Transcripts For GBN Britains 20240703

Of bring you a round up of course bring you a round up of course bring you a round up of News Headlines, but we of the News Headlines, but we might to out of it to might have to dip out of it to hear from the Prime Minister about how he is going to tackle what he is britains sick what he calls is britains sick note culture. What is your experience record . Number of experience of record . Number of people work. The people are now off work. The number of people has shot up, shot up since the pandemic. Number of people has shot up, shot up since the pandemic. What shot up since the pandemic. What is your experience . Do let us know. Before all that, heres your News Headlines with sam francis. News headlines with sam francis. Ben and pip, thank you very much. Well, as we just heard there, rishi sunak is speaking in central london. Were going to take you there live now to hear more from him as he sets out his welfare reform plan, overcome whatever barriers they might face to living an independent, fulfilling life. Independent, fulfilling life. Everyone with the potential should be supported and not just to earn, but to contribute and belong. And we must never tolerate barriers that hold people back from making their contribution and from sharing in that sense of self worth that comes from feeling part of being something bigger than ourselves. And that is why this is a moral mission. And why the value of work is so central to my vision for welfare reform. And it is fitting to be setting out that vision here at the centre for social justice. Over your 20 social justice. Over your 20 year history, youve inspired far reaching changes to welfare, and i want to pay tribute to you and i want to pay tribute to you and of course, your founder, my friend iain duncan smith, who began that journey of reform in 2010, a journey carried through so ably today by mel stride. Because when we arrived in office in 2010, people coming office in 2010, people coming off benefits and into work could lose £9 for every ten they earned by far the highest marginal tax rate. And that was morally wrong. So we created universal credit to make sure that work always pays. We introduced the National Living wage and increased it every year , ending low pay in this country. Were rolling out 30 hours of Free Childcare for every family over nine months of age. Weve halved inflation to make the money you earn worth more, and weve cut Workers National insurance by a third and £900 tax cut for someone earning the average wage, because it is profoundly wrong that income from work is taxed twice when other forms of income are not. For me, it is a fundamental duty of government to make sure that hard work is always rewarded. I know, and you know that you dont get anything in life without hard work. Its the only way to build a better life for ourselves and our family, and the only way to build a more prosperous country. But in the period since the pandemic , something has gone pandemic, something has gone wrong. The proportion of people who are economically inactive in britain is still lower than our international peers, and lower today than in any year under the last Labour Government. But last Labour Government. But since the pandemic, 850,000 more people have joined this group due to long time sickness. This is wiped out a decades worth of progress in which the rate had fallen every single year. Now, of those who are economically inactive, fully half say they have depression or anxiety and most worrying of all, the biggest proportional increase in economic inactivity due to long tum sickness came from young people. Those in the prime of their life, just starting out on work and family instead parked on welfare. Now we should see it as a sign of progress. Of course, that people can talk openly about Mental Health conditions in a way that years ago would have been unthinkable and i will never dismiss or downplay the illnesses people have. Anyone who has suffered mental ill health, or had family and friends who have knows that these conditions are real and they matter. But just these conditions are real and they matter. But just as it would be wrong to dismiss this growing trend, so it would be wrong to merely sit back and accept it because its too hard , accept it because its too hard, too controversial, or for fear of causing offence. Doing so of causing offence. Doing so would let down many of the people. Our welfare system was designed to help. Because if you designed to help. Because if you believe, as i do, that work gives you the chance not just to earn, but to contribute to belong, to overcome feelings of loneliness and social isolation. And if you believe, as i do, the growing body of evidence, that good work can actually improve mental and physical health, then it becomes clear we need to be more ambitious about helping people back to work and more honest about the risk of over medicalising the everyday challenges and worries of life failed to address this, and we risk not only letting those people down, but creating a deep sense of unfairness amongst those whose taxes fund our social safety net in a way that risks undermining trust and consent in that very system. We cant stand for that. And of cant stand for that. And of course, the situation as it is economically unsustainable. We cant lose so many people from our workforce whose contributions could help to drive growth, and theres no Sustainable Way to achieve our goal of bringing down migration levels, which are just too high, without giving more of our own people. The skills , incentives people. The skills, incentives and support to get off welfare and support to get off welfare and back into work. And we cant afford such a spiralling increase in the welfare bill and the irresponsible burden that will place on this and future generations of taxpayers. We now spend. Generations of taxpayers. We now spend. £69 billion on benefits spend. £69 billion on benefits for people of working age with a disability or health condition. Thats more than our entire schools budget, more than our transport budget , more than schools budget, more than our transport budget, more than our policing budget and spending on personal independence payments alone is forecast to increase by more than 50 over the next four years. Let me just repeat that. Years. Let me just repeat that. If we do not change, it will increase by more than 50 in just four years. Thats not right. Its not sustainable. And its not fair on the taxpayers who fund it. So in the next parliament, a conservative government will significantly reform and control welfare. Now, this is not about making our safety net less generous or imposing a blanket freeze on all benefits, as some have suggested. Im not prepared to balance the books on the backs of the most vulnerable. Instead, the critical questions are about eligibility , about who should be eligibility, about who should be entitled to support and what kind of support best matches their needs, and to answer these questions, i want to set out today five conservative reforms for a new welfare settlement for britain. First, we must be more ambitious in assessing peoples potential for work right now, the gateway to ill Health Benefits is writing too many off, leaving them on the wrong type of support. And with no expectation of trying to find a job with all the advantages that that brings in 2011, 20 of those doing a Work Capability assessment were deemed unfit to work. But the latest figure now stands at 65. Thats wrong. People are not three times sicker than they were a decade ago, and the world of work has changed dramatically now. Of course, those with serious , course, those with serious, debilitating conditions should never be expected to work. But never be expected to work. But if you have a low level mobility issue, your employer could make reasonable adjustments, perhaps including adaptations to enable you to work from home and if youre feeling anxious or depressed, then of course you should get the support and treatment you need to manage your condition. But that doesnt mean we should assume you cant engagein mean we should assume you cant engage in work. Thats not going to help you, and its not fair on everyone else either. So were going to tighten up the Work Capability assessment such that hundreds of thousands of benefit recipients with less severe conditions will now be expected to engage in the world of work and be supported to do so. 50. So. So thats the Prime Minister, rishi sunak, there, unveiling his new welfare reform. Some staggering stats. He says that britain is spending more on sickness benefits than on schools or the police. Long time sickness is already at 69 billion. Once costs such as housing are included, he says the tories will reform and control welfare , and it is going control welfare, and it is going to look more at what best matches peoples needs. He wants an end to the sick note culture and over medicalising the everyday challenges and worries of life. Thatis challenges and worries of life. That is what rishi sunak said. Lets hear what steve mccabe says. He is the labour mp for selly oak. Steve i trust you heard a little bit of that. The tories will reform and control welfare if they win the next election. Your thoughts please. Election. Your thoughts please. Well its extraordinary they havent done anything about it in the past 14 years. I suppose , in the past 14 years. I suppose, look, i wish i believed what the Prime Minister was saying. Sometimes when i listen to him, i think hes trying to convince himself rather than everybody else. The reality is that else. The reality is that theyve had years to tackle this. I spent several years sitting on the works and Pensions Select Committee , Pensions Select Committee, listening to evidence of what the government could and should do to help people back into work. Theyve repeatedly failed to do it, and now magically , just do it, and now magically, just before an election when he knows hes going to be challenged and criticised for that, hes announcing a plan to cut benefits for sick and disabled people. Itsjust benefits for sick and disabled people. Its just so typical of everything he does. Okay, steve. Well, its easy to critique from the sidelines. So what would a Labour Government do to tackle this problem . Well, labours always started from the position. Thats why we have the labour party that if people can work, they should work. But what we know is there are measures that have to be taken to get people back into work, and that isnt about dragooning sick and disabled people into work. And it isnt about putting people with serious Mental Health problems into situations where they could be at risk and put others at risk. What we do need is to do something about our Mental Health services so that people can get treatment quicker earlier, better intervention so that they dont reach a critical phase. We need to allow people who are trying to get back into work to have a better, protection so that they dont lose all their benefits if it goes wrong and they have to go off on long term sickness again , off on long term sickness again, we need to increase, the scope of access to work to disabled people. Get quick and easy access to the technology that could help them in work. And we should give them that before they get a job so that theyre job ready, not wait until they find a job and then make them wait months to get the right equipment. So, steve, when will the labour leader be announcing what he is going to do on welfare reform . Because we havent had any details from him . Any details from him . No, i think , liz kendall no, i think, liz kendall actually made quite a detailed , actually made quite a detailed, speech about what she felt needed to be done to tackle this problem just a few months ago, and as ive just indicated, there are some very obvious things. Its there are some very obvious things. Its about there are some very obvious things. Its about better access things. Its about better access to Mental Health services. Its about better. Access to the equipment and technology that helps, disabled people , and its helps, disabled people, and its about working more closely with employers to make sure that people who can work get the support that keeps them there. And of course, weve got to make sure that if someone is being unemployed for a long time, because of a health problem, goes back to work, if they have a relapse, we dont want them to lose every single penny that they had previously received in benefits. Benefits. And steve, whilst weve got you here, you are of course, shadow defence minister. Can we get your thoughts on israels strike last night, strike against iran last night, please . Please . Well, i mean, the news is still pretty sketchy, obviously, but i dont think anyone can be surprised at israel carried out , surprised at israel carried out, some act of retaliation after they had 300 drones and missiles targeted on their people, it looks like it was a limited and, quite a surgical strike. And i guess, like everyone else, i hope thats it. And we can get back to the issue of looking for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages and aid into gaza, which i think is the pressing issue in the middle east. Isnt it important now for all sides to show restraint, though, because there is a risk, is there not, steve, of a full scale war developing . Scale war developing . Yes, exactly. Thats what im saying. I hope this was saying. I hope this was a limited surgical strike. Im not surprised its happened after what the Iranian Regime did. And we do have to remember, you know, its a pretty grim, evil, despotic regime. And its responsible for most of the trouble in the middle east. So the Iranian Regime have no real grounds, for not expected a retaliatory attack. But i hope that will be the end of it. But, steve, the argument is just very briefly the argument is that iran was responding to israels attack on their consulate, killing a lot of their top people. Their top people. Yes, i realise that that is the version of events that iran has managed to spread. But i mean, the reality is the hamas are financed by iran. Iran, are financed by iran. Iran, Islamic Jihad are financed by iran, hezbollah are financed by iran. And the event that took place in damascus, i mean, i dont know, i dont think the details are clear, but the event that took place was at a meeting of Islamic Revolutionary guards and hamas terrorists. Thats the and hamas terrorists. Thats the people who were targeted. Got it. Okay steve mccabe, thank you very much for joining us this morning. You are the labour mp for selly oak and of course, the shadow defence minister as well. But with us here britains but with us here on britains newsroom, thats newsroom, apologies, ben. Thats okay. We have a recruitment crisis in English Schools apparently. And teacher turnover rates is making it even worse. So is it time we just pay them more money . Us. Welcome back to britains newsroom with pip tomson and ben leo. Now, the tuc Union Claimed that a recruitment crisis in engush that a recruitment crisis in English Schools is being made worse by huge turnover rates among teachers. Yeah. So is it time to pay yeah. So is it time to pay our teachers more as a greater incentive to stick to the job . Well, joining us now is reeve ibrahim Communications Officer at the institute of economic affairs. And the teacher and broadcaster bobby seagull. Bobby, lets come to you first. Youre a teacher. Should we pay you more . Yes. I think when you ask people why they join the teaching profession, they join because theyre passionate because theyre so passionate about young peoples education. They to improve the lot of they want to improve the lot of the next generation in our country. But again , i used to country. But again, i used to work in the city in my 20s, and i become a teacher in my 30s. But something has gone wrong. And say, you look and ultimately i say, you look at supply and demand to see at the supply and demand to see how teachers are voting with their so in the teaching their feet. So in the teaching profession, teachers £9,000 profession, teachers pay £9,000 to a teacher. Yeah, to train to be a teacher. Yeah, one nato them will leave one nato of them will leave within first year. Even within the first year. But even more shockingly , within five more shockingly, within five years, 1 3 teachers have years, 1 in 3 teachers have joined the profession , paid joined the profession, paid £9,000 train. And these £9,000 to train. And these are people really to help people that really want to help young people. They leave. So ultimately, the pay and ultimately, if the pay and working conditions are not just about the pay working about pay, the pay and working conditions better. We conditions were better. We wouldnt recruitment wouldnt find this recruitment and retention crisis. Well, i think its important because talking about because we keep talking about should teachers more . We should we pay teachers more . We need actually explain how need to actually explain how much earn currently. So much teachers earn currently. So as understand minimum as i understand it, the minimum starting salary for a teacher bobby, is £30,000 a year. Yeah. Typically a teacher can get 40 odd thousand pounds a year. Head teachers could be on £100,000 plus. Is that about right . Plus. Is that about right . Yes. I think head teachers are running a school that supports an entire community. Again, for my time working in the city. Look at the economics of it. So the institute of fiscal studies, an independent body they found between 2010 and 2022. So the last 12, 13 years, in real terms, teaching professionals dropped 13 in pay compared to the rest of the economy , up 2. Again, its not economy, up 2. Again, its not abouti economy, up 2. Again, its not about i