>> hello and good evening. i'm christopher hope. gb news is political editor covering state of the nation. coming up tonight, we'll be revealing chopper's political podcast exclusive. could the tories be slaughtered in the may local elections unless they sort out their immigration policy? and is their immigration policy? and is the tory reform pact inevitable? the party's most senior mp tells me he thinks it is. and i'll be asking richard tice from reform uk. yes, that party again about its plans for a controversial new net zero policies. meanwhile, the uk's asylum system remains under the microscope as it emerges a nigerian woman has been granted the right to stay in uk after joining a terrorist organisation. you couldn't make

it up. and oldham council has unanimously voted in favour of a national inquiry with statutory powers into grooming gangs. i'll be speaking to one of the councillors who pushed that through last night. plus, the bbc appears to have gone to war with the chancellor, rachel reeves, following its investigation into an alleged expenses scandal . back investigation into an alleged expenses scandal. back during her time at hbo. oh, and the chancellor has changed her onune chancellor has changed her online cv again. state of the nafion online cv again. state of the nation starts right now. i'm also joined, of course, by my panel. pr tycoon and former labour candidate kevin craig, an assistant editor at the daily telegraph. poppy coburn. welcome to you both. of course. as ever, let me know your thoughts. gbnews.com/yoursay some of what you want to say and i'll read it out on air. now it's time for

the news bulletins with your newsreader sophia wenzler. >> chris. thank you. it's just gone. 8:00. these are your headlines. at least 28 people have been injured, including children, after a car was driven into a crowd in a suspected attack in munich. local media have named the 24 year old suspect as farhad khan. reports say he came to germany in 2016. he had his asylum application rejected but his deportation was suspended. police say counter—terrorism officers have taken over the investigation due to indications the suspect has extremist background. the german chancellor has called for the afghan suspect to be punished and deported. meanwhile, the alternative fur deutschland party, who are the second place in the polls, also seized on the incident, with co—leader alice weidel posting on social media platform x saying should this go on forever migration turn around

now. in other news, ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy says kyiv will not accept any peace deal agreed by russia and the us without its involvement. this comes as donald trump has assured that ukraine would have assured that ukraine would have a seat at the table in any negotiation over the war. speaking from the oval office, the us president said he trust putin on the ukraine war. and he confirmed that defence secretary pete hegseth comments on ukraine not joining nato were accurate. >> we want, like you, a sovereign and prosperous ukraine. that said, the united states does not believe that nato membership for ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement. >> back in the uk, two men accused of attacking police at manchester airport have denied assaulting police officers after assaulting police officers after a video of the incident went

viral. 20 year old mohammed ahmad faces multiple charges, including causing actual bodily harm to two officers. his brother, 25 year old mohammed ahmad, is charged with injuring a male officer during the brawl at terminal two. a female officer suffered a broken nose and two officers remain under investigation for potential misconduct. both men had their unconditional bail extended after they entered not guilty pleas at liverpool crown court earlier today. and king charles and queen camilla have been met by a large group of anti—monarchy demonstrators on their visit to middlesbrough today. the royal couple were greeted by the republic's large yellow placards reading not my king, with protesters chanting the phrase as they arrived. the king and queen were in the north—east city to learn how the town is supporting its residents across a range of issues, from mental health concerns to knife crime. those are the latest gb news headlines. more 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/poll. >> chris billam—smith. >> chris billam—smith. >> welcome back to state of the nafion >> welcome back to state of the nation with me christopher hope. now it's time for an early peek at chopper's political podcast, my weekly podcast. we record in our studios in the heart of westminster, and this week i spoke to the father of the house of commons, conservative mp sir edward leigh, the longest serving tory mp. and he issued to us a stark warning to his party. >> i may by may we have to come out with an absolute firm immigration policy. otherwise we're going to be slaughtered in the may elections. wow. and i'm saying i'm saying that to the leadership and people are nodding at me. they're not

saying, oh, that's ridiculous, edward. i'm saying you've got to have a firm immigration policy. as i said, get out of echr or you don't have to even say that. you say, get out of any, any of these conventions that prevent us from arresting people and deporting them. you don't have to have rwanda. you. but i've studied this very closely with afghanistan, for instance, you simply can't deport people to afghanistan. syria. you have to get rid of all these conventions. >> sir edward leigh even went on to say this about arch rival, the reform uk party. >> and what are the odds on reform and the tories merging to be one party at the next election? >> oh, i think very high. i mean. >> odds on. >> odds on. >> a 70%, i should think. >> a 70%, i should think. >> well, i can't think of anything else to ask better than that. well, maybe nigel farage than the deputy leader of that party, richard tice, who richard joins us now. richard, welcome to state of the nation. well, you heard the man there. 70% chance of you lot merging with that lot. the tory party. is it on?

