Aaron. Aaron armstrong. Thank you very much indeed , thank you very much indeed, mark. Very good evening to you. It is a minute past nine here in the gb newsroom. Early results from russias president ial election putin has election show Vladimir Putin has won an extraordinary yet expected 87. 87 of the vote. However, thousands of russians turned out in a show of dissent. Earlier, a long queues formed at polling stations across the country at midday. It was in response to a call from the widow of Opposition LeaderAlexei Navalny for a noon against putin protest. Yulia navalny herself attended a demonstration in berlin , and demonstration in berlin, and similar gatherings took place outside russian embassies in cities around the world, including london. Putin in his victory speech a short time ago, has said his win will allow russia to consolidate society and become stronger and more effective. Transport secretary effective. Transport secretary mark harper says rishi sunak will lead the tories into the next election. Senior figures in the party have been attempting to downplay claims of conservative plot to replace the Prime Minister, with Penny Mordaunt. The move would mean a mordaunt. The move would mean a fourth leader of the party in just five years. Mr harper, though, unlike labour, the though, says unlike labour, the conservatives have a plan to deliver for the country. Deliver for the country. Youve got to show them by the time of the election two things weve got to show them that weve got a plan. The plan is working and its delivering for them, and i think we can see that on inflation on that it is on inflation and on taxes. Then got to taxes. Weve also then got to show them that the labour party doesnt have a plan and will be a big risk. For example, we know the labour party wants to spend £28 billion on their plan. £28 billion on their green plan. Theyve hidden the price tag now, but they dont know how to pay now, but they dont know how to pay for it. That would mean taxes going up. Taxes going up. Drivers have been dealing with more disruption on the third day of the m25 closure, with reports of lengthy tailbacks. A five mile stretch between junctions ten and 11 in surrey has been closed since friday night. A bridge has been demolished and national highways say the planned gantry has now been installed. It works on schedule and so they still plan to reopen on monday morning at 6 am. Steve harley, best known as a. M. Steve harley, best known as the front man of the british rock band cockney rebel, has died at the age of 73. Come up and see me to make me smile while i was their big hit, the number one song, make me smile in 1975, and steve harley had been touring up until recently , been touring up until recently, but cancelled dates to have treatment for cancer. But cancelled dates to have treatment for cancer. His daughter greta says he died peacefully with his family by his side , and revellers have his side, and revellers have been gathering in cities around the world to celebrate Saint Patricks day in belfast. Patricks day in belfast. Thousands of people turned out to watch a noisy and colourful procession and there were no shortage of shamrocks, music and leprechauns in dublin, where locals vie with tourists along oconnell street to watch the annual parade, organisers say its the largest ever this year , its the largest ever this year, however, no one celebrates being irish like the americans and chicago gearing up for the traditional parades , with the traditional parades, with the citys river dyed green. As always. More on all of citys river dyed green. As always. More on all of our stories with our gb news alerts. Scan the qr code on your screen right now or check it out on our website. Now its back to. Mark. Website. Now its back to. Mark. Thanks, aaron, a very happy Saint Patricks day to one and all. Welcome to mark dolan tonight busy one this evening in my big opinion , with almost 10 my big opinion, with almost 10 million working age brits not active in the economy , we are active in the economy, we are fast becoming the lazy man of europe again. Britain isnt working and we will all pay the price in the big story. Is it time for rishi to go . Ill be asking liz trusss favourite policy guru, plus developing tonight in a mark dolan tonight exclusive, a second royal photo row was this image of the queen and her great grandchildren manipulated. And to celebrate manipulated. And to celebrate Saint Patricks day, my mark meets guest is the brilliant irish broadcaster niall boylan, who has of course made quite a splash in ireland with his brilliant broadcasting. Why has this National Festival of a small european country become a global event . In my take at ten. Its being reported, as youve heard in the headlines there, that tory backbenchers are plotting to sensationally remove rishi sunak from number 10 and install Penny Mordaunt as an emergency Prime Minister. Ill be giving my unapologetic response at ten and you wont want to miss it. Also tonight , want to miss it. Also tonight, could a return to frontline politics by nigel farage wipe out the tories once and for all . Ill be asking fearless former government minister Ann Widdecombe , and weve got widdecombe, and weve got tomorrows front pages at 1030, with three top pundits who havent been told what to say and who dont follow the script. Tonight, Annunziata Rees mogg , tonight, Annunziata Rees mogg, Kulveer Ranger and nigel nelson. Kulveer ranger and nigel nelson. Plus the most important part of the show, your emails that come straight to my laptop market gbnews. Com. And this show has a golden rule we dont do boring. Golden rule we dont do boring. Not on my watch. I just wont have it now , before we carry on, have it now, before we carry on, let me just say that im 50 today. My birthday is Saint Patricks day and here is a photograph of me in the arms of my fabulous auntie bernie. Shes my fabulous auntie bernie. Shes such a