Transcripts For BBCNEWS The Papers 20200830

Of tax rises this autumn. Anger over possible tax increases also makes the front page of the telegraph, which says tory mps and Business Leaders reacted with horror to news of a potential rise in Corporation Tax. The daily mirror, meanwhile, turns its attention to the reopening of schools later this week which it brands the biggest test yet. The paper hears from teachers according to a survey, a majority of them think itll be impossible. The guardian says the costs of measures to enforce safety in schools are stretching their budgets to breaking point. And the daily star brings news of a polar plunge that has the daily mail says theres been new band in plastic, the taxis to be increased in plastic bags to which it says a victory for its campaign against the party back. Plastic bag. And the daily star brings news of a polar plunge that has inflicted britons to their coldest august bank holiday for decades. Those of course who are having a bank holiday. Lets begin with the front of the express. Daisy, uproar over tax raid on pensions. Of course, we always know when there is a budget or mini budget or emergency budget as we have had recently coming because the papers will be for the winks and nudges about what they believe the chancellor is about to do, and it will be in a few weeks time when we find out who got right. We also know that sometimes it is not that the newspapers or editors think this is going to be what the chancellor plans, but they wa nt to what the chancellor plans, but they want to send a message that this will not go down well if that is what he is thinking. Another is fundamentally no what rishi sunak is planning but the express has the headline about pensions idea is their story whirling around that the so called triple lock on pensions is great to be done away with. The one thing we know is that rishi sunak has very little money to play with, a huge debt, a lot of unemployment and an official recession, so not exactly a situation that any chancellor would want to be found in. He is of course in popularity terms rising high, he generally can say, not me, this wasnt my doing. Not that anyone is accusing him of introducing covid 19 but he was not the chancellor when the decision was taken, he was brought in only someone taken, he was brought in only someone to go. It is interesting politically, many papers and commentators saying he could well the next leader of the conservative party, the next prime minister. Lots of the papers talking about a jostling going on between michael gove and rishi sunak, many reasons for us to be interested in what rishi sunak is doing personally, politically added his role at number 11. The telegraph has a bit more detail on possible rises, says Corporation Tax could go up 5 , Capital Gains tax, pension tax relief being cut. Significant sums of money, and i suspect some of the telegraphs readers will think of an epitaph for rishi sunak other than dishy, the one he has been enjoying earthly last few months. It is a very funny thing that ever since the coronavirus lockdown began rishi sunak and the government have been hiding out billions of pounds of money to people in the fellow scheme to pop businesses, loans, grants, and not surprisingly that has to be paid for at some point. Furlough scheme. The chart i am hearing is it will be november, hopefully once we have got schools back and people back to offices, there will have to be substantial tax rises. Some people in numberten, be substantial tax rises. Some people in number ten, those around borisjohnson, would quite like to pay for this by slashing government spending, cutting whitehall departments, but the level of spending that has gone on through the coronavirus lockdown is going to end up in tax rises. The kind of things usa in the papers, the story daisy was talking about, there is going to be some very unpopular decisions that have to be taken. Conservative mps hate raising taxes, not what they go into government to do, but these are unprecedented times. We are about to enter into another round of the tory wards between some of the more traditional conservative supporters in the south east and london who traditionally are the ones who pay most of the tax burden, that support the party, the partys new supporters in the midlands and north of england who generally pay less tax and they will not mind the rich being soaked a little bit if you get the wealthiest pensioners getting their tax release cut, but there is a difficult balancing act for rishi sunak because conservative mps like those in the telegraph saying, if you raise Corporation Tax you are going to choke growth. You also have warnings on tax in the higher earners, so warnings on tax in the higher earners, so fundamentally rishi sunak has been very popular up until now, but i do think if he does not play this right, you could become incredibly unpopular because this is a very difficult time and everybody in the treasury knows that. |j a very difficult time and everybody in the treasury knows that. I have at home a tricky glass that has a little cartoon of denis healey on the front, dates from the 70s, it is denis healey, then chancellor, dressed as a high women, it will be interesting to see what the car to hiss will do with rishi sunak if you start