gb news. >> it's 12 noon. you're with a live desk here on gb news. and coming up this wednesday lunchtime , learn your lesson. lunchtime, learn your lesson. >> banks are told after the boss of natwest resigns in the row over the closure of nigel farage coutts account. but just who else has been debunked because of their political views? we'll have the latest on the scandal . have the latest on the scandal. >> the med on red alert now. mallorca, ibiza, menorca and even portugal join the growing list of spreading wildfires and

the entire island of rhodes in greece put into a state of emergency infected blood scandal. >> pressure mounts on the prime minister to fully compensate thousands of bereaved families. he's due to give evidence to the inquiry this afternoon, and we are there . are there. and rolling stones or strolling bones. >> mick jagger at 80 today, proving you can't always get what you want as a wrinkly rocker, at least. first, the latest headlines with the ever youthful rory . youthful rory. >> thank you very much, mark. our top story and the former ceo of natwest is no longer a member of natwest is no longer a member of the prime minister's business council, a government spokesperson also confirms that dame alison rose has resigned from her roles as co—chair of

the energy efficiency task force and as a member of the net zero council. after being asked to step down by the secretary of state, it's after ms rose admitted she discussed nigel farage relationship with the bank cuts to a bbc journalist while speaking to us here at gb news. nigel farage says that dame alison's resignation had to happen. >> i didn't think she could last beyond the end of the week . we beyond the end of the week. we have on friday the half yearly figures coming there is an investor meeting at 9.30 that morning. so she's gone and that's a start because the board that's a start because the board that sanctioned this culture, a culture that talks about diversity and inclusion and actually is very divisive and in my case, as you could clearly see, pretty poisonous stuff. i think any board member that endorsed that statement last night where they said we breached confidentiality, but she can stay in her post, frankly , i think the whole board frankly, i think the whole board needs to go well, economic

secretary to the treasury, andrew griffith told us it's important that customers have trust in their banks . trust in their banks. >> it's very important that customers can have trust in their bank, that they're not going to have their services withdrawn because of their political views or something within the law that they have said. that's what i reiterate to all of the uk's bank and building society bosses . at building society bosses. at a meeting this morning that we've just had. and it's why the government is bringing forward changes to the regulations to make that even clearer, to mean that customers do have to get a reason, have longer to look at other arrangements and have greater opportunity to challenge that. >> in other news this afternoon , wildfires circling the mediterranean have claimed the lives of more than 40 people, three people have died in greece with temperatures there today set to exceed 44 c, 34 people have died in algeria and a

number of fatalities have been recorded in italy, including three dead in sicily as wildfires and a storm hits the country, blazes have also broken out in portugal. syria, gran canaria , southern france and canaria, southern france and tunisia . meteorologist jim dale tunisia. meteorologist jim dale told us that the high temperatures are not going down any time soon. the world's hotting up and it does include the mediterranean and this this kind of thing , this kind of kind of thing, this kind of thing that you've seen in the photographs, in the in the video , this is going to continue. >> there is slightly cooler air, i say cooler, less hot air moving through the middle of the mediterranean. so italy , sicily, mediterranean. so italy, sicily, spain, these sort of places a little bit of a relief. but but not for turkey, not for greece . not for turkey, not for greece. i think it will continue in the oven. >> junior doctors in england have announced a four day walkout next month in a dispute over pay . the strikes are taking over pay. the strikes are taking place from the 11th to the 15th of august in what's being

described as the next round of monthly strike action from the bma. union says it is not bma. the union says it is not for the prime minister to decide that negotiations are over before he has even stepped in the room and the dispute will only at the negotiating only end at the negotiating table . the prime minister will table. the prime minister will give evidence at the infected blood inquiry today. rishi sunak will be questioned on the government's response to the use of infected blood and blood products after thousands of patients developed hiv and hepatitis c through contaminated products in the 70s and 80 well protests are expected this afternoon, calling for full compensation payments to those affected. a victim of the scandal, richard warwick , told scandal, richard warwick, told us the effects of it are still here today . here today. >> the fact that we lost so many people, especially those that died in the early , late teens, died in the early, late teens, early 20s , it brought it home to early 20s, it brought it home to us of how widespread these infections were, particularly amongst the haemophilia

community. it wiped out a whole , whole generation of young lads, young teenagers with haemophilia during the late 80s and early 90s. it's really decimated our our community. the owner of tottenham hotspur has been charged over an alleged insider trading scheme . insider trading scheme. >> 86 year old british billionaire joe louis is accused of abusing his access to a corporate to corporate boardrooms and providing inside information to others who then allegedly made millions of dollars in the stock market. a tottenham club spokesperson says it's a legal matter, unconnected with the club this is gb news. we will, of course, bring you more as it happens. now, though, back to mark and pep .

glory. >> thanks very much and welcome back to the live desk with the labour leader, sir keir starmer , now adding his voice to the debate banking debate, stating that natwest , it got this one that natwest, it got this one wrong. well nigel farage calling for a cultural change within the banking industry after natwest boss dame alison rose dramatically stood down in the early hours of this morning despite natwest board saying just yesterday evening that it had full confidence in dame alison. >> she stood down after downing street indicated it has significant concerns about the bank's handling of mr farage's account with its subsidiary. coots well , natwest shares fell coots well, natwest shares fell by more than 3% at one stage earlier today. >> let's go live now to natwest hq and speak to our political reporter catherine forster . and reporter catherine forster. and catherine, an indication from nigel farage that he wants now the whole board to consider it's considering action and also calling for a cultural change across the banking sector to. >> yes, that's right. nigel

farage accepted the apology from the bbc business editor simon jack, a day or so ago . then, of jack, a day or so ago. then, of course, we had dame alison rose's statement last night . rose's statement last night. right at that point, it looked like she was going to cling on, but it became very clear . it was but it became very clear. it was made clear from number 10 and the chancellor of the exchequer that they were unhappy with that . and then, of course, she ended up resigning at about 1:45 am, but that most certainly will not be the end of it because nigel farage has already said he thinks it's inexcusable that the board last night when she'd admitted to a serious error of judgement, essentially leaking information that she should not have given to a bbc journalist that that was okay and that they would stand by her. so he is calling now for the whole board of natwest to stand down. and of course natwest is 39% owned by us.the course natwest is 39% owned by us. the taxpayer , and the

us. the taxpayer, and the government bailed them out to the tune of some £20 billion dunng the tune of some £20 billion during the financial crisis. so obviously for them to be removing people's bank accounts in this case. coutts which is owned by natwest and, you know, is accepted pretty much across the board as being under acceptable. and this morning the city minister andrew griffiths has been meeting with banking bosses. it does seem very clear that the government are to going take action on this and we've heard now that thousands of people have had their bank accounts closed or struggled to get them. we had policing minister chris philp on gb news this morning saying that he had personally really struggled to get a bank account and that many, many mps do and andrew griffiths have said i hope the whole financial sector learns from this incident their role is to serve customers well and fairly. not to tell them what or

how to think. so this is not just a story about nigel farage, andifs just a story about nigel farage, and it's important, though that is, banking shares have fallen across the sector and natwest are down about 3. but also lloyds up, barclays down two. i think there is a real ization think there is a realization now that there is a real issue here and it's likely that legislation will follow . we will legislation will follow. we will wait to see what happens now. but certainly far from being the end of the story, i suspect this is very much still the beginning. yeah it's controversial . controversial. >> just the treasury readout of that meeting just coming through with andrew griffiths starting to reiterate the government's clear position on the importance of legal freedom of expression. but despite what sir keir starmer said, we got nick thomas—symonds the shadow trade secretary, saying, look, this should actually be a matter for the themselves, not for the banks themselves, not for the banks themselves, not for the government. and what he has sort is political sort of indicated is political pressure . pressure. >> pressure. >> yes, that's very true. keir starmer has said yes , of course

starmer has said yes, of course this is unacceptable. but nick thomas—symonds making the point really that it should be a matter for the bank and also pointing out that the government had acted. apologies for the pneumatic drill going on behind me, that the government had acted incredibly quickly on this. but not so quickly when it came to nadhim zahawi dominic raab, who we remember ultimately had to go. but after many, many weeks , so saying, well, you weeks, so saying, well, you know, it's okay saying standards in public life and all that, perhaps you should put your own house in order. so not unanimous judgement , house in order. so not unanimous judgement, but certainly i haven't spoken to anybody here who doesn't think that dame alison rose was right to stand down. >> and catherine, experts are predicting that the political the regulatory fallout out of this is going to continue for many more months . many more months. >> yes. and that's why i think

there is a nervous ness now across the banking sector. not that they didn't see this coming , because the story has been rumbling on for a couple of weeks and downing street and politicians have been making disapproving noises for some time. but they're certainly being asked to take a very close look at themselves and be able to justify . and apparently in to justify. and apparently in this meeting , there was an this meeting, there was an agreement that people certainly shouldn't be having bank accounts closed because of what they think or what they've tweeted . for instance, in the tweeted. for instance, in the evidence that nigel farage got . evidence that nigel farage got. and there were things like the fact that he had retweeted ricky gervais, making a comment about trans people and that he was friends with novak djokovic, who's anti—vax , you know, making who's anti—vax, you know, making a very clear judgement on what coote thought was politically acceptable or not. but of course, the bank's job is to serve their customers, not to be some sort of morality police . some sort of morality police. >> for the moment, catherine,

thank you. we'll let you go off and shout at the drill operator behind you, but thanks for beanng behind you, but thanks for bearing with it. but let's reflect now on what conservative mp david davis told gb news earlier. this is what he to earlier. this is what he had to say to this has been going earlier. this is what he had to sayfor this has been going earlier. this is what he had to sayfor some1is has been going earlier. this is what he had to sayfor some time|s been going earlier. this is what he had to sayfor some time and en going earlier. this is what he had to sayfor some time and nigel ng earlier. this is what he had to sayfor some time and nigel has on for some time and nigel has done a service really to the to the whole country , me in the whole country, me in dragging into the public domain because what's happening here is you have these people, these these senior bank managers, they are essentially bureaucrats. >> they're not really wealth creators . they are people who creators. they are people who administer things , indeed administer things, indeed administer things, indeed administer things, indeed administer things on behalf of the taxpayer. and they are using their positions to exercise their positions to exercise their own views, their own prejudices to other people's disadvantage. and that's absolutely wrong . absolutely wrong. >> well, joining us now is the former chief executive of the british bankers association, angela knight. good afternoon to you.thank angela knight. good afternoon to you. thank you for coming in and talking to us. i'm sure this is an exception. really busy day and coordinating as well. and colour coordinating as well. >> well, it's well done.

fantastic is the future of the banking industry is going to change now in light of all this, because this isn't just about one man and his bank, is it? >> like like some people are saying , i've seen a lot of that saying, i've seen a lot of that on social media. it runs far deeper than that. >> it does run far deeper. >> it does run far deeper. >> but i do we also need >> but i do think we also need to quite careful and not to be quite careful and not think this is something think that this is something that happens right across the banking industry because it doesn't. >> and there's a number of parts that play into to this. i mean , that play into to this. i mean, the first is, is there are legal requirement on banks to do checks for fraud and all sorts of things like that , which a lot of things like that, which a lot of things like that, which a lot of people complain about because they well, why they say, well, you know, why have got explain my have i got to explain my transaction have i got to explain my trarandion have i got to explain my trarand i've noticed that that is >> and i've noticed that that is sort up in sort of getting muddled up in thisthen there's this second >> then there's this second criterion. one does need pay criterion. one does need to pay attention called the attention to it called the political exposed persons criteria as exactly. and i'm one now when you think i lost my seat in 1997, how on earth am i

still a politically exposed person? it isn't the banks you need to blame for that. there is legislation and regulation that sits behind this and whilst there's sort of certain criteria about doing extra checks and so on, we started to hear from politicians who said that this has affected their children, opening a bank account and that seems to me that somehow in this country things too country we've taken things too far. and then there's the third piece, and that is the overlay, which in this particular instance coutts seems to have placed . and that overlay is placed. and that overlay is something about do we think this particular person, because of what they say and how outspoken they are , somehow impacts our they are, somehow impacts our reputation on reputational damage ? exactly. and that i damage? exactly. and that i think is the real part of this whole thing where there's a big, big question is there a danger that as a result of this, those things could even be exacerbated at the banks? >> try too hard because clearly laboun >> try too hard because clearly labour, the nick thomas—symonds, the shadow trade secretary, saying, look, this should be a

matter for these commercial concerns the banks, not for concerns for the banks, not for government. government tries government. if government tries to more yet to impose yet more things, yet more go wrong. more things can go wrong. >> because a lot of this >> yes, because a lot of this has indirectly come has directly or indirectly come from either legislation which we've passed. and if i may say , we've passed. and if i may say, one of the benefits of this is it kind of has woken up. i think the political classes to what legislation they have approved, you and then the second you know, and then the second piece from regulation , piece comes from regulation, because one, you put to because one, you can't put to one side the fact that regulators are coming into banks and others , other financial and others, other financial institutions and saying, okay, so what are your policies on, for example, environmental and social inclusion? what are your what are your, you know, your values ? so now all of that is a values? so now all of that is a good thing. but if you've got regulation pushing on one side and got law pushing on and you've got law pushing on another, there will be areas where a decision is made which, as in this instance , puts you on as in this instance, puts you on the wrong side of the line, right? >> so who should be the arbiter then? should it be the board of then? should it be the board of the bank? should it be the

financial ombudsman or should it be the financial conduct authority? because it does seem that this, all that part of this, it's all fallen between the stools, if you like. >> w- you like. >> the moment it the >> well, at the moment it the decision anything as far as decision for anything as far as any public company is concerned is, of course, that of the boards because the board has to say, right here's the law, here's the regulation. this is how to we wish conduct ourselves and can i say at this point that there's been huge sea change there's been a huge sea change in the whole culture in side banks and for the better and we do see that in the way that they deal with their customers and we also see it in the way that people some of the things people complain about, like, for example, did i have to example, why did i have to justify transaction ? i was justify that transaction? i was only paying a pound. so but that is interrupt. is sorry to interrupt. >> nigel farage asks for >> so when nigel farage asks for a cultural change, you a culture cultural change, you think that may already have happened? >> think lot a lot of >> oh, i think a lot a lot of change taken within >> oh, i think a lot a lot of cha banks. taken within >> oh, i think a lot a lot of cha banks. there's within >> oh, i think a lot a lot of cha banks. there's absolutely] >> oh, i think a lot a lot of cha banks. there's absolutely no the banks. there's absolutely no denying that at all. he might want some more. and after all, if i was in nigel farage's shoes

and it was me, you know, and i was prepared to be outspoken because don't forget, a lot of people are not prepared to be outspoken. i was being outspoken. i was being outspoken. i was being outspoken. i want to shoot everybody and everybody in sight and decapitate know, decapitate, you know, the entirety board . we need entirety of the board. we need to realistic this to be realistic about this because there are certainly areas in which a bank has a legitimate right to say we're no longer dealing with you. and also there are some cases where they can't actually tell you that in any straight language, anything to do with fraud or suspected fraud , you will be suspected fraud, you will be denied your bank account and you won't be told because the criminal authorities will need to investigate. and then we do have situations in which people go into bank branches and they are just awful. they shout and they roar at the staff. >> and yeah, not that we're indicating mr farage would have done of course, it's done that. of course, it's specifically coutts specifically said in that coutts document always polite. people are not always polite >> people are not always polite and if you've got somebody that's been really, you know, foul to your people, you can foul to your own people, you can get rid of them equally . there

get rid of them equally. there is a right in this country for people to have at least a basic bank account and in the instance with nigel, well he'll tell you more than me . with nigel, well he'll tell you more than me. but as i understand it, coutts said no longer for us. but you can have a account natwest for a bank account with natwest for a bank account with natwest for a personal account, not the business account that is part of the difficulty. there will there will be some intricacies that the difficulty. there will there will lyomme intricacies that the difficulty. there will there will lyomme irincacies that the difficulty. there will there will lyomme irin thises that the difficulty. there will there will lyomme irin this countryt , but you don't in this country . we do not deny people a basic bank account unless they are a fraudster or unless they are on one of these international blacklist that's you mentioned about decapitating , not about decapitating, not decapitating the rest of the board, which was an interesting way to describe it. >> nigel farage >> of course, nigel farage metaphorically, sorry about that, nigel that, of course. but nigel farage for them all farage is calling for them all to . does he have a point to go. does he not have a point in sense dame alison in the sense that dame alison rose is boss or was boss of natwest? she wasn't over coots and nigel's bank account was with coots . so do the questions with coots. so do the questions not go deeper than just does it not go deeper than just does it not go deeper than just does it not go beyond just dame alison rose yes, i think the questions do go deeper, but as to whether

somebody else has to resign or not, that i'm very much uncertain that i think that uncertain on that i think that it's very easy to call for resignations without, you know, standing having think. >> and the reason here, as i understand it, or certainly where i was yesterday evening, put way her put it that way with her resignation . ian. well, what led resignation. ian. well, what led up to the resignation was, yes , up to the resignation was, yes, something had happened at coutts, but it was what she said at that particular dinner and there is something about confidentiality which is very important. we do have two issues playing here why and under what circumstances can a bank say to somebody we no longer wish to bank you? and then we've got a second set of circumstances which sit around confidentiality . we now both have come together in this instance, but we need to be careful not to muddle the two. >> angela, former chief executive of the british bankers association i'm bet association. i'm boy, i bet you're you're still not in you're glad you're still not in that but thank you very that post. but thank you very much i did it for much for coming in. i did it for five indeed. more five years. indeed. more than enough. thank you very much indeed. you . >> thank you.

