Transcripts For GBN Britains 20240702

With an allegation of rape and possession of a controlled substance. Yes. The mp said he substance. Yes. The mp said he was confident that he would not be charged with any offence. Its a huge challenge. Thats how a group of mps describe the challenge faced by the home office to tackle the asylum backlog. The current reforms are being labelled incomplete and unrealistic. Well have the very latest. Latest. More funding required. Thats more funding required. Thats the message from the local Government Association when it comes to our councils, as vital local services are under threat. Gb News Reporter Theo Chikomba is in woking. Is in woking. Well have the latest from woking where there are concerns about potential cuts to services after the council announced bankruptcy this year. Whitewashed reports. Thats whitewashed reports. Thats how gb news presenter nigel farage has described the long awaited Financial Conduct Authority review into his de banking row with natwest. De banking row with natwest. Well have the latest. Well have the latest. Yes, thats whats coming up today on the show, so stay tuned and let us know all of your thoughts as we go on the talking points we have for you. So email us at gb views at gbnews. Com. But first, before that, lets get your morning news with tatiana. Tatiana. Emily, thank you very much and good morning. This is the latest from the newsroom. Mps latest from the newsroom. Mps are warning Vulnerable People are warning Vulnerable People are being put at risk by the home office under its plans to clear the asylum backlog. The pubuc clear the asylum backlog. The Public Accounts Committee says the governments Current Business case for reform is incomplete and unrealistic. At incomplete and unrealistic. At the end of june this year, there were almost 68,000 asylum cases awaiting a decision. The government, though, says its working to end the use of hotels and clearing the backlog. And clearing the backlog. British citizens fleeing the middle east conflict will be able to access benefits after arriving in the uk this also includes brits escaping from lebanon and the west bank. Theyll be able to claim universal credit as well as disability and child benefits without delay. They can also without delay. They can also access social housing and Housing Assistance if needed. Meanwhile, hundreds of uk lawyers have sent an open letter to the Prime Minister asking him to the Prime Minister asking him to press for a ceasefire to allow aid into gaza. Nhs waiting allow aid into gaza. Nhs waiting list could top 8 million by next summer. Even if strike action doesnt continue. The health doesnt continue. The Health Foundation says the number will peak at 8 million by august before starting to come down. But if strikes were to continue, the list could be 180,000 people higher , more than 7. 5 million higher, more than 7. 5 Million People were waiting for treatment just last month. But but the nhs says its making progress , claiming they have progress, claiming they have more than halved the waits of more than halved the waits of more than halved the waits of more than 65 weeks and around 1. 7 Million People could be living with dementia in england and wales by 2040. That is. And wales by 2040. That is. According to ucl, which previously predicted the figure could reach 1. 2 million. They found that dementia cases rose by a quarter between 2008 and 2016. An the government has pledged it will provide £160 million a year for Dementia Research by 2025. You can get more on all of those stories by visiting our website gbnews. Com now its back to tom and. Emily now its back to tom and. Emily welcome to britains newsroom. With me, emily carver and tom hannood. Yes, weve got a big show for you today. But first of all, lets dive straight into the news that broke last night. The conservative mp Crispin Blunt was arrested on suspicion of rape and drug possession. He was rape and drug possession. He was later released on conditional bail. Bail. Yes, the former Justice Minister publicly identified himself in a statement posted on x yesterday where he addressed the situation nation and he said he strongly believes he will not be charged. But what does this say about the wider culture in westminster andindeed the wider culture in westminster and indeed the conservative party . Well, joining us in the studio is the conservative mp and fellow gb news presenter philip davies. Philip, thank you philip davies. Philip, thank you for joining us this morning. It forjoining us this morning. It does seem that in the last two years, specifically , weve had years, specifically, weve had quite a few sleazy stories about your colleagues. Yes we have. I mean, and its not this isnt a Party Political issue. I mean, theres been quite a few in in other parties as well. And yeah, i mean, look, in terms of Crispin Blunt, i dont know. Obviously, i dont know anything about whats happened or whats gone and theres a proper gone on. And theres a proper process. The police will investigate cps will investigate it. The cps will look and a its a look at it. And its a its a matter for them. I dont want to speculate whether hes guilty or not. Thats a matter for other people to determine. I mean, its not a great look, with peter bone look, is it, with the peter bone suspended for six weeks, weve had chris pincher of course, sacked. That was after groping two men in at a private members club for conservative moves. Its not painting a very pretty picture, is it . No , absolutely not. Of course no, absolutely not. Of course it isnt. Like i say, its not a Party Political issue. Im sure you could have read out a list of labour mps who faced similar issues as well. So, you know, these are individual issues and at the end of the day, its not really how it affects the really about how it affects the conservative Labour Conservative Party or the labour party theres people party or whoever. Theres people who are victims and there are people who are being accused and theyre the people who this is important about. Its not its nothing with anybodys nothing to do with anybodys party beliefs. Is it Party Political beliefs. Is it really . Really . Suppose in this case we no. I suppose in this case we do know whats going on. Crispin blunt it upon himself to blunt took it upon himself to release a statement. Othennise blunt took it upon himself to rel wouldnt|tement. Othennise blunt took it upon himself to rel wouldnt|tement. ablewise we wouldnt really be able to talk this any sort of talk about this in any sort of detail. Whereas on the other detail. Whereas on the other side of the of the green benches, there are some mysterious suspensions of members of parliament, something that often pops up is why on earth has the labour mp nick brown not been in parliament for the best part of . Well, its over a year now. There are some over a year now. There are some sort of curiosities on the other side that perhaps arent as open. I think, i mean i think yeah, i think, i mean i think thats true. I mean actually funnily i actually saw funnily enough, i actually saw nick in parliament nick brown in parliament yesterday, think. Really . Yesterday, i think. Oh, really . So. Has definitely is so. So he has he definitely is in because in parliament because i literally passed him on the escalator up to portcullis escalator going up to portcullis house, just suspended as a labour so i understand. Labour mp. So so i understand. But look, i dont, i dont know the details any of these the details of any of these things. You know, people things. And you know, people say, you must know whats say, oh, you must know whats going on all of these going on there. All of these things, come out, things, whenever they come out, theyre to theyre a complete surprise to me. Not as if were all me. So its not as if were all there knowing whats going on and things up or and covering things up or anything. Youve probably got your ear to ground better your ear to the ground better than tom around around than i have. Tom around around westminster. These westminster. But all of these things, theyve out, things, when theyve come out, theyve been a complete surprise to me. Well, chris Crispin Blunt, he did fire for previous did come under fire for previous ali defending imran ahmed khan, who was convicted of Sexual Assault publicly. Assault publicly. He then retracted that. But he then retracted that. But that wasnt a great a great sign , was it . Well, it was not that. Well, it was not that. Its related to this case, of course, Crispin Blunt says that he is not guilty or hes confident that this wont end in a charge, but says something of the perhaps the character. Perhaps think was a well, i think that was a mistake. I mean, at the end of the its for any mp to the day, its not for any mp to second guess the decision made by a jury and the jury that sat and all of the and listened to all of the evidence i think mp who evidence that i think any mp who starts guessing decisions starts second guessing decisions made is unwise. Made by juries is, is unwise. And i think that was that was certainly unwise, although , you certainly unwise, although, you know, im not i wouldnt say that that was a factor in this case. Yes. Rishi sunak has a lot to deal with, doesnt he . Certainly. Another by election, who knows . Well, not least in terms of party discipline, but also in terms of policy , because also. Terms of policy, because also. Philip davies, youre here to talk about the asylum backlog , talk about the asylum backlog, which is a, quote, huge , huge which is a, quote, huge, huge challenge. What whats the pubuc challenge. What whats the Public Accounts Committee saying today . Well, the Public Accounts Committee are saying quite rightly, that there is a theres a theres a huge backlog , that a theres a huge backlog, that its an unacceptable level of backlog and that the governments efforts to try and deal with it are inadequate. But they also Say Something different and i have a slightly different and i have a slightly different perspective to the pubuc different perspective to the Public Accounts Committee on that. Theyre basically saying that. Theyre basically saying that decision that speeding up the decision process to bad outcomes process may lead to bad outcomes and bad decisions and they say they focus that on particularly Vulnerable People. I would probably look at it from the other end of the telescope, to be honest. My fear about an obsession with reducing the backlog quickly that you give obsession with reducing the b. Perverse|ickly that you give obsession with reducing the b. Perverse incentivelat you give obsession with reducing the b. Perverse incentive justou give obsession with reducing the b. Perverse incentive just to give a perverse incentive just to say, yeah, well say, oh yeah, okay, well accept, well you into accept, well accept you into the country, well accept all of these the backlog these cases. You get the backlog down quickly. But im not down really quickly. But im not entirely sure thats the entirely sure thats what the pubuc entirely sure thats what the public like to see. So public would like to see. And so i think should be careful i think we should be careful when just focus on that, when we just focus on that, because a because you will encourage a government say, well, government just to say, well, well everybody stay away. Well let everybody stay away. Youve rid backlog , youve got rid of the backlog, but im not really thats but im not really sure thats what has be rigorous. What the it has to be rigorous. It was reported not too and it was reported not too long ago that the interview doors were being cut short doors were being cut very short in order to the backlog. In order to address the backlog. Can if someone is can you decide if someone is a legitimate Asylum Seeker and they legitimate claim . If they have a legitimate claim . If they have a legitimate claim . If the interview process really the interview process is really quick . I think a lot of people are that. I think are worried about that. I think youre but also they talk youre right. But also they talk about got this about how weve got this backlog. We get through the backlog. We get through the backlog really quickly , but then backlog really quickly, but then we have a backlog in the courts because of course, Asylum Seeker laws can refute they can appeal if they dont get initial asylum. Yeah, i mean, its complicated. Its not easy for the government just to wave a magic wand and sort this out. A lot of the solution to this problem is the solution that bofis problem is the solution that Boris Johnson identified that liz truss agreed with, which rishi sunak has adopted, which is deporting people to rwanda. That the only solution to that is the only solution to this particular problem. Um, and this particular problem. Um, and of course we are awaiting the court. The Supreme Courts verdict on whether they judge that be lawful not. And that to be lawful or not. And the government therefore cant proceed that proceed with that, but that ultimately that is solution ultimately that is the solution to this is it a solution to this problem is it a solution to this problem is it a solution to deport everyone to rwanda . Because as far as i understand it, there are only a couple of thousand spaces in rwanda there are 67,870 rwanda and there are 67,870 legacy cases of individuals whose cases need to be processed. If only 2000 of them or so can go to rwanda, thats thats not a solution. Its i suppose the government would argue its more of a deterrent. Yeah, i mean, suella said that shed Suella Braverman the home secretary. She said that that the original cap on numbers that the original cap on numbers that shed negotiated away and that shed negotiated away and that the rwanda had agreed to take original cap take more than the original cap that been. But i think you that had been. But i think you make a fair point, tom, is that this isnt going to deal with all of these historic cases. But i think in order to do that and get the actual total number of backlog cases down, i mean, the government have halved the legacy cases. Those that are over a year old or 18 months old, they have halved those. But of course, theyre still coming. Its the ones coming through the system thats clogging up the numbers. So if we can actually deal with that , then actually we deal with that, then actually we have got winning post have got the winning post inside. There will be light at the tunnel. And the the end of the tunnel. And the only were ever going to get only way were ever going to get light at the end tunnel light at the end of the tunnel is start removing people is if we start removing people to rwanda and people are to rwanda and people who are looking at coming across in a dinghy think, im going to dinghy think, im not going to bother only going bother because im only going to end back close where i set end up back close to where i set off yes. Off from. Yes. Long as the boats keep as long as the boats keep coming, the backlog is going to be so moving on to be a problem. So moving on to something home even be a problem. So moving on to somethatg home even be a problem. So moving on to somethat story home even be a problem. So moving on to somethat story is home even be a problem. So moving on to somethat story is theiome even be a problem. So moving on to somethat story is the bbc. Even be a problem. So moving on to somethat story is the bbc. Now, than that story is the bbc. Now, theyve admitted that their Newsnight Programme was biased theyve admitted that their newsn breached � amme was biased theyve admitted that their newsn breached editorialas biased and it breached editorial standards. Us more. Standards. Tell us more. Well, the i think well, look, the i think everyone is aware of the bbc Newsnight Programme into gb news, which basically had three guests on all of whom were hostile to gb news and which was completely unacceptable. Now, funnily enough, i hadnt i didnt watch it live at the time, but i actually got a number of emails from my constituents saying that theyd watched it and they were really unhappy with it. I hadnt watched at this point, but watched it at this point, but i fonnarded email, you fonnarded it to the email, you know, issue to tim davie, know, the issue to tim davie, the director general, and said, look, my constituents are not happy. Look, my constituents are not happy i look, my constituents are not happy. I have your response . Happy. Can i have your response . And its a really and the thing is, its a really tortuous process because bbc tortuous process because the bbc have this very you know, its a very privileged situation where if you want to make a complaint about the bbc, you have to go to the bbc first. Why do they have that . Why do they get that . Well, its sort of in the charter and so they have this privileged situation. You cant go to ofcom. You have to go to the bbc. So i went to tim davie. He replied and said, you know, the newsnight editor thought was editor thought it was unacceptable. It unacceptable. And whatever. It was a mealy mouthed was a bit of a mealy mouthed apology, but they accept it apology, but they did accept it was so i went to ofcom was wrong. So i went to ofcom and ive had a bbc and said, look, ive had a bbc response want to look response now i want you to look into and ofcom said, oh no, into it. And ofcom said, oh no, no, youve got to go through the full bbc process before we can look it. So i had to look into it. So i then had to put in a formal complaint through system. Through the website system. I then to that and then got a response to that and then got a response to that and then went to ofcom said, oh then went to ofcom and said, oh no, no, no, youve now got to go to Appeals Programme to the bbc Appeals Programme before you can. So anyway, the whole taken about whole thing has taken about over a and i think what happens a month and i think what happens is the bbc rely on everybody getting the process and getting bored of the process and thinking, i be thinking, oh, i cant be bothered this and therefore bothered with this and therefore i to go to i cant be bothered to go to ofcom ultimately ive ofcom anyway. Ultimately ive now now completed the bbc now weve now completed the bbc complaints process. Theyve acknowledged complaints process. Theyve acknowhat ed complaints process. Theyve acknowhat they but again, right. What they did, but again, it a bit mealy mouthed and it was a bit mealy mouthed and they spent of their apology they spent most of their apology trying justify what theyve trying to justify what theyve done just done rather than actually just giving apology. So giving a fulsome apology. So i have referred it to ofcom have now referred it to ofcom for them investigate. They for them to investigate. They havent confirmed yet that they are investigating i have are investigating it, but i have passed it on to them and hopefully or they hopefully they will do or they will their job. But hopefully they will do or they will theirjob. Buti mean, will do theirjob. But i mean, it is a terrible system that the bbc can, effect sort of bore bbc can, in effect sort of bore people into submission. This a system do you think this is a system that face reform . That should face reform . Obviously, channels are obviously, other channels are direct, highly regulated by ofcom, whereas the gets ofcom, whereas the bbc gets to mark homework first. It mark its own homework first. It should. Should we change that should. Should we change that system . Well its not fair. Its clearly fair , is it . Its clearly not fair, is it . Its clearly not. I mean, i dont think i think its unjustifiable, really. I dont im not blaming ofcom here. Theyre rules. Its theyre tied by the rules. Its not its not their fault. Not their its not their fault. Beat the bbc, themselves in beat the bbc, find themselves in this position. And this privileged position. And i think should removed and think it should be removed and we be on a level we should all be on a level playing field, all broadcast should level playing field. I just think thats bad that you to go through. You have to go through. So many hoops so that most people the vast majority of people, just up people, will just give up because they be bothered because they cant be bothered anymore has anymore or so much time has passed programme time. Passed since the programme time. But did admit that they but the bbc did admit that they should for should have tried harder for balance at time. They came balance at the time. They came out quickly say out reasonably quickly to say that, a matter for ofcom. I mean ofcom did actually say to in a in an email they did to me in a in an email they did actually say that they acknowledged the very acknowledged that the very few complaints they tend to get about the bbc. They said to me they thought were probably based on frustration rather than an endorsement of the bbcs process. And final outcome. I mean, i think ofcom are cognisant of the fact that the bbc are trying to bore people into submission before they without them pursuing a complaint. But im sure they would refute that. Well, you would refute that. Well, you know , they probably would, but know, they probably would, but thats i think thats the thats the conclusion ive come to. And i get the impression ofcom think something similar. Interesting. Interesting hm interesting. Interesting stuff though. Philip davies thank much talking us thank you so much for talking us through three big issues through those three big issues for us this morning. Interesting indeed. Very interesting indeed. Very interesting indeed. And well, moving on, around 1. 