Ministers calling for the project to be reviewed due to spiralling the spiralling costs. The chancellor, jeremy hunt, now spiralling costs. The chanitllor, jeremy hunt, now spiralling costs. The chanit shouldntly hunt, now spiralling costs. The chanit shouldnt costlnt, now spiralling costs. The chanit shouldnt cost ten now spiralling costs. The chanit shouldnt cost ten times says it shouldnt cost ten times more to build a railway in the uk than just across the channel in france. Well, also in the in france. Well, also in the news today, a Second Police force is investigating allegations against the comedian russell brand. In a statement , russell brand. In a statement, Thames Valley police said its received new information relating to harassment and stalking allegations dating back to 2018. They added it would be inappropriate to comment on an ongoing investigation. It follows a joint investigation by the sunday times and channel 4. Russell brand denies all accusations of criminality against him. Now, the chancellor against him. Now, the chancellor has announced plans to freeze the expansion of the Civil Service and reduce its numbers to pre pandemic levels. During his speech at conservative Party Conference in manchester, jeremy hunt said it would save the government £1 billion next year. Meanwhile, the chancellor announced tougher benefits, sanctions on those who are capable of working but choose not to. And a National Living wage rise to £11 an hour. We promised in our manifesto to raise the National Living wage to two thirds of median income. Ending low pay in this country. At the moment, its country. At the moment, its £10. 42 an hour, and were waiting for the low Pay Commission to tell us next Years Commission to tell us next years recommendation. But i confirm today, whatever that recommendation, well increase the National Living wage to at least £11 an hour next year. Least £11 an hour next year. Thats a pay rise for 2 million workers. Well the former Prime Minister, liz truss, at the same Party Conference has been calling on the chancellor to cut Corporation Tax. She says back to 19 for his next autumn statement. Speaking next autumn statement. Speaking at a fringe rally in manchester, the former Prime Minister urged the former Prime Minister urged the tory leadership to axe the tax cut bills and build homes as her comments came after jeremy hunt told gb news no substantial tax cuts are possible. This yean tax cuts are possible. This year. Ms truss said businesses are now choosing not to locate in the uk and they shouldnt be treated like a cash cow. We need to unleash business across britain. We need people to want to invest in our country. We need businesses to be able to expand, to grow , to create new expand, to grow, to create new jobs, to create new ideas. Jobs, to create new ideas. Thats why im calling upon the chancellor at the autumn statement to put Corporation Tax back down to 19. And frankly, if we can get it lower, the better i well, it is away from home. Former President Donald Trump has arrived at a court in new york in the United States , where york in the United States, where hes due to stand trial in a civil fraud case. A warning if youre watching on television in the following, does contain some flashing images. Well, the former president accused is accused, rather, of inflating the value of his assets by billions of dollars to secure better loan and ensure terms. Speaking outside the courtroom, mr trump claimed he was the victim was never a problem. Everything was perfect. There was no crime. The crime is against me because we have a corrupt district attorney, but we have a corrupt attorney general. And it all comes down general. And it all comes down from the doj that totally coordinated this in washington because im leading. Im the leading candidate. Im leading biden by ten points here at home using mobile phones in schools should be banned. Thats according to the education secretary, Gillian Keegan says the move would improve the overall behaviour and education of students and cut down on online bullying. New guidance from the department for education will back headteachers in banning them throughout the school day, including at break times and Junior Doctors and consultants in england have begun their three day walkout today, the longest ever period of joint strike action until thursday at 7 am. Theyre going to be delivering whats being described as Christmas Day levels of staffing. Theyre last joint strike in september led to almost 130,000 appointments, having to be rescheduled. The government says the walkout is doing a massive disservice to patients, but these doctors told gb news why theyve gone on strike until and unless there is a credible pay offer, it will mean that doctors of all grades , but especially senior doctors, will continue to leave the country for other places and the nhs will continue to suffer. Nhs will continue to suffer. We are not planning for the future. There is going to be no staffing in the nhs. Theres to going be no nhs in the future if we dont fight for our pay. So this is really a necessarily a fight about individual consultant papers say were actually for very actually fighting for the very future nhs consultants future of the nhs consultants and Junior Doctors. Speaking earlier on the picket today, with picket line today, youre with gb the uk on tv , in gb news across the uk on tv, in your on Digital Radio and your car, on Digital Radio and on your Smart Speaker by saying play on your Smart Speaker by saying play gb news. This is britains news channel. Thanks for that polly. Im Michelle Dewberry with you till 7 00 tonight alongside me to get into the goings