Im not a tribal politician, and where we agree, where we share values, where we share objectives, i will always be open to working with people. But i fundamentally do not think borisjohnson orjeremy corbyn are fit to lead our country. Another blow for president trump, as the hearing into his impeachment continues in washington. And Jose Mourinho takes charge of spurs does the manager known as the special one still have it . Enjoy me and the rest of the game for election cast in half an hour where well look at today positive big event on the campaign trail which was the launch of the libby dam manifesto. Lib lib dem. In the last hour Prince Andrew has announced he is stepping down from public duties for the foreseeable future after being engulfed in the scandal involving Jeffrey Epstein. The duke of york denies an allegation that he had sex with a 17 Year Old Girl procured for him by his friend epstein, the financier who killed himself in a us prison while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. For Queen Elizabeth the second, Dickie Arbiter and royal commentator, katie nicholl. This is obviously a huge blow for the royal family for Prince Andrew himself. But this is a very serious case that he has become engulfed by. Its a story that has been rattling on for a while now, but clearly culminated with that explosive interview that he gave on saturday in the millions that were watching. There were massive emissions on the interview, no empathy for the women involved, no remorse or regret expressed at that dubious friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. Expressed at that dubious friendship withJeffrey Epstein. To be expected to end as quickly as it has to do with the duke stepping down from royal engagements . Im surprised with the speed its happened but when you watch major sponsors pulling £100,000 a year sponsorship and other initiatives i think the duke felt he was left with very little choice. I can tell you this evening from my sources that it was the duke prospect decision to step down, he crafted that statement and he discussed it before making it public obviously come with the queen, the prince of wales and other member of the royal family who i queen, the prince of wales and other member of the royalfamily who i am told supported the decision. And had he come under pressure from other members of the royal family in particular . Do we know what the reaction has been within the royal family . That level of detail is still unclear and i think it will probably emerge over the coming hours and days. I do believe that its the royal familys modus operandi to stick together in times of crisis. Thats what they do. I was told when the duke was with the queen they discussed the epstein case, the allegations against the duke, he maintained his innocence and also his mother. She supported the interview and stood by his decision now as a result of the interview to stand out from royal duties. Something unprecedented i think we want to add in and modern times. What does that mean for the finances of Prince Andrew, because certain questioning for how he finances his life in any case, does he get money from the public purse 01 he get money from the public purse or not but jell o he get money from the public purse or not butjell o i think theres a lot of controversy over how he finds his private life and thats all over the papers the last couple of days but the queen finances his lifestyle toa but the queen finances his lifestyle to a large degree. Is he going to retain his office and official residence . Im told yes he will. Protection officers of course something appellants want to go on the record to discuss, and c going to continue to have these officers . Thats funded by the public purse. I suspect he probably will be. Is he going to continue the work with the charities . Theres 230 charities and idid not charities . Theres 230 charities and i did not realise it was that many of which he is a patron. But the matter of how much is going to be fighting by the public is difficult to a nswer fighting by the public is difficult to answer because the palace dont comment. There is evidence that his Security Officers and Protection Officers and all the people that stabbed him will have known his movements at certain times. Whether the information comes to the Public Domain here or as part of any investigation do you have any information on that . I think thats more to come further down the line. By more to come further down the line. By getting information out of the palace about protection, the walls come down on that front. Thank you very much indeed. Letsjust come down on that front. Thank you very much indeed. Lets just have a look at the Statement Issued by the duke of york. He said he had become clear in the last few days that his former association with Jeffrey Epstein had become a major disruption to his familys work in the work of the organisations and charities he supports. And the queen had given her permission to step back from public duties for the foreseeable future. He went on to say he unequivocally regrets what he called his illjudged association with epstein. He added he deeply sympathises with victims ofJeffrey Epstein and hopes they will be able to their lives. He studies also hoping to be able to help any appropriate Law Enforcement agency if required. This is an Unprecedented Movement modern times, isnt it . We have not had a statement of this kind in terms of a Senior Member of the royal family terms of a Senior Member of the royalfamily in terms of a Senior Member of the royal family in recent years. Its really significant in a number