Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News At Five 20240713

From westminster and cardiff, and will be talking to three now former parliamentarians, with more than 80 years of experience between them. The other main stories on bbc news at 5. The Climate Campaign group, Extinction Rebellion, wins a legal challenge against the metropolitan polices ban, on their protests in london. And the two time olympic champion, nicola adams, retires from boxing because of fears she could lose her sight. Its five oclock. Our main story is the official start of the Election Campaign, with the dissolution of parliament and the imminent launch of the conservative campaign this evening in the West Midlands with borisjohnson. But the day started badly for the Prime Minister, with the news that his cabinet colleague the welsh secretary alun cairns had resigned, following claims he knew about the role of a former aide, ross england, in the collapse of a rape trial. Mr cairns had claimed originally that he knew nothing about the matter. Mr england was subsequently selected as a conservative candidate but has now been suspended. Our first report is from our Political Correspondent chris mason. This is what the official start of a general Election Campaign looks like. The Prime Minister went to see the queen at Buckingham Palace this morning and then he made the most of the backdrop of what he still hopes to call home after polling day to make his pitch. I have just been to see her majesty the queen earlier on and she agreed to dissolve parliament for an election. I want you to know that i dont want an early election, no one much wants to have an election in december, but we have got to the stage where we have no choice because our parliament is paralysed, it has been stuck in a rut for three and a half years, and i am afraid our mps arejust refusing time and again to deliver brexit and on the mandate of the people. If we can get this deal over the line, with a sensible majority government we certainly can, then we can release that pent up flood of investment. Hundreds of billions are waiting to pour into the uk and we can inject a surge of confidence into our system. But moments before, this, the Prime Ministers welsh secretary alun cairns resigning from the cabinet. He had denied he knew about a former aides role in the sabotage of a rape trial, but bbc wales discovered he had been e mailed about it. He had been a cabinet minister for three years and said he was confident he would be cleared of any wrongdoing. The conservatives have had a bumpy start to this campaign, notjust this cabinet resignation, but being forced to defend a doctored video put out on social media and two of their politicians forced to apologise after remarks widely seen as crass about the Grenfell Tower fire. They are now trying to focus on their big picture message, as are labour, as the two main candidates to be Prime Minister slugged it out. Jeremy corbyn has been in telford in shropshire, a must win seat for labourand said. I will be proud to be a labour Prime Minister. But i have to warn you, it will be very different. It will be a very different way of doing things. Because i was not born to rule. He promised to scrap University Tuition fees and rough sleeping, in work poverty and the need forfood banks and added. Judge us on whether we have built hundreds of thousands of genuinely Affordable Homes so that decent and secure housing is within the reach of everyone. Judge us on whether patients are still waiting more than four hours in a e departments and tens of thousands are waiting months for cancer treatment. Judge us on whether we have got brexit sorted within six months by offering the people the final say. Who do you prefer . Mr corbyn, mrjohnston or one of the other Party Leaders . It will be your call in five weeks time. Our chief Political Correspondent vicki young is at westminster. Let vicki young is at westminster. Us start with what v ecclestone let us start with what we Bernie Ecclestone expect later this evening. The start of the conservative campaign. We can expect. It is not the start any Political Party would want. They have grids showing what they want to talk about, how they will shape the agenda and resignation of a cabinet minister was not on day one. What they have tried to do today is by alun cairns resigning borisjohnson making his speech, he has a big eventin making his speech, he has a big event in the West Midlands opponent. They hope that will be the end of it and they can move oner tomorrow, but it has been extremely difficult for them and of course, it has given a com plete them and of course, it has given a complete free hit to the opposition. This wasJeremy Corbyn giving his reaction thes are talks of the welsh secretary. First of all there is a victim here, that victim needs to be apologised to and supported secondly, if he is resigning, because of his behaviour, and involvement in this, as the secretary of state, then shouldnt he be resigning as conservative Party Candidate . That he be resigning as conservative Party Candidate . That is my question. He said he will stand as a candidate, you think that that shouldnt be allowed . Candidate, you think that that shouldnt be allowed . Obviously, he legally can stand as a candidate but does he have a moral right to stand . If he is stepping down as a minister because of his involvement i would have thought the least the conservative party can do is not put him up as a candidate in the next election. So really the conservative party on the back foot, they will try and remedy all of that, i think in the coming days and weeks and i suppose the up side fromer the conservatives is we are a long way from polling day, there is a lot of ground to cover between now and then and they will hope they can move things on and it was striking in Boris Johnsons speech, things on and it was striking in borisjohnsons speech, i think, laying out various things there, talking about how he didnt want a general election, blaming parliament for it, Opposition Mps would say we did pass the first stage of you deal, you could have pursued that but talking about the choices ahead, for voter, and, you know, depicting it in very stark terms, and really, really going on the attack with labour and Jeremy Corbyn saying that mr corbyn was on the side of Vladimir Putin of russia, saying it was a left Wing Labour Party that would bring in huge rises in tax, an uncontrolled immigration system and accusing labour not knowing where they stand on brexit, so really going on the attack there, Boris Johnson, and you know, ithink going on the attack there, Boris Johnson, and you know, i think this in this election it is clear there are real choices for people to be made, and you cant say that all the parties are offering the same thing, whether it is about the economy or