hello. i'm radisson in the gb newsroom. pope francis has paid his respects to his predecessor whilst addressing worshippers at the vatican . this morning, pope the vatican. this morning, pope benedict xvi died within vatican city at the age of 95. tomorrow morning , his body will be morning, his body will be brought to saint peter's basilica, where people will be able to pay their respects. he'll lie in for state three days until his funeral on the 5th of january . celebrations to 5th of january. celebrations to mark the start of 2023 have taken place across the nation, with more than 100,000 people gathering in central london alone to watch the fireworks. london's mayor says the 12 minute display, which was the first since the start of the pandemic , is the biggest in pandemic, is the biggest in europe. the sold out show featured a tribute to the late

queen. it also highlighted the lionesses euros win and showed solidarity with ukraine as well in his new address to ukraine, president volodymyr zelenskyy says he hopes the war with russia will end in 2023. he spoke as missiles rained down in and around the capital kyiv ukraine's armed forces say russia launched more than 31 missiles and 12 airstrikes across the country overnight. curfews ranging from 7 pm. to midnight made celebrations for the start of the new year impossible in public spaces . the impossible in public spaces. the archbishop of canterbury is urging the government to tackle what he calls the country's broken social care system . broken social care system. justin welby used his new year message to say care homes are struggling to cover energy bills and retain staff. is called on everyone to rise to the challenge of repairing the present system. the government says social care was made a priority in last month's autumn budget, pledging priority in last month's autumn budget, pledgin g £7.5 billion in budget, pledging £7.5 billion in support over the next two years.

two men have been charged with the murder of a non—league footballer who was stabbed to death in birmingham on boxing day. 23 year old cody fisher was attacked at a nightclub in digbeth . 21 year old cammy digbeth. 21 year old cammy carpenter and 22 year old remi gordon will appear before magistrates on monday. gordon will appear before magistrates on monday . a record magistrates on monday. a record number of migrants , almost number of migrants, almost 46,000, crossed the english channel to the united kingdom last year . that's 60% higher last year. that's 60% higher than the figure for 2021. the last crossing of 2022 took place on christmas day when 90 people made the journey from france on to small boats. the prime minister, rishi sunak, has promised to bring in laws this year to make it clear to those who enter the country illegally that won't be allowed to that they won't be allowed to stay . from today, more than 4600 stay. from today, more than 4600 bus routes across england will have fares capped at £2 for a

single trip. more than 130 operators outside of london have joined the scheme, which will last until the end of march. the cap is being paid for with a £60 million government fund and croatia has become the latest country to join the eu border. three schengen zone and the euro currency. to mark the occasion, the eu's ursula von de leon joined croatia's prime minister for a coffee which was paid for with euros. the decision is seen as a step towards closer integration between croatia and the european . union we're on tv the european. union we're on tv where online and we're on dab plus radio. you're watching gb news this is the people's channel. i'll be back with more news at the top of the next hour.

hello and welcome to the year in politics and what a year it's been. three prime ministers four chancellors and one new king . a chancellors and one new king. a cost of living crisis. a war in europe. and the peculiar week when westminster fixated itself upon the longevity of a lettuce . yes, 2022 has been the most predict to most wild year in westminster since. well the last one. let's kick it all off by looking back over the first three months of the year. january kicked off with a cloud over boris johnson after a christmas of alleged revelations of anti—lockdown parties. for a brief while, an unknown civil servant , sue gray, seemed to be servant, sue gray, seemed to be the most powerful woman in the country. as she prepared her report into downing street's misbehaviour. but when it came ,

misbehaviour. but when it came, it was a bit of a damp squib. thatis it was a bit of a damp squib. that is because, mr. speaker , that is because, mr. speaker, the report does absolutely nothing to substantiate the tissue of nonsense that he has just. however, boris johnson wasted no time creating a new crisis for himself with a swipe at sir keir starmer over the jemmy savile scandal. he spent most of his time profligate eating journalism, failing to prosecute jemmy savile as far as i can make it. mr. speaker. well, several of the prime minister's top aides resigned. one of his closest saying that there was no fair or reasonable bafis there was no fair or reasonable basis for this claim . but the basis for this claim. but the jemmy, savile row was rather thrown into perspective by vladimir putin's illegal invasion of ukraine in late february . westminster was february. westminster was collectively aghast that reports of atrocities from the front line . despite defiant words from line. despite defiant words from the ukrainians. it seemed that

kyiv would fall in a matter of days. there are some terrible atrocities being committed and there will be some very grim days ahead for ukraine. the war, of course , worsened the cost of of course, worsened the cost of living crisis at home. and in march , chancellor rishi sunak march, chancellor rishi sunak made his spring statement, raising national insurance. although cutting fuel duty . so although cutting fuel duty. so when i talk about security , yes, when i talk about security, yes, i mean responding to the war in ukraine. but i also mean to security of a faster growing economy. the security of more resilient public finances and securing t for working families as we help with the cost of living . well, let's dive right living. well, let's dive right in and explore what went on. firstly, in those first three months of the year , i'm joined months of the year, i'm joined by olivia utley, political reporter at gb news, and rachel cunliffe is senior associate editor at the new statesman .

