To get in touch with the commoner. People like me, probably. But is she turning into labours Worst Nightmare . Well they deny any wrongdoing, but now the police are involved. The heat is being turned up. Well look at that. Will that impact the fact that keir starmer is absolutely to me, positioning himself as a tony blair . Mark two its almost things can only get better. Weve got the union flags, weve got defence spending, weve got positions on trident that put a world of difference between him and Jeremy Corbyn. And yesterday wes saying theyre wes streeting saying theyre going to part privatise the nhs is the labour party a government in waiting, or will Angela Rayner rain on that parade . Well, i want to hear from you. And theres a new way to get in touch with us. Send your views and comments by and post your comments by visiting gbnews. Com your say. Get in touch. Before all of that, its time to kick off the show with your headlines. And its sam francis. Its sam francis. Martin, thank you very much and good afternoon from the gb newsroom just after 3 00. And we start with that story there start with that top story there that martin was mentioning. Sir keir starmer is keir starmer says he is confident that Angela Rayner has not any rules after not broken any rules after Greater Manchester police launched an investigation into her tax affairs. Its over. The sale of her Council House in stockport a decade ago. Questions have been asked about whether she paid the right amount of tax and if it was her main home. Angela rayner, though, denies any wrongdoing. Though, denies any wrongdoing. The labour leader, sir keir starmer, says the investigation by police will reveal the facts. We welcome this investigation because it will allow a line to because it will allow a line to be drawn in relation to this matter. I am fully confident that Andrew Rayner has not broken the rules. She will broken the rules. She will cooperate with the investigation as you would expect , cooperate with the investigation as you would expect, and its really a matter for the police. Really a matter for the police. Staying with that story, defence secretary grant shapps has accused Angela Rayner of double standards and welcomed the launch of the investigation. The launch of the investigation. I think the double standards have been extraordinary, Angela Rayner herself has spent her political career calling people out for exactly the thing that she seems to be doing now. Its not acceptable to ignore it and its not acceptable for keir starmer to say he wont even read reports into it. This is something which is a serious matter. Its something which is a serious matter. Its important that its looked into properly, and i welcome the idea that the police are doing that. In other news, today , the in other news, today, the former managing director of the post office has admitted he should have known that there was a deliberate plan to use charges of theft as what have been described as a sledgehammer , to described as a sledgehammer, to crush subpostmasters into submission. Speaking at the submission. Speaking at the horizon inquiry this morning, alan cook also admitted that he didnt know the organisation was itself prosecuting subpostmasters in about two thirds of cases. It comes as new documents revealed that mr cook had suggested in an email from 2009 that subpostmasters, he said, chose to blame technology when they were short for cash. When they were short for cash. Sir keir starmer has committed to boosting the uks Defence Defence budget to 2. 5 if he becomes Prime Minister that matches the current governments target. The labour leader is visiting a shipyard in barrow in furness, where Nuclear Submarines are being built, and he says that britains Nuclear Deterrent is the bedrock of labours plan to keep the country and said his Party Country safe and said his party was making what he called a generational commitment to defence. The government, though, described as described the plan as a distraction. A man who attacked distraction. A man who attacked and killed another man with a serrated hunting knife in a cornwall nightclub has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 23 years. Jake hill, also injured four others in just 20s outside the eclipse nightclub , causing fatal wounds nightclub, causing fatal wounds to 32 year old Michael Riddiough allen, who intervened to protect others. The judge in the case praised his bravery, calling him a man of exceptional qualities. 22 year old tia taylor also received a three year sentence for manslaughter , and 23 year for manslaughter, and 23 year old Chelsea Powell was jailed for 15 months for perverting the course of justice. And in other news, a 23 year old man has denied murdering a Good Samaritan who died as he was trying to help a stranger, 46 year old Chris Marriott was on a post christmas walk with his wife and two Young Children when he stopped to help a woman who was unconscious in the street. He was then killed when a car ploughed into a small crowd following a disturbance in the burngreave area of sheffield. Burngreave area of sheffield. Hassan jahangir denied the murder and manslaughter of mr marriott, but pleaded guilty to causing his death by dangerous driving. There are serious driving. There are serious shortcomings in the bank of englands Economic Forecasting methods. Thats according to a report by former chair of the Us Federal Reserve, ben bernanke. It found that staff were using out of date software with functions that could be automated, often performed manually. It comes