been called a chilling, it's been called a chilling, systemic 40 year cover up. on today's show, i'll speak to campaigner victims and their family members. plus, later on the show, we'll hear from the prime minister, rishi sunak, who's expected to apologise now. early today, free speech campaigner julian assange won a bid to bring appeal against an extradition to the us. his supporters have called it the most significant breakthrough since his case began. we'll have all the latest from the high court and there's yet more chaos in ireland , as premier simon in ireland, as premier simon harris has vowed to recognise the palestinian state by the end of may. meanwhile, local and cool are forced a migrant camp to be abandoned after they formed a blockade. we'll speak to a man on the ground who was there and that's all coming up next in your next hour . well,

next in your next hour. well, the show always a delight to have your company 40 years in the making. delay after delay, a systemic cover up, failures by the civil service, failures by the civil service, failures by the nhs, potentially its biggest ever scandal today was a momentous and emotional victory for those who put so much energy and effort into their campaigning work to see justice for those of the infected blood scandal. i'll be joined by campaigners, those infected themselves and also those who lost family members. how did this happen? how can we make sure it never happens again? and will those people be compensated adequately? of course, some have passed away and some of those who assisted with the cover up will now never face justice, as they have also died. a huge talking point and lots of fun in the show too . we're cross into the show too. we're cross into ireland to hook up with some campaign goers who just stopped a migrant camp from going ahead. real inspiring act of people

power. get in touch the usual ways gb news. com forward slash your say. but for all of that, it's your say. but for all of that, wsfime your say. but for all of that, it's time for your latest news headlines. and it's tatiana sanchez. >> martin thank you. the top stories this hour. the infected blood inquiry has found there was a deliberate destruction of documents by government officials, and the scandal could have largely been avoided had the final report documented a catalogue of failures which had catastrophic consequences with patients knowingly exposed to unacceptable risks of infection . unacceptable risks of infection. more than 30,000 people were infected with hiv and hepatitis c between 1970 and the early 90s by contaminated blood products and transfusions . the inquiry and transfusions. the inquiry also found children were used as objects for research , with the objects for research, with the risks ignored at a specialist school where boys were treated for haemophilia. the inquiry's chair, sir brian langstaff, says the damage is still happening .

the damage is still happening. >> let's keep on happening week by week. what i've found is that that disaster was no accident. people put their trust in doctors and the government to keep them safe, and that trust was betrayed . and then the was betrayed. and then the government compounded the agony by telling them that nothing wrong had been done , that they'd wrong had been done, that they'd had the best available treatment , and that as soon as tests were available , they were introduced. available, they were introduced. and both of those statements were untrue . were untrue. >> victims say they've been waiting decades to be heard . waiting decades to be heard. >> sometimes we felt like we were shouting into the wind dunng were shouting into the wind during these 40 years when we told people they didn't believe us, they said this wouldn't happenin us, they said this wouldn't happen in the uk, but today proves that it can happen in the uk. and it did happen in the uk and i just feel validated and

vindicated . vindicated. >> i think everybody today has read of the, disasters that unfolded and sir brian has been very thorough and, and has not minced his words. this was a systemic this was by government, by civil servants and by health care professionals. >> i think that really rocks what we think of as society and really challenges the fact , the really challenges the fact, the trust that we put in people to look after to us, do their best and protect us, none of that can we take for granted anymore . we take for granted anymore. >> julian assange has won a legal bid to bring an appeal against his extradition to the united states. the high court ruled that us assurances over his case were unsatisfactory , his case were unsatisfactory, and he would get a full appeal hearing. the wikileaks founder faces prosecution in the us over an alleged conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information after the publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the afghanistan and iraq wars. mr assange's wife is

calling on the us to drop what she says is a shameful case. >> the judges reached the right decision . we spent a long time decision. we spent a long time heanng decision. we spent a long time hearing the united states putting lipstick on a pig, but the judges did not buy it as a family , we are relieved. but how family, we are relieved. but how long can this go on? the united states should read the situation and drop this case now . and drop this case now. >> iran has confirmed the country's president, ebrahim raisi, and his foreign minister were killed in a helicopter crash, footage obtained by iranian media shows the crash site on a mountainside. harsh weather conditions hampered efforts by search teams, but the wreckage was eventually located in the east azerbaijan province . in the east azerbaijan province. iran's supreme leader has declared five days of national mourning . an election for a new mourning. an election for a new president is due to take place in the next 50 days. ofcom has

found gb news broke broadcasting rules in a programme featuring the prime minister. the regulator says the people's forum, which aired in february, failed to preserve due impartiality and it's now considering a sanction for. in a statement, gb news described the development as alarming and an attempt to silence the channel. it says the format placed the pubuc it says the format placed the public not journalists, in charge of questioning rishi sunak, and he was challenged and criticised on a number of issues. it maintains the programme was in line with the broadcasting code . and a new broadcasting code. and a new coin marking 80 years since the d—day landings, has been unveiled by the royal mint to mark the release, two sand artists recreated the design on gold beach, where troops landed in 1944 with a diameter of 35m. the sand art took 5.5 hours to create the design of the tails or reverse side of the £0.50 coin was revealed ahead of the anniversary on the 6th of june.

for the latest stories , sign up for the latest stories, sign up to gb news alerts by scanning the qr code on your screen or go to gb news comment alerts now it's back to . martin. it's back to. martin. >> thank you tatiana. now there really is only one big story to discuss today and it's absolutely huge. the inquiry into the biggest treatment disaster in the nhs history has concluded that the infected blood scandal could largely have been avoided. it was also found that there was a pervasive cover up to hide the truth. more than 3000 people died as a result of this scandal. i'm joined now by gb news reporter charlie peters, and also from later in the show by theresa cobbledick, whose stepmother corinne was infected with hiv and hepatitis c, and i'm let's go to katherine forster . who's with me in the forster. who's with me in the studio? catherine. the report took five long years in the

making, but really , the detail making, but really, the detail shows that there was enough evidence to proceed with this. in the 1980s, the press conference with the victims was hugely emotional moment a short while ago, a systemic, unprecedented 40 year cover up with some victims talking about the deliberate destruction of records, not just medical records, not just medical records , but records in records, but records in government departments and absolutely huge scandal. >> yes, i think we always expected that this public inquiry, the report , would be inquiry, the report, would be damning when it came some 2500 pages of it, years in the making . but i think it's even beyond perhaps what many people were expecting. what sir brian langstaff has uncovered talking about a subtle, pervasive and chilling cover up. talking about, he says, the deliberate destruction of documents within the department of health, talking about in the case of the

boarding school for children with haemophilia, talking about using children as objects for research , the risks to them research, the risks to them being ignored , nothing to do being ignored, nothing to do with what was in their interest. they were being exposed , they were being exposed, cemented on without their knowledge and without their consent . and also, and for me, consent. and also, and for me, this is the most shocking of all that most of this could have been avoided because the risks were known. now i knew that by the mid 80s and bear in mind this this infected blood was given to people between 1970 to 1991. by the mid 80s there were a lot of warnings floating around. but sir brian langstaff says that the world health organisation guidance back in 1952 laid out four key measures for reducing the risks of transmitting haemophilia through blood or plasma and in every case, britain did not act on those recommendations. so he said if they had have done and that was information out there,

20 years before the beginning of this, that most of these deaths could have been avoided. so he said it could largely , though said it could largely, though not entirely, have been avoided . not entirely, have been avoided. and i have to report that it should have been . should have been. >> and some of the human stories that you've encountered , that you've encountered, catherine, i know, they're incredibly emotional. took you around the boys at the school. can you share that story with us? it's one that really, really sort of got me choked earlier on today. >> yes. there was a little boy called colin smith, and he had haemophilia when he was two. he went in for a very routine ear operation, and he was given a transfusion , and he was infected transfusion, and he was infected with aids and he died of aids at seven at the point at which he died, he weighed the same as a four month old baby and his family were vilified. and just a little bit earlier, i was talking at to another of the victims that was here and through march, he was diagnosed

with aids. age nine, and he was talking about the effect on his life , on his family, that the life, on his family, that the head teacher in his school had said, oh, do we have to disinfect the whole school that, you know, people were horrible. they were scared . there was such they were scared. there was such a stigma. and these are kids. it it really is just unimaginable what these people have been through. >> what do we think is going to happen next? there were calls obviously not just of culpability but of compensation. also the people at the conference earlier, the representatives of the victims , representatives of the victims, some of whom had lost family members themselves, they were saying also the civil service was culpable in this cover up. and also the pharmaceutical companies . there's still a far companies. there's still a far reaching expanse of where this has yet to go . has yet to go. >> yes, absolutely. so in the short term now , there's this short term now, there's this huge report to digest. the prime minister rishi sunak will be making an apology, which i

expect to be quite profound in the house of commons later on behalf of all the government failings over decades , there failings over decades, there will be a compensation scheme. we expect to be announced tomorrow. upwards of £10 billion in compensation and then potentially early, prosecutions, because andy burnham, the mayor of greater manchester, has said that this was a criminal cover up on an industrial scale, clearly there were individuals that knew what was going on that destroyed evidence, that didn't listen to advice. shouldn't people be held to account? it's happenedin people be held to account? it's happened in other countries. but of course, some of these events are going back a long time. a lot of these people, no longer alive. but just one more point. people sometimes think of this as something that happened a long time ago. and as sir brian langstaff has said, this is a scandal that's still happening because people are still dying two a week and it's shattered so many families lives. >> thank you, for catherine, joining us. please stay with us. and if you want to ask a

question to my next guest, please do, because i'm now joined by the former health secretary, stephen dorrell. stephen, welcome to the show. a report five years in the making, a damning report, one that, says quite clear the evidence could and should have been picked up in the 1980s and now the blame game starts and the political class , certainly in the firing class, certainly in the firing line today, with those at the victims press conferences, once one victim said the politicians involved in this, they should hang their heads in shame. what's your take on that? >> well, i think i agree with the word shame. i think it's shaming to all of those of us who passed through the department of health in those years , although we did ask years, although we did ask questions, we clearly didn't ask the right questions or we didn't pursue them as as far and as effectively as we should have done, the answers we were given,

were that the care that was provided to these people was the best that was available at the time. that was quite simply untrue. and we shouldn't we should have found that out in my case 40 years ago. >> and, one particular comment that keeps being uttered is that margaret thatcher was the prime minister in the early days of this, said that people were receiving the best possible care , available to them at the time. and one of the victims today said, we now know that that was simply untrue. there's widespread allegations that politicians, the nhs, civil, civil servants closing ranks to protect themselves and of course, many of those involved have now passed away and will never face justice. how far do you think this should go? should people be prosecuted, perhaps for manslaughter ? for manslaughter? >> well, i think there are two questions. the prosecution is a criminal, is takes place under

the criminal law and if it can be shown on the basis of evidence that individuals were guilty of deliberate criminal acts or of criminal negligence, that's a matter for the prosecution authorities. i think the policy question is , why is the policy question is, why is it that in our country we so often find ourselves looking back and finding that things should have happened differently, and it takes far too long for evidence to come to light to see where the mistakes were made and what was done wrong . the french prime minister wrong. the french prime minister 20 years ago was under pressure on infected blood in france . why on infected blood in france. why doesit on infected blood in france. why does it take 20 years longer in this country than it does in france? >> stephen, do you think there's an issue of the nhs closing ranks that still exists to this day? we've seen in these last few days a culture of whistleblowing in the nhs , where

whistleblowing in the nhs, where people's careers have been destroyed, health practitioners speaking out about malpractice, fearful of doing so. do we have an unhealthy situation in the nhs where it's almost sacred and any criticism of it is hushed away or or or scared away ? and away or or or scared away? and in that sense, god forbid, because something like this ever still happen again ? still happen again? >> well, sadly, this isn't the first time i've sat as a former health secretary talking about what are shameful failures of the quality of care provided by the quality of care provided by the nhs . i think it's always the nhs. i think it's always important to remind ourselves that the vast majority of people who work in the health service do their best. they're committed, professional people, but what is undoubtedly what is repeatedly true is that failures of the quality of care, failures of the quality of care, failures of health service, professional staff to deliver high quality care , have come to light too

care, have come to light too many times. we think of mid—staffordshire, we think of the morecambe bay babies scandal. we think more recently of, maternity issues that were under discussion. only a couple of weeks ago. the health service is not good at asking itself difficult questions at difficult times, and it urgently needs to review its internal procedures to improve on that. that is part of good medicine and good science . science. >> and stephen, of course, you cannot put a price on compensating those who lost loved ones, those whose health, whose careers, whose reputations, particularly through hiv , has been destroyed through hiv, has been destroyed for all of this time. nevertheless it's a compensation package seems to be coming into place around about £10 billion. we are, of course, £2.7 trillion in debt . but really we must in debt. but really we must press ahead with that compensation , must we? not these compensation, must we? not these people. they deserve to be compensated for what's happened

to them. >> there's no good setting up a pubuc >> there's no good setting up a public inquiry and then, concluding that you second guess the recommendations that it makes. i think sir brian langstaff has spent, as you said, five years looking at the background to this, he's unearthed a scandal at the heart of british health care and he's made some recommendations. i'm not saying we just have to sign up unread to those recommendations, but the burden of proof as a lawyer would say, is very firmly on anyone who wants to distance themselves or do something different from what the public inquiry has recommended. >> and, stephen, could i ask you in your time as health secretary, were you aware of this scandal? did you ask questions at the time? >> yeah, absolutely . i was aware >> yeah, absolutely. i was aware of the scandal, and absolutely we did ask questions. of the scandal, and absolutely we did ask questions . as i said we did ask questions. as i said at the beginning of this conversation, it's shaming that although we ask the questions, we accepted the answers too readily. >> and rishi sunak is expected

to apologise to the victims later on today. we'll have that press conference around about 5:15 facts from the house of commons. would you like to say anything on that matter? as a health secretary at the time, would you like to extend a message to those who've been impacted by this scandal? >> well, i the word sorry is relatively easy to use . and of relatively easy to use. and of course, as i've said, i feel ashamed. not in my time as health secretary is a small thing, but i think i'm right in saying that the these failures have care had finally been recognised and action taken to prevent them continuing. but i was responsible for a health care system that had been responsible for those failures. and we didn't act quickly enough or effectively enough to make restitution to those who'd been the victims of that failure . the victims of that failure. >> stephen dorrell, former health secretary, thank you very much for joining health secretary, thank you very much forjoining us on the show much for joining us on the show today, on this totemic day. and thank you for being frank and

honest with us. appreciate that . honest with us. appreciate that. thank you. now moving on. former olympic swimmer sharron davies spoke to gb news earlier and she shared the story of her mother, who was a victim of the infected blood scandal being brought in from america, primarily from prisons , from from people that prisons, from from people that were drug addicts and given to people here in the uk, often without any of their knowledge and it for mum, you know, she had this operation, this gallbladder operation in the 70s. >> didn't really know she had hepatitis until the 1990s because nobody was just testing for them. they were just given all sorts of other you've got a cold, you've got arthritis, you've got this, you know, eventually found out she was hepatitis c, she got a great specialist to look after her. sadly he went to australia and then she got somebody else and she went downhill very quickly from there. and she died, you know, as i said in 2017. and she's very typical, i think, of a lot of people that got the hepatitis c blood, you know , hepatitis c blood, you know, it's a hugely emotional day for everybody involved.

