Transcripts For BBCNEWS The Papers 20240713

Where hundreds face christmas out of their homes after last months flooding. The former love island presenter Caroline Flack has pleaded not guilty to assaulting her boyfriend at herflat in london. Hello and welcome to our look ahead to what the papers will be bringing us tomorrow. With me are kevin schofield, editor of politics home, and the broadcasterjohn stapleton. A quick look through the front pages. Tomorrows Financial Times leads on the ousting of the chief executive of boeing after two deadly crashes involving its 737 max plane. The i warns of serious flooding over the festive period with heavy rain forecast in parts of the uk later this week. The daily express previews the queens christmas speech. The monarch will say its been a bumpy year. The daily mirror also splashes on the queens message, showing her next to photos of some of the royal family. The times front page has the same image of the queen and her heirs. The paper also has the story that the Prime Minister borisjohnson will ring in the new year on the private caribbean island of mustique. The sun leads on the court case of love island presenter Caroline Flack she denies assaulting her boyfriend. And both that story and the queens speech are on the front of tomorrows daily mail. The paper says that the queen will use her message to talk about the royals turbulent year. Those are the front pages. Lets start off with that queens speech. A bumpy path for all of us. Yes, indeed, and well said, your majesty. Appropriately said. Never more so a bumpy year. A bumpy yearfor appropriately said. Never more so a bumpy year. A bumpy year for the country with brexit and the visions it has caused, a bumpy year for her family, particularly, but were not sure how much detail she will go we have a sense of it here. It is a very slow news day and this is a cracker. We look back on the year she has had. The duke of edinburghs crash, the ill advised interviews that two of her sons conducted, not least the one prince and redid recently and it has been a very difficult time to put it mildly for her. She definitely talks in this speech about the 75th anniversary of d day and how that offered a chance for the country to come together and reconciliation with our enemies and a way forward and she is hoping that the same will occur after this rather difficult 2019. And a lot of people may be seen, what is the point in the queens speech . The minority cannot watch it. Fair play, she absolutely gets to the nut of the constitution, we have just had a general election. It has politically beena very general election. It has politically been a very divisive and divided la st been a very divisive and divided last 12 months and i think she hits the nail right on the head here when she talks about. It is an understatement that it has been bumpy to put it mildly, and obviously she is delivering this message against the backdrop of her husband still being in hospital, probably going to spend Christmas Day in hospital as well. It has been a tough time for her personally, but as the figurehead of the country, i think she manages to sum up the situation we find ourselves in as a nation pretty well. The same story in the front of the mirror, our next paper. Another thing about this particular front paper. Another thing about this particularfront page paper. Another thing about this particular front page that caught your attention with the pictures within the picture. And the little captain in the corner of the picture saying times of trouble. It points out we have the duke of edinburgh there, charles, we have herfather there. The only people not in that are from her immediate family, harry and megan and andrew, which will be seen by some as significant. Was this deliberate . Or is itjust an accident . Pictures of them around the corner that we cant see . accident . Pictures of them around the corner that we cant see . I will play devils advocate and they will bea play devils advocate and they will be a few pictures here. You are very cynical about this. If she wanted the pictures to be in short, she would have made sure that they were. It is significant as well that barry and meghan are not going to be spending christmas this year, for the First Time Since they got married that they havent spent christmas abroad and canada. One of the other papers mentions the briefing against prince harry that they will come back because his grandfather is ill and in hospital and obviously prince andrews picture had been on display, so that it may be less surprising. I think some things you have got to read between the lines almost, and i think it is safe to say it is quite significant choice of pictures i would suggest. 0k, significant choice of pictures i would suggest. Ok, i significant choice of pictures i would suggest. 