gb news. >> good evening. within the last hour or so, statements have come from the chairperson of the natwest banking group and indeed its ceo . they admit serious its ceo. they admit serious errors of judgement. we now know that dame alison rose was the source , yet her defence did source, yet her defence did directly contradicts what we got from the bbc yesterday. somebody is lying. in a moment i'll tell you who i think it is. but for now, let's get the news with polly middlehurst . polly middlehurst. >> nigel thank you . good evening >> nigel thank you. good evening to you. well, the breaking news this hour is that the ceo of natwest has admitted to a serious error of judgement in discussing nigel farage's coutts bank account with a bbc journalist yesterday. the bbc was forced to personally apologise ties to mr farage for its inaccurate reporting on the story. led by business editor

simon jack after it reported the reason for mr farage's coutts bank account closure was because it held insufficient funds. mr farage uncovered through a subject access request that this was untrue and that his account had been closed because of unsubstantiated claims about his alleged political views . after alleged political views. after dame alison rose's admission that she'd been the source of the inaccurate bbc story, nats test group issued a statement this evening stating that after careful reflection, they still have full confidence in dame alison rose in her position as ceo. but they hinted that her bonus this year may be affected as a result of the handling of the matter , which they said had the matter, which they said had been unsatisfied with serious consequences for the bank. well, full details on that and more analysis in nigel's programme after this bulletin . now to fire after this bulletin. now to fire fighting pilots on board an aircraft which crashed while dousing flames with water in greece this afternoon have both

died, according to the greek air force. the plane was helping to put out wildfires on the island of evia. if you're watching on television, you can see the plane dropping water over the fire before crashing behind a hillside . while wildfires have hillside. while wildfires have consumed parts of greece for seven days now, forcing residents to retreat to shelters along coastlines. the greeks prime minister, kyriakos mitsotakis , says there's no mitsotakis, says there's no magic defence against climate change in the next few days, especially today , tomorrow, especially today, tomorrow, thursday, will be difficult. >> days after that. i hope that the conditions will help us more and that is why we obviously remain on high alert and we know that things will probably get worse, not better, with warmer temperatures, more droughts, stronger winds, the morphology of our terrain makes putting out fires extremely difficult in many cases. so we have another difficult summer ahead of us. >> the fires aren't just affecting the islands in greece.

south of that, in algeria, the number of deaths because of wildfires has risen today to 34. that includes ten soldiers, 8000 firefighters. we understand, are working to bring those blazes under control. and in italy , under control. and in italy, wildfires forced the temporary closure of sicily's palermo airport . only a limited number airport. only a limited number of flights were permission to give them permission to take off. that has since reopened. and in tunisia , families have and in tunisia, families have been forced to flee their villages as wildfires burn across mountain regions. the authorities there are trying to evacuate at least 2500 people from the affected areas is now hsbc will cut its interest rates from tonight, making it the first high street bank to act following last week's better than expected inflation figures. the bank told gb news earlier the new rates will come into effect from midnight tonight and it comes after figures last week showed inflation was at a 16 month low in the year to june . month low in the year to june. you are up to date on tv online, dab+ radio and the tune in app .

dab+ radio and the tune in app. this is gb news. britain's news . channel .channel good . channel good evening. >> just over an hour ago , a >> just over an hour ago, a statement was issued by the board of natwest bank and leading the charge was howard davis. the chairperson, as he describes himself of the natwest group . what did he say.7 he said group. what did he say.7 he said the board has noted alison rose's statement on the circumstances of her conversation with simon jack and her further apology to mr farage as she recognises his. she should not have spoken in the way she did. this was a regrettable error of judgement on her part . the events will be on her part. the events will be taken into account in decisions on numerous action at the appropriate time . however, after appropriate time. however, after careful reflection , the board careful reflection, the board has concluded it retains full confidence in ms rose as ceo of

the bank. she has proved over the bank. she has proved over the last four years to be an outstanding leader of the institution. as demonstrated by our results. the board therefore believes it is clearly in the interest of the bank's shareholders and customers that she continues in the post. the board is clear that the overall handung board is clear that the overall handling of the circumstances surrounding mr farage's accounts handling of the circumstances surr been ng mr farage's accounts handling of the circumstances surr been unsatisfactory accounts handling of the circumstances surr been unsatisfactory ,iccounts handling of the circumstances surr been unsatisfactory , with nts has been unsatisfactory, with serious consequences for the bank. serious consequences for the bank . the board will commission bank. the board will commission an independent review into the account closure arrangement at coutts and lessons to be learned from this. the findings of that review will be made public on completion. the terms of reference and lead firm will be announced shortly and alison rose adds to that statement . rose adds to that statement. alison rose ceo, natwest group i recognise that in my conversations with simon jack of the bbc, i made a serious error of judgement in discussing mr farage's relationship with the bank, given the consequences of this, i want to address the questions that have been raised and set out the substance of the conversations that took place, believing it was public knowledge, i confirm that mr

farage was a coutts customer and that he'd been offered a natwest bank account. alongside this, i repeated what mr farage had already stated that the bank saw this as a commercial decision. i would like to emphasise that in responding to mrjack's responding to mr jack's questions, i did not reveal any personal financial information about mr farage in response to a general question about eligible criteria required to bank with coutts and natwest. i said that guidance on both was publicly available on their websites. in doing so , i recognised i left mr doing so, i recognised i left mr jack with the impression the decision to close mr farage's accounts was solely a commercial one. i was not part of the decision making process to exit mr farage the decision was made by coutts and i was informed in april that this was for commercial reasons at the time of my conversations with mr jack, i was not in receipt of the contents of the coutts wealth reputation or risk committee materials. subsequently released by mr farage. i have apologised to mr for farage the deeply