always think with education, its not about trying to compare sectors, but ultimately teaching profession over the last 12, 13 years. I think as a country, if we again, if we value education so much, mr sunak, our Prime Minister when he joined, became the leader of the conservative party and our prime he said and our Prime Minister he said improving education is the closest thing that we have to a Silver Bullet to improving the outcome of our country. And outcome of our country. And thats really true. I dont think we should be squabbling about small amounts here and there. Ultimately, if teachers are losing in real are again losing pay in real terms, over the last 12 terms, 13 over the last 12 years, people are leaving the profession. Clearly, were not profession. Clearly, were not paying profession. Clearly, were not paying people enough. Reem, some good okay, reem, theres some good points by bobby there. And points made by bobby there. And teachers, are so important teachers, they are so important to, to, well, inspire young people. They can change somebodys life. What do you somebodys life. What do you make of what he had to say . Make of what he had to say . Absolutely. Teachers are incredibly important, and they are really teaching the next generation of young people that then go to off contributing to then go to off contributing to the private sector. So youre absolutely right. Teachers are really important. And, you know, we have conversation about we can have a conversation about whether not they deserve more whether or not they deserve more money. That, though , is money. Most of that, though, is in the context of Public Sector pay in the context of Public Sector pay. So when were talking about pubuc pay. So when were talking about Public Sector pay and Public Sector how much they Sector Workers and how much they are has to be spoken are paid, that has to be spoken aboutin are paid, that has to be spoken about in the context of Public Sector spending. The money has to from somewhere and were to come from somewhere and were already spending amounts of already spending huge amounts of money the Public Sector. Money in the Public Sector. Pubuc money in the Public Sector. Public debt has been increasing over few years , and our over the last few years, and our debt to gdp ratio again has been increasing. So weve got to have increasing. So weve got to have this conversation in the context of spending. Where is that money of spending. Where is that money actually going come from, and actually going to come from, and is going to from tax is it going to come from tax rises . The reason why rises . Now, the reason why i think this is really important, because not everybody benefits from teachers having an increased pay. Average tesco increased pay. The average tesco shelf stacker doesnt need to pay shelf stacker doesnt need to pay more tax. And i think its immoral for them to be paying more tax in order to pay somebody else a salary that they dont directly benefit from. Its really interesting. Also, we spoke about the ifs figures. I think ifs are really i think the ifs are really underscored here because they i think the ifs are really undedonted here because they i think the ifs are really unde dont take re because they i think the ifs are really unde dont take into ecause they i think the ifs are really unde dont take into context1ey i think the ifs are really unde dont take into context the also dont take into context the incredibly generous Public Sector system. So, you sector pension system. So, you know, on on average, the teacher teachers have earned about £42,000 in 2021, but they were also benefiting from employer pension. Pension. Very sorry. Were going to im going to have to interject and wrap you up. Unfortunately thank you so much. Reem and bobby seagull as well. Really appreciate your expertise. Say they did we should just say they did get a 6. 5 pay from get a 6. 5 pay rise from september last year. So they have something in the last have had something in the last few months. It enough . Few months. But is it enough . Let know. Let us know. Plenty to come. First, plenty more to come. First, heres your weather with aidan. A brighter outlook with boxt solar. Sponsors of weather on. Solar. Sponsors of weather on. Gb news. Hello and welcome to the latest update from the met office for gb news. Rain clearing the south east today , clearing the south east today, followed by further showers for many of us, accompanied by cool, blustery winds. Although skies do later time for do brighten later in time for a sunny start to the weekend. Heres the picture by mid morning , a lot of cloud on mid morning, a lot of cloud on the map. Showers affecting many places, particularly central and eastern areas. Skies, though, do brighten across much of central and western scotland, and then later on western parts of the rest of the uk. We keep the showers going through the midlands, the south east as well, accompanied by a cool and gusty thats going to make gusty wind. Thats going to make it little disappointing , it feel a little disappointing, i think with highs of 12 to 15 celsius. Nevertheless, the showers across central areas do fade away into the evening. The skies tend to clear as well and the wind eases as a result. With lengthy clear skies, a lighter wind and temperatures will fall through the night. Such a frost even as we begin saturday, so gardeners beware there will be some frostiness first thing, but therell be plenty of bright skies as well. Lots of sunshine lifting those temperatures fairly quickly through the morning. So if youre out and about first thing, it will soon warm up and therell be plenty of sunshine until around the afternoon , when the clouds will afternoon, when the clouds will tend to build, particularly for central and northern parts of the country and for the far north of scotland. Were going to see some outbreaks of to see some light outbreaks of rain moving here, making it feel cool elsewhere lighter cool elsewhere with lighter winds, feeling pleasant enough. Warm feeling inside. That warm feeling inside. From boxt boilers, sponsors of weather on gb news. Very good morning to you. Its 10 am. On friday, april the 19th. This is britains newsroom with me, ben leo and pip tomson the Prime Minister pledges to end what he claims is the sick note culture in britain. And he wants to make hard work. Pay. Israel strikes iran. The us reports that israel has launched a retaliatory strike with explosions near a military base this morning. How will the International Community respond . Mark white has more. Well, the israeli iranian government has said that it has no plans to retaliate at this stage. If what israel has stage. If what israel has launched overnight is the full total of this limited strike, it may be a way forward for de escalation. De escalation. Is the eu trying to lure britain back . Under their new britain back . Under their new plan, people under 30 would be allowed to live in europe for up to four years to improve post brexit youth mobility. Post brexit youth mobility. And in a gb news exclusive , and in a gb news exclusive, we can reveal theres been a ten fold rise in care sector investigations by the labour exploitation watchdog. Our man, Charlie Peters has more. The gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority has confirmed that surge in investigations into the care sector, with researchers and mps telling me that the rise is linked to industrial scale abuse of the visa route. Abuse of the visa route. Labours Housing Solution sir keir starmer sets out his plan to build 1. 5 million new homes to build 1. 5 million new homes to tackle the housing crisis, but would they be affordable . As always, let us know your thoughts gbnews. Com forward slash your say. The comments are absolutely flying in at the moment. Pip and i have been watching them intently. Im keen to know pip about sir Keir Starmers housing reforms. Whats he going to do to ensure young people get on the housing ladder . Im sure what you ladder . Im not sure what you guys think at home, i am guys think at home, but i am guilty of being a bit of a nimby back in, back down south. My only problem is with these new build houses. Not a fan of build houses. Im not a fan of these sort of toytown new build estates, let us know estates, but let us know what you gbnews. Com yoursay estates, but let us know what youhes gbnews. Com yoursay estates, but let us know what you hes talkingns. Com yoursay estates, but let us know what you hes talking about1 yoursay estates, but let us know what you hes talking about1 y0|grey hes talking about the grey belt, not the green belt, isnt he . Not the green belt. The grey belt which is building part of the Green Building on part of the green belt. A little bit belt. Well explain a little bit more shortly after more very shortly after your headunes more very shortly after your headlines sam francis. Headlines with sam francis. Pip and ben, thank you very much and good morning to you from the newsroom. Its just after 10 00 and leading the news this hour. The government is calling for de escalation and moderation in the middle east following reports that israel launched air strikes against iran. Iranian strikes against iran. Iranian state media says three drones were shot down with explosions heard at an air base near the city of isfahan. Its thought the strikes were in response to last weekends attack, when iran fired a barrage of its own drones and missiles at israel, local air defences were also activated and commercial flights were grounded. Senior iranian officials have said that theres no plan for any immediate retaliation against israel. Retaliation against israel. There has also been no reported damage or reports of any injuries. Former chairman of the Defence Select Committee Tobias Ellwood, says that israel appears to have targeted Nuclear Sites. There are reports that iran is beginning to enrich uranium again at scale. Up to 60 with enough quantity for three sizeable bombs. And it could be that they believe that only going by having a nuclear deterrent. Are they going to be able to fend off any conventional attacks . So a lot conventional attacks . So a lot of Big Questions there. And thats perhaps worth pondering on, because whatever happens next, the rules of the game, this shadow war between iran and israel has completely changed with this direct attack. With this direct attack. Rishi sunak says there is a moral mission to end what hes called sick note culture and to give people the best possible chance of returning to work. Chance of returning to work. Dufing chance of returning to work. During a major speech on welfare reform in just the last few minutes, the Prime Minister claimed that since the pandemic , claimed that since the pandemic, something he says has gone wrong with 850,000 more people now economically inactive. Hes also economically inactive. Hes also claimed people with less severe Mental Health conditions should be expected to engage in the world of work. However labour has accused the government of failing to deliver a healthy nafion failing to deliver a Healthy Nation and a healthy economy in scotland. Opposition parties are urging the snp to cooperate fully with the Police Investigation into its finances after nicola sturgeons husband, Peter Murrell, was charged with embezzling funds. The snps former chief executive was charged in connection with the spending of more than £600,000 in donations for independence campaigning. Its part of a three year long investigation known as Operation Branch form officers have confirmed that the 59 year old is no longer in custody. We also understand he custody. We also understand he has resigned his snp membership. In other news, parents are being warned that children aged between 5 and 7 are spending too much time, often unsupervised , much time, often unsupervised, on social media. Ofcom claims that 38 of infant School Children now use platforms including tiktok, whatsapp and instagram , despite those sites instagram, despite those sites requiring users to at least be 13 years old to have an account. The regulators also suggested that a quarter of children in that a quarter of children in that same age bracket , that a quarter of children in that same age bracket, 5 to 7 years old, now have a smartphone. The research comes as the governments Online Safety bill, which aims to make the internet safer for children, is set to come into force in september. Weve heard today september. Weve heard today that the government could adopt live ai facial recognition to screen migrants arriving in the uk for potential threats. The uks anti terror law adviser is concerned that migrant processing centres are overwhelmed, with some people being released before thorough checks are carried out. The move would allow border officials to screen those crossing in small boats against a database of terror suspects. More than 6200 people have so far crossed the channel this year. The proposals come as the governments rwanda plan, aimed at deterring small boat crossings, is currently stalled in deadlock between the house of commons and the house of lords. The governments being of lords. The governments being warned its too focused on short tum responses to extreme weather, including floods , weather, including floods, storms and heat waves. The pubuc storms and heat waves. The Public Accounts Committee is calling on ministers to urgently act to put long term planning in place. Their report claims that failure to do so could come at a high cost to individuals, the economy and to society. The government, though, says the uk does have a robust, flexible Planning System in place in the us. Donald trump has labelled the hush money case against him as a mess. Thats as the full jury as a mess. Thats as the full jury of 12 have now been sworn in for the trial of the former us president addressed reporters as he left court in new york, saying he was supposed to be campaigning ahead of the 2024 president ial election. Those on the jury include an english teacher, multiple lawyers and a software engineer. Trump denies the allegations against him of falsifying Business Records to pay falsifying Business Records to pay an adult film star, and the o2 academy in brixton is holding its first gig tonight since two women were killed in a crush in december. They died when fans without tickets tried to get into a show by a nigerian artist. Lambeth council ruled the venue could keep its licence as long as it met robust safety rules. Those are the headlines. Rules. Those are the headlines. For more, do sign up to gb news alerts. Just scan the code there on your screen or go to gb news. Com slash alerts. Now though, its back to ben and pip. Good morning. Welcome to britains newsroom on gb news with ben leo and pip tomson. Great to have your company this friday morning. Very good morning to you. Now rishi sunak has it wouldnt rishi sunak has said it wouldnt be for him to speculate on be right for him to speculate on reports that israel this morning has an attack has carried out an attack on iranian has carried out an attack on irania comes after two us it comes after two us officials had already confirmed an israeli missile hit iran in the early hours this morning. The early hours of this morning. Lets take a look at what the Prime Minister had to say a little bit earlier. As you would appreciate, its a developing situation. It wouldnt for to wouldnt be right for me to speculate the facts become speculate until the facts become clear. Working to clear. And were working to confirm details together confirm the details together with. We have condemned with allies. We have condemned irans reckless dangerous irans reckless and dangerous barrage of missiles against israel on saturday, and israel absolutely has the right to self defence. But as i said to Prime Minister netanyahu when i spoke to him last week, and more generally, significant escalation is not in anyones interest. What want to see is interest. What we want to see is calm heads prevail across the region. Region. So that was rishi sunak a little earlier , saying he didnt little earlier, saying he didnt want to speculate. No speculation from our gb news home and security editor mark white, but he can tell us exactly what we know so far. Over to you, mark. Well, were expecting israel later this morning or early afternoon to confirm that they indeed did carry out this limited strike on iranian soil. And World Leaders will be hoping that because of the limited nature of that strike, that that might well be enough to start leading to an de escalation in this crisis. The mood music this crisis. The mood music thats coming from tehran this morning seems to be one of playing down the significance of those strikes and saying that they have no plans at the moment, at least to retaliate at any time soon. So theyre clearly still assessing exactly what happened. We understand that a number of israeli combat jets fired long range missiles. Now, those jets will have fired those missiles from outside of iranian airspace, likely from syria , because we were getting syria, because we were getting reports from syria, state media that a number of air defence sites and Early Warning radars were taken out by the israelis overnight. That would have allowed them access to syrian airspace to fire off those missiles. There airspace to fire off those missiles. There are airspace to fire off those missiles. There are also reports missiles. There are also reports that drones were fired in tandem with those missiles from in country. Now, what we understand country. Now, what we understand is that those drones, whoever they were fired from inside iran, were fired to try to effectively keep those air Defence Systems in iran busy while the missiles did their work. So isfahan is the area that was targeted. We believe that was targeted. We believe that a