what is the ghost of christmas yet to come wearing

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Jacob Marley

Ghost of christmas past, ghost of christmas present, ghost of christmas yet to come, a description of the ghosts in "a christmas carol".

Charles Dickens wrote the classic "A Christmas Carol" in 1843. The central character is a greedy businessman, Ebenezer Scrooge, who hates Christmas. Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his business partner, Jacob Marley, and three ghosts that represent different stages of Scrooge's life. All the apparitions warn Scrooge that he must change his greedy ways or suffer a horrible fate.

Here are the 4 ghosts that visit Scrooge:

Marley is the first ghost to confront Scrooge. He is transparent but has heavy, locked chains wrapped around his body. He informs Scrooge that ​ he cannot rest in peace. ​ He is cursed to roam the Earth in chains because he mistreated the poor and hoarded his money during his lifetime. Marley warns Scrooge that his fate could become like Marley's. He also notifies Scrooge that three more ghosts are scheduled to visit him.

Dickens does not use gender pronouns to describe the Ghost of Christmas Past. He refers to the ghost as “it.” Dickens describes the ghost as having long white hair and a face with no wrinkles. The ghost wears a white tunic and holds a branch of fresh green holly in its hand. On top of its head is a bright flame.

The Ghost of Christmas Past takes Scrooge on a journey to show him specific scenes from his past, including his lonely boarding school days during Christmas and the time when his fiance leaves him. The scenes show how Scrooge increasingly becomes obsessed with his fortunes and grows to despise Christmas.

The Ghost of Christmas Present is next. This ghost has long, dark brown curls and wears a green robe bordered with white fur. He is large in size and wears a wreath of holly with icicles.

The Ghost of Christmas Present takes Scrooge out on the city's streets to see the common people celebrating Christmas.

The ghost sees a vision of Tiny Tim's crutch in a fireplace corner. He tells Scrooge that if changes are not made in the present, the boy will die. ​ Tiny Tim is the son of Scrooge's employee, Bob Cratchit. ​ Since Scrooge does not pay Cratchit a sufficient income, Cratchit struggles to financially support his family and care for his ill child.

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, or the Ghost of the Future, is the last ghost to visit Scrooge. Dickens describes this ghost as clad in a black garment that conceals its face and body. The only body part visible to Scrooge is an outstretched hand. Scrooge fears this ghost who does not talk.

The ghost points out different future scenes to Scrooge, including Bob Cratchit's family mourning the death of Tiny Tim.

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come also ​ foreshadows Scrooge's death ​ by pointing out Scrooge's own grave.

• A Christmas Carol; Charles Dickens; 1843

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A Christmas Carol

Describe the ghost of christmas yet to come. in what ways is this spirit very different from those that came before what does this spirit lack that the others had why do you think it lacks this quality.

help please!!

The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come solemnly approaches Scrooge in its black garment. It responds to Scrooge's questions with silence and motions for him to follow. Th3 Ghost looks like the Grimm Reaper. It is cloaked but has no face. Unlike the previous ghosts, it lacks form and personality. It is merely there as a silent guide to what the future holds if Scrooge does not change his ways.

So , the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come is portrayed as a skeletal figure, wearing a black cloak. He shows Scrooge his belongings getting stolen and prepared for sale. Scrooge begs the spirit not to show him the corpse's face, but it doesn't listen, and inveils Scrooge's body.In the end, Scrooge learns the error of his ways. Scrooge is a completely different person and celebrated Christmas meeripy

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More on A Christmas Carol

Introduction see all, summary see all, themes see all.

• Compassion and Forgiveness
• Transformation
• Philosophical Viewpoints: Rationality
• Memory and the Past
• Guilt and Blame

Characters See All

• Ebenezer Scrooge
• Bob Cratchit
• Tiny Tim Cratchit
• Ghost of Christmas Past
• Ghost of Christmas Present

Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

• Jacob Marley

Analysis See All

• What's Up With the Title?
• What's Up With the Ending?
• Tough-o-Meter
• Writing Style
• Marley's Chains
• Scrooge's Gravestone
• Scrooge's Bed
• Narrator Point of View
• Booker's Seven Basic Plots Analysis
• Plot Analysis
• Three-Act Plot Analysis

Quotes See All

• For Teachers

The Phaaantom of Christmastime Is Here

However eerie and unpleasant Scrooge's midnight adventures have been, they are all fun and games until the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows up. This thing isn't even called a ghost any more—Dickens changes the terminology and starts referring to this super menacing cloaked figure as a "phantom."