7 Million People could be living dementia in england living with dementia in england and wales 2040. And wales by 2040. A new report published yes, a new report published by the Lancet Public Health shows the burden on health and social care might be considerably larger than currently forecast. Well joining us is the health and social us now is the health and social Affairs Editor at the sunday express , johnston. Express, lucy johnston. , lucy, this seems like and, lucy, this seems like a pretty stark analysis. 1. 7 Million People. How do we find these numbers . These numbers . Well, in fact, this is it sort of follows hot on the heels of another report which shows that, in fact, 1 in 5 of us will be living with a major disease by 2040. So thats the sort of 37 increase on on figures now. So we have a tsunami of ill health and age ageing population, which is coming at us. And it really underlines the need for urgent reform of the nhs and of social care, without which we will not be able to deal with it. So i think Political Parties none of them seem to have the vision to anything, to do anything bold or brave to fix these problems. And they just seem to. Its like a broken radio fiddling around with with the problem with the is not going to fix it. We need we need to do something. I think, much more radical. I mean, lucy, the report says that dementia and the increase in dementia will be largely down to poor lifestyles. At least the increase is driven by poor lifestyles. How can the lifestyles. How can the government intervene without being accused of being authoritarian or nanny statist . How can the government intervene and change those lifestyle choices so that we dont have this burden on part of the reason why people make what you might see, as could call poor lifestyle choices is due to stress. So we know that about1 in 4 so we know that about 1 in 4 cases of dementia are preventable and that includes people smoking alcohol and obesity. But these things happen obesity. But these things happen due to poverty and due to stress of the economy. You know, if its a big picture thing and yes, we could have Public Health messaging to encourage people to eat better and live better , but eat better and live better, but also we have to think about how we improve the lives and livelihoods and the sort of economy to help people live better. Its tough out there. Better. Its tough out there. And we know that our economy is in a mess. Weve got a cost of living crisis. Yes. So we need to look at these things in the round. I think the ucl researchers sort of explained how the trend of people getting more people getting dementia and fewer people getting dementia. Fewer people getting dementia. Its been non linear over the last 20 or 30 years. Some years its up, some years its down. I wonder, are there any sort of Technological Breakthroughs on the horizon . We keep hearing about new dementia drugs. Were heanng about new dementia drugs. Were hearing about the prospect of ai hearing about the prospect of al to get Early Intervention and diagnose this stuff early. Is diagnose this stuff early. Is there a technological , all there a technological, all bnght there a technological, all Bright Horizon that we could be heading towards . Well, some doctors are very excited about the new dementia drugs, which are coming on stream, and they have called theres one thats been announced recently called lecanemab, which seems to slow down the onset of dementia and slow down the cognitive decline. But these drugs are very and very, very early stages and there are quite serious side effects. So you have to think really carefully about whether whether you would want to go on those and i think by the time there are symptoms of dementia, youre neurones. You know, the brain has already been very damaged and so its quite difficult to bring in or look for drugs that can actually repair damage. What we need to really be thinking about is trying to prevent damage in the first place, and thats what weve got to get hold of. I think thats the most effective thing. Well, thank you very much indeed, lucy johnston. The health and social Affairs Editor at the sunday express with that report dementia could report that dementia could double by 2040. And most of that dnven double by 2040. And most of that driven to poor lifestyle choices. Hopeful , though, choices. Im hopeful, though, that scientists and innovation will help fix this problem. I will help fix this problem. I mean, weve got that weight loss jab thats doing wonders for some people. I mean, im a massive techno optimist and i was i was at i was at rishi sunak i speech yesterday. And one of the things yesterday. And one of the things he said was that al is being used. You can look at a normal retinal scan and not just see eye problems. If you run this through ai, you can see the likelihood for many other likelihood for so many other diseases, dementia included, likelihood for so many other dis potentially entia included, likelihood for so many other dispotentially early included, so potentially Early Intervention on this stuff will be very easy, very cheap. It will save the nhs a lot of money. I hope so. And the social care system of course. Well, lets turn now to a worrying warning for local councils this morning as local Government Association has written to the chancellor to warn that local authorities do not have enough funding, simply to stand still. Yes, they cite increasing pressures on Homelessness Services , childrens social services, childrens social care, transport for children with special Educational Needs and disabilities. These are all areas at risk. Well, gb news is Theo Chikomba joins us now. And theo, isuppose chikomba joins us now. And theo, i suppose there are some councils that have been very much struggling, but there are others that have not been. How much of this is to down demand and how much of this is down to frankly, council mismanagement. Yes. Well, very good morning to you. Its a multitude of those things which you have mentioned. Where i am this mentioned. But where i am this morning in Woking Woking Borough Council declared bankruptcy earlier this year in june and this is because of a situation which occurred in over a period of time lasting during when the conservatives were running this borough council. Its now borough council. Its now currently being run by the liberal democrats and its reports oddly, we understand that they were spending money on things like sky scrapers and hotel bills, and thats left them with a deficit of £1. 2 billion. Now, many people who live in this area will no doubt be looking at whats going to happen. So we understand from the council that theyll be having a meeting in february 2024 to discuss the steps as theres currently a consultation happening at the moment. And then in september 2024, they will outline whats going to happen. There have been some areas being highlighted that may potentially have their funding cut such as toilets, such as local dance facilities and swimming pools. So a leisure facility is as well. And this might also mean that council tax has to go up, as weve seen similarly in birmingham at the city council, which has had some difficult, challenging times when it comes to finances earlier this year as well. And we understand theres been people sent there to try and rectify the situation there. But it is , of course, something it is, of course, something thats been an issue for a while for Many Councils across the country. And as you say , the country. And as you say, the warning has come at a time when the autumn statement is due to be delivered in a couple of weeks time and many people will be looking to see whether or not the chancellor will have any more money to plug that hole. For Many Councils across the county, across the country. County, across the country. Thank you very much indeed. Theo chikomba there are reporter from woking from the council. From woking from the council. Thats going to be very difficult indeed for the government, for the treasury to certainly is. But i cant help thinking that that you know, Birmingham Council bankrupt council which went bankrupt croydon went Croydon Council which went bankrupt Woking Council its not every council some have been run well, some been run poorly. Well, some have been run poorly. Should we the badly run should we reward the badly run councils with bailouts the councils with bailouts from the taxpayer . Taxpayer . Do you raise a good point . Do you raise a good point . Although i would say that obviously councils may obviously some councils may have more demographic more pressures, demographic pressures. Thats true. And whatnot. Oh, sorry. Go on. On. If you live in a council area where your council has gone bankrupt, get touch. Bankrupt, get in touch. Vaiews gbnews. Com. Thats the address to email. Well be getting to those views and many other stories after this. Other stories after this. Hello. Good morning. Its hello. Good morning. Its alex burkill here with your latest gb news weather forecast. A bit of a foggy start for some of us this morning, but then the unsettled theme continues with showers longer spells rain showers or longer spells of rain. Any mist and murk and fog will gradually clear as we go through the morning. The persistent rain affecting eastern parts of scotland totals continuing scotland still totals continuing to build up as we go through into so some issues into the weekend. So some issues here, othennise a fair few showers developing, some them showers developing, some of them heavy, even thundery heavy, perhaps even thundery and becoming widespread , becoming more widespread, pushing inland we go into the pushing inland as we go into the afternoon. Some sunny spells, though , and temperatures near though, and temperatures near normal of year. Normal for the time of year. Highs around 15 celsius in the south, further north. South, cooler further north. Were going to continue to see more rain across particularly eastern scotland as we eastern parts of scotland as we go through friday night might become a bit more widespread across parts of scotland across other parts of scotland through the night as well. Othennise, showers othennise, plenty of showers again developing. Will be again developing. These will be heavy times southern heavy at times across southern south eastern parts could cause some impacts here as we go through the early hours of saturday. Some clear skies around, we could around, though, so we could see some and developing some mist and fog developing once more and temperatures may be lower than last night be a touch lower than last night for quite a few places on saturday. Then blustery, saturday. Then a blustery, showery for places. Showery day for many places. Still cloud and rain still seeing some cloud and rain across eastern parts of scotland, which is why some issues are quite likely. Othennise, heavy showers, especially the south. Especially towards the south. And a spell of wet and and notice a spell of wet and windy weather starting to push into far south later on in into the far south later on in the day. Temperatures similar to today most perhaps a touch today for most perhaps a touch higher some places getting higher for some places getting into celsius by late. Late. Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. Its 10 am. On friday, the 27th of october. This is britains newsroom with me, emily carver and the lovely tom hannood today on the show, a huge challenge. Thats how a group of mps describe the challenge faced by the home office to tackle the asylum backlog. Gb news political reporter olivia utley has the latest. Has the latest. The immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, has promised to end the use of hotels to house migrants, but this new report from a Cross Party Group of mps pours cold water on his plans. Pours cold water on his plans. Top tory, accused of rape the former Justice Minister Crispin Blunt , has been arrested in blunt, has been arrested in connection with an allegation of rape and possession of a controlled substance. The mp said he was confident he would not be charged with any offence , whitewashed report. Offence, whitewashed report. Thats how gb news presenter nigel farage has described his long awaited Financial Conduct Authority review into this debate. Authority review into this debate. Banking Authority Review into this debate. Banking row with natwest debate. Banking row with natwest and bbc slammed state of israels official twitter account has tweeted out a bbc world parody video. World parody video. Is this appropriate. Is this appropriate. And wed love to know what your thoughts are on all of the stories we discuss this hour. Gb views at cbnnews. Com is the address to write in to, and well be getting to some of those in just a moment. But first, here is the latest headunes first, here is the latest headlines with tatiana sanchez. Headlines with tatiana sanchez. Tom, thank you very much. And good morning. This is the latest from the newsroom. Mps are warning Vulnerable People are being put at risk by the home office under its plans to clear the asylum backlog. The Public Accounts Committee says the government plans are incomplete and unrealistic. At the end of june this year, there were almost 68,000 asylum cases awaiting a decision. Shadow environment secretary steve reed says the tories have lost control of the situation , taking control of the situation, taking immense amount of time to deal with individual cases. While those cases are being while people are waiting for their cases to be dealt with, theyre being put up in hotels at a staggering cost of £8 million a day. Its shocking what labour would do is instead of using that money on hotel bills, we would use it to recruit 1000 additional Civil Servants to deal with these cases faster. That would reduce the hotel bill. The scheme would pay the hotel bill. The scheme would pay for itself and then you would get the cases processed much faster. However, the education secretary, Gillian Keegan says the government already has measures in place to deal with the backlog. The backlog. We have got tough on immigration. We were the people who have introduced new legislation because obviously you have to have the law behind you. Weve also obviously had the rwanda policy, which is still in the courts, but that is part of the policy. And weve also got returns agreements now with a number of countries and a new agreement with france as well. Were also looking at alternatives to hotels to bring that bill down to the taxpayer. So we are the ones taking all of the actions. Is no the actions. But there is no doubt this is a huge problem. Hamas says the israeli bombing of gaza has killed 50 hostages so far. It comes as hostages so far. It comes as israel intensified its attacks on the strip strike. Dozens of terrorist targets over the past couple of days. Terrorist targets over the past couple of days. Hamas terrorist targets over the past couple of days. Hamas says it couple of days. Hamas says it cant release hostages seized dunng cant release hostages seized during an attack on israel until a ceasefire is agreed. It claims a ceasefire is agreed. It claims it needs time to locate all those whod been taken from israel to gaza. British citizens israel to gaza. British citizens fleeing the middle east conflict will be able to access benefits after arriving in the uk. This also includes britons escaping from lebanon and the west bank. Theyll be able to claim universal credit as well as disability and child benefits without delay. They can also access social housing and Housing Assistance if needed. Meanwhile, hundreds of uk lawyers sent an open letter to the Prime Minister asking him to press for a ceasefire to allow aid into gaza. The letter says aid into gaza. The letter says the uk needs to follow International Law and not encourage aid or assist the laws violation by others. Nhs laws violation by others. Nhs waiting list could top 8 million by next summer, even if strike action doesnt continue. The action doesnt continue. The Health Foundation says the number will peak by august before starting to come down. But if strikes were to continue, the list could be 180,000 higher for more than 7. 5 Million People were waiting for treatment just last month. But the nhs says its making progress, claiming they have more than halved waits of more than 65 weeks , around of more than 65 weeks, around 1. 7 Million People could be living with dementia in england and wales by 2040, according to new research. The rising number of cases 40 more than previously thought means the burden on health and social care might be considerably larger than currently forecast. The study , led by ucl, previously study, led by ucl, previously suggests cases in 2040 would reach 1. 