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tv   Farage  GB News  October 31, 2023 7:00pm-8:01pm GMT

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>> good evening. a tory mp caused uproar last week, saying her staff were being harassed by asylum seekers. we went to hartlepool to find out whether what she said was true. we'll cover the latest protests in london tonight, which are pretty shocking and go to israel and find out what is happening in gaza as we speak. and it was the big day in the covid inquiry when those closest in the government, boris johnson, including dominic cummings, gave their testimony. they tell us today what they really thought about the prime minister. but is it really true? was he really like a shopping trolley crashing around the corridors of number 10? we'll debate all of that this evening. but first, let's get the news with tatiana sanchez. >> nigel, thank you very much.
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and good evening. this is the latest, boris johnson's former chief adviser has told the covid inquiry he warned of the nhs imploding like a zombie apocalypse film . dominic apocalypse film. dominic cummings says he called for daily crisis meetings, fearing the pandemic was coming much faster than expected. he also said the government had no plan to help vulnerable people during lockdown and the cabinet office was trying to block the creation of a shielding plan. >> the cabinet office was a bombsite and many officials had come to me and said this is causing chaos . there has to be causing chaos. there has to be some formalised system to actually grip this because the cabinet office was a dumpster fire. the us state department says it's intensely focussed on getting the rafah crossing open to allow foreigners to leave gaza. >> it will reportedly be opened tomorrow. earlier explosions were seen and heard in tel aviv as it suffered its second major rocket barrage of the day. it comes as israel's prime minister
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benjamin netanyahu dismissed calls for a ceasefire in the war, saying it would mean surrendering to terrorism in gaza. surrendering to terrorism in gaza . 50 palestinians have gaza. 50 palestinians have reportedly been killed in 150 injured in a suspected israeli airstrike. the director of a nearby hospital in the territory says a densely populated area in a refugee camp was hit in the north of the strip . meanwhile north of the strip. meanwhile a pro—palestine ceasefire rally is currently taking place inside liverpool street station . it's liverpool street station. it's not currently known if this is going to cause any rail disruption . we'll bring you more disruption. we'll bring you more as we get it . more disruption. we'll bring you more as we get it. more than disruption. we'll bring you more as we get it . more than 8300 as we get it. more than 8300 people have been killed by israeli attacks in gaza . and israeli attacks in gaza. and finally , king charles has finally, king charles has delivered a speech at the state house in nairobi where he quoted from the late queen, his mother's diary in that queen elizabeth ii said she didn't want to miss a moment of kenya's extra ordinary landscape. king
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charles also thanked the people of kenya for their support for the late queen. in 1952, when she became monarch, his majesty also acknowledged the more difficult times of britain and kenya's shared history , kenya's shared history, finishing with a touching toast . finishing with a touching toast. >> it is upon the enduring connection between our people that our partnership rests . it that our partnership rests. it is on their enterprise imagination and fortitude that our common hopes depend . our common hopes depend. together, we are stronger together . for our future is together, we are stronger together. for our future is more secure. and together . for as secure. and together. for as your national anthem says, may we dwell in unity , peace and we dwell in unity, peace and liberty . liberty. >> this is gb news across the uk on tv in your car, on your digital radio, and now on your smart speaker. by simply saying play gb news now it's back to .
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play gb news now it's back to. nigel in pmqs last week we had jill mortimer, the mp for hartlepool, saying that her workers in her constituency office were being harassed repeatedly by asylum seekers. >> this caused a considerable degree of uproar in the house of commons and in much of the press ever since, and we sent charlie peters our gb news investigates reporter up there to find out whether what she said was true. but it is also worth noting and i think this has been chronically underreported aged that an asylum seeker in hartlepool has been charged with murder and the case was investigated by the counter terrorism police. we're not allowed to say any more about that legally, but it's important , i think, that, you know . so , i think, that, you know. so let's go to hartlepool and let's see, what did charlie peters find out whilst jill mortimer telling the truth ? telling the truth? >> hartlepool mp jill mortimer caused a storm in westminster
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earlier this month when she claimed that migrants had besieged her office. >> my staff are intimidated by young men. the fact is, most of them are illegal migrants who should be expelled . should be expelled. >> but critics said that these comments could fuel hate crimes and scaremongering and played into racist stereotypes about migrants . i sat down with the migrants. i sat down with the tory mp to find out what was really going on. are you angry at the home office and indeed your own home office team for the fact that your staff are facing intimidation from people who have been refused , eased the who have been refused, eased the leave to remain but are still in your town ? is there not your town? is there not a dereliction of duty from your own government towards protecting your staff here? >> let me tell you now that whatever has been going on in the past, i have absolutely every faith in robert jenrick the immigration minister, to get a grip on this. now and suella the secretary . i know that the home secretary. i know that they as anxious tous as i am they are as anxious tous as i am to deal with this problem and i have every faith that they will.