The text doesn't really explain this word change, but we're guessing it has something to do with the fact that the other two Christmas ghosts were a lot more human in their behavior than this mutely pointing dude. (Also, Dickens might just have a thing about silent figures pointing fingers at the guilty. Check out the death of lawyer Tulkinghorn in Bleak House . It happens right under a painting of a guy pointing down at the corpse .)

The phantom's exit is a little more predictable than that of the other two ghosts. Sure, it's stressful when the thing disappears without telling Scrooge whether he'll get a do-over, but, hey, at least it's not birthing claw-footed babies in front him. It's the little things. Here is how the good-bye goes down:

"Are these the shadows of the things that Will be, or are they shadows of things that May be, only? […] Why show me this, if I am past all hope! […] Assure me that I yet may change these shadows you have shown me, by an altered life!" […]

In his agony, [Scrooge] caught the spectral hand. It sought to free itself, but he was strong in his entreaty, and detained it. The Spirit, stronger yet, repulsed him.

Holding up his hands in a last prayer to have his fate reversed, he saw an alteration in the Phantom's hood and dress. It shrunk, collapsed, and dwindled down into a bedpost. (4.151-166)

Scrooge has gone from fighting the ghosts off to trying desperately to hold onto them and not go back to his own reality. That's a pretty startling change, no? Again, is this a sign that he really has undergone some fundamental shift in his ability to empathize with others?

It was a little more marked during his good-bye with the Ghost of Christmas Present, when instead of losing it at the sight of the ghost-babies, Scrooge is instead worried about whether the ghost is okay.

But here, there is a clear difference as well—Scrooge is making an appeal to the phantom's sense of mercy and asking it to just have some pity on him and tell him the deal. Rather than attacking it, like he did with the Ghost of Christmas Past, Scrooge tries to find the emotional humanity in a startlingly inhuman figure.

This seems like a pretty big departure, and a mirror of what has happened to Scrooge himself. He has rediscovered his own humanity under all that cold.

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A Christmas Carol

Charles dickens, everything you need for every book you read., the ghost of christmas yet to come quotes in a christmas carol.

The Phantom slowly, gravely, silently approached. When it came, Scrooge bent down upon his knee; for in the very air through which this Spirit moved it seemed to scatter gloom and mystery.

'Ghost of the Future!' he exclaimed, 'I fear you more than any spectre I have seen. But as I know your purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was, I am prepared to bear you company, and do it with a thankful heart. Will you not speak to me?'

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The Ghosts of Christmas Yet to Come, ranked by freakiness

From Mickey Mouse to Muppets to Scrooged, Spirited, and the great classics

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You probably all know the story of Charles Dickens’ endlessly adapted 1843 holiday story A Christmas Carol , even if you’ve never read it. Tight-fisted, mean old miser Ebenezer Scrooge falls asleep on Christmas Eve and is visited by three spirits: the Ghost of Christmas Past, a man in a sleeping cap; the Ghost of Christmas Present, a rotund, jolly fellow; and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, a harrowing, silent specter of death. These three ghosts convince our miserly man to change his ways, but the third one does the heavy lifting, showing Scrooge how soon he’ll be dead and buried, while nobody mourns his passing.

In the text, Dickens describes the ghost as “shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible save one outstretched hand.” This leaves a lot of leeway for adaptations to interpret, and A Christmas Carol is one of the most-adapted works of fiction of all time.

So in the holiday spirit, I decided to watch every film version and evaluate them on one single criteria: How scary do they make the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come? Don your sleeping cap and come with us on a journey into holiday horror.