editor at the new statesman. first of all, it seems like for about half of my life now we've been talking about who was it, what party, when and where this was all already going by the start of the year. olivia. yes so the christmas parties were a bit of a story at the end of 2021 and then everything went a bit quiet over the new year and all the scandals. so to speak, really starts to break. in january, it was all about which of those parties boris johnson attended , which aides were attended, which aides were there, whose fault it was that there, whose fault it was that the parties started it all. and this went on as far as i can remember, for weeks and weeks. and weeks and every day another journalist coming out with a journalist was coming out with a huge briefing story about a specific party on a specific night. and it really mattered which which party was which. it doesn't sound like it any more, but there were the rules during lockdown were so specific that and whether it was a law that was broken or just a rule or was broken orjust a rule or just guidance was all very important. so it all matters a lot, which parties, which and

who was there and why they were there? because some of them, they could just about swing it as a as a work event and that as far as i remember, took up a large part of january and some of february. and it was the drip, drip, drip of these stories that really made it such a big story, i suppose, if a big media story, i suppose, if at it had out on one at all, it had come out on one day, one thing in the start, it wouldn't have blown up this wouldn't have blown up into this huge it became . no, i huge thing that it became. no, i think right. if think you're right. i think if downing street had come out and said, here's a list of all the gatherings thought they were gatherings we thought they were justified time. justified for work at the time. we that maybe they we could see that maybe they possibly the cross into possibly crossed the cross into things that were not to do in the guidance. we're very sorry about that. it was a very confusing time. and the story that might been the end of that might have been the end of it. think the why it lasted so it. i think the why it lasted so long was this drip, drip, drip. it the flat out denials from it was the flat out denials from downing , particularly downing street, particularly from johnson himself . he from boris johnson himself. he sort said categorically sort of said categorically several times, you know, no party happened. the rules were followed at all times. and that very clear denial meant that

there of incentive for there were sort of incentive for journalists go find out journalists to go and find out exactly had been happening. exactly what had been happening. and then we just got an endless list, a column of how many the warrant title, i think it was over and some of were over 20. and some of them were full blown policies with karaoke machines things machines and things that actually sound quite fun. some of the things that i don't think you or would have really you or i would have really thought were a party at the time it was sort of some colleagues having or drinks having some food or some drinks after and i suppose it was after work. and i suppose it was also muddled up because also muddled up there because the sounded the things that sounded most like parties, the like they were parties, the sick on the walls, the broken swing, the karaoke machine, they happened prime minister happened when the prime minister wasn't street . yes. wasn't at downing street. yes. and a big part of it, and that was a big part of it, too. and the prime minister could the argument could also make the argument that was his home and the that it was his home and the other thing which i found really strange about the whole thing was, say, the ones which was, as you say, the ones which sounded parties sounded the most like parties seem the ones which they seem to be the ones which they sort of got away with. whereas the one which seemed to come out as worse was the one where as the worse was the one where bofis as the worse was the one where boris walked a room boris johnson walked into a room and ambushed him with and someone ambushed him with kate as far as

kate and rishi sunak as far as far appeared, he had far as it appeared, he had turned up 5 minutes early for a meeting at rishi i don't meeting at rishi sunak. i don't i we can all agree isn't i think we can all agree isn't a big party and horsey type and it turned a bit early for turned up a bit early for a meeting and suddenly drawn meeting and was suddenly drawn into thing. and well, into the whole thing. and well, we'll onto that bits a bit we'll get onto that bits a bit later because of course sue gray couldn't report her final report in was expected in january as was expected because met police got because the met police got involved and once that metropolitan investigate metropolitan police investigate action was underway, sue gray said, i publish any said, well, i can't publish any of findings for quite some of my findings for quite some more time, but that was of course only thing that course the only thing that happened first three happened in the first three months this year. there was months of this year. there was a bit of a big clash in the midst of all of this wrangling over partygate between the prime minister and sir keir starmer. at point, minister's at one point, minister's questions the prime minister used a phrase that many people found distasteful about jemmy savile. so the insignia at prime minister's questions was that keir starmer, when he was director of public prosecutions, was personally responsible for not prosecuting jemmy saville,

the child sex offender . and the the child sex offender. and the reason that i think this exploded in the way it did is , exploded in the way it did is, one, it's false , it's one, it's false, it's inaccurate. and he wasn't involved in that decision . but involved in that decision. but two, it's a line that kind of comes from a conspiracy theory thatis comes from a conspiracy theory that is associated with the alt right associated with a lot of sort of very unsavoury characters. and so to have the prime minister bring that up in parliament was kind of a big deal parliament was kind of a big deal. now whether or not he meant it to be that i don't think is necessarily the issue . think is necessarily the issue. he didn't apologise for it. and the kind of key takeaway from that moment was the resignation of his key aide. many members who'd worked with him for 15 years when he was mayor of london bought into downing street, who had been very, very supportive of him through all of the scandal. so we could go into today with boris johnson. and that was the moment she that was the moment when she quit. and that's why i think it was kind of a turning point in the laboratory, perhaps sign the laboratory, perhaps a sign of come. but i suppose of things to come. but i suppose there to argument if you

there is to argument that if you were top of an were at the top of an organisation, take organisation, you take responsive for what responsive bility for what people, if you're not people, even if you're not personally involved with the decision, you take responsibility. there's responsibility. and there's a funny of parallel funny sort of parallel there between boris johnson was accused terms of not accused of in terms of not personally some of personally attending some of these but these crazy parties, but being at head the organisation at the head of the organisation and responsible. and somehow being responsible. i suppose trying to draw suppose he was trying to draw a bit of a comparison there. that definitely was the comparison. he trying draw, but it he was trying to draw, but it did quite strangely and did come off quite strangely and people thought that it was sort of into very online of playing into this very online conspiracy theory about jemmy, savile and keir starmer. there was one argument that was made at the time that boris johnson wasn't exactly in charge of downing street . boris johnson downing street. boris johnson was in charge of country , was in charge of the country, and was civil servants who and it was civil servants who were charge downing were in charge of making downing street so argument street wrong. so one argument that charles moore that i remember charles moore and other boris johnson allies putting was that putting forward was that actually johnson actually boris johnson was sitting charge sitting there in charge of running how downing running the country. how downing street is run isn't really his job. if he was told to turn up and shake hands with people, to thank them for their hard work over very difficult period