city in the northwest of iran may also have been targeted. It looks as though that northwestern city was a site where Ballistic Missiles were launched from. Isfahan not only launched from. Isfahan not only has some important military bases around that area, there are Nuclear Sites , sites in are Nuclear Sites, sites in isfahan or around the isfahan area. The International Atomic Energy Agency has said, though, that there are no there is no damage , no indication that any damage, no indication that any Nuclear Facilities have been targeted, and as far as isfahan is concerned, apart from the military bases , the nuclear military bases, the Nuclear Sites, its believed that there is also drone production facilities. And thats important because we know that 170 drones were fired at israel on saturday night. So targeting those drone facilities, if thats what theyve done, may well make sense here, but all eyes, i guess, are on iran now. And of course, on israel, too, to get that final confirmation from them as to what they targeted and what their plans are next, if they will. Theyre unlikely to share that. But the hope is that this was a single limited response to iran. And its not just the first phase in what will be deeper strikes on that country. Country. Thanks very much. Mark wight gb news his home and security edhoni gb news his home and security editor. I know youll update us again very shortly , but lets go again very shortly, but lets go back to central london, where the Prime Minister a little earlier in the last hour, has been setting out his welfare reform plan. Our political edhon reform plan. Our Political Editor, Christopher Hope , was editor, Christopher Hope, was there and he asked a question , there and he asked a question, next we go to gb news, christopher gb news Prime Minister, is this sick note culture, a generational thing . Culture, a generational thing . Are you basically saying that britains got to pull itself together, go back to work to older people, just get on with it, younger dont it, and younger people dont want to . And can i ask you a question about the rwanda flights . You now wont these flights . You now wont say these flights . You now wont say these flights the end flights will take off by the end of will you say where of spring. Will you say where theyll take off by the end of theyll take off by the end of the summer . Right. On this question of right. So on this question of Mental Health, want to be Mental Health, i just want to be really clear. In any way really clear. Im not in any way saying Mental Health isnt saying that Mental Health isnt a condition. Of course a serious condition. Of course it is. And why, as i it is. And thats why, as i outlined earlier, weve invested a in it, record a record amount in it, a record amount people treated amount of people getting treated for its a very welcome for it. And its a very welcome thing that we all can talk and acknowledge Mental Health issues in way wouldnt or in a way that we wouldnt or couldnt done ago. Couldnt have done a decade ago. And youre feeling and look, if youre feeling anxious depressed and of anxious or depressed and of course should get the course you should get the support the treatment that support and the treatment that you manage your you need to manage your conditions. That doesnt conditions. But that doesnt mean that we should assume you cant engage in the world of work because that isnt going to help you when all the evidence says that can be good for says that work can be good for your Mental Health. What we your Mental Health. And what we need to is risk over need to not do is risk over medicalising these things. When it comes to the welfare system and over medicalising what are essentially the everyday challenges and anxieties of life , right. That is distinct from a welfare system that recognises people with severe conditions, needs very specific help and support. You know, for lots of support. You know, for lots of other people with less severe conditions, they can and should be expected to engage in the world of work. And thats why were going to reform the Work Capability assessments again, and treats these and look at how pip treats these conditions. Point on conditions. But this point on young people is important. And i said it should worry all of us. The biggest proportional increase in the group of people who have become economically inactive since the pandemic is young people, right. That is a tragedy , right . Its an enormous tragedy, right . Its an enormous waste and loss of human potential. And so as a matter of potential. And so as a matter of urgency, we should be wanting to tackle that. And i said, if you believe very strongly as i do, that work is good for people, particularly early in their careers in life, then we must look at reforming this system , look at reforming this system, because how its working at the moment, forget about what its doing money and doing on the money and everything else, its everything else, and its unsustainable for the unsustainable and bad for the economy. Fundamentally unsustainable and bad for the econonthese fundamentally unsustainable and bad for the econonthese people mentally unsustainable and bad for the econonthese people down. Ly letting these people down. If we are writing them off, rather than helping them get into work, because thats probably one of the positive things can the most positive things we can do them, on rwanda, the very do for them, on rwanda, the very simple thing here is that simple thing here is, is that repeatedly, everyone tried repeatedly, everyone has tried to from getting this to block us from getting this bill through. And, you know, yet again, you saw it this week. You saw labour peers blocking us again. And thats enormously frustrating. Everyones patience with this has run thin. Mine with this has run thin. Mine certainly has. So our intention now is to get this done on monday. No more prevarication, no more delay. We are going to get this done on monday, and we will sit there and vote until its done. I think everyone will be that theres be able to see that theres a clear choice here. Youve got a conservative government that is doing everything it doing absolutely everything it can to pass this bill, so that after that as after that we soon as practically possible, can get flights rwanda and flights to leave to rwanda and build deterrent so that we build that deterrent so that we can stop the boats. And youve got labour party is doing got a labour party that is doing absolutely everything it can to delay frustrate, and in delay and frustrate, and us in that aim. Think the british that aim. I think the british people can see that clearly people can see that very clearly , deterred. Were , but were not deterred. Were going everything we can to going to do everything we can to stop and get i said, stop the boats and get i said, look, the priority now is to get this passed at the this bill passed right at the end day, weve got to get end of the day, weve got to get this passed. And i said, this bill passed. And i said, now, clearly, were going now, very clearly, were going to this done on monday. We to get this done on monday. We dont want any more prevarication delay prevarication or delay enough from labour were from the labour party. Were going bill passed going to get this bill passed and we will work to get and then we will work to get flights off so we can build that deterrent, the deterrent, because that is the only this issue. Only way to resolve this issue. If care about stopping the if you care about stopping the boats, youve to have boats, youve got to have a deterrent. Youve got to have somewhere can send somewhere that you can send people that they know if they people so that they know if they come get come illegally, they wont get to as simple as that. To stay. Its as simple as that. The bill the way were going the bill is the way were going to deliver that, next. Our man Christopher Hope, so our man Christopher Hope, gb news. Political editor, quizzing there, the quizzing rishi sunak there, the Prime Minister, interestingly, sunak over sunak making another pledge over rwanda, to sunak making another pledge over rwaitia, to sunak making another pledge over rwait done to sunak making another pledge over rwait done on to sunak making another pledge over rwait done on monday. To sunak making another pledge over rwait done on monday. Dont get it done on monday. Dont worry about that. Were going to get done. But terms of the get it done. But in terms of the welfare reforms hes announced today, speak today, lets speak to our political or not ours, the political or not ours, the Political Editor of huffpost uk, kevin kevin schofield. Good morning. Kevin, the Prime Minister we well, minister says that we are well, britain medicalising britain is over medicalising common anxieties and particularly young people he blames are behind it. Whats your thoughts on that . Yeah, its very interesting , yeah, its very interesting, isnt it . Clearly the government is worried about the high levels of , people being signed off sick, and want to help as many, who can work, get back into work as quickly as possible. I think the issue theres, theres two issues really for rishi sunak here is one, you know, these promises have been made continually under successive governments a very, very governments for a very, very long helping those out long time. But helping those out of back into work, and of work back into work, and getting them off sickness benefits and two, i think most people have already come to the conclusion that rishi sunak is not going to be Prime Minister for very much longer, and that weve got an election coming in a few months time. This is effectively a consultation. Its not going to come not as if its going to come into being next week. Therefore, as its really going to make much difference this side of a general election. And i dont really think it is how much cut through as well, do you through as well, kevin, do you think will have because some think it will have because some people would listen to that and say that he is belittling young people. Hes showing a lack of compassion and they want younger people to vote for them at the next election. Compared to five years ago. The voting age, were told, is a lot, lot higher. Yeah, there was a poll yesterday, i think, which showed that the average age at which people are now more likely to vote conservative than labour has risen to 70 from Something Like the mid 30s in 2019, which is a remarkable increase. So clearly the conservatives have a big problem trying to get young people to vote for them. I think the wider issue here, though , is the wider issue here, though, is that i was looking at some polling earlier on this morning, and the public are pretty evenly split when it comes how split when it comes to how society deals Mental Health society deals with Mental Health issues. Roughly a quarter think that, the company should be doing more to help people suffering mental illness. But roughly the same number are slightly less. Think that, more people who are currently off sick due to Mental Health issues could actually be working. So it doesnt strike me as a sort of slam dunk, politically advantageous policy announcement ehhen advantageous policy announcement either. But clearly this is something that the Prime Minister and the government have been talking about for a few months now, and its clearly something he wants to get done before a general election, because, as i say, it doesnt look like hell be Prime Minister that. Minister after that. What do you make of kevin, what do you make of the that young people the arguments that young people have covid lockdowns . Have enjoyed covid lockdowns . Theyve taste of, you theyve got a taste of, you know, the home life, working from having as kevin still from home, having as kevin still with us or has gone, oh, with us or has he gone, oh, youre still there. Sorry. You disappeared. Young disappeared. The young people have, used to the have, basically got used to the easy life at home, and they just dont want to graph the 9 to 5. They dont want to do what generations and generations have done before and go maybe even multiple go to work, maybe even multiple jobs, covid them jobs, because covid gave them a taste something a once in taste of something a once in a generation taste of its generation taste of what its like away from the workplace and working. Working hard. Think thats a sweeping and i think thats a sweeping generalisation , really. I mean, generalisation, really. I mean, the young people much younger than me, i have to say, the young people that i know dont fit that stereotype, that they that do want work. Maybe that they do want to work. Maybe they a better work life they want a better Work Life Balance and they dont necessarily to in the necessarily want to be in the office days a week and office five days a week and maybe want to split their time from from home and being from working from home and being in the office. The idea that in the office. But the idea that that that they dont want that means that they dont want to all, and that theyre to work at all, and that theyre just lounging around on just lounging around all day on youtube, true, youtube, i think is, not true, but, know, no doubt but, you know, theres no doubt that pandemic changed the that the pandemic changed the way all of approached way that all of us approached work. Im working from home today. Usually in the today. Im usually in the office, im working from office, but im working from home today. Previously, that probably an probably wouldnt have been an option. Im still option. So but im still working, and i think those that working, and i think those that work home still work from home are still working. So think its pretty working. So i think its pretty unfair say that people unfair to say that young people who to work who dont want to work effectively. Again, if the effectively. And again, if the conservatives want people conservatives want young people to them, then to maybe vote for them, then thats not really the message thats not really the message that should be putting out. That they should be putting out. Political editor of huffpost uk, kevin schofield, as always, appreciate your input this morning. Some people would also say that the government is distracting from its lack of investment in Mental Health services. When people try to get appointments and they wait for months and months. Well, the other argument is some you have said on some of you have said on gbnews. Com yoursay, it boils down to immigration. Theres just too people here. You just too many people here. You cant gp appointments, you cant get gp appointments, you cant get gp appointments, you cant a dentist, you cant cant see a dentist, you cant get health appointments, get Mental Health appointments, you housing to do with you cant get housing to do with a investment in public services. Yeah. And not to do with immigration at all. Yeah. What do us know. Tell immigration at all. Yeah. What do that. Us know. Tell immigration at all. Yeah. What do that. Tell us know. Tell immigration at all. Yeah. What do that. Tell me us know. Tell immigration at all. Yeah. What do that. Tell me the know. Tell immigration at all. Yeah. What do that. Tell me the emailtell me that. Tell me the email address. Ben, i still cant remember this. Gb news. Oh, its on screen. Gbnews. Com on the screen. Gbnews. Com forward yourself, think. Forward slash yourself, i think. It can be a bit of i think it can be a bit of both, cant it . It can be, yes. The government and the tories have invested properly have not invested properly in infrastructure. Maybe have not invested properly in infrastr a ture. Maybe have not invested properly in infrastra bite. Maybe have not invested properly in infrastra bit of maybe have not invested properly in infrastra bit of a maybe have not invested properly in infrastra bit of a problem aybe have not invested properly in infrastra bit of a problem with theres a bit of a problem with uncontrolled migration. But anyway, we are anyway, still to come, we are going to, be discussing children as young as three as three years old. Is that right . I cant get my head around this as young as three having smartphones, of course, with Internet Access and all the, the stuff that accompanies that, ive got a four year old. Theres absolutely no way in hell he is having a smartphone. Do you ever sit him in front of a tablet while youre having food with friends . No, not no, not oh, no no no, not no, not with not out for dinner. No. On a long carjourney. Maybe sometimes we to scotland. Sometimes we drive to scotland. Perhaps, not perhaps, but definitely not because its the easy thing to do isnt it . Oh yeah. And do now isnt it . Oh yeah. And i get why i understand. I get why parents it. And actually, parents do it. And actually, before my kids born, we before my kids were born, we were theyre only going were saying theyre only going to eat organic food. Theyre not going telly until going to watch telly until theyre and all that kind of theyre 17 and all that kind of stuff. So, know, out stuff. So, you know, it goes out the is hard, the window because life is hard, i it. I get it. But whats your experience . Do have a teeny tot do you have a teeny tiny tot whos obsessed with a mobile phone . Do tell us, how do we get well, not just people, well, not just young people, but really, ones gb news. Welcome back. Good morning. Youre with ben and pip on britains newsroom only on gb news. Were joined now by former editor of the daily star. Dawn neesom and author and broadcaster amy nicole turner. Neesom and author and broamay er amy nicole turner. Neesom and author and broa may ir amy nicole turner. Neesom and author and broa may i say1y nicole turner. Neesom and author and broa may i say i nicole turner. Neesom