Departments in a move reminiscent of Primary School days, the education days, the former education secretary Gavin Williamson, has been kyrees been ordered to apologise kyrees by independent expert by an independent expert panel for of being a for the crime of being rude to a chief whip, despite the fact that precisely that being rude is precisely the job chief two other job of a chief whip. Two other people Financial Conduct Authority woken up authority has finally woken up and to Banks Authority has finally woken up and blocked to Banks Authority has finally woken up and blocked politicians Banks Authority has finally woken up and blocked politicians from s who blocked politicians from holding them. Any who blocked politicians from holdiithat them. Any who blocked politicians from holdiithat does them. Any who blocked politicians from holdiithat does decide them. Any who blocked politicians from holdiithat does decide toem. Any who blocked politicians from holdiithat does decide to do any who blocked politicians from holdiithat does decide to do what bank that does decide to do what natwest farage could natwest did to mr farage could face the question what face fines. The question is what took the watchdog its took the watchdog so long . Its been defining story of the been the defining story of the week. Crisis, week. The concrete crisis, education week. The concrete crisis, educati so. To be joined by competitive panel this evening, the journalist and broadcaster Michael Craig and the director of the Free Speech Union, toby young. As always, you know, i want to hear from you. Its a crucial part of the programme. Email me, mail at gb news dot com. Now its time for the com. But now its time for the news of the day with Aaron Armstrong. Armstrong. Very good evening to you. Im Aaron Armstrong in the gb newsroom. Birmingham city council has effectively declared itself bankrupt. Europes largest local authorities admitted its unable to meet an equal pay claims dispute of £760 million. The council has already paid £i. I million. The council has already paid £1. 1 billion to settle historical claims. All new spending with the exception of protect Vulnerable People and statutory services, will stop immediately. More onshore wind immediately. More onshore wind farms are expected to be built as a result of new rules announced by the government. Projects supported by local people will be approved more quickly and communities will also have a greater say in how developments are considered now. Also have a greater say in how devenewnents are considered now. Also have a greater say in how devenew rules are considered now. Also have a greater say in how devenew rules come� nsidered now. Also have a greater say in how devenew rules come amidred now. Also have a greater say in how devenew rules come amid fearsw. Also have a greater say in how devenew rules come amid fears of the new rules come amid fears of a backbencher rebellion and they represent a u turn from rishi sunak, who in october said he intended to continue with a ban on new onshore farms. The shadow climate secretary, ed miliband, says the bans exacerbated the cost of living crisis. Government is being held to ransom by a bunch of tory backbenchers who since 2015 have stopped onshore wind being built in england and that has raised bills for families by £180 for every family in britain, were going through a cost of living crisis. Surely now those individual bills, those conservative mps can see that its much better to have onshore wind built and cut bills for families. Families. The schools minister says the government has been proactive in deaung government has been proactive in dealing with the concrete crisis and has been issuing guidance since 2018. Speaking to gb news nick gibbs, comments come after the education secretary, Gillian Keegan was forced to apologise for using Strong Language while expressing her frustration at the situation. Both ms keegan and rishi sunak are under growing pressure as more than 100 schools across the uk have fully or partially closed. Fully or partially closed. Laughing gas will be banned and those caught in possession of the popular drug will face unlimited fines or up to two years in jail. New measures expected to be introduced this year will also see tougher penalties the supply and penalties for the supply and production of the drug. Its been linked to antisocial behaviour , with heavy use behaviour, with heavy use possibly leading to anaemia, nerve damage or paralysis. Possibly leading to anaemia, nerve damage or paralysis. One nerve damage or paralysis. One person has died after a bus collided with a car on the cleddau bridge in pembrokeshire. Nine other people were taken to hospital after the 52 seater bus crashed earlier today. One of the drivers was trapped and had to be freed by firefighters and evacuated by air ambulance wales first minister says the incident is worrying and his thoughts are with those involved. And spains Football Federation has sacked jorge vilda , the coach of its world vilda, the coach of its world cup winning womens team. Avila was the only member of the Coaching Staff who didnt stand down in protest after midfielder Jenni Hermoso was kissed on the lips by the federations president , luis rubiales. Thats president , luis rubiales. Thats it for the moment. This is gb news live across the uk. Ill be back with more in just under an houn back with more in just under an hour. Now its over to. Jacob hour. Now its over to. Jacob the former education secretary, Gavin Williamson has been forced to apologise by the independent expert panel after it found he had bullied former tory chief whip wendy morton via text. Now Gavin Williamsons messages were rude and unhelpful , and you can read them online. Im not going to go through them now. And in certain parts they were very unpleasant, which he accepts and hes accepted as he basically has to the finding of the report. But this seems to me to be the most ridiculous idea in its funding rentals. Wendy morton was the chief whip, the chief whip. From those of you who have watched house of cards will know , is the person who has will know, is the person who has power for in parliament. Backbench mps careers are determined by the chief whip. Will you get office . Will life be made difficult for you in your local Constituency Association . When will you get a slip so that you can go to a family event . All of this is in the gift of the chief whip. The chief whip has patronage and power. The person who does not power. The person who does not have power is somebody talking to the chief whip. And if that person is rude to the chief whip, the chief whip as the person in authority has to be able to cope with it. I was able to cope with it. I was actually leader of the house when the independent complaints actually leader of the house whe grievance pendent complaints actually leader of the house whe grievance scheme complaints actually leader of the house whe grievance scheme was plaints actually leader of the house whe grievance scheme was set nts actually leader of the house whe grievance scheme was set up and grievance scheme was set up and grievance scheme was set up andifs and grievance scheme was set up and its very important. Its very important that within Parliament People dont abuse power, but this was intended to protect the clerks, the cleaners, peoples employees. It wasnt meant to protect ministers and powerful people arguing robustly with each other. And when you look at the definitions that have been used in the report , which i have in in the report, which i have in front of me , it says that front of me, it says that bullying may be characterised as offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour involving an abuse or misuse of power that can make a person feel vulnerable, upset , feel vulnerable, upset, undermined, humiliated, denigrated or threatened. If youre the chief whip , you cant youre the chief whip, you cant feel vulnerable, upset , feel vulnerable, upset, undermined, humiliated, denigrated or threatened because youre the one with whom the power rests. And it seems to me the independent Experts Panel simply failed to understand hand the relationship of power between people in parliament. Im actually all in favour of professional people in a working environment and in other environments. Being polite to each other. Im not in favour of people using what you might call anglo saxon language. I think it is a sign of a failure to command the full vocabulary of english. If you resort to swear words. But that doesnt mean that somebody should be punished just for giving a forceful view to somebody who is not any equal in authority to him. But higher in authority to him. But higher in authority to him. But higher in authority to him. I think the commissioner for standards got it right. He dismissed the complaint. He it right. He dismissed the complaint. He said it right. He dismissed the complaint. He said that there complaint. He said that there was not bullying, even though the behaviour wasnt great. And the behaviour wasnt great. And the independent panel has got it wrong. Im also surprised that wrong. Im also surprised that they allowed an extension to the deadune they allowed an extension to the deadline for bringing an appeal to the decision of the commissioner. Surely we should all follow the same rules and that , as both all follow the same rules and that, as both sides all follow the same rules and that , as both sides knew the that, as both sides knew the rules, there was very little excuse for extend ing the period available. Well, gavin has available. Well, gavin has accepted it. Hes apologise , but accepted it. Hes apologise, but i think this is fundamental wet wipe territory. Of course. Wipe territory. Of course. I want to hear from you. Dont forget. Let me know your thoughts. You know the email by now. Mail morgue at gb news. Uk. Im delighted to be joined now by the co founder of novara media, aaron bostonian. Aaron, media, aaron bostonian. Aaron, thank you so much for coming in because you had quite a rush to get its a pleasure. Yeah. Get here. Its a pleasure. Yeah. Its always good you on. Its always good to have you on. Shall have a quick look at shall we have a quick look at what gavin had to say his apology . Go ahead. Apology . I go ahead. Apology . I reiterate ahead. Apology . I reiterate my ad. Apology . I reiterate my apology made to the complainant following the breach. I apologise to them again. Now and i apologise to the house fully and unreservedly. Fully and unreservedly. I think theres a bit like putting people in the stocks. You make them abase themselves when theyve had a row with somebody. But arent you allowed to argue with people who are equal or in higher status to you in an organisation . Ian well, i want to know what happened to the conservative party. Like you say, were in wet wipe territory and i think its right that he apologises. He was in the wrong. However i think youre also right to highlight the fact that this drawn process protracted drawn out process protracted process almost performed relatively punishing him for what was ultimately a quite minor transgression. I think it says quite a lot about politics, but think also facts of but i think also the facts of the matter that should but i think also the facts of the napologisediat should but i think also the facts of the napologised because ould but i think also the facts of the napologised because ilild but i think also the facts of the napologised because it was have apologised because it was unprofessional have apologised because it was unprof he should definitely apologise being rude. Apologise for being rude. All in of that, im all in favour of that, but its the formal sanction of making him the chamber of the making him in the chamber of the house commons stand up and house of commons stand up and apologise. Said in apologise. As i said in monologue the i think apologise. As i said in m really|ue the i think apologise. As i said in m really important. I think apologise. As i said in m really important. But i think apologise. As i said in m really important. But itsthink is really important. But its there to protect staff of the