Oh dear. Is anything sacred. Oh dear. Is anything sacred. And as always, please do let us know what you think about those talking points, banning those talking points, banning those phrases is andrew stupid, stupid. Stupid. Me having a third vodka and tonic getting vodka and soda vodka and soda. But yes. Get in touch. But yes. Get in touch. Vaiews gbnews. Uk com. But first, lets get the news with. First, lets get the news with. Aaron very good morning to you. It is 931. Aaron armstrong here in the gb newsroom in the last few minutes. Rishi sunak has insisted he is committed to levelling up but has refused to address speculation. The northern leg of hs2 is to be scrapped. The Prime Minister wouldnt guarantee the birmingham to manchester leg will be completed. He will discuss it though with the chancellor this week with a decision expected before the Tory Party Conference in manchester next week. The planned line to east midlands parkway may also be under threat i this 5mm this kind of speculation that people are making is not right. I mean, weve got spades in the ground. Were getting on and delivering, but across the north, what were also doing is connecting all the towns connecting up all the towns and cities north east to cities in the north east to west. Thats a really important part of how we will create jobs, drive growth across the region, all part of our plans to level up are another good up freeports are another good example that, whether thats example of that, whether thats in or elsewhere, in teesside or elsewhere, attracting investment , new attracting new investment, new businesses coming in. All good examples the government examples of the government levelling up Scotland Yards, calling for changes to how armed police are held to account after dozens of officers have refused to go on firearms duty. Some have stepped back from armed duties after a colleague was with the murder was charged with the murder of chris kaba , who shot in chris kaba, who was shot in south london last year. Mark south london last year. Sir mark rowley has welcomed a review into the situation by the home secretary, says police are secretary, but says police are being undermined by the current system, which is not set up to help them succeed. Suella braverman says officers must have their have the confidence to do their job. Been put on job. The army has been put on standby to fill in the number of nhs appointments cancelled because of strikes in england is expected to surpass 1 million nhs providers estimate the first ever double strike action by Junior Doctors and consultants last week means the country will reach the milestone in figures set to be announced today. The organisations deputy chief executive , saffron cordery, has executive, saffron cordery, has labelled it damaging and demoralising and says behind every day there is a real and human cost. Well are plenty more human cost. Well are plenty more to come throughout the morning here on gb news. Theres also more on our website gbnews. Com and now its back to andrew and. Emily well im here with emily carver, which is a complete joy for me. Its a delight. Yeah. For me. Its a delight. Yeah. And weve got a packed programme and a big issue and were glad weve got some very Strong Political this morning. Political guests this morning. What to hs2 . Emily we what happens to hs2 . Emily we spent. What happens to hs2 . Emily we spent. £19 billion on it spent. £19 billion on it already, potentially another 11 million committed. And the Prime Minister may be about to ditch it , ditch the line from london it, ditch the line from london to manchester in the week. The tories are going to manchester for the tory conference. Thats a great optic. No . Yeah, its a terrible optic, isnt it . And i mean, it was supposed from euston. Was supposed to go from euston. Yeah. It may be going from yeah. Now it may be going from somewhere close to acton in west london. Yeah. So im thinking if it stops at birmingham, whos going to even bother taking that line . Well, it was also it was also supposed to going to leeds as well, but the leeds line was dropped earlier. Now we think were to manchester. Were going to drop manchester. So effectively well be so its effectively well be spending £30 billion to get to birmingham ten minutes quicker. Now, andrew, im not sure where cost benefit analysis where the cost benefit analysis has been good on this has ever been good on this project. Is time to scrap the lot . Well, you see, i dont think it is. But then when i read Michael Heseltine writing in the times weve got to keep, times that weve got to keep, i think perhaps im wrong because i cant possibly be in agreement with because with Michael Heseltine because hes banging hes going to be banging on about back into the about going back into the European Union at moment. So European Union at any moment. So but its but we wonder what you think its think about it because its a big, big story. And of course, andy burnham, the mayor of the mayor of the north, what do mayor of the north, the what do they the king of they call himself the king of they call himself the king of the will make with the north, he will make hay with it. Well, the thing is, keir starmer theyd stick with it. Labour saying theyd stick labour is saying theyd stick with theyd the whole with it. Theyd do the whole thing. But little clip thing. But a little video clip has starmer has come out of keir starmer saying opposite. Not saying the exact opposite. Not too long ago in the house of commons. Mr u turn, mr u turn there. And what do we about and what do we think about gordon brown, prime gordon brown, former Prime Minister . Countries like minister . He says countries like saudi arabia should pay a climate tax. Luck. Are they climate tax. Good luck. Are they going get him to pay that . Going to get him to pay that . Windfall tax on then a windfall tax on countries , saudi countries like norway, saudi arabia, probably all of arabia, qatar, probably all of these Oil Producing countries . These Oil Producing