Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News 20171007

The leader of the scottish conservatives, Ruth Davidson, has told critics of the Prime Minister to put up, or shut up. Her intervention came after cabinet members rebuked the former party chairman, grant shapps, after he claimed around 30 mps wanted a leadership contest. Ms davidson is viewed by some as a potential contender to lead the party in westminster. This morning, borisjohnson became the latest senior party figure to comment on the rumours, telling a messaging group of conservative mps that they should get behind the pm. The foreign secretary said we have just had an election and people are fed up with all this malarkey get behind the Prime Minister. He went on to say ordinary punters i have spoken to thought her speech was good, and anyone can have a cold. And he told mps to circle the wagons, turn the fire on corbyn, and talk about nothing except our great policies and what we can do for the country. Our Political Correspondent iain watson reports. Grant shapps has received plenty of advice from colleagues with some mps and peers literally telling him to shut up. Most of the party strongly support. I think we have two roads to go down. We can behave like a knuckle head like grant did today. What else was it . He was trying to act against the Prime Minister. All we can do is unite and support the Prime Minister. Ruth davidson has added her voice, suggesting that if the plot against the Prime Minister had been serious then it would have been led by someone serious. But she had a wider message for Party Members as well, advising them to settle down. Jeremy corbyn can be eminently beatable. I know its daunting when people are chomping somebody elses name in the streets but you have to make people understand what you are trying to do in politics, how it will benefit their lives, and thats what the party should be trying to get on with right now. Shared knowledge that the instability of the Prime Minister could lead to toppling but pledged her support. Following this perceived threat from grant shapps, there is some unrest. One of his fellow rebels, a former cabinet member, suggested privately that the Prime Minister is just one crisis away from losing herjob. Joining me now is our Political Correspondent jonathan blake. Pa rt part of her problem is she cannot turn around and say to her mps, look, you voted for me a year ago, because there never was a leadership election. She won the general election. She won the general election but not as well as anyone thought. Where does this leave her . Ina thought. Where does this leave her . In a difficult position. Her position is even more precarious than i was after the general election because it was, as you say, a very bad result for the party. They saw the majority all but wiped out. The Prime Minister struggled on, many thought that would be the end of her but she survived it and went into the Party Conference needing a boost, needing to reclaim the Political Initiative with policies, ideas and to reassert authority over the party and to say to the wider public and to mps and the party in general, i have your support, we will continue. U nfortu nately support, we will continue. Unfortunately that did not happen because the speech, through no fault of our own, was a bit of a disaster, the cough, the letters, the prankster, all the rest. We were not talking about our policies afterwards, we were talking about that perception, which counts for a lot in politics. Somehow one of her asa lot in politics. Somehow one of her as a weak leader running out of time. This plot has failed for now, fizzled out, as those mps loyal to theresa may have been saying this morning, and so she lives on, whether she is fighting on all limping on depends on who you talk to, but she is there for the time being. She is therefore a critical time for the country because of these brexit negotiations. There had been a sense that probably she would try and stay around at least a c brexit three. Otherwise she would be a lame duck, any time on who says they are not fighting the next election is writing themselves out of the picture. Is that now looking harderfor her . Giving of the picture. Is that now looking harder for her . Giving that the brexit legislation has to go through in parliament, she does not have a commons majority. Things are fragile. As you say, she has said it is stated intention to fight the next election. 2022 seems a long way she and frankly march 2019 year due to leave the eu, brexit negotiations having finished, seems a long way off. But this is day by day, week by week and month by month. You heard the Prime Minister yesterday saying she is providing calm leadership. Lots of people will appreciate that. We have seen the foreign secretary this morning, that message to the Whatsapp Group of mps, frantically swapping messages, talking amongst themselves of the last couple of days trying to calm things and remind peoplejeremy corbyn and the labour party is what they should be focusing their fire labour party is what they should be focusing theirfire on. Labour party is what they should be focusing their fire on. It will either take offence to take a certain and another crisis that the Prime Minister tackles and does not emerge from or Prime Minister tackles and does not emerge from 01 someone Prime Minister tackles and does not emerge from or someone else to make a move. So