and is cultural diplomacy forum and is understood to have collapsed at lunch in a crowded room. there will be a post—mortem examination to confirm the cause of death . jonathan reynolds says of death. jonathan reynolds says it's not the government's position that p&o ferries is a rogue operator, despite a press release this week calling them a rogue employer. p&o ferries owner dp world will attend the international investment summit tomorrow. they'd previously threatened to pull out of the event , and a threatened to pull out of the event, and a £1 billion port investment after the transport secretary, louise hague, criticised their employment strategy and called for a boycott. the operator was criticised by politicians from both main parties in march 2022, when it suddenly sacked 800 british seafarers and replaced them with cheaper, mainly overseas staff, saying it was necessary to stave off bankruptcy. the business secretary told gb news camilla tominey that the billion pound investment will go ahead quickly on this issue. >> that's not the government's

position. the issue, obviously, with p&o ferries is we're not going to recoil from that. we thought it was wrong to fire and rehire that. we saw those workers being sacked and then taken back on, on fewer terms and conditions, but we have changed the law. it was lawful under the conservative government. it will be unlawful under this labour government. so where companies accept that, acknowledge that can work within that framework, we'll of course talk to them about investments . talk to them about investments. and i can tell you they're coming to the summit and the investment will go ahead briefly to the middle east. >> now, israeli military said that one of its tanks entered a un post in southern lebanon while attempting to evacuate injured soldiers earlier today, adding that its actions pose no danger to the un peacekeeping force. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu has also expressed his regret of any harm done to un personnel in lebanon after 15 peacekeepers were injured in what the un called a shocking violation when israeli tanks forcibly entered their base. israel's un envoy has also spoken a short time ago, saying it is incomprehensible that the

un is keeping lebanon peacekeepers in the line of fire. finally, to the sporting world, england are currently one nil up at half time in their nafions nil up at half time in their nations league clash against finland. striker jack grealish put the three lions ahead in the 18th minute. those are your latest gb news headlines for now i'm katie bown . more from me in i'm katie bown. more from me in an hour for the very latest gb news direct to your smartphone , news direct to your smartphone, sign up to news alerts by scanning the qr code, or go to gb news .com . gb news .com. >> forward slash alerts . >> forward slash alerts. >> forward slash alerts. >> good morning and welcome to the camilla tominey show. i'm going to be speaking to the business secretary , john business secretary, john reynolds, jonathan reynolds, about labour's new plan for workers. and also this row over p&o ferries. i'm also going to be joined by the shadow work and pensions secretary, mel stride,

and i'll be joined by tory leadership hopeful robert jenrick, who has made it into the final two for the battle of the final two for the battle of the righties. but it will still be the leading man at the end of the race, and the labour mp for dover and deal, mike tapp, will be here to react to that interview with jenrick, along with the pollster scarlett mccgwire. we've got 90 minutes of punchy politics ahead. don't go anywhere . go anywhere. business secretary jonathan reynolds joins me now, having rushed from another interview. thank you very much indeed. interview. thank you very much indeed . lovely to see you this indeed. lovely to see you this morning. look, i feel i feel a bit sorry for you, mr reynolds, because you're on the broadcast round this morning to talk about this great investment summit that you've got going tomorrow. you've got people from all over the world coming in saying that they want to invest big bucks in britain, and yet it's been overshadowed by the transport secretary, louise haigh , making secretary, louise haigh, making these choice remarks about p&o. there's even a press release, a

government press release here describing p&o ferries as a rogue employer. and yet their parent company, dp group, is poised to invest a billion in britain. so surely the transport secretary has to apologise . secretary has to apologise. >> good morning. yes, nice to be with you. and i am very excited by the investment summit and the money coming into the uk. but look specifically on this issue. that's not the government's position. the issue obviously with p&o ferries is we're not going to recoil from that. we thought it was wrong to fire and rehire that. we saw those workers being sacked and then taken back on, on fewer terms and conditions, but we have changed the law. it was lawful under the conservative government. it will be unlawful under this labour government. so where companies accept that, acknowledge that can work within that framework, we'll of course talk to them about investments. and i can tell you they're coming to the summit and the investment will go ahead. >> okay, but isn't this the problem, perhaps, mr reynolds, with trying to be both a

government of business and a government of business and a government of business and a government of the workers, that you're always going to have these contradictions, some on these contradictions, some on the left might think, oh, you're completely overlooking the rogue tactics of p&o because basically you've got your eye on a bigger prize, which is the 1 billion that's been committed by dp group. so, you know, it's a little bit like the politics of marx, except it's groucho. here are my principles. and if you don't like them, i have others. >> well, look, the point is the key policy point is we believe fire and hire is wrong. >> that's why in the employment bill we will make it unlawful. it's changes to how that process works. we'll also, by the way, change some of the maritime laws that allowed this to go ahead at the time that it did under the conservative government. so we're not changing that position. but of course, where people accept that is not now going to be possible in the uk and can still work with us. we will do so and take it forward and look for me, the big picture is always going to be not only do i think a government can be pro—business and pro—worker, i

think it's what's required. i think it's what's required. i think people in insecure work need better terms and conditions. that's part of what we've announced this week in the employment bill. but i think the country needs higher business investment for good jobs for the future. i think it needs more inward investment. i think we've got to compete harder. i think we should be losing out to investments, to the french, as we've seen in the last few years. so i think genuinely, it's not just about the politics of how you pitch the government. what we need is exactly that platform. now what i'm pleased to be able to say is, if you take this week presented that employment bill, big improvement for low paid workers on fire and rehire, zero hours contracts, sick pay, unfair dismissal, and at the same time, record amounts of investment coming to the uk next week through the inward investment summit. so the proof really is just if we can do it. and right now the evidence is that it and right now the evidence is thatitis and right now the evidence is that it is possible that is right for the uk and that's what we're doing. >> okay. i mean, business secretary, the federation of small businesses has not reacted well to the plans. they've called this proposed legislation a rushed job, clumsy , chaotic a rushed job, clumsy, chaotic and poorly planned. is it perhaps a reflection of the fact

that nobody in the cabinet have actually ever run a business, that the fsb would react like this? perhaps you can't identify because none of you have done the job of fsb in the members . the job of fsb in the members. >> well, look, first of all, let me say you could look at the quotes from the cbi or make uk in response to the package. we've been particularly sensitive to the needs of small business. that's why that point about probationary period so small businesses can hire with confidence, knowing if it doesn't work out when they employ someone, they've got a lighter touch process that the initial part of the employment contract to end that relationship. and i think that's consistent with giving people stronger rights. and look, the test of any government is do they deliver on their promises? can they deliver on the things 100 days into this government? we've got that employment rights bill. i've been criticised for going too fast and too slow on that. that's the nature of a job like this. but we've got that in place. we've got the investment summit happening, the two things alongside each other. exactly the prescription that britain

needs higher investment but better rights, better pay and conditions for working people being 1497 00:08:05,72