president and the foreign minister of iran are missing after their helicopter crashed in the mountains in the north of the country. ibrahim raissi was travelling across the far northwest of iran following a visit earlier to azerbaijan. a huge search is now underway involving red crescent rescue teams and the military. but poor weather, we understand, is hampering their efforts. teams of police have now taken to the mountains on foot, looking for the president and the foreign minister. we're also hearing in the last few minutes from iranian officials telling the state tv there that contact contact has been made with one of the passengers and one of the crew members of the president's helicopter making contact. they say on several occasions we will bnng say on several occasions we will bring you more on that throughout the course of this evening. meanwhile, in the uk, the families of those affected by the infected blood scandal have been holding a vigil this evening ahead of an independent inquiry whose final report is

out tomorrow. the scandal has been the subject of the biggest ever public inquiry in the uk, after tens of thousands of people were infected with contaminated blood. the chancellor has vowed to compensate victims with a £10 billion package. jeremy hunt has claimed it was part of fulfilling a promise he made to a constituent who died after contracting hepatitis c. well, one of the victims, joan edgington, has discussed the effect it's had on her. >> all have different and various physical, but it's the mental, the anguish. of what we're going through. and that in itself is a support. if you have a, you know, the friends support , but also, as mentioned, that the red cross are there at the heanngs the red cross are there at the hearings and we can now go for counselling and a lot of people i know, go for counselling have just, it's the uncertainty of your future , and what it's done your future, and what it's done to you, and it stability of your mind in a way . mind in a way. >> we've heard today that staff

in the nhs will be told to work evenings and weekends under labour's plans to slash waiting lists, hospitals would be asked to share their staff and pool their waiting lists as part of a £1.1 billion drive to provide an extra 40,000 appointments each week. shadow health secretary wes streeting has also promised to protect whistleblowers to and cut the nhs reliance on migrant workers , £1.1 billion paid for workers, £1.1 billion paid for by clamping down on tax avoidance and also closing non—dom loopholes as well. >> and that will enable us to put £1.1 billion directly into the pockets of nhs staff to deliver those extra appointments the evenings and weekends, using an approach that's been tried and tested at the london hospital. i can literally see out of my office window in westminster and therefore an approach we need to see available to patients right across the country, not just in london. and that does come with a cost. and that's why we've made this commitment as our

first step on the journey to busting the tory backlog and cutting nhs waiting lists . cutting nhs waiting lists. >> wes streeting. they're speaking to gb news earlier this morning. in other news, a 14 year old boy has died after getting into difficulty in the river tyne in northumberland. a huge search involving police , huge search involving police, fire crews and mountain rescue teams was launched on saturday. another boy, who's 13, was rescued but he's currently ill in hospital. critically, the body of the 14 year old was later found in the water to the us, where america's first black astronaut has become the oldest person in space. 60s. 60 years after almost being picked for an early nasa mission at 90 years old, former air force pilot ed dwight experienced a few minutes of weightlessness with five other passengers on board. that was on a capsule operated by amazon billionaire jeff bezos. the brief flight from west texas was blue origin's seventh time taking tourists into space. and

finally, some sports news manchester city have won their record fourth consecutive premier league title tonight after beating west ham three one on the final day of the season. phil foden scored twice in the first half to help ease nerves at the etihad. nearest challengers for the trophy. arsenal scored late to get past everton two one, but it wasn't enough. everton two one, but it wasn't enough . that's the latest from enough. that's the latest from the newsroom for now. another update at 8:00. until then, you can sign up to gb news alerts. just scan the qr code on your screen or go to gb news. common shirts . shirts. >> labour will fix the nhs by telling everyone to work at weekends. taxpayers spend £300,000 a day on the covid inquiry and police are visiting the homes of kids who are absent from school. this is free speech nafion from school. this is free speech nation . welcome to free speech

nation. welcome to free speech nafion nation. welcome to free speech nation with me. cressida wetton standing in for the one and only andrew doyle on any given day, i'm disappointed i'm not andrew, but today i've disappointed a whole room full of people , so whole room full of people, so that's a bit of fun. this is the show where we take a look at culture, current affairs and politics. and of course we'll have the latest from those lovable culture warriors. they've been up to their usual tncks they've been up to their usual tricks this week by trying to cancel judges wigs among other things. coming up on the show tonight, author harry sol markham will be here to tell us about how a book he spent months working on was suddenly dropped due to concerns about some of the issues it tackled. it's mental health awareness week, and we're going to speak with celebrity chef jamie jameson stokes about the importance of looking after that aspect of your health and how that relates to his own experiences, and we'll learn about the truly shocking case of the iranian rapper who's been sentenced to death for criticising the iranian regime and supporting women's rights . and of course, women's rights. and of course, myself. and my fantastic panel

will be answering questions from our wonderful studio audience . our wonderful studio audience. my our wonderful studio audience. my studio guests this evening are jonathan cogan and lewis schaffer, who . all right. schaffer, who. all right. >> how are you.7 can schaffer, who. all right. >> how are you? can i just congratulate you on smashing the glass ceiling? it's such an inspiration to see you in this chair. >> thanks, jonathan. i think it's wonderful what you're doing for the mentally challenged as well. lewis, i'm not doing that much. >> let me be honest. how have you. >> have you been enjoying this? >> have you been enjoying this? >> i'm next. after you. so i've got a bright future ahead of me. excellent. >> okay, here we are. the brightest, the best and the brightest. okay, let's get some questions from our studio audience. oh, no. first question is from gavin . is from gavin. >> yeah. good evening, my question is , can labour be able question is, can labour be able to fix the nhs ? yes. to fix the nhs? yes. >> can labour fix the nhs? okay, so will labour's new plan fix the nhs? shadow health secretary. self health secretary. self health secretary. i haven't had a drink i promise. wes streeting. says labour will slash waiting lists

by telling staff to work evenings and weekends. they think this will allow an extra 40,000 appointments a week . 40,000 appointments a week. here's wes streeting on the camilla tominey show this morning , £1.1 billion paid for morning, £1.1 billion paid for by clamping down on tax avoidance and also closing non—dom loopholes as well. >> and that will enable us to put £1.1 billion directly into the pockets of nhs staff to deliver those extra appointments at evenings and weekends, using an approach that's been tried and tested at the london hospital. i can literally see out of my office window in westminster . westminster. >> okay, lewis thoughts on this? do you think labour are going to save the day, no. i mean, the nhs is you can't save the nhs because they're offering something they're offering. the thing that people want the most is to be able to live. if you say to somebody, we're going to help you live with the nhs, who's going to say no to that? so no, they don't have a chance in the world. >> much faith in wes streeting

plans? >> no. and i'm a major user of the nhs because i yes, i am. how do you think i got to look this good and. no, no they did plastic surgery on the nhs. >> yeah i didn't know it was available. >> no i go there, i get major, it's great for testing basically, but it's not, there's no there's no cure. the only cure we have is to eat a proper diet of meat. >> almost five minutes into the show before we got to meat. okay, jonathan, how about you? do you feel optimistic about labour's plan? >> i feel very optimistic. i think if i don't read what they're suggesting, i can just be positive and hope they fix it. i think the more money we throw at the nhs, the better it's going to go. i think just keep printing the money and keep piling it on until the money is completely meaningless. and then, yeah, then it'll be the socialist utopia we've all been hoping for. >> an interesting point, because one of my concerns, lewis, is that if we're going to have people working at weekends doing overtime, they're not going to do that for nothing, are they? and labour have already said they're going to pay overtime, so this is going to cost us a lot more money, isn't it, you know, i changed my mind after

listening to what what jonathan does happen, but did know because they're working on weekends already. kind of. i mean, it's like there's not it's not that there's a backlog of things. there's a backlog of patients. people are just too sick. i mean, your english people are not english. all english, but you look horrible. >> i'm pretty sure there is a backlog. i think that's really one of the current features of the nhs. there's a backlog based on demand. >> nobody wanted those kind of expensive type devices to do the things they didn't have those 50 years ago, 75, 100, whatever. they didn't have it. so they've been having it now. >> what? >> what? >> which devices are you talking? whatever the car that they plug into the walls and they plug into the walls and they rub on your body and they tell you you're going to die. i don't know what they have. that is doctor schaffer. >> they're fantastic. are you worried, though, that if a doctor's been working all weekend, they're not going to be in. they're not going to have a rest. they're not going to be in a good to state know, my best friend's wife is a doctor on the nhs for the nhs. and yeah, it seems crazy. it's like all kind of late night shifts, you know, doing a night shift and a day shift stuff that would be, you know, completely frowned upon in

almost any other industry. but there's such a demand and there's such a demand and there's such a demand and there's such what are you going to do, not help people then? yeah. you just get overworked. that's a bit serious for me, isn't it? it's very serious. okay, what if we all stop injuring ourselves on the weekend? then it'll be fine. there we go. that's more my speed. >> jonathan kogan. very unlikely to stop injuring himself on the weekend. in my opinion. >> that's the only way i can finish. yeah. >> our next question is from ryan eve. ryan. >> evening, all, should primary school children receive sex education? >> wow. okay. so should primary school children receive sex education? what do you think? >> i think if it's factual. yes. i think if it's highly contested gender ideology. no. >> right. okay, so should children receive sex education? the government has this week been outlining guidance for how sex education should be taught in schools. age limits are to be introduced for the first time, and schools will be told to how teach, not to teach children any form of sex education until the age of nine. teachers will also be able to teach, will not be able to teach children that they can change their gender identity. jonathan, you and i, not long ago. what do you think? >> not too long ago. well, my

sex education at school started actually in year three when i was about 7 or 8. i walked into the art closet and there was a substitute teacher, mr buckingham. i learned a lot that day when i when i saw i don't i don't think that was on the curriculum. was it, no. they were on quite a lot of the art materials, but basically it was, it was, it was a bit distressing, also intriguing. but until year six when we had our actual, when we saw, you know, we saw a lady giving birth and that. yeah, that's part of the video. and that's when i decided that i'm gay, so. yeah. yeah. >> louis, that's not that's not sex education. >> i mean, seeing a woman getting giving birth, that's not what sex is. sex is the after effects of that. if they show the beginning part of it, i don't think they should teach anybody sex education in school. i don't think kids should be going to school. i don't think there should be a state run school system. i don't trust the government of any country, let alone this country, whether they're labour or conservative, to teach my kids anything . to teach my kids anything. >> but. well, that's very interesting because i would have maybe spoken up for your child and said, in this scenario where there's no sex education, they