>> thank you. >> a state of emergency has been declared for the entire island of rhodes as fires continue to rage out of control on the greek houday rage out of control on the greek holiday destinations . holiday destinations. >> well, the authorities are now warning of six new regions in greece , two facing extreme greece, two facing extreme danger from the wildfires. and in the past 24 hours, the firefighters have been tackling at least 53 outbreaks on roads alone. thousands are being evacuated there from homes and hotels. >> and now emergency teams in portugal have been tackling wildfires in a mountainous area west of the capital, lisbon. the risk alert has also been raised to extreme for mallorca, adding to extreme for mallorca, adding to the challenges for tour operators and holiday companies i >> -- >> let's head back to rhodes now because our reporter paul hawkins sent us this update from that island between vathi , two that island between vathi, two villages in the south of the island. >> just to give you an idea of the challenge that firefighters are facing, and they have beaten the back that island. and the flames back that island. and we have passed on the drive down

here, scorched earth on the way down here. we've seen burnt out buildings, burnt out cars , some buildings, burnt out cars, some buildings, burnt out cars, some buildings left completely alone. it is arbitrary fire and to give you an idea of the nature of fire, have a few minutes. we came along this road and there was no fire at all. and it was just smouldering and it seemed like the firefighters had won the battle . but the few the battle. but in the last few minutes the fire reignites and thick over the hill. this it smells unbelievably strong. there's ash falling on top of us and the fire going down the hill and the fire going down the hill and the fire going down the hill and the police officer just in the distance, you can see this emergency services, if we have a look over here, i can see one proper fire truck . i can see a proper fire truck. i can see a couple of volunteer firefighters vehicles as well. and there's three police officers there talking on a motorbike. the officer standing up telling me that the next few minutes you that in the next few minutes you might to move on might have to tell us to move on in really reignites in case this really reignites comes down the hill, takes out the power lines as well, which we have seen taken down by the fire. and in some places, they

are still trying to fix those power lines. but it's a thankless task. clearly, when the flames continue to reignite . and this is the kind of challenge that the firefighters are facing and full credit to the volunteer firefighters as well, supporting the well, who were supporting the official well. so the official ones as well. so the police officers here moving along. do want move along. do you want us to move on now? now. okay. all right. now? yes now. okay. all right. we're being. yep, yep. we're being asked to move on now because the fire is getting thicker it's coming down the thicker and it's coming down the valley. leave thicker and it's coming down the vathere. leave thicker and it's coming down the vathere. but leave thicker and it's coming down the vathere. but that leave thicker and it's coming down the vathere. but that gives leave thicker and it's coming down the vathere. but that gives you ave it there. but that gives you an idea challenges that the idea of the challenges that the firefighters are firefighters on rhodes are facing moment. it's only facing at the moment. it's only a of island, but facing at the moment. it's only a a of island, but facing at the moment. it's only a a big of island, but facing at the moment. it's only a a big challenge island, but facing at the moment. it's only a a big challenge .;land, but it's a big challenge. >> but now the entire island in a state of emergency . paul, a state of emergency. paul, quite clearly getting to a place of safety there. but he then has headed elsewhere to update us. so let's join him headed elsewhere to update us. so let'sjoin him now headed elsewhere to update us. so let's join him now live back on rhodes. paul, where are you now and what can you see? >> i'll tell you what, mark, i'm back in exactly the same spot that i was in. i know you just said i've moved in said that i've moved off and in fact, we just about to fact, we were just about to speak to the equivalent of the

kind response kind of greek emergency response unit speak to unit that was about to speak to me. and now sped off in unit that was about to speak to me. red now sped off in unit that was about to speak to me. red vehicle »w sped off in unit that was about to speak to me. red vehicle because >ff in unit that was about to speak to me. red vehicle because a in unit that was about to speak to me. red vehicle because a guy that red vehicle because a guy pulled up, shouted something to him, and they just jumped in that red truck and they've sped away. we're in the spot where we were just over there. were earlier, just over there. that's saw me giving were earlier, just over there. that report saw me giving were earlier, just over there. that report just saw me giving were earlier, just over there. that report just saw m

standing up. but as we've driven here, power lines here, we've seen power lines have fallen and indeed, have fallen down. and indeed, we've ourselves we've found out for ourselves first hand that area doesn't first hand that the area doesn't have any power. there's no water ehhen have any power. there's no water either, and they're only taking cash payments. so that's why we're a little late coming to report to you because we had to drive to then go and fetch drive out to then go and fetch some water and then bring it back so it's really back here. so it's really difficult for the people in this area in this area at the moment in this immediate locality, the tourists have the businesses have have gone, the businesses have gone. of the gone. there's one of the volunteers , we volunteers said to me, we love the want the the tourists. we want the tourists but right tourists to come back. but right now our priority is the people who live here and their businesses. this will take years to recover. and then we want the tourists to come back. so it's really difficult at the moment . really difficult at the moment. and i cannot you how much and i cannot tell you how much admiration i for the admiration i have for the volunteers that have their volunteers here that have their day and they're not day jobs. and if they're not doing are doing their day jobs, they are here doing 20, 20, sort of our days, very little sleep, very little water to simply try and support the overstretched fire services . yeah. services. yeah. >> and paul, talk es have been have been telling us haven't

they all week about how brilliant local people have been towards them. and we also shouldn't forget that all the wildlife that are dying i mean some awful pictures of firefighters , you know, carrying firefighters, you know, carrying animals to safety, other animals that have lost their lives. i mean, it's absolute truly devastating. i know you say it's only on a small part of the island, but for the people that live there, for the resorts involved, it's terrible . involved, it's terrible. >> yeah, it really is . and it's >> yeah, it really is. and it's funny you touch on the animals bit because yesterday i was to talking a greek volunteer who's working with the animal shelter on the island, and they've been effectively packaging up food and water and then dropping them in the areas like if you just if we just have a peer between these trees, you can see now over the hill. yes, there are still fires raging, but lot of still fires raging, but a lot of this the island looks this part of the island looks like . and are still like that. and there are still some and some animals roaming. and obviously haven't obviously they haven't got anything the anything to eat. so what the volunteers doing the volunteers are doing in the shelter dropping packages and shelter is dropping packages and

leaving there for the leaving them there for the animals and also rescuing animals and also rescuing animals and also rescuing animals and taking them back as well. some on well. and indeed, some locals on the island also been the on the island have also been temporarily housing those animals. so there's a huge emergency effort. it's a real community feel as they try to not only save businesses homes , not only save businesses homes, lives, livelihoods , repatriate lives, livelihoods, repatriate tourists, relocate tourists, but also the animals on the island as well. >> very quickly, paul , just to >> very quickly, paul, just to stay on a positive note, it looks as if the wind has dropped, which is going to be vital . vital. >> yeah, it has. vital. >> yeah, it has . just bear with >> yeah, it has. just bear with me, mark, because there's another fire truck coming through. like this all the through. it's like this all the time of time around here in this part of the world. these fire trucks, they just suddenly they get a call and then they're off to another you might have another fire. you might have to move of the way, joe. sorry. move out of the way, joe. sorry. our is going have to our cameraman is going have to move way here. yeah, move out of the way here. yeah, there is some bit of positivity . the wind dropped today and . the wind has dropped today and the temperatures are forecast to drop to sort low to mid drop to the sort of low to mid 30s , which good, but the 30s, which is good, but the problem is it doesn't take away the fact that this place is

still tinderbox, even the still a tinderbox, even in the low it's not the low 30s. it's not like the ground to be more ground suddenly going to be more moist going be moist or yeah, or going to be any less flammable. so even though the temperatures are dropping down, that threat still exists . and it's one of the exists. and it's one of the volunteers said to me, the wind can suddenly pick up in this part of the world very quickly. >> paul, thank very much for >> paul, thank you very much for updating with updating us there with those firefighting teams. we'll be back to you, of course, throughout thanks throughout the program. thanks very much indeed. >> minister will give >> the prime minister will give evidence at the infected blood inquiry this afternoon with families calling for full compensation after being offered only interim payments so far of up to £100,000. >> that inquiry is set back in 29 2017, rather to look into how thousands of patients in the uk developed hiv and hepatitis c after being given contaminated blood back in the 1970s and 80s. almost 3000 people have died since then in what's been called the worst treatment disaster in the worst treatment disaster in the history of the nhs . the history of the nhs. >> sue threlfall is the widow of one of the victims. she thinks the government has been

sidelined in the compensation process for years. we hope that mr sunak's thoroughly grilled by jenny richards , a barrister and jenny richards, a barrister and by sir brian langstaff , who is by sir brian langstaff, who is running the inquiry. >> i hope that he's thoroughly , >> i hope that he's thoroughly, completely put on the spot and that finally we might get some answers. it depends on how well he's been briefed, because to date his memory doesn't seem to be very good about the scandal at all. but you have to bear in mind that this is only one of many prime ministers that we've deau many prime ministers that we've dealt with over the years. i started campaigning in 1985 before my husband died in 1991, and we have as a group of campaigners , we have dealt with campaigners, we have dealt with every prime minister every successive government of every colour ever since . colour ever since. >> let's get more from our deputy political editor , tom deputy political editor, tom harwood. good afternoon to you, tom. you're outside the inquiry now. rishi sunak has already

called the blood scandal, now. rishi sunak has already called the blood scandal , the called the blood scandal, the contaminated blood scandal, a tragic injustice. and he promised to provide certainty to survivors . as yet, he still survivors. as yet, he still hasn't done that , has he ? he hasn't. >> and if there's one word that the protesters here today are asking for are urging the government for its 30 auntie, it's compensation for them. >> it's a race against time because the thousands of people who were wrongly infected with poison products from the nhs over that 20 year period from 1970 through actually up to 1991, those victims of this scandal are running out of time in many cases , and some have in many cases, and some have died in recent weeks. >> before this hearing today. and the victims here are urging the government to act far faster than the current timetable. the government is saying at the moment it will not respond to

any report until this report is fully completed by the inquiry. and we're not expecting that until late autumn. after then, there will have to be processes set up to distribute whatever compensation is agreed, and that is a lengthy process. so the protesters here today, the victims and their families, are urging the government to act with more urgency and more speed because , frankly, for some of because, frankly, for some of those who were infected by nhs products over that 21 year period, and for some of them, it's getting too late . it's getting too late. >> and indications there, of course, about the strength of feeling with those gathering outside there. tom the prime minister, of course, due there 2:00. we'll head back to you a little later get catch up little later to get a catch up on thanks very much, on that. thanks very much, indeed. coming up, why police say that they have lost their way having to deal with mental health issues . what will they be health issues. what will they be doing now? will be updating on that. with that. but first, headlines with rory .

rory. >> thank you very much. the former ceo of natwest is no longer a member of the prime minister's business council, a government spokesperson also confirms that dame alison rose has resigned from her roles as co—chair of the energy efficiency task force and as a member of the net zero council. after being asked to step down by the secretary of state. it's after ms rose admitted she discussed nigel farage's relationship with the bank cuts to a bbc journalist while speaking to us here at gb news. nigel farage says that dame alison's resignation nye bevan had to happen . had to happen. >> i didn't think she could last beyond the end of the week . we beyond the end of the week. we have on friday the half yearly figures coming. there is an investor meeting at 930 that morning, so she's gone and that's a start because the board that's a start because the board that sanctioned this culture, a culture that talks about

diversity and inclusion and actually is very divisive. and in my case, as you could clearly see, pretty poisonous stuff. i think any board member that endorsed that statement last night where they said we breached confidentiality, but she can stay in her post, frankly , i think the whole board frankly, i think the whole board needs to go . needs to go. >> wildfire circling the mediterranean and have claimed the lives of more than 40 people. three people have died in greece with temperatures there today set to exceed 44 c, 34 people have died in algeria and a number of fatalities have been recorded in italy. that includes three dead in sicily as wildfires and a storm hits the country. blazes have also broken out in portugal, syria, gran canaria, southern france and tunisia , a consultation on tunisia, a consultation on ticket office closures , which ticket office closures, which was due to end today , has been was due to end today, has been extended to september the first. train operators unveiled proposals earlier this month for

mass closures of station ticket offices after the transport secretary mark harper , urged secretary mark harper, urged them to cut costs . the plans them to cut costs. the plans have received criticism from groups representing passengers and the rmt that's the up to date . but you can get more on date. but you can get more on all of those stories by visiting our website. that is gbnews.com

entitled to have had that to have had that. so there's a complete breakdown . complete breakdown. >> welcome back to the live desk . now the government has announced a new policy that could free up to 1,000,000 hours of police time . they say new of police time. they say new arrangements would take mental health calls away from police forces unless there was a clear threat to safety or risk of a crime being committed . crime being committed. >> and some forces attend up to 80% of health and social care calls . and that is a figure the

calls. and that is a figure the government wants to get down to 30% in two years. while mental health charities are concerned as demand for mental health support continues to grow so well, let's speak now to dr. lada smith, president of the royal college of psychiatrists. >> thank you very much indeed for your your time is the social or health sector in a fit state to take on this extra burden ? to take on this extra burden? >> well, that's a really good question. the reality is that over the past few years, despite let to us treating and seeing more people than we've ever done before with unfortunately fewer staff than we've ever had before, we have , in some places before, we have, in some places up to 20% vacancy and we're doing well. you know, our suicide rates are down, unfortunately , what we don't unfortunately, what we don't have are enough resources to take up the shortfall that will be created by the police, not being involved in some of the

support for people when they have mental they're in the mental health crisis and their most vulnerable . and it's going most vulnerable. and it's going to be extremely difficult if the police take unilateral action. >> okay. and given what you've just said, is the difficulty also that it's a call handler who has to decide whether this is something that can be handled by a health professional or whether indeed there is a risk factor where the police need to attend a no, that's going to be attend a no, that's going to be a really difficult call because as we know , anyone can as we know, anyone can experience mental illness and it's difficult to know sometimes when someone is deteriorating to the point of crisis and it can look one day as though someone's not doing too badly, but the next, you know , a few hours next, you know, a few hours later, things have really gone awry and we'd be really concerned . concerned. >> and that making that >> and that actually making that call, which is what police officers do all the time, remember and they you know, they have some training in this. and are not always sure. and when they're they i they're not sure, they will. i mean, are the mean, bear in mind, they are the only agency that has the legal

power to do, you know, convey someone from a place from a pubuc someone from a place from a public place or even a home to a place of safety. and if there worried what they will do is that they will think, i think this person there is something going on that's quite right going on that's not quite right . person to . they'll take that person to the local emergency department and that person can get seen by mental health professional. and that's fitting the that's right. and fitting the police are really police under are really concerned about the time it takes to hand that person over. but the fact is that because that's a legal power that they have , it has to be done safely have, it has to be done safely and properly and that person has to be handed over to approved mental health professionals. and frankly , the approved mental frankly, the approved mental health not health professionals are not sitting twiddling their sitting around twiddling their thumbs they really, thumbs. they are really, really busy running around trying to find beds . and at this moment in find beds. and at this moment in time , we don't have enough of time, we don't have enough of them. are working at 99 to them. we are working at 99 to 100% capacity and we are trying our hardest with the money that we've been given to develop our community services . but they

community services. but they won't stream for quite won't come on stream for quite a long time, some years, right long time, for some years, right now, in the next few months. and next couple of years, we need a few more beds and that's going to additional resource . to need additional resource. >> the government is saying that it will introduce specialist mental health ambulances to replace to replace police officers and also extra capacity for treating patient fights and cnses. for treating patient fights and crises . cafes where people crises. cafes where people struggled to cope can go for help. will that make a difference? how helpful is that ? >> well, you 7 >> well, you know, those those things would make a difference as long as they're able to be instituted. what we're not heanng instituted. what we're not hearing government hearing from the government is that going to be that there's going to be additional funding that's going to allow those crisis cafes and those mental health ambulances to actually happen . what what to actually happen. what what we've what we're understanding is that the money that's going to be the money that has to pay for these things is coming out of existing resources . and as

of existing resources. and as i said, we are already completely stretched beyond our limits , stretched beyond our limits, just like our police colleagues i >> -- >> doctor smith, president of the royal college of psychiatrists, thanks very much for joining us here on gb news. forjoining us here on gb news. thank for time . now thank you for your time. now let's a story about let's bring you a story about a major advertising body that's allegedly been receiving funding from an investment firm linked to russian oligarchs and even controversial south american mining operator joins gb news, mining operatorjoins gb news, investigates . reporter charlie investigates. reporter charlie peters is in the studio with more for us. hello >> good afternoon. hello. good afternoon to you, charlie. that sounds like there's a lot to this . this. >> so it's a group called the conscious advertising network. it's a coalition that describes itself as an ethical attempt to break the economic link between advertising and what it describes as harmful content. it has seven manifestos that it issues to brands and advertising agencies to achieve that ambition . those range from from ambition. those range from from guidance on hate speech and to environmental ism. but we found

in our investigation that the investment firm that props up this organisation, quadrature caphal this organisation, quadrature capital, has significant holdings in firms which you might say are linked to some of the harmful content that they rail against in their campaigning. so the first one that we've we've looked into is a firm called ozone holdings. it's a russian e—commerce platform. quadrature has $100,000 worth of shares in this firm, which is headed by a russian oligarch called alexander alexandrovich shulgin. now, this man is so senior in the russian state and it's apparatchiks that he was in the famous february 24th meeting last year when they decided to invade ukraine. so linked with this firm, which is under uk sanction, mr shulgin is under an asset freeze. and a travel ban by the foreign office. but it goes on. i mean , this firm also goes on. i mean, this firm also has $3 million in pan american silver, which is facing mass protests in south america due to its environmental impacts.