>> well, the first thing he said, of course, was the tories are likely to be slaughtered at the may elections. and i think the may elections. and i think the father of the house is bang on right there. look, with regard to talks of merger, look forget it. we're just focusing on doing what we're doing. we seem to be doing it rather well because we're now on average five, 6 or 7 points ahead of the tories. we're going up. they're going south. and i think very soon people are going to say, hang on, the tories are splitting the vote. we've heard that phrase before, haven't we, christopher? >> we have done. but the truth is that you really probably can't win power on your own. what you what you want to do is get in bed and talk to the tory party. and that's what donald trump did that did he took over the republican party back in 2016. surely you come to an agreement, you find leaders who will do that deal and do it to keep labour out of only of a second term of office. >> yeah, but you can't merge with people who fundamentally disagree with you on critical policies. for example, on immigration. the tories are completely split. they're all

over the place on immigration and the other critical policy where they're with the sort of the eco zealot pro net zero that i think we're going to come on to talk about. you know, we are a we're polar opposites on this. they're quite happy for people's bills and cost of living to be ever higher. they're quite happy for farms to be blighted with solar farms and pylons all across the countryside. these are the damaging consequences of the net zero policy. they're quite happy for jobs to be killed in in industries like steel, cars, oil and gas and chemicals. so yeah, we're poles apart on policies. >> well, we'll come to you on net zero plans in, in one second. but just final question on this issue of the two parties coming together, that surely is where you want to be. and he said in that podcast interview he thinks that maybe half the mps shortly around 40 to 40 mps so far , want to do a deal with so far, want to do a deal with you guys. it may rise to half

the party in parliament. is that not a chance to do a deal and then take on labour from one position? i mean, he's jealous of your immigration policy, your net zero legal immigration policy. he wants something like that from his own party. and basically, why not come together? >> well, isn't it interesting? they've got 121 mps in parliament, and all they're talking about is the fear from reform. we've got five mps. it sounds to me like they're terrified of us. we've got the upper hand. we've got the right common sense policies that are real conservative policies that will make people better off. i'm not sure what their policies are on anything at the moment. but look, i think people want a fresh start and they want some common sense, experienced people to come and sort this country out. >> the problem is no one knows who they are. i mean, who is your health secretary? who is your health secretary? who is your culture secretary? who's your culture secretary? who's your work in pension? secretary? you've only got five mps. you can't fill these jobs. >> well, when we win the next general election, we'll have hundreds of mps. and so we will

fill these jobs with experienced people. and here's the point. when people say you haven't got the experience. yeah, but i tell you what, we've had all the policy wonks, we've had all the people with ppe from the universities running the country for the last 20 years. and what a scandalous, negligent mess they've made. so frankly, we don't want them any more. >> i've got enough of experts. okay. got that. but you've proposed this week two taxes, a windfall tax on renewable energy, taxation of farmers utilising land for solar panels. i thought you were a low tax party, not a more tax party. >> what the tax? what we're doing is saying we want the money back from the renewable rip offs, from the vast subsidies being paid on renewable energy. and it's a bafic renewable energy. and it's a basic common sense statement that the cost of renewables, plus the backup that you need when the wind doesn't blow or the sun doesn't shine, must cost more than backup. so we don't want the renewables that are heavily subsidised over £10 billion a year and rising. we're saying on behalf of the taxpayer, we're going to reclaim that back, give it back to

consumers with lower bills that will lower the cost of living. we're the only party that's on the side of the british people, as opposed to the side of the vested interests, putting up these renewables and putting up our bills. >> and yet you want to mandate underground installation of new power lines rather than loop them across parts of norfolk and elsewhere. yet again, that's extremely costly. the reason why that can't happen, the tories looked at it was the cost of it. aren't you just. isn't it a magic money tree? and you found it so. >> but you see, because the tories are pro net zero, the consequence of that is that they want to put thousands of massive, ugly pylons to blight our countryside and environment. but actually the national energy system operators report for the east anglia network confirmed that over the medium term, by 2034, the cost of putting the cables underground, out of sight, out of mind would be about the same as the cost of putting them on. when you take into account all the property compensation that would have to be paid. so actually, once again, we're on the side of the

countryside, we're on the side of the environment and on the side of our constituents. >> okay. richard tice, the deputy leader of reform uk, thank you for joining deputy leader of reform uk, thank you forjoining us deputy leader of reform uk, thank you for joining us tonight on state of the nation. great to see you. thank you. we'll be now in the studio. here is pr tycoon and former labour candidate in the last election, kevin craig, an assistant editor at the daily telegraph. poppy coburn to you first, kevin craig, what do you make of the idea that the your opponents could come together as a much bigger mega party for the next election? >> well, my let's talk about the six months to the run up to the general election. my observation about reform and the conservative party is that on the ground, reform had the more vigorous activist base. i saw more young people overtly for reform than i did for the conservative party. reform are are much more invigorated organisation. i don't see them coming together, however, because i think reform have a strategy where they want to