might not get the basic facts of life from me . well, they might life from me. well, they might get something a bit odd, you know? and i wonder whether we need a curriculum so that all children are getting a basic level of education. just give them a copy of penthouse magazine when they're ten and let them. >> well, this is exactly the argument, isn't it, in favour of sex education. >> and some people are saying that the problem with putting a limit and saying, you can't start this until they're nine is that if an eight year old comes to you with a difficult question. yeah. as a teacher, what do you do? >> when i was when i was 15, in new york and we had a teacher who was who was a jazz music aficionado and he taught us about all the jazz artists and you've never had jazz since? it's. yeah, exactly . it was it's. yeah, exactly. it was like, oh my god, i'm learning this at school. yuck. it would have been better if i hadn't learned it. it's best just to stay away. it's best to best to make school a lot less open. we don't need. i'm i'm not even kidding. what? >> i'm saying this then i think theory teaching theory is fine, but the practical exam is too

much. that's what i think. >> yeah. >> yeah. >> okay. moving on. our next question is from jane . question is from jane. >> good evening. >> good evening. >> hi, jane. >> hi, jane. >> my question is, is the covid inquiry worth £300,000 a day ? inquiry worth £300,000 a day? >> right. great question. is the covid inquiry worth £300,000 a day? a report by the times has revealed the staggering amounts the taxpayer is forking out to fund the ongoing covid inquiry. the inquiry has so far cost us £94 million at a rate of £300 a day, and is not expected to produce a final report until 2026, meaning a total cost of 200 million could be in the offing. jonathan that's a lot of money. >> that's that's a lot of money. what is the best case scenario? what's you know, what can we hope to establish from this inquiry? is it whether or not we were justified in the actions that the government took, or is it more to see, you know, where the corruption was basically, if it stops another two years of tyranny from happening again, i think it's money well spent. if it doesn't, then obviously just print more money. why not just

print more money. why not just print more money. why not just print more money? well this is a great mickey mouse, isn't it? >> lewis? what exactly are we trying to get to? i actually asked you, cressida, what was the answer? i started with you. i think the answer should be that we look back. i mean, personally, i'm very anti—lockdown. i think i've ranted about that quite a lot to you. i don't think it's something i would want to repeat again, but there are other people who feel that the purpose of the inquiry is to answer questions about the spread of covid. what do you think, liz, no.the covid. what do you think, liz, no. the whole thing is to just delay the last one of these these investigations. you love him here. you, like, trust some woman and say she's the woman, and then she sits like, this thing is going to cost two, £300 million. i mean, after a while, that's , you know, you're that's, you know, you're thinking about some real money there. three. and that's, that's basically the tories cocaine budget for a year. so we could be spending that money. >> i don't think that's an official statistic, is it? >> i don't think it is because i don't because the tories, because the labour spends the same amount of money. that's what makes this country great. is, is that is our spending excellent. >> brilliant . our final question >> brilliant. our final question comes from jason , should the

comes from jason, should the police threaten kids who are absent from school ? absent from school? >> should the police threaten kids who are absent from school ? kids who are absent from school? so the observer reports today that certain schools in england are sending police round to the homes of kids who are absent quite regularly. they've received reports of police forcing their way into homes and telling the children that their parents could be sent to jail if they don't attend school and critics have said that this drive to increase school attendance is a bit heavy handed. lewis, what do you think? you don't like discipline ? >> 7- >> no, no, ?_ >> no, no, i ? >> no, no, i don't 7 >> no, no, i don't call it discipline. i'm against school. i'm against the state controlling the school. well, don't people need to talk about this? the police. but this has been going on forever. my father in new york was a truant officer in new york was a truant officer in the 1950s, you know, so this has been going on forever. >> he told me it was a lawyer working from home. >> did i like working from home? >> did i like working from home? >> him trying to get you? never mind. >> yeah, the. what was the point? don't talk to me. what? i'm trying to think of what the approach is heavy handed. >> or do you think it's appropriate? because after

covid, people have stopped going to school. attendance is terrible. we heard recently that lots of parents, they're not going to work themselves on friday. so kids are having every friday. so kids are having every friday off. and that can't be right, can it, no, i think i think these children, if they're skiving school, should be given puberty blockers. that's what i think of the punishment that's been given. >> what? >> what? >> oh, never mind. i regret saying already. >> push back on that. yeah but don't you think that'd be a great punishment, though? no, it wouldn't be a great punishment, jonathan. it would be a normal, way to put them in. it would ruin their health for the rest of their lives. i think children have lost. lost a lot of time in school over covid. really? now they've completely devalued it. >> but you can learn more with, like one youtube channel talking about, you know, some lewis schaffer. yeah. with the lewis schaffer. yeah. with the lewis schaffer masterclass workshop. yeah. school how to break your brain. yeah >> no shave that school is bad. look i would say i would say for a lot of people school is bad. >> it's not it's good for everybody because, you know, if everybody because, you know, if everybody goes to school, then the parents can work. and mothers can work and they can make more for money the state. >> come twice as much.

>> come twice as much. >> well, how do you feel then about the overreach of the state? do you think it's appropriate to have police showing up in people's homes? >> get out of my house, copper. >> get out of my house, copper. >> well, if you're going to if you're going to make it by law that they have to go, you have to have police to force them to go. you can't say you've got to go. you can't say you've got to go. and then if you don't go, well, what are you going to do? nothing. so you've got to have the police if you're going to force if you if you say you have to go, you've got to have the police. i say, i say, i don't know what i say because it can't be. >> silence from lewis schaffer okay, next on free speech nation, author harrison markham will be here to tell us about how a book he spent months working on was suddenly dropped due to concerns about some of the issues it tackled. see you shortly.

>> on mark dolan tonight. in my big opinion , labour will take us big opinion, labour will take us back to the 1970s with their plan for workers rights. it's the union barons , not keir the union barons, not keir starmer, who will be running

britain. it might take at ten. archbishop justin welby weighs in on another political row over the two child benefit cap . stick the two child benefit cap. stick to weddings and christenings, archbishop. plus the papers mark meets and my top pundits. we're live at nine. >> welcome back to free speech nation. after months of discussion and supportive emails, writer harry sol markham was about to sign a deal with a publisher for his new book , only publisher for his new book, only for them to suddenly abandon the deal for them to suddenly abandon the deal. the book deals with topics such as multiculturalism and a growth in anti—jewish intolerance, and the publisher decided they did not want to proceed due to the sensitive nature surrounding such issues , nature surrounding such issues, and i'm delighted to say, harry, sol markham joins me now to discuss this. good evening, harry. >> good evening to you . so thank you. >> harry, can you tell us a bit about the book? >> yeah, sure. so i decided

after experiencing a horrific anti—semitic ordeal in which a large group of violent pro—palestinian activists outside downing street three years ago surrounded a group of jews. and i was i was a part of the crowd and the crowd that was attacked . i wasn't doing the attacked. i wasn't doing the attacking. and i and i thought to myself, my goodness, how could it be that in this multicultural city, a city whose leaders frequently boast its tolerance, acceptance and openness , is that something like openness, is that something like this could happen ? and so this could happen? and so i decided to write a book exploring really where multiculturalism has gone wrong . multiculturalism has gone wrong. >> right. and that was three years ago. so this is nothing to do with the october 7th stuff that's happened in the past. >> well, i suspect in terms of the decision the publisher made, i suspect their decision was

motivated by fears of backlash because, of course, since october 7th, there have been enormous concerns, that pub amongst journalists and publishers that if they write something, that may well upset, sensibilities of pro—palestinian activists , or various islamist activists, or various islamist elements , that they may well be elements, that they may well be on the receiving end of some elements, that they may well be on theabuseying end of some elements, that they may well be on theabuse .ng end of some elements, that they may well be on theabuse . and 1d of some elements, that they may well be on theabuse . and ii of some elements, that they may well be on theabuse . and i suspecte elements, that they may well be on theabuse . and i suspect that nasty abuse. and i suspect that played a huge part in the decision of the publisher. >> and how did you find out about the decision from the publisher? >> well, one friday evening, last week , i was just outside last week, i was just outside and, you know, just just just writing as i do. and i received an email informing me that actually, we don't really want your book anymore because we're concerned. what do they say about the sensitive nature of the topics i address ? now, let the topics i address? now, let me be absolutely clear. my book

is a centrist liberal reckoning with multiculturalism. and what i mean by that is that i want to see multicultural societies do better. but to that end , my better. but to that end, my fellow liberals need to need to, reckon with the fundamental shortcomings of multiculturalism and see where this has gone terribly wrong, because, of course , whilst i do pay course, whilst i do pay considerable attention to islamist anti—semitism, actually what's really concerning is the way in which we are seeing the, the, the, the, the erasure of centrist politics, the rise of extremism. and that has implications for jews and for democracy. >> right. that's an interesting point. i've been on some of the vigils of the october the 7th attacks, and oftentimes i'm not

jewish myself. and jewish people will say, thank you for coming. you're an honorary jew. i'm here for me, actually. well, i'm concerned about all of this. so having worked on the book for so long, how did that feel to suddenly have it taken away from you? >> well, look, i went to bed that friday night feeling incredibly depressed , and i incredibly depressed, and i decided to go on to twitter the next day and post about it. and inever next day and post about it. and i never really used twitter for anything really, but i decided to post about my experience and my gosh , there was a storm and, my gosh, there was a storm and, andrew doyle reached out to me andianed andrew doyle reached out to me and invited me to come on here today. and i've had other people invite people have reached out to me, including now my new literary agent. and so this is many thanks. and this is and andrew's literary agent, too . andrew's literary agent, too. andrew's literary agent, too. and it's been incredibly helpful . and actually what i've, what i really do realise now is that being cancelled is really a blessing because i would never have had this coverage. okay. i'm just i'm just i'm just an

odd 24 year old undergraduate . odd 24 year old undergraduate. no one really cares about me aside from my mother. right so, i mean, so the coverage i have received and, from really from quite prominent sources has been extraordinary. and really, i want to i if i to say anything to my publisher, i want to say a massive thank you. i wish i could send them a card that's a fantastic attitude. >> okay. well, great. i'm really happy to hear that, but what do you think this says about the wider climate at the moment? >> well, indeed. and so look , >> well, indeed. and so look, the decision of the publisher was symptomatic of a climate which, which i think is, is, is really fearful to disrupt orthodoxies. now, i think disrupting orthodoxies is essential for any functioning liberal democracy. we need to protect our dissenting voices. any student of john stuart mill would tell you that , but of would tell you that, but of course, i'm not the only victim

of this dangerous climate. people who have written on the trans issue, people have written about colonialism , or people who about colonialism, or people who have expressed very legitimate concerns and grievances about mass immigration or the anti—racist movement. they too, have also been silenced and what i worry about is this, and this is what drove me to write the book, is that if i'm not going to say i'm normal, but if sensible people don't take these issues on head on and confront the, the, the, the, the, the unpalatable truths of living in multicultural western europe, if censor people don't do it, then who will? well, we know who will take these issues on. okay. and those are people that have, it must be said, some anti—democratic tendencies. and i say that what we need for there to be a centrist revival is for centrists to reclaim ,

is for centrists to reclaim, these issues, to talk about these issues, to talk about these issues, to talk about these issues in a reasoned manner, because the alternative, frankly, is good for no one. >> absolutely. so as all of this, has this caused you to revise any parts of the book or to add to it at all? >> so i finished my manuscript on october the fifth, and two days later i had to rewrite, rewrite my afterword. now i'm having to add to my afterword. it seems that these various things that are that have happened since i finished the manuscript are causing me to add to my manuscript and i really am grateful to the to the publisher, because now i will. when it comes to marketing the book, i can market market the book, i can market market the book as the book which a publisher was too afraid to publish. >> absolutely. well that's fantastic. i mean, that doesn't apply fantastic. i mean, that doesn't apply to everybody, does it? you could say you're a lucky case. are you aware of other jewish creatives that have faced similar problems? >> well, i am extraordinarily lucky, and i am aware that there

have been plenty of others that have been plenty of others that have written on, particularly the issue of islamist anti—semitism , it's the case anti—semitism, it's the case that it's common amongst liberals or so—called liberals to basically say that, well, we need to deal with far right extremism and islamist extremism. well, yes, we absolutely do. but one is causing more problems forjews than the other. right. and so for other for my fellow, writers that have done written things on this topic, not only have they not been able to get their work published, they have been horrifically treated by their intellectual counterparts. and really, i'm afraid to say the culture within academia now has presented major stumbling blocks to any intellectual that wants to any intellectual that wants to talk honestly on this important issue . yeah, right. important issue. yeah, right.

