on air for people going to even be able to afford this. amongst everything else that seems to be shooting up as well. and secondly, for what is this money actually going to be spent on.7 i asked that question, by the way, not least because it's emerged today that local councils have spent over £140 million since 2022 for so—called extras for asylum seekers, including lessons in circus skills, yoga classes, dj lessons and tickets to football matches. i mean, what do i even say to this now, ladies and gents? but meanwhile, angela rayner, she is very busy. also, she's planning a 16 strong council to tackle so—called islamophobia. but across the pond, ladies and gents, donald trump. he's also busy. he's

organising for his criminals to be sent to even tougher prison conditions in el salvador. does anyone else feel just more than anyone else feel just more than a tad bit jealous of america these days? on my panel tonight, i've got ben habib, the chairman of the great british pac, and is, of course, the former deputy leader of reform uk and the former labour advisor matthew laza. but before we get stuck into all of those stories and more, let's give you your 6:00 news headlines. >> very good evening to you. our top stories. around ten people have been killed after a shooting at an adult education centre in sweden. a warning viewers may find the following footage distressing. >> oh my god. oh my god. >> oh my god. oh my god. >> the shooting took place at

kampus ribarska in the central city of orebro, which is attended by students aged 20 and above. nearby facilities were locked down before being evacuated. for viewers on tv, this footage shows students hiding under desks while the attack took place. police believe that the male perpetrator is amongst the dead. we don't know the age of the identity of the shooter or a potential motive. police have added they don't expect any further attacks and they don't believe there was a terror motive. the swedish prime minister, ulf kristersson, says it's a very painful day for the country. a panel of international medical experts has concluded lucy letby didn't murder any babies after outlining significant new evidence they believe bad medical care and natural causes led to their deaths. letby is serving 15 whole life prison sentences after being convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others in 2015 and 2016. well,

the case is to be reviewed by a commission that investigates potential miscarriages of justice. a chair of the panel, doctor shoo lee, says there are alternative explanations for each of letby convictions. the former children's commissioner former children's commissioner for england, baroness anne longfield, says knife crime involving teenagers is a national crisis that needs a national crisis that needs a national response. police are continuing to question a teenager over the fatal stabbing of the 15 year old harvey willgoose at all saints catholic school in sheffield yesterday. flowers, candles and balloons have been placed on a wall outside the school, as sheffield united fans say they will pay tribute to him at their next home match. more on that story as soon as we get it. the president of poland says the eu is ready and will respond to any uf us tariffs within an hour. donald tusk, former head of the european council, says the eu would act together in the face of any tariffs announced by donald trump. it's emerged trump

will speak with the chinese president, xi jinping, later after china announced retaliatory tariffs on american goods following trump's 10% tax on its imports. trump's threats against tariffs to canada and mexico were paused for 30 days after 11th hour negotiations. and finally, the princess of wales has joined a group of children on a visit to the national portrait gallery as part of her gradual return to pubuc part of her gradual return to public engagements following cancer treatment. kate took the school bus to the popular arts attraction and adopted the role of a surrogate mum. only 13 children were taken on the magical bobin tree trail, based on the new shaping us framework, published by kate's royal foundation centre for early childhood. it's aimed at increasing awareness and understanding of society's social and emotional skills. that's it for the moment. more from me. in about an hour's time.

>> thank you very much for that. i saw those headlines. of course, the horrendous, horrendous situation in sweden unfolding there. i mean, we speak about this often, don't we? people just go to school to be educated. they don't go to be shot down, gunned down, stabbed down, whatever it is. what is our world coming to? so i've got to say, i was quite delighted to see that nice story at the end there i was almost half considering sitting here singing ymca for an hour just to try and bnng ymca for an hour just to try and bring some cheer to the place, but i don't think that's going to be necessary, because look who i've got alongside me. ben habib, the chairman of the great british pack. what's the great british pack. what's the great british pack? >> well, it pack is short for political action committee. so it's an american thing. they have lots of packs in the states and they use it not just to. it's not a think tank. it's more like a think tank combined with a pressure group, combined with a pressure group, combined with a policy making draft

legislation, production and choosing candidates, training candidates, getting them ready for office, making sure that people like reform uk and the conservative party have not just the policies, but the draft legislation and the people to implement them. >> do you get it? is that clear? clear? is that clear as mustard to everyone at home? alongside him, we've also got the former deputy leader. no, i was just going to say the former deputy leader of reform. but that's not you. >> that's me. it's also him. >> that's me. it's also him. >> that's me. it's also him. >> that's what. >> that's what. >> matt would like to be. >> matt would like to be. >> matthew laza, the former labour adviser, is alongside me. of course it's you. that's the former deputy leader of reform uk. i can't keep up. ladies and gentlemen, with everything, can you? look, get in touch. very welcome, gents, but get in touch to each and every one of you at home. what's on your mind tonight? of course, that lucy letby story as well. many of you got in touch and tell me about that. so what do you think to those developments today as well? join the conversation all the usual ways. email me gb views @gbnews. com you can go to

the website gbnews.com/yoursay. or of course you can tweet or x me, but get yourself a cup of tea, hopefully one that's a slightly better colour than mine. if anyone's on my twitter you'll have seen the colour of my tea tonight. goodness gracious me. hopefully i'll last until 7:00 tonight. but look, how do you feel tonight? how do you feel about your financial situation? because so many things seem to be going up at this moment in time, and i hear many of you will be shouting at your screens saying, that's fine, but my wages are not going up, i hear you. so how do you then feel today when you hear then feel today when you hear the news that the deputy prime minister, angela rayner, has given the green light for six councils to put their council tax up? this is not good news for millions and millions of households. in some cases, that council tax is going up by almost 10%. of course you've heard it all. it's the labour party saying tough decisions will be needed. i do just want to play this little clip though, from keir starmer, because i also know that many of you will be shouting at your screens

saying that things like this are from keir starmer are stuck in your mind. >> labour would freeze council tax next year. yes, you heard it right. not a penny more on your council tax. not a penny more than the bill you paid last yeah >> now you see matthew laza quotes like that stick in people's minds. so whilst the labour party might say, well, we didn't mention freezing council tax in the manifesto, we didn't say it on the election trail and so on and so forth. people remember things like that. people remember slogans such as we're not going to increase taxes on working people. so how do you guys justify this then today? >> yeah. well, i mean, i think that that was in the manifesto that that was in the manifesto that was from the previous year for the that was the local election campaign for 2023. yes, absolutely. >> he was saying is if we're in government, essentially we won't raise your council tax, will they are in government now. and yes, they have. >> look, i mean, i think i think, you know, be careful

about what you promise because otherwise people do get a sense of being let down. i mean, what's interesting about these council tax increases is that actually angela rayner has said no to some of actually a