Which of them is the real conservative . And its always good to round off with some positive news. While the cost of living crisis continues, a beam of light has shone through the dark, rainy clouds of romania propaganda. The revised figures propaganda. The revised figures from the office for National Statistics have shown the uk economy is 2 larger than initially thought and that we outgrew the german economy. Over the past four years. All as the bbc would say in spite of brexit state of the nation starts now. State of the nation starts now. Ill also be joined by a scintillating panel this evening. Gb news is very own ray of sunshine. The historian dr. David starkey and gb news is senior political commentator nigel nelson. As always, you nigel nelson. As always, you know what im going to say . I want to hear from you. Its a crucial part of the programme. Email me. Mail mog at gbnews. Com. Now its time for the news of the day with ray addison. On addison. On thanks , jacob. Good evening. Thanks, jacob. Good evening. Our top stories. The education our top stories. The education secretary has confirmed that the list of schools affected by the concrete crisis will be published this week. It comes after Gillian Keegan was heard expressing her frustration at the situation in an unusually frank , expletive ridden hot mic frank, expletive ridden hot mic moment. Moment. At does anyone ever say , you at does anyone ever say, you know what, youve done a good job because everyone else has sat on there and done nothing . No, no signs of that . No. Well ms keegan has since apologised for her use of language. Well, for her use of language. Well, it wasnt really talked about in particular. It was off the cuff remark after the news interview had finished, or apparently after it had finished and id like to apologise for my choice language. That was unnecessary, but it was an off the cuff remark. Basically based on the interview. The interview had been pressing me quite hard why ihadnt been pressing me quite hard why i hadnt solved this issue which had been going on since 1994. Well meanwhile, the Prime Minister has attempted to bat away accusations regarding his role in the crisis while he was chancellor. Rishi sunak says its wrong to suggest that he is to blame for failing to fully fund a programme to rebuild englands schools. Of course i know the timing is frustrating, but i want to give people a sense of the scale of what were grappling with here. There are around 22,000 schools in england and the important thing to know is we expect that 95 of those schools wont be impacted by this. Around 50 schools have already been mitigated. Another 100 are in the process of being so and our expectation is, is in a matter of weeks, the bulk of the remaining schools that will have this issue will be identified as well. In other news, northern irelands police chief, simon byrne, has resigned. Byrne, has resigned. A recent court ruling deemed that mr burns disciplinary actions against two Junior Officers was unlawful pull. It follows a major data breach last month which revealed the details of 10,000 psni month which revealed the details 0f10,000 psni staff month which revealed the details of 10,000 psni staff aslef uk government sources have confirmed that the French Police have stopped more than 15,000 migrant s from reaching the uk in small boats so far this year. Gb news can reveal tougher French Police around some key migrant launch points has significantly disrupted people smuggling activities. The smuggling activities. The overall number of channel migrants is more than 20 down on the same period last year. Angela rayner is the new shadow deputy Prime Minister and levelling up secretary as sir keir starmer reshuffles his top team, she replaces lisa nandy, who becomes shadow cabinet minister for international development. Among the other development. Among the other changes, pat mcfadden takes on the influential role of National Campaign co ordinator , as well campaign co ordinator, as well as shadow chancellor of the duchy of lancaster. This as shadow chancellor of the duchy of lancaster. This is gb news across the uk on tv in your car, on Digital Radio and on your Smart Speaker by saying play gb news. Now lets get straight back to. Jacob straight back to. Jacob the governments energy bill is set for its third and final reading tomorrow before the chance of ping pong with the lords and the commons. The bill proposes a number of things as it will enable £20 billion of your money to be spent on Carbon Capture technology that Stores Carbon dioxide emissions in exhausted gas wells. But £20 exhausted gas wells. But £20 billion is a lot of your money to be spent on a Speculative Technology dodi. A recent study showed that when Carbon Capture is used for a given industrial plant when taking into account the c02 plant when taking into account the co2 emissions produced via the co2 emissions produced via the process itself , the co2 emissions produced via the process itself, emissions would only be reduced by about 10. The bill also focuses on home insulation, which is a good thing within itself but has some extreme measures. It gives the extreme measures. It gives the power to the government to criminalise people in future for not following regulations with minimal parliamentary oversight. What do i mean by this . Well, when new labour was at its height, it was creating new criminal offences day after day and the conservatives at that point and the house of lords argued that it was wrong to create criminal offences without a full parliamentary process. Now the energy bill is going to make it possible to create criminal offences by a quick route. This is constitutionally wrong. It may also make it more wrong. It may also make it more difficult for people to sell homes or rent property cars which arent at a high enough insulation standard. We have a very old Housing Stock in this country, lots of listed buildings building things in conservation areas where one side of the government wont give you permission to make them more environmental friendly, to insulate them more. And the other saying, well, you may not be able to sell you be able to sell them if you havent insulated them , so havent insulated them, so youll on effects on youll have knock on effects on the market youll the Housing Market and youll take away peoples major asset, your major asset could be at threat. The bill allows the threat. The bill allows the government to regulate electrical appliances and the way the european does. You way the European Union does. You remember all these stories about how powerful a kettle could be or a hoover, a vacuum cleaner. This bill will allow us to do the same. But this is about greening the greens and for concern of a government to ignore the market is surely a mistake because as sensible consumers and i assume consumers consumers and i assume consumers are consumers and i assume consumers are sensible, will always choose more Energy Efficient appliances because in the long run it will save them money, but they will judge for themselves the efficiency of the product against its energy use rather than it being laid down by bureaucrats who think they know best. The market should be left to do its work, but the overarching intention is clear it priority cases net zero at a timetable that was set randomly without being properly thought through rather than reducing the cost of energy. Thats why Craig Mckinley and i tabled an amendment that would prioritise as the lower cost. It says in its glorious parliamentary language that the secretary of state will have a duty to ensure the lowest possible cost of energy to businesses and households in exercising any function under or in connection with this act. It is the duty of the secretary of state to ensure the secretary of state to ensure the lowest possible cost of energy to businesses and households. Now, if the households. Now, if the government accepted our amendment tomorrow, it would at least amelia, rate some of the worst elements of the bill. Its time for cost of living crisis. Its the governments role to make life easier for people to lift burdens off their shoulders. The bill should be reversing the ban on oil boilers set to affect 1. 