Risk . Well, the church of england is taking a bit of a criticism today at the Home Affairs Select committee. You could say that, for one, i mean, theres former darlington priest is really coming out swinging , and hes coming out swinging, and hes very much a whistleblower. Hes saying that essentially people are just being brought to him on are just being brought to him on a asking to be a Conveyor Belt, asking to be baptised. Many of them, many of these Asylum Seekers have already had their claims rejected once and then they come and ask for conversion. And the church of england is obliging. Church of england is obliging. And i a lot of people and i think a lot of people knew was happening. Knew this was happening. This has under for a has been under discussion for a long to hear it from long time, but to hear it from the , to hear it the horses mouth, to hear it from whistleblowers speaking in Parliament Today is nothing short of shocking and raises huge questions for how the church of england operates and, frankly, what the church of england condones. England condones. Yes, and guess whos there asking some of the questions. It is lee addison who of course has defected to reform. Hes been there asking many tough questions. Well bring you some of the highlights. Of course we of the highlights. Of course we will that home affairs of the highlights. Of course we will committee. Ne affairs of the highlights. Of course we will committee. Butffairs of the highlights. Of course we will committee. But the s of the highlights. Of course we will committee. But the church of the highlights. Of course we wi england mittee. But the church of the highlights. Of course we wi england ,|ittee. But the church of the highlights. Of course we wi england , theyve ut the church of the highlights. Of course we wi england , theyve got1e church of the highlights. Of course we wi england , theyve got a church of the highlights. Of course we wi england , theyve got a chlt01 of england, theyve got a lot to answer for. Certainly well they certainly do. Well be getting to some of those questions, answers. But questions, those answers. But indeed much more to come indeed so much more to come after headlines sam. After your headlines with sam. Tom. Emily, thank you very much. Good afternoon from the newsroom. Just gone 12 00. The top story today that new gas top story today is that new gas power plants will be built to protect britains Energy Security. Despite concerns over the potential impact it could have on Climate Change. The government says the new stations are needed to avert what ministers have described as the genuine prospect of blackouts, and to provide a backup for the growing electric economy. Its understood theyll replace existing facilities, many of which are old and due to be retired , and the Prime Minister retired, and the Prime Minister has insisted the uks net zero plan is still on track. But says it must be met in a sustainable way. Labour is supporting the new plans, but Shadow Energy secretary ed miliband has accused the government of failing on its Energy Policies, leading to skyrocketing bills. Leading to skyrocketing bills. Lee anderson says that he wasnt paid to switch from the tories to reform uk, insisting that hes not a mercenary. The former deputy chairman of the conservative party told gb news last night that hes not heard from the Prime Minister since he announced his defection. It announced his defection. It comes after anderson was stripped of the conservative whip last month over his refusal to apologise for saying that islamists had got control of the london mayor, government minister esther mcvey says that shes disappointed and surprised by mr andersons decision, but said that voting for reform would only deliver a Labour Government after he campaigned for Jeremy Corbyn in 2017. Varne in effect, is now gone full circle and hell be campaigning for keir starmer because, i mean, even he said, a vote for reform is a vote for laboun vote for reform is a vote for labour. So ive clearly misjudged him. Misjudged him. A major conservative donor has apologised today after he reportedly said that former labour mp diane abbott made him want to hate all black women and that she should be shot. Frank hester donated £10 million to the tories last year. Hes now admitted to making rude comments about miss abbott, but insists they had nothing to do with the colour of her skin. The comments were reported by the Guardian Newspaper and are said to have taken during meeting in taken place during a meeting in 2019. Miss abbott, whos now an independent mp, has described the comments as frightening and worrying and says that she hopes for public support from sir keir starmer. Mr for public support from sir keir starmer. Mr hs2 has also said that he is deeply sorry, adding that he is deeply sorry, adding that he is deeply sorry, adding that he telephoned her to apologise directly for the hurt that hes caused. Some criminals that hes caused. Some criminals will be released early because of a lack of space in overcrowded prisons. It means prisoners serving sentences of less than four years could be let out early. Labour says the move is completely unacceptable and theyve vowed to build new prisons if they win the general election. However, the justice secretary says its just a temporary measure which is needed to alleviate the unsustainable pressure on the prison. The chancellors prison system. The chancellors recent budget only just met fiscal rules with significant risks ahead. Thats according to the office for budget responsibility. The obrs chair, richard hughes, has warned the government that although the budget was responsible, it has one the narrowest margins any one of the narrowest margins any chancellor has ever had against his fiscal targets. Chancellor has ever had against his fiscal targets. Hes also raised concerns