2 million. The department of health and social care has promised to provide £160 million a year for Dementia Research by 2025, an and finally, plans have been approved by Merton Council to expand the all england tennis club. The decision followed a lengthy Planning Committee meeting which concluded just last night the grounds will almost triple in size, including 38 new Tennis Courts and allow wimbledon to host the qualifying tournaments rather than miles away in roehampton. Completion away in roehampton. Completion is projected for 2030 and will see an increase in the capacity of the championships from 42,000 to 50,000. The this is gb news across the uk on tv in your car on Digital Radio and on your Smart Speaker by saying play gb news. Now its back to tom and. News. Now its back to tom and. Emily thank you tatiana. It is 1006 in the morning. Your britains newsroom on gb news with me, emily carver and tom hannood got lots of emails coming in this morning, havent we . We do. And particularly see whats got people talking. Is this issue of councils going bankrupt. But of course, we saw a examples earlier, but some a few examples earlier, but some people writing in to people have been writing in to ask whether their councils have gone fiona has has gone bankrupt. Fiona has has written to say hope a Tandridge Council isnt bankrupt. We pay the highest council tax in surrey. Its like a small mortgage and im suspicious as to what the Council Spends it on. Well, im delighted to say, fiona, that Tandridge Council is not bankrupt. Probably because they charge you through the nose. But again, i suppose that does emphasise that, you know, councils that are responsible with their finances dont go bankrupt. That arent with their finances dont go banshould that arent with their finances dont go banshould we that arent with their finances dont go banshould we reward it arent with their finances dont go banshould we reward those|t with their finances dont go banshould we reward those that do. Should we reward those that are irresponsible . I mean i, i grew up in the council of hanngey grew up in the council of haringey and the things that they spend money on is ludicrous. They spent tens of thousands of pounds on changing road signs because they werent deemed politically correct. And even the residents have said street didnt want the change anyway. Didnt want the change anyway. Its just ridiculous, angela says. When some leaders of councils earn more than the Prime Minister, councils are also very much overstaffed to generously paid little or no regard to time keeping, unable to be sacked. Well you make some important points there. Also, there are a south cambridgeshire, i believe it was, that council decided that a four day working week would be the right thing to do for their employees ease. But the problem was that people couldnt get in touch for very important services. Services. Oh, there you go. Its all good. Its good on the production side, not on the accessing side. Well, tricia has written to, say, council salaries, high expenses, high Civil Service pensions, high. Whats left for people who pay rates and government money. Also, wastage , which she says also, wastage, which she says that she is a parish councillor where nobody is paid no expenses and we cannot waste a penny. So thats the line from tricia this morning. Yes. Also speaking to councillors in maidenhead , which theresa in maidenhead, which theresa mays constituency talking about all the extra facilities that theyre being told they need to offer because of the migrant hotels. So things like extra bus trips, extra services, all of that sort of thing. Thats not doesnt seem to be coming from central government. So theyve got to find it somehow from their local residents. Although i do difficult, i do think there is a point here sometimes councils are to blame for development. If for blocking development. If youre not building more houses, youre not building more houses, you dont have more people paying you dont have more people paying council tax, then youre going to have to charge Higher Council those that going to have to charge Higher Council live those that going to have to charge Higher Council live there. E that going to have to charge Higher Council live there. Potentially, already live there. Potentially, if councils were approved more development, wouldnt have development, they wouldnt have they wouldnt be going. So its a controversial opinion i imagine some opinion and i imagine some people thinking people at home are thinking not more beautiful more development in my beautiful area, but depends how its area, but it depends how its done. As always, weve got lots more. Weve got lots of emails also on immigration also coming in on immigration and that backlog, and asylum policy. That backlog, whos what we whos to blame . What should we do etcetera. Do about it, etcetera, etcetera. Well those later. So well get to those later. So please do keep them coming in. Now, Prime Minister, now, the Prime Minister, rishi pledged home rishi sunak, pledged the home office a huge Number Office would clear a huge number of asylum claims by the end of this year. Seems hes this year. Well, it seems hes nowhere near delivering a report by cross party says by a cross party Committee Says a challenge remains for a huge challenge remains for the home the governments home office and the governments plan system plan to reform the asylum system to the process is to speed up the process is incomplete and unrealistic. Well , were joined now by well, were joined now by olivia utley, our Political Correspondent from our westminster studio. And, olivia, its a report this its a very report. We heard a bombastic speech from the immigration minister, Robert Jenrick , earlier this Robert Jenrick, earlier this week saying that the government would end the use of hotels halls to house migrants over the first half of next year. That was greeted very, very warmly by the conservative backbenchers. The conservative backbenchers. There are currently about 400 hotels in use housed around 50,000 migrants at a cost of £8 million a day to the taxpayer. Robert jenrick said that because his government had managed to clear the backlog or at least halve the backlog of asylum claims, and because policies like the in forcing migrants to share rooms instead of having one room each were coming into effect and were beginning to work, he had capacity to be able to free some of those hotel to free up some of those hotel rooms end some of those rooms and end some of those contracts. Well, this report today, is from the public today, which is from the Public Accounts Committee , which is accounts committee, which is a group of Cross Party Party mps, has really poured cold water on almost everything. He said in that speech in the commons , as that speech in the commons, as they point out, essentially im paraphrasing here, but that Robert Jenrick was massaging the statistics a little bit. Rishi sunak claimed that he would clear the legacy backlog that is the backlog of asylum claims before 2022 by the end of this year. Before 2022 by the end of this year. Robert jenrick said that year. Robert jenrick said that he had already halved it. Well, yes, he has halved it, but of course , while those legacy course, while those legacy claims have been being dealt with, more migrants have been coming in across the channel. So the overall backlog of asylum claims is even bigger than it was as the Public Accounts Committee says, even if he does manage to clear that legacy backlog by the end of the year, they will still be another 84,000 or so claims to be processed. The other thing that this report points out is that the problem with clearing the backlog in so far as the government has done it is that those cases, the backlog of cases currently going through the system in the Home Office End simply going to the end up simply going to the courts these people who courts because these people who have cases dealt with too have their cases dealt with too quickly go to appeal. And then quickly go to appeal. And then the backlog is essentially moved from one place to the other, rather than fixed. This is going to be a huge headache for the government. The labour party government. The labour party have already they have already said that they would problem by would fix the problem by employing new home office employing 1000 new Home Office Caseworkers to get claims processed faster. Will will the conservatives do something similar . Similar . Its very difficult for the government , isnt it, because on government, isnt it, because on the one hand, if you process claims faster, then this moves to the court system because people are appeal. Also, theres the worry that if you process claims too quickly, you make the wrong decision. An and you could end up sort of just rubber stamping people through without giving enough care to their particular cases. I mean, what exactly are the labour party proposing that would be different besides just dealing with backlog. Faster with the backlog. Faster well, the labour party has said that it would employ 1000 new caseworkers. They believe new caseworkers. They believe that the problem is that rather than expanding the capacity of Home Office Officials dealing with these claims, the conservatives have simply piled more work on the existing caseworkers. The conservatives have massively, massively sped up the process. At the beginning of this year, around 400 asylum claims were processed each week. Thats now about 4500. At least according to government figures. According to government figures. The labour party thinks it could speed that up even more by employing 1000 extra caseworkers. That would obviously be very, very expensive, but they argue that it pay for themselves that it would pay for themselves because they would be able to close down some of these migrant hotels. It all sounds great in theory , but do the numbers add theory, but do the numbers add up . Up . It does seem like this is an intractable problem , but it intractable problem, but it didnt used to be a problem half a ago. People werent a decade ago. People werent languishing on these waiting lists to be processed for more than a year as as many individuals are now. This sort individuals are now. This sort of change in the system, or at least this this going up of the system that led to people languishing in hotels, a system that was designed so that people would only be there for a week or so while they were processed. So clearly, things need to be turned around. But what the turned around. But what does the government doing to government say its doing to change other than just change things other than just chugging along as it is . Is chugging along as it is . Is well, the government has said that it will. You know , that it will. You know, implement policies such as forcing migrants to share rooms. Forcing migrants to share rooms. Obviously, the governments trying to progress with its rwanda policy, which would see Illegal Migrants not have their claims processed at all, but simply be deported to rwanda and while there, officials would work out whether they had a claim or not. So thats the governments sort of main strategy when it comes to addressing this backlog. But as we know, its in pretty sticky mud at the moment. No migrant has actually yet taken to off rwanda. And we are expecting more legal delays , a supreme more legal delays, a Supreme Court case, etcetera. And while court case, etcetera. And while that rwanda policy is just unable to progress fonnard at all, really , it feels as though all, really, it feels as though the conservatives need to come up with some sort of interim strategy. D but as yet, its not strategy. D but as yet, its not really been forthcoming. Thank you very much indeed. Olivia utley there our Political Correspondent from the westminster studio. Its incredibly difficult for the government. Do try to take government. They do try to take action on this issue and it gets held up in the courts. The opposition always oppose any measure to take. That measure they wish to take. That appears to be tough on this issue, although on the other hand , ive also seen an hand, ive also seen an interview with immigration interview with the immigration minister we dont minister before saying we dont necessarily process necessarily want to process people quickly because that could be a magnet attract could be a magnet to attract more people, which i fundamentally disagree with. I think system should i think the system should process and process people quickly and therefore not hold them in hotel. I have sympathy with that view from the immigration minister, i minister, though, because i think people are think a lot of people are worried the government may worried that the government may well, in a bid to close the backlog, to get rid of the backlog, to get rid of the backlog, may just wave people through and that is not the way to deal with with asylum claims. In my humble opinion. No, i think i think i completely agree with you there. But there must be a way to do it thoroughly and quickly. How has that escaped the possibility of the British State last the British State in the last half decade so . Half decade or so . Guess its how many well, i guess its how many resources on this resources do you want on this one issue . Theres a lot of money, a lot of time, a lot of people when youre spending so many Million Pounds a day on hotels, re diverting hotels, perhaps re diverting that a better port of that would be a better port of call. But well so the tory mp Crispin Blunt was arrested on wednesday morning. That was on suspicion of rape and drug possession. He was later released on conditional bail. Released on conditional bail. Yes, former justice yes, the former Justice Minister, public identified himself statement posted on himself on a statement posted on x, formerly known as twitter yesterday. And he said he strongly believes he wont be charged. Yes. So in the studio with us is former adviser to michael gove, charlie rowley. Charlie, gove, charlie rowley. Charlie, what do we know about this case . Whats he been accused of exactly . And the political reaction . Well, its a serious allegation of rape and in possession of controlled substances. He denies it all. He substances. He denies it all. He put a statement out last night and the police will continue to investigate. Now, i think for what its worth, in terms of the case, its quite unusual for someone that is being investigated by the police with such a serious allegation to out themselves , as it were. And themselves, as it were. And i think to be fair in a sense, obviously he cant comment on any of the allegations at all. But i think it was the right thing to do because because he denies the allegations strenuously. He it was a statement that was put out by Surrey Police. They gave an age and there are there are nine conservative mps in surrey, many of them very high profile individuals. Individuals. Do you think the reason he said, its me , i dont think said, its me, i dont think ive done anything wrong , but i ive done anything wrong, but i want to take the. Do you think that was to take suspicion off other people . Very high profile names in that area . Yes, i do. And i think also to own in the story a bit more because if you dont do that and if you look and its up to each individual that, you know, again, we dont know where these allegations will end up, but if anybody is accused of anything like this, its for those individuals decide individuals to decide how they want handle that. But want to sort of handle that. But i think, you know, at a time i do think, you know, at a time where were seeing things like, you know, peter bone, chris pincher , weve seen things in pincher, weve seen things in somerton and frome and tiverton and honiton, you know, weve seen a number of tory mps that have for various different reasons, fallen way below the standard is expected of standard that is expected of them public life. To them in public life. And to allow this to this narrative of tory sleaze to fester in the minds of the british electorate on in the run up to a general election when the Prime Minister is clearly trying to talk about things important things like i and very important and, and dealing with his top five priorities, you know , its five priorities, you know, its not something that is helpful to the tory party cause or the tory government. Yes. Rishi sunak people have their criticisms of rishi sunak, but he does seem to be straight down the line and i would say he appears to be honourable having to deal with this kind of thing is not what he wants. As you is not what he wants. As you say, when hes trying to talk about i. So yes , this is a about i. So yes, this is a massive distraction. Once again , massive distraction. Once again, we could potentially have another by election depending on what happens here. Exactly. And that will be something that, you know, the pubuc something that, you know, the public will then decide and the pollsters talking. And if, you know, depending way it know, depending on which way it goes, just, you know, when goes, it just, you know, when you general election, you go into a general election, you go into a general election, you want momentum really to be on your side. Now i think the pubuc on your side. Now i think the public still the back of the public still on the back of the last elections. And look, last two by elections. And look, you they were good you know, they were good wins for labour. It was a very low turnout. But the circumstances in those two left in which those two mps left their their in tamworth, their their roles in tamworth, chris their their roles in tamworth, chns and their their roles in tamworth, chris and in mid chris pincher and in mid bedfordshire. Dorries bedfordshire. Nadine dorries its quite understandable why perhaps tory vote didnt perhaps the tory vote didnt turn out, although is it right to be looking at turnout alone . Because i was looking at this andits because i was looking at this and its certainly true that if you just a pure you look at it on just a pure numbers basis, the labour vote held the vote collapsed held, the tory vote collapsed and the labour vote didnt add that compared to the that much more compared to the last but thats last election. But thats exactly the same pattern that happenedin exactly the same pattern that happened in 1996. You had a lot of seats that the conservatives lost in by elections in the run up general election up to the 97 general election where actually the labour vote didnt budge much, but the tory vote collapsed perhaps its vote collapsed and perhaps its indicative of the same amount of apathy from every party but the labour Party Getting more votes in a proportional sense . In a proportional sense . Oh, absolutely. And you know, it may be the case that look, you know, john major, i think was Prime Minister then for seven 1990 to 1997, seven years, from 1990 to 1997, rishi has only been prime rishi sunak has only been Prime Minister so the fact minister for a year. So the fact that the public with all the that the public and with all the politics weve seen through politics that weve seen through bofis politics that weve seen through boris trust rishi Boris Johnson to his trust rishi sunak, know, the public, the sunak, you know, the public, the electorate arent switched on in terms politics the terms of politics per se at the moment. Comes to moment. So when it comes to a general election, when youre actually arguments actually hearing the arguments of who can take the of policy, who can take the country fonnard tackle the country fonnard and tackle the big rishi Big Decisions . I think rishi might appeal to might still be able to appeal to people really even on his own, even if he has to sort of distance himself from the tory brand sunak brand versus the rishi sunak brand. Its worth pointing out as well, isnt charlie, well, isnt it, charlie, that things the things arent all rosy in the labor party dozens of councillors taking issue with the Keir Starmers position on israel palestine also even rumours of shadow ministers , rumours of shadow ministers, people within his cabinet being very angry with him and disagreeing with him, fund mentally so things arent so rosy over that side either. Rosy over that side either. I think thats absolutely right and i think look you know, credit to keir starmer, hes done a lot, i think over the last four years to transform the labour party, to take it back to a position where it is being looked at by the electorate. But youre absolutely right, it is effectively an opposition party. Its a Campaign Organisation and campaigning very different to campaigning is very different to being i think being in government and i think the party are getting the the labour party are getting the scrutiny that they might not scrutiny now that they might not have had that scrutiny have had before that scrutiny will if keir will only intensify if keir starmer is going be the next starmer is going to be the next Prime Minister and were going to see when they start to announce as instead of to see when they start to anntu turning as instead of to see when they start to anntu turning on as instead of to see when they start to anntu turning on them stead of to see when they start to anntu