60. A Sesame Street Christmas Carol (2006)

If you were going into this one expecting to be spooked, I don’t know what to tell you. Oscar the Grouch as Scrooge contends with a CGI floating robot with googly eyes as the Ghost of Christmas Future. We get it, you don’t want to terrify the preschoolers, but there’s a reason it’s lowest on the list.

59. A Christmas Carol (1954)

Fredric March stars as Scrooge in this, the first color televised version of the tale. Unfortunately, the only surviving version is a black and white kinescope. In a strange choice, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come doesn’t appear in human form at all. Instead, a myna bird caws Scrooge to the graveyard, where he finds not only his grave, but also Tiny Tim’s.

58. Christmas Cupid (2010)

Christina Milian is the Scrooge figure in this ABC Family holiday comedy, and the three ghosts are her ex-boyfriends. Depending on your relationship history, this might seem scarier than it is. The third ghost is her boss, who she is also dating, dressed up like Santa Claus. He tells her that in the terrible future to come, they get married, then divorced. Bummer. Fortunately, as part of amending her wicked ways after the ghostly visitation, she dumps him.

57. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009)

It’s a stretch, but this Matthew McConaughey rom-com is based on the Dickens story, so it counts. The “Ghost of Girlfriends Future” that shows McConaughey’s womanizer protagonist Connor Mead the error of his ways is played by stunning Russian model Olga Maliouk, dressed in white rather than the traditional black cloak.

56. Rich Little’s Christmas Carol (1978)

It’s almost impossible to explain how popular comedic impersonator Rich Little was in the 1970s, but “HBO gave him a Christmas special in which he played every single role of A Christmas Carol as a different celebrity character” might do it. Scrooge is Rich Little as W.C. Fields, and the Ghost of Christmas Future is Little playing Peter Sellers as the Pink Panther movies’ Inspector Clouseau. So not scary, but extremely weird.

55. The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol (2011)

The real revelation here is that Grouchy Smurf (the Scrooge of the story) acts like a dick all the time because Papa Smurf gives him a hat every year for Christmas. The ghost is Hefty Smurf. Not scary unless you have a phobia of gym bros.

54. My Dad Is Scrooge (2014)

This is probably the only Christmas Carol where Scrooge gets headbutted by a llama. Our miser here is a farmer named EB, who is taught the magic of the season by a trio of talking animals. The third one is a dog that hypnotizes EB . This thing is so cheap and weird that when the animals talk, it’s sometimes just their lips moving over a still photograph. The dog doesn’t even dress up!

53. A Christmas Carol: The Musical (2004)

This is a tough watch for numerous reasons, especially if you’re not a fan of Broadway musicals. Kelsey Grammer plays Scrooge, and he’s confronted by a white-clad Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come played by Geraldine Chaplin (Charlie Chaplin’s daughter, most recently seen in Netflix’s The Crown ). The costuming is pretty dire — she looks like she’s covered in damp toilet paper.

52. Chasing Christmas (2005)

Tom Arnold has tremendous divorced energy as the Scrooge figure in this mediocre comedy, where the Ghost of Christmas Past goes AWOL and leads him and the Ghost of Christmas Present through a series of scenes. Scrooge and the second spirit eventually make out, and there are a lot of cartoon sound effects. Yet to Come only shows up at the movie’s climax, and is just a sleazy-looking Euro guy in an ascot.

51. Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas (2006)

Here, the ghost is the Tasmanian Devil. He starts out the scene in the typical black shroud, but doffs it a minute or so later to engage in the usual Warner Bros. schtick.

50. Carry on Christmas (1969)

The long-running British slapstick film series tackled Dickens for a Christmas special at the end of the swinging ’60s, but the Ghost of Christmas Future is just actor Bernard Bresslaw playing an incredibly broad hippie impersonation. Oh, and Frankenstein and Dracula are also in this, for unexplained reasons.

49. It’s Christmas, Carol! (2012)

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The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

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• 1.1 Physical appearance
• 1.2 Personality
• 2 Role in the film
• 3.1 The Muppet Christmas Carol
• 3.2 DuckTales (2017)

Background [ ]

Physical appearance [ ].

