it's 930 and this is the briefing with me tom harwood. whilst everyone might be talking about the glorious result in the football last night, there is politics going on to the prime minister faces sir keir starmer in pmqs today and the government explores whether it correct down whether it should correct down on groups like extinction rebellion. there's so much more to talk about, including tory rebellions when aren't there and we'll explore it all after the headunes. we'll explore it all after the headlines . a very good morning. headlines. a very good morning. it's 932. i'm rosie white. let's get you up to date. a major trial of an experimental alzheimer's drug has shown for the first time that the very early stages of the disease can be slowed. scientists found that after 18 months, the drug it slowed the disease progression by 27% compared with patients who were taking a placebo . who were taking a placebo. however, the experts warn, as the medicine works during the initial stages of the disease, most won't benefit without a revolutio

it's 930 and this is the briefing with me, tom harwood. today we're exploring the nhs o nurses to go on strike over christmas . they're all they over christmas. they're all they miserly scrooges do they have legitimate concerns we'll explore that in a moment. also migration numbers, half a million people can the country and what were the best camping wins of the last ten years? a bit of a twist there at the end. we'll explore it all after the headunes. headlines. oh, hello . jones in the gb news oh, hello. jones in the gb news room, the health secretary is refusing to back down over nurses pay demands ahead of their first national strike in over a century. steve bach says he can't agree to a massive i7.6% he can't agree to a massive 17.6% pay rise. instead open he can't agree to a massive i7.6% pay rise. instead open to discussing how working lives can be improved. the royal college of nursing accused the government rejecting formal talks , an alternative to talks, an alternative to industrial action. as a result, staff in england, wales a

you're watching the briefing with me, tom harwood here on gb news. and today we're exploring challenges for the prime minister once again . the online minister once again. the online harms bill, the online safety bill, as it was rebranded, has got legal but harmful, stripped out. but many other anti free speech clauses remain, and migration. just what could be done to stop those coming from safe countries staying in the united kingdom .7 that and the united kingdom? that and the birth rate in the united kingdom. is china care expense stopping female entrepreneurialism? well that's a come after the headlines . a come after the headlines. a very good morning. it's 932. i'm rosie right ? let's get you up to rosie right? let's get you up to date. a new section of the new onune date. a new section of the new online safety bill has been removed following criticism by some conservatives that it posed a risk to free speech. the amendment means social media sites will no longer be required to remove material which is legal but considered to be harmful . the o

i believe so tom harwood is that . there we tom harwood is that. there we go. okay.has uncovered it now there's lots of different components of . it of course, components of. it of course, there's a lot of well publicised components. we've heard , of components. we've heard, of course about the amount of ppe that couldn't be used at the height of the pandemic, but beyond that, and the covid that is also contained within that number, there's lots of other areas that are particularly of course, there's the headline grabbing course, there's the headline grabbin g £6,000 spent on a villa grabbing £6,000 spent on a villa being rented in italy. that's a cunous being rented in italy. that's a curious use of taxpayer money for the benefit of the civil service. but more than that, of course there's all sorts of people that have been in to do away. they days for the civil service storytelling that sort of stuff but then we get the larger bits of money that people may not have heard about larger bits of money that people may not have heard abou t £100 may not have heard about £

it's 933 and this is the briefing with me, tom harwood on your tv and your radio now. it's a busy morning in politics today. the prime minister has just chaired cabinet, a no doubt frosty meeting after a reported risk rift between the prime minister and chancellor over easy relations. we can see the front or two downing street right now perhaps will be lucky enough to see some cabinet ministers. sidle out of that meeting where topics no doubt covered the prime minister's limited education focussed plan for innovation and growth alongside of course, that state visit of south africa's president ramaphosa. perhaps also the issue of migration will be high on the agenda as in just a few minutes time, the labour leader will be speaking to the confederation of british industry at their annual conference in birmingham. starmer will use his speech today to say that the uk must wean itself off migrant labour, fleeing in the face. on the face of it , of calls from the of it, of calls from the business community. of it, of calls from the business community . yesterday, business co

