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tv   Good Afternoon Britain  GB News  March 25, 2024 12:00pm-3:01pm GMT

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on monday, the 25th of 12:00 on monday, the 25th of march. britain is struggling to cope with extremism. >> that's according to a damning new report, which says the challenge is leading to an insidious erosion of democracy. we'll to the government's we'll speak to the government's independent counter extremism adviser, dame saira khan. >> answer my friend is blowing in the wind. >> the going green under labour experts now say the party's carbon zero 2030 plan will cost a whopping £160 billion. >> is labour's energy goal realistic or just out of tune .7 realistic or just out of tune.7 >> ed miliband there and a senior scottish parliamentarian, is today threatening legal action against police scotland after they locked one of his tweets as a hate incident. we speak to the msp at the centre of a free speech storm and live pictures here of new york, where the clock is ticking for donald
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trump to stump up almost $500 million in legal costs. now, i'm very interested to hear from dame saira khan . so she's from dame saira khan. so she's written this report, this review into social cohesion, into extremism. she has 15 recommendations missions. now, one of them, we want to get your view on is her suggestion that there should be a 150 metre buffer zone for protests outside schools. now she's asking for this because if you cast your mind back to batley grammar school, where there were a huge number of protests, quite aggressive and intimidating outside that school because the teacher there had shown a cartoon of the prophet muhammad in a classroom. >> and then, of course, he went into hiding . into hiding. >> still is in hiding. >> still is in hiding. >> all of this. the question is, how best do you deal with this
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extremism threat? is the suggestion of an exclusion zone a buffer zone banning protest the best way to do that? we'll be speaking live to dame saira khan herself in just a few moments time, but we want your views on that issue . how do we views on that issue. how do we best tackle the extremism, particularly , perhaps extremism particularly, perhaps extremism that affects our children? >> yes . but that affects our children? >> yes. but first, that affects our children? >> yes . but first, let's get >> yes. but first, let's get your headlines. >> emily, thank you and good afternoon. the top stories from the gb news room. the prime minister says the uk is taking measures to protect itself from the epoch defining challenge of an increasingly assertive china. he says it's after recent cyber attacks which saw hackers access millions of voters personal details and target mps and peers who've been critical of beijing. deputy prime minister oliver dowden is due to address parliament later over the threats , with the prime minister
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threats, with the prime minister insisting the government will stop nothing to protect the stop at nothing to protect the british public. >> we've very clear that >> we've been very clear that the situation now is that china is behaving in an increasingly assertive way abroad, authoritarian at home, and it represents an epoch defining challenge and also the greatest state based threat to our economic security. so it's right that we take measures to protect ourselves, are ourselves, which is what we are doing give some specific doing to give some specific examples, we've our new examples, we've used our new national investment national security investment powers to block investment from china into sensitive technology like semiconductors. our sectors like semiconductors. our national security act and others means that we can take any other steps that we need to . steps that we need to. >> a £200 million of >> a £200 million package of investment aimed at securing the future of the country's nuclear industry has been unveiled. rishi sunak has declared a critical national endeavour as he vows to strengthen the nuclear industry and boost jobs. he's introduced a new fund, backed by £20 million in public money, to support growth in
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barrow in furness. that's the home of britain's submarine programs and a further £180 million a year over the next decade, which downing street says will provide grants to local organisations. >> huge benefits of all of >> the huge benefits of all of this investment and new technologies, including nuclear, is that we're going to be creating hundreds thousands creating hundreds of thousands of new high wage, high skilled jobs. the length of jobs. the length and breadth of the country , many places jobs. the length and breadth of the co high , many places jobs. the length and breadth of the co high wage 1y places jobs. the length and breadth of the co high wage jobs places where high wage jobs are actually at a premium. and that's why i'm so excited about the investment are the investment that we are making today in sizewell and making today in sizewell c and hinkley c, and a third hinkley point c, and a third gigawatt scale project coming down the line after that, and our small modular reactor program, our small modular reactor p|whole, our small modular reactor p|whole new range of energy a whole new range of energy technologies to support our transition to become more energy secure and . independent. secure and. independent. >> shadow wales secretary jo stevens says labour welcomes the move. >> it's the first duty of any government to protect the nation, and our support for the deterrent is total . you know, deterrent is total. you know, it's a cornerstone of national
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security. so we welcome , at long security. so we welcome, at long last, a defence nuclear strategy from the government . we've long from the government. we've long argued for ministers to secure jobs in barrow, for example, and across the submarine supply and into the nuclear sector . into the nuclear sector. >> chilling levels of harassment are posing a serious threat to schools. that's according to an independent government adviser. a review led by dame sara khan will be published today, showing more than 75% of the public feel they can't speak their mind . it they can't speak their mind. it suggests many people feel society has become more divisive , and cites the case of a teacher who went into hiding after showing a caricature of the prophet muhammad during a class . it's understood the class. it's understood the report will recommend a series of measures , including a ban on of measures, including a ban on protests within 150m of schools as energy regulator ofgem says it's to consider a new dynamic price cap based on the time of day. households use their energy. it's launched a consultation on a range of
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opfions consultation on a range of options for the future of the price cap, including a more dynamic cap to encourage consumer flexibility. other opfions consumer flexibility. other options include a targeted cap, which could be based on vulnerability or capping the margin. suppliers can make . margin. suppliers can make. thousands of junior doctors in wales are striking for 96 hours from today. it's the third time they've held strikes this year in their ongoing pay dispute. the industrial action will see appointments at hospitals and gps are postponed across the country . the british medical country. the british medical association is arguing for better pay , insisting doctors better pay, insisting doctors salaries have dropped by almost a third in 15 years. tens of thousands of healthcare workers will receive two one off payments, worth up to £3,000, in recognition of the role they play recognition of the role they play at charities and local authorities. community nurses, sexual health workers , sexual health workers, physiotherapists and other frontline workers at non nhs organisations are all set to receive the payment . last year, receive the payment. last year, more than a million nhs staff
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received two one off payments, alongside a 5% pay rise. the home office is launching social media adverts to deter vietnamese nationals from travelling to the uk illegally on small boats. the government says an increasing number of migrants coming via the channel are from vietnam. new ads building on similar ones already used in albania will be written in vietnamese and set out the risks of being exploited by smuggling gangs , who profit from smuggling gangs, who profit from facilitating small boat crossings . more than 14 million crossings. more than 14 million easter getaway trips are expected over the weekend , expected over the weekend, causing travel disruption for many across the country. the rac is warning that journeys on popular routes could take twice as long as usual, as the bank houday as long as usual, as the bank holiday weekend leads into a two week school holiday. trains will also be stopped as network rail carries out engineering works on the west coast main line between good friday and easter monday. for the latest stories, sign up
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to gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen or go to gbnews.com/alerts. >> good afternoon britain. it's 12:08 and the uk is facing an insidious erosion of its democracy due to an inability to cope with extremism. that's the warning of a damning new report written by the counter extremism adviser , dame sara khan. adviser, dame sara khan. >> now, as part of her review , >> now, as part of her review, dame sara also makes 15 recommendations to help improve social cohesion and also democratic resilience in britain. these include the establishment of an exclusion zone for protests outside schools, and also a five year action plan for tackling extremism . extremism. >> but i'm delighted to say that we can now go live to gb news political editor christopher hope, who is joined by dame sara khan herself, christopher.
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>> tom, emily, good morning. with me now is dame sara khan, who wrote this report. dame sara, thank you for joining us today on gb news. you say that three quarters people can't three quarters of people can't express . what do you mean? >> so what i describe in my report as this phenomenon called freedom harassment, freedom restricting harassment, which people experience which is when people experience or witness threatening intimidatory or abusive harassment either online or offline, which is then intended to make individuals or institutions self—censor out of fear. and so what our polling shows is that around three quarters of the british public feel that they cannot share their personal opinion in public out of fear of receiving freedom, restricting harassment. and you'll be aware that there's been a lot of debate over the last couple of months, even years, about how parliamentarians and those in pubuc parliamentarians and those in public have been public life have been at the forefront abuse forefront of such abuse and harassment . what my report shows forefront of such abuse and harthe nent . what my report shows forefront of such abuse and harthe first . what my report shows forefront of such abuse and harthe first timeat my report shows forefront of such abuse and harthe first time ismy report shows forefront of such abuse and harthe first time ismy rethis shows for the first time is that this is much broader phenomenon is a much broader phenomenon where such as academics is a much broader phenomenon whe teachers such as academics is a much broader phenomenon whe teachers ,;uch as academics is a much broader phenomenon whe teachers , counsellors,amics and teachers, counsellors, journalists, civic society activists , people working in the activists, people working in the arts and cultural sector are
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experiencing this awful kind of freedom restricting harassment, which is not stifling which is not only stifling individual liberty, but it's undermining social cohesion and eroding democratic rights and freedoms in our society. it's the chilling effect, the kind of chilling effect, isn't it, on our democracy. >> of that? >> what are examples of that? everyday . everyday examples. >> so i spoke to a former leader of , for example, who of a council, for example, who told me that she has received thousands of death threats directly to her, but also on onune directly to her, but also on online where people said online forums where people said that they would gang rape and traffic. her two year old daughter. she makes her two year old sleep by a old daughter sleep by a fireproof blanket because a previous her previous councillor had her property firebombed. i mean, thatis property firebombed. i mean, that is just one out of many examples heard . i heard about examples i heard. i heard about a organisation , a a civic society organisation, a director of an ngo, of a civic society organisation who regularly receives death threats because of her work counter because of her work to counter hate and how her staff hate crime and how her staff have left their work and jobs because of fear of their lives. she has to change route to she has to change her route to work because she fears work every day because she fears being i heard constant being attacked. i heard constant examples and again examples like this and again across the board from different professions, really
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professions, and it's really deeply concerning, and it's something have because something we have to do because i erode our freedoms. >> they sound illegal though, making threat against a two making a threat against a two year old child to deport them or get out country , get them out of the country, that surely must be an illegal threat. >> well, i think many of the cases i saw, i think they are. but what many victims, again, they told me repeatedly, was that the police are saying this hasn't crossed any criminal threshold. it might be because some of this behaviour is taking place is place on online forums and is not being sent to the not being sent directly to the victim. lessen the victim. that doesn't lessen the impact on victims who are seeing this behaviour online that's being directed at towards them. so again, this is why i'm saying, as one of my recommendations to the government, that all 39 government, is that all 39 police england police forces in england should have officer who have a police officer who specialises in harassment legislation, malicious communications means as well that are able to provide support to because they are to victims because they are often overlooked and not necessarily even seen as victims often overlooked and not nethisarily even seen as victims often overlooked and not nethis ,'ily even seen as victims often overlooked and not nethis , of even seen as victims often overlooked and not nethis , of this1 seen as victims often overlooked and not nethis , of this harassment.tims of this, of this harassment. >> who are the making >> who are the people making these ? these threats? >> so that's a very good question. and i'm afraid we don't the full picture of
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don't have the full picture of who perpetrators are. who these perpetrators are. it is case that is definitely the case that there are extremists, whether far islamist, sikh. far right, islamist, even sikh. fundamentally and others who are engagedin fundamentally and others who are engaged in this behaviour. but what showing is what my evidence is showing is it's a much phenomenon. it's a much broader phenomenon. it who are it is not just people who are engagedin it is not just people who are engaged in extremism, it's people who have clear people who have a clear intolerance other people intolerance to other people because of their political opinion, of that opinion, because of the job that they . and they have such they do. and they have such a high intolerance, high level of intolerance, they think justifiable to send think it's justifiable to send people death threats or rape threats, in doxing threats, or to engage in doxing behaviour where people upload and personal and share people's personal information a way to information as a way to intimidate other people. and i think trying to understand that phenomenon is something need think trying to understand that phdo>menon is something need think trying to understand that phdo>mencmore.)mething need to do a lot more. >> the targets are people in >> and the targets are people in everyday public life, counsellors, school teachers , academics. >> i think what's so insidious about it is that it's affecting people from all walks of life. so, example , existing data so, for example, existing data shows that seven out of ten journalists afraid to report journalists are afraid to report on certain stories because they are violence are afraid of receiving violence , threats and harassment. now that's going press that's going to undermine press and journalistic freedom in this country, nine where out of ten
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councillors say that they're experiencing harassment and abuse , and abuse and intimidation, and therefore more than quarter therefore more than a quarter are take office are unwilling to take office because of that, that's going to restrict the of restrict the level of representation we have at local government level. there are similar in the and similar figures in the arts and cultural sector and so forth, which all going reduce which is all going to reduce the vibrant of our of our vibrant life of our of our plural democracy. that is something to stand up something we have to stand up and push back against. >> mentioned case >> you mentioned now the case of the school in batley where a teacher had to into hiding. teacher had to go into hiding. for discussing and dealing with and looking at a with the children, a caricature of the prophet muhammad. how many other batley's are there? >> well, i can tell you there have been lots of teachers who have been lots of teachers who have and have experienced threats and abuse. , i had many abuse. i mean, i had many teachers describing abuse. i mean, i had many teaclevel describing abuse. i mean, i had many teaclevel of describing abuse. i mean, i had many teaclevel of fear describing abuse. i mean, i had many teaclevel of fear that escribing abuse. i mean, i had many teaclevel of fear that they jing this level of fear that they have. and a new polling out recently that showed that teachers are very fearful about teaching some of these issues because they worry about the backlash they're to backlash that they're going to experience. the problem we have at is, the at the moment is, is that the department don't department for education don't collect data, collect this level of data, so we actually full we don't actually know the full scale think that this
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scale of it. i think that this is tip of the iceberg. is just the tip of the iceberg. when to the new and when you speak to the new and other unions that deal with teachers, have told me that teachers, they have told me that this is a growing problem. so i think something have think this is something we have to you let's to tackle. and, you know, let's be somebody who be clear, this was somebody who was a lesson that was was teaching a lesson that was part of the national curriculum that off by the local that was signed off by the local authority, and he was hounded that was signed off by the local authorhis and he was hounded that was signed off by the local authorhis job he was hounded that was signed off by the local authorhis job and nas hounded that was signed off by the local author his job and forced jnded that was signed off by the local authorhis job and forced intod out of his job and forced into hiding in our country. in the 21st century. that is totally and utterly unacceptable in a free and democratic society like oui's. >> ours. >> have you met that teacher ? >> have you met that teacher? >> have you met that teacher? >> yes, i have on a number of occasions. >> and is he still in hiding? and is he scared of scared? >> still in hiding. >> so he he is still in hiding. the impact of what happened to him say, him is, i have to say, devastating . it's not just devastating. it's not just impacted it's impacted his impacted him, it's impacted his family, . as i write family, his children. as i write in the report, he suffers from post—traumatic stress disorder because of what happened to him at time of the incident, at the time of the incident, which was exactly three years ago today , he felt suicidal ago today, he felt suicidal because not only because of the incident and the threats to him, but because of the failure of local agencies and authorities
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to help him, which compounded local agencies and authorities to isense m, which compounded local agencies and authorities to isense of, which compounded local agencies and authorities to isense of, of|ich compounded local agencies and authorities to isense of, of suicidalpounded his sense of, of suicidal thoughts on that. >> and a question for my colleague michelle dewberry at gb news. should he get compensation ? compensation? >> well, look, that's a question for him, i don't think for him, really. i don't think i'm to ask him i'm the right person to ask him that. something, that. that is something, you know, that's something that he and legal and i hope he's getting legal advice on that. i just think advice on that. but i just think looking a more looking at this from a much more broader perspective, to looking at this from a much more brofarer perspective, to looking at this from a much more brofar more;pective, to looking at this from a much more brofar more to ctive, to looking at this from a much more brofar more to support to do far more to support academics, , academics, journalists, teachers, people just getting about lives our about living their lives in our free society to ensure that they are not victims. which is why i'm on the government to i'm calling on the government to recognise officially this freedom restricting harassment and to ensure that we have greater support for victims of freedom. restricting harassment, which includes sure which includes making sure that the recognises the victims code recognises victims of freedom and restricting harassment because as is the case with the batley teacher, he was even seen as teacher, he was not even seen as a crime despite his a victim of crime despite his whole overnight. a victim of crime despite his whowas overnight. a victim of crime despite his whowas given overnight. a victim of crime despite his whowas given any/ernight. a victim of crime despite his whowas given any provisions nor was he given any provisions that were set out in the victims code. >> is it a question of teaching materials so you can teach about islam and discuss the prophet muhammad and not get these threats? >> well , let's be very
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threats? >> well, let's be very clear about the lesson he was teaching. lesson teaching. this was a lesson that was is in national was is in the national curriculum. curriculum curriculum. the curriculum encourages to teach encourages teachers to teach about controversial issues like blasphemy, like free speech. and his whole lesson was about you will inevitably come across things that you find offensive. will inevitably come across thing howt you find offensive. will inevitably come across thing how do>u find offensive. will inevitably come across thing how do>u fiidealfensive. will inevitably come across thing how do>u fiidealfensiithat ? now, how do you deal with that? and he obviously he was talking aboutin and he obviously he was talking about in a democracy, you deal with through debate and with that through debate and dialogue. what you don't do is engage and engage in threatening and abusive behaviour, which is, sadly, happened sadly, what exactly happened to him . so again, the whole purpose him. so again, the whole purpose of debate is incredibly of this debate is incredibly important that we cannot allow our differences, no matter how passionate we may feel about some of these issues, that we then descend into a level of extreme threats and violence thatis extreme threats and violence that is totally and utterly unacceptable . and i suspect the unacceptable. and i suspect the vast majority of the public would with that. do we would agree with that. do we need you or someone else to set out is what are british out what is what are british values, what our values are acceptable, acceptable values, what our values are accewhat e, acceptable values, what our values are accewhate, acceptabletable values, what our values are accewhat e, acceptable in le and what isn't acceptable in this kind social media age? this kind of social media age? >> i think to a certain >> well, i think to a certain degree, we know what our values are. >> i what make clear in >> i mean, what i make clear in my is that no matter
