Transcripts For GBN The 20240703

Been cancelled , though, due to been cancelled, though, due to storm kathleen, with gusts of up to 70mph in Northern Ireland and the west of britain , over 140 the west of britain, over 140 flights have been called off so far. A yellow weather warning far. A yellow weather warning for wind is in effect until 10 00 tonight and covers cornwall, much of wales, parts of lancashire and cumbria and up into central scotland. Into central scotland. Meanwhile, two planes on the runway at Heathrow Airport have collided , causing damage to collided, causing damage to their wings. Footage shows the Virgin Atlantic planes wing touching a British Airways aircraft surrounded by emergency services. The virgin boeing 787 nine plane had completed a flight and was being towed to a different part of the airfield. Its understood, though, that there were no passengers on board at the time of the incident. Rail passengers have been facing fresh travel disruption today as train drivers continue their walkouts in a pay dispute. Drivers continue their walkouts in a pay dispute. Members of in a pay dispute. Members of aslef at Six Companies have been walking out, leaving some areas with no services all day. Chiltern Transpennine Express and northern have not been running any trains and therell be a reduced service on great western, lner and Heathrow Express Engineering Work means there have been no trains between london paddington and reading. The torso, found at reading. The torso, found at a nature reserve in salford, belonged to a man aged older than 40. A Murder Investigation was launched by Greater Manchester police after the body part was found wrapped in plastic at kersal wetlands. The victims believed to have been dead for a matter of days. Dna tests are ongoing to identify the man. Climate activist greta the man. Climate activist Greta Thunberg has been detained by dutch police during a demonstration in the hague. Demonstration in the hague. Thunberg was put in a large bus by officers along with other protesters, who tried to block a major highway into the administrative capital of the netherlands. The 21 year old activist was protesting against the dutch governments fossil fuel subsidies. The dutch governments fossil fuel subsidies. A conservative fuel subsidies. A conservative mp. Says he was the first mp. Says he was the first whistleblower to alert police to the parliamentary honey trap sixteen scandal. Bosworth mp, doctor luke evans says he was the victim of a cyber flashing as the metropolitan police launched investigation launched an investigation into unsolicited messages with Leicestershire Police on thursday. Tory mp William Wragg told the times hed sent intimate pictures of himself to someone on a gay dating app, and was then manipulated into providing colleagues phone numbers. So far , around a dozen numbers. So far, around a dozen mps, staff and journalists are known to have been targeted. The first set of messages i got was on a day i was with my wife, and i got a one time open photo on whatsapp of an explicit image of a naked lady. As soon as i got these the next day, i reported it to the police, the authorities and the chief whip. Ten days later, i got another set of messages, this time , set of messages, this time, however, i was sat with my team in the constituency office, so we were able to record the conversation and catch photos and videos of the messages coming through , including coming through, including another explicit female image. I put my name up to say, well, i hope others come forward. Im just pleased i blew the whistle, reported it to the authorities, andifs reported it to the authorities, and its now being looked into. And its now being looked into. Nearly £17 million worth of drugs has been seized by the royal navy after it intercepted smuggling speedboats in the canbbean smuggling speedboats in the Caribbean Sea across two operations. Hms trent seized 200kg of cocaine following a port visit to the island of martinique. Defence secretary grant shapps says it shows the navys commitment to disrupt and dismantle drug traffickers. And dismantle drug traffickers. And today marks the 50th anniversary of abbas famous win at the eurovision song contest, which elevated the Swedish Pop Group to international fame. Waterloo couldnt escape if i wanted to. Couldnt escape if i wanted to. Their fans gathered today at londons Waterloo Station to pay tribute by singing the song that won them the contest. Abba won the european music competition with their smash hit waterloo in 1974. For the latest stories , 1974. For the latest stories, you can sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen or go to gb news. Kaja kallas. On your screen or go to gb news. Kaja kallas. Now lets on your screen or go to gb news. Kaja kallas. Now lets get back kaja kallas. Now lets get back to the saturday five. Its saturday night and youre with the saturday five. Im Darren Grimes and i want you all to settle down, forget the cares of the world, and enjoy two hours of topical discussion. Were going to crack on with tonights first debate. Whos going to kick us off. 7 me, please i darren, i will commence proceedings. Right. Since you asked nicely. Asked nicely. Thank you. Darren, its the biggest news story of the week, wasnt it. 7 its quite a quiet news week, but the biggest one was willie wragg, the tory mp who got caught out sending explicit messages and pictures to a number. So not only to a random number. So not only did this mp compromise himself, we all know what happened. He handed over the numbers of other parliamentary staffers and mps. I an absolute i think its an absolute disgrace. But the likes of jeremy hunt, the chancellor, said William Wragg said that William Wragg was courageous for forward in courageous for coming forward in explaining massive gaffe and explaining his massive gaffe and that hed been scared he was that hed been scared and he was a victim. So my question is to a victim. So my question is to everybody here, if dont mps deserve to feel the consequences of their actions anymore. 7 not of their actions anymore . Not only should he have been sacked or resigned sending a random or resigned for sending a random phone number, naughty pictures, but also additionally he compromised everyone else in the process. But i think, ben, what what what people might say is that he is standing down at the next general election. Well, hes already pre announced that. Now what might normally happen in this circumstance is an mp might say, well, i wont stand for election at the next election rather than just resign straight away because if youre thinking about it just a purely selfish way, it just in a purely selfish way, if he resigns straight away, then he loses his income, doesnt well so he should. Doesnt he . Well so he should. Hes an mp, as i said, hes hes an mp, as i said, two, two isolated incidents here by so not only did he by the way. So not only did he compromise himself that as far as concerned, on an as im concerned, on an individual basis is worthy of a sacking or a resignation combined with the fact he stitched up all his colleagues as and may i add, the as well . And may i add, put the safety and security of the nafion safety and security of the nation risk. He lose nation at risk. He could lose the whip. I think he could lose the whip. You know, he is stepping down so we know it was already its going to be a wrap for him. But i am thinking about his Mental Health here ben. Like look hes already laughing in already the laughing stock in the been the world of politics. Hes been splattered pages of splattered on the front pages of the isnt that the newspapers. Isnt that enough for him . Isnt that enough . Shame isnt that enough disgrace have disgrace for him here . You have to man has been forced to think the man has been forced to think the man has been forced to what hes been doing to expose what hes been doing in his personal life. Hes probably a lesson now. So probably learnt a lesson now. So lets turn the other cheek. Just, its his its not just, oh, its his personal life. Leave peoples private be. This guy private lives be. This guy is a leader country. Hes leader of the country. Hes voted his constituents and he voted by his constituents and he has ive been learnt has a duty. And ive been learnt this week that mps go through training kind of thing. Training for this kind of thing. Blackmail well, the blackmail honey. Well, the honeypot. Honeypot traps. Honeypot. Yeah. Honeypot traps. They so they go through training. So theyre and for theyre briefed on this. And for me, sending i mean i dont, i dont know about anyone else, but i dont send kind but i dont send those kind of pictures to anyone. Are married, so. Well, you are married, so. Well, you are married, so. Even, even its yeah, even, even its different youre single. Different when youre single. But i think im very vanilla, but i think we know that. Will wragg had several months off from being an mp not long ago because had a breakdown. Ago because he had a breakdown. We know that hes had very so we know that hes had very poor health and he poor Mental Health and he had been i strongly been open about that. I strongly suspect why the suspect that explains why the Prime Minister and the chancellor have basically decided to lay off, as have the other parties, because they know that person is particularly that this person is particularly fragile. Normal fragile. And while in normal circumstances, think you circumstances, i would think you should lose the whip, it should be seriously dealt this is be seriously dealt with. This is someone clearly someone who is clearly in a in a poor state already. And so what would actually achieve . I would you actually achieve . I think a level of compassion goes a way given hes leaving parliament. Anyway. I think actually im going to nasty little cow going to be the nasty little cow on i think he had this on shock. I think he he had this sort of stance of moral indignation at Boris Johnsons government. He was giving it all the, oh, Boris Johnson needs to 90, the, oh, Boris Johnson needs to go, hes a disgrace, blah, blah, blah. But thats politics. Pot blah. But thats politics. Pot kettle, black. But thats politics though. But thats politics though. Exactly. Exactly. Its politics. He was blaming bofis its politics. He was blaming boris about politics. This is about his personal life. No no no no no. [10 [10 110. No no no. This was about defending chris pincher, who pincher by name, pincher by nature. And by the way, is there an argument or a debate to be had about hiding behind Mental Health . Saying hes health . Im not saying hes lying about his situation, but in example of huw edwards, in the example of huw edwards, for bbc, theyre for example, at the bbc, theyre still his 430 k a year salary. Thats a legal requirement thats out of licence fee payer cash. I know, but theres an argument there we license argument there that we license fee should have more fee payers should have more knowledge. Bbc and knowledge. Or the bbc and huw edwards should more edwards should be more transparent situation. Transparent about his situation. I its very i dont think its very difficult question. Mental health, just difficult question. So. 1tal health, just difficult question. So. 1talfirst. Th, just difficult question. So. 1talfirst of just difficult question. So. 1talfirst of all, just difficult question. So. 1talfirst of all, thinkst say so. So first of all, i think the reason that parties and the tories and the other parties have laid is because they have laid off is because they know particular is know this particular person is fragile. Most fragile. But one of the most serious things are two serious things there are two really things. I think really serious things. I think one the that after one is the fact that after voluntarily sending explicit photos, that as as that photos, that as soon as that person tried blackmail him, person tried to blackmail him, he caved in. That i he immediately caved in. That i find very worrying about his character and, you know, principles to be so easily overtaken. That suggests that, you know, is he somebody of character to be an mp in the first place . The other point id make is that he passed on numbers not just of other mps, which is a security risk, but of staffers who are obviously his juniors. I think in any juniors. And so i think in any other workplace, if a tv presenter had sent the producers number in that context, youd be sacked the spot, right . Sacked on the spot, right . Because such an abuse of because that is such an abuse of power pass on junior power to pass on a junior persons details and put them at risk, probably multiple Data Protection breaches and all sorts of stuff i can imagine. Then come back to that then we come back to that point mps, because of point about mps, because of course, elected by their course, mps are elected by their constituents. And really then its the constituents its up to the constituents to decide box whether decide at the ballot box whether or not they want mp. Or not they still want that mp. And is already standing down. All right. Lets move on then. Who have we got next . Weve got me darren. So i got myself bit of hot myself into a little bit of hot water on this with water earlier on this week with my favourite childhood author, jk | my favourite childhood author, jk i sent a tweet in jk rowling. I sent a tweet in response to misgendering response to her misgendering a transgender munroe transgender model, Munroe Bergdorf. Is what i bergdorf. And this is what i said in the tweet. Like most brits, im sympathetic to jk rowlings views on biological sex and the need for single sex provisions, but i suspect most brits like me would find calling a woman who looks like a trans woman who looks like Munroe Bergdorf him to be munroe Munroe Bergdorf him to be obtuse and mean spirited. Youre seeing some images of the tweet there. Jk fired back, saying, so if trans identified men are pretty enough as judged by you, a man, women ought to agree that theyre women. Femaleness has no relation whatsoever to how well an individual man or woman performs feminine femininity to male standards. This is the very definition of misogyny. So i went out earlier on today to see what the public think about this, because i seem to think that the public are on my side. But this is what they said earlier on. What do you think of people who deliberately misgender trans people, i think its quite ridiculous. We all its quite ridiculous. We all choose our identities and we should respect one another and go should respect one another and 90 by should respect one another and go by what everyone feels for themselves. So i will call her the way she wants me to, the way she wants to be called. So if shes transgender. Wants to be called. So if shes transgender. So it means that transgender. So it means that she wants to be she. So i would call her chi. Sorry. Let me start again. I got this wrong. Thats what i like. You. Yeah. Dont worry, because you are. Youre still confused. Confused. Yeah. Its not very nice, is it . Its their choice which it . Its their choice which pronoun they want to use. And i dont think thats very. Its not great. Basically she her. And if this person told you that they were transgender, would you still call them she her . Well, id ask them what theyd want to be called actually spot on. And then go from there rather than assume right now go and try that in hartlepool. But thats not the point. Ben. Leo, every single Central London and every Single Member of the public that i went up to said they would be quite happy to call Munroe Bergdorf. She her, which is what my prediction was to begin with. And i think i could do this vox pop in hartlepool or in oldham, which is where my mothers family are from, and i think we get similar results. It doesnt