it's 933 and this is the briefing with me tom harwood don't know tv and your radio . don't know tv andour radio. well that was that yesterday. we have a budget of sorts and also statements as they're calling it . not content with reversing the measures in the mini budget this government has decided go further still . not just further still. not just returning the tax burden where it was previously but raising it to highs. indeed highest level in recorded . that's according to in recorded. that's according to the office for budget responsibility . gone to a most responsibility. gone to a most the supply side reform measures by truss . gone are the measures by truss. gone are the measures to accelerate infrastructure development to level up enterprise zones and deregulate the economy in stead tax hikes spending restraints and not ing spending restraints and noting fundamental to jolt ailing economy back to life. but is this the necessary, if painful, medicine this country has to have ? medicine this country has to have .7 or was it all a have.7 or was it all a opportunity . well, today o

bob seely mp and run for house as well thank you for joining me this has been the briefing with tom harwooder with bev next it's, bev turner with bev turner today alex deakin with your latest weather update from the met office. another spell of rain to come . it won't last too rain to come. it won't last too long, but it's going to be and accompanied some gusty winds. accompanied by some gusty winds. we met office yellow that we have met office yellow that have been issued low pressure been dominating through this week, bringing spells of wet and windy weather this is the one windy weather. this is the one that's going to some wet that's going to bring some wet and tomorrow, but and windy weather tomorrow, but it's not us yet. we still it's not with us yet. we still got these weather fronts bringing rain across bringing a spell of rain across the isles through this the northern isles through this evening of showers evening and plenty of showers packing on behind heavy even thundery wales thundery showers across wales and mixed and south—west some hail mixed in well some blustery, gusty in a

now joining me is our correspondent tom harwood tom. there he is thank you very much.o have you on the show. now, tom as far as i can see, yes. right. local residents may well be unquote brined in order to have things if they decide that they want them on the landscape similar to what a lot of fracking companies were going to although i suspect going to do. although i suspect get if they did the get richer if they did the fracking does fracking side of things. does this really centres to whether or these giant farms are or not these giant farms are a massive blight on the landscape ? well, you what it's interesting patrick i've been to some of the rebels involved this amendment today who make the case that this is actually something that was legally used briefly under liz truss mini—budget announced its intention to not only deliver shale gas extraction in the united kingdom with community that of course fracking got all of the big media attention . but of the big media attention. but in parallel , of the big media attention. but in parallel, liz truss also announced t

our political correspondent tom harwood.g out pretty early, including our mutual friend who you wrote a piece about the other day, peter bottomley, said it happens. it doesn't surprise me. the numbers are are not that huge . nine is are are not that huge. nine is quite a lot it's quite a lot and it's growing their expectation is that perhaps up to 18 may well stand down and the question is why is this all happening. well ultimatum was really well an ultimatum was really given to conservative mps by sisi hq. the conservative campaign headquarters, what used to be known as central office. they've said that mpps must tell them whether or not they wish to stand at the next election by the 5th of december. now this is important because we've just seen revised boundary changes being put forward by the boundary commission and some of these seats being carved up, some are going to see tory mp fight tory mp for the right to the sort of new merged seats. in some cases , and this has brought some cases, and this has brought about queue

tom harwood joining us now in downing street . tom, it's now in downing street.t parts of that speech remarkably similar in sentiment to what the prime minister, rishi sunak, was telling the cbi only yesterday . telling the cbi only yesterday. yes, on so many areas , tory yes, on so many areas, tory party and the labour party are now singing from very similar , now singing from very similar, if not the same hymn sheets now. there's a lot of analysis to be done as to whether that's because the tory party has lurched to the left or because the labour party has lurched to the labour party has lurched to the centre ground . perhaps it's the centre ground. perhaps it's been a bit of both, but certainly on the rhetoric around migration, around the relationship with the european union. well. rishi sunak and keir starmer are sounding the face of it very similar. of course, one of the big asks from the confederation british industry over the last two days of their conference has been a liberalisation of migration rules, perhaps an expansion of those shortage worker lists

tom harwood , gb news 40 and 41.s political correspondent and of the briefing, is to brief me on what is going on. and to me it isfime. what is going on. and to me it is time . little bit of a mystery is time. little bit of a mystery because i used to enjoy being a member of parliament very much indeed. it could be stressful from time to time, but it was a great privilege. a of great privilege. there was a of camaraderie i was there in the era before social media. i think a lot of these people are suffering from being trolled and victimised online . some of the victimised online. some of the problems are not that members of parliament experience, for instance , your constituency is instance, your constituency is a very long way from . london and very long way from. london and if you're driving you know 5 hours backwards and forwards and you've children in your you've got children back in your constituency, problems constituency, these are problems . is going on . what do you think is going on before political before w

