about the steel >> we'll talk about the steel industry, its great history here. what future does it here. but what future does it have in the age of net zero.7 and joining me for talking pints, south hero simon weston. joining me for talking pints, sou�*before hero simon weston. joining me for talking pints, sou�*before allero simon weston. joining me for talking pints, sou�*before all of simon weston. joining me for talking pints, sou�*before all of that on weston. joining me for talking pints, sou�*before all of that ,n weston. joining me for talking pints, sou�*before all of that , let'sston. but before all of that, let's get the news with polly middlehurst out . middlehurst out. >> thank you very much . nigel >> thank you very much. nigel poly is having a well earned rest, but it's me, rory smith , rest, but it's me, rory smith, the group ceo of natwest, which includes coutts , has apologised includes coutts, has apologised to nigel farage after his account was closed. dame alison rose apologises for what she calls deeply inappropriate comments made about mr farage in the now published papers. she continued, saying it is not the company's policy to drop a customer on the basis of legally held political and personal views . a full review of coutts views. a full review of coutts process is and how these decisions are made will be carried out . the illegal carried out. the illegal migration bill has become law .

migration bill has become law. it will prevent people from claiming asylum in the uk if they arrive through unauthorised means . the government also hopes means. the government also hopes the changes will ensure detained people are removed , led either people are removed, led either to their home country or to a third country. the government says the focus is now on appealing to the supreme court to make rwanda one of the countries people can be sent to strikes by health workers could end up costing hospitals billions of pounds. that's according to matthew taylor, the head of the body that represents nhs organ donations. he says they're on red alert for the next 48 hours. a senior doctors walkout over pay. he also says health leaders are deeply concerned by the impact that strikes are having . but health strikes are having. but health secretary steve barclay says they have listened to the bma's demands . demands. >> average nhs earnings of a consultant after this pay rise will be £134,000 a year and on top of that, 20% of their salary

goes into their pension, which means they'll be able to earn when they retire by the age of 65, tax free up to £60,000 a yeah 65, tax free up to £60,000 a year. the number one ask of the bma was for pension tax reform , bma was for pension tax reform, and we listened to that as we acted on it. and in addition, we've also accepted in full the independent pay review body recommendations up to 20 000 real staff are on strike over job security and pay causing disruption and cancellations across many services . across many sei’vlces. >> across many services. >> it's the first of three days of industrial action affecting 14 train companies in england , 14 train companies in england, which may have a knock on effect into scotland and wales. well members are also walking out on the 22nd and 29th of july. super markets are not displaying pnces markets are not displaying prices as clearly as they should be, preventing shoppers from finding the best deals. the competition and markets authority has found retailers

could be hampering people's ability to compare products. the watchdog is warning supermarkets to make the necessary changes or risk facing enforced court action. tv online dab+ radio and on tunein . this is gb news nato on tunein. this is gb news nato . back to . . back to. nigel good evening. i'm here in newport, south wales with a live audience . since i spoke out audience. since i spoke out a couple of weeks ago about the way i've been treated by coots , way i've been treated by coots, a subsidiary of natwest bank, the public reaction has been truly astonishing. >> i've asked people, please come forward and tell me whether you've a problem with your you've got a problem with your bank. we booked venue some bank. we booked this venue some time would believe time ago, but would you believe this venue, this club that has

banked with natwest for 55 years is currently has its accounts suspended .7 you see, what i've suspended? you see, what i've learnt is this is not just about me far , far from it. and it's me far, far from it. and it's not just about other political figures. it's about thousands of people all over this country summarily having their bank accounts , both personal and accounts, both personal and business, closed. and that's why i decided to go public. i have to say, never before in my pubuc to say, never before in my public life career have i put my head over the parapet and received such support . i'm received such support. i'm supposed to be a marmite figure, half the country is supposed to hate me. well, some still do, but there's an awful lot who might not agree with me on borders or brexit, but who are genuinely worried about this issue right to be. issue and their right to be. because they do it to me because if they can do it to me , they can do it to you. and if we finish with social media we finish up with social media checks on the bank accounts of every individual in this country , knows we'll finish up , goodness knows we'll finish up with a chinese style social credit system. that's why

credit system. so that's why i've decided to fight. and i must say, the reaction from the conservative government on this , if not much else, has been pretty extraordinary and very, very rapid. and after the promises of the last two days, this evening we got a treasury statement . the government has statement. the government has stepped in to address fears that banks are terminating accounts because they disagree with someone's political beliefs . someone's political beliefs. these banks will now be required to give people at least 90 days nofice to give people at least 90 days notice before closing an account . and crucially, there'll be required to spell out why they are terminating bank accounts and the economic to secretary the treasury, andrew griffith, who i have to say has been enormously helpful over the last few days. he says simply, and he's right . freedom of speech is he's right. freedom of speech is a cornerstone of our democracy and it must be respected by all institutions. well, here, here to that as indeed elon musk himself said on twitter last night, shortly after this, a

letter was published. it was sent to me on email and then published more widely. sent to me on email and then published more widely . and it published more widely. and it comes from dame alison rose, the group chief executive officer of the natwest group. remember this bank that has 19 million customers? oh, dear. mr farage, i am writing to apologise for the deeply inappropriate comments about yourself. made him a now published papers prepared for the wealth committee. i would like to make it clear they do not reflect the view of the bank. i it clear they do not reflect the view of the bank . i believe very view of the bank. i believe very strongly that freedom of expression and access to banking are fundamental to our society and it is absolutely not our policy to exit a customer on the bafis policy to exit a customer on the basis of legally held political and personal views . to this end, and personal views. to this end, i would also like to personally reiterate our offer to you of alternative banking arrangements at natwest. i fully understand yours and the public's concern that the processes for bank account closure are not sufficiently transparent . sufficiently transparent. customers have a right to expect

