05/02/2016 The Papers

other structures with it. We will bring you more we get details. Now

time to take a look at the papers. Welcome to our look ahead at what

the papers will be bringing us tomorrow.

With me are Sue Matthias, the Senior News Feature Editor

at the Financial Times and James Millar, the Westminster

The Daily Express leads with the words of the president

of the European parliament, aimed at Britain: "Leave

The Financial Times says Britain's biggest companies are unprepared

for a possible British exit from the European Union.

The Times says private schools are in crisis,

because of rising standards in the state sector.

It quotes the publisher of the Good Schools Guide,

saying independent schools face long term decline.

The Telegraph says the Moroccan-born daughter-in-law of Abu Hamza can't

be deported from Britain because of a ruling

by the European Court that it would infringe her human rights.

She served a prison term for smuggling a simple card to Abu Hamza

in Belmarsh prison. The Scottish Daily Mail reports

that the middle classes face losing ?100 a month from their take-home

pay if the Government goes ahead We will begin with what might be

described by people who express opinions on these things as a bit of

a circus that we saw in west London today. Here it is on the

Independent. Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, standing on the

balcony, as we have seen him before, at the Ecuadorian Embassy where he

has been holed up for three years. The UN panel saying he should be

allowed to walk free, this is arbitrary detention and he took the

opportunity to speak to the crowds. Yes he did. He came out and made

quite a long speech, talking for a long time. He was waving the UN

report. He clearly feels completely vindicated by this, and he is

vindicated by it. It has to be said, he is quite an annoying man, and a

lot of people find his performance today irritating to say the least.

But he has received so much flak that I am almost beginning to feel

that the fact that there may be a grain of a case here. He has also

received a lot of support from celebrities, who think he was a good

egg and was trying to do the decent thing. He did expose a lot of

secrets, but the fact is the Foreign Secretary stood up this morning

saying he is absolutely ridiculous, trashes the UN report. Why are we

doing that? Because it is nonsense, obviously. As the Independent says,

others report. It is big report full of technical staff, but the man

patentee hasn't detained. I was detained arbitrarily

by the BBC because I they tend to go off him the more

they know him. It is bizarre. makes no sense that he has been

to rest on that, however, if he does step out into the street, he gets

arrested and sent to Sweden. In Sweden... To face serious charges.

Except his lawyers say Sweden is acting contrary to international

law. I believe the reason they are saying that, I could be wrong

because it is very complicated, I'm sure someone will correct me, he

hasn't actually been charged. No. They have to interview him before

they can charge him. So his own lawyers are saying, why can't the UK

and Sweden get-together, to sort this out? Our government saying we

have no say in this. This UN panel is ridiculous. These things always

seem to end up in London... These people seem to be attracted here. I

have one more question. Why does it cost ?12 million? Why is the

policing of Julian Assange...? Lots of officers on duty. They did, but

as it said this afternoon on your channel, police officers get paid

something like a year. We have done the figures for this. We did it on

the back of a cigarette packet and it does add up. I have nothing

better to do with my time! The Express. EU boss, leave if you want.

Is this really what Martin Schultz has said? Leave if you want, we

don't care. No, obviously, because that would be on the front page of

all the papers if he said that. What he has said is some people say leave

if you want, Britain forced up he hasn't said that if his opinion.

What is his opinion question at he says the British test our patients

and goodwill with their continual demands. You can see where he is

coming from. We have started saying we want this, that and the other or

we will leave, when the EU has had other things to worry about, like a

migrant crisis and currency about go bust and Greece about to collapse.

One of the many issues they have to deal with and they weren't going to

stop, Britain wasn't going to stop trying to be negotiated as because

there were serious problems elsewhere. He is a worthy and I wish

-- he is aware the entire referendum is about David Cameron keeping his

backbenchers suite rather than any real desire to leave the EU. The

headline does not reflect what was said. The FT have a story on a

similar subject, blue chips are unprepared for Brexit. What are they

playing at? An interesting story. The FT has conducted a survey of the

boards of every FTSE 100 company, to ask them how their preparations are

going for a possible exit of the UK, possible Brexit. Of those 100, it

seems only four said that they were already engaged in planning,

thinking about it. That seems to suggest that everybody else is just

kind of leaning back and waiting to wake up and think about what might

happen. I remember a year or two ago there were some consternation

expressed that the Bank of England was even having a think about this.

