This is bbc news. Im ben brown. The headlines. 12,000 jobs likely to disappear from the high street, as debenams goes out of business. It comes just hours after topshop owner, arcadia, collapsed into administration, putting another 13,000 jobs at risk. Devastating for all those employees, and no easy time, but coming up to christmas, the uncertainty now for 2021, i really do feel for all the individual employees and their families. Mps are debating plans to introduce a new tiered system of coronavirus restrictions across england tomorrow. This is the scene live from the house of commons. We cannot afford to relax, especially during the cold months of winter. Police in germany have arrested
the driver of a vehicle that ploughed into pedestrians in the city of trier, killing at least two and injuring at least ten more. A High Court Ruling on the treatment of children who say theyre transgender a woman who was prescribed puberty blockers when she was 16, says shes delighted. The government urges businesses to make their final preparations for brexit a month before the transition period ends. And after a coronavirus outbreak at newcastle united, the teams premier league match with aston villa on friday is postponed. Hello. In a huge blow to jobs just before christmas,
the Department Store chain debenhams is closing down. It comes afterjd sports pulled out of a rescue deal to save the retailer which will now cease traing. Across the country debenhams has 124 stores and employs around 12,000 workers who are likely to lose theirjobs. The retailer will continue to trade to clear its current and contracted stocks, but it will then close if no offers are made for the business. Last night another retail giant arcadia collapsed into adminstration, threatening a further 13,000 jobs. Our Business Correspondent sarah corker reports. Debenhams is a massive part of high streets across the uk, a focal point of many town centres. But thousands of staff arrive for work this morning to be told the chains124 shops will soon cease trading. There was a mixed response in Leeds City Centre today. We wont have any
Shopping Centres left, well have no town centres left, when everybody shops online. But that is the way its going, thats the way young people are wanting it to be and its been coming for a long time. It has been a Long Time Coming merely in terms of the failure. I think it has been a long, slow decline for debenhams. It hasnt really changed with the times, not really kept up with the Online Development and its competitors. It really puts it into perspective how much covid is actually affecting everybody and, you know, things are closing and people are suffering, yeah. And all of this comes just hours after arcadia, the owners of topshop and dorothy perkins, fell into administration, setting off a Chain Reaction on the high street. Arcadias brands are the largest concession holder in debenhams. Debenhams was struggling long before the pandemic hit. It fell into administration back in april for the second time and jd sports was widely seen as the last chance to save the chain, but it
pulled out of a rescue deal today. Debenhams started as a single shop in london in 1778. It survived recessions and battled the rise of the internet, but tough trading conditions during the pandemic have proved to be the final blow to this ailing chain. Debenhams has been the story of a retailer that lost its way a good few years ago. It got really addicted to price discounting, giving things away in things like blue cross sales, and it never really recovered and caught up with the changes in retail trends. Its never had a very strong online business, and its had lots of shops in very expensive locations that have been expensive to serve. And it really has kind of lost its core shopper. Debenhams will keep on trading through its stores and online until it clears its current stocks. The chains demise will leave a huge hole on high streets across britain. And 12,000 jobs are now at risk. Its devastating for the employees, but coming up to christmas and the uncertainty around 2021, i really do feel for the individual employees and the families. The former chairman of denims. If you dont have the ability to change, the way you can change your Website Online virtually in a matter of weeks, you cant reconfigure 190 Stores Across the country, and that. The real problem now is you have to be so much faster and have so much more online if you are going to survive the changing competitive pressures. Lockdown may end tomorrow and shops are preparing to reopen across england, but this is proving to be the nightmare before christmas for 25,000 retail workers at debenhams and arcadia. Sarah corker, bbc news, in leeds. Abigail ahearn is a retailer and designer. Her homeware has been sold in debenhams for the last ten years. Just give us an idea of what youve been doing for denims, and the sort of stuff they re been doing for denims, and the sort of stuff theyre selling. Debenhams. Good evening. Ive been with debenhams for ten years, and they took my home where range, which encompassed lighting and textiles, and fragrances. In 148 Stores Across the land, there was a collection of all my pieces. So for me, its an incredibly sad day today. Was it a day that youve seen coming . Did you think this was either on the cards, as many people did, or maybe even inevitable . Yes. As soon as they went into administration, about 6 8 months ago, it was quite inevitable, i must say. So it was not a surprise. I really hoped they would be able to pull some magic out of a
hat and survived, but i think with arcadia going, as well, it wasjust u nfortu nately too arcadia going, as well, it wasjust unfortunately too much. So for me its almost the erosion of the high street. Because everyone has a debenhams on their high street, and it is such a sad, sad loss, i feel. And what do you feel has gone wrong with debenhams . Is it those big stores and Big Properties on the high street with big rents . 0r stores and Big Properties on the high street with big rents . Or is it failure to adapt to online shopping, the covid 19 pandemic . failure to adapt to online shopping, the covid19 pandemic . I think its everything. Being retailer, certainly locked into long leases with landlords is a problem. Competition online debenhams never really caught up with online, and when so many people are offering really innovative brand experiences through their social media platforms, there isnt this need any more to go to a generic Department Store. Thats not selling that much