whether it is about the economy or whether it is about the economy or whether it is about brexit. Indeed. And of course, you know, parties in different parts of the uk, scotland, wales, Northern Ireland will have markedly different points when they launch their campaign, some have already. When you went through that list, it just already. When you went through that list, itjust underlined for us once again, that despite the fact this this campaign has been characterised by many as you know, a brexit campaign, forwant of by many as you know, a brexit campaign, for want of a better phrase, people are going to have some very serious and new and different policy proposals across the board, to look at, so, it is going to be difficult to ignore that in favour of brexit . Yes, i think we would have talked about this in 2017, where the conservatives were going round the country, theresa may saying brexit means brexit. Itjust didnt turn out like that, because you cannot control the agenda, as we have seen today, every party has things they want to talk about, broadcasters, there are rules governing how much coverage they get. They will all be able to have their say, so to some extent they can shape the narrative the greco cox, and when it comes to voting, when you sit there and very you ballot paper there will be lots of different thing, that is going to be a major issue, brexiter for lots of people. The liberal democrats want it to be, the conservative party want it to be and the snp, but people will have strong views about education, health, Mental Health, all sorts of things when they cast that vote, it could be for very very Different Reasons and the politicians cannot control that. Vicki, thank you very much. 0ur chief Political Correspondent. More on the Campaign Later in terms of interviews. Lets take a look at some the other Election Campaign news. The liberal democrat leaderjo swinson has been campaigning in north london, watford and surrey, insisting she is the best suited for thejob of Prime Minister. Ms swinson launched her election battle bus campaign with a pledge to invest 11 billion pounds into Mental Health Care Services if her party wins the general election. The snp leader Nicola Sturgeon says demand for an independence referendum in scotland will become irresistible, if the snp wins the majority of scottish seats at the general election. Speaking to the bbc this morning, scotlands first minister said she intended to hold another vote on independence next year. She also said the prospect of a Hung Parliament after the general election is significa nt. The brexit party leader, nigel farage, has told supporters in cumbria that the idea of workington man as the key swing voter in the election is patronising cobblers. At a rally in workington, which voted to leave in the 2016 referendum, mr farage claimed that labour would betray leave voters. The town found itself in the spotlight, after a think tank said conservatives would have to target traditional labour voters from regional towns such as workington, in order to win the election. The green party also launched their Campaign Today and just after 5. 30 our reality check correspondent will be taking an in depth look at what the party is proposing. Stay with us for that. Today was the intended date of sajid javids first budget as chancellor. The failure to implement a brexit deal, and the general Election Campaign means that the budget has been delayed. Had it not been delayed, what would the fiscal backdrop to todays budget have been . The institute for fiscal studies has released a report analysing what the budget might have said. The Economic Research organisation claims that downgraded growth forecasts, the spending review, and the changes to Student Loans have all changed the picture since march, with forecasts for borrowing next year would likely have been at least £30 billion higher than those made by the 0br back in march. Reductions to borrowing in the last finacial year were back to the level seen in 2007 08. Measured as a share of national income, borrowing in 2018 19 was 1. 9 , its lowest share since 2001 02. This is about in line with the average rate of borrowing seen over the period from the end of the Second World War through to 2007 08. With me now is the director of ifs, pauljohnson. It is good to have you with uses again. Right, so, if the budget had been taking place today, we know what the political context is and the uncertainty over brexit. Would the uncertainty over brexit. Would the chancellor have been in a position to announce some of the radical spending proposals that the conservatives have been talking about in recent weeks . He wouldnt have been in a position to do that and to keep to the fiscal rules that he and his predecessor had set themselves, they said we want want borrowing to go above 2 of national income, £50 billion next year, because of the changes since march, big increase in spending already announced, changes to Student Loans, reduced growth laze raise we would expect borrowing to be above 50 billion. You might remember that you know, back in those distant days when Philip Hammond was chancellor he talked about a brexit war chest of 27 billion. All gone, every last penny gone. If we look ahead a few months, this is a tricky one, we have an election coming up, but given the kind of backdrop you have been described and given the figures i was sharing with viewers there, the chancellor whoever it is, who comes into power at the end of the year and to the new year, what will be the first thing they need to grapple with based on what we know . I think they will need to decide and hopefully tell us before the election what they are trying to achieve in terms of spending and tax and borrowing. It looks like they might be comfortable with high levels of borrowing and possibly debt than we have had over the last several year, if they are the not co mforta ble several year, if they are the not comfortable how will they square their Spending Plans with their desires on borrowing and debt, do they want to raise taxes, to cover some of this, if they are happy with higher borrowing and debt, that is 0k higher borrowing and debt, that is ok for, you know, one, two, three year, but you cant do it forever, what is their plan for getting that back down . We have had some campaigns launched already, conservatives tonight. Are any of the parties in your view right now, supplying enough information so that people like you can offer analysis to voters, which will inform their decision on december 12th, you know ina decision on december 12th, you know in a solid way, do you have enough information right now . It is early days and we will be waiting for the ma nifesto, days and we will be waiting for the manifesto, but as you have just been saying we have had lots of announcements of goody, whether