Politicians in catalonia remain united in their determination . Well, its a volatile situation, and our diplomatic editor mark urban is outside the parliament. Is that a city in turmoil this evening . Its not, and in fact, the demonstrations we saw earlier in the day from militant separatists not really more than a few thousand, even those have dissipated now and the streets are largely quiet. But everyone you talk to hear is full of a sense of anticipation about tomorrow. Now, if there are people that dont believe in quitting spain, its anticipation tinged with trepidation. The separatists, it is tinged with possibility. People in the Centre Ground of politics here, a parallel with brexit, they believe if the Parliament Vote tomorrow is one of separation, somehow things will be sorted out, and life will not change in a major way. But still, all sorts of tensions on the two flanks of this question. Can either side back down now, that is the crucial question this evening . You are right. It is absolutely a crucial question, given that both of committed to certain courses of action tomorrow. It seems the spanish Prime Minister has talked about using the nuclear option, so called article 155 of the constitution. Some people are saying, there is a certain amount of wriggle room. But he seemed to be committed to Going Forward on that route, regardless of what is said or decided in catalonia. For their part, the catalans are also committed to this vote on independence, and most people think, even though there are splits within the president s party, they will boat to go that way. How can it be resolved . It is really, really unclear whether it can be, hence the strong sense of people almost trembling with the possibilities of what tomorrow will bring. Hence also, a meandering around politically dumb by the president throughout the day in parliament. Nothing happened quite as expected today in the catalan parliament. Elections were going to be called, then they want, and as one timed event or another slipped and vanished, the press pack were suitably laid back. Instead, he promised a parliamentary vote on independence, separatist deputies were jubilant. Translation i was prepared to call these elections on the sole condition that we were given guarantees that they would be held in an absolutely normal manner. But there are no such guarantees that would justify calling these Regional Elections today. Pro independence deputies who thought hed lost his nerve were jubilant. The president has said he wont call elections, and hell give the whole matter to parliament to decide. And these people are happy, because they favour independence, and they think parliament will, too. But if he leaves it to a parliamentary vote, having a slim majority and dissent within his own party, will there be majority for independence . Translation its come to the moment of truth, and we feel the nerves appropriate to such a man. We think tomorrow, in the parliament, the favour for independence will end up declaring independence. As this played out, the government in madrid mulls the position of emergency rule on catalonia, something that could also happen to one. Each side apparently determined the other should make the bigger error. Translation in order to come back within the law, where you are, where we are, where the government is, and since saturday, nothing relevant has happened. But we have heard nothing but noise. Tonight, the parliament is debating a motion for independence with predictions, if anything is still predictable here, that it will come tomorrow morning at 10 30. Outside, separatists scenting victory in joy a carnival atmosphere. I think the real battles starts from the declaration of independence. And for that, we need the support of our president. Which we are not sure we have. What is the catalonian government doing . What is the Spanish Government doing . It has been tense. The people here are ready to speak for what they passionately believe in, which i think its independence. Mark urban reporting from barcelona. Im joined from barcelona by the Pro Independence activist anna arque solsona, and via skype from madrid by alfredo pastor, hes the former spanish economic minister. Good evening to you, alfredo pastor. What is the best way out of this situation as we stand here now . Easiest one seems to be for the president of of the Catalan Government to call an election. That is the easiest one. Right. Now talk me through what happens if he doesnt do that. Talk me through what happens if they do vote through this declaration of independence. The motion can be carried, it may be carried or it may not. The majority is a very weak one. No one is going to recognise it. Then, of course, article 155 would be set in motion. Right. Does Carles Puigdemont, does he get arrested and sent to jail . I have no idea, but i wouldnt be surprised. You wouldnt be surprised if he was sent to jail . I wouldnt be surprised, no. Justice is slow in spain, but sooner or later, independence like that is not something. It is not allowed. Do you think the Spanish Government can keep hold, the federal government can hold catalonia by force . Do you think that is a very good idea . If catalonia doesnt want to be part of spain, you can hold it there, and you can force the police, sent in the army, keep it and occupy it . Catalonia does not have one single voice. There is a large number in catalonia who would prefer not to be in spain. Im not sure that all of them have weighed up the costs and benefits of that carefully. But the fact that many of them, many more than the Spanish Government thought, are in favour of independence. But they are by no means a majority. Even should the government try to hold even this large group of people by force, that cannot continue indefinitely. Let me go over to anna arque solsona. You are in favour of independence, wouldnt the right thing now, be to hold an election in catalonia . This is what the president of catalonia pulled away from today. Would the right thing be to delay the election and withhold the crisis that is impending tomorrow . Well, i think that tomorrow is a perfect day to lift up the suspension of the declaration