Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News 20170117

Ajump in The Cost Of Living inflation hits a two and a half year peak, largely due to higher prices for fuel and food and the fall in the pound. In one of his last acts in office, President Obama commutes the Prison Sentence of chelsea manning, the former us military analyst who passed classified files to wikileaks. And well be looking at tomorrow mornings front pages, including the daily mail which has calls the Prime Ministers brexit blueprint an emphatic ultimatum to eu leaders. Much more on mrs mays speech coming up, but Breaking News to bring you. It is just up, but Breaking News to bring you. It isjust coming in in the last up, but Breaking News to bring you. It is just coming in in the last few seconds. Thomas cook say they are implementing Contingency Plans to return nearly 1000 british customers from gambia. This is after change in Foreign Office advice because of political unrest in that west african country. The foreign and Commonwealth Office are advising against all but Essential Travel to the gambia because of Political Uncertainty and potential Military Intervention following the president ial elections on the First Of December Last year. The foreign 0ffice say if you are currently in the you should leave by commercial means if you have no Essential Need to stay there. Currently in the gambia. Thomas cook say they have Contingency Plans to return nearly 1000 british customers from gambia. There is a State Of Emergency there after the president declared the State Of Emergency after refusing to hand power to the opposition leader, who won the election last month. Theresa may has been setting out her long term vision for britains base in the world as it embarks on the historic path of withdrawing from the eu. It was herfirst major speech on brexit since taking office and she emphasised at doesnt objectives. They included a stronger britain, a nation in charge of its own laws, in control of immigration and pursuing free trade, possibly as pa rt and pursuing free trade, possibly as part of a Customs Agreement with other nations. And the pm confirmed that the uk would not remain in the eus Single Market. Good morning. Whats the plan . On her way. Have you got a plan . On our way out, notjust of the European Union, but after months of anticipation. Are we going to get a detailed plan . Theresa may gathered ministers and ambassadors too. To confirm, finally, we will leave behind the way the country has made its living for decades. Applause as a priority, we will pursue a bold and ambitious Free Trade Agreement with the European Union. This agreement should allow for the freest possible trade in goods and services between britain and the eus member states. It should give British Companies the maximum freedom to trade with and operate within european markets, and let european businesses do the same in britain. But i want to be clear what i am proposing cannot mean membership of the Single Market. Privately, ministers had talked of preserving some parts of the special club, the market of hundreds of millions where our businesses can buy and sell without barriers. Remainers had pushed her, but she believes it cant be done, because the rules of the Single Market come with unlimited eu immigration. The message from the public, before and during the referendum campaign, was clear brexit must mean control of the number of people who come to britain from europe, and that is what we will deliver. 0ur Customs Arrangements, how we trade over borders, will change too, but no final decision on how. Her clear hope, though, is that the uk will not pay billions to the eu each year. There may be some specific european programmes in which we might want to participate. If so, and this will be for us to decide, it is reasonable that we should make an appropriate contribution, but the principle is clear the days of britain making vast contributions to the eu every year will end. 27 other countries will decide if her plans are an ambitious wish list or a fantasy. Yet most dramatically, if after two years of talks negotiations stall, she and her team are willing to walk away. Britain wants to remain a good friend and neighbour to europe, yet i know there are some voices calling for a punitive deal that punishes britain and discourages other countries from taking the same path. Britain would not, indeed, we could not, accept such an approach. While i am confident that this scenario need never arise, while i am sure a positive agreement can be reached, i am equally clear that no deal for britain is better than a bad dealfor britain. Thank you. But remember, the Prime Minister never wanted to leave. During the referendum campaign, you said plainly that you believed if we left the eu and the Single Market, the country, its families and citizens, would be worse off. Now, either you have changed your mind, or, as Prime Minister, you have made a decision that you believe will leave the country and its citizens poorer which is it . All the Economic Indicators have been more positive than people had predicted. It is only earlier this week