thank them for their hard work othen very difficult period thank them for their hard work othen he very difficult period thank them for their hard work othen he was difficult period thank them for their hard work othen he was sortcult period thank them for their hard work othen he was sort oft period thank them for their hard work othen he was sort of obliged to , then he was sort of obliged to do that. and if it goes of do that. and if it goes out of control, wasn't really control, it wasn't really his fault that was sort of the only big defence of boris johnson i heard in period . and as heard in that period. and as rachel i think that when rachel says, i think that when they must resign with they members must resign with the very cutting resignation letter, boris letter, talking about boris johnson's that was in johnson's competency that was in hindsight, probably the beginning of the as yet a big lifeline for boris johnson , a lifeline for boris johnson, a confusing and odd lifeline, because people stop talking about cakes and parties on a 24th of february when russia invaded ukraine, i think it was a lifeline for him because i think if you look at the trajectory of the way the scandals were ramping up, then suddenly this massive geopolitical event happens and puts it all into perspective and it all looks rather trivial, which indeed it should. and i think that if you're reflecting on boris johnson's legacy as prime minister, one of the things that we can probably all agree, he should take great pride in is the strength of britain's reaction to putin's

invasion of ukraine, the way he said right from the beginning that we were going to support ukraine with military support , ukraine with military support, with financial support , and also with financial support, and also by just rhetorically making it very clear that this was an illegal war and that of the european leaders who were perhaps trying to soften their stance to putin a little bit, a little bit worried about how should the eu react, how should they react. it was a very strong position from britain and that i think led boris johnson . think was led by boris johnson. coming up after the break, trouble for boris johnson over local and by elections and a peculiar scandal in westminster over tractor .

welcome back to the year in politics. we're looking at some of the biggest political moments of the biggest political moments of the biggest political moments of the year coming up, some ballot box troubles, but we're johnson and for good measure. tractor . spring johnson and for good measure. tractor. spring blossomed into an old fashioned westminster sex scandal , this time over claims scandal, this time over claims that a member of parliament watched in the house of commons . it turned out to be neil parish, who only days before had played the issue down on gb news. now i think we've got some of the 650 members of parliament in what is, you know, a very sort of very intense area . i sort of very intense area. i mean, you are going to get people that step over the line. i mean, is it you know, i don't think there's necessarily a huge culture here. yeah, it's more questions about the culture in westminster . it all questions about the culture in westminster. it all ended questions about the culture in westminster . it all ended with westminster. it all ended with parishes resignation . meanwhile, parishes resignation. meanwhile, partygate was not going away for

the prime minister. he and his chancellor became the first holders of those offices to receive a fixed penalty notice from the police for breaking the law . i from the police for breaking the law. i understand from the police for breaking the law . i understand the anger that law. i understand the anger that many will feel that i myself fell short when it came to observing the very rules which the government i lead had introduced to protect the public . and i accept in all sincerity that people had the right to expect better. and to the delight of westminster journalist sue gray finally released the picture she'd obtained of alleged lockdown parties inside downing street's a few days beforehand. local elections across much of the uk and a disaster for boris johnson and a disaster for boris johnson and the conservatives . tory and the conservatives. tory strongholds like wandsworth and westminster turned red at the hands of angry voters . it's been hands of angry voters. it's been a terrible night for the

conservative lives in london and to lose wandsworth, which was very much the crown jewel for the conservatives in london. i mean, they've held the seat for over 40 years. the crisis in northern ireland, too, as a republic , reckons sinn fein republic, reckons sinn fein became the largest party powersharing was once again up in the air just as the foreign secretary announced plans to junk parts of the brexit deal on northern ireland . we will take northern ireland. we will take the necessary decisions to preserve peace and stability. june rolled around and perhaps bofis june rolled around and perhaps boris johnson's worst month yet . he survived a vote of no confidence by his own mps . . he survived a vote of no confidence by his own mps. i can announce that the parliamentary party does have confidence , but party does have confidence, but presided over some disastrous by elections, losing the key red wall seats of wakefield's and even a blue wall tory strongholds tiverton and honiton to the lib dems.

strongholds tiverton and honiton to the lib dems . and with to the lib dems. and with impeccable timing. yet another sex scandal unfolded as the deputy chief whip was accused of groping men . deputy chief whip was accused of groping men. boris deputy chief whip was accused of groping men . boris johnson groping men. boris johnson initially claimed he didn't know of chris pinches reputation . he of chris pinches reputation. he was forced later to backtrack . i was forced later to backtrack. i despite the turmoil in westminster, britain, celebrates it. her majesty's platinum jubilee . but there was also a jubilee. but there was also a sad portent of things to come. as for the first time, prince charles stood in for the queen at the state opening of . at the state opening of. parliament. while the turbulent times, of course , did not abate times, of course, did not abate and april brought with it a great array of stories all over westminster , and this was westminster, and this was a phrase that began in sort of 2017, but had a big flare up in 2022. what was going on? well, i think it all began with neil

pansh think it all began with neil parish , who quite a social funny parish, who quite a social funny story by the comparisons of the rest of the year. he was watching in parliament and it came out. he lied about it. first, he claimed that what he was doing was looking up a particular kind of tractor call to dominate her and accidentally found himself on a different sort of website. he then looked at again where he couldn't really claim that he was still just trying to look attractive. and a couple of female conservative mp saw and obviously reported because this was inappropriate and in the end it took a while, but he had to resign the whip. that's the fact that it took a while sort of underlying ideas were already blossoming in parliament that bofis blossoming in parliament that boris johnson was sort of losing control, a bit of his party. and there was a there was a sort of theory that because boris johnson's own personal life was a bit chaotic, it was quite difficult for him to discipline his employees problem his employees and that problem carried on over the next couple