of ways, particularly in its tone and how its addressed individually. All of the criticisms that came out of that bbc interview at the weekend. Hes talked about willing to co operate now with the fbi and talked about feeling sympathy for the victims. Hes addressed how thats impacting his day to day work. All those areas which he was criticised hes now felt the pressure and understood what he was criticised and responded to those questions. But wejust criticised and responded to those questions. But we just dont hear state m e nts questions. But we just dont hear statements like this surrounding a scandal in which there are members of the royal family would step back from their work. Its very different, the statements we are normally used to hearing. What is your understanding of what this will mean from stepping back from royal duties . What does that actually mean . The differences between stepping back and stepping down. What hes done here is step back from his public life in many ways and his day to day duties which we would see him do with his charities and other organisations which he worked with. He stepping back from having any public connection with them for now because all of those organisations of course have a royal patron or connection because they hopeifs patron or connection because they hope its going to do them some good. They hope will bring the more money 01 good. They hope will bring the more money or better networking and better connections and that really is not whats happening. Many of them over the past couple of days we re them over the past couple of days were having a real wobble in terms of their connection with him and some of the bigger organisations also said there were not willing to have an association with Prince Andrew any more. Something had to be donein andrew any more. Something had to be done in terms of his day to day work and thats really one of the most significant elements of the statement. How is he currently financed and what this means for his future lifestyle, does he get money from the taxpayer . , this is really unclear and i think thats going to have to shake down in the coming days, he gets £250,000 every year from the queen at eight private funds from the queen in which he uses to run his private office and has a private secretary and staff dealing with this correspondence making sure his diary is up to date. That money helps find that, so does that continue to be needed if hes not doing any kind of public work or having a public role . We dont have any clarity on that issue at the moment. When hes out in about he has personal Protection Officers, does he still have those . Its hard to be seen that there would be taken away but they are paid for by the public purse. All the details about the day to day life will need to be looked at by Buckingham Palace. It these knuckle to be taking on any public role any more. What about those final few lines in the statement about the fact that hes now clearly willing to assist any investigations because that was not clear in the interview. Its quite nuanced in terms of the wording weve had over the past couple of days. We had asked again about whether Prince Andrew, the duke of york would co operate with any kind of legal investigation in the United States the statement over the past few days have been the same which was if it was requested he would consider it, so it was not a guess well, its just that it would be considered. This statement does not talk about considering anything. Just that he will co operate if requested. Again a Company Different line from Buckingham Palace on particular issue. Thank you very much. We can speak now to the former express much. We can speak now to the former express press spokesman for the queen. I would look at the links with Jeffrey Epstein queen. I would look at the links withJeffrey Epstein and of course we see in the interview but also initially saw a photograph of Prince Andrew apparently with his arm around one of the victims, Virginia Roberts of course theres been some commentary about whether it was real 01 commentary about whether it was real orfake did commentary about whether it was real or fake did anyway, commentary about whether it was real orfake did anyway, but commentary about whether it was real or fake did anyway, but this was a damning photo and potentially this whole episode is incredibly serious and incredibly difficult, isnt it . Are you hearing us . The monitor has gone very, very low, i can hardly hear it. Can youjust gone very, very low, i can hardly hear it. Can you just give me your initial response then to this evenings news . Im not surprised about the news. Im surprised its come so about the news. Im surprised its come so late, his position was untenable when it came to sort of after the interview. He went into the interview believing it was Crisis Management and created a Crisis Management and created a crisis instead of management and there was no other direction he could go. Sponsors were falling by the wayside and the sponsorship had finished in october and not renewing but other sponsors are saying they are not renewing when their contracts are terminated. The organisations cant cope and cant function without sponsors. So everything was falling about lake dominoes that he was left with no alternative than to step back. Of course, at the heart of this is what his relationship was withJeffrey Epstein, it was with Virginia Roberts. How difficult is this for the royal family and roberts. How difficult is this for the royalfamily and prince roberts. How difficult is this for the royal family and Prince Andrew himself . I think you have to point the royal family to one side they are feeling terribly sorry for him i would of their own has been confronted with all this and to step aside in terms of public duties, but Prince Andrew has got to come to terms with it because hes not out of the woods yet. The fbi investigators want to talk to him, and they want to talk to them on the road. He still got that to face. Does he do in the states or the United Kingdom . Thats still to be decided. But hes really got to come forward and say exactly what happened. A lot of things in the interview on saturday night. The photograph you just showed, he said that was in an upstairs room but ive never been in the upstairs room, if he has never been and how does he know it was there . All sorts of things that fell by the wayside, he was contradicting himself. Hes got to take stock of what he wants to do how he wants to handle it and is he going to answer questions put to him of the other side of the atlantic, and is not going to go until such time he does answer those questions. Then maybe i say the clouds will clear away, but these are allegations at the moment until such time they are proven to be fact that after except theres allegations. We should say there is of course its been denied that anything happened as alleged as we saw in that interview earlier. You say that the problems and the difficulty surrounding Prince Andrew is separate to the royal family but he is the queens son. Isnt this bound to damage the institution of the monarchy itself to a degree . M wont damage the institution because the monarchy is a strong institution. It suffered all sorts of woes in years combined when you go to 1994, prince of wales interview when he admitted committing adultery while still married to diana. The diana panorama. You go to 97 when she was killed in a car crash. A lot of criticism about the monarchs staying in bellmore and not coming down. Im jumping around a bit. The monarchy does come out in these things. Some this is something that affects andrew. Its unfortunate for the queen, he is her son. Every parent likes to believe there son and supports her son as a public gesture with you the queen leaving church with you the queen leaving church with andrew smiling and chatting, and she would do that. Probably seeing him behind the scenes so damage to the institution know, damage to the institution know, damage to the institution know, damage to andrew yes. Damage to the institution know, damage to andrew yeslj damage to the institution know, damage to andrew yes. I dont know if youve heard the other responses this week do you think Prince Andrew would have come to this himself or come under pressure from the most Senior Members of his family . My guess is there would be a certain amount of pressure because with the domino effect in terms of his charities and sponsorship that cannot go on. Charity saying they we re cannot go on. Charity saying they were going to consider the position of patron, university of the United Kingdom certainly five in australia, backing off from their support of the palace. It was falling apart so he really had no choice in orderfor these organisations to survive he needs to step ask that they can step forward and continue their good work. And they are doing very good work. And they are doing very good work. Thanks very much indeed for your time. And well find out how this story and many others are covered in tomorrows front pages at 10 40 and 11 30 this evening in the papers our guests joining me tonight are the guardian columnist, 0wenjones and brexit editor for the telegraph, dia chakravarty. The headlines on bbc news. An annoucement from Buckingham Palace this evening, that Prince Andrew is stepping back from public duties for the forseeable future. The liberal democrats launch their election manifesto promising to stop brexit in order to generate a £50 billion pound bonus for public services. And another blow for president trump, as the hearing into his impeachment continues in washington. Big news in the front, lets catch up big news in the front, lets catch up with ben. Hi. What a 24 hours its been. The psalmist they were just finding out maurizio had been sacked. Jose mourinho had been appointed as a new manager. Greeted cautiously by many fans and can he succeed . 0ur Sports Editor has more. He has trophies, but also troubled too. For almost a yearJose Mourinho has been on the sidelines but now in a move that is surprising many when of footballs most of footballs most divisive figures is back. Totte n ha m most divisive figures is back. Tottenham unveiling the portuguese coach as their new manager. His appointment came less than 12 hours after the sacking of pochettino. It is five and a half yea rs of pochettino. It is five and a half years of the club hugely popular argentinian had transformed them into contenders. Propelling them to the Champions League final despite limited spending on players. But admitted an alarming tip and form this year had them languishing in 14th place, chairman daniel leavy decided to act. It was a big shock, he was amazing to work with for the la st he was amazing to work with for the last five years and its a shame to have gone. Spurs of stunned players arrived with their new manager already waiting for them. This is what hes been hired. He is one trophies with every club is benat. 