putting up taxes. Talking about division in the conservative party, one thing that might unite them is its opinion of the bbc and what the new boss of the bbc, who ta kes what the new boss of the bbc, who takes up his job tomorrow, what the new boss of the bbc, who takes up hisjob tomorrow, might have to do, add the telegraph has got a bit of advice. Yes, the only public leader who gets more unwanted advise in politicians, apart from the chancellor and primer style, probably the boss of the bbc. Everybody has an opinion of what the bbc she would and should not do. Everybody has an opinion on whether the bbc is biased to the left rright. A lot of those stories. This story on the front page, new bbc chief warned to replace licence fee and funding battle. We talked about rishi sunak coming into his office had a difficult time, fair to say tim davie is doing the same. We know that in november the 2nd reading of the bill which is in effect going to make paying the licence fee not a criminal activity do not pay it, it is coming through, this is going to start the process of changing the whole way the funding of the bbc happens. When you look at some of these statistics, it is extraordinary. One in 12 cases that comes before a magistrate at court is about not paying the licence fee. Anybody, no matter you your view on the bbc, would agree that its a ridiculous waste of court time. Particularly when you look at who those people are, they tend to be little old ladies. Over 75, tending to be the ones who get dragged through the court. That has to change. At this very difficult time, tim davey being told to come up with a solution, a different funding way, perhaps subscription based, like a netflix or something. What impact will that have on how the bbc runs its programmes, how much money it has, how much news it does, so many ripple effects of that. There has been some interesting statistics on this question of nonpayment of the licence fee and whatever happens the thought is that the bbcs i great is if you decrepit lighted, it will make people less likely to pay. The stats seems most people, usually people i had jailed for a nonpayment of lots of bills that happen to include the licence. The other 20 aspect to this story is the suggestion they might licence more arrivals, so broadcasters, which is interesting a story about agb news it being set up, a fox news for the uk. Some people would say that is horrendously expensive, very hard to make money out of it, the government try to introduce city tv ad that did not work terribly well. Can you see room for a lot of new broadcasters coming in to give the bbc a bit of a fight for its life . If we look at online media for the moment, the potential times obviously a very Old Newspaper in some ways now it website out doubt that happens to also produce a newspaper. Most of out also produce a newspaper. Most of our readers and traffic are or the website, podcast, that is how we view our business and with regard to the online written media, there has been great entrance websites, and really should cop the commentary space, also magazines like the spectator and new statesman which have small print of thing, but have a huge reach online. Video is a different matter, producing a website with words which i did in my la st two website with words which i did in my last twojobs is website with words which i did in my last two jobs is quite straightforward, and there is a captive audience. Producing video and news content to the standard of bbc, sky news, itv is a big ask. This project was first reported in the mail on sunday, the idea is to provide a rival to the bbc, something more conservative to the right of way sky news and amazing broadcasters are. You can see why there is a captive market for that kind of content. Thinking of the daily telegraph, right wing publications, not really a broadcaster alternative to that due to those ofcom impartiality rules which can be flexed a little bit if you have something online. The question i would raises, where is this going to get its money from, will it be advert supported, we have seen what has happened to the Advertising Market during the coronavirus lockdown. If it will be subscription supported, there is a top market to challenge that. Competition is always a good thing and it makes us better and raise our game, so good luck to the folks trying to do gp news, but whether it is going to challenge the dominance of the bbc, by far the best broadcaster in this country, not so because we are on your good paper review, but it doesnt outstanding job andl review, but it doesnt outstanding job and i hope the government does not go too far in trying to bridge over the edges efforts to reform it. Something everybody could agree on bashing, whether it is written to bbc aside, is bashing the beanbag, plastic bag, shopping bag, and it some news about an increase in the charges for them in england. We believe that the charge, we are all now comfortable ad aware of the 5p charge, it is going to go up to ten p. That is an innate six to ten months or so, the mail is doing a crowing front page saying it was the mail that did it and this is a big mail that did it and this is a big Mail Campaign they have been doing for a long time to get plastic bags band. Ithink for a long time to get plastic bags