mean that everybody has to think that way, because jk rowling i its like psychological warfare here, because trans women, yes, they are trans women, but they are not biological women. And we shouldnt be forced into thinking, yes, they are biological women , but they biological women, but they deserve the respect if they want to be known as trans women, give them the respect j. K. Rowling shouldnt be terrorising anyone online. But. So okay, so they should be given the respect of being called by whatever pronouns they want. Yeah, but people shouldnt want. Yeah, but people shouldnt have of deciding how have the respect of deciding how to dictate their own language. But its the same how someone wants you to treat them. So if you meet a trans woman and she wants called she, you wants to be called she, you cannot telling youre a cannot be telling him youre a he. So im forced to abide by so im forced to abide by their respect. Lets have a look at something very quickly, because i want to just get up. An extract from j. K. Rowlings initial post on trans initial blog post on trans rights that got her into this mess in the first place, but actually, to actually, she herself refers to actually, she herself refers to a woman as she. I happen a trans woman as she. I happen to know a self described transsexual woman older transsexual woman whos older than i am and wonderful. Although shes open about her past as a gay man, ive always found it hard to think of her as anything other than a woman. So in past , j. K. Rowling has in the past, j. K. Rowling has been quite happy to refer to trans women as she her and call them women, but not now. Do you not think thats a bit weird that shes got a position as hardened . Darren . Yeah, it has hardened, but i think its hardened because actually theyve been given an inch and theyve tried to take a mile. Thats exactly it. I think actually the demands for these kinds of things, the bullying, frankly , to say to, to women frankly, to say to, to women that you have to accept that actually you have to accept this because this is progress. Yeah. This is absolutely what where we need to be as a society. But actually if, if sex doesnt exist, then access to single sex spaces and protections around them, they dont exist either. Respectfully homosexuality. Respectfully, darren i am not talking about single sex spaces. Im not talking about biological sex. In fact, i make that quite clear in the tweet to jk rowling. Im just referring to gendenng rowling. Im just referring to gendering a trans woman is exciting. Darren is explaining the generally as a wider, very much unked generally as a wider, very much linked to what youve said. If biological sex doesnt exist. I didnt know. No ones saying that. Im not saying. Im saying that youre calling her a sheep. Im not. Shes not a sheep. Im saying out of courtesy. I would call a trans woman who i know is a biological male. Im not an idiot. I would call a trans woman she out courtesy. Trans woman she out of courtesy. Benjamin butterworth would you call access . No one . Not because im not talking about of that. About any of that. Im not talking. They are linked. Cannot separate the linked. You cannot separate the two. Darren. Linked. You cannot separate the ton darren. Linked. You cannot separate the ton haven. Linked. You cannot separate the ton have been very clear. I have been very clear. I have been very clear. You been that you have been very clear that you inconsistent. Yes. You are being inconsistent. Yes. Being very clear that you are being very clear that youre not listening to what im saying. Butterworth, saying. Benjamin butterworth, id to hear id be interested to hear your opinion this. Opinion on this. Im glad someone would well, im glad someone would be. This theres be. Look, i think this theres a difference between what should be so should it be a be in law. So should it be a criminal offence to say otherwise . No, thats probably criminal offence to say oth for whom they have one name on their birth certificate, but they different they go by a totally different name. Youd be name. By your argument, youd be saying you shouldnt call saying that you shouldnt call them name that theyve them the name that theyve chosen in life, because chosen to go by in life, because thats not on their birth certificate. Think is certificate. I think this is a matter of respect, and i would also point out that if someone is saying a or a is saying theyre a woman or a man matter, whichever man for that matter, whichever direction in youre direction they go in and youre insisting on calling them what theyre not, i think, you know, that become that quite clearly can become bullying, because all youre doing hard for doing is making life hard for them on something thats incredibly for you. Incredibly minor for you. Should ben . Why should ben . Why should ben . Cannot be looking you cannot be looking at someone like munroe and someone like Munroe Bergdorf and think, man. Would you think, thats a man. Would you call her a man . Sorry, is looks the barometer of a woman these days . I think women confined. Women are confined. Point is, you would the point is, you would assume it is woman. Assume it is a woman. I think. I think he looks like a man. As a man, you cannot say that is a man. Me. Is a man. Let me. How are again. Let me see how you are again. Let me see a picture. I mean, shes literally a vogue model. She is, yeah, because well, she is, yeah, because the fact that are trans right. Well, no, actually, because in of the first in the 1960s, one of the first monroe again, one of the first book, one of the first people, most men none the wiser. Most men will be none the wiser. Though, several pictures, though, that heavily airbrushed that is a heavily airbrushed picture seen several picture that ive seen several pictures. Such a shallow conversation. It does this person like a woman or a man. Its so inane. Its so inane. Well, how do you judge ben . You whether or how do you judge whether or not looks like man or not someone looks like a man or a not looking at them . A woman if not looking at them . Yeah, but fine finds she looks a good trans woman. Looks like a good trans woman. She better most trans she looks better than most trans women. But thats not. Thats not the point. Were talking about trans people infringing not the point. Were talking about tra sports. Yle infringing not the point. Were talking about tra sports. Wereinging not the point. Were talking about tra sports. Were talking womens sports. Were talking about trans people. Not what im talking about. Same argument. Same argument. Its not because. Because no, its not because. Because i you the pronouns i agree with you the pronouns that they want to be, because im ben, stop im saying, ben, leo, stop coming after kids. Stop infringing the stop infringing on the integrity of womens sports and stop beliefs 0. 3 stop forcing your beliefs 0. 3 of the population on the majority of the population on the ma and of the population on the ma and you can think all of that and you can think all of that at same time as calling at the same time as calling trans she her, because trans women she and her, because i do. I e i do. I dont understand why but i dont understand why you so difficult to have you find it so difficult to have that level nuance if youre that level of nuance if youre so tolerant. Albee and yusef and you, benjamin, so tolerant and benjamin, youre so tolerant and youre tolerant, virtuous people let call let people who want to call people pronouns they people whatever pronouns they want who dont to want and those who dont want to abide nonsense, respect abide by the nonsense, respect them as well. Respect. Are you its about respect. Are you not tolerant . Im only woman not tolerant . Im the only woman on andi not tolerant . Im the only woman on and i have to on this panel, and i have to say, look, i didnt want to assume. Oh, sorry, darling, i can respect transgender women if how want be themselves. How they want to be themselves. But is they try but my problem is when they try to biological to diminish what biological women our rights women are and what our rights are. My big problem. Are. Thats my big problem. And to honest, like a and to be honest, like a woman. What . Youre just. Youre just women are just diluting it. Women are amazing, creatures. Amazing, powerful creatures. They they they give birth. They they are, you creatures. You know, beautiful creatures. Women. Not all women. Not all women. Diluting women to. Youre diluting women to. Does this person like women . Does this person like women . Shes fake breasts and plump lips. It is polite to call a trans woman she or her out of courtesy. And its also not making things. Benjamin said it. Youve got a vivid imagination. Benjamin said it. Youve got a vivid imagination. The dog a vivid imagination. The dog from the church. Thats not what i said. From the church. Thats not what i sethats what ben said. It would. People imagine. Imagine in people imagine. Imagine if in your have, for your office you have, for example, a trans woman, and every their boss comes in every day their boss comes in and calls them a man. That would clearly be an abusive situation. It would. Theyre not asking for that. Theyre not for that. Theyre not asking for anything special. Just anything special. Theyre just trying to their job. Trying to do their job. Yeah, thats right, thats bullying. A teacher bullying. And a teacher was sacked that recently. Sacked for that recently. But thats what and but but thats what youre defending. Youre defending not. Defending that when im not. Also people, they also these trans people, they dont this argument. Dont want this argument. They just get on with their just want to get on with their lives and have basic respect. Nonsense. Thats nonsense. These like these people want attention like you wouldnt they go on you wouldnt believe. They go on about all time. No doubt. You wouldnt believe. They go on aboutand ll time. No doubt. You wouldnt believe. They go on aboutand more time. No doubt. You wouldnt believe. They go on aboutand more you a. No doubt. You wouldnt believe. They go on aboutand more you goio doubt. You wouldnt believe. They go on aboutand more you goio about it more and more you go on about it all time. Nobodys if you all the time. Nobodys if you are on, you go on about bullies and youre inconsistent. But we all a load old rubbish all got a load of old rubbish anyway. Were going to have to move on to come tonight. Move on still to come tonight. Its royal farce as french its a royal farce as the French Military are handed the keys to buckingham im going to Buckingham Palace. Im going to be why youre not at the be asking why youre not at the border, well whether border, and well ask whether black should able to black women should be able to take lead in romeo take the lead in romeo and juliet. The juliet. But next, are the Iranian Regime targeting dissidents on the streets of britain with impunity . And what can done to actually crack can be done to actually crack down and get serious here . Youre with the saturday five live on gb news. Welcome back to the saturday five. As always. Thanks very much for your emails about tonights topics. Coming in thick and fast. Trish said racks should go. He threw colleagues under a bus to save his own skin from blackmail, which is worse than sending pictures of his private parts. Well, why did you say it like that . Well, shukto , the reviews are well, shukto, the reviews are in for albies vox pops, and im afraid theyre not favourable. Barbara says. Albie, youve made a schoolboy error of treating pretty females differently and then asking the pubuc differently and then asking the public that the dim public, jk rowling, is right about you. Sorry ive always thought albie has a thing for pretty females. Thats a pj pjs, a pj duncan says , handpicked members of the says, handpicked members of the pubuc says, handpicked members of the public for it to be valid. The selection should have been random. Shame on you for not doing a survey properly. You shame. I can tell you the selection was definitely random. Was definitely random. Right now its time for our next debate. Whos going next . Next and its its me next and its a pretty serious yeah, dont worry. Its not a its not a woke topic this week. Actually, its a really serious one. So only a week ago, a presenter at Iran International, an iranian tv station based in london, was stabbed on a residential street by three men who then , according by three men who then, according to reports from the metropolitan police, fled the country and are said to be back in iran. Now this is far from the first time that we have seen examples of threats from irans revolutionary guard on britains streets. This time last year, i spent several months investigating the scale of it and found 15 assassination attempts on british soil related to irans revolutionary guard. To irans revolutionary guard. This is in a whole other scale to what weve had from russia, and yet it gets so little attention. Well the man that was stabbed a week ago, pouria zarati, he went back to work just days after being hospitalised from the attack to show that those terrorists wont win. Those alleged terrorists win. Those alleged terrorists wont win. But what really worries me is that youve got this scale of threat where someone has been stabbed and seemingly got away with it, where other people have been, had threats to assassinate, which is known to m15, and theyve said it on record and yet weve not said theyre a terrorist organisation. Iran international used to be. They had a studio in chiswick actually in the same complex. I go to gym and complex. I go to the gym and when these threats first started coming, they had to close down the of chiswick business the whole of chiswick business park, put it on park, basically put it on security. They had all security lockdown. They had all of these Armed Police Officers there , proper serious stuff. There, proper serious stuff. This is in chiswick, you know, suburban west london. It was all quite scary for us. But then i was listened to the broadcaster that this happened to talking about what had happened to him, and i realised i put two and two together and you just think this isnt actually something which just affects Iran International tv, this affects british people in communities across the country. Didnt this happen in wimbledon or something . Wimbledon or something . It did. And all across this tv station, Iran International had to leave britain for washington dc for about a year because the met police said we cant keep those journalists safe. Now, the idea that youve safe. Now, the idea that youve got a foreign power being so effective in their intimidation that journalists have to leave the country, is just unbelievable able. Its managed to slip underneath the rainbow , underneath the rainbow, underneath the rainbow, underneath the rainbow, underneath the radar, unfortunately. And but you just think as a society, weve got so much as a country that were deaung much as a country that were dealing with, dealing with in terms of terrorist attacks from left, right and centre, i dont think we have enough resources to now be looking at iran and their threats. Yeah. Their threats. Yeah. And actually, i find you a bit of a hypocrite again week on week. No surprise because youre happy have uncontrolled mass happy to have uncontrolled mass migration country migration in this country fighting male men , fighting age. Male men, thousands of them, crossing the channel thousands of them, crossing the channel, their channel, throwing their passports and mobile phones into the channel and coming here en masse. And yet you dont raise masse. And yet you dont raise any security concerns about that. As soon as an iranian that. But as soon as an iranian journalist attacked you, get on