Her first time on the show as well. She is podcast host and well. She is a podcast host and author. Were going to go back in the day with singer and songwriter lewis, and songwriterjona lewis, and joining me for on the pole is former glamour model nicola mclean. But first, lets get the latest news headlines. Latest news headlines. Youre with gb news. Im sam francis in the gb newsroom. The headunes francis in the gb newsroom. The headlines at seven. Prince harry has said its a great day for truth and accountability. Thats as he was awarded more than £140,000 in damages over phone hacking claims against a tabloid newspaper group, the high court has ruled that there was extensive phone hacking by the mirror Group Newspapers between 2006 and 2011. In response , the 2006 and 2011. In response, the publisher says they apologise unreservedly for any historical wrongdoing. The judge also said wrongdoing. The judge also said journalists were involved in phone hacking at the time. Piers morgan worked for the daily mirror, but the former editor claims he has never hacked a phone or told anyone else to hack phone. As for him saying hack a phone. As for him saying this is a good day truth , this is a good day for truth, the has repeatedly the duke has been repeatedly exposed in recent years as someone who wouldnt know the truth if it slapped him around his california tanned face, he demands accountability for the press, but to accept any press, but refuses to accept any for himself for smearing the royal family, his own family , as royal family, his own family, as a bunch of callous racists without producing a shred of proof to support those disgraceful claims. As 1 million disgraceful claims. As 1 million homes here in the uk could face significant council tax rises as more local authorities face serious gaps in their funding, bradford , cheshire and bradford, cheshire and Middlesbrough Councils have all announced that theyre at risk of effective bankruptcy. It comes a group of six labour comes as a group of six labour mayors called for more emergency funding. They say the governments plan to give £64 billion to councils over the next year wont cover rising costs or demand, but rishi sunak has said that hes put record funding into local areas like middlesbrough over the past yeah middlesbrough over the past year. On average, councils are having about 10 more money to spend this year than they had the year before. The year before. And actually, Middlesbrough Council has even more than that, more national average. More than the national average. And is just and unfortunately, this is just another of a labour run another example of a labour run council thats doing a bad job for residents. For its residents. Mismanaging its mismanaging its finances. You know finances. And actually, you know , thats example of what you finances. And actually, you know , th when example of what you finances. And actually, you know , th when labour le of what you finances. And actually, you know , th when labour in of what you finances. And actually, you know , th when labour in charget you finances. And actually, you know , th when labour in charge andj get when labour in charge and police have said that theres no evidence of Third Party Involvement after a body was found in a river during their search for a missing mother of three, lord went missing three, gaynor lord went missing in norwich last friday. Say that the body hasnt they say that the body hasnt been formally identified , but been formally identified, but her been informed. Her family have been informed. The police force say that they remain open minded about the circumstances her circumstances of her disappearance and will pursue all lines of inquiry. This disappearance and will pursue all lines of inquiry. This is gb all lines of inquiry. This is gb news. Were across the uk on your tv in your car, Digital Radio and on your smart speaker. Now though , back to lee anderson i welcome to Lee Andersons real world. And tonight im joined by former conservative mp jonathan aitken. Jonathan, thanks for coming on the show tonight. Great to see you my friend. Look author, priest, former conservative mp, festive time of the year. Please explain to me how important the nativity plays are that were going to see throughout the schools in this country at this particular time. I think the nativity plays are important. They tell a wonderful story. A story wonderful story. A story originates in lukes gospel, but all these shepherds , angels, the all these shepherds, angels, the birth of a child, wise men , its birth of a child, wise men, its marvellous sort of theatrical stuff, but its also got a deep spiritual message. I wonder how spiritual message. I wonder how many five year olds actually absorb the spiritual message, but still , its all absorb the spiritual message, but still, its all part of the christian faith. Its all part of the historical tradition. So of the historical tradition. So i think we should encourage nativity plays. Please tell me, jonathan, how you get the faith, because i dont got the faith. I class myself as an atheist. I would love to have the faith. I would love to have the faith. I would love to have the faith. I would love to have the faith. I would love to think that there is a better place awaiting us when we when we leave this earth. How do you get that faith . Well, i got it sort of by accident , and its very accident, and its very difficult to explain , john. But difficult to explain, john. But first of all, the message is of faith and hope are all around us, and theyre like wavelengths. Do you tune in and do they mean something to you or not . If they do, in my case, i came to faith really through failure. Um, i once , like you, failure. Um, i once, like you, had a good, promising political career. I was in the cabinet and so on, and then my world fell apart because of my own mistakes. Yep. Went to prison and while in prison, i am didnt sort of have any instant conversion. But i did go back to conversion. But i did go back to some of those old messages , like some of those old messages, like the nativity plays and started to think and read the bible and started to believe that maybe there was something in all this. And then i said, no, no, this is a foxhole conversion. Im just in trouble. Im