0k, iwould significant choice of pictures i would suggest. Ok, i would suggest that it would suggest. Ok, i would suggest thatitis would suggest. Ok, i would suggest that it is the next in line that are on the table key figures there. A little bit of everything. The ft, and a new chief executive at boeing. Good thing . Well, the market seems to think so. The share price went up as soon as it was announced. The boss of boeing is getting the push, no doubt about it. It is made plain that he went under pressure after a very difficult time into horrible crashes in which well over 300 people lost their lives and it became clear, has become clear more recently it was down to a Software Problem that the aircraft apparently was pointing downwards and it should have been pointing upwards because of the software activating too early. I am of the software activating too early. Iam no of the software activating too early. I am no expert but that is what i read. His handling of the whole situation has come into questioning of course. They are seen to be ineffective in which he particularly, as chief executive, he has to take the rap for that. So he is gone. The announcement last week, when they said the halting production of his aircraft, it a lwa ys production of his aircraft, it always amazes me that after the first crash, the federal Aviation Authority allow the plaintiff keep on flying. It is staggering, actually. Allowed the plane to keep on flying. I spoke to an aviation specialist this evening. Keep on flying. I spoke to an aviation specialist this eveninglj saw that. Yes, it was fascinating because he had actually spoken to the former chief executive and he pointed out that the Safety Culture was a big problem here because the processes involved, even in putting together that software, were too fragmented. It would be interesting to see how the outcome of that becomes wider throughout the industry. It is seen as a trailblazing design. As he says, it has now been grounded, there is no immediate prospect of these planes taking to the skies again and i think the main issue is far as dennis is concerned is his response to it was completely tone deaf, this isa to it was completely tone deaf, this is a guy from an engineering background, maybe doesnt have the personal skills that to have that lightness of touch to react to tragedies like this and it is interesting as well, i think the families have welcomed his departure and 346 people died in the two plane crashes. You can understand the level of anger amongst the families. What they are saying is this is a first good first step. It doesnt wipe the slate lean or solve the issues but at least it shows at boeing recognises the hurt they can change the culture at the heart of the organisation in order to move forward. It is too late. But they can make the situation better from this point forward. The next door at the telegraph, and it keeps coming back and that is racism in football. The first question i want to ask you, what do you make on the point that many people are arguing that we are still arguing over the definition of racism . What we witnessed in three games in the premier league this season is allegedly at least, i will be careful because of the pending court case, but there are clear cut cases of racism. Monkey dance are not acceptable. No argument. Monkey chants. It will take forever, there will be three more influences before they make some sort of pathetic conclusion. This has to be vital by the club. The clubs in venice do all they can, they have zero tolerance on this. They banned the fan responsible from the ground for life, but they cant send them to prison. That is down to the courts and maybe they have a more tougher role to play in this. It is very, very difficult but very sad and this is something we thought we got rid of but it has not gone away. Having said all that, we had an incident in manchester, one guy allegedly, the case is still pending, an incident at chelsea, to a peak two or three people, this incident at birth, one guy out of a crowd of 50,000 people. They are not representative of football fans. The vast majority want nothing to do with these people. I think there has been complacency in the british game. We have seen instances in italy, black english players have been targeted and there has been a failure to acknowledge that there is a problem closer to home, and if it fiow a problem closer to home, and if it now takes players walking off stadiums being closed down, maybe thatis stadiums being closed down, maybe that is the type of shock treatment that is the type of shock treatment that actually needs to happen to make fans realise that someone near to them has been inappropriately calling them out. It is difficult in a big crowd to do that, but clearly the constitution can continue and something needs to be done. The constitution can continue and something needs to be donem the constitution can continue and something needs to be done. It comes across as talking to children, i will warn you again and again and again. It should be clear cut. Will warn you again and again and again. It should be clearcut. One of the points with consideration, last night they talked eloquently and made the point that this is a bigger problem than just foot role and arguably exacerbated by 2 Party Political leaders football. They are both accused of racism themselves impossible to prove a link between what i allegedly said and the football ground, but arguably, it emboldens these idiots who behave this way at football grounds. Lets turn to the times and many of us will be