gb news. >> good morning, and welcome to sunday with michael portillo. according to ts eliot, april is the cruellest month. but not, i hope, for you loyal viewers , i hope, for you loyal viewers, as we view the waste land of british politics, consider the damage to world order delivered by iran's attack on israel , but by iran's attack on israel, but also graze on the fertile pastures of arts, culture and world affairs. today. my political panel will give its reaction to the new violence in the middle east and will consider the problems, including that of our national security, that of our national security, that will confront a new labour government. how will it resolve also, the conflict between wes streeting reforming zeal and

keir starmer's ultra caution? how will labour deal with the united states that might be led by donald trump ? a trio of ex by donald trump? a trio of ex mandarins calls for the foreign office to be renamed , its office to be renamed, its colonial era paintings to be removed because it is too rooted in the past. their paper claims that the full title of the department is too anchored in the past . is department is too anchored in the past. is this another department is too anchored in the past . is this another attack the past. is this another attack on british history? what should our diplomats be doing for us? baroness claire fox will join me to discuss. we'll also talk about the rabbit tax dubbed from the french poet lapin , which the french poet lapin, which means to be a no show. the french prime minister gabriel attal, has announced a new penalty of ,5 on french patients who missed their doctor's appointments without giving 24 hours notice. should the national health service adopt this too, i'll be joined punctually by consultant surgeon j marion thomas. stefan kyriazis will be here to talk about his latest theatrical adventures. he's been to see the 84 year old

sir ian mckellen as falstaff, and he'll also reflect on the early closure of sheridan smith's west end musical and the implications for experimental theatre . before all of that, theatre. before all of that, though, your headlines with sam francis . francis. >> michael, thank you very much. and a very good morning to you. it's just coming up to 11:03, and we start with some breaking news in the last hour that rishi sunakis news in the last hour that rishi sunak is set to join a meeting of g7 leaders for urgent talks amid rising tensions in the middle east after iran attacked israel last night. israel has now warned the confrontation is not over yet, while iran is threatening to launch a much larger attack if israel retaliates. iran's state media has also carried a warning for the us, saying its bases would be targeted if washington backs israel's military response . raf israel's military response. raf jets were used to shoot down iranian drones last night, most

of which were intercepted without causing any significant damage. a small number, though, did reach israel, damage. a small number, though, did reach israel , critically did reach israel, critically injuring a seven year old girl and causing some damage to an army base. health secretary victoria atkins told gb news this morning that britain will stand with the people of israel. >> we will be working across our, you know, free democracies across the world to ensure that we stand with israel. but we do so to try and de—escalate the tensions in the region, because nobody wants to see an escalation in the sorts of military activities that we have seen. >> in other news, angela rayner is facing mounting pressure over her two homes row after a former aide told police that she had not told the truth about her real home. her former chief adviser has given a statement to greater manchester police contradicting her claims. matt finnigan said there was no doubt in his mind that the labour mps

actual home in 2014 was with her then husband, and not a former council house where she was registered to live. police this week launched an investigation looking into possible breaches of electoral law, the deputy labour leader has promised, though , to step down if it's though, to step down if it's determined she did commit a criminal offence , but said she criminal offence, but said she has followed all the rules at all times . sir keir starmer says all times. sir keir starmer says he has confidence in her. he has full confidence in her. the conservative mp tim loughton has announced he'll stand down at the next election, joining a growing list of departing tory mps. he's represented east worthing and shoreham since 1997, but says it's wiser to leave five minutes too soon than continue for five years too long. his decision adds to the 64 conservative mps who are not seeking re—election. the veteran backbencher becomes the 100th mp overall to stand down to sydney now, and the family of a man who killed six people in a stabbing attack at a shopping centre has described his actions as truly

horrific . 40 year old joel horrific. 40 year old joel cauchi was identified as the assailant who carried out that killing spree near bondi beach yesterday. five people, including four women and a man, died at the scene and another woman, the mother of a nine month old baby, later died in hospital . her child, who was hospital. her child, who was also attacked, is understood to now be recovering well, the family of the attacker say he had been suffering from mental health issues since he was a teenager , and they released a teenager, and they released a statement in support of the police officer who killed him, saying she was only doing her job. the premier of the state of new south wales, chris minns, has paid tribute to emergency crews and members of the public. >> many people would be showing real so many people real anger at so many people having been killed and real loss of life and the individual stories of those that have been killed that have been reported in media are heartbreaking, in the media are heartbreaking, i want search for i kind of want to search for a silver lining , but it has been silver lining, but it has been incredible complete incredible to see complete strangers jump in, run towards

the danger, put their own lives, in harm's way to save someone that they've never met before. and look, there's not too many positives to take out of a horrifying event, but we've got some wonderful people in our city. >> and before we hand back to michael some royal news, the duke of kent is stepping down as colonel scots guards colonel of the scots guards after 50 years. in the last few minutes, the duke arrived at the regiment's black sunday parade in westminster. he's meeting members of the guards there, ending his time overseeing the prestigious regiment. edward, who a cousin of queen who was a cousin of queen elizabeth ii, will now hand the role over to the duke of edinburgh in the 88 year old says that holding the position has true honour. that's has been a true honour. that's the the newsroom . the latest from the newsroom. more in the next half hour. until then, do sign up to gb news alerts. just scan the code there on your screen or go to gb news. alerts.

>> thank you very much. sam francis wes streeting , labour's francis wes streeting, labour's shadow health secretary, last week expanded on his opinion that the national health service needs radical reform. he attacked those middle class lefties who criticise his plan to use spare in the to use spare capacity in the private sector to help the national service patients national health service patients awaiting . will libya's awaiting treatment. will libya's struggle within the labour government, between his radicalism and sir keir starmer's ultra caution? labour's shadow foreign secretary, david lammy, once accused donald trump of being a racist , kkk accused donald trump of being a racist, kkk and nazi sympathiser, while whatever evidence there might have been for that is looking quite likely that the donald will be the next president of the united states, how form how would labour form a relationship with the united states if donald trump were to re—enter house, might re—enter the white house, might a would be a labour government would be blown off course by the issue of national if ukraine is national security. if ukraine is defeated. and as israel today

faces enemies on all sides to consider those questions i have with me political commentator matthew stadlen, a former labour adviser , scarlett mccgwire and adviser, scarlett mccgwire and pubuc adviser, scarlett mccgwire and public affairs consultants , and public affairs consultants, and former labour aide stella zheng qinwen santykiu. so i thought i was going to do better than that . stella. >> i'm sorry about it. very well, scarlett, let's consider this question of whether a labour government may in fact be blown off course by the international security situation , by which i mean having to having to devote much more time and much more money to defence than presently seems likely . than presently seems likely. >> it was harold macmillan who said it's events , dear boy said it's events, dear boy events, and that that is always raise the problem of going into government is there are things you can plan for and there are things that just happen , you're things that just happen, you're absolutely right. i mean, we have to worry about ukraine. we have to worry about ukraine. we have to worry about ukraine. we have to really worry about what's going on in the middle east and how that's all going to be pulled into. and of course,

what's interesting is that only on friday, keir starmer said that he wanted to up defence spending to 2.5% of gdp, and he was absolutely committed to a nuclear thing. so actually , i nuclear thing. so actually, i mean, he they've already started understanding that defence and national security vie is going to be very heavy. and as far as trump's concerned, it's quite interesting actually, that i mean, i was talking to the lammy team about trump saying my view is that, it would make it very difficult and they said, we're already we've been talking to republicans for months and months and months. we can work with, with a republican government. work with, we government. we can work with, we can trump . can work with trump. >> stellar. we've just been reminded there by scarlett that sir keir starmer has just said that it sir keir starmer has just said thatitis sir keir starmer has just said that it is intention to that it is his intention to raise defence spending to 2.5% of gdp when circumstances allow. i wonder whether that remark ,

i wonder whether that remark, which has just been made, doesn't now seem rather out of date , given what's happened date, given what's happened overnight. i mean, there may be compelling circumstances where a labour government would have to do much more than increase defence spending to 2.5% when circumstances allow. >> i think that foreign affairs is going to be a big opportunity for labour because it for the labour party, because it will keir starmer will give the keir starmer government a chance to differentiate to differentiate themselves and to really you're looking really shine when you're looking at the local situation, a national situation where the economy really , really hard economy is really, really hard and already that they and we've already know that they have there will not have established there will not be, there will not there will have established there will not be, be re will not there will have established there will not be, be a will not there will have established there will not be, be a good not there will have established there will not be, be a good situation will have established there will not be, be a good situation forl have established there will not be, be a good situation for the not be a good situation for the first few months where keir starmer is in government. but in internationally there a big internationally there is a big opportunity to make a difference. to show some difference. and to show some gravitas, show some gravitas, to show some leadership, differentiate leadership, to differentiate themselves from the united states they states slightly. i hope they will especially if will do that, especially if donald trump is the next president. i don't think that it's to be a problem if it's going to be a problem if donald trump premier. donald trump is the premier. i think what politicians very often misunderstand about a politician like donald trump is that that he will respond to that is that he will respond to

strength. doesn't want people strength. he doesn't want people to flatter him. and the comments that labour politicians have made before donald trump became president were david cameron did the same thing in the past. what are you going to do about it? donald trump used to be a celebrity. obviously all sorts of have said all sorts of of people have said all sorts of things is there things about him. there is there is, is there is no is, there is no there is no going that. and in any going around that. and in any case, his personal situation to me is one where i don't i don't think that he can, that he has the luxury really not to work with the next british prime minister, matthew, one of the effects of what's happened in the last few days is that the focus has switched from gaza to iran, and consequently , this has iran, and consequently, this has dnven iran, and consequently, this has driven the united states and israel back together. they were beginning to fall apart. i wonder whether that poses interesting problems for the labour party, at the labour party, because at the moment, in the west is moment, everybody in the west is having to say we're we're, you know, full square with, with israel because at the moment israel because at the moment israel is fighting iran . israel is fighting iran. >> i think everyone waking up this morning will be thinking

about what's just happened. this is a major escalation . there are is a major escalation. there are no bones about it. i suspect iran doesn't want to take this any further because they know that they are weaker than the united states and and united states and israel and other combined . but this other allies combined. but this was an audacious attack, unprecedented attack from iranian soil on the israeli mainland. so this is a big moment. there's no doubt that an incoming labour government, keir starmer , john healey at the starmer, john healey at the moment, the shadow defence secretary, and of course , david secretary, and of course, david lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, going have secretary, are going to have their cut out. if you look their work cut out. if you look at and i know we're going to come to this, if you look come on to this, if you look at labour's main underpinning of its, of its manifesto coming up there are five main missions, but those themselves are underpinned by a stable economy aspiring to an a stable economy, strong defence and secure borders. those words strong defence really matter. i think

we can take this incoming labour government , if that's what it government, if that's what it turns out to be, very seriously on, this. starmer is a on, on, on this. starmer is a grown politician he grown up politician and he understands importance of understands the importance of that. response to that. in direct response to what you've said , there have you've just said, there have been those who've said we should stop israel , and been those who've said we should stop israel, and i'm stop arming israel, and i'm someone who shares enormous concerns, by way, that concerns, by the way, that israel has prosecuted its war in gaza. if we were to gaza. but if we were to completely or if america, more importantly, in germany , if the importantly, in germany, if the international community was simply to abandon israel because of the horrors of what we're witnessing in gaza, then ultimately it would become relatively against relatively defenceless against iran . and i don't think most iran. and i don't think most sane people want that either. for sake of israel or for for the sake of israel or for the wider international community. >> you say that. i mean, >> yes, you say that. i mean, it's it strikes me that people did not see that in fighting hamas. was fighting hamas. israel was fighting a proxy iran. now that israel proxy of iran. now that israel is fighting iran, maybe things are bit clearer , scarlett are a tiny bit clearer, scarlett mccgwire stellar. there was saying, oh, well, you know, lammy will have to eat his words and lots of people have done it