7 million homes across the country. It should be reversing the boiler ban on all new builds in 2025, taking away one of the lowest cost of heating. It should be reversing the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars. It should be making it easier to rent or sell homes to ease the housing crisis, not harder. The bill does the opposite and for that reason it ought to be scrapped or at least entirely defanged , which is what entirely defanged, which is what i was trying to do in my brief penod i was trying to do in my brief period as energy secretary. I obviously wont be supporting this bill tomorrow, but of course. Vox populi vox day, the voice of the people is the voice of god. Today we ask the people of god. Today we ask the people of hull producing energy bills or net zero should be the priority. We and the people putting it down to make it affordable for people to have their heating on. Well, its the whole thing or whatever carbon impacts something or other, but its the Energy Prices and the prices it takes to make electric cars and to benefit. Everything costs more than it does to actually just yeah, obviously just use gas. Yeah, obviously everyone bills in the Everyone Wants less bills in the short personally short term, but im personally im somebody who to think im somebody who likes to think that government is looking that the government is looking more in the future. Itll be more in the future. Itll be more beneficial over over time to be country thats proud to to be a country thats proud to be net zero. You know, i think they should bring do to they should bring do more to bnng they should bring do more to bring Energy Prices down. Bring the Energy Prices down. I dont think they seem to be trying to bring about trying very hard to bring about net zero. Yeah i think they need to put down the price, the electricity, the gas, because now were very difficult to live off the population. Off the population. I tell the government, the police just to work very hard and put the energy down. Im joined now by ali warrington, Campaign Director for we are possible, the Climate Action group. Ali, thank you so action group. Ali, thank you so much for joining action group. Ali, thank you so much forjoining me. In action group. Ali, thank you so much forjoining me. In a action group. Ali, thank you so much forjoining me. In a cost of living crisis is shouldnt the government be ensuring that people have access to low cost energy as the priority . Absolutely ali. The government should be doing that. And the cost of living crisis and the energy cost crisis have been driven by the cost of gas power, which has been soaring over the past 18 months. Want lower energy months. We all want Lower Energy Bills for people across the uk, and the only way to achieve that is end use of gas, power is to end the use of gas, power and high cost associated and the high cost associated with getting on with that and start getting on with that and start getting on with of delivering with the job of delivering clean, cheap energy like onshore wind power. Because wind and solar power. Because that will cut costs that is what will cut costs for ordinary people. Technology has helped and technology has helped bnng and technology has helped bring down price of solar bring down the price of solar panels but panels very considerably. But you still need gas power for when the sun doesnt shine and when the sun doesnt shine and when the sun doesnt shine and when the wind doesnt blow. So were still going to need access to considerable quantities of gas. So i actually dont think thats the you know, thats the case. You know, theres thats been theres research thats been done renewables done on a 100 Renewables Electricity grid if have electricity grid. If you have enough renewables and enough Renewables Capacity and you and have you have storage and you have interconnectors , then it not interconnectors, then it is not only possible to have very, only possible to have that very, very grid, but it very low carbon grid, but it actually billions for actually saves billions for consumers as well because it is much cheaper to our own much cheaper to use our own domestic Renewable Energy resources to keep relying resources than to keep relying on expensive, volatile imported gas. But actually weve got our own domestic sources of gas and we could get more if we were to invest in fracking, which would provide us with a cheap and secure supply of gas. So any gas that the uk extracts domestically, not only will it contribute to emissions that are pushing up dangerous climate extremes , it will be climate extremes, it will be sold on international markets. It will be sold at the going rate. Not domestic rate. It will not cut Domestic Energy by one penny. Energy bills by one penny. If you have more supply but if you have more supply in global market, that in the global market, that reduces prices. The reason the price up the russian price went up is the russian supply taken out of the supply was taken out of the market. Supply and demand functions way. So any functions in that way. So any extra supply reduces global pnces extra supply reduces global prices , but not necessarily prices, but not necessarily because very volatile market. And as we saw during the past 18 months, the oil and gas companies, the bps and the shells, theyve been cashing in. Theyve been raking in billions profits. Billions in excess profits. Have. But bear in well, they have. But bear in mind, during the mind, in 2020, during the pandemic , the price of crude oil pandemic, the price of crude oil was below zero. So actually, you had to pay people to take your oil because there wasnt sufficient when demand sufficient storage when demand collapsed. So oil companies, yes, theyre affected by the cycle and sometimes they make profits , sometimes they make profits, sometimes they make losses. Thats how an economy works. But that volatility in oil pnces but that volatility in oil prices and Energy Prices is not doing any good. You doing anybody any good. You dont volatility dont get that volatility volatility onshore wind and volatility with onshore wind and solar, get cheap, reliable , solar, you get cheap, reliable, secure energy. That is, you get a different form of volatility because you cant be sure that the wind will blow the sun the wind will blow or the sun will shine. The wind will blow or the sun wiliand1e. The wind will blow or the sun willand if. The wind will blow or the sun wiliand if youre going to have and if youre going to have Battery Storage, thats very inefficient uses lot inefficient and also uses a lot of metals and so on of rare earth metals and so on that are themselves quite dirty. Sure so, you know, these Renewable Energy sources are variable, but thatis Energy Sources are variable, but that is something that is able to be addressed by things like Energy Efficiency measures, by storage. You know, this is storage. You know, this is something that the National Grid has for long has been looking at for a long time. Government should time. And the government should be with delivering them. But smart metres, which is part the bill, is not an part of the bill, is not an Energy Efficiency measure, is it . About trying to price it . Its about trying to price People Energy when people into using energy when its whereas with gas its available. Whereas with gas you have secure supply of you have a secure supply of energy so you can have it day in, day out. You can meet peaks and which cant and troughs, which you cant do with inflexibility of with the inflexibility of renewables. Renewables. But just not the case. But thats just not the case. But thats just not the case. Have enough different if you have enough different types energy. Types of Renewable Energy. So not solar, also onshore not