From many labour mps. The Prime Minister and the chancellor visiting a Research Facility in liverpool have repeatedly stressed what they say is their dire inheritance, now, there is a shift in tone. Keir starmer was in the mood for celebration, at a scottish reception last night. Thank you so much, enjoy conference, enjoy the evening, and thank you again. Thank you. In her Conference Speech Today, Rachel Reeves will say there is a prize on offer, if, she say, they make the right choices now. What the chancellor will want to get across is good times we want to bring, look, sometimes you have to make difficult decision to give the stability, you dont want to repeat the disaster of Liz Truss in order do that, so where there has to be a tough decision it is for a purpose and it is that better future, yes, we want people to be better off, hope to return to britain. Be better off, hope to return to britain to britain. But one of those difficult decisions to britain. But one of those difficult decisions on to britain. But one of those| difficult decisions on cutting the Winter Fuel Allowance is particularly controversial. Controversial. These people at a reception for Trade Unions we are not allowed to film inside that could prove a challenge for Labours Leadership they are are asking conference to vote to reverse the Winter Fuel Allowance. Vote to reverse the Winter Fuel Allowance allowance. You cant ask pensioners allowance. You cant ask pensioners who allowance. You cant ask pensioners who are allowance. You cant ask pensioners who are struggling, just over £12,000, to give up that type of money, it is not on. It is a bad decision, and it is one that i personally dont believe stacks up with being a difficult choice, when there are other choices that could be made to bridge that gap, that the tories have left, through taxing wealth. The concern has only been heightened by the question over freebies for labour ministers. This is a government that is there to serve the country, and see it as public service, there is no room for those type of gifts. It is no room for those type of nifts. ,. , is no room for those type of i ifts,. ,. , is no room for those type of nifts. ,. ,. ,. , gifts. It is not clear if or when a gifts. It is not clear if or when a vote gifts. It is not clear if or when a vote on gifts. It is not clear if or. When a vote on reversing gifts. It is not clear if or when a vote on reversing the Winter Fuel Allowance could happen and it wouldnt be binding, but for all the celebrations here, at Labours Election Victory it is another sign of discontent, among the ran, and file, less than three months into government. I when i learned about the true extent of the i when i learned about the true extent of the public i when i learned about the true extent of the public finances i extent of the public finances and that £22 billion gap this year and every subsequent year i had a choice, i could either continue what the conservatives did and cover that up, or i could be open and honest and transparent and set out a plan to fix the problems in the public finance, didecided to Take That course of being open and honest, ithink Take That course of being open and honest, i think that is the right thing because i think that it right thing because i think thatitis right thing because i think that it is important to level with people, about what governments have to do to get a grip of the public finances, but, by getting that grip, by bringing stability back to our economy, because we have been plagued by chaos and instability, these last few years i a learning with the reforms we are making, reforming the Planning System to get Britain Building, creating a national Wealth Fund to support home grown industries, and job, to support home grown industries, andjob, reforming industries, and job, reforming the industries, andjob, reforming the Pension System to unlock money for businesses and getter returns for pension saver, if we can do think know the prize on offer is immense, more money in peoples pocket, more good jobs paying decent wage, more money to invest in Front Line public services so stability, combineed with the reform to get Britain Building and growing, is the prize that is on offer, for governments that are willing to take the decisions to get our economy on a firmerfooting, that decisions to get our economy on a firmer footing, that is what i will be setting out in Conference Speech Today and in the budget next month. fiur the budget next month. Our olitical the budget next month. 0ur Political Correspondent is there. We are hearing about this up beat message. Tell us a bit about when you have been talking to people how much is the row affecting Peoples Mood . ,. ,. , mood . There is a Row Brewing but more mood . There is a Row Brewing but more widely mood . There is a Row Brewing but more widely so mood . There is a Row Brewing but more widely so the mood . There is a Row Brewing but more widely so the Thing L but more widely so the thing thatis but more widely so the thing that is happening today which is attracting some attention is some of the unions have put forward a motion because they want to see the decision on those Winter Fuel payments reversed, now there is a question over whether there will be a vote on that motion today, or later in the conference after the chancellors speech, after the pms chancellors speech, after