>> and i just can't imagine how those who fought for so long feel. and of course, we have lots more on the infected blood scandal throughout the show. and as i said, rishi sunak will give as i said, rishi sunak will give a statement in the house of commons at around about a 5:15. and we will, course, bring and we will, of course, bring you full live coverage of that event as it happens, they waited decades for this moment, and we'll be there for you now. there's plenty of coverage on our website, gbnews.com and you've helped to make it the fastest growing national news website in the country. so thank you very much . now a change of you very much. now a change of pace now, because it's the great british giveaway and your chance to win £20,000 in cash tax free in time for the summer. what would you spend that lot on? a dream holiday ? or you get the dream holiday? or you get the garden done? or perhaps you treat the family well. you have to hurry up as time is ticking on your chance to make it yours. and here's how. >> it's the biggest cash prize we've given away to date. an incredible £20,000 that you could use. however, you like. and because it's totally tax free every single penny will be in your bank account to do

whatever you like . with £20,000 whatever you like. with £20,000 in tax free cash really could be yours this summer. hurry, you've got to be in it to win it for another chance to win £20,000 in tax free cash . text win to tax free cash. text win to 63232. text cost £2 plus one standard network rate message or post your name and number two gbos, p0 post your name and number two gb05, po box 8690 derby dee one nine, double t, uk. only entrants must be 18 or over. lines closed at 5 pm. on the sist lines closed at 5 pm. on the 31st of may. full terms and privacy notice at gbnews.com/win . please check the closing time if listening or watching on demand. good luck i demand. good luck! >> next, after the president of iran died in a helicopter crash, i'm going to ask what this means for great britain. i'm martin

>> 2024 a battleground year. the year the nation decides. >> as the parties gear up their campaigns for the next general election. >> who will be left standing when the british people make one of the biggest decisions of their lives? >> who will rise and who will fall? >> let's find out together for every moment. >> the highs, the lows, the twists and turns. >> we'll be with you for every step of this journey in 2024. >> gb news is britain's election . channel. >> welcome back. your time is 327. i'm martin daubney and this is gb news. now, later in the show, as the northern ireland secretary chris heaton—harris becomes the 66th tory mp to say they won't stand at the next election, i'll ask if the last conservative mp to leave the country can please turn out the lights . but before that, it's lights. but before that, it's time for a huge victory for juuan time for a huge victory for julian assange, who the united states government wants, of

course, to prosecute over the leaking of hundreds of thousands of documents relating to the afghanistan and iraqi wars. while assange has won a bid to bnng while assange has won a bid to bring an appeal against his extradition at the high court today, his wife has now called for the united states to drop efforts to prosecute the wikileaks founder, ella toone cross now and join gb news reporter ray addison, who's been reporting on this live at the high court all day. so, ray, assange supporters today have called this the most significant breakthrough in this case since it began. what's the latest ? it began. what's the latest? >> yeah, this is definitely a huge moment for the assange campaign. all of his supporters, his wife to stella assange, she just spoke moments ago , actually just spoke moments ago, actually at a press conference here in london. and she said that she's now spoken to julian assange. she'd already heard the news. it had been passed on by guards. there at belmarsh prison, where he's been since 2019. she said

he's been since 2019. she said he's very, very relieved . she he's very, very relieved. she said, that he hadn't slept all night ahead of this , this night ahead of this, this heanng night ahead of this, this hearing by those high court judges and that he's just still under enormous pressure at the moment. this has been a fight that's been going for on 13, 14 years now, a gruelling process . years now, a gruelling process. this stella assange described it as. but she said today is a very, very good sign for her husband and for those who say that julian assange is a journalist and that journalism is not a crime. now, of course, he will be able to now, after this ruling, bring an appeal against that extradition, a full hearing. we'll get the date on that shortly. it will take place here in london. and that's despite a request from for assurances from the united states attorney general that juuan states attorney general that julian assange would receive a fair trial if he were to be extradited to the us. now, there

was three main elements of the assurances that they were looking for . firstly, that he looking for. firstly, that he would not receive the death penalty. secondly that he'd be able to rely upon the first amendment, the right to freedom of speech as part of his defence. and thirdly, that he would not be discriminated against because he's not a us citizen now , the us attorney citizen now, the us attorney general had replied, confirming he wouldn't face the death penalty, but also said that all he could do would seek he would, that julian assange could seek to rely upon the first amendment. but ultimately, because of that separation between the government and the courts, it would be very much up to whoever was the judge in any future trial to decide whether juuan future trial to decide whether julian assange could use that as a defence. so the judges here at the high court saying that they threw out the concerns from the assange camp about the death penalty being used. they seem to have been assured of that. however, they were not assured

that he would receive a fair trial on the grounds of freedom of speech and his nationality. and so those were the two main grounds that were the key and instrumental in allowing this further appeal to now go ahead, as you were saying, of course, this has been going for on 14 years. julian assange accused through wikileaks of, releasing hundreds of thousands of classified military documents. but but if they take him to america, he faces up to 175 years in prison. now, just after the hearing, the ruling was handed down huge cheers from his supporters here. and then stella assange spoke on the courts, on the steps rather of the royal courts of justice. this is what she had to say . she had to say. >> the judges reached the right decision . we spent a long time decision. we spent a long time heanng decision. we spent a long time hearing the united states putting lipstick on a pig, but the judges did not buy it.

putting lipstick on a pig, but the judges did not buy it . the the judges did not buy it. the united states should read the situation and drop this case now. now is the moment to do it. just abandon this shameful attack on journalists , on the attack on journalists, on the press and the public that has been going on for 14 years. so there you go. >> calls for president biden to end this , this case against end this, this case against assange. mr assange not able to attend for health reasons, but his wife says he's hugely relieved. >> thank you, ray ellison. a day of high drama at the high court. excellent. and comprehensive as even excellent. and comprehensive as ever. thank you. ray. there's lots more still to come between now and 4:00, and we'll get reaction to the controversial news that ireland will recognise palestine as a state before the end of this month. but first, it's your headlines and it's aaron armstrong.

>> it's 332. very good afternoon to you. i'm aaron armstrong in the gb newsroom . the gb newsroom. >> the infected blood inquiry has found there was a deliberate destruction of documents by government officials. >> and they found the scandal could have been largely avoided. the final report documents amid a catalogue of failures which had catastrophic consequences, with patients knowingly exposed to unacceptable risks of infection. >> more than 30,000 people were infected with hiv and hepatitis c between 1970 and the early 90s because of contaminated blood products and transfusions. the inquiry's chair , sir brian inquiry's chair, sir brian langstaff, says it was no accident and people who put their trust in doctors and the government were betrayed . government were betrayed. >> the infections happened because those in authority doctors , the blood services and doctors, the blood services and successive governments did not put patient safety first. they lost sight of what was known about the risks of viral infections from blood . doctor

infections from blood. doctor knows best was such a strong belief that health departments did not issue guidance to kerb the unsafe use of blood and blood products , nursery worker blood products, nursery worker kate roughley , who strapped kate roughley, who strapped a baby to a beanbag while the child was in her care in stockport, being convicted of manslaughter. >> she placed the nine month old face down for an hour and a half in tiny toes nursery in cheadle hulme in may 2020. >> two. >> two. >> colleagues and paramedics tried to revive genevieve meehan, but she was declared dead later that day . roughley dead later that day. roughley has been remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced later this week. julian assange has won a legal bid to bring an appeal against his extradition to the united states . the high to the united states. the high court ruled that us assurances over his case were unsatisfactory, and he would get a full appeal hearing. the wikileaks founder faces prosecution in the us over an alleged conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information , after the information, after the publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents

relating to the afghanistan and iraq wars . well, for the latest iraq wars. well, for the latest stories, you can sign up to our news alerts. scan the qr code on your screen or go to gb news. com slash alerts . com slash alerts. >> cheers! >> cheers! >> britannia wine club proudly sponsors the gb news financial report . report. >> a quick look at the markets today. the pound buys you $1.2708 and today. the pound buys you 151.2708 and ,1.1693. the today. the pound buys you $1.2708 and ,1.1693. the price of gold, £1,902.77 per ounce. and the ftse 100 is at 8431 points. >> cheers, britannia wine club proudly sponsors the gb news financial report . financial report. >> now loads more still to come. in a few minutes i'll talk about the latest big controversy to hit the republic of ireland and

what a surprise . once again, it what a surprise. once again, it involves palestine. but first, there's a new way to get in touch with us here @gbnews. and here's bev turner with all the details. >> we are proud to be gb news as the people's channel. and as you know, we always love to hear your views. now there's a new way of getting in touch with us @gbnews .com forward. slash your say by commenting. you can be part of a live conversation and join our gb news community. you can even talk to me, bev turner or any of the members of the gb news family. simply go to gbnews.com/yoursay your say

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the fearless champion of britain, it's an absolutely fantastic atmosphere here. >> this is gb news holibobs channel gb news britain's news channel. >> it will cross live now to the commons. you can see live pictures from the house of commons building up towards rishi sunak , giving a statement rishi sunak, giving a statement round about 5:15. expected to give a full apology on the infected blood scandal. we will of course cross to that live as it happens round about quarter past five this afternoon. you can see those pictures live there from the house of commons. that statement expected around about a 5:15. and of course, we'll cover it for you when it happens. we'll cover it for you when it happens . now we'll cover it for you when it happens. now moving on now. and we've talked about the republic of ireland a lot on this show in recent weeks. and now there's fresh controversy over in the sceptred isle because ireland's premier, simon harris, has said that they will recognise

palestine as a state before the end of this month. now, harris spoke to the israeli president, isaac herzog, on friday and he set out ireland's desire to see an immediate ceasefire in gaza, as well as urgent and unhindered access for humanitarian aid . access for humanitarian aid. well, joining me now to discuss this is the founder of liberal eye , and that's leo sherlock. eye, and that's leo sherlock. leo, welcome to the show . always leo, welcome to the show. always a pleasure. my first question, leo, is very , very simple. you leo, is very, very simple. you represent working class people in ireland. they speak to you about the concerns of the irish public. how bothered are they about this? okay. leo has gone down. we'll try and get him back in a moment. this this story really caught my eye because it just seems to me that once again, it is a huge bout of virtue signalling. we covered the situation in ireland a lot on this show because it directly impacts what we talk about here

around asylum, around uncontrolled immigration, and about liberal political elites who seem so completely and utterly out of touch with the demands and the concerns of the general public. we see often now. there are more and more protests in ireland, around dublin, south of dublin and across the province of migrant centres being foisted upon communities , communities. you communities, communities. you had no se, you had no voice. and when they've resisted, when they push back or when they've even protested , as we've seen protested, as we've seen increasingly now, particularly around dublin , they are around dublin, they are castigated for that. they are smeared as far right or racists or xenophobes or small minded islanders, and i believe we can now cross back to leo, sherlock, leo, you can join us there. so my first question is simple. leo, thanks for joining us. simon harris is talking about recognising palestine as a state. how concerned is the average islander about what's going on in the middle east, as

opposed to domestic politics? >> hi martin, great to see you. yeah, as you actually say. i mean , most of this is virtue signalling. >> i mean, simon harris , our our >> i mean, simon harris, our our prime minister, is a person who said he would be the most pro—life candidate in ireland and then turned his back completely on that movement and became the most ardent pro—abortion candidate. and he actually he brought that abortion campaign into existence. so i say that because this man cannot be trusted, you can. he picks up a piece of grass, waves it in the air and see what way the wind is blowing. but having said that, it is actually, it may seem strange to britain, but it is actually a very hot topic in ireland because, republican elements saw palestinians as being oppressed. and then you had people on the right that were talking, still talking about their likes of the king david hotel and the sergeants affair, etc. so it is he tries to basically garner everyone. but make no mistake, this person, simon harris, could easily be pro—israel as opposed to the opposite. >> now i know leo, on the

liberal, you've been covering the rising protests about asylum seeker centres, about the tented cities in dublin, about the way they're cleared out. we can see footage now that you gathered for us this is of the tent and you can talk about this footage there. leo. this is the tented city in dublin. i believe it's come back once again. >> yes, you're right martin. so basically, i've indeed actually your viewers could follow the liberal underscore. i on on x on the liberal e on facebook and instagram to actually see what's really happening in this country, because we have an election coming up in the june the 7th, that legacy media and you know, national newspapers are completely trying to quell the national movement. there's 14,000 homeless irish people, 250,000 invisible irish homeless people, and decent, concerned, genuine people are out at these protests, holding up banners, waving their flags and saying, we want no more of this. ireland is full. we cannot take any more unvetted document undocumented unvetted document undocumented unvetted migrants pouring in. they're coming down through the

m1, across the soft border. they're they're coming across in a bus. these people are coming from afghanistan. they're coming from, you know, they're coming from, you know, they're coming from somalia . they've got to we from somalia. they've got to we are effectively aborting our own country and bringing the third world in its complete, utter population replacement. and make no mistake, the irish are rising . there is a fightback happening how. >> now. >> lee, a lot of people would say, of course we have an obligation, a duty to house those in the most desperate need of asylum. it's what we do in the west. people would say. for example, with ireland historically has been a nation of immigrants. but you're saying this is about something else. it's about the sheer scale and the volume of change. >> martin, there's no analogy in that. you cannot argue that irish people who went over who practically built the new york skyline broke their backs working, getting nothing, and getting dogs abused, some of them, and that these people are coming in, they're getting beautiful modular homes. they're getting free medical care, free travel, social, social welfare. and meanwhile we 14,000 come over to the centre of dublin and any of your viewers come over,

