she lost when she was nine. >> my mum was an alcoholic . >> my mum was an alcoholic. >> my mum was an alcoholic. >> former conservative cabinet minister david mellor, but she believed in something with a passion and she worked it. >> and when i look at some of these insipid, i'm trying. let's look for parliamentary word. these insipid creatures that have replaced her. >> conservative mp bim afolami . >> conservative mp bim afolami. >> conservative mp bim afolami. >> i think we need to defund some of those courses that are giving bad outcomes to young people and putting that money into further education. all that after you . news

after you. news >> good evening . after you. news >> good evening. i'm rory after you. news >> good evening . i'm rory smith >> good evening. i'm rory smith in the gb newsroom . the in the gb newsroom. the government has sent a rapid deployment team to rhodes to support british nationals as wildfires continue to spread across greece. evacuations are being described as the biggest in the country's history. thousands of people are fleeing homes and hotels as several houday homes and hotels as several holiday firms , including jet2, holiday firms, including jet2, tuiand holiday firms, including jet2, tui and thomas cook, have cancelled all flights to the island until the end of the month . labour says its party month. labour says its party gathering this weekend has led the groundwork for an election winning manifesto. a spokesperson says the final document produced by the national policy forum contains no unfunded spending commitments and will lead to the building of and will lead to the building of a better britain. but the unite union says it can't support the document due to what it described as the weakening of language around zero hour

contracts. sidique khan is pressing ahead with plans to expand london's ultra low emission zone, despite opposition from within his own party. the ulez policy was widely blamed for labour failing to win the seat of uxbridge and south ruislip at last week's by elections. it comes as conservative mp michael gove warns against treating the environment as a religious crusade and says that some net zero measures should be relaxed. the british pop singer vince hill has died at the age of 89. >> he edelweiss , i say edelweiss i >> -- >> his lam >> his version of edelweiss first heard in the sound of music reached number two on the uk charts in 1967. in a career that included 25 studio albums , that included 25 studio albums, he worked with some of britain's best loved musical legends, including dame vera lynn and cilla black . he passed away

cilla black. he passed away peacefully at home in oxfordshire . tv online dab+ oxfordshire. tv online dab+ radio and on tunein. this is gb news. now it's time for gloria meets . meets. tom watson. >> you were a labour mp from 2001 to 2019. you were a former deputy leader of the labour party . we're going to talk about party. we're going to talk about some of those things throughout this interview. but i want to start by saying you lost a lot of weight in the last five years, didn't you.7 >> years, didn't you? >> i did. i was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes as i had two young kids. i thought i was going to die and so i used my time effectively and lost eight stone and put diabetes in remission . remission. >> diabetes is now in remission. just ki lessons that we should

follow then if anybody's wanting to make a change to their life. well for me it was a series of tiny changes over time. >> i cut out sweets and sugar, which obviously if you've got type 2 diabetes is the first thing you do. i change my nutrition. i stop taking ultraprocessed food. i lowered my carbohydrate intake . i tried my carbohydrate intake. i tried to cook real meals, not eat frozen meals . i set myself frozen meals. i set myself a step count and slowly put it up. ieven step count and slowly put it up. i even bought a bike when i'd lost a bit of weight as a reward to myself . i'm lost a bit of weight as a reward to myself. i'm a lost a bit of weight as a reward to myself . i'm a little bit to myself. i'm a little bit overweight again now because i was caring for an elderly parent who was very poorly. but i know that i who was very poorly. but i know thati can who was very poorly. but i know that i can do it now. and so i've got a little reset where i get my step count back up again and monitor my food. and it doesn't frighten me anymore . and doesn't frighten me anymore. and i'm not in denial about it. >> so let's talk about your time as deputy leader of the labour party. this was a very difficult penod party. this was a very difficult period for the labour party because you are you've always

been on the centre ground of the labour party. you are deputy to jeremy corbyn, who is on the left of the labour party. the two traditions of the labour party, they, they clashed . the party, they, they clashed. the labour party is in civil war. how does that personally affect someone who is in that position? >> well, you kind of you're in these jobs temporarily and i felt very responsible that i was temporarily in control of 100 year old institution in a really important, powerful vehicle for changing lives and dramatically changed the lives of many millions of working people over that time . so i felt worried for that time. so i felt worried for the institution then. i obviously felt worried for the country . me and at first tried country. me and at first tried to use the usual means. country. me and at first tried to use the usual means . you have to use the usual means. you have to, you know, try and influence change through the committees and the shadow cabinet, but then realised there was a little bit more going on and it became very

difficult in the latter years. what was the toughest moment for you?i what was the toughest moment for you? i well, certainly the toughest moment i had in politics was actually in that penod politics was actually in that period was when our colleague jo cox was assassinated . and i mean cox was assassinated. and i mean nothing prepares you for that, but actually , in terms of the but actually, in terms of the actual all disagreements in the labour party , i think when labour party, i think when i realised that really there was just thoroughly irresponsive people was when they tried to aboush people was when they tried to abolish the post of deputy leader quite late on, they, they moved an emergency motion under any other business at a meeting to try . they didn't like what to try. they didn't like what i had to say, so they tried to aboush had to say, so they tried to abolish the post and that's when i realised actually two things. firstly they were just not serious about power. they were not serious about government, but also it was probably time for me to leave politics. so, you know, at that point in time i'd probably done everything i can to try and hold the labor party together and the next generation needed to take over.