that the imf confirmed that we were the Fastest Growing economy last year. And what i am talking about today is the country coming together and looking for that Brighter Future as a global britain. Did the brexit backers in the cabinet get the upper hand . It was an excellent speech, it was optimistic, confident, and it set out our responsibilities in a global context. This wasnt an inward looking, purely european speech. It is negotiable, this is something that i think will be good for the uk and for the rest of the eu as well. Why should they allow us to have our cake and eat it . As the Prime Minister said, it will be good for both sides. Do you think what she set out is achievable . We shall have to see. Not exactly nodding along, either, the other parties across the uk. The political consequences of theresa mays choices are unclear. I think we have to have a deal that ensures we have access to the market, that we have british jobs dependent on that market, that is what we will be pushing for. Whether it is specifically this form of Single Market, i dont know. She seems to want to have her cake and eat it. Wave the white flag across the Cliffs Of Dover as theresa may has done and this is an insult to britain, damaging to britains future and a theft of democracy. And dont doubt, uk outside the Single Market brings a chance for scottish voters to bring independence closer. I will not allow us scotlands interests to be steamrolled because it was emerging. Do we want to be taken down a path that we didnt vote for that is against our interests, or two we want to take control of our own future . That the choice i think scotland has the right to make. Parliament was told today they will get a choice, but it is clear she has made her mind up and drawn her big conclusions. Her dilemma is now persuading a continent what she wants is possible and those who voted to stay in the eu that it is even desirable. But this is really only the start of a long process. Much will change. Concern and criticism wont fade away. The scale of what we decided, how it will change our country and all our lives, is still fully to emerge. For decades now britain has traded within the eus Single Market. As weve been hearing those days are numbered. So what is the european Single Market and what could britain get in its place . 0ur Diplomatic Correspondent James Landale explains how the Current System works. Every eu country is a full member of the club, norway, iceland, leached in stine, switzerland are part members. They all believe that if they get rid of barriers to trade and allowed goods, services, money and allowed goods, services, money and workers to move freely across their borders than their economies will grow. To this happen they agreed common trading rules. So a widget made in greece is the same as that made in spain and they set up a European Court of justice that made in spain and they set up a European Court ofjustice to make sure everybody follows the rules. Supporters say the Single Market helps British Companies flourish, like this Engineering Firm in bristol by making it easier for them to export their goods and employ people from across the eu. I think theres an obvious risk for us outside of the Single Market, we increasingly trade with europe. I think any change in the Customs Regime is probably going to make us uncompetitive. But opponents say the Single Market imposes unnecessary red tape on british firms, like this Nappy Manufacturer in northampton. It gives too much power to eu judges and allows in too many migrant workers. The owner of this firm says the opportunities outside are greater. I think, primarily, we cant remain part of the Single Market because we want to go out and do our trade deals with countries outside the eu and thats very exciting for companies such as ours. So to help make that happen, theresa may wants britain to have instead the greatest possible access to the Single Market, particularly for british cars, lorries and Financial Services and to get that, by negotiating a new Free Trade Deal with the eu. If she can, and if theyre willing. And what about the so called Customs Union, the deal under which eu countries impose the same tariffs on goods and services imported from outside of the eu . Theresa may said she did not want britain to be bound by this common external tariff any more. Instead, she wants britain to be able to set its own tariffs and negotiate its own trade deals with the rest of the world. But she said she would accept some kind of new Customs Arrangement with the eu, but didnt spell out what that might mean. So this is what the Prime Minister wants. Now, all she has to do is get the rest of the eu to agree and thats far from certain. I havejust skated over the surface of what are some pretty important issues. So you can read a lot more in detail on the bbc news website that will take you through all the options and what they might mean. Business leaders are still divided on the implications of brexit, but most of them today seemed to welcome some new clarity from the Prime Minister on the governments goals. Theresa may promised that changes to