Very beginning, this campaign has never been about me, its been about eve ryo ne never been about me, its been about everyone of you. Everyone of you and sons and daughters. Its all of those volunteers that knocked on 300,000 doors. Its the volunteers who made 1. 2 million phone calls around the state. Its those volu nteers around the state. Its those volunteers who made sure that we knew. It was every community. You know, i keep hearing about the different communities in this state. The African American community. Thank you my friends. My friends in the latino community, thank you to all of myjewish friends, happy hannah happy holidays we have built this everywhere we have gone, we have had the same energy and same excitement. At the end of the day, this entire race has been about dignity and respect. This campaign has been about the rule of law. Applause this campaign has been about common courtesy and decency and making sure eve ryo ne courtesy and decency and making sure everyone in this state, regardless of which zip code you live in, is going to get a fair stake in life. And let mejust going to get a fair stake in life. And let me just say this, folks, to all of my future colleagues in washington. Ive had such wonderful help. But i want to make sure, in all seriousness, there are important issues facing this country. There are important issues of healthcare and jobs in the economy and i would like, as eve ryo ne economy and i would like, as everyone in the entire probably free world knows right now, weve tried to make sure that this campaign was about finding Common Ground and reaching across and actually getting things done for the people. So i have a challenge. I have this challenge to my future colleagues in washington. Dont wait on me. Take a selection from the great state of alabama. Take this election. Take this election where the people of alabama said, we want to get things done. We want to find Common Ground. Take this opportunity in light of yigeaaseaaaaaaaaa. Aa. A aaa a aa yaieaaaaseaaaaaaaa. Aa a gaaa aa go yaiaaaaasaaaaaaaaa. Aaa a aaaa aa aiaiaii go and this election and go ahead and fund that Ship Programme before i get up there put it aside and lets do it for those million kids and 150,000 here in birmingham, alabama for not an not going to talk too much longer. Its been a long night, along campaign. Let mejust say. I know ive forgotten so much. Ive forgotten so much. There are so many thank yous. Ive said it before, alabama has been a crossroads. Its been a crossroads in the past and u nfortu nately we have been a crossroads in the past and unfortunately we have usually taken the wrong fork. Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, you took the right road usa usa usa usa usa usa on a very personal level, let me tell you, isaid very personal level, let me tell you, i said this at the top and i do mean this, i want to thank each of you. On me fulfil a lifelong dream of serving in the United States senate, that started out with my mental and ever since then that has been my dream mentor. Thank you for that. Sir as we approach this crossroads we have worked to do. We have work to do in the state to build those bridges within the state, to reach across with those who didnt vote for us to try to find that Common Ground. Ioanna pledging to do that tonight. But i will tell you, tonight is a night for rejoicing because as dr king said, as he liked to quote, the moral arc of the universe is long but it tends towards justice. Bends. Tonight, tonight, ladies and gentlemen, tonight in this time, in this place, you helped bend that moral arc a little closer to that justice and you did it. Not only was it bent more, but you send it right through the great state of alabama in doing so. Thank you, all, i love you thank you and god lets you and god bless the great state of alabama and the United States of america thank you all thank you that was doug jones, live from alabama with his wife on the podium. More than one reason to celebrate on his 25th wedding anniversary. Newly elected to the senate for the democrats in alabama, the first time in 25 years that that deeply conservative republican stronghold has elected a democrat to the senate. It could have national applications. It implications. It could change the balance in the senate. Roy moore, are set by allegations of misconduct, was replaced by doug jones. It was supposed to be roy moores victory . Yes, this is a sense of deja vu because i was at Hillary Clintons party in new york at the end of the general election and there was a moment when the air left the room when they realised that the victory had been snatched from them and that they were going to lose. When i came out of that room a few moments ago you could feel the same sense in there. They were gearing up for a party, gearing up for a celebration, a successful campaign, and now they we re a successful campaign, and now they were staring into the jaws of defeat. They have not quite given up yet. A few moments ago they were saying they were going to wait for the rest of the counting. That may have now changed, but this will be a huge week for the republicans in alabama. It will be a huge defeat for donald trump who backed roy moore, write to the end of this campaign, did a rally across the border in philadelphia for him, recorded an automated phone call to keep those homes in the days before the election and donald trump doesnt like losing and he has backed a loser in this campaign and he will not like it one bit. As you say, the senate now has the slimmest of majorities for the republicans. That makes life difficult and of course going into 2018 when we had the mid term elections a third of