:00:00. > :00:08.Thousands of Vauxhall workers seek assurances about their jobs,
:00:09. > :00:15.The two plants in the UK have been bought by the French group that owns
:00:16. > :00:20.Workers have been voicing their disquiet.
:00:21. > :00:24.Of course, we're all going to be worried
:00:25. > :00:28.I mean, I myself have been here nearly 30 years.
:00:29. > :00:30.Disbelief because no-one really knows what is going on.
:00:31. > :00:34.The new owners are warning that British workers will have to reach
:00:35. > :00:38.a benchmark of efficiency, and the future is up to them.
:00:39. > :00:44.I trust my Vauxhall employees in the UK.
:00:45. > :00:47.As long as we improve performance and we become the best,
:00:48. > :00:54.And while some observers warn that Brexit will make things
:00:55. > :00:56.even more uncertain, others say it presents
:00:57. > :00:58.new opportunities for the British motor industry.
:00:59. > :01:03.President Trump signs a new travel ban -
:01:04. > :01:05.this time against six mainly Muslim countries.
:01:06. > :01:12.The Department of Justice believes that this executive order,
:01:13. > :01:15.just as the first executive order, is a lawful and proper exercise
:01:16. > :01:21.A zoo in Cumbria, where nearly 500 animals have died,
:01:22. > :01:27.In China, the government takes action against old,
:01:28. > :01:39.It says it will make the skies "blue again".
:01:40. > :01:41.And 30 years after the Zeebrugge ferry disaster, relatives,
:01:42. > :01:43.survivors and rescuers return to remember the 193 people
:01:44. > :01:48.And coming up in Sportsday on BBC News:
:01:49. > :01:50.Chelsea are in action at West Ham, as they look
:01:51. > :02:13.to restore their ten-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
:02:14. > :02:21.Trade union leaders have demanded assurances about the future
:02:22. > :02:24.of thousands of jobs at Vauxhall's two car plants in the UK,
:02:25. > :02:27.Vauxhall has been sold by General Motors to the French
:02:28. > :02:35.car manufacturer, PSA, which owns Peugeot and Citroen.
:02:36. > :02:49.Ministers say they are cautiously optimistic about the future but it
:02:50. > :02:53.all depends on performance. According to the head of PSA.
:02:54. > :02:55.Labour says the Brexit process adds a new layer of doubt,
:02:56. > :02:57.as our industry correspondent, John Moylan, reports.
:02:58. > :03:04.Vauxhall's plant at Elsner, the centre of GM's operations for years.
:03:05. > :03:08.But now there is uncertainty for thousands of workers. We are all
:03:09. > :03:13.worried, we have all got families, I've been here for nearly 30 years.
:03:14. > :03:16.I have seen when Peugeot took over other plants and they didn't go as
:03:17. > :03:20.well as people thought it would so we have to see what happens. It
:03:21. > :03:24.doesn't sound like a terrible thing for us, he looks like he's looking
:03:25. > :03:28.to keep our jobs and if he sticks to his word everyone should be happy.
