This is breakfast on. Gb news. If you are heading out and about today, do be careful. That weather is terrible and horrid. Its that weird sort of thing where its like, its. Its not like its really chucking it down, but its i dont know, its like lots of rain. Weirdly, the roads, if youre on particularly the mi was horrific. Was it . I had to i particularly the mi was horrific. Was it . I had to i had to crawl down at sort of 50 miles an hour all the way. I was a bit worried about you because usually stephen is here for 5 am. And it got to ten past, and i was a bit worried. Yeah, it was a real slow journey today, but thats good. Take it slow. Be be careful out on those roads today. I dont know, it was very heavy where i was was it. I dont know about you. Its just loads and loads, loads of surface water. Ive never seen so much. Yeah. Motorways it just hasnt stopped raining, has it . So if you put your foot down, youre going. Youre going to aquaplane, which is very dangerous. So do be careful. Yeah, you be careful. It woke me up. The rain did it so heavy. Yeah, it was lashing it down. It didnt seem that bad, but just somehow, just absolutely covered in it. Yeah. Put drains in the motorway or something. It would. Yeah. Thats not a bad idea. Actually. I dont know something. I dont know how were already getting close to may and this weather is horrendous i know. So many people telling us it was going to be a nice april. I know, cant imagine who, but. And its been horrible. I and its been horrible. I know, i know. Well hopefully that means were destined for a really hot summer. Summer. I hope so , its about time. I hope so, its about time. After last year was a washout. By after last year was a washout. By the time we had a nice summer again. Weve got nathan row on the programme a little bit later, so ill ill be asking him about a nice hot summer, see what he says about. I hope he knows. I hope he knows. I hope im sure he does. Im sure he does. Well ask him. We shall find out anyway. Look, shall we have a look at politics this morning . Lets. Because tory rebels are on the warpath. Following the defection of conservative mp Daniel Poulter to the labour party. Well, according to the telegraph, a group of tory mps are working on a 100 day roadmap to turn around their election chances, which would involve a new policy blitz, and installing Penny Mordaunt as Prime Minister. Well, it all follows the defection of the central suffolk and North Ipswich mp doctor poulter yesterday. Hes a former Health Minister who works part time as a Mental Health doctor, and he slammed the government over failing the nhs. Well, were joined now by political commentator peter spencen political commentator peter spencer. Good to see you this morning, peter. And first of all, just how damaging do you think is dan porters defection . It couldnt be a harder slap in the face when you consider that back in the day, some 40 years ago, the nhs is safe in our hands was a winning slogan for Margaret Thatcher. David cameron reprised it some eight years later, saying the nhs is safe in my hands and now weve got this bloke who knows what hes talking about because , for heavens sake, he because, for heavens sake, he is a practising doctor and hes also, as you say, steve, a former Health Minister, and he says not only is the nhs not safe in tory hands, but it will be safer in labour hands. Safe in tory hands, but it will be safer in labour hands. And be safer in labour hands. And so, as i say, it couldnt come much worse than this. And health really matters to all of us. I mean, lady brighton was on to something in the importance of being earnest when she said, well, health is a primary duty of life. Its not just stuff we read in the papers or see on the internet or whatever, about people sort of spending whole nights in ambulances before they even get into a e. And indeed people, sometimes actually dying because there isnt because they dont get treatment in time. Which of us does not have a story to tell about a friend, a relative , a friend of a friend, relative, a friend of a friend, maybe who who has had a really horrific story now the government, in response to the poulter defection , say, oh, poulter defection, say, oh, well, you know, look, were spending more on the Health Service and were reducing waiting lists doesnt alter the fact that theyre still record length and so for the Prime Minister, things could not be worse. And this, of course , is worse. And this, of course, is in days away from the local elections on thursday when it is confidently predicted that the conservatives will lose hundreds and hundreds of seats and possibly two metro mayors. So weve been hearing in recent days about how sunak has had a reset, a yet another reset, sorting out. Welfare reforms and sorting out. Welfare reforms and getting rwanda through and increasing defence spending. But all that will just be blown right out of the water come friday, when the sums have been done and the tories realise just how bad, how badly the voters judged them. Well, we shall have to wait and see on that one. Peter wont we . You never know. It could go the other way. You never know the other way. You never know until people have their say look. Meanwhile off the back of the defection, theres now this , the defection, theres now this, group of mps trying to, you know, have a 100 day blitz, new policies, 100 days to turn it around before the election and get Penny Mordaunt in as Prime Minister. I wonder how serious thatis minister. I wonder how serious that is and whether that will push rishi sunak to actually call an election forjuly. Call an election for july. Well, of course its always possible that there will be some 50 or so, just over 50 tory mps who actually call for a vote of no confidence, and it could come to that, when it comes to actually a policy blitz under Penny Mordaunt, ive looked at these policies and theyre same old, same old. Theres no getting round it, you know. And then if i were sort of just the