inappropriate language contained inappropriate language contained in those papers and the board has commissioned full has commissioned a full independent into the independent review into the decision and process to ensure this cannot happen again . put this cannot happen again. put simply, i was wrong to respond to any question raised by the bbc about this case. i want to extend my sincere apologies to mr farage for the personal hurt this has caused him, and i have written to him today as well. what do we make of all of that? well the silence had been deafening and given that natwest half year figures are out at 7 am. this friday and the alison rose has to make an investor statement at 9.30 on friday. clearly they had to say something wrong. what have we learned . what we've learnt that learned. what we've learnt that she is the source . i mean it was she is the source. i mean it was perhaps the worst kept secret in british journalism this week, but it's been confirmed that she is the source. she's also written me a personal letter. the only difference in it is she gives me personally her unreserved apology . she makes it

unreserved apology. she makes it clear that it was coutts decision to exit me. not the most pleasant word i've ever heard used and that of course points to the ceo of coutts. one in peter flavel , a man that i've in peter flavel, a man that i've now written to three times, three times i've not even had an acknowledgement of the receipt of the letters though i know he's received them because he's got other people to ring me as a result of the letters. i did tell him in the last letter that if i couldn't find another bank account, i would be turning up in a few weeks time at coutts with a securicor van to flip the balance of my account in cash. still nothing from him at all. and as for howard davis, well, he as chairperson of he of course as chairperson of the natwest board and group, he is responsive tool for governance and this is a serious breach. i hadn't said to anybody that the bank i was having trouble with, with. coutts no, i'd kept schtum on the matter. she chose to put it into the

pubuc she chose to put it into the public domain with simon jack. she broke an essential confidence . now she argues here confidence. now she argues here that mr jack clearly must be under some misapprehension . but under some misapprehension. but what's interesting is if we go to the bbc letter yesterday day that i got from deborah turness, the ceo of bbc news and current affairs , she says in this letter affairs, she says in this letter , the source said, you're accounts had been closed for commercial reasons. accounts had been closed for commercial reasons . we felt this commercial reasons. we felt this was a story of significant pubuc was a story of significant public interest and went back to the source to check they were happy to publish the information they said they were . so mrjack they said they were. so mr jack is making it absolutely clear. the bbc's business correspondent , that he was told that the balance in my account had fell below the minimum and therefore the decision to exit was made on a commercial decision. jack also said there was no politics involved in this at all. so it

could be at that moment. it could be at that moment. it could be at that moment. it could be that alison rose did not know just how political that decision had been. but there is no way . there is absolutely no no way. there is absolutely no way . if the bbc went back for way. if the bbc went back for a second time to confirm the story , that they would not have checked that it was the balance of my account that had led to that commercial decision. when someone is lying here of that, i have no doubt at all. and let's just take a look, shall we, at the fca rule book, because i think this is really very, very important . the conduct rules set important. the conduct rules set minimum standards of individual behaviour in financial services. see how they apply to your firm number one, you must act with integrity . number one, you must act with integrity. number number one, you must act with integrity . number two, you number one, you must act with integrity. number two, you must act with due skill care and diligence . and number four, you diligence. and number four, you must pay due regard to the interests of customers and treat them fairly . i think on all of them fairly. i think on all of those counts, i have to say, on all of those counts, i think

there has been complete failure in this regard. i think there has been complete failure in this regard . i think they're in this regard. i think they're doing their best to prop up alison rose her remuneration will be hit. she might not get the £5.25 million she got last yeah the £5.25 million she got last year. gosh, my heart bleeds. i'm sure yours does too, but it is perfectly clear to me that peter flavell, the ceo of coutts , has flavell, the ceo of coutts, has not done his job in any way at all. perfectly clear to me that alison rose is unfit to be the ceo of a big group and that howard davies , who is supposed howard davies, who is supposed to be in charge of governance, has failed as well. given that we have a 39% stake in this, we, the great british public, i think we at that investor statement on friday morning, the government ought to say we have no confidence in this management . frankly, i think they should all go. and that is my conclusion from what we've learned this afternoon . i'm learned this afternoon. i'm joined by reaction, a full reaction by david davis, mp for

halton price and howden and somebody who has spoken about this in the house of commons and subsequently , david, simply your subsequently, david, simply your reaction to this statement ? reaction to this statement? well, i ask your viewers to think to themselves what would happenif think to themselves what would happen if a bank clerk , a lowly happen if a bank clerk, a lowly bank clerk or a local bank manager decides just their account with a journalist with anybody , frankly, other than you anybody, frankly, other than you or the police or the financial authorities , what would happen authorities, what would happen to them ? to them? >> they'd be dismissed. they'd be summarily dismissed. there wouldn't be any question about it. confidentiality is the first duty of a bank. this it. confidentiality is the first duty of a bank . this is your duty of a bank. this is your most private affair . and as most private affair. and as a result, as i say, a clerk or a local bank manager should would would have been dismissed . well, would have been dismissed. well, the responsibilities get larger or smaller as you go up in rank . the truth is they get larger . . the truth is they get larger. you know, you should be more serious , more aware of your