different from anyone else. And covid, with all those stores shut and not having a huge Online Presence was the nail in the coffin, i must say. Is it the nail in the coffin generally of Department Stores, do you think was mike we we re stores, do you think was mike we were talking to a retail analyst who was saying somewhere like selfridges is doing really well at the moment. Selfridges is doing really well because they are bringing a really unique difference. So we are also a retailer and we are doing incredibly well. If you are unique and offer something compelling to the consumer, you literally will. I think its when youre too generic and constantly discounting, and when everybody else is selling that very same thrower or cushion, or saucepan, you just wont be able to fight it. But i think if you offer something different, then the high street is not dead. So as youve been saying, youve been selling your debenhams for ten years. How badly
will this hit you . Thankfully not too badly, debenhams launched us and we sort of took that and carved out oui we sort of took that and carved out our own mission. So it wont have a huge impact for me. What i feel very sad about is all the staff, all the factories, the ports, the containers, the couriers, all that fabric that makes up bringing all those products to land will all be affected. So i feel very sad from that perspective. But i do think if you are a brand who has a point of difference, its not the end of retail as we know it. Abigail, good to talk to you. Many thanks for your time. Thank you. The Prime Minister has defended plans to introduce a stricter tiered system of restrictions across england when the National Lockdown ends tomorrow. Mps are debating the rules ahead of a crunch vote later, in which a number of conservative
mps are expected to rebel against the governments plans. Chris mason reports Boris Johnson left for the commons at lunchtime. Do you have the support of your party, Prime Minister . The answer is yes, but far from all of them. And so mrjohnson knows he has some people to persuade. Prime minister i accept this is not a return to normality i wish it was so. But it is a bit closer to normality than current restrictions, and what we cannot do is lift all of the restrictions at once or move too quickly in such a way that the virus will begin to spread rapidly again. Labour will abstain later, not voting for or against. Sir keir starmer says he knows restrictions are needed but he has reservations, such as. Only one in eight workers qualify for the one off £500 self isolation support,
one in eight qualify for that support. Anyone not receiving that has to rely on statutory sick pay which is the equivalent of £13 a day. That is a huge problem that needs to be addressed. The debate is expected to last all afternoon more than 100 mps want to speak. All of them are aware of the severity of what people in england are being asked to do and it leaves some conservatives saying the restrictions go too far. If the government is to take away fundamental liberties of the people whom we represent, they must demonstrate beyond question that they are acting in a way that is both proportionate and absolutely necessary. Today i believe the government has failed to make that compelling case. The government is going to offer around £40 million of extra support for pubs in england most badly affected by the restrictions. Labours decision to
abstain alongside the snp and the liberal democrats means the government is going to win later. While what you can do depends on where in england you are, some places can reopen everywhere, like hairdressers. After all of the noise, tiered restrictions are coming to england tomorrow. Chris mason, bbc news, at westminster. Rebellion from some tory mps, rebellion also from a District Council, stratford on avon District Council, stratford on avon District Council, has notified the Health Secretary that it intends to launch a judicial review to put into tier 3 restrictions from tomorrow. Now the area has one of the lowest rates of infections in england around 74 cases per 100,000 people, according to Public Health england. And before
the latest lockdown in england, Stratford Upon Avon was in tier 1, 110w Stratford Upon Avon was in tier 1, now it is going into tier 3. So it is asking for a judicial review for that decision to put into tier 3. The conservative leader of the council, tonyjefferson, is saying the decision appears to be arbitrary and irrational. So we will be following that. Interesting development there. Lets talk more about whats going on in the commons. Chris hope is chief Political Correspondent and assistant editor of the telegraph, and hejoins me now. The vote is around 7pm tonight, pretty much no doubt that the government will get this through. But i suppose the maths of the scale of the tory rebellion is quite significant. How do you think the numbers are stacking up . Well, by my reckoning, its around more than 50 tory mps who will vote against tonight. Thats more than the 34 who voted against on the 4th of november, against a national a we
are emerging from in england. Thats not enough to defeat the government. There will be dozens more on top of that who are abstaining. It is a big blow to Boris Johnsons credibility and authority amongst his backbenchers, to have these kinds of numbers when just next week, we are celebrating the government is celebrating the government is celebrating one year since Boris Johnsons election landslide. So it is surprising that this kind of rebellion should be showing this early in his premiership. Do you think this is rebellion gathering momentum goes back to these mps feel emboldened . I dont think the government is helping itself by publishing a document last night which meant to show the Economic Health and social impact of these tea rs, health and social impact of these tears, but large parts were removed from other documents so it was widely seen as barely scratching the surface of what mps want to know before voting. Theres a history of
questionable forecasts during lockdown that weve been through november. The government will start taking its mps more seriously when it asks for these major things. Mps are going home each weekend saying dumb coat to publicans saying, you shut down my business, how should i trust you again . How dangerous is this for the Prime Minister and the government . It is dangerous, it wont end the government because we arent in any state like the brexit drama of last year, and with labour abstaining, it will go through tonight. But these numbers picking up tonight. But these numbers picking up dont normally help. Dont forget, nigel farage is in the wings trying to form an anti lockdown party. They are talking to that growing constituency across his supporters, and it could be a problem. Do you think the government might give away a little bit later on . For example, we know it is all