just solar, but also onshore wind, offshore wind storage , wind, offshore wind storage, then actually are able to then you actually are able to storage. Storage. About battery youre talking about Battery Storage and there are other types of storage. What other storage are you thinking about . Pumped hydro. I mean, theres a limited amount of that, but thats not very significant. There are limits well. But there are limits as well. But if have enough different if you have enough different types capacity and if you types of capacity and if you have interconnectors. So its not uk has to not just that the uk has to supply all its own energy and it can balance with countries in europe. So if this is so economic and so low cost, why isnt the market doing this as well . Know, one problem well . You know, one problem is the regulations set by the regulations that are set by central government, things like the onshore wind, the ban on onshore wind, which they refusing lift. And they are refusing to lift. And its difficult for the its very difficult for the market get delivering market to get on with delivering the Energy Supply that we the clean Energy Supply that we need when we have these ridiculous planning blocks in place which are preventing communities want communities in england that want new to get it, new onshore wind to get it, thats offshore has thats but offshore wind has grown enormously and solar has grown enormously and solar has grown enormously. The rules may be changed in in onshore wind, but the market hasnt been racing to do this because there are still the gaps. And actually were going to be using fossil fuels for years to come and we need cheap and affordable energy. Weve only renewables weve and affordable energy. Weve onljis renewables weve and affordable energy. Weve onljis because newables weve and affordable energy. Weve onljis because ofnables weve and affordable energy. Weve onljis because of the. Es weve and affordable energy. Weve onljis because of the higheve got is because of the high charges that are put industry got is because of the high charhouseholds put industry got is because of the high charhouseholds, ut industry got is because of the high charhouseholds , as industry got is because of the high charhouseholds , as in industry got is because of the high charhouseholds , as in theiustry and households, as in the electricity supplement that people pay. But thats just not true. I mean, the amount of a Typical Energy bill, which comes from from green levies, its absolutely tiny. It is much, much smaller than the amount that people been paying in that people have been paying in excess past 18 excess costs over the past 18 months because soaring fossil months because of soaring fossil fuel people fuel prices. Well, people are paying fuel prices. Well, people are paying £100 year on the electricity. Green charges. Thats a lot green charges. Thats a lot for people to pay. For people to pay. Absolutely. But it is much, much smaller amount than the excess that people have been paying excess that people have been paying over the past year because oil and gas profits because of oil and gas profits going up. Thats know, going up. Thats you know, thats Something Like a doubling of of bills. Of a doubling of energy bills. Yes, energy up yes, energy bills went up because of the war ukraine. Because of the war in ukraine. Actually, if we were but actually, if we were using resources to the using our resources to the maximum and were extracting the gas that we need and had not run off with this other scheme, wed have had wed have had cheaper, we wouldnt have had cheaper energy, would have had we energy, we would have had we would, we would still that gas would, we would still that gas would still have sold would still have been sold on international would still have been sold on internwould. Would still have been sold on internwould not have energy it would not have cut energy bills all for people in the bills at all for people in the uk and it would have been a complete dereliction the complete dereliction of the uks climate commitments. Complete dereliction of the uks clir but commitments. Complete dereliction of the uks clirbut nobody commitments. Complete dereliction of the uks clir but nobody elseimitments. Complete dereliction of the uks clir but nobody else isitments. Complete dereliction of the uks clirbut nobody else is doing s. But nobody else is doing this. China is has produced what in the last years more than in the last ten years more than we since the industrial we have since the industrial revolution, perhaps 15 years. Were to talk about but were here to talk about the governments policy. The uk governments policy. The uk effective global uk cannot be an effective global voice on the climate voice for action on the Climate Crisis if they are being hypocritical. Global voice because nobody is any notice of this. Is taking any notice of this. Well, we need were making well, we need to. Were making ourselves now and i dont ourselves poorer now and i dont want be want my constituents to be poorer. Them to be more poorer. I want them to be more prosperous. Making your that is making your constituents poorer is reliance on dirty, expensive on the dirty, expensive technologies the past, technologies of the past, like oil if your oil and gas. If your constituents had clean energy that also cheaper that would also be cheaper energy. The uk could also energy. And the uk could also seize Economic Opportunity energy. And the uk could also sei presented nomic opportunity energy. And the uk could also sei presented northe pportunity energy. And the uk could also sei presented northe clean unity transition. Was so cheap, the if it was so cheap, the market would provide the market would provide it. The market would provide it. The market hasnt provided its done on why they want on subsidy. Thats why they want another subsidy another £20 billion of subsidy for capture and storage. So on Carbon Capture and storage, i would agree that putting oil and gas, on putting that on oil and gas, on on gas power plants is a complete waste of money because all is putting all that is doing is putting even more charges on a technology is already too technology that is already too expensive. Technology that is already too exp ive ve. Technology that is already too eprve given you the last word. Ive given you the last word. Thank very much for joining thank you very much for joining me. Ali dont forget to let me know you think. Male know what you think. Male margaret cbnnews. Com coming up, a scheme that a local ponzi scheme that would put to shame. A local ponzi scheme that would put has to shame. A local ponzi scheme that would put has brexit to shame. A local ponzi scheme that would put has brexit been shame. Plus, has brexit been vindicated . You know answer vindicated . You know the answer to that. September for the gb this september for the gb news family is back together from m breakfast. Right across the day, breaking the latest stories and every evening. And stories and every evening. And dont forget the weekend weve got the whole of the uk covered every week. Well be hearing your views from up and down the country with fun, lively and intelligent conversation with the biggest guests this september. Well meet chris and september. Well meet chris and john. Thank september. Well meet chris and john. Thank you for choosing gb news news. Were proud to be britains news radio. Welcome back. Im still Jacob Rees Mogg and this is state of the nation. Youve been getting in touch with your thoughts. Michael says if you think your friends in the department of energy the wrong track, energy are on the wrong track, just ed miliband in just wait till ed miliband is in charge. A very good charge. That is a very good point. Helena says mother point. And helena says Mother Nature the answer. Plant nature has the answer. Plant more well, im quite more trees. Well, im quite proud the fact last year proud of the fact that last year i planted an acorn i now