he'll be having a lion lyon erudite in the is tom harwood the make up next is tom harwood with the briefing

tom harwood, we've seen footage online.ying to get the source and the verification of this, but it appears be a bbc c reporter appears to be a bbc c reporter ed lawrence being arrested by the police. the bbc, i think, have now made a statement. they have now made a statement. they have indeed. got the have indeed. i've got the statement here. this was an arrest place arrest that took place yesterday. and the british consulate got involved. the bbc said that they were extreme , said that they were extreme, really concerned about the treatment of the journalist at lawrence who was arrested and handcuffed while covering protests in shanghai. he was head held for several hours before being released. during his arrest , before being released. during his arrest, he was beaten and kicked by the police . this kicked by the police. this happened while he was working as an accredited journalist . the an accredited journalist. the bbc go on to say that it's very worrying that one of our journalists was attacked in this way carrying ou

our political correspondent tom harwood joining us at westminster and tom.ble to say he's still had full confidence in mr. raab. that's usually not a very encouraging sign for someone to . have the prime minister to do that to . well no. that usually that to. well no. that usually means a journalist has asked the question do you have confidence in individual and that would lead people suspecting that there was something to question over the confidence prime minister may have in a minister or otherwise. but clearly this a moving situation yesterday . the moving situation yesterday. the prime minister appointed adam tolley . q casey, i should the tolley. q casey, i should the senior employment lawyer to go through this case, of course, last wednesday deputy prime minister referred to rishi sunak over these two complaints that were made last week, complaints by dating dating back to time, his first time as foreign secretary and first time as justice secretary. also before the summer course. and these complaints were lodged last week off , the back of a bit of a

but for you in the for now we leave you in the hands of tom harwood with the briefing seats. more.rom the met office. we've mornings like we've not had many mornings like this so far the this morning so far in the autumn. chilly start autumn. it's a chilly start frost for many low frost out there for many low cloud and fog and it's dry cloud mist and fog and it's dry as well with this ridge of high pressure across the country, i suppose open that. so light winds weather front staying winds and weather front staying well the time being . so well away for the time being. so for us , although it is for many of us, although it is a grey and misty start, it is also dry a lot of low cloud has persisted through central and eastern areas and further west, even though sunshine is in greater supply, there . also greater supply, there. also here, some mist and fog patches and where we do get some fog at this time of the sun being weak and some of it could last well into the afternoon if not remain all day. otherwise, where would you some sunshine coming you get some sunshine coming through 11

i'm joined in the studio now by tom harwood , who has been hanging harwood, who has been hanging off aid . tom, how did you think it said. tom, how did you think it did compare to what sunak was saying yesterday? do you know what? to some extent, i think it was more eloquent speech rishi was a more eloquent speech rishi sunak able deliver sunak was able to deliver yesterday. sunak much better in the question and answer session with those in the audience than . he was in his sort of stilted delivery about his plan for growth, which didn't really include elements of growth other than education reform and protecting some r&d budget. so keir starmer is using this as a much more stark opportunity . try much more stark opportunity. try and convince particularly the business community, let's not forget this is the confederation of business to industry. he's talking to british, he's talking to you . he's trying to really to you. he's trying to really out that the labour party has changed changed in many ways and perhaps in ways this audience doesn't necessarily want to heat doesn't necessaril

know, tom, how much it will cost to replace infrastructure which is effectively become a little as tom harwoodddenly in their backyard. we're talking about sites, you have any about sites, but do you have any idea the time when idea of the time frame when might difference in our might see a difference in our electricity and energy bills? i'm quite a long. yeah. i'm guessing quite a long. yeah. the time frame for these is this currently it takes a decade or more to get these things going. there is a hope to move to these small nuclear reactors which are a production line of them that you can plug and play a lot quicker. the economics of nuclear. interesting because it costs a lot to install you don't you basically don't have to refuel them. you've got ones that will have decades worth of fuelin that will have decades worth of fuel in them when they start comparing. so you comparing some running costs with capital costs and structural costs and you also know comparing with cost per megawatt. that's very difficult because you're on the face of it. renewables are the cheapest form of energy we've

