gordon brown. who. gordon. gordon brown. alistair. darling. alistair darling . yeah. we can.n darling. yeah. we can. we can list. we can list them all with donald dewar. basically the only person who kind of wanted to make their career in scotland. and that career was obviously tragically cut short by his own premature death. so he absolutely spotted that opportunity that effectively. labour was creating a complacent power vacuum in scotland . and he power vacuum in scotland. and he exploited it brilliantly because, as you say , he i mean, because, as you say, he i mean, he could start an argument in an empty room. and what he used to love to do is to wind the labour party up and effectively what he did is he made the snp more of a threat even before they were psychologically for the labour party. and it paid off. and you've got to respect him for that. >> we've been talking about alex salmond. i'm going to change the subject now. labour's been in office for 101 days. unlike the dalmatians of that number, their record has been splotchy. downing street has witnessed bitter inf

indeed, the only gordon brown.r healy has ever served one in under gordon brown. he merely attended cabinet, which is not quite the same thing. i think it's a beautiful and elegant criticism whilst maintaining the bounds of collective responsibility. anyway, up next it's patrick christys patrick, what's on your bill of fare this evening? >> yes, i am, of course, the best tv host on gb news 9 to 11 p.m. >> just to follow on from what you were saying, there, we've got the worst set of illegal immigration figures we have ever seen. i'll be bringing those to you. we have a home—grown terror problem. hamas supporters everywhere. a pensioner's revolt. i went to a pensioners protest earlier. some of them think that starmer's winter fuel cut will kill them. reform wants a privately fund the prosecution of some people involved in the manchester airport incident. do police in general feel protected enough? >> as always, excellent . as >> as always, excellent. as i was told at the party conference. patrick, i'm your warm up m

made a similar manoeuvre — when gordon brown made a similar manoeuvre upping national insurancesurance to fund the _ manoeuvre upping national insurance to fund the nhs. and it does help when _ to fund the nhs. and it does help when you — to fund the nhs. and it does help when you are changing strategy like this to roti— when you are changing strategy like this to roll the pitch with the market _ this to roll the pitch with the market. they are changing things like the _ market. they are changing things like the target as we discussed last week— like the target as we discussed last week and _ like the target as we discussed last week and they want that to land well in the _ week and they want that to land well in the markets because as one of the spending _ in the markets because as one of the spending rises, the injection into public— spending rises, the injection into public services, they are raising taxes _ public services, they are raising taxes by— public services, they are raising taxes by the same amount roughly, that's— taxes by the same amount roughly, that's their— ta

we reversed the appalling damage done by gordon brown to our public finances, we transformed our schools of employment. we created a fairer welfare system. we got brexit done and we stood by ukraine in her hour of need. we lead europe in the defence of ukraine. so, friends, i will always celebrate our achievements. but we can't bury our heads in the sand. just as we celebrate those achievements, we need to be honest with ourselves. the countryjust doesn't trust is right now —— trust us right now. we've just suffered our worst ever electoral defeat, we lost more seats and won fewer votes than any government ever. it was a comprehensive defeat and it needs a comprehensive defeat and it needs a comprehensive rethink. so, just as i will defend our achievements, i will be painfully honest about our failings. we failed to deliver the strong nhs, the strong economy and, yes, the strong border that we promised. friends, we must never more tax, more spent, friends, we must never more 1 achievements, , friends, we must never more1achievements, i friends, we must never more 1 achievements, i will w

but quite a lot of it feels quite gordon brown—ish to me. you can see some of the lines being very familiar about, you know, i think they're going to say, you know, more investment, not less. although rachel reeves version is investment, not decline, economic stability. schools and hospitals first. more investment, not less. now that could be a line. i think that's very similar to a line from some gordon brown budgets in the early new labour years. and actually as a government, maybe that is sort of where they're kind of pitching themselves, as henry was saying, less comfortable than the sort of, you know, uber blairy kind of end of new labour, more comfortable with the sort of soft leftish, more brownie kind of will work with business. and we take them seriously, but they're not our priority. and as someone in government said to me, explained it the best i've heard it said, we're not going to mess around with people's payslips. we're not going to mess around with people's shopping weekly shop, and therefore there's not very many other place

