23/02/2014 The Papers

The Sochi Winter Olympics have ended with a glittering closing ceremony.

Russia ended against top of the medal table, 13 golds, two more than

Norway. Hello and welcome to our look ahead

at the papers. Joining me tonight is the senior political correspondent

from the Daily Telegraph who has just dashed in from the newsroom and

also the writer and political commentator, Joe Phillips. Let us

have a quick sneak preview. On the front of the Telegraph it is

reported that written is fronting an international package of aid for CF

amid fears Russia will send troops. The Guardian is also looking at

Ukraine and the offers of support Ukraine is receiving from Western

governments. The Independent has a picture of the closing ceremony at

Sochi this evening. Organisers featured a reprise of the Olympic

rings blunder which happened at the Opening Ceremony. The express talks

about a report which suggests millions more women will have to

return to work because their pensions are inadequate.

Ukraine still dominates and hardly surprising. Looking at issue is

wider than Ukraine, let's start with the Daily Telegraph. A picture of

the protester, armed with a baseball club. Very photogenic. The headline

is, Britain offers cash to Kiev. This presumably is through the

European Union or International Monetary Fund? That is correct, it

is not clear how that will happen. They are doing their best to keep

up. The EU are trying to draw the Ukraine towards the west of course.

Ukraine itself and President Putin with some guns on the front page, he

is trying to draw the country East. It really is on this edge, which we

will Ukraine go and all eyes are on Putin. Why is Ukraine so important

to the European Union and America as well? Absolutely, who blinks first.

President Obama has actually been quite quiet and we're just waiting

to see what President Putin does, if he does anything at all. He's as

likely to go bear hunting. Of course it is a hugely important area. It is

an east-west split and it is left over from the old Soviet bloc, part

of the country wants to join the European union although I am not

sure whether they actually want to be part of the European Union or the

Sea future with Europe or the see Europe, like Balkan states, as a

cash injection. You still have the pull of the Kremlin. So it is

another fault line really. It is not just about President Putin, there

are Russian speakers in the east of Ukraine who are loyal to Russia,

strategically Ukraine is important to Russia, especially for its navy

so on. President Putin is now flexing his muscles, there is talk

of moving the Russian military. He looks on it as the breadbasket, it

has the huge coast. Do you think that will happen? I think now the

Olympics are over, he is biding his time while there I was on Sochi. It

is ironic that the Olympics were being hosted by Russia a peaceful

international event, and now there is talk of military intervention in

Ukraine. It is a contradiction in terms. What is so dangerous, like

the Balkans all that again, if you start dividing it up... There was a

vote, they voted President Yanukovych out of power. There is a

democratic wrap around the whole thing, that is very important. The

UN did not allow the power vacuum to go out of control. It happened in

the right order so President Putin cannot do much. The ousted president

was saying it is mob rule, but it is not back because he was voted out by

Parliament. The final act today was to retake the presidential home and

give it back to his date. An awful lot of luxury items found there as

there always are. On the front page of the Daily Telegraph, a story

written by you? National insurance to be Renee and earnings tax. The

government is coming clean about national insurance. -- to be

renamed. It will go up every week. If you're self-employed it is 2%. It

is more of a historic thing, the government is saying it is not

really insured and is, it is a tax. We all pay it. It is imposed every

year, there is no vote on it. I think it is the government saying,

look it is a tax. It is being pushed by an ambitious Tory MPs, he has

been pushing hard for transparency. George Osborne flag this in March in

the budget. Now letting it be known that he is in favour, what do you

think? I'm all suspicious of these things. On the face of it, it sounds

sensible because we all know it is a tax but where will this leave the

Chancellor? The employers contribution, the employee's

contribution, I am sure there is more hiding in the small print but

you have obviously looked at it. The Tories have been calling it a job

tax while they were in opposition. In the long-term, if you pay 40%

tax, you are paying 52% really. Anything which streamlines things

has to be better. Let us hope... Let us move on to the Guardian and more

on the Ukraine on the front page of the Guardian, the headline says

spotlight shifts to the Kremlin. All eyes are on President Putin and his

response. A lot of talk between love Ralph and John Kerry this evening.

-- between Sergei Lavrov. The comments from William Hague are

dramatic. There could be pressure to economics, they can do something

with oil and gas, turn it on or off. There all sorts of ways the

pressure can be quietly exerted on the country and that is a clear

warning from a member of the security council. They are going off

with their European policy tomorrow to try and talk to people. It gives

President Putin great bargaining power because he knows the world is

watching and Russia is a key player in so many things, not least Syria

and other parts of the world so he can play games as well. It is none

of his business of course. Of course, absolutely. So the same

Azaz! Shall we have a look at politics close to home. -- same as

ours. A fascinating day tomorrow in Scotland. Two Cabinet meetings

taking place, the headline, Glasgow's East End, front line in

the battle for Scotland. The reporter is saying that Glasgow's

East End is the front line in whether Scotland should go

independent. The Glasgow East End has traditionally got some of the

worst poverty and lowest levels of health expectancy and employment

prospects and crime and drug use so this is a battle ground for what is

going on. It is a very good piece. The battle at the moment is being

seen between Alex Salmond and David Cameron, but actually this takes it

down to the real street level. You have to look at Alex Salmond and the

SNP, they got elected beyond what they were saying about an

independent Scotland on their domestic policies as well, which

have been popular by and large. They have managed to deliver most of what

they promised. If you come back to the voting, it will be people on the

street who will ask, did they deliver for me? How much should be

read into the recent fall on independence, which mentions if

there was a referendum tomorrow it would be overwhelmingly voted to

remain part of the United Kingdom? As you say, that Paul says the no

campaign has 45% and the Yes Campaign has 37 so it is clear that

the undecided are deciding. There is this third who want to go four it

and it looks like the others are benefiting. Some see why go so

early? That is a very emotional thing to talk about. The pound may

disappear. Part of the reason for the Cabinet meeting in Aberdeen is

because of the oil and gas subject. That could become a central issue.

Time to turn our attention back to Russia, the front page of the

Independent. I thought this had happened again! The mistake again,

only four of the five rings of the Olympic symbol lit up. This was

during the closing ceremony today, of course it was a mistake in the

Opening Ceremony but it turns out this was just a bit of a laugh.

Russian humour, isn't that great to see? It is the sort of thing we

would do. For the Russians to do it, it is terrific. It is what my piano

teacher tells me, if you make a mistake, play it again and it will

sound right. A fantastic closing ceremony as well. Thank you very

much. We have run out of time. You will be back at 1130. Thank you for

joining us. Stay with us and we will have the latest at 11 o'clock on the

latest developments in Ukraine. Court They sat me in the chair for

ages. They said it was all right, but... Can I at least have a mirror?