The weather is set to turn much colder in the next few days, siberian air pouring in across the continent and it will reach our shores. We will see some sunshine, but there is a snow as well. Join me later and i will have the details. Also coming up as President Trump tells families and survivors of last weeks School Shooting that one way to respond is to arm the teachers, well be hearing reaction from the influential us Gun Lobby Group the nra. Crucial, decisive, momentous, urgent pick any of those words and they would probably apply to whats going on the Prime Ministers country retreat right now. Theresa may is surrounded by her closest ministers at a meeting of the brexit inner cabinet. She wants unity and a common approach to britains negotiating position with the eu. But those words unity, conservative, and europe very rarely appear in the same sentence. Theresa may has a long day ahead of her and already were being told the meeting could go well into tonight. Heres our Political Correspondent, chris mason. The official country residence of british Prime Ministers since 1921. Chequers in the buckinghamshire countryside, hosting a meeting of the governments most senior figures involved in making brexit happen. The chance for them to work out what they see our long term relationship with the eu looking like. Questions to the secretary of state for international trade. Back at westminster, brexit dominates everything. Liam fox faced questions this morning, as did the Prime Ministers de facto deputy, who tried to talk things down. This is one of a number of meetings of cabinet ministers to talk through how we approach the forthcoming negotiations. Obviously everybody brings their particular departmental interests to the table but if you look at what happened back before the december european summit there was a lot of speculation the cabinet would not reach agreement. We all agreed the position the Prime Minister took to brussels and got a successful outcome and we are determined to get the best possible deal. But there are continuing rows about precisely how long the transition period immediately after brexit next year should be. And crucially there are differences of instinct around the cabinet table about what the uks long term relationship with the eu after brexit should look like and those differences wont melt away easily. The Prime Minister has got to keep brexiteer backbenchers onside. The brexit cabinet all fought the last election on a manifesto of leaving the European Union and thats basically what they are talking about, the structure as to how we do that. The Prime Minister enunciated yesterday the main principles about taking back control of our laws and money, leaving the Single Market and Customs Union. Labour has faced criticism is itself about a lack of clarity about what it wants but is now saying. We have been evolving and deepening our policy over the last few months. The key issue is to say to the government you got to have the transition period of these two years, but also for the long term look at the potential of a Customs Union. We think europe would be open to that. The cameras wont get much closer to chequers than this today. Spectacular views, yes, but dont expect spectacular political theatre. The process of negotiating brexit at home and abroad is a slow and grinding one. Alex forsyth is therefore us. Are they all there, has it got under way . We think so. In the last ten minutes or so we have seen a whole series of motor cars arriving and sweeping through the gates into the pms country residence, surrounded by Police Officers. I think its pretty safe to assume that if not the Prime Minister herself, some of her senior ministers have arrived for the start of these talks. These talks which we expect to go on for some time, because the job in talks which we expect to go on for some time, because thejob in hand isa some time, because thejob in hand is a difficult one. As chris mason was saying, they are trying to decide what the uk wants from its future relationship with the eu. They want to know what that will be beyond the transition period, in the longer term. The tricky part is the trading relationship and what the discussions will likely centre on is how close the uk wants to remain to the eu once it has left the block. There are differences of opinion, which reflect the differences of opinion across parliament and the country. You might be there quite a while. Is it a given that at the end of this process, however long it does take, there has to be a unified document, if you like . Well, there is no given in any of these negotiations so far. There is an ambition that they will reach some sort of compromise so at least the cabinet can come out and say it is clear on what its position is. Of course, that position may be subject to negotiation with brussels. What they are discussing today is only what the uk wants to achieve from the negotiations. There are 27 other countries that have two factor into this as well. From theresa mays perspective, what she will want is some sort of unified position and to be able to answer the demands for clarity that have been growing, not just from mps in westminster, but from the other eu 27 countries as well, who say the only way the talks can progress is if we are clear as to what the uk wants and then we can start discussing how feasible that is in the longer term. I think the Prime Minister will be hoping the atmosphere around the table today is atmosphere around the table today is a little bit warmer than the web at chequers. The weather. A little bit warmer than the web at chequers. The weather. We have had yea rs of chequers. The weather. We have had years of austerity, that is not the house behind you . It is a gatehouse . It is just the house behind you . It is a gatehouse . It isjust a gatehouse, i