A0 days after the election. And the congressman from texas who is starring in his own actionman movie to save the two senate seats in georgia as if there is nothing else to be doing right now. Hello, im katty kay in washington. Christian fraser is in london. It is a good day here in the United States because americans are receiving their first shots of the Pfizer Vaccine. But we would be remiss in not pointing out that on the very same day, the covid death toll here has reached 300,000. It is a sobering reminder of the hill we still have to climb to get out of this pandemic. Here in the uk, where the Pfizer Vaccine was rolled out last week, the roller coaster journey continues. London is returning to tier 3, with much tighter restrictions, less than two weeks before christmas. There is also news from the Health Secretary that they have discovered a new strain of coronavirus, which may be associated with the much faster spread in the south east of england. Heres matt hancock and englands chief medical officer, professor chris whitty. Initial analysis suggests that this variant is growing faster than the existing variants. Weve currently identified over 1,000 cases with this variant, predominantly in the south of england. The new variants that emerge, and new ones will emerge the whole time, are more likely to be ones which actually are able, partially, to escape from a vaccine, but theres no reason to think that would be happening at the moment. But thats being tested at the moment in porton down and other specialist centres. Were joined by peter 0penshaw, an immunologist and a professor of experiemental medicine at Imperial College london. Good to have you with us, professor. Of course viruses mutate all the time, the key question here, whether the behaviour of the virus is changed to. It looks like this is slightly more transmissible, and of course when a virus moves into the human population for the first time, it will not be perfectly matched and it will not be perfectly matched and it will not be perfectly matched and it will undergo evolution. We know that, but this is the first time we have been really been able to use modern scientific techniques to watch that evolution real time, so it is no surprise but it is very important that we have been able to pick this up, and i think it shows the surveillance were doing in the uk is very successful in managing to pick upa uk is very successful in managing to pick up a lot of new viral sequence and demonstrate that this is a significant change in the virus. With debbie and any reason to think the vaccines we have right now would not be up to tackle the variant with there be any reason . Not at the moment for some vaccines express the whole of the spike protein, and there are many different antibodies that bind to different parts of it, so that bind to different parts of it, so the vaccine is going to induce a whole collection of antibodies. It should be this change could affect only one or two of those, ticket is unlikely but think it is unlikely that. The vaccine is onlyjust been introduced, so it is too early to think this is an evolutionary jump to think this is an evolutionary jump which has been driven by immunity, there is not enough people that are immune anyway. It is more likely this is in evolutionary change which is developed because of transmissibility, which something which is going to drive the virus straightaway. I cannot believe it is good news that we have a new strand that seems to be spreading easily and more quickly than the original strand. Is it . No, maybe that was the wrong way to put it. It is not good news this has happened. I do not think. It is terribly bad news. The diggers i was referring to is out the diggers i was referring to is our surveillance methods have picked this up and we have a lot of sequence this up and we have a lot of sequence affirmation about the new strain of the verse and we can very rapidly now take it into the lap and start to characterise it and work outjust start to characterise it and work out just how it start to characterise it and work outjust how it behaves. The point i would try to make is that the thing that has been so worrying about covid is how easily it spreads from one person to another, which is why you have so many cases around the world, and now if we have a strand that spreads even quicker, presumably that gives Public Health officials like yourself and even greater challenge in terms of persuading people they really do have to socially distance, wear masks and all that kind of thing to do more to stop the spread of the disease. Yes, the equipment watching the rising cases, particular in london in the southeast, for quite a numberof weeks london in the southeast, for quite a number of weeks now and this does not start to look good we have in watching. We have not known why we have seen this sharp rise, the decline is turned around, and weve all been considering that, really, we need to take some more measures than anything at the moment that enables transmission, a bad thing, andl enables transmission, a bad thing, and i and many others will be decided at this we have to keep all this measures in place, we have to reduce everything, do every thing we can to reduce transmission. This does not look like it is going to be a normal, happy christmas that is with social gatherings. 0k, professor 0penshaw, thank you very much forjoining us. With that in mind,. With that in mind. Spare a thought, then, for the capitals pubs, clubs, hotels, theatres that opened just two weeks ago for their busiest period, which they hoped would be some consolation for all the pain they have endured this year. But no sooner had they opened than they must close again, putting a further 150,000 hospitality sector jobs in london at risk. The government has announced that from wednesday, london will be placed in tier 3, joining the 3a Million People in england soon to be living under the tightest level of restrictions. Its in response to the rapid spread of the virus in the london boroughs of havering, enfield and southwark, infection rates have grown by over 60 in the space of a week. Lets speak now to the conservative mayoral candidate for london, shaun bailey. Good to have you with us. During previous reviews, the treasury and conservative mps pushed back against moving millions of people into