and author and broa may i say i said le turner. Neesom and author and broa may i say i said its turner. Neesom and author and broa may i say i said it whenzr. Neesom and author and broa may i say i said it when you and may i say i said it when you walked in air. You guys are walked in off air. You guys are looking fab this morning. Feel looking fab this morning. I feel a underdressed. All of you, a bit underdressed. All of you, includingyou let side well, you have let the side down. It to be said. We do down. It has to be said. We do want to mention it, did we, lady . But you know, come on, someones lady . But you know, come on, sonwell,� s lady . But you know, come on, sonwell, men are quite limited, well, men are quite limited, arent they . Mean, all we can well, men are quite limited, areist they . Mean, all we can well, men are quite limited, areis whack mean, all we can well, men are quite limited, areis whack her. 3an, all we can do is whack her. You can do whatever you ive copied. You gone. Blazer. Who, me . Androgynous yeah. Look great. Yeah. Anyway, just thought yeah. Anyway, i just thought id thank you very yeah. Anyway, i just thought id should thank you very yeah. Anyway, i just thought id should we thank you very yeah. Anyway, i just thought id should we get1k you very yeah. Anyway, i just thought id should we get stuck| very yeah. Anyway, i just thought id should we get stuck intol much. Should we get stuck into some of the. For the flattery . Yeah. Everyone always does this in telly. Your dress. Telly. Oh, i love your dress. Your dress is gorgeous. Oh, your dress is gorgeous. Oh, your dress is gorgeous. Out the room. You walk out the room. Whered you get your from . Whered you get your dress from . And walk the and soon as you walk out the room. Looks room. Oh, god. She looks dreadful. Oh, god. Lets just the oh, lets just lets just the input. Sorry. Input. Yes, then. Sorry. Thats ever going to happen. Elianne his mouth shut. Elianne keeps his mouth shut. Elianne keeps his mouth shut. Were off to flying start, right. After all that mutual flattery, well. Well carry on, shall about what . Shall we . And talk about what . What mentioned minutes what we mentioned a few minutes ago. A quarter children under ago. A quarter of children under seven own seven having their own smartphone seven having their own sm. Dawn, |e seven having their own sm. Dawn,|ejust couldnt i was dawn, i just couldnt i was reading first thing dawn, i just couldnt i was readmorning. First thing dawn, i just couldnt i was readmorning. Couldnthing dawn, i just couldnt i was readmorning. Couldnt believe dawn, i just couldnt i was reelveirning. Couldnt believe dawn, i just couldnt i was reelve literally couldnt believe it. Ive literally just got a new smartphone other week new smartphone the other week and idea how to and i have got no idea how to use it, so its like, so the fact that year olds now fact that three year olds now have and are using have smartphones and are using not like, you not just phones, not like, you know, things you know, the very simple things you can but can play bubbles games on, but proper smartphones it. Proper smartphones and is it. I want to believe that its that theyve sort of taken it off their parents and just having a bit of a play for a few minutes, but its more than that. Its they are literally they have phones but have their own phones and but over of parents have over 50 of parents have no problem and i cant problem with this. And i cant understand it. And this this report ofcom report also report is an ofcom report also says that are accessing all says that they are accessing all the things on the, on the sorts of things on the, on the sorts of things on the, on the internet they shouldnt be accessing because the checks and balances about age just dont seem know, kids seem to work. You know, kids will find that theyre will always find that theyre cleverer we they cleverer than we are. They always ways things. Always find ways around things. So theyre accessing that so theyre accessing stuff that is kind of surreal. I mean, ben, youve got kids. Could a three year old find their way around a smartphone, my four, my boy jude, whos four, he knows he doesnt. Knows actually, no he doesnt. Once i open the notes app on an ios device, he likes drawing, and he knows how operate and he knows how to operate the notes app in an iphone or an ipad. But no, he wouldnt. Do know what, though . Do you know what, though . There like these kids do you know what, though . Thegrowing like these kids do you know what, though . Thegrowing a. Ike these kids do you know what, though . Thegrowing a lot these kids do you know what, though . Thegrowing a lot more kids do you know what, though . Thegrowing a lot more used are growing up a lot more used to media than we are, to social media than we are, because obviously didnt even because obviously we didnt even have noticed now, have it. And ive noticed now, if to a child, oh, can if you say to a child, oh, can you what phone is . You show me what a phone is . They go like this or they sort of go like this or like i sorry, they like this. I mean, sorry, they go rather like go like this rather than like this. And go like this rather than like tiknow and go like this rather than like tiknow children and go like this rather than like tiknow children will and go like this rather than like tiknow children will your1d i know children will grab your phone how swipe phone and they know how to swipe from such. From such and such. Know how to swipe. Yeah. Whereas we didnt know that, did think thats the that, did we . I think thats the thing. My generation, thing. Its like my generation, we up with the we didnt grow up with the internet and were bringing up this of this new generation of like digital and this new generation of like digita|why and this new generation of like digita|why think and this new generation of like digita|why think we ind thats why i dont think we always this always register how harmful this stuff really is. Going end youre going to end up breeding generation breeding a generation of children communication children whose communication Powers Limited , because powers are very limited, because all they do is do that , dont all they do is do that, dont look up. Dont look anybody in the face. No, i think weve already got it. Weve weve got it. Weve got weve got generations remember generations now, i remember working newspaper. Working at my old newspaper. Wed coming from wed have people coming from universities on work experience. Theyd been stuck in a Digital World for years and years and years and theyd come into work and couldnt pick up a phone, couldnt someone eye and couldnt pick up a phone, coulspeak someone eye and couldnt pick up a phone, coulspeak to someone eye and couldnt pick up a phone, coulspeak to them, ne eye and couldnt pick up a phone, coulspeak to them, couldnt eye and speak to them, couldnt knock a door chase a news knock on a door to chase a news story. Was insane. So i guess story. It was insane. So i guess the argument is, though, dawn, if young kids from if you do ban young kids from accessing they accessing technology, are they going when going to be left behind when they get a bit older and their peers are advanced their peers are so advanced in their coding, creating . Peers are so advanced in their coding, cyou ng . Peers are so advanced in their coding, cyou have to make it. Well, you have to make it. You somehow it you have to somehow make it a blanket mean, of blanket ban. I mean, sort of like, know, like, you know, you know, rishi sunak on about sunak keeps going on about making tougher kids to making it tougher for kids to access shouldnt be access stuff they shouldnt be accessing on their phones, but it just doesnt to be it just doesnt seem to be happening. Finding happening. They keep finding ways. Set ways. So you have to surely set an so no child under an age limit. So no child under an age limit. So no child under a certain age has a phone. Its about social i think its about social media mainly, though, because i know when i was reading the infamous castle report, there was the links with social media use , poor sleep, online use, poor sleep, online harassment, poor self esteem , harassment, poor self esteem, poor body image. What equals that huge Mental Health problems. And weve seen that, havent we . Mental Health Problems in younger particularly are younger people particularly are absolutely skyrocketing. And i dont between dont think the link between that and phone use can be is aiming nothing on. Is real. Nothing is there is real. Nothing is real. Not seeing real. Youre not seeing realistic body images. Youre not seeing realistic lifestyles. Youre being fed a lie, but youre believing you are not as good as everybody else because they look so much better than you. A nicer car, you. They have a nicer car, nicer house, clothes, and nicer house, nicer clothes, and sorry, was just going sorry, no, i was just going to say, this therefore show say, doesnt this therefore show that the that this governments the government at a cracking government looking at a cracking down on the use of smartphones under 16, isnt it . Social media, that is and on social media, that is sorely needed. Its much needed. But its very much needed. But i dont how theyre to dont know how theyre going to dont know how theyre going to do there are checks do it because there are checks in supposedly checks in place, supposedly checks in place year olds place to stop 13 year olds accessing much stuff on accessing so much stuff on there. Kids are doing accessing so much stuff on thethese kids are doing accessing so much stuff on thethese are ids are doing accessing so much stuff on thethese are ids areitioing accessing so much stuff on thethese are ids areit at1g it. These kids are doing it at seven, and nine years old. Seven, eight and nine years old. An piece there was an opinion piece i think a canadian website think it was a canadian website where said shed rather where a parent said shed rather her second hand smoke her child have second hand smoke blown than blown in their face than use social because such social media, because its such a all the a massive concern of all the harm that it can potentially do. Yeah, as less of a Health Concern than than social media. Well, facebook owner for very Young Children with developing brains. Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg his kids zuckerberg doesnt let his kids use instagram or facebook. So what mean exactly . What does that mean exactly . Yeah. What does that tell us, should move this second should we move on to this second story . European union is story . The European Union is trying to worm way into trying to worm its way back into bed britain. Its i guess bed with britain. Its i guess its anticipating an impending Labour Government. Theyre saying that they are. Well, theyve proposed a freedom of Movement Style deal for young europeans, appeal to a future europeans, to appeal to a future Labour Government. Basically, 18 to olds can go to europe to 30 year olds can go to europe to 30 year olds can go to europe to work for four years. Europeans here to work europeans can come here to work for freedom of for four years. Freedom of movement, starmer has movement, sir keir starmer has made course, made no secret, of course, of the he would like closer the fact he would like closer ties is this the ties with the eu. Is this the first, sign, the first step of us getting into bed with us getting back into bed with the eu . Amy . Well, i think thats perhaps what some of the headlines want us think. But, labour us to think. But, labour have already ruled it out, as have number 10. So this is more of the European Commission saying, hey, we propose freedom of hey, we propose this freedom of Movement Style deal, which sounds to me a lot like the erasmus scheme. Do you remember the foreign the erasmus scheme, a Foreign Exchange Student Exchange program. Basically. I think the proposal sounds pretty good, actually. It means that students and young people under 30 from the from European Countries can come here. And a reciprocal scheme, our young people can go over to europe to work, study. Over to europe to work, study. Theres a four year limit, well, at the moment the scheme has just been been completely denied by anyone on our side. And its just a bit of a proposal from brussels that has been kind of kind of dead in the water. But the erasmus scheme, it could that could come back and that a lot of support , and that has a lot of support, from the likes of sadiq khan signed letter lords signed a letter for you lords have signed a letter, because a lot feel that we lot of people feel that we really lost something with that when left the eu. And i when we left the eu. And so i think it would good idea to think it would be a good idea to have sort of foreign have some sort of Foreign Exchange , but it doesnt exchange program, but it doesnt look its going this one. Dawn. I mean , some people dawn. I mean, some people could understand could never understand why freedom of movement ended anyway. Quiet. Anyway. Well quiet. But i mean it. We are where we are with whole brexit we are with the whole brexit thing. Usual, thing. But this is, as usual, everything in favour the eu everything in favour of the eu and not so much in favour of this because we under this country because we under this country because we under this proposed scheme, as amy quite pointed is quite rightly pointed out, is just we accept people just proposal. We accept people from the whole european bloc, but students are only but our students are only allowed to go to one country. Okay, dawn, amy, thanks very much. Back with us much. Youll be back with us shortly. Get your shortly. Lets get your news headunes shortly. Lets get your News Headlines francis. Headlines with sam francis. Good morning. From the newsroom. 1033 a recap of the headunes newsroom. 1033 a recap of the headlines this morning. The government is calling for de escalation and modernisation in the middle east. Moderation rather, in the middle east, following reports that israel launched air strikes against iran state media says three drones were shot down with explosions heard at an air base near the city of isfahan. The strike is thought to be in response to last weekends attack, when iran fired a barrage of its own drones and missiles at israel. We missiles at israel. We understand no damage or injuries have been reported. Senior have been reported. Senior iranian officials, though, say there is no plan to immediately retaliate. The Prime Minister says there is a moral mission to end what hes called sick note culture, and to give people the best possible chance of returning to work. During a major speech on welfare reform , major speech on welfare reform, rishi sunak claimed that since the pandemic, something has gone wrong, with 850,000 more people now economically inactive. However, labour has accused the government of failing to deliver a Healthy Nation and a healthy economy. Opposition parties are economy. Opposition parties are urging the snp to cooperate fully with the Police Investigation into its finances , investigation into its finances, after nicola sturgeons husband, Peter Murrell, was charged with embezzling funds. Its in connection with the spending of more than £600,000 in donations for independence, campaigning officers have confirmed. The partys former chief executive is no longer in custody and he has also resigned his snp membership. Thats the latest membership. Thats the latest from the newsroom. For more, do sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the code on your screen or go to gb news. Com slash alerts. Alerts. For stunning gold and silver coins, youll always value rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news Financial Report , the gb news Financial Report, and heres a look at the markets this morning. The pound will buy you 131. 2445 and the pound will buy you 1. 2445 and ,1. 1684. The price of gold is £1,914. 