>> okay. well, finally then, do you have a new publishing date and where can people find your work? >> well , not yet, but watch this >> well, not yet, but watch this space, because i know that i won't stop until this book is out. because i worked too damn hard for it. not to be released. so watch this space. >> yeah. fantastic harry. >> yeah. fantastic harry. >> thank you, thank you, thank you. >> harry. >> harry. >> okay, next on free speech nation, jonathan kogan and louis schaefer will be back with me to take more questions from this wonderful studio audience. see you shortly.

welcome back to free speech nation. later in the show, i'll be turning agony aunt with the help of my panel, jonathan kogan and louis schaefer, to help you deal with your unfiltered dilemmas. these two solving people's problems. what could

possibly go wrong? >> lawsuits . >> lawsuits. >> lawsuits. >> brilliant. message us @gbnews dot com. forward slash your essay and we will help you deal with your issues. imagine that. now let's get some more questions from the audience. our first question is from jane. all right . right. >> do you like the new portrait of king charles the third? do you like it, jane . you like it, jane. >> i'm undecided. >> i'm undecided. >> you're undecided? >> you're undecided? >> yeah . i >> you're undecided? >> yeah. i think >> you're undecided? >> yeah . i think that, it looks >> yeah. i think that, it looks like. sorry. sorry to me. it looks like it's been, tampered with, you know, from, like, just stop oil with all the paint splashed over it or muck splattered all over it. >> it's pretty suit. yeah. it does, so , this week saw the does, so, this week saw the unveiling of the first official portrait of king charles ii since his coronation, on

unveiled at buckingham palace. it shows the king in the uniform of the welsh guards and has. and has elicited a mixed reaction. the painting is by jonathan yeo, who has previously painted the likes of tony blair and sir david attenborough , so lewis david attenborough, so lewis thoughts my thoughts are people have painted an entire page and now they're just they're working their way backwards. >> the painting is less as they can. i would complain about it. i'd say, where's the rest, but i don't like the king. >> so you're referring to the fact that the head and the hands are quite apparent, but the body is a lot. yeah, i don't know how to describe it. it's a lot less, visible. >> it could be anything. there is a butterfly on it. i don't know if the butterfly payments to king charles being a bit of a nature lover or gay . i didn't nature lover or gay. i didn't know. i mean, he might be. maybe that's his way of coming out. >> fantastic . jonathan, you're >> fantastic. jonathan, you're a creative. what do you think, it's a bit spooky. the picture. it kind of looks like he's a guilty child who's been playing around with the candyfloss machine. it's sort of gone everywhere. >> do you think that might be

your own projection? >> it did happen to me once. yeah, and a funfair in france, in dordogne. and. yeah, i'm not allowed back to france. but it's okay. it's a rubbish country. >> yes. hang it in your house. do you like it, i don't, it is. i mean, it's very evil looking. i mean, it's very evil looking. i think it's the red. it's a bold , reddish, hellish vision of bold, reddish, hellish vision of the end of days. and i, for one, am here for it. >> yeah. wow. >> yeah. wow. >> okay. i don't like it either. let me. because i know my. i know jonathan doesn't like it. i don't like it either. red is i think is a is a team world country. that's what it is. it's communist. and i think that's what he's he's he's which side he's gone. >> i hadn't seen that i hadn't seen i know communist colour but you're quite right. yeah. okay. our next question is from john, should should oxford university vet chancellor candidates should oxford university vet chancellor candidates at the university of oxford has shelved plans to vet candidates vying to become its chancellor after accusations the institution was trying to stitch up the process in order to make

sure another white male politician didn't enter the role. >> so oxford officials would have been given the power to disqualify candidates who put themselves forward for the election commission, which which is voted on by oxford graduates. but the university has walked back from these plans. jonathan, what do you think? >> i just disdain any kind of university administration, i think imagine that. imagine that's what you do. all these clever kids running around and you're just making the rules, deciding what they can and can't do. and who can be voted for. >> and so you don't think that given that this role has typically been a white man many, many times, you don't think it's time for somebody else to have a. >> well, historically, i suppose it's typically been a predominantly white country, and male men with males were the most sort of prominent people in academia up until, you know, fairly recent times. and so, yeah, i mean, just get the best person for the job. obviously, i'm a big fan of meritocracy. i don't want did i say best man for the job? >> what do you think i'm against it because it's kept me back. >> what kind of hire are you? i

don't know what category i fit in. it'sjust like don't know what category i fit in. it's just like you had to mess up the whole thing anyway, the point is, is that is that the point is, is that is that the people, the people who own oxford university, where their money comes from, should decide who the president of oxford university is going to be and who's who. where's the money coming from for oxford university? it's coming from china. china that was yeah, china. china that was yeah, china and this country. >> so what you're saying is the chinese should be able to choose in a way they should be. >> but i don't think they're giving as much money as the british government when they pay people's tuition to go there. >> interesting. okay. well, personally, i don't like d i, i don't think they should do it if they are going to secretly fiddle it in the background, they shouldn't be telling us about it. oh, what was that? >> just a load of racist. >> just a load of racist. >> just a load of racists. there you go. that's that's a studio audience is opinion. our next question is from gavin . question is from gavin. >> yeah. of, parishes. wigs culturally insensitive , our

culturally insensitive, our barrister's wigs culturally insensitive. >> the telegraph is reporting that english courts are poised to abandon compulsory wigs for barristers because they're they're considered culturally insensitive. this is after some barristers complained that the traditional headpieces discriminate against those with afro—caribbean hair. however, the proposals are currently being reviewed and no final decision has been taken. louis thoughts on this one, those wigs have been around for like, i don't know how many years they've been around for, but they've been around for, but they they they they look like they they they they look like they don't look like anybody's hair. they're a bit scary looking. who knows what's inside? i dated a girl who was who had a who had what do you call those things? and it was a bit creepy. and then you get used to it. next thing you know, you're looking for girls who have that kind of hair, so it isn't . it have that kind of hair, so it isn't. it isn't that have that kind of hair, so it isn't . it isn't that way. it's isn't. it isn't that way. it's the hair that they put on their headsis the hair that they put on their heads is people should be allowed to wear uniforms if they want to. have i changed my attitude? i've been for here 24 years. >> you've been here for 20. oh,

the country in the country for 24? >> no, no, it feels like 24 years, i say. my feeling is that they should be allowed to wear whatever they want to wear. >> very liberal. jonathan, what do you think? because it's very prestigious, isn't it? i imagine some barristers are proud of their wig. >> yeah. i mean, i spoke to one, a family member who's a barrister, but he didn't want me to say who it was because i don't get in trouble. anyway, my dad was basically saying that i should. yeah. anyway, my dad. so basically he was, saying that a lot of barristers consider them to be a bit outdated. now, those wigs. and there's no real reason to wear it. you still wear your gowns, you still wear that. but from the racially sensitive perspective, i don't fully see why that is. is the idea that that's only ridiculous if you have sort of like an afro, then it wouldn't fit. like if you have a if you have, i think if i have a if you have, i think if i have a if you have, i think if i have a big jewfro, what about you know, well then the same would apply, wouldn't it? i think the point i wouldn't think it's culturally insensitive. i would just like those wigs don't look cool anyway, they look terrible. on if you've got a shaved head. they look terrible. they don't look good. >> they don't look good on anybody made to shave a beard for a wedding. and i thought that was a very invasive thing

to do to interfere with his face. >> he had made shaved beard for a wedding. yeah, for the photos made her shave the beard. >> no, not the guest. >> no, not the guest. >> our next question is from luke, good evening guys, do people drink guinness just to look cool? >> okay, is guinness drinking turning into a personality trait? gen z drinkers , have been trait? gen z drinkers, have been slammed for training themselves to drink guinness after videos of kim kardashian and olivia rodngo of kim kardashian and olivia rodrigo throwing back the black stuff caused uk sales to soar by 24. it's been claimed that some people just want to get on the guinness drinking action and are putting clips of themselves consuming the drink. >> sorry, did you just say kim kardashian has been throwing that throne down? the black stuff that jonathan how that's not what this show is about. >> i'm talking about. >> i'm talking about. >> that is not what this show is about. this is about liberal values. look at your shirt. >> you look like the type of person who might drink a drink to be cool. >> what do you think? >> what do you think? >> yeah, again, it does have a bit of a, like a meme quality to it. i think, you know, it's one of the most iconic drinks

around. everyone can recognise it. not many other beers. you just see and know what it was just see and know what it was just from looking at it in a glass per plane. no? >> well, my dad drinks it. >> well, my dad drinks it. >> yeah. so i recognise it as a he's a meme lord. >> yeah, he's a meme lord. yeah. >> yeah, he's a meme lord. yeah. >> it's a bit of a dad drink. i like a guinness. it's, you know, it's kind of easy. first thing in the airport on a stag do. i don't think it's, you know, it's just stuff comes in and out of fashion. yeah. it's guinness. it's nice. >> are you a guinness? >> are you a guinness? >> good for you. >> good for you. >> i actually am a guinness man because it's a bit lighter and it tastes nicer. lighter? >> yeah. >> yeah. >> less calorie. it is soup, but i don't think it has as much alcohol or something. but it's like every other. every everything is sold based on getting people to think that they look cool doing it or drinking it. so i don't know why they're making a big deal. they used to advertise guinness as having high iron. good for you. and it doesn't. and it doesn't. you can look it up. >> guinness is horrible. >> guinness is horrible. >> no. it's horrible. >> no. it's horrible. >> it's delicious. booze. >> it's delicious. booze. >> okay, next on free speech nation, it's mental health awareness week and we're going to speak with celebrity chef jameson stokes about the importance of looking after that aspect of your health and how it relates to his own experiences. don't go away