in past. i put it to you. is in the past. i put it to you. is it for david lammy to it possible for david lammy to be the foreign secretary if donald trump is going be president? >> well, certainly >> well, he certainly thinks it's think i you're it's possible. i think i you're here to give your opinion. i think no, but think think think no, but i think i think stella's right. i mean, i mean, look, cameron could not look, david cameron could not have been ruder about donald trump, and yet he went to he went to florida, saw him probably failed, frankly, to persuade him that he should he should tell the republicans to arm ukraine. >> i mean, he's he's a fag end foreign secretary probably i mean, you know, we're all anticipating there's going to be anticipating there's going to be a labour government. he's a sort of forgotten foreign secretary and that he and it's not very clear that he achieved say achieved anything. so, so to say that no that david lammy will be no worse david cameron far worse than david cameron as far as concerned, is not as trump is concerned, is not particularly as trump is concerned, is not parwell,'ly as trump is concerned, is not parwell,'ljmean, frankly see >> well, i mean, i frankly see when theresa may, when trump first got in and theresa may was prime minister, i mean, we achieved practically nothing, in in real terms, we did get trump over because we gave him the queen, right? i mean, that was

quite a lot , queen, right? i mean, that was quite a lot, i'm quite sure that that keir and david could give could, could, could give him the king this time i mean, i just think a lot of people have said a lot of things, but i do know i do know that they have been working hard , hard to, to working hard, hard to, to understand that we might have trump as president. and if we do have trump as president, we do have trump as president, we do have to do things with the states . states. >> let's change subject stellar , >> let's change subject stellar, i see, you know, wes streeting saying some really interesting things about national health service reform, but my view of sir keir starmer is that he is, well , very sir keir starmer is that he is, well, very super cautious. now, you know, it's one thing when these things have to be worked out in opposition because nobody wants to present much of a wants to present too much of a target. they get into target. but when they get into government this this going government is this is this going to conflict between to be a real conflict between the radicals who want to make changes to public services? changes to our public services? and may be standing and keir starmer may be standing in their way? what you think? in their way? what do you think? >> hardly, hardly >> i think hardly, hardly radical. i think that what wes streeting is suggesting is

something or less, in something that more or less, in one way or another, already one way or another, has already been lot of people been happening. a lot of people have about it, and have been talking about it, and he's about something have been talking about it, and he's limited.about something have been talking about it, and he's limited.abotwantnething have been talking about it, and he's limited.abotwant to hing have been talking about it, and he's limited.abotwant to tackle have been talking about it, and he'swaitingi.abotwant to tackle have been talking about it, and he'swaiting liststant to tackle have been talking about it, and he'swaiting lists because tackle have been talking about it, and he'swaiting lists because so kle the waiting lists because so many problems come down street the waiting lists because so manytherlems come down street the waiting lists because so manythe nhs.s come down street the waiting lists because so manythe nhs. wait1e down street the waiting lists because so manythe nhs. wait waiting street the waiting lists because so manythe nhs. wait waiting list,et from the nhs. wait waiting list, not fact that have not least the fact that we have so people who are so many people who are entrenched into long term sickness cannot work, entrenched into long term sickitherefore cannot work, entrenched into long term sickitherefore they:annot work, entrenched into long term sickitherefore they can'tt work, entrenched into long term sickitherefore they can't pay rk, and therefore they can't pay taxes. but i don't think that keir starmer is worried about wes streeting. i think keir starmer is very pleased with wes streeting and with any labour party who is willing party politicians who is willing to go out there and make and ruffle some feathers , especially ruffle some feathers, especially what very what what i find very interesting about the last week is the comment that wes streeting made about middle class lefties, which a lot of people took issue with. a lot of people took issue with. a lot of people were a bit offended. they were like, why are you using this culture war language? why are you not being a serious politician? and why would you mention something that's basically twitter, basically an issue on twitter, but perhaps real but not so much. perhaps in real life but it showed to me life. but what it showed to me is west streeting is not is that west streeting is not afraid of being combative , and

afraid of being combative, and he's very good at being combative. he's a very good media performer. he's a very good commentator and analyst and i that this is going to be i think that this is going to be an asset when labour is in government and they're going to have to basically fight that kind of fight. >> yes. matt stadler , my point >> yes. matt stadler, my point was not so much that that starmer is not presently irritated with wes streeting. it's rather that wes streeting, when they're in government, may be irritated with starmer because he may think that there are to do, and starmer are things to do, and starmer may be because caution may be because of his caution standing way. and standing in his way. and although i take stella's point that of course it's been discussed before that we should use capacity, that use spare capacity, i feel that streeting more than streeting has done more than that. he's he's adopted a completely different tone to the national health service, he said. sacred cow. said. this is not a sacred cow. this is not something which is performing well. this is not something sit back. something where we can sit back. i mean, is a completely i mean, that is a completely different looking the different way of looking at the national health service from the labour national health service from the labit's something that a labour >> it's something that a labour politician can afford to say, much for

much more difficult for a conservative to say that. i think there'll be a great collective sigh of relief around the because course, the country because of course, we back the nhs, but we can all see that in many ways it's failing . now, who's responsible failing. now, who's responsible for it covid? is for its failure? is it covid? is it the tory government? yes. they say there's record investment, but does that mean it's investment? is it's sufficient investment? is it's sufficient investment? is it ? all these it mismanagement? all these things should be on the table. >> is it the system ? >> is it the system? >> is it the system? >> some people would argue it's the system. i don't think a labour government going labour government is going to stop healthcare at the stop free healthcare at the point of delivery. wes streeting is do as is trying to do as well as i hope, putting more money into it is trying to do as well as i hche's)utting more money into it is trying to do as well as i hche's goingi more money into it is trying to do as well as i hche's going to ore money into it is trying to do as well as i hche's going to say,noney into it is trying to do as well as i hche's going to say, well, into it is trying to do as well as i hche's going to say, well, it'so it is he's going to say, well, it's okayif is he's going to say, well, it's okay if there's a bit of private provision, if there's a bit of private supply, that that is not a principle . i think private supply, that that is not a principle. i think in the a key principle. i think in the minds of most british people, what concerned about is what they are concerned about is this principle of free at the what they are concerned about is this pof ciple of free at the what they are concerned about is this pof delivery. ree at the what they are concerned about is this pof delivery. and|t the what they are concerned about is this pof delivery. and by�*ie what they are concerned about is this pof delivery. and by the point of delivery. and by the way, chemistry we way, on the chemistry of it, we simply what that's way, on the chemistry of it, we simpljto what that's way, on the chemistry of it, we simpljto be what that's way, on the chemistry of it, we simpljto be like what that's way, on the chemistry of it, we simpljto be like . what that's way, on the chemistry of it, we simpljto be like . in,1at that's way, on the chemistry of it, we simpljto be like . in, in that's going to be like. in, in reality, we know that we had we lived through that. we used to work week on the work together this week on the bbc when were bbc years ago when there were the tbg , rbs, you know, tony

the tbg, rbs, you know, tony blair brown, constant blair and gordon brown, constant friction that can be harmful. on the hand , you can have the other hand, you can have a bit of yin and yang and the cautionary starmer , with the cautionary starmer, with the sort of more radical streeting, could be quite an interesting combination. by the way, i was on stage with theresa may, one of your former colleagues, just this interviewing this week. i was interviewing her. i was rather impressed by her, her sense of her, impressed by her sense of pubuc even her, impressed by her sense of public even though i've her, impressed by her sense of publicriticaleven though i've her, impressed by her sense of publicritical ofen though i've her, impressed by her sense of publicritical of her|ough i've her, impressed by her sense of publicritical of her in gh i've been critical of her in the past. and it very clear past. and she made it very clear in a, in rather diplomatic way in a, in a rather diplomatic way that with president that working with president trump wasn't a particularly easy thing didn't mean that thing to do, didn't mean that she wasn't up to the task. and i suspect the same will be the same be the case with keir same will be the case with keir starmer. same will be the case with keir sta scarlett mccgwire we only >> scarlett mccgwire we only have few moments. just tell have a few moments. just tell me, think a future me, do you think that a future labour government have an labour government might have an attack gbs in other attack of the tb? gbs in other words, a different no. >> i think the thing about wes streeting he for streeting is he goes for headunes streeting is he goes for headlines know best headlines and we know the best headunes headlines and we know the best headlines are if you attack your own. so to talk about middle class lefties immediately gave him headline. that's what i

him the headline. that's what i mean. if you look at what wesley's really saying, wesley's saying, let's let's get the health service. he's not he's not that radical, actually, a marvellous discussion. i thank you all. very, very interesting points indeed. matthew stadler and scarlett mccgwire and stella sikiru , after the break, are we sikiru, after the break, are we discussing the proposals that the foreign should be the foreign office should be renamed is too elitist and renamed as it is too elitist and too in past ? renamed as it is too elitist and too in past? i'll too anchored in the past? i'll be speaking to baroness claire fox. you're watching michael portillo on gb britain's portillo on gb news, britain's news channel . news channel. >> we are proud to be gb news the people's channel. and as you know, we always love to hear your views. now there's a new way of getting in touch with us @gbnews forward . slash your @gbnews .com forward. slash your say by commenting you can be part live conversation and part of a live conversation and join our gb news community. you can talk to me, bev turner can even talk to me, bev turner or any of the members of the gb news family. simply to news family. simply go to gbnews.com/yoursay

>> welcome back. a trio of former civil servants and diplomats this week published a plan that proposes that the foreign office should be replaced by a less elitist department for international affairs . its present full title, affairs. its present full title, the foreign, commonwealth and development office , is development office, is supposedly anchored in the past. it should also modernise its working environment. the paper calls for the department to display fewer colonial era pictures on the walls, and insist that we cannot simply brush aside concerns around the uk's historical legacy, given how much britain's role has changed since its building, which was designed by george gilbert scott, opened in 1868. do the reformers have a point? joining me to discuss this is the founder of the academy of ideas and the former mep, baroness claire fox. claire,

great. great to see you, that point that i raised at the end, there they are in this very ancient building with rooms that have names like the durbar court. obviously referring back to the period when the monarch was the emperor or empress of india, is there a point that this building is a bit absurd for what the foreign office does today? >> well, in the sense that the report feels as though it's been written by a group of interior decorators , and as seems to have decorators, and as seems to have avoided what would seem to me to be hugely important at the moment, we are going through what can only be described as a challenging in terms challenging time in terms of international , and i'd international relations, and i'd be be fantastic be it would be fantastic if former mandarins would put their minds to thinking about foreign policy , but instead we have policy, but instead we have a kind of rather shallow and superficial demand, really, that there's a rupture from the past . there's a rupture from the past. and i think as far as the building goes , the building is building goes, the building is beautiful. it certainly reflects the past . but beautiful. it certainly reflects the past. but one of the things that's important, surely, about the geopolitical priorities of

