The princes decision. Also on the programme tonight. On the campaign trail on teesside, borisjohnson holds out the prospect of major changes to National Insurance. And in london, the lib dems publish their manifesto, pledging to stop brexit if theyre elected. At the impeachment inquiry in washington, a us diplomat says he followed Donald Trumps orders to put pressure on ukraine to investigate a political rival. And the special one is on the move again. This time its to spurs, where hes signed a four year deal. And coming up on sportsday on bbc news, its a winning start for Great Britain in the revamped davis cup, beating the netherlands 2 1 in their Opening Group game. Good evening. Prince andrew, whos been engulfed in controversy because of his links with the convicted sex offenderjeffrey epstein, has announced he will not undertake any royal duties for the foreseeable future. The prince, whos 59, acknowledged that the epstein scandal had become a major disruption to the royal family, following his widely criticised interview with bbc newsnight last week. He said he deeply sympathised with epsteins victims, and that he unequivocally regretted what he called his ill judged association with the man who took his own life in prison in august this year. Our royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell has the story. Driving himself into Buckingham Palace yesterday, the only sighting of Prince Andrew since the newsnight interview was broadcast. Hostility towards him has shown no sign of listening. Poison prince and pariah prints listening. Poison prince and pariah prints were just listening. Poison prince and pariah prints were just too much of the newspaper headlines this morning. At the same time, sponsors of his various initiatives and charities have continued to distance themselves from him. All this in response to a notably misjudged interview in which he failed to find either the right tone all the right words to respond to his association with jeffrey epstein. Tonight, words to respond to his association withjeffrey epstein. Tonight, he and Buckingham Palace accepted that his position had become unsustainable. In a statement, Prince Andrew said, i have asked her majesty if i may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future and she has given her permission. He went on, i continue to unequivocally regret my ill judged association withjeffrey epstein. I deeply sympathise with eve ryo ne epstein. I deeply sympathise with everyone who has been affected. I can only hope that in time they will be able to rebuild their lives. And finally and significantly, of course, iam finally and significantly, of course, i am willing to help any appropriate Law Enforcement agency with their investigations if required. The tone was notably contrite, something of a contrast to saturday nights broadcast. Any sense now of guilt, regret or shame about any of your behaviour in your friendship with epstein . As far as mr epstein is concerned, it was the wrong decision to go and see him in 2010. Do i regret the fact that, that he has quite obviously conducted himself in a manner unbecoming . Yes. Unbecoming . He was a sex offender. Yes, im sorry, im being polite was not for the queen, fulfilling royal duties tonight on this, her 72nd wedding anniversary, it must be both upsetting and unwelcome. Andrew has always enjoyed her particular support but by this morning, it will have become evident that his position was untenable. Thus, for the first time, one of her own immediate family has been forced by Public Opinion to step back. Ive never seen by Public Opinion to step back. Ive never seen such by Public Opinion to step back. Ive never seen such a by Public Opinion to step back. Ive never seen such a reaction to a royal interview. I mean, there havent been that many royal interviews but the reaction was just so interviews but the reaction was just so condemnatory and he came across so so condemnatory and he came across so badly. Not once did he express regret for those, or sympathy for the victims of epsteins behaviour. Buckingham palace will be hoping that andrews statement and his withdrawal from public duties will stem the criticism. They will be hoping, too, that the eksteen allegations have now run their full course. allegations have now run their full course. Eksteen allegations. And nick is at Buckingham Palace. When we think about the magnitude of this decision for the palace, what light can you shed on the way the decision came about . |j light can you shed on the way the decision came about . I think the palace has undoubtedly been taken aback by the sheer intensity of the negative reaction. They have been behind the curve, really for the past two days, discussions began yesterday involving andrew, the queen, the prince of wales, who has beenin queen, the prince of wales, who has been in new zealand, and senior officials, a decision finally taken today, unprecedented, of course. Now what does it mean in practical terms . Andrew, im told, is not resigning any of his patron edges but if charities want to find a new patron, i am told that will be fully understood. He will not be carrying out any public engagements but he will still attend what are called royal family events, such as trooping the colour or remembrance sunday. He is, of course, the honorary colonel of the grenadier guards. But by the time those events ta ke guards. But by the time those events take place, it is hoped, injune or november next year, that this will all have blown over. In your report, you underlined again that the tone of todays statement was far more contrite than the remarks made in the bbc newsnight interview. Then we have this interesting phrase today that he will be stepping down for the foreseeable future. What do you understand by that . Yes, the