of months. of course, i did google the dominator track and i didn't find any polls. neil pansh didn't find any polls. neil parish where i wonder what algorithms are at play in people's phones. but it wasn't the story, of course, that the only story, of course, that to some extent there were. there are more troubles. the stories of various mp is under investigation as well in this period. yeah there were a number of campaigns that fell under the sort umbrella as well sort of minster umbrella as well as the parish that was immune con he was a convict of child sexual assault which took it another by—election and these two by elections, the one in tiverton and jonathan the conservatives had a majority of 24,000 very, very safe conservatives seat wakefield which was imran collins constituency, was a red wall seat where it was predicted that labour would probably take that. so the conservatives found themselves fighting on two very different fronts under fire from two very different sections of the electorate. and as it became apparent that those elections wouldn't go well, which indeed they very much did not for the

conservatives, the idea that bofis conservatives, the idea that boris johnson , for all of his boris johnson, for all of his flaws, was somebody who could unite the country and get people voting conservative. he perhaps might never have done so and had this widespread appeal that was very beneficial to the tories, even if he had all of his issues that started to fade away because it became that because it became obvious that actually voters were deserting the party. and if boris wasn't able to bring all those different coalitions together, what was the point of him ? and what was the point of him? and in the midst of all of this, of course, we got the final, final , the metropolitan police issued police issued two fines, one for bofis police issued two fines, one for boris johnson , one for rishi boris johnson, one for rishi sunak. and there were over 100 for the various civil servants and special advisers who operated within number 10 as well . what did that mean for the well. what did that mean for the party? it was pretty for the party. there were those who sort of argued that getting a fine for breaking these lockdown rules was sort of the same as getting a speeding ticket. and you wouldn't expect the prime minister resigned resign

minister resigned to resign because speeding because he had a speeding ticket. but obviously because because he had a speeding tick primet obviously because because he had a speeding tick prime ministerly because because he had a speeding tick prime minister hadecause because he had a speeding tick prime minister had putse because he had a speeding tick prime minister had put these the prime minister had put these very in very stringent lockdown rules in place and there were lots of people who missed out on huge people who missed out on a huge family events funerals and family events and funerals and saying the death saying we mustn't on the death beds lot of anger beds. there was a lot of anger in the country at large that the prime minister and the chancellor had both been fined for breaking these rules. and yet it was interesting because the chancellor wasn't really considered to have done anything particularly wrong. rishi sunak turned up a little bit early for a meeting where that happened to be a cake on the table. i don't think anyone at the cake. i mean, we really getting into mean, we really are getting into those sort of situations those trivial sort of situations here. and yet because the chancellor got a fine , some chancellor got a fine, some people started to think , well, people started to think, well, maybe there was a bit of a video that had appeared about the leader of the labour party drinking beer at a similar time of restrictions when indoor socialising was against the rules, outdoor socialising was illegal. comparable time to this bofis illegal. comparable time to this boris johnson birthday story and

something called bigots began. this is where i think it all started to get a bit silly. and i say this as somebody who doesn't think that it was right for rishi sunak to get that fine for rishi sunak to get that fine for what was clearly an accident. but this was a work meeting event up in durham and keir starmer was drinking a beer and there was some pizza . durham and there was some pizza. durham obviously is also the place where dominic cummings was not fined for his lockdown breaking trip up there and then subsequent trip to test his eyesight in barnard castle. but there were , i think, justifiable there were, i think, justifiable questions about hang on the labour side were doing it too. and obviously labour had been calling for harsh restrictions, even if they weren't actually involved in making them and towards the end of this period, we've got boris johnson's first visit to ukraine, to kyiv, where really whenever there was a bit of domestic trouble, we did see the prime minister get on the phone to his good friend, vladimir. that relationship was

real , though. that that that real, though. that that that friendship between boris johnson and zelenskyy was and volodymyr zelenskyy was strong. absolutely and i think, yeah, we were all quite cynical about it at the time because it did feel as though whenever there was a drama breaking off bofis there was a drama breaking off boris but boris boris went to kyiv. but boris johnson as rachel was saying johnson was as rachel was saying earlier, the very at earlier, sort of at the very at the very top of the of the of the very top of the of the of the pack, really. he was leading the pack, really. he was leading the pack, really. he was leading the pack on helping ukraine and volodymyr really did volodymyr zelenskyy really did get on with him very well . and get on with him very well. and we this quite bizarre thing we saw this quite bizarre thing where as boris johnson's popularity was fast waning in the uk , it was massively on the the uk, it was massively on the rise in kyiv. and there was a penod rise in kyiv. and there was a period when there was a particular type of chaos on there was like in the shape of bofis there was like in the shape of boris johnson's face being sold on the streets of ukraine. so it was a very strange disparity going that i think you're going on that i think you're probably get some probably going to get some ukraine in named boris if ukraine in boys named boris if you next couple of years. it's going to be a very a very popular time. but it did certainly feel that every time he was in trouble for anything off he went or picked up the

phone and you did wonder if maybe zelenskyy might have had other things plate rather other things on his plate rather than the waning than dealing with the waning popularity of boris johnson. coming , a hot summer in coming up, a hot summer in westminster as the temperature rises amongst mps. boris johnson is booted out and a leadership election gets underway .