>> jeremy corbyn is no longer a labour mp . can you ever see any labour mp. can you ever see any circumstances that he's let back in? >> i doubt it. he's probably taken it too far now. i think he probably knows that and i think keir starmer gave him a fair hearing. he needed him to apologise and he refused to do so. and i think he quite likes it on the outside now, mike, you stand as an independent. >> should the labour party be worried about that prospect? >> i don't think it really matters if he runs as an independent in his constituency or another position. think or for another position. i think actually will help actually that will probably help the because in the labour party because in those seats there's those red wall seats there's a whole load of working class people very frightened people who were very frightened of jeremy corbyn government and for jeremy to be running against forjeremy to be running against keir starmer will probably help keir starmer will probably help keir starmer will probably help keir starmer i suspect. >> interesting , right. let's >> interesting, right. let's talk about when you really came to public prominence . yes, you to public prominence. yes, you led a campaign , a war really led a campaign, a war really against rupert murdoch . the news

against rupert murdoch. the news of the world closed down some journalists went to prison. what did you learn about that experience? would you have done anything differently looking back ? back? >> well, firstly, it wasn't a war against rupert murdoch. it was campaign to get was a sustained campaign to get the truth out, because let's remind people a very powerful, perhaps the most powerful media organisation on planet organisation on the planet consist . he broke the law. they consist. he broke the law. they corrupted police officers and people in public office and they hacked the phones of people who were the victims of serious crime . and very famously, milly crime. and very famously, milly dowler's phone and all the institutions of the state, the checks and balances that were supposed to hold those people to account failed . the police account failed. the police failed, parliament failed . they failed, parliament failed. they didn't do their jobs. failed, parliament failed. they didn't do their jobs . so i guess didn't do theirjobs. so i guess s i mean, at the time it was very frightening and it was very difficult and it was very intense , i guess you could say. intense, i guess you could say. now that press standards at the

tabloid end of the operation and the least you could say is i suspect they don't break the law on a daily basis like they appear to do 20 years ago. and but i don't think the full story has been told yet. the last government shelved the second part of the public inquiry that was to look into the corrupt relationship between the police and journalists. we don't know whether there are corrupt police officers still working for the met police force who sold people's private and confidential information to newspapers for profit . and when newspapers for profit. and when you look at the concern about the culture of the metropol police today, only this week we've seen they accepted that the daniel morgan murder inquiry was a corrupt endeavour. the daniel morgan murder inquiry was a corrupt endeavour . then we was a corrupt endeavour. then we cannot know. we still don't know the truth. so if i was in government today, i would still want to know what that corrupt relationship between the police and the tabloid press was . and the tabloid press was. >> there was another case in

which you you led in your time as an mp. you faced a lot of criticism for this . it was over criticism for this. it was over your role which resulted into police investigations into historic sexual crimes . some historic sexual crimes. some prominent people were wrongly accused and went through hell . accused and went through hell. leon brittan was one of those people you apologised caused to his wife , lady brittan . did she his wife, lady brittan. did she accept that apology? >> not at first, actually . and >> not at first, actually. and in politics, you know, sometimes deeds not words matter . in politics, you know, sometimes deeds not words matter. i'm very pleased to say that she did accept my apology when i gave it, and i gave it with a commitment to try and work with her to achieve police changes, reforms that came out of that inquiry. i mean, let's not forget that some historic child sexual crimes were investigated

and people did go to jail. sexual crimes were investigated and people did go to jail . but and people did go to jail. but in all the sort of feverish investigation, one corrupt individual made false allegations and people were harmed because of those false allegations. i feel deep regret for that. and i need to put that matter right. >> how how do you do that? >> how how do you do that? >> well, actually, one of the inquiry that came out of that that episode made recommendations for metropolitan police reform. and i actually one of the first meetings i had when i was put in the house of lords was with sir mark rowley, the head of the met police. at present at, and he committed to get back to me on the progress on reforms. i'm sad to say that six months later , after a number six months later, after a number of chase ups, i'm still waiting for the courtesy of a response to that commitment . but i'm not to that commitment. but i'm not going to let it go . and if you going to let it go. and if you won't give me private reassurances, then i'm going to have to be more vocal in my criticisms and demands for

change in the metropolitan police. final question there are is a scenario if jeremy corbyn had resigned and you had been when you were deputy leader, you would have become acting leader of the labour party , be very of the labour party, be very different labour party now . different labour party now. >> but if you were leader today , what's the number one thing you think you still have to nail to seal the deal between the british people and the labour party ? party? >> well, for a start, i would have been a very reluctant leader. i never wanted that job. and is about your to and this is about your trying to get give to keir get me to give advice to keir starmer. i've never have starmer. so i've never have done, but for you, gloria, i will if i was keir, i would say every day put you put yourself in the shoes of the working people of this country. they're struggling. they're finding their are finding it hard their kids are finding it hard to secure they're to find secure work. they're finding pay their finding it hard to pay their rent mortgages. the shopping rent and mortgages. the shopping bills up nearly 20. bills have gone up nearly 20. put yourself in their shoes every day and every decision you make should be a decision on

their behalf. and if you can do that between now and the general election, you won't go far wrong i >> -- >> two years. you've made me wait for interview . thank wait for this interview. thank you for finally giving in. tom watson. >> thank you. thank you. pleasure >> coming up, sara britcliffe what she used to do was she used to take me up to bed and she'd then go and drink a bottle of vodka whilst i was chucked upstairs in bed coming up. >> david mellor why is politics a full time job? why is it a profession often . that warm profession often. that warm feeling inside , aside from boxt feeling inside, aside from boxt boilers proud sponsors of weather on . gb news. weather on. gb news. >> hello and welcome to your latest weather update from the met office. i'm marco petagna. we hold on to unsettled weather conditions across the uk during the . i think we'll the week ahead. i think we'll see further at times and see further rain at times and feeling quite chilly too in the brisk breeze as low pressure is

