10/10/2012 BBC News at Ten

Tonight at Ten: David Cameron's stark warning about Britain's

economic future. On the last day of the Conservative Conference, he

says the country has to face some hard truths. We are in a global

race today. That means an hour of reckoning for countries like ours.

Sink or swim, do or decline. the Prime Minister said he was

confident the Government had put Britain back on the right track.

We'll be asking if today's speech has changed the political debate.

Also tonight: The big deal is off. Plans to merge BAE with a Franco-

German defence firm have collapsed. The abuse allegations involving

Jimmy Savile will be investigated by an independent inquiry, says the

BBC. I think it is clear that not only should the BBC have done more

but everybody should have done more. And, Lance Armstrong's doping

routine is judged to be the biggest ever in sport. Coming up: Lord

Treisman criticises the FA over their handling of John Terry. The

former chairman says the Chelsea Good evening. David Cameron has

warned that Britain faces an hour of reckoning if it wants to remain

a competitive economy. He said the choice was to sink or swim. The

Prime Minister told the Conservative Conference that the

damage sustained by the economy had been worse than first thought and

would take longer to fix than he'd hoped. This report contains some

flash photography. Who is he really? What is his government for?

Why are they doing what they're doing? Questions David Cameron set

out to answer, which is odd, because it is more than two years

since he became Prime Minister. Questions still asked by a party

which is showing signs of having The Seven Year Itch with its leader.

Questions he started to address by issuing a stark warning to the

country. Unless we act, unless we take difficult, painful decisions,

unless we showed determination and imagination, Britain may not be in

the future what it has been in the past. Because the truth is this. We

are in a global race today. That means an hour of reckoning for

countries like ours. Sink or swim, do or decline. After the gloom was

meant to come hope. Captured in the conference slogan, Britain can

deliver, as it did this summer. There was pride from the games but

also raw emotion. I am so grateful for what the Paralympians did. When

I used to push my son, Ivan, around in his wheelchair, I used to think

that too many people saw the wheelchair and not the boy. I think

today more people would see the boy and not a wheelchair and that is

because of what happened in Britain this summer. At the heart of the

speech was an argument - that Britain could compete only if its

government curb spending, a reformed welfare and turned around

schools. The claim forced this admission. I know you are asking

whether our plan is working. It is the truth. The damage was worse

than we thought and it is taking longer than we hoped. He knows his

future hangs on whether voters conclude he needs more time to

finish the job or whether they back the Labour call for a plan be - a

plan he derides. Whatever the day, whatever the question, whatever the

measure, it is borrow more money. Labour, the party of One notion -

borrowing. It was by now all too clear that David Cameron has awoken

to the threat posed by it Ed Miliband and that speech last week.

We do not preach about one nation but practice class law, we get

behind people who want to get on in life. They call us the party of the

better off. No. We're the party of those who want to be better off.

was for the strivers, he said, that the Government's welfare reforms

work as ambitious as Bevan after the war. He said his school reforms

were a battle of the left-wing establishment with a toxic culture

of low expectations. For those that say, he wants children to have the

kind of education he had at his posh school, do you know what I

say? Yes, you are absolutely right. They went to a great school and

want every child to have that sort of education. I am here to spread

privilege and not defend it. After a week that has been about facing

up to sew the reality, the Tory leader tried to rouse his

supporters by sprinkling them with the spirit of Team GB. This is the

country that invented the computer, defeated the Nazis, fort of every

invader for 1000 years, the event persuaded the Queen to jump out of

a helicopter to make the world smile. There is nothing we cannot

do. Let's get deficit down, gross fired up, aspiration backed all

away. We know what it takes to win. Let's get out there and do it.

is not the speech that David Cameron once dreamed of delivering.

