articulating the fact that they are concerned about the amount of space that there is that concerned housing they're concerned about the economic really t of pouring into our country. that, broadly

speaking, is very well indeed . speaking, is very well indeed. dubun speaking, is very well indeed. dublin is a beautiful city. in fact, it's a very modern european. it's the only big city really on the island of ireland, north on south, the whole island of ireland , about 7 million of ireland, about 7 million people on it. the problem being is, of course , that they don't is, of course, that they don't have the infrastructure there. there's a lot of tolls on the road and stuff going up and down here and why i'm here really that the real of that that the real of it is that being of my life to protocol and insight that is the common travel area we have seen yesterday that eu citizens were being arrested and moved on that didn't have the correct paperwork inside london on where they're coming of course, is across the common travel area, no passport it into dublin, into ireland and of course they can then get their paperwork , travel then get their paperwork, travel back across a borderless island and stripped back into the uk . and stripped back into the uk. dougie, thank you very much

indeed. dougie, thank you very much indeed . as i said, great report indeed. as i said, great report and do subscribe to our youtube channel at gb news. you can get dougie's report and all the other great stuff does there for us as well , the time being. have us as well, the time being. have a great afternoon, dougie. thank you very much indeed. dougie beattie there for live dublin beattie there for live in dublin . you watching and listening . you are watching and listening to stewart& friends to alastair stewart& friends here news and radio . here on gb news tv and radio. plenty to come. this plenty more still to come. this afternoon including i'm delighted to say, english businessman and former chair of redding football club , sirjohn redding football club, sir john bugajski, who will be joining me live right here in the studio. talk about the state of football the state of the british economy and i tempt him, the and if i can tempt him, the state the conservative party state of the conservative party as happen to miss as well. so you happen to miss a second of that. but first, let's bnng up second of that. but first, let's bring up with all bring you right up with all of the day's headlines . the day's news headlines. hi there. it's going up to 25 to 2. i'm alan armstrong in the gb newsroom. nadine nadeem, zarqawi's position conservative

party chair is untenable that's the view of the labour party . the view of the labour party. after reports he paid a penalty as part of a seven figure tax settlement to hmrc see it's related to the shares of sale of shares in the polling company he founded . the justice secretary founded. the justice secretary dominic raab has told gb news he's confident how he has been transparent over his taxes. the shadow rachel reeves says he has questions to answer . shadow rachel reeves says he has questions to answer. dominic raab, who's being investigated for bullying, is passing judgement on nadhim zahawi , judgement on nadhim zahawi, who's just had a £1 million fine for not paying his taxes on time and that pretty much epitomises this conservative cabinet . when this conservative cabinet. when the prime minister came office, he said that he would run a government that would have honesty, integrity and professional at its heart . none professional at its heart. none of those three things are happening today. of those three things are happening today . the prime happening today. the prime minister has been described as a hapless liability labour and faces a renewed wave criticism

from employees after being for a second time by police. rishi sunak has apologised for failing to wear a seatbelt , filming a to wear a seatbelt, filming a social media clip earlier this week. the prime minister was also fined for breaking lockdown rules in 2020 and he's been accused of showing the same disregard the rules as boris johnson to levelling up the co—founder of the bus firm de—man globe has been charged in connection with a human investigation. police say four individuals understood be anglo and members of a family were charged on thursday in connection with alleged trafficking and immigration offences . a statement issued on offences. a statement issued on her behalf says ms. globe denies , the malicious allegations made against her and her family , against her and her family, former health secretary sajid javid says charging patients for dna and appointments is crucial to the survival of the nhs. speaking to the times, mr. javid said it would help the nhs ration its finite supply more

effectively . mr. javid also said effectively. mr. javid also said the appreciation the health service has become a religious fervour and a barrier to reform . an adviser to the ukrainian president, volodymyr zelenskyy, says indecision over whether to send german made tanks to ukraine is costing lives. a western agreed yesterday to send nato weaponry to ukraine, but germany remains reluctant to provide its leopard tanks or allow other countries to donate theirs, despite increasing pressure to do so. ukraine's urgently requested tanks to counter russia's planned spring offensive tv online and dab+ radio. this is gb news but now it is. back to alastair stewart and friends .