the mid term elections a third of the senate up for re election. That throws into play control of the senate as well as what the democrats would have hoped for. This could be a transformative would have hoped for. This could be a tra nsformative moment. Would have hoped for. This could be a transformative moment. Roy moore offcou rse a transformative moment. Roy moore offcourse is not a perfect candidate. Many flaws. A lot of people have written in a different name from that on the ballot paper. I suspect a lot of those will be republicans. Like the senior senator of the state, who the how many of those rule conservatives in christian conservatives in north also stayed away. The huge turnout from the black community in cities like birmingham, montgomery, further south across the royal band were some of those black communities can be found turning out in bigger numbers than they did for barack obama in 2012. Rural band. Quite a historic day for alabama. One that will take some time to digester, but one which will have repercussions across the country from here on in. Just on that point, i should mention that mr trump has tweeted we shouldnt underplay what a turnaround this is. We were saying in 2014 republicans won the senate seat with 97 of the vote. Just last year seat with 97 of the vote. Just last yeaertrump won the seat with 97 of the vote. Just last year mr trump won the state 62 34 over hillary clinton. He did. 62 34, a whopping 28 point margin. In the north of the state he wanted to by an even bigger margin. Some counties by 50 points. So this is very difficult territory for democrats. It has been for generations now, ever since nixons southern strategy and the switching of the south from democrat to republican. Its been very difficult to win here at all. This will be a big day. Aberration, we will see. But at the moment the democrats are celebration celebrating and they have this senate seat until 2020. Thank you very much for that. We are still waiting for roy moore to appearand still waiting for roy moore to appear and speak to the crowd. Lets go to washington, the david willetts. Everyone said turnout was going to be key willis. It seems to be double what was predicted. I suppose many thought conservative voters would stay at home if they we re voters would stay at home if they were put off by the allegations against roy moore, but it seems in ge the black turnout was far fact the black turnout was far higher, certainly in the counties where dubbed jones one . Thats right and they had worked hard, the democrats, to get out the African American vote in places, urban areas, such as birmingham, for example, and several others, knowing that that could keep this election there way, given such a tight race. So it has proven that weve had that tweet from President Trump a short time ago. A very gracious tweet, basically congratulating doug jones on his victory in alabama and this of course is a major set back for President Trump. He had thrown his support high end roy moore behind roy moore and campaigning on his behalf just across the roy moore and campaigning on his behalfjust across the board in florida and also tweeting on roy moores behalf, calling at a recent rally for the people of alabama to elect roy moore. So this is a repudiation of President Trump as much as it is of roy moore, the republican candidate for the senate in alabama. We were saying that of course Many Democrats will now have their rights on the mid term elections next year, hoping theres a chance to take control of congress, it is hard to know how much you can draw from these results, even at roy moore was such a flawed candidate . Yes. And it was a flawed candidate . Yes. And it was a very ugly election as a result. The republicans hoping to dismiss the roy moore. The roy moore camp, i should say, hoping to dismiss the Sexual Misconduct allegations as fa ke Sexual Misconduct allegations as fake news, if you like. They blamed the Washington Post which broke the original story and other members of the media for basically running a campaign against roy moore. And there were signs and indications at least that he was working. Indications that republican supporters in alabama were refusing to believe the accusers, the people who came forward to say that roy moore sexually assaulted them. But at the end of the day it does appear that many chose to stay away, rather than coming out to a vote tonight, and there was as we mentioned a healthy turnout of democratic voters, enough to sway the selection in favour of their candidate, doug jones. Thank you very much for that. I think we can now go and live to steven taylor, professor of Political Science at for university. Outcome. I thought rory moore would win bya outcome. I thought rory moore would win by a few more points. Alabama is heavily republican. A generic republican should have done well in this race but roy moore with his history and the more recent allegations sunk his campaign. We have had a democrat installed for the first time a long time. Talks about voter suppression, it being made much harderfor those who might vote democrat to vote at all. What does the turnout till you . We will have to wait and see what we find out about who voted. Certainly it is the case that the rules in place make it somewhat more difficult for poor voters to vote but it certainly does appear to be there is substantial turnout in the poorer parts of the state. Very interesting to see when we get the actual data who voted on in what numbers they voted. What problems in the senate does this result give donald trump . Its already been the case that the republicans have difficulty getting their legislative agenda passed