welcome back to free speech nation. today marks the end of mental health awareness week, an undertaking which aims to tackle stigma and help people understand and prioritise theirs and others mental health. someone who knows plenty about this is celebrity chef jameson stokes, whose own mental health suffered after he was the victim of a witch hunt in the media, which was only resolved with the help of the press complaints commission and the leveson inquiry. i'm delighted to say that jameson stokes joins me now . so, jameson, you've had a really challenging time regarding your own mental health, including what sounds like a really unpleasant ordeal involving the media. so so what happened? >> oh, well, going back to the

beginning, i, i started winning quite a lot of awards when i was younger. and then, i upset probably the wrong person within the media and basically came after me with headlines with i was on the front page of a national newspaper for 2 or 3 days in a row, stating all sorts of nonsense, basically, and, it took yeah, it took five, six years for it to be taken offline. >> right. and you were able to do that with the help of the press complaints commission? >> yeah. the press complaints commission are basically there to monitor as you know, dodgy journalism basically. but, unfortunately that closed down in 2014 and the ipso now took over. in 2014 and the ipso now took over . and anything older than over. and anything older than ten years is unfortunately classed out of their jurisdiction. so i'm still even to this day, fighting it, even ongoing , even from 2008. ongoing, even from 2008. >> and so despite all the success and winning these awards, there was a period of time where you just weren't able to work because of this.

>> i, i had to resign from my job because i was on the front page of the papers. i was getting harassed. i was, i was currently at that time getting a house built as well. so i put i ploughed all my money into house. >> it's stressful at the best of times. and i had to resign from my job so i couldn't keep up and pay my job so i couldn't keep up and pay for the house. >> so i lost a lot of money, and, yeah, it was pretty tough. it was . i couldn't even work in it was. i couldn't even work in this country for probably six years because you're a single parent at the time as well. >> is that right? >> is that right? >> this is slightly before i had my two children, so it wasn't. i was in preparation for them to come. in fact, i think my oldest one was, on the way. so, and you've talked about support being really important when you're going through things like this. >> what was your support like at the time? >> i didn't really have any support. i mean, i was 22, 23 at the time. i had newspapers camped outside my house. oh that's horrendous. i had people hassling my neighbours. i had

people intruding in my private life. i had, my phones hacked , life. i had, my phones hacked, yeah. it was pretty brutal. >> and do you think we're at a point now where talking about mental health is a bit more acceptable , a bit more a bit acceptable, a bit more a bit easier than it was at the time? >> million percent. i think that, there's far more acceptance now towards people having struggles. excuse me, for people who are , maybe there's people who are, maybe there's more signs to people actually struggling with mental health than there was back then. so i just shut myself away. i actually, i actually had a breakdown for 6 or 7 years. do you mean signs? >> as in we're all a bit more aware people, i think so notice of someone's withdrawn. >> i don't think it's has so much stigma attached to it anymore. i think a lot of people back, you know, when i was in my early 20s would be like, you know, just pull yourself together, you know, what's wrong with you, get yourself out of bed, motivate yourself, do this, do that. definitely. but now, because there's so much

awareness around it, charities and champion people championing it , i think and champion people championing it, i think more of, it is as a wide community, it's more acceptable, right? >> and mental health awareness week presumably is a part of that. yes >> it's as is, you know, there is a lot of other you know, awareness weeks and stuff. definitely. >> i'm fascinated by mental health, and i spend a lot of time watching stuff on youtube because it just genuinely takes my attention. i think it's an interesting area. yeah. so one thing you've talked about before is the impact of relationships on mental health. do you specifically mean romantic relationships? >> i have had problems with romantic relationships. in fact, you know, i've yeah, i've had quite a lot of stress regarding that. i've had, you know, two people have been convicted because of the way they've been treated. me. right. you know, coercive behaviour and etc, i've just come out of an abusive relationship as well, which, you know, wasn't particularly good. >> so having said that, support is important, that one person you might expect to support you

wasn't around to do that. yeah, exactly. >> and, you know, as a single parent, you know, you don't want to obviously, to impact your children so much. >> right? and that's one of the reasons why mental health is so important, isn't it? because it's not just the person suffering, but the community around them. >> if you've got kids, family members, well, my children are an age now where they can google stuff and they can see stuff which is incorrect written about me. and it's like i've had the conversation with them and i've said to them, listen, you know, dad is still going through the court jurisdiction. the courts and stuff, even to this day. right? even though it was happened three, four, you know, what sort of age, if you don't mind, are they, my oldest is 13 and my youngest is 11. >> right. so that's at an age where presumably they're thinking about their own mental health. it's talked about in schools now . yeah. does it make schools now. yeah. does it make up a part of their education. are they quite aware of these topics? >> i think because of social media and because of pressures within school itself , you know, within school itself, you know, you're wearing the latest trainers, you're wearing this, it puts a lot of pressure on

children. anyway, i'd say to them that i tried to explain to them that i tried to explain to them that i tried to explain to them that just be yourself and, you know, if they want to know something, i'll tell them the truth. and even if it's hard to tell them the truth, i'll still tell them the truth, i'll still tell them the truth, i'll still tell them rather than read about it. and, absolutely . it. and, absolutely. >> and for them to take looking after kids in this day and age with social media, it's got to be one of the biggest challenges. that's something we talk about a lot now, isn't it? whether or not kids should be on social media, i don't let my children on social media at all, that's not to say they're not, but i try not to encourage it . but i try not to encourage it. >> very wise to me. yeah. okay. so at the moment, where do people find you? where do they look you up if they're interested in your work? >> well, the message me on, i actually get quite a lot of people reaching out on instagram, whether it's single parents or people who are struggling with mental health themselves, whether it's, you know, the you know, they've been through something similar to me. but like i said, you know, in a previous question that a lot of people's mental health comes down to being in a relationship where you either being abused or even if it's ever so slightly,

you know , demeaning towards you, you know, demeaning towards you, it still brings your mood down, it still brings your mood down, it still brings your mood down, it still makes you feel inadequate. and, that's the telltale sign for me because i've been through it before. i the last relationship, i picked it up quite quickly and i got out . out. >> well, thank you so much for sharing that. >> no worries. >> no worries. >> okay . jamieson stocks. thank >> okay. jamieson stocks. thank you, plenty more to come on free speech nation tonight, including the shocking case of an iranian rapper sentenced to death by the repressive regime. >> news of a talk series aimed at young people which challenges established ideas and more questions from our fantastic, beautiful studio audience. see you shortly . you shortly. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar , sponsors of weather on . solar, sponsors of weather on. gb news. >> hello! welcome to your gb news weather forecast from the met office. looking ahead, sunny spells on monday, but it is

going to be turning more unsettled as we go through the week. at the moment we've got a ridge of high pressure extending out towards the west, bringing settled conditions for the rest of the evening and overnight. so looking ahead, we have got low cloud, mist and fog moving its way in from the north sea. that will progress further inland with a bit of a breeze coming in to east anglia further towards the west. that's where we'll see the west. that's where we'll see the clearer skies, and northern ireland may see some mist and fog develop , being chilly fog develop, being chilly underneath the clear skies but elsewhere holding up at around 10 or 11 degrees. so quite a murky start out there for many of us to start monday morning. best of the sunshine. first thing is going to be across western parts, so even into western scotland. but holding to on some sea fog and low cloud, the further east you go . like the further east you go. like i said, some low cloud, mist and fog across northern ireland that will gradually lift and break and then bright skies across the west. but low cloud lingering through the morning. but as we

go through the rest of the morning, that low cloud should start to lift, break, melt its way back towards coastal areas, maybe taking a bit of time to do so. but elsewhere turning dry. plenty of sunshine on offer. we will still see a few showers breaking out, especially across parts of western northern ireland. some of these could be heavy at times and potentially even northern parts of wales, but elsewhere, feeling pleasant in the sunshine where we do see it up to 20 or 22 degrees as we go through tuesday. again, some low cloud coming into eastern areas, then it's a mixture of sunny spells but some heavy showers breaking out, especially focused across the west as we go through the afternoon and then into wednesday. we've got a low pressure system out towards the east, could bring heavy spells of rain and generally rather unsettled . unsettled. >> that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers sponsors of weather

on . gb news. on. gb news. >> on mark dolan tonight. in my big opinion, labour will take us back to the 1970s with their plan for workers rights. it's the union barons, not keir starmer, who will be running britain. it might take a ten. archbishop justin welby weighs in on another political row over the two child benefit cap. stick to weddings and christenings , to weddings and christenings, archbishop. plus the papers mark meets and my top pundits. we're live at nine.

>> there's plenty more still to come on. free speech nation this week. including yet another example of the shocking repression of free speech in iran . and more questions from iran. and more questions from this fantastic audience. for myself and my panel. but let's get a news update first from sam

francis. >> very good evening to you. it's just after 8:00. the top stories from the newsroom this evening . the helicopter carrying evening. the helicopter carrying the iranian president, ibrahim raisi, and his foreign minister has crashed as it was flying across the mountains in northwest iran this afternoon. search and rescue teams are now facing the significant challenge of locating the president's crashed chopper in heavy rain , crashed chopper in heavy rain, in fog and in darkness. well, in the last few moments , in fact, the last few moments, in fact, conflicting reports have been emerging, with some sources suggesting that helicopter has been found , reuters news agency been found, reuters news agency are quoting state media saying that it has been discovered by search and rescue teams , though search and rescue teams, though no detail on where it was found or if any survivors have been located. however iran's red president, red crescent, rather are denying those reports from state media. we will keep across

that for you, bring you the latest updates as we get them, but as we know for now from official sources, the lives of the iranian president and the foreign minister are at risk. after a crash this afternoon . after a crash this afternoon. meanwhile, in the uk, families who've lost loved ones gathered at a vigil in parliament square in london ahead of the release of a final report into the infected blood scandal. tomorrow an inquiry is due to outline major failings which to led an estimated 3000 deaths from contaminated blood in the 70s and 90s. the chancellor has vowed to compensate victims with a £10 billion package. one of the victims, joan edgington, has discussed the effect it's had on her. >> all have different and various physical, things, but it's the mental, the anguish, of what we're going through . and what we're going through. and that in itself is the support. if you have a you know, the friends support, but also as mentioned that the red cross are there at the hearings and we can