their bank to make consistent decisions against publicly available criteria and those decisions should be communicated clearly and openly with them within the constraint imposed by the law to achieve this sector wide change is required. but your experience highlighted in recent days has shown we need to also put our own processes under scrutiny to and as a result i am commissioning a full review of the processes for how these decisions are made and communicate and to ensure we provide better , clearer and more provide better, clearer and more consistent experience for customers in the future. the review will be reporting to me as natwest group ceo . i welcome as natwest group ceo. i welcome the fca's reviews of regulatory rules associated with politically exposed persons and we will implement the recommendations of our review alongside any changes that they or the government makes to the overall regulatory framework . overall regulatory framework. yours sincerely. alison rose as well . how do i yours sincerely. alison rose as

well. how do i respond yours sincerely. alison rose as well . how do i respond to that? well. how do i respond to that? well, of course in life it's always good to get an apology. so thank you, dame alison, for apologising , but i can't help apologising, but i can't help feeling that the treasury statement that preceded what you put out and what i've actually been told quietly, privately , is been told quietly, privately, is that you were forced into doing this by the treasury , but at this by the treasury, but at least you've done it, i suppose. but the whole letter smacks of . but the whole letter smacks of. not me, guv. not me, guv. i'm just the chief executive . just the chief executive. i mean, don't blame me for what? the bank's under my direct control are doing, and when you say that and there was some pretty vile stuff written that i got back through that subject access report when you say that this does not reflect the views of the bank, no , no, no. of the bank, no, no, no. actually, it does. it really does genuinely reflect the views of the bank . and let's remember,

of the bank. and let's remember, dame alison, you call it the wealth committee, its real name is the reputational risk and wealth committee . and it was set wealth committee. and it was set up following your diversity review. so it is in many ways actually your committee. now you do say that there's a reiteration of the offer to give me natwest services . this offer me natwest services. this offer was made verbally to me just before i went on air on gb news a couple of weeks ago. but i got to ask you, does this include business accounts? because last time round it was simply a personal account and i was told no solution had been found to my business problems . i also wonder business problems. i also wonder if i go natwest , how long if i go to natwest, how long will it be before they close me down? there's down? because there's no guarantee that they'll keep me as customer and that as a customer and that does genuinely concern me, you know, it really, really does . yes. it really, really does. yes. okay you say you understand peoples and the public's concern. i'll tell you what you should be focusing on the 10,000 people who form together in a

facebook group of cancelled natwest customers. that's where your focus should be. the outrageous decision adjusting way in which you're making men and women who are going about their lives trying to set up small businesses. you're making their life a complete and total misery . and that's where the misery. and that's where the focus should be. and it's all well and good to talk about reforms in the future. what about the thousands that have suffered my suffered already? well, my advice to thousands is advice to those thousands is please your subject please put in your subject access request to this bank. find out what information they've got on you. find out why they've got on you. find out why they closed you down in for me to go public on this is, of course, embarrassing . it's course, embarrassing. it's embarrassing to say publicly that your bank has shut you out . i don't know what it does. to my credit rating going on from here. and also for the contents of that subject access report for all of those appalling, untrue and in many cases libellous stories that have been

beaten in court to be published all over the daily newspaper. as i mean, it wasn't something that i mean, it wasn't something that i enjoyed doing. i didn't enjoy it one bit. i could have just walked away, but i didn't do it because i think someone needs to because i think someone needs to be a voice for those thousands , be a voice for those thousands, maybe tens of thousands of people who've been treated so horrifically by the banks, including yours. someone needs to stand up for them. someone needs to be their champion and i'm delighted that the treasury and the government are acting. i hope the fca move in short order to, but i'm afraid i can't just walk away from this. i've started this and i've got to continue . so thank you for the continue. so thank you for the apology. it's a start, but it's no more than that. oh, sorry. i almost forgot. on the 3rd of july, you were having dinner sitting next to the bbc's economics correspondent , simon economics correspondent, simon jack . and a funny thing jack. and a funny thing happened. you know, at 10:00 the next morning. simon jack rang me and he told me that the reason

my account had been cancelled is that i didn't have enough money in the account and that anyway, what was the problem ? because what was the problem? because i'd been offered natwest accounts . so the bbc put that accounts. so the bbc put that out and many in the media accepted it, that version. mr jack, for some reason, seems to have gone to ground today and hasn't backtracked from it . can hasn't backtracked from it. can i ask you, dame alison was it you? was it you that breached my private client banking confidentiality? was it you that whole time, jack, that who . whole time, jack, that who. well, i'm to going find out because today i've put in another subject, access request, this time to natwest bank. and i'm in particular looking for any personal correspondence . any personal correspondence. dame rose that concerns me. so in 30 days time, we'll know the absolute truth. that's it from me. we'll take a short break and

be back in just a moment.