you might think tony blair and gordon brown were defeated in 2010 but the truth is, the left never lefte a change. ministers need to be able to make decisions that aren't endlessly challenged in the courts. if people don't like those decisions, there are elections. if the law says the government can't deport foreign child abuser, then the law is an as. and it means it's time for politicians to change it. and when the government relies on economic modelling, which doesn't grasp the realities of immigration, we know it's time to make a change. so here is what we are going to do. we are going to rewrite the rules of the game. if i become leader, we will immediately begin a once in a generation undertaking, the sort of project not attempted by the days of keith joseph project not attempted by the days of keithjoseph in the 1970s, a comprehensive plan to reprogram the british state, to reboot the british economy, a new blueprint for the great machine of our country, one that goes far beyond the relationship with the eu or the echr, a plan that considers every aspect of what the state does an

azad was an economist at her majesty's treasury when gordon brown was prime minister. on the programme. before we get into the detail, many commentators are saying that this budget is critical to the success of the government. it has been a long time coming since labour was elected, and that has increased anxiety about what will be in it. what are your thoughts? typically a new government gets one opportunity to blame the opposition, blame the previous government for the state of public finances that they find themselves in. and so they get a bit of a free pass to do some of the less popular things to fiscal policy. raise taxes, cut spending and whatnot. but quickly after that they need to start focusing on boosting growth and providing some of the policy measures they promised in their manifesto such as boosting public investment, public spending and investment, public spending and in general improving standards, which has obviously been one of the key promises from the labour government. rachel reeves and _ labour government. rachel reeves and other— labour governmen

that is not the principle of net to zero, but the crazy interim binding targets put into law by gordon browns the mad targets, the carbon budgets, they don't take any account of innovation that is driving the mad policies. so i say that with our new conservative party, we will stand for cutting emissions, but we will never do it, never, on the backs of working people and by further de—industrialising our great country. applause and we must also take a stand to get britain building again. our country needs more homes. we need more industry and infrastructure. so i have a hard message for all of us today. if we want to be the party of low tax, of growth, of business, as i do, and i know you do too, we also need to be the party of fixing the broken system that stops us building the homes, the factories, the data centres, the roads, the trams, trains, the investment that britain desperately needs. we love this country, we will protect its beautiful countryside. we will ensure that local people have their say. but our new conservative party will stand alongside the scientists in need of lab space

laughter he said the property sales tax stamp duty should be scrapped and adapted a line gordon brownld that possibly be a reference to? well, all the others, really, including the frontrunner robertjenrick, who had this blunt critique of the conservative record in office. we failed to deliver a strong nhs, the strong economy and, yes, a strong border. he wants the uk to leave the european convention on human rights and have a law to cut immigration. if i am your leader, i will fight for the effective freeze in net migration our country needs. there's no end to branded millinery here, including for the candidate with a mention of headgear in his name. the fightback starts now. we will focus on what the british people need and be absolutely. ruthless about delivering it. from health care and . immigration to security and education, we will deliver. mr tugendhat also wants a migration limit. last up today, the favourite for many here, kemi badenoch. she talked about free speech, gender, and said she was not a climate change sceptic, but a net—zero sceptic. some people say i like a fight

he said the property sales tax stamp duty should be scrapped and adapted a line gordon brown once usede a reference to? well, all the others, really, including the frontrunner robertjenrick, who had this blunt critique of the conservative record in office. we failed to deliver a strong nhs, the strong economy and, yes, a strong border. he wants the uk to leave the european convention on human rights and have a law to cut immigration. if i am your leader, i will fight for the effective freeze in net migration our country needs. there's no end to branded millinery here, including for the candidate with a mention of headgear in his name. the fightback starts now. we will focus on what i the british people need and be absolutely ruthless about delivering it. - from health care and . immigration to security and education, we will deliver. mr tugendhat also wants a migration limit. last up today, the favourite for many here, kemi badenoch. she talked about free speech, gender, and said she was not a climate change sceptic, but a net—zero sceptic. some people say i like a fight. i can't imagi