serious, more aware of your responsibilities, more aware of your customer's rights . and at your customer's rights. and at this point, nigel, you were the customer and your rights were being trampled on in a pretty spectacular way . so i'm afraid, spectacular way. so i'm afraid, i think that dame alison rose has little choice but to resign. and frankly , i'm astonished that and frankly, i'm astonished that the board of directors indicated had full confidence in her. frankly, if a head of a bank that i was a big shareholder of did this, i would say immediately , i'm sorry, it's immediately, i'm sorry, it's oven immediately, i'm sorry, it's over. find your successor. so that just be clear. >> david, you think alison rose should go and perhaps some other senior management to . senior management to. >> yeah, i'm not sure because i don't know what's happened at the board meeting who said what. and so on. i can't pick out any others. but alison rose seems to me, i mean she is the source of the information, you know, talking to a bbc journalist about a hot topic, actually not

telling him the truth, as it turns out, because that wasn't you weren't what was her exited or you weren't exited for commercial reasons. you were exhed commercial reasons. you were exited for political reasons. is the truth of the matter. but she plainly wasn't even aware either wasn't aware of it or didn't say it, but the simple truth is you're your rights were badly trampled upon by somebody who should have known. i mean, she's beenin should have known. i mean, she's been in the bank for how many years? i mean, dozens of years. she's a lifer. yeah. yeah, she should have. yeah, she should have known better than anybody . have known better than anybody. so there's no doubt in my mind . so there's no doubt in my mind. similarly, think the position similarly, i think the position of the chief executive is looking pretty tenuous. i mean , looking pretty tenuous. i mean, if you don't get an answer from him before friday, i would imagine that a great deal of the newspaper and media questioning of him will be precisely about your case and so it should be because, again, he has responsibilities . banks there responsibilities. banks there was a lot of talk in the last

few days when discussing your case that, you know, banks don't have to accept any customer. they can choose who the customer is. well, you know, it used to be a british citizen's right to have a bank account. the days when the post office was was public. that was taken away when the post office was was privatised. but today, you know , you can't operate without a bank account. it's a utility just as much as water is a utility. if somebody turned around and said, i'm cutting off your water supply because your politics, it would be a front page uproar, wouldn't it? as this has been as well. so it seems to me that the bank has behaved very badly at several stages and certainly alison rose has broken the code upon which she should work. >> david davis, thank you very much indeed for your reaction. and we really must get sir vince cable into the studio next week. he, after all, was in charge of the privatisation of the post office, which took away that right for the individual to have

a bank account. now, i said at the start of all of this when i went public this wasn't going to be me. it was going be just about me. it was going to be about the way the banks have been de banking all sorts of people, particular small of people, in particular small businesses. going to come businesses. as i'm going to come to a moment. but first to that in a moment. but first i'm going go to nigel i'm going to go to nigel brigden, fellow of the chartered banker institute a fellow of banker institute and a fellow of the chartered institute of bankers. nigel, what does this say about the city of london and the uk's global reputation that a ceo admits a breach of confidence and yet is allowed to stay . stay. >> i think the whole situation is totally unacceptable . notable is totally unacceptable. notable just because i bank with natwest or coutts or hsbc and i have different political views is irrelevant as long as i no

longer or i do not do anything which is illegal, then they should be happy with me as a customer. simple as that. it's no, it's not their . job to, uh, no, it's not their. job to, uh, have an opinion with regard to my political political views. it's no more complicated than that. and they should have no . that. and they should have no. uh inaya influence with regard to how i. i can conduct my business banking unless it is , business banking unless it is, quite simply, illegal. >> well, and yet. and yet it's happened. and we learn that increasingly the banks want to monitor the social media of their customers. i mean , has their customers. i mean, has british banking gone rotten ? british banking gone rotten? >> i think it has gone wrong . >> i think it has gone wrong. uh, just because as i as a customer have different views

from the bank's management is irrelevant . it it's totally irrelevant. it it's totally irrelevant. it it's totally irrelevant what i am , uh, an irrelevant what i am, uh, an individual who conducts my business in a legal way. i don't break the law at all. when i break the law at all. when i break the law at all. when i break the law, then the bank can turn around and say , yes, we turn around and say, yes, we will close your account, but unless i break the law, there's no reason at all why they should at all attack me. >> yeah. yeah. no i absolutely agree. that's how it should be. nigel brigden, thank you for joining us and giving us your reaction tonight. here live on gb news. >> a pleasure. >> a pleasure. >> i won't tomorrow be interesting because the heads of 19 banks have been invited into downing street tomorrow to meet andrew griffith, the city minister, and he's made it absolutely clear his view exactly the same as nigel brigden's, that politics, political opinions should not

come into this. 19 of them going to that meeting tomorrow. i wonder, will dame alison rose be one of them that wanders up downing street? but this is affecting not just me, it's affecting not just me, it's affecting thousands actually. it's affecting tens of thousands. and somebody who's trying to blow the whistle on this many, many months ago is david sopher, founder and editor in chief of tech round . david, in chief of tech round. david, welcome to the program. evening give us some idea of the extent of what's been happening in our country. so we actually covered this many months back in february. >> people have all persuasions, businesses of various sizes , got businesses of various sizes, got in contact with us and actually said, hey, this is happening to us. we covered it briefly early and we were just inundated with people saying in february , this people saying in february, this has happened to us and is has happened to us and this is larger businesses, smaller businesses . but everyone had businesses. but everyone had a similar story in that what was happening to them is out of the blue, they're being told, by the