any country is that you have a sense of the past to understand where you're going in the future, and can decide what to do present. this of do in the present. this idea of kind the is our problem, kind of the past is our problem, which become very which has become very fashionable, of our fashionable, is the least of our problems. in fact, i think problems. and in fact, i think it's important to have a certain context which you context in which you work. there's nothing wrong with that. and key issues and one of the main key issues around foreign policy has always been putting national interests first. and that's what this report doesn't want us to do that all. that at all. >> know what is the impact on the people who work in the building and who visit the building? so first of all, the foreign secretary has an office the a tennis court. and the size of a tennis court. and then, course , you know, our then, of course, you know, our diplomats are sitting around in offices paintings offices with enormous paintings offices with enormous paintings of and imperial of monarchs and imperial grandeur. visitors come grandeur. and then visitors come to see them. now, on the one hand, you could say the visitors love to see such a glorious building and are impressed or you could say, you know, they're coming somewhere the coming from somewhere like the united they think coming from somewhere like the unitis they think coming from somewhere like the unitis absolutely, they think coming from somewhere like the unitis absolutely, absolutely: coming from somewhere like the unitis egiventely, absolutely: coming from somewhere like the unitis egiventely, presentely: coming from somewhere like the unitis egiven tely, present weight absurd, given our present weight in foreign affairs. >> i genuinely think that from

the point of view of visitors, they're generally, oh, isn't this historical this a wonderful historical building? they do not find it. i mean, appreciate that we are mean, i appreciate that we are almost this report would encourage anyone who visits from an country to be an overseas country to be offended our behalf . but an overseas country to be offended our behalf. but this offended on our behalf. but this is written by british mandarins who have decided that it's inappropriate . but i also think inappropriate. but i also think the idea that people who work in the idea that people who work in the building will have a the wrong sense of themselves. i mean, there little mean, i wish there was a little bit more self—confidence what bit more self—confidence in what the it's now the uk might represent. it's now got powers back the uk might represent. it's now got brexit. powers back the uk might represent. it's now got brexit. meant's back the uk might represent. it's now got brexit. meant to3ack the uk might represent. it's now got brexit. meant to be< post brexit. it's meant to be considering role the considering what the role of the uk and this actually uk is, and this report actually calls humility for less calls for humility for less consideration of britain as being a powerful nation. in fact , it doesn't want britain to consider itself on its own role in terms of national sovereignty at all. it says that we should have more international role with ngos , go for group work. with ngos, go for group work. i mean, i can't begin to tell you how disastrous i consider this

to be at a time in which i would want the foreign office to be taking itself seriously and all i'm saying is, is that when i, i mean, i'm in the house of lords and there is nothing about the furnishings of house furnishings of the house of lords that modest humble. lords that are modest or humble. and that i walk and you could say that i walk around thinking, oh, i must be a baroness, because i'm here in this historic actually , it gives this historic actually, it gives me a sense of the tradition of the country in, of what the country that i'm in, of what parliament really stands for, what there, and my what how it got there, and my rather it. rather modest role in it. >> me let you what >> let me let me ask you what you diplomats are for , and you think diplomats are for, and let me give you an answer. as someone who used a someone who used to be a minister, what minister, i mean, to me, what diplomats i diplomats were for was when i went country or when i was went to a country or when i was deaung went to a country or when i was dealing with the country, to give me a real insight on that country, because i couldn't possibly understand the inner workings was workings of serbia, which i was deaung workings of serbia, which i was dealing time, dealing with at the time, without people the ground who without people on the ground who understood about understood a little bit about the culture, understood how serbs saw the world in this example, what do you think diplomats for? example, what do you think dip well,s for? example, what do you think

dip well, i for? example, what do you think dipwell, i think r? example, what do you think dip well, i think that's you >> well, i think that's you describe very well. >> i understand it, i assume >> as i understand it, i assume as that you're there to as well that you're there to represent the country, that you there's also an element of which you represent the country that you represent the country that you are the diplomat for. one of my concerns, i suppose, at the moment, this report on moment, is that this report on the foreign office, which i think, if i was a foreign diplomat, i might note, is that the united kingdom has lost confidence in itself, that it's going through a period of deep civilisation. it's kind of embarrassed by its past, and it's part of general trend to it's part of a general trend to despise and show contempt for everything that britain is represented. so if i was if i was a diplomat from another country, i might read this report and say they're absolutely they absolutely doomed. they hate themselves. of themselves. they're full of self—loathing. they want to hide everything. they they can't see anything positive about their past at all. and they want a very diminished role in the world. so in that sense, you don't have to be a spy or a

diplomat. you just need to read the report. on other i the report. on the other hand, i think makes a fait think that makes it a fait accompli. and i know that it's become to have become fashionable to have this fracture historical, fracture between historical, you know, of country know, the history of our country , a shared history, by the way, because that's one of the things that a nation a sense of that gives a nation a sense of cohesion, even if it's a shared history, which you history, parts of which you think are terrible, you understand is almost understand it. this is almost like saying the slate like saying wipe the slate clean. it . clean. we don't like it. >> thank you very much. so, it seems that, people in other countries reading this report might think that we're doomed, but if they tuned into gb news and heard claire fox, they would think something very different. coming are french coming up. are the french leading the way with their plans to discipline patients who fail to discipline patients who fail to attend appointments? is a ,5 fine for non—attendance the answer you're watching michael portillo

welcome back. overnight. the sky above jerusalem has been lit up by explosions. as israel intercepts projectiles launched by iran. joining us from that city is the british colonel richard kemp , british colonel richard kemp, richard, thank you for joining us on gb news. could i put this point to you with about 99% of the projectiles are shot down, has this not, in effect been a demonstration? not of iranian strength, but of impotence ? strength, but of impotence? >> that's exactly what it is, i think, you know, it shows both the weakness of iran despite their much kind of signalled plans to give severe punishment to israel. it shows their weakness, their inability to do that by this means anyway. and it also shows the comparable strength of . israel, strength of. israel, particularly when it's supported, as it was last night by its allies from the uk, the us , france and also some arab

us, france and also some arab countries who flew combat planes to intercept some of the missiles . to intercept some of the missiles. so, to intercept some of the missiles . so, yes, it's, it to intercept some of the missiles. so, yes, it's, it is a demonstration of iran's weakness, but we shouldn't at the same time consider that, that doesn't mean iran doesn't present a threat. let's not forget that iran is on cusp forget that iran is on the cusp of building a nuclear bomb and gaining nuclear capability, which . if it was to use that which. if it was to use that either on the end of a missile that did get through or indeed in some other delivery form, then potentially then that would be potentially devastating then that would be potentially devast delivered at. plus, of it was delivered at. plus, of course, they've got proxies all around region, including course, they've got proxies all around israelgion, including course, they've got proxies all around israel with including course, they've got proxies all around israel with inclexplicit ringing israel with the explicit intention of attacking israel from every direction and then they have, sleeper cells. i suppose you could call it, in countries around europe and around the to world carry out terrorist attacks against us if necessary . not probably the necessary. not probably the greatest power they've got outside of iran itself is 150,000 missiles deployed in

lebanon, pointing at israel. some have been fired , but most some have been fired, but most are there as a deterrent against an israeli attack against iran, orindeed an israeli attack against iran, or indeed a us attack against iran. so this means has not worked for iran and it's deeply embarrassing for them. i'm sure, richard, have other other richard, they have other other strings to their bow, richard, a second point, if i may, and quite briefly if you would. but iran seems to have achieved something which seemed politically impossible, which is to unify president biden and, mr netanyahu, who had been at loggerheads. but now, of course, the united states is bound to say that it is full square with israel . israel. >> well, i think president biden's strategic priority is to win the us general election. that's what he's interested in. that's what he's interested in. that's why he's been trying to persuade israel to ratchet down its campaign in gaza. he's been , its campaign in gaza. he's been, putting piling the pressure on israel to do that because he thinks that the longer that goes on, the more violent it gets,

the more damaging it's going to be. his electoral campaign . be. in his electoral campaign. and that's also gave and that's why he also gave warnings iran . and said he warnings to iran. and said he would be standing cast iron beside israel in this, because he wanted that. he didn't want this conflict occur. and this conflict to occur. and again, electoral this conflict to occur. and again, as electoral this conflict to occur. and again, as electoanything reasons as much as anything else. then else. and that's and then now he's effectively to he's switched effectively to trying to pressure israel to just call this a win and take it on the chin rather than carry out some form of retaliation. >> thank you very much indeed , >> thank you very much indeed, colonel richard kemp in jerusalem. stay safe . the jerusalem. please stay safe. the french prime minister, gabriel attal, has announced a new penalty facing french patients this week in a bid to cut spending following a shock rise in the public deficit and debt. under new rules, those who fail to keep doctors appointments without giving 24 hours notice will face a fine of ,5. doctors will face a fine of ,5. doctors will retain the discretion as to whether to levy the fine or not. dubbed the rabbit tax because

posey and lapin is french for failing to show up, could the national health service also pull this policy out of the hat ? pull this policy out of the hat? joining me to grab this idea by the ears is consultant surgeon j. marion thomas. great to see you.thank j. marion thomas. great to see you. thank you forjoining me you. thank you for joining me again on gb news, there merit again on gb news, is there merit in idea? in this idea? >> think an absolute >> i think it's an absolute great michael because great idea. michael because i can tell you that there are about 1 million dnas did not attend appointments in general practice every week, practice every year, every week, every there are . every month. and there are. 750,000 dnas every month in hospital practice . so this is hospital practice. so this is a huge waste of resource, both in general practice and in hospitals. now, rishi sunak . at hospitals. now, rishi sunak. at the 2022 conservative conference suggesting it suggested a £10 fine that was fine per dna. and that was a great and i think somebody great idea. and i think somebody should it. you've been should consider it. you've been talking streeting talking about wes streeting this morning . he should think he'd morning. he should think he'd consider seriously consider it very, very seriously implementing might be a implementing it might be a different idea. >> i going to say, do we >> i was going to say, do we have how would work?

>> i was going to say, do we hmean, how would work? >> i was going to say, do we hmean, you would work? >> i was going to say, do we hmean, you be vould work? >> i was going to say, do we hmean, you be refused)rk? >> i was going to say, do we hmean, you be refused an? i mean, would you be refused an appointment your appointment unless you paid your fine ? fine? >> well, if you refuse an appointment, a appointment, then there's a liberal. oh, liberal. lefties will say, oh, you've somebody chronic you've got somebody with chronic illness them illness and you're denying them a or hospital appointment, a gp or hospital appointment, etc, would be etc, etc. and it would be unethical, for example. so it would be difficult to. but would be very difficult to. but what i think a point i would make is that even if you brought this policy a threat, said this policy in as a threat, said it's going to happen. think it's going to happen. i think that cure cure some that would cure cure it to some extent, a great extent , just extent, to a great extent, just as a threat. >> i can imagine a lot of people screaming at the television set at the moment because they're saying, that i don't saying, it's not that i don't turn it's that my turn up, it's that my appointment cancelled or appointment is cancelled or indeed that i don't receive my letter that i've got letter telling me that i've got an appointment. >> well. but >> yeah, all that as well. but at of the day, a lot of at the end of the day, a lot of appointments, people do know that they're an that they're having an appointment. up . appointment. they just don't up. for text for example, hospitals now text you with your you the whole time with your hospital appointment and that's very, very useful. you've very, very useful. and you've got no excuse for got no you've got no excuse for not turning up if you've been sent sometimes sent one, sometimes even two texts. okay >> so on the summary of >> so on that, the summary of your is there really your view is there really is a problem. and it's worth looking

at see whether it might at this to see whether it might solve you recently solve it. now you recently been talking something talking about something else, which with the number of which is that with the number of appointments now with that appointments now with gps that are via a screen, not are conducted via a screen, not in person, you think that this is a major reason why early diagnosis of important diseases is being missed, and therefore that this is providing a real problem, a real threat to the public's health. >> correct. but that argument started before all this virtual consultation started. the data i've published in the daily telegraph that learned medical journal, refers to data that was collected before 2020. and there is absolutely no doubt about it that that general practitioners are partly responsible for the for the, for the poor cancer survival in the uk because they miss diagnoses and there is delay in diagnoses. for example, one of the problems is they offer no continuity of care. so there are some cancers like say cancen there are some cancers like say cancer. you can't swallow or bladder cancer your blood in