these tighter restrictions, but this time, they seem to be convinced by the evidence they have seen. What people are staying in london is, like everybody else, we want to get on top and break the cycle of spreading of the disease, but there is other things to take into account where is the disease happening, can we keep our businesses going and can we do in area based approach . Of course, as do in area based approach . Of course , as you do in area based approach . Of course, as you have said, this is a massive blow to london. Potentially millions ofjobs at risk in the hospitality sector. I notice france is paying 20 of the revenues businesses would take over the Christmas Period in compensation, germany 50 , and our government is only paying 2000 £3000. Is that enough or should they be doing more more . More . You could always argue business could have more subsidy for the best subsidy is for business to be able to run, to have those revenues, and Business Owners in london i have been speaking to were really hoping to run and get that christmas revenue in. And when you compare our systems to france and germany, you have to take into account who is given furlough, what people are given furlough for. |j account who is given furlough, what people are given furlough for. I do not know if you had a chance to hear professor 0penshaw, but he clearly feels that the capital does have to shut down, that it has no choice because the rising cases has been so dramatic and because christmas is a time when people might get together. Is this, then, as christian is suggesting, a question of government financing rather than you have to ta ke financing rather than you have to take the measures to take the spread of the virus . I think from an financing and measures to stop the virus are two separate things. Everybody wants to stop the virUs Government financing and. I expect my area has to go into tier 3, but other areas, there are businesses at risk, implement into the future, so i think we could take an area based approach and we would have them to keep some businesses safe. How would that work in practice . If the pubs are open in westminster but not where you are, would people not go from where you are to westminster if they want to go to a pub . That is pa rt they want to go to a pub . That is part of the trouble, travel between areas. Not in london. London has been good at following the rules, councils have been good at mitigating the ways people need to behave for this to work. Business in london has spent millions of pounds making the premises covid secure, i think they were expecting some support, to get that back. We all acce pt support, to get that back. We all a cce pt we support, to get that back. We all accept we have to fight the virus, but my timeline is six month from iiow. But my timeline is six month from now. What do we do with the jobs we couldve lost in that time, and what about people who say they want to shut down businesses and all of london . What would they say to this business than . On a parochial issue, some scores in greenwich have closed down because infection in and around the school, they been told tonight by the government to reopen any government had said they will use all the legal powers they have to force them to reopen some schools in greenwich. What do you make of that . Given we are in the last week of term, and lets face it, in primary schools, i notice difficult for parents, but it is one of those sort of down weeks, the week before christmas . Every week is important for childhood developing, but that is why favour lengthening the christians holiday. Christmas holiday. We must get all the young people we can is going push the message they should get tested. That is the important thing. If they can get tested, we can get on top of the outbreak, and you have to give parents and schools time to prepare, so parents and schools time to prepare, so if we give them an extra week added onto christmas, they have all the time to prepare to make your childrens education is damaged as little as possible and parents can make some provision around childcare. Shaun bailey, the good of you to come in the programme. Good of you. I was listening to matt hancock, shoppers coming into london to do their christmas shopping, a bit of a head scratcher, because people do that. In tier 3 restrictions, im guessing it is not good look much different tomorrow or wednesday or thursday. And i was looking at the pictures, and people are not wearing masks, are they . I know theyre outside, but still there are a lot of people not wearing masks. By the way, christian, i hope your kids are not listening, because officially as a parent, no weeks are down weeks as a pa rent in school. It is very important ido in school. It is very important i do understand it, but anyway, he is very pleased he is missing painting week, let me assure you. Right, lets get some of the days other news. The president of the european commission, ursula von der leyen, has said that negotiations with the uk on a Free Trade Agreement are in what she calls the final mile. Hasnt she said that before . She said the outstanding issue remained the terms on which the uk would keep access to the single market. Uk government sources say that talks remain difficult and that significant progress has not been made in recent days. The netherlands has announced a five week lockdown over christmas. Protesters whistled outside the dutch Prime Minister office as he announced on tv that nonessential shops, schools and gyms would close until mid january. The czech cabinet has also decided to tighten restrictions, closing pubs and restaurants again from friday, barely ten days after they re opened. France has moved out of lockdown today in the second step of a three Stage Programme set out last month. However, because the number of cases has not fallen as quickly as hoped, therell be a nightly curfew across the country. Virtual vigils and services are being held in newtown, connecticut, to mark the eighth anniversary of the sandy hook shooting. 