Transcripts For BBCNEWS Afternoon Live 20240713

Hello, good afternoon. Its a packed attorney general there has decided house at spurs right now asjose to indict Benjamin Netanyahu, the mourinho faces the media for the First Time Since returning to the Prime Minister, on charges of corruption, bribery and breach of premier league as the new tottenham trust. That decision coming in the boss. Thanks, katie and sarah last few moments. We will be hearing keith lucas has the weather. From Benjamin Netanyahu his schedule yes, a fairly cloudy and rather to make a statement on israeli chilly day out there today with thing set to turn milder of the next Television Later on, but that news is just reaching few days but we have got some rain Television Later on, but that news isjust reaching us. Sport now on afternoon live with katie sha na han. In the forecast into the weekend, 24 hours after taking charge falling on saturated ground for some of Tottenham Jose Mourinho has been of us but i will have all the speaking to the press for the first details throughout the afternoon. Time this afternoon . Thanks, sarah. Also coming up. Jose mourinho says that hes not going to make the same chris martin, here we are injordan. Mistakes at tottenham than he did in previous managerial roles. Hes been out of the dugout for 11 why have you brought us here . Months, since he was sacked at Manchester United where it got coldplays Climate Change challenge quite hostile towards the end. The bands frontman chris martin so hes had some time to think tells us why they wont be touring about his career and it seems as though we could see a different side to mourinho because its bad for the planet. At spurs this season. And hes got a great track record too. Even with united where it got frosty at the end, he still won the league cup and the europa league. Hello, everyone and hes won the premier league this is afternoon live. Title three times with chelsea im simon mccoy. As well as League Titles labour has launched its election manifesto promising a radical agenda at inter milan and real madrid. With a hugely expanded role and dont forget two for the state which it says champions League Titles will transform lives. With porto and inter. The manifesto includes people are questionning though whether hes lost his old magic. Plans to build 100,000 Council Homes a year by the end for his part, mourinho says hes of the new parliament. Labour also says thered be learnt from his mistakes. A windfall tax on oil companies. And the party promises to create a million greenjobs, you never lose your dna, you never although its watered down a Party Conference pledge to make the uk produce net zero Carbon Emissions by 2030. Lose your identity, you are what you 0ur Political Correspondent are, for the good things and bad things, but i have had time to think about many things. Dont ask me what iain watson reports are the mistakes, but i realise that during my career i also made they say its better to travel m ista kes hopefully than to arrive. Labour are during my career i also made mistakes and im not going to make the same mistakes. Im going to make lagging in the polls, Jeremy Corbyn believed it was a radical manifesto new mistakes, not the same mistakes. Which boosted his ratings at the last election and he thinks a new soi new mistakes, not the same mistakes. So i have had time, i think i am set of policies could kick start stronger and when i say i am stronger and when i say i am this campaign, too. He began by stronger i am not saying i am fitter, i was always fit, but from setting out clear dividing lines of his opponents telling voters hed the emotional point of view i am stand up to the establishment. They are going to tell you that relaxed, i am motivated, everything in this manifesto is the emotional point of view i am relaxed, iam motivated, im ready. But mourinho has not spent impossible. That its too much for more than four seasons in a row at a club, and tends you. Because they do not want real to be seen as a quick fix that wins trophies. Change in this country. Why would so, the questions for spurs fans, is this a different more self aware mourinho that can learn they . The system is working just from his mistakes and bring some fine for them. It raked in their silverware to tottenham . Favour. Why, he set out plans to increase the size and scope of the how are england faring against new state, bringing rail, mailand in zealand in the first test . England, the water industry back england have got off into public ownership. If labour to a good start with the bat against new zealand. Winds, there will also be a big they finished on 241 for 4. Increase in power is notjust for it was fairly slow going, although their hero of the summer, national and local government, more say over the running of schools and all rounder ben stokes is still unbeaten on 67. Our sports news correspondent, an ambitious House Building programme. Because we will launch joe wilson has the details. The biggest council House Building programme since the 1960s and capped new zealand is hosting its first ever test match here and Dominic Sibley is playing his first, and he rents. And he unveiled policies to appeal across generations, strapping was welcomed traditionally. He is any rise scrapping any rise to here to bat. On the money, and hes the state pension age and stating he away. The fourth ball he faced went 0k, and in fact it went forfour would abolish tuition fees in runs. The open the innings with rory england. As policies want to burns, they are old mates and they guarantee net zero emissions by got england pass 50. Sibley departed 2030. They did not quite get that sadly for 22. Ross taylor takes it. But there was quite radical green he isjust 24 policies for. We cannot deny it, we sadly for 22. Ross taylor takes it. He is just 24 and with a stubborn approach he could go far. This ground is a grassy 0val on the bay of plenty. 52 for rory burns was can see it all around us so as it saysin can see it all around us so as it says in manifesto, labour will enough to keep england steady and to create i million new says in manifesto, labour will createi million new greenjobs says in manifesto, labour will keep the ball rolling. But new create i million new green jobs as zealand got rid of englands captain pa rt create i million new green jobs as part of our green industrial cheaply. Joe root out for two runs revolution. But have a will all this be paid for . Taxes on Big Companies and new zealand felt the and the better of, and the Oil Significance of that butjoe denly business will face a new levy. Prevailed. At 33, he is certainly Labour Government would ensure the big oil and gas corporations that determined to make the most of his winter. This one has gone further, profit from heating up our planet all the way for six. And then ben will shoulder the burden and pay stokes. Up and over. Enough said. Theirfair will shoulder the burden and pay this partnership was concluding the their fair share will shoulder the burden and pay theirfair share through will shoulder the burden and pay their fair share through a Just Transition tax. Boris johnson has day englands way. Denly on 74, a twea ked transition tax. Boris johnson has tweaked the labour leaders tale diving watling and new zealand had over whether he would back leave or their man. Yes, but not the man. The remain in the referendum that labour is promising, and doomsdayjeremy chance to get rid of ben stokes was corbyn has stuck to the line we will missed. No, down. He will begin day let people decide. And delay the crowd reacted most positively but to 167 with england 241 4, and this said any Boris Johnson crowd reacted most positively but said any borisjohnson post trade deals could harm the health service. The Prime Minister has denied this moment lingering in the mind of both and Jeremy Corbyn made a Firm Commitment to the nhs. Labour will sides. Great britain are through to the last eight at the davis cup finals in madrid never, ever use our National Health after beating kazakhstan 2 1 kyle edmund won the service as a bargaining chip in first singles match. But dan evans lost the second, trade talks. We will never let in three sets to alexander bubik. Donald trump get his hands on our evans who also lost his singles match yesterday took the first set, but couldnt nhs. Thank you. As ever, the sustain the momentum leaving the tie level at 1 all. Audience has got ahead of me. I was about to say, lets be clear about it, our nhs is not for sale. Labour so, just like yesterday, it came down to the doubles match and jamie murray and neal skupskie insiders say theyve created a fuse won it in straight sets. Box in this campaign but it hasnt Great Britain are back in action at around 4. 30 tomorrow afternoon really ignited. Jeremy corbyn was at where theyll meet germany in the quarterfinals. Times burning with passion but he anthonyjoshua believes may need to do more to fire up the a lack of experience, rather than complacency was the reason behind his defeat to andy ruinunior earlier this year. Joshua lost three voters. 0ur assistant Political Editor of his four world heavyweight belts on that night to the american. Norman smith is in birmingham. The pair will fight again in saudi arabia in december. Some radical proposals but big joshua insisting that he, numbers involved as well. There is a also like mourinho, has learnt from his mistakes. Huge amount riding on this. I think ive never been complacent. I did it is labours big bazooka, what they hope will help them bounce back lose and im upset about that, but it is what it is and it wasnt in this campaign of which they are quite a long way behind in the complacency. When i say i lost, it polls. They need this manifesto to was more to the point of it happens, give them a lift off with just three weeks to go. Their calculation is it happened to me, so i have to take that whatever the polls say, whatever the pundits say. At their it happened to me, so i have to take it but i wasnt complacency, but the issues i faced in the last training own planet normal, there is a real camp when you are asking me is just hungerfor change down to lack of experience. Even own planet normal, there is a real hunger for change and this manifesto though i was at a high level, we they pitch in the same sort of way we re though i was at a high level, we were still quite inexperienced with as the Ground Breaking post war at how fast we had come through the division. Thats all from me. The government manifesto, saying there is of course more reaction they believe it is as radical. From mourinhos press conference on the bbc sport website. Bye for now. They believe it is as radical. The attlee government manifesto. Now on afternoon live, they say it is a huge gamble because lets go nationwide, the cost of the manifesto i suspect and see whats happening around the country in our daily visit will raise a big fat credibility to the bbc newsrooms around the uk. Question. Labour are saying it is all costed budget will involve just one for you today but what a significant tax rises on the newsroom we have got. We are going wealthy, on business, and only to hull. Hull, isaid. Banks. And in an error where we know newsroom we have got. We are going to hull. Hull, i said. Yes, and you can as well. This is a terrible money can be moved around very, very quickly, the question mark is, will the wealthy and big business, and story. The wealthy and big business, and the banks leave their money in a a concert goer that was hit with a flare. Labour written to be taxed . Some of it was a concert at Sheffield Arena the new taxes that labour are that went very wrong, it was a concert by Liam Gallagher where flares were let off. These were proposing are really pretty used, for people who dont know what swingeing. Perhaps the one that most flares are, because i didnt until earlier, they are used for marine people will. Is distress and they can burn at swingeing. Perhaps the one that most people will. Is that it is a temperatures of 1600 celsius, the whopping great windfall tax on the melting point of steel, so they are oil and gas companies. They havent said exactly how much but its really strong and they are designed because they are going out to see thought it could run into billions, maybe even up to £11 billion on and they are designed not to go out easily burn for a long time and they private sector companies. 0n also burn chemicals as well. One of maybe even up to £11 billion on private sector companies. On top of that, there would be a fair the flares hit 27 Stacey Andrew transactions tax which would, in effect, be a tax on dealing in the boston in lincolnshire and she was there with her partner on monday city. There would be an excessive night. There was the gig. That was pay levy and for the wealthy in the the arena in sheffield, and you can see the flare in the middle, two or country, everyone earning more than three of them and she said at first £80,000, they will pay more in that she had not realised what had income tax, there will be a second happened and then people were home stacks, there will be vat on screaming at her that she was on private school fees, so a whole lot fire. It sounds very scary and i dont know if you can see, there is of tax rises but labour saying only the picture of stacey with her injuries and i dont know if youve be better burn off the powerful big seen injuries and i dont know if youve seen this before. They are well business will pay. Thank you. Now known in yachting circles, peter. And they do reach very high for some analysis. Temperatures, but looking at the pauljohnson is the director injuries, how is she . This lunchtime of the ifs and joins me now we spoke to stacey and this is what from westminster. She had to say about the incident these are big numbers. There are from monday night. The crowd was going absolutely bonkers, so there three bs here, borrowing, business and the better off. The bs are was a group of boys and they let off enormous numbers are referred big a few flares and i thought, this is numbers being banded about over the past few weeks but its important to amazing, they look beautiful. All of be absolutely clear that this would amazing, they look beautiful. All of a sudden there was this bonfire in be absolutely clear that this would be the biggest set of spending increases in the biggest set of tax the airand a sudden there was this bonfire in the air and something hit my head andl the air and something hit my head increases, and a bigger set of and i was thinking, ok, ive boring increases weve seen in honestly been hit with a cop, im peacetime history. The scale of this waiting to get soaked and as it was is enormous and the labour party are entirely open about that. I think hitting me i was thinking it is a bit strange and then everyone was there are two really big challenges shouting she is on fire. That is here, one is simply about Stacey Andrew who says she is deliverability, talking about literally doubling the amount of scarred for life. I should say that Capital Spending investment spending that the government does in very flares are legal for the intended purpose, like you havejust short order i think is very mentioned, but they are illegal to difficult to deliver in any credible be at music venues or football effect or efficient way and the matches, so these people are second is about some of those tax breaking the law and im told that these are still regularly smuggled revenues, they are looking at 80 into music events and football billion of tax revenues, more than half of which would come from matches and a security expert told me this afternoon that the People Companies which would take our who let these off are idiots, and Corporate Tax regime from a pretty sooner or who let these off are idiots, and sooner or later somebody is going to average one in the advanced world to get killed. I would say finally, one of the biggest and highest simon, Liam Gallagher has tweeted to say he was sorry to hear what had revenue Corporate Tax regimes. You happened to stacey and we wish her have to worry about whether that well with her recovery. That is the would really give you the kind of money thats being talked about here tweet. It is not cool. Can someone and what impact it might have on investment. Interestingly, the from herfamily amount of money that they are tweet. It is not cool. Can someone from her family get tweet. It is not cool. Can someone from herfamily get in tweet. It is not cool. Can someone from her family get in touch with us . Simon, there we are, that is the expecting to get from higher income tax rates on the well off as story, but i dont think you will be relatively small compared with this troubled with flares at your michael enormous increase in taxation of buble concert or whatever you go to. Companies. There is a law of at least i dont wear them while i unintended consequences and norman alluded to at their that some people am on air, peter. That is a 70s joke may just want to leave the country with others wanting to hire many which younger people will not even more accountants to find ways around get. Well, you did, thats the main things. There is always a risk with thing. I see you have no friends increasing taxes particularly on the this afternoon. A blank screen. They better off that you have that kind heard what they were up against, of effect. Its interesting that they just gave even within their own numbers, the heard what they were up against, theyjust gave up. I will give you that one. That is nationwide labour party would be quite reasonable about how theyve set out how much money they might get from tonight. These increases in income tax rates on the better off because they are if youd like to see any more on those stories, access them through saying you get Something Like half of what you get if people dont the bbc iplayer, and we go change their behaviour at all. That nationwide every weekday at 4 30pm isa change their behaviour at all. That is a measure to change their behaviour at all. That is a measure to some change their behaviour at all. That is a measure to some extent of the on afternoon live. Cost of doing this and the course that people may do jobs elsewhere, as weve been reporting, Jeremy Corbyn launched labours may find ways of avoiding tax in manifesto for the general election this lunchtime, with commitments other ways. Theirjudgment on social housing, a windfall tax on oil compnies and a million green may find ways of avoiding tax in jobs to help tackle Climate Change. Other ways. Their judgment is may find ways of avoiding tax in other ways. Theirjudgment is that it is worthwhile for the relatively and this afternoon, hes been small amount of extra revenue they on the campaign trail in dudley, would get from that group and i giving more detail on the plans. Think in particular because they value clearly and explicitly equity it was a shock to all of us when the and equality over the size of the United Nations itself centre wrap at economy in that sense. Looking at to britain to look at poverty in modern britain sent a rapporteur. The nationalisation proposals. And the rapporteur reported after again, labourare arguing the nationalisation proposals. Again, labour are arguing this is cost neutral because you get an visiting food banks around the asset if you spend that sort of country and visiting those who are up country and visiting those who are up against it around the country and money. In one sense, that is right. His conclusion was that britain if you buy something for what it is after the Second World War developed worth, you have not made yourself any worse off. Two