Caught my eye this week. Dont you make me dizzy from your kisses. Will you take my hand . Its been. Yes. Its all in the name of eurovision. Of course. Thats to come. But before we get started, lets get your latest news with sam francis. Sam francis. Nana, thank you very much. And good afternoon to you. Its and good afternoon to you. Its just after 3 00. The top story from the newsroom this hour. From the newsroom this hour. Former home secretary Suella Braverman has told gb news that rishi sunak needs to urgently change course following what she called dire local Election Results. The Prime Minister has promised to take the fight to labour despite losing 397 Council Seats and losing control of ten councils. Miss braverman says mr sunak must now make bold decisions. Theres no time to change leaders, so the Prime Minister is going to be leading us into the next general election, whether we like it or not. What he needs to do to salvage this dire situation is to accept the enormity of the problem. These terrible. Results, and quickly terrible. Results, and quickly and urgently change course. So make sure that there are meaningful tax cuts that people can feel and benefit from. Put a cap on legal migration. Take us out of the European Convention on human rights so that we actually stop the boats and make sure that we reclaim our streets back from the extremists , suella back from the extremists, Suella Braverman there. Well, meanwhile , transport well, meanwhile, transport secretary mark harper told us today its time to rally around the leader. I think all conservatives now need to get behind the Prime Minister. As the chairman said in his article this morning, and take that message to the country. We see from the analysis the experts have done that. The results show that the position is closer than the polls are suggesting. So its everything is delightful for the next election, and were absolutely up for that fight. Absolutely up for that fight. Staying with news from this weeks local election , sadiq weeks local election, sadiq khan has now begun his third term as london mayor after securing a majority of 275,000 votes over his conservative rival, susan hall. Mr khan has accused the tories of running what he called a campaign of fear mongering and non stop negativity, and said london has rejected hard right wing populism. Miss hall, rejected hard right wing populism. Miss hall , though, is populism. Miss hall, though, is urging sadiq khan to reform the metropolitan police and to make london safe again. Mayor khan says hes excited for the future londoners want to see a change in government and what theyre excited about is the chance of a labour mayor working with a labour mayor working with a Labour Government led by keir starmer. Im excited the last time that happened was 20 years ago and us working together, keir the cabinet, a labour mayor. Londoners will see a transformed city. I cant wait. City. I cant wait. Sir keir starmer says hes determined to win back the trust of voters who have turned away from the labour party over its stance on gaza. They lost some Council Seats to independents and to George GallowaysWorkers Party of britain during the local elections. Pat mcfadden is vice chair of labour friends of israel, and he told us the party will support palestinians in government. But two things have guided our position all along. One is our position all along. One is the one that you just mentioned, which is israels right to defend itself after the appalling attacks on october the 7th that will remain. We will stick up for that. But we also want to see a Better Future for the palestinian people. And if we were to be elected at the coming election , that would be a coming election, that would be a big Foreign Policy priority for us. Us. A ten Year Old Girl has died and four other people have been hospitalised after a house fire in bradford. Emergency services were called to kingsdale drive in the early hours of this morning. We understand a woman and three children did manage to escape the property with non life threatening injuries. The young girl, though, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have now confirmed that fire is not being treated as suspicious. Fire is not being treated as suspicious. In other fire is not being treated as suspicious. In other news, weve suspicious. In other news, weve heard today that a man has been arrested on suspicion of organising people trafficking, people trafficking rather across the english channel. The 38 year old, who claims to be an iraqi, was detained in preston in the early hours of this morning. It relates to crossings that were made in november and december of last year. He made in november and december of last year. He was detained as part of an investigation into an organised Crime Network. Meanwhile, another small boat crossed into uk waters today with at least 50 people on board. It brings the total number of crossings so far this year to now more than 8500. Thats 35 higher than the same penod thats 35 higher than the same period in 2023. Ministers are blaming the increase in numbers on a surge in migrants, they say, from vietnam , and water say, from vietnam, and water suppues say, from vietnam, and Water Supplies are now gradually being restored to thousands of homes in Saint Leonards and in hastings after a weekend without Running Water there. It follows a burst pipe in remote woodland on thursday night. A burst pipe in remote woodland on thursday night. Southern on thursday night. Southern water has issued an apology to customers in east sussex , as customers in east sussex, as more than 30,000 properties suffered their fourth day of disruption. In a statement, the firm have said in the last hour that they do hope the full return of supplies to homes and businesses will happen between now and tomorrow morning. Those are the headlines ill be back in half an hour with another update. Until