And its a Political Party growing in popularity. But will reforms announcement this morning help or hinder their ambitions . Well be hearing live from richard tice in about an hour with further insight then from deputy leader ben habib. From deputy leader ben habib. And muslim Protection Fund. The government is spending more than £117 million to keep muslims and mosques safe in britain. Is that how you want to see your money spent and generation creativity . Generation creativity . After rishi sunak said he wants teens to study maths until 18, an labour leader, sir keir starmer , announces that he wants starmer, announces that he wants the arts to be accessible to every child in britain, not just privileged pupils but what lessons will they ditch to meet this aim . Weve got a sneaky suspicion us conference might be about. So were going to talk to our political editor, chris hope, about that. Look, its been very quiet. Its quiet politically. Post budget. So reform are choosing make this big choosing today to make this big announcement. If its announcement. I wonder if its anything. What chris anything. Well see what chris hope wonder if hope thinks. But i wonder if todays the announcement today because royal story, in my because this royal story, in my view, is going to get a lot bigger. Yeah, think people yeah, i think some people will thinking, will be thinking, why does anybody theyve anybody care if theyve manipulated a photograph . How extensive was the well, how extensive was the manipulation supposed to manipulation it was supposed to be that the princess of be to show that the princess of wales is fit, healthy and happy. If some if theyve weve seen some evidence manipulation. Evidence of the manipulation. What manipulate what else are they manipulate and does it matter . And why does it matter . Trust. We have as well, trust. We have to as the British Public trust the royal family. Do we not . Let us know your gb at know your thoughts . Gb views at gb first though, the gb news. Com first though, the very latest news with sam francis. Francis. Bev and andrew. Thank you very much. Good morning from the gb newsrooms. Just gone 930 and as you may have heard, leading the news this morning, speculation is mounting over an image of the princess of wales after it was withdrawn by some News Agencies over claims that it may have been digitally altered. The First Official altered. The First Official picture of the princess since her Abdominal Surgery is said to have been taken by Prince William, but it was withdrawn over concerns that a number of edits may been made , edits may have been made, including to sleeve of including to the sleeve of princess cardigan. Princess charlottes cardigan. There has so far been no official response from Kensington Palace. Three former conservative home secretaries are calling for a united front to tackle extremism from islamists and far right groups. In a joint statement, dame priti patel, sir sajid javid and amber rudd are urging both labour and conservative to Work Together to understand and combat the issue. Understand and combat the issue. It comes as Community Secretary michael gove is preparing to announce a new government definition of extremism. And in definition of extremism. And in other royal news today, the queen will lead the royal family at the annual Commonwealth Day service. Later, as the king continues his Cancer Treatment , continues his Cancer Treatment, her majesty, accompanied by the prince of wales, will gather at Westminster Abbey for the celebration. This years event draws on the theme of resilience against a backdrop of Health Worries in the royal family. And though hell miss todays service, the king will deliver a video message echoing the late queen by reaffirming his commitment to serve the 56 member countries to the best of his ability. And finally, last his ability. And finally, last nights oscars were dominated by the nuclear bomb epic oppenheimer , winning seven oppenheimer, winning seven awards, including best director for Christopher Nolan and best actor for cillian murphy. Heres the moment that he claimed that top acting honour. We made a film about the man who created the atomic bomb. And for better or for worse, were all living in oppenheimers world, so i would really like to dedicate this to the peacemakers everywhere. Everywhere. Cillian murphy there receiving his award. Well one of the other biggest cheers of the night went to emma stone, who took her second award for best actress. This time, though, for the dark comedy poor things. But it was a night of bad luck for songwriting legend diane warren, the of 33 top ten singles the writer of 33 top ten singles has notched up 15 nominations over the years, but sadly, zero wins. Last nights award for best original song instead went to Billie Eilish and Finneas Oconnell for the track what was i made for, which was featured in barbie. Those are the headunes in barbie. Those are the headlines for now. More in the next half hour. In the meantime, you can sign up to gb news alerts. Just scan the qr code there on your screen or go to gb news. Com alerts. News. Com alerts. Very good morning. It is 935 monday morning. This is britains newsroom on gb news with andrew pearson. With andrew pearson. Bev turner. Bev turner. Well, were going to go to talk to chris hope, our political editor, because rumours swirling. Reform rumours are swirling. Reform uk is press conference in is holding a press conference in just an hour. Theres just under an hour. Theres theyre billing it with major theyre billing it with a major announcement. Weve a announcement. Weve got a suspicion what it might suspicion we know what it might be. Hope is the man in the be. Chris hope is the man in the know. Chris is there. Chris give us a clue. What what are us a clue. What are what are they going to tell us and where are you, by the way . Morning, andrew. Morning, bev. A