about spending on Public Services , with the on Public Services, with the governments current plans set to run in march of next year to run out in march of next year. In other news, andrew tate has been arrested in romania on a uk warrant which could see him extradited here to face trial. It comes after lawyers representing four of his accusers informed British Police that he was planning to flee the country. Tate and his brother tristan are accused of committing Sexual Offences between 2012 and 2015. Allegations they have both rejected the 37 year old and 35 year old are also facing rape and Human Trafficking charges in romania, where they both live. They have also denied those charges. One of britains they have also denied those charges. One of britains most advanced warships is heading back to the red sea to protect Global Shipping from houthi attacks. Hms diamond is joining the joint patrols , just days the joint patrols, just days after the uk and its allies successfully repelled a massive drone and missile attack by the iranian backed militants. The uk joined International Efforts to protect the important shipping route in february, while the deployment is part of a broader response to the ongoing attacks in the region, which also includes intercepting the smuggling weapons yemen. Smuggling of weapons into yemen. And finally, weve heard today that the singer and songwriter eric carmen has died at the age of 74. He rose to fame as part of 74. He rose to fame as part of the pop group the raspberries, but it was this track that carved him a place in popular culture. How my man , the popular culture. How my man, the singer. Popular culture. How my man, the singer. Dont be inspired by Sergei Rachmaninovs piano concerto number two. All by myself. It was a huge hit concerto number two. All by myself. It was a huge hit in 1976. Years later, it then found a new audience when it became the opening theme of the classic film bridget joness diary, and another of his well known hits was hungry eyes, which was featured in the 1987 dance dirty dancing, as well as tracks from the film footloose. His death was announced today by his wife amy, who said it brought her husband great joy to know that his music has touched many. His music has touched so many. Those are the headlines. More coming up with tom and emily. In the meantime, you can sign up to gb news alerts. Just scan the qr code there on your screen or go to gbnews. Com alerts to gbnews. Com slash alerts. Good afternoon britain. 12 08. And our top story this hour rishi sunak has warned that britain faces a genuine prospect of blackouts if it doesnt boost its gas capacity. Yes, it means the government has committed to building new gas fired power stations, saying the move will help maintain a Reliable Energy source for when the british weather fails to supply enough energy through renewables. Well were joined now by ed gemmell, the leader of the climate party. And ed, isnt there a fundamental truth about renewable bills . Although they can be cheap and they can be very powerful. One thing they arent is sustained, whether its sunny or dark or windy or, more clement, isnt there an issue here that there does need to be a capacity that we can switch on and switch off at the touch of a button, and that capacity is gas. Theres no question that we need the capacity. So obviously were completely in agreement on that. I think everybody is. I think though, that been that the way this has been brought in talking about Energy Security, the prime security, weve got the Prime Minister out talking about its not with energy not gambling with our Energy Security and not being, you know, subjected to whims of know, subjected to the whims of dictators such as putin. And thats why were building these power stations. But its utterly power stations. But its utterly and completely untrue. I mean , and completely untrue. I mean, lets look at it. The point of the of keeping ourselves independent is so that were not reliant on the supply of gas. And if the supply of gas is coming and its controlled by dictators or its subject to world market prices rather than controlled by us, we are much less secure, i guess. And thats why some people, particularly in the conservative party, were very much for fracking. But of course, that did not come to pass. That would have given us more Energy Security , surely. Security, surely. I mean, im not going to be here saying, that here saying, i think that fracking is good idea, but fracking is a good idea, but actually capacity actually getting capacity definitely got definitely is. So weve got a whole load of things that have happened years. Happened over the last 15 years. For the on onshore for instance, the ban on onshore wind, it to be stopped wind, allowing it to be stopped literally one voice in literally by one voice in the local and we local community. And then we havent invested tide wave havent invested in tide in wave in and all of those other in hydro and all of those other things that could have been actually helping us to balance it and britain it out. And after all, britain is surrounded sea tide and is surrounded by sea tide and wave. We should have been investing in heavily for the last 20 or 30 years. And we wouldnt be having these discussions but frankly, discussions now. But frankly, there of things that discussions now. But frankly, therhelp of things that discussions now. But frankly, therhelp us of things that discussions now. But frankly, therhelp us inf things that discussions now. But frankly, therhelp us in 201ings that discussions now. But frankly, therhelp us in 201in� 30that discussions now. But frankly, therhelp us in 201in� 30 years time. It might be tide, it might be wave, it will be nuclear. But these things take a lot of time. Gas is cheap and quick. And frankly, if were going to be switching over to so much more electricity