Tempting fate in the slightest. There we go. There we go. We shall see. Also coming up for you, weve got your very latest forecast after a good dose of summer yesterday for many of us. Will that becoming a repeated pattern over the next few days. 7 pattern over the next few days. 7 join me later for the full weather details. Weather details. Although jonathan , thats an although jonathan, thats an outfit. Good morning. Im outfit. Good morning. Im stephen dixon. And im isabel webster. Stephen dixon. And im isabel webster. And and im isabel webster. And youre tuned in to breakfast on news. News. Were going to be talking about a levels very, very shortly just to say if you are of that age and youre up bright and early this morning biting your fingernails , dont worry. Your fingernails, dont worry. Yeah. Good luck. Yeah, good luck. I yeah. Good luck. Yeah, good luck. I hope yeah. Good luck. Yeah, good luck. I hope you get the results you want. If you dont, the world want. If you dont, the world will not come to an end. Youll manage this all part of its all part of life. And you will be all right. But dont panic. And i know its an awful thing. I remember mine well back in 1992. I remember what year i got my a levels. Yeah a little later than that. Yeah. Not much, though. Yeah. Not by much, though. About decade. Yes. Right, about a decade. Yes. Right, right. But it was. About a decade. Yes. Right, right. But it was. I about a decade. Yes. Right, right. But it was. I remember right. But it was. I remember being really nervous that day. Being really nervous that day. Yeah, i remember. Really, really nervous. Yeah, it is a really nervous. Yeah, it is a nerve wracking day. Fun, but yeah, as its not fun, but yeah, as you say, its just one of many milestones in your life and nothing insurmountable. Nothing is insurmountable. Wishing the were wishing you all the very i think its, very best of luck. I think its, what, two hours till the envelopes get opened and everybodys ready and your everybodys ready and get your phone case you need phone ready in case you need to go through clearing. Have go through clearing. Well have all on that coming all the details on that coming up later in programme. Up later on in the programme. Certainly will. Now, its we certainly will. Now, its a day for gb news actually, a big day for gb news actually, because are set to deliver a because we are set to deliver a petition to chancellor this petition to the chancellor this afternoon nearly afternoon on behalf of nearly 280,000 of whove joined our 280,000 of you whove joined our dont kill Cash Campaign. Yes with more than 5 million adults in britain still reliant on cash, latest calling for cash, the latest calling for laws to protect its status as a legal tender and as a widely accepted means of payment until at 2050. Well, lets talk at least 2050. Well, lets talk to reform uks adviser ben habib, who joins us this morning. Good to see you, ben. Morning. Good to see you, ben. And look, i mean, it says a lot , doesnt it. 7 more than a quarter of a Million People have signed our little petition , just signed our little petition, just making it clear that they rely on cash and they want to make sure its preserved. Sure its preserved. I think its tremendous thing. Gb news is doing to promote the continued use of cash. You know, there are 5 Million People in this country who rely on cash trades , who who rely on cash trades, who dont have bank account and credit cards and so on, and theyve been marginalised and theyre continually being marginalised. And, you know, we marginalised. And, you know, we had recently obviously Nigel Farages de banking scandal, but natwest then went on to legislate for pass rules rather internal rules on the maximum amount of cash you can take out of your bank account in a given penod of your bank account in a given period , as well as the amount of period, as well as the amount of cash you can deposit into your bank account. Its a complete discrimination against those people who use cash and its almost as if they that making you think that by using cash somehow youre not really behaving properly. You know, theres a kind of i dont know whether you feel this, but theres a kind of implied sense that you might be doing something dodgy just because you wish to deal in cash. But some people have no option. As i mentioned, they dont have bank account and they have to use it. And it says if you pick up, i picked up my attempt. I know ive got it here this morning and it says words to if i put my glasses on, i promise to pay the bearer on demand the sum of £10 for this £10 note. But of course, you know, if we move to a society where cash is discriminated against, where restaurants refuse to take it, shops refuse to take it, in effect, that promise on the back of a £10 note and all other legal tender becomes a meaningless promise. Meaningless promise. And ben, youre absolutely right. That implication that in some way youre trying to avoid tax or, you know, using your cash the market is cash for the black market is totally there. And i think also totally there. And i think also inherent in the kind of move away from cash is a sort of hidden we talk about digital exclusion. Theres an ageism in exclusion. Theres an ageism in it all as well. A lot of older people arent wanting to use onune people arent wanting to use online banking, arent wanting to have faceless banks all the time. They want cash. They want time. They want cash. They want face to face contact in the way that it used to be provided. And this is really important that we that we keep that that we keep that we keep that that we keep that contact with physical tenden its very important. I mean, there are two aspects of it, and thatis there are two aspects of it, and that is a really crucial one. Thats one of the two really crucial aspects and the other one is moving towards a kind of police state where i know i dont want to sound conspiratorial, particularly at dont want to sound cc a. M,atorial , particularly at dont want to sound cca. M, butial , particularly at dont want to sound cca. M, but you particularly at dont want to sound cca. M, but you know,jlarly at dont want to sound cca. M, but you know, whereit dont want to sound cc am, but you know, where where 6 am, but you know, where where private companies and therefore