>> good afternoon. britain. it's 12:00 on tuesday, the 12th of march. >> britain faces blackouts. that's the warning from the prime minister. as the government commits to building new gas power stations. critics say it will see the uk fail to meet net zero targets. >> the tory donor, who said diane abbott made him want to hate all black women and that she should be shot. well, his apologies not accepted by the labour party leader sir keir starmer, who calls the comments abhorrent and benefits britain. >> 4 million now are receiving out of work benefits without even having to look for a job. one senior mp suggests work shy brits should be conscripted to the army if they continue to refuse jobs and prison release . refuse jobs and prison release. >> criminals will be released up to two months early in a desperate grid to free up space in crammed jails. desperate grid to free up space in crammed jails . are our packed in crammed jails. are our packed prisons putting the public at

risk? >> well, the church of england is taking a bit of a criticism today at the home affairs select committee. you could say that, for one, i mean, there's former darlington priest is really coming out swinging , and he's coming out swinging, and he's very much a whistleblower. he's saying that essentially people are just being brought to him on are just being brought to him on a asking to be a conveyor belt, asking to be baptised. many of them, many of these asylum seekers have already had their claims rejected once and then they come and ask for conversion. and the church of england is obliging . church of england is obliging. >> and i a lot of people >> and i think a lot of people knew was happening. knew this was happening. this has under for a has been under discussion for a long to hear it from long time, but to hear it from the , to hear it the horse's mouth, to hear it from whistleblowers speaking in parliament today is nothing short of shocking and raises huge questions for how the church of england operates and, frankly, what the church of england condones . england condones. >> yes, and guess who's there

asking some of the questions. it is lee addison who of course has defected to reform. he's been there asking many tough questions. we'll bring you some of the highlights . of course we of the highlights. of course we will that home affairs of the highlights. of course we will committee.ne affairs of the highlights. of course we will committee. butffairs of the highlights. of course we will committee. but the s of the highlights. of course we will committee. but the church of the highlights. of course we wi england mittee. but the church of the highlights. of course we wi england ,|ittee. but the church of the highlights. of course we wi england , they've ut the church of the highlights. of course we wi england , they've got1e church of the highlights. of course we wi england , they've got a church of the highlights. of course we wi england , they've got a chlt01 of england, they've got a lot to answer for. >> certainly we'll >> they certainly do. we'll be getting to some of those questions, answers. but questions, those answers. but indeed much more to come indeed so much more to come after headlines sam . after your headlines with sam. >> tom. emily, thank you very much. good afternoon from the newsroom. just gone 12:00. the top story today that new gas top story today is that new gas power plants will be built to protect britain's energy security. despite concerns over the potential impact it could have on climate change. the government says the new stations are needed to avert what ministers have described as the genuine prospect of blackouts, and to provide a backup for the growing electric economy. it's understood they'll replace existing facilities, many of which are old and due to be retired , and the prime minister

retired, and the prime minister has insisted the uk's net zero plan is still on track. but says it must be met in a sustainable way. labour is supporting the new plans, but shadow energy secretary ed miliband has accused the government of failing on its energy policies, leading to skyrocketing bills . leading to skyrocketing bills. lee anderson says that he wasn't paid to switch from the tories to reform uk, insisting that he's not a mercenary. the former deputy chairman of the conservative party told gb news last night that he's not heard from the prime minister since he announced his defection . it announced his defection. it comes after anderson was stripped of the conservative whip last month over his refusal to apologise for saying that islamists had got control of the london mayor, government minister esther mcvey says that she's disappointed and surprised by mr anderson's decision, but said that voting for reform would only deliver a labour government after he campaigned for jeremy corbyn in 2017. >> varne in effect, is now gone

full circle and he'll be campaigning for keir starmer because, i mean, even he said, a vote for reform is a vote for laboun vote for reform is a vote for labour. so i've clearly misjudged him . misjudged him. >> a major conservative donor has apologised today after he reportedly said that former labour mp diane abbott made him want to hate all black women and that she should be shot. frank hester donated £10 million to the tories last year. he's now admitted to making rude comments about miss abbott, but insists they had nothing to do with the colour of her skin. the comments were reported by the guardian newspaper and are said to have taken during meeting in taken place during a meeting in 2019. miss abbott, who's now an independent mp, has described the comments as frightening and worrying and says that she hopes for public support from sir keir starmer . mr for public support from sir keir starmer. mr hs2 has also said that he is deeply sorry, adding that he is deeply sorry, adding that he is deeply sorry, adding that he telephoned her to apologise directly for the hurt that he's caused . some criminals that he's caused. some criminals will be released early because

of a lack of space in overcrowded prisons. it means prisoners serving sentences of less than four years could be let out early. labour says the move is completely unacceptable and they've vowed to build new prisons if they win the general election. however, the justice secretary says it's just a temporary measure which is needed to alleviate the unsustainable pressure on the prison . the chancellor's prison system. the chancellor's recent budget only just met fiscal rules with significant risks ahead. that's according to the office for budget responsibility. the obr's chair, richard hughes, has warned the government that although the budget was responsible, it has one the narrowest margins any one of the narrowest margins any chancellor has ever had against his fiscal targets . chancellor has ever had against his fiscal targets. he's also raised concerns about spending on public services , with the on public services, with the government's current plans set to run in march of next year to run out in march of next year . in other news, andrew tate has been arrested in romania on a uk warrant which could see him extradited here to face trial. it comes after lawyers

representing four of his accusers informed british police that he was planning to flee the country. tate and his brother tristan are accused of committing sexual offences between 2012 and 2015. allegations they have both rejected the 37 year old and 35 year old are also facing rape and human trafficking charges in romania, where they both live. they have also denied those charges . one of britain's they have also denied those charges. one of britain's most advanced warships is heading back to the red sea to protect global shipping from houthi attacks. hms diamond is joining the joint patrols , just days the joint patrols, just days after the uk and its allies successfully repelled a massive drone and missile attack by the iranian backed militants. the uk joined international efforts to protect the important shipping route in february, while the deployment is part of a broader response to the ongoing attacks in the region, which also includes intercepting the smuggling weapons yemen .

smuggling of weapons into yemen. and finally, we've heard today that the singer and songwriter eric carmen has died at the age of 74. he rose to fame as part of 74. he rose to fame as part of the pop group the raspberries, but it was this track that carved him a place in popular culture. how my man , the popular culture. how my man, the singer . popular culture. how my man, the singer. don't be inspired by sergei rachmaninov's piano concerto number two. all by myself . it was a huge hit concerto number two. all by myself. it was a huge hit in 1976. years later, it then found a new audience when it became the opening theme of the classic film bridget jones's diary, and another of his well—known hits was hungry eyes, which was featured in the 1987 dance dirty dancing, as well as tracks from the film footloose. his death was announced today by his wife amy, who said it brought her husband great joy to know that his music has touched many. his music has touched so many. those are the headlines. more coming up with tom and emily. in

the meantime, you can sign up to gb news alerts. just scan the qr code there on your screen or go to gbnews.com alerts to gbnews.com slash alerts. >> good afternoon britain. 12:08. and our top story this hour rishi sunak has warned that britain faces a genuine prospect of blackouts if it doesn't boost its gas capacity. >> yes, it means the government has committed to building new gas fired power stations, saying the move will help maintain a reliable energy source for when the british weather fails to supply enough energy through renewables. well we're joined now by ed gemmell, the leader of the climate party. >> and ed, isn't there a fundamental truth about renewable bills? although they can be cheap and they can be very powerful. one thing they aren't is sustained, whether it's sunny or dark or windy or, more clement, isn't there an

issue here that there does need to be a capacity that we can switch on and switch off at the touch of a button, and that capacity is gas. >> there's no question that we need the capacity. >> so obviously we're completely in agreement on that. i think everybody is. i think though, that been that the way this has been brought in talking about energy security, the prime security, we've got the prime minister out talking about it's not with energy not gambling with our energy security and not being, you know, subjected to whims of know, subjected to the whims of dictators such as putin. and that's why we're building these power stations . but it's utterly power stations. but it's utterly and completely untrue. i mean , and completely untrue. i mean, let's look at it. the point of the of keeping ourselves independent is so that we're not reliant on the supply of gas. and if the supply of gas is coming and it's controlled by dictators or it's subject to world market prices rather than controlled by us, we are much less secure, i guess. >> and that's why some people, particularly in the conservative party, were very much for fracking. but of course, that did not come to pass. that would

have given us more energy security , surely. security, surely. >> i mean, i'm not going to be here saying, that here saying, i think that fracking is good idea, but fracking is a good idea, but actually capacity actually getting capacity definitely got definitely is. so we've got a whole load of things that have happened years. happened over the last 15 years. for the on onshore for instance, the ban on onshore wind, it to be stopped wind, allowing it to be stopped literally one voice in literally by one voice in the local and we local community. and then we haven't invested tide wave haven't invested in tide in wave in and all of those other in hydro and all of those other things that could have been actually helping us to balance it and britain it out. and after all, britain is surrounded sea tide and is surrounded by sea tide and wave. we should have been investing in heavily for the last 20 or 30 years. and we wouldn't be having these discussions but frankly, discussions now. but frankly, there of things that discussions now. but frankly, therhelp of things that discussions now. but frankly, therhelp us of things that discussions now. but frankly, therhelp us in>f things that discussions now. but frankly, therhelp us in 201ings that discussions now. but frankly, therhelp us in 201in�*30that discussions now. but frankly, therhelp us in 201in�*30 years time. >> it might be tide, it might be wave, it will be nuclear. but these things take a lot of time. gas is cheap and quick. and frankly, if we're going to be switching over to so much more electricity demand, if we're all driving electric cars , for driving electric cars, for example, we're taking petrol out of the system, we're taking oil out of system. we're going out of the system. we're going to gas. are you at

to need more gas. are you at least pleased with the fact that claire coutinho, the energy secretary, is saying that there will be gas capture and storage, carbon capture and storage in these new gas power stations, potentially being a relatively climate neutral option, even though they involve fossil fuels. >> well, unless you've been reading reports that i haven't reading reports that i haven't read , she's talking about them read, she's talking about them being able to be retrofitted. so not actually coming on with carbon capture and storage in place, not actually coming on burning would be place, not actually coming on bu|alternative, would be place, not actually coming on bu|alternative, able would be place, not actually coming on bu|alternative, able to 'ould be place, not actually coming on bu|alternative, able to be d be an alternative, but able to be retrofitted . and that is retrofitted. and that is absolutely regressive. you know, we're to build all this we're going to build all this stuff now, put huge subsidies into it. and we're not actually going to have it working for us both terms our targets and both in terms of our targets and in the new technology. in terms of the new technology. we world in we want to lead the world in carbon capture storage as carbon capture and storage as well. to do that is well. and the way to do that is invest it locally. if invest in it locally. and if we're bringing in plants, we're bringing in these plants, which agreeing with which i'm not agreeing with because think there's better because i think there's better ways it, then must ways of doing it, then they must come capture and come in with carbon capture and storage immediately. not storage in them immediately. not so then spend so we make them and then spend more on them in the more money on them in the future, to shut future, probably having to shut them we

them for a while while we implement carbon and implement carbon capture and storage. it's just a very shortsighted way of doing it. >> capture and >> of course, carbon capture and storage expensive. storage is extremely expensive. but just ask you the but just to ask you the question, being warned question, we're being warned about blackouts. do you think we will see blackouts if don't will see blackouts if we don't increase our gas capacity? do you the prime minister? >> have to increase >> we have to increase our capacity. that's but capacity. okay. that's it. but gas. i don't agree gas. what i what i don't agree is going regressively backwards into not into old technologies. not fitting it out for the future straight away, and spending vast amounts money in time on it amounts of money in time on it when we should investing in when we should be investing in the going to the thing that's going to be there the and let's there all the time. and let's just the energy just one second on the energy security, that security, those waves, that tide, solar, wind tide, that solar, that wind cannot be interrupted by putin. you know, we get energy security i >> -- >> so you don't you don't think we can reach net zero and increase our gas capacity? i don't think we should be doing it. >> it's reversing what we should be doing. look this is all part of a much wider picture as well, which is the enormous opportunity industrially on this planet. we can see where everybody is going towards net zero. they are going get zero. they are going to get there and in order to get towards that, we need industries

that supply it . that are going to supply it. this just one part of it, this is just one part of it, the energy system. needs energy system. and britain needs to we need to bring to get ahead. we need to bring our forward. we to our targets forward. we need to make greater tomorrow make britain greater tomorrow than ever been by leading make britain greater tomorrow thar new ever been by leading make britain greater tomorrow tharnew clean, aen by leading make britain greater tomorrow tharnew clean, industrialding this new clean, industrial revolution. and the way we do that investment. now that is massive investment. now with ambitious targets and not pandenng with ambitious targets and not pandering to people and pandering away to people and saying, oh, let's row back on a few things and introduce gas again, that's yesterday's tech we tomorrow. we we want to lead tomorrow. we want money for people here. we want money for people here. we want money for people here. we want money our pockets. we want money in our pockets. we need to go forwards this new need to go forwards in this new industrial lead industrial revolution and lead it. backwards. it. not ray backwards. >> it's a risk, though, isn't it? tidal power. it? with tidal tidal power. very novel , not done a lot of places novel, not done a lot of places around world at least. wind novel, not done a lot of places arvery world at least. wind novel, not done a lot of places arvery tested»rld at least. wind novel, not done a lot of places arvery tested .ld at least. wind novel, not done a lot of places arvery tested . but: least. wind novel, not done a lot of places arvery tested . but again, wind novel, not done a lot of places arvery tested . but again, the1d is very tested. but again, the wind always wind doesn't always blow. >> course ofgem well >> and of course ofgem as well warning that actually net zero is hit the poorest the is going to hit the poorest the hardest as anyway. hardest as it stands anyway. thank gavel, to thank you ed gavel, great to speak you . leader of the speak to you. leader of the climate party. stuff. climate party. good stuff. >> get now with john >> let's get more now with john rentoul, chief political rentoul, the chief political commentator for the independent, and john, just firstly on this energy issue, you've been writing about this today. i understand, like understand, and it seems like

there a change of tack from there is a change of tack from there is a change of tack from the government when it comes to trying to balance energy security with net zero. >> well, yeah , it's part of >> well, yeah, it's part of rishi sunak shift of emphasis towards what he calls pragmatic and proportionate measures to achieve net zero that don't burden , households with extra burden, households with extra costs. but as you were just heanng costs. but as you were just hearing from ed there, that does imply, that the path towards net zero by 2050 is going to be a bit slower. and, there will be people like him who are going to criticise it . criticise it. >> john rishi sunak in the telegraph this morning says the labour party prefers to take a fantasy approach which would put our energy security at risk. he says they're pledged to have no gas in 2020. 2030 would plunge households into darkness. do you think people will be listening to that ? to that? >> well, they'll be listening to what ed miliband, the shadow energy secretary, has to say. and what is very surprising, i

find, is that he actually agrees with the government, which i'm not quite sure how he reconciles that with labour's intention, which is to decarbonise the electricity electricity supply five years earlier than the conservative intend to. he wants to do it by 2030, which is going to do it by 2030, which is going to be within five years of a labour government. so how a labour government. so how a labour government. so how a labour government is going to be building more gas power stations and achieving net net zero electricity by 2030? i find hard to hard to reconcile. >> no, it does seem that that 2030 target i spoken to a couple of people about this. i don't know anyone who actually believes they'll hit it. is it really still, the labour party's stated ambition? will it be in their manifesto , this 2030 thing their manifesto, this 2030 thing that no one believes will happen ? >> apparently. i 7 >> apparently. i mean, when ? >> apparently. i mean, when they retreated on their green investment plan, the 28 billion

a year they said that the 2030 target still stands for decarbonising the entire electricity sector. and as you say, very few people think that that can actually be achieved and certainly can that, you know, the idea that it can be achieved without hitting, hitting customers in the pocket is for the birds, so i think labour's got quite a lot of explaining to do, i mean, whatever you think of the, of the government's position, it does least seem to add up. >> well, that is fascinating. within one parliamentary firm, completely decarbonising the entire grid but also massively expanding. >> it's very difficult for keir starmer, isn't it, because he's got activists within the party who very much side with just stop he's the stop oil. then he's got the trade unions don't want to trade unions who don't want to lose the fossil fuel lose jobs in the fossil fuel industry. it's quite industry. so it's quite difficult for him to manage, i imagine. i ask you, john, imagine. can i ask you, john, also about what's on the, in the headunes also about what's on the, in the headlines as well, regarding diane abbott and those racist remarks from a tory donor towards her that have surfaced,