being revisited in the middle of december in terms of what areas are under which restrictions . To see there being concessions then . We heard from the p. M. There being concessions then . We heard from the pm. This afternoon saying there will be a granular more detail. The new vaccine minister. But for example, stratford might wonder why theyre being affected when the wider area around them is not being affected. And thats why i think youll see councils increasingly trying to get these big areas brought down to a much smaller defined areas. Of course that will be more confusing, and what the government says it would arise in areas which are next door to other areas. So it may be more confusing if they are relaxed that way on 16 december. The next vote by mps is not for eight weeks, and by then it could be a whole different story. And this rebellion which we see tonight could be growing even more. A quick word about labour in the snp, and live dems abstaining the Prime Ministers said sir keir starmer and his mps are sitting on their hands at a time of national crisis. I suppose keir starmer could wonder why hes not having a go at his own mps were voting against him . Thats right, he could challenge him, and hes back to the governments plans all the way through until this point. The snp shouldnt vote because it is english matters tonight, not a scottish matter, so thats why they are abstaining. Its more interesting what labour is doing. Theyve been pushing for more money for affected businesses, and thats certainly what some tory mps said. When they vote against the next vote, which is on 27 january, that could be a bigger deal altogether. And we could see a defeat of the government on this policy. But we are nowhere near that right now. Great to talk to you, chris, thank you for the
analysis. The government has released the latest figures on coronavirus. In the past 24 hours, the uk has recorded 13,430 new covid 19 cases, and 603 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test. That takes the total number of deaths to 59,051. German police say at least two people have died and several others are injured after they were hit by a car in a pedestrian area in the german city of trier. The driver is a 51 year old local man who is now under arrest. At at least two people were killed and 15 others injured when the vehicle, thought to be a range rover, raced through a shopping zone for about a kilometre. The citys mayor said one of the dead is a young girl. The police said it was too early to say if it was a terrorist attack. The high court has ruled on the medical treatment of children who are said to want to change to the opposite sex, saying those under the age of 16 are unlikely to be able to give informed consent to treatment that blocks puberty. A woman who was given puberty blocker drugs when she was 16, and is now detransitioning says she believes the landmark ruling will give more protection to teenagers with gender dysphoria. Im delighted at the judgment of the court today. It was a judgment that will protect vulnerable people. I wish it had been made for me before i embarked on the devastating experiment of puberty blockers. My life would be very different today. This time last year, ijoined this case with no hesitation, knowing what i knew about what had and has been going on at gender identity clinics. My hope was that, outside of the noise of the culture wars, the court would shine a light on this harmful experiment on Vulnerable Children and young people. These drugs seriously harmed me in more ways than one, and they have harmed many more, particularly young girls and women. This judgment is not political its about the protection of Vulnerable Children. Please read it carefully. It exposes a complacent and dangerous culture at the heart of the National Centre responsible for treating children and young people with gender dysphoria. 0ur correspondent Sangita Myska has been following the case and spoke to us earlier for more. At the very heart of this case was the issue as to whether or not young people under the age of 18 are able to give a fully informed consent to taking puberty blockers. Puberty blockers are the drugs that are the first medical step in transitioning gender from one to another. What the three judges at the court delivered today was a highly complex and nuanced judgment. What they decided to do was to try to split teenagers up according to their age. What the judgment says is that if you are 13 or under, you are highly unlikely to be able to give your fully informed consent to taking these drugs. It says if you are below the age of 15, between 14 15, it is doubtful that you can give that consent. And if you are between the ages of 16 18, the law in england currently presumes that you are able to give consent. But the judges here today have said that, because of the highly experimental nature of these drugs because scientists dont know the long term effects of them on the body and on the mind clinicians who are prescribing these drugs at the tavistock clinic, which is the only nhs gender transitioning clinic in the uk, may wish to come back to a court like this one and seek permission. Today, tra ns rights activists are saying that this is a huge blow to those rights. It says there are plenty of children around the country who are already struggling to get help, and this willjust delay that further, making their ordeal that much greater. The tavistock clinic says it will be appealing this decision. With a month to go until the end of the post brexit transition period, theres still no clarity about exactly how the uks borders will operate outside the eus economic zone, the Single Market and the customs union. The government says huge advances have been made in its preparations, but businesses that trade across the border are extremely concerned. Earlier, i spoke to our reality check correspondent chris morris, who explained some of the new red tape that businesses trading across the border will face from the new year. All exports from Great Britain into the eu are going to face full checks from the 1st of january. That means customs declarations, checks on product standards, food safety, new vat regime, you name it, all sorts of things. And if people come to the border in dover and dont have the right documents, theyll get turned away. Now, one of the responses from our government has been to say, well, ok, for then trade going in the other direction, in other words for stuff coming into the uk, or coming