demand, if were all driving electric cars , for driving electric cars, for example, were taking petrol out of the system, were taking oil out of system. Were going out of the system. Were going to gas. Are you at to need more gas. Are you at least pleased with the fact that claire coutinho, the energy secretary, is saying that there will be gas capture and storage, Carbon Capture and storage in these new gas power stations, potentially being a relatively climate neutral option, even though they involve fossil fuels. Well, unless youve been reading reports that i havent reading reports that i havent read , shes talking about them read, shes talking about them being able to be retrofitted. So not actually coming on with Carbon Capture and storage in place, not actually coming on burning would be place, not actually coming on bu|alternative, would be place, not actually coming on bu|alternative, able would be place, not actually coming on bu|alternative, able to ould be place, not actually coming on bu|alternative, able to be d be an alternative, but able to be retrofitted. And that is retrofitted. And that is absolutely regressive. You know, were to build all this were going to build all this stuff now, put huge subsidies into it. And were not actually going to have it working for us both terms our targets and both in terms of our targets and in the new technology. In terms of the new technology. We world in we want to lead the world in Carbon Capture storage as Carbon Capture and storage as well. To do that is well. And the way to do that is invest it locally. If invest in it locally. And if were bringing in plants, were bringing in these plants, which agreeing with which im not agreeing with because think theres better because i think theres better ways it, then must ways of doing it, then they must come capture and come in with Carbon Capture and storage immediately. Not storage in them immediately. Not so then spend so we make them and then spend more on them in the more money on them in the future, to shut future, probably having to shut them we them for a while while we implement carbon and implement Carbon Capture and storage. Its just a very shortsighted way of doing it. Capture and of course, Carbon Capture and storage expensive. Storage is extremely expensive. But just ask you the but just to ask you the question, being warned question, were being warned about blackouts. Do you think we will see blackouts if dont will see blackouts if we dont increase our gas capacity . Do you the Prime Minister . Have to increase we have to increase our capacity. Thats but capacity. Okay. Thats it. But gas. I dont agree gas. What i what i dont agree is going regressively backwards into not into old technologies. Not fitting it out for the future straight away, and spending vast amounts money in time on it amounts of money in time on it when we should investing in when we should be investing in the going to the thing thats going to be there the and lets there all the time. And lets just the energy just one second on the Energy Security, that security, those waves, that tide, solar, wind tide, that solar, that wind cannot be interrupted by putin. You know, we get Energy Security i so you dont you dont think we can reach net zero and increase our gas capacity . I dont think we should be doing it. Its reversing what we should be doing. Look this is all part of a much wider picture as well, which is the enormous opportunity industrially on this planet. We can see where everybody is going towards net zero. They are going get zero. They are going to get there and in order to get towards that, we need industries that supply it. That are going to supply it. This just one part of it, this is just one part of it, the energy system. Needs energy system. And britain needs to we need to bring to get ahead. We need to bring our forward. We to our targets forward. We need to make greater tomorrow make britain greater tomorrow than ever been by leading make britain greater tomorrow thar new ever been by leading make britain greater tomorrow tharnew clean, aen by leading make britain greater tomorrow tharnew clean, industrialding this new clean, Industrial Revolution. And the way we do that investment. Now that is massive investment. Now with ambitious targets and not pandenng with ambitious targets and not pandering to people and pandering away to people and saying, oh, lets row back on a few things and introduce gas again, thats yesterdays tech we tomorrow. We we want to lead tomorrow. We want money for people here. We want money for people here. We want money for people here. We want money our pockets. We want money in our pockets. We need to go forwards this new need to go forwards in this new industrial lead Industrial Revolution and lead it. Backwards. It. Not ray backwards. Its a risk, though, isnt it . Tidal power. It . With tidal tidal power. Very novel , not done a lot of places novel, not done a lot of places around world at least. Wind novel, not done a lot of places arvery world at least. Wind novel, not done a lot of places arvery tested rld at least. Wind novel, not done a lot of places arvery tested. Ld at least. Wind novel, not done a lot of places arvery tested. But least. Wind novel, not done a lot of places arvery tested. But again, wind novel, not done a lot of places arvery tested. But again, the1d is very tested. But again, the wind always wind doesnt always blow. Course ofgem well and of course ofgem as well warning that actually net zero is hit the poorest the is going to hit the poorest the hardest as anyway. Hardest as it stands anyway. Thank gavel, to thank you ed gavel, great to speak you. Leader of the speak to you. Leader of the climate party. Stuff. Climate party. Good stuff. Get now with john lets get more now with john rentoul, chief political rentoul, the chief political commentator for the ind