coming up on today's camilla tominey show , going to be tominey show, going to be speaking to commons leader penny mordaunt about the government's latest wrangling of northern ireland protocol . also be joined ireland protocol. also be joined by graham chairman , by sir graham brady, chairman, the about that the 1922 committee about that ouster of boris johnson and rosie duffield. the labour mp joins me to discuss whether her party has got a woman . but party has got a woman. but first, the news headlines first, here's the news headlines with our an armstrong . good

with our an armstrong. good morning. it's 9:30. arran armstrong in the gb news room. bofis armstrong in the gb news room. boris johnson has warned the prime minister that dropping the northern ireland protocol bill would be a great mistake. on saturday, rishi sunak and the european commission president issued a joint statement saying had made very good progress on fixing issues with the contentious post—brexit trading arrangements. well, the protocol bill introduced under johnson would empower the uk unilaterally scrap parts . the unilaterally scrap parts. the treaty. political commentator dr. john coulter says mr. johnson's intervention on brexit, his first since leaving office, could have serious ramifications. so i think the protocol deal in northern ireland will guarantee the security of the process for i say, the next generation. now what boris has done is really thrown a horse into political negotiations here . originally negotiations here. originally the protocol deal was always

seen as european union punish the uk for daring to democratically vote to. leave the european union. so we've got to get a solution to the protocol . the french president protocol. the french president wants russia to be defeated in. ukraine, but not crushed. emmanuel macron says aiming for a total defeat of moscow on its own soil has never been his country's position . macron has country's position. macron has been criticised by some nato allies for delivering mixed regarding his policy. the war. the labour leader will urge scottish voters to take another look at his party later during the conference in edinburgh. sir starmer is expected to say labour can bring the change scotland needs and he'll ask scottish voters to put trust in his party. following nicola sturgeon's resignation this week, the labour leader is expected to promise a bold reform government tv, online and dab+ radio . this is gb news now

dab+ radio. this is gb news now it's back to camilla . it's back to camilla. well, good morning on this sunny sunday. what a show we have for you. do not anywhere. we've got penny in the studio. we've got graham brady in the studio, chairman of the 1922 committee. we've got rosie duffield in the studio, the labour mp that is going against her own party on the issue of transgender. we'll also a brilliant also be speaking to a brilliant hannah barnes about her book on the tavistock clinic. and i'm going to be welcoming calum best son of the legendary george, into the to discuss addiction and own troubled childhood. though let's go through the newspaper headlines. he's back on the front of the sunday telegraph . johnson's warning to telegraph. johnson's warning to sunak on an ideal sunday times goes with tv station shut as iran's killers target uk staff . iran's killers target uk staff. the observer once again, the

blonde bombshell features johnson threatens sunak bid to end deadlock over brexit. the mirror goes with toxic messages portrayed harvey and me. this is an interview with katie price where she says that the police officers that mocked her disabled son need to face justice. the sunday express goes with forces to broken to . defend with forces to broken to. defend and then in the mail on sunday, and then in the mail on sunday, an intriguing andrew fears will lose an intriguing andrew fears will los e £30 million home the sun on lose £30 million home the sun on sunday is also going with that royal story andrew evicted from 300 million mansion. now it's an interesting story that is about whether prince charles might cut funding to his brother would be deaung funding to his brother would be dealing with these and more with alexander downer, former australian foreign minister, former high commissioner to the uk and of the politics uk and chair of the politics change think tank. thank for change think tank. thank you for joining alexander, on this joining me, alexander, on this sunday. now let's have a look at what chosen naturally .

what you've chosen naturally. bofis what you've chosen naturally. boris johnson is making a splash this and you've to these this and you've come to these stories i think have made stories that i think have made the times, telegraph and the the times, the telegraph and the observer front pages. so yeah. as i've just described in the bloomberg bombshell is back basically , he's saying that he basically, he's saying that he wants to keep brexit end up in this negotiated fashion over the protocol. what she repeated of this intervention because . this this intervention because. this is the guy that just won't go away. he's a flip side . it's away. he's a flip side. it's wonderful publicity for him and i'm sure it's all around keeping him relevant and in the game. and after all he was the person who negotiated it and signed the original protocol which has proved to be so contrived official but it does remind the prime minister , i suppose that prime minister, i suppose that within the conservative party there will be huge resisted cuts to allowing the european court of justice to exercise control over it, even any in any way over it, even any in any way over northern ireland. concern of foreign courts having

jurisdiction within one's own country is one that will never be popular, particularly in the conservative party. i mean, i know that you're kind of appalled a bit by the notion of appalled a bit by the notion of a foreign court ruling parts of the uk. i mean, would this happenin the uk. i mean, would this happen in australia? how has this been allowed to happen? so the best example in the case of the best example in the case of the uk is not did the uk sign the uk is not did the uk sign the when helped to drop the european convention on human rights , but it agreed to the rights, but it agreed to the court which comes out of the convention having jurisdiction in the uk and having jurisdiction over british. so in that would be a fundamental of national sovereignty , allow national sovereignty, allow foreign courts to have jurisdiction over our own courts and this of course leads to the european court of human rights in strasbourg having control over the uk government's immigration. do you think we should leave the. well, i think leaving it leaving the

convention would would be hugely radical, uncontroversial and might not even get it through the parliament, but on the other hand, limiting the capacity for the court to the european court to exercise jurisdiction over british courts would be a very sensible way to go . supreme sensible way to go. supreme court should be the ultimate court for the uk , not the court for the uk, not the european, not a european court in strasbourg. now you've also chosen on a boris theme the spread in the battle on sunday, which is talking about this privileges hearing, which is imminent. it's going to be televised. there's lots of talk about whether boris johnson can can't be represented by lawyers, but there's suggestion that it's not inconvenient to rishi sunak to have johnson on the ropes like this . if the worst case he like this. if the worst case he gets found guilty of misleading parliament, he could lose his seat. parliament, he could lose his seat . i parliament, he could lose his seat. i mean, does this advantage , prime minister or advantage, prime minister or not? well the prime minister could ruthlessly use this threat

depending on the extent to which he can control the conserver tive. members of the privileges committee . i mean, you would committee. i mean, you would expect the concern but if members of the privileges committee pretty much to support another conservative, that is bofis another conservative, that is boris johnson , they've got the boris johnson, they've got the majority. they have a majority. but whether they will do that or not will depend very much on how things pan out . not will depend very much on how things pan out. but this is a sword of damocles that . some sword of damocles that. some members of the conservative party, not least the prime minister , can hold over the head minister, can hold over the head of boris johnson. if boris johnson becomes too disruptive . johnson becomes too disruptive. i mean, that hasn't happened. so far, but if that were to happen , it would be a sort of damage. what do you make of the politics between these two men? i mean, they tried to reach that deal, didn't they, when everything collapsed, phyllis trust, there was meeting . and was that weekend meeting. and as far we understood boris far as we understood it, boris johnson well, i'll be johnson said, well, i'll be prime again. you prime minister again. and you could sidekick. sunak could be my sidekick. sunak said, if you try, that said, no, and if you try, that will bring down. it's no will bring you down. it's no love there is the heart.

love lost. there is the heart. i don't think so. no, this is normal, right? when a prime minister party overthrown minister a party gets overthrown . that person, the one who . yes. that person, the one who has been overthrown , remains has been overthrown, remains pretty bitter about what has happened. and there's no doubt that i mean, i'm not blaming him. but boris johnson. that i mean, i'm not blaming him. but borisjohnson. no doubt, feels very bitter about what happened to him and his successors. he will inevitably think are not up to the task. briefly because we going to move onto sturgeon in just a minute. can you envisage a boris johnson comeback? no i can't. not not before the election. no, i think for the conservative party having changed their leader a couple of times to do so. yes again, would be absolutely catastrophic to win the next election , they need to find election, they need to find three or four key issues which to campaign cannot just cruise along and the status quo path they to take some radical decisions for example on stopping their small boats

coming across the channel they have to be to prepared take radical positions and they also have to be to prepared attack the labour party and expose the labour party. there's no point in them just softly sitting their ministerial. i don't think they are aggressive enough towards the labour. i say gloves on brexit, keeping gloves on. they should take them off. that's right. yeah. whatever. yeah yes they did that with let's get on sturgeon now because it's a great double page spread in the sunday and it's basically lampooning her slightly because it's kind of depicting her as the cartoon. and that's all folks tunes and now actually rishi sunak showed some strength with sturgeon. he said, no we're not going to allow you to get away with your agenda recognition reform bill and. that level of read decisive this appears to have been her undoing. yes, that was a very strong by the prime minister i think the gender recognition bill not only was very bad legislation , a very bad idea, of

legislation, a very bad idea, of course , was demonstrated by the course, was demonstrated by the rape being in the women's jail. but it was good politics to vote. it down to get rid of it. and it just goes to the point that i'm making that the conservative ipsis, if they want to win the next election, have got to show some steel. they've got to show some steel. they've got to show some steel. they've got to be prepared to be ruthless from time to time. that was a good example . that did was a good example. that did help to bring down nicola sturgeon. i mean, look, she her time was up. in any case, her whole career as a chief minister has ultimately been a failure. she's failed to achieve her main d'etre, which was independence for scotland and. she's left the nhs and the system in disarray. although it's the end of sturgeon. is that the end of the snp as we know it? so i you won't find many people this but i think we're past peak snp right ? i think some snp votes right? i think some snp votes will now flow back to labour . will now flow back to labour. yeah. not too many of them will