they're . and $10 million in they're. and $10 million in newmont corporation 2016. its peruvian subsidy was also found to have been involved in some alleged human rights abuses. so alleged human rights abuses. so a very delicate situation for the conscious advertising network and its ambitions now. >> yeah, and in terms of what you found , what are you doing you found, what are you doing with that information ? with that information? >> when we took it to them and they they gave us a statement, i believe their research director, marcia back to us marcia jackson, got back to us to say that , well, first they to say that, well, first they thanked us for raising the information . an so they were information. an so they were polite and they said, you know, that their relationship is with the climate foundation, that quadrature funds, but they take money from the same organisation, this climate foundation they're with and marcia jackson went on to describe aukus how they were reviewing their relationship with quadrature capital and that they would be looking into how they would be looking into how they take money from them in the future. this comes from reporting last month in the guardian that the quadrature

climate foundation was receiving funding from this firm that had money in fossil fuels and that kind of industry, which of course puts them in a kind of a direct contrast between their environmentalist work. now this advertising network, conscious advertising network, conscious advertising network, conscious advertising network, it was founded by members of stop funding hate the advertising boycott group, which is running campaigns against many newspapers. and indeed, this broadcaster. so the question now for them, i suppose, is one of hypocrisy. you're putting on this message about advertiser buying and this harmful link. well, right. >> so no laws broken as such, but obviously it's the stance they've. what about the advertising standards authority ? it have overview on ? does it have an overview on this what they've this in terms of what they've been or not saying ? been saying or not saying? >> integrated society >> well, the integrated society of brand agencies has said called on agencies and brands to embed themselves within in the conscious advertising network. so they're very serious player. they haven't responded to this latest development . but we latest development. but we

reached out to five major brand agencies that have signed up to the conscious advertising network and none of them gave comment. but all have joined in since 2021. so very modern ambition. a very recent arrival. lord frost told me this morning that he was saying that agencies and brands should really take a look at their links to the conscious advertising network. he alleges that they're more interested shutting interested in shutting down legitimate and free legitimate discussion and free speech actually breaking speech than actually breaking so—called harmful content . so—called harmful content. >> let's stop funding hate. had anything say ? not yet. they anything to say? not yet. they always plenty to always tend to have plenty to say. this then. well, they. >> well, actually helped >> well, they actually helped the advertising the conscious advertising network develop their so—called hate speech manifesto. they hate speech manifesto. so they were involved in the were intimately involved in the running this operation. but running of this operation. but they haven't commented on these latest allegations just yet . latest allegations just yet. >> okay, charlie, thank you very much updating that. much for updating us on that. and of course. and we'll see you, of course. what there is what further reaction there is to that investigation. we've been undertaking . now let's move been undertaking. now let's move on to what might be happening in terms of your ticket office. if you're trying to dodge the

strikes and get on a train to get somewhere. >> yeah, i was i've been one of the thousands of people that's been given the leaflet in the ticketing office. what do i think of the consultation on into the plan to close hundreds of ticket offices in england? well, the consultation and this is good news because i haven't actually replied to it yet, the consultation has been extended until the 1st of september. comes as critics disputed it, saying it was too short , the saying it was too short, the consultation and that the plan is discriminatory. >> well, just to remind you, of course, company is course, the rail company is attempting to modernise the railway, but cutting railway, they say. but cutting costs too , with the ticket costs too, with the ticket offices, of course, vital , yes. offices, of course, vital, yes. for those who can use cash or only want to use cash. and of course, it ties in with our don't kill cash campaign . just don't kill cash campaign. just to remind you, you can still sign up more than 230,000 so far. there are the details on screen for you. our reporter ani ana riley, rather, has a little bit more for us now on this story. >> plans for the closure of

hundreds of ticket offices across train stations in england have been opposed by the rmt union as part of their save our ticket offices campaign . there's ticket offices campaign. there's fears for job losses ticket offices campaign. there's fears forjob losses and the fears for job losses and the impact on vulnerable and disabled passengers and rmt members have been encouraging the public to share their views on the measures . as part of on the measures. as part of a three week consultation that ends today , we've had over ends today, we've had over 100,000 signatures across the country with people supporting us on the online campaign. >> we've also got a postcard in campaign . we've got a national campaign. we've got a national campaign. we've got a national campaign to try and get the word out and try and get people writing their mps and what writing to their mps and what we're seeing is a mass return of people saying to us, we don't want to happen, but it's want this to happen, but it's not just about selling tickets. they assisting they know it's about assisting people the help , you people that need the help, you know, people, the know, the vulnerable people, the disabled we this disabled people. we want this railway be accessible and railway to be accessible and affordable for everybody . and affordable for everybody. and without station, without a fully staffed station, it's be in hull. it's not going to be in hull. >> the trades council also support the rmt campaign. >> the closure of the ticket

offices is not just an attack on the union. it's an attack on the pubuc the union. it's an attack on the public as a whole . and the public as a whole. and the number of people that are going to struggle because of the closures of ticket offices. i think will be immense. >> the rail delivery group believe facilities are no believe the facilities are no longer necessary as only 12% of train tickets are bought from ticket offices. they said most customers opt to purchase their ticket online or at ticket vending machines. we want to bnng vending machines. we want to bring ticket office staff into other parts of the station to give face to face help with a much wider range of support. give face to face help with a much wider range of support . the much wider range of support. the industry will continue to work with accessibility and passenger groups to ensure that no one is left behind . last year, on left behind. last year, on average , a ticket was sold from average, a ticket was sold from hull paragon interchange ticket office every 1.6 minutes. here's what passengers at the station think of plans to close it. >> disgusting . well, it's taking >> disgusting. well, it's taking people's jobs. >> disgusting. well, it's taking people's jobs . people like people's jobs. people like myself that cannot use technology. i wanted to ask a

person to do my railcard and plus up my tickets out for september. there's no one there to do it. and i can't use a machine because i can't do it on card. >> my wife has to use a wheelchair. she has huntington's disease and without ticket offices we can't travel on trains . yeah, she can't even see trains. yeah, she can't even see the screens and then, you know, i think they should stay open. well really bother me because you can do it online anywhere , you can do it online anywhere, but it's not that difficult . but it's not that difficult. >> i don't really use the ticket offices. i normally use it on my phone , but i suppose in the phone, but i suppose in the sense of people losing their jobs, that would be a problem . jobs, that would be a problem. >> i've had to put my glasses on to i'm getting that to do it, so i'm getting that way and i we to be way and i think we need to be thinking inclusivity . thinking about inclusivity. >> watchdogs will now >> passenger watchdogs will now review the public consultation , review the public consultation, and the government may ultimately decide on whether or not to press ahead with the proposal. anna riley gb news hull . hull. >> always a good thing to put your glasses on when you're trying to get those tickets.

anyway, britain's you that anyway, britain's you know that very britain has very well indeed. britain has foreign affairs committee saying the now for the country the time is now for the country to take action against the growing threat of russia's mercenary group, the wagner group. >> yeah, the cross—party committee of mps the group committee of mps says the group should recognised a should be recognised as a terrorist organisation nation, adding that the government under estimated the dangerous group of wagner. >> well, joining us now, ukrainian parliament adviser mykola volkhovsky. thank you very much indeed for your time . very much indeed for your time. just to ask you, where is the ukrainian intelligence assessment of where wagner is at the moment and what the current threat is that there could be posing ? posing? >> of course, we received a lot of information about the movement from wagner group , from movement from wagner group, from russia to belarus side . russia to belarus side. >> we're not pretty sure about the future of this group in belarus or , for example, in some belarus or, for example, in some african countries . but we african countries. but we received a lot of information that this topic will be negotiated tomorrow during the russia african summit. we know that russia announced a lot of african leaders will participate

on a level of the head of the state of saint petersburg forum tomorrow , especially, i think tomorrow, especially, i think around the 17 leaders of the states and 49 official delegates on a level of vice president. and this topic will be on a closed door negotiation about the future movements of wagner group to some african countries where they already had some experience in 2014. i mean, like central african republic , it's central african republic, it's already the president of central african republic is in moscow. it's in russia , libya, syria , or it's in russia, libya, syria, or will they stay in belarus? as mentioned by alexander lukashenko during the summit with vladimir putin? you know, in this mandate , we're not in this mandate, we're not pretty sure about this , but more pretty sure about this, but more and more wagner groups right now moving to belarus side, especially if we talk about the borders near the lithuania and poland from this reason, the military, the minister of

foreign affairs of poland, they already make some planning. you know , to in securing the border know, to in securing the border if i'm not wrong , it's about if i'm not wrong, it's about 398km. the common border between poland and belarus. >> yeah. and of course therefore an indirect channel to ukraine as well. we understand that the eu is indicating that it may take some kind of sanctions against the wagner group as such, but we had assumed perhaps that after prigozhin had failed in that attempt to march on moscow effectively, that they were a busted flush. but you don't think that may be the case right now and the great time you know, to hear the world leaders, the words of alexander lukashenko, what he said to vladimir putin in this monday, the wagner is thinking , you the wagner is thinking, you know, to have some trip signs in trip, as he said, to warsaw or in ajaccio. >> why he mentioned ajaccio. it's a city just near the polish ukrainian border. it was a city

when a lot of humanitarian and military supply was sending to ukraine from this region, he said that the wagner groups right now thinking about the some entrance of nato membership country if we see the article number five when it's written there, it's no any solutions , there, it's no any solutions, you know, to the nato to make the article number five because it's no , no. the minister of the it's no, no. the minister of the defence of russia or in belarus not recognised as a part of official the official under the military and the ministry of defence of this group. from this reason, we are wondering of what will be the next from the thinking because they are not controlled by the russians , they controlled by the russians, they not under the control of current leader of belarus, lukashenko . leader of belarus, lukashenko. so they were still waiting , you so they were still waiting, you know, for the latest information in terms of prigozhin. but after one month of some, you know, some what happened and they

waiting for the next as sir as i'm not wrong the putin mentioned or the some leaders of kremlin . and 25 or 26 of june kremlin. and 25 or 26 of june they should proceed and going back to africa when they were staying until . 24th of february staying until. 24th of february in 2021, 2022, and we don't know we don't have confirm any planes was, you know , departure to the was, you know, departure to the african countries since this penod african countries since this period of time from belarus. >> indeed. so an unknown quantity still. but mccullough thank you very much, updating us there from ukraine on that. thank you. >> in the next hour, the med on red alert . are you going there? red alert. are you going there? stay with us because we will bnng stay with us because we will bring you the latest on those wildfires that are spreading across southern europe. stay with . us with. us >> the temperatures rising , boxt >> the temperatures rising, boxt solar proud sponsors of weather on . gb news alex deakin here on. gb news alex deakin here with your latest weather update from the met office for gb news.

>> a bit of an east west split today. many eastern areas fine and bright. there are a few showers around whereas showers around here, whereas the cloud further west cloud is thickening further west and outbreaks rain are moving and outbreaks of rain are moving in to area of low in thanks to this area of low pressure. and these weather fronts bringing fronts already bringing thickening to northern thickening cloud to northern ireland and some outbreaks of rain trickling here. rain trickling in here. by lunchtime, that rain also spreading west wales and spreading to west wales and parts of southwest england . many parts of southwest england. many central areas dry central and eastern areas dry and bright, just a few scattered showers over northeast england and southeast scotland in the sunny spells in the east, the winds are pretty light, so it feels a bit warmer than recent days. 24 degrees. the breeze days. 23, 24 degrees. the breeze picking as the rain arrives . picking up as the rain arrives. some feeling the cool side some feeling on the cool side here that rain doesn't stop in the . it continues spread the west. it continues to spread over south—east over the midlands, south—east england evening and england through the evening and then eastern and then into eastern england. and most of scotland. by the end of the night it will turn a little dner the night it will turn a little drier across northern ireland and parts of england and eventually parts of england and eventually parts of england and wales. but staying cloudy, staying warm and humid as well. temperatures much higher than they were last night, holding in

they were last night, holding in the mid teens. for many towns and cities in the south, a grey, damp, drizzly, breezy start to thursday. now it should get a bit brighter in places. i think the coast and the south and the west are likely to say pretty dull. southern central dull. but over southern central and might just and eastern parts it might just brighten if we see any brighten up if we do see any sunshine actually might sunshine that actually might spark showers through spark some heavy showers through the afternoon. heavier rain the afternoon. some heavier rain across the north—east of scotland where temperatures stay across the north—east of sc the nd where temperatures stay across the north—east of sc the teens, re temperatures stay across the north—east of sc the teens, elsewhere |tures stay across the north—east of sc the teens, elsewhere into; stay across the north—east of sc the teens, elsewhere into the y in the teens, elsewhere into the 20, the temperatures rising , 20, the temperatures rising, boxt solar proud sponsors of weather on .

gb news, it's 1:00. >> you're with the live desk here on gb news and coming up this wednesday lunchtime , learn this wednesday lunchtime, learn your lesson . your lesson. >> banks are told in a meeting with the treasury after the boss of natwest resigns in the row over the closure of nigel farage coutts account. but just who else has been debunked because of their political views? we'll have the latest on the scandal . have the latest on the scandal. >> the med on red alert now. italy, majorca , abitha, menorca italy, majorca, abitha, menorca and portugal . join the list of and portugal. join the list of spreading wildfires as the entire island of rhodes in greece is in a state of emergency . we'll be live with emergency. we'll be live with the greek firefighters on the front line infected blood scandal. >> pressure mounts on the prime minister to fully compensate thousands of bereaved families .

thousands of bereaved families. he's due to give evidence to the inquiry this afternoon . inquiry this afternoon. >> and we'll be saying happy birthday to mick jagger as he turns 80 today, proving you can always get what you want as a wrinkly rocker , at least. first, wrinkly rocker, at least. first, the latest headlines with rory . the latest headlines with rory. >> thank you very much, mark. the former ceo of natwest is no longer a member of the prime minister's business council . a minister's business council. a government spokesperson also confirmed that dame alison rose has resigned from her roles as co—chair of the energy efficiency task force and as a member of the net zero council. after being asked to step down by the secretary of state. it comes after ms rose admitted she discussed nigel farage's relationship with the bank cuts to a bbc journalist , well,

to a bbc journalist, well, economic secretary to the treasury, andrew griffith told us that proposals are being put forward to benefit banking customers . customers. >> it's very important that customers can have trust in their bank, that they're not going to have their services withdrawn because of their political views or something within the law that they have said. that's what i reiterated to all of the uk's bank and building society bosses at a meeting this morning that we've just had. >> and it's why the government is bringing forward changes to the regulations to make that even clearer, to mean that customers do have to get a reason , have longer to look at reason, have longer to look at other arrangements and have greater opportunity to challenge that wild fire circling the mediterranean have claimed the lives of more than 40 people. >> three people have died in greece , with temperatures there greece, with temperatures there today set to exceed 44 c, 34 people have died in algeria and a number of fatalities have been

recorded in italy. that includes three dead in sicily as wildfires and a storm hits the country, blazes have also broken out in other parts of the world, including portugal, syria , the including portugal, syria, the gran canaria, southern france and tunisia. meteorologist jim dale told us the high temperatures are not going down any time soon. >> the world's hotting up and it does include the mediterranean and this this kind of thing, this kind of thing that you've seen in the photographs , in the seen in the photographs, in the in the video, this is going to continue. there is a slow , continue. there is a slow, cooler air. i say cooler , less cooler air. i say cooler, less hot air moving through the middle of the mediterranean. so italy, , spain, these sort italy, sicily, spain, these sort of places a little bit of a relief. but but not for turkey, not for greece . i think it will not for greece. i think it will continue in the oven . continue in the oven. >> the prime minister is to give evidence at the infected blood inquiry today. rishi sunak will be questioned on the government's response to the use of infected blood and blood products after thousands of patients developed hiv and

hepatitis c through contaminated products in the 70s and 80s. protests have begun this afternoon, calling for full compensation payments to those affected , a consultation on affected, a consultation on train ticket office closures , train ticket office closures, which was due to end today , has which was due to end today, has been extended to september the first. train operators unveiled proposals earlier this month for multiple closures of the offices after the transport secretary mark harper, urged them to cut costs. the plans are criticised by groups representing passengers and by the rmt junior doctors in england have announced a four day walkout next month in a dispute over pay- next month in a dispute over pay. the strikes are taking place from the 11th to the 15th of august in the next round of monthly strike action from the bma . the union says it is not bma. the union says it is not for the prime minister to decide that negotiate sessions are over before he has even stepped in the room the dispute will the room and the dispute will only negotiating

only end at the negotiating table. the former head of the police watchdog accused of rape is to face trial next year. 64 year old michael lockwood is accused of nine sexual offences against a 14 year old girl. when he worked as a part time lifeguard at humberside sports centre in the 1980s. he stepped down as director general at the independent office for police conduct. last year. he's previously indicated not guilty pleas to the charges as the owner of tottenham hotspur has been charged over an alleged insider trading scheme . 86 year insider trading scheme. 86 year old british billionaire joe louis is accused of abusing his access to corporate boardrooms and providing inside information to others who then allegedly made millions of dollars in the stock market. a tottenham club spokesperson says it's a legal matter, unconnected with the club and the world's longest running comic, beano is celebrating its 85th

anniversary. this week. more than 4100 issues off the beano have been printed since its launch in 1938. well, a special commemorate . the issue is now on commemorate. the issue is now on sale, featuring famous faces including the king, the queen and the prince and princess of wales this is gb news. we will, of course, bring you more as it happens. now back to our very own king and queen. mark and pippa . pippa. >> now, let's update you here on the live desk on the continuing ramifications of the nigel farage bank account issue , farage bank account issue, making themselves known, particularly on the markets. we can update you that natwest shares currently are 3.66% down, trading at $2.42, although we should reflect that actually elsewhere in the ftse , other elsewhere in the ftse, other bank shares have been hit too.

