Production company bannau uk have launched internal investigations against comedian Russell Brand for women have accused the 48 year old of rape and Sexual Assaults during the height of his popularity between 2006 and 2013. Russell brand denies all the allegations and says all of his relationships have been consent, while investigative journalist Mark Williams thomas says more people could come forward. Could come forward. Ive already had one person whos contacted me talk to me about brand. There will be about brand. There will be numerous other people who are contacting either the authority parties or other individuals. Contacting either the authority parties or other individuals. So parties or other individuals. So Russell Brand himself has been very clearly saying that there are things that have happened in the past. He puts it down to a promiscuous relationship that hes had. You know, there is obviously an issue where consent is the question. Is the question. The former Prime Minister, liz truss , has urged the liz truss, has urged the government to cut taxes , shrink government to cut taxes, shrink welfare spending and raise the retirement age. Speaking at the institute for government online event, liz truss has defended decisions made in her mini budget. Ms truss argued its unfair to say that she had had she pursued unfunded tax cuts. She says the government needs to act now before its too late. Late. Situation was urgent last yeah situation was urgent last year. Its even more urgent now. The uk is in a serious and precarious position and there is a real risk of a downward spiral. The National Debt was 525 billion in 2005. By 2022, it had quadrupled. To 2. 5 it had quadrupled. To 2. 5 trillion and its set to top 3 trillion and its set to top 3 trillion within 3 to 4 years as the labour leader says he would seek a much closer trading relationship with the eu if his party wins the next election. Sir keir starmer dismissed suggestions labour planned to join an eu wide migrant quota scheme to tackle migrant crossings. Sir keir has spent the weekend meeting canadas Prime Minister and is expected to meet the french president later this week. Conservatives say labour would accept 100,000 migrants from the eu each year if elected to power. A migrants from the eu each year if elected to power. A man has been charged with trespassing following an incident near Buckingham Palace. Awhad ravioli was arrested after climbing a wall and entering the royal mews area near the palace on saturday. The 25 year old has also been charged with attempted theft from a Motor Vehicle dunng theft from a Motor Vehicle during the same incident. He is appearing at Westminster Magistrates Court today. Magistrates court today. Conservative mp miriam cates has spoken exclusively to gb news about her belief that britains tax system is putting people off. Having children. She says off. Having children. She says shell keep on pushing for more flexibility and options for families. Families. As our country is really an outlier in the way we treat families. And one of the one of the reasons is our the reasons for that is our taxation system. So we dont recognise households taxation system. So we dont recogntaxation households taxation system. So we dont recogntaxation system ouseholds taxation system. So we dont recogntaxation system. Useholds taxation system. So we dont recogntaxation system. So holds taxation system. So we dont recogntaxation system. So itsis in the taxation system. So its actually disadvantageous to have children. And i asked whether theyd redistributing theyd look at redistributing this money so that it was much more flexible. Each family more flexible. So each family could budget, decide how could have a budget, decide how they that money, they want to spend that money, pay they want to spend that money, pay spend more at pay granny, spend more time at home, but have more home, go to work, but have more flexible childcare. But theyre not in that policy at not interested in that policy at the and said, the moment. And as i said, i think this this policy is fairly fixed for this parliament. Welcome pensions minister laura trott says the government cares about families, the priority is families, but the priority is cutting inflation. I spoke earlier about how that was a total focus for everybody in government at the moment and that is the biggest tax any family can get tax cut that any family can get right addition to right now. Now in addition to this , you would have seen this, you would have seen earlier year, done earlier this year, weve done a lot on childcare reform. So trying to make sure is trying to make sure that it is easier out work if easier to go out to work if thats what you want to do. So those are the kind of two things that the government is focussed on at the moment, but respect on at the moment, but i respect that. Is going to be that. Miriam is going to be pushing, you know, further things wants to do. Things that she wants us to do. Leaders say strikes by nhs leaders say strikes by junior consultants Junior Doctors and consultants this week will cause unprecedented disruption for patients. Consult rights in england will walk out for 48 hours from tomorrow with Junior Doctors joining them on wednesday and picketing until friday. The row between the unions and the government is over and working conditions. Over pay and working conditions. Emergency care will continue, but thousands of appointments will be postponed. Many doctors will be postponed. Many doctors are under pressure to address a surge in self harm related deaths in prisons. There have been ten self inflicted deaths in hmp wormwood scrubs between 2018 and 2022. Andy