go to the conservatives i suppose.i go to the conservatives i suppose. i think labour will pick up seats at next election from the snp . so i think we're from the snp. so i think we're past peak snp too soon not get to claim he saved the union. hey hey i don't he should come out and say that but there's no doubt about it. they decide his position he took on the agenda recognition bill has has led to the undoing of nicola which has helped the union help the union decide on the other story you chose the kind of right versus left story of the week is this idea that the government can try and block sadiq khan when it comes to this ulez expansion. it's meant to happening in august. this august. briefly, alexander, this is you think, for is a good idea, you think, for the government to go up against the government to go up against the london great politics this is for the is great politics for the conservative party. the mayor who is a very cynical party political player and blames the government for everything that goes wrong in london the whole

time . he's always playing time. he's always playing politics. this is an opportunity for the conservative government for the conservative government for the conservative government for the prime minister to play politics with, with the mayor to overturn his of the ulez . it's overturn his of the ulez. it's an easy attack line . so listen, an easy attack line. so listen, this disproportionately affects people on lower incomes who have got older cars. i mean i mean, it's completely regressive . rich it's completely regressive. rich people with bentley, bentleys and porsches. it's not going to us and teslas. it's not going to worry them. not the people with the cars are the lower income people. and that's a direct attack on those people. it's a lot of marginal constituencies as well. i would if five of the prime minister let people get more and more angry about it. and but i'll come in and save them from them. pull the plug in them from them. pull the plug in the summer. thank very much indeed. that's alexander downer there joining me for the newspaper to newspaper review. now over to catherine forster political correspondent who's in reading

with our people's catherine. what are people saying reading this morning? what are people saying reading this morning ? good morning, this morning? good morning, camilla . it's sunny in redding camilla. it's sunny in redding and i'm here at monty's cafe. i'm joined by the cafe owner, ibrahim . ibrahim, good morning. ibrahim. ibrahim, good morning. thank you very much for letting us talk to a gb news this morning. how's business at the moment ? it's great. thank you . moment? it's great. thank you. with me welcoming you here and i think monty's cafe business is doing okay . we struggled doing okay. we struggled a little with that . supplies and little with that. supplies and increase the utility bills. but the help of the local community, the help of the local community, the people support we doing so far good . great. good to hear far good. great. good to hear people are supporting you. it's a difficult time. is that okay? let's go and meet our people , let's go and meet our people, please. panel for today. let's go and meet our people, please. panel for today . good please. panel for today. good morning . you very much for morning. you very much for joining us on gb news today. so first of all, we have george. george you are a property developer for wokingham. thank you for joining

developer for wokingham. thank you forjoining us. and helen, thank you. you are retired environmental health officer and philip. philip you are a retired lawyer and also very importantly, helen husband. so we've got three big guests on the show today, as you we've got rosie duffield , the labour mp, rosie duffield, the labour mp, we've got chair of the 1922 committee, sir graham brady , and committee, sir graham brady, and we've got penny mordaunt, leader of the house of commons. we've got penny mordaunt, leader of the house of commons . george, of the house of commons. george, you're a conservative party member . you've got some member. you've got some comments, haven't you, about how the last leadership election run? yeah, well, i think , i run? yeah, well, i think, i would have liked the opportunity to vote when it came to receive a question mark. obviously. penny mordaunt was one of those people in the running . i would people in the running. i would ask sir graham. graham brady now knowing how that turned out with one candidate rishi sunak would he do it the same rishi sunak same with the prime minister now and i'm happy with that. what i would also really like camilla to be asking yesterday's is call

is raising cooperation on tax the right thing? it's going to have real impact on all have a real impact on all businesses but my view . businesses, but that's my view. lots of people concerned about the rise in corporation tax, aren't you're aren't they? and you're mentioning penny mordaunt, philip , you have some comments philip, you have some comments about penny mordaunt coming up later the show. course . later on the show. of course. well, i wouldn't disagree with george, but i wonder if penny actually has sufficient experience for the highest office in the land. so i think it's right that she didn't get the job. and i'm i just don't think she's ready for that. so, no . and lord frost, of course, no. and lord frost, of course, had comments about her, too, which he seems a really capable individual . and he brought in individual. and he brought in a question of her intellect . and i question of her intellect. and i think that's of concern for somebody in that position . and somebody in that position. and you've got some major concerns about our energy policy or lack thereof, haven't you? tell us about that. yeah, no, i really do. my eyes were open when we went on holiday very recently to norway the airport we norway and at the airport we were just getting an ordinary

taxito were just getting an ordinary taxi to get into oslo and this big mess, as it turned out, mercedes showed up. and this is just the ordinary taxis get in the car and of course, i asked the car and of course, i asked the taxi driver, this is a very fine car. and you then told me that you had a policy in norway for the last years of electrification of motor vehicles . that means if you buy vehicles. that means if you buy a new car , you pay no vat. so a new car, you pay no vat. so it's cheaper. second of all, when you get to charge a car, there's charge the electricity . there's charge the electricity. so for the bigwigs in the tory party, they're on the show . my party, they're on the show. my question is very simple. why why is there no plan in place, not just now, but in the last ten years? you've been in office for 12 years and i see no plans in. i see back of the envelope type approach and i think that's deeply concern . and i don't that deeply concern. and i don't that very deserving of office going forward . i've been a tory party forward. i've been a tory party i'll be honest with supporter

all life, but no longer because i just don't think they have the of philosophy that i, i thought they had but thank you for that, philip and helen, if i could come to you and the trans issue has caused a lot of debate, hasn't it? and you do have concerns about, hasn't it? and you do have concerns about , potential concerns about, potential erosion of women's rights . tell erosion of women's rights. tell us about it. yes, i do . i us about it. yes, i do. i noficed us about it. yes, i do. i noticed rosie duffield has been under a lot of flack from her own party. her stance on women and transgenderism and i feel the labour party really does have a big problem with women . have a big problem with women. so my question her would be does she feel that they do i personally as a woman? and when i started my working career back in 1978, i was a one of very few women in what was largely male dominated profession . i feel dominated profession. i feel we're going backwards . and this we're going backwards. and this woke nonsense about calling women people with cervix or whatever. i find highly

insulting . thank you. thank you. insulting. thank you. thank you. so some strong views there . back so some strong views there. back to you now. camilla in the studio . some great questions studio. some great questions there. katherine, thank you very much don't forget if you want to apply to the people's panel, i think we'll up north next week. it's gbnews.uk forward slash panel it's gbnews.uk forward slash panel. now rosie duffield, who? helen has just referenced there on the people's panel, the labour mp for canterbury, joins me thank very for me now. thank very much for coming studio. rosie coming into the studio. rosie now. your reaction now. let's have your reaction first of to nicola first of all to nicola sturgeon's resignation . and she sturgeon's resignation. and she claims about recent claims it wasn't about recent pressures this transfer pressures over this transfer issue. what do you think? lots of journalists have been talking about? what a shock it was. but in parliament we've been talking about weeks, certainly about for a few weeks, certainly in women, we've in my circles of women, we've been that's it, game over been saying that's it, game over because such an unpopular because it was such an unpopular bill try and introduce and bill to try and introduce and i think it was 80% of the country were against what she was trying to push through it was inevitable things like that. then there's some issues over, i think, isn't that all of it would have come together when

she talk brutality of she talk the brutality of politics, how life had been difficult for her which sure difficult for her which i'm sure you can sympathise with because difficult for her which i'm sure you had sympathise with because difficult for her which i'm sure you had a mpathise with because difficult for her which i'm sure you had a lotathise with because difficult for her which i'm sure you had a lot of ise with because difficult for her which i'm sure you had a lot of abuse h because difficult for her which i'm sure you had a lot of abuse yourselfe you had a lot of abuse yourself over issue. but actually over this issue. but actually she just unravelled over the of this double rapist in a women's prison didn't check. yeah i think it was all a complete disaster pr wise and she was sort of doubling down and prepared. didn't look as though she think again she was prepared, think again and accept some of those amendments would would amendments and that would would have real problem. have been a real problem. i think that bill. dyer think she said that bill. dyer death. whoever takes over death. now whoever takes over the serious the assembly needs serious looking again. yeah and the looking at again. yeah and the government have said they they've 35 they've invoked the section 35 and effectively and they've effectively stopped it. really needs start it. so it really needs to start again. i think will be scrapped completely. talk about the completely. let's talk about the abuse you for abuse that you faced for standing up women in the standing up for women in the houses of parliament, think we've of you we've actually got a clip of you being heckled by your own mps. let's just have a look at that now. i welcome the government's invoking in this invoking of section 35 in this case the bill clear only case as the bill clear only conflicts with the equality act and have repercussions for and would have repercussions for women . for women across the uk .