your legs and cry about it. Your hind legs and cry about it. I think its high horse, ben, but , look, the fact is, those but, look, the fact is, those legs most , but, look, the fact is, those legs most, most hind, most iranians that have moved to this country have done so because they disagree with the revolutionary guard that runs around. So most iranians do not share this outlook. Well, so do you think channel channel arrivals from god knows where also share our culture and values . Well, thats up to them to illustrate, order to get, you illustrate, in order to get, you know, citizenship status. Know, citizenship status. But i would say, though, but what i would say, though, benjamin, there are benjamin, is that there are there is evidence of iranian schools, example, being schools, for example, being set up london that have up in london that have ideological elements infiltrating of them. Infiltrating inside of them. Weve seen from many jewish newspapers in this country that actually theres a real a threat to inculcating young minds in this very country against jews, for example. And there are people that have come over here and are setting up these schools abroad. So that would be a sign of really quite sinister iranian elements entering the United Kingdom. Now, there is one school thats accused of that, and its a private school, and its where all the elite iranians from the regime send their kids. All the elite iranians from the regime send their kids. And its regime send their kids. And its quite shocking that its allowed to exist. But look, let me ask you darren. Yeah the you this, darren. Yeah so the government prescribe government declines to prescribe them. Unlike hamas, for them. So unlike hamas, for example, which is a terrorist organisation , they refuse to do organisation, they refuse to do this. Why do you think theyre being so weak when youve literally got a man who was stabbed trying to do his job as a news presenter . You know, just days ago . I think because they are i think because they they are slightly concerned about what that would mean as far as escalation and threat to this country is. But i dont think we should be cowed and hide in terror in fear of terror like that, because then the terrorists think iran, terrorists win. I think iran, you facing an axis you know, we are facing an axis of evil in in the world, not in this country, but this country as a consequence of an unsafe world, an axis of evil being russia, iran and china and iran. Russia, iran and china and iran. I think we cant actually underplay the threat that they pose. Im really worried about a sort of, sort asbury style chemical attack in this country of the kind that russia perpetrated in salisbury, by iran to actually combat and get to people here that they dont like and but dare i say it, benjamin, thats why im 100 behind israel. Because i think by the time israel falls, iran wont stop there. And it is iran perpetrating much of this. And of course, fascinatingly, most iranians arent muslim just because its run by extreme muslims. Most iranians arent evenin muslims. Most iranians arent even in islam , but in attack even in islam, but in attack iran. No, no, my solution is to prescribe them as benjamin. But just to give you another example of how shocking it is, i spoke to a man who lives in Central London and his father is under house arrest in iran, and he speaks out, criticising that government. He they tried to abduct him in Central London in the middle of the day. They tried to drag him into the back of a van and he managed to escape. And they reported that to the police and the police didnt follow there was didnt follow it up. There was another example where i spoke to another example where i spoke to a man whos a prominent in the jewish community, and and jewish community, and he and hes old, and he and his hes fairly old, and he and his wife were that their wife were told that their grandkids be abducted when grandkids could be abducted when theyre walking because theyre being followed iranian being followed by iranian terrorists. All of this is known terrorists. All of this is known to police, and there are no prosecutions because they want to take the so called diplomatic route, have these people that youve spoken to these sources . Are they . How are they how are they . How are they doing now . How are they getting on their lives . How how on with their lives . How how have they responded to this threat . Well, all them have said well, all of them have said it their lives upside it turned their lives upside down, actually. What find down, actually. But what i find incredible these are incredible is that these are things any of us behave things that if any of us behave like this, be getting 20 like this, youd be getting 20 years in prison. And as years in prison. And yet as a country, we dont because we are intimidated and i think intimidated by iran. And i think thats a hiding to nothing. All right, folks, let us know your views still ahead, your views at home. Still ahead, though, will ask whether though, we will ask whether black women should be able to take lead in romeo and take the lead in romeo and juliet. But next, just when we thought could. Well, it thought it could. Well, it couldnt get more ridiculous. Frankly, soldiers frankly, the french soldiers have given the all clear to have been given the all clear to guard Buckingham Palace over the most of the course of history. That would likely well invade it. Youre with the saturday five live on gb news. Welcome back to the saturday five. Youll be pleased to know were all still alive. And were all very much enjoying your emails. My namesake darren. Now. Well, you had a good mother. She says jk rowling is braver than the political and media class put together. She could have happily with her multi millions enjoyed hollywoods loving gaze. Shes decided womens rights as a survivor of Domestic Violence are more important and actually , are more important and actually, darren, i know a certain darren that could have written that exactly the same. And bev said, hello bev turner ben, leo is the only one talking. Any sense tonight . Get out. Oh ill be. Why did you just show their pubuc why did you just show their public the nice looking man . Why not have two photos of men dressed as women . Right. I dont worry, darren. Ill come back to it later. Now its time for our next discussion, and, well, actually, i think im taking this one. Im going to kick us off for the, well, the first time in history. Actually, this is a unique tour de force. French troops will guard Buckingham Palace. Its a drill approved by king charles the third to mark 120 years of anglo french relations established by the entente cordiale of 1904. Ooh, the changing of the guard ceremony on monday will feature 32 french soldiers from the Republican Guard and the french gen darren dem. Something. Dont do that. Dem. Something. Dont do that. Participate in the ceremony, but they wont replace British Forces in their traditional role of guarding the king now, folks, all i would say to this is i think president macron, before allowing his forces to defend Buckingham Palace, which i think were doing a pretty good job at, could actually consider using his troops to defend calais and whats going on there and the invasion that takes place over that border every two seconds. Instead of this nonsense, maybe , first of all, nonsense, maybe, first of all, they can teach you how to say gendarmarie jen. Thats what thats what you were tripping up over there. Jen, when you were common as muck you are. Thats what thats what a 20 grand a year school gets you. Oh, cant we just leave the migrant situation for just one day . Let it just be a nice day of brits the french of the brits and the french coming together. On. Weve coming together. Come on. Weve got relationship with got a nice relationship with them. We leave the migrants just for weve just given for one day. Weve just given them over half £1 to them over half £1 billion to sort out problem , and yet sort out this problem, and yet now theyre being like, oh, lets have some fancy displays at Buckingham Palace. Why, nice, arent why not . Arent we arent we . Why not . Arent we getting very well, getting on very well . Well, i think thats why youre allowing these to enter these criminals to enter our country, you know. You know what happened do you know what happened before cordiale . Before the entente cordiale . Do you what relationship you know what the relationship was britain and france . As in war . Yes, yes, a war that we won. The point that im making is what the entente cordiale is and what the entente cordiale is and what this is representation of what this is a representation of is relations between is good relations between britain for 120 britain and france for 120 years. Why . And thank years. But why . And thank goodness were not at war with our closest relations. Let me make the hold on. Let me make the point. Thank goodness were not at war our closest neighbour war with our closest neighbour neighbour, only had neighbour, because we only had to israel and gaza to to look to israel and gaza to see what that looks like. Same. Yeah, same. Yeah, same. I care about our i care more about our relationship with america than i do european country. Do any european country. What, think and i tell you what, i think actually, there be actually, maybe there would be some retaking calais. Some merit to retaking calais. You are you what are you are you advocating that we invade france . Absolutely. Am. Absolutely. Am. Small war and we retake calais and all of our board . No, i get your point. You know, lets, lets save our relations with france. But our relations with france. But our relations are at an all time low. France have treated the uk despicably since we voted to leave the european union. As darren said, pay them. What darren said, we pay them. What is it . Half £1 mm a mm a year, half half £1 billion a year, half a billion. All Border Guards do off all the Border Guards do off calais and dunkirk. Is they, as the newspaper brilliantly the Sun Newspaper brilliantly exposed ago. Exposed a couple of months ago. Theyre money to theyre paid all this money to stop getting into the stop dinghies getting into the water. Theyre off water. Instead theyre off partying the local working partying down the local working mens club and sinking shots. I mean, its an absolute disgrace. Macron spoken about macron the way hes spoken about the in recent years the country in recent years is also disgrace. There is no also a disgrace. And there is no relationship until france relationship there. Until france stopped these boats and these fighting tens of fighting age males, tens of thousands each year from thousands of them each year from coming into britain. There is no relationship. And we also fell out with them nuclear subs, them over the nuclear subs, remember, building remember, because were building the aukus for australia, the aukus deal for australia, and the french got very sniffy about that. So maybe were just doing this to try and look nice. Europeans hate britain. What was it that your that your mate liz truss said about the french when during her leadership contest. I dont know what. Know if they what. She didnt know if they were or foe. Well i mean were friend or foe. Well i mean how can you say that to our closest neighbour, not our closest neighbour, not our closest said neighbour, closest ally. I said neighbour, neighbour, closest. Neighbour, they are our closest. Quite literally they are quite literally theyre had awful theyre not well, ive had awful neighbours before. Is. No. What is. No. What is. No. The channel is a shorter stretch 21 than stretch of water 21 miles than the sea. The irish sea. A part of the united not a part of the United Kingdom is attached to ireland. Alby you know what i mean. I dont actually, no one likes a smarty anyway. Come on. Were going to get mr france himself. You like a good old pastry and a bit of chanel good old pastry and a bit of chanel, of course. But, i mean, look, i am a great admirer of president macron. Is exactly my macron. He is exactly my politics. I dont know what you were going to say there, tony blair, Hillary Clinton and Emmanuel Macron are people that i think should run world forever. Centrist. Forever. Cenwhat would say, well, but what i would say, well, he said, the quiet out is he said, the quiet part out is that you are forgetting the way he know, is about he you know, this is about Buckingham Palace. When the late queen i incredibly queen died, i was incredibly moved when macron in moved when president macron in the paris sang god the centre of paris sang god save the queen, which i thought was incredibly powerful , the was incredibly powerful, the first state visit was to france. Okay, he stopping the boats. He has he he gave a speech to camera after the queens death, where he clearly understood on a profound level, the value and longevity of her late majesty and of the British Royal family in a way that i didnt think any other world leader put it so well about the country. I think he has. I think he has. I think he has a serious respect for our royal family and that institution in britain. And that institution in britain. And thatis that institution in britain. And that is what this is about, because this is about protecting Buckingham Palace. And i think Buckingham Palace. And i think hes treated our rules with a lot its not going to happen overnight. Its not going to happen overnight. Every country out overnight. Every country is out of their depth in trying to stop the boats and stop migrants. Boats is the stopping the boats is the number priority of most number one priority of most straight thinking straight common sense thinking brits our brits in this country our culture, our health, our safety, the the the boats arent going down the mouth. Right. All mouth. So youre all right. All these coming across these people coming across happen into happen undocumented into britain. You think, do you britain. So do you think, do you think, do think it would be think, do you think it would be easier stop the boats with easier to stop the boats with a good a bad relationship good or a bad relationship with france . Its france . Do you think its impossible to patrol properly the france . Do you the beaches of france . Do you think would easier to stop think it would be easier to stop the with a good dinghies, the boats with a good dinghies, or a bad relationship with france . Ill answer that question, albie, saying albie, because youre saying our relationship never relationship right now has never been say that. Where you just answer the question, friend, you question, friend, would you answer question . Answer the question . It not well, why is it not happening . You just said, weve got this fantastic relationship. Said, been at for i said, weve not been at for war 120 years now. Can you can you question . You answer the question . Our viewers in eyes look our viewers in the eyes and tell them that their taxpayer money, half £1 billion of good return of it. Weve had a good return on that investment. Viewers in the eyes look our viewers in the eyes and answer my question. Youre answer to youre youre the answer to your youre your question is that youre talking bottom. Talking out of your bottom. Thats answer. Thats not an answer. My question whats your question . Youre just trying not youre just trying save me. Do you just trying to save me. Do you think it would be easier to stop the good or a bad the boat with a good or a bad relationship with . Question, you answered your question, you just have a great just said, we have a great relationship with france. I said, not been at war i said, weve not been at war for 120 years. Relationship with france. We obviously good for obviously have a good war for 120 years. If we have this 