the Pms Speech when it would get less attention to that is the technical Process Element to it but the principle is important because the the messages you have heard from unions and other Party Members and activists is they are concerned about the economic Policy And Direction of the government, Thatis Direction of the government, that is why i think we have heard from the chancellor and why we heard from the Prime Minister when he gave interviews to some of the newspapers on sunday, this line about no return to austerity, they want to try and deal with they want to try and deal with the criticism that actually you know, there are decisions being taken in government that will affect public services and the poundin affect public services and the pound in peoples pockets and Thatis Pound in peoples pockets and that is why you heard Rachel Reeves and this san interesting phrase she is using today in her speech, she used in the interviews with the bbc talking about the prize, what they are trying to do today, i think, is explain more clearly why they are taking the decisions they are taking the decisions they are taking. When it comes to the winterfuel, there is no doubt there is real concern here. We have heard from the defence secretary, tell us about the headlines from that speech. Yes, john healey, he was the first key speech of this morning, it was a pretty short speech overall but a couple of key points, he not surprisingly set out the continued commitment the government says it has to ukraine, in fact saying that this government was providing more support to ukraine than the previous government, although it is worth saying that Keir Starmer has been very clear he is not criticising the previous administration on this point, he supported the previous government when it came to uk, but they want to be seen to support that completely. He said interestingly the government will set out a path to spending 2. 5 of gdp on defence but still no real clarity about with when that might happen. Another element of his speech, he was talking about the need to recruit more people to the armed force, the Armed Forces have been Hollowed Out so he tracked about speeding up and speeding up recruitle processes and opening up recruitle processes and opening up a new avenue for people to do cyber military work, he was talking about gamers and cored, in fact the phrase he used and this might be a phrase familiar to some, your country needs you. To some, your country needs ou. , ~ to some, your country needs ou. , ~ ,. , y to some, your country needs ou. , ~ ,. ,. You. Thank you very much indeed fm Ben Wallace Le was in offer with a ten year Time Limit was reduced to five year, that came after his reportedly heard allegations that afghan detainees had been executed. Tell us a bit more about the background to all this . Well, this is iien background to all this . Well, this is ben Wallaces Background to all this . Well, this is Ben Wallaces first this is Ben Wallaces first appearance before the Afghanistan Inquiry which he commissioned back in 2022. The key task is to investigate serious allegations against Uk Special Forces in afghanistan, between 2010 and 2013. It is alleged they carried out unlawful killings of civilians and unarmed detainees while they were carrying out night raids. So Ben Wallace is facing questions about his role in trying to protect those Uk Special Forces from prosecution, bbc sources, Bbc Panorama has been told by sources that Mr Wallace personally proved a Draft Change to bill that would see Special Forces face a reduced prosecution Time Limit from ten years to five year, there is two key allegation he is facing, first he was aware of the allegations of War Crimes at the time the bill was submitted to parliament and second he was aware of concerns into investigations that were carried out into the allegation, so when Mr Wallace does start giving evidence, behind me at the royal Courts Ofjustice behind me at the Royal Courts Of Justice shortly after 10am. He is facing Questions Ability what he knew but crucially when he knew it. What he knew but crucially when he knew it he knew it. Has he given any indication he knew it. Has he given any indication of he knew it. Has he given any indication of how he knew it. Has he given any indication of how he he knew it. Has he given any indication of how he will indication of how he will respond to those allegations . Well, Mr Wallace said it would be wholly inappropriate and in fact he said it would be disrespectful to answer the bbc� s disrespectful to answer the bbc� s questions before he has had a chance to give evidence to the inquiry here, which is Being Led by lord just. He said that the bbcs questions were inaccurate, he said they were leading but senior military figures and people that worked with Ben Wallace say he has serious questions to answer, about what he knew about the alleged War Crimes committed by Uk Special Forces in afghanistan. Uk Special Forces in afghanistan. Uk Special Forces in afuhanistan. , afghanistan. Thank you very much indeed. Much indeed. A Bbc Investigation has found that the number of crimes logged by police which involve reference to Swords Machetes or Zombie Knives has almost doubled in five years, the figures were revealed ahead of a ban on certain weapons which comes into force tomorrow. 