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>> despite the mps saying that intimidation by migrants had been a problem since she came into office, she still said that she had faith in the government to a grip on immigration. to get a grip on immigration. her team showed us footage supporting claims that migrants regularly gather outside their offices, often in groups. the mps office manager told us about her experience. >> i will get a crowd of 2 or 3. i've had up to 20 young men at the door. they press on the bell when they don't get an answer on the bell, they knock on the windows. then they kick the door .then windows. then they kick the door . then they'll press the bell again. they ring the phone. again. then they ring the phone. when i first started, did you still open the door let still open the door and let people in and speak to them? because obviously we're here to help. but then it was i'd go to the door and they'd push past and just walk straight in and i've got to look after the staff in here. i can't have 5 or 6 young men storming into the office. i generally don't feel
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intimidated, but if you get a gentleman to the door and i'm going to get their documents and they push past me and push that door to get in, then yes, that's intimidating . it's not a nice intimidating. it's not a nice feeling . i do have younger staff feeling. i do have younger staff members in the other office. we've got no protection once they're in here. >> but how does it feel to have your personal experience or being intimidated? described as racist stereotyping? how does that make you feel? do you feel like you're it's annoying. >> makes me angry and it's >> it makes me angry and it's disappointing as well. i think the political the priorities and political correctness the safety of correctness over the safety of anybody, it's like we don't matter . we're just here to serve matter. we're just here to serve . but what's going to happen if something happens to us? are they going to come in and do it instead? or are they going to say , oh, well, you know, that say, oh, well, you know, that shouldn't have happened? far shouldn't have happened? how far does go ? do we have does it have to go? do we have to be hurt? is that what they want? they want somebody be want? they want somebody to be hurt we can then say, hurt so that we can then say, oh, well, actually, she probably wasn't racist, or are they going to say what deserved because
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to say what she deserved because she was racist? >> jill mortimer her team >> jill mortimer and her team reported intimidation by asylum seekers and illegal migrants in hartlepool, but locals in her town said that the government was not doing enough to deal with this situation . do you with this situation. do you think the government is paying enough attention concerns enough attention to the concerns of people in teesside in general enough attention to the concerns of p hartlepoolesside in general enough attention to the concerns of p hartlepool iniide in general enough attention to the concerns of p hartlepool in particular? ral and hartlepool in particular? >> government any >> the government never pay any attention to the north. it's always a north divide always been a north south divide and to be that and it's always going to be that way. it ever going to change? way. is it ever going to change? probably not. gilmartin was probably shouting her mouth off and nothing's going to get done about more interested in about it. the more interested in berlin, bannon, a bulldog breed in inciting issues like this out charlie peters gb news heartless paul well, that was hartley. >> paul i'd be very keen to know whether this sort of thing has been happening in your town not for tonight, but for future programmes. let me know. farage at gb news dot com. and charlie peters joins now the peters joins me now in the studio. it appear , studio. well, it does appear, doesit studio. well, it does appear, does it that jill mortimer, does it not, that jill mortimer, the member of parliament for hartlepool, was telling the
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truth and can only show just hartlepool, was telling the trportion can only show just hartlepool, was telling the trportion of can only show just hartlepool, was telling the trportion of then only show just hartlepool, was telling the trportion of the footage 10w just hartlepool, was telling the trportion of the footage that ust hartlepool, was telling the trportion of the footage that we a portion of the footage that we saw week. saw last week. >> were dozens of clips, >> there were dozens of clips, just the we've just just like the ones we've just broadcast of groups of men, sometimes families, as in one case, 5 or 6 gathering outside that door, knocking door, that door, knocking on the door, often phoning the office while they're there. some the they're there. and some of the testimony we from the testimony we heard from the staff they felt staff that they felt intimidated, they two intimidated, as they claimed two weeks that there weeks ago, but also that there have incidents when they'd have been incidents when they'd come through come to the door, pushed through and though they'd and they'd felt as though they'd been by these groups been assaulted by these groups seeking an appointment seeking to get an appointment because been told that because they've been told that if go and speak to the local if you go and speak to the local mp, can get your claims mp, you can get your claims sorted home office will sorted out. the home office will rush it through. have rush it through. they don't have those they can't do it. those powers, they can't do it. but rumour spreads and but this rumour spreads and these occur and well, these incidents occur and well, they as racist they were described as racist scaremongering when jill scaremongering claims when jill mortimer raised this. >> no, they were. and she was given quite tough time some given quite a tough time in some of newspapers daring. of the newspapers for daring. well, she also said we should deport people come deport people who've come here illegally and obviously further inflame to think inflame those that seem to think the should open the channel should be open to almost everybody . now, charlie, almost everybody. now, charlie, it seems to me and i've just
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asked our audience the same question, that if this is happening in hartlepool if, happening in hartlepool and if, as say, narrative has as you say, the narrative has spread given social media spread and given social media and tiktok and all these things , and tiktok and all these things, we need to find out how widespread this problem is. >> and it's worth noting that hartlepool is generally considered by the state and by the government as quite a successful town for dealing with illegal and the huge illegal migration and the huge asylum backlog, in part asylum seeker backlog, in part because there no of because there are no usages of hotels in hartlepool. they're very proud about that. the local party up there, they don't actually store migrants. >> no, but there are plenty of private houses that are being rented. mean, that's how rented. i mean, that's how they're isn't they're doing it, isn't it? >> and walking the town, they're doing it, isn't it? >> didi walking the town, they're doing it, isn't it? >> did seelking the town, they're doing it, isn't it? >> did see people the town, they're doing it, isn't it? >> did see people just the town, they're doing it, isn't it? >> did see people just hanging n, we did see people just hanging around nearby areas that we presumed were informed were presumed and were informed were used seekers and used by asylum seekers and people who'd had their claims rejected were still there. and this cause this is the cause of the complaint mortimer . this is the cause of the complaint mortimer. not complaint by jill mortimer. not only is her office dealing with people knocking on the door, intimid waiting, her staff besieging her office, as she claims, but many of the claims, but also many of the people that have been told people doing that have been told you need to go your asylum
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process has been rejected and yet they're still there. and that's the cause of the rage. and you can imagine the frustration at that news and being female are being that female staff are facing intimidation facing that intimidation and being playing being told that you're playing up stereotypes and up to racist stereotypes and you're we've you're scaremongering. we've contacted who made contacted the people who made those claims. we've told them about footage. seen those claims. we've told them abouenough. tage. seen those claims. we've told them abouenough. tagthaven't seen those claims. we've told them abouenough. tagthaven't had n response. >> no. and that chap you interviewed anonymously at the end, know, who whatever end, you know, who said whatever jill got the jill mortimer says, he's got the feeling nothing will feeling that nothing will change, nothing will be done. and if we move, people and frankly, if we move, people out hotels put them in out of hotels and put them in private i mean, what is private houses, i mean, what is the difference it's just the difference anyway? it's just more within society. more diffuse within society. well, i think it's very well, charlie, i think it's very interesting that you went and we've up what to we've backed up what she had to say the of commons. but say in the house of commons. but we do need to find other mps. and bet you there'll be and i'll bet you there'll be northern and northern mps, both labour and conservative, because as you know, the vast majority of people come through people that come in through doven people that come in through dover, we'll send them to dover, oh, we'll send them to the of and that's the north of england and that's where burden is. will you where the burden is. so will you go me some more mps? go and find me some more mps? absolutely. >> and if he wants to have gb news come investigate.