120 years. So if we have this fantastic with fantastic relationship with france, taken france, why are we being taken for theyre having for granted . And theyre having the mickey taken out of the complete mickey taken out of us by handing vast sums of us by handing over vast sums of cash getting absolutely sod cash and getting absolutely sod all back . Me let me tell you why. Let me let me tell you why. Well, go on. Well, sorry. Go on. I think the right yeah, i think the right answer in keir starmer proposed this at point is that you this at one point is that you make an agreement you take make an agreement that you take a number of migrants, make an agreement that you take a then number of migrants, make an agreement that you take a then yourber of migrants, make an agreement that you take a then you can of migrants, make an agreement that you take a then you can actuallynts, make an agreement that you take a then you can actually be and then you can actually be serious acknowledging and then you can actually be sericthere acknowledging and then you can actually be sericthere noacknowledging and then you can actually be sericthere no world ledging and then you can actually be sericthere no world indging and then you can actually be sericthere no world in which that there is no world in which these dont exist, in these people dont exist, in which they dont, in which they stop that isnt stop coming, that isnt an opfion stop coming, that isnt an option agree option in reality. So you agree an amount people and then an amount of people and then they enforce to stop it they can enforce it to stop it going over whats been mutually agreed. Yeah, wont be a pull yeah, that wont be a pull factor at all. That wont get more people but more people to come. But you dont. Michael already, you but theres already, you know, is it, 40,000 or know, what is it, 40,000 or something coming in the last yeah something coming in the last year. Right. So and thats not going think your going to stop i think your argument so naive because argument is so naive because were going to see more of were only going to see more of this migration the coming this migration in the coming decades. Need get decades. And you need to get real about you can cope real about how much you can cope with altogether. Real about how much you can cope with but|ltogether. Real about how much you can cope with but this ether. Real about how much you can cope with but this is|er. Real about how much you can cope with but this is what weve and but this is what weve got look forward to in the got to look forward to in the labour party. Still ahead, labour party. But still ahead, were going to meet the man whose beliefs have whose right wing beliefs have cost friendships cost him friendships and relationships. Is there a political gap when it political gender gap when it comes but next well comes to dating . But next well ask black should ask whether black women should be take the lead in be able to take the lead in romeo and juliet as an actress, as targeted by racists on social media. Youre with gb news. Welcome back to the saturday five. Ive just managed to pull Benjamin Butterworth off of ben lisa hartle here. As always, gsp emails about tonights topics regarding the iran threat. Sw1 says not often i agree with benjamin, but hes bang on the money with his concerns. And yes, darren giving them terrorist status would help him. Now on the french troops at Buckingham Palace, peter says this is a reciprocal arrangement with the uk also having soldiers marching in the french equivalent. Yes, that is true. Get our boys home now its time for our next debate. Who do we have next . Yes, i guess someone. Guess someone. Guess someone. Well, francesca, amanda rivers , that is a name that you rivers, that is a name that you guys need to know because she is the next actress lined up to play the next actress lined up to play juliet in William Shakespeares romeo and juliet at the dukes york theatre. This should be a moment of celebration for francesca, but unfortunately, shes had to deal with racist trolls who are saying that juliet should be played by a white actress, not a black actress. Theyve even gone beyond their trolling to start attacking her. Looks to say she looks trans. For me, this is just a trajectory of the Entertainment Industry where theyre doing more blind colour casting and making sure that roles are open up to many people. I think its all about merit. It should never be about colour. It should be who is the best woman or best man for the job . And its been francesca in this case. So stephanie, i just wonder you might know the play othello by shakespeare. Othello is the main character and hes a moor. No. Is it new . Is it new . Sorry. No, its not. Its not me. Yeah. I thought it was the main character of othello. For those of us who dont know, is a one of the only black characters in shakespeare. Yeah. Now would you it was for you say it was okay for shakespeare . For othello to be played white actor . Played by a white actor . Not . If hes the best man why not . If hes the best man for the job and he can bring his version othello alive version of othello alive on stage, why changing history . His version of i doubt of the rock sounds like you want to change the essence of the play. Well, theres been so many versions. Weve stuck to tradition for so long, why not do something refreshing . Do you mind if i play bob marley in a bob marley, i dont think you would want to, though. I think theres limits. Bob marley, limits, though. Marley, there is limits, though. There limits. And for there is limits. And i think for this actress, theres been so many of limits, i dare many versions of limits, i dare you. Then, hang on. Lets hang on then, hang on. Lets lets another story that lets get up. Another story that i was relevant to that i thought was relevant to that conversation, hall, conversation, because wolf hall, which a production, on which is a bbc production, on the tudors essentially, and it covered the first series, covered the first series, covered henry the eighth and the Bbcs Wolf Hall returns with diverse cast of tudor courtiers. Diverse cast of tudor courtiers. The, conclusion of dame hilary mantels novels casts historically white characters with actors of different ethnicities. Now, a lot of people are saying about this particular story. Yeah, well, hang on a minute , because this hang on a minute, because this is changing. Rewriting history. Yeah. Do you think actually this this is all to do with diversity , equity and inclusion and less to do with talent, merit and historical accuracy . No, i think its about pushing the boundaries of creativity. Bridgerton is a massive success and during that era there wasnt many black people. But people can accept it. Henry the eighth was real. The tudor court was real. And it wasnt real. No, i know it wasnt real. No, i know it wasnt real. No, i know it wasnt real. Yeah, but i think this is different to the romeo and juliet. But my problem is, what is the problem when there is that inclusion of ethnic people in such storylines . Because you are why are people why are people getting offended by not histories already happened. Yeah, exactly. We cant change history. You are. But we can portray it the way we want to. How britain looked in that day and age. And it didnt look, i think i think its appalling that there wasnt more diversity among the women that the eighth women that henry the eighth beheaded, i, i think its a disgrace. I think the pertinent issue here is whether, if you have a character or a historical figure where the race is essential to their role in the story and the story theyre telling. So, you know, Winnie Mandela and nelson mandela, theyre going to have to be black actors. Im afraid you aint play bob marley aint going to play bob marley any soon. The case any time soon. But in the case of romeo and juliet, i dont think, you know, ive never thought obviously, only thought obviously, ive only ever playing ever seen white people playing the never the roles, but ive never thought about as part of thought about that as part of the story. In fact, given that its a tale of people from two different worlds arent different worlds who arent meant i actually meant to be together, i actually think lends itself very think that lends itself very well racial. Think that lends itself very well just racial. Think that lends itself very well just think. Think that lends itself very well just think it gives racist i just think it gives racist a chance just to be racist. Any excuse a black person excuse you see, a black person in a character that should be played by a white woman, it just gives trolls a chance just to express think express their views. I think its is its the hatred behind it is that concerns me. Agreeing with had this agreeing with her had this been by someone like been played by someone like zendaya, example, zendaya zendaya, for example, or zendaya , zendaya or halle berry . You know, these very attractive, well known black women up with tom holland and women up up with tom holland and other Hollywood Star . Do you think the reaction would think that the reaction would have the same as this have been the same as this relatively unknown actress who. Relatively unknown actress who. I think we have a picture thats quite different to what we imagined. Juliette i think they would have accepted it. They would have accepted it. They would have loved because shes have loved it because shes theyre household names. But unfortunately francesca , unfortunately for francesca, this First West End play. This is her First West End play. And fact that shes not, as and the fact that shes not, as you know, commercially attractive as people would like. Thats francesca right there. But its again, we have to think, why does society hate when people of colour get positions . Like, heres the colour she is red. Well it looks she looks quite hot. But yeah, you know, why does the hatred come . Why does the racism come . The racism come . I mean, so wheres the racism been online, online, online. It forced the Production Team to come out and say were not going to tolerate this bullying or this abuse this woman just or this abuse of this woman just because just got this because shes just got this character. Ill let viewers all right. Ill let viewers decide. Get emails in. What decide. Get your emails in. What do make at home . Still do you make at home . Still to come tonight, broadcaster do you make at home . Still to come tonigsamuels caster do you make at home . Still to come tonigsamuels castebe Dominique Samuels will be telling taking magic telling us about taking magic mushrooms with Benjamin Butterworth. You them butterworth. You need them to get through conversation with get through a conversation with him. Would you date him. But next, would you date a tory is a social taboo . Tory or is it a social taboo . Too far . Youre with the saturday five live on gb news. That warm feeling inside from boxt boilers. Sponsors of weather on gb news news. Good evening. Welcome to your latest gb news weather from the met office. Storm kathleen continues to bring some very windy conditions across the uk through saturday evening and into sunday. Currently situated out towards the northwest of the uk, slowly pushing its way northwards through this evening and into the start of sunday, but continuing to bring some very strong winds, particularly across western parts uk. Across western parts of the uk. Still seeing gusts up in the sort of 50s or 60s overnight, and particularly in northwest scotland, of heavy scotland, and plenty of heavy showers too. This could lead to some flooding, some localised flooding, particularly across southwestern parts uk, parts of the uk, turning a little drier and staying mild overnight. Temperatures around the single figures, perhaps the high single figures, perhaps even low double figures across the but it will be the south. But it will be briefly a drier start for many of on sunday. Further of us on sunday. Further showers, though, pushing their way and eastwards we go way north and eastwards as we go through morning. Again. Through sunday morning. Again. These places. These could be heavy in places. Perhaps hail and thunder perhaps some hail and thunder mixed cause mixed too, in and could cause some localised across some localised flooding across southwestern parts. Southeast southwestern parts. Southeast england definitely holding on to the of sunshine, but the best of the sunshine, but with southwesterly with a strong southwesterly breeze whole of the breeze across the whole of the uk, will take the edge off those temperatures. But despite being 16 17 degrees, will 16 or 17 degrees, monday will start dry across Northern Ireland and much of scotland, but it will turn increasingly cloudy head through the cloudy as we head through the morning. Of low morning. Another area of low pressure moving in from the southwest, turning particularly heavy across western heavy that rain across western parts england into parts of england and into northern later, further Northern Ireland. Later, further unsettled weather through the first part next week, with first part of next week, with temperatures generally little temperatures generally a little bit average. But there are bit above average. But there are some something little some hints of something a little bit later week. Bit drier later in the week. Looks like things are heating up. Boxt boilers sponsors of up. Boxt boilers sponsors of weather on gb news. Its saturday night. And this is the second hour of the saturday five. Im Darren Grimes, along with Albie Amankona stephanie takyi, ben leo and Benjamin Butterworth. Leo and Benjamin Butterworth. Plenty more to come tonight, including the writer and broadcaster whos lost friendships and relationships due to his right wing beliefs. Have you experienced such a thing . He can bond with thing . He can bond with benjamin, who has also lost friendships and relationships, although its nothing to do with his beliefs. Its 7 pm. And this is the saturday five. Still to come tonight. The only still to come tonight. The only thing that gets me through this show should magic mushrooms be available on the nhs . The broadcaster, Dominique Samuels, had the dubious honour of making a very show about this with Benjamin Butterworth. Shell be Benjamin Butterworth. Shell be here to give us her take. Then well be answering your questions in ask the five. Send them through to gb views gbnews. Com. This is your chance. First of all, though, its your saturday night news with the beautiful tatiana sanchez. Beautiful tatiana sanchez. Darren. Thank you. Your top stories this evening. Storm kathleen has brought strong winds and a provisional highest temperature of the year so far. After a recording of 20. 