walk around the city, city centre, dublin, and you'll see irish people strewn around the place. these people, the government, have gone around with their head in the sand, in the sand. they're trying to taint the decent, concerned people all with the same brush, but it will not be any more. the wood will be seen from the trees on june the 7th, and i can guarantee you from this day forward that over the last 18 months we've been covering this. there is a there is a large national movement that ireland is full and people will get elected . elected. >> but leo, of course, those with a different set of opinions to you would say again that we can't just keep chasing asylum seekers out of areas. do you not feel that we do have an obugafion feel that we do have an obligation to take care of the neediest ? neediest? >> well, i mean, like i'm a practising catholic, so it's part of this part of the job in that respect. but no, i don't think so . because realistically, think so. because realistically, martin, you're you look after charity starts at home starts. and likewise we did meet these these afghani people, afghanistan people that we met in the shantytown now along the grand canal. they're nice men . i grand canal. they're nice men. i mean, some of the, the vast

majority of them probably are harmless, but likewise they just shouldn't be. here. we have we have massive domestic problems. rentis have massive domestic problems. rent is through the roof, people. the. that's because it's coming from the foreign direct investment from both angles. so the middle ireland is getting squeezed. and like i said, when, when ordinary decent people can't get a dentist and doctor appointments, that's when people start standing up for themselves. >> leo, could i quickly show you some footage , which i think you some footage, which i think you also captured of some mobile homes on the back of trucks being delivered. can you talk through what this footage is, please? >> yeah. so that's a that's in a little town called coole in county westmeath, where effectively 200 people live. that's the population of the of the village is 200 people. and the village is 200 people. and the other night, i think it was on wednesday or thursday night at about 4 am, 1844 trucks arrived with beautiful brand new modular homes on the back of them. these homes weren't to be given to irish homeless people. they weren't to be given to irish needy. these homes were pure and simple for migrants, people who who are coming into this country that have got

realistically no , no, no realistically no, no, no connection to ireland, the fabnc connection to ireland, the fabric of irish society is getting completely decimated daily. but like i say, there is a fight back and they're marking in that place in coole, county westmeath. the fight back started there arguing that it was there was a planning permission problem, but realistically there was massive uproar locally and it became a national story and that's effectively why they ended up leaving. >> okay, leo, i'm afraid we simply have to leave it there. of course, again , sending those of course, again, sending those ships, those, containers away, you could say that's what just stop oil do again. the way. leo. sherlock. thanks for joining stop oil do again. the way. leo. sherlock. thanks forjoining us on the show. always a delight. now, still to come, more reaction to the damning report into the infected blood scandal, which found the deaths of around 3000 people could largely have been avoided. i martin daubney on gb news,

welcome back. your time. it's 351. i'm martin

daubney on gb news now. later in the show, i'll discuss the study that's found that whales are 20 mile an hour speed limit zone. did not improve air quality whatsoever in the country. now, there could have been less deaths from the infected blood scandal at the uk. had followed advice from the world health organisation. and that's to according the chair of the inquiry, sir brian langstaff. between 1970 and 1991, thousands of people were infected with deadly viruses such as hepatitis c and hiv when receiving blood transfusions . well, joining me transfusions. well, joining me now is kate burt, who's the chief executive of the haemophilia society. kate, welcome to the show, a hugely significant day, one that campaigners have waited many, many years for. can i first get your reaction to this historic report finally being delivered ? report finally being delivered? >> well, you're absolutely right . we've been waiting for decades since this scandal started to

emerge for this report to come out . out. >> and in that time, over 3000 people have died from the infections given to them through their nhs , nhs treatment and their nhs, nhs treatment and contaminated blood and as you said, the uk ignored warnings from the world health organisations not to create blood products from plasma pools of more than 20 people from the 19705 of more than 20 people from the 1970s onwards, plasma was harvested on an industrial scale. >> tens of thousands of people's donations were pooled, and in the united states they had a dangerously deregulated system where people were paid for their blood, and that attracted people in fairly desperate circumstances, and they targeted prisons. so so the risks that were known should have been explained . haemophiliacs in this explained. haemophiliacs in this country, 6000 of whom were infected, 3000 of whom were died. and as sir brian has found today , it all could have should

today, it all could have should have been avoided . have been avoided. >> and, kate, how satisfied are you that we will now be moving towards some form of meaningful full compensation compensation package? of course, compensation can never bring back those who sadly passed away, but at least something, alas positive seems to be coming forward . to be coming forward. >> yes, i think what's more important is that justice and truth has finally been exposed . truth has finally been exposed. it's taken for decades. the pubuc it's taken for decades. the public might find the findings of this report utterly shocking. the government can't find it shocking because the haemophilia society and many other campaigners have been telling them for four decades what has happened. what we wanted to know was why, but we are expecting the government to announce at some point this week a full package of compensation , which package of compensation, which will have to reflect the scale of the damage that has been done to an entire generation of people with haemophilia, not

just the loss of life, but the loss of careers. >> we've simply ran out of time. i'm so sorry. we've just ran out of time. i have lots more on that scandal. of course, throughout the show. but first, it's throughout the show. but first, wsfime throughout the show. but first, it's time for your weather with alex deakin. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar , but sponsors of weather solar, but sponsors of weather on gb news. >> this afternoon welcome to your latest weather update from the met office here on gb news. for many, staying fine through the rest of today, but there are 1 or 2 showers breaking out and a few thunderstorms across northern ireland. we're surrounded by weather systems and we're kind of in a weather no man's land, which means the winds are light, which means the cloud isn't shifting too much over parts of southern scotland, northern england and the showers are fairly slow moving over the west of northern ireland. some rumbles of thunder here could drop a lot of rain in a short space of time. there is a met office warning in place for many. it'll be a dry evening and night though, and then later in the night we'll see some wet weather returning to parts of central and eastern england,

staying generally pretty mild double digits, but some a bit colder across parts of scotland . colder across parts of scotland. inland here with some clearer spells well down into single figures. won't stay clear, though. on the east coast we're going to see the haar returning, i suspect, particularly to the coast of aberdeenshire and up across the northern isles. so another murky day on tuesday , another murky day on tuesday, but inland, plenty of sunshine at least to start the day. and that'll soon lift the temperatures. quite cloudy for northern ireland. here again on dunng northern ireland. here again on during the course of tomorrow, the likelihood of some heavy , the likelihood of some heavy, thundery showers breaking out, but of a dull, damp start over the north midlands parts of northeast england. some showery rain here again, 1 or 2 heavier bursts possible that will tend to drift its way up towards the manchester area and towards nonh manchester area and towards north wales also. then later in the day we'll look at more outbreaks of showery rain coming into east anglia and the south east, possibly of 1 or 2 thunderstorms in south—west england during tuesday afternoon. and again, that risk of thunderstorms for northern ireland. and again we have another met office yellow warning in place. much of western scotland stays dry and

fine. temperatures generally a little bit lower tomorrow because there will be more cloud around, especially over the midlands. so you will notice that dip in temperatures after a warm day today onto tuesday evening, we'll start to see a bit more rain coming into the east. and that's a feature of the weather through the rest of the weather through the rest of the week. some heavy rain, likely over parts of central and eastern britain on wednesday and thursday . thursday. >> that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers, sponsors of weather on

gb news. >> hey. very good afternoon to you. and a happy monday. it's 4 pm. welcome to the martin p.m. welcome to the martin daubney show on gb news. broadcasting live from the heart of westminster all across the uk. on today's show , the inquiry uk. on today's show, the inquiry into the infected blood scandal that cost 3000 lives has finally been published today . it's been

been published today. it's been called a chilling, systemic 40 year cover up, and on today's show, i'll speak to campaigners, victims and their family members. plus later in the show, we'll hear from the prime minister, rishi sunak round, about 5:15 is expected to give a full apology. next up, the iranian president has died in a helicopter crash. ebrahim raisi was a hardline islamist responsible for the deaths of thousands of his political opponents. what does his death mean for peace and in the middle east, and also for the united kingdom ? and a new report has kingdom? and a new report has sensationally claimed that wales's controversial blanket 20mph speed limit made negligible differences to air quality. i'll be asking a senedd track shadow transport minister or motorists once again a cash cow has been milked dry. thanks for joining me on the show.

forjoining me on the show. please get in touch. there's a new way to do that and it's send your views and your comments to gbnews.com/yoursay already had hundreds of comments on the infected blood scandal, including one from a nurse who knew this was going on working on wards in the 1980s. you simply cannot believe that politicians and the civil service, the nhs, turned a blind eye. well, today is that historic moment when that report has finally been delivered. we'll be covering that throughout the show. get in touch with your comments as ever before. all of that, it's your headunes before. all of that, it's your headlines with aaron armstrong. >> very good afternoon to you. it's 4:02. i'm aaron armstrong, the infected blood inquiry has found there was a deliberate destruction of documents by government officials. and they found the scandal could have been largely avoided. the final report documented a catalogue of failures which had catastrophic consequences , with patients consequences, with patients knowingly exposed to

unacceptable risks of infection. more than 30,000 people were infected with hiv and hepatitis c between 1970 and the early 90s because of contaminated blood products and transfusions. the inquiry's chair , sir brian inquiry's chair, sir brian langstaff, says it was no accident and people who put their trust in doctors and the government were betrayed . government were betrayed. >> the infections happened because those in authority doctors, the blood services and successive governments did not put patient safety first. they lost sight of what was known about the risks of viral infections from blood . doctor infections from blood. doctor knows best was such a strong belief that health departments did not issue guidance to kerb the unsafe use of blood and blood products . blood products. >> victims say they have been waiting for decades to be heard. >> sometimes we felt like we were shouting into the wind dunng were shouting into the wind during these 40 years when we told people they didn't believe

us, they said this wouldn't happenin us, they said this wouldn't happen in the uk. but today proves that it can happen in the uk. and it did happen in the uk and i just feel validated and vindicated. >> i think everybody today has read of the disasters that unfolded , and sir brian has been unfolded, and sir brian has been very thorough and he has not minced his words. >> this was a systemic this was by government, by civil servants and by health care professionals. i think that really rocks what we think of as society and really challenges the fact , the trust that we put the fact, the trust that we put in people to look after to us, do their best and protect us, none of that can we take for granted anymore. >> a nursery worker who strapped a baby to a beanbag in stockport has been convicted of manslaughter. 37 year old kate roughley, who placed the nine month old face down for an hour and a half while working at the tiny toes nursery in cheadle hulme in may 2022. colleagues and paramedics tried to revive

genevieve meehan, but she was declared dead later that day. roughley has been remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced later this week. juuan sentenced later this week. julian assange has won a legal bid to bring an appeal against his extradition to the united states. the high court ruled that us assurances over his case were unsatisfactory and he would get a full appeal hearing. the wikileaks founder faces prosecution in the united states over an alleged conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information , soon after defence information, soon after the publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the iraq and afghanistan wars . mr assange's afghanistan wars. mr assange's wife is calling on the us to drop what she says is a shameful case. >> i think the decision on today should send a signal to the biden administration to look very carefully at this case, which over 40 us law professors have written to the administration and said that this case is an existential threat to the first amendment, and that should be taken very

seriously . and what is the point seriously. and what is the point in pursuing this at this stage? it is just harm to everyone . it is just harm to everyone. >> iran has confirmed the country's president, ebrahim raisi, and his foreign minister were killed in a helicopter crash , a footage obtained by crash, a footage obtained by iranian media shows. the crash site on a mountainside. harsh weather conditions hampered efforts by search teams, but the wreckage was eventually located in the east azerbaijan province . in the east azerbaijan province. iran's supreme leader has declared five days of national mourning . an election for a new mourning. an election for a new president is due to take place in the next 50 days. ofcom's found gb news broke broadcasting rules in a programme featuring the prime minister the regulator says the people's forum, which aired in february , failed to aired in february, failed to preserve due impartiality and it's now considering a sanction. in a statement, gb news described the development as alarming and an attempt to silence the channel. it says the format placed the public, not journalists, in charge of questioning rishi sunak, and he was challenged and criticised on

a number of issues. it maintains the programme was in line with the programme was in line with the broadcasting code, a new coin marking 80 years since the d—day landings, has been unveiled by the royal mint . to unveiled by the royal mint. to mark the release, two sand artists recreated the design on gold beach, where troops landed in 1944 with a diameter of 35m, the sand art took 5.5 hours to create. the design of the tails, or reverse side of the £0.50 coin was revealed ahead of the anniversary on june 6th. for the latest, you can sign up to our alerts the qr codes on your screen. the details are also on our website. now it's back to . martin. >> thank you aaron. now, of course, let's start with the infected blood inquiry, looking into what has been called the biggest treatment disaster in the nhs history and the long awaited damning report finds that the scandal could largely

have been avoided with a pervasive cover up to hide the truth. and let's go now live to our political reporter, charlie peters. charlie, welcome to the show. an astonishing admission , show. an astonishing admission, a systemic 40 year cover up the nhs, politicians , the civil nhs, politicians, the civil service all coming under attack in what has been finally a day of for justice the victims . of for justice the victims. >> that's right, martin, but justice delayed is justice denied. and that's the perspective from many of the campaigners and survivors of this scandal here today. and as this scandal here today. and as this inquiry started in 2017, has its final release waited for many years. it's included in the report that it could have and should have started as early as 1986, which is when there was sufficient evidence about the infection of hiv and many of the

blood products that were used in transfusion operations at this level at that time , they could level at that time, they could have intervened and known to stop this scandal continuing. and it's part of what sir brian langstaff has described as a pervasive and chilling form of censorship and cover up here that denied that justice coming forward. he also described something more tangible the deliberate destruction of documents. but it is the more subtle and widespread cover up that was the immediate concern. and in his address earlier today, he has described three key failures that the state carried out during the scandal, starting in the 1970s. the first failure he listed is the risk of infection. the failure to explain that risk, and the lack of a discussion of alternative treatments. for many of the people going through blood transfusions, and also the failure to tell people that they were being tested for hiv and