lloyds banking group as lloyds banking group down as much as 4.9% earlier. well, this comes as the labour leader, sir keir starmer , added his voice to keir starmer, added his voice to the debate, stating the natwest had got this one wrong. indeed, industry chiefs admitting that pubuc industry chiefs admitting that public been hit by the public trust has been hit by the issue , despite natwest board issue, despite natwest board saying just last night that it had full confidence in the bank's ceo, dame alison rose. >> she stood down in the early hours after downing street indicated it had significant concerns about the bank's handung concerns about the bank's handling of nigel farage's account with its subsidiary coots . coots. >> let's get more now with professor of politics at the university of kent , matt university of kent, matt goodwin, who can join us. and matt , it does seem that goodwin, who can join us. and matt, it does seem that finance and politics is mixing on this now with sir keir starmer , now with sir keir starmer, having added his voice and of course andrew griffith , the course andrew griffith, the industry , banking industry or industry, banking industry or trade secretary indicate or treasury secretary say indicating to the sector they need to get their house in order. well i think they do. >> i think if you look at the

banking sector more generally, what we're seeing here is really nothing short of the politicised action of our bank. >> they have clearly become too political in how they're conducting business. >> they've become clearly quite biased against the majority of people who supported brexit, who might hold different beliefs to their own and of course what we've seen in recent years are a number of banks jumping onto twitter and other social media to essentially tell people to go elsewhere if they don't agree with these liberal, progressive woke values . woke values. >> so i think the sector is crying out for more reform. and i think number 10 have been have done very well to act quickly. but but i'm hoping that this is the beginning of a much bigger debate in this country about how to the institution and to reform the institution and bnng to reform the institution and bring them closer to the people i >> -- >> what would be the first thing you would do then when it comes to reforming the institution as

i >> -- >> well, the first thing is we have of large corporations, large banks and others spending billions of pounds a year on political initiatives, diversity , equity and inclusion. initially gives all of these things that really are very political in their tone and their outlook. >> i think we need a government review of some kind into just what is happening within the financial sector, within this sort of so—called woke capital ism, the way in which companies are now increasingly screening their workforce and customers through the lens of politics, which they should not be doing. and i think that's not just limited to the banks by the way. >> i think that's also is really about our public institutions , about our public institutions, the national health service, the civil service, our universities i >> -- >> we should not be having in institutions that are no longer neutral, no longer bannau , no neutral, no longer bannau, no longer free of politic . longer free of politic. >> they are becoming clearly much more political and it

always seems to lean in one particular direction . particular direction. >> so i think we need to really get some reforms underway and we need a big national conversation here about what is happening in the institutions . the institutions. >> yeah. however, the banks obviously have a different responsibility to other bodies in particular for as angela knight, the former chief executive of the british bankers association , told us, things association, told us, things imposed by the government themselves in terms of looking at fraud and money handling and so on. and also now the pep, the politically exposed persons regulations, which again were imposed on them. they have to fulfil that . fulfil that. >> well, some of those things have been imposed on them , have been imposed on them, others have not. i don't think anybody has imposed a requirement on natwest and other banks to jump onto twitter and lecture customers about political views and tell people that they should not be banking with them if they don't agree with them if they don't agree with radical gender identity

theory or telling people to go elsewhere. if they don't. >> natwest actually done sorry , >> natwest actually done sorry, i'm sorry to interrupt you. matt has that the bank actually done that on twitter or we've had a number of large financial institutions? >> no. >> no. >> has natwest done that? i have to challenge you on that. has natwest done that in your understanding ? understanding? >> my memory of natwest on twitter recently was there was a dispute over the use of gender pronouns and natwest taking issue with customers who felt uncomfortable about the use of gender pronouns within the institution . and that came after institution. and that came after similar for large corporations and retailers like sainsbury's. let torturing people on the need to celebrate things like black history month. so what i'm saying is we have a much broader challenge in our society here, which is not unique to britain. it's happening across the west. but institutions going openly political and aligning

themselves with political ideologies, partly because they think it's good for the bottom line . maybe they're trying to line. maybe they're trying to distract from undermining workers rights or not paying tax. but this should not be happening to the extent that it is happening, which is why i think this scandal is just the beginning of a much bigger debate and discussion in this country about the nature of business and the role of politics in business. >> why do you think it has taken the scandal surrounding nigel for farage all this to come to the fore? because as there's so many people that have been denied bank accounts over the years, including, for example , years, including, for example, all british muslims, now, that was raised with the former chancellor, george osborne, and still nothing has been done . still nothing has been done. >> well, i think firstly , nigel >> well, i think firstly, nigel farage played this one very well. >> i think he clearly was ahead of the debate and also went to extreme lengths to get hold of the material that should have been made available to him

instantly. he had to go through a lengthy process to get that report , to find out what the report, to find out what the bank was saying about his finances. and to be frank, he is one of only a very few people in the a profile that the country with a profile that is enough essentially is big enough to essentially force the agenda on this issue . force the agenda on this issue. and that's what he's done. but he's right. this morning to say that is actually the that this is actually the beginning, not the end of the issue, that this is the beginning of a much broader debate in this country about what is happening within the institutions and why people who hold unfashionable views among the elite often find themselves being silenced or marginalised by these institutions. so i think this is really day one in a much longer running story and scandal in britain, and i think it's long overdue . it's long overdue. >> yeah, i don't think nigel farage has been silenced in particular this example, but there we are . thank you very there we are. thank you very much indeed forjoining us. there matt goodwin, professor of politics at the university of kent. more reaction, of course, as it. andrew griffith as we get it. andrew griffith meeting bosses this meeting those bank bosses this

morning, to the morning, turning to the wildfires now . wildfires now. >> i know we've been talking about them all week, but they are getting very serious and they are spreading right across they are spreading right across the mediterranean because a blaze near lisbon in portugal has been brought under control. but the authorities are remaining in a very mountainous area near the city in case the fire reignites as well. >> the alert also raised to extreme now for mallorca down in the balearics off the spanish coast, adding to the challenges, of course, for tour operators and holiday companies. as ever, more british holidaymakers prepare to leave this weekend. well meanwhile, in greece, a state of emergency has been declared now for the entire island of rhodes as flames continue to rage on the holiday hotspot. let's cross to the island now and join our reporter , paul hawkins. and, paul, you were on the frontline with those firefighters updating us as we could see the smoke and the flames. what's the situation there now ? there now? >> so they dashed to off another

fire. mark and we've really they they dealt with that fire. i mean, they keep springing up all over this part of the island. in fact, if you have a look over here, look, look what's coming down here. we're in down the hill here. we're in pelekanos . it's a small village pelekanos. it's a small village just up road where we just up the road from where we were. and you can see they said that knew there fires that they knew there was fires at the mountain and at the top of the mountain and that day progresses, that as the day progresses, they're to come they're expecting them to come down the hill so you can see them down hillside them coming down the hillside there. you have a there. and then if you have a look distance, we look over in the distance, if we pivot 180 degrees, look at the volume of that is in the volume of smoke that is in the sky, which tells us that there are pretty serious are some pretty serious fires burning those hills burning just over those hills there. the top of there. now, between the top of those and where are those mountains and where we are now, a the undergrowth now, a lot of the undergrowth has away. so you has been burnt away. so you would hope that fires would hope that the fires wouldn't progress any wouldn't be able to progress any further are now. wouldn't be able to progress any furtithat's are now. wouldn't be able to progress any furtithat's the are now. wouldn't be able to progress any furtithat's the situation are now. wouldn't be able to progress any furtithat's the situation ate now. wouldn't be able to progress any furtithat's the situation at the w. but that's the situation at the moment. over here moment. the police over here taking as as we look at taking a break as as we look at them and over here, there are some fire trucks with emergency tanks and water. this restaurant's kind of become like a hub for volunteers. actually, we're going to speak to some of them now. we're going to and

them now. we're going to try and we something to thank them we have something to thank them for just we have something to thank them for thank just we have something to thank them for thank you just we have something to thank them for thank you for just we have something to thank them for thank you for rescuingrst we have something to thank them for thank you for rescuing my say thank you for rescuing my microphone earlier ? thank you microphone earlier? thank you very what's name ? very much. what's your name? yeah. basically , we drove off yeah. so basically, we drove off with this microphone on top of the car and then they they chased up off the road, which is very them myself, having very kind of them myself, having a moment. you can a senior moment. but you can just us, what have you been just tell us, what have you been doing guys terms doing with these guys in terms of volunteering? >> we can do . we left >> everything we can do. we left our behind and we are here. ourjobs behind and we are here. we're helping with everything . we're helping with everything. we'll have the trucks. >> yeah. and they're carrying water. >> some others. we're just trying to end the small fires. yeah we bring water, we bring everything. we try to make some zones to empty as we see the fire coming down, we're trying to make some zones. so the fire will stop. >> yeah . yeah. and by that you >> yeah. yeah. and by that you mean cutting the trees away so that the fire small trees. >> because we cannot go in the forest with this big trees and cut them off so easy.

>> yeah. >> yeah. >> how , how bad is this in your >> how, how bad is this in your experience this what happened these fires. yeah. >> yeah . it's really big. >> yeah. it's really big. >> yeah. it's really big. >> so sorry . >> so sorry. >> so sorry. >> it's really big. the disaster. >> we. >> we. >> we. >> we just wait to end the fires. so we see after what really happened. but it's really big. it's like the. the whole island cut in two pieces. >> yeah. the fire starts up and left and. and right and down. >> yeah. heading south. yes. yeah. away from the north of the island. yeah. >> it's away the north side is okay. yeah. you have to drive around 30, 40 minutes to see what's going on. yeah. >> pretty bad. listen, i'm to going let you get back to work. thank you so much for speaking to for rescuing to us. and for rescuing our microphone. much microphone. thank you so much for volunteers have for that. so, volunteers is have that been helping out with that have been helping out with this been this effort? they've been getting a of support from getting a lot of support from the community. everyone's the local community. everyone's rallying together. and when it comes tourists as well, comes to the tourists as well, we to them , we know speaking to them, they've some choice words to they've had some choice words to say operators and

say about the tour operators and about their package operators. travel insurance providers, all that sort thing. but one that sort of thing. but one thing they've been thing is universal. they've been really, really thankful really, really, really thankful for the greek that have for the greek people that have been helping them out as well. and paul, being from the locals , i don't know. >> what would you do ? because >> what would you do? because these locals , god bless them , these locals, god bless them, these locals, god bless them, the bros fold, the bros water, the bros fold, the bros water, the bros fold, the bros water, the bros like things . the bros like things. >> yeah. and they weren't worried about themselves . worried about themselves. >> yeah, yeah, yeah. >> yeah, yeah, yeah. >> the there was companies up, bro. starbucks as well. >> paul, of course. this is a theme that many people have been thanking the greek villagers and townspeople for the help, the food, the even shelter they've been providing. but you've touched on something very interesting there. and these emergency workers, a lot of them are volunteers . they're doing on are volunteers. they're doing on top of other jobs that they've got. and they must be absolutely exhausted by now. >> yeah. yeah they are. we spoke

to a couple from london who hopefully we'll hear from in the next hour. one of them, both londoners. one of them's greek. this is his village. londoners. one of them's greek. this is his village . so they've this is his village. so they've been helping the volunteers been here helping the volunteers hours and it's all we keep heanng hours and it's all we keep hearing is how people are surviving on three, four hours of sleep a day. they get back up. when they're not up. and even when they're not actively doing something, they're to watch they're staying awake to watch they're staying awake to watch the fires, taking rotations on through the night. so this is extremely exhausting. and you have to ask yourself, can it continue it? surely it is not sustainable both in terms of the length of these fires that we're seeing, but in terms of future years, if this is going to keep happening every summer ? so a lot happening every summer? so a lot of here that , look, of people here say that, look, once dealt with these once we've dealt with these fires this fires and we've got out of this situation, have situation, we're going to have to have a serious rethink about contingency planning and resources from from from from the government and from the european union . european union. >> one thing we should also note as well, paul, is the effect that these wildfires have had on wildlife as they've torn through places. we're just looking now

at some quite upsetting, haunting images of rabbits. i think there was a firefighter who was carrying two rabbits and a cat in his arms to safety. they've been devastated by this, too, haven't they? people have lost their pets . lost their pets. >> yeah. no, they have absolutely . and that's why absolutely. and that's why speaking to volunteers, i spoke to one woman yesterday who was from a volunteer animal shelter. she's been they've been helping to package up water package up food, and then leave it out in these kind of wild areas for the animals and then the animals that that have that have that that that have that have suffered injuries because or maybe even just from inhaling the smoke , they've taken them the smoke, they've taken them into so they're into their own homes. so they're looking much for looking at as much for the animals they for other animals as they are for other people and for tourists and for businesses . this area, this part businesses. this area, this part of the island is pretty devastated right there's no devastated right now. there's no power, there's no internet . you power, there's no internet. you can only take cash payments in. it's difficult at the moment, but they're getting through it. they're being resilient. and once through it,

once they do get through it, they more long term they want more long term planning, resources planning, more resources from the government. paul the central government. paul thank you for that. >> take care of that microphone and hopefully we can speak to you a bit later as a result of that. but thanks very much for updating us there on the front line. to here on the line. still to come here on the live we'll get the live desk, we'll get the thoughts meeting thoughts of a senior meeting ologist on if there's any kind of in for all those of relief in sight for all those firefighters. with us. firefighters. so stay with us. >> looks like things are heating up, boxt boilers, proud sponsors of weather on . gb news. of weather on. gb news. >> alex deakin here with your latest weather update from the met office for gb news. a bit of an east west split today. many eastern areas fine and bright. there are a few around there are a few showers around here, whereas the cloud is thickening west and thickening further west and outbreaks are moving in outbreaks of rain are moving in thanks this area of low thanks to this area of low pressure and these weather fronts bringing fronts already bringing thickening cloud to northern ireland and some outbreaks of rain trickling in here by lunchtime. that rain also spreading and spreading to west wales and parts south—west england, parts of south—west england, many and eastern areas many central and eastern areas dry and bright, just a few

scattered showers over northeast england southeast east england and southeast east scotland. the sunny spells in scotland. in the sunny spells in the east, the winds are pretty light, feels bit warmer light, so it feels a bit warmer than recent 23, 24 than recent days. 23, 24 degrees, picking up degrees, the breeze picking up as the rain arrives, feeling on the cool side here that rain doesn't stop in the west. it continues to spread over the midlands, southeast england through and then through the evening and then into and most of into eastern england and most of scotland by the end of the night it will turn a little drier across northern ireland and eventually parts of england. and wales. but staying cloudy , wales. but staying cloudy, staying warm and humid as well . staying warm and humid as well. temperatures than temperatures much higher than they were last night, holding in they were last night, holding in the mid teens for many towns and cities in the south, a grey, damp, drizzly, breezy starts to thursday. now it should get a bit brighter in places. i think the coast and the south and the west are likely to say pretty dull, central and dull, but over some central and eastern parts it might just brighten if we see brighten up if we do see any sunshine actually might sunshine that actually might spark through spark some heavy showers through the . some heavier rain the afternoon. some heavier rain across north—east of across the north—east of scotland temperatures scotland where temperatures stay in . elsewhere the in the teens. elsewhere into the

20s . looks like things are 20s. looks like things are heating up . heating up. >> boxed boilers proud sponsors of weather on .