welcome back. you are watching and listening to alastair stewart and friends here on gb news tv and radio. i'm very excited . my next guest, he knows excited. my next guest, he knows a thing or two about business being a serial entrepreneur and also he knows a bit about the motor industry as well because he used to help people like you, me and lots of other people buy sell motor cars. also, he knows a lot about football clubs as former of reading football . a lot about football clubs as former of reading football. he is sir john medeski former of reading football. he is sirjohn medeski and he joins me live in the studio . when you me live in the studio. when you came in and sat down there. i talked about the britishvolt thing and you said, well, i used to publish magazines that help people and sell motor cars . people buy and sell motor cars. but as an entrepreneur knows but but as an entrepreneur knows a little bit about how that industry operates . a little bit about how that industry operates. did you look at the britishvolt story and think that's a real body blow or did you just think that's a shame? they couldn't their ducks in a row ? the latter i think in a row? the latter i think it's a shame they couldn't their

ducksin it's a shame they couldn't their ducks in a row. i mean it is a tremendous opportunity and if we're all going to be using electric by 2030, hey, we've got some way to go to achieve that . some way to go to achieve that. and i think in a tremendous opportunity like that to build these batteries in this country , it's a shame that we couldn't get it right. and i still i'm flabbergasted . think we can't flabbergasted. think we can't get it right. i the thing that struck me and you and i go a fair old to the era where, you know, we're not talking about triumph motorbikes at meriden and we're not talking about trying put a together to trying to put a deal together to save what bits of british leyland bmc are worth saving . leyland bmc are worth saving. we're talking about a brand new that we know irrefutably the uk motor manufacturing industry will need if it's to into the next century. yeah, i agree with you totally. i don't understand what's gone wrong and it has gone wrong. why? it can't be put right , it seems, gone wrong. why? it can't be put right, it seems, you gone wrong. why? it can't be put right , it seems, you know, right, it seems, you know, obviously i don't know what's going on at the moment, whether there's any rescue plan going on

or something . but there's any rescue plan going on or something. but i do there's any rescue plan going on or something . but i do believe or something. but i do believe it would be a great idea if it could be we could actually could be if we could actually keep british company to keep it. a british company to because that's what it's all about. i believe there's quite a lot of foreign money tied up in this. absolutely. one of the reasons why it's not work so i'd rather bring it back this country just get the country and just get the benefits of it for goodness sake . i wonder if i can tempt you as well into , either agreeing or well into, either agreeing or disagreeing with some contributions that were made to , that general debate about the of the uk economy. but clearly the need for growth . i said in the need for growth. i said in my introduction , apart from the my introduction, apart from the things that people know you for, but you are generally speaking entrepreneur, you're an investor and you want britain clearly to succeed. i was quite shocked, even flabbergasted people of the likes of sir james even flabbergasted people of the likes of sirjames dyson and a mutual friend of ours rocco forte come out and say, look , forte come out and say, look, this is a conservative government that simply doesn't

have a growth strategy . it have a growth strategy. it doesn't have a growth plan. and james saying sheer scale of the state, size of the state and government, ambition and aspiration has just got too big. it ain't what we want. if are to thrive as a country in the modern world, do you agree with any or all of what those guys and gals saying? well, obviously, they've tremendous experience. so i obviously have to take note of what they say. however i think business has to be organic . i however i think business has to be organic. i think that it's you know, what we do need is more rock for it is more dyson's . and people of that ilk because thatis . and people of that ilk because that is the fundamental thing of this country i mean , now is this country i mean, now is a very good time to start a business. i'm very optimistic about the future . i say 20, 23. about the future. i say 20, 23. let's make it a roaring success. i'm up with the doom mongers , i'm up with the doom mongers, people carping , everything. yes,

people carping, everything. yes, it is . at the moment. we're all it is. at the moment. we're all going through it doesn't matter what level you all. everybody's suffering right now ? whether suffering right now? whether you're rich, poor or indifferent everybody's suffering. and frankly, we've all got to buckle ourideas frankly, we've all got to buckle our ideas up and just make the best of it we possibly can . and best of it we possibly can. and all those budding entrepreneurs out there go out there and have a go because some of you will succeed. and that's what it's all about. and that's what i look forward to seeing happen. yeah, and they are fascinating examples, aren't they because you could say rocket 40, you know dad set the business up from from milk bars and coffee bottles of hotels. bottles to a chain of hotels. but had a long rocco did but i had a long with rocco did it a party not that long ago it in a party not that long ago and his ambition is to create a global chain and he's halfway there of top quality hotels that are owned by a british company controlled by a british guy and dyson went from nothing to indeed. dyson went from nothing to indeed . yes. a very, very indeed. yes. a very, very talented inventor. and that's