starting with tony blair and gordon brown and each time it has been cancelled.nt aim, net zero for electricity by 2030. we need to get moving now. it is been going on in norway and canada, to say we are leading it needs a step change, we need to up our game and it is not to storage, but utilisations you can capture and land fill it, but what happens to the carbon? if we are not using oil then we are going to use carbon from the petrochemical industry so where do we get chemicals that life relies on. it is a big question and a wicked problem, but something we must solve now. ., h, but something we must solve now. ., ,. , ., now. you sound sceptical that this will actually _ now. you sound sceptical that this will actually ever - now. you sound sceptical that this will actually ever happen. i think it has to happen. i am sceptical about the current roll—out. it is looking at one single part of the equation. we are, the government is looking at capturing 20 million tonnes, actually we admit close to 600 million towns per and him so we are only addressing a small pa

he said the property sales tax stamp duty should be scrapped and adapted a line gordon brown once usedto? well, all the others, really, including the frontrunner robertjenrick, who had this blunt critique of the conservative record in office. we failed to deliver a strong nhs, the strong economy and, yes, a strong border. he wants the uk to leave the european convention on human rights and have a law to cut immigration. if i am your leader, i will fight for the effective freeze in net migration our country needs. there's no end to branded millinery here, including for the candidate with a mention of headgear in his name. the fightback starts now. we will focus on what i the british people need and be absolutely ruthless about delivering it. from health care and immigration to security and education, we will deliver. _ mr tugendhat also wants a migration limit. last up today, the favourite for many here, kemi badenoch. she talked about free speech, gender, and said she was not a climate change sceptic, but a net—zero sceptic. some people say i like a fight. i can't imagine where they go

smallest, this budget is actually the second largest, comfortably surpassing denis healey�*s double, gordon brownthis budget so big? well, partly, that's down to all the tax—raising measures, 40 billion in fact in a year — we're showing you 2028—29 here as an example. it includes that employers' national insurance, raising 25 billion, although 5 billion is paid by the government. we have capital gains and inheritance tax raising 4 billion in that year. and the crackdown on non—doms, £3 billion in that year. but it's also a budget with some big spending going on. departments will get an extra £49 billion a year to cover things including pay — much of that will go to the nhs. there's £2 billion for compensation payments for the infected blood and the post office scandal. and then £24 billion extra in this year, long—term investment in major capital projects — road, rail, hospitals. all of that added together far exceeds what is raised in tax — by over £30 billion and that will be funded by extra borrowing. it's worth a pause — these are all massive numbers on any ordinary scale. and keep an eye on

he said the property sales tax stamp duty should be scrapped and adapted a line gordon brown once used? well, all the others, really, including the frontrunner robertjenrick, who had this blunt critique of the conservative record in office. we failed to deliver the strong nhs, the strong economy and, yes, the strong border. he wants the uk to leave the european convention on human rights and have a law to cut immigration. if i am your leader, i will fight for the effective freeze in net migration our country needs. there's no end to branded millinery here, including for the candidate with a mention of headgear in his name. the fightback starts now. we will focus on what i the british people need and be absolutely ruthless about delivering it. - from health care and . immigration to security and education, we will deliver. mr tugendhat also wants a migration limit. last up today, the favourite for many here, kemi badenoch. she talked about free speech, gender, and said she was not a climate change sceptic, but a net—zero sceptic. some people say i like a fight. i can't imagine where the