i planted an acorn and i now have a little oak tree that is growing. I did it with young alfred, who you may remember, read the mail logs a week or two ago, going off the shirkers from home become almost as home has become almost as popular over the summer as the ashes. But it seems the shirkers will always new of will always find new ways of avoiding work , especially in the avoiding work, especially in the pubuc avoiding work, especially in the Public Sector. The daily mail front page today revealed that nearly 1500 Council Employees are working not from home, but possibly from the beach. Its the latest development of the working from home saga. But this time, flunkies. Over time, town hall flunkies. Over a penod time, town hall flunkies. Over a period of roughly three years have been piling in their requests to work from overseas , requests to work from overseas, says. But this is really just a footnote a much broader footnote in a much broader problem local government problem of local government inefficiency. A state of inefficiency. So in a state of nation, first, this is the competition for the incompetent council across United Council across the United Kingdom to say thank you for your nominations. Weve your nominations. Weve considered them carefully and with thoughts. Have with other thoughts. We have whittled to down the final whittled it to down the final three. In third place is hanngey three. In third place is haringey council. Proportionally the most complained about council in the country. The regulator of social housing found the council had failed to complete 4000 high risk fire safety works. More than 100 properties had serious hazards and nearly 5000 did not meet minimum social housing standards. The ombudsman found the council displayed, quote, no evidence of learning to prevent failings reoccurring. Coming in failings reoccurring. Coming in at second place is South Cambridge district council. The council that felt it appropriate to move to a four day working week. You hope at least they spent four days working week. Spent four days working week. The decision mired in the decision was mired in controversy , but it was even controversy, but it was even reported over the weekend that the supporting the council amended supporting research was meant to be research that was meant to be completely and completely independent. And for the winner it could be no one else but the woking councillors who the in woking or who put the w0 in woking or woking is a small town south of london of about 100,000 people. Its annual budget runs at a modest £24 million. Now remember this figure, £24 million. It then found itself with a debt of two £2 billion. It was essentially a ponzi scheme that would put Bernie Madoff to shame. In 2011, the council began borrowing funds to invest in commercial property schemes , in commercial property schemes, despite not having any staff with relevant expertise and it planned to take out even more loans in future. But when the pandemic hit, commercial property plummeted , rents went property plummeted, rents went down, occupancy went down, too. So now , as for other councils so now, as for other councils such as croydon, the government is expected to grant the council the power to increase the council tax to cover the losses. In other words, more cost for you. Im joined now by my panel gb news ray of sunshine. Dr. David starkey and gb news, his very own senior political commentator, nigel nelson. Nigel youre in favour of Council Officials being on the beach . Not necessarily on the beach, but i dont see any problem at all. If your all your work is online, it doesnt matter where you do it from. Now obviously there are certain jobs where you have to be in the office and cant work from home nor can a tv presenter and you being both. You cant work from home at all. But if youre doing Something Like process , i dont Something Like process, i dont know, county Council Tax Bills or whatever and your entire job is online, it doesnt matter whether you do that from australia or croydon or london or wherever, but it does if people arent getting the service that they expect. Well, service that they expect. Well, have there been complaints about your lots . Your lots . Yes. That people arent getting routine Public Services delivered. They cant get delivered. They cant get through on telephone lines. Hmrc National Local national rather than local government nobody get government but nobody can get through to at the moment and they are working from blaming that on people working at least in part. That on people working at least in [jacob can just actually jacob can we just actually begin fundamentals of local begin with fundamentals of local place . Its the specificity of place . Its the specificity of place . Its the specificity of place. Its one of the great place. Its one of the great problems about our local government is that its not it. Thats to say that on the whole, the administrators do not live in the places that they administer for. Its not simply that theyre on the beach, theyre usually in the suburbs. And this is one of the or in the countryside. This is one of the countryside. This is one of the profound problems , particularly profound problems, particularly of worst administered places of the worst administered places in the country, which are not actually on your list. They are broadly the old, decaying, small industrial towns of the north. And it is the catastrophe that the administrators do not experience what they administer. And this seems to me in other words, there are very special considering options here. And i think that we should be we should be paying attention to this. I think we should also just consider the sheer sense of outrage that you are paying a tax to enable somebody to sun themselves in the caribbean whilst theyre pretending to administer a charge, which you will be deeply resent full of anyway, it is this utter complacency im afraid of. Nigel along with most other of the hangers on of our governing party. This is a very good point that if youre ringing up the council to say the bins havent been collected from 27 acacia avenue and the person is in the canbbean avenue and the person is in the caribbean on, theyre not thinking about acacia avenue at all. In the event youve got somebody working in Customer Services doing that very job, they should be in the office deaung they should be in the office dealing with because they may dealing with it because they may have with people face to face. Okay, so who are you going to have in the caribbean . What are roles, do you think . I mean, think that if i mean, i think that well, if youre solely isnt youre the solely nigel isnt the likely to be the worst thing likely to be that be a very senior that itll be a very senior person in the caribbean . Mean, in other words, i mean, in other words, somebody should on the somebody who is should be on the job observing other people in involved in the community. If theyre doing those things. Of course they shouldnt be in the caribbean or anywhere else apart from in their own office. But what were what im talking if its a job talking about is if its a job which which relies sorry , i which which relies im sorry, i think youre equally online. Think youre equally i think youre equally online, can it from online, then you can do it from absolutely anywhere. Well, you online, then you can do it from abs forely anywhere. Well, you online, then you can do it from abs for certain nhere. Well, you online, then you can do it from abs for certain types well, you online, then you can do it from abs for certain types ofell, you online, then you can do it from abs for certain types of job. ou can for certain types of job. But if we actually take the example jobs, if we take a Computer Programmer and work wherever you like, but there arent of in local government. But im but i mean the it department, for instance, local government could be based anywhere because nigel, can we nigel because nigel, can we just actually this