archetypal voter, id be thinking, well, i dont know. Thinking, well, i dont know. They promised this stuff before. Theyre promising it now. Now theyve got a different person whos pretty good at holding up swords, but so what . What difference is that supposed to make . Absolutely diddly squat. And i have to say that also, youll be looking at a situation where the voters are, again, going to be thinking, look how many leaders does it take before you take the hint . Many leaders does it take before you take the hint . And, many leaders does it take before you take the hint . And, i mean, it just what it will what it will proceed is yet more tory turbulence, which is why, of course, old hands within the party say, look, just bring him on, guys. This is just total la la la. And what do you think of Penny Mordaunt in all of this . I mean, shes distanced herself from the plotters so far, but do you think she could be the one to unite the tory party and be a game changer in all of this . Well, i mean, she does present a more moderate face or the moderate face of the conservative party, most certainly. And its actually quite interesting. Theres a sidebar from dan poulter. Is that that hes unhappy about the way the conservative, in his judgement, has become more right wing and more nationalist. So in a sense, he is he is the silent man, silent majority finally finding its voice. And it is possible that Penny Mordaunt would be indicative of the personification of precisely that. But were were talking a few months at most before theres a general election. The chances of altering Public Perception of the party within a timescale like that are just zero. Theres just no chance she can do it, however clever she is i okay, peter, good to see you this morning. Thanks very much indeed. Well, if youve got a view on that gbnews. Com yoursay vie, already, where is it, william howard. Morning. Williams been in touch saying, well, if you defect to another party, it should automatically trigger a by election which i think is a fair point. I mean, dan poulter has said he didnt want to do that to his constituents, considering there is going to be probably a general election this year and, which is fair enough, i suppose, but he says hes going to stand down either. Which way isnt he at the next general election . Thats what he would say. Yeah. Well, look, i mean, its interesting. Is it is it its interesting. Is it is it the death knell for the party . Is it not . Is this move to get Penny Mordaunt in as Prime Minister a sensible thing to do for the tories or not . Love your thoughts on all of that this morning. Gbnews. Com yoursay now british troops could be deployed on the ground in gaza to help deliver aid via a new sea route. Sea route. Well, the us has said that no American Forces would go ashore and an Unnamed Third Party would drive trucks along a floating causeway onto the beach. Well, the uk has understood to be considering tasking british troops with this when the aid corridor opens next month. Well, whitehorse sources saying no decision has been made and both the ministry of defence and both the ministry of defence and the israeli army have so far declined to comment. Well, defence editor for the evening standard, robert fox, joins us live now. Good to see you this morning, robert. Live now. Good to see you this morning, robert. And is this morning, robert. And is this something that is wise putting british troops on the ground in gaza . Its something british troops could do and some might say its the sort of thing that british troops ought to do. But we have the terrible cover, as it were, of the american argument that they wont put their troops in harms way. And in this kind of harms way. And in this kind of operation, america has form, america held up going into kosovo in 1999 because they were worried about that force protection. There was very little opposition. Its very strange the way the they operate, theyre very well aware of force protection, by the way, in afghanistan. And yet took huge amounts of casualties when they took over a hot spot like sangin from british forces. Now the wider aid operation i think is going to be a very important and always has been an important part of british forces. But i do understand the reticence of whitehall and particularly number 10, in that they want cover and guarantees. I think one, there must be a un mandate, and i think the israelis, hamas and i think the israelis, hamas and Islamic Jihad must be explained. And what the rules of explained. And what the rules of engagement are , there is engagement are, there is a potential from of vulnerability from either side. And but i from either side. And but i think it can be done. But i think it can be done. But i think britain would want to do it with an ally, and i would suspect that would be a scandinavian and possibly france. Well, couldnt you i mean, why cant it be done . And i dont know quite how these things work, robert, but under the, under the banner of, peacekeeping, i think thats exactly what it would be if they were blue helmets were only talking, i think of a few hundred drivers. Its quite limited , but they its quite limited, but they are, as you rightly read in your in from your intro that theyre going on the beach , they are going on the beach, they are potentially in harms way. Going on the beach, they are potentially in harms way. But im finding this very, very difficult potentially vie thats what happens to soldiers, people in the armed services. You dont expect to be get to get killed or shot , but expect to be get to get killed or shot, but risk is inherent in it. And this is a very good thing. I think lord cameron will want this to happen because it gives britain leverage, and they really want to bring the whole gaza rafah business to a conclusion within weeks. Thats when theyve really got to push the israelis on that, on that, as well as hamas , because they as well as hamas, because they really want it wrapped up and who wants it most of all, joe