we reversed the appalling damage done by gordon brown to our pubuc done by gordon brown to our publiccord levels of employment. we created a fairer welfare system. we got brexit done and we stood by ukraine in her hour of need, we led europe in the defence of ukraine. so friends, i will always celebrate our achievements. but we can't . our achievements. but we can't. we can't bury our heads in the sand just as we celebrate those achievements. we need to be honest with ourselves. the country just doesn't trust us right now. we've just suffered our worst ever electoral defeat. we lost more seats and we won fewer votes than any government ever. fewer votes than any government ever . it was a comprehensive ever. it was a comprehensive defeat and it needs a comprehensive rethink . so just comprehensive rethink. so just as i will defend our achievements , i will be achievements, i will be painfully honest about our failings . we failed to deliver failings. we failed to deliver the strong nhs, the strong economy and yes, the

i've known her since she did the same role for, for gordon brown and ed miliband.. nigel nelson, thank you very much. as ever. my friend, and thank you to my panel friend, and thank you to my panel. we are going to bring them back in after this very short break. my friends are with me. darren grimes on gb news. we've got lots more coming up with analysis of course, on that breaking story on the prime minister's chief of staff quitting, ben habib . there's quitting, ben habib. there's champing at the bit to comment on what we've just heard. you're with gb news, where news a very warm welcome back to the weekend with me, darren grimes . weekend with me, darren grimes. now that breaking news, sue gray has stepped down from the prime minister's top team and has been appointed as the prime minister's envoy for nations and regions instead. in a statement, she said it had become clear in recent weeks that intense commentary around my position risked becoming a distraction to the government's vital work of change. well, change it has. and sue gray is offski. let's see what

government , i argued for government, i argued for a return to the non—dom rules, as they were when gordon brownister. but for all the tinkering, the changes that began to frighten them away . began to frighten them away. tax, after all, is about getting the most number of feathers from the most number of feathers from the goose with the least amount of hissing. it's about practicality, not morality. it's not about punishing people for being successful. it's making sure that the system works for everybody, that you have the most economically advantageous, the wisest tax system. and if these non—dom policies push more people to leave, we'll have less money in the economy, which means less money for public services, and the least well off suffer the most. that is what? socialist class war. excuse me ? socialist class war. excuse me? economics leads to. as the late, great margaret thatcher once put it. >> rather, the poor were poorer, provided the rich were less rich. that way you will never create the wealth for better social services as we have. >> and what? >> and what? >> and what? >> and that'

i don't remember gordon brown sporting a new hairstyle when he was about to hit us.ng oldest trick in the book. >> meaning now politicians changing the look because she's under a lot of pressure for taking gifts and stuff like that. but the truth is that's what women do. they like to change the way their hair looks. and she's dyeing her hair. so that's that's like the chinese communist party . she's and she's communist party. she's and she's like with, with she whatever the guy is. >> yeah, i missed the link there. >> but no, because because the chinese communist, they always have. they always dark hair black. they dye their hair. so she's doing it. >> power dye daily star. now, lewis, we've got only a couple of minutes to get through the last couple of stories. victorian graves may soon open. and not just for halloween. >> yeah, this is. and not just for halloween. >> yeah, this is . they want to >> yeah, this is. they want to take old graveyards and they want to re recycle them. and i know a lot about this because i led a campaign in my native borough of southwark.

ourselves to be bound by aggressive identity politics, by a treasury whose rules were written by gordon brown and a legal system re—engineered by tony blair. you may think blair and brown were defeated in 2010, but the truth is, the left never left. it's time to make a. change. ministers need to be able to make decisions that aren't endlessly challenged in the courts. if people don't like those decisions , there are those decisions, there are elections. if the law says the government can't deport a foreign child abuser , then the foreign child abuser, then the law is . an. law is. an. and it means it's time for politicians to change it . and politicians to change it. and when the government relies on economic modelling, which doesn't grasp the realities of immigration, we know it's time to make a. change. so here is what we are going to do. we are going to rewrite the rules of the game . if i become leader, we the game. if i become leader, we will immediately begin a once in a generation undertaking the sort of project not attempted since the days of keith joseph in the 1970s, a comprehensive