she said this morning on the television that she was hoping that she'd receive public support from keir starmer. a couple of hours later , if that. couple of hours later, if that. keir starmer comes saying the remarks are abhorrent and that she has his support. >> yeah, i mean, she's not a labour mp, but she is, as she points out, still a member of the labour party , but i mean, the labour party, but i mean, what what frank hester said was , what what frank hester said was, was absolutely unacceptable. and i think trying to turn that into a problem for keir starmer is, is not really a realistic. i mean, it is a problem for the prime minister because it's an awful lot of money that the conservative party is going to have to hand back and, well, do you think they will have to hand it back? >> i understand that. >> i understand that. >> well, think well, i feel i >> well, i think well, i feel i personally they personally feel that they have to know, rishi to because, you know, rishi sunak he would be sunak said that he his would be a government integrity, and i a government of integrity, and i don't how can accept £10 don't see how you can accept £10 million from from such a tainted source. do we have precedent for

that? >> do we have precedent for that, the conservative party giving back money when comments have emerged ? have emerged? >> well, i think certainly i can't remember details, but i think the i think both parties have actually given back money when it has turned out to be inadmissable in some way, or that, you know, that that the donor has broken the law. i mean, this is this is possibly a more difficult case, but frankly, john, this is money that has been given in the past. >> these were comments that were made years ago. a lot of this money will have already been spent. they might not able to spent. they might not be able to give back this money. >> to be very, >> no, it's going to be very, very difficult. >> i mean, £10 million is lot >> i mean, £10 million is a lot of money for the of money even for the conservative party, which is planning and spend, a planning to raise and spend, a huge amount in this election yeah huge amount in this election year. but, no, but i think if you say you are going to, you are going to run a government of integrity. you have to stand by your principles and you can't

accept money from, from, from somebody like that. >> it's forced a of >> but it's forced a lot of ministers tory go on ministers and tory mps to go on the airwaves and have to answer whether is racist and whether this guy is racist and whether this guy is racist and whether the money should go back and all of this, it puts them in and all of this, it puts them in a very tricky situation, doesn't it? >> it really does. i mean, it's, you know, it's not helping . and you know, it's not helping. and to have have ministers go on television to explain why something that is plainly racist is not is not racist, it just makes them look, he's not racist , but his comments were that sort of thing. well, his comments are clearly, clearly racist. >> i mean, yeah, of course he maintained a terrible mistake , maintained a terrible mistake, an error. we haven't heard the recording of these comments. we've only seen the reporting of them in the guardian newspaper. >> he's apologised. >> he's apologised. >> he obviously he's >> so he obviously said he's apologised something apologised for saying something rude about diane abbott, but he hasn't quoted hasn't admitted the words quoted in the guardian were his words. >> well, hasn't >> that's right. well, he hasn't denied words. appears >> that's right. well, he hasn't de have words. appears >> that's right. well, he hasn't de have accepted ds. appears >> that's right. well, he hasn't de have accepted that appears >> that's right. well, he hasn't de have accepted that that pears >> that's right. well, he hasn't de have accepted that that is ars to have accepted that that is thatis to have accepted that that is that is what he said, i mean, he, he his argument is that it was a terrible mistake and he

doesn't really mean it. and you know, he shouldn't have said it, but know, i think the but you know, i think the problem is once, once those words are out there, you can't you can't unsay them . you can't unsay them. >> well, on that note, thank you very much indeed for your time. john rentoul, chief political commentator for the independent. always good to speak to you. >> well, still come, the >> well, still to come, the former conservative mp now reform mp, is to cross the reform party mp, is to cross the floor in the commons for the first time, sitting on the opposition benches . well, should opposition benches. well, should there be a by—election in his constituency ? this is good constituency? this is good afternoon britain on

gb news. good afternoon. britain. it's 12:23. and lee anderson's decision to defect to the reform party yesterday has driven 1000

new memberships of richard tice party. 1000 people joining reform uk yesterday. it's being called the lee anderson effect , called the lee anderson effect, but. well, for more on this, let's talk with our gb news political editor, christopher hope, christopher , this is a hope, christopher, this is a pretty large surge in membership i >> -- >> yes, a big number average membership fees can be around £37 each. if you take in, an additional donation on top of the £25, annual membership. so it's a 25 grand boost to the coffers at least of the reform uk party, maybe as much as £37,000 in one single day. now that may not carry on. of course, he's all over the news and front pages of websites, etc. yesterday and today and we'll know how far that goes. but it does show, i think the impact of this mp, joining from the independent benches, joining

the independent benches, joining the reform uk party. we are waiting for gb news viewers and listeners to tell them when he's going to cross the floor. when he formally joins his, his bench, the independent benches, with others like george galloway, and from the workers of britain party behind the snp and the lib dems. so there'll be and the lib dems. so there'll be a moment, historic moment in parliament when that happens, when the reform uk gets its first mp on the green benches. of course, he's been independent, hasn't he, independent, hasn't he, independent after losing the whip tory government whip from the tory government for his remarks about sadiq khan and islamism a two weeks ago on gb news. so that's what's happening . and it is being happening. and it is being called by some already the lee anderson effect . and this anderson effect. and this certainly is what richard tice the wanted to see. the the leader wanted to see. the idea is that i think what will be when it starts taking place is that lee anderson will be the party's spokesman in the north of england, in the red wall seats, almost . and richard tice seats, almost. and richard tice will be the person who can shore up southern base . and that

up the southern base. and that kind yin and yang kind of yin and yang relationship tice , and relationship between tice, and anderson is very important. and if that comes off, it could be quite damaging tory quite damaging for the tory party 1000 new members just since, lee anderson announced his defection. >> that's a huge number. do you have any idea how many, conservative members there are? i know anecdotally that lots of people have been, tearing, tearing their conservative membership cards in recent months . months. >> you always ask the best questions, emily, that's a good question, the tory party and other parties are less than keen to tell us what the numbers are for memory , it's about 160,000, for memory, it's about 160,000, at the last count , they put at the last count, they put these figures out in their annual report that they published in february or march every year. so we don't know what the updated version is, but it's about 100, 100, 140, 50,000 or so i've asked reform uk, what their number is and they won't tell me . i've got a quote just

tell me. i've got a quote just sent to me, sent to me by richard tice , he tells gb news richard tice, he tells gb news this hour, a record number of over 1000 new members joining reform in one day is proof of just how popular lee anderson is proving amongst red wall voters, andifs proving amongst red wall voters, and it's why he'll be such a powerful red bull champion for us. so clearly there's a there's a big bonus here for richard tice and indeed for lee anderson, that a lot of people are flocking to join the reform uk party in the wake of his defection . but of course, we'll defection. but of course, we'll wait and see in the coming weeks and months if they'll let that short tum benefit is a long terme one? >> of course it is just 0.0001. or is it? no, 0.0014% of the population is a thousand people 25 grand. yes a huge amount of money. but you compare it to the £10 million we were talking about that was given to the tories by one donor. this is still small fry .

still small fry. >> of course it is small fry. tom, i will wait and see. i mean, other things haven't happened yet. the reform uk party. no one knows nigel party. no one knows what nigel farage do with his with farage might do with his with his career. currently he's a presenter of course, presenter on gb news of course, but i'm just it's an indication, i that for some people in i think that for some people in the country, lee hanson is good news that the reform uk party, of it's completely small of course, it's completely small beer money of course, it's completely small beer describing money of course, it's completely small beer describing there noney of course, it's completely small beer describing there given to you're describing there given to established parties like the union money to labour, the big donor money to the tory party and reform uk is a challenger brand. you everyone brand. but, you know, everyone starts somewhere . starts somewhere. >> and chris, i just want to get your to esther your reaction to what esther mcvey. go on. mcvey. sorry sorry. go on. >> forgive me just while i'm on air. i've had a text from lee anderson, he's due to be in the house of commons just after1 p.m. house of commons just after1 pm. so during your show, we hopefully we'll see. lee hanson crossing the floor. and. that's right . earlier, esther mcvey was right. earlier, esther mcvey was one of those members of the cabinet who were filmed going in and going out of cabinet. we've got the video actually. >> chris, should we have a

little look? >> yeah . >> yeah. >> yeah. >> after he campaigned for jeremy corbyn in 2017, in effect is now gone full circle and he'll be campaigning for keir starmer because i mean even he said a vote for reform is a vote for labour. so i've clearly misjudged him . misjudged him. >> not impressed. >> not impressed. >> forgive me that i was i well i was i was just going to indicate yes, yes indeed i think thatis indicate yes, yes indeed i think that is telling. i think esther mcvey is in there is the cabinet office minister. she's a minister for common sense. mp for tatton, of course. and she would think she knows the red wall pretty well. and the point she was making is what anyone would make is lee anderson, would make is that lee anderson, winning of a thousand winning support of a thousand people money people yesterday, paying money to uk and in to support the reform uk and in fact, maybe voting for him in ashfield could will just and across the country, if the hanson does manage to win, more support for the party across the country will mean that , keir country will mean that, keir

starmer's may win more seats than the tory party because the tories lose seats to reform uk. and that's the point. she's making and which any tory will make. helping keir make. are you helping keir starmer by voting reform and voting lee anderson? voting for lee anderson? >> guess question is >> and i guess the question is really what should the conservative party the conservative party do in the face of this threat from reform? should they move closer to the reform party on certain policies or should they, take a different course of action? >> well, that that is the question. the tory party must answer. i was struck when we were lucky enough to be in darlington with rishi sunak, and he was his q&a with our he was doing his q&a with our with viewers and sort of independent and independent selected voters, and they asked him about levelling up and everything else. and at the end he said, what about tax cuts? do you know tax cuts? you want to know about tax cuts? and while in and it struck me that while in the south of england, tax cuts is big issue in the north, is a big issue in the north, often they want is spending often what they want is spending from lift from the government to help lift

their communities and levelling up getting up money. and i think getting that message right is what the what the tory party needs to do more of recognise. there are two different constituencies more of recognise. there are two differ different ituencies more of recognise. there are two differdifferent things es more of recognise. there are two differdifferent things from this government. >> of course, we're also here to heanng >> of course, we're also here to hearing today about a different energy policy. how that energy policy. how much has that been influenced by the reform party? possibly bit . party? quite possibly a bit. christopher hope, thank you very much for talking us through, a sensational day in politics, as we're expecting the official crossing of the floor to take place at 1:00. >> and lee anderson already booted out of the carlton club, which a tory club in central which is a tory club in central london. a very posh club, very posh club. >> comfortable . lee? well, >> how comfortable. lee? well, i don't know who told that. don't know who told me that. >> they weren't sure >> thatcher. they weren't sure what do thatcher because what to do with thatcher because obviously all men, obviously it was an all men, an all male club. so you said all male club. and so you said that they her an honorary man. >> they did indeed. now >> they did indeed. they now accept but the accept female members. but the carlton club, this sort of traditional conservative club, it's actually where the 1922 committee came from in 1923, funnily enough, where they were

meeting in the carlton club, where lots of conservative mps are a member if they want to get away from parliament and politic and plot, have a drink and a cigar. more like , no, no female cigar. more like, no, no female members, until that changed. but yes, thatcher was considered an honorary man so she could be a member. and now her portrait hangs , in the big grand sort of. hangs, in the big grand sort of. well, there you go. >> a little bit of trivia for you this afternoon. but still to come, there's a conveyor belt of christian conversions to help asylum seekers remain in britain. claim made asylum seekers remain in brita former claim made asylum seekers remain in brita former priest claim made asylum seekers remain in brita former priest toaim made by a former priest to a committee of mps. we'll be discussing that after your headunes. headlines. >> tom. emily, thanks very much. good afternoon from the newsroom. just after 1230, a recap of the headlines. a major conservative donor has now apologised after he reportedly said that former labour mp diane abbott made him want to hate all black women and that she should be shot. frank hester donated

£10 million to the tories last year. £10 million to the tories last year . he's £10 million to the tories last year. he's now admitted making rude comments about miss abbott, but insists they had nothing to do with the colour of her skin. the comments were reported by the comments were reported by the guardian and are said to have place during have taken place during a meeting in 2019. miss abbott, who's an independent mp, has who's now an independent mp, has described the comments as frightening and worrying and says she hopes for public support from sir keir starmer. mr hester says he's deeply sorry, that he'd sorry, adding that he'd telephoned her to apologise directly for any hurt he directly for any hurt that he may caused . new gas power may have caused. new gas power plants will be built to protect britain's energy security. that's despite concerns over the potential impact on climate change. the government says the new stations are needed to avert what ministers have described as the genuine prospect of blackouts, and to provide a backup for the growing electric economy. it's understood they'll replace existing facilities , replace existing facilities, many of which are old and due to be retired. the prime minister insists the uk's net zero plan is still on track, but says it

must be met in a sustainable way . as we've been hearing lee anderson has said that he wasn't paid to switch from the tories to reform uk , insisting that to reform uk, insisting that he's not a mercenary. the former deputy chairman of the conservatives told gb news that he's not heard from the prime minister since he announced his defection. it comes after anderson was stripped of the conservative whip last month over his refusal to apologise for islamists had for saying that islamists had got control of the london mayor and andrew tate has now appeared in a romanian court after he was arrested on a british warrant. it comes after lawyers representing four of his accusers informed british police that he was planning to flee the country. tate and his brother tristan are accused of committing sexual offences and human trafficking , which they human trafficking, which they both . for the latest both deny. for the latest stories, you can sign up to gb news alerts. just scan the qr code on your screen or visit our website gb news. common alerts

i >> right. emma >> right. it's 1238. you're watching and listening to good afternoon, britain. now shockingly, nearly 4 million people are at of abandoning people are at risk of abandoning work altogether amid a post—lockdown increase in benefits paid to claimants who do not even have to find a job. >> and 1 in 5 adults, 1 in 5. that's between the ages of 18 and 64 are not even looking for work. but does the benefit system risk moving people away from finding work? >> yes. curious well, let's pose that question to devon gilani, director and founder of policy in practice, which helps families get benefits they can qualify for. thank you very much for joining us, devon. there are

forjoining us, devon. there are it is the benefit system somehow encouraging people to move away from finding work? what's going on here? it seems to be a shocking number of people who are on out of work benefits of one or another. yeah one type or another. yeah >> so we looked at it and the number of people without work requirements going requirements has been going up, but to and but we wanted to try and understand why. >> we looked some >> so what we looked at was some of numbers the of the numbers before the pandemic, all the way pandemic, from 2015 all the way through 2023. and through through to 2023. and what you saw is that before the pandemic, such as pandemic, reforms such as universal credit meant that more people expected to look for work. >> so you saw an in the >> so you saw an increase in the number who were out of number of people who were out of work requirements . work facing work requirements. >> what you saw >> and then what you saw post—pandemic almost post—pandemic was almost a reversal trend seeing post—pandemic was almost a reverspeople trend seeing post—pandemic was almost a reverspeople who end seeing post—pandemic was almost a reverspeople who were seeing post—pandemic was almost a reverspeople who were seiofg post—pandemic was almost a reverspeople who were seiof work more people who were out of work and not expected to look for work because they were too sick to ill, and there had been a growing number of people in what's called the support group or the limited capability for work related activity. we work related activity. so we want understand why want to try and understand why that . and i think are that was. and i think there are three main that you can three main drivers that you can see. before the see. so firstly, before the pandemic, did see this

pandemic, you did see this tightening for tightening of expectations for people look for work. you people to look for work. and you did that working did see some of that working initially, then what you saw initially, but then what you saw were reforms 2017. so were reforms in 2017. so changing how your disability benefits worked, which made it harder people who were, harder for people who were, maybe just a little bit ill to get any support at all. so they, they would be able to get, you know, support, maybe know, some support, maybe £30 a week so, and they might be on week or so, and they might be on that for a bit and then be able to get back into work. but that was eliminated as part of austerity, which meant that those people didn't that those people didn't have that support. we think they a lot of those sicker , a lot those people got sicker, a lot of then then only had the of people then then only had the opfion of people then then only had the option apply the more option to apply for the more stringent maybe heavier . stringent but, maybe heavier. long time out of work group. so we think some of those people that would have gone back into work been on short work or maybe been on short terms, sick and gone back into work, moved, moved work, have now moved, were moved on long terms sick. on to long terms sick. >> so i think that's that's a really interesting point, devon, because that these because it might mean that these people unfit people aren't necessarily unfit to work, but in order to claim