far, all the likely contenders, the names that are mentioned when you talk about who could or should succeed theresa may have no intention of acting any time 0011. Have no intention of acting any time soon. Nobody wants to be the person who delivers the blow, then does not get the crown. The Michael Heseltine questionable in everyones mind. The two people that have come out this morning, borisjohnson two people that have come out this morning, Boris Johnson and two people that have come out this morning, borisjohnson and Ruth Davidson, both regarded as candidates, it would not be doing them any harm to be seen as decent chaps rallying to the cause. Exactly, doing the right thing, being fed to the Prime Minister and standing by her through a difficult time. That demonstrates that at least they, if they do want the job, and lets remember Ruth Davidson has said she doesnt and shes not even an mp at westminster, but if they do, they dont want it yet. You have to wonder who would. Perhaps that is understandable at the moment. But the Prime Minister soldiers on. Thank you very much. Thomas kerr, a young conservative councillor for shettlestone in scotland, joins us from our glasgow studio. Thanks for being with us. And for getting all wired up for us nice and early with a bit of help from our friends can i ask you first of all, how do you feel at the end of this week . I feel energetic, looking forward to going back out onto the doors to speak to people. This gossip and Party Politics does not really work on the doors so im looking forward to speaking to reuters again. Were you pleased to hear your leader in scotland intervening so directly this morning . Yes, im always pleased when i hear Ruth Davidson to start with, but i was very happy that she stood up for the Prime Minister. Its time we rally around her for the countrys sake. They have not been many conservative councillors elected in shettleston in recent decades. Its been about 100 years. What was your sense of what was attracted to them, was a devout theresa may, Ruth Davidson, policy . Both leaders have really played a pivotal part. Ruth davidson has showed the conservatives are different in scotland. Now is not the time for a second referendum, theresa may said, that really worked as well. Both leaders have huge assets, im proud to take either one charleston rd any time. We will take you up on the im sure, theresa might bea you up on the im sure, theresa might be a bit busy. Lots of discussion over the speech, things that went in her control, but do you think the pointjonathan was making about perception politics does matter, but actually if you are seen asa matter, but actually if you are seen as a leader struggling, then that camp grounds your political difficulties . To ordinary voters, its what is inside the speech that matters. That speech was a lot of fantastic things, lots of fantastic messages. The perception does matter toa messages. The perception does matter to a lot of people but not really cutting through as much to the voters. It just happens. Cutting through as much to the voters. Itjust happens. Everyone can geta voters. Itjust happens. Everyone can get a cold, ive got one now. What was the most Important Message they needed to come out of the conference fee you, in terms of policy and a conservative message on the streets of glasgow . The message of building new houses, we are taking the agenda straight to social housing, trying to tackle the huge injustices in this country. Theresa may has a great track record as home secretary and Prime Minister. I was enthusiastic about the speech, i thought it was fantastic. Yes, the delivery could have been better if some idiot didnt try to jump on the stage and the letters didnt fall off, but the message was good. Its down to people like you over the coming weeks. To make sure we get that out there, yes. Were you pleased to hear from the foreign secretary today . Yes, i was pretty happy to hear boris finally say he is backing the Prime Minister. I was happy about that. Would have liked to have heard him a bit sooner bats. Ive been very vocal against boris the past couple of weeks, but i was happy when i saw that message in the survey. Do you want him now to boss and his lip, no more newspaper articles, no noises off . Clearly the Prime Minister is vulnerable at the moment and she needs all the support she can get. I dont think shutting up she can get. I dont think shutting up is the best, norris is boris and boris is great, but i think its time he put his own ambitions to the side and focused around rallying around theresa may from sake of the country. The alternative isjeremy corbyn and that is terrifying for people in scotland as well as the uk. Thanks very much for speaking to us uk. Thanks very much for speaking to us and the coming into the studio this morning. The head and legs of a swedish journalist have been found, two months after she disappeared after interviewing a danish inventor onboard his homemade submarine. Peter madsen is alleged to have killed 30 year old kim wall, after she boarded his submarine on the 10th of august. Her headless torso was found in the water off copenhagen nearly two weeks later. Madsen says wall died by accident after a heavy hatch cover struck her on the head. There are fears that british jobs at the Aerospace Company bombardier could be at risk, after the Us Government imposed more tariffs on imports of new planes made