:03:29. > :03:32.The deal creates Europe's second-biggest car-maker after
:03:33. > :03:35.Volkswagen and redraws the map of the European car industry. Across
:03:36. > :03:41.Europe the PSA group has 14 production sites with 139,000
:03:42. > :03:48.workers. It is buying GM Europe, known as Opal, for ?1.9 billion
:03:49. > :03:52.including its eight plants outside the UK and 38,500 employees. The
:03:53. > :03:59.deal includes Vauxhall's plants in Luton and Ellesmere Port and their
:04:00. > :04:02.4500 staff. GM Europe have turned a profit since 1999 but its new owners
:04:03. > :04:08.hope cars like this will change all that. The Crosland X is the result
:04:09. > :04:12.of a four-year joint venture with Peugeot demonstrating that big cost
:04:13. > :04:18.savings could be found. But what about job security at Vauxhall's
:04:19. > :04:21.plants? Peugeot's boss Carlos Tavares has promised to honour
:04:22. > :04:25.existing production guarantees. But today he said that after that
:04:26. > :04:34.workers' futures were in their own hands. I trust my Vauxhall employees
:04:35. > :04:37.in the UK. I trust them. I know that they are skilled. I know that they
:04:38. > :04:42.are dedicated. I know that they are committed and I trust that they will
:04:43. > :04:45.be in a very good situation by working in a constructive and open
:04:46. > :04:50.manner and as long as we improve the performance and become the best
:04:51. > :04:53.there is no risk they should fear. Here at Ellesmere Port the Vauxhall
:04:54. > :04:58.Astra has been rolling off the production line since the 1980s. But
:04:59. > :05:03.to secure its future unions know that the owners must commit to a new
:05:04. > :05:06.vehicle from the plant in the coming year. If they want to sell cars in
:05:07. > :05:11.the United Kingdom they will have to build cars in the United Kingdom,
:05:12. > :05:15.that is Unite's position and we will fight tooth and nail to ensure that
:05:16. > :05:20.happens. The conversations that I and the Prime Minister have had both
:05:21. > :05:24.with GM and PSA tell me that they intend to safeguard the plants,
:05:25. > :05:30.honour their commitments and look to increase the performance and sales
:05:31. > :05:34.of cars. So we want to hold on to those commitments. But what will
:05:35. > :05:37.Brexit mean for Vauxhall's plants? The auto industry could face tariffs
:05:38. > :05:44.when we leave the Single Market making trade more expensive. 60% of
:05:45. > :05:47.the components that go into the Vic Mauro van that is built in Luton
:05:48. > :05:52.come from abroad and for the Astro built at Ellesmere Port it is 75%.
:05:53. > :05:58.Bits is more than four plants in mainland Europe and it puts the UK
:05:59. > :06:01.at a disadvantage. The former boss of GM's European operations says
:06:02. > :06:06.this could be a make or break issue for Vauxhall's plants if the new
:06:07. > :06:10.group needs to make cuts. There will be excess capacity and the UK is in
:06:11. > :06:15.a week, a relatively weak position, compared to other European
:06:16. > :06:18.countries. Not because the plants are inefficient, they aren't, they
:06:19. > :06:22.just don't have enough components purchased here so it puts the cost
:06:23. > :06:27.of the car up because they have to import so many components. Britain's
:06:28. > :06:33.auto sector has been a huge success story. But the creation of this new
:06:34. > :06:39.European car giant could present major challenges. John Moylan, BBC
:06:40. > :06:42.News, Luton. Live to Geneva where the annual motor show is taking
:06:43. > :06:48.place. Many executives from the car industry get-together. Simon Jack is
:06:49. > :06:50.therefore as. What are they saying about the prospect for these jobs?
:06:51. > :06:55.The general view on the shores of Lake Geneva is this is a good one
:06:56. > :06:59.for the industry, consolidation is the only way you will get rid of the
:07:00. > :07:02.excess capacity in Europe and that ultimately means fewer factories and
:07:03. > :07:07.fewer jobs. So ultimately it will be a fight for survival on the 24
:07:08. > :07:11.plants this combined company will have. Most people think that in the
:07:12. > :07:15.fight for survival in the UK starts at a disadvantage because of the
:07:16. > :07:20.devaluation of sterling making those components John talked about a bit
:07:21. > :07:23.more expensive, and the uncertainty that Brexit creates. Not everyone
:07:24. > :07:27.agrees. Carlos Tavares said something interesting today. He said
:07:28. > :07:31.that if there is a hard border, a hard Brexit, between Europe and the
:07:32. > :07:35.UK it may make more sense rather than less to have some production on