beautiful lady. She still is. Amazing person there. Shes cradling me about six months old on her wedding day to uncle john. And then this is me. I think about the age of 3 or 4 dribbling a rascal then and a rascal now. But i want to thank you so much for all the lovely messages. Can i just say that photo is not photoshopped . It wasnt taken by any members of the royal family. Its the real deal the royal family. Its the real deal. Quick note to deal. But just a quick note to say ive had so many lovely messages wishing happy messages wishing me a happy birthday and ive presents birthday and ive had presents as well, i do not deserve. As well, which i do not deserve. For eileen , who reckons for example, eileen, who reckons im thing news im the best thing on gb news well, i couldnt possibly say that. Thank you. And that. But eileen, thank you. And she me two packets of she sent me two packets of delicious chocolate sainsburys biscuits, which we are currently devouring. Other supermarkets, devouring. Other supermarkets, of course are available, so listen , it was my birthday today listen, it was my birthday today and i had a chance of the night off, but i wanted to spend it with you. So lets have a big two hours and we start with my big opinion. Forget about success in the euros or this summers olympics. Once again, britain looks likely to scoop the unwanted award of lazy man of europe, if not the world. Its been revealed that almost 10 million working age brits are not active in the economy. 10 million the head of the uks tax and spending watchdog, the obr, warned of a worrying rise in economic inactivity, driven by growing numbers of people claiming to suffer from long term sickness. And yet we spend record amounts on the nhs, so record amounts on the nhs, so record sickness, record investment, make it make sense. Now, clearly there are plenty of people potentially watching or listening to tonights show who are of working age but are not able to work due to a serious mental or physical illness or severe disability. If thats the case, my heart goes out to you and to support people unable to work is the whole point of the welfare state. But are you seriously telling me that almost 10 Million People are unable to get up in the morning and put a shift in, particularly young people for whom the statistics are even more worrying . The are even more worrying . The under 25 are driving up worklessness levels , with almost worklessness levels, with almost 3 million youngsters now classed as economically inactive , and a as economically inactive, and a report by the Resolution Foundation found the economic inactivity among Young Workers has doubled in a decade. Why . If theyre young and fit and not in education, they should be out working. Its what you did. Its working. Its what you did. Its what i did. These youngsters are largely blaming Mental Health plot spoiler guys life is difficult. Crack on now. Mental health is a serious issue and if youve got a problem, whatever your age, you must seek professional help. But we now live in a society and have an nhs which all too often medicalize Mental Health. And the minute youre having a bad day, youre offered pills by your gp and eventually signed off on long terms. Sick, which is a sick joke for the millions who do get up in the morning and go to work , even though life go to work, even though life isnt a bed of roses for them either. Be clear if we isnt a bed of roses for them either. Be clear if we all just stop going to work, the country will fall over. This issue of will fall over. This issue of worklessness appears increasingly to be more cultural than medical, with people taking the view that it doesnt really pay the view that it doesnt really pay to work. They could just as well stay at home, bake banana bread and watch netflix. After all, thats what we paid millions people to do during millions of people to do during the pandemic. The furlough scheme, which was basically communism 2. 0, saw billions of pounds borrowed to provide people a salary to do precisely nothing. And post pandemic they have kept the habit. Our disastrous response to covid 19 and the lockdowns, which in my view, completely failed to stop the virus, have created a double nightmare for britain. A Mental Health crisis with people too depressed to leave the house or hold down a job and a large percentage of the population who just dont see the point. The inherent empathy and generosity of our welfare state is clearly being abused by too many people who could work, but dont. And who could work, but dont. And their decision to stay at home is being bankrolled by the people that do, millions of whom are on low wages and are struggling. But they still go to work. And thats unfair that they have to, whilst others dont. Mental health is the one that ive got to say mystifies me. How was the nations Mental Health when german bombs rained over our great cities during the Second World War . As a species, we have prevailed over conflict, pestilence, Natural Disaster and famine. But now youngsters who spent too much time on tiktok and instagram are too sad to go to work. This doesnt end well, folks. We have plugged the skills gap in our economy for years now with mass migration, which reduces per capita gdp and places unsustainable strain on our creaking infrastructure. Whether its housing, the nhs, transport or education, mass migration is subject to the law of diminishing returns. It is of diminishing returns. It is the crack cocaine which no longer produces the desired high. But were still injecting. High. But were still injecting. Why . Because our people will not work. Young people in particular work. Young people in particular should be out there driving themselves forward, starting careers, taking risks and seeking to take over the world. Instead, the only world they want to take over is the fictional one in grand theft auto or fortnite, as their hands are glued to the joystick of a gaming