Spain. A little update to you on the gb news youtube page where you may be watching live from anywhere around the world. If you are even if youre not. Go to that page right now. Hit subscribe because look, i dont know if you can see it there, but we are now just 3000 off the i million mark. So you could be the one millionth subscriber to gb news on youtube. Were going to keep you posted on that. Were not far off from the magic number. My digest on this comedy cancellation, what it means for free speech in britain, straight after the news with polly middlehurst. Dan thank you and middlehurst. Dan thank you and good evening to you. Well, gb news can reveal the number of migrants crossing the engush number of migrants crossing the English Channel on small boats. English channel on small boats. This year has now passed 70,000, almost 500 people were on board. Several small boats crossing the channel from france this morning. It started. At around morning. It started. At around 334 Border Force Vessels were helping to rescue the migrants and they were assisted by dover , ramsgate and dungeness lifeboat. Its uk border force lifeboat. Its uk border force spent the day on what theyre calling red alert during what theyve called a busy time for migrant activity. And with migrant activity. And with weather conditions expected to improve over the weekend, a significant surge in crossings is expected. Also in the news is expected. Also in the news today, economists are saying the uk still faces the prospect of falling into recession despite todays drop in inflation. The Prime Minister says todays inflation figures, which dont include housing costs like mortgage payments , prove that mortgage payments, prove that the governments plan is working. A leading think tank, though, has warned that Rising Interest Rates could cause the economy to contract. Latest figures from the office for National Statistics found Consumer Price index inflation dropped to 6. 8 in the year to july. As youve been hearing july. As youve been hearing a comedy show featuring Graham Linehan that was cancelled at the Edinburgh Fringe has now found a new venue Ticket Holders are going to be informed of the new location for tomorrows show shortly before it starts speaking to gb news earlier on today , Graham Linehan said he today, Graham Linehan said he thought the days where comedians were silenced for their views were silenced for their views were over. We re ove r. Were over. They could have given me a chance to exit the gig and allow the other acts to perform. They could have done it without defaming me on their Instagram Post as a bigot, which is the first thing these people always do. So, you know , unfortunately, do. So, you know, unfortunately, we are. We are beginning Legal Proceedings. Proceedings. Junior doctors in scotland have voted to accept a pay offer from the Scottish Government. From the Scottish Government. That means theyll receive a pay rise of 12. 4. And its backdated to april. Scott islands Health SecretaryMichael Matheson says hes very pleased with the result. But and the prince and result. But and the prince and princess of wales have been congratulating the england Women Football squad who are through to their first ever World Cup Final. The lionesses beat final. The lionesses beat australia 3 1 in sydney with platoons scoring englands first goal in the 36th minute. Australia equalised through sam kerr in the second half. But lauren hemp and Alessia Russo put england 3 1 up. England now face spain in sunday mornings final with the labour leader, sir keir starmer, calling for a bank holiday if they win on tv onune bank holiday if they win on tv online dab radio and on the tunein app. This is gb news, britains news. Britains news. Channel 4. Graham linehan was once one of the most celebrated members of the most celebrated members of britains famously liberal uber politically great comedy community. A legend at the left wing channel 4, he was beloved as a modern day creative messiah. The brains behind all time great comedies. Messiah. The brains behind all time great comedies. Father ted, time great comedies. Father ted, the it crowd had actually one of my personal favourite black books that it was until he dared to express a view, until just a few years ago, by the way, a view accepted as an established fact. Its a view about the existence of biological sex and how its pretty unwise to allow anyone with a penis into womens only spaces. Only spaces. Dont say anything. Theyve given. Theyve given women no room in which they can manoeuvre and argue for their rights. The and argue for their rights. The gender movement is at its heart. Its a middle class movement. Theyve all got kids who wear some eyeshadow, decide theyre trans, and the parents are kind of circling the wagons around them rather than thinking it through. Theres no more homophobe statement than trans women are women. Because when you say the transwomen are women, you are saying that they are women in all in the literal meaning of the word. That means that if a lesbian does not want to with bodied to go out with a male bodied person who identifies as trans, theyre considered theyre automatically considered a bigot. And thats why. So after expressing views like that, views that i dont need to remind you , are backed need to remind you, are backed up need to remind you, are backed p by need to remind you, are backed up by science , by common sense up by science, by common sense and shared by the majority of brits. But after expressing brits. But after expressing those views, lena han found himself going from messiah to para via almost overnight the entire entertainment establishment turned and he was left destitute socially and financially , with even his