women. for women across the uk. so you had view that being heckled by ben bradshaw and lloyd russell—moyle. have they apologised for that? no lloyd messaged me saying that he'd been told not to message and that his life had been made really difficult since then he had experienced lots of abuse and things, but it certainly wasn't an apology. and ben bradshaw. oh no. what's all tell me has keir starmer spoken to you about any of this lately? when's the last time you spoke to the leader? had one meeting with care and it was september 2021. so you haven't spoken to him at all? he hasn't offered any in light of what you've had to go through because of this. i mean, state of play mean, what's the state of play with you know you had with regard you i know you had some terrible issues. you've received threats , getting received death threats, getting a of online abuse about, a lot of online abuse about, your stance on trans he hasn't spoken to you about that at all? no what's your reaction to him on that? i mean when casted the leadership he made great play to the mps about how he had run an

organisation and he was really in touch with his staff. he was very hands on and i thought that sounded great. but there's 195 labour and ps with whip at labour and ps with the whip at the moment not very get the moment and not very many get the moment and not very many get the and the kind of the headlines and the kind of vitriol that i get. i mean, we all get abuse, but it's been particularly horrible for me. it would have been nice, i think if just messaged me or something. but then let's put it from some of your critics. there are people in the labour lgbtq+ group that claim your transphobia , but are you voting? transphobia, but are you voting? absolutely in a million years? i mean, why would i or anyone hate a group of people, you know, simply because they've got this gender dysphoria issue or , you gender dysphoria issue or, you know, issues about the gender, sexuality. it's impossible for me to understand how people think. i hate those people . i'm think. i hate those people. i'm talking about women's rights, trans rights are the same as every other human right hope and they should be. and i have every sympathy for anyone going through those things. but women's sometimes clash women's rights sometimes clash with self i.d. women's rights sometimes clash with self id. and that's what women like me are talking about.

and why do you think it is that a very well—educated man, such as keir starmer struggles this to answer this question , whether to answer this question, whether women can or cannot have a penis 7 women can or cannot have a penis ? i think it's a brand new thing for us to be talking about as politicians. there's an awful lot of reading to do. he has to be all over all of the subjects and this one is particularly difficult. and i think if you've got the same group of activists who very influential the who are very influential in the party bombarding you with information , then perhaps it is information, then perhaps it is easy to completely easy to get completely hoodwinked or only listen to one point of view. i don't know, but would you like to see more leadership on this issue from the labour leader ? yeah, would the labour leader? yeah, i would like to say i'd like him to address women. i'd him to meet more regularly with women's groups labour women's declaration example are a group of 8000 women who've signed a pledge saying they want an end to self i.d. pledge saying they want an end to self id. and they want single sex spaces being protected. that's 8000 labour members, councillors activists, voters. i think it would a good

idea to listen to them more. why do you think he's sitting on the fence? i think because . fence? i think because. desperate to get into government. and it's a very difficult issue. and i think as i said, i think he's advised by a lot people based in london, a lot of people very active in the labour party, that if you talk to the wider, there are different points of view. and i think it would be a good idea to hear all of them. helen, on the people's panel there wanted me to ask you whether you think that woman problem. that labour has a woman problem. certainly far i've certainly as far as i've it since i became mp, i would say , since i became mp, i would say, yeah, there is a bit of a problem i mean when bradshaw and lloyd russell—moyle sort of shouted at you in the house, how did that make you feel? do you, philip i wouldn't want to philip king i wouldn't want to put your mouth, but put words into your mouth, but is a bit bullying going is there a bit of bullying going on? you characterise on? how would you characterise it immediately feels i mean, it it immediately feels i mean, all women have had abuse . we all women have had abuse. we know harassment when . we see it, know harassment when. we see it, especially women of my age group. we've had it all of our lives in different ways. and it just feels like it felt as

though they were just to shut me up. that's a great look. up. and that's a great look. i don't think from labour in peace. i'm going peace. no, i'm just going to quote something you that quote something back to you that you said. you said in 2019, it was trying to was hard enough trying to convince my constituents that labour antisemitic in next election when they inevitably asked whether i'm not asked whether is sexist. i'm not sure i'll be able to do the same. do you agree with that premise? do you think labour are sexist? there's lots that. sexist? there's lots of that. makes feel that the party has makes me feel that the party has got a bit of a women problem and there recent i think it there was a recent i think it was a few days ago, a breakdown of the leaders roles within the labour we've some labour party. yes, we've some really on the shadow really great women on the shadow cabinet in the frontbench . but cabinet in the frontbench. but leadership roles like secretary, head of staff , leadership roles like secretary, head of staff, head of comms, all of those kind of things and our leader, they're all still white men based in london . white men based in london. labour aren't really practising what they preach . it is what they preach. well it is hard to of see that we are you know the leader talks about how we've got over 50% of women employees but that's those are the that clung on in 2019. the women that clung on in 2019. we that that wasn't by

we did that that wasn't by design actually and we've managed to keep hold of our in the worst general election defeat that we've ever known. so credit i think a brief credit to us, i think a brief word on corbyn, i think keir starmer deserves credit for flushing out a lot of the anti—semitism the party anti—semitism in the party corbyn's departure. i mean in your view, was he an anti—semite? he certainly led a party that had a serious antisemitism problem. yeah, him individually i don't know his views individually, but he didn't do enough as leader. thank you very much, rosie duffield. now coming up, we're going to be speaking to sir graham brady. i'm also going to be speaking to penny mordaunt graham brady. i'm also going to be scalumg to penny mordaunt graham brady. i'm also going to be scalum best.enny mordaunt graham brady. i'm also going to be scalum best. pleaseordaunt graham brady. i'm also going to be scalum best. please staant graham brady. i'm also going to be scalum best. please stay .|t

welcome back. lots more to come on the show, including my interview with the graham brady, which will happen in just a moment. but first, here's the news headlines erin news headlines with erin armstrong . a very good morning armstrong. a very good morning to you. it is 10:00. i'm out, armstrong in the gb newsroom. let's start with some comments then from boris johnson because he has warned the prime minister that dropping the northern

ireland protocol would be a great mistake. on saturday, rishi sunak and the european commission president issued a joint statement saying had made very good progress on fixing issues with the contentious post—brexit trading arrangements. well, the protocol bill introduced under johnson would empower the uk to drop or unilaterally scrap parts of the treaty. what political commentator, dr. john coulter says mr. johnson's intervention on brexit could have serious ramifications . solving the ramifications. solving the protocol daily in northern ireland will guarantee the security of the peace process . security of the peace process. for i would say the next generation. now what boris has doneis generation. now what boris has done is really thrown a trojan horse into the political negotiations here . originally, negotiations here. originally, the protocol deal was always seen as the european union punishing the uk for daring to democratically vote to leave the european union. so we've got to

get a solution to the protocol . get a solution to the protocol. the french president wants russia to be defeated in ukraine, but not crushed. emmanuel macron says , aiming for emmanuel macron says, aiming for a total defeat of moscow on its own soil has never been his country's position. now he has been criticised by some nato allies for delivering mixed messages regarding his policy on the war. the kremlin has accused macron of duplicitous diplomacy, saying his remarks show the west is discussing discussing regime change in russia . scottish change in russia. scottish health secretary humza yousaf and former minister ash regan have announced they will stand to take over from nicola sturgeon as s&p leader. the pair who revealed their plans to write in the sunday mail, are the first to declare their candidate. see other potential candidates who are yet to make a bid for leadership, including finance secretary kate forbes . finance secretary kate forbes. and nominations will close next friday. and the winner of the race will be announced at the end of march . labour leader will end of march. labour leader will urge scottish voters to take

another look at his party when he addresses a conference in edinburgh later. sir keir starmer is expected say starmer is expected to say labour can bring the change. scotland needs and he'll ask voters to put their trust in his party. he's also expected to promise a bold reform in government following nicola sturgeon's resignation as first minister. the british medical association is expected to condemn the government for refusing to meet the terms of trade unions to stop nhs strike action . later, the bma's chair action. later, the bma's chair will say the government is letting patients down and we'll talk about the increasing staff vacancies and patient demand. the health department says it's hugely values the work of junior doctors and their pay has increased by 8.2% since 2019. tomorrow around 45,000 junior doctors in england will find out their ballot results for industrial action over pay and conditions . south korea and the conditions. south korea and the united states have held a combined air drill this morning in response to north korea's

missile launch yesterday . missile launch yesterday. pyongyang confirmed it fired a long—range ballistic missile to show its readiness for a so—called mobile and mighty counterattack . north korea also counterattack. north korea also fired an unprecedented number of missiles last year, including those with the ability to strike anywhere in the united states . anywhere in the united states. meanwhile, the us secretary of state has warned china's top diplomat against helping russia in their invasion of ukraine. antony blinken has urged wang yi not to provide material support to russia after concerns beijing was considering supplying weapons to moscow . wang said weapons to moscow. wang said washington was hysterical as tensions continue following the chinese spy balloons that have been flown over the united states and canada for former us. president jemmy , carter is us. president jemmy, carter is receiving hospice care at his home in georgia. a statement from the carter centre says the 98 year old made a decision

after a series of hospital stays saying he wants to spend his remaining time with his family. jemmy carter has suffered from a number of health issues in recent years , including a recent years, including a melanoma that spread to his liver and brain and the anthem written by composer andrew lloyd webber, is one of 12 new pieces of music to be played for. king charles at his coronation in may at king george, as requested, greek orthodox music to be played in tribute to his late father, lord lloyd webber, best known for many musicals, including evita and jesus christ superstar , says he's incredibly superstar, says he's incredibly honoured to have been asked . tv, honoured to have been asked. tv, online and dab radio this is. gb news. welcome back . now i'm delighted welcome back. now i'm delighted to be joined by sega and brady,