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my report is, is that no matter what our differences are, whether no cultural, religious, what our differences are, wheth political.tural, religious, what our differences are, wheth political opinionsigious, wider political opinions and beliefs, we are defined in this country by the hard won rights of democratic rights and freedoms that our country has fought that's fought for centuries. that's what defines us as a nation. that's what marks us out from authoritarian countries. this vibrant plural democracy where, yes, we may hold different opinions, we may passionately disagree on all kinds of different issues. but there disagree on all kinds of differe|a issues. but there disagree on all kinds of differe|a points. but there disagree on all kinds of differe|a point where there disagree on all kinds of differe|a point where ifzre disagree on all kinds of differe|a point where if you start comes a point where if you start issuing death threats and rape threats, totally and threats, that is totally and utterly unacceptable, and by doing are is doing that, what we are doing is undermining the very democratic norms of our country. it norms of our country. and it poses a serious threat to our democracy, which we must push back against. >> and just finally, dame sarukhan, you want a new office for cohesion and for social cohesion and democratic resilience? will that for social cohesion and dem lots:ic resilience? will that for social cohesion and dem lots:ic money? a? will that for social cohesion and dem lots:ic money? wellll that for social cohesion and dem lots:ic money? well i,that for social cohesion and dem lots:ic money? well i, irat cost lots of money? well i, i mean money. >> how do you put a cost on protecting our democratic rights and freedoms? you know, for me , and freedoms? you know, for me, the central problem we have, we have very little intelligence and on this issue. the and data on this issue. the government collecting. government is not collecting. we have in place
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have no infrastructure in place to deal with these chronic, cohesive , these cohesive threats, these insidious threats that are eroding slowly and eroding our democratic rights and freedoms that will affect all of us in this country. basic this country. it's a basic foundational premise, and i think infrastructure that think an infrastructure that this . and that's this country needs. and that's why i'm calling on the government such an office. >> dame sarukhan, thank >> well, dame sarukhan, thank you us on you for joining us today on gb news. heard there news. and you heard there from dame she's very dame sarah. she's very worried about the about our democracy and the pressures wonders pressures on it and wonders whether the government should do more back more to look after us all back to you . to you. >> well, christopher, thank you so much for bringing that really some lines there that some shocking lines there that the school issue the batley school issue is just the batley school issue is just the of the iceberg for the the tip of the iceberg for the problem that could be affecting us across the country. really, really damning stuff there. thank very much bringing thank you very much for bringing it to us. thank you very much for bringing it tithank you chris. what >> thank you chris. what a fantastically woman. fantastically sensible woman. yes, dame saira khan seems and i must from what she was must say, from what she was saying, it does appear as though overwhelmingly the threat is from muslim extremists, islamists . if we take the case islamists. if we take the case of batley, as she said, that is just the tip of the iceberg. when it to threats over when it comes to threats over issues religion ,
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issues to do with religion, religious freedom, blasphemy clearly there are lots of people in this country who would like to see some kind of blasphemy law when it comes to the prophet muhammad , who don't muhammad or frankly, who don't sort of see the need for a law because they can sort of deliver it through social pressure, as we've schools . we've seen in schools. >> i mean, what i found fascinating is the number of teachers who have been in contact with dame sarah, not just those who have experienced sort of the same horrific, incidents as the batley teacher, but ones who are just so self—censoring so that they don't experience that , ones who don't experience that, ones who feel like they can't teach the national curriculum on religious issues and in our industry and in our industry. >> her finding that seven out of ten journalists are worried about writing up some stories or investigating stories , investigating some stories, reporting on them for fear of harassment, intimidation , and i harassment, intimidation, and i can certainly see that must be the case for some journalists . the case for some journalists. if you want to expose, for example, a hate preacher or if
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you want to expose something that's going a mosque that's going on in in a mosque or, or something like that, there probably is a fear that you may be intimidated out of reporting on that story. of course, should not course, journalists should not be intimidated, as we've be intimidated, but as we've seen she's seen local councils she's talking about she's talking about teachers, she's talking about teachers, she's talking about journalists, talking about teachers, she's talking about even alists, talking about teachers, she's talking about even civil;, talking about teachers, she's talking about even civil servants, lking about teachers, she's talking about even civil servants, even cites case a liberal imam cites the case of a liberal imam who had to have police protection because she opposed the burqa. >> now, now, if you're if you're someone who is yourself a muslim, but just not a very, very conservative muslim , if very conservative muslim, if you're one of the more perhaps reformist sort of muslims , reformist sort of muslims, you're just as targeted. >> yeah, there are so many female muslims and also ex—muslims too. yes. who want to speak out and they also have intimidation. we're going to come back to this later in the show. let us know your thoughts about sarah khan had about what dame sarah khan had to but coming to say there. but coming up, we'll to the msp we'll be speaking to the msp member of the scottish parliament threatening to parliament who's threatening to take legal action against police
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scotland a tweet he scotland because a tweet he posted, has been logged as a hate incident. we'll get the lowdown
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welcome back. it's 1224. and labour's plan to decarbonise the grid by 2030 could cost taxpayers an extra £116 billion over the next 11 years. that's according to new analysis. >> yes . and this is the plan to >> yes. and this is the plan to decarbonise the electricity grid. so it's a different goal from the 2050 net zero goal. this is just about electricity generation. but labour's , shadow generation. but labour's, shadow energy secretary has an idea of his own. take a listen. >> so my friend is blowing in the wind. >> the answer. >> the answer.
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>> well , there's ed miliband, >> well, there's ed miliband, the shadow energy and net zero secretary. si king tattooed. not a talent to wind turbines, which clearly a part of the answer, but perhaps a larger part of the answer is getting all of this energy about and around the country. many more, transmission towers and the rest of it, pylons, pylons and nuclear stations as well. let's get the lowdown on it. with george eaton, now the senior politics editor at the new statesman. and, george, thank you for joining us. this is a huge number 116 billion. is it feasible? >> well, labour's always said that much of the investment required to meet that 2030 target will be from the private sector , bringing in investment sector, bringing in investment from there rather than simply from there rather than simply from government , because from government, because obviously they've already reduced the investment. >> they're promising from 28 billion a year to , about 5 billion a year to, about 5 billion a year to, about 5 billion a year to, about 5 billion a year, they're now promising about 24 billion across the whole of the next
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parliament, today , keir starmer parliament, today, keir starmer is announcing that the first investment that gb energy, this new publicly owned energy company, would make, would be in offshore wind. that's an offshore wind. and that's an interesting industry to choose, because at the moment, here's a revealing stats, about almost 45% of the uk's offshore wind capacity is owned by foreign state owned companies , such as state owned companies, such as in. in scandinavia, less than 1% is owned by the uk state. so this is designed to start shifting that balance. >> george. net zero has of course been a headache for the conservative party. lots of different views. some conservative mps want to scrap the target altogether, but it's also very difficult for keir starmer to manage, isn't it, in terms of his own party, you've had trade union voices coming out very strongly, talking about where is this green revolution for jobs and talking about how it's very important to make sure
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that we maintain oil and gas jobs, too, crucially so it's very difficult for keir starmer to keep everyone happy. >> yes , it is, a balancing act. >> yes, it is, a balancing act. and this, this, this green transition is going to define the next decade, not just here but but across the west. and it's important that governments do provide support for , oil and do provide support for, oil and gas industries in terms of making that, that transition. it's also an opportunity in the terms of the jobs that will create. and in the long run, it should , save, save taxpayers should, save, save taxpayers money because we've seen actually a renewable energy boom in the, in the uk, that's allowed the uk to reduce carbon emissions at a faster rate than other g7 countries , and it's other g7 countries, and it's about harnessing that that's disputable though, isn't it, whether it will save taxpayers money because there's been so much analysis of how actually, i think from ofgem itself , the
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think from ofgem itself, the energy watchdog, saying that net zero is going to, hit the poorest the hardest. it all depends. i think how you distribute the burden, doesn't it? it's, it's important that , it? it's, it's important that, that you have an extra oil transition where it's not about , transition where it's not about, the poorest paying the most, but those who those who consume the most energy. so you can look, for instance, at the treatment of, of, of, of private jets for, for instance, or high frequency flyers, people who tend to earn much more than the average, of course, energy in this country is already very expensive. >> it's perhaps one of the biggest reasons why we've seen a lot of industry perhaps go offshore. you look at the countries around the world that are doing the best economically . are doing the best economically. you look at the boom in the united states, largely due to very cheap energy in the united states, i, i just wonder, is the technology going to be there?
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and frankly, is the willingness of local communities going to be there to deliver this enormous shift if we're to believe the labour party is going to win a lot rural seats at the next lot of rural seats at the next election, they're going run election, they're going to run into the same problems into some of the same problems that conservatives have that the conservatives have found over the last ten years in terms stuff terms of getting this stuff built and transmitted. >> yes. i mean , there are two >> yes. i mean, there are two things, aren't there? there's the, nimby opposition to, new energy developments and new housing, obviously, as well. and i think labour have a window of opportunity where if they're as clear as they're currently being in their manifesto in terms of saying we will bulldoze through through obstacles because we believe essential believe it's essential to deliver growth. and if they win, a clear majority at the election, then they will have a window of opportunity to get radical planning reform through through parliament. think through parliament. i think it's essential you move early before you lose momentum. >> you think they >> george, do you think they need to put what they want to do in manifesto? so
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in their manifesto? because so far only said far they've only said we're going planning going to do planning reform. they how. yeah. and they haven't said how. yeah. and this is the problem boris johnson ran into. he said he'd do planning reform. then do planning reform. but then when the specifics came they were his big were defeated. despite his big majority. could keir starmer not suffer ? suffer the same fate? >> yes. i mean you've got to be you've got to be absolutely clear on the on the specifics because as you say, it's something that british politicians, british leaders have talked about for much of the last decade . i mean, i think the last decade. i mean, i think it will i think it's certainly true that the conservatives were undermined by having a lot of nimbys on their own, backbenchers, i think keir starmer will have the authority to impose , discipline on labour, to impose, discipline on labour, though i'm sure there will be some dissenters as well. >> we await to see maybe , thank >> we await to see maybe, thank you very much indeed. george easton there, senior politics editor at the new statesman. yes. >> i just think that when the labour party has its plan, for example, for for, new energy generation, new pylons, new towns, it's not saying where
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they'll go before the election. and if it suddenly wins and then tries to consult on where this stuff after election , stuff goes after the election, they're going to find exactly they're going to find exactly the same problems. every single mp, single labour mp will mp, every single labour mp will say, support just say, yes, we support this. just not constituency , i see. not in my constituency, i see. >> yes, well, you can say all sorts of things before you're elected, can't you? then it elected, can't you? and then it remains what will remains to be seen what will actually be done. but, coming up, to be speaking up, we're going to be speaking to the msp, the member of scottish the scottish parliament at the centre of a free speech storm. you won't believe going you won't believe what's going on . here. on. here. >> good afternoon. the top stories from the gb newsroom. the prime minister says the uk is taking measures to protect itself from the epoch defining challenge of an increasingly assertive china. he says it's after recent cyber attacks which saw hackers access millions of voters personal details and target mps and peers who've been critical of beijing. deputy prime minister oliver dowden is
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due to address parliament later over the threats , with the prime over the threats, with the prime minister insisting the government will stop nothing government will stop at nothing to protect the british . public. to protect the british. public. a £200 million package of investment aimed at securing the future of the country's nuclear industry has been unveiled . industry has been unveiled. rishi sunak has declared a critical national endeavour as he vows to strengthen the nuclear industry and boost jobs. he's introduced a new fund backed by £20 million in public money to support growth in barrow in furness. that's the home of britain's submarine programs . a review, led by programs. a review, led by independent government adviser dame saira khan has been published, pointing to chilling levels of harassment posing a serious threat to schools . it serious threat to schools. it found more than 75% of the pubuc found more than 75% of the public feel they can't speak their mind, and 27% have employed security or moved jobs or house as a result. as part of her review, dame sarah is
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recommending the establishment of an exclusion zone for protests outside of schools. she told gb news victims need more support from police. >> many victims again, they told me repeatedly, was that the police are saying this hasn't crossed any criminal threshold. it might be because some of this behaviour taking place on behaviour is taking place on onune behaviour is taking place on online forums and is not being sent victim . sent directly to the victim. that doesn't lessen the impact on victims are this on victims who are seeing this behaviour online that's being directed at towards them . so directed at towards them. so again, this is why i'm saying, as one of my recommendations to the , is that all 39 the government, is that all 39 police should police forces in england should have a police officer who specialises in harassment legislation, malicious communications as well, that are able provide support to able to provide support to victims because they are often overlooked and not necessarily even victims. even seen as victims. >> and some breaking news just in the boeing ceo and other senior executives are to step down from the aircraft manufacturer amid a management shake up that, of course, following a major incident on board a boeing 737 max plane
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when a panel blew out from the aircraft mid—air in january. we'll bring you more on this story as we get it. for the latest stories, sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen, or go to gbnews.com/alerts
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i >> -- >> good afternoon. britain. it's 12:37, and a number of you have been getting touch up, getting in touch about the interview we had at the top of the programme with dame saira khan, the anti—extremism for the anti—extremism adviser for the government. anthony says well done, dame sarah. at last. someone who tells it like it is. >> yes, there seems to be resounding support for what she had to say. she very had to say. she was very straightforward and accurate with what she was saying. i must say, done dame say, mary says well done to dame sarah. government to
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sarah. the government needs to deal with this issue. it's frightening councils deal with this issue. it's fright seem councils deal with this issue. it's fright seem to councils deal with this issue. it's fright seem to care. councils deal with this issue. it's fright seem to care. iscouncils deal with this issue. it's fright seem to care. iscoiany.s don't seem to care. is it any wonder we can't teachers wonder we can't get teachers into the profession? >> and steve agrees with one of her proposals . angry her specific proposals. angry protesters should not be allowed anywhere or our children. >> that sounds a lot like common sense, steve. thank you very much. keep your views coming in. we'll get to some more in a little but first, yes, little bit, but first, yes, a member of the scottish parliament threatened to parliament has threatened to take against police take legal action against police scotland a tweet he posted scotland after a tweet he posted criticising the scottish government's transgender policy was logged as a hate incident. >> yes . >> yes. >> yes. >> veteran conservative murdo fraser said the force had behaved not just outrageously but unlawfully. there's his tweet choosing identify as tweet choosing to identify as non—binary is as valid as choosing to identify as a cat. i'm not sure governments should be spending time on action plans for either. that's murdo's, tweet , but yes, he says the tweet, but yes, he says the force has behaved outrageously and unlawfully , and indeed he and unlawfully, and indeed he says that it should be legal to express a political view, not to
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be logged as a hate incident. >> but let's join the conservative msp for mid scotland and fife, murdo fraser right now. murdo, thank you for making the time for us this afternoon , when did you first afternoon, when did you first learn that your tweets had been logged hate incident ? logged as a hate incident? >> well, first of all, good afternoon and thanks for having me on, what was really concerning about this incident is i had no knowledge at all that this had been logged as a hate incident . hate incident. >> what happened was the complainer in this case, who turns out to be a trans rights activist, complained to the police. the police logged it as a hate incident. didn't tell me it was only when the complainer then went to make a complaint to then went to make a complaint to the ethical standards commissioner, who is the individual who polices the conduct of parliamentarians , to conduct of parliamentarians, to allege i had broken the code of conduct that applies to members of parliament, the commissioner dismissed that complaint , not
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dismissed that complaint, not surprisingly, but wrote to me, as he always does when there's a complaint to inform me of it. and that was when i became aware . that was in of . that was back in december of last year . at that point, last year. at that point, i wrote to the chief constable of police scotland to express my very serious concerns about what had happened . i still have not had happened. i still have not had happened. i still have not had the courtesy of a response from her, but two weeks ago i received a reply from my local police commander in perth, where i live, saying that i hated it hadindeed i live, saying that i hated it had indeed been recorded. and you know, this raises all sorts of serious issues around freedom of serious issues around freedom of speech because my tweet was not was not directed at any individual . not was not directed at any individual. it was a criticism of scottish government policy on gender issues. and, you know, are we really in a place where opposition politicians criticising government policy are now treated as being guilty of hate incidents? that's not where we should be in a liberal democracy. >> are the police following the law here? must they log these
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types of claims as hate incidents? no there is no law that underpins this. >> now the new scottish hate crime act will come into play on the 1st of april, a week , a week the 1st of april, a week, a week from today. but even under that new there is no requirement new act, there is no requirement on police scotland to log what they call non—crime hate incidents. this is simply a matter of policy by the police. now, the police in england and wales had a very similar policy that they tore up last year following public concern and following public concern and following a number of court cases where it was clear that establishing a hate incident purely on the basis of the attitude of the complainer, which is what police scotland do, was, was deemed to be inappropriate and possibly unlawful in england. so the police in england and wales have torn this up. police scotland, for to for reasons best known to themselves, continued with themselves, have continued with this policy. i am very grateful to the free speech union who have provided legal advice to me, which is compelling and