20 first graders and six teachers were killed in one of the deadliest Mass Shootings in United States history. The Baseball Team the Cleveland Indians has announced plans to change its name. The clubs owner said hed been told by native americans that the current title damaged their community, and he wants a name that will bring people together. For those watching on bbc world news, well be right back. The department for education has instructed the borough of greenwich in South East London to withdraw a direction urging all schools in the area to close. The council said it had been acting on information from Public Health england regarding rising Coronavirus Infection rates in the area. 0ur education editor bra nwen jeffreys reports. Arriving for what could be their last day, parents told schools were being advised to move online, leaving them facing a sudden childcare crisis. Its just too short notice to get any sort of childcare arrangements in place, so you would either be taking the day off unpaid, coming up to christmas, which is just not doable. They have to do what they have to do. Its a shame, though, that things have been left till the last minute. This is something that should have been done ages ago. Schools in greenwich are the first to get this advice from the council, but ministers insist schools must stay open. So, you thought the us election was over when American Voters cast their ballots. Sorry, not quite. Remember those 270 Electoral College votes that were needed to secure victory . The ones needed to secure victory we are telling you about that night . Well, today, the electors in that college cast their ballots to formally choose joe biden as president. Normally, its a bureacratic part of the process a formality that no one pays any attention to. But this year, because donald trump still refuses to accept the result of the election, every step of the democratic procedure is under scrutiny. So, who are they, these electors . Jane 0brien went to meet two of them in maine. At 18 years old, Jay Philbrick is one of the youngest members of the Electoral College. He was nominated by the Democratic Party in maine to vote forjoe biden, who won the state overall. Id say, im naturally sort of, uh, sort of a nerd. Naturally. I like math. I like science. Thats what really, really excites me. Imean. But im also someone who really ca res about the people around me. Hes already helping elderly people access Telehealth Services during the pandemic through an organisation that distributes electronic devices. And he believes social change starts with understanding political systems such as the Electoral College. 0k, heres your chance. Explain the Electoral College in under ten seconds. Good question. All right. The Electoral College is how we pick the president. Its once removed from the people, its a state by state approach. Sometimes it doesnt line up, most of the time it does. And its our way, our unique way of picking the president. If you didnt quite get that, dont worry. Youre not alone. I mean, i know it has to do with the states and each state has a number and thats how they end up getting their count. But i dont really know more than that. I know its to do with the voting. And i know its to do with, like, each state. Right . I believe has certain people they get to pick. And i really think its a crock so you dont agree with it . I dont. Do you know who your electors are . No. No, we dont know. Well, Peter Laverdiere is another of maines electors. He and his wife, beverly, are staunch supporters of donald trump. And because maine splits its electoral votes, the Republican Party nominated mr laverdiere to cast his vote for the president. I couldnt have asked for a better gift. And thats what it was, it was a gift. I wasjust pleased as punch that they they considered me equal to the task. Critics say the Electoral College should be abolished, but its already survived some 700 attempts to change it, so will likely be around until at least the next president ial election. Jane 0brien, bbc news, maine. So there you go. If you take nothing else from this programme, you can at least take comfort in the fact that not Many Americans get that whole Electoral College thing. Fortu nately, our friend ron christie does. Hes a republican strategist and former adviser to president george w bush. I have to say that most elections i have covered, except for 2000, i have to say that most elections i have covered, except for2000, im not even sure which the day is the Electoral College votes on, it does not even get a mention. Good evening to you. Yeah, so this is one of those archaic things or democracy here in our Constitutional Republic of the United States that today is the day that all the states, all the electors are supposed to cast their votes in the Electoral College that would then, ironically, be certified ina would then, ironically, be certified in a session presided over by Vice President mike pence onjanuary six, but every thing we see with the selection, with this president , shows that nothing should be taken as routine is routine, and the Trump Campaign and the trump president ial white house continues to fight to try and overturn the results of this election. Ron, can we finally come after today, and once california votes in about 45 minutes time, that will push joe votes in about 45 minutes time, that will pushjoe biden over those 270 Electoral College voters who have voted forjoe biden . Can we finally tell our dear patient viewers it is over, the selection, now . I wish we could come but we cannot. Just for the notion the states have decided to their electors are, have them cast their ballots, they have to be officially certified, soaked the date we are looking for for our dear viewers to finally put them out of their misery is generally six, in that joint session of congress, before the american people, before the world, but i guarantee you were going to see court challenges, a lot of bloviating out of the white house, but, yes, todays the day that Vice President , i say president elect biden goes to the top, but we need to wait for sure to certify that. That is the very conversation having in the Senate Majority Leaders Office right now, Mitch Mcconnell will be saying, 0k, office right now, Mitch Mcconnell will be saying, ok, so office right now, Mitch Mcconnell will be saying, 0k, sojoe biden is 110w will be saying, 0k, sojoe biden is now the president elect, within the next hour he will be out to give a statement that effect, is that right . Good evening, that is entirely correct, but. But republicans being what they are, they wont stop he wont. He wont say