it be for Mental Health or green investment, or what have you, i am sure we will continue to get announcement of goodies one can take for a period. I announcement of goodies one can take fora period. I hope announcement of goodies one can take for a period. I hope that when it comes to the manifestoers,s we will get sign of real priorities and actual plans and how that relates to how they will be paid for, because it is also worth saying even on the promises of spending, it matters can you get that spending down properly, can you get good value for it. It is all very well to say we will spend billions more on this that and the other, but trying to do that very quickly, trying to get lots of stuff built quickly, the Public Sector isnt very good at it but even if we wa nt isnt very good at it but even if we want it, let us not promise too much, if you promise more than is deliverable you risk wasting money. Lets continue to discuss the general election, and a cabinet resignation, on the day the conservatives are launching their campaign. Alun cairns has stepped down as welsh secretary. 0ur wales correspondent Hywel Griffith is in cardiff. We heard a bit earlierfrom people likejeremy we heard a bit earlierfrom people like Jeremy Corbyn we heard a bit earlierfrom people likeJeremy Corbyn questioning even mr cairns right to stand in this election, talk about the repercussions there in wales of the fa ct repercussions there in wales of the fact that mr cairns has decided to resign and what indeed conservatives are saying there, to people about the possible impact on their captain. Alun cairns was going to be the man who was going to lead the charge for the conservative, at welsh secretary he would be at the forefront of their campaign, however arguably his reputation is tarnished. While he is Still Standing in the vale of glamorgan, his constituency he has held, some are questioning whether he should pull back and disappear completely, we have not seen him, the lights are on in his house i am told but there is nobody answering the door. He has not come forward to speak on the record. You saw his Resignation Letter where he said he is sure he will be found free of misconduct. His colleague, however, questioning hisjudgment, how his colleague, however, questioning his judgment, how this his colleague, however, questioning hisjudgment, how this has been handled and the tories were on course according to the first poll of the general election to potentially have Massive Gains in wales, potentially up to ten seats which would put them almost on level pegging with labour. Now people are saying who will lead this campaign for us, who can step up to the plate if alun cairns is damaged goods . Thank you. The climate activist group, Extinction Rebellion, has won a legal challenge against the metropolitan police, following the forces decision to ban the Group Protesting across the capital. Lawyers for Extinction Rebellion say the met now faces claims for false imprisonment from potentially hundreds of protestors. During its action, the group targeted the transport network, major companies, and government departments. 0ur correspondent Richard Lister has more details. What do we want . Climate justice the Extinction Rebellion autumn uprising shut down large sections of london last month and led to more than 1800 arrests. The protesters used tactics to Stretch Police resources to the limit and the police eventually responded by clearing the demonstrators camps and using the public order act to declare the whole protest illegal. But the protesters took the police to court saying they had no right to shut them down. Today two High Court Judges agreed saying, separate gatherings, separated both in time and by many miles, even if coordinated under the umbrella of one body, are not the Public Assembly within the meaning of the public order act. And the police had acted unlawfully. We are delighted with todays result. It vindicates our belief that the polices blanket ban was an unprecedented and now unlawful infringement on our right to protest. It is a victory for those who want to draw the governments attention to what scientists have been telling us for decades. Metropolitan Police Figures show around 400 protesters were arrested after the ban was imposed. Some may now be able to sue the police. Among them, an mep. Its actually a really important case because its about defending the right to assembly and public protest and those are fundamental cornerstones of a functioning democracy. So its very important that we won today and im very happy. The police say their actions were reasonable and proportionate. But they accept the judgment. We are disappointed by the ruling but clearly we absolutely respect the courts decision and what we need to do now i think is in slow time carefully consider what it means for us and review our tactics in light of it. 0ur planet is in crisis. And Extinction Rebellion has not gone away. The actorjim carter is one of the celebrities in this new video campaign. But the ruling today means the next street protests will be harder for police to stop. Richard lister, bbc news. The man accused of murdering the british backpacker Grace Millane in new zealand last year has gone on trial in auckland. The court has heard that the suspect, who cant be named for legal reasons, went on a date with another woman while Grace Millanes body was in a suitcase in his room. He denies murder and claims her death was accidental, as our correspondent phil mercer reports. Grace millane came to new zealand for the adventure of a lifetime. But on the eve of her 22nd birthday, she disappeared. On wednesday, graces parents arrived at the high court in auckland to find out what happened to her. In the dock, accused of murder, a 27 year old man who, for legal reasons, we cant identify. The jury heard that the couple met through an Online Dating app and went drinking. Grace millane went back with the defendant to his appointment. She died there. Prosecutors say she was strangled in this city centre building. A week later, her contorted body was found stuffed in a suitcase in a shallow grave. Only two people know what happened in that room. One of them cant tell us. And the other one hasnt told the truth about what happened. Prosecutors allege the next day the defendant went on a date with another woman while the body of Grace Millane was still in his apartment. Lawyers say this has shown his utter disregard for the life of the young english woman. The defence, however, has a different story. It believes miss millanes death was accidental. Defence lawyers argue it was a sex game that went wrong. Miss millane died as a result of what they consensually engaged in during their time together. So while his actions may have caused her death, he is also not to blame, although he may blame himself. And he is