way, a bank accounts shut, you have amount time to, you have x amount of time to, you know, your funds and know, collect your funds and thank you very much. and everyone said same thing. thank you very much. and every said said same thing. thank you very much. and every said the same thing. thank you very much. and every said the impactne thing. thank you very much. and everysaid the impact onthing. they said the impact on my family, me, on my business. family, on me, on my business. and comes to small and when it comes to small businesses start ups , we businesses and start ups, we cover start ups cover businesses and start ups every day. and it's never really been a consideration for them to think, well, i might be shut out of money essentially, because of my money essentially, because it's bad for the british it's very bad for the british economy, isn't it? >> start ups feel >> i know. start ups feel they're absolutely they're being absolutely stifled by of if you by this. and of course, if you if your bank account is closed, your business account, particularly, and you try and open new one, that process open a new one, that process takes months. >> so does . and opening >> so it does. and opening a bank account best of bank account at the best of times, sometimes good times, sometimes for the good for sometimes not for good reason, sometimes not is difficult. so shut is very difficult. so to shut someone or a business out of their money, it's something their money, it's not something we've to think about we've ever had to think about before or consider. it's not something as a start ups. it's hard to grow a to hard enough to grow a to business build business, to business build a business, to maintain a business, to maintain profitability . if you have no profitability. if you have no access to money that you've access to the money that you've rightfully and legally earned , rightfully and legally earned, well, that process near

well, it makes that process near impossible to be impossible. and for people to be shut of their accounts. and shut out of their accounts. and this applies to people contacted us from national banks, large banks, challenger banks, online banks. it's not limited specifically to a particular bank. specifically to a particular bank . it's limited to the system bank. it's limited to the system of banking whereby a lot of people have and money laundering fears and any bank taking cash and people who work in fossil fuel industries and even customers investing in crypto have had their accounts removed. >> there are so many reasons being used here, aren't there? >> there are. and i think no one tends to argue that if someone is overtly and clearly doing something illegal, there's precedent and precedent to investigate and close. course. but in close. yeah, of course. but in the where there's just the case where there's just nothing proven, it becomes very difficult for a start up because if someone's starting a business here in the uk, which traditionally been great traditionally has been a great place build and grow a place to build and grow a business, traditionally it has traditionally very traditionally been a very good place to grow businesses. some people still do successfully, but it's a consideration now that had to be that has never had to be a consideration before. you have enough to consider you're enough to consider if you're operating industry that's

heavily to heavily regulated, you have to consider that. consider things like that. if you operate in somewhere a sensitive industry, you have to consider that it's never been a consideration that, hey, can consideration that, hey, i can go about normal business and go about my normal business and i may lose access my money i may lose access to my money that i've earned that shuts down a potentially a business potentially overnight. something overnight. and it's something that have never to that people have never had to think before. got think about before. we've got some changes the rules being some changes to the rules being proposed griffith, and proposed by andrew griffith, and they're welcome ones. >> know, day notice >> you know, a 90 day notice penod >> you know, a 90 day notice period need to given, period reasons need to be given, but need lot more than but we need a lot more than that, don't we? >> i mean, 90 days is >> yeah, i mean, 90 days is better than 30 days. yeah, a lot of people who contacted were better than 30 days. yeah, a lot of pecoften'ho contacted were better than 30 days. yeah, a lot of pecoften 30,:ontacted were better than 30 days. yeah, a lot of pecoften 30, i�*ntacted were better than 30 days. yeah, a lot of pecoften 30, i thinked were given often 30, i think sometimes days, 90 days is sometimes 60 days, 90 days is better. but again, you had a previous saying about previous guest saying about a right account. it right to a bank account. it makes sense nowadays, particularly as less people are using you can't, in using cash. you can't, in inverted commas, live off the grid. you just about inverted commas, live off the grid. business just about inverted commas, live off the grid. business using about inverted commas, live off the grid. business using cash. )ut inverted commas, live off the grid. business using cash. you your business using cash. you have have as a business, you have to have as a business, you know, days know, gone are the days of a cash register full of cash that you then go to the bank and you go bank it and all that. >> well, the bank, yeah, the local is closed. then local branch is closed. then they won't take it. they won't

take it, they won't or take it, they won't take it or they're closed. >> then shut a >> so i think to then shut a business out of its, out of its own money that it's rightfully earned. it's concerning. earned. it's very concerning. well well done for the great work on this. work you're doing on this. >> going. back the >> keep going. come back on the program. up to speed. program. keep us up to speed. and i will try to be a and david, i will try to be a voice for those businesses voice for those small businesses because to date, i don't think anybody stood up and spoken anybody has stood up and spoken for you. well, the for them. thank you. well, the whole is rotten. british whole system is rotten. british banking gone it banking has gone rotten. it needs light moment. who needs a bud light moment. who knows? may still happen. knows? that may still happen. coming in moment, we'll get coming up in a moment, we'll get kelvin reaction. kelvin mackenzie's reaction. first, we're going to take a .

radio. i must say. >> i see the coutts natwest struggle against myself now as being quite simply a battle for the truth. who do you believe ? the truth. who do you believe? who do you believe? dame alison rose or do you believe simon

jack and the bbc? that is how i see it . let's go to kelvin see it. let's go to kelvin mackenzie, former editor of the sun, and someone who's never been terribly backwards at coming forwards. kelvin, am i framing this right? >> oh, yeah. no, it's 100% right. she's done for, by the way, the board may say they've got full confidence in their. the problem is because as you are a political figure , the are a political figure, the government they say we're political figures. it could have happened to us. the country owns 38.6% of natwest . the board of 38.6% of natwest. the board of natwest can say they are full of confidence, as much confidence as they like . the 38.6% is as they like. the 38.6% is represented by the government . represented by the government. they are going to force her out . you cannot have somebody sitting at a dinner turning to the old journos. i love the journos. i love what simon jack has done. it turned out to be wrong. he was totally misled, which happens all the time if you're a journalist, right? and this time she's been caught out.