band. I think it is very easy to get hung up on plastic bags as being the big bogeyman of the environmental cause, and that they damage which is out of sync with the damage that all single use plastic do, looking at the evidence of some of the countries that have banned plastic bags, africa is the continent that has the most number of countries that have done for bands. You get under unintended consequences, people buying these so called bags for life that are not, much worse for life that are not, much worse for the environment if they are not used for very many years. Behaviour is one of the things we need to change most of all. I read today that in denmark the average dane uses for plastic bags a year. The average american uses one a day. You can really see how that as a lot of american states banning plastic, so there is an issue about recycling. Plastic bag can be recycled data just at the machines, they title up. The materials can be recycled so they need to be clever and more cycling scientific answers. Striking photograph of a sworn weather plastic bag in its beak. Another striking photo on the front of the telegraph, this is policing what is right gear confronting a bunch of people in fifth at forest. What is that all about . This is the first £10,000 fine handed out due to breaking the coronavirus restrictions. The government always said it would increase the fine, they would not hesitate to act, and one of the curious thing to emerge is illegal raves around the country. Often in manchester but this one was in norfolk, which i believe is where lots of dads army was filmed back in the day. You can see the police and photographed confronting protesters and the organiser, the people caught have been given a £10,000 fine, it boggles the mind. We are still trying to follow the social distancing restrictions, people are still trying to socialise in very small limited groups. You could have 500 people gathering in a fore st could have 500 people gathering in a forest on a rave, having a great but not exactly following the guidelines. It is not a surprise these vital been handed out, this is these vital been handed out, this is the sort of thing we will see more of during the autumn because the longer this goes on, the more people are going to get weary and tired of these restrictions and willjust sort of break them willy nilly. The government has tried to move in hard and fast to break them up and e nforce and fast to break them up and enforce fines to make sure people do not have more. There have been a lot of the past few months. It is kind of the past few months. It is kind of 1989. Daisy, i will give of the past few months. It is kind of 1989. Daisy, iwill give the of the past few months. It is kind of 1989. Daisy, i will give the last you. Judging by the front of the daily star, i know this does not apply to people in scotland, but those enjoying it back Holiday Weekend may think of staying in bed tomorrow. We all that the weather has been hideous, i havejust come back from holiday, one of the few who managed to get away somewhere where i dont have to quarantine. The shock of coming back from somewhere hot to the coldest august bank holiday for decades, we have had all this saying it is colder than christmas. One of the other paper says we are about to get a heatwave so i got all excited and looked into that, so edges means it is going to get back up to 20, which ido is going to get back up to 20, which i do not think as a heat wave in most of our books. We have been incredibly lucky with the weather during the whole of lockdown, since the beginning of april, and may this is our punishment for all of us ignoring social distancing going on raves and all that. Whatever you are doing, if you are raving, it will be entirely lawful, and if youre staying in bed, i dont blame you. Thank you both very much. As ever with the weather, it is all relative. Colder than christmas, with the weather, it is all relative. Colderthan christmas, but last christmas was particularly mild. Thank you forjoining us, but with more in an hours time. Coming up with more in an hours time. Coming up next, an interview with outgoing bbc director tony hall. Thank you for talking to us. In preparation i have spoken to many present and former colleagues of yours, seniorfigures, ishould present and former colleagues of yours, seniorfigures, i should say in the spirit of transparency about the consensus is that you are a highly effective director general and had a hardjob. Highly effective director general and had a hard job. There was one common criticism, i think you know it, about the deal you struck with the government in 2015 to take on the government in 2015 to take on the cost of free tv licences for the other 75s something you say the bbc cannot afford. It looked like a bad deal back then, why did you agree to it . Let me take you back to 2015. The expectation you had, an incoming majority conservative government. The lib dems and they are break on the government of the past, the coalition, had gone. You had a government which was full on austerity, a feeling that the bbc needed reform. Ithink austerity, a feeling that the bbc needed reform. I think it was a really, really terrorist time for the bbc. Move forward to monday morning where, not suspecting this will happen, the then