half the battle actually. and i've got a company called clearview as i speak , we make so clearview as i speak, we make so light road studs, which is like a you know on the cut side things. but you can see the linear pattern going into the distance is a british product. we probably 60 people on very of that company and i knew i was on your programme yesterday, so i rang the ceo, but i said , you rang the ceo, but i said, you know, what do you make of all this business of what we're going through the moment, people working home everything working from home and everything because this overlap because there was this overlap of when had the, you know, of when we had the, you know, the lockdown , we've covid the the lockdown, we've covid the people working home. i mean, they had to, but but, you know, they had to, but but, you know, the blaze of that sort of sort of drifted into people not wanting to come back to work. i mean, it's so easy work from home for a lot of people. however, having have this chat yesterday , he said people want yesterday, he said people want to come back to the office. they want they they like the environment of it. we're all spinning and spinning off each

other and which other with ideas and sort which thought tremendous. thought was tremendous. absolutely. i think, you absolutely. yeah i think, you know, we've just got to get on with it, make things work and be positive about the future and just a great country to just build a great country to back to what it was before the pandemic the invasion . ukraine pandemic the invasion. ukraine and can do it if we all pull ourselves and be positive about life and be positive about the economy and everything else. do you think in creating that and. i agree 100% with literally every word that you've just said that government's role in all of that government's role in all of thatis that government's role in all of that is limited. that government's role in all of that is limited . but one thing that is limited. but one thing that is limited. but one thing that it could do is, again, of these commentators, james and others are saying is cut our taxes. so those people who you will see said, yeah, we want to cut back a lot of work, then get in there and do it. they're enjoying it. it'd be jolly good if they were left with a little bit more of the money that they work what sets off to work their what sets off to earn. of course would like earn. well, of course would like lower taxes. however we are in difficult times at the moment

lower taxes. however we are in diffi government: the moment lower taxes. however we are in diffi government: the n|»ment lower taxes. however we are in diffi government: the ni do�*nt lower taxes. however we are in diffi government: the ni do agree and government costs. i do agree that the heavy hand of government involved things government involved in things doesn't necessarily work. and we've time time we've seen this time and time again. the national again. i mean, the national health service , civil service health service, civil service and rest interest, you and all the rest interest, you know , the national health know, the national health service , i think the minister of service, i think the minister of health said, charging patients to go to the doctor . good idea. to go to the doctor. good idea. i think the national health service in its form at the moment, there's total root and branch because there's too hospital management. branch because there's too hospital management . we love the hospital management. we love the nurses. we love the doctors, we love the you know, the ambulance drivers , all the people that are drivers, all the people that are doers. but that are a hell of a raft of people that organising all this. and when government talks and has talked , this raft talks and has talked, this raft of hospital management that really needs looking , in my really needs looking, in my humble opinion. but the whole system 1948 i mean after the war, times have changed and i

just think it's got to be a approach to national health. so think about the national health is and you know, this it's free. everybody is in there like an avalanche , i daresay a lot of avalanche, i daresay a lot of people could probably away without sort of going to too two surgeries and so on. i hope i'm not going to get pilloried for saying this, but because, you know, that sort of we weren't allowed one thing, thing allowed one thing, one thing i about on something like about carry on something like this you whatever say this is you whatever you say you're going get pilloried you're going to get pilloried like you really won't get like i now you really won't get penalised for your optimism we share completely . penalised for your optimism we share completely. i'm share it completely. i'm fascinated by what you were just saying. nhs, saying. there about the nhs, because time i've got because the only time i've got anywhere that was i sat anywhere close to that was i sat on a panel with david quayle who was the queue of be queue and created that brilliant retail operation . and he sat and asked operation. and he sat and asked bafic operation. and he sat and asked basic questions of these guys like central perk saying storage , property, portfolio management, you were in property

as well . and david said to me as well. and david said to me afterwards, you know, nobody had ever asked those . this was ever asked those. this was hampshire regional health authority. nobody had ever asked those guys and gals, those before. do think that maybe steve, the health secretary, should get people like yourself, maybe dice and maybe rocco forte, some of these people were putting the boot in a little bit to the now to go and have a look at how the nhs could be made to sing and welfare and other very expensive of our social services which we love to have , but we which we love to have, but we want to be more efficient. i agree. i think that's a very good idea. but i mean, the thing about national health service is it's such a large entity now and you've all these different authorities around , the country authorities around, the country that , i think authorities around, the country that, i think no central buying is good and all sort of obvious things that come to mind. however, when it comes down to it, it just needs a total root and branch investigation to the

whole whole . and you need people whole whole. and you need people are qualified to be able to do that and certainly you need to bnng that and certainly you need to bring a certain business in terms of that as you do with a lot of other governments bodies , if you're in government or in the civil service, you've never heard a bit of advice than from sir john, just that. finally talking of why is advice ineos is doing all right jim red doing wreck lifting extremely well owns one of my favourite hotels down in hampshire as well as being in patrick. is he wise be flirting with the purchase of manchester united football club you you're a been there done man and as far as football because although i read somewhere from deloitte's yesterday's the most profitable football clubs in the world are now here in the engush world are now here in the english premiership . one thing english premiership. one thing out stories we should all be immensely proud of premier league which is british oc seen by billions of people all over the world. this is fantastic .