welcome back to a year in politics. boris johnson's luck ran out in july , and after that ran out in july, and after that for a while , liz truss appeared for a while, liz truss appeared on a saleable. well, a week is a long time in politics and. july began with westminster in a fervour with the prime minister

forced to admit that he knew of sex allegations against one of his whips . his health secretary his whips. his health secretary resigned in disgust. his whips. his health secretary resigned in disgust . we have to resigned in disgust. we have to conclude that enough is enough here , followed 5 minutes later here, followed 5 minutes later by his chancellor. are you going to be the next prime minister? bofis to be the next prime minister? boris johnson's government was in its final crisis as it prompted a veritable avalanche of ministerial resignations. after two days of intense pressure and speculation, the prime minister threw in the towel . i want you to know how towel. i want you to know how sad i am to be giving up the best job in the world. but them's the breaks . but the them's the breaks. but the brakes were off in the race for number 10. a host of conservative mps threw in their hats , including the largely hats, including the largely unknown john raymond christie, who seemed to be the only person to fancy himself for the job.

for a brief moment, it seemed like the smart money could be behind penny mordaunt to be the next prime minister. but ultimately, rishi sunak was the favourite of tory mp ps. they placed him forward to the membership along with the foreign secretary, liz truss . foreign secretary, liz truss. the campaign stretched on for nearly two months. the candidates touring the country speaking to members. but it seemed that the party couldn't forgive the former chancellor forgive the former chancellor for appearing to stab boris johnson in the back . and liz johnson in the back. and liz truss with her campaign focusing on tax cuts was triumphant. that all you know is that liz truss is elected as the leader of the conservative party .

conservative party. the next day she flew to balmoral to meet her majesty the queen. a smile monarch greeting her 15th and final prime minister. the last time we would ever see her. well, if looking back, the start of the year was the beginning of the end for bofis the beginning of the end for boris johnson. july was the end of the end for boris johnson and olivia . those final two weeks of olivia. those final two weeks of bofis olivia. those final two weeks of boris johnson as prime minister before he announced his resignation. what went wrong? well, it was pretty extraordinary, really. we had the resignation of such javid and rishi sunak , two big beasts and rishi sunak, two big beasts in the conservative party. the chancellor and the health secretary , and that everyone secretary, and that everyone assumed was going to be the end of the couple of hours later, you would see the resignation of the prime minister. that's not what happened over the next 48 hours. we saw a slew of

resignations like has never happened before in british politics. it was just minister after minister going down to the really, really junior ranks, sending really cutting sending in these really cutting letters of resignation , posting letters of resignation, posting them all over twitter . everyone them all over twitter. everyone was talking about it. there were departments, the education departments, the education department at one point had only one out of eight. and one minister out of eight. and that sort very, very that was some sort of very, very junior in the lords. and junior person in the lords. and so it felt as though what is going to happen? can he possibly carry on hanging on people at one point was of comparing one point was sort of comparing him donald trump, refusing him to donald trump, refusing to leave election and leave after the election and this went on for an extraordinary period of time, really , although looking back, really, although looking back, it was only sort of two days. it was chaos, though. it was absolute chaos . he was was chaos, though. it was absolute chaos. he was losing ministers faster than he could replace them . he went into replace them. he went into a select committee meeting the day after such a javid and rishi sunak resigned and acted as if nothing was wrong. when every single member of that select committee was really laying into him. and i think during that

meeting for possibly five ministers resigned as it was going on. so it really was extraordinary . and i think there extraordinary. and i think there was a sense in sort of the core team, boris camp, that he could tough it out because he tossed out every other scandal that would have taken down any other prime minister. and i think he thought that was just like all the others. it was only when it really got to point where really got to the point where there weren't enough people to fill government that he fill his government that he finally he would fill his government that he finally even he would fill his government that he finally even the he would fill his government that he finally even the people would fill his government that he finally even the people heyuld be when even the people he reappoint to fill gap reappoint to fill the gap started resigning as well. yes, we had an education secretary. he lasted 36 hours he he lasted 36 hours because he took job and then went, no, took the job and then went, no, thank you. she didn't take her payout for that, by the way. and i think think is suppose i think i think that is suppose what though, what it is interesting, though, because survive because he did survive a confidence vote of the parliamentary party in a few weeks beforehand. there was all of this discussion at that time that the 1922 committee executive were going to change the rules and that another vote would be held. is there not an

argument that that might have been a more legitimate thing, a proper process whereby? mp actually voted out rather actually voted him out rather than just forcing him out a than just forcing him out with a resignation. yeah, was a bit resignation. yeah, it was a bit odd really , because people odd really, because people didn't. everyone was didn't. there was everyone was turning against boris johnson when vote no when there was this vote of no confidence. but was a sort confidence. but there was a sort of that didn't really of worry that they didn't really know going to replace know who was going to replace him power that they him. so the only power that they had just resigning in that had was just resigning in that droves. but it still left the problem of there's no one really to fill the gap. but all, to fill the gap. but after all, bofis to fill the gap. but after all, boris johnson did decide to resign . but a leadership resign. but a leadership election started . and at the election started. and at the start, there a huge number of candidate . what was going on? candidate. what was going on? i think what was going on is there wasn't a clear successor to bofis wasn't a clear successor to boris johnson. if there hadn't been a clear successor, then i think that vote of no confidence the first time round would have gone very different way. gone a very different way. usually happens is tory usually what happens is tory mp line who want and it's line up who they want and it's a very sort of and ruthless very sort of slick and ruthless mechanism rather than the chaos that we saw and given that there wasn't a clear successor, everyone threw the hat in the ring, which i actually think was

