Talk TV

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) should get “off the picket line and round the negotiating table” as passengers face fresh disruption from strikes, Transport Secretary Mark Harper has said.  Around half of Britain’s railway lines are closed and only a fifth of services are running as tens of thousands of workers at Network Rail and train operators stage two 48-hour walkouts starting on Tuesday and Friday.  Many places have no services, including most of Scotland and Wales.  Drivers in the Aslef union will strike on Thursday.  Picket lines have been mounted outside railway stations across the country in a repeat of what became a familiar sight last year.  Mr Harper told Times Radio: “There is a very fair pay offer on the table which has been accepted by two of the trade unions on Network Rail.  “The RMT recommended that their members didn’t accept it, but actually a third of their members still voted in favour of it.  “I think it is time that the RMT got off the picket line and round the negotiating table to try and hammer out a deal with the train operating companies and Network Rail.”  Eddie Dempsey, Assistant General Secretary of the RMT union, says strike action is "not just about the money", after some members have reportedly lost "somewhere in the region of more than two weeks take home pay."  #talktv #talkradio

A record 45,756 migrants crossed the Channel to the UK in 2022, Government figures show.  The last crossings of the year took place on Christmas Day, when 90 people made the journey from France in two boats.  The Ministry of Defence (MoD) recorded no further crossings for the remaining six days of 2022 amid bad weather conditions.  The provisional annual total for 2022 is a record high and is 60% up on the 28,526 recorded for the whole of 2021, but it is lower than the 60,000 that Home Office officials previously estimated could make the journey during the year.  Over the last 12 months, politicians have made a series of attempts to get a grip on the migrant crisis as pressure intensified amid a tumultuous change in leadership which saw three prime ministers and three home secretaries.  Mike Graham discussed the issue with former immigration chief Kevin Saunders

Piers Morgan joined White and Jordan to discuss THAT interview with Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo

0:00: Julia Hartley-Brewer and Douglas Murray: Is there a war on the West? 

 18:26: Mike Graham is "sick to death" of the BBC: "It's an absolute outrage!" 

 27:52: Mike Graham's message to Just Stop Oil 'terrorists' after M25 crash 

 35:03: Migrant Crisis: 'Push them back to France, do not rescue them' 

 41:17: Fury over British classic comedy Hi-de-Hi! trigger warning 

 #talktv

Harry & Meghan, the Netflix documentary about the life of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, has become the UK's most-watched subscription TV series of the year so far, figures show.   The first episode was seen by an average of 4.5 million people in the seven days after its release on December 8.  This is more than a million and a half higher than the equivalent figure for episode one of the new series of The Crown (2.8 million), which was released a few weeks earlier on November 9.  The explosive six-part series saw the couple discuss intimate details around how they met as well as making accusations of mistreatment by the royal family and the British press.  Harry alleged that his brother, the Prince of Wales, left him terrified after screaming and shouting during the Sandringham summit and that Kensington Palace “lied to protect my brother” when it issued a statement denying a story William had bullied him out of the royal family.

Nobody is safe as Mike Graham presents the opinionated panel show where the guests get to nominate their Plank of the Year.  This week's plank pickers are Dr Renee Hoenderkamp, Esther Krakue, Russell Quirk and Jeremy Kyle.

The Duke of Sussex said he feels it’s his duty to uncover the “exploitation and bribery” within the media who “know the full truth”.  The first three episodes of Harry and Meghan’s tell-all Netflix documentary begin with the Duchess of Sussex accusing the media of wanting to “destroy” her and claiming “salacious” stories were “planted” by the press.  Harry also spoke of the “harassment” his mother Princess Diana suffered and the fear that Meghan would also be “driven away by the media”.  In the opening of the first episode, the Duke said: “So like duty and service and I feel as though being part of this family it is my duty to uncover this exploitation and bribery that happens within our media.”  Speaking with TalkRadio Royal correspondent Rupert Bell, David Bull criticised the series as 'appalling.'   #talktv #talkradio

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will still be invited to the King’s coronation despite the damaging claims they levelled at the royal family in their Netflix documentary, it has been reported.  Harry and Meghan will have a place at Charles’ historic ceremony on May 6 if they wish to attend, The Daily Telegraph has said.  Guest lists for the religious affair in Westminster Abbey have yet to be drawn up, but a source told the newspaper: “All members of the family will be welcome.”  Buckingham Palace declined to comment. But a source said of the King: “He loves both his sons.”  The Sussexes are understood to have not yet received an invitation.  Both Buckingham and Kensington Palace have remained silent over Harry’s allegations that the Prince of Wales left his brother terrified after screaming and shouting at him during the Sandringham summit. #talktv #talkradio #mikegraham

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have launched more explosive accusations against the British Royal Family in their new Netflix special - but what are the Sussexes trying to get out of all of this?   Are they in it just for the money? Is it the attention of being discussed around the world they crave? Are they out for revenge and some kind of apology for how they were treated? Or are they actually trying to destroy the Royal Family as we know it?   In Episode 2 of We Need To Talk About we delve into the reasons behind Harry and Meghan's six-hour stand against the Royal Family, what they felt the need to speak out in such a revealing way and what it could mean for their future in the US... and the future of the monarchy on these shores.   #harryandmeghan #princeharry #meghanmarkle #royalfamily

The King’s Christmas message was the most-watched programme on Christmas Day.  The annual festive broadcast was watched by an average of 8.1 million viewers on BBC One, according to the broadcaster.  Charles’s pre-recorded address to the nation mirrored the late Queen’s well-established template, with a personal reflection on the year touching on current issues and with a Christian framework.  In his message, he sympathised with families struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and spoke about the “great anxiety and hardship” experienced by many trying to “pay their bills”.  The central theme was a celebration of “selfless dedication”, a value embodied by the Queen, and he praised the actions of individuals, charities and faith groups supporting those in need.  Richard and TalkTV Royal Correspondent Rupert Bell reflect on a turbulent year in the Royal Family.  #talktv #talkradio