30/06/2016 BBC News at Ten

Shock as Boris Johnson - the man tipped to be

the next Prime Minister - dramatically withdraws

As he left home this morning, everyone thought he was about to

launch his leadership bid - but then this.

Having consulted colleagues and, in view of the circumstances in

Parliament, I have concluded that person cannot be me.

His hopes were dealt a fatal blow by his Leave

campaign ally Michael Gove - who's decided to run himself.

While Boris has great attributes, he was not capable of uniting that

team and leading the party and the

country in the way that I would have hoped.

Also hoping to be Prime minister is Theresa May -

who says she offers strong leadership and warns that

I'm Theresa May and I think I'm the best person

to be Prime Minister of this country.

We'll be looking at what went wrong for Boris Johnson and what it means

for the Conservative Party. The Governor

of the Bank of England hints that interest rates could be cut even

further following Britain's Are you going to stand for the

leadership? Angela Eagle changed her mind too

today, deciding to delay her bid to replace Jeremy Corbyn

as Labour leader. Here in Northern France,

we report on two days of commemorations for the million

men killed and injured in the Battle of the Somme,

which started a century ago. At the Thiepval Memorial, and in

every part of the United Kingdom, They'll continue throughout

the night until the moment, a century ago, when the battle

started. And we consider the fate

of thousands of Welsh volunteer troops, who suffered huge losses

in the deadly battle for Mametz Wood in the early days

of the Battle of the Somme. Many of them didn't get within 200

yards of the wood itself. It was a huge trial

by fire for the division. Later, Sportsday on the BBC News

channel with all the latest reports, results, interviews and features

from the BBC sports Centre. Boris Johnson's dreams of becoming

the next Conservative leader and Prime Minister have been

shattered in a day of extraordinary Just hours before the former Mayor

of London was expected to declare he was running,

his Leave campaign ally Michael Gove stepped in and stunned Westminster

by announcing he'd decided to run In the midst of it all,

the Home Secretary Theresa May - who campaigned to stay

in the EU - announced Our political editor

Laura Kuenssberg reports. Even some of Boris Johnson's closest

friends and supporters didn't know Only his wife and a couple

of confidantes knew I must tell you, my friends,

you who have waited faithfully for the punchline of this speech,

that, having consulted colleagues and in view

of the circumstances in Parliament, I have concluded that

person cannot be me. The blonde dropped a bombshell,

leaving the race. Because his campaign chief,

Michael Gove, had phoned the strategist Lynton Crosby this

morning, quitting and saying For Mr Johnson's supporters,

tears and disbelief. I worked with him for ten years

in London, I know he's quality and I stand by everything

I said about him. Obviously, the circumstances over

the last couple of days have been very turbulent and caught

a lot of us by surprise. Did you know he was

going to do that? In 24 hours, friends

have turned bitter foes. They fought and won the referendum

together but now Michael Gove is not just withdrawing his support

but saying he wants to be Prime Minister instead -

although he has always denied The one thing I do know is that,

having seen David Cameron up close, I know that it takes extraordinary

reserves of patience, judgment, of character,

to lead this country. So what on earth has made Michael

Gove completely changed his view? During the course of the last few

days I have realised that while Boris does have those very

special abilities to communicate and to reach out, what he did not

have was the capacity to build and to lead that team and to provide

the leadership the country needs You have worked closely

with Boris Johnson for the last few months during the referendum

campaign and you have known People will think it is rather

surprising that suddenly you're saying that in the last couple

of days it has occurred to me In the last four days I had a chance

to see up close and personal how Boris dealt with some

of the decisions we needed to make in order to take

this country forward. During that period,

I had hoped that Boris would rise to the occasion,

because, inevitably, when you have a leadership election,

people are tested, questions As I say, Boris has formidable

qualities, but I saw him seek Your colleagues this

morning are astonished, How do you expect anybody

in the Conservative Party, let alone members of the public,

to be able to trust you? Well, people will know that

throughout my time in politics I've always done

what I believe to be right. Sometimes, that has been

at the cost of friendships, sometimes it's cost me in terms

of personal relationships. Whether it's treachery or tragedy,