In the original Charles Dickens novel, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is described as thus:

Much like the Ghost of Christmas Present, every iteration of Yet to Come retains the basic appearance of a dark hooded figure with virtually little to no changes between the versions. The 2009 version keeps his typical appearance, but is sometimes portrayed as a shadow against the wall or ground, The Muppet version's hands are more deathly blue looking hands, while the DuckTales version has a noticeable beak carcass-like mouth sticking out from his hood and, to reaffirm him as the image of Death, carries a scythe with him.

Personality [ ]

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come does not speak, resulting in his actions being interpreted by whoever is being confronted by him. He is the most direct of the spirits and does not waste time with showing Scrooge how his death will affect the people around him. It is possible that the spirit is sinister in his motives as he did threaten to take Scrooge away that very night if he did not mend his ways. The DuckTales version implies that his silence is due to the fact that he is shy, particularly around Bentina Beakley who clearly has a crush on him, which he reciprocates.

Role in the film [ ]

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is initially a dark shadow on a wall, but when he comes out of the walls, he looks like the Grim Reaper. Scrooge states to the ghost that he "fears him more than any specter he has seen". Unlike the other two ghosts, this one doesn't speak. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is also the most phantom-like of the ghosts.

Occasionally, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come rides a Phantom Hearse and chases Scrooge throughout London on it. One chase sequence sees Scrooge shrunk to the size of a rat after the ghost cracks his whip, creating a shockwave in doing so.

Appearances in Disney media [ ]

The muppet christmas carol [ ].

The Ghost is the final spirit and shows Scrooge a vision of his unmourned death in the near future, as well as the death of Tiny Tim . In this movie, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is a large, faceless wraith.

The specter scares Charles Dickens and Rizzo ; they exit the movie and don't appear again until after the Ghost is gone.

DuckTales (2017) [ ]

A version of the Ghost of Christmas Future appears in the 2017 reboot of DuckTales in the episode " Last Christmas! ". He is mostly silent with just a few occasional grunts and resembles a carcass more than a skeleton.

He, along with the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Future visit Scrooge McDuck every year just to hang out after accidentally visiting him instead of Ebenezer Scrooge. The group takes Scrooge to his first Christmas party held at McDuck Manor where Future ends up dancing with Bentina Beakley who seems to legitimately like him.

He later attends Scrooge McDuck's Christmas party back in the present where Beakley remembers her time dancing with him, causing him to blush.

Gallery [ ]

• Rutger Hauer was to play the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come in the Fox/Disney miniseries A Christmas Carol . But due to health reasons, Hauer was replaced by Jayson Flemyng, who played the role in 2019 .
• The Ghost of Yet to Come in the movie of the novel in 2009 was far more dangerous making as it toyed with Scrooge before showing the future.

See also [ ]

• Pete - Portrayed the role in Mickey's Christmas Carol .
• Spot Chicken - Portrayed the role in the 101 Dalmatians: The Series episode " A Christmas Cruella ".
• The Old Hag - Portrayed the role in An Adaptation of Dickens' Christmas Carol, Performed by The Walt Disney Players .
• Narrator - Portrayed the role in Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo .
• 1 Once Upon a Studio

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Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

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The Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come AKA The Ghost of Christmas Future is a major character in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol . It is the third and final spirit to visit the miser Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas Eve. The spirit closely resembles The Ghost of The Grim Reaper .

Description [ ]

"The Phantom slowly, gravely, silently, approached. When it came near him, Scrooge bent down upon his knee; for in the very air through which this Spirit moved it seemed to scatter gloom and mystery. It was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible save one outstretched hand. [...] It thrilled Scrooge with a vague uncertain horror, to know that behind the mask there were eyes staring at him."

Scrooge finds the Ghost Of Christmas Future the most fearsome of the Spirits; it appears to Scrooge as a figure entirely muffled in a black hooded cloak, except for a single spectral hand with which it points. Although the character never speaks in the story, Scrooge understands it, usually through assumptions from his previous experiences and rhetorical questions. It is notable that, even in satires and parodies of the tale, this spirit retains its original look. It looks the way it does because it represents what the future holds for Scrooge if he does not change his ways.