would love to show you the full house, but i am not allowed up there. Get that patch of grass and make it yours, it is yours for a while ive claimed that the eu seems to have rejected a key british proposal. Our reporter adam fleming has been looking at them so adam, whats the eu been saying . It is ok for theresa may to try and get her ducks in a row, but there are some over there as well . M get her ducks in a row, but there are some over there as well . It is the concept that has been floated by theresa may, in her florence speech last year, which has got the nickname the three baskets. It envisages areas where the eu and the uk have the same goal, through the same rules and regulations. Number two, areas of the economy where they have the same goal but richard through different methods, and areas where they diverged coakley and have different roles altogether. Eu officials discussed that approach a couple of weeks ago. A document emerged from the European Commission showing that brexit negotiators said the concept was incompatible with the concept was incompatible with the eus brexit guidelines, designed to protect the integrity of the Single Market. So, pouring cold water on the idea, even before it gets out of the blocks with the british cabinet. As alex was saying, this is all about formulating an open meeting for the British Government, let alone actually getting down to the hard graft of negotiating it with brussels. 0k, adam, for now, thank you very much. The number of European Union nationals leaving the uk is at its highest level for a decade. New figures show that 130,000 eu nationals emigrated in the year to last september. Our Home Affairs Correspondent danny shaw is here. Danny how significant are these statistics . I think these are very significant figures. What they appear to show us that there is a brexit effect. If you look at the figures leading up to the referendum injune 2016, what you see is the number of people coming from eu countries, the number leaving, at pretty much the same level as they have been for the past couple of years. Since then, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of eu citizens that are leaving the uk. The figure was 130,000 in the 12 months to last september, and that is the highest figure that there has been since 2008. Those are the number of people who are emigrating from the uk, who are eu nationals. In terms of those arriving, the number was 220,000 eu nationals arriving. That is the smallest figure for about five yea rs. Smallest figure for about five years. Almost four years, in fact. What that means is that the net migration figure, in terms of eu migration, is falling. In terms of overall net migration, eu nationals, people from outside the European Union, the net migration figure is 244000 and that is still way above the governments target of 100,000. The figure of those in from outside the eu is up . The number coming from outside the European Union is going up. It remains to be seen if that is just a blip, because it is being driven by a sharp rise in student numbers. That might be because the figure last year was unusually quite low. But that will be something that the government will want to look at as to whether or not the fact that perhaps there are fewer people coming from the eu than there were before is creating vacancies and companies are now looking outside europe to fill those vacancies. But there are restrictions, of course, an immigration from outside europe. Thank you very much. The uk economy expanded by less than previously thought in the final three months of last year, official figures reveal. Gross domestic product or gdp grew by 0. 4 in the 0ctober to december period, down from the initial estimate of 0. 5 . The office for National Statistics said the downgrade was due to Slower Growth in production industries. University lecturers across the uk are beginning a series of strikes in protest at planned changes to their Pension Scheme, which they say will leave them worse off in retirement. 0ur correspondent tomos morgan has sent this report from cardiff where hundreds of University Staff are taking action. Know ifs, no buts, no pension cuts. Picket lines, rallies, and protests, the scene at universities across the country. Staff walking out in a dispute over pensions. Institutions say theres a £6. 1 billion deficit in the current scheme, which is unsustainable. They say changes must be made. But after 35 meetings over the past year, the university and College Union says the strikes were inevitable is the proposed new scheme would be far less generous. We are saying changes to the scheme should be fair. We are in the scheme which the staff and employers are committed to. They employers have now junked that approach and are going for something where the staff are being shoved aside. With lectures being affected by the strikes there a danger that student degrees will be impacted. There are suggestions exams may have to be modified or marking relaxed. The thousands of students that have come out today to protest across the country are doing so alongside their lecturers. Their frustration is aimed at their institutions. They are seen as consumers in the eyes of regulators and the courts and if this deadlock continues students believe they deserve some compensation from universities for the loss of teaching time. Students across the country have begun petitions, calling for universities to recognise that they are not receiving a service paid for by their tuition fees. The petition here in cardiff has already had almost 5000 signatures. Its an opportunity to focus on financial compensation, we believe that academic compensation is more beneficial. We dont believe in the long running financial compensation will benefit students and changes to exam feedback or deadlines benefits is more. Educational