some money, they might have to say that they are the system from 2017 onwards is almost incentivising people to say , no, incentivising people to say, no, i'm completely unfit to work. whereas before there was sort of a middle option for people who perhaps weren't completely fighting fit but weren't, unable to work entirely, it seems like we've moved to an all or nothing system, perhaps. >> i think we have moved more to an all or nothing system. that's true, and i don't think that's been very good. i mean, that was one of reasons. i think the one of the reasons. i think the other reason that we had other big reason is that we had a pandemic we're still a pandemic and we're still recovering. speak to a lot recovering. so we speak to a lot of policy and practice, speaks to organisations the to lots of organisations on the front them, we front line. we support them, we work one of the work with them. one of the things is a of things we're hearing is a lot of the people that are out of work, would back work would like to get back into work but health but aren't getting the health support enough. but aren't getting the health su;as rt enough. but aren't getting the health su;as rt this enough. but aren't getting the health su;as rt this change nough. but aren't getting the health su;as rt this change torgh. so as well as this change to benefits, you've also got health system get system that's struggling to get that, to get people healthy again. think what you saw again. so i think what you saw is some people who perhaps, maybe didn't apply for that, long time out of work, group

initially, but they got sicker. so if they do get sicker , then, so if they do get sicker, then, they're going to they're going to apply and they're going to be successful applying and they're not to be expected not going to be expected to look for work. so that's that's i think a second reason is the health hasn't able health system hasn't been able to get to keep up with. yeah, or get people back on their feet with demand with demand not being able to keep up with the demand on the service. >> devon, how common and >> but, devon, how common and widespread is abuse of the benefit system ? of course, we benefit system? of course, we hear stories of particular cases of people taking the mick. how prevalent do you believe that is ? >> 7- >> soi 7_ >> so i think imam 52mm ? >> so i think it's i think it's overblown . would be my summary overblown. would be my summary considerably overblown. i think when you look at fraud and error, you always combine those two. and error is always considerably greater than fraud in system. you know, in the benefit system. you know, at the same time, you know, whenever there is someone that has been taking advantage of the benefit they're the ones benefit system, they're the ones that perhaps are more likely to end up on show or on the end up on your show or on the front of the of the front pages of the of the newspaper. that's more

newspaper. and that's been more of the last, as of a trend over the last, as we've seen austerity go kind of come say, actually , come through to say, actually, you system too you know, the benefit system too generous. see generous. well, what we see a little bit ill and you're on long sickness benefits. long terme sickness benefits. >> it not? >> well, if they are a little bit ill, they probably wouldn't be on long terms sick. so i think there were people who were perhaps bit ill got perhaps a little bit ill and got sicker because weren't sicker, because they weren't able support able to get the health support that they needed. i think that they needed. so i think a lot this is about the, the, lot of this is about the, the, the around and the the support around it. and the third identified third reason that we identified in worth in our report, it's worth mentioning , in our report, it's worth mentioning, is if people mentioning, is if those people that terms sick were that are on long terms sick were to to try and get to take steps to try and get back work, and they back into work, and then they were they then face were reassessed. they then face what is kind of a much more punitive back work regime, punitive back to work regime, with the of sanctions, with with the risk of sanctions, with the it's seen as the risk of, it's seen as something to avoid, and i think that there are some i'd say this and the and the rishi sunak and jeremy hunt, you've seen much more of a support active approach. maybe the rhetoric hasn't changed, actually the hasn't changed, but actually the policies little bit more policies are a little bit more supportive. government's supportive. so the government's back better than

back to work plan is better than another plan, because much another plan, because it's much more than this feast. more of a taper than this feast. >> famine that >> and famine system that that came previously , but devon came in previously, but devon gilani, i'm afraid we have run out of time there. i really appreciate your thoughts on this issue, really, really fascinating stuff, actually. >> and you've got one senior mp saying, conscription is the answer. if you refuse multiple jobs. answer. if you refuse multiple jobs . so if you're offered three jobs. so if you're offered three jobs. so if you're offered three jobs and you continue to refuse those jobs, then off you go to the army. i'm not sure how much use you'll be, but, one idea we'll be debating later. >> very interesting >> i find it very interesting how lots of people say conscription is the answer. lots of people say that apart from people in the military who say, please , please don't the please, please don't send the feckless layabouts of society into the army, i don't know, there are some people in the army who think it might be a good idea, perhaps a little a different version of actually putting on front putting them on the front line. but best, the best thing but the best, the best thing about the british army it's about the british army is it's always a professional always been a professional army. it's never had same sort of it's never had the same sort of conscription continental it's never had the same sort of conscri|have continental it's never had the same sort of conscri|have had, continental it's never had the same sort of conscri|have had, that nental it's never had the same sort of conscri|have had, that armies armies have had, that armies elsewhere in the world have had.

it's always been a bit smaller, but a lot more professional. and you victories that you look at the victories that the british and the british army and particularly british navy particularly the british navy have throughout. have achieved throughout. >> there was a lot of high >> there was a lot of a high profile voices were profile army voices who were calling conscription calling for conscription in the face of a potential world war iii. still face of a potential world war 111. still to come , 111. but anyway, still to come, war details of a war still to come. details of a claim a former priest war still to come. details of a clairthe a former priest war still to come. details of a clairthe church a former priest war still to come. details of a clairthe church isformer priest war still to come. details of a clairthe church is conductingt that the church is conducting a conveyor belt of christian conversions to help asylum seekers britain. we'll seekers remain in britain. we'll bnng seekers remain in britain. we'll bring on bring you the very latest on those shocking revelations

i >> -- >> good afternoon. britain. it is coming up to 10 to 1. and mps are examining the role of conversions to christianity in the granting of asylum to the uk, with contributions from members of the clergy. yes. >> questions over conversions were raised after the clapham chemical attack in january.

abdul ezedi had been granted permission to stay after converting following two previous failed attempts, which has raised a lot of questions. >> a lot of questions. well, let's discuss this with our home and security editor, mark white, who's been watching the affairs in the house of commons. and, mark, this has been a pretty shocking set of revelations . shocking set of revelations. >> yes, indeed. i mean, you mentioned, of course, the clapham chemical attacker there, but we've also had the recent revelations that some 40 asylum seekers on the bibby stockholm barge appear to be in the process of actively trying to convert to christianity. and we had the suicide bomber up in liverpool, the liverpool maternity hospital that he unsuccessfully, thankfully tried to bomb back in 2021, ended up only killing himself . to bomb back in 2021, ended up only killing himself. but he had also converted to christianity in an attempt to be able to strengthen his to case stay in

the uk. well, today in the home affairs committee at the house of commons, we have been hearing evidence from reverend matthew firth , who was a parish priest firth, who was a parish priest for the church of england in darlington between 2018 and 2020, and he said he became really quite concerned about what was happening with groups of young men that were being taken to his church regularly. every few weeks or so, with a request for them to be baptised into christianity . of course, into christianity. of course, they were muslims and the suspicion throughout this whole, case, in terms of there being a gaming off the asylum system, is that what asylum seekers are trying to do by converting to christianity is to try to strengthen the case, because they can claim that under apostasy , apostasy rules, in apostasy, apostasy rules, in islam , the strict interpretation

islam, the strict interpretation of that would mean a death sentence if they return to their own countries. one of the main reasons behind why it's claimed there are so many conversions to christianity . well, this is what christianity. well, this is what reverend matthew firth told that committee a little earlier, week in, week out , committee a little earlier, week in, week out, you committee a little earlier, week in, week out , you know, in, week out, you know, significant groups of mainly iranian and syrian young male asylum seekers were being brought to me in in sizeable cohorts. >> at a time sort of, you know, 6 or 7 people brought to me, by, you know, people saying that these need baptism, these these people need baptism . people need baptism. >> well, the reverend, firth said that there was a conveyor belt, effectively, of those trying to get converted to christianity. he said when he became suspicious, he called a halt to it by effectively trying to ensure that anybody who

wanted to convert to christianity had to attend the church regularly over long penods church regularly over long periods of time to ensure that they were fully committed and involved in church activity. when he did that, the number of applications he said, fell off a cliff. well, amongst some of the other witnesses we've been heanng other witnesses we've been hearing from, they included the bishop of chelmsford. now, she was disputing the claims that there was effectively a conveyor belt of conversion to christianity from asylum seekers. this is what she told the committee . the committee. >> you know, our churches respond to to, local need, however it presents itself. that's a totally separate issue to saying that we are kind of quickly and easily and freely baptising large numbers in order to scam the asylum processing . to scam the asylum processing. >> i think that the notion that the church of england is currently being a conveyor belt for baptisms , in order for for baptisms, in order for people to gain their asylum

status, i don't recognise that comment. now the bishop also said that, baby , one of the said that, baby, one of the reasons why so many asylum seekers are trying to convert to christianity is because of the increasingly hostile environment towards asylum seekers, and they see a warm welcome from the church. >> that was what she said in her evidence . latterly, we've been evidence. latterly, we've been heanng evidence. latterly, we've been hearing from the immigration minister , tom pursglove, and minister, tom pursglove, and i think one of the more extraordinary, revelations, i think, to come out of today wasn't just what we were hearing from reverend firth, but actually from the minister that they don't have any data sets to give us any indication of how many asylum seekers , who are in many asylum seekers, who are in the process currently or in the process previously had converted to christianity. this is what he told the committee. >> we are actively working to

improve the data set that we have around this issue. >> so one of the challenges is that the legacy it systems that we have been working on do not capture data in this area very effectively. >> the home secretary and i have been very clear in asking officials that we want to see greater itemised data in that area and we are currently working through publication around that . and i think that around that. and i think that you're absolutely right to touch on the data point. i think all of us want to see an improvement in terms quality of data in terms of the quality of data that around decision that we have around decision making asylum space. making in the asylum space. >> goodness me, mark, we don't have data . we've got have the data. we've got anecdotes on both sides. but frankly , we've got some frankly, we've got some seemingly very gullible priests saying that the church is warm and welcoming and that's why you've got 40 conversions from the bibby stockholm mark. >> unfortunately, that's all the time we've got left , but we'll time we've got left, but we'll speak to you later on. i hope to find out more, but coming up should work. shy brits be

conscripted. be having conscripted. we'll be having that . that debate. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar , the sponsors of weather solar, the sponsors of weather on . gb news. on. gb news. >> hello again. here's your latest gb news weather forecast brought to you by the met office. more rains to come as we go through the next few days, especially in the northwest . but especially in the northwest. but it to be mild, albeit it is going to be mild, albeit also because we have an also windy because we have an area of low pressure developing currently the northwest currently towards the northwest of the uk that is then dragging in our from the southwest, in our air from the southwest, which a mild direction, but which is a mild direction, but it dragging some pretty it is dragging some pretty cloudy air into, which is why it's picture and it's a cloudy picture and staying cloudy as we go through the overnight. few the evening and overnight. a few drizzly outbreaks for england the evening and overnight. a few driz;wales,»reaks for england the evening and overnight. a few driz;wales, butzs for england the evening and overnight. a few driz;wales, but across ngland the evening and overnight. a few driz;wales, but across scotland and wales, but across scotland and wales, but across scotland and northern ireland. here we have some heavy, persistent rain pushing and that will pushing its way in and that will reach the far north of england and on too. it is and wales later on too. it is going be a mild night, going to be a mild night, temperatures for temperatures not dropping for many perhaps many of us. perhaps something a little pushing little bit fresher pushing in

towards north uk . towards the far north of the uk. that band of then edges that band of rain then edges a little further southwards as little bit further southwards as we go through but it we go through tomorrow, but it doesn't any quick progress, doesn't make any quick progress, so is going linger and so it is going to linger and stall parts northern stall across parts of northern england, central england, northern, central wales, to the south of this mostly much of mostly dry across much of central southern england and wales brightness, wales could be some brightness, particularly the east, particularly towards the east, and here temperatures should get to highs of around 15 or 16 celsius, a little bit colder than this across northern parts, but chance seeing but a greater chance of seeing some skies . but a greater chance of seeing some skies. but but a greater chance of seeing some skies . but watch out some sunny skies. but watch out for the strong winds, especially in of gales in the far north. risk of gales here we go through later on here as we go through later on tomorrow. of rain tomorrow. that band of rain edges a little bit further northwards pushes into northwards again pushes into parts scotland, staying drier parts of scotland, staying drier towards south, more towards the south, but more rain towards the south, but more rain to go through the end to come as we go through the end of the week, albeit friday is looking and looking more showery and saturday should start dry. >> that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers sponsors of weather on

gb news. >> good afternoon. britain. it's 1:00 on tuesday, the 12th of march. >> britain faces blackouts. that's the warning from the prime minister as the government commits to building new gas power stations . critics say it power stations. critics say it will see the uk failing to meet net zero targets. >> and the tory donor, who said diane abbott made him want to hate all black women and that she should be shocked. his apology is not accepted by the labour leader, keir starmer, who calls the comments abhorrent, benefits britain for million people are now receiving out of work benefits without even having to look for a job. >> one senior mp suggests work shy brits should now be conscripted into the army if they continue to refuse new jobs. we'll be having that debate and prison release. >> criminals will be released up

to two months early in a desperate bid to free up space in crammed jails or our packed prisons, putting the public at risk. well, we were talking about the number of people on out of work benefits. it seems to be a hugely shocking number, really ? hugely shocking number, really? yeah, considering. and we spoke to an expert who's done a lot of research this area, and research into this area, and jill's not happy. she says, jill's not very happy. she says, how dare you say that people who are a little bit ill are fraudulent claims, especially when turns long terme when it turns into long terme sickness. said it sickness. the guy said it wouldn't be a little bit ill if it long. terme. you're it turned long. terme. you're always discriminating us always discriminating against us who sick of who cannot work, and i'm sick of it. that wasn't what i was trying to do. i was just trying to ask him the question and find out what's happening in out exactly what's happening in the system, because there's been an absolutely huge rise in the number on long time number of people on long time sickness, on out of work benefits want get to

benefits and just want to get to the reason not saying the reason why not saying everyone out of work benefits everyone on out of work benefits on long time sickness is taking the mick absolute. not. that is not what i'm saying. >> it's never been easier to get a job in britain. it's never been easier . been easier. >> but if you do a job, if you've got a form your laptop in your bed, working from home has become the norm. >> actually, for many people who are completely fighting fit, they do what, two out of five days working from home? i think if anything, we should have seen these numbers come down after these numbers come down after the pandemic because of flexible work, because of flexible working, if you can, if you can send emails from your laptop, there are lots of jobs that that would entail that there's also the point about a lot of people writing in to say, because minimum jobs don't pay minimum wage jobs don't pay enough benefits. >> often you know, are more and more than what you can earn in a, in a in an entry level job, which are in a minimum wage job, i think is wrong. >> should you should always >> you should you should always be in and be better off in work. and that

probably means that there are some where benefit some areas where the benefit system is too generous. >> i do the nhs >> but i do think the nhs waiting list probably do have something the fact something to do with the fact that of people that a lot of people are languishing out work languishing on on out of work benefits . benefits. >> the cost of >> and indeed the cost of housing this country is housing in this country is obviously big contributing obviously a big contributing factor jobs . factor to those, low paid jobs. not going as far as they used to. >> it's not an easy thing, but i do think it's right that the government looks at this and tries to find ways getting tries to find ways of getting people back into work, but let's let you think. let us know what you think. vaiews@gbnews.com. but it's your headlines. first. >> tom. emily, thanks very much. good afternoon from the newsrooms. just after 1:00, the top story this hour. a spokesperson for the prime minister has now said that comments made by tory donor frank hester about diane abbott were clearly unacceptable, but declined to say whether they were racist. frank hester reportedly said the former labour mp made him want to hate all black women, and that she should be shot. he admitted