financially, with even his co producers on father ted, effectively ending his plans to make a musical version of the show. But linehan fought on and slowly but surely backed by other names flung out by the media elite like j. K. Rowling , media elite like j. K. Rowling, the public realised that such chronic cancellations prove that free speech in britain is dead. Free speech in britain is dead. Indeed, a major gb news poll this week showed just 41 disagreeing with the statement that free speech in the United Kingdom is in decline. The attempts to deplatform folk like linehan are now out of control. Total disproving that constant refrain from the left that cancel culture doesnt exist last night our very own andrew doyle who will be here later in the show, revealed that his brilliant comedy unleashed event had been cancelled just 48 hours before it was due to be held because linehan was going to be on the bill. The holier than thou venue, leith arches initially tweeted without any irony that as an inclusive venue , they do not support this comedian or his views and he will not be allowed to perform at our venue. And as kant sought from thursdays comedy show with immediate effect, from thursdays comedy show with immediate effect , now from thursdays comedy show with immediate effect, now gender critical, snp mp joanna cherry, who also found herself cancelled at the fringe , said that looks at the fringe, said that looks like a pretty clear case of belief discrimination. And yet belief discrimination. And yet rather than focus on this chilling attack on free speech, listen now to the type of question as bbc scotland decided to ask the events co organizer , james shaw, today. Given that Graham Linehan is well known for being very outspoken on his views on trans activists , you could have activists, you could have perhaps expected this. Well, i suppose in the edinburgh being the heart of the enlightenment, you wouldnt expect it. Expect it. Well, weve seen comedians cancelled before at the Edinburgh Festival and politicians gigs were cancelled as well. Theyre now back and they have been performing this yeah they have been performing this year. But but there has been cancellations before, so when are people going to learn their lessons . Know, a venue is you know, when a venue is going actually stand up for going to actually stand up for Free Expression in the arts. Why did not discuss this why did you not discuss this with with the venue beforehand, though . Them heads up. With with the venue beforehand, thorthem them heads up. With with the venue beforehand, thorthem know1em heads up. With with the venue beforehand, thorthem know exactly heads up. With with the venue beforehand, thorthem know exactly what s up. With with the venue beforehand, thorthem know exactly what he p. Let them know exactly what he would be saying. When is the british and when is the british bashing going get Bashing Corporation going to get it and stand up for Free Expression in the arts . Look for expression in the arts . Look for democracy to thrive in the uk. Democracy to thrive in the uk. Good folk like linehan must not be cancelled for their perfectly legal and reasonable views, no matter how much they might challenge and annoy. Woke challenge and annoy. Woke lunatics with pitchfork forks baying to bring someone else down. But to respond now , my down. But to respond now, my Superstar Panel, the author and broadcaster Christine Hamilton , broadcaster Christine Hamilton, former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and former labour adviser matthew lazar. Christine matthew lazar. Christine hamilton. The left say cancel culture doesnt exist. Well , this really is well, this really is extraordinary talk about turning back history. It was in 1968 something called the theatres act came in, which ended 200 years or so of censorship. Up years or so of censorship. Up until then, the lord chamberlain could decide whether something could decide whether something could go ahead or not. If it was detrimental to good manners, decorum or the public peace. He could decree that it shouldnt go on. It the era when we go on. It was the era when we had hair and last exit to brooklyn and things like that. Hair for younger viewers , was hair for younger viewers, was the on stage. The first nudity on stage. Another i do remember all that. But anyway, we have now turned the clock back. It is ridiculous. And for this to happenin ridiculous. And for this to happen in edinburgh, if this is censorship, by the way, for this to happen in edinburgh of all places, fringe , places, its at the fringe, which grew be anarchic , which grew up to be anarchic, edgy, you know, where you could go. You could you go to be offended. You go have edgy offended. You go to have edgy stuff, go to have views stuff, you go to have your views challenge. To challenge. And for that to happenin challenge. And for that to happen in edinburgh and although graham is cancelled , as graham is cancelled, as i understand it, Frankie Boyle , understand it, Frankie Boyle, who has made jokes about whether he should rape or kill Holly Willoughby yeah, im not saying Frankie Boyle should be cancelled. I dont think anybody should but if should be cancelled. But if frankie is allowed to go Frankie Boyle is allowed to go having like that, having said things like that, for graham, stated for graham, who has just stated a biological fact, of course, to boyle is allowed to perform, even though he jokes about killing women. Kwasi Graham Linehan is cancelled for simply trying to protect women. No , i think this nonsense a no, i think this nonsense a really, really bad step because as christine says, ive been to the fringe and the whole point about it is that you can have Free Expression. We