point just actually take this point specific hinckley of a routine job, which is what you were talking about general, talking about in general, routine need discipline, routine jobs need discipline, routine jobs need discipline, routine jobs need routines and forcing upon them. The last thing that you want with a routine job is to have somebody able to knock off when they want able to knock off when they want able to knock off when they want able to go for a walk in the garden, when they want. Garden, when they want. And so this is a very Old Fashioned view of the world. Im sorry. Its so, so Old Fashioned, isnt it, that the leading City Companies are all starting to enforce , make people starting to enforce, make people come back, employees . And if youre terribly Old Fashioned, people blackrock, people like blackrock, nigel, maybe heard, but if maybe you havent heard, but if youre in if youre in a call centre and youre answering the telephone, you cant be disturbed delivery coming to disturbed by delivery coming to your you are your front door, which you are if home or a dog or if youre at home or a dog or a child, you just cant. Thats your job. Thats your job. Well, but this is this is the point making. But people point im making. But people ringing Passport Office ringing the Passport Office found that it was being answered remotely and there was a dog in the background. Remotely and there was a dog in the again,ound. Remotely and there was a dog in the again, look. Remotely and there was a dog in the again, look , look at the again, look, look at the inland lets Inland Revenue. I mean, lets just lets shift the inland just lets just shift the Inland Revenue before covid was a Government Department on the whole was outstandingly efficient at its efficiency. Has collapsed exactly in line with home working. And there is nothing surprising about this. Not at all. Not at all. Well, the last point here, i just want to take up davids point. The government have been trying to get Civil Servants out of london. What better way to do it have them working it than have them working remotely over the not . It than have them working reni tely over the not . It than have them working reni would over the not . It than have them working reni would sayar the not . It than have them working reni would say that; not . It than have them working reni would say that hmrc has i would say that hmrc has provided with the best provided me with the best answers of any government for department my constituents as long an mp, but long as ive been an mp, but they now cant get through to them telephone. So if them on the telephone. So if you come will still come to an mp, you will still get a First Class Service and really intelligent sent really intelligent letters sent back to my constituents. But you cant up solve your cant ring them up to solve your problem yourself, which problem for yourself, which is deeply youre deeply inefficient and youre blaming working blaming that on people working from its from home. Yeah. Yeah. Its whats changed. Changed. So nothing else has changed. So this need to look at this again, we need to look at evidence. Nothing else has changed. Okay . Nothing else has okay . Nothing else has changed. My panel. Changed. Thanks to my panel. Coming up, well be playing a game spot. The concert lviv. Game of spot. The concert lviv. Plus, of sunshine pierces plus, a beam of sunshine pierces through grey clouds through the grey clouds of remainer propaganda. Remainer propaganda. Looks like things are heating up. Bob looks like things are heating up. Bob boilers, proud sponsors of weather on. Gb news. Of weather on. Gb news. Hello. Good evening. As we hello. Good evening. As we head into tuesday, there will be a little bit of fog around tonight whilst in the south west we can expect some strong blustery winds. But the hot and sunny weather returns as we go through tomorrow because of this area of pressure dominating area of High Pressure dominating the across the uk, the picture across the uk, leading to largely settled weather and dragging air in weather and dragging hot air in from the south. Meanwhile, looking details through looking at the details through monday night, there is a front across north of scotland across the far north of scotland bringing and rain to bringing some cloud and rain to shetland. Elsewhere, a largely shetland. Elsewhere, a largely dry picture , clear skies, but dry picture, clear skies, but some patches some mist and fog patches developing particularly towards the north and the east. Windier in the south west, but many places temperatures not places seeing temperatures not dropping amount. Dropping a huge amount. Generally stay mid to generally stay in the mid to high teens celsius. Quite high teens celsius. So quite a warm night come. Bright star warm night to come. Bright star on tuesday morning. Any mist and fog should quickly clear away and we do have that front and then we do have that front i mentioned earlier, gradually pushing way further pushing its way further southwards. Turning a bit southwards. So turning a bit cloudier, perhaps cloudier, a bit damp, perhaps for the far north of for orkney in the far north of mainland scotland. Elsewhere across of fine across the uk, lots of fine sunny weather, plenty of blue skies temperatures could be skies and temperatures could be a higher than today for a touch higher than today for some. Around 31 some. So highs around 31 celsius. Quite windy celsius. Staying quite windy towards the south west though wednesday is going to get off to a bit of a murky start for some eastern North Eastern parts with some syfret around some higher and syfret around most will burn back most of that will burn back towards though towards the coast, though the cloud across the cloud could linger across the far scotland. Otherwise, far east of scotland. Otherwise, though yes, will be a touch though, yes, it will be a touch cloudier recent days, but cloudier than recent days, but plenty to be had. Plenty of sunshine to be had. And with that, temperatures rising to peak around rising likely to peak around wednesday though wednesday or thursday, though the showers looks the risk of some showers looks like things are heating up by boxt boilers. Proud sponsors of weather on radio. Welcome back. Our main Jacob Rees Mogg, and youve been getting in touch with your thoughts. John thank you for introducing David Starkey in a decent manner today. Jacob about time. Well, hes been a hero today. Hes a difficult traffic problems getting here, but like whoever it is, the wells fargo he always gets through and patty says, people in our councils should suffer the pain that locals have to suffer owing to their incompetence. Well, i their incompetence. Well, i agree with you, patty. Thank you for that. Historically, a labour leader of the opposition would squirm and whine when a conservative chancellor promised to lower tax. Now the age old dynamic seems to have turned on its sir keir starmer its head. Sir keir starmer demonstrating uncharacteristic prudence has pledged not to raise income tax if he wins the next election. This also follows his recent promise not to introduce a wealth tax. Both comments have drawn the ire of the socialist wings of the labour party. But in the socialist wings of the labour party. But in a similar move, jeremy hunt has also confounded his partys traditional stance by downplaying chances of tax downplaying the chances of tax cuts before the next election. Cuts before the next election. Tory mps collectively groaned on sunday morning when the chancellor appeared to rule out tax cuts in the autumn budget. The failure to reduce the tax pain may pain for working people may jeopardise the conservatives election prospects acts most bewilderingly of all is that the labour leader of the opposition seems to wish to mitigate the tax burden more than the tory chancellor. Its becoming difficult to spot the difference between jeremy hunt and sir keir or jeremy and keir, who or sir jeremy and keir, who