change of tone is the most striking thing, i think, the regret and the cooperation with the us authorities. The foreseeable future, i dont think they know. I think it depends on what emerges from those investigations in the United States that he says, of course, i will cooperate with, and it depends what emerges in this country from various media organisations. I know that the bbc Panorama Programme has a programme going to air in a few weeks time, for example. The final note on his funding, he does not receive any public funding, his money comes privately from the queen. Thank you, Nicholas Witchell, our royal correspondence at Buckingham Palace with the latest. Election news now. Borisjohnson has proposed major changes to National Insurance, which could amount to a multi billion pound tax cut if the conservatives win the election. The current threshold applies National Insurance contributions when someone earns at least £8,628 a year. Mrjohnson says he would raise the threshold to £9,500, which would mean a tax saving of around £85 a year for every worker. And mrjohnson claimed the threshold might eventually rise to £12,500, which would mean a tax saving of more than £450 a year. Our deputy Political Editorjohn pienaar looks at the implications of the plans and how realistic they are. Borisjohnson has a big job in this election, win round the hard hat vote, the working class support he needs on polling day. Out campaigning today, promising lower taxes wasnt enough. You said low tax. Do you mean low tax for people like you or low tax for People Like Us . I mean low tax for people, for the working people. We are going to be cutting National Insurance up to 12,000. A taste, then, of tax cuts for all, including lower earners, but the £12,500 starting rate for National Insurance would be phased in over years. There would be an immediate increase to £9,500, worth £85 a year, say, from next april. If the conservatives were to raise the National Insurance threshold this far, it would not leave them with much space at all, really, for additional spending increases or tax cuts elsewhere. They have said they want to balance the current budget. This would use up all of the headroom they have got. Borisjohnsons tax promise echoed a pledge made during his Party Leadership campaign. His opponents, as you would expect, were not impressed. Borisjohnson is throwing around spending pledges and tax cuts like confetti. But hes not telling you how hes going to pay for it. And given that his proposals for brexit will undermine our economy and reduce growth, these pledges are completely unbelievable. Well, it is a regressive tax. Yes, of course some people will benefit from this but the very well off will benefit even more than those people on low incomes. Labour says the tory tax promise fails to make up for what it calls ten cruel years of cuts. Lets not get over the top on this particular policy. And after ten years of austerity, if this is all the government have got to offer, they are falling way short of what they need to do. The giveaways keep coming. Mrjohnson has also promised more tax cuts for higher earners as well, recently. The signs are that will have to wait. Either way, so far, this election has been about ending austerity and pleasing voters. Worrying about how to pay for those promises . That comes later. The pm has been good at grabbing attention, but attention and trust arent the same thing. Borisjohnson wants and needs both. John pienaar, bbc news. Our economics editor faisal islam is here. I think its fair to say this policy emerged in a slightly unusual way today, not in a formal campaign way initially. What do you make of the figures and the claims they are making . As it was explained, an enterprising member of the public managed to extract it from the prime minister, that would have been an incredibly radical policy, levelling up incredibly radical policy, levelling up the rate at which workers start to pay National Insurance with the income tax level, it would cost billions, nearly £10 billion and would have been a hefty tax cut for millions and millions of workers. What has transpired as to what will actually be in the manifesto tomorrow is more modest than that. It has been described to me as a down payment, as you explain, an increase of just down payment, as you explain, an increase ofjust under £1000 in the threshold to £9,500 which means a tax cut from now of about £100, but actually, taking into account the inflation would have lifted the threshold a bit anyway, it is £85, costs about £2 billion. It is a big ambition from the prime minister, no timeframe being put on the £12,500 number but actually what is going to be in the manifesto tomorrow is a pretty modest £2 billion tax cut. We will talk to again later but for now, thanks a lot. With just over three weeks to polling day, the liberal democrat leader jo swinson has launched her partys ma nifesto. Theres a promise to stop brexit and to build what they call a new future for the uk inside the European Union. The party claims that staying in the eu will give a £50 billion boost to spend on public services. And on climate change, theyre setting a target of generating 80 of our electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Our Political EditorLaura Kuenssberg has more details. The voice of remain, jo swinson how she wants to make a big entrance onto the national stage. Why she believes the lib dems matter. We are the only party that can win a significant number of seats from the conservatives and deprive them a majority. Applause but while the nightclubs different enough to the other parties, can stopping brexit at all costs really appeal . The manifesto calls brexit a national humiliation. Is that a way to describe what was a democratic decision . I do believe