the Home Secretary's smooth calm Her launch was packed

with MPs and ministers ready to support her promises to cut

immigration and provide stability My pitch is very simple,

I'm Theresa May and I think I'm the best person to be

Prime Minister of this country. If ever there was a time

for a Prime Minister who is ready and able to do the job from day one,

this is it. We have immediate work to do

to restore political stability and economic certainty,

to bring together the party and the country and to negotiate

a sensible and orderly departure And I know I'm not a showy

politician, I don't tour the television studios,

I don't gossip about people over lunch, I don't go drinking

in Parliament's bars. I don't often wear my heart

on my sleeve, I just get Under my leadership, the motives

of the Conservative Party will never be in any doubt and our actions

will be bold. We, the Conservatives,

will put ourselves at the service We will strive to make Britain

a country that works for everyone, regardless of who they are and

regardless of where they are from. I know the great hunger for this

kind of one-nation vision You were on the losing side

of the European argument. What is it now that you think

makes you a winner? I think what the public want

is strong, resilient leadership and I think they want honesty

from their politicians. And I've always tried to be as clear

with people as possible about what the challenges

are and the difficulties in facing those and how

we can do that together, and I think that is what

people are looking for. But this race for Number 10 may yet

find surprising stars. The referendum gave a big platform

to Outer Andrea Leadsom, I have a real heart for this,

this is something I really At the end of the day,

it's up to the party and then it's The former Defence Secretary Liam

Fox, on the right of the Tory party, This is about the governance

of our country, the future of our relationships with Europe

and the world beyond. Boris, what do you want

to say to Michael Gove? It's an undignified

departure from the race, from a politician who pleases crowds

but alarms some others. Not even a week since his biggest

victory, Boris Johnson's battle to become Prime Minister is lost

before it officially began. Laura Kuenssberg, BBC

News, Westminster. Michael Gove was by no means

the only Conservative Lord Heseltine launched

a scathing attack on him, saying he'd created the greatest

constitutional crisis in modern times and would have to live

with the shame of what he has done. In just one week, Boris Johnson has

gone from victory to defeat. James Landale looks at what went

wrong for him - and what it means His report contains

some flash photography. Boris Johnson was the charismatic

face of Leave, campaigning for a cause as energetically

as he once campaigned for himself. A man of the people

who appealed beyond party I believe that this Thursday can be

our country's Independence Day. And, with the referendum won,

many assumed Mr Johnson would stand for the leadership on a joint ticket

with Michael Gove. There was little sympathy

for where the former London Mayor I think it's an utterly

intolerable situation. This guy has created the biggest

constitutional crisis in peace We are seeing a serious depression

in the nation's savings. He's torn the Tory party apart

and his left the management of the economy in a situation

where no politician can answer the basic questions about our

direction of travel. Mr Gove's doubts first emerged

in a leaked e-mail from his wife, claiming that Tory members and media

moguls like Rupert Murdoch needed Some MPs claimed an article

by Mr Johnson in the Daily Telegraph showed he didn't have

the determination to deliver Brexit. One MP who backed Mr Johnson

in the papers today, but is now supporting Mr Gove,

suggested there had been a row about campaign staff

and Cabinet jobs. Putting together a really strong

unifying team was an When that fell away,

I think Michael felt, actually, It looks like a student political

game, when the country needs direction, needs clarity,

needs a sense of maturity. I am shocked and surprised that

people should behave in this way. Many MPs believe that Mr Gove pulled

out primarily because he did not believe Mr Johnson could win,

that his heart wasn't Mr Johnson's supporters say this

wasn't some last-minute change of mind, but a deliberate,

planned political assassination. Today, Mr Johnson quoted

Shakespeare, appearing to compare Mr Gove's betrayal to Brutus's

assassination of Caesar, A time not to fight against the tide

of history, but to take that tide at the flood

and sail on to fortune. For years, Boris Johnson has

entertained the nation. But his chance of leading it is now

in ruins and the smiles The events of today will echo

for years to come. James Landale, BBC

News, Westminster. Our political Editor Laura

Kuenssberg is in Westminster. An astounding day on so many levels.