making rude comments but insists they had nothing to do with the colour of her skin. miss abbott, who's now an independent mp , has who's now an independent mp, has described the comments as frightening and worrying and says that she hopes for public support from sir keir starmer. well, mr hester, who donated £10 million to the tories last year, says he is deeply sorry , adding says he is deeply sorry, adding that he telephoned miss abbott to apologise for the hurt he has caused . new gas power plants caused. new gas power plants will be built to protect britain's energy security, despite concerns over the potential impact on climate change. the government says the new stations are needed to avert what ministers have described as the genuine prospect of blackouts and provide a backup for the growing electric economy . it's understood they'll replace existing facilities many of which are old and due to be retired. the prime minister insists the uk's net zero plan is still on track, but says that it must be met in a sustainable way. labour supports the new plans, but shadow energy secretary ed miliband has accused the government of

failing on its energy policies, leading to what he's called skyrocketing bills . 1000 people skyrocketing bills. 1000 people have joined the reform uk party yesterday after lee anderson's defection from the tories. the former deputy chairman of the conservatives told gb news last night that he's not heard from the prime minister since he announced that defection. it comes after anderson was stripped of the conservative whip month over his refusal whip last month over his refusal to apologise saying that to apologise for saying that islamists got control of the islamists had got control of the london mayor, sadiq khan, government minister esther mcvey says she's disappointed and surprised by mr anderson's decision, but said that voting for reform would only deliver a labour government after he campaigned for jeremy corbyn in 2017, in effect is now gone. >> full circle and he'll be campaigning for keir starmer because , i mean, even he said, because, i mean, even he said, a vote for reform is a vote for laboun vote for reform is a vote for labour. so i've clearly misjudged him . misjudged him. >> some criminals will be

released early because of a lack of space in overcrowded prisons. it means prisoners serving sentences of less than four years could be let out early . years could be let out early. labour says the move is completely unacceptable, vowing to build new prisons if it wins the general election. however the general election. however the justice secretary says it's a temporary measure which is needed to alleviate unsustainable pressure on the prison system . andrew tate has prison system. andrew tate has been arrested in romania on a uk warrant, which could see him extradited here to face trial. it comes after lawyers representing four of his accusers informed british police that he was planning to flee the country. tate and his brother , country. tate and his brother, christian tristan rather, are accused of committing sexual offences between 2012 and 2015, allegations they have both rejected the 37 year old and 35 year old are also facing rape and human trafficking charges in romania, where they both live . romania, where they both live. they have denied those two. one of britain's most advanced

warships is now heading back to the red sea to protect global shipping from houthi attacks . shipping from houthi attacks. hms diamond has joined the joint patrols just days after the uk and its allies successfully repelled a massive drone and missile attack backed by the iranian backed militants. the uk joined international efforts to protect the important shipping route in february. the deployment is part of a broader response to the ongoing houthi attacks, which also includes intercepting the smuggling of weapons into yemen . well, back weapons into yemen. well, back here in the uk, more than 20 snakes, including a massive 17 foot constrictor that's around five metres just over five metres long, have been found deadin metres long, have been found dead in wales, discarded in boxes, bin bags and pillowcases. the rspca is urgently appealing for information after that discovery was made alongside a road in pembrokeshire . inspector road in pembrokeshire. inspector keith hogben says it's one of the worst cases he's seen in 25 years. post—mortem examinations

are being arranged and the animal welfare charity is actively investigating the origin of those animals. actively investigating the origin of those animals . and origin of those animals. and finally, the singer and songwriter eric carmen has died today at the age of 74. he rose today at the age of 74. he rose to fame as part of the pop group the raspberries . but it was this the raspberries. but it was this track that carved him a place in popular culture. come by my sinner . popular culture. come by my sinner. don't be inspired by sergei rachmaninov's piano concerto number two. all by myself was a huge hit in 1976. years later, it found a new audience when it became the opening theme of the classic film bridget jones's diary, and another his well—known hits another of his well—known hits was , which was was hungry eyes, which was featured in 1987. dirty dancing, as as tracks for the film as well as tracks for the film footloose. well, his death was announced today by his wife amy, who said it brought her husband great joy to know that music great joy to know that his music had so many .

great joy to know that his music had so many. those are had touched so many. those are the headlines. for more. you can sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the code on your screen, or go to our website, gb news. common alerts. >> good afternoon britain. it's 1:09 and rishi sunak has today warned that british britain faces a genuine prospect of blackouts if it doesn't boost its gas capacity. >> yes, the government has announced commitments to building new gas fired power stations. they say it's to help maintain a reliable energy source for when the british weather fails to supply enough energy through renewables. >> well, let's get more with liam halligan now. our gb news economics and business editor with on the money . liam, here's with on the money. liam, here's the fundamental point about renewables. in most cases, they're not reliable .

they're not reliable. >> look, the uk has completely transformed its energy mix where we get our electricity from over the last couple of decades, as recently as the turn of the century. so 2003, 4 or 5, we were still using coal fired power stations for 30. sometimes 40% of our electricity. that number is now 1 or 2% at most renewables . on the other hand, renewables. on the other hand, are some days up at 30 or 40% of our electricity mix . the trouble our electricity mix. the trouble is, tom and emily, as the prime minister has pointed out, and it's good to see some realism now in this net zero debate. renewables only work when the wind is blowing and or the sun is shining , wind is blowing and or the sun is shining, and it's very hard to store energy battery technology just isn't there yet. and so when renewables aren't working and often in the uk, they're not. we have lots of

rainy , dull, windless days in rainy, dull, windless days in this part of the world. we have to rely on backup. otherwise the lights simply go out and the backup, the only energy that you can really fire up on demand is gas fired power stations. and that's why the prime minister, given that we got 32 gas fired power stations in this country and a lot of them are coming to the end of their natural lives, the end of their natural lives, the prime minister is saying, we need to have more gas fired power . and look, power stations. and look, there's something going on about there's something going on about the generate electricity the way we generate electricity in this country because we have one of the highest renewable shares of electricity generation in the western world. that means we have to have lots of backup in terms of gas fired power stations that are there and ready to be literally fired up. that's where the phrase comes from. when renewables can't deliver on a certain day. and it's very, very, very expensive . it's very, very, very expensive. have to have gas fired power

stations just on standby , stations just on standby, staffed, ready to go if they're not actually generating electricity and thus generating revenue. and by definition, a lot of these backup ones, they're often not generating electricity and generating revenue, but they are when we need them. this is why tom and emily, even though you hear politicians talking endlessly about cheap renewables, cheap renewables , and we do have lots renewables, and we do have lots of renewables in this country, we have very , very expensive we have very, very expensive domestic and commercial electricity. it's the highest of pretty much any country in western europe and the western world, because our high renewables share means we have to have these expensive gas fired power stations not providing baseload power, but spare ones ready to go staffed mad and ready to be fired up literally at the flick of a switch. so until we sort out this battery technology , until this battery technology, until we can store renewables effectively and at the moment we can't, the technology is just not there. we're going to have

very, very expensive electricity in country because we've in this country because we've got lots of renewables. >> so liam, is what you're saying, that the government can build power build these new gas power stations, may not to lead stations, but it may not to lead to any cheaper bills. >> what it will do , it will it >> what it will do, it will it will mean that we are in less dangen will mean that we are in less danger. emily, of the lights going out . and that's obviously going out. and that's obviously a good thing. but it won't solve the central conundrum of this whole net zero debate, which almost no politician wants to address. everyone's just saying, of course we need more renewables, cheap renewables . renewables, cheap renewables. they're great. they're great. it's just trotted out mindlessly by endless politicians to the most senior level, even though the fact that we got lots of renewables is making our electricity more expensive because store renewable because we can't store renewable power, have power, so we have to have expensive gas fired power stations on standby. look gas fired power stations are much, much, much , much better than much, much, much better than coal fired power stations. when it comes to net zero, gas is, of

course, a fossil fuel . you know, course, a fossil fuel. you know, natural gas is made up of decomposing vegetation under enormous pressure, just like oil is, but it's a much less carbon intensive fossil fuel than oil or certainly coal. and a lot of the environmental lobby would agree with that. so having gas fired power stations on standby, if they facilitate the further development of renewables, then the green lobby should be happy about that. and they should also be happy if gas fired power stations stop the lights going out because believe you me, tom and emily, if suddenly we have intermittent energy, the lights go out. you know, hospitals lose power, schools lose power, homes lose power . power, schools lose power, homes lose power. this debate about net zero will become very, very, very , very nasty very, very very, very nasty very, very quickly. so i think this is a grown up move by the prime minister. it's a move i personally welcome as somebody who follows the energy industry very, very closely. but i'd say this tom and emily, what took

him so long. >> no really, really pertinent question there. thank you very much, liam halligan, for that explanation. let's ask now , the explanation. let's ask now, the labour member of parliament, graham stringer, precisely what the labour party's policy is here, because the conservatives are saying we need this gas to avoid blackouts . the labour avoid blackouts. the labour party has so far not really responded in any large way to this and in mean meanwhile, it's labour party policy to have a complete electricity green grid by 2030, implying no gas at all by 2030, implying no gas at all by 2030. that's just not realistic, is it? >> no, it's absolutely not. i think that what we are getting at the moment is , is a dose of at the moment is, is a dose of reality and moving away from a fantasy energy policy. the government have not told us how much net zero will cost in total the technology to produce, net

zero, including reserve energy and batteries, isn't there, as well as, the ability to build nuclear power to give you baseload, isn't there? we have gone too far , too quickly with gone too far, too quickly with renewables. what it has meant is not been a reduction in carbon dioxide . it has meant that, dioxide. it has meant that, industry has moved to china and southeast asia, where even more carbon dioxide is being produced. and our economy has been seriously damaged. so i see this as a first step to moving to a more, objectively based , to a more, objectively based, energy policy. >> so how does keir starmer respond to this then? it's still appears to be a labour policy that they want a completely decarbonised grid by 2030. all power is renewable and green and no fossil fuels at all when it comes to electricity. so what

does keir starmer need to do? because it's quite difficult, isn't it? because there's a huge number green activists within number of green activists within the party would the labour party who would be furious he started talking furious if he started talking about the need for fuels ? about the need for fossil fuels? >> there's a lot of activists within the labour party who care about poor people at the moment, poor people are paying through the nose for the transition that we've made so far, to green , we've made so far, to green, energy, it's paid for, effectively by the poorest people paying it on their energy bills for the extra cost of, producing wind farm farms. give graham stringer, is this you calling on howard? party leader to do. >> is this you calling on keir starmer to. sorry, sorry. graham. stringer. what we are we do have limited time here, is this you calling on sir keir starmer, your own party leader, to ditch his 2030 energy green policy and instead copy rishi sunaks, some might say , u—turn

sunaks, some might say, u—turn today on gas. >> i want him to look at the cost of energy to both industry and to domestic consumers, and make . make. >> oh, no, that's a big shame. we've, run into some turbulence, some turbulence on the turbulence . turbulence. >> there we go. maybe it's wind powered. >> yes, intermittent, but it is a really interesting point, right, that the labour party has committed to this 2030 green electricity strategy. and i don't know a single expert who says it's possible. >> and it's clearly not every labour mp is on board with the ambition anyway. and keir starmer got into quite a lot of trouble with the unions didn't he. some of his trade unions, who are usually backers of the labour oil and labour party over oil and gas jobs , is over, jobs in fossil jobs, is over, jobs in fossil fuels , fossil fuel related fuels, fossil fuel related industries. very difficult because of course, the labour party, huge numbers of very vocal activists on net zero, on green, on climate change and

everything else , rishi sunak everything else, rishi sunak says in the telegraph today that just stop oil are his mates, i don't know about that, but you can see the pressure that's on keir starmer to come up with a with a net zero policy. where will he land, where will he land? >> he's talking about being a realistic government. but frankly hard choices frankly there are hard choices that are going to have to be made. he's talked hard made. and he's talked about hard choices dropping choices in some areas, dropping a of pledges. but there a lot of his pledges. but there are choices on that are hard choices on energy that he not up to, he seems to be not facing up to, especially after he's ditched his £28 billion a year investment plans where are we going to get the energy from if it's not gas? >> well, keep your views coming in gbviews@gbnews.com. do you think a think graham stringer is a rational voice there, do you rational voice there, or do you think is right that think keir starmer is right that you least have an you need to at least have an ambition decarbonise ambition to decarbonise the power ? let us know what power system? let us know what you think. gb views at gb news. >> still to come. there are >> com still to come. there are now people out of work now 4 million people out of work and living on benefits in the uk. one senior conservative mp says they should be conscripted into the army if they repeatedly

refuse work. well, we'll be debating that question after this

i >> -- >> well, we've had a huge amount of talk about the number of people who are out of work on benefits. long tum sickness or so. whether you should. if you've refused a job, you should have to take, you know, the next job that comes your way. yeah. we've got more 4 million we've got more than 4 million people work benefits . people on out of work benefits. >> 1 in 5 adults between the age of 18 and 64 are not in work at all. now, there might be some people who are between the ages of 18 and 64 who've done very well in life, chosen to retire early, chosen to be the primary care giver, are a carer. there are lots of reasons why people might legitimately so little

amount of money labour force you get so you don't get a lot of money for being a carer? no, but there are lots of legitimate reasons why people might not be in the labour there are, in the labour force. there are, however , there has been a spike, however, there has been a spike, a spike in those who are not in employment in the last two years. now, the question is why? and could these some of these people actually be in work with the right policy and with the right incentives? >> yes, because fundamentally you need people in work to pay benefits and to pay for the welfare system. and if it's too imbalanced, then either your government's going to get into even more debt or there simply isn't going to be enough for those very, very those who have very, very legitimate claims for welfare. well, anyway, a senior tory mp has suggested that he's gone quite far to suggest that work shy people should be drafted into the armed forces ease into the armed forces to ease the crisis there. the labour crisis there. >> well, of course we've been discussing those latest figures . discussing those latest figures. almost 4 million people now out of uk and living on

of work in the uk and living on benefits, and that the unemployment rate has risen to 3.9. >> so would it be a wise move if people who turn down multiple jobs are conscripted to the armed forces ? well, robert fox, armed forces? well, robert fox, editor defence editor at the standard, says they should not be in the army. robert, why should they not be? this is, you know, if someone has said no to one, two, three jobs, could this not be a good way of getting them back into some kind of work? >> well, the way you put it and the way mr drax, a senior tory mp, has put it in the telegraph today, it would be a complete pain , it would be a pain all pain, it would be a pain all round because the one group that really doesn't want this is reluctant conscript is the military, because the professional militaries don't like conscripts. national service personnel . anyway, service personnel. anyway, although i think we can argue that a bit further down the

line, they will have to come to some national service scheme. but whether it's conscription or compelled by compulsion, by law , compelled by compulsion, by law, is a really a very open question. and it will be very difficult. it will cause a lot of aggro. it's a political hot potato, and it would be useless because you would get reluctant squaddies who wouldn't be up to doing much, and they would be draining very, very valuable training resources from all three militaries. but i'm sure there can be part time and voluntary schemes to get round it, because the problem of the demographic winter. let's call it what it is by its technical terms of people dropping out of the workforce and not being replaced , it's right across most replaced, it's right across most of the developed world is even hitting china now. and we've got to do something about it. >> but robert fox, isn't this how the navy was built in the 17005? how the navy was built in the 1700s? you had press gangs that

went pub to pub, got the people who'd fallen asleep because of how drunk they'd got, chucked him on a boat , how drunk they'd got, chucked him on a boat, and they woke up somewhere in the mid—atlantic suddenly finding out they're in the navy. that's how this country built . country was built. >> yeah, but they weren't necessarily brits. and you are such terrible , all nostalgic such a terrible, all nostalgic really. know, you're there's really. you know, you're there's nothing. you're your youth. you should look forward. you should be full of the optimism of the will. like me, i'd say we've got a problem. we're going to resolve it. the services have got a problem. how do we fix that ? is a big got a problem. how do we fix that? is a big and very important question. and a very senior general. general sir patrick sanders, current head of the army, not for much longer. got a bit out of order in saying that he thinks the will have to be kind of volunteer, but be some kind of volunteer, but national service scheme and everybody said no, no, no, by the way, they said no, no , no so the way, they said no, no, no so vehemently. you know darn well that they're really thinking about this behind the scenes, that are . but, i'm i'm not