rather important an advanced welfare state who was riders to that, of course that does increase the amount of government designed to eliminate poverty and debt by a lot, we do not know how prevent people from falling into much but presumably in excess of destitution. And he complemented the country on that and that once proud £100 billion as you do this so the amount of actual debt would be higher even if you have an asset of ethos has been replaced by a cold setting it and the second question, the really big one, is what would and uncaring ethos, and that is what these things be worth two, five, ten has happened and that they are right in doing that. So this election is about a lot of things and i will yea rs these things be worth two, five, ten years down the line . With the public come onto the other thing is its sector be good as or better than the about ina private sector at managing these come onto the other thing is its about in a moment, but it is in my things . In particular, what are they view about how we approach the population as a whole and how we trying to achieve with nationalisation but ensure we do not pass by on the nationalisation but nationalisation which you could not achieve by changing the regulatory other side to extreme poverty and regime because all the things they homelessness or Mental Health stress are looking to nationalise our thats sony people go through. You regulated and the government has a lot of say over that regulation so dont achieve that by warm words, the question more than the money in you achieve it by investment and by a sense is what actually can you public spending to get over the achieve by running this as a issues. But its also, yes, about nationalised industry from brexit. I fully understand whitehall, how they intend to do it, issues. But its also, yes, about which you could not achieve by brexit. Ifully understand places around the country that voted leave changing the regulations within the current Ownership Structure . In overwhelming numbers, out of angen in overwhelming numbers, out of anger, frustration, out of a lot of things, but there were still people changing the regulations within the current Ownership Structure . I pledge to build 100,000 council who were up against it. I also homes in your raises questions about how you do that and what recognise that those who voted to implications it has on the private remain who also felt up against it sector. With a lot of these capital with universal credit and so much programmes, there is a big question else, and so much of this debate has about deliverability and where you will get the skills, the materials actually divided people, families and so on. The most likely i think and communities. My wholejob actually divided people, families and communities. My whole job as leader of the party is to try and way in which you would get them unite our party and my whole job has certainly within a five year period, been to listen to people a great if you would get some significant deal and ever since the referendum reduction in the amount of private sector housing created, so it might in 2016, ive been travelling all around the country with very long even have the perverse consequence sessions of listening to people and all of their issues and concerns. Of making private housing more expensive because i might be less of it than they are otherwise would the electoral commision has published its first weekly pre poll have been. I think with all of these report on donations and loans recieved by Political Parties ahead of the genertal election. Things, you can see a route to this more than £6. 5 million in total donations have been change over a five, ten, 15 year reported to the electoral commision. That is the total figure period but if you try to do it for donations over £7,500, really quickly, the chances of an recieved between 6 and the 12th unintended consequence would be of november for all parties quite big. Standing in the election. Of that, throughout the Election Campaign, we are looking closely at the places where the final result the conservatives recieved more than £56 million could be won and lost, a huge amount compared and asking people in those places to the other parties. Labour took injust £218,000, and what questions they may have. Tomorrow, we will be reporting the lib dems took slightly from norwich all day on tv, radio and online, starting with bbc more then labour, taking £275,000 in donations. Breakfast, and radio 5 live. We go live now to westminster for more from political alex salmond, has appeared in Court Correspondent chris mason. Charged with carrying out a series of Sexual Offences against ten women most of them while he was quite an eye watering figure, first minister of scotland. Mr salmond faces a total actually. Yes, an avalanche of of 1a charges, including one of attempted rape. He denies all the numbers but the most dark thing to charges against him. Lea p lorna gordon is in edinburgh numbers but the most dark thing to leap out as you mention there is the gulf between the conservatives and alex salmond is one of the everybody else and in particular best known figures in scottish politics. Today he was appearing in between the conservatives and labour court to face allegations of with the conservatives attracting offences against ten women. 0ffences upwards of 20 times as much as the which its alleged he carried out labour party have managed in the first declared week of campaigning, while serving as first minister. The charges include one attempted rape, so first declared week of campaigning, so they are funding their donations one intent to rape, ten counts of every week across the general Sexual Assault and two of indecent assault. The alleged attempted rape election and the gap is massive. Are said to have happened here at the first ministers official just drilling down into the numbers regarding the conservatives and residence in edinburgh just the first ministers official residence in edinburghjust months before the referendum on scottish labour, 87 of these donations independence. Mr salmond is alleged declared for the first week were to have pushed a woman against a given to the conservative party and wall, to have removed her clothes on the biggest individual donation from his own, pushing her on a bed and the biggest individual donation from lying naked on top of her. Its also the tories was from a man who gave £1 million and he is worth a few said to you intended to rape another quid. He is a theatre producer. Woman at bute house the previous year. Other alleged assaults are interesting name popping up and its said to have happened at this restau ra nt said to have happened at this restaurant in glasgow, this familiar when we look at these nightclub in edinburgh, the Scottish Parliament and stirling castle. Grins. The wife of a former russian speaking outside court, mr salmond minister who gave £200,000 to the denied all the charges he is facing. Conservatives and in the past she gave hundred and £60,000 to play iam denied all the charges he is facing. I am innocent and i will defend my tennis with borisjohnson. I dont know who won the match but it was position vigorously, but the only place, proper place to answer game, setand know who won the match but it was game, set and match to the tory coffers that tennis match and here criminal charges is in this court. She is giving some more money. 60 thats exactly what we intend to do next spring. Mr salmond is now into of the labour party money came from the union, unite. If you look at the a second year of court actions, he took the government to court over same period in the general election two years ago, to try and draw a the government he used to lead to court. The procedures were said to comparison, the gap is quite have been floored and they paid out more than half £1 million in legal something, so yes, last time the conservatives received the most, 4. 1 costs. There was considerable my million, but labour last time, for the same week received 2. 7 million considerable media interest in the and this time 200 and something Court Appearance today. A taste thousand, so the gap for labour is perhaps of what is to come when the trial starts in march. Very significant. Worth pointing out though that firstly this is only the first week and there may be other donations coming to any of the parties in the weeks to come and secondly, labour make the argument and Jeremy Corbyn made it the other day, that in the first week of the campaign as faras back to the Labour Party Manifesto day, that in the first week of the campaign as far as they were measuring it, which may or may not add up to the same timeframe as and their pledge to build 100,000 these figures, labour received £1 Council Houses. The conservatives have also been talking million in small donations where the about building houses today our Political Correspondent nick eardley has been average donation was £26, so they following the Prime Minister who is visiting a new Housing Development in bedfordshire 0s will make the argument and are who is visiting a new housing already making the argument that development in bedfordshire. These figures illustrate the central thats right, thats why im bothering this. We are on a building narrative that they are pushing on this whole campaign, that they are site in bedfordshire were the prime the party of the many and the minister hasjust been site in bedfordshire were the prime conservatives are the party of the minister has just been expending a bit more about what is going to do to try to counter that labour offer rich few. The conservatives would counter that anyone is allowed to on housing. His book proposal is1 legally donate to a Political Party and it is above board and properly million houses over the next five declared and what we dont know is yea rs, million houses over the next five years, he said that as an ambition for now but hopefully they will how many smaller donations the conservative party might have had. Manage to do even more than that over the course. Its one of these but these figures pointing to a vast gap at this early stage of the issues that labour have tried to get campaign. Dont theyjust. Just on the front foot on and weve seen time and time again in this general before you go, would you know the difference between Liam Gallagher Election Campaign that the and Noel Gallagher . Lets put the conservatives dont want to be left pictures up. Lets put one up. Just behind. They are making big pledges, put anyone up and see if chris can to. Another one we are getting today do it. I will have a quick look. I is on social care. If you cast your will see if i can see it popping up mind back to when borisjohnson took overin on the monitor. Who is that . That is mind back to when borisjohnson took over in number ten, he promised to come up with a plan which would fix Noel Gallagher. You now have a job the social care crisis once and for all. Today we are getting dripped on nationwide, because we were supposed to be talking about liam some details of that, im not sure gallagher and we put that picture quite frankly that many people will up, and that is Liam Gallagher see it as that complete answer that there. I am blaming peter leavy who borisjohnson pledged. See it as that complete answer that Boris Johnson pledged. He was too busy adjusting his lies. You see it as that complete answer that borisjohnson pledged. He said he will give an extra billion pounds are not wrong. Chris, and everything per year to the social care system youve just over the next five years if he is backin are not wrong. Chris, and everything youvejust done, are not wrong. Chris, and everything youve just done, thank you. Over the next five years if he is back in downing street and suggest adjusting his flies. An apology for there needs to be a cross Party Getting that wrong. A fun way of approach, notjust there needs to be a cross party approach, not just the there needs to be a cross party approach, notjust the tories but all the parties getting round the doing it. Table together and trying to work out what to do in the future on social care. Not sure there will be much more than that in the tory Jeremy Corbyn launches labours election manifesto, calling it the most ambitious plan in decades to transform britain. Ma nifesto. Much more than that in the tory manifesto. As i say, for those who alex salmond appears in court saw mrjohnson when he took office accused of Sexual Offences while he was first minister of saying weve got a plan, we will fix scotland. It, not sure that quite lives up to Prince Andrew in windsor this morning, amid growing calls for him to talk to american investigators. That. Youre on a building site, shouldnt you have a hard hat on to go with the tabard . Ive got one, i took it off because, well, it was a bit distracting, actually. Ive got big boots on as well, its very heres your business warm, warmer than normal in these headlines on afternoon live. Boots. I might try and take them away actually. I only wanted you to government borrowing in october rose to its highest level since 2014 thats accordomg to the office for National Statistics. Put the hat on but who will leave it borrowing has increased dramatically there. Thank you. The Prime Minister since last year and it is likely has been talking about his proposals to rise again after the election, with all major parties making costly spending pledges. For that building proposal. Let your more on this in a moment. From borisjohnson now. For that building proposal. Let your from Boris Johnson now. None of this has any economic credibility in a Trading Update today, whatever. To say nothing of the british gas owner centrica revealed it has lost another 107,000 ruinous characteristics of the policies, none of it has any household accounts, as it also credibility whatsoever because the upped its annual cost whole of the heart of labours savings by £50 million. Ma nifesto, whole of the heart of labours manifesto, this was the moment, lights, camera, action. Cope and but the uks biggest gas and electricity supplier said it had come centrestage, drum roll and he eased the rate of customer losses, com pletely come centrestage, drum roll and he completely misses as cubicles what you want to know is what his plan is which were lower than the first half to deliver brexit and what is the of the year, when it shed 178,000 accounts. The group also said it now expects deal he wants to do, and which side annual cost savings of £300 million from the previous target would you vote on that deal . We still dont know. Until we have of £250 million. A nswe rs still dont know. Until we have a nswers to still dont know. Until we have answers to those questions or get brexit done, none of this carries any economic credibility whatever. It has also been the top rising stock in the ftse 100. By any economic credibility whatever. By contrast, our approach, we have a deal ready to go, put it in the it has also been the top rising stock in the ftse100. Dozens of British Airways flights oven, its done. We are through by into the uk have been delayed or cancelled after what the airline january. We get on with our described as a technical issue. Ambitions for the country, uniting the airline has suffered three major and levelling up. Look at what we computer failures since 2017, the latest seriously disrupting wa nt to and levelling up. Look at what we want to do, 1 million new homes, we operations in august. Plan to build them and we already did1 plan to build them and we already did 1 million since 2010, we have flights from the us, india and japan were all showing up fantastic ambitions for this as delayed. Country, cutting national insurance, asi country, cutting national insurance, as i explained yesterday, doing a lot to invest in our nhs, driving the economy and we believe in a do we know how the markets are thriving, business led, a market doing . If we can bring up the numbers for you, or maybe we can at economy that delivers a tax revenue the end of the programme, the ftse that we need to pay for the biggest 100 in london, as with all european ever ruse for the nhs in living markets, they have been down, memory, which is what we are also trading sideways, largely due to doing, so weve got a deal, weve events happening in the states with got a doing, so weve got a deal, weve gota plan, doing, so weve got a deal, weve got a plan, i dont need to hear it from labour. Lets talk more about the civil rights bill being housing. Your promising 1 million supported in hong kong, possibly homes in five years, is a jeopardising the ongoing american deliverable and is it enough . M and chinese talks. There we go. The homes in five years, is a deliverable and is it enough . It is certainly deliverable and of course i will always love to do more but ftse100 has continued the downward trend and investors were keenly look at our record. We are the party watching whatJeremy Corbyn had to that builds the homes that this say in the delivering of his ma nifesto say in the delivering of his country needs. A record amount last manifesto this morning but there wasnt that big a reaction so its been trading within that narrow year. 240,000, dont forget that in margin all day. Centrica was the top labours 30 years, they came to us riser all day and they say the rate about Council Homes but we build more Council Homes in one year and that they are losing accounts is they built in 13 years. We are very easing. Sterling had been inching a bit higher at the beginning of the big ambitions. 0ne they built in 13 years. We are very big ambitions. One thing we are now seeing today is helping local people session and now it is down slightly so that they have a 30 discount on against the dollar and the euro. Very quickly because you have some their homes and they have to make sure that when it is sold, it goes bad news for commuters. We do, on to sure that when it is sold, it goes ontoa sure that when it is sold, it goes on to a local person. Also helping u nfortu nate. Bad news for commuters. We do, unfortunate. The rail maritime and people who are renting to get the transport union who have confirmed high value mortgage they need to go that members are south western and buy the home because they may be railway are going to walk out on a able to afford the rent but they cannot afford the deposit. We are also doing some great things to help 27 day strike. 27 days . A 27 day the rental market so if you have a rail strike over december and the deposit, you can pass that deposit new year after two days of talks onto the next property new rent. And ended without agreement. The general we are making sure that people are secretary said it was increasingly clear that swr was not interested in not subject to unfair evictions by reaching a settlement and it said it getting rid of the move fought promised to keep guards on trains and it will do everything to keep eviction process. Youre supporting the creation of 1 customers moving. It is due to eviction process. Youre supporting the creation of1 million more release a revised timetable, but homes, help to buy and all the things weve already done, we they are all up on the website continue with them. But we are also currently. Alice, thank you very supporting the rental sector and helping people who are currently much. Two metal detectorists have renting dubai as well. We believe in been found guilty of failing homeownership. We think its the to report a viking hoard they found right way forward. Jeremy corbyn in herefordshire in 2015. Does not think homeownership is a good he idea, thinks it should be the coins and jewellery were worth an estimated £3 million. Owned by the state and i dont think much of the treasure is still missing. Is right. Might make social care, we robert hall reports. Are getting dribs and drabs of your policy. 