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comprehensive, and which states that this policy of police scotland is unlawful . scotland is unlawful. >> but that's one of the problems, isn't isn't it, murdo? >> it's all perception . so >> it's all about perception. so if mean to or if i said something mean to or just said something to tom that he then found offensive , he he then found offensive, he could get it logged as a hate incident . yeah. i mean, if we incident. yeah. i mean, if we were in scotland. >> well , this happened to >> well, this happened to theresa may, didn't it, in her conference speech when she was home secretary, someone reported it and it was logged. >> i suppose england has updated, but scotland hasn't. murdo, you mentioned that this hate speech legislation , hate speech legislation, separate from this incident is coming into force in scotland on the 1st of april. now that's some, of course, april fools day, which hasn't escaped the nofice day, which hasn't escaped the notice of many commentators. but what will fundamentally change with regard to that legislation in terms of people's rights north of the border ? north of the border? >> well, the difference will be that at the moment it is an offence to be guilty of what's
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classed as stirring up hatred, but that only applies in relation to one protected characteristic, which is race. the, the offence of stirring up hatred will apply to all protected characteristics that will be sex, gender, transgender identity, disability , religion identity, disability, religion and, and so on. so so potentially that opens the door to a whole range of new offences. but even more concerning, because the police in scotland are running a pubuchy in scotland are running a publicity campaign encouraging people to come forward and make complaints. my concern is the police are going to be deluged with spurious and vexatious complaints . complaints. >> i remember, hence the use of i was there was i remember there was there was quite hoo ha, wasn't i remember there was there was quite over hoo ha, wasn't i remember there was there was quite over humza ha, wasn't i remember there was there was quite over humza yousaf sn't there over humza yousaf potentially criminalising what you say around your own dinner table home and the sort of table at home and the sort of scenario of your grandma being taken away handcuffs because taken away in handcuffs because she a bit she said something a bit backward ? backward? >> well, that's right, of course, you know, anybody can make a complaint and any environment, it could be a private somebody private conversation. somebody could something
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could complain about something that privately and that was said privately and under scotland under the police scotland policy. as it stands, even if it doesn't meet the standard of criminality , they will record it criminality, they will record it as a incident. so as a hate incident. so potentially see potentially we could see thousands of hate incidents being every single day. being recorded every single day. now police scotland have just said within last month they said within the last month they don't have the resources to investigate minor crimes. don't have the resources to investigate minor crimes . so, investigate minor crimes. so, you know, we could have people reporting burglaries , reporting reporting burglaries, reporting vandalism, which are not being investigated by the police because they don't have the resources. at the same time as they have said, they will investigate every single incident a hate crime that is incident of a hate crime that is reported. so you the reported. so you can see the police completely police being completely overwhelmed with spurious accusations against in overwhelmed with spurious acc|publics against in overwhelmed with spurious acc|public eye.|inst in overwhelmed with spurious acc|public eye. people, in overwhelmed with spurious acc|public eye. people, for in the public eye. people, for example, like jk rowling, who's quite outspoken on social media, on gender issues and not having the time and resources to investigate real crimes that actually affect people. >> but murdo, as you say, this is going to apply to all protected characteristics. this isn't just going about, isn't just going to be about, gender or race or sexuality, but
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also philosophy . there was a also philosophy. there was a court case recently that found that veganism is a protected characteristic. if i make a joke about vegans being weedy, am i going to be arrested ? going to be arrested? >> and well, you might not be arrested, but at the very least you'd have a hate incident recorded against you. now who knows what that you know what? what what was thrown what what what was thrown out? what the that are. if what what was thrown out? what tido that are. if what what was thrown out? what tido if that are. if what what was thrown out? what tido if i that are. if what what was thrown out? what tido if i do that are. if what what was thrown out? what tido if i do a that are. if what what was thrown out? what tido if i do a an that are. if what what was thrown out? what tido if i do a an applicationf i do a if i do a an application to the police, for example, say ineed to the police, for example, say i need an enhanced disclosure check , does that show up that check, does that show up that i've incident i've had a hate incident recorded against me? if i apply for a firearms licence, does that shows up against that mean that shows up against me? this what we're not clear me? this is what we're not clear about, from the about, but it is clear from the advice we taken. police advice we have taken. police scotland unlawfully scotland are acting unlawfully as i'm determined to see this policy torn up. >> you very much >> well, thank you very much indeed for your time. murdo fraser, mid fraser, conservative msp for mid scotland and fife. great to speak to you. i guess some people oh well you people will say, oh well you shouldn't say anything on shouldn't say anything nasty on the internet, but that's entirely . entirely subjective. >> i know and as you rightly said, it only relies on what
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said, if it only relies on what the person who has been in receipt of the comment has felt, there's no there's no recourse there. it'sjust there's no there's no recourse there. it's just i think something's nasty. therefore it's going to be logged on your police. >> you said all women should be chained sink and chained to the kitchen sink and do the ironing. could i then say, that's a misogynistic say, oh, that's a misogynistic and that's a hate crime. well, that would be misogyny. get you down incident . yeah, down in a hate incident. yeah, but was joke, see, but if it was a joke, you see, this difficult, this is where it's difficult, isn't a police isn't it? anyway a police spokesman monday, spokesman has said on monday, november, the 20th, 2023, officers received a of an officers received a report of an offensive tweet. gosh, enquiries were carried out and no criminality was established. the incident was recorded as a non—crime hate incident. hate incidents are not recorded against alleged perpetrators , as against alleged perpetrators, as the scottish government said that there are protections in the new act for individuals rights in respect of freedom of expression for the new, stirring up hatred offences . kyrees. let up hatred offences. kyrees. let us know what you make of that. >> all non—crime hate incidents . >> all non—crime hate incidents. we're getting to sort of orwellian. orwellian here, we're getting to sort of orweitian. orwellian here, we're getting to sort of orweit ?�*|. orwellian here, we're getting to sort of orweit ? it's orwellian here, we're getting to sort of orweit ? it's just�*rwellian here, we're getting to sort of orweit ? it's just very,ian here, we're getting to sort of orweit ? it's just very, very ere, isn't it? it's just very, very pretend. is this a thought crime
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or a non crime? >> what do you do when you can't solve real crime? you solve non crimes. coming up, shocking new figures crimes. coming up, shocking new figurefighting deportation from been fighting deportation from the uk received more than £70 million in legal aid in just five years as well. >> much more on that after this short .
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break. good afternoon. britain. it is 10 to 1. and migrants who've been fighting deportation from the united kingdom received more than £70 million in legal aid over just five years. yes. >> new figures show that legal costs totalled £71 million between 2019 and 2023. that's about £38,000 a day. >> well, a huge asylum backlog puts further pressure on the government, with hundreds of illegal immigrants arriving every single week. channel
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crossings have grown by about 10% to this time, compared with last year, although last year was lower than the year before . was lower than the year before. but the figure has already exceeded 4000 this year. >> well, let's speak to human rights lawyer david. hey, david, thank you very much for joining us. great to speak to you again, lots of people will look at this figure and be quite shocked. £71 million spent on essentially fighting deportations , good fighting deportations, good afternoon to you both. i mean, i'd like to say i was surprised, but i'm surprised it's not higher. i mean, one the higher. i mean, one of the things going to things that's certainly going to happen when the rwanda bill becomes which becomes becomes law, which which it will do soon is this it will do soon is that this figure is to significantly figure is going to significantly increase , but i'm not surprised increase, but i'm not surprised at that they're at the figure that they're discussing today because asylum seekers on their appeals are entitled to legal aid. >> and so you think that this bill will increase because it'll be more complicated legal work to challenge, rwanda deportation
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or or that people will be more for just lodging more, more forjust lodging more, more complaints in general lodging more appeals, i think one of the things that you're going to see is that when the, when, when it becomes legislation, you're going a legal going to see a lot of legal actions not just the asylum, actions on not just the asylum, the technical individual asylum cases, but the larger principle on whether it's in contravention with laws and then the with our laws and then the international laws that we have. and i think that majority of that will probably be legal aided, and that means the figure is up and up. is going to go up and up. >> now. robert jenrick and suella this. suella braverman raised this. just two politicians who raised the appeals process the issue of the appeals process , saying that rwanda bill isn't strong enough the merry strong enough to stop the merry go round of legal appeals, i think is what they called it, and you clearly agree then, that this bill is not strong enough to prevent , you know, tons of to prevent, you know, tons of appeals being being launched. absolutely >> i think that's what you know, i said before that that's what what you're what's going to happenin what you're what's going to happen in terms legal fees, happen in terms of legal fees, in work, because in terms of legal work, because
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you're see an awful lot you're going to see an awful lot more. not, know, a more. i think not, you know, a lot challenges with this lot more challenges with this legally larger side, legally from the larger side, but as but also individual cases as well , until there but also individual cases as well, until there is clear precedent or not precedent as to whether or not once this legislation is on the books, whether or not it can be challenged, and if so, how, and that that is coming. that's something that's, you know, a few away we're going something that's, you know, a fe\we're away we're going something that's, you know, a fe\we're going y we're going something that's, you know, a fe\we're going to we're going something that's, you know, a fe\we're going to vmuchioing something that's, you know, a fe\we're going to vmuch see, to we're going to very much see, and so the money's the cost to the taxpayer, i'm afraid, is, is, is definitely going to go up and david, you say that a large majority will be legal aided. >> what's the difference between, claims that between, the sort of claims that can receive legal aid versus those that can't? can any illegal migrant who's just arrived in the uk claim legal aid ? aid? >> i think what you need to i mean effectively, once . so for mean effectively, once. so for instance, if the foreign office basically declines their application, then the answer is essentially yes, and know , essentially yes, and you know, legal aid has always been a controversial area because the legal is available to a lot legal aid is available to a lot of people, which, you know, many understandably would think should be that. we should not be getting that. we remember the case, perhaps, of shamshad obviously not an
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shamshad begum. obviously not an asylum when other asylum case, but when other people , you know, hard people perhaps, you know, hard working british taxpayers can't get aid. legal aid in get legal aid. so legal aid in general needs to have a review. it's long outdated for review, but this is one of the areas where we see, the real problems in legal aid because people that a people are expecting a lot of people are expecting shouldn't be getting it are. and people don't. and people that should don't. and but one thing is for certain, the going to go up. the bill is going to go up. >> wow, wow. i wonder if there's a case for sort of limiting the amount legal aid one person a case for sort of limiting the amchave, legal aid one person a case for sort of limiting the amchave, oregal aid one person a case for sort of limiting the amchave, or the aid one person a case for sort of limiting the amc have, or the amount person a case for sort of limiting the amchave, or the amount ofrson can have, or the amount of appeals they can launch and get legal for that. can legal aid for that. they can fund after fund it themselves after a certain time. but certain amount of time. but thank you very much. human rights david. hey, on rights lawyer david. hey, on that cheery on cheery that cheery note, on that cheery note, , coming up, much more note, well, coming up, much more reaction our interview reaction to our interview with dame saira khan. >> now she's the counter—extremism independent adviser who says that britain is struggling to cope with our extremism problem. we've got so much more reaction to this and indeed her recommendations. much more reaction to this and indeed her recommendations . what indeed her recommendations. what can . change?
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can. change? >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb news. >> welcome along to your latest weather update from the met office for gb news. more wet weather to throughout weather to come throughout this week. not too much today, week. really not too much today, of course. parts of east anglia and east, it is and the south east, but it is a pretty chilly start to the working pressure working week. low pressure sitting just to the west of the uk will be for the next uk as it will be for the next several days. weather fronts pushing far pushing northwards far north—west , seeing north—west of scotland, seeing some bright or even sunny spells. and, mentioned, spells. and, as i mentioned, much in the much of east anglia in the south—east, but everywhere south—east, dry, but everywhere it's damp and it's it's drab, it's damp and it's some fairly breezy as well. some heavy bursts rain across the heavy bursts of rain across the south—west and the wet weather turning over hills turning to snow over the hills across eastern scotland. temperatures here really struggling six seven degrees at best. further south we get best. further south we might get to , maybe 11 or 12 to double digits, maybe 11 or 12 with a bit of brightness in the south—east, still fairly
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south—east, but still fairly chilly for the time of year. and it's really cold it's going to be really cold rain in eastern scotland this evening. snow evening. we'll see more snow over the hills that could cause some problems highest some problems on the highest routes. example , routes. the a9, for example, seeing some heavy snow for a time night. time through the night. elsewhere the rain will tend to ease a good of ease across a good chunk of england wales , and england and wales, and temperatures will fall down to single generally single figures. but generally a dry start for many on tuesday. still pretty cloudy and there is more rain to come, more snow to come for eastern scotland, with chiefly rain at lower levels . chiefly rain at lower levels. but this zone of wet weather then works back across parts of then works back across parts of the midlands into wales and across southeast england. so a much day here, something much wetter day here, something a bit brighter for south wales much wetter day here, something a bi'southwestor south wales much wetter day here, something a bi'southwest england wales much wetter day here, something a bi'southwest england .ilales much wetter day here, something a bi'southwest england . buts and southwest england. but still, although we may get to double of us on the double digits, most of us on the chilly side, that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers sponsors of weather on
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gb news. >> way .
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>> way. >> way. >> good afternoon. britain. it's 1:00 on monday, the 25th of march. shine is accused of a cyber attack on uk electoral records and hacking the data of millions of british voters. >> we have rishi sunak's warning over china's growing cyber threat and the shocking legal aid costs of our migration crisis, it's been revealed that more than £70 million over five years has been paid for migrants fighting deportation from the uk, the uk's top universities are now getting most of their fees from foreign students. is this undermining the prospects of british applicants or subsidising them? we'll be debating if we should introduce a cap on the number of overseas people studying here, and live pictures here of new york, where the clock is ticking for donald trump to stump up almost $500 million for legal costs. >> his property could be seized if he does not stump up that cash. if he does not stump up that cash . we'll keep you updated on
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cash. we'll keep you updated on the latest developments. >> now, this hour, we're debating international students. 600,000 of them came to the united kingdom last year. but some fear it's squeezing out british students from british universities. there's another side to the argument, though, which is they pay a lot more than the brits could it be that they actually enable more places for british students to go to university? yes. >> we're talking about this because the times has revealed today that a lot of our universities are essentially totally financially reliant on foreign students. and of course, they did report not too long ago about how actually , for some about how actually, for some foreign students, they're able to get onto degree courses with far lower results than their british counterparts. is that fair? do we need foreign
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students ? perhaps. do we have students? perhaps. do we have too many universities that are reliant on foreign students? some of them not. you know, of the highest calibre , let's say, the highest calibre, let's say, to be diplomatic only because you went to a good one. what's going here? going on? what's going on here? well the problem is people are sold a lie, aren't they? some people, to people, when they go to university, people university, are too many people going to university? >> it just are we >> frankly, is it just are we over academy pricing? all of our, all of our work. >> but the question is , should >> but the question is, should we have a cap on foreign students in british universities or would that be self—sabotage? let us know. gb views and gb news. >> com well, we'll be debating that and indeed much more after your headlines tatiana . your headlines with tatiana. >> tom. thank you. the top stories this hour. the prime minister says the uk is taking measures to protect from measures to protect itself from the epoch defining challenge of an increasingly assertive china . an increasingly assertive china. it's after recent cyber attacks which saw hackers access millions of voters personal
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details and target mps and peers who've been critical of beijing. deputy prime minister oliver dowden is due to address parliament today over the threats , with the prime minister threats, with the prime minister insisting the government will stop protect the stop at nothing to protect the british public. >> we've been very clear that the situation now is that china is behaving in an increasingly assertive way abroad, authoritarian at home, and it represents an epoch defining challenge and also the greatest state based threat to our economic security. so it's right that we take measures to protect ourselves, which is what we are doing some specific doing to give some specific examples, we've used our new national security investment powers to block investment from china into sensitive technology sectors like semiconductors. >> our national security act and others means that we can take any other steps that we need to any other steps that we need to a £200 million package of investment aimed at securing the future of the country's nuclear industry has been unveiled. >> rishi sunak has declared a critical national endeavour as
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he vows to strengthen the nuclear industry and boost jobs. he's introduced a new fund, backed by £20 million in public money to support growth in barrow—in—furness. that's the home of britain's submarine programs and a further £180 million a year over the next decade , which downing street decade, which downing street says will provide grants to local organisations . as energy local organisations. as energy security minister andrew bowie says it's a bonus forjob says it's a bonus for job creation in parts of the country where they're desperately needed. >> the huge benefits of all of this investment and new technologies, including nuclear, is that we're going to be creating hundreds of thousands of new high wage, high skilled creating hundreds of thousands of new hi length e, high skilled creating hundreds of thousands of new hi length and gh skilled creating hundreds of thousands of new hi length and breadth d creating hundreds of thousands of new hi length and breadth of jobs. the length and breadth of the country, many in places where jobs are where high wage jobs are actually at a premium. and that's why excited about that's why i'm so excited about the investment that we are making today in sizewell c and hinkley point c, and a third gigawatt scale project coming down after that, and down the line after that, and our small modular reactor programme, this is going to create a whole range of create a whole new range of energy support energy technologies to support our transition to become more energy secure and independent.