that they are. but, i'm i'm not nostalgic for the, for the navy of trafalgar or the, army of waterloo should be barely brick will be conscripted full of dutch people . go on. yeah. dutch people. go on. yeah. >> oh, robert. >> oh, robert. >> robert. richard drax , he is a >> robert. richard drax, he is a former army captain. he must know a few things . a thing or know a few things. a thing or two about the armed forces and he is talking in particular about the young . so let's say about the young. so let's say we've had a huge spike in the number of people between the age of 18 and 24 who are not in work. surely it wouldn't be. it's not that crazy an idea to think, well, maybe you could be a little bit of use in the armed forces. >> it's an obvious idea and what i'm trying to say in sensible mode , putting it in the way that mode, putting it in the way that richard has done, i mean, he's got a good argument, but it won't work. what i'm trying to do is to find something that does work. and, emily, you're absolutely right, because we're looking at it's actually tom up

to 5 million that are claiming benefit have just dropped out of work. why young people are not going into work that is not a quite old man talking about it, but it is a phenomenon which we're observing across the world. it is a major crisis. well, robert, perhaps, perhaps there's a middle ground here which is instead of conscription , in a much more thorough recruitment process , because so recruitment process, because so many of these people who are not in work will claim anxiety , will in work will claim anxiety, will claim nervousness, will claim perhaps a sense of a lack of knowing what to do with their lives in the army. >> the army can be something that really does change people, does make people who they are . does make people who they are. >> oh, you're such a brainbox you've got way ahead in the argument . and i'm absolutely argument. and i'm absolutely with this. it's with you, tom, on this. but it's a change of mindset that we need because this has been noted, as i said, something like, we're going to lose between now or

just, at the beginning in a decade , 2.7 million from decade, 2.7 million from a workforce not being replaced, coming up for retirement, we've got to find out. we have some pretty good ideas why this has happened. and there's a thing that goes very much with what you have just been proposing and explaining , you have just been proposing and explaining, is why young people do not want to expose themselves to ridicule, to worry, to anxiety by going into public service, because this is right across the piece, whether it, the civil service or the other aspects of the security service, i'm sure that the police are having quite a tough time. and, and it is certainly a problem with the military. there's something wrong about the way the military is setting out its stall. can i just finish with the very strong point that you made? and this is i know is what they're looking at. this qualified almost a scholarship thing. in for a it would be thing. come in for a it would be i think it would have to be a

year but it come in for ten months service of various kinds and we will give you we'll pay you a basic wage, but we will give you a bounty. we'll give you we will offer you a scholarship. we will offer you a scholarship. we will offer you . that's the you some training. that's the norwegian but the trouble you some training. that's the n(that]ian but the trouble you some training. that's the n(that the but the trouble you some training. that's the n(that the norwegian: the trouble you some training. that's the n(that the norwegian military|ble is that the norwegian military and their military, their international police force, the people who guard you, the front is a very high quality, the chief of the norwegian army was saying to a friend of mine the other day. the trouble is, they come in on a voluntary basis. are it? are they really rather like it? and rid of our volunteer. >> we can't have too many. >> we can't have too many. >> there you go . >> there you go. >> there you go. >> absolutely pertinent at the moment and the total moment is finland and the total defence concept that they call it, we call it comprehensive defence. i know we have been looking at it. get people in, but make sure that there's a sense of purpose behind it. so you've got some military or pubuc you've got some military or public service. it doesn't necessarily have to be military experience training in your back pocket and worry. >> robert, sometimes that, young people don't have a strong enough sense of national pride

to even want to join the armed forces. they may ideologically be against the whole thing. obviously, i don't to obviously, i don't want to generalise, but i mean, if you look at what a of young look at what a lot of young people to think , perhaps people seem to think, perhaps they wouldn't be willing to fight country. fight for their country. but we'll end there we'll have to end it. there >> i have say, sounds that >> i have to say, it sounds that i'm with team tom this i'm all with team tom this afternoon, i have afternoon, but because i have difficulty, and don't think that cynical reasons with the national pride. i've been with fighting armies when they were fighting armies when they were fighting and when the when the chips were down. i don't think, you know, second battalion, parachute regiment, which really actually turned the falklands campaign at goose green. it was a battle they should have lost and they just kept going and they kept going because of each other and because they hadn't espnt. other and because they hadn't esprit . they an elite esprit. they were an elite outfit going . outfit and they kept going. >> it's the unity of purpose, the camaraderie, all of the things that the army offers. absolutely, thanks, absolutely, robert. thanks, folks. much for folks. thank you so much for talking us through that. i talking us through that. and i might have to take back might i might have to take back my of press ganging, my advocacy of press ganging, which is crossing

which lee anderson is crossing the floor. >> so we'll bring you the very latest after the headlines. >> tom. emily. thank you very much. good afternoon. from the newsroom. 133 our top story this half hour , 1000 people have now half hour, 1000 people have now joined the reform uk party. that's just yesterday, after lee anderson's defection from the tories. party leader richard tice has told gb news that it's proof of mr anderson's popularity among red wall voters. the former tory deputy chairman was stripped of the conservative whip last month over his refusal to apologise for saying that islamists had got control of the london mayor well, a spokesperson for the prime minister says comments made by tory donor frank hester about diane abbott were clearly unacceptable, but declined to say whether they were racist. frank hester reportedly said the former labour mp made him want

to hate all black women , and to hate all black women, and that she should be shot. he admitted making those rude comments, but insists they had nothing to do with the colour of her skin. miss abbott, who's now an independent mp, has described the comments as frightening and worrying that she hopes worrying and says that she hopes for public support from sir keir starmer. mr hester, who starmer. well, mr hester, who donated £10 million to the tories last year, has said he is deeply sorry , adding that he's deeply sorry, adding that he's telephoned miss abbott to apologise for the hurt that he has caused . new gas power plants has caused. new gas power plants will be built to protect britain's energy security, despite concerns over the potential impact on climate change, the government says the new stations are needed to avert what ministers have described as the genuine prospect of blackouts and to provide a backup for the growing electric economy. it's understood they'll replace existing facilities, many of which are old and due to be retired. the prime minister has insisted the uk's net zero plan is still on track, but he

says it must be met in a sustainable way. labour has said it supports the new plans, but shadow energy secretary ed miliband accuses the government of failing on its energy policies , leading to policies, leading to skyrocketing bills . those are skyrocketing bills. those are the headlines. plenty more to come with tom and emily. in the meantime, you can sign up to gb news alerts. just scan the code there on your screen or go to gb news. common alerts

i >> -- >> good afternoon. britain. it's 1:38. and joining us now with some breaking news is gb news political editor , christopher political editor, christopher hope. and christopher, we have seen lee anderson now on the opposition benches of the house of commons. >> that's right. tom and emily.

and hi again . this is what you and hi again. this is what you have in politics is symbolic moments , but little more than moments, but little more than that. but just 1:30 pm. today, lee anderson mp, the new mp for reform uk, entered the commons chamber and found his seat next to george galloway , who of to george galloway, who of course is the newly elected mp for the workers party of britain. he sat with him for 5 or 6 minutes and then left, on their way out, lee anderson tells gb news that george galloway shook his hand and wished him all the best again. history made here. the first mp we've seen here for reform uk in the building behind me in parliament. simple moment, no big fireworks. but it's happened. he's crossed the floor. lee anderson, he's now the reform uk mp . the reform uk mp. >> he sat next to george galloway . galloway. >> yes. i mean i guess in that corner you've got the other independent mps together george

galloway mp, other mps who maybe have lost the whip, but he's now got his own party sitting behind the snp, the liberal democrats, the snp, the liberal democrats, the dup and others. so he's found his spot. he's left there. he's no longer sitting there. of course, he was in action earlier today on the home affairs select committee, grilling, some clergymen about home affairs and immigration, doing the work that way. but the symbolic moment, the literal crossing the floor has happened. george galloway galloway has crossed the floor and sat with the with with. sorry. lee anderson has crossed the floor to sit with george galloway in the today. galloway in the commons today. >> almost >> it's interesting. it's almost like the naughty like he's sitting in the naughty corner right at the back row next to george galloway. jeremy corbyn sometimes sits around that area as well. maybe he'd have been better advised to sit somewhere a bit more central. but he's right there in the far corner at the back, it's an interesting choice . interesting choice. >> yeah, and that's where they all sit, because they can't really go anywhere towards the

speaken really go anywhere towards the speaker. those are all the labour benches . you are stuck in labour benches. you are stuck in that corner of the house of commons, the furthest commons, almost the furthest point the speaker, point away from the speaker, because we live in this two party system, system isn't party system, the system isn't set independent mps. and set up for independent mps. and when you become one or mp in when you become one or an mp in a smaller party, you're pushed to the outer limit. outer to the outer limit. the outer limits of the commons chamber. and that's where he's sitting. but i'm pretty certain by convention, yes, sir. >> anderson could have sat >> lee anderson could have sat where the dup sometimes sit. he could have plonked himself next to an snp. er, he could have in those sort of secondary benches. he could have sort of sat a little closer to the speaker little bit closer to the speaker if he wanted to. >> well, of course all of the house of commons is done by convention. there's no boss in the house of commons. the speaker is elected a fellow speaker is elected as a fellow mp. own mp. they policed their own behaviour. he's chosen not to pick fight here with house of pick a fight here with house of commons authorities. he may be resting on his laurels. yesterday thousand yesterday a thousand people joined , the lee joined reform uk, the lee anderson effect taking hold. we'll see if it's long tum yet, but for now, lee anderson is

taking a seat on the commons benches as reform uk mp and, lee anderson has been very vocal at the home affairs select committee, often asking some tough questions in there. >> will he be able to keep that job? >> that's a very, very good question, emily. i think he does. but of course, those places on the committees are divided up according to majority in the house of commons, and they're carved up with the whips. it's probably unlikely that the whips want to lose someone who is quite aligned with tory party policy, even though he isn't actually a tory mp anymore. from that delicate balance on the home affairs committee, i imagine he'll stay there. but these are things which will play out. he may be forced to move offices in the house of commons. he may be moved siberia in terms moved to outer siberia in terms of the commons, and moved some way the commons way away from the commons chamber . way away from the commons chamber. there's all sorts of ways which establishment get ways which establishment can get his own back on, on a naughty mp like lee anderson for leaving. >> and christopher, will you be

able wait see? able to wait and see? >> , sorry. >> oh, sorry. >> oh, sorry. >> he be able to, speak as >> will he be able to, speak as much the house of commons? much in the house of commons? will be called will will he be called upon or will he be? will it be far harder for him to get heard ? him to get heard? >> well, certainly in the set piece , votes you might find piece, votes you might find a debate like like pmqs. you might find it harder. but if you're bobbing and if you're known to have an interest that's standing up and in the house of up and down in the house of commons want to get commons and show you want to get in, he he'll be picked by in, he can. he'll be picked by the or deputy the speaker or the deputy speaker who's presiding over the debate. their debate. or they can put their name hat for, home name into the hat for, home affairs questions. he'll the speaker generally try to select people he knows has an expertise in an area . so on immigration in an area. so on immigration and that kind of thing, he'll be selected. i that won't selected. i think that won't that won't matter. but of course, emily and course, what you miss emily and tom, have none of his team tom, he'll have none of his team around so when he's around him. so when he's speaking, mps in all the speaking, other mps in all the other parties will talking, other parties will be talking, chatting, to ignore him chatting, feigning to ignore him because that's how it works in the commons. when you leave one of you're out the commons. when you leave one of the you're out the commons. when you leave one of the cold. you're out in the cold. >> very interesting indeed to

see how it goes , yes. see how it goes, yes. >> no. well, thank you very much, christopher. hope for talking us through that momentous moment again. symbolic. lee anderson has crossed the floor from the conservative benches to those opposition benches. he's chosen pretty much the furthest back spot in the house of commons in the corner, right in that little corner. >> but in other news, is it time to bring back boris johnson? there have been reports that the former prime minister could make a election a dramatic general election comeback. are people ready for it

? well, it is 7 well, it is 147 in the afternoon. and a major conservative party donor says he is deeply sorry after reportedly saying labour mp diane abbott made him want to hate all black women and that she should be

shot. >> well, the former or sorry, the current tory donor, frank hester, has admitted making rude comments but said they had nothing to do with her gender nor the colour of her skin. of course , there is no audio of course, there is no audio of these comments that has been published . we just have an published. we just have an account from the guardian newspaper. but let's discuss . newspaper. but let's discuss. >> there is absolutely no denial. >> well, there's a denial that those were the precise words. well, not there's not well, there's not there's not a denial, there's not an denial, but there's not an acceptance that those were the words he used. >> well, speak to gb >> okay. well, let's speak to gb news correspondent news political correspondent katherine out katherine forster to find out more. catherine where are we with this? we've diane, with this? we've seen diane, diane speak out about diane abbott speak out about these comments. she certainly sees them to be racist. we've seen conservative mps also on the airwaves, saying the remarks are racist , but the the airwaves, saying the remarks are racist, but the man himself is not racist. there's been a lot of talk about this. where do we stand at the moment? >> yes. well, rishi sunak would like us to be talking about the budget, instead of which, of

course, we're all talking about lee anderson and this tory donon lee anderson and this tory donor. these comments that have been run in the guardian allegedly made back in 2019, in allegedly made back in 2019, in a meeting in which he said that seeing diane abbott on television made him want to hate all black women, he'd also allegedly said, i don't hate all black women at all. but when i see her, it makes me feel like that and that she should should be shot. now, i think it's worth saying he hasn't denied making these comments. he's admitted that he made comments which he says were rude . he's picked up says were rude. he's picked up the phone today directly to diane abbott to apologise directly for the hurt he has caused her, the statement put out by him went on to say that he was in no way racist or misogynist, but of course, a lot of people will look at those comments and said, well, you mentioned the fact that she was black. mentioned fact black. you mentioned the fact that woman. your that she was a woman. your highlight saying things,

highlight saying these things, therefore these things clearly do matter. now, this is very embarrassing for the government indeed, because this is a big tory donor. he's given £10 million to the conservative party last year , his company, party last year, his company, the phoenix partnership, has been awarded some £400 million of government contracts to do with the nhs because they, basically manage 60 million people's uk health records. so this is a big deal. it's the first time that he's given to the party because apparently he likes rishi sunak's approach on artificial intelligence. but of course, labour and the lib dems saying these comments are atrocious and that fundamentally the conservative party should hand that money back. now, beanng hand that money back. now, bearing in mind that we're in an election year, bearing in mind that the conservatives last year got £48 million in donations and

labour 31 million, this £10 million that he's given is a very big chunk of money. so i don't think we should hold our breath at for , all for this breath at for, all for this money being returned. but clearly the conservatives would love everyone to stop talking about this , labour and the lib about this, labour and the lib dems spy an opportunity, and i don't think this row is going away any time soon. >> no. perhaps not, of course, because, catherine, today is tuesday and tomorrow at 12:00 in the house of commons is an ample opportunity for keir starmer to twist the knife . twist the knife. >> yes, exactly. and i have no doubt that he will raise it as one of his six questions. i mean some in the conservatives saying but of course, look at what keir starmer did with azhar ali, the disgraced parliamentary candidate for rochdale. you know, they spent a couple of days defending him before they withdrew the weapon . and look at

withdrew the weapon. and look at what they did. and it's all rather unedifying. pointing to another party's bad behaviour here, but yeah, you can see why this has caused a big, big row and really more news that rishi sunak just does not need. >> and of course rishi sunak took a strong stance when it came to lee anderson and accusations of islamophobia here, so then to continue here, there. so then to continue to accept money this to accept this money from this tory donor said something tory donor who said something that people would that i think most people would agree , at least as how agree is racist, at least as how we've it anyway, the we've read it anyway, in the guardian , then, you know, does guardian, then, you know, does he have to take a similar stance? thank you very much. katherine news katherine forster. our gb news political correspondent, now reports suggest that boris johnson could a general johnson could make a general election for the election comeback for the tories, with the former prime minister expected to campaign for the conservatives in red wall seats. >> although not standing one himself. >> yes, he wants to take the fight to keir starmer. >> yes, he wants to take the fight to keir starmer . so gb fight to keir starmer. so gb news east midlands reporter will hollis has been in bassetlaw asking locals whether want asking locals whether they want to make a comeback . to see boris make a comeback. >> i actually used to like boris johnson but he let me down with