compensation is much better. The union says senior lecturers could be £10,000 a year worse off under the proposed new scheme. Universities uk, the body that represents institutions, says that they are making every effort to minimise the impact of industrial action on students, adding that changes proposed will make the Pension Scheme secure and sustainable, safeguarding the future of universities. Currently, 14 days of protests are planned. But unless a deal can be reached soon, unions say more strike action stretching into the summer exam period is inevitable. Tomos morgan, bbc news, cardiff. Phil bodmer is outside leeds university. There was a time when lecturers walking out was a cause of celebration among students, now they wa nt celebration among students, now they want compensation . Indeed, there is an element of sympathy among students, certainly the ones we spoke to win leeds earlier on today. The number of students joined a rally of 200 or 300 lecturers assembling on the steps of the building, and they had a picket line from about 8am. They set off on this rally through the city centre rob leeds to meet at the town hall, where they held the rally, listening toa number of where they held the rally, listening to a number of speeches. Clearly, the mood is one of defiance. They are unhappy about these proposed changes to what they call switching from a defined benefit Pension Scheme to a contribution scheme. They claim that is the result of them being worse 0ff they claim that is the result of them being worse off in retirement. For their part, the vice chancellors did not make any comment today. But universities generally say that the Current System is an affordable, and that is why the change needs to be made. As thomas said in that report, with 14 days ahead we could see a spring dispute between the two sides and it could go on for some time to come. Thank you very much. And our correspondent katie hunter is outside glasgow university. No fees for scots, i wonder if that changes the sympathy level among students . Good afternoon from glasgow university. It is much quieter this afternoon and it was this morning. There are about 200 people on a picket line, and they are allangry people on a picket line, and they are all angry about changes to pensions. Glasgow university is one of nine that will be taking part in the action. The union estimates 145,000 students will be affected. It varied, some were not aware of the action and it did not bother them too much. 0thers the action and it did not bother them too much. Others are very supportive of the lecturers. I spoke to the president of the university and College Union, and he said that the action was a last resort. Katie, thank you very much. Youre watching afternoon live, these are our headlines. High stakes at chequers theresa may and her senior ministers try to hammer out a deal over the governments approach to brexit. The number of eu citizens leaving the uk is at its highest for a decade. Give us some of our tuition fees back student anger as University Lecturers across the uk begin a series of strikes over pension provision. In sport, the team gb men are out of at the Winter Olympics. Silver medallists from four years ago, but they were beaten 9 5 against switzerland in the play off match earlier. Nathan hughes will start at number eight for england in this weekend four six nations clash against scotland. He replaces the injured sam simmonds. Propjoe marler returns on the bench. And mercedes reveal their new car for the new formula 1 season. Defending champion Lewis Hamilton says he will quickly get used to the new hail designed to protect drivers. President trump has tried to clarify comments about the arming of school teachers, tweeting that he had never said he wanted to give guns to teachers. The president did say teachers with Firearms Training could have concealed weapons in the classroom. In a previous tweet, he said teachers could then fire back if a savage sicko came to a school with bad intentions. His comments came after he met survivors of the latest massacre and previous shootings. Barbara plett usher reports from florida. The people demand a hearing. In florida telling their lawmakers loud and clear, they dont want this mass shooting to drop off the political agenda like all the others have. At the white house, President Trump was listening, to victims of the Parkland School attack, but also those that came before it. Andrew pollacks18 year old daughter meadow was killed last week. It doesnt make sense, fix it, should have been one School Shooting and we should have fixed it. Because my daughter, im not going to see again. Shes not here, shes not here. Shes in North Lauderdale at whatever it is, king david cemetery, thats where i go to see my kid now. It doesnt make sense to her schoolmate samuel zeif either, especially the gunmans access to a semiautomatic rifle. I dont understand. I turned 18 the day after, woke up to the news that my best friend was gone and i dont understand why i could still go in a store and buy a weapon of war. The president has responded to calls for tougher gun laws with promises of strong background checks, but also more guns. Its called concealed carry, where a teacher would have a concealed gun on them. Theyd go for special training. They would be there and you would no longer have a gun free zone. There is some support for that argument, but students who survived the attack flooded floridas state legislature, demanding a ban on assault rifles. Lawmakers may make it harder for a teenager to buy one, but not more than that. All never again still, thats movement in an unmoving debate. The students aim to harness that momentum and turn it into a national campaign. This feels like something new. The students seem to have captured a moment. Theyre giving a face and a voic