:07:36. > :07:44.that side of the fence. But for that to work you need to get more chain
:07:45. > :07:46.into the UK, and that will require government help. We have already
:07:47. > :07:49.seen the government score a win in convincing this and to increase
:07:50. > :07:52.investment in the UK, and it did that mainly by saying we are going
:07:53. > :07:55.to provide skills and training and a big focus on research and
:07:56. > :07:58.development and technology, including things like electric cars
:07:59. > :08:04.and batteries which are red-hot issues here. It worked with Nissan
:08:05. > :08:08.and it might work with PSA. Extra incentive, if any were needed, for
:08:09. > :08:13.the Chancellor on Wednesday to say some car friendly things around
:08:14. > :08:15.those issues, and I'm betting that he will. Simon, thanks for the
:08:16. > :08:17.latest in Geneva, Simon Jack. President Trump has signed
:08:18. > :08:19.a new executive order banning people from six mainly Muslim countries
:08:20. > :08:22.from entering the United It's a revised version
:08:23. > :08:25.of the ban, which was blocked This time Iraq is not on the list,
:08:26. > :08:30.and the wording has been changed The US attorney-general,
:08:31. > :08:34.Jeff Sessions, claimed all six countries were connected directly
:08:35. > :08:36.or indirectly to terrorism. Our North America correspondent,
:08:37. > :08:51.Nick Bryant, has the latest. There was applause when President
:08:52. > :08:55.Trump signed the first executive order, but it caused anger, chaos
:08:56. > :09:00.and confusion at America's airports as the travel ban on entrants from
:09:01. > :09:03.seven mainly Muslim countries was hurriedly put into effect but the US
:09:04. > :09:08.courts blocked it opening the borders, delivering an embarrassing
:09:09. > :09:12.rebuke to President Trump. So today he signed a revised band with
:09:13. > :09:15.unusually little fanfare. The Washington press corps not invited
:09:16. > :09:20.to witness it and this photograph taken instead by a White House
:09:21. > :09:25.staffer. He left it to a senior administration officials to sell one
:09:26. > :09:29.of his signature policies. It is the President's solemn duty to protect
:09:30. > :09:34.the American people and with this order President Trump is exercising
:09:35. > :09:38.his rightful authority to keep our people safe. Whilst citizens from
:09:39. > :09:43.Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya and Yemen are still affected, Iraq,
:09:44. > :09:46.unlike last time, is not on the list. People with legal residency in
:09:47. > :09:54.the US who hold a green cards and those who already had visas will not
:09:55. > :09:56.be subject to the ban. Syrian refugees originally banned
:09:57. > :09:58.indefinitely are not singled out for harsher treatment. The Trump
:09:59. > :10:04.administration claims some refugees pose a potential terror threat. In
:10:05. > :10:09.fact, today more than 300 people, according to the FBI, who came here
:10:10. > :10:15.as refugees, are under an FBI investigation today for potential
:10:16. > :10:18.terrorism related activities. By delaying it simpler mentation until
:10:19. > :10:24.later in the month the White House is hoping to avoid a repeat of the
:10:25. > :10:27.botched roll out of the original travel ban. Removing Iraq, a key
:10:28. > :10:32.ally, is designed to make it more politically palatable for Republican
:10:33. > :10:37.critics. The Trump administration has tried to make it legally
:10:38. > :10:42.watertight. But to constitutional scholars think they have succeeded?
:10:43. > :10:45.Distal grounds to challenge this executive order, the same grounds as
:10:46. > :10:49.before, it will just be more difficult. None of this means that
:10:50. > :10:54.courts could not strike this town or issue a restraining order, it's just
:10:55. > :10:57.that it will be tougher. This has fewer edges. The Muslim
:10:58. > :11:01.neighbourhoods of America such as this one in Michigan, the travel ban
:11:02. > :11:04.affects family members and friends and many complain it also
:11:05. > :11:09.marginalises them. It's really sad because it's affecting a lot of
:11:10. > :11:13.people and it's going to hurt a lot of people. I think it's a wrong
:11:14. > :11:17.decision. I wish he would teach us how to love each other more and be
:11:18. > :11:23.more peaceful, do not say this group is bad, that group is bad. America
:11:24. > :11:26.has long solar rated its welcoming tradition towards immigrants,
:11:27. > :11:30.symbolised by the Statue of Liberty. But opinion on the travel ban
:11:31. > :11:36.exposes deep divisions here between those who protest it's un-American
:11:37. > :11:41.and those who believe it's necessary to protect the American homeland.