chairman of the 1922 committee and the tory mp for altrincham and the tory mp for altrincham and sale west. so graham, you've had a busy time , haven't you? had a busy time, haven't you? thank you for joining had a busy time, haven't you? thank you forjoining me. you're thank you for joining me. you're not front and centre at the moment the kind of leadership moment of the kind of leadership wrangling in wrangling that's gone on in recent tell me, though, recent months. tell me, though, it's centenary of the 1922. it's the centenary of the 1922. that odd because it's that sounds odd because it's 2023, but does that backbench committee that you have led now since 2010 have as much as it used to? what what's the changing dynamic of this tory backbench caucus? well the backbench caucus? well the backbench committee was set up by the new mps, first elected in the 1922 general election, hence the 1922 general election, hence the name . so that, i hope, the name. so that, i hope, explains the mystery of why we're the united states. a committee having a centenary in 2023. we have had a very busy yeah 2023. we have had a very busy year. i think you might say that our 100th year ended up being our 100th year ended up being our busiest possibly most relevant. what viewers have got to remember , the 1922 committee to remember, the 1922 committee is really the parliamentary

conservative party. we just have a more interesting name for it. yes. so it's as relevant as my colleagues in parliament are. it is the way in which colleagues in parliament can speak, collect heavily and give those messages to government , to leaders, to to government, to leaders, to prime ministers normally most of the time in private, which is how we prefer to keep it. so i'm very happy to be having a less pubuc very happy to be having a less public time than i was at the end of last year. now, when we promote you coming on the show, a number of gb views and listeners made the point that they felt that the election of rishi sunak was unfair. it was undemocratic because it didn't consult the party grassroots. the party members . what's your the party members. what's your reaction to that criticism? well, i think it's just completely untrue. we went to enormous lengths to make sure that we achieved two things. one, that was in a period of what was obviously crisis for the party and potentially for the party and potentially for the country that we would have a quick resolution. but the other was that we would set up a

process which allowed for at least two and possibly three candidates to come forward. we set a high threshold for nominations , therefore saying nominations, therefore saying that colleagues would need 100 people in parliament, three party members to support them in order to go forward and to an election. but we made sure that that would allow up to three candidates to be there in a parliamentary round and we then found and boris johnson's team asked us to verify this, which we did , that two candidates had we did, that two candidates had the requisite number of parliamentary supporters to go forward, rishi sunak and boris johnson, you did just a say on that because there was some scurrilous talk that boris johnson didn't get those 100, but he did. yes, we verified that. yes. and his team asked us to one of the offices to do that. one of the offices of the 22 especially to do of the 22 went, especially to do that and confirmed they had that and confirmed that they had 110 parliamentary passing members nominating him. so he could have gone forward. he chose to. not now, i'm afraid in any election , if you end up with

any election, if you end up with one candidate, that person is duly elected. that is a democratic process. as long as the arrangements for the election allow a fair and free nomination of other people. we did maybe taking a chairman's hat off and just speaking as a long standing tory mp elected in 97, do you regret boris johnson's ousting from the party? well i view both as a long standing conservative mp and as chairman of the 1922 committee is that i want conservative party leaders, especially prime ministers, to succeed in office. i don't want to see these situations arise where people feel the need to step aside. obviously, if everything is going well , they everything is going well, they don't. so i would prefer that we hadnt don't. so i would prefer that we hadn't had those circumstances arise . but what's the issue with arise. but what's the issue with the psychology of the tory party? it's never really a nest of singing birds. it's more a kind of nest of vipers. tory mp seemed to be harder to herd than cats.i seemed to be harder to herd than cats. i mean, sometimes one thinks that tory party sort of

eats itself as a too much friendly fire. we've now got potential rebellions over the northern ireland protocol, which i'll come to in just a minute. but also we've got these different caucuses mps now different caucuses of mps now challenging the government on this rise to corporation tax, saying that it shouldn't go up to 26. what's your view on that particular issue? well, i've always it's quite a good always thought it's quite a good thing be hard thing for employees to be hard to herd. we shouldn't behave like a herd. we should exercise some independent thought and we should be prepared to express our beliefs and represent the interests of our constituents . interests of our constituents. but we also have to exercise some self—discipline . and as some self—discipline. and as i said earlier, it's generally better within the party to do some of this privately rather than publicly. but the some of this privately rather than publicly . but the trouble than publicly. but the trouble with tory mp is they're often briefing, aren't they? i mean, the newspapers are always full of different people saying different different different things about different ministers prime ministers ministers and prime ministers are given i mean , the are all given times. i mean, the party a too ill party is a bit too ill disciplined and been at its disciplined and it's been at its cost hasn't it? i as i say,

cost, hasn't it? i as i say, i think self—discipline is really important. i don't think it's fair to blame the whips for this. i don't think too much heavy handed whipping is the answer . we heavy handed whipping is the answer. we all have to recognise we want the same thing. we want the re—election of a conservative government. but do you think the colleagues should have more discipline than perhaps showed over the perhaps they showed over the last months? been last 12 months? it has been a very, very difficult 12 months. i think there are also reasons why break out into why people did break out into different groups and start to show their disagreements. we've got to recognise we're now in probably an 18 month, 20 month penod probably an 18 month, 20 month period up to a general election. we've got to pull together and make it work. maybe we need more discipline pms. discipline from former pms. i mean, to have mean, is it helpful to have these interventions the these interventions from the likes and indeed liz likes of johnson and indeed liz truss? i never truss? well, again, i never criticise colleagues for criticise my colleagues for speaking out when they think it's the thing do. it's the right thing to do. i think ministers think former prime ministers probably remember probably should just remember whether was whether they thought it was useful own useful when their own predecessor spoke out. let's talk the northern ireland talk about the northern ireland protocol because of course we all remember famous brady all remember the famous brady amendment was talk of amendment that was the talk of the headlines back in 2019. now

we're in a situation where it strikes me i appreciate there were these seven red lines that the dup has put in place, but the dup has put in place, but the one red line brexiteers the one red line for brexiteers in the tory party is the idea of continued juristic action continued ecj juristic action over northern ireland. what's your view? i think this was obviously the most difficult thing in the whole withdrawal agreement process. there was the thing that was so obviously wrong with the withdrawal agreement that may agreement that theresa may brought together with the brought back together with the idea of the whole of the united kingdom, kept the kingdom, could be kept in the customs union. it was the customs union. and it was the reason i advised at time reason why i advised at the time this to pass this wasn't going to pass through parliament. and of course the government suffered the in the worst defeat in parliamentary history when the withdrawal agreement was first introduced on the amendment that i brought forward, said can i brought forward, said we can support withdrawal agreement support the withdrawal agreement , alternative , but with alternative arrangements for the irish border, which was a recognition broadly we could come together and support the proposed arrangements for leaving , but we arrangements for leaving, but we needed to find a different way of doing it. when it came to

goodsin of doing it. when it came to goods in particular passing over the irish border, that was obviously we needed to achieve that. obviously we needed to achieve that . i think obviously we needed to achieve that. i think if we'd been able to move more quickly at the start of the process, following the referendum, i think would the referendum, i think it would have very little have been done with very little difficulty people difficulty because people would have a mindset have been in a mindset where they were looking for ways to make work rather than ways to make it work rather than ways to make it work rather than ways to make so certainly make it harder. so certainly i think there important think there are some important principles . we don't want the principles. we don't want the european court of justice to have continuing jurisdiction and certainly so that's a red certainly not. so that's a red line well, think the line for. well, i think the things we don't know what's in the agreement. that's the proposed agreement. that's the proposed agreement. that's the we're talking the difficulty as we're talking now suggests now, the speculation suggests that it might be a matter of removing it. so that it was a matter only for british courts in northern ireland to be able to refer matters that might be a different matter. northern different matter. but northern ireland under the existing protocol , ireland under the existing protocol, has ireland under the existing protocol , has effectively been protocol, has effectively been left having to accept eu rules and regulations without any democratic oversight over them at all. since the protocol has beenin at all. since the protocol has been in place. that's something i think needs to change. do you think the eu is acted

unreasonably over all this ? i unreasonably over all this? i think for a long period of time as i would have been much better if we've been able to move more quickly for as the brexit process dragged out. i think a number of people who didn't want to see brexit happen were encouraged to drop anchor and to try to draw things out for longer in the hope that it would all just go away. so i think we've seen a lot of people looking for ways to make it more difficult rather than ways to make it work. but i also wanted to say the other crucial thing that needs resolving of course, in the northern irish context is the flows of goods across the irish sea. i think the green irish sea. and i think the green and red channel approach seems a sensible one. and i think back i think it was bertie ahern, the former taoiseach, who said at the time of the referendum, i'm talking about the irish borders in 90, we can do with technology the other 10% will just turn a blind eye, which really was very much the way that for 70 years

before the single market came into place , northern ireland and into place, northern ireland and the republic of ireland , the the republic of ireland, the united kingdom and the republic of ireland made things with of ireland made things work with the common travel area and a common employment area that didn't any statutory didn't have any statutory underpinning whatsoever. we just carried on and did things that made sense. so i'd like to see a bit more of that spirit coming back. on if the protocol bill is ditched in favour of a new brexit deal . should employees ditched in favour of a new brexi'aieal . should employees ditched in favour of a new brexi'a vote should employees ditched in favour of a new brexi'a vote on ould employees ditched in favour of a new brexi'a vote on that?3mployees ditched in favour of a new brexi'a vote on that? because s ditched in favour of a new brexi'a vote on that? because it have a vote on that? because it seems to be bit seems to be a bit of prevarication whether prevarication about whether there be vote. i mean, there will be a vote. i mean, i think that would process think that would be a process question is whether it's necessary to a vote. necessary to have a vote. i think it's probably a good idea to have vote and i think it to have a vote and i think it would as as it's a good would as long as it's a good deal that people to see deal that people want to see happen, will pass through happen, it will pass through parliament. now, know you parliament. now, i know you lobbied with lobbied the government with regard migrant in regard to a migrant hotel in york constituency . do you feel york constituency. do you feel that your constituents are unhappy about the idea of migrants being housed in hotels and generally, what do you think tourism make of the government's current immigration policy when we've seen this exponential rise