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>> breaking news this hour, the crown prosecution service has been cleared of wrongdoing in accepting the plea of triple killer valdo calocane without going to trial, a report states. grace o'malley, cooma and barnaby weber, along with school caretaker ian coates, were all killed in june last year in a spate of knife attacks whilst calocane was suffering from schizophrenia. he was sentenced to a hospital order instead of being sent to prison . to a hospital order instead of being sent to prison. his majesty's crown prosecution inspectorate said the correct decision was made in accepting pleas of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility . a review led by responsibility. a review led by independent government adviser dame sara khan has been published, pointing to chilling levels of harassment posing a serious threat to schools . it serious threat to schools. it found more than 75% of the pubuc found more than 75% of the public feel they can't speak their mind, and 27% have employed security or moved jobs or houses as a result. as part
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of her review, dame sara is recommending the establishment of an exclusion zone for protests outside of schools. she told gb news victims need more support from police. >> many victims again, they told me repeatedly, was that the police are saying this hasn't crossed any criminal threshold. it might be because some of this behaviour taking place on behaviour is taking place on onune behaviour is taking place on online and being online forums and is not being sent to the victim. sent directly to the victim. that doesn't lessen the impact on are seeing this on victims who are seeing this behaviour online that's being directed at towards them. so again, this is why i'm saying, as one of my recommendations to the government, is that all 39 police forces in england should have who have a police officer who specialises in harassment legislation, malicious communications as well, that are able to provide support to victims they are often victims because they are often overlooked and not necessarily even as victims . even seen as victims. >> two men have been found guilty of murdering a footballer stabbed to death on the dance floor of a nightclub on boxing day. 23 year old cody fisher was killed shortly before midnight by a masked group at the crane
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club in birmingham in 2022. he died at the scene, 23 year old remy gordon and 22 year old cammy carpenter were convicted today. a third defendant, 19 year old regan anderson, was found not guilty of murder. boeing has announced a major management shake up in the wake of safety concerns. the ceo and other senior executives are to step down from the aircraft manufacturer by the end of this yeah manufacturer by the end of this year. the company has been under pressure following an incident where a panel blew out at 16,000ft on an alaska airlines boeing 737 max in january . the boeing 737 max in january. the home office is launching social media adverts to deter vietnamese nationals from travelling to the uk illegally on small boats. the government says an increasing number of migrants coming via the channel are vietnam. new ads are from vietnam. new ads building on similar ones already used in albania, will be written in vietnamese and set out risks
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of being exploited by smuggling gangs who profit from facilitating small boat crossings . energy regulator crossings. energy regulator ofgem says it's to consider a new dynamic price cap based on the time of day households use their energy. it's launched a consultation on a range of opfions consultation on a range of options for the future of the price cap, including a more dynamic cap to encourage consumer flexibility. other opfions consumer flexibility. other options include include a targeted cap, which could be based on vulnerability or capping the margin. suppliers can make . and some more breaking can make. and some more breaking news into us just now . shamima news into us just now. shamima begum has lost an initial bid to challenge the removal of her british citizenship at the supreme court. it comes a month after the court of appeal dismissed her challenge over the removal of her citizenship . removal of her citizenship. we'll bring you more on this story as we get it. for the latest stories, sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen, or go to gb news .com/ alerts. now back to
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tom and . emily. tom and. emily. >> thank you tatiana. and my goodness that breaking news. how many more appeals does shamima begum have to lose until she gets the message? >> yes. when i saw that, i thought, oh, wasn't it only a couple of weeks ago that we were reporting that she'd lost another appeal. but there you go. >> this one is at the supreme all at the supreme all now lost at the supreme court. further court. there's not much further she can go. >> really? >> emm- e lawyers will >> i'm sure the lawyers will persist. the persist. they did say at the time will everything time they will do everything that not? but that they can, did they not? but anyway, other news, britain anyway, in other news, britain is pointing the is officially pointing the finger at china for a cyber attack in 2021 that access the personal details of 40 million british voters, an accusation that beijing says is baseless and also a smear. >> well, the government is set to slap the key players in the cyber attack with hefty new sanctions. the deputy prime minister, oliver dowden, will warn that several high profile politicians have also been the
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target of chinese hackers . target of chinese hackers. >> well, let's discuss this further with gb news home and security editor mark white. mark, thank you very much. what do we know about this threat and what are we expecting? the deputy prime minister to tell us later? >> $- fin- y that china has >> well, we know that china has become increasingly assertive in what it is doing in the cyber sphere to target the uk. and, of course , individuals within the course, individuals within the uk, as well as organisations . uk, as well as organisations. now, what we're expecting to hear from the deputy prime minister today when he speaks to the house of commons around about 330 this afternoon, will be confirmation that the government believes that beijing was behind a massive attack on the electoral commission in 2021. it was only really discovered in 2022, but that attack led to the details, personal details of some 40
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million individuals effectively the electorate in the uk being compromised , personal details compromised, personal details being out there. but in addition to that attack on the electoral commission , there are also commission, there are also targeting of 43 other individuals, including , we're individuals, including, we're told, parliamentarians. now, some of those parliament koreans are being briefed today on what the authorities know about just what beijing was up to. but clearly it is an escalation. there is real concern. it's not just china. we know that russia, nonh just china. we know that russia, north korea and iran all have active , programs that are all active, programs that are all about spreading disinformation, and trying to disrupt the democratic process in the uk and other western countries. but china today will be called out
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specifically . we heard a little specifically. we heard a little earlier from the prime minister, rishi sunak, who said that this was a significant challenge that the uk is facing now. >> we've been very clear that the situation now is that china is behaving in an increasingly assertive way abroad, authoritarian at home, and it represents an epoch defining challenge and also the greatest state based threat to our economic security. so it's right that we take measures to protect ourselves, which is what are ourselves, which is what we are doing . doing. >> now, mark, within this today, we're going to hear that certain high profile members of parliament have been targeted by by china. what sort of thing does that actually mean? how sophisticated is the chinese spying network within the uk ? spying network within the uk? >> well, it ranges in sophistication from the very bafic sophistication from the very basic level of just kind of information gathering profile
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gathering on individuals, which going on at basically a very significant level in terms of the number of people involved. but then there are certain individuals we believe that are singled out by beijing for more, in, in, in terms of exactly what they want to do in gathering more information . and we more information. and we remember last september, the news when there was an arrest of a parliamentary researcher who was linked to some senior conservative mps in the parliamentary estate. so some real concern varne about just what beijing is doing with a view to not just gathering information, but potentially disrupting the democratic process . and we have, the process. and we have, the defending democracy task force that was set up recently and
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also last year, of course, the national security act was passed. and this gives the likes of government, the security services law enforcement more tools at their disposal to try tools at their disposal to try to safeguard our infrastructure in the cyber sphere and also give us more of an ability not just to counter, but to potentially hit back at those who seek to damage us. >> thank you very much indeed. mark white, our home and security editor. please bring us any developments on that story. thank you very much. anonymous >> well, labour's plans to make the uk's electricity grid carbon zero as soon as 2030. well that's expected to cost an extra £116 billion of taxpayers money, to according new analysis. >> yes, this comes as the conservatives have already committed to a net zero power system by 2035, so labour want
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it five years sooner . joining us it five years sooner. joining us now is angela knight, former chief executive of energy uk and the former economic secretary to the former economic secretary to the treasury . angela, great to the treasury. angela, great to speak to you. £116 billion. it sounds an awful lot of money to be spent. who is most likely to bear that cost ? bear that cost? >> well, we're going to bear it. >> well, we're going to bear it. >> £116 billion. sounds a lot of money. it is a lot of money. and the only place that it can come from is the taxpayers and the consumers of energy. and broadly speaking, that's both the same. so it comes from us. i think, though, if i may say that , to though, if i may say that, to try and bring the target forward from 2035 to 2030 has its faintly ridiculous. actually, there is no way that it can be done that quickly. we haven't got the supply chains , the come, got the supply chains, the come, the hugely significant projects that would have to be completed
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in whatever 5 or 6 years time simply cannot be completed by then, i appreciate labour's talked about offshore wind, and particularly what they call floating , winds today. but the floating, winds today. but the reality is there's the grid. to do that, we need the backup, which is a mixture of gas and new gas fired power stations, which can be brought in quickly. you know, when the wind stops blowing . and also baseload new blowing. and also baseload new nuclear. it'sjust blowing. and also baseload new nuclear. it's just an impossibility. in fact, i personally think 2035 is pretty heroic. and what seems very interesting. >> so what seems to be the case is people are sort of vying for how quickly they can do something rather than look at the practicalities , the supply the practicalities, the supply chains, the engineers, the cost. >> and so on. and that's really where the debate should lie , where the debate should lie, angela, there are 69 million people in the united kingdom. men, women, children , babies. men, women, children, babies. this would cost around £2,000 per individual. now per family,
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that might four be times five times that amount. this is a huge amount of money. >> it is. i mean, some of it to be— >> it is. i mean, some of it to be clear, because it's capital cost will come from the private sector . it won't all come from sector. it won't all come from the public sector. so, you know, we're just sort of need to think about it like that. but it's still got to be paid for and it will be paid for on our energy bills, certainly in part. and there's another aspect of it, which i also think is, in appropriate language, and that is the phraseology which talks about security and particularly the phraseology that this is cheap energy. it isn't cheap energy . yes, wind might be now energy. yes, wind might be now a cheaper way of building, you know, a quantum of power. but you've got to have the backup. so for every, every piece of, of wind turbine that we build , wind turbine that we build, we've also got to have another piece of gas or nuclear. so therefore your costs are in fact
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twice rather than less. so there's an aspect there which i think is very important to consider and is emitted from the state, the statements. and i think that that is a very great pity think that that is a very great pity because to a great extent the well, i should say not to a great extent, i think almost completely absent from the whole of the energy discussion. discussion is who pays, how much and for what, and we absolutely need to get that. >> that's a brilliant point. sadly, we're going to have to leave it there , but really great leave it there, but really great to you. angela knight, leave it there, but really great to chiefu. angela knight, leave it there, but really great to chief executive knight, leave it there, but really great to chief executive knenergy former chief executive of energy uk. and she's also former uk. and she's also the former economic secretary to the treasury. that's such a treasury. i think that's such a good that she makes there, good point that she makes there, to does. to finish it does. >> it does seem that in order for and let's all for this to work and let's all hopeit for this to work and let's all hope it does work at some point, perhaps we're going perhaps not by 2030, we're going to need some huge breakthrough in battery technology. you're going able to going to need to be able to store the wind or the sun store the wind energy or the sun energy in a better way, energy somehow in a better way, rather than running two power stations the same time just stations at the same time just for backup. >> but also, politicians like to always all renewables are always say all renewables are cheapen always say all renewables are cheaper. angela clarified
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cheaper. but as angela clarified there, they also require backup because they are intermittent. and that's where the costs start to grow. and mount better storage or backup. >> so that breakthrough in battery technology, elon musk, please get off twitter, start , please get off twitter, start, start inventing. >> all our politicians had that clarity of speaking a yeah. >> well coming up britain's top universities now get most of their fees from foreign students making up nearly 60% of those funds. should universities put a cap on foreign students will be debating that very shortly
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good afternoon. britain. it's 1:22. but let's return to those shocking figures that migrants who have been fighting deportation from the uk have been funded by the uk. more than
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£70 million in legal aid in just five years. yes. >> new figures show that legal costs totalled £71 million between 2019 and 2023. that's about £38,000 a day. >> well, joining us now is james crouch, associate director at opinium research church. and james, i'm going to hazard a guess here. the british public probably aren't that keen on spending this amount of money on legal aid for people fighting deportation . deportation. >> probably not. good afternoon, tom and emily, so the basic thing that matters in the politics here is that the british public broadly want immigration lower and have been pretty unhappy with how the government has handled it over the past few years, now , there the past few years, now, there are an awful lot of problems in there, that the government's not really being very good at being honest with the public about or being able to communicate very well public but well with the public on. but yeah, can imagine that the, yeah, you can imagine that the, the around costs the headlines around legal costs are just going to add to their
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w095. >> woes. >> well, quite . so where do we >> well, quite. so where do we stand with immigration? because following brexit, i understand that opinion. the salience of immigration as a topic for the general public went down. my view is that was probably because they thought brexit would lead to more control over immigration. so it wasn't such a stark issue, but it seems be stark issue, but it seems to be creeping up and up in in voter priorities. is that right, very much so. so yeah, you're right to say that when boris johnson was prime minister and the focus was prime minister and the focus was on brexit, only around a fifth of people per immigration, as you know, kind of a key issue , for, for the uk that's now it's creeping up to almost 40% now. so it's a lot higher , and now. so it's a lot higher, and that's been kind of going up and up and up during rishi sunak's time in office. and now the challenges the government challenges for the government here, because it's put a strain on the conservative party rather than proving to be an opportunity for them. the strain
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it's put on them is, i guess, one on the, the main, the largest numbers coming are actually legal migration . so actually legal migration. so ultimately they're the result of the government's own immigration policy . what do they have to say policy. what do they have to say about that, and then the second thing is they've communicated mainly around illegal migration. so things like small boats, and, and the channel. and the problem is there that once again, they have a flagship policy. they have a flagship policy. they have not been able implement. have not been able to implement. so you're left with a scenario where the public want lower migration . varne think that the migration. varne think that the conservative probably conservative party probably agrees with them more than anyone else, at least, that have very , very little trust that very, very little trust that they will actually anything done. >> ee- ? it's that sense done. >> it's that sense that >> yeah, it's that sense that the politicians keep saying things don't happen . things that then don't happen. james crouch, thank you very much for joining james crouch, thank you very much forjoining us, of opinium much for joining us, of opinium research . research. >> they about it all >> yes. they talk about it all the they don't, the time, and then they don't, don't solve the problem. not a great electoral great recipe for electoral success. but a related issue. >> now, britain's most
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prestigious universities are getting most of their fees from foreign students . some of the foreign students. some of the russell group universities reports suggest that as much as 57% of income generated from fees from foreign fees is coming from foreign students, but universities are insisting that the ability to attract rising numbers from overseas is a sign of success. >> and they say they have little choice but to rely on foreign students. given a near decade long freeze in domestic fees. so fees they've fees that brits pay, they've been frozen for a little while how. >> now. >> and isn't that the point ? >> and isn't that the point? many people argue that actually having more foreign students keeps those fees low, because foreign students pay so much more, and therefore you can subsidise british students with their fees . their fees. >> yes, yes. but we're going to be debating whether there should be debating whether there should be a cap on foreign students at british universities because there have been reports of people abusing the system . there people abusing the system. there have also been reports of people coming from starting coming from abroad starting a degree course, working within the economy and then not
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completing their course. so a drop out rates at some of our universities is extremely high for students . and then for foreign students. and then there's the question of whether british universities should be prioritising british candidates. we reports recently we also saw reports recently about how some foreign students are being allowed on courses with lower grades than their british counterparts . can that british counterparts. can that be fair? >> and the other aspect of this, of course, is where do people go? we don't build very much student accommodation in the united kingdom. there are reports some students at york reports of some students at york university having to live in hull and commuting in. and so if there are more and more students coming, yes, you keep the fees lower, but my goodness, do lower, but my goodness, where do they ? they go? >> right. well, let's have the debate. is vice debate. joining us now is vice chancellor the university of chancellor at the university of buckingham, professorjames tully, should tully, who thinks there should not be a cap. and we have the author christine author and broadcaster christine hamilton, who thinks there should cap foreign should be a cap on foreign students. go . students. well, there you go. two sides of the debate there. >> don't you >> yes. christine, why don't you start your the change?