anyone who gets hold of their data and we get data breaches all the time have a complete visual understanding of where youve been, what youve done, who youve seen, how you spent your money. Theyll have a complete audit trail of your behaviour. Complete audit trail of your behaviour. So if anyone fears being tracked, well, you know, the way to do it is how you spend your money. It is. I mean, its one of those things that i think a lot of us hadnt even given much of a thought to. And its been highlighted in a way by nigel and the de banking scandal because, of course, when you put your cash into a bank , it all your cash into a bank, it all just becomes noughts and zeros, doesnt it. 7 and it does. But the issue that there is this element of control that we just didnt realise, most of us that existed later , that they can limit limit later, that they can limit limit what you can access. They can limit your ability to have an account. Its how money at the end of the day, we should be able to do what we want, shouldnt we. 7 yeah able to do what we want, shouldnt we . Yeah absolutely. You should be marching into a bank and withdraw your entire savings thats what you want savings if thats what you want. And you cant actually do that nowadays refuse nowadays. Most banks will refuse to give you, you know, depending on much cash youve on how much cash youve got. Refuse give more than refuse to give you more than a certain amount of cash. What is certain amount of cash. What is ironic, of course , is were ironic, of course, is were heading towards Central Bank Digital currencies and that will be the ultimate in government control if that comes in, because that wont even be cash moving through the digital system between banks and purveyors of goods. That will be purveyors of goods. That will be the government having a log of precisely what cash you , ben precisely what cash you, ben habib own and where you take it, where you spend it. It wont even go through the banking system. Itll be a direct relationship between the individual and the government that will control the ledger of who has how much cash and how its being disbursed. And then, of course, the government can do what ever it wants. So for example, it could legislate for negative Interest Rates at the moment, governments cant really cut Interest Rates below zero because if they do that, you just take your cash out of the bank, put it under your mattress or find some other place to put it to, to avoid paying the bank money in order to keep your cash in it. But if the bank of england decided , having england decided, having introduced a cbdc that it wanted to take Interest Rates into negative territory, youd have no ability to resist that move. You would be paying money literally to have money. Alternatively, theyd be able to legislate against you spending money on certain items if they thought, for example , the thought, for example, the Housing Market was getting hotter than any other part of the economy, they could say no more purchases of houses. You can see where this goes. Its the micro management of how you spend your wealth and weve seen the state increase its interference in our private lives dramatically over the last 25 years. You know, were a very highly regulated society now. And this would be the next step cash is a mechanism for freedom. So i hope that the petition youve launched, you know, does have its effect. Yeah. And it will now trigger a debate and will be delivering this petition to downing street today. What do you think theyre going to make of it . Well, downing street will do, i suspect. What downing street always does with petitions. Its always does with petitions. Its a significant petition. You need over 100,000 to have it heard in parliament. So it will be heard in parliament. But probably in an antechamber rather than in the main chamber. And theyll find a way. I suspect. I dont mean to be a debbie downer, but theyll find a way , you know, theyll find a way, you know, stepping around it. I suspect. But weve got to keep up the fight. You know, like all fight. You know, its like all these other fights we have. Unless you keep swinging the bat, not prevail. Bat, you will not prevail. No. Hood, be good to see no. Ben hood, be good to see you. Thanks very much indeed. Thank you. I dont know, you know, does it what know, because what does it what harm it do government harm does it do the government to were for is them to what were asking for is them to what were asking for is them to guarantee cash, if like , to guarantee cash, if you like, for i mean, not forever , but, for i mean, not forever, but, you know, for i dont know what our end date is 2050, 2050. There you go. Well, that doesnt do any harm, does it . Do them any harm, does it . Certainly brings and it certainly brings people with them. Yeah. What would their justify action be people with them. Yeah. What w0|nottheir justify action be people with them. Yeah. What w0|not were jstify action be people with them. Yeah. What w0|not were noty action be people with them. Yeah. What w0|not were not committing to for not were not committing to it. We would like to know. Perhaps well find when we perhaps well find out when we speak the government a little speak to the government a little bit later. Ill tell you what i have noficed ill tell you what i have noticed as someone noticed is because as someone who use a of cash, who doesnt use a lot of cash, got to honest. Ill tell you got to be honest. Ill tell you what ive noticed as a result of this campaign is now the number of take cash. This campaign is now the number of definitely take cash. This campaign is now the number of definitely no take cash. This campaign is now the number of definitely no increase. Ash. This campaign is now the number of definitely no increase. And definitely no increase. And were part of the problem. And you youre doing that. Yeah, youre seeing all all youre just seeing all in all the windows its all its the windows and its all its all about choice, isnt it . I quite feel like getting and i quite feel like getting a crisp tenner in my wallet now. Yeah they do feel good these days. The sort of plasticky side to them. Very neat and tidy. Neat and tidy. Do you remember the old £1 notes . I dont. You. No no. No i dont. Dont you. No no. Like in monopoly. Ive like those