0ur Correspondent Danjohnson is at a Borderforce Centre in slough. If you have a bigger weapon you have more of a chance. The knives are have more of a chance. The knives are getting have more of a chance. The knives are getting larger. If that went through my childs heart. There is a new ban on Zombie Knives and some machetes. These are used to intimidate, they are used to harm, injure, kill. There is no other reason they are made. Faron was almost stabbed to death twice. Now, hes taking weapons from teenage hands. So in the six years ive been collecting weapons with the amnesty, ive personally seen the weapons are getting bigger. From Lock Knives and we are getting more of the type of Zk And Zombie style knives Like 15in upwards. I get calls from all around the uk, like three or four a day right now. Really, every day . Yeah, every day. A young man in South London wants to hand over a pair of machetes. Let me see, my guy, are you good . Put it down, show me what youve got, my guy. He says he bought these online when he was 19. Why have you got weapons like that . I bought them to protect myself a while ago after i got attacked and kidnapped. I got stabbed 12 times. Why did you need something so large . I mean, when i was kidnapped, they had weapons the same size. So i thought if that ever happens again, those same people, then i need something to combat that realistically. I feel like the Police Cant protect myself. Yeah, ive got to protect myself, really. Bro, appreciate, yeah. Stay safe. Some machetes are being banned, but not all large weapons are covered. Weve retrieved the weapons. The tubes are actually not even long enough to properly contain these weapons. He had no enemies. He didnt do anything wrong. He didnt carry a knife. The kanda familys felt the worst impact. He wasjust a happy kind of 16 year old living his best life. They cling to the last glimpse of ronan, who was stabbed to death two years ago. That was the last moment i see my. My son. I live for that moment. I dedicate my life to my son. Sorry. This is ronan about to be mistaken for someone else and attacked by two teenagers carrying swords theyd bought online with fake id. I am shocked they were available when this happened to my child and i am more shocked that they are still continuing to be available after what happened to ronan. Its about the culture that surrounds the sale of machetes, Zombie Knives and swords. Its not evenjust a weapon its a fashion piece. Weve discovered the number of swords, machetes and Zombie Knives logged by the police has almost doubled in five years to more than 14,000. And theyre being used in violent crimes robberies, assaults, public order offences, stalking and harassment. And, last year, 23 people were killed using one of those bigger weapons. Its just so accessible and its so cheap. Faron sees it day in and day out larger weapons from younger people, children. That was from a young person. How old . 15, 16. But theres just loads. Another call, another knife to collect. So my brother, are you good . A 20 year old whos carried weapons since childhood. I got a Rambo Knife when i was about 16. Thats the most common knife, in my opinion. Why would you have someThing Like that . Everyone walks around with them to look after themselves, really. They feel like they need to. Theyre scared. People get chopped up, people get hurt. And where are they getting the weapons . It was such a normal thing you can get them from friends, you can get them online. Its so easy to get a knife. You can get it delivered to your house like a takeaway. And why is it getting worse . If youve got a bigger weapon, youve got more of a chance. If my knife is bigger than theirs, im going to win. If you have a Flick Knife and someone pulls a rambo out on you, then youre going to be thinking, then why dont i get a bigger one, you know what i mean . But hes now ready to leave that life. You grow up, innit . I stopped carrying knives at 18. I realised it aint worth it. Ive lost people. Faron hands the weapons to police or drops them into knife bins. But theres a problem. Itjust goes right to the back. Look, the handles here. It just wont fit . Itjust wont go in there. Look, itjust goes right to the back. So whats your only option with that now . Now this would have to be physically taken to the Police Station and given in over the counter. Its symbolic of this growing challenge. The biggest threat i see is the online space. The laws also struggled to keep up. This is not the first attempt to ban Zombie Knives. Manufacturers quite cleverly got around the design and so, like everything and laws are iterative, arent they . They have to adapt. And, of course, it needed to change. Why will this ban be any different . Well, it will have an impact. I cant say it will be the end of the issue because it clearly wont. So you can see further legislation . Yeah, quite possibly, yeah. The reality is these Weapons Arent covered by the new ban. Neither are the swords used to kill ronan kanda. I know the sword went through ronans heart. But i die knowing what happened to ronan, every day. And i cant have that happen to another child, ijust cant. The ban means farons days are getting longer. Hes back from another late night collection. We collected all these knives from one person. How old was the person who had these . I believe he was 18. This is relatively normal now. Zombie style knives, samurai swords, rambos, this is the