dictate. they see that they and the tories will have enough votes after the next election to. >> to do a deal, to.— >> to do a deal, a to. >> to do a deal, a coalition deal >> and nigel, who was on here beforehand, i think has got a little plan to if he doesn't, which i think is highly unlikely, become the largest party to demand a lot of things from the tories. but it's all supposition. and the opinion polls, as we know, are terrible at the moment for the government. but there's a long way to go, i don't think. i don't think the egos at the top of those two parties will allow a deal. >> that is part of the problem, and that's why, in fact, edward lee wouldn't tell me or say that kemi badenoch would lead at the next election. he said he wishes her well. i mean to you, poppy coburn. i mean, richard tice is right. why on earth would they want to do a deal with the tories when they're when they're ahead and the tories are becalmed below, below labour? >> i think he's. >> i think he's. >> completely hit the nail on the head. i mean, the problem is we still assume that the conservatives are either going to improve in the polls or at

least continue flatlining. i don't think that's going to happen. i think they're going to keep decreasing every single time their party leader goes on television or gets a softball interview, she manages to mess it up. i think we underestimate the extent to which people in the extent to which people in the country actually hate the party and want to see it destroyed. and just to pull up something you said about donald trump taking over the republican party. trump took over the republican party because it had lots of money, lots of serious activists, and were still basically worth taking over. it was a strong institution. the tories are broke. they have no activists under the age of 90, and it is an institution that is totally discredited. so i don't think that's a fair example. if the tories go under, how many people are going to be upset about it? that's not true for reform. >> yeah, the time is perfect. kevin craig, isn't it for reform uk because any time kevin badenoch, who is not a fan there, but anytime she mentions immigration, simply labour say you let a million people in in the last calendar year you were in power. >> i mean, look the it's early days for the labour government. ihappen days for the labour government. i happen to believe that in many

areas they're doing a good job. but at the moment the polls are bad because of a number of issues in the first six months. but i think the jimmy just you saw pmqs this week. you know, she can't change discussion. she can't pivot. she can't get go away from the script and answer questions in a more effective manner. and i think it's the big battle of ideas. i think it's quite interesting. it's about, you know, net zero. are you in favour of against it? all the jobsit favour of against it? all the jobs it will bring are you, you know, do you if labour deliver on its immigration pledges i think it's going to have a strong record. >> but she's new. she's got time. i mean, i do think that as we get further away from the tory record, people will look more kindly on what they're doing. certainly the final two years after liz truss was in power, when she got blamed, of course, for the issue of mortgages, the chances for her party to rediscover its mojo and times on their side. >> what's the big philosophical difference between reform and the conservative party? >> that's the problem. >> that's the problem. >> well, what's your answer? >> well, what's your answer? >> reform haven't discredited themselves. that's the massive difference. i mean, the idea that the tories have time. no,

they run out of time. it's too late. in fact, people are going to continue getting more angry as the consequences of what they've done to this country, they've done to this country, the fact we've drowning ourselves in massive debt because of the covid furlough policy, the fact that our. >> energy because, i. >> energy because, i. >> mean, but of course. >> mean, but of course. >> covid happened to everybody didn't. >> okay, but what about our energy policy, which. >> is not our fault. >> is not our fault. >> oh come on. well, that's the reason we have the most expensive energy policy barring germany, the worst immigration policy i can think of in our lifetimes. these are all policies that people directly associate with the policies of the conservative government. they're going to dislike them more, not less. and that's where reform will. >> be a big issue for gb news viewers and listeners. kevin craig is net zero. they don't understand what ed miliband is on about. he doesn't really, if very rarely ever, comes on the channel to tell us what he's on about. but we have to read about elsewhere. but what on earth are these net zero policies? the ideas from reform are quite good, aren't they? taxation on renewable energy and solar panels, everything that that miliband loves. >> well, i think it's good that we debate more energy policy. and i will tell ed miliband to

team that he should come on here and i'll he's mad. well he should what. he's mad not to. come on. >> he's not to come on because we've got a growing audience. >> yeah. he should, he should come on. because the gb news viewers and listeners are important section of the country. but net zero. we may disagree on this panel. i think it's going to deliver more jobs across the country. i think it's going to help. it's going to be better for the planet. i think it's going to ultimately deliver cheaper bills. and the idea 2030. >> yeah. >> yeah. >> not, you know, and if it doesn't do it meaningfully before the next election, labour's going to stand on that record. just one thing on subsidies. the fact is more subsidies. the fact is more subsidies have gone to fossil fuels in the last five years. right. that's just a fact. so why why are they singling out the renewable energy sector right now? >> very quickly. >> very quickly. >> i've got to go. you were completely right. this is supposed to be a party that doesn't like tax. as a consumer who spends a hell of a lot of money on her energy bills every yean money on her energy bills every year, why are we somehow saying we're going to reverse net zero policies which have made energy expensive by making them even more expensive? that that's a

completely nonsensical policy, is it not? >> okay, poppy. >> okay, poppy. >> thank you, kevin craig, thank you. will be with us staying with us all through the show after the break. we're going live to germany for the latest on these terrible attacks in munich. stay with us. plus, we'll debating whether our human rights laws need reform

welcome back to state of the nafion welcome back to state of the nation with me christopher hope. now, nearly 30 people have been injured, with two in a critical condition after a car drove through a large crowd in what police say could be deliberate. the arrested driver has now been confirmed as a 24 year old afghan asylum seeker known to police. german chancellor olaf scholz has condemned the incident as a terrible attack. he added that the suspect must be punished and he must leave the country. i'm joined now by former german mep for the