covid and so therefore i won't be voting conservative anymore. i did do, but not anymore. >> not for me and anybody else here. >> because from all from , from >> because from all from, from day one, he's been a liar all along. don't vote for him . stick along. don't vote for him. stick with labour. >> like johnson , to be >> i like boris johnson, to be honest with you, and i think it could do with a boost for conservatives. i've always been a labour voter, but, no, i went to conservative and said he said i think, especially brendan clarke has done more for worksop and the surrounding area than a lot have done. not everything's perfect, but, you know, they've they've come a long way . and i they've come a long way. and i think it achieved a lot to be honest. >> personally , not for me. >> personally, not for me. >> personally, not for me. >> no, no, he's not done anything to make any arrangements to make this town better . better. >> it's still you can see how dismal it is , no, because of, dismal it is, no, because of, when he was in charge at

conservative party. all he thought about was, is the upper class, not the working class, because it would telling everybody to stay at home during covid. and what did he do ? he covid. and what did he do? he had a house . party. had a house. party. >> well, there you go. the views of the people of bassetlaw. not so keen , telling people to stay so keen, telling people to stay at home. >> there's no suggestion you didn't stay at home. well no, but guess a mixed but i guess there's a mixed reviews boris johnson reviews on whether boris johnson should comeback. should make a comeback. >> idea is that >> i guess the idea is that he'll red wall voters >> i guess the idea is that he' more red wall voters >> i guess the idea is that he' more rishi wall voters >> i guess the idea is that he' more rishi sunak,»ters >> i guess the idea is that he' more rishi sunak, so s far more than rishi sunak, so if they him up there, then they can use him up there, then maybe he'll help them out. and i think want david think they want to get david cameron to campaign the in cameron to campaign in the in the in the shires, the blue wall in the shires, because he goes down well. >> they're boris >> they're allies of boris johnson pouring cold johnson have been pouring cold water on this report of course nadine tweeting earlier nadine dorries tweeting earlier today that, rishi and boris actually haven't spoken in the last year, although when i asked bofis last year, although when i asked boris johnson office, they , they boris johnson office, they, they wouldn't confirm that. >> well coming criminals will >> well coming up criminals will be up to two months

be released up to two months early space early to free up space in crammed jails. are they making the safe ? the public are less safe? >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb news. >> hello again! here's your latest gb news, weather forecast brought to you by the met office. more rains to come as we go through the next few days, especially in the northwest. but it be mild , albeit it is going to be mild, albeit also windy because we have an area low pressure developing area of low pressure developing currently to the wards, the northwest that is then northwest of the uk that is then dragging in our air from the southwest, which is mild southwest, which is a mild direction, but it is dragging some pretty cloudy into , some pretty cloudy air into, which is why it's a cloudy picture and staying cloudy as we go the evening go through the evening and overnight. drizzly overnight. a few drizzly outbreaks wales , outbreaks for england and wales, but across scotland northern but across scotland and northern ireland. some ireland. here we have some heavy, rain pushing heavy, persistent rain pushing its way in and that will reach the of and the far north of england and wales on. it is going wales later on. two it is going to a mild night, temperatures

to be a mild night, temperatures not for of not dropping for many of us, perhaps something bit perhaps something a little bit fresher towards the fresher pushing in towards the far north the uk. that band far north of the uk. that band of then edges a little bit of rain then edges a little bit further southwards as go further southwards as we go through it doesn't through tomorrow. but it doesn't make progress, it make any quick progress, so it is to and stall is going to linger and stall across parts of northern england, northern central wales, to this mostly dry to the south of this mostly dry across much of central southern england could be some england and wales could be some brightness, particularly towards the and here temperatures the east, and here temperatures should get to highs of around 15 or celsius, a little bit or 16 celsius, a little bit colder than this across northern parts, but a greater chance of seeing skies . parts, but a greater chance of seeing skies. but seeing some sunny skies. but watch strong winds, watch out for the strong winds, especially north. especially in the far north. risk of gales here as we go through later on tomorrow. that band rain a little bit band of rain edges a little bit further again pushes further northwards again pushes into parts of scotland, staying dner into parts of scotland, staying drier but drier towards the south. but more rain as we go more rain to come as we go through the end of the week, albeit looking albeit friday is looking more showery saturday should albeit friday is looking more show mostly saturday should albeit friday is looking more show mostly dry. eray should albeit friday is looking more show mostly dry. that should albeit friday is looking more show mostly dry. that warm d start mostly dry. that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers

gb news. >> good afternoon. britain. it's 2:00 on wednesday, the 12th of march. >> it's actually tuesday, the 12th of march. anyway prison release criminals will be released up to two months early in a desperate bid to free up space in cramped jails. are our packed prisons putting the pubuc packed prisons putting the public at risk? >> anderson, in opposition . the >> anderson, in opposition. the ashfield mp, who defected from the tories, has crossed the floor in the commons to sit with opposition mps. who's that next to him? none other than george galloway . we'll get reaction and galloway. we'll get reaction and a race row over a tory donors comments about diane abbott. >> he said she made him want to hate all black women and that she should be shot. his apology is certainly not accepted by the labour leader, keir starmer , nor labour leader, keir starmer, nor diane abbott.

what do you think the conservatives are going to do? >> it's a really tough one. £10 million is a lot of money, a lot of money, and it was donated in the past . the comments were made the past. the comments were made in the past. it's not as if the tories have it sitting in a war chest that they can hand back necessarily. this will be money that could have been spent already . it's a really difficult already. it's a really difficult position for rishi sunak be position for rishi sunak to be in, especially for when it gets to wednesday, when it gets to midday. prime minister's questions it's very clear that rishi, that keir starmer will ask on this again and again and again. what are you going to do with the money? it's i mean many people, many people despise diane politics, but the diane abbott's politics, but the comments that she makes him want to hate all black women, i mean, thatis to hate all black women, i mean, that is cut and dry. >> racism , is it not? and if >> racism, is it not? and if you're going to suspend the whip from lee anderson for allegedly islamophobe comments, then that puts rishi sunak in the position

to say, well, hang on, i can't accept this money. >> she didn't he didn't say he hated her because she was black. well, he said she said, he said, he said he hated her and then made her gross extrapolation made her gross extrapolation made him made him just want to hate all black women. >> i mean, that is a horrible , >> i mean, that is a horrible, nasty thing to say. >> it's a horrible thing to say. absolutely. it's vile . but he's absolutely. it's vile. but he's not saying he hates diane abbott because she's black. well i think you could. >> you could you could infer that if you base if you base how you feel about black women on the case of diane abbott. but you're missing out. >> you are a racist. you're missing out a bit of a quote there. which was he then went on to i don't hate all black to say, i don't hate all black women. to say, i don't hate all black worwell, think that >> well, i don't think that someone a position such as someone in a position such as his should say something like that. disgusting. that. of course he's disgusting. >> course he shouldn't say >> of course he shouldn't say it. course he's a thing it. of course he's a vile thing to and who says that to say. and anyone who says that anyone should be anyone in politics should be shot, frankly, shouldn't shot, quite frankly, shouldn't be talking about politics, shouldn't be involved in politics, honest, politics, to be honest, a awful

thing but let's not mix thing to say. but let's not mix two things he say he two things up. he didn't say he hated diane abbott because she's black. >> no, i didn't say that. he did . but i can completely understand abbott has understand why diane abbott has said comments are said these comments are frightening. yes, i mean terrifying. >> yeah. quite right . and >> yeah. no. quite right. and two mps have been killed in recent , anyone who does recent years, anyone who does get some of the worst trolling, she does anyone who talks about mps being shot really should step back. >> out of politics, go get >> step out of politics, go get a life. >> t- t— a life. >> anyway, let's get the >> well, anyway, let's get the headunes. headlines. >> tom. emily, thanks very much. good afternoon from the newsroom. it'sjust good afternoon from the newsroom. it's just gone 2:00, and we start with a recap of the news that lee anderson has in the last half hour, made his first in the commons first appearance in the commons since to reform uk, since defecting to reform uk, sitting on the opposition benches next to george galloway. if you're watching on tv, you should be able to see here just about make out in the top right hand corner of your screen. the ashfield mp there, arrived ashfield mp there, who arrived in the chamber during the fourth

day of debate on the budget, the former deputy chairman of the conservatives that conservatives told gb news that he's not heard from the prime minister he announced his minister since he announced his defection . since then, 1000 defection. since then, 1000 people reform. the people have joined reform. the party leader, richard tice, says it's proof of anderson's popularity among red wall voters. well, it comes after anderson was stripped of the conservative whip last month over his refusal to apologise for saying that islamists had got control of the london mayor. government minister esther mcvey says she is disappointed and surprised by mr anderson's decision after he campaigned for jeremy corbyn in 2017. >> in effect, he is now gone full circle and he'll be campaigning for keir starmer because, i mean, even he said a vote for reform is a vote for laboun vote for reform is a vote for labour. so i've clearly misjudged him . misjudged him. >> well, a spokesperson for the prime minister says that comments made by former tory donor frank hester about diane abbott were clearly unacceptable, but declined to

say whether they were racist. frank hester reportedly said the former labour mp made him want to hate all black women , and to hate all black women, and that she should be shot. he admitted making rude comments, but insists they had nothing to do with the colour of her skin . do with the colour of her skin. miss abbott, who's now an independent has described independent mp, has described the comments as frightening and worrying and she hopes for worrying and says she hopes for pubuc worrying and says she hopes for public support from sir keir starmer. hester , who donated starmer. mr hester, who donated £10 million to the tories last yean £10 million to the tories last year, has said he is deeply sorry, adding that he has now telephoned miss abbott to apologise for the he has apologise for the hurt he has caused . new gas power plants caused. new gas power plants will be built in the uk to protect energy security, despite concerns over the potential impact on climate change, the government says new stations are needed to avert what ministers have described as the genuine prospect of blackouts and provide a backup for the growing electric economy. it's understood they will replace existing facilities, many of which are old and due to be

retired. the prime minister insists the uk's net zero plan is still on track, but he says it must be met in a sustainable way. meanwhile, labour has said it does support the plans. but shadow energy secretary ed miliband has accused the government of failing on its energy leading to energy policies, leading to skyrocketing . some skyrocketing bills. some criminals will be released early because of a lack of space in overcrowded prisons. it means prisoners serving sentences of less than four years could be let out early. labour says the move is completely unacceptable and vowed to build new prisons if it wins the general election. however, the justice secretary says it's just a temporary measure which is needed to alleviate unsustainable pressure on the prison system . andrew on the prison system. andrew tate has appeared in a romanian court this afternoon after he was arrested on a uk warrant, which could see him extradited here to the uk to face trial . it here to the uk to face trial. it comes after lawyers representing four of his accusers informed british police that he was planning to flee the country. tate and his brother tristan are

accused of committing sexual offences between 2012 and 2015, allegations they have both rejected. the 37 and 35 year olds are also facing rape and human trafficking charges in romania, where they both currently live. they have also denied those charges . one of denied those charges. one of britain's most advanced warships is heading back to the red sea to protect global shipping from houthi attacks . hms diamond houthi attacks. hms diamond joins the joint patrols just days after the uk and its allies successfully repelled a massive drone and missile attack by the iranian backed militants . the uk iranian backed militants. the uk has joined international efforts to protect the important shipping route that was in february. the deployment is part of a broader response to the ongoing attacks, which also includes intercepting the smuggling of weapons into yemen . smuggling of weapons into yemen. and finally, more than 20 snakes, including a massive 17 foot constrictor just over five metres long, have been found deadin metres long, have been found dead in wales , discarded in

dead in wales, discarded in boxes, bin bags and pillowcases. the rspca is urgently appealing for information after the discovery was made along the road in pembrokeshire . inspector road in pembrokeshire. inspector keith hogben says it's one of the worst cases he's seen in his 25 year career. post—mortem examination are currently being arranged and the animal welfare charity says it's actively investigating where the animals came from . for more, you can came from. for more, you can sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the code on your screen or if you're listening on radio, you can go to gb news. common alerts. now, though, it's back to tom and . emily. to tom and. emily. >> good afternoon britain. it's 2:08, and earlier today the house of commons heard sensational testimony from a former priest speaking to the home affairs select committee about the scandal of fake conversions within the church of england, allowing asylum seekers entry into the uk. let's take a

listen . listen. >> press the pause button on the process. i honoured the baptisms that were or the baptism requests that were already in the system. but then you spot a pattern and then you think, hang on, there's something going on here, then you, you try to here, and then you, you try to press a pause button, which is to make sure that people are requested to come to church and start getting involved and attending church regularly. events and so on. and that was the thing that kind of made the numbers fall off a cliff in a sense, because those people kind of melted away, really . of melted away, really. >> that was the former priest for darlington, matthew firth. but sitting in the home affairs committee committee is the conservative party deputy chairman, james daly. you were there. you were watching that exchange . you were questioning exchange. you were questioning these people. it's scandal, these people. it's a scandal, isn't it? >> i thought it was a very cunous >> i thought it was a very curious father who was a very compelling witness. >> his evidence, which he gave

quite some time ago through a newspaper interview , was that newspaper interview, was that every 6 or 7. sorry, every every 2 or 3 weeks, 6 or 7 people would come with a certain individual to his parish in darlington, and that certain individual would say to him, that i need these people baptising very quickly, quite rightly, for the first response to that was, no, i'm not doing that. and if you want to continue on your path towards baptism, you have to involve yourself life of yourself in the life of the church. evidence, then, church. his evidence, then, was that they when, when he put that when they when, when he put that when they when, when he put that to them, is the that to them, which is the normal process somebody , normal process of somebody, being baptised in church of being baptised in the church of england, . and england, they disappeared. and that was that. and that was his first hand evidence. now there was, the ex bishop of durham, tom, some rather strange tom, gave some rather strange comments. i thought, in respect of , what father firth said comments. i thought, in respect of, what father firth said some time ago . and i think he's very, time ago. and i think he's very, very disappointing. the church of england have taken this attitude to somebody who is mean, doing his job mean, who is doing his job properly and is just reporting concerns that he has, have the

church of england not indicated that they're undergo an that they're going to undergo an internal investigation? >> i know to begin with, the response seemed to be, it's not our fault, it's the home office's fault. any problems with system? are they with our asylum system? are they now accepting now actually accepting that things gone wrong? because things have gone wrong? because there are clearly whistleblowers within who within the system who are saying, something's not saying, hang on, something's not right . right. >> emily. they completely taken the reverse pitch position. to that. i asked the bishop of guildford, who gave evidence to the committee, what were the actions that, that the bishop and her colleagues were going to take in terms of what father firth had told the committee came not very came back the answer not very much whatsoever. so it was extremely concerning. and there were two different things which were two different things which were conflated in this conversation was the amount of people that had been baptised by father firth, which was in line with duties compared to with his duties compared to these who appear on the these people who appear on the evidence. committee evidence. the select committee heard be going around heard to be going around different parishes asking priests to , in an organised priests to, in an organised manner to baptise them , to allow

manner to baptise them, to allow them to, to, as part of their asylum claim. father firth went further in terms of a question for one of my colleagues, saying that to the best of his knowledge, people who knowledge, the people who were coming to this coming and asking him to do this were actually home of the were actually in the home of the home process. so home office appeal process. so they already in the asylum they were already in the asylum process. they were going through an appeal , process. they were going through an appeal, and these were the people that were every 2 people that were coming every 2 to 3 weeks. >> james daly it's really, >> no james daly it's really, really a scandal. you really a scandal. but you mentioned colleague mentioned what your colleague said select said around that, select committee. one of your colleagues who is another member of the home affairs select committee, is no longer a conservative of yours . conservative colleague of yours. i'm, of course, talking about lee anderson, who is now sitting as a reform mp . you were as a reform mp. you were sitting, around the same table as him this morning. he's been making comments about free speech, saying there's no free speech, saying there's no free speech in the conservative party. how do you answer that charge ? well, this is very charge? well, this is very difficult for me, tom, because i

