the of the big topics hitting the headunes of the big topics hitting the headlines right now. this show is all about opinion. it's mine. it's theirs. and of course it's yours. we'll be debating discussing and at times we will disagree, but no one will be cancelled. so joining me for the next few hours, chairman of the global britain centre , aman global britain centre, aman bhogal and co—founder of novara media, arun bastani coming up in my nickel at four, i take on work and pensions secretary liz kendall head on as the woman who axed the winter fuel payments for pensioners lives. she lives actually more comfortably in a £4 million london mansion . with £4 million london mansion. with our taxpayers money, we're footing the bill, so i've got to pull up next asking should we means test mps for expenses? yeah. then in my great british debate, this hour, elon musk was interfering a little bit in british politics. some may see it as that. it's been rumoured the billionaire is planning to give nigel farage's reform uk party a huge cash injection in a bid to reshape british politics. so i'll be speaking to his dad,

errol musk, later on around about 5:00. then in the interview, nightclub king stephen says he has over 40 years of experience in the leisure industry, operating nearly 50 bars and restaurants in london. he'll be there too. he'll be here discussing his story and what is going on here. i guess what i've done made a proper error doing this again. >> anna. >> anna. >> but before we get started , >> but before we get started, let's get your latest news with sam francis . sam francis. >> nana, thank you. >> nana, thank you. >> and very good afternoon to you. >> it's just after 3:00. let's start with that breaking news that we brought you in the last half hour or so. we can now confirm that 20,000 migrants have so far arrived here in the uk after crossing the english channel. that is, since sir keir starmer became prime minister. sources at downing street confirming that today, in the early hours of this morning, it's understood two more small boats were picked up in the channel , boats were picked up in the channel, bringing dozens more

migrants into the uk territory. that brings the total so far since july to more than 20,000. these two today are the first crossings, though, since the 16th of december. until then, 19,988 crossings had been recorded. since that labour landslide victory in the election on the 4th of july. that means that the total so far for the whole year is now standing at 33,562. those figures, according to the office for national statistics. well, in other news today, the assisted dying bill is facing fresh challenges as some mps who backed it this week are now hinting they may be reconsidering their stance. concerns over palliative care and safeguarding have sparked debate with mps set to propose amendments when the bill moves to its committee stage. chancellor of the duchy of lancaster, pat mcfadden, told us here on gb news that there is still a long road ahead now that parliament has voted on that on friday, it will go into

committee. >> it will be considered in much more detail now, like every other piece of legislation, and it should be because it's such a serious issue. and the house of commons will have to vote on it again in a few months time. so this bill is big and serious measure will be properly and fully considered clause by clause now, as it should be. and even though we had the vote on friday, i still think there's probably a long way to go before this becomes law . this becomes law. >> well, pat mcfadden speaking there , also suggested today that there, also suggested today that questions over the cost of assisted dying plans could be part of the next phase . the part of the next phase. the conservatives victoria atkins, though, who voted in favour of the bill, says it's important to keep the conversation going. >> we saw across the house from both those who voted i, but also those who voted no. there was for example, a real wish to see conversations about palliative care and the quality of palliative care continue. i think we also saw many, many

heartbreaking examples, and there will be viewers at home that have been personally affected by this , where they affected by this, where they just want to see whether the law can get into a better place than it is at the moment. >> the prime minister is set to launch labour's most ambitious plan for change yet, he says, promising to hit key targets on the economy, on energy, the nhs and early education before the next election. whitehall is in for a shake up with a new cabinet secretary now tasked with transforming the government into a machine focused on delivery. sir keir starmer warns that managed decline has seeped into the government, but says this is now a turning point for the country's future. but with approval ratings dropping to just 22%, questions are growing over whether he can convince the public. meanwhile, labour's governing body is also eyeing changes that could reshape the powers of regional mayors . gregg powers of regional mayors. gregg wallace has hit back at claims of misconduct, accusing what he described as middle class women of a certain age driving

allegations. the masterchef presenter stepped down on thursday this week as accusations of inappropriate comments are being investigated well. the tv star kirstie allsopp and singer sir rod stewart are among those sharing allegations , with allsopp allegations, with allsopp calling his behaviour totally unprofessional. the production company bannau uk has urged anyone with concerns to come forward as the investigation continues, but wallace denies the allegations, saying he's worked with thousands of contestants and has nothing to hide . the 34 year old man has hide. the 34 year old man has been arrested on suspicion of rape at the groucho club in soho in london. the arrest took place on saturday night at an address in hertfordshire, according to the metropolitan police. at this stage, the force says there is no suggestion that any employees of the club were involved. well, the groucho club, a private members venue, is popular with celebrities and had its licence suspended earlier this week following a request by the met police. we've also heard that the woman reported in a reporting the incident is being supported by specialist officers ,