quite thing. you got to quite a good thing. you got to have representation from different wings of party. different wings of the party. they got have a conversation they got to have a conversation about what they actually wanted the to be the conservative party to be interest tingly? none of those candidates, i think, were particularly warm . boris johnson particularly warm. boris johnson even though all of them had obviously benefited from from him being in power. so there was this real tension between trying to channel the support and the popularity that boris johnson had had while also making it clear that they were very different. some of them, i think, were more successful than all of us. and could forget all of us. and who could forget the or two day of the one or two day candidacy of raymond history nominated himself ? raymond history nominated himself? yes, and i think he only managed to get his own backing . you needed a few more backing. you needed a few more than that to manage to get on the ballot paper? yeah it was this hugely wide open campaign. the subsequently when we had the next leadership election, not very much later that night . very much later that night. joyce your committee changed the rules, but as it was, you only needed something like 15% of the

party to support you to get through the next stage. so, through to the next stage. so, yeah it was really yeah, in some ways it was really good because we saw this debate about what the conservative party i think it began, party was, but i think it began, it opened up all these it sort of opened up all these which already in the which were already there in the conservative and conservative party armour and you these tribal factions you saw these tribal factions developing and at some it seemed as though people had almost nothing in common. some of the some of the to different sides of the party. you had sort of tom tugendhat and liz truss actually little in common. actually very little in common. you have sort of jeremy hunt throwing his hat in the ring again, different plan to again, very different plan to the sort of thing that that liz truss is offering. and there were all these different kinds of badenoch . of conservative kemi badenoch. well, was really the star of well, who was really the star of this period, not very new, not very experienced in government, but got really far because she was offering it a very different vision of conservative. do you think perhaps she'd think perhaps if she'd held a proper cabinet post, she might well have the thing? but it well have won the thing? but it was remarkable seeing how quickly that broad field was whittled down and then for how long. the final two went on and

on and on. i think everyone can agree that the length of the will it be. liz truss will it be rishi sunak's stage of the contest really did go on too long, not least because while all of the political drama was happening, we were facing a looming energy and indeed looming energy crisis and indeed economic . and that very economic crisis. and that very much sense that the much was a sense that the conservative party was too focussed, on its own internal politics, not looking the politics, not looking at the fact that energy bills were about other european about to and what other european countries were trying to work out they going to do out what they were going to do when gas shortages hit the when those gas shortages hit the uk was just looking at will it be or will it less? and be rishi or will it be less? and of by the start of of course by the start of september we got the answer that we'd to be we'd known going to be the answer for the previous month and a half, liz truss became prime minister after break prime minister after the break the and very rapid fall of the rise and very rapid fall of liz truss as prime minister, a disastrous mini budget and yet another prime minister. oh, i'm

simon evans. join me on gb news for headliners at 11 pm, where i'll be joined by two of the country's top comedians. we take a look at tomorrow's newspapers tonight. if it's a big story , tonight. if it's a big story, we'll be covering it. i guarantee . we'll also have some guarantee. we'll also have some fun along the way as gb news headliners at 11 pm. we won't put you to sleep. unlike some of the other people review shows out there. so join us. 11 pm. seven nights a week .

welcome back. well, who could forget ? liz truss is brief, but forget? liz truss is brief, but eventful stint as prime minister. we're looking back at the final parts of . 2020 to liz the final parts of. 2020 to liz truss started her premiership

not as a politician but as a stateswoman , announcing to the stateswoman, announcing to the nafion stateswoman, announcing to the nation the news was dreaded for so long and with the passing of the second elizabethan age , we the second elizabethan age, we usherin the second elizabethan age, we usher in a new era by saying the words god save the . king words god save the. king suddenly, politics was on hold as the nation mourned the passing of our longest and greatest monarch monarch . she greatest monarch monarch. she served so faithfully for 77, 70 years and so having to stand in line in the queue for like the 14 hours, really not that much comparison to what she did . a comparison to what she did. a parade of world leaders came to pay parade of world leaders came to pay their respects. the new prime minister, just one in a sea of dignitaries . and yet, sea of dignitaries. and yet, when politics finally returned , when politics finally returned, it was with a bang. the new chancellor delivering a mini

budget. that was anything but mini. today we have cut stamp duty. we we've allowed businesses to keep more of their own to money invest, to innovate and to grow. we have cut income tax and national insurance for millions of workers . we are millions of workers. we are securing our place in a fiercely competitive global economy with lower rates of corporation and lower rates of corporation and lower rates of personal tax . a lower rates of personal tax. a vast array of tax cuts and billions spent on energy price fixing sent the markets into a tailspin . and the bank of tailspin. and the bank of england , forced to intervene to england, forced to intervene to avert a calamity. liz truss is signature economic policy was shot to pieces . she made it shot to pieces. she made it through a depressing tory conference but sacked her own chancellor and replaced with the sunak supporting jeremy hunt. we will reverse almost all the tax measures announced in the growth plan. three weeks ago he reversed almost all of her economic policies and became

prime minister in all but name . prime minister in all but name. days later, liz truss herself was from power. i will remain as prime minister until a successor has been chosen . thank you. has been chosen. thank you. serving just 44 days in office , serving just 44 days in office, the party grandees seem to have learned their lesson. good afternoon again. a short leadership contest and rishi sunak with his earlier warnings of economic turmoil somewhat vindicated, was crowned leader without a formal contest . it was without a formal contest. it was interesting , though, those first interesting, though, those first few days we had a cabinet reshuffle and then an energy announcement. it was going really, really quickly . we had really, really quickly. we had the one of the largest interventions , i think, in interventions, i think, in modern history when it came to the amount of energy bill packages port that was on offer. but we barely got the chance to process it because while that