dominating the moment. dominating at the moment. a fairly deep area low fairly deep area of low pressure. gradually pulling away towards uk over towards the east of the uk over the but notice the next day or so. but notice this slow moving band rain this slow moving band of rain across central of the uk across a central slice of the uk that continues give some that continues to give some heavy bursts through the evening in fact, we a weather heavy bursts through the evening in fact, 'in a weather heavy bursts through the evening in fact, 'in force a weather heavy bursts through the evening in fact, 'in force untilather heavy bursts through the evening in fact, 'in force until midnight warning in force until midnight and then pushes south and that band then pushes south into parts of england into southern parts of england and wales into the hours. and wales into the early hours. the south—east hold on the far south—east hold on to some spells and clearer some clear spells and clearer with showers towards the with a few showers towards the north northwest, turning north and northwest, but turning chilly spots chilly under those clear spots towards the northwest to temperatures figures temperatures into single figures here. monday, well, it's here. as for monday, well, it's a of fairly wet conditions a case of fairly wet conditions across the south during the morning, heavy bursts morning, some heavy bursts of rain times giving to rain at times giving way to brighter the north brighter skies from the north and but fresher air and northwest. but fresher air moving too. so we head moving in, too. so as we head into afternoon, most parts into the afternoon, most parts are brighter are becoming brighter still a scattering of showers, particularly north scattering of showers, part northwest north scattering of showers, part northwest east north scattering of showers, part northwest east and north scattering of showers, part northwest east and once| and northwest east and once again, fairly for the again, fairly chilly for the time year. temperatures time of year. temperatures generally the mid generally peaking in the mid teens north, a high teens towards the north, a high down the with 19 down towards the south with 19 or and 68in fahrenheit. or 2020 and 68in fahrenheit. tuesday looks set that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers. >> proud sponsors of weather on

radio. >> sara britcliffe , the youngest >> sara britcliffe, the youngest ever conservative mp, elected . ever conservative mp, elected. in 2019 when you were 24. i'm going to start by taking you back to something terrible that i read that happened to you . you i read that happened to you. you lost your mum , gabriel, when you lost your mum, gabriel, when you were nine years old in 2004. what happened ? what happened? >> um , my mum was an alcoholic. >> um, my mum was an alcoholic. oh, god. um, she . she. she was oh, god. um, she. she. she was a best woman that you could ever meet. best woman you could ever meet. best woman you could ever meet. and she loved me so much, and everybody knew it. anybody who knew my mum knew how attached she was to me. she

wouldn't leave my side. and that was one of the problems because it was mum and daughter. my brothers a different mum to brothers have a different mum to me and struggled throughout me and she struggled throughout my life. but she was very good at hiding it from my dad. so what she used to do, she used to take me up to bed and she'd then go and drink a bottle of vodka whilst i was tucked upstairs in bed. and so my family didn't realise guys that well, what was happening really with her and, and i think it was when my grandma was still alive, she'd fallen down the stairs or something like that. my mum had . yeah. and that's when my grandma realised that she , she grandma realised that she, she was potentially an alcoholic . was potentially an alcoholic. but we also had the problem where her family in germany didn't believe it either. where her family in germany didn't believe it either . so it didn't believe it either. so it got to the position where we found my self in some really difficult situations with my mum where i think my dad went abroad with the boys and my mum was looking after me. and again, nobody realised that she was an

alcoholic and she ended up locking me in the house and she went and she, she'd gone and had a drink and the fire brigade had to come and get me out and how old were you? probably 4 or 5 years old at that point . so years old at that point. so that's when people realised that there was a problem , um, a huge there was a problem, um, a huge problem. and i absolutely despised my dad throughout this. and it wasn't his fault, but it felt like he was taking me away from my mum because social services got involved and said , services got involved and said, if gabby doesn't move out of the family home, we're taking sara into care and yeah, so it but honestly , i remember everything honestly, i remember everything about my mum and she just loved me and anybody that you met would tell you she adored me. and that was one of the problems was because everybody would always say to me, as a young girl at the age of 4 or 5, six years old, that the only way that she would stop drinking is because of me and that pressure that existed as a little girl

that existed as a little girl that the only way that your mum would survive was for you to do something about it. that you could fix it. it wasn't the case. and that's why i think a lot of support is needed for families of alcoholics and because there was a time when i remember it was all over the papers because my dad at the time was the leader of the council. yes. and she'd left me in manchester airport and she'd had a drink in the airport and we were going to germany to see my family in germany. we were going to germany to see my family in germany . and she my family in germany. and she got on the plane and was arrested on the plane for being drunk and disorderly . drunk and disorderly. >> how how how old are you? >> how how how old are you? >> probably five, six years old at that point . so i remember i, at that point. so i remember i, i don't remember everything about it because obviously i was quite young. but i remember being sat in the police station in manchester airport waiting for my dad to pick me up. in manchester airport waiting for my dad to pick me up . and for my dad to pick me up. and there was a time in germany and this is probably one of the worst moments that i remember , worst moments that i remember, but we'd to germany. it

