used to it show. so i'm getting used to it now. britain's longest serving deputy prime minister, john prescott, has died aged 86. sir tony blair has described him as one of the most talented people iever one of the most talented people i ever encountered in politics. >> he's a big he was a big figure, i've got to say. john prescott now cashing in on captain tom moore. a new report shows the family of the lockdown hero misled the public and pocketed 1.5 million from the foundation set up in his name . foundation set up in his name. more on that to come. >> indeed. good story. meanwhile, ukraine hits russia with british storm shadow missiles as the government cuts 500 million from defence spending. but don't worry, it's not just how you spend on defence, it's how you spend it that counts. according to defence secretary , the former defence secretary, the former culture secretary, nadine doris, is coming into the studio to talk about her new book, downfall and why she thinks the conservatives are doomed. yeah , conservatives are doomed. yeah, quite saucy as well, isn't it.7 certainly is. and meanwhile, talking of which, a rural rumble

environment secretary steve reed meets with farmers at a business conference in london this morning. we'll bring you all the fallout on that one. >> and today marks 50 years since the pub bombings in birmingham, where 21 people were killed by the ira. judy hamilton's sister was one of those killed in the blast, and she's fighting for a public inquiry. >> you must fight for what is right. left . we cannot allow right. left. we cannot allow anyone, anywhere to feel that they can come to any of our cities or towns and kill with impunity . impunity. >> i can't believe that's 50 years. i must admit, that has just gone so fast. incredible. >> and i'm sorry about john prescott. yes, a good life long life, well lived. but he was an incredible character. and if you got on the wrong side of him, he told it as it was, or he punched you in the face, he punched you.

>> and you know what i mean. we're not advocating violence unless it's obviously between presenters. but, you know, i think that punch won him so many fans. >> it did, it did. and i remember blair's reaction. >> he just said that's john john being john. exactly. talking of tony blair, i wonder, it seems very upset, but i wonder how many times he went to visit john in his home in the care home where he spent his last few days? >>i days? >> i wonder, what do you think? we'd love to hear what you think. send your views and post your comments by visiting gbnews.com/yoursay. >> but first, let's get those news headlines with the very lovely sophie reaper. >> a very good morning to you. the time is just after 9:30 and these are your latest gb news headlines. former deputy prime minister lord john prescott has died aged 86 following a battle with alzheimer's . died aged 86 following a battle with alzheimer's. his family said he'd spent his life trying to improve the lives of others, fighting for social justice and protecting the environment. prime minister sir keir starmer has led the tributes this

morning, saying i am deeply saddened to hear of the death of john prescott. john was a true giant of the labour movement. on behalf of the labour party, i send my condolences to pauline and his family, to the city of hull and to all those who knew and loved him. may he rest in peace. earlier, former labour mp denis macshane spoke to gb news about the important role john prescott played in the party. >> undoubtedly , without john >> undoubtedly, without john prescott, tony blair would not have been the prime minister. he was. he brought the working class, the north trade unions , class, the north trade unions, into new labour's fold . and into new labour's fold. and there is a problem now, i think that too many working people, they don't feel there's anybody there really speaking for them. john spoke for that. half of britain that perhaps has lost its voice today . its voice today. >> following reports yesterday that ukraine has launched british storm shadow missiles into russia for the first time, questions have been asked about

potential russian retaliation. earlier, shadow defence secretary james cartlidge told gb news that we need to keep supporting ukraine. >> this is about providing weapons which will in theory put some pressure on the russian front line to be pushed back. of course , there is no, you know, course, there is no, you know, pardon the phrase, but magic sort of silver bullet in this conflict for ukraine. and they're in a very difficult position. they are facing a formidable foe. so i think it's been right to support ukraine and to do so in every way we can. and we need to keep doing that, and we need our allies to keep doing that. >> the daughter of captain sir tom moore and her husband have been accused of repeated misconduct following a report carried out by the charity commission. the investigation found a misleading implication that donations from book sales would be made to the captain tom foundation, an amount totalling almost £1.5 million. commenting on the reports, the family has described it as unjust and excessive, adding that they,

quote, never took a penny from the public. donations raised by captain tom. and today marks 50 years since the birmingham pub bombings, which took place on november 21st, 1974. in the attack. 21 people were killed and hundreds of others were injured when bombs were detonated at two city centre pubs. later today, a service including a period of silence at 2:00 pm is including a period of silence at 2:00pm is being including a period of silence at 2:00 pm is being held outside new street station in birmingham. those are the latest gb news headlines. for now, i'm sophie reaper and now it's back to dawn and andrew for the very latest gb news direct to your smartphone, sign up to news alerts by scanning the qr code or go to gb news .com forward slash alerts . slash alerts. >> thank you sophie. hello and welcome. this is britain's newsroom live across the united kingdom on gb news with him,

andrew pierce and me dawn neesom in for bev who's having a well deserved rest. >> well it's leading the headunes >> well it's leading the headlines and why wouldn't it? john prescott has died at the age of 86. he was the deputy prime minister in blair's ten years. he was prime minister. he left when blair left and he'd had a long battle with alzheimer's and had been in a care home. >> yeah . you knew him quite >> yeah. you knew him quite well. you met him, didn't you? >> the last time i saw john prescott, it was at a book launch. a few years ago, and i can't remember whose book it was, some some old leftie. and he came over and he said, oh, tory boy, i've got someone on the phone for you. and he got pauune the phone for you. and he got pauline on the phone. >> his wife. oh, wow. >> his wife. oh, wow. >> and i had a long chat to his wife and she said, i'm such. we really like. and prescott and i are politically poles apart, but similar backgrounds. both working class boys, both tell it as it is. and he respected where i came from politically, and i respected him. and blair couldn't have been the successful prime ministers without prescott because he took

the party with him, because blair was never really comfortable with labour party members. posh boy from school in edinburgh. scotland's eton prescott was the ship the merchant seaman . he was a he was merchant seaman. he was a he was a he was a waiter. >> he'd done a proper job hadn't >> he'd done a properjob hadn't he. he worked on on on on ships as. yeah. as you say, it wasn't quite a waiter, was it. it was more sort of like, what do you call it, looking after people in their cabins. that type of thing. a steward. that was the word i'm looking for. yeah. >> and the torch. there was a certain tory used to mock him and say, mind, make mine a gin and say, mind, make mine a gin and tonic, giovanni. >> but you know what? at least he had a job. at least he had a proper background. he wasn't a career politician. he wasn't a posh boy. >> and he was a he was actually a quite a formidable orator. he did have a problem with his syntax. oh come on. >> no. come on. >>— >> no. come on. >> he was brilliant. he was brilliant. i mean, my absolutely favourite quote was there, there it is. yeah. that one. it's blah blah blah. the greenbelt is a labour achievement and we mean to build on it. exactly. it's

just a brilliant quote. >> it's great to be back on terra cotta. maybe terra firma john but he and but people mocked him and but he didn't care because he was confident in his own skin. yes, he was a big figure. he was incredibly popular in the labour movement and there's been no deputy prime minister since, and nor will there be again. and i'm sorry, angela rayner, andy rayner, he is her. john prescott is her hero. she ain't him . hero. she ain't him. >> well she isn't, but i mean, you know, >> well she isn't, but i mean, you kn