hepatitis c, and once those testing was done. also, the failure to explain to people if and when they had a diagnosis , and when they had a diagnosis, both privately and sensitively, he also said that the government had made three core claims throughout this process. firstly, that people had the best available treatment. secondly, that all of the infections were accidental and inadvertent and finally that screenings for hepatitis could not have been introduced before 1991. all of these claims , he 1991. all of these claims, he said, were untrue. and when he made that statement, there was significant applause in the hall behind me . we're now expecting a behind me. we're now expecting a reaction from the prime minister, rishi sunak later today, but there is significant criticism for him in this report as well. it said that rishi sunak government has been sluggish, but the report's author , sir brian, has said that author, sir brian, has said that what's needed now is both an apology but also some action. 12 recommendations. and a core part of that is compensation money

for the victims, both directly. those who suffered and are suffering as a consequence of these infections, but also their family members. >> ihra there was a very emotional , >> ihra there was a very emotional, press conference with victor umms themselves, those who had lost family members and also campaigners saying the civil service closed ranks. we need systemic change. we've been gaslit for generations . as this gaslit for generations. as this report puts that to bed, this can never be allowed to happen again. of course, one of them so movingly charlie, said i sit here as one of 27,000 who've been affected , but behind every been affected, but behind every one of us sits a family and charlie. they spoke of the terrible toll that the campaigning for so many years has taken on so many of them . has taken on so many of them. >> yes, that's right, 40 years you just heard before. people felt, though for 40 years they

were speaking into a void and not being heard. i think a core part of the agony, as we've heard today from many of the survivors as part of this campaign , is how so much of campaign, is how so much of this, in fact, all of it could have been avoided. it was shared in the report quite early on that as early as 1948, the health service and the government were discussing the risk of hepatitis transmits often through the use of blood products, particularly from prisoners. and in 1971, the american red cross stopped that process of using prisoners as blood donors due to the ten times greater risk. but in the home office guidance, as late as the 1980s, the late 1980s, that advice continued , and because it advice continued, and because it was felt that it was a core part of prisoner rehabilitation to become donors, that move and the failure to react to the latest medical advice , some of it medical advice, some of it decades old, has contributed to this crisis . this crisis. >> okay. thank you very much, sir charlie peters, for an

update on this inquiry. and i'm now joined. i'm delighted to say , in the studio by infected blood scandal victim sue wathen. sue, thank you so much for coming and joining us today. and what is a truly historic moment for so many of you who fought for so many of you who fought for so many of you who fought for so long, so would you mind sharing with gb news viewers what happened to you ? what happened to you? >> well, i had several blood transfusions in the 1970s and 80s transfusions in the 1970s and 805 i transfusions in the 1970s and 80s i can't be specific about when, because my records pertaining to blood have disappeared. where they no longer exist in my medical files , so i know i had several, at and i, i was at some point dunng and i, i was at some point during that time infected with hepatitis c, i suffered many years of ill health, with various things that gps would say to me, how on earth have you got that? why have you got this?

people i knew would say to me, what is that? you know, and it would be things that nobody had heard of or could spell. so they were random things. and, and i was very fatigued. i had the itchy skin all the things that went traditionally or go traditionally with hepatitis c, and at one point i do remember my then husband saying to me, you're the whites of your eyes are extremely yellow. well, i was obviously in the chronic phase then, but didn't know. and indeed! phase then, but didn't know. and indeed i went through until 2014 until i was diagnosed . until i was diagnosed. >> i'm so sorry to hear that. and at what point did you realise sue did the penny drop, as it were, that you'd, taken infected blood? and what point did you become part of the movement to campaign for justice? >> well, i didn't realise at all. i was sent by my gp to a

clinic to have some further tests at that clinic. they asked me, did you ever have any blood transfusions in the 70s, 80s or early 90s? and i to which i responded, yes, i did . and they responded, yes, i did. and they said, well, would you agree to a test for hepatitis a, b, c cjd and hiv? and i agreed , thinking, and hiv? and i agreed, thinking, well, that won't be me. yeah, two weeks later, i'm in the classroom where i was a teacher. it was lunchtime. i was marking books. it was lunchtime. i was marking books . my phone's ringing in the books. my phone's ringing in the cupboard, in my handbag . and i cupboard, in my handbag. and i answer my phone, and it's this clinic saying the test you have had for hepatitis c, i'm sorry to tell you, is a is positive . to tell you, is a is positive. and i my recollection of that eventis and i my recollection of that event is that i fell back into the chair i'd been sitting in,

and i just thought, what is it? what is hepatitis c? i don't know anything about it. >> how long at this point, sue, had you been living with this 30 years? >> over 30 years? >> over 30 years? >> probably 30 years of just feeling continually drained and poorly? yes. >> and ill. and one of my friends described me as sickly, which it did sum me up, really. i was very i was very unwell . i was very i was very unwell. >> and then sue, when the realisation dawned upon you that this was part of something broader, what happened next? >> i think it was quite a while before one of my sons, said to me, what you have to do now, mum, is you need to be proactive. yeah. you fought for other people . you need to fight other people. you need to fight for you now. and he said , go to for you now. and he said, go to the hep c trust's patient conference, which was in 2014. it was at the gmc , and we went i

it was at the gmc, and we went i went there and it was a revelation to me that there were other people like me. >> and then you join forces. and that culminated sue, in today's inquiry, 40 years in the making, a systemic failure, a catalogue of errors, the worst treatment disaster in the nhs. of errors, the worst treatment disaster in the nhs . history. disaster in the nhs. history. does today, sue allow you some form of just feeling that justice has been done? >> oh, i do, i think what the only sad. well, one of the saddest things is that, i'm here now representing one of 27,000 blood transfusion victims. that's not counting those who were treated with factor eight, and sadly, some of those were children and have passed away, so but of those 27,000 victims, all of those had a family. yeah

so the impact of this is so much wider and i and today , sir wider and i and today, sir brian's words that this was not an accident. it was it was incompetence. it was it was a disgraceful disregard of even the practice . those that were in the practice. those that were in place at the time . place at the time. >> well, so what can you say? it's just incredibly emotional. how are you guys feeling as a unit , as a how are you guys feeling as a unit, as a bunch of campaigners? you must become must become very, very close during this. it's just happened. how are you feeling, i, well, i during the six years that i've been , six years that i've been, following the inquiry coming up to the to london, to the inquiry, i've, i've made some very good friends and we call each other ourselves as a group blood friends. and we are we and will be friends for life. but that today has brought i don't

know that closure is ever the word, because you can never give someone a life back. that they've lost. you can never give them the opportunities again that they've they haven't had. or as in my case, i do believe that, my, my first marriage did not last because i was so ill all the time and unpredictably ill and so, for some people there will never be closure. and i think what would will help is if there is a an apology, we they say what they they say what they're saying sorry for. yeah. not just empty words. we'll see. >> walton, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your story. you're an inspiration to many. and the prime minister is talking at 5:15. so let's see if he will issue that frank apology which you feel you so great research. thank you for sharing your story with us. amazing. thank you . now lots more on the thank you. now lots more on the infected blood scandal throughout the show of course. and rishi sunak will give that

statement in the house of commons at around about a 5:15. and of course, we'll bring that to you live . as it happens, to you live. as it happens, there'll be plenty of coverage on the infected blood scandal on our website, gbnews.com. and you've helped to make it the fastest growing national news website in the country . so thank website in the country. so thank you very much. now, a change of pace now because it's time for our giveaway. and it's the biggest cash prize that we've ever given £20,000. and you can spend it however you like. it's totally tax free, so you get to see every single last penny of it. you have to hurry and get your entry in as time is ticking away for your chance to win. here's how you could win the lot i >> -- >> the next great british giveaway winner could be you . giveaway winner could be you. with a massive £20,000 in tax free cash to be won. imagine how you'd react getting that winning call from us. >> oh my god, are you joking? no, i, i never wanted any in my life. >> i don't know what to say. don't know what? >> i've never won anything like this in my life. >> oh my god, oh god. >> oh my god, oh god. >> oh, you shocked me . this is

amazing. >> for another chance to win £20,000 in tax free cash text win to 63232. text cost £2 plus one standard network rate message or post your name and number to gb05 , po box 8690. number to gb05, po box 8690. derby dh1 nine, double two, uk. only entrants must be 18 or oven only entrants must be 18 or over. lines closed at 5 pm. on the 31st of may. full terms and privacy notice at gbnews.com/win. please check the closing time if listening or watching on demand. good luck! >> now next, after the president of iran died in a helicopter crash, i'm going to ask what this means for great britain. i'm martin daubney on gb news, britain's news channel

welcome back. your time is 424. i'm martin daubney on gb news now. the 5:15. rishi sunak will give a live statement in the house of commons on the infected blood scandal. and we will of course, bnng scandal. and we will of course, bring that to you. live as it happens. bring that to you. live as it happens . but bring that to you. live as it happens. but before bring that to you. live as it happens . but before that, the happens. but before that, the president of iran has been killed in a helicopter crash. ebrahim raisi and the country's foreign minister both died in the accident . harsh weather the accident. harsh weather conditions made it difficult for search teams to find the wreckage initially, and efforts by the search teams out there, but it was eventually located in east azerbaijan province and there has been no evidence to date of foul play. now, iran's supreme leader has declared five days of national mourning, but is that actually the mood of the nafion? is that actually the mood of the nation? well i'm joined now by gb news home and security edhon gb news home and security editor, mark white. mark welcome to the show. so a dramatic incident being put down as no foul play at present. but what does this mean for the regime in

iran? this president was notoriously a brutal islamist, murdered thousands of his opponents. can we see expect to see a change of that stance, or do you think it would be more of the same ? the same? >> i think more of the same . >> i think more of the same. president raisi was a hardliner. there is no doubt responsible for a brutal crackdown on those opposed to the iranian regime in recent years, a man linked to the deaths of thousands in the 80s. again as a crackdown on political dissidents . so some political dissidents. so some real concern, really, about what lies ahead for iran, because iran is in the grip of hardliners. it is, pervasive throughout the political class now in iran. and the systems are in place to ensure that whoever

replaces ebrahim raisi as president of iran will be a hardliner. you were asking about the reaction in iran. well, it is mixed. of course, there are supporters of the president who are grief stricken at what's happened, but there are very significant numbers who are opposed to this president. and indeed the regime in iran. and who would like to see change, who would like to see change, who would like to see a move towards a more democratised regime that doesn't oppress people in the way that this particular government has. but we wait to see what happens. we've got 50 days before whoever is selected to be the new president is voted in. but previous elections that we've seen, show us that actually the numbers that turn out are very low indeed, because most people never believe that these elections will be fair of free

and fair. >> okay. thank you, mark white for that update. i'm now joined in the studio by the journalist and the human rights activist vahid beheshti. thank you for joining me in the studio of course, we first saw you shot to prominence when you were chased on the very, very first protest, october the 15th on the streets. you were chased. and it looks at one point like your life may have been in danger. vahid. but back to this story. how much of a more act of national mourning do you think we're actually going through? a lot of people actually delighted to see the back of this islamist thug. >> it's. let me let me in. let me put it this way as a, your guest was explaining perfectly . guest was explaining perfectly. first we have to, see what kind of regime we are dealing with, you know? so then we have we can analyse it better. so there is analyse it better. so there is an iranian, there is an islamic regime and there is a government. so the change of , government. so the change of, president not making any change

in policies because the policies coming straight away from the office of ali khamenei, the supreme leader. so the president , the foreign minister are like a puppet, but is very important. who's going to occupy that seat? so that's the big conflict at the moment, which we have a very major, major crisis in internally inside the regime , internally inside the regime, you know, in order to who's going to occupy that seat, this is going to create a big crisis for the regime for next 50 days. it's going to be a great opportunity for iranians. this is very interesting because since yesterday, we have thousands of video coming out of iran, people of iran celebrating , drinking, dancing, playing fireworks, celebrate the death of raisi because you raise . he of raisi because you raise. he was the key person of the death squad. five key person we had in death. death squad, which , he, death. death squad, which, he, pointed in in 80s, especially

the summer of 1988 when they executed more than 30,000 political prisoners in one summer. raisi was the key person on that. he was the main figure in constant human rights violation in past 45 years in iran. of course, iranian . they iran. of course, iranian. they are celebrating since last night, but i was, you know, going in. i was surfing the internet. they preferred to see the trial of race—i in a fair court in a with the presence of jury court in a with the presence of jury and the family of the families of the victims . families of the victims. >> so the big question now is will there be significant change, clearly you're no fan of him. he has a checkered history, to say the least. can we expect to say the least. can we expect to see a more progressive , to see a more progressive, president appointed, or do you think with the ayatollah still at the helm, still really the power maker, we can expect to see more of the same, more continuity in iran. >> so there is not going to be

changing government. look, the government of islamic islamic repubuc government of islamic islamic republic doesn't matter. you have javad zarif or you have, amir abdollahian who died with raisi yesterday. it doesn't matter because these are the face of the regime. the policy of the regime comes down from the, from the office of ali khamenei. so everything comes from there. but yes, in this 50 days, we have a big crisis internally inside of the regime because there's a big conflict for who's going to replace raisi. so the people of iran are going to, i think, use this opportunity for their demand, which is overthrowing this fascist regime, which they have tried so many, so hard, especially since 2009, but they haven't been successful in successful yet because of the level of the brutality and barbarism of this fascist islamist regime, which we all witnessed on october the 7th. okay. >> thank you very much.

excellent analysis there, vahid beheshti, thank you very much for joining us in the studio. forjoining us in the studio. now there's lots more still to come between now and 5:00 now for the northern ireland secretary chris heaton—harris became the 66th tory to say they won't stand at the next general election. i'll ask in a few minutes if the last conservative mp can please turn out the lights. but first it's your latest news headlines and it's aaron armstrong. >> hi there it is. 431 i'm aaron armstrong in the gb newsroom. the infected blood inquiry has found there was a subtle, pervasive and chilling cover up from those in positions of trust and power. the final report documented deliberate destruction of relevant documents and elements of downright deception by government officials. it found a catalogue of failures with catastrophic consequences, concluding that the scandal could have largely been avoided more than 30,000 people were infected with hiv and hepatitis c between 1970 and the early