When the Ghost makes its appearance, the first thing it shows Scrooge is three wealthy gentlemen making light of a recent death, remarking that it will be a cheap funeral, if anyone comes at all. One businessman said he would go....if lunch is provided. Next, Scrooge is shown the same dead person's belongings being stolen by Scrooge's charwoman Mrs. Dilber, Scrooge's laundress, and the local undertaker and sold to a receiver of stolen goods called Old Joe. He also sees a shrouded corpse, which he implores the Ghost not to unmask. Scrooge asks the ghost to show anyone who feels any emotion over the man's death. The ghost can only show him a poor couple indebted to the man momentarily rejoicing that the man is dead, giving them more time to pay off their debt. After Scrooge asks to see some tenderness connected with death, the ghost shows him Bob Cratchit and his family mourning the passing of Tiny Tim. The spirit then takes Scrooge to a rundown churchyard and shows the repentant miser his own grave; Scrooge then realizes that the dead man of whom the others spoke ill was himself.

Horrified, Scrooge begs the ghost for another chance to redeem his life and "sponge away the writing on this stone". For the first time the hand appeared to shake. "Good Spirit," he pursued, as down upon the ground he fell before it: "Your nature intercedes for me, and pities me. Assure me that I yet may change these shadows you have shown me, by an altered life!"The kind hand trembled. Scrooge then awakes to find that the spirit's hand has become his bedpost and that he is back in the present on Christmas morning. Along with the visions supplied by the other spirits, the ghost's warnings about Scrooge's future transform him into a better man.

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The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

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Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Original illustration by John Leech (1843)

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come , also known as the Ghost of Christmas Future , is a character from Charles Dickens 's A Christmas Carol .

Role in the story [ ]

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is the third and final ghost who haunts the miser Ebenezer Scrooge , in order to prompt him to adopt a more caring attitude in life and avoid a horrid afterlife like the Jacob Marley now suffers. Scrooge finds him the most fearsome of the spirits; he appears to Scrooge as a figure entirely muffled in a black hooded robe, except for a single gaunt hand with which he points. Although the character never speaks in the story, Scrooge understands him, usually rough assumptions from his previous experiences and rhetorical questions. The Ghost's general appearance suggests that he may be associated with the Grim Reaper. The Ghost's muteness and undefined features (being always covered by his robe) may also have been intended to represent the uncertainty of the future. Even in satires and parodies of the tale, this spirit nonetheless retains his original look.

When the Ghost appears, the first thing he shows Scrooge is three wealthy gentlemen making light of a recent death, who remark that it will be a cheap funeral, if anyone comes at all. One businessman said he would go only if lunch is provided, while another said he didn't eat lunch or wear black gloves, so there was no reason for him to appear at this funeral. Next, Scrooge is shown the same dead person's belongings being stolen and sold to a receiver of stolen goods called Old Joe. He also sees a shrouded corpse, which he implores the Ghost not to unmask, and a poor, debtor family rejoicing that someone to whom they owed money is dead. After pleading to the Ghost to see some tenderness connected with death, Scrooge is shown Bob Cratchit and his family mourning Tiny Tim 's passing. (In the prior visitation, the Ghost of Christmas Present states that Tiny Tim's illness was not inherently fatal, but implies that the meager income Scrooge provided to Bob Cratchit did not provide funds for proper treatment.) Scrooge is then taken to an unkempt graveyard, where he is shown his own grave, and realizes that the dead man of whom the others spoke ill was himself.

This visit sets up the climax of the novella at the end of this stave. Moved to an emotional connection to humanity and chastened by his own avarice and isolation by the visits of the first two spirits, Scrooge is horrified by the prospect of a lonely death and by implication a subsequent damnation. In desperation, he queries the Ghost:

And in an epiphany in which he understands the changes that the visits of the three ghosts have wrought in him, Scrooge exclaims: "I am not the man I was. I will not be the man I must have been but for this intercourse. Why show me this, if I am past all hope!...I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. Oh, tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone!"

