24/01/2017 BBC News at Ten

Tonight at Ten - a Parliamentary bill is expected within days,

leading to the formal start of the Brexit process.

It follows a ruling by the Supreme Court that Parliament

must be consulted before Brexit can start, it's not

Any change to the law, to give effect to the referendum, must be

made in the only way permitted, by the UK constitution, namely by an

Within minutes of the ruling by the court, ministers

were insisting that the Brexit plan would go ahead on the

This judgment does not change the fact that the UK will be leaving the

European Union, and it's our job to deliver on the instruction the

But Labour has warned it would try to amend the bill,

We're going to hold them to account to protect jobs.

We're going to hold them to account to ensure British

And we're not going to allow ourselves to become some kind of

And in Edinburgh, a warning that the decision not

to require the approval of the Scottish Parliament

is proof that the devolution settlement is worthless.

With every day that passes right now, it is becoming clear that

Scotland's voice cannot and is not able to be heard within the UK on

We'll have the latest on this landmark ruling

by the Supreme Court and what it could mean

A record fall in BT's share price, after news that its Italian

subsidiary tried to cover up huge losses.

More executive orders signed by President Trump -

this time he revives plans to build two oil pipelines,

# Stars are you shining just for me...#

And leading the Oscars race is La La Land -

with a record-equalling 14 nominations, including

And coming up in Sportsday later on BBC News, Sir Alex Ferguson

gives us his progress report on Jose Mourinho.

He says the Portugese is learning to control his emotions.

By the end of this week, a bill is to be laid before

Parliament to start the process of leaving the European Union.

It follows a ruling by the Supreme Court,

confirming that ministers are not allowed to trigger the process

Despite losing the case, ministers insist their Brexit

timetable is in tact and they expect both Houses of Parliament

to give their approval before the end of March.

We'll have details of the ruling and the day's reaction,

and we start with our political editor, Laura Kuenssberg.

Is it the Prime Minister, or Parliament that's in charge?

Theresa May wanted to avoid asking MPs for permission

But businesswoman Gina Miller fought and fought and fought again.

Arguing the Government simply does not have the power to do it alone.

There's no precedent, so can our departure start?

So-called Article 50, without Parliament saying yes?

Today, by a majority of eight to three, the Supreme Court rules

that the Government cannot trigger Article 50 without an Act of

The referendum is of great political significance.

But the Act of Parliament which established it

did not say what should happen as a result.

So, any change in the law, to give effect to the referendum,

must be made in the only way permitted by the UK constitution,

To proceed otherwise, would be a breach of settled

constitutional principles stretching back many centuries.

And there are consequences from that clear instruction.

Ministers have no choice, MPs must have a say.

Of course the Government is disappointed with the outcome

but we have the good fortune to live in a country where everyone,

every individual, every organisation, even Government,

So, the Government will comply with the judgment of the court.

The challenger, well-financed, but outsiders won the day.

No Prime Minister, no Government can expect to be

The judges crucially did not say exactly what Parliament should do.

Nor did they give the Scottish, Northern Irish or Welsh

The judges have ruled that the Scottish Parliament does

not need to be consulted, are you disappointed?

We were told we have the most powerful devolved

It appear that that is not now the case.

Should the Prime Minister have listened to people

Well, she could have listened to people like me.

I've been saying this for six months.

This melee, this court case was never about whether or not

we leave the European Union but the verdict is not

They must now seek authority from just across this square,

before they can start the process of leaving the European Union.

REPORTER: Mr Johnson, is Brexit still on track?

Despite the courtroom drama, the Government's been

The majority of MPs have already said they will back them.

The Government's priority, following the European Union

referendum, has been to respect the outcome and to ensure it's

delivered in the interests of the whole country.

This House voted by 6-1 to put the decision in the hands of voters

and that Bill passed the other place unopposed.

The point of no return was passed on June 23rd last year.

Labour won't allow its MPs to stop the Bill but will

We're very clear, we're going to hold them to account.

We're going to hold them to account to protect jobs.

We're going to hold them to account to make sure that British industry

And we're not going to allow ourselves to become some sort

But while MPs will have more power, the judges' decision not to insist

could strain further the union between Scotland and the rest

The decision is looming for Scotland.