think, as you know, that lee is a friend of mine and has been a friend of mine for many, many years. but the idea, based upon lee's last four years in parliament, that the conservative imposing conservative party were imposing restrictions speech is restrictions on free speech is ludicrous joke. lee has ludicrous and a joke. lee has been able to say whatever he felt is appropriate to say , and felt is appropriate to say, and so i'm just very saddened this, you know, i would still consider lee a friend of mine. we've stood on the barricades together. we voted together for four stood on the same four years, we stood on the same platform. he's come and supported on two separate supported me on two separate occasions in barrie, to occasions in barrie, coming to do raise money for my do events to raise money for my campaign. i've played in his charity cricket match. the last conversation probably we was conversation probably we had was talking me coming down in talking about me coming down in the summer to play in a charity cricket so i don't know cricket match, so i don't know what this new lee anderson is. that's from old that's different from the old lee but it lee anderson, but it's it certainly seems to be the same one that i've known all one that i've known for all these years. >> i must ask you to, james, >> and i must ask you to, james, about hester, the tory about frank hester, the tory donor demands that the conservative party give back the £10 million he's given to the

party because of these comments, which most people would deem racist about diane abbott. that she makes you want to hate all black women, and she should be shot, this is what's being reported in the guardian , what reported in the guardian, what does the conservative party do now? what do you think? the comments were racist. and should the money be given back ? the money be given back? >> the comments were clearly unacceptable . that's been unacceptable. that's been recognised by mr hester. he has apologised, which clearly he should do, he has said in his apology which he was the person present, he was the one saying the words that , he didn't make the words that, he didn't make mean to make reference specifically to diane's, background, her skin colour, or the fact that she was a female. now people will take whatever view that they want in respect of what very clear of that. what i am very clear on, taken the correct , on, he's taken the correct, course action in apologising course of action in apologising completely comments . completely for those comments. and to me, you've talked about the affairs select the home affairs select committee. a much committee. diane is a much valued the home valued member of the home affairs she's affairs select committee. she's a in politics. she a trailblazer in politics. she has been an important part of

our in our political life in this country for the 30 years. country for the last 30 years. approximately. i think that she is a, a powerhouse within parliament, a person full of energy, verve and ideas. and i'm very glad that mr hester has apologised. >> james, we can all see what mr hester said was, was was rude and wrong. he didn't admit that it was racist. you're not saying it was racist. you're not saying it racist . people might be it was racist. people might be taking different views on that, but does seem a little odd but it does seem a little odd that everyone's now saying diane abbott a is a wonderful abbott is a is a wonderful addition to parliament, a trailblazer when this is someone who from or had the who was expelled from or had the whip the labour whip removed from the labour party racism . party for racism. >> well, they they can i can i put it this way, tom, that my experience of diane abbott if we if we get down to a debate getting back to my friend lee, we can debate about the words that say on certain that people say on certain occasions . and, sometimes occasions. and, and sometimes action whatever action has to be taken, whatever that and i'm sure the action that is. and i'm sure the action that is. and i'm sure the action that was taken by labour that was taken by the labour party respect to diane was party in respect to diane was justified. is the

justified. but this is the difference. know difference. when you know somebody, spend lot somebody, when you spend a lot of them, when go of time with them, when you go on select committee on home affairs select committee trips abroad investigating really important issues, you get to you get to to know people and you get to know the character of what they are. anderson, i think, are. lee anderson, i think, would that. used would accept that. he used clumsy very least clumsy words at the very least when he said what he said that led to his whip being withdrawn. that doesn't away from the that doesn't take away from the fact known him fact that i've known him intimately years, and intimately for four years, and that to jump in. that he's sorry to jump in. >> a thread >> is there a thread here between of these stories? between all of these stories? lee something . you lee anderson said something. you don't think that he's racist? he might used wrong words, don't think that he's racist? he migh'clumsy sed wrong words, don't think that he's racist? he migh'clumsy with wrong words, don't think that he's racist? he migh'clumsy with his nrong words, don't think that he's racist? he migh'clumsy with his language.is, been clumsy with his language. diane wrote diane abbott when she wrote about people and was about jewish people and was removed, had the labour whip removed, had the labour whip removed her after that removed from her after that instance? you say you know her as a person , perhaps that's not as a person, perhaps that's not what she meant, but the way she expressed it was widely seen to be anti—semitic. again , with be anti—semitic. and again, with this conservative donor, perhaps the way that he expressed his words has been widely seen to be racist. but he wasn't perhaps attacking diane abbott for the colour of her skin. in his view, are these just three incidences

here of poor communication? >> what i'm saying to you, tom, is that people these all those three individuals that you've you have , mentioned that we've you have, mentioned that we've been talking about have said things now. mr certainly. mr hester has given a full and frank apology, and i fully support that. what he said was not acceptable in terms of diane, the labour party took appropriate action against the comments that she said , all i am comments that she said, all i am trying to say to you, is that we're all i'm, i'm going to be an old man. now, my life is not only defined by certain phrases and certain things that i say, and certain things that i say, and i just think that we should take a rounded view of the contribution that people make to this country and to society, and not judge them solely on one comment. and if that person who made that comment , i think mr made that comment, i think mr hester made it two years ago, can give a full and frank apology and recognise what he said incorrect, i will said was incorrect, i will accept that.

>> yeah, i'm not sure if i was running a political party, i'd want to take from someone want to take money from someone who at diane who said, looking at diane abbott makes you want to hate all black women. think that is all black women. i think that is clearly a racist comment in my opinion, but james, lastly, bofis opinion, but james, lastly, boris johnson back in the papers, i think it was the front page of the times this morning. rishi sunak apparently thinking about bringing back and about bringing him back and using him to help back some using him to help win back some red what do you make red wall votes. what do you make of ? of that? >> well, boris is never out of the papers , and the only thing the papers, and the only thing that the thing that concerns me more than anything else is that we have a prime minister with a vision and a plan to win the next general election. and getting to my, my good getting back to my, my good friend lee won. probably the only thing that that with his choice that he's made in the last few days is i will last few days is that i will support anything that that defeats defeats defeats socialism, that defeats the labour party. lee appears to have made a choice, which is a vote for reform. is a vote for keir starmer. >> daly , thank you >> well, james daly, thank you very much for joining >> well, james daly, thank you

very much forjoining us here. deputy chairman of the conservative of on conservative party of course, on that subjects. that array of subjects. but still come much more on that still to come much more on that claim from a former priest that there's a conveyor belt of christian conversions to help asylum seekers here remain in the uk. you're watching good afternoon britain on .

gb views. good afternoon. britain. it's 2:22. and the government have denied industrial abuses in system of granting asylum. >> yes. this comes amid questioning over the role of conversions to christianity to win asylum claims in the uk. and comments from former home secretary suella braverman that there abuses , abuses in the system. >> while joining us now to discuss this is our home and security editor, mark white. mark, are some pretty mark, these are some pretty damning allegations .

damning allegations. >> yeah, pretty sobering assessment from former parish priest at st cuthbert's church in darlington. he was there between 2018 and 2020, and reverend matthew firth told the home affairs committee today that he became very suspicious indeed, that there was effectively a conveyor belt of asylum seekers being brought to his church looking for conversion to christianity and his suspicion being that that was in place really to try to aid and strengthen their applications for asylum. this is what he told the committee week in, week out. >> you know, significant groups of mainly iranian and syrian young male asylum seekers were being brought to me in in sizeable cohorts , to at a time sizeable cohorts, to at a time sort of, you know, 6 or 7 people brought to me, by, you know,

people saying that these need baptism, these these people need baptism, these these people need baptism . baptism. >> and reverend firth said that what he did to try to get to grip with this issue was that he stressed to those that wanted to convert to christianity, that they would have to be fully involved in the church, that they would have to come over many and be part of many months and be part of church life, he said. when he did , applications did that, applications effectively off a cliff effectively fell off a cliff edge, and all, but disappeared. now we also heard from some other leading, faith leaders within christianity in the uk, including the bishop of chelmsford. she disputed these claims of a conveyor belt of asylum seeker baptisms. this is what she told the committee. >> you know, our churches respond to, to local need. however, it presents itself . however, it presents itself. that's a totally separate issue to saying that we are kind of

quickly and easily and freely baptising large numbers in order to scam the asylum processing. i think that the notion that the church of england is currently being a conveyor belt for baptisms, in order for people to gain their asylum status, i don't recognise that comment . don't recognise that comment. >> well, the bishop also said that effectively, one of the reasons why there might be an increase in those, asylum seekers that are seeking to convert to christianity, may well be because of the increasingly hostile environment towards asylum seekers. and she said that the church gave a warm welcome to asylum seekers . and welcome to asylum seekers. and that, she claims, might be one of the reasons behind it. that, she claims, might be one of the reasons behind it . we of the reasons behind it. we also heard from the immigration minister, tom pursglove , who minister, tom pursglove, who also said that he didn't recognise assertions made by the former home secretary, suella braverman, recently when she said that these baptisms comes

from, the muslim faith to christianity were taking place on an industrial scale . he said on an industrial scale. he said he didn't recognise that, however, astonishingly , he said however, astonishingly, he said that they have no accurate records of , how many asylum records of, how many asylum seekers have converted to christianity . christianity. >> so we are actively working to improve the data set that we have around this issue. so one of the challenges is that the legacy it systems that we have been working on do not capture data in this area very effectively. the home secretary and i have been very clear in asking officials that we want to see greater itemised data in that area , and we are currently that area, and we are currently working through publication around that. and i think that you're absolutely right to touch on the data point. i think all of us want to see an improvement in terms of the quality of data that we have around decision making asylum space. making in the asylum space. >> well, mark is clearly a big scandal. and what does the

government do? they've got this evidence , that they've been evidence, that they've been given by people who actually know and have witnessed and have been there when there's been these baptisms calls upon these baptisms and calls upon them people have them to baptise people who have had failed . had their asylum claims failed. and what does the government do to on this ? to crack down on this? >> well, it's astonishing, isn't it, that a former home secretary in the post, until relatively recently, has said that she believed that these asylum seeker conversions to christianity were happening on an industrial scale? we've got evidence such as the bibby stockholm accommodation barge for asylum seekers in portland, where it's being reported that 40 of those asylum seekers are currently in the process of trying to convert to christianity. faced with that, though, the government is saying it doesn't recognise that there is this industrial scale conversion to christianity. and it also, to me seems really quite unbelievable that the government does not have a

handle. okay. legacy cases, you know, maybe one thing, but currently there are hundreds of thousands of people still within the asylum system waiting on a decision. surely there can be checks made to determine how many of those individuals have. >> actually, as the migration minister, tom pursglove , was minister, tom pursglove, was saying, they simply don't have the data as things stand. but mark white, thank you very much for that. let's get more now with michael phillips from the christian centre. michael with michael phillips from the chris'this centre. michael with michael phillips from the chris'this , centre. michael with michael phillips from the chris'this , soundentre. michael with michael phillips from the chris'this , sound like. michael does this, sound like a situation you're familiar with? just a widespread problem across the country of, frankly, fake conversion laws? >> yeah, it is a problem. >> yeah, it is a problem. >> and i think it's probably a far bigger problem than in fact, we're aware of, because at this point in time, a lot of the evidence which is going to be given to the house of commons is going to be from the church of england, maybe from roman england, maybe from the roman catholic church, but there's a whole of nonconformist whole raft of nonconformist churches this

churches as well, where this issue is happening. and issue is also happening. and this that this is something as well, that i've myself , even i went i've seen myself, even i went into a barber shop the other day. two men there were both day. two men in there were both iranian they said, yes, i iranian and they said, yes, i used be a christian, then used to be a christian, but then i is i was i got my asylum, is what i was told. it is a real told. so i think it is a real problem. and i think the problem. and i think part of the problem. and i think part of the problem is this is that a lot of the who out the people who are giving out these like sweeties, these baptisms like sweeties, aren't christian, perhaps aren't really christian, perhaps christians themselves. they don't really it is to don't know really what it is to be a christian. for them, christianity is a social christianity is just a social club but fact, what what club now. but in fact, what what ihave club now. but in fact, what what i have seen when people have genuinely converted is that genuinely been converted is that there's a desire to share there's a real desire to share their amongst those people their faith amongst those people where they from, and maybe where they are from, and maybe even their countries even go back to their countries as and that is what as a result. and that is what christianity about. christianity is about. it's about changed such that about a changed heart such that people prepared give people are prepared to give their new faith. their lives for their new faith. and guys are not prepared and these guys are not prepared to afraid. to do that, i'm afraid. >> is this a problem with >> is this not a problem with the law as it is? should conversions once you're in this country, after you've already put in an asylum claim and had it rejected, should conversions to christianity just not even be

on the agenda? they shouldn't be part of the decision process. that shouldn't be, you know , a that shouldn't be, you know, a reason to accept someone, i don't think it's really a problem with the law. from what ihave problem with the law. from what i have seen , i think what the i have seen, i think what the real problem is, is that very often it is the lack of good evidence. so if there is real evidence. so if there is real evidence that somebody has truly converted christianity, you converted to christianity, you will see it in the will see. you will see it in the way that they behave. jesus said, you will know my disciples by their fruit. a good tree bears good fruit , and so you bears good fruit, and so you will see them going out doing evangelism , doing good works, evangelism, doing good works, and you see that will and you will see that they will want it in, in the face of want to do it in, in the face of persecution, very from persecution, very often from those remained , those people who have remained, who are in country also who are in this country also seeking i think that seeking asylum. and i think that if some good evidence if there's some good evidence from pastor or from maybe their their pastor or vicar and like, like the chap was saying he was giving evidence to the, to the select committee, he puts them on a course then at the end of course and then at the end of the course, then they be the course, then they could be baptised. of these baptised. but a lot of these people not to prepared wait, people are not to prepared wait, and along and they'll just go along to someone church someone else, another church where really they're just handing these conversion

certificates . certificates out like sweets. >> but we know that the church of england in particular, but many churches across this land are dwindling are seeing dwindling congregations to some extent. is it perhaps some wishful thinking that suddenly, some of these churches see their congregations swell for a couple of weeks and then people ask to convert? i mean, potentially is this, what's going on here? >> that that is what's happening. i think a lot of people don't. so those those vicars in question, they don't really understand what it's like to become a christian in places like iran. and the irony is, is this that i've sometimes this is that i've sometimes represented people who have genuinely and genuinely converted, and sometimes run up in sometimes they run up in problems at the home office and before tribunals . you say, before the tribunals. you say, no, you're not a true convert because you can't recite all the apostles, or you can't name all the books in the and the books in the bible and things that. and they things like that. and, and they have these tests. have these ridiculous tests. now, is, are you now, the real test is, are you changing your and is that changing your heart? and is that manifesting everyday manifesting in your everyday life ? and guys, maybe life? and these guys, maybe they've waters

they've gone through the waters of got of baptism and they've got a slightly gullible priest to sign them they them off, but really, they haven't changed. and what haven't been changed. and what really happen there really needs to happen is there needs process whereby needs to be a process whereby these people say no, i fully reject former way of life, reject my former way of life, i fully reject my former religion and prepared to say that publicly . jesus was baptised publicly. jesus was baptised publicly, people need publicly, and these people need to publicly proclaim their new faith and their rejection of the old. and i think if we did that, we would definitely see the numbers drop off very significantly, really, really interesting point there. well, michael phillips, thank you very much joining us the much for joining us from the christian legal centre. of course, remind me of one course, it does remind me of one of these cases was reported in the telegraph of , someone the telegraph of, someone claiming asylum because they said , and then said they were gay, and then they were asked at one of these meetings to say, what the reason for them claiming asylum was, and they physically couldn't say it, it wouldn't come out of their mouth. they were so disgusted the prospect at disgusted by the prospect at that point. the key industry. >> yeah, think there's >> yeah, i think there's a mixture naivety on the part mixture of naivety on the part of the church, but also

ideological from the top, ideological coming from the top, but yes . coming up, more on that but yes. coming up, more on that race row over tory donors comments about diane abbott. he's apologised after saying she made him want to hate all black women and that she should be shot. we'll also be hearing your views of the topics, so views on all of the topics, so stay tuned that. stay tuned for that. >> tom. emily, thanks very much. good afternoon from the newsroom . 233 and the top story is that lee anderson has now taken a seat on the opposition benches next to george galloway, his first appearance in the commons since joining the reform uk party. 1000 people have now joined reform. yesterday, after his defection from the tories, reform party leader richard tice told gb news it's proof of mr anderson's popularity among red wall voters. the former tory deputy chairman was stripped of the conservative whip last month over his refusal to apologise for saying that islamists had got control of the london mayor

police investigating a chain of funeral homes in hull have now recovered 35 bodies and a quantity of what they suspect to be human ashes. it comes as two people arrested in connection with that ongoing investigation have been released on bail this afternoon . the 46 year old man afternoon. the 46 year old man and 23 year old woman were being held on suspicion of a number of offences, including preventing a lawful and decent burial. hundreds of families who used legacy independent funeral directors have now contacted the police, fearing they may have been given the wrong ashes. a spokesperson for the prime minister says that common comments made by a conservative donor about diane abbott were clearly unacceptable , but clearly unacceptable, but declined to say whether they were racist. frank hester reportedly said that the former labour mp made him want to hate all black women, and that she should be shot. he admitted making rude comments, but insists they had nothing do insists they had nothing to do with colour of her skin. with the colour of her skin.

miss abbott, who's now an independent , described the independent mp, described the comments as frightening and worrying she hopes for worrying and says she hopes for pubuc worrying and says she hopes for public support from sir keir starmer. hester , who donated starmer. mr hester, who donated £10 million to the tories last yean £10 million to the tories last year, he is deeply sorry, year, says he is deeply sorry, adding that he'd telephoned miss abbott to apologise for the hurt he's caused . to get the latest he's caused. to get the latest stories you can sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen, or go to gb news. common alerts

i >> right. emma >> right. it's 238. you're watching and listening to good afternoon, britain. now, a major conservative party donor says he's deeply sorry after reportedly saying labour mp diane abbott makes you want to hate all black women and that she should be shot.