on of the day. Ive got the historian and the broadcaster, David Starkey and the former labour adviser mccgwire. Adviser Scarlett Mccgwire. Good evening both of you. Welcome. Evening to both of you. Welcome. You know the drill, dont you, on this show is not just about us three. It is very much about you guys at home as well. Whats on your mind tonight . You can get in touch all the usual ways. You can me, give views at you can email me, give views at gbnews. Com can me gbnews. Com or you can tweet me at gb news. As lots of you have been touch with me been getting in touch with me today. Andy have said, ive watched a number of the speeches at the tory Conference Today and i found concrete blocks more inspiring and animated core. Blimey, andy, youre a harsh man. You are a harsh man kicking off there with a little bit of harshness. But of course, as harshness. But of course, as andy has just been alluding to there, the tory Party Conference has kicked off. We are has indeed kicked off. We are going to get into all of the goings on. Im fascinated to hear what you think of some of the proposals made there. So lets bring ourselves up to speed, though, crossing live speed, though, by crossing live to manchester gb news to manchester over the gb news Political CorrespondentCatherine Forster good evening to you, catherine. Bring us up to you, catherine. Bring us up to speed, if you will. What has been going on there today . Been going on there today . Yes , well, a very busy day at yes, well, a very busy day at conference. The main event really was the chancellor, jeremy hunts speech, which was not that long, actually , and not that long, actually, and didnt have very much detail. Not that long, actually, and didnt have very much detail. He said he didnt want taxes to be high forever, but a total absence of any news on tax cuts. I suspect we will wait till the spnng i suspect we will wait till the spring for those, if and when they come saying that cracking down on benefits that people actively have to be trying to get work harder than before announcing an increase in the living wage. But really, that speech has been completely over shadowed by two things. First of all, hs2 , the will it wont it all, hs2, the will it wont it go from birmingham to manchester . Theres been huge speculation over the last couple of weeks now the government are insisting that no decision has been made. But insisting that no decision has been made. But i insisting that no decision has been made. But i was told from been made. But i was told from an impeccable source earlier on this afternoon that the decision has been made that hs2 will not go from birmingham to manchester and that the Prime Minister will announce that in his speech on wednesday. So lets see what happens there. Thinking apparently , is that theyll apparently, is that theyll sweeten this very bitter pill by promising to spend a lot of the money that would have been spent on hs2 on transport across the north of england, on roads , on north of england, on roads, on potholes, on east west connectivity. But 16 Million People in the north of england that have heard about fast rail from west to east will, i think, be possibly a little sceptical. The other big event thats drawn a lot of attention is liz trusss speech. Now rishi sunak trusss speech. Now rishi sunak is sort of haunt by the ghosts of Prime Ministers past. Theresa may is due to speak in an event in just half an hour or so, but liz truss here, of course its only a year to the day since she had to backtrack as Prime Minister here on her plan to cut the top rate of tax. But shes here. Shes totally unabashed that her message is as it has always been, tax cuts are needed. Bring down Corporation Tax and growth, all about growth and how to get growth. So and how to get growth. So i dont think rishi sunak will particularly approve vitiate her interventions. Hell be taking a interventions. Hell be taking a bit of heart from the fact that the polls seem to be shifting slightly , but lots of talk slightly, but lots of talk really about hs2 and quite ironic that the conference is being held in what was previously a railway station. Yeah, catherine, whos doing this because were going to get into hs2 before the end of my programme. But who is doing this leaking . I cant quite understand whats on. Is understand whats going on. Is this within the tory understand whats going on. Is this is within the tory understand whats going on. Is this is this within the tory understand whats going on. Is this is this who within the tory understand whats going on. Is this is this who is. Hin the tory understand whats going on. Is this is this who is doinge tory party . Is this who is doing this . Because surely this is damaging to the tories . Damaging to the tories . Well , it absolutely is. And well, it absolutely is. And these leaks have been going on now for a good couple of weeks because its been reported repeatedly over the last couple of weeks that hs2 is going to be scrapped. And rishi sunak has been absolutely tight lipped about it. But really , whatever about it. But really, whatever you think about the rights and wrongs about whether hs2 should have ever been built in the first place, its not a great look, is it, to be in manchester in the city, which looks likely to lose that rail link and andy burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester and horrified really, because hes saying that theyve had no involvement, nobody has consulted them at all. And hes also saying that they need that hs2 link. Its integral. He says hs2 link. Its integral. He says , to Northern Powerhouse rail as well. So i think pretty damaging for the government. They