12/01/2014 BBC Weekend News

Tory MPs tell the Prime Minister that Britain should be able to veto

EU legislation. We want a different relationship with Europe that allows

democracy. That is about the right to make and change your own laws.

Thousands of Israelis pay their respects to Ariel Sharon - ahead of

the former Prime Minister's funeral tomorrow. After struggling in the

recession Jaguar Land Rover turns the corner - announcing record

sales. And dogged determination - the battle with flooding continues

as more rain is forecast. Good afternoon. Nearly a hundred

Conservative MPs have written to David Cameron urging him to change

the law to give Britain more powers to reject European Union

legislation. The Prime Minister has pledged to reform Britain's

relationship with Europe and put it to a referendum in 2017 if he wins

the next election. But many of his MPs appear to want to go further,

sooner. The letter emerged as the Work and Pensions Secretary said he

was working with other countries in Europe to try and extend the ban on

migrants' access to some benefits. Here's our Political Correspondent

Vicki Young. With European elections on the horizon, David Cameron's

under pressure and promised to renegotiate Britain's relationship

with the ept EU. But -- with the EU. But many want details now. There

have been some changes. When Romanians and Bulgarians got access

to the UK, ministers tightened the rules on benefits. Now the

Government is working with others in the EU to go further. There is a

ground swell of opinion that says people may be able to move to get a

job, but to live off the state is not acceptable. Some argue it is a

phoney debate, because migrants contribute to the economy. I'm

puzzled that we have this debate. Immigrants have been more likely to

be in employment and they're well educated and paid in 34% more into

the system in terms of taxes, than what they took out in terms of

transfers and benefits. Ministers say Britain's not alone in wanting

reform of the EU. They say Germany and the Netherlands are on side too.

The problem for David Cameron is that tinkering with the rules on

benefits simply won't satisfy a Sigg captain part -- significant part of

his own party. They want the power of Brussels reduced and this place

given a bigger say. More than 90 Tory MPs have written to David

Cameron urging him to give Parliament a national veto over EU

laws. We want a different relationship with the EU that allows

democracy. That is about the right to make and change your own laws.

And that is what we are asking Parliament to take back. But senior

Conservatives say the idea is unrealistic. If national Parliaments

around the European Union were regularly and unilateral erally able

to decide which laws they would use the market wouldn't work. The Deputy

Prime Minister accused the Tories of jeopardising British jobs. It is

essential that we remain an outward facing, open trading nation. Not

pull up the draw bridge and cower behind the cliffs of Dover, but to

have that British bull dog spirit. David Cameron isn't the first

Conservative leader to find himself trying to unite a party with

different views on Europe. Thousands of Israelis have paid their respects

to their former prime minister Ariel Sharon - as his coffin lay in state

outside the Knesset in Jerusalem. His death yesterday at the age of 85

came eight years after the stroke which left him in a coma. Quentin

Sommerville is in Jerusalem for us now. The crowds were not huge today.

But they were steady. Perhaps a reflection on the fact that Ariel

Sharon has been absent from Israeli life for eight years. He has been in

a coma. For many of those who attended today, his presence is

still very much alive. With a moment's silence, Israel's president

was the first to pay his respects. As Ariel Sharon lay in state. Today,

it was the people's turn to pray and to say goodbye. Rabbis from Israel's

armed services recited from the book of psalms. This man served under

Ariel Sharon in battle and travelled hours to be here. He remembers a

charismatic warrior. This is the minimum act that I can do when he is

going to be... Buried very soon. And it's kind of a commitment that I had

to do. I think that everybody should do that. He was hailed a hero for

crossing the Suez canal in the war of 73. For many, he personally won

the conflict and saved Israel. TRANSLATION: He was tied to the land

and understood above all else our independence relies on our ability

to defend ourselves by ourselves. His enemies and there were many,

didn't attend today. The Palestinians had no reconciliation.

They see him as a butcher and a criminal. Ariel Sharon's legacy

remains controversial. But already his place as someone who shaped

Israeli history is secure. The memorial service for Ariel Sharon

will start tomorrow morning here in Jerusalem. There will be an address

from the US vice president and Tony Blair and a military convoy will

take its coffin to his final resting place by his farm in the south of

Israel. Thank you. Valerie Trierweiler, the partner of French

President Francois Hollande, has been hospitalised just days after

the President was accused by a magazine of having an affair. Aides

say she has been admitted for exhaustion and to undergo tests.