heading home for oui many of us will be heading home for our christmas dinner times. The Prime Minister. Further afield . They have it on the front page. Borisjohnson and they have it on the front page. Boris johnson and his they have it on the front page. Borisjohnson and his partner are apparently going to the caribbean for the new year, which i guess he is entitled to celebrate after winning the general election, but the covenant has seen austerity is over for the country, it is certainly over as far as the Prime Minister is concerned. I remember doing stories when David Cameron was by minister when he tried to make virtue of the fact, despite the fact he was a wealthy man personally, he was flying on holiday, on easyjet, he was going to cornwall, seem to be in touch with the common man. But borisjohnson obviously in touch with the common man. But Boris Johnson obviously doesnt. He can do what he wants. He has a majority and he can do what the hell he wants. I have always taken the view that he is the boss. Do you think the president of the United States would fly easyjet . He is paying for it. It is up to him. It never run through with David Cameron. He was pretending to be the common man. Should we wish the viewers, this is the last time we will see that there was. From all of us. From john and kevin and myself, that is it for the papers. I will see you on the other side of christmas. Dont forget, you can see the front pages of the papers online on the bbc news website. Its all there for you, seven days a week. And if you miss the programme any evening, you can watch it later on bbc iplayer. Merry christmas, and from us, a very good evening. Cheerio hello. You are everywhere. How do you come up with a cover like those . This was when theresa may, do you remember her . She was around at the beginning of the year. She used to be Prime Minister. Anyway, she left and we had to think how can we pay tribute to theresa may . So i thought perhaps a blank page will be good, and so we have the theresa may memorial issue, her legacy in full. Uh, thank you. Which again seems quite cruel, but was quite funny. Do you know how each of those sell . Yeah, that was a seller. Im afraid that was popular. And nigel farage . This is great, hes always good. Partly because he always does photo opportunities, so having been accused of having a party full of fruitca kes, he does a photo op eating a fruit cake. I mean, it is fantastic. He does the joke for us. Borisjohnsons private life hss frequently furnished you with cover ideas and this one you have here. This was sort of essentially a smut special. Because there was a proper Public Interest in this story in the public money had gone to this woman on the dancing pole, but essentially the joke was boris had yet again been called out. He is saying, i need some technology lessons, and she is saying, floppy disk or hard drive. There is a properjoke here. With boris saying to his new girlfriend, i dont lie to women any more, and she is saying, except the queen obviously. That that is not a legal problem, that is the supreme courtjudgement. You know, this is ourjob reporting the facts. And sometimes anniversaries too. This is when boris became Prime Minister, which the people equate with an event as unlikely as landing on the moon. But he did and there is a picture of him just going into number 10, so we did it as a lunar landing, a souvenir issue, one small step for man and a giant leap in the dark for mankind. And put it in black and white. When you have a year to get through and have many of these annuals of course and when you have to do a year, what youre saying moments ago is whatjournalism is about, what are you thinking about dealing with this . Do you get the bestjokes or really to reflect the year . I try and get the bestjokes and if we had been told about a particular subject or have not covered it well, i try and leave it out. I mean we are exhaustive, but the idea is to be entertaining. Youve been personally committed to trying to reverse the decline of the english cartoonist. Why have you and private eye kept up with this cartoon . Because people like them and the mag sells. No, obviously its a much more elevated reason than that. No, i love cartoons, that i think that one of the things that print can do is reproduce sort of beautiful drawings that are funny. And the english tradition is very old and i think remarkable. So i am basically doubling the number of cartoons. And people said there are not any young cartoonists, you wont get anyone. It is funny, if you offer money, people become cartoonists. We have got a brilliant raft of young cartoonists. I mean, this is a genuine skill and a lot of people who do it really well. I mentioned politics is what we will come to. And everything to be in a state of polarisation, a genuine difference. Why has that happened . A delayed effect of the financial crash . I think the referendum was a question about whether you are essentially happy with the way britain is or not, whether it is too unequal or you have been left behind by the International World that has come into business, whether you would rather your life was structured different ways. And the referendum was not really