Princess diana every day, but meanwhile, meghan has launched this new lifestyle blog within an hour of this event happening. More details shortly. More details shortly. Mps salaries will increase by 5. 5 in april, taking their yearly wage to over £91,000. Were asking does your local mp deserve it . Deserve it . Rishi sunak rules out a general election on may the 2nd, the same day when voters are set to go to the polls for the local elections. Elections. Russia jammed signals on an raf plane carrying defence minister grant shapps and a group of journalists, including our very own gb News Reporter ray addison. Ray addison. Youll love this. Drivers are warned to stay away from a five mile stretch of the m25 in surrey this weekend. Therell be an unprecedented closure of the motorway. Motorway. Yes. Let us know what you make of that , especially if you make of that, especially if you live near that section of the m25. Apparently the reroute away from the m25 is going to be through all the little villages, going to take double the length of time. Theyre expecting massive jams over massive traffic jams there over the weekend. Know what the weekend. Let us know what you about that. You think about that. Its been suggested, you as its been suggested, you might just want to redecorate your might just want to redecorate youyes, thats suggested. Yes, thats what i suggested. Yes. You make of that . Yes. What do you make of that . Do know. Also mps pay do let us know. Also mps pay 91,000. I think its £436 a year now. You think they deserve now. Do you think they deserve it . Considering the front page of Financial Times today, of the Financial Times today, says that the parliamentary day is shortest that its is now the shortest that its ever in 25 years. What do ever been in 25 years. What do you think about that . Do let us you think about that . Do let us know. Gb views at gb news. Com. But first lets get a news bulletin with tatiana. Ali. Thank you. The top stories from the newsroom. This morning. Speculation continues to mount over the general election, after the Prime Minister ruled out the 2nd of may as a possible date. Rishi sunak told itv news west country he doesnt want the vote to coincide with what he described as important local elections being held on that day. Questions have been raised about another date in may or even the summer, despite the Prime Minister saying earlier this year that hes working on the assumption of a general election in autumn, labours deputy in the autumn, labours Deputy National coordinator , ellie national coordinator, ellie reeves, says nows the time to go to the polls. Go to the polls. He could call an election up until the 26th of march to take place on the 2nd of may. So, you know, just get on and call it the 2nd of may is the right time in the electoral cycle to have an election. Weve got council and mayoral elections in on that day. You know, whats whats he running scared of. Its time to give the public a say. And hes still got time to call it millions of pounds worth of drugs. And eight xl bullies have been seized during county lines raids. Hundreds of weapons were also found , including rambo also found, including rambo knives and machetes. Every police force across the uk took part in the raids last week. Results in more than 1800 arrests, hundreds of phone lines used to distribute drugs from cities to towns and villages were also shut down. Hamas is said to be moving towards a truce deal with israel, but Benjamin Netanyahu has called the terror groups list of demands unrealistic. Thousands of people in israel took to the streets last night, demanding an Immediate Release of hostages from gaza, to according news agency reuters. Hamas has presented a Gaza Ceasefire proposal , presented a Gaza Ceasefire proposal, which includes a first stage of releasing israeli women, children and the elderly in exchange for the freedom of palestinian prisoners. 100 of palestinian prisoners. 100 of them are currently serving life sentences. Private firms are sentences. Private firms are issuing an average of more than 35,000 parking tickets to drivers every day. Amid a wait for the government to regulate the industry, analysis from motoring company rac said many drivers could feel badly let down by the governments delay in introducing a code of conduct. It found 9. 7 million tickets were issued to drivers in britain between april and december last year, with each ticket potentially costing drivers up to £100. For the latest stories , you can sign up latest stories, you can sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen, or you can go to gb news. Com similar. Similar. A very good morning. Welcome to britains newsroom on gb news with ellie and pip. Great to have you with us this friday morning. And its the morning after two brothers appeared at the same event, but very much separately. Who might we be talking about, ellie. That might be Prince William and prince harry, who couldnt actually bring themselves to share the stage last night at an event honouring their late mother , but it was a night that mother, but it was a night that they paid tribute to her legacy. Prince william went first, giving his legacy award is particularly special as it marks the 25th anniversary year of the diana award. She taught me that everyone has the potential to give Something Back , that everyone in Something Back, that everyone in need deserves a supporting hand in life. That legacy is something that both catherine and i sought to focus on through our work. Our work. Then prince harry gave a message via video call, but only after his brother had already left the event. Im seriously impressed with the with the work that you do, especially at the young age that youre at and the future is yours. Its why youve been chosen and thats why youve youve given these awards. Youve been given these