Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing fierce criticism over reports he plans to give the European Union greater access to UK fishing waters, as the Labour leader has been accused of being put "over a barrel" by the French.The controversial move would reportedly be made in exchange for British defence firms gaining access to EU weapons contracts.FULL STORY HERE.
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00:00Field. Kevin, good evening. Thank you for your company. What do you make of this story? It's breaking in the last couple of minutes. Is Keir Starmer betraying our fishermen?
00:09Well, it certainly looks as well, according to the sun, as if that is the way it's heading in terms of Keir Starmer accepting this proposal from the French.
00:18This has been bubbling around for a few weeks, actually, Ben. We know that there's been talks about a defence pact between the EU and the UK.
00:25But that's been held up by the French basically saying, well, hang on a minute. We want to throw fish into the mix here.
00:33We're not going to allow your defence companies to get access to EU defence contracts unless you give us a deal on fish.
00:42And according to the sun, anyway, it looks as though Keir Starmer faced with that choice, whether it's the fishing industry or the defence industry, has sided with the defence industry.
00:52But, I mean, a lot of people have been saying, I mean, there are bigger things at stake here. We're talking about potential world war.
00:57Bigger fish to fry.
00:59Well, bigger fish to fry, exactly.
01:00Sorry.
01:01So, you know, why are we being sidetracked into a discussion about fish quotas when surely the defence of Europe from potential Russian aggression is a much more serious matter?
01:15I would argue, though, Kevin, and maybe the panel will as well, we, GB News, went to some fishing towns, I can't remember where it was, the past couple of months, and all of the fishermen we spoke to were saying, look, since Brexit, where we were promised, you know, a bright new dawn for the fishing industry, we'd keep much more of our own fish, we'd have higher quotas, we wouldn't need to share with the EU.
01:35Actually, the theme of the day when we went and visited those towns was that they're worse off than before Brexit, and they feel a bit stitched up by whatever administration has been responsible for dealing with the Brexit deal.
01:47So, although in the grand scheme of things, yes, we need to focus on defence, actually, our fishermen need some attention as well.
01:53No, absolutely. The point I was making was, you know, why do we have to lump this debate about fish in with the defence debate? Surely they're two separate issues.
02:03I mean, I remember going all the way back to the 2019 general election, fishermen in the north-east of Scotland saying they were going to vote Conservative because they'd been told, vote Tory, get fish.
02:14That's what they were told, and that was back in 2019.
02:16It didn't work out that way, as you say, and then you can understand why the fishermen are very unhappy about it, because that was one of the main reasons that they were told, look, vote for Brexit, and we'll get more access to our own fishing waters.
02:28And obviously, that hasn't quite panned out that way.
02:31Yeah, just to inform viewers, I'll read you a couple of paragraphs directly from The Sun on Sunday tomorrow.
02:36It says,
02:37Jacob Rees-Mogg has said, he's commented in the piece,
02:55Yeah, well, I mean, as I say, you know, why does the Prime Minister have to choose between a big industry in defence and a small industry in fishing?
03:19You know, these things surely are two completely separate issues, but the French have successfully, it would appear, managed to shoehorn the issue of fishing into this much bigger geopolitical issue of the defence of Europe, and appear to have Keir Stammer over a barrel, it looks like.
03:37OK, Kevin, shall we look at the Mail on Sunday?
03:39Big exclusive about this apparent WhatsApp group from Labour MPs.
03:43They are planning to revolt against the Supreme Court's decision to, well, defining what a woman is, it's a, you know, biological female.
03:53What do you make of this?
03:53Chris Bryant is one of the Labour MPs or ministers who's been named in this.
03:57Not a good look for the government, and probably a headache for the Prime Minister as well.
04:02Yeah, I would say so.
04:03I mean, I remember when Labour were in opposition, and, you know, the Conservatives maybe weren't happy with Supreme Court rulings.
04:09Labour saying, well, it's the Supreme Court, you've got to abide by what they say.
04:12So, you know, if it's good enough when they're in opposition, then surely they have to follow the Supreme Court rulings when they're in government as well.
04:20I think, I mean, the detail is a bit light on the front page.
04:23You're right, Chris Bryant does get a mention as one of them sending messages into this WhatsApp group.
04:31I would be absolutely astonished if, in the final analysis, the government decides to in some way defy what the Supreme Court, if anything, the Supreme Court has got the government off the hook a little bit on this.
04:42You know, they want to basically put this issue to bed.
04:44Now, I don't think that's going to happen for a long time.
04:47But the idea that the government's going to try and continue this row by defying the Supreme Court, I'd be absolutely astonished if that's what happened.
04:55Yeah, that's what I thought, Kevin.
04:56I thought on Wednesday, you know, oh, finally, this years-long debate has come to an end.
05:01It's finished, but it just seems to have ignited it even further with 10 tonnes of dynamite.
05:04Kevin, just briefly, the front page of Tomorrow's Observer, Ed Miliband in attack on Nigel Farage's net zero, quote-unquote, lies.
05:13Ed Miliband today tears into Nigel Farage and the Tories for peddling dangerous nonsense and lies by suggesting the UK's net zero target is responsible for destroying Britain's businesses, including the steel industry.
05:26Do you think Ed Miliband's got long for this, I don't want to say world, but this parliament, this government?
05:33Well, there's definitely speculation, certainly, that he is at risk whenever the next reshuffle happens.
05:41It could well, as your other contributor was saying, and the summer, I think, is a good time for it to happen.
05:48There's a good chance it will happen then.
05:49Potentially, I mean, he's still, you know, up until recently, certainly, Keir Starmer was four-square behind Ed Miliband.
05:57However, if he starts to feel that his devotion to net zero is a political albatross around Labour's necks,
06:06particularly when they've got reform breathing down their necks, you know, if the local elections go badly for Labour,
06:11if they lose the rung-corn by-election, if there's a sense that net zero is one of the big issues,
06:15then you may well see Ed Miliband being reshuffled off.