into Great Britain rather, from the eu, well delightful checks until the 1st ofjuly by another six months, and then in theory, i mean, businesses are saying that might be enough, but that might even need to be extended a little further to avoid the kind of disruption that all these businesses who are criticising some of the Government Policies so desperately want to avoid. Now, you mentioned dover kent is going to be at the sharp end of all of this. What exactly does this mean for kent . Yeah, i mean the thing about kent is you have dover, calais and you have the channel tunnel. Take them together, they handle four million lorries every year. So its a huge amount of trade. One of the problems is the lorries tend to go sort of back and forth all the time. And 85 of the volume of trade is carried by european hauliers, and many people inside the industry feel that these are people who often are paid by the kilometre rather than by the hour. And so if they think theyre going to be sitting in queues all day, theyre simply not going to come, at least for a while. And that could prove a problem, i think, for trade to keep
going in the way that people want it to. The other thing the government is doing is, a its setting up lorry parks in kent to try and avoid congestion in motorways. And its creating an access permit, so lorries arent even allowed to go into kent unless theyve got a permit to show theyve got all the right documents. The trouble with that is that it doesnt include vans, and thousands of vans cross the channel every week. A lot of them, for example, go to places like poland, fill up the back of the van with stuff and then supply a lot of the small shops around the country. So if they dont have the right documents, they could create congestion as well. And of course, as we have been discussing over recent months, a lot of implications for Northern Ireland. Yeah, i think the people ive talked to in the last few days, retailers, hauliers if anything, this is their biggest concern at the moment because Northern Ireland is going to be treated differently under the terms of the Northern Ireland protocol in the brexit withdrawal agreement. So there, there will be no delay. A new regime from the 1st
of january come what may. And at the moment, the people who trade, who try to bring stuff in from Great Britain into Northern Ireland, so within the uk, they dont know what trades going to look like in a months time. They do know therell be a new customs it system that none of them have ever used before. The government has set up a scheme to help them with that, but theyre pretty sceptical. They dont know whether there are going to be tariffs on goods which are at risk of moving on from Northern Ireland into the eu. But they do know there are going to be full checks on food of animal origin. Huge amounts of food goes across every day to supermarkets in Northern Ireland from Great Britain, so a lorry full of sandwiches and frozen chicken. And in theory, all those different individual items have to have certificates to show that theyve been checked and therell be a lot of physical checks as well on food consignments. So thats why a lot of business groups in Northern Ireland are saying, we just cant be ready in time. We need, what theyre calling, an adjustment period. They cant call it another transition period because weve been told we cant have one of those. But what theyre trying to say is, look, we need a bit more time to be able to get used to a huge change in the way we do business. But until these negotiations, which are ongoing, come to an end, they dont really know whether that is genuinely a realistic prospect. And those negotiations are running out of time. Its five to midnight, isnt it . They are running out of time. Its been the crucial week every week for the last few weeks, but you do the maths, were now four, five, if you take christmas, there are onlyjust over 20 working days before the end of the year. So something needs to happen pretty soon. I think the expectation is this week or early next week is the time when, if anything is going to happen, if a deals going to emerge, that will be it. Chris morris there. Now its time for a look at the weather with louise. Hello there. Some of us were lucky enough to have some winter sunshine through the day today. The best of it was further east because down to the west we have some cloud thick enough for a spot or two of drizzle at times and this is the weather front that is arriving through the night tonight. So we will continue to see some wet weather gradually moving into the far northwest in the wind and strengthening. We keep those clear skies into the southeast so here he could start off cold with temperatures down to single figures. Quickly it will cloud over as it weather front pushes its way out of scotland towards the southeast of england. Weakening all the time as it does so. Behind it you will see the winds of strengthening and gale force into the far northwest and a rash of showers turning increasingly wintry as colder air kicks in behind that cold front. Different troops in scotland struggling, 3 5 but generally down across the country. Low pressure stays with us as we go into the end of the week and it will bring further wintry showers across the south hello, this is bbc
news with ben brown. The headlines 12,000 jobs likely to disappear from the high street as debenams goes out of business. It comes just hours after topshop owner arcadia collapsed into administration, putting another 13,000 jobs at risk. Devastating for all those employees. No easy time, but coming up to christmas, the uncertainty now going into 2021. I really do feel for the individual employees and their families. Mps are debating plans to introduce a new tiered system of coronavirus restrictions across england tomorrow. We cannot afford to relax, especially during the cold months of winter. Police in germany have arrested the driver of a vehicle that ploughed into pedestrians in the city of trier, killing at least two and injuring at least ten more. A High Court Ruling on the treatment of children who say theyre transgender a woman who was prescribed puberty blockers when she was 16 says shes delighted. The government urges businesses to make their final preparations for brexit a month before the transition period ends. Sport, and for a full round up from the bbc sport center, heres holly. Big news from the premier league. Good evening. Newcastle Uniteds Premier League match at aston villa on friday has been postponed following a significant increase in covid 19 cases at newcastles Training Centre. Several players and Staff Members are self isolating after returning positive test results in recent days, and the clubs Training Centre site has been closed to contain the spread of the virus. The match will now be rescheduled. In a statement, newcastle said. Its another big night in the champions league. Jurgen Klopps Liverpool will reach the knockouts if they avoid defeat against ajax at anfield. They won the reverse fixture 1 0 in amsterdam. Heres managerjurgen klopp. Why should i expect a close game . They are a really good side and since our game flying pretty much through the leak. Big results, clear top of the table, very talented with some players coming back. These kind of things, so yes i expect a close game. And Manchester City are already into the last 16 having won their first four group games. A draw tonight against porto in portugal will seal top spot in group c. A big night, too, ahead of the womens european championships in 2022. Northern ireland, wales