alliance germany party, lars patrick berg. lars patrick berg, thank you for joining patrick berg. lars patrick berg, thank you forjoining us patrick berg. lars patrick berg, thank you for joining us tonight on gb news. >> thank you. good evening from mannheim. >> can i quickly ask, sir, what is the mood like in germany after this dreadful attack? >> well, it's a very emotional mood and people are actually fed up with all these bloody acts that are committed by asylum seekers. it's becoming commonplace in germany, these acts, and actually they are happening on a weekly basis. so there is a lot of emotion and there is a lot of emotion and there is a need for change. >> and is anyone being blamed? is it too soon for blame? currently all thoughts are with the families of those of those affected. >> well, once again, the alleged perpetrator is a man. once again, it's national from afghanistan and once again everybody is upset, claiming it's an isolated case, claiming

that germany is still a colourful and tolerant place. but these are all platitudes and people are really fed up with these platitudes and they are blaming the responsible government, the federal government, the federal government and the regional governments because they didn't take any action. so far. >> we've seen before vehicles used as weapons as an attack was in that christmas market over christmas. i mean, it is dreadful and it's very hard to defend against. >> well, there is, of course, no 100% security that is clear. but germany is still a country that is attracting too many asylum seekers from all over the world, especially from muslim countries. and this is something that needs to be under control because we don't have any control. what kind of people are coming to our country? and as i mentioned before, there's these

acts are becoming commonplace in germany, and this is really very dangerous. >> well, why are they attracted to germany? there's a big debate in britain about why. illegally arrival arrivals come across the channel when they're given hotels. they come here warm clothes and the like. they're seen almost to be attracted to come here is the same in germany or or is it, is it more of a difficult environment there? >> well, i think it's partly the lack of the government, lack of will to change the regulations and the rules. and i think with the current government, the traffic lights or the remnants of the traffic light coalition, no change will happen. furthermore, it is a question of attracting people because the social benefits are very high in germany. so these things need to be changed urgently. >> yeah. unless you take it on, then you know it can, it can. the far right might, might increase in popularity if they've got different answers.

>> oh i think in ten days there are federal elections in germany. and i think the blue party will certainly gain more support and strength. and that is due to the fact that many people are frustrated, they're desperate, and there's just platitudes. we will act and we have to be solidarity, but nothing's happening. >> well, thanks for joining us tonight. and our thoughts are with you, of course, from the uk. now, a woman who joined a proscribed terror organisation in nigeria has been given asylum in nigeria has been given asylum in the uk. the 49 year old had tried and failed eight times to secure asylum in britain, and was only given the right to stay here once she had joined the separatist group called the indigenous people of biafra. but this is merely the latest case of an avoided deportation that raises many questions about our human rights laws. still with me in the studio here, gb news is pr tycoon and former labour candidate kevin craig and assistant editor at the daily

telegraph. poppy coburn to you first, poppy. these have been repeatedly stories coming up in the telegraph this week. is there a pattern emerging? why is the telegraph often talking about them all the time? >> i think when we see these individual cases, it's easy to look at them and assume that these are kind of freak one off particularly extreme examples. and i think what the paper is trying to show at the moment is that this is actually pretty commonplace. so the idea that someone could enter the country in 2011 go through, as you say, eight different appeals. eventually, the judge almost seems to give up when the woman who says she has joined a terrorist organisation and is allowed to remain. now, this is quite common, actually. there's a strange incentive pattern we have right now where if you commit a serious crime that we've seen in some examples, if you commit a sexual assault or rape, it's more likely you will be allowed to remain in the uk than if you committed a minor crime, because you can make the argument that you would be punished unduly back home. this is the kind of strange, perverse systems that human rights law creates in the uk. this isn't

just a problem of the echr, it's the way the law is being interpreted by our own home—grown judges. and i think that's something that we're going to have to wake up to. i wish leaving the echr was the only option, but actually a lot of these judges making these decisions are trained up here, and they are ideological. and that's a much more difficult battle for us to be fighting. >> kevin craig, who's to blame for this? we have an albanian criminal who avoided deportation after claiming his son like chicken nuggets here more than over there. a pakistani paedophile who was jailed for child sex offences and escaped removal because of unduly harsh on his children. who's to blame, is it? is it the courts or is it mps? well, i think with labour, if the government. >> well, it's i don't think labour are to blame. i mean, let's first of all on the specific specifics of these cases, and i used to see a lot of these when i was involved in local government and working with mps on claims for asylum. these cases jar. right? whatever your politics, if it feels like somebody's playing the system, that's. >> just common sense in politics. >> sense, common sense. and it

sticks in the, in the gut. and you know, on those individual cases, i think, you know, they have to be looked at. what was said in parliament recently when in the last seven days when it was raised, the prime minister said that any loopholes that are cynically exploited by people to stay in this country will be tackled. and the facts are i don't want to attribute blame. i just want to say, as they are, the asylum and immigration system was in a total mess, right in the first six months of this government. 16,400 people have been kicked out of the country. they've failed asylum seekers, illegal immigrants or foreign criminals. and that is what the people who voted labour want to see happening. okay, we have got a system we want, we want fair migration. but if people are taking the mick, then the government is committed to sorting it out. i can't excuse these examples. we all agree they're insane, but overall, and we've got over 1000 people employed to unblock the system. no gimmicks, just the slow, laborious process of trying to