but we'd gone to germany. it must have prior because must have been prior because i was to travel with her was allowed to travel with her at point and my grandma and at that point and my grandma and granddad were quite ill. they were in the 90s or 80s and 90s and, and we used to she just was so protective of me. we used to sleep in the same bed. we'd cuddle up at night and, and i remember a turning around to me in bed and saying, i'm going to die now. sorry. but she, she turned around to me and she said, i'm going to die now. sorry. and i was so young and but i'd grown up a lot because i'd already experienced all of this with her. and so i ran downstairs and i knew i think it was my grandma was really ill at that point. so i ran down the first set of stairs , went down first set of stairs, went down into the living room and picked up the phone to ring my auntie in germany. i said, mum is telling she's going to die telling me she's going to die and my auntie just she wasn't listening . i rememberjust not listening. i rememberjust not taking it in. i said, mummy is telling me she's to going die. and so my auntie came, put me in bed my grandma my mum bed with my grandma and my mum

was fine. next and that was fine. the next day and that was fine. the next day and that was just her having too much to drink. there were times where i used to go into the house and when you're a kid you see all of these tv programmes as as to how you look after someone when they're not feeling and they're not feeling well. and i remember seeing something of when can't breathe, when somebody can't breathe, they into a bag. that's they breathe into a bag. that's all could remember. and i all i could remember. and i remember mum saying to me, remember my mum saying to me, i can't i just can't can't breathe. i just can't breathe i and get breathe. so i go and get a plastic bag and put it on a mouse because cause i didn't want anybody coming into the house and taking her away from me again and taking her into rehab . so there was a there was rehab. so there was a there was a constant battle between my dad having to do what he had to do to protect me . but obviously, to protect me. but obviously, his little girl despised him because she wanted . to be with because she wanted. to be with him. if you were making changes now that would have helped you as the child of an alcoholic. >> and there are campaigns on

this. yes, there are people on both sides of the house of commons who have grown up in the situation which you describe. i don't think i've heard it described as as powerfully as this. i would say. is there anything that could have made your childhood better? >> yes, it's a support around a person coming out of rehab , person coming out of rehab, because what happened was my mum moved into a council house and she'd be cared for 24 over seven in harvey house in lancaster. but then what happens is she goes home. and then once i've left the house, who's there? who's there to give her the support that she needed and the advice. so what she did instantly was she she'd go and get a bottle of vodka so she'd last for about six weeks. and my dad would be like, this is brilliant. you can look after sara. and remember him doing sara. and i remember him doing that she'd, i'd walked. that once and she'd, i'd walked. it was only across the road from my house, literally, you my dad's house, literally, you could the graveyard, could run through the graveyard, climb over my mum's back wall,

and i'd be in the house. and he said, right, well i'm having a night out with friends tonight. gabby sara . so gabby can look after sara. so i was so excited . my mum was was so excited. my mum was looking after me for the first time. she was coming to my dad's house and i remember house to do it and i remember turning up at the house and she'd obviously drank a lot and i didn't want to tell my dad that. so i walked around to my dad's house where she fell over a wall and split her head up. this was all before the age of nine years old and. and i didn't want to tell my dad because i wanted her to be able to look after me again. and so i sat in my dad's house with a piece of tissue on her head where she'd been bleeding until my dad got home because i just didn't want anybody to take that opportunity away from me. so the support for people, when they come out of rehab, they're not just sat on their own in the home, i think is key. but also it's not just

about the children who need the support . it's more awareness support. it's more awareness that actually, for example, people telling me that i could fix my mum being an alcoholic , fix my mum being an alcoholic, people understanding that being an alcoholic is an illness . it's an alcoholic is an illness. it's still so stigmatised . i mean, we still so stigmatised. i mean, we hearit still so stigmatised. i mean, we hear it all the time. oh it's drunk. things like that. it's an illness. and without the right support you end up in a catastrophic situation like my mum did . mum did. >> i'm. i'm actually pretty lost for words. >> what are the implications as as you grow up, as you become a an adult, an adult. >> so i struggled throughout my teenage life with this because it's mum and daughter, isn't it? it's like a dad and a son. and so you miss out on the opportunity when your friends used to go, my mum's taking me shopping this week and everything like that. you just miss on. now had some miss out on. now i had some motherly figures in my life which to have,

which i was very lucky to have, but it didn't fully hit me until i went to university and that was moving out of the family home, moving away from my brothers and my dad and i started to really, really struggle with my mental health. um, and my doctor prescribed me with paroxetine and it was 20mg really quite high strength. and so i was on that for the first year of university and i actually ended up failing my first year of university because i struggled to leave the house and i think that was just because the first it was the first time i'd been away from the support that i'd had. and the support that i'd had. and the time it really hit me the first time it really hit me about being and having to about being alone and having to deal the of what deal with the thoughts of what i'd dealing with since i'd been dealing with since i was nine years old. so i, i had 4 or 5 years where i really, really struggled with my mental health to the point of wanting to take my own life . to take my own life. >> how are you now? >> how are you now? >> because you've gone to on lead this remarkable life,

doesn't . doesn't. >> i still struggle . i mean, >> i still struggle. i mean, it's nearly 20 years now since i lost my mum. and the worst bit for me is i'm starting to forget a voice because i but actually mentally i'm in a really good position. but that's because i, i sought support. >> tell me about that spark. so you got you got some antidepressant and you went to see a doctor? >> yeah. what else helped you ? >> yeah. what else helped you? >> yeah. what else helped you? >> um, well, i think being thrown in at the deep end with this job kind of made you too busy to even think about anything. so that , again, anything. so that, again, delayed the process of me suffering because i just was so focussed on the job and i absolutely loved the job because you can make a difference. but then after the pandemic, like things started to ease off, you had more time to think, i wasn't getting that work life balance because you don't you know, gloria, it's so difficult to find a work balance in this find a work life balance in this job and so i actually sought support through parliament, and it's massively helped. but i