and scotland could still qualify for next years finals. After a 3 2 win over belarus on friday, victory for Northern Ireland tonight at home to the Faroe Islands would see them seal a play off spot. Theyve never reached a majorfinals. Wales need to beat belarus and hope Northern Ireland drop points. Scotlands women are at home to finland in group e. Defeat could end their hopes of qualifying. The england manager Gareth Southgate has told the bbc that he thinks the introduction of concussion substitutions could be coming into football soon. It follows a serious head collision in the premier League Last Weekend that left one player with a fractured skull. He also told us that, as a former player, he does have concerns about his own health and dementia. We just dont have the research. I know thats been ongoing,
i know fa are dealing with it. I was asked a few weeks ago did i have concerns about that as a former player. Well, of course i do, because its a horrible illness. And one that ive seen with family the impact of it. But i know when i was playing that i knew the risks i was taking around my health. And i wouldnt have swapped that for the career i had. Englands cricketers are aiming to complete a 3 0 whitewash in their t20 series in cape town. The hosts were stuttering on 64 for three in the tenth over when ben stokes dismissed reeza hendricks. But rassie van der dussen smasehed a quick 50 and togther with Faf Du Plessis took south africa up to 171 3. The seven time formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton says hes devastated after testing positive for cornavirus. Hes self isolating for ten days and will miss this weekends sakhir grand brix in bahrain. As part of a lengthy statement on social media, hamilton said. Mercedes say hamilton is only showing minor symptoms and is otherwise fit and well. Plenty more on the bbc sport website. You can watch live streams of this afternoons third round uk championship snooker matches, plus keep up to date with englands third t20 against south africa. And a reminder, the bbc sport personality of the year nominees are being announced throughout the day across the bbc. Thats all from me. Ben. Many thanks, see you later on. As weve been hearing, borisjohnson and sir keir starmer have clashed in the commons over whether a new tiered system of coronavirus restrictions should replace the National Lockdown in england. The measures are expected to be approved when mps vote later, but dozens of conservative backbenchers have expressed unhappiness about the plan. They are threatening to rebel against government in that boat. Labour is abstaining from tonights vote. With more on that, lets speak to the labour co op mp for ealing north, james murray. Thank you very much indeed for being with us. Why are you abstaining . Borisjohnson said today with us. Why are you abstaining . Boris johnson said today with with us. Why are you abstaining . Borisjohnson said today with a history of this pandemic comes to be written, history will show that one party were taking the decisions and another party, yours, heroically decided to abstain. It is not very heroic to abstain, is equipment is a
very clear decision and is consistent. The government needs to put in place to key peoples save so they need the restrictions and the Health Measures to protect peoples help they also did the economic support. Thats the Financial Support. Thats the Financial Support for peoples jobs and their livelihoods and businesses and so on. Of the problem with the government is offering today is that although it brings in the new system we get of lockdown at midnight tonight, it does not provide the economic support that we need in a fair way across the board in all parts of the country. So we dont wa nt to parts of the country. So we dont want to stop it going to deny because we dont want to be left with no Health Protection measures in place after midnight tonight with no restrictions once they at laps but we dont also want to endorse with the government is doing because it has not gotten economic support in place. It is not fair the way the government are not providing that Financial Support especially to tier 3 areas and many in the north and the midlands who have been really ha rd the midlands who have been really hard hit by tier 3 restrictions both before and after the lockdown we are
exiting now. They need more help in more Financial Support and the government simply is not offering that. The Prime Minister says you are sitting on your hands and to the public just hearing that are sitting on your hands and to the publicjust hearing that you will abstain, they will think that. They will think you cannot make up your mind. We are being very clear about our approach and we have set up clearly what we decided this ahead of the vote tonight. All these decisions that are coming thick and fast throughout the brick are difficult and they do but have to balance up different competing interests about keeping people safe and making sure the economic support is in place. We have been Crystal Clear throughout the want to make sure the Health Protection measures are brought in and actually are pushing the government throughout the outbreak to be quicker about that and to bring him new measures quicker than they have done in most cases but we have also said you have to have economic support and help businesses and help people whose jobs are under threat and whose livelihoods are under threat. To give you one example of how unfair is the moment, in areas which work
going into tier 3 now and somewhere in tier3 going into tier 3 now and somewhere in tier 3 before the lockdown as well, they are getting the same extra business support grant is areas who are now going into tier 1. The place is like the isle of wight who have been in lockdown and are going into tier1 are getting the same business support grant as early as manchester who were in tier 3 before and are going back into tier 3 after the lockdown. So its really important government gets a strong message that needs to be fair in terms of economic support and that has to go hand in hand with necessary Health Measures. As i from business support, do you think the various levels in the various areas of england are too tough or not tough enough . Do you think there are too many areas in tier 2 and tier 3 or not enough . I think we have to be guided by the science when i say that whats really important is that we see the evidence and its transparent. Because one of the big problems with the weather government has gone about this is that they have not published the evidence in the detail that we need. They have not been really clear about why