radio. as we go around the country , we as we go around the country, we always find that there are local issues, but also resonate at a national level. >> and i can promise you there are plenty of them here in newport. i'm joined by councillor matthew evans , mp, councillor matthew evans, mp, conservative councillor , leader conservative councillor, leader of conservative opposition of the conservative opposition here in newport and veteran of local government. you've been doing it for quarter of a century . do you still enjoy it? century. do you still enjoy it? >> well, i do, yeah. i mean it's, you know, it sounds a long time, 25 years, but it's been an incredible experience . i've incredible experience. i've enjoyed it. we've had good times, times. yeah, i times, bad times. but yeah, i still enjoy it to make the difference with just 1 or 2

people is always satisfactory. and yeah , now obviously, you and yeah, now obviously, you know, we associate wales very predominantly with the labour party, going back to the very birth of the labour party actually . actually. >> but in the last few years, in parts of wales the conservatives have made some big gains. have made some quite big gains. are they going to hold those seats ? seats? >> well, going back to the general election of 2019, i stood in newport west, bearing in been labour the in mind it's been labour for the last in newport and last 50 years in newport and wales, and i've got 18,000 votes, which is virtually unheard combination of unheard of, a combination of factors at the time . but i think factors at the time. but i think moving forward, yeah , it's moving forward, yeah, it's a tough time at the moment and you could say that as a conservative i would say yeah. i mean could say that as a conservative iwould say yeah. i mean i'm i would say yeah. i mean i'm sure you can get plenty of people on here who will want to attack the government. but i was elected last and a elected last year and a conservative. yeah manifesto . conservative. yeah manifesto. and to fight and i will continue to fight within the to party address the current issues which are affecting a lot of people in newport right now. >> big local issues here. but big local issues virtually everywhere in the country.

traffic traffic, the bridge , the traffic traffic, the bridge, the severn bridge, the m4 . severn bridge, the m4. >> yeah. >> yeah. >> and it can be a nightmare, can't it? >> it's an absolute nightmare. >> it's an absolute nightmare. >> yeah. i mean, coming over. i know. certainly coming across and you queues at rush know. certainly coming across and 3t0| queues at rush know. certainly coming across and 3to get queues at rush know. certainly coming across and 3to get into queues at rush know. certainly coming across and 3to get into cardiff es at rush know. certainly coming across and 3to get into cardiff andt rush know. certainly coming across and 3to get into cardiff and the ;h hour to get into cardiff and the newport, mean it just isn't newport, i mean it just isn't working but is a, there working. but there is a, there is proposal isn't there, is a proposal isn't there, on the ground. there has been for years for an m4 relief road where have got to with that? where have we got to with that? >> well, sadly, mean, we've >> well, sadly, i mean, we've been about this the been talking about this for the last since i've been a councillor. no we've had death by consultation. they spent £150 million. the welsh labour manifesto of manifesto pledge. at the end of the they just decided they the day they just decided they weren't despite the weren't going ahead, despite the fact we had an independent inquiry cost tens of thousands or thousands or hundreds of thousands of pounds and it is embarrassing because welsh come to wales, people get stuck before they get to the tunnels . the m4 relief to the tunnels. the m4 relief road would have at least tried to alleviate that . and don't to alleviate that. and don't forget, you know, people just say it's not just motorists, it's the economy as far as lorries , you know, buses and

lorries, you know, buses and coaches use motorways and roads. so and as soon as we get to the m4 access point, something like that, the whole of newport becomes gridlocked and that affects everybody's lives. >> so is there any prospect of this changing? >> the labour >> not with the labour government, i can assure you. >> not with the labour govbeenant, i can assure you. >> not with the labour gov been firmly:an assure you. >> not with the labour gov been firmly kicked jre you. >> not with the labour govbeen firmly kicked in you. >> not with the labour gov been firmly kicked in the|. it's been firmly kicked in the long grass. >> , i'll. okay, i'll buy >> well, i'll. okay, i'll buy that. that one for that. i'll buy that one for a moment. because it's moment. but because it's interesting, stonehenge, interesting, i mean, stonehenge, a miles up the a couple of hundred miles up the road, know, it's taken them road, you know, it's taken them 30 years to agree to build a tunnel. long time. tunnel. things take a long time. now, one of my sort of pet gnpes now, one of my sort of pet gripes on this show is the way that motorists are being treated . everywhere , . cameras going up everywhere, people being fined more than they ever have been in their lives. but the one that drives me, crackers is the 20 mile an hour zone . now. now, welcome . hour zone. now. now, welcome. >> welcome to newport. yeah you know, and i mean, you know, i guess it between 8 and 9 in the morning outside a primary school i think 20 miles an hour is a sensible limit, you know no

question about that. >> and you can do that with speed bumps anyway, seems to speed bumps anyway, it seems to me, cameras. but what is me, without cameras. but what is the proposal for wales? the current proposal for wales? >> as far as >> well, i know as far as newport the whole wales newport goes, the whole of wales is only million on this is only £23 million on this scheme. local road is already scheme. my local road is already a 20 mile an hour and i think you've probably got about 20% compliance. a speed camera. vans are up there all the time and when that's rolled over across the city, you know , you're not the city, you know, you're not gonna be able to get a place on a speed awareness course because the backlog will be for years. i mean, it's just going to be but the plan is to this out the plan is to roll this out across the whole wales. across the whole of wales. the whole wales, yeah. yeah, whole of wales, yeah. yeah, exactly. and you know, it's, as you say, outside primary schools or accident, but it's just in or an accident, but it's just in incredibly difficult to drive at 20 miles. >> trouble is trouble is, matthew, that you can say labour do all these things. and i look around the country and there's a big battle on the ulez extension going on with greater london at the moment. and can the moment. and you can say labour are all these labour are doing all these things, but actually the conservatives green conservatives with their green