it. He wants to it. Because this is the weird thing we have seen about the selection, the president rana about the selection, the president ran a great race, he got 10 million more votes than his previous election, but he lost, and there is a really ironic effect of this, that elected republicans refuse to buy in large acknowledge the result of the selection, so you would think Senate Majority leader Mitch Mcconnell would say, the electors have been certified and now were going to have this vote on generally sixth, but i predict, christian and katty, we are going to hear nothing. You are hedging stay with us. By the way, joe biden is going to give a speech later today on all of this, going past 270, he is going to say democracy prevailed, the faith in our institutions held and not even an abuse in our power could distinguish the flames in democracy in americans hearts. Last week, two thirds of republican members in the house of representatives signed up to support one of Donald Trumps lawsuits, a lawsuit the Supreme Court deemed not even worthy of a hearing two thirds who still refuse to accept thatjoe biden is the president elect. Politics has become so divisive in this town that some lawmakers are accused of losing all perspective. And if you doubt that, then here is a good example. This is a video put out by dan crenshaw, the representative for texass second congressional district. Hes a former navy seal. The congressman is worried about the two Senate Runoff races in georgia in january. With good reason. They will decided the balance of power in the senate. Now, we are all used to the rough and tumble of political campaigning, but i wonder if you have ever seen anything quite like this. Whats our situation on the ground . We have two patriots down there, senator loeffler and senator perdue, great fighters with a great message. Theyjust need a little back up. Last question who do you want to bring . Bring everyone good evening, sir. Rather lovely form, if i may say so, but we do have a small problem at the landing zone. So called anti fascists an ironic term given their propensity to, well, act like fascists are patrolling the area. Recommend we shift north three km. How does that sound . Negative. I want to say hello to the greeting party. And that a little bit after that, you see ron christie jumping and that a little bit after that, you see ron christiejumping out and that a little bit after that, you see ron christie jumping out of the plane, pulling his chute, landing ina the plane, pulling his chute, landing in a cornfield seriously, do you think he has a tom cruise fa ntasy, do you think he has a tom cruise fantasy, this guy, hejust do you think he has a tom cruise fantasy, this guy, he just wants to do Mission Impossible . There is so much to be doing now there is a stemless package, there is violence in washington at the moment this weekend, stabbings over Election Results stimulus package. Is this a right message . No, christian, it is absently not. I like dan crenshaw, he is a patriot, he has served his country, given a lot to his country, but i think what this does this really stirs up those pro trump factions who believe that the election was stolen from them, and this promilitary, this pro. I do not even know what you call it, we saw a lot of violence here in washington, dc this past weekend, we saw people who on one side refused to except the results of this election, we saw people on the other side who had. This is not who we are as americans, and again, dan crenshaw a patriot, but this does not help, it only as to the fuel to the fire. I want to know what is an english woman giving him the directions i was going to wonder the same, but i would put that back to you and katty. That is meant to be money penny orjudy dench. Damejudy be money penny orjudy dench. Dame judy dench. That is an expensive aji put out there when you think. |j that is an expensive aji put out there when you think. I am just jealous, really i knew you were. Ron too, i suspect hello, good evening. There was some sunshine to be had today if you managed to dodge the downpours. We had plenty of hefty showers, even some longer spells of rain, and there is more rain in the forecast for the rest of this week. It will often be windy, but as so often at this time of year, with wet and windy weather comes mild weather. Temperatures above the norm for this time of year. So on the satellite picture, you can see all these different clumps of cloud circulating around an area of low pressure. Showers or longer spells of rain. Weve had some more persistent rain moving across parts of the south east, that will continue to drift its way through. Behind it, plenty of showers packing in through tonight, especially across western areas. More in the way of dry weather with some clear spells further east. Not a particularly cold night, temperatures generally between 4 8 celsius. And then tomorrow, another sunshine and showers day. The showers again will be focused across western areas, where youre exposed to this fairly brisk south westerly wind, whereas further east, parts of Eastern England and particularly through the afternoon in north east scotland, not too many showers, more in the way of dry weather, and some spells of sunshine. Temperatures again a little above average, 8 11 celsius. Now, as we head through tuesday evening, the showers will for a time fade. We will see a quieter, drier interlude, but it will not last long, because for wednesday, weve got this area of low pressure which is going to be pushing very close to the republic of ireland, quite a deep low that will bring some very strong winds indeed for parts of the republic of ireland. But the low close enough to bring some windy conditions to the west of the uk with some outbreaks of rain heaviest in western areas, the rain tending to become lighter and patchier as it pushes further east. But these are wind gusts we can expect through the day, could see gusts up to 50, possibly 60 mph for exposed western spots. From the far south west of england and perhaps Northern Ireland as well, the strong winds could combine with high tides to give some coastal flooding. Again, temperatures pretty mild, 9 11 celsius. Moving into thursday, this little bump in the isobars, a very brief transient ridge of high pressure. So something a little bit drier for many of