after several of the banks forecasts were repeatedly inaccurate during a penod repeatedly inaccurate during a period of economic turbulence. Period of economic turbulence. Gatwick has been ranked britains Worst Airport for flight delays. Data from the Civil Aviation authority shows that departures were nearly 27 minutes behind schedule, on average in 2023. Luton airport had the second poorest record, with an average delay of almost 23 minutes, and in third place was manchester at almost 22 minutes. And finally , before we minutes. And finally, before we hand back to martin in westminster, concerned children around the world are breathing a sigh of relief today after its been confirmed that the cartoon dog bluey will return for another season. The future of tvs biggest childrens show was in doubt recently, when the fictional heeler family put their queenslander house up for sale, but the series executive producer has told australias abc radio that an upcoming extended episode is intended as a test for a possible feature film. Bluey was the second most streamed show in the us last yean streamed show in the us last year, just behind us drama suits. Good news for us all. Well, for the latest stories , you can for the latest stories, you can sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the code there on your screen or go to gbnews. Com alerts. Now though, its back to. Martin. Thanks, sam. Now lets kick off todays show with the Massive Development in the Angela Rayner affair, and labours deputy leader is now being investigated by police over whether she broke the law when she sold her Council House in 2015. Greater Manchester Police had previously said it would not be investigating the allegations against rayner, but they have acted following a complaint from tory deputy chairman james daley. Well, im joined now in our westminster studio by our Political Editor, chris hope. Chris, welcome to the studio. Always a delight. This has been rumbling on and on and on. But now the old bill are involved and its taken a different turn. It certainly has. It goes back ten years ago, when Angela Rayner had this house, which she sold in 2015, and she and she had a house round the corner with her then husband. But was she living in that house originally in the part of originally in the early part of the decade . And if so, did the last decade . And if so, did she break law by she break electoral law by saying she was living there when in fact shes living round the corner . And this entire corner . This and this entire debate relates to has she not not say where she was living on the on the electoral register . James daly mp hes a local tory mp. Hes been pressing for the police to investigate the reports, in newspapers today that neighbours havent been grilled or spoken to by the police , and they are now the police, and they are now the Greater Manchester police are now saying theyre investigating whether any offences have been committed. Thats big committed. And thats a big deal committed. And thats a big deal, because it means deal, i think, because it means the party having sense the labour party having a sense lost control of this one rather than laying the than laying out all the information had. Angela information they had. Angela rayner and said advice rayner and said shed had advice saying no tax laws are saying that no, no tax laws are broken if it was a second home should she paid Capital Gains tax also a advice tax and also a some advice on whether laws were broken elsewhere that thou is now with the police, it will just take its course, and it could be months and months before we find the labours the end of it. For labours point, should say. They are point, they should say. They are saying that. Angela, welcome to the chance to set the record facts the police. We remain facts with the police. We remain completely confident angela facts with the police. We remain comcomplied� nfident angela facts with the police. We remain comcomplied� nfidethe angela facts with the police. We remain comcomplied� nfidethe rules1gela facts with the police. We remain comcomplied� nfidethe rules atela has complied with the rules at all , and its now all times, and its now appropriate to let the police do its work. Starmer in its work. Keir starmer in barrow. Big deal talking about his commitment the nuclear his commitment to the Nuclear Deterrent, hes had to say we welcome and it will welcome this and it will allow a chance for a line to withdrawn. Number 10 is saying Angela Rayner must come clean. About this grant the thing about this grant shapps said it today. Weve shapps have said it today. Weve been saying this for been saying it on this show for weeks. Feels like a case of weeks. It feels like a case of double standards because here is somebody. Angela rayner somebody. Angela rayner screaming from the rooftops for peoples heads on the conservative side of the house. If they break rules or laws. And yet i found it astonishing when you spoke to keir starmer last week, he said, i dont need to know the details. Youre a barrister. Taken her word. Hes hes taken her word. Hes taken her word for it. And then theres this blended family shes family business. Oh, shes a northern been northern woman. Theres been a feeling that different rules apply. David lammy said apply. David lammy even said that. Apply. David lammy even said that. And yet, clearly, in the that. And yet, clearly, in the eyes of law, they dont. And eyes of the law, they dont. And whats happened here, theyve now lost control of the narrative. Narrative. Thats