wouldn't say that i've ever been at the stage during my parliamentary career for as to the stage that i was at university, because some how i'd fixed myself in a sense , that is fixed myself in a sense, that is the most remarkable interview . the most remarkable interview. >> how proud your mum would be and your dad must be of what you have achieved and what you have overcome and the bravery you have exhibited today will help others too. we've never met before. no, it's a pleasure to meet you, sara britcliffe . thank meet you, sara britcliffe. thank you.thank meet you, sara britcliffe. thank you. thank you . coming up, david you. thank you. coming up, david mellor despised . mellor despised. >> it was rejected and thrown out . out. >> coming up, bim afolami . >> coming up, bim afolami. >> coming up, bim afolami. >> and i just do not think for most people, particularly millennials, are aged under 40. thatis millennials, are aged under 40. that is the thing . it's going to that is the thing. it's going to be getting their economic opportunities up, making sure they make more that's they make more money. that's earnings cutting their taxes they make more money. that's earngiving cutting their taxes they make more money. that's earngiving them ting their taxes they make more money. that's earngiving them opportunitieses they make more money. that's earngiving them opportunities to and giving them opportunities to

own

radio. david mellor. >> this is your life and times conservative. >> nine minutes. >> nine minutes. >> we can get through a lot . you >> we can get through a lot. you were conservative cabinet minister. you were a conservative mp from 1979 to 1997. during that long tenure, you must have witnessed some big changes in politics. what struck you? what strikes you looking back? >> well, i think that this was a penod >> well, i think that this was a period which was very much mrs. thatcher's period . i, by the thatcher's period. i, by the way, was her youngest minister for four years. and i was in her government for nine years, but i didn't worship margaret thatcher. she treated me with the same contempt that my mother always did. and, you know, and i love my mother and i sort of half loved margaret thatcher,

but she wasn't an easy person then to work with or work for. and on occasions would quite lose it. i remember one time at a cocktail party she was literally pinned me up against a wall and told me i was in the room and told me i was letting her down on certain things . it her down on certain things. it never bothered her that she was letting a lot of us down by being extremely disloyal . all being extremely disloyal. all that, you know , to her, to that, you know, to her, to ministers , by telling people ministers, by telling people like mary whitehouse that she didn't agree with the policy i was espousing, which was a policy of the government. so you know, she was naughty . i mean, know, she was naughty. i mean, it was that was it said naughty but nice. she wasn't actually nice. but what she was, was naughty because she had no she expected higher standards of others and she ever devoted herself, but she believed in something with a passion. and she worked it. and when i look at some of these insipid, i'm trying let's look for parliamentary word. these insipid creatures that have

replaced her. i mean, you know, look , rishi sunak, i'm sure look, rishi sunak, i'm sure a very clever guy and the rest of it, but where's the margaret thatcher in rishi sunak, maybe mrs. sunak knows, but i certainly don't. >> wow . >> wow. >> wow. >> so you think the quality of our politicians, we don't get those big towering figures anymore ? anymore? >> no, it's not even this big. towering figures. it's a question of people who are any good at what they're doing and have real gifts. and i think that i had an interesting conversation actually years ago with denis healey when i was speaking at a big dinner in leeds in honour of denis healey, and i always got on well with denis, although we would always sort of mess about it and i made the point that when denis healey was at oxford balliol . the point that when denis healey was at oxford balliol. in the point that when denis healey was at oxford balliol . in the was at oxford balliol. in the 1930, there were three outstanding undergraduates there roy jenkins, ted heath and him and i said every one of them

went to on a major career in politics. and my question i said to this dinner is today, if there were similar three similarly gifted people at oxford university or wherever , oxford university or wherever, would they all go into politics? my view is that none of them would. and it's quite interesting. afterwards he came up and he said, you know, i hate to with you about anything to agree with you about anything and you're not the kind of person people to think person i want people to think i agree he said, but you agree with. he said, but you were right . i agree with. he said, but you were right. i didn't believe that either . that either. >> now, some people it's not an argument. i subscribe but argument. i subscribe to, but you may a different view. you may have a different view. some people all politicians some people say all politicians are enough that are not paid enough. that is nonsense . nonsense. >> oh, tosh , don't even bother >> oh, tosh, don't even bother to give me the rest. >> i bet a lot of people have been asking me that. look, when i elected to parliament in i was elected to parliament in 1979, the it was £1,750 a year and a limited expense account to pay and a limited expense account to pay for a secretary, but otherwise nothing since when? what are they on now? 80 odd. >> 80 odd. yeah. >> 80 odd. yeah. >> and but it's also the way

that they're invited to take the dosh through bogus expenses claims where, you know, you can put the wife on or the son or whatever on the payroll . whatever on the payroll. >> i not any more. >> well we'll see about that. but, but i can tell you that the idea look, this hits so many bad spots with me. first of all, why why is politics a full time job? why is it a profession in the profession of politics where, you know, you go to university so tumble out and become a researcher assistant, some leading figure in your party and then you get into parliament. what use are people like that? actually, in truth , they've had actually, in truth, they've had no experience of anything but more fundamentally, what they don't know is , is what they're don't know is, is what they're not prepared to do is to take risks because this is their job. and if they lose their job, where are they ? where are they? >> good point. and what surprised me when i was reading