turning on them orad of to see when they start to anntu turning on them or flipf just u turning on them or flip flopping on when they flopping on them, when they start to announce more policies, therell more scrutiny therell be more scrutiny and therell be more scrutiny and the public actually able the public will actually be able to what it to see what its like or what it could like under a labour could be like under a Labour Government a conservative government versus a conservative one. Admirable, admirable its an admirable, admirable defence that you are making in tough you for putting across thank you for putting across that course for that case. And of course for balance well. I think we balance as well. I think we should note the currently suspended or at least the labour mps the mps who were suspended over the course of this parliament, including claudia webb, jeremy corbyn, nick brown , christina corbyn, nick brown, christina rees, conor mcginn , diane rees, conor mcginn, diane abbott, Gareth Davies to of course resigned in disgrace in this parliament. Mike hill and Chris Matheson and a couple have had been suspended and then had their suspension undone. That their suspension undone. That includes rupert hack and neil coyle. So of course there are some labour individuals who have run into hot water as well. Gosh. Rupa huq said Kwasi Kwarteng was superficially a black man. Yes, yes, she i remember that actually, she was she was sitting on the naughty bench for a while. But then apologies paused and pepped but then apologies paused and popped back in. Jeremy its like crowd control, isnt it . Yeah. I mean what whips yeah. I mean what the whips for. But, but i think the interesting thing of interesting thing with some of these labour names is we dont know theyve suspended. These labour names is we dont knovtheresheyve suspended. These labour names is we dont knovtheres a, we suspended. These labour names is we dont knovtheres a, theres suspended. These labour names is we dont knovtheres a, theres sairyended. These labour names is we dont knovtheres a, theres sair ofded. And theres a, theres an air of mystery it that perhaps i mystery around it that perhaps i dont maybe theyre in dont know, maybe if theyre in government this time next year, maybe a little bit later, perhaps scrutiny perhaps thered be more scrutiny on politicians whove on the labour politicians whove been suspended. More questions on the labour politicians whove bento suspended. More questions on the labour politicians whove bento why ended. More questions on the labour politicians whove bento why theyvemore questions on the labour politicians whove bento why theyve beenquestions suspended. Think absolutely i think thats absolutely right. Theres a bigger right. I think theres a bigger magnifying on on the magnifying glass on on the governing rightly, if governing and quite rightly, if youre literally in youre if youre literally in the of power, then perhaps the seat of power, then perhaps you you should be you should be you should be under a greater of under a greater deal of scrutiny. Yes, lots of have scrutiny. Yes, lots of mps have been trouble well been in trouble and well continue to be, im sure. But still to come, lgb Alliance Says that facing that lesbians are facing extinction in because of the disproportionate focus on transgender identities in schools. Well be joined by one of their members very shortly. Reason. Always honest, always fun. Every weekend at 3 pm. On gb news, the people. Gb news, the people. Its 1027. And youre with britains newsroom here on gb news with me, tom hannood and emily carver. Yes, the lgb alliance is hosting its annual Conference Today, highlighting issues facing lesbians, gay men and bisexuals. Well, the charity has been labelled as anti trans and bigoted in the past for taking the t out of the widely used acronym , lgbt. Used acronym, lgbt. Yes, this comes as a day after our poll revealed that 30 of brits think that a transgender woman is a woman. Well, womens rights campaigner jo bartoshuk joins us live from the conference. Jo, thank you for making the time this morning. Of course , the this morning. Of course, the organisation that you represent has faced quite a deal of criticism from within those who identify as as not straight for being exclusionary to a group that many people would think of as a sort of part of that sort of community. Dodi what do you say to that criticism . Um well, firstly, i should probably correct you and say that im not actually representing lgb alliance. Im speaking at the conference later, but im not sort of speaking on behalf of them right now. Um, with regards to, um, the accusation that lgb alliance are exclusionary, i think it is perfectly legitimate to have organisations that focus on gender identity , that focus on gender identity, that focus on gender identity, that focus on trans issues. I also think it is entirely legitimate to have organisations that focus upon those of us who are same sex attracted. And i dont think attracted. And i dont think theres really any natural pairing between uh, sexual orientation. So who you fancy and identity , who you think you and identity, who you think you are. Um, and i and identity, who you think you are. Um, and i think actually the sort of marrying together of these two issues has been part of a funding strategy by the large lgbt organisations like stonewall. Jo why do you think you get so much backlash . Lgb alliance so much backlash . Lgb alliance ive seen it online. Ive seen, you know, video footage of, of people kicking off. They dont like the fact that you dont have the t in the lgb alliance. Why do you think theres so much anger there . Anger there . A lot of the anger actually comes from cognitive dissonance. I think people havent thought through the issues because if you argue, for example , that you argue, for example, that a trans woman is a woman , then trans woman is a woman, then logically it follows some of those trans women will be lesbians. So that means, for example, that you have to accept the idea of a lesbian with a penis a trans man who penis or a trans man who identifies gay with with identifies as gay with with a vulva. Now, thats actually quite homophobic as a concept thats really offensive to a lot of us who are same sex attracted. And we have at the Conference Today people like simon fanshawe, who was one of the Founding Fathers of stonewall, and hes now come to come to realise that actually there are problems about not adding gender identity to sexual orientation. So i think actually a lot of the angeris so i think actually a lot of the anger is misdirected. I think anger is misdirected. I think its misunderstood and i think frankly, its because people havent bothered to think through the issues theyre through the issues and theyre just sort taking the easiest route. It is interesting, though, how proportionately few people , how proportionately few people, all of minority sexual interest identify with just the letters lgb alone. Yougov did a poll back in june of this year that found that just 4 of non straight men would identify as lgb with the rest going with lgbtq lgbt, lgbt plus. And those lgbtq lgbt, lgbt plus. And those are the ones for , just said lgb. Are the ones for, just said lgb. Whereas with with women men who have sex with women just 2. Just 2 identified with the acronym lgb rather than the other ones that include transgender people. That include transgender people. Well, is this organisation particular representative . Particular representative . Absolutely. Think it is. As absolutely. Think it is. As i say, i think i mean, you know, most people why . Why should any particular group be tasked with sort of unpicking what lobby groups , what very wealthy lobby groups, what very wealthy lobby groups, what very wealthy lobby groups have spent a long time embedding into policy, into structures or into institutions . I think the default setting is be kind and i think the split youve seen seen there between the 4 as and i would like to see how that poll was conducted. But the 4 who identify as men who are, as you say, men who have sex with men. So i would say gay or bisexual men and the disparity between that and the 2 of women i think actually that shows that women have a far, um, greater , greater social far, um, greater, greater social pressure to be kind and to be nice to and sort of be accepted. And i think that in itself shows why sex matters, why sex difference matters , and why this difference matters, and why this is the idea of things like lesbians with penises is putting a huge amount of pressure on on the sort of on the Lesbian Community now joe the sorry were running out of time but i do want to get this question in because this is something that many of our viewers and listeners, listeners are concerned about. Listeners, listeners are conand ed about. Listeners, listeners are conand it about. Listeners, listeners are conand it isyout. Listeners, listeners are conand it isyout theme of the and it is the theme of the alliance Conference Today, which is how schools are approaching transition among young people with gender dysphoria or who are gender non conforming. What gender non conforming. What concerns do you expect to be raised about this . Yeah so raised about this . Yeah so speaking at the moment, theres a massive concern, in fact, that the guidance that was promised in 2018 hasnt yet materialised and also that that there has been a huge rise in young women in particular identified as men. And we know that a disproportionate number of those would have othennise grown up to be healthy lesbians. And what is happening is they are being put on pathway. They are on a medical pathway. They are binding breasts. They are binding their breasts. They are sometimes quite sometimes undergoing quite sometimes undergoing quite sometimes they are obtaining hormones on online. And that can lead to sterilisation and that can lead to Massive Health problems. So essentially, i think fighting here think what we are fighting here and what is going on, particularly some of the particularly with some of the some of the conversations around schools, eugenics i thank you very much indeed for joe bartosh for your time. Joe bartosh there, womens rights campaigner, the lgb campaigner, live from the lgb alliance conference. Gosh, yes. No, some gosh, yes. No, some forthright opinions there. You asked the question, why are they not identifying with the lgb alliance . And it may be because its been demonised or they just have never heard of it. I suppose is one i suppose that is one explanation, i do think that explanation, but i do think that generally there is this sort of sense of solidarity with the sexual minority voices in this country and others that perhaps is a sense of solidarity there. Well, well come back to this maybe. But still to come , the maybe. But still to come, the de banking report is now out and farage has not held back in his response. Bbc has slammed state of israels official twitter account, has tweeted out a bbc world parody video will debate whether thats appropriate. That whether thats appropriate. That and so much more after your morning news with tatiana. Morning news with tatiana. Tom, thank you. The latest from the newsroom. Mps are warning Vulnerable People are being put at risk by the home office under its plans to clear the asylum backlog. The Public Accounts Committee says the governments plans are incomplete and unrealistic. At the end of june this year, there were almost 68,000 asylum cases awaiting a decision. An the awaiting a decision. An the government says its already had measures in place to deal with the backlog. British citizens the backlog. British citizens fleeing the middle east conflict will be able to access benefits after arriving in the uk this also includes britons escaping from lebanon and the west bank. Theyll be able to claim universal credit as well as disability and child benefits without delay. They can also without delay. They can also access social housing and Housing Assistance if needed. Housing assistance if needed. Meanwhile, hundreds of uk lawyers have sent an open letter to the Prime Minister asking him to the Prime Minister asking him to press for a ceasefire to allow aid into gaza for the education secretary says there are no wider cultural problems within her party after mp Crispin Blunt was arrested on suspicion of rape and the possession of controlled substances. Gillian keegan told gb news most of her colleagues act with integrity. The reigate act with integrity. The reigate mp has been removed from the party and asked to stay away from parliament. Mr blunt says hell cooperate fully with the Ongoing Investigation and says hes confident he wont be charged and nhs waiting list could top 8 million by next summer, even if strike action doesnt continue. If strikes were to continue, the list could be 180,000 higher more than 7. 75 Million People were waiting for treatment last month. But the nhs says its making progress, claiming theyve more than halved waits of over 65 weeks for more on all of those stories, you can visit our website at gbnews. Com. For website at gbnews. Com. For stunning gold and silver coins, youll always value. Rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news Financial Report. Report. Heres a quick snapshot of todays markets. The pound will buy you 1. 2135 and ,1. 1488. The price of gold £1,637. 77 per ounce. And the ftse 100 is. At ounce. And the ftse 100 is. At 7378 points. Rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news Financial Report the kind of views and perspectives that i and people that i knew had dewbs co. We a that i knew had dewbs co. We a very good morning. Very good morning. Its 1040 and very good morning. Its1040 and youre very good morning. Its 1040 and youre with britains newsroom here on gb news with me, tom hannood and with emily carver. You are now nigel farage has responded to the fcas report. It had identified potential regulatory breaches in natwests handung regulatory breaches in natwests handling of a decision to close former brexit Party Leaders account. Well, were pleased to be joined by the author and journalist emma wolf. And might ijust journalist emma wolf. And might i just say its actually emmas birthday today , so happy birthday today, so happy birthday, happy birthday. Thank birthday, happy birthday. Thank you. I dont think im going to quite sing, but and were also joined by the political commentator, Matthew Stadlen , commentator, Matthew Stadlen, who celebrating his who is not celebrating his birthday today, but matthew, 7th of december seventh is not far away. Actually. You all have to get you back in for the seventh. But but, yes, lets lets kick off actually with with this story, because this has been a long saga. Emma it has. Long running saga. Emma it has. Nigel farage sorry. Natwest. Seriously claiming that their decision to de bank nigel farage was not about brexit in their subject access request, they mentioned the word brexit 86 times. Its completely ludicrous. I agree with nigel farage this is a mealy mouth decision that theyve come up with. Its a sort of, decision that theyve come up with. Its a sort of , well, with. Its a sort of, well, there were issues there, but they need to be looked into. I dont want to live in a world where our banks or our Utility Companies or our water, electricity, whoever electricity, gas, whoever is judging me for my political views, i think theres a real issue at stake here. Of course, nigel farage has a much, much bigger profile than most people. Nigel farage has a much, much bigcourse, file than most people. Nigel farage has a much, much bigcourse, file twellnost people. Nigel farage has a much, much bigcourse, file twell very people. Nigel farage has a much, much bigcourse, file twell very wellle. Of course, hes well very well known for his for his views. But i think that this a dangerous i think that this is a dangerous precedent to set whereby companies who should be, you know, based providing a basic service are starting to judge us starting to give us their woke nonsense, starting to you know, thats not a world i want to live in. No, i think it would be reprehensible if we all started losing our well, if you know , losing our well, if you know, people who were a bit too right wing for the bank or the Utility Companies or frankly, frankly , companies or frankly, frankly, sorry, your views dont align with it. It cuts both ways. I dont want communists to lose access to their to their Vital Services as well as taoiseach. And matthew, what do you make of this . Well, i think that the report is clear that it was the decision to close nigels account was lawful. But the mistakes were made. Nigel seems very angry at this report and has cast aspersions over those who came up with the report. It was independent. Who am i to say othennise . And it does accept that mistakes were made and natwest themselves have accepted the mistakes are made. I agree. Banking is close to a fundamental right and we need to be able to bank pretty much regardless of our political views, because without a bank account in the modern world, its almost impossible to function. So yeah, i just feel this muddies the waters when people start being told, you know , start being told, you know, sorry, you cant bank with us for this reason. You cant. And in a way you said cuts both ways. In a way said it cuts both ways. In a way it cut both ways because we it does cut both ways because we have a choice with whom we bank. You decide that you know, i can decide that barclays know, they barclays are you know, they dont align with my values. I can santander, whatever. Can go to santander, whatever. So see that. But its this so i can see that. But its this idea that theyre going to start mining media mining through our social media tweets, of, you tweets, checking, sort of, you know, youve said the know, what youve said in the past. I know, what youve said in the past. I just think theres something really quite fundamental your fundamental about your water, your bank account, your gas, having a bank account, as you say, you know, a landlord your gas, having a bank account, asgoing ay, you know, a landlord your gas, having a bank account, asgoing ay,startknow, a landlord your gas, having a bank account, as going ay, start asking| landlord your gas, having a bank account, as going ay, start asking us ndlord your gas, having a bank account, as going ay, start asking us forord is going to start asking us for our for our views on things as social media history. I just think, yeah, something think, yeah, i think something here this this here it is true that this this thing called a sort of thing called pep a sort of politically exposed person, requires banks, as i understand it, to do too serious Due Diligence on those customers or on those applicants for Bank Accounts. Accounts. So there are laws in place that require banks to act in certain ways. But broadly speaking , i think were on speaking, i think were on a very slippery slope. If banks are closing peoples Bank Accounts because their political views. But lets just be clear. The independent report says that is not what happened here. Yes, these considerations were considered and supported the decision , but the decision was decision, but the decision was made for commercial reasons. Has questioned nigel farage has questioned whether was bias within whether there was bias within the based on who the report based on who conducted it, saying that. So its a Travers Smith report. He says. Its been whitewashed and points to the fact that the emeritus chair, chris hale, is a pro remain lawyer who once described brexiteers as racist and xenophobic. Those are and xenophobic. So those are nigel views. He thinks Nigel Farages views. He thinks that this isnt a fair report and weve seen from subject access requests how some employees of Natwest Coutts thought of him. So there we go. Shall we move on . Shall we move on to Steve Coogans comments . Emma steve coogan says most royal fans are flag waving idiots as he denounces problematic windsors as what a patronising so and so he is. Patronising so and so he is. Starters, he says the royal family have their foot on the throat of working class people. I dont think most working class people , as he puts it, feel that people, as he puts it, feel that at all. I think that either is more popular among the working class than the middle class. I dont want to talk about them en masse. They can make their decision. They make decision. They can make their own how they feel own decision about how they feel about the royal but but about the royal family. But but i we should point out i mean, we should point out steve coogan has made his career here. Hes made his millions from, um, know, here. Hes made his millions from, um, know, people from, um, you know, from people who watch his stupid films, his stupid, idiotic character, Alan Partridge. I mean, there is one partridge. I mean, there is one film love, Alan Partridge. Film i love, Alan Partridge. Okay. Well, you love Alan Partridge. I hes an partridge. I think hes an i think hes an outsider. Oh oh, my god. Just cant that oh, my god. Just cant that very quickly that my wife is a great fan of Alan Partridge because she thinks i resemble Alan Partridge. Oh, really . Thats a shock to me. Thats. Thats. But i suppose to some extent its odd because Alan Partridge is a character that is playing up to a lot of the stereotypes that steve coogan sort of would feel himself the opposite of Alan Partridge as a character is quite monarchist. Is all of these other things i wonder, does that does that mean we should see this sort of character of his in a different light . Light . Look, we all celebrate, dont we . Free speech . I mean, that is sort of that underpins us. Gb news so steve coogan is entitled to his views. News so steve coogan is entitled to his views. I happen to think hes expressed them pretty poorly in this case because how many people watch the queens funeral . 