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Hello, we're recording this extra episode of newscast on Friday tea time and here is why.

On Friday afternoon we got a notice from Downing Street saying that the Prime Minister was going to do a statement in Downing Street about what was going on.

It was kind of as vague as that. Of course, everyone leapt to the conclusion.

He's gonna call the election.

But then it was made clear by government sources

that no, he was actually going to talk about what's been

happening with our democracy,

the subject of our very long conversation with Siddiqu Khan the Mayor of London a couple of

episodes ago. So it got to just before 6 PM. We were watching the lectern in Downing Street

getting ready and then the Prime Minister

appeared in the dark, slight bit of drizzle, a protester heckling him from the end of

the street as is usually the way and he explained why he wanted to do this quite unusual statement.

What started as protests on our streets has descended into intimidation, threats and planned acts of violence.

Jewish children fearful to where their... and planned acts of violence.

Jewish children, fearful to wear their school uniform, lest it reveal their identity. Muslim women abused in the street for the actions of a terrorist group they have no connection with.

Now our democracy itself is a target.

Council meetings and local events have been stormed. MPs do not feel safe in their homes. Longstanding

parliamentary conventions have been upended because of safety concerns. And it is

beyond alarming that last night the Rochdale Bar election returned a

candidate who dismisses the horror of what happened on October the 7th.

So that was the context in which he was speaking. He

...