now go for counselling. and a lot of people are no , go for lot of people are no, go for counselling, have just, it's the uncertainty of your future, and what it's done to you, and if, if stability of your mind in way. >> thousands of residents in devon who've been forced to boil their tap water before drinking it have been told that safe water will be running again as soon as possible. the firm says that around 2500 properties still need to boil their tap water. south west water issued the update on supplies in brixham following a parasite outbreak there. experts think the water borne disease cryptosporidium entered the water storage tanks via a damaged air pipe in the area, causing sickness and diarrhoea . causing sickness and diarrhoea. in other news, the prime minister is set to warn the pubuc minister is set to warn the public about the risks of artificial intelligence. rishi sunak will tell a major tech summit in south korea that managing the risks of ai is one of the most profound responsibilities, he says. faced

by world leaders, the prime minister will be a virtual co—host, dialling in from london alongside the south korean president on tuesday . officials president on tuesday. officials in slovakia are investigating whether an attacker who shot the country's prime minister acted alone. 59 year old robert fico's condition is no longer life threatening but is still very serious after he was hit multiple times on wednesday. a man has now been charged with attempting to murder him, with officials suggesting the attack was politically motivated and in sport. manchester city's players and fans are celebrating once again after sealing a record fourth consecutive premier league title tonight . they've league title tonight. they've now lifted the trophy in the last six of the past seven years. this time, though, winning three one against west ham to make sure they couldn't be caught at the top of the table. arsenal challenges for the trophy had to settle for the runner up spot despite their two one victory tonight over everton . for the latest stories, you

can sign up to gb news alerts. just scan the qr code on your screen or go to gb news. common alerts. welcome back to free speech nafion welcome back to free speech nation with me, cressida wetton standing in for the great andrew doyle. >> time for more questions from this fantastic audience. our first question from this section is from gavin. again thank you for asking so many questions. gavin. >> that's okay. i don't mind, why did , tyson fury, lose? why did, tyson fury, lose? because of the ukraine war? >> did tyson fury lose because of the ukraine war? it was a big heavyweight world title fight last night in saudi arabia between the unbeaten pair , tyson between the unbeaten pair, tyson fury in britain and oleksandr , i fury in britain and oleksandr, i think, from ukraine. usyk won , a

think, from ukraine. usyk won, a thrilling fight, in a split decision . but fury claimed decision. but fury claimed afterwards the judges were influenced by the fact sussex country had been invaded by russia. jonathan an what do you think? >> well, i think it's amazing that producer mark managed to get in a sports story in the one time andrew was away. so sorry . time andrew was away. so sorry. >> we don't typically cover sports, but this is a political sports, but this is a political sports story. or is it. >> what do you or is it, i really don't know. actually, i really don't know. actually, i really don't know. like, it was a great fight, i think. went 12 rounds, you know, absolute massive respect. both of them. i don't know , i don't know, i don't know, i don't know, i don't know, i don't know, i don't know, i don't know, i don't know, i, i think probably the last few rounds you said probably took it, but i mean, what do i know? >> were you watching it, well, i watched the highlights on youtube, so i think that's that's how i know everything. >> that's a brilliant. >> that's a brilliant. >> that's a level of knowledge i need. but no, i don't know. i don't i don't know, lewis. >> do you think. i mean, i don't know a lot about boxing culture, but i know that they're not shrinking violets, are they? they're very confident. gentlemen, do you think it might be a sort of bravado thing. i don't think people need a war to win a fight or to lose. you know, to lose a war, to lose a

fight. whatever it is, they don't need to. and it's. i think this could have all been staged, too. it could have been. what's his name? fury wanted a rematch. that's where the money is, because he's been winning too many fights and interesting. >> he got like 80 mil for that last fight or something. >> yeah. and so he's got he would get more for the rematch. the rematch is going to be how much money he gives the guy. and the guy says i don't want a rematch, which means he's going to get paid even more money, which means he's going to. >> i read he wanted a rest, and i've seen the size of both of them. and i thought, fair enough, i'd like a rest too. >> also, tyson fury, the biggest, scariest he could do is my age. >> the same age. is he? >> the same age. is he? >> yeah. do you find that kind of 16.5 amazing? >> our next question is from luke. >> hello again. guys, do you guys agree with the result of the poll that puts jeremy clarkson as the sexiest man in the uk? >> well, do you think, luke, do you think he's sexy. not particularly. i personally put lewis schaffer on top of my poll, but we'll get to that. >> we'll get to that. >> we'll get to that. >> isjeremy >> we'll get to that. >> is jeremy clarkson britain's sexiest man? jeremy clarkson has been named the uk's sexiest man

for the second year in a row, apparently beating the likes of tom holland, prince william and idris elba to the title . the idris elba to the title. the annual poll was conducted by illicit encounters, which is apparently the best online dating site for married people , dating site for married people, so that's nice, i mean, obviously you're going to say you're the more attractive of the pair of you, lewis, but what do you think? do you think jeremy clarkson's sexy? >> well, it depends if you're married or not, i think, and that's what this is for. this is basically saying people who are cheaters, like jeremy clarkson, he reeks of bad behaviour. probably he's never done a bad thing in his entire life , but he thing in his entire life, but he kind of he strikes people as bad. >> do you think women want a bad boy, jonathan? no. >> these women, women who are bad want a bad boy. >> women who are bad. okay. jonathan, do you think there's something appealing about mr clarkson ? clarkson? >> i would, would you would you you okay? >> i, i have to tell me, like you wrastled those lambs in, series two of clarkson's farm. clarkson's farm? i still haven't watched that. no no, i just made that up. my understanding. it's

a lot about planning. >> you make that up? yeah. >> you make that up? yeah. >> would you be on your best behaviour? this is a this is a serious problem. >> isn't going out. imagine being told to how behave by lewis schaffer. >> our next question is from ryan. >> hi, game. hello, should civil servants wear rainbow lanyards? >> what do you think? ryan? >> what do you think? ryan? >> should they? years ago, i was a big supporter, actually. but. but now i think it's wider symbolism of rampant activism in the civil service. so i don't think they should now. >> interesting. >> interesting. >> should civil servants wear rainbow lanyards? esther mcvey, the minister for common sense, has said that she'll crack down on diversity initiatives in the civil service including banning the wearing of rainbow lanyards. mcvey says civil servants should be leaving their political views at the building entrance and that we've had we've too often seen them distracted by fashionable hobby horses, especially when it comes to issues like equality and diversity. lewis, what do you think about rainbow lanyards? >> i think you could basically give the same message without a rainbow lanyards. it's basically saying you've entered team world

and you're if you if you're against it, you're screwed. >> so that's what a rainbow lanyard says to you. it doesn't say diversity and inclusion. it says a very specific political message. >> it says if you're a white, straight man, you got no chance. basically the world, well, you could be an ally , couldn't you? could be an ally, couldn't you? you could be. and they're telling you, you better be an ally of the. otherwise you're not going to get anything. you know, it's like my bus driver, i have to say, i have a bus, but my bus, my bus driver, he came to work today. he was wearing one of those white t shirts. what do they call those things with the arms? you know, you want a t shirt, you want somebody who's in a position, government position to be at least , at government position to be at least, at least dressed properly dressed . dressed. >> so you think if they're wearing a rainbow lanyard, it's not smart enough? >> i think i think everyone needs to be told we're there's one team, and if you don't agree with the team, just keep it to yourself like you do. >> jonathan, what do you think about this? do you think estimate vie is right to come in and try and keep all of this diversity stuff?

>> i'm not a big fan of banning things as such, but i think i share ryan's view on this. ryan. >> yeah, well, there you used to be into it, and now you've changed your mind. >> yeah, i think so, because i think it's kind of changed meaning in some ways, i think, but also people should be allowed to wear what they want, guests, although it is a professional thing, i don't know, i don't know, i don't care for i don't know, you don't care? >> of course you care, our final question is from jason again, regina is if opera house is shut down, would you notice if opera houses shut down? >> nearly half the british pubuc >> nearly half the british public would not notice if all the country's opera houses were torn down while 40% of people have never met an opera fan, a report has warned. so the wake up calls for the art come from a survey conducted on behalf of the laidlaw opera trust. what do you think, jonathan? would you be sad if all the opera disappeared? >> i think andrew doyle would be. so. i feel like on his show ihave be. so. i feel like on his show i have to have to agree. would i be sad? i've been to the opera once.i be sad? i've been to the opera once. i saw la boheme and it was fine. it was, you know, it was a

sort of romantic tragedy . vie, sort of romantic tragedy. vie, i think so, yeah, yeah , they did think so, yeah, yeah, they did actually have. it wasn't in english, if i recall, but they did have subtitles, no, it wasn't english. no. it was. yeah what do i think? i think it'd be a shame to lose them. i think i like the idea of it more than the reality, which is probably true with all my beliefs, but can you believe the tickets are up to £300? no, that's quite extortionate. >> that is a lot, isn't it? apparently they start at 30, though. louis are you an opera fan?i though. louis are you an opera fan? i don't know if you've. >> no, no, i'm not even a soap opera fan, people. >> not even a soap bar. >> not even a soap bar. >> of course people aren't. let's say half. half. well, sorry. >> you're not even a soap fan. sorry. >> soap fan? is that people? people? half the people. so let's say half the people don't care about opera. that's still half the people who do care about opera. it's so whose money are we spending? they didn't ask the question. we don't know what the question. we don't know what the question. we don't know what the question is. this is one of those horrible surveys. until you find out how much money people are being asked to spend, where's the money coming from? is it coming out of my money? if it's £300, let the rich people pay it's £300, let the rich people pay for it. if it's going to

cost £300, why should i have to pay cost £300, why should i have to pay for opera? it's not even. it's not even english opera. it's not even english opera. it's you know, it's just opera. why should we pay to have italian opera? we can go to italy. to them. you could probably. oh, yeah. >> that'll keep the cost down. going on holiday to go and see an opera. >> well, it would basically turn people off to opera. we can move on. >> okay. very cultured, very cultured. answers. okay so coming up next on free speech nation, a change of tone indeed, nick williams from index on censorship will join me to discuss the death sentence handed down by the iranian regime to a hugely popular rapper, tomaj salehi. don't go anywhere

he's asking . welcome back to he's asking. welcome back to free speech nation. over here in

the uk, being critical of those in power is almost part of the job description for rappers and other young musicians . but in other young musicians. but in iran, it's apparently a crime worthy of the death penalty . worthy of the death penalty. tomaj salehi, a hugely successful rapper with more than 2 million followers on instagram, has been a vocal campaigner for women's rights in iran following the death in police custody of mahsa amini in september. having been tortured dunng september. having been tortured during over a year in prison, he was arrested again in december last year and has now been sentenced to death . with more sentenced to death. with more than 100 people involved in music, culture and human rights activism, have signed a statement drawn up by index on censorship calling for his release and nick williams from index on censorship joins me now. thank you for joining index on censorship joins me now. thank you forjoining me. now. thank you for joining me. nick, hi. thank you for having me . can you tell us a bit about me. can you tell us a bit about tomaj salihee's work and the issues that it addresses? >> yeah. so tomaj has been an incredibly influential and popular musician, and he's always been very explicit, calling for human rights, democracy , calling out