the world. this is fantastic. it's a great calling card for the united kingdom and a great calling card when you think that every time there's a focus on on the football in this country, they the people of all over the world can see the town that's playing manchester united or arsenal or whatever whatever not that's a trimmed us i think to i think it's in ratcliffe's dna because he did sporting lewis hamilton with the mercedes team also the attempt to win the america's cup . listen the lad america's cup. listen the lad was born in manchester not far away from the football ground . away from the football ground. he is a match, not just supporter . he is a match, not just supporter. brilliant. we've far too many foreign people to come into the game now. i mean , i into the game now. i mean, i remember when you the people always used to say, is writing football club for sale. well, i've owned it for years, 20 years, whatever it was. and i used to say, yeah writing football clubs always been for sale. come and me, i said, but

but millionaires not apply only billionaire has because it's not for the not for the faint hearted. it is really an expensive pastime . john i've expensive pastime. john i've wanted to have this conversation for a long time since we celebrated sandra howard's lovely new book and i hope that you may even after that experience without being pilloried consider back and we'll carry on our conversation . well, but words of wisdom on the health service , on british the health service, on british industry, on being proud to be british and getting out there and it making 2023 and doing it and making 2023 a year things were sold. so year that things were sold. so john, much john, thank you very much indeed. good be made. the indeed. good to be made. the journey up here and great to see you.thank journey up here and great to see you. thank you very. wow. told you. thank you very. wow. i told you. thank you very. wow. i told you was about it. and goodness you i was about it. and goodness me i right? now, let's have me was i right? now, let's have some of your thoughts on some more of your thoughts on levelling which spoke levelling up, which we spoke about in the about earlier on in the programme. says hull has programme. david says hull has been , especially on been forgotten, especially on the way that the railway would be advantage to docks. be such an advantage to docks. kevin says brexit has destroyed the uk's public finances , is no the uk's public finances, is no money for anything . well there

money for anything. well there are some thoughts for you to reflect upon, but also don't forget to subscribe to our youtube channel. we are at gb news. the thoughts of rory mcilroy and hamish mcrae and sir john as well. it's all there. plus our previous programs. i hope very much indeed that you enjoy it now. finally, time our rural spotlight , which i love. rural spotlight, which i love. as you know . now, here's one as you know. now, here's one that i wasn't quite expecting to , but i will utter it with great interest. i hope you share it. populations of red squirrels have declined over the last hundred and 50 years. rather than seeing their auburn bushy tails us now have more familiar with that grey counterparts. i however recall recalled as a child living in scotland just outside st andrew's. relishing watching a red squirrel who to live in an old tree in our front garden. absolutely beautiful and such a character. well, i'm

delighted to joined now to discuss this by the director of uk squirrel k hall there she is . kate good of you to join us. did the decline in red squirrels come about and supremacy of the far less impressive grey variant 7 far less impressive grey variant ? so grey squirrels were brought over from north america from about 76 and introduced to areas of england , ireland and once of england, ireland and once they established and took hold , they established and took hold, they established and took hold, they started out competing red squirrels, sadly for food and habitat they're much larger. they're more aggressive and they also carry a disease called squirrel pox, which they only but which the red squirrel contracts and which is almost always fatal. so over time , always fatal. so over time, they've just pushed them out through competition and disease an evolutionary thing. this isn't just survival of the fittest we think with the balance between red and grey and we got it wrong to the cost of

the red squirrel . yes, that's the red squirrel. yes, that's right. yes i mean, if it hadn't been for human and what we have done as humans moved huge numbers of around the world, some of these species aren't able to survive the habitats in which they're introduced some of them live in perfect harmony with native species. but there are about 10 to 15% of species that, when introduced to a new area have no control mechanism, no disease that controls them no predators. and so they're ones that we call invasive species and they're the ones that we have to tackle because at a global level and a national, they're one of the biggest threats to biodiverse city. yeah well, i'm all for it. as i said from my childhood of that lovely red squirrel in scotland red scary squirrel in scotland told . me this because we've done told. me this because we've done the return of beavers to the countryside on the programme and i know there's a bit of a tip for the nfu over that. and there was another case of it quite recently does this lovely creature, the red squirrel,

