Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News 20171220

Welcome to bbc news. Damian green, the first secretary of state and the Prime Ministers closest colleague in government, has been fired tonight. He has been facing allegations of inappropriate conduct, and on the basis of an investigation conducted by a senior civil servant, mr green has now left the government. He has also been criticised for making misleading remarks about pornography found on his Parliamentary Office computer before he became a minister. Reaction is still coming in. First, this report by our Political Editor laura kuenssberg. Sharing a joke, right by her side, only hours ago. Prime minister. Damian green, until this afternoon the second most powerful politician in the country. His old friend theresa mays deputy in government not anymore. Is it right downing street investigate you . The allegations are completely false. He has always denied doing anything wrong, but number ten asked for an investigation into him after claims from a female journalist that he behaved inappropriately to her, and allegations he had downloaded pornography on his computer in parliament. He still denies he had anything to do with the pornography the police found when they raided his office in 2008. But the inquiry found, and he accepts, he wasnt honest when he said he knew nothing about it, admitting his lawyers had been told in 2008, and it was raised again in a phone call in 2013. He wrote tonight, i regret ive been asked to resign from the government following breaches of the ministerial code. Ive been clear i did not download or view pornography. And, on kate maltbys belief that he made unwanted advances, the report found it impossible to reach a conclusion, she wouldnt comment on either. Herfamily said they were proud of her for speaking out. Mr green wrote. It is notjust about the end of his ministerial career. But his closeness to the Prime Minister. A friend since university, an ally for a leader who keeps a close circle tight. As first secretary of state, one of my overall responsibilities is for the oversight of intergovernmental relations. And, as a minister on brexit and other issues, his unofficialjob was keeping the show on the road. The Prime Minister in black and white tonight, clearly sorry to see him go. She wrote. Those affectionate words do not make this an elegant departure. Many of his colleagues will be furious on his behalf but damian green himself has accepted that he was misleading, so the Prime Minister has lost one of the few politicians she could trust to watch her back. The conservative mp Nadhim Zahawi has been speaking about mr greens sacking. Clearly it is a difficult time for damian, wejust clearly it is a difficult time for damian, we just need to clearly it is a difficult time for damian, wejust need to remember that. This is a man who has served his Prime Minister, his country, i think incredibly well, and has worked very hard on behalf of his constituents and the whole country. Clearly he has made a mistake, and i think the Prime Minister, in her letter, quite rightly says that he fell short of the ministerial code, and asked him to resign. The thing to remember is obviously the Prime Minister feels that she owes him a debt of gratitude. But at the same time youve got to remember this Prime Minister is absolutely determined to make sure that we deliver on our domestic agenda, and on brexit. 0ur Political Correspondent is at westminster. Publicly what you are hearing from lots of conservative mps is the fact that they think that rather than cause another wobble for theresa may, this in fact shows her strength, that she was prepared to ta ke strength, that she was prepared to take Decisive Action even when it came to an ally as close to her as damian green was. She undoubtedly didnt want to lose such a close confidant from around the cabinet table but nonetheless she made clear in her letter to him and he made clear in his letter that he was asked to resign over these misleading statements. Privately, though, there is some anger at what some mps feel is the way damian green has been treated. And what is quite interesting is that when you read the full letter from theresa may, the Prime Minister, to damian green, in that she does make the point that she shares some concerns about the way that police have handled the wider investigation. The allegations of pornography that were found on damian greens computer. There has already been some criticism of officers who made that information public. Now, they were very clear that they felt compelled to do so in the public interest, and that one of them said they had approached the enquiry with this information and it wasnt taken up, which is why they felt the need to speak out. But interesting to note that we have theresa may echoing the concerns that have been raised by others about some conduct by some officers involved. So i think, broadly speaking, some initially at the beginning of this enquiry have thought that it could be quite damaging for theresa may. What it seems so far, and of course, early days, this has only come out in the last few hours or so, but it seems so far that her handling of it in public at least is being praised by her conservative colleagues. Where the Prime Minister look now, do you think, for a close ally in cabinet . Where does the Prime Minister look . Well, theresa may has been careful to maintain a balance in her cabinet between senior figures in her cabinet who had backed remain in the referendum and those who wanted to leave the eu. She felt it was important to have a cabinet that was representative of the wider, differing views on the conservative party, and of course the country. And not only is damian greens resignation and sent to her personally, because she was such an ally and confidant, but also that changes the balance around the cabinet table, because he was an avid remainer, if we can put it like that. So theresa may can think about what she will do in terms of a replacement if she chooses to replacement if she chooses to replace the de facto deputy Prime Minister, the first secretary of state, and she will have to weigh up all those elements. Notjust personally how she feels about having people close to her around that top table, but also the broader political standing and