certain areas are going into different tiers and when they can come out or so on. They have published the criteria and a number of cases and hospitalisations a number of people over 60 testing positive and so on. The factors but not clear about what the thresholds are or the levels to which decisions go from one tier into another and then we can exit. Ive spoken to mps who are in tier 3 and a scratching their heads about why they are in their heads about why they are in their want to know how to get out. Its a first rule of doing stuff in politics and if you want to try to people with you can be should explain people on the ground and bring with you the local leaders and local councils and so want to make sure that they understand why decisions are being taken as well. This is all being done in a way which is very confusing and which is not very clear and the evidence is not very clear and the evidence is not transparent and i think that we would need from the government is a bit of clarity and a bit certainty and crucially economic support to help businesses and jobs and people
get through the next few months. Not be difficult. Thank you very much, james mary. Interesting development in the last hour as weve heard from one council which is told matt hancock it intends to launch a review judicially of the decision to put it in tier3 judicially of the decision to put it in tier 3 tomorrow. The area has one of the lowest infection rates in england and before the latest lockdown was in tier 1. So has gone from tier1 prior to the lockdown up to tier 3. Philip mackeyjoins us with more detail. Eight tory council taking on the government with this review. A new avenue of resistance. They are fuming in strafford and i was there on friday and talking to businesses and people in the town ever they could not get why they have one of the lowest infection rates in the country but would end
up rates in the country but would end up in the highest tier coming out of lockdown. It is a town and an area which has really felt the impact of the pandemic more than many other places because it relies so heavily on Foreign Tourists coming in who would have been able to come and the business that is brought in by the Royal Shakespeare theatre which is not been able to open. He had planned to open at the end of this month but it cannot now because it is in tier3 month but it cannot now because it is in tier 3 and that has a massive implication for businesses in the town. I was at a guesthouse which allows of people coming to the theatre to stay overnight and there we re theatre to stay overnight and there were five bed and breakfast in this little row, i mean nine and five are not for sale and the lady who ran this one was saying she could not see a future for the business unless the theatre gets back up and the lady who ran this one was saying she could not see a future for the business unless the theatre gets back up when people start back to the coming town. So the leader of Stratford Upon Avon District Council who is a conservative has said he thinks a decision is arbitrary and elect a rational and the number of cases per 100,000 in the latest
heard from Public Health england for the week up to the 27th of november have the infection rate at 74 per 100,000. Next door, the Borough Council has an infection rate of nearly 300 and it is in tier 2. You can understand the anger and i think that they felt they had tried to lobby theirmp, that they felt they had tried to lobby their mp, now the new vaccination minister but thought they were getting nowhere there and now are taking legal action to try get themselves moved out at least to tier lower. Thank you very much indeed. With a month to go until the end of the post brexit transition period, theres still no clarity about exactly how the uks borders will operate outside the eus economic zone, the Single Market and the customs union. The government says huge advances have been made in its preparations, but businesses that trade across the border are extremely concerned. Elio danna is the co founder of the house of fine art gallery, which imports and exports art and jewellery and is getting ready for brexit. Eliojoins me now. How will brexit affect your business and your world of art and jewellery . Thank you for having us. We are trying to keep a positive approach to this change as we always embrace new challenges. As you have mentioned, we have not received much information that is readily available. We have had to seek information ourselves and engage professionals in order to understand the various implications as it is still quite unclear. But we are fortu nate to still quite unclear. But we are fortunate to operate as a multinational with companies in the uk, usa and europe. As of last week, we still noticed the customs website had not been updated either. We are hoping they will be no changes in the import duties and taxation and it is interesting to see that
goldman sachs just post a report today predicting growth in the uk economy in 2021. And as i mentioned, try to keep a positive approach what is definitely a challenging time. Time is running out with only a few weeks left until the end of the year. Do you feel you have enough information about what is going to change . We feel that we have been getting ready through this transition period and we definitely have been working across all of our locations and making sure that we have the most effective solution. But there is definitely a lack of information as of today. So we are all waiting i think like everybody else. It will mean a lot more paperwork for you, do you think or not . Absolutely. We, our business is dealing with clientele that is very international so we are very used to
working across borders as you mentioned. Paperwork is our everyday routine. Exports and country of origin certificates, also thing that is very common for us. But i can understand that companies that were working always in the free trade now are suddenly being put with a huge challenge but for us as a data rate, we had a ready for this and we have been working for this for quite a while now. Good luck with all of that and thank you very much indeed for coming on. Thanks a lot. Every christmas, its safe to say many of us buy a little too much food and that at least some of it will go in the bin. The Youth Homelessness Charity Centrepoint is encouraging people to resist buying too much food and instead donate £10 to pay for a hot meal for a homeless young person. Joining me now is chef and