certainly not criminally responsible. Grace millanes death last year shocked new zealand. The judge has warned the jury to ignore the publicity surrounding the case. Today the court heard a poignant statement from graces father david. He said she was a gregarious young woman who chose her friends carefully. The trial is expected to run for at least a month. Phil mercer, bbc news, auckland. Back to the Election Campaign, and in the run up to polling day, well be looking at how digital and social media platforms are being used by the Political Parties to target voters. Joe tidy is our digital election reporter so whats going on today . We will start today with some stuff you have been looking at on facebook. Lots of campaigning on facebook. Lots of campaigning on facebook. But just an facebook. Lots of campaigning on facebook. Butjust an example of where this advertising is reaching. Who it is reach something tell us more about what you have scene today . This is is the first general election we have had this Facebook Library we have had, as a transparency initiative. They are trying to make it so people are more understanding of where ads are coming from. There is lots of information we can get from that. I have been monitoring it. We saw the brexit party, nigel farage launched the triwide tour, we have seen the brexit party launch their adverse on facebook and instagram and they have launched a video with borisjohnson and jean claude juncker, here it launched a video with borisjohnson and jean claudejuncker, here it is and jean claudejuncker, here it is and they are saying boris isnt good enough. What is interesting is it has been seen by 135,000 people on facebook and instagram. We can show you the demographic and i am sure you the demographic and i am sure you can imagine which people are being served this advert. They are a5 year olds and over and heavily leaning towards, there you go, we are flicking through, the same advert but the right you see the demograph fibbing, this is being served to lot of different groups but they are all 45 or over and mainly male. What does that tell you about the kind of targeting that the brexit party is looking at in terms of where it aims in different parts of where it aims in different parts of the country, let us say in traditional area, or of the country, let us say in traditionalarea, orareas of the country, let us say in traditional area, or areas it thinks there are conservative voters who are angry about the fact that Boris Johnson hasnt delivered yet on brexit. What is this telling you . Therein lies the problem. The Facebook Ad Library is great, but it is flawed. We havent guilt guy graphical details. We can get hint, there is only one other advert the brexit party have put out, that is to working on the an carlisle about a rally that nigel farage is holding there and the working on the man, its a very important seat for the conservatives and that shows you also that nigel farage is perhaps trolling the conservatives by campaigning so deliberately in that sort of area. It is an important point the underline, just, the age factor is crucial, but the geographicalfactor is factor is crucial, but the geographical factor is not quite there in the way that is useful for us, that is good to establish establish. The second point is this, when people use let us say material from Television Programmes or other video material, for Campaign Purposes and when they Start Playing round with it, or editing it or you know, for different reason, they can do it for put to it music, forfun reasons or maybe even for more, i dont know, let us say hard little political reason, there has been one example going round of an interview with keir starmer, who is labours shadow brexit secretary. Clearly is a very sensitive brief. And the brexit issue clearly is a hugely sensitive one in. What has happened here. You might have seen it yesterday, this was an interview he did on Good Morning Britain and it was reedited by the conservatives and put on on their twitterfeed. We can show the difference between the two. Let us see the first one then. Why would the eu give you a good deal if they know that youre going to actively campaign against it . Right, so what you see there is keir starmer, staring vaca ntly right, so what you see there is keir starmer, staring vacantly into the camera as if he hasnt got a clue. That has been seen by how many . That has been, if you take the conservative party twitterfeed plus the tories who have tweeted it out, back of the napkin maths i did, 1. 7 million. Ok, so 1. 7 Million People will have seen that and stharm starm, you know, ithink will have seen that and stharm starm, you know, i think would admit himself not looking as if he is on top of things in that thing, which has been seen by 1. 7 million. However, the reality is slightly different. Let us let us look at this. Why would the eu give you a good deal if they know that youre going to actively campaign against it, which is clearly what most of you are going to be doing . Well, piers, ive been talking to the eu, to political leaders across the eu 27 countries, for three years. I know very well what the parameters are of any deal they would do with a labour government. Well you may as viewers agree or disagree with that, but one thing you cant say he sat there speechless for a long time nothing have the a clue how the answer the question, how has that been received . On the surface you would think this is a terrible own goal for the conservativeser you could put it in a box of mistake, they are being criticised for it across the board, the Fact Checking charity says it is irresponsible for a Political Party to mislead the public. If you look by the fact they stand by the video, it was a light hearted take. Stand by the video, it was a lighthearted take. As a joke. They describe it as a car crash video, they want to show the public they believe there was a car crash interview, it is up to the viewer to decide whether or not it was. I think they will be pleased with the result. The average conservative party video on twitter is getting round 1 00,000, that is a decent figures the ones with borisjohnson talking, they will get maybe 150,000, so this one has performed way better than they could have imagined. Even if there is a formal complaint and the rest of it, they talk about regulator, what you are saying is, the ad has done its work already. I think. So saying is, the ad has done its work already. Ithink. So they saying is, the ad has done its work already. I think. So they would never admit that to us, but the fact they are owning it and said it is fun and light hearted and they even reedited the end and sent it to piers morgan saying is this better, it shows to me that is the strategy they are using and it may be working. We will talk to you again joe. Thank thank