But it is the deeply personal nature of this that has shocked so many

people? That's right, it completely shocked Boris Johnson and his team,

who have been planning, thinking about his leadership hopes, not just

the months, but, frankly, for years. In Westminster it feels like there

is bitterness and suspicion all around. Just think about what has

happened in the last few months. Michael Gove helped persuade Boris

Johnson to campaign to leave the European Union. Mr Johnson's

charisma and crowd pulling abilities helped win that campaign. Together,

by winning, they finish of David Cameron, the Prime Minister. Today,

with his decision, Michael Gove has finished off Boris Johnson's dreams

of taking the prize. Right now, it seems Mr Gove's own chances of

becoming Prime Minister are on the slim side. But, whatever happens, he

will certainly have a place in the political history books. Tonight, it

appears that today's completely tumultuous events helped Theresa

May, the Home Secretary, significantly. Her goal, long

thought about, was to appear calm, sober, and she did that before she

even opened her mouth. In comparison to what was going on with the other

two, she looked completely in control. I can tell you tonight that

two more Cabinet ministers have declared they are backing the Home

Secretary, Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary and Patrick

MacLachlan, the Transport Secretary, have made public their intentions to

back Theresa May to be not just the next leader of the Tory party, but

the next Prime Minister. She will also have the support of the first

newspaper, with the Daily Mail declaring tomorrow that they will

back her to move into Number 10. There is no question right now that

she has moved way out in front as the frontrunner in this race. But,

Sophie, just think, it was just a week ago that the ballot boxes had

been sealed up, the polls had closed in referendum campaign. Just think

how much and how quickly things have changed right across politics since

then. Leadership races are always unpredictable, this one, only a

couple of days in, is something else. Indeed. Laura, thank you.

You can find more background on all the candidates,

where they stand on issues and how the leadership process

In an unexpected move the Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney,

has signalled that interest rates could be cut over the summer.

He warned that economic growth could be hit for some time

Mr Carney said more cash might also need to be pumped into the economy.

Here's our Business Editor Simon Jack.

As the Vote Leave campaign punched the air in victory last week,

?1.8 trillion was wiped off shares worldwide in a single day.

The City and the country seemed rudderless.

The Bank of England had described a Brexit as the biggest

risk to the economy, and the governor hadn't

In my view, and I'm not prejudging the views of other independent

members of the MPC, the economic outlook has deteriorated and some

monetary policy easing will likely be required over the summer.

That could mean lower interest rates, more money printing or both,

The material slowing in growth that the MPC had identified

as a risk associated with the referendum now looks likely

However calm he seemed, he warned there was, in his words,

There are limits to what the Bank of England can do.

The future potential of the economy and its implications for jobs,

real wages and wealth, are not the gift of monetary policy-makers.

At this software firm, there are already signs of caution.

One thing we have noticed is four potential contracts

in the pipeline have pulled back, international client

is looking to invest in the UK and until we know if Britain

is in the single market or not they will be a period of uncertainty

and that is unsettling for people looking to invest here,

That the biggest losers this week have been banks.

HSBC and JP Morgan have warned jobs in the UK could go to Europe

but to date the Barclays chief told the BBC that UK jobs

We want to be involved in the capital markets globally.

Right now the best way to do that is to be anchored in London

You might have to increase your presence in another location that

does not necessarily mean you are decreasing

This is not an economic crisis, this is very different

In some financial markets have roared back, helped in part

by the Governor's hint of an imminent interest rate cut.

It is still early days in the post Brexit journey but to date

is the Bank of England made it clear it thinks the sky has darkened

How reassured were markets by what Mark Carney had to say today?

They definitely did take some reassurance from that. He is not

everyone's cup of tea. Some politicians think he's been too

political by half, during the run-up to this and after the referendum.