democracy, calling out corruption difficulties and people being able to afford to make a living, and sort of speaking in solidarity for others, such as the women who courageously took to the street after mahsa aminis death. and he's always been very explicit, an iranian culture, a lot of iranian culture has had to navigate censorship through subtle ways that we think of, like jafar panahi's films, but but tomaj has been a very explicit, very vocal and very passionate and very impassioned. and he's using social media, his music, to try to do what he can. and this time it was being an ally in and standing in solidarity with women who have taken to the streets . and this taken to the streets. and this recent, arrest is not the first time he's he's been attacked previously. so in 2021, after his song rathole was published , his song rathole was published, he was arrested and detained for over a week. and then was was released on bail. and just to give a bit of character, tomaj, as soon as he was released on bail, he went out. he he returned to the prison where he had been a prisoner and recorded

a music video outside the prison to record a song in commemoration of the protesters who had either been killed or injured during the urban protests. so he's always been very vocal in support of human rights. >> that's extraordinary, isn't it? we all hear so much about social justice in this part of the world, but that's that's real bravery, so can you tell us how is this typical of a sort of crackdown in iran on other protesters? you're saying it is you're saying this is sort of this would happen to anybody doing what he's doing, but he's just unusually brave . just unusually brave. >> well, i think it's like i mean, we've all seen the footage following the protests after mahsa aminis death. you know, people from all walks of life, either artists or people in sort of more middle of the road jobs, you know, may not have done any sort of creative outputs. people have taken the courageous step to go to go to protests. and we've seen the clampdown continue ever since then. so i think there's been over i think nearly 20,000 people have been arrested in relation to protests . s, and this is still happening now. so the protests took took

place a few years ago, but the state are still looking for people who have been involved. so even if you think you may have got away of it, you know, there's still the pressure to respond now. right? and you know, we've seen there's been other protests , other rappers other protests, other rappers like saman ezedi, known as yassine , was sentenced to death, yassine, was sentenced to death, but luckily his sentence was reduced to five years in prison. i mean, i say, luckily he's still in prison, but he's not, currently receiving the death threat . death sentence? i mean, threat. death sentence? i mean, tomaj, i think there is a case about how prominent he is as making a making a sort of an example of him that if they can get to him, they can get to anyone. and that's a really risky thing that we see because people , sort of everyday people people, sort of everyday people may also step back because they've seen what's happening to tomaj. >> and how has he viewed generally by the iranian public? i mean, is he seen as a hero? do conservatives not like him? what do people think of him ? do people think of him? >> well, i think, you know, i mean, i mean, i will say our ability to speak to people in iran is incredibly limited.

ability to speak to people in iran is incredibly limited . and, iran is incredibly limited. and, and we don't because of the security risks . it may it may security risks. it may it may face to people there. so in terms of how we can directly speak to people who listen to his music, it is limited. but when news broke of about the death sentence, we saw a great outflow of support for tomaj, including from from social media users in iran as well. so i think he is incredibly important for being that voice and that sort of, release valve for people's frustrations and sort of desire to see iran be a better, more respectable, more , better, more respectable, more, more safe place for people to be able to express themselves. but so you do see a lot of support, i think a lot of from young people as well who, you know, this may be 1st may be the first protest they've seen or, or the first sort of way that they can themselves call and join a call for greater human rights and democracy. >> sure. okay. and so with the case of saman yasin , who who was case of saman yasin, who who was also given the death sentence , also given the death sentence, but that was then taken back. does that give you hope for this case?

>> it's a hard one because obviously each case is sort of unique, and thomas's case is obviously incredibly difficult. difficult because the supreme court had already intervened in his case. and that's the reason why he was released on bail, after being sentenced to over six years in prison, the supreme court, got involved, involved and referred the case down to the original court and then released him on bail. but then he was only he was only released for over just i he was only he was only released for overjust i think about two for over just i think about two weeks before he was arrested again because of the video he made, which you referred to, where he documented the mistreatment he had had during his first prison sentence. so i think obviously this case is very different because of that dynamic, and there are concerns . dynamic, and there are concerns. i think thomas's lawyer has spoken about the lower court, who had given him this death sentence, which was announced in april, going against what the supreme court had said. we know that there has been an appeal lodged, so we can only hope that the judicial process can respect that. and he can be released

because he should not be in prison and he should certainly not be facing the death sentence. >> right. okay and sitting here watching this in the west, it's obviously very frustrating . is obviously very frustrating. is there anything that people here can do to support him ? can do to support him? >> i will say, because as you say, it's very iran's a very hard country to advocate for and support, i would say just keep his music alive, keep listening to it. there's a lot of his music is available online with engush music is available online with english subtitles , just to make english subtitles, just to make sure that this story doesn't just sort of get missed, obviously there is a lot of there is a lot going on around there is a lot going on around the world, but i think to ensure that cases like this don't just become the sort of white noise that we come to expect from countries like iran or just countries like iran orjust globally, and just to ensure that , like globally, and just to ensure that, like iran needs to know that, like iran needs to know that the rest of the world are paying that the rest of the world are paying attention and are wanting to follow what they're doing. and i think if anything , we can and i think if anything, we can do. i mean, that's why we were so proud to have all of the people signed our statement because it kept the story alive and used news outlets like this.

also, anyone just sort of listening to it, talking about him, i think is a really powerful thing that can be done. >> and you've had some support from pretty big names, haven't you? >> yes. i mean, we were really delighted and, you know, people not connected to rap, not connected to iran. no. maybe not necessarily people who are sort of outspoken on human rights issues , but i think that it sort issues, but i think that it sort of shows what tamara's case really cuts through, is that you may not be a fan of rap. you may not it may not be your music style, but someone who is able to speak eloquently about human rights, the position of young people , the position of women, people, the position of women, the position of a country that he loves . you know, this is this he loves. you know, this is this is from a, you know, wanting iran to be better for people who live there. sure. and people being able to speak out and, you know, say what they would like and meet and talk to anyone. so i think i think that cuts through. and people want to see that protected, wherever that is, whether that's iran , the uk, is, whether that's iran, the uk, you know, globally it's universal. absolutely >> and can you tell us a bit about the index on censorship and where people can find out more about it? >> yes . the index

more about it? >> yes. the index on more about it? >> yes . the index on censorship, >> yes. the index on censorship, our website's index on censorship. org we're on all the usual places, on social media. so yeah, we campaign for freedom of expression globally. we've worked on issues around sort of chinese censorship , censorship chinese censorship, censorship in the uk. we're currently working on strategic lawsuits against public participation in the uk to ensure that anyone who speaks out is not going to be the victim of a abusive lawsuit for speaking out, but we are global with we're based in the uk, so yeah, so we have a newsletter, we have a magazine that we publish. we've been publishing for over 50 years, so we've really been able to promote sort of vaclav havel, samuel beckett , you know, these samuel beckett, you know, these epochal writers and, and activists from the fall of the berlin wall up to now, where we are now really fantastic. >> okay. nick williams, thank you so much forjoining us. thank you so much. >> thank you . >> thank you. >> thank you. >> jonathan, you're often getting us in trouble here or almost getting us in trouble for your outspoken views. what do

your outspoken views. what do you make of this case? i think the guy's an absolute hero. >> really, speaking up against tyranny in its most sort of atrocious form through his art, through his music. >> that should have been arrested already, to have already suffered at the hands of the regime, and to just go straight back , yeah. it's just straight back, yeah. it's just i think it's absolutely terrible regime. they've got there. and thatis regime. they've got there. and that is people over here, like you say, they complain and suggest that that's what we're going through. but no, that's what it actually is. yeah. here. it's just like, absolutely. >> i'm sorry, louis, i might have a new hero, what do you make of all this? >> not me, not you, i think i mean, obviously i don't support what's going on in iran, but it's. i mean, is it our business? really i mean, should they come in and say what we should be doing here in england? they're in america. i wouldn't want them to say that. you have to remember where this government came from and where the regime came from. they came after the shah of iran was kicked out and the people, a lot of people were quite happy about that. and, and so this is what

happens , i think, i don't know, happens, i think, i don't know, i make it seem like i support, i support it is sounding a bit like that, louis. >> very balanced. okay, next on free speech nation, we speak to the man behind the new talk series for young people, which features dissenting voices challenging established ideas. see you shortly

i >> -- >> 2024 a battleground year. the year the nation decides. >> as the parties gear up their campaign plans for the next general election. >> who will be left standing when the british people make one of the biggest decisions of their lives ? their lives? >> who will rise and who will fall? >> let's find out together for every moment. >> the highs, the lows, the twists and turns, we'll be with you for every step of this journey in 2024. gb news is britain's election .

britain's election. channel. >> welcome back to free speech nafion >> welcome back to free speech nation with me, chris stewart. and standing in for andrew doyle. modern descent is a new talk series aimed at younger people, which challenges established ideas. the next eventis established ideas. the next event is with professor nigel biggar and whose latest book, colonialism moral reckoning , colonialism moral reckoning, discusses modern guilt ridden narratives surrounding britain's imperialist past. their first talk was with professor eric kaufmann, who's been a guest on this show before, and i was there actually, and i enjoyed it very much . so laurie wassell and very much. so laurie wassell and alex regueiro are the co organisers of modern dissent, and they're here with me now to tell us more about it. laurie and alex, thank you for joining me. thank you. yeah so laurie, what is modern dissent? what's it all about ? it all about? >> i would say as as we've heard that it's a talk series. it's aimed generally at younger people but not exclusively . it's people but not exclusively. it's based in london. and yeah, it's about getting sort of dissenting pubuc about getting sort of dissenting public intellectuals and academics to , to give lectures

academics to, to give lectures to people who, you know, a lot of the time when they have they say they go to campus somewhere, perhaps in bristol. as an example, with our previous speaken example, with our previous speaker, eric kaufmann, he went to campus, and he was essentially shouted down massively. it was a you know, huge furore around him coming. and it was, you know, very difficult even to get a word out. well, we don't really like that kind of attitude at modern dissent. so we're we're hosting it not actually on a university campus somewhere else in london. but the idea is for people to be able to speak to, to audiences who are actually more willing to , to hear what they have to say and to, you know, put forward their ideas, have them debated afterwards to talk about them. and, yeah, to just get sort of dissenting perspectives on on various culture war and, and contemporary political issues. and to hear from these interesting intellectuals. >> great. and, alex, you're aiming at younger people. is that because the universities are sort of not letting this stuff happen, or why did you go for younger people? yes, perhaps i >>i >> i mean, as >> i mean, as you as >> i mean, as you as you said in your little introduction , we're your little introduction, we're aiming to challenge established