25 of them in fact. Including the Champions League for porto, three pure music titles at chelsea, the Champions League get milan, real madrid and the Europa League at manchester united. The fans grew weary of his style of play and by the time he was sacked he become a selling figure. Hes a dated manager. The way he places football isa time manager. The way he places football is a time gone past. I dont think its its the tottenham way. The reason why we its its the tottenham way. The reason why we are its its the tottenham way. The reason why we are allowed to dream the way we are is because of pochettino. To diminish that and completely disregard everything hes done last five and a half years is quite despicable. Never before have they hired a manager as demanding a culture confrontational. It does not feel or fit but with this £1 billion new stadium in a talented squad that will help you can harness their ambition and deliver the trophies they crave it. But it is a campbell. Great britain have won their first tie in the new look at davis cup finals in madrid. They beat the netherlands to have been won. Andy murray got gp off a good start. Despite say afterwards he did not deserve to. He lost the first step but took the next two waiting the decider on a tie break. Dan evans lawson singles match so was all down to the doubles withjimmy murray and neil. Partnering each other. Urgent took the first set the judge fought back to take a second. I tie break it should save britain and held their nerve to win and take the tie to their nerve to win and take the tie to one. New england cricket coach will get him. Work sure dom sibley will get him. Work sure dom sibley will make his debut alongside rory burns. This test series is not part of the world test championship but joe root has no doubts about the importance. Its an opportunity for us asa importance. Its an opportunity for us as a side to continue our development and improvement winning away from home. 0bviously development and improvement winning away from home. Obviously this points to be played for sri lanka later on this winter. So theres plenty with a few new faces around, plenty with a few new faces around, plenty to play for for everyone and for us to lay a marker down how we wa nt for us to lay a marker down how we want this winter to go. And on the bbc sport website we will bring you the opening match of that test series in new zealand and have the latest on that and lots more in sports day at 1030. More now on the duke of york stepping back from royal duties for the foreseeable future. In a statement he said that his association with the convicted sex offender had become what he described as a major disruption to the royal family present work. He also said he would be willing to help any Law Enforcement agency. The former federal prosecutor spoke to beyond 100 days earlier this evening and explained what options us authorities would not be considering. The fbi will certainly be interested in hearing from him. So what can they do . He could voluntarily participate in an interview, thats pretty simple. The fbi will go to uk, sit down with him and read him his miranda rights, his right to remain silent and he will waive those rights and he can have a conversation with them. Thats one possibility. If they want to compel interview with him thats very different. We dont compel testimony from people. We can extradite folks if theres an arrest warrant has been issued from a federaljudge thats an option. Then the governments can work about getting someone governments can work about getting someone extradited but the same time evenif someone extradited but the same time even if they are we dont compel interview. If the person does not wa nt to interview. If the person does not want to speak to the fbi they dont have to. But we can discuss this more now with the former head of special crime and a tradition at the crown prosecution service. Thank you for joining us. We dont know if they wa nt to joining us. We dont know if they want to speak with Prince Andrew, do we . We dont. It would not become public until it really before it happened. Investigations are confidential and people who are ready to be spoken to will be told that the request has been made and then its up to them if they want to root agree to that request and Prince Andrew has been very clear today that he would co operate with any request to interview him by Law Enforcement agencies. Whats your understanding of where that would have been coming here or in the us . The prosecutor just have been coming here or in the us . The prosecutorjust said it would happen here and if Prince Andrew volu nteers happen here and if Prince Andrew volunteers to be spoken to that its very straightforward. All the fbi has to do is a courtesy and notify the National Crime agency that they are coming and what to conduct their investigation on uk soil in the process just follows. Theres no reason for him to go to the us to be interviewed. He has the right to refuse to be interviewed . He has the right to refuse to answer any questions if he thinks it might suffer come in. Refuse to answer any questions if he thinks it might suffer come inm that according to us or uk law was yellow its both. Definitely under us law if he thinks he will be exposing himself to some kind of liability over there. If there is a uk exposure he would have privilege against that as well. Hes denied any wrongdoing and its very important to make that clear and they did say theres no questions unable to be answered. He was very openin unable to be answered. He was very open in her interview. And we have heard from some of the us saying he should just come forward and voluntarily make a statement. Is that likely . Unless he is called to make make a statement that such a something it would happen. He was a right, im going to give you a lot of information here. He has done what