Are we prepared to allow our futures to be dictated

going down a path that I think the majority of people in Scotland

do not want to go down, or are we going to take our future

And convinced Europeans, Lib Dems and a handful of Labour MPs,

might vote against Article 50, to express their fears.

Unless the Government concedes a new deal for the British people,

so that the British people have a say over the final

arrangements between the UK and the EU, I will vote

But for the woman who started all of this, success, yes,

Good people didn't seem able to stand up and put their point.

So I thought, if I stood up, others would join, others would come

together and we'd have a coalescing of one voice talking about this -

talking about the fact that Parliament is sovereign.

In the seven-month process I've been through, I've been very surprised.

What this whole fight has been about, is about right and wrong.

It's right that an individual citizen could bring this case.

It is wrong that the Government think they are above the law.

And it is wrong for the Government or politicians to carry

The Prime Minister never wanted an ugly fight in the courts.

She doesn't now want weeks of angry argument as it moves

to the House of Commons, but for all its potential,

this legal tangle has not strangled the Government in knots.

Ministers were ruled to be wrong on fundamental matters of law.

But while they lost the case, the Government has not lost

Just as Theresa May's motorcade swept past the court,

she's been able to brush aside some of the arguments.

One senior Tory told me - we are on our way.

Laura Kuenssberg BBC News, Westminster.

As we heard, Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland,

has again raised the prospect of a second independence referendum,

following the ruling that ministers are not required to consult

the Scottish Parliament, or indeed the Assemblies

in Northern Ireland and Wales, before launching the Brexit process.

The SNP is proposing dozens of amendments to the forthcoming

Labour is also warning that it will try to amend the bill,

as our deputy political editor, John Pienaar, reports.

The judgment's in, now it's up to the politicians.

The news went around the world in seconds,

a story ministers hoped never to hear told, not in any language.

But the Government's had time to get ready,

so could Parliament get in Theresa May's way?

The Government says legislation, paving the way for Brexit,

That will be voted on by both Houses, Commons and Lords.

Theresa May intends Article 50 will be triggered by the end

of March and once triggered, Britain will have two

One Shadow Minister's ready to defy Labour orders

and vote against Brexit, though it might end her career.

My constituents voted to remain in the European Union,

I am leaning towards voting against Article 50 because I'm

here to represent their views and if I have to resign my

Shadow Ministerial position because of the stance I take,

Many Labour MPs accept stopping Brexit is not an option

and worry their party could concede too much.

We cannot be a party that rubber stamps a hard Brexit.

Look, I accept we're leaving the European Union and I'm minded

to vote for Article 50 Bill to be triggered, but I am not

going to give this Government a blank cheque on the contents

I am not going to give Theresa May the ability to go and run a coach

and horses through the living standards of middle and lower income

Around Westminster, they're asking who'll work with him.

The SNP has proposed around 50 amendments or suggested changes

to the Bill starting Brexit, and wants help.

What we really need is to be working together with as many people

as possible to hold this Government to account and I think

we really need Labour to get their act together a bit.

Opposition parties are split and Labour, out of step with so many

of its Brexit-supporting voters, can't agree on tactics

or policy and that's good news for Theresa May.

The Bill to start Britain's EU divorce proceedings

In the Commons, MPs will try to force more votes before

the divorce deal is settled and in the Lords, there'll be more

But many peers are nervous about defying the verdict

Would it not be foolish in the extreme if this

House placed itself, as an unelected body,

in confrontation with the bulk of the British people?

And after fierce attacks on the courts in the past,

an appeal from the Church for calm to help reunify the country

The use of language, which may occasionally sound threatening,

is very unhelpful if, at the end of the two year period,

we are going to end up with a country that is able to go

forward in a reconciled and prosperous and flourishing way.

For keen Brexiteers today, so far so good.

You're looking a little bit triumphant right now?

Well, I'm happy that we didn't end up with a bogged down deal over

Instead of which a simple process, a simple Bill,

Theresa May will be on time triggering Article 50,

Which means, basically, the effort to try and stop

So another long day on the road to Brexit.

The Bill, approving the exit talks, comes out on Thursday,

The real political slog towards an EU deal has yet to begin.