agenda until now been agenda have up until now been supporting this. supporting all of this. >> well, i can comment about >> well, all i can comment about is what's happening in wales. you i mean we've had you know, i mean we've had a labour the last labour government since the last 25 responsible 25 years. they're responsible for health, responsible for health, they're responsible for health, they're responsible for education, they're responsible for the economy , the responsible for the economy, the environment. those are the environment. and those are the decisions which they are taking in wales. and we've got a labour council in newport. they're the ones i ones taking decisions here. i can't comment about what's happening of the uk. >> all i'm saying is that, you know, rush to net zero, the know, the rush to net zero, the green it's something green agenda, it's something that adopted and that david cameron adopted and there's not much there's really not been much between parties this. between the parties on this. another big issue, it's down the road, the siege that is road, but the siege that is going at the migrant hotel going on at the migrant hotel site in quite site in swansea quite extraordinary scenes . you know, extraordinary scenes. you know, in the last three days. another 1000 young men have crossed the engush 1000 young men have crossed the english channel. this pressure's being put on everywhere . i mean, being put on everywhere. i mean, i've seen two, natalie, but is this a big debate in wales or not? >> it is a big debate . it and >> it is a big debate. it and the uk government is doing its best at the moment, i'm sure

with the new not doing very well . well, you know, i mean, we've got we've got the courts, everything is kept. you know, the courts are they've got problems with the courts. yeah, they're trying it. they've got a target to reduce them and ultimately they will next ultimately they will the next general they will be, general election, they will be, you are what are the you know, what are what are the labour alternatives? have labour alternatives? what have labour alternatives? what have labour they're going to labour alternatives? what have lalabout they're going to labour alternatives? what have lalabout it? they're going to labour alternatives? what have lalabout it? nothing.'e going to labour alternatives? what have lalabout it? nothing. nothing, 0 do about it? nothing. nothing, nothing at all. so, you know, one the things i said was one of the things i said was i felt should leave the felt we should leave the european court of rights. european court of human rights. >> the european convention. we should that. yeah go should be free of that. yeah go . interestingly interestingly , . interestingly interestingly, the charge sheet against me from coots and why i should be backed included leaving the echr but i can't really work that out. we'll see. the government's in a mess over it. labour have no alternatives and i get that and i fully, fully understand that. now what i do know, what i do know, matthew, is, you know, we've launched this big campaign and interesting, isn't it, and it's interesting, isn't it, that stuff came that my banking stuff came afterwards , but news already afterwards, but gb news already had put together this don't kill

cash campaign. we've got about 220,000 people that have signed up to it already. and i know you're a big supporter of it. just us why . just tell us why. >> reasons , >> well, several reasons, really. i mean, i haven't got a credit card and i don't like everybody knowing what i spend my money on. nothing illegal or anything, but i really want to ensure that you are sure about that? yeah, yeah , yeah , that? yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. thank you. and we should have a choice. and there are a lot of elderly people who don't have that. and if you had a card and you suddenly went out somewhere, it's card only and it didn't work or something, then then you're left stranded. so it's all freedom choice then you're left stranded. so it':me. freedom choice then you're left stranded. so it':me and freedom choice then you're left stranded. so it':me and ensuringm choice then you're left stranded. so it':me and ensuringm elderly to me and ensuring the elderly people, want to just use people, if they want to just use cash like from time to cash like i do from time to time, they should be allowed to do i think it's do it. and i think it's absolutely nonsensical that we're that route. absolutely nonsensical that we' i! that route. absolutely nonsensical that we'i think that route. absolutely nonsensical that we'i think it's that route. absolutely nonsensical that we'i think it's scary at route. absolutely nonsensical that we'i think it's scary actually . >> i think it's scary actually. you know, there was a very, very good cartoon in the telegraph today was a big poster, today and it was a big poster, big banker is watching you and but that's what worries me with digitised money that they can

control. you know, they they can control. you know, they they can control we spend our money control what we spend our money on.and control what we spend our money on. and it's a great campaign. matthew thank you. for quarter of local of a century and local government. you for government. thank you for joining on gb news. joining us tonight on gb news. thank for thank you. thank you for inviting me. >> . we are living in an age >> now. we are living in an age of increasing street protests . of increasing street protests. >> it's at the top of the tree at the moment. appear to be a group called just stop oil. who want to stop horse racing. tennis cricket, snooker , tennis cricket, snooker, vandalise art. you name it. but extraordinarily , there's now a extraordinarily, there's now a counter group and you can see them on your screens. they're called just stop peeing off everyone . in and they are they everyone. in and they are they are dressed in similar colours and you can see there that effectively what they've done is to surround a group of just stop

oil protesters on the streets of london. and i think it's funny, but it's important to reiterate what i said to you last night when we saw an example of somebody actually kicking and punching a just stop oil protester to wrongs don't make a right. so if people can respond and peacefully and with a degree of humour, that i think is a very, very good thing. personal plea. i've absolutely had it up to here with just stop oil. they bought the life out of me. now steel matters in south wales , steel matters in south wales, matters in newport. i'm very pleased to say that. gareth stace is the director general of uk steel and joins me on the programme . gareth, for those . programme. gareth, for those. for those not familiar with newport and south wales, just briefly give us the history of steel making here. >> oh so steel making in wales. >> oh so steel making in wales. >> know, steel so >> you know, steel is so important to the welsh economy now, but you know, in the past we think llanwern, which has we think of llanwern, which has long employed 10,000 long closed employed 10,000 people llanwern , and

people just in llanwern, and that's closed the steel sector in the uk used to employ 240,000 people. it now employs about 31,000, but about 8000 of those still work in wales. 31,000, but about 8000 of those still work in wales . and the still work in wales. and the really important thing about this is those jobs are good jobs. they're highly skilled and they're well paid and well paid 60% more. the wages for a steel worker, 60% more than the average wage in wales . so. average wage in wales. so. >> so the jobs matter . the jobs >> so the jobs matter. the jobs matter. but an industry in decline. is it an industry that can be saved? is it is it is it an industry that could be regenerated? and i ask this in the light particularly of net zero implications, the there is a government plan to decarbonise steel. steelmaking is that even possible? >> well, it's certainly possible. an industry in decline , yes. in the uk, globally ? not , yes. in the uk, globally? not at all. no. sure, the demand for steel increases year on year on year. steel increases year on year on year . we you asked is it could year. we you asked is it could it be saved ? yes. there are it be saved? yes. there are sunny uplands. you know the