:11:42. > :11:47.Tonight it was the state of New York that said it was ready to mount a
:11:48. > :11:52.legal challenge against the new travel ban. All this, of course, a
:11:53. > :11:56.massive conversation change after a weekend dominated by President
:11:57. > :12:01.Trump's extraordinary trip Twitter tyrant against Barack Obama accusing
:12:02. > :12:04.him of ordering wiretaps at Trump Tower. Perhaps that's why the
:12:05. > :12:07.President kept such a low profile today. Maybe he didn't want to be
:12:08. > :12:11.exposed to questions from supporters who would have doubtless asked him
:12:12. > :12:15.to provide proof to back up those explosive claims.
:12:16. > :12:18.Nick, thank you very much, Nick Briant at the White House.
:12:19. > :12:21.In Northern Ireland, the search is on for a new political deal,
:12:22. > :12:24.which will allow the creation of a new power-sharing executive.
:12:25. > :12:26.The Northern Ireland Secretary, James Brokenshire, has started talks
:12:27. > :12:28.with the main parties, but the Democratic Unionists
:12:29. > :12:31.and Sinn Fein are struggling to resolve the differences,
:12:32. > :12:34.which led to the collapse of the old executive in January.
:12:35. > :12:37.For the latest, let's join our Ireland correspondent,
:12:38. > :12:47.As you say, the parties have spent the day negotiating at Stormont and
:12:48. > :12:51.those talks will continue tomorrow but they face many challenges to
:12:52. > :12:55.deal with all of those disagreements that became clear during a bitter
:12:56. > :12:58.election campaign. There is the potential for a deal to restore
:12:59. > :13:02.power-sharing but it needs to be done within three weeks to avoid the
:13:03. > :13:05.need for potentially even the Westminster government taking over
:13:06. > :13:09.control of Northern Ireland, at least for a period, or perhaps even
:13:10. > :13:12.another election. Last week's vote saw a rise in support for
:13:13. > :13:15.Republicans leaving some Unionists shocked. My report does contain some
:13:16. > :13:17.flash photography. This is an island where
:13:18. > :13:19.political battles have And Irish Republicans see this
:13:20. > :13:23.election as a leap forward. In Sinn Fein's heartland
:13:24. > :13:26.of West Belfast, the vote was presented as a chance
:13:27. > :13:30.for nationalism to hit back at unionism, after the collapse
:13:31. > :13:33.of power sharing and disagreements Identity and culture is deeply
:13:34. > :13:45.important to listeners And the result of this vote
:13:46. > :13:52.will have strengthened many of their aspirations
:13:53. > :13:54.for a united Ireland. Brexit and this election have
:13:55. > :13:58.started to open people's minds to the possibility of discussing
:13:59. > :14:01.new relationships, a new way of structuring
:14:02. > :14:04.relationships on this island. I think it's very early days to say,
:14:05. > :14:09.yes, this will lead And even in these politically
:14:10. > :14:15.turbulent times, all indications are that a referendum on Irish
:14:16. > :14:18.unity would fail. But at Stormont it's last
:14:19. > :14:22.week's vote that matters. And Sinn Fein have been celebrating
:14:23. > :14:24.their success with selfies The political landscape
:14:25. > :14:31.has shifted enormously. The message is very clear -
:14:32. > :14:42.that people want equality for all, that they want
:14:43. > :14:44.respect in institutions. The DUP leader Arlene Foster's
:14:45. > :14:47.position is at the centre of the talks to try to
:14:48. > :14:50.form a government. In order to go back into power
:14:51. > :14:53.sharing, Sinn Fein are demanding that she steps aside
:14:54. > :14:56.as First Minister, while an investigation takes place
:14:57. > :14:58.into a financial scandal surrounding It's a matter which Sinn Fein seem
:14:59. > :15:10.to want to draw red lines about. We want negotiations to work
:15:11. > :15:14.for the people of Northern Ireland. The DUP walk into these negotiations
:15:15. > :15:18.still Stormont's biggest party. But they used to have ten more
:15:19. > :15:21.Assembly members than Sinn Fein. That's been reduced to just
:15:22. > :15:24.a single seat advantage. Unionism no longer has a majority