us on thursday, with some spells of sunshine, but some rain into the west, and for friday, heavy rain for most of us, brisk winds, but it will be mild. Youre watching bbc news with me katty kay in washington. Christian fraser is in london. Our top stories. Healing is coming, says the first person to get the covid 19jab in the usa. Her vaccination marks the start of the biggest inoculation programme in amercian history. Brexit beliefs, set in stone. Its been over four years since the vote and we still dont know what form the uks departure will take. We ask whether voters are still as divided as they once were. Also in the programme. Hitting at the digital heart of americas government. How a massive cyber attack has raised worries over just who is safe these days. And putting the spy masters sagas in the hands of millions. We speak tojohn le carres literary agent about the legendary writers work and life. The First American to get the Covid Vaccine out of Clinical Trials was an intensive care unit nurse in new york. Sandra lindsay got herjab on camera in an effort to help boost Public Confidence in the shot. She said she hoped this was the beginning of the end of a long, painful period. The epidemic continues to ravage the country, with fatalities overtaking the 300,000 number today. Most americans will not be able to receive the vaccine until well into 2021, but this weeks roll out is seen as a key symbolic turning point. Nick bryant has more. This was a made for Television Moment staged in new york, the city that for months became the epicentre of this viral onslaught. The first recipient was a Health Worker on the covid front line sandra lindsay, an intensive care nurse at a medical centre in queens. I feel hopeful today, relieved, ifeel like healing is coming. I hope this marks the beginning to the end of the very painful time in our history. There were twin emotions of rejoicing and relief. At this medical facility alone, they have treated more than 100,000 covid patients. And it was watched remotely by new yorks governor, andrew cuomo, who has been so prominent in americas coronavirus response. This vaccine is exciting because i believe this is the weapon that will end the war. It is the beginning of the last chapter of the book. But now we just have to do it. The vaccine doesnt work if it is in the vial, right . There we go. The nationwide roll out is already under way, the most ambitious Vaccination Programme in the history of america. The aim is to administer some 20 million doses by the end of the year, and some 100 million doses by the end of february. The vaccine is a shot in the arm for the us economy, and they were punching the air when the New York Stock Exchange opened for trading. And just minutes after that first vaccine in new york came this tweet from the outgoing president donald trump. Congratulations usa, he wrote, congratulations world. This precious cargo is now being delivered to all 50 states and it cannot come soon enough. America has just passed another awful milestone of 300,000 coronavirus deaths. Nick bryant, bbc news, new york. Good moment, gives us all a bit of hope, especially with those death figures showing over 300,000 today. President trump says he will delay a plan for senior white house staffers to get this vaccination in the coming days. That was after a New York Times report. I have some sympathy with him on this because there are Public Officials who want to be seen taking it. It is almost as if you are damned if you do, damned if you dont. Look how many cases he has had in the white house. I think we were reporting this just last week, up to 50 odd cases of people who have been infected in the white house. It is clearly a bit of a hotspot. Maybe these people do need to have a vaccine. The president wrote back after that New York Times story very quickly. What was very interesting, in the uk, the decision was made to give this to old people first, people over 80. Here it is very much targeting Front Line Health Care workers. Youre seeing a lot of young people being vaccinated. Interesting to see how Different Countries are taking Different Countries are taking different approaches. We will see whether President Trump has that vaccination on camera. He has said he will do it on camera. The pfizer ceo said he would take it on camera. It is important people are seen to ta ke it is important people are seen to take it. We will see what the president decides. The Us Government says hackers acting on behalf of a Foreign Government almost certainly a Russian Intelligence Agency broke into a range of key government networks, including the treasury and commerce departments, and had free access to their email systems. The hackers appear to have got in through a platform called solarwinds 0rion its a tool that businesses and governments use to run their it infrastructure. Solarwinds has 300,000 Global Customers including all five branches of the us military, the pentagon, the state department and the office of the presiden. And the office of the president. The company is now asking users of the Orion Platform to upgrade immediately to address a security vulnerability. Werejoined now by stacie hoffmann, Cyber Security expert at oxford information labs. A security vulnerability sounds quite tame and mild compared to what we are hearing actually happened, doesnt it, stacie . I think we are hearing actually happened, doesnt it, stacie . Ithink that is a very technical and clinical term for it. It is standard across the industry to collect that. What are seeing here is a responsible vulnerability disclosure from a numberof vulnerability disclosure from a number of companies and some quick action to mitigate that. Do we know what these hackers might have got . They got into the treasury, the commerce department, the pentagon, the state department. Are we aware yet of the impact that this hack might have had . No, we do not know the impact yet. It is still very early days and we are just discovering now who has been affected by this malware that was sent out through the software. I think in the coming days, as these organisations do their investigations, we will find out what was compromised, what people possibly had access to, and if any data was ta ken possibly had access to, and if any data was taken out of the system. Pa rt of data was taken out of the