immigration, customs and regulation would be phased in to avoid disruption. Some of britains most prominent Business Leaders are at World Economic forum in davos in switzerland. Our Business Correspondent simonjack has been talking to some of them. Theres nothing like a bit of mountain air to give you clarity. Business leaders gathered here in switzerland were watching the Prime Minister today for exactly that. So did they get it . I think what we learned from the Prime Ministers speech today was clarity, first of all, really codified what many of us had been anticipating since the referendum result, particularly around the Single Market. I think what weve also seen today is the governments willingness to put a bit of edge into the negotiating dynamic, and i think that makes a lot of sense. Trade negotiations are negotiations, and you have to lay out and you have to be pretty tough to get what you want. For some, the uncertainty is still too great. Lloyds of london, the insurance market, has a ready decided to move some business to europe. Has already. Weve still got to pursue a subsidiary in the eu for post brexit world, meaning that we can still serve our customers and policyholders in those European Union countries. So, no ifs, no buts, no Single Market. Clarity, yes. Desired outcome . Not for everyone. And with the continuing Question Mark over whether we are a partial member of the Customs Union, Many Companies will say, for example, it takes a continent to build a car and if there are hold ups at the border that could be bad news. And the car industry gave mps its version of clarity on the consequences of not getting a good trade deal. The cars that we import, and remember we import about 80 of the vehicles we sell in the uk, that would add about £2. 7 billion, or about £1,500 per car sold. Financial markets were watching closely, too. Suddenly the pound rocketed against the dollar at the very moment the Prime Minister offered mps a chance to vote on any final deal. Markets making one last bet that brexit could still be derailed. But even some of the business worlds staunchest remainers werent fooled and are now resigned to knuckling down to the political reality. Most businesses are trying to move forward positively, and accepting the result of the referendum. Are trying to make sure the complexity of this is well understood and we take the steps both in government and business to deal with this and minimise the impacts of this very compact process. The government shed some light on its priority, but business knows we are still in the foothills of a massive undertaking. Simonjack, bbc news, davos. The main brexit negotiator for the European Parliament, guy verhofstadt, has warned that its an illusion to think britain will be allowed to keep the advantages of trade with the European Union without accepting the obligations. 0ur correspondent Damian Grammaticas has been assessing the reaction among members of the European Parliament in strasbourg. He wasnt commenting, butjean claude juncker, and his eu commissioners were today listening to theresa may, keen to hear her vision for brexit. The response from the European Parliaments Chief Negotiator it doesnt add up. It creates also an illusion that you can go out of the Single Market, that you can go out of the Customs Union and that you can cherry pick and have still a number of advantages. And, yeah, i think that will not happen. The eu today was busy with its own affairs, electing a new president of the European Parliament. Many here are sceptical the uk can get all it wants in a Special Trade and customs deal. We will all love to have a Europe A La Carte Cherry Picking as they call it, eh . It is a ridiculous idea, but this is serious, we have a lot of countries here, a lot of people and we have to take care of everybody and this is not, you know, a Europe A La Carte. 0utside, an Italian School group on an eu tour. Quitting the Single Market and shunning its Freedom Of Movement will some here believe be a painful process for the uk. Something they say theresa may did not address. I expect many businesses from the uk to move to europe. I expect also some Financial Companies providing services from the city will also move to europe. So there will be some significant losses. Theresa may hasnt mentioned a word about these potential costs and potential losses. As for the threat mrs may may walk away, choosing no deal if she isnt satisfied that hasnt gone down well, even with the uks closest neighbours. No deal will also be bad for the United Kingdom. So it it isnt as if they hold all the cards. The United Kingdom will look after its own interests. We will look after ours. And here today one mep summed up reactions to me, saying he thought theresa may was overselling to the british people both what she could achieve in trade deals with other countries and how much access she would get to the Single Market. The Prime Minister claimed today that she wanted to act in the interests of all parts of the uk and said the devolved administrations should be fully engaged in the process of brexit. But how was that viewed in scotland, Northern