performed at the fringe four times. I know you have many times and not everyone agreed with you , but everyone agreed with you, but actually people allow a wide variety of views to be used to allow. They used to. And whats allow. They used to. And whats extraordinary about this is that its not just him. Its joanna cherry, too. Thats right. I mean, joanna cherry is mp. Mean, joanna cherry is an mp. This actually one thing. This is actually the one thing. Shes in the house shes a colleague in the house of commons, has been for a while. This is the one thing ive her ever ive agreed with her on ever because very, very because i think its very, very serious and also, i mean, the sadness is , as christine sadness of it is, as christine said, is that we reaching said, is that we were reaching a time 40 years ago time maybe 30, 40 years ago where were opening up. Where things were opening up. There expression , there there was Free Expression, there was and think was free debate. And i think whats happening today is a step in direction. In the wrong direction. Happened the left . Whats happened to the left . Matthew because its your matthew lhasa, because its your folk are the new mary folk now who are the new Mary Whitehouses of this age trying to censor and trying to cancel . Well, i think there is something depressing, dan, because i mean, christines brilliant. You know , lesson from you know, lesson from history. It was one of the proudest boasts of the 1960s Labour Government. Roy jenkins was the home to bring was the home secretary to bring in raft of liberal in a whole raft of liberal reforms, including getting rid of theatre censorship. Didnt credit apologies, i didnt credit that to christine. Its fine. I mean what i mean is it was there was a time when being liberal with a small l was a big boast for people who were labour with a big with a big l and it depresses me the sort of groupthink that you get. I think groupthink that you get. I think its particularly tricky in scotland , actually. I was once its particularly tricky in of question time, its particularly tricky in scotland, actually. I was once i was turned for down being editor of question time, i was the engush of question time, i was the english candidate and i was turned down in favour english candidate and i was trotskyite. So but english candidate and i was trotskyitenoughit english candidate and i was trotskyitenough. You werent scottish enough. You werent left wingers. Exactly which is ironic viewers of this show. Thats right. Thats right. Thats right. But look, the thing about the fringe as well, christine, is that there is lots of content on there that would be considered unsavoury. And that is the unsavoury. And that is the point. I mean, for example, apparently a play on apparently theres a play on this year which all about this year which is all about hitler are coming back for a second reign of terror. And its shocking and it should be shocking. But Graham Linehan doesnt even in his stand up, particularly talk about his trans views. Not that, by the way, he shouldnt, but this is one of our greatest comedy writers. Denies a place at the Edinburgh Fringe. Edinburgh fringe. And this is the well, its absurd. We all agree its absurd. We all agree its absurd. But the fact that its happened at the fringe, i touched on earlier is its ridiculous. This is sort of nonh ridiculous. This is sort of north korea style. But matthew, you theism its ridiculous. It is. But matthew you it is. But matthew you theres no place in edinburgh Graham Linehan is on the line though im told. I think look i think some of his you his tweets and you can understand obviously understand because obviously hes very hes been put in a very difficult think difficult position. I think sometimes to use sometimes a wee pause to use a scottish phrase, before some of the tweets would im the tweets would be. Im not saying express saying that he shouldnt express his views. And i think you wouldnt absolutely not. His views. And i think you think absolutely not. His views. And i think you vllhink and absolutely not. His views. And i think you vllhink and its absolutely not. His views. And i think you vllhink and its incredible ly not. I think and its incredible whats this whats extraordinary about this is the views that hes is that the views that hes expressing. Is that the views that hes epreah,g. Strange views. No. Yeah, not strange views. No. Yeah, not strange views. No. And by the way , no one on the and by the way, no one on the left was disagreeing with his views a few years ago. So what what social i mean. Absolutely. Joanna what social i mean. Abs as|tely. Joanna what social i mean. Abs as you joanna what social i mean. Absas you say, joanna what social i mean. Absas you say, quietly, cherry, as you say, quietly, i mean, dont with joanna mean, i dont agree with joanna cherry future of cherry on the future of the Union Whatever about union or whatever line about him. Shes, shes, shes to the left in many but yet left of me in many ways. But yet shes because one shes shes because of one particular shes been particular issue, shes been cancelled of. Though graham though what is on the line views . Line about his views . I just look, i well, i think i just look, i think over the years, some of the tweets have you know, i dont them in front me. Dont have them in front of me. So, i mean, but but look, i dont think it should be cancelled. Should cancelled. I think you should have a platform. And what frightens the more frightens me is that the more people left, people who on the on the left, in inverted commas, the of in inverted commas, the sort of liberal group in that group thing more thing happens than the more people theres people think theres a conspiracy the