1 billion per year extra, in an isolated herefordshire field, the search for a crime scene with cross party policy. 1 billion per year extra, links to the earliest kings of cross party talks. People want england. We were invited to specifics on this. What will you do so you can keep the promise you may yesterday that people will not have to sell their homes . What will you investigate after social media do specifically . What we are already alerted people to the activities of doing is we put a record amount into two metal detectorists and the presence of a treasure buried by a social care since i came in, 120 viking over a thousand years ago. Days ago, we have put in another 1. 5 the detectorists, Leighton Davies and george powell, maintained they billion to have local authorities had been searching the land with with adults and childrens social permission when they stumbled across care, this is a problem that is the horde. They deleted the photos going to develop in the ross deal they took the time police recovered with it. 1 billion every year into them. Davies and powell knew what making sure. 1 that had found was certainly a with it. 1 billion every year into making sure. 1 billion extra every treasure trove and under the law year to making sure we can recruit they had just 14 days to declare it, the staff to deal with the problem and we will also bring the parties but as the court heard, their priority was to establish how much together because its like the nhs now, this is an area where there is the items were worth. Those enquiry a growing Cross Party Consensus suggested that the treasury could be valued at millions of pounds. The about the way forward. What i can British Museum showed us items the tell you is our policy will have two principles. 0ne detectorists did declare, exquisite tell you is our policy will have two principles. One that we give gold jewelry from the time of alfred everybody dignity and security in and perfectly preserved coin showing and perfectly preserved coin showing an alliance between the kingdoms of old age and two, no one has to sell wessex and murcia. This is certainly one of the most important hordes to their home to pay for the cost of their home to pay for the cost of turn up from the anglo saxon and their care. Viking period. In terms of the information we can derive about and throughout the election, we are putting your questions alfreds relations with the vikings to all of the Political Parties. And his relations with the rest of at half five this evening, the Green Party Co leader, england. But had the accused sian berry will be here on the bbc declared all of their fines . The news channel answering your questions. Photos seem to show hundreds of so, if you have something buried coins. Police believe some of you want to know, please do get them ended up in the hand of the in touch on twitter using the hashtag bbcyourquestions or you can email us co accused, simon wicks and paul on yourquestions bbc. Co. Uk. And do remember to leave your name wells. Wicks, filmed at his shop in and where youre from. Lawyers for women who say 2011 took two batches of coins to a they were sexually assaulted byJeffrey Epstein have urged london dealer. He asked wells to Prince Andrew to give a sworn legal statement about his links to the financier. Advise them on valuation and police it comes after the prince announced searching his home found several he was withdrawing from public more coins hidden inside the case of duties for the foreseeable future a magnifying glass. Davies and and said that he is willing to help with investigations into mr epstein if required. Powell insisted all but two coins Sarah Campbell reports. Had come from another site, but the jury had come from another site, but the jury were not convinced. If you think that metal detecting is a lucrative business from which you can makea lucrative business from which you can make a profit, it isnt. It is simply that we will pursue this, for the queen and wider royal because the public care about this, family, painful reading. Never has we ca re because the public care about this, we care about this and we will do such a Senior Member of the royal everything we can to recover family felt there was no option but property that belongs to our to retreat from public life. He had country, our history and culture. Four years after the investigation agreed to an in depth, no holds barred interview with a bbc began, two mysteries remain unsolved. Where are the hundreds of missing coins and how did objects so programme meant to underline an issue that had might draw a line under and issue dogging him for important to Englands National story end up in such an isolated yea rs. Under and issue dogging him for years. His Statement Released last spot . Robert hall, bbc news, night after discussion with the queen and Prince Charles said he was worcester. Thats it from afternoon stepping down from royal duties for live for today. The foreseeable future. The queen now its time for a look at the weather with Sarah Keith Lucas. Had given him permission. In a marked change of tone from his good afternoon. We had a lot of dry television interview, he said he weather over the past couple of unequivocally regrets his illjudged days, but still river levels are high across many parts of the association with jeffrey unequivocally regrets his illjudged association withJeffrey Epstein. He country and the ground is very said, i deeply supervise with saturated. 0ver eve ryo ne country and the ground is very saturated. Over the next few days we said, i deeply supervise with everyone who has been affected and have a bit more rain in the forecast wa nt everyone who has been affected and want some form of closure. I can only hope that in time, they will be as well. This was the picture in able to rebuild their lives. Of salisbury earlier today with cloudy skies there and we still have rain course, he added, i am willing to to come through parts of the south west and south wales later help any appropriate Law Enforcement this evening and overnight the rain agency with their investigations if pushes north, some heavy outbreaks of showery rain on the south coast required. It is a good step that he of showery rain on the south coast of england in particular with the odd thunderstorm but most of us are will cooperate with Law Enforcement frost free but we could see a touch of frost and there are clear but will it happen . Will you fly to the United States and voluntarily conditions across scotland. Through the day on friday showery rain meet with the fbi . Will he sit for depositions positions in civil cases or submit evidence like e mails, pushing north and southern scotland could see rain at times and then calendars, travel logs that all of heavy, persistent rain pushing into us calendars, travel logs that all of us would like to see as part of our the south west of england once again where the ground is pretty saturated investigations . Prince andrew will and across south wales as well stop not be resigning from the many further east youre more likely to patronage as opposition c holds but stay dry and temperatures are back he will no longer be involved in the in double figures. The weekend is looking fairly unsettled with palace said it appreciates those temperatures around ten or 11 and organisations may wish to find new with further showers. Goodbye. Patrons. His highest profile venture in recent years has been a Networking Forum for aspiring entrepreneurs. Prince andrew will continue to support it privately. It supporters hope other royals might step in to be its public face. We have a lot of royals there, wills, kate, harry, meghan, if you continue at any royal environment where you have a infrastructure paid for, i think in part by the taxpayer, it would be an extraordinary shame that the palace dont see the opportunity in continuing this initiative that has created £1 billion worth of economic activity. Although he stepping back from public duties, its understood he will still be present at royal family events such today at five as the service of remembrance the labour launches its manifesto, cenotaph. Leaving his home in and promises to tranform britain. Windsor this morning, a wave from Jeremy Corbyn says his partys plans Prince Andrew as he departs public life in his words for the for the country are the most ambitious in decades. Foreseeable future. Vote for this manifesto of hope. Accident and Emergency Departments in welsh hospitals continued to miss patient targets its time for real change. In october after their worst performance figures ever in september. Only 75 per cent of nhs patients were admitted, transferred or discharged thank you. Within four hours. Cheering and applause. The target is 95 per cent. Results for england were released on monday well be looking at the manifesto they also showed a and e waiting commitments in detail and assessing how affordable they are. The other main stories this evening times were at their worst on record. Prince andrew seen in public for the First Time Since announcing hes to step back from royal duties because of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Taking you over to washington, the alex salmond appears fifth day of public hearings of in court accused of Sexual Offences most of them while he was first minister of scotland. Impeachment investigations into donald trump. We have the Opening Statement from mr nunes they are what they are about to hear from fiona hill, the british born russian expert at the white house who resigned in july just days expert at the white house who resigned injulyjust days before the trump ukraine telephone call that triggered this entire congressional investigation. Her testimony will reportedly confront unsubstantiated theories of ukrainian meddling in the 2016 election that have been repeatedly raised by republicans during the enquiry and be hearing her testimony as soon as enquiry and be hearing her testimony as soon as that gets under way. In the meantime, lets catch up with the weather forecast. Good afternoon, some dry weather out there today but quite a lot of clout and it still felt quite chilly, too. This picture taken by one of our weather watchers on the coast of aberdeenshire it was a bit earlier on. Some righteous guys coming in there. 0utbreaks on. Some righteous guys coming in there. 0utbrea ks of on. Some righteous guys coming in there. Outbreaks of rain particularly towards the south west. 0ver particularly towards the south west. Over the next few days, temperatures on the ops are gradually turning milder. Still if you shout around as labour to try to move in from the south west. We have got a big area of High Pressure sitting across russia so weather front is not moving in over hurry over the next few days but trying to head in for the south west. Bringing parts of rain over Northern Ireland, south west of england. The rain should be clearing away from Northern Ireland through the rest of the afternoon into this evening. It will continue in patchy rain over South West England and later on in the evening, that rain pushes northwards into england and wales, with further heavy showers across some parts of england, south wales, too. Dry and for most places frost free night ahead with quite a bit of ground and trees but we could just see a touch of frost particularly across parts of scotland and Northern England, too, with any i think this morning, showery rain starts. Heavy rain further south, dry weather better in parts of scotla nd dry weather better in parts of scotland through the day on friday but that range what the south west of england and south wales becomes quite persistent and heavy as we head into the afternoon. Even more brightness further east in england where temperatures will just about reached double figures. Still 8 9dc for the north. Heading into saturday and weve got low pressure moving northwards across england and wales initially, later in the days of rain into Northern Ireland and southern scotla nd into Northern Ireland and southern scotland so most places will see a bit of rain at some point in the day was the northern half of scotland saying what we dry but most places backin saying what we dry but most places back in double figures at around about 9 11dc through the day on saturday and the next area of low pressure is waiting in the wings. Later on sunday, more wet and windy weather but quite a good part of sunday we should see a fair bit of dry weather with rain lingering for a time across the north of scotland which should clear away with a bit of dry weather, bit of sunshine coming through and during sunday afternoon, there is an exterior of rain again following for the south west of england on saturated ground. Not great news there. That isa ground. Not great news there. That is a quick look at the weather but back to washington as the owner held a top russian expert at the white house and david holmes who works at the us embassy in kiev are about to give their evidence. David holmes we will hear from them now. My name is david holmes. Since august 2017, i have been a political counsellor at the us embassy in is an honour to appear before you today, i want to make clear that i did not seek this opportunity to testify today. Since you determined that i may have something of value to these proceedings and issued a subpoena, it is my obligation to appearand subpoena, it is my obligation to appear and tell you what i know. Indeed, as the secretary has stated, i hope everybody will do so truthfully and accurately. When we do, the oversight role will have been performed and i think america will come to see what took place here. That is my only goal. To testify truthfully and accurately, to enable you to perform that goal. To that end, i have put together the statement to be out as best i can recollect collection to limit recollection of events. By way of background, i have spent my entire career as a Foreign Service officer. My career as a Foreign Service officer. My entire career has been in the service of my country. I am a graduate of a college in claremont california and have received degrees from the university of st andrews in scotla nd from the university of st andrews in scotland and can sin universities mecca and princeton universities. I joined the service into thousand and two. It was under the George W Bush administration. I have proudly served administrations of both parties and worked for their appointees, both politically and career. Prior to my current post in ukraine, i served in the political sections in moscow, russia. In washington i served as a director for afghanistan and for it special assistant for the secretary of state. I have worked in new delhi, colombia and in kosovo. As the particle counsellor at the embassy in ukraine, i lead the political section, covering the foreign relations, internal politics. I served as the Senior Adviser to the ambassador. The job of an embassy particle counsellor is to gather information about the host countries backcountrys political landscape, to report back to washington and to advise the ambassador of policy development and implementation. In this rule, i am a Senior Member of the team and involved in addressing issues as they arrive. I am also called upon to take notes, visiting senior us officials with ukrainian counterparts. I have been present in many of the meetings with the president and the administration. Whilst i am a particle counsellor at the embassy, it is important to note iam nota the embassy, it is important to note i am not a political appointee. The embassy, it is important to note iam not a political appointee. Political counsellor. It is not my job to cover or advise on us politics. I am an apolitical Foreign Policy professional and my job is to focus on the politics in the country in which i serve so we can better understand the local landscape and better advance us National Interests there. During the period that we will cover today, my collea g u es period that we will cover today, my colleagues and i followed direct guidance from the ambassador is to focus on doing ourjobs as Foreign Policy professionals and to steer clear of washington politics. I arrived in ukraine to take up my assignment in august 2017, the year after the bassett received her appointment. Until her removal and post in 2019, i was ambassadors chief policy adviser and developed a deep respect for her dedication, determination, decency and professionalism. During this time we Work Together closely, speaking multiple times per day and i accompanied the ambassador to many of her meetings. 0ur accompanied the ambassador to many of her meetings. Our work in ukraine focused on three policy priorities. Security, Economic Growth and reform, and Anti Corruption and rule of law. These policies matched the three priorities of the karelian people since 2014, as measured in Public Opinion polling, and enter the conflict of russia, that restores National Unity and integrity, responsible economic policies that deliver european standards of growth and opportunity, and effective and impartial rule of law that deliver justice and effective and impartial rule of law that deliverjustice in cases of high level official corruption. 0ur effo rts high level official corruption. 0ur efforts on this third priority, it was during the tenure we achieved really make the hard fought passage establishing an independent court to try corruption cases. These efforts strained the relationship with the foreign president and some of his allies, including prosecutor general. He resisted fully empowering truly independent Anti Corruption empowering truly independent anti corru ption institutions that would help ensure that no ukrainians, however powerful, were above the law. Despite this resistance, the ambassador to the embassy kept pushing Anti Corruption. Beginning in march 2019, the situation at the embassy and in ukraine changed dramatically. Specifically the three priorities of security, economy and justice and our support for ukrainian democratic resista nce our support for ukrainian democratic resistance to russian aggression became overshadowed by a political agenda promoted by former new york city mayor and others with direct channel to the white house. That change began with the emergence of press reports critical of the ambassador, and others to discredit her. In mid march 2019, an embassy colleague learned from a ukrainian contact that they had been a complaint that the ambassador had destroyed him, with a refusal to support him until he followed through with his reform commitments and ceased using his position for personal gain. In retaliation, he made a series of unsupportive allegations against the ambassador, mostly suggesting that the ambassador improperly used the embassy to advance the particle interest of the democratic party. Political interests. These included that the embassy had doctor the main ukrainian contact of the ukrainian party. And that the embassy had allegedly pressured the pet assessor to close a case against a different ukrainian official. Predecessor. He also claimed he had never received 4. 