your water, for example. there are obvious symptoms. you can't miss those, but there are lots of blind cancers in the of sort of blind cancers in the tummy, stomach, pancreas, ovary, for , when there are no for example, when there are no specific symptoms and the only way the gp can diagnose though those is to see the patient the second and to see that the second time and to see that the patient is no better and that the patient is not a complaining patient. and for the penny to drop there, perhaps there is something here something else going on here that's of that's called continuity of care. what gps do not care. that's what gps do not offer. and that is the reason suggested by the medical defence union, that the reason union, that that is the reason for this, for gps being partly responsible for delaying diagnosis of cancer. all that stuff can be looked up on the internet . just look up. medical internet. just look up. medical defence diagnosis defence union delaying diagnosis of cancer . it's defence union delaying diagnosis of cancer. it's all there. >> and where would solution >> and where would the solution lie? it be in training? lie? would it be in training? would in resources ? would it be in more resources? his, where do you think the principal i think training is very important, michael. >> for example, to become a gp, it's a three year training course. two years of those are spentin course. two years of those are spent in general practice and

one in hospital. that one year in hospital. that doesn't enough exposure doesn't give you enough exposure to the medical specialities to all the medical specialities or complexities of or indeed to the complexities of medicine that are fundamental to hospital meetings, hospital practice meetings, medical meetings in hospitals, multidiscipline team meetings, for example, just communing with with colleagues the whole time about discussion of disease. the gp's just don't get that. they go into general practice and i call it a learning desert. quite frankly , josh, jamie and thomas, frankly, josh, jamie and thomas, it's always a delight to benefit from your expertise and your extraordinary experience . extraordinary experience. >> it's still ahead. it's time to to take the stage for our weekly catch up with stefan kyriazis to hear all about his latest escapades . latest escapades. >> we are proud to be gb news the people's channel and as you know, we always love to hear your views. now there's a new way of getting in touch with us @gbnews .com. forward slash your say by commenting you can be part a live conversation and part of a live conversation and join gb news community. join our gb news community. you can talk to me, bev turner can even talk to me, bev turner or any of the members of the gb

news family. simply go to gbnews.com/yoursay say

>> welcome back. another busy week for theatregoers. and stefan kyriazis, as always, is one of those. and he's been to see player kings and adaptation of shakespeare's two parts of henry the fourth, in which sir ian mckellen, aged 84, plays falstaff . stefan, lovely to see falstaff. stefan, lovely to see you. how was it? >> well, it gives us all hope that we'll still be staggering around . around. >> it's an interesting thing. it's a it's a condensation of the two plays. but the plays are a kind of complete journey for falstaff and for hal. and then henry vie into henry the fifth, it's a modern setting , henry vie into henry the fifth, it's a modern setting, and i think we've got a clip of how it's all been set up and a little bit of a look behind the

scenes and people chatting on opening night. >> turned to me the >> you turned to me in the interval you like, interval and you were like, shakespeare funny, interval and you were like, shakhe?eare funny, interval and you were like, shakhe?eare it funny, interval and you were like, shakhe?eare it isinny, interval and you were like, shakhe?eare it is funny isn't he? and it is. it is funny and beautiful. and it's beautiful. >> it's an incredible production. it's got fantastic actors in it. >> ian mckellen i only hope that when i am his age, i am able to have that amount of energy and fire and passion. he is an icon. >> i was gripped the entire time. i mean, it makes shakespeare so much more accessible . accessible. >> very touching, very moving, and of course very funny. >> if you don't come and see this man and indeed all the cast, which are phenomenal, you will regret it. cast, which are phenomenal, you will it'sjret it. cast, which are phenomenal, you will it's aet it. cast, which are phenomenal, you will it's a beautiful evening of shakespeare. >> is. shakespeare. >> falstaff is. shakespeare. >> falstaff is often portrayed shakespeare. >>being1ff is often portrayed shakespeare. >> being very, often portrayed shakespeare. >> being very, very portrayed shakespeare. >> being very, very stoutayed shakespeare. >> being very, very stout ,(ed shakespeare. >> being very, very stout, but as being very, very stout, but he has be very vigorous as he has to be very vigorous as well. and ian mckellen is well. yes. and ian mckellen is able to do that. >> he's well padded, so he's got all opens much. all that and it opens very much. he's of garrulous, he's the sort of garrulous, slightly disreputable charmer, if just about and you can see they're very pared down, staging brick walls. those walls move in and out. there are just curtains that are opened and closed. i

didn't love it at first, but it kind of starts creating an atmosphere, especially the atmosphere, especially when the curtains reveal new scenes behind it's tastefully, behind them. so it's tastefully, beautifully done, not extraordinarily done. and falstaff covered in falstaff is there, covered in beer and food. we open a little bit like the recent henry the fifth with kit harington, the donmar. pretty much opened donmar. we pretty much opened with underground rave with a rave underground rave party bass party thumping drum and bass music, everyone staggering around and a flash of a very pert bottom that staggered around the stage that turns around the stage that turns around into tommy jimoh, who is playing the young prince hal. so possibly a first for theatre, and yes , it's a very active and yes, it's a very active role. mckellen is 84, but he's still got the presence he has the voice. he manages to do a very kind of phlegmy , dissolute, very kind of phlegmy, dissolute, sort of gargled voice, a lot of it. and he absolutely carries it. and he absolutely carries it. and he absolutely carries it. and it's thrilling in that way. it's i think for me, they they play very much on. he's so charismatic, so charming . we charismatic, so charming. we love ian mckellen. so it's very

difficult and it doesn't really delve into there is a darker side to falstaff. he is he's a chancen side to falstaff. he is he's a chancer, he's an opportunist. but also he's literally, you know, robbing dead bodies, throwing , conscripting soldiers throwing, conscripting soldiers for money and throwing them away because he doesn't care would certainly have been called out by the metoo movement. he would have lots of have been called out by lots of people. equally, you people. but then equally, you can the other side of can see it on the other side of he's who he is. then he's just who he is. and then against kings and the against the kings and the politicians, who are all very proper the surface , but proper on the surface, but they're all doing dastardly things and betraying people and throwing them away. so there's, there's a don't i would have there's a i don't i would have liked a bit more darkness and i'm not sure it brings out all the father patterns all the the father son patterns all the way a father way through. he's a father figure. own father would figure. his own father would actually rather that , hotspur, actually rather that, hotspur, the enemy prince, was his. i just want to say that samuel edward cook as hotspur, and then pistol in the second part is electrifying and an absolute highlight for me. >> and you should also say where we can see it, on at the we can see it, this is on at the noel until june the 22nd.

noel coward until june the 22nd. >> and the good news for this, it's of these shows it's another one of these shows that's literature that's touring very literature alliteratively to alliteratively we're going to bristol, birmingham, norwich, newcastle , it's long, it's over newcastle, it's long, it's over 3.5 hours. so sort of drink up before you go in, from shakespeare to shakespeare, eddie izzard, yes. >> we've got one woman show. this is this has been currently running in new york. just finished. they're heading to chicago, and then it's coming across to the riverside studios. and a little and again, we've got a little clip from the american run here. >> thou shalt not go something as rotten in the state of denmark . though this be madness. denmark. though this be madness. yet there is method in it. denmark. though this be madness. yet there is method in it . from yet there is method in it. from this time forth , my thoughts be this time forth, my thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth . bloody or be nothing worth. >> well, we've seen a lot of hamlets. what did you get out of

this one? >> well, this one is coming to the riverside in june. i've seen him do his great expectations. dickens and i was thoroughly entertained charmed entertained and charmed by it. but dickens is almost telling a story so it can almost be done by one person, as if it was being read aloud, which it would have been done back in the day. hamlet is a whole other prospect. i always love the fact, as critics and you see all the reviews and stuff splashed up, so always checking who's up, so i'm always checking who's there. and i have read a lot of there. and i have read a lot of the reviews, none of the heavy hitting are hitting american reviewers are being lot. there being flashed up a lot. there was. there's a lot of feeling that he is, again, charismatic and charming . extremely cheap. and charming. extremely cheap. pardon extremely charismatic pardon is extremely charismatic and charming, but there is too much in this play. it's too dense. there are too many characters. and as we know, i have a real problem with the whole well, i thought that this was happening, michael. i was happening, michael. well, i disagree stefan. and disagree with you, stefan. and there's so much it around at there's so much of it around at there's so much of it around at the there's an lot. >> do we do you mind if we move

on to sheridan smith's opening night? it called? you night? was it called? yes. you gave and it's gave it a savage review and it's closing night is. >> yes, absolutely. >> yes, absolutely. >> this have >> and does this have implications beyond the show itself? >> it does. and there's been there's been lot rolling there's been a lot rolling around some around and there's been some critics and people in the critics and arts people in the press thoroughly defending press going thoroughly defending the show. it's a tragedy that it's . there's a little it's closing. there's a little comment that i wanted to read from producers, they from the producers, where they talk about the fact that it was always a risk, fair always a risk, which is fair enough. always a risk, which is fair enough . but they sort of enough. but they they sort of it's underhanded what it's a slightly underhanded what is a short what is surefire and safe has its place against everything else. and they are sort of patting themselves on the back for always being bold and adventurous. yes. so i will have some sympathy with that view. the bold and view. i will defend the bold and adventurous there is adventurous 100, but there is also long standing also a very long standing process in theatre for over 100 years out of town tryouts, years of out of town tryouts, workshops, smaller venues, you know, shows like operation mincemeat or whatever it might be standing at the sky's edge, or even things that go on often at the national, which a

at the national, which is a smaller space, a safe smaller space, and it's a safe space built in audience space with a built in audience that gives time to grow. that gives shows time to grow. like . i feel this show like warhorse. i feel this show should close because it's money andifs should close because it's money and it's people's money. and i'm also very worried that people will come and go, oh god, i tried theatre. what was that? i'm not going to do it again. and that, i think, is a massive concern, let alone investors that will get a little bit jumpy. >> i think we just have time. you might say those people got their comeuppance or not, but you have a show called comeuppance. >> yeah. this is this is on at the almeida. and this is an american playwright . and it's he american playwright. and it's he actually is finding more of a home in london. and he is a huge fan of london and the diversity in london, the different theatres it's about. you can see here it's about a bunch of friends reuniting for the 20th anniversary of their prom, and, and the idea is the mistakes of the past will need their consequences. they will have their comeuppance. and he has this guy. the playwright is

brandon jacob jennings . he has brandon jacob jennings. he has a beautiful, very flowing way with dialogue. it feels real, like organic. how you would talk to your friends and also that whole there's banter, often there's banter, but often underneath there's digs and passive and little passive aggression and little bits of resentment. and the i guess the gimmick of this show is every now and then one of the stage will black out, one of the characters will be highlighted, and become death, and and they will become death, and then through and they will become death, and then because through and they will become death, and then because death through and they will become death, and then because death is1rough and they will become death, and then because death is watching them, because death is watching all of this and popping in and out of people's characters. i can't review review because those reviews are still embargoed, but that's a really interesting looking at it interesting way of looking at it and looking at life over time in the passage. so for me, this is experimental slightly, and has a place and it's a smaller artier theatre. so i'm thoroughly behind that. >> thank you very much indeed. stefan kyriazis you are watching michael portillo on gb news, britain's news channel that concludes the first hour of this programme. please go programme. but please don't go away the break, we'll be away after the break, we'll be discussing people