supported by specialist officers, and the princess of wales is set to deliver a heartfelt christmas message at her annual carol service at westminster abbey, urging attendees to embrace love as she says the greatest gift we can receive. and in a letter to 1600 guests, including members of the royal family, princess catherine reflected on love's ability to shine bright even in our darkest times. olympic legend sir chris hoy is facing terminal cancer and lindsay burrow, the widow of rugby star rob burrow, will both be lighting candles in a tribute to loved ones who are lost and those still battling illness . those still battling illness. the service, combining tradition and star studded performances will be broadcast on christmas day, along with 15 other community carol services taking place on the same night across the uk . the uk. >> thank you sam, listen, it's just coming up to eight minutes after 3:00. this is gb news. we

are britain's news channel. we're live online and on digital radio and tv . we're live online and on digital radio and tv. i'm nana akua coming up, the great british debate sza. i'm asking should we means test mps for expenses? cabinet minister liz kendall, who axed pensioners winter fuel payments, has her own £350 a month energy bills paid by the taxpayer while she lives in a £4 million london mansion. she doesn't need it, surely, then, in the next great british debate, i'm asking a labour right to shun the us as government sources claim, a trade deal with donald trump's america is unviable and in worldview. joining me , the host worldview. joining me, the host of the politics people podcast, paul duddridge, who will give us an update on what's going on stateside, including, according to the latest poll, donald trump is apparently more popular with british voters than sir keir starmer. it's not difficult, is it? that's coming up in the next hours. send me your thoughts, post your comments. gb news dot com forward slash your say . so

com forward slash your say. so god, where does it end? i mean these ministers cabinet minister liz kendall branded a hypocrite for removing winter fuel payments for tens of millions of pensioners, whilst bills at her second home are being met for by the public purse, which is you and i. the work and pensions secretary, say she is allowed to claim costs for the second property in her leicester, leicestershire, west constituency. the most recent documents revealed taxpayers covered just under £4,000 in energy costs as over 100,000 pensioners will be forced into poverty because apparently, according to the government, they earn enough or should have enough to cover it themselves because of course it's been means tested. well, joining me now, former labour minister ivor kaplan. ivor, welcome now let's let's start this off. so there she is liz kendall, living in notting hill with her hubby, who i think he's an ex, an ex something and also worked in the city so obviously has quite a bit of money. notting hill is very very nice and swish and she

has a second home in a constituency which she lives in, which is probably rented, which the taxpayer covers . why should the taxpayer covers. why should the taxpayer covers. why should the taxpayer cover her fuel? she can afford it. >> well, the simple thing here, nana, is that she's perfectly entitled to do what she's done, and she's perfectly entitled to have the house that she wants in, in, in in london, in notting hill. but let's just say this these are two different things as well . the issue about the as well. the issue about the pensions and the, the, the, the, the decision made by the whole cabinet is very different to what people do in order to be able to deal with the two things that mps and particularly ministers, have to do. one is they have to be available to do they have to be available to do the stuff that they need to do in their constituency, and secondly, they need to be available in london so that various other things can then be

sorted out in, in if necessary. >> so yeah, i get it, i get it right. but we pay the rent. so in the second property she gets the rent, which i think is very generous but fair enough. but whilst she's in that house, the expenses that she or the other ministers incur should be down to them to pay for. yeah . so to them to pay for. yeah. so when your own property, if a company pays for the rent, it shouldn't have to pay for your fuel and everything else that's down to you, and especially when you're chucking in policies that are means test others and their ability to pay when you can pay. so nigel farage doesn't take it, doesn't claim back fuel. i don't think any of the mps on £93,000 a year should be claiming fuel and other things they shouldn't be claiming for food in that second house, that they get taxpayer free and she absolutely shouldn't be claiming fuel or she should be means tested for that part of the benefit, as it were. >> nana let's just be very