4 million in us funds intended for his office and there was a tape of a ukrainian official saying he was trying to help Hillary Clinton when the us election. He publicly claimed that the ambassador had given him a do not prosecute list, containing the lists of her supposed allies, an allegation the state department caused an outright fabrication and that was later retracted. He said that as a result of these allegations, the ambassador would face Serious Problems in the United States. Public opinion polls indicated the ukrainians generally did not believe his allegations. And in march 22, the president issued a statement in support of the ambassador. Following the allegations, there were a number of public statements made critical of the ambassador, questioning her integrity and calling for her removalfrom office. Integrity and calling for her removal from office. Public state m e nts removal from office. Public statements pushing for issues related to the biden family. For example, on may one, 2019, mr giuliani had discussed the issue with the ousted ukrainian general and a current prosecutor. The New York Times reported that mr giuliani planned to travel to ukraine to discuss the involvement into mr bidens sent into a gas company. Mr giuliani also issued a series of tweets asking why biden should be investigated, attacking, court, the new president of ukraine for being silenced on the 2016 election and biden investigations and complaining about the New York Times attacking him for exposing the biden history from making millions from ukrainian criminals, i quit. A political newcomer, who had played a president on television, were searching in the polls. The head of his political ally. 0n polls. The head of his political ally. On april 20, polls. The head of his political ally. 0n april20, i polls. The head of his political ally. On april 20, i was present for the ambassador third and final meeting with the then candidate, ahead of his landslide victory in the election the next day. As with the election the next day. As with the two prior meetings, that i also attended, we had a pleasant conversation and signalled their mutual desire to Work Together. However, the negative narratives about the ambassador were gaining currency in certain parts of the press, the ambassador departed for washington, dc where she learned she would be recalled early. The broad of allegations directed at the career ambassador is unlike anything i have seen in my professional career. Following president elect victory, we were getting to know the Incoming Administration and preparations for the inauguration, the same day that the ambassador left her post. It quickly became clear that the white house was not prepared to show the level of support for this administration that we had recently anticipated. In early may, mr giuliani alleged that the president in ukraine was surrounded by enemies and cancelled a visit to ukraine. We learned that the Vice President did not intend to lead the group for the inauguration. From over a dozen individuals that we re from over a dozen individuals that were planned, to justify. From over a dozen individuals that were planned, tojustify. The secretary, National Security council director, representing the white house, temporary acting affairs, representing the embassy, and ambassador to the european union. Ambassador sunderland did not cover individual member states, come he made clear he had direct and frequent access to President Trump and chief of staff and betrayed himself as the conduit to the president for this group. Secretary peary and others later style themselves as the three amigos and made it clear they would take the lead on policy arrangements. Around the same time, i became aware that giuliani, a private lawyer, was taken direct giuliani, a private lawyer, was ta ken direct role giuliani, a private lawyer, was taken direct role in ukrainian diplomacy. The childhood friend of the ukrainian president , was head of the ukrainian president , was head of the Security Services in ukraine, said he had been contacted by giuliani to make giuliani who said he was a adviser to the president. I reported this. Over the following months, it became apparent that mr giuliani was having a direct influence on the Foreign Policy agenda that the three amigos were implementing on the ground in ukraine. During meeting, someone wondered aloud why mr giuliani was so wondered aloud why mr giuliani was so active in the media with respect to ukraine. My recollection, one said, every time giuliani gets involved, he messes everything up. I took notes on the delegation meetings. During the meeting, president perry, there was a list of people he trust. He told the president he could seek advice from the people on this list. Embassy personnel were extruded from some of these later meetings. 0n personnel were extruded from some of these later meetings. On may 23, ambassador volcker, secretary peary and ron johnson, ambassador volcker, secretary peary and ronjohnson, who had already attended the inauguration, but not on the official delegation, returned to the United States and briefed President Trump. President trump signed a letter to the ukrainian president , with an invitation to the white house at a specified date. It is important to understand that he white house visit was critical to the ukrainian president. He needed to show you a support at the highest levels in order to demonstrate to russian president putin that he had us backing as well as to advance his ambitious Anti Corruption agenda at home. The Team Immediately began pressing to set a date for the visit. Senior members of his team made clear they wanted his first overseas visit to beattie washington, to send a strong signal of american support and requested a call with President Trump as soon as possible. We also believed in a meeting was critical to the success of the Ukrainian Administration and its reform agenda and we worked hard to get it arranged. When the president of ukraines team did not receive a confirmed date, the meat alternative plans for the first overseas trip to be to brussels instead, to attend an american independence event on june instead, to attend an american independence event onjune four. Dinner was held in honourfor him, which included the president , kushner, senior officials and a comedian, amongst others. Ambassador bill taylor arrived on june 17. For the next month, the focus of our activities, along with those of the three amigos, was to coordinate it white house visit. We were working with the ukrainians to deliver things we thought President Trump might care about, commercial deals that would benefit the United States, which might convince trump toa states, which might convince trump to a meeting with the ukrainian president. Ukrainian policy community was unanimous in its recognising its importance of securing the meeting and the president of the uss support. Us secretary had told him prior to his arrival, we need to work on turning the president around on ukraine. The ambassador told us the next five yea rs could ambassador told us the next five years could hang on what could be accomplished in the next three months. I took that to mean that if we did not own President Trumps support, we could lose the ability to make progress during the ukrainian president s time. Within one week or two, it became apparent that the energy reforms, commercial tea rs that the energy reforms, commercial tears and Anti Corruption efforts, on which we were making process, we re on which we were making process, were not making a dent in terms of scheduling a meeting. Injune 27, the ambassador told ambassador taylor, the gist of which was shared with me at the time, that the ukrainian president needed to make clear that he was not standing in the way of investigations, i caught. I understand that this meant the biden investigation that mr giuliani and his associates had been talking about in the media since march. Ambassador taylor did not beat me on every detail, he did tell me that on injune 28 every detail, he did tell me that on in june 28 call with every detail, he did tell me that on injune 28 call with the ukrainian president , it was made clear that some action on the biden investigation was a precondition for an oval office visit. Also onjune 28, when President Trump was still not moving forward on a meeting, he met with russian president putin at the 620 met with russian president putin at the g20 summit injapan. This sent a further signal of lack of support to ukraine. We became concerned that evenif ukraine. We became concerned that even if it meeting could occur, it would not go well. I discussed with Embassy Colleagues whether we should stop seeking a meeting altogether. While a white house visit was critical to the Ukrainian Administration, even at that clear to send a clear and strong signal of support likely would be worse than visit at all. Congress has appropriated 1. 5 billion in Security Assistance for ukraine since 2014. This assistance has provided crucial material and moral support to ukraine in its defensive war with russia. It has helped ukraine build its armed forces virtually from scratch into arguably we most capable and battle hardened land force in europe. I have had the honour of visiting the main Training Facility in western ukraine with members of congress and members of this very committee. We witnessed first hand Us National Guard troops, along with allies, conducting training for ukrainian soldiers. Since 2014, National Guard units from california, 0klahoma, new york, tennessee and wisconsin have trained shoulder to shoulder ukrainian counterparts. Given the history of us Security Assistance to ukraine and the base bipartisan recognition of its importance, i was shocked when budget Staff Members announced the hold on ukraine Security Assistance. The announcement came towards the end of a nearly to our National Security council call, which i participated in. The official said that the order had come from the president and had been conveyed by mr mulvaney, with no further explanation. This began a week or so of agencies to understand the rationale for the freeze, to conduct a review of the assistance and to reaffirm the unanimous view of ukraine policy of its importance. Cou nterpa rts of ukraine policy of its importance. Counterparts confirmed to us they had been no change in our ukraine policy. They could not determine the cause of the holder how to lift it. 0njuly cause of the holder how to lift it. On july 25, president cause of the holder how to lift it. 0njuly 25, President Trump made a phone call to the ukrainian president. After his party won a majority in the parliamentary election. Contrary to standard procedure, the embassy received no id of that call and did not know what was discussed until the transcript was released. I was deeply disappointed to see that the president raised none of what i understood to be our inter agency agreed upon Foreign Policy in ukraine, and raised the biden issue. 0njuly 26, i attended meetings in kiev with the ambassadors and i took notes during those meetings. 0ur first meeting was with president chief of staff, he was brief, as he had been summoned by the president , he did say that President Trump had expressed interest in the personnel decisions related to the prosecutor generals office. The delegation then met with ukrainian president and other officials. During the meeting, the president stated that during thejuly meeting, the president stated that during the july 24 meeting, the president stated that during thejuly 24 call President Trump had three times raised some very sensitive issues and that he would have to follow up on those issues when he and President Trump met in person. Not having received a read out of the car, i did not know at the time what the sensitive issues where. Of the call. After the meeting with the ukrainian president , the ambassadors left the building for a trip to the front lines. The ambassador stayed behind to have a meeting with a top aide to the ukrainian president. As i was leaving the meeting, i was told to join the meeting with the ambassadors to take notes. I had not expected to join that meeting and was a flight of stairs behind as he headed to meet the meeting. When i reach the office, the ambassador had already gone into the meeting, i explained to the assistant i was supposed to jointly meeting and are strongly urged her to let me end but she told me that the ambassadors had insisted that the meeting the one on one, with no note taking. I then waited in the room until the meeting ended, along with e member of the staff and a member c of the key of staff. When the meeting ended, the two staffers and i accompanied the ambassador out of the building. He said he wanted to go for lunch and i told him i would be happy tojoin him and the two staffers for lunch if he wanted to brief me on the meeting or discuss other issues. He saidi meeting or discuss other issues. He said i should join. The four of us went to a nearby restaurant and sat on an outdoor terrace. I sat directly across from the ambassador and the two staffers were sad to our sites. The lunch was largely social at first and we shared a bottle of wine. We discussed topics such as Marketing Strategies for the hotel business. During the lunch, the ambassador said he was going to call President Trump for an update. He placed a call on his mobile phone andi placed a call on his mobile phone and i heard him announce himself several times of Gordon Sunderland holding for the president. He was being transferred through several layers of switchboards and his demeanour changed. He had been connected to President Trump. His phone was not on speakerphone, but i could hear the president s voice through the earpiece of the phone. The president voice was loud and recognisable. He held the phone away from his year, presumably because of the loud volume. I heard the ambassador agreed the president and explained he was calling from kiev. President trump clarified that he was in ukraine. He said, yes, i am in ukraine and said that the ukrainian president loves your as. I then heard President Trump as he is going to do your investigation, he replied he is going to do it. The president will do anything you ask him to do. Even though i did not ta ke him to do. Even though i did not take notes of these statements, i have a clear recollection of the state m e nts have a clear recollection of the statements being made. I believe my collea g u es statements being made. I believe my colleagues who were sitting at the table also knew that the ambassador was speaking with the president. The conversation then shifted to the effo rts conversation then shifted to the efforts on behalf of the president to assist a rapper who was jailed in sweden. I could only hear one side of the conversation. The ambassador told the president that the wrapper was, i caught, told the president that the wrapper was, icaught, it told the president that the wrapper was, i caught, it kind of left and have pled guilty. He recommended the president wait until after the sentencing because it will only make it worse and the president should let him get sentenced, play the racism card, give him a ticker tape when he home. The president told the president should have released him on your word you can tell the kardashians that you tried. The ambassador remarked that peasant was any bad mood. That was often the case early in the morning, stated. I then took the opportunity to ask for then took the opportunity to ask for the impression of the president s views on ukraine. I asked the ambassador if it was true the president did not give an expletive about ukraine . He agreed he did not give an expletive about ukraine. I asked might not . He stated the president only cares about big stuff. I noted there was big stuff going on in ukraine, like a war with russia. The ambassador replied he meant big stuff that benefits the president , like the biden investigation, that mr giuliani was pushing. The conversation then moved other topics. Upon returning to the embassy, immediately briefed my supervisor about the call with President Trump and my subsequent conversation with the ambassador. I told others at the embassy about the call as well. I also e mailed an Embassy Official in sweden regarding theissue Embassy Official in sweden regarding the issue with the us rapper that was discussed on the car. July 26 is my last in the office ahead of a long planned vacation that ended on august the 6th. After returning to the embassy, i told ambassador taylor about the call and i repeatedly refer to the call and the conversation with the ambassador in meetings and conversation where the issue of the president s interest in ukraine was potentially relevant. At that time, the ambassadors statement of the president s lack of interest in ukraine was a particular focus. We understand that in order to secure a meeting between the two president s, would have to work hard to find a way to explain ukraines importance to President Trump in terms that he found compelling. 0ver the ensuing weeks, we try to identify ways to frame the importance of ukraine in ways that would appeal to the president , and to move forward on the schedule of a white house visit. Ukrainian independence day, august 24, presented other opportunity to show support for ukraine. The secretary of state had considered attending, as defence secretary had attended in 2017. In the end, nobody senior to the ambassador attended. Shortly there after an august 27, ambassador bolton visited ukraine and brought welcome news that President Trump had agreed to meet the ukrainian president on september the 1st in warsaw. Ambassador bilton further indicated the hold on Security Assistance would not be lifted prior to the warsaw meeting, where it would hang on whether the ukrainian president was able to favourably impressed President Trump, a court. I took notes in the meetings that day with ukrainian president and his staff, bilton told staff that the meeting between the president in warsaw would be crucial to cementing their relationship. Trump pulled out of the worse our trip, so the hold remained in place. Between the meetings on august 27, i heard ambassador bolton express to ambassador taylor and the senior director to morrison his frustration about mr giulianis influence with the president , making clear that there was nothing he could do about it. He recommended that the replacement of prosecutor general offered a channel with his counterpart in place of the informal channel. Ambassador bilton also expressed frustration about the expansive interpretation of the mandate. After President Trump cancelled his visit to warsaw, we continue to try to appeal to the president. To that end, ambassador taylor told me that ambassador bilton recommended that he and ambassador taylor sent a letter to the secretary. I drafted and transmitted the cable on the ambassadors behalf, which further attempted to explain the importance of ukraine and the Security Assistance to us National Security. Either as a expression of dissatisfaction of the biden investigation or as an effort to increase the pressure on them to do so. Increase the pressure on them to do so. On september one, i took notes as senatorjohnson and centre Chris Murphys meetings where president zelinsky asked about the security. The bipartisan congressional report saw a caution for president zelinsky that President Trump is a negative view of ukraine and president zelinsky would have a difficult time overcoming it. President johnson further said he had a negative reaction of the overall meeting where it was proposed they would meet president zelensky and show support for ukraine. Ambassador taylor would then say now they are insisting zelensky commit to the investigation in an interview with cnn which i took to refer to as the three amigos. I was shocked a requirement was so specific and concrete. I would advise that ukrainian counterparts to voice a commitment to following the rule of law and generally investigating corruption allegations, this was a demand that president zelinsky personally commit on a cable news channel to a specific investigation of President Trumps political rival. In september 11, the hold was finally lifted after significant press coverage and bipartisan. About Security Assistance being withheld. We knew the hold was lifted but we are still concerned that president zelensky had exchanged to do this in return for a cnn interview. There was the conference in kiev being held where are the carrier was one of the moderators. Then an embassy colleague receiving a phone call from another colleague who worked for the ambassador and my colleague text me regarding that call saying that the zelensky interview was said to be today or monday. They did not know if this was decided or advocated. Finally also on september 18, we ran in to him on a meeting with zelensky in his office and ambassador taylor stressed the importance of staying out of us politics and said he hoped no interview as planned. There was no a nswer interview as planned. There was no answer but there was a strong resignation as if to indicate that he had no choice. In short everyone thought there would be an interview and ukrainians felt they had to do it. The interview did not occur. 