gordon brown did in different circumstances.ing away with one now, even if they hadnt with one now, even if they hadn't made those pledges , would hadn't made those pledges, would be much more difficult. and even then , structurally, adding then, structurally, adding a little bit to income tax or vat or something, you're not going to get out of that kind of doom cycle. because if you project pensions, nhs and social care forwards for 50 years, it's an utterly unsustainable amount of money and until some party or other actually faces up to that and does something dramatic, we're going to end up basically electing the same party wearing slightly different rosettes, which i think a lot of people are commenting we have got at the moment as well. >> as i said, that honeymoon penod >> as i said, that honeymoon period hasn't lasted that long. thank you for now, gentlemen, we are actually going to go live to central london now, where pro—palestinian activists have blocked tottenham court road by gathering outside a barclays bank. as you

. >> blair, you said, gordon brown is a very sincere man. >> very, very, very well. but nothing .lot of time with gordon brown, and i think he's very, very impressive, whatever conviction. but i think hillary clinton is very, very impressive. having met her a number of times, but most of all, the guy who's just goldust is bill clinton. yes. absolute star status gold. if you walk into a room and he's there, you know he is there. he's a star politically. i don't i don't care what way you vote or whatever it is or what you think. >> charisma in spades. >> charisma in spades. >> he has got an intellect in spades. in absolute spades. that's that's the way he's got that. >> we were talking about impressive politicians who you've met before or whatever it is, and i forgot i left one off the list. >> yeah. grant shapps of course. >> yeah. grant shapps of course. >> but then the problem with that is, as we say. good morning to him. and the problem is that he is the former secretary of state for defence. and the first thing i want to know is, what are you doing now? what is your role or how

it's a sort of gordon brown line. when he used to talk about our investments versus their cuts.er trying to move to a more positive direction after the negativity and actually start to talk about some of the good work that labour is going to be doing in office, spending a lot more on green plans in order to invest in the future. and i think that what we're going to see much more of is a sense, perhaps, of turning the corner, moving on from the sue gray era. and of course, rishi sunak was able to very much make a mockery of that by saying that, you know, after the rehiring of morgan mcsweeney, what a first attracted to the prime minister to fire and rehire . to fire and rehire. >> moving on from the sue gray era , all 96 days of it. james era, all 96 days of it. james heale thank you so much for joining us here on good afternoon britain. i appreciate your time. yeah, i think rishi sunak probably could have made a bit more of that. >> there are a couple of little funny quips, but not a lot, but also a fire and rehire. >> i mean, who is he rehired? he's just fired someone. >> morga

on course for a tax raising budget that could surpass the post—election raids launched by both gordon brownp to 37.9%, its highest share in peacetime. that's astonishing, isn't it? >> it is astonishing, and it's worrying because, again, when i speak to people, they are so negative about the future of this country . negative about the future of this country. now we negative about the future of this country . now we need to this country. now we need to grow our way out of the problem and the hole that we're in. all that labour are going to do is dig us further. targeting the pensioners . it's unforgivable. pensioners. it's unforgivable. there's so many worried out there. again, if we'd known this before the election, they wouldn't have got the landslide that they got. so they really were really lying to us pre—election. >> there's another there's another thing buried in this as well, which i've just seen now. so rachel reeves is expected to announce yet a tax hike on pensions , capital gains and pensions, capital gains and inheritance tax as well. i mean, nina, if they'd have said they were g

could 5urpa55 a tax rai5ing budget that could surpass the p05t—election raid5 launched by both gordon browntax burden up to 37.9%, its highest 5hare burden up to 37.9%, its highest share in peacetime. that'5 a5toni5hing, i5n't share in peacetime. that'5 a5toni5hing, isn't it? >> it is astonishing, and it's worrying becau5e, again, when i speak to people, they are 50 negative about the future of this country . negative about the future of this country. now we negative about the future of this country . now we need to this country. now we need to grow our way out of the problem and the hole that we're in. all that labour are going to do is dig u5 that labour are going to do is dig us further. targeting the pen5ioner5 . it'5 unforgivable. pen5ioner5. it'5 unforgivable. there'5 50 many worried out there. again, if we'd known this before the election, they wouldn't have got the landslide that they got. s0 wouldn't have got the landslide that they got. so they really were really lying to us pre—election. >> there'5 pre—election. >> there's another there'5 >> there's another there's another thing