was actually being discussed in the the news that the commons, the news broke that her very ill and her majesty was very ill and then ten of mourning then we had ten days of mourning where nothing really happened . where nothing really happened. where liz truss led the nation in the mourning, something that obviously boris johnson i think had been expecting and planning do. so we had politics on hold, but then it restarted and we started really quite forcefully. it really did. but let's just dwell on that for a second. the fact that this up to £200 billion sort of uncapped spending on fixing energy prices was announced. it got no political airtime . it didn't political airtime. it didn't really sink in to the british pubuc really sink in to the british public because, of course, bigger news came along . yes. and bigger news came along. yes. and literally, the announcement literally, as the announcement was being made in the commons and all political journalists and we all political journalists were thinking were sitting around thinking this be a huge day this was going to be a huge day in political journalism it in political journalism and it turned was a day for turned out it was a huge day for the country the queen the country because the queen died evening . and died later that evening. and then we went into this official penod then we went into this official period of mourning. politics completely on hold. nothing happened. completely on hold. nothing happened . and then back with

happened. and then back with a bang. happened. and then back with a bang . and i think part of the bang. and i think part of the problem really with what we what we saw next, which was the mini budget, was that liz truss had promised so much so soon. promised to do so much so soon. she promised to hit the ground running. she did hit the ground running. she did hit the ground running. stopped. running. then she got stopped. and right, and then she thought, right, i can start up again. and the can just start up again. and the country wasn't ready for it. the markets ready it. markets weren't ready for it. kwasi done any kwasi kwarteng hadn't done any of obe stuff, which we're of the obe stuff, which we're used to seeing. chancellors do. we seeing them stand up, we used to seeing them stand up, explain going do explain what they're going to do and they've got the and explain how they've got the backing do that, where backing to do that, where they're finding the money to do that. he hadn't done of that. and he hadn't done any of that. and he hadn't done any of that. pretty much no one was that. so pretty much no one was ready for was an extra ready for what was an extra ordinary it was a big go ordinary budget. it was a big go for the principle for growth budget. the principle behind old economic behind it was the old economic model nothing's we model is broken. nothing's we have drastic to fix have to go drastic to fix things. that's what he tried. and within a couple of days , it. and within a couple of days, it. it all began to fall apart. it had interestingly begun to fall apart during the labour party conference, which was taking place over that weekend when markets reopened . on the monday

markets reopened. on the monday we saw a pretty significant move. now, some people argue this was to do with the way that the united states was raising interest. the dollar was getting stronger against lots of currencies, particularly stronger against lots of currerwas, particularly stronger against lots of currerwas something ularly stronger against lots of currerwas something about there was something about britain the way that the britain and the way that the markets had lost comfort in where was and what a where britain was and what a time for the labour party to be meeting . just the pound was meeting. just as the pound was tumbling and indeed the labour party poll ratings were rising. well, all labour really had to do was sit back and watch the watch the tories unravel , which watch the tories unravel, which isindeed watch the tories unravel, which is indeed what they did. i don't think i can remember anything from that particular conference, something about green energy. but focus was very but really the focus was very much on what was going on with liz and kwasi kwarteng. so liz truss and kwasi kwarteng. so the of the pound dropped the value of the pound dropped quite radically. bank of quite radically. the bank of england had to step in to support pension funds because it really was looking like a full blown financial crisis. and throughout this, liz throughout all of this, liz truss basically and i think truss basically hit and i think that was one of the problems with the. she didn't feel the need or she wasn't able to come out and explain why she made the

decisions she had and how decisions that she had and how she was all going to she thought it was all going to work the future. beyond just work in the future. beyond just saying pro—growth. well saying i am pro—growth. well pro—growth. have an pro—growth. you clearly have an economic system. markets foreign investors who don't trust you. i'm just saying. repeating the same line over and over again clearly wasn't going to cut it. and she didn't seem to realise this. she did this absolutely disastrous media round on local radio . i disastrous media round on local radio. i think it's disastrous media round on local radio . i think it's possible she radio. i think it's possible she thought that maybe local radio stations would give her an easier time than some of the national broadcasters. was national broadcasters. she was clearly there and it clearly very wrong there and it became apparent that maybe her plan had merit and maybe it didn't, but didn't have the didn't, but she didn't have the communication or the sort communication skills or the sort of intellect , intellectual of intellect, intellectual ability to back it up and to explain it. although what we did also see was she didn't have a party united behind her, conserved of conference came next and on the morning of that first day of conservative conference, the sunday morning michael was out the michael gove was out on the media round. course , no media round. of course, no longer the cabinet and saying longer in the cabinet and saying that liz truss should u—turn

over things like reducing the top rate of tax to back where it was under tony blair, which on the first night of conservative party conference she did, she performed her first u—turn. yeah. and it was a sort of clumsy u—turn. it felt very much as though she was bounced into it. basically the centrepiece of the budget was a lower tax the mini budget was a lower tax rates for the very rich. those were earning over 150,000. and she thought that she could turn britain into this place where if you want to invest, where rich people wanted to come, where rich people want to start, businesses, and when she had to u—turn on that, that to me really did feel like it was the beginning of the end and of that all led firing of the all led to the firing of the chancellor. that first u—turn led to several u—turns . the led to several more u—turns. the chancellor fired the next chancellor being fired the next friday, the chancellor being fired having just flown back from the imf in new york, having said no, everything's staying exactly the same. and then the next day he's gone. i don't really understand the logic of because anyone who had been