in people arriving here on small boats up to 45,000 last year? well, it obviously hasn't been working and government policy hasn't been working well , hasn't been working well, government policy, the legislative framework is in place, doesn't work , which is place, doesn't work, which is why we need new legislation . and why we need new legislation. and the will be bringing the government will be bringing that forward very shortly . i that forward very shortly. i know you had alexander downer on the earlier. of course, the program earlier. of course, what i understand what we will be seeking replicate broadly be seeking to replicate broadly is the australian approach over many years under different policies where they've said if you arrive illegally in australia you will never have the legal right to remain . and the legal right to remain. and that would be the biggest factor in ending the pool. the attraction for people to go to these people smuggling gangs to get them over the channel because they would know it was a pointless exercise. so i think that tough legislation is important . you mentioned that it important. you mentioned that it actually hotel in my constituency . people were very constituency. people were very concerned at the prospect initially it was going to be

nearly 120 young men, all unemployed necessarily, because they're not allowed to work in they're not allowed to work in the middle of a residential area with a lot of schools around it, with a lot of schools around it, with school buses picking up straight outside it. and i lobbied to make sure that we had families in the hotel rather than single young men, and brought , i than single young men, and brought, i think, most of my constituents have recognised that was a good outcome in the circumstances. it's not ideal . circumstances. it's not ideal. we've got such large numbers obviously of illegal immigrants coming to the country. but given that there are , it's a much that there are, it's a much better outcome for the area to have families there rather than single young men. if, as predicted, local elections predicted, the local elections in may are a disaster. can you envisage more letters going in a new big busier again ? well, as new big busier again? well, as you know, i never speculate about letters, whether there are any or not. but i also don't think it's inevitable. local elections will be a disaster. you look at some of the other issues that you've been talking about this morning, things like this in a great position for

people 20 points behind. indeed but people have got to make choices about how they want their own lives to be. and if they look at london things they look at london and things like proposal in like ulez charge proposal in greater manchester, andy burnham trying to do something very similar, these mass set of daily charges for people who just can't afford to pay them and you know, people have got to confront the fact that there is a relationship between how they vote and what actually happens and usin vote and what actually happens and us in already as and he let us in already as i said, i never speculate. and do you leadership you still harbour leadership ambitions ? i'm not ambitions yourself? i'm not sure. i overheard leadership ambitions. briefly, i had ambitions. and briefly, i had been asked by a number of colleagues whether i would be willing to stand. and i when theresa resigned , thought willing to stand. and i when tiwas a resigned , thought willing to stand. and i when tiwas fair resigned , thought willing to stand. and i when tiwas fair to resigned , thought willing to stand. and i when tiwas fair to contacti , thought willing to stand. and i when tiwas fair to contact themiought willing to stand. and i when tiwas fair to contact them and ht it was fair to contact them and say, do they still think i should? and broadly, they were people going to be people who are going to be supporting johnson for the supporting boris johnson for the leadership point. thank leadership at that point. thank you great and you very much. the great and great me morning. great joining me this morning. now, minute, we'll be now, in just a minute, we'll be speaking the lady who blew speaking to the lady who blew the the tavistock clinic. the lid on the tavistock clinic. that's gender clinic that that's the gender clinic that prescribed a thousand children prescribed a thousand a children puberty us. first of all,

puberty to us. but first of all, just take this short.

break. and well, welcome back. now, more than a thousand children were referred for puberty blockers by the gender identity development service or chins run by the tavistock and portman nhs trust until it was recommended for closure following a succession of devastating reports. the woman behind these exposes is newsnight journalist hannah barnes, whose book time to think , lays bare the inside to think, lays bare the inside story of the collapse of the tavistock gender service for children . now hannah joins me children. now hannah joins me now. what a piece of journalistic work this is , journalistic work this is, hannah. my goodness me . what hannah. my goodness me. what you're saying in this book, basically, regardless of where you are on trans or the legitimacy of the service itself orindeed legitimacy of the service itself or indeed the children going there, you're basically likening what happened at the tavistock

to a medical scandal on a par with cite middle staffs or even one member of staff comparing it to the 1980s east germany athletes doping scandal. that's the scale of this . well both the scale of this. well both those comparisons are made by staff who actually work there themselves. that's not that's not my judgement . this is the not my judgement. this is the reflections of clinicians . i reflections of clinicians. i have worked with hundreds of distressed young people throughout their time . so those throughout their time. so those are their reflections . and i are their reflections. and i think, you know, those headlines have been across the newspapers this week. but actually what those clinicians are saying is and the book says is we and what the book says is we don't know yet . what we do know don't know yet. what we do know is that some people have been helped by the clinic and their stories are in the book. and it it has done and is still doing good work. but we also know that some young people have been harmed. and i've spoken to some of those as well. so as to the scale each way, we don't yet know because there aren't the data there and gids haven't

followed up their patients. but according to the book and you've done extensive research, i speak and spoken to countless people involved in this. the data was really never that the data wasn't there to say that these puberty blockers, which were meant to give kids time to think , were actually going to help them with the problems that they were suffering with gender dysmorphia indeed mental dysmorphia or indeed mental health problems or as health problems or anything. as you cases , they you say, in some cases, they were referred for these puberty blockers after one appointment, very rarely, i've got to say this very, very, very rarely. and sometimes two appointments and the co see the health care regulator when they inspected it, found evidence of two session assessments . i think, session assessments. i think, like you say with the data , the like you say with the data, the underlying evidence base, according to national health bodies that have undertake and systematic reviews, is very low for puberty blockers in the treatment of gender related distress and what chance did

rightfully was there was evidence from a team in the netherlands for use of puberty blockers in a very select group of young people and rightly in 2011 said it's not strong enough. so we need to do our own research. but then before they had the data from that study , had the data from that study, they rolled out the early blocking of puberty anyway because prior to that you had puberty, blockers were available and in england at the age of 16, definitely use for kids who perhaps would having early puberty just to stay . yes. no, puberty just to stay. yes. no, they were licenced for precocious puberty . but but even precocious puberty. but but even for the treatment of gender related distress, they were they were used, but they rolled it out. and then what so many clinicians have told me is that they rolled out an intervention which had a limited evidence base anyway, to a group for which it was really never designed for to whom that that evidence didn't apply . so evidence base didn't apply. so whereas was designed for whereas it was designed for young people with lifelong , you

young people with lifelong, you know, from childhood gender incongruence or distress, who was cycled , actually stable and was cycled, actually stable and supportive living environments, it was rolled out budgets and their leaders have said this on their leaders have said this on the to to parliament the record to to parliament completely new cohort of people who hadn't had gender dysphoria since childhood . it often come since childhood. it often come on with the onset of puberty in adolescence , who often had adolescence, who often had multiple other difficulties. they were contending with their mental health and who sometimes were living in rather chaotic living arrangements. can you talk about the link as well with children with autism because they're overrepresented in some of the patients that you saw ? i of the patients that you saw? i don't know what more i can say apart from yes, they do seem to be highly over represented. so from kids is the papers that they published. they estimate that around 35% of the young people that we're seeing displayed moderate to severe autistic traits. and that would compare to around 2% in the population . now, they would say population. now, they would say that not all those people have

an autism diagnosis, but that's what they were saying. and i think this is, again, why clinicians who have worked with young people in a variety of settings were saying, should we be asking questions here? because that number is really very high and it wasn't. i want to stress it wasn't. they were saying that one is saying that no one who is autistic could trans well. autistic could be trans as well. it the numbers involved it was just the numbers involved should have caused pause for thought. really how of thought. really how much of a role do you think has ideology had play ? i say because that had to play? i say because that rise in referrals up . 2,700% rise in referrals up. 2,700% since it's opened in 1989 obviously has coincide sided with a campaign on transgenderism which kind of fits into the public mood and therefore you think well that clearly is reflected on the number of children you're saying are identifying as a different genderin are identifying as a different gender in adolescence. it must be part of a trend. but i think what intrigues people is how much you ideology had much do you think ideology had to in the sense of to play in the sense of referring for puberty blockers

because they wanted to ensure that people who said they were trans could be trans, even perhaps without giving thought to those who in later life might live to regret it . so i think live to regret it. so i think ideally played a part , but for ideally played a part, but for me it's not the overarching reason why this happened and i would make the point that, you know, this coverage of the book this morning in the observer and i'm here talking to use it's not for me it's not an ideological story. it's a health care story . the book is very much . and the book is very much written in an evidence based way. it's calm. it's not it's not about ideology . ideology did not about ideology. ideology did play not about ideology. ideology did play a role, you know, pretty much every clinician i spoke to and i spoke to dozens very strongly felt the influence of trans supportive or trans led groups in their work. so it's mermaids and gendered gendered intelligence started influencing which clinicians sought source certain children because they didn't feel that they were