ideas. that's our motto. that's our tagline. and as a sort of anti—establishment, were more based on theory than praxis. let's say, we want to inspire people and provide a sort of intellectual anchor for and inspiration for people to challenge these ideas of the establishment. we try to take a fairly neutral stance, but we certainly recognise that there's a lot of sentiment. against, sort of mainstream, centrist, established ideas, you know, as, as you will. and yeah, we want to provide that, as i said, that inspiration, that foundation for younger people to , to take younger people to, to take forwards into their careers, their lives, whether it's politics or just academic careers, perhaps we know the, the culture is, less than amenable to free speech and so you're breeding dangerous free thinkers at these events. >> exactly. fantastic so i went to the first one, and it felt

like it was sold out to me, or near enough, so how's the reception been generally. >> yeah, it's been great. yeah. as you said, it was sold out. in fact, we had to sell an additional five and then another additional five and then another additional five and then another additional five tickets on the day because demand was so high. so we were very pleased with that, and yeah, it's , it's that, and yeah, it's, it's a very engaged audience. we had a very engaged audience. we had a very an excellent talk from eric the first time, and i expect we will probably sell out the next one especially, you know, this might help a little, but yeah, had a very engaged audience. lots of good questions to professor eric kaufmann. >> what about negative stuff? have you had any difficulties with this ? with this? >> no. marginal. i mean, we have a we have a good venue that's like concerns about possible disruption, the sort that's happened , as laurie mentioned, happened, as laurie mentioned, on university campuses, but also other. so have you had to keep this kind of underwriting materialise and, and they've actually, all their doubts and fears have been assuaged. so you know, security fees and things like that have actually, you know, well, we're hoping we're hoping it just doesn't change. but they've disappeared, after the first talk and,

>> yeah. so you're saying prior to getting this going, there were some concerns that there were some concerns that there were some concerns slightly. >> it wasn't anything we don't want to say. they were actually very reasonable. the venue and other people involved, and they they didn't try to cancel us or anything, but, yes. i mean, i think we accept that even if, you know, you do get a free minded, yeah. the sort of, hosts the venue organisers who, who are by nature supportive of free speech. it's only fair that they have some concerns about, possible disruption. but no, they've been very reasonable overall. and yeah, we're glad to say we haven't had any any particular. >> this is an issue close to my heart because as a comic, we, you know, some of the comedy clubs i work for have had problems. comedy unleashed, andrew's comedy club, has been banned from all you know, it just takes a few activists to get involved. so if you've got somebody who's going to be speaking who they're not very keen on, it can cause massive problems. i guess that's what

you're worrying about. >> yeah, definitely. >> yeah, definitely. >> i mean, i think it turned out fine in the end. i think alex is maybe underselling it a little in that there was there was a great i mean, eric kaufmann is a he's a, he's a very respectable academic. but he has had sort of protesters against him in his career. that's partly why he's moved universities. and the same thing with nigel biggar. he he had a great amount of protests against originally his ethics in empire, sort of initiative of that where he was going to just be really looking at, you know, is the british empire entirely a bad thing or maybe not. and for simply sort of having an academic seminar about this, he received, you know, a huge amount of criticism, protests and all this kind of thing. and he had also great difficulty in getting his book published . and getting his book published. and so before our talk, we were told, oh, actually , you know, told, oh, actually, you know, eric kaufmann, you know, he he's had people protesting before. we've seen, you know, this student group said he's , you student group said he's, you know, a racist or a white supremacist or whatever it was, you know, very ridiculous, claims, actually. but still, he'd had this amount of opprobrium against him, and that meant we had to pay for it. we had to have a security fee. and

there was concern. >> i feel like we've sort of been walked into this madness very slowly because they're not really outrageous ideas, are they? an academic coming to discuss this stuff and over time it's become the norm that you might have these concerns. so tell us about the next event. >> yeah, absolutely. you're quite right. the ideas and the personalities that are appearing for us are not, not by any means. i mean , i think you'd means. i mean, i think you'd struggle to find, you know, a person on the street who deemed them extremists. i mean, these are parts of the establishment in some ways, in the sense they're academics. but no, i mean, our next event, as we've alluded to already, is. well, professor nigel biggar, who was recently until 2022, i believe , recently until 2022, i believe, the regius professor of theology at oxford and the moral philosopher. >> and so it doesn't really sound like a wrong or anybody. i should be especially worried about greece. >> he's a priest. he's an ordained member of the church of england, so in some sense, it's a bit of an irony that, you know, we're called modern descent, and we're getting a, yes, an ordained church of england minister, although his his career has essentially been in, as i understand it, has been

in, as i understand it, has been in moral philosophy and theology to some extent, and that he'll be commenting on obviously the legacy of the empire, which he, which he treated in his book and deconstructing decolonialism or deconstructing decolonialism or deconstructing colonialism, rather colonialism in general, in particular the british empire. >> deconstructing decolonisation is the title . so it's he's had is the title. so it's he's had a lot of experience with, with, you know, evaluating empire and he's that's what his book was about, obviously, but he's been quite surprised by because really he's putting forward quite reasonable arguments about, you know, yes , there were about, you know, yes, there were some bad elements. but, you know, for instance, we tried to stop the slave trade for 80 years or so. you know, it's actually there are some good points and some bad points, but, you know, he's been very surprised by even despite putting forward this quite reasonable case, he gets so much flak and so much sort of completely unreasonable and just almost emotional, almost hatred towards him, really simply for putting forward this case. so we want to be able to hear him. you know, just. >> yeah. fantastic. exactly.

>> yeah. fantastic. exactly. >> okay. response has been quite disproportionate we think. >> right. >> right. >> fair enough. no. okay. and just before we go, where can people find out more about the event. >> right, thanks i think yeah, certainly, we have a, pretty simple online presence , but simple online presence, but you're, you know, we encourage everyone, especially young people , as we said at the start, people, as we said at the start, but frankly, everyone's welcome to go and subscribe to our newsletter and to find, of course, the next event on june 13th, modern dissent, modern dissent. >> .uk .uk, with the event and slash subscribe. >> brilliant. alex and laurie, thank you very much. thanks thank you . next on free speech thank you. next on free speech nafion thank you. next on free speech nation , rishi sunak gets nation, rishi sunak gets a grilling on loose women and a premiere in is mistaken for the northern lights. it's almost time for social sensation. see you in a minute

i >> -- >> on -_ >> on mark dolan tonight. in my

big opinion, labour will take us back to the 1970s with their plan for workers rights. it's the union barons, not keir starmer, who will be running britain . it starmer, who will be running britain. it might starmer, who will be running britain . it might take starmer, who will be running britain. it might take a ten. archbishop justin welby weighs in on another political row over the two child benefit cap . stick the two child benefit cap. stick to weddings and christenings, archbishop. plus the papers mark meets and my top pundits. we're live at nine. >> it's time for social sensations. the part of the show where we look at what's been going viral this week on social media. first up is this video of when prime minister rishi sunak paid the loose women a visit and got a bit more than he bargained for. >> i want to ask you a very simple question. i think you're a decent man. i do think you work really hard. hats off to you for that. i think your heart's in the right place, but why do you hate pensioners? why

do you hate me? that is the only conclusion that i can come to as a result of the spring budget . a result of the spring budget. >> that was janet street—porter, who says that certain measures in the spring budget do not cater for older people. lewis, let's start with you . do you let's start with you. do you think rishi hates pensioners ? think rishi hates pensioners? >> i don't think he hates anybody. the guy. the guy is like he's a team world bureaucrat. he doesn't have a. he reminds me of a councillor in my home borough of southwark. that's what he reminds me of. specific one, a specific one. they're all the same. these councillors, they i don't want to say anything bad about councillors, but who does he represent ? he's not been represent? he's not been elected. people don't want him. they don't like him. he's not on our side. what is the question? >> do you think rishi hates pensioners? jonathan? do you think he hates pensioners ? think he hates pensioners? >> well, i'm not going to answer that question, but i will say that. yeah, my most favourite clip from loose women. do you remember john mccririck , see the rememberjohn mccririck, see the horse racing? >> yes i do, yeah. he went on

the show once and he was just, just laying in some all like, oh, look at you and you and your necks going as well. and you've got the bingo wings on. you're on.and got the bingo wings on. you're on. and he just lays into all them for five minutes. i remember watching that at uni with my friend nick and just crying with laughter. that was on television. >> that's not an answer to the question, jonathan. yeah, but i telling me that he literally is not going to be an answer to the question, but it still doesn't make it any better. >> do i think rishi hates pensioners? yeah, i think he's filled with contempt for anyone over 65. >> i think janet street—porter hates rishi. she was going for him there, wasn't she? >> well, the fact is, if she wants to be a pensioner, she should look more like a pensioner. she looked quite good there. >> she looks fantastic. she doesn't she look amazing? yeah. okay. next up. is this video from last week when the northern lights made a spectacular appearance across the country, or so these two strangers thought. oh my god, i want to continue to . continue to. >> tom, we've been catfished . >> tom, we've been catfished. how have you been? catfished? what was the northern light? yeah it's a golden . yeah it's a golden. >> so they were catfished, these guys thought they were following

the northern lights, and they ended up at a premier inn. now, we've all ended up at a premier inn when we didn't plan to, haven't we, jonathan? >> we have done. yeah i thought you weren't going to mention that, but. yeah. no i remember doing this story on headliners and they were coming back from a pharmacological ball. that's obviously the, the story behind pharmacological ball. yeah. >> what did i say is the fact is, is that is that the northern lights? we're always getting electric irons, whatever it comes from the sun. basically, we are a sun . we are we're we are a sun. we are we're attracting electricity, which gives us this light. it's going on all the time. >> but the point is that didn't come from the sun. that came from the premier inn . from the premier inn. >> okay, i missed that point. >> okay, i missed that point. >> then they were they were excited because people get very excited because people get very excited about these lights, don't they? our producer, martin sent me some photos and they were indeed in the palette of the colours of the premier inn . the colours of the premier inn. yeah. did you watch the lights? >> no, i saw martin's, a friend of ours. martin's or our boss. i just sent them round. >> did you see them? >> did you see them? >> yeah, i saw them. >> yeah, i saw them. >> did you see them with your bare eyes, no i didn't. >> did anybody see them with

their eyes? you did. what were they like, when i was in london. so very , very thin. so very, very thin. >> and it sounds like a premier inn to me . you're the first inn to me. you're the first person i've met who's actually seen them. brilliant. next these two have gone viral by getting their groove on. couldn't get much higher . much higher. >> my spirit takes flight cause i am alive. heard around me when you call on me. when i hear you breathing i feel free. >> okay? some people dancing . >> okay? some people dancing. what do we think? >> i think there's quite a lot of that online on the various social media. i don't know whether these are a special couple doing that. >> does anybody know? are they famous? does anyone know who they are? i haven't, that's the first time i've seen it. >> they look like gb news viewers so they can dance. >> yeah , i like that idea. >> yeah, i like that idea. >> yeah, i like that idea. >> yeah. tweet us your gb news. keith and linda dance routines. >> are they keith and linda? >> are they keith and linda? >> well, no, but that's a phrase for our viewership, isn't it? keith and linda. oh, is it as