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news come in, investigate. no other willing to other broadcaster was willing to look footage. were. look at that footage. we were. we prove it. the same we can prove it. if the same problem in your problem is going on in your town, let us know and i'll be there. >> absolutely. well, charlie, they're backing up exactly what i to couple of i said to you a couple of minutes if you know of this minutes ago. if you know of this problem in your town, if you're a member of parliament and you're problem you're having the same problem that had up in that is being had up in hartlepool jill mortimer, let hartlepool by jill mortimer, let us want the us know because we want the truth out now, one of truth to come out now, one of the long running campaigns of this programme, and indeed something feel something that i feel very strongly base at strongly about, is the base at raf scampton, guy gibson, the home course, the dambusters home of course, the dambusters squadron been squadron. now there's been a high court today and squadron. now there's been a hignowurt today and squadron. now there's been a hignow go today and squadron. now there's been a hignow go live today and squadron. now there's been a hignow go live to today and squadron. now there's been a hignow go live to former, fly and squadron. now there's been a hignow go live to former, sadly we now go live to former, sadly raf scampton to speak to gb news east midlands. reporter will hollis. will, what have we learned from the court today ? learned from the court today? >> yes. well it's the start of the judicial review , which is the judicial review, which is going to be a two day hearing. todayis going to be a two day hearing. today is the first day tomorrow will be the second and it can take scampton in one of two
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directions. the first is a £300 million regional station in investment in aerospace tech apologies and a guaranteed preservation of their heritage of the dambuster for general afions of the dambuster for general ations to come in the other direction. it could be the answer to solving part of a difficult chapter in the government's handling of the migrant crisis. easing the pressure on hotels which right now are costing £8 million a day . the two things that we've heard that are interesting, let's say nigel, are the first part, which is something that we expected to hear, that the councils west lindsey district council and braintree, which represents raf wethersfield in essex, they said that the use of airbase was by the home office for asylum seekers is unlawful. we expected to hear that at the judicial review. one of the things that we didn't expect to hear though was that there is an accusation that the time that
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they will be using these bases for is much longer than the original one year. it could in fact be as long as three years. we didn't hear a hell of a lot from the home office. we're going to be hearing a lot more from them tomorrow. but they in statements have said that they think that they are following the planning requirements the right planning requirements here. , at raf here. of course, at raf scampton, there are still many people that are sleeping outside of the front gates in tents with their signs saying that we don't want this to happen here, but they are optimistic about the judicial review, but they say if it doesn't go in their favour , it doesn't go in their favour, if in a few weeks that we find out that raf scampton and wethersfield will be used to house asylum seekers permanently for that three year period, they say that they aren't going anywhere. nigel interesting. >> i was going to ask you. well, you know, you've spent more time in scampton recently than i have.i in scampton recently than i have. i mean, i wonder whether perhaps within the community they were beginning to just
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accept that they've lost and it's going to happen. but you also you're saying that's clearly the case? clearly not the case? >> it doesn't seem to be. i think there are two elements to the question. you've just asked. people are saying that they aren't going to give up the fight, that they're going to be here outside of raf scampton, people are from scampton, people that are from scampton, but people from as far but also people from as far south as devon, but the other thing that i've been hearing today from the local residents of scampton camp, which is the former married living quarters of base, is that they're of the raf base, is that they're prepared if people do move in and the way that they're preparing ultimately security preparing is ultimately security measures. one person showed me a personal alarm that they have new cameras, bigger fences. and the way that they describe it is because they have a fear of the unknown about what is going to happenif unknown about what is going to happen if asylum seekers do move in here. >> nigel yeah, i see the village of scampton . will hollis, thank of scampton. will hollis, thank you very much indeed. and clearly the fear there is very, very real in a moment i won't
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just go to tel aviv and stalked gb news gb news mark. i'll also show you the scenes that have taken place during the rush hour at liverpool street station in the city of london tonight. pro palette opinion demonstrations making it very difficult for anyone to catch a train. all of that and a couple of minutes
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>> you're listening to gb news radio . radio. >> take a look at this . this is >> take a look at this. this is liverpool street station in the city of london this evening dunng city of london this evening during the rush hour . and you during the rush hour. and you can see that it is absolute , can see that it is absolute, absolutely filled with an occupy movement. but this time it isn't just stop oil. it is an extinction rebellion and indeed, in terms of the numbers in involved, it is significantly bigger. no, this is a pro—palestinian occupy from a
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group called sisters uncut out who are a feminist group taking direct action for domestic and sexual violence services. since 2014. d0 sexual violence services. since 2014. do these people not actually understand and that in palestine and in nearly all of palestine, women come directly under the guardianship of men? women don't have the same rights as men , and i wonder whether as men, and i wonder whether they and some of their fellow protesters realise that when it comes to lgbt, a small group of people with a rainbow flag in gaza last year were very severely beaten up. i find the whole thing astonishing , severely beaten up. i find the whole thing astonishing, but here it is yet again in yet again we see the politics of other countries on the streets of london and often elsewhere too. if this is what tony blair intended to give us through diversity , i have to tell you, diversity, i have to tell you, mr blair, i don't think it was very successful. and why have