by the firm. Its part of a dispute with the American Firm boeing, and would massively increase duties paid on the c series model to almost 300 percent. The wings of the jets are built in belfast, where bombardier employs more than 4000 people. Lets talk to our Business Correspondent joe lynam. These duties sound horrific. Presumably they make the plane is unaffordable for any customer . Completely, there were already unaffordable last week when the duty was 220 , or a tariff, was decided upon by the Commerce Department. Now they are adding salt to the wound by putting it up to 300 , so there is no money to be made there for bomb rda. Lets go back tiny bit and see the background, bomb rda is a Canadian Company with a huge facility in belfast area. Bombardier. They make a new type of commercial aircraft called series, which is from 100 to 150 passengers, single aisle. They do not directly compete with boeing, they make bigger aircraft from up to 300 to 500 people. The c series successfully won a bid to sell planes to Delta Airlines in atlanta, 125 planes. Boeing, which does not, did not live in a particular gig, contract, are now taking issue accusing bombardier of being subsidised by the canadian government and indeed it did get billion Canadian Dollars when it had near death experience in 2015. But everybody in the Aviation Industry has received at least a near death experience in 2015. But everybody in the Aviation Industry has received at least 1 billion. I was going to say, i think boeing gets a fair amount of government support. A huge amount, boeing supplies the us navy, airforce, etc. Amount, boeing supplies the us navy, air force, etc. There amount, boeing supplies the us navy, airforce, etc. There is the accusation in europe and now in canada that those contracts, they we re canada that those contracts, they were paid well over what they would have been paid if they were not an american company. They just have been paid if they were not an american company. Theyjust want to keep this very prestigious brand in the background, boeing, growing and making profits. The Commerce Department has thus far agreed with them. Final question on this, is it likely that these tariffs will ever be imposed, or is it more likely that we are at a stage that comes before negotiation . You must have been doing this for a few years, john whats happening is, yes, there is a dance that goes on. Bombardier is entering into a market, the sharks on there, with boeing and airbus. They are entering into a market which could affect boeing, but yes, there is a huge political play at this. When they put out a Statement Last night, they gently reminded uk viewers that they employ 18,700 people here in the uk, more than i employed by bombardier in the uk. The uk government is in a bind. It is politically tied to dup, where short. These jobs really matter. At the same time, it cant risk 18,700 jobs, especially with the new factory in sheffield. Thanks very much. The headlines on bbc news senior conservatives rally around the Prime Minister borisjohnson tells mps to get behind theresa may and turn the fire onjeremy corbyn. Rallies are expected in spain against Catalonian Independence after last weekends disputed referendum. Concerns for one of northern irelands biggest employers after us authorities impose more heavy tariffs on bombardier planes. Sport now, and for a full round up, from the bbc sport centre, heres mike bushell. Its slightly quieter weekend on the sporting front. We will wrap up the engines so it wont be that quiet Lewis Hamilton has dominated qualifying for tomorrows japanese grand prix, taking pole position at suzuka for the first time. He will bejoined on the suzuka for the first time. He will be joined on the front row by sebastian vettel, his title rival. The only place anyone could catch a glimpse of Lewis Hamilton was outside his car. Vettel came close to losing it, but further back, g rosjea n to losing it, but further back, grosjean beard. The first session ended early. However, there was no ended early. However, there was no end in sight for the misery hamilton caused his rivals. Remarkably, only his first at suzuka. Fantastic job, guys. With secondplace bottas analysed for a gearbox change, vettel will move up the spot alongside hamilton. With almost half alongside hamilton. With almost half a second between them, the german will need to use every trick in the book to catch the baton. On to football, one game to go now in world cup qualifying. Its a huge one for wales and the republic of ireland after both won last night. They meet on monday in cardiff to decide who will get a play off place. So, its all down to monday. Wales and ireland separated by the narrowest of channels a point between them and a match between them still to go. In the battle of georgia and the dragon, this time the dragon had to win. Without the individual brilliance of gareth bale, this was a test of wales the collective. They created plenty in the first half without getting the goal that would settle the butterflies. And with every passing minute, it grew more edgy. But in the key moments of this qualifying campaign, new welsh heroes have emerged. Tom lawrence of derby county had never before scored for his country. Qualifying is all about timing. And in dublin, not even two minutes were on the clock when stephen ward went hurling. In there with the crucial touch was daryl murphy, a 34 year old striker