awards. So my mum would be incredibly proud of all the work that youve done, incredibly youve done, im incredibly proud. For doing proud. And thank you for doing everything that you do. Well, just one hour before the ceremony began, Meghan Markle launched this lifestyle brand on instagram. Brand on instagram. I wish you bluebirds in the spnng i wish you bluebirds in the spring to give your heart a song to sing and then a kiss. But more than this, i coincidental or calculated from meghan. What do you reckon . Well, theres quite a lot to unpack here. So joining us in the studio is our royal correspondent, cameron walker. Cameron, can we just start on the two brothers at the same event, diana legacy awards talking about how proud their mother would be. How proud would their mother be that they were at the event together . Well, estranged. I cannot speak for Princess Diana, but i think most people in the world would think she would be heartbroken by the fact that harry and william could not be, or refuse to be in the same room as one another, even if clearly the logistics of prince harry being in the United States could cause an issue. But even Prince William being on the stage and harry appearing behind him on a video that didnt him on a video link, that didnt happen either. Prince william had time prince had left by the time prince harry did that video call with the winners , and its just such the winners, and its just such a contrast to 2017, which is which was the inaugural prince diana legacy awards, the charity has been around for 25 years, but the award has been going since 2017. And in saint jamess palace, william and harry were on the stage together championing because championing young people because the whole of the awards is the whole point of the awards is Princess Dianas that Princess Dianas belief that young people power to young people have the power to change world, and we see change the world, and we do see that legacy rubbing off on both william as theyre william and harry as theyre both alluding to. But the fact that just were so separate that they just were so separate just clearly shows that there is still a massive rift between the two brothers. And also my problem with this is that it completely distracts from the awards because were not talking about them. Were talking about this ongoing rift between them. Yeah, and thats a huge issue for them. And i think over the last three, four years, the royal family, the distraction of harry and Meghan Megxit moving across the other side of the atlantic, it has been a massive distraction and a massive headache. Prince william can say all he likes in his speech , but all he likes in his speech, but if hes refusing to appear with his at same time, his brother at the same time, im saying if there were im not saying if there were conversations that might be conversations that they might be back together then it back together, then clearly it is to distract. But also is going to distract. But also on other hand, if they did on the other hand, if they did decide appear together on the decide to appear together on the stage, arguably that would be an even bigger story, because it would be the start of that reunion and mending of ties. Reunion and the mending of ties. But but clearly that would be a step in the right direction. And the awards, i think, inevitably were always going to be overshadowed. It would have been for them to have appeared together. Like you harry could have been you say, harry could have been on behind william at on a screen behind william at the legacy awards. That the diana legacy awards. That would such positive would have been such a positive news would have been such a positive neerah. And the editor of yeah. And the royal editor of the standard had done the Evening Standard had done a column mail this morning column in the mail this morning saying Princess Diana would column in the mail this morning sayingtheir Princess Diana would column in the mail this morning sayingtheir heads ss diana would column in the mail this morning sayingtheir heads together, vould knock their heads together, knock their heads together, knock sense into but knock some sense into them. But of course, isnt here. Of course, she isnt here. Really, sadly, and it appears that they just really are not on speaking terms. Even when, harry came to the following came back to the uk following King Charless diagnosis, King Charless cancer diagnosis, they did not meet. And you think your father having cancer would be a Good Opportunity to meet . But clearly not. Its such a sad state but clearly not. Affairs,its such a sad state but clearly not. Affairs, isnthh a sad state but clearly not. Affairs, isnt it . A sad state but clearly not. Affairs, isnt it . Look, state of affairs, isnt it . Look, lets about the remarkable lets talk about the remarkable timing. Really. One hour timing. Really. Just one hour before legacy awards, before the diana legacy awards, when markle decided to when Meghan Markle decided to launch american riviera orchard. Launch american riviera orchard. Yes, a new lifestyle blog, a totally unexpected i think nobody was expecting it that evening. In fact, when i first saw it, i wasnt sure if it was real or not, but i contacted meghans office and they confirmed to me that yes, it is absolutely legitimate. This is meghans new lifestyle America Riviera lifestyle blog America Riviera orchard. She has a track record orchard. She has a track record on launching quite successful lifestyle blogs the tig before she met prince harry. Very successful her commercially , successful for her commercially, the point of her and harry the whole point of her and harry leaving the family leaving the royal family arguably could arguably was so they could pursue their commercial pursue their own commercial deals. Exactly what deals. And thats