0nce it. The interview did not occur. Once a ever 21st, ambassador taylor andi once a ever 21st, ambassador taylor and i collaborate that collaborated and we would bring President Trump to and september 25 meeting scheduled with president zele ns ky meeting scheduled with president zelensky in new york on the margins of the general assembly. The transcript of the july 25 goal was released on the same day. As of today, i still do not know the outcome of that meeting. As the impeachment enquiry has progressed, i followed press reports and impeachment enquiry has progressed, ifollowed press reports and review the statements of ambassadors taylor and joanna birch. Based on my experiences in ukraine, my recollection has consisted without testimony. I the relevant facts therefore being laid out with the releva nt therefore being laid out with the relevant people and i read press reports expressing for the first time that officials may have been acting without the president s knowledge or freelancing in your dealings with ukraine. At the same time, i also read reports noting the lack of first hand evidence in the investigation and suggesting that the only evidence being listed was hearsay. I came to realise that i had first hand knowledge regarding certain effects on july had first hand knowledge regarding certain effects onjuly 26 that had not otherwise been reported. And that those events potentially bore on the question of whether the president did have knowledge that those senior officials were using levies of diplomatic power to influence and ukrainian president for the opening of a criminal investigation against President Trumps political opponents. It was at that point i made the observation to ambassador taylor that the incident i witnessed injuly 26 had acquired greater significance which is what he reported on his testimony last weekend what led to the subpoena for me to appear here today. In conclusion, i would like today. In conclusion, i would like to ta ke today. In conclusion, i would like to take a moment to turn back to ukraine. Today, this very day, marks exactly six years since the throngs of pro western ukrainian spontaneously gathered on the Independence Square in kiev to launch what became known as the revolution of dignity. While the protests began an operation to a turn toward my opposition greater towards russia and the west, expanded over three months to reject the entire corrupt, repressive system that has been sustained by russian influence in the country. There events are followed by russian cosmic occupation of ukraines crimean peninsula, an invasion of ukraines eastern donbass region and an ensuing war that to date has cost almost 14,000 lives. Despite the russian aggression, over the past five years, ukrainians have rebuilt a shattered economy, adhere to a Peace Process and moved economically and socially closer to the west towards our way of life. Earlier this year, a large majorities of ukrainians again chose a fresh start by voting for it was gone you, as president , replacing 80 of their parliament and endorsing a platform consistent with our democratic values, a reform priorities and strategic interests. This years revolution at the ballot box underscores that despite its imperfections, ukraine is a genuine and vibrant democracy and an example to other post soviet countries and beyond from moscow to hong kong. How we respond to this historic opportunity will set the trajectory of our relationship with ukraine and will define our willingness to defend are better off International Principles and our leadership role in the world. Ukrainians want to hear a clear and unambiguous reaffirmation that are long standing, bipartisan policy strong support for ukraine remains unchanged and the tree for the back it at the highest levels. Now is not the time to retreat from our relationship with ukraine but rather to double down on it. As we sit here today, ukrainians are fighting a hot war on today, ukrainians are fighting a hot waron ukrainian today, ukrainians are fighting a hot war on ukrainian territory against russian aggression. This week alone since i have been here in washington, two ukrainian soldiers we re washington, two ukrainian soldiers were killed and two injured by russian led forces in Eastern Ukraine despite a declared ceasefire. I learned of a seven more we re ceasefire. I learned of a seven more were injured yesterday. Vice president penn said after his meeting with president zelensky in warsaw, us ukrainian relationships have never been stronger. Ukrainians under new government initially want to believe that. Ukrainians cherish their bipartisan american support that has sustained a euro atlantic aspirations and they recoil at the thought of playing a role in us domestic politics or elections. At a time of shifting allegiances and rising competitors in the world, we have no better friends than rising competitors in the world, we have no betterfriends than ukraine. A scrappy, unbowed, determined and above all dignified people who are standing up against russian authoritarianism and aggression. They deserve better. We are now at a reflection point in ukraine and it is critical to our National Security that we stand in strong support of our ukrainian partners. Ukrainians and freedom loving people everywhere are watching the example he set year of democracy in the rule of law. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. They need to adjust the microphone . Is it all in . I believe it is now. Is it all in . I believe it is now. Is that 0k . Perfect. Thank you again. Mrchairman, is that 0k . Perfect. Thank you again. Mr chairman, Ranking Member nunes and members of the committee, thank you for having me and i have a short Opening Statement. I appreciate the importance of this impeachment enquiry and i am appearing today is a fact witness is either during my deposition on 0ctober either during my deposition on october 14 in order to answer your questions about what i saw, what i did, whati questions about what i saw, what i did, what i knew and what i know with regard to the subjects of your enquiry. I believe that those who have information that the congress deems relevant have a legal and moral obligation to provide it. I ta ke moral obligation to provide it. I take great pride in the fact that i ama take great pride in the fact that i am a nonpartisan Foreign Policy expert who has served on the three republican and democratic president s. I have no interest in advancing the outcome of your enquiry on any particular direction except towards the truth. I will not provide a long narrative statement because i believe in the interest of congress and the American People is best served by allowing you to ask your questions. Im happy to expand upon my exhibit before things deposition testimony in response to your questions today. But before i do so, id like to communicate to things. Firstly, id like to show a little bit about who i am. Im an american by choice, having become a citizen 2002. I was born in the north east of england in the same region that George Washingtons a ncestors region that George Washingtons ancestors came from. Both my region and myfamily ancestors came from. Both my region and my family have deep ties to the United States. My paternal grandfather fought through world war iand grandfather fought through world war i and the royal field artillery, surviving being shot, shelled and gassed before american troops intervened to end the war in 1918. During the Second World War, other members of my party fought to defend fascism along with american soldiers, airmen and the men in my father was my family were coalminers who always struggled with poverty. When my father was 14, hejoined his father, brothers, brother, uncles and cousins in the coal mines to help which food on the table make food on the table. My father wanted to emigrate to the United States to work in the coal mines in West Virginia and pennsylvania. His mother, my grandmother, have been crippled from hard labour and my father couldnt leave, so he stayed in Northern England until he died in 2012. My mother still lives in my hometown today. While history of emigrating was thwarted, my father was american because it serves as a beacon of hope for the role that yours want someone beacon of hope for the role that yours want someone in the family to make it to the United States. I began my University Studies in 1984 andi began my University Studies in 1984 and ijust began my University Studies in 1984 and i just learned i began my University Studies in 1984 and ijust learned i went to the same university as my colleague here, mr holmes, in st andrews in scotland, just thought i would add that. In 1987, iwon scotland, just thought i would add that. In 1987, i won a scotland, just thought i would add that. In 1987, iwon a place scotland, just thought i would add that. In 1987, i won a place in Academic Exchange and a place to the european union. When president ronald regan met president gorbachev in moscow. This was a turning point for me. An american professor. At the very next year, i arrived in america factors advised to start my advanced studies at harvard. Years later, i can say with confidence that this country has offered me opportunities i never would have had in england. I grew up poor with a very distinctive working class accent. In england, in the 1980s and 19905, accent. In england, in the 1980s and 1990s, this would have impeded my professional advancement. This background has never set me back in america. The best part of three decades, ive built a career as a nonpartisan, nonpolitical National Security professional focusing on europe and eurasia, and especially the former soviet union. I served our country under three president s and my most recent capacity under President Trump, as well as my former position under National Intelligence officer for russia and eurasia under president s George W Bush and barack 0bama. In that role, i was the Intelligence Community was mixing expert on russia and the former soviet republics including ukraine. Because my background and experience, i was asked to join the National Security council in 2017. Russia was part of our portfolio but i was also responsible for coordinating us policy for all of western europe, all of eastern europe, including ukraine and turkey, along with nato and the european union. I was hired initially by general michael flynn, Katie Mcfarland and general keith keld. Then i started working in april 2017 when general mcmaster was the National Security adviser. I and they thought i could help them with President Trump was my stated goal of improving relations with russia while still influencing policies designed to deter conduct that threatens the United States, including the unsuccessful operation to interfere in the 2016 president ial election. This relates to the second thing i want to communicate, based on questions and state m e nts communicate, based on questions and statements i have heard, some of you on this committee appear to believe that russia and its Security Services did not conduct a campaign against our country and that perhaps somehow, for some reason, ukraine did. This is a fictional narrative that has been perpetrated and propagated by the russian Security Services themselves. The unfortunate truth is that russia was the foreign power that systematically attract attacked our institution in 2017 and this is the public inclusion of our intelligence agencies confirmed in bipartisan congressional report. It is beyond dispute even if some of the underlying Details Remain cat classified. The impact of this campaign remains evident today. Our nation is being torn apart, truth is questioned and a highly professional Career Service is being undermined. The us support for ukraine which continues to face it russian aggression has been politicised. The russian government was my goal is to wea ken russian government was my goal is to weaken our country, diminish americas global role and neutralise a perceived us threat to russian interest. President putin and the russian Security Services aim to counter us Foreign Policy objectives in europe including ukraine where moscow wishes to reassert political dominance. I say this not as an alarmist but as a realist. I do not think long term conflict is desirable or inevitable. I continue to believe that we need to seek ways of stabilising our relationship with moscow. Right now, russias Security Service and their proxies have geared up to repeat their interference as youre running out of time to stop them. In the course of time to stop them. In the course of this investigation, i ask that you do not promote this because republicans and democrats have agreed for decades that ukraine is a valued part of the United States and it plays an Important Role in our National Security. A refuse to be pa rt National Security. A refuse to be part ofan National Security. A refuse to be part of an effort to legitimise a narrative that we are an adversary to the ukraine government and they attacked us in 2016. These fictions are harmful. And they operate like a super pac. Putting on millions of dollars to research false narratives. When we are consumed by partisan rancour, we cannot combat these external forces as they seek to divide us against each other. The great our institutions. I respect the work as congress does including our enquiry the work as congress does including ourenquiry and the work as congress does including ourenquiryandi the work as congress does including our enquiry and i am helping you to the best of my ability. The president or anyone else in people National Security of the United States in order to further domestic political personal interest, that is more than worthy of your attention but we must not let domestic politics help us from defending ourselves against the foreign powers who truly wish us harm. Im ready to a nswer who truly wish us harm. Im ready to answer your questions. Thank you. Thank you. We will now proceed to the first round of questions as detailed in the memo. As conducted by emotional maturity council four by emotional maturity council four by 45 minutes for the Ranking Member ofa by 45 minutes for the Ranking Member of a naughty counsel. Following that, additional questioning will continue under the five minute rule and every member will have a chance to answer questions my ask questions. I reckon eyes myself and the Majority Council for the first round of questions. First of all, thank you both for being here and for testifying. Doctor hill, your story reminds me a great deal of what we heard from alexander vernon. The few immigrant stories we have heard just in the course of these hearings are among the most powerful i think ive ever heard. You and colonel vernon and others are the best of this country and you came here by choice, and we are so blessed that you did. So welcome. My colleagues took some umbrage with your Opening Statement but i think the American People can be forgiven if they have the same impression of listening to some of the statements of my colleagues during the searing that russia didnt intervene in our election, it was all the ukrainians. There was an effort to take a tweak here, and take a tweet here and an article there but. Indeed, the report my colleagues gave you that they produced during investigation calls into question the accuracy of the Intelligence Committees finding that russia intervened to help one side, help donald trump at the expense of Hillary Clinton. No one questions that finding. The fbi, the senate or the menorah to Committee Report of this committee. The House Republican report is an outlier. Let me ask you about your concern with that russian narrative that it was not the russians that engaged in interviewing any election in 2016 and of course this was given a boost in President Trump and president putin said they question their own intelligence agencies but why are the russians pushing that narrative that it was ukraine. Youll likely russian interest was to delegitimise ourentire russian interest was to delegitimise our entire presidency so the one issue i want to raise is that this would resonate with our colleagues in the committee for the Republican Party is that the goal of the russians is really to put whoever put the president by trying to tip their hands of one scale under a cloud so if former first lady clinton had been elected in the run up to the election, she would have had major questions about her legitimacy. And i think what we are seeing here is that this is exactly what the russian government was hoping for. If they see information or doubt, everyone will question the legitimacy of a president ial candidate. They would put one side of our electorate against the other and put one party against the other. This is why i wanted to make such a strong point at the beginning because there were certainly individuals in many other countries who had harsh words for both candidates and for many other candidates. We are people running for president on the republican side. Many were trying themselves game the outcome. In the united kingdom, the bookmakers take bets. You can go to ladbrokes and william hilland you can go to ladbrokes and william hill and bet on who you think will be the candidate so the russian government are trying to lay their own bets but what they wanted to do is give a spread, make sure that whoever they had bet on or try to tip the scales would also experience some discomfort, they would be hold on to them in some way, they would create just the kind of chaos that we have seen in our politics. Ijust wa nt we have seen in our politics. Ijust want to again emphasise that we are careful to not give the more fodder to use against us in 2020. |j careful to not give the more fodder to use against us in 2020. I agree that there is an additional benefit that there is an additional benefit that there is an additional benefit that the russians are equal opportunity meddlers and they will not only help one side with seek to sow discord in United States along ethical lines, religious lines, geographic lines. He is therefore russia to put the blame on ukraine, cast doubt on whether they intervened on our election and blame it on intervened on our election and blame itona intervened on our election and blame it ona us intervened on our election and blame it on a us