demand in the uk for steel will increase . the demand globally increase. the demand globally will increase . so why every year will increase. so why every year do we produce less and less and less steel? last year we produced 6 million tonnes. the last time we produced 6 million tonnes was in 1932. you know, literally in the great depression. china produces a thousand million tonnes a year. they make what we make in a yeah they make what we make in a year. they make it in just over two days. so all we need to do in the uk to become competitive again is for government to say , again is for government to say, yes, we want a steel sector in the uk. >> is it is steel? should it be deemed to be in your view, a strategic industry ? strategic industry? >> we well, it certainly is a strategic industry. we look in a modern economy, everything is made either from steel or made using steel . you can't do using steel. you can't do without steel. no, but here's the problem. >> here is the problem , gareth, >> here is the problem, gareth, that we have a conservative government and a labour opposition hell bent on net

zero, hell bent on reducing our carbon dioxide output . they carbon dioxide output. they boast to the world we've reduced by 44% since 1990. of course we have the steel plants have closed. they've gone to india and china. the steel is produced under lower environmental standards and then we import it back into britain . why does back into britain. why does nobody in government listen to these arguments? >> so exactly . i mean, india is >> so exactly. i mean, india is going to double its steelmaking capacity in the next 15 years. so why does the government listen for the listen what they've done for the last decade and more many all governments, not this governments, not just this conservative government, is pile costs on us that aren't paid by our competitors . so this will our competitors. so this will make you fall off your chair. nigel. 90% of the world's steel pays no carbon tax. we are that 10% that does pay a carbon tax . 10% that does pay a carbon tax. yeah, but we want to decarbonise because there is a massive opportunity for net zero steel to sell net zero steel. a year ago last week we said to government, here's our roadmap to get to net zero. we can only

do it with a partnership with you government. if you provide half of the capex to get us there, half of the money to get us that journey like other us on that journey like other governments are doing, like france germany and canada, france and germany and canada, they're billions they're all providing billions and government and billions. our government isn't that. it's helping. isn't doing that. it's helping. yes, need that yes, but we need that partnership for the capex to get to us net zero. and then crucially, we need a competitive business landscape so we can compete in europe and globally . compete in europe and globally. so we can go from 6 million tonnes to satisfying what we actually demand in the uk, which is like 11 million tonnes a year to that. and then the world is our oyster to make even more steel and export it across the world because it'll be net zero. >> i'd love to see us do it. final thought on this. we're putting upwind final thought on this. we're putting up wind turbines all around i'm slightly around our oceans. i'm slightly sceptical this, but sceptical about this, but they're manufactured in they're all manufactured in china, can't we do this? china, so why can't we do this? >> so 1200 tonnes in each tower? what's the percentage of steel that comes from the uk in each of those towers? you know the

answer. you just said it to me. 000. but we're the world leader in offshore wind. why is it no steel from the uk? they're because they let the contractors go out and buy the steel for themselves buy it where themselves and they buy it where it's cheapest on that day. it's the cheapest on that day. but don't work with the but they don't work with the sector say, we want sector to say, well, we want this type of steel over this many can we work with you many years. can we work with you to it? to produce it? >> i have to say, gareth, is >> i have to say, gareth, it is illogical. makes no sense. illogical. it makes no sense. none of what we're doing is reducing any way reducing global co2 in any way at all. and you've got an industry straddled very industry straddled with very expensive costs and expensive energy costs and i have to say i'm very much in your corner. the arguments are logical. the arguments are right. just hope people in right. i just hope people in westminster wake up , please, westminster wake up, please, because this matters. gareth, thank you very much. >> thank you forjoining us. and >> thank you for joining us. and in a moment, it will be the public's turn after the break. >> it's barrage de barrage with questions direct to me . questions direct to me. >> thank you very much

forces? join me mark white on gb news as .

news as. the best part of the show. >> this is the public. they've submitted their questions. they've been filtered out. i haven't got a clue what they're going to ask me. starting with alison. hello. good evening. >> hiya .just alison. hello. good evening. >> hiya . just wanted to know if >> hiya. just wanted to know if you could choose the next prime minister and the next home secretary . who would it be and secretary. who would it be and why ? why? >> i well, actually , i think the >> i well, actually, i think the current home secretary shows a bit of spirit. >> yes, agreed. >> yes, agreed. >> i really, really do. and i thought her comments in support of me yesterday were really strong and really to the mark. she pointed out that this inclusion agenda is only if you agree with them . if you don't agree with them. if you don't agree with them. if you don't agree with them. if you don't agree with them, you're excluded or in my case, excommunicated . or in my case, excommunicated. so, you know, she was very, very good on that. as for the next prime minister, honestly, i just don't know. i mean, it's going to be keir starmer. think to be keir starmer. i think that's you know, very, very,

very likely that it will be kept. and i just don't see i just don't see how the how the conservatives can recover. there's so much faith being lost in them. so many promises made that they never really believed in. i guess it'll be keir in. so i guess it'll be keir starmer. would you like ? starmer. who would you like? >> nigel farage. oh well, there we are. thank you very sweet of you, alison. >> thank you very much . that's >> thank you very much. that's very kind of you, but i'm much too busy fighting the banking industry just just at this moment in time. okay, let's keep going. my next questioner is mandy. good evening. hello >> living in the republic of drake, as we do , do you think drake, as we do, do you think devolution has been a good thing ? >> well, 7— >> well, it's 5mm 7 >> well, it's very interesting, actually , isn't it, that when actually, isn't it, that when the welsh assembly was set up there was very little support for it? you know, only 1 in 4 people in wales who could vote actually voted for it. they scraped it through by 7000 votes. if i remember rightly .