get it. >> i mean, poppy, kevin craig is right. i mean, the rwanda plan basically warped the system that all the focus was on rwanda and they and this big backlog built up. >> i think there's more awareness now also in the country that it's not just as easy as pointing the finger at a certain party and saying, it's your fault or no, it's your fault. actually, again, as i say, this is much deeper. this is a judicial problem. i mean, the women actually involved in trying this case, who allowed the women to remain after being part of a terrorist organisation. she worked as a senior caseworker at an immigration charity that had a pretty explicitly open borders bias about ten years beforehand. right. that's a pretty common thing you're seeing in these cases. so i think unfortunately, we're going to have to start seeing these supposedly neutral organisations is actually the reality for what they are. they are quite political. they deserve scrutiny. and if politicians want, like the labour party, want to see these common sense agenda policies put into practice, they're going to have to take a serious look at these lawyers and these judges and say, why are you ruling the country? >> kevin craig. >> kevin craig. >> i think that's a very fair point. by poppy, i mean, i don't

know most of the people i know in the labour party when they see the system being played, get angry about it. you heard the welfare secretary this week talking about people taking the mick. this smacks of people taking the mick. >> yeah, it's a fairness thing. and that's why i think the small boats issue, such as potent one, is jumping the queue and coming here illegally when people are waiting to get here through legal route. >> yeah. i mean i despaired really and it's and it's and it's why, you know richard tice was on earlier about, you know, pylons and people objecting to them in suffolk area. i know well and when people kick up locally, but when people are upset about big scale housing plans, if the labour government does not deliver on its housing plans, people are going to say, why did we vote you in? right? and that's the pressure. you've got to deliver change and the heat. >> but why? why is it, why is he not your government, the government you support abolishing the rwanda plan? that was actually an attempt to deport people from here if they arrive illegally. >> it's a joke. >> it's a joke. >> didn't wasn't given a chance to work, was it? >> it was given loads. but it was just a gimmick because, you

know, the government then wasn't delivering already the numbers, that's why. and you know, when you've got momentum coming for keir starmer, as they have done in the last seven days, right? jon trickett i think. >> the left wing group. >> the left wing group. >> yeah, yeah, jon trickett has sent this thing out in the last 48 hours about keir starmer veering to the right. okay. it's because the keir starmer government has got a commitment to tackle illegal immigration and asylum in a fair way, and some people don't like it. >> right. well, kevin craig and poppy, >> right. well, kevin craig and poppy, thank you for joining for joining us tonight. in a moment, i'll be talking to an oldham councillor following last night's unanimous vote in favour of a statutory inquiry into the rape gangs scandal. >> dinner under the stars tonight. >> that reminds me of our travel insurance. >> you mean all clear skies. >> you mean all clear skies. >> allclear travel insurance sponsors, gb news travel destinations forecast. >> we have some heavy thundery rain affecting eastern parts of

the mediterranean at the moment. meanwhile, there is also a band of rain pushing in from the west tomorrow, affecting parts of madeira later on and pushing into the far west of spain and portugal as well. also some hefty rain affecting italy. but it's around the adriatic coastline where we're going to have some heavy, thundery downpours, even some significant snow for croatia in particular, with 10 to 20cm even to lower levels elsewhere, are mostly fine. story. >> allclear travel sponsoi's sponsors gb news

>> now. welcome back in january gb news is very own. charlie peters revealed that the government has rejected oldham council's request for a government inquiry into rape gangs, sparking an international conversation about the scandal. well, last night that council voted unanimously in favour of a statutory government inquiry and

one of the conservative councillors doing that was lewis quigg. and he joins me now. lewis, you must be pleased with the result from last night. >> yeah, we. >> yeah, we. >> are pleased, but we know that this is the beginning of the end, not the end of the national scandal that has hit the country as well as oldham. for us, this is a long journey which has taken six years. and for many of us it has been a very bitter battle to get here. and for anyone around the country who has or is starting out on this terrible journey, don't give up hope. keep fighting. because if you don't, then they'll get away with it. and it's thanks to yourself and your colleagues who who have kept this in the public eye for as long as they have, that we've made progress. i did say last night that elon musk had done a lot in one tweet, and effectively broken down the door

of silence, which is which has existed around this issue in oldham in particular, than what the local press in oldham have donein the local press in oldham have done in decades. so for us, it is just a step in the right direction. and i would appeal to the home secretary tonight to do the home secretary tonight to do the right thing and join us in calling for this national public inquiry and initiate it. we also called chris just, just just for our viewers at home. he's actually asked for the statutory powers to be included in the local inquiry, which the government says that it will give us. and for us, this is something which gained unanimous support. so there is clear indication for anyone listening that we do want a proper full investigation, both locally and nationally. >> can i ask why has been held up? it seems so obvious. you've got a problem and you want the powers. you want this statutory inquiry. just get on with it. why is it taking so long to make