ally as a way of driving a wedge between the us and ukraine. Isnt that true . That is absolutely the case and you make the point about us allies. The russians like to put a lot of blame on us allies for incidents. Seeking an attack on salisbury and england valley russians accuse the British Government are this themselves. This falls into a long pattern of deflection and of the russian government trying to pin the blame on someone government trying to pin the blame on someone else and as my colleague as laid out, the russians have a particular vested interest in protecting ukraine, ukrainians and putting them in a very bad light. Portraying ukraine, ukrainians in a very bad light. It began with russias legal annexation of the peninsula of crimea from ukraine in 2014 and in 2015. All the activities they have engaged in, starting wars, shooting down operatives. There is a great deal of hostility and malign intent towards ukraine and it suits the russian government very much if we are also looking at ukraine is somehow a perpetrator of malign act against us. I want to ask a quick couple of questions. I think its often the case for people. I was at your depositions well your and your opening testimony but as you learn more facts, you start to see things ina more facts, you start to see things in a different light, even though your Opening Statement is consistent with your Opening Statement of the deposition. I was struck in particular by something you said on page ten. I advised ukrainian cou nterpa rts page ten. I advised ukrainian counterparts following the rule of law of general corruption allegations. This was a demand that there be commitment on a news channel to a specific investigation ofa channel to a specific investigation of a political rival. This gets a point i made at the close of a hearing yesterday about hypocrisy. Here we are and youre urging ukrainians to commit to following the rule of law and only investigate genuine and credible allegations and what are you doing . We are asking them to investigate the president wasnt political rival. Ukrainians are sophisticated actors. They can recognise hypocrisy when they see it. What does that do far Anti Corruption it. What does that do far anti corru ption efforts when ukrainians see we are engaging corruption ourselves . Our long standing policy is to establish them to build a rule of Law Institution that is capable when independent and that can pursue credible obligations. That is our policy and we are doing it was quite some time with some success. Focusing on particular cases where there is interest to the president , joss not part of what we have done, its hard to explain why we have done that. That harkens back to the conversation were we testified about urging ukraine not to investigate and the reply was you mean you want us and the reply was you mean you want us to do like with the bidens and the clintons. They are sophisticated in actor to recognise when we are saying do as we do, not as we do, are they not . Yes, sir. In your testimony, i was struck by this today, when even after the aid is lifted, ukraine still felt pressure to make the statements and you end are better worried they were going to do it on cnn and you said that ambassador taylor stressed the importance of staying out of us politics and said he hopes no interview was planned but that was not answered but shrugged in resignation as if to say they had no choice. In short, everyone thought there was going to get interview and ukrainians believed they had to do it. You are acknowledging i think that ukraine very much felt pressured to undertake these investigations at the president Rudy Giuliani and ambassador of sunderland and others were demanding. Yes, sir. And a lot of the hold may have been lifted, there are still things they wanted that they were not getting including a meeting with the president in the 0val meeting with the president in the oval office. Whether the security syste m oval office. Whether the Security System continued or not, ukrainians understood that something the president wanted and i think they still wanted important things from the president. That continues to this day and they are being very careful because they still need is now Going Forward and right now president zielinski is trying to arrange a summit meeting with president putin for his first face to face meeting with him to advance the Peace Process. He needs our support. He needs president putin to understand that america supports and yet the highest levels so supports and yet the highest levels so this does not end with the lifting of the Security Assistance hall. Ukraine still needs us and they are still fighting a war to this very day. And they got caught. That is why it was finally lifted. Thank you and good morning. Yesterday we heard testimony from the european union. Testified President Trump wanted ukraine to announce the investigations into the bidens and the 2016 elections because they would benefit him politically and to use the average of the white house meaning the assistance to pressure first like to do so. You testify that in mid june, ambassador sunderland told you he was in charge of ukraine policy. Is that right . Yes. Or did he tell your butcher in charge of the policy . He said it was the president. Who did he tell you put you in charge . Was there authority over this from the president . We understood he had been told to work with Rudy Giuliani. Is this correct contact and knowledge of the president s knowledge and interests . and knowledge of the president s knowledge and interests . I want to go back to a date for you heard the conversation between ambassador sunderland and President Trump and ask you a bit about the lead up between that conversation. Between that conversation. Between them and ambassador sondland. You said you accompanied them for that correct . And if you ta ke them for that correct . And if you take notes . Yes. Try did you review those notes before you testify today . And where they helpful to refresh your recollection as to what happened . Yes. During that meeting, president zelensky said that on his phone call with President Trump the previous day, that three times President Trump had mentioned sensitive issues. Did you understand what president zelensky was referring to when he said the sensitive issues . I couldnt be sure what he was referring to until i later read the transcript of the july 25 call but i was aware of various contacts between the three amigos and his government about the set of issues. The biden investigation. After this meeting, you testified that ambassador sondland had a one on one meeting with a top aide to president zelensky and you are prohibited from going into that meeting to tape notes. Is that right . Yes. Ambassador sondland testified he probably discussed the investigations at that point. Did ambassador sondland tell you at all what they discussed . He did not. After this meeting, he went to lunch. Can you describe where you we re lunch. Can you describe where you were sitting at the restaurant . The restau ra nt were sitting at the restaurant . The restaurant has glass doors that open onto a terrace. We were at the first ta bles onto a terrace. We were at the first tables on the terrace, so immediately outside of the interior of the restaurant. The doors were all wide open. There were tables, table 44, or two tables for two, it was a way table. And the table was set with a table runner down the middle. I was directly across from ambassador sondland and we were close enough that we could share an appetiser between us and the two staffers were off to our right. At the next table. You said that at some point ambassador sondland pulled out his cell phone and called President Trump this was an unsecured cell phone, is that right . In the middle of a restaurant in kiev . Yes. You said you were able to hear President Trumps voice through the receiver. How were you able to hear if it was not on speakerphone . Several things, it was quite loud when the president came on, quite distinctive. I believe ambassador sondland says he often speaks very loudly over the phone and i have experienced that. When the president came on he winced and held the phone away from his year like this. And he did that for the first couple of exchanges. I do not know if he turned the volume down, if he got used to it, the president moderated his volume. That is how i was able to hear. You are able to hear some of what President Trump said to president zelensky . The first part of the conversation. What did you hear President Trump. What did you hear President Trump. What did you hear him say to ambassador sondland . What did i hear . What did you hear . He clarified if he was in ukraine and ambassador sondland said he loves your as and he would whatever you want and will do anything. You asked him ask best sunlit is he going to do the investigation . What was the response from ambassador sondland . He said, yes, he is going to do it, he will do anything you ask. Was that the end of the ukraine portion of the conversation . Yes. Afterwards he described a follow on conversation that you had with ambassador sondland where you asked him,| ambassador sondland where you asked him, ithink, generally ambassador sondland where you asked him, i think, generally what it President Trump think of ukraine, is that right . Correct. What did ambassador sondland say to you . He says he doesnt really care about ukraine. Did he use more colourful language than that . He did. What did he say he does care about . Big stuff. Did he explain what he meant by big stuff . I asked him what he meant by big stuff, we have a war here with russia, he said, no, like the biden investigation that Rudy Giuliani is pushing. Where you familiar with the biden investigation that he referenced at that point . Yes, sir. How do you have such a specific and clear recollection of this conversation with a president and your conversation with ambassador sondland. This was a very distinctive experience. I have never seen distinctive experience. I have never seen anything like this on my Foreign Service career, someone at a lunch ina Foreign Service career, someone at a lunch in a restaurant making a call on his cell phone to the president of the United States. Being able to hear his voice, distinctive personality, weve all seen him on television, very colourful was used. They work directly addressing something i had been wondering about and working on for weeks and even months, a topic that had led to the recall of my former boss, the former ambassador, so here was a person who had said he had direct contact with the president and said that over the course of time, here he is having that contact with the president , hearing the president s voice and talking about this issue of the biden investigation that i had been hearing about. Isjust to summarise, during the phone call that you overheard ambassador sondland have with President Trump, you heard President Trump himself ask, the only question that you really hurt him ask, i believe, is whether he was going to do the investigation, to which ambassador sondland responded that he would and he would in fact to anything that president zelensky once, is that an accurate example of what happened . That is correct. We then had a subsequent conversation with ambassador sondland where he and sub substance told you that the president does not ca re told you that the president does not care about ukraine, he only cares about big stuff related to himself, and particularly the biden investigation that Rudy Giuliani was pushing . Correct. The day before your lunch with ambassador sondland, President Trump did speak with President Trump did speak with president zelensky, as you refer to, and certainly the president made it clear to president zelensky that he cared about the biden investigation. Neither of you did listen to this call but, as you testified, you both read it subsequent to its publication. Doctor hill, during your time too and half years in the white house listened to a number of president ial phone calls, is that right . That is right. Can you estimate how many . I cannot. Sometimes there would be multiple calls during the week. I was there for more than two years, so a fair number. Have you ever heard a car like this one that you read . |j number. Have you ever heard a car like this one that you read . I do not want to comment on this phone call because this is, in my view, executive privilege. In terms of the testimony, as a threshold matter, we think there are issues of classification regarding head of state communications, so we do want to be sensitive to in this forum, among other issues. Understood. Iam focused on this one car that has been declassified and published and wondered whether you had ever heard a president ial phone call along those lines. We are going to pull away from that hearing. Bbc parliament forfull away from that hearing. Bbc parliament for full coverage of that hearing and evidence from fiona hill continues. She had a stark warning for lawmakers seeing russian Security Services and their proxies have geared up to interfere with the 2020 election and we are running up to stop them. Running out of time to stop them. Running out of time to stop them. We may return to this hearing later. A jury to stop them. We may return to this hearing later. Ajury has returned ina hearing later. Ajury has returned in a case of two metal detector who we re in a case of two metal detector who were accused of not. There has been a verdict. Yes, a verdict in the last few minutes. These two metal detectorists from South East Wales are accused of uncovering a viking hall in 2015 which we should have reported to the authorities. If they had done, they would have been entitled to half of the value, the other half going to the land owner. Instead, they conceal their find, they tried to sell it privately and try to profit. It is estimated the heart itself, all of which has not been recovered, which have been worth about £3 million. What was contained in it is really important historically, as my colleague robert hall now explains as he talks us through the case. In an isolated field, the search for a crime scene with links to the earliest kings of england. We were invited to film the secret operation after social media posts alerted archaeologists and police to the activities of two metal detectors and the presence of treasure read by a over 1200 years ago. The detectorists maintained they had been searching the land with permission when they stumbled across the heart. They deleted the photos they took at the time, but police recovered them. They knew what they found was almost certainly treasure trove and under the law, they had just 14 days to declare it. But as the court heard, their priority was to establish just how much the items were worth. Those enquiries suggested the treasury could be valued at millions of pounds. The British Museum showed us items they did eventually declare, gold jewellery from the time of alfred, and perfectly preserved coins, showing an alliance of the kingdom of wessex and murcia. This is one of the most important finds to turn up. In terms of the information we can derive from this about alfreds relations with the vikings, about his relations with the rest of england. Had the accused declared all the fines, the photos seem declared all the fines, the photos seem to show hundreds of buried coins. Police believe some of them ended up in the hands of co accused. 0ne found here at his shop tick two batches of coins to a london dealer. The detectorists i asked him to advise on valuation, and police found several more home hidden inside a case in his home. The two men set all but two coins came from another site but the series was not convinced. If you think you can make a profit from this, it isnt. It is something we will pursue. The public hear about it, we care about it and we will do everything we can to recover property that belongs to our country, our culture. Four years after this investigation began, two mysteries remain unsolved. Where are the hundreds of missing coins . And how did object so important to Englands National story end up in such an isolated spot . So those coins you saw, coins with king alfred of wessex and the king of murcia on, i worth £50,000 individually. There are more than 250 missing. Nobody knows what has happened to them. 250 missing. Nobody knows what has happened to themlj 250 missing. Nobody knows what has happened to them. I am sorry about that. We have lost the sound there. We got the gist of the two found guilty after that find was found in herefordshire. We will return later on. Lets get more on our main story. Labour has launched its election manifesto promising a radical agenda with a hugely expanded role this for the state which it says will transform lives. The manifesto includes plans to build a hundred thousand Council Homes a year by the end of the new parliament. Labour also says thered be a windfall tax on oil companies. And the party promises to create a million greenjobs, although its watered down a Party Conference pledge to make the uk produce net zero Carbon Emissions by 2030. 0ur Political Correspondent iain watson reports 0r, Jeremy Corbyn. They say it is better to arrive. Labour are lagging in naples butJeremy Corbyn believed it was radical manifesto that listed his ratings in the last election and he believes a new set of policies could kick start this campaign, too. He set out clear defining lines with his opponents and told voters he would stand up to the establishment. They are going to tell you that everything in this manifesto is impossible. That it is too much for you. Because they do not want real change in this country. Why would they . The system is working just fine for them. It is rigged in their favour. He set out plans to increase the state, bringing rail, mailand in england the water industry back into public ownership. If labour wins, they will also be a big increase in power is notjust for national, the local government, more say over the running of schools and an ambitious House Building programme. We will launch the biggest council House Building programme since the 1960s and cap rents. And he unveiled policies to appeal across the generations, stopping the rise in the state pension age beyond 66. He said he would abolish tuition fees in england. His party did not get the ambition for 2030, but they were a radical green policies. We can no longer deny the climate emergency. We can see it all around us. So, as it says in our manifesto, labour will create 1 million new it says in our manifesto, labour will create1 million new greenjobs as part of our green industrial revolution. But how is all this going to be paid for . Taxes on Big Companies and the oil business will face a new levy. The big oil and gas corporations that profit from heating up our planet will shoulder the burden and pay their fair share through the Just Transition tax. Borisjohnson has tweaked the leaders tale of whether he would back leave or remain in the referendum that labour is promising. Jeremy corbyn stuck to the line he will let the people decide. And the labour crowd reacted positively, but he warned any borisjohnson trade deal would harm the health service, that the Prime Minister denied this, Jeremy Corbyn made a Firm Commitment to the nhs. Labour will never, ever use our National Health service as a bargaining chip in trade talks. We will never let donald trump get his hands on our nhs. Applause not for sale, not for sale. Thank you, as not for sale, not for sale. Thank you , as ever not for sale, not for sale. Thank you, as ever the audience has got ahead of me, i was going to say, lets be clear about it. Our nhs is not for sale. Applause labour insiders say they have caused a few spikes in the campaign, but it has not ignited. Jeremy corbyn was burning with passion is at time, but he will need to do more to fire up the voters. Jeremy corbyn launches labours election manifesto, calling it the most ambitious plan in decades to transform britain. Prince andrew is seen for the First Time Since he announced he would step back from royal duties over his links to the sex offenderJeffrey Epstein alex salmond appears in court accused of Sexual Offences, most of them allegedly committed while he was first minister of scotland. Heres your business headlines on afternoon live. Government borrowing in october rose to its highest level since 2014 thats accordomg to the office for National Statistics. Borrowing has increased dramatically since last year and it is likely to rise again after the election, with all major parties making costly spending pledges. In a Trading Update today, british gas owner centrica revealed it has lost another 107,000 household accounts, as it also upped its annual cost savings by £50m. But the uks biggest gas and electricity supplier said it had eased the rate of customer losses, which were lower than the first half of the year, when it shed 178,000 accounts. Dozens of British Airways flights into the uk have been delayed or cancelled after what the airline described as a technical issue. The airline has suffered three major computer failures since 2017, the latest seriously disrupting operations in august. Flights from the us, india and japan were all showing up as delayedflights from the us, india and japan were showing up as delayedsome British Airways flights were delayed by a technical a lot of talk about government borrowing for the future. Borrowing was the highest for five years . Since 2014. The National Statistics say government following last month hit £11. 