votes. if i remember rightly. look, the idea that people should have local decision making is, of course, very sensible. but i don't think the welsh assembly, the senate parliament as it now is, i don't think it's been a great success. and i frankly, i think that drakeford is well , dreadful, drakeford is well, dreadful, truly dreadful . i don't know , truly dreadful. i don't know, you know , i mean, the lockdowns you know, i mean, the lockdowns , the lockdowns , the state , the lockdowns, the state control the 20 mile an hour speeding limit. so i'm not against the principle of devolution, but has it worked out well for wales to date? i think i think the answer is no. yeah, but i mean, i can't see it being reversed. can you know . being reversed. can you know. >> but i think, i think the pandemic taught us that you can't have devolution for no national issues like crises like that. it needs to come from national government. you can't have ireland doing one thing,

scotland doing another thing. >> and the mayor of manchester saying something else and all the rest of it. >> yeah, no, i agree with you. i just want a quick thought on that i wonder whether, that one. i just wonder whether, you the welsh mps you know, whether the welsh mps in westminster come in westminster couldn't come back in the senate back and sit in the senate rather than having two layers of politicians . a thought. politicians. it's a thought. it's but i know i it's a thought. but i know i think, mandy, if we were in scotland, quite a lot of people would the same too. would feel the same way too. thank much indeed. let thank you very much indeed. let us to stephen. stephen us go to stephen. stephen evening, nigel. >> i've been allowed to, so i'm quite fortunate. the first one, perhaps it links to talk about the steel industry given the recent comments of the chief executive of shell that they would potentially consider relisting in new york. now what can we do with the city to encourage them to invest our money in our engineering and our defence industries and our energy sector because it seems that the so called ethics , all that the so called ethics, all investment rules are starving.

some of our key industries of key investment. and secondly , key investment. and secondly, and tonight's the to ask this question are all of us in this room at risk of losing our banking facilities because of what somebody regards as being our values in conflict with this second question first, there was an article in the times on monday that said refinitiv, who one of the big global credit rating agency as 49 of the 50 top world's banks use it. >> so any of you apply for a new bank account, they will check with you haven't with refinitiv that you haven't left behind a £20 million debt in or something in kuala lumpur or something like. why they do it. like. so we get why they do it. but idea that they are now but the idea that they are now going and times said going to and the times said this, they're now going to work with uk banks to monitor social media individual with uk banks to monitor social media you individual with uk banks to monitor social media you know,iual with uk banks to monitor social media you know, that points customers. you know, that points to a really dystopian, worrying, scary but stephen, the scary future. but stephen, the fight back has begun right? and . i on your first point, look , i

. i on your first point, look, i worked i worked in the financial services industry for many, many years. metals was the part of it that i was in. i can tell you that i was in. i can tell you that a raft of european regulations that came into uk law actually made for pension funds in particular, it very, very difficult to invest , for very difficult to invest, for example, in british infrastructure projects, things like the m4 relief road, which we so badly need . and my bigger we so badly need. and my bigger worry is that it's now been seven years since the vote . we seven years since the vote. we haven't made our financial services industry really much more competitive . there was a more competitive. there was a recent bill passed . it's recent bill passed. it's improved things slightly. interestingly, some of the changes andrew griffith made today couldn't have been made as members of the european union. so there is some progress, but it's far, far too slow. but ultimately , if you're going to ultimately, if you're going to have a thriving equity market and you know, you mentioned people listing elsewhere, you can have a thriving equity market, a thriving insurance market, a thriving insurance

market, a thriving money market, thriving commodity markets. you have to have a thriving banking sector and right at the moment, i've been told by international businessmen that london is now pretty much the worst place to bank the western so bank in the western world. so much regulation on so much over compliance . and you know, you compliance. and you know, you come to south wales and talk about the city actually , about the city actually, financial services are huge in cardiff , lot people in cardiff, a lot of people in cardiff, a lot of people in cardiff working in financial services. this is the biggest employer country and all employer in this country and all i can say is there is a lot, lot more to be done. we have not seized the opportunity here that was given us by that brexit referenda. adam small steps in the right direction but more needed. your thoughts ? needed. your thoughts? >> yes, it's a huge concern when you know when we've got large numbers of companies and you know, clearly we need to be thinking about our future in terms of engineering and defence and our energy supply and our own companies, our own british companies are having difficulty financing because their low

financing because of their low their low share value, because our money is not being invested by our but not by all, but some of our institutions. and we're into a vicious circle of decline unless we can arrest that. >> if we become more competitive, we become more attractive, more money gets invested . stephen, i'm going to invested. stephen, i'm going to have on, but thank have to move on, but thank you for question, questions for the question, both questions and also thanks, louise . and also thanks, louise. >> hello . >> hello. >> hello. >> we have plan a, so what if what do we have plan b if rwanda fails, eu and france aren't going to play ball. we're full. where do we go from here? >> oh, it's very easy what the conservative government will do is they'll say what you think they'll say. isn't it awful ? they'll say. isn't it awful? gosh, how on earth has this been allowed to happen? and somehow think we're going to say, oh, yeah, they're they're on our side. it's all going to be okay. there is no plan b and rwanda's side. it's all going to be okay. ther