coined by. i can't remember who. somebody. yes. yes, exactly . ant somebody. yes. yes, exactly. ant and dec. >> yeah. look, it's very nice reclaiming it. i don't want to see it. >> you don't want to see it? >> you don't want to see it? >> it's our word now. >> it's our word now. >> oh, keith and linda. yes. one word. keith and linda. so not a fan of the dancing. not moved. it's amazing what goes viral now, isn't it? no, i'm not interested in seeing other people get attention for themselves. >> you know that's true, isn't it? >> you struggle to go to performances. you're not on. >> i'm not interested in other people entertaining me. i want to be the entertainer. because i'll take talk. >> just you dance? yes. >> just you dance? yes. >> because i didn't get enough love and attention from my parents. so i have to do it. so when they're doing it, i'm thinking to myself, well, why didn't i do that? but i didn't do it. so, you know, there's still time, louis. >> we could do it afterwards. >> we could do it afterwards. >> yeah, there's still time. but it's okay. >> finally. we've had a bit of a laugh at rishi sunak earlier, so let's check out sir keir starmer at question time this week . at question time this week. >> mr speaker, he must be the only tech bro brother on the continent who can't work a debit card or send an email. >> i'm not sure what he cooked.

what did he call him? a tech. >> it's meant to be tech, bro. >> it's meant to be tech, bro. >> it's meant to be tech, bro. >> it's meant to be tech bro. what did he say? tech bro? >> yeah, apparently someone wrote it for him and he'd knocked. >> someone wrote it for him and he hadn't pre—read it. well, you wouldn't catch me doing that. so what do you think of keir's blunder there, kid? >> look, he's he's just he's just there, isn't he? he's like coffee rings on the table. you get used to him eventually . get used to him eventually. >> lewis, do you care about tech bros and bows? i didn't, i've never seen that before. >> i'm not interested in that guy either. i'm not interested in anybody. i just want to go back to america. i think i've had enough of it for 24 years. people i haven't taken with the audience. it hasn't worked out. it hasn't gone. yeah, but the show is over now and it's about time you paid attention. is. yeah. it's like he's he. you know what? it doesn't matter what he does. he's going to be he's going to be the next prime minister. so just let the guy be the next prime minister >> okay, bro, now the final part where we talk through your unfiltered dilemmas, our first dilemma is from rachel, and she

says, my other half took me out to afternoon tea for our anniversary . at first i was anniversary. at first i was thrilled and really touched, but then he pulled out a gift card to pay for the bill. i'm annoyed at the lack of effort or am i being unreasonable? jonathan, do you think she's being unreasonable or is that fair? he's being cheap, i think. >> i think that's perfectly reasonable. it's still his money. but then i got in trouble today. i was at a barbecue and i got told off because i shouldn't be talking about this, but on, on my holiday, i didn't propose, but i let my girlfriend know that i was going to propose. but i got her a nice necklace saying, yeah. you're not getting other jewellery this trip . so other jewellery this trip. so here's a nice necklace. and then all the girls in the girl group had a massive go at me. that's fine. right? i bought a necklace and i was nice. >> i think you should email it to gb news next week. that sounds very complicated. do you think he's in trouble for that? >> of course he's in trouble because you're hanging out with women. yeah. you're going to get. women are never happy. then they aren't happy when you ask them to marry you. and you don't ask them to marry. they just are not happy people. and there's

nothing you can do. >> there's a she buy the gift card. >> so. well, this is this. there's always there's always missing information, isn't there? is she being unreasonable? we don't know if she's being unreasonable. >> of course she's being unreasonable. >> she's got an ungrateful, a free meal or whatever that he took. he took money out of his own pocket. yeah, it was a gift card, but it was, you know, when i get cash in my pocket, it's got the queen's face on it, you know? >> and if it could, it'd have your face on it. lewis, we know that our second dilemma is from martin. my work colleague noah has the weirdest lunch almost every day. tomato soup with a load of rice in it, washed down by a fizzy drink. have you heard of a more bizarre meal? yes, i have, obviously i have. i work with lewis schaffer. yeah well, i agree with you. >> that's a complete. but that's that's a standard meal. rice and tomato with rice. that's a supine soup. i don't know if they have it in this country. they have soup in this country, which is one of the which is like a tease of a meal. you're sitting there starving and it's like wet and. sorry. it's what i would like to apologise for. >> lewis schafer's language there. i'd like to support it though. right, jonathan? i know

i'm letting you go because i'm so bad at this audience. >> they've been absolutely horrible the entire show. this is. i've been so supportive of you. >> you've been so supportive. it's very strange. frankly i think he's ill. jonathan, what do you think about this person's odd meal? it's not stranger than lewis. >> there is something . something >> there is something. something i probably wouldn't have myself. tomato rice soup. my dad made it. yeah, with a fizzy drink. >> that's what people have. i don't think it's good for you. it's the reason the nhs. sorry, it's the reason the nhs. sorry, i don't mean to interrupt you, but it's the reason the nhs is crumbling. because people are having food like this. they think, oh, this is vegan. this is going to be good. this is made out of tomatoes, which are red. it's good. whatever. >> right. okay. moving on. i would like to apologise again though for lewis's language. i'm just going to move to on our final dilemma this week. and it's from kirsty, the guy i'm talking to is quite the texter. he sent 18 messages in one go, including four lengthy voice notes. only issue is i haven't actually met him yet. is that a bit over the top at this stage in the relationship? >> oh yeah. he's he's going to wear her skin. yeah >> he's going to wear her skin.

>> he's going to wear her skin. >> yeah. this is absolutely psychotic behaviour. i never reply to a woman's text message even reply to a woman's text message ever. just just don't reply and then leave them wanting more. >> it's a long time since you've been on a first date, isn't it? i think you're happily, happily, happily, connected to a person. but, it's always changing with you. >> i don't want to answer is. no, that is not true. i'm still available. ladies, any takers out there? is that this? is this is this is, i think, a reference to to, a baby reindeer. the tv show with the comedian. >> right. we're all thinking . >> right. we're all thinking. >> right. we're all thinking. >> said i didn't send any messages to the to the guy, just 18 or something. which sounds like a lot to us. but if you've been accused of sending 48,000 or whatever, 40,000, it's not that many. >> i think you've got to judge it carefully, haven't you? and voice notes are a nightmare. you know who leaves me long voice notes is mr bruce devlin. yeah, they're very dangerous . and you they're very dangerous. and you can't open them in public. you always have. true. oh, absolutely. i've been burned now. >> yeah. >> yeah. >> no, i won't be doing that. >> no, i won't be doing that. >> why does he not send me any? >> why does he not send me any?

>> because he's not interested in me. >> i don't think bruce is interested in me, lewis. >> that's definitely not bruce's style anyway. no, personally, i'm not a fan of the voice message. what do you think, jonathan? >> i like a voice message. i can double speed it . i often find double speed it. i often find that when i'm watching people talk, it's like they're going in half time. >> so if i sped up to match your brain, fantastic. >> i'm against it. you're basically saying, thank you. >> thank you, lewis, thank you for joining us for free speech nation. this was the week when the government announced plans to ban sex education for under—nines. labour said it would force doctors and nurses to work weekends and judges will reveal to be thinking of ditching the wigs over cultural insensitivity issues. thank you to my panel, jonathan cogan and lewis schaffer, and to all of my brilliant guests this evening. and if you want to join, you can give yourself a round of applause. oh, lovely. and if you want to join us live , if you want to join us live, if you want to join us live, if you want to join us, live in the studio and be part of our wonderful audience, you can please go to sro audiences.com. stay tuned for the brilliant mark dolan tonight and stay

tuned also for headliners at 11 pm. good night. >> that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers . sponsors of boxt boilers. sponsors of weather on . gb news. weather on. gb news. >> hello. welcome to your gb news weather forecast from the met office. looking ahead, sunny spells on monday, but it is going to be turning more unsettled as we go through the week. at the moment we've got a ridge of high pressure extending out towards the west, bringing settled conditions for the rest of the evening and overnight. so looking ahead, we have got low cloud, mist and fog moving its way in from the north sea. that will progress further inland with a bit of a breeze coming into east anglia further towards the west. that's where we'll see the west. that's where we'll see the clearest skies and northern

ireland may see some mist and fog developing. chilly underneath the clear skies but elsewhere holding up at around 10 or 11 degrees. so quite a murky start out there for many of us to start monday morning . of us to start monday morning. best of the sunshine. first thing is going to be across western parts. so even into western parts. so even into western scotland. but holding on to some sea fog and low cloud, the further east you go, like i said, some low cloud, mist and fog across northern ireland that will gradually lift and break, and then bright skies across the west. but low cloud lingering through the morning. but as we go through the rest of the morning, that low cloud should start to lift. break melt its way back towards coastal areas. maybe taking a bit of time to do so, but elsewhere turning dry. plenty of sunshine on offer. we will still see a few showers breaking out, especially across parts of western northern ireland. some of these could be heavy at times and potentially even northern parts of wales,

but elsewhere, feeling pleasant in the sunshine where we do see it up to 20 or 22 degrees as we go through tuesday. again, some low cloud coming into eastern areas , then it's a mixture of areas, then it's a mixture of sunny spells, but some heavy showers breaking out, especially focused across the west as we go through the afternoon and then into wednesday. we've got a low pressure system out towards the east, could bring heavy spells of rain and generally rather unsettled . unsettled. >> looks like things are heating up boxt boilers as sponsors of weather on

gb news. >> going live. >> going live. >> it's 9:00. on television. on radio and online. in the united kingdom and across the world. this is mark dolan tonight in my big opinion, labour will take us back to the 1970s with their plan for workers rights . it's

plan for workers rights. it's the union barons, not sir keir starmer , who will be running starmer, who will be running britain in the big story as former chancellor nadhim zahawi, right, that the tories made a huge mistake getting rid of bons huge mistake getting rid of boris johnson . we'll be heading boris johnson. we'll be heading to the united states and getting the views of a former top aide to margaret thatcher as king charles announces his first foreign trip following his cancer diagnosis. we'll get reaction in the studio from legendary royal author angela levin. it's the king now working too hard for his own good, and i'm looking forward to this in my take at ten, archbishop justin welby weighs in on another political row over the two child benefit cap stick to weddings and christenings, archbishop. i'll be dealing with justin welby in no uncertain terms at 10:00. so we're busy.