slaughter, the labour mp for hammersmith, believes investigations into prisoners deaths at the west london prison are taking far too long. But the government says its increased staff training on self harm prevention and is working with the nhs to improve Mental Health care. Torrential Mental Health care. Torrential downpours and strong winds caused flash flooding on part of southwest england overnight. Southwest england overnight. Exeter airport was forced to close yesterday after water from flash flooding poured into the terminal, causing severe delays. An airport spokesperson says they have reopened after crews worked through the night to clean up the damage. The Environment Agency has issued several fresh warnings with flooding expected after midnight as hurricane lee travels across the pond from america. This is the pond from america. This is gb news across the uk on tv, on Digital Radio and on your Smart Speaker by saying play gb news. Now back to martin and. Pip now back to martin and. Pip in insulting and laughable. That is how one of Russell Brands accusers has described the comedians response to the Sexual Assault and rape allegations against him. As more women have reportedly come forward with accusations of Sexual Offences dating back as far as 2006. Meanwhile , the chair of the meanwhile, the chair of the women and Equalities Committee , women and Equalities Committee, Caroline Nokes, has said that a criminal investigation should be launched into the allegations on channel 4, where brand worked as a presenter and has announced it has launched its own internal investigation. Now, it must be said that Russell Brand strenuously denies all allegations against him. Well, we will speak to Caroline Nokes in just a moment. But first, lets speak to gb news home and security editor mark white. Mark so this is moving quickly. Calls for a moving quickly. Calls for a criminal investigation. Now, any criminal investigation. Now, any news on that or at the moment, is this just the kind of investigation with the bbc and channel 4 into their own affairs 7. 7 . Well, 7 well, its 7 well, its certainly internal investigation means that both those media broadcasters are under taking as a matter of urgency. As far as a criminal urgency. As far as a criminal investigation on it may be heading in that direction , but heading in that direction, but as of yet , the metropolitan as of yet, the metropolitan police says it has received no criminal complaints to assess with a view to launching a criminal investigation. It has had a conversation with with staff journalists at the sunday times and it plans to reach out again to the sunday times and channel 4 to discuss further the evidence and the allegations that theyve gathered. Likewise as the Los Angeles Police department has said, that it has not received any complaints from any member of the public with regard to Russell Brand. Youll regard to Russell Brand. Youll remember that in that Dispatches Programme on channel 4, where it was alleged that two of the alleged offence took place, while Russell Brand was over living and working in la. As for Russell Brand at the moment, well , hes nowhere to be seen. Well, hes nowhere to be seen. All weve heard from him really is that very strenuous denial of the allegations that have been made against him in that social media post on his Youtube Channel saying that he believes that this is just a Mainstream Media conspiracy. One of his alleged victims , a woman now alleged victims, a woman now called alice, not her real name, has been interviewed on radio four today on womans hour. She said she described the claim by Russell Brand that the allegations are part of a mainstream meme media conspiracy as laughable and insulting. Now, as laughable and insulting. Now, she claims that she entered into a three month relation ship with Russell Brand when she was just 16. She said she felt used cheap, dirtied by that episode. Cheap, dirtied by that episode. And she also said, and this is questioned, i think that the bbc will want to get answers to as a matter of urgency that she was effectively as a 16 year old girl, picked up from school and dropped. Russell brand home address in a bbc hired limousine. That at least is her allegation. So no doubt bbc managers as part of their ongoing investigation, will want to determine if that aspect of whats being alleged is indeed true. Mark, we are understanding, though, that a number of Companies Say they are severing ties with Russell Brand, even though there is no formal Police Investigation yet. But the talent agency, tavistock would terminates all ties with him. Terminates all ties with him. The book publisher bluebird said its pausing all future projects with him. Yes yes. With him. Yes yes. We see this so often in these high profile media scandals where lots of allegations might be made against an individual is not being proven in a court of law as yet. It may never even end up there. But just because big corporations in particular are always very concerned , are always very concerned, learned about the potential for Rapid National damage, you will see that they often then decide science themselves from someone. They may have had a relationship with for a very long time. And youre right, long time. And youre right, bluebird, the publisher, the latest to come forward and say that they are pausing their relationship with Russell Brand for the foreseeable he was due , for the foreseeable he was due, we understand, to publish a new bookin we understand, to publish a new book in december of this year that clearly will not now be happening. Happening. Okay. Mark white, Home Security editor, thank you very much for that. We can now speak to the chair of the women and Equalities Committee, Caroline Nokes. Mp. Thank you so much for nokes. Mp. Thank you so much for joining us on gb news this afternoon. Caroline, where do you stand with this at the moment. 