it happen, lewis? >> it's taken so long because unfortunately, the labour party in oldham has taken the trench warfare view that this was a conspiracy theory. it was barefaced lies. it was something which came from the dark corners of the internet and basically was was something that we should just move on with. well, unfortunately they lost control of the council. chris, because of the council. chris, because of this issue , and they lost of this issue, and they lost three council leaders as a result of this issue. so, you know, until they get until they got lost control of the council, they weren't prepared to change. >> and the next steps are what then? lewis quigg, you've asked for this statutory inquiry. will you then get money from the home office to make it happen? will you appoint someone locally or someone from the outside of the area to do it independently? >> so as it stands at the minute, we're very, very early stages on this, chris. so as you can appreciate. so we don't particularly want to prejudge any outcome at this point or

where the funding will come from. >> well, best of luck. lewis quigg. it seems that justice might be coming its way to oldham. and of course that called for that. national inquiry remains from so many of the families and communities we speak to @gbnews. with me now in the studio here @gbnews is my panel pr tycoon and former labour candidate kevin craig, and the assistant editor of the telegraph, poppy coburn. kevin craig. he's right, isn't he? i mean, he's a tory local tory mp there or a councillor who says, why can't we have this dealt properly? i mean, people don't want to take on what's happened. people have hidden, they've hidden away from talking about the issue. and we're doing our best to gb news talk about it a lot more. >> well, chris, this is a this is a difficult one. i mean, number one, i'm not going to add my voice to those thanking elon musk. what he's done on this. i thought he published a fairly disgraceful tweet aimed at the home secretary, with the caveat

that i'm not an expert in oldham politics. i know that recently the labour has lost control of the labour has lost control of the council. i mean, i have a sort of simple view, which is if enough local people feel that an inquiry would be helpful, governments can respond to that at times. you know. >> it's taken so long for him. that's what's so interesting. >> well, many people. >> well, many people. >> he was blaming labour. labour's not here to answer for themselves. >> well he can do that. i know i don't want to get into that because a lot of people blaming the previous conservative government who also. >> exactly. let's take the victims, the victims here, kevin, at the heart of it. >> right at the heart of it. and, you know, i just don't know what is what would be the problem. i mean, in simple terms, what would be the problem with giving people what they're asking for? >> yeah, that's the point, isn't it? i mean, there's are there are children here now, young women who want to see justice. >> i mean, isn't this exactly the point? i mean, when lewis was speaking, what really struck me was the fact that why has it taken six years for what should be a very cut and dry? i mean,

let's be honest, we have so many pubuc let's be honest, we have so many public inquiries in this country for basically every single scandal that's happened, big or small. why is it that this particular scandal has been ignored for so long by so many people who would otherwise consider themselves to be upstanding liberals who support women's rights? >> well, the answer is why is? why is because it's perpetuated predominantly by heritage pakistani men. >> and therefore that the. >> and therefore that the. >> issue does it not. this is all the more reason to have independent inquiries, not just independent inquiries, not just in every local town, but also on a national level, because if people even in these communities where they have been affected by it, feel they cannot speak up or want to cover this up or whatever you want to call it, thatis whatever you want to call it, that is then a clear mandate for the government to step in and take this out of people's hands and say, this is a gigantic national scandal. it is a national scandal. it is a national shame, and we should actually use this massive legal framework. we have to do something about it. >> both parties failed tories for 14 years. it goes back, though, into the noughties and before that, doesn't it? it's basically both parties. >> yeah. well look i mean labour came into power. in many ways,

hoping that people would feel that government was on their side and more listened to. and again, you know, i know there's detail around oldham that i'm not across, but, you know, you want to make sure that people don't feel that there's any reasons that you're not doing stuff. and i'm quite moved by some of the testimony asking for this. so, you know, hopefully government will take another look. >> yeah. and of course it's being reviewed now isn't it, by baroness louise casey. she's looking at the a scoping inquiry is what we're told by the home office into what is what is the issue here. we charlie peters reporting @gbnews, says as many as 50 towns and only six were raised in the in the alexis jay report back in 2022. but you think there should be 100%. >> i mean, i have family that work in social care. anybody who knows people who work in teaching or the police can speak to you about this, and they have probably heard of some instances of this going on in their local community. and this is such a gigantic problem. and gb news has done such a fantastic job at

exposing the scale. but again, like this cannot slip out of the news. this is a massive scandal and it has to be handled on the national level. and that shouldn't be a party political thing. you know, the tories should have done something about it. i hope the labour party does something about. >> it. >> it. >> because it's bigger than all of us. it's about the victims. >> i'm looking looking at the blue labour twitter account here, kevin craig. they support a national inquiry into the grooming and rape gangs. i just grooming and rape gangs. ijust wonder why the government won't get on and do it. >> well, the government would be well, well advised to keep listening to what blue labour say because there there's a tweet out today which you may have. you just retweeted it earlier. >> i have done, yeah. >> i have done, yeah. >> which i encourage listeners and viewers to look at because it articulates why so many people feel that they're not getting a fair crack of the whip in this country. so the government would be well advised to listen to blue labour, not just on the older issue, but on other. >> because the beneficiary is a protest party called reform uk, isn't it, poppy? >> yeah, exactly. right. exactly. you know, when this again becomes a political football, people will go to any party that actually listens to their legitimate concerns. and at the moment it does seem to be

just reform. >> kevin craig, poppy coburn, thank you again for your excellent work tonight. and in a moment, i'll be speaking to an employment lawyer about the unfolding row between rachel reeves, the chancellor, and the bbc regarding the alleged expenses scandal before she entered politics. more next.