you. If you want more analysis, the bbc will look at key issues, joe and his collea g u es will look at key issues, joe and his colleagues explain the policies is talked about and some indeed that are not being talked about but will try to cover them in detail online for you. P so two clear aways for you. So i will have the headlines in a second. I will have three retiring parliamentarians, not in the shy and retiring sense but retiring in the sense they are retiring from the house of commons, with decades of experience. I am going to talk to them about the state of politics right now, and now they are out the common, iam right now, and now they are out the common, i am expecting them to be full and frank with us in their analysis. I can see to be frank about the weather there isa to be frank about the weather there is a lot of rain on the way. Today started on a bright note for us. The cloud has been gathering out west for suppressing outbreaks of rain which will continue through this evening and night and this band of showers moving into scotland starting to see wintry weather over high ground here but this band of rain could spell trouble for some because it will become very slow moving across the central parts of the uk. Temperatures not getting as well as last night because of the extra cloud, more of cloud and rain. Could affect the mid when north midlands and wales and northern england. Could be flooding in travel disruption. To the south of that sunny spells but heavy showers in the far south west was up sunshine and showers for Northern Ireland and scotland. Some of the shower so wintry over high ground in scotland. Another cool day, 7 10 degrees but it looks like most of us will see something drier and brighter on friday. The time is 5 34 p m. In a quick look at the headlines. The Prime Minister meets the queen at Buckingham Palace to mark the start of campaigning for the election on december the 12th. But an early blow for the conservatives, as the welsh secretary alun cairns, resigns over his links to a man who sabotaged a rape trial. The labour leader has questioned whether mr cairns has a moral right to still stand as a candidate in the election. The Climate Campaign group Extinction Rebellion wins a legal challenge against the metropolitan polices ban on their protests in london. Lets get the latest from the bbc sport centre, and its ben today. Hi ben. Good evening to you. Two time 0lympic boxing champion nicola adams has retired from the sport over fears she could lose her sight. For the best part of a decade, shes has been one of the faces of womens boxing as Michael Redford reports. Michael redford reports. Nicola adams is made sporting history. She is the first 0lympic boxing champion stop but it would have been easy to racks, career and ambition achieved, history men, but this was just the beginning for nicola adams. Her glittering career began by accident with no one to look after adams while her mum was at the gym, 12 year old nicola was assigned to a boxing class. She did not look back. Natural ability mix with broad determination so kind microsoft adams extorted. Every touch one step one to 22 over she ca ptu red touch one step one to 22 over she captured the heart of a nation. She has brought womens boxing into a new era. She was the first definite female boxer and amateur boxer that ca ptu red female boxer and amateur boxer that captured peoples hearts. They wa nted captured peoples hearts. They wanted to see her progression into what she had done and that was because she spoke well and she broke down a lot of the barriers and stereotypes that people have. Adams was far from stereotypes that people have. Adams was farfrom finished. Stereotypes that people have. Adams was far from finished. Golds of the commonwealth and european games in the brood Chamber Chips followed. Before more history in rio. Commentator nicola adams lets out a try infant ru re nicola adams lets out a try infant rure being crowned a leper chappie for the second successive times i point adams becoming the first british boxer for 92 years to retain another book title. Her unprecedented achievements led her to Buckingham Palace. An mbe followed by an 0be. Still she would not rest. She turned professional, five fights, five wins and a world flyway title. Her latest bout was a draw against maria early of this year. It would be her last as her health took priority. Year. It would be her last as her health took prioritylj year. It would be her last as her health took priority. I got the injury in the first round of my last fight. I injury in the first round of my last fight. I saw the doctors and did not think it was going to be anything too serious but i could take the chance and risk of and keep on boxing and nothing else happens to my eye or it could be one unlucky punch and i could with my site. Ive achieved a lot and boxing. Its time to hang up the gloves done and keep my sight. Her trainer added. Adams group idolising the likes of mohamed ali and sugar ray leonard. She never tyres with the generation of girls idolising nickel adams. Michael redford, bbc news. Mohamed ali. After breaching the premierships salary cap regulations, saracens could be in more hot water after pulling out of the launch of the european champions cup in cardiff. A fine for that could be in addition to the £5 million and 35 point penalty from Premiership Rugby pending an appeal. Exeters chief executive has called on them to be relegated whilst former england captain Chris Robshaw says whatever the outcome, the damage on the sport is significant. I think for us in rugby, we can only think our grass is greener than others. We tend to look down on football and athletics for cheating and stuff like this. But we are exactly the same now. We are in that position. Rugby is now in a tough place which as a union and collective we are going to have to fight hard to get out of. Arsenal can put one foot in the last 32 of the Europa League if they beat Vitoria Guimares this evening and other results go their way tomorrow. Approaching full time in portugal, its currently 1 1. Later tottenham and Manchester City are both away in the champions league. City can reach the knockout phase with a win in atalanta. You can find that result on the bbc sport website and we will have plenty more for you in sportsday at half past six. The green party launched its Election Campaign this morning. Its pledging a major increase in spending on climate measures, in order to end the use of carbon in the uk by 2030. Which was a people saying is a very ambitious target for 0ur reality check correspondent Sophie Hutchinson has been looking into the promises. Tell us what you found but looking at this. Well the green party insisted today that some things were bigger than brexit and that this election must be about the climate and they launched