7 the met police hasnt moment . The met police hasnt yet launched a formal investigation, but we know the investigations by the sunday times channel 4 lasted several years. As do you think the met years. As do you think the met police should be moving faster on this . On this . Well, i think the met police need to receive a formal complaint from one of the victims, and that is clearly challenging because victims are quite understandably afraid to come forward. Theyre anxious about the response that there will be to these allegations. Will be to these allegations. And in all too many cases , we and in all too many cases, we see victim blaming and shaming. So im not surprised that the victims are anxious about that. Victims are anxious about that. I would encourage them to come forward. I think what we need to forward. I think what we need to have is a proper formal criminal investigation. These are very, very serious allegations. And it should be happening not just here in london, but also in los angeles , where some of the angeles, where some of the allegations stem from. Allegations stem from. Next question, caroline. Im next question, caroline. Im pushing for a criminal investigation is a logical next step. But do you think that step. But do you think that Russell Brand would get a fair trial now . Theres been this trial now . Theres been this trial now . Theres been this trial by media. How important is that in this next stage of investigation, would you say . Investigation, would you say . Well, yes, i do. And i believe that our judicial system is fair. And there are good reasons why you were tried by 12 of your peers. And so its very of your peers. And so its very obvious that there should be a formal criminal investigation. If a complaint that is brought forward and then that will be down to the cps to decide whether they charge him or indeed, in any case like this, the ultimate decision lies with the ultimate decision lies with the cps. But of course, i have confidence in our judicial system. Its stood the test of time for many centuries. Is there not a risk, though , is there not a risk, though, that because of the media coverage, the social media coverage, the social media coverage, which we know has been so extensive over the weekend , so extensive over the weekend, is there not a risk that if he does end up being prosecuted in a crown court, how is a jury not going to have not seen all that that all that coverage over the last few days . How could they remain impartial while here . Well, every day in courts of law up and down the country, we ask jurors to remain impartial. Im not sure that any of us would suggest that celebrity should act as a cloak of protection for any perpetrate hater in any circumstances. And jurors and i know myself having done jury service very recently, are very carefully in formed and instructed on how they must view evidence, how they must view evidence, how they must view evidence, how they must disregard what they may well have seen on social media or in the press. But i think it is important that we focus on a the nature of the allegations. Allegations. Theyre very serious, but b, there has as yet been no formal complaint to the police. It would take courage for those victims to come forward to the police. I very much hope the police. But i very much hope that they will do so and that they be supported through they can be supported through that whether by they can be supported through th was whether by they can be supported through th was the whether by they can be supported through th was the independent by they can be supported through th was the independent sexual is was the independent Sexual Violence advisors who can support people in these instances. But its crucially important that we uphold the rule of law , the qualities of rule of law, the qualities of justice that we hold so dear, and that we dont let celebs cities, because they may be influential or powerful, get away with things that the member of the general public wouldnt know that wasnt actually the point i was making. What im saying is, if it is a celebrity and its been in the newspapers everywhere, then how is not to have seen is a jury not going to have seen it . Theres plenty it . You know, theres plenty of jurors that during criminal jurors that sit during criminal cases wont ever cases and they wont have ever heard or seen the defendant even heard or seen the defendant ever, from in that ever, apart from in that courtroom. Well as i said, the courtroom. Well as i said, the advice given to jurors in a court and indeed before trial proceedings start is very clear. And i think we must not suggest that our processes should be undermined just because theres been media reporting and social. Media okay. Caroline nokes, chair of the women and Equalities Committee, thanks very much for talking to us this afternoon. Yeah, we have a couple of statements to read out. The bbc spokesman said Russell Brand works for a number of different organisations , which the bbc was organisations, which the bbc was one. Is well known , russell one. As is well known, Russell Brand left bbc after brand left the bbc after a serious editorial breach in 2008, as did the then controller of bbc radio two and said the circumstances of the breach were reviewed in detail at the time. We hope that that that demonstrates that the bbc takes issues seriously and is prepared to act. Indeed, the bbc has over successive years evolved i