47 per ounce, and the ftse 100 is at 7823 points. Rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news financial i were were gb news and we come from a proud tradition of british journalism. Thats why im so excited to be here. Its something so new. Its something so new. The first news channel to be launched britain over 30 years. Launched to represent the views of the british people. To go where broadcasters go where other broadcasters refuse. Refuse to go. How do you find out about the story in the first place . Launched aim to be launched with one aim to be the of britain i its an absolutely fantastic atmosphere its an absolutely fantastic atnthislere its an absolutely fantastic atnthis ise its an absolutely fantastic atnthis is gb news the peoples this is gb news the peoples channel this is gb news the peoples channel, gb news britains news channel, gb news britains news channel. Hello, its 1039. Youre with ben and pip on britains newsroom only on gb news. Lots of emails flying in and comments. One from virginia. Good morning virginia. You say no under no no phones for under 16. No social media until theyre 16. The internet is killing childhood , echoed a lot in the childhood, echoed a lot in the gbnews. Com yoursay Comment Section as well. Brian, good morning. Your little nephew , whos three years little nephew, whos three years old, pretends that the tv remote is a phone. Well, my 14 month old does that. He picks it, he picks it up and says , jan, morning my up and says, jan, morning my grandsons , age 12 and ten, both grandsons, age 12 and ten, both have iphones linked to their daddys phone who has full control of what they can do. They cant have email, they cant download apps, and dad gets notifications. If they try gets notifications. If they try to download one, he can see what theyre doing and for how long. And when its bedtime, he can turn them off. The technology exists. They need the skills, but to learn them in a safe environment, you dont have to ban phones to keep them safe. I mean, people do say, dont they . If government this if the government goes down this road, nanny road, its a bit of a nanny state. Really good point. And david says one of your panel toddlers who panel said toddlers who have their mobile will their own mobile phones will have communication have very poor communication skills. Daughter. She can skills. Not my daughter. She can download apps, she can search for interest. However, download apps, she can search for has interest. However, download apps, she can search for has great nterest. However, download apps, she can search for has great communication r, she has great communication skills. Can and shes skills. She can read and shes only four years old, in june. Wow. So a three year old that can read. Thats pretty good isnt it. Good stuff. Isnt it. Good stuff. Okay. Thank you for all your thoughts. Keep coming thoughts. Do keep them coming in. Gbnews. Com forward slash your right. Your say right. We move on. Is the government short sighted. A bit of a loaded question. Some mps. Well they reckon that when it comes to extreme weather warning ministers. Sorry. Lets start ministers. Sorry. Lets start that again shall we. Should we. Should we. Yeah. Lets were talking about extreme weather. And mps are warning that the government is too focused on its short term response rather than long term plans for flooding, for heatwaves, for storms. Heatwaves, for storms. Yeah. So joining us now is one of my favourite contributors, senior meteorologist jim dale, who is here with some climate warnings. No doubt jim , are we as a no doubt jim, are we as a nation, are we as a government being too slack on the impending climate catastrophe as you predict . Yeah. Good morning. The pair yeah. Good morning. The pair of you, nice to be with you. And the answer is a big yes. Theyve been slack for a long time. If theyve not slack, then theyre going backwards. Staring backwards. Im going to give you one word, actually, because i think theres a line in the sand thats happened the last, few thats happened in the last, few days , and thats a huge days, and thats dubai, a huge event to a very, very modern city, qatar seismic type flooding, 20 odd people dead. And this isnt the first place to go down with, this type of event, but it is a major city. And you, you know, when you get this type of event happening in a very modern City Infrastructure in infrastructure not quite in the right place. Its a massive, massive warning going forward. Massive warning going forward. And i think this is what the mps have tagged on to, not just this event, jim, sorry, sorry to interject. You and i both know interject. You and i both know dubaihas interject. You and i both know dubai has been messing around with weather modification. Theyve been cloud seeding, which for anyone who doesnt know what that is, its basically encourage basically trying to encourage and artificial rain. So and creating artificial rain. So how do we know that this flooding, it was 18 months worth of just one day. How do of rain in just one day. How do we know that wasnt attributed to the to cloud seeding . Because the uae government has said they were doing cloud seeding in the days before this incident, and the others said they werent, but actually no difference. But cloud seeding is a very localised thing. It generally speaking just a few few fields here there, small region here or there, a small region this is absolutely nothing. Ive looked this looked at the meteorology. This was to do with, the was everything to do with, the arabian at a record. Arabian sea at a record. Temperatures give or take, pushing up very warm , humid air, pushing up very warm, humid air, meeting cold air coming across saudi arabia to the convergence of the two air masses. Very slow moving, massive, massive thunderstorms fuelled by excess temperatures created by Climate Change and then were going to see more of this, make this absolutely clear. Ive been on this station many, many times, and pitt talking and certainly with pitt talking about. And you know about this subject. And you know full well isnt going full well that this isnt going anywhere tomorrow. And that is anywhere tomorrow. And that is why mps are concerned that why the mps are concerned that this government is kind of, in a way, moving to more towards the reform uk sort of denial, build a wall thing thats a big wall type thing thats thats what richard tice was saying last night, ill meet him on another occasion and talk to him about that one. Well, no one denies climates changing, denies the climates changing, but pounds or but how many more tax pounds or Civil Liberties do you want us to to, you know, to how many . How many do you want lose . How many do you want to lose . Because. Because the loss is going to be bigger than anything that thats the that we spend. And thats the point. And thats not just my words. The big words. Thats deloitte. The big financial firm. They they know that this is going on. Theyre putting the cost into billions. And were already seeing it around the world. Eyes wide open, not eyes wide closed. Weve got to be seeing whats going on, not just in our own country, which is kind of you know, sometimes it gets us, sometimes it doesnt. But that message in a bottle in, in message in in a bottle in, in dubai was, in effect, a massive, massive warning, by the way, because. Go on, pip. Sorry no, i was just going to say that when you go out and you talk to real people who are victims flooding time and victims of flooding time and time again, one of the issues is that the barriers arent high enough. Another issue is that theres too much building on floodplains, and that rivers arent being dredged. Yeah, youre not wrong with that. And i dont say, you know, dont put those walls higher. But but look , you can keep but but look, you can keep making things bigger and bolder a l making things bigger and bolder a , a bit like walls in, in a bit, a bit like walls in, in texas to keep migrants out. If you can carry on doing you like, you can carry on doing that. Ways that. But theres always ways and that climate as and means that the climate as its as it is doing its ramping up, as it is doing at moment time, will at this moment in time, will just overstress that. So look, youve got to go to the to the to the to the problem itself. And the problem itself is fossil fuels being put into the atmosphere. There are loading the c02 atmosphere. There are loading the co2 in the atmosphere that has given us a greenhouse effect, that is putting temperatures makes that temperatures up, that makes that makes the atmosphere hold more water and or increasing heat around the globe, which is going on left, right and centre as we speak. Okay. Jim dale, thanks very much. I mean, some would say that, china is that, you know, china is building power stations building two coal power stations a and uk is a week, and the uk is responsible for less than 1 of global emissions. So whats it got with got to do with us . Our bit then our bit. Yeah. Okay. Jim, thanks for joining us this morning. Take care yourself. Joining us this morning. Take car youre welcome. Youre welcome. Do stay with us here on britains were going britains newsroom. Were going to talking about to be talking about investigations care investigations into the care sector, have surged by sector, which have surged by more than ten times in the last few years. But why is that . Few years. But why is that . Well bring you the results of an exclusive investigation. Youre with britains newsroom on us. Right. Its 1049. Weve got an exclusive gb news investigation for you. Now. The care sector, theres a probe for my man, Charlie Peters about the exploitation watchdog. Who was basically reported a surge. A ten fold surge over the last few years of forced labour. So in 2021, there were just four investigations by the gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority. While in 2023 last authority. While in 2023 last year there was 44. So whats causing this sudden increase . Charlie peters joins us now Charlie Peters joins us now charlie great story and shocking statistics as well. Just give us some context about what you found. And yeah the reason behind it. Well, most of the researchers and analysts ive spoken to about this sudden surge in these investigations by the Labour Abuse Authority have said that there is a link between the health and care visa routes that has seen a very significant surge in recent years. When it surge in recent years. When it was first introduced, the department of health anticipated around six 6000 people would take it on about nought point 3 of the total nhs and social care workforce. Last year, 350,000 people arrived on that route since january 2021, when the brexit transition period ended , brexit transition period ended, 570,000 people have arrived on this route. 99 of them are non eu eu nationals, and at the same time, there has been a significant criticism of that route and some of the changes in the care sector in recent years. There was a report leaked by the home office, leaked from the home office, leaked from the home office, leaked from the home Office Rather earlier this year by david neal, the former chief inspector of the borders, who found in one case that there had been 275 visas issued to her care home that didnt even exist. So with those significant numbers and all these concerning situations, its no surprise perhaps , that the gangmasters perhaps, that the gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority is now confirming to us, through a freedom of information request, that theyve seen that ten fold surge in probes into the care sector. And what is the care sector saying about this . Well, theres been quite limited commentary from individual companies. When we asked for further information on on the specifics of their investigations, they said it would too be difficult to manually source them. It breached the cost limits. A Government Spokesperson told me that they are concerned about abuse of particularly foreign Migrant Workers in the care sector, and that theyve introduced rules in england specifically to not allow visas to be issued unless they are conducting regulated work in the care quality commission. So care quality commission. So unless theyre being regulated by that authority, that cant be pursued. Also, weve seen over half of those coming on this visa, this health and care visa are dependents. So thats also are dependents. So thats also been a cause for the concern. The government has acted on that earlier this year by reducing that path for dependents. But unseen uk, which is a modern slavery helpline and charity. Slavery helpline and charity. Yesterday they reported a 30 increase of potential victims, calling them from this sector really stunningly. That comes on the back of a 606 rise on the year before. So this concern is still growing at the same time as the Labour Abuse Authority is looking into the sector. So these workers, theyre potentially working very long hours, awful conditions , bad hours, awful conditions, bad pay, hours, awful conditions, bad pay, bad pay. How are families of people in care homes, elderly relatives, parents . How worried should they be about the standard of care theyre receiving when the workers themselves are being abused like this . Well, the tory mp neil obrien told me that this visa route has been a boon for criminals and exploiters. And not only is it extremely dangerous for many of the people coming in on this route who are then experiencing terrible conditions in care homes from their employers , as you say, their employers, as you say, ben, its also really concerning for those who have family members in the care sector who are concerned potentially, that the quality of the care theyre receiving is reducing. There receiving is reducing. There were zero investigations by the gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority in 2020 to then surge up to 44 last year does suggest that almost certainly has been a sector wide decline in standards, as they adapt to hundreds of thousands of new workers and dependents arriving on that route. So its a sort of a double edged sword in terms of a double edged sword in terms of a decline in standards, both for workers and for those on care. Workers and for those on care. Okay, charlie, pizzas great story. Thank you very much. Youre going to have more of this later on in the day. And yeah, what a i mean, a concern for families of people in care homes. Youve got an elderly homes. If youve got an elderly relative home, its relative in a care home, its stressful relative in a care home, its strewhen youve a relative in when youve got a relative in a whose health is a care home whose health is declining hearing declining without hearing information like this , what do information like this, what do you think . Do you send your views on that . Post your views on that . Post your comments and everything that we have been talking about so far today by visiting gbnews. Com forward slash yourself. There is plenty more still to come. Yeah. Should we just get yeah. Should we just get stuck into some very quick emails . Because i know a lot of you on gbnews. Com yoursay, youve been very active. Are asking for us to raise them out. So, anita says on the teachers pay, so, anita says on the teachers pay, teachers get enough, especially if they do the job they train for instead of telling them if they are a boy girl , girl, telling them if they are a boy girl, girl, no, are girl, girl, boy. No, they are there teach and jeff there to teach them. And jeff says its amazing the profits of Many Companies the wages Many Companies and the wages given executives if given to their executives if they were forced to share even a small amount profits small amount of those profits with more with the workers, then more people to work and people would go back to work and also, joe, on the issue of teachers, should they be paid more, he says, pay the good teachers more. Teachers more. More, because, they would need some form of assessment and monitoring. But there are staff, where, you know, they are deserving to be rewarded. They are the best of our educators. Stay with us. A brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on. Gb news. Hello and welcome to the latest update from the met office for gb news. Its going to turn brighter eventually. Today but at first its cloudy and breezy with showers for many of us. Weve got a number of systems moving south across the uk. Low pressure close to denmark, but higher pressure is moving in in time for the weekend before it gets here. A lot of cloud, a cool breeze coming from the north northwest thats particularly noticeable on the north sea coast and weve got this area of showery rain moving through central parts of england into parts of wales, followed showers for followed by further showers for much southeast scotland. Much of southeast scotland. Northeast england temperatures will be suppressed in that northerly breeze. 11 celsius in the east, but potential for 16 further west as skies brighten increasingly by the end of the day and then overnight, the rain disappears and weve got lengthy clear spells up and down the country. With the wind easing as well. Well, were going to see temperatures fall away. Perhaps a few fog patches here and there, particularly for northern ireland. And touch of frost ireland. And a touch of frost first but for many it is first thing. But for many it is a bright start. Blue skies across much of the country, a couple of exceptions. Northern scotland, the cloud will be thickening through the day, with some outbreaks of light rain later , and that down the later, and that breeze down the nonh later, and that breeze down the north it feel on north sea will make it feel on the cool side. The cloud will fill in by the afternoon in many places, but its going to stay largely dry and bright and feeling pleasant with lighter winds with recent days winds compared with recent days and of 13 celsius. And highs of 13 celsius. Warm feeling inside from that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers sponsors of weather on gb news. Good morning. Its 11 am. On friday, the 19th of april. Almost the weekend. Woohooi this is britains newsroom with ben leo and pip tomson. Very good morning to you. Happy friday. Israel strikes iran the uk government is stressing the need for de escalation and moderation after israel launches a retaliatory strike on iran overnight , the Prime Minister overnight, the Prime Minister pledges to end what he says is the sick note culture in britain, and he says he wants to make hard work pay. Labours Housing Solutions. Sir keir starmer sets out his plan to build 1. 