location bev. Im in a location in Central London, stones throw Central London, a stones throw here houses of here from the houses of parliament. Thats because here from the houses of parl announcementats because here from the houses of parl announcement , s because here from the houses of parl announcement , we because here from the houses of parl announcement , we think e here from the houses of parl announcement , we think no this announcement, we think no confirmation reform uk. But confirmation from reform uk. But we understand we are going to see a major tory mp defecting to join reform uk this morning. Again, no confirmation on from reform uk, but it looks like it might be lee anderson, the former partys deputy chairman, joining reform uk. Now if this happens , as it is a it is happens, as it is a it is a significant to blow rishi sunak and his attempts to win back that crucial red wall seats. That, of course, Boris Johnson won for the party back in 2019. Lee anderson has been described as the red wall made flesh by some bbc reporters. Hes the mp for ashfield , a former labour for ashfield, a former labour councillor who in fact only voted tory for the first time in 2019 for himself when he became a conservative mp. So if this happens and again, it wont be long to wait. Now the press conference here in, in Central London, in, in westminster is due to start around 10 30 am. It is a massive, massive blow for the Prime Minister, which is sunak for the party chairman, the party organisation. The fact they cant hang on to someone like lee anderson is a real blow. Again, no confirmation from reform uk, but im here at the venue and this place is alive with rumours. Chris, you should just remind people he got into difficulty because of something he said on gb news about the mayor of london and the labour leader, sir keir starmer , being in sir keir starmer, being in thrall to islamists. And he admitted hed used clumsy language but refused to apologise. Apologise. Well, that, in summary, that is exactly what happened. He was on the Martin Daubney show around two weeks ago, last friday, around 5 00 in the afternoon, and he was Martin Daubney was asking, why on earth cant the police enforce the law and stop protesters beaming offensive language to about israel that really offends the jewish people here in this country, onto the onto the tower that houses big ben. Why isnt that houses big ben. Why isnt that happening . And lee anderson that happening . And lee anderson responded by saying, well, he felt that sadiq khan, the mayor of london, and sir keir starmer, theyre in thrall to islamists, now, he didnt resile from that. And of course he wouldnt apologise for that. He said. I did use clumsy language and then he lost the whip on the saturday from the chief whip, simon hart removed the whip from him, which meant that he was no longer a tory mp, was independent. So hes politically hes been homeless politically for what hasnt for two weeks. And what hasnt happened theres been no no happened is theres been no no way get back in. Weve way to get him back in. Weve heard james cleverly, the home secretary, hunt, week secretary, jeremy hunt, a week last sunday, both saying he must apologise before hes allowed back in and he wont apologise. He says hes being clumsy, but he wont say sorry for what he said. And its that breakdown in the lack of an apology from lee anderson, means theres anderson, which means theres been back in for him to been no way back in for him to the tory party and i think thats part of why he might be joining reform uk again , no joining reform uk again, no confirmation for reform uk or from anderson this is what we from mr anderson this is what we think. Chris thank you very okay chris thank you very much. News conference will much. That News Conference will be 1030 i believe be happening at 1030 i believe richard has a rather richard tice has a rather shorter speech than politicians tend to like. Tend to like. On occasions like this, it will still be too long. So. So will he appoint lee so. So will he appoint lee anderson as a member of the reform party and therefore a reform mp . And it will be their first mp. And if you go back a few years to the ukip, they had two mps defected, mark. Mark reckless and the mp for ive forgotten his name. Well come to him in a moment. They both then put the for their defection to a by election and one of them won, well. Lets see. And lets face it, if anybodys going to have an opinion, douglas carswell. Just remember, the other quys just remember, the other guys going to be you at home. Gb news viewers are going to have an opinion on whether lee anderson reform , if that anderson joining reform, if that indeed the announcement indeed is what the announcement is, idea or not. Is, is a good idea or not. Obviously, hes a rather divisive, divisive character. Gb views news. Is the views at gb news. Com is the email address, so yeah, the main story of the day. Huge story front page of all the papers around yesterday as around the world yesterday as well. Course, online and this well. Of course, online and this is, this is around the world because those four major agencies with withdrew the photographs. Up what they call a they put up what they call a kill order includes reuters kill order that includes reuters around donkeys years , around for donkeys years, Associated Press, because they say photographs have been manipulated. Very odd this. So some people have called out the inconsistencies in charlottes sleeve. You can just see sleeve. You can just see a little blurring there, if you like, above where, her thumb would be. Yeah, on her left arm and also the louis fingers. Would be. Yeah, on her left arm and also the louis fingers. Yes. And also the louis fingers. Yes. You could say. Well, hes just a little boy bending his fingers. Thats one of the. I mean, some people have really gone to town on this photo. Theres