His transformation complete, Scrooge is ready to re-enter the world of humanity as he does in the story's denouement in the final stage.

Portrayals [ ]

• 1 The Twelve Days of Christmas (song)
• 2 Misfit Toys
• 3 The Abominable Snowmonster of the North

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By Tim Baker , political reporter, at SNP conference

We're entering the final day of the SNP's annual conference at The Events Centre Aberdeen (TECA).

Things are much quieter than either of the previous two days.

Yesterday saw the return of Nicola Sturgeon to the SNP fold, as she gave her backing to the new strategy under successor Humza Yousaf.

Ms Sturgeon denied she was overshadowing Mr Yousaf, but precious little was talked about on Monday besides her.

And while Mr Yousaf is delivering his keynote speech today, the party membership has already decided its strategy for the next general election.

Using it as a de facto referendum - the Sturgeon plan - was rejected, in favour of taking a majority of seats going to the SNP as a mandate to negotiate with Westminster about how Scotland could declare independence.

Some of those within the SNP have been candid that they think independence is no longer an immediate goal.

Instead, fending off Labour next year as people look to eject the Conservatives from government seems to be the primary objective.

In January this year, Rishi Sunak made five pledges for voters to judge him on.

With the general election approaching within the next 17 months, Sky News has developed a tool to track the government's progress in delivering those pledges.

You can see the progress for yourself below:

A cross-party group of MPs have called on Jeremy Hunt to invest heavily in special educational needs in his next budget after the latest figures showed an additional £4.6bn was required each year to meet the demand for support. 

In a letter to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, signed by 31 MPs, they state: "We are extremely concerned about the deepening special educational needs and disability (also known as SEND) crisis and believe that without substantial extra funding and bold policy changes, the situation will only deteriorate further.

"Demand and expectation around SEND support are far outweighing the funding and capacity available, and the issues are expected to quickly worsen without significant investment."

They have urged the chancellor to deliver the following in the Autumn Statement:

• Significant additional baseline High Needs funding (campaign group f40 has calculated that £4.6bn needs to be found);
• Substantial additional SEND capital funding (above what has already been promised);
• The removal of historical inequalities in the National Funding Formula, which means some schools receive far less funding per pupil than others.

In addition, some MPs are planning to write individual letters to the chancellor urging him to invest more.

Ministers have gathered at No 10 for this morning's cabinet meeting. 

The ever-changing situation in Israel is sure to be high on the agenda, and there will likely be some reflection on this morning's ONS labour figures. 

Tory MP Tobias Ellwood joins us now, who first addresses the Cenotaph controversy.

"Tensions are rising not just in the Middle East, but across the world, we're seeing that in every city," he says.

"Concerns are being raised on both sides of the aisle about where this goes, so to see this being placed right next to the Cenotaph really is irresponsible."

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"It's also what Hamas wants - they want things to escalate - they have no interest in looking after the Palestinians," he says. 

"I'm worried about the international community being able to handle so many different conflicts and challenges across the world."

"The United Nations is now looking ever more like the League of Nations - unable to hold our nations to account - we couldn't even get a resolution at the UN Security Council condemning Hamas's invasion and their barbaric activities," he says. 

Turning to the UK's role, he says he suspects that "we're going to have to send [more of] our own military assets, more naval maritime capabilities to the region very soon indeed". 

Finally, he says there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza right now, contradicting statements from Israel's ambassador to the UK made last night. 

 "There is no humanitarian crisis, Israel is in charge of the safety of Israelis, Hamas is in charge of the safety of the Palestinians," Tzipi Hotovely told Sky News yesterday.

For context : The League of Nations was the UN's failed predecessor, established in the wake of the First World War. 

It ultimately failed due to a lack of effectiveness in preventing international conflicts, dissolving a year into the Second World War. 

Stephen Flynn, leader of SNP in Westminster, is now speaking with Kay Burley ahead of Humza Yousaf's speech this afternoon at the party conference in Aberdeen. 

He is asked first about the SNP's stance on the conflict in Israel.