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you been so quiet about all of this over the course of the last couple of weeks? you started it. sadly, the tories continue with it. now let's get to tel aviv and let's to gb news. the and let's talk to gb news. the security mark white. and security editor, mark white. and mark, for all the talk that we've been getting from people in the united nations and demands for permanent ceasefires overnight , demands for permanent ceasefires overnight, right. demands for permanent ceasefires overnight , right. the israeli overnight, right. the israeli prime minister netanyahu, he has been pretty clear that this is a time for . war and they've taken time for. war and they've taken him at his word. >> this has been the most violent day. so far in the gaza strip with israeli ground troops on the ground pushing their way down into northern gaza towards gaza city itself. there was intense fighting around jabalia, where there is a refugee camp in there as well. and reports coming out that there were
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israeli airstrikes at this refugee camp with claims from the hamas run interior ministry of hundreds of people that was killed. you've always got to take anything that the hamas run health or indeed interior ministry say with, you know, the acknowledgement that this is coming from the hamas controlled government. there what we are being told from the idf just in the last hour is that that intense fighting is continuing, that they have managed to destroy a very significant hamas site where tunnel entrances were, where rocket launch sites were, where rocket launch sites were command and control posts and also weapons dumps. were command and control posts and also weapons dumps . they and also weapons dumps. they claim that they have killed more than 50 hamas terrorist. but the toll has also so been on the israeli side with two israeli soldiers killed. at least two
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more seriously injured. and there are certainly there is talk in israel of more deaths and injuries. but the idf is not in a position to talk about that at this stage . nigel. at this stage. nigel. >> no. and significant, i thought that the houthi movement in yemen confirmed that they have now been firing rockets into israel for the last three days. >> yes. and the ah spokesman speaking today said that they are now in this fight effectively and they are to going continue to target israel with ballistic missiles and also drones and surface to surface missile was fired from a location in the red sea today. it was intercepted by new israeli missile system that was also so called into action to take down drones that headed for the red sea resort of eilat . so
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the red sea resort of eilat. so some real concern and it's not just, of course, southern israel and this red sea resort , but and this red sea resort, but northern israel is seeing increased action again from hezbollah and associated groups in southern lebanon and over in syria and iraq, reports of more attacks on us bases there. another four attacks, at least in the last 24 hours. so some real concern about the way in which hour by hour , this scene which hour by hour, this scene here continues to deteriorate. >> absolutely . grave news >> absolutely. grave news indeed. mark white from tel aviv, thank you . i did note that aviv, thank you. i did note that hamas have told mediators that they will release a number of foreign captives in the coming days and we will watch out for that. but for the 20,000 troops that. but for the 20,000 troops that israel have put into gaza and for all the airstrikes and the claims that they're taking out hamas bases , i'm struck by out hamas bases, i'm struck by the fact that there is something
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like 300 miles of tunnels underneath gaza and i'm pleased to be joined by warfare expert hamish de bretton—gordon, former british army colonel, chemical weapons expert , and somebody weapons expert, and somebody that i believe had a look weapons expert, and somebody thata believe had a look weapons expert, and somebody thata serious had a look weapons expert, and somebody thata serious think ad a look weapons expert, and somebody thata serious think aboutook weapons expert, and somebody that a serious think about the and a serious think about the war underground. hamish, welcome to the program. as i say, we can flatten the top of it. we can kill everybody above the ground . kill everybody above the ground. but ultimately , isn't this but ultimately, isn't this a little bit like vietnam ? haven't little bit like vietnam? haven't we got to win the war underground as well? haven't israel got to win the war underground? >> and nigel, good evening. yeah, absolutely . it is highly yeah, absolutely. it is highly likely that the 240 hostages are being held captive underground. there are probably hundreds of miles of these tunnels that that hamas have developed over the last several years , and that is last several years, and that is where they hide. they know it very well now, and that is where they are launching all their strikes from the strike on the
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refugee camp that you're correspondents just been talking about looks as though that hit a major tunnel complex because a massive hole has been created there . but the challenge of there. but the challenge of fighting in the dark in these places is massive. now, the israelis are have specialist special forces operators to do this. but even so , it is going this. but even so, it is going to be a huge challenge . now, for to be a huge challenge. now, for once in my life, i agree with actually keir starmer that we do not we cannot have a ceasefire that would create military paralysis , particularly as we paralysis, particularly as we approach as the israelis approach as the israelis approach to the tunnels. but what i would agree with others that we need a massive humanitarian operation so that the innocent palestinians who hamas are using as shields can get out of the way, get fed and allow the idf to sort out these 30,000 terrorists, most of them are going to be underground and it's going to be a really hard
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fight, but even more difficult with those millions of innocent civilians that they're being used effectively as bullet traps. >> yeah, i mean, i understand about 40, about 40 trucks a day with aid is getting into gaza, which is something. but it's by no means i think, enough for the humanitarian problem that is there when it comes to that war underground. presumably presumably the idf has night sights , night vision goggles, sights, night vision goggles, presumed clearly they have far better kit than hamas to take on this challenge. well they do. >> the israelis are israeli special forces are very well trained on this, actually. you know, there is a great fear that hamas might use chemical weapons under there. and we understand that hamas do have chemical weapons . and when i was the weapons. and when i was the peshmergas , chemical weapons peshmergas, chemical weapons adviser fighting isis, isis through chemical weapons at us. but yeah, sure , the idf will but yeah, sure, the idf will have breathing apparatus. they have breathing apparatus. they have a lot of high tech stuff for dealing underground, but