discussing what price people are willing for dearly held willing to pay for dearly held political objectives. plus, we're talk about atonal we're going to talk about atonal music with the composer keith burstein , and i'll be tasting burstein, and i'll be tasting some delicious wines with an enthusiast as we get to the bottom of the post—brexit tax on wine . wine. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb news. >> good morning. welcome to your latest gb. news, weather from the met office. so it's been a bit of a drier start for many of us this morning, all thanks to an area of high pressure situated out towards south situated out towards the south and west the uk. however, and the west of the uk. however, low never too far away low pressure never too far away from the north and this will bnng from the north and this will bring blustery winds and bring us some blustery winds and plenty of showers that we can already there through plenty of showers that we can alreimorning. there through plenty of showers that we can alreimorning. therwill'ough plenty of showers that we can alreimorning. therwill slowly this morning. these will slowly push eastwards as we push their way eastwards as we go through the rest of this afternoon, further south, afternoon, but further south, while higher

while we see that higher pressure quite a pressure. it has been quite a bright start, is a bit bright start, but there is a bit of sunshine as head of hazy sunshine as we head through afternoon through the afternoon and some further and further cloud bubbling up, and that to or that could lead to 1 or 2 showers across parts of wales and heavier and northern england. heavier showers further north, though, and winds, and with those blustery winds, temperatures 10 temperatures around 9 or 10 degrees, south, not degrees, but further south, not quite warm as saturday. quite as warm as saturday. through rest this through the rest of this evening. showers continue evening. those showers continue to push in from the west, always heaviest across northern and western parts of scotland and northern and they northern ireland, and they slowly spread their way south and eastwards go through and eastwards as we go through the hours monday the early hours of monday morning, perhaps some dry weather across the weather for a time across the far , but it will far southeast, but it will be turning everywhere the turning wet everywhere by the start chilly night start of monday. a chilly night again. in the south again. temperatures in the south around degrees, even around 7 or 8 degrees, but even chillier still across the north in the low single figures. so a very start to the day on very chilly start to the day on monday. heaviest bands of monday. those heaviest bands of showers push their towards showers push their way towards the east through the south and the east through monday leaving some monday morning, leaving some sunny as we head into the sunny spells as we head into the afternoon. still afternoon. but there will still be showers be plenty of showers around. these turn snow these could even turn to snow across pennines, the across the pennines, and the high scotland. with a high ground of scotland. with a brisk it brisk northwesterly breeze, it will be feeling chilly as well, with highs in the south around

13 degrees. >> feeling inside from >> that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers. sponsors of weather on

gb news. way. >> good afternoon, and welcome to the second hour of sunday with michael portillo on gb news. much of israel came under intense attack last night from drones and missiles launched by iran. we will hear from gb news home and security editor, mark white, as former irish taoiseach leo varadkar stepped down this week, he expressed the belief that estimated cost of ,400 that the estimated cost of ,400 billion over 20 years would be a small price to pay for a united ireland. i'll be addressing why

it is that some cherished political objectives such as unity, independence , brexit, are unity, independence, brexit, are worth so much to some people. if varadkar recognises that unity has no price, why do establishment politicians still try to defeat ideas like brexit or scottish independence with project fear telling people that it will affect their wallets? darren grimes will join me . darren grimes will join me. today marks the 30th anniversary of one of the greatest rumpuses in classical music history , the in classical music history, the night of the hecklers, who stormed the royal opera house in an act of rebellion against atonal music , which they said atonal music, which they said was swallowing up public money subsidies, enriching an entitled elite who were producing music for which there was little pubuc for which there was little public appetite. my guest was a co—founder hecklers co—founder of the hecklers movement , co—founder of the hecklers movement, and believes that the dominance of atonal music prevents classical music from reinventing itself . writers reinventing itself. writers throughout history have fondly ruminated on the beauty of handwritten letters as poignantly illustrated. when the author katherine mansfield wrote

to her brother , this is not a to her brother, this is not a letter. it is my arms around you for a brief moment is that rich and cherished form of communication now at risk ? are communication now at risk? are we speaking to the founder of london letters and finally, as part of my taste of britain series, i'll be speaking to the connoisseurs. jessica summer will bring bottles aid will bring some bottles to aid my comprehension of wine taxes. all of that ahead . but first, all of that ahead. but first, your news headlines with sam francis . francis. >> michael, thank you very much . >> michael, thank you very much. and good afternoon from the gb newsroom. 12:02. and we start with the latest developments from the middle east today, where israel says it is poised for further aggression in its war. cabinet is preparing to meet in the next half hour to discuss response to iran's discuss its response to iran's major strikes . iran is now major air strikes. iran is now threatening to launch a much larger attack if israel retaliates. state media from iran is also carrying a warning for the us, saying american

bases would be targeted if washington backs israel's military response. overnight. raf jets were used to shoot down iranian drones, most of which were intercepted without causing any significant damage, though a small number did reach israeli territory, critically injuring a seven year old girl and causing some damage to an army base. earlier, former chair of the defence select committee, tobias ellwood, told us that israel's defence capabilities were key to containing the strike last night by any measure, this was a brazen state on state attack, harnessing the latest tools for modern warfare. >> there's drones and missiles to its full, the scale of which, you know, targeting much of israel. much of the country would have caused a colossal loss of life had it not been for israel's sophisticated iron dome air defence system . so iran air defence system. so iran clearly now wants to draw a line under this after its attacks and so forth . but there's no doubt so forth. but there's no doubt that this conflict in the middle

east is escalating. >> meanwhile, rishi sunak is set to join a meeting of g7 leaders for urgent talks to discuss the international response to iran's attack. leaders joining that meeting from the united states, canada, italy, britain , france, canada, italy, britain, france, germany and japan. they're due to hold a video meeting later this afternoon. more on that with and security with our home and security editor , mark white shortly. it's editor, mark white shortly. it's also being reported iran's foreign ministry has summoned the british ambassador here, though government minister victoria atkins has told gb news that britain will stand with the people of israel . people of israel. >> we will be working across our, you know , free democracies our, you know, free democracies across the world to ensure our that we stand with israel, but we do so to try and de—escalate the tensions in the region, because nobody wants to see an escalation in the sorts of military activities that we have seen. >> in other news, angela rayner is facing mounting pressure over

her two homes row after a former aide told police that she had not told the truth about her real home. her former chief adviser has given a statement to greater manchester police contradicting her claims. matt finnigan said was that he finnigan said there was that he was in no doubt that the labour mps actual home in 2014 was with her then husband, not a former council house where she was registered to live. this week, police launched an investigation looking into possible breaches of electoral law, the deputy labour leader has promised, though , to step down if it's though, to step down if it's determined she did commit a criminal offence , but said she criminal offence, but said she has followed all the rules at all sir keir starmer also all times. sir keir starmer also says he has full confidence in her. the family of a man who killed six people in a stabbing spree at a shopping centre in sydney yesterday, have described his actions truly horrific. his actions as truly horrific. police believe 40 year old joel couch she suffered from schizophrenia and had used drugs including methamphetamine and psychedelics. five people, four

women and a man died at the scene of that attack yesterday and another woman, a mother of a nine month old baby, later died in hospital. we understand that child who was attacked is understood to now be recovering well. the family of the suspect have released a statement in support of the police officer who killed him , saying she was who killed him, saying she was only doing her job. the premier only doing herjob. the premier of the state of new south wales, chris minns, has paid tribute to members of the public. >> many people would be showing real anger at so many people having been killed and real loss of life, and the individual stories of those that have been killed that have been reported in the media are heartbreaking. i kind of want to search for a silver lining, but has been silver lining, but it has been incredible to see complete strangers run towards strangers jump in, run towards the danger, put their own lives. in harm's way to save someone that they've never met before. and look, there's not too many positives to take out of a horrifying event, but we've got some wonderful people in our city and finally, turkish

officials have launched an investigation and detained 13 people after a deadly cable car collision. >> if you're watching on television, you can see here the moment a helicopter rescued one of the last remaining passengers that was stranded mid—air during that was stranded mid—air during that incident, one person was killed. ten others were also injured when the cable car collided with a broken pole, ripping the pod open and sending people inside plummeting to the rocks below. for the latest stories at do , sign up to gb stories at do, sign up to gb news alerts. just scan that code there on your screen or if you're listening on radio, go to our website gb news. slash our website gb news. com slash alerts i >> -- >> well, as emma >> well, as we were hearing there in the news, rabbi sam francis rishi sunak is set to join a meeting of g7 leaders for

urgent talks amid rising tensions in the middle east after iran attacked israel last night. i'm now joined by gb news home and security editor mark white. mark, what is the latest in particular on the g7 summit ? in particular on the g7 summit? >> well, that g7 summit , in particular on the g7 summit? >> well, that g7 summit, as you say, will be getting underway this afternoon in telephone summit that's being chaired by the us president, joe biden. the latest breaking news that we can bnng latest breaking news that we can bring to you is confirmation from the british prime minister, rishi sunak , that raf jets did rishi sunak, that raf jets did indeed shoot down drones that were launched from iran towards israel . last were launched from iran towards israel. last night we had reports that the uk had got involved alongside the us and other countries in helping israel out, but the government here had not confirmed that actually any aircraft from the uk had struck any of those hostile threats coming towards israel. now that confirmation

from rishi sunak that they have indeed taken out a number of drones and also, of course, the ministry of defence, the defence secretary, grant shapps, confirming that they are bolstering the raf presence for operation shader. op shader has been underway for a number of years now in iraq and syria, deaung years now in iraq and syria, dealing with the threat from daesh , islamic state, that daesh, islamic state, that extremist threat that still rumbles on in that area. these typhoon jets operate out of cyprus now. there have been bolstered by some more combat jets and some more tanker aircraft from the uk as well, expecting the possibility of a significant escalation in the hours and days ahead . hours and days ahead. >> thank you very much indeed. mark white, the former irish taoiseach, leo varadkar stepped down this week and avoiding an

irish goodbye. he stated that the estimated cost of ,400 billion over the next 20 years will be a small price to pay for a united ireland. a study published on the 4th of april suggested that it would cost ireland more than 17 billion every year for two decades if dubun every year for two decades if dublin immediately raised social security benefits and public sector wages across ireland to match the levels in northern ireland, the departed taoiseach believes that unification should not be about cost . well, i don't not be about cost. well, i don't think that he sympathised with that argument. when leavers made it about brexit, but it strikes me as an important insight. would american revolutionaries in 1776 have been deterred from severing their connection with the british crown? had they been told at the time that it might make them poorer in the short tum? much think not yet. tum? i very much think not yet. establishment politicians fail to understand political emotion and they fall back on telling voters that this will cost you cu project fear. i'm joined now by who was

by darren grimes, who was a brexit campaigner and a gb news presenter. do you , do you take presenter. do you, do you take my point that it seems that political establishments don't quite get political emotion? they don't understand that some people simply want a thing, whether it's unity, whether it's independence, and that they're not bothered about what that costs them in the pocket. >> i very much do. >> i very much do. >> and, you know, i would argue that i imagine the that actually, i imagine the irish right with irish government right now with the leo varadkar's replacement, liz leo liz truss, once referred to leo varadkar as the tea sock by mistake. and i imagine there are lots of irish politicians, michael, that wish leo varadkar would put a sock in it, because actually whilst he was in office, none of these themes were brought out. you know, he was very much part of saying that actually, brexit be that actually, brexit would be a project makes the united project that makes the united kingdom poorer, that we would be less secure and all the rest of it, in the short to medium terms . but actually a lot of people looking at ballot paper on looking at that ballot paper on june 23rd, 2016, they they were told, as you well know, michael,