she is going. she can say what she likes . by the she is going. she can say what she likes. by the end of she is going. she can say what she likes . by the end of the she likes. by the end of the week, they'll be looking for a new ceo. and not only that, the other person that's to going go is peter flavell, the ceo of coutts. now i say this as a somebody who banks at coutts. so you know , thanks to you, nigel, you know, thanks to you, nigel, i'm taking it i'm not going to be slung out but what the other person that now is in some degree of trouble is the chairman of natwest , sir howard chairman of natwest, sir howard davies, who has come forward and said, don't worry, she's done a great job. i'm not saying she hasn't done a great job, but she's done a very bad job for herself, a she kept schtum b, she tried to pretend that it must have happened in some under , you know, somebody else gave them the leak and now she's been forced to say what the truth of all this is. i'm afraid this is all this is. i'm afraid this is a catastrophe for the natwest group. and actually, i don't feel sorry for her at all. kelvin mackenzie straight to the

point as he always is. >> thank you for giving us your reaction here live tonight on gb news. and i have to say, you know, there is this investors presentation at 9.30 on friday morning and the representative there from the british government representing 38.6% of that banking group, which we own, gosh, our taxes went up to pay for it has to declare no confidence . that's how it seems confidence. that's how it seems to me. kelvin thinks that's what's going to happen now . now, what's going to happen now. now, a very good piece of investigative journalism by the daily mail on a subject close to my heart and a subject i think quite close to the viewers and listeners of gb news. take a listeners of gb news. take a listen to what the daily mail journalist uncovered about a total scam in terms of getting asylum seekers to be able to stay in this country. >> we can say that the indian government accused you of pro—khalistan you were taken into custody , arrested and you

into custody, arrested and you were illegally tortured, sexually tortured , and while sexually tortured, and while frustrated, you wanted to commit suicide at mahatyam, you need to submit that he fled from his country due to fear to his life on the basis of political opinion, religious matter , opinion, religious matter, caste, race, or on a particular social group. these are the five ingredients of asylum, he entered illegally in this country. >> so there is a story essential , sir, i make something, i'll make something up and bring it to me and give it to you. and you will do. >> i'm joined by ivan sampson, immigration lawyer. so let's get this straight, ivan, there are members your profession , members of your profession, qualified professional members who are talking to people who, in my view, came to britain illegally and they're telling them, claim modern slavery,

claim sexual exploitation and earning up to ten grand a time for doing this. it is a it's a complete disgrace. >> it's a total disgrace. and it's embarrassing. i'm ashamed of our profession of being tainted by rogue solicitors like these individuals, and they should be investigated. and the sra , when they've carried those sra, when they've carried those out with that, with that evidence, they should be struck off. >> the problem is and it's a great piece of work by the daily mail, but the problem is, ivan, we've heard this story before. we've seen this story many, many times over a long period of years. and i get there are big financial incentives, but nothing seems to improve . we're nothing seems to improve. we're debating the banking industry and how it's policing itself at the moment. is there a problem with the regulatory bodies within the legal profession in this country? are they afraid to act ? act? >> the national crime agency has powers to put away these individuals. yes if anyone makes a fraudulent application , a

a fraudulent application, a genuine application, the penalty is two years imprisonment under section 63 of the borders act 2022. so the powers are there. >> okay , i get that. but the >> okay, i get that. but the real question is, are those powers actually being used ? powers actually being used? >> no. no, they're not. look, suppose we lock up every bad solicitor, so we've got none in them. you're still going to get fraudulent asylum claims because what asylum seekers do is tell each other of stories that work. they tell it to you , their they tell it to you, their friends, and they encourage them. so i'm not aware of one single person, the cps has prosecuted for making a fake asylum claim . not you're not asylum claim. not you're not aware of a i'm not aware of a single case. so what the cps needs, we need to prosecute. we needs, we need to prosecute. we need to deter and the it's a criminal offence and you can be imprisoned for up to two years. now, why are there no prosecutions? that's a deterrent we need. what's your profession? >> you tell me. i don't know the

answer to respect. >> i don't regulate. >> i don't regulate. >> no, i know. >> no, i know. >> i know. i know. i know. i know. problem is here, ivan, that because of cases like this is the centre of gravity of the pubuc is the centre of gravity of the public opinion, sympathy for anybody claiming refugee status declines as a result of this, when no doubt there are some people who genuinely are in need of repair and that is unfair. >> look, you can't taint all asylum seekers. look, the grass out rate for countries like syria, iraq, iran , even eritrea syria, iraq, iran, even eritrea , they're in the 90s now . , they're in the 90s now. countries like albania or pakistan . we should look at them pakistan. we should look at them with a bit more. we should really prosecute those ones. we should really look at the detail and have properly trained people to assess these asylum applications . look, if we had no applications. look, if we had no solicitors doing this and we know this fake asylum applications , whose applications, whose responsibility is to root them out , well, it's the

responsibility is to root them out, well, it's the home office presumably to weed out the applications. absolutely do they have systems to do that ? and have systems to do that? and this is a problem. so we need a proper robust system to catch out fake asylum. >> but equally, we equally much as i'm complaining about the rotten banking system, we need your profession to get its house in order 100. >> and we could very forward could be like in many other countries where certain solicitors are approved . you solicitors are approved. you have that in criminal defence work . only certain approved work. only certain approved solicitors can do that work. yeah. and the government should think about approving certain solicitors to carry out this type of work. >> well, ivan, thank you. and for all of you at home, if you were upset and annoyed by what the daily mail revealed, i bet you're really very angry after what ivan sampson has just told us about the complete failure within the legal profession in this country to deal with this. it simply is not at good enough. in a moment, we'll talk about the roads, evacuation . it seems,

the roads, evacuation. it seems, though, that flights are still going there. i can't quite work it all