secretary of state rings me and says, john whittingdale, who says, i have tried over the weekend but it hasnt worked, the treasury are insistent on this, they are going to impose on you the over 75s. You mean George Osborne. Yes, and i said, in which case that is nuclear. That means closing bbc two, bbc three, bbc four, local radio, some Radio Networks and probably other things. Understand that is the scale of what you proposing. Did you threaten to resign . I thought about resigning about at that moment i thought, you have to get in there and stop this or ameliorate what they are proposing. It was very clear very quickly that there was no possibility of stopping this. Did you make clear to them this is a welfare payment and that is what governments do . Yes, we made all those arguments, everything on one was very highly thought. It was one of the most difficult and tense negotiations or discussions i have ever had. I do not want to repeated. We ended up after some more meetings with George Osborne at the event chairman of the bbc trust running through the amelioration of which we had one from them for the over 75s. One was we would have a licence fee that would go up with inflation for the first time in over a decade, secondly some importa nts the first time in over a decade, secondly some importants for broadband and other things would be removed, thirdly what was causing digital loophole that those not viewing viewing online would have to pay their licence fee. Add what the result of that was, as we worked it out, including some reform of the other city fives, a cash flat settlement. Let me take you back to that period. Cash flat at that time was a settlement only achieved by the nhs. Everyone else were taking a ha rd the nhs. Everyone else were taking a hard card. From the point of your where we were, a majority conservative government, that was really important. We won a charter for ii really important. We won a charter for 11 years with the licence fee being the method for finding the bbc. That was right against all the orthodoxy of the people who are coming out as at the time, we got that and i think that is important because the bbc now has that amount of time until 2037 to ensure it is in excellent shape. The fact is, at the end of that negotiation, the bbc had a time bomb placed underneath it at that time bomb is going offjust as you are leaving. You quite a time bomb, isay as you are leaving. You quite a time bomb, i say we have come to a solution which is a fair solution, which is those who cannot offer what you which is those who cannot offer what yu pay which is those who cannot offer what you pay for the licence fee do not have to pay for it. If you are on pension credit. Those who can afford it are paying for it. That is actually a very fair way of looking for payments. For a lot of people this is a painful choice. There are hundreds of thousands or millions of people who love the bbc and supported and have got used to having it for free. Supported and have got used to having it forfree. Why supported and have got used to having it for free. Why are you now actively hurting those people and saying you have to pay for something you have been getting for free . You have to say who is responsible for theirs. This is something which i then majority conservative government put on the bbc. We ameliorated it. Present government, have you been into number ten before the pandemic to see borisjohnson and Dominic Cummings since the election . No, i saw Dominic Cummings during the election but not since. How did your conversation go . Was it pr after the empty chair . It was before, it was an intelligent conversation, he asked good questions about the nature of the bbc and the kind ofjournalism he had i word believe in. What your reaction when you saw a soggy time splashing fabric which said that number ten were going to whack the bbc . I thought that was wholly wrong andi bbc . I thought that was wholly wrong and i wondered whether that actually quite who inhabiting was saying that, the prime minister, someone else . Do you think it was Dominic Cummings . I dont know. Another type of negotiate which will be remembered for is what you have done with the people you work with, how you have approached the imbalance in pay between men and women. Were you shocked when you looked at the top of that listing you so have dominated at was by men, some of the old deals . These ideals that are done but not passing blame, before my time. To what extent . This has not been discussed in public. To what extent did you feel that your hands were tied by contractual negotiations, legal obligations from before your time . A lot, all of us felt we were sorting out problems which are a generation old. Why did it take so long to sort out kerry gracies pay . I think the organisation responded to slowly, i agree. Carrie gracie. I wish we could don that faster. Looking back at the Talent Management problem. Jeremy clarkson. While you laughing . I like jeremy clarkson. While you laughing . Ilikejeremya jeremy clarkson. While you laughing . I like jeremy a lot, he jeremy clarkson. While you laughing . I likejeremya lot, he is a real talent. That was a hard decision. He was a very special person in the bbc but you go back to your values. Jeremy did something that you just cannot