by every organisation with an acronym, that they would be less well off. they wouldn't be able to go through fast queues to get to go through fast queues to get to european destinations. but they still said , look, i happen they still said, look, i happen to believe that my nation being able to take back control, to have its own sovereignty , to not have its own sovereignty, to not have its own sovereignty, to not have foreign courts dictate what can and can't happen in my country and actually have elected officials accountable to the british public that are in control and they voted for it. and i remember there was one quote by sir michael caine after the referendum , and he said, and the referendum, and he said, and he was derided for it, michael, in much of the established political and media class and tabloids and all the rest of it, and he had said, i'd rather be a poor master than a rich servant . poor master than a rich servant. now, a lot of people pointed out, well, he's a multi—millionaire , but he never multi—millionaire, but he never used to be right. this is a man who knew what it was like to grow up with i think grow up with nothing. i think there of people in there are a lot of people in this today who feel

this country today who feel that they very but they don't have very much, but what they do have is their country, and they're immensely proud of the project that is the united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland. and those principles, they're willing principles, they're not willing to sell, not for a few points on gdp . you know, we're not we gdp. you know, we're not we can't be reduced to spreadsheets. i think that's what politicians try to do all too often . too often. >> there are many reasons why the brexit referendum here in 2016 was won or lost, depending on your point of view. but it very much struck me simply as an observer that one side had a certain amount of passion. they had a vision about, you know, what an independent britain with an accountable democracy would look like. whereas the people who wanted to remain didn't want to express the passion. there was a passion, actually. there was a passion, actually. there was a passion about a united europe, but they didn't to europe, but they didn't want to talk and was the talk about that. and it was the mismatch that mismatch of passion that i thought was striking thought was rather striking dunng thought was rather striking during so here's during that campaign. so here's leo varadkar of rather leo varadkar kind of rather stirring because , i

stirring this up, because, i mean, if there is passion for irish unity, i can well see how people would say that's worth ,400 billion over 20 years. people would say that's worth ,400 billion > well, so can i. absolutely it's their raison d'etre in many parts of that part of the world. but the brexit point, i mean , but the brexit point, i mean, the project fear campaign, they had absolutely no positive message or vision to sell it was uk influence within the european union can prevent it from becoming what it always ultimately set out to be, which is a united europe . and we all is a united europe. and we all said, hang on a minute. i don't wish to be part of that project. that certainly isn't what people voted for when they voted to join the then eec and the narrative of that. there is no there is no philosophy. there is no principle in politics anymore. there is no vision. that's what sorely lacking from many political parties across the spectrum. i couldn't say to you right now what i believe sir keir starmer stands for. i

couldn't say to you what rishi sunak stands for other than basically keeping the status quo. now, the status quo doesn't appear to be working for a lot of people. a lot of people feel incredibly behind and incredibly left behind and i think brexit not only was about leaving the european union, but was about a recognition of that, about people saying that actually i do want to believe in something. i do want more of a vision in this country and taking back control therefore resonated with them. so actually having stir belief and having that stir belief and principle, where we had politicians standing up and saying that actually what british people have stood for and believed in over centuries is worth fighting for, is worth something. and not just being relegated to some european federalist project. >> the other thing that struck me about the referendum was it was simply the first time that people had been asked to question many , many decades question for many, many decades in answer apparently in which the answer apparently was going to depend upon their vote. it was going to be actually implemented according to they voted. obviously,

to how they voted. obviously, there in there were many problems in the execution that, and think execution of that, and i think they so overwhelmed . i they were so overwhelmed. i mean, so thrilled in a way, and so exasperated that they'd not had the opportunity for 50 years that they simply seized that opportunity. but i wonder why people , you know, if you and people, you know, if you and i have these insights, if now leo varadkar has this insight, i wonder why politicians so doggedly stick to project fear. they think it's the answer to everything. i mean, i'm absolutely sure that if there's another scottish referendum , the another scottish referendum, the unionists, those people organising the unionist campaign will tell the scots who want to be independent, that it's going to cost them an arm and a leg, and many scottish voters won't care because what they is care because what they want is independence . independence. >> yes, absolutely. >> yes, absolutely. >> but i think it comes down to that's what they think works, right? it's the pound and pence. it doesn't work over values and liberty. frankly, what liberty. frankly, that's what it's all about for especially from a you mentioned the american context during rule under the british crown, the scottish context, the brexit

context, the irish context. it's all about freedom from what you view to be the oppressor. now, we can argue whether or not the united kingdom is indeed an oppressor. i don't think it is. but it's about those principles and values and politicians don't have that anymore. because actually, i think we've ended up with this bizarre set of ppe identikit politicians , organs identikit politicians, organs that basically operate on spreadsheets and soundbites instead of actually believing in something and fighting for it and spending a political career trying to bring it about. dare i say, that's what nigel farage did. and he was derided much for it. but look what it got him. 30 years ago. i was put on this planet. was setting ukip. planet. he was setting up ukip. >> him onto a onto gb >> it got him onto a onto gb news. i think that leo varadkar has has done a good turn actually, by highlighting this point . i actually, by highlighting this point. i thank you very much. darren grimes coming in on a sunday morning. after the break, i'll be speaking to the composer, burstein , about composer, keith burstein, about his 30 year long campaign against atonal classical music

and how the establishment's grip on classical music is now being challenged by people like

welcome back. the prime minister has been speaking about the latest from israel and iran. just a few minutes ago. let's see what he said. >> this was a dangerous and unnecessary escalation , which unnecessary escalation, which i've condemned in the strongest terms. thanks to an international coordinated effort which the united kingdom participated in. almost all of these missiles were intercepted saving lives not just in israel, but in neighbouring countries like jordan as well. the raf sent additional planes to the region as part of our existing operations to counter daesh in iraq and syria. i can confirm that our planes did shoot down a number of iranian attacks drones. i don't want to pay

tribute to the bravery and professionalism of our pilots flying into the face of danger to civilians , the raf to protect civilians, the raf moved additional planes into the region as part of our existing operations to counter daesh in iraq and syria, and i can confirm that a number of iranian attack drones were shot down and we paid tribute to the bravery and the professionalism of our pilots flying into the face of danger to protect civilians . i danger to protect civilians. i chaired a cobra meeting on friday to agree a plan of action. >> the prime minister confirming that raf jets have been in action and have brought down attack drones . today marks the attack drones. today marks the 30th anniversary of one of the greatest rumpuses in classical music history, the night of the hecklers. they stormed the royal opera house debut, an opera by atonal composer sir harrison birtwistle. atonal classical music usually describes compositions written from the early 20th century to the present day that lack a tonal centre or key

music by sir harrison birtwistle. the protesters claimed that there was little pubuc claimed that there was little public appetite for atonal music, but that it had hijacked pubuc music, but that it had hijacked public funding . my next guest, public funding. my next guest, composer and conductor keith burstein, was a co—founder of the hecklers movement and believes that the dominance of the atonal movement makes it harder for other styles to emerge, inhibit a reinvention of classical music. keith burstein , classical music. keith burstein, thank you very much for coming in on a sunday to join us on gb news is a pleasure, so you organised this demonstrate in this rumpus, was it successful looking back on it 30 years later, did it make a point? has it changed anything, i think so, yes, i think it contributed to a change that was probably on the

way and long overdue because atonalism had already dominated for almost a century. atonalism had already dominated for almost a century . even then, for almost a century. even then, in 1994, 30 years ago today, when we stormed the royal opera house, and a lot of us were beginning to think, hang on a minute, this is a long time for one musical style to dominate. and also , there are a lot of and also, there are a lot of composers who want to just write in a universal musical language, which we call tonality, which i actually think underpins all music everywhere and is related to the harmonic series, which is a structure in nature. so if you sound a note above , it is sound a note above, it is vibrating an octave and then a fifth and a fourth, and that forms the natural harmonies that we call the tonic triad or a g major scale. so what we think of as a human invention, music and, you know, mozart, beethoven were writing according to academic rules. no they weren't actually. we're all responding to something there in something which is out there in the and which came about the cosmos and which came about 14 billion years ago in the big bang. so this is the original

wavelengths of sound, sound is an energy in the universe. and it has actually the innately tonal structure. so when composers decided they were going to write in a way that was deviant to that, we're going to use criteria which were not really naturally aligned with that. they produce music, which is very fascinating. it was a legitimate experiment, but it lost the audience because normal, music loving humanity just thought, well, that sounds more like noise. i mean, you know, when you're walking down the street and you hear the noise of the street and then you hear the sound of music coming noise of the street and then you hea of1e sound of music coming noise of the street and then you hea of a sound of music coming noise of the street and then you hea of a restaurant,1usic coming noise of the street and then you hea of a restaurant, how coming noise of the street and then you hea of a restaurant, how do �*ning noise of the street and then you hea of a restaurant, how do you| out of a restaurant, how do you know which which? there's know which is which? there's something the brain something which tells the brain straight something which tells the brain straiginoise. if you write that's noise. now, if you write music more like music which sounds more like noise, people just look the other way. >> this is very >> yeah, this is very fascinating because i've often wondered, know, how it is wondered, you know, how it is that have to write that novelists have to write novels the will buy, novels that the public will buy, films makers have to make films that the public will go and watch. >> but in the world of classical music, apparently, if a rather a

long time, it's been possible for to write atonal for composers to write atonal music, doesn't, as far as music, which doesn't, as far as i can see and as far as you can see, have an audience. >> well, that's right. and i think if i dare say it, >> well, that's right. and i think if i dare say it , the key think if i dare say it, the key to answer of why, you to the answer of why, which you seem at, is , is seem to be driving at, is, is pubuc seem to be driving at, is, is public subsidy. so in other words, was a system which words, there was a system which is there which was very well intended, which is that the arts should be supported, got controlled by those people who rather dogmatically believe that the public should be given what is good for them, rather than what we actually enjoy, which i think is a didactic principle, sort of reithian principle that was the bbc. was rather embedded at the bbc. and so the head of music at radio three was entitled the controller of music, which you, you know, would be difficult to make up even you were an make up even if you were an orwellian , and i asked orwellian genius, and i asked one of them, nicholas kenyon, once, how he chose what to broadcast. he just said, it's my whim , what i like, nicholas whim, what i like, nicholas kenyon program kenyon comes on this program quite lot . perhaps we should quite a lot. perhaps we should invite on

invite him in to comment on that. i don't want to finish our piece without hearing some of your music. let's hear a piece of music and then can tell of music and then you can tell us about it after we've heard it. girl. keith, first of all, tell me a little bit about that music and

when the public can hear that music, well, i was commissioned to write that about six months ago by a patron of the royal college of music, who's also a patron of mine, mark redman , and patron of mine, mark redman, and i've written a series of works for we both hold to for him. we both hold to a belief, and actually we met through vladimir ashkenazy , who through vladimir ashkenazy, who supported my work from about two thousand and seven, and he said to me when i met him, is your music very atonal and because he said, all i hear is atonal, atonal, atonal. i said , no, it's atonal, atonal. i said, no, it's very tonal. i couldn't believe it. you know, my luck , and so he it. you know, my luck, and so he supported me ever since. through him, met redman . mark him, i met mark redman. mark redman has been supporting my work. every time i write work. and so every time i write a piece of music, i'm really doing the thing which a composer is just not supposed to do, which is write tune . so, which is write a tune. so, you'll hear that the music is dnven . you'll hear that the music is driven . a melody was driven by melody. a melody was kind of verboten, under the atonal paradigm, you know, you simply weren't allowed to write tunes. think about that . you tunes. think about that. you know, you weren't allowed to

write tunes. >> you think classical >> you think that classical music should reinvent itself, but without going towards atonality . so how can there be atonality. so how can there be a reinvention? i mean , honestly, reinvention? i mean, honestly, didn't you know mozart and beethoven and wagner do it all? >> well, that's the extraordinary thing about tonality as i was describing it, what i call deep tonality is that it comes from this genome of which is a sort of a of music, which is a sort of a sub grammar of music. so in other words, you can never go forward or back. it's just eternally reproducing itself. and yes, we do have to actually represent our own time, but that's an intangible. funnily enough, people often say to me, you know, that was lovely, but you know, that was lovely, but you know, that was lovely, but you know what? your music is modern. i sort of have this slight anxiety. people slight anxiety. will people think i'm plagiarising or going back? well, of course, in a way there's nothing new under the sun, don't worry about sun, so i don't worry about that. just let my memory of that. i just let my memory of the of music, also the whole of music, but also contemporary . i mean, i contemporary music. i mean, i love stormzy, i love amy winehouse, i love taylor swift, and these people all and these people are all influencing there's what influencing me. and there's what you have to do is just be open.