of itself is not enough. look, australia years ago it. they australia years ago did it. they turned around the they turned around the boats, they turned around the boats, they turned they towed turned them back. they towed them indonesia. the them back to indonesia. the international community went bonkers. know what happened? international community went boniboats know what happened? international community went boniboats stopped what happened? international community went boniboats stopped coming|ppened? international community went boniboats stopped coming .pened? international community went boniboats stopped coming . there? the boats stopped coming. there is no solution here. there is no solution here. that will happen without very bold , firm without very bold, firm government. and accept the opprobrium of the un and accept the opprobrium of the european union, etcetera. well, we know what they feel today, don't we? we know exactly what they feel like. and weston may talk like. and simon weston may talk about just moment. about this in just a moment. thank you very much indeed. and lastly, piers . hello, nigel. lastly, piers. hello, nigel. i also have two questions. >> sorry, a quick one. one only. oh, i've got to pick then. it was my birthday recently. i was gifted three colours of gin with farage written on what's your favourite colour to watch the ashes and to win the ashes and willing to win the ashes >> well, it's actually the white one. one with the hints of one. the one with the hints of liquorice one that liquorice is the one that i like. liquorice is the one that i uke.the liquorice is the one that i like. the most stunning performance england performance by england today. absolutely stunning performance performance by england today. abs(cricket's unning performance performance by england today. abs(cricket's becomingrformance performance by england today. abs(cricket's becoming veryiance and cricket's becoming very popular again. i was reminded

earlier on it is actually the england and wales cricket board and the wales gets left out of this too often . yeah, you know, this too often. yeah, you know, cricket's great, fantastic, enthralling thing, like a big game of five day chess playing out ahead of you, you know, an england side led by a warrior, a warrior of a captain. gosh, i wish our leaders were a bit more like ben stokes in many ways, referring to the previous question. and it's great to see cricket being watched. i wish it was free to view on terrestrial television an and i wish our schools , all of our schools gave schools, all of our schools gave youngsters the opportunity to play youngsters the opportunity to play this great game. if the weather holds , we will win this weather holds, we will win this game . we will win this game. the game. we will win this game. the ball that got root out just ran along the deck . so it's very along the deck. so it's very good news for those that aren't cricketers. i'm really sorry, but it ran along the deck which must be a good sign for our bowlers . i think we'll we'll be bowlers. i think we'll we'll be out just after lunchtime tomorrow . we've to skittle tomorrow. we've got to skittle them tomorrow . otherwise it's them tomorrow. otherwise it's old . it rains, it old trafford. it rains, it

always rains in old trafford. but if we can do that, we win the ashes. that's my view . the ashes. that's my view. >> it'll be a big win. if we win, it'll be a big win if we win. >> thank you very much indeed. >> thank you very much indeed. >> cheers. thank you. >> cheers. thank you. >> now, at a moment, we're going to have studio guest simon weston, a great hero here in south wales. he'll be joining me in a moment .

okay. now simon weston joins me here on talking bike. >> but first, first, a bit of breaking news. >> simon jacques, the bbc's economics correspondent editor. he's been busy tweeting, but all he's been tweeting is what alison rosa said. there's no apology yet, but i'm still waiting. i won't hold my breath. please give a huge welcome on

talking to simon weston . talking pints to simon weston. oh i should say simon weston cbe , shouldn't i? >> well, nice if you want to, but you are a very, very well known figure from south wales rugby. >> this was your big thing as a lad. yeah. yeah absolutely. >> i suspect 90% of the fellas in here, it was the biggest sport they played in school . my sport they played in school. my career was over by the time i was 20, so just short of my 21st birthday when i got injured . i birthday when i got injured. i never got to realise how good i could have been, whether i'd gone too much further than that. i was playing, played for the army under 21 seconds and london district and the guards and welsh guards . but what could welsh guards. but what could have come from that? lord only knows . knows. >> and that welsh team that 19705 >> and that welsh team that 1970s welsh team . it was quite 1970s welsh team. it was quite something, wasn't it? it is.

>> and oddly enough, i've met an awful lot of them since and before tended several of them. they were, they were magical , they were, they were magical, you know, but it was very difficult to emulate what they did and the different rules and regulations and the fitness standards and the professional ism and the way they've brought in the defensive work that belongs in rugby league. you know, there's so many disciplines that have been brought into the game and they've changed it dramatically from it used be. when from what it used to be. when i played. but you know, we'll be right up against it. come the world cup with oh, absolutely. you know, with some of these. >> absolutely. but but big part of your culture now, you know, we've talked before on this program about falklands and program about the falklands and everything but everything that happened. but i do there's been quite a big do know there's been quite a big inquiry what happened with inquiry into what happened with the sir and it had the sir galahad, and it had almost attention at almost no media attention at all. what does that inquiry tell us, simon, that mistakes were made, decisions that were made were probably biased in certain

circumstances . circumstances. >> but the biggest thing that we've been able to garner from it all is that they don't want to release the information they've released all the other information. there are no national security concerns in any of it . so why they've kept any of it. so why they've kept it redacted and sealed , we don't it redacted and sealed, we don't know. apart from the statement they gave, which is they don't want to cause eles and concern and cause people discomfort. so basically what they don't want is the truth to come out because in all the books that these different people have written, they've all had conflicting stories and what we've been able to get from people still alive that their stories just don't marry up. and the guy who was in charge of five brigade had to leave britain because of the abuse he was taking for his own mental health. so he had to leave. and so many people have suffered. and professor, anally