about europe at all. The question people answered was a question for themselves. Fairly reasonable, but it did not have anything to do with the eu. We managed to politicize essentially a cultural divide. Which is why we have ended up in three years people shouting at each other. The last three years has furnished your covers with some very loud characters. What about satire . Has it become easier or harder when we have the stranger than life characters . I mean it does two things. One is everybody says to you satire is over now because you cannot satirize donald trump, he does it to himself. Or boris is funny. Nothing more to add. Which is not true. But you have to work harder. Because you have to find the areas where they are vulnerable, the areas where they genuinely are funny and where you can get under their skin. Obviously its incredibly flattering, we have done somejoke about donald trump which turned up in a tweet saying this was unfunny and not clever and not funny and that is the ultimate prize. And to find that boris is furious about something and thats what you want. Does he ever get in touch, hes been on your cover many times, do you think he is still cheesed off when he sees himself on the front page . I do hope so. What is your technique for dealing with people who are readily offended online . Well, im not online, which helps. How have you found that is hard to sustain . Over the course of the existence of the internet, you have two children in their 20s, what do they think with the fact that dad is not online . I have no idea. I have not looked online. No, it is very restful. I do recommend it. I could get used to that idea. Unfortunately the media may not allow me to do that. One of the things about the age which we live is the truth seems up for grabs in a way it has not been for a long time, maybe ever in the course of your career. Do you think it is fair to say these days the penalty or sanction faced by those caught lying has almost disappeared. People are getting away with lying as never before. I do think is a real problem now, the idea that fake news and that is one of the things that is why i dont put a lot of time online because i am infuriated by reasonable people who say to me, i notice you did not run that story about Hillary Clinton murdering everybody. And i said i did not run it because it is not true. And they said i read it online. And the people who they say to you the Mainstream Media isjust full of lies. And then they believe the biggest and stupidest lie that someone in a bedroom has written up on the internet and sent out as a blog. I mean there is a real divide between the sort of supposedly skepticism, sort of fierce refusal to believe anything you read in the normal media and then believing almost anything you read online. And this is weird and it makes it. It makes the idea of truth polluted, which we know from the history of fake news is what the original putin doctrine was and what donald trump wants, he does not want you do believe this rubbish he pumps out, he wants you to believe nothing. People watching this on bbc or listening to this via bbc podcast will think that actually the bbc is part of the problem. But there is these days if you want to go viral you say there is a conspiracy at the bbc. Why are people so keen to believe conspiracy theories about journalists . Why is trust in journalism so low . We have not distinguished ourselves the past 30 years. The phone hacking thing was not good and the enquirer was not marvellous. I mean there is a reason for people to be fully sceptical. About journalism. It is not much the same way as the expenses scandal made us very sceptical about politicians. But i believe and i have said this before that being sceptical is not the same as being cynical. It does not mean you believe in nothing but you assess value. There is really Good Journalism going on. The alternative is literally sitting at home thinking i wonder what i believe. Is it really striking about the Election Campaign that we saw at the end of 2019 that a lot of the fake news was actually pumped out by official channels . It was coming to the main parties. Is that not really what fake news is and is that notjust Old Fashioned political spin . I think the thing that really shocked everyone in that Political Campaign was not the idea that hidden on the internet somewhere there were messages going out that were being paid for and we did not know about. I mean it is reasonable to criticise. It was the fact that Political Parties were pretending they were Fact Checking outputs or pretending they were another outfit in order to pump out their own messages. The Old Fashioned political spin is we are the tory party and we promise you 80,000 more trees, houses, nurses, whatever it is, we are labour party, we have 80,000 and another 80,000 nurses, trees, whatever. That is Old Fashioned political spin, thats what people know about. The fake messaging and then when you get caught out and you say, oh, it was a joke. It is satire, no it is not satire. We are doing bloody satire. Get the tory party out of it. You said in the past you dont talk much about your voting habits but you said you were a democrat and believe in