5 million new homes to tackle the housing crisis. Slow response on yobs shocking new figures show police take almost 18 hours to respond to reports of anti social behaviour in some parts of england. Wed love to hear what you think about all that and everything weve been talking about so far today. We have plenty of comments on this issue of children as young as three using smartphones. Yeah, the nurse that about the argument is if you ban kids from using smartphones and technology, theyll fall behind their peers who are, you know, whizzing away coding, making websites and apps i but do you want three year old kids messing around on smartphones and accessing the internet . I mean, i dont. And also , what did you make and also, what did you make of what rishi sunak has to say today about making work pay and people over medicalising issues like stress and anxiety. What is your experience . What do you reckon the address gb news. Com forward slash my say your say your say. See i still havent got it right gbnews. Com yoursay youll say youll get it correct before before the end of the houn before before the end of the hour. Okay. Lets get your latest headlines while i go and practice with sam francis. Practice with sam francis. Very good morning to you. Its just after 11 00. The headunes its just after 11 00. The headlines from the newsroom this houn headlines from the newsroom this hour. The government is calling for de escalation and moderation in the middle east. Following reports that israel launched air strikes against iran. State media there says three drones were shot down with explosions heard at an air base near the city of isfahan. The strike is city of isfahan. The strike is thought to be in response to last weekends attack, when iran fired its own barrage of drones and missiles at israel. No damage or injuries have been reported in the latest exchange, former Defence Select Committee chairman Tobias Ellwood told gb news this morning that israel may have targeted a nuclear site. There are reports that iran is beginning to enrich uranium again at scale up to 60 with enough quantity for three sizeable bombs. And it could be that they believe that only going by having a nuclear deterrent, are they going to be able to fend off any conventional attacks . So a lot of Big Questions there. And thats perhaps worth pondering on, because whatever happens next, the rules of the game, this shadow war between iran and israel, has completely changed with this direct attack. With this direct attack. In other news, the Prime Minister is promising that his rwanda safety bill will be passed on monday. Rishi sunak couldnt confirm whether asylum flights would get off the ground by this spring deadline, but he did say his intention was to get the bill through Parliament Without any further delay. He without any further delay. He says mps will be forced to sit in the commons until the job was done, and rishi sunak is also warning against over medicalisation of everyday stresses and worries. Thats as he laid out plans for welfare reform during a major speech this morning. The Prime Minister has claimed that 850,000 more people are out of work since the pandemic, many of them with Mental Health issues. Hes claimed people with less severe Mental Health conditions should, he says, be expected to engage in the world of work. And he also said he thinks hell be accused of lacking in compassion, but insisted that the uk cant afford such a spiralling increase in the welfare bill. We now spend £69 billion on benefits for people of working age with a disability or health condition. Thats more than our entire schools budget, more than our transport budget, more than our transport budget, more than our policing budget and spending on personal independence payments alone. Its forecast to increase by more than 50 over the next four years. Opposition parties are urging the snp to cooperate fully with the snp to cooperate fully with the Police Investigation into the Police Investigation into the partys finances. After nicola sturgeons husband, Peter Murrell, was charged with embezzling funds. Its in connection with the spending of more than £600,000 in donations that were dedicated towards independence, campaigning officers have confirmed that the partys former chief executive is no longer in custody , and he is no longer in custody, and he has also resigned his snp membership. Parents are being membership. Parents are being warned that children aged between 5 and 7 years old are spending too much time, often unsupervised, on social media. Ofcom claims that 38 of infants School Children now use platforms including facebook, tiktok, whatsapp and instagram. Thats despite the sites requiring users to be at least 13 to have an account. The regulator also suggests a quarter of children in that same age bracket now own a smartphone. The research comes as the governments Online Safety bill, which aims to make the internet safer for children, is set to come into force in september. The governments september. The governments being warned its too focused on short tum responses to extreme weather, including floods, storms and heatwaves. The Public Accounts Committee is calling on ministers to urgently act to put long term planning in place. Their report claims that a failure to do so could come at a high cost to individuals, the economy to and society. The government, though, says the uk does have a robust and flexible system in place to the us, where donald trump has labelled the hush money case against him as a mess. Thats as the full jury of 12 have now been sworn in for the trial. The former us the trial. The former us president addressed reporters as he left court in new york, saying he was supposed to be campaigning in other states ahead of the 2024 president ial election. Those on the jury election. Those on the jury include an english teacher, multiple lawyers and a software engineer. Trump denies the allegations against him of falsifying Business Records to pay falsifying Business Records to pay an adult film star. And finally, before we hand back to ben and pip, the o2 Academy Brixton is holding its first gig tonight since two women were killed there in a crush in december 2022. Gabby hutchinson and Rebecca Ikumelo died when fans without tickets tried to get into a show by a nigerian artist. Lambeth council did rule the venue could keep its licence as long as it met robust safety rules. Those are the headlines. Rules. Those are the headlines. For more, sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the code on your screen, or go to gb news. Com slash alerts. Now though, lets get more from pip and ben. Lets get more from pip and ben. Good morning. Welcome to britains newsroom on gb news with ben leo and pip tomson, emails are on our desk. You have been getting very, very vocal about sick note britain. Are we about sick note britain. Are we a soft touch or is there a Mental Health crisis . John good Mental Health crisis . John good morning, you say, i suspect that this sickness crisis is correlated to lockdowns, long covid and excess deaths , mike covid and excess deaths, mike says, on Climate Change, we had jim dale on a few moments ago. He says, of course, the climate is changing. We dont live in a dome. If no human had ever set foot on planet earth, there would still be floods and storms and changing weather. Interesting, philip says if were going to endure more flooding, we need to be more adventurous in developing better ways of controlling it. Better defences, better reservoirs, better drainage systems. You cannot keep building more houses. Okay lets go back then. To what the Prime Minister was talking about earlier, vowing to end sick note culture. Thats what he describes it as. And hes unveiled a plan to strip gps of their power to sign people off work. And it comes as new figures this week revealed a staggering 2. 8 Million People are considered, quote, economically inactive after being placed on long term sickness benefits. So are all these people really too sick to work or are, are they having a bit of a blag . Joining us now to shed some light on this is behavioural psychologist jo hemmings. Good morning joe, some people have said or suggested that ive been a bit cruel by maybe mooting the idea that actually some people, especially the Younger Generation , are being a bit generation, are being a bit lazy. Theyve just got used to working from home. They enjoyed the lockdown period where they werent having to go and graft in an office from 9 to 5. Is this some of that or is there, you know, really a Mental Health crisis as described . No, i mean, theres a little part of it. Of course, if youve got a system that allows you to take advantage, there will be people who do exactly that. People who do exactly that. However, i think the main concern this thing about over medicalisation of sickness , medicalisation of sickness, this, or of illness, i think thats mainly referring, as you say, to Mental Health issues. I think part of the problem is not teaching our kids an early enough stage what the difference is between a mild bit of everyday anxiety that we all go through and what is depression . You know what . Theyre two very Different Things , teaching them Different Things, teaching them coping mechanisms. If they are feeling a bit stressed. I mean, feeling a bit stressed. I mean, all this should be part of a school curriculum. So we dont end up in this strange situation where were very candid and open about our Mental Health. However theres a great deal of misunderstanding still going on about , you know, what is it kind about, you know, what is it kind of just normal if you like , in of just normal if you like, in everyday life, we can still go to work. And what really does need proper attention and treatment. I mean, the British Medical Association has come out and has urged the Prime Minister to avoid using a hostile rhetoric on sick note. Culture he has been accused in other quarters of lacking compassion in the way he talks about this. Is that fair . Fair . I think it is fair that its a bit rich , to be fair, to have, a bit rich, to be fair, to have, kind of damaged, Health System to have not put enough money into building a decent Health System, building a decent Mental Health support system. And then after youve done that, then to say, oh, well, yeah, you know, people are kind of using the sick note culture. If theres any culture about, its because there isnt enough support there at an early enough stage for people to be able to understand whether they are truly sick or whether they are truly sick or whether they, you know, they can go on, what can they do . Wheres go on, what can they do . Wheres the support . So i find it a bit like locking the stable door after the horse has bolted and sort of blaming people for a situation thats been created effectively by the government. What about gps losing the power to administer these these sick notes and bringing in instead specialist work and Health Professionals . How Health Professionals . How concerned are you about that . Because one wonders whether how how qualified these people are going to be to do this work. Yeah. And whether they have the history of that patient and whether indeed, well, they certainly wont have the relationship if there is a relationship if there is a relationship between a patient and their gp. However sort of scant that may be, there is something there. If they dont have that background, how on earth are they going to judge, particularly on a Mental Health bafis particularly on a Mental Health basis , whether somebody is fit basis, whether somebody is fit to go to work or not . And again, i feel , you know, making gps is i feel, you know, making gps is under so much pressure these daysis under so much pressure these days is again, another sort of exit route for the government to sort of cover up their own tracks. Joe, you are a behavioural psychologist. Have you got any practical tips or advice that people could do today . If theyre feeling a bit down or a bit anxious, what can people do to make themselves feel better before it escalates into something more serious . Well, theyre very simple things, very simple coping mechanisms such as breathing techniques , three, three, three. Techniques, three, three, three. Breathe in for three. Hold it for three. Breathe out. I mean, it does sound simple. Do it two, three times. And what you do is you bring down your levels of adrenaline and cortisol, and actually it just makes you feel calmer very quickly. Exercise is another good thing. Has been a study today saying how much exercise de stresses us. So again, get out there, get a bit of fresh air, do the things you can do, eat healthily, all that lifestyle, but for quick, simple, you know, just feeling a little bit less stress, breathing exercises and getting some exercise might just tip you into a better place. Yeah and i think there there is, logic in saying that actually getting back into work , even if getting back into work, even if its not full time, but having that routine can be hugely helpful. It is. And its one thing to say it, but for some people it feels like a mountain to climb to get back into work. So they need to be in work to understand and the benefits, the wellbeing benefits of being in work. So benefits of being in work. So i think again, you know, more to encourage people about what they might do. Careers advice, what might do. Careers advice, what might suit them if they want to work partly from home or and also because they got used to it and partly work in an office or and partly work in an office or a different working situation. Again, the flexibility to find the right sort of role for the right sort of people again , right sort of people again, then, yeah, work is undoubtedly incredible for our wellbeing , incredible for our wellbeing, but youve got to kind of be in it to know that , okay. It to know that, okay. Jo jo hemmings, behavioural psychologist. Thanks very much psychologist. Thanks very much for joining us this morning. Forjoining us this morning. Very much appreciated. Should we bnngin very much appreciated. Should we bring in former tory mp scott benson now, who joins us live down the line . Scott. Good morning, dare i say it, are we simply, a soft touch . Do we need to man up . I know that phrase isnt appreciated these days, but do we need to man up . Good morning, ben and pitt. Absolutely. We do need to man up. And absolutely. We do need to man up. And im afraid we are a soft touch when it comes to not only Unemployment Benefits , but Unemployment Benefits, but sickness benefits as well. And the figures speak for themselves here. 2. 8 Million People out of work signed off on the sick is absolutely shocking. And to put absolutely shocking. And to put these figures into context, thats up from 2. 1 million just a few years ago. And its almost a few years ago. And its almost threefold what it was a generation ago as well. When i was elected in 2019, the country was elected in 2019, the country was spending £42 billion on sickness benefits. Thats now risen exponentially to £69,000,000 billion every single yeah £69,000,000 billion every single year. This is simply unsustainable for the government. And of course, its hindering our economy. So mps hindering our economy. So mps will talk about trying to restart the sluggish growth weve seen in our economy over the last ten years. We talk about tax cuts, planning reform, supply side reform, but im afraid were getting people who can work back. The work has to be the absolute top mission for this government. This has been going on for far too long, and i suspect conservative support and mps up and down the country will have been cheering the Prime Minister on this morning with his speech , but also asking why his speech, but also asking why on earth werent we bringing forward these measures 2 or 3 years ago, following the pandemic, when the early signs of this huge explosion in people, in many occasions swinging the leg and not going back to the office was, im afraid, all too common . Well, there has been more reaction from all sides about his speech. One of them is from the lib dem leader, sir ed davey. Scott who says that the Prime Ministers welfare reforms. It was a desperate speech from a Prime Minister mired in sleaze and scandal. And you, of course , scott, are part you, of course, scott, are part of that sleaze and scandal. You were suspended last year. Well, you would expect ed davey to say that the Liberals Party and the labour party have no interest whatsoever in getting people to work, and i suspect this will become a wedge issue at the general election, and rightly so , between the and rightly so, between the conservative government, who, to be honest, could and maybe should have done more to tackle this issue. As ive just said over the last few years. But a Prime Minister who is now bringing out plausible measures to try and tackle people who can work and who should be working, but who are choosing not to, versus a labour party and the liberal party. And certainly in the case of labour, we saw 13 years of Labour Party Government when the figures of people who could work but who werent working just wokeist a year. But does he not have a point about, a government mired in sleaze and scandal . I mean, weve now got this situation with tory mp mark menzies. Well, hes had the whip removed , hes had the whip removed, alleged misuse of campaign funds. Weve had neil parish, chris pincher, peter bone, crispin blunt, many mps in this government, including yourself , government, including yourself, have been caught up in problems, serious problems. Serious problems. Well, if were talking about the issues here, which we are, were talking about the future of this country. Were talking about economic growth, getting people back to work. Thats what wishes speech was about today. Of course, standards in parliament is a slightly different issue, and the conservatives myself included, have had issues regarding this dunng have had issues regarding this during the course of this parliament, but so have the labour party and so of all parties in parliament. So lets not pretend this is a conservative only issue. And weve seen labour mps, for example, have to leave their positions throughout the course of this parliament as well. But with respect, you invited me on the show today to talk about sickness benefits , and thats sickness benefits, and thats what many people will want to hear from the Prime Minister about and what hes trying to do to get those people back into work. Yeah, we get that , scott, and yeah, we get that, scott, and we appreciate you being here to talk about it. But i mean, pip was asking about sir davids accusation that this is merely a distraction to whats going on with his government. So thats with his government. So thats why the question was asked. Why the question was asked. No, i