Ireland and wales . We start in glasgow with our scotland editor sarah smith. Nicola sturgeon, the First Minister of scotland, responded to theresa mays speech today by saying she think it is has increased the chances there may be a second referendum on scottish independence. The First Minister said its clear that the uk is heading for a hard brexit, which they she thinks will be economically catastrophic and will not allow scotland to be stem rollered down a path it didnt vote for. At the end of last year, the First Minister put together a Paper Outlining you how she thinks scotland could stay in the Single Market even if the uk leaves. That could only happen if the Prime Minister and the uk government agrees with it. She says she doesnt think theresa may is giving the proposals serious consideration and that is why she said she thinks even though a majority dont favour independence she thinks the Prospect Ofa Independence she thinks the prospect of a second vote is more likely. Northern ireland is most exposed to the fallout from brexit because it shares a land border with the irish republic. Theresa may was quick today to say there would be no return to the borders of the past. She said the Common Travel Area would be retained. But questions remain and one question is this, the uk wants to limit and control immigration from the eu, but how would that be possible if ireland has an open border . Another question, if the uk steps outside the Customs Union, wont that inevitably lead towards a ha rd wont that inevitably lead towards a hard border with customs . Some concerns today, especially in areas like manufacturing and farming, still very strong in wales and still reliant on exports to the eu. Politically hereat the assembly the First Minister has a problem, he has called for full and unfettered access to the Single Market. Todays announcement wont make it any easier. He knows that. That is why he has said things he believes are going in the wrong direction. There is also the question of political leverage as well. If he complains too much, ministers At Westminster will turn around and say, they are delivering what the people of wales voted for, which was brexit. We will have full reaction in the papers to theresa mays speech coming up in the papers at 11 30pm. Now, more on the Breaking News, which is that thomas cook is implementing Contingency Plans to return 1000 rikishi british tourists because of political unrest. Danjohnson dan johnson is with danjohnson is with me here. Quite dramatic news. They say they will fly people back from gambia as soon as possible, ideally tomorrow. They have 985 customers on a package holiday, they will be flown back tomorrow on special flights that is being laid on to the capital to bring them home because of the change in Foreign Office advice, just earlier this evening they changed advice to say all but Essential Travel shouldnt take place. That is why thomas cook is reacting. Taking people who are on holiday home as soon as it can. It is aware of two and half thousand other people who have flown with the company and are not on a package deal. They dont know where they are. They are trying to contact those people to arrange a flight back as soon as possible. That is going to take time. Thomas cook sent a special Assistance Team out to gambia to help get customers back as 0011 gambia to help get customers back as soon as they can. And all of this is because of the political upheaval in gambia after elections last month. Yes, president ial election before christmas, which was won by the challenger, initially accepted by the sitting president , yahya jammeh, 110w the sitting president , yahya jammeh, now he has until thursday to have overpowered but he is resisting, he wont go, so he is coming under pressure to leave office and hand over to the challenger. Neighbouring states have got involved, pressuring him, and saying if he doesnt hand over power they might intervene militarily, so this is the pressure that has been building up, nigeria has sent a warship to the coast of gambia, so this is what has been building, this is why there is concern mounting and that is why the government and thomas cook has had to react. 0k, thank you very much indeed. That was the news that thomas cook are bringing back nearly 1000 british customers from gambia. A brief look at some of the days other other news stories. President obama has commuted the sentence of chelsea manning, who was found guilty of leaking classified us army documents to the wikileaks website and is serving a 35 year Prison Sentence. The white house says chelsea manning, who served as a soldier in iraq and was formerly known as bradley manning, will be released in may. The Supreme Court has cleared the way for a libyan man to take legal action against the government following his kidnap in 200a. Abdel hakim belhaj says mi6 provided information that enabled the us to abduct him and his wife in asia, and their rendition to tripoli. Mr belhaj intends to sue the former foreign secretary, jack straw, who was responsible for mi6 at the time. He denies any involvement. Concerns about security at a Tunisian Resort where 30 britons were killed by an islamist gunman were raised months before the attack took place. The inquest has heard that a report in january, 2015 for the uk government suggested there was a low standard of protection at some Hotel Entrances in the area of sousse. The annual rate of inflation, measured by the Consumer Prices index, rose more than expected in december to its highest level for two and a half years. It rose to 1. 