it has become a National Embarrassment for our country. When, you know, you speak to people in other countries looking at us, and they look at us with puzzlement. But what message do you think that sends to a leave voter, who mightjust have heard you say that . Very candidly, you are seeking to overturn what was a narrow, but clear, decision, taken by the majority of voters in this country. So, i recognise that the vote in 2016 had that result. The people who want brexit dont agree on what brexit looks like, and what that leads me to be concerned about is, i dont think there is a majority in this country for any specific form of brexit. And that is why i think it is very worrying to embark on a path that the governments analysis says will make us poorer, if we dont even have confidence that that is what a majority of the population actually want. A few weeks ago, you said you were a candidate to be prime minister. Do you say now thats still really the case . Im the liberal democrat candidate to be prime minister. Not a single vote has been cast in this election, people still do have a genuine choice. I recognise that that is a big step to take from where the polls look like they are right now. Im not going be deterred from my vision for our country. Can you level with people now and admit that it is extremely unlikely, unless something very odd happens in this campaign . Its certainly possible. And, you know, politics is about, you know, trying to achieve change. If theres no majority, you could have an extremely influential role on the morning of friday the 13th of december. Now, at the moment, as things stand, would you countenance working in any way with a government led byJeremy Corbyn, yes or no . Were not putting Jeremy Corbyn into number 10 with liberal democrat votes, nor will we put borisjohnson into number 10 with liberal democrat votes. It is one thing to say liberal democrat mps would not vote for a Government Programme of borisjohnson orJeremy Corbyn. Would you actually block either Jeremy Corbyn or borisjohnson from forming a government . Yeah, i do not want to see either of them form a government. Thats not my question. But what im saying to you, laura, is that i think we should be more imaginative about what happens. You have mps in those two main parties who do not necessarily themselves agree with their own Party Leadership. What, are you suggesting there could be some kind of government of National Unity the morning after, if theres no majority . I mean, you know, i dont rule that out as an option. Wow, youre doing times tables beyond brexit, its an ambitious and expensive manifesto. An extra 10 billion a year for schools in england, thousands of extra teachers, a stretching target on cutting emissions, and a special tax to be spent on health and care for the elderly. The lib dems are still controversial. Now, you cant be sure that these numbers will add up. There is wide agreement that our economy will be bigger if we remain in the European Union, and we have taken a cautious end of those estimates to calculate our remain bonus, and we are being honest about the need to raise more money through taxation. Whether thats on corporation tax, putting that up to 20 , or whether thats a penny on income tax for the nhs, to fund our spending promises too. A few weeks ago, it felt the lib dems could be heading for a much bigger platform. Her role, though, may ultimately be not about what she would do instead, who she would choose. Laura kuenssberg, bbc news, london. Among the pledges outlined by the lib dems today were a promise of Free Childcare for children of working parents from nine months old. There are plans to recruit 20,000 more teachers and theyre promising to make significant improvements to Mental Health services. Our chief Political Correspondent vicki young reports from cornwall where the lib dems are trying to win seats from the conservatives. Theres an election on but theres still plenty of time for seasonal celebrations. Tonight, the streets of truro were lit up by hundreds of handcrafted lanterns. This was the only part of cornwall that voted to remain in the eu. But what will be on the minds of the volunteers behind this event when they go to the polls . I think theres more to the country than just brexit. I think a lot of things need to be considered. Education im a teacher, or an ex teacher but also, the lack of funding in education and the nhs. For me, brexit is important. I feel its very sad that we are turning our back on europe. So the liberal democrats saying that they would stop brexit if they could or at least have another referendum, does that appeal to you . Yes, that appeals to me. The liberal democrats are confident of making progress in cornwall and the rest of the south west, but they do face a tough challenge in many areas. There was a time when every seat in cornwall had a liberal democrat mp. Today, they are all conservative, plus labour has performed far better in recent general elections, which means the lib dems need a spectacular turnaround if they are to gain seats like truro back again. This brewery is proud of its cornish ale and sells it to pubs all over the country. The business is doing well but the owners worried about the economy slowing down after yea rs of uncertainty over brexit. So how is the lib dems pro eu message going down here . I voted for remain, for the very reason that i wanted stability. Now i am not so sure because ijust think we need to get out. Upstairs in the office, most think this election will be dominated by brexit. The lib dems have got a very clear message on brexit. Do you know what that message is and is it something that appeals to you . Yes, they will revoke article 50. I get that, they need a usp and that is their usp. Whether people believe it, i thi