>> you're listening to gb news radio . radio. >> i've never really quite understood why people want to go to the mediterranean to really hot countries. in july and august, but they do. and i guess given how awful the weather has been and the ruining of our been here and the ruining of our test that's why test matches, maybe that's why they but goodness me, they do it. but goodness me, some huge problems, and particularly rhodes, where some huge problems, and parisituation rhodes, where some huge problems, and parisituation theen,where some huge problems, and parisituation theen, frankly the situation has been, frankly pretty dangerous. gb pretty bloomin dangerous. gb news reporter paul hawkins is there right now . so, paul, i there right now. so, paul, i mean, some of the reports, i mean, some of the reports, i mean, people literally being told to flee . told to flee. >> yeah, essentially confusing advice for the last five days we've been speaking to tourists here, mostly , of course, here, mostly, of course, british, but there are from other parts of europe, other european countries, other tourists here. and we spoke to just to give you an example, nigel, we spoke to one woman earlier who said that on

saturday she was they just got to their hotel. they were then told evacuate straight away told to evacuate straight away told to evacuate straight away to the north of the island. that's the part of the that's the safe part of the island. we're in the of the island. we're in the part of the island. we're in the part of the island on the edge the island just on the edge of the fires, which cover 10% of roads. she they told she was they were told to evacuate. they spent a night there a school, no beds, no there in a school, no beds, no air conditioning. but the operator them because operator sent them there because it thing to do. it was the safest thing to do. there daughter suffered from epilepsy, so they couldn't she couldn't sleep properly and she was problems with her was having problems with her epilepsy. they then phoned epilepsy. so they then phoned the and said, can we the hotel back and said, can we come back? because least come back? because at least although don't have any although you don't have any electricity water anymore, electricity or water anymore, at least and they least you've got a bed. and they were reluctant for them come were reluctant for them to come back they want to back because they didn't want to be the advice of be going against the advice of the authorities. the greek authorities. they hadnt the greek authorities. they hadn't anything from the hadn't heard anything from the operator. they came back to the hotel. stay hotel. they're now going to stay there. the reps have been around today. that today. we know that the operator, increased the operator, tui has increased the number on the island and number of reps on the island and has been giving more advice and more and more more options and more information critically information which critically had been before. been in short supply before. but essentially to essentially all i'm trying to say it was a confusing say is that it was a confusing picture and people sure

picture and people aren't sure whether to stay or to go. i mean , there was a bus that turned up at one hotel and the bus driver didn't know where he was going to take the people that were being evacuated. was being evacuated. so it was a confusing picture. but certainly i can say one thing is absolutely been universal, and that greek that is praise for the greek people this island, not just people on this island, not just in the way they've been helping with tourists the with the tourists in the centres, bringing food, bringing water. there have been water. and there have been reports taxi drivers dropping reports of taxi drivers dropping off, tourists helping them get to the evacuation centres and not charging them for it. but also firefighter also the volunteer firefighter is on this island that have been helping the regular firefighters and everyone kind of pulling together to try and mitigate the fires, which at the moment i don't know if you can see nigel in the background. we're on the edge right in the edge here, right in the distance, the fires distance, you can see the fires there. those are those have been strengthening in the past half an they've stopped an hour and they've stopped dropping to dropping water. and just to the left don't know if you left of us, i don't know if you can pick it out over the trees. there's a small village at the bottom here. and we think that we've that of the

we've been told that some of the residents have been residents there have been evacuated of them evacuated and some of them are british or british nationals that have retired you that have retired here. so, you know, some disruption that have retired here. so, you knwhat some disruption that have retired here. so, you knwhat is some disruption that have retired here. so, you knwhat is going�*me disruption that have retired here. so, you knwhat is going on disruption that have retired here. so, you knwhat is going on in sruption that have retired here. so, you knwhat is going on in the ition to what is going on in the island. if you're in the north near the no disruptions. near the hotel, no disruptions. fine. with your fine. carry on with your holidays. are some holidays. there are some evacuation if evacuation centres, but if you're south here, there you're in the south here, there is some significant disruption and there is worry that the and there is a worry that the fires could get out control. fires could get out of control. one thing note, we've one thing to note, we've have had fatalities here had two fatalities here today, two greek raf pilots on the island evia lost their lives island of evia lost their lives as dropping water there. and as far as we understand, those are the first two fatalities as as a result the fires here in result of the fires here in greece. so the greek ministry of defence calling days of defence calling three days of mourning there in of mourning there in honour of those pilots. and the prime minister, the greek kyriakos mitsotakis, holding a cabinet meeting earlier. and he said it was completely dominated by the weather here. he said that there is magic defence these is no magic defence for these fires and that the mediterranean was what he called a hotspot for climate change. >> of course, climate change comes into it, but there is something to do with weather as

well. i know in 1977 they had an exceptionally time exceptionally bad time with fires. thought, i may, fires. final thought, if i may, paul fires. final thought, if i may, paul. you mentioned in that report were still report people were still arriving on saturday, literally getting to hotels and being evacuated. have the travel companies just been to blaming greedy here? >> no, i think i think it's been a confusing picture. i mean, the person that i spoke to earlier, she said, look, we understand that safety is a priority. we just wish that they had said, you know, don't don't come right. don't don't, you know, advise to us stay at home first. but i guess what they would say is, look, the advice the is, look, the advice from the foreign office check with foreign office is check with your travel operator. so there's so potentially there's little so potentially there's a little bit buck here in bit of passing the buck here in terms responsibility. but terms of responsibility. but certainly now are certainly i think now people are are happier with their tour operators as and with the accommodation providers and information appears to be flowing, at least in some sort of reasonable way. paul hawkins , thank you very much indeed . , thank you very much indeed. >> now, what the farage moment amidst the incredible number of

