well. >> morning 930 on thursday night, 2nd january 2025. live across the uk. britain's newsroom with andrew pierce and bev turner. >> so good morning. it was expected, but labour mps said no to an inquiry on rape gangs, as the prime minister is accused of an act of cowardice. here is the moment that it happened. >> the ayes to the right were 111, the noes to the left 364. so the noes have it, the noes have it. unlock. >> and are we going to see a rachel reeves recession? borrowing costs have surged. the treasury has had to step in to try to avoid market turmoil. remember when the chancellor

promised she was going to fix the foundations of the economy? that was only in july. >> you have put your trust in us and we will repay that trust. the work towards a decade of national renewal has begun. there is no time to waste and we are just getting started. >> unrest is growing outside of the oxford farming conference amongst farmers hit by inheritance tax changes. environment. environment secretary steve reed is making a speech inside as we speak. we're going to tell you what he says and find out why, if you pardon the terrible pun, it's not all roses for labour's tulip siddiq. >> she is a senior government minister and she is the prime minister's next big headache. >> and the princess of wales celebrates her 43rd birthday today. she's expected to spend it at home with her family after, of course, what was a very difficult 2024. happy birthday from all of us.

>> and the flames are still ripping through los angeles. six of the city's neighbourhoods are ablaze, killing five people, and firefighters are running out of water. >> and reform uk deputy leader richard tice is going to be in the studio with us any minute now. we'll tell you what you think this morning. gbnews.com/yoursay first though, the very latest news with san francis. >> very good morning to you from the newsroom. at 9:32, the top story this morning. fears over the uk economy are mounting as borrowing costs have hit a 27 year high and the pound has fallen to its weakest since april. it's fuelling speculation the chancellor will either raise taxes again or cut spending to balance the books. in a rare move, the treasury stepped in

last night, calling market speculation pure guesswork and insisting uk debt remains among the lowest in the g7. insisting uk debt remains among the lowest in the 67. all eyes now turn to the office for budget responsibility, whose forecasts could determine the government's next steps. well, breaking news in the last hour or so that liz truss, former prime minister, short lived though it may be, has taken legal action against sir keir starmer, demanding he stops claiming she crashed the economy in a cease and desist letter seen by the telegraph. truss's lawyers argue the statement is false and defamatory, and suggest it hurt her chances of re—election in south—west norfolk. the dispute focuses on the aftermath of truss's mini—budget in september 2022, which of course caused market turmoil but did not lead to an economic crash, according to her team. they highlight a report stating the economy actually, they say, grew faster after the mini—budget. liz truss is now demanding that starmer stops repeating the claims or face further legal action. and

turning to the latest developments in los angeles, where they are battling a most, the most destructive wildfires in its history. with six blazes now raging out of control and five lives sadly lost, high winds of up to 100 miles an hour have spread flames across more than 26,000 acres and forcing more than 137 evacuations. it's also left hollywood streets in gridlock under thick smoke. firefighters face water shortages, taking supplies from swimming pools, while the mayor has defended cutting £17 million from fire budgets last summer. overnight, new fires also erupted in hollywood hills and in acton, with more evacuations now underway. royal news and the princess of wales is celebrating her 43rd birthday today, after prince william described what's been a brutal year. catherine, who was diagnosed with cancer last january after major surgery, had been gradually returning to public life with

plans for more royal appearances this year. catherine is marking the day quietly at home in windsor with william and their children and freezing temperatures as low as —16 degrees are expected to cause widespread disruption across the uk, with snow, ice and fog warnings in place for the southwest and southern england have been hit the hardest by heavy snow, leaving motorists stranded and even snowploughs stuck in traffic. in some places. yellow weather warnings cover much of the uk, with travel disruption likely and a risk of injury from slips and falls, so authorities are now urging drivers to stick to just major roads, while the rac reports its busiest rescue penod reports its busiest rescue period in over a year. those are the latest headlines. i'll be back with you for a full round up at the top of the hour. now though, it's over to andrew and bev 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. >> very good morning. this is britain's newsroom on gb news with andrew and bev. >> well, labour enterprising mps unsurprisingly voted down that tory demand, backed by reform for a new national inquiry into down the children's wellbeing bil|a his down the children's wellbeing bil|a new national inquiry into the appalling behaviour of those for a new national inquiry into the appalling behaviour of those rape gangs which went unchecked rape gangs which went unchecked for years. >> that's right. the commons for years. >> that's right. the commons opposed a call by conservative opposed a call by conservative leader kemi badenoch for a fresh leader kemi badenoch for a fresh probe into historical child probe into historical child sexual exploitation by 364 votes sexual exploitation by 364 votes to 111. to 111. >> the ayes to the right were >> the ayes to the right were 111, the noes to the left 364. 111, the noes to the left 364. so the noes have it. the noes so the noes have it. the noes have it. unlock. have it. unlock. >> so before the vote, the prime >> so before the vote, the prime minister had this to say during minister had this to say during prime minister's questions. prime minister's questions. >> what i find shocking is that >> what i find shocking is that anyone in this house would vote anyone in this house would vote down the children's wellbeing down the children's wellbeing

bill this bill this afternoon, which is vital protections for the most vulnerable in our society. and i urge the leader of the opposition to withdraw her wrecking amendment. >> well, honestly, let's get the latest from our and —

>> well, honestly, let's get the latest from our and that's the national inquiry, and that's the one of the most blunt instruments that the tories have got. i'm struck by what might happen next. now, after that defeat last night for kemi will need resources. and i can imaginlast night for kemi badenoch. has she yet met defeat last night for kemi badenoch. has she yet met members of the victims groups? members of the victims groups? she met no victims as of she met no victims as of yesterday. keir starmer met them yesterday. keir starmer met them yesterday. keir starmer met them yesterday. keir starmer met them yesterday and she's been yesterday and she's been criticised for getting on the criticised for getting on the bandwagon on this issue. on keir bandwagon on this issue. on keir starmer. i think language is starmer. i think language is softening against having a softening against having a pubuc softening against having a public inquiry, he said in the pubuc softening against having a public inquiry, he said in the house yesterday there was no house yesterday there was no fixed view amongst victims and fixed view amongst victims and also number 10 told us they're also number 10 told us they're imagine open or they're open, of course, open or they're open, of course, and we'll listen to what victims and we'll listen to what victims want. so if victims keep calling want. so if victims keep calling for an inquiry, that will get for an inquiry, that will get harder to resist. and for a harder to resist. and for a former uk, i know you've got former uk, i know you've got richard tice on shortly. i think richard tice on shortly. i think it might be worth asking him. it might be worth asking him. will elon musk fund this will elon musk fund this independent inquiry which nigel independent inquiry which nigel farage is putting together? he farage is putting together? he says he's going to find a says he's going to find a retired judge to run it, but it retired judge to run it, but it

will need resources. and i can will need resources. and i can imagine elon musk, given his interest in the grooming gang scandal, the way he's propelled that to the top of the agenda here in westminster. i wonder if here in westminster. i wonder if he can find some loose change to

i think it's a 5050 nation, and i think it's a 5050 that they will have 1521