accept. You cant. That is where in any of these issues you values have to come in. I broke the news to him. We met on a number of occasions. We have met since, and i ama occasions. We have met since, and i am a big fan of his. I think i am sorry he left because he was a particular voice at the bbc that they needed. Couldnt you have disciplined him and kept him . When i came back there was a lot of right discussion about bullying and harassment. People felt strongly that some people got away with it and others didnt. You simply could not letjeremy get away with it. That would have said to everybody, there is a culture for one set of people and a culture for the rest. For many truly national institutions, from the bbc to the monarchy, the struggle to reflect a more diverse, divided and digital britain, it self creates deep divisions. The bc broadcast the n word, prompting an outcry. It initially defended the decision then apologised. I felt strongly this was apologised. I felt strongly this was a difficult story, remember this was a difficult story, remember this was a story about abuse of somebody, a hit and a story about abuse of somebody, a hitand run, a story about abuse of somebody, a hit and run, racially motivated hit and run. But i felt using the n word at that time of day in that report was a mistake. These are difficult decisions, and in the end occasionally i have intervened as director general when i felt was right to say no, this is what i believe in that is what i believe. Right to say no, this is what i believe in that is what i believelj have been told something, you are your instinct was to hold the line, back david jordan on this issue, but that you were lobbied by memos of the bbc board who said they would be mass resignations are most ethic minority broadcasters if you didnt apologise. Is that correct . No, i was not lobbied. You didnt have people saying to that hallowed black men as our staff, ethnic minority members are furious, if you dont change, they would resign . People we re change, they would resign . People were furious but i felt strongly it was the right thing to apologise. And to make clear our collective disquiet. As the n word band . No, on the friday before i apologise, it was used in a programme about the real thing, that was appropriate that when two of the guidelines and was appropriately done. It is where, when, how often and someone we need to think very hard about and that is what we are doing. Do you think the bbc for well survive as a linear channel . Yes. Will bbc three come back . That paint on how audiences change post covid i9. What we have a day of people going more on demand so it is a close call. If the bbc looking at selling off buildings raise revenue . We have learned something that we can do with fewer buildings, i would something that we can do with fewer buildings, iwould be something that we can do with fewer buildings, i would be surprised if we did it sell off some. Did you vote remain . I will not tell you,. What is the editorial high point of your tenure . Seeing drama flower on the weight has done, blue cap might change peoples behaviour on plastics. Seeing news cope with crises after crisis. Blue planet. What i shall miss, because you want to ask me, is getting out they own the shop floor with people making programmes. I am the shop floor with people making programmes. Iam and the shop floor with people making programmes. I am and how a the shop floor with people making programmes. Iam and howa Programme Maker and programmes. Iam and howa Programme Makerand a programmes. Iam and howa Programme Maker and a great privilege of being here running the bbc has been to see Programme Makers doing Amazing Things. I have never known a time when we have won so many awards for the programmes that we have made. In the programmes that we have made. In the end, the admins about the bbc is about the programmes and services we provide. Are they of the highest possible quality, and that is not to do with me about the many people in this organisation who do Amazing Things to serve the public with brilliant programmes. Thank you very much indeed for your time. The final day of august is set to be a rather cool affair, largely dry start to the new week, and then as we head towards the middle of the week it will turn a bit wetter, windier, a little bit warmer. It gets cooler again by next weekend. They detail, monday will bring a lot of dry weather, fair amount of sunshine through the morning, more cloud bubbling up and spitting out in the sky as we get was the afternoon. Later in the day we will see when straight across parts of Northern Ireland and western scotla nd Northern Ireland and western scotland ahead of a frontal system tried to work its way in. Temperatures 15 17 c, i love a cool day for the time of year. Monday evening, through the night and early pa rt evening, through the night and early part of tuesday, largely dry, frontal system bringing rain into Northern Ireland and north west scotland. The majority will still be dry on tuesday, wet and blustery weather on wednesday, warmer for thursday, cooler by the end of the week. This is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. Arrests in belarus, as tens of thousands protest in minsk and Security Forces block off areas to deter demonstrators