most people would expect which is to say if you want to question me im very happy to talk because of course we dont know precisely with the fbi are investigating and what conduct is by their focus the fbi are investigating and what conduct is by theirfocus in the fbi are investigating and what conduct is by their focus in there the prince does not know what information he has that might be of use to them. Its really for them to come to him and he said he will a nswer come to him and he said he will answer any question. And that that any continuing investigation must be based on obviously the associates that were involved with epstein. Of course. We need to distinguish between any criminal investigation and the civil suits that as we understand that were brought against the estate and so is claimants coming forward that say they want Prince Andrew to co operate with their civil claim. Thats an entirely different matter and of course cooperated with a Law Enforcement investigation. Buckingham palace today, a letter that was clearing the date with Prince Andrew met epstein. Does the police and the us have access example to the Office Documents of Prince Andrew . 0bviously hes fully staffed up and security detail. Most of his movements must be documented. They can ask for them and depending on who is the formal owner of those documents whether it is the state or Prince Andrew as a private individual the owner of those documents can volunteer them. If they are not forthcoming in the us can request them under a formal process know it as mutual legal assistance. So royal Protection Officers, diaries and notebooks etc it just that ought to be officers, diaries and notebooks etc itjust that ought to be handed over, because he has a lot of information on that. They cooperate all the time is sure how sensitive information. Theres no real exception for these papers and so if the prince wanted to keep them confidential he could try to. But he said publicly hes willing to co operate so would be unusual for him to go against her back on that by trying to protect his documents. Thank you very much indeed for explaining that and again to make it very clear Prince Andrew is not under any sort of investigation at the moment, and he has denied any wrongdoing. Lets move onto the political news today. Boris shelton has revealed plans to a multi billion pound tax cut saying that under a conservative government workers would pay National Insurance. Mrjohnson said that that would rise to 12 and a half thousand pounds. He later confirmed it would go up in stages reaching nine and a half thousand pounds in the first budget of the tory government and give no timescale for further cuts. 0ur deputy Political Editor looks at the implications of this announcement. Borisjohnson has a big job in this election win round the hard hat vote, the working class support he needs on polling day. 0ut 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 working people. Were 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. Thered be an immediate increase to 9,500, worth £100 a year from next april. If the conservatives were to raise the National Insurance threshold this far, it wouldnt leave them with much space at all really for additional spending increases, or tax cuts elsewhere. Theyve said they want to balance the current budget, this would use up all of the headroom that theyve got. Borisjohnsons tax promise echoed a pledge made during his Party Leadership campaign. His opponents, as youd expect, werent impressed. Boris johnsons throwing around spending pledges and tax cuts like its 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. Labours issued a statement, saying the tory pledge failed to make up for what it called ten cruel years of cuts. The giveaways keep coming. Mrjohnsons also promised more tax cuts for higher earners as well recently. The signs are, that will have to wait. Either way, so far, this elections been about ending austerity and pleasing voters. Worrying about how to pay for those promises, that comes later. But the prime minister, trailing ahead to the tory manifesto, insisted he was helping those who needed it most. 0ur ambition is to go up to £12,500 threshold for National Insurance contributions. That would reduce the burden of taxation, particularly on people on low incomes, on all incomes. And the reason we want to do that is to help with the cost of living. And thats one of the reasons we do things like increasing the living wage by the biggest ever amount. We want to help people with the cost of living. The pms been good at grabbing attention, but attention and trust arent the same thing. Boris johnson wants, and needs, both. John pienaar, bbc news. They say raising the National Insurance threshold is not the best way to help people on low incomes. If they really wanted to help people on low incomes and health of people struggling that would do something about fixing and stopping the roll out of universal credit. Thats been devastated people in low incomes and the disabled people who are self employed and claim universal credit for quite long enough now and its about time that they did something about that. But is this some good news for this group . Its regressive tax so they will benefit both the very well off will benefit both the very well off will benefit both the very well off will benefit even more. What we in the s p stand for is a fair income tax and taxation policy which means that people are treated fairly and those on low incomes are given benefit. This regressive tax may help some people but it helps those who are better off first. We believe is not to do with