9 c in suffolk, dozens of flights, though, have been cancelled due to storm kathleen, with gusts of up to 17mph in Northern Ireland and the west of britain, over 140 flights have been called off so far. A yellow weather warning for wind is in effect until 10 00 tonight and covers cornwall much of wales and parts of lancashire and cumbria, and up into central scotland. Rail up into central scotland. Rail passengers have been facing fresh travel disruption today as train drivers have continued their strikes in their ongoing pay their strikes in their ongoing pay dispute. Members of aslef at Six Companies have walked out, leaving some areas with no services all day. Chiltern, Transpennine Express and northern havent been running any trains and theres been a reduced service on great western, lner and Heathrow Express. The torso, found at express. The torso, found at a nature reserve in salford, belonged to a man aged older than 40. A Murder Investigation was launched by Greater Manchester police after the body part was found wrapped in plastic at castle wetlands. The plastic at castle wetlands. The victims, believed to have been dead for a number of days. Dna tests are ongoing to identify him. Climate activist greta him. Climate activist Greta Thunberg has been detained by dutch police during a demonstration in the hague. Thunberg was put in a large bus by officers , along with other by officers, along with other protesters, who tried to block a major highway into the administrative capital of the netherlands. The 21 year old activist was protesting against the dutch governments fossil fuel subsidies. The dutch governments fossil fuel subsidies. A womens rights fuel subsidies. A womens rights rally in edinburgh was disrupted by a transgender rights counter protest. Today the let women speak rally came just five days after scotlands new hate crime law came into effect. The legislation faces criticism over its impact on freedom of speech , its impact on freedom of speech, and concerns that it could be used to silence some views, including those who advocate for women only spaces. And today women only spaces. And today marks the 50th anniversary of abbas famous win at the eurovision song contest, which elevated the Swedish Pop Group to international fame. Waterloo couldnt escape if i wanted to. Couldnt escape if i wanted to. Their fans gathered today at londons Waterloo Station to pay tribute by singing the song that won them the contest. Abba won the european music competition with their smash hit waterloo in 1974. For the latest stories , 1974. For the latest stories, sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen or go to gb news. Com slash alerts. Now its back to the fabulous saturday five. Oh, hey, the compliments we need. Tatiana in the background every night now its saturday night. And you, with the saturday five, im Darren Grimes, and weve got another fun hour coming up. Were going to be asking if magic mushrooms are the answer to Mental Health issues. Debating whether we should sales to israel should ban arms sales to israel and answering all of your questions in ask the five. First of all, though , there was a very of all, though, there was a very interesting article in the times this week suggesting that there is now a political divide between young men and young women, with women leaning left and the men tending towards the right. One of the authors says right. One of the authors says that she swipes left on dating apps quite literally. I assume if people put conservative in their bio and that a friend cried when she found out her new boyfriend voted for Boris Johnson of this parish, well be asking albion, benjamin, what to do if a date starts crying. But now lets meet our first guest, the writer and political commentator jeff the writer and political commentatorjeff heath. Taylor commentator jeff heath. Taylor also commentatorjeff heath. Taylor also contributed to the times article, and he joins us now. Now i assume youre not sort of out in yourself as a terrible date, right . This is just an ideological problem that youre highlighting. I assume youve got a healthy, budding love life. Im actually off the off the dating apps and not dating at all at the moment, focusing on other things. But, i have in the past , as i other things. But, i have in the past, as i said in my article, darren in the past sort of 15 years as a, a right leaning , years as a, a right leaning, sort of person, ive, i have had my fair share of, of cancel cancellations. And so forth from, from potential romantic interests , from friends, from interests, from friends, from acquaintances because of my politics. And it has, ive noticed, often come from, from from women. From women. And how does that come to light . How do they come to know about your politics, well , you about your politics, well, you know, ive been involved in politics for 15 years. I worked on several campaigns. I worked on several campaigns. I worked on the brexit campaign, i worked on the brexit campaign, i worked on the brexit campaign, i worked on the brexit campaign, boriss campaign. I know so i worked on the boris campaign, always as a in a voluntary capacity. But, i, i cant help but talk about my politics quite early on and also the fact that i write, for publications about my politics means that people find out very quickly what my leanings are. Jeff, you see it but, jeff, dont you see it as youve dodged a bullet . If a womans like, doesnt want womans like, she doesnt want to you because of your to date you because of your politics. Yeah thats a good question, intellectual question, i find intellectual debate really stimulating, and i really enjoy it. I remember when i first moved to london, i lived with someone who, in fact, when i was , i was living with this i was, i was living with this girl, a friend of mine, not a romantic interest, during, romantic interest, but during, the campaign, and the vote leave campaign, and i was she was campaigning for was and she was campaigning for remain we lived together and remain and we lived together and we had a third we would have and we had a third housemate would hear housemate who would often hear us think we were us arguing and think we were sort having, you know , at sort of, having, you know, at each others throats. And hed come downstairs and well find us both with massive on us both with massive grins on our depher. Exactly. Us both with massive grins on ourive her. Exactly. Us both with massive grins on our ive got exactly. Us both with massive grins on our ive got a tearing down. I think at one point i remember her flashing my posters down the loo as a joke. Wow. I think lee posters. But we debated and we discussed and it was it was healthy and positive, but have my fair share of unhealthy. And so whats changed then . What you think has changed . What do you think has changed . Because previous because people have previous generations say that they havent such, what havent experienced such, what they would describe as intolerance different views. Intolerance of different views. Do you think that we are becoming more tribal . Totally. Yeah were definitely becoming more tribal, you as i said in my you know, and as i said in my article, you know, i, i try and make light of my politics sometimes, but but a lot of people, especially on the left, cant take a joke. So i made a joke i mentioned in my article about, know, me joking with about, you know, me joking with with i at a at a with a guy i met at a at a party. This was just a friends friend, and i was chatting to him and i made a joke about my, the fact that i like jk rowling and he cancelled me and he told the birthday girl and she asked me to leave the party, you know . Rb have you ever had any experiences like that as a conservative, i havent, but conservative, no, i havent, but i met who have said i have met people who have said theyd a tory. And theyd never kiss a tory. And then situation has been then the situation has been quite by the of quite different by the end of the i would the evening. But what i would say that i do a podcast say is that i do host a podcast called the never kiss a tory podcast named after that labour slogan, kiss a and slogan, never kiss a tory. And the really make a lot of the left really do make a lot of hay out of this. But the right dont. Why do you think that is . Yeah a good question. Yeah thats a good question. I think, i think it goes back to cancel culture and cancelling free left , the right free speech. The left, the right and especially small c conservatives like me who believe in individual liberty, freedom and so forth. Freedom of speech and so forth. Im a great believer in discussion and debate. Whereas i think think the left and its think i think the left and its interesting that that were seeing gender divide. Seeing this gender divide. I think the left can often emotionalise more and, emotionalise things more and, and so theyll, theyll and maybe thats a girl thing. Maybe its just left thing. But they its just a left thing. But they will. They see my views as an attack on them personally. So ive a of people on ive noticed a lot of people on the left when i share my views, see them, see me as attacking them rather than attacking their views, why they cancel views, which is why they cancel me and me rather than discuss and debate right. Debate with me. All right. Spoke earlier about left we spoke earlier about left wing jokes. Lets bring one in. What do you make of all of that then . Look, first of all, the stock image of a person wearing never kissed a toryt image of a person wearing never kissed a tory t shirt is a 19 year old me, which which gets reprinted every single Conference Season in the papers. And can you confirm youve never kissed a tory . Ive my first was ive my first kiss was a tory, so i. I started as i mean squash fan. But look, im afraid i think this is self indulgent, grandiose nonsense. Yeah, i dont think the reason you cant get a date is because youre right wing. I think its because you are thrusting your views on people at the first opportunity. That it could be that. That it could be that. So in your article, you talk about how you just met someone and immediately started telling them what your views were when you walked in here, the first thing you said was, hello, im a small c conservative. I couldnt care less. Laughs. You did, you did. Putting words in my mouth. I think whats weird is that you seem to think that your views important that views are so important that people be informed of them people must be informed of them at first. People must be informed of them at fthats a thats thats thats a thats thats totally unfair. Firstly i didnt, to get didnt, say i struggled to get dates. I, i its very dates. Okay i, i its very possible for me to get a date , possible for me to get a date, but im not dating at the moment, like i said, but. No, what, what i think is interesting with what youve just said is, you know, i, i came into the room and someone said, youre a tory. And i said, actually, i dont identify as a tory. Identifies a small c conservative. And thats important. Important thats an thats an important thats an important. Thats an important. Thats an thats an important. Thats an thats an important in your story. Because didnt call myself because i didnt call myself a in my article either. I a tory in my article either. I have traditionally but i wasnt i talking about whether have traditionally but i wasnt i were alking about whether have traditionally but i wasnt i were a king about whether have traditionally but i wasnt i were a tory about whether have traditionally but i wasnt i were a tory orout whether have traditionally but i wasnt i were a tory or not. hether you were a tory or not. Im talking about the fact. And would you know, you and it would go, you know, you wouldnt need to wouldnt necessarily need to be a wing or or anything a right wing or tory or anything that walk into a room in that you walk into a room in these in this party these dates or in this party that describe in times that you describe in the times article, and immediately start declaring the declaring which side of the fence i didnt think fence you are. I didnt i think thatis fence you are. I didnt i think that is what is the problem. No, no, no, right. And no, no, no, youre right. And i go in and introduce i dont go in and introduce myself. Politics, i was myself. With my politics, i was limited. To only 800 words. Im afraid going up to someone going hello, i think someone and going hello, i think jk rowling is right is probably quite putting just because jk rowling is right is probably quitquite putting just because jk rowling is right is probably quitquite self indulgent. Ause its quite self indulgent. It is, it is. Yeah, it is, it is. Can you the broader i can give you the broader context. The broader context was this gentleman this particular gentleman who was man, a vicar, was engaged to a man, a vicar, was engaged to a man, a vicar, was telling me how keep was telling me how they keep his, his, their sexuality secret from vicars congregation. From the vicars congregation. So that so he was telling me that theyre theyre not theyre engaged, but theyre not sharing fact theyre sharing their the fact theyre engaged congregation engaged with his congregation and the hypocrisy of that made me because thought, and the hypocrisy of that made memeans,ecause thought, and the hypocrisy of that made me means, be use thought, and the hypocrisy of that made me means, be engaged,|ght, and the hypocrisy of that made me means, be engaged, but. And the hypocrisy of that made me means, be engaged, but dont all means, be engaged, but dont hide congregation hide it from a congregation where youre to be where youre supposed to be preaching truth from the preaching the truth from the pulpit. Because pulpit. So because of that, i was annoyed because of the hypocrisy, the perceived hypocrisy, the perceived hypocrisy of this situation. Which i then started which is why i then started probing into his politics. Well, its fascinating because that is, do you not just think that the problem is that you put your politics before the chance get know somebody , chance to get to know somebody, that you want to frame it in that you want to frame it in that way . Well, hang on, can i frame it in a different way . Because actually, i would say that cut to the chase, that you cut to the chase, right . You you if you tell right . You if you if you tell someone, look, youre probably going problem with my going to have a problem with my politics. So im going to be upfront with you and tell you from the off that this is me, this is what im about. And if you dont like it, well, you can lump it. But, jeff, dont you think it would better for you to date would be better for you to date a who is right wing . It a woman who is right wing . It just makes things easier if you like. Instance, if you want like. For instance, if you want children, if you want to get married, these things married, all these things will be that up. You be topics that come up. You know, youre left know, if youre dating a left wing going to have wing woman, shes going to have a values that is not a set of values that is not going to be in line with your values. Well, i did say again my well, i did say again in my article that i like article that whilst i like intelligent discussion and debate, is debate, common values is important. Dont know if debate, common values is impgoing. Dont know if debate, common values is impgoing to dont know if debate, common values is impgoing to date dont know if debate, common values is impgoing to date again know if debate, common values is impgoing to date again anyv if debate, common values is impgoing to date again any time im going to date again any time soon, it is important to soon, but it is important to note that yes, do need note that yes, you do need shared values, but ill give the example of my old housemate who i in battersea, i lived with in battersea, who who different to me, who had different views to me, but could we actually had the but we could we actually had the same fundamental same values, the fundamental core the same. She core values were the same. She expressed it in different ways. She was a remainer. Was she was a remainer. I was a brexiteer. Not brexiteer. You know, thats not a up. One point for me a make up. At one point for me that was make or break. I thought i couldnt perceive dating who didnt, dating anyone who didnt, believe british sovereignty believe in british sovereignty oven believe in british sovereignty over, the over, being governed by the european point european union. But the point is, wouldnt have dated is, so you wouldnt have dated someone wasnt a year ago . Someone that wasnt a year ago . Probably not. But so arent you guilty of the youre accusing the very thing youre accusing others was, but that was ten oh, i was, but that was ten years ago or eight years ago. You