views of the people that she consults on the key matters of the day. And i think whatever she chooses to do, in terms of where she goes from here, will be as closely watched as was her decision around damian green himself. Thank you very much. The metropolitan police, the uks Biggest Police force, has confirmed it is urgently reviewing dozens of cases of child abuse, rape and Sexual Assault which are about to go to trial. It follows the admission that police and prosecutors made mistakes in two rape cases which collapsed in the past week because of a failure to disclose vital evidence. Our Legal Affairs correspondent Clive Coleman reports. Are the scales ofjustice being unfairly tipped against defendants, because the police are not sharing evidence that could help their case . One of the founding principles of the criminaljustice system is beset by problems. Isaac itiary spent four months in jail awaiting trial on charges of Sexual Activity with a child, which he strongly denied. The case against him was dropped yesterday when Text Messages from his alleged teenage victims phone showed she routinely lied about her age. A few days earlier, the case against liam allan was stopped because Text Messages showed his alleged victim had enjoyed having sex with him. And the last two years ive spent worrying, and you know, not really concentrating on anything. So it has completely ripped apart my normal personal life. The metropolitan police is now carrying out a review into what happened to liam allan, and all the evidence in all of its current rape and sex abuse cases. That review is being conducted jointly with the cps, so with the lawyers in each case and our investigating officers, to make sure that those cases are safe to go to trial. 0ur priority is those 30 something where trials are about to start. I have no reason to believe that there are any problems with any of those cases, but it is a pragmatic step to conduct that check now. The police and Crown Prosecution Service have made huge efforts in recent years to right the wrongs of the past, and ensure that alleged victims in rape and Sexual Assault cases are treated properly. But some fear that the process of disclosing evidence to the defence has been damaged as a result. The attorney general has started a review into disclosure. He thinks that part of the problem is the sheer weight of evidence. We have very large amounts, now, of mostly digital information, in a whole range of trials, that its very hard to filter and sift effectively so you can find the evidence that ought to be disclosed. And thats a problem were encountering in fraud cases, terrorism cases, but also, as weve discovered, in other kinds of cases too. But there have been many damning reviews of the disclosure process in recent years, and some of those working in the criminal courts believe the systems integrity is now under threat. A real danger here is people can lose years of their lives locked up in prison for crimes they have not committed. That evidence that could show they have not committed those crimes, evidence that could show theyre innocent, is not disclosed to them or their lawyers, and therefore there are grave miscarriages ofjustice. The prosecutions duty to pass evidence to the defence which assists the defence underpins ourjustice system. That duty is now under scrutiny as never before. Clive coleman, bbc news. The European Unions chief brexit negotiator, michel barnier, has said the transition period after the uk leaves cannot continue beyond the end of 2020. The uk is due to leave in march 2019, and had asked for a longer transition, of around two years. Well, the Prime Minister gave evidence to a committee of mps today and was asked about transition plans. I think, as you know full well, in my florence speech i said that i thought that probably the limitation period would be about two years. That was what the indications we had at that time. We are about to start the negotiations, and obviously what we have seen today is that position coming from the european union. We will be in negotiations as to what, quickly in the negotiations as to what the implementation period should cover. They have set that september 2020 date because that cove rs september 2020 date because that covers their current budget plan period, so that has a neatness for them, if i put it like that. But we will obviously have to discuss, because this is a practical issue, about how long certain changes would need to take to be put in place. A little earlier, our correspondent adam fleming sent us this update from brussels. This isnt a great surprise here in brussels, because mr barnier says this is a logical end point for that transition period, 21 months after brexit they happens in march 2019, and that is because at the end of december 2020, that is the close of the eus seven year long budget cycle, which we are in at the moment. Mr barnier says that as the logical end point for that transition period. And remember, thatis transition period. And remember, that is a period when the uk will be expected to follow european rules and regulations, and new ones, without having a seat at the Decision Making table. Now, mrs may the first to call it an implementation period, and she had asked for around two years, so a little bit longer than what mr barnier is offering. Today, speaking toa group barnier is offering. Today, speaking to a group of senior mps, the Prime Minister said do something to be discussed. The other thing they disagree about is when they should bea disagree about is when they should be a trade deal. Mrs may said it should be signed, sealed and delivered by the start of the transition. Mr barnier says that is what the point of the transition is for, to get it them. Get it negotiated then. The head of the International Monetary fund says its economists were not too gloomy in their predictions about brexit, and that weaker prospects for Economic Growth in the uk had underlined their case. Christine lagarde was presenting the imfs latest report on the british economy, which slightly downgrades the prediction for growth this year, affected by the weaker pound and the uncertainty surrounding brexit. Christine lagarde has been speaking to our economics editor kamal ahmed. She came before the referendum with a warning. If britain voted brexit, then