typical thing. These are the Designer Knives that young people are drawn to and what theyre buying. How many more lives have to go before they can ban these things and see the danger of these weapons . The government is now reviewing online sales of these weapons. It describes Knife Crime as an epidemic. The former conservative defence secretary, sir Ben Wallace, is facing questions about a change that was made to a draft bill, that would have helped to shield the sas from prosecution. In so faras in so far as this is possible, consistent with national security, and my restriction orders. Second, preparations are well in hand for the next tranche of hearings to take place this autumn, when the inquiry will hearfrom autumn, when the inquiry will hear from witnesses who have made direct contact with the inquiry team. Many of whom who have used the confidential and secure methods set out on the inquiry website. Inquiry website. This evidence is relevant inquiry website. This evidence is relevant to inquiry website. This evidence is relevant to a inquiry website. This evidence is relevant to a number inquiry website. This evidence is relevant to a number of is relevant to a number of aspects of the inquiry� s terms of reference, including the allegations that they were engaged in Am Company of extra judicial killings, the individuals who have approached the inquiry directly have done so with my assurance that the inquiry take all appropriate measures to ensure confidentiality, and to protect identities. For obvious reasons, it is likely that most, if not all, these hearings will need take place in closed. The inquiry has indicated in a Cti Note prepared and published on the inquiry website, that in the case of some, iia confidential witnesses it may be necessary to hold what are called restricted closed hearings. Namely closed hearings where the only people present will be myself, and a limited number of appropriately cleared members of the inquiry team, and no one else. We have received submissions on this proposal from all Core Participants, i have considered the submissions, and am satisfied that restricted closed hearings are an option that i may direct. Subject to the inquiry providing information about such hearings where possible and appropriate. However, to the fullest extent possible, these Iia Witness statements and oral evidence will be given in the normal way and made available for Core Participants and published on the inquiry website. The model to which the inquiry is working, which has enabled the considerable progress to date, is to progress to date, is to progress the work streams and hearings in relation to all three main questions under the terms of reference, at the same time. Namely one, is there credible information as to extra judicial killings, two, where they covered up, three, was the royal military Police Inquiry fit four purpose . With this in mind, thirdly, work has been going on simultaneously in relation to the preparation of an Experts Report, regarding the royal military police, and operation north moore. Notification as to the date of publication of this Experts Report will be made in due course. Fourthly, by way of update, the inquiry is also in the process of instructing forensic experts. To assist with the analysis of selected deliberate detention operations. Currently experts from three disciplines will be instructed. A bloodstained Pattern Analysis Expert to consider the bloodstained patterns in the evidence published. A Ballistics Expert to consider evidence relating to consider evidence relating to the use of firearms. And a pathologist to consider the injuries on the deceased as depicted in the evidence. The inquiry will continue to keep all Core Participants appraised of the development relating to these Work Extremists and will provide a further update in due course. Final lip. We provide a further update in due course. Final lip. Course. Final lip. We are listening course. Final lip. We are listening to course. Final lip. We are listening to the course. Final lip. We are listening to the afghan course. Final lip. We are listening to the afghan inquiry we will come back to it as soon as we start hearing from Ben Wallace. First though let us talk about the ever i have Rain CausingFlash Flooding in england, Prompting Road closures overnight. This is bedfordshire and northamptonshire. Which have been hit by downpour, the Met Office has issued an Amber Warning in central and southern england. Hitchon, luton an dunstable were some of the worst affected overnight. Vehicles were partially submerged there. Bedfordshire has reportedly seen a Months Worth of rain in a day. Let us speak to our correspondent in the village of marston in central bedfordshire. What it is like there . Is like there . Yes, Lauren I Havejust is like there . Yes, Lauren I have just arrived is like there . Yes, Lauren I have just arrived here is like there . Yes, Lauren I. Have just arrived here around this is the main road behind me, the a421. I will turn the Camera Round you can see, it is completely and utterly flooded. The road has been closed but in the middle of the screen you can probably see there a car that has been submerged. It looks like the back of the car, has come up, we dont know what has come up, we dont know what has happened to the people who were in that car, but you can see the amount of water that has