centrepoint ambassador aldo zilli. He spent six weeks sleeping rough as a teenager and campaigns against food waste in his bid to help the homeless. Thank you so much for being with us this evening. Tell us a bit more about this campaign and what if you are asking people to do. Its been a tough year for everyone. Not just Homeless People but a tough year for everyone in any industry. Its been worse this year for the charities in general. Centrepoint looks after young people that are homeless and this year, last year at this time was 24,000, the number of the homeless young people who were teenagers in this year it has gone up teenagers in this year it has gone up and it a lot worst and it really upsets me to see that in this
country we still have this massive problem. And the ethicality industry has been a bit of a problem. To say the least. So a lot of people have lost theirjobs and their way to live and lost their flats. So we have started this fundraising with centrepoint so people can go and donate £10 to whatever they can donate. I merge people to spend less and eat less this year because the families are strong because they cannot be together with too many people being together so we should have that little extra and we can donate it to these poor youngsters that might not even have a Christmas Day meal. Thats what im trying to put out there and begging everyone
to listen. And to do something about it. Its a great message and a few people are listening. You are speaking to us as a celebrity chef but also as somebody with experience your self of homelessness as i mentioned. And i think he wants eight discarded pizza from the back ofa eight discarded pizza from the back of a restaurant. Tell us about your experiences. My experiences as a youngster, on the youngest of nine children. I wanted to explore the world. I wanted to get out of the Little Village i lived in in italy. And looking back now, i would done it probably but in those days ijust was so young it probably but in those days ijust was so young and it probably but in those days ijust was so young and so it probably but in those days ijust was so young and so ambitious to see the world. Sol was so young and so ambitious to see the world. So i decided to get on a train and leave and i did not by people who are promising meetjobs and god knows what else. So i turned up and god knows what else. So i turned up in this big city in the middle of germany andl up in this big city in the middle of germany and i found myself with no
money very quickly because all i had was 100,000 lira and my pocket. In those days it was £50. Which lasted about two days. And eating and then i started eating out of the back of a restaurant kitchen and bends and things like that. So it was very tough. But it taught me quite a lot. Fast forward to this christmas and even this time of pandemic and coronavirus, its safe to say many of us will overindulge this christmas but your message is to remember those who were not so fortu nate. Remember those who were not so fortunate. Yes, i mean people probably look at this and say weve lost so many people to the pandemic, its been a terrible year. I know but why make it worse . The people who have a roof over our heads here, we are in a nice house and ive started business from home so we are
doing takeaways and deliveries from my house here because i lost all my work in march. Sol my house here because i lost all my work in march. So i recommitted myself and im urging everyone to see the light at the end of the tunnel. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. It is not the end. If you have your health, you have everything. Everything else can be fixed. So good to speak to you. Thank you so much for your time and its a great message. Centrepoint ambassador and celebrity chef, many thanks. Back to the house of commons now as we expect that chemo about an hour away on the governments new tiered restrictions for england. Three tiers we committed to go through with the government winning although there will be a rebellion of tory backbenchers, labour are standing and so are the snp and the little democrats, this is a liberal democrats, this is a liberal democrat so lets listen and forestall. Say for 1002 attend an
indoor event yet to friends cannot meet for a drink in one of the two cana pubs meet for a drink in one of the two can a pubs that have spent thousands to ensure they are covered secure. If you want to ensure compliance, they need to understand what they are working towards. If the government has so far refused to publish details of how its five indicators are being applied or waited. For a party that is supposed to believe in personal responsibility and encourage people to do the right thing, it seems very hesitant to equip able to do so. I have long been arguing along with members opposite for a full Impact Assessment that details notjust members opposite for a full Impact Assessment that details not just the Economic Impact both the non covid 19 health harm. The flinty document published yesterday was frankly not worth the paper it was written on and left me none the wiser about the impact of these restrictions on my constituents. How does that help to build trust and bind these measures . Just briefly on support, those of us making these
difficult decisions do not need to worry about how we will pay for our childrens shoes. Yet many of our constituents whose livelihoods are being destroyed do. They need far greater support in particular the hospitality sector and the three million who been overlooked today. Simply not good enough and that is why i cannot and will not vote for these measures this evening. While we wait for the roll out of the vaccine, there are no easy choices available to the government. The choice is between lockdown and a tiered system and unrestricted return to normal life. From an economic and social perspective, lock downs are by far the worst option. Entering a cycle of lockdown, reopen, repeat does not amount to living with a virus but it is hiding from it. While causing long lasting damage to the same time. People i put up with a great deal this year and are desperate to understand to return to their normal lives. But we know the national