this evening. >> gb news the people's channel. britain's watching . well well, britain's watching. well well, welcome back to the live desk. >> well, we were just updating you there live rhodes with you there live in rhodes with thousands britons being thousands of britons being rescued. the wildfires, though, having a devastating impact

there on the island. state of emergency there. but elsewhere in europe, italy might to menorca and spain now croatia and portugal, too, joining a growing list of the spreading wildfires . wildfires. >> that is quite a long list. well, jim dale is a senior meteorologist at british weather services and he joins us now . services and he joins us now. uh, for people watching, many of whom will be booked to go to these places , as jim, how these places, as jim, how worried should they be and should they still go , um , look, should they still go, um, look, i think what is probably a little bit strong, i think you've just got to take the advice that the government, the government , i should say, of the government, i should say, of the countries that are involved and our own government in terms of what they're putting out at the moment, they're saying not, you know, your choice . know, it's your choice. >> think that's where it >> i think that's where it remains. know what remains. but do you know what the beacons have been lit across across the mediterranean. i could mention croatia above dubrovnik are seeing wildfires now. so that tinder , that tinder

now. so that tinder, that tinder dry situation continues . there dry situation continues. there is no sign of the end of that at this moment in time. it is a little bit less hotter actually .today little bit less hotter actually . today there is some slightly cooler air, i should say. it's not really cool, but it's slightly cooler air moving down in. so that's that's a fig leaf, if you like, because the ground is still tinder dry and it only takes a spark. it only takes a maybe an arsonist or maybe an accident for these things to flame up. as you've seen, we were talking to paul on rhodes live a few minutes ago. >> it does appear the wind there has actually dropped significa . has actually dropped significa. and i know it can obviously start gusting again. but is this one of the major tests as to what happens for this coming weekend? if the wind drops, then obviously the firefighters can get of it . get on top of it. >> okay. so there's two things that will that will, if you like, dampen a wildfire. the first is rain, which there isn't a great deal of, to be frank

with you, i don't think the mediterranean is going to see apart from an odd thunderstorm here to nothing. here or there next to nothing. um, the second one lack of um, the second one is lack of fuel. it burns an area and fuel. so if it burns an area and then it reaches a point where let's just say it's barren, there's no shrubs, no trees , there's no shrubs, no trees, then that's the limit as then that's that's the limit as far go. um for the far as it will go. um for the rest of it, it really is just a matter of time . i don't see this matter of time. i don't see this as because it's still hot, because it's still going to go in that direction . then wind is in that direction. then wind is your enemy in terms of moving it from place to place. it always will be. it's how these things spread. but if the wind is lower, you as you suggest, lower, as you as you suggest, mark, and as i can see, then for the most part, the wildfires will tend to be limited and mainly to the mountain areas. the rural areas, rather than necessarily the coastal areas or the towns themselves. it tends to be like that . to be like that. >> and what about some naysayers , although there's plenty of them out there that are saying, well, it's all due to wildfires. it's not climate change, it's

the wildfires . the wildfires. >> well, we've always had wildfires. it's absolutely clear. but i don't think we'd be seeing what we're seeing now, and we certainly wouldn't be seeing the temperatures that we're seeing the land we're seeing both on the land and ocean surrounding and in the ocean surrounding record temperatures in the mediterranean just reached 28.4 yesterday. so that's an all time high. so, look , that's that's high. so, look, that's that's that's the background to this. the met office have put an issue out that basically says this would not have been happening in the way it's happening without the way it's happening without the topping of climate change. and you've got to remember that that yes, the measuring is already hot. it normally is that way, but it's the it's the extremes. you get to these extremes. when you get to these sort silly temperatures and sort of silly temperatures and it's just it's everywhere for and not just here, but in china, in the united states , as you can united states, as you can probably car car alarm going off in the background . um and that's in the background. um and that's the way it is. so it's not just located in the mediterranean. it is it is elsewhere. and that's the problem . and so it is very the problem. and so it is very much the top end of climate

change that we're talking about. >> okay, maybe the heat has set that alarm off even though manchester, of course, you won't be quite as hot as the met. indeed, jim , as ever, thanks for indeed, jim, as ever, thanks for updating course, updating us. and of course, we'll continue people we'll continue to give people the latest information as we said, it's spread now from , said, it's spread now from, well, portugal on the atlantic coast of portugal all the way over crete. and in terms of over to crete. and in terms of roads where we're updating you now, the whole island is in a state emergency . we'll update state of emergency. we'll update you we get more . you as we get more. >> well, a roundup of all your news headlines coming up shortly. and then we're talking about the owner of tottenham hotspur one britain's hotspur and one of britain's richest men been charged richest men who's been charged with trading in the us . with inside trading in the us. stay with . us stay with. us >> good afternoon. i'm rory smith in the gb newsroom. the former ceo of natwest is no longer a member of the prime minister's business council . minister's business council. dame alison rose resigned from her roles as co—chair of the

energy efficiency task force and as a member of the net zero council. after being asked to step down, it comes as ms rose admitted she discussed nigel farage's relationship with the bank cuts to a bbc journalist. shares in natwest have slumped by 3, wiping more than 600 million off the bank's stock market value. well, speaking to us here at gb news, nigel farage says that dame alison's resignation had to happen when he didn't think she could last beyond the end of the week. >> we have on friday, say, the half yearly figures coming. there is an investor meeting at 930 that morning. so she's gone and that's a start because the board that sanctioned this culture, a culture that talks about diversity and inclusion and actually is very divisive. and in my case, as you could clearly see, pretty poisonous stuff. i think any board member that endorsed that statement last night where they said we breached confidentiality, but

she can stay in her post, frankly , i think the whole board frankly, i think the whole board needs to go . needs to go. >> wildfire circling the mediterranee an have claimed the lives of more than 40 people. three people have died in greece with temperatures there today set to exceed 44 c, 34 people have died in algeria . fire and have died in algeria. fire and a number of fatalities have been recorded in italy, which includes three dead in sicily, as wildfires. and a storm hits the country. blazes have also broken out in other parts, including portugal, syria, gran canaria, southern france and tunisia . a consultation on tunisia. a consultation on ticket office closures, which was due to end today , has been was due to end today, has been extended to september the first. train operators unveiled proposals earlier this month for mass closures of station ticket offices after transport secretary mark harper urged them to cut costs. the rnib says it's concerned about the impact this will have on blind or partially

blind people . so that's the up blind people. so that's the up to date, but you can get more on all of those stories by visiting our that is jb news.com our website that is jb news.com . direct bullion sponsors the finance report on gb news for gold and silver investment . all gold and silver investment. all right. let's take a look at today's markets. the pound will buy you $1.2911 and ,1.1672. the price of gold is at £1,528.04 per ounce. and the ftse 100, thatis per ounce. and the ftse 100, that is at 7647 points, direct bullion sponsors the finance report on gb news for physical investment

patrick christys on gb news. i'm gb news radio . gb news radio. >> welcome back to the live desk on gb news. the prime minister will give evidence at the infected blood inquiry within the next hour with families calling for full compensation after being offered only interim payments so far of up to £100,000 as the inquiry set up back in 2017 to look into how thousands of patients in the uk developed hiv and hepatitis c after being given contaminated blood in the 1970s and 1980s. >> 2900 people have died so far

. are some of them from aids? after what's been called the worst treatment disaster in the history of the nhs south recall is the widow of one of the victims. >> she thinks the government has been sidelining the compensation process for years and she hopes to get answers from rishi sunak today. >> i hope that is thoroughly, completely put on the spot . and completely put on the spot. and that five finally we might get some answers. i mean, it depends on how well he's been briefed, because today his memory doesn't seem to be very good about the scandal at all. but you have to bearin scandal at all. but you have to bear in mind that this is only one of many prime ministers that we've dealt with over the years. i started campaigning in 1985 before my husband died in 1991. and we have as a group of campaigners , we have dealt with campaigners, we have dealt with every prime minister every successive government of every colour ever since . colour ever since. >> well, let's get more with our deputy political editor, tom harwood , who is outside the

harwood, who is outside the heanng harwood, who is outside the hearing and indeed with many other protesters who will want to obviously get their views known to the prime minister. and he's indicated that perhaps the government will wait for the full report from the inquiry, which will take yet more time. tom that's precisely the case. >> there have been a series of interim reports published by this inquiry over the past few years since it was set up in 2017. but we're not expecting the full wrapping up conclusions to come until the late autumn for and people who want answers and people who are expecting compensation action, that is simply too long to wait. it's expected that a further 25 victims may die over the next few months until the conclusion of this inquiry. if the current trends continue. and that would mean around 3000 deaths as a result of this scandal that ran , of course, from 1970 through

to 1991, the nhs importing infected blood products and in injecting them into those it was trying to treat . i spoke to some trying to treat. i spoke to some of those who are victims themselves and whose family members have been victims of this scandal as they were waiting to get inside the inquiry a little earlier today. >> they've had some compensation because i was infected there are a lot of affected people who lost their children and their parents and different family members. and they need they need to have an interim payment to. i want answers . i want closure . i want answers. i want closure. i want answers. i want closure. i want to know why it happened and because it didn't need to happen. they knew that the blood was bad. they knew that it was infected and they still chose to give it to us because of money. the government successive

governments need have not failed everybody. and this one has the opportunity . and to be fair to opportunity. and to be fair to theresa may, she did bring a pubuc theresa may, she did bring a public inquiry after much pressure from the government of the other manifestos as well , the other manifestos as well, which she did bring it. the other manifestos as well, which she did bring it . and it's which she did bring it. and it's about time rishi sunak sorted it out. >> scepticism, anger and it's all here today. so yeah, i think there's going to be interesting to see what people say inside . to see what people say inside. >> and so it's this quest for justice for all the little boys that were taken, their voices stolen . stolen. >> while i've still got my voice, i speak for them and we're going to see what the prime minister says today. it's only right that the prime minister now rishi sunak sunak, delivers that justice. >> the compensation and allows people to live in peace . people to live in peace. >> well, apologies for some of the sound quality , though, on the sound quality, though, on the sound quality, though, on the clips, but tom, clearly they've all got the same story. and we reflect that. of course,

the chairman, sir brian langstaff , back in april was langstaff, back in april was saying it's not just for those directly infected, but all those affected as well . all absolutely. >> the infected and affected has been a slogan of those campaigning for what they see as justice here over this long inquiry . of course, it was many inquiry. of course, it was many decades until this inquiry was finally realised and actioned by the government and it's been many years since its inception. the fact that it may well be wrapping up in the next few months is little consolation to many of those who've been waiting for quite so long. and of course there was an interim payment of compensation that went out to some of those who were expected compensation. however there are some limitations on how that has been sent out as well . so there are sent out as well. so there are many, many questions that people are waiting for compensation, demanding that compensation have

for the government. and of course, it's not just that the fact of whether that compensation will be given, it's also how and how quickly . see, also how and how quickly. see, those are some of the big, big questions that are being asked this afternoon . this afternoon. >> indeed, tom, for the moment, thank you for prime thank you for that. prime minister there the next minister due there in the next 50 minutes so. 50 minutes or so. >> well, we can speak now to angela whose son neil angela newcomb, whose son neil died at the age of well, he was only 22. he died after contracting hiv in 1994. good afternoon to you, angela. thanks ever so much for talking to us on gb news. i know it's never to easy talk about this, but so important . what can you tell us important. what can you tell us what you would like to hear from the prime minister this afternoon ? afternoon? >> recognition for the children who have passed away , the who have passed away, the infected with the live infected and boys have received money and people. but the dead , the people. but the dead, the deceased, have not been acknowledged and recognitions not been given . it has, as you

not been given. it has, as you were saying , you not been given. it has, as you were saying, you died in 1994 from hepatitis c, an aids. i can't understand why the government are prolonging our agony over this. it needs some immediate action. why he needs to wait for sir brian's final report in the autumn. i do not know . the second interim payment know. the second interim payment went to him on the 5th of april of this year and still have not acted upon it. neil lost his life . um and i had to arrange life. um and i had to arrange his funeral . think of any parent his funeral. think of any parent who wants to do to arrange their child's funeral . and it's just a child's funeral. and it's just a recognition. and the justice. we want justice. and the quicker it comes, the better for myself and everyone else concerned . and the everyone else concerned. and the children who've lost their parents. no one to help them out when they on hard times .

when they on hard times. >> so it's heartbreak and anger , sadness, the grief is obviously never goes from us parents or anyone when you lose a loved one. >> but i'm looking forjustice. i'm looking for recognition, and i'm looking for recognition, and i'm not looking for the prime minister to use big words and shift things around means meaningless , meaningless, meaningless, meaningless, compensate sensations you have with him or with this subject . with him or with this subject. >> and just to be clear , angela, >> and just to be clear, angela, that you've not even received one of those interim payments because they were only made to those people directly infected, you're not obviously in that category , but of course you category, but of course you effectively lost part of your life as well . life as well. >> yes . >> yes. >> yes. it's >> yes. it's only >> yes. it's only the >> yes. it's only the infected and the and the widows partners that have lost their husbands have actually received the third interim payment of 100,000 grants, pounds . my life never

grants, pounds. my life never was going to be the same. when you lose a child, whatever the circumstances . but it's the circumstances. but it's the injustice they, as a previous person was saying, they knew it was contaminate when they gave it to them. they drew the blood from america, from prostitutes , from america, from prostitutes, from america, from prostitutes, from drug addicts, from prisons. what sort of thing did they think they were taking from it? found to have been dirty blood and it was contaminated and they still gave it within the factor eight products. >> and if this is sorted out sooner rather than later, because i know you have been waiting for such a long time, what difference will it make to your life? because obviously this is far, far more than financial, isn't it? >> oh, yes. yes i'm a certain age . i just want to live my life age. i just want to live my life now, quietly . um, it's age. i just want to live my life now, quietly. um, it's just as recognition. i don't think i've heard anyone say children use

the word children. i was interview the other day. how would he deal with it if his children were affected like this or a member of his family? how would he deal with it personally ? um it's the loss of neil. i look at his grave and i look across and i'm passing the cemetery . i across and i'm passing the cemetery. i think, what across and i'm passing the cemetery . i think, what does he cemetery. i think, what does he doing down there? he did? no wrong. he was infected by this contaminated blood . um, which contaminated blood. um, which shouldn't have happened. and the prime minister and other officials. the thing that should have never happened. but they've not done anything else about it. in my personal case, angela, thank you very much for sharing your story with us. >> and of course, we'll continue to keep people updated on what's happening inquiry happening in the inquiry and indeed arrangements are indeed what arrangements are made. but you very much made. but thank you very much indeed. >> the commons education select committee has today published a report calling on the government to consider wider policy changes

to consider wider policy changes to help struggling parents and provide access to quality , provide access to quality, affordable child care as the cost of living continues to bite and the government seeks to expand the workforce, high child care costs are putting a heavy financial strain on families right across the country. our political reporter catherine forster spoke to the chair of the education committee. that's conservative mp robin walker . conservative mp robin walker. >> this should be a win for parents, a win for children in terms of the extra stimulation and support they get. >> a win for the education system, big for the system, a big gain for the economy, we can get economy, because if we can get more people able to sustain their whilst also having their careers whilst also having children , that helps earnings. children, that helps earnings. it helps retention and it helps economic growth. the amount of tax people pay. >> so getting this right is really important. and what we've tried to do with our report today is to reflect on the fact that this is massive expansion that this is a massive expansion of support for of the government's support for the years and childcare , the early years and childcare, but they need to get the detail right . right. >> they need to make sure that

they're right funding. >> about funding in >> you talk about funding in your report because of your report because a lot of childcare the childcare providers say that the current that the current amount that the government simply not government give is simply not sufficient to cover their costs. >> so this is a really important area and it's important to remember this report . remember this report. >> an inquiry was launched before government before the government made its announcements so announcements in the budget. so what hearing from what we were hearing from providers context before providers in the context before these expansions of childcare were announced was real concern about their financial sustainability. to make sustainability. we have to make sure funding is sure that the funding is adequate to meet the needs of the that government the hours that government is supporting. of things we supporting. one of the things we also parents is their also heard from parents is their concern that they sold concern that what they were sold as free turned out to be as free hours turned out to be things to pay as free hours turned out to be thinthey to pay as free hours turned out to be thinthey had to pay as free hours turned out to be thinthey had to to pay as free hours turned out to be thinthey had to pay to pay as free hours turned out to be thinthey had to pay tnappies for. they had to pay for nappies , food, things in order to , food, other things in order to make up for the fact that the nurseries otherwise able make up for the fact that the nukeep�*s otherwise able make up for the fact that the nu keep operating.)therwise able make up for the fact that the nukeep operating. sozrwise able make up for the fact that the nukeep operating. so we se able to keep operating. so we suggested the government should actually about funded suggested the government should actualinot about funded suggested the government should actualinot alhours|nded suggested the government should actualinot alhours.ided suggested the government should actualinot alhours . we do hours, not free hours. we do think that the free is somewhat misleading suggested that misleading. we suggested that there needs to be real engagement with the sector to make sure that as we go forward and as we have this huge and very welcome expansion of childcare properly

childcare, it is properly funded and that funding is and that that funding is constantly monitored against the costs that the sector is facing. >> and you also talk about the importance with importance of children with special education needs, getting them diagnosed sooner. that's important, isn't it, in many cases with speech and language therapy , with auditory verbal therapy, with auditory verbal therapy, with other interventions , owns need interventions, owns that need can and that child can can be met and that child can then on footing where then be set on a footing where they can engage with mainstream education the rest of their education for the rest of their school career. >> that's a win win. it's a win for child and it's a win for for the child and it's a win for the taxpayer. if we can make sure that early sure we get that early identification early identification of need and early intervention to support those children benefit children who will benefit from the at stage, the right support at that stage, you're potentially saving an absolute fortune for the life of that child and giving them absolute fortune for the life of that cioutcomes ving them absolute fortune for the life of that cioutcomes .ing them absolute fortune for the life of that cioutcomes . and hem absolute fortune for the life of that cioutcomes . and that's better outcomes. and that's why we sure that every we think making sure that every all workforce in early all of the workforce in early years is properly trained to identify why the symptoms of send and then to be able to refer the right people refer to the right people outside early years outside of the early years workforce crucial. we're not workforce is crucial. we're not saying be saying everyone has to be an expert special education or expert in special education or needs, but we want we want people tools to pull people to have the tools to pull in support . and that in the right support. and that

is important part of is a really important part of what lastly, not everybody >> and lastly, not everybody wants to go to work . wants to go back to work. there's plenty of parents that actually enjoy the chance to stay home and be with their stay at home and be with their children longer term . how are children longer term. how are the plan to support the government plan to support those parents as well as parents who back to work? who want to get back to work? >> i think that's very >> i think that's a very important question and it's something committee something that the committee felt strongly about in terms of making there's making sure that there's real choice and flexibility for parents, live different parents, people live different lifestyles will lifestyles and people will need to different approaches. to take different approaches. that's the reasons why that's one of the reasons why we've minders we've looked at child minders and role that they can and the role that they can play, as well as the more formal nursery settings. also nursery settings. but it's also the reason why we're recommending government. look at the system the tax and the benefit system to can support to see how they can support parents choose at to see how they can support parentwith choose at to see how they can support parentwith their ose at to see how they can support parentwith their children at to see how they can support parentwith their children . at home with their children. >> now, owner of tottenham >> now, the owner of tottenham hotspur, joe lewis, has been charged in america with orchestrating insider orchestrating brazen insider trading as the indictment put it, the billionaire allegedly giving friends, employees and romantic partners information on the companies he'd invest in. he now faces a 19 count indictment with 16 counts of securities fraud and three counts of