that's all you have to do. just let come in then let everything come in and then make beautiful make a kind of beautiful synthesis . synthesis. >> come fl come the g the taylor >> you've come into the taylor swift headquarters in paddington. here i am, the chairman. you didn't quite tell us, though. there's a performance of your music tomorrow. where >> oh, no. that was actually a week ago. and that was. oh, there , we missed beg your there, we missed it. i beg your pardon, there's another pardon, but there's another performance june performance of that work in june . it's at a church in . where, it's at a church in islington. yet told. islington. i'm yet to be told. actually right. i'll you actually right. i'll let you know. be keith >> that'd be great. keith burstein , thank you very much burstein, thank you very much indeed, few minutes, i'll indeed, in a few minutes, i'll be discussing the art of letter writing. but before that, news headunes writing. but before that, news headlines with sam francis . headlines with sam francis. >> michael, thank you very much . >> michael, thank you very much. and good afternoon from the newsroom at 1230. exactly. and we start with some breaking news. the prime minister confirming in the last half hour that raf jets were used to intercept and shoot down iranian attack drones and missiles fired on israel overnight. iran is now

threatening to launch a much larger attack if israel retaliates , and iranian state retaliates, and iranian state media has also carried a warning for the us , saying american for the us, saying american bases would be targeted if washington backs any israeli military response. almost all the drone strikes were taken out with any without any significant damage. however, a small number did reach israel, critically injuring a seven year old girl and causing some damage to an army base. israel now says it is poised for further aggression. well, speaking, a short time ago, the prime minister, rishi sunak, paid tribute to the british pilots involved in last night's operation. this was a dangerous and unnecessary escalation , which i've condemned escalation, which i've condemned in the strongest terms. >> thanks to an international coordinated effort which the united kingdom participated in. almost all of these missiles were intercepted, saving lives not just in israel but in neighbouring countries like jordan as well. the raf sent additional planes to the region

as part of our existing operations to counter daesh in iraq and syria. i can confirm that our planes did shoot down a number of iranian attack drones. i don't want to pay tribute to the bravery and professionalism of our pilots flying into the face danger , the family of a face of danger, the family of a man who killed six people in a stabbing spree at a shopping centre in sydney, has described his actions as truly horrific. >> police believe 40 year old joel cauchi suffered from schizophrenia and used drugs including methamphetamine and psychedelics . his family psychedelics. his family released a statement in support of the police officer who shot and killed him, saying she was only doing her job and the duke only doing herjob and the duke of kent is stepping down as colonel of the scots guards after 50 years. the duke is meeting members of the guards there, ending his time overseeing the prestigious regiment . edward, who was a regiment. edward, who was a cousin of queen elizabeth ii, will now hand the role over to the duke of edinburgh , and the the duke of edinburgh, and the 88 year old says that holding the position has been a true

honoun the position has been a true honour. for the latest stories , honour. for the latest stories, sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the code on your screen or go to gb news. common alerts

i >> welcome back. last week, royal mail announced its plans to deliver second class mail only every other day, striking another blow against the art of letter writers , writing sorry. letter writers, writing sorry. campaigners criticised royal mail for not promoting or valuing letter writing and are questioning how the art will be passed on to a younger generation. joining me now is the founder of london letters, jennifer bishop . jennifer, jennifer bishop. jennifer, welcome to gb news, what do you think is lost if people don't write letters?

>> oh gosh, so much. i think letter writing has an ability to connect you with your recipient in a way that modern technology just cannot recreate in any way whatsoever. there's first of all, someone's handwriting. that's such a personal and unique thing to yourself . the unique thing to yourself. the ability to express that and to send it on to someone else just isn't something that can be replicated anywhere else. and i absolutely think that letter writing is something that deserves to be encouraged and promoted for fear of losing it. >> i very much agree with you. although i don't write a tremendous number of letters, i write thank you letters and i love to receive thank you letters. and i think, i think there is something very special about those, i wonder though, this is very much a generational thing. i mean, i'm talking here to quite a young person, jennifer , but, you know, my jennifer, but, you know, my generation values letter writing, presumably it's pretty

much disappeared in younger generations. has it ? generations. has it? >> well, i think i would be an example that it hasn't disappeared . and so in my disappeared. and so in my company, we, we centre our business around the joy of letter writing. and one of those aspects that we promote is a pen pal club. and encouraged and pal club. and i'm encouraged and optimistic about the future of letter writing, because we have an awful lot of younger people coming through that want to join our pen pal club. so i'm seeing, i would say the majority of our members are sort of between 35 to 55 years old, let's say. however, there's a growing amount, a really encouraging amount, a really encouraging amount of people that are coming through and they're really early 20s, really 20s, which i find really fascinating because these are going to be people that have possibly received possibly never received a handwritten letter before, yet they're intrigued enough to sign up to a pen pal club where they could write to a stranger only through the method of letter writing . writing. >> i wonder whether it's going to be something like, you know, the and the conservative the bbc and the conservative party thing that people come party a thing that people come to later even though party a thing that people come to la they even though party a thing that people come to la they isuspect ugh party a thing that people come to la they isuspect it.h

party a thing that people come to la they isuspect it. i've they they don't suspect it. i've been here at some just been looking here at some just some small extracts from byron's letters . my heart. we are thus letters. my heart. we are thus far separated, but after all, one mile is as bad as a thousand, which is a great consolation to one who must now travel 600 before he meets you again. if it will give you any satisfaction. i am as comfortless as a pilgrim with peasin comfortless as a pilgrim with peas in his shoe, and as cold as charity, or chastity, or any other virtue. isn't that absolutely splendid? yeah. or here. is there anything on earth or heaven would have made me so happy as to have made you mine long ago, and not less now than then, but more than ever at this time. you know, i would , with time. you know, i would, with pleasure, give up all here and all beyond the grave for you . all beyond the grave for you. imagine receiving a letter like that. >> how powerful are those words ? >> how powerful are those words? and can you imagine receiving a whatsapp message like that? you know, it's just it just doesn't

happen. and that's exactly where letter writing has a place and a position. it's you know, it's not so much we're not going to be writing letters anymore to update people about our daily news or our work day has news or how our work day has gone anymore. we're saving special things for letters now, and that's where they're places in alongside today's modern society and technology. so, you know, love letters is that they're so special and like, how can you portray your emotions through, you know, a text message or an email? it's such an impersonal way of communicating that a letter that you've taken time over to engage with your feelings and really consider what you want to say and make that recipient feel when they receive your words. you know, there's a powerful connection there that and that's something that needs to be treasured and also protected for the future. >> i think the materials are important, too. i mean, i love a thick or a glossy piece of paper with its matching envelope . i

with its matching envelope. i love a beautifully illustrated postcard, a postcard that's been chosen because it has some importance to recipient, by importance to the recipient, by the way, a birthday card which is suitable for the recipient. the materials are important, as well what what is written well as what what is written inside, don't you think? >> absolutely. i mean, i'm a huge fan of stationery and i we make stationery at london letters. and, you know, one of our focuses is on the quality of the paper. i think that's so important. and i think there's so much available in terms of stationery at the moment that our focus is always on the thickness of the paper. i love a good heavy weight paper. i love it to be smooth. i want my fountain pen to work nicely and not bleed. and i think the stationery that someone has chosen, it really says something about your personality as well. so when you're writing a letter to someone or you're sending a birthday card, it's not only are you thinking of your recipient in mind, but also an it's in mind, but it's also an it's also expression yourself also an expression of yourself and that value as and the things that you value as well. think stationery is ,

well. and i think stationery is, you know, i'm a huge addict of stationery. i could never have enough pens or notepads myself, you my drawers full you know, my drawers full of them. but it's yeah, them. but i think it's yeah, it's of lovely parts it's one of the lovely parts about as is about letter writing as well is getting to pick what stationery you're use . you're going to use. >> i very much hope that your enthusiasm for stationery for and letter writing may be infectious, and people may infectious, and that people may have stimulated by what have been stimulated by what you've here on you've said to us here today on gb news. you very much gb news. thank you very much indeed jennifer well, indeed, jennifer bishop. well, more vineyard for more toiling in the vineyard for me after the break, as i'll be meeting a connoisseur's and uncorking some bottles in a fluid discussion of post—brexit wine taxes. stay with us please

welcome back. the breakfast bar in front of me has been adorned by bottles and glasses of wine .

by bottles and glasses of wine. and they're here merely as an aid to discussion of the complex post—brexit tax rules which charged duty according to alcohol content, resulting in price rises for uk wine drinkers. british consumers have been told that the price of some red wines could increase by more than £0.40 next year, and retailers say that the administrative burden will be crippling. my guest is the ceo and founder of mouse and grape, jessica summer. >> hello, michael. lovely to see you. lovely to see you again. >> lovely to have you on the program again, discuss the program again, let's discuss the issue . yeah. so on any bottle, issue. yeah. so on any bottle, just pass me bottle of. you just pass me a bottle of. you would it will tell us what is the alcohol content. this one for example, is 14.5. yep. so that's going to have a hefty tax in future. >> it will. yes. very much so. >> and is it that sort of every 10th of a degree is going to be a different amount of tax. >> so it's by one degree. yes. so it's yeah exactly as you've said. so. >> so 14.5 would be different from 14.4. >> exactly. so no it would be