countries . Yeah, im sure theyre going to say sure. Yeah take our money. Gordon he did try and save the world. If you remember, dunng the world. If you remember, during the 2008 financial bailout, and he did actually tell of i did tell the house of commons i did put together plan to save the put together a plan to save the world was to world and what he meant was to save but it slipped save britain. But it slipped because he was , to be fair, a because he was, to be fair, a big key figure in the forming of g and all this. And its not g 20 and all this. And its not a idea, but how do you a bad idea, but how do you persuade saudi to do persuade saudi arabia to do anything dont to anything they dont want to do . I practically, its a nonsense. It is. Its an absolute nonsense. And, you know, the self imposed thinking self imposed absence of thinking that you decide a policy for that you can decide a policy for the world is quite something. The world is quite something. Well, self importance of former Prime Ministers. There is a few like that mr tony blair for one. Yeah. Whos advising dont forget keir starmer. He is the ultimate backseat driver. The ultimate backseat driver. Now, coming up, we are talking about soldiers which are on standby. Its reported more than 100 metropolitan Police Officers have laid down their firearms duties. Yes, this is all over the front pages, actually. This is after a murder charge against one of their colleagues over the death the unarmed man, chris death of the unarmed man, chris kaba year. Kaba, last year. His death sparked well, his death sparked protest the community with protest in the community with his they wouldnt his family saying they wouldnt rest justice. Rest until they got justice. Well by great coincidence, and were delighted. In the studio with former defence with us, former defence secretary liam fox. Liam, the home Suella Braverman home secretary, Suella Braverman straight in there saying that she will ensure that the army, if necessary , step in. Were not if necessary, step in. Were not going to see the army on the streets, though, are we . Isnt this be the sas this going to be the sas undercover involved in Counter Terrorism if there Counter Terrorism work if there is a gap with the police . First thing is to well, the first thing is to go first principle is, go back to first principle is, yeah, the duty first duty of government protect of the government is to protect of the public. They to do public. So they have to do whatever is required to make sure the public are sure that the public are protected. Imagine that the protected. I imagine that the first thing will to to first thing will be to try to get other officers from other forces first. And if the gaps cant filled that then cant be filled that way, then elements might elements of the military might be used for that. The military are always ready. Isnt about getting involved in that. But i getting involved in that. But i think you i think there are some really here really important issues here because as the government has because as if the government has a first duty to protect the public, they need the police to do it. So they the police do it. So they need the police to happy about the rules to be happy about the rules under which theyre operating. Under which theyre operating. And not. And im and clearly theyre not. And im very in line with the prime very much in line with the Prime Minister home secretary minister and the home secretary here that the police need to be sure that theyre following sure that when theyre following the and the training the guidelines and the training that been given , that that theyve been given, that they will be able to operate without being afraid of being in court. I hear that. But people some people will be thinking youve also got to ensure that citizens are protected from Police Officers who make that split second and it wrong. Well, if about shooting a gun, sure. If they are following the rules and the training, thats one thing. And i think this is what the police are saying. We need to be sure that the that we receive and the training that we receive and the training that we receive and the under we operate the rules under which we operate will that when we will mean that when we are taking these split second decisions, were not wondering at the back of our minds , should at the back of our minds, should i or shouldnt i . For legal reasons. Now the police, of course , have to be held to course, have to be held to account for their actions like everybody not sure everybody else, but im not sure that the primary that thats quite the primary point the point that the point here. The point that the police is when were police are making is when were operating within the things that police are making is when were opewere; within the things that police are making is when were opewere taught| the things that police are making is when were opewere taught to |e things that police are making is when were opewere taught to do hings that police are making is when were opewere taught to do ands that police are making is when were opewere taught to do and the at we were taught to do and the rules that are set for us, shouldnt we reasonably expect that we dont end up as a result of cps action in front of the courts . Courts . Is it irresponsible, though, because some people will be looking at this and thinking perhaps its a bit irresponsible of the Police Officers to do this . These officers this . These armed officers to put guns down, to say, you put their guns down, to say, you know what, were not going to be out there and protect. Is it out there and protect. Is it is it reckless . It reckless . It is to a point. I think most people, they signed up for this job. Most people, they signed up for thisjob. Most most people, they signed up for this job. Most people will think that, that they also that, but that they also themselves will be saying, if we are to do our job and protect are to do ourjob and protect the public properly, we need to get