Aggression by iran against israel and the United States, moving them from tehran to paris. What should we make of the french president s incautious remarks that western states could send Ground Troops to ukraine . In britain and germany rejected the suggestion, while Vladimir Putin said such a move could trigger a nuclear war. What did french voters think . And Elizabeth Moutet from the telegraph will tell us. Whilst neither rishi sunak nor sir keir starmer was a winner last week, the singer songwriter ray lance night won six awards at the brits. Whats the key to success . Finally in the first houn success . Finally in the first hour, well return from our tour of the world to do the rounds of british theatre. Stefan kyrees will bring alive all the productions that are stimulating audiences. And in the second hour well discuss surrealism and the book dune on which the new blockbuster movie is based. New blockbuster movie is based. Before all of that, here are your News Headlines with sam francis. Francis. Michael, thank you very much. Michael, thank you very much. Good morning from the gb newsroom. 11 02. And we start with news from the chancellor. He has hinted at what could be in his Spring Budget, including taxes on holiday. Lets levies on vaping and possible changes to the non dom tax status. Ahead of the non dom tax status. Ahead of wednesdays announcement, the treasury has also revealed an £800 million tech package to boost productivity in the nhs and the police, with new Ai Technology and drones. Labour technology and drones. Labour says the suggested reforms are spin without substance. But spin without substance. But forecasts also appear to show jeremy hunt has little to no headroom for tax cuts, which will limit the prospect of any pre election giveaways. However, pre election giveaways. However, speaking to gb news in the last half hour, jeremy hunt said his budget will include a number of reforms to Public Services , reforms to Public Services, which he said will mean better value for taxpayers. It is wrong to say that we should be putting more money into the public sector, fewer Civil Servants to be more productive, correct . You want fewer people to do more. More. I think weve got to stop always looking at the inputs and always looking at the inputs and always saying that the way to get better Public Services is to spend and actually ask if spend more and actually ask if we could be more efficient. We could be more efficient. Arent in other news, thousands of people have been taking to the streets in more pro palestine protests across britain this weekend, and that comes after the Prime Ministers warning of extremist threats. Campaigners also targeted around 50 Barclays Bank branches , which they accuse bank branches, which they accuse of having financial ties with suppliers of weapons. Of having financial ties with suppliers of weapons. Police suppliers of weapons. Police ordered the protesters to move on, citing section 14 of the pubuc on, citing section 14 of the public order act comes after rishi sunak speech in downing street on friday, when he warned that islamist extremists and far right groups are, he says , right groups are, he says, spreading poison in british democracy. The government is democracy. The government is reportedly considering blocking hate preachers from entering britain, with more people added to warning lists. Britain, with more people added to warning lists. Reports to warning lists. Reports suggest that the current powers could be used to increase the number of people who are prevented from entering the country, if theyre deemed to be non conducive to the public good. That could include those who preach racism, intimidation or who incite violence. Or who incite violence. Currently, the rules are typically used to ban people who are known to pose a security threat. Labour will ensure that threat. Labour will ensure that compulsory training on violence against women and girls is given to all Police Officers. Following an inquiry into Sarah Everards killer last has also vowed to revamp police vetting procedures to stop those with a history of Domestic Abuse or Sexual Offences from joining any force in the country. A report published this week found that Wayne Couzens should never have been given a job as a Police Officer, and the chances to stop the sexual predator were repeatedly ignored and missed. Today marks three years since he killed Sarah Everard , who was 33 killed Sarah Everard, who was 33 at the time, after tricking her into thinking she was being arrested. He has been sentenced to life in prison and will never be released. Rail passengers in be released. Rail passengers in england and wales are facing a new 5 price hike from today, despite train cancellations being among the worst in ten years. Campaigners argue the pubuc years. Campaigners argue the public are being unfairly punished by the increase. It comes after thousands of services were cancelled in the past year, one of the worst performance in the Rail Industry since records began. And we turn since records began. And we turn now to israel and gaza, where israel has said that its forces did not strike against gazas aid convoy last week , where more aid convoy last week, where more than 100 palestinian teens died while queuing for food. A while queuing for food. A spokesperson said the majority of people died in a stampede as they charged toward the aid trucks , according to israels trucks, according to israels review of the incident. Warning shots, they say , were only fired shots, they say, were only fired to try and disperse the crowds. There to the United States, where an election rematch is looking more likely with donald trump now winning three more republican contests overnight in missouri, michigan and in idaho. The former president s only rival, nikki haley, is