2 billion, that is two point £3 billion more than this time last year and £3 billion more than this time last yearand a £3 billion more than this time last year and a 25 increase. Much higher than economists were expecting. As youd said, there is no sign this is abating. With all of the pledges we have been hearing, labour there ma nifesto have been hearing, labour there manifesto this morning, also in those numbers debt climbed by £34. 1 billion, 80. 4 of gross domestic product. Earlier on this, i spoke to the head of investment analysis. For the head of investment analysis. For the month of october, as you say, this has risen to 11. 2 billion, the highest in five years. Normally there is a bit of a peak towards the end of the calendar year when it comes to government expenditure, which drops in january, comes to government expenditure, which drops injanuary, february, march, even taking into consideration that drop, we are still on track to be about 10 more for the annual borrowing in this Financial Year than in the last. That is without taking anything into consideration which you hinted at which as upcoming, such as brexit, if we have it and the policies of the incoming government. Just referencing the rate of borrowing is set to increase there. When i talked about total debt, including those ons about total debt, including those 0ns numbers are climbing to 31 Million Pounds to 1. 798. 5 billion, thatis Million Pounds to 1. 798. 5 billion, that is 18. 4 of gross domestic product. Thats of big numbers on them. Lots of big numbers. Two in five adults would fake a sick day if they needed a day off, is this you . I have neverfaked is this you . I have never faked a sick day. It is a big number, isnt it . Again, this is new data we have had out today. We found it in this survey that was awarded by the bbc, is exclusive to us. When questioned about their morals were taking sick days, some of the people that a nswered days, some of the people that answered said they did admit to lying about sickness but there is some hope because the younger staff we re some hope because the younger staff were shown to be more willing to stand up for their colleagues and also to not be untruthful about taking sick days. The trajectory would suggest we are dotted up i am looking at that, i am guessing it is cough medicine, the idea of the story is you will not need it because you are fibbing. Anyway. The most common reason citing, the common cold, back pain, Mental Health conditions, and other problems. They are not all are fibbing, there are people who generally need them. Yes, yes. Joining us now is claudine adeyemi, founder ceo, career ear the Student Development company. What did you think of the research . Yes, it was really interesting. I thought about was actually what is the reason behind taking a sick day . Obviously, there are reasons which are important in terms of common calls and things like that, but if we take a big deeper, a lot of people are starting to take sick days where they are feeling overwhelmed or feeling a bit stressed in the workplace. We are still playing catch up with recognising and valuing the Mental Health issues can be a problem and should be seen as sickness and illnesses in the same way as physical ailments. This survey was pa rt physical ailments. This survey was part of a larger finding looking into what people in the uk find it right and wrong. It includes lying to your bosses are standing up for collea g u es to your bosses are standing up for colleagues are taking credit for someone colleagues are taking credit for someone elses work. What came out of those answers . I think from what i could see we were seeing that women, for example, were much less likely to say that, you know, work is being accredited to them when it wasnt the case, in contrast to men. Younger people were more likely to stick up for women in the workplace. I think that is very reflective of the times we are in and the types of campaigning and issues that are affecting certain groups is in the workplace being focused on at the moment. When you look at the difference between how younger employees responded to the slightly older in the survey, do you think there is hope the culture within business in the uk is on an up . Do you feel like in areas such as telling the truth about whether you are actually sick, we are seeing a backward trend . Are actually sick, we are seeing a backward trend . I think it is changing. Ithink backward trend . I think it is changing. I think we are definitely seeing more and more employers recognise that they need to be a bit more flexible, the need to build trust in the workplace and with that comes that ability to be more open about why you need to be out of work, for whatever the reason might be. And you are seeing changes in flexible working. Rather than having to pull a sickie because you have a delivery, you can have that conversation and work from home so that you dont have to lie to your boss. This survey comes in the context of figures we had out last month saying productivity in the uk from april to june suffered month saying productivity in the uk from april tojune suffered its worst drop in five years. So clearly, uk businesses do have some way to go, dont they come in terms of upping the productivity levels they managed to get out of their employees . Absolutely. We all know, and have done for a very long time, unless you look after employees, your productivity is going to suffer. Companies do need to do a lot more to make sure they are nurturing their talent, being flexible, Building Trust in those spaces, making spaces inclusive environments and positive places to work so they can be successful businesses. Really good to talk to you. Many, many thanks. Thank you. That is eight, i am back in the next hour. Stay well. Thank you. Theyre one of the uks Biggest Bands selling out huge venues around the world for the past two decades. But now coldplay have decided not to go on tour to promote their new album everyday life because theyre worried about Climate Change. Their lead singer chris martin has been talking exclusively to our entertainment correspondent, Colin Paterson chris martin, here we are. Injordan. Why are we here . The middle of the world and in the middle of the biggest area where we normally do not get to play. And bands like us do not come here very often. Also, it is just so beautiful. It makes me fizzle with excitement. How difficult is it for bands who believe in Environmental Issues to go on a world tour at the moment . A great question. We are not touring this album. We are taking time over the next year or two to work out how can it not only our be sustainable but actively beneficial . How can we harness the resources that our tour creates and make it have a positive impact. The hardest thing is the flying side of things. For example, ourdream is to have a show with no single use plastic, for it to be largely solar powered. Now you have cropped up a few times on the main glastonbury stage and Paul Mccartney will headline next year. Any chance of coldplay joining the bill . No. I did pop up on stage last year and i loved doing so. Stormzy, kylie. And then i saw a tweet after it that said you can always rely on him to come on in a tracksuit and ruin everything. So i was. You know what, i should work a, on my trousers and b, i should not be out of line and perhaps, c, perhaps watch glastonbury for a year or so. Did that hurt . Yes. Iam human. Does it ever hurt you that critics have never taken to coldplay in the same way that fans have . No. There was chris martin talking to our entertainment correspondent about cutting Climate Change. We will have more on that later on. More on the weather. We have had quite a lot of dry weather over the last couple of days. The river levels are high. The ground is very saturated. Marine in the forecast, two. This was the in salisbury. More rain in the forecast. Overnight, that rain pushes its way northwards. Heavy outbreaks of showery rain along the south coast of england. The odd thunderstorm. Most of us frost free tonight. A touch of frost under parts of scotland. Friday, showery rain normally for parts of england. That pushes northwards. Heavy persistent rain into the south of england, once again where the ground is saturated, and south wales, too. Further east, you are likely to stay dry. The weekend is looking fairly unsettled. Temperatures around ten or 11 and further showers. Hello, youre watching afternoon live, im simon mccoy. Today at 4pm. Jeremy corbyn launches labours election manifesto, calling it the most ambitious plan in decades to transform britain. Vote for this manifesto of hope. Its time for real change. Thank you. Alex salmond appears in court accused of Sexual Offences while he was first minister of scotland. Prince andrew in windsor this morning amid growing calls for him to talk to american investigators. The final day of public impeachment hearings against donald trump politicians are questioning two more witnesses. Two metal detectorists are found guilty of failing to report a viking hoard to Police Coming up on afternoon live all the sport with katie shanahan. Jose mourinho has had his first press co nfe re nce Jose Mourinho has had his First Press Conference as tottenham boss saying he wont make the same m ista kes saying he wont make the same mistakes at spurs as in previous managerial roles. His first match in charge is on saturday against west ham. Thanks, katie, and well bejoining you for a full update just after half past. Sarah keith lucas has all the weather. A fairly cloudy and chilly day and we have got some rain in the forecast as we get to the weekend, particularly in the south west. I will have more details in about 30 minutes. Also coming up, in nationwide well be speaking to peter levy in hull about a concert goer who was struck by a flare. Hello, everyone this is afternoon live. Im simon mccoy. Labour has launched its election manifesto promising a radical agenda with a hugely expanded role for the state which it says will transform lives. The manifesto includes plans to build a hundred thousand Council Homes a year by the end of the new parliament. Labour also says thered be a windfall tax on oil companies. And the party promises to create a million greenjobs to help tackle Climate Change. 0ur Political Correspondent iain watson reports. Oh, Jeremy Corbyn they say it is better to travel hopefully than to arrive. Labour are lagging in the polls but jamie corbyn believed it was a radical manifesto that boosted his ratings at the last election and he thinks a new set of policies could kick start this campaign too. He began by setting out clear dividing lines with his opponents and told voters he would stand up to the establishment. They are going to tell you that everything in this manifesto is impossible, that its too much for you, because they do not want real change in this country. Why would they . The system is working just fine for them. Its rigged in theirfavour. He set out plans to increase the size and scope for the state, bringing rail, mailand, in england, the water industry back into public ownership. If labour wins, there will be a big increase in powers not just for national but for local government more say over the running of schools and an ambitious House Building programme. Because we will launch the biggest council House Building programme since the 1960s and cap rents. And he unveiled policies to appeal across the generations, scrapping any rise in the state pension age beyond 66 and repeating he would abolish tuition fees in england. His partys grassroots wanted a guarantee that a Labour Government would deliver net zero Carbon Emissions by 2030. They did not get that, but there were some radical green policies. We can no longer deny the climate emergency. We can see it all around us. So, as it says in our manifesto, labour will create 1 million new green jobs as part of our green industrial revolution. But how is all this going to be paid for . Well, taxes on Big Companies and the better off would go up, and the oil business would face a new levy. A Labour Government would ensure the big oil and gas corporations that profit from heating up our planet will shoulder the burden and pay their fair share through a Just Transition tax. Borisjohnson has tweaked the labour leaders tail over whether hed back leave or remain in the referendum that labour is promising. Today, Jeremy Corbyn stuck to the line, hell let the people decide. The labour crowd reacted most positively when he warned any borisjohnson post brexit trade deal could harm the health service. The Prime Minister has denied this, butJeremy Corbyn made a Firm Commitment to the nhs. Labour will never, ever use our National Health service as a bargaining chip in trade talks. We will never let donald trump get his hands on our nhs. Applause. Chanting. Thank you. As ever, the audience has got ahead of me. I was about to say, lets be clear about it, our nhs is not for sale labour insiders say they have created a few sparks in this campaign but it hasnt really ignited. Jeremy corbyn was at times burning with passion but he may need to do more to fire up the voters. Iain watson, bbc news, birmingham. 0ur assita nt politcal editor, norman smith says labour hopes their manifesto launch will give the party a new momentum in the election race. We are on a building site in bedfordshire where the Prime Minister hasjust been bedfordshire where the Prime Minister has just been explaining a bit more about what he will try and do to try and counter that labour offer on housing. His big proposal is1 million offer on housing. His big proposal is 1 million houses offer on housing. His big proposal is1 million houses over the next five years. He says that there is an ambition for now but hopefully they will manage to do even more than that over the course. It is one of theseissues that over the course. It is one of these issues that labour have tried to get on the front foot on and we have seen time and time again that the conservatives dont want to be left behind. They are making big pledges too. Another one we are getting today is on social care. If you cast your mind back to when borisjohnson took over at number ten and he promised to come up with a plan which would fix the social ca re a plan which would fix the social care crisis once and for all. Today we are getting drips, some details of that. Im not sure quite frankly that many people will see it is that com plete a nswer that many people will see it is that complete answer thats borisjohnson pledged. He says he will give an extra £1 billion a year to the social care system over the next five years if he is back in downing street. He also suggest there needs to bea street. He also suggest there needs to be a cross party approach, not just the tories but all of the parties getting round the table together and trying to work out what together and trying to work out what to do in the future on social care. Not sure there will be much more than that in the tory manifesto. As i say, for those who saw mrjohnson when he took office saying that he had a plan and he was going to fix it, im not sure that quite lives up to that. No way that was not norman smith talking about labour. That was nick talking about the conservatives. These things happen. We will hear from norman a little later on. And our reality check correspondent chris morris is here to look at labours manifesto in more detail. I hope you are thank you, simon. I am also not norman smith by ds. 0ne of labours main offers is on housing. They say they will build 100,000 houses a year in england by the end of the parliament. To put that in perspective more the last time that more than 100,000 Council Houses was built was in 1977. This would mean the most rapid increase in House Building by the state since the years of reconstruction following the Second World War. There are obvious cost implications, £15 billion a year to be spent on housing. But also practical implications. Who will build these new houses . Labour is also promising to upgrade millions of existing homes as part of its green new deal. There are already labour shortages in the construction sector. Around 60 of the federation of Master Builders are struggling to hire, same for bricklaye rs builders are struggling to hire, same for bricklayers and carpenters. We need to make sure that the Construction Industry isnt facing a cliff edge when we leave the eu in terms of the labour coming in from the eu. Labour says it is down to them to do the newjobs but there wont be enough workers. That begs the question about labours immigration policy, it would need to attract huge numbers from abroad to maintain its promises. They say they would seek to protect the social and economic benefits that freedom of movement has created both for uk and eu citizens. 