in on nigel farage. moves in on nigel farage. britain's new ambassador to the united states, admits that he might need the reform leader's charms and help. and 22 councils, including those with newly elected labour mps, are now facing rebellions from their town hall leaders. are we speaking to one of the directors of a group spearheading this rural revolt .7 and two more rural revolt? and two more saracen's head pubs are facing legal action from a convicted jihadist terrorist over signs that he deems as racist. and that's all on tonight's show. but first, here's your news headunes but first, here's your news headlines and it's sophia wenzler. >> martin. thank you. these are your headlines at 7:00. the suspect accused of killing unitedhealthcare ceo brian thompson has pleaded not guilty. luigi mangione is facing 11 charges, including first degree murder and terrorism. if convicted, the 26 year old could

face life in prison without parole. in addition to the state's case, a federal case against mangione is running concurrently. one of the charges, murder through use of a firearm, would make him eligible for the death penalty if he's convicted. however, his defence attorneys called the situation highly unusual, noting conflicting theories between the state and federal cases. staying in the us, matt gaetz, who was previously donald trump's nominee for us. attorney general, paid for sex and drugs while in office, according to a report. a us. house ethics committee's report into mr gaetz has found substantial evidence he paid for sex with a 17 year old girl and used illicit drugs while in office. it says the former florida congressman violated multiple state laws. however, gaetz denies wrongdoing and says the people investigating me hated me. now sir keir starmer is heading abroad again over the new year

after drawing criticism about his frequent overseas trips to various summits. the prime minister is enjoying his first christmas in the role and according to number 10, he will spend time with his family over the coming days. however, instead of doing so at downing street or at their family home, the starmer's will head to the grace and favour country residence of chequers in buckinghamshire after spending christmas day there. the prime minister and his family are going to head overseas. germany's right wing alternative fur deutschland party is holding a rally in front of magdeburg cathedral, near the scene of the christmas market attack that killed five people and injured over 200. police have arrested a 50 year old saudi doctor, identified by local media as taleb a, who had lived in germany since 2006. afd is the second strongest party at present, polling at about 18 to 20% of the vote, or 10 to 15 points behind the centre right

christian democratic union and its bavarian sister party. and king charles will deliver this year's christmas message from the fitzrovia chapel, a former hospital chapel in central london. it's the first time in over a decade the speech isn't recorded at a royal residence, with the king choosing the location to highlight healthcare workers and foster unity between faiths. the ornate 19th century chapel was once part of the middlesex hospital, and now hosts exhibitions and community events. this year's message comes as the king continues treatment following a cancer diagnosis earlier in 2023. the speech will air on christmas day, and you can watch it on gb news tv and radio on christmas day at 3:00. those are the latest gb news headlines. now it's back to martin for the very latest gb news direct to your smartphone, sign up to news alerts by scanning the qr code or go to gbnews.com/alerts.

>> thank you sophia. now this has put the cat amongst the pigeons because lord mandelson is set to work with reform uk leader nigel farage in an attempt to conduct uk us relations in an optimum manner. and the labour grandee was recently appointed as the uk ambassador to the united states, ahead of the president elect's return to the white house in january. but his past comments about donald trump, which include calling him a danger to the world and him being little short of a racist and a white supremacist, may not curry much favour. however, reform leader nigel farage and his good friend is a good friend of trump and has offered a helping hand to mandelson. and the move comes despite senior labour figures such as lord blunkett warning against it with fears of any connections with right wing

politicians could elevate their cause. well, joining now to discuss this in the studio is my beautiful panel tonight. as the former reform uk spokesman gordon taylor and gb news senior political commentator nigel nelson. gentlemen, welcome to the show. nigel, i'm going to start with you, long time observer of the labour party yourself. you know peter mandelson. yeah. very well. do you think this is a canny appointment? and more to the point, there's been there's been friction, shall we say, betwixt mandelson and trump in the past just seems to be all the labour party top brass call him a racist or a fascist of some kind. will nigel farage's addition make it a marriage made in heaven? >> it'll help. i don't know if it'll be a marriage made in heaven. i think that trump's relationship with the labour government's going to be very difficult, especially with what they've all said about it. but peter mandelson is a good choice for ambassador. he has plenty of experience behind him. and the great thing about peter is he's

a total pragmatist. so as a result of that, the idea of actually talking to farage, knowing, talking to him about how do you deal with trump, what's the best way of handling it, that must be all to the good. and bear in mind you've got two people there, nigel farage, peter mandelson, both determined to put british interests first. >> gordon taylor a few people have been raising their eyebrows to the fact that i think we've got a clip, actually, of that time when sir keir starmer went across the floor and shook hands with nigel farage. we'll get that clip up in a bit. and a few people saying, is this nigel farage helping the adversary? why help sir keir starmer? why put that in the mix? why put himself open to criticisms? >> there are those who would have the perfect be the enemy of the good. it is a simple fact that keir starmer, the labour party, are the government reform are not. if you wish. you will remember and others will too , in

remember and others will too, in 2019, farage made the oft stated claim country before party and he meant it. he pulled away dozens and dozens, hundreds of brexit party candidates to stop stand to save brexit as he saw it. right now labour have win. they're going to appoint the ambassador if he can help the british ambassador serve our country, he will do so because our country is more important than petty party loyalties. and that, i think, is desperately important. now, of course, i mean, it's not just trump. farage knows the cabinet that are coming in. and you've got to remember mandelson. he's not a plenipotentiary. he doesn't have power. he doesn't have to wait six weeks for the lusitania to turn up with a with a letter from london. he's going to be getting emails and messages and phone calls on the spot. he's not got independent power over there, but what he's very good at is charming. he's schmoozing. he is. he wasn't the prince of darkness for nothing. he has. he

has flexibility. he has a mental flexibility, possibly moral flexibility. but at the same time, he having him around the cocktail set and that sort of set in washington, i cannot imagine a better person that labour has got to throw at that job. do you want a sort of david lammy fellow? no, you've got somebody there. he was a european commissioner. i used to sit over across dinner parties with him and we were. he was extremely charming. we knew we disagreed on everything, and yet he's quite capable of dealing with people and treating them well in that, in those circumstances. and that's what you want from an ambassador. you don't want an ideologue. and he in those circumstances, he won't be nigel. >> and yet here we go again. mandelson said in 2019 that donald trump is a danger to the world, a little short of a white nationalist and a racist. but he did say he got a sneaking admiration for the president elect. but he did call him reckless and a danger and indeed, a senior gop strategist,

chris la gaviota, said at the weekend. he said he called mandelson an absolute moron who should stay at home. he called him sad in that respect. could nigel farage be the kind of oil on the wheels, you think, to help this relationship get 1504 00:09