this ambitious plan. Today i am proud to announce that the green party will invest £100 billion a year into Climate Action over the next decade. So lets have a look at that. In total thats around £1 trillion in ten years. Its certainly a very large number. To put it in context, the annual cost would be similar to the whole of the education budget, which this year was £103 billion. So, where would the money come from . Well, they are proposing that 9 would come from tax changes including a rise in corporation tax. And the rest, the vast majority needed would come from borrowing. This year we will borrow an estimated £55 billion but the green party would increase borrowing to more than £140 billion a year the highest level since 2012, as a proportion of national income, according to researchers at the institute for fiscal studies. The party are calling it a green new deal. It means decarbonising every single sector of the economy. Energy, energy, industry, agriculture, transport, and housing. It is rolling out new Renewable Energy in britain so we are net zero carbon by 2030. Eliminating carbon by 2030 is 20 years sooner than the current uk target for net zero emissions, which many experts would regard as extremely ambitious. Hew. Sophie, thanks very much and we will see more of you in the campaign. Sophie hutchinson with the reality check findings today. More now on the general election. The Prime Minister will launch the conservative campaign this evening, at an event in birmingham. 0ur Political Correspondent Jonathan Blake is there. To get a flavour of what is going on there to tell us more. First of all, what kind of time of looking at . And iamjust what kind of time of looking at . And i am just wondering when we can expect some kind i suppose a decent look at what the manifesto itself might contain . The activists are getting in early tonight. We start to hear from the Prime Minister later on this evening as he watches the conservative pa rtys as he watches the conservative partys election as he watches the conservative pa rtys Election Campaign as he watches the conservative partys Election Campaign and it will be an attempt by borisjohnson to rally the troops for the weeks ahead andi to rally the troops for the weeks ahead and i think we can expect some very familiar messages from mr johnson. The one we heard him deliver in downing street this morning when he officially gave the word that the Election Campaign was under way and the one weve heard from him over the last few weeks which as it is a vote for the conservatives in his eyes that is a vote to quote the slogan we are very familiar with now get brexit done. He has negotiated a new deal against the odds which many people said he would not be able to do and it is only because parliament has consistently blocked that and tried to find ways to delay the brexit process. This election is being called in the first place. The Prime Minister will speak to conservative party members, candidates, activists here tonight. We will also see some high profile figures from the cabinet. And it will be also an attempt to get this campaign back on track before its almost officially begun because as he had been hearing, it has got up to a difficult start as far as the conservatives are concerned with those controversial comments from Jacob Rees Mogg about the Grenfell Tower tragedy and also the resignation from the cabinet of alan cairns this morning for supper we expect that wants to get under way in the next hour of so and i dont know whether we will hear too much in the way specific promises that you mentioned going into the ma nifesto. You mentioned going into the manifesto. Probably more of a broad brush approach from the premise or tonight as i say attending to rally the troops as this campaign begins. Jonathan, thank you very much. We will be back there in the West Midlands when the Campaign Event gets under way a little later on. As isaid, gets under way a little later on. As i said, just part of a very busy today. Three people with me not as busy today as they might have been in years gone by. Today marks the official start of the general Election Campaign, with the dissolution of parliament, and five weeks of campaigning before voters go to the polls on december 12th. But for 68 mps, yesterday was time to clear their desks for the last time after deciding to stand down. Including from a3 friends today. Im joined now by three very experienced former parliamentarians with over 80 years of experience between them. With me is the former labour mp kate hoey, the former conservative cabinet minister sir Michael Fallon, and the former lib dem leader sir vince cable. Thank you all for coming in. Is it a sense of reliefs relief it means that youre not in the middle of a big fight any more . Certainly i am in the middle of trying to clear out offices and 30 years of things that you have capped and always wondering how long shall he keep it . There is a great sense of relief that you are not having to merely go out and start look town or knocking on doors was up but its also a set time because you are going through all your history and seeing all these remembering things that you had quite forgotten about people and what is terribly sad actually and shows how long youve been there is how many people you are going through actually dead. It can be a bit depressing too. A sense of release once you have made up your mind andi release once you have made up your mind and i sit at the last election that it would not stand again. No regrets. Did people try to persuade you to stay on . I think there were a few people that felt i should still fight on and. I did think about whether i was really in the right to party a ny whether i was really in the right to party any more. And still something im thinking about. Will get back to that. Does not quest nice question wittering. Given your background as a minister but as a party person, the face of the party at election time, which we all recognise is a pretty exposed place to be in. You at least have a sense of detachment now or are you still such a Party Creature that even having left the comments you still kind of mentally are in the fray quit soi kind of mentally are in the fray quit so i hope i am a bit more detached. I spent 31 years empowerment. And i decided the summer empowerment. And i decided the summer not to fight again. To answer your question directly, i suspect is polling day gets nearer i will start missing the fray. I have been quite quickly involved in previous years. Youve got to move on there is a Younger Generation of politicians andl Younger Generation of politicians and i think 30 years is probably fairenough. And i think 30 years is probably fair enough. I would ask a little bit about highs and lows if youre prepared to go for the lows as well for some but first of all to you