20 million. 28 million . How many people watched the coronation . 20 million. 28 million. Its one way round or the other. So to suggest that these people , all tens of these people, all tens of millions of us are kind of idiots seems to me to have got it quite badly wrong. Hes been under the spotlight recently. Steve coogan, because hes been playing jemmy saviles character, the in character, hasnt he, in the in the bbc drama. And hes also signed a letter very recently condemning israels attacks, as he sees it, on gaza. And i just want to clarify there, because i thought that letter was bang out of order and not specifically mentioning the atrocities committed by hamas , but in the committed by hamas, but in the last five days. Coogan has come out and says, of course, i absolutely condemn. It is interesting he did it that way round, though, first condemning israel and then only later condemning hamas on this. Its interesting because , i its interesting because, i mean, he says it goes without saying that what they did was horrendous. And to an extent it does. I mean, i think it does, though, because. Well supporters of hamas there are. But those support people very, support those people are very, very, very bad people. Any very, very, very bad people. Any right person in britain right minded person in britain who even considers for a second that the murder ordering and butchering of children, the rape of children, the murdering of innocents , the taking of innocents, the taking of children hostages or anyone children as hostages or anyone as hostages, anyone who thinks that remotely that that is remotely justifiable , im afraid, on justifiable, im afraid, is on the extreme fringes. So sort the extreme fringes. So i sort of understand that. But because this is such a toxic issue, because it is so politically heated our society, heated within our own society, i think it was a badly misjudged letter. Letter. Yes. Emma, do you think that were talking a lot about steve coogan, perhaps . Weve spoken more about him in the last week than we have in the last year or so. Do you think hes saying some of these things just so that people do talk about him . I think hes little bit i think hes a little bit like gary lineker. I think he genuinely thinks that were interested his sort interested in his views on sort of politics of World Affairs and politics and like the family and things like the royal family i dont want to spend another second life thinking second of my life thinking ing or coogans or looking at Steve Coogans face. I think hes hes a, you know thought yes heres know, he thought his. Yes heres what i think of him. I doubt he i care what i think of. Yeah, well, thats the thing. He is he is iconic to he is a he is a he is iconic to some people. So he he wont his films wont be remembered. Alan partridge, very moving. Partridge, he was very moving. There a film called there was a film called philomena starred philomena in which he starred with judi dench that was beautiful. For a moment it beautiful. And for a moment it made me think, you know what . Made me think, do you know what . Hes very actor and im hes a very fine actor and im afraid hes gone from, know, afraid hes gone from, you know, hes those face it, guys. I mean, hes not the only actor, is he . No. Whos known . Whos or partly whos become known or partly known for their views. Know annoys me but you know what annoys me is that, you know, he calls royal fans flag waving idiots. He he call, he wouldnt he wouldnt call, you those people who go you know, those people who go out on the remain waving out on the remain marches waving the waving the eu flag or waving palestinian flags Palestinian Palestinian flags or palestinian flags or anything. You know, most flags, apart from seem to be okay. But we did touch on israel. There for a moment. And there is a rather interesting thing that the of israels twitter the state of israels twitter account has tweeted the official state of israels twitter account morning has tweeted account this morning has tweeted account this morning has tweeted a parody video about the bbc. Lets have a little look. Lets have a little look. Good evening from london. Here are some news from the war in gaza. Israel has bombed a hospital, killing hundreds of innocent people. More and more , innocent people. More and more, much better. With more details, much better. With more details, our middle east correspondent harry white. Guilt. Good evening, rachel. Good evening, rachel. Good evening, rachel. From the illegal colony of tel aviv, israel , the officials tel aviv, israel, the officials have denied bombing the hospital, but we have video footage showing what really now , footage showing what really now, this is a pretty stark thing for the official state of israel account to have tweeted to have posted, i suppose, matthew, it shows the strength of feeling in israel about how how much the bbc has stuck its foot in it. So i hadnt seen this until your producer showed me the video this morning and i couldnt believe it. I had to believe it because there it was on the official israel twitter account found account or account. I found it shocking and i it wholly shocking and i found it wholly inappro appropriate. The idea that a state is attacking the bbc seems to me to be absurd and not in israels own interests. At and yes, its important to laugh at times, even in times of horror. I interviewed john cleese the other day for my podcast. He said when people in sarajevo were under siege , i sarajevo were under siege, i think there was a sort of below ground cinema where people would go to laugh, to try go specifically to laugh, to try to get some relief from the horrors around them. Laughter horrors around them. So laughter is thing, doing it in is one thing, but doing it in this way seems to be deeply inappropriate, they inappropriate, are they not . Come to you on emma, ill come to you on this. Are they not trying to make serious point . Say make a serious point . We may say its inappropriate bit its inappropriate or a bit tasteless to make satire over something thats something so horrendous thats going the middle east. But going on in the middle east. But are they not trying to make a more serious point that the bbc has failed . And in in terms of partiality, in terms of impartiality , we because we had impartiality, we because we had the incident of the strike on a hospital, the bbc immediately put out a statement from palestinian officials , aka palestinian officials, aka hamas, saying that it was an israeli strike, failed to use then that was debunked. But, you know, the false the false story travels the world far quicker than the correction. Okay and if that is there, i mean, i think the whole issue around the bbc has been way overblown. I think there are far, far more important issues happening on calling Hamas Terrorists not calling Hamas Terrorists not calling thats calling hamas. Im afraid thats language. Semantics. Language. Thats semantics. I dont dont care. We all dont care. I dont care. We all know i think that know what we mean. I think that was massively overblown. I think its gazing. I think its its navel gazing. I think its pearl think its us pearl clutching. I think its us again talking about auntie. Its us about the bbc at us talking about the bbc at a time when pregnant women were having cut of having unborn babies cut out of their wombs, when the atrocities unbearable. Care. Unbearable. I dont care. I dont care. The bbc get themselves into pickle. They themselves into a pickle. They try try and be try desperately try and be impartial. You what they impartial. You know what they do . Trying to be do . Theyre trying to be balanced. They dont know what to do. Are they correct . The to do. But are they correct . The issueis to do. But are they correct . The issue is there institutional issue is there an institutional problem issue is there an institutional pro because the day that joe because the day that joe biden visiting the middle biden was visiting the middle east, his meetings in in east, he had his meetings in in jordan and in saudi arabia with with president of egypt. With the president of egypt. They had they had all of those cancelled. Had of those cancelled. They had all of those cancelled. They had all of those cancelled after the cancelled immediately after the bombing of this hospital. I have no doubt in my mind that the bbcs initial reporting of this contributed those arab contributed to those arab leaders cancelling those meetings that set back the cause of peace, accurate reporting , of peace, accurate reporting, especially in a war zone, is paramount. Of course, youre absolutely right. I was responding to emily talking about the issue of whether or not they called them by the specific word terrorists or whether they just it or whether they just made it clear that was a horrific clear that it was a horrific atrocity city. I disagree with emma on this. I with her in the sense i agree with her in the sense i dont think the bbc comes from a bad place. I dont think this is deliberate bias in any way. However, i do think you call a terrorist a terrorist. And what those as hamas medievalists did in israel was so obviously terrorism. I find it quite upsetting. Actually. The bbc didnt call them terrorists accuracy in war reporting is absolutely critical because of course theres going to be spin and worse from both sides or all sides. Its very difficult to report independently whats coming out of gaza because there are so few independent journalists in gaza. And of course, hamas run gaza, including the health ministry. Ill just say this in defence of israel, and think what its israel, and i think what its doing in in gaza is wrong. I doing in in in gaza is wrong. I think there is a confusion of palestinian innocence, including children with hamas. And i would call for much greater restraint than what were seeing at the moment. Israel is still a state moment. Israel is still a state in trauma, so even though i think it is acting in a heavy handed way, its only three weeks ago tomorrow that these atrocities were carried out and in that context, maybe we should see the twitter video that we are looking at. I still think it was misjudged. And i can see both sides to this one. But let know what this one. But let us know what you at home about that you think at home about that video that the quite video that the its quite remarkable. Extraordinary. Remarkable. Extraordinary. Yeah. And there are some there some moments in it there are some moments in it where they play the where they they play the recording or play a parody recording or they play a parody recording or they play a parody recording the recording recording of the recording that we of Hamas Terrorists we heard of Hamas Terrorists saying, know, we did and saying, you know, we did it and all it. It does seem all the rest of it. It does seem like a pointed piece of satire about a specific mistake that the bbc did make subject. The bbc did make a subject. As you say, its even but as you say, its not even three weeks. Is this is three weeks. How is this how is it but is this a it ever but how is this a subject for satire or parody . My basic you know, is it basic rule is, you know, is it even funny . Its not funny. Even funny . Its just not funny. When we think about whats going on there, when hear and see on there, when we hear and see whats going there, just whats going on there, its just not funny. Its not subject whats going on there, its just notparody. Its not subject whats going on there, its just notparody. Ifs not subject whats going on there, its just notparody. If they subject whats going on there, its just notparody. If they had bject whats going on there, its just notparody. If they had an ct whats going on there, its just notparody. If they had an issue for parody. If they had an issue with the bbc, they can raise that through diplomatic channels. Well, matthew, emma, thank you very for talking us you very much for talking us through those issues. Well be back more after the weather. Hello there. Its Aidan Mcgivern the met mcgivern here from the met office the gb news office with the gb news forecast. Just few or forecast. Just a few bright or sunny spells the uk sunny spells across the uk today. Othennise its today. But othennise its showers for many of us, some heavy downpours and in places, more weve got more persistent rain. Weve got low sitting to west low pressure sitting to the west of the that continues to of the uk that continues to drive rain or showers drive areas of rain or showers in from southwest. But these in from the southwest. But these areas are again areas of rain are once again becoming stuck central becoming stuck across central and scotland. The and eastern scotland. So the rain continue to top rain here will continue to top it over the next few days. It up over the next few days. Waxing and waning in intensity. However, need further however, we dont need further rain and so could lead rain here and so that could lead to impacts over the next few days. Elsewhere heavy showers and some longer spells of rain, but also sunny spells in between the showers. A gusty breeze, highs of 15 celsius in the south, 12 to 13 further north, further showers into the evening and overnight. In fact, further showers into the evening and overnight. In fact, they and overnight. In fact, they could pop across parts of could pop up across parts of southern england, especially towards south east a towards the south east for a time. And that could, again time. And that could, again cause some localised flooding. Cause some localised flooding. But there will be some clear spells, especially through the midlands , east anglia and midlands, east anglia and Northern England and where we do see those clear spells, temperatures falling into the mid figures and therell mid single figures and therell be a few mist patches. First thing saturday. Othennise its a continuation of the showery theme into the weekend. Scattered showers, but those showers will move through at pace, so theyll be quite frequent and quite heavy in places. The persistent rain continues in eastern scotland and then later in the day, wet and then later in the day, wet and windy weather pushes in towards the southwest by late. Good morning. Its 11 am. On friday, the 27th of october. This is britains newsroom here on gb news. With me, tom hannood and emily carver. Coming up today, a huge challenge. Thats how a group of mps describe the challenge faced by the home office to tackle the asylum backlog. Is it time to rethink the entire system . Top tory accused of rape the former Justice Minister, Crispin Blunt, has been arrested in connection with an allegation of rape and possession of a controlled substance. The mp said he was confident he would not be charged with any offence. Are you ready for the dinosaur . Our john cleese new show airs sunday on gb news. Well be joined with one of the co stars. Co stars. And wed love to know what you think of all of the stories we discuss. Well be getting to your emails in just a moment, so dont forget to email in gb views at gbnews. Com is the address. But before all of that, lets get your Morning Headlines with tatiana. With tatiana. Tom, thank you and good morning. Its 11 01. Tom, thank you and good morning. Its11 01. This is the latest mps are warning Vulnerable People are being put at risk over plans to clear the asylum backlog. The Public Accounts Committee says the Home Office Proposal to reform the system is incomplete and unreal. System is incomplete and unreal. Mystic at the end of june, there were almost 68,000 cases awaiting a decision. Shadow environment secretary steve reed says the government has lost control of the situation, taking immense amount of time to deal with individual cases. With individual cases. And while those cases are being while people are waiting for their cases to be dealt with, theyre being put up in hotels and at a staggering cost of £8 million a day. Its shocking what labour would do is instead of using that money on hotel bills, we would use it to recruit 1000 additional Civil Servants to deal with these cases faster. That would reduce the hotel bill. The scheme would pay the hotel bill. The scheme would pay and then you pay for itself and then you would the cases processed would get the cases processed much faster. But the education secretary , but the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, says the government already has measures in place to deal with the backlog. Backlog. We have got tough on immigration. We were the people who have introduced new legislation because obviously you have to the law behind you have to have the law behind you. Weve also obviously had the rwanda policy, which is still in the courts, but that is part of the policy. And weve also got returns agreements now with a number of countries and a new agreement with france as well. Were also looking at alternatives to hotels to bring that bill down to the taxpayer. So we the ones taking all of so we are the ones taking all of the actions. But there is no doubt that this is a huge problem. Hamas says the israeli bombing of gaza has killed 50 hostages. So far. It comes as israel intensified its attacks on the strip, striking dozens of terrorist targets over the past couple of days. Hamas says it cant release hostages seized dunng cant release hostages seized during an attack on israel until a ceasefire is agreed. It claims it needs time to locate all of those whod been taken from israel to gaza. British citizens israel to gaza. British citizens fleeing the middle east conflict will be able to access benefits after arriving in the uk. This also includes britons escaping from lebanon and the west bank. Theyll be able to claim universal credit as well as disability and child benefits without delay. They can also access social housing and Housing Assistance if needed. Meanwhile hundreds of uk lawyers sent an open letter to the Prime Minister asking him to press for a ceasefire to allow aid into gaza. A ceasefire to allow aid into gaza. The letter says the uk gaza. The letter says the uk needs to follow International Law and not encourage aid or assist the laws violation by others. The education secretary others. The education secretary says there are no cultural problems within her party after a senior mp was arrested on suspicion of rape and the possession of controlled substances. Gillian keegan told gb news most of her colleagues act with integrity. Crispin blunt was detained by Surrey Police yesterday and then released on conditional bail. Hes been removed from the party and asked to stay away from parliament. The mps says hell cooperate fully with the Ongoing Investigation and he says hes confident he wont be charged. Confident he wont be charged. And waiting list could top 8 million by next summer, even if strike action doesnt continue. Strike action doesnt continue. The Health Foundation says the number will peak by august before starting to come down. But if strikes were to continue , but if strikes were to continue, that list could be 180,000 higher. More than 7. 