He could not claim that job has been done. He had tried to convince

these people and the country better still could be done. Next year may

well be as difficult as the last one. He tried to answer all those

who question his motives. And Nick Robinson is back in London now. And

he is in Downing Street for us tonight. Let's just talk about that

speech and ask you whether you think the content to day amounted

to not just a new appeal but a new political argument. -- today.

think the Prime Minister was trying to take the short-term argument

about the deficit and lack of economic growth Macro and turn it

into a bigger long-term argument about how to arrest the national

decline. Decline not just against China and India but other big

developing economies like Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia and the like. He

said that involved curbing spending and reforming welfare and education

as well. Strikingly, David Cameron presented himself in a different

way. Gone for -- Khan was the man from Notting Hill with urban

concerns. In its place was the boy from Berkshire, the man he was

emphasising rather traditional Tory values. Values of hard work,

aspiration, insisting those who are privileged had to spread that

privilege. In a sense today, at the Tory conference and it all the

conferences, we have yet to see any Newby policy idea that lots of

important political positioning. Ed Miliband has talked about one-

nation Labour in Nick Clegg has said his party is now one of three

parties of government. What was my striking about the Prime Minister

today was there was not a single word about coalition or the Liberal

Democrats and not a mention of Nick Clegg. A planned merger between

Britain's biggest manufacturer, BAE Systems, and the European aerospace

giant, EADS, has been abandoned. The deal needed the approval of the

British, French and German governments but it seems the

objections of German ministers couldn't be overcome. The merger

would have created the world's biggest defence and aviation

company, overtaking the US firm Boeing. It would have been a merger

on a huge scale. The idea to join the only British maker of fighter

aircraft, BAE Systems come up with the European owners of Airbus.

After days of rumour, at lunchtime, the BBC broke the news that the

deal is dead. The company behind Airbus is effectively part owned by

the French and German governments. They both wanted stakes in the new

venture but discussions about the size of the share and level of

control scuppered the deal. The chairman of BAE told the BBC that

Germany had become more intransigent. That would have made

it hard for the UK to agree. view is that for this company as a

merged entity to be successful it would have had to operate as a

commercial company free of any undue control and influence by a

single government. This deal was so complex that the various

governments involved could not agree. In the financial heart of

the city, wake up behind me, it has left many wondering where does this

leave BAE Systems? It employs 35,000 people, making military

aircraft, warships and even submarines. With defence budgets in

the West shrinking, the big concern is jobs, especially in places like

Lancashire. What this means is that jobs here are probably safe and

they can look forward to a bright future probably for the next 15

years. It makes sense to create a European company to compete with

the American giants. A similar story at Barrow in finesse where

they build a nuclear submarine. Some claim this company could

become a takeover target. This is a missed opportunity for BAE. Some

will believe the company will be vulnerable to the Americans -

perhaps one of the major American companies - looking at it. We could

see the break-up of BAE Systems because of this. We could see

another attempt for EADS and BAE to get together again. BAE says the

merger was an opportunity and not a necessity. Its shares fell today

and there could be more choppy waters ahead. Police are

questioning two people, arrested at Heathrow Airport last night, on

suspicion of committing terrorism offences. The man and woman are

both British and they are being held on suspicion of travelling to

Syria in support of alleged terrorist activity. Our security

correspondent is here. What more can you tell us? The 26-year-old

man and 26-year-old woman were picked up at Heathrow Airport

yesterday off a flight from Egypt. It is not a random stop. It is an

ongoing investigation into travel to Syria for terrorist reasons. One

line of inquiry is a link to the abduction - the holding - of two

journalists, including a British Sunday Times journalist in Syria

over the summer. The Sunday Times journalist said he was held by a

judge hardest group and an NHS doctor who was on a two-year

sabbatical from an NHS hospital in London as part of this group.

Police are not commenting on whether or not one of the people

picked up might be that Dr that they are investigating a potential

leak. No one has been charged yet. It is a sign the authorities are

looking into these Britons who are going to Syria to fight. Some of

them with the Free Syrian Army which the Government broadly

supports. Some, a small number of Britons, are going out to fight

with these groups. They are the ones the authorities are worried

about. They might be turned battle- hardened and dangerous. The BBC

will appoint an independent figure to lead an inquiry into the scandal

surrounding Jimmy Savile. He has been accused of abusing as many as

25 young women and girls during his long career. Lord Patten said the

investigation would begin as soon It was a headstone honouring a

local hero. This morning it was gone. Removed and destroyed by his

family. Meanwhile in London, facing the questions, Lord Patten, the

head of the BBC Trust, the body that oversees the corporation. He

said yes, the BBC should have done more in the past, given the rumours.