bnng creature, the red squirrel, bring something unique ? the bring something unique? the ecosystem to our balance or is our he and she just lovely to look at so well red squirrels squirrels are really important for natural woodland region they bury nuts and they help the regrowth of trees through through with forgetting. often they stash them acorns, etc. but unfortunately what the grey squirrel does it is bark stripping young broadleaf trees . and this is especially a problem at a time when the uk , problem at a time when the uk, along with many other countries around the world, want to plant more trees for the many service benefits they provide. in fact, there's a estimate which is thought to be an underestimate, but it's a grey squirrel is cost the uk economy around but it's a grey squirrel is cost the uk economy aroun d £37 the uk economy around £37 million a year in lost trees to trees cost to the timber industry and the reduction of carbon which which red squirrels just don't do . yeah. if folk just don't do. yeah. if folk listening to this conversation want to help , i mean we all know

want to help, i mean we all know that if you put out seed stuff, you can get a lovely tree full of wild birds. is there anything that we can do to try and attract red squirrels to ? our attract red squirrels to? our gardens ? yes. if you were in a gardens? yes. if you were in a red squirrel area, you can put out feeders is it's really important to keep them clean in case squirrel does out you know, breakout in the area but where are red and grey squirrels putting out feeders then attracts them together and increase the risk of the, you know, the spreading of squirrel pox. but a lot of red squirrel areas have local red squirrel community and there are red squirrel organisations and ourselves as big partnership who are working to try and protect the red squirrel so that people can donate people , can get can donate people, can get involved in the time awareness raising is a really big important thing. well, i apologise. we've got to leave there, but google squirrel record and you'll find everything that just everything that i was just talking that enjoyed it. talking about that enjoyed it. have weekend have a lovely weekend and thank you indeed. have a lovely weekend and thank you indeed . that's i'm you very much indeed. that's i'm afraid all that we have time today, but be back

today, but i will be back tomorrow 1:00, i hope very tomorrow at, 1:00, i hope very much. join us all much. and you can join us all then. until then, enjoy the rest of today and enjoy this evening a very good day to you. bye bye . hello there. i'm jonathan bawtry from the met office here with the latest weather updates. this weekend is all about the north—west south—east split and it's due to where we've got high pressure set across england and wales keeping the cold air in tact here. but towards the north—west we've got milder air pushing up in association with these frontal systems , but these frontal systems, but milder air is going to be wrapped up with a fair amounts of cloud outbreaks , rain and of cloud outbreaks, rain and drizzle persistent breeze drizzle and a persistent breeze , particularly across the hebndes , particularly across the hebrides the hebrides and up towards the northern meanwhile northern tonight. meanwhile we've got the clearest air is across particularly areas of england and eastern. the frost will returning down to as low will be returning down to as low as minus seven degrees. some rural prone spots we will see some freezing fog patches as well, perhaps particularly bedfordshire, . so bedfordshire, hertfordshire. so could a bit of murky start could be a bit of a murky start sunday for you here wise sunday morning for you here wise once do eventually clear once those do eventually clear off into the afternoon, we will

see brighter spells see some brighter spells develop. holding onto that develop. but holding onto that colder air still further to the northwest. then it's going to be another fairly drab day . winds another fairly drab day. winds will out, but that's just will ease out, but that's just going lower the cloud going to help lower the cloud a bit more. so certainly hill bit more. so certainly some hill fog places and rather murky fog in places and rather murky with further persistent areas of rain climbing to highs of ten degrees, though with the cloud, not necessarily going to feel that particularly pleasant into sunday , retain that sunday evening, retain that split land. so it's going to remain mild across the north and west where we hold onto that cloud. the cloud pushing cloud. but now the cloud pushing its into northern of its way into northern areas of england, areas wales. so england, areas of wales. so that's reduce the that's likely to reduce the risk of but we hold onto of frost here. but we hold onto those skies again those clearer skies again central areas of england central eastern areas of england will be promising once again , will be promising once again, minus three, four in towns minus three, minus four in towns and cities it's the start of the new working week whilst we do still have that split on the cloud will just gradually want to push its way into the south—east these frontal systems will eventually make their way further the south, but further towards the south, but it will generally be more towards week before

towards the of the week before we see that mild eventually sweep its way across all areas of england . that's it for now. of england. that's it for now. enjoy the rest of your day .