relitigate the blairite legal settlement that we never got around to in power, how we break out of the gordon brownreally held us back from delivering what ordinary people wanted. kemi, i think is the one to do that. >> okay. andrew griffiths, thank you martin. andrew griffiths, a supporter of kemi badenoch. i'm just joining me now is a supporter for the team. robert jenrick mark francois, the chairman of the european research group of tory mps, known to many of our viewers as a regular guest on gb news, mark francois, you're smiling. what on earth has just happened? how how is these votes happen? i mean, civilians, people outside your world of tory mp politics are looking on aghast that your guy robert jenrick goes back to votes yesterday and then leaps forward. an extraordinary ten votes today to come second. >> hello again chopper. >> hello again chopper. >> well, there was actually there was a gasp in the room. >> i was there. so you know rob is the comeback kid. >> some pundits, not you, but some of them are. >> you know, this morning had written him off and now he's in the final. so i've seen

the winter fuel payment was was an additional bonus paid out by gordon brown under the labour government't existed, no one would have asked for it. and it's actually it's actually not that much money because it hasn't been indexed. well, maybe not to you. no, but i'm saying it's i'm saying it's a lot of money for a lot of people. and i think, i think that much, far more people should have been able to keep it if they were going to change the way to get it. i think that the threshold should have been much higher. >> they could have deducted it. they could have deducted it off the pensions of those who were wealthier. so, you know, those who get the state pension, because if you're wealthy, you can still get the state pension. if you've paid into it, you're entitled to it. you've put the money in. but they could have perhaps deducted it from the pensions of those who are wealthier, who meet a certain threshold rather than this ridiculous way of saying, oh, 11 grand, and then we're not going to get any anybody from anybody who earns any more than that is not going to get anything. £11,000 i

he invited me, gordon brown and i had a drink up there and whatever. >> yeah, that was number 11, becauses in number 10 with alistair darling . yeah. alistair darling. yeah. >> boris lived in number 11. >> boris lived in number 11. >> yeah. what i'm trying to say is for the greater good of the building, it wasn't because it was all taken down. >> well, i mean, obviously rishi sunak or whoever came next because they seem to swap number 10 and number 11. >> and then we've got rachel reeves taking down all of the pictures, all of the paintings and portraits in there. and storing them away. so they take things down that are worth, worth a fortune and have cost a fortune. that's what they do. >> well, there you go. >> well, there you go. >> i don't understand what rachel reeves taking. >> well, you just said, but we tookit >> well, you just said, but we took it down. no, no, no, but to take wallpaper down is quite is. >> they must pull it off the walls. >> well, no, people do redecorate, scarlett. it's quite common. >> well, i know i was just thinking, you know, rishi must have done it right a

it's almost as bad as gordon brown's. when he sold 395 tons of gold.igel, you see, at the 20 year low, you see, it's ludicrous what was happening. and this was i spotted this from being a prisoner. so this isn't i don't blame this government for it, i really don't. but what i do think needs to be done is that more attention needs to go on reform and rehabilitation and simply building more prisons and thinking that it's going to reduce crime and re—offending. it's just not going to happen. nigel. >> no. well, the evidence, as i said in some parts of the country, is 50% of those released. just a few weeks ago. but what happens, you know, somebody comes out of prison . i somebody comes out of prison. i mean, they may not have a home to go to . to go to. >> nigel. exactly. and what happens if you don't have a home to go to? and one thing i'm really a little bit concerned aboutis really a little bit concerned about is that in order for a licence to actually work. so let's say when somebody is released and they release on licence in order for that to go ahea