watching this closely knew that liz truss and kwasi kwarteng , liz truss and kwasi kwarteng, they were close friends, but they were close friends, but they were close friends, but they were also ideological allies and this budget had been put together by both of them with very little input from the rest of the cabinet or the rest of the party. it was very much a shared project. so for liz truss to her chancellor and say to sack her chancellor and say it his fault, just it was all his fault, just seemed rather disingenuous and ditched one of big points ditched one of the big points that made her prime minister in the the idea that the first place. the idea that we keep corporate tax at we should keep corporate tax at 19, as the country 19, not raise it as the country was likely recession to was likely facing recession to give up that point of principle seemed like she'd given up her premiership. of course, jeremy hunt came in as the new chancellor and many people were saying that really ? jeremy saying that really? jeremy hunfs saying that really? jeremy hunt's new prime minister. hunt's the new prime minister. yeah there were sorts of yeah there were all sorts of cartoons of hunt standing outside number 11, doing a lecture signing by lex and making a speech about the way he wants the country to go. because it did seem that point it really did seem at that point as what is the point of as though what is the point of liz ditched liz truss she's ditched everything she stood everything that that she stood for leadership campaign for the leadership campaign

which basically which she won and you basically did jeremy hunt did just have jeremy hunt running the country and then of course, there was the next huge blow, the resignation blow, which was the resignation of suella braverman and it was billed as a resignation because she had leaked an email to she she'd sent an email to a aide and it was on mincer. it was as and it was on mincer. it was as and she shouldn't have been using her personal account to send this email. but behind the scenes, what it sounded like was that a big policy that there was a big policy difference between liz truss , difference between liz truss, slash, jeremy hunt and zellerbach rothman on immigration and jeremy hunt, who's considered to be on the sort of left wing of the of the party, was was not too concerned about bringing net migration down. so had a problem and felt very, very differently. and this sort of vision that led to suella having to go again, writing a very, very biting resignation letter. and after that, she'd lost her chancellor and her home secretary. she imported grant shapps, to

replace suella braverman grant shappsis replace suella braverman grant shapps is very much on the jeremy hunt wing of the party. it did sort of feel as though she was prime minister in name only . and the next day of course only. and the next day of course , resignation. and this was the most remarkable time we'd rattled through a number of prime ministers very quickly, but incredibly quickly. then we got another one. well, 44 days, liz truss lasted from becoming prime minister to announcing her resignation. i think there was a widespread understand ing in the conservative party that another eight week leadership contest, particularly of such particularly a time of such multiple crises, wasn't acceptable or desirable. they set the bar incredibly high for the replacement of liz truss essentially , trying to make sure essentially, trying to make sure that there would only be one candidate that ended up being rishi sunak's it is a wild time though because rishi sunak became prime minister and he now has a fairly party beneath him . has a fairly party beneath him. yes, it felt very much as though the support behind rishi sunak was miles wide and inches deep the conservative party. when faced with the real prospect of

electoral oblivion , did focus electoral oblivion, did focus their minds and unite behind rishi. soon i can use all sorts of people, including kevin bacon , for example. he's very powerful. michael gove throwing their behind rishi their support in behind rishi sunak and suella braverman suella braverman herself, which did feel at the time and he kept jeremy hunt in place, which is the sort of sense of stability and it felt as though it was going to be sort of politics returning to normal , going to be sort of politics returning to normal, as we have seen in the in the last bit of the year, politics roughly returned to but it feels returned to normal, but it feels as there are quite a lot as though there are quite a lot of under service. there of tensions under service. there are of unhappy are a lot of unhappy conservative who conservative lives who didn't want the want rishi sunak over the summer. knew their summer. they knew that their constituents didn't particularly want and those want rishi sunak and those problems are beginning to raise that ugly lads again. a very difficult christmas and perhaps not the happiest of new years for the minister. but what for the prime minister. but what a 12 months it's been . well, a 12 months it's been. well, that was 2022 the year in polit . it's the most eventful year in westminster since the one before it. well we'll bring you all of

the action on what on earth 2023 might hold right here on gb news, but now have a very happy new year . new year. looking ahead to this afternoon and the uk is looking cold with rain , hail, snow over scotland , rain, hail, snow over scotland, showers in bright spells elsewhere . he has the details . elsewhere. he has the details. patchy rain and hail. snow. wilkin tinue to gradually clear to the east but it will remain mostly cloudy with hail fog lingering in places but mostly cloudy day. to start the new year across northern ireland, there will also be some patchy light rain times. there will also be some patchy light rain times . there'll be a light rain times. there'll be a mixture of bright and sunny spells, along with scattered showers across north—west england. the showers will be heavy and blustery at times . heavy and blustery at times. bright or sunny spells will edge in from the west, although it

will stay rather cloudy in the east. they'll be locally heavy , east. they'll be locally heavy, blustery showers in the west, too it's a rather cloudy and windy start to the new year across the midlands and isolated heavy showers possible in the west. a mild day for all. cloudy and overcast conditions will persist across east anglia with limited bright spells. the odd shower is also possible . cloud shower is also possible. cloud will thicken across southern england with outbreaks of rain edging in from the south, turning heavy at times . rather turning heavy at times. rather windy, too, especially along the coast, but feeling mild full. and that's how the weather's shaping up for the rest of the day . i'm shaping up for the rest of the day. i'm michael portillo. join me on gb news on a sunday for topical discussion , debate, arts topical discussion, debate, arts and culture . and sometimes even and culture. and sometimes even as a group dilemmas. i don't always agree with you, michael. michael portillo sundays on gb news the people's channel,

britain's news.

hey, good evening . a very happy hey, good evening. a very happy new year. i'm fox looking after mark dolan tonight ice and on the show in my big opinion i'll be discussing the new year's resolutions. son politicians should have for 2023. i'll also be welcoming olympian sharon davis , former boxing promoter davis, former boxing promoter and gender podcast presenter free to want us to debate whether britain's open category to include transgender athletes is fair for all in the news is dry january a bad idea is the making a big comeback and look ahead at what's in store for the royal family in 2023. i'll see you after the headlines with

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