5 Million People were waiting for treatment just last month. But the nhs says its making progress, claiming theyve more than halved waits of more than 65 weeks. Now around 1. 7 than halved waits of more than 65 weeks. Now around 1. 7 Million People could be living with dementia in england and wales by 2040, according to new research , 2040, according to new research, and thats according to the University College of london, which previously predicted the figure could reach 1. 2 million. They found that dementia cases rose by a quarter between 2008 and 2016. The government has pledged it will provide £160 million a year for Dementia Research. By 2025, and plans research. By 2025, and plans have been approved by Merton Council to expand the all england tennis club. The decision followed a lengthy Planning Committee meeting that concluded late last night. The grounds will almost triple in size and allow wimbledon to host the qualifying tournaments. Completion is projected for 2030 and will see an increase in the capacity of the championships from. 42 to 50,000. This is gb from. 42 to 50,000. This is gb news across the uk on tv , in news across the uk on tv, in your car, on Digital Radio and now on your Smart Speaker by saying play gb news now its back to tom and. Emily back to tom and. Emily its 1106 back to tom and. Emily its1106 in back to tom and. Emily its 1106 in the back to tom and. Emily its1106 in the morning. Your britains newsroom on gb news with me, emily carver and tom hannood. Lots of you have been getting in touch about all theissues been getting in touch about all the issues really that weve been discussing today on immigration. We were talking about asylum backlog how about the asylum backlog and how the get a the government needs to get a grip so say the public grip of it. So say the Public Accounts Committee, at least , accounts committee, at least, who should we go to . Mel says who should we go to . Mel says immigration officials could get through the backlog in a few weeks by asking each applicant two questions. Which country did you last come from . Do you have any identification documents . If the answer question two is the answer to question two is none, the information from none, use the information from question one to send them back to so mel takes a strong stance. To so mel takes a strong stance. She does. And tony asks a really pertinent question. He says the most important question is why do the french allow so many fewer into france . And i looked this up because france actually had more asylum applications than the uk last year , but it only answered 25 year, but it only answered 25 of them positive. Lee so the of them positive. Lee so the french had let me just double check this number because the french had. Almost 150,000 french had. Almost 150,000 people apply for asylum in their country. Now, we had around we had under 100,000. So they had 50 more applications than the uk did, but they only approved moved a quarter of them. Well , this plays into the well, this plays into the idea that many suspect that perhaps were a little bit of a soft touch, maybe were a little bit more lenient or are more Asylum Seekers got have they got that come to britain, have more links with britain or have links or whatever, more of a claim . I mean, it seems unlikely that it would be that starkly different. Somethings going on there and nick says, are we just granting asylum to everyone to clear the backlog . I havent heard of any deportations reported in the news. Yes, there was a lot of talk about an amnesty and of course, thats raised a lot of eyebrows. Was that from some countries, if you come from some countries, if you come from some countries , youll just sort of countries, youll just sort of be be waved through. But well keep an eye on we will you keep an eye on it. We will you Something Else that the audience seems keeping an eye on seems to be keeping an eye on this morning. Not least this morning. Who not least this morning. Who says not least this morning. Who says ,not least this morning. Who says , i t least this morning. Who says , i justast this morning. Who says , i just wanted helen, who says, i just wanted to say how lovely emily looks this morning. Her hair is fab. And also the hair and beauty team this morning have done a fabulous job. Well, also, i think i should say, whichever program she presents is articulate, knowledgeable and above all, cheerful. So which is is cheerful. So which is which is i think, than the think, more important than the resplendent glow you have this morning clearly, clearly morning. But clearly, clearly both important factors. I saw someone also say that tom hannood especially handsome this morning. I cant find the email, but i did see it doesnt exist. I did see it. Its not real. Shall we move on . Lets move on. This is entirely introspective. Now the entirely introspective. Now the prime rishi has Prime Minister, rishi sunak, has pledged home office pledged that the home office would clear a huge of would clear a huge number of asylum claims by the end of this yean asylum claims by the end of this year. Well, seems hes year. Well, it seems hes nowhere delivering. Nowhere near delivering. Yes, a report by a cross party Committee Says a huge for huge challenge remains for the home and governments home office and the governments plan to reform asylum system home office and the governments pl. Speed eform asylum system home office and the governments pl. Speed eforrprocess;ylum system home office and the governments pl. Speed eforrprocess;yluis system to speed the process up is incomplete and unrealistic. Nick . Well, joining us for what is bound to be a robust debate is the deputy leader of the uk independence party, rebecca jane and the International Human rights lawyer, david. Hey and david, lets just start with you. Why is it the case that the uk is so much slower than other countries at processing these claims . Claims . And i think thats thats 1 1 to ask the government. I mean, you know, there completely from my side, theyre completely incompetent of incompetent in terms of processing claims. Mean, processing these claims. I mean, its new. It its not something new. It shouldnt we shouldnt have the backlog that weve got. Not only backlog that weve got. Not only doesit backlog that weve got. Not only does it cost the country millions of pounds , it actually millions of pounds, it actually harms the genuine Asylum Seekers whose lives are in limbo. So why whose lives are in limbo. So why that number is so high is that, simply put, that the government is incompetent in terms of bringing it down. Theres no reason it should be that high. David, weve heard that but david, weve heard that the government are doing everything to speed up everything they can to speed up the including the process, including shortening interviews and perhaps not being as rigorous as they could be. One worry from they could be. One worry from the public is that if you speed up the claims process too quickly, what you have is essentially a little bit of an amnesty. Youre waving through claims quicker than you should be. I mean, i think from what youve described, emily, and from what ive read in the in the in the report today, thats what i would describe as cooking the i think thats the books. And i think thats what conservative parties what the conservative parties are relation the are doing in relation to the asylum figures because, you know, changing that know, changing the way that you calculate someone is on calculate whether someone is on a off a list a list or taken off a list thats cooking the books and thats cooking the books and thats theyre thats essentially what theyre doing. The doing. Theyre taking the british you british people for fools. You know, the people are still there. Just changing the there. Theyre just changing the way that theyre viewing these figures. I think, you know, know, and i think, you know, anyone who has read this this committee will clearly Committee Report will clearly see thats what the see that thats what the government is doing, not only are not protecting us, the are they not protecting us, the brits, of the people brits, in terms of the people theyre letting in, theyre not protecting the genuine Asylum Seekers and report seekers either. And the report that today its that i read today is very. Its a catastrophe for their for their policy. Bring you in rebecca, lets bring you in there , because what david is there, because what david is saying is that both the british people are feeling like let down. But also those seeking asylum , those genuinely seeking asylum, those genuinely seeking asylum, those genuinely seeking asylum are getting a rough time, too. Its a fair point to make, but i think that we can all call this for exactly what it is. You know, rishi sunak is completely incompetent. And actually what incompetent. And actually what he has done with everything, you know, i dont actually know one thing of where hes actually followed through on all of these claims wants to make. Claims that he wants to make. You know, he made a very big and outlandish claim we will outlandish claim that we will clear this backlog by the end of the youve still got the year. Youve still got 55,000 applications go. Why 55,000 applications to go. Why are not in of us are you not in front of us trying to tell us why youve got such this and why such a problem with this and why you your you arent delivering on your so called promises that you try and make sure shortening the interviews is absolutely appalling because we are one of the countries, one of the only countries to have the worst process that there is. We have no security measures in place. As much of an interview that they get is a sit down with your social worker and they can tell them that theyre absolutely anybody and they are expected to believe them. You know, this is a security for a National Security threat for us all. And theres one point actually that i wanted to pick up on, tom, that you just related to actually, when you were introducing did were introducing us, did you know that in 2004 we rejected 89 . Hang on, let me get it 100 correct. Yes 89 were rejected. And now we approve 88 of applications, as you cannot just wave through these applications because you want to clear a backlog, you have to do whats in the best interest of the people in this country. And thats not it. David, is that true, though, statistic that rebecca jane has just mentioned . Yeah. I mean, its something yeah. I mean, its something that sounds familiar to me and i would agree with rebecca on that. And you know, i mean, if you imagine if youre an Asylum Seeker and youre trying to put fonnard your case of grave human rights abuses , you cant do that rights abuses, you cant do that on a piece of paper and a questionnaire. You cant do that in few minutes in an in a few minutes in an interview, you it needs to be detailed investigation that. Detailed investigation of that. And thats something that, again, david, sorry again, like i said, david, sorry to back in february. It was reports said that Asylum Seekers will be given the right to live in the uk without having face to interviews having face to face interviews to claims. This was to check their claims. This was to check their claims. This was to the backlog cases to reduce the backlog of cases many people described this as essentially being an amnesty for people a selection of people from a selection of countries. Five countries were cited. Afghanistan syria, libya, eritrea and yemen. To fast track these claims. Surely that is not these claims. Surely that is not the right way of doing it, just because youve got a very, very long backlog does not mean you should be waiving through applications means not least for National Security reason as well. I agree with you 100. I mean, its not you know, thats not thats not what you know, thats essentially opening gates, essentially opening the gates, you the end of the day, you know, at the end of the day, we to have genuine asylum we need to have genuine Asylum Seekers. Dont have the seekers. We dont have the capacity to have everyone in the country. Genuine country. We need the genuine ones that genuinely need our ones in that genuinely need our help. Open the help. We cant just open the gates let everybody in, and gates and let everybody in, and thats way to do it thats not the way to do it because thats, you know, thats not a backlog. Not clearing a backlog. Thats just everyone in. And, just letting everyone in. And, you like said, genuine you know, like i said, genuine asylum and there are Asylum Seekers. And there are many Asylum Seekers need Asylum Seekers. And there are m. Be Asylum Seekers need Asylum Seekers. And there are m. Be able Asylum Seekers need Asylum Seekers. And there are m. Be able to Asylum Seekers need Asylum Seekers. And there are m. Be able to present] seekers need Asylum Seekers. And there are m. Be able to present theiriers need to be able to present their cases in a proper manner, waving them through a short questionnaire or a short interview to, going interview isnt to, going you know, to decide know, enable us to decide whether not they are genuine. Know, enable us to decide wh so, r not they are genuine. Know, enable us to decide wh so, rebecca, hey are genuine. Know, enable us to decide wh so, rebecca, whatre genuine. Know, enable us to decide wh so, rebecca, what is genuine. Know, enable us to decide wh so, rebecca, what is yourine. So, rebecca, what is your answer to this . Because of course , were seeing lots and course, were seeing lots and lots countries face a huge lots of countries face a huge number of asylum applications. We were talking just about france , which had 50 more france, which has had 50 more applications than but of applications than the uk, but of course approve of a far course they approve of a far smaller proportion of those applications. My question to applications. My question to you, rebecca. Jane is, is the number that apply actually the issue or is it simply the way that we process them . That is , i that we process them . That is, i think the issue is that, like you said, britain is a soft touch, so its the easiest solution of all, especially when they get the benefits and the health care that we deliver. So they this none of this is a solution. The only solution and actually, i liked a lot of what the viewers have been saying, you know, find out where theyve come from, if thats a safe country, go back there. Its their problem. We cant its their problem. We cant take the responsibility of the whole world shoulders. Whole world on our shoulders. You know, need a hard border you know, we need a hard border in need to stop in the sea. We need to stop giving of our money to giving all of our money to france. For goodness sakes, who france. For goodness sakes, who are. Thats an absolute joke of are. Thats an absolute joke of a situation of somebody that hasnt even delivered on the job that supposed to do. And that theyre supposed to do. And we give them money. That we give them more money. That has stop. We have get has to stop. We have to get tough. We have to send out a message the world. If you are message to the world. If you are a genuine an Asylum Seeker who is genuinely fleeing persecution , we are a supportive and welcoming nation. But right now welcoming nation. But right now welcoming nation. But right now we have to close our doors. In my personal opinion, its not quite a ukip policy, but i think it should be. I think that we have to have a stop on this for five years because our country is broken. Our country is full, and whilst we carry on talking about this and obviously we get it all the time, youre racist, blah, blah, blah, no , were not. Blah, blah, blah, no, were not. This is about space. Its not about race. Were full. We cant cope. About race. Were full. We cant cope. Nhs is about race. Were full. We cant cope. Nhs is broken. Policing is broken. Our backlog system is even broken. For goodness sakes , even broken. For goodness sakes, close the doors. Send them back. Close the doors. Send them back. Rebecca i suppose thered be many people whod say to that that we do have big labour shortages in this country. There shortages in this country. There are big, big waiting lists, not waiting lists, but recruitment lists for people to work, particularly in low skilled jobs. Lets throw this over to david. Are we full . I mean, i think you know that, you know, weve got the current and this is the problem that we have. We have laws and our own laws and their laws from europe that we on our previous governments entered into. So until we change those laws, we have to accept that we have to go through the process of accepting these Asylum Seekers in accordance with the laws that we previously to. So we previously signed up to. So thats of the problems that thats one of the problems that youve got. And then of course youve got. And then of course youve got. And then of course youve got the complete failure of deal with of the government to deal with the things the process, to do things quickly, do things quickly, to do things efficiently effectively. Efficiently or cost effectively. Its complete utter efficiently or cost effectively. Its c mess. E utter efficiently or cost effectively. Its c mess. And utter efficiently or cost effectively. Its c mess. And quere chaotic mess. And all were seeing you know, seeing from from from, you know, sunak and his government is spin and saw this morning, more and as we saw this morning, more sleaze, but no actual action. Its you know, every day theres another immigration migration catastro in terms of the headunes catastro in terms of the headlines nothing nothings headlines and nothing nothings been done. And you know, at the end day, theres real end of the day, theres real humans here in england that humans both here in england that are because the are suffering because of the asylum the asylum asylum process and the Asylum Seekers. A win. Seekers. So its a no win. David, a human rights david, youre a human rights lawyer, youll know about lawyer, so youll know about this more than more most. This more than more than most. We be should we be most are we be should we be giving the right to appeal for most Asylum Seekers . Because one most Asylum Seekers . Because one of the points that is made by the Public Accounts Committee is that even if you hasten down the speed at which we clear the backlog, that will lead to a backlog, that will lead to a backlog in our court system. We know that the courts are under a lot of stress at the moment , a lot of stress at the moment, a lot of stress at the moment, a lot of stress at the moment, a lot of pressure. Do you think perhaps you know, the court system