given the narrow margins in the chamber so this does make it more difficult. It will hamper his ability to further his agenda which is already being difficult to pass through the condorrat congress. Jon hannah tree, a journalist with the birmingham news. What are you making of it . Its an astounding victory. A lot of us in the newsroom had been looking at what was happening with the jones had been looking at what was happening with thejones campaign, that they were canvassing and phone banking and the more the moore campaign, despite being the frontrunner he ran a lazy campaign. He made to public appearances at small rallies with steve bannon. He was relying on steve bannon and the breitbart machine to push into victory but was hoping alabama would be backed republican, that they would vote to him despite all of his baggage. When im looking at the early in younger is, it looks like young white voters coupled with African American voters made the difference. And a couple of people stuck off by the allegations surrounding roy moore. Thats definitely part of it. Alabama will still be a deeply conservative state on issues like abortion led people to stay home rather than come out and vote against roy moore. There are some people who are the mice that otherwise might have liked dave jones platform that will put off by his pro choice stance so they stayed home. Another series of elections next year including a Gubernatorial Race and all those candidates who are on the ballot came out heavily and endorsed roy moore survey are going to dense that next year. We will seek this leads to a resurgence in the Democratic Party and alabama. Is it likely people will be rethinking their strategies . There is one republican strategist who says steve bannon has done more to the democrats than Many Democrats in the democrats than Many Democrats in the senate in our lifetime. As somebody who cares about the state of alabama it would be nice if parties would pivot back towards the centre. Steve bannon has dragged the Republican Party in a right leaning direction and alabama was at its most successful economically when we we re most successful economically when we were close to having a viable two party were close to having a viable two party system were close to having a viable two party system a nd were close to having a viable two party system and both parties we re two party system and both parties were competing and centrist. I think that the Republican Party has had such a hold on alabama over the last decade that theyve moved further and further to the right and now democrats and progressives or at least moderates in the states know they have the numbers, maybe not to win every election, certainly people staying home made a difference, but to pick up some seats in the state but this will lead to People Living back to the Centre Rather than moving to the right which they done last year s. Moving to the right which they done last year s. John hammontree, thank you very much feel time. 0 back to professor steven taylor. How realistic is it that the democrats now who may well be thinking they could take back control of congress in the midterms next year, control of the senate in the midterms next year . The senate was always going to be the more difficult of the two challenges and both will be a challenges and both will be a challenge but its one less to vote 1 challenge but its one less to vote 1 less but they have to content with. It does increase the chances of republican control Congress Next year but it certainly doesnt, i think we should caution ourselves from trying to take too much on this election. This was an election driven more by a candidate than was the case. Roy moore was highly controversial before the sexual abuse allegations came forward and then with those allegations, that was enough to bring this race down to 50 49. It was enough to bring this race down to 50 49. It was still very close. The democrats either in alabama or nationwide cant use this particular contest as any anything to build off except for the fact it does embarrass the president obviously because he endorsed more, it damages his capacity to function in the senate and as the reporter was saying, it calls into question some of Steve Bannons influence. A lot of Steve Bannons influence. A lot of variables here. I dont think we can infera of variables here. I dont think we can infer a lot nationwide from this particular event. Day by day, what isa particular event. Day by day, what is a Republican Senate majority of 51 49 is a Republican Senate majority of 51 49 meant the President Trumps chances of doing what he promised to do in his campaign . Is had a hard time trying to do what he promised. He probably still has the ability to pass the tax bill but beyond that, it is going to be very difficult, keeping in mind that we go into next year with a mid term election, and traditionally congress does not pass a lot of legislation during an election year. I suspect he will try to hang an awful lot on his capacity to hang an awful lot on his capacity to get a tax cut package. And then proclaim that to be his major victory and try to write that in 2018. Thank you very much realtime and your insight. Well, as weve been saying, a huge upset in alabama where the democrats have won a special election to the senate. Here is what the winning democrat, doug jones, had to say in his acceptance speech. Alabama has been at a crossroads. Weve been at a crossroads. Weve been at a crossroads in the past and u nfortu nately, we crossroads in the past and unfortunately, we have usually taken the wrong fork. Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, you took the right fork. Usa usa usa usa on a very personal note, let me tell you, i cant believe this. I want to take each of you for helping me to fulfil a lifelong dream of serving in the United States senate which started out with my mental and ever since then, that has been my dream. As we approach this history, as we approach this history, as we approach this history, as we approach this crossroads, we have work to do. We have worked to do in this state to build those bridges bridges within this state, to reach across to those who didnt vote for us, to try to find that Common Ground. Iam us, to try to find that Common Ground. I am planning to do that tonight. But i will tell you, tonight. But i will tell you, tonight is a night for rejoicing because as dr king said, the moral arc of the universe is long but it bears towards justice. Tonight, tonight ladies and gentlemen. Tonight in this time and in this place, you helped them do that arc a little closer to justice and you did it, not only was it true, but you sent it right to the heart of the great state of alabama. Thank you all. I love you, thank you and god bless you and god bless the great state of alabama and the United States of america. Doug jones there, the new democratic senator barack obama, the first time in a quarter ofa obama, the first time in a quarter of a century that that deeply conservative Southern State has elected a democrat to the senate at to the senate. The republicans took it with 97 of the vote and donald trump and is a former adviser campaign very hard for his opponent, roy moore. This is what donald trump has been saving on twitter. What he doesnt say but will be very well aware of is that this puts at risk the republicans in the senate. Much more to come, thank you to being with us. Well, the weather story is getting a bit messy now during the middle of the week. And although we will see cold air through the middle of the country, there is still the risk over the next few days of some snow and also further ice. And we are starting wednesday morning off with the risk of ice across scotland and england. That is because we have overnight rain moving through, falling on freezing surfaces, then skies will clear for a time during wednesday morning before the next bout of rain moves in. So this is where we will see the ice risk ahead of this next rain band. And it will be quite showery pushing into much of scotland and north west england and northern ireland, quite a messy commute to work in the morning. A lot of standing water around because there will be a little bit of snow melt as those temperatures will be a little less cold than we have had over the last few mornings. Snow will be falling over the mountains of scotland and maybe a little bit of sleetiness over the Higher Ground of wales, too. But generally speaking, it is going to be of mostly rain here, combined with the snow melt elsewhere. A lot of snow here in the last few days. There there is going to be a lot of standing water around. Dry across the east, but we have that ice risk. But then the rain across Western Areas will be spreading eastwards during the course of the day. Some heavy bursts on this as it continues to spread south eastwards but behind it the skies brighten up quite nice. Some sunshine for england and wales. But slightly colder air moves into scotland and northern ireland, so showers here increasingly wintry. But across the south, youll notice, 9 11 celsius. So, slightly milder than of late. Then, as we head through wednesday night, were looking at the next rash of showers and rain, which move through. Some of these producing a bit of snow on the Higher Ground maybe down to lower levels in the heaviest bursts. So, by thursday morning, the risk of a bit of light snow and, again, ice as temperatures fall away. So there could be a little bit of travel disruption. And then, as we head on into thursday day, it looks quite a messy picture. Quite windy, once again, plenty of showers moving into northern and Western Areas. Again, these wintry over the Higher Ground of the north. And we could even see some substantial snow across central parts of scotland through the day, so this could cause some disruption and, generally speaking, those temperatures are a bit lower than wednesday. And then, as that area of low pressure moves away on friday, we open the floodgates again to the arctic north, so it looks like it will be very cold to end the week. You can see the blue colours extending right across the british isles, ever as far south as france and northern spain. So it does mean that friday is going to be a cold one. A few wintry showers across coastal areas but, that said, plenty of sunshine too. But you will need to wrap up, its going to be cold. This is bbc news. The headlines in a stunning political upset and a major embarrassment for president donald trump, the Democratic Party candidate doug jones has won a special election to represent the state of alabama in the us senate. The republican roy moore was embroiled in allegations of Sexual Misconduct with teenagers. The american secretary of state, rex tillerson, has said the us could hold direct talks with north korea without preconditions. It seems to be a change from previous demands for the north to agree to give up its Nuclear Weapons first. However, the white house said President Trumps views had not changed. The un secretary general has said subsidies to fossil fuel amount to humanity investing in its own doom. Antonio guterres told more than 50 heads of state at the one planet summit in paris the world is in a war for the very existence of life as we know it. Now on bbc news, hardtalk. Stephen sackur is talking to the chef marcus wareing