Since december 2021. But are you feeling any impact at the checkout as the Prime Minister faces a tory revolt over his plans to criminalise homelessness, will be debating whether it should be a crime to sleep rough and in the sport this morning. Ipswich are top of the championship after a last second goal against southampton. Five goal against southampton. Five premier league games tonight and guess what. 7 more flag problems for british sport shirts this time its the olympics. Time its the olympics. Hello. Its a mixed start to the day. Will it improve as the day goes on. 7 showers in the forecast but also some sunshine. Find out all the weather details coming up. Soon. Coming up. Soon. So good morning to you. A busy news morning. This morning. The Prime Minister has backed the authorj. K. Rowling , as she the authorj. K. Rowling, as she takes a stand against scotlands new hate crime and public order act, which comes into force today. Yes. The harry potter author, who lives in scotland, posted on x previously twitter yesterday she invited the police to arrest her for her views on transgender people. Okay. However rishi sunak has backed her, saying overnight people should not be criminalised for stating simple facts on biology. You should facts on biology. You should only be criminalised if you sleep rough. Obviously, to according him it seems to be a bigger crime. So joining us now in the studio to talk about this Deputy Editor of spiked. Weve got fraser myers on this so old jk shes very defiant on this. She seems very confident as well. Yes. She has put out a sort of shes laid down a marker for the police because we dont know actually yet whether this will be a crime under the new law. The new law is entirely subjective. It talks about it. It makes it an offence to stir up hatred, which can land you with a potential seven years in prison if fall foul of that prison if you fall foul of that law. But we dont we dont yet have a clue how the police will interpret that. And whats very scary is that based on the guidance that the police have received, so far, that could include people at public performances, it could include comedians. It could very explicitly include writers, not. Its not just jk rowling, but nicola sturgeons best mate, val mcdermid. The author has said shes worried that some of the characters in her novels could fall foul of this law and could attract police attention. Attract police attention. Well, what what the truth seems to be is that, Scottish First minister, mr humza yousaf and whatever he seems a very angry man. Hes always angry about something, but basically , about something, but basically, the police will want to implement this law because theyve got enough to do. But it will be a selective law if you want to target someone, if you want to target someone, if you want to target someone, if you want to put them away for something, you have a reason not to do it. Thats precisely the problem with that with such a subjective law that it expect it will it will be. You expect it will be people who are seen as, you know, not politically favourable to the regime, i guess, you know, which is quite worrying. And youre about humza and youre right about humza yousaf. Its actually his law. He it when he was he introduced it when he was justice minister, and now hes overseeing first minister. Overseeing it as first minister. And of people and you know, lots of people have that he comes across have said that he comes across as someone of a bit as someone whos full of a bit of hate himself. Hes certainly angry. Ive never someone so and never seen someone 50 young and so never seen someone so young and so prominent who hes hes spitting every word out, you know, hes hes got hes got more than one chip on his shoulder. I would say. I think think thats true. I think i think thats true. I think there is also, you know, people started hes hes people have started hes hes warned people against making vexatious about this vexatious complaints about this law. Its very to know law. But its very hard to know what a vexatious complaint what is a vexatious complaint because entirely subjective because its entirely subjective and the police have said that, you know, they will record anything that people feel is hateful. Yes. So even they are aware acknowledging that this is entirely a matter of perception. Well ill tell you what. Were going to record anything that you feel is hateful, anything that your views on this, whether youre for this and you think, yeah, this is absolutely needed or whether youre against this and you think weve got no time for this, there are more important things. J. K. Rowling, shes saying thats her saying, arrest me. Thats her defiance. Dares police over defiance. She dares police over this new scottish hate crime law. But the police are only being told what to do by the politicians. So just let us know if you are scottish. Its, you if you are scottish. Its, you know, listening to our voices. It doesnt affect us. But but it does affect you. And let us know what you think. Vaiews gbnews. Com. I mean, this has been really criticised by the uk government, hasnt it. 7 a source saying that the Scottish National party was taking scotland down a very dangerous path , potentially dangerous path, potentially chilling effects on free speech. What do you make of that . Yes, i think this this absolutely will have chilling effects on free speech, precisely because people in scotland not what it scotland now do not know what it is illegal to say, you know, we do not know, at edinburgh do not know, at the edinburgh festival, instance, festival, for instance, that comes you be allowed to comes up, will you be allowed to make of islam . Will you be make fun of islam . Will you be allowed make jokes about allowed to make jokes about transgender issues is transgender issues that is yet to be tested . To be tested . And that is what will not test an Old Firm Game between celtic and rangers, and the sectarian abuse that comes from either end. Are they going to go into that crowd of 60, 70,000 people and make arrests on that day . I people and make arrests on that day . I would doubt it. Well, there was already attempts to criminalise this kind of sectarian chanting. There was