Closer magazine claimed on Friday that Mr Hollande has been having an

affair with an actress - Julie Gayet. Nd with police officers. The

Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, is to

be created a Cardinal by Pope Francis. Archbishop Nichols will be

among 19 new cardinals appointed from across the world to be formally

installed at a ceremony in the Vatican next month. He says he's

deeply moved by the honour. Jaguar Land Rover has announced record

sales for last year - selling more than 400,000 vehicles. The figures

were boosted by a 40% leap in overseas sales of Jaguars - with the

cars proving popular in America, Germany and India. Our Business

Correspondent Joe Lyman reports. It's the vehicle of choice for

future kings, as well as current Prime Ministers and increasingly so

for thousands of drivers around the world. Jaguar and Land Rover have

never sold as many of their luxury cars as they did last year, with

America, India and Germany seeing the biggest growth. In all, Jaguar

Land Rover sold 425,000 of its luxury vehicles around the world. Up

nearly a fifth. The Land Rover brand, which includes Range Rover

accounted for 350,000 of those sales. Up 15%. Nearly 80,000 Jaguar

cars were sold, up 42% on the previous year and the customer

widens and gets younger. Historically Jaguar has always

attracted a person of a certain age profile. Over the last four year,

the demographic of our customers has changed dramatically and we see

customers of all ages come to the show room now. And more sales means

more manufacturing. JLR is hiring more than 2,000 additional people at

its plants in the West Midlands and Merseyside, bringing to 26,000 the

number of UK-based staff. The turn around of Jaguar Land Rover has been

phenomenal. Five years ago as the recession started, the demand for

cars fell off a cliff and JLR even stopped making them for a while.

They went cap in hand for a financial bailout to the UK

Government. But what they didn't do was stop focussing on quality. They

aimed at the new emerging markets of China, India and Brazil and they got

them. It's certainly the case that without China they wouldn't be

nearly as exciting and they have got a long way to go still in China in

growth. There is still further growth there. What is promising is

we have seen growth in India and Germany and the United States. It is

a broad-based growth. And it is not just Jaguar Land Rover doing well.

Last week it was confirmed that car sales in Britain are at their

highest since 2007, thanks to a recovering economy and cheap finance

packages. After nearly a month of fighting, Government forces in South

Sudan are attempting to recapture the last key town still in the hands

of rebel fighters - as peace talks in neighbouring Ethopia stall.

Troops are mobilising to retake Bor - where thousands of civilians are

trying to escape the violence. Andrew Harding is just outside the

town. The first boats arrive at dawn. Desperate families fleeing

heavy fighting on far side of the River Nile. It's not a free trip.

The grandmother has had to borrow money to pay for the crossing. How

many times in your life have you had to run because of war? She goes

through the list. This is the tenth, she says. The children wait near by,

while today's wounded are brought ashore. There is a Government

soldier. A grandfather. But Peter's younger brother didn't make it. Shot

beside him, he says, by the rebels. The bullet leave the mouth and then

the bullet stay in. The bullet not come out again from the head. So he

died? Yes. Nobody will play with me again. The survivors gather for

Sunday worship, praying for an end to a bewildering conflict. A power

struggling that is now dividing the country on ethnic lines. Suddenly a

muffled roar - air strikes out of sight across the river. We head

deeper into the countryside. We are trying to find a group of families

that we have heard may be taking refuge. The concern is because this

is a such a vast country and access is so difficult there maybe

thousands of people in the same situation. We find a family

sheltering from the sun. They got here yesterday. Five in their group

were killed on the journey. They say thousands more are still trapped on

the far side of the river. But there is a new arrival, this baby was born

last week as his mother hid in the bushes, waiting for a boat to

safety. England's dismal tour of Australia has continued with defeat

in the first one day international in Melbourne earlier this morning.

England made 269 for seven after deciding to bat first but that total

never proved challenging enough. Aaron Finch scored a century for

Australia and they reached their target with six wickets and 26 balls

to spare. Football and Liverpool's match against Stoke at the Brittania

stadium is in the final few minutes, and it's currently 2-2. Now it is

4-2 to Liverpool. Earlier Manchester City returned to the top of the

Premier league following a 2-0 win at Newcastle. Edin Dzeko with their

opening goal. But the match will be remembered for referee Mike Jones'

decision to disallow Newcastle an equaliser. Their manager Alan Pardew

making his feelings clear at half time. And there was one match in the

Scottish Premiership where Inverness and Dundee United shared the points.

Keith Watson heading United's equaliser shortly after Inverness

had taken the lead. Now if you're wondering when the flood threat will

recede - the answer is not yet. With further rain forecast, the

Environment Agency is warning of more flooding particularly in the

South East of England and along parts of the River Thames. There are

still more than 60 flood warnings in place in England and Wales. Keith

Doyle reports now from Old Windsor in Berkshire. Taking the dog for a

daily walk is not straight forward here. A boat is needed to take them

to dry land. And this has been the case for more than a week op this

stretch of the Thames near Windsor. Physically and mentally it has been

affecting us badly. You know, you just, it has just been going on and

on and it is like a slow water torture. This area has been flooded

for days. The Thames swollen by prolonged heavy rain upstream. Homes

that have riv views are now in the river. Water at waist level at some

people's' front doors. Businesses have been affected. They're used to

some minor flooding here, but nothing like this. It is a losing

battle for many. We have moved all the stock off the floor. We have

cleared as much as we can off the floor to make the office safe. That

is all we can do. We put barricades in place. But water will always find

its way. The water's starting to recede slightly, but with more rain

forecast for the next few days and a few days after that they expect the

water levels to rise and rise again. Flood alerts are likely to be in

place for the next week. For now, this will remain the daily routine.

There's more throughout the evening on the BBC News Channel, we are