vince as well, somebody who has led a party yet another responsibility apart from having a big post in government, is there any sense of regret at all at leaving or do you feel frankly is there a sense of relief that you are leaving . Its bittersweet. I suppose like most politicians, i enjoyed being in the middle of the action and not there any more but i have the same feeling as michael said as passing on the baton. The party has recovered from a very low position we got to in 201517 and i a very low position we got to in 2015 17 and i have handed over to an exceptionally good leader and i am relieved that we are in the position. How active a partly playing the campaign . position. How active a partly playing the campaign . I havent yet set upa programme. Playing the campaign . I havent yet set up a programme. I will be and i wa nt set up a programme. I will be and i want to be and im happy with what the party is saying and want to get behind it. On a personal leveli wa nt to behind it. On a personal leveli want to talk about things that stand out for you as things are proud of or enjoy and things that were less enjoyable. And then after that i would like to talk about the current would like to talk about the current would go picture. Thats my plan of action if that makes sense. So pick action if that makes sense. So pick a high point to katie for you and your perm entry career. As a member of parliament, when you had the chance to get a story into the news andi chance to get a story into the news and i went to zimbabwe undercover at the worst of the times and was able to bring back pictures that were used on newsnight and also this feeling that you had done something that you knew you would not have got the publicity for under really important issue if you had not been an mp. That was something, and my whole campaign about legalising campaign in lambeth which was done bya campaign in lambeth which was done by a superintendent and cause huge problems for young people and i took that on and that was something. The day to day work is an awful lot of it is just helping people with their housing cases and immigration cases. I think you know you have been there too long when you meet people who say you present me with my Primary School certificate and you think this person is working. One moment you regret or something that you think was a low point. When i was a sports minister and i was told by chris smith the secretary of state that had to go into the comments and i cant member the detail but Say Something when we had announced something when we had announced something before it had been announced to parliament and it was not my fault but i had to go and ta ke not my fault but i had to go and take the blame and betty who was a speaker at the time so that i know that it wasnt your fault, but you have to take the blame for it. she said that, it would be particularly low moment at all wasnt. A high point and will point michael . Joining the capital which was amazing working as a defence secretary for the Armed Services and do with iso and daesh i never expected to do never sent it to be in the cabinet. It was a particular stressful time, we had hostages being taken and so on. There was absolutely a high point andl there was absolutely a high point and i did for three and a half years. Low point was being defeated in darlington. I left the comments before. Going back a bit, in darlington. I left the comments before. Going backa bit, i in darlington. I left the comments before. Going back a bit, i gave nine years of my wife to darlington. Nine years of my wife to darlington. It was a marginal seat. Nine years of my life. I was enforced fortunate to come back again. I think we had a nice image. A nice image of the Three Friends and a younger guys. There we go. There is the dashing Michael Fallon there. Im not going to comment but look kate youre looking there is if you havejust comment but look kate youre looking there is if you have just enjoyed a very tropical holiday. And vince looking very fairly elegant in a deep blue shirt. Thinning already. You all recognise the will, that is a good thing to say. So really quickly vince, hi and vote point separate i had a couple of peaks and very bad lows. The high points were the financial crisis. Remapping in the financial crisis. Remapping in the coalition and to live in a lot of good stuff. Microphone was a colleague of mine. We did want to rescue the british economy. Michael was a colleague of mine. The lows of course were losing my seat four years ago and had to win it back again. I think the earlier part of the coalition when i was responsible for delivering tuition fees taking in picking a fight with Rupert Murdoch within a few weeks. That was biting off quite a while. Cani that was biting off quite a while. Can i taught you about this campaign in the time we have left and i start with vince this time. Its been called a brexit election. Clearly, all of the parties have very valid things to say about other areas of policy. People have other concerns apart from brexit. A lot of people are fed up with brexit. Do you see this campaign is being inevitably dragged into a Brexit Debate at the costs of not talking properly about schools and hospitals . Is that how it is going to go . Well, it is a brexit election and hopefully, it will help take the issue forward. In my case, we want to stop brexit. But government wants to deliver it but unless we find a resolution to that through the election, then it would have been a waste. But of course we have been a waste. But of course we have got other things to talk about and my party is talking about Mental Health and the role we have played in promoting that within the nhs. The other issues will want to surface but there is a difference of interest here and on the conservatives and liberal democrats, they do want to talk about brexit, we have very different standpoints but we do want to talk about it. We stress that is the dominant issue. The labour party does not want to talk about it. So there is symmetry here and quite how it will balance out isnt clear. Kate, just thought about tone of the campaign. Lots of people talk about this but given i suppose your position on brexit and some of your colleagues have been, but say critical of the stance youre taking. Im just wondering do youre taking. Im just wondering do you think the campaign can avoid falling into the trap of becoming incredibly abusive at times or that the toxicity we have seen in public debate can be taken out of this campaign . What is your sense of it . I agree with vince about labour party because it doesnt want to talk about brexit at all. Interesting on the edge of mars showed thatjohn did not get as a single question about brexit. Andy andrew mars show. |j single question about brexit. Andy andrew mars show. I doubt there was a