now the chancellor, rachel reeves, is cv. curriculum vitae has long been under scrutiny after she claimed she worked at the bank of england for around a decade, up to a decade. but it turned out to be just six years. but now, a bbc investigation alleges, to have revealed not only that it was actually just five and a half years at the bank, but that in another role at halifax bank of scotland, she was investigated for her expenses. now rachel reeves, a spokesman, said she was not aware of any investigation and she says all her claims have been signed off in the proper

way. and she blamed an administrative error by a member of the team for the errors. in an online linkedin page. i'm joined now by the employment lawyer at payne hicks beach, james townsend. james, why does this matter? well, it may not matter. well. >> we've all got career histories. we're talking about something 15 years ago. why does it matter? well, she is chancellor. it's important that she's accurate on her cv. >> let's break down what happened here. she's. she's restated her linkedin cv. it's a cv on the on the website called linkedin, which has looked at looked by a by a recruiters and other employers twice, once in november last year when a previous issue was raised, and once today when a bbc article appeared shortening her time at the bank of england. she's now the bank of england. she's now the chancellor mp in leeds. you know, she's she's made it. does it matter that it was a bit slightly wrong? >> well, it matters for her. we're all talking about it now, aren't we? it's interesting.

what? why? why has she missed out those months? she seemed confused about the length of time she was at the bank of england. i've read five years, ten years. people know their employment history and they should be accurate. >> the bank of england. i think with a big job in life, you'd know when you arrived and when you left. yes, dates are kind of inked into your brain as significant dates. >> yeah. you would expect that to be the case. and i think today we've also seen, haven't we, that we know that when she left, she left under a settlement agreement. that's something that's been reported today. >> well there wasn't i'm not sure there's a payoff when she left. she just left. i don't don't recall. >> i'm not suggesting. i'm not necessarily suggesting that there was a pay off. right. i've seen in the bbc report today that she took some legal advice on leaving, and that she signed a standard form settlement agreement. >> her her side say that she left with no issues and there's no issues raised when she left. >> that is what she says. and that may be the case. we simply don't know. but sometimes when you leave, you're paid in lieu

of certain benefits. for example, i think she says she was paid in lieu of six months benefits. that might account for a slight discrepancy in her recollection as to when she was employed. >> yes. yes, exactly. now she she on on her expenses. she had a motivation card, which, you know, i think we don't need a gb news. we're so motivated to be here. but the motivation card appeared to allow people in hbo s to buy things like gifts and perfume and handbags and things on birthdays and the rest. is that a common thing in big companies? >> well, certainly not, but we're talking 15 years ago. i can certainly say i've been practising in employment law for 20 years. i've not known of people being able to expense things like handbags, perfumes for colleagues. it's said that that was standard practice. we simply don't know. >> the whistleblower talked to the bbc, said it was excessive spending. clearly it was a line that may have gone too far with some of the brands of perfume or handbags. we're speculating, but that could be what's happened here. but again, the bbc said there may have been a breach of there may have been a breach of the rules, but it looks like there was no evidence the bank's investigation was completed

again. does does how she treated again. does does how she treated a corporate card 15 years ago have any bearing on her being the chancellor of the exchequer? >> well, that that that's a good question. does it have a bearing now? 15 minutes later. i think these are easy. >> questions later. >> questions later. >> these are easy questions to answer. was there an investigation or wasn't there an investigation? i my understanding is she said she can't recall any investigation having taken place. i can't say sitting here whether there was such an investigation or not. >> yes, it's a grey areas here aren't there. and i guess people aren't there. and i guess people are trying to just work out who is the character of the person running the country. and if they if there's a question marks about these areas, that might mean it could be politically awkward for her. kemi badenoch, who's the tory leader? she's saying there are questions to be answered, as you might expect her to say that. >> well, if there are, they should be capable of being very easily answered. what was the reason for leaving? now, sometimes within settlement agreements, there are confidential provisions that prevent you talking about it. i don't know whether such a provision existed and whether that might restrain her from

