well it was only a matter of time in the end, it was hugh edwards, his wife, that told us that he was the bbc presenter in question. >> he has resigned and we're told now having mental health treatment will debate and discuss all of that . should we discuss all of that. should we have known his name earlier? how does social media interact with mainstream media? talk mainstream media? we'll talk about summits over. about nato, the summits over. but how does the uk now stand in the world? are we diminished by all this? and liz, trust all of this? and liz, trust re—emerges with a plan for growth. was she right all along? but first, let's get the news with rory smith .

with rory smith. >> thank you very much, nigel. well, breaking news, hugh edwards has been named as the bbc presenter at the centre of the broadcaster's controversy , the broadcaster's controversy, mercy. in a statement, his wife, vicky flind, says hugh is suffering from serious mental health issues . as is well health issues. as is well documented , he has been treated documented, he has been treated for severe depression in recent years. the events of the last few days have greatly worsened matters he has suffered another serious episode and is now receiving inpatient hospital care where he'll stay for the foreseeable future , she foreseeable future, she continued, saying in the circumstances and given hugh's condition, i would like to ask that the privacy of my family and everyone else caught up in these upsetting events is respected. i know that hugh is deeply sorry that so many colleagues have been impacted by the recent media speculation. we

hope this statement will bring an end to that . well it comes an end to that. well it comes after the metropolitan police say that no criminal offence has been committed by mr edwards. the force said they have completed their assessment and are taking no further action. the met has advised the bbc it can continue with its own internal investigation . it added internal investigation. it added that should evidence of criminality or safeguarding issues be identified at any point , matters issues be identified at any point, matters are to be referred to the relevant police force as well . the bbc has force as well. the bbc has released its own statement following the met police response . yes, the broadcaster response. yes, the broadcaster said . we have seen the statement said. we have seen the statement from the police confirming they have completed their assessment and are not taking further action. we're grateful to them for completing this work at speed. it continues . the police speed. it continues. the police had previously asked us to pause our fact finding investigations

and we will now move forward with that work , ensuring due with that work, ensuring due process and a thorough assessment of the facts , whilst assessment of the facts, whilst continuing to be mindful of our duty of care to all involved . a duty of care to all involved. a total of four claims have been made towards mr edwards . he is made towards mr edwards. he is accused of paying a teenager for sexually explicit pictures and sending threatening messages to another. a third person alleges the presenter broke lockdown rules to meet them during the pandemic with a fourth claiming he sent messages to them on instagram . mr edwards remains instagram. mr edwards remains suspended from the bbc whilst investigations continue . tv investigations continue. tv online dab+ radio and on tune in. this is gb news nato back to

. nigel well , pretty much everyone knew well, pretty much everyone knew they'd known since last sunday. >> it had been discussed everywhere. go and get your hair cut and they would tell you who the bbc presenter was and tonight we learnt just before 6:00 edwards wife , 6:00 from hugh edwards wife, vicky flind, who put out a statement and she said, i'm making a statement on behalf of my husband, hugh edwards, after what extremely what has been five extremely difficult our family. difficult days for our family. i'm this primarily out of i'm doing this primarily out of concern for his mental well—being and to protect our children. and i can imagine that for hugh edwards wife , for those for hugh edwards wife, for those children, for his elderly mother living in south wales , all of living in south wales, all of this will be a complete nightmare , as indeed it will be nightmare, as indeed it will be for hugh edwards itself. i'll declare an interest . i know hugh declare an interest. i know hugh edwards. i know his wife . if we edwards. i know his wife. if we have something in common together college together through dulwich college in london, where his wife in south london, where his wife was a governor for many years, and went there, one of and indeed i went there, one of my sons there, some of his my sons went there, some of his kids there, too. i've kids went there, too. i've always i've always liked hugh edwards. i've got respect for him many got huge respect for him in many ways as broadcaster , he'd

ways as a broadcaster, he'd become modern day dimbleby become the modern day dimbleby you know, was the man that you know, he was the man that commentator on great state commentator on the great state occasions, and no one could doubt how professional he was as a broadcaster for so what's really going on here and what are we allowed to say? i think the whole thing is very sad , the whole thing is very sad, actually. i think there is clearly somebody here who's been living a life that clearly wasn't quite consistent with the way that he really felt about the world. and that's about as far as i can go at this moment in time. but i think you'll all understand and what i am saying, what's he done wrong ? well, i what's he done wrong? well, i felt from the beginning i couldn't see any criminality and that's now been confirmed by the metropolitan police . but the sun metropolitan police. but the sun newspaper had these stories and they've run them for day after day after day. and this is effectively the end of hugh edwards career. he has not behaved well and morally , you behaved well and morally, you couldn't stand up and support what he'd done, but who of you

out there have lived perfect lives? i reckon the answer would actually be very, very few . so actually be very, very few. so is this a matter of public interest? has the sun newspaper ever done the right thing? let me know your thoughts. farage at gbnews.com i'm joined by mark white, our home and security editor mark, this had to happen in the end, didn't it ? in the end, didn't it? >> yes, i think it was inevitable that the name would come out . they've seized the come out. they've seized the initiative at least through hugh edwards wife , and decided that edwards wife, and decided that it was time to name him. we were reporting actually the very significant development that the metropolitan police were not going to launch a criminal investigation when the news came through, that indeed , this was through, that indeed, this was hugh edwards, the suspect , through, that indeed, this was hugh edwards, the suspect, added bbc presenter. there are four allegations, but with regard to the metropol written police scoping exercise, a pre—ind investigation, if you like. that was the central allegation made