They had taken reassurance from someone they see as one of the last

grown-ups left in the House at the moment, in running the show. They

have taken reassurance for two reasons. One, markets love an

interest rate cut. It encourages people to borrow, to spend, it is

good for the economy and for companies. He hinted at that today.

It could be as early as July 14th. The other thing is, while we wait

for this incredible political tale to unravel, what he is saying is,

I'm not waiting for an answer to that, I will get on the front foot.

He had this press conference today, a very unusual one. He had the bank

chiefs in yesterday. He wants to get them all around to say, I'm on the

front foot, I am a man with a plan. As he said in that piece there, he

is not Superman, he can't do everything. The final settlement

will not fall to people like him, it will fall to the politicians, so he

is saying I can only do so much. I will throw some cushions down in

case there are any accidents along the way. Simon Jack, thank you.

The Government has decided to postpone a decision on airport

expansion in the south-east of England until a new Prime

An announcement on projects at Heathrow or Gatwick had been

Business leaders have criticised the move,

saying airport capacity is now an even greater priority following

Angela Eagle was expected to launch her bid to replace Jeremy Corbyn

today. Mr Corbyn has lost the confidence of 80% of his MPs, but he

has the support of many grassroots members of the party. And is

refusing to step down. John Pienaar reports.

Jeremy Corbyn's home is normally mobbed by the media.

Today, as rival Cabinet Ministers jostled and bumped each other off

in the power struggle for Britain, he set off for work in peace,

but the peace didn't last, it never does.

Launching a plan to stamp out racism in the Party,

he offended critics, including the Chief Rabbi,

by mentioning Israel and the so-called Islamic State

Our Jewish friends are no more responsible for the actions

of Israel, or the Netanyahu government, than our Muslim friends

are for those various self-styled Islamic State organisations.

A pro-Corbyn activist, who handed out a statement,

saying rebel MPs should be sacked as candidates,

turned on a Jewish MP for what he called

You can see who is working hand in hand.

I'm pleased that Keith Vaz said to me a moment ago

The MP, Ruth Smeeth, walked out in disgust.

And, under enormous pressure to stand down, facing an imminent

leadership challenge, he tried defiance.

I am the leader of the Party and I'm doing that.

What do you say to those many members and most of your MPs who

will never follow your leadership, no matter what you say on this

or any other subject, and is the break-up

of the Labour Party a price worth paying for your

I'm sorry, John, I am going to cut in because there will be plenty

of time in the months ahead to debate the Labour Leadership.

He headed back to Westminster where his MPs are competing to see

Mr Corbyn, is the break-up of your Party a price worth paying?

Where once loyal MPs are telling me they think he should stand down,

too, to prevent a right-wing takeover.

Jeremy Corbyn's left-wing faith goes back decades,

New members helped elect him with far-left backing.

All hostile to most Labour MPs and, in some parts of the country,

like Oldham, angry about the attempted coup.

It's too early and he's not been given chance to perform,

and he's got tremendous support at the grass-roots level.

I didn't vote for him last time, but rest assured,

if there is a leadership election, I will be

Angela Eagle, a former Shadow Cabinet Minister,

is ready to challenge for leader, assuming he doesn't quit first.

The thing is that Jeremy needs to stand down.

And at the moment we want him to consider his position and do

what is right in the interests of the Party,

And if he stays, Owen Smith, another one who quit the top team,

And they are holding back to decide which one has the best chance

And there is another reason a challenge has been put on hold.

Many MPs are becoming convinced that Jeremy Corbyn's determination

to fight on may be weakening under pressure.

This morning, more than 500 Labour councillors joined the chorus

There is talk of his trade union support softening.

Team Corbyn deny that he will cave in and they say his base

of support is strong enough to see off all comers.

John Pienaar, BBC News, Westminster.

Britain is sending another 250 military personnel to Iraq -

almost doubling the number of UK forces in the country.

The troops will join nearly 300 already there helping train Iraqi

and Kurdish forces in their fight against so-called Islamic State.

They'll be based in the Sunni heartland of Anbar province

The US military has confirmed that it has ended its ban

on transgender individuals serving openly in the armed forces.

