GB News halted for 'breaking news' announcement in humiliating blow for Labour

GB News host Eamonn Holmes was joined by his co-presenter Ellie Costello as the show was briefly paused for a breaking report. In the last few minutes it was announced that unemployment rate has risen in the last three months. In the Spring Statement, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a series of measures to cut the welfare bill by making it more difficult for people to claim certain benefits. The hope was to "get Britain working" by incentivising some of those not working to rejoin the labour force. About a quarter of the working age population - those aged 16 to 64 - do not currently have a job.

During Tuesday's edition of the breakfast show, Eamonn, 65, shared an update with viewers. He began: "News just in... unemployment was 4.7% last year and it rose to 4.8% in the three months to August. It was 4.7% in the three months up to July, so not much change there. But still a high figure unemployment wise." The presenters were joined by Deputy Editor of Spiked Online, Fraser Myers, who reacted to the breaking news announcement.

He commented: "It is a high figure. And also it is worth remembering that doesn't capture the full scale of unemployment.

"The amount of people who are fit, who are young, who are of a working population languishing on benefits. Many of those are not captured in the unemployment figures if they're claiming personal independence payments (PIP)."

Fraser added: "And that is one of the key challenges that this government and future governments are going to have getting people who really should be in work.

"Those people who have low-level mental health problems like anxiety and depression. Those types of people need to be working.

"It's good for them and good for the country to get them back into work. 4.7% is too high on its own terms but doesn't capture the full scale of the problem we have.

Unemploymement has reached a four-year high as the UK economy continues to struggle.

The jobless rate reached 4.8% in the three months to August, official figures show - the highest since between March to May 2021, when the nation was in the midst of a Covid lockdown.