Previously leader of welsh labour. The uk has been plagued by industrial action this year. Tonight car workers in america will decide whether they go on strike. It could cost the us economy 5 billion a week. And will House Republicans pass the bill that includes critical aid for ukraine. We will hear tonight from one of americas most senior generals, who wrote an open letter to the speaker, urging him to stand by americas commitments. 50, president biden� s son, hunter biden, has been indicted this afternoon on three criminal counts related to his possession of a firearm. The charges in the District Court of delaware came weeks after the unexpected collapse of a deal with federal prosecutors. The president s son has been open about his struggles with substance abuse, but he is charged in two of these counts with lying about his drug use in connection with his purchase of a colt cobra revolver. The third count charges him with possession of a firearm while an unlawful drug user. The two more serious counts carry maximum sentences of 10 years in prison and 250,000 in fines. Live now to our correspondent sean dilley, in washington. Fork us backward to the original plea deal on the table and by the Special Prosecutor walked away from it . It Special Prosecutor walked away from it . ,. ,. ,. Special prosecutor walked away from it . ,. It . It is quite an important point. Everybody it . It is quite an important point. Everybody sees it . It is quite an important point. Everybody sees the it . It is quite an important point. Everybody sees the case it . It is quite an important point. Everybody sees the case that everybody sees the case that collapsed as being the same case because although it theoretically wasnt, it felt like it was. Hunter biden had agreed with prosecutors that he would plead guilty to two Tax Cheating Charges relating to underpaid tax in 2017 and 18. The Gun Felony Conviction would have been avoided. Theoretically and what the judge was concerned about, that was unrelated because it wasnt included in the plea agreement. But when hunter biden was asked questions on the court, would you be pleading guilty to these tax charges if the deal wasnt done about the Gun Felony Conviction, he said he wouldnt. It was that in some other questions thejudge had wouldnt. It was that in some other questions the judge had about possible immunity to other charges that led to that case to collapse on the 26th ofjuly. They did try to rescue the deal, but that didnt happen. It has to be said quite a bit of political wrangling and calls from Republican Party supporters and those who dont necessarily like his father, joe biden. They were calling for more of an investigation, claiming he was being treated with kid gloves. The Chief Prosecutor in his case in delaware was granted, after asking, extra powers by the us government, it was what they called a special counsel. As we can see, this is the result is a potentially that case collapsing. If it is a headache for his fatherjoe biden, headache for his fatherjoe biden, he is being judged in the court of Public Opinion. He is being judged in the court of Public OpinionPublic Opinion. Indeed, lets pick that u Public Opinion. Indeed, lets pick that up with Public Opinion. Indeed, lets pick that up with our Public Opinion. Indeed, lets pick that up with our panel. Public opinion. Indeed, lets pick that up with our panel. Victoria, | that up with our panel. Victoria, hunter biden has become a bit of a pinata for republicans, the tax investigation, dealing in ukraine, dealings in china, now this. Is there a risk republicans overplay their hand on this . There a risk republicans overplay their hand on this . Good evening, aood to their hand on this . Good evening, good to see their hand on this . Good evening, good to see you their hand on this . Good evening, good to see you. There their hand on this . Good evening, good to see you. There is their hand on this . Good evening, good to see you. There is always i their hand on this . Good evening, | good to see you. There is always a Political Risk politically when you are dealing with a member of the president s family. In the case of hunter biden, he turned himself into a pinata and in the case of these gun charges, those who are very concerned about guns in the United States have been stressing, we have to follow the laws. This is being downplayed by the administration, only had it for a week, he didnt load it. That is not the issue, if you dont treat this as a very serious charge, that this is correct, hunter biden did this, you are sending a signal to the rest of the United States and any other people trying to get guns unlawfully that it people trying to get guns unlawfully thatitis people trying to get guns unlawfully that it is not a big deal, a technicality. It is very important to take this seriously. I dont thing it in anyway inoculate the president from any future issues where some of hunters other issues, with foreign governments, for example, might be called into question. Example, might be called into cuestion. ,. ,. , question. You are a student of olitics, question. You are a student of politics. What question. You are a student of politics, what is question. You are a student of politics, what is going question. You are a student of politics, what is going on question. You are a student of| politics, what is going on here, what is the republican tactic . Trying to draw attention away from donald trying to draw attention away from donald trump, no question in my mind donald trump, no question in my mind the donald trump, no question in my mind. The main complaint that donald trump