in the sun newspaper splashed on friday of last week , alleging friday of last week, alleging that hugh edwards had been in contact with a young person , contact with a young person, that at that time, according to this young person's mother, was is 17 years old, that hugh edwards had solicited indecent images from that individual and had paid large sums of money, such currently that person through their solicitor, said these allegations were rubbish. well, the police have looked at the allegations and they have come to the conclusion that it has not crossed the threshold into criminality. as far as they can see. so they've handed it back to the to bbc investigate that. whether okay, no criminality occurred , but was criminality occurred, but was there inappropriate behaviour for. and they can now can see out an investigation into that allegation . an and the other allegation. an and the other three allegations that relate to three allegations that relate to three other individuals , those three other individuals, those relating to contact with hugh edwards had with them.

>> but these other three allegations or call them what you will, are all discussions between consenting adults . between consenting adults. >> well, yes, except . the second >> well, yes, except. the second allegation that was revealed by the bbc's own news division yesterday relating to the bbc say they have seen it messages , say they have seen it messages, multiple messages sent by hugh edwards to the individual of an abusive, threatening and expletive laden nature , either expletive laden nature, either in response to what seems a threat to out hugh edwards on line now in the subsequent investigation, will the bbc rule that that was inappropriate behaviour or not? we don't know . they have got to carry out that. the other 2—2 allegations, one relates to an allegation that hugh edwards broke covid rules. now, that was in the third lockdown in february of 21, an allegation that he met an individual in a dating website

pressurised this individual for a meet , then went out of london a meet, then went out of london to another county to meet this person. and that was, they say , person. and that was, they say, a breach of covid regulation at that time. >> but again, not criminal. >> but again, not criminal. >> well, it would certainly carry if there is evidence . so, carry if there is evidence. so, for instance, electronic evidence that confirms that that meeting take place on those dates , then there could be dates, then there could be a fixed penalty notice. we've seen, obviously with boris johnson and others and rishi sunak respectively, there have been these fixed penalty notices i >> -- >> yeah. >> yeah. >> and the fourth allegation is creepy instagram messages love hearts and kisses as i think we can just discount that. can't we? >> i think we need to take a step back though. nigel. there is absolutely understandable concern for the health of hugh edwards, a man who , it has been edwards, a man who, it has been reported fairly widely in the past, has suffered from severe depression , an who clearly faced depression, an who clearly faced with these allegations, has taken a very bad turn. his wife

now confirming that he is in hospital for the foreseeable future, being treated. and although the police are saying there is no criminal investigation here, it doesn't mean that at the end of the day now that the bbc are to free investigate this, that there is not a pattern of behaviour that they deem to be inappropriate . they deem to be inappropriate. we just don't know. >> i'd be very surprised, mark, if they don't. >> and i think just one more thing to add because is now that name of hugh is out name of hugh edwards is out there in public, it might bring other people forward . other people forward. >> it may well. mark white, thank indeed. well thank you very much indeed. well i'm joined by joshua rosenberg, kc, a solicitor and former bbc legal correspondent, privacy . legal correspondent, privacy. privacy. it's a word that we've been debating a lot , not just been debating a lot, not just this week, but actually pre and post leveson, which changed the law in this country. we have article eight of course you know, of the human rights legislation , the right to legislation, the right to privacy. and a lot of that

depends on how judges interpret it to what extent is this list of charges that the sun newspaper have brought? to what extent do you believe these are matters of public interest? that's what the sun had to balance when it decided not to name hugh edwards , because you name hugh edwards, because you referred to article eight, right. >> to respect for a person's private and family life. article ten of the human rights convention protects freedom of expression. what the courts have always had to do is balance those two rights, not an easy thing. it all depends on the circumstance. >> cases around the sun. >> cases around the sun. >> the sun's lawyers advised it last week that privacy be outweighed the public interest in naming hugh edwards. outweighed the public interest in naming hugh edwards . well, in naming hugh edwards. well, that was their decision. it may well have been, and we don't know because the sun hasn't told us that they were concerned that if they named him , this would if they named him, this would have a very serious effect on his mental health, because as you've been reporting now, everybody knows he suffered from depression. yeah. and so we

don't know why the sun didn't name him. yes it respected his privacy, but it might have been concerned that it would have a serious effect on him. it has had a serious effect on him. it it says that his wife says that the events of the last few days have greatly worsened matters. he suffered another serious episode and is receiving inpatient hospital care where he'll stay for the for the foreseeable future . that's foreseeable future. that's a very serious aspect. >> yes, it is. but there is also something called personal responsible for your own behaviour, isn't there? >> there is. and behaviour, isn't there? >> what there is. and behaviour, isn't there? >> what thezre is. and behaviour, isn't there? >> what the sun's and behaviour, isn't there? >> what the sun's lawyers that's what the sun's lawyers will up in deciding will have weighed up in deciding whether run the story and whether to run the story and whether to run the story and whether him. and that's whether to name him. and that's what they didn't do last week. bizarre we're in, bizarre world we're living in, joshua, where joshua, isn't it, where newspapers broadcast pastors newspapers and broadcast pastors can't the individual . can't name the individual. >> and yet on twitter and many other social media platforms, every one's known who it is. and photographs have been shown. so how balance the two of how do we balance the two of these things? >> the courts are practical. there are times when they have granted though granted injunctions, even though an people have