about your political journey, because obviously you were a big figure in the conservative party for a long time. but you left the conservative party in 2003. you're not back . you're not back. >> no, i wouldn't rejoin the conservative party . i i left conservative party. i i left when ian duncan smith became leader because iain duncan smith , when he was in his original form , he was very right wing. form, he was very right wing. and actually very difficult with john major. and so on. and suddenly he sort of decided he's sniffs the air, feels where the wind is blowing and suddenly becomes some sort of liberal sort of, you know , charmer. and sort of, you know, charmer. and i just i sort of, you know, charmer. and ijust i can't sort of, you know, charmer. and i just i can't bear people like that. and i and also, it's a terrible thing. cut my tongue out. he's not very bright, is he 7 out. he's not very bright, is he ? i mean, when he was doing the pensions job, i don't think he

understood it. and i, by the way, don't claim to be brilliantly bright, but i was bright enough, for instance, i don't know, to take things like the police and criminal evidence act, a major reform of criminal procedure through parliament. every key clause of it debated fully . and you know, it's fully. and you know, it's i understood it , fully. and you know, it's i understood it, but i don't think he understood a lot of what he was trying to do. >> let's enjoy some light, because spitting image, which if you are of our age, it was essential viewing like millions and millions of people watch it every sunday night. it's on at the theatre now in in london. >> remind me which one i shan't go. i'll just avoid that theatre. >> it's good. i've been to see it. although, my goodness, it's. i was thinking, is this bit i was thinking, is this a bit too about certain too much about certain characters you had you were characters and you had you were in spitting image is it a badge of honour when you make it as a politician? >> no, it's just silly. but i

tell you, my wife said to me, one of your puppets is coming up for we have to buy it for auction. we have to buy it because we can't let anyone else have it. we bought it and the thing fell to pieces within a week. it was so tackily made. and you they had to and also, you know, they had to give somebody a bit of colour , give somebody a bit of colour, you know. so i mean, one of the things i don't have and i'll happily breathe all over you to prove it, i don't have bad breath. you see, i confirm all always had me bad because they obviously wanted to say something awful and i thought, what is this? is this wit humour 7 what is this? is this wit humour ? yeah. i'd rather listen to tony hancock , you know? tony hancock, you know? >> did it hurt because you had these horrible fumes were coming out of your spitting image because. >> yeah . with that sort of thing >> yeah. with that sort of thing hurt me. no, of course not. but it was just a waste of time. and so much of it was contrived and pretty third form stuff. thought. >> and what's happened to that broken, spitting image puppet

went into a dustbin and. >> and i cannot disclose which dustbin, but it went into a dustbin, but it went into a dustbin . dustbin. >> oh, not even a little moment of reflection? >> no, i can't even think where it went. >> i mean, it was it was slung out. >> yes. >> yes. >> okay. >> okay. >> despised . it was rejected and >> despised. it was rejected and thrown out. >> you brought out some wit , >> you brought out some wit, some sharp tongues. as far as ian duncan—smith and margaret thatcher is, is concerned. but it loved it. thank you, david mellor. coming up, bim afolami. >> this was a guy who was continually written off and just kept going and just if you want an example of perseverance in churchill, you definitely get it

>> conservative mp bim afolami thank you for agreeing to chat

to us today. you went to eton ? to us today. you went to eton? >> yeah, i did, yeah. >> yeah, i did, yeah. >> one of the well, the most prestigious private school in the country is going to eton. a help or a hindrance in politics? >> i mean , i think on some level >> i mean, i think on some level it depends who you ask, who you ask about that in my view. i mean, look, my parents from nigerian background, they're my mum was born in britain, medical family. we didn't go to eton in some sort of this is obviously the school that you will go to. and our ancestors have been and all our ancestors have been here you know, here for generations. you know, i sort, but know i wasn't that sort, but i know that was very privileged to that i was very privileged to get a brilliant education the way that i did. the really important thing about that school and its impact on just the national conversation, because i don't think that's too grandiose a way of describing it, it gives a sense , it, is it gives people a sense, whoever you are, that at all of these famous people in the past who've done things have been here, therefore you can do it . here, therefore you can do it. >> were you one of these young people want they wanted people who want knew they wanted to a politician young age? >> what i meant to say is that

no, i just sort of came across it in my 20s no, because i was fascinated by current affairs. i mean, one thing immigrant mean, one thing about immigrant families when families is that often when you've to country, you've come to this country, they're leaving something. they're good they're either leaving not good economic a economic opportunities or a chance to build a better life more broadly in a country like britain and they talk about politics constantly . politics constantly. >> when did you know that you wanted to be a politician? how old you? old were you? >> think probably by the age >> i think probably by the age of 11 or and i don't really of 11 or 12. and i don't really remember that sort of it wasn't some of light bulb moment some sort of light bulb moment or history or anything, but my history teacher who i later teacher at school who i later found out was a senior member of the labour party , this is in the labour party, this is in surrey. and he didn't say that at the time. i mean, i had no idea what his political views were. used to talk to me were. he used to talk to me about and talk about were. he used to talk to me abo heroes and talk about were. he used to talk to me abo heroes whonnd talk about were. he used to talk to me abo heroes who coincided)out were. he used to talk to me abo heroes who coincided were his heroes who coincided were harold wilson, james callaghan . harold wilson, james callaghan. and learnt about politics and so i learnt about politics actually at that age and he must have had an inkling that i was really interested in it. >> you become politician you >> you become a politician you thought wanted to 11. thought you wanted to do at 11. you always knew you were a