mind. The main complaint that donald trump and mind. The main complaint that donald trump and his supporters have put forward trump and his supporters have put forward is trump and his supporters have put forward is the Justice System have been forward is the Justice System have been weaponised against him, his supporters and the Republican Party, that the supporters and the Republican Party, that the Justice System is corrupt. The fact that the Justice System is corrupt. The fact hunter biden will now proceed the fact hunter biden will now proceed to trial completely undermines that argument. I dont undermines that argument. Idont know undermines that argument. I dont know enough about the case itself to passjudgment on it. Clearly, if somebody has broken the law inevitably they will face the consequences. How willthat inevitably they will face the consequences. How will that play out forjoe consequences. How will that play out forjoe biden, nobody can tell at the moment. Joe biden himself has not been the moment. Joe biden himself has not been charged, donald trump has been charged with multiple offences and differentjurisdictions been charged with multiple offences and different jurisdictions across the states. I think it does good for the states. I think it does good for the system the states. I think it does good for the system ofjustice in america. That the system ofjustice in america. That people see someone like hunter biden that people see someone like Hunter Biden Is that people see someone like Hunter Biden Is not protected and someone like donald trump is not protected. Because like donald trump is not protected. Because the whole point of the system because the whole point of the system ofjustice, it will administerjustice regardless of who the Person Administerjustice regardless of who the person is. To my mind, as i say, it undermines the person is. To my mind, as i say, it undermines much of the argument we have it undermines much of the argument we have heard from some of the Republican Party over the past few months Republican Party over the past few months. , ,. , months. The bigger issue is for republicans. Months. The bigger issue is for republicans, victoria, months. The bigger issue is for republicans, victoria, is months. The bigger issue is for republicans, victoria, is the i republicans, victoria, is the Influence Peddling and that is where they are making their hay in congress. They allege he went into ukraine and into china and the amount he was paid, he wouldnt have got, unless his father had been the vice president. There werent many in the 0bama white house at the time he didnt see anything illegal in what he was doing, but the appearance of it concerned them . There were a lot of concerns and a lot of flags thrown up by the Treasury Department about some of these transactions. I think that is what all americans need to be curious about, why whether such amazing numbers of transactions for hunters firms and various entities receiving these monies from foreign governments and foreign companies. White with a such a concern for the department of treasury . And i think if, as the president says, nothing untoward happened, there should be no objection to really releasing those records and providing transparency for the American People. Because the country you mention, china and ukraine, they are in the news everyday, these are very controversial places in many camps. And i think getting clarity what happened would be in the president s best interest. Let happened would be in the president s best interest best interest. Let me show you some live pictures. Best interest. Let me show you some live pictures, this best interest. Let me show you some live pictures, this is best interest. Let me show you some live pictures, this is maryland live pictures, this is maryland where President Joe Biden speaking this hour. He has been highlighting the difference between his economic plan today, what we call bidenomics, as he likes to call it. Brace yourself, theres plenty more of this over the next day. 58 of American Voters think the Biden Administration has made the economy worse. This is part of a new concerted push to not only define what the president s agender is, but why, in his view, it is working. Its about investing in american. Investing in an american, investing in americans. American people. Its about growing the economy from the middle out and bottom up instead of the top down because when the middle class does well, the poor have a ladder up and the wealthy still do very well. Im a capitalist, if you guys go out here and make 1 billion, go get it. Just pay a little bit more in taxes. Laughter but this speech in, maryland, comes in the shadows of a looming Government Shutdown if republicans in the house cannot decide how to fund the government when the money runs out, the end of september. They have 8 days to avoid shutdown. Also pending a first strike in years on the factory lines of the big three car makers. A strike like that would be a 5 billion hit to the economy in just 10 days. Political peril. Heres the president of the Union Auto Workers shawn fain. We will not allow the big three continue dragging out negotiations for months. The big three can afford to immediately give us our fair share. If they choose not to, then they are choosing to strike themselves and we are not afraid to take action. He has called himself the most pro Union President in history but a strike would harm the economy and he wants to avoid that when hes making the case about having a firm hand on the case about having a firm hand on the tiller . , the case about having