1990s by contaminated blood products and transfusions . chair products and transfusions. chair of the inquiry, sir brian langstaff, says it was no accident and those who put their trust in doctors and the government were betrayed . government were betrayed. >> the infections happened because those in authority doctors, the blood services and successive governments did not put patient safety first. they lost sight of what was known about the risks of viral infections from blood . doctor infections from blood. doctor knows best was such a strong belief that health departments did not issue guidance to kerb the unsafe use of blood and blood products , nursery worker blood products, nursery worker kate roughly, who strapped a baby to a beanbag while the child was in care in stockport, has been convicted of manslaughter. >> she placed the nine month old face for down an hour and a half at the tiny toes nursery in cheadle hulme in may 2020. two. colleagues and paramedics tried to revive genevieve meehan, but she was declared dead later that

day . roughly, she was declared dead later that day. roughly, he's been remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced later this week. and juuan sentenced later this week. and julian assange has won a legal bid to bring an appeal against his extradition to the united states. the high court has ruled that us assurances over his case were unsatisfactory , and he were unsatisfactory, and he would get a full appeal hearing. the wikileaks founder faces prosecution in the united states over an alleged conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information , after the defence information, after the publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the afghanistan and iraq wars . we can get more on iraq wars. we can get more on all of our stories by signing up to gb news alert. the details are on your screen right now. the website has more as well . the website has more as well. >> thank you aaron. now let's get more with the infected blood inquiry and campaigners are holding currently a press conference in. >> and politicians, some of whom

are with us today , say it's been are with us today, say it's been thanks to a powerful coalition of people that the we got the pubuc of people that the we got the public inquiry in the first place and that we have seen sir bnan place and that we have seen sir brian langstaff verdict today, which is a vindication for so much of the work that these brave campaigners have done . his brave campaigners have done. his conclusion that this was not an accident should send reverberations through whitehall . so it's without further ado that i would like to introduce you to some of these campaigners who have joined our bloody disgrace campaign, which had the backing of more than 280 politicians. and we're going to start with one of the leading campaigners of the tainted blood campaign, andy evans, who was who is its chair? thanks, andy. >> thanks, caroline . >> thanks, caroline. >> thanks, caroline. >> i never thought that this day would come. there were times dunng would come. there were times during the campaign that we felt so down and disheartened, that

we could never see an end to it. and then one day in 2016, when theresa may had lost her majority and it looked as if we had an opportunity, these two brave people decided to take that opportunity, put in a debate into parliament, put in a vote that theresa may would have lost . and here we are at the end lost. and here we are at the end of the public inquiry, i just want to pay tribute to a few people who've helped along the way to get to where we are now. the first is my friend gareth lewis. gareth was one of the first campaigners. he set up the birchgrove group in 1993, and he helped me to set up tainted blood in 2006. he and his brother hayden both died in 2010. they should be here to see this inquiry . they should be this inquiry. they should be here to hear that the conclusions of sir brian langstaff . there are so many

langstaff. there are so many people like gareth and hayden that ought to be here but aren't. and part of the reason is that of that is because of the 40 years that we've been campaigning. it should have been nowhere near that long. if they had done the right thing when it first became apparent that a pubuc first became apparent that a public inquiry was needed in 1986, so many more people would have achieved the justice that they so deserve . but here we are they so deserve. but here we are now, today, and i have to say that this final report of sir bnan that this final report of sir brian langstaff is everything that we have been saying over the past 40 years, but it has now been written by a high court judge in response to a public inquiry , it's an amazing day. as inquiry, it's an amazing day. as i said, and we're just absolutely overwhelmed and delighted that we finally, on the way to achieving justice. thank you . thank you. >> next, we have diana johnson ,

>> next, we have diana johnson, the mp for hull north, who has also led the campaign in the commons . commons. >> well, first of all, thank you very much indeed for inviting me along today. and i co—chair the all party group on haemophilia and contaminated blood. and i can see there are some members in the room of that group where a cross party group of parliamentarians who knew who knew there was a scandal and it needed to be addressed. >> and i am so grateful for all the support of parliament lie—ins to get to this point today. and i want to pay tribute, first of all, to glenn wilkinson, my constituent who came to see me in 2010 just as the general election had been called to tell me that he had received infected blood when he'd had a minor dental operation in hull at the local hospital and developed hepatitis c, and i said to him, well, look, there's a general election called if i get re—elected, i'll do what i can to help in the new parliament. and luckily i got in

just by 641 votes. so it was a very narrow majority . and since very narrow majority. and since then i've worked with a number of parliamentarians alistair burt, andy burnham, many , many burt, andy burnham, many, many others to try and secure justice. but i have to say, as sir brian says in his report, for years and years the government said nothing to see here, no reason for a public inquiry, nothing to see here. the best treatment available was given , which we now know was not given, which we now know was not the case, and it was only in 2017 when theresa may didn't return with the majority that she thought she would. after that general election . and we that general election. and we got a letter from all the opposition leaders in the house of commons to say they were so concerned about what andy burnham had said in his final speech in parliament before he left, to go on to be the mayor of greater manchester, that i think she was in trouble because she could have lost that first vote in parliament, because the dup signed that letter as well, and she was obviously courting them at that time. so it was it

was a window of opportunity and we grabbed it. and i'm so grateful for everything that caroline did to make this, this happen. and for all those leaders of those opposition parties. and i also just want to finish by saying there's still work to do . sir brian, last work to do. sir brian, last april set out two government. you need to pay compensation . you need to pay compensation. you need to pay compensation. you need to pay compensation. you need to pay interim payments to those who had not received them , the parents who had lost them, the parents who had lost children and the children who had lost parents. and he said to them last year as well, you need to set up a compensation body by the end of last year, ready to pay the end of last year, ready to pay out . and really, sadly, by pay out. and really, sadly, by december that hadn't happened . december that hadn't happened. and that's why, again, parliament parliamentarians , parliament parliamentarians, cross party came together to actually defeat the government . actually defeat the government. the first time that the government had been defeated in the 2019 parliament because parliamentarians knew there was an injustice. and that compensation body needed to be set up and compensation needed to be paid. so i'm very grateful for all the support that we've had. cross party to get. we are

to get to where we are today. and i just want to say to sir bnan and i just want to say to sir brian this report, i think, is a vindication of everything that's been said for the last 40 years by all those brave people who've campaigned through illness, through all the distress that they've had. thank you so much to sir brian, and thank you for inviting me along today. >> and that was labour mp dame diana johnson, who's been a long standing campaigner on the tainted blood scandal. and shortly before that, we heard from andy evans, the chair of tainted blood campaign , who said tainted blood campaign, who said inever tainted blood campaign, who said i never thought i'd see this day , paid tribute to his friend gareth davies, who co—founded tainted blood and he said he isn't here to see this today. he should have been here, but it took way too long at 40 years. but he said it's an overwhelming , amazing day that finally we are on our way to achieving justice. now to our next story

now and northern ireland secretary chris heaton—harris announced yesterday that he also will not be standing at the next general election. the tory mp posted on acas, formerly twitter, of course, saying that it had been an honour and a privilege to serve . chris privilege to serve. chris heaton—harris has been the northern ireland secretary since september 2022, and he announced his intention in a letter to prime minister rishi sunak. will join me now to discuss this latest stand down. is the political commentator peter spencen political commentator peter spencer. peter, welcome to the show. always a delight 66 and counting , by my reckoning. counting, by my reckoning. heading for a 1997 stay while stand down ricky ford. do you think we're in danger of saying, well, the last tory to leave the party, please turn off the lights . lights. >> that's a headline that rings a bell. >> but i have to say that chris heaton—harris is actually a qualified football referee . qualified football referee. >> and as such, he's probably really quite good at figuring out who's winning and who is not

winning. >> now, when it comes to his own seat, he's got a majority of 26,000, which is about as safe as they come. >> but he very clearly does not relish the thought of being a shadow minister as opposed to a minister. remember, he's been on the ladder for some six years or so, and it seems only yesterday that that a former minister who had was now a shadow minister said to me that , look, when you said to me that, look, when you are in government, you wake up each morning thinking, what can i do today when you're when you're a shadow minister, the best you can come up with is what can i say each day and the reality is there aren't that many people listening anyway. so it's a pretty depressing prospect. and so he's decided to butt out. i mean, he's only 56, for god's sake. he's 20 years younger than i am, and i'm still jabbering away like a well, you know, for better or for worse, i leave that to others to judge. >> well, you don't look a day over 56 yourself, peter, but i

digress. but there does seem now to be this prevailing wind, as you say. maybe they just know the direction of travel. maybe they just don't want to stick around for that painful portillo moment . maybe it's just easier moment. maybe it's just easier to stand down and go quietly . to stand down and go quietly. >> well, absolutely. and because and there's another factor in all this. i mean, there was another, conservative mp who's standing down who actually confessed to the website politics home. he said, look, the fact is that quite a lot of my colleagues have already effectively butted out. they spent half their mornings or sections of their mornings filling in job application forms. and, he said , by the way, forms. and, he said, by the way, i'm not one of them, but but it's going on and it is logical that if they're reasonably young, they've got their families to support, they've got their futures, they've got places to go. people to see. and you're in a much, much stronger position to get another job. if you are in a job than if you are on the scrapheap and peter, you

mentioned there he has a safe seat. >> a majority of 25,000. are we in the danger zone now saying there's nothing , no such thing there's nothing, no such thing as a safe seat? we've seen majorities of 2320 4000 overturned in by elections in shropshire and elsewhere. do you think many, many conservatives will be looking at that? the winds of change thinking, well, there's no such thing as a safe seat anymore. i may as well. i may as well jump before i'm pushed. >> well, indeed so. >> well, indeed so. >> and in fact, actually it caused some particularly prescient gag that he was writing gags, christmas gags, a couple of years ago. and he said, why is it harder these days to get to get an advent calendar? calendar? and the answer is their days are numbered. and that seems to fit neatly with this narrative. does it not? >> superb aslef always a delight to have you on the show. peter spencer , thank you for joining spencer, thank you for joining us. and don't forget at a 5:15 today, we'll bring you rishi sunak statement on the infected blood scandal was expected to

apologise after more than 3000 people died as a result of the scandal. that would be live from the house of commons. and of course, we'll cross to cover that for you as and when it happens. that for you as and when it happens . i'm that for you as and when it happens. i'm martin daubney on gb news, britain's news channel

welcome back. your time is 448. i'm martin daubney, and this is gb news. now, at a 5:15, we'll bnng gb news. now, at a 5:15, we'll bring you rishi sunak statement on the infected blood scandal. he's expected to apologise after more than 3000 people died as a result of the scandal. that would be live from the house of commons. and, of course, will cross that when it happens. but before that, protest groups suggest just stop oil may be forced to pay compensation to people whose lives they illegally disrupt under plans in a new government commissioned

review. well, individuals, businesses or institutions that could show that they endured loss , distress or suffering from loss, distress or suffering from an illegal protest would, under this scheme be entitled to court ordered compensation from activists? well, i'm now joined by graham bus, who's a spokesperson for just stop oil and a former principal scientist at shell . welcome to the show, at shell. welcome to the show, graham. so this report is by lord lord walney. he's the government's adviser on extremism and terrorism. and he quite simply says the buck should stop with just stop oil. do you think he's got a point, can i just refer back to the previous article you had on the affected blood products? it's interesting what the campaigners said after 40 years. nothing to see here, nobody held accountable. terrible tragedies could be avoided. that's pretty much the position that we're in now. in the middle of a climate crisis , isn't it?

crisis, isn't it? >> yeah. some might find that some might find that comparison distasteful, graham. but can we just please move on to the current report? so quite clearly he's saying if people can demonstrate business has been affected and many no doubt could the cost the london economy was £4.5 million alone from just stop oil protest in the spring and summer of 2023. should you not pay for the protests ? not pay for the protests? >> look, let's just start some from a position that john woodcock, the lord. now, he is not an independent adviser in fact, it's entirely dishonest to suppose that he's a paid adviser for a number of groups. some of which which are supported in part by the oil and gas industry. he's the chair of an arms coalition that supplies arms coalition that supplies arms to israel. he is not independent. and it's disgraceful and overreach that he makes . he makes.

>> instead, instead of shooting the messenger, can we address the messenger, can we address the message? let's try and stay on point. if your protests are costing the economy and individuals and businesses provable sums of money, should you pay provable sums of money, should you pay for that , no. you want you pay for that, no. you want the short answer? look, we are rightly proud of our freedoms in this country with non—violent civil resistance, including disruption is a bedrock of our democracy. it's recognised in international law . do we want to international law. do we want to be like russia or the united arab emirates, where they lock people up and throw them out of hotel windows for , for, hotel windows for, for, non—violent civil resistance that we have a statue of mrs. pankhurst outside parliament. she was not she engaged in non—violent civil resistance . non—violent civil resistance. >> yeah, but the working classes also have a democratic right to be able to get to work to and do a day's graft. and isn't that the point ? you know, you're the point? you know, you're you're, albeit well—meaning

protest might seem like a good idea to you at the time, but if it's stopping working class people, as we saw repeatedly , it people, as we saw repeatedly, it was delivery drivers. it was taxi drivers. it was the working poor who were affected, no doubt lots of them on minimum wage or zero hour contracts, getting caughtin zero hour contracts, getting caught in the crossfire of your protests. they are being financially harmed. should you pay financially harmed. should you pay them? >> oh look, martin, i, i deeply regret that the actions we took were necessary. i deeply regret that. and i completely understand that people would have been upset and annoyed about what what we did. now, if the government took the climate crisis seriously as they didn't take the, for example, the tainted blood seriously, if the government took that seriously, then we wouldn't need to be here. i mean, i know you might ask, are they saying they should, that we should be sued, who will who will you sue when, our homes are flooded and our homes are uninsurable. remember that that last year in

chesterfield , there was a lady chesterfield, there was a lady there who said that her home was uninsurable oil. and she said that the government had failed to support her, that she felt let down by the government. >> graham. who should people sue if they lose their jobs because they can't do a delivery and just stop oil, stop them doing that? should they sue you ? that? should they sue you? >> there are already plenty of perfectly reasonable, resources and recourses that they can take. look at skyrocketing food prices. who's going to who do you sue for that, as who are you going to sue for the grass fires that burn down people's homes? who do you for ? sue children who who do you for? sue children who get tropical diseases? who do you sue? >> we're going to have to leave it there. spokesperson for just stop oil. i don't think you answered the question, but i appreciate your your passion and your candour. appreciate your your passion and your candour . and thanks for your candour. and thanks for joining us. always a pleasure. now, as i said at a 5:15, we'll hear live from rishi sunak. he's about to apologise after a damning report into the infected blood scandal cost the lives of more than 3000 people will cross