house of commons from mps who abuse their position or actually , more often than not, more than mps. Been their senior mps. Its been of their senior within parliament, within the professional element of parliament, who have behaved inappropriately to use that awful word or have bullied them. Its not there for mps dealing with each other , is it . With each other, is it . Well, look , im inclined to well, look, im inclined to agree and i think what he was doing was lashing out in a situation where ultimately he was powerless. And i think youre right to say theres a huge difference between that and bullying fact, the bullying. In fact, its the polar opposite. However when you have when you have have rules, when you have a process point that process, the point is that everybody to them everybody has to adhere to them at and think as a at all times. And i think as a sort of protocol that one is meant to uphold as a professional legislator, for he fell short of the standards. And fell short of the standards. And i to say the language. He i have to say the language. He also to an aide also used in regards to an aide where the where he talked about the slitting throat thats slitting of a throat thats thats alleged. I mean, i should say that was different matter. Say that was a different matter. Of course, that that wasnt of course, that wasnt of this inquiry, but wasnt part of this inquiry, but its i think it does look, if and i think it does look, if this was a court of law, somebody would say its the first is, this first offence. Is, is this person good character so person of good character and so on. Ican person of good character and so on. I can see it on. And so i can see why it played him. Youre played against him. If youre trying sort of play devils trying to sort of play devils advocate enjoys advocate here, gavin enjoys playing the the playing up to the image of the chiefmean, he had tarantula in i mean, he had a tarantula in his office and that sort of thing. He likes the power plays of house of of politics and the house of cards approach of Francis Urquhart in that none the less, i think its still harsh to go on that and then say , well, on that and then say, well, look, youve been rude to your successor and therefore you have to base yourself in parliament. It just seems to me to be disproportionate and that the commissioner got right when commissioner got it right when he said basically, yes, this was very. Yes, you shouldnt very rude. Yes, you shouldnt have this, but no, its not have said this, but no, its not really a matter for me as standards. Its a matter for you as a as a moral individual to apologise privately if thats what you to what you want to do. Find really what i find really interesting whole interesting about this whole sort of on is that the sort of carry on is that the bafis sort of carry on is that the basis basically basis of it was basically a grievance or not he grievance over whether or not he could attend the queens funeral. Find strange that i just find it strange that theres for position theres a jockeying for position amongst your colleagues with regards events and regards to state events and things like this. Now, im sure he held the queen in great affection. I think asking for tickets to events of kind is not the events of this kind is not the sort of behaviour that i would encourage. I dont disagree with you on that at all. And people were doing it obviously the were doing it obviously for the coronation and for the queens funeral. I think you wait your turn in these events and that it doesnt look good for gavin to have been demanding to go to a funeral at all completely agree with that. Theres a big difference between doing something thats a little bit grubby and doing something that you have to be punished for isnt there . Well, you know, i just feel that right now our Political Class is held in such low esteem by the public. And you might say thats wrong. You might say, thats right. The way you. Its always the way you. Its always the way you. You can back to well, you can go back to cicero that politicians cicero saying that politicians arent as they were a few decades , harley. Decades, harley. I think there are certain but i think there are certain professions which are clearly held lower than held in much lower esteem than they 30, 40 years ago. They were 30, 40 years ago. Journalists business people, politicians. And like you say, politicians. And like you say, that ebbs and flows. The banks, for instance, 60, 70 years ago, a bank manager was the quintessence of respectability and, you know, the staid middle class after 2008, very not class after 2008, very much not the case. You say that, but who is the big fun in dads army big figure of fun in dads army . The manager. Big figure of fun in dads army . The manager. And . Its the bank manager. And thats 50, 60 years ago. So i think we tend to look at the past through rose tinted spectacles. I mean, im guilty of this myself quite a lot, but we didnt put people on quite such a pedestal and we were certainly happy to mock people in and there was in authority. And there was a great english tradition of doing this, the wonderful cartoons, the early 19th the late 18th and early 19th century, rawlinsons and century, the rawlinsons and gillrays on. Gillrays and so on. But, you know, youre a very youre a very gentlemanly person. Youre a very genteel person. Youre a very genteel person. I dont agree with you necessarily Many Political necessarily on Many Political issues. Youre clearly very affable, person. I affable, principled person. I might disagree on certain principles, but you you can principles, but you can you can discuss, discuss amicably. Discuss, discuss those amicably. I think that the sort of language of veiled threats through messages, of through text messages, first of all, youre professional all, youre a professional politician. You shouldnt be threatening in written threatening anybody in written communication. It just screams amateurishness , especially for amateurishness, especially for somebody again, he was he somebody who, again, he was he was work