You would be worried if they weren't so? Those are the two ways of

thinking about it. We should listen to business, but if they are not

planning for Brexit, they don't know what they're doing and we should

listen to them. Or they do know what will happen and so they are not

planning. Two approaches. All bases nicely covered. One of the four

companies is standard life. Standard Life have been through this before I

head of the Scottish independence referendum and I see the

similarities again with company saying it will not happen and then a

few weeks out from the vote they will wake up and go, this might

actually happen, we need to plan for it. Yes, except there is another

good quote here saying Chief Executive is coming two stripes

concerning Brexit. Those who think it won't happen and those who think

it won't matter. There is a sort of sense that these very large

companies will have contingency plans. They won't suffer

inordinately, whatever happens. Moving on to the Daily Mail. A

picture entitled Exodus, human tide. Thousands of desperate Syrians this

time fleeing Aleppo, because Assad's troops, backed by Russian air

strikes, are beginning to surround Aleppo. 1 million people trapped

there. A lot of them trying to get to the Turkish border before there

is no escape. If the conditions in that city are going to deteriorate

very rapidly... Yes, there is a noose tightening dud about you look

at the map and it is a classic piece of military history. This is

happening now. I am quite pleased I haven't seen the rest of this story,

because I fear what the Daily Mail angle on it is. One step away from

Europe. Look at these people on what is going on in Aleppo, how can you

turn away question mark that doesn't mean you open the doors like Germany

and just say, come on in, but you cannot turn the speed away when the

alternative is to go back to a high chance of death, at worst, and

certainly very bad conditions. It is a classic something must be done.

And it is very worrying, because at the same time, almost simultaneously

with the conference in London, where billions of pounds are thankfully

being raised to help people in the countries who are nearby, who can

help, at the same time peace talks collapse in Geneva. You just wonder

where it goes from here. There are so many other external influences in

Syria, it is not just Assad, the free Syrian army and Islamic State.

There are other players in the region who have vested interests.

And Russia. Things are now moving because the Russians have put their

heads behind Assad and stalemate has been broken, for better or worse.

You just wonder what the other countries that have been toying with

the idea of ramping up their air strikes are now thinking. They avoid

said there is no military solution to this, it has to be diplomatic.

Now we see Russia engaging in air strikes and is tipping things in

favour of President Assad. There are solutions and there are solutions.

No military solutions that will necessarily please everyone. The

Russians have found a solution that will not please everyone but will be

a solution. I just want to have a quick look at something we did not

box up in time. I went a bit off piste and stab another paper in. The

Guardian, soaring state schools threatened private sector. This is

also in the Times... I'm trained to look at my guests as well as you...

It is also on the Times in a different guise. It is. I haven't

seen that one yet so I am not sure what the Guardian's slant is. The

Times is reporting that owing to dramatic improvements in state

schools, the independent sector is facing long-term decline and is

under pressure. You kind of think... Is this the crisis? It is a crisis

for the business of private schools, but is this a crisis for the

nation's education question probably not. A lot of parents will think,

good, I do have to spend that money. It is a good news story. Schools are

getting better, that is good news. But most of them have packaged it

up... A school that offers lots of scholarships and bursaries to kids

who cannot afford to go. You need the parents that can pay to

subsidise those places. State schools are good, you'd only private

scores, right? Finally, the Times. Kicked into orbit, Tim Peake is

looking forward to the England and Scotland match tomorrow in the Six

Nations. You have kind of had enough of this? I wouldn't put it quite as

strongly as that... I do think there is some sense in which we might have

reached peak Tim Peake. He looks... He is a spaceman. It's amazing. I'm

beginning to wonder how many more promotional outfits he has stashed

away. A little bit like Barbie, an outfit for every occasion. No, not

like Barbie in any way because he is a proper spaceman. The interesting

thing is he has his England flag and Scotland flag. Is he a big rugby

fan? Of course. Anyway, that is the papers that this hour, but we will

be back again at 11:30pm. See you later. Coming up

Sportsday. When we come back, more on the earthquake that has hit

Taiwan.