conspiracy . conspiracy. >> ben jacobs, a sports journalist , >> ben jacobs, a sports journalist, can join us now to chat a little bit more about this. ben, obviously , this is this. ben, obviously, this is very legally sensitive , but from very legally sensitive, but from tottenham, hotspur's point of view, i mean, what impact could it have on the club reputationally, maybe ? well, i reputationally, maybe? well, i think at this stage, tottenham are very clear that these charges are unconnected to the club as a club statement has revealed. >> and in the company's house documentation a few months back , it was made clear that joe lewis is actually no longer a significant person who has control at the football club. so if we're talking about impact to the football club, i suppose we have to be clear on two points. >> number one, that these charges and number charges are alleged and number two, this type of court two, that this type of court case, should it proceed , could case, should it proceed, could take months, if not years . take months, if not years. >> and there's also a series of appeals , depending on what appeals, depending on what happens next. >> both sides. >> both sides. >> so tottenham are very relaxed at this point. but i think the broader thing, unconnected to this is just that joe lewis is

in his mid 80s and long before these allegations came in the last 24 hours, there was talk of some kind of investment or even potentially full sale at tottenham hotspur. so i think that lewis has been thinking for quite some time, not connected to these allegations about life after spurs. and we now have to wait and see how the charges manifest and then ultimately how lewis handles the fact that he's in his mid 80s and may want to think about life after spurs . think about life after spurs. >> and of course, that tantalising prize of spurs itself as you've indicated, given what the saudis have been doing with football clubs and seemingly this attempt to, i think sportswashing is the phrase using but wanting to splash the cash to get in. i think that's one aspect for sure i >> -- >> how lam >> how saudi arabia's moves impact the premier league is going to be highly significant, but i'd also keep an eye on the manchester united ongoing sale process because those looking to sell premier league clubs will be looking at that price and

obviously the chelsea one as well, which is already sold and the year in that the new owners a year in that was 2.5 billion. so keep an eye out on prices and sales of football clubs because once you hit a certain number for a certain club , others looking to certain club, others looking to sell obviously that as a sell obviously use that as a valuation yardstick. >> , we'll go shopping with >> okay, we'll go shopping with you very much you later then. thanks very much for for the moment, you later then. thanks very much for thank for the moment, you later then. thanks very much for thank you r the moment, you later then. thanks very much for thank you .the moment, ben. thank you. >> do stay with us here on the live gb we will be live desk on gb news. we will be live island of rhodes live from the island of rhodes as it continues. the people there , the volunteers, continue there, the volunteers, continue to those raging fires to fight those raging fires which are now spreading across large parts of europe, not here, though. it's a bit cooler , a though. it's a bit cooler, a brighter outlook with boxt solar proud sponsors of weather on . gb proud sponsors of weather on. gb news alex deakin here with your latest weather update from the met office for gb news. >> a bit of an east west split today. many eastern areas fine and there are a and bright. there are a few showers around here, the showers around here, whereas the cloud further west cloud is thickening further west and outbreaks of are moving

and outbreaks of rain are moving in this area of low in thanks to this area of low pressure these weather pressure and these weather fronts already bringing thickening to northern thickening cloud to northern ireland and some outbreaks of rain trickling in here. by lunchtime, rain also lunchtime, that rain also spreading to west wales and parts of southwest many parts of southwest england. many central and eastern areas dry and bright , just a scattered and bright, just a few scattered showers northeast england showers over northeast england and scotland . in the and south—east scotland. in the sunny spells in the east, the winds are pretty light, so it feels a bit warmer than recent days, degrees. the breeze days, 23, 24 degrees. the breeze picking up as rain arrives . picking up as the rain arrives. feeling on the side here. feeling on the cool side here. that rain doesn't stop in the west . it continues to spread west. it continues to spread over midlands south—east over the midlands south—east england through the evening and then eastern england. and then into eastern england. and most of scotland by the end of the night it will turn a little dner the night it will turn a little drier across northern ireland and eventually parts of england and eventually parts of england and wales. staying cloudy, and wales. but staying cloudy, staying warm and humid as well. temperatures higher than temperatures much higher than they were last night, holding in they were last night, holding in the mid teens for many towns and cities in the south, a grey, damp , drizzly, breezy starts to damp, drizzly, breezy starts to thursday. now it should get a bit brighter in places. i think

the coast and the south and the west are likely say pretty west are likely to say pretty dull, over some central and dull, but over some central and eastern it just eastern parts it might just brighten if we do see brighten up if we do see any sunshine actually might sunshine that actually might spark showers through spark some heavy showers through the in some heavier the afternoon in some heavier rain north—east of rain across the north—east of scotland, temperatures scotland, where temperatures stay elsewhere scotland, where temperatures stay the elsewhere scotland, where temperatures stay the 20s elsewhere scotland, where temperatures stay the 20s , elsewhere scotland, where temperatures stay the 20s , a elsewhere scotland, where temperatures stay the 20s , a brighter here scotland, where temperatures stay the 20s , a brighter outlook into the 20s, a brighter outlook with boxt solar >> proud sponsors of weather on

gb news. >> very good afternoon to you. you're with the live desk here in gb news. and coming up for you this wednesday afternoon on the fallout from the natwest scandal . scandal. >> the share price dropped sharply , taking the bank sharply, taking the bank partially owned by the taxpayer to the bottom of the ftse 100. this lunchtime, the treasury tells the industry to learn your lesson . lesson. >> the med on red alert now . >> the med on red alert now. italy, majorca, ibiza, menorca in spain, croatia and portugal all join a growing list of the spreading wildfires. the entire island of rhodes is put into a state of emergency. we're on the frontline with the greek firefighters as infected blood scandal pressure mounts on the prime minister to fully compensate thousands of bereaved families. >> he's due to give evidence to the inquiry any minute now.

and the strolling bone, rather than the rolling stone . than the rolling stone. >> mick jagger turning 80, proving you can always get what you want as a wrinkly rocker at least. joined by record least. we'll be joined by record producer musician paul hardcore russell to discuss the legacy of ageing rockers. first, the headunes ageing rockers. first, the headlines with rory . headlines with rory. >> thank you very much, mark. the former ceo of natwest is no longer a member of the prime minister's business council . a minister's business council. a government spokesperson also confirms that dame alison rose has resigned from her roles as a co—chair of the energy efficiency task force and as a member of the net zero council. after being asked to step down by the secretary of state . it by the secretary of state. it comes after ms rose admitted she discussed nigel farage's relationship with the bank cuts to a bbc journalist, economic secretary to the treasury, andrew griffith told us

proposals are being put forward to benefit banking customers . to benefit banking customers. >> it's very important that customers can have trust in their bank , that they're not their bank, that they're not going to have their services withdrawn because of their political views or something within the law that they have said. that's what i reiterated to all of the uk's bank and building society bosses at a meeting this morning that we've just had. and it's why the government is bringing forward changes to the regulations to make that even clearer, to mean that customers do have to get a reason, have longer to look at other arrangements and have greater opportunity to challenge that. >> firefighters continue to tackle wildfires circling the mediterranean, claiming the lives of more than 40 people. around 3000 holidaymakers have fled. rhodes with temperatures there today set to exceed 45 c. a major heatwave is sweeping across north africa, where at least 34 people have died . in

least 34 people have died. in southern italy, around 2000 people have been evacuated from three hotels in a popular tourist destination as fire rages close by, blazes have also broken out in other parts, including portugal, syria, gran canaria , southern france and canaria, southern france and tunisia . meteorologist jim dale tunisia. meteorologist jim dale told us the high temperatures are not expected to decrease any time soon. >> the world's hotting up and it does include the mediterranean . does include the mediterranean. and this this kind of thing, this kind of thing that you're seeing in the photographs here in the in the video. seeing in the photographs here in the in the video . so this is in the in the video. so this is going continue. there is going to continue. there is a slightly air, i say slightly cooler air, i say cooler, less hot air moving through the middle of the mediterranean. so italy , sicily, mediterranean. so italy, sicily, spain, these of places a spain, these sort of places a little bit of a relief . but but little bit of a relief. but but not turkey, for not greece. not for turkey, for not greece. i think it will continue in the ovenin i think it will continue in the oven in the past few minutes , oven in the past few minutes, the prime minister has left downing street on his way to give evidence to the infected blood inquiry. >> protests are taking place in central london as demonstrators

call for full compensation payments to those affected . payments to those affected. rishi sunak is being questioned on the government's response to the use of infected blood and blood products after thousands of patient who developed hiv and hepatitis c through contaminated products in the 70s and 80s. the consultation on train ticket office closures , which was due office closures, which was due to end today, has been extended to end today, has been extended to september. the first train operator unveiled proposals earlier this month for multiple closures of the offices after the transport secretary mark harper, urged them to cut cost . harper, urged them to cut cost. the plans are criticised by groups representing passengers and the rmt junior doctor in england have announced a four day walkout next month in an ongoing dispute over pay . the ongoing dispute over pay. the strikes are taking place from the 11th to the 15th of august in what's called the next round of monthly strike action from the bma . the union says is the bma. the union says it is for not the prime minister to

decide negotiations are decide that negotiations are over before has even stepped over before he has even stepped in the room and the dispute will only end at the negotiating table . a record number of police table. a record number of police officers are quitting their jobs at forces in england and wales in the year to march. almost 5000 officers left after a voluntary resignation. that's the highest number since records began 16 years ago. up 32% since the year 2021 to 22. in the in the year 2021 to 22. in the in the latest 12 month period, 224 officers were also dismissed or had their contracts terminated . had their contracts terminated. and that's the highest number since . the year 2016 to 17. the since. the year 2016 to 17. the owner of tottenham hotspur has been charged over an alleged insider trading scheme . 86 year insider trading scheme. 86 year old british billionaire joe louis is accused of abusing his access to corporate boardrooms and providing inside information to others who then allegedly made millions of dollars in the

stock market. a tottenham club spokesperson says it's a legal matter, unconnected with the club and the world's longest running comic, beano is celebrating its 85th anniversary this week. more than 4100 issues of beano have been printed since its launch in 1938. a special commemorative issue is now on sale. it features famous faces, including the king, the queen and the prince and princess of wales. other well known figures in the special edition include david attenborough, adele and harry styles . david attenborough, adele and harry styles. this is david attenborough, adele and harry styles . this is gb david attenborough, adele and harry styles. this is gb news. we will, of course, bring you more as it happens. now, though, back to mark and pep . back to mark and pep. we welcome back to the live desk and indeed, let's take you live to the infected blood inquiry. >> the prime minister to be questioned shortly on the government's response to

contaminated blood supplies in the 1970s and 80s the victims families who've been outside the inquiry calling for compensation payments. he's just being sworn in at the moment. we've heard, of course , from some of the of course, from some of the families of those victims saying that effectively they say successive governments have dragged their feet on this issue. >> yeah, the inquiry was set up in 2017 to investigate the infection of thousands of patients with hiv and hepatitis using contaminated blood products. in the 1970s and 80s , products. in the 1970s and 80s, around 3000 people died. and let's just have a listen. >> the exchequer from the 13th of february 2020 until the 5th of february 2020 until the 5th of july 2022. yes that is correct. and you were first elected to parliament in may 2015? yes now, you've made a statement to the inquiry. 2015? yes now, you've made a statement to the inquiry . we statement to the inquiry. we don't need it on screen at the moment . the reference for moment. the reference for lawyers is y10 7712001 and it's

available to all who would like to see it on the inquiry website . prime minister, i'm going to start by looking at two documents, two letters that were sent by the then paymaster general addressed to you, although you may not actually have seen them in 2020. so if we could please have lawrence on screen ibs . for 0706 . and we can screen ibs. for 0706. and we can see the date of the letter is the 13th of july 2020. it's from the 13th of july 2020. it's from the right honourable penny mordaunt mp who was then paymaster general, addressed to you. dear rishi, and she explained to the capacity in which she's writing, sponsoring minister of the inquiry to update on progress and commitment to the government has made . and then if we just look made. and then if we just look at the heading under the heading funding the inquiry, you'll see from the letter she's raising three matters funding the

inquiry, financial support and then when we go over the page in due course, compensate section. i just want to flag up, if i may, and ask you about what said under heading funding the under the heading funding the inquiry, to inquiry, there's reference to pubuc inquiry, there's reference to public commitment to support the completion of the inquiry's work . and then ms mordaunt said this. this work remains urgent for many victims . justice for many victims. justice delayed is justice denied. as the fallout from this tragedy continues to claim lives not just pausing there, ms mordaunt told us, as the letter indicates, that she was aware that people were continuing to die. and it's obviously the case that it follows from this letter that it follows from this letter that your officials would also have been so aware . do you know have been so aware. do you know whether that's something you were aware of at the time that this wasn't just a matter of an historical injustice , but that historical injustice, but that people were continuing to die and to suffer as indeed they do to the current day ? to the current day? >> well, just before i address that specifically , if i might

that specifically, if i might start by saying that i believe what has happened has been an appalling scandal. >> i think thousands of people obviously many in the room today and others that the chair referred to who are watching have suffered for decades and they've suffered layer of injustices. >> in fact, at and it hasn't just affected those people who have been directly impacted and affected. it's affected their families and friends and carers as well. so it goes far beyond those who are directly impacted. and as you just said , this is and as you just said, this is not just about historic wrongs . not just about historic wrongs. those people are suffering and being impacted today. and i believe every four days someone tragically loses their life as a result of what has happened in the past. and as i've been reading the testimonies of those involved affected and infected, it's been a very moving experience for me and i commend everyone who shared their testimonies for their bravery. can't have been an easy thing to do, but has enabled this

important work to take place . important work to take place. and indeed, i'm pleased to be able to be here to contribute to that important work. and with regard to the letter as is, is entirely normal . it would have entirely normal. it would have been dealt with and was dealt with by my officials. it's not a letter that i saw personally at the time, but again, that is not unusual given the volume of correspondence that ministers, particularly senior ministers like the chancellor, receive. it would be entirely normal that those letters would be in the first instance, dealt with in triaged officials. in triaged by officials. and in this particular instance, my understanding is that there was communication between the officials at the treasury and indeed officials at the cabinet office who worked for penny morden at the time . morden at the time. >> but although the letter didn't come to your attention for the reasons that you've explained and which echo what we've heard from other ministers in terms of the filter process and in relation to correspond notes, do you do you know whether you had any awareness or whether you had any awareness or whether there was any broader

awareness within the treasury or within government at the time about about the point that ms mordaunt was making here that people were continuing to die because that's something you can recall being aware of at that time, not something that was brought specifically to my attention that i was involved of. >> there were three topics raised in that letter which over the course of the following months were all dealt with substantively . substantively. >> we'll pick up on what happens over the course of the following months just just looking then still at the highlighted passage on screen , justice delayed on the screen, justice delayed is justice denied and more broadly, do you understand and accept the point that ms mordaunt was making? there were justice delayed being justice denied and how delay itself can compound injustice . this in this compound injustice. this in this context, the infected blood context, the infected blood context . context. >> well, as i as i mentioned at the beginning , this is an the beginning, this is an appalling scandal has gone on

for decades. people have been let down for decades by successive governments . people successive governments. people raised concerns . they were raised concerns. they were batted away and told nothing was wrong, nothing to see here. that wasn't right. people all thought that they were being helped when in fact , as it turned out, they in fact, as it turned out, they were being harmed. people asked in fact, as it turned out, they were binquiry rmed. people asked in fact, as it turned out, they were binquiry thati. people asked in fact, as it turned out, they were binquiry that was ople asked in fact, as it turned out, they were binquiry that was rejected ad for an inquiry that was rejected before it was finally accepted . before it was finally accepted. so i think over a succession of not just years, but decades , not just years, but decades, justice has been denied to people . well, they haven't people. well, they haven't received the recognition that they need and deserve. and that's why i'm so pleased that the inquiry was established that it's continuing. its important work and hopefully will conclude soon. and the government is committed and i am committed to acting as swiftly as possible . acting as swiftly as possible. >> and we'll come back to the question of government action if we just go over the page to what ms mordaunt said about compensate nation . so you'll see compensate nation. so you'll see the heading compensation for victims, she says . and the

victims, she says. and the second paragraph, second line, i believe it to be inevitable that the government will need to provide substantial compensation . the costs are likely to be high. and then there's reference to the irish model . i believe we to the irish model. i believe we should begin preparing for this now before the inquiry reports. my now before the inquiry reports. my officials are working with colleagues to consider approaches to compensation in any decision on compensation will require careful consideration and then, she says, experience of other inquiries suggests that early action could save the government significant legal costs as well as provide victims with compensation as soon as possible . now, in relation to that sentence, i've just read, you'll see ms mordaunt there identifying two benefits to early action. the first, a potential financial benefit to the government and then the second the provision of compensate to victims as soon as possible . i will come back later possible. i will come back later to phrase as soon as to this phrase as soon as possible, but what ms mordaunt explained in accepted in her

evidence was there she was looking at the question of what was morally right and just was the morally right and just thing to do. would would you accept it well obviously accept that it well obviously penny could best answer questions about what she was trying to get across in the letter as far as i can see, reading it now, there were three topics that she raised of substance. >> the first was the continued funding for the inquiry, which has been delivered on with over £125 million to date being spent on the inquiry to make sure it could do this important work. the second was resolving an issue about about parity of treatment between those impacted living in different parts of the united kingdom and again, that was resolved in spring of 2021 whilst i was chancellor with the provision of an extra £175 million of funding to do so . and million of funding to do so. and the third topic was around compensation, where since that letter was written , an interim