about, theres items, theres an image about 20 items, but charlotte appears to have a heel on one shoe and no heel on the other shoe. Whats now . And of course, other and of course, the other thing we shouldnt forget. The princess shes not wearing thing we shouldnt forget. The prinwedding shes not wearing thing we shouldnt forget. The prinwedding rings not wearing thing we shouldnt forget. The prinwedding rings now. Nearing thing we shouldnt forget. The prinwedding rings now. Shesg thing we shouldnt forget. The prinwedding rings now. Shes had her wedding rings now. Shes had surgery, so may have lost surgery, so she may have lost weight. It may be its advisable not to wear the rings. But this not to wear the rings. But this is mothers day, and it would have occurred to me that people would obviously comment on that. So would i was taking so i would have if i was taking the photographs, ensured you dont her all. Dont see her hands at all. First thing i noticed was theres no ring on her finger and well, that plays and i thought, well, that plays into that into this accusation that there is troubles marriage, and is troubles in the marriage, and that why shes gone out of that is why shes gone out of the public eye. The issue here, we dont know, do we . We dont know what is going on with this photograph. We dont know if its been cobbled together with old because kate does old pictures because kate does not her picture taken. It not want her picture taken. It might be that the two of them have just taken a stand and said, we want our privacy. Said, no, we want our privacy. And theres a dispute within the palace whether they should palace as to whether they should issue picture or not. Issue a picture or not. They always put they do always put out a photograph mothers day photograph on mothers day of kate kids. Yeah. So kate with the kids. Yeah. So theyre up with that theyre keeping up with that teacher. Well, lets talk to former royal correspondent former bbc royal correspondent michael some michael cole. Michael, some people texting in people already are texting in and and tweeting and emailing in and tweeting and saying in saying this is a storm in a royal cup, let alone a teacup. But actually it it clearly has been manipulated. And the whole point of this photograph was to show world that the princess show the world that the princess of wales happy and healthy of wales is happy and healthy and in full bloom. And yet, if theyve manipulated the photograph, people will think, why did they do that . Is she not as as they would us as healthy as they would have us believe . Believe . Andrew. Andrew. Good morning andrew and also beverly. This good morning andrew and also beverly. This is an absolute fiasco. It is an object lesson fiasco. It is an object lesson in how to turn success into immediate failure, and it is very serious because if you compromise truth, credibility goes with it, youve just, pointed out beverly has just pointed out beverly has just pointed out beverly has just pointed out the apparent, evidence that the image taken , evidence that the image taken, it must be said by prince of wales, Prince William has been altered before it was released. Now, that may seem a trivial matter, but it is not a trivial matter. And because i knew i was coming to talk to you, i spoke to the top person in the United Kingdom at associate press, and she said, and im going to quote from her, she said, for us, it does not matter for what the manipulation is. Only that happen. And thats quite right, because , it was foolish in the because, it was foolish in the extreme for somebody to put out a doctored image because at ap and upi, and reuters and Agence France presse, ap and reuters are the two most prestigious agencies in the world. And i can say that i used to work for their biggest rival, upi. Theyve got people who look at images from war zones, from gaza, from the ukraine. They have to spot fakes because there are people out there. The warring factions are peddling propaganda. And to think that they thought that ap, that they could get a dodgy image past these experts was insane. Totally insane. And im afraid it does undercut the credibility of the royal family. Ive just for, andrews paper mailonline about this and the importance cannot be, exaggerated is extremely important that very soon, in fact, immediately kp needs to become candid about this. They have to explain what happened. They have to explain who did it, because it has to give Prince William some cover who actually manipulated this photograph. This is a disaster photograph. This is a disaster by a photoshop and its such a big mistake by a press office to do that. This is the age of fake news and artificial intelligence. We see prince louis there crossing his fingers. Perhaps he was crossing his fingers that nobody would find out about this fake. That is what it is. What we need is an explanation, and we need is an explanation, and we need is an explanation, and we need it very fast. Michael and if. Yeah, just. Id love to know your thoughts on the fact that if this was issued clearly it was issued with the intention of being perceived as an absolutely genuine, authentic photograph. Why would Kensington Palace release a picture in which the princess of wales is not wearing her wedding ring . Well, there there is no act of Parliament Subject to andrew correcting me that says a woman has to wear her wedding ring or her Engagement Ring every day. I her Engagement Ring every day. I dont know what the reasons are, andifs dont know what the reasons are, and its an extremely good question, but that is why we need some candour from kp on your program. In the past, ive said in the absence of any news about the health of the princess of wales, guidance should have been given to accredited journalists by kp so that the news vacuum didnt fill up with rubbish, which of course it does, which of course it do