console. If worklessness carries on like this, britain will just be on the slippery slope to bankruptcy and grinding poverty. The nation has entered a collective gloom off the back of two and a half years, of locking people in their houses, causing a Mental Health tsunami and making laziness a lifestyle choice. Britain isnt working, quite literally. Will the last person to leave the country please switch the lights off on their way out . Okay, folks, so your reaction mark at gbnews. Com. Ill get to your email shortly. But first, my top email shortly. But first, my top punst email shortly. But first, my top pundits tonight, in no particular order. Im delighted to have with me alongside my panel to have with me alongside my panel. We have former brexit party mep Annunziata Rees mogg , party mep Annunziata Rees mogg, conservative peer and former adviser to Boris Johnson , adviser to Boris Johnson, Kulveer Ranger, lord ranger and gb news senior political commentator nigel nelson. Great to have all three of you with me. Kulveer britain isnt working literally. Well, youre working tonight and your birthday, so youre setting the right tone. Mark. So congratulations on that. But congratulations on that. But youre right, i think less of britain isnt working. Think britain isnt working. I think thats the point here. And there are youve done are factors that youve done in your fabulous monologue there that know that have indicated why we know that have indicated why we know that theres less physical activity. The ultra processed foods, the Mental Health issues. But these things have been building up over years. And then weve had this sort of moment where its come together where its all come together under the umbrella of the pandemic, and weve had this impact economy , because i impact on our economy, because i think figures state impact on our economy, because i thinieveryigures state impact on our economy, because i thinievery country, state impact on our economy, because i thinievery country, everyite impact on our economy, because i thinievery country, every major that every country, every major european country has had this effect, of effect, that a lot of inactiveness has occurred in their populations. Just their populations. Its just ours bounced back as ours hasnt bounced back as fast, i hope, as others. And we do need to look deeper at the roots of that in britain. I think there is something about social media, but then every country has that to a certain degree. I think theres something more about our lifestyle and our health and the things eating. And i think things were eating. And i think thats definitely something that britain us have in common. Young people are also taking drugs. Yes, there is drugs, although theyre not drinking as much. Ive noticed that. So theres a different issue here, and i think we have to look at whats happening around the generation think we have to look at whats h. Or ening around the generation think we have to look at whats h. Or the 1g around the generation think we have to look at whats h. Or the genound the generation think we have to look at whats h. Or the gen zs d the generation think we have to look at whats h. Or the gen zs ande generation think we have to look at whats h. Or the gen 2s and where ration think we have to look at whats h. Or the gen 2s and where aren z or the gen 2s and where are they . Where z or the gen zs and where are they . Where are their role models, role models in britain. And id say sort of a western society. And i think weve got to look at this closely. And i to look at this closely. And i think we can always blame the politicians. And i know everyones sort of blaming. Is it this government, last it this government, the last government Prime Minister government is the Prime Minister whos but this is whos at fault here, but this is more have to more deep rooted. And we have to look do we get that look at how do we get that motivation also motivation that we also mentioned. Think , you know, mentioned. I think, you know, where were wheres that wartime spirit . That was the spirit . But i think that was the stiff upper lip, which isnt quite were looking for. Quite what were looking for. Were looking a new were looking for a new generation entrepreneurship, were looking for a new gepeoplei entrepreneurship, were looking for a new ge people wantingzpreneurship, were looking for a new ge people wanting to eneurship, were looking for a new ge people wanting to achieve, , of people wanting to achieve, people to be inspired, people wanting to feel i can do something and we have to find that for them. Indeed nigel, i dont want to demonise young people. Our future. But we they are our future. But we have a problem with motivation, dont we . In generation z, if they dont go to work, the country is going to fall over. Bear in mind, awful well, bear in mind, an awful lot those young people are lot of those young people are actually of them are. Some some of them are. Well, some a will be students , a lot of them will be students, so theyre economically inactive. The point here that so theyre economically inacquotede point here that so theyre economically inacquoted the int here that so theyre economically inacquoted the onsere that so theyre economically inacquoted the ons on that so theyre economically inacquoted the ons on this. At so theyre economically inacquoted the ons on this. What you quoted the ons on this. What the ons say is a lot of this is down to population change. So weve got an ageing population. Given whats happened with that demographic as youve just joined it, the 50 to 60 fours, dont rub it in there. Theyre dont rub it in there. Theyre retiring early. And the reason theyre retiring early is because technology is taking over their jobs. Some cant face trying to learn about it. And theyre in 450,000 of them who are being forced out of their jobs because ai has taken over. So these are all people whove become economically in