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it's still a massive challenge. as you said , anybody who's read as you said, anybody who's read the stories of fighting underground in the vietnam war cannot be moved , moved less, cannot be moved, moved less, moved by the horrific scenes that come out of there. exactly the same. now, hamas will know the same. now, hamas will know the ground. these are terrorists who who are quite happy to die for their so—called cause, quite happy to have civilians in front of them. and that is what makes it hugely challenging. they'll booby trap and in the dark. it hugely challenging. they'll booby trap and in the dark . you booby trap and in the dark. you know, night vision doesn't work quite so well underground. but we do know that the israelis have a lot of unmanned vehicles that that will they'll push in front some. so small you can't see. but for all the technology that the idf have, this is still a huge, huge challenge, which is why i think , you know, we need why i think, you know, we need to get as much humanitarian aid in the south to feed the palestinians while the idf deal
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with hamas underground and hopefully save some some or most of those hostages . of those hostages. >> liz yeah, absolutely. couldn't agree more. hamish de bretton—gordon, thank you for giving us your level of expertise and what a thought hamish put there. not just a war underground, but one that could involve the use of chemical weapons to big day at the covid inquiry , lee cain and dominic inquiry, lee cain and dominic cummings , two of the people cummings, two of the people closest to prime minister johnson during his time at 10 downing street during the covid crisis . they really did let rip crisis. they really did let rip today. was it really all boris's fault
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radio. well it was a pretty astonishing day at the covid inquiry, including excerpts such as this from dominic cummings, who clearly hadn't dressed for the day . day. >> you should trolley on it, meaning ? meaning? >> well, i'm using this sort of genenc
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>> well, i'm using this sort of generic term that we often used about the pm, the term you used and his cabinet secretary used and his cabinet secretary used and his cabinet secretary used and his director of communications used and other officials, no doubt about his propensity to pretty much everyone called him the trolley. yeah, we had a fundamental problem. well, we had many fundamental problems to do. most obvious ones were the cabinet office was a bombsite and we had a huge problem of, of quality control of document going into meetings and inconsistent data , meetings and inconsistent data, inconsistent facts being read out. and many officials had come to me and said this is causing chaos. there has to be some formalised system to actually grip this because the cabinet office was a dumpster fire. >> well, there you are , scruffy, >> well, there you are, scruffy, vindictive and vitriolic . but vindictive and vitriolic. but then that's kind of dominic cummings. well, tom hannood, our deputy political editor, was there. now we started off, tom, i know, with lee cain, the former director of
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communications, and then cummings . what was your overall cummings. what was your overall impression of the day? was this an attempt at to sort of pin all the blame on boris johnson ? the blame on boris johnson? >> do you know what? i think a lot of people expected it to be a lot of vitriol towards boris johnson. but perhaps the biggest surprise was how much the blame was spread around . it wasn't was spread around. it wasn't just boris johnson that dominic cummings went after , but also cummings went after, but also sage, the cabinet office, the health department, matt hancock, and just about all the arms of government and how government works in this country. he had huge criticisms for senior members of the civil service, most notably the people in charge of the cabinet office, whom he described as utterly useless in their jobs. he was very nice about some people , but very nice about some people, but very, very mean about others, and particularly how these systems report in to number 10, meaning that the whole system of
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government was not communicating to itself particularly well. he had huge criticisms for how certain committees work , most certain committees work, most notably cobra, which wasn't even allowing in the most up to date data in many ways, the government was dealing with data that was weeks and weeks old. but perhaps the most notable thing for me was how dominic cummings went after certain sage science artists, because there's this narrative that has been built up over the last year or so that it was the scientists saying lockdown and the politicians who were saying no . politicians who were saying no. whereas actually in reality , we, whereas actually in reality, we, the scientists, were not saying lockdown very early in many ways, the scientists were saying don't close the borders. dominic cummings said that there was this view in government and around advisors that closing the borders to china might have been racist and that was one of the reasons why the united kingdom didn't have a stronger border policy, which is an extra
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ordinary position to find ourselves in. but yes, huge blame spread across many different areas of government. >> tom hannood thank you very much indeed. i know you're going to be back there tomorrow and thank you for joining to be back there tomorrow and thank you forjoining us to be back there tomorrow and thank you for joining us this evening. well, we were told all the way through we'd be following science and following the science and therefore every decision that following the science and thenmadeevery decision that following the science and then made would acision that following the science and then made would beion that following the science and then made would be a n that following the science and thenmade would be a wiset following the science and then made would be a wise one. was made would be a wise one. i wonder what dr. bharat pankhania, senior clinical lecturer at the university of exeter and former public health consultant in communicable disease control, makes of the inquiry. so far. were we were we following the science ? following the science? >> well, clearly not, nigel. and what is concerning is that the elephant in the room has still not been addressed because the questions to ask are why were you concerned about the hospitals? well you were concerned about the hospitals because over the last 13 or so years , you have underinvested in