emails i'm getting about the banking situation, there are 1 or 2 other little gems that have come in. this one came in overnight. we checked that it's dead true. it's a proper what the farage moment is that the the farage moment it is that the british the british government to the tune of nearly £700 million, is going to help to fund a new railway project in turkey. and the reason they're backing it is it will reduce co2 emissions. now it is supposed to be a loan rather than a gift, but given that nearly all major transport infrastructure projects run over time and overcast, i would have thought it very unlikely we'll get that £680 million back at all. but i suppose if the government thinks it'll help save the planet whilst the chinese are busy building 80 new coal fired power stations every yean coal fired power stations every year, well, if that's what you think , perhaps it makes you think, perhaps it makes you really very , very happy . now, really very, very happy. now, one political figure called very clearly and very openly for dame

alison rose to go a couple of days ago . his alison rose to go a couple of days ago. his name alison rose to go a couple of days ago . his name jacob days ago. his name jacob rees—mogg. i'm going to have a full sit down chat with jacob in just a couple of minutes .

before jacob rees—mogg, a quick reflection on what's going on within british banking and in particular within coutts. i'm joined by oliver lewis, author and former coutts employee . and and former coutts employee. and somebody when he was there that was business was involved with business development oliver saving the planet and promoting lgbtq+ rights. how does that improve business performance . business performance. >> well, being open and open minded here, nigel, i think there is a case for saying obviously there is public pressure to reflect societal

changes as i suppose the business decision is whether there is incremental bottom line improvement. now given coot's client profile , i would wager client profile, i would wager that probably focus on those topics won't result in a terribly massive bottom line improvement. you know, as you know , nigel, director of a of a know, nigel, director of a of a company's responsible is to the company's responsible is to the company no one else. it is to the company and i think that's where a lot of the problems of this issue are coming up against not just you know , commercial not just you know, commercial reality, but legal reality as well , in my reality, but legal reality as well, in my case. >> oliver and perhaps in the case of many others, i mean. coutts have become a moral arbiter, you know, that somehow my views do not align with the values of the bank. i mean they sound almost like a political party now . party now. >> yeah, i mean it's when i was at politics, the organisation was not terribly political. there seems to have been a

change. i think more broadly in in the way our political and media elite wish to and commercial elite indeed wish to shape public debate so that it's top down rather than bottom up. you know, going back to those issues, to those topics you mentioned earlier. yes, there is some upward pressure from society as a whole, but a lot of this coming from this is coming top down from communications teams have communications teams that have their agendas, human their own little agendas, human resources teams, you know, all of . so that is the of that. so that really is the disturbing thing. i think. >> i think that's right. >> yeah, i think that's right. and actually, in many cases, they're minority views. there is a silent majority, a silent majority or many of these issues that would much rather coots just stayed as a bank. that would much rather coots just stayed as a bank . what do just stayed as a bank. what do you think oliver will happen now ? we well, i've been following this story closely at and it just amazes me that alison rose would sit next to a bbc journalist at a dinner and discuss the private affairs of one of their clients .

one of their clients. >> and it is public knowledge that there is there are several very high profile clients that coutts banks very , very high coutts banks very, very high profile, yeah . but just because profile, yeah. but just because it's public knowledge, it doesn't mean that you should sit next to a bbc journalist and discuss them. alison rose is not a novice. she's worked for natwest group all her life. she was a graduate trainee, joined in 1991 or something. you know, it's totally you from the beginning in the banking industry , you never share industry, you never share personal details . okay? even personal details. okay? even going on someone else's account that you have no justification to do is could result in dismissal if a if a cashier did that, they could be dismissed if they were spying on their neighbours. you know, savings or whatever. so if you're the chief executive to do this is frankly absolutely outrageous . i mean, executive to do this is frankly absolutely outrageous. i mean, i still can't quite believe it. the i have is that the other concern i have is that i suspect that obviously i can't prove this, but i suspect natwest group's communications teams would have briefed her. you know, all these senior executives i used to write some

write these briefs. they're given a brief, they're told what to say. and that for me is the interesting dynamic. now what what was natwest group communications channelling to alison rose to drop into the conversation with general oliver? >> it beggars belief. thank you for your thoughts. and oliver lewis there. jacob reflecting very much what david davis was saying earlier, that if a junior clerk had done this, they'd be out. >> she has got to go. there doesn't seem to be any two ways about it that she gossiped with about it that she gossiped with a bbc journalist. turns out she's now her defence is that her gossip was careless and that accidentally she revealed this information i bank with coutts part of natwest for now. well, no i won't carry on banking with them. i've always assumed and expect that my information is confidential and that the chief executive of the natwest wouldn't actually know the details of my account. i wouldn't have thought there'd be any reason for her to know the details of my account or the details of my account or the details your account. this is details of your account. this is a fundamental of banking.