then, you can sign update. Until then, you can sign up to gb news alerts. Just scan the code on your screen or go to gb news. Common alerts. Thank you sam. Its fast approaching seven minutes after 3 00. Im nana akua. This is gb news. Before we get stuck into the debates over this hour, let me introduce you to Michael Ashers gb news senior political commentator , nigel nelson, and commentator, nigel nelson, and also writer, columnist and journalist. Also writer, columnist and journalist. Emma woolf. Right. So heres whats coming up as a republican rally hits london ahead of the First Anniversary of the king charles coronation is the monarchy still relevant or actually, is it needed then . Sadiq khan wins a historic third term as london mayor, saying he answered hate with hope. We still actually need mayors. And as thousands of migrants flee the uk to reach dublin on the brexit express, which is what theyre calling it , is the theyre calling it, is the rwanda deterrent actually working and after cyclist who crashed into a pensioner avoids prosecution after the 81 year old dies because apparently speed limits dont apply, should they . Plus, women , would you they . Plus, women, would you rather bump into a bear or a man if you were alone in the woods . The results of the viral internet sensation are in, and the result might take you by surprise. As ever, tell me what you think on everything were discussing, go to gb news. Com forward slash uk. Right, lets forward slash uk. Right, lets get started. Lets welcome again get started. Lets welcome again to mike lashes, gb news senior political commentator nigel nelson and also writer, columnist and journalist emma wolfe. Right. So its been a dire weekend for the tories as well, isnt it . I mean, i dont want to laugh. I dont know whether to cry. I think theyre probably crying and a shock loss last night, after labours Richard Parker defeated the tory incumbent , Richard Parker defeated the tory incumbent, andy Richard Parker defeated the tory incumbent , andy street, to incumbent, andy street, to become the mayor of the West Midlands. Meanwhile, of course, midlands. Meanwhile, of course, londons mayor sadiq khan won a third term as mayor of london. Another shock given the levels of knife crime in the capital, some might say, and heres reform uk mp lee anderson commenting on this very subject on my show yesterday. Well, ive got to be careful , well, ive got to be careful, what i say about the labour mayor, i dont want to give him too much of a hard time, but its absolutely useless. Its been a disaster for this country. Its been a disaster for london, and it needs belting out at the next Mayoral Election in four years time. Its an absolute disaster for our capital city, and youll see over the next four years what he does to that city. Rob a motorist blind knife crime will go up, Violent Crime will go up, and therell be sneering away in his ivory tower. And i will keep calling him out. Calling him out. So im asking, do we still need mayors . Nigel . Emma, what need mayors . Nigel . Emma, what do you think . Ill start with you, nigel nelson. Yeah i mean, a lot of people argue that the mayors dont really do that much in london. A lot of us havent seen much from sadiq khan, apart from things we dont really like. And in other parts of the country, they seem quite, quite useful , like andy country, they seem quite, quite useful, like andy burnham and people like that. So what is your view on that . Because lee seems to think that theyre just, you know, grabbing for power. It depends on how you feel about devolution, that if you have devolution and i rather like it, the idea of getting power as near to the people who are being ruled by it is a good idea. So mayors do do a lot. So the so mayors do do a lot. So the london mayor, for instance, is also the police and crime commissioner. Also the police and crime commissioner. Yeah. And the same commissioner. Yeah. And the same goes for the manchester mayor, the mayors in yorkshire. They take on those roles. They deal with transport, they deal with business, the local economy. And business, the local economy. And if it all is working properly , if it all is working properly, it means that local people get their needs met in a way National Government cant do. Thats why i think mayors are really good. They run a combined authority, which means a group of councils getting around the mayor, the mayor chairs it. The councils can vote him down, but it takes a two thirds majority. But youre actually getting everything near to the people who actually actually have to use the services. But doesnt it depend , but doesnt it depend, though, on the style of that london mayor, though . Because if you look at someone like andy burnham, hes on the street, hes there with the people. You hes there with the people. You know, hes hes a visible presence and hes not surrounded by lots of, marketing executives and security cars and all the stuff that you see. Khan. Sadiq khan well, i mean, sadiq is on on the streets, too. I mean, youre absolutely right. He does have some security because of threats against him, but i mean , a lot of politicians but i mean, a lot of politicians do. I mean, thats the that is kind of goes with the job. So he does do stuff. Now, whether you think hes a good mayor or a bad mayor is a sort of different kind of question, clearly londoners thought the local elections that they preferred him over the alternative. Emma woolf. Emma woolf. Well , in theory, emma woolf. Well, in theory, i agree emma woolf. Well , in theory, i agree with nigel. I like the idea of devolution. I like the idea of getting, you know, local management of a of an area closer to the people. But firstly, i dont think most people can name their mayor across the country. We seem to be obsessed with this thing. Weve gone from a few mayors to mayors everywhere, everywhere you can. You know, everywhere you can. You