his visit to germany later in the week will go ahead. the bbc has paused plans to scrap the bbc singers, the uk s only full time professional chamber choir, after a public backlash against the move. the singers were due to be axed just before their centenary because of bbc budget cuts, but now, the corporation says they will continue performing while it looks at other ways of funding them, as our media correspondent david sillito reports. singing the bbc singers a part of british musical life for nearly 100 years. however, what began as the wireless chorus of 192a didn t look as though it was going to make it to its centenary year. the bbc said it had to make cuts the choir would close in september. however, there s been a u turn. and in the queue for today s concert, there was relief that britain s only full time, salaried professional choir looks to have been saved. it s something to aspire to, certainly for young singers coming up professionally. ijust read on my phone
labour? ., ,., voters did cert to switch does labour? ., , , labour? labour activists will tell ou on labour? labour activists will tell you on the labour? labour activists will tell you on the doorsteps labour? labour activists will tell you on the doorsteps many - labour? labour activists will tell. you on the doorsteps many lifelong conservative voters said they were willing to switch to the labour party. perhaps willing to lend their votes to labour for the purposes of this by election. but there were some who switched. there is one issue you can pin down to the reason why it labour took this seat. look around here, talk to people here in selby and ainsty and they are talking about the things everyone else is talking about across the united kingdom. the rising cost of linking, inflation, editjust waiting lists and the inability to see a doctor for that when i was there a few days ago just before polling day the one issue that came up polling day the one issue that came up time
operation in the south china sea, large parts of which are claimed by beijing. the chinese government s said the us has illegally intruded in its waters. china said its military drills have ended successfully, but there is no end in sight for the tensions between beijing and washington. shaima khalil, bbc news, tokyo. the labour leader, sir keir starmer, says he makes absolutely zero apologies for an advert suggesting prime minister rishi sunak has been soft on the sentencing of sex offenders. he says he stands by the approach, despite some senior figures in labour publicly distancing themselves from it. writing in today s daily mail, keir starmer dismissed claims that he was indulging in gutter politics. here s our political correspondent david wallace lockhart. the advert that has prompted a weekend of debate. in it labour suggest rishi sunak is content to see child
keir starmer dismised claims that he was indulging in gutter politics. here s our political correspondent, david wallace lockhart. the advert that has prompted a weekend of debate. in it labour suggest rishi sunak is content to see child sex abusers avoid jail. writing in the daily mail today the labour leader has doubled down on the campaign, saying, i make absolutely zero apologies for being blunt on this, no matter how squeamish it might make some feel. but former labour shadow chancellor john mcdonnell criticised this, tweeting, if it s to be a serious debate, personalsmears and daily mail style distortions shouldn t distract from stating the hard facts. labour s advert is based on figures going back to 2010. for some of that period sir keir starmer was head of the crown prosecution service and sat on the sentencing council, meaning he had input into sentencing guidelines. but his allies say he shouldn t be held accountable for any leniency
therefore needs at the moment very much to impress themselves on the public as somebody who is perhaps a better politician than they think. the fact that this has happened, and the pictures today of what happened, as part of the worst thing for the snp today, those pictures of the police outside the party headquarters, outside the home of peter murrell, that will make it very difficult for him to establish himself in the minds of the public as a leader they want to follow. hannah rodger, who benefits from this, do you think? i hannah rodger, who benefits from this, do you think? hannah rodger, who benefits from this, do you think? i think probably labour, this, do you think? i think probably labour. you this, do you think? i think probably labour, you know, this, do you think? i think probably labour, you know, and this, do you think? i think probably labour, you know, and also - this, do you think? i think probably labour, you know, and also i - this, do you think? i think prob