:15:25. > :15:27.in Northern Ireland's Assembly. The likes of Sinn Fein, saying
:15:28. > :15:29.they're there for both sides... They're only there for
:15:30. > :15:36.their own community. If they want a united Ireland,
:15:37. > :15:39.that's not what we want. This has long been a place of peace
:15:40. > :15:44.walls and divided identities. Stormont has just three weeks
:15:45. > :15:47.to come up with its latest cross A brief look at some of the day's
:15:48. > :15:56.other other news stories. Security services have prevented 13
:15:57. > :15:59.potential terror attacks in Britain since 2013,
:16:00. > :16:03.that's according to the UK's most Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley
:16:04. > :16:08.also said there were 500 live investigations at any one time
:16:09. > :16:12.and appealed for help Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust
:16:13. > :16:18.will face prosecution over alleged It's the first time the regulator,
:16:19. > :16:23.the Care Quality Commission, has launched a prosecution
:16:24. > :16:26.against a Trust. Southern Health has been widely
:16:27. > :16:28.criticised over its failure to investigate the deaths
:16:29. > :16:31.of hundreds of patients in its care Fund managers Aberdeen Asset
:16:32. > :16:38.Management and Standard Life have agreed on a merger today,
:16:39. > :16:41.that would make it one of the The deal would put the group value
:16:42. > :16:47.at around ?11 billion, overseeing assets
:16:48. > :16:51.worth ?660 billion. The deal is subject
:16:52. > :16:58.to shareholder approval. A zoo in Cumbria, where nearly 500
:16:59. > :17:02.animals died within four years, The owner of South Lakes Safari
:17:03. > :17:07.Zoo, where a tiger keeper was mauled to death in 2013,
:17:08. > :17:10.was refused a new licence to operate He now has four weeks to appeal
:17:11. > :17:15.against the decision, as our correspondent,
:17:16. > :17:18.Danny Savage, reports. Conditions for some
:17:19. > :17:26.of the animals here have been so bad it's now been
:17:27. > :17:29.ordered to close. An inspection in January
:17:30. > :17:35.found poor accommodation, uncontrolled breeding, and exotic
:17:36. > :17:39.animals living in unheated, We've had reports from
:17:40. > :17:46.the public over many years that we've obviously chased up
:17:47. > :17:49.with the council with animals having head injuries, from feeding
:17:50. > :17:54.experiences where people have been absolutely disgusted
:17:55. > :17:56.at the state of them. It's just been an ongoing issue
:17:57. > :18:00.with animal welfare, really, and neglect for even
:18:01. > :18:04.the most basic needs. The zoo has been dogged
:18:05. > :18:06.with trouble for years. A keeper, 24-year-old
:18:07. > :18:09.Sarah McClay, was killed Her brother believes it
:18:10. > :18:16.should have closed them. All the reports over
:18:17. > :18:23.the past week have said 500 animals died in the
:18:24. > :18:25.past four years. So if you'd closed the zoo down
:18:26. > :18:31.after an employee had died, them all this mistreatment
:18:32. > :18:34.of animals wouldn't have come out. I think it should have been closed
:18:35. > :18:37.down four years ago. It wasn't and now look
:18:38. > :18:39.what's happened to all The man refused a licence
:18:40. > :18:42.to run the zoo today is David Gill, described by inspectors
:18:43. > :18:45.as being desperate to keep control And it was David Gill's
:18:46. > :18:49.attitude towards the number of animal deaths
:18:50. > :18:52.which concerned inspectors. They say he didn't seem
:18:53. > :18:58.to have a problem with it, and a keeper told
:18:59. > :19:01.the inspection team that their instructions
:19:02. > :19:03.were to dispose of bodies and not David Gill says he no longer
:19:04. > :19:15.wants to operate the zoo, but without his license
:19:16. > :19:18.the new company now running it can't So the site is now facing closure
:19:19. > :19:22.and the animals may need new homes. Danny Savage, BBC
:19:23. > :19:23.News, South Cumbria. The Chinese government has
:19:24. > :19:26.declared its aim of making the skies blue again by introducing plans
:19:27. > :19:31.to tackle the country's air The authorities
:19:32. > :19:35.say they want to reduce reliance on coal and invest billions