still searching for her first win, trailing second in every state. So far. Mr trump made several false claims at campaign rallies, including the allegation that President Biden is trying to overthrow the United States. Thats despite mr trump himself being charged with conspiracy to defraud the us. Part of the 91 serious crimes hes accused of in four ongoing criminal trials. Hes accused of in four ongoing criminal trials. And as weve criminal trials. And as weve been hearing in a historic sweep at the 2024 british awards , at the 2024 british awards, londoner ray at just 26, secured six wins that made her the most awarded artist ever. Awarded artist ever. Im so proud of this album. Im so proud of this album. Im in love with music. Im so proud of this album. Im in love with music. All i im in love with music. All i ever wanted to be was an artist and now im an artist with an album of the year. Rayj speaking there at last nights brit awards, where she claimed top honours for album and artist of the year , best new and artist of the year, best new artist and song of the year. She was also named songwriter of the triumphed in the of the year and triumphed in the r b categories public she r b categories public vote. She lost out to dua lipa in the pop category, but she still received the most british awards ever. Those are the headlines for more. You can sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the code here. On your screen right now. Or course, go to gb news or of course, go to gb news. Com alerts. Com alerts. Thank you very much, sam francis, for the third time since he was expelled from the labour party, George Galloway has swept to victory in a by election presumably on the backs of the votes of muslims concerned about Foreign Policy. Concerned about Foreign Policy. In the case of rochdale, which galloway claimed on thursday, the scotsman denunciation of israels campaign in israels military campaign in gaza helped him comfortably to take the seat. Was it mainly the take the seat. Was it mainly the situation in the middle east that led voters to support galloway, or are they perhaps attracted to someone who speaks directly and trenchantly . Are voters bored with politicians who prevaricate and deflect difficult topics to answer . Im difficult topics to answer . Im joined by a the political consultant alex deane , a consultant alex deane, a historian, tessa dunlop , and the historian, tessa dunlop, and the former labour adviser matthew laza um matthew might begin with you. Welcome to all of you. Obviously um, i was very struck that sir keir starmer was quite welcoming of the Prime Ministers remarks in downing street on friday evening. Why would the leader of the opposition , um, support the opposition, um, support the Prime Minister in the way that he did, when many people had criticisms of the Prime Ministers message and indeed the timing . Well, i think that keir starmer was absolutely clear that we cant live in a culture where mob rule , uh, runs our where mob rule, uh, runs our politics. I mean, labour mps up and down the country are the ones actually at the sharp end of this, as people have been attacking their offices and their homes and getting in the way of them serving their constituents. So keir is very clear work with the clear that hell work with the government that. Hes government on that. But hes also not dismiss the also clear not to dismiss the result in rochdale to and repeat that the labour party has let down the people rochdale, down the people of rochdale, which did last which it most certainly did last week. Said that you week. I mean, you said that you know end, not in know, by not in the end, not in the having a candidate the end, having a candidate picking a lousy candidate and then end, not then and then in the end, not having candidate. You having a candidate. And, you know, is it. Is know, you said that is it. Is it because, know, down by because, you know, let down by prevaricate politicians . Well, they down by, by they werent let down by, by a particular because particular politician because labour candidate. Particular politician because lalin|r candidate. Particular politician because lalin a candidate. Particular politician because lalin a sense, candidate. Particular politician because lalin a sense, it candidate. Particular politician because lalin a sense, it wasntndidate. Particular politician because lalin a sense, it wasnt thatite. So in a sense, it wasnt that they uh, George Galloway they chose, uh, George Galloway oven they chose, uh, George Galloway over, over labour. They chose George Galloway in a vacuum. I George Galloway in a vacuum. I actually think the political story week is this story of the week is this fantastic independent david tully, local, garage tully, the local, uh, garage owner who came from nowhere. Im owner who came from nowhere. Im told that i heard yesterday he didnt even know that. Get didnt even know that. You get a free every candidates free post in every candidates allowed. Mail will allowed. The royal mail will deliver piece election deliver a free piece of election literature didnt literature for you. He didnt even that. Reckon another even know that. I reckon another week. Have been week. And hed have been rochdales martin bell. An thank you. That is an impressive diversion. Away from the the ship. Um, so the away from the ship. Um, so look , will sir keir starmer have look, will sir keir starmer have to change language on the to change the language on the ceasefire gaza . Do you think . Ceasefire in gaza . Do you think . You it strikes me that in you see it strikes me that in scotland, where labour is hoping to pick up, lets say , 25 seats, to pick up, lets say, 25 seats, the snp can outflank the labour party, they can say things about a ceasefire in gaza that the labour party cannot say. Do