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years, you have underinvested in resilience capacity in our hospitals. and now the pandemic has arrived and you're unable to cope. and we repeat , we see you cope. and we repeat, we see you know, dominic cummings, prime minister boris johnson , matt minister boris johnson, matt hancock discussing what i feel is beyond their capabilities because they're politicians . because they're politicians. they're not pandemic experts . they're not pandemic experts. and yet they were discussing should we do this, should we do this, should we do that? i know decisions are political, but they appear to be discussing the science for which they are not qualified. >> interesting, but no, that's a very, very powerful point . now, very, very powerful point. now, look, you know, this inquiry will rumble on. maybe there'll be some accountability. probably not it. but can we and this is the really important thing that people want to know, can we learn some lessons from this? so that if this type of problem comes again, we can handle it that much better ? well i hope
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so. >> but with respect to learning , >> but with respect to learning, unfortunately, we have a propensity to have history repeating itself and an inquiry that takes so many years . and that takes so many years. and then the key people have left moved on. et cetera. dilutes the effect of an inquiry key for an effect of an inquiry key for an effect for an inquiry to be really good, really effective lessons learned. it ought to be shorter in time, period wide . shorter in time, period wide. >> whereas bharat pankhania, thank you for giving us that. thank you. assessing it was very open, very honest, wasn't he? well of course there's politics in this. and of course, i'm joined by paul connew, author of a boris johnson biography , not a a boris johnson biography, not a fan of boris and a man who's written books on the covid 19 pandemic. it does seem , paul, pandemic. it does seem, paul, that before we got on to boris johnson, i know not your favourite person , but with the favourite person, but with the cummings testimony , the whole cummings testimony, the whole world, basically the whole world of from it was of apart from him, it was
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certainly today, actually. >> it was fascinating in one sense. it showed a government by whatsapp shows us what's up with governments. in fact, in in many ways. but it was almost an orgy of blame gaming ego tripping , of blame gaming ego tripping, backstabbing, you know , it was backstabbing, you know, it was it was fascinating. but but i don't think amanda inukai could have imagined this for an episode of the thick of it. it was it was beyond satire , the was it was beyond satire, the description of the farce that was going on. >> and i mean, you know, lee cain was politer, but even he said that the prime minister used to oscillate, you know, one minute, one minute he was pursuing jaws strategy, pursuing the jaws strategy, which keep the beaches open which is keep the beaches open and minute it was keep and the next minute it was keep the beaches. >> that's the boris's >> that's the story of boris's life, isn't it? >> well, i mean, you are boris's fiercest critic. what of fiercest critic. what i kind of get from all of this is , is that get from all of this is, is that bofisis get from all of this is, is that boris is and, you know, you can see you can go to october . the see you can go to october. the 15th of october 2020. you know , 15th of october 2020. you know, he says, you know , really, you
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he says, you know, really, you know , it shows we don't go for know, it shows we don't go for nationwide lockdown again , every nationwide lockdown again, every instinct in boris is saying, let's do what the swedes are doing. let's not lock down. let's after the initial errors. and there were huge initial errors, but that could happen to anybody in an unknown circumstance by october, we ought to have known what we were doing, you know, with testing, isolation sorts isolation, those sorts of things. this shows me all things. what this shows me all the through is something the way through is something different about boris johnson that to do what he that he wants to do what he believes is the right thing and then gets talked out of it. >> well, yes, but what came through then and although i, i, i find and dominic cummings, a man with an ego ego the size of mount olympus, that in fact some of what he said was undoubtedly, you know, accurate. but i'm particularly in lee cain said the same thing is that boris would say one thing and the next person he met would say something else . and he was like something else. and he was like a like a rather thin tree blowing in the well. boris was
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never thin, but a tree blowing , never thin, but a tree blowing, blowing in the in the wind and totally unpredictable. yeah >> i mean, it was interesting. lee cain said that boris himself had said he wasn't the right leader for this crisis . well, of course. >> of course, boris. of course, soon will give his own evidence . soon will give his own evidence. in fact, later, later this year and i'm sure he'll be giving his views when he joins this parish, in fact. >> oh, he will undoubtedly be giving his views , but it'll be giving his views, but it'll be fascinating see he says fascinating to see what he says and course, also what and of course, what also what the prime says, the present prime minister says, because there can be awkward questions about the then questions about about the then chancellor, rishi sunak's approach to all as well. approach to it all as well. >> he's to going have >> he's not to going have a smooth ride. it's it's smooth ride. it's a it's certainly very forensic and certainly a very forensic and aggressive case there for the inquiry. >> oh, no, he knows what he's doing. paul, final thought. will we learn any lessons? >> hopefully, yes. i mean, this is this is about finding out who is this is about finding out who is to blame , what went wrong. is to blame, what went wrong. but it's equally important because there's going to be another . virtually another pandemic. virtually every scientist will tell you that there's going to be another
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another we need be another one. so we need to be prepared. and we certainly weren't for prepared this. one matter matt might matter what matt hancock might have no pretending, no paul coyte you. >> thank you, as ever for joining us on the show. what the farage is the ulez farage moment is the ulez extension. now have some extension. we now have some numbers. day are numbers. 60,000 cars a day are having to pay the £12.50. that means tfl are better off to the tune of £730,000 a day. but here's the key . number about here's the key. number about 50,000 fewer cars a day . they 50,000 fewer cars a day. they are operating on the outskirt of london and what it means is sadiq khan is you have trapped the poor or you have trapped the elderly in their houses for fear of paying £12.50. whatever your views are on net zero or climate change. this was never the right way to do it. in a moment, an upbeat story, a victory, at least i think it is a massive government u—turn on ticket office closures . apparently
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office closures. apparently they're going to stay open. i think that's a good news story to end the program .