encouraging the children to go into puberty blockers. well, yeah. mean, i questions yeah. i mean, i have questions have gone the record to say have gone on the record to say that were received from that letters were received from the of mermaids that would the head of mermaids that would ask for a young person's conditions to swapped . and conditions to be swapped. and they that was, you know they say that that was, you know , that was carried through . , that was carried through. themselves say that that mermaids never influenced clinical practise and i think i think they they didn't flaunt it. but i think it'd be wrong to say that they got everything they asked for, you know, for years, mermaids asked for the age young people could age at which young people could be referred for cross—sex hormones or gender affirming hormones or gender affirming hormones to given. and that hormones to be given. and that never happened. i think it's actually a bit more subtle. i think they had some influence , think they had some influence, particularly with the clinicians thing , but i particularly with the clinicians thing, but i think particularly with the clinicians thing , but i think perhaps they thing, but i think perhaps they stopped that, prevented jets from changing direction when they could have because there was this fear of them. so i think it was a bit more i was a bit more in the background. yeah. let's come full circle. we talked about this being a medical scandal. we now know

that of people are that a number of people are suing the tavistock do suing the tavistock trust. do you any update on that? you you have any update on that? you know have joined know how many people have joined this where the status this action or where the status of legal? don't i mean, of that legal? i don't i mean, i spoke to lawyer sometime ago spoke to the lawyer sometime ago who it, but have no who was behind it, but i have no idea on the numbers and i mean some of the stories. i mean, you talk about college stroke, harriet, regretting harriet, you know, regretting having on to have having had gone on to have surgery. mean, i presume when surgery. i mean, i presume when you book, some of you wrote this book, some of those must have really those cases must have really struck in your heart. struck something in your heart. you life you know, children making life changing at such changing decisions at such along a . yeah. and i spoke a young age. yeah. and i spoke to harriet very recently. she's doing really well. so good. that's good . yeah, it was very that's good. yeah, it was very is very upsetting and some of the stories in the book are really distressing. and anyone who's knows it's who's written a book knows it's a lonely experience. but, a very lonely experience. but, you i think harriet's you know, i think harriet's story actually speaks really to the whole issue. and, you know, for her, there was an element of social influence. there was, you know , she was a heavy social know, she was a heavy social media user . know, she was a heavy social media user. she was , you know, media user. she was, you know, she didn't want to be a lesbian

. and she had mental health difficulties and all this cocktail of things came together. and she was really happy for a while as as a trans man. and it it didn't last. and what she was saying is that these issues were really quite obvious. and they weren't explored. and that's all these questions are saying. for some, it will right that for others it will be right that for others they needed reaction. yeah, they needed more reaction. yeah, well , it's a they needed more reaction. yeah, well, it's a fascinating time to think . and as newsnight think. and as a newsnight journalist and she's written this astonishing book. if you this astonishing book. so if you want to find out more about these issues, then do please read you very much. read it. thank you very much. now i'm going now after the break, i'm going to to penny mordaunt to be speaking to penny mordaunt and going be and i'm also going to be speaking to calum best about him living in his father's shadow will shortly. stay tuned will be back shortly. stay tuned

good morning. it's 1032. good morning. it's1032. i'm aaron armstrong in the gb newsroom. boris johnson's war and the prime minister dropping

the northern ireland protocol bill would be a great mistake. on saturday. rishi sunak and the european commission president issued a joint statement saying they had made very good progress on fixing issues with the contentious post brexit trading arrangements . the protocol bill arrangements. the protocol bill introduced under , johnson would introduced under, johnson would empower the uk to unilaterally scrap parts of the treaty . scrap parts of the treaty. scottish health secretary humza yousaf and former minister ash regan have announced they are in the race to replace nicola sturgeon as the leader of the snp . revealing their plans in snp. revealing their plans in the sunday mail, snp. revealing their plans in the sunday mail , the first to the sunday mail, the first to declare their candidacy for the the sunday mail, the first to contest are the potential candidates yet to announce their intentions include. mary macallan and finance secretary kate forbes . macallan and finance secretary kate forbes. nominations macallan and finance secretary kate forbes . nominations closed kate forbes. nominations closed next friday. the winner will be announced at the end of march . announced at the end of march. labour leader will urge scottish voters to take another look at his party when he addresses a conference in edinburgh later. sir keir starmer's expected to say labour can bring the change

scotland needs and he'll ask voters to put their trust in his party. keir starmer is also expected to promise a bold , expected to promise a bold, reforming government following nicola sturgeon's resignation . nicola sturgeon's resignation. the french president wants russia to be defeated in ukraine, but not crushed. emmanuel macron's says, aiming for a total defeat of russia on its own soil has never been his country's position . he has been country's position. he has been criticised by some nato allies for delivering mixed messages regarding his policy towards the war. the kremlin has accused macron of duplicitous diplomacy , saying his remarks show the west is discussing regime change in russia . tv, online and dab in russia. tv, online and dab radio . this is gb news. now back radio. this is gb news. now back to cabinet . welcome back. i'm to cabinet. welcome back. i'm joined by mordaunt, now leader of the house of commons and tory mp for portsmouth north. thank you for joining mp for portsmouth north. thank you forjoining me in

mp for portsmouth north. thank you for joining me in the studio. penny let's get straight down to business now. the northern ireland protocol negotiated ongoing. it negotiated and are ongoing. it strikes me that a lot of tories, maybe yourself included, see this european court of this ongoing european court of justice jurisdiction as a red line, as a brexiteer . justice jurisdiction as a red line, as a brexiteer. i'm presuming you agree with them. well, the prime minister has been clear as well as the practical issues on trade and reducing the unnecessary friction that's going on there . friction that's going on there. there are these bigger issues which are really about the integrity of the united kingdom . they're about people being able in northern ireland to have able in northern ireland to have a say in the future. laws and regulations that they're going to have to abide by. and unless we get those things sorted out, this deal will not work. so there is a that's the ball of it that people have to get over. ecj continued involvement in northern ireland. if it's about the integrity of the uk, it can't have integrity . the ecj can't have integrity. the ecj continues to be involved. surely that you're right, these these big issues do need to be addressed . and not it's not

addressed. and it's not it's not about my opinion any member about my opinion or any member of the house of commons, it's about the communities in northern ireland. the dup have been very clear about the seven tests, although the court isn't explicitly mentioned in those tests. it is the integrity of the united kingdom and it is about their ability to have a say in the future . eu p unhappy say in the future. eu p unhappy with any deal that rishi sunak manages to strike. there is no deal manages to strike. there is no deal, is there? well absolutely right. so it's basically the government's in hock to the dup . no, it's all focus and the prime minister has been very clear in these negotiations is the people of northern ireland, all communities have to have confidence in, in a deal and if we can't command that confidence then then we're not going to have a deal and clearly we've got the protocol bill, which it's not our preference , but it it's not our preference, but it is there if we need it. and i

think the prime minister would acknowledge that part of the reason we've been able to get into these negotiations and we're actually getting some traction with eu is because of that command paper is because of that command paper is because of that bill. but if the bill is replaced by any deal, that bill. but if the bill is replaced by any deal , then replaced by any deal, then surely it has to be subject to a parliamentary vote. otherwise you'll brexiteer you'll have brexiteer backbenchers up arms . it very backbenchers up in arms. it very much depends on what this deal is, and i'm not in the negotiating room. i don't know that the shape of it , negotiating room. i don't know that the shape of it, but we will have to wait and see where that arrives at and it will depend on the nature of that agreement . what then has to agreement. what then has to follow it is a negotiation . the follow it is a negotiation. the uk government and the eu but the but the people who really matter, all the people in northern ireland. do you find bofis northern ireland. do you find boris johnson's intervention in today about this useful ? it's today about this useful? it's not completely unhelpful. i think it's a reminder that i, i think it's a reminder that i, i think it's a reminder that i, i think it's helpful to remind the

eu that we have the northern ireland protocol . bill, it's ireland protocol. bill, it's helpful to remind them what those expected options are and but i would also just say that, look, we there are encouraging signs that there is people are saying there's a lot more to do, but progress is being made and all parties have. but some might say, well, actually, this is all bofis say, well, actually, this is all boris johnson and indeed lord frost fault. i mean, why did they come up with this half baked bit? it up and ready? it was half baked. and now it's come back to haunt you. look, i think as as graham brady said, you know, this is this whole process has been very complicated. had lots of complicated. it's had lots of players involved, that players involved, someone that sat on the withdrawal agreement, joint committee on the lord frost and michael gove. i wish the eu had talked about the things it's now talking about earlier . we things it's now talking about earlier. we could have dealt with these things. i mean, much . frost has been quite critical of you in the past. has he made

a mistake is this his a mistake here? is this his fault? was meant negotiate fault? he was meant to negotiate something think what lord something by. i think what lord frost in heat of frost says in the heat of a leadership. it's one thing i've always got on with lord frost and i think that, as i said, we should acknowledge that one of the reasons why we are able to have these negotiations and progress is being made, i wish it had been faster, but yes, it is being made is because of what has preceded it. let me just quote to you what your colleague said, jake said about prime ministerial intervention . i ministerial intervention. i think needs to work think liz truss needs to work out what the role of the next prime minister is and how often she should making these she should be making these interventions. interventions by prime should be like prime ministers should be like six a and happy six in a long and happy relationship . infrequent, but relationship. infrequent, but also awkward is anticipated with glee . i'm not married and glee. i'm not married and i can't. i can't come out on the on the net for that. but look, i think we all need to support prime minister. i think we all know what good looks let trust know what good looks let trust know what good looks let trust know what him if she basically suggests that he's not as tough