is getting too clogged up with these kind of cases . I think i think we should have the right of appeal, but i think we should do first is make the actual first judgement of that application in stronger, more detailed, and so that theres less likely to be route for appeal at the next stage. So have a proper process at the beginning, a detailed one, but a fast one and then that as well. And if there are genuine reasons for appeal , look at that. And if there are genuine reasons for appeal, look at that. But the problem is that if were just waving people through or refusing people and not really looking cases, of looking at their cases, of course going lots course theres going to be lots and lots lots causes and lots and lots of causes for appeal. Again, of the appeal. And again, part of the problem. Well turn a final problem. Well lets turn a final word to rebecca and close word now to rebecca and close this debate , because suppose this debate, because i suppose there will be some who say that its not about a moratorium. Its not about a moratorium. Its not about the numbers. It is about that processing. It is about really like actually what david said there, because the problem why were getting so many appeals is because there is no decent process in place in the first place in case, you know, having that conversation with a social worker or not having a conversation , of course theyre conversation, of course theyre going to have a heck of a lot of gnnds going to have a heck of a lot of grinds for appeal. You have to sort it out. You know, the way we first know, the way that we first start sort it out, the start to sort it out, the conservative party put their hands up and go, guess what, guys, got it wrong. Were guys, we got it wrong. Were really sorry. Here is what really sorry. And here is what were to do. And actually were going to do. And actually get tough immigration, not were going to do. And actually get t on h immigration, not were going to do. And actually get t on h ir us igration, not were going to do. And actually get t on h ir us all tion, not were going to do. And actually get t on h irus all ofn, not were going to do. And actually get t on h ir us all of these keep on giving us all of these nonsensical soundbites because keep on giving us all of these nonswantal soundbites because keep on giving us all of these nons want votes ndbites because keep on giving us all of these nonswant votes in jites because keep on giving us all of these nons want votes in jitesnextause they want votes in the next general election. Thank very much well, thank you very much indeed your time. Was a indeed for your time. That was a fantastic debate we had fantastic debate there. We had rebecca deputy leader of rebecca jane, deputy leader of ukip International Human ukip and International Human rights lawyer, david. Hey thank you very much, both making reasonable points. I think that this stat, this stat, 89 were rejected at the beginning or at the turn of the century. And now 88 are approved today. Something has gone really, really haywire. Also , am i right in thinking also, am i right in thinking that the Illegal Migrants act, which is, of course passed into law , takes away the right to law, takes away the right to appealin law, takes away the right to appeal in some circumstances, in some circum stances . I believe what the illegal migration act does is if someone arrives by illegal means, they dont get the right to claim in the United Kingdom or appeal in the United Kingdom or appeal in the United Kingdom or appeal in the United Kingdom, which is by channel crossing, presumably. Channel crossing, presumably. Yes. Yes. Well, maybe is it retrospectively applied . Retrospectively applied . I think there was actually an amendment to do with this before we get bogged down in the details. Was amendment details. There was an amendment originally it was going to be at the time at which the legislation was introduced, but the lords then kicked that out and taking from and its only taking effect from royal assent. That was one of the battles between the commons and that bill, if and the lords on that bill, if im remembering correctly. Us if have let us know if you have a different of the law different interpreter of the law there, i think youre spot there, but i think youre spot on. Come, nadhim on. Still to come, nadhim zahawi, whose mother took hostage, the chief hostage, spoke to the uks chief rabbi earlier this morning. Well to news lisa well talk to gb news lisa hartley, who attended event hartley, who attended the event in just one moment. Sundays on gb news with me, Michael Portillo gb news britains new charleton. Britains new charleton. Very good morning to you. Its just gone 1125 and youre with britains newsroom here on gb news with emily carver and me. Tom hannood yes , you may me. Tom hannood yes, you may have seen comedy legend john cleese new series trailed on the channel over the last few weeks. But in case you missed it, lets have a quick look here for the show. What you were filming a television show. This is a television show. This is a mediaeval castle , you silly man. Mediaeval castle, you silly man. Its for besieging and swordfighting. Its not for some swordfighting. Its not for some so called television program. So called television program. But we made arrangements. But we made arrangements. Strange person. I am bored. Are you . Youre your auntie. Soiled her knickers and said your mother was a vacuum cleaner who let us in a spit on your gonads. You caught a wicked son of a cabbage hunter. You caught a wicked son of a cabbage hunter. Is you caught a wicked son of a cabbage hunter. Is there someone cabbage hunter. Is there someone else up there that i can speak to . Go boil your bottom. Can you to . Go boil your bottom. Can you throw him off the ramparts, please . All right. Please . All right. Oh well. And the man with the incredibly strong arms , then, incredibly strong arms, then, who was able to chuck a french sounding john cleese over the ramparts is, of course , gb news ramparts is, of course, gb news very own Louis Schaeffer and lewis. Yes i mean, congratulations, first of for all, lobbying. I mean , have you all, lobbying. I mean, have you thrown a man over a castle before . I did it. I did it. No. Men were hurt in the process of making that thing. You should tell the people out there. You tell ofcom theres nobody was hurt. Everythings okay. Okay . Everythings okay. Okay . Thats television thats. Thats television magic. A health and magic. We had a health and safety assessment. Magic. We had a health and saf |y assessment. Magic. We had a health and saf |y asthereient. Magic. We had a health and saf |y asthere was. Okay, good. I bet there was. Okay, good. It was actually filled. Half of it filmed on top of a roof. It was actually filled. Half of it had filmed on top of a roof. It was actually filled. Half of it had filaed on top of a roof. It was actually filled. Half of it had fila castle. Op of a roof. It was actually filled. Half of it had fila castle. In of a roof. It was actually filled. Half of it had fila castle. In a a roof. It was actually filled. Half of it had fila castle. In a proper castle. And this is a norman castle. A thousand year old castle. Where this is filmed, which is a good example of whats going to happen britain. Good example of whats going to hapwere britain. Good example of whats going to hapwere goingin. Go up were going to have to go up in castles to protect ourselves from from evil. Sorry, being a in castles to protect ourselves frorpoliticalvil. Sorry, being a in castles to protect ourselves frorpolitical there. Rry, being a in castles to protect ourselves frorpolitical there. No, eing a in castles to protect ourselves frorpolitical there. No, itsg a in castles to protect ourselves frorpolitical there. No, its aa bit political there. No, its a castle. Castle. Yes. We could all live in castles. Castles. I think its. Yeah the skirmishes of the middle east havent quite spilled over onto the streets of britain quite yet. But. But this new programme is comedy legend john cleese. Is comedy legend john cleese. Whats the whats the form of it . Well, its comedy legend john cleese. Its doing what he ever wanted to do. But its also you have to remember, its comedy legend. Louis shaffer is also in this. Im not getting enough credit for this. But yeah, its john cleese. Its an amazing first he hasnt been on first of all, he hasnt been on the air. You forget how amazing the air. You forget how amazing the guy i forgot what his the guy is. I forgot what his voice. His voice , who he is, voice. His voice, who he is, what hes brought to this country is, is , is amazing. And country is, is, is amazing. And im in america. And we love him im in america. And we love him in america, too. And people here, i dont think really . Whos more funny . Whos more funny . Brits or americans . Brits or americans . Brits or americans . I think brits are less funny than americans. Thats funny. Yeah theyre less. This is a this is a real debate, the british office, because i dont know. I dont i, i neveri didnt i dont i, i never i didnt the brit remember this about british people is you want to be funny. Youre probably more funny. Youre probably more funny because you try to be funny because you try to be funny all the time. Youre relentless , be funny. You start relentless, be funny. You start the with have a nice isnt the day with have a nice isnt it raining enough for you it is it raining enough for you on a rainy or is it cold on a rainy day or is it cold enough for you on a cold day . So you try be funny. All right. You try to be funny. All right. Youre funny. It means so much to you. Im not going to say youre not funny. Youre beautiful, handsome and beautiful, handsome viewers and listeners whos whos funnier. So is this. So is this. Dont. Dont have them judge it on a selection of it based on a selection of sketches and interviews. Tell us sketches and interviews. Tell us a little bit more. Its indescribable what it is. Its basically john cleese talking to some of his favourite people. Some of his favourite people. Well, some amazing people. Well, some amazing people. Weve seen some really big names in the trailers that have so far been released. Yes. Its going to be theres tim rice came in and Caitlyn Jenner was there. It was like shocking. Yeah. Stephen fry, shocking. Yeah. Stephen fry, stephen we cant go over shocking. Yeah. Stephen fry, ste|entire we cant go over shocking. Yeah. Stephen fry, ste|entire names,ant go over shocking. Yeah. Stephen fry, ste|entire names, but go over shocking. Yeah. Stephen fry, ste|entire names, but its. Nver the entire names, but its. Sorry, but its amazing. But sorry, but its amazing. But amazing names. Sorry, but its amazing. But amazing names. Plus, its while amazing names. Plus, its while this is going on weird bits of surreal stuff. Its like nothing surreal stuff. Its like nothing that ive ever seen even on british television. Does it feel good . Does it feel good . Does it feel good . Does the show feel good . Does the show feel good . Does the show feel good . Does it feel good . You know, doesit does it feel good . You know, does it make you will it make people at home feel warm inside . Well, i think it will it will. Its not theres no hostility. Its all love. John cleese the nicest cleese is one of the nicest people in the world. He he spoke to girl friend on the phone. To my girl friend on the phone. He my girlfriend is a huge john cleese fan. And it gave him the phone. He talked to my girlfriend and he said that i sounded like a guy who was announcing the end of the world. This is what he said about me. Louis amazing, amazing. Louis schaefer amazing, amazing. So going to make people so its going to make people feel so, so good. Do you know what watching . What i grew up watching . Flying circus. Monty pythons flying circus. Not it was airing, of not while it was airing, of course. Not from course. Im not. Im not from the 1970s, but i did grow up watching the clips of it online, and i had the dvds. Is and i had all the dvds. Is a holy grail life of brian, like all the rest of it. Meaning of life, even. Yeah it was my childhood and its just so remarkable that that john cleese, who has been such a staple of British Comedy for the best part of 50 years, is, is still going and going strong. Still going and going strong. And he should be he should have had a show. It just itjust have had a show. It just it just shows how great gb news is, is that gb news is giving him a show. Well its aimed at the unfashionable and the out of touch, apparently. Out of touch, apparently. So is that you at home . Unfashionable and of touch . Unfashionable and out of touch . Well, its no. The answer is no. Its the answer. They are not. Theyre totally on the cutting edge. These people. And im youngest person the im the youngest person on the show but i think everybody show. And but i think everybody will like it. Its everybody has a warm spot for john cleese. The fact he hasnt been on the air until gb news offered him this says so much about whats wrong with the bbc. See . Absolutely. So lets have a little look lets lets have a little look lets lets have a little reminder of when we can see this programme. Louis take it away. Oh, a reminder. Its its on sunday at 9 00 on this channel on gb news and its going to be on gb news and its going to be on youtube in a million other different places. And im also doing im speaking with the producer and sort producer andrew doyle, and sort of like dvd extras, like kind of like like Ricky Gervais, but not as good. And no, Ricky Gervais is incredible. Andrew doyle is produced the whole theres another reason to so theres another reason to watch it. Thank very much watch it. Thank you very much indeed coming in. And martin indeed for coming in. And martin gould gould. Gould and martin gould. We go. The well, there we go. The dinosaur hour, 9 pm. Sunday gb news. Do not miss it. Its going to be. Im certainly going to be tuning it. Yeah, absolutely. Right my street. Sounds right up my street. Well still to come, branded ridiculous. White has been the White Company has been blasted the selling of face blasted over the selling of face masks children and a split party. Labour remains divided over starmers line on israel. Many believe hes alienating muslim voters and the liberal left or the far left. Well , that and much more well, that and much more after your morning news with tatiana. Tatiana. Tom. Thank you. Its 1132. Tom. Thank you. Its1132. This is the latest from the newsroom. Mps are warning Vulnerable People are being put at risk over plans to clear the asylum backlog. The Public Accounts Committee says Home Office Proposals to reform the system are incomplete and unreal. Mystic at the end of june, there were almost 68,000 cases awaiting a decision. But the government says a serious effort is being made to address the problem. British citizen is problem. British citizen is fleeing the middle east conflict will be able to access benefits after arriving in the uk this also includes britons escaping from lebanon and the west bank. Meanwhile, hundreds of uk lawyers have sent an open letter to the Prime Minister asking him to the Prime Minister asking him to press for a ceasefire to allow aid into gaza. The education secretary says there are no cultural problems within her party after mp Crispin Blunt was arrested on suspicion of rape and the possession of controlled substances , gillian controlled substances, Gillian Keegan told gb news most of her colleagues act with integrity. Colleagues act with integrity. The mps been removed from the party and asked to stay away from parliament. He says hell cooperate fully with the Ongoing Investigation and says hes confident he wont be charged. Confident he wont be charged. Nhs waiting lists could top 8 million by next summer. Even if strike action doesnt continue. Strike action doesnt continue. The Health Foundation says the number will peak by august before starting to come down. But if strikes were to continue, the list could be 180,000 higher or more than 7. 5 Million People were waiting for treatment just last month. But the nhs says its making progress, claiming they have more than halved waits of more than 65 weeks for more on all of those stories, you can visit our website gb news. Com on all of those stories, you can visit our website gbnews. Com. Visit our website gb news. Com. For exclusive limited edition and rare gold coins that are always newsworthy. Always newsworthy. Rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news Financial Report that. Report that. Heres a quick snapshot of todays markets. The pound will buy you 1. 2132 and ,1. 1485. The price of gold. £1,637. 05 per price of gold. £1,637. 05 per ounce. And. 50 100 at 7371 ounce. And. 50 100 at 7371 points. Roslyn gold proudly sponsors the gb news Financial Report as well. Report as well. After the break, well be joined by lisa hartle to bring us the very latest on the ongoing hostage crisis in israel and how it affects the United Kingdom. Youre with britains newsroom on. The media were barely picking up the media were barely picking up the kind of views and perspectives that i and people that i knew. That i knew. Very good morning to you. It very good morning to you. It is 1138 and youre with britains newsroom here on gb news with emily carver and me. Tom hannood yes. So earlier this morning, the chief rabbi spoke with noam sagi, whos 75 year old israeli mother. Year old israeli mother. Ada was taken hostage by hamas. Well, our reporter lisa hartle is in london and was at the event. Lisa tell us more the event. Lisa tell us more about what was said and what the chief rabbi was there to really provide and. Hello. Yes, well , if i just hello. Yes, well, if i just step out the way you can see behind me, there are all of these tables and places over 200 places set each one to represent one of those that are being held hostage in gaza. And if you can just see on the back of each chair, there is the name and the photograph of each of the hostages. Hostages. So weve got a high chair here representing the nine month old baby thats been taken. And old baby thats been taken. And as we go around, you can see there are various different items. Here to represent those items. Here to represent those who are are currently missing. Just to explain in a bit more about this is one of the organisers, oliver, that joins me now. Oliver, thank you so much for joining me now. Oliver, thank you so much forjoining us. All right. Much for joining us. All right. This isnt just a normal dinner for anybody whos not in the Jewish Community. Can you explain this means . Explain what this means . Course. So every week yes, of course. So every week shabbat on friday night, shabbat starts on friday night, runs through to saturday night, and jews all over the world on friday night come together with their family to have a friday night dinner. They will light candles. They will say, candles. They will say, blessings bread and wine. Blessings over bread and wine. And most importantly, and really, most importantly, its a time to be together and to be with families and what we really wanted to show here is that there are over 200 people who arent going to be able to be with their families this friday night. And weve got to continue remember that continue to remember them, that while lucky and able to while we are lucky and able to have we have that time together, we cannot that those over cannot forget that those over 200 people are being held and they dont have their shabbat dinner. They dont have their family. They will be empty places at their tables. And so places at their tables. And so we wanted to show people all on a scale how many empty spaces there will be. This friday night. And you were telling me that one of the messages from today stronger together. Today is stronger together. You explain us a little could you explain