Now then, now then, now then... Then what about this, a tribute to

Sir Jimmy Savile broadcast after the head of the BBC was told

Newsnight was investigating Savile. Give us a kiss then. The director

of television knows of this investigation, knows that there are

these issues about Sir Jimmy Savile and then still broadcasts an

affectionate tribute to Jimmy Savile a few weeks later. He didn't

know the terms of the investigation. He must have had an idea? He knew

it was an investigation into rumours about Jimmy Savile. For

years, if we're to believe newspaper editors and others, for

years, people have known about the rumours surrounding Jimmy Savile.

It didn't stop anybody writing pieces about him. That was wrong.

It was wrong at the BBC that we were part of that culture. Those

rumours were very well known. An Irish radio programme put them

directly to Jimmy Savile five years ago. What claims of abuse? Claims

of abuse with you and young children? Oh, never heard of it in

my life. Never heard of it? Never heard of it. It was mentioned in

that documentary. No, it wasn't at all. Then there's the question of

the special access Jimmy Savile had. A former resident of the Duncroft

Approved School for girls said he was the only man allowed to use a

flat there. At Stoke Mandeville he had an office and a flat. He of

course, he ped raise money for the hospital, but one former patient

said nurses didn't always welcome his ward visits. There was an air

of resignation, something you had to put up with. There was some

ironic chatter between them about who would be the lucky one to go

off with him to his room. Then as one of the nurses was leaving or

passing by my bed, she said, "And the best thing you can do is stay

in bed until he's gone and pretend to be asleep." The hospital says it

was unaware of any inappropriate behaviour. Meanwhile more people

have approached the police. The allegations are growing day by day.

Coming up tonight: New research into the storms raging on the

surface of the sun. The US Government denies claims

that its consulate in Benghazi was inadequately protected when their

ambassador died there last night. The former head of the US military

team in Libya told a Congressional hearing that the security was weak

and a struggle. Our North America editor Mark Mardell reports. The

American ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens and three of his colleagues,

died in an attack on the US compound in Benghazi. There were

five special agents on guard. The ambassador had repeatedly asked for

tighter security. Initially the American government linked the

attack to protests against an anti- Muslim film. Now they say it was a

terrorist attack. The committee will come to order... Republicans

are outraged at the change. It was September 11th, the 11th

anniversary of the greatest terrorist attack in US history, in

New York, Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon. It was that anniversary

that caused an organisation, aligned with Al-Qaeda, to attack

and kill our personnel. This isn't just about why the attack took

place. The central charge against the people here at the State

Department is that they ignored repeated requests for greater

security for political reasons. With only a month before an

election, that's a very political charge. Mitt Romney has put the

attack at the heart of his accusation that President Obama

doesn't stand up for America. latest assault can't be blamed on a

reprehensible video insulting Islam, despite the administration's

attempts to convince of us of that. The administration has finally

conceded these attacks were the deliberate work of terrorists.

committee heard that security was a struggle. There are allegations

numbers of agents were kept artificially low. Those on the

ground wanted 15 special agents, they got only seven. What's

infuriating is that we have hundreds of terrorist types of

activities, our consulate is bombed twice. The British ambassador has

an anas nation attempt and you're over here arguing about whether the

number is five or two or five or three. Democrats say budget cuts

backed by Republicans are really to blame and some think the whole

situation was out of control. easy to blame someone else, like a

civil servant at the State Department. We all know the game.

We want to stop the attacks on our embassies, let's stop trying to

overthrow governments. One security official has said another six

agents, another foot of wall would have made no difference, but this

is now about something bigger and the State Department looks at least

complacent. Jeremy Forrest, the teacher who

travelled to France with a 15-year- old pupil, has tonight been charged

with child abduction after being extradited to the UK. Mr Forrest,

who is 30 and married, flew back to Gatwick Airport from Bordeaux this

afternoon. He's due to appear before magistrates tomorrow.

An official report has concluded that the former Tour De France

winner, Lance Armstrong, was at the centre of the most stpit Kateed

doping programme the sport has ever seen. The US Anti-Doping Agency has

published more than a thousand pages of evidence against the

cyclist who won the Tour De France a record seven times after he

recovered from cancer. Let's speak to our sports correspondent James

Pearce. We've talked about his cheating before. It's the scale of

it that is now apparent. That's right. We've heard some of these

allegations before. It's the sheer volume which makes today's

developments quite so extraordinary. 26 people have testified, 11 of

them former team-mates. We're told Armstrong wasn't just a drug taker.