letter was written, an interim compensation payments have been made to around . 4500 people and made to around. 4500 people and as people are familiar, £100,000 each, there's a figure mentioned in here, obviously to date over half £1 billion of those payments have been made . and as payments have been made. and as the letter itself says, any decision on compensation will require careful consideration. and there's further detail about how penny he envisaged that might happen. how penny he envisaged that might happen . obviously, lots of might happen. obviously, lots of things have evolved since that letter, not least we've had robert faulds , the chair's robert faulds, the chair's interim report, but also robert francis . his interim report, but also robert francis. his report , which have francis. his report, which have a variety of suggestions which are slightly different to those mentioned in this letter, but again, they've been they've been delivered on. and i think penny mordaunt herself said the three topics that she raised, all of which she was able to progress. yes >> and obviously my questions are going to focus on the issue of progress in relation to

compensate action and would you accept and this is a question really about the position of the government as opposed to your own because you didn't see the letter at the time, as you've explained. but would agree explained. but would you agree that this letter indicates that the government was on notice back in 2020 of the likelihood and ms mordaunt uses a stronger word inevitability of the government needing to pay compensation ? compensation? >> yes. >> yes. >> what i would say is obviously in my role, it was not something that i was directly involved in. i because this costs were not or those forecasts had not been crystallised at that point. the inquiry had been established. it was doing its work. inquiry had been established. it was doing its work . there inquiry had been established. it was doing its work. there had been no interim reports from the inquiry and it wasn't my direct departmental responsibility in the way that it was penny's , as the way that it was penny's, as she would be the responsible for minister it. and it wasn't

something that, as i said, i was directly involved in at the time. and i think probably because work was still because the work was still ongoing and it hadn't reached a point where those decisions on compensation had yet to be made or any advice or recommendations from the inquiry or others had at that point not been made ehhen >> let's just look at ms mordaunt's follow up letter , mordaunt's follow up letter, which is so rishi sunak being questioned as prime minister. >> but of course relating to matters when he was the chancellor, when they were discussing the payments, the interim payments in particular to those affected in this blood scandal, and indeed mentions in the letters were penny mordaunt, who was at the time was the paymaster general about the government being on notice, as the council said there, from 2020, of the need to pay compensation in these circumstances. >> and there are hundreds watching the evidence being given by rishi sunak , around 300 given by rishi sunak, around 300 survivors and relatives there to watch him . and in fact so many

watch him. and in fact so many people there that many are sitting in an overflow room and watching the prime minister give evidence on a big screen because this topic of compensation, it is so incredibly sensitive for relatives and families. yeah. >> rishi sunak saying the government was committed to acting as quickly as possible on the will reflect more on the matter will reflect more on the matter will reflect more on the evidence as it comes through and of get the views of and of course get the views of those families still waiting for their money. now let's update you situation with the you on the situation with the wildfires. with a state of emergency now being declared for the entire island of rhodes in greece, fires continuing to greece, the fires continuing to rage control there at rage out of control there at that greek holiday destination . that greek holiday destination. >> authorities have warned of six new regions in greece now facing extreme danger from wildfires in the past 24 hours. fire fighters have been tackling at least 53 outbreaks on roads alone , with thousands being alone, with thousands being evacuated from homes and hotels there . meanwhile, in portugal, a there. meanwhile, in portugal, a blaze near lisbon has been brought under control, but the

authorities will remain in the mountainous area near the city in case the fire reignites. the risk alert has also been raised to extreme for mallorca, adding to extreme for mallorca, adding to the challenges for tour operators and holiday companies, let's head back to rhodes now and join our reporter paul hawkins , who's been keeping us hawkins, who's been keeping us updated there literally on the front line with those firefighters . firefighters. >> here's you were >> here's paul. and you were telling are all giving telling us they are all giving their time and their efforts as volunteers as and, of course, defending effectively their own villages and towns. there >> yeah, exactly. yeah. it's a it's a great example of the community pulling together. and remember, lots of those volunteers in many cases they've come from jobs to then do this or they're doing this instead of doing those jobs. of course or they're doing this instead of d

all the way to the beach. if we just pivot around here, just have a pivot around here, you can see there's the beach in the where lot the distance. that's where a lot of planes and the of the water planes and the chinook's gathering chinook's have been gathering water come water and they then come overhead. might see them overhead. so you might see them while show you has while we show you what has happened this supermarket. so happened to this supermarket. so this supermarket was really badly by the fire around the badly hit by the fire around the back. and i'll show you the damage moment. but just back. and i'll show you the dam quickly, moment. but just back. and i'll show you the dam quickly, the �*nent. but just back. and i'll show you the dam quickly, the �*nent. blmother very quickly, the owner's mother here, she's been in that chair for three days. she's on oxygen in which she needs for her own personal health. but because there's no power in village there's no power in the village anymore, she's to come down anymore, she's had to come down here oxygen. here and bring her oxygen. she's been for three been in that chair for three days. without power days. is that without power here? so they're running on a generator here. and if we just have here, i know it's have a look here, i know it's a little bit dark, so you might struggle here, look struggle to see. but here, look at all this at all this stock. all this cheese. is owner here. at all this stock. all this cheejust is owner here. at all this stock. all this cheejust showing owner here. at all this stock. all this cheejust showing us. lner here. at all this stock. all this cheejust showing us. this1ere. he's just showing us. this is the cheese. that's been this is all this finished, it all this is finished, isn't it finished? finished. finished? absolutely finished. so this has got be thrown so all this has got to be thrown out. in the out. yeah, thrown out in the bin, all the stock, everything . bin, all the stock, everything. and i mean this. this stock is non—perishable, so that will

stay. but at the moment, they're running on a generator and there's there's no card there's no there's no card payments. cash, payments. it's just cash, isn't it? cash . no cards only it? just cash. no cards only cash at the moment. so the wife of the owner has said that it's basically it's been like hell here. so the fire came down here earlier in the week . and if we earlier in the week. and if we just have a walk down here, i'm going to show you the damage that been their that there has been to their stock. is over ,200,000 stock. this is over ,200,000 worth damage to the stock. worth of damage to the stock. this is where the fire came through earlier in the week and destroyed pretty much all their stock. it also destroyed a vehicle here this lorry as well. that's actually been the least of their worries. but you can see all the stock here completely damaged, melted through when the fire came through when the fire came through here. know that we through here. and i know that we have tribute to have been paying tribute to firefighters but have been paying tribute to firefi have 5 but have been paying tribute to firefi have said but have been paying tribute to firefi have said that but have been paying tribute to firefi have said that they but have been paying tribute to firefi have said that they said to they have said that they said to they have said that they said to the firefighters, look, look , the firefighters, look, look, these pallets are fire. you these pallets are on fire. you need and now need to come and help. now one of firefighters they of the firefighters said they didn't the level of didn't have the level of authorisation by authorisation needed and that by the get down here, the time they did get down here, it late. so this

it was too late. so this supermarket is to recover supermarket is hoping to recover some losses from the some of those losses from the insurance. but it's i mean, it is it's absolutely awful to see. and of course, all the tourists have gone away. so while we're talking about figures of ,200,000 worth of damage, it's to going be much, much higher than factor in than that. when you factor in the of tourist trade that the lack of tourist trade that there is at the moment, the fires continue to burn. volunteers continue to help. and earlier on when we were on the mountain side, we spoke to this couple. they're from london. one of them is greek. his family are from one of the villages that's been affected. they've been affected. and they've been volunteering fight the volunteering to help fight the firefighters. what firefighters. and here's what they yesterday . they had to tell us yesterday. >> it was in a big threat. >> it was in a big threat. >> and then thank god the wind changed and the village changed. so now it's okay. but we still are on alert . are on alert. >> did you have to be evacuated ? >> 7- >> they ? >> they told us 7 >> they told us we evacuated, but no, i'm very good. >> okay . okay. and then luckily, >> okay. okay. and then luckily, the wind changed and the threat has gone. now. has gone. for now. >> yeah, now.

has gone. for now. >> yeah. now. has gone. for now. >> yeah. |people >> yeah. but people aren't resting laurels . resting on their laurels. they're not. they're not being complacent. they're not. they're not being con no. cent. they're not. they're not being con no.cent. did we sleep? >> no. where did we sleep? >> no. where did we sleep? >> slept yesterday the >> so we slept yesterday in the monastery, the floor for monastery, on the floor for a few hours as a night shift. so obviously the fires, they raged dunng obviously the fires, they raged during the night. so we were kind keeping an out. kind of keeping an eye out. watch and we were driving around. we found fires around. we found a few fires last night, meant that last night, which meant that obviously call in the obviously we able to call in the fire services, right? but yeah, it's quite chaotic. it's it's been quite chaotic. it's been a lot to do with the volunteers as we've had great we've support from the we've had great support from the fire service, but obviously there's everywhere. yeah. volunteers like >> yeah. and the volunteers like yourselves the guys that are yourselves and the guys that are supporting fire service as well. >> yeah, well. » yeah, >> yeah, yeah, yeah. the greek firefighters, they are like 40 hours with no sleep. they are incredible. i feel proud to be next to them. you know ? next to them. you know? >> and paul, this is the theme , >> and paul, this is the theme, of course, that despite that devastation , they keep going and devastation, they keep going and all those greek villages helping british holidaymakers and tourists. but just what does it feel like? what does it smell like ? like? >> it smells horrible. i mean,

frankly, it smells like you'd expect a burning forest to smell and the ashes just starting to fall. and very eerily, this this plume of cloud, which is getting bigger. it is. every time you've crossed to us, it has been getting bigger. it's just about to out the sun. indeed, it to blot out the sun. indeed, it blocked out the earlier on to blot out the sun. indeed, it blocit�*d out the earlier on to blot out the sun. indeed, it blocit actuallya earlier on to blot out the sun. indeed, it blocit actually it earlier on to blot out the sun. indeed, it blocit actually it feltaarlier on to blot out the sun. indeed, it blocit actually it felt like er on to blot out the sun. indeed, it blocit actually it felt like it on and it actually it felt like it dropped few degrees, if i'm dropped a few degrees, if i'm honest. it suddenly got a little dropped a few degrees, if i'm hordarker. suddenly got a little dropped a few degrees, if i'm hordarker. butienly got a little dropped a few degrees, if i'm hordarker. but you got a little dropped a few degrees, if i'm hordarker. but you can a little dropped a few degrees, if i'm hordarker. but you can see ttle dropped a few degrees, if i'm hordarker. but you can see the bit darker. but you can see the ash falling now. sometimes it lands in you've got to lands in urine. you've got to wash it out. it smells horrible , it feels horrible, but you've just the biggest feeling you just got the biggest feeling you have the people here, have is for the people here, quite frankly, because they've never seen anything like this coming. that keeps coming. and the word that keeps coming. and the word that keeps coming me every time i coming. and the word that keeps comthem, me every time i coming. and the word that keeps comthem, hell, me every time i coming. and the word that keeps comthem, hell, this every time i coming. and the word that keeps comthem, hell, thisevenbeenz i ask them, hell, this has been hell. and there are they are very , very upset. there have very, very upset. there have been a lot of people in tears. they don't know what the future holds and they're very, very angry with the authorities, especially the government , especially the government, because the lack of response that there's been, the lack of planning. so it's not just tourists who, of course, they come here for their holiday, for their two weeks to get away from

it you can understand it all. and you can understand their their their sadness, their angen their their their sadness, their anger, their discomfort with what's happened. but they will they will get to go back to the uk . for the people that are left uk. for the people that are left here, it's going to take years and years rebuild and years and years to rebuild and years and years to rebuild and of course, next year they think the weather think that with the weather pattern, it is, that think that with the weather patterkind it is, that think that with the weather patterkind of it is, that think that with the weather patterkind of heat is, that think that with the weather patterkind of heat wavest think that with the weather patterkind of heat waves are these kind of heat waves are going more frequent going to become more frequent and to go and this problem is going to go away anytime soon. >> moment , thank >> paul, for the moment, thank you stay of you for that. stay safe. of course, we'll back to speak course, we'll be back to speak to thank you very to you later. thank you very much indeed. >> coverage, thank you. >> coverage, paul, thank you. well, many holidays holidaymakers will wondering holidaymakers will be wondering where their travel where this leaves their travel plans. joining us now is paul charles, who is ceo of the pc agency , which advises airlines agency, which advises airlines in crisis scenarios. it does sound like, paul very much like the way we are going to be holidaying over the summer and the protection that we have as travellers. it's all going to have to be changed, isn't it ? have to be changed, isn't it? >> it will have to be changed. >> it will have to be changed. >> you're absolutely right. we are going to be seeing more

wildfires. we have to prepare for this climate crisis to become more of a factor in where we're going on holiday or for trips and in particular case of roads is i'm really concerned about the state of emergency being declared because it shows that the situation is getting worse and of course, if the foreign office had changed their advice and declared a no travel advisory over the weekend , then advisory over the weekend, then tour operators and airlines would not have continued to fly into the region over the weekend , putting more british holidaymakers into the danger zone. holidaymakers into the danger zone . so we've got to change. zone. so we've got to change. >> tell us with these sorts of cnses >> tell us with these sorts of crises , paul, our reporter paul crises, paul, our reporter paul hawkins , who is in rhodes at the hawkins, who is in rhodes at the moment , or on hawkins, who is in rhodes at the moment, or on rhodes, i should say, has been stressing that it is only i know this is at this moment in time, but it is only a small part of the island that

has been hit by these wildfires. >> it is not the whole island. there are many places still open for holidaymakers to go to . for holidaymakers to go to. >> well, that's true, but it's 10% of the island. but the pressure that is put on the resources on a small island like rhodesis resources on a small island like rhodes is enormous. as more people go in, it puts pressure on the facilities, the medical facilities . it puts pressure on facilities. it puts pressure on the road and trains support infrastructure locally . and it's infrastructure locally. and it's no surprise , perhaps, that a no surprise, perhaps, that a state of emergency has been declared on rhodes itself because the pressure is enormous. as you add more people in and that wouldn't have happened if a travel advisory had been issued not to travel from last week . from last week. >> are you surprised at how this has unfolded with all these holidaymakers indicating in a lot of cases they've been left to fend for themselves ? one to fend for themselves? one would have assumed that all the travel operators would have had some kind of system to put in place for dealing with the crisis .

crisis. >> i am surprised at the way it's turned out. they do have well—worn plans in place, whether it's an airline , whether whether it's an airline, whether it's a tour operator. they have very good usually any crisis response plans . so it's response plans. so it's interesting, as to why they didn't work initially. i have to say, the response in the last couple of days has been much better from airlines and tour operators. but in the initial stages, it's almost as if there wasn't good enough communication coming out of rhodes, which is understandable at the start of a crisis . but it's understandable at the start of a crisis. but it's almost as if they were not getting any decent advice from government officials on the ground. yeah, and i suspect that the greek government themselves will want to launch a reassurance plan for not just next year, but certainly in the coming weeks in terms of how they're going to reassure people who are due to go to greece over the coming weeks for their holiday. >> well, we talk about >> well, indeed, we talk about greece, but you know, the latest >> well, indeed, we talk about gron e, but you know, the latest >> well, indeed, we talk about gron majorca, u know, the latest >> well, indeed, we talk about gron majorca, u knovisthe latest >> well, indeed, we talk about gron majorca, u knovis aa latest >> well, indeed, we talk about gron majorca, u knovis a huge st is on majorca, which is a huge popular, of course, with british holidaymakers that we have an extreme there . so i guess,

extreme alert there. so i guess, you should the industry you know, should the industry already giving as to already be giving advice as to what to do for the balearics, for instance ? yes, yes. for instance? yes, yes. >> industry needs a complete >> the industry needs a complete overhaul of the travel advisory concept from the foreign office that needs to be changed in consultation with the industry because these fires are not going away. and we need to see airlines and tour operators rewrite their climate response plans . many of the plans that plans. many of the plans that have been written over the years and i've been involved in many have been around and typical cnses have been around and typical crises that would be faced , crises that would be faced, perhaps involving an aircraft or involving food poisoning or something like that. they've not been designed for a climate crisis . and here we are crisis. and here we are certainly the second year running of serious fires affecting people's holidays and affecting people's holidays and affecting livelihoods . now is affecting livelihoods. now is the wake up call for these plans to be rewritten. so they take account of future crises because they're not going away.