and personally, they've been saying, how angry are you, simon? i'm angry to a degree , simon? i'm angry to a degree, but i'm more disappointed. these were people who were supposed to be our leaders. they were supposed to make decisions about us and keep us as safe as possible in war, which is so random . um, we accepted the role random. um, we accepted the role . our job told us, you know, we went to war. we knew the outcome that we could get killed. but at the end of the day, you wanted people who are making decisions for the best everybody, not for the best for everybody, not just few that your just a select few that were your preferred units . preferred units. >> simon keen to get you on >> simon was keen to get you on to talk about this because, you know, i know this work's been done. there is great done. i know there is great dissatisfaction amongst many welsh i've met dissatisfaction amongst many welzspoken i've met dissatisfaction amongst many welzspoken to i've met dissatisfaction amongst many welzspoken to and i've met dissatisfaction amongst many welzspoken to and firsti've met dissatisfaction amongst many welzspoken to and first time1et and spoken to and first time we've discussed this issue. but it on it was good to get you on tonight to talk about this, because we do. think because we do. i think you deserve that's all deserve the truth if that's all we want is the truth. you you above all, deserve the truth after what you've been through and government and yeah, let's push government to final, final to get the truth. final, final thought. european union thought. the european union yesterday in a diplomatic cable

, described the falkland islands as les malvinas. your response , as les malvinas. your response, please? simon weston well, it kind of what i thought this morning when i first heard about it was always, remember today's friend can be tomorrow's enemy. >> and it just felt like we were getting kicked in the shins for leaving seven years ago, whether you agreed with leaving or not is irrelevant now. the islanders are the only people that are relevant, and it's their comfort, their security. absolutely and their sleepless nights that have to be taken into account just because you want to appease a cabal of nafionsin want to appease a cabal of nations in south america who have been working tirelessly for so long. the reason argentina has its problems is because of corruption , massive corruption corruption, massive corruption in that country with raging inflation. they think by going to the falklands, which has a settled economy, a very affluent economy , thriving businesses economy, thriving businesses with nearly 4000 people. simon why go there? why do it? because it's the eu and they don't like us. >> us. >> that's why we voted brexit. simon weston, thank you very

much. you know, now it's time for balance. >> sterling i gotta tell you , i >> sterling i gotta tell you, i gotta tell you . this one. gotta tell you. this one. >> this is bellen, sterling's best live. >> listen very carefully to the words . you heard it first in the sun. >> you heard it last on bbc one. >> you heard it last on bbc one. >> they said there's nothing to see. >> the parents didn't agree. >> the parents didn't agree. >> it's time we stop paying their licence fee. >> nigel said on gb news. >> nigel said on gb news. >> they're closing down your bank accounts. >> if they don't like your views, they will take all your funds. you won't have any bumps. you are all about bunch of coats . hey hey, hey. >> aren't you sit . just how is

>> aren't you sit. just how is it's time to fight back and ba.2 says , yes, it is . says, yes, it is. >> so let's get back on track . >> so let's get back on track. it's night is always on the boat night two says i get a phone call. >> we are closing your accounts. >> we are closing your accounts. >> nine two says this is truly, utterly disgusting . utterly disgusting. >> nine two says, are we living in communist china? >> he's not you . >> he's not you. >> he's not you. >> plus . >> plus. the temperatures rising, boxt solar proud sponsors of weather on . gb news. on. gb news. >> hello there . i'm jonathan >> hello there. i'm jonathan vautrey. who is your latest gb news weather forecast provided by the met office. look, a few of us have managed to see some sunny spells throughout today, but there are still a few

showers lingering on into the evening and into friday as well, particularly for of particularly for parts of northern ireland through scotland few scotland as well. also a few just clearing way off the just clearing their way off the far of england as far southeast of england as well. between that, we will well. in between that, we will start some clearer spells start to see some clearer spells developing will allow developing and that will allow those temperatures just slide those temperatures to just slide off into single figures for particularly rural areas, particularly rural areas, particulscotland. could see central scotland. we could see close to five, four degrees celsius. of a chill in celsius. so a bit of a chill in the air first thing on friday morning. that will allow for some but there's also some sunshine. but there's also going the central area going to be the central area from northern ireland, southern scotland down northern scotland down into northern england is rather england where it is rather cloudy from the word and cloudy from the word go. and that push that cloud will continue to push its the of its way across the rest of england and wales throughout the day. some scattered day. the risk of some scattered showers well. more showers in there as well. more prolonged for parts of prolonged rain for parts of northern ireland. underneath all that is going that cloud, though, it is going to relatively cool day. to be a relatively cool day. temperatures between 16 22 c temperatures between 16 and 22 c into weekend, something more into the weekend, something more widely be widely unsettled will be developing frontal developing as these frontal systems start pushing their way developing as these frontal sy�*from. start pushing their way developing as these frontal sy�*from the rt pushing their way developing as these frontal sy�*from the atlantic.g their way in from the atlantic. those isobars squeezing together isobars also squeezing together across southern half the across the southern half of the uk particularly coast uk, particularly southern coast of england , will some very of england, will see some very strong coastal gales,

strong winds. coastal gales, perhaps possible later on on saturday. this accompanied by outbreaks for the vast outbreaks of rain for the vast majority of us, the far north of scotland getting away with the sunniest and driest start to the weekend. further weekend. but there'll be further outbreaks of rain and showers as we head into sunday and the

gb news. >> good evening. i'm rory smith gb news. >> good evening. i'm rory smith , the group ceo of natwest, which includes coutts , has which includes coutts, has apologised to nigel farage after his account was closed. dame alison rose apologises for what she calls deeply inappropriate comments made about mr farage in the now published papers. she continued, saying it is not in the company's policy to drop a customer on the basis of legally held political and personal views. a full review of coutts's processes and how these decisions are made will be carried out. speaking on a show here on gb news, this evening,