system. Part of it is not only the data but also the knowledge of the systems, as well, or the knowledge of people who are connected to each other. There is layers of information that they can gather doing an attack like this. Do we know how long they were sitting in their observing these things . There was some suggestion it was all the way back to the spring. The updates that were infected with the malware started as early as march, and so from march to about june is when they think most of them would have been installed. It took about two weeks then for the actual malware to about two weeks then for the actual malwa re to send about two weeks then for the actual malware to send a signal back to those people who put it in there to say that it was installed and running. So it could have happened spring and early summer, that would probably be the earliest chance that we know that things started to go wrong. It has been characterised as exceptional tradecraft, sophisticated, they were patient, and they took their time. When you stand back from this, it is quite extraordinary. If this is the russian government and it is sitting within the operating system is of key government departments, that is a new frontier in cyber warfare. Fired by themselves said that this is unlike something they have seen before. Something unprecedented. It has long term vision. There were many layers that they had to go through to get access to the systems. In one way that speaks to the robustness generally of the Cyber Security of the state department and the department of homeland security. 0n the other hand, it shows how important supply chains are. And why the security of those supply chains is becoming even more scrutiny. As things become even more scrutiny. As things become even more interconnected. Extraordinary. Stacie hoffmann, thank you very much. I do wonder how many there are that we do not know about, of these hacks. When everything is so and interconnected, servers in china, people are travelling. They are sitting there basically watching what the Us Government is doing. Pretty amazing. We are expecting electors in the state of california to cast their votes shortly, which would putjoe biden over the threshold to make him officially the president elect of the United States. That comes more than a month after he was projected the winner. The certification comes after a series of legal challenges from President Trump and his allies. And just in time, since our programme takes a short holiday break from next week. So letsjoin friend of the programme van mobley, we will catch up with all the people we spoke to. So letsjoin friend of the programme van mobley, president of thiensville in wisconsin, a state where just today the Supreme Court there dismissed a legal challenge from the Trump Campaign. It is good to see you. Good to catch up it is good to see you. Good to catch up with you before we break for the Christmas Period. The last time we spoke, you were so confident, i have to say, that President Trump would win in wisconsin. What happened . He did very well. I think you did when wisconsin. The vote, or the Supreme Court in wisconsin, it was a 4 3 vote today. There are a lot of people in wisconsin that are still unsettled by the results of the election. President trump continues to fight on. I get that a lot of people are sure and the fact that maybe there were some in discrepancies in the vote, but you are an official there in wisconsin and officials all over the country are going to have to do take a decision shortly. At what point do you put country before party and Start Talking about the president elect . Start talking about the president elect . I think that whenever they count the votes in congress, i can see the drift of events so i am a big person. It might sound, i suppose, like a small thing, but anyway, might sound, i suppose, like a small thing, butanyway, it might sound, i suppose, like a small thing, but anyway, it is a very big thing. This is the heart of american democracy, the peaceful transition of power. This time, your guy was on the losing end of that, but it is important to americas democracy and a role model for countries around the world that this happens peacefully. We are watching pictures from washington, dc where there was a huge amount of violence on saturday night from people who do not accept the outcome of the election. It is incumbent from you to stand up and sayjoe biden won, he is the president elect, we have to do this for democracy. He is the president elect, we have to do this for democracylj he is the president elect, we have to do this for democracy. I condemn violence of all sorts, pro trump violence of all sorts, pro trump violence are pro biden violence. There is a Legal Process and it was just today that the Supreme Court in wisconsin voted 4 3 to reject the trump legal request. So that is all par for the course, that is the american system. I would have some advice forjoe american system. I would have some advice for joe biden, american system. I would have some advice forjoe biden, if he is becomes the president elect. If you would like to hear some of it, i could give some advice. You will speak tonight so what you want i think give carefully about not think carefully about not encouraging any further lockdowns and actually maybe you could do a betterjob of riding in some of his governors, maybe give them a job in his administration. I think they should shoot to get the vaccine out. Not only to emergency workers but also schoolteachers. The impact on the school children, particularly younger ones has been severe, particularly in underserved areas. I think he has an opportunity to be gracious to President Trump and he also is an opportunity to do some good for the country. I certainly urge him to do that. On the Foreign Policy front, i think he needs to move quickly to remind the chinese about our relationship with taiwan. I should think the sooner the better. I think you should do a better. I think you should do a betterjob of reaching out to our good friends in mexico and brazil. I think you should not have too High Expectations of what we will be able to do with the europeans. You should continue trumps policies in the middle east which are bearing fruit. We will have to come back to some of that. Maybe he is listening. Thank you very much. Good to see you and have a hot happy holiday season. As happy as we all can this year. Merry christmas. Thank you. Stay with us on bbc news, still to come. The life of le carre. The famous cold war author was one of the hottest writers of his time. Well speak to his literary agent, just ahead. The former liverpool manager Gerard Houllier has died aged 73. The frenchman managed the reds from 1998 to 2004 and led the club to five major trophies, including the fa cup, league cup and uefa cup treble. In a statement the club said they were deeply saddened with players past and present paying tribute. Houlliers last managerial job was at aston villa, but he left in 2011 afterjust nine months, following health problems. 