talking about it, but these are simple questions, and there can be simple answers given. >> does it does it matter if you if you change dates on a cv? what's the worst example you've ever heard of in your time? >> so look, expenses fraud is a serious matter. lying. i'm not, i'm not, i'm not. i'm not suggesting anything to do with the present case. but expenses frauds are serious issues that people can be dismissed for. lying on one's cv is something that someone can be dismissed for. >> again, not in this. >> again, not in this. >> case, not in this case, not not attributing it to this case at all. those are serious matters. an employer would be entitled to terminate an employees cv if it were found out they had been dishonest and lied, or had claimed expenses. actually, i don't think anybody is suggesting those sorts of things. i don't think it's ever been suggested that that was the case here. but yes, these are serious matters in the employment. >> and you might expect other ministers maybe to clean up their linkedin profiles. >> pretty sure they're all looking quite carefully to check everything is accurate. but look, you know, attention to

detail is important for chancellor. >> and that's why it matters, i think. i mean, we know about margaret thatcher counting the pennies. and you heard about her looking, being a housewife, looking, being a housewife, looking after the housing budgets was meant to said a lot about her as the prime minister. i think people read across that how you are at home with how you are as a leader. >> yes, absolutely. and, you know, i'm sure there's more to run on this story. >> okay. well, james townsend from payne hicks beach, thank you for joining from payne hicks beach, thank you forjoining us from payne hicks beach, thank you for joining us tonight on from payne hicks beach, thank you forjoining us tonight on gb you for joining us tonight on gb news. and up next is my old pal patrick who is here patrick christys. you're right patrick great to see you. great to see you in the studio. what's on your show this evening? >> yeah, well, loads actually. so as regular viewers and listeners to the show will know, we've been raising the issue of several radical extremist islamic preachers trying to get into britain to do a speaking toun into britain to do a speaking tour. we've had a bit of back and forth with the home office on this, and in a few minutes time i'll be able to reveal in the last couple of minutes we've had an answer. so it appears as though we have some news as to whether or not we will be allowing some radical islamic preachers into britain. and we're also, of course, going to

be talking about this munich attack, and especially in the light of what's going on in britain at the moment, where we seem unable or unwilling to deport some asylum seekers. is that a risk, really? we kind of are on our way to doom with all of that. and just very quickly, we do have as well, a case in the netherlands where they are trying to block some british islamic preachers going to the netherlands. i'm asking whether or not britain is now seen as an exporter now of this stuff, which is a departure. well, we. >> heard from we heard earlier from you know, it's an issue of immigration and borders is an issue in germany as well as the uk. >> yeah, exactly. so loads on tonight. i've got some other stuff as well. >> okay. well patrick, thank you for joining us. great show. i'll forjoining us. great show. i'll be watching. that's all coming up after the weather. it of course is going to be jacob rees—mogg back on monday at at 8 pm. tomorrow. i'm christopher p.m. tomorrow. i'm christopher hope. i've been planting state of the nation. stay tuned for patrick. >> even though we'll see a cloudy start. it'll be a bright outlook for the rest of the day. boxt solar sponsors of weather on gb news.

>> hello there. good evening. welcome to your gb news weather update from the met office. looking ahead into tomorrow, it's going to be a cold and frosty start for many of us. cloudy and damp in western parts though. but away from this we should see some brighter weather. now we're still under the influence of the scandinavian high, bringing us an easterly and chilly flow of air, but milder air. and also some frontal systems do try to edge their way in into this evening. that's bringing in some thicker cloud. also some outbreaks of rain for northern ireland, parts of devon and cornwall through the early hours. but away from this , a mix hours. but away from this, a mix of cloud and also some clearer skies. and where we see the clearest of skies, that's where temperatures are soon going to dip away, and we're likely to see some frost by the morning where this rain starts to creep in, it does fall into some colder air. so a chance we could also see some freezing rain mixed in here. also a chance of some hill snow. so do take care if you're out and about during the early hours of the morning, but nevertheless, it's going to be quite a damp start across the southwest southern parts of wales, similar across northern ireland. a damp start here, but elsewhere it should be largely

dry, but it is going to be feeling cold. likely to see quite a widespread frost across the northwest of scotland and a few showers feeding into the northeast of scotland too, where once again we could also see some hill snow. now, through the course of the day, this cloud and rain does try to edge its way northeastwards, but it's fairly slow. slow moving still could bring some snow to higher ground. away from this though it should be largely dry. could even see some more sunshine compared to of late, but temperatures are still around, if not just below average, so it is still going to be feeling chilly and fairly blustery at times under all this cloud and rain. and as we head into tomorrow, a fairly similar picture. less sunshine around, though still plenty of cloud. also, some outbreaks of rain and drizzle, mainly confined to central and southern parts. but even across the northeastern parts of england and scotland, we could see some drizzle here and once again, some snow across high ground and over the weekend into next week. still plenty of cloud around and it's also still going to be feeling fairly chilly. that's it from me. bye bye. >> we'll see a cold snap. oh,

which will quickly develop into a boxt boiler repairs

>> late. >> late. >> it's 9 pm. i'm patrick christys tonight. >> are you and your brother? yeah, i'm a good guy. bebe guy. pack that up because it's not going to work on the day of judgement. >> a victory for gb news as we made sure a radical islamic preacher is now banned from the uk. >> but if you look just at the quran, you will get the indication that you can have sexual intercourse with the five year old. british. islamic preachers are now set to be banned by the netherlands for apparently being too radical. are we now seen as an exporter of radicalism plus.