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on well, i was always right alongside the rmt's mick lynch on the idea that closing down all the ticket offices was a really rotten idea . people get really rotten idea. people get there, they can be confused by there, they can be confused by the machines. it's also for a sense of safety. nice to know that someone's there, particularly at somewhat deserted smaller stations . it deserted smaller stations. it also means cash stays in circulation on the railways. i'm pleased. but let's get the full story . christian wolmar is a story. christian wolmar is a railway journalist, historian and labour politician. and a former labour politician. chris john, why did they think it was a genius idea to close all these offices down? >> well, actually the idea came initially from the train
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operating companies who wanted to save some money, right? and they tried to do a deal with the department for transport said if we save you some money, can we have half the money for us and half the money and the half the money for you and the department transport said no department for transport said no , like your idea. so , but we like your idea. so we'll take the idea. give us we'll take on the idea. give us these plans to close basically 900 ticket offices and we'll kind of sort them out and we'll take them through the process, which is to get them set by an organisation called transport focus. we'd have to look at them, right? but then it all went horribly wrong. first of all, there were three quarters of a million people responded to the consultation process and i bet that 749,000 of them kind of were against it. and then transport focus kind of had a look at it and basically today they've announced that actually they've announced that actually they've rejected all these plans. none of them actually passed muster then none of them kind of satisfied needs for kind of satisfied the needs for people to get into the stations and buy tickets over the counter
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and buy tickets over the counter and stuff and so therefore they're dead and asked for advice and all that sort of stuff. you know, complicated tickets , some train lines with tickets, some train lines with different companies operating on it. >> it is absolutely going up to milton keynes from euston. it's quite confusing for people. >> no, no. this is something where 100% agreed on now and then say the government then they say the government said, of tickets said, well, only 12% of tickets are but when you think 12% are sold. but when you think 12% of that's something of tickets, that's something like tickets like half a million tickets a day. know, i mean, it's kind day. you know, i mean, it's kind of quite a lot of tickets, right? know, so the right? you know, and so the whole completely bad. whole idea was completely bad. but then the government has really done the dirty on the train operating companies because they've said now, oh, we don't want anything to do with this. you know , don't even come this. you know, don't even come to us with any proposals. and yet the train operating companies are desperate for money. actually being money. they're actually being squeezed . so now might well squeezed. so now they might well have cut services because have to cut services because they can't save this money. and they can't save this money. and the government is not going to give them any extra money to keep these ticket offices open. >> i was going to say, it's one
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piece of good news in what is not a very happy overall railway picture numbers still down since the there the pandemic. yes about there are about back or nearly 90. are about 80% back or nearly 90. >> huge change. that's quite a big change. the people who big change. and the people who are of course, are are not going, of course, are mainly and the people mainly commuters and the people who are leisure who are using it are leisure travellers. pay less. travellers. they pay less. >> the commuters paying, of course , top rate fares because course, top rate fares because they're going before 930 in the morning . well, hs2 has gone and morning. well, hs2 has gone and we were assured , no, no, no, you we were assured, no, no, no, you laugh. we were assured by rishi sunak this would mean all sorts of wonderful railway projects across the north of england. >> well, that's another bit of government dishonest. the trouble , nigel, i just don't trouble is, nigel, i just don't believe anything they ever say. and now they've said, oh, they're going to spend this money supposedly saved on money that supposedly saved on hs2. but of course the money doesn't exist. it was money they were to borrow to, to pay were going to borrow to, to pay for these things. and so they'd have to borrow to pay for these other things, which actually they're probably not going to do. it's what dislike about
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do. so it's what i dislike about all this is the dishonesty. i mean, they ought to be straightfonnard about what they want to do. if they have to cut the railways, then they should say we have to cut the railways and this is what we're going to do. blame the do. but they try and blame the train companies as we train operating companies as we are a year away, maybe less from are a year away, maybe less from a election. a general election. >> believe the opinion >> if you believe the opinion polls, going to polls, we're going to have a labour led government. but have they through their they thought through their transport when it comes transport strategy when it comes to the railways? >> it like >> well, put it like this. they're i mean, they're half way there. i mean, they're right to say that the railways be railways should be renationalised . and that's renationalised. and that's absolutely . okay. absolutely correct. okay. >> well, that's your view. >> well, that's your view. >> , there's very >> well, there's actually very few countries in the world that can run a profitable railway. and if you can't run a profit, it's not really a proper business. and if you're dependent on government subsidy, then you're always to be then you're always going to be beholden to a government. now, what need is to recreate what we need is to recreate british rail , what we need is to recreate british rail, an organisation like british rail , know british like british rail, know british rail, know terrible memories, know, yes , we all we have know, yes, we all we have terrible memories of some of the
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privatised companies. but if you look at the way british railways run it was relatively efficient . run it was relatively efficient. it actually created amazing brands. intercity, that's brands. intercity, i mean that's a real a worldwide kind of brand. it was actually quite good at spending taxpayers money efficiently and actually it produced actually quite good sandwich . and that was one of sandwich. and that was one of the kind of nonsense about it. >> christian wolmar, thank you. well good news about the ticket office is what christian has done here is to open up a bigger debate. and at some point we're going to have a big old debate. should we renationalise the railways? deeply railways? i'm always deeply nervous of government running anything to anything but i'm prepared to listen i am prepared. and in listen and i am prepared. and in the the railways, if the case of the railways, if necessary, change mind. necessary, to change my mind. now, the colston statue now, remember the colston statue being toppled and into the dock in bristol? well, one of the organisers of all of this , zahra organisers of all of this, zahra saleem, has today been jailed for two and a half years. yes, jailed for two and a half years for diverting tens of thousands of pounds in donation from a