just praying. But gradually, gradually. See, but gradually, gradually. See, god calls , god speaks, and how god calls, god speaks, and how he does. When you say he speaks, jonathan, does he just pop up on your and have a quick your shoulder and have a quick word or are imagining things word or are you imagining things because , um, i want him to speak because, um, i want him to speak to me, and i guess theres people watching this show want god to speak to them. How does he speak to you . Its different in well, its different in different cases, but a familiar way that he speaks to you is often either a time everythings going rather wrong in your life, and maybe youre suffering from and maybe youre suffering from a bereavement or Something Like that, and god is a god of compassion, and he often speaks in moments when we need compassion and now how does he speak . Perfectly. Good question. Speak . Perfectly. Good question. Um, which there isnt a need speak english. Well, he talks in the language we understand , the language we understand, which may not be necessarily through linguistics. It may be through linguistics. It may be through linguistics. It may be through feelings, it may be through feelings, it may be through emotions. Yeah, but, um, i mean, the most astonishing time god ever spoke to me long after id come out of prison, i was quite successful again as an author and all kinds of things. And suddenly i started to hear this whisper in my ear. I want you to be an ordained priest. And i said back , if its you and i said back, if its you speaking god , please stop speaking god, please stop talking such rubbish. Id be a very bad priest. Um, and then he nagged away through sort of murmurs and then changed it and said, actually, i meant i wanted you to be a prison chaplain. You to be a prison chaplain. Now, that actually made me wake up, because, you know, most people well, not most people. Jonathan, i want to be fair here. A lot of people listen to this, but would say that if youre hearing things in your voices, yes, your head, then voices, yes, in your head, then probably should see probably should go and see somebody. Theyre talking somebody. Well theyre talking rubbish there are rubbish because there are different of voices. Different kinds of voices. Um, i mean, we all have yeah. Um, i mean, we all have the of love. For example. The voices of love. For example. Well, shouldnt we hear well, um, why shouldnt we hear the a spiritual murmur the voices of a spiritual murmur 7 the voices of a spiritual murmur . And its not quite as similar. I mean, i wasnt sort of on the telephone god, but i heard telephone to god, but i heard things sort of saying mysterious murmurs saying, i want you to a priest. I said, rubbish. Yeah theni priest. I said, rubbish. Yeah then i heard murmurs. Its sort then i heard murmurs. Its sort of in the heart saying, i actually think you should be a prison. Is it god, though, or is it just your conscience or or is it the same thing . The same thing . Um, you know, i think, well, its a very good question. Who put conscience into us . Nobody can answer that question. Thats can answer that question. Thats true. Um, and maybe its god. And there are all kinds of ways the voice of god is heard. And im actually amazed now to be a prison chaplain wearing a dog collar. Incredible cant tell you how much of a surprise that is to me. But poacher turned gamekeeper sort of thing, isnt it . If i can say it . Well, yeah, if i can say that, um , jesus christ, if he that, um, jesus christ, if he was roaming the planet today and he was standing for re election , he was standing for re election, would he be in the tory party or the labour party . Neither he was clever enough when he was around to avoid political questions. Rather skilfully, he was asked once a complicated question about taxation. When shown about taxation. When shown a coin , and asked a question about coin, and asked a question about tax and he replied famous words from the gospels render unto caesar the things that are caesars. Render unto god the things that are gods meaning. He wasnt going to get into the business of politics or taxation i what does that mean . Well you can probably well have a view without having a vote or a political voice. Yeah, and his calling was at a higher calling than , uh, the a higher calling than, uh, the traidcraft of politics. So he wasnt going to have anything to do with it, and rightly so. So you think you keep firmly away from yes. And away from politics . Yes. And what about the, uh, when he when he cleared the moneylenders out of out of the house of god . Of the out of the house of god . What all that about . Of the out of the house of god . What of. L that about . Of the out of the house of god . What of course about . Of the out of the house of god . What of course , out . Of the out of the house of god . What of course , because well, of course, because lets lets be honest, the church are pretty quick now on sunday. But not that. Yeah. And, um, taking in thousands of pounds every sunday. Well, i dont think thats money changing, but what he was objecting to was, um , really objecting to was, um, really sin . I mean , god hates sin. Sin . I mean, god hates sin. Whatever kind it is. And the money changers and the temple were. Yeah um, what i think might be regarded now as extremely dodgy and corrupt market traders. They were selling doves to be sacrificed or higher priced things. And he or higher priced things. And he just said, this has no place in my fathers house, the temple. So he he lost his his own temper for the first and only time in the gospels. And cleared them out. Um, but hes against sin in the sin of sort of corrupt extortion by selling things in the temple was wrong in his view. So Christmas Morning people will be getting up, children will be getting up, children will be getting up, children will be getting up very, very early because theyre going to be excited. And for would say be excited. And for i would say we Christian Country we live in a Christian Country still, probably one of the still, but probably one of the last things on peoples minds , last things on peoples minds, most peoples minds, jonathan, when they get up Christmas Morning , how can we morning is christ, how can we change that . Change that . Well, first of all, thats not necessarily true. For example, first thing on Christmas Morning, what im doing at 9 00 is being in pentonville prison, taking the service and preaching or giving a talk. Now, i assure you, the guys who come along to that Service Strange though it may seem, some of them at least are highly receptive to a christian message there. Whatever the bad things theyve done, theyre often deeply unhappy to be separated from their families. Separated from their families. Some of them may have remorse , some of them may have remorse, some of them may not, of course, but still there is a place, even on early Christmas Morning, for reflecting and thinking. We see some of these, these especially the violent criminals and the horrible criminals, the ones that do long jail terms. All of a sudden they go into prison after committing these horrible crimes, sometimes come out in and out and go back in again and commit horrible commit these horrible crimes again in and then find god again in and then they find god isnt that little bit isnt that a little bit convenient . Jonathan yes, for some of these people, it would be true. Be if that was true. Actually a lot of people and actually a lot of people said it. I think about me at the time how very convenient. So and i dont think thats still saying it some 25 years later, but maybe they are , but it but maybe they are, but it doesnt matter at all. Um, because, uh , first of all, god because, uh, first of all, god knows the secrets of all our hearts. Think of the worst criminal you can imagine, even that person. No one has fallen so low and so bad that they fall beneath the reach of gods grace. So even those people who have done. I struggle with that one. Jonathan. Were going to leave it there for the being, it there for the time being, because been a outbreak because theres been a outbreak of socialism in the weve of socialism in the room. Weve got danchuk. Going to got simon danchuk. Hes going to join a moment the yes join us in a moment for the yes or quiz. So now its time for or no quiz. So now its time for the yes or no quiz. Weve got Simon Danczuk a Firm Favourite on show. Welcome back on this show. Welcome back simon. Got jonathan. Simon. And weve got jonathan. Hes with dead hes still with us. Dead easy. You rules. Its hes still with us. Dead easy. You rules. Its a yes you know the rules. Its a yes or no answer. No slippery or evasive its got to be evasive answers. Its got to be yes so were coming up to yes or no. So were coming up to christmas, gents, for the first question. Christmas day , will question. Christmas day, will you pray . Yes definitely yes. Okay for you, jonathan, a political question should we introduce pr voting . No no, no, introduce pr voting . No no, no, i like that answer. Simon christmas is a time when people eat a little bit too much. Im looking at me and you. We probably had a little bit too much. Were going to get much. And were going to get fatter. And on althaea, fatter. Yeah. And on althaea, should have a tax on junk should we have a tax on junk food . No, no. Thats it. Food . No, no. Thats it. And number four, jonathan, have you been a good little boy this year . Try and see. Try and see. Slipped up. Slipped up. Yes , absolutely. Yes, absolutely. Yes, absolutely. Oh youve slipped up as well. So yes. Absolutely. Is not a correct answer. Its got to be a yes or no. This is quite pathetic. Um, yes or no. This is quite pathetic. Um, and yes or no. This is quite pathetic. Um, and fifth and pathetic. Um, and fifth and final question , simon, can we final question, simon, can we get the rwanda plan to work . Yes. Yes. Yes. No. No. No. So i make that actually free for all. So thats not bad. So thats not bad. Actually, youve got four out of five. I say its not bad. Its actually not very good at all because i mean, the quiz is dead easy. Theres easy. Yes or no . Yes. Theres no right wrong answers. Its. Right or wrong answers. So its. Yeah. So do want to go back yeah. So do you want to go back on jonathan. One of the on one jonathan. One of the questions. Guess as a vicar well i guess as a vicar i better go to question and better go to question one and say christmas day. Wonderful day. For anybody whos got a faith to thank god for coming to this world and to say a few prayers for those who love, those who are in trouble, those who a need. And i will do that happily and joyfully. Will you pray for me . Yes, we will you pray for me . Yes, we pray for simon. Yes, simon. Thank you. Well, ill come back on number five. The rwanda, rwanda plan has to be made to work. I mean , your government work. I mean, your government has to get it through and make it happen, you know, so weve seen this week in the house of commons the vote actually went through the, the new bill. Through for the, the new bill. Now my, my, um, theory if you like or my reasoning to support the second reading was yeah, the bills not there in in in total. And we need to strengthen it to, and to vote against the second reading. But he just kicked it out straight we to out straight away. We need to take what weve got and then go through debate now through a proper debate now and try strengthen try and strengthen and strengthen to make strengthen the bill to make sure that because that it does work, because theres point at all, simon, theres no point at all, simon, is voting for something is there voting for something that work . That doesnt work . Absolutely. Weve no, absolutely. And weve been but the been there before, but the public, the majority of the pubuc public, the majority of the public to work and public want this to work and want to happen. So its the want it to happen. So its the will of the people. Parliament has sovereignty. Got to has sovereignty. Youve got to make , i think. Make it happen, i think. Is it a non christian thing . Jonathan no no, i dont think rwanda . No no, i dont think its unchristian. Its unchristian. Um, if id been still in the house of commons, id have had exactly the same attitude as you. Just voiced. Id have voted for second reading. Id have tried to improve it. The reason i think its going to have great difficulty working is because of the legal challenges, are the legal challenges, which are likely still to tie it up, but i likely still to tie it up, but