live to that . as it happens, i'm live to that. as it happens, i'm martin daubney on gb news. britain's news channel. but now it's your weather with alex deakin. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb news. >> afternoon. welcome to your latest weather update from the met office here on gb news. for many staying fine through the rest of today, but there are 1 or 2 showers breaking out and a few thunderstorms across northern ireland. we're surrounded by weather systems and we're kind of in a weather no man's land, which means the winds are light, which means the cloud isn't shifting too much over parts of southern scotland. northern england, and the showers are fairly slow moving over the west of northern ireland. some rumbles of thunder here could drop a lot of rain in a short space of time. there is a short space of time. there is a met office warning in place. for many, it will be a dry evening and night though, and then later in the night we'll see some wet weather returning to parts of central and eastern

england, staying generally pretty mild double digits, but some a bit colder across parts of scotland . inland here with of scotland. inland here with some clearer spells well down into single figures . it won't into single figures. it won't stay clear though. on the east coast we're going to see the ha returning, i suspect, particularly to the coast of aberdeenshire and up across the northern isles. so another murky day on tuesday. but inland , day on tuesday. but inland, plenty of sunshine at least to start the day. and that'll soon lift the temperatures. quite cloudy for northern ireland. here again , during the course of here again, during the course of tomorrow, the likelihood of some heavy , thundery showers breaking heavy, thundery showers breaking out, but of a dull, damp start over the north midlands. parts of northeast england. some showery rain here again, 1 or 2 heavier bursts possible that will tend to drift its way up towards the manchester area and towards the manchester area and towards north wales also. then later in the day we'll look at more outbreaks of showery rain coming into east anglia and the south southeast . possibility of south southeast. possibility of 1 or 2 thunderstorms in southwest england during tuesday afternoon. and again, that risk of thunderstorms for northern ireland. and again, we have another met office yellow warning in place. much of western scotland stays dry and

fine temperatures generally a little bit lower tomorrow because there will be more cloud around, especially over the midlands. so you will notice that dip in temperatures after a warm day today onto tuesday evening, we'll start to see a bit more rain coming into the east. and that's a feature of the weather through the rest of the weather through the rest of the week. some heavy rain, likely over parts of central and eastern britain on wednesday and thursday . thursday. >> looks like things are heating up . boxt boilers sponsors of up. boxt boilers sponsors of weather on

gb news. >> a very good afternoon to you . >> a very good afternoon to you. it's 5 pm. and welcome to the martin daubney show on gb news. broadcasting live from the heart of westminster, all across the uk. on today's show, the inquiry into the infected blood scandal that cost 3000 lives has finally

been published. and the findings are damning because the scandal, are damning because the scandal, a chilling systemic 40 year cover up in which the deaths were no accident and will be will be crossing live shortly to the prime minister who's expected to apologise in the for house of commons the failings by doctors, civil servants as well as successive governments. i'll also get reaction from campaigners and victims of what's believed to be the worst treatment disaster in the entire history of the nhs. 40 long years campaigners and those who were infected with tainted blood and of course, those who didn't make it . the and of course, those who didn't make it. the families and survivors have fought for justice. and today, at last, that report was published around about 15 minutes time. the prime minister, rishi sunak, is expected to address the nation

was what's expected to be a full apology. compensation is now the next likely step. we were joined, privileged to be joined earlier by sue wathen, who became infected herself with hepatitis c and for many, many years didn't even know. she talked so movingly of those who didn't make it, friends of hers who fought so hard to get to this point. in about 15 minutes time, they'll get the apology they felt they've deserved for so, so many years . get in touch so, so many years. get in touch with all your views, please do. we've already had loads and loads of comments on the tainted blood scandal. i read out as many as i can before the end of the show. the way to do that is gbnews.com forward slash your save. but before we go to rishi sunakis save. but before we go to rishi sunak is your headlines and it's our anne armstrong . our anne armstrong. >> very good evening to you. it's 5:02 i'm alan armstrong. the infected blood inquiry has found there was a deliberate

destruction of documents by government officials . and the government officials. and the scandal could have largely been avoided . the final report avoided. the final report documented a catalogue of failures which had catastrophic consequences, with patients knowingly exposed to unacceptable risk of infection. more than 30,000 people were infected with hiv and hepatitis c between 1970 and the early 90s. because of contaminated blood products and transfusions. the inquiry's chair, sir brian langstaff, says it was no accident and people who put their trust in doctors in the government were betrayed . government were betrayed. >> the infections happened because those in authority doctors because the blood services and successive governments did not put patient safety first. they lost sight of what was known about the risks of viral infections from blood . of viral infections from blood. doctor knows best with such a strong belief that health departments did not issue guidance to kerb the unsafe use of blood and blood products , of blood and blood products, victims say they've been waiting

decades to be heard. >> sometimes we felt like we were shouting into the wind dunng were shouting into the wind during these 40 years when we told people they didn't believe us, they said this wouldn't happenin us, they said this wouldn't happen in the uk , but today happen in the uk, but today proves that it can happen in the uk. and it did happen in the uk and i just feel validated and vindicated . vindicated. >> and i think everybody today has read of the disasters that unfolded and, and sir brian has been very thorough and has not minced his words. >> this was a systemic this was by government, by civil servants and by health care professionals. i think that really rocks what we think of as society and really challenges the fact, the trust that we put in people to look after us, to do their best and protect us, none of that can we take for granted anymore. >> the parents of a baby girl say they will never forgive the callousness of a nursery worker who was convicted of the manslaughter of their wonderful daughter , 37 year old kate

daughter, 37 year old kate roughley placed the nine month old face down on a beanbag for an hour and a half while working at the tiny toes nursery in cheadle hulme in may 2022. colleagues and paramedics tried to revive genevieve meehan. she was later declared dead roughly has been remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced later this week . julian assange has this week. julian assange has won a legal bid to bring an appeal against his extradition to the united states. the high court has ruled that us assurances over his case were unsatisfactory, and he would get a full appeal hearing. the wikileaks founder faces prosecution in the states over an alleged conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information, after the publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the wars in afghanistan and iraq . mr afghanistan and iraq. mr assange's wife is calling on the us to drop what she says is a shameful case. >> i think the decision today should send a signal to the biden administration to look

very carefully at this case, which over 40 us law professors have written to the administration and said that this case is an existential threat to the first amendment, and that should be taken very seriously . and what is the point seriously. and what is the point in pursuing this at this stage? it is just harm to everyone . it is just harm to everyone. >> iran has confirmed the country's president, ebrahim raisi, and his foreign minister were killed in a helicopter crash yesterday, a footage obtained by iranian media shows the crash site on a mountainside. harsh weather conditions hampered efforts by search and rescue teams. the wreckage was eventually located in the east azerbaijan province. iran's supreme leaders declared five days of national mourning an election for a new president is due to take place within the next 50 days, ofcom has found. gb news broke broadcasting rules in a programme featuring the prime minister the regulator says the people's forum, which aired in february, failed to

preserve due impartiality and it's now considering a sanction. in a statement, gb news described the development as alarming and an attempt to silence the channel. it says the format placed the public, not journalists, in charge of questioning rishi sunak , and questioning rishi sunak, and that he was challenged and criticised on a number of issues . it maintains the programme was in line with the broadcasting code , a new coin , marking 80 code, a new coin, marking 80 years since the d—day landings has been unveiled by the royal mint. to mark the release, two sand artists recreated the design on gold beach, where troops landed in 1944. with a diameter of 35m. the sand arc took 5.5 hours to create the design. on the tails side. the reverse side of the coin, it was revealed ahead of the anniversary, which is on june the sixth. we can get more in all of our stories by scanning the qr code on your screen, or go to gb news .com/ alerts. now it's back to . martin.

it's back to. martin. >> thank you aaron. and of course, there's only one place to start and it's with the infected blood inquiry looking to what is being called the biggest treatment disaster in the entire history of the nhs and the long awaited, damning report finds that the scandal could largely have been avoided with a pervasive cover up to hide the truth. now, the last houn hide the truth. now, the last hour, the. the mayor of greater manchester and the former health secretary, andy burnham, has addressed the press. >> studied the case. >> studied the case. >> there must be accountability and there must now be full consideration of prosecutions. >> and i would include in that the potential for corporate manslaughter charges against whitehall departments. this

report should rock whitehall to its foundations. this goes to the heart of the way this country has been run. major questions fall out of it. i believe that we now must see, as a matter of urgency, a full, comprehensive hillsborough law on the statute book, enacting sir brian's recommendation of a statutory duty of candour on senior civil servants . i would senior civil servants. i would go further and say, all public servants , they should be servants, they should be required as part of what they do . the clue's in the name public servants, to tell the truth. at the first time of asking, i think huge questions fall out of this for his majesty's treasury. the report is quite clear that it was the fear of financial exposure which led to this culture in whitehall of never admitting any liability. no, no language that would would

suggest it. and in my view, that is what's created this situation , that iron grip that was put onto this issue completely and utterly wrong. and there must be accountability for that. but there have to be questions asked of parliament of parliament to how has this injustice stood for this long? i said in the commons after the second hillsborough inquest , i after the second hillsborough inquest, i asked how after the second hillsborough inquest , i asked how how could inquest, i asked how how could an entire english city have cried injustice for 20 years and nobody was listening ? and we nobody was listening? and we could ask that same question for the subpostmasters and mistresses, couldn't we? how could they have been crying injustice so long and nobody was listening ? but we all know in listening? but we all know in this room that the people infected and affected by the contaminated blood scandal have been banging on the doors of this place for decades . and this place for decades. and truthfully, it was only people like diana and the members of the all party contaminated blood group who really were listening

and in the end have enabled this this to happen . and in the end have enabled this this to happen. but it and in the end have enabled this this to happen . but it should this to happen. but it should not have come about like this . not have come about like this. >> okay, let's cross now to our reporter , charlie peters. reporter, charlie peters. charlie, we just heard there from andy burnham. it's been an astonishing day, a systemic 40 year cover up. tell us more . year cover up. tell us more. >> yes, martin, as now we prepare for the prime minister rishi sunak, to set out what is expected to be an apology for a utany expected to be an apology for a litany of extensive failures over several decades from the british government. and it's already been set out in this report released today, what the author, sir brian langstaff , author, sir brian langstaff, expects from the prime minister at the top of that is a meaningful apology that explains what the apology is for all those errors over the years, the cover ups and indeed the deliberate destruction of documents that's been revealed today, possibly one of the most shocking parts of those several

volumes of reporting. but he also wants recognition , ian, not also wants recognition, ian, not just of the suffering, but due to the fact that it was because of those errors and that wrongdoing . and sir brian was wrongdoing. and sir brian was also asked for vindication for those who have waited for so long for this apology to come forward . and many of the forward. and many of the survivors have said they felt as though they were crying out into the void for 40 years. and this report found today that that much of its evidence and the inquiry could have been launched from about 1986. instead, it started in 2017. and finally, sir brian wants action, action on his recommendations. he set out 12. and the big part of that discussion now is compensation . discussion now is compensation. ian, the prime minister, rishi sunak, he was actually heckled when he attended the inquiry last year. he was asked what the government's plans would be for compensation and he gave an answer that many in the audience and many of those campaigners felt was insufficient. the interim report in 2022 actually called for hundreds of thousands

of pounds to be given out to 4000 people at the time a very unprecedented and quite significant intervention for a pubuc significant intervention for a public inquiry to issue a call for compensation during an interim report and now we'll find out if the government will match the demands set out . match the demands set out. >> berci brian, thank you, charlie peters, and i'm delighted to say i'm now joined in our studio by danny holliday. she's the partner at collins solicitors, who are representing 1500 victims and their families. welcome to the studio . thanks welcome to the studio. thanks for coming. so 40 years in the reckoning, do you feel that you're approaching some form of justice, or is this where the whole book for you really begins? >> i think that for our clients and the community, this is the culmination of a lot, of a lot of very hard work and trying to get people to listen, they've been lied to . documents have been lied to. documents have been lied to. documents have been destroyed, covered up over the years. they've been told that they had received the best treatment when they hadn't. they'd been told that hep c

testing was brought in as soon as it was possible. it wasn't . as it was possible. it wasn't. and they feel vindication that that they were right. and what they've been complaining about for decades with successive governments has, has been shown to be true today. >> and danny, of course, many didn't make it. so the survivors who live on or fighting. but of course, you must have come across 50 coui'se, you must have come across 50 many course, you must have come across so many stories of families who've lost loved ones andindeed families who've lost loved ones and indeed individuals who may have been on your books have sadly passed away. >> yes, yes. i mean, we've we've acted for families who where the children have lost both parents, where parents have lost all their sons that have affected generations of the same family. i mean, it is truly, truly shocking. and since this inquiry started, we've we've lost over 130 people. wow >> and the ones who live on who fight on, do they feel vindicated? they feel this is some form of closure. is that not even possible , i don't think

not even possible, i don't think that they will even start to feel closure until they've had a fulsome response from, from the government as to what its position is and most importantly, an apology , but an importantly, an apology, but an apology that is actually an apology that is actually an apology that, that identifies what it is sorry for. it's offered those words before at the opening submissions and the closing submissions of this inquiry, but it has not actually said what it is sorry for. >> okay , danny, we're about to >> okay, danny, we're about to cross live to the prime minister, rishi sunak , who's minister, rishi sunak, who's expected to give that apology. what would you like to hear him say today? >> i would like him to say that he's he's sorry. and as i said, to identify exactly what he's sorry for , for the failings in sorry for, for the failings in whitehall, for the failings of various ministers over the years, civil servants and policy advisers. >> and it feels that there was a system of self—protection, of

closing ranks. the report by sir bnan closing ranks. the report by sir brian langstaff concludes precisely that, that it was closing ranks to hide the truth for decades, self—preservation kicked in. rather than protecting the health of the nation, they made some very bad choices in the late 60s, early 70s, when the factor products were were licensed in the uk, and then when aids came through in the early 80s, they realised, i think that that they'd made big mistakes in, in allowing factor products to be to be used in the uk when they were already riddled with another virus, hepatitis , which was also very hepatitis, which was also very bad for you . bad for you. >> okay. and in terms of the culpability, people are saying not only the civil service but also the pharmaceutical manufacturers. some of those companies . do you think that companies. do you think that there's liability there? i mean, after all, some of these products were being used for a long time where the whistles, the red flags have been raised a long time before .