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fundraising page to fund her expensive lifestyle. well, you know, i well remember what happenedin know, i well remember what happened in bristol and thinking the whole thing was a complete and utter outrage and warning people of what i'd seen of blm in america, that it was an overt , dangerous marxist organisation . and it isn't just of course it isn't just of course , zara isn't just of course, zara saleem that's been in trouble with money. you might have noficed with money. you might have noticed that patrice keller's who really set the whole thing up. now has a quite impressive property portfolio . now we property portfolio. now we learned today in one of the newspapers that the member of parliament for thanet, south, craig mckinley , who does appear craig mckinley, who does appear quite regularly on gb news and indeed was on jacob's show just 2 or 3 weeks ago. and we learned that he got sepsis, which can happen to anybody. and it happened very quickly and actually had to be put into a coma as part of his recovery. and i've known craig for 30 years. i worked actually with craig professionally the
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craig professionally in the past.i craig professionally in the past. i fought against craig in elections. but i'm very, very alarmed to hear this. i wonder whether jacob's, you know, any more craig mckinley's situation. >> he's recovering and he's had obviously lots of messages from his friends within the party and we want to see him back. >> and he's a very important figure because he was the first tory to run, really go for the green blob. and he's doing very important work in parliament with his climate change group. >> well, he's a former ukip, so of course he's always , always of course he's always, always going fight against authority i >> one of these rare people who even won an election against you, it's very hard for you, nigel, it's very hard for tories to do against him too, but works both ways. but it works both ways. >> we heard the other day >> now we heard the other day that legion that the royal british legion was struggling for people in brighton and rattle brighton to go out and rattle the tins and raise money. and so gb news patrick christys gb news sent patrick christys down to brighton, where he's been a magnificent job been doing a magnificent job over the course of the last couple of days and not just through money and that through money and buttons that wouldn't frankly be true, but through giving . he's
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through just giving. he's managed to raise thus far £153,000 for the poppy appeal for the royal british legion. so we're delighted with that . it's we're delighted with that. it's massively over the target that we set ourselves. and yet when we set ourselves. and yet when we asked the royal british legion to come on gb news and discuss this, they wouldn't do it.jacob discuss this, they wouldn't do it. jacob is this corporate culture now in the royal british legion? >> almost certainly the acid of corporate culture is. it doesn't represent the people that it ought to be representing because when you're at events with the royal british legion, when they're doing things, they are people who have proper values, proper , and then they've proper beliefs, and then they've got sniffy woke leadership that thinks that gb news is beneath them. and it's just very sad after you've helped them raise £150,000. yeah. >> and i was out last year. i was out campaigning charlie was out campaigning with charlie mullins square and mullins in sloane square and a phone call came through from the legion. get them out of there. i don't know. but look, we're not making an accusation, anne. we're speculating. please. we're just speculating. please. somebody british legion
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somebody from the british legion come well done to come on and say, well done to patrick christys. that's enough for have a look at the for me. let's have a look at the whether alex deakin here with your from your latest weather update from the met for gb news this the met office for gb news this time tomorrow , storm will time tomorrow, storm kieran will be there are many be arrived and there are many warnings place for damaging warnings in place for damaging gusts wind, particularly on gusts of wind, particularly on thursday across parts of the south and heavy rain. >> there's warnings tonight from this low pressure this area of low pressure bringing but here bringing more rain. but here comes the storm, as say, comes the storm, as i say, really arriving during wednesday comes the storm, as i say, really arriitheniuring wednesday comes the storm, as i say, really arriithen lingering dnesday night and then lingering throughout thursday with amber warnings parts of the warnings across parts of the south. have met office yellow south. we have met office yellow warnings in place for tonight and tomorrow across parts of northern and the northern ireland and the southeast the heavy rain southeast for the heavy rain that moves in. the rain also spreading into southern spreading its way into southern scotland lots scotland through the night. lots of showery rain into of showery rain coming into wales england, too, wales and southern england, too, and a breezy night, mild and quite a breezy night, mild night but another chilly night here. but another chilly one scotland where one in northern scotland where most of the night will be dry. but a very wet but it's going to be a very wet a very different day tomorrow for the rain spreads in across scotland. as i said, we have got warnings in for night. warnings in place for the night. and morning and first thing in the morning for and across for northern ireland and across
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the will be lot of the southeast will be a lot of spray and surface water on the roads the morning hour. roads for the morning rush hour. pretty blustery here, too. a gusty, blustery day with a mixture of sunshine and showers for soggy across for most staying soggy across northern temperatures northern scotland. temperatures at best getting into the teens. but comes storm kieran but here comes storm kieran spreading from the south and spreading up from the south and then spiralling in across the country during wednesday night and lasting for of thursday and lasting for most of thursday . the so saturated, . with the ground so saturated, we likely to see further we are likely to see further flooding issues. the strongest winds of south winds across parts of south wales southern england. wales and southern england. please met office please check the met office website details of all the website for details of all the warnings
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hello >> good evening. it's me, jacob rees—mogg on state of the nation tonight. now, all guns have been firing at boris johnson. that covid inquiry. but his instincts were right. he didn't want to lock you down, but he was surrounded by blob did surrounded by a blob that did so. goodness we had so. thank goodness we had somebody in favour of
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somebody who was in favour of liberty in charge. othennise, heaven how we'd have heaven knows how long we'd have been for. there's a been locked up for. there's a row the metropol police row with the metropol police after seen tearing after officers were seen tearing down israeli hostages down posters of israeli hostages being in gaza by hamas. being held in gaza by hamas. there have also been posters taken down in manchester, but our hero . stephen watson of our new hero. stephen watson of the manchester police, has actually said he may have made a mistake, which is really exciting. and unusual for any of the police ever to say they've done anything wrong. we're also going to be talking about the ulez numbers because the motorist is out of pocket, 60,000 drivers a day are paying the ulez and that's money for old rope for transport for london, £750,000 a day from morally bankrupt. but financially prosperous scheme . financially prosperous scheme. oh, and it's halloween . the oh, and it's halloween. the institution known as one of the schmaltzy american ideas. but actually it has christian roots. we'll be looking at halloween with our favourite catholic corresponds father alexander state of the nation starts now .

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