14.5 and 14. sorry 14.5 and 13.5. so that's so it will change in those ways okay. >> but nonetheless the wine cellar has to say, gosh, i sold 40 bottles of 14.5. and that's one tax rate. and i sold 60 bottles of 12.5. and that's another tax rate. yes. and this brilliant idea was introduced by a conservative government. >> exactly. yeah. so there are so many issues with this. and the biggest one really i mean, actually they're all big. but one of the biggest ones, i think is the fact that wine is agricultural. so it differs year on year, vintage on vintage. and it's impossible to say how much alcohol and abv is going to be. and also the winemakers are not going to necessarily know what the abv is going to be when the merchants are buying the wine, because it all happens later on. and also if you are bringing in wines from abroad and say if you want to bring in a mixed case of different wines, how are you

going to how are you going to know what wines you're bringing in? so just it's a in? so it's just it's a logistical administrative nightmare. >> is really going to >> and this is really going to happen. it? because happen. is it? well, because i mean, the arguments you've just put seem to me, you know, put to me seem to me, you know, from of from my experience of government, those are the arguments sorted arguments that would get sorted out through. civil out on the way through. civil servants say , oh yes. servants would say, oh yes. we didn't that didn't realise that that was going a complexity. going to be a complexity. let's put let's put that put this right. let's put that right. saying this put this right. let's put that rigreally saying this put this right. let's put that rigreally what's saying this put this right. let's put that rigreally what's going ing this put this right. let's put that rigreally what's going t0| this happen? well, think stay and >> well, i think the stay and why and spirits why is the wine and spirits trust . yeah. so they are trust. yeah. so they are basically lobbying and they're the independent trade body for the independent trade body for the wine industry. and they've done so much research and lobbying around this. and there's just no plus point here. it's not going to bring the government more money, and it's going to bring wine merchants and consumer problems , and the consumer more problems, because is it a bit of nanny statism? >> is it it's charging us more for the amount of alcohol. i mean, to order kind of mean, in to order kind of encourage us to drink 12.5 rather than 40.5, i think so, i think so, but in reality , all think so, but in reality, all you're going to do if people are drinking wine on sole drinking wine on the sole purpose they get

purpose that they want to get drunk have volume of drunk or have the volume of alcohol , they'll just drink more. >> so if you basically are just focusing on something really minor here, rather than getting into the fact that wine is so unique and it's so complex and it's just not going to work because you should be doing it based on volume rather than abv, and you've brought some wines in. >> i can't help noticing. what what would you like me to taste? >> so we'll start off with our riesling. and this. this actually is a really good example, because this is one which go down which is going to go down because this wine here it is 8.5. good heavens. yes, yes . so 8.5. good heavens. yes, yes. so it's an off dry riesling, and it's an off dry riesling, and it's going to go down by £0.42 and is it, is it here in front. yes. it's going to be your first one there michael. and the thing is as well, i think that there is as well, i think that there is as well, i think that there is a misconception here that the wine makers and the sorry the, the retailers are being greedy and they're going to be taking the money here. but really the margins on wine are so small

that you're really going to be like strangling the small independents and the, the wine buyers at this time. so i think the consumer might have a misconception that we're just hiking up prices, but it's not like that. >> it's not good for your public relations. and are you going from situation before from a situation where before the tax on a bottle of wine was pretty much standard? the tax on a bottle of wine was pre'so much standard? the tax on a bottle of wine was pre'so it's:h standard? the tax on a bottle of wine was pre'so it's standardrd? the tax on a bottle of wine was pre'so it's standard at the >> so it's standard at the moment? yeah. it's standard. >> this, this new, this fresh >> so this, this new, this fresh new hell that you're moving into is by comparison with the tax on each bottle, been the same. each bottle, just been the same. >> at the moment. and >> it's £2.67 at the moment. and that the as it's. yeah that is the same as it's. yeah 11.5 all the way up to 14.5. >> too simple to leave in place. >> too simple to leave in place. >> yeah i know and i think also because there's been an easement at the and that's what at the moment and that's what we're trying encourage the we're trying to encourage the government permanent. government to make permanent. they're made it they're making they've made it temporary. but the thing is these issues are not going temporary. but the thing is th

spirits industry, which is much easier to determine that abv and less variety as well . less variety as well. >> so number two. >> so number two. >> so number two. >> so number two is a spanish roca. yes white roca, what, alcohol are we talking about here? >> so this one here, we're talking about 12.5. so this wine here is going to be going up by £0.44, which is a pity because i could drink that. >> i know happily all summers afternoon. yeah. >> absolutely is much more >> is absolutely is much more full body. it's got lovely melon flavours and yeah absolutely delicious with that is a delicious with that is a delicious wine. >> yeah . i delicious wine. >> yeah. i mean i may part company with the wines now because i can see we're going to get higher, of get to on higher, volumes of alcohol. this fellow alcohol. what about this fellow here. what's this? >> so this one here, that is our bordeaux , which is a mouse and bordeaux, which is a mouse and grape was in my grape favourite. it was in my christmas and it is 13, christmas hampers and it is 13, so it's a cabernet sauvignon. and this one here will be going up and this one here will be going ”p by and this one here will be going up by £0.54. so massive percentages here in terms of that increase and also £0.54 on

roughly how much that retail for. so this one retails for £24.95. yeah. yeah. >> so it's going to be it's an increase of £2. >> yeah. six seven. exactly >> yeah. six seven. exactly >> so now that that is a delicious wine. >> it is. yeah >> it is. yeah >> and i could also imagine drinking it over a period of time. and not feeling too heady and too in the and not feeling too bad in the morning either. yeah. so i suspect have your big boy. >> i have, yeah. >> i have, yeah. >> for last i have. >> for last i have. >> and something that i'd just like to say on, on this as well, because this the type of wine because this is the type of wine that will age really well, and also of wine which can also the kind of wine which can be bond or can be be bought in bond or can be bought other so you bought at other times. so you don't import tax don't know when the import tax is paid on so is going to be paid on it. so yes, as you said, we've have our last wine, which is primitivo last wine, which is a primitivo puglia. and this is our 14.5. so our big, big wine . our big, big wine. >> yeah that is a big, big wine. >> yeah that is a big, big wine. >> yes. it's got lovely jammy kind of black fruit flavours. absolutely delicious. here >> and that's coming up by.

>> and that's coming up by. >> so this will be going up by £0.86. yeah. which is, which is a lot of money £0.86 yeah. >> dawn is here. dawn, would you , would you like a little glass of something? >> how very strange. >> how very strange. >> i should just emerge as as why buying pot. thank you why i'm buying pot. thank you very much, dawn. >> you're on very, very >> you're you're on very, very shortly. i am provider. you don't drink too much of this? of course. well, what's on your program? >> actually going >> we're actually going drinking. angela rainer style, which more which involves slightly more alcohol than this. so we're having some fun with miss rainer. we're also, having a kitchen nightmare with gordon ramsay. yes. as you do know. >> what does that mean? >> what does that mean? >> well, you'll have to stay tuned and find out. all right, so idea, is to get so the idea, michael, is to get you okay? it is indeed. >> but things things have a >> but things things have got a little for angela little bit worse for angela rayner. raynen >> t- b haven't they. yes. >> they have haven't they. yes. aid coming out. aid of hers. yes. coming out. >> this evidence. yes. aid of hers. yes. coming out. >> with 1is evidence. yes. aid of hers. yes. coming out. >> with friendsence. yes. aid of hers. yes. coming out. >> with friends like. yes. aid of hers. yes. coming out. >> with friends like that. aid of hers. yes. coming out. >> yesiiith friends like that. aid of hers. yes. coming out. >> yes .th friends like that. aid of hers. yes. coming out. >> yes . wellends like that. aid of hers. yes. coming out. >> yes . well he,; like that. aid of hers. yes. coming out. >> yes . well he, he (e that. aid of hers. yes. coming out. >> yes . well he, he (e tisign >> yes. well he, he did sign a non—disclosure agreement didn't he. and then wrote a book about a diva who was a former , union a diva who was a former, union official who went on to be a mp.

i can't think who is possibly talking about that. >> isn't it amazing the things that happen very, very good. dawn, you'll be you'll be on at, at 1:00, so, jennifer, a bit of at 1:00, so, jennifer, a bit of a nightmare for you. you're hoping that this won't, that this won't be implemented just as it is. how is mouse and grape doing ? and where do we come doing? and where do we come across mouse and grape. >> so mouse and grape is doing very well. you michael. so very well. thank you michael. so you and you can find me at mouse and grape.com and you can buy grape.com and where you can buy my you can my hampers. and also you can book my tasting events as book me for my tasting events as well. >> yes. >> yes. >> people know >> and people know what you're tasting because tasting events are like because they've me they've just seen you taking me through these absolutely delicious wines, dawn, luck delicious wines, dawn, good luck with your program very much. thank you very much, jessica, for on again. jessica. for coming on again. jessica. summer, indeed summer, and thank you indeed to all to all of my guests all of you to all of my guests for coming to the studio on a sunday. i'm always so grateful when that. i'll be when people do that. i'll be back the time next week. back at the same time next week. until and many my until then, and many of my programs end this way, i'm afraid. cheers and enjoy the week afraid. cheers and enjoy the

weecheers . >> cheers. >> cheers. >> looks like things are heating up. boxt boiler dollars. sponsors of weather on . gb news. sponsors of weather on. gb news. >> good afternoon. welcome to your latest gb news weather from the met office. so higher pressure out towards the south does bring us some more settled conditions for a time this afternoon, low pressure afternoon, but low pressure situated towards north afternoon, but low pressure situate uk towards north afternoon, but low pressure situate uk slowly|rds north afternoon, but low pressure situate uk slowly moves north afternoon, but low pressure situate uk slowly moves its rth afternoon, but low pressure situate uk slowly moves its way of the uk slowly moves its way towards us through the rest of the weekend and into start the weekend and into the start of the new in the south, of the new week in the south, though will holding to though we will be holding on to those dry conditions for a time this perhaps a bit of those dry conditions for a time this hazy perhaps a bit of those dry conditions for a time this hazy sunshine aps a bit of those dry conditions for a time this hazy sunshine around,t of those dry conditions for a time this hazy sunshine around, but late, hazy sunshine around, but it's northwest it's in the northwest that we see strongest winds and see those strongest winds and some blustery showers pushing their way south and eastwards through the early hours of monday morning. the showers, always across northern always heaviest across northern and western and could and western parts, and we could even across the even see some snow across the hills and that will to hills and that will lead to quite a night with quite a chilly night with temperatures single temperatures in the low single figures even further figures here and even further south much above south not reaching much above 7 or degrees. so a chilly

or 8 degrees. so a chilly but blustery the day on blustery start to the day on monday, the heaviest bands of showers their south showers clear their way south and through monday and eastwards through monday morning, some morning, leaving some sunny spells into the spells as we head into the afternoon. there will still be plenty of showers around though, and again , these could turn to and again, these could turn to snow pennines, snow across the pennines, late district across the high district and across the high ground of scotland, with ground of scotland, and with a brisk northwesterly breeze it will be very chilly. will be feeling very chilly. highs south not reaching highs in the south not reaching much 12 or degrees. much above 12 or 13 degrees. tuesday start a little bit tuesday does start a little bit dner tuesday does start a little bit drier for most of us. there will still be a few showers around across northern ireland, wales and northern of scotland, and northern parts of scotland, but the sunshine and northern parts of scotland, but central the sunshine and northern parts of scotland, but central northern shine and northern parts of scotland, but central northern parts across central northern parts of england of mainland england and much of mainland scotland as well. a few showers around wednesday , but around still on wednesday, but there are hints of higher pressure returning in the pressure returning later in the week a little bit week and something a little bit milder way . milder on the way. >> that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers , sponsors of boxt boilers, sponsors of weather on

gb news. >> hello and welcome to gb news sunday. hope you're having a wonderful weekend out there, thank you for joining wonderful weekend out there, thank you forjoining us wonderful weekend out there, thank you for joining us this lunchtime. really appreciate your time, i'm dawn neesom , and your time, i'm dawn neesom, and for the next two hours, i'll be keeping you company on tv, online, and on digital radio. cracking show coming up today in the hour. rishi has the first hour. rishi sunak has confirmed raf jets were used to intercept iranian drones and missiles fired on israel as tensions flare in the middle east over the retaliatory attack. then kemi badenoch has attacked the cowardice of the pubuc attacked the cowardice of the public sector over gender ideology, calling for more bravery and less cancel culture. freya turner, turn of words there . is she right, though? and there. is she right, though? and yet gordon ramsay , squatters yet gordon ramsay, squatters have taken over one of gordon ramsay's pubs, causing a real kitchen nightmare for him. what's the best way out of that for him? but