the Economic Risks were clear. Its going to be pretty bad, to very, very bad. So thats what we see. Today, she was back for the First Time Since that brexit vote, to give her analysis of where we are now. Since the start of this year, growth has slowed notably. The significant depreciation of sterling that followed the referendum has pushed inflation over 3 , squeezing real incomes. How do you respond to those critics who suggest the imf is simply too gloomy on the uk economy . Regrettably, the numbers that we are seeing the economy deliver today are actually proving the point that we made a year and a half ago, when people said, you are too gloomy, and you are one of those experts. Christine lagarde came here to the treasury to deliver her report. And, lets be clear, she wasnt all gloomy. She said that employment was at record levels, and she welcomed progress in those brexit negotiations. But, if i was to identify one big takeout from the imf today, it is this. In a world of growing global growth, the uk economy has suffered since the referendum. The imf said growth in the first nine months of the year was lower than in 2016. It said that prices had risen because of the fall in the value of the pound, causing a squeeze on living standards. And called for a quick agreement on the transition phase of the brexit talks, to ease uncertainty and avoid crashing out of the eu. Around the corner, in parliament, it was the turn of the governor of the bank of england, also pushing for a free trade deal, this time in financial services, despite grumbles from the eu that such a thing had never been achieved before. I dont accept the argument that, just because it has not been done in the past, it cant be done in the future. Wed just walk away from progress if that were the approach we took to issues. The hunt for an agreement goes on, and firms like this gin manufacturer in london are keeping plans on ice until there is greater clarity. It clearly helps that the pound is not really strong, and becoming more expensive, but its not a major factor. Until its clear exactly whats going to happen with brexit, its very difficult to commit to further investment here, because if the markets are very difficult to access from the uk, itll be difficult to justify spending a lot more money growing the business. It is now all about that clarity clarity on any deal with the eu, and clarity on the future of the uk economy once brexit has happened. Kamal ahmed, bbc news. For the first time in its history, the European Commission has threatened a member state with the loss of its eu voting rights. It has started disciplinary measures against poland, accusing the government of undermining the independence of the countrys judges. Polish ministers have dismissed the commissions actions as politically motivated. Police are continuing to search two properties, including a community centre, following anti terror raids in sheffield and chesterfield. Four men have been arrested and held over an alleged islamist terror plot that officers say could have been carried out this christmas. Saudi arabias crown prince, mohammed bin salman, is to visit britain next year, according to a statement from downing street. It said the Prime Minister is looking forward to welcoming the crown prince to the uk in the new year. The headlines on bbc news the first secretary of state, damian green, is forced to resign after an inquiry finds he breached the ministerial code. Britains Biggest Police force confirms its urgently reviewing dozens of investigations into alleged sexual offences, after two cases collapse within a week. There are downgraded its forecast for britains Economic Outlook blaming uncertainty on brexit. President trump says hes delivering what hes called a big beautiful tax cut for americans this christmas. The tax reforms, passed this evening in congress, represent the first major legislative victory for mr trump, after nearly a year in office. The reforms will dramatically cut tax for us corporations, but at a cost to the treasury, as our north america editor jon sopel reports. If this was a smile off, it would be hard to decide who had the biggest grin, a real toss up between the president , his number two and the leaders of the house and the senate. Finally, just days before christmas, donald trump has notched up his first legislative victory. Pleased . He was over the moon. We broke every record. Its the largest, i always say the most massive, but its the largest tax cut, in the history of our country, and reform, but tax cut. Really something special. And then the oh so familiar refrain. We are making America Great again. You havent heard that, have you . And republicans from both houses of congress came to celebrate the changes, changes that will be felt on both sides of the atlantic. A buoyant us economy ripples out a long way. So what does the republican tax bill involve . Corporation tax will come down from 35 to 21 , a huge boost to Corporate America that the president says will lead to morejobs and higher wages. Individual tax rates will be reduced although the wealthy will benefit far more than blue collar america, Donald Trumps base. The legislation will add over 1 trillion to americas debt, even though many republicans came into office vowing to slash the deficit. Democrats, though, are unanimous in their opposition to the proposals. Now we know they are popping champagne down pennsylvania avenue. There are only two places where america is popping champagne. The white house and the corporate boardrooms, including trump tower. 