0n education, one big pledge is to offer tuition fees to stu d e nts pledge is to offer tuition fees to students meaning a net £2 billion a year will have to be found to fund it. But they say that existing Student Loans wont be written off. Private school fees would be subject to vat under a Labour Government. Another announcement making considerable comment is when full tax on oil and companies which labour hope will generate billions of pounds. This has raised concern with some Union Supporters who fear it would have an adverse impact for future investment in the north sea oil industry. Overall this is a radical manifesto but labours critics ask whether the party can pay for it while promising not to raise taxes on the income of 95 of the population. The institute for fiscal studies suggests that it is unlikely that labour can raise the sums suggested from the tax policies they have set out. Norman, simon. It is going well, isnt it. Thank you very much, chris. The Prime Minister has been giving his reaction. Here is borisjohnson. None of this gives any economic credibility whatsoever. The whole of the heart of labours manifesto. This is the moment, lights, camera, action. Corbyn comes after the drum roll and he completely misses his cue. We want to know what his plan is to deliver brexit and he wants to do and what side would he vote on that deal. We still dont know. Still we have answers to those questions and until we get brexit done none of this carries any economic credibility whatsoever. By contrast, we have a deal, ready to 90, contrast, we have a deal, ready to go, put it in the oven, we are thrilled by january. Get go, put it in the oven, we are thrilled byjanuary. Get on go, put it in the oven, we are thrilled by january. Get on with what we want to do with the country. We plan to build a million new homes and we already get a million since 2010. We have found we have fantastic ambitions for this country, cutting national insurance, asi country, cutting national insurance, as i said yesterday, doing a lot to invest in our nhs. Driving the economy and we believe in thriving business led market economy that delivers the tax revenues that we need to pay for the biggest ever boost for the nhs in living memory which is what were also doing. We have a deal. We have a plan. I dont hear it from them. Lets talk more about housing then, you are promising a million homes in five years. Is that really deliverable and is it enough . It is certainly deliverable. I would always love to do more but look at our record. We are the party that actually builds the home is that this country needs. We have built a record amount last year. 240,000. 57,000 affordable. In labours 13 years they criticised us about Council Homes but we built more Council Homes in one year then they built in 13 years. We have very big ambitions. Two things we are announcing today, number one helping local people so they have a 30 discount on their home and they have to make sure that when the home is sold it goes on to a local person. Also helping people who are renting to get the high value mortgage they may need to buy the home. They may be able to afford the rent but they cant afford the deposit. We are also doing some great things to help the rental market. If you have a deposit you can pass out onto the next property you rent. Were making sure that people are not to unfair evictions by getting rid of the no fault evictions approach. We are supporting the creation of a million more homes, help to buy and all the things weve already done. We will continue with that. But were also the rental sector and helping people who are currently renting to buy as well. We believe in home ownership. We believe it is the right way forward. Jeremy corbyn doesnt believe that homeownership is the right idea. He thinks home should be owned by the state and i dont think he is right. We seem to get dribs and drabs of your policy on social care. People want specifics on this. What are you going to do so you can keep that pledge you made to us yesterday that people wont have to sell their homes . What specifically are you going to do . Already under this government we have put a record amount into social care. Since i came in120 amount into social care. Since i came in 120 days ago we are putting another 1. 5 billion to help local authorities with adults and children social care. This is a problem that is going to develop and we must deal with. 1 billion every year, a billion extra every year, making sure we can recruit the staff to deal with the problem. We will also bring the parties together. It is kind of like the nhs now. This is an area where there is a growing cross party area where there is a growing Cross Party Consensus about the way forward and what i can tell you is that our policy will have two principles. 0ne that our policy will have two principles. One that we give everybody dignity and security in old age and secondly that no one has to sell their home to pay for the cost of their care. That was Boris Johnson but the main news of the day asa johnson but the main news of the day as a launch of the labour manifesto and norman smith says it is as radical as he is seen in his time. Lets hear from radical as he is seen in his time. Lets hearfrom him. Radical as he is seen in his time. Lets hear from him. This is a huge moment for Jeremy Corbyn lets hear from him. This is a huge moment forJeremy Corbyn and the labour party moment forJeremy Corbyn and the labour pa rty. The moment forJeremy Corbyn and the labour party the hope is that this manifesto might reignite his Election Campaign and give him some momentum to claw back the poll of lead which borisjohnson momentum to claw back the poll of lead which Boris Johnson currently seems to enjoy. They will hope that the radicalism in this manifesto, the radicalism in this manifesto, the likes of it that we havent really seen for decades, will chime with what they believe is a public appetite for real change. In part they think that is demonstrated by they think that is demonstrated by the weariness with austerity and impart demonstrated by the brexit referendum. They believe people are hungry for this sort of radical agenda which will involve a massive extension and expansion in the role of the state. It will see the nationalisation of key utilities, the railways, internet providers, states taking a much bigger role in creating jobs and building Council Houses and providing the infrastructure for the country. There is in the manifesto a whole load of giveaways for pensioners, free personal care for the sick, free personal care for the sick, free prescriptions for students, free prescriptions for students, free tuition fees. For Public Sector workers there is a massive 5 pay rise. The question is how do you pay for it . The answer from team corbyn is by borrowing more and higher taxes on the wealthy, big business and the banks but that raises two questions. Firstly, willthe and the banks but that raises two questions. Firstly, will the wealthy keep their money in a corbyn britain if they know they are going to face higher taxes . And secondly, will the city and the bond markets continue to be ready to lend at such historically low rates when they know labour is going to want to borrow more and more . That was norman smith. IfJeremy Corbyn delivers a red brexit, a labour brexit he can make as many plans as he won but in practice they will be badly damaged because the uk will be hit in a labour brexit. My real concern is that their Extensive Programme of nationalisation is one that keep the government locked down for years in terms of focusing on that. It is something that is going to be highly expensive and it is not entirely clear if that will provide the benefits that labour expected to provide. Your ambition is forjo swinson to be Prime Minister. Youd would prefer her to do the job than the other two but if there is going to be any kind of Hung Parliament would you work with labour after the recent ma nifesto . Would you work with labour after the recent manifesto . We are fighting to get the liberal democrat government elected and jo swinson the Prime Minister. At the same time we have made it Crystal Clear that when it comes to eitherJeremy Corbyn or borisjohnson we are not going to work with either of them. They are both unfit to be our Prime Minister for different reasons. Boris johnson frankly because no one trusts what he says Jeremy Corbyn frankly because no one trusts what he sasteremy corbyn because he wasnt able to answer the most critical of questions in this campaign and that is whether he wa nts to campaign and that is whether he wants to campaign to remain in the eu or whether he would prefer a labour brexit . Tom brake there for the lib dems. And throughout the election, we are putting your questions to all of the Political Parties. At half five this evening, the Green Party Co leader, sian berry will be here on the bbc news channel answering your questions. So, if you have something you want to know, please do get in touch on twitter using the hashtag bbcyourquestions or you can email us on yourquestions bbc. Co. Uk. And do remember to leave your name and where youre from. You are watching spotlight. You are watching afternoon live. Alex salmond, has appeared in court charged with carrying out a series of Sexual Offences against ten women most of them while he was first minister of scotland. Mr salmond faces a total of 14 charges, including one of attempted rape. He denies all the charges against him. Lorna gordon is in Edinburgh Alex salmond is one of the best known figures in scottish politics. Today he was appearing in court to face allegations of offences against ten women, offences which its alleged he carried out while serving as first minister. The charges include one attempted rape, one intent to rape, ten counts of Sexual Assault and two of indecent assault. The alleged attempted rape is said to have happened here at the first ministers official residence in edinburgh, just months before the referendum on scottish independence. Mr salmond is alleged to have pushed a woman against a wall, to have removed her clothes and his own, before pushing her onto a bed and lying naked on top of her. Mr salmond is also alleged to have intended to rape another woman at bute house the previous year. 0ther alleged Sexual Assaults are said to have happened at this restaurant in glasgow, ata nightclub in edinburgh, in a car, at the Scottish Parliament, and at stirling castle. Speaking outside court, mr salmond denied all the charges he is facing. I am innocent and i will defend my position vigorously, but the only place, the only proper place to answer criminal charges is in this court and thats exactly what we intend to do next spring. Mr salmond is now into his second year of court actions. He took the government he used to lead to court over its handling of an inquiry into Sexual Harassment claims against him. The Scottish Government later conceded its procedures had been flawed and paid out more than half a Million Pounds legal costs. There was considerable media interest in the former first ministers appearance in court today a taste perhaps of what is to come when the trial starts in march. Accident and Emergency Departments in welsh hospitals continued to miss patient targets in october after their worst performance figures ever in september. Only 75 of nhs patients were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours. The target is 95 . Results for england were released on monday they also showed a e waiting times were at their worst on record. The university of huddersfield has released a statement saying the duke of york has decided to step down immediately as chancellor. It comes as lawyers for women who say they were sexually assaulted byJeffrey Epstein have urged Prince Andrew to speak to us police. Yesterday, the prince announced he was stepping back from public duties for the foreseeable future and said that he is willing to help with investigations into mr epstein if required. Sarah campbell reports. For the queen and wider royal family, painful reading. For the queen and wider royal family, this mornings headlines were painful reading. Never has such a Senior Member of the royal family felt there was no option but to retreat from public life. He had agreed to an in depth, no holds barred interview with a bbc Newsnight Programme meant, draw a line under and issue dogging him for years. His Statement Released last night after discussion with the queen and Prince Charles said he was stepping down from royal duties for the foreseeable future. The queen had given him permission. In a marked change of tone from his television interview, he said he unequivocally regrets his ill judged association with Jeffrey Epstein. He said, i deeply supervise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure. I can only hope that in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives. Of course, he added, i am willing to help any appropriate Law Enforcement agency with their investigations if required. It is a good step that he will cooperate with Law Enforcement but we want to see that happen. Will he fly to the United States and voluntarily meet with the fbi . Will he sit for depositions . In civil cases, will he submit evidence like e mails, calendars, travel logs that all of us would like to see as part of our investigations . Prince andrew will not be resigning from the many patronage as oppositions he holds but he will no longer be involved in the palace said it appreciates those organisations may wish to find new patrons. His highest profile venture in recent years has been pitch palace, a Networking Forum for aspiring entrepreneurs. Prince andrew will continue to support it privately. Its supporters hope other royals might step in to be its public face. We have a lot of royals there, wills, kate, harry, meghan, if you continue pitch palace in the royal environment where you have a infrastructure paid for, i think in part by the taxpayer, it would be an extraordinary shame that the palace dont see the opportunity in continuing this initiative that has created £1 billion worth of economic activity. Although he is stepping back from public duties, its understood he will still be present at royal family events such as the service of remembrance the cenotaph. Leaving his home in windsor this morning, a wave from Prince Andrew as he departs public life in his words for the foreseeable future. Sarah campbell reporting. The last day of the Public Committee inquiry into the potential impeachment of President Trump is well under way in washington. Fiona hill, the former top russian expert on the National Security council, has been giving evidence alongside alongside david holmes the counsellor for Political Affairs at the us embassy in ukraine. At the heart of the inquiry is whether President Trump tried to influence ukraine into opening an investigation into the son of likely democratic president ial candidate joe biden. David holmes told the committee that it had been made clear that an investigation into hunter biden was necessary in orderfor a white house visit to take place. Ambassador, taylor did not brief me on every detail of his communications. He did tell me that on eightjune 28 cool with of ukraine, that it was a precondition for an oval office visit. Meanwhile fiona hill said the republican accusations of ukrainian inteference in the 2016 us election was politicising the United States relation with the country. Some of you on this committee appear to believe that russia and its Security Service did not have a Security Service did not have a Security Campaign against our country and thats ukraine did. This isa country and thats ukraine did. This is a fictional narrative. Well the ranking republican on the committee was damning of the impeachment inquiry saying that the Intelligence Committee no longer deserved to hold such a name. U nless unless the democrats once again scramble their Kangaroo Court rules, todays hearing marks the merciful end of the spectacle in the impeachment committee, formally known as the Intelligence Committee. Whether the democrats reap the political benefits they want from this remains to be seen but the damage they have done to this country will be long lasting. Time for a look at the weather. Heres Sarah Keith Lucas the weather on the other side of the world has been making use for days. What is going on . It has been very hot and very dry for the last three yea rs and very dry for the last three years in australia and bush fire started back in august which is winter in australia. But the Australian Bureau of meteorology have been looking further ahead in the future. We have had this forecast of what will lie ahead in a couple of months bearing in mind it has been a severe start. This is the forecast december rainfall. The orange and brown colours there shows the areas in australia where they are expecting rainfall to be below average. If we look further ahead, it will be very dry for the next month or so but later in the summer it looks like the computer models are hinting at something wetter across australia. The white colours show average rainfall in december into february as well. So later in the summer things get a bit wetter and further ahead into the autumn in australia it looks like in those green colours in Western Australia and the Northern Territory could see above average rainfall which would be the first time in quite some time. Still a bit of orange on the map for southern queensland and New South Wales as well. So there we have seen those bushfires it would ta ke have seen those bushfires it would take several months of above average rainfall for things to recover. That is long term. We better talk about what is happening closer to home. Cloudy and cold day out there today. Things are set to change a little bit over the next couple of days with more unsettled weather with outbreaks of rain. It has already been training in cornwall for a few days. 0ver been training in cornwall for a few days. Over the next few days more widely we will see that rain pushing across the uk. Things will also be turning milder after a chilly and cloudy day today. No pressure tries to move in from the south west but not going anywhere in a hurry because we have a huge area of High Pressure which has been keeping the weather quiet over the last few days. Outbreaks of rain in the south west of england and south wales and it has also been raining across Northern Ireland at times. That area of rain close Northern Ireland through this evening and we will see if showers in england and wales pushing northwards. Some of the showers on the south bank could be heavy and thundery overnight. For most of us there is too much cloud to see a frost tonight. We could see a touch of frost across scotland under clear spells. Through the day tomorrow we start with a band of rain in Northern England and Northern Ireland further south. The rain will become increasingly heavy and persistent in the south west of england and south wales. The ground will be saturated so there could be some problems here. Across north west scotland we will see the lions share of any sunshine and temperatures starting to creep up, a little bit less cold than it has been recently. 0n the weekends, pretty unsettled picture on saturday with plenty of showers in england and wales is pushing into southern scotla nd and wales is pushing into southern scotland and Northern Ireland too. Ten or 11 degrees for most of us so milder than it has been. Northern scotla nd milder than it has been. Northern scotland keeping dry for much of the day on saturday and then heading through sunday and on into monday we still have no pressure very much in charge of our weather. Quite a few isobars on the map as well so a breezy and wet weather later on sunday but sunday morning starts off onafine sunday but sunday morning starts off on a fine note and the will be quite a lot of sunshine appearing. A lot of dry weather later in the day. That is when we see the rain moving into the south west of england. Temperatures for most of us back into double figures so sunday the better day. A quick look ahead into next week. This is the forecast for cities. Plenty of rain and showers around in the outlook. Temperatures starting off in double figures so it will be a mild start of the week with things turning colder as we head through next week. Unsettled further rain at times falling on 02 32 36,652 4294966103 13 29,430 saturated round