exactly what she is doing. So fair play to her. But the timing is the issue here, because it was an hour before her husband and brother in law were honouring the legacy of Princess Diana , and it does of Princess Diana, and it does have the potential overshadow have the potential to overshadow now the cynic in me would say it was time to deliberately to go to coincide with that awards, to try and get as much coverage as possible the new blog. It possible for the new blog. It could also be a coincidence could also just be a coincidence. We simply know. But. We simply dont know. But i think lot of people are think a lot of people are questioning the timing. Morning. Of morning, got as of this morning, its got more than 331,000 followers. Yeah, shes popular. And when she did that little that little video for insta stories, what was the soundtrack . I wish you love by nancy wilson . I wonder if she was wishing the royal family love as well. Does it include them . Well, quite possibly. We see her also cooking in a nice motherly way, rearranging flowers roses like, flowers and roses and the like, it got a new agent, it is. Shes got a new agent, wme, which is a prestigious Hollywood Agency who are known for really bringing tactics for commercial deals and perhaps improving her brand. Shes the least popular member of the royal family in the United Kingdom. Apart from prince andrew, and she will be acutely aware of that. And i think wme will also be aware of that. And this is her trying to perhaps improve her popularity and also their all the their power of all the commercial they can have. Commercial stuff they can have. Could a few brand deals could see a few brand deals going with this blog. Going along with this blog. Are rules with now, what are the rules with brand deals . Now, what are the rules with bra because . Now, what are the rules with bra because i thought the because i thought under the name duchess she name duchess of sussex, she couldnt run business. So what . She cannot capitalise on is the word royal that was agreed at the sandringham summit 2020. Sandringham summit back in 2020. The duchess sussex is a bit the duchess of sussex is a bit more of a grey think more of a grey line, i think arguably, and what she would argue she isnt argue is that she isnt capitalising on her title. Shes capitalising on her title. Shes capitalising american capitalising on the american riviera orchards title, but still by meghan, still her name by meghan, duchess of sussex, is on the tin. But shes also launched sussex comm, so its using that sussex comm, so its using that sussex title. But technically sussex title. But technically its not royal so she could get away with it. I see working those loopholes. Thank you very much. Cameron walker , good to see you. Cameron walker, good to see you. Thank very much. Thank you very much. The Prime Minister has ruled out holding a general election on the 2nd of may, following speculation that he could choose to hold the vote early. Well, meanwhile, mps are getting another pay rise, bringing their salary to over £91,000 at a time where its reported that mps clock off earlier in a length of day in the comments. Its now hit a record low, the lowest in 25 years, actually. Absolutely. Absolutely. So Richard Graham, hes going to talk to us. Hes the conservative mp for gloucester. Good morning richard. Explain to me then why you as an mp are worth or going to be worth £91,346 a year. The trade tried to make the argument that im worth anything. Ive always believed that this was a job which was a seven day a week job, probably 15 hours a day on many occasions, and we get on and do it as best as we possibly can individually and collectively. And then somebody else decide what are the rations we should be paid. Many of us took a big sort of pay cut to come into politics. Some people are getting more money than they used to, so theres a complete range of sort of free market options. If you like to work out what any of us are worth. But the most important thing is, do you want to have, you know, good people doing an important job as best they can and working hard. And thats the measure. We should be judged by now. Should all be judged by now. Of course, we can all appreciate that argument. What of course, we can all appreci make at argument. What of course, we can all appreci make at the ment. What of course, we can all appreci make at the ment paget of course, we can all appreci make at the ment page of do you make of the front page of the Financial Times this morning that the that reports that the parliamentary for mps is now parliamentary day for mps is now the shortest that its been in 25 years, just seven hours and nine minutes. You can understand why some people might look at this pay rise and look at the £91,000 a year figure and say, well, is this deserved . Yeah. The trouble is, of course, that what the fight is looking at is the number of hours that the chamber of the house of commons is actually operating and thats their, their criterion. But the reality of it is huge amounts of work are going on outside the chamber, whether its in select Committee Meetings or meetings , Committee Meetings or meetings, for example, of the joint committee of National Security strategy that i sit on, the all party groups, the meetings with constituent workers, trade envoys, which is often completely invisible, you name it, there are huge amounts of things that everybody is doing, including, of course, all the government ministers whove got that job as well. So its not the best way to judge it. Although i agree that the perception and the visibility of it is probably, you know, not one that that helps the argument, but i think youd all be amazed if anyone was trying to shadow us for a day in the commons or in our constituencies at how much goes on and how much is also going on. Rich