clear. the rules haven't changed. this is exactly the same as the conservative party had for the for most of the 14 years. so the fact that the fact that this is how ministers and it's being exposed, that's absolutely fine . but it is the absolutely fine. but it is the same as the conservative party dunng same as the conservative party during their time in office. >> so what's your point? so what they so what? it's wrong. >> my point. >> my point. >> it's wrong. >> it's wrong. >> that is why on earth are we talking about this? it's not it's not it's not an issue that actually has that kind of tenants. >> it's not i think that nothing wrong. >> there's nothing wrong. >> there's nothing wrong. >> i think there's a lot wrong. >> i think there's a lot wrong. >> the minister has done. >> the minister has done. >> listen, it might be part of the rules and the conservative parties may have done it and it might have been going on since the beginning of time. the bottom line is when something is being done and it actually starts to look very wrong, then i think we should start to examine it and potentially change it. if you can afford things. and this government have said those with the broadest

shoulders will carry the heaviest burdens, then i think they should be leading by example because she doesn't need she doesn't need the expenses . she doesn't need the expenses. and it's down to her how much energy she uses. so that means she can leave that house with everything all going on without, you know, all lights on, heating on. not that she would, but she might do. and we'll cover the expense. there needs to be some level of real accountability from some of these people. >> nana if there are to be changes, then there are processes that can be used at westminster by by the parties or by other parties. it's there. but this is how it has operated for as far as i can remember for a long time. and whether it's right or wrong is a different matter. but let me just say this for liz kendall, she has done nothing wrong. nothing wrong at all. >> nobody's saying that she's done anything wrong. >> that's doing the normal thing that people do. >> nobody's saying that she's done anything wrong. but we are questioning whether it is actually right for those mps who

are on a pretty decent salary when they get every expense in that second home, most of the expenses. so the living expenses, the rent or contributing towards it, they get all those things for the home itself when they're in that house, incurring costs like everybody else. why should we be paying everybody else. why should we be paying for it as soon as you? i mean, very generously, they get their rent paid for them. i'm not going to argue against that fair enough. but it's like offering to pay their food in that house. why on earth when you're taking money from pensioners who you have means tested as to whether they will get this allowance and benefit? why is it that that should not apply to the mps? do you think that even though it's been there since time began, as you're saying, that perhaps mps should be means tested for things like fuelin be means tested for things like fuel in that second home? >> if there are to be changes, then they should be done properly by all the parties and through westminster , not by through westminster, not by people just saying, oh, this is wrong , that's wrong, this is wrong, that's wrong, this is wrong. it's got it would have to be properly dealt with by the

parliamentary authorities. it's not just something for one person in this instance that you've raised is liz kendall. that's not how this works. >> but i'm talking about all of them, see, and i don't i doubt just like they obviously don't turn back their pay rises because they say that it's an independent committee who give us the money. so we certainly can't change that. it's not our fault. we'll just have to take it. but there are things very wrong. i think, in westminster. and when the rest of the country is struggling, we are looking at a lot of our mps. nigel farage has turned his away. he's not he's not taking it and we're looking at what they are getting and how they're punishing the rest of us. and i think the problem here is the detachment from reality that we all are going through. this is why they're not coming up with decent policies, because they have no understanding of how the rest of us live. do you not think? and i'll ask again ehhen think? and i'll ask again either, that perhaps that needs to be changed and mps should be paying to be changed and mps should be paying for their own fuel expensesif paying for their own fuel expenses if they can afford it. should it be means tested ?

should it be means tested? >> well, over, over the last, you know, 20, 30 years that this has been operating by by my memory, in the time that i used that particular system, it was there and you just signed it off and that was it. now, if there are to be changes, if people say, well, there should be changes, then that's a completely different matter that you can then see how that might work and the point you're making now is, is obviously correct . now is, is obviously correct. and for that purpose you might want to then say, well, we should try and change this now that then becomes a matter for the westminster authorities, not for the parties. and that's how it would it would work. and that's how it worked. previously, when we last made some of these changes. >> well, i would implore those people to make some form of changes because i think it's absolutely ludicrous that if an mp can afford it in their second home, they should not. so they should be able to expense the fuel. i think it's ridiculous.

ivor caplin, thank you very much. he's a former minister. thank you. well, joining me now is former tory mp neil parish. neil welcome to the program. really good to talk to you. so neil what's your view on this on your thoughts on this. >> should mps really i think my view is it was very unwise to take the £300 from pensioners in the first place, because many of them will suffer cold and may land up in hospital through being cold. >> and so i think it was a short sighted. i think it's bound to put pressure back on ministers like and secretary of state like liz kendall and others, if they are taking the second allowance and taking the 3001 00:16:32,912 -