know, everywhere you can. You know, everywhere you can see. And in terms of sadiq khan specifically, im a londoner. I was born and raised in this, in this city, and pretty much my whole life ive lived and worked here. And i can tell you, yes, london is still was pretty much the greatest city on earth. Its a wonderful place, but it has gone downhill rapidly. It has in the last eight years we have seen a real decline and also just a sense of depression and dirt and crime and lawlessness and despair amongst londoners, amongst people who live and work in this city. So i dont think that sadiq khan is good news for london. Its astonishing to me that hes been voted in for this historic third term, where you have good mayors like you say, andy burnham, andy street was obviously no one has said a bad word about andy street. Hes hes obviously, you know, did a fantastic for , job for the west fantastic for, job for the West Midlands, but i think my worry is that these mayors can often just be adding another layer of bureaucracy, another layer. Well, big, big salaries, all of their entourage, all of the thing that surrounds the mayoralty. So i think if you asked, should we keep mayors , asked, should we keep mayors, you know, do we need mayors labour today, after the last three days would say an emphatic yes. And the tories would say an emphatic no. We dont need mayors anymore. You know, we didnt just suffer a massive, massive defeat across the country. Country. Its unfortunate, isnt it . But the tory party, unfortunately, its the way that they have behaved and they have had their own 80 seat majority and have appeared to have squandered it. But we were talking about them in the next houn talking about them in the next hour, next up, the anti monarchy Pressure Group republic are holding a rally in Trafalgar Square this afternoon ahead of the First Anniversary of the King Charless coronation, which is, of course , tomorrow. Are the is, of course, tomorrow. Are the monarchy still relevant, or are they actually needed . Ill start with you, emma woolf do you think . What are you . Are you a think . What are you . Are you a monarchist or republican . A kind of lukewarm , vaguely proud of of lukewarm, vaguely proud of our i dont know. Did we ever need the monarchy . I dont think we actually need them. You dont think . I dont think we need them. But i think do we want them . Is the more relevant question. I dont think that we need these people to live in palaces and to open, you know, garden fetes and to do all of that. I think tourists would still flock to london with or without the palaces , i think. Without the palaces, i think. But what would they come to see if do you mean . Wed have the Historical Context of it, but not them . The Historical Context. You could have other people running them, running, running the palaces if you wanted to. So i dont think we need them. But i dont think we need them. But i do think theres been a sort of change of mood towards the, towards the monarchy in the last. Well, certainly over the last. Well, certainly over the last few months, but in the last few years since the, since the queen died, i think there was a, you know, a real upswelling of affection for her. And then everybodys been surprised by charles and that kind of warming to him. And then, of course, with the two big diagnoses , the with the two big diagnoses, the two big announcements about cancen two big announcements about cancer, i genuinely care and genuinely feel, anxiety and affection for catherine and wonder how she is because we havent heard anything. And with havent heard anything. And with charles two, i think i think, i think the public i think those two. And they dont need to be young and funky and relevant. But i think, you know, the fact that charles is in his mid 70s and catherines much younger. I think people really care about them and want them and want them around. It is an Outdated Institution though. I mean, thats the whole point. I mean, its tradition , of i mean, its tradition, of course, its not meant to be of the day. Its a tradition, i know, but its 2024 and i do have some reservations about these People Living at vast in luxury and wealth at the taxpayers expense, nigel. But but theyre a net benefit in the end, though, arent they . People coming here . They dont cost us anything. Yeah. I go with it with the last bit that emma said that, as as ive said to you before, im not a royalist, but i am a monarchist. But, and i think the monarchist. But, and i think the big the big palace is the amount of land they have, that kind of thing. Yes, thats probably outmoded. No, i dont think outmoded. No, i dont think that, monarch is outload is outmoded. The question comes down to if you didnt have a monarch as head of state, who would you have . So what we have, which tony blair, well, you indeed you could. You could end up with a president. Tony blair, youre absolutely right. So what we have at the moment is we have a non political head of state that makes our constitution run properly. It creates certain anomalies. You need a house of lords to go with that, because you have to keep the hereditary principle all going, because the monarch is hereditary , blair monarch is hereditary, blair tried to get rid of that and found he couldnt for that reason. So if you think your reason. So if you think your head of state needs to be above politics, and especially not a politician , then then there is politician, then then there is no alternative but to have a king or queen. And in a way it sort of makes sense as well, because theyre not worried about finance, so theyre unlikely to be swayed by any sort of bribes or anything like that. They dont get elected. They dont get elected. Theres no elections, so theres no chance that theyre going to try and swindle or do anything. Theyre, theyre theyre naturally by birth. So theyre naturally by birth. So they can either choose t