knows little difference that knows so little difference that they almost appear to be the same in fact , we thought same game. In fact, we thought wed ask the good old Artificial Intelligence what intelligence boss what would happen faces merged. Happen if their faces merged. Together can take a look. The together we can take a look. The result is remarkable. Uncanny. Result is remarkable. Uncanny. Still, with me is my panel, our little ray of sunshine David Starkey and gb news senior political commentator nigel nelson. So have. The tories nelson. So have. The tories found the wigs bathing and stolen their clothes or vice versa . Uh, the point you made and indeed the image made so clearly about the two parties essentially having merged is correct, but equally , i think correct, but equally, i think you need to look at some of the more serious points, particularly from hunts point of view. Latest opinion polls show quite clearly that the public on the whole is not interested in in tax cuts if it thinks they will mean reduced Public Services. This and again, we should be asking why that is the case. Can we look at fundamental titles. Only 50 what is it . Only 6 . Less than 60 of the working population can actually pay income tax. 42 of adults do not pay income tax. 42 of adults do not pay income tax. If we actually look at the distribution of the tax burden, one in of the working population pays one third of tax. 10 of the working population. Ocean pays 60. What population. Ocean pays 60. What weve done , weve removed a vast weve done, weve removed a vast part of the population from the burden of direct taxation. Is it burden of direct taxation. Is it any wonder the magic doesnt work as it used to . And of course its even more extreme in local government, which we were talking about just now. Local government actually raises only half of what it spends. So all half of what it spends. So all the tests which should apply in democratic government , that democratic government, that there is a relationship between what you get and what you pay in taxation. These have all been broken, which means you can have all these myths about there are mysterious plots. Mysterious plots. But nigel, if davids right, then secure of course he would say that, wouldnt he . But then say that, wouldnt he . But then sir keir could go ahead and raise taxes and all his labour friends would vote for him anyway because all falls on anyway because it all falls on other people. Dont tax you. Dont tax me. Tax the man behind the trying to get the tree trying to get the middle class. Think what weve got here i think what weve got here with hunt and keir with both jeremy hunt and keir starmer at we have the starmer is at last we have the end of kind of recklessness in government. Weve had a few years of Boris Johnson, years of it with Boris Johnson, a brief period, a period of it with liz truss , and now the with liz truss, and now the grown ups are back and i think that what keir starmer is saying at the moment is, look, im not going raise your tax, going to raise your income tax, but what am going to have to but what i am going to have to do is take on tory spending and tax plans for the first two years of labour years of a labour administration. Exactly what tony blair and gordon brown did back in 97. That to me makes sense. Sense. But that was the crucial difference because gordon brown and blair on and tony blair took on a strongly growing economy. We have growth in this economy have no growth in this economy and we have absolutely a tax base. Thats the highest for 70 years that were not getting any growth in this. These are not growing. Were spending too much i so really, nigel, this this this reference to grown ups means people actually frozen in the headlight. Again, we need to look at where the responsibility for this lies. I think it lies partly in gordon brown for the grotesque inflation of government expenditure in the latter period of the new Labour Government and much more importantly, it lies with George Osborne and the way in which austerity. Was enforced. Austerity. Was enforced. Remember, he did the worst possible thing you can do. He ringfenced the nhs. And was it education and then Everything Else arbitrarily cut. So else was arbitrarily cut. So what weve got what youve done, weve got these vast distortions in public expenditure. Weve got enormous backlogs, everything backlogs, weve got everything that been hearing that weve been hearing about with with aero, and with with aero, concrete and whatever. Weve got a gross whatever. Weve got a gross malady registration of both our taxation and expenditure. Thats my worry. My constituents write to me week in, week out saying were not getting the Public Sector services we deserve and we expect that were paying for and were high amount of were paying this high amount of tax. At moment it seems tax. So at the moment it seems to be the all worlds. To be the worst of all worlds. Yes, i think it probably is. And so, i mean, the issue is going to be economic growth. Going to be economic growth. Yes, this is this is something both sunak keir both rishi sunak and keir starmer we starting starmer shouldnt we be starting shouldnt we starting . Starmer shouldnt we be starting sholook, we starting . Starmer shouldnt we be starting sholook, viwed starting . Starmer shouldnt we be starting sholook, viwed startiirational look, if wed been rational at the time of austerity because austerity was necessary. It was austerity was necessary. It was it was fair enough. Just it was fair enough. Just quickly, hes an historian. What we what we should have done was, was exactly what kanner did and in sweden did in similar circumstances in the 1990s. You have a serious inquiry into what the state should do. At the the state should do. At the moment the state is trying to do everything and predictably doing it badly and that covid made the state think that it should do even more. Yes, thats right. Yes, thats right. Yes. I mean, i think austerity was a mistake, by the way, or at least the way it was actually the way it was done. And equally, yes, we suffer the results of covid. I mean, what what in fact, rishi sunak proved as chancellor was he adopted john budget. I mean, John Mcdonnells budget. I mean, that and spent that kind of money which proved it could be spent. But any incoming government and we got the inflation that would have resulted is sensible unless the economy strong to keep economy really is strong to keep the spending and tax plans of the spending and tax plans of the existing government and start going for growth. I mean, start going for growth. I mean, the whole thing is predicated. The whole thing is predicated. But isnt this liz truss im sorry, isnt this liz truss, this this. No, forgive me this notion, but this notion, this nofion notion, but this notion, this notion was not the way to do it, but middle of inflation. Nigel how do you provoke growth with our current levels of taxation . Our current levels of taxation . I mean, can you tell, can you tell you take taxation out of it for a start . No, no, no, no, no. If we keep on labours idea works and we dont, itll be the first time, which is the £28 billion that they would spend. Well magic money. Well thats magic money. Green. That is a green. That is a green. Im sorry. You might as well be advocating magic carpet if be advocating a magic carpet if you can. If you can grow the economy and jobs through if through through magic. They are if theyre all ifs. We dont know. Theyre not. If we didnt know, we didnt know that covid was going to you know, we didnt know in ukraine was know the war in ukraine was going to happen. We didnt know wed be in this situation until wed be in this situation until we here. Wed be in this situation until we true. Ere. Instead, were true. But instead, what were doing going to make it doing is were going to make it even worse. Were proposing to spend yet more money, 28 billion on top of money that we on top of the money that we dont borrowing. Dont