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start your wanting the change? why >> i'm not saying that there should necessarily be a particular numerical cap, but the whole system has somehow got to change. it's got completely out of kilter and the native students are being pushed out by foreign students for under standable financial reasons, because the universities can't, they can't cover their costs just with native students because the tuition fees have been stagnant for so long. >> it's and the, foreign students in particular, the chinese students , it's the one chinese students, it's the one british product that the chinese badly want to buy. >> and they will pay for it because the british education is the best in the world. of course it is. no wonder everybody wants it. we've got to get the it. but we've got to get the balance change. to balance change. we've got to make that more of our own make sure that more of our own students are able to go a personally , i think we should personally, i think we should have fewer universities we have fewer universities and we should our financial should concentrate our financial firepower on fewer universities and better universities. >> we need to scrap degrees like
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football culture. i mean, you know, david beckham studies , for know, david beckham studies, for heaven's sake. and you can even do a degree in flower arranging and they call it floral design or something like that. >> flower arranging, that >> but flower arranging, that sort of really has to go. sort of thing really has to go. and let's concentrate. as i say, our financial firepower on quality and make sure that that quality and make sure that that quality is available to our british students. >> well, let's throw this over to professor james tully, who i understand is not a professor of flower arranging, but is instead an education, i believe. but, professor tully . professor tully. >> yes. i mean, what christine said is absolutely right. >> what a tremendous thing it is that so many foreign students want to come here, that we have this global reputation for educational excellence, and it's pretty well deserved , and so, pretty well deserved, and so, so, so that that's great. we also get economic benefits from the students coming across here. and, and that helps with the also with the, the gaiety of our
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nafion also with the, the gaiety of our nation where different people from different backgrounds share with other and, and enjoy, with each other and, and enjoy, being together and so on. so i think there are those three main reasons why we want to encourage, foreign students. but i would say something does worry me very much about the debate and the way the debate is framed. and you hinted at it as well. chris, this idea that somehow foreign students should be a cash cow for universities and the universities depend on foreign income from foreign students, you mentioned the figure of the russell group. universities, 57% foreign student income that doesn't mean, of course, 43% is home student income, which is nearly half , but did student income, which is nearly half, but did you know, for instance, that it was illegal until 1967 for universities to charge differential fees ? it was charge differential fees? it was against the race relations act and various governments have brought it in, including the margaret thatcher government in the 1980s, where universities could differential fees could charge differential fees for foreign and home students.
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but with the caveat that spoken very clearly by margaret thatcher saying was only thatcher saying this was only this was so that the universities were not subsidising foreign students. >> james, james, are you saying that universities are not using foreign students as a cash cow? i what proportion , for example? >> no, i'm saying this worries me. this worries me about you. >> okay, you're it. is >> okay, you're saying it. it is happening. it is happening. what proportion happening. it is happening. what proporti1,1 happening. it is happening. what proportii, what proportion of interest, what proportion of students at the university of buckingham foreign students? buckingham are foreign students? and are there cases where foreign allowed foreign students are allowed onto courses with lower grades than students? so it than british students? so it vanes than british students? so it varies over the years, but it's roughly 50 over 50 at my university. >> and the answer to your other question is no. and incidentally, that whole report question is no. and in
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should not be allowed. that should not be allowed. that should not be permitted. where, universities are charging huge fees to foreign students to subsidise, subsidise research, which the government compels universities to do, to the research excellence framework and home students, if there are higher fees , it should be so higher fees, it should be so that foreign students pay their full economic costs as envisaged by margaret thatcher backing. james. >> i'm bringing christine >> i'm just bringing christine because we're running out of time, christina, last word on you. worry that if if time, christina, last word on y0lclamp worry that if if time, christina, last word on y0lclamp down ry that if if time, christina, last word on y0lclamp down on:hat if if time, christina, last word on y0lclamp down on foreign if we clamp down on foreign students lose students that perhaps we'll lose something in the way of global, reach? >> well, as i understand it, and obviously, all universities are different . and backing them, by different. and backing them, by the way, is a brilliant example different. and backing them, by th
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the people might the way that people might imagine. we've got to rethink the thing. obviously the whole thing. it obviously the whole thing. it obviously the foreign students, they produce something like £30 billion, to uk economy, and billion, to the uk economy, and that's a massive amount of money. and if we cancel them all, we have to make it up elsewhere. we've got to get the balance right. get of balance right. so get rid of some degrees and some mickey mouse degrees and give our native students a better run for their money. christine hamilton, professor james tully, thank you very much for joining us both. >> forjoining us both. >> we'll leave it there. >> we'll have to leave it there. >> we'll have to leave it there. >> coming up, donald trump, >> we'll have to leave it there. >>is coming up, donald trump, >> we'll have to leave it there. >>is nowyming up, donald trump, >> we'll have to leave it there. >>is now on ng up, donald trump, >> we'll have to leave it there. >>is now on hist, donald trump, >> we'll have to leave it there. >>is now on his way�*onald trump, >> we'll have to leave it there. >> is now on his way to ald trump, >> we'll have to leave it there. >>is now on his way to courtump, he is now on his way to court for daniels hush for his stormy daniels hush money case, there we go. we're going to be bringing you all the very latest, but first, let's quickly get your headlines . quickly get your headlines. >> emily. thank you. the top stories this hour. former isis bride shamima begum has lost an initial bid to challenge the removal of her british citizenship at the supreme court. last year, miss begum
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lost her first appeal against the decision to revoke her citizenship on national security grounds at the special immigration appeals commission. it's after she was found in a syrian refugee camp following her travel to the country as a 15 year old in 2015 to join the so—called islamic state terror group. earlier this year, three judges at the court of appeal unanimously dismissed to unanimously dismissed her bid to overturn the sciac decision . the overturn the sciac decision. the prime minister says the uk is taking measures to protect itself from the epoch defining challenge of an increasingly assertive china. it's after recent cyber attacks which saw hackers access millions of voters personal details and target mps and peers who've been critical of beijing. deputy prime minister oliver dowden is due to address parliament today over the threats, with the prime minister insisting the government will stop at nothing to protect the british public. a
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20 a £200 million package of investments aimed at securing the future of the country's nuclear industry has been unveiled. rishi sunak has declared a critical national endeavour as he vows to strengthen the industry and boost jobs. he's introduced a new fund backed by £20 million in public money to support growth in barrow in furness , the growth in barrow in furness, the home of britain's submarine programs, and a further £180 million a year over the next decade, which downing street says will provide grants to local organisations . the crown local organisations. the crown prosecution service has been cleared of wrongdoing in accepting the plea of triple killer valdo calocane without going to trial. grace o'malley kumar and barnaby weber, along with school caretaker ian coates, were killed in june last yearin coates, were killed in june last year in a spate of knife attacks, whilst calocane was suffering from schizophrenia. he was sentenced hospital was sentenced to a hospital order instead of being sent to prison. his majesty's crown prosecution inspectorate said the correct decision was made in accepting pleas of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished
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responsibility . and a review led responsibility. and a review led by independent government adviser dame saira khan has been published, pointing to chilling levels of harassment posing a serious threat to schools. it found more than 75% of the pubuc found more than 75% of the public feel they can't speak their mind, and 27% have employed security or move jobs or homes. as part of her review, dame sa is recommending the establishment of an exclusion zone for protests outside of schools . she says victims need schools. she says victims need more support from police . for more support from police. for the latest stories, you can sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen or go to gb news. common alerts . to gb news. common alerts. >> for a valuable legacy your family can own, gold coins will always shine bright . rosalind always shine bright. rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news financial report. >> here's a quick snapshot of
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today's markets. the pound will buy you 1.26 for $2 and ,1.1670. the price of gold is £1,720.15 per ounce, and the ftse 100 is at 7898 points. >> rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news financial report
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i >> -- >> good afternoon. britain. it is 20 to 2, and reports have suggested that prince harry and princess meghan. no, duchess . princess meghan. no, duchess. >> duchess. >> duchess. meghan. >> duchess. meghan. >> duchess. meghan. >> duchess meghan. >> duchess meghan. >> meghan markle? >> duchess meghan. >> yeah. meghan markle? >> duchess meghan. >> yeah. let'seghan markle? >> duchess meghan. >> yeah. let's call] markle? >> duchess meghan. >> yeah. let's call herirkle? >> duchess meghan. >> yeah. let's call her meghan. only the only found out about the princess of wales cancer diagnosis through television news. >> yes. so the couple has since reached out to their sister in law, as well as prince william, to offer their well the to offer their support. well the prince of again asked prince of wales has again asked for this for privacy during this difficult as he deals with
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difficult time as he deals with both his wife father's both his wife and father's recent diagnoses. so for more on how the family is coping following the announcement is our royal correspondent cameron walker . our royal correspondent cameron walker. cameron, please bring us updates over the weekend we had the shock, shocking news on friday evening delivered to us all in the form of a video from the princess of wales herself, something that we haven't seen . something that we haven't seen. haven't seen anything like it really. now we're hearing that prince harry and meghan were only found out through the medium of the press. >> yeah, i mean , put yourself in >> yeah, i mean, put yourself in prince william's shoes for a moment. this is a man who tragically lost his mother in the most horrific circumstances , the most horrific circumstances, aged 15, and him and his brother , i suppose, relied on each other since that moment. as they grew into adults to support each other. and now, of course , that other. and now, of course, that mutual support is gone. there's a literal ocean separating , the a literal ocean separating, the two of them. and i think you saw from the duke and duchess of sussex's message following kate's disclosure of her cancer
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diagnosis, that they want the two of them, william and catherine, to be able to support each other in peace and privacy, but the problem is, prince william can no longer really rely on his brother. now 90% of gb news members, according to a poll on our website , says that poll on our website, says that prince harry should not come back to uk to support his back to the uk to support his brother, who's clearly, obviously running out senior obviously running out of senior members of the royal family to be part of the working firm . and be part of the working firm. and he's had a huge issue, hasn't he, because both his father and wife now have , have, have cancer wife now have, have, have cancer and he's having to support his three young children through it all at the same time that he's having to continue with royal duties. now, royal sources tell me prince and princess of me the prince and princess of wales's priority is understandably their children at this time. so we're not expecting to see prince william over the next three weeks. but he'll duties he'll be back on public duties after easter. for now, they really want to prioritise their children in the privacy of their
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own home. obviously, as princess catherine continues with her cancer treatment , it's a really cancer treatment, it's a really concerning time. >> i suppose it's a really concerning time for so many people and there were of course, lots of jokes made, lots of jokes made by people that perhaps should have known better in in the days and weeks leading up to the announcement . do in in the days and weeks leading up to the announcement. do you know how the palace took that sort of intense scrutiny, even mockery, that so many public figures and members of the pubuc figures and members of the public as well, engaged in? >> i think on the one hand, they're very much seeing the facts that we've lost two senior members of the royal family temporarily is very much a blip rather than a crisis. so think rather than a crisis. so i think that's the first thing to point out. clearly, there has been a lot of speculation and scrutiny online, and i think perhaps slightly unfairly, and i think most people who were saying those jokes on the internet are perhaps having second thoughts. now, we know exactly is
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now, we know exactly what is wrong the princess of wrong with the princess of wales. i mean, look at prince william's achievements in the last three months. despite all of this going on behind the scenes , we do know, by the way, scenes, we do know, by the way, that reason william that the reason prince william pulled his godfather's pulled out of his godfather's memorial because memorial service was because of kate's . i have kate's cancer diagnosis. i have had that confirmed, but with earthshot, for example, he secured a deal or helped secure a deal to provide 75 million plastic free items to 50 sports stadiums and entertainment venues across the country . he's venues across the country. he's launched a online platform to match investors with climate solutions, and he's been helping out with homelessness as well. in sheffield . and he kind of in sheffield. and he kind of does all that despite all of this noise going on in the background with social media. prince. prince william knows his destiny. he's going to be king and he will clearly have to rely on princess catherine and his three children to support him in that role. but at the moment he is supporting them as a father and as a husband. >> well, thank you very much,
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cameron walker. very nicely put. cameron walker. very nicely put. cameron walker. very nicely put. cameron walker , our royal cameron walker, our royal correspondent there, bringing us an update from the royal family. >> yeah. no, it was shocking. it was shocking when i, when i saw that when 6:00 on on friday evening , i don't think many evening, i don't think many people expected it. no. >> and the amount of people who have publicly apologised. yes. for making fun over the photoshopping and everything else and those silly else and all those silly conspiracy theories that were out and about, lots of people are apologising. >> yes, as they should, but, but yes, that's a lesson to everyone , really, in terms of speculation, i guess. >> but lots of you were getting in saying , leave her alone >> but lots of you were getting in respect'ing , leave her alone >> but lots of you were getting in respect her, leave her alone >> but lots of you were getting in respect her privacy her alone >> but lots of you were getting in respect her privacy ,er alone >> but lots of you were getting in respect her privacy , butlone and respect her privacy, but donald trump is going to be back in court over the alleged hush money paid to porn star stormy daniels . we're going to be going daniels. we're going to be going live. here are live pictures. there we go outside the court, and we're expecting to see donald trump walking up into this courtroom very , very soon.
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this courtroom very, very soon. >> we will bring you that. as it happens. >> we will bring you that. as it happens . but >> we will bring you that. as it happens. but of course, we'll be back right there. live in new york after this short break. we're taking you live now to a press conference where mps who've been the victim of chinese hacking are speaking . chinese hacking are speaking. >> we will be going live. iain duncan smith. we're expected to hear from him. >> much greater support from hear from him. >> ivhostgreater support from hear from him.
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>> ivhost governmentsrt from hear from him. >> ivhost governments . from hear from him. >> ivhost governments . neither their host governments. neither we nor other parliamentary colleagues will be bullied into silence by beijing for years , silence by beijing for years, the behaviour of the chinese government has gone unchecked and been too passive and we have been too passive here in the west, particularly here in the west, particularly here as beijing here in the uk, as beijing overseas influence operations have rapidly expanded, turning a blind eye to what the intelligence and security committee termed penetration of every sector of the uk economy, unquote . still, incredibly, unquote. still, incredibly, there there is a debate within there there is a debate within the uk government, we understand over whether or not china should be in the enhanced tier of the new foreign influence registration scheme. still, the uk has yet to impose a single sanction on officials responsible for the destruction of freedoms in hong kong, despite the uk being one of the two duty bearers, with china under the sino—british joint declaration. i remind everybody that the united states, by contrast, in the same period has sanctioned over 40 people in hong kong. we have sanctioned
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none. we must now enter a new era of relations with china, deaung era of relations with china, dealing with the contemporary chinese communist party, as it really is, not as we would wish it to today's announcement it to be at today's announcement should mark a watershed moment where the uk takes a stand for values of human rights and the international rules based system upon which we all depend , and upon which we all depend, and therefore we have hopefully four requests of the government when they get up to make their respective statements today. number one, that china should immediately be labelled as a threat, not as an epoch defining systemic challenge. in the integrated review two china should be in the enhanced tier of the foreign influence registration scheme that there should be sanctions on those who are responsible for the abuses , are responsible for the abuses, not just in hong kong, but obviously in xinjiang and around the whole of china's suzerainty , the whole of china's suzerainty, including tibet, of course, and support for mps and other victims of beijing's transnational repression. thank you very much indeed . questions.
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you very much indeed. questions. should we start left and right and we can pick them up? yep sorry. i beg your pardon ? sorry. i beg your pardon? shanng sorry. i beg your pardon? sharing mike's, thank you. >> andy bell five news, david cameron is now the foreign secretary. he was the man who led the drive for the so—called golden era with china. do you feel complete confidence that he's the man to push ahead with what you believe now to what you believe needs now to happen with the uk's attitude to china? that colleagues china? that was my colleagues answering so tim, do answering as well. so tim, do you say something about that? >> i think has been >> i think there has been a change in tone from the government since david cameron has arrived, whether that's him trying to overcompensate from being the architect along with george osborne of the golden era. i don't know, but the events that have happened in the last few days and what is going to be announced later on today by the deputy prime minister, point to a very clear, malign influence by china. and in the
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past. now, david cameron and others have always stressed getting a balance between trading opportunities with the world's second largest economy and the risks for security and their abuses of human rights. i think that the news and the statement we're going to get later about potential attacks that there have been the press are recording against. the electoral commission will hear more about that later. and what has been going on against parliamentarians. show that the dial has very much swung towards the risk category, away from the opportunities category, and i hope david cameron, when he presumably responds to this in the house of lords himself, will acknowledge that. and i think that would certainly chime with the feeling of parliamentarians on both sides of the house as to how view china. how we view china. >> think there's just >> yeah, i think there's just another thing to say here. >> yeah, i think there's just anolier thing to say here. >> yeah, i think there's just anolier thirthe» say here. >> yeah, i think there's just ano i 1er thirthe focus1ere. >> yeah, i think there's just anolier thirthe focus obviously >> i mean, the focus obviously is on david cameron as the foreign secretary. i get that. but there was a consensus ten,
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12, 15 years ago across politics, across business, across academia, that this was a good thing, this this golden era was a good thing. what we now needis was a good thing. what we now need is a new consensus , a new need is a new consensus, a new consensus that, as we've said, deals with china as it is, what it's doing domestically, but also what it's doing here to parliamentarians elected by members of the public to represent them, but also what's happening to hong kong dissidents in this country as well, and others who are being persecuted and targeted . i've persecuted and targeted. i've been here before, but with russia. so i know what this is like. and what we need to see. is this same kind of urgency is this the same kind of urgency we to develop a new consensus that deals with china as it is? nor is this kind of, sweet meal that we can try and milk and only get the good parts when we're very much not just getting the good parts . the good parts. >> can i just the other >> can i just get the other hands then we can hands came up and then we can come back quickly, because while you microphone moved you get the microphone moved across back at across there and then back at the well, yeah .