:19:36. > :19:38.in renewable energy, such as solar, As part of our series
:19:39. > :19:41.on tackling air pollution, called So I Can Breathe,
:19:42. > :19:44.our China editor, Carrie Gracie, reports from Beijing on the impact
:19:45. > :19:50.of these latest measures. Everything in China
:19:51. > :19:54.is on a massive scale. Cars are to blame for about
:19:55. > :20:03.a third of China's air So it's scrapping
:20:04. > :20:10.the worst offenders. But this ritual in the wrecker's
:20:11. > :20:13.yard is a losing battle against 30 million new cars taking
:20:14. > :20:31.to the roads this year. If these people want
:20:32. > :20:33.clean air, then, from transport to heating and lifestyle,
:20:34. > :20:35.they have to change their behaviour. China has to kick its
:20:36. > :20:39.addiction to fossil fuels. For this Beijing couple,
:20:40. > :20:41.the morning commute is a his Meet Little Blue,
:20:42. > :20:58.harmful emissions zero. To beat the petrol heads,
:20:59. > :21:01.China subsidises electric vehicles and makes them
:21:02. > :21:05.much easier to licence. On smoggy days Little Blue doesn't
:21:06. > :21:09.face restrictions like other cars. And she's proud to do
:21:10. > :21:12.her bit for clean air. TRANSLATION: We all have
:21:13. > :21:16.to live in this city and the pollution is terrible for our
:21:17. > :21:19.health and for Beijing's image. But driving Little
:21:20. > :21:22.Blue I don't have to I tell my friends they
:21:23. > :21:31.should get one too. To beat the smog, all the villages
:21:32. > :21:40.surrounding Beijing have banned And this 70-year-old farmer is
:21:41. > :21:49.forced back to the old ways. The government did give
:21:50. > :21:59.them an electric heater. But on their pensions they can't
:22:00. > :22:02.afford to switch it on much. But he tells me he's more worried
:22:03. > :22:08.about his electricity bill He's wearing thick
:22:09. > :22:16.layers of longjohns. Beijing can clean the air
:22:17. > :22:21.when it wants to. Like now, for the annual session of
:22:22. > :22:25.its rubber-stamp parliament. But it can't do it for long because,
:22:26. > :22:27.despite the push for cleaner vehicles and cleaner
:22:28. > :22:30.heating, the Chinese economy is And in the one-party
:22:31. > :22:37.state, there's little the public can do to force
:22:38. > :22:39.the politicians here And there's more on the issue
:22:40. > :22:47.of pollution, as part of our special series,
:22:48. > :23:06.on the BBC News website. In France, leaders from the main
:23:07. > :23:09.centre-right party have backed Francoise Fillon as their candidate
:23:10. > :23:13.in next month's presidential election, despite his troubled
:23:14. > :23:18.campaign. Mr Fillon has been accused of misusing public funds, but this
:23:19. > :23:22.evening, his party colleagues unanimously renewed their support
:23:23. > :23:25.for his candidature following a discussion about the allegations,
:23:26. > :23:27.which have clouded the Fillon campaign.
:23:28. > :23:35.They've backed him despite all the troubles. What kind of impact will
:23:36. > :23:42.that have on the rest of this campaign? It possibly won't make
:23:43. > :23:48.things any easier for Marine Le Pen. She might have hoped to inherit some
:23:49. > :23:51.of Mr Fillon's loyal supporters, if he were forced to stand down. The
:23:52. > :23:59.parties have a lot of work to do to draw back some of its more centrist
:24:00. > :24:03.voters who might have drifted towards Macron. Mr Fillon is still
:24:04. > :24:07.under investigation and is still something of a gamble. The party
:24:08. > :24:11.tonight found itself somewhat hemmed in between two major problems, the
:24:12. > :24:15.first is that they're running out of time. They have to confirm their
:24:16. > :24:19.candidate by the end of next week. The other more fundamental problem
:24:20. > :24:23.is that Mr Fillon simply wouldn't go, no matter how bad things got,
:24:24. > :24:28.over the past few weeks, he simply said he wouldn't stand down. That
:24:29. > :24:31.has forced the party's hand. That's something he repeated again tonight,
:24:32. > :24:34.before going into that meeting. It looks as if he's won that war. But
:24:35. > :24:37.the presidential race is still wide-open.