have that were borrowing. And itll be has been and we know itll be has been postponed for two years. Thank you my panel, as thank you to my panel, as feisty as always. And well see them. I hope, week. Coming them. I hope, next week. Coming up, its good news for the british economy, it british economy, but does it help the welcome back. I continue to welcome back. I continue to identify as Jacob Rees Mogg , and identify as Jacob Rees Mogg, and this is state of the nation. Youve been getting in touch with your mail, mogs and tim has a very splendid, complicated idea. Has it not occurred to hmrc that people working from home or indeed the beach and not paying home or indeed the beach and not paying the costs normally associated with travelling to work income thats work out of income thats already taxed out so beach already been taxed out so beach and home workers should taxed and home workers should be taxed as benefit kind of the cost as a benefit in kind of the cost of not commuting. I imagine the of not commuting. I imagine the tax bill on the notional cost of daily flights from the daily return flights from the costa the place of costa del skive to the place of work might just persuade skivers to back to work. Well, to get back to work. Well, thats certainly an ingenious idea. So thank you, tim. Do despite all the melancholy hubbub emanating from westminster since 2016, recent figures have shown how the supposed brexit induced doom and gloom may merely be a phantom. The office for National Statistics has revised formal estimates showing that the uk has actually been in the middle of the pack of major western economies since 2019, with more growth than germany, the economy is 2 larger than previously thought. A significant expansion in in contrast to the former view that we had been the slowest growing economy in the g7. The ons is known to be slowest growing economy in the g7. The ons is known to be more reliable than the abr and the revisions, coupled with fast falling inflation, indicate that the uk is on the path to post brexit prosperity. The news will be a shock. Theyll be bringing out the smelling salts to pessimists who regularly suggest that britain is heading for economic ostracisation when and how. The only possible solution to our own failure is to rejoin the eu at once within the last few weeks, articles have cheered away with smugly enlightened glee as they describe britain as the basket case of europe. Some basket, some case. Yet he who laughs last laughs longest already. Were beginning to see already. Were beginning to see the vindication of the brexiteer stance and all those people who have been saying were the last country not to have reached the pre covid economic level, theyre wrong anyway. Im delighted to be joined now by matthew sinclair, former economic adviser to liz truss. What practical difference does a 2 increase in the estimate of gdp make to peoples daily lives . Well so this isnt going to change peoples lives because whats happened here is that now the statistical authorities and hopefully over time, the headunes hopefully over time, the headlines and Everything Else that comes off of those statistical numbers are going to reflect the reality. And that reality is that britain, although it is by no means matching the performance of the United States of Eastern European or east asian Success Stories is doing about as well as our western european peers and better than some. And i think that acknowledging that reality is really important to getting policy right going going forward. But its this getting policy right going going forward. But its this is getting policy right going going forward. But its this is the forward. But its this is the statistics catching up with the reality there. Its not changing the reality. So people sitting at home wont now feel that theyre any better off. And if theyre being squeezed by prices, they still by rising prices, they are still squeezed rising prices. Squeezed by rising prices. Afraid no money squeezed by rising prices. Statistical no money squeezed by rising prices. Statistical release � noney squeezed by rising prices. Statistical release for1ey in this statistical release for them but does them yet. But does that consequence government consequence for government policy as one of rishi policy because as one of rishi sunaks pledges, to reduce the sunaks pledges, is to reduce the debt a percentage of gdp . Debt as a percentage of gdp . Well, if gdp has gone up by 2 and your debt remains level, youve reduced it, havent you . Just said good just automatic said its good news him a way. Strong, news for him in a way. Strong, stronger growth. Know , you need quite a you know, you need quite a modest increase in growth to make fiscal situation a fair make the fiscal situation a fair bit easier. Make the fiscal situation a fair bit easier. Of course, again, this growth because it did exist in reality , we will have been in reality, we will have been feeding through into tax tax receipts and we will have been feeding through into sort of benefit claims. And everything like that drives us public debts. But absolutely , we and debts. But absolutely, we and i think crucially also , its just think crucially also, its just a really good challenge to this view that either britain is hopelessly doomed to decline or its hopelessly doomed to decline unless someones pet cause, often brexit is changed. I think its a challenge to actually get this stuff right. Okay. But from your point of view and my point of view, we wanted brexit to unleash the countrys animal instincts. If were animal instincts. If were growing a little bit faster than germany, we that hasnt yet happened , has its better happened, has it . Its better than somebody whos doing pretty poorly. How do we get to do as poorly. How do we get to do as well as the United States and some of the Eastern European economies . You mentioned . Well, i think that firstly, we to ask whether we want we need to ask whether we want to still be in this slow growth club, which is high club, which which which is high spending , high tax taxing and spending, high tax taxing and has these kind of bloated welfare states which have existed now for a very long time. So theres some fundamentals that will need to address. But also weve address. But its also weve just made britain a very hard place to things very hard place to build things very hard place to build things very hard place do business. This is an place to do business. This is an extremely place to get extremely expensive place to get a grid connection for your new Industrial Facility to install broadband. So businesses have Better Internet connections. Better internet connections. Weve made this a hard place to do business. And if we can deal with some of those obstacles to business in britain and in some of our natural strengths , of our natural strengths, britains enormous strength in the sectors which are growing fastest all around the world can start to tell , whereas at the start to tell, whereas at the moment we hold them back. Okay, so many people would like to see the welfare state cost less by getting more people into and and so into work and so on and so forth. Do you do that forth. But how do you do that and voters on your side . And keep voters on your side . So i dont think voters are normally actually the challenge in welfare reform. Most in terms of welfare reform. Most voters, think and voters, you know, think and i think historically this has been the case, have backed a safety net thats there for those who really need it and need it and which helps get them get back into into work. Which helps get them get back into into work. But which helps get them get back into into work. But they into into work. But they generally tend to be pretty supportive of measures that will get you to that state rather than ensuring that welfare becomes this trap for people. I think the challenge really is trying to navigate through a system that has become incredibly complex, where a huge number