like to do things on their own terms. But yeah , all eyes on rishi but yeah, all eyes on rishi sunak on wednesday and what he may say in his speech. Interesting stuff. Thank you very much. That was foster there. Our Political Correspondent, live from the tory Party Conference in manchester. Do you regard David Starkey do you regard the conservative party as a united front at the moment, no, obviously not. But then remember, in a two party system, by definition, parties are coalitions. The question is whether the coalition can be kept together and on what terms. I mean, think and on what terms. I mean, think of the labour party where youve actually got its former leader. Its immediate former leader expelled from the party and his second command. As far as i think macdonald was expelled as well was no, no, no, diane diane abbott for different reasons. But you have this situation in which there are overt rifts on both sides at the moment. Starmer is able to control it better because there is the prospect of for office the tories its the opposite. Tories its the opposite. Theres a prospect of losing office and theres, i think, Something Else which is even bigger. If we set aside the peculiar corbyn years. Ever since. Really 2010, both of our since. Really 2010, both of our main parties have started to look more and more like each other, to sponsor more and more the same policies with the result, of course, that there are people in the tory party like caroline nokes, who could easily very easily be labour or lib dem , and we spoke about lib dem, and we spoke about caroline nokes. A lot. I remember last year. A lot. I remember last year. A lot. I remember last year. Shell be very pleased. She just loves publicity. Well, yes, lets set about that the better for now. But your thoughts on this i cannot understand and write the tory party things dont seem to be going fantastically well for them. So at the time where you need more than ever, some form of united front, some form of, you know, single direction of travel, lets all rally around whatever core set of principles and policies and all the rest of it is, even if perhaps youre not fully on board with them. But that doesnt seem to be happening. No, its exactly the opposite, isnt it . Is that most and the reason is that most people manchester that people in manchester think that the tories have already lost the next election and theyre getting ready for whos going to be the next leader. And so youve got Kemi Badenoch , youve youve got Kemi Badenoch, youve got suella braverman, youve got priti patel, all putting out their stall and actually not the ghost of liz truss, the ghost of liz truss, rather like bank were turning up at the feast. Yes. I mean and liz truss just cause causing trouble i mean no no no no apology , no nothing. Just saying you know i was right. I was right. Shouldnt right. I was right. Shouldnt regret i was right. Shouldnt regret if only she was good looking and the voice was equally good. But i think theres another point which is about womens looks. Well i think we can. Im prepared to have women talk about rugby players bottoms because excited. David because im quite excited. David lets lets talk about politics because. But what what what weve seriously got so youve got youve got Andrew Mitchell whos a secretary of state for international development, saying exactly what youre saying. Lets all gather around, rishi. Meanwhile while, you know, out there in the real world, 60 people have signed , 60 world, 60 people have signed, 60 mps have signed up for the liz truss. I can i just theres one really very important positive point to make, which weve been making the negative points. What making the negative points. What is on is a complete is going on is a complete repositioning of the conservative party, dare i say, the rediscovery of conservatism after its been effectively a lib dem con party. Thats it goes back to the uxbridge by election. Its of course the whole business of sunak saying hes on the side of the motorists raising questions about the consensus on the pursuit of net zero. And what you may have noticed is a quite sharp increase in the tory Party Ratings in the opinion polls. So were going to see more of this division. And because, of division. And because, of course, a very important section of the tory party was fully signed up to net zero. I mean, i think what youre losing here, david, is rishi sunak, is doing that mean because rishi sunak is trying to save his skin . Meanwhile all around him, there are people saving their own skin and wanting to be want ing to be the next leader. And that thats next leader. And that thats what this this , this conference what this this, this conference is all about, is whos going to be the next leader . Is it . Is it . And actually, david, in that way, youre right because because basically theres nobody from the centre of the tory party. I mean, what is clear is they were thrown out by boris. It is a competition for the right of the party which which is why were going to agree on something because this is the really important youre really important thing youre seeing beginning of a seeing now, the beginning of a sharp of the conservative sharp shift of the conservative party to the right. I think it is the right thing to do. I think that this terrible blur of politics that weve had really for the last 14 years is before dangerous. Big questions need debate. Weve had no debate on net zero. Weve had no debate on net zero. Weve had no debate on hs2. These things desperately need debate. Its desperately need debate. Its what politics is about. Luckily for you, youre on a debate show. So well be getting into some