The Defence Secretary, Ash Carter, said he wanted to remove barriers

to serving unrelated to people's abilities or qualifications.

The new rule takes effect immediately.

Tomorrow is the centenary of the Battle of the Somme,

one of the bloodiest of World War One.

On the first day alone, almost 20,000 British soldiers died.

Vigils are being held tonight in the UK and in Northern France -

100 years ago tonight, tens of thousands of British

and French troops were waiting in this part of northern France

to launch a colossal offensive against the German lines.

It was meant to be a decisive push, but the Battle of the Somme

would last from the 1st of July to the 18th November 1916 -

one of the bloodiest confrontations in the history of the British Armed

This memorial at Thiepval - the focus of these

centenary commemorations - bears the name of 72,000 men -

the missing of the Somme - whose bodies were never found.

Tonight's vigils, here in France and back home in the UK,

were arranged to mark those fateful events of a century ago,

On a summer's evening at the Abbey Church at Westminster,

the Queen joined a congregation, gathered by the Grave

of the Unknown Warrior, to remember those who,

on this night 100 years ago, were in their trenches waiting

Tonight, we shall remember the courage and the sacrifice of

And we shall pray that we may continue to learn the lessons

of history, to build a world at peace.

The battle took men from virtually every part of the British Isles

From the Pals Battalions, some of which were all but wiped

out, and from Ireland, north and south.

The Bishop of London recalled words written by Tom Kettle, a Dubliner,

Used with the wisdom that is sewn in tears and blood,

this tragedy of Europe may be and must be the prologue

to the two reconciliations of which all statesmen have dreamed.

At the Thiepval memorial, close to the battlefield,

the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry had come

to pay their respects, and to recall the loss of so many.

We lost the flower of a generation and, in the years to come,

it sometime seems with them the sense of vital optimism

had disappeared forever from British life.

It was in many ways the saddest day in the long story of our nation.

100 years after that day, the nation is remembering.

Vigils were mounted at Edinburgh Castle,

in Northern Ireland, where the terrible losses

of the 36th Ulster Division at the Somme are still

remembered, and at Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff.

At Westminster Abbey, today's young servicemen and women

took their places at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior to the sound

of a single bugle carried by a soldier at the Somme.

The vigil will continue throughout the night, in memory of so many who

were waiting to go into battle and to meet their destiny.

Some of the names on this British memorial at Thiepval belong

to the 38th Welsh Division - a volunteer force which suffered

some of the heaviest losses in those first days of July 1916,

when they were ordered to drive German forces out of Mametz Wood,

Some 4,000 men were killed or injured - and some

of the men who took part described their experiences in BBC

interviews recorded in the 1980s, when a new memorial was installed

A red dragon in the heart of Picardy, standing

A place to reflect on the brutality of a century ago, when this entire

forest was destroyed as a volunteer Welsh Army faced the might of one

When the order came about quarter-to-5,

It was synchronised, along with the NCOs responsible,

Officers were shouting to attack and they were shoving

Who's going to travel 200, 300 yards over open ground,

in front of heavy machine-gun fire, from both flanks

And yes, they paid a very heavy price.

The little cemeteries dotted around the Somme, looked after by the

Commonwealth War Graves Commission, are constant reminders.

Among those last at Mametz, two brothers from the Rhondda Valley,

Henry and Thomas Hardwidge, who died in each other's arms.

They suffered a terrible fate on the 7th July,

machine-guns from the wood itself and from the side,

Really decimated the attacking soldiers.

Many of them didn't get within 200 yards of the wood itself.

It was a huge trial by fire for the division.

Throughout the year, there is a constant stream

of visitors to Mametz, many descendants of those

who fought, little tributes left around the wood.

We all feel very moved by what happened in the First World War,

and we never knew our grandfather, but I think we are quite,

we were quite moved by what happened to him and we want to be

Their grandfather was Major Charles Bond,

who recruited thousands of young men in North Wales,

many of whom lost their lives on the Somme, and their memory

TRANSLATION: These Welshmen died for us.