democracy. Look around the world, do you think we are in this sort of period of democratic recession which is a correction that has been readjusted but it will survive, or do you have to think we are entering a darker post democratic age . No, i dont believe that but that i am on the whole quite optimistic. I mean we are in the middle of a cult of the strongman and a lot of leadership around the world is very autocratic. Populist movements have i think done democracy no favours. And forgetting the normal checks and balances and the structures and sort of boring sets of standards and values that allow democracy to function. None of that is very encouraging. Essentially i think most periods and one of the good things about getting older, think this is a terrible times. That british politics has never been so divisive and i think the poll tax, riots, the miners strike, that was not a cohesive period. And you know, i was quite naive and my mother in law said to me i have never been so worried as i am now about the world. And i said you were a teenager in 1939. And she said so i was. I do think that you have to keep a certain amount of perspective. Conscious as i say is that behind you there are endless letters. In terms of threats you have had this year, legal and otherwise, you have had many legal threats over the year. How does this year rank in terms of the threats to ruin you and your family . Interesting because i think that something about brexit, people must be a bit more depressed. We have had quite a lot of very rich people suing. What sort of stuff . Mostly russian or thereabouts. About money and in london where it is going to and weve had quite a lot of that. Is there ever any danger that these cases are going to end up bankrupting you and private eye . I have a wooden table. We will see. We survive on the favour of our readers. They pay up and that is where our money comes from. And you know most of our stories are about unexplained wealth. You know where ours is from and we dont know where theirs is from. So thats the difference. Thank you very much indeed. It is finally Christmas Eve so what does the weather have in store . A little bit of a mixture. Most of us have a chance of seeing some rain but hopefully a little brighter as the day goes on. For the south west of england and wales, showers could turn heavy and thundery. Low pressure is the driver full the front opens more persistent rail that migraine. Things start to brighten a little and it will become more showery as the hours go by and heavy showers cloud into the south west. Windy for the south as well, light winds for scotland and the ship was a few between. Double figures for south wales and southern england. If you are heading out later on on Christmas Eve, things become quieter the wind in the south eases and the showers clear. A few ocean to the north west of scotland and a little wintry across the highlands. Temperatures start to fall away. A frosty start to Christmas Day across scotland and a patchy frost elsewhere. Temperatures in towns and cities following a three orfour degrees. In towns and cities following a three or four degrees. The in towns and cities following a three orfour degrees. The reason it becomes quieter and chillier, original High Pressure in time for Christmas Day bringing us overall one of the quietest days in terms of whether that we have seen for a month stop fog to start the day across north wales and the north west of england, that could ta ke north west of england, that could take until the middle of the data clear. A slim chance of a shower for scotla nd clear. A slim chance of a shower for scotland but overall a lot of fine weather was sunny spells and temperatures around average, 6 9d. However, that ridge of High Pressure short lived. On boxing day we open the to the atlantic again and enrols an area of strengthening the wind and bringing heavy rain. Rain will push into all parts through the day, some snow, transiently across the pennines and then perhaps some snow sticking across the high ground of the highlands. Brighter in the south and milder later in the day with heavy showers heading into the south west. One of these fronts look like they will be ripped away by the end of the week as High Pressure tries to build but were just left with this front wriggling across scotla nd with this front wriggling across scotland and Northern Ireland as we look towards the weekend. For england and wales, things tend to settle down in the outlook, fine weather to come with bright and sunny spells, occasional showers for scotland. This is bbc news. Im aaron safir. Our top stories boeing fires its chief executive after catastrophic failures of its 737 max and the loss of nearly 350 lives. Saudi arabia sentences five people to death for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year. Critics say the trials a travesty of justice. At no point was the chain of command and the mastermind behind the killing ever worried by the investigation or the trial. President trumps impeachment trial democrats demand documents, republicans worry about witnesses, and the House Speaker has yet to send the articles to the senate. And christmas for Pakistans Christian community