the offensive behaviour at football act, which had to be repealed because it was seen as so authoritarian , an was seen as so authoritarian, an it basically that would have sent people to prison for five years for, you know, making sectarian chants , the snp just sectarian chants, the snp just has an appalling track record of coming up with these crazily authoritarian laws. Thankfully, authoritarian laws. Thankfully, authoritarian laws. Thankfully, a lot of them end up in the bin, and we can hope that the same thing happens with this, with this hate crime act. I think whats ironic is that, you know, the snp talks about independence for its, you for scotland. It says its, you know, of scotland, but know, proud of scotland, but actually public enemy know, proud of scotland, but actually one public enemy know, proud of scotland, but actually one for lic enemy know, proud of scotland, but actually one for the enemy know, proud of scotland, but actually one for the snpiy know, proud of scotland, but actually one for the snp is the number one for the snp is the scottish people because it thinks theyre all hateful thinks that theyre all hateful bigots, they need be, bigots, that they need to be, you just one you know, theyre just one moment committing a moment away from committing a hate to be told hate crime. They need to be told what they can and cant say what they cant eat and drink they can and cant eat and drink as well, and things like that. How can raise their how they can raise their children. So it seems to me its also a of classist also a kind of classist and elitist on public, as elitist attack on the public, as well being authoritarian. Well as being authoritarian. Tatchell, the ian peter tatchell, the human rights hes rights campaigner. Hes criticised for criticised the legislation for various but the various things, but one of the things is third party reporting, because people arent because if people arent comfortable reporting it to the police, to other police, you can go to other sites. Theres 400 of them where you register a complaint, you can register a complaint, including a mushroom including a sex shop, a mushroom farm caravan park. Whats farm and a caravan park. Whats that all about . Yeah. Yeah. So this is this idea that, you know, if you are part of a marginalised group, you might not a Good Relationship not have a Good Relationship with the police. You know, with the police. But, you know, the is that you allow the trouble is that if you allow for anonymous reporting, anonymous snitching , then that anonymous snitching, then that surely just encourages vexatious complaints. And the complaints. Further and the police have an obligation under this law, unlike other crimes. Its interesting. You know, the Scottish Police are talking about maybe they wont come to every burglary, maybe they wont come to every mugging, under come to every mugging, but under the provisions of the the under the provisions of the hate , they have to hate crime act, they have to investigate every report. Investigate every single report. Funny how they can make its funny how they can make something obligatory if they want to. Yes, exactly. Well, it shows the priorities the snp. The priorities of the snp. Your car stolen . Well, we so your car stolen . Well, we may or may not, you know, turn up may or may not, you know, turn up and investigate but are you saying something and saying something naughty and potentially as well. Whats also shocking about this you could be this law is that you could be arrested for things you say in your home. So previous hate your own home. So previous hate speech in the uk had speech laws in the uk had a dwelling defence, you know, because obviously the idea that you up hatred in your you could stir up hatred in your own is ridiculous. But own home is ridiculous. But under act, could, under this new act, you could, you think about you know, think about conversations over the dinner table. Children, children , children children, children, children reporting their parents. Granny says something spicy over christmas. Shes in trouble. Yeah. What about jk rowling . Will she get in trouble over this . How do you see her outburst, going going down. I think its very brave of her, whether you agree with her or not, to actually put your head above the parapets and have an opinion on this. Yeah, i think its an incredibly brave move. I think it will i think if she is it will be. I think if she is arrested, i think that will expose the insanity and the derangement the law. I think, derangement of the law. I think, you know, then Public Opinion will turn against it completely , will turn against it completely, you know, the worrying thing is that scotland have that Police Scotland have actually held, events in the run up to this bill where they used someone, a fictionalised version of someone who was obviously jk rowling they were talking rowling and they were talking about, this person a hate about, is this person a hate criminal, someone who, you know, disagrees that biology sexist or, you know, who talks a lot about biological sex, who has a large following is called joanne, which happens to or joe, sorry, happens to joes sorry, which happens to be joes real name. You know, there real name. So you know, there are Police Officers who think are Police Officers who i think are Police Officers who i think are probably up to are probably gearing up to arrest which is quite, arrest her, which is quite, quite troubling. Know that quite troubling. They know that that be pr disaster, of that would be a pr disaster, of course, but many snp politicians have said that she has fallen foul of the letter of the law. Look, if youre watching us, listening to us in scotland this morning and we want to hear from you, get in touch, just, gb views or gb news. Com and just tell them ehrman sent you. Just say ehrman says, ive got to get on and well put you on the phone, or well put you on a zoom link or something. And over the next three hours, well well talk to lots of you who are out there at a time that suits you, that would be very goodif suits you, that would be very good if you do that, fraser, for the moment, thank you very much indeed. Going to were indeed. Were going to were going