appreciate that, ben. Of course, the Prime Minister has got a job to do. Hes got to govern. And its only right that he will seek to address issues such as this, which the british people care about. I know this morning he was , of course, asked morning he was, of course, asked about the mark menzies situation. You would expect that. But from the Prime Ministers point of view, hes got a huge number of issues to tackle, whether it be welfare and benefit reform, whether it be the nhs, economic growth, immigration and youre naturally expect the government to want to tackle those issues ahead of a general election. Okay, scott, thank you again for being with us. Really appreciate it. Have a great weekend. Thank and mark menzies. He has issued a statement saying i strongly dispute the allegations put to me. I have allegations put to me. I have fully complied with all the rules for declarations as there is an investigation ongoing. I will not be commenting further. Will not be commenting further. Okay. I mean, i know scotland, he did very well there. You can tell hes a politician at deflecting that question. It was a valid question. It was a valid question. It was a valid question because sir ed davey is saying this morning that this speech about welfare reform is just a distraction about the chaos going on in the government. And youve got a good point. Peter bone, last yean good point. Peter bone, last year, mark menzies William Wragg that, you know, absolutely crazy situation with the honeypot sixteen scandal, yeah , who sixteen scandal, yeah, who knows. But to be fair to scott, he did. You know, he did rightly say there are mps of other colours caught up in sleaze and scandal as well. Yeah, i said, i said last night on patricks show about keith teflon vaz. You remember keith teflon vaz. You remember him some years ago. The who, anyway, we wont go into it. Were going to. Were going to get to the break. Let us know what you think. Gb news comment slash forward slash your say. Up next, the government is calling for de escalation and moderation in the middle east following reports overnight that israel launched air strikes against iran. How launched air strikes against iran. How will launched air strikes against iran. How will the international iran. How will the International Community respond with ben and pip on britains us. Were gb news and we come from a proud tradition of british journalism. Thats why im so excited to be here. Its something so new. The first news channel to be launched in britain in over 30 years. Launched to represent the views of the british people. To go where other broadcasters refuse to go. Broadcasters refuse to go. How do you find out about the story in the first place . Launched with one aim to be the fearless champion of britain i its an absolutely fantastic atmosphere here. This is gb news lviv ofsted gb news. Britains news channel. Britains news channel. Britains news channel. Welcome back. It is 1124 this friday morning with britains newsroom on gb news with ben leo and pitt thompson. Great to have you with us. Also here is former editor of the daily star, dawn neesom and author and broadcaster amy nicole turner. And well be talking about your old paper, their front page lead shortly. Dawn. But first of all, Kemi Badenoch telling watchdog is to scrap company equality. Quotas can we badenoch, the business secretary. Hallelujah to that. To be honest with you. I mean, im honest with you. I mean, im sorry. I just think someone needs to say it , diversity. She needs to say it, diversity. She is saying in this risk. Look, we already have legislation that prevents people discriminating on sex, ability, age, all of these things in the workplace. So why do we now need companies above . I think our, 350 above . I think our, 350 employees. Is it to list people by, you know, every other you know their faith, you know all these things. Why do we need to know that . And what really annoys me about this story, pip, is that sex and gender are lumped together. So if youre talking about getting more women into the workplace, that includes trans women. And i was reading a story last week about a ceo of a big company. At first female one ever. But theyre not are they trans . Its a trans woman. Yeah. So its also not fairly represent females in the workplace. Thats my main issue with that. So well done. Kemi what a joke to women amy. Thatis what a joke to women amy. That is what i want to talk about. That is what i want to talk about. Im that is what i want to talk about. Im not that is what i want to talk about. Im not gonna lock horns about. Im not gonna lock horns again about trans. I just think thats a category of women. So of course they would be included in those statistics. But i think the reason that we need to know these figures is because so many groups are underrepresented in employment, and theres massive inequality. So the idea of scrapping equality, equality quotas at this time, when we have a more diverse than ever society, but we still have an inequality based on gender, social class, disability , vie in social class, disability, vie in the workplace, we have legislation seems really counterproductive. Counterproductive. I mean, maybe some people are just better at other jobs than others or some demographics have more interest in other fields than others. I mean, the nba is about 95 black. Well, are we going to go over there and start kicking off, find out if we if we levelled the Playing Field of opportunity, which is what i think equality quotas do. Think equality quotas do. But i think youre right that most Companies Wont need to scrap these because theyll know its practice have them its best practice to have them regardless. Yes. So any good regardless. Yes. So any Good Business will keep these because theyve been linked pretty consists to profitability and the ultimate aim of any business is to have profitability. So just to clarify, if you ran a business, any old business and you you had two and you had you had two candidates. Exemplary. Candidates. One was exemplary. Great , the other was, say great cv, the other was, say a gay black person , but you were gay black person, but you were down on your own targets. Who was less qualified . Youd hire was less qualified . Youd hire the diverse hire. Would, you know, because that is positive discrimination. But whats the difference . But whats the difference . Well, that what youre talking illegal. Its talking about is illegal. Its about playing about making the Playing Field, even for the white candidate and the black gay candidate, its about levelling the Playing Field for everyone. And to have a Diverse Workforce is linked to efficiency profitability, a Diverse Workforce is linked to efficanyy profitability, a Diverse Workforce is linked to efficany good profitability, a Diverse Workforce is linked to effic any good ceo itability, a Diverse Workforce is linked to effic any good ceo will lity, a Diverse Workforce is linked to effic any good ceo will tell you and any good ceo will tell you that, which is why its pretty much in the law. Its a legal requirement to advance equality. Requirement to advance equality. I mean, its not just a moral imperative. Its not about this moral imperative. Oh, arent we great . Weve got all these people. Its about increasing efficiency by efficiency and profitability by understanding the diversity of your customer base, by giving the worst candidate the job. Thats thats the misreading. Thats thats the misreading. Thats not what its about. Its about giving equal opportunities in britain. Do we we in britain. What do we value . We value and we value value fairness and we value opportunity. And all this equality, diversity initiatives do is create an equal opportunities. And surely thats a good thing about discriminating against women. Yeah. Sorry yeah. Sorry i mean, was humza yousaf right when he went on an anti white saying there anti white rant saying there was too people in too many white people in governmental i think what governmental posts, i think what he was trying to do, quite clumsily, is just draw an eye to he was trying to do, quite clurfact, is just draw an eye to he was trying to do, quite clurfact that ust draw an eye to he was trying to do, quite clurfact that blackaw an eye to he was trying to do, quite clurfact that black people ye to he was trying to do, quite clurfact that black people areo the fact that black people are underrepresented of , underrepresented in a lot of, higher up positions across the board. I mean, would it have been racist hed got there and racist if hed got up there and said, theres many black said, theres too many black people posts, no. People in government posts, no. Because historically because theyre not historically underrepresented, . Underrepresented, are they . White people have had quite a good, throughout good, easy ride throughout history. History. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Lets lets change topic complete slowly and have a. Well, i was going to say i have a bit of a laugh with this, but there is a serious side to it. British fry up in it. The british fry up is in danger of dying out as youngsters turn their on youngsters turn their back on the dawn, 1 in 10 the full english dawn, 1 in 10 Health Conscious 18 to 34 year olds never eat a british fry up. What are they having instead . I couldnt quite work out from the story what they were actually having. Avocado. Avocado. Toast . Yeah beat avocado on toast . Yeah beat me it. Mosley, its a health me to it. Mosley, its a health thing , isnt it . An 89 of them, thing, isnt it . An 89 of them, i think, the statistic. So i think, is the statistic. So when they have eaten a full engush when they have eaten a full english they just instantly english pip, they just instantly feel. And to be honest, feel guilty. And to be honest, if you and work out the if you sit down and work out the nutritional of a full nutritional content of a full engush nutritional content of a full english is like english breakfast, it is like around calories. Thats enough. Its a heck of a lot. So what its a heck of a lot. So what have got . Weve got bacon, have we got . Weve got bacon, 999, have we got . Weve got bacon, egg, toast. What egg, sausage, beans, toast. What about have black about some people have black pudding as well. Black pudding. Now this is the this is the better debate. Whether better debate. Is not whether Gen Millennials gen z and millennials are actually big. Full actually eating big. Full engush actually eating big. Full english breakfast. Its what you put it also depends if its fried it also depends if its fried or grilled, by the way, or air fried in an air fryer. Maybe thats why these youngsters are so anxious all the time. They just need to relax. Just eat. Eat do you know why people are anxious . This is an explainer for sick note britain. Youve been talking it morning. Talking about it all morning. Its ups. We need its too many fry ups. We need to healthier. To get healthier. Think fry ups are i dont think fry ups are that you. Oh my god. That bad for you. Oh my god. Especially if you grill them. If youve eggs, youve got, say, poached eggs, grilled bacon i mean bacons, you of protein, very you know, full of protein, very minimal cut the fat minimal fat. If you cut the fat off dont think its that bad. Off i dont think its that bad. Gen z on this no, im with gen z on this i think. Isnt better . Isnt it isnt it better . Isnt it better bowl of cornflakes . Yeah yeah, probably yeah. Yeah yeah, probably more protein. Its going more such a thing. Its going to you up. Cornflakes is to fill you up. Cornflakes is just old time in moderation. Dont it. How moderation. Dont it. How i moderation. Dont it. How i live my dont eat it. How i live my life, dawn not. Life, dawn as a not. Yeah. Life, dawn as a not. Youve heard. Weve heard about you. Love all right. One man who looks like hes never devoured a fry up in his life because hes so lean and handsome is sam francis. Hes got your news headunes. Headlines. Ben, thank you very much for those kind words. And its just those kind words. And its just after 1130, the headlines from the newsroom. The government is the newsroom. The government is calling for de escalation and moderation in the middle east, following reports that israel has launched airstrikes against iran. State media says three drones were shot down with explosions heard at an airbase near the city of isfahan. The strike is thought to be in response to last weekends attack, when iran fired its own barrage of drones and missiles at israel. We understand no damage or injuries have been reported in that latest exchange. The Prime Minister is promising that his rwanda safety bill will be passed on monday. Rishi sunak couldnt confirm whether asylum flights would get off the ground by his spring deadline, but he did say his intention was to get the bill through Parliament Without further delays. He says mps will further delays. He says mps will be forced to sit the commons be forced to sit in the commons until the job is done, leading Mental Health charities have described rishi sunaks welfare reforms as deeply damaging and an irresponsible war of words. An irresponsible war of words. Dufing an irresponsible war of words. During a major speech on welfare reform this morning, the Prime Minister warned against the overmedicalization stresses minister warned against the overworriesization stresses minister warned against the overworries andon stresses minister warned against the overworries and claimedasses minister warned against the overworries and claimed that and worries and claimed that people with less severe Mental Health conditions should, he said, be expected to engage in the world of work. However, the world of work. However, labour has also accused the government of failing to deliver a nation in scotland. A Healthy Nation in scotland. Opposition parties are urging the snp to cooperate fully with the snp to cooperate fully with the Police Investigation into its finances after nicola sturgeons husband, Peter Murrell, was charged with embezzling funds. Its in connection with the spending of more than £600,000 in donations for independence , campaigning for independence, campaigning officers have confirmed. The partys former chief executive is no longer in custody, and he has also resigned his snp membership. Thats the latest membership. Thats the latest from the newsroom for now. For more, do sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the code there on your screen or go to our website, gb news. Com shirts. Shirts. For exclusive, limited edition and rare gold coins that are always newsworthy, rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news Financial Report , and news Financial Report, and heres a look at the markets this morning. The pound will buy you 131. 2451 and the pound will buy you 1. 2451 and ,1. 1684. The price of gold this morning is £1,915. 60 per ounce, and the ftse 100 is at 7832 points. Rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news Financial Report. Report. Sam, thank you. Coming up in exactly 27 minutes. Time is good afternoon britain with tom and emma. Hello. Hello. We love being quite so particular with when were going to turn up on the television. Its very i hope everyone at home is setting their timers, perhaps long range egg perhaps their long range egg timers. Yes, but weve got quite an exciting show coming up because were going to be speaking. I dont know if youve seen case of jewish man seen the case of the jewish man in was forbidden from in london who was forbidden from crossing the street by a Police Officer , saying he risked officer, saying he risked antagonising a pro palestinian protest because he was wearing a kippah , were going to be kippah, were going to be speaking to that man who was told he couldnt cross the road and he couldnt walk towards a certain area of london simply because there was a pro palestinian march there. Goodness me. And did he . Did he heed that advice, or did he do it anyway . Well, he asked to cross the road and they said they would escort him, but only once the march had passed. Because they because he didnt. They didnt. Visibly jewish. Too visibly jewish. Too visibly jewish. That was the phrase they used. I mean, thats the disgrace. We pro palestine we had it in the pro palestine protest chap who was protest with that chap who was walking a placard Walking Around with a placard saying and saying hamas are terrorists, and they moved they arrested him and moved him away area. He was away from the area. He was allowed to protest and allowed there to protest and to have say. And instead of have his say. And instead of deaung have his say. And instead of dealing with the actual troublemakers, with troublemakers, they deal with the very peaceful. And one further, and this is one step further, because man wasnt because this man wasnt protesting , he didnt protesting, he didnt have a sign. He was simply someone sign. He was just simply someone who visibly jewish. Who was visibly jewish. Not the and importantly, not the first this has first time either. That this has happened. First time either. That this has happened. Aid to people from the happened. Aid to people from the Campaign Anti semitism. So campaign for anti semitism. So if you remember, just after october the 7th, they were trying to raise awareness of the hostages and the police targeted them, driving around their them, driving around with their billboards van rather than the protesters who might assault them or cause trouble because they were driving around in westminster and just ask them to leave london. Interesting. Was Suella Braverman right in her infamous telegraph mean , some telegraph column. I mean, some would say shes been vindicated since then. Well, well be certainly asking question the asking that question to the man who this extraordinary who faced this