In a moment, we'll talk to our political editor,

Laura Kuenssberg, at Westminster, but first, our Scotland edito,r

In the light of today's ruling, Sarah, where do you think the

options are now for Nicola Sturgeon? Well, despite the fact that the

Supreme Court said there does not have to be... First Minister, Nicola

Sturgeon, has decided to go ahead and have one anyway and it is likely

that Holyrood SNPs will vote against Article 50, reflecting the fact that

52% of the Scottish electorate voted to remain in the EU. That will have

no legal standing. So why bother having the vote at all? Well, it'll

be very politically symbolic when the UK Government is then seen to be

acting against the express wishes of the Scottish Parliament. Nicola

Sturgeon is not ready to call another referendum on Scottish

independence, not yet but she will want to use every opportunity, every

conflict with Westminster, like this one, to build the case for why she

thinks Scotland should be an independent country. Thank you very

much. Apologies for the little glitch on the sound but we heard

most of what Sarah had to say. Let's go to Westminster and talk to Laura.

Laura, ministers today are sounding very confident. How can they be so

confident that, as they put it, their timetable for Brexit is still

in tact? I think they believe and I think they are right in believing

that the mood amongst the majority of MPs and also among much of the

House of Lords is not of obstructing what the Government's plan is, is

not of really messing with the timetable and so much so that I'm

told, sources are suggesting they've sketched out a timetable of the Bill

in the House of Commons on Thursday, the fist votes on this issue

potentially next Wednesday, maybe even with MPs maybe sitting until

midnight to debate the issues, the whole thing being wrapped up in the

House of Commons, at least, actually in about a fortnight's time. But,

but, but, reality may well bite. The mood right now is in that place but

it could change very fast. There are still calls for a white paper with

more detail of the Government plans. There are still calls, demand for a

meaningful vote to take place. But, I think that Theresa May's team do

feel that today, although technically a defeat, has been

something of a win for them. Because the court stepped back from creating

merry havoc. They stepped back from being very explicit about what the

Government had to do next. They stepped back from really, really

interfering and setting out the Government's very technical

instructions about how they should behave. That said, this is the

beginning, really, still, of what is a very long process and sources

close to Theresa May told me today they feel they've got to base camp

relatively unscathed but they are aware there is a very long climb

ahead. Thank you very much Laura. Billions of pounds have been wiped

off the value of BT today following a warning from the company

that profits will be affected by an accounting scandal

in its Italian division. It's set aside ?500 million

to cover the losses. BT has also warned of "stagnating

revenues" from its contracts Our business editor,

Simon Jack, has more details. I don't even have time

to open doors any more... Not every big company

is a household name, Its services are used by millions

and its shares are some of the most widely owned by the public,

with nearly a million small investors still holding shares

from the privatisation back in 1984. Here is what happened

to those shares today - a 20% drop, its biggest fall

in its history as a public company. That caught even big

investors off guard. It was a real shock,

BT's not the kind of company It's a very strong company

with quite a reliable, dependable and forecastable

business, so we just don't expect So why this sudden and

very dramatic slump? Well, BT has problems

on a number fronts. Today we learned the accounting

scandal in BT's Italian business is much worse than expected,

the black hole there has widen Perhaps even more worrying

for investors, it also warned today that profits in its core business

will be ?175 million Now, that's down to stagnating

revenue from some of its biggest customers who are not renewing major

contracts and today's news is set against an already uncertain

backdrop for the company. The company is fighting

calls from competitors and the regulator to split

off its Openreach network division. It has one of the UK's biggest

pension fund deficits and, meanwhile, it's been spending

big on entertainment. I think there's a lot of nervousness

around BT at the moment, particularly given the ongoing

review of the Openreach division and also the review of pensions

that's due to happen this year. I think if there's one thing

that investors hate, it's uncertainty and given

the amount of uncertainty there is at the moment,

any knock to BT sees an amplified effect, which is what I think we've

seen with the share price today. Heads have already started to roll

and the BBC has learnt tonight that the head of BT Europe

is expected to resign imminently. All this will put pressure

on the ultimate boss, Brit Gavin Paterson,

who's led an expensive expansion into sports coverage,

including football. His position however is not thought

to be in imminent danger. BT expressed disappointment

at events in Italy and Shareholders will be disappointed

at today's record slump, and when a company as big as BT

says its biggest customers aren't spending money,

it's a worry for the wider economy. President Trump has signed more

executive orders today, including one to relaunch some

controversial oil pipeline projects One of the projects had been

blocked by President Obama But Mr Trump said he was in favour

because they would create many jobs, including

in America's steel industry. Our North America editor,

Jon Sopel, has more details. I am, to a large extent, an

environmentalist, I believe in it. But it's out of control.

