# eastenders theme and there is a new couple in albert square, as the duke and duchess of cornwall star in a specialjubilee episode of eastenders. good morning. ithink good morning. i think many parts of the uk will see the sun at some stage today, particularly the further south and east you are, but will that sunshine sparked off some thundery showers for you this afternoon? more details on what is happening where coming up. it is sunday 22 may. our main story: the long awaited report into gatherings in downing street during lockdown is expected to be published within days. the senior civil servant sue gray has given people she intends to name in her report until 5:00pm today to respond. meanwhile, pressure is growing on the prime minister to explain what was discussed at a meeting between him and ms gray several weeks ago. our political correspondent iain watson reports. the long awaited report into gatherings at the heart of government is being finalised this weekend an
intojuly. light as we head through june and intojuly. in light as we head through june and into jul . ., light as we head through june and into jul . . ,., ., into july. in that report we had some of the into july. in that report we had some of the reasoning - into july. in that report we had some of the reasoning behind | into july. in that report we had i some of the reasoning behind the ballot for strike action. it is difficult. a lot of money is being spent on the railways. ticket prices are at record highs. where is that money going if it isn t going to staff? pm money going if it isn t going to staff? ., money going if it isn t going to staff? . , ., ., money going if it isn t going to staff? ., ., ., , staff? an awful lot of the money that comes staff? an awful lot of the money that comes into staff? an awful lot of the money that comes into the staff? an awful lot of the money that comes into the railways, i staff? an awful lot of the money i that comes into the r
particularly commuter numbers into places like london. the railway needs places like london. the railway needs its places like london. the railway needs its passengers back so that it can better needs its passengers back so that it can better pay its bills. what needs its passengers back so that it can better pay its bills. can better pay its bills. what i find interesting can better pay its bills. what i find interesting about - can better pay its bills. what i find interesting about the i can better pay its bills. what i i find interesting about the response of the public after the pandemic is that they have been very keen not to take the train if they can avoid it. and it is quite a verdict on the state of our railways, isn t it, that people are going to roestbakken pay skyhigh prices because the services just aren t good enough. i servicesjust aren t good enough. i disagree with you. people have flocked disagree with you. people have flocked back to the railways, but mainly
and needs of how the economy fared towards and needs of how the economy fared towards the and needs of how the economy fared towards the end and needs of how the economy fared towards the end of and needs of how the economy fared towards the end of last and needs of how the economy fared towards the end of last year, - towards the end of last year, hitting towards the end of last year, hitting a towards the end of last year, hitting a milestone? - hitting a milestone? yes. hitting a milestone? yes. we hitting a milestone? yes, we got - hitting a milestone? yes, we got some . hitting a milestone? - yes, we got some numbers hitting a milestone? yes, we got some numbers from november saying they grew faster than expected, that go back to the same size it was finally before the pandemic struck. if you look at this graph here, you can see this dramatic fall in 2020, one of the biggest hits the uk had in the developed world, but this trampoline effect, there is the bounce
i use it every week, basically. and at the moment, there is no point in trying to make anyjourneys, i go by car. bruce was a regular on the exeter waterloo train, but it s among a growing number of services that have faced cutbacks in recent weeks. southwestern says it s a temporary change because of covid. yet rail users say they re not convinced. we re very cynical. we can t have any benefit of seeing any evidence at all that the passengers being looked after and that actually the original timetable or the pre even december 2021 timetable will be reinstated soon. this is very, very bad news, very worrying long term. the problems facing our railways have been compounded by reduced fare income as a result of a fall in passenger demand. even in the weeks before the new omicron restrictions, commuter numbers in great western railways were less than half what they were pre covid.