>> just quickly , paul, is it >> just quickly, paul, is it wise for pilots to tell holidaymakers who've boarded the plane that they shouldn't be going to rhodes and that they should actually get off? >> that was clearly by an easyjet pilot flying from from cardiff , who was very easyjet pilot flying from from cardiff, who was very clear in that. and i think it was a very responsible thing to do. i think holidaymakers , all of us have to holidaymakers, all of us have to think carefully at the moment about the impact we might have if we go to a particular zone which is under threat. the problem is, as i say, the advice that's being given out means that's being given out means that i would lose my money at the moment if i cancelled a trip because i was worried about going. and that's why the system has to change. there has to be a new code of conduct endorsed by airlines and tour operators to be able to be flexible and give people their money back if they are worried about going into a danger zone. and at the moment, there's no incentive for airlines or tour operators to do that because they will lose

money themselves . so something's money themselves. so something's got to give as we see more of these incidents develop. >> paul, thank you very much indeed for your time here in gb news. us. news. thanks forjoining us. let's an update now on all let's get an update now on all the headlines. rory's waiting for . us for. us >> thank you very much , mark. >> thank you very much, mark. the former ceo of natwest is no longer a member of the prime minister's business council. dame alison rose resigned from her roles as co—chair of the energy efficiency task force and as a member of the net zero council. after being asked to step down. well, it comes as ms rose admitted she discussed nigel farage relationship with the bank cuts to a bbc journalist . the bank cuts to a bbc journalist. but shares in natwest have slumped by 3, wiping more than 600 million off the bank's stock market value. wild fires circling the mediterranean have claimed the lives of more than 40 people,

three people have died in greece , with temperatures there set for 45 c, 34 people have died in algeria and a number of fatalities have been recorded in italy include three dead in sicily as wildfires. and a storm hits the country. blazes have also broken out in other parts, including portugal, syria, grand canaria, southern france and tunisia . the prime minister is tunisia. the prime minister is giving evidence to the infected blood inquiry. three rishi sunak is being questioned and on the government's response after thousands of people were infected with hiv and hepatitis by contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 80s in his opening statement, mr sunak said this is not just about historic wrongs . people are suffering and wrongs. people are suffering and being impacts. today, wrongs. people are suffering and being impacts . today, protests being impacts. today, protests are taking place in central london as demonstrators call for full compensation payments to those affected . a consultation those affected. a consultation on ticket office closures, which

was due to end today , has been was due to end today, has been extended to september the first. train operators unveiled proposals earlier this month for mass closures of station ticket offices after transport secretary mark harper urged them to cut costs. the rnib says it's concerned about the impact that this will have on blind or partially blind people . that's partially blind people. that's the up to date , but you can get the up to date, but you can get more on all of these stories by visiting our website. that is gbnews.com .

christys on gb news. i'm gb news radio . radio. >> welcome back to the live desk. let's bring you some breaking news we're getting from the united states. and they're reporting the billionaire reporting that the billionaire owner of spurs , joe louis, has owner of spurs, joe louis, has now handed himself in to the us authorities in manhattan. he's been accused of what the authorities said. there was brazen insider trading. the latest we're getting is that he he has surrendered to the us attorney's office, the federal authorities expected to be presented in the manhattan federal district court sometime today on criminal charges. 3018 counts of securities fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison . sentence of 20 years in prison. >> tottenham hotspur has already given a statement saying the indictment is a legal matter unconnected with the club. and

as such, we have no comment . as such, we have no comment. >> now, banking chiefs met the treasury minister, andrew griffith, earlier today to examine the continuing fallout from the nigel farage banking issue. the banks now committing themselves to account, closure, reforms after the industry chiefs had admitted that public trust had been hit by the farage case. >> certainly, investor confidence appears to be on the wane, shares in natwest, partially owned by the taxpayer. that's you and me , fell more that's you and me, fell more than 3% when markets opened. they have now slid even further , down up to 4% in volatile trading. >> well, talking of volatility, natwest board saying just yesterday it had full confidence in this woman. the bank's ceo, dame alison rose. but then she stood down in the early hours of this morning after downing street indicated it had signalled nificant concerns about the bank's handling of mr farage's account with its subsidiary, coutts well, let's

go live to natwest headquarters and speak to gb news political reporter catherine force. >> it sounds like, catherine, that according to andrew griffith, the city minister , griffith, the city minister, banks are going to have to change and change pretty quickly i >> -- >> it does sound like this and by no means is this only a story about coutts. nigel farage and dame alison rose and what she said or didn't say to the bbc's business editor. it is a wider issue about banks and free speech because what is emerging is that a number of mps have indicated that they have struggled , failed to get a bank struggled, failed to get a bank and of course we had last night when dame alison rose came out with her statement, the admission that she'd made a serious error of judgement. but natwest stood by her and it was only at the point that concerns were made very clear from number

10 and indeed the chancellor , 10 and indeed the chancellor, that an emergency meeting was convened and she ended up resigning at about a quarter to two. but certainly the repercussions of this are going on and on. and the city minister, andrew griffith, has been meeting with banking chiefs, making very clear to them that it is unacceptable to cancel somebody bank account because of their political views , he said. i hope the whole financial sector learns from this incident their role is to serve customers well , well and serve customers well, well and fairly. not to tell them what or how to think. now, i was talking to some people a little bit earlier about what they made of all this. let's have a look at what to say . what they had to say. >> absolutely , absolutely. >> it's absolutely, absolutely. a bank account of natwest. >> i closed it because of their behaviour . behaviour. >> they are appalling. and the whole board should go. >> don't really have an opinion,

but probably she's she's wrong. >> she's wrong and she . >> she's wrong and she. >> she's wrong and she. >> no, not really. we don't support farage, so it's not the matter of which she should have stepped down. i think large companies have to stick by their moral conduct and they have to preserve their corporate values first foremost . first and foremost. >> and supporting clients like nigel farage actually jeopardises their position as a company that actually has any values, who seems a bit of an overreaction, isn't it? >> do you think ? i think so. >> do you think? i think so. >> do you think? i think so. >> do you think? i think so. >> do you think she should have stayed in position and the information commissioner's office also saying that they are concerned, saying the banking duty of confidence , reality is duty of confidence, reality is over 100 years old. it's clear that it would not permit the disclosure of a customer's personal information to the media, so shares are down about 600 million, wiped off the value of natwest, which is, of course 39% owned by us. the taxpayer.

catherine thank you very much indeed for that. >> outside natwest headquarters, as you're saying, the share price taking a real hit today. well, let's talk now about the issue in a wider sense and speak to financial services lawyer ben kingsley, who can join us. ben thank you for your time. we spoke to angela knight earlier, who former chief who was the former chief executive british bankers executive of the british bankers association, and she said that there's already been a cultural change in the banks and a lot of what's happened is because they were by were asked to do this by successive governments as well . successive governments as well. >> well, i think it's certainly fair comment to say that bank culture has been in the spotlight for a number of years now . and, you know, largely as a now. and, you know, largely as a fallout of the very serious conduct that was revealed by the financial crisis . but it's also financial crisis. but it's also plain that there's still a long way to go . the issues that have way to go. the issues that have befallen rbs and natwest and coots this week are not new. unfortunately. this is this is

it's been going on for some time . and we know from our own experience that us for them, the campaigning organisation that i'm associated with that banks have been have been behaving in this way for at least the last year or two. so it's good to see commitment from government and a commitment from government and a commitment from government and a commitment from banks that they need to up their game . but this need to up their game. but this is it's coming quite late in the day and more needs to be done now you're the lawyer for for us them as you say now this was a parents group that campaigned to keep schools open during the pandemic pandemic. >> i should say. just explain then what happened to us for them . them. >> yeah. so us. us for them is a it's a grass roots parents and grandparents organisation action. we were very active dunng action. we were very active during the pandemic campaigning for children's welfare generally to be prioritised and given due

prominence in policy making and in particular of course that led to us campaigning hard on the issue of school closures, which was having a drastic and dramatic effect on on children across the country back in september of last year , september of last year, completely out of the blue, paypal, which had been providing thing, the payment means for for us them to receive very small donations from thousands of parents and grandparents across the country , most of them five, the country, most of them five, ten, £20. but paypal out of the blue, sent her an email to our founder to say that they had decided that due to the nature of our activities , they were of our activities, they were going to close down our paypal account . and worse than that, account. and worse than that, they not only froze the account with with no notice, they they they effectively seized all of they effectively seized all of the funds that were sitting in that account and refused to hand them back .

them back. >> and just very quickly, does that indicate to you that not only the banks have not been able to police themselves, but the financial ombudsman and the fca, the whole apparatus has failed as well ? failed as well? >> well, i think there is a question to be asked here about the role that the financial conduct authority can and should be playing here. back in september of last year, we mobilised very quickly and with with support from toby young, who leads the free speech union, who leads the free speech union, who suffered the same fate on almost the same day as us, for them in what looked like a fairly takedown by fairly coordinated takedown by paypal, we managed to call in for support from actually a lot of mps, a lot of peers who wrote to the business minister and to the treasury at the time and brought this to their attention. we asked then for the for the regulator to look carefully at what paypal had done, because it seemed to us to be totally inconsistent with the principles that they're obliged by law to,

to follow, to treat their customers fairly, to act with integrity . and so, yeah , there integrity. and so, yeah, there is there is a role for here the regulator. it seems that they've been slow to act and we would like to see them do more to act more aggressively to clamp down on this sort of behaviour. more aggressively to clamp down on this sort of behaviour . yeah, on this sort of behaviour. yeah, but you know , i think the coming but you know, i think the coming days, the coming weeks, we will see how committed they are to tackling these issues , tackling these issues, particularly in relation to what's just happened with with coots and the resignation of the chief executive , ben kingsley. chief executive, ben kingsley. >> thank you so much forjoining us this afternoon and giving us your insight . that was really your insight. that was really interesting. thank you . interesting. thank you. >> now let's just update you on what's been happening in the infected blood inquiry, because the prime minister, rishi sunak , has been giving evidence there because, of course, he was chancellor at the time of many of the community actions between

penny mordaunt, who's the paymaster general, and him as chancellor. but he's acknowledged that the victims of the appalling scandal had suffered for decades. he went on to tell the inquiry that clearly something needed to be done pretty urgently in terms of addressing the issue of the compensation. he still speaking there now at the inquiry. let's have a quick listen in. >> ordinarily, wait to have the final report so it has a full set of findings to make decisions on. there's legal decisions on. there's good legal precedent and reasons for that and decision making and rational decision making would suggest is the right would suggest that is the right thing to do. but i would go back to saying that that doesn't stop the government acting . and the government from acting. and it has acted the payment, i think, as you acknowledged , the think, as you acknowledged, the payment of interim compensation payments to 4500 people is a significant step . it was significant step. it was described as such by robert francis, where he i think he described those sums as , in his described those sums as, in his words, significant amounts, because he recognised at the time that it was likely that

ultimate compensation would take time. i believe the first interim report from this inquiry also acknowledged very clearly that it was likely that final the government would normally wait until final receiving the final report before making decisions and acknowledge that itself. so that was, i said, a recommendation in the interim, this inquiry recognised that thatis this inquiry recognised that that is what the likely i think scenario would be. so i don't think that's untoward, but the government is acting, acting with interim compensation payments and acting, as you said, to be the first government everin said, to be the first government ever in decades to accept the moral case for compensation. now, of course , that is only now, of course, that is only a step towards providing the recognition and redress that everyone here and everyone watching deserves . but it does, watching deserves. but it does, should, should give people some comfort about my and the government's determination to sort this out and address it. given we are taking steps that no other government has taken

in, what are the sound policy reasons you referred to in your answer a few minutes ago for waiting for the final report ? waiting for the final report? >> in this context, as i think as the inquiry acknowledged in its note of the 21st, whilst ongoing policy making is happening, it is difficult for me to comment in detail on those things and indeed that was something that the inquiry acknowledged in its note on the 21st of july and indeed something the minister of the cabinet office would have spoken to well as i said, in general to as well as i said, in general terms, can talk about it, terms, i can talk about it, which is important which is that it is important for decision making for rational decision making purposes, eagerly, if purposes, legal eagerly, if nothing else, to have the full findings of an inquiry before making decisions. >> that is absolutely precedented in normal advice and understanding the full context of all the inquiry's findings before making final decisions on something as complex and sensitive as this . sensitive as this. >> and i may be repeating a question , but what is it that

question, but what is it that the government thinks it will know relevant to compensation in that it doesn't already know ? that it doesn't already know? >> again , i know this will sound >> again, i know this will sound frustrating , but because there frustrating, but because there are active policies under consideration and so this is rishi sunak the prime minister giving evidence at the infected blood inquiry just to remind you, talking about the time when he was the chancellor discussing the whole issue of the interim payments, 1000 £100,000 to some 4000 people. >> but clearly the families involved want full compensation and recognition of what they've been through and that the prime minister would indicate would happen after the full report had been published. >> we want to show you some pictures, some live pictures from syria at the moment . we've from syria at the moment. we've been talking during the last three hours nearly about the wildfires. in fact , we've been wildfires. in fact, we've been talking about it for days now that raging across across

that are raging across across europe. well, they are also affecting syria . there are affecting syria. there are multiple wildfires across the central syrian countryside. temperatures there in parts of the country reaching 40 c. and one fire has broken out on pubuc one fire has broken out on public farmland and firefighting teams are working tirelessly to stop its spreading. >> let's just interrupt . we've >> let's just interrupt. we've got breaking news. kevin spacey has been found not guilty at his trial at southwark crown court . trial at southwark crown court. just to remind you, he had been facing charges of sexual assault, alleged to have been committed against four men . committed against four men. between 2001 and 2013. but the jury , between 2001 and 2013. but the jury , we understand, has just jury, we understand, has just returned and he's been found not guilty of sexually assaulting four men. that's just coming through from southwark crown court . spacey, who's just turned court. spacey, who's just turned 64, of course, had been involved in this very high profile case.

elton john giving evidence in his defence and that the defence had told the jury that he'd been tried by social media and effectively had been cancelled as a result of these allegations. >> and in the oscar winning actor's defence, he always denied using his power as an a—lister to get people into bed, saying he tried to help others and described the allegations as and described the allegations as a stab in the back. well, the jury a stab in the back. well, the jury have been deliberating since monday for the last three days. verdict has been due at london's southwark crown court. since then , seven counts of since then, seven counts of sexual assault against four men. kevin spacey was facing. but he has now been found not guilty of all charges that is the latest information we are getting at the moment . the moment. >> the prosecutors had said that his accusers were no longer prepared to be secret keepers for someone who had treated them so badly. but clearly, the jury has ignored that from the

prosecution gone with the defence saying that he had effectively been trialled by social media and the allegations of this behaviour as the prosecution had put it, between 2001 2013, they tried to paint him as a sexual predator , but him as a sexual predator, but that has now been rejected by the jury there at southwark crown court. >> that trial has been going on for the last 4—4 weeks at southwark crown court and mr justice mark wall sent jurors out on monday. on monday lunchtime. and so they have been deliberating since then. they heard evidence from each of spacey's four accusers who do have anonymity. they will not be be named, but they variously described the hollywood star as a vile sexual predator, slippery and atrocious, despicable and disgusting. but so much evidence was heard over the last four

weeks. those jurors have been deliberating since monday and in the last few moments, they have found the oscar winning actor not not guilty, not guilty of all offences from those men . the all offences from those men. the allegation that those men were making nine charge charges in total. but kevin spacey has also been found not guilty at southwark crown court, just to update you on what he had been facing in terms of the allegations, the counts included indecent assault, then seven counts on the original indictment of sexual assault. >> one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent. as we were saying, all these dating back . between 2001 and dating back. between 2001 and 2005 and indications from the prosecution that he used his position as a hollywood a—lister to actually pursue this

behaviour. but clearly, after what's been a long deliberation by the jury, they have actually rejected that assertion. >> and it should be noted the effect that this has had on the hollywood actors career. we'll hear more on that now from our national reporter paul hawkins, who looks at the background to the case. kwarteng. sir another high profile individual abusing their power or an innocent man wrongly accused . wrongly accused. >> the trial of kevin spacey was always going to generate huge media interest. the crown prosecution service has authorised four charges of sexual assault against hollywood actor kevin spacey relating to three men. >> the hollywood actor kevin spacey has been charged by the crown prosecution service with a further seven sex offences as by the end of the trial, spacey faced nine counts of sexual offence allegations by four different men from 2001 to 2013. >> it was at this west end theatre during a charity event in 2005 that one of those men

said spacey grabbed him by his private parts and made lewd comments about him. the man later telling police it was like a cobra. but the hollywood actor said the man made his entire story up from beginning to end, describing the prosecution case as weak. kevin during the trial, spacey called himself a big flirt . the prosecution said he flirt. the prosecution said he was a sexual bully . another man was a sexual bully. another man claimed spacey drugged him and he woke up in the actor's flat to find the oscar winner performing a sex act on him. the hollywood actor denied drugging him and said it was a consensual sexual experience romantic sexual experience and romantic situation . central to the situation. central to the prosecution's case was that he used his power and status to carry out the assaults. many of them included allegations that he grabbed , squeezed and touched he grabbed, squeezed and touched his four victims, genitals and buttocks over their clothing between 2005 and 2013, mostly dunng between 2005 and 2013, mostly during his time as artistic director at the old vic theatre

, one accuser claimed spacey grabbed his genitals on their way to a ball at elton john's house in 2002. but giving evidence, the singer said the actor attended the white tie and tiara event in 2001, the only year he could remember him attending grateful to our fans dunng attending grateful to our fans during the trial , the jury had during the trial, the jury had claim and counter—claim from, although spacey admitted he got the signals wrong with one accuser, but also described a sexual encounter with another as a romantic situation . he said he a romantic situation. he said he was lonely at times and found it hard to trust people because of his fame. before this trial, there had already been multiple allegations in the united states by men and women. some leading to private prosecutions about spacey's behaviour allegations he's always denied and private lawsuits. he's successful , lawsuits. he's successful, defended. but the damage to his 40 year career has been considerable. the tv and film projects dried up. >> you know, i happen to believe that we get what we deserve. >> netflix dropped him from

their hit show house of cards , their hit show house of cards, successfully suing him for costs incurred . totalling $31 million. incurred. totalling $31 million. spacey still has two films, including a british political thriller slate for release this year. thriller slate for release this year . and now that he's been year. and now that he's been acquitted, the question is whether he can rebuild his career to its previous stature. paul hawkins. gb news. >> well, good afternoon. >> well, good afternoon. >> it's just >> well, good afternoon. >> it'sjust just >> well, good afternoon. >> it's just just gone. 3:00. i'm nana akua. >> it's just just gone. 3:00. i'm nana akua . i'm in for i'm nana akua. i'm in for patrick christie . and of course, patrick christie. and of course, we've had this incredible verdict. but coming up the verdict. but coming up in the next hour , the breaking story. next hour, the breaking story. kevin spacey has been found not guilty on all counts. we'll be covering more of that. and then, of course, nigel farage, the banking scandal goes on. it rumbles on. of course, dame alison rose has resigned , but alison rose has resigned, but should she be the only one to go? and as we all know, the wildfires, the big story of raging on through parts of

europe they're