0ur sports correspondent, Katie Gornall reports. In the pantheon of great liverpool managers, Gerard Houllier is often overlooked, and yet the former schoolteacher transformed the clubs fortunes and modernised their approach to the game. I came but i didnt make a revolution. Ijust wanted to have a sort of evolution of things and to convince people you could do things differently and be more performant. Having managed psg and the French National team, houllier arrived at anfield in 1998, initially as a joint manager with roy evans before taking sole charge just four months later. He oversaw a major rebuilding of the squad and brought through Young Players such as steven gerrard. The high point of his six years with liverpool came in the 2000 2001 campaign, when he guided them to an unprecedented league cup, uefa cup and fa cup treble. Yes no, hes done it today, those at anfield and around the world of football paid tribute. What he did at liverpool at that time was definitely the foundation and the platform for what theyve gone on to achieve now. Football took a heavy toll on houlliers health. In 2001, he nearly died after suffering from chest pains during a match against leeds. In 2011, he took charge of aston villa, but heart problems forced him to quit afterjust nine months. Gerard houllier will be remembered as an intellectual and passionate manager, and a fierce servant of the club he adored. So a year has passed since borisjohnson won the general election in landslide it is only 12 months ago, i think we can all agree it feels like a lifetime ago. So much upheaval and yet some things remain just the same. We are still waiting on the outcome of those tortuous brexit negotiations. I am not going to tell you there is another deadline pending, because clearly they come and go. I have set it so many times. It makes the american system look very short. How long have i been asking you that for . Although the polls show only a small number of people have changed their mind about brexit, there is some evidence that the most ferevent supporters have softened in their attitudes towards it. Take this poll by britainthinks in february 2020, pre covid 35 of britons categorised themselves as die hard brexiteers. katty now that number has dropped to 25 as die hard brexiteers. Now that number has dropped to 25 percent. Lets bring in deborah mattinson, whose firm britainthinks is behind the survey. She is the author of beyond the red wall and joins us from suffolk. How would you characterise the way they are now compared to how they we re they are now compared to how they were then . It is a bit of a mixed bag, is the honest truth. I was very curious because i had done a lot of interviews for my book at the beginning of the year, and at that point people who had been lifelong labour voters and had decided to vote tory for the very first time in their lives were very enthusiastic, actually, about the decision they had taken. Having taken a really momentous break with the past, they we re very momentous break with the past, they were very keen to justify it. So momentous break with the past, they were very keen tojustify it. Sol wanted to know how they felt now. It isa wanted to know how they felt now. It is a mixed bag. The kinds of words they used when i asked them to evaluate the governments performance over the last year were really mixed. They said shambolic, they said ridiculous, woeful. But they said ridiculous, woeful. But they also said pretty good, done a good job under the circumstances. The word they used most often was unlucky. As lots of people pointed out, borisjohnson would never unlucky. As lots of people pointed out, Boris Johnson would never have chosen to have dealt with the pandemic in this past year, and on that basis, they felt some sympathy for him. That is a good point. You cannot separate the two, really, this year. The pandemic is tied up with this challenge brexit. You think it has influenced peoples views towards brexit . think it has influenced peoples views towards brexit . I think it is ha rd views towards brexit . I think it is hard and peoples views. We found that some of the redwall people who we re very that some of the redwall people who were very keen brexiteers, were really determined that covid would not be used as an excuse, which is quite interesting. At the same time, this was the poll you were just talking about, some had moved from the very extreme group, the diehards, the people who were completely enthusiastic about brexit, conceived absolutely no problems at all, moving into the next group along, the cautious optimists. Those are people who had voted for brexit, working for us to leave, but actually some reservations. So we are seeing that slightly shift. I think that shift connects most people. What is behind the shift . It connects with whether or not people are enthusiastic about the idea of a deal. I think the people that remain in the die hard camp are the people who think we should leave whatever. The people who are moving across are the people who are moving across are the people who are moving across are the people who are worried about leaving without a deal. Any sense, what you could say is there is no doubt about whether or not we should leave on the part of people who voted reeve backin the part of people who voted reeve back in 2016, but how we leave is another matter. Voted leave. Back in 2016, but how we leave is another matter. Voted leavem labour were looking at your survey, what could they take away from it . It is difficult for labour. Cure starmer has made a good start. In the eyes of red wall people, they did not like jeremy