gordon brown did it. harold wilson did it twice. attlee had to devalue the pound.hat happened to ramsay macdonald. as ever, let me know your views via email @gbnews. com as you know, it's thursday, so i've got my most intellectual panel gb news senior political commentator nigel nelson, and the journalist and conservative peer paul goodman. paul, let me come to you first because there is an important difference between the reaction of the gilt markets now and when liz was prime minister, because when she was prime minister, interest rates were rising across the world to deal with the inflation. now they've tended to be falling longer. rates have risen a bit, but the overall trend has been down. so you wouldn't expect rates to be at a higher level than they were two years ago. >> first of all, i was watching rachel reeves on your screen dunng rachel reeves on your screen during the introduction. >> they keep making the same mistake , which is not to be mistake, which is not to be straight about their plans . they straight about their plans. they decided they wanted

if we look back over tax raising budgets throughout history, gordon brown's in 2010 and histor

remember again , and but i remember again, and forgive me if i quote 1997 and labour coming in with gordon brownllor, and i remember saying, i brown as chancellor, and i remember saying , i know brown as chancellor, and i remember saying, i know perhaps i shouldn't say to whom i said it, a very, very senior figure in the government. how long can we keep blaming the tories? they're in power for 18 years. can we do about 18 weeks? he said, you're joking, dennis. we'll do 18 months, 24 months. we'll do 18 months, 24 months. we'll keep blaming them until the 18 year limit is reached and that's going to happen if you every time now, martin, you, any of your great colleagues of gb news start snapping at a labour minister on what they're doing, they'll say, remember what the tories did. they'll say, remember what t

do you remember the humiliation of poor old gordon brown?istinguished figure in his way when he was desperate to see barack obama, and he managed to meet him in the kitchen of some swanky hotel for ten minutes as a brush past. well, at least barack obama was president of the united states. was important, had a global role to play important, had a global role to play . he wasn't important, had a global role to play. he wasn't some pop important, had a global role to play . he wasn't some pop star important, had a global role to play. he wasn't some pop star in return for this precious ten minutes, he provides police escorts. not only that, but about half the cabinet seemed to have lobbied for these police escorts. the home secretary, the law officers seem to have got involved with the police not being entirely happy with the whole setup, and this seems to me , frankly, embarrassing for me, frankly, embarrassing for a middle aged man to be behaving in this way. it's beneath his dignity , and it's certainly dignity, and it's certainly beneath t

he was an adviser to gordon brown when he was prime minister, and also served on tony blair's councilvisers. welcome here to the programme, how encouraged are you when you hear rachel reeves say invest, invest, invest? , ., ., , invest? ma is what the economy needs, invest? ma is what the economy needs. the _ invest? ma is what the economy needs. the uk — invest? ma is what the economy needs, the uk for _ invest? ma is what the economy needs, the uk for quite - invest? ma is what the economy needs, the uk for quite a - invest? ma is what the economy needs, the uk for quite a long l invest? ma is what the economy i needs, the uk for quite a long time has had among the lowest rates of investment of all the major industrial country, both business investment and public investment particularly public investment has been cut in the last 1a year, a little rise over the last few, so getting that up is what creatings productivity and what created growth, that above all is what the economy needs, and what the public services needs, that is where the money will come from, future growth. in terms

budget had the most enthusiastic response from labour mps for a labour budget since the heyday of gordon brownd waved their audit papers. they were really happy, because it was a labour budget. rachel reeves did to really significant things. she said no more austerity and i am going to balance the books. in recent years of those two have been mutually exclusive and rachel reeves said no, i am going to do the two. interestingly talking to one of the chancellor's really close cabinet colleagues they said the chancellor made a really big call to borrow and invest. this person was saying she could have been really but she said no because if she had been cautious it would be managed decline under this government as opposed to unmanaged decline under the tories and basically said, we are not in the four decline. after the election it became clear to them that public finances were much worse than they thought with public services in a bad place and they thought, we havejust got services in a bad place and they thought, we have just got to go for it. ben — the chancellor is calling this a �*budget for