a firm hand on the tiller . ,. ,. The tiller . Clearly, people have the riaht the tiller . Clearly, people have the ri. Ht to the tiller . Clearly, people have the right to strike. The tiller . Clearly, people have the right to strike. It the tiller . Clearly, people have the right to strike. It is the tiller . Clearly, people have the right to strike. It is rare the tiller . Clearly, people have the right to strike. It is rare these right to strike. It is rare these days, right to strike. It is rare these days, but right to strike. It is rare these days, but we can see the anger from the representative from the uaw there the representative from the uaw there. The government has to get involved there. The government has to get involved to there. The government has to get involved to sort it out, but that is not how involved to sort it out, but that is not how it involved to sort it out, but that is not how it works in the us. We have seen not how it works in the us. We have seen Inflation Rates rise over the past seen Inflation Rates rise over the past two seen Inflation Rates rise over the past two years and people have seen prices past two years and people have seen prices go past two years and people have seen prices go up but they havent seen their prices go up but they havent seen their wages necessarily keeping up with inflation. So inevitably they et with inflation. So inevitably they get to with inflation. So inevitably they get to a with inflation. So inevitably they get to a situation where people are going get to a situation where people are going to get to a situation where people are going to see a strike is something they need going to see a strike is something they need to do. People dont take these they need to do. People dont take these decisions very easily. If you io these decisions very easily. If you go on these decisions very easily. If you go on strike, you lose money. If you io go on strike, you lose money. If you go on go on strike, you lose money. If you go on strike go on strike, you lose money. If you go on strike for a long time, like the Miners Go On Strike for a long time, like the miners strike in 1984, nine months the miners strike in 1984, nine months it the miners strike in 1984, nine months it lasted. Longer than that, when months it lasted. Longer than that, when i months it lasted. Longer than that, when i think about it and people were when i think about it and people were not when i think about it and people were not paid. It is quite a difficult were not paid. It is quite a difficult decision to go on strike. It is difficult decision to go on strike. It is the difficult decision to go on strike. It is the first strike since the 19905 in the car industry in america. I was listening to the union boss earlier and all the arguments he makes, you might hear from the rmt here in the uk, it is about Cost Of Living, Cost Of Living allowance, it is about wages keeping up allowance, it is about wages keeping up with the pace of inflation. It is about a share of the profits. That is the problem that is large across the industry in the west at the moment, workers dont feel they are getting theirfair moment, workers dont feel they are getting their fair share . Moment, workers dont feel they are getting theirfair share . It is getting their fair share . It is correct and getting their fair share . It is correct and we getting their fair share . It is correct and we see getting their fair share . It is correct and we see it getting their fair share . It is correct and we see it in getting their fair share . It is correct and we see it in the uk as well, correct and we see it in the uk as well, people feeling the financial squeeze. Well, people feeling the financial squeeze, they want to make sure that squeeze squeeze, they want to make sure that squeeze is squeeze, they want to make sure that squeeze is lessened. Also there is a skill shortage, difficult to get people skill shortage, difficult to get people to work in certain sectors, the care people to work in certain sectors, the care sector is in dire straits, trying the care sector is in dire straits, trying to the care sector is in dire straits, trying to attract workers and that means trying to attract workers and that means inevitably wages will rise. 0ne means inevitably wages will rise. One of means inevitably wages will rise. One of the means inevitably wages will rise. One of the stories i saw behind what is happening in the Motor Industry in america is happening in the Motor Industry in america is the concern about the transition in america is the concern about the transition from the internal Combustion Engine to electric. If you make Combustion Engine to electric. If you make electric engines, you need fewer you make electric engines, you need fewer people to make them. Then the question. Fewer people to make them. Then the question, what do you do with the technology that is becoming obsolete in order technology that is becoming obsolete in order to technology that is becoming obsolete in order to help those workers adapt . In order to help those workers adapt . What you dont do, close and industry. Adapt . What you dont do, close and industry, like the Coal Industry and do next industry, like the Coal Industry and do next to industry, like the Coal Industry and do next to nothing to help the workers do next to nothing to help the workers to adapt. Now is the time, and i workers to adapt. Now is the time, and i think workers to adapt. Now is the time, and i thinkjoe biden is doing this, 0k, and i thinkjoe biden is doing this, ok. This and i thinkjoe biden is doing this, ok. This i