conservative way back yeah conservative way back then. yeah wow. just since wow. who's your hero? just since you talked about your your history who's history teachers, who's your political history teachers, who's your politica difficult. there are two >> it's difficult. there are two people in particular i really admire. churchill . admire. the one is churchill. not just for the reasons that everybody admires him, which is the war, actually his the war, but actually his ability to come back from seeming failure, i think seeming failure, which i think people underestimate. you know, this who was this was a guy who was continually written off and just kept going and just if you want an perseverance in an example of perseverance in churchill definitely get churchill, you definitely get it. another one who it's a it. but another one who it's a sort of slightly strange one is benjamin disraeli, because as somebody from a, you know , a somebody from a, you know, a nigerian background and reading a lot of the history and literature of the late victorian era and the anti—semitism is just completely open , completely just completely open, completely suffusing, that society be and yet somebody who had a jewish background and never hid his background and never hid his background at all and was very ostensibly jewish as well, he became prime minister. and i

just think that that says a lot about the conservative party, but it also says a lot about him as a character and to put up with the things that he had to put up with in order to do it. and he disraeli, i think, is a bit less fashionable now, but he's phenomenal he's a really phenomenal character he's a really phenomenal charactewere elected in 2017. >> you were elected in 2017. yeah. >> theresa may landslide. that wasn't, as it were, it were. wasn't, as it were, as it were. >> got in. but yeah, there >> you got in. but yeah, there were some glum faces on your, your at time. your 31 your bench at that time. your 31 years old. is it too young ? years old. is it too young? >> i don't think it's necessarily too young, but i think a lot of other people think a lot of other people think it's too young. so when you come in, when there are lots of people that say, oh, of people that will say, oh, well , you know, of people that will say, oh, well, you know, young beom, how are you? you know, we'll when you're a bit older, we'll we'll teach do this . and teach you do this. and i do think that they're not think that and they're not trying rude or trying to be rude or condescending. it's just because you young, can often you are so young, you can often get held back or the sense that, oh, well, you're going to be here for ages. so opportunities might go to someone else because of that sense. but at the same time, what i have found is

because i was young, but i also was married and i think we had two to children by then. the lines on my eyes must have shown that i was slightly older than a typical 31 year old. >> and the fact that you have beenin >> and the fact that you have been in politics such been in politics from such a young age will give you an insight into the difficulties that your party faces with younger voters. you have written about these these difficulties. you wrote a piece a couple of months ago citing research showing that just 21% of today's 21% of today's 25 to 40 year olds would vote for the conservatives. today, you are one of these this group . why do one of these this group. why do you think that only 1 in 5 25 to 40 year olds would vote for the conservative party? >> basically, i think it's because of the economic opportunity and you know, i was very lucky because when i left university , i left just before university, i left just before the financial crisis. so when i left university of opportunities

seemed limitless for people of my generation. and indeed, i didn't go into politics. i worked in the city for the best part of ten years before coming into parliament, and there were there there was a sense there was a there was a sense that everything getting that everything was getting better there going to better, that there were going to better, that there were going to be more jobs, more opportunities. you're going to earn and the earn more money. and the financial crisis put paid to that. and is the that. and the truth is the country hasn't fully country still hasn't fully recovered from the financial crisis. so if you're aged between 25 and 40, you have seen that as your early experience. between 25 and 40, you have seen that i'd your early experience. between 25 and 40, you have seen that i'd say' early experience. between 25 and 40, you have seen that i'd say that .y experience. between 25 and 40, you have seen that i'd say that the .perience. between 25 and 40, you have seen that i'd say that the two ance. between 25 and 40, you have seen that i'd say that the two ways in and i'd say that the two ways in which this really plays itself out first are housing. and you all know about the difficulties of young people getting onto the housing and everybody housing ladder. and everybody watching appreciate watching this will appreciate that. second is just that. but the second is just incomes. you know two thousand and seven, median income . so and seven, median income. so this is your median person in in cash terms it hasn't really gone up since then. so if you're a young person, you've really faced a lot of headwinds compared to your immediate predecessors who saw rising

incomes. so i think that economic mix, the that core thing of how much money you have at the end of the week and of the month, and this is people by the month, and this is people by the way, graduates non—graduates north south. you know it applies everywhere. i think that solving for problem , um, is really for that problem, um, is really the question of our politics today. >> getting people's wages up or cutting their taxes. i suppose there's two. >> yeah. no, no, 100. and look, tuition is part of this tuition fees is a part of this because course, if you've got because of course, if you've got graduates are paying graduates who are now paying high tuition fees, £9,000 plus maintenance grant, that makes sense when people are getting the sort of jobs that i that i used to do in the city of london or whatever, where you're earning really good salaries, it makes but lots of makes sense. but for lots of other you know, a third other people, you know, a third of third who go to of people, a third who go to university , they don't get university, they don't get within five years graduate level jobs. so for these people , i jobs. so for these people, i mean, that's been a bad trade. and i think we need to and i think we need to apprenticeships. everybody knows we need to increase. but i'm afraid i think we to defund

afraid i think we need to defund some of those courses that are giving bad outcomes to young people putting that money people and putting that money into education. into further education. >> give me some examples. well if you look at a lot of the statistics from the office of fair students do a lot of this. >> and to be fair, we have actually been very transparent about all the data. so all about all the data. so it's all there people see. see, there for people to see. see, there for people to see. see, there are many courses , mostly there are many courses, mostly on the creative or humanities side, but not exclusively that still cost the same as studying engineering at imperial university, for example , university, for example, imperial college, which is one of the top places in the world, still costs the same to the student, but yet the outcomes in terms of earnings are below what that same person would have been able to earn in in a non—graduate job. let's put some of that money that we're putting into that course. and by the way, those students aren't going to pay back their student loans. so the treasury is losing out. let's put that into getting our skills up in areas where we know