right. I mean, keir starmer last week when we asked him , didnt we, have asked him, didnt we, have you asked to this written to see this, this written evidence from the tax advice or the other expert advice to show that Angela Rayner is innocent . I didnt to see that id i didnt need to see that id take her word. David take her at her word. David lammy the weekend saying lammy at the weekend saying it, said a northern said criticism of a northern woman is not fair on her. We had Rachel Reeves. I was asking her questions tuesday, she said. Rachel reeves. I was asking her querbacked tuesday, she said. Rachel reeves. I was asking her querbacked angela ay, she said. Rachel reeves. I was asking her querbacked Angela Rayner, ;aid. Rachel reeves. I was asking her querbacked Angela Rayner, etc. She backed Angela Rayner, etc. And today keir starmer has been asked three times should Angela Rayner quit if shes found to have broken the law over the house . He wouldnt say. Have broken the law over the house . He wouldnt say. Wouldnt house . He wouldnt say. Wouldnt answer that question three times. And course, people on times. And of course, people on twitter that when twitter are saying that when angela after Angela Rayner was going after the on breaches of the tory party on breaches of dunng the tory party on breaches of during the partygate investigation, parties when they werent allowed during the covid pandemic, saying how can pandemic, she was saying how can he stay . How can Boris Johnson, for example, stay as Prime Minister just to repeat, of course, just to repeat, angela has completely Angela Rayner has completely denied. Labour denied all allegations. Labour party saying they welcome the chance to set out the facts with the police. Anyway, news the police. But anyway, the news about has about Angela Rayner has certainly big certainly overshadowed a big announcement certainly overshadowed a big aaneir ement certainly overshadowed a big aaneir starmer , whos promised sir keir starmer, whos promised that uks Nuclear Deterrent that the uks Nuclear Deterrent is safe in his hands. And sir keir has spent today in barrow in furness, where his party has said all four new dreadnoughts Nuclear Submarines would be built under a Labour Government. And its a huge shift in policy from the Jeremy Corbyn years, of course, where he was famously opposed to the use of Nuclear Weapons. But sir opposed to the use of Nuclear Weapons. But sir keir opposed to the use of Nuclear Weapons. But sir keir says the weapons. But sir keir says the labour has changed its ways. Commitment ive made here today is really important. I think im the first labour leader to come. Here to the leader to come. Here to the shipyard, here to see the building of the submarines for 30 years and to make a very important general national commitment, which to commitment, which is to the dreadnought submarines, to the continuous dreadnought submarines, to the co the uous dreadnought submarines, to the co the upgrade that are needed to the upgrade that are needed over time. And, of course , over time. And, of course, theres aukus in there as well. So this is a generational commitment. So chris obe still with me in the studio. See the rayner announcement has rained on the parade here because this i felt appears to be the labour party. Sir keir starmer position themselves as centrists, as blairites, as people who care about things that the conservatives perhaps should care about. More like privatising partially the nhs and defence. Hard to find any its very hard to find any real difference between the major parties. Increasingly, labours going on to turf. Labours going on to tory turf. 2. 5 on 2. 5 commitment of gdp spent on defence when its affordable. Thats commitment. Thats also a tory commitment. Owls with keir starmer in estonia for gb news i asked him a question would you Fire Nuclear Weapons this Nuclear Weapons to protect this country . He made clear that the point of a deterrent you point of a deterrent is you dont when use it, but dont say when youd use it, but he it if necessary. He would use it if necessary. Thats Jeremy Corbyn thats what Jeremy Corbyn wouldnt asked wouldnt say when hes asked that question on that very same question on the bbc after became bbc shortly after he became leader, in, in in leader, back in, back in, in in 20 2015. So i think they are clearly trying to show how different they are to the tory party. We had wes streeting on the channel didnt we. Just yesterday he was saying we willingly use the private sector to clear entire backlog of to clear the entire backlog of operations required 7 million or so. Thats never going to happen. But it shows intent. Theyre not going to hide behind dogma to get the best answer for people voters. And people who the voters. And thats they are desperate to thats why they are desperate to win power. Certainly seems like and it certainly seems like they sounding they are increasingly sounding more like the more and more like the conservatives. Talk conservatives. And lets talk about them now, because im joined the former joined by the former conservative neil parish. Conservative mp neil parish. Neil, welcome to the show. Always delight to have you on. Always a delight to have you on. So in 1997, it was things can only get better and it has to be said neil parish, that sir keir starmer is starting to sound a lot like tony blair. Yes, i think he is. I think hes positioned himself in the right place actually, because , right place actually, because, you know, taking politics aside with the russian aggression