They died so that France could be free, so that Mametz could remain

We are 178 residents, so 3,000 lost their lives for 178

of us, so we can't forget how special this relationship is.

The First World War devastated communities throughout

But, for Wales, this is the spot, and this is the memorial that

And the inscription is very simple - Let us respect their efforts.

Mametz Wood is still the resting place of many

who fell in July 1916 - their bodies were never found -

but, a century later, their sacrifice is not forgotten.

Early tomorrow morning, the overnight vigils

will come to an end, and Zero Hour will be marked -

the moment the whistles blew and the men were sent over the top

on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

We'll have more from Thiepval on BBC One at 7.00am in the morning.

But for now, from the plains of Picardy in northern France,

Andy Murray is safely through to the third

The world number two swept aside Yen-Hsun Lu in straight sets.

An equally great day for fellow Brit, Dan Evans.

He'll play seven-time champion Roger Federer after a straight-sets

victory over 30th seed Alexandr Dolgopolov.

Let's go back to our main story now and the extraordinary events

in the race to become the new leader of the Conservative Party -

Our Home Editor, Mark Easton, has spent the day at the Norfolk

County Show gauging reaction from the Tory Party faithful.

And the Royal Norfolk Show where these piglets are competed

is perhaps the epitome of the Tory heartlands where Party members

will choose their future leader and the destiny of the nation.

You may have heard that Boris Johnson

I'm delighted to hear that.

I think he's a very intelligent, capable person, but not

And actually I think she will probably go quite well

in talking to Europeans because there's a softer touch.

I think it's a great shame that Boris hasn't stood.

He was very prominent in the campaign.

It wasn't a case that I supported, but he made a very good case.

He should have stood up and been counted.

I am very disappointed he hasn't stood.

I have had the good fortune to meet Mr Gove and he would get my support.

You will be one of 150,000 who will be deciding our

Where does it look like from where you are now?

It looks like Theresa May at the moment, doesn't it?

She is one of the only people that can unite the Conservative Party.

I think she's positive, I think she will be good over

the EU, discussing the points that we need to make to them.

Yes, I know, but I think she's going to be the best.

I'll go along with what my wife says.

Signed-up members of the Conservative Party represent

just 0.003% of the total electorate and yet they will decide

the next Prime Minister and, until the General Election at least,

So how do those who haven't paid the ?25 to become a Conservative

It's not really very democratic, I suppose.

We need to go back and let the people decide who they want

The people in this part of Norfolk voted in almost the same proportions

as the country in the referendum, largely Conservatives,

divided on Europe and looking for somewhere who can

Mark Easton, BBC News, at the Royal Norfolk Show.

A final word from our Political Editor, Laura Kuenssberg.

This time a week ago, votes were being counted.

Well, if I knew that, then I would be in an extremely privileged

position. Boris Johnson might have won the leadership and might have

won the keys to Number Ten if he had been willing to stay on and fight.

Of course, he will never know. We will never know. So the technical

process of choosing the next Prime Minister goes forward next year.

Right now, there are five candidates, that will be whittled

down to two. Then members around the country will have their say rather

than the main members of the public, the normal electorate. It is also

worth saying that in terms of those very significant questions after the

referendum, how will we reduce immigration and retain close

economic ties to the rest of the EU? What will our relationship with our

continental neighbours and the rest of the world really look like? In

terms of those huge dilemmas, we are not any further forward in being

able to get answers from any of the main contenders. Theresa May and

Michael Gove have both committed firmly to reducing immigration if

they win. But we are not clear what their premierships will look like if

either of them were to win. Tonight, after an extraordinary day, an

extraordinary seven days, and an extraordinarily bitter referendum

fight, instead of uniting, the Tories seem to be splintering even

further. And politics never loses its ability both to surprise but

also perhaps for many members of the public its capacity to disappoint,

too. Thank you. Newsnight is under way over

on BBC Two, 11.00pm in Scotland. Here on BBC One it's time

for the news where you are.