on china as he should be for instance, i mean, is he weak on china when she said i think we all should be supporting the prime minister the government, whether it's on these negotiate actions for northern ireland, whether it is on wider issues . whether it is on wider issues. we're facing huge challenges at the moment. the war in ukraine getting our economy back on track. those five priorities, the prime minister is focussed on the country want us to pull together , get those things that together, get those things that can you as a former defence secretary possibly support the prime minister if he doesn't give this lift in defence spending to ben wallace, he will do that. you know , to commit. do that. you know, to commit. what's he going to commit? we've been clear in the autumn statement that defence spending needs an uplift. okay, but ten, 11 billion. well i, i can't comment on the figures because we have to wait to hear the budget, but i would say to people because this is a, this is a matter i really care about. and i would say to people who are concerned about this, we have always funded our armed

forces. we've always met on these commitments. listen to what the prime minister said at munich about what we need to do for ukraine in the coming months. spoke about and i'll contribution it's going to be we're going to give ukraine more in few months than we in the next few months than we did think proceeding. did you think tyre proceeding. it to me you've got an it sounds to me you've got an inkung it sounds to me you've got an inkling that going to inkling that he's going to commit spending the commit to the spending that the defence secretary is asking for, which is in excess of 10 billion. we will have to wait and figures. should and see on the figures. should he permit. i have reassured he permit. i have been reassured by said in the by what's been said in the autumn statement. what prime autumn statement. what the prime minister has said at munich. also know that the also the fact i know that the chancellor has previous fully committed when he was running for leadership to, increase defence spending to 3% of gdp . defence spending to 3% of gdp. these are people that understand and this is our first duty to the nation . we've got to fund the nation. we've got to fund our armed forces. the nation. we've got to fund our armed forces . and the our armed forces. and the challenge that ben has at the moment, it's not just ukraine or all the operations. he's got to keep going. it's also about that transition to modernise is our armed forces. we've got to keep

old kit going. we've got to recondition and restock missiles and other pieces of equipment. but we also have to invest in those new technologies that's what ben wallace needs. it's always been a priority for conservative moves, and i am confident about what the prime minister and chancellor are going to do on old kit. if we can call it that, f—16s to ukraine. do you support the idea of providing the ukrainians with these aircraft? i know rishi sunak's talked about training, but i would have thought as a former defence secretary and a reservist, navy, you reservist, the royal navy, you would support extending would actually support extending our aid to them being our military aid to them being given planes. the prime list is also the defence secretary to look at aircraft, look at a whole raft of things. but i know the defence secretary is looking two things in particular for ukraine. he's looking at the immediate future and what is actually going to deliver the effect that the ukrainians need. they need , they need good air they need, they need good air defence and they need particular support. so he's looking at that

short to medium term , but we're short to medium term, but we're also looking at what they need long term . so we're looking at long term. so we're looking at training, we're looking at training, we're looking at training pilots to like do flying actual jets to the ukrainians. so i think we need to give ukraine the tools to do the job. so that includes support, the effect that they need at the moment is what the immediate priority for the defence secretary is going to be. air defence is part of that. we're doing a huge amount to support training pilots and so forth, but it's not just about giving someone a piece of kit, an aircraft, it's about training andifs an aircraft, it's about training and it's also about how you fight with that piece of equipment and that that is what is actually going to make the difference on the ground right now. moving on to other matters, obviously, nicola sturgeon's resident has been news this resident has been big news this week. why do think she week. why do you think she resigned? well, i think we will time will tell there. there were all sorts of reasons. i think she's she's made some poor judgements which . haven't helped

judgements which. haven't helped the i know from my the situation. i know from my outings every thursday morning against the snp there are huge raft of questions over finances , loans, donations that have gone missing their own party has been asking for police investigate actions into a whole raft of things . so look, i think raft of things. so look, i think it's a mess . i raft of things. so look, i think it's a mess. i think her going is an opportunity for all parties , but particularly the parties, but particularly the snp to start to get focussed on the matters that matter to the of scotland. just on that trans issue that seems to have caught her and got her unstuck , there's her and got her unstuck, there's always been a bit of prevarication about where you stand on trans because you did say you felt a trans woman was a woman and a trans man was a man where are you on this issue? do you agree with the gender recognition reform or not? recognition reform bill or not? so you've just so the statement you've just made is about the law. yes, but that doesn't mean that, for example, a trans is like example, a trans woman is like you i, biological be a woman. you or i, biological be a woman. the problem with the scottish bill that was put through , i've

bill that was put through, i've always said, you shouldn't split this matter away from from health care. i think that's really important. but the action that alister jack has taken has been about the impact to that on wider uk legislation, the equalities act. yes. and what i think the lesson of this is you, you have to have regard to the social fabric of the uk and you have to take people with you. i think that is a mistake. but she to do that clearly she she did and i think that this may have contributed but i think time will tell about these other issues as well. what what the what the story is behind that. still more to come on that story, penny mordaunt, thank you very much for joining story, penny mordaunt, thank you very much forjoining me in studio this morning. thank you. right. well, let's what our right. well, let's see what our people's redding makes people's panel in redding makes of catherine of all of this. catherine forster are forster is there. what are people saying there? katherine hello, camilla we've been sitting in the sun eating baklava and watching the program . i've got three lifelong

conservative voters here, so let's see what they make of it. helen i can ask you first, what did you think of what they said and how do they won you over told? well, i'm very disappointed with conservatives. ihave disappointed with conservatives. i have been a lifelong tory voter, but i'm seriously considering whether i will do so again . they've made lost their again. they've made lost their grip on just about everything. the channel migrant crisis. it's all talk. no the wokeism, the transgenderism . in my school transgenderism. in my school days are biology. women are x x x chromosomes , men are x y. days are biology. women are x x x chromosomes , men are x y . yes, x chromosomes, men are x y. yes, you can talk all sorts names, but that's basically biology . but that's basically biology. and it's like george orwell said , the truth is becoming the lie. the lie is becoming the truth. we're being brainwashed into thinking that what's abnormal should be normal. now, please don't get me wrong, i do sympathise with people who feel that they're in the wrong body. but that's not to say that the rest of us who feel comfortable

with the bodies we're in have to make to be feel guilty about that or or, you know, we're being down. that's i feel being put down. that's i feel strongly about that. yes very clearly put. thank you. and george, you had a comment, having watched rosie duffield and penny mordaunt about women's rights and labour specifically. yeah well, i think on the trans issues , when you're reading issues, when you're reading about things like in labour run wales and they're putting tampons in men's toilets , i tampons in men's toilets, i don't know what to think on the listening to rosie duffield and the she's had keir starmer only took the anti—semitism problem seriously when the equalities commission came in. does the equalities commission need to put the labour party in special measures for its misogyny? any issue ? thank you. and philip, issue? thank you. and philip, finally, you were a little bit critical of penny mordaunt before you've just heard her speaking. and what did you make of her and how do you feel about conservative party more broadly at the moment? i think penny spoke quite well also , listen to

spoke quite well also, listen to sir graham. i was pleased that sir graham. i was pleased that sir graham. i was pleased that sir graham conceded that the migrant crisis is a crisis and it wasn't working . the problem i it wasn't working. the problem i have is that if that were the only problem, you might be able to forgive it. but the truth of it is that everything not working , when you look at the working, when you look at the health service , my disabled health service, my disabled sister has had to wait seven months to get a shoe for her by the national health service . the national health service. that has meant she's had false . that has meant she's had false. false means every time she has a full no one's allowed to help anybody up anymore. in the old days you fell over. i'd say , can days you fell over. i'd say, can i help you? and you'd probably say yes, and i'd help, you know , even carers are not allowed to assist somebody that falls over. i mean these sorts of things need to be addressed. so the conservatives got a huge huge way to go before i really feel they are of further office . they they are of further office. they certainly have. so around 20% in the polls aren't they, at the moment? and you've told me that having always been conservative

voters at the moment, your political are politically homeless, but it is not right? oh, i think that's a very good phrase. the truth be told, and i feel homeless still . there's too feel homeless still. there's too many issues that they haven't addressed . and low tax is also addressed. and low tax is also one of the big issues they are supposed to represent. tax. supposed to represent. low tax. it's now highest ever. thank it's now the highest ever. thank you . thinking about voting for you. thinking about voting for reform, we can't . you. thinking about voting for reform, we can't. i'm thinking of . yes your conservative of it. yes your conservative party. yeah. well, vote conservative. yep you're not entirely happy, are you? the only thing i would say is i'd like to see the planning system and i want to see them really focusing on trying to reform it, fix it, do what they said they were going to do. so there you have it, camilla. three concert hits voters in the past hits of party voters in the past obviously the party have got a mountains climb if they want to have any hope of winning a majority at the next election . majority at the next election. fascinating people's panel this week . you catherine. great job week. you catherine. great job now michael portillo is a one man people's panel michael, what

have you got coming up on the show? 11. well first of all, may i say what a very interesting show you've had and what a very interesting week. i think you've just been in british politics, nicola sturgeon his resignation. i think , puts back the cause of i think, puts back the cause of scottish independence. and one way or another it looks as though we're heading towards a resolution in northern ireland and that means i think that the united kingdom is suddenly looking rather more stable than it did even a week ago . and it did even a week ago. and indeed, relations with indeed, britain's relations with the european union are beginning to look a bit more stable. and remember that although much of the of your programme has the focus of your programme has been the difficulties in been about the difficulties in the conservative party , the the conservative party, the labour going to the labour party is going to the government and so the legislation on northern ireland is very likely to go through and i think that will put the ulster unionist s under a fair amount of pressure because that is a lot of pressure around the world, not least from united states, for the restoration of devolved government in northern ireland with its normal