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the bbc. oh, okay. well, yeah. >> lisa nandy. >> lisa nandy. >> yeah. libya. >> yeah. libya. >> the fact is that the trade between britain and china is now worth something in the region of £100 billion. >> are you saying to the government that they need to think again as to whether we should leave our economy that exposed , in terms of whether we exposed, in terms of whether we can actually protect our citizens at the same time? >> can i? >> can i? >> yeah. are you far away? >> yeah. are you far away? >> this threat about the impact it will have on countries trade, if they dare to stand up and call out china's abuses , is call out china's abuses, is a fiction. every country which has done that has actually seen subsequently an increase in its trade with china, the only time we saw a downturn in trade with china in the uk was in about 8 or 9 years ago, in the midst of the golden era. it is a complete fallacy that if you call out china instantly, all the trade
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and investment opportunities dry up briefly, iain duncan smith, if i can ask you, as a former leader of the conservative party, whether you think britain's democracy has actually been compromised by this mass cyber attack , well, there's no cyber attack, well, there's no question that's what those malign entities would want it to happen, if you ask me , have we happen, if you ask me, have we been fast enough and quick enough and focused enough to deal with it? the answer has to be no , not for want of trying by be no, not for want of trying by the security services. i have to tell you, because i think they've been well aware of what this was. back to , 2020, this was. i go back to, 2020, when some opposed the when some of us opposed the entry of huawei into 5g. i thought the government received bad advice about that as to whether we could control it. eventually, we were able to demonstrate not the demonstrate that was not the case. and it was politicians, parliamentarians that actually opposed that and stopped it. so what hoped since what we've hoped for ever since is that that should not be the
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case with most of us were sanctioned. of us who were sanctioned. those of us who were sanctioned. those of us who were sanctioned had sanctioned because we had unearthed the xinjiang genocide, and it is a genocide even the un have suggested that that is necessarily the case, because we got that to everybody around the world. these were official documents, china was furious with those of us as individuals as well, even though the government sanctioned three very lowly officials, they ahead lowly officials, they went ahead and sanctioned ten of us, including one legal chambers. so the reality is, even the balance isn't correct right now. so it needs to be reset . but certainly needs to be reset. but certainly we need to be much stronger and tougher. if you're tough tougher. and if you're tough with people, the lesson learn with people, the lesson we learn from the 1930s appeasement never works. you works. if you're strong, you tell them what's wrong and you tell them what's wrong and you tell them what's wrong and you tell them you're not going to put then eventually put up with it. then eventually they back down. they will probably back down. but just keep but if you don't, they just keep taking advantage of you. and but if you don't, they just keep takingouryantage of you. and but if you don't, they just keep takingour biggestof you. and but if you don't, they just keep takingour biggest problem.1d but if you don't, they just keep takingour biggest problem. yes. but if you don't, they just keep takirthen' biggest problem. yes. but if you don't, they just keep takirthen the gest problem. yes. but if you don't, they just keep takirthen the gest prob back yes. and then the bbc, the back. yeah. thank you. >> thank you beth rigby, sky news. >> just a just a couple of
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questions , if i may. the first questions, if i may. the first one, when you talk about resetting relations or a new watershed moment, you also suggest there are still divisions within government about the direction of travel. is the prime minister on the wrong side of that? given it is he today who talked about an epoch defining challenge rather than explicitly saying china's a threat, can you flesh that out a bit and for all of you, this has been going on for some time, for all of you and the electoral commission. attempts of cyber attacks happened back in 2021, 22. it's only now that the prime minister is moving on it. and if i may, is there an element to hear of party politics for a prime minister that is struggling with his backbenches? he's been in a row about rwanda and he's trying to perhaps bring this now. why now in order to perhaps unify the party a bit going into recess , is there going into recess, is there domestic politics at play here? >> no , i don't think it's the
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>> no, i don't think it's the way you say it at all. i wouldn't in your latter question. i certainly wouldn't think that that would be the case, because i think most mps are clear china is are already clear that china is are already clear that china is a threat and we don't go around in the tea rooms to talking each other about, my gosh, have you seen epoc how challenging seen how epoc how challenging they are in an epoch sense over a tea with each other? a cup of tea with each other? what we talk about is the threat. the question really threat. so the question really is what kind of advice is the government getting on that. and we need to, as they say, call a spade spade . and the reality spade a spade. and the reality is that they are a threat. they're to i mean, you they're a threat to i mean, you talk to businesses, a lot of medium are out medium businesses are moving out of because they get of china now because they get their can't their ip stolen and they can't deal with them. the legal system around them work. around them doesn't work. so they're to move away. they're beginning to move away. inofice they're beginning to move away. i notice that apple moved their telephone india telephone manufacturer to india because they're beginning to because they're now beginning to worry only worry about it. this is only damaging to china at the end of the day. so we should stand up, call them what are, and call them what they are, and then deal with us, then say, if you deal with us, you with us on the basis you deal with us on the basis that trust that we don't fully trust you, but to just follow up on that, i
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was just going to follow up in what there are what you said that there are still divisions within government in your statement about how to deal with this threat. well, inevitably, otherwise, we would have an absolute settled order, and we don't. but it's not about the divisions i'm these divisions that i'm after. these are and debates about are arguments and debates about how go, is how far do you go, which is quite . i think the quite normal. i think the question is for us is question really is for us it is really time for us to really now time for us to recognise, particularly with what be seeing what we may well be seeing concerning the electoral commission, stuff that that they have a malign influence and therefore they have become a threat . and i think it's time we threat. and i think it's time we call that. threat. and i think it's time we calican that. threat. and i think it's time we calican i that. threat. and i think it's time we calican i addt. that, if you >> can i add to that, if you remember when had a vote in remember when we had a vote in parliament , it was parliament on genocide, it was unanimous. there's no division amongst parliamentarians and it's not a party political matter where is. i think matter where there is. i think still a grey area is the attitude of the foreign office in particular, which doesn't like to rock the boat on these matters and how much ministers may challenge that. hopefully now ministers will challenge that much more readily. to go
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back to your earlier point , and back to your earlier point, and this is a question for the deputy prime minister this afternoon and for presses as well, is for a tax, which may have happened back in 2021. there are now is going to be action two and a half, three years later. and certainly that remains something of a mystery to us. and what pressure may have there have been from some of our five eyes partners and others where there have been more recent attacks and they've responded rather more speedily . responded rather more speedily. so that is certainly a challenge of why of the government, why it's taken long, it would appear taken so long, it would appear for this now to be acted on. yeah >> the point is, i got the point at the back. >> actually, the can >> actually, the party can at least unify this issue >> actually, the party can at least u1the this issue >> actually, the party can at least u1the prime this issue >> actually, the party can at least u1the prime ministerje >> actually, the party can at least u1the prime minister in behind the prime minister in some behind the prime minister in sonwell, want all we're >> well, we want all we're saying is that the parliament is unhed saying is that the parliament is united already, and it's self—evident really, that is the case. and we just therefore want the government to take the right action. they are a threat. we ought a threat. and ought to call them a threat. and that then populates all the other place other arguments that take place inside parliament.
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>> miri eisin also cheers. >> miri eisin also cheers. >> thank you. chris mason from bbc news could you set out in as precise terms as you can, what you have had to put up with as individuals ? you talked to ian individuals? you talked to ian about impersonation, attempted hacking, just interested to hear precisely how it has been for you. and then just one additional question, sir ian , additional question, sir ian, you made a comparison a few moments ago with the 1930s. that's obviously a stark comparison. is that the scale of the threat that you see in terms of the threat that uk faces from china, comparison with china, that comparison with nearly ago? nearly a century ago? >> let me start, because >> well, let me start, because the others will obviously have their own views personally , i've their own views personally, i've had a wolf warrior that was impersonating me for some time, using a fake email address , using a fake email address, emailing all sorts of politicians around the world, saying that i had recanted my views , also saying basically views, also saying basically that i was a liar. all these sort of things to various people. i only came to know about because i know some of
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about it because i know some of them, and they were sending this back to to why you back to me to say, why are you sending me emails, recounting back to me to say, why are you sen(basically mails, recounting back to me to say, why are you sen(basically calling ecounting back to me to say, why are you sen(basically calling yourself; back to me to say, why are you sen(basically calling yourself a and basically calling yourself a liar? and i was able to explain to them , it's not my email to them, it's not my email address and it's not me. i won't say what happened, but eventually quiet . we did eventually he went quiet. we did know where he was in due course, but so that's one of the things. the other thing is, we know that many of us had hacking many of us have had hacking attempts, fairly shallow attempts, some fairly shallow attempts, but nonetheless hacking and some more serious. so those are the experiences . so those are the experiences. i'm not alone in those personal experiences, but the others too. i whether you, of i don't know whether you, of course, have whole course, have this whole experience well . experience with russia as well. >> i was i was here about a year ago, with russia, where the, the bit that doesn't get talked aboutin bit that doesn't get talked about in the parliamentary state and of parliament and the targeting of parliament is the staff front doesn't get talked enough . and when talked about enough. and when i was, targeted by russia a year ago , that was via a member of my ago, that was via a member of my staff, but i want to address your your point on the scale of the challenge . when i talk about
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the challenge. when i talk about the challenge. when i talk about the need for this new consensus, i mean, this affects every single part of our society. it would to see this as would be wrong to see this as just a faraway foreign policy issue . this is about our energy issue. this is about our energy sector. it's about our economy. it's about universities . it's about our universities. it's about our universities. it's about our political system, our national our critical national infrastructure. it goes into everything. and, you know, if i can tap on to beth's question, at least the tories are having this discussion in robust terms. politics has got so much catching up to do. and ian is right , catching up to do. and ian is right, industry and business is further ahead , than government further ahead, than government and politics in general. we're already seeing de—risking or decoupling however you want to phrase that happening. politics and the institutions of politics and the institutions of politics and government badly needs to catch up, because not only will this keep happening, it will get worse and worse and worse and we can't let that happen. can i? just to go back and tomorrow is the third anniversary of when seven parliamentarians were sanctioned, which we found out out of the out of the blue, we
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were never actually written to individually by the chinese communist party government saying, dear mr lawton, we just dropping you a note to say you've been sanctioned. we were told involves ourselves and told that involves ourselves and our families unable to travel to china and hong kong. our business assets seized , and business assets seized, and we're not allowed to do business which which is academic. i think for all of us over that last three years, various colleagues who aren't here as , as well have who aren't here as, as well have had hacking attempts, a lot of impersonation. i'm constantly getting emails or tweets from tom tugendhat saying he has resigned in disgust at the government's policy on such and such for, for example , yesterday such for, for example, yesterday we had a tweet from the deputy chairman of the conservative human rights commission, which i chair, has been , chair, which has also been, sanctioned, pouring abuse over the head of hong kong watch, for example . this happens all the, example. this happens all the, all the time, what we're particularly concerned about,
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though, is those uighur and tibetans that are in this country or elsewhere that we have associated with in confidence, whose families have then been contacted or threats emanating out of china to the families of dissidents back at home as well. and they as as we put in the statement, where we have the most concern, it's caused quite a lot of inconvenience. and, and intimidation for, for us. but that's nothing compared with those braver people who are in the front, front line. >> and you'll notice that some of the people that work here have named in the case have been named in the case against jemmy lai, quite wrongly. yeah which is an outrage. and of course, it's an outrageous prosecution in the first place. but we had also a spy first place. but we had also a spy investigation , which is spy investigation, which is still ongoing. and we've also had a, an individual that was working with somebody who the intelligence services felt was a spy intelligence services felt was a spy who was actually wandering around the building at that time. were dealing with a lot time. we were dealing with a lot of trying of hong kong people trying to
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get of well, get out. so we had lots of well, we've listening the we've been listening to the inter—parliamentary alliance on china, three speakers from that group over the threat from china, the cyber attack that china, the cyber attack that china has , has, has delivered on china has, has, has delivered on the united kingdom and we have there sir iain duncan smith, former conservative party leader, former work and pensions secretary, saying that china must now be labelled as a threat i >> -- >> yes. -_ >> yes. very interesting to hear their personal experiences of being hacked. iain duncan smith, talking about how he had someone impersonate him and sending all sorts of emails to their important people. shall we speak to our home? and security editor mark white, who has been keeping abreast of everything that's been going on here, mark, what stuck out to you? from what we just heard, a lot of talk about the direction of travel, the need for a new consensus when it comes to relations with china. >> yeah. i mean, i think you heard there from those politicians who were saying, really, that we need to be much
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more robust in our relationship with china , that it is no longer with china, that it is no longer acceptable to just talk about an an epoch defining challenge that you've got to call it what it is and that is a threat. and of course, these mps who have been holding this news conference know too only well just what that means. sir ian duncan smith himself, saying how he has had people , impersonating, hacking people, impersonating, hacking him, sending off emails around the world to contacts of his saying that he's recanted his previous views on china. other he says more , attacks at hacking he says more, attacks at hacking him and other mps. they're not just china, but russia involved in this as well. so they clearly want to see, a different approach, to be more assertive in the way that the uk deals with china . let's see what
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with china. let's see what oliver dowden, the deputy prime minister, says when he speaks to the house of commons at 330 this afternoon . it's a difficult one afternoon. it's a difficult one because, of course, china , for because, of course, china, for all of the issues surrounding the security challenges, is very vital to the uk's economy . £100 vital to the uk's economy. £100 billion in trade over the past year with china. so you can understand perhaps a certain reluctance to go too far down the road of creating a hostile state out of china. >> now mark, there's been another breaking story in the last hour, that of shamima begum. she's lost an initial bid to challenge the removal of her british citizenship. this time at the supreme court. >> yes , indeed. and some other >> yes, indeed. and some other news on this a never ending saga. it's still not going to
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end, for potentially a while yet . because although what we had today was the court of appeal effectively denying shamima begum the chance to go to the supreme court. that is not the only avenue open to her. she will be able to apply directly to the supreme court to hear that appeal against the stripping of her british citizenship . and i think it's citizenship. and i think it's unimaginable that her legal team would not proceed with that claim directly to the supreme court to try to get a full heanng court to try to get a full hearing so that they can argue that this was an unlawful act by the then home secretary, sajid javid , to strip her of her javid, to strip her of her british citizenship in 2019. it was february 2019, remember, just weeks after she had popped up at this, refugee camp in
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northern syria, having fled, that country, or at least aleppo, where the fighting was in, in the, in, in syria, to then call for, her return to the uk. well, sajid javid, stripped her of her citizenship, in this country because of the fact that she had the entitlement to claim, citizens of bangladesh. her parents were bangladeshi, and she had that right at that time. so he was not making her stateless . so in law, the stateless. so in law, the government at the time, anyway, was not erring in law . and at was not erring in law. and at every step through the court process here it has gone against shamima begum. but her lawyers have continued to fight this, from court to court. and i think
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the next step will be that they will, apply directly to the supreme court. how far that gets, remains to be seen , but i gets, remains to be seen, but i think we've got a few months left to run on this . left to run on this. >> yeah, mark, we could see a change of government quite soon. do you imagine that perhaps a labour government might be more sympathetic to her plight? of course. it was sajid javid who removed her british citizenship. could that be restored ? how do could that be restored? how do you see this playing out in terms of the too ? politics terms of the too? politics >> well, i think those that are very concerned a potential very concerned about a potential return of shamima begum will be concerned about the potential for there to be a more sympathetic year if labour was to get into power , certainly to get into power, certainly those some within the party have suggested that, over the years that she should be brought back to the uk and put before the uk courts the difficulty with that is that actually the assessments
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that were made about shamima begum and the threat that she poses to the uk are assessments that were based on intelligence sources, human intelligence and other intelligence sources from syria, which, although they are strong enough to have persuaded the courts in form of the special immigration appeals commission, which originally decided on her case that she was indeed a threat. intelligence such as the fact that she was a member of the islamic state, so—called morality police, that she had been involved in sowing, suicide bombers into their vests, and that she did indeed pose a real and significant threat to the uk. although there is that intelligence, there , it is that intelligence, there, it doesn't mean that there is that evidence that you can then put before a court that crosses that
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threshold. that would mean that prosecutors would be confident that this would be a case, that they could try in the uk courts. so that's always the difficulty of bringing her back here. and it might be if she ever was brought back here that she wouldn't face a trial in this country, because there wouldn't be the evidence they could put before the courts, and instead they would have be other they would have to be other measures , costly measures to measures, costly measures to ensure that she was under constant surveillance by the police and security services. >> concerning prospect. mark white, thank you very much for bringing us that. we're just going to cross now to some latest because donald latest pictures because donald trump has arrived at court trump has arrived now at court in new york for his hush money stormy daniels . case. stormy daniels. case. >> and there he is, the donald trump former president , many, trump former president, many, many reporters there. >> and donald trump standing posing for photographs. yes. outside this courthouse in new
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york. he walked there fairly slowly, stopped and posed and then walked in. and i think that tells us something about the politics of this case. we've seen that within the republican primary, before donald trump became the presumptive nominee of the republican party, whenever there was one of these legal cases in new york, in florida, or federal cases, too, he would go up in the polls. his mug shot became an item, at shirt, image that's sold by the campaign. it became instantly one of those most famous images. >> he always takes advantage of it, doesn't he? >> he's using this for his own political gains. and this one political gains. and this is one of questions. will this of the big questions. will this be big, big backfiring sense , be a big, big backfiring sense, the sense that there's some sort of, political prosecution here more than just a legal one? >> yes . how more than just a legal one? >> yes. how will it more than just a legal one? >> yes . how will it affect his >> yes. how will it affect his prospects for the all important presidential election that's upcoming, well, we're going to
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touch on that with one of his former advisers in just moment. >> but, for the meantime, labour's plans to make the uk's electricity grid zero carbon by 2030 is expected now to cost an extra £116 billion of taxpayers money. this from new analysis today. >> yes. and it also comes as the conservatives have already committed to a net zero power system by 2035. so labour, they say they're going to get it zero carbon by 2030. the conservatives are still sticking with the 2035. >> it shows the enormous difference between the two parties one upmanship the same. the policy five years the same policy five years apart. let's speak now to james brown, the head of communications of britain remade james, thanks for making the time for us today. frankly, is it possible to get a zero carbon electricity grid by 2030? >> it is possible , you have to >> it is possible, you have to take, some, quite , focused take, some, quite, focused steps, whether it's the labour
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party or the conservative party. >> but, you can get to a00 carbon grid by 2030. you have to fix the planning system. fundamentally, though, to be able to deliver that. so you can get spades in the ground on the clean energy projects that will deliver it, be that onshore wind, offshore wind, floating wind, offshore wind, floating wind or new nuclear are the technologies there, though. >> we were talking to angela knight, who was the chief executive of energy uk, the trade association for the energy industry, and she said this is fantasy. she said even the current government's commitment to getting carbon zero on our to getting to carbon zero on our electricity grid by 2035 is almost fantasy. >> the technologies are there. if you look at the progress that the uk has made in offshore wind over the last 15 years, the technology is most definitely there. >> not only does the uk have the biggest offshore wind farm in
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the world, the top five offshore wind farms in the world are in uk waters . uk waters. >> in fact, out of the top ten, seven of them are in uk waters. so we do have the technologies, but we also need to develop those technologies further as well. that's why we need to invest in things like floating offshore wind farms so we can build the money coming from. >> though james, where's all the money coming from? because we get these big figures like 116 billion. and of course that will be an estimate based on how much these things cost. now and how much they're projected to cost. but who's going to pay for this? you know, lots of people saying that actually this is going to hit the poorest the hardest. this this drive to reach this zero carbon. >> the reality is that renewable offshore wind, solar are the cheapest forms of energy we have. they are cheaper than gas.