know, ive, ive gone through massive growth in the last years lots of last eight years in lots of different you my different ways. You know, my dating changed. Dating life has changed. My romantic, dynamic with. Romantic, my dynamic with with. Back to benjamin lets go back to benjamin then. So why do think the then. So why do you think the left so intolerant and why left are so intolerant and why are you the poster boy of never kissing tory, example, are kissing a tory, for example, are you you have kissed you not when you have kissed a tory . T t tory . Just say your first mp can i just say your first mp was a tory . Beggars cant choosers beggars cant be choosers like keir starmer. Oh, for me, i have. My Friendship Circle involves a variety people with a massive variety of people with different views, which i think is actually quite unusual. So theres some truth in it that people tend silo themselves, people tend to silo themselves, but think thats unique but i dont think thats unique just politics. I think people just to politics. I think people do other big cultural do that with other big cultural commonalities, like race, for example. You know, that tends to be people among their own. Be people mix among their own. Overwhelmingly. Dont think overwhelmingly. I dont think that well, look, it depends on what the view you know, if what the view is. You know, if youre going up to someone and say, know, i dont say, oh, you know, i dont believe trans peoples human believe in trans peoples human rights, see why rights, then i can see why someone think, actually, someone would think, actually, that feels an affront that that feels like an affront to see the world. And to the way i see the world. And i think thats but i think i think thats fine, but i think the that left wing people, the idea that left wing people, unique , we have a problem with unique, we have a problem with dating someone a different dating someone of a different politics is just not true. And i think the very fact that you put your politics first in these scenarios, as you describe, illustrates that. Illustrates that. Thats but i think i think thats but i think thats partly true. Firstly, i dont put my but firstly, i dont put my politics but secondly, politics first. But secondly, have seen a will not have you ever seen a will not date a socialist on a dating app . Have you ever seen that . No, ive never seen ive never seen it. I see take i see i never take all my money on apps all the time. I see all the time and actually, i agree with what you said about getting your politics out there. You know, straight off the bat. Yeah. Of off the bat. Yeah. One of the things actually to things that i actually say to people when im on dating apps, not william not the same one as William Wragg, way, is that i wragg, by the way, is that i will say i will be like, oh, by the way, im a tory because its quite if you search my quite clear if you search my name google, comes up, name in google, what comes up, so you might as well just get it off your chest. But actually most of the time its not resulted in conversation not continuing. Fortunate youre in a fortunate position a lefty. Position because youre a lefty. Your the media and your views fit the media and political culture in this country. I mean , i have country. I mean, i have a problem that i did an interview on britain on Good Morning Britain about saying genders saying there were 100 genders thats watched 50 million thats been watched 50 million times, on. Times, and so on. A number of times ive gone on dates. Thats the very first thing mentioned. So they thing they mentioned. So they already know all my politics. But look, i just think that, you know, maybe take responsibility for these for yourself. Dont make these excuses. Honestly never excuses. I have honestly never gone a date and someone gone on a date and told someone that labour. I would, i that i vote labour. I would, i just wouldnt occur me that just wouldnt occur to me that particular questions might naturally telling naturally crop up, but telling them i vote just not them how i vote just would not be big deal. Be a big deal. On that note, thank very on that note, thank you very much, taylor there. Much, jeff heath taylor there. I want know what you think at want to know what you think at home though. Do you think actually society is becoming more of political more intolerant of political views . Date someone with views . Can you date someone with the opposite politics you the opposite politics to you still tonight though, still to come tonight though, well ask your answer rather your questions in ask the five and ill be going head to head with my old pal Albie Amankona in our saturday scrap. Up in our saturday scrap. Next up though, its five quick hit topics in bunch five topics in bunch of five Dominique Samuels is here talking about magic mushrooms with Benjamin Butterworth , and with Benjamin Butterworth, and ben neil will tell us about the football mascot who got sacked for flirting with fans. Filthy for flirting with fans. Filthy beast. Our tackling the big issues as usual, youre with the saturday five live on. Gb news. Welcome back to the saturday five. As always. Thank you very much for your emails about tonights topics. Vivian has written in. Good evening. Vivian. She says i would definitely not date a man with socialist views. They are all socialist views. They are all badly educated, thick as planks, badly educated, thick as planks, bad manners, and boring to be with probably no money either. Well, actually, vivian, i think youll find that they do have money. A lot of them have middle class guilt. Has vivian just described benjamin . Benjamin . Ive dropped money. Educated quite well. Vivian knows what she wants. She wants. And lena said, im a young conservative. Good evening. Lena and honestly, she says, i wouldnt say no to a labour supporting man because shock, horror, i focus more on character and friendship. Plus, itd be a great chance to re enact Prime Ministers questions at home. All that sounds fun. All that sounds fun. Is that your lena . Its time is that your lena . Its time for bunch of five. Whos going to kick us off on our topics . Five topics quick round. Here we go. Well i am, there was a really interesting story in the Daily Telegraph about the labour mp Charlotte Nichols , who has been Charlotte Nichols, who has been diagnosed with post Traumatic Stress disorder , and she is stress disorder, and she is calling for the ingredient in magic mushrooms to be made prescribe made on the nhs. Now last year or a year and a half ago now, i did a programme on channel 4 with dominic samuels, formerly of this parish , where formerly of this parish, where we hero just magic mushrooms. So i had ten grams of magic mushrooms and then had a nine hour trip, as they call it. Now, id never done anything like that before, but it had an incredibly positive effect on my Mental Health. And i think were joined by dominic this evening. Dominic, you i think, had a huge consequence after that to how you saw the world. Can you tell us how it changed, changed your perception of life . Yeah, no, i think huge consequences, a bit of, an understatement. Like fundamentally changed my whole outlook on everything, and its been really quite a journey. But been really quite a journey. But i definitely think that magic mushrooms or , you know, mushrooms or, you know, psilocybin is really they should be called, should be available for medicinal use on the nhs. So many studies demonstrate that they help with anxiety and depression. Microdosing is more popular than ever. And really just if we look at a lot of indigenous cultures where things like psilocybin and other plant based medicines are used, ceremonial , based medicines are used, ceremonial, and they have a profound effect on peoples lives. And i think if more people were open to the profound benefit that plant medicine has, like there would be less fighting and division in the world. And really, thats what it made me understand that a lot of the division that plagues discourse and plagues the world is ultimately futile, because really , the experience made me really, the experience made me see that we are ultimately all connected and were all one. And the political space was just completely against that. And thats sort of why i had to, depart millions of people take prescription drugs to deal with things like depression and anxiety. And, you know, that will work for some people. It will help for some people. It will help them out. But why do you think that this which grows in the ground, which is natural, which is evolved with humans over millions of years, you millions of years, why do you think politics this country think politics in this country just at that calls it just looks at that and calls it a and says we shouldnt a drug, and says we shouldnt consider benefits . Consider the benefits . Well, you know, you probably know that im a bit know already that im a bit predisposed to conspiracy theories, and i just believe that the reason why this sort of thing is looked down upon and sort of shoved away is precisely because it has more benefit than the toxic pharmaceutical oils that are shoved down peoples throats, because really, i believe that, you know, big pharma actually benefits from keeping people sick and keeping people mentally ill. And whats different about psilocybin is that you cannot actually get addicted to it in the way that you can get addicted to things like prescription drugs, alcohol, other drugs that people use for like just partying and things like just partying and things like that. So its very, very different. And i think its, you know, not coincidence that its sort of looked as, as this crazy drug when really its supposed to be used to heal people and to help people. But, dominic, how does it actually heal people . Like what is the medical research into it . Because thats what most people would want to know. The Science Behind it. And in a way, is it really helping people deal with their problems, or is it just going to be a temporary high or a mini fix . Well , i a mini fix . Well, i think i think its a bit different because what it actually allows you to do is experience a lot of the feelings and a lot of the emotions that we actually keep trapped within us, probably from a very young age. I think by age seven, weve already developed quite cemented views of the world based upon trauma that weve experienced or just experiences that weve had, and what psilocybin actually doesisit and what psilocybin actually does is it actually brings that up to the surface and allows it to be processed in those sorts of ceremonies. But when its sort like microdosing, there sort of like microdosing, there are psychedelic effects in are no psychedelic effects in terms of visuals. It just basically calms you down. People report feeling way more chill, more confident , report feeling way more chill, more confident, and report feeling way more chill, more confident , and way more more confident, and way more connected with themselves because our source, we are loving, open, competent, human beings. Yeah, but dominic, a lot of viewers at home will be saying, well, hang on a minute because you experienced a agreement as a consequence of smoking this magic , or is that how you do it . Magic, or is that how you do it . Drink it, drink it, drinking magic mushrooms. You said you, as a consequence, agreed with Benjamin Butterworth. So a lot of. Will be saying this of people. Will be saying this stuff is clearly it has really serious side effects. Serious side effects. No it had it had very serious side effects indeed. But i think side effects indeed. But i think on with benjamin, i mean it hasnt like completely transformed every single view of mine. But i think what it did is just remind me that our core, we are all human, having this experience on earth and that were all connected. And really, were all connected. And really, no matter what political beliefs you have really , we need to you have really, we need to remember that because politics and just life in general keeps us so disconnected from one another. And i think, again, more people did some microdosing. Wed lot microdosing. Wed be a lot happier to be honest. Dominic. Hey, its ben, i hope youre well. I havent seen you while i understand you in a while so i understand youre saying that youve kind you in a while so i understand yo seen aying that youve kind you in a while so i understand yo seen through at youve kind you in a while so i understand yo seen through the uve kind you in a while so i understand yo seen through the veile kind you in a while so i understand yo seen through the veil of nd you in a while so i understand yo seen through the veil of the of seen through the veil of the theatre of politics and right wing, wing, etc, however, wing, left wing, etc, however, is there place for that . Is there still a place for that . I mean, we live a physical i mean, we live in a physical existence. Is there still a place for that discourse . Theres definitely a i think theres definitely a place political discourse. Place for political discourse. And i think that, yeah, as as human beings, there is a place for politics is obviously here for politics is obviously here for a reason. But i think where people get lost is they identify themselves too much with a political identity , without political identity, without realising that theyre actually beyond all of that. And when you attach your identity so much to attach your identity so much to a world view, it creates an echo chamber and you can become ignorant to your own ignorance and right, left, right equally in my opinion. Okay. Dominic samuels, thank you very much. You can go enjoy your very much. You can go enjoy your evening in whatever way you fact it. And, were going to move on. You know, when i did the ten grams of magic mushrooms, the idea is that you achieve ego death, but anyway, it turned out that there was no amount of magic mushrooms that could kill my off. My ego off. All right, i need that dose. All right, i need that dose. So bunch of five story is so my bunch of five story is about the Solar Eclipse, which is week. I dont is happening next week. I dont know anyone is aware that know if anyone is aware that there solar which know if anyone is aware that th happening,ar which know if anyone is aware that th happening, but which know if anyone is aware that th happening, but ive which know if anyone is aware that th happening, but ive always is happening, but ive always thought eclipses are thought that Solar Eclipses are actually overrated, and it actually quite overrated, and it just feels unless its a total eclipse where actually eclipse where its actually dark, feels like its a dark, it just feels like its a different time of day. At different time of the day. At the of the day that youre the time of the day that youre in, feels a bit darker in, it just feels a bit darker at midday than it normally does. So just think, who cares . So i just think, who cares . Between whats the difference between a and the one a Solar Eclipse and the one thats happening in days thats happening in a few days in dont ask me that question. Dont ask me that question. Im physicist. All i know im not a physicist. All i know saying its all overrated. Or like bonnie tyler is going to screaming at the telly to be screaming at the telly right now. Shell be living. Its true, right now. Shell be living. True. Its true, its true. P p its true. Dark a bit earlier its just dark a bit earlier for a few minutes. I just think its just another facet of nature, which is interesting. You know, its not something we see every day, so highlighted so its good to be highlighted and to value it. Reminds of that jaffa it reminds me of that jaffa cakes advert. Full moon, half cakes advert. Full moon, half moon. T yeah f yeah. Yeah yeah yeah. Yeah