of independence. That is the mandate of the people, that was the result of the referendum, to which 43 of the population voted, even though the violence that we suffered that day from the Spanish Police against unarmed people, even though we do have a mandate, and that is in favour. Sorry to interrupt, but if you are so confident of this strong independence majority, then great, have an election. You will obviously have the independent forces win with a thumping majority, and you can go ahead because you have more legitimacy than that referendum. Well, but theres really no point for an election. We had elections, thats why we have an absolute majority of members of the parliament in favour of the independence, and thats why weve been able to pass through two laws. One of them, the referendum, the law for the referendum, for soft determination. We have achieved that because we already had elections, and we have already won the absolute majority. Thats why we did the referendum. And now, people have spoken, the same way as brexit referendum people spoke. 0k. That is democracy, that is what it is all about. When Carles Puigdemont is sent to jail on monday because the spanish authorities dont agree with your assessment, when that happens, who runs catalonia, and what is going to happen . What do you actually expect to happen on monday if you declare independence and the spanish pass article 155. It is important to remember, in spain at the moment, there are two people injailjust to organise a peaceful demonstration. They do have too get to arrest president puigdemont, and maybe it is not that easy, because he is the president of this country, elected democratically and legally. Who is good to run in case the Spanish State goes once again way beyond the democratic framework that we have given, all of us, in the European Union . Nothing, another person will be in charge of. Will there be violence . Article 155 is not going to be able to be reapplied. Is. You need the people to obey. We have little time. Sorry to interrupt. We have little time, do you think there will be violence if spain tries to take control of catalonia, or partial control catalonia . Not from the catalan side. All the violence that we have experienced has been from the Spanish State. Thank you. Sorry, i had to cut you off. I want to put that point to alfredo pastor, do you think there will be violence . If the Spanish State, if it sees it cant control catalonia peacefully, will it use tanks on monday . No, there will be no tanks. There will first be demonstration by peaceful people, who will probably start breaking things after a while, then the police will have to come and things like that. That kind of street violence will happen, but there will be no tanks. It will be unpleasant, the problem in the long run, the wounds will take time to heal. We need to leave it there. We dont have any more time. But we will be watching obviously everything that happens over the next few days. Thank you, both, very much indeed. A boring old conference for investors held in the saudi capital riyadh would not normally move the news dial here. But a bland sounding gathering this week, the future investment initiative, has really put on show, a saudi ambition for a momentous change of direction. A transformation of the worlds strangest, and least liberal countries and one of our most problematic allies could be transformative of the region. A tie up with Richard Branson announced this week, and his Company Called virgin, is but one sign of the culture change apparently underway. The crown prince, mohammed bin salman, heir to the throne, looks like one of those gorbachev types that come along from time to time. An insider who thinks the regime in which he operates is dysfunctional, and needs to be reformed. One concrete ambition is an investment of half of 1 trillion in a new futuristic city on the red sea coast called neom. A place where pioneers and thinkers and doers can Exchange Ideas and get things done. The promotional video shows just how different they intend it to be from the stultifying, repressed images we normally see from saudi. Translation stunning nature, mountains, plains, valleys, coast, coral reefs, islands, mountains that are covered with snow in winter, mild weather in summer, 10 degrees less than the other gulf cities and capitals. The political will is strong. The popular will and desire is strong. All the elements of success exist to create something great within the kingdom of saudi arabia. Thats the crown prince bin salman. Hes only 32. And the recently appointed heir to the saudi throne, replacing his cousin in the role. Hes already impressed president trump. With energy that flows from the sun and wind. One objective is economic, preparing the country for when the world weans itself off oil. It also needs jobs to occupy its youthful population. More than two thirds of the population is under 30. But another objective is cultural, the country has become a beacon of ultraconservative sunni thinking. The crown prince made an astonishing admission to the guardian this week. Change has already been evident. Women being given licence to drive. An obvious step to us, but a huge change in saudi arabia. The vicious war in yemen might be seen as just one sign that the country is not close to a humane presence in the region. And then, of course, there is the problem of resistance within. Willa crown prince beat the forces whose status and power has derived from the old order . Saudi arabia as a new dubai . Well, dubai has its issues, but nothing compared to those of saudi. So is reform for real . Im joined by the saudi journalist abeer mishkhas, who returned just this week from riyadh, and by Nesrine Malik anotherjournalist who herself used to live in saudi arabia. But lets start with the bbcs Frank Gardner who knows the country extremely well. Frank, tell us about this crown prince. Its impossible to overstate the changes this man is making. By saudi standards it is moving at a lightning pace. These are changes nobody could imagine possible happening so quickly. The man who runs the economy, the defence, the royal court, just about everything, has