denies any deliberate kremlin denies any deliberate action, instead blaming a bird strike. but azerbaijan is demanding that russian authorities admit the responsibility. 451 migrants crossed the english channel illegally on christmas day, according to official figures from the home office. six more small boats carrying at least 250 migrants have also reached uk waters today. the latest arrivals have been brought to the border force processing centre in dover and with calm weather conditions expected to continue, border force says it is on heightened alert for potential surges in further crossings. reform uk's membership has overtaken the conservatives today, just months after nigel farage's return as party leader. their tracker shows more than 135,000 members, a 300% surge since farage's comeback in june. younger supporters, cheaper fees and frustrations with the tories are all driving that growth, and farage claims reform is now the

future of british politics. meanwhile, the conservatives last reported around 120,000 members and have since faced criticism for a lack of direction under leader kemi badenoch. well, the reform leader nigel farage has been speaking to us here on gb news about those figures. >> incredible. over 15,000 people have joined us and given us their 25 quids over the last four days. this is an historic moment when the newest party in british politics overtakes the oldest existing political party in the world. something is happening. so of course i'm delighted. >> and boxing day shoppers are avoiding the high street today, with footfall down reportedly over 12% compared to figures last year. retail parks did fare slightly better, but overall activity across the uk is more than 10% lower than in 2023. analysts blame the shift to onune analysts blame the shift to online shopping, rising costs for physical stores and changing habhs for physical stores and changing habits driven by year round promotions. but barclays still

estimates that we will have spent £4.6 billion today, although most of it, as in previous years, will be online. those are the latest headlines for now. plenty more still to come. i'll be back with you in an hour 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. >> welcome to the christmas special of chopper's political podcast. this year we launched that podcast to bring you a different take on westminster. the best stories, gossip and news from the heart of our studio @gbnews here in westminster. we've got a wide range of guests coming in front of this microphone for you. i hope you enjoyed the show. we've

loved making them with the team here @gbnews. let me take you through some of the best moments of the past year. pop star are now darling of the right. holly valance became one of our first guests on chopper's political podcast. here's what she had to say. with me now is holly valance, who calls herself a reform reynobond. she's made me wear these glasses and this hat to interview her. holly valance, welcome to chopper's political podcast. >> you look extremely masculine. yeah. does it suit me.7 i love it. you love it.7 it's a thing. >> why are you here? >> why are you here? >> i want to support this movement. i think it's got amazing legs. the room is 4000 deep. people have spoken with their feet. they've paid to stay here in birmingham. they've paid for accommodation, travel arrangements, food. they've taken a day off work. they can't be ignored. these are just regular people that love our nation. it's so lovely walking around. it's a really warm energy. everybody is so excited to be here. the speeches have

been fantastic and energising andifs been fantastic and energising and it's just really fun. you come a long way. >> since we first spoke on the podcast when you came out as this kind of right winger to use that that language of left and right, it's basically all your fault. >> but now i'm just like, living this far, right? thug life, you know what i'm saying? >> are you not far right. are you? >>i you? >> i think that's just a lazy attempt to slander anybody with reasonable views on incredibly dangerous levels of illegal immigration. it'sjust dangerous levels of illegal immigration. it's just laziness, really. >> is it an attempt to shut you down? >> absolutely. it's delegitimizing, taxpaying citizens of the nations of this nafion citizens of the nations of this nation that we love and honour. and by trying to slander you into being this insignificant loon, which is not what we are. >> how many friends have you lost since you came out as this individual with, let's call them right wing views? >> absolutely not. one. >> absolutely not. one. >> no. well, because the celeb

world, if i can use that term celebrity world is quite politically risk averse, often is. virtue signalling wants to try and indicate how warm and cuddly everybody is. >> absolutely. but i'm not really in the industry anymore, and i've had people contact me from sort of la and melbourne and everyone saying, i'm so glad somebody's just using common sense. you know, there's nothing you're saying that's that wild. they want you to think it's some crazed idea that we want to, you know, respect our traditions, our religion, our our nation. and it's just sort of like playing with people's minds. but we need to refuse that. >> is it quite sad that someone of your means independent means you're married. you've got you've got your children, you're a mum, you don't need to work at the moment, so you're able to say what you feel. it's a bit others haven't got the same freedoms maybe. >> no they don't. and that's the other thing that i get written to about, is i wish i could say the things you're saying, but i'll lose my job. and that's

pretty sickening. you know, there is that thing called free speech. apparently. >> and when i first met you, the popcorn convention, that was a tory event. really? all. nigel. nigel farage was in the front row, but it was a it was right wing tories. since then, you've turned your back on the conservatives. >> you could say that. but lee anderson was there too. and look at him go, so was jacob rees—mogg. there you go. are we going to take a few others too? >> and you then toyed with becoming a reform candidate at the election. tell us about that. >> well, look, i was i was very kindly asked would i consider. it's something that i think is incredibly serious, important job. it wasn't right for me at the time. if at some point over the time. if at some point over the next five years that becomes more realistic, then i'd revisit that. but but right now, you know, i'm just supporting from the sidelines. >> it was quite a rush because i think nigel farage came out two weeks into the campaign as the new leader, didn't he? and then, you know, you were you had like 48 hours to decide what your

plans were, which is too little time. >> absolutely. and i want to speak from a place of a sort of an educated viewpoint. so it would be better to represent perhaps my area where i know how the community lives, where the crime is, where things are that aren't working for our community. so if at some point that happens, fine. but right now i it's not even on my radar because you live in west london and you talked before about being mugged for your watch or you've seen muggings constant. i mean, it's just getting ridiculous at this point, which i think is exactly what this government wants complete anarchy. it's communism 101. >> that isn't the case. they don't want anarchy. they want to protect the streets. but maybe how they do it is not what you'd agree with. >> i would totally disagree with you. chopper. >> how much have you donated to reform uk? >> i'm sure you can look that up on something if you really want to know the numbers. >> lots of money. >> lots of money. >> i would like to donate more, but this is the starting funds and you can advocate for someone and you can advocate for someone and something that you believe in and many, many other ways. if you're not able to give monetary

amounts, it is quite i mean, it's quite interesting. >> i've been asked for selfies here. they all like gb news amongst reform uk supporters. perhaps no surprise it is. there is something stirring. maybe here. >> it's really a very exciting time. i know we're all sort of reeling on this side of politics from the election, but i think there is hope. we need to mobilise. we need to start talking to one another and geanng talking to one another and gearing up for the next few years and see what happens in 2029. >> can reform uk win the election? nigel farage says so. >> oh, absolutely. absolutely. >> oh, absolutely. absolutely. >> really? 321 more mps from five at the moment. >> in this day and age, the way technology works and the way you can reach people with levels of communication all times of the day and night, there's no reason why it couldn't work. >> if you could change one thing, one