yeah yeah. Where she eats. Where she eats. Yeah. Anyway, on that really intellectual. Yeah. Yeah. Whos next, is it me . Whos next, is it me . Whos next, is it me . I think so, sorry, my bunch of five is. Jude the mascot from qpr, queens park rangers. Apparently, this guy has been dressing as jude the cat is a black cat and a qpr kit for about 20 years. Its been the same bloke in there. However hes lost all his lives because qpr have sacked him for being a bit of a perv with the fans. Our in house Sports Reporter aidan magee really nice bloke. He shared picture of shared this picture of yesteryear of jude the mascot taking the hand of his ex missus and giving her quite a. I thought it was a gentlemanly kiss the but, yeah. Kiss on the hand, but, yeah. Aiden reckons that this is , i aiden reckons that this is, i mean, slightly over the top and jude at qpr at loftus road. Hes been wiggling his bum , getting a been wiggling his bum, getting a bit too close with female fans. So yes, qpr have given him the sack and i just think its a bit stiff. Do you find it uncomfortable . Do you find it uncomfortable . Well, i just think hes probably managed get away probably managed to get away with x rated behaviour with doing x rated behaviour because this big because hes under this big whatever hes under, hes under this cat thing. This cat thing. Did what was he doing. Did what was he doing. Well, you know, if hes like wiggling his bum and whatever, you just dont see it for him. Come you know what . Come on, you know what . For him to get sacked, he must have done something which crossed the borderline. Sacked for. Being sacked for. Being sacked for. Well, for wiggling his yeah, well, for wiggling his bum. Yeah, well, for wiggling his burjust going, going, going in just going, going, going in the hugging people, the crowd, hugging people, wiggling the crowd, hugging people, wigpeople complained about him. People complained about him. People complained about him. I think yeah, yeah. I think so, yeah, yeah. I think so, yeah, yeah. Maybe he must have done so maybe he must have done something bit extreme. Something a bit too extreme. But should be careful but you should be careful about football mascots because but you should be careful ab course tball mascots because but you should be careful ab course thel mascots because but you should be careful ab course the monkey s because but you should be careful abcourse the monkey inyecause of course the monkey in hartlepool ran mayor and hartlepool ran for mayor and then twice. Then won twice. Maybe the cat can be can so maybe the cat can be can be mayor of queens park staff. What have you got for us . What have you got for us . Well, it seems like Sacha Baron Cohen has been cancelled by his wife, fisher, who by his wife, isla fisher, who announced their divorce yesterday. I do think talk about kicking a man when hes down because hes had this whole drama with rebel wilson, who in her memoir said that, you know, her memoir said that, you know, he practically sexually harassed her, which hes denied. But i her, which hes denied. But i think the timing of her announcement is quite cruel because hes already got a lot of heat at the moment due to this memoir , and now shes this memoir, and now shes saying that they divorced last year very quietly. So, but i think shes just trying to save her own skin with this, to be honest, to remind viewers at home of who he ali ali g, home of who he is ali g. Ali g, borat. A comedian. So she borat. Hes a comedian. So she announced it with them wearing these . Yes. Isla fisher , she these . Yes. Isla fisher, she announced it with them wearing these tennis outfits. And she said, you know, having played a match lasting over 20 years, we are now finally putting our rackets down. But i just think, you know what . You could have saved announcement saved this announcement once the heat died off him. Now, heat had died off him. Now, because it just might seem more relevant they actually got relevant if they actually got divorced last year. The that theyve yeah, the fact that theyve shes chosen to say that now, i think, is to distract from the allegations, the complaints that that rebel wilson makes in her memoir. I was thinking that, but then i was thinking, no, actually, she just wants to save her own skin and make sure that her career is still intact. To say, actually, im not with him anymore, so please dont put us together anymore. Whos your favourite . Cohen character. Sacha baron cohen character. Sacha baron cohen character. Be ali the whos got to be ali g. The original. I was going to do an impression, but come no. Impression, but come on. No. Absolutely not. Come on, i couldnt. No its not. Do couldnt. No, no its not. Do you think could do ali today . No, no, i dont think. No, no, i dont think. Incidentally he could i think hed be called racist actually. Yeah. A shame because yeah. Which is a shame because ali was hilarious. Ali g was hilarious. When was g . How many when was ali g . How many years ago now . Must be ten, 15 gosh, that must be ten, 15 years ago. More 20. Years ago. More like 20. Late 90s, early 2000, think. Yeah, borat as well. Borat was very good. I loved borat, very nice. I loved borat, very nice. Much . How much . How much . He wont be back cancel, he wont be back next. And. Right. Okay. Next. And. Yes. Right. Okay. Next then i want to talk next up then i want to talk about the telegraph. The daily about the telegraph. The Daily Telegraph, that is. And, well , telegraph, that is. And, well, actually, no, were going straight to a break, apparently. All right, now , thank you for all right, now, thank you for that interlude. Now, were going to talk about the Daily Telegraph article that reports that true blue , conservatives that true blue, conservatives are not being selected as candidates by the conservative party. So thats you lot at home who might agree with brexit, who might have, policies that agree with me over Benjamin Butterworth. You wouldnt be selected by the conservative party because youre a true blue tory. Yeah speaking to a man whos not a true blue tory, benjamin button. Hes not benjamin button. Hes not Benjamin Butterworth, Albie Amankona. Well, hes certainly not true blue tory. Albie amankona. Hes a lib dem. Indischen. Hes a lib dem. Indischen. Oh, lib dem in disguise here we go, here we go. Would they select ben . Leo . Im sure if ben leo put himself forward to be on the candidates list. Ben would get on to the candidates list. Then its up to the associations who they select as their candidates. And actually, having gone through the and know the candidates process and know people been through the candidates process and know peo candidates been through the candidates process and know peo candidates process through the candidates process and know peo candidates process ,� |rough the candidates process and know peo candidates process , iough the candidates process and know peo candidates process , i can] the candidates process, i can tell you there are people that you would consider to be true blue tories that on the blue tories that are on the candidates i think the candidates list. I think the issue telegraph issue in this telegraph article which is being highlighted, is theyre selected in theyre not being selected in seats associations seats by local associations because is an accusation because there is an accusation that allegedly, cchq is pushing forward certain candidates. And i think that is what people are concerned of the conservative party is rotten to the core, with liberal democrats like albie , with lefty left of centre albie, with lefty left of centre even, id argue whats a left of centre view that i have then, well, you think women can have penises . No, i dont think that. I think out of politeness. We should call trans women her and she. Oh, there you go. Theres an example. Not left wing. Not left wing. And thats why the conservatives. Thats why the conservatives. Thats why the conservatives by the way, are facing the law since 2004. Thats conservatives thats why the conservatives are facing since 2004. Facing electoral law since 2004. Go off on a well, you go off on a tangent, but i mean, look, i think youre nothing more than a than a right wing, right wing Jeremy Corbyn. Know, thing is, the you know, the thing is, the problem with Party Politics is that people that join a Political Party always going Political Party are always going to right wing more to be more right wing or more left wing the vast majority left wing than the vast majority of and so of the country is. And so i actually its a really actually think its a really good when central parties, good idea when central parties, be tory central be it labour or tory central parties, try and get candidates that reflect the kind that actually reflect the kind of moderate views that of generally moderate views that the country has. But whats been said, though, steph, candidates report steph, is that candidates report its candidates its these candidates whove appued its these candidates whove applied the conservative applied for the conservative party. They say that the Selection Process biased Selection Process is biased against brexit supporters and focused excessively on diverse city promotion, sidelining discussions on conservative principles. Well, maybe its time for a rebrand and maybe thats what the party understands. More diversity, more diversity. Maybe thats what works, and maybe thats what works in this day and age. Can i just point out, lets alby come out, well, lets let alby come in that. In on that. That isnt true. That isnt true. I mean, ive been through the candidates process. No point candidates process. At no point do talk about wanting, you do they talk about wanting, you know, and inclusion. Know, diversity and inclusion. It rigorous it really is quite a rigorous process to get onto the process in order to get onto the candidates list. And dont candidates list. And i dont think diversity up once in think diversity came up once in the process from you the entire process from what you think should. Well, i think think it should. Well, i think the conservative party as a party, which has been i think i think the conservative party has shown that without all of that, we produce good, diverse we can produce good, diverse conservative candidates through a system. We look a meritocratic system. We look at people who have risen up the party like james cleverly, kemi badenoch, the person you badenoch, even the person you love. Without all of love. Exactly. Without all of this stuff. So we dont need to be. Can i just doing all of it to get elements of diversity, eqtu get elements of diversity, equity and inclusion thats allowing . I dont know whats going on at cchq, but i know people who have stood proper conservative with conservative values. And i know that the people know for a fact that the people selecting candidates have totally for totally omitted them for complete wets. And thats why the party the conservative party are facing at facing the problem they face at the electoral wipe out, the moment, electoral wipe out, because know who they because they dont know who they are. Theyre absolutely riddled to the core with non conservative people and they dont care about the kind of quality conservative candidates that getting. That they should be getting. Benjamin. That they should be getting. Thejamin. That they should be getting. The same argument could be put against labour party, put against the labour party, could not, because a lot of could it not, because a lot of the left in particular the left on in that particular party saying that sir keir party are saying that sir keir starmer trying to deselect starmer is trying to deselect people them. People like them. Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. Likes of diane abbott. The likes of diane abbott. Should of jeremy should the likes of Jeremy Corbyn allowed labour corbyn be allowed in a labour party . No, thats a large tent. No, not absolutely not. Diane abbott should not get the whip back. Jeremy corbyn should never be anywhere near the labour party because i dont use dont anybody who is use i dont want anybody who is on the hard left to be selected. I want the Central Control that gets quality, moderate people that like the country. But that look like the country. But look, i would just point out thats impossible, though. Because ive ive no, no, because ive got ive got loads friends that have got loads of friends that have been selected their own thoughts, feelings, thoughts, their own feelings, their opinions. Their own opinions. Thats just trying stream. Its your response. Its your responsibility to reflect the country. And people that political are that join Political Parties are weird. Be more weird. Theyre going to be more extreme than the centre. Extreme than than the centre. Look, just point out that its look, i just point out that its a rich to complain about a bit rich to complain about Central Party controlling candidates. Johnson candidates. When Boris Johnson was leader, he said if you was tory leader, he said if you dont sign to my particular dont sign up to my particular brexit deal, then you never brexit deal, then you can never be candidate. Now that be a tory candidate. Now that was the most extreme, vetting most constituencies in the country had voted for brexit, thats why. Right . But you cant have it both ways, he said. Unless sign up my brexit unless you sign up to my brexit deal unless you sign up to my brexit deal, not just brexit, then you cant candidate. That cant be a tory candidate. That was incredibly controlling. It was a very good i think it was a very good thing. Anyway, still ahead, were talking your were talking about your questions in ask the five, but next im going to take abby to task on whether we should ban arms israel in the arms sales to israel in the saturday scrap. Youre with the saturday scrap. Youre with the saturday on gb news. Welcome back to the saturday. Five emails are coming in thick and fast regarding the discussion on the theatre. And who can play which role. Tex says. Ive recently seen a black actress play dorothy on stage in the wizard of oz. Its all about the wizard of oz. Its all about the talent and ability. The talent and ability. Thank you. Thank you. John is unimpressed with benjamins take on magic mushrooms and says, is this clown doing mushrooms . Clown doing mushrooms . Unbelievable. Regarding the sacked football mascot, neil says, i was a mascot for 20 years, and the amount of times i got groped by women is unreal. Its a tough activity and in no way can you get involved in x rated activity. Too tiring, x rated activity. Too tiring, too sweaty, and generally you cant see, oh, okay, well, thats a fair argument. Now, though, its time for tonights main event as i lock horns with Albie Amankona in the saturday scrap. Now, more than 600 lawyers, academics and retired judges this week wrote to the Prime Minister warning that the uk government is breaching international law. We hear that every week by continuing to arm israel. But former Prime Minister Boris Johnson says in the daily mail that banning arms sales to israel would be insane. So to the surprise of no one, Albie Amankona backs it. Ill be. Im confident you were on the totally wrong side on this one. So im going to let you kick us off. Of course you are, darren, because you dont have one single good argument in you for this. End arms this. It is time to end arms sales to israel. Now i have been a proud supporter of israel and their right to defend themselves a proud supporter of israel and their rithe to defend themselves a proud supporter of israel and their rithe to def army which is not operating in the correct and proper way, whether or not they are breaking international law. It could have been british weapons that killed those british people. Now, what i would say to