an awful lot of people have known individual is, who known who an individual is, who who who has obtained an injunction on the basis that there are still plenty who don't know the individual is. but know who the individual is. but if the thing is in the public domain, they will not grant an injunction. they will not expect people to keep something private. that's obvious. obviously see the concerns about privacy . he disappeared at 6:00 privacy. he disappeared at 6:00 tonight. immediately we hugh edwards wife named him and nobody who's a lawyer would suggest otherwise. once it's in the public domain, it's in the pubuc the public domain, it's in the public domain. but until then, he had a reasonable expectation of privacy . of privacy. >> do you believe the sun have done the right thing in revealing this story? >> well, they have to answer his to hugh edwards wife , vicky to hugh edwards wife, vicky flind, who, as we've been saying , has said that the publication of the story damaged his mental health. now, if the bbc had reported to him the allegations some months earlier , two months some months earlier, two months ago, when these allegations were

apparently first reported to the bbc and handled it differently , bbc and handled it differently, who knows how it would have happened? i think the shock of seeing it in the newspaper there would be much greater than in the shock to his health of being told his employer, hang on, told by his employer, hang on, there been complaints. there have been complaints. there been suggestions and there have been suggestions and i think the sun is entitled to say, well, why didn't the bbc handle it better originally, which they have been saying yes very and clearly. very loudly and clearly. >> i'm joined by neil wallis, former newspaper editor of former newspaper editor and, of course, an old sun veteran in the as well. it the old days as well. it interests me, neil, i was discussing with joshua the question of privacy and what the press and can't say. leveson press can and can't say. leveson became law just over a decade ago. i suspect that that pre leveson the sun would have published his name to begin with i >>i >> i suspect m >> i suspect it may well have done and although leveson isn't actually law, it was had the effect of becoming law . yes. and effect of becoming law. yes. and it's become more and more

draconian. and what we've seen is a continuing wave of judge created privacy law. very little of our privacy laws are actually made have been made in parliament. most of them have been created by a succession of judges who have gone along with demands for ever greater privacy. >> yeah , i mean, when you look >> yeah, i mean, when you look at the charge sheet, if we can call it that, the four separate allegations that have been published in the sun newspaper , published in the sun newspaper, the met have judged that there were no criminal proceedings to take. why one could argue yes , take. why one could argue yes, he's a public figure of great responsibility. you know, the man that commentates on the queens funeral, the new dimbleby , quite in our national life . do , quite in our national life. do we have a right to know now? is it a matter of public interest that he happens to chase young people on the internet ?

people on the internet? >> i think that what is very clear from this is that this has been a long time coming. yeah, there's been a huge , huge there's been a huge, huge pressure in hugh edwards's life that i suspect long precedes this . there that i suspect long precedes this. there is a confusion even in his in his need for sexual contact between how he's living and what he craves . and i don't and what he craves. and i don't think that's a minor issue . you think that's a minor issue. you and i think that that that has influenced to some the consideration of that has it influenced the sun's coverage ? influenced the sun's coverage? because this has been a long time coming . because this has been a long time coming. i because this has been a long time coming . i was checking the time coming. i was checking the cuttings earlier , the first sort cuttings earlier, the first sort of link up of him with a young person in relates back to early 2018. there are four different incidents now being published and recorded and they are of a

very similar situation. it is about internet contact . it is about internet contact. it is about internet contact. it is about requesting photos, it is about requesting photos, it is about requesting photos, it is about requesting meetings which, by the way, millions of people do quite. but the difference is that before for the family first complained to the bbc in june, ten days before that, he was the key anchor at the king's coronation that's this is one of the biggest names in british television. yes this is one of the most powerful . this is one the most powerful. this is one of the most. well off. and another trait of this was that he was basically giving money constantly to the young people. and we've got to remember how this story came out. not illegal, not illegal, but it does mean to say it was right or acceptable . so this came out acceptable. so this came out because to caring parents and so

the sun are our moral guardians. >> are they? >> are they? >> well, on this one, they appear to have taken a negotiated a very different difficult road. >> do you believe the sun have done the right thing here? because some will say a tabloid newspaper has destroyed a man's life. well i suspect that the truth of that is what it's always been for as long as i've been around, which is that this man's actions have led him to this place . this place. >> now, i think there's a huge number of questions here. is this a complete surprise to everybody ? dodi in his private everybody? dodi in his private life is this a complete surprise to the bbc now , i've just been to the bbc now, i've just been looking at this. he he is known about the press interest. now, this pressure has been on him for eight days now. that's a lot of pressure. maybe if at the beginning the bbc had taken this seriously and pursued it properly, that's a very good back in june, maybe they could