The key word there seems to be "but", as another day brings another

set of executive actions that aren't exactly music to the ears

From now on, we're going to start making pipeline in the United

States. We build it in the United States. We build the pipelines. We

want to build the pipe. We're going to put a lot of workers, a lot of

steelworkers back to work. And from former Vice-Presidential

candidate, Sarah Palin, this tweet, These two pipelines will each

stretch over 1,000 miles, one going from Canada,

in the north, down to The other would stretch across four

states to Illinois and will create thousands of jobs along the way

and be a major boom When Barack Obama was President

there was a huge amount of prevarication and hand-wringing

over what to do about the Keystone XL pipeline, the President then

trying to balance his green credentials

with his desire to provide jobs. For Donald Trump, in his second day

in office, no such qualms. For him, everything is about putting

Americans back to work. President Trump ace decision today

to green light these dirty oil pipelines proves one, that over the

next four years he will side with the oil and gas industry over public

health, the environment and every day Americans.

And the move is certain to upset native Americans whose opposition

to the Dakota pipeline was strenuous and, ultimately,

They object to it, saying it will contaminate water supplies

And though this executive action has been signed,

this is probably going to end up in the courts and so,

in the short-term, this move is likely to create more jobs

for lawyers than construction workers.

The new head of Formula One says the man he's replaced ran the sport

like a "one-man dictator" and his reign had to end

if the sport was to get the fresh start it needed.

Bernie Ecclestone, who transformed the sport into a billion-pound

global business, was replaced as chief executive last

night by Chase Carey, he's been talking to our sports

COMMENTATOR: There's Bernie Ecclestone, the Tzar of Formula One.

He's been a driving force like no other.

Having ruled Formula One with an iron grip for decades,

Bernie Ecclestone transformed it into a global,

COMMENTATOR: Oh, my goodness, this is fantastic!

At times it seemed as if he'd go on forever, but with a multi-billion

pound American takeover came a sudden change in direction.

And today, F1's new boss told me why it was the end of the road

I would expect this is difficult for Bernie,

He's run the sport as a one-man - he calls himself a dictator -

he's run it as a one-man dictator for a long time.

I think the sport needs a fresh perspective.

From second hand car salesman, to team owner and then

commercial rights holder, Ecclestone's rise was remarkable.

The 86-year-old's deal-making skills brought him famous friends,

powerful contacts and billions in the bank.

Move out of the way before I get upset.

Some comments caused offence and he was forced to settle

a bribery case in 2014, but this diminutive figure will be

You can't have another Bernie, it will never exist.

The conditions will never exist, the circumstances will never exist

and he'll go down in history for what he's achieved.

COMMENTATOR: My goodness, this is fantastic!

But recently, F1 has struggled to match the thrills of the past

and amid dramatically declining TV audiences, one team boss told me

I think the most important thing is getting back

to the basics of outright racing, engaging with the fans,

engaging with the public and, perhaps, decomplicating the cars

a little and going back to man and machine being

For a long time now, Formula One has been able to depend

on its unique mix of speed, glamour and technology to guarantee

true global appeal, but there's a sense from within the sport that

in an ultra competitive and shifting sports market,

We need to use all the platforms, the digital platforms available

and the marketing capability to tell the stories, of the

We've got to make our events larger than ever.

Week long events, cities at the tracks.

There are music and entertainmet with the sport at the centre of it.

I've talked about 21 Super Bowls, and that's really

This is a seismic moment for F1, Ecclestone's been offered

an advisory role, but a man so used to being the puppet master is no

The world of sport will surely never see his like again.

A brief look at some of the day's other news stories.

An inquest into the deaths of 30 Britons, killed by a gunman

at a Tunisian beach resort in 2015, has heard how one holidaymaker

pretended to be dead next to her husband's body.

Alison Heathcote survived five gunshot wounds

Another witness says he wasn't told in advance by his travel firm

about any potential security risks in the area.

Israel has announced plans to build another 2,500 homes in settlements

The Israeli government says it's "in response to housing needs."

Palestinian officials say the plans undermine peace hopes by building

on land that they want for a future state.

Peace talks on Syria have ended with Russia, Turkey and Iran

reaching agreement on a way to consolidate the current ceasefire,

but no details have emerged yet from the conference in Kazakhstan.