long time before. >> oh, undoubtedly. >> oh, undoubtedly. >> so, but it was the responsibility of the uk government and the licensing authorities not to allow those products into this country. when they knew the source of where they knew the source of where they were coming from and their skid row, the, the skid row donors, and they were aware of that. >> and in terms of the, the headsin >> and in terms of the, the heads in the sand, the closing of ranks , the clients you've of ranks, the clients you've spoken to, campaigners you've spoken to, campaigners you've spoken to, campaigners you've spoken to, how has that sat with them after all this time to find out that they were right. >> well, they've, they've known that they've been right all these years and they have campaigned , against the campaigned, against the self—sufficiency report, which the chair also referenced. >> and it being used then as a tool in the cover up and the chronology that it produced, because so have the cross now , because so have the cross now, i'm afraid we're going right to the house of commons. >> prime minister rishi sunak is now addressing the nation. this is a day of shame for the

british state. >> today's report shows a decades long moral failure at the heart of our national life , the heart of our national life, from the national health service to the civil service to ministers in successive governments at every level, the people and institutions in which we place our trust failed in the most harrowing and devastating way . way. >> they failed the victims and their families , and they failed their families, and they failed this country . this country. >> sir brian finds a catalogue of systemic, collective and individual failures, each on its own serious and taken together, a mounting to a calamity. and the result of this inquiry should shake our nation to its core . this should have been core. this should have been avoided. it was known these treatments were contaminated. warnings were ignored repeatedly. time and again, people in positions of power and

trust had the chance to stop the transmission of those infectious means. time and again, they failed to do so. sir brian finds an attitude of denial towards the risks of treatment . worse, the risks of treatment. worse, to our eternal shame , in a way to our eternal shame, in a way that it to our eternal shame, in a way thatitis to our eternal shame, in a way that it is hard to even comprehend . they allowed victims comprehend. they allowed victims to become objects for research . to become objects for research. many, including children at lord mayor treloar's college, were part of trials conducted without their or their parents knowledge or consent. >> those with haemophilia or bleeding disorders were infected with hiv, hepatitis c and hepatitis b through nhs treatment through blood clotting products such as factor eight, including those who had been misdiagnosed and did not even require treatment. >> many were infected through whole blood transfusions , others whole blood transfusions, others were infected through their partners and loved ones , often

partners and loved ones, often after diagnoses had been deliberately withheld for months or even years, meaning these infections should have easily been prevented . been prevented. >> i find it almost impossible to comprehend how it must have felt to be told you had been infected through no fault of your own , with hiv or hepatitis your own, with hiv or hepatitis b or hepatitis c, or to face the grief of losing a child, or to be a young child and lose your mum or dad . mum or dad. >> many of those infected went on to develop horrific conditions including cirrhosis, liver cancer, pneumonia, tb and aids. enduring debilitating treatments like interferon for these illnesses, illnesses the nhs had given them. many were treated disdainfully by healthcare professionals who made appalling assumptions about the origin of their infections .

the origin of their infections. worse still, they were made to think that they were imagining it, made to feel stupid . they it, made to feel stupid. they felt abandoned by the nhs that had infected them. those who acquired hiv endured social rejection, vilification and abuse at a time when society understood so little about the emerging epidemic of aids and with illness came the indignity of financial hardship, including for carers and those widowed and other bereaved family members . other bereaved family members. and throughout it all, victims and their loved ones have had to fight for justice, fight to be heard, to be believed, fight to uncover the full truth . some uncover the full truth. some have their medical records withheld or even destroyed , and withheld or even destroyed, and the inquiry finds that some government papers were destroyed in a deliberate attempt to make the truth more difficult to reveal. sir brian explicitly

asks the question was there a cover up? let me directly quote his answer for the house. there has been , he continues, not in has been, he continues, not in the sense of a handful of people plotting in an orchestrated conspiracy to mislead , but in conspiracy to mislead, but in a way that was more subtle, more pervasive, and more chilling in its implications to save face and to save expense. there has been a hiding of much of the truth . mr speaker, more than truth. mr speaker, more than 3000 people died without that truth. they died without an apology. they died without knowing how and why this was allowed to happen . and they died allowed to happen. and they died without seeing anyone held to account. today, i want to speak directly to the victims and their families , some of whom are their families, some of whom are with us in the gallery. i want to make a wholehearted and

unequivocal apology for this terrible injustice . this first terrible injustice. this first first to apologise for the failure in blood policy and blood products and the devastating and so often fatal impact this had on so many lives, including the impact of treatments that were known or proved to be contaminated. the failure to respond to the risk of imported concentrates, the failure to prioritise self—sufficiency in blood, the failure to introduce screening services sooner, and the mismanagement of the response to the emergence of aids and hepatitis viruses amongst infected blood victims . second, infected blood victims. second, to apologise for the repeated failure of the state and our medical professionals to recognise the harm caused this includes the failure of previous payment schemes, the inadequate levels of funding made available and the failure to recognise hepatitis b victims . and third, hepatitis b victims. and third, to apologise for the

institutional refusal to face up to these failings and, worse, to deny and even attempt to cover them up. the dismissing of report s and campaigners detailed representations. the loss and destruction of key documents, including ministerial advice and medical records and the appalling length of time it took to secure the public inquiry which has delivered the full truth today . mr speaker , full truth today. mr speaker, layer upon layer of hurt endured across decades, this is an apology from the state to every single person impacted by this scandal. it did not have to be this way. it should never have been this way. and on behalf of this and every government stretching back to the 1970s, i am truly sorry . stretching back to the 1970s, i am truly sorry. mr stretching back to the 1970s, i am truly sorry . mr speaker, am truly sorry. mr speaker, today is a day for the victims and their families to hear the

full truth acknowledged by all and in the full presence of that truth, to remember the many, many lost loved ones. but justice also demands action and accountability. so i make two solemn promises. first, we will pay solemn promises. first, we will pay comprehensive compensation to those infected and those affected by this scandal. accepting the principles recommended by the inquiry, which builds on the work of sir robert francis . whatever it robert francis. whatever it costs to deliver this scheme , we costs to deliver this scheme, we will pay it. am i right honourable friend? the minister for the cabinet office will set out the details tomorrow . out the details tomorrow. second, it is not enough to say sorry. pay long overdue compensation and then attempt to move on. there can be no moving on from a report that is so devastating in its criticisms .

devastating in its criticisms. of course, in some areas, medical practice has long since evolved and no one is questioning that. every day our nhs provides amazing and life saving care to the british people . but sir saving care to the british people. but sir brian and his team have made wide ranging recommendations. we will study them in detail before returning to this house with a full response, and we must fundamentally rebalance the system. so we finally address this pattern. so familiar from other inquiries like hillsborough, where innocent victims have to fight for decades to just be believed. mr speaken decades to just be believed. mr speaker, the whole house will join me in thanking sir brian and his team, especially for keeping the infected blood community at the heart of their work. we would not be here today without those who tirelessly fought for justice for so many years. i include journalists and parliamentarians in both houses, especially the right honourable member for kingston upon hull,

north. but most of all, the victims and their families , many victims and their families, many of whom have dedicated their lives , leading charities and lives, leading charities and campaign groups pouring their own money into decades of running helplines , archiving, running helplines, archiving, researching, pursuing legal cases, often in the face of appalling prejudice. it is impossible to capture the full pain and injustice they have faced . their sorrow has been faced. their sorrow has been unimaginable . they have watched unimaginable. they have watched loved ones die , cared for them loved ones die, cared for them as they suffered excruciating treatments or provided their palliative care . many families palliative care. many families were broken up by the strain . were broken up by the strain. hundreds of thousands of lives have been knocked off course. dreams and potential unfulfilled. but today their

voices have finally been heard. the full truth stands for all to see, and we will work together across government, our health services and civil society to ensure that nothing like this can ever happen in our country again. i commend this statement to the house. >> call keir starmer, the leader of the opposition . of the opposition. >> thank you, mr speaker. this response can only begin in one place because this is an injustice that has spanned across governments on an unprecedented scale and collectively , we fail to protect collectively, we fail to protect some of the most vulnerable in our country . and so, as well as our country. and so, as well as paying our country. and so, as well as paying tribute to the courage and determination of the victims , the infected and the affected , , the infected and the affected, some of whom are here in the gallery today , i want to

gallery today, i want to acknowledge to every single person who has suffered that, in addition to all of the other failings , as politics itself failings, as politics itself failed , you , that failure failed, you, that failure appues failed, you, that failure applies to all parties , applies to all parties, including my own . there is only including my own. there is only one word. >> sorry . >> sorry. >> sorry. >> and by that apology , i >> and by that apology, i acknowledge that this suffering was caused by wrongdoing , delay was caused by wrongdoing, delay and systemic failure across the board, compounded by institutions defensiveness . and institutions defensiveness. and as sir brian langstaff makes clear in his report , any apology clear in his report, any apology today must must be accompanied by action. and so i welcome the prime minister's confirmation that compensation will now be paid , and he should be under no

paid, and he should be under no doubt whatsoever that we will work with him to get that done swiftly . because, make no swiftly. because, make no mistake, the victims in this scandal have suffered unspeakably thousands of people have died. >> they continue to die every week, lives completely shattered, evidence wilfully destroyed , and victims destroyed, and victims marginalised . marginalised. >> people watching their loved ones die . ones die. >> are children used as objects of research? >> on and on it goes as the pain barely conceivable jul. and so, as well as an apology , i also as well as an apology, i also want to make clear we commit that we will shine a harsh light upon the lessons that must be learned to make sure nothing

like this ever happens again . like this ever happens again. because, mr speaker , when you because, mr speaker, when you pass through the doors of a hospital, it is a moment of profound vulnerability. you entrust your life into the hands of a perfect strangers. we go to hospital for your care, and that is what many of the people affected find so hard to accept . affected find so hard to accept. the betrayal of that trust by people and institutions that were meant to protect them. people like mark stewart , my people like mark stewart, my constituent who was given factor eight in the 1980s as part of a clinical trial, as was his father , as was his brother. all father, as was his brother. all three subsequently contracted hepatitis c, but only mark remains with us today and then

over the decades, as mark and so many like him searched for truth and justice, the british state ignored them. the truth, as sir bryan says today, was hidden from them for decades. and that is why this is one of the gravest injustices this country has seen . and yet, we have to be has seen. and yet, we have to be honest , this scandal is not honest, this scandal is not unique , and the institutional unique, and the institutional defensiveness identified by sir bryan is a pattern of behaviour that we must address. >> yes, because , mr speaker, >> yes, because, mr speaker, while mark may never get his brother or his father or his health back , for all the health back, for all the families affected , we must families affected, we must restore the sense that this is a country that can rectify injustice, particularly when carried out by institutes of the state. >> that is our job today. this

week and beyond. frankly it is the very least that we owe . the very least that we owe. >> thank you, mr speaker. >> thank you, mr speaker. >> prime minister mr speaker, i thank the honourable gentleman for the collegiate tone in which he has responded to today's report and his sincerity. >> he is right. it is irrefutably clear that an unconscionable injustice has been done , the result of a been done, the result of a consistent and systemic failure by the state time and again for decade after decade. and it's why i apologise wholeheartedly and unequivocally to every single person impacted by this scandal and the anger and sorrow felt across this house is the right response. and it is right that we now act on behalf of the victims, their loved ones and the whole community who expect us to put right this historic wrong . wrong. >> father of the house, sir peter bottomley, the thousands

of people that says rishi sunak, they're speaking in the house of commons, addressing the nation finally, after 40 years delivering a speech on the infected blood scandal and the key lines there, rishi sunak started by saying this is a day of shame. >> warnings were ignored. an attitude of denial existed. it's hard to ever even comprehend. they allowed patients and victims to become objects of research, diagnosis were deliberately withheld. i find it impossible to comprehend to be infected with hiv, to lose your life yourself, or to your or your family illnesses. the nhs had given them . many were had given them. many were treated with disdain. they felt abandoned by the nhs that had infected them . he went went on infected them. he went went on to then say victims have had to fight for justice, fight to be heard, papers were destroyed to

cover up and he then moved on to say and i want to make a wholehearted and unequivocal apology and was a failure to introduce seeming protection so soon. he also apologised for his and every government that came before it, and committed a promise of a full compensation package, and he was followed there by sir keir starmer, who vowed that he will work with rishi sunak to make sure that this happens with continuity moving forward . now let's cross moving forward. now let's cross back to the studio now and i'm still joined by danny holliday. and also i'm joined by the daughter of a victim of the infected blood scandal, louise edwards . infected blood scandal, louise edwards. thank you infected blood scandal, louise edwards . thank you both for edwards. thank you both for joining me. could i start with you, rishi sunak there gave a heartfelt apology, many believe. could we just start? if you may forgive me for talking about your personal circumstances, why you're here today, and why this

means so much to you. >> yeah, i'm here today because my dad, jack, was a haemophiliac and he contracted hiv and hepatitis c through factor eight products, and he died in 1985. >> and at that time, how old would you have been? >> i was 12 when he died. >> i was 12 when he died. >> so you were denied the right to grow up with your father? >> yeah. >> yeah. >> and my dad was literally my hero. i was a proper daddy's girl. >> what do you think your dad would make of today ? would make of today? >> my dad was a very private person, and i'm conflicted because i think, is he going to because i think, is he going to be thinking what is she doing now? why is she doing this? or is he going to be going that it's my girl, you know, that's that's the spirit. that's what he's proud of. i think it would be the latter. >> is that your dad? there >> is that your dad? there >> that's my dad there. >> that's my dad there. >> that's my dad there. >> that's me. my dad and my older brother on that picture . older brother on that picture. >> when i'm getting going here. okay, so you just listen to the prime minister. yeah, deliver an apology . how does that sit with apology. how does that sit with you? do you think he meant it?

does that what does that mean for you? >> it felt sincere . yeah, but >> it felt sincere. yeah, but again, with the way that they've repeatedly pushed this down the line , they've said, you know, line, they've said, you know, there's no competition. we need to wait for the final report. i will believe it when i see him. actually do something. and they commit something to the house, not he did feel sincere and he did feel like he meant what he said. but but i have a very hard time trusting him . very hard. time trusting him. very hard. >> well, it's taken so long to get to this point. you know, you'd be hard pressed, you know, to not feel cynical. but today does feel like a positive breakthrough . the one thing i breakthrough. the one thing i just wanted to pick up there, this the line he said, now i understand your story. i find it impossible to comprehend what it must have been like to have been infected with hiv , to lose your infected with hiv, to lose your life or that of your phone. that's your story. >> yeah, yeah, that's my story. >> yeah, yeah, that's my story. >> that's my life. >> that's my life. >> so for i've lived without my dad, we've had to live with the shadow of hiv and hepatitis c.