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they are cheaper than anything else. >> is that true , though? >> is that true, though? >> is that true, though? >> is that true, though? because, to mention angela again, she did make it clear that yes , they are cheaper on that yes, they are cheaper on the face of it, but actually, because they require a base load, they require storage capacity because they're intermittent, that actually it's a bit of a falsehood. it's a bit of a falsehood that they're cheapen >> so if you look at the strike price of renewables, they are lower than gas. price of renewables, they are lower than gas . they are lower lower than gas. they are lower than, anything else that goes into the grid. and you do need base load. we do need to invest in new nuclear. we do need to invest in short term and long term storage. but that doesn't mean we shouldn't do these things, i suppose one of the ways in which we can facilitate this is by, the changing fundamentally, the way that we power our own households
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installing very expensive batteries in our garages, all the rest of it. i mean, this is going to be a very, very expensive , project, especially expensive, project, especially if it's going to happen in just six years time. frankly we can the country afford it ? the country afford it? >> the question is, can we afford not to do it if we if we want to make sure people have energy bills that are affordable , that, are not reliant on fossil fuels, then we do need to invest in all forms of energy from new nuclear at the gigawatt scale to state of the art, small modular , small modular reactors modular, small modular reactors to offshore wind , onshore wind. to offshore wind, onshore wind. you know, they will always be a mix of energy in the grid. and we just need to keep investing . we just need to keep investing. >> james, i take your point, but there is a concern that the government get , these
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government might get, these technologies that they choose government might get, these techno|so es that they choose government might get, these techno|so they at they choose government might get, these techno|so they mighty choose government might get, these techno|so they might think se government might get, these techno|so they might think that wrong. so they might think that x technology is the best way to get us to green, but actually , get us to green, but actually, it turns out that it's not the cheapest or efficient. and the next year there's a new technology. is the government capable of planning so far ahead ? >> 7- >> so the 7— >> so the best 7 >> so the best way to , pick >> so the best way to, pick a technology is, to put , market technology is, to put, market mechanisms in place and leave it to the market. that's what we've seen with offshore wind , and seen with offshore wind, and onshore wind with the contract. contract for difference policy that the government implemented , that the government implemented, ten, 15 years ago. and it's that contract for difference policy that has driven down the price of renewable energy. >> now, i think that's a really important point to make. renewable energy is now a lot cheaper than it was even a decade ago . and so let's hope decade ago. and so let's hope that costs keep coming that these costs keep coming down, that there are ways to get it done cheaply. but my
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goodness, what a task there lies ahead for whoever wins the next election. james brown for now, the head of communications at britain remade. really appreciate your time. >> . >> thank you. >> thank you. >> yes, it's very difficult , >> yes, it's very difficult, isn't it, because you hear wind and solar is cheaper than fossil fuels. but then actually with all the infrastructure that comes with it, with all the extra needs that it requires , is extra needs that it requires, is it actually what happens? >> and we're talking about when it's day , when it's it's not a windy day, when it's not day, and we're not a sunny day, and we're talking millions not a sunny day, and we're ta|tons millions not a sunny day, and we're ta|tons steel millions not a sunny day, and we're ta|tons steel we millions not a sunny day, and we're ta|tons steel we need lions not a sunny day, and we're ta|tons steel we need for1s not a sunny day, and we're ta|tons steel we need for new of tons of steel we need for new pylons rest. pylons and all the rest. >> , that's carbon >> i mean, that's carbon intensive, isn't it? i don't think making is, green think our steel making is, green yet, although they are trying, which has put people out of work. i don't know. work. well i don't know. >> you seen the new design work. well i don't know. >> some you seen the new design work. well i don't know. >> some ofu seen the new design work. well i don't know. >> some of these the new design work. well i don't know. >> some of these pylonsw design for some of these pylons connected there and connected to go on there and tell oh, look lovely. connected to go on there and tell not. look lovely. connected to go on there and tell not. they'reok lovely. connected to go on there and tell not. they'reok l well, there we go. >> well, there we go. >> attractive think >> an attractive pylon, i think there i would like a there i think i would like a pylon like that. >> would pylon outside >> would like a pylon outside your window. yeah
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>> it. beautiful. one >> i'd love it. beautiful. one big lies, lies. you believe >> lies, lies. do you believe that? do you believe that tom wants his wants a pylon outside his window. i'd like a house first. >> house, sir? >> you like a house, sir? >> you like a house, sir? >> well, there you go. would you have a pylon outside your window . coming up, we're going to be speaking to one of donald trump's deputy assistants trump's former deputy assistants as he appears in for his as he appears in court for his stormy hush money case. stormy daniels hush money case. how this impact his chances how will this impact his chances to become next president
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? >> 7- >> good ? >> good afternoon. 7 >> good afternoon. britain. it's 2:23, and it's a race against time for the former president, donald trump. the us president. that is, as he faces two huge cases , both in new york today. cases, both in new york today. >> yes, a pivotal day in his , >> yes, a pivotal day in his, legal saga. trump is currently attending a hearing in manhattan over the alleged hush money payment he made to adult film
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star stormy daniels. these are some of the pictures from the last few minutes. donald trump posing. where is he? there he is coming out posing to the cameras. >> yeah. and i think this says it all, doesn't it ? he's walking it all, doesn't it? he's walking out slowly. he stops and he looks up. he's almost sneering a bit at the media, their nose in the air, but he knows. he knows that these photographs actually help him. we know that. we know that his mugshot in a completely unrelated case, became one of the images of last year and no doubt helped propel his candidacy. >> his face beyond the campaign literature on the t shirts, on the, the caps. anyway, joining us now is one of trump's former deputy assistants, sebastian gorka . sebastian, thank you very gorka. sebastian, thank you very much for coming on the show this afternoon , very interested to afternoon, very interested to hear your take on all of this . hear your take on all of this. this is a big day for donald trump . oh, i don't think we can trump. oh, i don't think we can hear sebastian there. can we reconnect his line? >> let's see if we can get that
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audio sorted out. >> oh, hello . hello. >> oh, hello. hello. >> oh, hello. hello. >> you now, >> we can hear you now, sebastian . sebastian. >> i hope you can hear me. guys, are you there? >> we can hear. we can hear you now. loud and clear, how you now. loud and clear, how do you think go ? think today is going to go? >> have you got me now? >> have you got me now? >> we've got you, sebastian. we've got you. >> okay. so. yeah, it's a sad day for america. and you're right. the booking photograph from atlanta. it's what i use as my twitter photograph . and it's my twitter photograph. and it's become iconic because americans love an outlaw . but this become iconic because americans love an outlaw. but this is a case not of, you know, jesse james. this is a case of political prosecutions. let's look at the half $1 billion bail that has been demanded of him. in the other trial in new york for, what, a fraud case in which there were no victims, no one was defrauded . and the amount was defrauded. and the amount this historic amount, $430 million that has been demanded by this insane judge, happens to just be the same amount of cash president trump has on hand for
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his campaign. so the right way to look at all of this is campaign interference . if we had campaign interference. if we had a fair election today, the latest polling demonstrates it would be a complete trouncing of the incumbent , joe biden. the incumbent, joe biden. they're afraid that the american people will choose my former boss as the 47th president, and this is how they think they can stop him now. >> i suppose those prosecuting this action will say that these are in the courts of a of a country that are presumed to be free and fair. yes. there might have been , perhaps, the reason have been, perhaps, the reason these have gone after might, might be political, but these are legitimate cases. perhaps, perhaps you could prosecute a case like this against any businessman, because people will have slipped up in, in the past and perhaps cut corners . but and perhaps cut corners. but that doesn't necessarily mean that doesn't necessarily mean that the courts have found the wrong answers . wrong answers. >> well, i'll just repeat what is the case with regards to
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judge engoron? there were no victims. there was no one defrauded. in fact, the banks that provided the loans to president trump actually testified in court and said , we testified in court and said, we would like president trump back as a client because he paid back early. he paid back with interest . and he's a great, interest. and he's a great, great investment. so if the bank that the lunatic judge said was defrauded says we weren't defrauded says we weren't defrauded and we'd like him back as a client, you realise these are just show trials . are just show trials. >> sebastian, do you believe any of the cases against donald trump are fair and legitimate? >> no. they're insane . i mean, >> no. they're insane. i mean, look at look at the one here in dc where i'm sitting. judge chutkan, that is prosecuting the president for so—called insurrection. we find out what she was a colleague at the same law firm for 12 years in dc, with none other than hunter biden. i mean, can you see a more explicit conflict of interest that you're the judge interest that you're the judge
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in a political case against the leader of the opposition? and you were bosom buddies with the son of the current incumbent? it's farcical. it's like a kafka novel. >> it does seem a little bit like a stretch. i don't think that all of my former colleagues would necessarily mean that i'm busy bosom buddies with anyone. anyway, let's get back to the no, no , but you can't be no, no no no, but you can't be a judge and hang, on. judge and hang, hang on. >> a judge . i mean, >> you can't be a judge. i mean, it's important in law. it's very important in law. it's not the probity of a case, not just the probity of a case, the appearance of probity . the appearance of probity. right. if you were colleagues with the son of the man who this person can actually beat in an election, you should recuse yourself. that's what we demand . yourself. that's what we demand. >> now, let's get to this issue. of the $450 million, £350 million, an enormous amount of money, there is some, concern that if today does not go trump's way, the bailiffs could
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be round and his property could be round and his property could be seized . be seized. >> yeah. so let's just dissect this for a moment. this never before in history. not with al capone. no body has been demanded to pay half $1 billion in bail money before they're allowed to appeal. think about that. the judge is saying you're not allowed to appeal the first instance unless you deposit $430 billion in cash. if the president cannot do so or refuses to do so , the refuses to do so, the lieutenant, the attorney general of the state of new york who campaigned because sadly , she campaigned because sadly, she was elected, campaigned on putting president trump in prison. she's going to start seizing his assets. now, think about this a crime without any victims, therefore not a crime. who gets the $400 million? she said. the state of new york gets it because there are no victims. thatis it because there are no victims. that is exactly the definition of communism. you take private
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property from an individual and you use the courts . you use the you use the courts. you use the system to steal it for the state. that's communism we are witnessing. sadly in the state of new york, the state of new york might say, in this instance that there was money to the that there was money owed to the state york. state of new york. >> lost interest on that. >> the lost interest on that. i believe that's how you get this enormous . so they might enormous figure. so they might say that the people who've lost out individual, say that the people who've lost out every individual, say that the people who've lost out every york individual, say that the people who've lost out every york taxpayer|al, say that the people who've lost out every york taxpayer lost but every new york taxpayer lost interest on what the we're talking about private loans from private banks to the trump organisation, loans that were paid back in time in fact, often early with full interest. >> who who whose interest are we talking about? so some mythical taxpayer in new york that had nothing to do with the original deal. nothing to do with the original deal . it's fantasy. it's la la land. >> so, sebastian, how do you see this playing out then for donald trump? he's doing pretty well in the polls. he could be the next president of the united states. how do you see this going today
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and in the run up to the election? >> well, look , i don't do >> well, look, i don't do predictions because predictions are a mug's game. nobody gets challenged about what they said six months ago when they predicted something. but i look at a pattern. at at a fact pattern. i look at a trend line last two trend line in the last two years, every single time something like this has been done whether done to the president, whether it's the fbi with armed goons raiding home at mar a lago, raiding his home at mar a lago, whether it's the alvin bragg indictment in new york, whether it's engoron, whether it's chutkan, whether it's any one of these, you know, black robed thugs , every time there's a new thugs, every time there's a new indictment, he gets more popular and he raises more money. i mean, this is the insanity of the democrat party. they're so dnven the democrat party. they're so driven and hostages to their own hatred and ideology, they're actually making him stronger than he's ever been before. it's like that last scene from star wars . you know, if you strike me wars. you know, if you strike me down, will be more down, darth, i will be more powerful can ever powerful than you can ever imagine. is imagine. president trump is stronger if you look stronger than he's. if you look at the polls, he's got 26% of the population , more than the black population, more than 45% of the hispanic population,
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the trend line amongst the youth, which is kind of surprising, is going towards president trump. and as a result, he would win an election today. but they can't stand it. so they want to put him in prison or worse, something we discuss a lot on this channel, actually, incumbents the world over , whether it's justin over, whether it's justin trudeau, biden , trudeau, rishi sunak joe biden, martin schulz, they're all behind in the polls. >> does seem like it's >> it does seem like it's a tough time to be defending a position if you're in the executive of a of a western nation, but . sebastian gorka, nation, but. sebastian gorka, thank you very much for talking through what is an enormous day in new york today. we'll be keeping on how it keeping a keen eye on how it plays out. >> we will indeed, but coming up, we will bring you some breaking news our political up, we will bring you some breakirchristopher our political up, we will bring you some breakirchristopher hope. olitical up, we will bring you some breakirchristopher hope. you cal editor, christopher hope. you won't want to miss it. that's right. your headlines. right. after your headlines. >> emily. thank you. the top stories this hour. the prime minister says the uk is taking measures to protect itself from
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the epoch defining challenge of an increasingly assertive china . an increasingly assertive china. it's after recent cyber attacks which saw hackers access millions of voters personal details and target mps and peers who've been critical of beijing. deputy prime minister oliver dowden is due to address parliament today over the threats with the prime minister insisting the government will stop at nothing to protect the british public. former conservative iain conservative leader sir iain duncan smith has urged the government to tougher action. >> we must now enter a new era of relations with china, dealing with the contemporary chinese communist party as it is, communist party as it really is, not we would wish it to be. not as we would wish it to be. and today's announcement should mark a watershed moment where the uk takes a stand for values of human rights and the international rules based system upon which we all depend. china should immediately be labelled as a threat, not as an epoch defining systemic challenge. in the integrated review , a £200 the integrated review, a £200 million package of investment aimed at securing the future of the country's nuclear industry
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has been unveiled. >> rishi sunak has declared a critical national endeavour as he vows to strengthen the industry and to boost jobs. he's introduced a new fund backed by £20 million in public money to support growth in barrow , support growth in barrow, inverness, the home of britain's submarine programs and a further £180 million a year over the next decade , which downing next decade, which downing street says will provide grants to local organisations . former to local organisations. former isis bride shamima begum has lost an appeal bid to challenge the removal of her british citizenship at the supreme court. last year, miss begum lost her first appeal against the decision to revoke her citizenship on national security grounds at the special immigration appeals commission. it's after she was found in a syrian refugee camp following her travel to the country as a 15 year old in 2015 to join the so—called islamic state terror group. earlier this year, three judges at the court of appeal unanimously dismissed her bid to overturn siac decision . the
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overturn the siac decision. the cps has been cleared of wrongdoing in accepting the plea of triple killer valdo calocane without going to trial. grace o'malley, cooma and barnaby weber , along with school weber, along with school caretaker ian coates, were killed in june last year in a spate of knife attacks while calocane was suffering from schizophrenia. he was sentenced to a hospital order instead of being sent to prison. his majesty's crown prosecution inspector said the correct decision was made in accepting pleas of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility . for the latest responsibility. for the latest stories, sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen or go to gb news .com/ alerts