have sort of, if you like , have sort of, if you like, helped him through this. but as it is a tsunami, don't forget , it is a tsunami, don't forget, it is a tsunami, don't forget, it isn't just the sun who's run this story. every single newspaper , a guardian, including newspaper, a guardian, including has been page running this the last night . has been page running this the last night. the bbc has been page running this the last night . the bbc itself has been page running this the last night. the bbc itself. well, it was one of these stories. >> it was odd because the bbc was investigating the bbc. a final thought, joshua, as a former bbc man, it's our national broadcaster where we're all taxed £159 a year, effectively to watch it . and it effectively to watch it. and it did look a little bit like with tim davie yesterday that they'd been asleep at the wheel with some very serious allegations, as i think he accepted that the way that the original investigation was handled was not optimum . not optimum. >> he said there would be an inquiry into the processes. the fact that it wasn't red flagged, to use his phrase, the fact that there was only one email and one phone call is something he's quite vulnerable on. yeah >> gentlemen, both of you, thank you very much indeed. and it's a

big story. it's a dramatic story , but there's no gloating . it's , but there's no gloating. it's a very, very sad story for hugh edwards and for all of his family. the nato summit finished yesterday . is it any wonder that yesterday. is it any wonder that joe biden doesn't want a brit to become the next boss of nato? have we demilitarise used over the last 13 years to the level that nobody on the world stage can now take us seriously .

news radio. >> well , that nato summit is >> well, that nato summit is oven >> well, that nato summit is over. it seemed actually there was a huge level of disagreement, but of course the usual grand statements put out afterwards. but some real questions raised. questions being raised. i'm joined mark francois , joined by mark francois, conservative member of parliament rayleigh and parliament for rayleigh and wickford of course, wickford and chairman of course, of european research group ,

of the european research group, which may be relevant to this debate in many, many ways . first debate in many, many ways. first things first. i cannot understand for the life of me, mark francois, why it's always the brits that are pushing for expansion to the east of nato and when we were members of the european union as well. surely us putting out a signal that ukraine should join nato is just poking a provocative stick at a cornered rat called putin makes no strategic sense in the short term. what so ever. >> well, look , ben wallace, >> well, look, ben wallace, i think based on the intelligence that he saw as defence secretary, saw it coming and ben owen fought the blob , he fought owen fought the blob, he fought the whitehall establishment to get those javelins, those in—laws built in belfast by the way, to the ukraine in time for them to train on them. >> and i think it is true to say with what we now know about those first 48 hours of the

invasion that if ben wallace hadnt invasion that if ben wallace hadn't gone out on a limb to give those weapons to the ukrainians and make sure they knew how to use them, the russians would have got to kyiv. but a different debate, right? >> arming ukraine, helping ukraine is a different thing to saying come and join our club. come and join nato because the one thing we know about the russians historically is paranoia is very deep. and frankly , after napoleon, hitler frankly, after napoleon, hitler and all the rest of it, we can perhaps understand why. i mean, all we've done, mark, my argument is this on and i've argued this now for 30 years, all we do by encroaching eastwards is to give putin or whoever leads russia a message to his own people , they're to his own people, they're coming after us again. does it make sense? >> well, let me we're blunt speakers, so let me speak frankly. you know, vladimir putin is an ex kgb colonel. you know , we're not talking about know, we're not talking about a girl guide here. right. and if you look at his speeches, going

back over a number of years, he he once described the collapse of the soviet union as the greatest geopolitical disaster of the 20th century. so that's the mental space he's in. and he is some people would argue in all of his actions in georgia and in the crimea and elsewhere, he's been attempting to create the soviet empire as a kind of form of greater russia . and if form of greater russia. and if you accept that paradigm, everything he has done is consistent with that. when people say he's a madman , he's people say he's a madman, he's not he's not clinically insane . not he's not clinically insane. he just has a totally different value system. but he is you and i. absolutely. so he is. but history shows , nigel, you stand history shows, nigel, you stand up to bullies , you don't appease up to bullies, you don't appease them. so appeasing putin would be the worst thing. >> i wouldn't want to appease him. no, no, i never said you did. but i'm arguing. i think the expansion has been provocative, moving on, ben wallace, who you lauded a couple of ago and clearly of minutes ago and clearly a very good you know, very good chap, you know, ex—army committed to ex—army man, very committed to the role. perfect in many ways,

longest ever serving tory defence secretary. >> no. as it happens . >> no. as it happens. >> no. as it happens. >> which is extraordinary. yeah it's been vetoed by biden and biden now favours . can you biden now favours. can you believe it, ursula von der leyen, the boss of the european commission and universally acclaimed as being the worst defence minister that germany ever had . she ran down defence ever had. she ran down defence spending under her tenure in germany, down to 1.1% of gdp. what game is biden playing? >> well, look , we have readiness >> well, look, we have readiness issues of our own, so but the german case is probably even worse. woi'se. >> worse. >> one of the reasons our readiness is, is not what it should be is because, frankly, we've given so much kit to the ukrainians. if you wanted to take the analogy that well, no, no, we've got no artillery shells left. >> we've given them all to ukraine. >> w- w- e all of them. >> well, not all of them. >> well, not all of them. >> we've just ordered nearly all. make an analogy all. if i can make an analogy that people are using, that some people are using, which viewers will which i think your viewers will follow, been like an organ