>> well, the tory donor, frank hester, admitted making rude comments, they said had comments, but they said they had nothing with her gender nothing to do with her gender nor the colour of her skin. >> joining now is the >> well, joining us now is the co—founder of conservatives against racism. i'll be amankona. alby, thank you very much for joining amankona. alby, thank you very much forjoining us, as a representative of conservatives against racism, has a line been crossed here with these comments 7 crossed here with these comments ? do you think that the conservative party should give back all the money this tory donor has given? >> it's a racist comment that frank hester has made. >> i think we should be very clear about that. >> and it's been very disappointing to hear the conservative after conservative after conservative on media outlets today. >> emily and tom say that it was offensive and rude, but not that it was racist. >> so first, let me be very clear. >> this was a racist comment . >> this was a racist comment. >> this was a racist comment. >> now, to answer your question about whether or not the money should be returned to frank hester . no, should be returned to frank hester. no, i'm very firm on this. i don't think the money should be returned to the frank hester. i think the conservative

party should use this to improve the tory race relations narrative by spending money funding the campaigns of our fantastic conservative candidates , people like my candidates, people like my friend samir hirsi, people like ben obe jvt on affiliate groups such as the 2022 group conservative friends of india, conservative friends of india, conservative muslim forum, people and groups within the conservative party that are going to improve the conservative narrative on race relations. >> and isn't that a bit of a cop out point of the country? isn't that a bit of a halfway house saying that what he what this person said was racist and we deplore it, but we're not going to give back the money. in fact, we're going to spend it just in specific i mean, that's specific ways. i mean, that's not going to cut the mustard when to prime when it comes to prime minister's tomorrow , minister's questions tomorrow, when starmer no doubt when sir keir starmer no doubt will at rishi sunak, will shout at rishi sunak, i deau will shout at rishi sunak, i dealt with racists in my party. what are you doing about yours and what he would say is that

he's spending money on candidates and organisations within the conservative party that are going to further and improve the conservative narrative on race relations. >> i don't really care what keir starmer wants to do at prime minister's questions tomorrow. i care about the best way forwards and making sure that mistakes , and making sure that mistakes, that learnings are made from this mistake that has happened . this mistake that has happened. and i think a crucial part of that will be making sure that we have an amazing slate of candidates next general candidates at the next general election , well—funded affiliate election, well—funded affiliate groups and groups to tackle this issue and root out from the heart of root it out from the heart of the party. and it is the party members and candidates who are going to do that. how do you think, conservative mps have reacted to this today? >> do you think they've done well? i've heard some mps saying the comments were racist, but this donor isn't racist himself, many equivocating over whether the comments are racist at all. there doesn't seem to be a clear

narrative set from the top. is there some party mismanagement going on over here? >> yes, it's been a huge party mismanagement . i mean, that poor mismanagement. i mean, that poor minister that had to go out this morning and say that it wasn't a racist comment and not answer the question in a straight and direct i'm answering direct way, like i'm answering the i actually feel the question. i actually feel sorry the only person sorry for him. the only person who seen come out who's who i have seen come out who's actually said this racist was, was kwarteng on a bbc bbc was kwasi kwarteng on a bbc bbc show earlier on today . show earlier on today. otherwise, i've been hugely disappointed by the conservatives that i've heard in the media. we like to talk about the media. we like to talk about the fact we have most the fact we have the most diverse cabinet history. diverse cabinet in history. where where is where is kemi badenoch, where is james cleverly, where is helen grant, where are they? i haven't heard them say anything about this issue. if this was a left wing politician who had said something that was anti—semitic or about someone who was jewish, everyone would have issued a statement. by now. suella braverman would be on the airwaves talking about how awful it was.

>> we should say these are at this point , the only person i this point, the only person i have heard talk about this issue for what it is a racist comment. we should say they are alleged comments this stage, but comments at this stage, and but he has course apologised . he has of course apologised. >> but we should also perhaps say that he didn't say he hated diane abbott because of the colour of her skin . he. there colour of her skin. he. there are many reasons someone might say they dislike diane abbott , say they dislike diane abbott, for example, she herself has been suspended as a labour mp for saying jews don't experience real racism . that's a deplorable real racism. that's a deplorable comment. you might very well say that you dislike diane abbott. that's a legitimate political position to hold . position to hold. >> of course, it's a legitimate political position to hold it is not legitimate to say that because i dislike diane abbott, that i dislike all black women, and that she should be shot . and that she should be shot. >> i did see he didn't say he disliked all black women. he said he explicitly in the quote said he explicitly in the quote said he explicitly in the quote said he didn't dislike all black women. now he said a very confusing thing about being made

to want what you're referring to. >> this let me be very clear. this was a racist comment. what he said was , and he did clarify he said was, and he did clarify afterwards what he said was diane abbott makes me want to hate all black women. yes but i don't hate all black women. so it's like he corrected himself . it's like he corrected himself. he said something. he was like, oh no, actually that was a racist so now i'm going racist comment. so now i'm going to it. problem is, to correct it. the problem is, he'd already so he'd already said it, so i understand you are coming understand where you are coming from, a racist from, but this is a racist comment he should have. he has apologised, which is good. where there contrition , there there is contrition, there should forgiveness, but should be forgiveness, but it should be forgiveness, but it should difficult for should not be difficult for people to call out racism where they what we saw today they see it. what we saw today was a racist comment, and i just wish people on the right were as good at calling out this kind of racism as they are at calling out anti—semitism to be honest, to be, to be fair, have seen a huge number of people on the right condemning these comments for what they are in my in my opinion. >> and also, even if he hadn't made that comment about black women, said should be

women, he said she should be shot. yeah that's the point. which is, which is not something you'd expect someone with influence in conservative influence in the conservative party be saying about party to be saying about a labour mp. is it really so it's a terrible on two fronts. >> it's a completely appalling thing to say. i understand this was a private conversation , but was a private conversation, but we should not be when we are in positions of power and influence, having conversations like this, i think it was in a work environment . and this is a work environment. and this is a gentleman who deals with a lot of nhs contracts. we know that in the nhs about 25% of the workforce are from ethnic minority backgrounds . we know minority backgrounds. we know there are a lot of black female nurses who work for the nhs. from a business perspective, i have heard someone speak have never heard someone speak about their clients with such disdain as this man has. so this is what some people will call misogynist. this is racist and this is just simply not good business. i'm glad he's apologised. i think the money should be spent in the party on people and causes which are

going to improve conservative race relations, going forward. >> that's a really, really interesting and novel proposal, actually. perhaps the tories need to hire you for their comms department, because that was a much clearer interview than i've heard many, many heard from many, many conservative mps albie conservative mps today. albie amankona, much, amankona, thank you very much, i think we should say that george galloway is making his first speech since being elected in that sensational by—election let's just dip in let's see what he has to say here. >> infirmary. that's like a ghost town . madam deputy ghost town. madam deputy speaken ghost town. madam deputy speaker, do you know that in rochdale you cannot give birth? no one in the town of gracie fields will ever again be able to say they were born in rochdale. unless, unfortunately , rochdale. unless, unfortunately, in a taxi on the way to bury or on the way to oldham. we don't even have a postcode . our even have a postcode. our postcode is o l a subdivision of oldham. >> this town, which was once one

of the most prosperous in england, is now one of the poorest, abandoned, not just by the government but abandoned by the government but abandoned by the mayor of greater manchester, for whom i have no animus. >> quite the contrary, at least until recent weeks . but he has until recent weeks. but he has to understand that he's the mayor of greater manchester, not just the mayor of that was george galloway's maiden speech as the member of parliament for rochdale, talking about the maternity services, talking even about the postcode. >> but there we go, a little bit of a flavour of what we can expect from george galloway and his unique oratorical style in the house of commons. >> yes, and we'll be hearing your views very shortly about everything we've been covering today, from benefits to prisons today, from benefits to prisons to diane abbott and those comments, stay tuned

i >> -- >> well, emma >> well, let's have a little peek into the gb views inbox . peek into the gb views inbox. you've been emailing us throughout the show on all of the topics that we've discussed. and we had a big debate on conscripting people into the army who won't work . army who won't work. >> yes, because, one senior tory mp said, you know , if you refuse mp said, you know, if you refuse a job once, twice, three times, then off you go. conscription is then off you go. conscription is the answer. >> well, angela says , i totally >> well, angela says, i totally agree. people that are too sick to work should be put in the army. they can have a medical and if they're really sick they can be rejected. >> oh, there you go. angela should be running the world. alan i'm interested to alan says. i'm interested to hear people who are hear the views on people who are not working. spare a thought for the people for the older people looking for work. once agencies and companies your over 50 or companies know your over 50 or 60, they in the 60, they are not in the slightest bit interested . how

slightest bit interested. how are older people supposed to work 70? they work until they're 70? they changed the new pension age. yeah, seems to yeah, that seems there seems to be of that ageism in be a lot of that ageism in recruitment. know, once recruitment. you know, once you're age, you're past a certain age, they'd much rather get someone younger they younger who they believe they can. you know, there's not as much. >> conversely, i can understand why a firm might not want to hire someone who's 60 if the retirement age is 64, because they might say, oh, well, we're going to hire this person, put loads investment into this loads of investment into this person might just leave. >> but could leave. » but leave. >> but could that about >> but you could say that about women know, birthing women too, you know, of birthing age. to age. oh, we're not going to hire. we're going to hire hire. we're not going to hire this she looks this person because she looks like at some point like she might at some point get pregnant. like she might at some point get pregnant! that probably >> well, i think that probably is a consideration for some businesses, be really. >> e“ eml- >> i mean, in an ideal world. >> i mean, in an ideal world. >> world, but, but >> in an ideal world, but, but but , what alan says, but conversely, what alan says, if if retirement is if the if the retirement age is raised to 70, that's less of a problem, isn't it? now, there might be other problems with people wanting to work people who are wanting to work until 80 or 70 or otherwise, but hiring someone at 60 becomes a more attractive prospect if the state retirement age is 70. >> yeah, true, andrew says the

idea of conscription into the services is not sensible. conscripts won't serve the country well. give recruitment back to the services, not the private sector . takes three private sector. takes three years form a competent years to form a competent professional sending professional soldier sending people the military who people into the military who don't would be don't want to be there would be a and money. i a waste of time and money. i think probably the most think that's probably the most sensible andrew yeah, sensible view. andrew yeah, probably. maybe some other kind of service . of national service. >> yes. well, i don't know. i think, i think there's, i think there is something to say about there is something to say about the in which the army the unique way in which the army sort a sense of duty sort of instils a sense of duty within people. >> yeah, absolutely. keep >> well, yeah, absolutely. keep your views coming in because up next, that's all next, that's. well, that's all from us today. thank you for being with us. but up next is martin daubney martin. thank you very much for joining martin daubney martin. thank you very much forjoining us. what's coming up on your show? three till 6:00. cracking show chaps. >> a tough act to follow as even >> a tough act to follow as ever, but what i've got is, are the tories heading for a red wall rout? so much so, they're deploying boris johnson to save the day. but we'll have dame andrea jenkins say this is the

ultimate dead cat story in fact, rishi sunak and boris haven't even spoken in months. this is just something they're throwing out there to try and get away from. the fact lee anderson is leading a rebellion. talking of which, we've got news of another rebellion, this time suella braverman law and order. pray braverman on law and order. pray to stay unholy racket. immigration being gamed. the church of england are surely to blame to pay or not to pee. well, look at a council that's had a 3030 9,000% increase in issuing £88 fines to people having a wee in a layby and people aren't happy about it. plus, a truck driver fined £66,000 by border force after illegal immigrants stowing away were found in the back of his truck . it wasn't his fault, but truck. it wasn't his fault, but he's got to pay. we'll talk to the truck driver owner company who says it's an absolute outrage. all that coming on my show three till six. but first time for your latest weather

forecast . forecast. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on gb news . news. >> hello again. here's your latest gb news weather forecast brought to you by the met office. more rains to come as we go through the next few days , go through the next few days, especially in the northwest. but it to mild, albeit it is going to be mild, albeit also windy because we have an area pressure developing area of low pressure developing currently to the wards, the northwest of uk is then northwest of the uk that is then dragging in our air from the southwest, which is a mild direction but it is dragging some pretty cloudy into, some pretty cloudy air into, which cloudy which is why it's a cloudy picture and staying cloudy as we go evening and go through the evening and overnight . few drizzly overnight. a few drizzly outbreaks wales, outbreaks for england and wales, but scotland and northern but across scotland and northern ireland. we have ireland. here we have some heavy, rain pushing heavy, persistent rain pushing its way in and that will reach the far north england the far north of england and wales two is going wales later on. two it is going to a mild night, temperatures to be a mild night, temperatures not many of us, not dropping for many of us, perhaps something bit perhaps something a little bit fresher the fresher pushing in towards the far north that band far north of the uk. that band of then edges a little

of rain then edges a little bit further southwards as we go through tomorrow, doesn't through tomorrow, but it doesn't make progress , so it make any quick progress, so it is to linger and stall is going to linger and stall across of northern across parts of northern england, northern central wales, to mostly dry to the south of this mostly dry across of central southern across much of central southern england could some england and wales, could be some brightness , particularly towards brightness, particularly towards the east, and temperatures the east, and here temperatures should highs of around 15 should get to highs of around 15 or 16 celsius, a little bit colder this across northern colder than this across northern parts, but a greater chance of seeing skies . parts, but a greater chance of seeing skies. but seeing some sunny skies. but watch for the strong winds, watch out for the strong winds, especially north. especially in the far north. risk of gales as we go risk of gales here as we go through tomorrow. that through later on tomorrow. that band of rain edges little bit band of rain edges a little bit further northwards pushes further northwards again pushes into of scotland, staying into parts of scotland, staying dner into parts of scotland, staying drier but drier towards the south. but more come as we go more rain to come as we go through the end of the week, albeit is more albeit friday is looking more showery should showery and saturday should start . start mostly dry. >> that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers , sponsors of boxt boilers, sponsors of weather on

gb news. >> a very good afternoon to you wonderful people. it's 3 pm. welcome to the martin daubney show on gb news. broadcasting live from the heart of westminster all across the uk today. reform uk's first ever mp has now crossed the floor of the house of commons, taking up a seat with opposition mps sat in the naughty corner. indeed, next to a certain mr george galloway . to a certain mr george galloway. but just how significant could this be? will tory mps follow him onto those opposition benches next? mps have been examining the role of conversion to christianity and granting uk asylum claims following the grotesque clapham attack, with the perpetrator having been allowed to stay in the uk after allegedly accepting christian. now, just how much of a mockery is being made out of asylum system? it's an unholy mess. we'll be delving into that a little bit later on. and following the bad news for rishi, reports suggest boris

johnson could be