0therwise americans have a lot to regret. An opinion poll suggested a clear majority of americans think the same. This is a tax cut for the already rich, not for them. That prompted this question to the republican leader of the senate. How easy will this measure be to sell . My view of this, if we cant sell this to the american people, we ought to go into another line of work. Selling this tax reform package will be for 2018 but as 2017 draws to a close, donald trump can reflect that he has got his tax reform proposals through. The stock market is soaring. His Supreme Court pick is in place. Regulations are being torn up. It may not have always been pretty but donald trump is sort of doing what he promised he would do. Jon sopel, bbc news, washington. Uber is officially a transport company and not a digital service, thats according to a European Court of justice ruling today. The ride hailing firm had argued it was an information service, helping people to make contact with each other electronically, and not a cab firm. Lets take a look at some of the other stories making the news the step father of five year old charlie dunn has been sentenced to seven and a half years at Birmingham Crown court for gross negligence manslaughter. Charlie was found in a lake at Bosworth Water park injuly 2016, and later died in hospital. Homes and businesses will have a legal right to demand high Speed Broadband by 2020. The government has promised that the the uk should have access to speeds of at least 10 megabits per second. Under the plans, broadband providers will be legally required to give this minimum standard to anyone who requests it, as long as the costs arent too high. The European Unions top court has ruled that an eu agreement about tra ns national divorces does not cover islamic divorces granted by sharia courts the ruling was made during the latest stage of a legal challenge by a syrian german woman what has objected to a german court upholding the divorce that a sharia court in syria granted her husband. Its now up to a german court to decide whether it should ratify the divorce. Life expectancy across the globe is continuing to rise, prompting scientists to ask how long people might live in the future. Most think we will see gradual gains in longevity but there have been predictions that anti ageing drugs could eventually allow people to live for centuries. In the last of his special reports on so called super agers, our medical correspondent fergus walsh has been to california and arizona. I like to do things. I dont want to sit in the background. Enthusiastic, engaged, optimistic. Lester dray is 101. The oldest resident at this retirement village in sun city, arizona. Youre going to miss something if you just moan and groan about how horrible life is. Show me your teeth. Do you hear a sound . Say ahhh. Ahhh. He gets regular medical checks, as part of a study into longevity. Its an issue which is attracting interest from unusual quarters. In Silicon Valley california, some of the biggest names from google to facebook are investing hundreds of millions of dollars into defeating the diseases of ageing. So why are tech entrepreneurs suddenly interested in human health . I think Silicon Valley is driven by curiosity. That same curiosity that drives a 14 year old to programme computers in his bedroom drives somebody in their 20s or 30s to really apply their minds and their cash to this problem. The dna from the special part of the cell called the mitochondrion. It is why this british scientist set up in Silicon Valley. Aubrey de grey is probably the worlds leading advocate of life extension. The idea that humans can and will live in good health for hundreds of years. There will certainly be no limit on how long people can live once we bring ageing under control. People will still die, there are still trucks to be hit by and so on. But the fact is people will on average live a lot longer unless there is some bizarre thing like we get hit by an asteroid or whatever. Thats beautiful thats a minority view. Although extending life is possible in the lab, with fruit flies, yeast or worms, it gets more difficult higher up the evolutionary ladder. So in the lab in simple laboratory animals, we can increase life span by100 , 200, 500 , really extraordinary differences in life span. It turns out ageing is really plastic in the simple laboratory animals. It may be more complex as we go over to mammals, the mouse, for example. We have been able to increase life span 20 or 30 . And we really do not know what is possible for humans at this point. We do know exercise is a magic formula that can keep us healthy longer. And there are no drugs yet to match it. There is probably an upper limit to Life Expectancy of around 115 years. So the quest for immortality is still the stuff of science fiction. But increasing our health span, the number of years we spend free of chronic diseases, well that really could be a reality. Here we go jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock finding something you enjoy and staying socially engaged are key elements of healthy ageing. Like the sun city poms, many of whom are in their 70s and 80s. Im 78. Born on the fourth ofjuly. So im still a firecracker, still going and booming. It keeps me physically active, it keeps my brain working and helps my memory. We just get out there and do what we need to do and enjoy. We cant slow time but we can put more life in years. And hopefully become super agers. Fergus walsh, bbc news, sun city, arizona. Ben rich has the weather good evening. Cloud, missed and merck featuring in the next few days. Even when the sun came out in the scottish isles, there was mist and fog the content with, particularly early on. Very low thick cloud producing outbreaks of patchy rain and drizzle. Brighter patches, some holes in the cloud. This evening, the cloud fairly extensive, particularly to the south. Misty and murky for heals in the west. Temperatures at 10 degrees in plymouth but dropping a wet to fort in aberdeen with clear skies in north east scotland. The weather front trudging north. Rain through Northern Ireland and northern england. To the south largely dry and cloudy. To the north the best of the sunshine. 0n the chilly side. Northern ireland down into north west england, some out rates of rain. To the south, cloudy weather. You will be lucky to see much in the way of brightness. Patchy rain and drizzle to the west. Friday morning, more persistent drizzle to the south. It will then a clear away and after a murky and missed the start, it could brighten later. You may see some brightness through the day and it will continue to be the case in these areas on saturday. More of a breeze of developing. Many areas that drive. Rain into north west scotland which may become widespread during christmas eve. Down to the south, windy, mild, mostly cloudy, some brighter spells at times. Christmas day, the weather front continuing to wiggle around in northern areas. Colder air starting to show its hand in the north. It will turn colder as we go on through christmas day