corbyn. When asked what would spring to mind when they think about the labour party or they think about the labour party or the opposition, people used words like invisible, absent, distant. There is a feeling that they are not connecting with everything that is happening and they feel that they do not really know what cure starmer believes in. He seems competent, he seems sensible, but they do not know what motivates him and therefore they do not know what government he would run if he got the chance. That is what he needs to tell them. Deborah mattinson, thank you. It does not feel like one year, does it . It feels like a decade since that last election. I feel like it . It feels like a decade since that last election. Ifeel like i have aged a decade anyway. Tributes have been flooding in for the authorjohn le carre who was famed for his spy novels including tinker, tailor, soldier, spy. Whilst Ian Flemings James bond books were sexy, stylish and suave le carres work was an altogether different affair, cold, calculated and constrained his novels had that signature le carre style. Stephen king called le carre a literary giant, writer Robert Harris said he was one of the great postwar british novelists, whilst Margaret Atwood said his novels were key to understanding the mid 20th century. Jonny geller wasjohn le carres agent and joins us now. Lovely to have you with us. I am sorry for your loss because i am sure you developed a very close relationship with him. Absolutely. You couldnt not. He was so devoted to his work, his life and his work wear one. If you work with him, you we re wear one. If you work with him, you were introduced to everything about him his family, his past and his future. He was an amazing man. Him his family, his past and his future. He was an amazing manlj him his family, his past and his future. He was an amazing man. I was listening on the way in today to Ralph Fiennes who starred in the co nsta nt Ralph Fiennes who starred in the Constant Gardener. He was talking about his impressions of him. He compared him to a dickensian character. He said he was great at sniffing out where there was corruption. He had a sense of outrage about where governments or corporations were using their powers for the wrong reasons. He was very good at finding the right people. Each book he centres around a person that he meets that is the centre of that he meets that is the centre of that subject. I remember he would completely absorb himself in that and that person would get to know him very well. He was like a journalist in that sense. You would totally hear the story and then he would go off and go on the field. In the 70s, after tinker tailor, would go off and go on the field. In the 70s, aftertinkertailor, he decided to go travelling as his next stage of writing. He very much hunted after the stories. And then he brought it back and made it his own through his unique take on the world. I think what makes him stand out as his relevance. The fact that each novel he wrote was contemporary. We look back as if they are historical novels about the cold war, but they were written in the heat of the cold war. Afterwards, when the berlin wall fell down, was dismantled, he found other subjects. He looked outside at the world and became even more relevant. Johnny, i am a huge fan, particularly of the smiley novels. Dtc his literary career as divided between the smiley novels and the cold war period, and then everything that came afterward. I always think there is a division there between those two. Did he say it like that . That is a good question. I think he knew he had stumbled on his greatest character with George Smiley. Towards the end of his life, he wrote, keep wrote him back. Something he had not done since 1990. I think smiley was with him almost every day. It was a great character and he was such an enigma that you could write layers upon layers on this character. I do think that when he was immersed in the story he was writing, smiley disappeared and he wrote that story. The Constant Gardener does not have smiley in it. The most recent novel doesnt. But i think you did in his mind see that as the running theme of his work. We will miss him. Thank you very much forjoining us. I must have read tinker, tailor, soldier, spy have read tinker, tailor, soldier, spy at least half a dozen times. What i have never seen the Constant Gardener so i will go and watch it. Iama gardener so i will go and watch it. I am a George Smiley die hard. There was some sunshine to be had today. Hello. There was sunshine to be had today if you managed to dodge the downpours. There were plenty of hefty showers around, more rain in the forecast for the rest of the week. It will often be windy, but it will be mild. Weve had some persistent rain moving across parts of eastern and southEastern England. That will tend to clear. Then its a story of clear spells and showers through the night, the showers most plentiful in western areas. Still the odd heavy one. Not as many showers getting into the east and temperatures generally holding up between 4 and 8 degrees. It stays quite breezy through the night as well. And then into tomorrow, well, really, its a day quite similar to today, with some spells of sunshine but some showers as well, some of these on the heavy side, especially in the west. Not as many showers further east, with some spells of sunshine. These temperatures, again, just a touch above the norm for this time of year, 8 to 11 degrees. Wednesday looks like being a very wet and very windy day. Something a little drier, at least for a time, on thursday. Thats all from me for now. Its 10pm. This is bbc news with me, tim willcox. In a few minutes, huw edwards with the bbc news at ten, and at half past, well be looking at tomorrows newspapers with our reviewers, the broadcaster John Stapleton and kate proctor, the Political Editor of politics home. Our main story tonight 11 Million People in london, essex and hertfordshire will move into tighter tier 3 restrictions from one minute past midnight on wednesday, because of sharp rises in covid cases which may be associated with a new variant of the virus. The details were given at a downing street news briefing led by the Health Secretary this evening. At that same briefing, englands chief medical officer,
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