falling on this road. As i say, this is the main road, the a421 between Milton Keynes and bedford, and you can see that the road is completely closed. If i turn the Cam Row Round you can see that the traffic is having to be diverted and the water, if i walk across the road, you will be able to see that it road, you will be able to see thatitis road, you will be able to see that it is more like a river on this side over here, as well, so this has gone under this bridge where this road is, you can see in the distance, the services are here, the council workers and the high ways agency, trying to do what they can, but literally as you can see, it is much more like a river than it is a road, so this is the main road between bedford and Milton Keynes that Eden Hazard been shut. The Train Line that runs here has been shut and i came on the train, this morning, from luton, you mention that luton and dunstable particularly badly affected. Well, overnight in luton the rain was continuous, i have to say it kept me awake a lot the night and dunstable, you have seen the pictures from there, vehicles submerged there, as well, as i was coming down on the train from luton to bedford, a lot of the fields were flooded as well, and people in bedford when i was talking to them were trying to get to work, and having trouble and difficulties, and there are, as you can see, on the road, a few onlookers are, as you can see, on the road, a few on lookers that have come to look, one of them saying to me, i had to come to see it for myself, because they couldnt quite believe what they were hearing, the fact this main road between bedford and Milton Keynes had been closed, because of the flooding, you can see the amount of rain that came last night to cause this flooding because we are not near a river very close here, at the moment, you can see that there is a service station, and also a hotel here, and the rest of the roads, beside this main road are clear, there is difficulty on the small roads because of the amount of traffic but it is not actually that wet on those roads, but you can see, here in front of me, this is as i said more like a river and that consider that you can see on your screen by that traffic sign, and the P Sign there, obviously last night was submerged in the water here in marston, so definitely a lod of bedfordshire as you have been talking about has been hit by the Flooding Today and there are yellow and Amber Warnings that are still in force, as you can see at the moment, there are drops of rain but certainly, noThing Like it was last night, as i said it was real torrential downpours through the night, that as you can see lauren behind me has caused this road to have to be shut. ~ ,. , caused this road to have to be shut. ~ ,. , caused this road to have to be shut. ~ i. ,. Shut. Thank you very much nic. Nicky. Let us find out if it is going to carry on raining. Hello again. Weve had some torrential downpours of rain overnight, some parts of the South Sast having a Months Worth of rainfall. Not surprising the Met Office has an Amber Weather Warning in force for central and southern england, which is valid today up until nine oclock this evening. This rain, of course, falling on already saturated ground. Disruption is quite possible. There are already reports of flooding and also some disruption to transport. Its courtesy of this area of low pressure which eventually will pull away towards the east. But its produced heavy rain this morning in the south east. Its drifting that bit further west, the lighter colours telling you where the heaviest bursts are likely to be behind. Its sunshine and showers and further rain across northern england, and weve also got some Rain Sinking South across northern scotland, but in between something drier, a bit brighter as well, with our Temperatures Today ranging from ten in the north to 20 in the south. Now, through this evening and overnight, the rain pulls steadily eastwards. Therell be a lot of cloud in its wake, and we have the rain in the north of scotland sinking a little bit further south. With the wind here picking up, its going to be a Cooler Night Tonight than it was last night as well, but temperatures between seven and about 13 degrees. So tomorrow we start off with the dregs of Todays Weather Front across the south east, producing this cloud and some spots of rain that moves away. The rain across scotland sinks a bit further south across central and eastern areas, eventually getting into northern england. But for western scotland, Northern Ireland and much of the rest of england and wales, it will be a drier day than today, with just a few showers and temperatures ten to about 18 degrees north to south. Then, as we move from tuesday into wednesday, were watching this system coming in from the atlantic. Its going to bring some heavy rain, we think at the moment across parts of england and wales and strong winds, potentially gales through the english channel. But it could well change the position of this. This is what we think at the moment, coming in from the south west, pushing north eastwards. North of that its a mixture of sunshine and showers, temperatures ten to 16 degrees. So youll notice these temperatures starting to slide a bit. But as we head towards the latter part of the week, the temperature will continue to slide. And by friday we could be looking at highs of 11 to 13