health Service Comes under strain in the winter months in normal times and these are very far from normal times. To simply reopen with no restriction could be a huge gamble that could lead to the loss of tens of thousands of lives. Which leaves the option of regional tears which i believe are offering the best option for living with a virus on waiting for living with a virus on waiting for a full deployment of the vaccine and in acknowledging that it is important to recognise that tiers are not a destination. They are a holding pattern. Ithink are not a destination. They are a holding pattern. I think the government has could do a great deal more in terms of transparency around the evidence basis of the relation for decisions relating to tiers. Im not especially happy with the tear my own deciduous he is put in or is a concern to bromley or Greater London and why grid lender has a range of infection rates most much higher than my own borough. Greater london also has a very large number of hospitals. And we know from department for Health Figures in hs
in london is now at the end of the year only 76 at the level it was in the spring. 0n year only 76 at the level it was in the spring. On that basis it is possible to make the argument the nhs has Surge Capacity to cope with the spike of infections in london and therefore perhaps it could be placed in tier1 rather than in tier 2. However it is also possible to conceive of a situation where if you run out of control. In addition i know the government as is and representations from collings on this side and across the house and a range of activities can resume in tier2 range of activities can resume in tier 2 that were not available during lockdown. However his other colleagues have said hospitality particular pubs will be hard hit so wildly existing and support for the Prime Ministers today are welcome, i would call on the government to have another look at see if more can be done on the rate for the vaccine. In closing, i must comment on the total abdication of responsibility offered today by the leader of the opposition. It is truly scandalous. It is all very well pointing to the
faults of others as opposing the alternative government must have a tentative plans. But the moral vacuity of standing him a saying i do not like what you were doing but neither offering an alternative nor even having the courage to vote on it is absolutely damning. 84 withdrawn so we go straight to rob. Thank you. I hope thats not a consolation. Thank you. As with so many honourable members here today, i face many honourable members here today, iface an many honourable members here today, i face an difficult decision. The National Restrictions were supposed to get a grip of the virus, a short, sharp shock of 35 to return to normal way of life in the run up to christmas. Instead my constituents are now being asked to come out of the National Lockdown into a stronger set of local restrictions than they faced before. It is a very
tough asked. Not made any easier by the inadequacy of robust data to support the proposals in front of us on what data there is is inconsistent. The arguments on both sides of debate have a well rehearsed here today and there is no perfect answer. There is nuance, there is doubt and there are what ifs. But the vote is binary. Yes or no and we are paid to decide. That if the house of commons and we will leave that debate now or they talk about the new tiered restrictions for england and is a flick of the government will win that vote and the vote expected at around 7pm this evening. Full coverage here on bbc news with sophie coming up on the news at 6pm but first here is the weather with louise. Hello there. We replaced november gloom with something a little bit more sparkling to start off the month of december. Yes, we had some sunshine across the country. It was a day beautiful in ashford, kent. Slightly different story further north and west there was quite a lot of cloud, and the cloud thick enough at times
to reduce a summer light drizzle. Now this is a weather front thats arriving, and it will continue to bring the potentialfor some rain a fairly narrow band as it moves its way into scotland and Northern Ireland. Down to the south east corner, we may well keep those clear skies, so temperatures here hovering close to freezing first thing. But it is the weather front thats the driving force behind the story over the next few days. Its a cold front and, as it sinks its way steadily south and east, itll allow the flood gates to open to some bitterly cold air, and some strong and, at times, Gale Force Gusts of winds. So, a rash of showers expected on wednesday into the north west of scotland, some turning increasingly wintry, as well. 0ur weatherfront sinks its way into east anglia and the south east corner by then, a weak affair, with temperatures down on where they should be for the time of year, particularly feeling cold in scotland when you factor in the strength of the wind. Low pressure really dominates over the next few days. Therell be a frequent rash of further snow showers to come into the early hours of thursday
morning and, at the same time, some wet weather into the south west. So we see some rain, some of it heavy at times, across south wales and southern england, accompanied by Gale Force Gusts of wind, as well. Best of the any sunshine further north, but again, its a cool feeling day for all, and well still continue to see a few showers. Top temperatures of 3 7 celsius. Moving out of thursday, that weather front should ease off into the next continent. But the low pressure staying close by, and it may well allow some wet weather to push in off the north sea as it pushes into colder air, theres the potential to see some snow even at lower levels through scotland during the day on friday, and some snow showers potentially across the Higher Ground of Northern England and north wales. We need to keep abreast of the forecast for that one. Wales and South West England seeing the best of any drier weather, but theres a lot of uncertainty for the detail on friday. But its certainly worth bearing in mind that, if you do have travel plans, theres the possibility of some snow particularly to the far north of scotland. Tonight at six 12,000 more jobs at risk as another big high street name collapses. More than two centuries after it was founded, debenhams could close its doors for good but not until theyve sold off all their stock. We wont have any Shopping Centres left. Well have no town centres left. Its not really kept up with the Online Development and its competitors. Really puts it into perspective how much covids affecting everybody. Since the start of the pandemic, tens of thousands ofjobs have been lost in retail alone. Also tonight. Putting up the decorations but this pub in tier 3 will remain closed when englands lockdown ends at midnight a tough christmas ahead a 23 year old woman who regrets
taking drugs to transition to a
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