that, though, is that david cameron, when he was Prime Minister we got involved in libya. We intervened in libya. Now what happened in libya was that 2 or 3 paramedics were killed whilst trying to heal people to protect them from egregious harm, and all the rest of it, because libya was so unstable and they were killed whilst doing that in a friendly fire incident. Now nobody then suggested that the arms embargoes should be put on the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, because we accepted that in the theatre of war, horrible, tragic mistakes happen for which israel has apologised and actually sacked those responsible for that egregious, awful error. Those responsible for that egregious, awful error. I think israel is facing a civilizational moment. I israel is facing a civilizational moment. I think its highlighted in what benjamin said earlier about iran and the threat iran pose to our country. Now, that is even country. Now, that is even greater in the state of israel. Greater in the state of israel. Iran are using their proxies throughout the middle east to actually attack and wipe israel off the map. But how many . We would be doing a great disservice this to western civilisation if we allow a country that since its inception, since it was created 75 years ago , has actually been 75 years ago, has actually been bombarded, threatened, pilloried at every twist and turn. We, i think , would actually be saying think, would actually be saying goodbye to western civilisation if we allow israel to be wiped off the map. I think youre being a bit overdramatic when you say we would be saying goodbye to western civilisation if we essentially stop arming israel. Israel will be fine without our arms. Its actually a relatively small amount of arms that we give to israel, but it is about the message that it sends the international community. So we are we are not. Yes. I do actually think the west, so no one should. I think the west, no one should. I think the west, no one should. I think the west, no one should. Think the west as one should. I think the west as a whole should stop licensing weapons israel, because the weapons to israel, because the way prescribing to way they are prescribing to israel the way they israel as the way they are prescribing war israel prescribing this war in israel and gaza totally unacceptable and gaza is totally unacceptable as a consequence. And what what what . havent got what . Havent got very long. No, we havent got very long. No, we havent got very long. And what saying is, how and what im saying is, how many how many acts of violence do you say . Do you say . And until you say it is enough, it is enough. We cannot enough, it is enough. We cannot support this sort of violent action. When british aid workers are being killed and tens of thousands and tens of thousands. No. Darren jones , i do not no. Darren jones, i do not support, i do not support israel killing thousands of children in palestine, even if i want the state of israel to exist. They are prescribing this war in an awful way. Benjamin, what i would say is that as far as the united nafions that as far as the United Nations and others, other experts in the area have said that as far as urban warfare is concerned , the death, the toll, concerned, the death, the toll, and this is bearing in mind that hamas are using the population as human shields. The death toll has actually, for urban warfare, been tremendously low. When you compare it to other sort of large scale, similar scale wars around the world. Yeah i mean, compare it to with what we did to germany, of course, you know, we dont have a problem with that. But, you know, look, first of all, i dont youve had your point. First of all, i dont accept the numbers that come out of gaza for second. Theres no for a split second. Theres no other organisation other terrorist organisation where we them at their where we take them at their word. Seemingly, can have word. Seemingly, they can have no one. They can have an attack, and then they have an exact number next day. Theyre and then they have an exact num good next day. Theyre and then they have an exact num good at next day. Theyre and then they have an exact num good at numbers. Theyre and then they have an exact num good at numbers. Theye that good at numbers. They should accountants, should be accountants, not terrorists. They might be gaza. But the truth is, and we talked about which about iran earlier, which is funding gaza and funding and arming gaza and hamas , is that if we stopped hamas, is that if we stopped supporting arms to israel, they wouldnt stop funding the terrorists. And you would let terrorists. And you would let the terrorists win. When people talk about genocide, which this is not, the fact is that it is in the charter of hamas to have a genocide of the jewish people and of the israeli state. They are the ones supporting genocide. Sorry, weve run out of time in that. Im so sorry. Okay, right. Ill let you decide at home. Email us, let us know what you thought. Still ahead though, we finally shut our mouths. Youll delighted know, youll be delighted to know, albeit and you albeit only briefly, and you wonderful viewers, back wonderful viewers, take back control and ask the five youre with the saturday a. Welcome back to the saturday vibe. Its time now for ask the five. No topics are off limits. Five. No topics are off limits. And youve been filling up our mailbox at gb views gbnews. Com. Lisa has written in the trepidation is here. Hi, stephanie. Great to see you on the show. Its 50 years since the show. Its 50 years since the worlds greatest ever band, abba , won the eurovision song abba, won the eurovision song contest. Oh, whats your favourite abba song . Well, i am the ultimate abba fan and my favourite song is actually one of us. Its the ultimate break up song, and it was just such a sad ending when the group were breaking apart. So one of us, we get a line, one of us is crying, one of us is well, thats it, well done. Thank you. Good job. Thank you. Good job. I mean, i absolutely love abba. I was at the Opening Night of abba voyage, which was the first time in 42 years that all four members of abba were together. And i, the king and queen of sweden, walked past me in the entrance. And as i saw in the entrance. And as i saw the queen of sweden, i said, are a real life dancing queen. Oh, i like that. Oh, i like that. Did she respond . Did she respond . She beheaded me. All right. She beheaded me. All right. The next one question from carolyn. She starts and she says , hi benjamin, love your articles. On and no darren, its not his mum whos writing, my mum cant read, etc. Do you like reading . Oh, whos whos books . Im reading Danny Wallace at the moment. I absolutely love Danny Wallace who writes for gq. Danny wallace who writes for gq. He writes lots of mens stuff, do you know what i dont . I was gonna say i dont read that much intellectual stuff. That sounds terrible, doesnt but i do. Terrible, doesnt it . But i do. One id make a point of is one thing id make a point of is i its really important to i think its really important to read newspapers that tell read newspapers that dont tell you already think, and you what you already think, and to get stories from different perspectives. As perspectives. I think as a journalist and as a person, thats important. Thats really important. Self help are i think self help books are quite you read quite good. Do you guys read self help books . Clearly not. I think what we need as think this is what we need as a five self help books. What do you i do . Read a lot of you mean . I do . I read a lot of motivational stuff and hicks, have you read that . Oh, yes, i have. And i listen to her stuff as well. One of my faves. One of my faves. Oh, good. Oh, good. A question from jason. He says, hi five. Youre on good form tonight. Thank you very much, jason. There was one much, jason. If there was one thing life which you could thing in life which you could ban, be . Ban, what would it be . Butterworth i was Benjamin Butterworth i was going ben leo, but. Going to say ben leo, but. Theres one thing i could. What would ban . Would i ban . Arms. Arms. Do you know what i would ban . Those lime bikes. The ones do you know what i would ban . Those lime bikes. The ones where those lime bikes. The ones where you ride it. Yeah. And then they just drop them in middle of just drop them in the middle of the pavement. Ban raisins. I would ban raisins. I would ban raisins. Raisins, raisins are devils balls. Do you know what . Do you know what . I cant stand them people playing on public playing music on public transport headphones. Playing music on public transporoh, headphones. Playing music on public transporoh, do headphones. Playing music on public transporoh, do youzadphones. Playing music on public transporoh, do you know3nes. Playing music on public transporoh, do you know what yes. Oh, do you know what i would ban . People coughing on public transport covering their transport and not covering their mouth. Is one of pet mouth. That is one of my pet things. Things. I would ban parents shouting at their kids. You dont need to shout at your kids. You can communicate with them in a proper manner. And actually doing that just shows that you are very good parent. Are not a very good parent. Youve never at your youve never shouted at your kids, ben. No, you know pamby liberal. No, you know pamby liberal. No, you know pamby liberal. No, but you can communicate, you know, if you if you shout at your kids, youre just youre just showing that you cant control. Youre showing you control. Youre showing that you cant in actual cant control you. In actual fact, and my wife have never fact, me and my wife have never shouted at each other. We never had raised voice 14 years. Had a raised voice in 14 years. So god. Wow. Have you ever secret to happy . Kids there . Have you got kids there . Have you got kids there . Kids. But i do shout no kids. But i do shout a lot. Right on that bombshell. Right on that bombshell. Thank you very much to our guests tonight. Of course, a brilliant stephanie takyi. Thank you for having me. Thank you for having me. Thanks to most of our wonderful viewers , especially wonderful viewers, especially leslie, who said, i just wanted to much i love and enjoy to say how much i love and enjoy your banter. It feels like a saturday night out with my girlfriend. Even benjamin is girlfriend. Even benjamin is entertaining. Next up, well, entertaining. Next up, well, i never its the rarely seen ben liddle presenting the saturday night showdown. What have you got for us, ben . Lots going on, William Wragg. Lots of fun and frolics. Yeah, its to be fun. Three its going to be fun. Three panellists. Comedy, yeah. Join me minutes. Me a few minutes. Dont miss it, folks. Well see here again next week. See you here again next week. That warm feeling inside from boxt boilers sponsors of weather on. Gb news. On. Gb news. Good evening. Welcome to your latest gb news weather from the met office. Storm kathleen continues to bring some very windy conditions across the uk through saturday evening and into sunday. Currently situated out towards the northwest of the uk , slowly pushing its way uk, slowly pushing its way northwards through this evening and into the start of sunday, but to bring some but continuing to bring some very winds, particularly very strong winds, particularly across parts of the uk. Across western parts of the uk. Still gusts up in the still seeing gusts up in the sort of 50s or 60s overnight, and particularly in northwest scotland, and plenty of heavy showers too. This could lead to some localised flooding, particularly across southwestern parts turning parts of the uk, turning a little drier and staying mild overnight. Temperatures around the high single figures, perhaps even double figures across even low double figures across the south. But it will be briefly drier start for many briefly a drier start for many of us on sunday. Further showers, though, pushing their way eastwards go way north and eastwards as we go through sunday morning. Again. These in places. These could be heavy in places. Perhaps hail and thunder perhaps some hail and thunder mixed too, could cause mixed in too, and could cause some flooding across some localised flooding across southwestern southeast southwestern parts. Southeast England Holding on to england definitely holding on to the best of the sunshine, but with a strong southwesterly breeze across whole of the breeze across the whole of the uk, well take the off uk, well take the edge off those temperatures. But despite being degrees monday, being 16 or 17 degrees monday, well start dry across Northern Ireland of scotland, ireland and much of scotland, but will turn increasingly but it will turn increasingly cloudy as we head through the morning. Another of low morning. Another area of low pressure the pressure moving in from the southwest, turning particularly pressure moving in from the southvthat turning particularly pressure moving in from the southvthat raining particularly pressure moving in from the southvthat rain across� ticularly pressure moving in from the southvthat rain across western heavy that rain across western parts of england into parts of england and into northern later. Further Northern Ireland later. Further unsettled weather through the first of next week, first part of next week, with temperatures generally a little bit but there are bit above average. But there are some something some hints of something a little bit the week. Bit drier later in the week. Looks like things are heating up. Boxt boilers sponsors of up. Boxt boilers sponsors of weather on news. Good evening. Your top stories. Scotland has 18 regional flood alerts in place and 43 flood warnings as storm kathleen continues to sweep across the country. Around 12,000 households in ireland remain without power this evening after the storm swept across the island. Today over 140 flights were cancelled as the met Office Issued a yellow warning for wind gusts of up to 70mph have been felt in Northern Ireland and the west of britain, along with the strong winds, a provisional highest temperature of was recorded of of the year was recorded of 20. 9 c in suffolk. Two planes on the tarmac at Heathrow Airport collided today, causing minor damage to their wings. The empty damage to their wings. The empty Virgin Atlantic 787 was being towed from the stand at terminal three when it clipped the wingtip of a British Airways airbus, which had over 100 passengers on board. Nobody was injured. Virgin atlantic says. Injured. Virgin atlantic says. The plane had just landed and was being transported to a different part of the airfield. The airline says its carrying out a full and thorough investigation. A man has been investigation. A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the death of a woman who was found unresponsive in a car in east london. Officers were called to hackney early this morning. Police forced entry to the vehicle and tried to resuscitate the woman, but she died at the scene. A man in his 20s who Police Believe was known to the victim, was arrested near the scene. Formal identification of the woman is yet to take place. In other news, the torso found at a nature reserve in scotland, in salford , belonged scotland, in salford, belonged to a man aged older than 40. A Murder Investigation was launched by Greater Manchester police after the body part was found wrapped in plastic at kearsley wetlands. The victim is believed to have been dead for a number of days. Dna tests are ongoing to identify him. And two ongoing to identify him. And two former uk defence ministers have said the uk has failed to prepare for war in a whole nation. Endeavour Outgoing Armed forces minister James Heappey revealed in the telegraph that only ministry of defence officials turned