He was an enforcing encouraging other people to get involved in

testing. Armstrong's lawyer has described this as a one-sided

hatchet job, the evidence appears to be overwhelming. Not just about

Armstrong. We're told in the Tour De France from 1999 until 2005, the

21 people who finished on podium in the top three 20 of those 21 are

tainted by drugs. Some serious questions for the authorities as

well. This report really backs up evidence from some cyclists that

Lance Armstrong failed a drugs test in 2001, which was covered up. The

record from the Anti-Doping Agency concludes by saying, "So ends one

of the most sordid chapters in sports history." Some might debate

whether or not it's ended. I don't think anyone will doubt it's sorted.

An Appeal Court in Russia has unexpectedly released one of the

three members of the punk group Pussy Riot, who was jailed in

August. The judge suspended the two year sentence given to Yekaterina

Samutsevich after ruling she played little part in a demonstration

against President Putin. Her two band mates were sents back to

prison. From Moscow, our correspondent Steve Rosenberg

reports. She was free, but she didn't get far. Released after more

than six months in jail, Yekaterina Samutsevich was mobbed by

supporters and journalists. But she was soon in the arms of her father.

"I'm pleased, but I feel bad for the others, who didn't get out."

In court, Samutsevich's two-year prison term was commuted to a

suspended sentence. But the two other Pussy Riot activists failed

in their appeals. They'll be sent to a prison colony. Maria Alyokhina

said, we've been jailed for our political beliefs. Even if we're

sent to Siberia now, we won't stay silent.

Then again, Pussy Riot never has. The band has played outside a

prison, where anti-government protesters were jailed. They've

screamed "down with Putin" on Red Square. It's this stunts at

Moscow's main cathedral which put three of them behind bars. They

beseeched the virgin Mary to rid Russia of Vladimir Putin in. Court

today Yekaterina Samutsevich's defence lawyer argued that her

client should be treated more leniently because she hadn't been

given the chance to perform the controversial punk prayer at the

cathedral. Even before she had taken her guitar out of its case

Samutsevich was detained and taken from the building. Earlier,

opponents of Pussy Riot held their protest outside the court house.

The female punk group is out of tune with public opinion here. Many

Russians believe even a two-year prison sentence is too lenient.

Yekaterina Samutsevich has apologised for offending orthodox

believers. But as she goes free, she still doesn't accept she

committed any crime. Parts of northern Britain have

witnessed the Northern Lights this week triggered by a violent storms

raging on the surface of the sun. But the stream of particles

creating the displays can be disruptive to satellite navigation

systems and scientists estimate the systems can lose significant

accuracy during the worst solar storms. Our science editor David

Shukman reports on the latest research on the Arctic islands of

Svalbard. A remote valley in Svalbard in the high Arctic leads

to one of the loan least research stations in the world. It's perched

on a mountainside. It's a steep climb to reach it. But this is the

best location to investigate the extraordinary power of the sun. A

giant flare from the surface. This is a solar storm. It's a

mesmerising sight, but scientists say this space weather can disrupt

modern life by damaging signals from satellites. Lisa is one of the

scientists here. She has to Carrie a gun because polar bears are a

real threat. But she needs to be here to measure how solar activity

can affect satellite navigation. Everyone has sat nav in their cars.

It's something we almost take for granted. These days, what we need

to research is how the GPS systems are actually affected by solar

storms and by this huge amount of energy that's coming into the earth

and affecting the signals. When that solar energy strikes, you get

the Northern Lights, the famous swirl of particles in the upper

atmosphere. This can distort the GPS system on a serious scale. What

the scientists are finding out here is the true extent of that effect.

They've measured how severe conditions can lead it a huge loss

in accuracy. How much of a distortion could you get during a

solar storm? Well, if you have a very large solar storm and you are

far enough north you can get up to tens of metres. Tens of metres?

exactly. In the Arctic, accurate sat nav is vital. For most of us an

error might not matter that much. But for ships and search and rescue

up here in the far north, pin-point navigation could be a matter of

life and death. The more we've come to rely on sat nav, in fact

anything involving satellite technology, the more critical

research like this has become into trying to understand space weather

and ideally working out a way of forecasting its most damaging