in something of a hot streak this season. It took murphy until his 24th game to score for ireland, but when ward picked him out again he proved hed got the hang of it. Effectively all over for moldova. Against the team ranked 156th in the world, goals would surely be on offer. Shane long hasnt managed one since february. The definition of a long wait. That did not matter, but in cardiff on monday, everything will. With serbia also in the group losing in austria, wales and the republic of ireland can still win the group with victory in cardiff on monday. That will be some atmosphere, im sure, going back home now, for the final game with it all to play for. Thats what we wanted to do. Weve put ourselves in this position now. Hopefully we can enjoy that evening, and have something to celebrate at the end. Its the biggest night in the season in the rugby League Calendar as leeds take on castleford in the grand final. Leeds have been in the grand final. Leeds have been in the grand final. Leeds have been in the grand final ten times, winning seven, but this is all news castleford. They have the man of steel luke gale in their team, and they had a season finishing at the top of the league are the first time in 21 years. A lot of people have been questioning whether weve got the wherewithal to hang tough in a game of this magnitude, and weve got to prove people wrong and show that weve got the mettle to be a team thats going to be around for a fair while. Ijust know from a coachs point of view, and from the inner sanctum of where weve been, and how far away weve been from this place. If you had a distance or a tape measure, at times weve been on the moon. It would be like walking to the moon, if you were to say is this team ever going to get back to the grand final . Id tell you we were miles off seventeenth place may not sound impressive, but british gymnast amy tinkler was pretty pleased with her performance, at the World Championships in montreal. She had ankle surgery, only seven weeks ago, so just to be competing was an achievement she was disappointed with a mishap on the bars in the all around competition, but she had a great floor routine thats the discipline that gave her olympic bronze in rio. Im buzzing. Im a bit gutted about my bars, it didnt quite go to plan. But Everything Else im really happy with. Its a positive from everything. Considering ive only been training for seven weeks, its pretty incredible, to be fair. If everything goes to plan, im hoping to get up there and hopefully push for medals in the next few years, so, yeah watch this space thats all the sport for now. You can find more on all those stories on the bbc sport website. Thank you, mike. Thousands of people are expected to gather in madrid for a rally in favour of remaining a unified spain. Opponents of catalonias push for independence have called for demonstrations to be held in several spanish cities, including barcelona. Our europe correspondent James Reynolds has the latest. Where we are now, we are exactly here. Each side has a potentially dramatic step to think about taking. Barcelona has to think about taking the dramatic step of declaring independence, madrid for its part, the capital of the country, has the dramatic step of dissolving self rule in catalonia. Each side, if each side were to take those steps, that would take this country into a constitutional crisis and there are some signs over the last 2a hours that each side wants to pull back a bit, to pause, before taking any of those dramatic steps. The catalan leader, in his statement on tuesday, says he will give a report about the political situation. He did not mention declaring independence. One of his key advisers has said that essentially their side wants a ceasefire with madrid. Lets speak now tojose rodriguez mora, hes a professor of economics at the university of edinburgh. And in barcelona, we can also speak to meritxell puerto marquez, who recently voted for independence. Thank you for both being with us. Professor, what are you frightened of next week . What are you concerned about . Everything. I think uncertainties are enormous. Its likely that the catalan president will make some sort of declaration of independence, i imagine. On tuesday. I doubt they will try to implement it, it would be very difficult for them. But some sort of declaration, i do not think he can back out of that. If he does that, does that mean that Prime Minister brockway has two imposed direct rule in your view . I dont know. I wish she did, but probably its not in his character, he probably will try to control things by economics. The cata la n to control things by economics. The Catalan Government will have to pay bills. They would be under control, even more after a possible declaration of independence. I imagine that would be the root. This is very unnerving because the economic consequences are huge. You area economic consequences are huge. You are a student in edinburgh, you have been over in barcelona to vote last weekend. Why does it matter so much to you, and what do you think of the way the two sides have handled this dispute . It matters because we need a change, since 2006, when the previous Catalan Government presented this. We were asking for more autonomy, actually, was however started. After all the negatives, through the years from the Spanish Government. The last step we could ta ke government. The last step we could take was this