us a little bit more about that . Definitely. So being yes, definitely. So being here at three, which is, you know , a jewish culture and know, a jewish culture and community centre, we work with many partners both in the Jewish Community and outside the Jewish Community and outside the Jewish Community and outside the Jewish Community and at times of crisis and times like this, there are people , people on from all walks people, people on from all walks of life who try and put wedges between especially british jews and british muslims. And for us and british muslims. And for us now its really important to remember that that is something we cant have. We got to be strong as a community. We in the uk and weve got to be stronger together and this shouldnt be a chance for people to drive those wedges between us. We to wedges between us. We have to work cousins in the work with our cousins in the British Muslim Community and in the british Jewish Community and find ways that we can come together and show that we are strong earlier we heard from strong and earlier we heard from noam sagi, whose mother, 75 year old mother, is still missing , old mother, is still missing, taken hostage in gaza. Taken hostage in gaza. And you were telling me that youre all staying hopeful, but its really hard at the moment. Yeah, it is really hard yeah, it is a really hard time. I mean, one of the reasons weve put this table is weve put on this table is because there hope. Are because there is hope. We are reminding people that there are over 200 people currently held and we are hopeful that and that we are hopeful that they released. But its they will be released. But its a really hard time be hopeful a really hard time to be hopeful. Is been a long couple of. It is been a long couple of weeks, especially for the british Jewish Community. We have seen terrible things , have seen terrible things, things happen to children, to innocent civilians , and hopes innocent civilians, and hopes really hard. We are continuing really hard. We are continuing to put the message out there. And there are these posters is that people are putting up all over london, which again, is about making sure the message out there and making sure that hopeis out there and making sure that hope is still there. But then we are seeing those be defaced, were seeing them pulled down. And are innocent people. And these are innocent people. There are children, you know, a poster three child poster of a three year old child is not a political message. And it is a humanitarian message and it is a humanitarian message and it is a humanitarian message and it is being defaced and it its a really hard time. But we have to keep hope because thats the only way that were going to get through. Thats the only through. And thats the only thing think about thing we can really think about to make sure those people come home. Thank you so much. And also, when i arrived, i was given a candle. Yes what asking people so what were asking people to do and a number of different organisations in jewish organisations in the Jewish Community this shabbat community this year this shabbat are people to is light are asking people to do is light an extra candle and lay an extra place their table to continue place at their table to continue remembering those people who cant be with us. So its really important that on shabbat we like those candles and its a really important part of the religious practise that we do. So were lighting an extra one and everyone who came to us today given a car today was given a police car with name and the age of one with the name and the age of one of the hostages. So that they can that at their can have that place at their table, that empty table, have that empty chair, and those people who and remember those people who cant be with us. And remember those people who canthaninth us. And remember those people who canthank yoqu. And remember those people who canthank you so much for joining thank you so much for joining us oliver. Thank so us today, oliver. Thank you so members the public are being members of the public are being invited come along here. Any invited to come along here. Any time between and monday morning. Thank you very much indeed, lisa hartle. There in north london and with oliver with her there. You know what, tom . Its been actually, i cant imagine what its like for the Jewish Community there, but i was Walking Around a part of london where i live, and i saw one of these posters on a lamppost and it had been torn down in part. And i just felt , how would that and i just felt, how would that feel if you had family in israel or you were part of the Jewish Community, just to see that horrifying , horrifying whatever horrifying, horrifying whatever you think about israel , you think about israel, palestine and the issues there, to take down a poster of hostage . Oh, i mean, itjust just oh, i mean, itjustjust unbelievable. Lets lets open this wider to our panel now, emma wolf is with us, as is Matthew Stadlen. And, matthew, you seem to want to come in there because i understand that for a lot of the Jewish Community in london, they will have family who know people. They might themselves know people whove been taken hostage. Yeah, i have friends, Close Friends who live in tel aviv at the moment. That package there i thought was the most moving thing ive seen on gb news in the last two three years. However long it is that the station has been on air, i found it. It made me feel sick in my stomach. The thought that there are these hundreds of people still taken hostage by hamas and that one of them is a nine month old baby. I also thought it was a profoundly poignant and moving way to pay tribute to these people, to pay tribute to the hope that still exists. And the hope that still exists. And the gentleman who is interviewed there by your reporter, i also thought very, well thought spoke very, very well amidst this deep trauma, felt by many jews in britain and around the world. And of course, the state of trauma that israel is in at the moment calling for good relations and ongoing good relations between the british, muslim and jewish communities is so important. Muslim and jewish communities is so important. This is not a time for division. Its a time for coming together in the name of humanitarianism. And coming together in the name of humanitarianism. And ill just humanitarianism. And ill just say this as well, that it is absolutely consistent to speak up for the innocence of gaza to call on restore paint from israel, to call on israel to obey International Law at the same time as to mourn those who were savagely killed by Hamas Terrorists on the 7th of october. And at the same time as calling for the Immediate Release of the israeli hostages. Well, if only every everyone was so level headed , matthew, on was so level headed, matthew, on this, unfortunately, its not. Yes. What Marcus Oliver marcus was saying there about how important it is for jewish communities and muslim communities and muslim communities in britain, not to let this be a source of division. Unfortunate we have seen it become a source of division. How do we repair those challenges . Yeah, its just i mean, i can only echo what matthew said. Its so sad that we theres a need to polarise the debate because absolutely because its absolutely consistent to feel, you know, compassion for, well, horror at what happened on october the 7th and also deep compassion for every innocent life thats being thats being taken out there. I think seeing that empty high chair sees those chairs for friday night dinner was very, very moving and i think stronger together is a beautiful message in this case. Its not just a sound bite. It really is. It really is a time for people in britain, but also around the world to come together. Its unimaginable to think of what those Close Friends those families, Close Friends and are going through. And families are going through. Of those 200 people, i think we can see with the tearing down of those posters include , i think those posters include, i think children on them of israeli hostages. We can see how how hate spreads and we can see how polarisation spreads. And so much of that stems from online, sometimes on television as well. And its absolutely incumbent on everyone who has a platform, and that includes political commentators, presenters like ourselves or people just simply commenting on social media to remember that what happens onune remember that what happens online can have an impact offline. Matthew just on that, before we move on, unfortunately, the way that this conversation is so polarised has meant that celebrities with vast followings who initially put up i stand with israel after the awful terrorist attack committed by hamas took down their posts because of negative reaction from those who didnt, you know , from those who didnt, you know, thought that that was the wrong stance to take. It really is dreadful. I think people feel and have felt under huge pressure from their social media echo chambers to say one thing or another. It was very difficult in the days immediately after the massacres that we saw in israel committed by these medievalists from hamas. It was very difficult to say for goodness sake, please put pressure on israel to obey International Law. It was difficult because people would think if you were saying such a thing that you were somehow condoning or absolving hamas of these atrocities, which wasnt the case at all. And of course, by the time you can you do feel able to speak out. Its often too late. And of course, lets not forget israel under International Law does have the right to go after hamas terrorist s. It does have the right to defend itself if but of course, as you say, there are some areas where it might be going overboard. Yes. Were talking about consists nc. It is perfectly consistent to say, i say and consistent to say, as i say and continue to say, that israel has a right to defend itself with saying that israel must obey International Law. In our International Law. It is in our darkest moments. Is when we darkest moments. It is when we are in a state of trauma, whether its israel or other countries around the world, america 9 11, it is in america after 9 11, it is in those have to those moments that we have to pay those moments that we have to pay even closer attention to our own responsibilities and that was message that had. Was the message that biden had. One messages. Some say one of his messages. Some say they conflicting. He they were conflicting. He went to he he stood to israel. He said he stood shoulder shoulder with shoulder to shoulder with israel, warned them, israel, but he warned them, begged almost not to make begged them almost not to make the same mistakes we in the the same mistakes that we in the west have made, although although that isis although we are saying that isis no longer exists, it was defeated militarily. Defeated militarily. It was defeated through a western bombing campaign, an al qaeda longer exists. Al qaeda no longer exists. People in the United States are safer today as a result of action that was taken by the United States. Now, they might have done some other they might have done some other they might have made mistakes, particularly iraq, think. But with regard iraq, i think. But with regard to the Immediate Response to 911, rooting out those terrorists, assassinating osama bin laden, those are the right things. Thats a very interesting point you made. Remember why did point you made. Remember why did isis spring up . Why was al qaeda given recruiting sergeants . Partly because of americas reaction to 9 11, partly because of the war in afghanistan, which turned into a 20 year nightmare, partly because of the invasion of iraq , which cost so many tens of iraq, which cost so many tens or hundreds of thousands of people their lives , of course. People their lives, of course. And coupled with a hideous ideology , of course, showing ideology, of course, showing also, id just like to say people can think more than one thing at once. Yes. Cant they . Yes. You can condemn all sorts of things at the same time. But we do have so many more stories. Lets get through but we do have so many more storimorning. Ets get through but we do have so many more storimorning. Tom, et through but we do have so many more storimorning. Tom, emma,|gh but we do have so many more storimorning. Tom, emma, wolf, this morning. Tom, emma, wolf, this morning. Tom, emma, wolf, this this issue over. Nigel farage and his bank account, the Financial Conduct Authority. He has released a new report which has released a new report which has identified regulatory breaches, regulatory breaches. Its a very , very odd its a very, very odd situation. This and we were just talking about it. Natwest seriously claiming that it was nothing to do with brexit, and yet they mentioned brexit 86 times in their subject access request. And obviously nigel request. And obviously nigel farage is really unhappy about this. I think farage is really unhappy about this. I think this is the this is the issue of being judged for your values, being judged by a Service Company about whether your values align with their values, whether your views are are sensitive, whether your views are basically woke enough for them. This is the issue i think, now in 2023, and i think its a deeply fundamental issue at the heart of britain , but at the heart of britain, but also of the way we want to live our lives or do we want to be judged by our bank . Do we want to be told they want, you know, british gas wont supply us with power because we dont didnt power because we dont we didnt vote right way in the last vote the right way in the last election or that we said something wrong on social media. I well, farage, matthew well, nigel farage, matthew isnt with what isnt very happy with what hes read this review. Read from this review. , hes not. Read from this review. Hes hes not. Read from this review. Hes hes cast aspersions, hasnt he, the independence hasnt he, on the independence of review . Thats not for of this review . Thats not for me do. It says its an me to do. It says its an independent review. I hope and believe it was us. Must believe that it was us. Must remember that they have found failings in natwest and the way that they dealt with this issue. That they dealt with this issue. And natwest themselves have come out and accepted that theyve made what say, made failings. What it does say, however, though , is that the however, though, is that the decision nigels Bank Decision to close nigels bank account was legal. I agree. By account was legal. I agree. By the way, with with the gist of what emma is saying, banking is a fundamental mortal right and we withdraw it from people at our peril. Its you cant our peril. Its you cant survive really in a modern democracy such as our own without the ability to bank and therefore and therefore, if peoples Bank Accounts were to be closed down for political reasons, thats a very dangerous and slippery slope. And of course, this whole thing allowed. Nigel farage to highlight right. Where other peoples banks have been , bank peoples banks have been, Bank Accounts have been closed. So this is not just about nigel farage. We saw gina miller , for we saw gina miller, for example, find it very, very hard to start a bank account for her political party. But with that , political party. But with that, lets turn up and have a little look at whats coming up next on the live desk with Mark Longhurst and pip johnson. Pip, whats coming up on todays programme . Good afternoon. Well, another good afternoon. Well, another eight aid trucks are due to enter gaza, delivering that vital humanitarian aid. Well be bringing you an update on that as the calls continue for a ceasefire. The mayor of london, the sadiq khan, is the latest to ask for that. And also the Israeli Military now says its taken out another top hamas commander. Also this lunchtime, theres more woes for rishi sunak as the mp Crispin Blunt says hes been arrested on suspicion of rape and possession of controlled substances will be asked song how are the tories going to fare in yet another by election . Plus the new report thats identified the huge challenge for the home office to clear the backlog in the asylum system. Plus, were not in the final of the Rugby World Cup final of the Rugby World Cup final , but we final of the Rugby World Cup final, but we are playing tonight against argentina. Well be looking at that. Stay with lis. Us. Us. Well, a huge amount to get stuck into. Fingers crossed for third place. Weve come to the end of our show, though. Yes. Yes. No, i should thank both Matthew Stadlen and emma wolff for our news there and for our news review there and also , i must say to you, pip, also, i must say to you, pip, what a marvellous poppy puts what a marvellous poppy it puts ours shame but look ours to shame. But well look fonnard that coming up fonnard to all of that coming up on the live desk with Mark Longhurst and pip tomson next. And britains newsroom is back, of monday from 930. Of course, on monday from 930. Hello there. Its Aidan Mcgivern here from the met office with the gb news forecast. A few bright or sunny spells across the uk today. But othennise its showers for many of some downpours and of us, some heavy downpours and in , more persistent rain. In places, more persistent rain. Weve low pressure sitting weve got low pressure sitting to the west of the uk that continues drive areas of rain continues to drive areas of rain or showers in from the southwest. But these areas , rain southwest. But these areas, rain are becoming stuck are once again becoming stuck across eastern across central and eastern scotland. So the rain here will scotland. So the rain here will continue to top it up the continue to top it up over the next few days, waxing and waning in intensity. However we dont need further here. And so need further rain here. And so that to impacts over that could lead to impacts over the days. Elsewhere, the next few days. Elsewhere, heavy showers longer heavy showers and some longer spells of rain, but also sunny spells of rain, but also sunny spells in between the showers, a gusty breeze, highs of 15 celsius in the south, 12 to 13 further north, further showers into the evening and overnight into the evening and overnight in fact, they could pep up across parts of southern england, especially towards the south east for a time. And that south east for a time. And that could, again cause some localised flooding. But there localised flooding. But there will be some clear spells, especially through the midlands , especially through the midlands, east anglia and Northern England and where we do see those clear spells, temperatures falling into the mid single figures and therell a few mist patches. Therell be a few mist patches. First thing saturday. Othennise its a continuation of the showery theme into the weekend. Scattered showers, but those showers will move through at pace, so theyll be quite frequent and quite heavy in places. The persistent rain continues in eastern scotland and then later in the day, wet and then later in the day, wet and windy weather pushes in towards southwest by by good afternoon. It is midday. This is the live desk here on gb news. Coming up this friday afternoon , coming up this friday afternoon, the growing calls for a ceasefire in gaza, but israel launches another 250 airstrikes. Hamas fires more rocket barrages into tel aviv and southern israel as america also hits syrian targets. What price peace now . Peace now . More woes for the Prime Minister as the mp chris blunt says hes been arrested on suspicion of rape and possession of controlled substances following the suspension of peter bone. Well be asking can peter bone. Well be asking can the tories cope with yet more by elections as the new report thats identified the huge challenge for the home office to clear the backlog in