follow, we've been like an organ donon follow, we've been like an organ donor. that's given away some of its most vital organs militarily to ukrainians who've put to the ukrainians who've put them to good use . but we need to them to good use. but we need to grow those organs back. now, i also serve on the house of commons defence committee. we were on a visit to army headquarters at andover for most of the day. i've come back basically hotfoot do this. basically hotfoot to do this. i hope i'm not being prissy. some of that i can't talk about live on air. but the point is the army now have an accelerate programme, if like, to grow programme, if you like, to grow back. those organs . to continue back. those organs. to continue the analogy to make up for the ones that we have given to the ukrainians and relative to the size of our army, we have given more to the ukrainians than any other nato nation , including, other nato nation, including, for the record , the united states. >> i get that . >> i get that. >> i get that. >> but let me tell you something, mark. you know, i'm. well connected in north america as you know. >> we do you have certain people on speed dial that i don't they're right . they're right. >> there trying to be >> there are trying to be serious here. there are there there are a lot of senior

american military figures, political figures and media figures, and not all of them like us. and we know that. but amongst those that like us who are deeply concerned that 13 years of conservative government has seen us running down the size and capability of our armed forces to a level where we're not being taken seriously anymore. >> well, look, we're committed to increase defence spending to 2.5. >> erg is 73,000. it's the smallest it's been since the days of queen anne. >> the army is 76,000. >> the army is 76,000. >> but going down, but going down to 73. >> nigel there are two points i believe . i mean, you know me. believe. i mean, you know me. i believe. i mean, you know me. i believe we should spend more on defence. i've been consistent about that. >> i know you do. yeah, but it, i would also argue before we spend more money, we should spend more money, we should spend more money, we should spend more effectively. >> money that we already >> the money that we already spend and our committee have been looking at this in real depth for a number of months. and we've got a report coming out fairly soon about that. the

first thing to do is to spend the money much more effectively, look at programmes like ajax, for instance . so the first thing for instance. so the first thing is to spend the money. we've got more effectively and then on the back of that, then hopefully get more money and spend that more effectively too. so it's not just about the total amount that you spend , you know, it's about you spend, you know, it's about how you spend it and it isn't with health or anything else, it's how you spend it. >> but, but, sorry the >> but, but, but sorry for the avoidance >> but, but, but sorry for the avofirst,e >> but, but, but sorry for the avofirst, my >> but, but, but sorry for the avo first, my father was a >> but, but, but sorry for the avofirst, my father was a d—day >> first, my father was a d—day veteran, as you know, first duty of government above all others is the defence of the realm. you know, and any conservative should have that as part of their dna right? >> francois? i don't disagree with a single word of that, which is i'm disappointed which is why i'm so disappointed by conservative by what a conservative government over the government has done over the course of the last 13 years. mark, keep us up to date on what's on. would just what's going on. i would just end by saying this end this segment by saying this is hear talking is you'll hear people talking about about drones about high tech, about drones and else, what the and everything else, what the wars ukraine, the wars in wars in ukraine, the wars in afghanistan iraq teach us is afghanistan and iraq teach us is

you still need boots on the ground and good boots at that in a moment, our own liam halligan has been with former prime minister liz truss . today, she's minister liz truss. today, she's broken cover with her plan for growth. we'll find out all about it in just a couple of minutes

i >> -- >> well, our harm >> well, our much maligned former prime minister liz truss really did break cover today with the launch of her growth commission. >> let's have a little look . 1 >> let's have a little look. 1 or 2 of the things she had to say. well what we've seen for decadesis say. well what we've seen for decades is low economic growth and what that means is people are worse off than they need to be. >> today's report shows that they are £10,000 worse off in search of spending power than people in the united states. and it's , of course, vital that

it's, of course, vital that families are able to keep more of their own money. they're able to earn more to money help deal with the inevitable difficulties in life, whether it's inflation action, whether it's needing to buy a new car, you know , having buy a new car, you know, having that extra growth is vitally important . so that extra growth is vitally important. so what this commission is looking at it is what are the policies needed to get there? >> well , that was liz truss >> well, that was liz truss talking to gb news own economics edhon talking to gb news own economics editor, liam halligan . and liam editor, liam halligan. and liam actually chaired the whole event today with a rather stellar panel and he joins me now . this panel and he joins me now. this liam, this morning was a coming together , i think of what we together, i think of what we call tory free marketeers. >> that's right liz truss has been much maligned. her mini—budget with kwasi kwarteng last september, as you remember , it led to a big spike in borrowing costs, what we call gilt yields , what the government gilt yields, what the government has to pay investors to lend the government last government money. last september, in response to her efforts to not raise taxes , to efforts to not raise taxes, to maybe spend a little bit less

and so on. but the reality is, nigel, even though we've had sensible people in charge since then, the grown ups, the grown ups, rishi sunak, jeremy hunt and where interest rates now government borrowing costs are now significantly higher than they were at the height of the truss. kwarteng mini budget panic. and i think that reality she has given her a little bit of licence, a little bit of permission to speak out again. and she has convened this group of a dozen or so economists from across the world, not just brits, but americans , indian brits, but americans, indian economists, japanese economists . i've met most of them in my travels. and i met a lot of them today because as i chaired the press conference today, i'm not a member of the commission as a journalist, but i did chair the press conference today and i think in some senses, she's got points to make. and there were other cabinet ministers other former cabinet ministers there, , priti patel, there, lord frost, priti patel, ronald jayawardena and ronald jayawardena really seems to be liz truss consiglieri, if you