one. To be honest, how i see the scenario now, of course i would prefer a dialogue, i would prefer both the Catalan Government and spanish would step back and talk to each other, but always with catalan people, taking something from this, we cannot be as things we re from this, we cannot be as things were before. Jose, this question of money is important. Catalonia is probably the wealthiest region of spain. Its not. Catalonia and bask country. You say no, but in terms of the perception, we can have that debate if we have time, but the perception, the feeling in catalonia, the bask country already has a deal with the Central Government and finances. Could something be similar be offered to the catala ns . Something be similar be offered to the catalans . No. First, for anything independence is possible but you have to change the constitution. Constitutionally, doing that will not be possible. They would need to change the constitution. Its possible, but that would be the proper route to do things. The legal, constitutional way. Are they doing these things because of money . Of course not. Of course not. This is only about identity. This is, during the last ten, 15 years, since 1990, the cata la n ten, 15 years, since 1990, the Catalan Government, National Government has put a drive for identity politics. Partly in the interests of these guys, and partly because some people feel that way. They have this drive for identity politics. It is a set of people in society, a vast number, around one third of the population, feel they are catalan and that they are not spanish and that they have to leave, they have this attitude toward the spanish. The rest of the population, some dont care too much, and around the same number feel spanish. Sorry to interrupt, let me bring in maria. How do you feel towards spain . Is it about your identity . Do you worry you are being used . Since a year ago, i supported independence. I always felt catalan, my mother languages catalan. I felt also spanish. Now, we are catalan people, we do not feel better or worse than the rest of spanish people. Thats not the way to think, we share our language. The reason why this has happened is not just language. The reason why this has happened is notjust identity, of course identity is important but is also an economic reasons. An honest, its always been economic reasons because the bus we were asking for, as past people were with the constitution of 1978 signed. We do not have the same way to manage our money as the bask country do. They manage first. Do you think something similar was possible for catalan, it might dissipate the demand for independence . I hope so, yeah, probably. It would. Let me bring backjose. Probably. It would. Let me bring back jose. I am probably. It would. Let me bring backjose. I am absolutely probably. It would. Let me bring back jose. I am absolutely sure, probably. It would. Let me bring backjose. I am absolutely sure, in the bask country, it has never stopped the nationalism. Of course not, of course, the first of all, catalonia is richer than the average in spain. Its true that it is richer than the average, it is true that there is a net transfer to the rest of spain. In the context of international countries, how other countries do it, its what you should expect. Within spain, catalan, its not per capita. Madrid for instant pay substantially more. When im sorry, time is against us. Let me ask you both finally. Do you think catalonia in the end will remain part of spain . I think it is the most likely thing. It will be very extremely ugly. I can see how distressed you are by this. Let me ask you, do you think in the end catalonia will remain part of spain . I dont know. I dont know what will happen. I think we need someone to maybe go between us, but in the Spanish Government and catalan. But i dont know, i could not tell you now. Thank you both very much for being with us this morning. An important debate there that is going to run and run. Those debates are expected in the course of today, beginning in madrid and other cities in favour of the country remaining united. People across the uk could be treated to the sight of dozens of shooting stars, when the draco nid meteor shower peaks this weekend. It is most likely to be clearest in the direction of the constellation of draco the dragon in the northern sky, in the early evening. Its one of two meteor shows that can be seen during october. Joining me now from our bristol studio is the astronomer and news editor of the sky at night magazine, elizabeth pearson. Thanks so much for being with us. Tell us what we might see and what our prospects are of seeing it. Hopefully tonight, if it is clear which it is not looking like it at the moment here in bristol, but if you look to the northern sky tonight, just above the top of the plough, you should hopefully see some meteors. Shooting stars. Bright strea ks some meteors. Shooting stars. Bright streaks of light that passed right across the sky, all you need to do is get out, as soon as it turns dark, true dark, rather than twilight, preferably before the moon is up. Look towards the northern sky, let your eyes adjust to the dark, get away from street lights or house lights, let your eyes adjust and you should hopefully begin to see about one or two every couple of minutes of these shooting stars across the sky. What causes this phenomenon on . Why do we see this . We see meteor showers