extraordinary experience. But experience over the weekend. But were also going to be speaking to the conservative to anna firth, the conservative member who member of parliament, who has a private to pet private members bill to ban pet abductions. Now, this bill is facing its third reading. Now in the house of commons. Its going to make a specific offence to steal cats and dogs. Is it not already stolen gods property . Arent they so currently it is someones is illegal to take someones cat or would be treated or dog, but it would be treated in same way as if you took in the same way as if you took their television. Would their television. This would make serious sort of make it a more serious sort of crime. Going to crime. So were going to be speaking about bill speaking to her about her bill too, asking people too, and also asking people to send their cats send in pictures of their cats and dogs and of course, more coming israel. Coming up on israel. You mine. Ill send you mine. Ill send you mine. Marvellous. Yes, stupid. Marvellous. Yes, stupid. Forward to it. Marvellous. Yes, stupid. Thank forward to it. Marvellous. Yes, stupid. Thank you, ward to it. Marvellous. Yes, stupid. Thank you, emma, it. Marvellous. Yes, stupid. Thank you, emma, and some great that more great stuff, all that and more to come , of course, at midday. To come, of course, at midday. For though, with for now, though, you with britains newsroom, with ben and pip on gb stay with. Us. Very good morning to you. Its 1139. Youre with ben and pip on britains newsroom on gb. News nicola sturgeons husband has been charged in connection with embezzlement of funds from the Scottish National party. Scottish national party. Peter murrell became chief executive of the snp in 2001, and he stepped down from the role last year. And he stepped down from the role last year. Joining us now role last year. Joining us now with the latest is our scotland reporter tony maguire. Tony, whats. Whats the latest. Good morning. Well indeed this was quite a shock yesterday as the world found out just after 5 00 that Peter Murrell had been rearrested. Nicola sturgeons husband , of course, sturgeons husband, of course, was arrested about a year and two weeks ago, the first of three arrests last year in relation to Operation Branch from that Police Investigation into £600,000 of missing snp funds. Now, about an hour and a half after that, we then found out that Peter Murrell had indeed been charged and the Police Scotland had put out a statement yesterday to say that the man, who was arrested at 930 yesterday morning, was then went on to be charged at 6 35 pm. After further questioning by the Police Scotland detectives and investigating funding and finances of the party. Now hes been charged in connection with the investigation and in connection with the embezzlement of snp funds. Now, of course, of snp funds. Now, of course, this is an active Police Investigation , and the Police Investigation, and the police have been erring on the side of caution to once again instruct people, of course, that this will be subject to contempt of court order. But if we take a step back and we actually look at what this week has been like for the snp and for humza yousaf , we see that hate crime act legislation , debate rolling on legislation, debate rolling on again into a third week. We now see that that the snp yesterday have chosen to ditch one of their key climate targets, the 2030 target to cut down Greenhouse Gas emissions by 75. And then, of course, that decision to pull new prescriptions of puberty blockers, after in the wake of the cast report, all taken together, the greens party, some of the councillors around scotland, will they actually want their party to the scottish greens to move away from the coalition deal, and to leave the snp for this recent spate of decisions . So all Things Considered , not a particularly considered, not a particularly great week for the snp up here in scotland. Okay, tony, thanks very much for that. And yes, of course the snp as well. Just to add to that, they are involved in a charity push to ask four year olds and five year olds, Primary School kids in scotland if theyre gay, bi or trans. We covered it on patricks show last night, so yeah, interesting. Up next, are those guilty of anti social behaviour getting an easy ride in some parts of england . Its taken police up to 17. 5 hours, actually, some of you arent going to be surprised at that , to come and deal with at that, to come and deal with calls for help. So were going calls for help. So were going to get stuck into that just after this break. Youre with britains newsroom gb us. Welcome back. Now police they are taking. We are told up to 17. 5 hours to respond to calls of anti social behaviour. This is an increase of 37 since 2021. So just in what, three years . Yeah. Really interesting. Whats behind it. Well joining us now is former detective chief superintendent at the met police kevin hurley. Kevin, we know that the tory government in recent years has bolstered the number of Police Officers. We had the 20,000 plus, which i think Boris Johnson was, was pushing forward to replace the officers that were cut previously. That said, why are they now failing to respond to calls of anti social behaviour . Calls of anti social behaviour . Surely thats just the basics. Well, what we do know is that before they boasted with 20,000 brand new people whove yet to learn their job properly, they cut by 20, they cut by 22,000 officers and another 20,000 back officers and another 20,000 back office staff and have cut 60 of the police stations in the country. Country. So the present governments reputation on maintaining Police Numbers is far from good. But the thing that concerns me about this, and i come at it from a point of view of not only 30 years in policing, but four years in policing, but four years as an elected police and crime commissioner , where i crime commissioner, where i attended countless Public Meetings listening to what concerns the main rump of the pubuc concerns the main rump of the public and its anti social behaviour, anti social behaviour, anti social behaviour, anti social behaviour , assaults, disrupt robberies , assaults, disrupt robberies, rape, murder are right down the bottom of most peoples agendas when it comes to how they live. When it comes to how they live. And so i think the Police Service politicians and local authorities are really missing a trick here in in the way in which resources are configured in delivering personnel to deal with issues. So let me give you with issues. So let me give you an example. As a result of the clamour from every symbol imaginable, activist group, whether its black community, muslim community, lgbtq community, police divert significant numbers of resources to engage whatever that means in activity related to that. All of activity related to that. All of those people are taken off the street. Let me put that in street. Let me put that in perspective for you. Less than 1 of all the meetings between police and the public are stop and search of that. Probably less than one tenth of 1 involve difficult searches with young black youths. Yet the Police Service turns itself inside out, trying to demonstrate how good it is deaung demonstrate how good it is dealing with the black community, in particular young people. This is a huge diversion of resources that should be used for dealing with nuisance neighbours, people throwing rubbish in the streets, smashing up phone boxes, damaging our buses , causing problems outside buses, causing problems outside the kebab house, driving their scramble, motorbikes in the allotments out the back of where people live , causing trouble in people live, causing trouble in the phone leads police and politicians have got this wrong about whats important for the pubuc about whats important for the public anti social behaviour and you said it earlier at the very start of that, this, this, trailing this programme affects every single one of us, every day. And the Police Response for all sorts of reasons , not the all sorts of reasons, not the least of which is the cuts they face and the failure to increase resourcing for police and the criminal courts that support the police and prisons they cannot attend in the numbers they want to. Kevin im afraid with the with the government being stuck for cash as we are, i dont really see any hope in the future because its not just the police, kevin. Police can only deal with anti social behaviour if theres a sanction and if the courts are overwhelmed , prisons courts are overwhelmed, prisons and probation are overwhelmed. Its a problem. Okay kevin, let me just put to you what the government says, which is that theyve got an increased Police Presence in hotspots as part of a £160 Million Action plan. But what you hear repeatedly from victims is that police are playing down complaints of anti social behaviour, and they are looking at it as neighbourly nuisance. Theyre just not taking it seriously enough until there is a very long run of incidents. Yeah, well, i mean, two points, first of 160 million is an absolute drop in the ocean when i said what you need if you want to deal with this is Court Systems that can deal speedily with cases and appropriate sanctions, whatever they are up to and including prisons. And we all know thats collapsing. But all know thats collapsing. But back to your other point. Well, police would do that , wouldnt police would do that, wouldnt they . Because if they havent got the resources to send people out because theyre overwhelmed deaung out because theyre overwhelmed dealing with mentally disordered people in the street because there are no, secure mental facilities or inadequate numbers of Mental Health resources. This takes up huge numbers of police and of course, all the other different pressure groups and Interest Groups distracting from time. They they end up doing just like an a e nurse does, which is triage every call that comes in and try and put some kind of palliative there, there, there. Which of course is unsatisfying factory because if youve got people continually causing trouble outside your house every night of the week , house every night of the week, or causing you to feel intimidated when youre walking from the railway station, by the way, they cant call you if youre a woman or someone you know, like like that walking home of an evening. Its unsatisfying , but theyve got no unsatisfying, but theyve got no opfion unsatisfying, but theyve got no option because theres not adequate resources. Kevin, do we need to adopt something akin to rudy giuliani, the former mayor of new york . His broken window approach, whereby he transforms a crime fidden whereby he transforms a crime ridden city in a couple of years into a, you know, a fairly decent, fairly safe place by having a zero tolerance approach, whether its a broken window or, whether its vandalism or, you know, looting. Vandalism or, you know, looting. Theideais vandalism or, you know, looting. The idea is that you stamp that kind of stuff out and it discourages any further serious crimes escalating. Crimes escalating. Well, you are talking to, a one man Political Party who, when he won the police and crime post in surrey, stood as the zero tolerance policing ex chief , party. So, yes, i completely support that. When i ran, west london, fulham and so on, we had a zero tolerance approach working with the local authority to all forms of crime, saying precisely what you do if you make sure people pay their bus fares on the tube, they pay their fares on the subway. You their fares on the subway. You respond to rowdy yobs and there are people. See, there is a sanction that tends to drive other types of behaviours. So other types of behaviours. So yes, i do believe in an idea that if something is done wrong, there is some kind of sanction. There is some kind of sanction. Im not saying hang, flog or put them in prison, but you dont ignore stuff. So a real example is youre walking down the high street, as a cop, and you see someone drop a kebab paper on the floor. You go up to them and say, pick that up, please, and put it in the bin. No, i wont give me your name. Im giving you a summons. No, i wont if you a summons. No, i wont if you dont give me your name, youll be arrested. I wont be youll be arrested. I wont be arrested. If you dont want to be arrested, ill use force on you. And if you resist, youll be sprayed. Or youll be tasered. So pick it up. Got it . Thatis tasered. So pick it up. Got it . That is zero tolerance policing, okay. Former top cop at the met police, kevin hurley, thanks very much for your time. Very much for your time. Were getting some some reaction to our chat with kevin, which is why i wasnt being rude. I was looking at what youre saying to us so i can air it, eric says problem with police is community officers. Police believe they are above the basics and have lost the ability to communicate with the public, dickie , you say it took public, dickie, you say it took four days for police to knock on your door after it was reported that yobs were shooting at cars with air pistols. Yeah , and just on the sick yeah, and just on the sick note, briton neil says they talk about over £61 billion in benefit costs at the same time as the sick and disabled , as the sick and disabled, because this blames all the costs on the sick. But those billions are including universal credit and housing costs. And gemma says im really looking forward to Saint Georges day. I display the flag and i feel like, this year i do not sure why that ones in there. Actually, weve not spoken about Saint Georges day, but i agree with you, gemma. Maybe. Good afternoon britain. Well touch on Saint Georges day. They are talking about pets, pet theft. Theyre asking for your photos of your pets, thatll be a good one. Youll all be. Youll all be writing in with that. But thank you for your company this morning on britains news newsroom. A busy one, as always. Whatever youre doing, have a great weekend. Youre back tonight . Yes. Patrick shows tonight. This is. Good afternoon, britain. Enjoy. Yes, we will be getting on to pets pet theft and talking to the mp behind a new bill on cracking down on it. But also iran and israels retaliation. Are we going to be sucked in to a wider war . Big questions as britain and the world stands on the brink. And as the Prime Minister has said, that we need to crack down on sick note. Britain, we will be debating whether or not we are a lazy nation. All that to come on the show, do get involved. Of course, we look forward to your views all after this, whether. After this, whether. A brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on. Gb news. Hello and welcome to the latest update from the met office for gb news. Its going to turn brighter eventually today, but at first its cloudy and breezy with showers for many of us. Weve got a number of systems moving south across the uk. Low pressure close to denmark, but higher pressure is moving in in time for the weekend before it gets here. A lot of cloud, a cool breeze coming from the north northwest , coming from the north northwest, but thats particularly noticeable on the north sea coast and weve got this area of showery rain moving through central parts of england into parts of wales, followed by further showers for much of southeast scotland. Northeast england temperatures will be suppressed in that northerly breeze. 11 celsius in the east, but potential for 16 and further west as skies brighten increasingly by the end of the day and then overnight, increasingly by the end of the day and then overnight , the rain day and then overnight, the rain disappears and weve got lengthy, clear spells up and down the country with the wind easing as well. Well were going to see temperatures fall away. Perhaps a few fog patches here and there, particularly for northern ireland, and a touch of frost. First thing. But for many it is a bright start. Blue skies across much of the country , a across much of the country, a couple of exceptions. Northern scotland. The cloud will be thickening through the day, with some outbreaks of light rain later, and that breeze down the nonh later, and that breeze down the north sea will make it feel on the cool side. The cloud will fill in by the afternoon in many places, but its going to stay largely dry and bright and feeling pleasant with lighter winds compared with recent days, and highs of 13 celsius. That warm feeling inside from boxt boilers sponsors of weather on gb news. Good afternoon. Britain. Its 12 00 on friday, the 19th of april. Israel strikes back. Defence chiefs are nervous as israel retaliates with revenge strikes on iranian territory. The question now becomes, what will iran do next . Sick note britain, the Prime Minister announces sweeping reforms to get britain back to work as Mental Health sign offs soan work as Mental Health sign offs soar. Does britain need a war on the work . Shy and snp arrest nicola sturgeons husband Peter Murrell , has been rearrested by Police Scotland amid their investigation into snp funding and finances. Now, a little bit later in the program, well be talking to anna firth , the member of anna firth, the member of parliament for southend. Now, the reason why were doing this is not only to talk about some of the big issues of the day, but also a very important to bill her going through Parliament Today that will ban pet theft as a specific offence for cats and dogs. I personally think this is wonderful and shes become one of my favourite mps as a result of my favourite mps as a result of this. What do you think, tom . Yeah, youre a big fan of anna firth. Its going to be very good to talk to her. I, i am willing to hear the arguments because i do know currently it is illegal to steal a cat or a dog. I want to know what sort of making it more illegal will do. Whats the sort of