fix. The whole interview was about brexit. Clearly people do feel angry out there, many of them feel either angry that their vote has not been as they see listen to but also i think what is saddest for me when during that referendum, all of these people who never voted before, this was the first time theyve voted and said my vote counts, and ijust think so many of those people particularly in some of our labour areas will not be used it any more because we dont listen that is set, hopefully if we get a new speaker and that has initially gotten rid of and that has initially gotten rid of a lot of the horrible venom of the previous speaker that i have no time for whatsoever, i dont care im not a hypocrite, as long as people getting up about how wonderful he was and then people going a tv saying how awful he was. Isnt that the commons . I do hope we can get it. Its not good for democracy for people to have the kind of language thats being used now. Theres not so much the threats to people because most of them are made by people whove got no intention of doing anything. But its that feeling all the time everything you do is totally shouted at. Final question to you michael which is about the risk of having an election for a party which is in government even for majority for sub some of your colleagues are saying to me that we can see the kind of leading these polls but actually, we think theres quite a gamble to call on election. And it is not given at all evenif election. And it is not given at all even if number tennessee that they are quite confident that it not quite confident that it will go to boriss way. Do you share those concerns . You can guarantee even that we are ahead. Thats why the selection is so important. It gets us through brexit and beyond with things you want to do. There is an agreement now between us and the re st of agreement now between us and the rest of the european union. That agreement has been approved in principle. But we need to legislate and ratified properly and then we can get on after the years of austerity, we could start to invest more in hospitals and allow people to keep more of the earnings that they have. Do you think we will be out of the eu by the end of january . Yes i do. We were told boris when get undergraham by yes i do. We were told boris when get under graham by three for site number. He did, he got it by in the house of commons, and i hope with a decent majority we can get that legislation through. That legislation through. That legislation only gets us to the starting gate of negotiating the trade agreement. Which will occupy is for most of next year and that is what businesses are waiting for. They want to know what the conditions of trade are going to be, what certification, regulation required, andl what certification, regulation required, and i hope we can now get through this election can beget the brexit deal we legislate it and move on. Im bound to ask you katejust at the end, how we vote in the selection . I will be voting, at the end, how we vote in the selection . Iwill be voting, i dont have the chance to vote labour in Northern Ireland. And thats another disgrace for the labour party that they dont allow people to send a facet i will not be voting labour and. Would you be if you are in london was able well im not in one and so the person does not come up. Iwillbe and so the person does not come up. I will be voting for a party that believes in the union. Ok, i did try, did not . Kate, figure very much wasnt necessary can. And fence nice to have you with us. Our things to them and were going to catch up with all the weather now with ben rich. Thank you very much hugh. There is rain on the way over the next 24 hours, a lot of rain for some of us. We started off on a relatively bright note. A few of us held onto sunshine. That is how it shetland earlier on but for many more, the cloud has been cloud has been gathering for subleasing operates of rain. This is the earlier radar and satellite picture. Spreading from the west, a few different bands of showers and here is one continuing to drift northwards at the moment. Have your downpour stretching in towards wales and the south west and these various bands tracked northeastward through the night. Some insurers across scotland will be wintry in nature or high ground, it quite. It is this band that becomes slow moving across central areas that could give some cause for concern into tomorrow. But with the cloud, the rain more of a breeze, not quite as chilly as it was last night. Into tomorrow, this band of rain becomes this very slow moving parts of east anglia and north midlands but especially north england in north wales was typing into the dark blue and green colours showing up on the charts and heavy downpours as this rain sits around all day long. We could see 20 40 mm of rain, maybe up to 80 mm of high ground. That could cause localised flooding and transport disruption. Down to the south, we will see some sunshine but also a scattering of heavy and thundery showers across the south west of inman. Northern ireland and scott Northern Ireland and scott Northern Ireland and scott Northern Ireland and scotland will have sunshine. It will be quite breezy for many of us in your top temperatures through thursday afternoon ranging from 7 10 degrees. Still it is going to feel rather chilly. As you go through thursday evening, watch this band of rain not moving very far, thats why we are concerned about travel and flooding proms indoor than england and wales. The rain will slowly ease its way southeastward through the rain will slowly ease its way southeastwa rd through friday morning. This area of low pressure wobbles out into the near continent. A pump of High Pressure building and from the west. So while i think some of this shall remain could beasts quite slow to clear Eastern England from friday, for many we could see in creasing me dry and brighter spells of wind and sunshine. Still a chilly feeling day and through friday night temperatures will drop them a widespread frost and freezing fog patches as well. After a cold start to saturday morning, we will see spinning from the west but snow over the highest ground in the north, sunday show signs of bring us a little drier. Thats all for me, next up, the bbc news at six p m. Today Boris Johnson next up, the bbc news at six p m. Today borisjohnson officially watches the Russian Campaign but also to do with the cabinet resignation. Or, and this is the alternative next year, spend the whole of 2020 in a horror show of yet more dither and delay. But less than hour before that, the welsh secretary had to resign over what he knew about the collapse of rape trial. And Jeremy Corbyn waded into the row, questioning the ministers moral right to stand in the election. Today was meant to be budget day well look at the countrys finances