>> so admitted breaching >> so she admitted breaching the code i was code by saying that i was a coutts customer. she then said she talked generally about it. what's on the website about what clients ought to have, although the whole is discretionary the whole thing is discretionary for reasons . the whole thing is discretionary for reasons. but simon, for obvious reasons. but simon, jack absolutely clear and jack is absolutely clear and says he checked again the next morning. so someone's not telling the truth, are they ? telling the truth, are they? >> well, who has something to protect by not telling the truth ? >> 7- >> could it 7_ >> could it be 7 >> could it be an income of £5.25 million last year? would that have anything to do with it? that is a suspicion that doesn't seem entirely unwarranted , but it doesn't unwarranted, but it doesn't matter that if your doctor had sat to next you, the medical correspondent of the times and had said , i think nigel doesn't had said, i think nigel doesn't dnnk had said, i think nigel doesn't drink as many units a week as he pretends , or some equally pretends, or some equally scurrilous thing. >> and that was printed , that >> and that was printed, that doctor would have to resign. that the regulatory authorities would look into it and the information commissioner should be looking into this. the fca

should be looking into this and the government is, of course, the government is, of course, the biggest shareholder in natwest. so look, and friday is a big day . a big day. >> friday we get the six month figures and she gives a presentation to investors at 930, the biggest investor is a break away from the british government and they should speak on friday, shouldn't they ? on friday, shouldn't they? >> well, if she's still there on friday, mean i think the pressure on her is going to get bigger and bigger. you can't admit this type admit to this type of indiscretion and remain senior indiscretion and remain a senior banker . you have broken a key banker. you have broken a key rule of the bankers code . yes. rule of the bankers code. yes. >> and what does it mean for the financial services industry? britain's biggest industry , the britain's biggest industry, the world looking in this is not very it? very pretty, is it? >> no, it's that the natwest isn't serious about doing business. it's all of this comes back to well. the back to her as well. the committee at coutts , which committee at coutts, which decided not to have you and said extraordinarily be potentially libellous things about you and i'm sure you're looking into this was set up at her instigation, as i understand it,

of her desire to make the natwest eight more diverse and inclusive change. >> cultural change. breaking news here, the political editor of the times newspaper is reporting this evening that what's he reporting ? multiple what's he reporting? multiple cabinet ministers think alison rose's future as ceo of natwest is untenable . well, one said she is untenable. well, one said she has done material damage to the bank and its reputation. so cabinet ministers voicing very much what jacob rees—mogg was saying just a moment ago. and what really annoys me, jacob, just quickly , is through their just quickly, is through their greed and stupidity , fred, the greed and stupidity, fred, the shred and all the things that we remember from the rbs group as they were known then our taxes went up as a result of this and this is how they behave. >> that's absolutely right. there was interim when there was an interim period when it really quite well, it was run really quite well, but i'm afraid alison has not run the interests of run it in the interests of banking, the interests of banking, in the interests of making profit the british taxpayer. >> the mog has spoken more from him in just a moment. first, the

all important july web . all important july web. >> the temperature's rising boxt solar proud sponsors of weather on . gb news. on. gb news. >> hello there. welcome to your gb news weather forecast for the next few days. it's set to remain unsettled across the uk. further spells of rain , but in further spells of rain, but in between we will see some sunshine. reason for the ancestral conditions is these two areas of low pressure . we're two areas of low pressure. we're really not going to go very far over few days and with over the next few days and with a northerly wind, it's going to feel pretty chilly at times, especially by night, under some clearer parts of clearer skies. but for parts of northern southern northern ireland, southern scotland, northern england actually remain actually tonight, we will remain fairly here with some fairly cloudy here with some outbreaks but elsewhere outbreaks of rain. but elsewhere , clear . and , relatively dry and clear. and as i mentioned, under the clear skies, feeling pretty chilly for this point in the year. tons of city staying in double figures, but the countryside but out towards the countryside , lows falling down , we could see lows falling down to 5 to 6 degrees. but to around 5 to 6 degrees. but compensation will be for most of us. we'll start the day with

some sunshine on wednesday. still this area of cloud and showers across parts of southern scotland england scotland and northern england and continue linger and that will continue to linger here of the day. but here for much of the day. but elsewhere, mentioned, some elsewhere, as i mentioned, some sunshine, for northern sunshine, but for northern ireland, thicken as ireland, cloud will thicken as the on with some the morning goes on with some rain here lunchtime rain arriving here by lunchtime and the cloud and rain also spreading into parts wales spreading into parts of wales and the and southwest england as the afternoon on. so here we afternoon goes on. so here we have combined with a strengthening feeling strengthening wind feeling pretty chilly as the afternoon strengthening wind feeling pretty tin. ly as the afternoon strengthening wind feeling pretty tin. ly azelsewhereioon strengthening wind feeling pretty tin. ly azelsewhere in»n strengthening wind feeling pretty tin. ly azelsewhere in the moves in. but elsewhere in the sunshine, not feeling bad sunshine, not feeling too bad for of year with for the time of year with temperatures around average. and then as we go into thursday, this band of rain will sweep its way across the uk, bringing further spells of showers behind it and temperatures all the time near average . near average. >> the temperatures rising, boxt solar, proud sponsors of weather on .

gb news. >> hello. good evening . it's me, >> hello. good evening. it's me, jacob rees—mogg on state of the nation. tonight we've had a glorious revolution, but is it time for a beautiful one? and could it be michael gove leading the revolt? new housing and planning reforms are set to have beauty their guiding value in beauty as their guiding value in an to defeat the an attempt to defeat the perennial perils of nimbyism . as perennial perils of nimbyism. as winston churchill famously said, we shape our buildings thereafter they shape us well, vox populi vox day. we asked the people if they thought architecture had become ugly, and here's a taste of what they had to say. >> the new ones, i don't like them at all. not that thing up there either he's great or something. what is it? never mind. well a large greater would hope. >> i hope. please. a large mouse . the natwest chief executive officer , dame alison rose, has officer, dame alison rose, has confessed to being the source of the story that leaked the personal financial details of

nigel farage, the