get an update with our political update now with our political correspondent fresh correspondent tom harwoodre they been talking about today . yes, been talking about today. yes, i'll tell you what, it was an extra ordinarily long session of questioning of the prime minister's official spokes man. a lot of government business taking place this week, not least start a little bit later on this evening. the christmas tree behind me will have its lights turned on by the prime minister here in downing street. but whilst that might be a relatively light on his calendar for the next seven days, there is a lot heavier to come. it's an incredibly busy set of events, meetings and, indeed, legislation as well. and there is a question out of quite how busy, how much is going on. that question is, is there a bit of a reset already taking place in government ? the labour party has government? the labour party has been very conscious about trying to paint the prime minister as someone who is weak , as someone someone who is weak, as someone who bends with the wind he's pushed around by different factions w

let's speak to our political correspondent tom harwood joining us now. ay newspapers . yes, it certainly newspapers. yes, it certainly did . and it does seem as if did. and it does seem as if there credible suggestions that are senior people within government who have been mulling over ways to eliminate some of those non—tariff barriers that we have between the united kingdom and eu trade . of course, kingdom and eu trade. of course, there seems to be some suggestion that people around the chancellor, perhaps the chancellor himself, have been talking up some of these regulatory agreement deals that has with the european union following eu in return for much less fettered trade . of course, less fettered trade. of course, thatis less fettered trade. of course, that is a sort of house into the single market. the swiss . single market. the swiss. switzerland also accepts of course free movement of people . course free movement of people. now it has to be said that number ten were incredibly forthright in slapping down any suggestion of returning to a single

let's speak to our political correspondent tom harwood who joins us now . hiff of class warfare with all this suggestion about the rifle ranges at winchester college and all the money being spent on private education. clearly, the sort of indication is that keir starmer wants to bring this message with the public . yes message with the public. yes very interesting choice from labour party leader, of course. he has been under scrutiny himself for the last two days on the front page of the daily mail saying that this is a corbynites retained by labour . so a whack retained by labour. so a whack tax on school fees of people who go to independent schools , of go to independent schools, of course, something that has not under previous governments of any shade. in fact, something that tony blair and new labour steered well clear of the fear that they would be accused of warfare. well, sir starmer seems very happy to dive into this, seeing it not as an attack against him, but it almost as a populist crusade, using it as his very first question today at the prime mi

well, let's get more with tom harwood, our political who's been getting up to speed this. the sizewell c 700 million at the moment. although the bill might be a bit higher. all part of this effort to get our energy suppues. this effort to get our energy supplies . secure that's supplies. secure that's certainly the case. now the previous government had also committed to this and has had the government before then. but of course we've had so much political turmoil over last half year or so that there had been some questions whether or not rishi sunak's government with its idea of restricting the that the government spends, whether would or not go forward with sizewell c. well, jeremy hunt confirmed , after much confirmed, after much speculation in the in the autumn that indeed speculation in the in the autumn that indee d £700 million would that indeed £700 million would be going ahead to this project, parts that amount of money to buy out the chinese state investments which had initially been part of this proposal the government is using th e £700 government is using the £

political correspondent tom magnificent tom harwood on his magnificent beard joins us now from westminsterhy are so many tories just throwing talent and lugging it? well, patrick it's all about a communication from hq, the conservative headquarters, formerly as central office, which has been telling conservative mps that they must re register to stand for their within the next two weeks if they intend to stand in what we are assuming to be the 2024 election. of course , we no election. of course, we no longer have a fixed term parliament act, so it may well be a little bit later, a little bit earlier, but we're assuming 2024 is the central estimates. if wish to stand there of mp is wish to stand in the next two weeks. they to tell cc hq . now weeks. they to tell cc hq. now that's prompted a lot of soul searching from a lot of conservative mp is and already in the last 24 hours we've seen two mp so you may not well expect to be the first to throw in the towel so to speak saying that they will not stand. chloe smith the, mp for norwich, south , only 40 years old. she got elected a by—electio