like , in parliament. and he told like, in parliament. and he told me he's got a group of 50 or 60 tory backbenchers who agree with what liz truss is saying . let's what liz truss is saying. let's have low tax, let's have pro—enterprise supply side policies . so let's try and grow policies. so let's try and grow the pie rather than argue about the pie rather than argue about the size of the pie as it currently is. it's quite funny you say those things because you know, i would have thought myself for the last 40 years nana naturally these were things that a so—called conservative party would believe in, would put in manifestos , would attempt put in manifestos, would attempt to implement in government. >> and looks to me, it seems >> and it looks to me, it seems to me i'm being unfair. to me maybe i'm being unfair. we've years the state we've had 13 years of the state getting bigger, taxes going up . getting bigger, taxes going up. the self—employed, the sole traders feeling they're being crushed, the corporates taking control and is liz truss group going to change anything? >> the tax take is at a 70 year high. nigel tax as a share of gdp and a lot of conservatives you speak to, they seem to think that the answer to all problems that the answer to all problems that the answer to all problems that the state may have is to

borrow and spend more money, more state. yeah, that is just unsustainable. well, you know, the government now spending the government is now spending more to borrow than greece , less more to borrow than greece, less than italy. i mean , it's an than italy. i mean, it's an inflation issue rather than what we call a credit issue. people don't think the bank of england can't , you know, underpin the can't, you know, underpin the british economy. they don't think the british state is going to go bankrupt. but they see we've got high inflation, inflation, i actually inflation, which i actually think down quite soon. think will come down quite soon. but debate. but that's another debate. question is trying to question but she is trying to bolster kind of centre bolster that kind of centre right of the traditional tories, which has been sorely lacking . which has been sorely lacking. >> there's little prospect of jeremy or rishi sunak jeremy hunt or rishi sunak listening is the final thought on was today the beginning on this. was today the beginning of a campaign to turn the conservative party around in opposition ? opposition? >> certainly rishi >> ian well, certainly rishi sunak won't have been happy that this happened . a kind circus this happened. a kind of circus on the of westminster cliff on the edge of westminster cliff lee the growth commission will be at the conservative party conference this october . clearly conference this october. clearly it's going to be banging the drum . there too many serious

drum. there are too many serious people involved among those commissioners this to be commissioners for this to be a damp squib. there are too many big economic names involved that are now likely to become a household names liam halligan. >> . thank you. now raf >> as ever. thank you. now raf wethersfield, the old site there up in the district of braintree . of course, we know the local residents braintree council have been going for a judicial review . isn't it amazing the government have chosen not to wait for the outcome of that legal process and today 46 cross—channel migrants were moved into that former raf base . how extraordinary that that when the law says is you can't deport people. we obey. but when it comes to filling up former raf bases , as the government can raf bases, as the government can ignore the law , what is not ignore the law, what is not being reported is that two dozen families , us service families families, us service families have been removed from the base to make room for what is going to make room for what is going to be a very large number of

cross—channel migrants moving in. and i think we talk so often about the 6 or £7 million a day cost of housing, migrant and all the rest of it. i don't think we talk enough about the human effect on people who lose their jobs and people who get moved and lose their homes. jobs and people who get moved and lose their homes . and and lose their homes. and joining me now is a resident who doesn't want to be named, who's been moved out of wethersfield. if i can ask you, please . first if i can ask you, please. first up, you know, how did you feel to be told you simply had to move ? i i think it's never easy move? i i think it's never easy moving house over the last year, quite a few people have been moved off the site and they've all some have got young children in. yeah. i mean so what is the effect on the community? have you all been broken up and sent to different parts of essex? you know , what's actually happened know, what's actually happened to you if talking about community impact ? community impact? >> i think the local community

is more what you need to speak about. you know , people that about. you know, people that lived on the site contributed to that local community. dodi and that local community. dodi and that community is the one facing the losses . you know, the school the losses. you know, the school numbers, diminishing staff having to leave jobs, the impact on local . community how how do on local. community how how do you feel about this? >> and do you feel angry or sad or just >> and do you feel angry or sad orjust a mixture of both. >> i don't feel any . to be fair, >> i don't feel any. to be fair, it's a hard situation for anybody. yeah >> no, well, it really, really is. and thank you for coming on and sharing your thoughts with us tonight here on gb news. >> thank you. as i say to little thought for the human impact of what we're doing to accommodate those that come illegally across the english channel, think of stradey park . stradey park. >> dennis leslie, 95 people from

that little town, and leslie have lost their jobs, been have lost theirjobs, been sacked by clearsprings, the company that is managing that rather lovely hotel. i think it's 241 people who've crossed the english channel. not enough talk about the human impact now. i love elon musk. i really do. he is a disrupter and he's announced. well, he hasn't announced, but we found out overnight that he wants to come in and bust up the uk electricity market for domestic supply. that sounds to me like three cheers for elon musk's will delve in to the details in a couple of moments .