it's put into context. he died before the don't die of ignorance campaign. right. and by that time i'd found out what had happened to him. so i was like a 13, 14 year old. you're getting a leaflet through the door saying, don't die of ignorance. and you're thinking, well, that's what killed my dad . well, that's what killed my dad. and i now can't say anything because i'm too scared . danny, because i'm too scared. danny, what do you say? >> so you listened in there to rishi sunak, to his apology. you listened in full. do you think it was sincere? and how do you think that will land with the 1500 people that you're still representing? and of course, many who sadly have passed away? >> i think it'll land a lot better than the lack of apology and the closing submissions to the inquiry when it closed previously, and it will land better than the evidence that that the government ministers gave to the inquiry last year, they have well, they have no

option, really, but to accept the findings of the chair of this independent public inquiry , this independent public inquiry, but they seem to have taken that on board. and i agree with louise. it depends on what actions are taken moving forward and whether there will be a statutory duty of candour that will force , civil servants and will force, civil servants and people in power policy advisers to be completely candid and honest in the future. >> and both of you seemed very relieved there when sir keir starmer, you know , full credit. starmer, you know, full credit. they put their political differences to one side today and they said there will be continuity on this issue, sir keir starmer saying if he was come to power he would make sure that the, the, the recommendations are, are honoured and this will happen. louise when you think back to your own circumstances and we hear today the detail coming out of civil servants closing ranks, records being destroyed, will

this apology be enough for you or were you forever feel that this was a totally an unacceptable, joined up, systemic cover up? >> the apology does go some way, but it's never going to take away the fact that we've lost people and that there was the chance to stop this, sir brian said it. there's the word failure and failure failings mentioned so many times in his report, and that says it all. it should never have happened. >> we're talking about compensation now. that's one of the two promises that rishi sunak made. whatever it costs, we will pay for it, he said. and details will emerge tomorrow. you can't put a price on losing your dad. >> no, no. up to this point we've never had any recognition of that fact. so my mum was the recipient of an interim payment. but myself and my brother, it's almost like we've just been forgotten . it's like, oh, you forgotten. it's like, oh, you lost your dad. well, fine. you know, sorry .

know, sorry. >> and you mentioned that leaflet you got. i remember that time as, as a, as a lad myself, you know, there was a huge amount of ignorance around this issue. the social stigma. you must have had to live with the pain. you must have . pain. you must have. experienced. i mean, again, you can't put a price on that. >> you can't. and it's the fact of you haven't got your dad there at all and he's gone and he's never coming back. so what are we supposed to do? but my mum was a tower of strength. she literally pulled herself up by the bootstraps and got on with it. she was amazing. she raised me and my brother. i don't know how she did it financially, but she did. >> and do you think she'll get what she deserves now? finally a full and proper payout. you can't put a value on you. >> literally. they say you can't put a value on a human life and you can't. so it's going to be interesting to see how the try and work it out, danny. >> and again for so many clients now that you still represent inevitably we will be moving on to this compensation package. now pledged by the prime minister there. full details

emerging tomorrow. what would you like that to look like? what would your clients like that to look like, we look forward to heanng look like, we look forward to hearing full details tomorrow and we are grateful for the prime minister to respect what was asked of the government and not to go into any detail about it today , but, but in terms of it today, but, but in terms of compensation , what our clients compensation, what our clients needis compensation, what our clients need is ongoing support and not to just be left to fend for themselves and for the government to learn of the mistakes from the windrush and post office compensation schemes, which haven't really worked to date and to, so , so worked to date and to, so, so that our clients and the community have, have continued support going forward. >> and you mentioned something which which is pertinent and fascinating and worth marking. that is, this is an open ended report. so it doesn't close today. so in that sense, this will be work that's moving forward and that will help you. and your clients to make sure you push for that justice all the way till the end. yes, yes, hopefully.

>> and so it's very unusual for, for a public inquiry not to finish at this stage. and, and we are and our clients and the community are very grateful to the chair for, for keeping it openin the chair for, for keeping it open in this way, and holding the government to continuing to hold the government to account whichever colour it is. >> can i ask both of you just to conclude, do you feel in some way vindicated today? >> definitely , definitely. and >> definitely, definitely. and our clients have and the community as a whole have fought for decades to get to this point . and it's and it's finally been recognised by by the government . recognised by by the government. >> louise edwards, do you feel that today has gone some way to helping you and your family find the peace you need ? the peace you need? >> yeah, we've we've got, as i said, like the vindication of we knew that this shouldn't have happened. we knew that there was a cover up. my mum straight out asked the haematologist, treated my dad when it first broke. what is this ? and she must have been is this? and she must have been told we'll hear of a handful of cases. okay. louise, you were so wrong. >> thank you so much. i'm so

sorry for your loss, but i hope. hope today in some way helps. and danny holiday as well. thank you.thank and danny holiday as well. thank you. thank you for all your work . you're a partner, of course, at collins solicitors, representing 1500 victims. and i hope they also feel they will get some much needed justice out of this. now stay with us. we'll have lots more fallout to this damning report into that infected blood scandal. i'm martin daubney on gb news, britain's news channel thanks so much

i >> -- >> i'm christopher hope and i'm gloria de piero bringing you pmqs live here on gb news. >> whenever parliament is in session on a wednesday at midday, we'll bring you live coverage of prime minister's questions. we'll be asking our viewers and listeners to submit the questions that they would like to put to the prime minister, and we'll put that to our panel of top politicians in our panel of top politicians in our westminster studio. >> that's pmqs live here on gb news. >> britain's election . channel.

>> britain's election. channel. >> britain's election. channel. >> welcome back. it's 547. i'm martin daubney on gb news now a reminder of the day's top story. prime minister rishi sunak has recently apologised to the victims of the infected blood scandal and their families. in a statement to the house of commons around about 30 minutes ago. let's go now to our reporter charlie peters. so charlie and historic moment, 40 years in the reckoning. but at long, long last, rishi sunak has finally apologised to the victims of the infected blood scandal. tell us more . scandal. tell us more. >> jess martin, rishi sunak , the >> jess martin, rishi sunak, the prime minister apologising on behalf of the government . but we behalf of the government. but we also heard an apology from sir keir starmer for labour's part in this process as well, admitting that of course this scandal had spanned multiple governments , with mr starmer governments, with mr starmer describing it as a historic

injustice. so a rare moment of political unity between the prime minister and the leader of the opposition in the house of commons, with rishi sunak saying that when it comes to compensation , we will pay compensation, we will pay whatever needs to be paid . they whatever needs to be paid. they also went on to say that politics had failed all members of the infected blood community, and this comes after sir brian langstaff, the head of the inquiry, hear the public inquiry, hear the public inquiry, said that a fulsome apology was required . now. sir apology was required. now. sir bnan apology was required. now. sir brian also said that recognition was necessary not just for the suffering but also for the extensive errors both deliberate and more subtle cover ups that had contributed to this crisis. and i think it's clear that both leaders, they're delivering that apology. but all eyes will now go to what comes next. this is the fourth expectation that sir bnan the fourth expectation that sir brian has in this inquiry , and brian has in this inquiry, and thatis brian has in this inquiry, and that is action. and that's not just about compensation . there just about compensation. there are 11 other recommendations

being made in this inquiry that could include, of course, some prosecution on a lot of people here. as you can imagine. they do want a sense of accountability for what has gone on for the best part of five decades. they want to feel as though the wrongs have been sorted out and that this can never happen in britain ever again . again. >> thank you, charlie peters, for that summary. now i'm still joined in the studio by louise edwards, who's the daughter of a victim of the infected blood scandal and also with danny holiday. she's a partner at collins solicitors, who are representing 1500 victims and their families . thank you for their families. thank you for staying with us. i know you want to go and meet your colleagues and have a well—earned drink after this, because i just quickly get a reaction to you, louise rishi sunak there said, that this is an appalling length of time to have to wait for justice, for the inquiry, for this and every government that

has come before. i am truly sorry . so it's impossible to sorry. so it's impossible to capture the full pain and the sorrow of what the victims endured . you lost your father. endured. you lost your father. you can't put a price on that. but do you feel that today has been something important for you?is been something important for you? is it something that you believe is a landmark, or are you happy? what the prime minister said earlier on today's been a massive day . been a massive day. >> i said somebody it's like we're closing a chapter, but the book's not quite written yet. so until we get to the very end of this and they carry out the recommendations of sir brian , recommendations of sir brian, we're not really going to have a full answer. i do think he probably was genuine, but actions speak louder than words, and they always will. >> and you've probably heard this a lot before. does it almost seem impossible to comprehend that this is actually happened after all this time? >> yeah. i mean, i'm going back home tonight and i'll probably wake up tomorrow morning and be like, did yesterday just happened? because it's been a day of emotions and i know it's going to hit me. so yeah , it's

going to hit me. so yeah, it's going to hit me. so yeah, it's going to hit me. so yeah, it's going to it's going to take a few days probably just to fully sink in as well. >> good. well done. and danny, of course now you turn to business, you know, as details are announced later on tomorrow, the prime minister said full details of this compensation scheme will be rolled out. this is when the work starts again for people like yourself representing the families. the 1500 victims and the families who've been impacted that are on your books. >> yeah, we understand that the government is planning on a five week consultation period. with, with the infected and the affected and, and we look forward to working with them to, to bring this, bring this to conclusion. >> and, and like louise there after so long, after being so emotionally, you know, you try and be businesslike about these things, but it's just taken a huge emotional drain on yourself being around people. you've had such devastating stories. do they feel like some form of

massively important closure for you and helping you and all those victims and the families move forward? i think they finally feel that they've been heard and that their stories have been heard and recognised. >> and the deep sorrow and anger and all the other emotions that that they understandably feel. and it's just it's been an incredible honour to have to have worked with, with all of our clients and to taken that path with them. and it's been it's been tough . it's been tough. >> so i, i understand, louise, that you are one of danny's clients, but you've only just met for the first time. yes in the studio today, which is amazing. >> yes. i mean, louise will have met members of our team over the years, but this is the first time we've met, but it has. it's been an honour to walk this journey with you guys. >> and how do you think the dnnkis >> and how do you think the drink is going to be tonight when you, when you finally sort of try and close, as you say close turn that page. >> i think it's going to be it's going to take some time to sink

in. i still need to finish reading the report, because we've got two of seven volumes and there's a lot to go through, and there's a lot to go through, and i do want to read it, and i do want to kind of take it in, but with the best will in the world, it's going to take some time. >> and for yourself, i mean, the work begins for you now . work begins for you now. >> it does, it does. and we will continue to push for the government to implement the recommendations . and, yeah, i'd recommendations. and, yeah, i'd say we look forward to the next part of the journey moving forward . forward. >> well, well done to both of you. i think everybody watching at home will be saying the same thing. now. your work has been so, so important . you know, so, so important. you know, nothing can ever bring your dad back. but i hope he's looking down today and have a little smile. but your bravery and you deserve full credit. thank you so much. right. we've got to go. thank you very much. excellent stuff. really, really enjoyable slot. so that's all for me from me now. but of course dewbs& co is up next. and don't forget to join us from 6 am. it's breakfast with eamonn and isabel then it's britain's newsroom at 930, and then it's tom and emily with good afternoon britain from

midday. i'll be back at three tomorrow. i'm martin daubney and this is gb news. that's enough from me now. it's time with your weather and it's alex deakin . weather and it's alex deakin. >> with a brighter outlook. with boxt solar sponsors of weather on . gb news. on. gb news. >> afternoon. welcome to your latest weather update from the met office here on gb news. for many, staying fine through the rest of today, but there are 1 or 2 showers breaking out and a few thunderstorms across northern ireland. we're surrounded by weather systems and we're kind of in a weather no man's land, which means the winds are light, which means the cloud isn't shifting too much over parts of southern scotland. northern england, and the showers are fairly slow moving over the west of northern ireland. some rumbles of thunder here could drop a lot of rain in a short space of time. there is a short space of time. there is a met office warning in place. for many it will be a dry evening and night though, and then later in the night we'll see some wet weather returning to parts of central and eastern england, staying generally

pretty mild double digits, but some a bit colder across parts of scotland. inland here with some clearer spells. well down into single figures. won't stay clear though. on the east coast we're going to see the haar returning, i suspect, particularly to the coast of aberdeenshire and up across the northern isles. so another murky day on tuesday, but inland, plenty of sunshine, at least to start the day, and that will soon lift the temperatures. quite cloudy for northern ireland. here again during the course of tomorrow, the likelihood of some heavy, thundery showers breaking out but of a dull, damp starts over the north midlands parts of northeast england. some showery rain here, again, 1 or 2 heavier bursts possible that will tend to drift its way up towards the manchester area and towards nonh manchester area and towards north wales also. then later in the day we'll look at more outbreaks of showery rain coming into east anglia and the south east, possibly of 1 or 2 thunderstorms in south—west england during tuesday afternoon. and again, that risk of thunderstorms for northern ireland. and again we have another met office yellow warning in place. much of western scotland stays dry and fine, temperatures generally a

little bit lower tomorrow because there will be more cloud around, especially over the midlands . so you will notice midlands. so you will notice that dip in temperatures after a warm day today onto tuesday evening, we'll start to see a bit more rain coming into the east. and that's a feature of the weather through the rest of the weather through the rest of the week. some heavy rain, likely over parts of central and eastern britain on wednesday and thursday . thursday. >> that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers, sponsors of weather on

shame for britain. we will be looking at that and from one

scandal to another tomorrow, the house of lords debates the so—called biggest stain on our justice system. ip sentences now banned but still applying to thousands of people. is it time to change that? and do you remember the gb news people forum? your chance to ask our prime minister questions? we'll get this. it's been found to be in breach of ofcom rules. what on earth is going on? also, there's a lot i want to squeeze in, but i also want to ask what do you think feminism has failed us females as ? for all of that us females as? for all of that to come and more. but before we get stuck in, let's cross live for tonight's latest news headunes for tonight's latest news headlines as. >> hi there. it's a minute past six. i'm aaron armstrong in the gb newsroom. the prime minister has offered an unequivocal apology to victims of the infected blood scandal, describing it as a day of shame

for the british state. the inquiry