The Syrian government said the outcome would allow

The rebel delegation there says no progress has in fact been made.

HSBC is to close a further 62 bank branches in the UK.

The decision is being blamed on the growth of mobile

The move is expected to lead to 180 redundancies.

This week marks six years since the popular uprising in Egypt,

which ousted President Mubarak after decades in power,

a key moment in the political events known as the Arab Spring.

Parliamentary elections followed that, but two

al-Sisi, head of the Egyptian army, seized power in a military

coup and was elected President 10 months later.

He's now fighting against an Islamist insurgency but -

as our Middle East correspondent, Orla Guerin, reports -

he's been accused of crushing dissent and the hopes of many

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a Middle Eastern leader

of the old school, who soared to power with the help

President Trump already seems to view him as a brother in arms.

He says he's waging war on terrorism here, critics say he's also

We met one of the casualties of that conflict, Mahmood

He says every step is a reminder of dark days behind bars.

Here's what can happen to those who oppose the President,

police firing on unarmed demonstrators with live rounds.

This was the anniversary of the revolution three years ago,

He says he was on the streets to celebrate

His crime was wearing this T-shirt with the slogan,

TRANSLATION: I was abused at the checkpoint where I was arrested,

then they transferred me to the police station.

I was electrocuted on my private parts, they kicked me

with their military boots and hit me with sticks.

Every one of them knew I was there because of the T-shirt.

They believed this was a personal insult to them, so they beat me.

He says they made sure to beat his leg, which was already injured.

And this, combined with medical neglect,

Mahmoud was charged with attending a banned protest and joining

He was held without trial for over two years.

Since his release, he has received death threats,

TRANSLATION: In Egypt, my rights and the right of thousands

of others like me are violated just for dreaming or hoping for freedom.

That's not going to stop me from speaking out or caring

The authorities deny there is systematic torture

here, but say there may be individual cases.

He says he and others will keep trying to craft

This year's Oscar nominations are the most racially diverse

for several years with seven of the 20 candidates in the acting

categories from ethnic minority backgrounds.

The British stars, Dev Patel and Naomie Harris, are among them.

Leading the way with 14 nominations - equalling

the record for a single film - is the critically-acclaimed musical

La La Land as our arts editor, Will Gompertz, reports.

# Someone in the crowd could be the one you need to know #.

There's nothing Hollywood likes more than a film that

So no great surprise La La Land, the musical about two wannabes

making their way in Tinseltown, has 14 nominations, including

Damien Chazelle for Best Director and Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone

in the Best Actor and Best Actress categories.

It will get a run for its money from Moonlight, Barry Jenkins'

coming-of-age drama, which gets eight nominations

and sees Mahershala Ali getting a nod as Best Supporting Actor

and a crack-addled Naomie Harris one for Best Supporting Actress.

Some boys chased him and they cut, he's scared more than anything.

I'm trying to explain it to you the best way I know how.

She will be up against Viola Davis, who puts in a powerful

performance in Fences, directed by and starring

Denzel Washington, who's nominated in the Best Actor category.

Along with American-British actor Andrew Garfield,

as the heroic conscientious objector in Mel Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge.

Well, that's some of the runners and riders.

Kate Muir, you're the Times film critic.

Pick us some winners, starting with Best Picture?

Has to be La La Land, it's completely in a league of its own.

It's glorious, it's romantic, it's dancing on air, but there's

Has to be, I think, Casey Affleck in Manchester By The Sea.

No, Hacksaw Ridge is not our thing, I don't think.

I would really like to see Natalie Portman win this for Jackie.

I think it's a cool, elegant, clever performance.

Meryl Streep's not going to get it, then?

I would like to see Mahershala Ali win this for Moonlight.

He's playing a drugs kingpin, but against all odds,

I would like Naomie Harris to win this for Britain, for Moonlight.

She's usually Miss Moneypenny, here she is playing

Damien Chazelle really, really deserves this for pulling

Last year's awards were dominated by the Oscars So White campaign.

The 2017 shortlist is more diverse, but we can still expect politically

charged speeches with the name Donald Trump likely to crop up.

Tonight, the losers in the Supreme Court may end

up being the winners because the Government says Brexit

So can Labour or the SNP force any change of course?

We'll be hearing from Alex Salmond and Emily Thornberry of Labour.