>> hello, good afternoon and welcome to gb news. we're live on tv, online and on digital radio. i'm nana akua and for the next few hours, me and my panel will be taking on some 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, journalist and political commentator jonathan lis and also broadcaster and journalist danny kelly. coming

up in my nickel, i take a look at some of the political memorable moments of 2024. >> we are seeing the biggest landslide, the biggest majority for a labour party since tony blair's in 1997. >> has it been an annus horribilis, then? has the spat between reform uk and kemi badenoch heats up? is the tory leader right to say that nigel farage should get less airtime on gb news? i've got to pull up on gb news? i've got to pull up on x asking you that very question. is this the latest? is this the latest round on membership numbers? just another example that she perhaps isn't up for the top job. and is it time for labour to ditch. sir keir starmer we have been very clear that for working people we are not going to increase their taxes. >> so that means we are not increasing income tax, national insurance or vat , really. insurance or vat, really. >> and in our poll of the day, do you agree with half of britons who think 2025 will be worse than 2024? i suppose we

were warned things will get worse before they got better. but before we get started, let's get your latest news with sam francis. >> nana, thank you and good afternoon to you. fast approaching 3:02. well, the top story this hour. foreign secretary david lammy has offered his heartfelt condolences to the people of south korea and thailand. that's after a plane crash sadly killed 179 people. two crew members have been rescued, but all other people died in the incident. the youngest of those victims was just three years old, according to local media outlets, and five of those killed were children under the age of ten. it's understood the boeing 37737 800 jet rather was making a second attempt at a crash landing after its landing gear failed to open. well travel and aviation expert sally gethin has been speaking to us about the events that led to us about the events that led to that crash seems to have

suffered a catastrophic bird strike, which might sound nothing in the scheme of things. >> but actually, when you consider the powerful engines on board, any bird strike is very critical in a case like this. and that triggered a chain of events where the pilots could not keep in control, they could not keep in control, they could not deploy the landing gear in time. and then they ran out of runway effectively. at that point they skidded off the runway and they ran right into a wall. but they have recovered one of the black boxes. once they've recovered both black boxes, the investigation will begin properly. >> the azerbaijan airlines plane that also crashed, killing 38 people in that incident, was damaged while over russia due to shooting from the ground, according to the country's president. president aliyev said he regretted that some circles in russia had tried to hush up the truth about the crash by sowing false narratives about the causes. it comes after

russia's president, vladimir putin, apologised for what he called that tragic incident over russian airspace in which azerbaijan airlines plane crashed after russian air defences were fired against ukrainian drones. the uk has since rejected mr putin's apology and called for a full and independent investigation. the government has blamed the deaths of three migrants in the engush deaths of three migrants in the english channel on ruthless criminals, trying to overload what they've described as unseaworthy boats. at least three people died attempting to cross the channel in small boats earlier this morning, a large scale rescue operation off the coast of calais began in the early hours after reports that around 50 people had struggled to board one of those boats, officials confirmed the three people died. 45 others were rescued, with four being taken to hospital with hypothermia. the death toll, though, could rise. authorities have suggested, and it comes after news yesterday that 1300 migrants have now made that journey since christmas day.

will the prime minister, sir keir starmer, has promised to smash the gangs behind the crossings? but now more than 22,000 people have arrived since he took office. the prime minister's approval ratings have been branded catastrophic with rural voters. in a new poll following the planned tax raid on farmers. new polling by the telegraph suggests that just 1 in 5 believed that labour cares about people who live and work in the countryside. it's also understood that sir keir starmer has been warned his ratings have suffered a catastrophic fall among countryside voters angered by his family farm tax. meanwhile, the uk has pledged millions of pounds to help more ukraine, millions of pounds more to ukraine to help investigate russian war crimes there. the ministry of defence announced it will give bodies, including the ukrainian prosecutor general's office, £4.5 million to help bnng office, £4.5 million to help bring russian war criminals to justice. the government had previously pledged more than £6 million to help prosecute war

crimes. the un concluded in 2022 that war crimes had been committed during the conflict, citing evidence of executions, torture and sexual and gender based violence. and thick fog is set to cause further flight delays. delays today disrupting gatwick airports busiest day of the holiday period. flights at stansted airport were affected by the weather conditions yesterday, while live departure boards showed delays at heathrow, luton and at manchester. the uk's main air traffic control provider said temporary restrictions will continue as airfields are affected by fog. those are the latest headlines for now. i'll be back with you in half an houn be back with you in half an hour. now though, it's over to nana 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.

>> good afternoon and welcome. it's just coming up to seven minutes after 3:00. this is gb news. we're live on tv, online and on digital radio. i'm nana akua. welcome. coming up, the spat between reform uk and kemi badenoch is heating up. the tory leader. was she right to say that nigel farage should get less airtime on gb news? what do you think? then in the great british debate i'm asking is this route another example that perhaps kemi isn't up to the top job? and is it time for labour to ditch the keir starmer? uri geller will also be joining me and asking whether it's time the uk prescribes the houthis as a terror organisation that is coming up in the next hour. as even coming up in the next hour. as ever, send me your thoughts, post your comments gbnews.com/yoursay. so kemi badenoch spat with reform uk has escalated over claims that she urged bosses @gbnews to cut the

airtime given to the reform ukip leader, nigel farage. now they claim that during a meeting with the channel's chief executive, she said that gb news should not be a haven for my critics. is the tory leader shooting herself in the foot? that's the question. joining me now is the director of popular conservatives, mark littlewood, and also reform uk mp lee anderson. all right. i'm going to start with you, mark littlewood. what are your thoughts on that? kemi badenoch. >> well, i don't think she actually leaked this information. and according to angelo, the chief executive, gb news, they did have a very convivial, non acrimonious meeting. and look it is true we're about to hear from one of them that reform spokespeople get a lot of time on gb news. but the way to correct that isn't to complain about it, it's to put yourself forward. if i'd beenin to put yourself forward. if i'd been in kenny's position, i would have asked gb news can i have my own show please? can i

have my own show please? can i have an hour a week? i'd quite like to talk to gb news viewers. i'd quite like to get some experts around the table to help me develop policy. what do you say to that? if you're complaining, you're losing. and i'd like to see a lot more conservatives on gb news, a lot more people of all political stripes, rather than trying to diminish reform spokespeople because they actually show up and speak. but i want to see that from all political parties. and the best way of getting that is to put your first front foot forward, not to complain about other people being on the television. >> well, listen, i can tell you, i've been @gbnews from the very, very start of old school, and i can tell you now very start of old scho