in the meantime with meantime here's tom harwood with the lovely day the briefing.ivern from the met start out met office. a cold start out there of fog there for of us. some fog patches as well but further wet and windy weather is already making its way into the west that across the that will soon sweep across the rest the uk during the rest rest of the uk during the rest of the morning and early afternoon. these weather fronts are moving quickly, tightly packed, nice abayas, pushing them through and the rain, although shortly , is intense although shortly, is intense we've already seen that across wales in the southwest, that rain clearing northern, pushing through the rest of england and then arriving into scotland as fragmenting band. so the rain becoming more on and off, more showery as it moves into northern scotland. nevertheless that damp afternoon to come with some of snow of the higher tops. now there's going to be strong now there's going to be a strong wind that rain for the wind ahead of that rain for the northern gales for northern isles again, gales f

our political correspondent tom harwood us in the studio . the harwood us in the studio.of rolled out gently to avoid that sharp shock we had eight weeks ago. how do you think hunt did? well, it's very interesting in terms how the markets reacted to , what was announced by the to, what was announced by the chancellor it was very steady. there were no big moves, there were no lurches in the value of the pound in the value of gilts and a government borrowing amount . yes. and, of course, amount. yes. and, of course, incredibly and of course, what had happened last around is that there was some unexpected in what was called the mini budget . the markets took , and it sort . the markets took, and it sort of led to led to a bit of a cascading effect . what was in cascading effect. what was in the autumn statement, however , the autumn statement, however, was largely pre trailed were no big surprises there there had been leaks. there had been briefing , been leaks. there had been briefing, had been all sorts of what was called rules ing the pitch that people were ready to suffe

tom harwood thank you very much indeed.etary, mick lynch , meeting the transport lynch, meeting the transport secretary mark carney, if it was later today and it follows the announcement of a fresh of rail strikes in the run up to christmas, the new year. so earlier we spoke to steve hadley, former rmt general secretary this what he had to say . so we need we need a say. so we need we need a massive of wealth in this country . can't have a position country. can't have a position where a few percent of the population are taking 46% of the wealth. that has to stop . there wealth. that has to stop. there needs to be massive taxation on people over needs to be massive taxation on people ove r £100,000 a year. people over £100,000 a year. there needs to massive taxation on profiteering oil companies and profiteering companies. it was quite fiery and it wasn't. if people want to see that in full, of course you can find it on our app or indeed at through our twitter as well as our website . now meanwhile, website. now meanwhile, u

talk to our political correspondent tom harwood who's here. morning, tom.'re looking at what's called levelling up and planning bill. this was a bill that was pulled , was meant to be voted on pulled, was meant to be voted on tomorrow , but it was pulled by tomorrow, but it was pulled by the government after. a different set of amended minutes, backed by a different group of rebels, this time on the source of the anti planning side things to water down side of things to water down commitments to build more houses get rid of these targets for local areas and the presumption for development those amendments backed by lead theresa villiers and backed by a huge number of tory mps, meaning the bill was sort of delayed but in response to that you've got a of pru planning tory mps doing sort of an opposite set of amendments led by the former levelling up secretary simon clarke, seeking overturn this ban on wind farms . now it's one of the few things that liz truss did during her time as prime minister was overturned. that ban first brought in at the tail end of da

it's 930 and this is the briefing with me, tom harwood. christmas. they're all they miserly scrooges do they have legitimate concerns we'll explore that in a moment. also migration numbers, half a million people can the country and what were the best camping wins

harwood, who's here . it sounds extremely who's here. it sounds extremely vague, tom.think? well, it's interesting at the sort of history of sunak, he's someone that's very focussed domestic policy. briefs policy. all of his briefs government have been domestic focussed , hasn't really had a focussed, hasn't really had a very big fleshed out foreign policy vision in the leadership over the summer. there were some sort of policies banning institutes as they're known in the united kingdom, some tough on china, but not a very large and coherent philosophy when it comes to dealing with situations abroad . but of course, in the abroad. but of course, in the last few weeks, he's been off in bali, meeting g20 leaders. he was in ukraine last meeting vladimir zelenskyy he's turned his focus more towards foreign a little bit more recently because things are so difficult at home with many rebellions in the house of commons. but robust pragmatism is the phrase, and it's an interesting one because to some people this looks like perhaps a watering down of some of the more positions