in monopoly. Ive never seen a £1 note. Did they isaac newton did they have isaac newton on. Able to tell me on. Youll be able to tell me im sure. Was like isaac im sure. Was someone like isaac newton used to be on a £1 note, but they were great. But they were huge. Yeah theyre really . Yeah theyre a massive. Ironic. Know, massive. Oh, ironic. You know, get smaller the get the note. The smaller the tender, all got, theyve tender, theyve all got, theyve all over the last all shrunk a lot over the last few years. But anyway, speaking of shrinking over the years, expecting of grade expecting a lot of grade deflation the a level results today. This is the other big story of the day. Lots of nervous students across england, wales and Northern Ireland today awaiting their results in just under two hours time. Yeah, now the results are predicted to drop to pre pandemic levels, meaning many students well may not get into their first choice. University i dont know if there is if theres a significant deflation in results, university is going to have to reduce what theyve asked for so it dont panic over that. If youre getting your results, it also comes a Record Number of comes as a Record Number of undergraduates have dropped out of their courses in the last year , with blaming year, with academics blaming grade inflation. Well , joining us for a look well, joining us for a look aheadis well, joining us for a look ahead is the chairman of the campaign for real education, chris mcgovern. Really good morning to you, look, morning to you, chris. Look, a difficult day, i think even for those to achieve those who go on to achieve everything want. Its nerve everything they want. Its nerve wracking. Particular cohort everything they want. Its nerve er level particular cohort everything they want. Its nerve er level students ular cohort everything they want. Its nerve er level students didnt hort everything they want. Its nerve er level students didnt gett of a level students didnt get to sit gcses in the traditional manner. Theyre gcses were marked by their teachers , which marked by their teachers, which we know meant that they were a little generous than little bit more generous than perhaps the exam boards perhaps by the exam boards and off call have out and said, off call have come out and said, we these results be down we need these results to be down by this year. Its by around 11 this year. Its tough this cohort, isnt it . Tough on this cohort, isnt it . Yes, whatever i say this morning, let me be clear. Im not criticising young people who can only do the exam, put in front of them. Absolutely. But what going to have, what what were going to have, what weve i mean, ive weve had in the i mean, ive been involved this debate for been involved in this debate for several decades, but over the last years, weve had last 30 or 40 years, weve had great inflation. And in the last two years, weve had hypergrowth inflation. So today were going to to just ordinary to go back to just ordinary inflation. You know, when if you go to the early days of go back to the early days of a level, less than less under a under got top grade under 10, got the top grade a now its up to 45 getting the top grade. So clearly , i think top grade. So clearly, i think probably the game is up for the exams in this country. We need to start again and to revalue the currency. Its a situation where we dont we cant distinguish within the good and the very good and the average. And so forth. So weve got to and i said that in the telegraph today, weve got a real problem here in terms of the credibility. So many i credibility. So in many ways i feel extremely sorry for young people i disagree with the people and i disagree with the governments watchdog, the governments watchdog, the governments quual governments watchdog, the governfew|ts quual governments watchdog, the governfew years quual governments watchdog, the governfew years ago quual governments watchdog, the governfew years ago to quual governments watchdog, the governfew years ago to the qual said a few years ago to the sunday i quote , all our sunday times, i quote, all our kids are brilliant. Thats the fake world in which we live, which is why were getting fake exams and fake grade. So its a topsy turvy. Alison wonderland world. Sorry for young world. Feel sorry for the young people. Messed people. Theyre being messed about. t yeah, but lets lets stay positive on all of this because im. Its going to be its disappointing for some people if they dont get the grades they were hoping for. However, the reality of this is whatever universities have asked for in terms of grades , theyre going terms of grades, theyre going to have to reassess in the wake of all of this, getting those figures out today saying all these undergraduates have dropped out of university in the last couple of years because of grading inflation, because they cant hack it. They actually cant hack it. They actually arent clever enough to be doing what theyve gone in for. So actually, this realistically actually, this is realistically beneficial for the students of the future , isnt it . The future, isnt it . Yes, we know. We really do need to get a sense of reality. I remember when i advised margaret thatcher, its a long time ago now, of course, she said chris, you know, all said to me, chris, you know, all the exams can do is test knowledge and understanding. Thats they can do. And when thats all they can do. And when we through covid, we didnt we went through covid, we didnt say to the driving test should be whatever because, be easier or whatever because, you going you know, theres covid going on, undervalue. You on, so its undervalue. You devalue currency and young devalue the currency and young people dont know whether theyre coming or going. I theyre coming or going. What i would to many young people would say to many young people is, university, it may be is, look, university, it may be great for many people. It is. Great for many people. It is. But are other but actually there are other pathways in life as well, including Vocational Training and job. So dont get and getting a job. So dont get too upset if you dont get quite the because you the results today because you can Great Success of your can make a Great Success of your life along the vocational pathway rather than to path