this show never goes far away from the vital question of energy and the drive for net zero. and does it work or

doesn't it? clive moffat, former adviser to the government on energy security, joins me again. overnight, an announcement. elon musk, the great disruptor i love him. he's bought twitter. he believes in free speech. amazing quy- believes in free speech. amazing guy. does the electricity market need disruptor as we've had a lot of disruption in we've had energy camps and we've had, you know, at least a dozen major suppliers go bust . suppliers go bust. >> cost of billions to uk consumers because we bailed them out . um the consumers because we bailed them out. um the point is, do we need another supplier? the last time i looked, i think we had over 30 electricity suppliers on the market. some 60 of ceased trade in for various reasons , ofgem in for various reasons, ofgem has presided over the demise of a dozen and as i say, a significant cost because of the energy price cap and the rising cost of gas last year. yeah what can you do in the market that's different? i don't know. he'll still have to . unlike the big

still have to. unlike the big six, which have their own generators own capacity and they integrated businesses, you know , he will have to be basically relying upon the wholesale market and to buy wholesale and sell retail. >> but he says he's got a genius plan. he says he's got something called a power wall battery. and the powerwall battery will take in electricity at night when it's cheap and send it back to the grid during the day. are we really there yet? >> i don't think so. >> i don't think so. >> i don't think so. >> i think the i think batteries . i think batteries in cars are reasonably well advanced and he obviously knows a great deal about that. yeah i think batteries in terms of storing power from wind farms. yeah. what he's saying is a is an issue which hasn't been resolved. no i don't think it's viable at this point in time and certainly not with the duration you require when the wind's not blowing . but you require when the wind's not blowing. but in terms of you require when the wind's not blowing . but in terms of battery blowing. but in terms of battery , generally, what you've got about six hours maybe, possibly

, i'm being told by experts , is , i'm being told by experts, is he'll still have to buy that electricity in the wholesale market to charge. he'll then have to retail it. you'll then have to retail it. you'll then have to retail it. you'll then have to find out some kind of compare additive pricing structure . we don't know whether structure. we don't know whether they're to going we're going to have caps or whether they eventually will get rid of the whole cap system and so to some extent, you know , i wish him extent, you know, i wish him well . and i think ofgem , as you well. and i think ofgem, as you know, because of their problems last year , have finally last year, have finally tightened up the conditions that they imposed on suppliers who in terms of financial resources. so i don't think they'll have well, maybe with that, maybe i got overexcited about elon musk. you know, i wish him well. i mean, of course, let's see what happens. >> no, no, no. and if this battery i mean, i've always said, if wind energy said, you know, if wind energy isn't subsidised by the taxpayer ehhen isn't subsidised by the taxpayer either, and if we can find a battery storage method that works fine, they're ugly , but works fine, they're ugly, but fine. know, but as you fine. but you know, but as you

say, there yet. bigger say, we're not there yet. bigger debate , the net zero debate debate, the net zero debate suddenly in germany. this is becoming a massive issue. >> it's become very big in germany, italy and the netherlands . and i think there's netherlands. and i think there's a growing concern amongst voters and also people in the market that, in fact, the timescales and the deadlines that are being set are unrealistic. look, i think we've seen now in labour party that they've had to come back. >> this is interesting, isn't it, because it seemed that ed miliband was back in charge of the public discourse of a labour party . big the public discourse of a labour party. big changes there, aren't they ? yes. they? yes. >> and we've had stories that keith starmer saying that he's not he doesn't he hates tree huggers , whatever that means. huggers, whatever that means. but i don't think he means it hates mbappe ella whelan. but but the point is that, yes, they've had to come back on that. they're still talking about no new exploration after 2030 for north sea oil and gas, which i think is a big mistake because we have to reduce

imports and we're going to need them for the next 20 years as they have come back on their 28 billion a year for the next electoral period. and because they don't think the country can afford it. so we've had some comeback on that . right. and comeback on that. right. and with some turnaround on that . with some turnaround on that. meanwhile, the government is seems to be quite happy to see labour argue about this issue, but itself, you know , number 10 but itself, you know, number 10 is still maintaining that the targets for 2050 and for 2035 on taking gas out of your electricity system still stand and 2030 for no new manufacture for of cars that are not electric which many experts think literally has the car market to china. >> yeah those guidelines i think have got to be called . have got to be called. >> i mean, i think they've got to be turned off. i think the deadune to be turned off. i think the deadline for cars and i think certainly the deadline for heat pumps has got to be taken away . pumps has got to be taken away. and because that's simply not viable, i mean, we're still

going to be 80% dependent on natural gas for domestic heating. a recent hydrogen experiment has had to be cancelled. >> i saw this now , residents >> i saw this now, residents were very unhappy about hydrogen boilers. and is that a fear of explosions? i mean, what was what was the main their main fear was explosions and the fact that they weren't prepared to continue to supply natural gas. >> apparently even during the trial period , really, to so that trial period, really, to so that you had to ipso neither it was a binary decision by customers and i don't think some of them wanted to go down that route. and so i think basically there's a lot of growing concern about the trajectory for net zero. and it's costs and who pays . and as it's costs and who pays. and as you know, i've always argued that the government should be taking steps now to underpin energy security before the election . election. >> and now clive moffatt i agree with you and it seems that both government and opposition do not believe in us being