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hi, tom. hi, emily. yes, we can reveal on gb news that scott benton, the independent mp for blackpool south, has resigned as an mp today with immediate effect. he's written to the chancellor , jeremy hunt. that's chancellor, jeremy hunt. that's because jeremy hunt is somebody who then administers the formal leaving of an mp from parliament, he's written today to his local people in blackpool's south east with a heavy heart that i've written to the chancellor this morning to tell in my resignation as your mp, i'd like to thank the hundreds of residents who have been sent supportive messages, cards and letters over the past been sent supportive messages, cardmonthsetters over the past been sent supportive messages, cardmonths and; over the past been sent supportive messages, cardmonths and have the past been sent supportive messages, cardmonths and have urgedast been sent supportive messages, cardmonths and have urged me to few months and have urged me to continue fight for the next continue and fight for the next general election. to. he general election. he had to. he has to quit as an mp has chosen to quit as an mp because he was banned from parliament for 35 days after being up in a lobbying
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being caught up in a lobbying scandal times newspaper. scandal by the times newspaper. any ten days normally any more than ten days normally would a referendum on would trigger a referendum on a recall by—election he's chosen to act ahead of that and quit as an mp. it's a huge headache for rishi sunak. it brings there's now i'm getting numbers on my phone here, but, he has faced repeated tests at the ballot box since he became prime minister in october 2022, he hasn't won many of them. it's another blow. and this majority that scott benton has in blackpool south is not very big and will be hard to defend. he won the 2019 general election there with a with, a quite a low majority of around 4000, i think it's one that labour will will want to win. this by—election is likely to happen before parliament breaks up for the summer recess, so we can see it probably happening in late may, early june. a huge test for rishi sunak, a test he doesn't want . doesn't want. >> well, thank you very much indeed, christopher hope there. our political editor bringing us
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that latest news that, scott benton is stepping down and there will be a by—election in blackpool south. i mean, christopher saying there that this will be a very tightly contested. was tightly contested. well, it was tightly contested. well, it was tightly contested. now contested. it was. and now labour will very much be gunning for this. >> pm w- for this. >> be very surprising >> it would be very surprising if labour did not win this. but there confounding factors. i there are confounding factors. i mean, galloway's there are confounding factors. i mean,there's galloway's there are confounding factors. i mean,there's the galloway's there are confounding factors. i mean,there's the reform loway's there are confounding factors. i mean,there's the reform party,s party, there's the reform party, there's differences now there's lots of differences now in the polls that could shake things up. it will be a fascinating by—election. but emily, you know why scott emily, do you know why scott benton has to write to the chancellor rather than the prime minister the king, in order minister or the king, in order to as an mp ? to resign as an mp? >> go on. >>- >> go on. >> it is because , as a result, >> it is because, as a result, there was a resolution of the house of commons in the 1600s to say that you're not allowed to resign as a member of parliament. it's a duty not a privilege. and so it's a it's a very solemn duty to be an mp . very solemn duty to be an mp. there is an exception, though. okay. if you take an office of the crown that gives you profit, right , then you can't be an mp. right, then you can't be an mp. that is, that sort of
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counteracts your, your duties as an mp. so the only way to leave the house of commons is to be appointed to an office of profit under the crown, which the chancellor of the exchequer can appoint him to. and the two famous offices are the manor of northstead and the chiltern hundreds. >> translation. >> translation. >> translation. >> translation scott benton will either be appointed as the steward and bailiff of the chiltern hundreds, or of the manor of northstead, and technically will then be holding an office of profit under the crown and won't be able to be an mp. and that's how he'll leave the house of commons. >> well, those of you at home will be testing you on that later, so i hope you were listening and making notes, yeah. because i, will yeah. because i, i will obviously remember of that. obviously remember all of that. well, back to the 1600s. well, dating back to the 1600s. >> 16 2416. 1624 was the date which it was decided . you can't which it was decided. you can't resign as an mp, because because it's a duty, and then what evolved from that was the weird
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process by which members of parliament resign. so i think , parliament resign. so i think, bons parliament resign. so i think, boris johnson, for example, he took the chiltern hundreds and nadine dorries, i believe, took the manor of northstead . but the manor of northstead. but these are the two alternating offices by which members of parliament. >> is it fair to say that scott benton is stepping down in disgrace? >> yes, i think that's fair. there was a pretty clear, assessment of what he did. it was a sting from the sunday times newspaper where he offered a fictional pro—gambling company access to ministers and saying that he would raise what they wanted in parliament for money. it was a pretty open and shut case. >> yes. which, funnily enough, is against the code of conduct. and so it should be. you can't be, lobbying or helping , you be, lobbying or helping, you know, particular groups get, direct help from the government. >> no. and it is important to say he hasn't sat as a conservative mp for quite a long time. he's been sitting as an
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independent. he had the whip removed when that report came out from the standards committee , but now it seems that he has, decided to , to leave his job and decided to, to leave his job and not stand. so there we go. >> you're going to be having another overnighter, perhaps, by—election night here on gb views. >> it will be in your diary when we know that date. >> when we know that date, tom will stay up all night for it, of course. >> and, crucially, we'll find out whether takes the out whether he takes the chiltern hundreds the manor chiltern hundreds or the manor of northstead. >> quite. i can hardly >> well, quite. i can hardly wait, can hardly contain my wait, i can hardly contain my excitement. coming excitement. but coming up, farmers descending on the farmers are descending on the capital in protest against cheap food imports. will it be like the scenes we've seen over on the scenes we've seen over on the continent? we'll be live on the continent? we'll be live on the ground after this very short
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break. >> good afternoon. britain. it's
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coming up to 10 to 3. and following months of protest , coming up to 10 to 3. and following months of protest, i just say tom has been educating me with his wisdom about the 16005 me with his wisdom about the 1600s and all of the technicalities from within the westminster palace. >> well, we were we were just dunng >> well, we were we were just during the break, looking up the office holders of the crown steward and bailiff of the chiltern hundreds and the manor of northstead, and it's obviously all of the mps who've resigned. >> so the chiltern hundreds were held by boris johnson, nadine dorries, chris skidmore, those were the last three. yeah. but the manor of northstead, the most the incumbent holder of it is chris pincher. so i imagine that this one will go to benton because they alternate in terms of. right. but before then it was david warburton and nigel adams. now parish, you don't really want to find yourself on that wikipedia page, do you. well, i don't know. no. there are lots of people just are lots of people who've just resigned . so, for example, heidi resigned. so, for example, heidi alexander held it when she alexander once held it when she resigned become resigned to go and become a deputy mayor of london. resigned to go and become a depokay,ayor of london. resigned to go and become a depokay,aycit's london. resigned to go and become a depokay,aycit's lonall|. resigned to go and become a depokay,aycit's lonall people >> okay, so it's not all people who resigned because of bad
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reasons. >> no, no, it's just it's for any reason. resigning from the house you have to house of commons. you have to take of these offices. that take one of these offices. that is then in contravention of your obugafions is then in contravention of your obligations mp. and that's obligations as an mp. and that's how the house of how you get out the house of commons. well there you go. >> but, following months of protests uk and the protests across the uk and the continent, farmers are today descending on london, descending on protest on the capital to protest against cheap food imports and to the government to to call on the government to protect high british food standards trade standards in any future trade deals . deals. >> well, this comes as farmers are warning the uk could soon experience a shortage of vegetables and grains as more and more farmland is being taken over for environmental schemes. >> when therese coffey >> remember when therese coffey was telling us eat was telling us all to, eat turnips ? i wonder if there's shortage? >> that was that was a bit of political communication, wasn't it? >> so let them eat turnips . >> so let them eat turnips. well, anyway, let's get more on this with gb news. national reporter theo chikomba. theo, what is the scale of this protest? right >> yeah, well, we're expecting around 200 farmers to come into central london just a few
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moments ago, actually, we saw one tractor just go moments ago, actually, we saw one tractorjust go past me. one tractor just go past me. just over my right shoulder here at the new covent garden market in southwest london. and they're all going to be heading towards westminster just after 5:00. but their argument is against a low food imports coming from other parts of the world. and they're also talking about, the subsidies that the government is using at the moment, encouraging farmers to focus on wildlife rather than food production, which is having an impact, particularly on prices that we've seen here in the supermarket . but we've seen here in the supermarket. but i'm kindly joined this afternoon by julie and carol. thank you so much. you've come all the way from cheshire, so just tell me, first of all, why you're here today. well i'm here from cheshire because, to represent some farmers that aren't able to attend. >> i know them personally, and i know they haven't been supported by defra. in fact, the opposite seems to be happening, so i'm just here to, raise their
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awareness for the people of the uk that our food supply could be in real serious jeopardy because it's a reported that 49% of them won't exist after this year if some support isn't given to them i >> -- >> and 5mm >> and what else are your friends telling you at the moment, well, friends telling you at the moment, well , they're reneging. moment, well, they're reneging. the supermarkets are, they're growing food and then they're reneging on contracts . and so reneging on contracts. and so they've got all the food ready, and then they're not able to, to get paid for it , so, as i say, get paid for it, so, as i say, 49 as i understand it, 49% of farmers are considering, quitting. and there was a protest in wales where every farmer that was thinking to, that they were going to have to give up their business because they don't want to, but they left a wellington at the synod and, and there were thousands of wellingtons left there for every farmer that would have to quit their farms. and if we have no
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farmers, we have no food. so that puts our food supply in jeopardy. >> thank you so much. and on to you. how important is british farming ? farming? >> well, i think it's important that we support our farmers across the uk, because, you know, one thing that the farm, the best, best food in the world, the standards are the highest and, you know, they're under threat. as carol said . under threat. as carol said. and, you know, that we continue to have the choice where we have our food from. and, you know, i live in a small village in, in cheshire and we support our local farms locally. we buy food locally . and that's important locally. and that's important again, for our carbon footprint. and and you know, obviously they were going to lose that. and we don't know where our food will be coming from in the future and what standard it is. we know we're in control of the standard in this country. and, you know, our politicians are accountable for the quality of the food in
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this country, and we want to keep it like that. >> brilliant. >> brilliant. >> thank you so much for your time and for travelling all the way down from cheshire to here london. talking of politicians, just just to bring you this, farming minister mark spencer is in support and he says we firmly back our farmers. british farming is at the heart of british trade, and we put agriculture at the forefront of any deals we negotiate, prioritising new export opportunities, protecting uk food standards and removing market access barriers. so that's the message they'll be trying to drive home this afternoon here in london. >> very important message there. of course trade is two ways. trade deals can often also offer these great export opportunities for our farmers, well as for our farmers, as well as imports. theo chikomba thank you for joining us. >> government should >> yes, the government should just it as easy as possible just make it as easy as possible for farmers to turn a profit for our farmers to turn a profit and be to farm the land and to be able to farm the land profit, turn it, turn a profit. anyway, i'm sure theo is going to be bringing updates for martin. if more of those
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tractors. along. i tractors. yes. come along. i wanted see the tractors. wanted to see the tractors. >> it's great to see the tractors coming down the london roads, us roads, but that's it for us today. up next. and today. martin is up next. and what's coming up on your show ? what's coming up on your show? >> yeah, guys, thank you for, putting me over when those farmers roll into westminster will be right on the front line talking to them. also, three years on from the batley grammar school teacher being forced into hiding. anti—protest laws hiding. new anti—protest laws are out. are they enough to stop this? we'll speak to one of the people closest to the teacher with an exclusive update on how he is getting along. a nightmare on downing street. another by—election for sunak , by—election for rishi sunak, this time scott benton in blackpool. shamima begum losers again. yes, i know get the smallest violins out. and also, a council is fleecing suvs on parking charges . is that coming parking charges. is that coming to a town near you? the war motorist continues all that three till six. but first here's your latest weather forecast .
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your latest weather forecast. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb news. >> welcome along to your latest weather update from the met office for gb news. more wet weather to come throughout this week. really not too much today. of course. parts of east anglia and the south east, but it is a pretty chilly start to the working week. low pressure sitting just to the west of the uk as it be for the next uk as it will be for the next several days. weather fronts pushing far pushing northwards far north—west scotland, seeing north—west of scotland, seeing some sunny spells some bright or even sunny spells and, as i mentioned, much of east in the south—east east anglia in the south—east dry, everywhere drab, east anglia in the south—east dry,dampverywhere drab, east anglia in the south—east dry,damp and where drab, east anglia in the south—east dry,damp and it's'e drab, east anglia in the south—east dry,damp and it's fairly drab, east anglia in the south—east dry,damp and it's fairly breezy it's damp and it's fairly breezy as some heavy bursts of as well. some heavy bursts of rain across the south—west and the wet weather turning to snow over the hills across eastern scotland. temperatures here really struggling six seven degrees for the south. degrees at best for the south. we might get to double digits, maybe 11 or 12 with a bit of brightness in the southeast, but still chilly for the time still fairly chilly for the time of year. and it's going to be really eastern really cold rain in eastern
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scotland evening. see scotland this evening. we'll see more over the hills that more snow over the hills that could some problems on the could cause some problems on the highest the a9, for highest routes. the a9, for example, some heavy snow example, seeing some heavy snow for time through night. for a time through the night. elsewhere, will to elsewhere, the rain will tend to ease chunk of ease across a good chunk of england wales. ease across a good chunk of england wales . temperatures england and wales. temperatures will to single will fall down to single figures, generally a dry figures, but generally a dry start for many on tuesday. still pretty cloudy and there is more rain to come. more snow to come for eastern scotland, with chiefly rain at lower levels. but zone of wet weather but this zone of wet weather then works back across parts of then works back across parts of the midlands into wales and across southeast england. so a much wetter day here, something a bit brighter south wales a bit brighter for south wales and england. but and southwest england. but still, we may get to still, although we may get to double most us on the double digits, most of us on the chilly side, that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers sponsors of weather on
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gb news. >> way .
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>> way. >> way. >> hey. very good afternoon to you. and a very happy monday. it's 3 pm. welcome to the martin daubney show on gb news. broadcast and live from the heart of westminster. and, of course, across the uk. course, all across the uk. coming up, there's yet bad coming up, there's yet more bad for news prime minister rishi sunak. he's facing yet another by—election after former tory mp scott benton resigned. another nightmare on downing street next up shamima begum has lost her initial bid to challenge the loss of her british citizenship. i know get out the kleenex and after the princess of wales went pubuc after the princess of wales went public on her cancer diagnosis, we'll hear why that decision could help lots of other people who are suffering from the same dreadful illness. that's all coming up in your next hour. welcome to the show. thank you for joining us. always a forjoining us. always a fantastic pleasure to have your company. we've got a cracking
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week ahead. we've got a cracking

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