6 last month, driven in part by the fall in the value of sterling after the brexit vote, as well a rise in air fares and food prices. 0ur Economics correspondent Andrew Verity has been looking at the figures. This haulier based near Heathrow Airport is facing sharply higher costs. Fuel had been falling in price, but on todays Inflation Numbers its up by 10 . The company can absorb that cost but not forever. If the cost of the fuel starts to bite, eventually we will have to put a Fuel Surcharge in like everybody else in this industry once we go past a certain level, because we cannot afford to keep those costs in house. The effect of the weaker pound is most obvious up the supply chain, where raw materials, most of them imported, are up by 15. 8 year on year. So far producers havent been passing most of that on, with prices at the factory gate up 2. 7 . Only now is that starting to feed through to shop prices, up 1. 6 . The bigger move from the sterling effect is still to come, because contracts have to be renewed, that is where we think inflation moves up much further from the 1. 6 we have seen today, above 3 . Today, the weak pound started to hit Smart Phone Users where it really hurts in the apps. Apple announced it was raising the cost of apps costing 79 pence to 99 pence. That is a 25 rise. From apples point of view, what money it makes here in pounds has to be translated back into dollars and right now that means it is getting fewer dollars than it did, so it has to raise prices to make up. Food prices are still lower than they were a year ago but the u5~ ~se 52 33 25. 5;13. 7 but the upward pressure on costs is likely to build. Expect higher inflation in the months to come. Andy verity, bbc news. The president elect, donald trump, is being sued for defamation by a woman who alleges he indecently assaulted her. Summer zervos, seen here on the right, was one of several women to make allegations against mrtrump during the election campaign. Mr trump said her claims were lies. Her lawyer said she would withdraw the lawsuit if mr trump admitted shed told the truth. A review of the pieters coming up, but before that lets check out the weather. Hopefully you like your weather. Hopefully you like your weather cloudy. If not the next few days of this week and into the weekend will prove disappointing. A lot of cloud on the way and that will bring rather misty conditions at times as we have seen recently for the north west midlands. In fa ct, for the north west midlands. In fact, as we start wednesday morning, some fog patch is notjust over the hills, especially the pennines, over lower areas, the vale of york, patches to south east england. For most of us it wont be desperately cold, frost free for many, but it is a different story in the south east of england. There is a sharp frost forming. For the first part of wednesday, 6 or minus seven degrees, so a morning to scrape a car windscreen. It will be glorious to start the day with barely a cloud in the sky. 0ne to start the day with barely a cloud in the sky. One or two fog patches. Away from the south east, for the rest of england and wales, cloud to start. The closer to this weather front, the more likely you are to see rain or drizzle, greater manchester, merseyside, will start off on manchester, merseyside, will start offona manchester, merseyside, will start off on a damp note. Northern ireland and scotland, rather cloudy to start, some breaks across eastern scotland, with a chilly start, patches of frost possible. Through wednesday, this front is staying slow moving, so not much in the way of change, although it will become dryjust of change, although it will become dry just about everywhere of change, although it will become dryjust about everywhere through the afternoon. It will be cloudy here. For Northern Ireland and western scotland, i hold out the prospects of a few breaks in the cloud, but overall a cloudy picture. The best of the sunshine for south east england, but here it will be quite chilly. 0n through wednesday night, if anything, clear skies extend across southern counties of england, so that is where the frosty weather will be wednesday night. Further north, it is largely frost free and relatively mild. That takes us into thursday, and guess what the forecast is, more cloud, with an occasional spot of rain, a lot of dry weather otherwise, but for the south of england, the best chance of seeing decent sunshine. Temperatures similar, hires between 7 10 degrees and more of the same on friday and on into the weekend. The next time we see significant changes in the weather is probably into the early pa rt weather is probably into the early part of next week. That is your forecast