and the heat is on the met office says today could be the hottest day of the year so far. some parts of the uk will be hotter than athens and ibiza today. what s it like where you are and how are you coping? get in touch @annitabbc and use the #bbcyourquestions. also coming up, birth control for grey squirrels as scientists hope to control an expanding population and save our native reds. hello and welcome to bbc news. the foreign secretary, liz truss, is the latest senior cabinet member to enter the conservative leadership race. ii contenders are now in the running. conservative backbenchers will meet later this afternoon to finalise the contest s rules, which will aim to thin the field quickly. my colleague ben brown is live in westminster for us this morning and we canjoin him now. another very busy day in politics. on that number could grow further still? .. , ., , still? exactly. the weather is heatina still? exactly. the weather is heating up still? exactly. the wea
staircases. scenes not usually photographed by typical tourists. one of the men seen the next day walking from the president s rally. there s no escape, pelosi. schumer. nadler. we re coming for you. we re coming in like white on rice for pelosi, nadler, schumer, even you, aoc, we re coming to take you out. there is a lot more. we will have a report from capitol hill on the latest. the federal reserve today back in the spotlight with the expected announcement of the first big interest rate boost since 1994 to try to combat historic levels of inflation, which shows no sign of leveling off. president biden pressuring oil companies as prices at the pump soar, sending letters to seven refiners asking them to increase supply and explain their big profit margins and a meeting with the energy secretary about to happen. on capitol hill, more optimism about bipartisan support for a compromise gun safety bill. if it leads to a piece of legislation, i intend to support it. i t
i prefer to look at the opportunity. and in the last year, we ve had modelling that shows we ll lift 100,000 children out of poverty, we ve had statistics just last month showing that we ve had record numbers ofjunior doctors joining the nhs, we ve had statistics that show that school leavers, record levels are going to positive destinations. and just in february, at the turn of this year, we ve seen that private sector employment growth is outstripping any other nation or region of the uk here in scotland. so challenges plenty. 0pportunities plenty as well. and that s why, probably, because of that success, the last two polls that have come out, of course, have shown the snp in lead position come a general election, whenever that may be. what about, if i may, the shadow and the uncertainty that comes with, i have to say, an extensive police investigation into quote potential embezzlement and fraud at the heart of the snp. it s an investigation which has, of course,
i often get asked that question about challenges. i prefer to look at the opportunity. and in the last year, we ve had modelling that shows we ll lift 100,000 children out of poverty, we ve had statistics just last month showing that we ve had record numbers ofjunior doctors joining the nhs, we ve had statistics that show that school leavers, record levels are going to positive destinations. and just in february, the turn of this year, we ve seen that private sector employment growth is outstripping any other nation or region of the uk here in scotland. so challenges plenty. 0pportunities plenty as well. and that s why, probably, because of that success, the last two polls that have come out, of course, have shown the snp in lead position come a general election, whenever that may be. what about, if i may, the shadow and the uncertainty that comes with, i have to say, an extensive police investigation into potential embezzlement and fraud at the heart of the snp. it s a
here in scotland. so challenges plenty. 0pportunities plenty as well. and that s why, probably, because of that success, the last two polls that have come out, of course, have shown the snp in lead position come a general election, whenever that may be. what about, if i may, the shadow and the uncertainty that comes with, i have to say, an extensive police investigation into quote potential embezzlement and fraud at the heart of the snp. it s an investigation which has, of course, involved your predecessor, nicola sturgeon, and her husband, peter murrell, who was the former chief executive of the snp. they ve been arrested, they ve been released. the police haven t charged them, they ve denied any wrongdoing. but would you at least accept this is a massive cloud now hanging over your party? i ve never denied that the police investigation will clearly have issues, have challenges, present us with challenges, and voters will undoubtedly be concerned about the police i