you think , then, that sir keir think, then, that sir keir starmer, following the by election result, will find that needs to his that he needs to change his approach ceasefire . Approach to the ceasefire . Well, because i think well, no, because i think what starmer has on what keir starmer has done on gaza the way do gaza all the way through is do what right, not as what he thinks is right, not as what he thinks is right, not as what politically expedient. What he thinks is right, not as wiwouldntitically expedient. What he thinks is right, not as wiwouldntiticpoliticallyent. It wouldnt be politically expedient for expedient to call for a ceasefire earlier. And in terms of in scotland, the of what happens in scotland, the snp needs concentrate on snp needs to concentrate on their home in their record at home in scotland. Tell that, scotland. I can tell you that, you has somebody who you know, it has somebody who has quite has knocked on doors quite recently in central scotland. Theyre gaza, theyre not talking about gaza, they about the snps they are talking about the snps failure. Are about failure. There are issues about parliamentary tactics and whether will outflank whether the snp will outflank him. I clearly the, the, him. I mean, clearly the, the, the labour line has evolved because situation is because the situation is involved. I the whole involved. I mean, the whole world moment is angry world at the moment is angry with of israeli with the tactics of the Israeli Government the us, government, not least the us, who airdropping. So, i who are airdropping aid. So, i mean, i think that, you know, there paper there now is a cigarette paper between snp and labour and there now is a cigarette paper bethe en snp and labour and there now is a cigarette paper bethe snp snp and labour and there now is a cigarette paper bethe snp try np and labour and there now is a cigarette paper bethe snp try andind labour and there now is a cigarette paper bethe snp try and make bour and there now is a cigarette paper bethe snp try and make politicsi if the snp try and make politics of it, in the end that will be to their detriment. Dont its a but no, i dont think its a cigarette the snp cigarette paper at all. The snp is saying that theres is out there saying that theres been collective punishment against its against the people of gaza. Its about everybody but everybody wants a ceasefire now, which which is ceasefire now, which is which is a not a war crime, which is not something which labour going a war crime, which is not so say. |ing which labour going to say. No. Keir starmer wants to be prime this country, no. Keir starmer wants to be prin he this country, no. Keir starmer wants to be prin he doesnt this country, no. Keir starmer wants to be prin he doesnt want s country, no. Keir starmer wants to be prin he doesnt want to ountry, no. Keir starmer wants to be prin he doesnt want to become and he doesnt want to become Prime Minister. Not going to thats why hes not going to back motion war crime. Yeah, but its not a cigarette no tesla cigarette paper. No tesla cigarette paper. No tesla cigarette what what cigarette paper. No tesla cigarettwe what what cigarette paper. No tesla cigarettwe you . What what cigarette paper. No tesla cigarettwe you . What . Rhat cigarette paper. No tesla cigarettwe you . What . What do should we ask you . What . What do you make of this idea . Weve just that just heard from matthew that people about people are not talking about gaza, yet they gaza, and yet. And yet they elect George Galloway , who was elect George Galloway, who was talking about gaza. Mean , rochdale is a yeah. I mean, rochdale is a special case. Exactly. And it does large muslim does have a large muslim minority, well over minority, i believe well over 20 the electorate muslim. 20 of the electorate muslim. Thats to say all thats to not say that all muslims same way with muslims vote the same way with regard but the majority regard to this, but the majority seemingly certainly in seemingly do. Certainly in rochdale. I when it comes rochdale. I think when it comes to scotland and humza yousaf knows that gaza, courtesy of his wife , her brave stance, the way wife, her brave stance, the way shes spoken very effectively , shes spoken very effectively, um, on the situation as a as a palestinian, he knows this is a strong footing for him. It excites and plays well to his young foot soldiers. Those who young foot soldiers. Those who are going to take the message to the electorate. So whether if youre at home as mrs. Bloggs, youre at home as mrs. Bloggs, youre really exercising over this, case. But but but if this, this case. But but but if it means you get a young it means that you get a young person to mrs. Person out to talk to mrs. Bloggs, i think its that connect overcome connect and its overcome apathy. And i think thats going to be Keir Starmers real weakness in this coming election. Apathy. Can we see him as the candidate for change . If youre a young person and you clearly are leaning towards them, whos very keen on the green agenda, we feel let down by keir starmer, not choice of starmer, not just a choice of jacket. Youre a young person jacket. If youre a young person who believes passionately about the horror thats been unfolding on our Television Screens in gaza, do you feel that keir starmer is the candidate for change in both cases . No. So the question to you, i mean, keir starmer can probably now win the general election with majority with a comfortable majority without scotland without taking seats in scotland. But hed much rather take seats in scotland for snp. Seats in scotland for the snp. So think , would you, if so do you think, would you, if you were advising keir, put it that you say shift that way, would you say shift your stance on the ceasefire . I feel it would now