self—sufficient in energy , which self—sufficient in energy, which i find totally and utterly extraordinary . any prospect for extraordinary. any prospect for change between now and the next election? >> i fear not. i have been working to i've been briefing with mps and talking about the possibility of changes in there on the conservative government's stance to draw a line between them and labour in terms of energy security . and that's era. energy security. and that's era. i don't think that's going to happen. i think we could end up going into the election with exactly where we stand at the moment . one interesting thing moment. one interesting thing viewers may well be interested to know is yesterday's decision by centrica to announce that they'd done a long term lng deal with american supplier and to replenish rough facility , which replenish rough facility, which is the only significant gas storage facility in the country . i think that's in principle a goodidea . i think that's in principle a good idea , but only this is my good idea, but only this is my

one reservation on at what price has that been negotiated? if it's based on market prices, then fine. but if it's based on some kind of premium to american suppliers, strategically , suppliers, strategically, strategically, a step in the right direction, clive moffatt has ever superb . has ever superb. >> i've got time for a quick barrage. the farage from fiona. fiona what have you got for me ? fiona what have you got for me? >> hello, my name is fiona. i was just wondering if the eu is meant to be in a recession. how come the value of the euro remains so high? >> well, fiona , a foreign >> well, fiona, a foreign exchange question. >> goodness gracious me. sterling actually against the dollar is remarkably strong. it's almost 129 trading today. how the euro maintains its relative strong level is completely and utterly beyond me. but luckily, luckily i have one of the great gurus of modern financial markets sitting next to me. his name is jacob rees—mogg and he will absolutely have the answer for this. well i think the euro is a construct

that actually won't last forever. >> i agree. i think, like you, it's she's right. it is very hard to justify. and if you look at all the target to balances and so on and the amount of money that they've printed, it's remarkable that the euro has the value that it does. you're you're right about sterling against the pound. i would expect that i probably shouldn't give financial advice on this program . sterling strengthened program. sterling strengthened further likely further because we look likely to have further interest rate rises . and although we're high rises. and although we're high over the last couple of years, we're not high the last ten we're not high over the last ten years. no that's true. >> jacob, what do you have for us tonight? >> we're going to be talking more the edwards more about the hugh edwards story the thing story and getting the key thing about of the press. about the freedom of the press. was it right that name was was it right that the name was withheld for so long? has the sun people public sun done? people a public service bringing this to our service by bringing this to our attention? important? service by bringing this to our atterisyn? important? service by bringing this to our atteris the important? service by bringing this to our atteris the left important? service by bringing this to our atteris the left so mportant? service by bringing this to our atteris the left so anti �*tant? service by bringing this to our atteris the left so anti the :? why is the left so anti the freedom of the press and being so about it? i think so sniffy about it? i think these are really important. we know are. know they are. >> then saw the cliff >> but then we saw the cliff richard and it's. yeah. richard case and it's. yeah. and it's very difficult. very

difficult. >> very difficult. and where do you draw? it's very difficult line. going to be line. we're also going to be talking race talking about critical race theory. you your privilege? >> oh, i know, i know. according to archbishop of canterbury, to the archbishop of canterbury, i am. but all i certainly am. but before all of let's get the weather, of that, let's get the weather, the temperatures rising , boxt the temperatures rising, boxt solar power sponsors of weather on . gb news. on. gb news. >> hello there and greg dewhurst. and welcome to your latest gb news weather forecast stays unsettled. over the next few days. we'll have showers on thursday and then rain spreading in for friday and turning quite wet and windy as we move into the weekend. the last area of low pressure that we've had the last few days pulls away and then this area of low pressure moves end the week and moves in to end the week and into the weekend, bringing unsettled conditions for all of us. still some showers us. there's still some showers around largely around to end wednesday, largely across north and the west. across the north and the west. overnight, the clearest spells across south eastern across eastern and south eastern parts of england. elsewhere still a mixture of showers and temperatures generally holding up in double figures tonight.

generally 11 to 14 celsius. so it means a mixed start to thursday morning . there'll be thursday morning. there'll be some sunny spells from the word 90, some sunny spells from the word go, but also a scattering of showers . thursday, as we go showers. thursday, as we go through the day. there'll be lots sunshine in places, lots of sunshine in places, particularly eastern particularly across eastern areas. the cloud will bubble up. we some showers, but we could see some showers, but showers fewer showers should be fewer and farther compared to farther between compared to recent we still see recent days. we could still see a heavy ones, particularly a few heavy ones, particularly across scotland, lots of across scotland, but lots of places staying dry and it will just feel a little warmer than recent days as result , recent days as a result, generally to low 20s generally high teens to low 20s highs around 24 degrees towards the south—east into friday. it all starts to turn more unsettled and areas of low pressure begin to move in. so we see cloud and rain sweeping in from the southwest, pushing north eastwards . this turning north eastwards. this turning heavy times. best of the dry heavy at times. best of the dry weather holding for longest weather holding on for longest across scotland. temperatures near . for the near average. for the temperatures rising . temperatures rising. >> boxed solar proud sponsors of weather on .