:24:38. > :24:42.Lucy, again, thanks very much for the latest there in Paris.
:24:43. > :24:44.As the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, prepares for this week's Budget,
:24:45. > :24:47.the BBC understands he's been told that the economy is predicted
:24:48. > :24:50.to grow by more than was previously thought since the EU referendum.
:24:51. > :24:52.The Government's financial watchdog is expected
:24:53. > :24:54.to upgrade its forecasts, and the Government is
:24:55. > :24:57.expected to borrow less, but as our economics editor,
:24:58. > :25:03.Kamal Ahmed, reports, there are still significant risks ahead.
:25:04. > :25:05.Blue skies over Hart in southern England,
:25:06. > :25:08.place of low unemployment and consumers still spending, pretty
:25:09. > :25:12.Hampshire Hills, a pretty healthy economy and a pretty good canvas on
:25:13. > :25:16.which the Chancellor will paint his budget.
:25:17. > :25:20.With little discernible Brexit effect, what is behind the
:25:21. > :25:23.sun continuing to shine on the UK's finances?
:25:24. > :25:29.Consumer confidence has bounced back since the referendum.
:25:30. > :25:32.We're still spending, and that's good for the economy.
:25:33. > :25:34.And after the referendum the value of sterling
:25:35. > :25:42.They're up 4.1% since the referendum, positive for business
:25:43. > :25:51.The unemployment rate is now just 4.8%.
:25:52. > :25:55.We haven't seen a figure that low since August 2005.
:25:56. > :25:59.So, the economic waters at the moment are
:26:00. > :26:02.not too treacherous for Philip Hammond.
:26:03. > :26:07.Expect the Office for Budget Responsibility, the
:26:08. > :26:09.Government's official economic watchdog, to upgrade its growth
:26:10. > :26:15.Last autumn, the OBR predicted that economic
:26:16. > :26:21.growth for 2017 would be a rather modest 1.4%.
:26:22. > :26:25.In the Budget, it's likely to be more optimistic, saying
:26:26. > :26:31.High levels of economic growth mean higher tax receipts and lower levels
:26:32. > :26:40.The OBR is now set to say the Government could undershoot
:26:41. > :26:44.its own borrowing target by as much as ?12 billion.
:26:45. > :26:46.Does that mean Mr Hammond might have more money to spend?
:26:47. > :26:52.The bulk of any extra spending will be saved in
:26:53. > :26:56.case that Brexit risk to the economy materialises.
:26:57. > :26:59.Consumers spoken to by the Bank of England believe
:27:00. > :27:03.inflation could hit 2.8% by the end of the year.
:27:04. > :27:07.That could mean a squeeze on living standards.
:27:08. > :27:11.The price of fuel has already hit an 18-month high.
:27:12. > :27:15.It costs now ?9 more to fill up the average family car than
:27:16. > :27:23.And what about that all-important issue,
:27:24. > :27:32.Well, the latest surveys suggest that confidence
:27:33. > :27:36.And if it declines that could be bad for economic growth.
:27:37. > :27:45.Social care and schools could see increases,
:27:46. > :27:48.but this will not be a budget full of big giveaways, despite the
:27:49. > :27:52.In the Premier League this evening, leaders Chelsea returned
:27:53. > :27:54.to being ten points clear of their title challengers
:27:55. > :28:04.Can anyone stop the march of Chelsea? The league leaders arrived
:28:05. > :28:08.with only four defeats to their name in all competitions. Although one of
:28:09. > :28:12.them came here. It was a result that had West Ham bubbling with belief at
:28:13. > :28:16.the start, building the pressure on their rivals, before Chelsea flicked
:28:17. > :28:19.the switch. Like a well-oiled machine they surged forward for Eden
:28:20. > :28:23.Hazard to score. Though the celebrations were very nearly
:28:24. > :28:26.ambushed. Security at the London stadium once again in the spotlight.