the balance right. So its one of these very difficult theres no absolute right or wrong on this. Its a question of degree and the its of degree and the quicker its sorted out, better, because sorted out, the better, because we sure that the we need to make sure that the pubuc we need to make sure that the public protected. Number public are protected. Number one, and we need to keep that at the our minds that the the back of our minds that the governments job is not to protect the police. Polices protect the police. The polices job protect the public on job is to protect the public on behalf of the government. And will do, if theyre will the army do, if theyre bidden home secretary, bidden by the home secretary, will asked . Will they do as asked . They go undercover with will they go undercover with with , if necessary, get with guns, if necessary, to get involved the streets . Involved on the streets . Sure they would if yes, im sure they would if required. Theyre required. But im sure theyre also, say , very reticent also, as i say, very reticent about because that job about doing so because that job is properly done by the civilian police in our country. So its getting getting that like so many things in policy, getting the balance right between ensuring the police are held to account to the high standards , account to the high standards, but also that they feel that they can operate safely without fear. The commissioner clearly has got a problem because hes spoken out morning saying, spoken out this morning saying, look, clarity here . Look, wheres the clarity here . We new clarity on this. We need new clarity on this. I thats right. And and i think thats right. And i that needs to be done i think that needs to be done and done urgently. And done urgently. Do you feel for the army sometimes always asked do you feel for the army so cover es always asked do you feel for the army so cover when always asked do you feel for the army so cover when public ways asked do you feel for the army so cover when Public Services ed to cover when Public Services 90, 9 to cover when Public Services go, go. But is it go, yeah, well, go. But is it its interesting, though, because of course, the army do the casey report did talk about a troubling toxic culture in the mets specialist firearms command. So theres lots of command. So theres lots of answers. Theres lots of answers. Theres lots of questions to be asked about how the met police is functioning. And then you have these Police Officers just putting their guns down and its about 100, we think. Liam, how much could that affect Operational Efficiency . Affect Operational Efficiency . 100 Firearms Officers withdrawing their guns. I suppose that depends. If something happened or shifting is and how many would be on duty at any one time . How that would affect it. But i think its the principle here, isnt it, that that the they are saying if we asked to protect the public using firearms and we have to make these difficult split second decisions, shouldnt we expect that if were following the guidelines that weve set that will not end up in court, that will not end up in court, that that seems to a that that seems to me a perfectly reasonable thing for them if the them to want. And if the guidelines training are guidelines and the training are not making that crystal clear, then needs to addressed. Then that needs to be addressed. Lets talk about hs2. Everyones talking about hs2. Im glad emilys pointed out that keir starmer labour say, well, actually last week there were three different positions taken by labour frontbenchers, but that all. Yeah, but we now that all. Yeah, exactly. In 48 hours. Is that all . Is that all . And emilys found clip of and emilys found a clip of keir starmer saying keir starmer completely saying the what hes saying the opposite to what hes saying now. But should they press ahead from birmingham to manchester . Leeds already gone. Liam leeds has already gone. Liam weve already spent £19 billion on wretched thing on this wretched thing to birmingham. Birmingham. Whats the point of it if we always debates, always have these big debates, dont we, about Public Infrastructure projects because the at the governments are so bad at that. Crossrail yeah, that. Remember crossrail yeah, that. Remember crossrail yeah, that long crossrail that went how long crossrail took and how much crossrail was in now anyone who in fact inflated. Now anyone who uses as the elizabeth line today will say , its the biggest will say, its the biggest improvement in public transport in london. Its not the same, though, is it . Because hs2 has caused so much disruption in so did the government. The government was warned time and time again that the costs were spiralling. So the costs were spiralling. So the costs were spiralling. So the cost benefit analysis just wasnt there. And now its not wasnt there. And now its not even going to the north. Well, so i think the question is , as with all these great is, as with all these great projects, go back the projects, you go back to the victorian theyre always victorian era, theyre always the about about the the same debates about about the long costs. And once long term costs. And once theyre done, people forget what that cost was. I think the thing is, is its the focus has always been on times, how quickly can we get from a to b and, you know, not everyone in the world thinks that life begins and ends in london and how quickly you can to is the measure can get to london is the measure of life. The thing is of quality of life. The thing is capacity how create capacity and how will we create more on the railways to more capacity on the railways to get freight in particular get more freight in particular off the roads and that, i think, is something that we should be focusing the debate on. How does that . Where is it needed that happen . Where is it needed most . And to that happen . Where is it needed most . And to be looking at sequencing any of this that goes ahead. Theidea sequencing any of this th