we have a deficit of people. >> interesting. final question on do you have to be more woke to get in touch with the younger generation? >> so it's really interesting. when we did the research with onward and looking at the sort of missing millennials, we talked about, i expected in the focus groups a lot of these people talk about. oh, well , people to talk about. oh, well, you we think tories you know, we think the tories are fashioned think are old fashioned or we think that they're you know, that they're not, you know, socially enough. what socially liberal enough. what was was getting socially liberal enough. what was to was getting socially liberal enough. what was to talk was getting socially liberal enough. what was to talk it.; getting socially liberal enough. what was to talk it. igetting socially liberal enough. what was to talk it. i mean, them to talk about it. i mean, they really didn't seem to engage it much at all. engage with it very much at all. and was really and i said to and i was really and i said to the team before and i said to the team before and i said to the we sent messages to the moderator before saying, look, really them the really press them on the cultural things and actually what talk what they wanted to talk about was to was the economy. they wanted to talk the amount of money talk about the amount of money they and their opportunities they had and their opportunities and wars. and that culture wars. >> for the >> there's no future for the tories going down that track. tories in going down that track. >> but it's important because there are some in my party who think this is the route for conservative success, and that doesn't mean that they're wrong about these questions. i

actually happen to think that they're right about a lot of these questions, but the question what you question is what do you prioritise and going to prioritise and what's going to make difference people's make a difference to people's lives? i just not think lives? and i just do not think for people, particularly for most people, particularly millennial males aged under 40, thatis millennial males aged under 40, that is the thing. it's going to be the economic be getting the economic opportunities making sure opportunities up, making sure they that's they make more money. that's earnings their taxes earnings and cutting their taxes and opportunities to and giving them opportunities to own and we can do own a home. and if we can do that, then we've got chance . that, then we've got a chance. >> i really enjoyed that. bim afolami conservative mp, thank you. are taking a summer you. the mps are taking a summer break so am see you in break and so am i. see you in september . september. >> the temperature's rising . >> the temperature's rising. boxt solar proud sponsors of weather on . gb news. weather on. gb news. >> hello and welcome to your latest weather update from the met office. i'm marco petagna. we hold to on unsettled weather conditions across during conditions across the uk during the ahead. i think we'll the week ahead. i think we'll see rain at times and see further rain at times and feeling quite chilly too in the brisk breeze. low pressure is dominating a dominating at the moment. a fairly area of low pressure fairly deep area of low pressure gradually away towards gradually pulling away towards the the over the next the east of the uk over the next

day so. notice this slow day or so. but notice this slow moving of rain across a moving band of rain across a central slice the uk that central slice of the uk that continues to give some heavy bursts the evening. in bursts through the evening. in fact, weather warning fact, we have a weather warning in force until midnight that in force until midnight and that band south into band then pushes south into southern england and band then pushes south into southeinto england and band then pushes south into southeinto the england and band then pushes south into southeinto the earlygland and band then pushes south into southeinto the early hours.|nd band then pushes south into southeinto the early hours. the wales into the early hours. the far south—east some far south—east hold onto some clear clearer with a clear spells and clearer with a few towards the north few showers towards the north and northwest, but turning chilly under those spots chilly under those clear spots towards the north—west, two temperatures into single figures here. monday , well, it's here. as for monday, well, it's a case of fairly wet conditions across the south. during the morning, some heavy bursts of rain to rain at times giving way to brighter skies from the north and northwest. but fresher air moving so we head moving in, too. so as we head into the afternoon, parts moving in, too. so as we head intcbecomingioon, parts moving in, too. so as we head intcbecoming brighter parts moving in, too. so as we head intc becoming brighter still. rts are becoming brighter still. a scattering of showers, particularly towards the north scattering of showers, part northwest. iards the north scattering of showers, part northwest. iards once |orth scattering of showers, part northwest. iards once again, and northwest. and once again, fairly of fairly chilly for the time of yeah fairly chilly for the time of year. temperatures generally peaking in mid teens towards peaking in the mid teens towards the a high towards the north, a high down towards the north, a high down towards the or and 68 the south of 19 or 2020 and 68 in fahrenheit . tuesday looks set in fahrenheit. tuesday looks set to see another day of sunshine and showers. the showers quite well towards the south well scattered towards the south and east of the uk, but quite a few packing in towards the north and a fairly chilly and northwest in a fairly chilly north northwesterly

north to northwesterly breeze. and temperatures and once again, temperatures peaking the high teens peaking in the high teens locally around degrees. locally to around 20 degrees. further is expected around the middle giving way further is expected around the misunshine giving way further is expected around the misunshine and giving way further is expected around the misunshine and showers�*ng way further is expected around the misunshine and showers again' further is expected around the misunshine and showers again on to sunshine and showers again on thursday . thursday. >> the temperatures rising . boxt >> the temperatures rising. boxt solar proud sponsors of weather on

gb news. >> good evening. i'm rory smith in the gb newsroom. the government has sent a rapid deployment team to rhodes to support british nationals as wildfires continue due to spread across greece . evacuations are across greece. evacuations are being described as the biggest in the country's history , as in the country's history, as thousands of people flee homes and hotels , easyjet will operate and hotels, easyjet will operate three flights from rhodes next week to bring british

holidaymakers back to the uk.