"Hamas committed an abhorrent attack on the Jewish people and on the Israeli state, and we unequivocally condemn that along with all other parties," he replies.

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He is asked whether the SNP is against a ground invasion, to which he says "I don't see how a full ground invasion can limit civilian casualties within Gaza".

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He says that Labour looks "increasingly likely" to win the next general election, and calls on Sir Keir Starmer to engage in discussions with the SNP over a potential referendum. 

"If he believes himself to be a democrat and the Scottish National Party wins a majority of seats in the general election next year, which I'm very confident we will, he needs to heed the democratic view of the people of Scotland."

Turning to Lisa Cameron's comments that the SNP was like a "cult", Mr Flynn says he simply doesn't recognise them "in any way, shape or form", before adding that some of the threats she has received are disgusting. 

Dr Cameron announced last week that she was defecting from the SNP to the Conservatives.

As we've been reporting this morning, the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that average basic wages rose by 7.8% during the three months to August compared to a year earlier.

That was down slightly from a revised rate of 7.9% last month.

Separate figures for average weekly earnings, which include bonus payments, showed a marked easing to 8.1% from 8.5% but that is believed to reflect the impact of public sector awards paid in June.

If you want a more detailed breakdown of today's ONS labour statistics,  our business reporter  James Sillars   has the full story...

Andrew Bridgen has demanded an apology from a fellow MP after he allegedly slapped him on the back of the head and called him a "b******".

Mr Bridgen, who joined the Reclaim Party after being kicked out of the Conservatives, reported former Tory minister, Crispin Blunt, to parliamentary authorities and, on Monday, demanded he say sorry for what he called "unbelievable behaviour".

The MP for North West Leicestershire, said the incident occurred at Portcullis House, and was "completely unprovoked".

He said Mr Blunt "hit him on the back of the head with his hand and said, 'You're a b******' and then legged it off".

Parliamentary officials confirmed they were aware of the incident in the atrium of Portcullis House and said the Commons authorities and the whips office were dealing with it.

Mr Blunt, who represents Reigate, has not responded to requests for comment.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley will meet with leading mobile phone companies today to ask them to "design out" mobile phone robbery.

Apple, Samsung and Google will join representatives from major UK mobile phone network providers at the meeting, which will focus on how the police, City Hall and the mobile phone industry can work together to reduce mobile phone robberies in London and beyond.

There have been 57,174 mobile phones reported stolen in the last 12 months - which equates to an average of 157 mobile phones stolen every day in the capital.

"This meeting is an important milestone to developing a practical and long-term solution to ending the menace of mobile phone crime, which we know is driving violence and criminality in our communities - not just in London but across the UK," Mr Khan said. 

Met Commissioner Sir Mark said "until we design out the ability for phones to be used in the way they currently are, we will be stuck in a vicious circle."

Shadow defence secretary John Healy is now offering his thoughts on the situation in Israel. 

He is asked first about whether there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and he echoes the comments of Andrew Mitchell earlier (see 7.29am post). 

"There's certainly the risk of an looming humanitarian crisis," he says. 

"That's why we've been alongside a range of other international voices and the UK government in urging Israel to make sure that basic supplies of water and electricity are restored, that humanitarian aid gets in, that civilians are protected, and that all leaders act in line with humanitarian law."

"I'm encouraged by some of the very active diplomacy by the Americans, but clearly President Biden's visit tomorrow will be important," he adds. 

Kay Burley then suggests Mr Healy's stance appears to be in line with the government. 

"I think in moments of great crisis or great tension, a country is stronger if it's united," he says. 

"That's why, from the outset, Keir Starmer has said that Labour utterly condemns the Hamas terrorists and totally supports Israel's right to defend itself."

When asked if a ceasefire should be called, he says Israel "has to defend itself", but that it should do so in accordance with international law. 

Turning to the Rafah Crossing, Mr Healy says he "hopes" Egypt will consider opening it up fully.

"[Opening the crossing offers the] chance to reduce the risk of innocent civilian casualties being caught up in the conflict that will come," he says.

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