:28:27. > :28:31.Throughout the first half, all the pressing came from Chelsea. The only
:28:32. > :28:36.thing missing, precision. Those in claret and blue offered little.
:28:37. > :28:39.After the break, they gave Diego Costa the simplest of chances to
:28:40. > :28:48.stretch Chelsea's lead. The margin would have been wider but for the
:28:49. > :28:51.fingertips of the keeper. With seconds remaining, Lanzini pulled a
:28:52. > :28:58.goal back. The win leaves Chelsea ten points clear with 11 games to
:28:59. > :29:03.go. Antonio contoy's side will take some stopping -- Conte's side will
:29:04. > :29:05.take some stoppingment - stopping.
:29:06. > :29:08.30 years ago, 193 people died, when a cross-Channel ferry,
:29:09. > :29:10.heading for Dover, capsized outside the Belgian port of Zeebrugge.
:29:11. > :29:12.It was Britain's worst peacetime disaster at sea,
:29:13. > :29:15.The Herald of Free Enterprise got into difficulties
:29:16. > :29:18.within minutes of setting sail, because the crew had failed
:29:19. > :29:21.Ceremonies and services have been held in south-east
:29:22. > :29:22.England and in Belgium, involving survivors, rescuers,
:29:23. > :29:33.Our correspondent, Duncan Kennedy, reports.
:29:34. > :29:36.In the choppy waters of the North Sea not far
:29:37. > :29:38.from where the Herald went down the residents of Belgium
:29:39. > :29:42.reached out to the people of Britain in the day's first
:29:43. > :29:58.It was 30 years ago tonight The Herald of Free Enterprise
:29:59. > :30:00.capsized just outside Zebrugge harbour.
:30:01. > :30:03.A crew member had left the bow doors open and water surged in.
:30:04. > :30:05.She took just 90 seconds to roll over.
:30:06. > :30:07.A cross-Channel sailing became a mid-Channel disaster.
:30:08. > :30:11.Below there was chaos, people clawing and fighting their way up,
:30:12. > :30:22.In the grim night of horror and loss that followed, 193 people died.
:30:23. > :30:39.Brian Gibbons used his watch to tap on water pipes to alert rescuers.
:30:40. > :30:48.With the screams and the shouts and everything else,
:30:49. > :30:51.unfortunately some people didn't make it, and the reason I'm talking
:30:52. > :30:54.to you today is I think people need to know what happened
:30:55. > :30:58.because of the 193 that didn't make it.
:30:59. > :31:09.Three decades on, the legacy of the Herald's loss
:31:10. > :31:14.is its capacity to fill a church with family and friends.
:31:15. > :31:26.Among them the aunt and uncle of Kim Spooner, then
:31:27. > :31:28.an eight-year-old girl, but still able to recall her
:31:29. > :31:37.Oh, my goodness, I remember it so vividly.
:31:38. > :31:40.I didn't really process what it meant at the time, to be honest.
:31:41. > :31:43.But sitting up all night waiting to hear them called, waiting,
:31:44. > :31:46.hoping they would get in touch and it didn't happen.
:31:47. > :31:49.To the lasting regret of Kim and many families no-one was ever
:31:50. > :31:54.But the impact was so great, entire fleets of ships
:31:55. > :31:58.were redesigned to make them more stable.
:31:59. > :32:03.Today the Herald's salvage bell was finally returned to the harbour
:32:04. > :32:05.that she had set sail for but never reached.
:32:06. > :32:16.Recalling the terrible events of 30 years ago tonight was Duncan Kennedy
:32:17. > :32:20.reporting there. Newsnight is getting
:32:21. > :32:29.under way on BBC Two. Tonight we're visiting the
:32:30. > :32:34.Netherlands, famous for its tolerance, liberalism and funny
:32:35. > :32:37.coffee shops. But an election next week could get the right-wing
:32:38. > :32:39.populist vote, a shock to the system.
:32:40. > :32:41.Here on BBC One, it's time for the news where you are.