biden, because he doesnt want to go into a general election campaign. That is the election post the conventions for the presidency. With all this hanging around, still, hes going to have ukraine and hes going to have ukraine and hes going to have ukraine and hes going to have ukraine big time, and hes still got the houthis, but he wants this one, i think, resolved whether hell get it. I resolved whether hell get it. I think its about 5050 at the moment. What is the situation with the aid corridors in in gaza at the aid corridors in in gaza at the moment . Well and i say, well, there is limited access. A certain amount seems to be delivered on the periphery. And im not going to use fancy words because its completely the wrong way to do it, this building, this elaborate, ingenious idea of building an offshore harbour causeway facility sounds fantastic, doesnt it . And weve seen all the grainy black and white films and documentaries and not a documentaries about World War Two and the mulberry harbour after d day , which was such after d day, which was such a success. This absolutely isnt the way to do it. You want a humanitarian corridor from the north and it would have to be the south, considering the bulk of the population. So many of the refugees of the palestinians have now gone to the south, up from egypt, but parties are not willing to do it. And thats what, you know, a robust un would do. You would have would do. You would have guaranteed, humanity in corridors with very robust rules of engagement. Oops. Think of of engagement. Oops. Think of getting that past the Security Council with china and russia having a veto, yeah. Look sort of closer to home, if you like. Robert, whats this about a Hypersonic Missile that were planning to build in the uk . Planning to build in the uk . Well, were were playing a bit of catch up there, but i hypersonics are all over the place, and theres a dreadful fear that the chinese particularly are ahead and the russians have been using. Theyve been quite effective in downing them. But this is why things are so tricky. Its funny , were talking about gaza. I mean, the things are on a knife edge over the next few days and weeks, in, in, in, in ukraine, as we see the battle of the breakout from avdiivka and bakhmut, at this mountain or high place called aslef. Yeah. The problem is its all being done by electronic warfare. Its very difficult to envisage this because somebody who had been on the front line was explaining to me, you know, you put up drones, you put up this, that and the other and you have to go through what he called was an electronic barrier hidden, which is downing a lot of the of the drones on, on, on, on both sides. This is on, on, on both sides. This is why we got the announcement in poland from the, from the Prime Minister is gosh , were getting minister is gosh, were getting into the game. Were very good on certain kinds of weaponry, but we are late on a lot of it. We are although we have global ambitions , were not a global ambitions, were not a global power and we need pals. And i think the reliable powers are emerging to be from the north the nordics, the scandinavians, the nordics, the scandinavians, the baltics, which are small, and poland. Oh, okay. Robert good to see you this morning. Thank you very much indeed. Thank you. Now, at 6 16, lets take a look at some other stories coming to the newsroom. Well, two men have been arrested at a pro palestine protest in london yesterday. Police say one of the men holding a placard with a swastika. The other made a racist remark towards counter protesters. The event, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, was calling for an immediate ceasefire in gaza. Humza yousaf is asking leaders of rival parties to find Common Ground with the snp, as his leadership hangs in the balance. His spokesperson has balance. His spokesperson has ruled out any sort of electoral pact with Alex Salmonds alba party. A spokesperson dismissed this idea as fantasy. It comes as mr yousaf reaches out to political opponents ahead of a no confidence motion expected this week after he ejected the greens from his government and a gold pocket watch beauty as well recovered from the body of the richest man on the titanic, has been sold at auction for a record breaking £1,175,000, as its only been expected to fetch about 150,000. The previous high amount for a titanic artefact was 1. 1 million. For a violin that was played as the ship sank , and the played as the ship sank, and the white house Correspondents Dinner in the us has wrapped up in washington, dc. In washington, dc. Upon arrival, journalists and politicians were met by pro Palestinian Protesters seeking to disrupt the event. President biden made the most of the situation and the dinner by poking fun at his predecessor and president ial opponent, donald trump. Of course, the 2024 election is in full swing and yes, age is an issue. An issue. Im a grown man running against a six year old. Well, donald has had a few tough days lately. You might call it stormy lately. You might call it stormy weather. What the hell . Weather. What the hell . Talking stormy weather. Heavy rain is set to cause disruption in london and across the country this weekend, with network rail warning of cancellations to mainline services. Or. What a surprise. Well yes. Southern, Gatwick Express and Thameslink Networks could be affected from saturday afternoon when rain is set to splash the caphal when rain is set to splash the capital, and today as well. Well , weather capital, and today as well. Well, weather journalist nathan raw is here in the studio this morning. A lot of pressure on you nathan today. Good morning. Good morning ellie. Good morning nathan. Good morning. Good morning. There is morning. Good morning. There is there is a lot of pressure on me this morning, yes. Its going to be rainy. It is very, very wet. Its not feeling like spring at all. Whats going on, nathan . Whats going on, nathan . Yeah, well, we are, as always,