institute actions. and we're getting pretty close to an opportunity that . so i think opportunity for that. so i think you've you've had a fascinating programme and might just say programme and i might just say on what penny morton was saying about defence spending , i find about defence spending, i find this debate about defence spending very old fashioned. it's still carried out in terms of how much money is spent as opposed to what actually get opposed to what we actually get for and although used to for it. and although i used to be secretary of state there, be the secretary of state there, i'm that department, i'm afraid that department, like most government, spends money appallingly. most government, spends money appallingly . so, you know, you appallingly. so, you know, you can say another 10 billion, but what difference does that make if a £3 billion carrier is presently in dry dock and the government is talking about mothballing it ? government is talking about mothballing it? but government is talking about mothballing it ? but anyway, mothballing it? but anyway, you're very kind . you're very you're very kind. you're very kindly asked about my show. we all got to be moving on quite a lot because it is london fashion week. i'm going to be talking a lot about the fashion industry, which is immensely significant to british economy . we've to the british economy. we've got caroline rush coming in. she's actually running the show . we've costello , the . we've got paul costello, the magnificent designer . we're magnificent designer. we're going to be talking about the

baftas as well. i've got simon hayes, who is a bafta and oscar winner coming in today. and i've got spain coming in to talk about the fall of boris johnson . and i might just ask him about boris's latest intervention . boris's latest intervention. fantastic stuff . thank you. stay fantastic stuff. thank you. stay tuned for portillo at 11 now. but something that some of you might not know about me, although i've written extensively about it in the telegraph, i'm the child of an alcoholic. my late mother unfortunately drank herself to death 2001, and i'm death in 2001, aged 53, and i'm part of a quite well close knit community of fellow children of alcoholics, and i was with them in the week because we're all patron of an organisation called nicola. it's the national association for children of alcoholics the moment we've alcoholics at the moment we've got a battle our hands got a battle on our hands because trying lobby the because we're trying lobby the government more funding for government for more funding for these children. government these children. the government did more did this week announced more than for parents who than 400 million for parents who are in treatment. the kids are in treatment. but the kids we're talking about are the kids of parents who don't even accept that they've problem. that they've got a problem. they're and our they're still in denial. and our argument that these children

argument is that these children are being left wanting. they've been state and been neglected by the state and they need more help now to discuss with me calum discuss this with me is calum best. george best, best. he's son of george best, the legendary manchester united footballer. a celeb. he's footballer. he's a celeb. he's also the coach of a women's football team, dorking wanderers, and he's an echo, a patron. calum, thank you for your time this morning. let's just start with the element about dad, because your about your dad, because your autobiography is called second best. what it growing best. what was it like growing up with guess can i call him up with i guess can i call him a flawed genius ? well, you know , flawed genius? well, you know, first of all, thank you very much for having me. i'll come along. really enjoyed the work along. i really enjoyed the work that do together, that we do together, especially with nicola, a genius. very much so. an incredible talent . loved so. an incredible talent. loved by millions and loved by me . by millions and loved by me. that's hands down, without a doubt, also had a drink doubt, but also had a drink problem and the drink problem led me to a kind of troubled youth as such , be feeling alone, youth as such, be feeling alone, not knowing if there was answers out there. and that's what led me to nicola, you know, national organisation of children of alcoholics, and alcoholics, as you said. and that's proud to be here that's who i am proud to be here on of speaking for. as

on behalf of speaking for. as you said this week we spoke at house of commons. i've been a patron nicola for six years patron to nicola for six years now, doing all we can to kind of raise a voice for the government, especially to hear to supply funds that are needed to supply funds that are needed to help these kids that are at home and don't know where to turn. for personally, you turn. for me personally, you know, highs and know, there's been highs and lows. that i found lows. i'm lucky that i found help. i'm lucky that i found answers because in your youth, you what's there you don't know what's out there to provide you with these answers. when find answers. and when you find people like nicola people and places like nicola and minded people like and like minded people like yourself, you know that there is help for you to live a help out there for you to live a happier and healthier and help out there for you to live a ha|this' and healthier and help out there for you to live a ha|this fundingalthier and help out there for you to live a ha|this funding issue and help out there for you to live a ha|this funding issue , and help out there for you to live a ha|this funding issue , i and help out there for you to live a ha|this funding issue , i mean, on this funding issue, i mean, we talked about it a lot in the house of commons in the week. what happened was jeremy hunt, when was health secretary, what happened was jeremy hunt, wheaside was health secretary, what happened was jeremy hunt, wheaside th; health secretary, what happened was jeremy hunt, wheaside th e £6lth secretary, what happened was jeremy hunt, wheaside th e £6 millionetary, what happened was jeremy hunt, wheaside th e £6 million itiry, what happened was jeremy hunt, wheaside th e £6 million it was set aside the £6 million it was to a lot of different to go to a lot of different charities. i think nicole charities. and i think nicole got about 300,000 for their helpline. yeah, what we've subsequently calls subsequently said is the calls rise . i think by subsequently said is the calls rise. i think by i subsequently said is the calls rise . i think by i think they've rise. i think by i think they've quadrupled to the help line dunng quadrupled to the help line during lockdown because what happened was children at happened was children were at home with alcoholic

home with their alcoholic parents nowhere to they parents with nowhere to they couldn't school they were couldn't go to school they were in with problem in lockdown with problem drinking parents. now we understand there's no strategy for children and no money. for these children and no money. what's your reaction to that? well, as you said there, i think every nicola gets 30,000 every year, nicola gets 30,000 calls. right. and there is 2.6 million children out there struggling with parental drinking at home from lockdown. they saw an increase in troubles at home, an increase in all sorts of badness towards that. these kids that are that are struggling with it. and i feel that now we're grateful to jeremy hunt because at one point they allocated some funds to go toward these different charities because it's not just nicola. there's many other charities out there deal with the same. there that deal with the same. but on behalf of nicola, but i speak on behalf of nicola, i one of leading i think one of the leading charities in uk and i think charities in the uk and i think i love the reason i'm i would love to. the reason i'm on platform with you, first on this platform with you, first of all, is to see you as well, because work well together. and i that if i can use i also feel that if i can use this platform to reach out to jeremy very politely and jeremy hunt very politely and

respectfully, i would respectfully, just say, i would love you, would love love to meet you, i would love to together to provide help to work together to provide help for children. for these children. again because were place because the funds were in place and were taken away. and then they were taken away. and no reason that they and there's no reason that they can't come back around. and we can't provide funding to help these know they these children know that they are alone 2.6 million kids are not alone 2.6 million kids out knowing that they have out there knowing that they have nowhere to turn to. they don't even coexist. they even know in a coexist. they don't know there's people don't even know there's people like there's the like ourselves. there's the backing jonathan ashworth backing of mp jonathan ashworth ashworth. mp liam ashworth. there's the mp liam byrne, then there's hundreds byrne, and then there's hundreds , if thousands of supporters , if not thousands of supporters of charity that are on of the charity that all are on this cause together . and i feel this cause together. and i feel that can get together with that if i can get together with jeremy with help of jeremy hunt with the help of yourself we can provide yourself as well, we can provide funding these kids funding to make sure these kids live and healthier live a happier and healthier life. just confirm life. and also just to confirm the importance groups the importance of support groups like that charity and others, you feel that nicola basically saved you? i mean, you're in a great place now, but you weren't . i have a i have a very . oh, i have a i have a very colourful past, without a doubt. but very to nicola and but but i'm very to nicola and the work with nicola the people that work with nicola and it, place and support it, a place that provide answers , provide, help, provide answers, provide, help, provide answers, provide, help, provide healing. you feel isolated, you know that there's

a place you can turn to and speak to and they're just a miscellaneous hotline where children call . and if you children can call. and if you think 30,000 that think there's 30,000 kids that call day , imagine there's call them a day, imagine there's 2.6 million out there that don't know where to call. i mean, i did a story that there were children as young as five calling the helpline because their too drunk to their parents were too drunk to live at night. you had live in at night. so you had counsellors reading counsellors basically reading the stories . yeah, i the bedtime stories. yeah, i mean, it's pretty sad mean, that's it's pretty sad times story resonate with times that story resonate with you child of alcohol you know what you reach a point 2 million, i'm sure you know where your story actually doesn't even matter you know, we're matter anymore. you know, we're adults now. figure out the adults now. we figure out the highs lows of life. we build highs and lows of life. we build resilience. we learn all these ways deal with parental ways to deal with parental drinking. now the best thing drinking. but now the best thing we can do , as we should do, is we can do, as we should do, is provide answers and help for the next generation. and i have this platform. i'm very blessed to be my i love every bit of my dad son. i love every bit of it. but now is the time for me to make a difference. and i would love to ask jeremy hunt to meet me to help funding meet me to help provide funding

to these. i we shall to support these. i we shall broker meeting between calum broker a meeting between calum best and the chancellor. if you're affected issues, you're affected by those issues, visit org .uk back visit nicola dot org .uk back next at but up next, next week at 930. but up next, michael portillo .

good morning and welcome to sunday with michael portillo bringing you could conversation arts and entertain ment ethical dilemmas and just sense of the ridiculous two nicola sturgeon is leaving the political scene and labour an opportunity to gain seats from the scottish nationalists. sir keir starmer is on the hunt for those votes today. we will drop in his speech to the scottish labour

conference . the sunday papers