of people have been allowed to drop out through the covid crisis and trying to and you know , tackling that. And you know, tackling that. And i think the danger is too often people are kind of just taking for granted these problems are there and assuming theyre going to last, whatever happens, and the supply reforms that you the supply side reforms that you mentioned doing business mentioned to make doing business easier supply side easier every time a supply side reform mentioned, there are reform is mentioned, there are 100 conservative mps are 100 conservative mps who are desperate stop at least desperate to stop it, at least say planning reform hasnt happened. Fran king which would have been a huge boost to the economy, was was stopped. But economy, was was stopped. But again, the politics of this, it may be easy to understand the economics, but how do you turn that into practical politics . I think people need to ask whether they are sort missing whether they are sort of missing the for the trees here. If the wood for the trees here. If the wood for the trees here. If the economy continues to struggle the same way those other western european economies are are struggling. And if the are are struggling. And if the only way we get growth is by juicing, it with easy money, then youre going to undermine faith in capitalism and youre going to undermine peoples belief that were providing a positive way forward and all of the kind of positive noises you might have got from opposing a new grid connection or stopping a broadband Expansion Plan are really not going to save you. And would we have done even better . Would we have done well as a United States if it hadnt been for brexit . I think that looking at the numbers we can see we cant know the brexit counter factual. But looking at the numbers we see here, its really hard to see that if these countries, which are still in the eu are struggling so much such that brexit is, is whats driving this. I think whats driving this. I think whats driving this is the end of a long period penod this is the end of a long period period of cheap, cheap money and having made this a hard place to do business and unfortunately too many of the freedoms that britain got back with brexit are now handed off to an now being handed off to an Administrative State rather than really sort of seizing that flexibility and some of the administrative less Administrative States less accountable was within accountable than it was within the union. The European Union. Thank very much, anyway, thank you very much, matthew. Up matthew. Thats all from me. Up next, its the great professor daniel wootton. Dan whats coming program . Jacob coming up on your program . Jacob hope you a great weekend. Hope you had a great weekend. Nearly year since it is nearly one year since bofis it is nearly one year since Boris Johnson was deposed as Prime Minister. Were asking tonight was that the biggest act of self harm in modern british political history . Margaret thatchers former aide, nigel gardiner, will be here. But what do you reckon, jacob . Well i was very strongly opposed to it. Boris johnson had won a majority is the most majority of 80, is the most charismatic figure in the conservative party. He was a good Prime Minister. I backed him the way and i thought it him all the way and i thought it was an act of harakiri on the part of the conservative party to get rid of him. But im now told ive got to finish. So i talked too long. Thats coming up off the weather. Itll be very ill be back very exciting. Ing ill be back tomorrow im jacob tomorrow at 8 00. Im Jacob Rees Mogg. Has been save rees mogg. This has been save the its definitely the nation and its definitely sunny somerset. Sunny in somerset. Tomorrow warm feeling guaranteed that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers. Proud sponsors of weather on. Gb news. Sponsors of weather on. Gb news. Hello good evening. As we head into tuesday, there will be a little bit of fog around tonight whilst in the south west we can expect some strong blustery winds. But the hot and sunny weather returns as we go through tomorrow because of this area of High Pressure dominating the picture the uk the picture across the uk leading to largely settled weather and dragging hot in weather and dragging hot air in from south. Meanwhile from the south. Meanwhile looking at the details through monday , there is a front monday night, there is a front across the far north of scotland bringing rain to bringing some cloud and rain to shetland. Elsewhere, a largely dry picture, clear skies, but some fog patches some mist and fog patches developing particularly towards the the east. Windier the north and the east. Windier in south west. But many in the south west. But many places seeing temperatures not dropping amount, dropping a huge amount, generally the mid to generally stay in the mid to high celsius. So high teens celsius. So quite a warm night to come. Bright star high teens celsius. So quite a wa tuesday to come. Bright star high teens celsius. So quite a wa tuesday morning. Bright star high teens celsius. So quite a wa tuesday morning. Any ht star high teens celsius. So quite a wa tuesday morning. Any mistar high teens celsius. So quite a wa tuesday morning. Any mist and on tuesday morning. Any mist and fog should quickly clear away and then we do have that front i mentioned earlier, gradually pushing its way further southwards. So turning a bit cloudier, a bit damp perhaps for orkney north of orkney in the far north of mainland elsewhere mainland scotland. Elsewhere across fine across the uk, lots of fine sunny weather, plenty of blue skies and temperatures could be a higher for a touch higher than today for some. Around 31 some. So highs around 31 celsius. Staying quite windy towards the south west though wednesday is going to get off to a bit of a murky start for some eastern North Eastern parts with some ha fret around. Some ha and sea fret around. Most that will burn most of that will burn back towards the coast though the cloud could across the cloud could linger across the far of scotland. Otherwise, far east of scotland. Otherwise, though, a touch though, yes, it will be a touch cloudier days, but cloudier than recent days, but plenty had and plenty of sunshine to be had and with temperatures rising with that temperatures rising likely around wednesday likely to peak around wednesday or , though risk of or thursday, though the risk of some showers that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers proud sponsors of weather on gb news. No spin, no bias, no censorship. Im dan wootton. Tonight another grim milestone in the battle for britains borders after its revealed a record 870 migrants crossed the channel on saturday alone. So channel on saturday alone. So when will the msm and apparently conservative government start to treat this invasion like the emergency it is . Ill tell the emergency it is . Ill tell the tories not to give in to fishy wishes, fatalism and challenge his leadership if he wont do what it takes to stop the boats. Thats my digest. Next before my Superstar Panel weigh in and tonight, theyll back Carole Malone , Benjamin Butterworth and malone, Benjamin Butterworth and beunda malone, Benjamin Butterworth and belinda de lucy. Malone, Benjamin Butterworth and belinda de lucy. Also tonight belinda de lucy. Also tonight was woke itv news. Right to release this sweary hot mic moment from education secretary Gillian Keegan. Does anyone ever say, you know what, youve done a good job because everyone else has sat on their and done nothing . Sat on their and done nothing . No, no, no signs of that. No well discuss the tory hating broadcasters latest attempt to topple a minister in the media buzz plus , as slippery starmer buzz plus, as slippery starmer reshuffles his shadow cabinet is labour loudmouth Angela Rayner really fit to be his deputy. We cannot get any worse than the position of scorn. The position of scorn. Oh, isnt she lovely and unfiltered appraisal of