turned around and told the people of saudi we have been getting it wrong, it is time to stop extremism. And he has the support of the king, presumably, because he was promoted by him a few months back. He does. I met them both in 2013 in the kings palace. I didnt even know who he was. I said what you do for a living, he said he was a lawyer. At the time he was relatively obscure. But he has risen to prominence. He has made some mistakes. He started this catastrophic war with the yemen. Nobody is winning it. The yemenis are losing it by the thousands. Is also involved in a spat with qatar. But this is a bold step that many people of saudi belief should be done. They need to find an alternative to oil and they need to join the rest of the 21st century. Let me turn to my two guests. Do you think this is for real . Often people talk about reform but it isnt there. I think it is for real. There is a huge wave of feminism in the country. Something nobody talked about before. Talked about how we had a problem with. With the religious establishment, with the ideology. And to say that we had all of that time, we wasted 30 years, we wont waste another 30 years, and we have to do something about it. I think this is something somebody was so happy to hear. Presumably you welcome this . Absolutely. Were other people talking about it . Yes, they well, at least the people i have seen and talked to, they are very optimistic. They are thinking about what is going to happen in the country. Do you feel this is real . One thing you could do is liberate it now, say we will take people out ofjail. I believe its real. One issue is that in the short term a shifting of tectonic plates, is a completely revolutionary, is something we did not expect to see in our lifetime . Absolutely yes. My concern is in the application and the suggestive mistakes that he has made, which you have mentioned, and in the past few weeks, since he has started to confront the religious establishment, people have been thrown injail, banned from travelling, and every high profile youth religious scholar and tv presenter was banned from travelling. That was just a day. My concern is, is the application going to be as smooth, and is the support for him confined to cosmopolitan, elites, but in the hinterlands which one of the senior royals referred to, the people in the small towns that havent really, you know, come with the times, are they going to be supportive . You support the guy obviously. Why is there still such repression today . You could start liberating more quickly for this programme, you dont have to envision 2030. Its very hard. You are talking about a country that has been kept behind everyone else for years and years. Now he is wanting all of these changes. You cannot imagine how much resistance there was for the driving of women. There still is. If you listen to people talking about it, people are still complaining, some people are not happy with what the crown prince is talking about. He has to fight all that. But he is supported by all of the young people of the country, who have been travelling abroad, who have studied abroad, you want to find newjobs, who want to stop travelling to other countries to feel free. They want everything in the country. Should people worry that the crown prince may mean it, but the forces of conservatism are just too strong . Assassination, you could imagine a number of things, couldnt you . I do worry. The current generation has been on the internet, on social media for the past 15 years. It is a very different bedrock to people who have tried reform before him. Im not concerned about the tailwind behind him. I dont think there will be that much resistance from the establishment. Im concerned about the lessons that are learnt from the last 30 years, as he refers to it, i am afraid that those lessons will not be learnt, in that there was complicity on the half of the royal family to inject extremism and radical language into the public address of the country. Religious language . Yes. This wasnt something that was imposed by some disembodied rich establishment, it was with the full sanction and complicity of the royal family. To deny that was something that they did and they need to undo will be one of the big tests. We are not talking about democracy in 2030, are we, or is that the ultimate vision . No. Lets not get starry eyed. He is a democrat. Lots of people are getting locked up for things they have said on social media. Its not a western style democracy, his aim, he is aiming to liberate the economic power of saudi arabia. To find jobs for these millions of people pouring out of schools and universities. The risk is that there will be dark forces gathering, people who dont like what he is doing, and they will remember what happened to the 1960s moderniser. The conservatives opposed womens education, television, he overruled them, ultimately he was assassinated in 1975. God willing that isnt going to happen. Yemen is a blot on the saudi copybook of a serious kind. Should we trust a guy who is behind that to be the reformer . You cannot get everything you want from the same person. You said gorbachev. Gorbachev did help in that way. At the time it was not seem that way by those in the soviet union. You always have to see everything. Its going to be a mixed bag. 0k. An interesting one to watch. Thank you all very much. The government means business when it comes to brexit, even if we are not quite clear what exact line of business that is. Yet, its real businesses that will be on the front line of dealing with any consequences. In as far as a community can be said to have a view on brexit, the business one has been against it, or in favour of the softer variants of it, with a decent transitional period. And above all, theres no enthusiasm for a no deal outcome. In fact, real concern at it. But while they might not want it, businesses have to be ready for it. Helen thomas has been finding out what that entails. Before any big adventure, its wise to plan ahead. Avoid getting left out in the cold, go equipped for unexpected hazards. Preparation can be the key to a successful trip. The government cant quite get its story str