reaction this going to gauge reaction to this throughout the morning. Well have you back later on. Have you back again later on. Thank sir. Thank you sir. Thank now, as the cost thank you. Now, as the cost of living crisis finally easing, well, shop prices well, inflation in shop prices has dropped to its lowest level since as shoppers since december 2021 as shoppers cut on spending. Cut down on spending. Well, joining us now, chief economist and advisor at cb are becky price. Becky good morning to you. Good morning. I mean to you. Good morning. I mean this is all painted very good. All the all the troubles over were all going to be fine and whatever it is, but were still paying whatever it is, but were still paying more than we ever did before. And what do you make of it all . Well, its absolutely true that things are still much more expensive than they used to be, because were talking about inflation coming rather inflation coming down rather than pnces inflation coming down rather than prices falling. Than necessarily prices falling. In some cases they have we have seen the odd month when even, clothing prices go down. Sorry, isuppose clothing prices go down. Sorry, i suppose you can hear me still. I suppose you can hear me still. Yeah, you can, so, what were seeing right now is that the food Price Inflation slowed down, which has taken place, which is quite significant, is very good news, of course, for the consumer. But were talking about prices having, you know , about prices having, you know, increased by 1. 3 year on year increased by 1. 3 year on year in the last month, whereas a year ago they were rising by about 15. So thats a big, big change. The question is what happens next . I mean, some of the food prices that we have seen have come down, as i said, with theres been the odd, month when that has been the case and even this time weve seen chocolate down, chocolate prices coming down, despite that cocoa despite the fact that cocoa pnces despite the fact that cocoa prices have gone up very significantly the past few significantly over the past few months retailers are months because retailers are very, keen. And very, very keen. And supermarkets ensure that supermarkets to ensure that everyone buys or bought those , everyone buys or bought those, easter chocolates, of course, which are so important for this time of the year, but what surprises me is that, you know, good news in many ways, but if you look at International Food prices, they have been coming for down almost two years now since about april 2022. Before that, we saw a huge increase in prices, partly because of post covid. Supply issues. And then of course because of the energy price increases that weve seen which affected everything. But but food prices have been coming down, down, actually, not just, in terms of inflation, but the actual price of most foods has been coming down internationally. But we havent really seen that until just now being reflected in what were paying being reflected in what were paying at the shops. And that, of course, is because costs are still reasonably high for supermarkets. They had to pay a lot in terms of wages, lot more in terms of wages, still some transport costs and so on. But overall, i think we could have expected by now to see prices falling rather than just inflation falling. And that is something which i think we need to be looking at for the future as well. Need to be looking at for the futland s well. Need to be looking at for the futland vicky, what that delay and vicky, what is that delay about . Is that that old, about . Because is that that old, that age thing, isnt it, of that age old thing, isnt it, of pnces that age old thing, isnt it, of prices shooting up like a rocket and coming down like a feather , and coming down like a feather, and coming down like a feather, and that it could be in part down to transport and wages, as you but how much is food you say. But how much is food inflation baked in at this point . There was a concern that there has been a concern , there has been a concern, probably still is a concern about supermarkets have about whether supermarkets have been from this. And been profiteering from this. And weve also seen sort of shrink inflation the sense that inflation in the sense that weve the sizes of weve had the sizes of particular being reduced particular items being reduced in, in in an effort to ensure that prices dont perhaps rise as much when people are still able to buy the goods, although there is less of it in the packets or the boxes that theyre paying, or in the wrapping that theyre, getting from supermarkets. So. So there from supermarkets. So. So there was a bit of an issue about whether the fact that there is high inflation is also encouraged shops to just raise their prices arbitrarily, but if you look at the Profit Margins of supermarkets, theyre not that great. So perhaps that argument isnt that, that that big, but i think wages do matter, you touched on that yourself. We are about to see minimum wage go up quite significantly. Supermarkets and lots of other shops are going to have to bear that and transport is still expensive, weve seen, for example , in the last month for example, in the last month at the pumps that, petrol prices have gone up. So that adds quite considerably to just transporting things from one place to another, so logistics matters, weve now, of course, have shipments being affected because of whats going on in the red sea. So there are concerns also whats going to happen to Energy Prices in the future which is going to be future too, which is going to be an issue. So a number of, of, of things that are affecting it. But what were also seeing though lot competition though is a lot more competition taking at taking place. If you look at other not other items, not just necessarily food you look at necessarily food and you look at retail overall, youve seen, you know, number come know, a number of items come down because everyone realises that arent going to go that shoppers arent going to go in, given that they have so many other expenses to bear right now, including loads of Service Costs up april is the costs going up april is the month when everything is increasing quite substantially for p